Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

From his iconic life-sized portraits to compelling Jamaican landscapes, native son Barkley L. Hendricks’ works come to Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) for an exclusive fall engagement. Birth of the Cool is Hendricks’ first career retrospective, and from October 17 to January 3, art aficionados can visit the artist’s alma mater and browse nearly 60 interpretations of contemporary black identity. Plus, Philly’s wide range of exhibitions, performances and galleries offer fresh ideas to make it a long weekend. Visitors can book their stay at gophila.com, where they can also plan every detail of their trip. Here’s

After exploring the Galileo, the Medici and the Age of Astronomy exhibition, appearing only in Philadelphia, only in 2009 (April 4 through September 7, 2009 at The Franklin Institute Science Museum), visitors are encouraged to spend a night or two and enjoy other exhibitions and events in the region. Here’s a look at what’s going on while Galileo’s in town:

Fun Art And Culture:

• The popular three-day West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival—now in its sixth year—features all types of jazz alongside visual artists, craft vendors and more. This year’s lineup features WAR, Jeffrey Osbourne, Average

This summer’s Philadelphia Quest for Freedom will feature new programs, tours and exhibitions—including the brand-new permanent exhibition at The African American Museum in Philadelphia, Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia, 1776-1876—to give visitors a more exciting and in-depth view of African-American history in Philadelphia and in the United States’ early years than ever before.

Now in its third year, Philadelphia Quest for Freedom, part of a statewide initiative that brings the history of the Underground Railroad to the public’s attention, features several exhibitions that explore the breadth of the African-American experience in Philadelphia:

• Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia,

Travelers heading to Philadelphia this spring or summer will have a chance to immerse themselves in the region’s rich African-American history and culture thanks to an assortment of special events and exhibitions taking place in the city and beyond. During the course of both seasons, they can check out The African American Museum in Philadelphia’s brand-new permanent exhibition to learn about the experiences of African-Americans living in 18^th-century Philadelphia; groove to the sounds of The Roots, Public Enemy and other all-star groups at the second annual Roots Picnic; and examine their thoughts about skin color at RACE: Are

This summer, Historic Philadelphia is home to brand-new attractions, activities and events, including the provocative new exhibition at The African American Museum in Philadelphia, Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia, 1776-1876. After undergoing an extensive renovation, the city’s premier African-American museum will unveil its stunning permanent display on Juneteenth (June 19).

To discover Audacious Freedom and all of the other affordable—or free—attractions in Historic Philadelphia this summer, visitors will have to spend at least two nights. gophila.com lists dozens of affordable hotel packages, including the popular Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, a two-night offer that comes with free hotel parking.

Philadelphia celebrates African-American history 365 days a year, but things really heat up in February when the region’s museums, arts and cultural organizations and historic sites recognize Black History Month. One of the highlights of the city’s 2009 celebration is sure to be America I AM: The African American Imprint, Tavis Smiley’s new show at the National Constitution Center that celebrates nearly 500 years of African and African-American contributions to the U.S.

Those celebrating Black History Month in the region this winter can take advantage of the long three-day weekend (February 14-16) and the popular Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, which

Now Playing:
Survival Of The Fittest
The bicentennial of the birth of Charles Darwin prompted Philadelphia to name April 2008 through May 2009 the Year of Evolution. The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology leads the pack in honoring the scientist’s birthday with its innovative exhibition Surviving: The Body of Evidence, on view through May 3, 2009. Visitors discover how the process of evolution impacts their daily lives. 3260 South Street, (215) 898-4000, museum.upenn.edu

Edgar Allan Poe Bicentennial
January marks the 200^th year since the birth of literary master Edgar Allan Poe, and Philadelphia is celebrating

Travelers heading to Philadelphia this winter or spring will have a chance to immerse themselves in the region’s rich African-American history and culture thanks to an assortment of special events and exhibitions taking place in the city and beyond. During the course of both seasons, they can celebrate nearly 500 years of achievements by Africans and African-Americans at the National Constitution Center, see the intricate patterns of handmade quilts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and celebrate black writers at Art Sanctuary’s 25^th Annual Black Writing Festival. Then, as spring thaws, the best distinctly Philadelphia festivals take to the

This is a National Constitution Center press release.

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia will host the national debut of America I AM: The African American Imprint, a four-year touring museum exhibition that will celebrate 400 years of African American contributions to this country.

The exhibition is developed in partnership with The Smiley Group, Inc., and organized by Cincinnati Museum Center and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), which recently brought the King Tut exhibition to Philadelphia. The exhibition will run January 15 to May 3, 2009, presenting a historical continuum of pivotal moments in courage, conviction and creativity that solidifies

This summer and beyond, Philadelphia will reveal untold chapters in the nation’s history and bring new emphasis to the undertold stories of African-Americans, allowing visitors to hear a far more accurate rendition of the United States’ early years than ever before. Not only will storytellers throughout Historic Philadelphia add new tales to their repertoire, but a self-guided Underground Railroad tour of Philadelphia will take participants from Society Hill to Germantown. Other projects in the works, including the President’s House Commemorative Site and the Octavius V. Catto memorial, will ensure that visitors have many reasons to come back to Philadelphia in

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) joined with more than 20 organizations to announce the launch of Quest for Freedom, a statewide initiative bringing the history of the Underground Railroad to the public’s attention through six heritage trails throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia’s Quest for Freedom program features three main components: a Web site, a brochure and summer programming that includes living history performances, special exhibitions and tours. The project also encompasses the President’s House Commemorative Site, now making national news as archaeologists uncover new evidence around the lives of the enslaved Africans who lived there

Over the next two years, new historical projects in Philadelphia will reveal untold chapters in the nation’s history and bring new emphasis to the undertold stories of African Americans. The President’s House Commemorative Site, to be erected just steps away from the Liberty Bell Center, will honor the enslaved Africans who lived in the first Executive Mansion, home of the nation’s first two presidents. At City Hall, a commissioned work of public art will pay tribute to the life of Octavius V. Catto, a prominent civil rights activist in Philadelphia. And, throughout Greater Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,

What African American architect helped design the famed Philadelphia Museum of Art? Which Philadelphia church uses art as a sanctuary for its community? Where in Philadelphia can you find Oprah Winfrey’s favorite macaroni and cheese? Answers to these questions and many others are revealed on Philly Noir, the latest podcast tour on SoundAboutPhilly.com, a new site by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation featuring free dynamically mapped and completely customizable sound-seeing tours of Philadelphia. The fifth installment in the podcast series, Philly Noir concentrates on African American culture and its role in the