About Barnes West
Serving West Philadelphia since 2018, Barnes West is designed to enrich lives and communities through shared art experiences and access. Building upon our community engagement work and HopePHL’s (formerly People’s Emergency Center) LoLa 38 creative-placemaking initiative, Barnes West presents multifaceted arts programming to connect West Philly residents with art in their own neighborhoods. This collaboration brings artists, residents, and business owners together in celebrating culture, creativity, and community voice—promoting lifelong appreciation of, and participation in, the arts and cultural life of our city.
What’s On
First Friday on the Move
March 6 • August 7 • November 6
$10; $5 for Art for All Community Passholders
Join Barnes West and Ultra Silk Gallery for engaging conversations, art, wine, light bites, and lively performances at the Barnes Foundation on select First Fridays in 2026. An intimate affair at Ultra Silk—celebrating and amplifying emerging community connections across Philadelphia—is followed by chartered travel to First Friday at the Barnes for exciting performances.
Here’s what’s in store:
5:30pm Gallery talk, wine, and light refreshments at Ultra Silk
6:45pm Chartered bus from Ultra Silk to the Barnes
7:15 – 9pm First Friday at the Barnes, featuring live musical performances by local and national artists, plus access to the collection and exhibition galleries
9pm Chartered bus from the Barnes to Ultra Silk
Buy tickets for March 6. For more information, contact us at community@barnesfoundation.org.
About Ultra Silk
Ultra Silk Gallery is a contemporary art space rooted in culture, storytelling, and community connection. The gallery presents dynamic exhibitions and interdisciplinary programming that uplifts established and emerging artists. Through curated shows, live music, artist talks, and collaborative partnerships, Ultra Silk Gallery is a vibrant gathering place where art becomes a catalyst for dialogue and collective experience. 3859 Lancaster Ave., Philadelphia, PA.
2024 Everyday Places Artist Partnerships
Everyday Places Artist Partnerships highlight the intersection of art and community and create spaces where residents can participate in art experiences in their neighborhood. In 2024, social impact artists partnered with “everyday” places in West Philadelphia—including local businesses and community organizations—to create interactive projects that engaged with the spaces and their neighbors. Check back this fall to see who is coming to your West Philly neighborhood!
Irene Osorio at Dyke+ ArtHaus
Sewing Our Stories
Irene Osorio (she/her) led a series of sustainability-focused mending workshops at Dyke+ ArtHaus, a community-driven, feminist home for queer and lesbian artists of West Philadelphia. Osorio’s workshops gave neighbors and residents opportunities to drop in to repair, mend, or upcycle clothing, fabrics, and other items.
Qiaira Riley & Yannick Lowery at The Arts League
Shaking the Table
Multidisciplinary artists Qiaira Riley (she/her) and Yannick Lowery (he/him) worked as an artist collective to lead a series of interdisciplinary workshops and host community meals at The Arts League. Titled “Shaking the Table,” the series explored the collective and personal relationships people have with Black ephemera and popular culture through art making, food, and a film screening.
Lori Waselchuk at Writers Room
Them That Do
Photographer and educator Lori Waselchuk (she/her) partnered with Drexel’s Writers Room to organize and facilitate community photography workshops and a photo walk that highlighted neighborhood leaders, amplified local knowledge, and documented community-building. She collaborated with community organizers and a hyperlocal mutual-aid project to capture and share current happenings in West Philly.
Everyday Places Artist Partnerships in the News
- “West Philly Voices Are Being Amplified through Barnes Partnership” —Philadelphia Tribune
- “This New Arts Initiative Is Welcoming West Philly to Write a Poem Together” —Philadelphia Inquirer
- "A Celebration of Philadelphia’s Diverse Creativity” —Al Día
2023 Everyday Places Artists:
Elicia Epstein collaborated with West Philly residents on archival research, a community bike ride, and a zine at Neighborhood Bike Works.
Isaiah Reese taught flower arrangement and botanical workshops at the Silk Tent and Ultra Silk Gallery.
Meghan Tranauskas hosted ceramics workshops on vessel making at Dyke+ ArtHaus.
Pili X led a series of photo walks focusing on historical and contemporary documentation of West Philly in partnership with Get Fresh Daily’s Freedom Greens + Gardens.
Sponsors
Barnes West is supported in part by the Neubauer Family Foundation, PECO, and other generous individuals. Lead support for community engagement and family programs at the Barnes is provided through the Comcast Center for Community Engagement. Generous endowment support for community engagement programs is provided by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Additional annual support for these programs comes from David and Julia Fleischner and other generous individual, corporate, and foundation donors.
Barnes West
Since 2018, Barnes West has presented multifaceted arts programming in West Philly, bringing artists, residents, and business owners together to celebrate culture, creativity, and community voice.
