check out the program
Special Events and Receptions
- Opening Event—Taste of Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
- Closing Event—Experience The Vibrant Sights and Sounds of Philly at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Americans for the Arts Action Fund Members’ Breakfast and PAC Fundraiser
- Emerging Leaders Reception
Special Events
Opening Event—Taste of Philadelphia
at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
June 20, 2008
6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Experience Philadelphia’s favorites at the magnificent Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, a world-class performing arts venue. You will delight in music and dance provided by Philadelphia artists under The Kimmel center’s signature 150-foot glass-vault ceiling while sampling cocktails and light refreshments that are Philadelphia traditions. Guided tours of this extraordinary building will be part of the night’s delight. You will see a cello-shaped concert hall with state-of-the-art acoustics, a theater with a rotating stage, an arts education center, the student art gallery, a public plaza, and a roof-top garden offering spectacular views of the Philadelphia skyline. The Applause Gift Shop will be open for your shopping pleasure. Throughout the year, this premier performing arts destination features performances to satisfy all musical tastes—including jazz, dance, world, pop, classical, and new music. The Kimmel Center’s mission also includes arts in education, community outreach, and a rich diversity in programming. During this opening reception, you will be entertained by West Philadelphia Orchestra and Kulu Mele. The West Philadelphia Orchestra is comprised of fifteen of Philadelphia's best and most daring musicians, all from different musical backgrounds, performing music from Romania, Hungary, Serbia, and Macedonia. This group believes that music is a well-spring of joy and human understanding that should play an integral role in a community, fulfilling its essential purpose of renewing communal roots and feeding the human spirit. Since its creation three decades ago, Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble has established a national reputation as a unique and dynamic performing company. The longest-lived African Dance company in Philadelphia, Kulu Mele has built a repertoire that is an exciting blend of West African ancestral tradition and African American creativity. Performances include music and dance of Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, and African America.
Closing Event—Experience The Vibrant Sights and Sounds of Philly
at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
June 22, 2008
5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Come to a dance party at one of the most distinctive and stunning landmarks in the city—the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which showcases more than 2,000 years of exceptional human creativity in masterpieces of fine and applied arts from all over the world. During the festivities, you can explore the renowned collections from medieval to contemporary. In the main building's 200 galleries, you will view striking Renaissance master paintings, elaborately carved stone altarpieces, entire period rooms, and architectural settings.
Join your colleagues in the Great Stair Hall and experience an evolution of Philadelphia music from doo-wop, a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which originated in the 1950s on the streets of Philadelphia and New York, to Philadelphia Sound, a modern style of soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements. Nationally-known and award-winning Philadelphia radio personality David Dye will emcee the evening’s festivities. Since 1991, Dye has served as the host of a nationally acclaimed show, World Café, now syndicated on more than 185 public radio stations across the United States. Philly’s Best Acapella will perform Doo-Wop. The Blue Method, one of the finest funk bands in the country, will get the crowd moving to some smooth grooving soul. Take a break from dancing to enjoy drinks and delicious gourmet food stations. Then you can discover what the Museum's stores have to offer.
Americans for the Arts Action Fund Members’ Breakfast and PAC Fundraiser
Saturday, June 21, 2008
8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
Join Americans for the Arts Action Fund and attend the Arts Action Fund members’ reception and Political Action Committee (PAC) fundraiser. This event is for current Arts Action Fund members and those interested in joining. The Arts Action Fund was created for citizens and organizations who want to help advance the arts politically in America. The Arts Action Fund PAC is committed to electing candidates who support arts and arts education in America. Please join us at the members’ reception and PAC fundraiser to show your support for advancing the arts in our communities. Contributions to Americans for the Arts Action Fund or its Arts Action Fund PAC are not tax deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes. Minimum membership contribution: $20. Not paid for by Americans for the Arts.
