The Center For Emerging Visual Artists, formerly Creative Artists Network, was founded in Philadelphia in 1983 to encourage the professional development and community involvement of emerging visual artists. CFEVA now serves artists through three complementary programs: Career Development, Regional Community Arts, and Philadelphia Open Studio Tours. CFEVA dedicates itself to making art careers viable for those who choose them, helping emerging artists reach their audiences, and promoting interest and understanding of emerging visual art among citizens of the community.

Artists are selected for CFEVA's two-year Career Development Program Fellowship by its renowned Board of Artistic Advisors. While active in the program, Fellows h... more

The Center For Emerging Visual Artists, formerly Creative Artists Network, was founded in Philadelphia in 1983 to encourage the professional development and community involvement of emerging visual artists. CFEVA now serves artists through three complementary programs: Career Development, Regional Community Arts, and Philadelphia Open Studio Tours. CFEVA dedicates itself to making art careers viable for those who choose them, helping emerging artists reach their audiences, and promoting interest and understanding of emerging visual art among citizens of the community.

Artists are selected for CFEVA's two-year Career Development Program Fellowship by its renowned Board of Artistic Advisors. While active in the program, Fellows have opportunities to experience a full exhibition schedule, receive career counseling and mentorship, earn money from the sale of their work, teach in the community and participate in numerous professional development opportunities. The program serves artists within a 100-mile radius of Philadelphia who are no longer full-time students and do not have gallery representation. The fellowship is extremely competitive with only 2% of applicants accepted annually. Fellowship artists participate in several exhibitions and artist talks annually and a Spotlight Exhibition in the second year of the fellowship. In addition to CFEVA's gallery, Fellows have exhibited at noteworthy venues including The Delaware Art Museum, The Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Moore College of Art & Design, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, the Maryland Institute College of Art, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The Regional Community Arts Program allows CFEVA to assist artists across a wide spectrum of interests and backgrounds. The program seeks to increase interest in emerging visual art, access to emerging visual art, and access to information about building skills and careers in the visual arts. CFEVA's Direct Dialogue lecture series addresses the need for continuing education for visual artists by connecting them with experts in the field for lectures and panel discussions, which are open to the public. The Hand-in-Hand program provides an essential creative outlet for children in Philadelphia's shelters while providing artists with valuable opportunities to earn stipends, develop their teaching credentials and engage meaningfully in the lives of the region's children. CFEVA also created an innovative fellowship program for teaching artists engaging with elders and youth in collaborative art-making and exhibitions. The annual Philadelphia Open Studio Tours features over 350 local participants and mobilizes over 20,000 members of the community, making it Philadelphia's premier fall visual arts festival. The Philadelphia Open Studio Tours cumulatively provides an opportunity for the public to engage with Philadelphia's entire arts community from a new perspective and based on individual's own specific interests. No other program in or around Philadelphia consistently brings such an intimate and diverse cultural experience to the community free of charge and across such a large geographic area.