Commonweal Gallery is my favorite art gallery in Philly, mostly because of the owner Alex. He's…read moredefinitely the most well connected person I know in the art world! I love discovering so many new to me artists because of him, as well as seeing the works of artists I already know being showcased in his gallery. The opening receptions are the best. There's always a great crowd all night, with snack and drinks too. At the previous location on Latimer St, I attended countless of workshops and pop up events. The new location is 1341 N Mascher St and although it's not as close to me as the old location, it's still worthwhile for me to go there to visit to check out the new exhibitions.

It's rare a gallery here feels like it has longevity. Philly is tough, but I believe this space and…read morethis gallerist will have some serious endurance. I look forward to many more openings, and y'all should run to see shows here. Promised to be a good time.

One of my favorite places to visit. The art work is eclectic and beautiful with a Philadelphia…read moreedge. There are plenty of affordable pieces and prints for purchase. I have purchased many unique items such as jewelry and frames that are true works of art and ALWAYS elicit compliments and intrigue.

I first found out about Cerulean Gallery when they hosted an event for the Sustainable Business…read moreNetwork, a meet and greet. The space was lovely; completely renovated, stock full of unique goods. I'm a bargain shopper, and I wasn't planning on shopping, but when I saw the prices I decided it was time to restock my stash of gifts. They had handmade journals, vases, bags, jewelry, etc., including many items from upcycled and or sustainable materials. In the front is an art gallery that shows really phenomenal work. I highly recommend checking this place out.

I happened to walk past Paradigm Gallery + Studio on Saturday when I was walking around Old City. I…read morelooked their large glass windows on the front of the building and decided to pop in to see what I could tell from outside was quite fun and colorful and playful art. I'm sure the artists they're showing changes, but the art when I visited was youthful and fun. It perhaps wasn't quite to my taste for purchasing, but I enjoyed seeing what they were exhibiting. They also had small shop area for making purchases beyond he art they had displayed. A fun stop whether you're in the market for some art or not.

I love going to this gallery, especially for First Fridays. I've discovered many new artists and…read morealso seen artwork by artists I already knew. I love how they curate the art and have a variety of different art beyond paintings. The large sculptural works have been my favorite.

Jane Gallery is one of those small galleries that really stands out. It focuses heavily on women…read moreartists and a lot of the exhibitions center around identity, culture, and lived experiences. Like most galleries, it clearly has its own curatorial style and the artists they invite reflect that. Here, the focus tends to be on representation, storytelling, and work that explores womanhood from different perspectives. I went for Philly first Fridays, and right now the exhibit is centered on women's bodies for Women's History Month. The pieces are powerful but still very tastefully done. Some works are intimate and vulnerable, others more bold and expressive. There's also a mix of mediums like painting, mixed media, and sculptural pieces, which keeps the space interesting. Last time I visited, they had a South Asian focused exhibit that really showcased culture and identity in a beautiful way. It's nice seeing a space consistently highlight artists and perspectives that are often underrepresented. Finding the gallery is part of the adventure. It's tucked down a small alleyway and you follow the pink lights to get there. It might look a little sketchy at first, but once you step inside you realize it's actually a hidden gem. They also had a make your own goddess craft activity during this visit. I am definitely not great at crafts but it was fun and made the experience feel interactive rather than just walking through and looking at art. Small space, but definitely not to be underestimated. The vibe is thoughtful, creative, and very welcoming. Definitely worth checking out.

With First Friday right around the corner its the perfect time to drop a review for another…read moredeserving Old City Art Gallery! I had no idea that Jane Gallery existed before Ministry of Awe started collaborating with other local galleries to mapped out a First Friday Tour. And from the moment that I walked through the almost hidden alleyway and entered the pink string lit door I was hooked! The owner, Alison Mustokoff, is fully committed to displaying art made by female and queer artists (https://6abc.com/videoClip/the-jane-gallery-nataliya-yermolenko-female-artists-queer/16022668/) and their main gallery caters to a featured artist each month. toss in things like a themed cocktail and a chance to meet with the artists, and the receptions feel like a big deal. In addition to art gallery viewings Jane also features things like drawing workshops and yoga on occasions which makes checking their Instagram for events a must (https://www.instagram.com/thejanegallery/).

Fantastic space, even better mission and lots of thought provoking events that we need in these…read morethoughtless times.

We attended a wedding reception on the top floor (third) of the Asian Arts Initiative ("AAI") and…read morehad a great time. The AAI is located in Philadelphia's Chinatown North (Callowhill) neighborhood, attached to a Best Western Plus which was perfect for wedding guests. The center sits on Vine which parallels I-676. It has nice views of the downtown Philly skyline to east and south, especially from the top floor. The AAI is a nonprofit organization. It serves as a community center with an art gallery, workshops, meeting spaces, and theater. The art gallery is located on the first floor and is open weekdays, 10am-6pm. The organization is inclusive, works to promote racial equity, and encourages discourse about the Asian-American experience. Like many buildings in Center City, the AAI building is old and creaky. There are both stairs and an elevator. The stairwell on the lower level had a funky, sewer-like smell. The stairwell had cool, colorful murals. The wedding reception took over pretty much the entire third floor space. The open layout had all-white walls and wood (or wood laminate) flooring. The ceiling was decorated in string lights, there was ambient blue and purple lighting up some of the walls, and six windows provided views facing south towards city skyscrapers. There were white tablecloths, candles and flowers, white folding chairs, bar and catering stations set up along the perimeter by Chef's Table Catering of Philadelphia (https://www.yelp.com/biz/chefs-table-catering-philadelphia), a DJ, sound and lighting system, and photo booth. The ductwork was exposed and generally, the room had a sort of loft or factory feel to it. The reception went off without a hitch. Dinner flowed well, sound was good for mics and music, and lighting was dimmed/turned off for dancing. The reception ran from 6pm to 9pm. During this time, the front door to the center, which otherwise would have been closed, was open. There was a lady stationed at the front desk and she was helpful. The floor was a little warm. I'm not sure if the AC was working or not. There were two restrooms. At this event, they were designated one per sex though I think normally, they're gender-neutral. The ladies got the multi-stall restroom while the guys got the single-stall restroom. This caused a backup for the guys at one point. I think we could have also used restrooms on the other two floors if we had to.

Shop owner is incredibly kind and helpful! Nicely curated selection of yarns, especially plant…read morefiber yarns. There is a new rewards program to reward you when you buy more (which I haven't checked out yet but seems awesome!). There's embroidery floss, cross-stitching kits, and cross-stitch pattern books too! The weekly Stitch n Bitch (Thursdays, 7-9pm) is such a welcoming environment full of passionate and friendly people where you can work on your crafts and chit chat (or get help from experienced knitters/crocheters/etc when you're stuck)!! Highly recommend stopping in. :)

South Philly Yarn and Craft is a new woman-owned small business in East Passyunk selling yarn and…read moreknitting/crochet supplies, as well as embroidery kits and hosting classes! Weekend hours so far have been 11-4 Saturday and 11-3 Sundays but there are classes you can sign up for to learn how to crochet a drink coozie, make a tote bag or throw pillow out of a band tee (or any old T-shirt), and a Halloween backpack for kids! There are also "stitch and bitch" sessions on Thursday nights from 7-9 every other Thursday where you can bring your own projects and just hang. Check out their Instagram (@southphillyyarnandcraft) and website for classes, events, and updates!

I've been meaning to check this out since I heard about it a few weeks ago and because, if you…read morehaven't noticed, I love shit like this. I finally got out today and was seriously underwhelmed. There were *maybe* 5 booths up and 1 food truck. For how heavily advertised it was I was expecting A LOT more. It's also a bit hard to find because it's basically in a random parking lot, however there are signs and balloons that lead the way. Things did not look good as we walked up. HOWEVER, as I told my friend as we were approaching and she was expressing regret and disappointment, "don't judge a market by it's dinkiness." We ended up getting some awesome Philly pictures that were reasonably priced. All the merchants were really nice and actually wanted to talk to you, but weren't pressuring like vendors can sometimes be. There was a guy that makes cool stuff out of forks and spoons, and some really great Nicaraguan pots. As for the food truck, it was "Say Cheese" a grilled cheese truck, so we couldn't resist and got the truffled mac and cheese (amazing) and the buffalo bleu sandwich (equally awesome). The one vendor said that this event had a lot more vendors and trucks the first week and has been slowly dwindling (maybe because of the weather, some streets closed, or other festivals and things going on). I hope that's the case, and maybe I'll check it out again if I'm in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

I've been twice to Phair. The first time was good, but the weather was iffy, so we couldn't stay…read morethat long. The second time was great! A nice mix of booths and friendly vendors. We had a lot of fun just looking around and talking to some artists. I like that it's like a hidden gem and no one is overly pushy and it's not so crowded you can't get browse or talk to the artists/vendors. That was my one ish with some of the other fests that I've been to. It was a great way to spend a few hours on the weekend, plus there are some pretty decent food truck choices which is always bonus. I think they may change up the food trucks a lot because they were different both times I went. Definitely going again.

I was here to get three large pieces framed about 7/8 years ago. Awal did an excellent job then. I…read morewas very satisfied with the high quality and attention to detail. I recently purchased three additional pieces from travels to Europe and one piece I obtained from Nigeria. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my artwork. Awal is a good businessman. Kind, detailed and focused on helping you get the best frame a a great price for the quality. All framing is done in the shop, therefore the turnaround time is very good. My frames will be ready in under a week! I totally recommend Old City Art and Framing above any other business in the Philadelphia area.

Couldn't be happier with my experience! The owner was incredibly friendly and helpful in…read morerecommending /selecting the mats and frames. I dropped the prints off on a Saturday and I got a call Sunday morning that they were ready for pickup. Pricing was very affordable. Nothing but great things to say. We all need to support small businesses like these.