PIFA Day By Day
philadelphia international festival of thedayarts by day dESIGNED BY hILLARY pETROZZIELLO edited BY KARA MORTELLITE & LISA WILK preface by arielle morgan
Copyright Š 2011 by Amelia Blanda, Andrew Curtis, Andrew Cybularz, Angela Mayo, Arielle Morgan, Caitlin Morris, Brad Larrison, Hillary Petrozziello, Ian Darrenkamp, Ian Watson, James Sindaco, Jessie Fox, Kara Mortellite, Katelynn Luczkow, Kelsey McDowell, Lee Miller, Lisa Wilk, Maria Pouchnikova, Phil Forrest, Saleem Ahmed, Samantha Gray, Sarah Fry, Sarah Schu, Theresa Regan, Walbert Young. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission.
For the artists who participated in the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts.
preface
“Art is made up of moments. Moments of inspiration. Power. Emotion. Grace. Passion. These moments collided in Paris in 1911 and changed the path of art and conventional creativity. There will be another spectacular convergence exactly 100 years later.” So reads the official website for the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts – a month-long celebration of the arts and culture in the City of Brotherly Love. From April 7 to May 1, the Kimmel Center was transformed into a Parisian square, complete with a replica of the Eiffel Tower. Every day, around the clock, venues around the city hosted performances, exhibits and speakers; celebrated French chefs even visited local restaurants. The month-long festival culminated with a street fair: Broad Street was shut down from Chestnut to Lombard; booths and stages were set up along the sidewalks; and a multi-colored Ferris Wheel lifted people over the street in the shadow of City Hall. Every day of the month, Dr. Trayes’ Photo Seminar I and II classes were out on the streets covering the events. We covered acrobats, art exhibits, dance performances, and concerts in the Kimmel Center. Every day of the month, we produced audio slideshows, videos, and photo essays to tell the stories of the arts, artists, and audiences that participated in PIFA.
This project is only a small sampling of the work the class created over the course of the entire semester. Earlier, we interviewed 1,000 smokers and constructed a multimedia exhibit to display their stories. We made a time capsule filled with relics of the past and present. In small, self-guided groups, we made a book about shoes, a cookbook, and documentaries about abandoned buildings and the Jersey Shore. We made websites and tried to make deadlines. Our final project – which we were assigned at the beginning of the semester – was to conceive, photograph, and construct a full book on a subject of our choice. Each of us came up with a concept and worked on it through each stage of production, growing and nurturing our ideas into hardcover books. As our semester together draws to a close, it’s easy to look back with a sigh of relief, dismiss it as nothing more than an extended moment of extreme stress, and be glad it’s over. There were moments of stress, frustration, fatigue, and what seemed like futility. However, over this long semester of Photo Seminar, there were also moments of inspiration, power, emotion, grace, and passion. The things we learned about ourselves, each other, and about our craft, our passion, our art – and the friendships we made after the interminable hours we spent together in the digital lab – came out of these moments. This moment, though, is anything but fleeting – it will be with us for the rest of our lives.
April 7
Opening Night Gala, Kimmel Center, Center City
The cube displayed outside of the Kimmel Center featured information on the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts at the Opening Gala on the evening of April 7. 10
The “Big Guys in Charge� at the doors of the Kimmel Center posed with pedestrians as well as Gala attendees to celebrate the opening night. 11
April 8
Eiffel Tower Light Show, Kimmel Center, Center City
A spectacular light show took place every night throughout the month-long arts celebration in the Kimmel Center at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. 12
Many festivalgoers captured the dazzling structure on cameras and cell phones to share the artwork with friends. 13
April 9
Wine Tasting, Kimmel Center, Center City
A glass of Fat Bastard Shiraz from Minervois France was offered to guests for sampling. 14
Guests of the Kimmel Center mingle about multiple tables to taste French wine from different companies and regions. 15
April 10
Antiques In Bloom, Navy Yard, South Philadelphia
Attendees browsed through an antique book during the Philadelphia Antiques Show in the Navy Yard on April 10. 16
Florists from throughout the state composed arrangements to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Antiques Show creating “Antiques In Bloom.� 17
April 11
PIFA on The Street, Kimmel Center, Center City
Michael Asher, 68, said, “I’ve heard that it is a celebration of our relationship with France and that we’re particularly in the influence of French culture on Philadelphia.” 18
“I’ve been to three events. I live in New Jersey and I’ve lived in this area almost all my life. I am really excited about the arts in Philadelphia,” said Rhoda Harrold, 64. 19
April 12
Augmented Reality, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Fairmount
A virtual art piece floated next to the Philadelphia Art Museum when viewers applied the Augmented Reality cell phone application to their smartphones. 20
A screenshot of an iPhone shows the map provided in the free application used to view the virtual art pieces strewn across Philadelphia. 21
April 13
WXPN Wednesday Nights, Kimmel Center, Center City
The Fleeting End’s frontman Matt Vantine performs on stage as part of the WXPN Wednesday Nights Series. 22
Soloist Bobby Long performs for an audience at the Kimmel Center on April 13. 23
April 14
Mosaic Mural Tours, Magic Gardens, South Philadelphia
Performers from Olive Prince Dance practiced for Poetic Passageways, a wildly interpretive performance in which dancers recited lines from poems to accompany choreographed movements. 24
Two of the Poetic Passageways dancers took a break from practice by lounging on the rooftop of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. 25
April 15
Styling a Second Empire, Kimmel Center, Center City
Philadelphia’s City Hall was splashed by color and lights during Styling a Second Empire - A Light and Sound Experience. 26
Stephen Hoppe, one of the creators of Styling a Second Empire – A Light and Sound Experience, watched the show. 27
April 16
Quizzo, Kimmel Center, Center City
Nearly a dozen teams tested their mental capacities through a game of Quizzo at the Commonwealth Plaza in the Kimmel Center on April 16. 28
Ryan, a member “The Jewels of Russia,” contemplated his next Quizzo answer. 29
April 17
Happy Hour Concert, Kimmel Center, Center City
Philadelphia-based band Slo-Mo performed to a packed house in the Kimmel Center. Slo-Mo’s music is a blend of funk, bluegrass, and hip-hop. 30
A young member of the audience is entertained by her mother’s colorful scarf. 31
April 18
A Taste of CrĂŞpes, Kimmel Center, Center City
A fresh strawberry crĂŞpe was served to celebrate the influence of French culture in the city of Philadelphia. 32
An employee at the crĂŞpe stand prepared a delicious taste of Paris in the Kimmel Center. 33
April 19
The Insolent Eye, Locks Gallery, Washington Square
Artist Wiliam Kentridge’s work was displayed at Locks Gallery. Many of his pieces are reminiscent of South African culture and feature apartheid-based themes. 34
Artist Rebecca Horn’s paintings were displayed at Locks Gallery as part of the Insolent Eye Exhibition on April 19. 35
April 20
The Black Venus, Temple University, North Philadelphia
Temple University sponsored a dance show about the life of Josephine Baker, one of the most famous and controversial dancers from the 1920s who was nicknamed “The Black Pearl.� 36
During “La Baker” dancers visually told Josephine Baker’s story through movement. In this scene, the dancers portrayed Baker’s move to Paris. 37
April 21
Fly City, Kimmel Center, Center City
Jackie Morgan, a Circus Arts and Dance Major at Swarthmore College, talked about the art of trapeze against the backdrop of the Kimmel Center on April 21. 38
Jackie Morgan began her run on the trapeze at Fly City, a circus arts instructional class that ran throughout PIFA’s duration on South Broad Street. 39
April 22
Paris Wheels and the Ready Maids, Kimmel Center, Center City
One of the puppets from the Paris Wheels and Ready Maids, produced by Sebastienne Mundheim, was suspended by a member of the White Box Theater. 40
Actor Lesya Popil performed Paris Wheels and the Ready Maids at the Kimmel Center. 41
April 23
Free at 5: Eleanor Dubinsky, Kimmel Center, Center City
A woman watched Eleanor Dubinsky perform at the Kimmel Center. 42
New York-based singer Eleanor Dubinsky sang in English, French, and Spanish and draws inspiration from American Folk, Soul, French Pop and Latin rhythms. 43
April 24
Easter Egg Hunt, Kimmel Center, Center City
Families gathered to meet the Easter bunny and celebrate the holiday at the Kimmel Center. 44
Luca Bargamini and his family attended the morning egg hunt because the boy “loves Easter.� 45
April 25
Brave New World, Drexel University, University City
The Entrance of the Brave New World Exhibit at 33rd and Market streets showcased garments from 1911-1919. 46
This mannequin demonstrated the transition from muted colors to the popularity of outfits that made bold statements. 47
April 26
Lunchtime Tunes, Kimmel Center, Center City
Listeners enjoyed relaxing piano and vocals from inside the Kimmel Center. 48
Several attendees took seats and listened to the French-influenced music that filled the space during lunchtime. 49
April 27
Late Night, Kimmel Center, Center City
PIFA festivalgoers stopped inside the Kimmel Center to escape the crowds on the street. 50
One of the 6,000 bulbs on the 81-foot Eiffel Tower glows during the nightly light show in the Kimmel Center Lobby. 51
April 28
How Philly Moves, Kimmel Center, Center City
JJ Tiziou is a Philadelphia-based photographer who created “How Philly Moves�: a time-lapse video project that showcased the talent of the city on the exterior wall of the Kimmel Center. 52
His project featured various dancers of all ages, styles, and levels of experience. The subjects were invited to an open studio session to move as part of an ongoing collection. 53
April 29
Exposure Exhibit, Temple University, North Philadelphia
A portion of the 1000 Philly Smokers Exhibit was suspended in the Annenberg Hall Atrium at Temple University. 54
Sarah Schu, who was one of the contributors to the 1000 Philly Smokers Project, was seated next to her father Leo Schu as he browsed through a student’s book. 55
p i f a April 30, 2011 / BROAD STREET FROM CHESTNUT TO LOMBARD
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Street Fair 57
Bill Wachsberger of Berwyn, PA joins the masses in attempting to capture all the events and moments at the PIFA Street Fair.
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The “Living Fountain� spurted water from her head and finger tips to put the crowd into a mixed state of awe and frenzy to capture the moment.
La Compagnie Transe Express, the world-renowned theatrical troop from France, demonstrated the art of making an entrance by running through the crowds toward their performance space.
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One of the members of Flippin’ Out embodies the name of his group during the Transparent Trampoline Wall Show.
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Nysara Williams, 7, of Northeast Philadelphia displays the artwork of Transformation Face and Body Painting outside of the Kimmel Center on Saturday, April 30.
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fin.