Love Letters

The Love Letters are back! Experience the power of murals by train on a Love Letter tour! Noted street artist and hometown hero Stephen Powers (aka ESPO) and crew, in collaboration with the Mural Arts Program, painted a series of 50 murals on rooftops that collectively express a love letter from a guy to a girl, from an artist to his hometown and from local residents to their West Philadelphia neighborhood. Many of the murals have recently been restored and even some new ones have been added, so now more than ever is this the time to take this exciting and unique tour.
Each tour is led by a professionally trained guide that tells the stories behind these murals at different stops along the elevated train ride, as well as the 30-year history of the Mural Arts Program. Appropriate outdoor weather attire is strongly suggested.

The Third Annual Cheers for CHOP

On Saturday, February 20,  The third annual Cheers for CHOP will be an evening to remember.  It is hosted by Friends of CHOP, a dynamic group of Philadelphia’s most social and philanthropic young influencers who believe in the mission of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and are committed to advancing its research, teaching and clinical priorities through vibrant fundraising efforts. Composed of grateful families and those interested in activities that will further CHOP’s success, Friends of CHOP are public ambassadors of the hospital who promote CHOP as the charity of choice in the Philadelphia region. At last year’s Cheers for CHOP, nearly 700 guests helped raise more than $675,000 for the hospital’s Child Life, Education, and Creative Arts Therapy Program. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit CHOP’s Emergency Department, one of the most active pediatric emergency centers in the na tion. Home to the first Level 1 Trauma Center for children in the Delaware Valley and one of only 55 accredited poison control centers in the nation, CHOP’s ED treats nearly 90,000 patients each year. For more information about the Cheers for CHOP, please visit www.cheersforchop.org.

On Saturday, February 28 from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, join The Friends of CHOP for the 2015 Cheers for CHOP at the Valley Forge Casino! This year’s event will benefit CHOP’s Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy program—one of the first programs in the country to recognize the therapeutic value of play for hospitalized children. Guests will be treated to a special live performance by the chart topping hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa as well as a live auction benefiting CHOP. To purchase tickets or for more information visit: www.cheersforchop.org.

dineKOP Restaurant Week

King of Prussia District (KOP-BID) is excited to announce dineKOP; KOP-BID’s unique interpretation of a restaurant week launching March 2-8. KOP offers diners the opportunity to experience the best culinary offerings in the area, with the participation of nearly every major steakhouse, lively sports bars, and locally owned establishments alike. A portion of the proceeds from participating dineKOP restaurants will be donated to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) new Specialty Care Center, slated to open in King of Prussia in summer 2015. In addition, participating dineKOP restaurants will be welcoming CHOP families to dine with them and enjoy a special restaurant experience during dineKOP. During dineKOP, participating KOP restaurants will create special prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menus for guests to enjoy at affordable prices*: $10, $15, or $20 for lunch and $20, $30, or $40 for dinner; For a list of restaurants and more information visit: visitKOP.com/dineKOP. *Price does not include tax, gratuity or alcohol.

Edgar Degas, French, 1834–1917. Group of Dancers (Groupe de danseuses), c. 1900. Oil pastel on paper, 22 3/4 x 16 1/8 in. (57.8 x 41 cm). BF121. Photo: © 2012 The Barnes Foundation

Courtesy of The Barnes Foundation:

Assembled by Dr. Albert C. Barnes between 1912 and 1951, the Barnes collection is renowned as one of the finest holdings of Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings in the world. The collection also includes important examples of African sculpture, early twentieth-century American painting, Pennsylvania German decorative arts, Native American ceramics, old master paintings, as well as metalwork, jewelry, textiles, and antiquities.

Among its major holdings are: 181 works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (the largest single group of the artist’s paintings); 69 works by Paul Cézanne; important paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and Georges Seurat; 59 works by Henri Matisse; 46 works by Pablo Picasso; 16 works by Amedeo Modigliani; 125 African sculptures, masks and tools.

Not To Be Missed: William Glackens
November 8, 2014–February 2, 2015

A Philadelphia native, Glackens (1870–1938) studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. There, and as an artist for the Philadelphia Press, he became friends with Robert Henri, George Luks, Everett Shinn, and John Sloan, the core of the group that later formed “The Eight” in reaction to the National Academy of Design’s hidebound exhibition policies. The group exhibited together only once, in 1908, creating the opening wedge in the struggle to democratize the process by which artists could show and sell their work. Read the rest of this entry »

SNL Cast Mates and Rag & Bone Limited Edition Tee Come Together for Key To The Cure

Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Vanessa Bayer, Cecily Strong and Colin Jost have been named as the EIF ambassadors for Saks Fifth Avenue’s 2014 Key To The Cure campaign, representing talent from Saturday Night Live’s past and current casts shot by famed SNL photographer Mary Ellen Matthews. Celebrated New York designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville of rag & bone have created the limited-edition tee exclusively to benefit the campaign, which coincides with the Emmy Award-winning show’s 40^th Anniversary season.

Now in its 16th year, Key to the Cure has taken a new approach, offering a unisex tee for the first time. The shirt will retail for $35 at Saks Fifth Avenue stores and online at saks.com and saksoff5th.com. 100% of the proceeds from each shirt sold will be donated to  a nationally recognized cancer research facility (depending on the Saks location).

SNL cast mates will appear in a national public service announcement (PSA) wearing the rag & bone limited-edition tee. The Key to the Cure PSA will appear in major fashion and lifestyle magazines throughout the month of October.

Saks Fifth Avenue’s charity shopping weekend will take place Thursday through Sunday, October 16 to 19,at all Saks Fifth Avenue nationwide and on saks.com and saksoff5th.com.

Saks Fifth Avenue New York Flagship Store

In addition to the partnership for the annual Key to the Cure campaign, Saks Fifth Avenue will sell exclusive merchandise inspired by notable Saturday Night Live characters from seven New York designers. These items, curated by Saturday Night Live’s Emmy-nominated costume designer Tom Broecker, will be available in Saks Fifth Avenue’s New York flagship store and on saks.com during the Key To The Cure shopping weekend, October 16 to 19. The merchandise includes Mango’s shorts as interpreted by Alexander Wang, The Nerds outfit as interpreted by Alice + Olivia, a dress fit for The Californians as interpreted by Diane von Furstenberg, Spartans Cheerleading uniforms as interpreted by Elizabeth and James, hats fit for The Coneheads as interpreted by Eugenia Kim, Mary Katherine Gallagher’s school uniform as interpreted by rag & bone, and Gilly’s dress as interpreted by Suno.

Saks Fifth Avenue Key To The Cure Bal Harbour Florida 

Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour along with media partner Miami Magazine have partnered together for the charity shopping event of the season, Key To The Cure, benefiting Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center beginning on October 16 through October 19. A celebration will be held on Wednesday, October 16, to kick-off this year’s event. Shoppers are invited to shop for a cause while sampling delectable bites from South Florida’s top restaurants. Tickets to the celebratory event are $25 per person. Proceeds from ticket sales and 2% of participating vendor sales from Saks Bal Harbour will be donated to Mount Sinai.

Saks Fifth Avenue Bala Cynwyd  Pennsylvania

Saks Fifth Avenue Bala Cynwyd, is hosting a preview party to kick off their annual Key to the Cure event. Guests will enjoy cocktails, light bites, music and a fashion show featuring notable doctors and women affected by breast cancer. A percent of the proceeds from sales made during the Key to the Cure promotion October 16 through 19 will be donated to Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Tickets for the event are $25 per person; for more information visit: www.lbbc.org.