For 10 months, selected local and international artists have worked in a newly-renovated storefront space at 4017 Lancaster Avenue as part of the “Neighborhood Time Exchange” Artists-in-Residence Program. This Friday, the artists along with the Mural Arts Program, The People’s Emergency Center, Broken City Lab, and The City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy will present their culminating exhibition, Reciprocity: Exhibiting Moments and Momentum from Neighborhood Time Exchange.

Three cohorts of artists participated in residencies between January and September 2015 and worked for one to three months: The first cohort of residencies, which took place between January and March, included artists Ian Sampson, Betty Leacraft, Kandis Friesen, and Philippe Leonard. The second cohort, between April and June, included Macon Reed, Camae Dennis and Rasheedah Phillips, Matt Neff, and Sasha Phyars-Burgess. The third included Pato Hebert, Lucy Pistilli and Brian Bazemore, John Phillips, Mark Clare, and Meredith Degyanski.  Continue Reading

There’s a chance to help your neighborhood park on the “Love Your Park” fall service day this Saturday (Nov. 14). Over 75 Philly parks need help, including many in West Philadelphia.

Friends of Clark Park is hosting a clean-up and beautification day in the park from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., and seeking community volunteers who can join them. Meeting is at 9 a.m. by the shed (45th and Regent). Please bring a trowel (if you have one).

If you live in Cedar Park, consider volunteering from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in your neighborhood park. Community members are invited to celebrate fall and spend the day working alongside friends and neighbors to help clean and green Cedar Park. Your work may include raking leaves, putting the gardens to bed, planting perennials and bulbs and doing general clean up. All ages are welcome, and tools will be supplied. To RSVP, please email contact@cedarparkneighbors.org  Continue Reading

Matt Pestronk of Post Brothers speaking at the annual Spruce Hill Community Association meeting. (Photo West Philly Local)

Matt Pestronk did something at last night’s annual Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) member meeting that property developers rarely do anymore in the neighborhood. He voluntarily showed up and answered questions from residents about the reasons his company, Post Brothers, plans to spend some $250 million on apartment buildings, including the newly purchased Garden Court Plaza building at 47th and Pine.

Pestronk, who owns the company with his brother Michael, took questions ranging from whether they would allow pets in their buildings (an emphatic “yes” on that one) to whether Post Brothers would convert any rental units into condos and put them up for sale (probably not).

The company has acquired several buildings in recent years including: 4311 Spruce Street; The Netherlands at 4300 Chestnut; Chester Plaza at Farragut and Chester; Chester Hall at 4205 Chester; Hamilton Court at 3800 Chestnut; and Garden Court Plaza. Altogether, they have accrued about 550 units.  Continue Reading

The Soapbox has been operating in this row house since 2011 (photo from phillysoapbox.org)

There are some exciting developments at The Soapbox, West Philly’s own community print shop and zine library. The studio, which has been operating in a row house on the 700 block of S. 51st Street (pictured right) since 2011, will be moving soon to a new, 4,500-square-foot space in the newly renovated Frank Furness-designed church at 4700 Kingsessing.

As you may know, the old church building was saved from demolition last year and was being converted into commercial space, which will also house schools (more information about this is coming soon).

A lease was signed for the basement of the Parish House, a high-ceilinged space with four-foot windows at ceiling level, according to The Soapbox president and co-founder Mary Tasillo. The new studio will be fully equipped with historic and contemporary printing equipment, the city’s largest independent zine library, and expanded community programming.

“The Soapbox team is incredibly excited by the potential presented in this move… Our vision for The Soapbox can fully come to fruition in the new, larger space: The Soapbox Community Print Shop and Zine Library will be a space where many people can feel a sense of ownership and investment,” Tasillo says. “Above all, we are excited about this move because this enables The Soapbox to continue our mission-driven work by offering a more accessible and more usable space to our community.”  Continue Reading

If you want to learn more about Pennsylvania’s state budget and its impact on the community, come to the Walnut Hill Community meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 6 – 8 p.m. State Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr. and State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown will be at the meeting to talk about the budget. They will also answer questions and address any concerns from community members.

The final draft of Walnut Hill 2015 Neighborhood Plan will also be presented at the meeting (7-8 p.m.).

The meeting will take place at The Enterprise Center (4548 Market Street).

UPDATE (11/10/2015): Curio Theatre’s Benefit scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14 has been postponed to a later date. Stay tuned for more announcements.

Two local arts organizations, University City Arts League (UCAL) and Curio Theatre, are holding delicious and fun events soon, which will help them raise some cash.

The annual Chili Bowl fundraiser supports the Arts League’s pottery studio. (Photo courtesy UCAL)

• UCAL’s annual Chili Bowl event will be held this Sunday (Nov. 8), from 1 – 4 p.m. at 4226 Spruce Street. Everyone is invited to purchase a hand-crafted bowl for $20 and fill it with chili (kids eat free with a bowl-purchasing adult).

The chili, including vegetarian and vegan, is donated by local restaurants: Corner Bakery, Tortas Frontera, City Tap House, Rx the Farmacy, Harvest, Renata’s Kitchen, Milk and Honey Market, Qdoba, Distrito, The Restaurant School, and the Green Line Cafe. After guests stuff themselves with chili they can vote for their favorite.

All of the proceeds from the Chili Bowl supports UCAL and its beloved ceramic studio. Guests are encouraged to get to the Arts League early to insure that they get a ceramic bowl. Each bowl is individually crafted, a unique piece created by a potter, and they are in limited supply. For more information about the event, visit the UCAL website.  Continue Reading