This week sees an assortment of exhibitions opening up in and around the city. This isn’t unusual—it feels like there’s always a new exhibition opening in Philadelphia. That’s one of the things we do best, right?
I did some traveling this past weekend down south, and a friend there asked—Kyle, I’ve never been to Philadelphia. What should I do there if I go? I paused. I wasn’t sure what to tell him. We landed on him exploring historic Philadelphia—all its museums, sites, and exhibitions. That was the easy answer, but yet, I came out of that conversation with a question that lingers days after it was asked of me. What would I recommend to people here? You know, I’ve got my own list of quirky things to do, but they don’t necessarily feel uniquely or definitively Philadelphia.
I’ve lived in Philly all my life—nearly 40 years, but I’m not counting—but sometimes I find myself without a clear idea of what makes us Philly. I know the intangibles. I know the landmarks. The tourist-y spots are also there (and no shame to their game, either—I still want to take one of those bus tours some day). But what are the not-so-obvious things that make Philadelphia Philly? Anyone care to chime in?
If not, that’s okay, because this week’s stories might have some of the answers I’m looking for. Check out a few new exhibits in this week’s roundup, or see our preview of Visions from the Barnes. Maybe I’m overthinking all of this and just need to teleport to another world in a movie for some contrast. A little domestic travel and imaginary not-so-far-away-worlds are always good ways to calibrate.
Kyle V. Hiller
BSR associate editor
