A Germantown festival of art, history, and social justice past and present

Those with a finger on the pulse of Philadelphia’s history, as well as its freshest contemporary arts and culture scene, shouldn’t miss this Saturday in Germantown. It’s the kickoff of Historic Germantown’s seasonal Second Saturdays series and the culmination of Elephants on the Avenue, a two-year community art and public engagement project (funded by the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage) of events and workshops that target the “elephants” of Germantown: race and class.

On May 13 from noon to 5pm, Germantown’s Market Square (Germantown Avenue between School House Lane and Coulter Street) will host the 2017 Germantown Second Saturday Festival, with partnering sponsors Historic Germantown and Germantown United CDC. It’s the launch of Historic Germantown’s 2017 Second Saturdays program, which opens its 16 member historic sites (including the 18th-century Grumblethorpe mansion; the Concord School House, which opened in 1775; and Johnson House, an Underground Railroad station) to the public every second Saturday of the month, from May through October.

The Market Square festival will feature performances from Philadelphia poet laureate Yolanda Wisher, neo-soul singer/songwriter Danie Ocean, R&B from the Tia McNeil Band, the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble, and lots more.

Elephants on the Avenue

There are two Elephants on the Avenue events on Saturday. First, the Petitions for Social Justice and Change workshop with artist Ben Volta is coming up from 10am to 1pm at Historic Germantown (5501 Germantown Avenue), in collaboration with internationally known historian and author Dr. Molefi Asante, professor and chair of Temple’s African American Studies Department.

The workshop will introduce participants to America’s first written protest against slavery, the work of Mennonite and Quaker neighbors in Germantown in 1688. With inspiration from the language of this historic document, workshop members will create “our own historic artifacts to document the times,” including collaborative and individual artworks styled as petitions for equity and justice today.

To finish the session, art-makers will share their work and sign each other’s petitions: “In the spirit of social justice movements, the power of sharing information and our shared histories, completed petitions are intended for distribution to the extended communities of workshop participants.” This includes the opportunity to create and mail three prints of the artwork anywhere in the United States. The workshop is free, but advance registration is required.

From 1pm to 3pm, Historic Germantown will also host the opening reception of the Elephants on the Avenue gallery show. The show is curated by iMPeRFeCT Gallery co-founder Renny Molenaar and features commissioned poetry and visual artwork from Wisher, Sonia Sanchez, Ife Nii Owoo, Diane Pieri, Barbara Bullock, Benjamin Volta, and other community members.

The 2017 Germantown Second Saturday Festival at Market Square (12 to 5pm; free and open to the public) and the Elephants on the Avenue workshop and gallery opening are happening Saturday, May 13, at 5501 Germantown Avenue. It’s all easily accessible from Center City via SEPTA, on the 23 bus or the Chestnut Hill East Regional Rail Line, and there are free bus tours available to all participating historic sites .