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

Beyond Boundaries at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

On Friday, March 8, over 200 people attended the opening reception for Beyond Boundaries, an exhibition at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens presenting work created by the artists of PDDC’s Cultural Arts Center and Oasis Art Center (RHD). Guests had the opportunity to meet many of these visionary artists while taking in over 80 paintings, drawings, and three dimensional pieces, including bodies of work by 10 featured artists. They also interacted with a gallery transformed with an archway and other dimensional works created collaboratively by artists from both programs specifically for this exhibition. The exhibition will be on view through April 14 in the galleries at the Magic Gardens, which is open every day from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission to the Magic Gardens is $7 for adults, and $5 for students and seniors, $3 for children ages 6-12, and free for children age 5 and under.
To see more photos from the opening reception, please visit SpArc's Flickr site.

Visitors check out work by the exhibition's featured artists

Cultural Arts director Linda with SpArc's CEO Laura Princiotta and artist Isaiah Zagar

Charlene and her friends Brenda and Tthomeqa look at her painting "The Black Lodge"

Rasheed with Joe, Mary, Sarah, Matt and Tom 

Mary, Joe and Sarah

Alonzo and Linda

Stephan and his drawing

Freddy and his drawing

A Weather Forecast!

The Cultural Arts Center's fabulous dance teacher Joanna Quigley helped us to create this video exploring all the beautiful and terrifying climate events that nature can throw at you....

A Weather Forecast! from Joanna S. Quigley on Vimeo.

Holiday Card

PDDC staff and artists are hard at work this afternoon, screen printing our holiday greeting card! 

Little Berlin Fairgrounds Project

The artists of the Cultural Arts Center are partnering with Little Berlin to create a sculptural installation for their Fairgrounds Project. The goal of this project is to work with local artists and art organizations to transform an abandoned lot in East Kensington into an art and garden space. We're so excited to be part of this exciting undertaking!

Today we painted bricks that will be used to make one of three pyramid-like sculptures that will be part of the Fairgrounds sculpture garden.

George and David

David and John

Larry and Marie

 

Emilia and Freddy create a title mosaic on stone pavers that will be part of the installation.

 

A few of the tiled stone pavers

 

Evening Ceramics Classes

Last evening the Cultural Arts program held the last in an eight-week session of ceramics classes, "Working with Clay,"taught by one of our talented staff, Siobhan Koslap. These classes are open to all members of the community over the age of 18, regardless of ability.

During this session of classes, students learned hand-building techniques like coil construction and making boxes from clay slabs. They also had the chance to learn how to throw on the wheel. And of course everyone had a great time glazing and decorating their work.

Another session of classes will begin September 25. The classes will be held every Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 PM through November 13 at the Cultural Arts Center. Here's more information on how to enroll in this class!

Art/Gage!

This Saturday, artists from the Cultural Arts Center had a booth at the annual Art/Gage Community Street Fair hosted by Philadelphia's Magic Gardens. We sold hand-made tote bags, note cards, hand-made paper, ceramic pots, wind chimes, and prints while raising awareness about PDDC's programs and activities.

 We made beautiful ceramic pendant necklaces. 

 Mary mans the booth!

 Our silk-screened and quilted tote bags were also for sale.

Hand-printed notecards made from handmade paper, etchings, and zines (of course!)