The weather is perfect for the last outdoor concert in the 2014 Cedar Park Summer Jazz series, which taking place tonight, from 6 – 8 p.m. Rich Tucker (Facebook page) and the Universal Koncept will entertain the crowd at 49th and Baltimore for the last time this year, as we’re saying goodbye to the series until the next summer. As usual, bring your blanket, or chair and a picnic, or enjoy a takeout from your favorite neighborhood restaurant.

Here’s a great opportunity for local boys in grades 7-12. On Friday, Aug 8, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the nonprofit presenter of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and the Philadelphia Writing Project are offering a free writing workshop at Penn Museum. This interactive workshop is a part of a writing workshop series, START.WRITE.NOW, taking place at various locations around the city. Friday’s workshop is the only Start.Write.Now workshop offered in West Philadelphia.

Start.Write.Now is a national initiative to encourage students to share their voice and engage with their creative peers over the summer. Local workshop facilitators will help boys in attendance to discover new, fun outlets of artistic expression, from poetry, sports articles, and digital stories to comics,  rap lyrics, video and card games.

The space is limited to 20 participants, so hurry up to register for the workshop.

Friday, Aug 8, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., University of Pennsylvania Museum (The Kress Entrance), 3260 South St

TO REGISTER: Register online at: http://tiny.cc/hgl0hx

West Philly is lucky to host the BlackStar Film Festival again this year. We sketched out the weekend line-up below. One of the highlights is the debut of They Die By Dawn, featuring Erykah Badu and Michael K. Williams (“Omar” from The Wire). The two main venues are the International House (3701 Chestnut) and Penn’s Annenberg School of Communications (3620 Walnut St.).

Click on the links for descriptions and trailers.

Many events are free. Where noted, tickets cost $10 for the general public, $7 for seniors and students and $5 for International House members.

Saturday, Aug. 2

• Forever Young: Coming of Age Shorts • 11:30 a.m. • International House Philadelphia (IHP) • $10/$7/$5

• Troop 491: The Adventures of the Muddy Lions • 1 p.m. • Penn’s Annenberg School of Communications (ASC) • Free

• Planet Rock: Hip Hop Shorts • 1:40 p.m. • IHP • $10/$7/$5

• Youth Program Screening • 3 p.m. • ASC • Free

• Book signing – Dismantle: An Anthology of Writing from the VONA/Voices Writing Workshop • Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela and Andrea Wall • Immediately after Youth Program Screening • ASC

• Little White Lie w/Window Dressing Fail • 3:10 p.m. • IHP • Free

• Book signing: (1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race • Immediately after Little White Lie • IHP

• Panel – The Crossover Between Film and Music • 5 p.m. • IHP • Free

• Culture Strike: Social Justice Shorts • 5:15 p.m. • ASC • Free

• They Die By Dawn • 6:50 p.m. • IHP • $10/$7/$5

• Half a Yellow Sun • 8:30 p.m. • IHP • $10/$7/$5

Sunday, Aug. 3

• Creative Class: Makers Shorts • 11:30 a.m. • IHP • $10/$7/$5

• Evolution of a Criminal • 12:45 p.m. • IHP • $10/$7/$5 (Q and A with Darius Clark Monroe follows)

• Panel – Composing for Film • 3 p.m. • IHP • Free

• Time is Illmatic • 5 p.m. • IHP • $10/$7/$5

Due to rain, tonight’s Henry IV show, which was supposed to take place in Clark Park, will be held at the Penn Ice Rink at 3130 Walnut Street. The show still starts at 7 p.m. Follow Shakespeare in Clark Park on Twitter (@shakespeareincp) for updates.
 

This week is rich in art happenings in the area, from outdoor theatre to a film festival to art shows. We already reported on Shakespeare in Clark Park presenting Henry IV in the park’s bowl. The performances, which feature a community army of over 100 people, begin tonight at 7 p.m. and go on through Sunday.

Also tonight, at 5:30 p.m., Penn Museum (3260 South St) invites music lovers to enjoy an outdoor concert by the West Philadelphia Orchestra. The concert is part of the weekly P.M. @ Penn Museum music series. Tickets are $10 and include museum admission. More details are available here.

Photo from BlackStar Facebook page.

BlackStar Film Festival, featuring films by and about people of African descent in a global context, kicks off on Thursday, July 31. The four-day festival features film screenings (many of them free) and events at the following West Philly venues: International House Philadelphia (37th and Chestnut), Scribe Video Center (4212 Chestnut St), Annenberg School for Communication, Penn (3620 Walnut St), and Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), 118 S. 36th St. An opening night reception with DJ Mr. Sonny James will take place at ICA from 7 – 10 p.m. on Thursday. This event is also free and open to the public. For more information and schedule, visit blackstarfest.org. Follow the festival @blackstarfest and #BlackStar14.

UPDATE: Gush Gallery is opening on Friday, Aug. 1 at 5015 Baltimore Ave. The grand opening show, Embark, is from 6 – 9 p.m. (more info coming soon)

​Sharp with Art Group is presenting an art exhibit titled “Levels” at the Urban Art Gallery (52nd and Spruce) from August 2 – 31.  There will be a free opening reception on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 6 until 9 p.m. “Levels” will feature a diverse selection of art styles, such as street art, abstract art, sculpture, and mixed media works. Six amazing artists will be featured in the show: Natalie Flor Negron, Jae Martin, Nebulus Flair, Seven X, Noni Red and Vinson Houston. In addition there will be live performances by Raw Sinister Theatre, Chase Smiley The RockStar and April Fool Child.

And last, but not least, American Queen TJD, a West Philly artist we featured last fall (Meet American Queen TJD: Not the female Basquiat), invites neighbors to support her at a major art show on Saturday, Aug. 2  at the Arch Enemy Arts Gallery in Olde City (109 Arch Street). The one-day only show, titled “Too Many Basquiats Not Enough New Artists,” features over 100 pieces of art. The event will take place from 6:30 – 10 p.m. and includes music, food and an open bar. More details and tickets ($10.50) are available at americanqueentjd.com.

Artwork by West Philly artist American Queen TJD will be on display at the Arch Enemy Arts Gallery in Olde City Aug 2. (Photo via americanqueentjd.com)

Preparations have begun in Clark Park’s bowl (45th and Chester) for one of the most epic outdoor theater productions in the history of Shakespeare in Clark Park. This summer, the company presents Henry IV for five nights starting Wednesday, July 30. We watched a rehearsal and took this photo over the weekend. This production has an unprecedented number of actors: A community army of over 100 people was selected for battle scenes in the play. These are folks from 36 Philadelphia neighborhoods, from teens to seniors. More details about the production are here. The free shows begin at 7 p.m.