From Philadelphia, With Love (PDF)

Dear INspired,
And thAt’s just afteR
reAding about Me.
Imagine how you’ll

feEl once you visit.

P.S. Find Even more inspiration here:

The most-visited destination
website out of the 10 largest
cities in the United States
(Quantcast)

A blog that looks at Philly
from the inside out, with scoops
on openings, events and hints
from in-the-know Philadelphians

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oN :

From Philly,
With Love
A leader in arts, industry, and inspiration

P

eople say that you can find inspiration anywhere, but in Philadelphia,
inspiration is everywhere. It has
been true of the city for generations, and it’s especially true today.

BY HANNAH
SHERK

MARCH 2013

usairwaysmag.com

Creative Spirit
In 1776, Philly led the quest for freedom; in
1886, it was the nation’s leader in industry;
today, it’s at the forefront of the arts. The city

PHOTO BY J. FUSCO FOR GPTMC

84

This inspiration takes form in vibrant and
growing neighborhoods, immersive museums
that stun inside and out, and forward-thinking
schools that shape professional fields.
Philadelphia is the birthplace of the nation
— the inspiring idea of independence took
form here. That groundbreaking concept preceded many other firsts and notable designations. Philadelphia saw America’s first theater,
first protests against slavery, first computer, and
first pro football game. It’s home to the largest

landscaped city park, plus countless smaller
ones; five major league sports teams; and more
public art than any other U.S. city.
Visitors to Philadelphia go beyond its
impressive superlatives to really experience
its personality. In one day, they can stroll the
culturally rich Ben Franklin Parkway, see a
ballet, bounce from blues bar to luxe lounge
to brew-centric pub, and eat that famous
cheesesteak. Philadelphia’s specialty? Variety.
The most inspiring thing in Philadelphia
can’t be found on a map or in a visitors’ guide
— heart. The City of Brotherly Love has a
lot of it. Read on to discover more about Philadelphia, and imagine how it will inspire you.

that brought America its first art institute continues to break boundaries with events like
Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST),
inviting audiences to visit more than 300 artists’ workspaces in 20 neighborhoods. Get up
close and personal with Philadelphia’s most
creative.
Major Players
The Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, and Phillies are
quintessentially American teams. But when the
Philadelphia Union soccer team joined the
major league ranks, the global city gained a
global sport. The team’s impressive PPL Park
stadium has also made fans of the town of
Chester — yet another story of revival for a city
in constant evolution.
Nearby in the Countryside
Visitors to Philadelphia will feel a world away

in Chester County’s Brandywine Valley — and
we’re not talking humdrum suburbs. “Much
like the great cities of Europe, whose surrounding towns and villages are intrinsically tied to
the landscape, Philadelphia and the Brandywine Valley combine for an inspirational
destination,” says Blair Mahoney, executive
director of the Chester County CVB.
Lifelong Learning
Eighty colleges and 300,000 students give
Philadelphia that energetic, college-town
buzz. One of its educational standouts,
Drexel University, really knows how to
ExCITe young minds — as in the school’s
new Expressive & Creative Interaction
Technologies Center. Like the town, the
program gathers inspiration without limitations
to combine fields from technology to art,
music to robotics.

Above: The Philadelphia skyline ties
together the city’s
storied past and bright
present.

Greater
Philadelphia
Tourism
Marketing Corp.
800.537.7676
visitphilly.com
uwishunu.com

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MASS
SS.
NEW YO
YORK
RK

New York
PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia

Washington, DC

New York to Philly
1.5 hours by train
40 minutes by air

VIRGIN
INIA

DC to Philly
2.5 hours by train
45 minutes by air

Stay and Play
One major Philadelphia attraction isn’t exactly
in Philadelphia. It’s the short and sweet
90-minute train ride to Philly from New York
City, and 45-minute flight from Washington,
DC. That’s just a hop, skip, and a jump — or
a drink, nap, and a game of Angry Birds — to
an effortless night on the town.
To eat, sleep, and breathe Philly, Hotel
Monaco is the place. The century-old building

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IMAGES (FROM TOP LEFT) BY R. KENNEDY FOR GPTMC, LACHELLE VIA, AND J. FUSCO FOR GPTMC

Clockwise from left:
Lounge or stroll by the
Race Street Pier;
Philadelphia sits
conveniently between
Washington, DC, and
New York City;
Philadelphia nightlife

Setting Business Standards
The Dietz & Watson story is the story of Philadelphia: one of hard work and heart — and
this business cares about yours. The 73-yearold, family-owned deli meats and cheese company was one of the first to offer a line of lowfat meats. Philadelphia produces companies
like Dietz & Watson not just because they’re
the nation’s hoagie capital, but because Philadelphians do things their way while setting the
bar for the rest.

was restored and reopened last fall, in a Phillystyle happy ending. “From our locally influenced, whimsical decor to our fun, Rockyinspired guest robes, we’re all about embracing
the past and present of what makes Philly a
distinct city,” says Bob Dmuchowski, the hotel’s
director of sales.
Start with East Passyunk Avenue. Something is happening in the revived South Philly
neighborhood — and it’s delicious. The district,
praised as Philly’s restaurant row, brims with
local and classic foods. “We have a 100-year-old
cheese shop making fresh mozzarella across the
street from a new, chef-driven French restaurant,” says Renee Gillinger, executive director
of the East Passyunk Business Improvement
District. Two words: come hungry.
For a haunting glimpse of Philadelphia’s
past, explore the castle-like Eastern State
Penitentiary. The building was abandoned
from 1971 until 2007, when a bright idea gave
the storied campus new life. It’s now a National
Historic Landmark, and visitors can tour the
cell blocks, center surveillance hub, and even
Al Capone’s cell. Then, admit your history
teacher was right when you find yourself awestruck at the Liberty Bell, Independence Mall,
and the National Constitution Center, Philly’s
historical all-stars.
One visit to Philadelphia will convince you
that the city is still inspiring independence.

Summer in the City
Mayor Nutter welcomes you to Philadelphia.

W

hen it comes to Philadelphia
summers, mayor Michael
Nutter is still just a West
Philly guy looking forward to
long days and warm nights.

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF CITY OF PHILADELPHIA AND BY AMANDA BRANDT FOR THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

“Summer 2013 is shaping up to be spectacular,” Nutter says. “We are such a fortunate
city to have a diverse arts and culture scene,
vibrant neighborhoods, and amazing restaurants. Many of the city of Philadelphia’s mosttreasured venues will showcase a variety of
cultural offerings for everyone to enjoy.”
With one of the country’s largest collections
of public art and murals, admiring the city’s
cultural scene is as easy as stepping out your
front door. Of course,
no visit is complete
without a stroll through
the historic district and
Washington Square,
including a stop at the
Philadelphia History
Museum. “It’s the true
Philadelphia experience,” Nutter says.
This newly revamped
museum explores more
than 300 years of the
city’s past, drawing visitors from history buffs
to sports fans.
Just a few blocks away
is the African American
Museum in Philadelphia, where you can
celebrate the achievements and aspirations of
African Americans from
precolonial times to the
current day.
Mayor Nutter says

that Philadelphia has
much to offer for the
musically inclined. “You
can go from classical in
ornate music halls to
hip-hop and indie rock
in neighborhood clubs,”
he says.
And don’t miss the
Dell Music Center, a 5,000-seat open-air amphitheater located in scenic East Fairmount
Park offering world-class entertainment at an
affordable cost.
“If you find yourself downtown on a
Wednesday evening you can’t miss the free
performances in our beautiful City Hall
Courtyard,” Nutter says. City Hall Presents
brings a diverse array of performing artists from
circus arts to jazz and rock.

215.868.8446
Follow creativephl
on
and-creativephl.org
/usair

Philadanco performs
at City Hall Presents.
Above: Mayor Michael
A. Nutter

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Get Smart!
Businesses large and small are flocking
to Philadelphia.
BY NANCY OAKLEY

vibrant East Coast city,” “central location,” “a talented growing population,”
and “affordable with a wonderful
quality of life.” The reviews are in:
Philly has a lot to rave about.

A
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PHILADELPHIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Clockwise from far
left: WebLinc’s
Philadelphia office;
dining at Rouge in
Rittenhouse Square;
Comcast Center, world
headquarters for
Comcast Corporation;
IndyHall; Reading
Terminal Market

Philadelphia’s business community is singing
the city’s praises, and thanks to the “Smart
City. Smart Choice.” campaign from Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce, more enterprises are joining the fold.
In partnership with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC),
the city Department of Commerce and Mayor
Michael A. Nutter unveiled “Smart City. Smart
Choice.” in the fall of 2010. Chief among the
many reasons for encouraging businesses to
set up shop is Philadelphia’s enviable location.
Situated midway between New York and
Washington, DC, it’s accessible to 46.1 million people and boasts an annual income of

$1.5 trillion within a 200-mile radius. And of
course, its transportation infrastructure — including a state-of-the-art airport, Amtrak service, regional transit, proximity to interstate
highways, and the world’s largest freshwater
port (the Delaware River Port Complex) — is
a magnet for international companies, now
totaling 645, from 37 countries.
But the biggest draw that “Smart City.
Smart Choice.” touts is smart people. With a
population of 6.1 million, the Philadelphia
region boasts the second-largest market on the
East Coast, and perhaps more importantly, it
ranks second in bachelor’s degrees awarded
per capita. Many of its graduates from Penn,
Drexel, and Temple are choosing to stay in
Philly, creating a renaissance of Center City
and the surrounding neighborhoods that once
stood on the verge of decline.
The 2010 census revealed that between
2000 and 2009, some 16,000 residents between ages 25 and 34 moved to these centrally
located and affordable areas — and companies are taking notice. Bentley Systems, a

software company, and Fiberlink, which manages mobile devices for workplaces, are rethinking their suburban locations and setting
up gateway offices in downtown Philly to
attract and keep talent. And longtime stalwarts such as Janney Montgomery Scott,
LLC, a 180-year-old financial services firm,
are reinforcing their commitments to stay put
and ensure continued growth.
Where there’s youth, a vibrant cultural life
follows. Not only is Philly’s young population
contributing to the influx of restaurants and
entertainment options — the number of Center City fine-dining restaurants has increased
322 percent since 1992 — it’s giving rise to a
dynamic entrepreneurial scene buzzing with
start-ups and incubators (see sidebar).
The companies of tomorrow will join the
ranks of Comcast, Urban Outfitters, and
Aramark, not to mention engineering firms,
clean technology industries, and more, further
evidence that establishing a business in
Philadelphia is not just a smart choice, it’s a
no-brainer.

Calling All Entrepreneurs!
Philadelphia is fast becoming
a hub for start-ups. It’s known
as the original “start-up city”
since it inspired the Founding
Fathers. Modern-day Philly
boasts an eager, young population of techies and innovators ready to
launch new enterprises.
Aiding their efforts is StartupPHL
(startupphl.com), an initiative of the Philadelphia Department of Commerce and PIDC.
With a seed fund of $6 million, StartupPHL
has partnered with a private investment
company to manage and invest in Philadelphia start-ups. And then there’s the Call for
Ideas. With $500,000 in grant money, it’s
an appeal to the creative class to submit
proposals to improve the entrepreneurial
community. That translates to more Philadelphia businesses attracting even more
entrepreneurs.

1515 Arch Street,
12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA
215.683.2000
phila.gov/smartchoice

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Redeem the Dream
Business and political leaders meet at the
National Urban League Conference.

BY MARTHA-PAGE ALTHAUS

Clockwise from left:
Mayor Michael Nutter,
Patricia Coulter, Marc
Morial, local business
leaders; President
Barack Obama; guests
at the Expo Hall

July 24–27
Register today:
212.558.5300
nul.org

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MARCH 2013

This year’s National Urban League Conference
(NULC), “Redeem the Dream: Jobs Rebuild
America” (July 24–27), welcomes a diverse
crowd of more than 5,000 registered attendees.
With its finger on the nation’s pulse, NULC
focuses on job creation and training as keys to
rebuilding the nation’s economy.
Not a registered attendee? No problem.
NULC’s mission — to promote equal opportunity to health, education, housing, and employment — means that there’s a lot you can do at
no cost. Try the free Expo Hall where you’ll
find hundreds of activities for the whole family,
a career fair, and a college fair. Then, think

usairwaysmag.com

ahead at the free Small Business Matters Entrepreneurship Summit where you might find a
stepping stone to your future.
Among the thousands of people, you’ll see
some familiar faces. Vice President Joe Biden
has been invited to speak at this year’s event.
Past participants include Bill Gates, Attorney
General Eric Holder, Dr. Henry Louis Gates
Jr., Hillary Clinton, Stevie Wonder, Tyra Banks,
and Chaka Khan.
Major announcements have also been made
at the event: Education Secretary Arne Duncan unveiled the Equity Agenda in 2010, and
last year, President Obama announced the
White House initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
“Just as the youth, energy, and sophistication of our leadership represent a renaissance . . .
Philadelphia embodies the very spirit of rebirth,
liberty, and justice that we strive for and that
inspires this year’s conference theme,” says
Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the
National Urban League.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) BY WHITNEY THOMAS (1) AND MIKKI HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY (2)

T

housands will converge in Philly
this July to talk jobs, justice, and
freedom, commemorating the 50th
anniversary of the history-making
March on Washington.

Philanthropic Philly
The Philadelphia Foundation does good
at home and around the world.

N

obody knows southeastern Pennsylvania like The Philadelphia
Foundation, serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and
Philadelphia counties since 1918.

The Philadelphia Foundation links those with
financial resources to groups that serve societal
needs. Each year, the organization gives away
more than $15 million to 1,000 nonprofits,
ranging from arts and culture, education,
environment and health, human services,
and religious organizations.
“Grants made through the foundation reach
across the world,” says R. Andrew Swinney,
foundation president. “They may help teach
financial literacy to young people, assist victims
of the tsunami in Japan, aid abused women
and their children, or support a theater company’s production.”
Other aid includes allowing low-income

minority students to
pursue a college education and providing scholarships to a Catholic K–8
school. The foundation’s philanthropic
work runs the
gamut from sustaining organizations that conserve land and preserve
wildlife, to targeting support to named
organizations such as the Senior Adult
Activities Center in Norristown, to building
the endowment of a specific organization,
such as the German Society of Pennsylvania.
Want to give back? Whether you’re a
longtime resident or are just passing through,
the foundation can help you set up a scholarship or memorial fund, or endow or sustain a
nonprofit. The group will distribute your dollars exactly as you intend, and perhaps most
importantly, invest the money so your generosity endures forever. Join the Philadelphia
Foundation to do the most good, right here.

1234 Market Street
Suite 1800
Philadelphia, PA
215.563.6417
philafound.org

Generosity Well Spent
The Philadelphia
Foundation serves as
a bridge between
people who care and
causes that matter.

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A Creative
Groundswell
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s
new effort brings creativity to the community.

F

or its new project, the Greater
Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
confidently predicts a groundswell
of people committed to engaging
and changing the city.
“We want to show people that culture is a catalyst for positive change,” says Nancy DeLucia,
director of policy and community engagement,
of the group’s GroundSwell venture, which
highlights projects throughout the city and
region that take cultural experiences out of the
theater, concert hall, and gallery and bring
them closer to the people.
In North Philadelphia, the nonprofit arts
group COSACOSA works with neighborhoods
to create Site and Sound Gardens, turning
abandoned lots into sculpture and sound galler-

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ies. At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and
other hospitals in the city, WXPN’s volunteer
Musicians on Call provides bedside concerts
for patients. The Claymobile roams city streets,
bringing art education to schools and other
community groups. And the Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society spurs residents into conversations about green space and sustainability
with vibrant Pop-Up Gardens, filling empty
spaces with lush vegetation.
Through its website, GroundSwell connects
both residents and visitors to these and dozens
of similar arts and culture efforts, offering opportunities to personally participate in Philadelphia’s transformation.
“This is a chance for people to engage in
what’s going on in our communities. Get
involved. Sign up. Take action,” explains
DeLucia. “GroundSwell is a grassroots
movement to make greater Philadelphia
a better place to live, work, and play.”

Doing Something Good for a Change
Big Sing
March 10
Music can connect communities. That’s the
message behind Schubert’s “Mass in G,”
when the Mendelssohn Club joins the Philadelphia Master Chorale and the African
Episcopal Church of St. Thomas for this
free concert. Explore the music of Korean
and African Episcopal traditions with hundreds of local artists — and sing along.
dccc.edu/the-arts
Philadelphia Science Festival
April 18–28
Organized by the Franklin Institute, watch
as science leaves the laboratory for more
than 100 events at museums, parks, restaurants, and bars, plus an all-day family carnival
April 20 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
On April 24, explore the intersection of science and music in Icarus at the Edge of Time,
a stunning, full-orchestra multimedia work at
the Kimmel Center. philasciencefestival.org
PNC Arts Alive Family Day at the Opera
April 20
PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) COURTESY: KINETIC SCULPTURE DERBY, PHILADELPHIA SCIENCE FESTIVAL, BIG SING, COSACOSA SITE AND SOUND GARDEN, HIDDEN CITY

Opera Philadelphia opens the doors to the
Academy of Music for a free, behind-thescenes peek at Mozart’s The Magic Flute to

introduce everyone to opera. Kids and
parents can meet the artists, visit dressing
rooms, and even stand on the stage and
conduct the orchestra.
operaphila.org
Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby
May 18
Finishing the derby course isn’t the goal.
Instead, participants in the Kinetic Sculpture
Derby create elaborate people-powered
parade floats to compete for design awards
that encourage wacky ingenuity. (There’s
even an award for best breakdown.) Spectators vote on the creations, which have included mummers on hand-crank-driven pirate
ships, an alien spaceship balanced on bikes,
and a merman on a unicycle.
kinetickensington.org

Opposite page: a
mutant rooster in the
Kensington Kinetic
Sculpture Derby;
below, from top left:
enjoying the Philadelphia Science Festival;
voices of the Big Sing;
digging in at a
COSACOSA Site and
Sound Garden;
exploring the past
at Hidden City
Philadelphia

Hidden City Philadelphia 2013 Festival
May 23–July 30
Join artists, architects, and designers to
resurrect ten abandoned, unknown, or inaccessible sites of historical or community
importance, turning these overlooked spaces
into galleries for site-specific art installations
celebrating the city’s history and future.
hiddencityphila.org

GroundswellPA.org

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Outsider Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art highlights
self-taught artists.
BY NANCY OAKLEY

W

ith masterpieces by Picasso,
Duchamp, and O’Keeffe, the
Philadelphia Museum of Art has
long established its collection
as one of the world’s best.

Philadelphia
Museum of Art
2600 Benjamin
Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA
215.763.8100
philamuseum.org

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MARCH 2013

The museum is currently showing a major private collection consisting of a remarkable range
of works by self-taught American artists. Jill and
Sheldon Bonovitz have promised their worldrenowned collection to the museum in the
belief that the works have a rightful place alongside the modern and contemporary masters.
On view through June 9, “Great and Mighty
Things”: Outsider Art from the Jill and Sheldon
Bonovitz Collection features more than 200
paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other works
by 27 artists who worked on the fringes, without
the benefit of formal training or partnerships
with art dealers and galleries.

usairwaysmag.com

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART, THE JILL AND SHELDON BONOVITZ COLLECTION

Howard Finster’s Quit
Blowing Your Horn
Down There. Don’t You
See My Hands Are Full
(1981)

The artists’ media are often taken from
found materials, such as scraps of paper,
advertisements, or in the case of William
Edmondson (1874–1951), pieces of limestone.
Using a railroad spike as a chisel, the retired
hospital worker carved tombstones and renderings of animals, angels, and human figures.
Mexican-born Martín Ramírez (1895–1963),
who spent most of his life in a California mental
hospital, incorporated iconography from traditional folklore, such as caballeros and Madonnas, as well as images of tunnels and trains into
his arresting graphite drawings, filled with patterns of lines and shading.
Another luminary, Bill Traylor (1853–1949),
transcended his past as a slave in Alabama
with paintings of flat figures, animals, and colorful scenes on discarded poster paper or
cardboard.
The common and uncanny quality these
artists share lies in their ability to tell a story that
could touch any viewer — solid affirmation that
they are very much art insiders.

The Rebirth of the
Rodin Museum
The largest collection outside of Paris

W

hen the great Italian poet Dante
said, “A mighty flame follows a tiny
spark,” he couldn’t have imagined
just how much the mighty vision of
Auguste Rodin would catch fire.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RODIN MUSEUM

So inspiring were the 19th-century French
sculptor’s dramatic bronzes, marbles, and
plasters — including interpretations of Dante’s
Divine Comedy — that Philadelphia native
and theater magnate Jules Mastbaum amassed
the largest collection outside of Paris. In 1929,
as a gift to the city, the Rodin Museum
opened to showcase the collection on the
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, now in the heart
of the city’s museum district.
The Rodin Museum was the brainchild of
French architect Paul
Philippe Cret and landscape architect Jacques
Gréber. Cret designed a
Beaux-Arts structure,
and Gréber the surrounding gardens so
that visitors could enjoy
the sculptures inside
and out. That is, until
time and the elements
took their toll.
Last summer, following a three-year restoration, Rodin’s works were
displayed once again
when the museum
reopened. The Thinker
is situated in front of the
entry gate, overlooking
the Parkway, while

BY NANCY OAKLEY

Burghers of Calais
presides over the
east garden. Eve
and The Age of
Bronze occupy
their original
perches on the
building’s facade,
and in a stroke of
Divine Comedy inspiration, visitors encounter
the colossal bronze known as The Gates of
Hell at the entrance.
Inside, wall coverings, painted surfaces,
and ornamental architectural features are
restored to the vision of 1929. In the intimately scaled galleries that evoke the glory of
France is the full sweep of Rodin’s achievement, ranging from the imposing Balzac to
the sensual Eternal Springtime, celebrating
lovers in romantic embrace.

In the Main Gallery,
you’ll see Auguste
Rodin’s The Crouching
Woman (1925).

Rodin Museum
2151 Benjamin
Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA
215.763.8100
rodinmuseum.org

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The Art of
Adornment
Lagos Jewelry creates enduring pieces
of wearable art.
BY ELLIE BALDINI

E

legant, timeless, and striking.
All the marks of a beautiful
woman. But not just any woman
— a Lagos woman. The kind
deserving of Lagos jewelry.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAGOS

At least, that’s what Steven Lagos, founder and
inspirational force of Lagos Jewelry, has always
believed. As a young artist starting out in Philadelphia in 1977, Steven was inspired by what he
saw as one of the most personal forms of expression: jewelry. After 35 years of designing
countless collections, his vision has become a
reality. Today, Lagos is renowned for its handcrafted items and sophisticated design.
Every piece of Lagos jewelry is carefully

constructed, reflecting Steven’s commitment
to detail, love of fine art, and extensive travel.
Many pieces are titled with their own descriptive phrase, such as the signature Diamonds &
Caviar collection named for its stunning caviarlike beading, gemstones, diamonds, 18-karat
gold, and sterling silver. Newer creations, like

the bold and colorful Prism collection,
feature edgy details and geometric
designs that embody the essence of
a more modern sensibility. With
so much to choose from, Lagos
jewelry is a fit for any season or
occasion.
Every collection displays a
commitment to quality and
passion for the finest material,
clear indicators of the Lagos
brand. Most individual pieces
bear the emblematic crest, a
nod to Steven’s Greek heritage, engraved on the clasp.
Although Steven’s notoriety and work have expanded
greatly over the past several
decades, Lagos remains
closely linked to the city
of its origin. The flagship store,
for example, is located in Philadelphia’s tony
Rittenhouse Square, and while the Lagos
brand is found at independent jewelers and
fine retailers all over the country, the Philadelphia location remains a cornerstone of the
company.
Ever the artist, Steven continues to draw
inspiration from his home city. Elements of the
city appear in many of his designs, like in the
Embrace collection, which includes a subtle

depiction of Brancusi’s The Kiss, a treasure of
the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And within
the Heart of Lagos collection — pendants
designed around the most iconic landmarks of
American cities — the “Heart of Philadelphia”
piece remains a best seller.
As Lagos continues to flourish, Steven
remains the company’s main creative force.
His commitment to both quality and beauty
extends beyond his jewelry, too. Steven is a firm
believer in celebrating his community and is a
proud supporter of Autism Speaks. Today,
Lagos stands as a premier purveyor of stunning
jewelry, backed not only by the quality assurance of its pieces, but by the remarkable artistry
of its founder.

Clockwise from left:
bracelets from the
Prism collection;
Signature Caviar
bracelets; at work
in the studio; Lagos
storefront in Philadelphia; Steven Lagos

1735 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
877.588.2401
lagos.com

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The Curtis
Institute of
Music, seen
from Rittenhouse Square
Below: Lenfest
Hall, opened in
2011, doubled
the size of the
Curtis campus
and provides
state-of-the-art
learning
facilities and a
residence hall.

Tomorrow’s Legends

T

he stately mansion on Rittenhouse
Square is a local landmark. Here,
Philadelphians know they can visit
several nights a week to hear superb
classical music — for free.
The intimate Curtis Institute of Music, with an
international student body of 160, a faculty of
90 world-class musicians, and an outsize global
reputation, offers more than 100 recitals each
year. On any given night the performers, who
range in age from 12 to 28, may include the
next Hilary Hahn or Lang Lang — both are
among the conservatory’s long list of distinguished alumni. It’s an accepted fact that tomorrow’s musical legends are studying within
these walls today.

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Curtis students learn by doing, appearing
onstage starting in their earliest days at the
school. Those free recitals, with their frequently packed houses, typify a performance culture
that also produces dozens of tour appearances,
three orchestra concerts, four family programs,
and four fully staged operas each season.
“At Curtis I’ve been in more than 20 productions,” says bass-baritone Thomas Shivone,
22. “At another school, I would have been lucky
to have been in one by now. So I know how to
move on stage, how to work with an orchestra,
and how to work with a conductor.”
The result: Many students begin their
careers before they graduate. British pianist
Alexander Ullman, 21, who won critical praise
for his recent solo debut with the Philadelphia
Orchestra, notes that Curtis “has been very
accommodating of my concert schedule after
winning the Liszt Competition in Budapest.

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE FROM TOP) BY LEE MOSKOW, TOM CRANE (OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) BY DAVID SWANSON,
DAVID KATZENSTEIN, DANIEL MCDOUGALL, DAVID KATZENSTEIN

The Curtis Institute of Music trains the world’s
best young classical artists and delights
audiences around the globe.

Clockwise from top left: the
Curtis Opera Theatre’s Elegy
for Young Lovers; vocal
coaching with opera artistic
director Mikael Eliasen; the
Curtis Symphony Orchestra in
Dresden, Germany

Performing is what they are training us for, and
they try to support us in any way they can.”
Students like Ullman and Shivone are the
norm at this famously selective conservatory.
Curtis admits only 4 percent of applicants for
its tuition-free curriculum, ensuring a high
artistic standard. And the school’s impact is felt
not only in Philadelphia, but across the U.S.
and around the world as well. Within the past
year alone, the Curtis Symphony Orchestra
opened Germany’s prestigious Dresden Music
Festival, and the Curtis Opera Theatre has
earned critical praise for multiple productions
spanning centuries and musical styles. Meanwhile, Curtis On Tour travels around Europe
and the Americas throughout the season.
Curtis’s “learn by doing” philosophy now
extends beyond the stage, encompassing the
myriad skills that today’s young musicians must
hone to advance their art form. “There’s a lot

more required to be a successful artist than just
learning how to play and create music,” says
faculty member and Pulitzer Prize–winning
composer Jennifer Higdon, citing a “level and
breadth of instruction unique to Curtis.” Aided
by state-of-the-art facilities in Curtis’s brandnew Lenfest Hall — only a few steps down
Locust Street from the beloved main building
— students are producing classical-music
videos, bringing music into the community,
and engaging new audiences online around
the world. Curtis’s global impact is long established, but its young innovators are determined
to keep it fresh.
“They come in young and gifted,” says
Curtis president Roberto Díaz. “They leave
us ready to take music to every corner of the
world.” And audiences in Philadelphia are the
first to hear them grow — but certainly not
the last.

See the Philadelphia
performance schedule
at curtis.edu.
Find a Curtis On Tour
stop near you at
curtis.edu
/CurtisOnTour.

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Let’s Party Like It’s
1787 or 2150 or . . .
Take a trip through time with the Philadelphia
International Festival of the Arts.

M

ark your calendars for March 28
through April 27 for the Philadelphia International Festival of the
Arts, produced by the Kimmel
Center for the Performing Arts.
This year’s theme: “If you had a time machine
. . .,” with projects ranging from a Civil War–
themed cabaret to a family-friendly puppet show.
Participating artists produce dozens of world
premieres that reflect the festival’s core values of
collaboration, innovation, and creativity.
Throughout the monthlong event, artists
present works that explore specific moments in
time, from the serious and somber to the lighthearted and silly. More than 50 projects bring
something for art lovers of every generation.

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For example, film fans can travel to October
18, 1962, for the premiere of Dr. No during the
concert “Bond and Beyond.” Or go farther back
to October 20, 1936, for Harry Houdini’s final
performance in the play The Life and Death of
Harry Houdini.
Much of the festival takes place beneath the
Kimmel Center’s domed glass roof. A simulated
time machine in the expansive plaza allows
visitors to experience the idea of time travel. The
machine serves as the heartbeat of the festival,
drawing connections between visitors, historic
events, and moments in time. The Kimmel
Center’s plaza also features stages with free
programming of all varieties including twicenightly performances of original musicals.
Festival events take place in neighborhoods
throughout the city including Center City,
Fishtown, the Gayborhood, Northern Liberties, North Philly, University City, and more!

And it isn’t just local artists who collaborate
with the festival: Several big names are creating innovative works for the event including
Dan Deacon, Rufus Wainwright, Savion
Glover, and the Choir of King’s College,
Cambridge, one of the oldest choirs in the
world.
On April 27, the 31-day festival culminates
in a vibrant street fair when the Kimmel Center
will close a large section of South Broad Street
for an extravaganza capturing the magic and
mystery of the time-travel theme. Food vendors, artisans, and exhibitors will fill the street
while a variety of street performers, musicians,
and family-friendly programs entertain guests.
Tickets are on sale now for all Philadelphia
International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) events
at pifa.org. Where will you #TimeTravel2? Let
us know at facebook.com/PIFA.philly or on
Twitter at @pifaphilly.

Creative Partners
The Philadelphia International Festival of the
Arts (PIFA) features more than 30 cultural
partners including:
Choir of King’s College Cambridge
Philly Young Playwrights
■ Phantom Limb
■ Tribe of Fools
■ Azuka Theater and American Poetry
Review
■ Savion Glover
■ Rufus Wainwright
■ The Philadelphia Orchestra
■ EgoPo Classic Theater
■ Philadelphia Science Festival and the
Philadelphia Youth Orchestra
■ Jazz Bridge
■ National Museum of Jewish History
■ Network for New Music
■ Please Touch Museum
■ Singing City and the SC Children’s Choir
■ Taller Puertorriqueño
■ Wolf Performing Arts Center
■ Woodmere Art Museum
■
■

Clockwise from far
left: Commonwealth
Plaza, 2011 PIFA Street
Fair, Fly School Circus
Arts, The Bearded
Ladies Cabaret, PIFA
2013 Time Machine
construction

Kimmel Center
300 South Broad Street
215.790.5800
kimmelcenter.org

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A Singular Vision
The Barnes Foundation houses one of the most
impressive — and unique — art collections in the world.
BY BETH D’ADDONO

T

hanks to the enduring
artistic vision of Dr. Albert
C. Barnes, the Barnes Foundation offers a museum
experience like no other.

2025 Benjamin
Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
215.278.7000
barnesfoundation.org

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BARNES FOUNDATION

Above: Works are
grouped by unifying
concepts such as
color, light, line, and
space. Below: The
gallery sits on 4.5
landscaped acres in
Fairmount Park.

Rather than view art by its artistic movement or
era, a visitor might find a Renoir atop a Christian altarpiece, or a Picasso next to an African
ritual mask.
Dr. Barnes wanted his collection to help
demystify art for people from all walks of life. To
do this, he hung his art in “ensembles” that
highlighted concepts such as color, light, line,
and space, resulting in studies in harmonious
aesthetics. Another effect? The walls of the
Barnes Foundation are art in their own right.
Founded in 1922 by the pharmaceutical
entrepreneur and his wife, Laura Leggett, the
Barnes Foundation works to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of
the fine arts.” It fulfills its mission through public visitation and educational programs, and
remains one of the world’s greatest collections of
post-impressionist and early modern art, with a
jaw-dropping 69 Cézannes, 46 Picassos, 59

Matisses, 181 Renoirs, and scores of paintings by
Soutine, Rousseau, Monet, Degas, and van
Gogh. Old Master paintings, sculpture, metalwork, Native American, and African art round
out the stunning body of work.
Now open six days a week in the heart of
Philadelphia’s cultural corridor, the Barnes
collection is housed in an intimate gallery
bathed in natural light. The modern building
sits on 4.5 acres of beautifully landscaped
grounds in Fairmount Park along the Parkway’s
museum row. In order to protect the collection
and prevent overcrowding, tickets are timed, and
advance reservations are strongly recommended.
The Barnes Foundation offers a wonderful
opportunity to experience world-class art in a
new way. As Dr. Barnes once said, “Living with
and studying good paintings offers greater interest, variety, and satisfaction than any other
pleasure known to man.”

Gateway to
the Arts

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists shares
three decades of artistic excellence.

A

mid the cheesesteaks and soft pretzels, Founding Fathers and football,
visitors will find one of the bestkept secrets that Philly has to
offer: contemporary visual arts.

PHOTOS (FROM LEFT) COURTESY OF JURGITA CENKUTE AND THE CENTER FOR EMERGING VISUAL ARTISTS

Located in Rittenhouse Square, the Center for
Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) has been the
gateway for visual art’s up-and-coming talent
since 1983. Founded by visionary Felicity R.
“Bebe” Benoliel, CFEVA is the go-to destination for the best visual arts in the Philadelphia
region.
Visitors will find awe-inspiring exhibitions
featuring drawing, sculpture, photography,
painting, and works on paper. Beyond the gallery, the center educates its visitors. Here, you
can learn about local arts programming, connect with an artist for a commission or special

project, bring an exhibition
to your space, or create customized art-based programming. CFEVA also supplies
everything there is to know
about starting your own art
collection.
Where better to start
hunting for your collection
than in the artist’s studio? This October, the
Philadelphia Open Studios Tour (POST) —
the largest festival of visual arts in Philadelphia
— offers a firsthand experience to watch the
pros in action as they create all kinds of artwork
in their local studios. There’s even an opportunity to engage in hands-on activities such as
demonstrations, artist talks, and workshops.
Expect a big crowd; more than 35,000 people
turn out for this unique event that involves
more than a dozen neighborhoods and 300
artists, transforming Philadelphia into one
giant, colorful canvas.

BY SARAH
FAUSER

Center for
Emerging
Visual Artists
237 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.546.7775
cfeva.org
Gallery: Monday–Friday
11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Philadelphia Open
Studio Tours
East of Broad Street:
October 5–6
West of Broad Street:
October 19–20
philaopenstudios.org

From left: Krim
Djennas in his West
Philadelphia studio;
Beauty Revisited
installation by
Laureen Griffin

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Triple Pleasure

James A. Michener
Art Museum

Mercer Museum

Fonthill Castle

The museums of Doylestown serve up
some very special collections.

Fonthill Castle
525 East Court Street
Doylestown, PA
215.348.9461
mercermuseum.org

138 South Pine Street
Doylestown, PA
215.340.9800
michenermuseum.org

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H

You’re definitely in Doylestown.
Just 45 minutes north of Philadelphia, this
scenic Bucks County town is home to three
notable museums — the Mercer Museum,
Fonthill Castle, and the James A. Michener
Art Museum — all within walking distance of
Doylestown’s popular shops and restaurants.
(Plus: convenient access to public transportation
and ample free parking!)
Spend a day exploring the Mercer Museum’s
vast collection of everyday objects. You’ll find
early American artifacts — from clock-making
tools to a Conestoga wagon — every place you
look. The museum also hosts changing exhibi-

usairwaysmag.com

tions, such as Turning
Points: Civil War, 1863–
1864 coming this spring.
Continue your tour at
Fonthill Castle. The former
home of Mercer Museum
founder Henry Mercer, it’s
filled with arts-and-craftsstyle tiles, prints, and other
unique objects from around the world.
At the James A. Michener Art Museum, a
former prison turned art museum celebrating its
25th anniversary, discover a world-class collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and
an enviable schedule of changing exhibits; for
example, Grace Kelly takes the stage this fall.
The Philly native got her start at the nearby
Bucks County Playhouse. With unprecedented
access to her collections, the interactive exhibit
on the life of Grace Kelly will go behind the
scenes of the amazing fairy tale, from Pennsylvania actress to Princess of Monaco (October 31–
January 26).

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MERCER MUSEUM/JEFFREY TOTARO; COURTESY OF JAMES A.
MICHENER ART MUSEUM; COURTESY OF THE MERCER MUSEUM/2DAYSPHOTOS.COM

Mercer Museum
84 South Pine Street
Doylestown, PA
215.345.0210

undreds of beautiful Persian,
Dutch, Chinese, and Spanish
tiles, an antique fire engine suspended in midair, and dresses
from the closet of Grace Kelly?

Beauty, Color,
Composition
Be inspired by Pre-Raphaelite and American art
at the Delaware Art Museum.
BY MARTHA-PAGE ALTHAUS

J

ust 20 minutes from Philadelphia
International Airport, you’ll find
the largest collection of PreRaphaelite art outside of the
United Kingdom.

As you browse the galleries at the Delaware Art
Museum, you’ll uncover even more treasures.
The museum’s Bancroft Collection of
Pre-Raphaelite art includes more than 150
paintings, drawings, photographs, decorative
arts, and illustrated books. The Pre-Raphaelite
movement began in the late 1840s, when a
group of painters distanced themselves from
the fundamentals of Victorian-era art. Instead,
they focused on images of beauty (often women) in which color, compositional balance, and
harmony took precedence over narrative.
Notable Pre-Raphaelite works include oil
paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti — one of
the movement’s leaders — such as La Bella
Mano, Found, and Lady Lilith.
The museum, which celebrated its centennial last year, also has hundreds of works by

Delaware native Howard Pyle.
Known as the father of American illustration, Pyle illustrated pieces for Mark Twain,
Robert Louis Stevenson, and
Oliver Wendell Holmes. And
Pyle’s legacy lives on; his iconic pirate pictures served as
inspiration for the Pirates of
the Caribbean movies. The museum features a
variety of rotating special exhibitions throughout
the year. Be sure to visit State of the Art: Illustration 100 Years After Howard Pyle, on view
through June.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a vast collection of
American art, including works by Edward
Hopper, Dale Chihuly, and Winslow Homer.
There’s lots to see outside, too. Stroll the
beautiful nine-acre Copeland Sculpture Garden
to enjoy Tom Otterness’s 13-foot
bronze, Crying
Giant, and George
Rickey’s gravitydefying Three Rectangles Horizontal
Jointed Gyratory III.

Below, left to right:
a visitor looks at
Marooned (1909) by
Howard Pyle; Lady
Lilith (1866–68) by
Dante Gabriel Rossetti

2301 Kentmere
Parkway
Wilmington, DE
302.571.9590
delart.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DELAWARE ART MUSEUM

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105

Cultural
Asset
InLiquid connects
artists with art lovers
throughout the city.

I

f you paid attention in science
class, you might remember
that one property of liquid is
its ability to take the shape
of any container.

InLiquid
1400 North American
Street #314
Philadelphia, PA
215.235.3405
inliquid.org

And if you’re
familiar with
the local arts
scene, you’ll
know that one
property of
InLiquid is
its ability to
shape the visual arts to any neighborhood
in Philadelphia.
The membership-based nonprofit has been
working diligently since its founding 13 years
ago to make art happen anywhere. With yearround exhibitions on the web and in spaces
like the Crane Arts Building in Kensington,
the Painted Bride Art Center in Old City, and

the International House in University City,
InLiquid connects artists with art lovers at
every tip of the compass point.
The group’s website features the artwork
of more than 270 artist members and acts as a
hub for local arts listings, with an events calendar covering exhibition openings, workshops,
panel discussions, independent film screenings, and more. Resources for artists include
exhibition calls, job listings, and internship
opportunities, while the newsletter provides
the best listings for First Friday events and
includes the most comprehensive coverage of
citywide events.
Whether you’re looking for cultural diversions to fill up your calendar on the weekends,
or you need to find an artist for your next
exhibition, business, home, or space, InLiquid
is your source for visual arts in Philadelphia.
New to the city or new to the arts? Let
InLiquid.org be your virtual guide.

From top:
The Superhero,
2008 by Henry
Bermudez and
What are you
afraid of?,
2005 by
Darla Jackson

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Opera That Moves
International Opera Theater drives a classic art
form into a bold new era.

I

nternational Opera Theater (IOT),
a nimble global company with a
passionate, interdisciplinary
approach, is moving audiences
in Philadelphia and beyond.

PHOTO BY ORNELLA TIBERI

Carlo Pedini’s Jago
makes its U.S.
premiere May 30, 31,
and June 1 at the
Media Theatre,
Philadelphia.

With bases in Philadelphia and Italy, partners
from the Festival of Culture in Bergamo to the
Philadelphia Orchestra, artists from 36 cultures,
sustainable costumes, kinetic art sets, selfdiscovery educational programs, and ten world
premieres, IOT has made a name for itself in
just a decade. Launched in 2003, IOT is the
brainchild of founder and stage director Karen
Saillant, a classical soprano who trained and
performed in Italy. “I always believed opera
singers could be more spontaneous,” she says.
After 16 months caring for her coma-stricken
husband, she knew that a profound form of
communication was possible. Like the Florentine Camerata, she sees opera as a powerful
force for transformation. “I want goose bumps,”
she laughs. “And we are fearless in their pursuit.”
IOT’s Italian music director, Gianmaria
Griglio, agrees: “Each performance is unique: a
combination of emotion flowing through the
audience, the stage, and the pit.”
In May, audiences will experience that passion with the U.S. premiere of Jago, sequel to
Verdi’s Otello, based on an original story by
Saillant and in celebration of Verdi’s bicentennial. In August in Rome, Como, and Citta’ della
Pieve, and in October for Global Philadelphia
with the Alliance Française, is Griglio’s opera,
Camille Claudel, based on the life of the great
French sculptor, paramour of Rodin.
“Making art is the same as falling in love,”
Griglio says. “You can’t control it or plan it. You
just feel it.” His analogy, says Saillant, is the
ultimate metaphor for all IOT projects: “Everything we do is like falling in love.”

CSC promotes social entrepreneurship by
funding nonprofits like IOT. We build
community by helping those who help others.
csc-centers.com

International Opera Theater
1315 Walnut Street, Suite 320
Philadelphia, PA
internationaloperatheater.org

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Sweet Land of Liberty
The National Liberty Museum praises
America’s heroes.
BY MARTHA-PAGE ALTHAUS

W

hat does liberty mean, and
how do we keep it strong?
The National Liberty
Museum explores these
questions, and more.

National Liberty
Museum
321 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.925.2800
libertymuseum.org

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MARCH 2013

Located in the heart of historic Philadelphia
along the Liberty Trail, the museum celebrates
more than 2,000 heroes. Imagining superheroes? Think again. This one-of-a-kind museum honors both historic and contemporary
heroes and shows how everyday citizens can
make a difference.
Eight interactive galleries include the Let
Freedom Ring exhibit, paying tribute to outstanding Americans of the 20th century; the
Coming to America gallery examines why men
and women immigrated to this country and
the success of the generations that followed. In

usairwaysmag.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL LIBERTY MUSEUM

From left: the 21-foot
Flame of Liberty glass
sculpture; young
visitors at the museum

Lenfest Liberty Hall, see original presidential
china and check out a film about the Medal of
Honor and other Awards of Valor. The Voyage
to Liberty Through Faith exhibit celebrates
America’s religious freedom through stainedglass images and oil paintings. And in the center of the museum, the three-story Heroes of
9/11 memorial features video and photographs
of the heroes that emerged from that day.
Many visitors call the National Liberty
Museum a “hidden gem” in the city, and it’s
easy to see why. Along with the interactive
exhibits, you’ll find more than 100 pieces of
contemporary glass art around the museum.
“Freedom, like glass, is beautiful and strong
but fragile as well,” says Gwen Borowsky, the
museum’s CEO.
In fact, the museum boasts one of the
world’s largest and most important collections
of glass sculptures. A highlight of the collection
is Dale Chihuly’s 21-foot Flame of Liberty,
made of curling red glass tendrils.

Campus Tour
The University of Pennsylvania is a must
on any Philadelphia itinerary.
BY NANCY OAKLEY

W

hen you think of quintessential
Philadelphia, cheesesteaks and
the Liberty Bell come to mind.
But if you think that’s all, it’s time
to add a new stop on your city tour.

Head across the Schuylkill River to University
City and its beating heart, the University of
Pennsylvania. You don’t have to enroll to appreciate the Ivy League school’s lush, 300-acre
campus, filled with a variety of architecture
— from the Victorian-era Venetian Gothic fine
arts library to Louis Kahn’s Richards Medical
Building — and dotted with public artwork such
as the iconic Love sculpture and Claes Oldenburg’s 5,000 pound Split Button. And don’t

forget to give a nod to
Penn founder Benjamin Franklin, who
surveys the scene from
a couple of perches.
Speaking of scene,
be sure to check out
the surrounding
neighborhood, where
you can dine on everything from Pan-Asian at
Pod to locally sourced American fare at the
White Dog Cafe, or — need we say more? —
Artisserie Chocolate (go for the Oreo tart). You
can also browse bookstores and shops, and
people-watch at University Square (36th and
Walnut). All these activities complement the
most enriching way to enjoy the campus: the
Arts at Penn, an array of museum and gallery
exhibitions, dance, music, and theater.

PHOTO BY SCOTT SPITZER

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109

This 3,200-year-old
red-granite Sphinx resides in
the Penn Museum’s lower
Egyptian Gallery.

Installation view of An American
Odyssey: The Warner Collection
of American Art, Fall 2011

A standing ovation
at the Annenberg
Center

World Cultures
Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and
Romans are just a few of the ancient civilizations represented at the venerable Penn
Museum. The dynamic archaeology and
anthropology museum, founded in 1887, is
a world-renowned leader in anthropological
research, and with more than one million objects in its collection, you can literally stroll
through the various time periods of antiquity.
Eye the magnificent Sphinx in the Egyptian
gallery — one of the nation’s largest collections
of ancient Egyptian art and architecture — or
chat with a conservator of mummies before
venturing on to Nigerian bronzes, Greek vases,
or treasures from Iraq’s Royal Tombs of Ur. A
must-see before it leaves for the Louvre in Paris
this May: Unearthing a Masterpiece: A Roman
Mosaic from Lod, Israel, a beautifully preserved
floor mosaic excavated in 2009.
Center of Attention
Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Ladysmith Black
Mambazo, Zydeco A-Go-Go, Les Ballets Jazz
de Montréal, A Winter’s Tale, Soweto Gospel
Choir, Christian McBride. These acts are just
the tip of the iceberg — or Annenberg, as in
the Annenberg Center — of more than 40
years of performances. Founded with a

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PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) BY LAUREN HANSEN-FLASCHEN, J.KATZ, ELISE WRABETZ, GREGORY TOBIAS

mission to “transform lives” through the power
of culturally diverse, thought-provoking, and
innovative performing art, the Annenberg
Center’s reach has exceeded its grasp, offering
more than 60 performances a season.
This year’s selections have already seen a
return of Pilobolus and the debut of Indian
bhangra brass group Red Baraat, with Parsons
Dance, Irish fiddler Natalie MacMaster, and
vocalist Jane Monheit on tap this month. But
Annenberg Center’s gift that keeps on giving is
the Philadelphia International Children’s Festival, a blend of theater, dance, and music for
rising generations of aspiring performers.

the South Dakota Native American tribe; La
Tauromaquia: Carnicero, Goya, and Picasso
(April 19–July 28), an exhibition of 75 prints
that reveal founder Arthur Ross’s passion for
the medium; and Auguste Rodin: Figures
(August 18–December 15).

A Room with a View
Make that worldview. From a single gallery
tucked inside Penn’s Fisher Fine Arts Library
building, the Arthur Ross Gallery manages to
bring global exhibitions and create citywide
partnerships and outreach programs that touch
not only the university’s students, faculty, and
staff, but also the broader community. Or, as
director and university curator Lynn MarsdenAtlass put it, “While the Arthur Ross Gallery’s
footprint may be small, our impact on campus
and throughout Philadelphia is big.”
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the gallery
continues in the same vein with three special
exhibitions: Creating: Quilts of the Lakota
(through April 7), which showcases 20thcentury quilts and 19th-century artifacts from

Our Time
No place has its finger on the pulse of current
art trends like Penn’s Institute of Contemporary
Art (ICA). Consider its track record highlighting once unknown or under-recognized artists
such as Andy Warhol, Laurie Anderson, Robert
Mapplethorpe, and Agnes Martin.
Now entering its 50th year this fall, the
non-collecting museum has welcomed some
25,000 visitors annually, thanks to its cuttingedge exhibitions, or as New York Times art critic
Roberta Smith described them, “the most
adventuresome showcases in the country.” ICA
also presents free lectures, artist talks, screenings, and performances. Ongoing this month is
White Petals Surround Your Yellow Heart, while
an installation by Karla Black gears up for April.

The most enriching way to
enjoy campus: the Arts at
Penn, an array of museum
and gallery exhibitions,
dance, music, and theater.

Penn Museum
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.898.4000
penn.museum

Annenberg
Center for the
Performing Arts
3680 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.898.3900
AnnenbergCenter.org

Arthur Ross
Gallery
220 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.898.2083
upenn.edu/ARG

Institute of
Contemporary
Art
118 South 36th Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.898.5911
icaphila.org

ICA’s exhibition
walk-through of Sheila
Hicks: 50 Years, the
first major retrospective of the artist’s
work on view at ICA in
2011. Sheila Hicks, May
I Have This Dance?,
(2002–03).

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Let Opera Discover You
Opera Philadelphia brings new works to the stage
and the streets.
BY NANCY OAKLEY

Above: a scene from
The Magic Flute
Below: the audience
at Opera on the Mall

1420 Locust Street
Suite 210
Philadelphia, PA
215.893.3600
operaphila.org

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MARCH 2013

Audiences can experience new, cutting-edge
operatic works on both the stage and the streets
in the City of Brotherly Love.
April 19–28, Opera Philadelphia presents
Mozart’s dazzling masterpiece The Magic Flute
at the spectacular Academy of Music. The more
intimate Perelman Theater hosts Powder Her
Face, a bawdy work by composer Thomas Adès,
June 7–16.
Opera Philadelphia is also taking culture
outdoors. “Opera can discover you right where
you are,” says general director and president
David B. Devan. “We are committed to bringing opera into our city via surprise pop-up performances in iconic Philadelphia locations.”
Another outdoor favorite is the annual HD
broadcast of opening night. This year, a large

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audience on Independence Mall will be treated
to a free screening of Verdi’s Nabucco on
September 28.
The company’s American Repertoire
Program has multiple new operas under
commission by American composers, including
Ricky Ian Gordon’s A Coffin in Egypt. This
one-woman show, opening June 2014, will star
one of the music world’s most-beloved figures,
mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. Future
plans also include new operas based on the life
of Oscar Wilde and the novel Cold Mountain, as
well as a coproduction of Salome with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Verizon Hall. Inside and
out, Opera Philadelphia continues to connect
with audiences in new and powerful ways.

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY GARY BEECHEY FOR CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY AND COURTESY OF OPERA PHILADELPHIA

O

pera Philadelphia believes
that soaring music and
exciting productions don’t
have to be tethered to a
performance hall.

Old is New
Explore the booming arts scene in
Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood.

I

n one gallery, a photographer renders the world in
abstract, with images of
cityscapes that are both
familiar and not.

Another gallery glows with vibrant hues, a
collection of artists’ tributes to the inescapable
neon signs of the city’s bars. A third devotes its
space to an exhibit on freedom of speech.
At Bird Park, visitors marvel at a pop-up
sculpture garden; a hotel hangs paintings that
are a study of spheres; and the lobby of a local
theater is the stage for A Play, A Pint and A Pie,
a comedy served up with pizza and beer.
This is just a taste of First Friday Weekend
in Old City, an ever-evolving (and free!) exhibi-

tion of the neighborhood’s vibrant arts scene
that has become one of Philadelphia’s must-see
(and -do) events.
In 1991, the Old City Arts Association
launched First Friday to introduce Philadelphia to the neighborhood and the artists who
occupy the lofts in this former industrial area.
More than 20 years later, Old City’s 40-plus art,
boutique, and design galleries continue to
open their doors to art aficionados and curious
newbies alike on the first Friday of each
month. After the galleries close, the area’s restaurant scene becomes the main attraction.
And Old City has become a nationally
recognized arts destination — every other day
of the week too. This year the popular, walkable neighborhood was named one of the
country’s Top Twelve ArtPlaces by the ArtPlace
Foundation for its mix of artists and art supporters and independent shops and restaurants.

BY NICOLE ALPER

Learn more about
what to see, eat, and
do in the Old City
neighborhood at
oldcitydistrict.org.

Clockwise: Old City
sampler — La Locanda
Del Ghiottone,
Sugarcube, and
The Center for
Art in Wood

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OLD CITY ARTS ASSOCIATION

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Antiques and Art
for the Heart
2013 show benefits Penn Medicine.

Engraved coffeepot
by William Will
(1764–1798) to be
featured in the show’s
loan exhibit, Pewter:
The Philadelphia Story

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This year, their purchases will also help hearts.
Proceeds from the event, “The Philadelphia
Antiques Show: Antiques & Art, 17th through
20th centuries” (April 13–15), will help create
state-of-the-art resuscitation rooms at Penn Medicine — the show’s 2013 beneficiary.
“We’ve expanded this year,” says show chair
Katharine Eyre. “In addition to traditional
American and English furniture, folk art, textiles, glass, silver, jewelry, lighting, ceramics, and
paintings, patrons will find materials to complement contemporary homes.”
Ten new dealers have been added, along
with a series of compelling panels and presenta-

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tions by noted collectors, designers, and experts
in the museum field.
“We’re grateful to the show,” says Penn Medicine CEO Ralph Muller. “People come from all
around to attend and have a wonderful time
looking at antiques and art. They’ll help us
provide medical care for the people of Pennsylvania and beyond. [A new resuscitative science
center] will truly make a difference between life
and death for many patients.”

The Pennsylvania Convention Center, Hall F
Entrance at 12th & Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA
610.902.2109
ThePhiladelphiaAntiquesShow.org

Penn Medicine
University of Pennsylvania Health System
For general information: 800.789.7366 (PENN)
pennmedicine.org

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY C.L. PRICKETT AND COURTESY OF DR. AND MRS. MELVIN WOLF

W

hen the Philadelphia Antiques
Show opens in April, patrons
will find the exceptional decor
they expect from one of the most
prominent shows in the U.S.

BY LYNN COULTER

Celebration Dance
Pennsylvania Ballet commemorates 50 years
with a new center and a stunning season.

W

ith the relaunch of its affiliated dance school and the
emergence of its new home,
Pennsylvania Ballet will soon
celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The highly anticipated season — October 2013
through June 2014 — features diverse works
from the company’s acclaimed classical and
contemporary repertoire.
Founded in 1963 by Barbara Weisberger, a
protégé of legendary choreographer George
Balanchine, Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the
premier dance companies in the U.S. Last fall,
it returned to its roots as a renowned training
institution with the rebirth of its affiliate, the
School of Pennsylvania Ballet.

The reopening of the
school — where future
professional dancers and
area dance students train
in the company’s nuanced style — is just one
pillar of the current $25
million capital campaign,
Building Beyond 50.
The first of this three-phase construction
project on Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts
includes four halls for professional dancers and
practicing students. A second phase adds a large
fifth studio with a guest viewing gallery, and the
final phase renovates an existing building for
administrative offices, meeting space, and other
needs. The campaign also aims to raise funds
for key artistic initiatives and working capital.
Subscriptions to the 2013–14 season go on
sale this spring at paballet.org. As its exciting
golden anniversary season draws near, Pennsylvania Ballet continues to shine as one of the
city’s leading cultural institutions.

BY LYNN COULTER

323 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.551.7000
paballet.org

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) BY ALEXANDER IZILIAEV (2), ERDY MCHENRY ARCHITECTURE

Principal instructor
Arantxa Ochoa with
students, dancers in
The Vertiginous Thrill
of Exactitude,
rendering of the
Louise Reed Center
for Dance

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Union Fans
Do the Doop
Philadelphia’s major league ranks grow
to include the Union soccer team.

BY BETH D’ADDONO

D

o you Doop? If you’re a fan of
the Philadelphia Union, which
joined Major League Soccer in
2010, then you know just what
we’re talking about.

Above: PPL Park lights
up for an evening
game.
Right: Sons of Ben
during game

PPL Park
1 Stadium Drive
Chester, PA
610.859.3100
philadelphiaunion.com

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PHOTOS BY GREG CARROCCIO FOR SIDELINE PHOTOS

Philadelphia
Union

It may be the best sports celebration mantra
ever: a cheesy Europop anthem chanted by
nearly 19,000 rabid fans each time the Union
scores. Thanks to a talented roster of professionals, that’s often during the 90 minutes of
nonstop play.
On March 2, the team opens its fourth
season at home. For a club born against all
odds, it’s yet another milestone of success.
Philly wasn’t represented when Major
League Soccer kicked off in 1996. Ten long
years later, the city was still without a team.
Finally, a small group of die-hard soccer fans
took matters into their own hands, forming a
fan club for a team that didn’t exist. Named
after the most famous Philadelphian, Benjamin
Franklin, they called themselves the Sons of

Ben. Like its namesake, the group was determined — they had to bring professional soccer
to Philadelphia.
This groundswell of support impressed
CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz to
start a movement that would change the soccer
landscape in Philadelphia. With its home, the
state-of-the-art PPL Park, in Chester, support
for the Union also benefits the community.
From its logo, an image of 13 stars and Ben
Franklin’s snake drawing, to its blue and gold
colors of the city of Philadelphia, the Union
draws on Philadelphia’s rich past and is fast
becoming a part of its vibrant future.
Now that’s something to Doop about.

The Green Team
Philly’s beloved Eagles
are more than just an NFL squad.
s your plane begins its
descent into the Philly
airport, peek out the
window at Lincoln
Financial Field.
The unmistakable oval stadium, just a few
miles from the airport in South Philly, is the
home of the green-shirted Philadelphia Eagles
football team — and the one of the greenest
sports facilities in the world.
From the air, you’ll easily spot the newest
project in the franchise’s decade-old environmental efforts: Fourteen micro wind turbines
perched atop the north and south rims of the
stadium, and 11,000 solar panels stretching
along the stadium’s south facade, down 11th
Street, and flanking the parking lots. The turbines and solar panels are designed to produce
six times the amount of energy used during a
season’s worth of Eagles home games — and

also inspire fans to make environmentally
friendly choices.
The Eagles launched the Go Green! initiative in 2003, when “The Linc” opened, putting
in place greening policies within the organization. The results are evident at the NovaCare
Complex (the team’s training center) and at the
stadium, where all the paper products are made
of recycled materials, cooking grease is converted to biodiesel, and beer cups are made
of compostable corn.
Even when on the road, the team takes its
environmental commitment seriously, choosing travel partners with similar environmental
priorities, including using eco-friendly
products and recycling waste, and
planting trees to offset the carbon
footprint of their travel. A six-anda-half-acre forest now thrives in
To learn more about
Neshaminy State Park in nearby
the team’s Go Green!
Bucks County.
initiative, visit
philadelphiaeagles
As signs throughout the stadium
.com/community
remind fans: Green is more than just
/gogreen.
the color of the football team’s jerseys.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Lincoln Financial Field
is one of the greenest
sports facilities in the
world (note the wind
turbines at left).

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Artistic
Legacy
Glimpse the South of France in the art
and architecture of the Brandywine Valley.

BY BETH
D’ADDONO

118

MARCH 2013

Welcome to the Brandywine Valley, rolling
countryside that feels like the South of
France, just 30 short miles from downtown
Philadelphia.
These green, rolling hills, etched by the
meandering Brandywine River, have inspired
visionaries, artists, and captains of industry.
Here, two iconic families — the duPonts
and the Wyeths — have shaped what you’ll
see, touch, and experience in the Brandywine
Valley.

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Nemours Mansion and Gardens
A visit to Nemours Mansion and Gardens offers
a window on the past.
Intellectual, artisan, and adviser to the king
of France, Pierre Samuel duPont de Nemours
found himself in the position of defending
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the
French Revolution. Amid the political unrest,
duPont fled with his family to America. At the
urging of his friend Thomas Jefferson, he settled in the Brandywine Valley, eventually
founding a gunpowder works with his son, the
beginnings of what would become the international duPont Company.
A century later, his great-great-grandson
Alfred I. duPont built a chateau in Wilmington
for his wife Alicia and called it Nemours, in
homage to his family roots. Inspired by the
palace of Versailles, the 47,000-square-foot
Nemours Mansion was designed by architects

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT) COURTESY OF NEMOURS MANSION AND GARDENS (3)
AND CHESTER COUNTY CONFERENCE AND VISITORS BUREAU

S

tart with the legacy of an aristocratic
French family. Add world-class gardens,
wineries, dining, and museums, and you
have the je ne sais quoi guaranteed to
transport you to a happy place.

Above: captions

Carrere and Hastings and completed in 1910.
Take a guided tour of the French neoclassical manor and formal gardens and learn about
the daily life of the duPont family. Nemours
Mansion is filled with more than 100,000
works of art, porcelain, tapestries, and sculpture. You’ll see important pieces by Remington, Turner, Lawrence, Peale, and Stuart.
Highlights include a clock commissioned by
Marie Antoinette and a spectacular chandelier
once owned by the Marquis de Lafayette.
Then, start your stroll of the Nemours Gardens at the gold-leafed Henri Crenier statue,
aptly named Achievement. The estate is committed to preserving the formal garden’s original design, so you’ll see the property through
the eyes of Alfred and Alicia. With its reflecting
pool and sculptures, the French glory of
Nemours remains a fitting crown for the legacy
of Alfred duPont. nemoursmansion.org

Brandywine River Museum
The Brandywine River Museum’s collection
includes paintings by one of the first families
of American art. Three generations of Wyeth
artists are featured in the museum, along with
hundreds of other artists. N. C. Wyeth, his son
Andrew, and Andrew’s son Jamie all lived and
painted in Chadds Ford.
The Brandywine Valley has beckoned artists
for decades, beginning with the Hudson River
School painters. Here in a 19th-century gristmill converted into a museum with a dramatic
glass and steel addition, you’ll find a renowned
collection of American art and illustration.
“As a visitor, your experience is remarkably
layered,” says museum director Thomas Padon.
“There are landscape paintings in the collection for which the scenery has remained the
same and is visible through the museum’s glass
walls overlooking the Brandywine River. Visits

Clockwise from far
left: Nemours’s Grand
Vista; the Henri
Crenier statue
Achievement;
Nemours Mansion and
Gardens retains much
of the original design;
Brandywine Valley’s
wine country

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484.770.8550
brandywinevalley.com

Top: Andrew Wyeth’s Ides of
March (1974)
Bottom: William T. Richards’s The
Valley of the Brandywine (1886–87)

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artist’s creative approach.
Padon suggests first touring the galleries to
get a sense of the 19th- and 20th-century art
from the region, including work by Horace
Pippin and Howard Pyle. Then visit the two
studios and farm, all of which can be done in
one day, depending on your pace.
“There’s a powerful sense of being as one
with the land,” Padon says. “It is just a remarkable place.” brandywinemuseum.org
Longwood Gardens
A riot of blooms awaits year-round at Longwood Gardens, a dramatic ode to nature imagined and executed by Pierre S. duPont in 1906.
One of the world’s great gardens, Longwood
encompasses 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, meadows, and fountains, as well as a
four-acre conservatory. Situated on a working
arboretum deeded by William Penn in 1700,
Longwood Gardens is yet another facet of the
duPont legacy.
Pierre duPont’s frequent trips to Europe
helped inspire Longwood’s design. For example,
the Villa Gori near Siena influenced the garden’s Open Air Theatre, while the 17th-century
Villa Gamberaia near Florence suggested
Longwood’s 600-jet Italian Water Garden. In
1921, duPont installed the 10,010-pipe Longwood Organ, among the world’s largest concert
organs and soon to be the centerpiece of the

(FROM TOP) IDES OF MARCH, 1974 TEMPERA, © ANDREW WYETH. COLLECTION OF MR. AND MRS. FRANK E. FOWLER; THE VALLEY OF THE BRANDYWINE, CHESTER
COUNTY (SEPTEMBER [?]), 1886-87 OIL ON CANVAS, © WILLIAM T. RICHARDS (1833-1905), COLLECTION BRANDYWINE RIVER MUSEUM

Above: captions

to the artists’ studios and Kuerner Farm, which
inspired hundreds of works of art by Andrew
Wyeth, provide access to these places of great
inspiration.”
In the exhibition Andrew Wyeth’s “Ides of
March”: The Making of a Masterpiece, you’ll see
this tempera painting along with more than 30
studies done for it, and gain insight into the

Longwood’s grand
Meadow
Below: the four-acre
Conservatory

PHOTOS BY LARRY ALBEE

first annual International Organ Competition
in June.
“Our founder, Pierre S. duPont, believed
the performing arts were an important part of
the gardens experience,” says director Paul B.
Redman. “It is a tradition we continue today.”
Since Pierre duPont first welcomed his friend
John Philip Sousa to the Conservatory Gardens
in 1922, Longwood has hosted artists including
Martha Graham, Van Cliburn Medalists, Symphony Orchestras, Grammy winners, and more.
This year, Longwood celebrates Pierre
duPont’s commitment to botanical education
with ongoing opportunities for visitors to “Go
Beyond the Garden Gates” and experience the
behind-the-scenes workings of the gardens, a
place of beauty that inspires at every turn.
longwoodgardens.org
There’s so much more to see and do in
Brandywine Valley, where you can celebrate
life’s pleasures every day of the year. Here in
the Brandywine Valley, every visit is truly a tour
de force. brandywinevalley.com
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Flower
Power
Longwood Gardens’
blooms delight visitors
year-round.

P

ierre du Pont didn’t have a
plan when he started tending the land that would one
day become the magnificent Longwood Gardens.

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PHOTOS (FROM LEFT) BY DANIEL TRAUB (1) AND LARRY ALBEE (4)

In the early 20th century, this slice of the Brandywine Valley was already known as one of the
most notable collections of trees in the country
and one of its first public parks. Du Pont bought
the land to preserve the trees, and then he got to
work.
First, du Pont built a flower-garden walk, a
long bricked path through a cottage-style garden
— the site of many of du Pont’s summer parties.
Next, he added the Open Air Theatre, complete
with a secret fountain, combining du Pont’s love
of gardening and his fascination with new technology. Later came the enormous Main Fountain Garden, shooting 10,000 gallons of water
130 feet into the air.

Today, more than one million people come
to du Pont’s gardens each year, where they still
marvel at his dramatic five-acre fountain garden,
flanked with carefully shaped maple hedges.
The conservatory is home to 20 indoor gardens
and 5,500 types of plants and, in the winter, an
extravaganza of nearly 5,000 orchids. The Open
Air Theatre (Kentucky coffee trees and Canadian hemlocks are the backdrop) hosts a colorful
calendar of concerts and plays. And the bricks of
du Pont’s original Flower Garden Walk lead
visitors through a vibrant array of lavenders and
blues, pinks and yellows.
The 1,077 acres — from the woodlands, to
the meadows, to the conservatory and du Pont’s
historic home — bloom all year.
In the winter, Longwood Gardens celebrates
the Orchid Extravaganza (through March 24).
Then Spring Blooms, inside and outside, with
tulips and dogwoods, wisteria and snapdragons,
azaleas and lilacs (March 29–May 19). Summer
brings the Festival of Fountains with fireworks
and elaborate water displays, and a chance to
highlight Longwood’s 100 types of water lilies

and other aquatic plants. During Autumn’s
Colors fall foliage is the main attraction, and the
conservatory hosts the Chrysanthemum Festival.
The Chrysanthemum Festival features a
single chrysanthemum with more than 1,000
perfect blooms (October 26–November 24). The
Autumn’s Colors display, which includes the
Mum Festival, runs September 7–November 24.
Christmas is as colorful and abundant as any
season at Longwood with thousands of poinsettias and cheery carolers (November 28–January
12). Longwood offers a calendar of classes for
would-be gardeners of all ages and experience.

The gardens are constantly evolving, and
much has changed at Longwood Gardens since
the days of du Pont. The famed Longwood
Organ, a 10,010-pipe instrument installed in
1930, completed an extensive restoration in
2011. Road reconstruction is underway to
enlarge the meadow and create boardwalk
access to wetlands. And Longwood has
grown a solar field to offset electricity needs,
an innovation that technology-minded du
Pont would have approved of. But one thing
remains unchanged: du Pont’s gardens
continue to delight all visitors.

Clockwise from left:
water lily display;
Chrysanthemum
Festival; more than
200,000 bulbs in
bloom; flowering trees
in the springtime

1001 Longwood Road
Kennett Square, PA
610.388.1000
longwoodgardens.org

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George Washington
interpreter at
Valley Forge

BY MARTHA-PAGE ALTHAUS

Inspiring Destinations
Valley Forge and Montgomery County, Penn.,
offer history, recreation, and the arts.

I

t happens to everyone — the flame
of your imagination sputters. But
that creative spark can be reignited,
especially in places where inspiration beckons past and present.
Welcome to Valley Forge and Montgomery
County, Pennsylvania. Valley Forge National

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Historical Park is the Revolutionary War site of
the Continental Army’s winter encampment of
1777–1778. Here, General George Washington
exhibited vision and perseverance.
“While at Valley Forge, Washington makes
bold decisions with far-reaching implications,”
says George Matlack, National Historical Park
ranger. “He looks at the men under his command, beset by ongoing challenges of weather
and disease, and sees vast, untapped potential.”
Three years into the war, the Valley Forge

ABINGTON ARTS CENTER PHOTO BY BREANA COPELAND

encampment finds troop morale low. But
Washington nonetheless roots out an opportunity to retrain and reconfigure his forces.
“On February 23, 1778, Friedrich Wilhelm
Augustus von Steuben arrives in Valley Forge
from Prussia,” Matlack says. “Von Steuben’s
talent, experience, and insight become apparent to Washington, who entrusts all training to
him. The goal? Unite various battalions and
regiments into a cohesive army. And that’s
exactly what happens.”
Von Steuben addresses every facet of military
life, from musket-firing to marching formations.
By the time Washington departs Valley Forge,
the ranks are ordered, their fighting skills are
honed, and their spirits are bolstered.
Entrepreneurial Determination
But inspiration isn’t limited to the region’s
history. Inspired by the chance to revive two

important sites from his past, local businessman Rick Buckman ignored the disrepair of
a defunct ski resort and lodge. Instead, he, too,
saw potential.
“In 1999, Spring Mountain Ski Resort
had fallen on hard times and was closed,”
Buckman says. “Working with the township
and [Montgomery] county, we saved 180 acres
from becoming just another housing development. We brought the mountain back to full
functionality.”
Today, Spring Mountain offers year-round
fun with a zip line, rock climbing, downhill
biking, and geocaching.
Buckman’s zeal also led him to purchase
and rehabilitate Woodside Lodge, an abandoned 1920s inn. For Buckman, the property
had emotional ties: The original restaurant
employed his father as a busboy and hosted his
aunt’s wedding reception.

Clockwise from top
left: Valley Forge’s
National Memorial
Arch, zip-lining at
Spring Mountain, John
James Audubon
Center, Woodside
Lodge. Below:
Abington Art Center

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Visitors to the
Montgomery County,
Pennsylvania, area
enjoy myriad sites for
quiet reflection, such
as the bucolic home of
artist and naturalist
John James Audubon.

“Repeatedly, we were asked by visitors about
accommodations,” he recalls. “The lodge is
virtually next door [to Spring Mountain Ski
Resort], and the idea just clicked. We retained
the 1920s charm but updated the rooms for
modern comfort.”
The Art of Being Inspired
The arts have always inspired humankind,
both in lifting minds to the ethereal and in
rousing creative expressions of our innermost
passions.
For 70 years, the Abington Art Center in
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, has provided a

Keystone State Connections
Planning a trip to the Valley Forge and the
Montgomery County area? For more information, check out the following resources:
Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau:
valleyforge.org, 800.441.3549
Valley Forge National Historical Park:
valleyforge.org/visitors/national-park,
610.783.1099
Spring Mountain Adventures:
springmountainadventures.com,
610.287.7900
Woodside Lodge: woodsidelodge.us,
484.552.8457
Abington Art Center: abingtonartcenter.org,
215.887.4882
The John James Audubon Center:
pa.audubon.org/john-james-auduboncenter-mill-grove, 610.666.5593

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tranquil setting to enjoy the imaginative skill of
other artisans — or to hone your own. Its exhibitions, programs, and events make the visual
arts part of daily life, while ensuring that painting and sculpture remain engaging, approachable, and fun.
Out-of-the-box thinking comes naturally
to kids, and the Abington Art Center nurtures
that youthful inclination with summer camp
programs. Hands-on instruction inspires nextgeneration painters, sketchers, sculptors, and
printers, who get to display their work at the
Kids Festival Art Exhibition each August.
Flight of Fancy
French American woodsman and ornithological artist John James Audubon also embodies
the notion of Montgomery County as a crucible of inspiration. Audubon’s first home in
America, in eponymous Audubon, Pennsylvania, contains complete editions of his major
works, including Birds of America, printed and
hand-colored from copperplate engravings.
Visitors can surround themselves with the
flora and fauna that proved fundamental to
Audubon’s early life and remained a major
influence on his art. While here, Audubon
roamed the glens and fields of Perkiomen
Creek and Schuylkill River.
Need help reattaching that thinking cap?
Eager to invigorate the flow of those creative
juices? Valley Forge and Montgomery County
can inspire you in ways you never dreamed.

A Higher Education
Cabrini College students lead in
sports, academics, and service.

I

to show that this combination
works; within ten months of graduation, 95 percent of graduates are
employed or in graduate school.
Co-op and internship experiences include the White House,
network TV affiliates, and major
biotech, pharmaceutical, and
financial companies. On campus
and beyond, Cabrini students and alumni
live out the college’s tagline: “Do something
extraordinary.”

nspired by St. Frances Xavier
Cabrini, the first American
citizen to become a saint, Cabrini
College was founded in Radnor,
Pennsylvania, in 1957.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CABRINI COLLEGE

Over the college’s 55-year history, St. Frances
Xavier’s order — the Missionary Sisters of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus — transformed the magnificent Woodcrest Estate into a small but extraordinary liberal arts college.
Throughout its history, Cabrini’s commitment to “education of the heart” has set it at
the forefront of social-justice learning among
colleges and universities. Nationally, Cabrini
was among the first in higher education to add
community service into its curriculum, and
is the first in the state to require community
service of all undergraduates.
In 2011 Cabrini led the way nationally,
announcing it would lower undergraduate tuition and fees by 12.5 percent for the 2012–13
academic year and pledging to keep tuition
increases under $1,000 through May 2015.
Offering more than 30 majors, the college
is also known widely for academic excellence
and leadership development. Cabrini welcomes
learners of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds.
Here, students excel both in and outside the
classroom. Its powerhouse men’s basketball team
missed winning the NCAA Division III championship game by just three points in March 2012.
The school graduates large numbers of Pennsylvania teachers. Other top majors include
communication, business, psychology, and the
sciences. Academics are characterized by small
classes and personal attention from highly qualified professors. And Cabrini has the numbers

Below: science
students; studentathlete Jon Miller;
recent graduate James
Calamia, operations
manager at Roxborough Development
Corporation

610 King of Prussia Road
Philadelphia, PA
610.902.8100
cabrini.edu

Generosity Well Spent
The Philadelphia
Foundation serves as
a bridge between
people who care and
causes that matter.

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Campus Philly
This innovative nonprofit connects college students
with everything the city has to offer.
BY BETH D’ADDONO

A

lthough Michiko Hunt was raised in
Philadelphia, she hadn’t considered
going to school here. But after
exploring options elsewhere, she
enrolled in Temple University.

Campus Philly
1515 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.988.1707
travel hotline:
877.88.PHILA
campusphilly.org

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“It was one of the best decisions I have ever
made,” Hunt says. “I discovered an entirely new
city, full of people and places I had no idea
existed back when I was in high school.”
Hunt discovered that the entire city of
Philadelphia became her campus. This “aha
moment” drives Campus Philly, a nonprofit
dedicated to making sure that each student
leverages the advantages of being in the
Philadelphia tristate region. The group’s
mission is three-pronged: to attract, engage,
and retain college students, growing the city’s
brain trust exponentially along the way.

usairwaysmag.com

PHOTO BY MARY CLAIRE CRUZ FOR CAMPUS PHILLY

Above: During a stop
on Campus Philly’s
Fall Tour, Thomas
Jefferson University
students show off the
Insider Guide, Campus
Philly’s how-to for
students.

In a region with 101 degree-granting institutions, the richness of the city “campus” results
from logistics like public transportation to
Campus Philly’s new Passport to the Arts program, which grants students free or discounted
admission to venues and performances.
Campus Philly also runs the College Day
festival in September, a day of live music,
vendors, and free museum admission. This
year, on September 28, some 7,500 students
will take over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Ongoing leadership workshops, job fairs, and a
proactive internship service are other facets of
the Campus Philly initiative.
There is even a travel hotline, which offers
help with planning scouting visits, hotel discounts, and savvy logistical advice.
“We want parents and students to know
how much Philadelphia adds to the college
experience,” says president Deborah Diamond,
“and Campus Philly is here to unlock all of it
for them.”

Practice Makes
Perfect
At Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine

BY NICOLE ALPER

F

Another unique feature: the use of
standardized patients. This practice is
essential to giving students like Lisa
Stepelevich valuable experience.
“Having to interact with patients who
are trained to present symptoms simulates the real world,” Stepelevich
says. “It prepares you beyond just
learning techniques.”
“We’re providing a firm grounding in the
scientific basis of psychological and professional practice,” says Dr. Robert Tomasso,
chair of the psychology department. “That is,
we are training practitioners,
not researchers.”
The key to PCOM’s
success — and that of its
students — is teaching what
works. With its popular
classes, hands-on experience,
and nationally certified and
accredited programs, PCOM
students are ready for the real
world. “You can apply [these
learning techniques] and
build confidence as a practitioner,” Stepelevich says of
the school, where practice
really does make perfect.

ounded in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic
Medicine (PCOM) is one of
the nation’s leading medical
schools.

Students select from a wide array of programs:
osteopathic medicine, biomedical sciences,
physician assistant studies, forensic medicine,
pharmacy, and over six psychology specialties.
In 2005, PCOM added a
campus in Suwanee, Georgia, northeast of Atlanta,
to help meet the growing
demand for health-care
professionals in the South.
PCOM’s psychology
program is emerging as one
of the nation’s most comprehensive, with several unique
factors that set it apart. The
master of science in school
psychology, for example,
is geared toward working
professionals with evening
and weekend classes.

Academic
Programs
PHILADELPHIA
CAMPUS
Osteopathic
Medicine
Biomedical Sciences
Health Sciences –
Physician Assistant
Forensic Medicine
Clinical Psychology
School Psychology
Counseling and
Clinical Health
Psychology
Organizational
Development and
Leadership
GEORGIA CAMPUS
Osteopathic
Medicine
School of Pharmacy
Biomedical Sciences
Organizational
Development and
Leadership

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PCOM

Philadelphia
College of
Osteopathic
Medicine
4170 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
800.999.6998
pcom.edu

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James Metz, MD, and
a team of radiation
therapists monitoring
proton therapy
delivery

Advances in
Proton Therapy
Philadelphia’s Penn Medicine is a
world leader in cancer care.

H

ome to the Roberts Proton
Therapy Center, Penn Medicine
is at the forefront of an
advanced form of radiation
treatment used to kill cancer.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF PENN MEDICINE

800.789.PENN (7366)
pennprotontherapy.org

Proton therapy can deliver higher doses of
radiation directly to the tumor site, effectively
destroying cancer cells while better avoiding
the surrounding normal tissues.
“When using radiation to fight cancer, it’s
critical to control where the radiation dose is
deposited,” says Neha Vapiwala, MD, chief of
the genitourinary service and assistant professor
of radiation oncology at Penn Medicine. “Proton beams can deliver dose very efficiently, and
do not travel beyond a certain point.”
Penn researchers have found that proton
therapy’s unique physical characteristics may
have advantages over other forms of radiation,
especially for cancers in difficult-to-reach places

or in areas with critical organs nearby. Penn
Medicine is currently offering proton therapy
for cancers of the brain, spine, head and neck,
esophagus, pancreas, prostate, rectum, lung,
and lymph nodes (lymphoma).
“An important and innovative area of research we are focusing on is re-irradiation.
Patients who have had prior radiation but then
have local recurrence of their tumor may now
have a therapeutic option when other options
don’t exist,” says Dr. Vapiwala, who estimates
the center currently has more than 90 patients
enrolled in its proton re-irradiation trial. “People usually can’t have radiation to the same
area twice because the nearby normal organs
can only take so much. Proton therapy may
allow for repeat radiation by significantly limiting the additional dose to surrounding tissues.”
As one of only ten proton centers in the U.S.,
and one of the only centers that fully integrates
proton therapy and conventional radiation
therapy with medical and surgical approaches
in one location, Penn Medicine remains a
world leader in cancer treatment and research.

Smiles by Design
Pi Dental Center has been enhancing
smiles for 27 years.
BY SARAH FAUSER

P

hiladelphia is well known
for its arts scene. But did
you know that the city
also prides itself on the
art of dental work?

It’s home to two of the best dental schools in the
country, and a one-of-a-kind dental institution.
The brainchild of Thomas J. Balshi, a boardcertified prosthodontist, Pi Dental Center has
been a leader in prosthetic dentistry for nearly
30 years. In fact, they’ve completed more than
40,000 dental implants with a 99 percent success rate, making it possible for their clients to
repair their smiles inside and out.
As the oldest and largest institute of its kind,
Pi Dental Center regularly receives referrals for
complex cases from all over the country. With
their unique knowledge and experience, Dr.
Balshi and his team are able to pass their wealth
of information on to up-and-coming dentists at
the Viewpoint teaching center.
And it doesn’t stop there — Pi Dental Center

continuously accepts applications for pro bono
care and provides financial assistance for those in
need. “We created the Foundation, a 501(c)(3)
registered charity, and have regular fund-raisers
to keep the Foundation funded,” says Joanne
Balshi, wife of Dr. Balshi and director of public
relations for Pi Dental Center. “About six times
each year, we select an applicant and cover all of
the expenses to bring them to Philly, house
them, and build them a healthy smile.”

Above (from left):
Doctors Bowers,
Balshi, and Wolfinger;
Below: instruction at
the Viewpoint
teaching center

Pi Dental Center
467 Pennsylvania
Avenue #201
Fort Washington, PA
215.646.6334
dentalimplants-usa.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PI DENTAL CENTER

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