Bold Prints: Smak Parlour celebrates 10 years

Fan Dancers dress with print by street artist Joe Boruchow
by Claire Margheim
Abby Kessler and Katie Lubieski of Smak Parlour debuted their street art-inspired The Cut & Sew Collection on March 20 at their Old City storefront. It’s their first collection of originals since 2010, but that isn’t because they’ve been slacking off.
In addition to keeping

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1 min read

A Butterfly Flaps Its Wings

Can recycled art at the Philadelphia Zoo help protect habitat and change habits?

by Heather Shayne BlakesleeNine-foot-tall recycled-cardboard gorilla sculpture created by Canadian artist Laurence Vallieres for the Philadelphia Zoo’s Second Nature: Junk Rethunk exhibit.

The newest animals at the Philadelphia Zoo aren’t in cages, although some of them—including a life-sized alligator sculpted from bubblegum—will remain safely behind glass.

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1 min read

History in the Making

Activist scholar documents, and helps defend, West Philadelphia neighborhood

Patrick Grossi stands in front of the Philip B. Lindy House on Drexel University’s campus. Where he works to preserve history and increase political voice.
Patrick Grossi wields an unusual tool to help solve social problems: history.
The 33-year-old doctoral student of Temple University’s History program specializes in what

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2 mins read

Let it Grow

Awbury Arboretum’s unlikely stewards let nature—and discovery—run wild

Awbury staff from left to right: Denis Lucey, Karen Flick, Heather Zimmerman and Chris van de Velde.Philadelphians are familiar with the sounds of city life: the laughter of kids walking home from school, bus engines and car horns on the busy streets, music flowing from rowhome windows.

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10 mins read