State of the Arts

It’s hard to imagine a Philly music scene without Rich Wexler’s enthusiastic advocacy, but after 10 years, the founder of Sherman Arts is stepping aside. The occasion will be marked, appropriately, with a show featuring artists on Wexler’s latest downloadable compilation, “All Creatures.”

Wexler founded Sherman Arts in 1999, inspired by the sudden death of a friend whose career as an artist and dancer left her without health insurance. “It hit me that the choice to do your own thing and pursue music or art as a career usually means you sacrifice something, and her sacrifice just seemed to be too much,” Wexler says. “So I felt like if there was a community of artists and musicians in place, it might help prevent that from happening again.”

Leaving to pursue a master’s at Drexel, Wexler will hand the reins to singer-songwriter Emily Bate.

“It won’t end,” he says. “It’ll just morph into something else.”