Everyday side street becomes Saturday dining room | Photo: Bradley Maule
Half a block north of Vine Street, neighbors of the neighborhood with many names got a taste of the future at a massive block party and feast on Saturday. The transformation of Pearl Street into a ribbon community space—driven by Asian Arts Initiative (AAI) and landscape architect Walter Hood—seemed less a far off vision and more a fast tracked reality, as hundreds came out for a block party featuring music, art (featuring by AAI and neighboring Vox Populi), Hot Tea, and the centerpiece feast.
In advance of the feast, Hood led a furniture building workshop to construct the tables and chairs on which the Asian inspired meal was hosted, and tiny Pearl Street itself became a chartreuse canvas with musical instruments of found objects. After the block party and prior to the feast, AAI executive director Gayle Isa and Hood previewed some of the ideas on how to bring the varied stakeholders—Holy Redeemer Church, Goldtex, Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, Roman Catholic High, and others—together along a pedestrian oriented, newly greened, art-heavy street.
All photos are from Saturday, September 28. For more on the project, see Hidden City’s April story HERE, and Friday’s Inquirer story HERE.
A square patch of sod encouraged people to get their head in the clouds with a cloud watching area (with hand drawn illustrations describing various types of clouds) | Photo: Bradley Maule
One exercise asked users for their favorite memories in the neighborhood — and what they called it | Photo: Bradley Maule
Walter Hood croons his vision for Pearl Street | Photo: Bradley Maule
Lord Comcast aglow in the late day light as seen from Pearl Street | Photo: Bradley Maule
Pearl Street, transformed | Photo: Bradley Maule
Nightfall on Pearl Street | Photo: Bradley Maule
