Public space

23 results
Page 1
Benner, a man in his late 30s in a black button-down, smiles proudly while pointing to a mural that says your voice has power

Philly artists get out the vote with To the Polls 2024, now on view in Love Park

“If you are voting, you are hoping for the future.”

Prolific curator and Streets Dept blog founder Conrad Benner is back with To the Polls 2024, a bi-annual nonpartisan project from Mural Arts urging Philadelphians—who may decide this Presidential election—to vote. Alaina Johns visits.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Features 4 minute read
A white woman squats on a brown rock surface, using a wet sponge to reveal an ancient Indigenous carved medicine wheel.

Three free road trips from Philadelphia offer a treasure-hunting trifecta

Hit the road (or the river) to discover fossils, Jersey diamonds, and petroglyphs

Writer Bart Stump is a seasoned local adventurer. He recommends three summer destinations for all kinds of Philly-area treasure hunters, with itineraries in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Bart Stump

Bart Stump

Essays 4 minute read
Gnome Core BSR 2 6 24a

Gnome Core journeys through South Philly Meadows

Whimsical, magical wonders rooted in reality

The magical and politically relevant performance from Alex Tatarsky is a chance to connect with the earth and our inner child on a journey through South Philly Meadows. Dara McBride previews.

Dara McBride

Previews 3 minute read
A group of teens in a classroom setting standing together, posing for a group photo

Natural Creativity's Philly Teen Travelers rock out to Colorado

City streets and punk beats

Natural Creativity helps orchestrate a trip to Colorado for a group of Philly teens, raising funds and awareness with punk rock. Dara McBride previews.

Dara McBride

Previews 3 minute read
Two dancers in mid-step in an indoor space, with warm, purple-tinted lighting

Pasión y Arte presents Feria de Abril

Celebrating spring, Spanish style

Pasión y Arte presents its Feria de Abril, an outdoor Spanish-style spring celebration with dancing and tapas. Melissa Strong previews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Previews 2 minute read
Black & white photo of the orchestra, with Stokowski on a podium at center, posing onstage with audience on risers behind.

The Academy of Music and the Philadelphia Orchestra’s archives get a new home at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries

Preserving Philly’s classical musical heritage

A beautiful but inaccessible room at the Academy of Music housed almost 200 years of Philly cultural history. Now, the Philadelphia Orchestra teams with Penn Libraries to give the archives a new home. Margaret Darby visits.
Margaret Darby

Margaret Darby

Features 4 minute read

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Aerial photo of Philly’s center city skyscrapers, with a mellow blue sky and the setting sun glinting off the buildings.

Three immigrants to Philadelphia share their journeys, and what the city means to them

“What is Philadelphia?”

As we continue to welcome buses of asylum-seekers from Texas, we know immigrant communities are vital to Philly. Emily Savidge speaks with three people who came here from very different parts of the world. What does Philly mean to them?
Emily Savidge

Emily Savidge

Features 5 minute read
A monitor in an abandoned room shows a video still of twins, the image distorted to look like water and double exposure.

The POOL: A Social History of Segregation exhibit emerges from adversity

Taking a deeper sort of dive

POOL: A Social History of Segregation, an exhibit at the Fairmount Water Works, opens next week after having been delayed by flooding from Hurricane Ida. Anndee Hochman previews.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Previews 3 minute read
Two women sit next to each other. One has a dress w/ floral accents & a phone; the other is in casual clothes reading a book

The Weekly Roundup, March 2-9

Sisterhood Sit-in, Everyday Futures, and TJ Loves Sally 4 Ever

Theatre Horizon hosts James Ijames’s TJ Loves Sally 4 Ever, Harriett’s Bookshop trolleys to Black women-owned businesses, and the future of South Philly highlight the week. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 4 minute read
A smiling outdoor selfie of the three walkers. They are white and have short gray hair. Bare winter trees are behind them

What Walk Around Philadelphia taught me about our city’s borders—and my own

Here, there, home

Anndee Hochman’s Walk Around Philadelphia began as a refuge from the first year of the pandemic, but as her route continued into 2022, she remembered that living in Philly is a lifetime of crossings.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Essays 5 minute read