Philadelphia, Delaware & Southern New Jersey
Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture
“Funun”, which is Arabic for “Arts”, is a program series that will open the doors of Al-Bustan's ("The Garden's") newly established community hub every Friday evening, for Arabic inspired art, music, poetry, film, talks, food, and comedy programming. Al-Bustan's newly established community-facing headquarters is a 650-square foot flexible space that is equal parts gallery for displaying artwork, and an event space that can accommodate a range of artistic disciplines and performances, both free and ticketed. Best of all, the space is located on one the city’s most bustling West Philadelphia / University City streets, making outdoor neighborhood programing more of a possibility than ever before. With support from PNC, Al-Bustan envisions the following Funun: Friday Arts Series schedule, with all programs representing the people, language, art, music, dance, literature, and even food of the Arab world. First Fridays will feature musical performances; Second Fridays will include poetry readings / spoken word / open mic events; Third Fridays will include short and feature-length film screenings; Fourth Fridays will highlight food and conversation with a featured guest speaker; and the occasional Fifth Friday will serve as a comedy night. This program represents a unique opportunity to bring quality artistic presentations featuring Arab and non-Arab artists to light, promoting cross-cultural exchange and understanding, both among the ethnically and socio-economically diverse populations of West Philadelphia, Arab American and recent immigrant communities, and the city’s broader student and family population.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will transport a full string orchestra, complete with a violin soloist, from behind the closed doors of its home performance venue to the city's outdoor parks for a series of four seasonal concerts featuring Vivaldi's Four Seasons -- a musical masterpiece inspired by nature. In partnership with the Fairmount Park Conservancy, this concert series will be held at such iconic Philadelphia parks as Rittenhouse Square, Independence Square, the city's Horticulture Center (Greenhouse), and Eakins Oval. All concerts will break down barriers in order to reach diverse audiences and serve as a creative way to connect culture and nature at key points throughout the calendar year. Planned concerts are free of charge and open to anyone, and each concert will target a different demographic, including rush-hour commuters, families, young adults, visitors, and locals. Perhaps most importantly, all performance dates will be dictated by the “seasons". By literally tearing down walls, this project will build exposure to the arts by transporting music directly into people's spaces and daily lives, rather than requiring them to attend a concert in a formal setting. This project will bring inspiring musical experiences to people of all ages and backgrounds, including those who may not previously had much contact with classical music and musicians, and all in some of Philadelphia’s most stunning outdoor settings.
PAFA: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
With support from PNC Arts Alive, PAFA will continue to activate the outdoor plaza space between its two main buildings, using innovative digital media technologies to create and present original, site-specific digital artworks onto the façade of PAFA’s Historic Landmark Building in Center City Philadelphia. Now entering its second year, this effort is meant to invigorate new and returning audiences to the wonders of the museum, and connect the art inside with the surrounding urban landscapes – something that is all the more critical during these days of social distancing and outdoor art consumption. Indeed, the use of digital media in this way will present an innovative and effective way to activate PAFA’S publicly accessible space, while highlighting the museum’s collections in ways that are non-invasive to the historic building. Three new works will be commissioned during the grant term, each with thematic ties to PAFA exhibitions, among them Fresh & Fierce: Women’s Artistic Networks, Joan Semmel: Centered, and works from the Linda Lee Alter Collection of Art by Women. Importantly, this focus on female artists will showcase PAFA’s collection and its long history of exhibiting and collecting art by women, while at the same time providing an opening for discussions about equity, gender, and the ability of art to engage these topics.
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