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Self-exploring through exhibitions, Philly jazz, and more
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, April 2-8, 2026
This week, a handful of exhibitions open at Twelve Gates, Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art, and Hall Pass. Additionally, the Barnes also opens its doors in support of individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. A new play opens at Curio Theatre Company, exploring anti-immigrant sentiments drawing from a true story in the early 1900s. Philly Jazz Month returns, and a favorite market returns to South Philadelphia.
Philly Jazz Month
Throughout April 2026
Various locations
Philly Jazz Month presents a month-long series of public performances, artistic programs, and community events throughout the city. See the full lineup here.
Sacco & Vanzetti: A Tragedia Dell' Arte
April 1-18
Curio Theatre Company, 4740 Baltimore Avenue
Blending political history with the heightened physicality and archetypes of commedia dell’arte, this original production revisits one of the most controversial trials of the 20th century through a sharply theatrical lens. In 1919, Italian immigrants and self-proclaimed anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were arrested for the robbery of a Massachusetts shoe factory and the murder of its paymaster and a guard. Their trial, conviction, and eventual executions ignited international outrage, with critics arguing that anti-immigrant sentiment and political prejudice shaped the proceedings more than evidence.
Mohammed Omer Khalil: Common Ground
April 3-May 15, 2026
Twelve Gates Arts, 106 North 2nd Street
Khalil is one of Sudan’s first generation of modernist artists. He immigrated from Khartoum to New York City in 1967, and has been making an impact as a printmaker and painter since. Common Ground features Khalil’s etchings, each an assemblage of the light and color of the Moroccan coastal town of Asilah. The works also trace the passage through formative places and experiences that have shaped his work, including landscapes in the Sudan, etchings from Florence, and his life in NYC. Opening reception is on Friday, April 3 at 6pm, with a panel discussion on April 18.
Barnes Create & Connect
Starting Saturday, April 4, 10am-12pm
The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
The Barnes hosts a new workshop series designed to support individuals living with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners through meaningful experiences with art and creative expression. The free program focuses on connection between participants with works of art and shared moments of reflection and making. Trained staff members will guide participants through slow-looking exercises and conversations about selected artworks, with a hands-on art-making experience led by a teaching artist after.
The Spectrum of Resilience
April 6-June 27, 2026
Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art, 301 High Street West, Glassboro, NJ
New Jersey native and Philly-based interdisciplinary artist Jazlyne Sabree debuts her latest work at RUMOCA this week. The exhibition speaks to identity, history, and cultural continuity through large-scale collages composed of paint, paper, and found materials that center members of the African diaspora as spiritual figures and vessels of memory. The opening reception is on Wednesday, April 8 at 5pm.
Other highlights
Break My Game
Thursday, April 2, 6-9pm
Board and Brew, 3200 Chestnut Street
Come playtest board games designed by local independent game designers.
The Way Disabled People Love Each Other
Thursday, April 2, 7pm
Wooden Shoe, 704 South Street
Celebrate the launch of the fifth poetry book series by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha.
Let Me Know When You Get Home
Friday, April 3, 6-9pm
Hall Pass, 319 North 11th Street, Floor 3
A group exhibition following artists' search for home in the diaspora, suspended between cultures never quite arriving at one or the other.
Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park
Opens Saturday, April 4
FDR Park, 1500 Pattison Avenue
The Southeast Asian Market returns this weekend.
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Featured image: Jazlyne Sabree’s mixed media exhibition opens at Rowan University Museum of Contemporary Art. (Photo courtesy of Jazlyne Sabree.)
Image description: Sabree, a Black woman, sits in front of one of her works in what looks like a minimalistic studio space
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Kyle V. Hiller