Thirty years ago, in the wake of personal transformation and cultural urgency, artist Danny Simmons founded Rush Arts with a simple, radical idea: art could empower the people the world chose to overlook.
At the heart of Simmons’ journey is not just a painter or poet, but a survivor—a man who walked away from the destructive path of addiction and redirected his life force into cultivating creativity. “I couldn’t see my life being trifling,” Simmons told me recently. “I wasn’t afraid of addiction, I was afraid of being a trifling motherfucker.” That self-reckoning sparked a mission. With support from his famous brothers, Russell and Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons, he opened his first gallery—Sanctuary—in a Brooklyn brownstone. From that seed, Rush Arts was born.
The initial vision of pairing emerging Black artists with forgotten, seasoned ones quickly evolved into something deeper. Simmons began hosting community shows on Sunday afternoons to catch folks on their way home from church, deliberately placing art in everyday spaces. “Rush was never about making money,” he said. “It’s about empowering our community through the arts.”
Today, Rush Arts Philadelphia carries that torch with fierce determination. Even after financial support dwindled amid controversy surrounding his brother Russell, Simmons kept the gallery alive through the strength of the artist community. Donations of artwork have sustained the space. Auctions, including a recent $125,000 fundraiser with Swann Galleries, have ensured that Rush Arts’ mission endures.
And endure it has.
Simmons’ North Philadelphia gallery is more than just a cultural space. It’s a visual love letter to the neighborhood—filled with bold murals, collaborative installations, and his own kaleidoscopic paintings. On May 17, Simmons will unveil his fourth mural in the city—this one featuring a quote by Rev Run and a vibrant scene painted by Simmons himself. “We’re putting art in neighborhoods that didn’t have it before,” he says. “It tells people: we see you.”
Rush has also empowered youth with children’s programs in schools across New York and Philadelphia. What began as an outreach with Hudson Guild in Chelsea has grown into an ecosystem of creative support for the next generation. Simmons speaks of those early partnerships with reverence: “It was the power of community helping me power a gallery that wanted to empower them.”
The gallery, now sustained without grants or corporate backing, is a testament to Simmons’ grit—and to the countless artists who have rallied around him. “Rush is an idea,” he insists. “An idea of empowerment.”
That idea will be on full display again on June 12 at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ, when Simmons curates a new edition of “Def Poetry Jam Live,” the spoken-word performance series that he helped bring to life alongside his visual practice.
From his mother Evelyn’s early encouragement to the familial responsibility of caring for his stroke-stricken grandfather at 16, Simmons has always understood art as both inheritance and obligation. “I’m a reflection of both my parents,” he said. “My father [Daniel Simmons Sr.] was a poet and activist, my mother a painter and preschool teacher. I’m the hybrid child.”
Thirty years on, Rush Arts is not just a gallery. It’s a cultural sanctuary, a recovery story, and a rebellion against erasure. Thanks to Danny Simmons, the art world—and the world beyond it—is just a little more vivid, a little more just, and a whole lot more empowered.
Upcoming Events Celebrating 30 Years of Rush Arts
As part of Rush Arts’ 30th anniversary, Danny Simmons continues to extend his legacy through two powerful public events.
On May 17, The Seeker, Simmons’ newest mural, will be officially dedicated at 5559 Crowson Street in Philadelphia. Created in collaboration with Mural Arts, this vibrant work of public art weaves in a message from Rev. Run: “Art not only ignites the imagination of our children, art, and artists can strengthen and transform our communities.” Installed on the home of a family rising from hardship, the mural serves as a bold visual affirmation of hope, healing, and artistic empowerment. (Free and open to the public from 12–2 PM).
Then on June 12, Simmons curates Wordsmith: A Def Poetry Reunion Honoring Sonia Sanchez – The Poetry of Peace & Resistance at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. This evening event, inspired by Roberto Lugo’s 20-foot sculpture “Put Yourself in the Picture”, brings together an all-star lineup of poets, musicians, and cultural icons—among them Sonia Sanchez, Ursula Rucker, Jessica Care Moore, and Abiodun Oyewole. The program includes a pre-event conversation, DJ sets, youth poets, and live performances amidst 42 acres of art and nature. (Tickets: $32 GA, $20 members, $15 students. Rain date: June 13.)
Both events reflect Rush Arts’ unwavering mission: using art to uplift communities, cultivate creativity, and transform lives. To learn more: rushphilanthropic.org.
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