Vita Litvek

“Creativity is radical and dangerous to the status quo, because it leads to critical and independent thought. Creativity empowers and moves us to action. When people tap into their creative potential, they can become whole, able to realize themselves and express their unique vision. Breaking down barriers to the creative potential should be one of our most valued goals.”

Vita Litvak is a Philadelphia-based artist, educator, and arts administrator. She is currently the Associate Director of Adult Education at Fleisher Art Memorial, a community school of the visual arts, where she oversees the design and implementation of more than 100 classes and workshops. At Fleisher, Vita manages 70 teaching artists who engage more than 2,000 adult students each year. Currently she is leading a new creative aging initiative at Fleisher and designing programs to serve older adults in South Philadelphia. In partnership with Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University, she previously designed and implemented Art for the Healer, a program serving medical students through art education. 

Vita received her MFA in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University and continues her own art practice, rooted in the photographic medium and extending into video and community-based projects. She believes that much like air, food or water everyone should have access to develop their creative potential. 

How do you define creativity?

“Creativity is a force, a power that transforms, sustains and rejuvenates. Much like air, food or water everyone should have access to develop their creative potential. It is available to all in the ideal, but like many other resources, which should be available to us all as a human right, it is more often restricted via societal oppression, as well as fear, disbelief, judgement and toxic self-criticism. Creativity is radical and dangerous to the status quo, because it leads to critical and independent thought. Creativity empowers and moves us to action. When people tap into their creative potential they can become whole, able to realize themselves and express their unique vision. Breaking down barriers to the creative potential should be one of our most valued goals.”

Biography:

Vita Litvak is a Philadelphia-based artist, educator, and arts administrator. She is currently the Associate Director of Adult Education at Fleisher Art Memorial, a community school of the visual arts, where she oversees the design and implementation of more than 100 classes and workshops. Litvak manages 70 teaching artists who engage more than 2,000 adult students each year.

She is leading a new creative aging initiative at Fleisher and designing new programs to serve older adults in South Philadelphia, work that has been funded and shared by the National Guild for Community Arts Education. During her time at Fleisher, she also curated the Sanctuary Series, a free weekly public program featuring local artists, writers, and musicians. In partnership with Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University, Litvak designed and implemented Art for the Healer, a program serving medical students through art education.

Litvak received her BA with Departmental High Honors in Fine Arts from Haverford College and her MFA in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has been an art educator for more than ten years, including positions as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Haverford College, Adjunct Professor at Moore College of Art and Design, Monmouth University, and Stockton University.  Prior to teaching in the Philadelphia area, she was a Resident Artist at Root Division, a non-profit community arts organization in San Francisco, developing classes for youth and adult learners. Her art practice is rooted in the photographic medium and extends into video and community-based projects.