The Philadelphia
Art Alliance offers this historic and exciting space for rent for your next
function. Set in a historic mansion on Rittenhouse Square it has the ambiance
of a by gone era with the excitement & opportunities of the 21st century.
HISTORY OF THE PHILADELPHIA ART ALLIANCE
The Philadelphia Art Alliance is the oldest multi-disciplinary arts center in the United States. Founded in 1915, the Art Alliance has been
promoting the careers of emerging and established visual, literary and performing artists by providing both exhibition and performance space, as
well as meeting areas, for the exchange of ideas. Founded by theater aficionado and philanthropist Christine Wetherill Stevenson (1878 1922),
the Art Alliance has been located since 1926 in the historic Wetherill mansion on Rittenhouse Square in center city Philadelphia.
Since 1915, the Philadelphia Art Alliance has hosted exhibitions of and
lectures by some of the most outstanding figures in the visual, literary and performing arts. Thanks to the financial support of our members, the Art
Alliance continues to flourish as America's oldest multi-disciplinary arts center with a distinguished historical record of brilliance and innovation.
The Philadelphia Art Alliance is housed in the historic Wetherill
mansion, located on Rittenhouse Square in center city Philadelphia. The building was designed and constructed in 1906 for the founder of the Art
Alliance, Christine Wetherill Stevenson, by Charles Klauder, of Frank Miles Day and Brothers, Architects. On April 28, 1970, the building was listed on
the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The Art Alliance building is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the
Rittenhouse National Register Historic District.
The exterior of the building is constructed of stone and concrete, and is
designed as an Italian Renaissance palazzo. The interior still retains much of the original refinements, such as the gracious entrance hall with its
barrel-vaulted ceiling, beautifully worked arches and handsome wood paneling. The beautifully proportioned staircase rises to a landing
featuring a lovely Palladian window with outstanding stained glass panels.
The ornate wrought iron railing with its wonderfully fabricated fretwork
leads to the second floor central hall with the original carved wood pilasters and moldings. A portrait of the founder, Christine Wetherill
Stevenson, by Richard Blossom Farley, can be seen in the Wetherill Room on the first floor.
The Philadelphia Historical Commission has cited the Philadelphia Art
Alliance building as "significant as an outstanding example of its style,
and an important institution."
For information on rental of The Philadelphia Art Alliance please contact Christine Manturuk at 215.545.4302 or cmanturuk@philartalliance.org.
|
