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Jane Gallery feat. Alison Mustokoff · philly has heART

0:15
Hey, Lucinda. What did you do last weekend? Oh,
0:18
glad you asked. We did kick off our weekend early
0:23
Thursday night. Actually, only I did. You had
0:27
a family event. Yes. So I went to hold signal
0:32
a response to distance performance by friends
0:36
of the pod, Colin and Sam at the Museum for Art
0:40
and Wood. And the ambient sound against the current
0:44
exhibition, which is the longest distance between
0:47
two points, was wowza. And yes, it took me this
0:52
long to figure out that a response to distance
0:57
in the name. The event was a reference to Katie
1:02
Hudnall's name of her exhibition. I am embarrassed
1:06
to admit that, but we are all friends here. We
1:08
are all friends here. But do you get what I'm
1:10
saying? I understand. You also got to do a little
1:13
Instagram takeover. That was so fun to watch.
1:16
Katie, let me take over the Museum for Art and
1:20
Wood's Instagram account. Just the stories for
1:23
the evening. That was a lot of fun. Nice. I hope
1:27
I didn't get too cheeky. And then on Friday,
1:30
we had a great night. We got a personal tour
1:34
from one of the... Wait, wait, wait. Before...
1:38
Sorry to cut you off. Before we hit the PMA on
1:43
Friday, you and I popped into Works on Paper
1:46
Gallery. Oh, yes, that's true. On Walnut between
1:49
16th and 17th. And you met Evan, the owner, and
1:53
got to check out the space for the first time.
1:55
Yes, which was... Absolutely incredible. Can
1:58
you believe he's been there, I think, 30 years?
2:00
Yes. Something like that? He has an absolute
2:03
incredible space. He has works there that he
2:09
himself produces with artists and then sells.
2:16
in collaboration with the artist. So let's say
2:19
an artist was really into gummy bears, right?
2:22
He would then partner with that artist to create
2:27
like a gummy bear sculpture to then sell on the
2:31
side with the art being highlighted in like a
2:36
different way with some of his art and some of
2:39
the artists coming together, which is. Absolutely
2:44
amazing. One of the more recent collaborations
2:47
is with Stickman. Guys, I'm going to put this
2:50
in the show notes because you have seen Stickman
2:53
even if you don't know what I'm talking about
2:55
right now. You've walked on Stickman. Yeah. And
2:58
the artist, much like Banksy, is anonymous. Yeah.
3:03
He had a Warhol on the wall. He has a Warhol
3:09
on the wall. And... had recently purchased another
3:13
one to put on the wall. To redeal. Amazing. Amazing.
3:19
The Warhol on the wall there is Petit Garçon's
3:21
first Warhol that he's seen in person, I think.
3:24
Really? I don't think he's seen any in like a
3:29
gallery. Like in a gallery space previously?
3:31
Like in a museum. Hasn't gone to New York yet.
3:34
No, I have not taken him to New York. You know
3:37
what I would love to do as like a summer weekend
3:40
trip is the Warhol Museum. It's in Pennsylvania.
3:43
Yeah. Okay. So bring us back to the PMA. Go ahead.
3:47
Go ahead. Okay. Then we go into PMA and their
3:51
Friday nights. This was a private tour with the
3:57
young friends of both the Philadelphia Ballet
4:00
and the. PMA Young Friends. Talk about a collab.
4:04
Oh, best of them. And we got to get a tour of
4:09
Boom Art and Design from the 1940s at the Philadelphia
4:13
Museum of Art. This is in their main exhibition
4:17
space that rotates throughout the year. Is that
4:20
where the Dior exhibit was a few years ago? Yes.
4:24
This is their larger exhibition space where they
4:28
do, this is like their prized works. Everyone
4:32
should know, though, number one, you need to
4:34
go see this exhibition. Number two, these are
4:38
all from the PMA's permanent collection. Did
4:41
you hear during the Q &A that there were initially
4:46
36? Do I have that right? I think you're close.
4:50
36 ,000 pieces from the collection, from the
4:55
permanent collection that were initially considered
4:58
to be part of this very tightly curated exhibit.
5:03
Right. And that was whittled down to 800. And
5:08
then how many could have been in that? Maybe
5:10
250 pieces total. in there. Everything from pieces
5:17
of furniture to pieces of clothing as well as
5:22
a puck. So there are sculptures. There was a
5:26
lot of material culture which was fantastic.
5:28
Like the clock on the wall at the very end. The
5:33
ballet slippers on the Audrey mannequin. Picasso
5:37
to close the exhibition. We then went from the
5:42
tour to the performance. We stopped at the bar.
5:46
We definitely stopped at the bar. As a young
5:48
friend, we got a free drink, then made our way
5:51
to the grand stairs and got a preview of what
5:55
will be the Red Rose Farm productions of the
6:00
Philadelphia Ballet at the end of May. More to
6:03
come on that later. Three great pieces, all by
6:06
choreographers of the company. So the rehearsal
6:11
director, a principal dancer, and as well as
6:17
a soloist all in the company, each one of them
6:22
choreographed each one of the pieces. I happen
6:26
to love the preferred seating that we had as
6:29
young friends of both the museum and the ballet
6:31
because those stairs filled up. Oh, yeah. Yeah,
6:35
it was a packed house. It was a source of slight
6:38
anxiety for me until I sat down, until I saw
6:40
that there was space for us. Yes, we had it locked
6:44
in already. The balconies were packed with people
6:47
as well. It was great to see how enthusiastic
6:51
people were to be in a museum on a Friday night.
6:54
So you're going to the Spring Festival at the
6:57
Red Rose Farm for the full performances, and
6:59
we're going to talk about that later. Yes, more
7:01
to come. Saturday, Petit Garçon and I stopped
7:04
in at the Brooklyn Year Fine Art Gallery to help
7:07
her celebrate the anniversary of her gallery.
7:11
Lovely. And then we saw her after our Easter
7:15
brunch the next day. Ah, artists in the wild.
7:18
Was there anything else you got into? Nothing
7:20
else. I think we're on to the conversation. On
7:23
to the conversation. This is Robert Marsh, and
7:41
you're listening to Philly Has Heart Podcast.
7:44
In this podcast, we sit down with artists, gallerists,
7:47
educators, curators, and other creatives who
7:50
comprise the Philadelphia art world to discuss
7:53
upcoming performances, exhibits, and other events
7:57
and initiatives that are not to be missed. The
8:01
art scene in Philadelphia is so rich that it
8:03
can seem daunting. Consider this your weekend
8:06
cultural recommendation. With me always is my
8:10
producer, Lucinda Degelen. Hello, hello. And
8:12
today we have Allison Mustikoff of Jane Gallery.
8:17
Hi. We are so happy to have you today. Thank
8:21
you for joining us. Thank you so much. Yes. So
8:24
Allison, give us a little elevator pitch for
8:28
Jane Gallery. The Jane Gallery was started in
8:31
September, so not even a year yet. And I started
8:35
it for a... an art gallery and social club for
8:40
all women, non -binary and queer artists and
8:42
their fans. I really wanted the chance to show
8:46
these women and queer artists that are underrepresented
8:50
in the art world. And I also really wanted to
8:53
create like a social atmosphere and a community
8:55
-based social club for people to come together.
8:59
Yeah. Oh my gosh, that sounds amazing. Let's
9:03
back up and let us talk about you. and your artistic
9:08
journey itself. Where did you start with your
9:12
art journey? Where did it lead you? And how did
9:15
it get you to the gallery that you opened just
9:17
this year? So I'm a ceramicist. I build figurative
9:22
goddess, fertility goddess work, and I bedazzle
9:26
and bedeck them with paint and sequins and crystals
9:29
and all this stuff. And my clay journey started
9:35
when I was gosh, about 11, and I went to a sleepaway
9:39
camp. And I had this unbelievable idea for this
9:44
big sculpture. I'd never built anything so big,
9:46
and I had this wonderful counselor who helped
9:48
me. And I put it together, and it comes out of
9:51
the kiln, and she looks at it and goes, my goodness,
9:54
we are making vaginas all over the place. And
9:57
I was like... Oh, wow. I've kept it forever.
10:02
It is absolutely what she says it is. You still
10:04
have it? Absolutely. Wow. It didn't even occur
10:07
to my little, I think maybe I was 12, like my
10:09
little 12 -year -old brain. But it turns out
10:12
that in my soul. of feminist art. And that is
10:19
career, career. That journey of mine and that
10:22
passion of mine has sort of led me to where I
10:25
am as an artist and also why I wanted to open
10:28
this gallery. Oh, that's great. I love that.
10:34
I mean, so many good things come out of Sleepaway
10:36
Camp. So that's great that you were able to like
10:41
find a place to like. to learn about your art
10:44
and share your art and grow with your art and
10:46
there, and that it inspired you for the rest
10:50
of your life and that you grew upon that. I think
10:52
it's interesting too, because as I'm thinking
10:54
about this, having not thought about it, that
10:56
this one counselor, this woman really changed
11:00
the trajectory of my life or created this trajectory
11:03
of my life. And that kind of, again, leads back
11:07
to the Jane where people help other people. People
11:10
can sort of, give good critiques or just have
11:14
your back and... help inspire you and it can
11:18
really change who you are as an artist who you
11:20
are as a person i mean i know i have a friend
11:23
of mine who's about to have a little surgery
11:25
that she's worried about and you know i'm like
11:28
we're women man we can do all of it i had two
11:30
babies cut out fine but just people there to
11:34
help back you up and change your mental framework
11:37
oh yes create a fun time for you exactly yes
11:40
and having a good time doing it yes and you know
11:44
you're you're able to like create a space for
11:47
those individuals to be able to share and to
11:49
be able to grow in that space. Just like that
11:52
counselor was able to create a space for you
11:54
that were. that allowed you to bring something
11:58
out of you that you never thought you had before.
12:01
Uh, and so it's amazing to see how you've now
12:04
re manifest or recreated that in a working gallery
12:10
space in the Jane. Um, it's inspiring. No, it's
12:14
awesome. And it's been interesting too. Cause
12:17
my, I mean, talk about a change of trajectory,
12:20
like what I thought it was going to be when it
12:22
started Jane versus what it is now. And even
12:25
what, how i can talk about it i mean just changed
12:29
language and perspective on everything having
12:32
never done any kind of Right. Sure. We'll make
12:37
it a word. Right. Right. Before. So that's a
12:39
great. Well, and I'm sure as you're going through
12:41
this process, as you're going through your first
12:44
year, you're getting real life stories out of
12:47
it. You're getting real life understandings that
12:51
from the artist and from your experience with
12:54
the artist from a whole new perspective. Right.
12:57
Now you are the gatekeeper of their ability.
13:03
I put their work on walls. We don't gatekeep.
13:07
Well, that is the one, a huge mission of my gallery.
13:11
There you go, my mission is, and I've just discovered
13:13
this really as it's been continuing on, was that
13:17
I get to open the gates and meet, I have met
13:21
so many artists. And I have met people who work
13:24
at coffee shops and waitresses and bookstores.
13:27
And I say, oh, are you an artist? And they're
13:30
like, no, but I paint. And they'll show me their
13:32
work. And it's amazing. And it never even occurred
13:35
to them that they could even have this talent
13:40
or this career or this choice, right? And the
13:45
fact that I can do that and open the space up
13:48
to all of these emerging artists, young artists,
13:51
it is the best thing that I've ever been able
13:54
to do. So I really do love it. In your space
13:57
between summer camp and the Jane, right? Did
14:01
you stick with ceramics? Have you dabbled in
14:04
any other types of art? I call myself like, you
14:07
know, a jack of all trades, master of none. I
14:10
have done everything. That's great. Tried to
14:12
do everything. I have found that the thing I
14:15
can't stand. The most is weaving. Okay. I tried
14:18
to love it. Pandemic weaving. But you work for
14:21
seven hours and you get an inch and a half worth
14:23
of freaking work. I'm like, I can't do this.
14:26
Yes, I have worked with clay my whole life. And
14:29
I went to school. I went to Sarah Lawrence College
14:31
and studied art and literature there. I mean,
14:35
you want to talk about awakenings in terms of
14:38
feminism and all of these things in terms of
14:41
my artwork and who I am as a person. That school
14:43
really did bring me there as well. Wow. Amazing.
14:46
Is Sarah Lawrence one of the Seven Sisters? It
14:49
is. It is. It is not all girls, although, you
14:52
know, it's mostly girls. And through your opening
14:56
of the gallery, how many different exhibitions
15:00
have you already had? And has any of them spoken
15:05
to you in a special way? Oh, God, that's a hard
15:09
question. That's like choosing a favorite child.
15:13
Well, we all have a favorite child. No, I'm kidding.
15:15
We do. I'm the favorite. The first art opening
15:20
we had in September, which was not even an art
15:23
opening, but I had finally gotten the keys, and
15:25
everybody was doing First Friday, and I was like,
15:27
you know what? I'm doing this. Forget it. Right.
15:29
So me and my friend, three days, we opened the
15:32
door. We put out... the chairs we played the
15:35
Eagles game and we had free wine and beer and
15:38
I had over 150 people through the space with
15:40
no art on the walls and they would come in and
15:43
I would oh yeah do you love my do you love the
15:45
art and they would look around confused I was
15:48
like I'm kidding I'm kidding but um so that show
15:51
which was not even a show i call it the art show
15:54
with no art i had so many philly people so many
15:57
awesome characters and we literally a bunch of
16:00
us just sat around together getting to know each
16:02
other watching the game so i guess like my first
16:04
art show was philadelphia art scene which i loved
16:07
since then I guess one every month, so it's April.
16:10
I mean, that's, what is that, five shows? Oh,
16:12
wow. Every single month there's a new rotation.
16:14
Yes, it is. Every first Friday we have an opening
16:16
with a new artist and they run for the month.
16:18
Oh, that's incredible. I think that's seven.
16:20
Oh, my gosh, yes, seven. Wow. I think I skipped
16:23
January because it was too cold. Oh, yeah, understandable.
16:26
Actually, I'm going to stop you real quick because
16:29
I think that's extremely impressive to get that
16:32
many people through your door because I don't
16:35
know. Of those who are listening, who's been
16:38
there yet, but the Jane is actually, you get
16:41
to it through a little alley. The entrance is
16:44
so adorable. It's decorated with pink string
16:47
lights. And if you don't know it's there, it's
16:49
really if you know, you know. It's like a speakeasy.
16:52
Yes, yes. It's got that great vibe. The pink
16:54
lights are hilarious because that is what I did
16:57
in September. I didn't have a sandwich sign.
17:00
I didn't have anything up. And I was like, oh
17:02
my God, what am I going to do? And I drilled
17:04
a hole. And, you know, because the landlord wasn't
17:08
going to do it anyway. And basically ran string
17:11
lights out and put, you know, follow the pink
17:13
lights. And that sort of stayed with us. And
17:15
people, it is amazing what sparkly stuff can
17:18
do. It brings people in. Speaking of First Fridays,
17:23
we're coming up to our first Friday in May. Did
17:26
you want to talk about your opening for your
17:29
May gallery? Yes. I am showing an artist. Her
17:32
name is Jo Gamble. She's very interesting. She's
17:36
an artist as well as a heavy metal star. Wow.
17:41
Yeah, she's one of those people that are a jack
17:44
of all trades but does it all. I really do like
17:49
her. She helps me out at the gallery a lot. And
17:51
I love seeing artists work and then reading their
17:55
artist statement. And it's very different than
17:58
what my first initial impression. I was like,
18:01
oh my God, it's like heavy metal rock goddess
18:03
meets grandma. Love it. And then her artist statement,
18:06
it's a lot deeper than that, which I know. But
18:09
that's like my initial, when you first see something,
18:12
your reaction and then what the artist means
18:14
by it is fascinating. But her show's name is
18:17
Deep Pink. And the opening, I believe the first
18:20
Friday is May 2nd. Yes. So that's going to be
18:24
a fun show. She has a lot of crazy stuff I'm
18:26
really interested in showing. And so on First
18:28
Friday, you have the artist there. Does the artist
18:31
do a talk during the First Friday? No, generally
18:33
it's just people coming in and out. I mean, Old
18:37
City has really stepped up its game. after the
18:40
pandemic with the first Fridays in the galleries,
18:42
which has been great. We're hearing that. Oh,
18:45
yeah. Across the board. Oh, yes. It's definitely,
18:47
definitely come back. The event, you come in,
18:50
everybody comes in, I say hi, everybody says
18:51
hi, you know, and we have some free wine, and
18:54
you look at the artwork, and you meet your friends.
18:56
And generally, if the artist wants to do a talk,
18:58
we do it toward the end of the month as a closing
19:00
ceremony. So I do have an event on Friday. You
19:03
should definitely come too. Okay, tell us about
19:06
that. Okay, so, oh, God. This idea came to me
19:09
probably after a couple glasses of champagne
19:11
and I probably shouldn't have promoted this and
19:14
made this happen. But we're celebrating 420 with
19:18
cannabis inspired art. It was an open call for
19:20
a group show because I have this little side
19:22
room toward the main gallery, which is great
19:24
because that's like the main gallery is where
19:26
I show. these artists whose collection on a wall
19:29
is just moving, right? Whereas, but I do love
19:33
a group show. And these smaller rooms, I'm sort
19:36
of able to do whatever I want with them, which
19:38
is great. So it's called the Mary Jane Gallery
19:40
in that room. And we're having a big spring awakening
19:44
event. to sort of open for their work. And we're
19:49
having live music and some performances and just
19:52
it's going to be just the kickoff of spring.
19:54
What's the future of Jane Gallery for this year?
19:58
What are your upcoming events beyond May or in
20:01
May that you want to talk about? I'm so happy
20:04
you asked this. Yes. Because I do have a show
20:06
coming in June that I'm incredibly obsessed with
20:09
and excited about for Gay Pride Month. and my
20:13
this is a perfect example of how i found artists
20:16
to do stuff with me it's so funny but uh i met
20:19
this young girl who was recommended to me to
20:22
sort of help out you know i always need help
20:24
at the gallery there's a lot of decorating a
20:25
lot of stuff that needs to um get done and i'm
20:29
talking to her and she does graphic design and
20:31
she does a lot of comic book kind of themed She
20:35
does something called LARPing, goes to Comic
20:37
-Con. It's like this entire community all over
20:40
the country of these artists and actresses and
20:44
just people who are very interested in what we're
20:47
doing. Batman. She's very interested in the Gotham
20:50
and these superheroes and such and villains and
20:52
everything else. I hope I'm explaining it right.
20:57
We're sitting there and she's showing me her
20:59
pictures and she has some of these sort of, you
21:02
know, gay lover pictures. Batman, you know, characters,
21:06
right? The Joker making out with Batman and Poison
21:10
Ivy caressing Harley Quinn. And I was like, oh,
21:13
my God. Tell me if this is crazy. But can we
21:17
have Queer Night at the Batcave for Gay Pride
21:19
Month? And she's basically running this show
21:23
by reaching out to everybody she LARPs with all
21:26
over the country. It's going to be amazing. And
21:30
we're having costumes because they do all these
21:33
amazing costumes. And I think we're going to
21:35
even have a Joker burlesque dancer. Nice. But
21:40
it's just my favorite thing. I just looked up
21:43
LARPing. Yes. It's the activity of participating
21:47
in live action role -playing games. Oh, real
21:50
-time fact checks. I like it. Well, it is a serious
21:54
business. Oh, yeah. I will tell you. Yeah, I
21:57
said to my husband, I'm like, I love being in
22:01
a world where someone can look at me directly
22:02
in the eye with a straight face and say, I'm
22:04
really tired. I was LARPing all week. I mean,
22:08
that's a wonderful place to live. I was like,
22:10
yes, girl, you were. Artistic inspiration comes
22:14
from everywhere. Yeah, I'm very excited for that
22:18
show. Friday the 25th is Spring Awakening. Gotcha.
22:21
May 2nd is Deep Pink. What did I just say? June
22:25
6th, I believe, is the opening for Queer Night
22:30
at the Batcave. And I will put all of these in
22:33
the show notes. We have a couple rapid fire questions
22:36
for you. If you could describe the Philly art
22:40
scene in one word, what would it be? Gritty.
22:44
Whoa, I love that. So many different meanings.
22:48
Yes. Exactly right. That's exactly what the Philly
22:52
is. I love that. If you could have any piece
22:56
of art in your home, what would it be and why?
22:59
God, how do you choose? I know. Like, really?
23:02
I know. It's hard. I mean, honestly, right now,
23:04
the artists I'm showing, Alex Spaulding, I am
23:08
obsessed with their work. It's sort of 1960s,
23:11
70s, you know, goddess -y, villain. So as of
23:16
right now, I am sort of obsessed with owning
23:19
most of their pieces. Excellent. In terms of
23:21
a famous piece of work, my God, how do you? you
23:24
choose that? What's the first one that comes
23:26
to mind? Simone Lee. She's a ceramic artist.
23:29
Lovely. Do you know who she is? No. Oh, she's
23:32
amazing. You should look her up. Okay. We will.
23:35
Is there a Philly -based artist whom the city
23:39
and the world is sleeping on right now? I would
23:43
say that if you looked around anywhere, there's
23:46
a million Philly -based artists that are being
23:49
slept on that don't even realize that they're
23:51
amazing artists. So, sure. This whole city. I
23:58
mean, you know, you walk down the street and
23:59
there's these people that crochet all this stuff
24:02
onto chain link fences. There's murals everywhere.
24:05
I mean, this city is filled with artists that
24:08
all should be shown and celebrated. Love it.
24:11
Love it. What is your favorite Philadelphia neighborhood?
24:17
I mean, I'm going to say I love Old City. I started
24:20
there. I went to the Clay Studio back when it
24:22
used to be there. It's like when I first moved
24:23
to Philadelphia from New York, that was the best
24:26
thing that happened to me, you know, just to
24:27
be able to do that. But I also love South Philly
24:31
because of Sarkones, near Sarkones. Oh, yes.
24:34
Yes. So good. Cheesesteaks with whiz or without?
24:40
With. Are you a Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, or
24:43
Samantha? Oh, I hate that show. And so where
24:46
can the audience find the Jane Gallery, both
24:49
physically and digitally? Physically, it is on
24:54
North 3rd. Actually, we were talking, my friend
24:59
Meg Saligman's bank, the Ministry of Awe, her
25:02
project is... The alleyway toward my little spot
25:05
is directly across from the bank next to the
25:08
nail salon, Lacquer Lounge. And there's usually,
25:10
now there's a sign and pink lights to find it.
25:13
Yes. And then on Instagram, it's at the Jane
25:17
Gallery. So my events and such are posted. Excellent.
25:22
Everyone, please check out the Jane Gallery.
25:25
We'll see you on First Friday. Thank you, Allison,
25:28
for your time today. Thank you for having me.
25:45
into any trouble this weekend hey lucinda yes
25:48
i'll be out of town for most of the weekend but
25:52
i will be making a an appearance back to the
25:55
philadelphia art scene by sunday but before we
25:59
get there on friday the jane gallery is having
26:02
an art exhibition called spring awakening it's
26:08
420 themed and will be an amazing experience
26:11
with a group of artists, a collaboration, a group
26:17
show of artists that came together. Kind of earthy,
26:21
420 -esque theme. Jane Gallery can be found on
26:27
3rd Street in Old City and will be a great time.
26:31
We have one thing to do in Philadelphia once
26:34
you get back into town, and that is the Sunday
26:37
matinee of Opera Philadelphia's Don Giovanni.
26:42
We got the notification today that the original
26:45
baritone had to drop out due to a sickness. And
26:53
in his place, we get to see a Grammy nominee
26:56
play the title character, which I think is amazing.
27:01
It's absolutely incredible. Sydney Outlaw will
27:04
play the villain in Don Giovanni this weekend.
27:08
As our audience may or may not already know,
27:11
The Opera Philadelphia this year gave tickets
27:14
away at $11 a pop or pay as you wish. That has
27:19
allowed the entire season to basically go sold
27:23
out. And so we got some coveted last minute tickets.
27:27
Yeah. And I mean, I tried to buy tickets back
27:29
in September after the Young Friends of Philadelphia
27:32
happy hour. Impossible. Yeah. Yeah. Go on. So,
27:37
Robert, question. Have you ever been to an Opera
27:40
Philadelphia production or have you been to any
27:43
opera? Yes, yes. I do love an opera. I don't
27:47
always know what's going on. I would say. Language
27:51
wise, right? A lot of it could be in Italian
27:54
or another romance language of sorts. But what
27:59
they normally do is place the words in English
28:03
above on a screen so that you can kind of follow
28:06
along as well in the storyline. Each one of those
28:10
singers is an artist themselves and just being
28:13
able to be in the same room. with them and to
28:17
listen to their trained, amazing voices is incredible.
28:22
The sets are always great. Going to the festival
28:27
each year for Opera Philadelphia was also absolutely
28:30
incredible moments because they took the opera
28:34
and they put it into different community spaces
28:37
throughout the city of Philadelphia. And so it
28:41
was a way to bring the opera into the community
28:45
in years past. And so I'm very excited to see
28:48
for the first time this season what Anthony,
28:51
the artistic director, has been able to do with
28:54
the opera. Have you ever been to an opera, Lucinda?
28:57
I went to an opera in fifth grade when I lived
29:00
in Italy. Fifth grade Italian opera. Wow. Living
29:06
in Italy presented some pretty good field trips.
29:09
That was a field trip? That was a field trip.
29:13
ballet and opera not much since then yeah okay
29:17
can you sing can i sing yeah i mean i wasn't
29:22
show choir oh you were no of course you were
29:25
i never knew that about you you're learning more
29:28
and more every week on this okay we're gonna
29:30
delve into that during the next mini so do you
29:32
got that great okay all right before before we
29:37
devolve into Robert goes glee. A few more things
29:41
that are happening this weekend. Make sure you
29:44
catch Polonia Provings to the Leaf and Wood Sculpture
29:48
Exhibition by Linda Laurie Gross at Muse Gallery.
29:52
But this particular exhibition will only be in
29:57
the gallery until, I believe it's April 24th.
30:01
It's this upcoming Sunday. So make sure you catch
30:03
it before it's too late. Catch... George Lincoln
30:06
Rockwell in the Bridget Meyer Gallery Vault.
30:10
That'll be on show until I believe it's May 24th.
30:16
And Cecily Brown, Themes and Variations at the
30:19
Barnes is also on until about May 24th as well.
30:26
The Spring Festival at the Mann for Ballet X
30:29
is going to take place on May 2nd and May 3rd.
30:34
And that will be at First Friday, which will
30:38
be May 2nd. We'll be in Old City. So catch us
30:41
there. Check out the galleries. Put that time
30:44
on your calendar. There's some amazing restaurants
30:46
in there, too. So make it a whole night, right?
30:48
Check out some galleries. Get some drinks. Check
30:51
out the art. The South Street Headhouse District
30:55
and Da Vinci Art Alliance will host South Street
30:57
Live, a community -rooted event offering live
31:01
performances. Immersive art, local vendors, and
31:04
cultural experiences on Saturday, May 3rd from
31:08
noon to 6 p .m. It's going to be on South Street
31:13
from Front Street to 8th Street. Mural Arts Philadelphia
31:17
recently announced that its signature fundraising
31:21
event, Wall Ball 2025, will take place Friday,
31:25
May 9th at the Brooklyn Bowl, Philadelphia. Philadelphia
31:29
Ballet will be closing out their Academy of Music
31:33
season with Les Sophides with Etudes. That will
31:37
be from May 8th to the 11th, both matinees and
31:41
evening shows. Do you have tickets to that? I
31:45
do. Where are you going? I think I'm going multiple
31:48
days. Of course you are. Yeah. I think as a young
31:51
friend, we have access to a rehearsal and a backstage
31:56
pass on Wednesday. And then I believe I'm also
32:00
going to the Saturday night show. Same, Saturday
32:04
night. Evening, lovely. The Philadelphia Ballet
32:08
is also closing out the entire season at Red
32:12
Rose Farm. This is their sixth year in doing
32:15
so. The chairman of the board of trustees of
32:18
the ballet has a lovely Villanova estate and
32:22
hosts this farm event. Each year, their benefit
32:29
event will be May 29th with dinner served after
32:34
the three productions. Oh, are you going to that?
32:38
Oh, you know, I will. Fancy pants. Fancy. There
32:41
will be three productions on the farm on a stage
32:45
and then dinner to follow. And then there's a
32:49
family fun event picnic on the lawn on May 31st.
32:54
Very kid friendly. And also a great time. Rain
32:58
dates are always going to be the day after. Perfect.
33:02
Robert, I didn't think we had much to talk about
33:04
on the outro, but I suppose I was wrong. Yep.
33:09
As always, Philly has heart. And heart!