Above: Bryan Brown, “Oxidation 1” (detail). Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Sculpture Gym. At the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, one of the toughest, most versatile materials is the focus of the current exhibit. “Process Metal IV,” organized in this Knight Arts grantee’s gallery space, explores the various faces of metal as it is used in the sculptural […]
Article · February 22, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Prints by Shira Walinsky. An earlier version of this post incorrectly attributed the design of the Language Lab mural. Anyone who’s been to South Philadelphia knows that many of its denizens are immigrants, and that of the immigrants who live in small communities within the city, many hail from Southeast Asia. In the […]
Article · February 15, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Anzhelina Polonskaya with Nicholaes Muellner, installation view of “Two Birds.” Russia is a behemoth in our world, both politically and geographically. Oftentimes it is easy for Americans unfamiliar with the Eurasian giant to misunderstand or make assumptions about the culture and lifestyle of the many groups that comprise its population. One need not look […]
Article · February 5, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: Matt Langan’s initial vision for an Urban Arboretum in Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of Langan. Empty lots are a common sight in the City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia is dotted with vacant land in just about every corner, and this surplus of space could serve any number of purposes. Urban Arboreta has an unequivocal approach […]
Article · February 2, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Above: “Claymobile Creations” by Philadelphia-area students. The fare at The Clay Studio to kick off 2016 is about as wide-ranging as it gets. For its January exhibits, this Philadelphia Knight Arts grantee will have its “Our Community” show on display, celebrating the seasoned member artists that work at The Clay Studio. In the adjacent gallery, […]
Article · January 14, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Al-Bustan Arab Music Ensemble, fall 2015. Photo courtesy of Al-Bustan. The seeds of Arab music and culture are being sown throughout the Philadelphia community thanks to Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, a Knight Arts grantee. Through a variety of programs–both performance and education-based–Al-Bustan offers structured exposure to the language, art, music, dance, literature and natural environment […]
Article · January 7, 2016 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: Sarah Gliko as Hilary in Tom Stoppard’s “The Hard Problem.” Photo courtesy of The Wilma Theater. For its first production of 2016, The Wilma Theater, a Knight Arts grantee in Philadelphia, will get heady with the U.S. premiere of playwright Tom Stoppard’s newest play, “The Hard Problem,” on Jan. 13. This scientifically psychological drama […]
Article · December 29, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: Madeline Smith, “Signing Fossils.” Last Friday, on what was the the final First Friday of 2015, Philadelphia Sculpture Gym succeeded in showcasing an array of styles and processes relating to three-dimensional artwork. The Knight Arts grantee‘s spacious studio area bristled with vendors and members’ creations for its “Coldhearted V” sale, while its gallery hosted […]
Article · December 11, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: ArtistYear Fellows Arlen Hlusko, Alize Rozsnyai and Anna Odell perform outside of Philadelphia’s City Hall. Photo courtesy of artistyear.org. In 2014, with the help of a $135,000 Knight Arts grant, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia launched its ArtistYear Fellowship. Aiming to engage underserved communities with the artistic education they deserve, the […]
Article · December 9, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: A view of the Greater Philly Photo Day 2015 Exhibition, currently on display at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center gallery. If you live in Philadelphia, October presented an incredible opportunity for photographers. This year, on Oct. 9, the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center encouraged everyone around the city to take a picture for Philly Photo […]
Article · November 23, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo courtesy of STAMP. It would be difficult to argue with the fact that many young people these days spend an awful lot of time in front of screens, be they phones, computers, televisions or games. As a way to offer some different cultural alternatives to teens–and to make them feel like they are welcome […]
Article · November 17, 2015 by Chip Schwartz