OK, stop. Before you read any further go check out the video below.

Done?

Cool right? That piece is by West Philly artist Nilé Livingston and is part of the “Baltimore Avenue Series,” which she will show on Monday, June 25th at The Gold Standard Café (4800 Baltimore Ave.) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Livingston describes the exhibit as:

“Biographic interpretations of growing up in West Philadelphia have inspired me to explore endless character encounters. I sketch my ideas on paper and then collage them in Photoshop. Creating art is my relentless urge to explore sources of anxiety, document interactions, share memories, as well as provide evidence for narrative works that address social, environmental, and technological changes.”

You can read more about Nilé at her website.

Update: Andy L. knows the hood! He solved this one pretty quickly. It’s the town crier bulletin board near 40th and Pine. See comments below.

Think you know the neighborhood? Where was this photo taken? Each morning we’ll zoom out a little until someone guesses right. Place your guess in the comments. One guess per person per day please.

The 2012 Philadelphia Open Studio Tours will take place in October and local artists and studios are welcome to participate. Registration is open until June 1.

Launched in 2000, POST is the largest tour of artist studios and creative work spaces in the region. Eighteen West Philly artists participated in last year’s event (see more here) and we hear that many have already gotten on the list of this year’s tours. If you are not one of them, you still have a chance to do it. Please visit this page for more information and to register.

The 2012 Tour dates for venues West of Broad Street are October 6-7.

Paul Robeson, the famed stage and screen actor who spent his later years in West Philly, is back at the corner of 45th and Chestnut keeping a keen eye on eastbound motorists.

Artist Ernel Martinez recently finished a mural of Robeson on the side of an apartment building across Chestnut Street from West Philadelphia Catholic High School that replaced an older mural of Robeson removed this summer.

The new mural is very similar to the original – a full-body portrait of an elegant Robeson in a black suit and tie.

Robeson, who was also an All-American athlete and the son of a former slave, lived in his sister’s row home at 4949 Walnut St. from 1968 to his death in 1976.

The Robeson mural is part of the African American Iconic Images collection, which also includes portraits of Jackie Robinson, Women of Jazz and Malcolm X, among others, and historical scenes of African American life and community.

As we all know green is in. And I don’t mean the color of Kermit the Frog. Green as in clean, organic, natural. Sarah Holmes brings that idea of natural to a pretty fantastic line of health and beauty products, which she will show off on Saturday at VIX Emporium (5009 Baltimore Ave.) as part of the annual Go West! Craft Fest, which runs from noon to 5 p.m. at Cedar Park and nearby businesses.

Holmes, who owns Gritty City Beauty Co., is putting on a makeup workshop at VIX called Rock that Chartreuse Eyeshadow: Create Your Own Custom Color. Participants will learn how to blend natural mineral eyeshadows into the color you have always wanted. Stop by the workshop at VIX anytime between noon and 5 p.m. and Sarah will hook you up with everything you need. She’ll also show you how to make it happen. The cost for the workshop is $10. Folks can also check out all her products, from natural face wash to organic men’s aftershave.

Go West! will also include an all-day vintage and used bike sale at the friendly neighborhood bike shop Firehouse Bicycles (above Dock Street Brewing). A whole bunch of vendors will be set up in Cedar Park selling all manner of West Philly delights.  Singer/songwriter Loren Gilder will play at 1 p.m. A special children’s program begins at 2 p.m. with Pamela Draper playing kids classics. And, oh yes, there will be face painting and other fun kid stuff. The West Philly band Sour Mash (Facebook page) will play at 3 p.m.

The school year has begun and many parents are looking for afterschool and weekend activities for their children. We have come across a couple of flyers – one is an afterschool art program (we gave them a ring and learned that it’s a new program run by artist Rachel Louis) and the other is a weekend music program by Intercultural Family Services, Inc. We’ll be adding more such information as it comes. If you know of more afterschool programs for kids in the area email us at: editor [at] westphillylocal.com or leave a comment.