West Craft Fest, Sugar Skull!, Punks of Color, and more in post-Fringe Philly

Fringe may have come to an official close, but that doesn’t mean it’s time for the city of Philadelphia to fall into hibernation. This weekend is filled with unique exhibitions, performances, and even some craftiness. The School for Temporary Liveness opens with a week-long series, a pop-up exhibit visits Penn Museum, conversations rise around classic Indian dance, and West Craft Fest is back.

There’s plenty of life after Fringe.

The School for Temporary Liveness

University of the Arts School of Dance presents The School for Temporary Liveness, a project featuring a week-long series of performances, workshops, lectures, and conversations inhabiting the poetic frame of a school. Opening on Wednesday September 25 through October 2 at the Philadelphia Art Alliance at UArts, The School for Temporary Liveness brings together an international roster of artists and scholars working in dance, visual art, poetry, music and more, including nora chipaumire, Isabel Lewis, Colin Self, Simone White and Jackie Wang, among others. The event is free and open to the public, and you can register ahead of time.

Hostile Terrain 94 at Penn Museum

Hostile Terrain 94, a pop-up exhibit at Penn Museum, looks to spotlight America’s southern border crisis. More than 600 volunteers will come together to complete the installation that goes up on Wednesday, September 25 through Friday, September 27. The exhibit’s name is a nod to America’s immigration enforcement policy, “Prevention Through Deterrence,” which went into effect in 1994.

Celebrating Indian dance

On Thursday, September 26 at 6pm at 12Gates Arts, trio Pallabi Chakravorty, Madhusmita Bora, and donia salem harhoor will explore the world of classic Indian dance through performance and conversation. Get tickets online for this dynamic performance on faith, spirituality and performance culture, presented by Intercultural Journeys.

Punks of Color

The Institute of Contemporary Art is hosting a panel with six guests to kick off the inaugural #Blkgrlswurld Punk Fest and Zine Fair. The panelists will discuss their personal journeys as black and brown youth in underground music and their relationships to music as self-expression. Moderated by #Blkgrlswurld Zine’s Senior Editor Courtney Long, the discussion will explore the cultural implications of punk music made for and by marginalized communities and the future of the punk scene. Check out the panel on Friday, September 27 at 6pm, and be sure to register for free.

Say Amen, Somebody Screening

The African American Museum in Philadelphia is screening George Nierenberg’s music documentary, Say Amen, Somebody, on September 28-29 at 7:30pm. The celebration of African American culture was first released in the early 80s and hasn’t been in theaters since. However, it’s been restored to 4K with 5.1 surround sound, and is $5-$10 for admission.

Sugar Skull!

Sugar Skull!, a Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure comes to the Harold Prince Theatre on Saturday, September 28. Created by Mexico Beyond Mariachi, the musical tells the story of Vita, whose family is throwing a party for deceased loved ones and a candy skeleton in her grandmother’s cemetery springs to life. Tickets are available online.

Paint Walt Whitman’s Tomb

Ever wanted to paint a tomb? Well, you can paint Walt Whitman’s tomb this weekend as part of Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts’ “Whitman Sampler,” a day of activities celebrating Walt Whitman’s connection to Camden. The painting and sketching serves as an extension to the center’s current exhibition, “Democratic Vistas: Whitman, Body and Soul.” The painting and sketching takes place at Harleigh Cemetery, 1640 Haddon Avenue in Camden, New Jersey, on Saturday, September 28 at noon.

West Craft Fest

West Craft Fest is back on Saturday, September 28 at 11am-5pm at The Woodlands, 4000 Woodland Avenue. Artisan jewelry, handmade ceramics, clothing, soaps, candles, and more all made by independent makers and small businesses will make for a colorful, robust afternoon. The family-friendly free event will also feature live music, food trucks, children’s activities, an interactive mural project, and acrobatic performances by Tangle Movement Arts.