I went to the Kimmel Cultural Campus Reopening, Saw Joy, Smiling eyes and Cool Masks

September 19, 2021 by HughE Dillon Leave a comment

On Saturday 50+ arts organizations from across the region participated in Arts Launch 2021 with FREE performances and activities, and a FREE finale performance by The Philadelphia Orchestra mark the momentous occasion of In Person Performances returning to Philadelphia, and the Kimmel Cultural Campus.

All day a steady stream of people made their way down the Avenue of the Arts to the **Kimmel Center**

Matías Tarnopolsky, president and chief executive officer
of The Philadelphia Orchestra Association and Anne Ewers, Kimmel Cultural Campus president and CEO paused during the busy day to pose for us (an by us I mean you, me and all my readers). At the end of the year Anne Ewers will be retiring, and Matías Tarnopolsky will step into the role of Kimmel Cultural Campus president and CEO . Anne tells me she will still sit on the board, but is looking forward to retiring, traveling more, continue in her mentoring role, and maybe write a book. I’d read it. She was very instrumental in transforming the Kimmel Center, now Kimmel Cultural Campus, into the world class arts & cultural institute it is today.

It was really a fantastic day. People were so excited to be there. To be out. To enjoy entertainment. To return to a familiar place which has always brought joy to their lives. The new normal is quite a bit different than how we used to live, but people have adjusted. They arrived with their vaccination cards, their ID and flexibility.

They also arrived fashionable dressed I noticed, and now with the latest accessory matching or nearly matching masks. As a visual guy, I enjoyed what I saw.

From the Press Release: Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Philadelphia Orchestra are elated to raise the Campus curtains once again to the Philadelphia community. The free festival-style event will once again give life to the vibrant arts organization, celebrating diversity and creative energy after a darkening of the Avenue of the Arts. The event will encourage guests to lean into the healing power of artistic performances, mark a new chapter of unity for the Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Philadelphia Orchestra, and unite the Philadelphia community.

That model was amazing, sitting there for at least 4 hours. The artists did a great job at capturing her.

Speaking of art, muralist Frank Alston was doing a piece for Mural Arts at the Kimmel Cultural Campus

KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region’s diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater – representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. We are home to eight esteemed Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country.

Philadanco

The singer from band ILL DOOTS performs in the audience

Ángel Corella, Artistic director at *Philadelphia Ballet*

The Philadelphia Ballet’s (they recently changed their name from the Pennsylvania Ballet, to the more appropriate Philadelphia Ballet.) Nutcracker tickets are on sale, and it’s sale. INFO HERE Performances Dec 10-31, 2021

Check out additional photos from the day at CBSPhilly

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Philly ChitChat (@phillychitchat)

And I did this Instagram REEL as well. It’s cute video with the sights and sounds of the day. Just click to play and transport yourself into the audience…. have a great day. Let’s chitchat tomorrow. Thanks for your comments, I read all of them.

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Let’s Check Out Philly’s New Year’s Resolutions

January 3, 2020 by HughE Dillon Leave a comment

Every Year the Kimmel Center has a New Year’s Resolution Wall in their lobby. Folks who wander in to enjoy the days free family events at the arts & culture center are eager to share their thoughts for the future on the wall, which is sponsored Arts Montco and Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board.

Not Die Overseas? Dustin what does that mean?

Oh a visitor on New Year’s Day!!

OK good luck on the Broad Street Run this year. Congrats Marlene & Yvonne. Lots of people want to be kinder this year.

I highly recommend checking out MeetUp.com to meet new friends. You can pick out a subject you like to participate in, and meet other folks that have the same interest. Happy New Year, be kind, Vote, and Go Eagles!!

Philadelphia

What Folks Wrote On The Resolution Wall at Kimmel Center

January 2, 2018 by HughE Dillon

What Folks Wrote On The Resolution Wall at Kimmel Center

Happy New Year, did we all make resolutions? I did, and I already broke it. Darn. I made a promise to myself that I would post on Philly Chit Chat every day, and every morning by 7AM, like in the good old days in the first 5 years of PCC.

Let’s see what folks wrote about on the annual Resolution Wall at the Kimmel Center, where parade goers had a chance to write down their hopes for 2018.

Making money was definitely one of the resolutions that was repeated on the wall. I guess Stop Smoking was something that person tried to do a couple times.

My new resolution is to learn how to do a meme

2 to 1 want Trump gone

If that person has saved lives before that’s awesome; Yeah Save More Lives!!
If you help around that house, that is awesome shit and a great role model to have better children

Well it’s a goalOk sounds good

Glad they didn’t sign their name

Ohhh who is DRP, I’m starving
I bet you’re already an awesome Nana

The most interesting notation on the Resolution Wall was that it was sponsored by the
Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board

The New Year’s Resolution Wall will be in the lobby of the Kimmel Center til this Saturday if you have a resolution you’d like to share with the world. Tomorrow I’m going to have a post up by 7AM, and will continue to do so until I break that resolution. Have an awesome year!!

Philadelphia

DNC Day 4 – Hillary’s Victor Party – Celebs In Town

July 29, 2016 by HughE Dillon

Day 4, the final day. Sorry about missing Day 3, hopefully you saw my photos in Philly Mag and Philly.com, and caught me on Fox 29 yesterday. Hillary

After being on Good Day I headed over to the Convention Center, more like limped as I really hurt both my feet after standing for nearly the entire week. While on my way to pick up my “Thursday” DNC pass, I saw Danny Glover. He looked much better than the day before.

Hillary

I then went home for a couple hours to do work. I chatted with my buddy John McDevitt from KYW News Radio and made arrangements to go out and find stories.

Hillary

Here’s John interviewing a congressman from Vermont, who was about to board a bus for the Wells Fargo

Hillary

I stood by and caught the fashionable

Hillary

Senator Elizabeth Warren was in for a Democrats for Woman event on Tuesday and Robin Roberts of Good Morning America was in for dinner on Tuesday night at Davio’s. Mary Louise Parker caught the Snoop Dogg concert at the Electric Factory last night. The show went on at 230AM and the place was packed I hear; Snoop got back to the Hotel Monaco as the sun was rising. So glad I didn’t do that one. Brooklyn Beckham and Chloe Grace Morentz were spotted leaving the Sofitel Hotel last night on their way to the DNC Wells Fargo.

Hillary

Then I said hey John I hear Hillary’s Victory Party is at the Kimmel Center. let’s go check it out. I told him it’d be hard to shoot Hillary as she would probably go in the back and there would be lots of security, but more than likely some celebs would go through the front with the guests.

Hillary

We stopped by Bop and got a shot of Hillary and David Song, GM of Bop

Hillary

Small world, just at that moment Mike Jerrick and Chris Murphy were heading to dinner at Bop. I decided not to go to the last night, cause I was exhausted, I hadn’t slept in two days and my feet as I mentioned were in so much pain. I should have worn sneakers this week. It’s ok too, the Wells Fargo was so packed, hot and water was $4.50. i watched the historic night from my couch with the husband before John came and picked me up about 1130PM

Hillary

OK fast forward to midnight. John and I returned to the Kimmel Center and Hillary Clinton’s after party. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s a celebrity, especially if you don’t really watch TV or read celebrity magazines, but hey I think these two could potentially be one….

Hillary

Harvey Hurdle and Kevin Yoder

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Also spotted at the party Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux, entrepeneurs for Clinton organization and Richard Garriott, billionaire Video Gamer and 2nd private citizen to fly to space. (Philly.com will have his pix up shortly for your enjoyment. John picked him out of the crowd cause he was fun dressed, and then I shot him for the same reason, but it was random, we didn’t know his amazing story. )

Hillary

Dustin Lance Black who was also in town for Equality Forum.

Hillary

Around 2AM – President soon to be First Gentleman, Bill Clinton, Madame President Hillary Clinton with Senator Tim Kaine and his wife Anne Holton.

Philadelphia

Roger Daltrey & Joan Jett @Kimmel Center A Few Clips

July 29, 2014 by HughE Dillon

I regret not going last night, I love the WHO, I was a kid of the 70s and WMMR and really goofed by not going to last night’s concert. I can relive the night here at PCC with my fav songs, and at the bottom I have a link to other clips that folks shot. All on really decent cameras I must say. Here’s a shot from Dafni who does the PR for the Kimmel Center.