Billy Penn at WHYY

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 10, 2026

Philly Suburban Station’s new artistic third space makes graffiti and street art legal

Philadelphia's Suburban Station, a SEPTA transit hub, is hosting "Platform X," a legal street art and graffiti exhibition organized by the nonprofit Step Outside. The show features commissioned works from local street artists, including an interactive robot named Mitch Bot, and runs through July. The exhibition occupies both indoor and outdoor spaces in the recently reopened Center City concourse, with pieces inspired by the prompt "USA (United Street Art) 250," reflecting on American history and contemporary challenges.

person people schedule May 28, 2026

Danny Simmons on why Philly is primed for an arts renaissance

Danny Simmons, an abstract-expressionist painter, author, poet, and philanthropist, relocated from New York City to Philadelphia to launch Rush Arts Philly in the Logan neighborhood in 2016. In an interview with Billy Penn, he discusses his early artistic development, his transition from social work to full-time art in the 1990s, and his move to Philly, where he believes the city is primed for a cultural renaissance. Simmons, co-founder of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and older brother of Russell Simmons and Rev. Run, has spent a decade using art to empower his adopted city.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 22, 2026

‘Never in a million years.’ The Rocky statue’s long, unlikely road to acceptance inside the Art Museum

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has brought the iconic bronze statue of Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa inside its building for the first time, as the centerpiece of the exhibition 'Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments.' The statue, created as a movie prop for 'Rocky III' by artist A. Thomas Schomberg, had stood outside the museum for decades, its artistic merit debated while it became a major tourist attraction.

museum exhibitions schedule Oct 8, 2025

‘When you’re working with clay, you’re working with the earth’: Studio’s new exhibition offers ‘Clay as Care’

The Clay Studio in Philadelphia has opened a new exhibition titled "Clay as Care: Ceramic Art and Wellbeing," which explores the therapeutic and restorative benefits of working with ceramics. The show features four artists—Adebunmi Gbadebo, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Ehren Tool, and Maia Chao—each using clay to address personal healing journeys, from fertility struggles to military trauma. The exhibition includes interactive elements like communal clay for visitors and is part of a research project in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Center for Neuroaesthetics, Jefferson University Art Therapy Department, and Drexel University Art Psychotherapy team, collecting data on the show's impact on wellness.

museum exhibitions schedule Sep 19, 2025

‘A really pivotal moment’: 6 neurodivergent artists highlighted in a sensory-dense, striking exhibition

An exhibition titled 'LOOK HERE' opens at Haverford College's Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, featuring six neurodivergent artists from Greater Philadelphia who are connected with the Center for Creative Works (CCW). Curated by Jennifer Gilbert alongside CCW artists Paige Donavan and Mary T. Bevlock, the show highlights diverse works including mixed-media sculptures by blind artist Cindy Gosselin, textured ceramics by Clyde Henry, marker drawings by Allen Yu, and contributions from Kelly Brown, Tim Quinn, and Brandon Spicer-Crawley. The gallery is designed for accessibility, with lowered paintings, sensory backpacks, braille booklets, ASL-embedded videos, and custom seating by artists.

article local schedule Jun 26, 2025

‘The Mini Art Show’ opens in Philadelphia this Friday

A new exhibition called 'The Mini Art Show' opens this Friday, June 27, at the vintage shop At My House in Philadelphia's Queen Village. The show features artwork no larger than three inches, including pocket-sized paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and tiny textiles from 21 local artists. Curated by local artist Fabiola Lara, known for her art vending machines, the exhibition runs through late July. The opening night includes specialty cocktails, and the store will provide magnifying glasses for visitors to examine the tiny works closely.

museum exhibitions schedule May 23, 2025

Mural Arts’ ‘No Place Like Home’ student exhibition champions the importance of art education

Mural Arts’ Art Education program presented its annual student exhibition, “No Place Like Home,” at a transformed exposed-brick home in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood. The two-day show featured artwork from over 100 students ages 11 to 18 who attend the organization’s after-school art courses. The gallery space was turned into a whimsical house with themed rooms, including a bedroom, kitchen, and living room, displaying drawings, paintings, and craft projects such as paper flowers, painted clouds, and papier-mâché pets. Mural Arts founder Jane Golden spoke at the opening, emphasizing the importance of art education access for all Philadelphia youth.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2025

‘Step Outside’ packs Philly’s street art scene into one unique gallery space

Philadelphia's underground street art scene is stepping into the spotlight with a two-day pop-up exhibition titled 'Step Outside' at Huddle gallery in Fishtown. Organized by street artists Doomed Future and Red Hound Heavy Hammer, the show features over 75 outdoor and graffiti artists, including works by the anonymous artist Blur. The event includes live wheat-pasting, installations, and a large submission wall, aiming to replicate the subversive energy of creating art outdoors within a gallery setting.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 21, 2025

In West Philly, “third space” Studio 34 offers healing to everyone

Studio 34, a wellness and community center located at 4522 Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia, is hosting a new solo exhibition by Lebanese multidisciplinary artist Tracy Chahwan. Titled “Alien of Extraordinary Abilities,” the show runs through the end of May and features over a decade of Chahwan's work in posters, textiles, and comics. The exhibition traces her journey from designing posters for Beirut's music scene and collaborating with the Samandal and Zeez comics collectives to arriving in Philadelphia during the pandemic, where she was stranded after a planned short visit turned into a permanent relocation.

person Billy Penn at WHYY