Spring has arrived at Awbury Arboretum

It was a damp and chilly Friday, but that didn't stop us from volunteering at the Awbury Arboretum to help beautify their grounds in preparation for spring! We raked the Victorian garden free of leaves and also planted pansies in the planters in front of the Francis Cope House.

Things to do with your friends in the spring

As the weather gets warmer, we've been embracing the sunshine by doing many activities outdoors.

Karly read The Sun Also Rises to Robbie, Eric, Mike S., Phoebe, Richard and Tim during Book Club. 

We have also been creating outdoor murals in our back garden that will be able to be seen from the SEPTA commuter trains that pass behind our building. 

Robbie and Rodney participated in newly reinstated Graffiti Club.

Invisible River

The artists of PDDC's Cultural Arts Center are creating colorful site-specific sculptures for a public aerial dance and music performance in Fairmount Park this June. INVISIBLE RIVER was conceived and choreographed by former Cultural Arts Center dance teacher Alie Vidich.

The performances, which will be free and open to the public, take place on Saturday 6/15, Sunday 6/16, Saturday 6/22 and Sunday 6/23 at 8 pm.

Everyone has been working hard this past month making whimsical forest creatures to dot the landscape of this outdoor performance. Take a look!

James and Jason add layers of color to their paper mache fox

Diane wraps yarn, scarves, and cloth around tree branches to make birds

Franklin adds layers of newspaper to his paper mache chipmunk

PDDC Picnic!

There was dancing, games and delicious food to be shared at the annual Arc/PDDC Picnic! The artists of Cultural Arts program designed and printed the t-shirts we wore that day. Special thanks to Shalaine Wallace for organizing this event and Mike Barnes for coordinating the Chestnut Hill College volunteers who helped make the day a success!


Marcos and a volunteer from Chestnut Hill College


Jane and Alison with Swoop


Charles and Kelvin


Asha and Fatima


Sarah and David


Mike S. meets Swoop

Morris Arboretum bookends the summer

Last week, a group from Cultural Arts once again ventured away from the urban grid of Philadelphia, to the pastoral settings of the Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill.


Hector is seen here enjoying a bush of roses.


Linda, Yvonne, Monica, Pietro, Myron, and Charlene observe the landscape.





Rasheed, as per usual, handles the camera like an unblinking eye.

Mutant sea shells found on the Jersey shore!

wheatpasting in Texas, pt. 2

More of Mike G. & Freddy's collaborative wheatpastes in the North Loop neighborhood of Austin, Texas.

Wheatpasting in Texas

Mike G. spent Memorial Day in Austin, Texas, where he wheatpasted some of Freddy's and his own art onto various surfaces of the North Loop neighborhood.

Trip to the Morris Arboretum

On Friday, students from Chestnut Hill College hosted a community outing to the Morris Arboretum for PDDC. Charlene, Freddy, Mike S., and Mike G. from the Cultural Arts Center wandered through the colorful gardens of the arboretum on this beautiful spring day.

Special thanks to Mike Barnes for coordinating this outing.

Photography at the Park

During Friday's Art Class we spent the morning at the park on Kelly Drive. Everyone took beautiful photographs as part of our workshop for Cultural Collaborations. In photo: Yvonne, Linda, Myesha, Freddy, and Rasheed.


Photo by Pietro


Photo by Myron


Photo by Rasheed



Charlene



Yvonne



Rasheed


Photo by Freddy


Drawing in the park


Photo by Rasheed

Planting seeds

Spring is here! We're preparing our garden for a bountiful growing season.

In photos: Tonya and Mike S.; Romanita and Helen; Peter, George, and Teresa; Myron; and Floyd and Mike S. enjoying a sunny afternoon.