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MLK Day, Love Notes 3, beLONGING, and Cannonball Crash this week
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, January 11-17, 2024
Kyle V. Hiller
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a great time for reflection on the year behind us, and a chance to lay out the blueprint for the future. The Philadelphia Orchestra is singing his praises this coming Monday, and a few museums in the area host special events in celebration of MLK. Then, turn the page over to Love Notes 3, a multi-disciplinary experience about love—with an emphasis on the self-love variety. The Philadelphia Voices of Pride sing their hearts out, beLONGING opens its doors to all, and Cannonball Crash breaks the stage in with three performances.
Stay dreaming, Philly!
beLONGING
Through February 24, 2024
Opening reception: Thursday, January 11, 6-9pm
InLiquid Gallery, 1400 North American Street, Philadelphia
“Whimsical life-size stuffed teddy bears made of rainbow-colored QR codes; intricately layered handwoven textiles and fabric; colorfully fragmented oil paintings, and sculptures which challenge perceptions of time” are the things you can find at InLiquid Gallery’s first exhibition of the new year. The interactive exhibit showcases four Philly-area LGBTQIA+ artists: Carmel Dor, THECOLORG, Abbey Muza, and Meg Wolensky, and asks the questions, “What determines a person’s identity?” and, “What forms a sense of self?”
Cannonball Crash
Starting January 11, 6pm
FringeArts, 140 North Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia
Cannonball Crash is a curated series from Cannonball and FringeArts that features encores and evolutions of past Cannonball shows alongside new experiments and premieres. This weekend features Open Seas, an intimate reading of poems from Philly-based literary magazine Voicemail Poems by Warren C. Longmire and Alison Lubar, along with a dance solo. The reading is followed by xxJAMxx, a performance scour in four points, and a cabaret closes the night. Each of the three events is its own ticketed event, so you can drop in for the whole night or pop in for one or two events as you please. Cannonball Crash will return again later in the winter on Friday, February 9, and Friday, March 8.
Among the Stars
January 12 and 13, 8pm
Church of St. Luke & Epiphany, 330 South 13th Street, Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Voices of Pride will illuminate the Gayborhood this weekend with a concert of rarely performed works by contemporary composers inspired by the idea of flight and the unlimited human potential that can be unleashed by flight in all its varieties—literal ones and figurative ones. The 136-voice LGBTQ chorus will extract from classical, film, and folk music in four languages by 13 contemporary composers. Sounds like you’ll be in for a journey here.
Love Notes 3: Notes to Self
Saturday, January 13, 6:30-930pm
Society Hill Dance Academy, 1919 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia
East Passyunk Opera Project, Society Hill Dance Academy, and Top Dog Cocktails unite to bring us a special blended experience. Featuring opera, live performance, visual art, and unique cocktails, Love Notes 3: Notes to Self is a collaborative event that shows love to the city and all that makes Philadelphia home, taking audiences on a journey of self-reflection, struggle, and growth.
Martin Luther King Jr. tribute concert
Monday, January 15, 3pm
Girard College Chapel, 2101 South College Avenue, Philadelphia
Broadcast live via WRTI
The Philadelphia Orchestra presents its 34th annual Martin Luther King Jr. tribute concert on Monday. Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the way for the free concert on MLK Day. The concert will also be broadcast live on WRTI 90.1 FM if you can’t make it out.
Be sure to check out another concert from the orchestra on January 11 and 13 featuring world-renowned pipa player Wu Man, and their Lunar New Year performance on Friday, January 12.
MLK at the Museums
Various dates and locations
A few museums in the area are hosting their own special events throughout the weekend in celebration of MLK Day. The African American Museum in Philadelphia has a dance exhibit, cafe concert, and a pair of panels; the Please Touch Museum hosts family-friendly storytime and painting; the Museum of the American Revolution has an assortment of interactive activities, panels, and performances; and the Betsy Ross House and National Constitution Center will offer free admission in addition to special service throughout the weekend.
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