Support DVAA!
As a member of our community you play a critical role in the stories that we tell, the events we hold, and the future we share. Donate to help us expand our programming and your impact will be felt by the Philadelphia arts community for years to come.
Save DVAA: Help Keep This Artist-Run Space Alive
The art and cultural landscape of Philadelphia is in a crisis point. While large institutions prepare for the Semiquincentennial next year with boosted funding, many small organizations like DVAA are still trying to recover from debt taken on during COVID. We’ve been operating for years without a safety net, and now with Trump’s DEI rollbacks and NEA grant cancellations shaking the funding ecosystem, DVAA has hit a wall. Without increased support, there is no path forward.
Since our founding by Italian immigrants in 1931, we’ve remained committed to building connections across age, economic, and cultural divides. We support over 40,000 people each year through 35+ exhibitions, festivals, 50+ skill-sharing workshops, and 25+ professional development programs. We believe that when people are given space to dream - and the tools to build those dreams - we create a better future, together. That work doesn’t end at our walls. Our members are part of mutual aid networks, community gardens, critical study groups, and other collective efforts across the city. We serve as a connector, a convener, and a launchpad.
And in times of crisis, it's no coincidence that art gets cut first. We question the status quo. We point out injustice and seek to rectify the wrongs embedded into our society. Throughout my time at DVAA I’ve seen exhibitions confronting the intersecting opioid and housing crises, gender inequality, food deserts, gentrification, education disparities, and more. Suffice to say, in this current political landscape, finding funding through grants will become increasingly difficult. We want to continue speaking truth to power—but right now we can’t do it without you.
By being transparent about our position, we hope this is a call not only to keep DVAA open, but a reminder that small cultural spaces across Philly need your support. Together, we give people the freedom to be themselves, share their stories, and find their people.
We’ve watched artists use DVAA to launch full-time practices, earn curatorial fellowships, and access opportunities once out of reach. This place changes lives—but only because people like you believe in it. If you’ve ever been moved by a show at DVAA, found your people here, or simply believe artists deserve space to gather, grow, and imagine—please give what you can. Every dollar and every share helps us to get to our goal of $120,000. With your help, we’ll be one step closer to continuing this vital community work.
Philadelphia can’t afford to lose another space like this. Let’s fight for it together.
With love, solidarity, and urgency,
Samantha M Connors
Executive Director, DVAA
More Ways to Contribute
Or send a check!
Da Vinci Art Alliance
704 Catharine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Small donations can make all the difference. By setting up a monthly recurring payment on our Paypal of $5 or more, your promised contribution gives us the confidence to make plans for the future, knowing that you are with us every step of the way.
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Supporting members are integral in sustaining DVAA’s mission of building community through art. Their donations go directly toward supporting Artist Memberships for our artists that have greater financial need that cannot sustain the full $295 a year towards their DVAA membership.
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See wish list here.
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Take your contribution one step further by launching your own DVAA Fundraising campaign on Facebook encouraging your friends to support DVAA’s mission of Building Community Through Art.
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Purchase artwork from our online store. In doing so, you are not only supporting DVAA, but the local artists that make up our diverse community. We have over 100 pieces of affordable, one-of-a-kind artworks available for purchase.
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Support the community you love and put your special talents to work as a volunteer. Help is needed to staff events, promote gallery initiatives, and work on various tasks. Volunteers are always needed and appreciated.
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Donate supplies to us using our Walmart registry (if you don’t want to use Walmart, find ideas for materials we commonly use here and then ship it to us using your preferred store!)
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If you bank with TD Bank, you can help us simply by telling your bank teller you’re a DVAA member and the information included on the PDF linked in the button to the right of this paragraph. Each TD account linked to ours increases the donation amount that TD gives to us each year at no cost to you!
If you are a corporate entity, foundation or organization interested in supporting our work, please email info@davinciartalliance.org for larger giving opportunities. Da Vinci Art Alliance is a charitable, non-profit organization with 501(c)3 designation. Your contributions are tax-deductible and go directly toward supporting the artists, community members and leaders that make our free art and cultural programming possible.
