Simon Rattle conducts the Play On, Philly! symphony. Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Ask any musician or music lover what music has done for them, and you’re bound to get a bountiful answer about the myriad ways it has enhanced his or her life for the better. It’s no surprise, then, that Play On, […]
Article · November 5, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: Jim Dessicino, “Royal Flushers.” At Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, a Knight Arts grantee, artist-in-residence Jim Dessicino faces off with some of the public figures we are likely only familiar with on account of the news media. This strange relationship with individuals we essentially do not know is solidified by Dessicino in his solo show, “Do […]
Article · October 28, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: Keir Johnston and Ernel Martinez. Photo by Steve Weinik. Open source is a term you may see getting tossed around a lot these days. If you’re a developer or merely Internet-savvy, it’s probably something you know quite well: free license to a product’s design and universal access to make changes to it, followed by […]
Article · October 23, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Fresh Artists exhibits student artwork at the Philadelphia International Airport. Image via Fresh Artists’ Facebook page. What do you do when you have a problem funding the arts but a surplus of great student artwork? The team over at Philadelphia’s Fresh Artists recognized a solution and got down to business by turning potential calamity into […]
Article · October 19, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Right now, a visit to The Clay Studio is a journey some 65 years back into the history of ceramics in Philadelphia. At this Knight Arts grantee, the exhibition “Fellowship in Clay: Philadelphia’s American Craft Council Fellows” looks at four influential ceramic artists who created one of the most successful university ceramics programs in the […]
Article · October 13, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: A production of “Finding Hope” by Rachel Nunez at the 2014 New Voices: Workshop Productions. Photo via Philadelphia Young Playwrights’ blog. Despite what its name might imply, Philadelphia Young Playwrights isn’t solely focused on developing the next generation of dramatists. Instead, the Knight Arts grantee uses the process of writing scripts and bringing stage […]
Article · October 9, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: Diane Kahlo, “Wall of Memories.” At Fleisher Art Memorial, a community arts center in South Philadelphia, there is currently a staggering show presented by artist Diane Kahlo entitled “Las Desaparecidas de Ciudad Juárez: A Homage to the Missing and Murdered Girls of Juárez.” In the Works on Paper gallery at this Knight Arts Challenge […]
Article · September 22, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
As a tribute to the month that kicked off with the Labor Day holiday, the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym is keeping workers in focus this month. The community studio space, which operates like a gym and grants artists access to a range of equipment and classes on a membership basis, is highlighting some of the tools […]
Article · September 17, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
A bunch of multicolored Marilyns. Image via @operaphila on Instagram. This month, starting on Sept. 10, Opera Philadelphia joins forces with The Bearded Ladies Cabaret for the third installment of their collaborative musical melange, “ANDY: A Popera.” The production, supported by a grant from Knight Foundation, draws on elements of cabaret and opera to create […]
Article · September 16, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: “After the Rehearsal.” Photo and set design by Jan Versweyveld. Through Sept. 19, FringeArts in Philadelphia is hosting the 2015 Fringe Festival, sponsored by Knight Foundation. Each September, venues around town play host to cutting-edge, contemporary performance in just about every corner of the city. With more than 1,000 curated and independently produced performances, the […]
Article · September 4, 2015 by Chip Schwartz
Photo: At 2200-08 Frankford Ave., chairs and tables are made from salvaged wood, PVC pipe and electrical cord and are intended for dining, reading or enjoying the shade. If you spend any time in Philadelphia on Frankford Avenue just north of Girard, you know how much this stretch of street has changed in recent years. […]
Article · August 21, 2015 by Chip Schwartz