The second of three Dollar Strolls this summer is hitting Baltimore Avenue this Thursday (5:30-8:30 p.m.), bringing $1 deals from restaurants, shops and other local businesses. Check out what’s cooking (and brewing) on Baltimore during the August stroll. Also, don’t forget about live music and street performances along the Avenue, from 42nd to 50th Streets.

The Penn Museum and West Philly Local would like to invite you to the fantastic Summer Nights Concert Series on Wednesday, August 15. Free of charge for our readers! Yep, that’s right, it’s “West Philly Local Night” at the Museum. No strings attached.

The August 15 edition of the Summer Night Series features La Pequeña Marimba Internacional, a family band that focuses on Guatemalan folk music, but also includes a smattering of international music like cumbria, merengue, bolero and more.

Drinks and light fare will be provided by the Museum’s Pepper Mill Café Garden Bar.

All you have to do is click on the link below and either print out the page or have it open on your mobile phone when you arrive at the Museum. That will get you general admission to the Museum and the garden concert.

Follow this link, print out the page or have it on your phone.

Seeds Gallery recently opened at 50th and Baltimore and this Saturday the public is invited to their official grand opening celebration. The gallery will present works by four super talented artists: Charles Barbin (Artist/Public Murals Designer), Bob Bruhin (Documentary Photographer), and West Philly artists Russell Brodie and Jeremy Fahringer.

Seeds Gallery is a modern art studio focused exclusively on local artists, both emerging and established, working in all media and styles. Exhibits are also showcased at other locations throughout the city, such as local restaurants, coffee shops, yoga studios, law firms and book stores. Visit www.seedsgallery.com for more information.

Grand opening of Seeds Gallery. Free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 11, 6 – 9pm
5011 Baltimore Avenue

40th Street resident artists have been working hard over the past year to complete their community engagement projects. The opening reception for their exhibit is Friday night from 6-8 p.m. at the AIR gallery (4007 Chestnut St. on the first floor). The artists and their projects include: Marie Alarcon/Park Pleasant Nursing Home & Rehab, Michael Konrad/Neighborhood Bike Works, EK Miles/A Renaissance is What They Call It (student-led art class for all ages), Sarah Lowry & Beth Nixon/Ms. Weinraub’s Drama Classes at West Philadelphia High School, and Martina Plag/University City High School.

The 40th Street Artist-in-Residence program awards West Philadelphia artists one year of free studio space at 40th and Chestnut Streets. In exchange, each artist shares his/her talents with the community by leading workshops, teaching classes, exhibiting in the area, etc. The residents for 2012-2013 will also be introduced at the opening reception, which will include a barbeque.

2011-2012 40th Street resident artists Michael Conrad and Martina Plag.

 

The Fall edition of the Go West! Craft Fest is scheduled for September 29 at The Woodlands (rain date – Sept. 30) and vendor registration is going on right now. The fest organizers would love to see some new faces, so if you are a local artist or crafts person and would like to become a vendor, fill out an online application that can be found here. The application deadline has been extended until Friday, August 10. Available tables are 6’x6′ ($40) and 10’x10′ ($60).

Each category of work has its own quota: jewelry, home goods, paper goods, bath & beauty, etc. and only works created by the seller are permitted. For more information, please email gowestcraftfest@gmail.com.

The first annual BlackStar Film Festival is being held at the International House in West Philly (3701 Chestnut St.) this weekend. The mission of the new festival is to showcase films not always featured in other festivals by celebrating “the visual and storytelling traditions of the African Diaspora and to showcase independent film and video works by and about black people from around the world.” The four-day festival includes forty films of all genres, including documentaries, music videos, and experimental films along with traditional narratives. Tickets ($8) are available online.

One of the films being featured at the festival is FunkJazz Kafé: Diary of a Decade, a documentary chronicling the evolution of black and popular music told by musicians themselves – old, current and future. Famous faces in the film include: Roy Ayers, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, George Clinton, Dick Gregory, Chuck D, Dallas Austin, Cee Lo, and many others. The film was written, directed, and produced by Jason Orr. There will be a Q&A session with him after the screening, which is tomorrow (Aug 4) at 8 p.m. Check out the trailer below.

– Kelly Lawler