August 1, 2016 by Beth Heinly

August 1, 2016 by Matt Kalasky

Philadelphia is always a place of many distinct and often contradictory feelings, and as the masses of politicians, reporters, delegates, protesters, lobbyists, promoters, and enthusiasts drain out of the city here are a few of the emotional highs and lows from last week.

July 31, 2016 by Donald Hunt

Stravinsky in South Africa – Firebird: Reimagined at the Mann Center

When experiencing this incarnation of “Firebird,” I couldn’t help but be immersed in all that’s going on in the storytelling. At times for a split second, I stopped noticing that the reliably superb Philadelphia Orchestra (led by conductor-in-residence Cristian Macelaru) was playing right behind the elaborate action. The orchestra was the glue that held all of the pieces together, especially in moments when the choreography and multimedia aspects didn’t always paint the clearest picture for the audience to follow along. All of the competing art forms forced me to choose which aspect of the piece to focus on and then after a while, switch over to the next aspect that caught the eye or ear.

July 28, 2016 by Flora Ward

Splashing Around – Creative Africa and Nari Ward on Artblog Radio

At the Barnes Foundation, Nari Ward’s direct engagement with issues of race, culture, and class in contemporary America makes for an interesting counterpoint to the African art collected by Dr. Barnes (and by the Penn Museum) in the early 20th century. Finally, the three shows of contemporary photography, textiles, and architecture that fill the first floor of the PMA’s Perelman Building leave us with lots of questions about the “Africa” in “Creative Africa.” Just how fixed is regional or even national identity for both artists and artworks that circulate widely thanks to the global art market? What makes African art African?

July 26, 2016 by Roberta

Congratulations, Judith Stein on Eye of the Sixties! And David Orr’s perfect skulls at Mutter! Plus, Renegade Company plays with food, seriously; Awbury Arboretum+Yes! And… pair for summer musical theater; 1193 Production helms Tales from Shaolin, a hip hop-Shakespearean via Tarentino; Plus plus Good Reads and Good Opportunity

There’s politics in the hot air, which seems like it will never cease (both the hot air and the politics). Be sure to check out what’s available in both, but stay cool, no matter what. Here’s one exhibit that has a good lineup and might be worth getting out for: Truth to Power/Rock the Vote. But I recommend you keep your eyes open for political art on the street, like the Joe Boruchow piece seen below, featured prominently in West Philadelphia.

July 25, 2016 by Beth Heinly

The 3:00 Book

July 23, 2016 by Mari Shaw

A Library of the Future at Temple University

Inspired by the academies of ancient Greece and Byzantium, the new Temple Library is designed to create pleasurable–and hence optimal–learning experiences. The visual anchor of the building will be an updated take on a characteristic element of Classical architecture–the oculus, a round opening centered in the dome of a building. Like a latter-day Roman Pantheon, the new Temple library will have a giant oculus in the center of its 3-story atrium that will allow natural light to permeate the 225,000 square-foot structure and orient visitors no matter where they are inside the building.

July 22, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

Ephemeral Bodies – Reassessing the Art of Carolee Schneemann and Joan Jonas

This monograph is an invaluable record of Jonas’ work. Along with that on Schneemann, above, they offer two crucial pioneering artists’ solutions to a very current question: the ephemerality of performance art and the possibility of extending the life of the form without distorting the artist’s ideas.