Collective Futures

is a city-wide celebration of Philadelphia’s vibrant network of artist-run spaces, DIY venues, and community-driven art initiatives. Taking place over six weeks in fall 2026, the festival will showcase the creative power of collectivity through exhibitions, workshops, performances, and public programs that engage both local and national audiences.

Bringing together more than 25 independent spaces and organizations, Collective Futures highlights the vital role of grassroots initiatives in shaping civic dialogue, cultural innovation, and community resilience. With a focus on supporting underrepresented artists and amplifying local voices, the festival will activate neighborhoods across the city—including Kensington, North Chinatown, West Philly, Fishtown, and Old City—creating accessible, neighborhood-based cultural experiences.

Coinciding with the celebrations surrounding America’s 250th birthday, Collective Futures situates Philadelphia’s artist-run ecosystem within a broader national conversation about democracy, creativity, and collective care.

At its core, the project is a multifaceted exploration of collective practices, storytelling, and the intersections of art, community, and infrastructure. Rooted in collaboration and experimentation, it seeks to amplify diverse perspectives while fostering connections between local and national networks. Through exhibitions, publications, and public programs, Collective Futures investigates the inner workings, histories, and creative processes of collectives—centering storytelling as a tool for cultural preservation and expression. Using oral histories, printmaking, and site-specific artworks, the festival will illuminate the interplay between artists, communities, and their environments.

By combining critical reflection with artistic production, Collective Futures aims to create a blueprint for equitable and sustainable collaboration—reimagining how art can mobilize resources, deepen connections, and envision transformative futures.

Collective Futures

is:

Picture Day 2

Practice Gallery

October 2 — November 15, 2026

A Portrait of the Philadelphia Art Scene

Practice will organize a class photo of all the artists in Philadelphia! On October 2nd we will display a large print out that people in the picture can sign! The first three weekends of October we invite practicing artists to come to Practice and have their portrait taken picture day style. Practice will then take the portraits and make a hard copy yearbook of the city artists to be distributed. This will help to put names to faces of the many people we see at events and around the city to help build the community!

Pracitce Gallery seeks to support artist practices that focus on performance, participation, and experimentation. Practice’s governing body is composed of a group of artists and art workers who produce or do not produce art works in a variety of mediums both physical and metaphysical. Our current members include Jessica Beckwith, RIchie Brown, Dave Hannon, Rich Hogan, Jerry Kaba, Margaret Pezalla-Granlund, and Alfred Rosenbluth. We meet each month to decide how best to govern and curate the space. Each exhibition is determined by a democratic consensus.