 Meet our new Public Programs Manager  Zoë Rayn Evans Zoë Rayn Evans (she/her) is a graduate of Temple University, where she studied Communications and Art History. The intersections of art, community and social justice have been at the forefront of her professional interests for as long as she can remember. Zoë believes, wholeheartedly, that art, in all its various forms, as the catalyst for poignant dialogs surrounding complex, often uncomfortable issues, is an invaluable tool in unpacking the individual (and collective) human experience. She has worked in both the commercial fine arts as well as non-profit sectors. We are so excited to welcome Zoë to the Friends of the Rail Park team, and to share some exciting projects that she’s been working on with you soon! Sprucing up for Spring & Summer If you’ve been to the Rail Park in the past few weeks, you may have noticed the park is looking freshly landscaped for the spring and summer seasons!  On May 9, Friends of the Rail Park was joined by 25 volunteers to celebrate Love Your Park Week with a Rail Park clean up. Together, we picked up trash throughout the park and the surrounding blocks, and added new plant life to the soil, courtesy of Studio Bryan Hanes. Thank you to Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Fairmont Park Conservancy for supporting this clean up!  With a grant from the Philadelphia Committee of The Garden Club of America Fertilizer Fund, we were also able to install a whole new inventory of pollinator plants! With native flowering species, these additions will attract pollinators like birds, bees, and butterflies to help keep the park’s ecosystem healthy and thriving. We can’t wait to see the park in full bloom this spring!  Philly Fighting Asian Hate May 22-23, 11 AM to 3 PM As a response to the recent rise in anti-Asian hate violence, Philly Fighting Asian Hate is an event that will provide free 50-minute self-defense classes for the AAPI community in Philly on May 22-23, during AAPI Heritage Month. The event’s mission is to fight against anti-Asian hate, and empower the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community through self-awareness and self-defense training and education. REGISTER Sound Walk with Raúl Romero May 22, 4 PM to 6 PM This installation Onomonopoetics of a Puerto Rican Landscape highlights the sounds of the Eleutherodactylus coquí, a frog endemic to Puerto Rico named by the Tainos. Coquí is an onomatopoeia for the resounding call the frog makes. This work looks at the way the coquí sounds connect back to Puerto Rico and perform as a vessel carrying memory, culture and language. For some the sound may be unfamiliar and for others it may serve as a calling from a homeland. The soundwalk will kick off at 4 PM at Vox Populi, located at 319 N 11th Street. At 5 PM, a short Artist Talk and Q&A will begin at the Rail Park, featuring Romero, Blanche Brown & Cristina Keiffer, and Stephanie Powell – artists whose exhibitions close at Vox Populi the very next day, Sunday, May 23rd. LEARN MORE Elder Hour 長者專屬時間 May 25 & June 1, 8am – 10am If you’re 60+, join Friends of the Rail Park for Elder Hour, every Tuesday from 8 AM until 10 AM, for free games, giveaways, and light refreshments. Hand sanitizer and masks provided. Elder Hour 長者專屬時間 At The Rail Park 在鐵路公園 Tuesdays 星期二 8 AM – 10 AM 早上8點-10點 Ages 60+ 60嵗以上 Sounds of the Rail Park NEW EPISODE June 3! Click here to check out a sneak preview of a Sounds of the Rail Park 2-part episode, a meditation with Nalaverse! Nalaverse is a women-led, Black-centered mental wellness community offering live virtual classes focused on yoga, meditation, breathwork, and sound healing. In this two-part episode of Sounds of the Rail Park, launching June 3 on all major streaming platforms, Friends of the Rail Park and Nalaverse will discuss the importance of access to the outdoors in mindfulness practice with Theresa Shropshire, co-founder and CEO of Nalaverse and A’Tiya Sinae, yoga instructor, sound healing practitioner and Reiki healer. In Part 2, A’Tiya guides you through a meditation set at the Rail Park. LISTEN TO EPISODE 1  Friends of the Rail Park is honored to be a 2021 grantee of the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. The Philadelphia Cultural Fund is the mechanism by which the City supports the arts to enhance the cultural life and vitality of the City of Philadelphia and its residents. We are so thankful to receive this critical operating support that makes the arts and cultural experiences at the Rail Park possible. Additionally, thank you to Councilmember Mark Squilla, and Mayor Jim Kenney for advocating for a thriving arts community in Philadelphia. Wear your park on your sleeve Want to show your support for the Rail Park? Well, we have great news! Our new merch site is finally live! We’ve got t-shirts, onesies, and more! All sales go directly to supporting the Rail Park, helping us with things like landscaping, maintenance, and community programming. We even have a limited batch of Rail Park hoodies, hand-dyed by local youth artists. SEE THE SHOP What do you want to see at the Rail Park this Spring & Summer? TELL US HERE Support the Rail Park When you donate to The Rail Park, you’re supporting more than just a park. You’re supporting a space where community and culture can thrive. Your donation will help us turn a piece of Philadelphia’s history into a safe and fun place for everyone. DONATE NOW Open every day, 7am–10pm North Broad & Noble St. © 2021 Friends of the Rail Park, All rights reserved. |
Category: The Rail Park
What’s new at the park
| Thank you to our incredible community for contributing to the Rail Park on #GivingTuesday. If you donated to the campaign between December 1 and December 6, your donation was DOUBLED by our Board! In total, we raised $5,200 from our campaign, which will go towards funding new plant life on the park, and toward our efforts to obtain a feasibility study for the full three mile vision. A feasibility study will help us better understand what is possible for the future of the Rail Park, how much it will cost, and what our next steps should be! In the meantime, the addition of more plant life at the park will enhance the park’s beauty and biodiversity in the upcoming new year. It is because of supporters like you that the Rail Park continues to thrive, and our planning process for the full three miles is in motion. Thank you! Sincerely, Rebecca & Ava Listen: Sounds of the Rail Park Our new podcast series, Sounds of the Rail Park, is now available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin, where ever you stream your podcasts! Sounds of the Rail Park explores the sights, sounds, and spaces of the Rail Park. Episode 1 explores Phase One of the park, reflecting on its history and highlighting its natural, built, and creative landscape. Shout out to our partners at Studio D for helping us create this podcast series, and to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Donor-Advised Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation which supports this initiative and other community programming at the Rail Park. STREAM EPISODE 1 ON SPOTIFY Coming up Re-imagining Philadelphia Applications due December 15 Do you want to help determine how $1 Million in city budget funds are spent? The city is looking for 10-15 members of the public who will join members appointed from various city Advisory Commissions for the Re-Imagine Philadelphia Steering Committee, made up of about 40 people tp will help the Philadelphia City Planning Commission craft a vision for Philly that is created for and led by residents and plan for a city budget distribution of $1 Million. If you’re interested in applying for the Steering Committee, you can apply online until December 15. Accepted participants will receive a small stipend for their time and be expected to participate in 12 of 15 meetings (2 hours each) to be held between December 2020 and Spring 2022 (virtually for the foreseeable future). APPLY FREE Virtual Art Class & Supplies December 20 Power of Paint Art Academy, a 2020 Tire Swing Fund grant recipient, is hosting a FREE virtual art class on December 20th from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM. With your registration, you’ll receive a free package of art supplies for the class, delivered right to your home. To register, email [email protected], or text Teisha at (215) 948-9417. One Percent for Art – Call for Artists Submissions due January 4 The City of Philadelphia’s One Percent for Art Program and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation seek to commission a high quality, original, and site specific sculptural public artwork that is integrated with the site’s design. The artwork has the opportunity to be integral to the design of the park’s features such as walks, low walls, shade structures at the garden or stage, or seating terraces and elements. This integration could help tell the many stories – historic, present and future – that make up the site’s past and the park’s potential to speak to all Philadelphians and visitors, with meaning, inclusivity and thoughtfulness. The artwork could also be a singular grand sculptural element. Response Deadline: January 4, 2021. LEARN MORE Support the Rail Park When you donate to The Rail Park, you’re supporting more than just a park. You’re supporting a space where community and culture can thrive. Your donation will help us turn a piece of Philadelphia’s history into a safe and fun place for everyone. DONATE NOW Open every day, 7am–10pm North Broad & Noble St. © 2020 Friends of the Rail Park, All rights reserved. |
Announcing the Tire Swing Fund | Friends of the Rail Park
The Friends of the Rail Park is excited to launch the Tire Swing Fund, a new initiative to catalyze neighborhood-driven programs and support local cultural producers through microgranting opportunities. The fund will support programs that highlight local cultures, grow social connectivity, and increase access to nature.
Read more: Announcing the Tire Swing Fund | Friends of the Rail Park
We’re in this together. | Friends of the Rail Park
We have gathered a list of open food and beverage restaurants in the neighborhood offering pickup and delivery and will keep an ongoing list here.
View the list: We’re in this together. | Friends of the Rail Park
The Rail Park Birthday Party!
The Rail Park is Turning One! Join Friends of The Rail Park as we celebrate in style!Friday, June 14, 2019The Patio at Spring Arts10th & Hamilton Streets6 PM to 8 PMEnjoy summer fun at this unique outdoor lounge and urban oasis nestled under the viaduct just two blocks from the entrance to the Rail Park. ~Featuring~Aperol Hour from 6PM-7PM w/$8 Aperol SpritzesSummer DJ Vibes by TSOTWading Pools~Plus~Mention the code word “Rail Park” at the bar and enjoy$3 Love City Lager Cans$6 Pink Flamingo Cocktails ~Kindly Note, The Patio~Is 21+Does not permit petsIs CASH ONLY with an ATM on-siteDoes not permit outside food~Rain Location~The Trestle Inn11th & Callowhill Streets
Source: The Rail Park Birthday Party!
Art show and festival will celebrate Rail Park’s history – Curbed Philly
A three-week art show will celebrate the history of Callowhill’s transformative Rail Park, and look at what the future holds for the project.
Read more: Art show and festival will celebrate Rail Park’s history – Curbed Philly