Portside Arts Center

About

Portside Arts Center provides a creative and nurturing environment that empowers the artists of tomorrow and creates lifelong patrons of the arts. Through dynamic arts programming, we encourage students to be globally-minded citizens and fearless artists.

Story

The Portside Arts Center is a non-profit community-based educational arts center located at 2531 E. Lehigh Avenue, on the border of the Fishtown and Port Richmond neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, situated to serve over 150,000 residents. In 2007, Kim Creighton, 30- year resident mosaic and metal artist, purchased the two-story 6,000 square foot building on E Lehigh Avenue. Before purchasing the building, Kim surveyed the surrounding neighborhoods and found that there was a definite need for arts and music education, finding that local schools had limited arts programming as well as limited or no after-school programs offering visual arts, performing arts and music education.

Kim Creighton, along with friends and volunteers, worked tirelessly to renovate and transform a warehouse filled from floor to ceiling with furniture, old machinery, clothes, and collectables into two visual art classrooms, a performing arts room, and a music studio with private lesson booths. In 2007, the Portside Art Center received their 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit status and proudly opened its doors in January 2008.

Mission

By building self-awareness, and appreciation of one's own inner creativity and artistic skills, we aim to transform the lives of individuals, improve their academic and economic success and awaken a person's social and civic sense in order to raise the quality of life in our neighborhoods.