Title
Honoring the Philadelphia Cultural Fund on its 20th Anniversary.
Body
WHEREAS, The establishment of the Philadelphia Cultural Fund ("Cultural Fund") was guided by an Ad Hoc Committee on Cultural Funding that was comprised of various arts and civic leaders and this Committee was led by the late John Allen, Artistic Director of the New Freedom Theatre, Cathryn Coate, Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Helen Haynes, Executive Director of the Coalition of African American Arts Organizations, and Portia Sperr, Director of the Museums Initiative; and
WHEREAS, Considering the work of the Ad Hoc Committee and the "significant role that arts and cultural organizations and activities play in the quality of life of all Philadelphians," on May 9, 1991, former Council members John F. Street and Joan Specter introduced and passed Bill No. 1424 that authorized "City officials to file articles of incorporation to establish a non-profit corporation for the purpose of providing funding to arts and cultural institutions, organizations, and activities within the City of Philadelphia"; and
WHEREAS, Through the Ad Hoc Committee, a report was issued that detailed the funding guidelines for grants from the proposed Cultural Fund and, on February 18, 1992, former Mayor Edward G. Rendell and former Council President John F. Street signed as incorporators and successfully filed the articles of incorporation for the Cultural Fund with the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The Cultural Fund is an independent, community focused, non-profit corporation, with a mission of supporting and enhancing the cultural life and vitality of the City and its residents and its goal is to promote arts and culture as engines of social and economic development in Philadelphia. The Cultural Fund is governed by an 18 member Board of Directors of which the Mayor appoints four members and City Council appoints four members and th...
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