In The News

Claes Oldenburg paints Philly red

Art in America Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Art in America is enamored with Philadelphia's art scene and the latest Claes Oldenburg public sculpture, a 51-foot tall, turned over paintbrush recently installed and opening Oct. 1.

This tilted sculpture, with red bristles that will illuminate, is situated between the academy's museum and the art school, "so the idea was to have something that would mediate between the two," Oldenburg told A.i.A.. The form and subject of the work "comes from the museum, which is known for its paintings, and the school, which is one of the few institutions that encourages painting, or the use of a brush. The brush is also very much a sculpture so you have a form that is both sculptural and painterly. It suggests two approaches."

Oldenburg, whose work has grown in scale as his career has progressed, has three prior public sculptures in Philadelphia (his biggest presence in the world). Clothespin, a 45-foot-tall Cor-Ten rendering that alludes to Brancusi's Kiss, was the first, positioned in front of City Hall in 1976.

Original source: Art in America
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Is small town America really metropolitan America?

The New Republic Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Last week we told you about the four suburban Philadelphia communities named to Money magazine's 100 Best Places to Live in America list. The New Republic looks at those same four hotspots as evidence of a shift in the way we live in post-recession America.

But Money is still wedded to the notion that our best places are “small towns,” without acknowledging the regional metropolitan economies--with distinctive economic clusters and amenities, unified housing and labor markets, and modern transportation networks--that determine their economic prosperity and popular appeal.

The magazine does implicitly recognize these metropolitan connections. Take the four new communities in this year’s list within in the resilient Philadelphia metro: West Goshen “gives residents a rural feel, yet good access to jobs,” given its proximity to Philadelphia; Horsham “lies with easy commuting distance of Philadelphia,” Ardmore is “just a few minutes from the city by rail,” and commuters from West Norriton “appreciate that it is 25 miles southwest of Philadelphia.”

It is time to acknowledge that these “small towns,” really suburbs and exurbs, are part of highly-connected and seamlessly-integrated metropolitan economies. The notion promoted by these kinds of “best places” lists--that “small towns” or “small cities” are self-sufficient islands--is fundamentally misguided. Families and firms choose these communities precisely because they benefit from the assets, attributes, and advantages of their broader metros.

Original source: The New Republic
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Philly ranks fifth among U.S. cities on Inc. 500 list

Inc. 500 Tuesday, August 30, 2011

With 18 companies, the Philadelphia metro area ranked fifth on the recently released Inc. 500 list of America's fastest growing companies. The Philadelphia region placed nearly 150 companies among Inc.'s 5,000 fastest-growing companies. Flying Kite parent company Issue Media Group made the list for the second consecutive year, rating as the 25th-fastest growing media company in the country.

Here's Greater Philadelphia's fastest in the top 500 (percent growth, revenue in parentheses):

24 - re2g (7,493%, $10.6 million) PA
48 - Leadnomics (3,932%, $5.8 million) PA
67 - NextDocs (3,213%, $9.8 million) PA
123 - Petplan (2,207%, $18.7 million) PA
150 - Optimal Strategix Group (1,878%, $6.5 million) PA
151 - Free For All (1,871%, $2.5 million) NJ
182 - Magic Hat Consulting (1,669%, $3.4 million) PA
214 - Aromatic Fusion (1,455%, $5.3 million) PA
238 - Decision Distribution (1,335%, $34.5 million) PA
272 - Ohana Companies (1,187%, $8.4 million) DE

Original source: Inc. 500
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Bucks County Community College converts cars to electric

Community College Times Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Community College Times writes about how the Green Jobs Academy at Bucks County Community College teaches students to convert gas cars to electric.

Imagine a car that can run for 44 miles on $1.20 worth of electricity.

That recently happened at the Green Jobs Academy at Bucks County Community College (Pennsylvania) when 10 participants converted a 1990 Mazda Miata into a fully electric battery-powered car.

Source: Community College Times
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Love to live here: Four suburban spots make best small towns list

CNN Money Magazine Tuesday, August 23, 2011

A new ranking of America's best small towns names Ardmore, West Goshen, West Norriton and Horsham in the top 60, according to Money Magazine.

Ardmore

Top 100 rank: 45
Population: 12,900

One of Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs, Ardmore is just a few minutes from the city by rail; many residents work there. Many colleges, including Villanova University and Bryn Mawr College, are located nearby, giving residents easy access to still more cultural events.

Source: CNN Money Magazine
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Rutgers Law librarian recognized for technology efforts

Fastcase Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Rutgers School of Law-Camden librarian and Philadelphia resident John Jorgensen has been honored for moving legal research into the digital age, according to Fastcase.

John Joergensen is a proponent of the free digital law movement. John, a Reference Librarian at Rutgers School of Law, is working to digitize and make law available online. As the publisher of the New Jersey Courtweb Project, John is publishing online the decisions of the New Jersey state appellate courts, tax court, administrative law decisions, U.S. District Court of the District of N.J. decisions, and the N.J. Supreme Court's Ethics opinions.

Source: Fastcase
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Worldwide success, local backdrop for Lansdale-bred punk rockers The Wonder Years

Glasswerk National (UK) Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The increasingly famous punk rockers from Lansdale, The Wonder Years, filmed their new music video in Philadelphia, which provided much inspiration for their newest full-length release Suburbia, according to Glasswerk National.

The Wonder Years have unveiled their new video for track "Local Man Ruins Everything". Filmed in the band's hometown of Philadelphia, PA, it includes locations that were inspired by and mentioned in their newest full-length Suburbia, I've Given You All And Now I'm Nothing. The band are heading to the UK this September for a headline tour, following their stint earlier this year on the Kerrang! Tour. Dan "Soupy" Campbell of the band comments: "We're stoked to announce that, in support of our new record Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing, we'll be coming back to the UK! Even more exciting than that, we'll be bringing Such Gold and Valencia with us! It's going to be awesome and we hope to see you all there!"

Source: Glasswerk National (UK)
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Meet Philly's first Chief Innovation Officer

Technically Philly Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Former New Jersey state CTO Adel Ebeid moves into the newly created post of Chief Innovation Officer of the City of Philadelphia, according to Technically Philly.

Described as "the perfect immigrant story" by the city's Managing Director Rich Negrin, Ebeid, who was born in Egypt but raised in Jersey City after losing as a teenager his father to cancer, rose through the ranks of New Jersey state government to become among the only cabinet level leaders that fiery Governor Chris Christie kept on. Now, after 'flatly' turning down the offer, the soft spoken and succinct Ebeid is preparing to move his wife and new daughter to a city he admits he doesn't know well to help inject innovation into the City of Philadelphia.

Source: Technically Philly
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Where did the soul of Philly go?

Urban Cusp Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The grassroots soul music movement of Philadelphia that created The Roots and Musiq Soulchild hasn't disappeared, and its latest practitioners are worth seeking out, according to Urban Cusp.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Philadelphia had one of the most diverse and respected cultural scenes on the East Coast. One could walk down South Street and hear poets on the corner, see Rasta street vendors selling patchouli and flags, and not make it too far down the block without receiving at least two hand-bills advertising upcoming events. You could walk on UPenn and Temple's campuses and see a range from tattooed Rockers with spiked hair to B-Boy wannabes in full Adidas gear. The culture was so bountiful that it made you stop and ask, "Are we still in Philly or is this Brooklyn?" But, now it almost seems like the diversity has disappeared or at least gone into hiding. Where did all of the culture go? Have all of the true artists been pushed out? Have they sold out or have they all given up and relocated to New York and DC?

Source: Urban Cusp
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Barcade's craft beer and video arcade to open in Fishtown

Inc. Magazine Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Expanding south, the Brooklyn-born Barcade concept comes to Philadelphia next month, according to Inc. Magazine in this profile of its founders

As a kid, Paul Kermizian was younger than most everyone else at the local arcade. He got pushed aside. He had to wait in line.

Not anymore. Today he can play whenever he wants�and he doesn't even have to keep a pocketful of quarters. Kermizian, now 36, is the owner of Barcade, a hybrid craft beer bar and�yep, you called it�video arcade. With four partners, his longtime friends Jon Miller, Scott Beard, Kevin Beard, and Pete Langway, he launched the bar in two locations: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Jersey City. And their retro empire is growing: a third Barcade is scheduled to open next month in Philadelphia.

Source: Inc. Magazine
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National Geographic names Philadelphia a top hiking destination

National Geographic Tuesday, August 16, 2011

With thousands of hiking friendly acres, Philadelphia is one of the best places for a walk in the the woods, according to National Geographic.

An astounding 10 percent of Philadelphia is parkland, and the cherry on top of the 9,200-acre network of green is the Wissahickon, a beloved overgrown gorge that plunges deep beneath the clamor of the city. "The Wissahickon is the best thing in Philadelphia," says Sidney Goldstein, a local Meetup.com hiking group leader. "It feels like you're in wilderness." With 57 miles of trails, there are plenty of opportunities to get lost.

Source: National Geographic
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Monkeyreader: From bookstore to childhood literacy advocate

The Associated Press Tuesday, August 09, 2011

The Associated Press checks in on Philly-based online kids' bookstore Monkeyreader donates 5 percent of profits to childhood literacy.

Once upon a time, there was a bookstore. One day, the bookstore went away and reopened online with a new name and a mission to combat childhood illiteracy.

The rest of the story of year-old e-tailer MonkeyReader.com is still being written but its founders hope the ending will be happy�and successful.

"We're beginning, we're growing, we have a lot of great ideas," co-founder David Lenett of the venture, a successor of the Discovery Bookshop, a popular Philadelphia children's bookstore that closed in the 1990s and became an online storefront that evolved into the more interactive MonkeyReader site.

Source: The Associated Press
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Rahm Emanuel's brother is Penn's newest bioethicist

The Associated Press Tuesday, August 09, 2011

The brother of Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel joins Penn faculty, according to The Associated Press.

PHILADELPHIA�One of the nation's most prominent bioethicists -- who happens to be the brother of the Chicago mayor -- is joining the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Ivy League institution in Philadelphia announced Friday that Ezekiel Emanuel will hold dual posts in the Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School for business.

Source: The Associated Press
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Gay plays take over Shubin Theater this month

Passport Magazine Tuesday, August 09, 2011

This month, Philadelphia GayFest! presents four GLBT-themed plays and a reading at the Shubin Theater, according to Passport Magazine.

August gets very gay in Philadelphia with the debut of GayFest!, a new GLBT theater festival presented by Quince Productions. With four plays running in repertory and a staged reading of a new gay play, the event promises to make the tiny Shubin Theatre a hotbed of gayness.

Source: Passport Magazine
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Marriott Downtown's skybridge also a front door

USA Today Tuesday, August 09, 2011

A skybridge is more than just a skybridge at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, according to USA Today.

But the skybridge that links the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown hotel to the Pennsylvania Convention Center had grown so busy in recent years that it received a major makeover during the hotel's just-completed $60 million overhaul.

"It's become the front door to the hotel," Tim Haggerty, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, told me.

The answer is linked to the fact that the hotel is the only one in downtown Philly that's connected to the convention center - and it's also connected to the train station. (The train station is below the convention center.)

Source: USA Today
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