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Rising Wing

A murmuration of cultural influencers who impact the artistic landscape of Philadelphia through collective action and audience cultivation.

About

This cohort is an intentional community of early-mid career artists, art lovers, and cultural practitioners dedicated to enhancing the cultural vitality of Philadelphia for all of its diverse residents. Rising Wing members will be invited to learn about upcoming program offerings from the curators of Philadelphia Contemporary before they are made public. They will have exclusive opportunities to meet artists and witness their creative processes. The group gathers biannually, pools their resources, and collectively decides how they will align behind upcoming programs to expand outreach and deepen impact by activating their own networks and creativity.

Rising Wing members share big ideas at their inaugural gathering in 2022

Rising Wing members at a table filling out cards

Vita Litvak and Shannon Maldonado

Two seated Rising Wing members

Samirah Devaughn-Marshall (center)

Two people in the background and in the foreground chat

PC's founder Harry Philbrick and Rònké Òké

Two people in the background and in the foreground chat

Alex Conner and Marian Bailey

Two people in the background and in the foreground chat

Kristina Murray, Darnell Schoolfield, A.V. Rankin, Kate Lynn Huffman, and Amira Smith

Rising Wing 2022 Cohort

Aubrie Costello and Billy Dufala

Rising Wing 2022 Cohort

Tyler Tolon and Chad Eric Smith

Rising Wing 2022 Cohort

Requirements

Members are asked to give a minimum of $100 per year, or an amount that is personally meaningful to them. They are asked to attend at least one of two gatherings to actively participate in the discussion of how to utilize their pooled resources for that bi-annual cycle. Rising Wing members are invited to be active participants of the Philadelphia Contemporary community by attending events, sharing social media, and spreading the word to their own personal networks about PC programs and events. Membership is by invitation only, and members are required to have a passion for this process and willingness to commit their own resources towards the pooled fund. We are looking to build a very diverse and highly connected community. 

How to get involved

Contact J.J. El-Far

We are actively recruiting members. Please email jj@philadelphiacontemporary.org to discuss opportunities to join Rising Wing.

What's the inspiration for this group?

  • Philadelphia Contemporary’s work along the waterfront with ecological systems, environmental art practice, and commitment to sustainable operations in harmony with the environment. We look to our winged counterparts to take a lesson in collective leadership. The name and ethos of this group were influenced by adrienne maree brown’s groundbreaking work Emergent Strategy. 

brown offers: “Starlings. The synchronized movement patterns of a starling flocks is also known as a murmuration. Guided by simple rules, starling murmuration can react to their environment as a group without a central leader orchestrating their choices; in any instant, any part of the flock can transform the movement of the whole flock. Collective leadership/partnership. Adaptability.”