News & Events

It’s almost fall and that can only mean one thing, the Fairmount Fling is just around the corner. Mark your calendars for the 8^th Annual Fling on November 22^nd 2010 at Girard College’s Founders Hall. Complete with music, tasty Fairmount favorites, beer and wine, raffles, and auctions the 8^th Annual Fairmount Fling is sure to be a wonderful night to socialize with neighbors while supporting the work of the Fairmount CDC. New this year is a separate area for the kids with entertainment and reduced admission, so there’s no need to find a babysitter! For the latest news and complete details visit the Fairmount Fling website.

The
Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia continues their series of owners and aspiring owners of historic homes. At every workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the best practices for the restoration and maintenance of older homes. While, all of the below workshops are free, reservations are required. To reserve a space or for more information, please contact Melissa Jest, Neighborhood Preservation Program Coordinator, at 215-546-1146×6 or melissa@perservationalliance.com. The following workshops will be held at the Fairmount CDC offices (2206 Fairmount Avenue) at 6:30pm:

• Wednesday, September 22: Energy Efficiency in Older Homes
• Wednesday, September 29: Wood Window Maintenance and Repair
• Wednesday, October 6: Flat Roofs: Repair, Maintenance and Replacement
• Wednesday, October 13: Masonry and Pointing

Ukrainian Arts Philadelphia of the Ukrainian League of Philadelphia is once again proud to participate in the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST). On Friday October 1, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Ukrainian Arts Philadelphia will host a preview of the POST show for members of the Ukrainian League of Philadelphia and residents of Fairmount. The POST show will be open to the public on Saturday, October 2nd and Sunday, October 3rd from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. and will proudly display the works of four world-renowned artists:

Dorian Fedkiw, born in Parma, Ohio, received a Bachelors of Fine and Professional Arts specializing in Printmaking from Kent State University and a Masters Degree in Art Therapy specializing in Counseling from Seton Hill University. Dorian produces eclectic artwork depicting diverse themes and subject matter via printmaking, painting, sculpture and mixed media. Dorian partook in multiple group and solo exhibits and his artwork can be found in private collections, as well as, in numerous publications.

Andrij Korchynsky, born in Lviv, Ukraine, studied at the Ivan Trush College of Fine Arts and in 1990 received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Lviv Academy of Fine Arts. In 2000-2002 he continued his studies in printmaking at the University of Pennsylvania. Andrij mainly works in painting, printmaking and computer graphics. His works can be found in private and public collections and have been exhibited in numerous galleries in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Canada, United States and Japan.

Taras Lewyckyj, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, studied fine arts at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art both in Philadelphia and abroad in Rome, Italy, earning degrees in painting and sculpture. He also studied Byzantine iconography at the Accademia di Belle Arti, Rome, Italy. Taras was the Founding Partner of the Philadelphia graphic design firm Optik Nerv. His artistic endeavors as Creative Director have included international fashion design, product design, advertising, brand development, film and video production. Taras’ designs have been exhibited worldwide and his artwork is displayed in numerous museums and private collections.

Christine Zelinsky, born in Lviv-Rudno, Ukraine, received her MFA Degree in design from the Basel School of Design in Switzerland. While practicing and teaching design in both Switzerland and the U.S., in the late 1970’s, Christine was invited to develop and direct a graphic design oriented Drawing Program for the Graphic Design Department of the Philadelphia Collage of Art, now the University of the Arts, from where she retired in 2007. Parallel to her teaching responsibilities, Chris continued her free lance design practice. As an artist, she exhibited her large-scale drawings and ceramics internationally and her work is found in private collections in Europe and the U.S.

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Ukrainian Arts Philadelphia was founded in 2005 to enrich the Philadelphia arts community by exposing and exhibiting ethnic and contemporary works of Ukrainian artists. For more information visit www.ukrainianarts.org

The Ukrainian League of Philadelphia an organization of Ukrainian American citizens was founded in 1917 to foster and nurture Ukrainian culture and heritage. For more information visit www.ukrainianleague.com

POST is a program of the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, a nonprofit career development organization that creates opportunities for artists to reach their professional goals. Information about other POST venues can be found at www.philaopenstudios.com

At the Fairmount CDC our mission is to foster appropriate and beneficial development while preserving the neighborhood’s essential character. We do this through a number of avenues including community events, working with small business owners, and neighborhood projects. We just wrapped up a project on the 2900 Block of Harper Street and here’s what Block Officer, Suzi Nash had to say…

It started with a small grant from the CDC to the residents of the 2900 block of Harper Street. The grant was to buy flowers and planters to beautify the street and give the residents a task they could do as a community. The neighbors came out of their homes, met one another and planned an excursion to a neighborhood nursery. That was the first of many gatherings for the folks in the 2900 block of Harper. They now hold monthly meetings, regular street cleanings and host block parties.

At one of the early planning meetings with the CDC, neighbors from the Fairmount/Brewerytown area were asked for ideas to improve the Fairmount/North of Poplar corridor. One idea that frequently came up was to find a way to connect to Fairmount Park. It is one of the largest urban parks in the country and though this gem is only blocks away from us, many of us don’t utilize it as much as we would like. To this effect, the 2900 block coordinated with Vicky Kramer of the Mann Music Center to plan a neighborhood outing to see a concert and enjoy a picnic under the stars. For those of you not in the know, lawn seating at the Mann for the Philadelphia orchestra is only $10. The block assembled a group of 17 residents and friends and plenty of food and spirits. In addition to awarding tickets to an upcoming concert to the neighbor with the best basket, Ms. Kramer also invited neighbors back to attend the Planet Earth concert.

The neighbors had a great time and it was a good chance for old neighbors to have fun together and for new residents to bond with their block mates. Harper Street newcomer Crystal Cheatham stated, “This is honestly the coolest block ever! I really haven’t felt this welcome in a new setting since high school.”

The block looks forward to continued interaction with the CDC and Rebecca Johnson, who has been instrumental in a number of community bonding efforts and community improvements for the residents of Harper Street and all throughout the Fairmount/Brewerytown area. Next on the list for Harper Street-exploring the Waterworks Museum and Shofuso: the Japanese House and Garden.

Suzi Nash

Block Officer

2900 Harper Street

Working in partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program two artists have recently completed the mural on the side of The Bishop’s Collar located at the corner of 24th Street and Fairmount Avenue. Artists Phillip Adams and David Guinn drew from imagery along the Schuylkill River Trail to create this bright and welcoming work of art. Make sure to take a stroll past the mural to get the full visual experience, but until then take a look at some photos of mural below.

Stop by the Fairmount CDC offices at 2206 Fairmount Avenue to pick up your print of local artist’s, Allison Ostertag’s “Doors of Fairmount” (pictured below). The  poster is 18″x24″ and costs $20. $5 of each sale will go to supporting the work of the Fairmount CDC. Stop in today to get your print!

Below is a complete schedule of events for Fairmount’s Bastille Day Celebration, July 8th-11th. For details on any of the events below visit Eastern State Penitentiary’s website here.

Thursday, July 8

3:00pm-7:00pm – Shop like a “Frenchie” at the 22nd Street Farmers’ Market

4:00pm – Buttercream Cupcake Truck goes French

7:00pm – Fairmount Fling Bar Crawl

Friday, July 9

Fairmount Goes French!

Kronenbourg 1664 beer, French wine specials, specialty drinks, and French Menu Items

8:00pm – Movie Screening @ Friends of Eastern State Penitentiary Park

Saturday, July 10

2:00pm-6:00pm – Fairmount Bastille Day Festival

10:00am- Tours of Eastern State Penitentiary (Admission)

2:00pm- Fairmount Pet Shoppe Parade

2:30pm- Career Wardrobe French Fashion Show

3:00pm- Tricycle Tour De France- 22nd & Aspen

3:00pm- Live Musice by Musette

5:15pm- Costume Contest

5:30pm- Storming of the Bastille Re-enactment

Saturday Night- Twilight Tours of Eastern State Penitentiary (Admission)

Sunday, July 11

French Champagne Brunch

This page is being updated. Please stop back soon.

Mark you calendars for the 2010 Fairmount Fling at Girard College. The Fling will be held Monday, November 22nd, 2010. Every year the Fairmount Fling attracts over 400 guests for a night of culinary delights, free beer and wine, live and silent auctions, and awards recognizing fellow Fairmount residents. The event acts as the largest individual fund raiser for our work here at the Fairmount CDC. To see pictures from the 2009 event, head over to our Flickr.

While November might seem like a long time from now the planning that goes into the Fairmount Fling starts in August. If you would like to be a part of this year’s planning committee please contact us and we’ll be sure to include you in future opportunities.

If you or a business you know would like to sponsor the Fairmount Fling and show their support of the neighborhood and the work of the Fairmount CDC please contact Kevin Moran by calling 215.232.4766.

Eastern State Penitentiary’s 16th annual Bastille Day celebration on July 10th is just around the corner. Complete with a street festival, pet parade, costume contest, kid activities, and so much more the day is always a Fairmount favorite. The street festival is topped off with the annual Storming of the Bastille when Marie Antoniette tosses Tastykakes over the side of Easter Statess walls. For complete event information, and details on activities leading up to the festival, visit Eastern States’ Bastille Day website here.