Above: Leo Hylan, “Baltimore Love?” Photos by Chip Schwartz. Just north of Girard Avenue in Philadelphia is a nondescript grayish building with no signage, short of the tiny placard on the front door that reads CRUXspace. Inside, however, sits a freshly constructed gallery space for experimental new media art. Currently, it is occupied by a […]
Article · May 12, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Violinist Ray Chen. Photo by Sophie Zhai. Play On, Philly! is in the midst of a pretty exciting milestone this year: 2016 represents the five-year anniversary of the group. Play On, Philly!, or POP as it is known, implements educational programs that teach intensive music lessons to children in underserved Philadelphia schools. With support from Knight Foundation, […]
Article · May 4, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Roberto Lugo, “Defacing Adversity.” Photos by Chip Schwartz. What comes to mind when you think about ceramics? Throwing wheels, glazes and vases? Bowls, plates and other beautiful yet fragile objects, perhaps? How about hip-hop and graffiti? Needless to say, the pairing of urban culture and traditional porcelain forms doesn’t really seem to fit. Philadelphia […]
Article · April 28, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Principal dancer Lauren Fadeley and soloist James Ihde in George Balanchine’s “Serenade.” Photo by Alexander Iziliaev. ‘There’s a first time for everything,’ or so the saying goes. But let us not forget that ‘the third time’s the charm.’ Interestingly enough, the Pennsylvania Ballet has found a way to put both of these popular idioms […]
Article · April 25, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Brian Panebianco. Photo by Chris Mulhern. LOVE Park in Philadelphia has long been one of the city’s big downtown attractions, and anyone who has spent some time there also knows it to have been a veritable paradise for skateboarders too. Aside from the iconic sculpture by Robert Indiana that gives it its common alias […]
Article · April 19, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Chrissy P. Day, “False Fit.” Photos by Chip Schwartz. Revolution Recovery’s Recycled Artist in Residency program offers artists a chance to dig in at the Northeast Philadelphia construction, demolition and manufacturing waste center in order to give new beginnings to materials they find amidst the so-called trash. One year ago, Chrissy P. Day was […]
Article · April 13, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Voting sign by Isaiah Zagar. Photo via Next Stop: Democracy on Instagram. If you’re at all plugged into the news or social media–and let’s face it, most of us are inundated–you know the upcoming elections are a hot topic for just about everybody, on any end of the political spectrum. What’s concerning to any of […]
Article · April 5, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Wendy Maruyama, “Sarcophagus.” All photos by Chip Schwartz. Although best known for her work in designing furniture pieces that verge on the conceptual, Wendy Maruyama has worked for decades utilizing countless mediums. Frequently she has explored themes that stem from her Japanese heritage, as well as feminism and social practice. The latter has led […]
Article · March 28, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: The Philadelphia Immigrant Innovation Hub. Photo courtesy of PhillyIHub. In the Mount Airy neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia, diversity and innovation are integral parts of the community and its rich history. Recognized as one of the nation’s first fully integrated neighborhoods, and rich in independent businesses like bookstores, art galleries, restaurants and a co-op grocery […]
Article · March 21, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Eliza Myrie, “Building a Wall Through My Father (dress rehearsal).” Photos by Chip Schwartz. Art and manual labor are very distinct from one another. Everybody knows that, right? One starts with a vision, requires specific sets of skills, involves working with one’s hands, and the other… actually sounds all but indistinguishable from the former. […]
Article · March 9, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Aleksandr Frolov and Gabrielle Revlock in “Show No Show.” Photo courtesy of FringeArts. When you think of FringeArts, the Philadelphia-based destination for contemporary performance, the first thing that comes to mind might be the annual Fringe Festival. Every September, the Fringe Festival turns every corner of the city into a stage with some 1,000 […]
Article · February 25, 2016 by Chip Schwartz