Friday night Gush Gallery opened its doors. During dusk hours on the otherwise quiet 5000 block of Baltimore Avenue, warm yellow light and dozens of people spilled into the streets. People were here to see Gush’s first show, Embark, which features a number of lesser known artists from around Philadelphia.

The crowd had a punk feel and included artists, art lovers, neighbors and family. Interesting pieces included a skull reconstructed with crochet, a light shaded with faux bones, an image of a row home floating in a lake with bass swimming underneath, and a set of cherished family items sewn firmly into felt, reminiscent of bugs in a spider web.

A year long buildup came before Friday night. It started with a casual conversation between two Pratt classmates, Stephanie Slate and Sarah Thielke. Next came an Indiegogo campaign bolstered by an active Facebook and Tumblr feed. Plans had the gallery opening in 2015 but a Craigslist discovery of an old barbershop at a great price in a prime location accelerated the schedule.

Now that Gush is open (5015 Baltimore Ave, T-F 1-8 p.m., S-S 12-6 p.m.), the owners hope to maintain their business not just through the sale of art, consignment and T-shirts. They also offer by-the-hour use of a high quality workstation, scanner and printer. More events will come too, including art classes, and group critiques.

Stephanie and Sarah are very eager to invigorate the West Philadelphia art community. They hope to collaborate with other West Philly artist hubs such as the Gold Standard Cafe, and Soapbox Gallery. They would love to bring First Fridays out west as well. In the words of Stephanie, “We totally want people to come in and say ‘Hey I’m an artist’ and hang out. We want to see their work and we want to show their work.”

– Selah Lynch

Photos by Selah Lynch / West Philly Local.

Talking Headz’s new location at 4922 Baltimore Ave. (Facebook photo)

If you are heading to Talking Headz for a haircut, a trim or coloring, please take notice that the neighborhood hair salon with the motto “Rad Hair for Rad People” has recently moved a little further west on Baltimore. As of July 5, 2014, Talking Headz is operating in the heart of Cedar Park – at 4922 Baltimore Ave.

The salon first opened in 2011 in a small space at 4714 Baltimore Ave and quickly gained popularity for its friendly staff, awesome vibe, and reasonable prices (check out recent Yelp reviews and an older review by a neighbor and blogger West Philly Mama).

The new space seems great and has much more room. They have eight chairs now in comparison to just three at the old location and new staff was hired to keep up with the expansion. The salon has also added an extra day of operation. It is now open Monday through Sunday during the following hours: Monday 12 – 6 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday 12 – 8 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday 12 – 5 p.m.

According to their website, the Talking Headz people can cut your hair “ranging anywhere from classic to wild.” The place is also kid-friendly (we can confirm) and they even have a kids play area. By the way, kids haircuts start at just $16. Prices for adult haircuts range from $21-$36 depending on the length of your hair. Walk-ins are welcome but not always available, so appointments are recommended. You can make an appointment by calling 215-729-2028.

For more information about Talking Headz, their services and pricing, visit their website.
 

Check out some of the latest news, upcoming events and other happenings around the neighborhoods.

• Around 700 homes in Kingsessing were still without gas service on Tuesday night due to a water main break near 56th St and Woodland Ave on Saturday, according to NBC10. The water main break caused a disruption to the natural gas line. Initially 60 homes in the area were affected but during the repair work, hundreds more homes were disconnected from natural gas service as far east as 52nd Street, according to reports.

• Good news for Marigold Kitchen fans! The highly-acclaimed Spruce Hill restaurant, whose owner Robert Halpern is moving on (and moving out of the state), is not closing after all, as was initially reported. Well, at least not for good. Halpern sold his business to his own chefs de cuisine, Tim Lanza and Andrew Kochan, both 26, The Insider reports. Halpern’s executive chef, Keith Krajewski, will also continue his work at this location, according to The Insider. The restaurant will serve its last dinner under Halpern’s ownership on Saturday, June 28. After that, it will close for some kitchen refurbishment work and will reopen in early September.

The English elms at The Woodlands (Photo courtesy The Woodlands)

• The Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion is asking the community to help them save seven English elm trees (they’re called “The 7 Giants”), some of the most significant historic trees on the grounds thanks to their size and age (they date back to the late 18th century). The trees are suffering from Dutch Elm Disease, which may kill them if left untreated. Treatment and monitoring of the disease is costly, so the Woodlands has started a fundraising campaign to help cover the costs. The initial goal is $20,000. For more information and to donate, click here.

• Little Baby’s Ice Cream has created a new flavor called the Works, now available at LBIC’s Cedar Park location (49th and Catharine). Proceeds from the sale benefit Neighborhood Bike Works, a non-profit that offers youth bike education programs and bike repair classes for adults.

• West Philly based art rock band The Chairman Dances will present their new album, The Death of Samuel Miller (out 6/27 via Grizzly Records), on Friday, June 27 at The Rotunda (40th and Walnut). Spelling Reform (Facebook page) and Vita and the Woolf (Facebook page) will also take part in the album release show, which begins at 8 p.m. ($10). The Chairman Dances’ song “Prophetess” was No. 2 in WXPN‘s list of the 5 best Philly songs of 2013. The music video for the new record’s single, “Dance to the Neighbor’s Stereo,” is streaming on Vimeo.

Redcap’s Corner’s second home as of next month (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

Hear-ye, Hear-ye, Baltimore Avenue gamers! Come early next month, West Philly’s gaming hub, Redcap’s Corner, will open its second shop in the area – at 4812 Baltimore Avenue in the storefront space of HOW Properties’ new apartment building on the corridor.

According to co-owner Benn Roe, who runs Redcap’s with Adam Friedman, the new shop will differ from its Drexel University-area flagship at 3617 Lancaster Avenue by becoming more family-oriented. While the Baltimore Avenue location will carry a very similar gaming product line, there will be a strong emphasis on Pokémon rather than Magic the Gathering, Roe said. Additionally, the calendar of events for Redcap’s 2 will differ drastically from the original shop—instead of tournaments and competitive game-play that attracts serious gamers and college students, the new place (which seats only 30) will focus on learn-to-play demos, family board game nights, casual and after-school leagues, and open-play nights.

“We’ll run tournaments here and there, but our focus will be on less competitive fun and giving kids somewhere safe to hang out after school,” Roe told West Philly Local. “Pokémon is popular with kids, and we’ve been getting increasing interest in Pathfinder from young role-players, so it’s a safe bet that those games will make it onto the calendar.”

While opening dates are not set in stone since construction is still happening at the new location, Roe did assure they will throw a grand opening party once Redcap’s 2 opens its doors in early July. West Philly Local had a chance to chat with Roe more about Redcap’s second shop, why they chose Baltimore Avenue, and why they chose to focus more on families this time around.

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The Green Tambourine founder Ann Schwartz in front of her expanded studio at 4614-16 Baltimore Avenue (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

As West Philly Local reported last month, HALO Foundation Boutique at 4616 Baltimore Avenue—which we profiled in March—has closed down, becoming just another failed business in a space that’s known as a revolving door for entrepreneurial spirits. But it was undergoing renovations, which means it wasn’t going to stay empty for long. So what or who was now moving into that space?

A West Philly Local reader tipped us off: The Green Tambourine (4614 Baltimore Ave), Ann Schwartz’s music program—turned—music studio, is expanding next door after two years of operations. When we caught up with Schwartz at her space last Wednesday, the veteran musician told West Philly Local that she had been working on the adjacent space for about a month, and should be ready to open it within a few days.

As part of the expansion, Schwartz will install a drum set and more pianos in the new space, add drum classes and adult ensemble rehearsals (think bluegrass, Irish fiddle, and jazz) to her program, and bring in more teachers to accommodate for the additional students she hopes to attract (right now, Schwartz is the only teacher). “My schedule is completely booked, so it’s the right time to do it,” she told West Philly Local.

An open house for the expanded space is scheduled for Saturday, June 14 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Sunday, June 15 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in order to introduce the new Green Tambourine to the public. Schwartz wants locals to drop by, check out the studio, learn more about her programs, and check out the different instruments.

“I’m really excited. [I’m] just looking for new ways to grow and be active in the community. It’s all about having music be a fun experience,” Schwartz told West Philly Local. “It’s been awesome being here, and I’ve so appreciated community support and involvement, which has allowed me to grow so quickly.”

–Annamarya Scaccia

The Spruce Hill Zoning Committee will be meeting this Thursday (June 5) at 6:30 p.m. and both Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill residents are invited to discuss a couple of properties within the two neighborhoods. The meeting will be held at the SHCA center at 257 S. 45th Street.

Here’s the meeting’s agenda, according to an announcement by Spruce Hill Zoning chair Barry Grossbach:

1. Expansion of the number of children enrolled in The Little Green School House, a small home based day care and after school program, from the current six allowed to the number 12 requested. West Philly Local wrote about The Little Green School House last summer when it was preparing to open.

“This operation at 219 S. Melville was given a trial run for a year by agreement of neighbors and the zoning committee when it came before us last Spring. Neighbors wanted to determine the impact of the school on traffic, congestion, and quality of life issues on the block. The applicants have met with immediate neighbors recently, and this is now before the zoning committee with all parties invited to attend and share their views,” the announcement reads.

2. The second item on tomorrow’s meeting’s agenda is the construction of a single family house on the lot at 223 S. 46th Street (between Walnut and Locust). Neighbors in the area have been alerted and all are welcome to attend and share their thoughts, according to Grossbach.

Lot at 223 S. 46th Street. (Source: Google Maps).