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Sonic pictures, Good Bones, and flirting with capitalism
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, January 22-28, 2026
Kyle V. Hiller
This week, the newest play from James Ijames makes its Philly premiere at the Arden, opening with a handful of previews before next Wednesday. Then, FringeArts flirts with capitalism with a compelling weekend show; the search for collective imagination comes in an immersive experience at Space 1026; and a new exhibit at Woodmere looks at a ceramics career that spans half a century.
Be sure to check for postponements this weekend into next—a handful of entries didn’t make the list week with an impending winter storm because they were cancelled.
What The Pictures Sound Like: Sonic Explorations Of Art Kane Photographs
Thursday, January 22, 8pm
The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street
Drummer Jonathan Kane, guitarist Reeves Gabrels, and bassist Jair-Rohm Parker Wells come together for a multimedia performance that interprets the music of artists photographed by the legendary Art Kane—who was famous for iconic images of The Who, Jim Morrison, Louis Armstrong, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles, and more. Admission to the performance is free.
we come to collect: a flirtation with capitalism
January 22-24
FringeArts, 140 North Columbus Boulevard
“OBIE Award-winning artist Jenn Kidwell and ASL artist Brandon Kazen-Maddox invite you to roll in the pigsty of American consumerism. Dark, funny, incisive, and just a little bit misbehaved, Kidwell’s interrogation of capitalism and her place within it is an unforgettable, all-inclusive trip into the heart of darkness.”
Good Bones
January 22-March 8
Arden Theatre Company, 40 North 2nd Street
The Philadelphia premiere of the newest play from James Ijames tells a story about gentrification and the consequences of change in a neighborhood and in a family. Follow Aisha as she returns to her childhood neighborhood with her husband to help developers “revitalize” the place she grew up—but tensions rise when a contractor finds out that AIsha is involved in bringing a controversial sports arena to the community.
Performances begin with previews on January 22-25, and opening night on Wednesday, January 28.
Dream Here Now!
Friday, January 23, 7-11pm
Space 1026, 844 North Broad Street
Dream Here Now! promises a night of active imagination through mystical transfiguration in an immersive experience. There, the audience will find a consensus vision to focus on for collective manifestation through prompts of an interactive art installation. The one-night event ultimately asks: “can you imagine a brighter future? How about channeling that dream into the present reality?”, which feels like a timely pair of questions.
Get You A Babe Who Can Do Both
Friday, January 23, 8-11pm
Prism Arts, 1021 Hamilton Street
Combine TEDx talks with burlesque and you’ve got a sense of this internationally touring podcast show. Performers will speak on a topic of their expertise in the first half, and they’ll “serve up the tease” in the second half.
Syd Carpenter: Planting in Place, Time, and Memory
January 24-May 24, 2026
Charles Knox Smith Hall, 9201 Germantown Avenue
This solo retrospective exhibition explores the works of ceramics artist Syd Carpenter. Through a career that spans more than 50 years, her innovative practice met at the intersections of art and gardens, African American history, agriculture and the land, the human form, and the elemental force of clay.
Opening reception is on Saturday, January 24, and an artist talk with Syd Carpenter is happening on January 31.
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