A very Krampus Christmas
We heard about Krampuslauf from Amber Dorko Stopper and also on WHYY. Who is Krampus? Why is he having a Christmas parade? Well, Krampus represents the opposite of Jolly Old St. Nick. He’s a Christmas devil that punishes naughty children during the holidays. It’s an alternative to the ‘everything is so sweet and lovely’ Christmas attitude; ‘a little salt to go with the sugar’ says Krampuslauf celebrator Janet Finegar. There will be Krampuslauf parade and festivities in Northern Liberties tomorrow, Sat. December 10, 4pm at Libery Lands Park, 913-961 north 3rd Street.

Amber Dorko Stopper's children Claudia and Bela showing some love to their Krampus doll. Amber is one of the movers behind the Philly Krampus movement.

Stanley Whitney receives first Robert De Niro Sr. Prize

Stanley Whitney

The first annual Robert De Niro Sr. Prize for achievement in painting will be awarded to former Tyler School of Art painting teacher Stanley Whitney. Whitney will receive the $25,000 award, administered by the Tribeca Film Institute, for his considerable contribution to the field of painting.

Masters of the Visual Universe
In contrast to an exhibition that seeks to find the next art star, Masters of the Visual Universe at Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts explores the constellation of artistic mediums, concepts, and practices rotating around the region’s MFA programs. Five local artists were selected for the show: Emily Erb (PAFA), Elizabeth Hamilton (PAFA), Guy Lorraine (UArts), Erica Prince (Tyler), and Ted Walsh (PAFA). The exhibit runs through February 5. Also check out their blog here.

Murals Set in Motion
Organized by Sean Stoops and presented by InLiquid in cooperation with the Mural Arts Program, Murals Set in Motion is an exhibition of videos and on recent mural projects created in Philadelphia and other cities. Artist Christopher Davison’s Brawler video — from his recent University of the Arts exhibition — is in the mix and not to be missed. The opening reception is December 14 at 6:00 PM at International House.

Space #1 – What’s your favorite public space?
Hidden City’s Nathaniel Popkin published an article Dec. 5 asking Philadelphians what their favorite public space is. Public spaces are crucial to urban and social life, and Hidden City wants to know anything you have to say about your favorite haunts. Post a comment on the article or send an e-mail to editor@hiddencityphila.org.

Space #2- Space Savers are here this weekend

The traditional (read: boring) way to save a parking space in Philly.

We told you before about the Space Savers Project – an initiative to make saving parking spots in the city more artistic and fun – well the winners have been announced and tomorrow, Sat. December 10 from 10 AM – 4 PM, 10 space savers will be holding down the fort in public parking spaces around the city. Check the map for the a location near you! Here’s who’s participating:
Piper Brett 
Thomas Buildmore
Michael Konrad
Chris Landau
Jebney Lewis and Maria Möller
Isaac Tin Wei Lin
Christopher P. McManus
Benjamin Monette
Brent Wahl and Oscar Wahl
Linda Yun

Pool art fair shut down
The Miami Herald reports that the Pool Art Fair in conjunction with Miami’s famous Art Basel was shut down for unscrupulous dealings by the hotel owner. Apparently he did not get a special events permit, and was also running the hotel illegally as well. Artists showing at the hotel really got the short end of the deal, as they traveled from all around the globe to participate in the events.  Thanks Joanne Mattera for the tip.

You voted and Grizzly Grizzly heard you!

Samantha Mitchell, "Old Wood Butte", 36" x 38", 2010.

The results are in! Grizzly Grizzly announced Samantha Mitchell as the winner of the popular vote in its juried show,”Other Possible Titles.” Mitchell’s “Old Wood Butte” was the viewers’ choice and she will be awarded a solo show at the gallery in 2012.

Opportunities

Art in the Open is seeking submissions for its May 18 – 20 2012 event along the banks of the Schuylkill River. The works can be in any medium, but must be able to be made outside, on site.  More information about applying here.  The jury this year includes Molly Dougherty (of Philadelphia Art Alliance), Jong Kyu Kim (of Fleisher Art Memorial) and Eileen Tognini (independent curator).

Crane Arts Old School has studios available! Fill out the application on the site (click link in this post) and return it to info@cranearts.com if interested.

Artist News

Philadelphia fibers artist Gail Cunningham was a 2010 resident artist for ten weeks at Cow House Studios, Wexford, Ireland and also participated in an exhibit at Monster Truck Studios in Dublin.

Philip Zuchman and Deborah Gross-Zuchman are in the Art in a Box Benefit Holiday Art Exhibition for Children at Risk at New York’s Masters & Pelavin Gallery.

Philadelphia design guru Jenny Sabin (you can see her space-age greenhouse at the Jefferson Garden of the APS Museum) and regional fiber artist extraordinaire Sonya Clark (who just finished an exhibit at Snyderman Gallery) are among this year’s USA Fellows. Other Philly fellows from previous years’ selections include: Kukuli Velardi, Terry Adkins, Judith Schaechter, and Zoe Strauss.

Eduardo Calmon's Free2Fly app

UArts Student Eduardo Calmon received the 2011 Collab Student Design Competition award for his Free2Fly app which suggests garments based on the weather forecast at a traveler’s destination and then transmits files to a knitting machine near the traveler’s hotel, which produces garments that are available on arrival.

Kevin Finklea is in a group show at Conny Dietzschold Gallery in Sydney, Australia.

Zoe Strauss, "4th of July BBQ", 2011.

Thomas Devaney paired one of his poems with a photo by Zoe Strauss on BOMBLOG.

(Inaccurate information has been removed from this post).

ICA appoints new curator

Anthony Elms. Photo by Erin Leland.

The Institute of Contemporary Art has appointed Anthony Elms as a new Associate Curator. Elms has worked as an  independent curator and writer, and he was Assistant Director of Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois at Chicago for six years. He replaces Jenelle Porter who has taken a position at ICA Boston.

Is Going to College Worth It?
President Obama just announced his plan for student debt relief. Many artists are college educated and in debt. Many readers of this blog are likely strapped with student loans too. University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business recently published an article questioning just such a system: “While more U.S. students are enrolled than ever before, a perfect storm of soaring costs, rising student debt and shrinking job prospects have led critics to increasingly challenge whether college remains a worthwhile investment.”

Phone cameras vs. point-and-shoot

Comparison between an 8 megapizel digital camera (left) and iPhone 4S (right). These images were taken at the same time and distance at Chinatown Coffee in Washington D.C. (Mallory Benedict and Cristina Fletes/NPR)

An article on NPR also raises some value questions. With the advancement of technology in smart phones marching steadily forward, is it cost effective to purchase a separate camera? For amateur photographers, the choice may become more and more clear as smart phone technology develops and the convenience of quickly sharing images trumps the need for a point-and-shoot camera.

Josh Mosley video art history lecture at PAFA

Bill Viola, "Ocean Without a Shore", 2007, video and sound installation, running time: approx. 90 minutes.

As part of its Art at Lunch series, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts will be holding a lecture about the history of video art on November 2 at 12 noon. The speaker will be Joshua Mosley, artist and Associate Professor of Fine Art at UPenn. The lecture anticipates the arrival of one of PAFA’s newest acquisition – video artist Bill Viola’s “Ocean Without a Shore” to be installed more or less permanently in the Morris Gallery, according to Curator of Contemporary Art, Julien Robson.  Look for regular Morris gallery programming to continue, but in other parts of the building.  (It might cost to get in to see it, too, whereas trips to the Morris Gallery itself previously were free).

Fleisher Wind Challenge trick-or-treat closing reception
The 34th season of the Fleisher Wind Challenge Exhibition Series closes on October 30 with a reception from 4 – 6 PM. Artists Alana Bograd and Jennie Thwing will premiere a painting exhibition and a stop-motion animation completed with teens from Fleisher’s Youth programs. Halloween costumes are encouraged and the artists will have plenty of candy available for all!

Knight Foundation gains tech guru board members
Facebook is coming to the Knight Foundation.  That is, Chris Hughes, Facebook co-founder will now be on the board of trustees of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The foundation’s tech coup for its board also includes Joichi Ito, director of MIT’s Media Lab and John Palfrey, professor at Harvard Law School and co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

Opportunities

Performers wanted for… City Hall? That’s right, the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is now seeking talented performing artists and organizations for City Hall Presents, a new series of free concerts highlighting Philly’s rich performance offerings.

InLiquid membership applications are due by October 30. That’s right around the corner, but worth the consideration. A membership promotes and supports the work of visual artists with an extensive online artist portfolio page including credentials, statements, contact information, and exposure.

The egg theory.

Late architect Cedric Price theorized that cities are like eggs – boiled, fried, or scrambled – but Philadelphia doesn’t quite fit the bill. Hidden City is hosting a contest to find a better theory for Philly’s formation. Visit the contest page to learn more!

The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts is seeking artists for solo shows in 2013. You must be a DCCA member and you may not have had a solo show in the past four years. Visit their opportunities page for more info.

F&N Gallery at 2009 Frankford Avenue seeks submissions for a juried art show.  The show will open on January 6 and run for one month. The show will highlight Women artists exhibiting a theme of Cultural Awareness and/or Social Enlightenment. Interested artists should submit five images of their work to fngallery.coh@gmail.com for consideration.

Artist News

Jayson Musson‘s alter-ego Hennessy Youngman will enter the hallowed halls of PAFA to hilariously critique the collection of art by dead white guys. The snarky show is called The Grand Manner and opens on November 5.

Matt Bollinger, "Locker Room", flashe and acrylic on cut and pasted paper, 60" x 48", 2011.

Matt Bollinger, a former Philly artist that showed at the Rodger LaPelle Gallery now has a solo show in NYC at Galerie Zürcher.

Barry Parker, "Etruscan Places IV", 2009.

Barry Parker, retiring head of the sculpture department at UArts has a solo show at Medialia in New York that opens on November 5.

Gerard Brown who is the head of foundations at Tyler School of art and the scholar in residence at the Center for Art in Wood has an upcoming show at Tiger Strikes Asteroid starting on November 4.

Brandon Cox is a UArts grad now living in NYC. He recently had a solo show at UArts and he’s definitely on a roll!

Kaitlin Pomerantz had a recent DIY curating project “Wish You Were There” at Green Line Cafe that has been picked up by the University City Arts League.

Warren Angle died Friday
We are sad to bring you the news that Warren Angle passed away on Friday, September 9 after a long battle with cancer. Angle, an artist, was the exhibitions director of the Fleisher Art Memorial for many years. He will certainly be missed by many.  There’s a Facebook page set up as a memorial for Warren.

John Vick is juror for New Wilmington Art Association show

Kim Faler, "Slack Tide", 2011, latex paint, paper, wood, clothing and bananas, dimensions variable. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Former artblog writer and co-founder of Art Workers Resource Group John Vick was the juror for the New Wilmington Art Association‘s current show RSVP 2011. The exhibit showcases 20 artists in a variety of mediums and runs from First Friday, September 9 to October 20.

Print Center hosts lecture by Wooster Collective founders
There is a lot going on these days at The Print Center. Of particular interest is the upcoming lecture by NYC’s Wooster Collective co-founders Marc and Sara Schiller. The topic of the lecture is the complex and controversial relationship between street art and graphic design/marketing. The free lecture takes place on October 14 at 6 PM.

Temple presents 9/11 Moments of Silence
Throughout September the Temple Gallery will be filled with recorded moments of silence from public and private events in commemoration of September 11, 2001. Gathered from newsreels, libraries, and the internet, these moments express a nation’s quiet remembrance and solidarity.

CofFREE Mondays at Temple
The Temple Gallery is also holding CofFREE Mondays starting September 12. Stop by the gallery from 7:45 – 9:45 AM for free coffee and the lowdown on cultural events at the university and around the city. Special guest lectures will also be on the agenda from time to time.

Opposites Attract at UArts

The Blind Tongue by James Fuhrman and Mark Warhol.

Starting September 6 as part of the Philadelphia Sculptor’s exhibit Opposites Attract: Collaborative Installations at University of the Arts, sculptor James Fuhrman and composer Mark Warhol present “The Blind Tongue”, a sculptural installation with video projections of an opera performance. The exhibition will be on display through October 13.

New online publication Hidden City Daily launches

Hidden City Daily, a new Philadelphia arts and culture publication affiliated with Thadeus Squire’s Hidden City project, has just gotten underway. They have a lot of picture-rich coverage of arts and culture and info on some of the more off-the-beaten-track locales around the city. One of the co-editors, Nathaniel Popkin, says the Hidden City Daily is geared up to be a hub of informed, reflective and innovative thinking about the city. It will be very interesting to see how Hidden City progresses in the near future.

Michael Rees lecture at Haverford College
Artist Michael Rees will hold a lecture on September 26 from 4:30 – 6 PM at Haverford College. Rees operates at the intersection of biology, art, and 3D rendering and will be hosting a workshop earlier in the day. If you have an interest in 3D art, sculpture, or contemporary art, this is definitely worth checking out!

Madelyn Roehrig Conversations with Andy

Madelyn Roehrig, Conversations with Andy.

For the past two years friend of Libby and Roberta’s, Madelyn Roehrig, has been videotaping individuals visiting the tombstone of Andy Warhol. Her project will be part of Pittsburgh’s Biennial at the Warhol Museum opening Sept-17 and running to Jan 8, 2012.  Also in the show are photos by LaToya Ruby Frazier and work by Dara Birnbaum. So far Roehrig has taped over 200 individuals with a range of insights and whimsical observations. Follow her project “Figments: Conversations with Andy” on its Facebook page.

Sprint 3D video
It may be a commercial for a phone company, but it’s also pretty fantastical! Check out Sprint’s recent 3D “flash art” video (or in 2D) in which park goers get accosted by  swarms of massive bubbles.

Met finds its funny bone

The Head Ache, a print after George Cruikshank by Enrique Chagoya.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be display works of humor, satire, and caricature in its newest show Infinite Jest. Works range from the Italian Renaissance to present day and offer a wide spectrum of satirical and comical work. The exhibition starts on September 13 and runs until March, so you have plenty of time to catch a few laughs.  One of the featured works is Enrique Chagoya’s “The Head Ache,” a print made when the artist was in residence at the Rosenbach Museum and Library.

Freeman’s Auctioneers record sale
Freeman’s Auctioneers had a record sale of a Chinese imperial-style double dragon white jade seal for $3.5 million. This creates a record for the highest-selling single lot and most successful sale of the company.

Opportunities

There’s an opportunities page set up on the Bartol Foundation website announcing teaching opportunities available to teaching artists. A few groups are seeking requests for proposals and teachers. Check out the details here.

Artist News

Gabe Martinez, "Lemon", 2011, archival inkjet print, 30 x 30 inches (76 x 76 cm

Pew Fellow and UPenn factulty member Gabe Martinez has a show dealing with gay male sexual identity at Samsøn in Boston from September 9 – October 15.

Huston Ripley, "Untitled", 2008, # 8XL1: Ink on Japanese paper: 25" x 19"

Huston Ripley will be displaying drawings at the Adam Baumgold Gallery in New York from September 8 – October 8.

In July, the Woodmere Museum acquired one of Doug Witmer‘s 2008 paintings “How Soon is Too Soon?” for their permanent collection.

Three former Philadelphia area artists – Jesse Greenberg, Nick Paparone, and Walter Benjamin Smith – will have work at the Socrates Sculpture Park on Long Island. Paparone’s solo show also opened at Fleisher-Ollman on September 8.

Dave Kim‘s recently completed project My Best Friend Facebook Forever has a website called My Best Friend Facebook Forever. My BFFF was a month-long performance/experiment where Kim did everything he was asked to do via Facebook.

Julie Courtney and Jennie Shanker will soon be completing their collaborative curatorial project CENTERpieces, affiliated with the Center for Discovery in upstate New York. Stay-tuned for an upcoming event for artist Richard Torchia’s work in one of the center’s geodesic domes.

The stained glass at Mother Bethel AME Church was spectacular. Also there Sanford Biggers' Constellation, an installation of altered and new quilts referring to slaves escaping using the stars.

So I took one of the bus tours a couple of  Saturdays ago (the bus tours are sold out!) It served as a reminder of Philadelphia’s spectacular history and buildings. Every building I was in bowled me over. The tour made the whole city seem romantic.

In the attic at Frank Furness' Shiloh Baptist Church was an audio piece by Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Sonambulo--the highlight of the tour!!!

The highlight of the day, in terms of art, was a transcendent audio piece, Sonambulo, by internationally recognized artist Inigo Manglano-Ovalle in the attic of Shiloh Baptist Church. Manglano-Ovalle’s piece is a protest against gun violence. But it turns out to be so much more. The artist transforms a single gun shot into a mesmerizing variety of sounds, stretched and broken up by the computer into its components. The end result sounds like thunder and rain, which becomes a metaphor for all of nature and all of life and even the voice of God amid the rafters of the church. This far exceeds its mission of being a statement against gun violence and is not to be missed.

The building, which was designed by Frank Furness, is still another reason to go to this venue.

Steven Earl Weber, detail Like Lambs

Plus there’s another ambitious piece in that church by Steven Earl Weber. I liked the little lambs, but got stuck at the literal qualities of solid-state blood.

Inside the German Society. Picture from Hidden City web site, http://www.hiddencityphila.org/events/German_Society_of_Pennsylvania

The tour took us to the German Society and the atmospheric movie there by Stan Douglas, Der Sandman. I saw only a snippet, but it enticed me in the way it mixes the menace of folk tales with childhood memories. It seemed a nice fit with the atmosphere at the German Society, full of memories and the past. I also liked the way two 16 mm. films intersect and melt together in the center of the screen. I plan to go back for that one.

Steve Roden, detail of installation "nothing but what is therin contained" uses the glass harmonica and sculpture to reference the history of Founders Hall, Girard College

Other buildings on our route, included the Met and it’s gigantic space, Girard College’s Founder’s Hall attic with Stephen Roden’s musical piece and sculpture (I couldn’t quite hear the music because so many of us were in the space), and Mother Bethel Baptist Church with some altered and new quilts in an installation by Sanford Biggers. The church’s stained glass windows are what blew me away!

Our tour guide, Bea, who had lots of personal connections to some of the sites we visited.

Our bus tour leader, named Bea, gave a lively mix of personal history along with facts about the buildings along our tour. Her best bit of personal history–she was in the first class with women to graduate Girard College! Another was that her mother gave tours of the museum downstairs at Mother Bethel!!

If you’re like me and have passed by the wonderful armory at 23rd and Chestnut, wondering what it was like inside, Leah Stein’s dance troupe will be performing Battle Hymns there Saturday, June 13 and 20. This may be your  chance!!!

The work of  internationally-acclaimed video/film artist Anri Sala will be presented in Philadelphia on the evenings of  June 10 and June 11, 2009  at the Royal Theater as part of the “Hidden City” citywide exhibition.

Anri Sala, Long Sorrow video still, showing Jameel Moondoc playing; photo courtesy Johnen Galerie, johnengalerie.de

Anri Sala’s “Long Sorrow” (2005) is a 13-minute video in which free-jazz saxophonist Jameel Moondoc is suspended from a building in the periphery of Berlin in a neighborhood nicknamed “Long Sorrow” by those who live there.  Jameel is the continuing presence in the video which begins with close-ups of his neck and mouth before revealing his whole person suspended outside the window of the building.  Jameel plays his music throughout the video as neighborhood buildings appear. Light reflects off the curves and gestures of Jameel’s face intermittently as the camera scans the neighborhood.

Marshall Allen of the Sun Ra Arkestra

For the June 10 performance at the Royal Theater, Jameel will appear live to play an impromptu duet with himself while “Long Sorrow” is being shown.  For the June 11 performance, Marshall Allen, leader of the world-renowned Sun Ra Arkestra, will appear live to do an impromptu duet/performance while “Long Sorrow” is being shown.

Anri Sala (right) making Long Sorrow; photo courtesy Johnen Galerie

Anri found The Royal Theater—- the original site of African American culture, jazz and cinema in Philadelphia—-to be a fitting setting for the showing of his piece in “Hidden City”.  Fats Waller, Bessie Smith, Pearl Baily, Billy Paul and other greats performed at the Royal, and the African American musician union was formed at the Royal Theater.

The Royal Theater interior

The once grand Royal Theater, an enormous, high-ceilinged space has been crumbling since 1970 when it was closed.   The building’s bones – including the original projection room — are crickety but still there, and the building’s deterioration and marks of the passage of time have created their own grandeur.   On June 10 and 11, the Royal Theater will add to its history.  For two nights, the grande dame  building of South Street will be alive again with jazz and video and people. Tickets are available here

Go spelunking for art this summer in venues hiding in plain sight like Girard College, the Disston Saw Works, 23rd Street Armory and South Street boutiques.  Then, get out of town for new art in the woods and a reminder of simpler times and pleasures at Morris Arboretum and the Schuylkill Center.

Metropolitan Opera House, site of a Hidden City Philadelphia performance this June.

Hidden City Philadelphia presents art, music and dance this June in nine existing Philadelphia architectural masterpieces that are mostly unavailable to the general public, some of them, like Metropolitan Opera House on North Broad, splendid wrecks that need to be seen to be believed.  With dance and music composed specially for the sites and site-specific art installations this one-month only festival is a summer high point.   Internationally-acclaimed artists like Inigo Manglano-Ovalle (at Shiloh Baptist Church) and Philadelphia artists like John Phillips and Carolyn Healy (Disston Saw Works) are must-sees.  While the visual art program is free, scheduled performances will cost $20 a ticket (schedule and tickets at Hidden City website–see below for link). 

23rd Street Armory, Hidden City Site.

And to get to the dispersed locales in one fell swoop, the organizers have put together a bus tour on Saturdays for $30. I’m very excited about Battle Hymns at the 23^rd St. Armory, a music and dance performance composed by Bang on a Can and Pulitzer prize-winning composer David Lang and performed by Leah Stein’s dancers.  The percussive music and precision bodies in motion reference the Armory’s history as a munitions warehouse and U.S. Cavalry headquarters (now National Guard).  Four performances only on June 13 and 20. 

Jon Manteau, painting at Sage Gallery, 333 South Street. The next show at Sage is a group show of emerging artists.

A number of South Street landlords have donated five vacant boutiques rent-free to artists (the artists pay utilities) and while it’s not clear how long this temporary arrangement will last, Lucy Pistilli, artist and one of the organizers of Saint March gallery at 406 South St, conjectures that the art spaces will be around through the summer.  Some of the artist groups will be showing their own works and others have a more open program inviting others to join them in exhibits that change every few weeks.  When I visited, Saint March, Sage (333) , “7” (704) 243 (243), and Dumpster Divers (734), the walls (and in the case of Dumpster Divers every other nook and cranny) were filled with art.  The works run the gamut from abstract (Sage) to activist (243).  But the programs change quickly at these venues and what’s minimalist this month may be maximalist next. The South Street hurly burly on a Saturday afternoon was fierce competition for the art and mostly people were not venturing inside the art spaces.  But if you do, you’ll find the ambiance welcoming and refreshing in these “retail” spaces with a difference. 

Shelter by Nami Yamamoto and Rashida Ng, at Schuylkill Center. The opening was mobbed and people were lounging all over this piece.

Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education and Morris Arboretum each have new art in their woodsy grounds, and this summer, natural materials guy Patrick Dougherty’s new piece, a fanciful twig hut called “Summer Palace,” debuts at Morris and will rest in place til it biodegrades.   In like vein, the Schuylkill Center debuts 6 (also fanciful) sustainable-design shelters in its wooded 350 acres.  It’s art you can sleep in!  Make a reservation to camp out in one of the sturdy little shelters by calling the center.   Human imagination makes art like this hold its own amidst the beauty of nature. 

Gimme Shelter, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19128.  215 482 7300
Hidden City Philadelphia, May 30-June 28.  various locations. 
Patrick Dougherty’s Summer Palace, ongoing, Morris Arboretum.

You may have caught word of the month-long event called Hidden City — Peregrine Arts has been planning it for years (literally), and artblog covered a trial performance at Girard College last May.  Finally, in late May and June, we’ll get to see a slew of site-based works and performances commissioned for normally inaccessible spaces, including abandoned theaters and power plants.  

The project is a huge labor of love, and it needs 120 volunteers!  Help is needed each Saturday and Sunday, from 11AM – 7PM, between May 30th – June 28th.  The sites are:
 
23rd Street Armory                               Disston Saw Works
German Society of Philadelphia        Girard College
Metropolitan Opera House                 Mother Bethel AME Church
Philadelphia Inquirer Building          Royal Theater
Shiloh Baptist Church
 
…and volunteer tasks include:
 
• Usher at performances
• Answer questions about your assigned festival site (handouts will be provided)
• Managing visitors at your assigned venue
• Volunteering at a May event in Love Park
 
 
All volunteers will receive a deck from the Hidden City Philadelphia card game, an invitation to the volunteer appreciation party, and admission to the performance at their assigned site.  Depending on how many shifts you volunteer for, you may also be eligible for a poster, a ticket to the performance of your choice, and 2 tickets to the June 25 Hidden City Philadelphia soiree. 
 
Any interested Artblog readers?  Please visit hiddencityphila.org, send an e-mail to volunteer@hiddencityphila.org, or call the Volunteer Hotline at 267.597.3807.
 
    Cheers!

Interior of Metropolitan Opera House, one of nine venues for Hidden City events. The Met is 100-years old and now used (although not this space) as a church.

The magnificent hidden wreck on North Broad Street, the Metropolitan Opera House, is one venue for Hidden City, and we got in there last week for the press conference announcing the full extent of the festival’s schedule.  

Musicians playing classical music in the neo-classical ruin.

Brisk it was inside the hundred-year old building where two string players in overcoats bowed classical music and the ceiling looked like it might start precipitating plaster at any moment.  In the lobby, popcorn was available, and it occurred to us that all press conferences would be made better by the addition of popcorn. Group Motion performed a short dance for us. They were below us on concrete rows that must have included seats at one time (now they are bleacher-like). Our site lines from above sitting on folding chairs were not good so we are hoping they can do something about that. We could have seen fine if the dancers had been on the stage and we think maybe that will happen for the real performances.

Passage from John 4:14 taped to a closet door inside the Met's lobby. Evidence of the church that uses the space.

Hidden City is part of Peregrine Arts and funded by PEI and others.  From May 30-June 28, the festival  will bring visual art, performance, dance and music to the Met and other locales.  The artists involved are well-known locals like dancer and choreographer Leah Stein and visual artists Steven Earl Weber and Carolyn Healy and John Phillips and national and internationally renowned artists like Sanford BIggers, Stan Douglas, Alexandra Mir and Inigo Manglano-Ovalle.

Exterior of the Metropolitan Opera House, North Broad at Poplar (south of Girard)

The productions are affordably-priced ($10-20 a ticket) and all the work is new — commissioned for the site and for the festival.  Thaddeus Squires, Peregrine Director who spoke at the press conference, said the festival is about “rediscovering Philadelphia” and we can get behind that.  There’s much to discover as well as rediscover. 

Tickets for performances are available on the Hidden City website and a nice interactive map shows the locations of all sites with windows opening onto pages with lots more information.  We are very interested in getting in to the Disston Saw Works both because of its history creating the Tacony section of the city but also to see what the hardware, lighting and sound specialists Healy and Phillips will do there.  And we are mighty intrigued by Alexandra Mir’s project with the Philadelphia Inquirer – focused on women — which includes printing the artist’s project in the daily newspaper.