The Village of Arts and Humanities
2544 GermantownPhiladelphiaPA19133
215-225-7830215-225-4339

Program: The Village of Arts and Humanities Year Started: 1986 Focus: Multidisciplinary Arts & Humanities Youth Served: 500 Ages: 5-15 Budget: $300,000 "Using the arts as the 'bone structure'," The Village is building an urban community where members care for each other and are interconnected," explains artist and Director Lilly Yeh. The Village began as a single public art project in an abandoned lot in North Philadelphia. Encouraged by the interest and assistance of people inside and outside the community and led by her vision of the possibilities for this inner-city neighborhood, Yeh co-founded The Village of Arts and Humanities with Stephen Sayer, a builder and educator. With the help of neighborhood residents, they renovated an abandoned building next to the lot and established their headquarters there. The VillageÌs primary programs are in park building, education, performance and exhibition and renovation. The Village offers a wide range of after-school and summer arts classes for youth, including modern, jazz, African and Caribbean dance; theater; painting and drawing; ceramics and photography; African-American history and world culture and an after-school tutorial program. At community festivals and at conferences, as well as at The University of the Arts and The Drake Theatre, youth in the programs display their talents. With support from the government and private foundations, The VillageÌs building and renovation program brings Village artists, The VillageÌs construction crew and residents together to build and restore decrepit buildings and abandoned lots. Park building projects include large mosaic sculptures surrounded by gardens and pathways.