Streets Dept Excursions are guided tours of Philly's art and public space! Each month we lead curated walks around the "mural capital of the world." While the focus and location of each month's Excursion is always different, overall we explore three main themes: 1) public/street art, 2) public space/architecture, and 3) independent art spaces.
OUR SEPTEMBER 2022 EXCURSION:
For our September 2022 Excursion, we'll be checking out The Woodlands of West Philly! "The Woodlands’ 54-acre undulating landscape is at once a one-of-a-kind 18th-century English pleasure garden, 19th-century rural cemetery, and a modern green oasis for its neighbors in bustling University City and West Philadelphia. The Woodlands was designated a National Historic Landmark District in recognition of its unique history and rich resources. Actively used today, the cemetery, mansion, landscape, and programs are an educational resource for local school children, community residents, university students, as well as for a small, highly motivated cadre of scholars seeking further understanding of American architectural and botanical history, urban development, and the origin and growth of West Philadelphia." [From WoodlandsPhila.org]
Our tour will end at the Fall 2022 West Craft Fest with 70+ local artists, crafters, and makers. So there will be lots to see!
YOUR TOUR GUIDES:
Streets Dept Excursions are led by Conrad Benner and Eric Dale. Born and raised in Fishtown, Conrad is the founder of StreetsDept.com, which has been documenting and celebrating Philly's art world since January 2011. He was named one of the 76 most influential people in Philly by Philadelphia Magazine in 2020. Eric Dale is an independent creator who joined Streets Dept in 2017 and contributes photos, articles, and artist interviews to the blog.
And for this month's tour, we're joined by a special guest: The Woodlands' Executive Director, Jessica Baumert, who will help us understand the past, present, and future of The Woodlands and offer us a behind-the-scenes look at all this icon Philly public space has to offer!
QUICK NOTES:
1) September's tour will start at the front gate of The Woodlands (Google pin). 2) Tours include roughly one and a half hours of walking and standing. For September's tour we will be traveling over cement/concrete, brick paths, and grass, and entering a building that is wheelchair accessible (view that building here). Please feel free to email me at StreetsDept [at] gmail [dot] com, if you have any questions. 3) Usually our tours are rain or shine, but for this specific tour we will have a rain date of the following day at the same time. The Woodlands will make that call by Friday morning and ticket buyers will be notified if a rain date occurs. 4) Lastly, tours are ticketed and tickets/names will be checked at the start of each tour; you can bring a digital or printed copy of your ticket, or just check-in with the ticket purchaser's name!
Can't wait to see y'all! #StreetsDeptExcursions