Inside a small bridal shop on South Street, the Painted Bride Art Center was founded as a cooperative art gallery in 1969. Today, the Bride has become a formidable pillar of Philadelphia’s arts community.
Longtime executive director Laurel Raczka took the reins of the organization in 1999, leading it through a period marked by expansion. But over the past year, she has been quietly spearheading the Bride’s biggest transformation to date.
After months of construction, the institution is rolling out programs at its new, two-story project space in East Parkside.
Raczka said the search for a new permanent space began last fall. The organization wanted to move from its temporary space on 52nd and Market Streets, and was eyeing an accessible, neighborhood-centered space that could breed community engagement.
It landed on a two-story rowhouse at 4029 Cambridge St., located within arm’s reach of the Philadelphia Zoo and Please Touch Museum.
While considerably smaller than the former Painted Bride building in Old City, which is adorned with the Skin of the Bride mosaic by Isaiah Zagar, Raczka said the new space is just what the organization envisioned.
“We wanted a space that was nice for artists to work, collaborate, and create. The space fit all of those things,” Raczka said.
The Bride began renovating the former carriage house in March, creating 3,200 square feet of open, community-facing infrastructure.
The first floor, equipped with lighting and a sound and video projection system, will be home to future poetry readings, film screenings, open mics, and community forums.
The second floor consists of administrative offices and a hardwood dance studio, which Raczka envisions becoming a rehearsal room for local performers.
The Bride’s new home opened on Aug. 9 and is already being put to use. It launched an inaugural artist residency during a performance showcase on Aug. 23, and is currently displaying “Receipts: We Have Them,” a photography exhibit curated by the Museum of Black Joy.
The new development comes at an interesting time for Raczka. In July, she announced she would be stepping down as executive director after 26 years at the helm.
A national search, led by the Bride’s board of directors, is now underway. Raczka will remain as executive director through the end of the year.
“Fifty-six years is a pretty hefty legacy [for the organization],” Razcka said. “We’ve had a strong role in strengthening the arts community in Philadelphia, so I look forward to that continuing.”
While she has no involvement in the hiring process, Raczka is confident the next leader will carry on the same mission and values the Bride has firmly held throughout the decades.
“I feel like I’m leaving the Bride in a really good place,” she said. “We have resources, a new home, a strong staff, and a strong board. That’s why my decision was to leave. The Bride is good, and set up for a new leader to come in with a new vision.”
In her tenure, Raczka has touched the lives of hundreds of artists, communities, and events. Her impact, board chair John Barber said, will be felt long after her official departure.
“As far as arts and culture, she’s an icon,” Barber said. “And to have the opportunity to speak with her on a weekly basis, and to see her at work, it’s been a pleasure.”
While saddened by Raczka’s departure, Barber said her push for the new project space creates additional pathways for programming and engagement.
To see the community’s support has been “gratifying,” Barber said, and he and others are looking forward to what the new era of the Bride brings to the arts community.
“When you look at what the Bride always represented, the identity was never built around just a structure. The mission has always been about being an artist-driven organization that’s committed to the creative process and the community. The new space is a turning point. And the arts community seems really excited about what we’re doing.”
Upcoming programs under the revitalized Bride include Philly-raised bassist and composer Anthony Tidd’s performance for Satellite Sound on Sept. 27. Tidd’s jazz band Quite Sane returns after two decades with a new album.