Photo from SaveDupreeStudios.org

For the last nine years, the once-ramshackle warehouse at 3617-19 Haverford Avenue has been a visage of artistic freedom—an ode to unrest and optimism demarcated by its intricate mural of kaleidoscope colors and intimate swirls.

Known as Dupree Studios, the sprawling 8,646 square foot art space is the product of Mantua-based artist James Dupree, who bought the lot in 2005 with a vision to transform it into a vibrant haven for creativity and passion. Since then, it has been a place where the 63-year-old Dupree has worked and taught, churning out art piece after art piece for commissions, exhibitions, and large scale projects—some of which are featured in institutions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and over 5,000­­ of which lie behind the studio’s front doors.

But, for the last year, Dupree has been fighting to keep it all in his hands after the City of Philadelphia seized and condemned the property in a two-block eminent domain grab as part of efforts to revitalize the Mantua neighborhood.

Dupree considers this nothing more than an abuse of eminent domain, though, and is pushing back hard—taking the fight to the courts and the streets. His artistic acts of defiance include an exhibit debuted at the studio in March, titled “Stolen Dreams in the Promised Zone”, and a documentary produced by Art Above Reality.

And now, Dupree is opening his studio’s doors this Saturday, April 26th “to show the public what the City of Philadelphia plans to tear down in the name of ‘revitalization’.” The seven-hour event, titled “Save Dupree Studios,” will start at 2 p.m. and feature guest speakers, musical acts, DJs, mural painting, spin art for kids, a book signing, and guided tours at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 6 p.m. A live interview between Dupree and management columnist Gene Marks is scheduled as the main event for 7 p.m. (view the video invite below).

According to multiple news reports, the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority plans to demolish Dupree Studios to make way for a privately-owned supermarket and parking lot. City Paper reported in November that the supermarket was described “as a longtime ‘dream of this community and of Councilwoman [Jannie] Blackwell'” by city officials, with Blackwell allegedly stating during a City Council Rules Committee hearing last year that it “has been a long time coming. We wanted a whole extra block for the supermarket. But we fought long and hard, and even the people involved in the condemnation are saying, ‘When’s it going to happen?'”

Support for Dupree’s cause is far and wide, and crosses the political spectrum. In late January, 16 representatives from various arts and political organizations—including the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the conservative action group Americans for Prosperity, founded by the infamous Koch brothers—signed a Save Dupree Studios coalition letter that was delivered to Mayor Nutter and members of city council. From the letter:

“Seizing James Dupree’s art studio is not only unconstitutional and a gross abuse of eminent domain, it is unconscionable. … We are especially concerned about Mr. Dupree’s case because, as empirical evidence and history demonstrate, eminent domain abuse disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities. It is vital to protect all Pennsylvanians from eminent domain abuse, especially the most vulnerable.”

Dupree also launched a Change.org petition in November 2013 imploring Mayor Nutter to return him the deed to his Haverford Avenue property. So far, the petition has garnered over 3,000 signatures, and needs close to 2,000 more.

“All I could think of was how do you seize a person’s free and clear deed? How do you condemn a building that’s not condemnable?” Dupree told City Paper. “The answer is they made a big mistake. … They weren’t expecting a guy like me to be here.”

–Annamarya Scaccia

James Roebuck speaking at the Mariposa Food Co-op in 2012. (Archived photo/West Philly Local)

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of Q&A’s with local political candidates before the primary election on May 20. Our first Q&A, with Algernong Allen, is here. Next up is Matt Wolfe, who is running for a seat in Philadelphia’s City Council. Also, today is the last day to register to vote in the primary. For more information, visit: http://www.votespa.com.

Since assuming office in 1985, James Roebuck has represented West Philadelphia and the rest of the 188th district as state representative, and focused on education as the chairman of the House Education Committee.

Roebuck says he leans on his background as a trained teacher and former Drexel University professor to inform his work as an educational advocate. Through his years of service in the legislature, and under former Governor Ed Rendell, Roebuck lays claims to many successes, including an improved pre-K system and an increase in educational funding. And, on his off-time, he says, you can find him at any local school, reading to grade school students or tutoring second graders.

“To me, education is not just about the way you fund the schools, it’s also about the way you involve yourself in local schools,” Roebuck told West Philly Local.  Continue Reading

Photo from allen2014.com

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of Q&A’s with local political candidates. Next up is Allen’s opponent, incumbent Jim Roebuck.

You probably know Algernong Allen. Whether it’s as the former owner of Elena’s Soul or as a community activist, Algernong Allen is a household name around these parts.

Tonight, Allen, along with incumbent James Roebuck, will answer prepared questions and address community concerns in a Candidates’ Forum hosted by the Garden Court Community Association (GCCA). The forum will begin at 7 p.m. at the Community College of Philadelphia’s west campus (4725 Chestnut Street), and is open to the public. A food and networking event will precede the forum at 6 p.m.

Residents of the 188th District can also offer feedback and share their thoughts with Allen through a community survey he is currently hosting on his campaign site, allen2014.com. Click here to complete the survey.

As part of our political interviews series, West Philly Local had a chance to chat with Allen about his campaign, the issues most important to him, and what his vision is for the 188th District.

West Philly Local: Why are you running?

Algernong Allen: I am running to give back to a community that has given so much to me. As a father and husband living here, I am concerned about the condition of nearby schools for my daughter, the safety of our streets, and the deep poverty in some parts of our community. I’ve spent most of my life living right here, I’ve built a business here, and I’ve provided jobs here. I want to be a part of supporting a community vision of growth that respects our differences and acts on our common interests.  Continue Reading

Say goodbye to Toviah Thrift Store (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

After four decades of service, Toviah Thrift Store at 4211 Chestnut Street has shuttered its doors for good this month, and will soon be the new home of its neighbor, Dana Mandi International Foods and Spices.

When we stopped by Tuesday evening, workers from Dana Mandi at 4205 Chestnut Street were in the process of cleaning out Toviah Thrift. Its front room was mostly emptied of its low-priced products and furniture, with remnants scattered unevenly across the space. The next morning, when we returned in hopes of speaking with Dana Mandi’s owner, Toviah Thrift was cleaned out even further— a shell of its former glory.

(Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

According to local blogger Mark Krull, the owners of Dana Mandi recently bought the property from Reverend Larry Falcon, founder of Toviah Thrift, and will soon move into the shop. A worker named Suny confirmed this information to West Philly Local over the phone, but noted he didn’t have a confirmed date for the move. He did say, though, that it wouldn’t happen prior to May.

City of Philadelphia records show that Dana Mandi, under the name Asian Spice Food Inc, owns both 4205 and 4211 Chestnut Streets, which totals to over 3,000 square feet.

Toviah Thrift is a significant part of West Philly history. Around since the late 1970s, the Christian nonprofit acted as a self-declared “safe haven” for community children while funding Rev. Falcon’s Covenant Community Church through its second-hand store. The small, welcoming ministry was housed in one half of the building, while out of the back operated The Jubilee School—Toviah’s inexpensive private elementary school serving kids in West and Southwest Philly.

Opened between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., for the last three decades, locals could stop in and purchase a mishmash of donated items that were priced inexpensively. It wasn’t a perfectly coifed space—often a disorderly grouping of products—but Rev. Falcon’s agenda of “love never fails” was apparent in its messy bones.

Much like the shop—and Rev. Falcon himself—reviews for Toviah Thrift are nothing if not interesting. One Yelper gave it one star in 2011, writing, “It looks dirty as a butt 3 days into a hippy music festival.” In 2013, another Yelper, who gave it two stars, compared the space to “an episode of Hoarders,” but noted Rev. Falcon was “nice and knowledgeable.”

Most of the other reviews echoed the same response, with one Yelper writing, “What makes this place outstanding is Larry, also known simply as Papa … Come in to meet this historian if nothing else; he’ll be happy to chat with you as you browse.”

–Annamarya Scaccia

We dig this song and newly released video, “Walk It Off,” by West Philly’s indie hip hop artist and emcee Sterling Duns (Facebook page). A part of the vid was filmed on Hazel Avenue, according to the musician.

Sterling Duns describes himself as an instrumentalist, poet, hip-hop artist, comedy improviser, and astronaut enthusiast!

West Philly artist Nile Livingston with some works from the “Baltimore Avenue Series” (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

Nile Livingston’s presence is calming.

We’re seated at the back corner table in Green Line Café on Baltimore Avenue. Livingston is sitting across from me, every once in a while dodging the sunlight coming through the window. As she answers my questions about her art, she’s composed and soft-spoken—her responses brief, but with a relaxed kindness.

Which is completely opposite of her work. As West Philly Local wrote about nearly two years ago, Livingston is the visual artist behind the “Baltimore Avenue Series,” which chronicles life on the corridor through colorful line drawings. (The series was displayed in Gold Standard Café’s dining room in 2012.) For the series, Livingston took scenes of everyday Baltimore Avenue life and put them down on stark white paper, first creating contour lines and then adding vibrant dabs and streaks of color Sharpie paint markers to bring them to life.

The “Baltimore Avenue Series” was inspired by “the day-to-day pedestrian archetype” she’d often see after moving back to West Philly following her graduation from Kutztown University, where she earned a B.F.A in large metal fabrication and sculpture. As she notes on her website, the series “captures the fleeting moods” of the community as “it’s transformed by the influx of growing businesses, new residents, petty crimes, and trope characters.”

And all of the characters that compose the new West Philly are there: the jogger, the coffee shop writer, the dog walker, the artist, the neighborhood kids, and the parents with their children. Her favorite image from the series, titled “The Museum of Momma Art: Affordable Gifts for Mother,” is of a woman pushing a stroller down the street.

The final images, she said, are based both on observation and imagination.

“I tried to take these archetypes and leave it open to a story,” said Livingston, 26, who also designed the Cecil B. Moore playground mural at 22^nd Street and Lehigh Avenue. “I don’t know what their lives are about, so I draw people that are kind of similar to them. These aren’t people I know necessarily. These are all strangers.” Continue Reading