The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage announced that it is awarding more than $8.7 million to Philadelphia-based artists and cultural organizations, funding twelve fellowships and thirty-three projects.

“The ambitious and imaginative work of Philadelphia’s artists and institutions will offer audiences outstanding cultural experiences in the year ahead,” said Paula Marincola, the center’s executive director. “We are very gratified to continue to support the region’s vibrant cultural community through our annual grantmaking.”

The Pew Center fellowships provide awards of $75,000 to individual artists from all disciplines. This year’s fellows include composers David Ludwig and Diane Monroe; filmmaker Jonathan Olshefski; poet and performer Ursula Rucker; poet Rachel Zolf; choreographer and dancer Leah Stein; traditional African vocalist Zaye Tete; theater artist Alexa Torra; and visual artists David Hartt, Ken Lum, Quentin Morris, and Michelle Angela Ortiz.

Project grants for public events, exhibitions, and performances are awarded in amounts up to $300,000, with an additional 20 percent for general operating costs. The grants are designed to support exceptional cultural programs and experiences presented by Philadelphia-area artists and organizations for a wide range of audiences. Among this year’s recipients are the Mann Center for the Performing Arts for a newly commissioned work by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, which will bring more than one hundred professional and amateur performers to the venue’s outdoor stage, and Temple Contemporary for a multiyear project that will invite Philadelphians to various private homes for an exercise in empathetic listening.

In addition, Partners for Sacred Places will receive support for a series of performances that will explore the African American religious experience, and the Institute of Contemporary Art will use its funding to stage an exhibition of new works by artists Carolyn Lazard, Cameron Rowland, Sable Elyse Smith, and Martine Syms. The complete list of organizations that received 2018 project grants is available on the Pew Center’s website.