About
Our mission is to build understanding and unity amongst Northwest Philadelphia communities through accessible, enriching, and transformative art education and experiences.
Bringing Communities Together Through The Arts
Since its founding in 1953, Allens Lane Art Center has been a cornerstone of the Mt. Airy community by bringing residents together through joyful and transformative experiences in the arts. Whether it’s art classes for children or adults, art exhibitions, art markets and festivals, or a diverse range of performances on our stage, there is something for everyone at Allens Lane.
Our History
Allens Lane Art Center has a rich history that began in 1953 with its establishment by visionary community members, who came together through a collective ambition to make Mt. Airy an intentionally welcoming space for all people, challenging rampant systemic racism and discrimination at the time. Inspired as a part of the larger grassroots movement at that time towards intentional integration, including increasing encouragement of African American home buying and opportunity within the Mt. Airy neighborhood, the Center was granted nonprofit tax-exempt status in 1955. “Living Together Through the Arts,” a program of The Ford Foundation and the Henry Home & School Association, originally sponsored the Center.
Strategic Plan 2025 – 2028
The Center’s 2025-2028 Strategic Plan outlines our core focus areas for the next 3 years as we work towards our mission of bringing our community together through transformative and joyful experiences in the arts. The Strategic Plan serves as a central document to outline our organization’s goals, objectives, and strategies to align with our programs and initiatives. Several organizational efforts took place to develop the plan, including audience-focused research, data collection, and internal strategy discussions.
Through this data collection, we have identified three main goals for the Strategic Plan with various strategies to execute these objectives.
GOAL #1 Expand the DIVERSITY of our constituents to reflect the community that we serve in NW Philadelphia
GOAL #2 Ensure ample RESOURCES to support our mission, programs, and partnerships
GOAL #3 Reestablish and enhance our COMMUNITY relations
Our Values
Art is a uniting force, bringing people together and building communities.
Art brings to life abstract ideas and emotions that help us understand and relate to each other deeply. Through our shared experiences of engaging with creativity, we build relationships and grow important ties.
Art is a human right and should be accessible to all people.
Art and creativity are essential parts of a flourishing and nurturing existence that we must work to make accessible and equitable -financially, culturally, physically, and psychologically.
Art and creativity transform our lives.
Art fosters creative thinking and well-being, allowing us to access our joy, spontaneity, and intuition, and helping us better understand ourselves and each other.
