CANCELLED: Philadelphia Museum of Art to Host All-Day Block Party Culminating in Performance Night on Saturday, August 14, 2021

Block Party: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Admission is Pay What You Wish
House Party: 6:00–10:00 p.m. Admission is $15.00; $12 for members

On Saturday, August 14, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will host a rousing all-day community Block Party that will extend from the museum galleries to the East Terrace and morph into a performance night headlined by major talents with Philly roots. Visitors during the day can enjoy a life-sized board game on the terrace with Philadelphia Chalk Festival, snap art selfies, and take in live DJ music. Indoors, the museum will offer art-making explorations for families, self-guided activities in the galleries, live demos by local artists, and one-of-a-kind shopping experiences during the day. And beginning at 6:00 p.m., a lively house party will kick off in the striking new Williams Forum and the reimagined Lenfest Hall, as well as the galleries and balconies of the museum. Outdoor activities will be free and eats and drinks will be available for purchase via a variety of food trucks. A pop-up beer garden will be provided by Constellation Culinary Group. Admission into the museum will be Pay What You Wish during the day. For the nighttime action, visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance. They are now on sale ($15.00 per person admission and $12.00 for museum members.)

Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener Director and CEO of the museum, said: “A few months ago, as we prepared to unveil the newly revitalized public spaces of the museum, our fervent hope was to host a big community celebration to mark the completion of Frank Gehry’s ‘Core Project.’ We had to save the fanfare, however, until the city made the call that it was safe to lift various restrictions on public events. And so, we are now delighted to make this happen on August 14, and eager to invite all those who care about the arts, from every corner of the city, to see the museum as, first and foremost, a community resource. After all, the museum was founded to serve all Philadelphians and that’s what this is all about.”

Justina Barrett, Interim Head of Public Programs, who is coordinating the effort, said: “We’re excited to create a day devoted to Philly artists, musicians, and performers, and to underscore our commitment to make our museum not only beautiful and inspiring but also as inclusive as it can be. The Art Museum Block Party and House Party has been organized by many community partners and collaborators as a special moment to invite Philadelphia in to share in the new and newly revitalized public spaces. We hope that people will enjoy this day, but even more that they will see it as an open invitation to return again and again.”

The Art Museum Block Party
Outside on the East Terrace at the top of the Rocky Steps

Next Stop: The Chalkverse
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
The popular Philadelphia Chalk Festival and artist Rushawn Stanley will turn the East Terrace into a big family-friendly life-size board game. “This is my first time collaborating with the museum and it’s such an honor to bring the Philadelphia Chalk Festival to the terrace,” said Stanley. “I’m most looking forward to seeing all the people get a chance to interact with one another and to see how they approach the game.”

Art Selfies with Lauren Cat West Illustrations
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
East Terrace
Inspired by the environment surrounding the museum, the accomplished Philadelphia illustrator, Lauren Cat West, has created a dynamic photo backdrop and selfie station for visitors. With her bold and colorful forms, this designer of buoyant and exuberant environments promises a bold outdoor display.

Eat & Drink

Food Trucks will be on the East Terrace from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. A pop-up beer garden will open at noon and close at 4:00 p.m. All food and drink will be available for purchase.

All Main Stage Performances take place between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the East Terrace. Free.

DJ Elvin T
11:00 a.m.
DJ Elvin spins old-school disco and funk boogie with some new and no wave classics.

Black Storytellers Tribute
1:00 p.m.
“Through storytelling, we try to contribute to the growth of our youth and families in a positive way,” says poet, drummer, and storyteller Ron Carter about the spoken word event that he and other members of Keepers of the Culture have in store for visitors. They will pay tribute to the late artist-activist, storyteller, and museum collaborator Denise Valentine, who used the power of story to transcend differences between people and inspire hope. 

DJ Oluwafemi
2:00 p.m.
A DJ and visual artist, Oluwafemi has an African-inspired musical style that includes an electric blend of soul, funk, and global beats. Nigerian artists such as Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade and Fela Kuti continue to inspire Oluwafemi to bring high energy music to the international club scene and soon to the museum.

DJ Yolo Ono
3:30 p.m.
Marissa Le – DJ Yolo Ono – plays a versatile arsenal of genres with up-and-coming artists in club and dance music, which stems from her initial love for indie dance and EDM. She has performed with musical acts such as James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, Venus X, Maluca, Princess Nokia, Anna Lunoe, Uniique, VanJess, Masego, and Jess Jubilee in the nightlife and music scene. Le said: “Music is a wonderful common language for people. My hope is to co-create spaces where people can feel celebrated.”

Inside the Art Museum, drop in for art making experiences all day. Explore our new spaces with self-guided activities on the ground and in the first level galleries. Pay What You Wish Admission.
 

Make your own Art

Spiral Q
12:00–4:00 p.m.
Great Stair Hall, Main Building
Participate in hands-on art making with recycled materials with Spiral Q, who releases the power of art to connect people, actions, and neighborhoods in a creative force for change.

Space 1026
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Great Stair Hall, Main Building
Philly based arts collective Space 1026 will bring a curious set up for all ages to participate in a collaborative still-life drawing.

Meet the Makers
11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Main Building
Watch hourly demos from over a dozen Philly area artisans working in ceramics, wood, metal and more. Then browse their designs in our museum stores.

Fabric Workshop
11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Great Stair Hall Balcony, Main Building
Create your own screen print with artists from the Fabric Workshop and Museum.

The Art Museum House Party 
Saturday, August 14, 6:00–10:00 p.m.
Lenfest Hall, Williams Forum, and select galleries on second and third floors
Enjoy live music at the museum with the R&B sounds of West Philly’s Beano French, DJ Caution, and DJ AMH, and explore the city’s vibrant art scene in our new galleries, and sample local flavors and signature cocktails. All ages welcome.

Mix & Mingle

Speakeasy: Hosted by the Young Friends
6:00–9:30 p.m.
Balcony Café, Members’ Lounge & West Portico, 2nd floor
Add “The Spicy Young Friend” to your friend group with this signature cocktail featuring handcrafted whiskey from Strivers’ Row, Philly’s first Latino-owned distillery, owned and operated by Francisco Garcia. Strivers' Row was named 'Best Distillery' in Philadelphia Magazine's Best of Philly 2021. 

Also from 6:00 until 9:00 p.m., visitors can sample food and drink stations throughout the museum that will serve locally sourced bar bites and drinks—including vegan and nonalcoholic options—by Constellation Culinary Group. Available for purchase.

Art Activation
7:00–9:00 p.m.
Great Stair Hall Balcony, 3rd floor
Artists from the nearby Fabric Workshop and Museum demo screen printing inspired by works of art at the museum. Visitors will be able to create their own print to take.
 

Performances

DJ Caution
6:00–7:00 p.m.
Lenfest Hall, 1st floor
DJ Caution gets the night started with tracks to uplift the soul and he’s planning to go all out. Says DJ Caution: “To be able to create vibes inside of the art museum is major, I have seen this iconic building my whole life and never thought I would have the opportunity to showcase my talent inside of it. This is a big deal for me.” 

DJ AMH
7:00–7:30 p.m., 8:15–8:30 p.m. & 9:15–9:45 p.m.
Main Stage, Williams Forum, ground floor
This globetrotting DJ and producer fuses the latest hits with nostalgic sounds and Caribbean-influenced beats. When asked about DJing at the museum, DJ AMH said: “I have DJ’d all around Philly in some of the coolest venues we have here, but to DJ inside of the art museum is on a whole other level.” 

Beano French
7:30–8:15 p.m.
Main Stage, Williams Forum, ground floor
The Philly native garnered major success with his first extended play album, Just Beano, and is gearing up to release his next project later this year and he’s bringing his rare blend of vintage R&B and hip-hop to the Williams Forum. “I have seen so many big artists perform with the art museum as their backdrop, like John Legend, Beyonce, Jay-Z, and it has always given me the best Philly vibes, so to be performing inside of the art museum is a big deal for me as an up-and-coming Philly artist.”  

Special Headliner

Ant Clemons
8:30–9:15 p.m.
Main Stage, Williams Forum, ground floor
Born in nearby Willingboro, New Jersey, the Grammy nominated R&B music artist has collaborated with Kanye West, Beyoncé, Camila Cabello, and other luminaries of the music world. His Happy 2 Be Here extended play album received a nomination at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album. Most recently, Clemons, along with Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, and Bon Jovi, performed at the inauguration of Joe Biden. Call it a very good warm up for the Williams Forum at the museum.

Sponsors

The Art Museum Block Party is a Dina Wind Power of Art Program sponsored by the Wind Foundation.

Social Media @philamuseum

We are Philadelphia’s art museum. A world-renowned collection. A landmark building. A place that welcomes everyone. We bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors—through scholarly study and creative play—to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone. We connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable. We are committed to inviting visitors to see the world—and themselves—anew through the beauty and expressive power of the arts.

For additional information, contact the Communications Department of the Philadelphia Museum of Art by phone at 215-684-7860, by fax at 215-235-0050, or by e-mail at pressroom@philamuseum.org. The Museum is located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. For general information, call 215-763-8100.