One of the benefits here at the University of Pennsylvania is free access to our numerous museums and galleries. The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is holding a curator-led tour tonight, Juneteenth, at 6 pm of their exhibit Colored People Time: Quotidian Pasts. The exhibit reconsiders the trafficking of blackness through the colonial practices of collecting, commodifying, and exhibiting people and objects from the African continent.
Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods and has a vibrant and unique network of community gardens and shared open spaces. Tomorrow, June 15, is Community Gardens Day. Over 50 gardens will be blooming across the city between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. with an array of engaging activities for all ages. Click here for more information. Since it will be a beautiful day, you can bet we’ll be checking them out!
Philadelphia was one of the first cities in the US to recognize Pride and the LGBTQ movement and take it seriously. All month long, we have events and specials planned. But the highlight is PrideDay on Sunday, with a parade and festival that lasts all day and into the evening. For more events, go here.
We are excited to hear that Fine Arts Senior Lecturer Gabe Martinez has created an exhibit of photos, posters, and other LGBTQ ephemera at the William Way LGBT Community Center to commemorate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots. “There’s this overwhelming confluence of histories, so there is no chronological order to the images you see,” Gabe explains. “That’s, for me, part of the beauty: when things coalesce or intermingle in unexpected ways.” Read more here...or go to the exhibit yourself at 1315 Spruce Street.
I have to agree with our Professor Matero on this one, that “the best restoration is invisible.” Do you agree?
What a wonderful day- the sun is shining the weather is beautiful and we are all so happy and excited for tomorrow's graduation! We are SO PROUD of our graduates! Here is a little snip of Dean Steiner giving a speech from last year.
Trolley Portal Gardens on 4000 Baltimore is holding a pop-up series every Tuesday from 5 to 8 pm with food from great trucks and fun activities. Tonight, it’s food from Dos Hermanos Tacos, screen-printing with Spiral Q, and popsicles from ICE CAVE. Make some art, take some art and enjoy the community space!
Philly is rich in Black culture and history, and our restaurant scene is a prime example! You can best find this out by going to one of the restaurants participating in Black Restaurant Week, which kicked off on Sunday. Besides being all about food, Black Restaurant Week is partnering with Family Agriculture Resource Management Services (F.A.R.M.S.), a nonprofit that supports farmers of color by providing free legal and technical services. So roll up your sleeves, sharpen your appetite, and get ready for good food and good times during Philly’s Black Restaurant Week!
It's almost summer in Philadelphia which means time for Center City District Sips! Every Wednesday, bars and restaurants host special happy hours from 5pm to 7pm through the summer. This year's schedule starts today, June 5, and runs every Wednesday until August 28th. Specials include $4 beer, $5 wine, $6 cocktails, and half-priced appetizers; you can see the full list of participants and their Sips specials here. It really is a wonderful (and especially affordable) way to check out some new spots.
This year, we rolled out a new program, the Master of Science in Design with a concentration in Historic Preservation. Holly Boyer-Manders is one of the students enrolled in this program, taking the opportunity to take a year off from her work as an architect to immerse herself in the field.
Yesterday was such a bittersweet moment for us. While we're so proud of our graduates, we're also sad to see them go. During the commencement ceremony, eight honorary degrees were conferred.
Well, I always say it but… there is always something interesting going on in Meyerson Hall! This lovely exhibition has appeared in the Myerson Hall entry loft gallery. As of now there is no artist information or project description but if one appears I will keep you posted!