Past Exhibitions

Archive Collective: South Kensington 19122

June 9 – August 28, 2016

This summer, ‘Archive Collective: South Kensington 19122’ will call on South Kensington’s residents to narrate the story of their community as it has changed over time. As part of the Philly Block Project, an ongoing, grassroots collaboration in this community, curator Kalia Brooks will unveil ‘Archive Collective’ as the first of two exhibitions in the PPAC Gallery.

Since September 2015, the Collective has been gathering and organizing media that tells the story of South Kensington. The resulting archive includes photography and film that reflect the civic, industrial, spiritual, recreational and familial components that make up the dynamics of a place.

More than 1,200 images were submitted to the archive by current and former residents; through these images, you will ‘meet’ Hakan Ibisi, who carries a photograph of the Turkish grandfather who passed before he was born, but inspires him through their shared connection to Kensington’s streets. Then there’s David Livewell, a homegrown poet whose writing is inspired by his family photography. Joined by dozens of new and experienced artists in South Kensington, their narratives will activate the history and the experience of the South Kensington neighborhood as it continues to shift.

Sourcing archival images from libraries, city records and beyond, the exhibit also showcases landmarks like America’s first Salvation Army, Girard Ave’s iconic trolleys, and the once prolific Stetson hat factory.

Whether you’ve witnessed these changes first-hand, or you’ve only experienced a small piece of South Kensington, the exhibition will take a deeper look at where our community has been and where we’re heading. Meet us at PPAC this June for the opening of ‘Archive Collective: South Kensington 19122!’

The opening reception will include:

• KCAPA Drumline & musical parade through the South Kensington neighborhood, leaving from PPAC at 5:30pm and returning to perform in the Gallery at 6pm.
• A hip-hop performance from Mad Beatz Music, a “coalition of Philadelphia public school students and alumni who possess superhuman rhythmic capabilities.”Parade Route: The Drumline will head east on W. Master St; turn north on N. Hancock St.; turn west on Cecil B. Moore, and south on N. Cadwallader St before culminating in the PPAC Gallery at 1400 N. American Street.

Major support for the Philly Block Project was provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and Penn Treaty Special Services District.

Exhibitions Calendar