Around Town With HughE

Ray Philly Housewarming Party

November 10, 2023 by HughE Dillon Leave a comment
The Ray Philly Team

Ray, a brand rooted in hospitality and making art and design a part of everyday life, opened its first residential building, Ray Philly within the North American Street creative corridor last month. Pictured about the Ray Philly Team proudly stands in front of the building at 1525 N American St,

Six Acre Capital is a real estate developer, owner and operator founded by Mark Lansman (l) and Jake Borden (r) with Rennee McIntyre Vice President of Marketing · Scully Company

The 103,000 square foot building features six artist studios on the ground floor, 110 residential units – including 25 studios, 67 one-bedrooms, 18 two-bedrooms – free communal art studio (called the makerspace) for residents, and a commercial space, was built from the ground up, but purposely built as if were a factory of yesteryear.

Jazman Means, Rod Robinson and Samantha Webster
Sherri Apter Wexler, Wexler Gallery which opened nearby a few days after Ray Philly; adding to the vibrancy of the neighborhood, Cynthia Porter, Lewis Wexler, David Glesson and Rachel Zimmerman, In Liquid Gallery, located in the Crane Arts Building and really ignighted the improvement of the neighborhood from abandon warehouses to a vibrant communighty.
Jessica Scully, president of the Scully Company , Suzanne Demisch, artist at Ray with Dasha Zhukova art patron and founder of Ray, with new development projects in three cities.

“Ray Philly is a home and gathering space where people can express their unique voices and perspectives, whether as residents of the building or participants in Ray’s free public programming,” said Suzanne Demisch, Creative Director at Ray. “We’re excited to be part of the City of Brotherly Love and look forward to delivering an experience that brings art and design into people’s daily lives.”

Ray Philly rooftop with a view of the Philadelphia skyline.

Ray exists to perpetuate art and culture in the built environment. Founder Dasha Zhukova was inspired to apply her work within cultural institutions and public art spaces into a new category of the built environment. Dasha established the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in 2008, seeking to create a space devoted to the discovery and exploration of global art and culture. Her experience at the museum, particularly observing how people interacted with both the art and architecture, was the catalyst for launching Ray.

Anaïs Cooper-Hackman, Programming and Partnerships Director · Ray Philly, with Heather, Vincent, and Jeff
Siblings Lindsey Scannapieco and Michael Scannapieco came out to see Ray Philly, and meet up with old friends.

Ray Philly appears to be more than just a residential building; it seems to be a dynamic and integrated space that promotes a fusion of art, design, and community. Donations were suggested for entry and 100% of proceeds generated from the event were donated to South Kensington Community Partners (SKCP), a place-based non-profit located in Old/South Kensington with programs serving OSK and the surrounding neighborhoods of Eastern North Philadelphia.