Rush Arts Philadelphia (RAP)

Through works by dozens of artists—both Philadelphia and New York-based—the inaugural exhibition showcased the intersection of visual art and social action: art in the time of Occupy and the Black Lives Matter movement, art that both reflects and informs the ways that these different streams of protest, language and action are converging and building momentum towards, perhaps, some major cultural shift. One year later, the full ground floor is dedicated to exhibition and program space based on the successful Rush model and mission: to build a community-driven art space that provides opportunities to both local artists and curators, focused on community revitalization and relevance to the people of the surrounding neighborhoods, and arts-based educational opportunities for local youth who can benefit from them the most. Rush Arts Philly enjoys partnerships with several cultural organizations including the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Amalgam Comics, the Barnes, Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, and more.