Celebrating 70 Years

We celebrate a milestone in Allens Lane Art Center’s history this year, our 70th anniversary! In honor of this landmark year, we will be looking back for inspiration from our past, sharing our values of racial justice and inclusivity in the present, and creating more opportunities to reach out to our diverse communities in the future.

Our Founding: Rooted in Social Justice

The Center was founded on June 23rd, 1953, by a group of Mt. Airy residents, as part of a larger grassroots movement in the 1950s. Through community organizing, Mt. Airy residents sought to fight for racial and economic justice and to build a safe and welcoming neighborhood for a racially diverse community. The founders’ vision for the Allens Lane Arts Center was for all Northwest Philadelphia residents to experience equitable arts and culture opportunities, unite over their shared experiences, and extend this unity beyond the Center to the rest of the neighborhood and city.

September 9, 2023: Mark your Calendar!

Mark your calendar for our Community Arts Festival to celebrate our 70th anniversary.

Our Present: Brimming with Arts and Culture Offerings

For 70 years, Allens Lane has been fulfilling this vision through year-round visual and performing arts education; our beloved Summer Arts Camp; community theater productions; monthly gallery exhibitions showcasing and supporting the careers of local artists; and free classes in ceramics and mixed media for those experiencing visual impairment.

Our Future Plans: Reaching an Even Larger and More Diverse Community

As we look toward the future, we are excited to plan for expanded community outreach and increased access for all arts and culture seekers in Mt. Airy and the Northwest. We are working on programs to serve our public schools, our senior centers, our parks, and our social service organizations, bringing the arts outside our campus to support our community in places with the most need.