Performances, Festivals, and More at The Rotunda
Posted by Samantha Lazar on August 7, 2009
You know about The Rotunda, right? It’s hard to find someone in West Philly who isn’t at least passably familiar with the gorgeous old church-turned-arts-venue at 40th and Walnut. Once a little-used empty space whose awesome architecture had fallen into disrepair, the building was taken over in 1996 and transformed into a community gathering place determined to use art as a catalyst for social change. Situated on the edge of Penn’s campus, many efforts aim at building bridges between the university and the surrounding community.
And I mean MANY efforts: they present over 300 events a year, running the gamut from art exhibitions to rock concerts to puppet shows, dance recitals, activist gatherings, fringe shows… you name it. Almost anyone can arrange to use the space. And the best part? Most events are completely free!
I’ve seen a bunch of things here, and I always keep my eyes open when walking past – it’s incredibly easy to just pop in when something is going on, and I’m always surprised and walk away feeling a tad more cultured. My favorite events were an art installation I happened to stumble upon a few years back (featuring works by local West Philly artists, of course), and a Fringe Festival show I caught last September. The Rotunda’s shows always have something quirky and unusual about them. The one I saw starred a trio of dancing and singing transgender wolf-people in bikinis. That’s right. It was awesome.
The Rotunda
4014 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-573-3234
http://www.therotunda.org
http://www.myspace.com/therotunda
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