Dear BSR Subscriber,

This week welcomes spring

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And here at BSR, we’re excited about the changing seasons. New exhibitions, new musical seasons, and second chances to revisit performances we might have missed in the fall.

We’ve got classical music to start the spring, and this week’s roundup features encores of performances celebrating the art of clowns at FringeArts. New exhibitions arrive at the African American Museum in Philadelphia and Studio 105.

Happy Spring, Philly!

Kyle V. Hiller
BSR associate editor

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The Franklin Quartet, from left to right: Daniel Elyar, Rebecca Humphrey Diederich, Karen Dekker, and Marika Holmqvist. (Photo courtesy of the Franklin Quartet.)

Kicking off spring with classical music

Gail Obenreder

Music from Piffaro, Franklin Quartet, Delaware Symphony, and more bring in the new season. Gail Obenreder previews.

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‘Sad Boys in Harpy Land’ sees an encore at FringeArts this weekend. (Photo courtesy of FringeArts.)

Clowning at FringeArts, dancing with Madonna, new exhibits, and more

Kyle V. Hiller

A night of spoken word, a weekend of clowning, and new exhibitions from Studio 105 and the African American Museum in Philadelphia decorate the week. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.

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In case you missed it

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Visitors to ‘Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations’ at the Barnes Foundation, 2025. (Photo by Daniel Jackson / Embassy: Interactive. Image © The Barnes Foundation.)

Expressions of resilience

K.A. McFadden

Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations, now on view at the Barnes, offers a vibrant and satisfying consideration of art history that demands a long look while fighting renewed attempts to systematically erase women from the world. K.A. McFadden reviews.

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Philadelphia’s original City Hall and the east wing and tower of Independence Hall, seen from 5th and Chestnut Streets in 1961. (Photo by Perry E. Borchers, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.)

When we stand up for justice, we don’t stand alone: now and throughout history

Alaina Johns

Solidarity doesn’t just mean supporting justice today. It means honoring the work of past activists and realizing that we stand with them. Alaina Johns asks if we will despair, or if we’ll continue their work.

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David Block behind the register at GET Cafe, where he works, and which is also the subject of his latest documentary. (Image courtesy of Jacob Weismer.)

The life behind Born Blind

Anndee Hochman

David Y. Block, a blind journalist and filmmaker, has been telling other people’s stories through his documentaries for years. But as he tells Anndee Hochman, now he’s learning to turn that lens on himself.

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