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In Memoriam: Peggy Amsterdam, 1949-2009
Sad news for Philadelphia's cultural community: Peggy Amsterdam, president of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for the past 10 years, died of cancer on Saturday, Dec. 26. She was 60.
In Memoriam: Peggy Amsterdam, 1949-2009
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Says GPCA chief operating officer Tom Kaiden in a press release, "Peggyâs energy, connection, and courage inspired everyone she touched. I am at a loss for words to describe our sorrow at her passing. She was a great leader, and we will humbly carry on her mission of ensuring that arts and culture remain at the core of what defines Greater Philadelphia as a region and what binds us together as a community.â
A powerful advocate for the arts, Amsterdam successfully fought against a 2009 proposal to tax Philly residents on theater, dance and other cultural events, and has been a driving force in our city's burgeoning arts scene for the past decade. According to an obituary in today's Inquirer, Amsterdam "doubled the [Cultural Alliance's] membership to 385 arts and cultural nonprofits and greatly expanded its reach to the broader community" since she came to the organization in 2000.
Amsterdam's legacy in Philadelphia is far-reaching, according to a GPCA press release: Not only did she help re-establish the city's Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy in 2008, but also "prevented the elimination of Philadelphia's cultural funding in 2004," and launched marketing initiative Engage 2020, which we wrote about here.
In 2007, Amsterdam wrote an op-ed column in the City Paper, asking voters to consider the arts when they vote for a new mayor. She said:
The value of the arts and culture sector goes far beyond its economic impact, of course. At their best, the arts are shared experiences that bind our community every bit as much as a sports championship. As a city, we are stronger because of the cultural organizations in our neighborhoods. They are neighbors in every sense of the word — building housing, offering safe haven and celebrating community.
For all these reasons, the Cultural Alliance believes that if the region is to continue its upward trajectory, city and civic leaders must be convinced to actively embrace the cultural sector as they address the critical issues facing Greater Philadelphia.
If Philly's thriving arts community is any indication, Amsterdam's legacy is as long-lasting as our debt to her.
For information on memorial services, visit philaculture.org.
[...] you haven’t seen it yet, go read Arts Editor Carolyn Huckabay’s obit for Peggy Amsterdam, the president of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, who died on Saturday. Amsterdam was a [...]
My oftimes professional conference roomie and confidante. My fellow traveller in the worlds of 50s single life. My fellow warrior in support of arts and culture. I will miss you.
[...] New Years Resolutions?• Do the Logomotion: Technically Philly throws down the design gauntlet• In Memoriam: Peggy Amsterdam, 1949-2009• Under the Tables: Buried clause would have favored one casino over another• Readers [...]
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