North Central: Philadelphia Celebrates Its Rich Jazz History
When Faye Anderson first saw Leroy Neiman’s painting “Big Band” at the National Museum of American History, she was struck by the musicians featured. “It’s a fantasy jam session featuring 18 jazz giants,” Anderson said. “Four of the 18 have Philadelphia roots – John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Gerry Mulligan and Dizzy Gillespie.” The director of All […]
Francisville: Mural Program Brings Artists and Young Students Together
One of artist Charlyn Griffith’s biggest accomplishments was being nicknamed “Ms. Strawberry Face.” “I think that at the point where a young person feels like you belong to them, you’ve succeeded in making a connection,” Griffith said. “I think that at the point where they started calling me their own nickname, that made it real. […]
Francisville: More Than Just Another Furniture Store, Uhuru Seeks to Educate
When nonprofit Uhuru Furniture moved from Center City to Francisville, sales manager Ruby Gittelsohn remembers one community member’s surprise. “I remember one guy said, ‘I was watching while they were renovating this building, but I didn’t think it was going to be something for me,’” Gittelsohn said. “Meaning, it was going to be more gentrification. […]
North Central: Lynn Dorwaldt Uncovers History at the Wagner Institute
Lynn Dorwaldt has always loved puzzles. “Word puzzles, crossword puzzles, logic puzzles,” she said. “I love the journey of trying to find the answer to something.” Dorwaldt, the librarian at the Wagner Free Institute of Science, sees her work as a big, giant puzzle. “When you’re researching history, it’s never like, ‘Oh, there’s the answer,’ […]
Sharswood: Civic Association Trying to Navigate Redevelopment
Warren McMichael and Talmadge Belo of Sharswood say they have seen it all in terms of construction and development in their neighborhood. The lifelong residents retired from their careers in education and manufacturing, respectively, to bring as many resources they could get their hands on to their struggling streets. McMichael, the president, and Belo, the vice […]