Every day, Artblog celebrates the DIY spirit of Philadelphia’s independently run art galleries and collectives. Today we’re excited to share an interview about that same spirit in our city’s poetry scene. Contributor Levi Bentley interviews fellow poet and local curator of the reading series, “Frank O’Hara’s Last Lover,” Jason Mitchell. This near-monthly reading series, named for the celebrated mid-century New York poet and art critic, who died in a tragic accident at age 40 in 1966, is all about bringing poets into direct contact and conversation with each-other. Read on, poetry lovers, artists and art lovers! P.S. We believe that poetry and art are siblings. They use different tools, but they both speak in metaphors and create “safe” spaces to explore complex and often controversial life issues. We love them both.
Read MoreImani speaks with Philly-bred, Baltimore-based artist Rosa Leff about her chosen medium of cut paper and her affinity for the urban landscape.
Read MoreMatt Kalasky speaks with artist Jerry Kaba about his Arts Wrestling Federation Urban League (AWFUL Wrestling). What started as a joke between friends has become a genuine cultural phenomenon, taking Philadelphia’s DIY arts scene by nostalgic storm.
Read MoreImani speaks with emerging artist, curator and poet Malachi Lily about shape-shifting, leadership and making space for nuanced representations of blackness.
Read MoreNew Artblog Contributor Sarah Kim chats with ubiquitous performance and mixed media artist Katie Rauth about her current Leeway-supported project on radical fat politics. Settle in for a great conversation about humor, visibility and the subversive potential of material excess!
Read MoreCan bodies in motion help us to understand grief and loss? Local choreographer and 2012 PEW recipient, Meg Foley thinks so. Here new Artblog contributor Levi Bentley speaks with Foley about her upcoming Fringe performance, the undergird — an ensemble piece for four dancers which builds upon the research of her previous solo work, Action is Primary. Get into it!
Read MoreCongratulations to The Common Room on their one-year anniversary! Don’t know about them? Janyce Glasper is here to fill you in on this Fishtown gallery and workshop space that features work by women and non-binary artists. Read on for a sampling of what’s on view and be sure to stop by the store next time you’re in the neighborhood!
Read MoreFounded in 2017, YallaPunk is an intersectional, trans-affirming performance festival and conference which celebrates the creative achievements of Middle Eastern and North African people in Philly and beyond. Here Imani Roach chats with YallaPunk’s founder, DJ and journalist Rana Fayez, about what to expect from this year’s festival (August 31 – September 2).
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