UPDATE (12/19/2014, 1:50 p.m.): Jawnaments and other items described below have been sold out!

“Sorry, but we ran out of supplies! Thanks for all of the support and please check back in after the holidays for new products!” reads a message on the Workshop Industries Holiday Order Form.

(12/18/2014): Here’s a chance to do the holidays Philly style and help a local after-school program. Students enrolled in the Workshop Industries after school program at the Workshop School, an innovative, project-based high school in West Philly, made some amazing Christmas tree ornaments and Jawnaments (it is worth giving these as gifts just for a chance to explain “jawn” to an out-of-town relative). They are available for order and pick up at their location at 221 S. Hanson St (near 48th and Locust). You can also purchase a beautiful handmade Christmas House (with or without light) and even all-natural lip balm ($2), available in three flavors: coconut, clementine, and chocolate mint.

By the way, all the ornaments are $5, but this Jawnament below is $3:

To see all the items available for sale click here. For more information on how to order, go to this page. Orders can be picked up on Monday (Dec. 22) from 3:30 to 6 p.m., or you can choose your order to be delivered to you.

If you like gospel music you should definitely enjoy this holiday concert: On Sunday, Dec. 21, a 16-piece big band “Big Push”, led by Greg Scott, and Calvary United Methodist, St. Luke, and Greater Exodus Baptist Church choirs will give a joint performance at Calvary Church (48th and Baltimore). The concert, which starts at 7 p.m., benefits West Africa food relief (suggested donation is $10).

There will be a bunch of festive events this Saturday and Sunday, including some great local holiday shopping opportunities and Christmas caroling at Clark Park. Plus Santa will make a stop at a local bar, so bring your camera! For more upcoming events, visit our Events Calendar.

Go West! Holiday Craft Fest at The Rotunda (40th and Walnut)

Over 50 local craftspeople will present their work at this year’s holiday edition of the popular Go West! Craft Fest. The event will be held on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Rotunda (40th and Walnut). Stop by to check out beautiful handmade items like jewelry, ceramics, warm knitted accessories, prints, stationery, soap, candles, home accents, children’s items, and more (here is the full list of the vendors). If the weather is clear, vendors will be indoors and out. There will also be sweet treats by West Philly’s Weckerly’s Ice Cream and the Lil’ Pop Shop.

UPDATE: The fest organizers sent a note that Walnut street will be closed to traffic on Sunday due to construction work across the street from The Rotunda. The street will be open to pedestrians, but no cars will be allowed on Walnut between 40th and 41st streets between 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

40th Street AIR Holiday Art Sale (4007 Chestnut St)

Work by West Philly artists in the 2014-2015 40th Street Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program – Althea Baird, TenBroeck Cripps, Brujo de La Mancha, Aislinn Pentecost-Farren and Lorna Williams – will be featured at this weekend’s 40th Street AIR Holiday Sale. The sale will take place on Saturday and Sunday, from 12 – 6 p.m. at the AIRSPACE Gallery at 4007 Chestnut Street (1st floor). Many guest artists will also take part in the event, including AIR alumni.  Continue Reading

Great news for West Philly artist James Dupree and his supporters: After two years of fighting the authorities to save his 8,646-square-foot art studio near 36th and Haverford from being destroyed to build a supermarket, the artist announced victory yesterday.

We won. We are getting the deed back. Thank you to everyone who supported us. #JamesDupree will have a public comment coming soon. Victory!

— dupree studios (@SaveDupree) December 11, 2014

James Dupree (Photos from SaveDupreeStudios.org)

Dupree purchased an auto repair shop at 3617-21 Haverford Ave in 2005 and turned it into a sprawling art space, known as Dupree Studios, but the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority seized and condemned the property along with other properties in a two-block area in December 2012 as part of efforts to revitalize the Mantua neighborhood. Since then 64-year-old Dupree has been fighting the plans of turning the lot into a grocery store with a parking lot through legal appeals and public campaigns. The PRA has finally ended the proceedings to condemn the property, which includes art studios, classrooms, and even three “quirky” apartments.

The University City Arts League (UCAL) is excited to bring back its annual Holiday Craft Show, which kicks off on Friday, Dec. 5. UCAL’s Holiday Craft Show is a neighborhood art and shopping tradition, which features work by more than 30 craftspeople. This is another great chance to find unique handmade holiday gifts. Your purchase will also support the crafters who will get a percentage of the sales.

The opening reception is on Friday, from 6 to 8 p.m. If you can’t make it on Friday, don’t worry – the craft show runs through Sunday, Dec. 21, when the closing reception will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. The UCAL gallery, where the craft show takes place, is open daily: Monday-Friday 3 – 8 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 12 – 6 p.m.

UCAL is located at 4226 Spruce Street. For more information, visit the UCAL website.

This piece of street art appeared over the weekend on the vacant building at 46th and Spruce, which used to be a popular spot for paste-up artists. The building is in the process of being sold to a non-profit for low-income housing and so earlier graffiti was removed. Hopefully this will stay up a while.