The Barnes Foundation and the People’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation (PECCDC) are continuing their collaboration with a new project – Everyday Places Artist Partnerships. The project, which began rolling out last month through the Barnes and PECCDC’s collaborative initiative Barnes West, will provide West Philly residents with spaces to engage with multidisciplinary artistic projects that “offer inspiration and promote ​hope and healing.”

This week, the partners have announced five West Philadelphia-based social-impact artists who have been selected to participate in Everyday Places: Keyonna Butler, Marshall James Kavanaugh, Jahwula Seapoe, Karen Smith, and Andrea Walls. The selected artists will partner with neighborhood businesses and sites – including grocery stores, restaurants, laundromats, public parks, and community organizations – to build interactive, participatory projects. Continue Reading

Keni Jackson (Facebook photo)

Great news for local jazz music fans! After a two-year break the popular Thursday night jazz series, Jazz Heritage Series, will return to Malcolm X Park this summer. The series will kick off this Thursday, July 1 (weather permitting), with a performance by Southwest Philadelphia native Keni Jackson, a bass player and vocalist.

All concerts are free and held every other Thursday evening from 7-9 p.m. Please bring your blanket or portable chair, and picnic! Please note that performances are not held in inclement weather.

Here’s the full schedule of performances through October 21st: Continue Reading

John B. Kelly pool is opening July 6th.

Summer is here, and Philadelphia residents will finally get a chance to cool off in public pools after a two-year break (all pools were closed last summer because of COVID). Please note that not all pools will reopen this summer – the City’s Parks and Rec Department has announced that only about 70 percent will reopen due to a shortage of lifeguards, the problem also brought on by the pandemic.

Pools will begin reopening this week. Check out the reopening schedule for some public pools and spraygrounds located in West and Southwest Philadelphia: Continue Reading

Philly folks, get ready to bring your reusable bags when you go shopping. The City of Philadelphia has announced that the ban for single-use plastic bags and non-recycled content paper bags will begin on October 1st, with the transition period for businesses beginning Thursday, July 1.

The ban will require retail businesses like supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, take-out restaurants, farmer’s markets and even food trucks to switch to recyclable paper bags or to offer customers to buy reusable bags. Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Curio Theatre Company

Curio Theatre Company will hold two in-person summer camp sessions for children in grades K through 8th next month with a limited number of students due to COVID safety protocols. Session one will be held from July 5-16 and Session Two from July 19-30. Session One has mostly sold out, but some spots are still available for campers in grades K through 2nd.

Some of you may be familiar with Curio’s scholarship program. The 16-year-old West Philly theatre company has always strived to offer year-round theatre education to all area children, regardless of their financial situation. Especially in 2021, Curio believes in the power of “safe and responsible” creative outlets for kids and is offering in-person education with limited capacity. After being virtual for so long, Curio staff can’t wait to get back into playing spaces with creative campers. Since the number of campers this year is limited and to be able to give scholarships to kids who cannot afford camp tuition Curio needs to raise about $7,500. Continue Reading

The second Philly location for the South Philly based pizza joint, Pizza Plus, has opened on the 4800 block of Spruce Street (4814 Spruce St.). In March, its Passayunk Avenue location celebrated one year in business and also was included in the Philadelphia Magazine‘s Guide to Pizza in Philly.

Pizza Plus is a place vegans would especially appreciate since it offers a vegan option for almost all of their menu items – pizzas, burgers and sandwiches, and salads and sides.

Pizza Plus accepts orders for pick up or delivery via phone or online. Walk-ins are also welcome. The hours of operation are Monday-Sunday 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.

For more info, visit their website: pizzaplusphilly.com.