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CultureFest!, Good Mother Myths, and more
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, January 23-29, 2025
Kyle V. Hiller
January is already coming to a close. As many of us may be recovering from this past Monday, and we’re all feeling the impact of Sunday’s relentless snowfall. But here we are, living just another day. But on this day and the ones coming up are a plethora of things to do in and around the city. A self-described American history painter opens a brand new exhibit, and Penn Museum continues a long-running tradition in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Musicopia showcases its rising young stars, and a new exhibit that’s opening with the release of a new book from a local Philly author.
Stay warm, Philly!
Overture
January 23 through April 6, 2025
Opening reception on Thursday, January 23, 6pm
The Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, 601 East Main Street, Collegeville, PA
Philly-based artist and self-described American history painter Mark Thomas Gibson has a new exhibition featuring a selection of collages that focus on a fictional character who recounts current events happening on the national and global political stage. His style blends influences from graphic novel illustrations, surrealism, and symbolism.
The 44th annual CultureFest! Lunar New Year
Saturday, January 25, 10am-4pm
Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia
This year’s CultureFest! from Penn Museum is filled with family-friendly activities, live music, dance performances, storytelling, and more. An all-day vendor marketplace, a panel discussion from the Members of the American Center for Asian Students, a lion dance, martial arts demonstrations, are just a few of the activities listed for the event.
STAGED SO BLACK
Saturday, January 25, 3-5:30pm
The Colored Girls Museum, 4613 Newhall Street
A poetry workshop inspired by select works in the Colored Girls Museum’s collection on Saturday afternoon. And while you’re there, check out The Intermission, the Colored Girls Museum’s latest exhibit: a workshop production that invites the audience to join in the adventure of the protagonist of the exhibition—the 140-year-old house itself.
Musicopia's Winter String Orchestras' Concert
Saturday, January 25, 4pm
First Presbyterian Church, 201 South 21st Street
Streaming online
Musicopia String Orchestra hosts their student musicians for their annual winter concert this weekend. The free public concert pulls together African folk music, Mexican ballads, and well-known classical works by the likes of Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. You can attend the show in-person or watch it on Musicopia’s website, Facebook, and YouTube if you want to stream it remotely.
Art Star CRAP Bazaar
January 25-26, 11-4pm
Independence Visitor Center, 599 Market Street
Pay a visit to Old City for this spin-off of Art Star’s CRAFT Bazaar. Over 20 crafters will be selling off their “seconds” at huge discounts. The event promises to be minimalist: no fancy booth displays and no frills: “just a bunch of big tables piled with stuff to rummage through.” This edition of the bazaar aims to support the artists by helping them make some additional income off of time spent learning and playing. The artists and the buyers all win here.
Good Mother Myths Exhibition Opening Night
Saturday, January 25-26, 6pm
Philadelphia Small Works Gallery, 1609 North Delaware Avenue
The official book launch of Nancy Reddy’s The Good Mother Myth, which we previewed this week, is this weekend. It opens accompanied with the opening of Good Mother Myths, a group exhibition featuring mothers, parents, caregivers, and children unwinding the threads of their own experiences with or without a mother, and people interested in expanding the idea of mothering. The book, The Good Mother Myth, blends memoir, cultural criticism, and the history of science to debunk old, archaic expert insights and advice on parenting and what it means to be a good mother.
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