Penn’s Arts & the City Year celebrates arts and culture across our campus – and throughout our neighborhood, city, and region.
It features an exciting range of events in Fall 2009 and Spring 2010, from dynamic student performances and distinguished guest artists, to vital discussions about national arts policy, the role of the arts in public health, and the importance of civic engagement with arts and culture.
With its array of diverse perspectives, the Arts & the City Year spotlights Penn’s commitment to knowledge that crosses disciplines and boundaries, while reaffirming the essential role of arts and culture in campus and city life.
The year includes a wide range of student programs and initiatives, including Arts Grants, an Arts & Culture Passport, Arts Crawls, and weekly notices of special events and discounts.
If you would like to receive weekly email notices about arts and culture events on campus, plus special deals for the Penn community on Philadelphia events, email and ask to be added to the Arts & The City email notice list.
FEATURED EVENTS
Campus Arts Crawl
November 20, 2009
Join us for 14 hours of free Penn events, offered by more than two dozen arts and culture groups, located on campus, in West Philadelphia, and beyond.
Righteous Dopefiend Exhibit at Penn Museum
December 5, 2009 – May 2010
Penn Museum presents an exhibit of the work of Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Philippe Bourgois, featuring more than 40 photographs accompanying his landmark research into the lives of homeless drug addicts in San Francisco.
Creative Action: The Arts in Public Health
September 2009 – May 2010
The Center for Public Health Initiatives hosts a year-long series of events that present the perspectives of artists on critical public health issues, especially in Philadelphia and among immigrant and historically underrepresented groups. The series’ central event will be a January 26 presentation by renowned writer/actress Anna Deavere Smith of her current work on access to health care in America.
Film and the City
Spring 2010
As part of this special Arts & The City Year seminar, students will make their own short films in Philadelphia; explore film resources in Center City, University City, and the surrounding region; examine the history and importance of cities on film; and analyze models of urban planning and urban experience.
Locust Walk Arts Fair
September 29, 2009, 11 AM-2 PM
Representatives of more than 30 arts organizations, from across Philadelphia and Penn, were on campus to showcase their work, meet new friends, and talk about their upcoming seasons.
Penn Institute for Urban Research Symposium
October 6, 2009, 3 PM
Experts from Penn and the Philadelphia region discussed the importance of the arts in enhancing the quality of urban life and promoting the economic vitality of the city and region.
West Philadelphia: Building a Community
July 3 – October 11, 2009
In collaboration with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Penn Archives, the Arthur Ross Gallery presented an exhibition focused on the architectural and community development of West Philadelphia since the second half of the 19th century. It featured a wide range of historical documents, including maps, photos, oral histories, and watercolors with scenes from some of the neighborhood’s earliest years.
Arts & Culture at Homecoming Weekend
November 6-7, 2009
For the first time, Homecoming Weekend included a wide range of exciting arts and culture events to complement the football game, including classes, concerts, tours, panels, children’s events, film screenings, and other special events.