Provenance

City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, City of Philadelphia Streets Department Recycling Office & The Design Center at Philadelphia University

INVITE YOU TO ATTEND THE DEDICATION OF 10 NEW DESIGN IN MOTION RECYCLING TRUCKS

Thursday, April 22 – 3:00PM – LOVE Park – 1500 Arch Street

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program’s Design In Motion: The Recycling Truck Project is a city-wide public art and graphic design project produced in collaboration with The Design Center at Philadelphia University and the City of Philadelphia Streets Department Recycling Office.

From January through April 2010, artist Desireé Bender, the drivers of the ten recycling trucks participating in this project, and over 60 students ranging in age from 10 to 14 and enrolled in Mural Arts’ free after-school Big Picture program worked together on the conceptualization, design, and production of graphic vinyl wraps for ten City of Philadelphia recycling trucks. Their designs are inspired by and quote historical and contemporary textile patterns that celebrate elements of nature and are drawn from the collection of The Design Center at Philadelphia University.

These ten new recycling trucks will join the first ten recycling trucks Mural Arts wrapped in 2009, expanding the fleet of MAP Design In Motion recycling trucks to twenty – nearly one-third of the City of Philadelphia Streets Department’s entire fleet of recycling trucks.

EVENT IN LOVE PARK TO BE PRECEDED AT 1:45PM BY PARADE OF TRUCKS DOWN NORTH BROAD FROM TEMPLE UNIVERSITY TO CITY HALL!

For further information, call 215-685-0750 or visit www.muralarts.org

Come meet State Senator Larry Farnese at the next meeting. Topics of discussion will include:

• how the economy is affecting state services and state funds coming into Philadelphia
• what is being done to control the phenomenon of flash mobs
• library funding, and other issues the Senator is taking the lead in for our City and our district

The meeting will also cover the new “PSA” (Police Service Area) System (what it means and how it affects us), a recent award For Spring Garden and other matters of interest to our community.

Thursday April 15, 2010 – 7:30 P.M.

St. Andrew’s Lithuanian Church Hall
(On 19th St. between North St. and Wallace St.)

Doors open at 7:00. Refreshments will be served starting at 7:00. Meeting starts promptly at 7:30.

And, if you haven’t heard, Philadelphia’s Grid Magazine is turning one. They’re celebrating with a free party at Yards Brewing Company’s new tasting room. They’ll have local food from our friends at Mugshots, Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op and Birchrun Hills Farm. More delicious details soon. Check out publisher Alex Mulcahy’s ruminations on Grid’s first year in this month’s Editor’s Notes.

Grid Anniversary Party
On April 10, Grid will celebrate its first birthday with a party at Yards’ brand new tasting room (which was featured in the March issue).

WHEN: Saturday, April 10, 5 – 8 p.m.
WHERE: Yards Tasting Room, Yards Brewing Company, 901 North Delaware Ave.

City of Philadelphia kicks off One Month Countdown to Philly Spring Cleanup and encourages residents to “Keep Up the Sweep Up”

WHAT:
City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutterand Philadelphia Streets Department will announce the One Month Countdown to the Philly Spring Cleanup. A kickoff celebration will take place in Fishtown at 1 p.m. The third annual Philly Spring Cleanup- part of the Great American Cleanup- will take place on Saturday, April 10, 2010. The theme of this year’s cleanup is “Keep Up the Sweep Up,” encouraging residents and organizations to sustain the effort toward a cleaner and brighter Philadelphia.

The outdoor, kickoff celebration will take place on the 2500 block of East Gordon Streetin Fishtown. The 2500 block of East Gordon Streetis the winner of the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee’s (PMBC) 2009 Clean Block Award. Led by Block Captain Kathy Berry, these residents have worked tirelessly to transform this once desolate block into one of the best streets in Philadelphia.

Mayor Nutter will be joined by the Department of Streets Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson, Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski, Block Captain for 2500 East Gordon StreetKathy Berry, dozens of community groups, Fishtown residents and Philly Spring Cleanup partner organizations.

Target is the lead corporate supporter of the third annual Philly Spring Cleanup. Additional corporate partners include RecycleBank, Waste Management, Republic Services, BlueMountain, Covanta, Big Belly Solar. City partners include PMBC, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, Greater Philadelphia Cares, FairmountPark, Global Citizen, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, City Year and the City of Philadelphia Department of Recreation.

This will be a highly visual event that will feature remarks from the City of Philadelphia’s top officials. City Year members will perform a warm-up routine with Mayor Nutter to kickoff the event. There will also be interview opportunities with all of the event speakers and city residents that are present to receive information about this year’s Philly Spring Cleanup.

City residents and organizations can become involved in the 2010 Philly Spring Cleanup by registering as a volunteer or project site. City residents and organization who wish to participate should visit www.PhillySpringCleanup.com.

WHO:

• City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter
• Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson, City of Philadelphia Department of the Streets Commissioner
• Katherine Gajewski, City of Philadelphia Director of Sustainability
• Kathy Berry, 2500 East Gordon StreetBlock Captain
• 15 City Year members performing warm-up routine with Mayor Nutter
• Dozens of corporate, city and community group partners

WHEN:
Wednesday, March 10, 1 p.m.

WHERE:
2500 East Gordon Street, Philadelphia, PA19125

Treasure hunting doesn’t have to be void of testosterone, and when you’re looking to ditch the mundane Crate and Barrel crowd, Brian McLaughlin ’s ready to nerd out with you about all things salvage. Holding down the fort at Provenance, he is not the salvage yard’s owner but certainly its most valuable employee. He’ll walk you through the yard, pointing out recent deliveries (“we just got in this chicken wire glass”) and what a steal they are (“Old Goode things in N.Y.C. has this for quadruple the price”) and even spend the time brainstorming on how to incorporate their treasures into your own home. Establish yourself as a regular and you’ll start getting emails like you’re his salvage bestie; “I’m at an estate sale for the next three days, need anything?” You’ll be in good company. The city’s metal working artisans, set designers, and decorators all have him on speed dial.

For more on Philadelphia Weekly’s top picks, click here »

We’re excited to be featured in the upcoming March 2010 issue of Grid Magazine. The piece, titled “Lost and Found”, profiles our work in reclaimed materials and architectural salvage.

Click here to view the digital edition of Grid Magazine »

This past Friday night, the Greensaw Design & Build team was featured on the DIY Network’s “Mancaves” show! The challenge: to remake Tony Siragusa’s sad northern Jersey sports bar Tiffany’s into a sweet Colorado Lodge-style Mancave, using as much reclaimed material as possible.

The Greensaw team was given just three days to do the portico, the siding, the bar area, and the tables. Teamed up with master salvage suppliers Provenance and trucked in redwood barrel staves from Schmidt’s brewery, hotel columns from Bucks County, cedar barn siding from Lancaster County, white oak wainscot from South Philadelphia, southern yellow pine from a Philly paper mill, redwood from a Lancaster water tower — and the list goes on. Even Cornice, the shop squirrel, got his turn on camera.

For more information on DIY’s Man Caves, click here.

Head east from Carthage on Mississippi 16 toward Philadelphia and after a few miles a sign says you’re in Edinburg.

It’s a good thing the sign’s there, because there’s no other way to tell.

On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg. Probably didn’t make much news.

Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano, Italy, Van T. Barfoot, who had enlisted in the Army in 1940, set out to flank German machine gun positions from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. He advanced through a minefield, took out three enemy machine gun positions and returned with 17 prisoners of war.

If that wasn’t enough for a day’s work, he later took on and destroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions.

That probably didn’t make much news either, given the scope of the war, but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a colonel after also serving in Korea and Vietnam, a Congressional Medal of Honor.

What did make news last week was a neighborhood association’s quibble with how the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside his suburban Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum, items such as Barfoot’s 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable.

He had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was facing court action if he didn’t take it down. Since the story made national TV, the neighborhood association has rethought its position and agreed to indulge this old hero who dwells among them.

“In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag without interference,” Barfoot told The Associated Press.

As well he should.

And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they might want to read his Medal of Honor citation.

It indicates he’s not real good at backing down.

Van T. Barfoot’s Medal of Honor citation:

This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National Medal of Honor Society, is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot’s extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of point blank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.”

Climate change, economic development, and energy security are the defining issues of our time, and success in addressing them depends upon the ability of China and the US to cooperate in the rapid, large-scale implementation of the best sustainability practices. In order to promote this cooperation, the Philadelphia Global Sustainability Association of Business Students, the City of Philadelphia, the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, and the Asia Center and the Center for Environmental Policy at the Academy of Natural Sciences are hosting the Philadelphia International Sustainability Conference, “Leading Change: Sustainability and the Future of Business, Technology, Policy, and the Environment in China and the US.”

The event will take place on Tuesday, 12/15/09 at the Academy of Natural Sciences (19th St and Benjamin Franklin Pkwy) from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Click here to register »

The conference will showcase cutting-edge Chinese and American sustainability efforts, featuring experts from the City of Hebi and Henan Province, China and from the City of Philadelphia. Henan, the largest Chinese province by population (over 99 million and growing), is leading the charge for a “cyclical economy” on the provincial level, and Hebi (in Henan) is one of the model Chinese cities that was selected for the development of sustainable practices as part of a national pilot program begun in 2006.

Likewise, Philadelphia’s Greenworks program is among the most ambitious U.S. urban sustainability plans. In addition to the Hebi, Henan, and City of Philadelphia experts, pioneering business and non-profit leaders from the Philadelphia area will discuss their innovative green projects.

Among the Chinese delegation will be Assistant Governor Dong-Cheng He and other officials from Henan Province and Deputy Mayor Xin-Yong Liu and representatives from the following companies: Henan Dongda High Temperature Energy-Saving Material Co., Ltd.; Hebi Anli-Huanyan Tire Co., Ltd.; Hebi Baiyunjia Printing Co., Ltd.; Henan Xinyang Estate Co., Ltd., and Henan Yongchang Feitian Starch Sugar Co., Ltd. American speakers will include Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Alan Greenberger, Deputy Mayor for Commerce, Economic Development and Planning; Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability for the City of Philadelphia; Natalia Olson-Urtecho, CEO of The Ecolibrium Group and Charlie Szoradi, Founder and President of GREENandSAVE.

In addition to the City of Philadelphia, the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia and the Academy of Natural Sciences Philadelphia, our sponsors include the architecture and design firm H2L2, GREENandSAVE, the Ecolibrium Group, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, and Blank Rome LLP.

The Philadelphia International Sustainability Conference will provide a forum for the fruitful exchange of ideas to help meet the economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Agenda:

8:30 Registration

9:00 Opening remarks by Philadelphia International Sustainability Association of Business Students and City of Philadelphia representatives

9:10 Featured Speaker: Dong-Cheng He, the Assistant of Provincial Governor of Henan

9:30 Keynote Speaker: Xin-Yong Liu, Deputy Mayor of Hebi

9:50 Chinese Panel: Hebi Company Representatives

10:40 Break

10:50 Keynote Speaker: Katherine Gajewski, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability

11:10 Featured Speaker: Natalia Olson-Urtecho, CEO, the Ecolibrium Group

11:30 U.S. Panel – Business Leaders of the Greater Philadelphia Region

12:30 Closing Remarks

profiles Philadelphia artist Bill Russell’s latest work, four Shields, each measuring roughly 14″ wide by 60″ tall. Their surfaces are “crudely” carved and the colors used are greatly muted earth tones. Russell’s shields are executed on reclaimed wood [from Provenance]. Their pre-salvage use partially explains the shields’ dimensions but at the same time clearly suggested their new identities.

Read the Full Profile »

NxtUp Philly is a two–week open calendar of events celebrating Philadelphia’s creativity, commerce and community. Running from October 5 to 16, 2009, NxtUp Philly will feature more than 150 creative and innovative events taking place throughout our region.

So join us at DesignPhiladelphia, the Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit, Ignite Philly, NxtUp Education, Fashion Week and many more creative and innovative events to celebrate what’s “next up” in Philadelphia.

Moving into its fifth year, DesignPhiladelphia is the largest national celebration of its kind. This city-wide cultural event spotlights all things design from architecture to interior design, fashion to product design, textile to graphic design. It’s a journey exploring exhibitions, workshops, studio tours, lectures, special events and product roll-outs that inspire, engage, excite and delight.

Check the DesignPhiladelphia website regularly as the calendar continues to evolve, calls for entry are posted, and news items are shared.

It is now all the rage in the Age of Al Gore and Obama, but can you remember when everyone in America was not “Going Green”? Visually stunning, vastly entertaining and awe-inspiring, Earth Days looks back to the dawn and development of the modern environmental movement—from its post-war rustlings in the 1950s and the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s incendiary bestseller Silent Spring, to the first wildly successful 1970 Earth Day celebration and the subsequent firestorm of political action.

Earth Days’ secret weapon is a one-two punch of personal testimony and rare archival media. The extraordinary stories of the era’s pioneers—among them Former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; biologist/Population Bomb author Paul Ehrlich; Whole Earth Catalog founder Stewart Brand; Apollo Nine astronaut Rusty Schweickart; and renewable energy pioneer Hunter Lovins—are beautifully illustrated with an incredible array of footage from candy-colored Eisenhower-era tableaux to classic tear-jerking 1970s anti-litterbug PSAs. Directed by acclaimed documentarian Robert Stone (Oswald’s Ghost, Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst) Earth Days is both a poetic meditation on humanity’s complex relationship with nature and an engaging history of the revolutionary achievements—and missed opportunities—of groundbreaking eco-activism.

The Ritz at the Bourse
400 Ranstead Street
(On Fourth Street between Market and Chestnut)
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: (215) 925-7900

August 20th @ 6-9
The Belgian Cafe
2047 Green Street 215 235-3500
www.TheBelgianCafe.com

August 20th @ 6-9
Manayunk Brewery
4010 Main Street 215 482-8220
www.ManayunkBrewery.com

Urban Eco Electric (UEE)‘s last event at Greenable was a great success. You can see a couple snapshots on our newly launched facebook page or read about it in this weeks Citypaper.

Better yet, join us for our next two events — bring a PECO bill to either place and we’ll buy you a beer!

Bring a friend with a PECO bill and we’ll buy you another beer and they’ll get one too!

Sponsored by Urban Eco Electric, Philadelphia’s all solar electricity company. We are installing solar panels on flat roofs in Philadelphia with full sun at no cost to the homeowner and then lowering your monthly electricity costs.That’s no upfront costs and savings from day 1. You can learn more at www.go-uee.com or let us show you how this can be your last PECO bill.

Save the Date! Next American City stays in our hometown of Philadelphia this month for our July URBANEXUS event series!

Join Next American City and our local partners — Penn Institute for Urban Research, PennPraxis and The Academy of Natural Sciences — as we present a conversation on the necessity of investment in infrastructure.

JULY 29, 5:30-8 PM: Reshaping the City: New Visions for Urban Infrastructure
The Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia

Hear from local and national thinkers and implementers in such areas as transit, urban design and green infrastructure as they present models and give their thoughts on how the Greater Philadelphia region should think about its long-term infrastructure investment strategy.

For more information, go to: www.americancity.org/urbanexus/philadelphia
For highlights from where we’ve been, go to: www.americancity.org/urbanexus

This unique arts festival that brings Philadelphia’s best unknown historical and architectural landmarks back to life through original works of art runs May 30 through June 28, 2009.

There are many historical and architectural landmarks around Philadelphia that at one time were all important to the city’s neighborhoods, but their significance – and in some cases their existence – has been forgotten over the years, making them hidden to the people who walk, run, or drive by them every day. Performing and visual artists have created dance, music, sculpture, video, print, and mixed media pieces inspired by the history and architecture of their selected sites to draw attention back to the important people and places forming Philadelphia.

For more information, visit http://www.hiddencityphila.org

June 29, 2008 2pm

This walking tour of Laurel Hill Cemetery, will take place on Sunday, June 29th at 2:00pm. The tour will be guided by Jim Mundy, Director of Library and Historical Collections at The Union League of Philadelphia, and President of the Board of the Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery. The cost of the tour is $15 per person; $12 members; $8 students; children free. Laurel Hill is located at 3822 Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia. For information, please call 215-228-8200, or visit www.theundergroundmuseum.org for more information.

Friday’s Philadelphia Inquirer included a story featuring Leanne Krueger-Brankey and the Sustainable Business Network‘s leadership in building an inclusive green economy in Philadelphia:

From her seat at the Franklin Institute last week, one of nearly 300 on hand for the unveiling of Mayor Nutter’s plan to make Philadelphia “the greenest city in America,” Leanne Krueger-Braneky drew praise from a White House envoy.

Van Jones, a green-jobs trailblazer and now an adviser to President Obama, lauded Krueger-Braneky for her leadership on sustainability issues in Philadelphia long before political officials embraced the cause.

Two years ago, even Krueger-Braneky wasn’t familiar with the terms “green jobs” and “green economy.” Now, the 32-year-old West Philadelphia resident is leading an effort to ensure that a meaningful green economy takes root here.

Read the full piece by Diane Mastrull at Philly.com »

The 50-1 shot showed up at Churchill Downs in a trailer hitched to his trainer’s Ford pickup, after a 21-hour drive from a little racetrack in New Mexico.

In his last race at that same hardscrabble track, Mine That Bird came in fourth.

That’s all part of Kentucky Derby lore now, after jockey Calvin Borel, famous for his rides along the rail at Churchill, pulled it off again, winning the Run for the Roses for the second time in three years.

Read the full piece by Mike Jensen at Philly.com »