Generous foundation support for 2008-2009 season programs received from:
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
U.S. Department of State
Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies
in the Fine Arts
Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
PARC Foundation
University of Pennsylvania, School of
Arts and Sciences
Philadelphia Music Project, an initiative of the
Pew Charitable Trusts
Argosy Fund for Contemporary Music
inSite San Diego/Tijuana
Austrian Consulate General /
Cultural Affairs Section
CEC ArtsLink
FXFOWLE Foundation
Samuel S. Fels Fund
Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative /
Pew Charitable Trusts
New York Council for the Humanities,
a state affiliate of the National Endowment
for the Humanities
Philadelphia Cultural Fund
Helena Rubenstein Foundation
Roy and Niuta Titus Foundation
Bernice Gersh Foundation
Shimkin Foundation
Foundation for Contemporary Arts
Corporate:
Duggal Visual Solutions
Oldcastle Glass
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Thornton Tomasetti
Gwathmey Siegel and Associates Architects
Perkins Eastman
Weidlinger Associates
Pilkington and Leggett
Jack Stern/Brain and Spine Surgeons of NY
Kartell
Society of Friends:
Robert Rubin and Stephane Samuel
Abe and Pat Levy
Larry Levy
Jack and Bea Morton
Clark Morrell
Karen Froehlich
Jim Carpenter
Michele Richman
Deborah Levy
Elizabeth Mosimann
Scott and Nan Hayworth
Herb Levy
Nancy Bentley
John Heon
Media Partners:
The Architect's Newspaper Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
At Slought Foundation ('Sl-aw-t'), we highlight inventive and interdisciplinary practice by collaborating with leading artists and architects in an intimate and participatory environment. We encourage new forms of sociability and activism through programs that are purposely critical and provocative; we invite audiences to consider criticality itself as a source of dynamism and enjoyment. Rather than conceiving of our public as homogeneous, we undertake each Slought Foundation project with the intent of establishing relationships with new and emerging publics. We seek to present a provocative curatorial agenda that responds to the particular issues and challenges our communities face today, and we envision our activities as a bridge between socio-economic and cultural communities.
Since our establishment in 2002, our primary activities as a nonprofit organization in our Philadelphia location have been complemented by international projects in cities such as New York, Berlin, Venice, and Paris. Together, these cultural offerings demonstrate our commitment to contemporary cultural life, and the importance we place on cultivating cross-cultural and institutional collaborations that enrich and expand our understanding of practice. Our planning process and programming similarly emphasizes collaboration, visitor interaction, and critical feedback as generative principles, responding to concerns such as: How do cultures select what they mean by culture? For whom and to what end do we protect, preserve and present culture in a globalized world? Can we mitigate conflict by promoting cultural dialogue and exchange? What should peripheral organizations aspire to in relation to the prevailing economic and educational focus of major cultural institutions and funding platforms? Many of the individuals we present emphasize research as a fundamental component of their work, and they challenge us to reconsider the politics of exhibition display and prevailing curatorial approaches by evading clear distinctions between artist, critic, and curator.
Our recent selection by the U.S. Department of State to represent the United States in 2008 at La Biennale di Venezia is not only an enormous honor for our small West Philadelphia organization, but also recognizes a new spirit of community activism and inclusiveness across the country. See our upcoming calendar for more information on our exhibition, entitled Into the Open: Positioning Practice, which was on display at the U.S. Pavilion as part of the 11th International Architecture Exhibition. In the absence of major public and private support for social and cultural organizations that challenge conventional wisdom, the local site and cultural practice are becoming newly empowered. Join us in exploring and generating new forms of sociability and activism and share information about our activities with friends and colleagues. Look for coverage of Slought Foundation in national and international media.
Slought Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization incorporated in Pennsylvania (2002) and in good standing under US federal tax code. Download our FY2008 Annual Report (PDF)
