Founded in 1972, 3rd Street Gallery is one of the oldest artist run cooperatives in Old City, Philadelphia. What does “cooperative” mean? Besides working in their studios to create work for the gallery’s exhibitions, our artists volunteer time and effort, taking on additional jobs to keep the day-to-day operations of our space running smoothly.

We stand for a quality presentation and experience of the visual arts, while allowing for experimentation and risk not always possible in commercial galleries. Our primary mission is to engage the public with insightful and challenging creative works and to support the positive growth of the visual arts in the region.

Our members vary widely in formal education, age and artistic medium which allows us to stay dynamic and continually learn from each other. Every year we throw open our doors to our community and neighborhood, inviting everyone to show their work in the gallery. For 42 years we have embraced the collective model to cultivate unique relationships between artists and their community.