This weekend: YallaPunk, Bowie, and black trans futurism highlight mid-January

The holiday hangover is finally slipping away and the arts in Philadelphia are revving to go. This weekend features tributes to the late David Bowie, a progressive take on Southwest Asian North African narratives and culture, and more. The cold may be settling in the city as we approach midwinter, but that's not keeping the scene from heating up and sparking minds, imaginations, and conversations around town.

Black Trans Futuristic: An Exhibition

Black Trans Futuristic is an artistic experience highlighting black transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming artists across a variety of media. The experience is curated by Wit Lopez and hosted by Till Arts Project. Catch the exhibition on Friday, January 11, from 6 to 9pm at the William Way LGBT Community Center (1315 Spruce Street). The event is free and open to the public.

Identity, home, and diaspora with the YallaPunk community

YallaPunk is redefining the Southwest Asian North African (SWANA) narrative in this First Friday art exhibit hosted by Vox Populi (319 N 11th Street, 3rd Floor). The exhibit, curated by YallaPunk founder and director Rana Fayez, looks to exceed expectations for how the SWANA diaspora is portrayed. Punk-rock-inspired work finds its way into printmaking, music, paintings, and sculptures. The works are intended to spark conversations about identity, assimilation, and isolation.

Fayez and the YallaPunk community continue to push against the stereotypical depictions of SWANA populations. By creating an inclusive environment free from Islamophobia, transphobia, homophobia, and sexism, YallaPunk heals through discourse on social issues and kicks off 2019 celebrating with artists Fatima Aleshaiker, Amal Amer, Beeta Baghoolizadeh, Sera Boeno, and many more. The exhibition is Friday, January 11, at 6pm and admission is free.

A snowy Bowie skate

Philly Loves Bowie closes out its weeklong celebration of the Starman himself with a family-friendly outdoor ice-skating event at Blue Cross RiverRink (101 S. Columbus Blvd). Activities including ice skating to Bowie music, a screening of Labyrinth on the screens inside the Lodge, and Stardust face painting. The skate session runs from 12 to 6pm on Sunday, January 13.

LGBTQ History Group: Ellis Martin and Zach Ozma on Lou Sullivan

Louis Graydon Sullivan was the first publicly gay trans man to attempt medical transition in the 1980s. Not many of Sullivan's journaled experiences, which date from age 11 until his death from AIDS complications, have been published. This meeting of the LGBTQ History Group will feature artists Ellis Martin and Zach Ozma, who are currently working with Sullivan’s archives. They've worked hard to transcribe major selections from the diaries, crafting Lou’s inner dialogues into a series of narratives. The artists will present on their processes, diving into the biographical and historical contexts behind Sullivan's storied life and fulfilling Lou's unfinished effort to publish the journals. The event takes place Sunday, January 13, from 12 to 2pm at William Way LGBT Community Center.