A joint project of PA Humanities, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and PA Museums

How has the pandemic impacted Greater Philadelphia's arts and culture industry?

In mid-2022, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, PA Humanities, and their partners conducted the Cultural Recovery & Regrowth Survey exploring COVID-19’s impact on the cultural sector and how organizations are supporting recovery and growth. 142 organizations participated from the five counties of southeastern Pennsylvania (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia).

Together we learned that the cultural sector:

continues to be affected by the pandemic, especially revenue & attendance (performing arts was hit hardest)
creatively adapted, finding new ways to engage audiences/keep people connected
is not expecting normalcy until at least 2023
is embedded in our social fabric and sustains vital services and relationships
needs additional funding to fully recover

Explore our findings below >

"The pandemic demanded a kind of flexibility and adaptability that was previously hard to imagine, but [we] and many other arts institutions were able to transform challenges into opportunities."

[The cultural sector] pivoted and achieved newfound presences online, through virtual programming, virtual exhibitions, and social media. Many learned new ways to develop and produce content, and experimented with new forms of audience engagement. Lessons learned through these endeavors will no doubt serve organizations well now, and into the future."

"The longer-term effects of COVID continue to impact museums and the economy, in terms of staff shortages, a struggle to return to pre-COVID revenue levels, and a focus on survival rather than sustainability. "

-12%

Great Recession revenue decline
(2008-2010)

-34%

COVID-19 revenue decline
(2020-2022)

-13%

museum jobs (currently)

-24%

performing arts jobs (currently)

Cultural orgs continued to sustain important community relationships.

partner with community organizations

87%

partner with K-12 schools

56%

partner with parks or rec centers

42%

20% of organizations partner with Food Pantries, Community Gardens, Farmers Markets

Photo credit: The Woodlands

When do they expect to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity?

How has their capacity changed?

Change in Capacity

Reduced Capacity (less programs/staff)

44

Normal Capacity (same programs/staff)

37

Increased Capacity (more programs/staff)

30

Modified Capacity or other (different programs/staff)

24

Economic impact:
29,000 jobs lost at the height of the pandemic

68% of surveyed organizations have budgets under $1.5 million.

Size of Organization

Under $150,000

37

$150,000 – $499,999

32

$500,000 – $1,499,999

27

$1,500,000 – $4,999,999

21

$5,000,000 – $9,999,999

10

$10,000,000 and above

10

N/A or unknown

5

Zip Codes with Survey Participants

Participating Organizations

Participating Organizations	County	Region
Bucks County Childrens Museum	Bucks	SE
Bucks County Historical Society	Bucks	SE
Historic Fallsington, Inc.	Bucks	SE
La Fiocco	Bucks	SE
Lenape Chamber Ensemble	Bucks	SE
PA Historical and Museum Commission site	Bucks	SE
PACSCL (Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries)	Bucks	SE
Palisades Community Chorus	Bucks	SE
Arts Holding Hands and Hearts	Chester	SE
Association for the Colonial Theatre	Chester	SE
Brandywine Ballet	Chester	SE
Chester County History Center	Chester	SE
Historic Sugartown, Inc.	Chester	SE
Historic Yellow Springs	Chester	SE
Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens	Chester	SE
Longwood Gardens	Chester	SE
People’s Light	Chester	SE
Philadelphia Watercolor Society	Chester	SE
Pottstown Dance Theatre	Chester	SE
Tredyffrin Township Libraries	Chester	SE
Uptown!Entertainment Alliance	Chester	SE
[Curator working with multiple organizations]	Delaware	SE
Community Arts Center	Delaware	SE
Darlington Arts Center	Delaware	SE
Haverford Township Historical Society	Delaware	SE
Main Line Singers	Delaware	SE
Tuscarora Lapidary Society	Delaware	SE
Abington Art Center	Montgomery	SE
Community Music School of Collegeville	Montgomery	SE
Literacy Council of Norristown	Montgomery	SE
Mennonite Heritage Center	Montgomery	SE
Montgomery County Chorale and Orchestra	Montgomery	SE
Montgomery County Community College	Montgomery	SE
North Wales Area Library	Montgomery	SE
Pennsylvania Philharmonic	Montgomery	SE
Pickleberry Pie, Inc.	Montgomery	SE
VoxAmaDeus	Montgomery	SE
1812 Productions	Philadelphia	SE
African Cultural Alliance of North America Inc	Philadelphia	SE
American Philosophical Society	Philadelphia	SE
AMLA at Esperanza	Philadelphia	SE
Anna Crusis Feminist Choir	Philadelphia	SE
Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust	Philadelphia	SE
Arden Theatre Company	Philadelphia	SE
Articulate Foundation, The	Philadelphia	SE
Artvolution Cultural Innovation Project	Philadelphia	SE
ArtWell	Philadelphia	SE
ARTZ Philadelphia	Philadelphia	SE
Astral Artists	Philadelphia	SE
Athenaeum of Philadelphia, The	Philadelphia	SE
Aurora Classical of Culture Trust Greater Philadelphia	Philadelphia	SE
Awbury Arboretum Association, Inc.	Philadelphia	SE
Azuka Theatre	Philadelphia	SE
Barnes Foundation	Philadelphia	SE
Broad Street Review	Philadelphia	SE
Carpenters’ Company of City and County of Philadelphia, The	Philadelphia	SE
Centro de Cultura Arte Trabajo y Educacion	Philadelphia	SE
Centro Nueva Creacion	Philadelphia	SE
Christ Church Preservation Trust	Philadelphia	SE
Circadium	Philadelphia	SE
Clay Studio, The	Philadelphia	SE
Cliveden of the National Trust, Inc	Philadelphia	SE
College of Physicians of Philadelphia, The	Philadelphia	SE
Commonwealth Youthchoirs	Philadelphia	SE
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts	Philadelphia	SE
Da Vinci Art Alliance	Philadelphia	SE
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.	Philadelphia	SE
Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion	Philadelphia	SE
Esperanza Arts Center	Philadelphia	SE
Fidget	Philadelphia	SE
Fleisher Art Memorial	Philadelphia	SE
Franklin Institute, The	Philadelphia	SE
Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation	Philadelphia	SE
Galleries at Moore, The	Philadelphia	SE
Glen Foerd	Philadelphia	SE
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance	Philadelphia	SE
Greater Philadelphia Film Office	Philadelphia	SE
Group Motion Multi Media Dance Theater	Philadelphia	SE
G-Town Radio	Philadelphia	SE
Heritage Local LLC	Philadelphia	SE
Historical Society of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	SE
Hydrosteel LLC	Philadelphia	SE
Independence Seaport Museum	Philadelphia	SE
Independence Visitor Center Corporation	Philadelphia	SE
Inis Nua Theatre Company	Philadelphia	SE
InLiquid	Philadelphia	SE
Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)	Philadelphia	SE
InterAct Theatre Company	Philadelphia	SE
International House Philadelphia	Philadelphia	SE
Jazz Bridge Project, Inc.	Philadelphia	SE
JUNK	Philadelphia	SE
Kimmel Cultural Campus	Philadelphia	SE
Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble	Philadelphia	SE
Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers (KYL/D)	Philadelphia	SE
Lantern Theater Company	Philadelphia	SE
Mann Center for the Performing Arts	Philadelphia	SE
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia	Philadelphia	SE
Mighty Writers	Philadelphia	SE
Moore College of Art & Design	Philadelphia	SE
Museum of the American Revolution	Philadelphia	SE
Musicopia, Inc.	Philadelphia	SE
National Liberty Museum	Philadelphia	SE
Network for New Music	Philadelphia	SE
Norris Square Neighborhood Project	Philadelphia	SE
Opera Philadelphia	Philadelphia	SE
PA Humanities Council	Philadelphia	SE
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA)	Philadelphia	SE
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society	Philadelphia	SE
Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, The	Philadelphia	SE
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society	Philadelphia	SE
Philadelphia Dance Company, The (PHILADANCO!)	Philadelphia	SE
Philadelphia Dance Projects	Philadelphia	SE
Philadelphia Museum of Art	Philadelphia	SE
Philadelphia Sculptors	Philadelphia	SE
Philadelphia Sketch Club	Philadelphia	SE
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens	Philadelphia	SE
Philly POPS, The	Philadelphia	SE
Pig Iron Theatre Company	Philadelphia	SE
Play On Philly	Philadelphia	SE
Please Touch Museum	Philadelphia	SE
Print Center, The	Philadelphia	SE
Project 440	Philadelphia	SE
Project Capoeira Inc	Philadelphia	SE
Rhonda DiMascio, Executive Director	Philadelphia	SE
Rock School for Dance Education, The	Philadelphia	SE
Science History Institute	Philadelphia	SE
Scribe Video Center	Philadelphia	SE
Shakespeare in Clark Park	Philadelphia	SE
Tempesta di Mare	Philadelphia	SE
Theatre Exile	Philadelphia	SE
Theatre Philadelphia	Philadelphia	SE
Three Aksha	Philadelphia	SE
Trinity Memorial Church	Philadelphia	SE
Twelve Gates Arts	Philadelphia	SE
Vox Populi	Philadelphia	SE
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History	Philadelphia	SE
WHYY	Philadelphia	SE
Wilma Theater	Philadelphia	SE
World Affairs Council of Philadelphia	Philadelphia	SE
WXPN	Philadelphia	SE
Wyck Association	Philadelphia	SE
Yes! And… Collaborative Arts	Philadelphia	SE

Greater Philadelphia Cultural Recovery & Regrowth Survey

A joint project of PA Humanities, Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and PA Museums

How has the pandemic impacted Greater Philadelphia's arts and culture industry?

Together we learned that the cultural sector:

continues to be affected by the pandemic, especially revenue & attendance (performing arts was hit hardest)

creatively adapted, finding new ways to engage audiences/keep people connected

is not expecting normalcy until at least 2023

is embedded in our social fabric and sustains vital services and relationships

needs additional funding to fully recover