Five recipients from Northwest Philadelphia are among the 39 artists and organizations awarded 2024 grants totaling $10.2 million from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Ralph Lemon of Germantown and Chad E. Taylor of Mt. Airy both were named Pew Fellows in the Arts, receiving unrestricted grants of $85,000 each.

In a press release, Pew noted that Lemon, an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and choreographer, “is a master of creating deeply cerebral yet viscerally emotional works. He is truly an original voice...whose work reflects the diversity of Black lives and American lives." 

Taylor, a composer and musician with a 30-year career in creative music, was recognized for his unique voice as a percussionist. "Chad Taylor is a veteran of the creative music scene and has collaborated with innovative artists over his 30-year career,” Pew stated in its release. “The result is not a re-statement of influences but a proclamation of fresh musical storytelling, steeped in tradition yet contemporary."

Three Northwest Philadelphia organizations also received grants: Historic Germantown, Stenton in Germantown, and The Crossing, a choral group based in Chestnut Hill.

Historic Germantown was awarded an "Evolving Futures" grant to develop new models of support for smaller members of its consortium of historical organizations. Panelists noted the project's potential as a "significant game changer" for sustainability among smaller historical organizations.

The Crossing, a Grammy Award-winning choral group, received a project grant to produce a four-movement choral work addressing climate change and extreme weather events. The work will be presented in a gallery-based video installation featuring life-size projections of singers paired with footage of natural disasters. Panelists described The Crossing's choral work as "exemplary" and found the themes of climate change to be "compelling" and "urgent."

Stenton was awarded funds for it’s “Wrestling with Justice: Quakers and Northern Slavery at Stenton” exhibition. This interpretive plan contextualizes the history of slavery at the historic house museum Stenton through exhibitions, tours, and programs. Illuminating the largely invisible labor force of enslaved and indentured people who lived and worked on the property in the 18th and 19th centuries, the project challenges prevailing views that Quakers were strictly abolitionists and that slavery was only a Southern phenomenon.

"We are particularly gratified to offer important risk capital to address crucial operational issues through this new funding platform while also supporting vibrant programs for many different audiences and communities," said Paula Marincola, executive director of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

The grants were awarded through a rigorous peer-review process involving panels of distinguished, internationally recognized experts in arts and heritage from outside the region.

Donna Frisby-Greenwood, senior vice president leading The Pew Charitable Trusts' work in Philadelphia, emphasized the importance of supporting a thriving cultural sector that represents diverse perspectives.

"We look forward to seeing how these grantees use their exceptional creativity to spark important social conversations—and produce accessible works of art for Philadelphia-area residents and visitors to enjoy," Frisby-Greenwood said.

The Pew Fellowships in the Arts program has been supporting local artistic talent since 1992. This year's fellowships total $1 million, with each of the 12 recipients receiving an increased award of $85,000 in unrestricted funds.

In addition to the monetary award, fellowship recipients will have access to professional advancement resources such as financial counseling, workshops, and opportunities to participate in artist residency programs.

For a full list of grantees and funded projects, visit pewcenterarts.org/2024grants.