Bethany Rusen at work (photos via Indiegogo.com)

Last month, we wrote about the efforts by West Philly artist and educator Bethany Rusen to open a new ceramic studio and affordable co-working space for artists in Cedar Park. Renovations of the space, called Black Hound Clay Studio (BHCS) and located at 711 S. 50th Street, began this spring, and a few days ago Bethany launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to help this venture succeed.

The startup costs for the studio are considerable, according to Bethany. Thanks to successful fundraising raffle held last month at Art Star Gallery and a loan from the nearby Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, some funds have been secured to carry out some space renovations and to cover the deposit and first few months’ rent. Bethany also managed to get some free stuff through Craigslist, including work tables, shelving and storage. She currently has four working pottery wheels, either donated by friends and family or bought used.  Continue Reading

40th Street Artist-in-Residence (AIR), a program that awards West Philly artists free studio space for one year, is currently accepting applications for its 2016-2017 residency. The application deadline has been extended until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.

40th Street AIR Gallery at 4007 Chestnut St.

Selected artists will be given studio space at either 4007 Chestnut Street or 4013 Chestnut Street starting Sept. 1, 2016 and ending Aug. 15, 2017. During residency, artists will work on developing their own creative work. In exchange, they will be asked to share their talents with West Philadelphia through a minimum of 40 hours of outreach service, which may include a public installation, a workshop or a class.

Applications are accepted from artists who are affiliated with West Philadelphia – you must live, work, volunteer, or create art here in order to apply.

Applications can be submitted online here, but first please visit the 40th Street AIR website for more information.

If you have questions, email: 40th.AIR.app@gmail.com

The Spring edition of Go West! Craft Fest is returning on Saturday, April 30 to the green space of the historic Woodlands cemetery grounds (40th and Woodland), and it looks like it’s going to be a great show.

Over 100 vendors will present their beautiful handmade items, so it’s a great opportunity to shop for something unique. At the fest, you can find locally made jewelry, pottery, stationery, prints and original artwork, clothing, bags, candles, bath & body products, children’s items, and much more (check out the event’s Pinterest board).

And here’s the schedule for free live music and entertainment for the whole family:

11 a.m. – Sing along with Ann from the Green Tambourine, Baltimore Avenue’s children’s music studio
11:45 a.m. – The Daisy Pickers, folksy, rootsy, joyful Americana
12:30 p.m. – Philadelphia Women’s Slavic Ensemble will present choral music from eastern Europe
1 p.m. – Jay Sand of All Around This World, a musical exploration of world cultures for children
1:45 p.m. – River Bones, Philly-style bluegrass (with Sean Dorn on bass)
2:30 p.m. – Evan Cory Levine makes great-grandpa’s jazz sound brand new
3:15 p.m. – Tinycircus, aerial flights of fancy by Tangle Movement Arts
4:15 p.m. – Shakey Lyman, blues legend  Continue Reading

Peter Danelski as Billy (“the cripple”). Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas

The Curio Theatre Company will wrap up its 11th season with the dark comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh.

A Hollywood film crew invades the tiny island of Inishmaan off the west coast of Ireland to shoot a documentary about the place and its people. We soon learn about the dark side of living on a blustery island with just a few hundred people can be like, especially for the gentle Billy (“the cripple”) who vies for a part in the documentary.

A production of The Cripple of Inishmaan on Broadway garnered a bunch of accolades in 2014 with Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe playing Billy.  Continue Reading

The University City District has announced the return of their signature and super popular summer events – the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, University City Dining Days, 40th Street Summer Concert Series, and Movies in Clark Park.

Only one Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll has been scheduled for this summer – Thursday, Sept. 8, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. As always, local businesses will present $1 bargains from 43rd to 52nd Street. And there will be some new businesses participating in the event this summer. Stay tuned for more information.

                              Photo courtesy UCD

University City Dining Days will run from Thursday, July 14 to Sunday, July 24. Now in its 12th year, Dining Days is a 3 courses, 3 prices promotion at some of University City’s most popular dining destinations, from exceptional craft beer bars to celebrity chef restaurants to cozy BYOBs. This event is also a great opportunity to explore the diverse international cuisine in the area, including Indian, Ethiopian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, and more. For more information, check out: www.ucdiningdays.com.  Continue Reading

Work by Tegan Bellitta is currently on display at Gush Gallery at Jinxed (4521 Baltimore Ave.)

Artists Stephanie Slate and Sarah Thielke, co-founders of Gush Gallery, which had to close its location on the 5000 block of Baltimore Ave. last summer due to sustainability issues, are sending some great news: the gallery is very much alive and kicking at a new location in West Philly, also on Baltimore Avenue. Here’s what Stephanie wrote us in an email:

     Sarah Thielke and Stephanie Slate

“Gush Gallery (formerly at 5015 Baltimore Ave) has now teamed up with Jinxed on 4521 Baltimore Ave. Mike, the owner, has graciously offered us to take over the large brick wall in the new location. We have successfully curated two gallery shows from the new space, and have just confirmed upcoming shows with more local artists. We are VERY excited…”

The women have scheduled to have one solo or group show each month. They kicked things off in March with shows by Kate Harrold and Syd Torchio. Currently, Tegan Bellitta’s work is on display, and here is the gallery’s schedule through December, 2016:  Continue Reading