Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
FunTimes Magazine ‘Culture + Entertainment,” Week of March 4, 2024
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
– Shirley Chisholm, U.S. Congresswoman, (1924 – 2005)
It’s her story in the making this month, as we proudly salute the contributions and conquests of well-known and unknown women from today and yesteryear. Read on for low-cost or free events, ranging from art and history exhibitions to tribute concerts and plays. And don’t forget: When event-going, please take precautions, especially when in groups and indoors, with the current COVID variants and other infectious health threats on the rise. Check with the event organizers about their safety protocols, and also any changes due to inclement weather.
Artist Judy Gelles’ ‘Fourth Grade- With Me,’ at South Africa Public School.
Courtesy of the artist and Pentimenti Gallery
Artistic touch in City of Brotherly Love
Tuesday, March 5, 2024, through Saturday, April 6, 2024. Women in the City of Brotherly Love is a riveting exhibition featuring three remarkable Philadelphia artists Kiki Gaffney, Judy Gelles, and Lauren Mabry. The show examines urban socio-economic dynamics, exploring the natural canvas and diverse neighborhoods of the city. Philadelphia essentially serves as the “rich pallet of inspiration.” The artists’ perspectives on the rhythm of the city are expressed through drawings, ceramics, photographs, and objects. The exhibit also includes a look at other cities worldwide. Over 10 years, artist-photographer Gelles interviewed and snapped portraits of more than 300 fourth-graders across diverse economic and cultural spectrums in several countries such as South Africa, connecting the concerns of children locally and globally. The exhibition is part of (re)FOCUS 2024, a citywide program that highlights female artists. Free. Meet the artists and see what inspired their creations at an opening reception on Friday, March 8, from 6 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. The month-long exhibition: Tuesdays-Fridays, 9 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST; Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. EST. Pentimenti Gallery, 145 N. 2nd St. 215-625-9990 or e-mail: mail@pentimenti.com or pentimenti.com or phillyfunfguide.com.
Johnson House Showcases Family of Artists
Johnson House Historic Site
Saturday, March 23, 2024. Meet The Tiberino Family: A Continuing Legacy of Art is a wonderful exhibit presented by Johnson House Historic Site that celebrates Women’s History Month. The show features a family of artists including Philadelphia’s most prominent female artists, the late African-American artist, Ellen Powell Tiberino (1937 to 1992). She was known for her pastels, oils, pencil drawings, and sculptures. The Philadelphia artist’s realistic and dramatic works reflect the history of the Black experience, particularly women, whom she often represented in haunting colors. But she also worked with vibrant inspirational colors, and her work was thought-provoking and evocative. His work includes large-scale paintings, three-dimensional murals, and sculptures. In 1977, she was the first artist to have a one-person exhibition at the city’s Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum. She painted from her personal experiences and observations. As a cancer patient for 18 years, Liberino faced many medical challenges but continued to express herself through her art. She worked even from her hospital bed up until her death at age 55; but though her life was cut short, she left a prolific collection of art. Her husband Joseph also was an artist who worked on paintings with his wife. Their daughter, Ellen Tiberino, carried on her legacy and developed a serious career in her own right. She is a mosaic artist from West Philadelphia and a part of a celebrated family art legacy dubbed “The Wyeths of Philadelphia.” Enjoy the exhibit, a discussion, and get an opportunity to buy the art. Johnson House, a National Historic Landmark, is a historic site and way station, or safe house, that was part of the emancipation history of the Underground Railroad. Johnson House Historic Site, 6306 Germantown Ave. Inquire about cost. Thursdays & Fridays, 10 a.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST; Saturdays, 1 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. Register in advance: info@johnsonhouse.org or 215-438-1768 or johnsonhouse.org.
Whitney Houston’s String of Hits
Thursday, March 14, 2024. Few singers in modern history have captivated the world like Whitney Houston who died in 2012 at age 48.The Candlelight: A Tribute to Whitney Houston concert comes with a lot of strings attached. It’s a live, multi-sensory musical experience featuring the late superstar’s catalog of hits. Enjoy the concert under the soothing, serene glow of candlelight with the Listeso String Quartet. It’s therapy for the ears, a concerto of Houston’s famous songs like “I Will Always Love You,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and “Greatest Love of All.” Houston’s unmistakable interpretation of a torch song or ballad was an octave above most other songbirds’. She sold 220 million records in her career to prove it. Ages 8 or older; kids under the age of 16 should be accompanied by an adult. $45.50 to $74, two concerts: 6 p.m. EST & 8 p.m. EST. Masonic Temple and Library, 1 North Broad St. patch.com or concertlands.com.
They made their queen-sized bed…
Thursday, March 14, 2024 through April 21, 2024. Quintessence Presents MACBETH directed by Alex Burns. Shakespeare’s time-tested theatrical gift of betrayal, violence ambition and paranoia is still given five centuries later. And these universal themes are all relevant today. A soldier and his influential wife look to their future as rulers of the kingdom, as three witches “promise power and prophecy greatness.” But bloody ambition gets the best of the destined couple. Women like Lady Macduff, a wife of the dethroned king, and loyal mother, and the driven Lady Macbeth, wife of the would-be king, drive the beat of this play. They are underestimated, smart, and strong in their intent. Pay what you like on Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. EST. Other performances: $65 ($15 for students & teachers and $25 for youth 18 and under), times vary. The Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave., in Mt. Airy. 215-987-4450 or quintessencetheatre.org.
Gender Justice in the Workforce …
Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Check out Catalyzing Change in the Labor Movement as part of WOMEN’s WAY’s Closing the Gender Gap Forum virtual series. Panelists will explore how building power through organizing can improve workers’ wages, benefits, and overall stability. Learn why labor justice is tied to gender justice, and pivotal to addressing the gender wealth gap. The discussion will be moderated by Michael Robinson, Director of Community Outreach & Hiring at Temple University’s Lenfest North Philadelphia Workforce Initiative. Panelists will be: Brittany Alston, Executive Director, Philly Black Worker Project, Kelley Burnett, Owner of K.I.D.S; Member of CCPU Rufina Rodriguez, Organizer, National Domestic Workers Alliance – PA Chapter. Free but donations accepted,4 p.m. EST. 215-985-3322 or womensway.org.
Photo courtesy of the Museum of the American Revolution
Revolutionary Women
Through Sunday, March 31, 2024. The Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia’s historic district will celebrate the unheralded women in American history with a slate of special programming, including pop-up art-making activities, interactive exhibits, and screenings of theatrical performances chronicling courageous trailblazing women like the enslaved Elizabeth Freeman. She boldly sued for her freedom, and in 1781, Freeman, won her court case, helping to set a precedent resulting in the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts. You also can see “Meet Elizabeth Freeman” online in a 25-minute film and one-woman theatrical performance based on Freeman’s life and legacy. The museum’s newest exhibit, Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent, highlights the stories of women who helped save General George Washington’s headquarters’ tent from being lost over the generations and “ultimately fashioned this relic into a symbol of the fragile American republic.” $19 to $22 (kids under five: free), 9 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST daily. Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St. 215-253-6731 or amrevmuseum.org
Keeping up with Jones….
Anna Russell Jones: The Art of Design features trailblazing American artist Anna Russell Jones (1902-1995), who grew up in Philadelphia. The African American Museum in Philadelphia is making sure that her legacy, as a Renaissance woman of sorts, never falls through the cracks of history. The exhibition spotlights Jones’ original art and her works amassed in archival materials from a rare collection. It underscores Jones’ keen “interest in and the importance of African-American history and civil rights, commitment to public service, and fascination with medical practice.” She worked in wallpaper and carpet design, as a civil-service illustrator, graphic artist, and freelance artist; she also was a licensed practical nurse. Jones was a woman of ‘firsts;” the first Black woman to secure a four-year scholarship from the Philadelphia Board of Education. That opportunity was a stepping stone to becoming the first African-American graduate of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, now Moore College of Art and Design. The captivating exhibit can be viewed online for free. African American Museum in Philadelphia, 710 Arch St. 215-574-0380 or aampmuseum.org.
‘Fido Friday’ is at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
A Friday of Fido and Flowers
Friday, March 8, 2024. Forget about the local park. The Philadelphia Flower Show wants you to bring your dog to Fido Friday. B.Y.O.D. means Bring Your own Dog to the Flower Show this year. Yes, it’s all petals and pooches for an evening of dog-friendly activities in a welcoming scenic environment. 5 p.m. EST to 8: p.m. EST, Fido Friday included with purchase of Flower Show ticket: $29.99 after 4 p.m. The Flower Show runs until March 10, 10 a.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST; closes at 6 p.m. EST on final day, March 10. Pennsylvania Convention Center. 1101 Arch St. 215-988-8800 or tickets.phsonline.org.
