Ten artists were selected by local community members this Spring to create a series of public art pieces and installations to be on display through September along Lancaster Avenue. Each piece of art will explore progress, change, and invisibility.

                Photos courtesy of LoLa 38.

The work of four installation artists is currently on display at the former United Bank building at 38th and Lancaster and on the fence surrounding the site of the former University City High School (UCHS).

Melanie Booth, whose work can be seen on the fence, is a visiting exchange student at Drexel University from Sydney, Australia. Her piece is a Nylon 5’x8’ American Flag with embroidery titled #notmypresident (pictured above). Oluwafemi’s pen and digital print piece, Collective Conscious, is in the Bank’s parking lot windows and is best seen at night.  Continue Reading

Invite your family and friends out for a night of fun on the corner of Lancaster and Powelton avenues. The first Mid-Night BBQ featured the sounds of funk and jazz, this time around we’re kicking off the summer with some heat: live music from samba drum corps, Unidos da Filadelfia and soul/reggae singer Fabian Akilles. You do not want to miss this! RSVP (midnightbbq.eventbrite.com) for a complimentary hot dog and a cup of lemonade.

– Elle Tee (LoLa 38)

The Artist Pitch and Participate event was held on March 30 at the United Bank building (Photos courtesy of LoLa 38).

Ten local artists have been selected to help produce a series of public art installations on Lancaster Avenue.

LoLa 38, a Creative Placemaking project based in West Philadelphia, invited over 20 local artists and artist collaboratives to pitch their ideas for two public art projects in Powelton Village – at the former United Bank building (3750 Lancaster Ave) and the construction fence on the site of the former University City High School.

Ellen Tiberino (left) and audience member.

In brief presentations, each of them no more than five minutes, held on March 30 artists were asked to answer one of the following questions: How does progress feel? Which walls are invisible? Is there a good rate of change? The audience–a crowd of over 30 community members–judged and placed their votes based on the following criteria: excellence, community connection, curiosity, capacity, and wild card.

Ellen Tiberino, Brian “BCASSO” Bazemore, Melanie Booth, Gabrielle Patterson, Lucy Pistilli will be working on the construction fence of the former University City High School.

Tiberino, who comes from the renowned Philadelphia family of artists, is an artist with deep connections to the neighborhood. She shared her memories of a flowered walkway near University City High School during her presentation. You may recall Bazemore’s work, inspired by Black Lives Matter, from his contribution to the Neighborhood Time Exchange in Fall 2015; Pistilli also contributed her own artwork to the same installation. Patterson is a recent graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and freelance animator.  Continue Reading

Lola38, a creative placemaking project in West Philadelphia, is seeking artists to design and create art installations at the former United Bank building and the fence around the site of the demolished University City High School in an effort to beautify neighborhoods surrounding Lower Lancaster Avenue.

On March 30, these artists will pitch their ideas to neighbors, some of which are fellow artists and curators themselves. The five-minute-presentations, which will begin at 6 p.m. at the former bank (3750 Lancaster Ave) will be done in the style of PechaKucha, a Japanese method in which 20 slides are displayed for 20 seconds each. In addition to arguing why their work should be chosen, artists are also encouraged to respond to one of the following three questions: “How does progress feel?“, “Which walls are invisible?“, and “Is there a good rate of change?”  Continue Reading

The Baltimore Avenue and Lancaster Avenue Business Associations are teaming up again to provide a unique holiday shopping experience for neighborhood residents next month. The Winter Express Shoppers’ Trolley (W.E.S.T.), connecting two of the busiest West Philly streets and commercial corridors – Baltimore Avenue and Lancaster Avenue – will return on Saturday, Dec. 3.

From noon till 5 p.m. this free trolley will travel along both avenues, stopping along the way at designated shopping and dining destinations. Businesses will welcome riders with specials, promotions and giveaways, as wells as with some delicious treats.  Continue Reading

This Monday (Nov. 14), the Neighborhood Advisory Committee at the People’s Emergency Center is organizing a community discussion on whether Lancaster Avenue would benefit from a Food Co-op. This will be a focused group discussion facilitated by NAC, and residents who are interested in participating in it, are asked to register by emailing NAC Program Manager Kevin Brown at: Kbrown@pec-cares.org

The discussion will take place from 5:30 – 7 p.m. in the Families First Building at 3939 Warren St.

Here’s the flyer with more information: