Bok Fall 2023 Newspaper

Fall into Food

There is no shortage of unique and tasty treats at Bok; here’s what to try from some of our food-focused businesses this autumn.

1

Bok Bar

Another hot, sunny summer on the roof is closing out for the season, and Bok Bar’s last two food partners are a must-munch. In September, enjoy Argentinian cuisine from Jezabel’s Cafe (jezabelscafe.com), and in October, try sandwiches and local oysters from Sweet Amalia (sweetamalia. com).

bok-bar.com

@bok_bar

Miles Table

Miles has been catering events in Philly since 2008 and serving up their signatures for breakfast and lunch at Bok for over 3 years. This fall, try the Miles Harvest Salad—roasted sweet potatoes and mixed greens topped with a homemade maple vinaigrette—or warm up to their apple butter grilled cheese, made with seasonal apple butter and aged cheddar.

milestable.com

@milestable

Bandit

In the Bok basement you’ll find Bandit hard at work producing vegan and crueltyfree cheese made from plants. Cashew curds are naturally fermented, handformed, then aged in their cultivated cave environment to create the texture and flavor you’d expect from dairy cheese. Try their earthy and aromatic Garlic Za’atar cheese, perfect for a fall charcuterie board, spread on crusty bread, or paired with a salad, figs, or apricots.

eatlikeabandit.com

@eatlikeabandit

4

Two Persons

You can find most Bok residents fueling up at Two Persons each morning. On your next visit try their traditional espresso & tonic. Espresso, made from a lightly roasted, single-origin coffee that is sweet and fruity, is poured into a tall glass of tonic with ice. It’s the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!

twopersonscoffee.com

@twopersonscoffee

Machine Shop

Named after the original use of the space in Bok the business first moved into, Machine Shop is a traditional French bakery that uses locally-sourced ingredients. With tiger fig season upon us, try their fig tart—fig jam, black walnut cream, and vanilla diplomat cream in a pâte sucrée shell, with fresh tiger figs and walnut streusel on top—or stick to a classic: their traditional croissant is made with sourdough starter and shaped by hand.

machineshopphilly.com

@machineshopphilly

6

Irwin’s

This fall Chef Michael Ferreri is serving up Sicilian Eggplant Caponata—eggplant, pine nuts, golden raisins, and cocoa powder, with grilled sourdough from Mighty Bread, a bed of herbs, and edible flowers. This recipe is his GreatGrandmother’s and is over 100 years old, brought to America from Sicily. Ask your server for a perfect natural wine pairing.

irwinsupstairs.com

@irwinsupstairs

Illustration by Kelley Garrard

In the Artxstitch Studio

We visited Santé Johnson in her studio to see her at work and learn about the importance of building community through art.

What is Artxstitch all about?

Artxstitch is a world unto itself. It’s a space that I prepare as someone might prepare a garden (soil, seeds, water, environment, growth, harvest). It’s a system created to navigate my art world while maintaining community values of engagement. Basically a hand embroidery, textile atelier with a few seasonal exhibitions.

How did you get into this type of work?

I’m a painter. I started painting murals as a painting apprentice in Bangkok, Thailand and continued arts apprenticeships in Shantiniketan, India. I then progressed into textile arts and hand embroidery at Royal School of Needlework in Hampton Court Palace, England, followed by Ecole Lesage in Paris, France, and other schools in South Korea and Sweden.

Who is your art for?

Everyone with an idea for community growth and a vision to leave a place better than they found it. I believe in community engagement, wellness

Bok Welcomes NONI

Kelly Braun and Corinne Dodenhoff on what inspired them to get into the vintage business together and what to snag at their shop this fall.

What is NONI all about?

KB: NONI is a vintage and homeware shop, committed to offering size-accessible, curated vintage and retro clothing in sizes 6X-XS, alongside a selection of vintage homewares and accessories. I want NONI to be as if somebody took a stroll inside my brain. Colors, prints, textures—kind of overwhelming, but in a fun way, like you don’t know what to tackle first!

What inspired you to start NONI?

CD: My grandma, June (a.k.a. Noni, the namesake of the store), was the first woman in Northern NJ to own her own antiques business, and my mom followed in her footsteps. I wanted to carry on their legacy but do it my way, with more accessible and whimsical items. Kelly has been running their own vintage business, Baby Got Good, doing pop-ups and markets. We joined forces to become the ultimate shop!

What do you love about buying vintage?

CD: I like buying vintage because I love imagining the different lifetimes of the people who owned the items before I did. It’s always so special when I get a chance to hear the story of a person who owned a piece.

as an art practice, activism through art, and conservation of resources and pathways that lead to sustainability. By creating art spaces through slow arts movements, communities grow naturally—that’s why I choose to be at Bok!

What projects are you working on right now?

I am working with the Philadelphia Masonic Temple, teaching basic embroidery and helping them with their textile collection. I am also creating a pennant flag for the Delaware River Waterfront corporation for next summer, co-running Tigers Strikes Asteroid gallery, and getting ready for a solo show at Abington Arts Center next May. Textile arts professionals have to plan far in advance to meet deadlines!

How can people join the Artxstitch community?

This fall I’ll be hosting hand embroidery wellness classes at the Masonic Temple Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania every month on the 2nd and 4th Saturday from 11am-2pm ($20, everything included!). I’ll also have several exhibitions around the city, plus hand embroidery meet ups in my studio—check my website and Instagram to keep up!

artxstitch.com

What trends are you sourcing for Fall?

KB: We have all the staples: denim and leather coats, graphic crewnecks, boots, and fantastic vintage jeans. As far as trendier items, I’ve been sourcing trench coats, statement blazers, minimalist 90’s pieces, vests, and corsets. Fall is my favorite season!

CD: I’m always into varsity pieces and classic academia vibes for fall, and am focused on sourcing them in plus sizes. It’s a great time to try something new because you can layer—there’s lots of ways to colorblock or mix and match patterns.

What other ways can we shop and keep up with NONI?

KB: Obviously, stop in the shop to say hi! Follow us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter for the latest on events, pop-ups, and meet ups—we’ve got a lot planned, you won’t want to miss any of it!

Visit NONI in the WKSHP:

Tuesday-Thursday 10am-3pm

Friday + Saturday 10am-5pm

Sunday 10am-4pm noniphilly.com / @noni.philly

Photos by Ed Newton

Business Scents with Haiama Beauty

Why did you start Haiama Beauty?

When I cut off my chemically straightened hair in 2011, I had to figure out how to style my new curly textured hair, and also how to love and appreciate it. At the time, there were very few products for Black hair that weren’t focused on straight styles. I soon found a community of Black women creators on YouTube who were making products in their kitchen. I started making products for myself and my friends, and saw my hair really flourish. Today, there is an abundance of options, but a lot of greenwashing happens in the clean beauty space. I founded Haiama to share my love of using raw ingredients and make it accessible to folks who may not want to DIY. Haiama is a river in Ghana where my dad’s family is from; I wanted to pay homage to my roots and the lush resource of plants that grow there.

Why is sustainable beauty important to you?

In 2019 I used a popular haircare brand that burned all my hair off, and I had to start over again in my hair journey. Sustainably-sourced ingredients became key to my haircare philosophy. When I’m sourcing ingredients, I think about what that means for the communities I’m getting these ingredients from. Haiama Beauty provides Black folks with the confidence of using a clean product that works, but we also educate on what these ingredients mean.

What are the challenges of running a sustainable beauty company?

Cost is the big one. You can only get the purest ingredients from the places they naturally grow, which can be more expensive. We curb cost by focusing on packaging, avoiding plastics and using glass as much as we can. I reuse packing materials, and we have a recycle buy-back program to keep consumer waste down.

What do you love most about your job?

I used to work in management consulting, where I traveled a lot. Now I can choose when and how I work. It’s freeing, but also everything falls on you—it’s an around the clock dedication because it’s something I really love and I own it. My daughter has congenital heart disease; when you have a sick kid, it really shifts your values. I get to spend so much more time with her now and show her that she can create her own career path, too.

As a woman of color, what has been your experience entering the white-dominated beauty space?

Finding investors is the hardest thing. Black women received 0.3% of venture capital funding in 2022. For a beauty business, you need a lot of money upfront to make your venture stand out in the market. When you try to explain the product to investors who are not familiar with Black hair care, you hear “it’s too risky, it’s too niche.” But it’s projected to be a $6.9 billion market in the US by 2026!

Are your products exclusively made for textured hair?

Any hair type can use my products, but people might see the brand and think “I’m not Black so this isn’t for me.” Black/Brown folks have historically had the opposite experience, where most products on the market are not made for us but that’s what we end up having to buy. Products advertise that they “work for all hair types” but in reality they don’t. I want to improve the visibility of different Brown and Black skin tones while also bridging the gap to other types of consumers.

What does Haiama Beauty have going on this fall?

We’ll be at this year’s Black Beauty Expo on October 22nd in Philly—come by and say hello! We’re also planning a few in-person haircare workshops at the studio, virtual live shopping events on oneKIN, and vending at a few markets and bazaars. Follow our Instagram to keep in touch.

haiamabeauty.co / @haiamabeauty

We sat down with Allison Shimamoto, founder of Haiama Beauty, to talk all about sustainable hair care, the challenges of getting funding as a Black female entrepreneur, and the best things about working for yourself.

Portraits by Mike Persico

Bok to School

Can you ace this test about Bok history?

My name: Genevieve Akua White (née

Sallas-Mensah).

In high school I loved: Watching Poetic Justice and Mrs. Doubtfire, and listening to SWV and A Tribe Called Quest.

My Trade at Bok: Nursing Assistant

My school activities: Volleyball, basketball, softball, cheerleading, drill team, yearbook committee, Senior Class office (Treasurer), Prom committee, Senior trip committee, Student Council and HOSA.

My favorite Bok memory: Our Senior Class trip to Williamsburg, Virginia. I helped plan the trip, which allowed me to organize a pizza party and book a DJ. My embarrassing moment: Sneaking out to buy hoagies at Red’s corner store; I got caught coming back into the building by Mr. Brown. I was suspended for two volleyball games and given detention for a week!

My name: Liberta Torres (née Ancello). Everyone calls me Birdie!

My Trade at Bok: Apparel Cluster. We had a fashion show, and I made a bridal gown with a veil and everything.

My school activities: Volleyball, for 3 years. I still have my volleyball jacket!

In high school

I admired: The secretary, Lottie Bruno. When I didn’t have a bus token, Lottie would give me two: one to go home and one to come back the next day. The staff at Bok really cared about their students.

My unique Bok experience: My junior year I got pregnant and had my first child. They set me up with a tutor, and once I was able I went back to make sure I got my diploma. I’m proud of myself for finishing school, but I missed prom and the class trips. That’s why I love staying involved with Bok; I missed a lot of my teenage years, and now I get to be with my classmates at alumni events.

My favorite Bok memory: Baby Day! They told us we could dress up like a baby and pretend to be babies all day; everybody had a lot of fun with it.

Life after graduation: I worked for over 15 years as a seamstress, then I was a teacher’s assistant for almost 24 years. I successfully raised 4 children, and I currently have 12 grandchildren, 1 greatgrandson, and an amazing husband!

1. The southern wall in the Auditorium features medallions of the four original trades taught at Bok (all activities continuing in the building today!): Science, Ceramics, Metalworking, and ____ _

a. Architecture b. Weaving

c. Cosmetology d. Carpentry

2. There is an exact replica of Bok in North Philadelphia, which is still operating as a vocational school today. What is the name of that high school?

a. Dobbins H.S. b. Central H.S.

c. Kensington H.S. d. Frankford H.S.

3. Holy chokes! Legend has it that a former teacher at Bok died in their classroom after choking on what iconic Philadelphia food item?

a. Cheesesteak b. Water ice

c. Peanut Chew d. Soft pretzel

4. What kind of animal served as Bok’s mascot from 1938-2013?

a. Bears b. Wildcats

c. Dragons d. Eagles

5. The namesake of the building, Edward W. Bok, was a Pulitzer prize winning author and editor of what widelypublicized magazine from 1889-1919?

a. Good Housekeeping b. Life

c. The Ladies’ Home Journal d. Time

6. The restaurant on the 8th floor of Bok, Irwin’s, is named after Irwin T. Catherine, who was the of Bok.

a. Architect b. Principal

c. Basketball coach d. Janitor

Life after graduation: I became a Certified Nursing Assistant, then worked as a healthcare office administrator, and finally as a healthcare Senior Recruiter for 22 years.

My favorite thing about Bok today: That our precious school building has been saved! Us alumnus can visit and keep the school spirit alive. The fact that the building provides affordable work space for small business owners and the community is truly amazing.

My favorite thing about Bok today: That alumni can join this new Bok family! Other old schools get made into apartments, and then students can’t to go back and reminisce.

7. Before it was Bok Bar, in 2015 the rooftop was known by this moniker, a play on words featuring one of Philadelphia's most respected fine dining establishments at the time.

a. El Bok b. Le Bok Fin

c. Zabok d. Boklay Prime

In the spirit of back-to-school season, stroll down memory hall with two Bok Tech alumnus to talk about their favorite subjects, embarrassing moments, and... Baby Day?

Genevieve White class of 1993 Birdie Torres class of 1982

What’s Next

Fall Open Studios

Friday, October 13th

From 6-9pm, all floors of the Bok Building will be activated, and we invite visitors to explore our hallways and meet our community! Bring your friends and family to this free event where you can shop, engage, and sip with makers and business owners new and old, plus learn more about the Bok building project!

Taco Fiesta

Thursday, September 28th

Enjoy delicacies from some of the best Mexican restaurants in town all in one location here at Bok. The 2nd Annual Taco Fiesta is a celebration of Mexican cuisine and culture in support of the work of the Association of Mexican Business Owners of Philadelphia.

Philly Story Fest

Thursday, October 5th

Ever wonder how a story gets reported? Journalists, writers, and podcasters from Philly media organizations will be spilling their secrets and telling the story behind the reporting, live on stage. Enjoy an evening of journalism secrets, live music and performance art.

For more events, visit buildingbok.com/calendar

Design Smith & Diction

Produced by scout

Cover photo Machine Shop by Mike Persico

Photos Provided by each feature + social media

Illustrations + Content Kelley Garrard

Open Studios

Photo by Mochi Robinson