The Village of Arts and Humanities is a 38-year-old arts and community revitalization organization rooted in Philadelphia's Fairhill-Hartranft neighborhood. Founded on the legacy of Arthur Hall's Ile Ife Black Humanitarian Center and shaped by visionary artists Lily Yeh, Big Man Maxton, and JoJo Williams, The Village operates 15 art parks and 10 program buildings across 4.5 acres of urban land. The organization engages over 1,500 community members annually through programs that blend art with social justice, youth leadership, and equitable revitalization.
To support artists and Black community residents to imagine, design, and build a more just and equitable society.
The Village values art as its most powerful tool for catalyzing healthy and sustainable societal change. Over nearly 40 years, it has evolved from the Ile Ife Black Humanitarian Center (founded in 1968) into a nationally-recognized model for arts-based neighborhood transformation. The organization's seven core programs work at the intersection of art, education, and social justice to amplify creative power, build bridges across differences, question unjust systems, activate youth and adult skills, and construct new avenues for civic engagement. Today, The Village impacts approximately 1,200 community residents annually, enlists 400 volunteers, and engages 350 teens in after-school and summer programs.
The Village's team comprises artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and technical experts with no conventional hiring route—only a commitment to working at the intersection of community and creativity. Staff members include program directors, coordinators, educators, and support specialists. The board brings decades of diverse experience, and the organization honors influential founders and visionary community members including Arthur Hall, Lily Yeh, James "Big Man" Maxton, and JoJo Williams.
The Village operates seven core programs organized into three areas: Youth Leadership (Village Youth, Philly Earth, CRED Magazine), Social Justice (Civic Power Studio, People's Paper Co-op, SPACES AIR), and Equitable Revitalization (Creative Campus, The Futures Gallery, Fairhill-Hartranft ABCs). All programs are guided by three core values—building trust, maintaining consistency, and seeking boldness—to create transformational social change through art-based intervention and community engagement.
Check back soon for events from this organization.
