Reception for About to Surface

Thursday October 8, 5-7pm
Join us for a reception with Julien Robson, PAFA Curator of Contemporary Art

Featuring artists Andria Bibiloni, Julie Boyer, Laureen Griffin, Brooke Holloway, Jessica Jane Julius, and Brenna K. Murphy

Portraits of Eve by Laureen Griffin

Exhibition On View Until October 16
Open during the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours: October 10-11 from noon-6pm.

The artwork for this 10^th Anniversary exhibition was selected by Julien Robson, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Best experienced first-hand because of its site-specific nature and innovative combinations of work, this show takes place in The Gallery at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists at 1521 Locust Street. Gallery hours are 11am-5pm Monday-Friday.

September Sunday South Street Stroll with Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens and Supper

Back by popular demand, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, in partnership with chic South Street restaurant Supper, announces another memorable evening of arts, culture, and fine dining!   On September 27^th at 4:00p.m., enjoy an hour-long guided tour, a three-course gourmet dinner, and a complimentary drink for only $40 per person!

First, take an hour-long walking tour that explores Isaiah Zagar’s public murals throughout the side alleys and public spaces around Philadelphia’s famous South Street.  View a myriad of mosaic murals between the 4^th and 10^thStreets, including locations rarely seen by South Street visitors.  An experienced PMG guide will discuss the materials, techniques, imagery, and stories of these artworks, while incorporating pieces of local Philadelphia history.

After working up your appetite, stroll into local restaurant Supper for a three-course meal and refreshing drinks.  Supper offers seasonal modern American cuisine served in a beautiful, relaxing setting. Light sculptures designed by local artist Warren Muller offer ambience in both the restaurant’s ceilings and the mosaiced walls of PMG. For your special Sunday supper, you’ll receive three courses paired with a complimentary glass of wine or bottled beer.  With this exceptional package, participants save over $20 on both tour and dining prices.

Space is limited to 20 people and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Your tour begins at 4:00 p.m. inside Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens at 1020 South Street.  Interested participants must reserve tickets in advance by calling Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens at 215-733-0390 before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25.  We require a 24-hour advance notice if you cannot attend this event.

Experience some of the best of local cultural entrepreneurs with a blend of arts, Philadelphia history, and fine dining on this September Sunday South Street Stroll!

Information At-A-Glance

Who: Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) and Supper restaurant

What: Sunday South Street Stroll, a neighborhood walking tour followed by a gourmet dinner

Where: Tour starts at PMG (1020 South St.) and weaves through surrounding neighborhood, ending at Supper (926 South St.)

When: Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.  Reserve your tickets by Friday, September 25 at 5:00 p.m.

FALL 2009 SCIENCE COURSES OFFERED BY WAGNER FREE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE

The Wagner Free Institute of Science announces its free science courses for Fall 2009. Courses run from five to nine weeks, and each lecture lasts approximately one and a half hours. The courses are taught on an introductory college level and are appropriate for adults wishing to enrich their knowledge of the sciences, as well as for motivated junior and senior high school students.

The courses are offered free of charge, unless otherwise indicated

BOTANY SERIES~
“Trees of Center City Philadelphia”
Professor Alfred E. Schuyler
Field trip course; 5 sessions beginning September 24, 2009
Academy of Natural Sciences, 19^th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia – 1^st class, 6:30 PM
4 outdoor locations on Saturdays – 10:30 AM to 1 PM
Course is limited to 20 students per trip.
Pre-registration required. Please note there is a pre-registration fee for this class only. To pre-register, call 215-763-6529 x23 beginning Monday, September 14, 2009. Students may sign up for one, two, or three trips at $5 per trip or four trips at $15. Pre-registration will be confirmed by phone or email. To complete the registration process, please bring cash or check to the first class (or check must be received at the Wagner Institute by that date).

PHYSICAL SCIENCE SERIES~
“Physics and the World Wars: How Technology Shaped the Path of History”
Professor Paul J. Angiolillo
Course held at the Wynnefield Branch of the Free Library, 5325 Overbrook Avenue, Philadelphia;
8 weeks on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 PM beginning September 30, 2009

HISTORY OF SCIENCE SERIES~
“On Heavens and Humans: A Brief History of Astronomy and its Influence on Our Lives”
Professor Sylwester Ratowt
Course held at the Independence Branch of the Free Library, west side of 7^th Street, below Market Street, Philadelphia
9 weeks on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM beginning October 6, 2009.

ANTHROPOLOGY SERIES~
“Death, Aging, and Mortality: Cultural and Biosocial Perspectives”
Professor Janet Monge
Course held at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 33^rd and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia

6 weeks on Monday evenings at 7:00 PM beginning October 19, 2009.

For full course information and syllabuses or for more information, please call 215-763-6529, ext. 21 or visit www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org<http://www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org>. Please note that the schedule for the Free Library may change when the city budget is passed. Because this may force us to change the times or locations of courses scheduled at our branch library partners, check with the Wagner Institute prior to the first class.

Founded in 1855, the Wagner Free Institute of Science is a museum and educational institution that is nearly unchanged from the nineteenth century.  The museum building, a National Historic Landmark completed in 1865, houses a natural history collection begun by William Wagner in the early nineteenth century and expanded by biologist Joseph Leidy in the 1880’s.  The collection includes skeletons, fossils, shells, minerals and mounted animals.  The Museum is open to the public Tuesday-Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM.

The Institute’s free public education courses in science are in their 154^th year, making them the oldest program devoted to free adult education in the United States. The Institute also has a strong commitment to children’s education.  It offers a range of programs for visiting school groups, and cultivates special partnerships with neighboring elementary schools.

Seaport Starlight Cinema

Tuesday, August 18, 7 pm

“Throw Things at Popeye!”

Enjoy an evening of madcap mayhem at Independence Seaport Museum’s outdoor amphitheatre showing of the Robert Altman film, Popeye, starring Robin Williams and Shelly Duval with audience participation a la The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Could Olive be Janet, Popeye Brad, and Bluto Dr. Frank-N-Furter? Hit the thrift shops and come dressed as your favorite Popeye character (Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto, Swee’pea, Wimpy, Poopdeck Pappy or any of the cartoon’s characters) and compete for the rare and coveted Golden Can of Spinach Award.  Audience members will be armed with fun “props” to interact with the movie, including green confetti to throw at the sight of spinach, bubbles to blow when Popeye smokes his pipe, kazoos to toot whenever a character breaks out in song, and more. There will be free popcorn, give-aways, activities, trivia contests, and a life-size Popeye to pose with – bring your camera, family, friends, a blanket, and a picnic supper for a delightful evening.

Doors open at 7 pm; movie begins at sunset. The Seaport’s featured exhibit, Skin & Bones – Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor, will be open for viewing prior to the movie.  Find the tattooed Popeye in the exhibit. Admission is $5 per person.  In case of rain, movie will be shown in tented second-floor balcony overlooking the Delaware River. Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd. & Walnut St., Philadelphia.  215-413-8655. www.phillyseaport.org

WHAT TO DO NEARBY?

The easiest way to get to and from the Independence Seaport Museum is by foot over the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge. If you’re parking, there is a lot at Penns Landing or metered parking on Front Street. If you’re bussing, the 21, 42, 17, and 12 all take you within blocks of Front and Walnut St. Or the El drops you off at 2nd and Market. Old City is chock full of eating establishments for all culinary inclinations and wallet sizes.

An outdoor movie a la Rocky Horror screams date night so why not hit up The Franklin Fountain for a Sundae (open til midnight!) or try happy hour at Positano.

Can you handle the creepy crawlies of the bug world? Back for a second year, the Academy of Natural Sciences will host Bug Fest on Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th. Visitors will see more than 50 species of live insects including battle-ready stag beetles, huge rhino beetles, toe biters (giant water bugs), camel crickets, and 8-inch-long stick insects. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania will demonstrate advances in robotics with insectlike robots, and visitors interested in starting their own collection can learn how to collect and pin insects.

There will be plenty to please visitors of all ages, including dozens of live insects, bugs to eat, insect robots, roach races, entomology talks and displays, and a buggy field trip. Yes, bugs to eat! Cajun chef Zach Lemann will cook up samples of delicious creepy crawly cuisine to sample. Not sure you can stomach it? Well there’s also a Roach Race, lectures, story-telling and more.

AND it’s all free with regular museum admission. The Academy of Natural Sciences is located at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It is open M-F 10-4:30pm and 10-5pm on the weekends. Adults are $12 admission. Children and seniors are $10. Visit www.ansp.org or call 215-299-1000 for more information.

WHAT TO DO NEARBY?

Why not wash those bugs down with a margarita at The Mexican Post? Or take the family for some burritos for lunch. The Mexican Post is located at 1601 Cherry Street.

Also, the Academy of Natural Sciences also has a decent cafeteria if you’re making a day of Bug Fest and want to stay at the museum. The Academy is located on the Parkway, which is mainly a business district and many of the local cafes and lunch venues are closed on the weekends. Luckily, Rittenhouse is just a few blocks south from there, so if you’re looking for more things to do, we suggest walking down 19th Street towards Chestnut and Walnut Streets.

Sunday, March 1st, 3 pm, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents the Brentano Quartet w/ Hsin-Yun Huang, viola, at the Independence Seaport Museum (Penn’s Landing, Columbus Blvd at Walnut Street). $18 tickets (Orig. $23). 

Named after Antonie Brentano, whom many scholars believe to have been Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved,” the Brentano String Quartet has been singled out for its performances since its inception in 1992. “Passionate, uninhibited and spellbinding,” raved the London Independent; the New York Times praised its “luxuriously warm sound and yearning lyricism,” and The Philadelphia Inquirer extolled “these players could well be the best of the next generation. Their level of individual technique was superb.”

• Haydn, String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3
• Hyla, Howl (Philadelphia Premiere)
• Mendelssohn, String Quintet in B-flat Major, Op. 87

Tickets for PhilaCulturati readers are ONLY $18 (reg. $23). To purchase discounted tickets, call 215-569-8080 or www.pcmsconcerts.org.

PCMS has additional Special Deals for PhilaCulturati members:

Enjoy a 3 course, $30 prix fixe dinner at Keating’s Grill at the Hyatt at Penns Landing, adjacent to the Independence Seaport Museum, before of after the March 1st concert and receive 4 hours of FREE parking in the hotel garage.

OR PCMS has arranged for $10 parking in the lot adjacent to the Independence Seaport Museum.

If you are taking public transportation, the Independence Seaport Museum is not a far walk from the El stop at 2nd St.