Councilman David Cohen Award
The Philadelphia Cultural Fund’s Cohen Award was established in 2006 to honor and perpetuate the extraordinary legacy of the late Councilman David Cohen. Councilman David Cohen was a lifelong advocate and supporter of Philadelphia’s arts and culture community; he served on the Philadelphia Cultural Fund’s Board of Directors for many years. Councilman Cohen represented the northwest district on City Council for 29 years. He died in office aged 90, on October 3, 2005.
In honor of his long time service to the cultural community, the Board of Directors created this annual non-cash Award to recognize an arts and culture organization in the City which has demonstrated by its mission, programming, art related work product, or services offered, an outstanding commitment to social and economic justice. This may be demonstrated by the organization’s mission as defined and implemented; the organization’s subject matter and quality of the art and culture work product; and the support given to or engagement by the organization in justice issues being pursued by peer organizations or the City.
Cohen Award recipients are chosen through the annual Art & Culture Grant Program peer review process. Each peer panel may select an organization to recommend to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund Board of Directors; the Board will select the recipient from the list of recommendations.
PAST RECIPIENTS
2006 Philadelphia Folklore Project
2007 Scribe Video Center
2008 Art Sanctuary
2009 Settlement Music School
2010 COSA COSA Art-at-Large
2011 Wagner Free Institute
2012 Historic Germantown + Art-Reach
2013 Blackboard Labs
2014 Jazz Bridge Project
2015 Philly Youth Poetry Movement
2016 Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music
2017 The Village of Arts and Humanities
2018 PhillyCAM
2019 PHILADANCO! The Philadelphia Dance Company
