The Philadelphia Cultural Fund appoints new executive director

The Philadelphia Cultural Fund, a city-supported nonprofit that provides operating funds to arts and culture organizations, announced its new executive director today.

Barbara Silzle is replacing Lois Welk, who served as interim executive director since March, when June O’Neill stepped down due to personal reasons.

During Welk’s tenure, the organization faced potential funding cuts of up to 40 percent, based on early versions of the FY2016 budget. But due to the advocacy and outreach of arts and culture-based organizations, particularly GroundSwell and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the organization’s budget will remain at $3.14 million.

In 2015, 285 organizations received $2.49 million in operating funds from the Cultural Fund. Silzle will be working with nearly a fully restored budget.

Silzle served as the executive director of the Leeway Foundation, a private foundation that funds the work of transgender and women artists, and as a senior associate at Valerie M. Jones Associates, a consulting firm for nonprofits and philanthropic organizations. She also was elected a councilman for the borough of Lansdowne.

Silzle will take over officially on August 3.

Images via the Philadelphia Cultural Fund