BOK Newspaper Spring 2023

Greenly Plant Co.

Greenly shares their cheat sheet for picking the right plants for your space this spring to set yourself up for indoor gardening success.

Low Light, Pet Safe

Plants in both the Calathea and Fern families are lush and very low-light tolerant, making them great for spots in your home that might not receive the best bright light.

Bright Light, Pet Safe

Pilea Peperomioides (or ‘Friendship Plant’) and those in the Peperomia family are hearty, happylooking plants that love to soak up the sun. They are a safe bet for any plant and pet lover!

greenlyplantco.com // @greenlyplantco

Bright Light, Flowering

Lovers of bright, direct light, the Hoya family of plants is known to bloom flowers in a myriad of colors. Hoyas come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, making them beautiful even when not in bloom.

Low Maintenance

Plants in the Aglaonema family are super hearty and low-light tolerant. They will let you know when they need water by slightly drooping their leaves. We often recommend these plants as gifts—they are beautiful and thrive in virtually any home!

The Bowery Presents

Taking over the 6th floor cafeteria kitchen space, The Bowery Presents is mixing together emerging music and local experience to create something deliciously Philly.

What is The Bowery Presents all about?

The Bowery Presents brings the best and emerging artists to audiences in music venues with top of the line sound & lights. We strive to support artist development by investing in acts early on and helping grow them into larger venues in markets such as New York, Philly, Boston, and beyond.

What brought you to Bok?

In addition to the fact that several of our employees live in South Philly, the creative and local business community that Bok has cultivated was super appealing to us and aligns with the values of The Bowery Presents.

Ars Nova Workshop

Bok’s resident music stewards have found a second home just blocks away on Broad Street at Solar Myth—a café by day and a bar with bites and beats by night. Expect an extensive wine list, a killer vinyl collection, and an exciting live jazz and contemporary music lineup curated by Ars Nova Workshop. solarmythbar.com // @solarmythbar

What makes the music scene in Philly so special?

The collaboration and support—like how a band like Snacktime is able to bring the city together or how Jennifer Zavala’s Juana Tamale restaurant was born out of Underground Arts activating their kitchen during the height of COVID. These are just a few examples of the supportive, grassroots ethos that we love about Philly.

Tenant Talk: Sounds of Spring

We tapped some of our music-savvy tenants to find out what’s in their workday music queue.

“Viens Te Faire Chahuter,” Michel Polnareff

Dave Pap fabergege.bandcamp.com

More Offerings, Photay & Carlos Niño

Joe Basile thechicken.net

Portrait in Soul, Valerie Capers

What’s your favorite Bowery Presents venue in Philly?

We all have a soft spot for the history and character of Franklin Music Hall. Seeing LCD Soundsystem play 3 nights there last year was certainly a highlight.

What music is the Bowery Presents team currently listening to?

So much new music. Some recent highlights:

Ethel Cain – Preacher’s Daughter

Amber Mark – Three Dimensions Deep

Nilüfer Yanya – Painless

What are 3 shows we should put on our calendar this Spring?

Weyes Blood at Union Transfer, 2/28 + 3/1

M83 at Franklin Music Hall, 4/21

Yaeji at Union Transfer, 5/6

We have a lot more great show announcements that are in the pipeline—we can’t wait to share!

bowerypresents.com/greater-philly @bowerypresents

David Friedman ficksmusic.com

Cry Sugar, Hudson Mohawke

Dan Labrie @myriadmagnetic

“Sun,” Hania Rani

Tom Rudnitsky philatuner.com

Photo by Mike Persico

Photo by Mike Persico

Photos by Ryan Collerd and Matty Lucas

The Bowery Presents team

Just for kids (of all ages!)

Color us in to ring in Spring

Shop ’til you hop in the WKSHP

Gear up for warm weather with wares from some of our friends on the first floor.

Baby Tooth

Hunni Small

Handbag by Raven Dakota, $123 babytooth.xyz

You’ll never be without a handful of flowers

Stover Ceramics

Pourover carafe and creamer cup, $36-$110 stoverceramics.com

Enjoy a slow morning with coffee at home

Minimal Chaos

Kilim Mules, $168

minimalchaos.pink

Slip your bare feet into something sweet

Corinne Dodenhoff

Creative Moon, 11x17” print, $16

corinnedodenhoff.com

Art that provides the antidote to shorter Spring nights

Tuft the World

Our newest (and fluffiest) tenant is spinning up something fun!

What is Tuft the World all about?

Tuft the World (TTW) started as Tim Eads’ home-based side-hustle in 2018. Over the next few years, it grew into a West Philadelphia company that ships rug making supplies to artists and makers in more than 120 countries. Tim and co-owner Tiernan Alexander aim to provide customers with the high-quality tools, materials, and instruction they need to make their own tufted projects. Tiernan and Tim’s combined experience as crafters and educators drive their desire to make tufting widely accessible while staying true to their values of equity and sustainability. As an antidote to single-use packaging, Shred the World was launched in 2022, where cardboard that would otherwise be bound for the landfill is collected, shredded, and sold for other small businesses to use in their packaging.

Transport Cycles

Bike tune-up, $55-$75 transportcycle.com

Get your wheels ready for a sunny ride on the Schuylkill River Trail

Rider Ceramics

Iridescent bud vase, $60 each

riderceramics.com

The perfect vessel for your freshly-picked tulips

What brought you to Bok?

We first visited Bok during the renovation process and have always hoped to have a reason to work in the space. As Philadelphia artists, we’ve attended events, shopped, and spent time with friends in the building over the past seven years. Nicole and Jordan Haddad of Lobo Mau, an early Bok tenant, were looking for someone to share their space with at the same time that TTW’s education department needed to expand. We are thrilled to be able to offer tufting classes and other fiber arts events in partnership with our friends at Lobo Mau!

What are you most excited about doing in your new space?

The TTW staff includes a number of fiber artists with great teaching skills: quilters, clothing designers, shoe makers, lace makers, printers, and more. Our dream has been to expand our tufting education to include other techniques and practices, and the move to Bok gives us the space to offer a wider variety of textile-based classes to the Philly community.

Who is rug tufting for?

Tufting is for everyone! If you like to make things then tufting is definitely for you. Our tufting machines are very easy to use and they make tufting instantly gratifying. Most people are able to start tufting their own works of art after just one beginner class. Who doesn’t want to live in a fluffy, colorful world of their own making?

What is the craziest thing you have tufted?

We are currently working on tufting a multi-tier cat tree and a fully tufted armchair. At one point Tim tufted the walls, floor, and ceiling of a small room! Honestly, you can tuft almost anything! tuftinggun.com

The Tuft the World team

What’s Next

Open Studios

Friday, April 21

From 6-9pm, all 9 floors of the Bok Building will be activated, and we invite visitors to explore our hallways and meet our community! Bring your friends and family to this free event where you can learn more about the Bok building project, plus shop, engage, and sip with tenants new and old.

Rising Voices 2: Next-Generation Feminist Painting

Thursday, March 16

Join Studio Incamminati on the 7th Floor from 5-8pm in celebrating female artists at their opening reception, featuring works from The Bennet Prize finalists. The exhibition will run until May 14.

HEART, ART and SOUL with Art Sphere

Saturday, March 25

Art Sphere is celebrating their 25th Anniversary with a pay-whatyou-wish live music event. Taking place in the Bok Auditorium from 1-3pm, the celebration will feature local performers including Brown Sugar, a Rolling Stones Tribute Band!

Opening Day at Bok Bar

Thursday, April 13

Everyone’s favorite rooftop bar is coming back with the warm weather in tow! Join us from 5-10pm for drinks and bites.

Design Smith & Diction

Produced by scout

Cover photo Greenly by Mike Persico

Photos provided by each feature + social media

Illustrations Kelley Garrard