election art exhibit

Flip the Script (Part 10): Nov. 8 Is Here, & It’s Now or Never

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Well,  it’s come down to this….and there’s no do-overs after Election Day….

16_10_02-4-passyunk-windows-cm_5590Corny perhaps, but indubitably true:  Click here to learn more about these smiling faces in our South Philly windows – and about the hundreds more big-hearted Philadelphians we’ve photographed for our blog this month.

And,  yeah,  it’s easy to say that both major candidates are flawed,  and you don’t want to vote for either of them.  But their agendas are polar opposites,  and one of them will be elected this week.

And you  – and all the other smiling faces on our blog – will be living with the consequences for years to come.

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Flip the Script (Part 7): 65 More Ways to Beat the Blues

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When we dreamed up our anti-angst, South Philadelphia window project this summer,  we knew this election season was going to get rough.

16_10_21-1-vote-tasker-side-dc_8280Click here to learn more about the upbeat artists in our lighted windows at E. Passyunk Avenue and Tasker Street – and our quest to photograph hundreds more smiling Philadelphians.

But we had no idea how ugly it was going to get….

16_11_3-kate-in-door-2-dc_1289Go away!   I’ll be out on Nov. 9….of,  uhm,  2020.

NO  RETREAT,  BABY….

But it’s hard to abandon all hope when you can still find such goodness right outside your studio door.

So we are especially happy today to share more photos taken during last Saturday’s East Passyunk Fall Fest — along with another group of artists we’d like to introduce….

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Flip the Script (Part 6): Meet 8 More of Our Window Artists

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Over the past several posts,  we’ve told you about many of the 28 artists,  writers,  musicians and performers who appear in our South Philadelphia window display.   (And,  yes,  if you’re not familiar with our pre-election,  anti-angst campaign,  you can read about it here.)

Today,  we’ll tell you about the remaining 8 artists overlooking South Philadelphia’s popular “singing fountain”….

16_10_02-4-passyunk-windows-cm_5590The view on our second and third floors at East Passyunk Avenue and Tasker Street….

16_10_02-15-asa-maisie-cm_5576….and the bottom line on our first floor.

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Flip the Script (Part 5): Halloween Edition

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When we opened our South Philadelphia studio on Saturday,  over 130 people poured in to add their upbeat images to our anti-election-stress,  flip-the-script photo campaign….

16_10_25-01-vote-corner-view-dc_0137Click here to learn about those reassuring artists and musicians in our windows – and the hundreds of other Philadelphians we’re photographing for our blog.

THERE’S  SOMETHING  STRANGE  IN  YOUR  NEIGHBORHOOD

Given that the East Passyunk Avenue Fall Fest was in full swing Saturday,  it’s no surprise that the crowd included a mad mix of superheroes,  frogs,  princesses and one extremely large chicken.

So to celebrate Halloween,  we’re featuring all our costumed  players and their parents today.

And,  yes,  even the bear and the chicken got along this weekend – which makes us think there’s an over-sized metaphor there for this high-stress election season….

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Flip the Script (Part 3): A Cure for the Pre-Election Blues

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Sometimes the anger and angst on the national stage makes it impossible to see the goodness on your own corner.

That’s why we gathered over two dozen Philadelphia artists,  writers,  performers and musicians,  and asked them to pose for our windows holding upbeat signs with words like create,  collaborate,  envision and – yes – VOTE….

16_10_25-01-vote-corner-view-dc_0137Click here to learn more about our pre-election window display on the corner E. Passyunk Avenue and Tasker Street.

16_10_02-9-tasker-street-photos-cm_5602You can see it just across  from South Philadelphia’s  “Singing Fountain”  through election week.

WE CAN WORK IT OUT

That’s also why today – and several more times until the election – we’ll share photos here of scores more optimistic Philadelphians holding these same signs.

And,  yes,  they really are out there by the thousands – even though it’s sometimes hard to see them through the haze of the evening news….

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Flip the Script (Part 2): Meet Our Window Artists & Join Them on our Blog!

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Earlier this month, we told you about our upbeat new South Philadelphia window exhibit – a non-partisan response to the soul-draining divisiveness and election angst in the news right now.

16_10_21-1-vote-tasker-side-dc_8280Show me a sign:  28 local artists share positive messages from our windows at the corner of E. Passyunk Avenue and Tasker Street.

After all,  if we can’t come together to make things better here,  then who in the world can?

PASS  IT  ON…

Starting today, and continuing through Election Day,  we’ll introduce you to the artists who generously agreed to help us “flip the script”.

We’ll also share dozens more photos of good-hearted Philadelphians who grabbed a sign and added their optimism to our campaign.   (And,  yes,  read on to learn how you can join them on our blog between now and Election Day.)

16_10_21-2-miguel-horn-karen-benson_5563Artists Miguel Antonio Horn and Karen Benson help light up our lives – and the corner across from South Philadelphia’s “singing fountain”.

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Election Year Blues: Help Us Flip the Script!

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This year,  we struggled with finding a new topic for our annual holiday window display.

We’d already displayed photos of our South Philadelphia neighbors and of local celebrities from the 1960s….

16_09_27-12-neighbor-windows-dc_6507

What was left?   South Philadelphia restaurant owners?    Current local celebrities?    Favorite Philly athletes?   (Way too controversial!)

But one topic kept intruding in our heads.

ELECTION  STRESS  DISORDER

Like many people,  we’ve been beaten down by the soul-draining divisiveness in the country this year.

Violence.    Name-calling.   Corruption.   Terrorism.   Racial and religious divides.   Following the news – particularly the election news – you’d think that the country and the entire human race were sliding down that greased pole to hell.

16_10_02-2-kate-newspapers-dc_8245“Uhm,  Dave,  do you have the comics?”

 And,  yes,  it even has a name:   Election Stress Disorder,  and everyone we knew had symptoms.

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