Witches in Laurel Hill, Finnish music in West Philly, Art Book Fair, and more in summery Philly

Here we are, friends. In the thick of summer, where it doesn’t even make sense bothering to check the forecast anymore. The streets are a bit quieter during the day, the spots you regularly hang out a little sparser. But that’s not a bad thing. Just means you have the city to yourself! And this weekend, there’s plenty to see, from a not-so-household-name witch Elizabeth Sawyer, a widely talented Finnish artist at the Rotunda, a new art-book fair, an accessible farmers' market, and more.

It’s time to make the city yours while all those other ‘city-dwellers’ go on vacation. They don’t know what they’re missing!

Lau Nau at the Rotunda

From Finland to West Philly, Lau Nau brings her sounds to the Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, this Friday, July 12, 2019, at 7:30pm. Hailed as one of the more interesting names in the music scene in Finland, Lau Nau’s music comes with cinematic impressions and “fragile, spectral otherness.” Her use of acoustic and electronic instruments blends field recordings and analogue synthesizers and much more. Lau Nau’s compositions are sure to be a treat. She’s joined by the band Special Guests, and by Jeffrey Alexander and Derek Monypeny. The event is free, with donation requested.

The Witch of Edmonton

REV Theatre Company is bring the little-known Jacobean play The Witch of Edmonton to Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Avenue, starting this weekend on Friday, July 12, at 8pm. Written in 1621, the bloody tragedy is based on a true story of Elizabeth Sawyer, a woman who was tried and executed for practicing witchcraft. Part rustic comedy and part horror story, the performance also plays Saturday, July 13, and next weekend on Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20. Admission is $12 at the door.

Lauren Auyeng and Shanel Edwards works in progress

On Friday, July 13, at 8pm, Urban Movement Arts (UMA)’s studio will showcase its Artists in Residence performance by up-and-coming choreographers Lauren Auyeng and Shanel Edwards. Auyeng, a Princeton University grad with training in contemporary, floorwork, and somatic techniques, works to include vocabularies, bodies, and experiences of people from underrepresented communities. Edwards, a Black, queer, nonbinary Philadelphia-based dancer, photographer, director, and poet, centers their work on Black queer femme-hood, healing through intimacy, and radical joy. The culminative performance is $12 at the door at 2100 Chestnut Street, second floor.

BloodMilk’s Art Book Fair

Sphinx and Snakeskin, 45 North 2nd Street, is hosting BloodMilk’s first ever Art Book Fair on Saturday, July 13, from 12 to 5pm. A long roster of artists, authors, writers, and vendors will be on deck to share their comics, graphic novels, prints, pins, and more. Admission is $3 at the door, which will be 100% donated to Visual Urban Renewal and Transformation, a local nonprofit organization that uses recycled and reusable materials to paint murals in often overlooked and forgotten areas. All vendors keep 100% of their earnings. Go out and support the new fair this weekend, and see the full list of participants online.

Philadelphia Poet Reading Series

Local poets Angelo Colavita, Amy Saul-Zerby, Kyle Brown-Watson, and Faye Chevalier are featured performers in the return of the Philadelphia Poet Reading Series at A Novel Idea on Passyunk, 1726 East Passyunk. Join them on Saturday, July 13, from 7pm to 9pm.

Open-air market series

Beginning this Saturday and running every Saturday until November 16, the Food Trust’s market at Cherry Street Pier returns to the Delaware River Waterfront. The open-air market series combines a traditional farmers' market with more than 50 food trucks, visual artists, creative sellers, locally made goods, and music. The accessible location on the waterfront welcomes neighbors from all communities and encourages Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) users to shop at the market. Find out more online, including a list of confirmed vendors.

Michele Kishita at Summer Rush

Philadelphia-based artist Michele Kishita is shaking up the color of nature with her paintings, headlining Summer Rush, hosted at the James Oliver Gallery from Saturday, July 13, until August 1. Her work is influenced by the graphic stylizations and compressed space of Japanese ukiyo-e prints and uses colors found in, but not typically associated with, nature. The opening reception is Saturday from 6pm to 10pm at 723 Chestnut Street, fourth floor, and will feature a roster of other artists as well. Check out the list online.