South Street Beat

Art on the Street A new initiative transforms the hippest street in town into a canvas for local artists

Reported by Nancy Brokaw with photos by Riley Loula

Thanks to a new project called South St.Art, the work of six local artists will be housed in empty storefront windows along the street’s 300 block—windows that provide the perfect canvas for inspiring local artists and revitalizing the streetscape.

The project is a collaborative effort of the South Street Headhouse District (SSHD) and Vision Urban Renewal & Transformation (V.U.R.T.), a Fishtown nonprofit founded and supported by local artists and advocates to inspire, unify, and renew urban communities through public art.

Last year, SSHD Executive Director Mike Harris and his board began brainstorming ideas about ways to activate the street’s unused spaces and celebrate local talent. Their idea? Recruit Philly artists to create work for display in vacant storefront windows.

Richard Perry, a SSHD board member and proprietor of Tattooed Mom, who knows a thing or two about street art, suggested V.U.R.T. for the project. (A mecca for artists, Tattooed Mom’s second floor features an ever-changing gallery of graffiti, wheat paste, and other street art.) V.U.R.T.’s creative director, Evan Lovett, describes the collective, rather modestly, as “a group of artists, activists, and community members who are just trying to make things look better.” In fact, the group has strong public art cred—it created some 30 rolldown gates along Frankford Avenue’s commercial corridor—and was a natural to spearhead the project.

Kristin Scholes—her artist’s moniker is Sea of Doom—is showing Moth Bat, which riffs on the bat motif that’s garnered her a coast-to-coast following. Split between two windows of the old Indulgence Boutique, this piece depicts bat ears that seemingly morph into moth wings. Doggy Treats (at Starbucks), a whimsical piece by local illustrator and teacher at the University of the Arts Tara Jacoby, depicts three dogs, each dreaming of a particular food that bears an uncanny resemblance to them.

With SSHD funding and a grant from the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, the artists created a series of murals and printed them on large-scale vinyl banners for hanging in three empty storefronts on South Street: 325, which housed Indulgence Boutique; 328, site for the former Boyler Room; and 347, where Starbucks caffeinated Queen Villagers until December, 2018.

“And when a property is rented out,” Lovett explains, “the work can be easily transferred to another space.”

South St.Art isn’t the District’s first foray into art patronage—nor will it be its last. SSHD commissioned its first public art back in 2016, with a call for artists to transform the utility boxes that dot the street, explains SSHC Executive Director Mike Harris. “Then, in 2018, we did the Eyes mural over Johnny Rockets.”

“Every empty wall, every vacant window is a canvas for us,” says Dana Feinberg, who serves as project coordinator for the District. “We’re building on a strong artistic heritage, and we want these projects to reflect our diverse, art-centric community.” As for South St.Art, “we’re at the beginning stages of identifying the next set of South Street locations to activate and the next set of artists to feature,” says Harris. “Robert [Perry of Tattooed Mom] is going to be putting more art in more windows and talking about expanding to other mediums—lighting, sculptural work, and video projections.” ■

Photo by Mark Henninger of Imagic Digital for WHYY ’s Billy Penn (www.BillyPenn.com)

South Street Meets Avenue ofThe Roots

by Taryn Goldsmith

Philly’s Streets Department took the world by surprise when it installed the Avenue of The Roots street signs at South Street and Passyunk Avenue three months early. Even The Roots. Beautifully surprised, describes Roots frontman Questlove’s tweeted reaction upon learning of the new co-naming of the intersection. “...does this mean WHAT I THINK IT MEANS!!!???!!!??? Hell of a way to find out!!!! WOW!!!!! @ South Street in Philly baby!!” Widely known not only as the House Band on The Tonight Show but also from their international concerts and fanbase, few people know that The Roots actually got their start performing on the sidewalks of South Street.

Tariq Trotter and Ahmir Thompson met in high school at CAPA, the Creative and Performing High School on Broad and Christian Streets, and went on to form a band that would receive critical acclaim for its role in redefining hip hop. The Philadelphia natives have certainly done their city proud, representing Philly everywhere that they go with unmatched sophistication. The street co-naming is a wonderful way for the city to share their appreciation for arguably one of the most talented hip hop/musical acts to come from Philly. The man behind the mission to initiate the block’s co-naming, LeRoy McCarthy, is a Cheyney University grad who is currently residing in NYC. His firm, Heterodoxx Inc., is also behind the creation of several street co-naming efforts throughout the country. “I have reached out to mayors in different cities coast to coast,” says McCarthy. “Honoring hip hop would show the communities where hip hop historically comes from, that the city, government, and law enforcement has respect for their art and culture.”

Queen Village Neighborhood Association played an instrumental role in lobbying support for the street renaming. “It is particularly rewarding to celebrate Philadelphians who are role models to our youth.” says Eleanor Ingersoll, president of the QVNA Board of Directors.

An official dedication for the 600 block of E. Passyunk Avenue is slated for May. ■

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