The Runner Stumbles cast members Isa St.Clair (Sister Rita) and Steve Carpenter (Father Rivard). Photo by Kyle Cassidy.

West Philly’s Curio Theatre Company begins its eighth season this Thursday with The Runner Stumbles by Milan Stitt. First produced on Broadway in 1976, The Runner Stumbles is based on a true story that happened in 1911 at a Roman Catholic parish in rural Michigan. It is a long-awaited project for director and Curio co-founder Gay Carducci.

“It’s a play about a crisis of faith, with a hint of mystery,” she says. “It’s been speaking to me since I saw it done 20-some-odd years ago. And it’s always a piece that I loved and wanted to bring back again.”

The cast features Ryan Walter, Rachel Gluck, Harry Slack and Artistic Director Paul Kuhn, all of West Philadelphia, as well as Aetna Gallagher of Wallingford, Liam Castellan of Center City, and introducing Meridian Lowe, a student at Masterman High School and one of the first students in Curio’s educational program.

The show runs October 11 to November 10 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., in the Calvary Center at 4740 Baltimore Ave. Tickets are $15-20 ($10-15 for preview performances). For more information and to buy tickets, visit this page.

The annual tour of artist studios and workspaces around Philadelphia, POST-2012, begins this weekend, with tours of venues west of Broad Street taking place October 6-7. West Philadelphia is again well represented, with over 20 artists participating in the event. This is a unique opportunity to visit the artists and their studios. Also stop by the community partner venues which will host POST exhibitions. Self-guided tours are free and open from noon to 6 p.m. Visit this page for more information on the participating artists and venues.

Also, please visit Green Line Cafe‘s website for more information on POST exhibits taking place in their three West Philly locations (43rd and Baltimore, 45th and Locust, and 37th and Lancaster). Artist Kelton Bumgarner sends invitation to neighbors to come to Green Line at 43rd and Baltimore this Saturday to check out his exhibit (reception is from 5 to 7 p.m.). “I have only been in West Philly for a short period of time (2 years now) and would love to meet some more of the community, have a couple drinks, and talk about some art!” he wrote.

Finally, the 40th Street Artist-in-Residence program is introducing their new resident artists on both Saturday and Sunday. Everyone is welcome to meet Fatima Adamu, Mike Harpring, Diedra Krieger, Thomasin Parnes, and Celestine Wilson Hughes at their studios at 4013 Chestnut St. and at the A.I.R. Gallery (4007 Chestnut St).

Spring’s Craft Fest was a big hit.

The fall installment of GO WEST! Craft Fest is coming to the historic Woodlands cemetery this Saturday (Sept. 29), bringing over 50 super crafty vendors and their work. You can find all kinds of handmade stuff at the festival – artworks, cards, prints, clothing, ceramics, jewelry, natural bath & body products, toys, edibles and more. With holidays coming up, the Woodlands this Saturday is the place to be (don’t forget your holiday shopping list). You can check out the vendor list here or visit the event’s pinterest board.

Besides the vendors, there will be live entertainment and fun for the whole family. Here’s the schedule:

Noon: Perseverance Jazz Band, swinging NOLA-style standards
1 p.m.: The Citywide Specials, an authentic bluegrass band
2 p.m.: Jay Sand of All Around This World, engaging world music for kids and their families
3 p.m.: Tinycircus, aerial flights of fancy presented by Tangle Movement Arts

So come support local small, independent businesses this Saturday (rain date – Sunday, Sept. 30).

The Philly Fringe festival is back this month with its usual wide array of performances and venues. Many of the programs will take place in West Philadelphia. For the full list of festival events and to purchase tickets, see the Live Arts/Fringe Festival website. Highlights of local neighborhood events, in no particular order, include:

• Monsters: A Workshop and Happening on Sept 16, 3 pm at the Penn Museum. Participants will work with artist Douglas Repetto to make a herd of moving tables that will be set free among the artifacts.

• Le Mirage/Dead City Philly by DysFUNctional Theater. Sept 10 and 11, 8 pm at the Rotunda. A 1892 novella reimagined as a rock opera and set in modern day Philadelphia. Debuted at the Fringe festival in 2011 and back by popular demand.

• The Legend of Nahia by Duende Musical. Sept 7, 8, 12, and 15, 7 pm at the Calvary Center, 801 South 48th St. A story set in an imaginary town in Spain about a a female survivor of sexual assault healing through music, art, story telling, and dance.

• You Don’t Say by Tangle Arts Movement, Sept 13, 14, and 15 at 8 pm with a special show at 3 pm. Although the venue, Philadelphia Soundstages (1600 N. 5th St), is not in West Philly, neighbors are probably familiar with the group’s outdoor show in Clark Park, Tiny Circus. Their Fringe show purports to include a rope, trapeze, and a dinner table as the performers explore relationships and miscommunication all while defying gravity.

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Community Supported Arts, a program recently launched by the Philadelphia Folklore Project, is modeled after traditional CSAs, but instead of fruits and vegetables shareholders receive one-of-a-kind works of art from local folk artists.

This is how it works: Nine artists each make fifty unique pieces of art for fifty shareholders, so each shareholder receives nine pieces of art. Shareholders will get a chance to meet the artists at an exclusive preview party and dinner at PFP on September 21. The collection of art will be ready for pick up on December 7 at another shareholders-only dinner party with artists.

Each share costs $350+tax and can be purchased Saturdays at the Clark Park Farmers’ Market, online or by mailing a check to PFP’s gallery at 735 S. 50th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143.

The participating artists are: Ra’sheeda Bey, Alma Luz Castro, Maisaloon Dias, Stephanie Hryckowian, Christina Johnson, Eric Joselyn, Marta Sanchez, Pang Xiong Sirirathasuk Sikoun, and Matthew Smith. You can stop by the PFP gallery to see a sample of each artist’s work.

PFP staffer Thomas Owens will be at Clark Park Farmer’s Market (43rd and Baltimore Ave.), from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturdays with information about the program. You can purchase a share directly from him. For more information, visit this page.

Seeds Gallery Grand Opening on August 11, 2012. (Photo by Jaap Veneman)

Tucked away near the corner of 50th and Baltimore is the new Seeds Gallery, which promotes artists from right here in West Philly. The gallery is small but spirited, containing work at last Saturday’s grand opening from artists and photographers including Charles Barbin, Bob Bruhin, Russell Brodie, and Jeremy Fahringer.

The gallery provides an atmosphere like your friend’s living room. It’s casual, the artists are friendly and are willing to discuss their work. The gallery is small, but intimate, allowing for you to appreciate all of the work without being overwhelmed by too much of it. All in all it’s a charming place to support local artists.

There will be a public open house on August 25 from 6-9 p.m. and another on September 16 from 4-8 p.m. The closing exhibit will be on September 29, 6-9 p.m. Don’t miss your chance to see these wonderful artists before they’re gone.

– Kelly Lawler