Message from the Phipps

“The Phipps Center for the Arts embraces equity, diversity, and inclusion as core beliefs and values.”

That sentence is the first in our longstanding Statement of Inclusion, and it is part of a set of values that were created to guide the Phipps Center in a moment like this one.

The recent loss of life and profound trauma experienced by individuals and families in our region has shaken us to our core. We believe that in difficult and dark times, art illuminates our next steps. When we aren’t sure how to process something, or how to connect with our neighbor, art allows us to explore a new way forward. This kind of path-finding—this way out of isolation—is exactly why the Phipps exists.

This organization remains committed to fostering a safe environment where people feel seen, valued, and able to express themselves in community. It’s past time, then, to speak with integrity and clarity: the Phipps Center for the Arts stands arm-in-arm with those calling for dignity, justice, and accountability.

We hope for a future of peaceful dialogue and shared understanding, but in the meantime, the Phipps will continue doing an art center’s work: helping our community process, connect, and hold both its humanity and its neighbors close.