South Philly resident Michelle Angela Ortiz is among a dozen artists who received a fellowship through Philadelphia Cultural Treasures. A total of $1.185 million of awards were given out to recognize the work of black, Latino, Asian and indigenous artists and cultural workers.
Ortiz is a visual artist, muralist and filmmaker who has created more than 50 large-scale public works. She has also led public art projects around the world. Locally, she has created murals like “Aquí y Allá” on 6th Street, which was a cross-national exchange between artists with communities in Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico and was sponsored by the U.S. Consulate.
Other works of Ortiz have been shown in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Her work examines issues of immigration, socio-economic inequalities and human rights.
The recently awarded unrestricted grants are provided as part of Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures, a funding initiative administered regionally through a collaboration among The Barra Foundation, Neubauer Family Foundation, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, William Penn Foundation and Wyncote Foundation.
It helps artists continue to contribute meaningful artwork.
“Artists are essential to a city’s vitality, and the 2024 Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures fellows represent the region’s extraordinary artists and their exemplary community-driven work,” said Paula Marincola, executive director of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. “This funding recognizes their achievements and supports them in their future endeavors.”
The other 2024 Fellows are Naw Doh, Ruth Naomi Floyd, Leo Gadson, Charlyn Magdaline Griffith-Oro, Vaughnda Hilton, Germaine Ingram, Anthony Mendez, Alex Shaw, Richard J. Watson and the artist collective FORTUNE, comprised of Andra Palchick, Heidi Ratanavanich and Connie Yu.
This year’s fellowship recipients like Ortiz are artists working in visual art, traditional craft, music, performance and community-based art forms. Many of the artists have made a longtime meaningful difference in the city’s cultural landscape, using the arts to tell important community stories.
The fellowship awards range from $75,000 to $120,000, with the higher amounts awarded to artists whose contributions have made an impact on the region for 20 years or more. Additionally, $15,000 in retirement savings are awarded to each fellow along with professional development opportunities to promote their well-being and assist with advancing their work.
The three-year initiative has infused $9.9 million of new funding into the greater Philadelphia region to support artists in the community.
In 2022, Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures awarded more than $6 million in multi-year general operating support for 16 organizations, followed by more than $1 million in fellowships for 12 individual artists. In early 2024, PCT awarded $1 million to support 39 “BIPOC-led” organizations and artists in developing and presenting creative projects.
“We’re honored and gratified to be a part of this philanthropic collaboration with our regional partners to advance ‘BIPOC-led’ work and shine a spotlight on the remarkable and diverse talent that makes Philadelphia such a vibrant cultural destination,” Marincola said.
