Painted Bride Art Center

39°57′21″N 75°08′38″W / 39.9557°N 75.143878°W / 39.9557; -75.143878

The Painted Bride Art Center, known to many Philadelphians as The Bride, is a non-profit that brings together artists, audiences, and communities to push the boundaries of creating and experiencing art. ^[1][2] In its more than 50-year history, the Bride has supported over 25,000 artists, hosted over 5,000 events, commissioned over 100 new works, and facilitated many artist and community workshops, and educational programs. The Bride cultivates a welcoming environment for critical dialogue and playful exchange to transform lives and communities through art. It is committed to supporting artists from all walks of life and amplifying underrepresented voices to foster diversity and inclusivity. The Bride is part of the National Performance Network and is currently located at 5212 Market Street in the West Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[3]

Early History

The Bride was originally founded as a gallery space in an old bridal shop on South Street in 1969 by Gerry Givnish, Sylvia and Larry Konigsberg, Frank Vavricka, A. John Kammer, and Deryl Mackie a group of visual artists who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts. A mannequin was placed in the bridal shop's window, which turned into an attraction as people came by to see what provocative outfit it was wearing, or what lewd position it was placed in. Soon after opening, other artists, musicians, dancers, and poets flocked to the Bride, and the organization evolved in a very organic way. In 1973, the gallery gave rise to the Painted Bride Quarterly, a poetry and literary journal. In 1977, having received funding from the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), the Bride hired its first paid staff. The six employees worked in all aspects of management.^[4] In 1982 it moved to its current location.

The Bride, which is part of the National Performance Network^[5] includes a 225-seat performance space – the Gerry Givnish Theatre – and has several galleries in which to mount visual arts shows. The New York Times referred to the center as a "wonderful, welcoming and often edgy" venue which "set the trend of cultural activity in Old City" when it was founded.^[2]

The center receives funding from numerous sources. In 1984, it was the only Philadelphia arts institution to be awarded a $100,000 challenge grant by the National Endowment for the Arts,^[6] but by 1996, with Federal grants to the arts diminishing, it received only $10,000, which was $20,000 less than had been budgeted for that performance year.^[7] The center also receives funding from the City of Philadelphia ^[8] and the Pew Charitable Trust.^[9]

The outside of the former industrial building The Bride is located in is completely covered by Skin of the Bride, a mosaic by Philadelphia artist Isaiah Zagar, which he created between 1991 and 2000 and donated to the center.^[10]

In 2020, the Painted Bride organization sold the building to developer Atrium Design Group.^[11] They had to go to court in order to sell the building. They refused a $2.65 million offer by the Lantern Theater Company, which would have kept the building as an arts venue.^[12]

• Painted Bride Quarterly
• Isaiah Zagar
• Old City, Philadelphia

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Painted Bride Art Center.

• Finding aid for the Painted Bride Art Center records at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries