Center City Gallery Night provides free night of art

By Taylor-Lynn Capaldo
Collegian Staff
April 4, 2007

Perhaps you have had the opportunity to spend an evening in the city taking in works of art from local and nationally known artists during one of many First Fridays in Old City. Well, now it’s time for a twist on the same old thing. On Friday, April 20, Philadelphia’s Center City District is holding its fourth Center City Gallery Night. Nineteen different galleries sprawled across the Center City area are opening their doors to the public for one free night of art, food and entertainment.

Beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m., admission is free into all of the galleries, most of which are located around the Rittenhouse Square area between Spruce and Chestnut Streets from Broad Street to 21st Street. The majority of the galleries will most likely feature a variety of exhibits from artists in the Philadelphia area, as well as from across the country. Free hors d’oeuvres and drinks are also likely to be served, and following is a reception sponsored by City Paper from 8-10 p.m.

Produced by PhillyFunGuide and Rittenhouse Row, Philadelphia offers Center City Gallery Nights twice a year – once in October and once in April. Past Gallery Nights have been so successful that the Center City District decided to continue the tradition. This year some of the galleries include the Art Around Gallery, located on Chestnut Street, The Philadelphia Art Alliance on South 18th Street, The Center for Emerging Visual Arts on South 18th Street, The Fabric Workshop and Museum on Cherry Street and The Print Center on Latimer Street.

The Print Center is currently hosting an exhibition of works by Daniel Heyman called the Abu Ghraib Detainee Interview Project. Heyman traveled to several Middle Eastern countries at the request of a law firm that is pursuing the possibility of a lawsuit over the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. While in Amman, Jordan and Istanbul, Turkey, Heyman was able to speak to dozens of Abu Ghraib’s former prisoners, Iraqis who claimed they were tortured during their detainment. The exhibit is a series of prints based on Heyman’s interviews and will be on display through May 5 if you miss it on Gallery Night.

Though the night itself is free and requires no reservations, the after party sponsored by City Paper, which occurs immediately afterwards, has limited space. Located at Loie Brasserie and Bar from 8-10 p.m., the event is sure to be a hot spot where visitors can enjoy more food and drinks, but act while you can and RSVP at www.citypaper.net/gallerynight.

For more information on Gallery Night events and the locations of the galleries, visit www.phillyfunguide.com on the web.

capaldot1@lasalle.edu