Bob’s Garden, Summer 2016
Bob’s Garden has really taken off this year! Three new turtles are swimming in the pond and a new banana tree has taken root in one of the wooden barrels sitting out on the south Philly sidewalk. The...
View ArticleColor Wheels
I volunteered to help in the ColorWheels mobile community art program run by the Fleisher Art Memorial and participated in my first program on Saturday outside the Donatucci branch of the Philadelphia...
View ArticleBob’s Garden Spring 2017
They say that everybody always complains about the weather but nobody ever does anything about it. If you are at all into gardening, this Spring’s crazy weather has made things a challenge: Flowers...
View ArticleHaunting in South Philly
This week, I started watching the new Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House. I read the book when I was barely into my teens and it made quite an impression on me. Later on, I saw a film...
View ArticlePOST at Bok 1
Last month I visited the Bok Makerspace which was on the South Philly list of participants in the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST). Bok Technical High School was a vocational school that opened...
View ArticlePhiladelphia’s Fabric Row
I feel so lucky to live in a City where I am within walking distance from wonderful shopping districts with a genuine historical significance. Of course there’s the 9th Street (Italian) Market,...
View ArticleA Bevy of Beauty at Bok
Bev Beaulieu, proprietor of Bevy of Objects, is one the artist entrepreneurs I met during my tour of the Bok Studios in October. Bev graduated from Tyler School of Art and then headed to New York...
View ArticleFleisher Student Show 2019
Did you know that Fleisher Art Memorial is the oldest community art school in the US? And that the 121st annual exhibition of student work opened there on February 15th? With offerings that include...
View ArticleFleisher 121st Annual Faculty Exhibition
I’ve started a new semester at the Fleisher Art Memorial but can’t do much in the pottery studio because of my hand (surgery next month). But I went there today anyway to check out the 121st (yes,...
View ArticleOpera on the Mall and Bok Party
Lots going on in Philadelphia arts-wise last weekend. First up was Opera on the Mall a broadcast of La bohème in front of Independence Hall Opera Philadelphia. The event kicked off to their...
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Try Something Different and See What Happens
I did something different today. I wrote a letter. A real letter, not a card. With a pen. In cursive. On notepaper. And I addressed it. And put a stamp on it. There’s a mail box on the corner...
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Philadelphia: This Week in History
It’s been quite a week. I wouldn’t say that things started with the murder of George Floyd, because they started long before that. I worked as a criminal defense lawyer in Philadelphia for seven...
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Saturday Night in Our Market
I have an Italian last name and live in South Philadelphia. So everyone thinks I was born and raised here. Not so. My Mother’s family (and me with it) hails from the Midwest and her Scots-Irish...
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A Winter’s Day
Winter dumped a load on the East coast this week. I’m glad I didn’t have to be anywhere. Still, it’s fun to go out and explore. One of my favourite murals is a snow scene! A little South Philly humor....
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Meet the Benners
My house in 2021 Do you live in an old house? Do you know who lived there before you moved in? Before you were born? How about who lived there before your grandparents were born? Wouldn’t you like to...
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Happy Halloween from Gold Star Park
I was back with Color Wheels this weekend helping kids to decorate Halloween trick or Treat bags in Gold Star Park in South Philly. We had quite a crowd! It was nice to see people out and about on a...
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Happy Holidays From My Neighborhood
Happy holidays from South Philadelphia! Things have been a bit unwieldy around the house since Boris published his little Christmas story, How the Tabby Got Its “M.” He’s walking around with his tail...
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Bob’s Garden Spring 2022
My neighbor Bob is at it again. He’s been planting and tending a big container garden up and down our South Philadelphia street for many years, and he’s gearing up for Spring and Summer, 2022. He gets...
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Fleisher Art Memorial 124th Annual Student Exhibition
Philadelphia’s Fleisher Art Memorial is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year! And it’s also mounting its 124th Annual Student Exhibition. And what a difference 125 years makes! Fleisher now...
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Spring Colors in the Market
The Italian Market near my home (although it now more of an international market) is an inspirational feast of shape and color. See for yourself. Cherry blossoms near the 9th Street market, South...
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