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InLiquid is proud to announce that we have been selected to receive a grant through PNC Arts Alive from PNC and The PNC Foundation. PNC Arts Alive supports over 30 arts organizations around the Philadelphia area. This year, PNC Arts Alive has expanded its outreach to more community-based organizations like InLiquid to hold events, exhibitions, and other activities within Philadelphia to directly benefit the neighborhoods of the city.

“The grant from PNC Arts Alive is an acknowledgement on our 20th anniversary of the work that we do and the creativity behind it,” says Executive Director Rachel Zimmerman. “It gives us an opportunity to reach artists that don’t have a lot of opportunities in Philly to have their work sold who aren’t represented in commercial galleries.”

Through this grant we are able to present our newest campaign: Everyone is a Collector. Launching in tandem with InLiquid’s 20th Anniversary season, Everyone is a Collector will:

• showcase hundreds of the area’s best artists in 12 exhibitions both downtown at The Yard and at the flagship InLiquid Gallery in South Kensington.
• Includes our two annual collecting events – The Benefit and Art for the Cash Poor
• have a series of promotional videos highlighting artwork collectors from all walks of life.
• present a fun, participatory online exhibition that  crowd-sources images of people’s collections, allowing anyone to share anything they collect from bottle caps to fine art.

Everyone is a Collector encourages broad and diverse audiences to buy art! Whether you’re adding to your collection or starting your first one, we want to encourage the acquisition of art throughout our community. Buying art isn’t just for the rich and powerful; it’s for the art appreciator. “Art should be appreciated and cared for,” says Zimmerman. “Incorporating it into our lives is something that has been overlooked a lot in the outline of the city.” Artists don’t create work to live in a vacuum, it has to live somewhere. Where better for it to live than in our homes?

If you’re an avid follower of us on Instagram, you may have noticed that we’ve been posting about this campaign already (and if you’re not following us, what have you been doing??).

The combined exhibitions of selected local artists will reach audiences of over 20,000 Philadelphians and visitors to the city. InLiquid’s 20th Anniversary Benefit and Art Auction in January 2020 will include over 200 artists and 500 attendees. In addition to these events, InLiquid’s annual “Art for the Cash Poor” –– a vibrant and spirited street fair featuring over 100 professional artists where every piece of art is available for between $1 and $199 –– takes place every June.

Rachel points out that “as a small arts nonprofit there’s only so much bandwidth we have. InLiquid has been here for 20 years now, but there are a whole slew of people who are new to the city.” With the help from PNC Arts Alive, we can spread our message to everyone in Philly, both new and old.

Stay tuned for our other events and videos coming out that will put a fire under your rear to collect!