[7] In December 1915, the alliance purchased property at 1823-25 Walnut Street in the Rittenhouse Square section of Philadelphia, where members initially planned to establish the organization's headquarters.

"[10][11] In January 1917, the alliance launched a new series of "sociable luncheons" that were designed to familiarize prominent men and women in the Philadelphia region with fine arts and music trends.

The first speaker was Olga Samaroff, an American pianist and music critic who was married to Leopold Stokowski, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

[15] In 1930, members of the executive committee of the alliance caused controversy when they cancelled a Philadelphia Art Society invitation-to-exhibit that had been extended to New York sculptor Antonio Salemme, and returned his large black bronze figure of African American actor-singer-activist Paul Robeson.

"Hancock also stated that the exhibition's director had asked that Salemme considered sending a different piece to the same juried exhibition to replace the rejected Robeson figure, adding: "You may imagine how much I regret to have to convey this request to you, since I have always tremendously admired the Robeson statue and was one of those who especially urged that it be invited, but I hope you will understand the position of the Sculptors' Committee and favor us with such other contributions as you may see fit to send."

The statue in question had previously been exhibited, without controversy, in the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, California and was on display at the Brooklyn Museum in New York at the time of news reports about the incident.

"[24] The alliance was housed in the historic Wetherill mansion, which was designed in 1906 by Frank Miles Day[25] and constructed by Thomas M. Seeds Jr.

Other interested parties was Temple University and real estate investor Allan Domb, although the courts ruled that he could not pursue the purchase as the building had to be used for educational endeavors.