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:

Photography Refuge

Gravy Studio

Gravy Studio is creating a photography artist residency for Philadelphia artists that takes them out of the city and into spaces that rejuvenate their artistic practices. As artists and artist-run spaces, we tend to work very hard for little compensation. This residency aims to give the space, time, funds, and resources to photographers to create new work.

We will be partnering with former Fishtown gallery owner and artist Emily Carris Duncan who currently runs High Pastures in Vermont with partner and musician Corey Carris Duncan. High Pastures is an artist retreat and cultural conservancy offering respite, collaboration, and inclusive space for artistic exploration in Whitingham, Vermont supporting the work of creatives particularly artists of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community.

We will also connect artists to local organizations and resources to get access to archives, content, source materials, and specialists who can inform them on any specific topics to facilitate their projects. The inaugural residency will happen in the beginning of 2026 and be displayed during the 20/20 Photo Festival in September 2026 at Cherry Street Pier as a preview to the Collective Futures exhibit in November 2026.