The Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival Starts this Weekend!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on August 30, 2010
The beginning of September is when University City shakes off its lazy summer vibe and springs to life again, awash with the freshly tanned faces of university folk and locals returning from summer vacation, all ready to jump back into their school year routines. But let's break that routine before it gets too ingrained. What better way to do so than with that other hallmark of the summer-to-autumn transition, the Live Arts and Philly Fringe Festival!
The festival kicks off this Friday and will run for two performance-packed weeks at venues all around the city including, of course, our fair West Philly. “The Festival” is actually two separate festivals under the same cover – Live Arts consists exclusively of shows by a handful professional companies that have been selected to perform, while Philly Fringe is a massive extravaganza of almost 200 different productions put on by professionals and amateurs alike. Both festivals are overflowing with the vibrancy, energy, and excitement of experimental and avant-garde performances, and you never know quite what to expect when you walk into a show.
This year’s festival has an emphasis on theater, of course, but also includes tons of shows that are better classified as dance, music, comedy, improve, visual art, puppetry, and even “buskers.” The official Festival website has all the info you could possibly need, including an online box office (the already cheap tickets are extra cheap for students and anyone under 26). Check out the show finder tool to hone in on performances taking place in West Philly. For Live Arts, they include the Bang on a Can Marathon at World Café Live, a documentary about Headlong Dance Theatre, and “Stew and the Negro Problem,” a performance by an Afro Baroque cabaret that’s halfway between rock concert and theater. There are tons of Fringe performance going on in the neighborhood as well, including theatre, comedy, and a one-night mini-festival by Penn’s experimental theatre company, iNtuitons.
Check out the festival guide or the website to choose your favorite, and be sure to catch as many shows as you can!
Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival
September 3rd – 8th
www.livearts-fringe.org
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
Free Summer Performances: Rennie Harris RHAW, KeturahNicole, and Project Capoeira Strut Their Stuff Outside the Free Library
Posted by Samantha Lazar on August 23, 2010
Summer may be drawing to a close, but it’s not over just yet. Capitalizing on the warmth before it wanes, University City District, Penn, and the Rotunda have teamed up to offer a fabulous free outdoor dance show. We’re not talking tutus and ballerinas here – we’re talking about rocking, hopping, acrobatic moves to Afro-Brazilian beats and athletic street dancing.
On Saturday evening three Philly-based dance companies will take over the green space behind the Free Library at 40th and Walnut. Two performers you might not be familiar with are KeturahNicole, a West Philly breakdance and funk troupe, and Project Capoeira, which performs dances that merge rhythmic music, intense gymnastics, and deadly martial arts moves. In fact, “Capoeira” was a dance form originated by African slaves in Brazil as a secret cover for practicing the fighting techniques that the salves used to fight off colonizers. How cool is that?
In addition to those exciting groups, the world-famous Rennie Harris will take the stage with RHAW, his youth-driven company. A Philly native, Harris’s street dancing company Rennie Harris Puremovement has garnered an international reputation. RHAW teaches and performs exhilarating street moves like Campbell Locking, Popping & Boogaloo (the best-named technique, for sure), as well as House and Hip Hop dance. Don’t worry if you don’t have a clue what any of these techniques are – that will just make it all the more thrilling.
Checking out these exciting homegrown companies will make for an awesome late-summer evening. Oh, and did I mention there will be free Rita’s water ice?
Free Summer Performance, Outdoor Dance Event
Saturday, August 28th at 6 pm
40th and Walnut, behind the Free Library
More details here.
University City District
www.universitycity.org
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” – Free Shakespeare in Clark Park!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on July 26, 2010
Free, outdoor theater performances in public parks on summer evenings: it’s one of the great traditions of summer. Shakespeare plays are undoubtedly the most chosen for these picnic performances; I don’t know why that is… maybe it’s their universal appeal, their familiarity, the outlandish humor of the comedies, or the undeniable brilliance of the bard. Whatever it is, there’s no doubt that Shakespeare is tops – and the most performed of all his park-staged plays is certainly the comedic gem that is perfectly suited to both wooded glens and a summer evenings: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Shakespeare in Clark Park, West Philly’s resident Shakespeare company, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year with the classic production. Their shows are always stellar, with solid acting, impressive production values (the show is outdoors, for crying out loud!), and overflowing energy. The production will expand on an awesome element of last year’s show by including a musical component. Instead of just a few bizarre musical interludes, a three piece band will be accompanying the performers, featuring unique compositions played on accordion, violin, and percussion. Shakespeare wrote song-and-dance sequences into the play but didn’t include any actual musical notations, so this production will bring the segments to life and would certainly make him proud. Spectators’ picnic blankets, lawn chairs, bottles of wine, and romping dogs will combine with the excitement of the show and the loveliness of Clark Park to create a festive one-of-a-kind atmosphere.
The show will run for five performances, opening on Wednesday night and running through Sunday night, always at 7pm. Get there early – crowds on weekend nights can top 1,000 audience members, and prime seating gets claimed quickly! (In the event of rain, the performance gets moved inside to the Calvary Center at 48th and Baltimore.)
Catching a performance is a cultural rite of summer. Put it on your calendar: with Puck, Oberon, and Titania flitting about Clark Park (on BMX bikes, rumor has it), it’s sure to be an enchanted evening.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Presented by Shakespeare in Clark Park
Wednesday, July 28 - Sunday, August 1, 2010
All Performances at 7PM
www.shakespeareinclarkpark.org
Clark Park (Near ‘The Bowl’)
Intersection of Chester Avenue and 43rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
www.clarkpark.info
Related Destination: Shakespeare in Clark Park »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Clark Park, Culture
Silk Road Summer Nights: a Pay-What-You-Want Wednesday Evening Music Series at the Penn Museum
Posted by Samantha Lazar on July 7, 2010
What’s there to do on a sultry Wednesday evening this summer? You could venture eastward across to the bridge for Center City Sips special happy hour deals, but you’d work up quite a sweat just getting there, and then fighting for space at a bar. You could catch a Metropolitan Opera performance at the Rave University City 6 movie theater (formerly The Bridge) – more on that in an upcoming post! Or, seeing as we’ve been spotlighting the fabulous programs of the Penn Museum lately, how about checking out their Silk Roads Summer Nights music series?
Step out of your over air conditioned office or classroom at 5 o’clock tonight – or any Wednesday night this summer – and head over to the museum’s beautiful Warden Garden. A different ensemble will be playing each week, and all have exotic, eastern-inspired sounds. You won’t even have to forgo that obligatory happy hour cocktail, as they’ll be serving up drinks and light fare to nibble on while listening to music inspired by different stops along the ancient Silk Road, which connected the east and west.
In addition to the music, the pay-what-you-want program (that’s almost as good as free!) also opens up select museum galleries for perusing. It takes place every Wednesday from 5 to 8 all summer long, rain or shine. There’s even wifi in the garden, creating an environment that’s perfect for any type of person: bust out the laptop and do some work while enjoying beautiful weather, lovely live music, and sipping a cocktail. Or duck inside for a respite from the heat and check out the museum’s collections before heading back to the festive concert.
Tonight’s event will feature an ensemble from Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture playing Egyptian music. Click here for the full schedule of who’s playing each week, along with more info on the events. You can always count on the Penn Museum for programming that’s fun, cultural, and a great way to break your dull routine!
Silk Road Summer Nights Music Series
Wednesdays through August 25th, 5pm - 8pm
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-4000
www.museum.upenn.edu
Related Destination: Penn Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture, Universities + Colleges
Penn Museum Teams Up with The Franklin Institute for the Ultimate Egyptian Experience
Posted by Samantha Lazar on June 29, 2010
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is a world-renowned history museum known for, among other things, its ancient Egyptian collections.
The Egyptian galleries contain crowd-pleasing and awe-inspiring artifacts like the third largest sphinx in the world, giant columns from ancient temples, and, of course, those desiccated organ-less bodies that everyone loves so much: mummies. It’s not just the archaeologists at the museum who love the ancient world – it seems all of Philadelphia has caught Egyptian fever recently. Hot off the heels of its recent King Tut exhibit, the Franklin Institute has opened a brand new exhibit that offers an intriguing glimpse into the ancient dessert empire, Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt. Luckily for Egyptophiles, The Penn Museum and the Franklin Institute have teamed up to create a double ticket that offers visitors the ultimate Egyptian experience.
The discounted double ticket, which can be purchased by calling 1-877-TFI-TIXS or in person at the Franklin Institute, will save museum-goers money off of the price of two separate tickets. It will be available as long as the exhibits are – that means until January 2011. ...
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Related Categories: Family Fun, Culture, Universities + Colleges
Free Jazz in Cedar Park Puts Some Swing in Your Step Friday Evenings
Posted by Samantha Lazar on June 24, 2010
If farmers' markets, dollar strolls, and dining al fresco haven't put you in summer mode yet, how about the sultry strains of jazz wafting through the park on a warm Friday evening? If you haven't caught Cedar Park's weekly jazz concerts yet, you're behind the curve – they've been going on for almost a month even though summer officially began just this week.
Like any good event in a park, the concerts are free and casual, so you can come and go as you please. Relax for the full two hours if you've got the time, and hang out afterward to chat with neighbors or stroll down Baltimore Avenue in search of dinner (sorry, you'll have to wait a couple more weeks for the next Dollar Stroll!) Or, if you're in a bit of a rush (but really, who's in a rush on a warm summer evening?), swing by for just a few minutes.
Tony "Stickman" Wyatt Crew will be this week's artist. Wyatt is a jazz master and is recognized as one of the top drummers in the tri-state region, having played with Hank Mobley, James Moody, and Bootsie Barnes, among others. Check out the full schedule of upcoming bands here. The concerts are yet another great community event hosted by this little triangle of a park, and one of the things that make living and playing in this neighborhood so enjoyable.
Friday Night Jazz in Cedar Park
6 - 8pm, Friday nights (weather permitting)
50th St. & Baltimore Ave.
http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/category/friday-night-jazz-in-cedar-park
Related Destination: Cedar Park »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture
Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll Tomorrow!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on June 9, 2010
Baltimore Avenue is a mecca for diverse and eclectic energy in University City, be it in the form of food, drink, shopping, or entertainment. I’ve highlighted many of the street’s shops and cultural attractions on the blog before, but never before has there been such a perfect opportunity to check out so many of them in just one evening! Tonight is the first installment of the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, which will take place on the second Thursday of each month throughout the summer (the next ones are July 8th and August 12th, if you want to mark your calendar). Fifteen businesses along the Avenue, between 43rd and 50th Streets, will be offering special wares for just a buck each. Who says a dollar can’t buy anything nowadays?
Start your stroll with a $1 cup of coffee or tea at the Green Line Café at 43rd and Baltimore, and then wend your way westward. Some highlights from the restaurants include $1 scoops of ice cream at Milk and Honey Market, $1 finger foods and salads at Dahlak, raw foods at Atiya Ola’s, tofu skewers at Vientiane Café, and sandwiches at The Gold Standard. There are several places to get your one dollar drink on, including Queen of Sheba, Elena’s Soul, and Dock Street (which is also offering $1 souvenir pint glasses!). For shopping you can check out Young Love’s or browse homemade gifts at VIX Emporium. If you’re feeling energetic swing by Studio 34, which is offering special yoga classes for just a dollar! Perhaps the most interesting offering of the evening is from Curio Theatre Company, which will be presenting previews of its upcoming performances for just one measly dollar.
The weather should be glorious and the neighborhood will certainly be hopping. Check out the full list of participating venues here, and make sure to come back next month too!
Baltimore Avenue, between 43rd St. and 50th St.
June 10th, July 8th, August 12th
5:30 – 8:30pm
Related Categories: Dining + Food, Family Fun, Coffee Shops, Retail, Culture
Secundum Artem: the Nexus of Art, Design, and Pharmaceutical Function
Posted by Samantha Lazar on May 17, 2010
The history of pharmacy isn’t something that your average person knows too much about. Nor is it something that most people are likely to suddenly scratch their heads and wonder about. But just because you never thought about it before doesn’t mean it’s not a cool and interesting thing worth learning a bit about. (Maybe it can replace the multiplication tables that’ve been crammed into your head since second grade. Who needs those, anyway?)
The University of the Sciences has compiled a neat little exhibit to give you a glimpse into the past of science, medicine, and what people used to do to cure what ailed them. What makes it really special is that we just don’t make things like we used to anymore. Sure, now we have electronic scales and high-tech lasers, but they’re not much to look at. Back then (the objects are from the past 300 years), everything was a work of art, made for aesthetics as well as function. Over 100 objects are on display in the small gallery space, each one created by scientists who were also skilled artists, craftsmen, and designers. Each piece was created for a specific pharmaceutical function, be it pulverizing crystals, instructing students, or storing elixirs....
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Related Categories: Culture, Universities + Colleges
Breadboard and NextFab Studio: Technology Meets Art at the Science Center
Posted by Samantha Lazar on April 27, 2010
Everyone knows that University City, as the name suggests, is chockfull of science and technology as well as art, culture, business, and everything else you find when several world-class universities inhabit a small space. One of the great institutions along Philadelphia’s “Avenue of Technology,” however, isn’t actually affiliated with any specific university. The University City Science Center is a research park unto itself, and as such is host to tons of fabulous organizations. One of those is Breadboard.
Breadboard, as they tell you on their Facebook page, is a non-profit program at the Science Center that facilitates public access to a new generation of tools and resources in an effort to empower individuals and convene communities around creative applications of technology. Simply put, Breadboard puts people in touch with two different things at the nexus of technology and art. One is the Esther Klein Art Gallery, in the lobby of the building at 3600 Market Street. The gallery hosts rotating exhibits of tech-inspired art and is always worth a look. The other offers a less passive experience and is, dare I say, totally awesome. I’m talking about Nextfab Studio....
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Related Destination: BREADBOARD Community Space »
Related Category: Culture
New Production of “Romeo and Juliet” at the Annenberg Center
Posted by Samantha Lazar on April 22, 2010
A special touring production of Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet” is at The Annenberg Center this weekend. The Acting Company and The Guthrie Theatre have teamed up for the production, which is running for just six performances. After hitting 26 cities on around the country, the Annenberg Center will be the critically-acclaimed production’s last stop.
I assume I don’t need to repeat the plot of the greatest love story of all time – everyone knows the tale of the young star-crossed lovers, their family feud, their drastic measures, and their tragic ends. What makes the play so brilliant isn’t the story itself (Shakespeare actually ripped it off from an earlier Italian author!), but the way it’s told. Part of the magic comes from the bard himself, what with his flowery Elizabethan language, world-famous soliloquies, and quotable truisms. But another part – and the part that makes it worth seeing multiple times over the years – comes from the performance itself.
...
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Related Destination: Annenberg Center »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture, Universities + Colleges
University City Arts League
Posted by Samantha Lazar on April 8, 2010
Situated in a cheery rowhouse on 42nd and Spruce, the University City Arts League is a neighborhood gem, doing its part to bring art, enrichment, and fun to the community. They offer classes year round, as well as exhibits and special events for adults, teens, and kids. The spring session of classes, which runs for ten or eleven weeks at ridiculously low prices, just started – but it’s not too late to get in on the action and sign up for a class if you act quickly!
Adult classes range from fine arts like painting, wood burning, figure drawing, ceramics, and jewelry making to dancing of all sorts (hoop dancing, belly dancing, flamenco, and social dancing, to name a few). YOUCIE hosted a rollicking preview of the salsa dancing class a few weeks ago, which should have convinced anyone that spending an evening a week at the Arts League can get your blood flowing, your socializing going, and be the highlight of your week. There are also exercise classes, language classes, and even more eclectic things like “Home Brewing and Beer Appreciation.” ...
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Related Destination: University City Arts League »
Related Categories: Family Fun, Culture, Community Resources
Three Exciting Events at the Penn Museum
Posted by Samantha Lazar on March 17, 2010
Here’s a question you don’t get every day: What to belly dancing, sexuality, and helping the needy all have in common? If you’re smart enough to read the headline you might have guessed already – they’re all upcoming events at the Penn Museum (aka The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, one of the greatest history museums in the world)!
The museum regularly hosts workshops, lectures, performances, and other events in addition to its regular exhibits and programming (check out my previous profile of the museum ). There are three great events coming up in the next week....
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Related Destination: Penn Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture, Universities + Colleges
The Arts and Spirituality Center: Empowering Youth through Art, Peace, and Love
Posted by Samantha Lazar on March 8, 2010
The Arts and Spirituality Center is located at 37th and Chestnut, right in the heart of University City, but if you weren’t a Philadelphia teenager in the past ten years you might not have heard of it. The interfaith non-profit serves schools, community and youth groups, faith-based organizations, and the generally downtrodden, helping them to stand up to violence and other negative pressures by embracing their creativity and nurturing their spirits. Their several unique programs focus on art education, interfaith work, community building, imagination, and rites of passage. Each is specially tailored to a specific set of people. The Rites of Passage program, for example, is for 10 to 14 year-old girls, and uses ancient and modern arts, expressive techniques, and traditions to help empower while easing the transition from childhood to adolescence. Combined, their programs have reached over 6,000 Philadelphians since the center opened in 2000. ...
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Related Destination: The Arts and Spirituality Center »
Related Categories: Family Fun, Culture
Al-Bustan: Planting the Seeds of Arabic Arts and Culture
Posted by Samantha Lazar on February 19, 2010
Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture is a West Philly nonprofit arts organization dedicated to advocating the appreciation of Arabic arts and culture. That may seem like a mouthful, but try saying it in Arabic! Actually, that’s one of the things they’ll help you do – in addition to programs about art, music, literature, geography, and other elements of Arab culture, they also offer language instruction.
Most of Al-Bustan’s programs are geared toward children and young adults, as the cornerstone of their mission is to educate youth about Arabic heritage. You don’t have to share that heritage to get in on the fun, though. Youth of all backgrounds enjoy their programs, which include a July summer camp in which kids learn some Arabic (or improve their skills) while exploring the arts and culture. During the school year, weekend language and art classes offer a stimulating environment for learning the language – this is about fun, not the classroom! Language instruction is integrated into drama, dance, art, and story writing. It’s the perfect combo for creative and inquisitive kids who are up for learning something new....
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Related Destination: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture »
Related Categories: Family Fun, Culture
Rembrandt’s Etchings: Masterpieces on Display at Drexel (through Feb.26)
Posted by Samantha Lazar on February 11, 2010
Most people think of Rembrandt van Rijn, the 17th-Century artist best known by just his first name, as a painter. Indeed, the Dutch artist was a masterful painter. But he’s also famous for his etchings, and is considered the best artist ever to try his hand at the medium. A special exhibit at Drexel’s Rincliffe Gallery is displaying 20 of the virtuoso’s best etchings.
Etchings are created by scratching an image into the surface of a wax-covered copper plate, immersing it in acid, and then inking the plate and its freshly engraved design in order to print it. (There’s a lot more explanation of the various processes that you can read when you check out the exhibit.) The themes of Rembrandt’s etchings, like those of his paintings, are widely varied. They include portraits, nudes, landscapes, and religious scenes. In fact, his most famous etching, “Christ Preaching” (aka “The Hundred-Guilder Print”) is familiar to anyone who’s taken an introductory art history course, and is the star of this show. It’s given pride of place at the entrance to the gallery, and its detail and intricacy is truly astounding. Other etchings you should make sure to take an extra close look at include “Man Wearing a High Cap,” “Beggar with a Stick,” and my personal favorite, “Grotesque Profile.” ...
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Related Destination: Drexel Univeristy »
Related Category: Culture
Pecha Kucha Night at Studio 34!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on January 27, 2010
Ever heard of “Pecha Kucha” (pronounced peh-CHAK-cha)? From the Japanese word meaning “chit-chat,” Pechu Kucha has been dubbed “show-and-tell for the 21st century.” It’s essentially a Power Point presentation unlike all the boring ones that lulled you to sleep in dim lecture halls. Rather, it’s interesting, informative, and often very funny. What makes it special is that it’s rapid-fire: the presenters show 20 slides, each for only 20 seconds. The slides generally have very few words on them – you’re supposed to listen and look, not read info.
Baltimore Avenue’s Studio 34 has played host to several Philly Pecha Kucha presentations in the past, and this Saturday (Jan.30) will be the fourth installment. Studio 34 is a great venue...
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Related Destination: Studio 34 Yoga|Healing|Arts »
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World Café Live: Live Music and Tasty Food – a Perfect Combination
Posted by Samantha Lazar on November 24, 2009
World Café Live is a gem of a music venue. Just barely on our side of the Walnut Street bridge, it’s close enough to Center City to draw in a varied assortment of people (including those ignorant types who think anything west of the Schuylkill is a hike), and its proximity to 30th Street Station makes it possibly the most accessible venue in the city.
Always bustling, World Café is a two level music venue, the home of WXPN, and a fabulous restaurant all rolled into one. Their programming is varied and prodigious (check out the full upcoming schedule here), with shows playing almost every day of the week. They bring in local acts as well as big name stars, and the shows are usually aimed at adults (you won’t find many screaming teens in attendance, though you’ll probably spot a few people pushing sixty). ...
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Related Destination: World Cafe Live »
Related Categories: Dining + Food, Entertainment, Nightlife + Bars, Culture
30th Street Station: More than a Train Depot
Posted by Samantha Lazar on November 18, 2009
30th Street Station is awash with travelers at all hours, and you probably know it as the behemoth of modern transportation that it is – Amtrak, Septa, NJ Transit, PATCO, and countless buses (including our own LUCY) rumble through its labyrinths every day. In fact, after New York’s Penn Station, it’s the second busiest rail terminal in the country. But have you ever paused to look at the hub as more than just a quick stop en route somewhere else?
The station was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad around 1930 to serve the bustling city of Philadelphia, replacing the old “West Philadelphia Station” that was a couple blocks farther from Center City. The art deco style main concourse (in case you’ve never opened your eyes when passing through) is almost the size of a football field, with gorgeous marble floors and a soaring coffered ceiling. And of course you’re familiar with the exterior’s eye-catching ...
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Related Categories: Dining + Food, Nightlife + Bars, Goods + Services, Culture
Institute of Contemporary Art
Posted by Samantha Lazar on November 13, 2009
The ICA is one of West Philly’s swankiest museums – both the building itself and the art within scream modern, sleek, and cutting-edge. In addition to its exhibitions, the museum regularly hosts talks and lectures, produces publications, and puts on contemporary art related events. The rotating exhibitions in its galleries are its highlights, though, and here’s an added bonus that’ll surprise anyone who hasn’t been there in a while: admission is free for all visitors! That’s right, free public admission is being sponsored for five years (one down, four to go), making it super tempting to stop in and check out what’s new next time you find yourself loitering around 36th and Sansom. But with the great exhibits they currently have running, you might want to set aside a couple of hours....
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Related Destination: Institute of Contemporary Art »
Related Category: Culture
Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at the Annenberg Center
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 28, 2009
The Globe Theatre of London, arguably the world’s best Shakespeare company, is at The Annenberg Center for just five days, performing a rowdy, energetic, and altogether excellent performance of “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” one of the bard’s earlier and lesser-known comedies.
The company normally performs in a London venue that is more like a stadium than a theater – it’s a reconstruction of the open-roofed Renaissance theater that Shakespeare’s works were originally performed in. For this rare U.S. tour – the company’s first in four years – they are re-creating the feel of their famous home stage, and the Annenberg’s Zellerbach Theatre fills the role admirably. The lights stay on in the house the whole time (in London, with no roof and no stage lights, works were and are performed by daylight), and the actors...
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Related Destination: Annenberg Center »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
Ready > Run at the Klein Art Galley: Classic Video Games Gone Crazy!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 22, 2009
Your mother was wrong – all those hours spent staring at a screen and pushing little buttons turned out to be worthwhile after all! At least, they did for the artists whose work is currently on display in the Esther M. Klein Art Gallery’s “Ready > Run” exhibit, which is running until November 7th. The gallery is dedicated to exploring the intersections between science, technology, and art, and is in the lobby of the Science Center at 36th and Market Streets. Just walking into the building induced an instant flashback to twenty years ago, sitting on the floor ...
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Related Destination: Esther Klein Gallery (EKG) Project Space »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
Peoplehood Parade & Pageant: Saturday, 10/24!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 19, 2009
Get excited for one of the most unique sights of the season: Spriral Q Puppet Theatre’s 10th annual Peoplehood Parade and Pageant.
Originally scheduled for Saturday October 17th, the event has wisely been pushed to the following week, the 24th, due to horrendous weather. Hopefully the sun will smile on West Philly and the true colors of the parade will shine forth – because, oh boy, there are a lot of colors!
If you’re not familiar with it already, Spiral Q is something of a blend between a puppet theater (regularly putting on performances), a giant puppet factory (the puppets themselves and the sheer number that they churn out are both giant, and are on display at their museum), and a community organizer and neighborhood touchstone....
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Related Destination: Spiral Q Puppet Theater »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Parks, Culture
Schuylkill Banks River Tour: A Float Through History
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 13, 2009
In Dutch "Schuylkill" means "hidden river." During Philadelphia's early history it was "hidden" because it was so far away from the center of town, which was alongside the Delaware, that few city dwellers ever ventured over to its banks (though my main man Benny F. was a big fan of its tranquility and liked to relax on its shores). During the industrial era people wished it was hidden, but had a hard time avoiding its filth and stench -- for years a slaughterhouse near 30th Street poured steams of blood and offal directly into its waters. Nowadays, though, the Schuylkill doesn't deserve its dirty reputation; The Schuylkill River Development Corporation has been working hard to revive the river, and it is no longer the wasteland of its industrial days. Over 45 species of fish now thrive in its waters, people run and jog alongside...
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Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture
VIX Emporium: Local Crafts and Baltimore Avenue’s Most Unique Gifts
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 9, 2009
VIX Emporium is an adorable little shop on 50th and Baltimore – actually, its name derives from its address: VIX is Roman numerals for 5009. The store boasts entirely handmade crafts from local artists and other individuals, and everything lining the walls and cluttered shelves of this former 1940’s millinery is completely unique.
There’s tons of funky jewelry made from glass, metal, beads, and everything in between, eye-catching pottery, and colorful trinkets of all sorts. There’s also a great selection of fun totes and shirts displaying slogans of West Philly pride, and (in a nod to the store’s hat shop history) an array of classy one-of-a-kind headgear. Bottom line: this is an awesome place to find a cool, arty gift – be it for someone else or yourself! Super-friendly owner Emily is always a smiling face behind the counter, ready to tell you anything you’d like to know about the shop’s wares.
...
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Related Destination: VIX Emporium »
Related Categories: Retail, Culture
Scribe Video Center: Social Change, One Budding Filmmaker at a Time
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 1, 2009
Scribe Video Center is a truly unique West Philadelphia institution. Founded over 25 years ago, the nonprofit is a community-oriented training ground and hub for aspiring and dedicated video and media artists. Through its classes, workshops, screenings, equipment-sharing, and youth programs, people from West Philly and beyond learn and hone the art of filmmaking.
Scribe has so many amazing programs that it’s difficult to even give an overview. They run over 45 workshops a year, ranging from those for novices to those for professionals, and for both adults and kids (including after school and summer programs). Workshop topics start at Camera Operation for newbies, and go all the way through...
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Related Destination: Scribe Video Center »
Related Category: Culture
The Annenberg Center: Like the Kimmel, but Farther
Posted by Samantha Lazar on September 24, 2009
The Annenberg Center, conveniently located on Penn’s Campus, is one of Philadelphia’s premiere performing arts venues. Every season their three theatres host a huge array of programming, ranging from music, to dance, to theatre, to student productions.
The critically acclaimed “Penn Presents” series brings outstanding professional productions to West Philly, and this fall’s line-up is looking exceptionally fabulous. “Thank You Gregory,” which runs from October 6th through 10th, is “a tribute to the legends of tap.” The show will feature live music, dancing (of course!) and multimedia projections, paying homage to big names like Fred Astaire and Gregory Hines. After “Thank You Gregory” comes “MacHomer,” a one-man blend of “MacBeth” and “The Simpsons” that’s sure to fill the nearly 1,000-seat Zellerbach auditorium. Rick Miller performs the hysterical spectacular, imitating 50 voices from “The Simpsons” while performing a version of “MacBeth” ...
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Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture
The Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival in U. City
Posted by Samantha Lazar on September 13, 2009
It’s early September, which means the Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival is in full swing! Every year the festival inundates the city with two weeks of experimental and edgy performances spread across the whole metropolitan area. Luckily, many of the shows are happening at venues throughout West Philly.
I was lucky enough to catch the Live Arts experimental dance/performance art piece “STORE” this past weekend. A world premiere, it was the third and final piece of the “American Spaces Trilogy,” following on the heels of past years’ fringe productions “HOUSE” and “CAR.” An interdisciplinary performance company, Kate Watson-Wallace/Anonymous Bodies, took over the former Rite Aid on 42nd and Walnut and turned the empty store into an overwhelmingly surreal space ...
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Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
The Arthur Ross Gallery Delves into W. Philly History
Posted by Samantha Lazar on September 11, 2009
The Arthur Ross Gallery is something of an unintentional secret. Tucked away inside the Fisher Fine Arts Library, one of Penn’s most gorgeous gothic buildings, many people have no idea that this little gem of an art gallery exists.
The gallery is free and open to the public, and always features smart, insightful, well-curated and unique shows. The current show, which runs through October 11th, is called “West Philadelphia: Building a Community.” The exhibition documents the area’s architectural and urban development over the last couple of centuries, featuring watercolors, photos, and sketches, many of which date to the mid-1800’s and are drawn from the collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The images are remarkable, and I had a lot of fun comparing the streetscapes of yesteryear ...
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Related Destination: Arthur Ross Gallery »
Related Category: Culture
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. ...
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Related Destination: The Rotunda »
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Studio 34 Yoga, Healing, Arts
Posted by Samantha Lazar on August 3, 2009
Just over a year old, Studio 34 is a hip and happening yoga studio whose mission is to foster a “community that nurtures individuals and families in their pursuit of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.” With tons of events and classes going on year-round in their airy, comfy Baltimore Avenue studio, they’re well on their way to uniting the community, healing our ills, and saving the world. (Well, at least a little piece of it!)
Classes are offered every day of the week for just $10, with special discounts making some classes just $5 or even Pay What You Can. They run the gamut from your expected yoga, pilates, and Tai Chi to more unusual offerings ...
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Related Categories: Entertainment, Goods + Services, Culture, Sports
Free Shakespeare in Clark Park!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on July 31, 2009
Ah, Shakespeare in the park. It’s one of those unofficial rites of summer that people come to expect. If you’ve never seen a Shakespeare performance in a park before, you might not understand what’s so great about it – which is all the more reason to get yourself to Clark Park to see the “The Comedy of Errors” this weekend!
Clark Park is a gem of West Philly, coming alive with children, dogs, exercisers, the farmers’ market and more every summer. Adding to the fun, Shakespeare in Clark Park had been producing free outdoor plays since 2005. This year’s choice is one of the bard’s most popular comedies, and the play features a whole slew of Philly’s comedic actors, with Luigi Sottile (as Antipholus of Syracuse) and David Sweeney (playing many different characters) turning in especially hysterical performances.
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Related Destination: Clark Park »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Clark Park, Parks, Culture
A Treasure Trove of History at The Penn Museum
Posted by Samantha Lazar on July 20, 2009
When was the last time you came face to face with a 12-ton sphinx? I bet I’ve got you beat on this one: I did yesterday. The giant sphinx of Pharaoh Ramsses II, dating from around 1200 BC, is one of the most-visited residents of 3260 South Street, also known as the Penn Museum.
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is one of the greatest history museums in the world. Unfortunately, far too few people seem to know this! ...
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Related Destination: Penn Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture, Universities + Colleges
Curio Theatre Summer Camp
Posted by Samantha Lazar on June 18, 2009
The Calvary Center at 48th and Baltimore is a community hub; you probably know about some of the goings-on that take place there in addition to its more churchly activities. Did you know that it’s the home of Curio Theatre Company? With its offices next door, Curio has taken up residency in the old church’s sanctuary, and offers up all kinds of productions throughout the year (stay tuned for Fringe shows in September!). They also host a summer theatre camp for kids ages 6 – 16....
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Related Destination: Curio Theatre Company »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture
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