Inaugural Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts Declared A Success

Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) events and performances may be over, but Philadelphia's arts and culture community has much to continue to celebrate. While the final results are still being tallied, PIFA organizers say that all indications point to a standout success for the 25-day, 135-event, inaugural festival.

Kimmel Center President and CEO Anne Ewers noted, "From its very inception, our goals for the festival were clear. PIFA would enable us to create a way to draw together the region's outstanding arts organizations, and at the same time elevate the profile and visibility of both the organizations and the amazing artists whose talents illuminate our city. As a result, we hoped that both residents and tourists alike would experience - many for the first time - Philadelphia's treasure-trove of arts and culture. So far, we are delighted by early returns suggesting that all of our festival goals were met. The Kimmel Center is incredibly proud to have led this inaugural effort, bringing Philadelphia's arts and culture communities together for the first time for such an extraordinary initiative."

The Kimmel Center, with the help of over 200 volunteers, acted as PIFA central, attracting thousands to the venue to learn about the Festival. From the twice nightly Eiffel Tower light-and-sound show and daily performances inside the transformed Kimmel Center Plaza, to kids and family events, dance and theater performances, culinary and fashion events and more, there was much to draw an impressive number of Festival attendees, as the official count demonstrates:

A total of 177,000 people were drawn to the Kimmel Center Plaza over the festival's 25 days
195,000 attendees enjoyed the April 30 PIFA Street Fair along Broad Street and its grand finale: an unforgettable mid-air performance by La Compagnie Transe Express
The Kimmel Center's first-ever Plaza fashion show attracted standing-room only audiences
Over 750 children and parents took part in the first Easter Egg Hunt in the Plaza on Easter Sunday
Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis dazzled a sold-out house on the final day of PIFA

But it wasn't just the Kimmel Center that benefited. Many PIFA events across the city were sold out, or nearly so. For example:

The Green Fairy Cabaret served up an inventive melding of cabaret and circus arts to sold-out crowds.
All of Woodmere Art Museum's jazz nights, celebrating jazz of the PIFA era and beyond, sold out.
Orchestra 2001's PIFA event featured two new works and a first-ever collaboration with visual artists.
Several of Fly City's daily trapeze classes on Broad Street were full; extra classes had to be added to the schedule.
Scribe Video's screenings of documentaries included a commissioned video about the trailblazing musician and orchestra leader James Reese Europe.
Restaurants featuring PIFA's special French Chef dinners were frequently packed.
The Gala opening was highlighted by the sold-out Pulcinella Alive, attended by an unprecedented number of Gala patrons.
Tongue and Groove Spontaneous Theater's improvisations grew out of the experiences shared by their enthralled audiences.
Alliance Française sold out its trolley tours of French Philadelphia.
Artists' House Gallery featured new paintings, many by local artists. Their accompanying slate of performance and lectures more than doubled their typical attendance.
Sharp Dance offered a multimedia, late-night cabaret to a full house.

These and many more PIFA events drew large audiences which often included new, more diverse attendees.

Stated PIFA Executive Director J. Edward Cambron, "Looking at the overview of the festival, there's so much to point to: the diversity of programming and the diversity of audiences, attendance at the events mounted by our 145 arts and culture partners as well as at Kimmel Center events, and major strides toward connecting with new and potential arts supporters. By all of these measures, PIFA was an even greater success than we could have imagined. And while the Kimmel Center was the catalyst, PIFA couldn't have worked without the participation and commitment of our 145 partners. Their creative energy and collaborative spirit galvanized our entire community. It was truly inspiring to see so many arts organizations working together in such exciting new ways."

PIFA Artistic Producer Barbara Silverstein adds, "While we're still researching the festival's impact, most of our partner organizations have seen significant value in their participation and creative collaborations. Partners were actively involved in the more than 30 newly-commissioned works presented over 25 days, a tribute to their enthusiastic embrace of the festival theme as well as to their creative daring, and the collaborative projects also brought about some very intriguing results."

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