news:
new partnership brings experimental music to historic sites

Philadelphia , PA – November 10, 2006 : Today, bowerbird and the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks are pleased to announce a new, ongoing artistic partnership that will expand cultural offerings in Philadelphia by bringing experimental and improvisational music, film, dance and other creative, genre-defying performing arts to historic sites in the region. This partnership is a new addition to the recently launched and critically received Landmarks Contemporary Projects program. Public events for bowerbird@LANDMARKS will kick-off with two First Friday concerts . The first will take place on December 1, 2006 in the historic ballroom of the Powel House Museum , 244 S. 3 rd St. , Philadelphia . On January 5 th , 2007 , bowerbird and Landmarks will present a second concert at the Physick House Museum , 321 S. 4 th St. , Philadelphia . Both events begin at 8pm , and tickets will be sold at the door for $5.

According to Landmarks' Executive Director Frank Vagnone , “Partnering with bowerbird allows us to make a fuller contribution to Philadelphia 's cultural and artistic renaissance. Landmarks has spent 75 years preserving the treasures of Philadelphia 's past, and we are committed to using our resources to present and nurture the most innovative creative efforts of today.” He added, “There's been a lot of ridiculous talk about Philadelphia as the ‘sixth borough' of New York City —talk that does a disservice to the wealth of creative talent in Philadelphia . We see bowerbird as a prime example of the type of world-class artistic programming that is increasingly being generated in our city.”

Showcasing the newest music is nothing new for Landmarks' four historic, 18 th century houses— Grumblethorpe, Physick House, Powel House and Waynesborough. These houses would often have been the locations for recitals of the most “fashionable” music of their time. Even Thomas Jefferson was known to have played the fiddle in the Powel House , which was the one of the most significant cultural and social centers of colonial and revolutionary Philadelphia . Events in the bowerbird@LANDMARKS series will revive this long-lost tradition of intimate concerts, and provide an intelligent alternative for audiences.

Recent visual artists featured by Landmarks Contemporary Projects include: Dan Murphy and Anthony Smyrski of Megawords ; installation artist Candy Depew (currently on view till November 26 th at Physick House); and filmmaker and two-time Whitney Biennial artist David Gatten. These projects have demonstrated that there is a tremendous audience in Philadelphia for new and experimental presentations. “Collaborating with bowerbird adds a significant new dimension to the programs Landmarks is able to offer to the public,” says Robert Wuilfe, Landmarks' Curator of Contemporary Projects. “We're interested in exploring all aspects of contemporary culture and creativity in the context of our historic sites. The partnership with bowerbird brings a rich curatorial vision from the field of performing arts that is an important complement to our current visual arts offerings.”

The upcoming First Friday events feature a diverse line-up of performers with both regional and international perspectives. For December 1 st , bowerbird and Landmarks will present: “ The Explosion of the Liberty Bell ," by Geodesic Gnome, a “super-group” from Baltimore , directed by the philosophical compositions of John Berndt; the Narayan / Kudler Duo, featuring music on a prepared autoharp, guitar, synthesizer and electronics; and the Hernandez / Lipson Duo, on violin and double bass. On January 5 th , performers will include: Makihara / Nakatani / Eubanks on saxophone and percussion; In Freundschaft, featuring recent works for cello and trombone by Steve Parker and Jason Calloway; and a solo electronic performance by Michael Barker.

About The Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks
For seventy-five years, the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks has played a significant role in historic preservation presenting to the public its four house museums. With Landmarks Contemporary Projects, we are moving into the future with a renewed mission to create new collaborations and make our houses relevant to today's audiences. Through exhibitions, screenings, lectures, performances, education and other programming, Landmarks Contemporary Projects provides a thoughtful alternative for audiences, creative opportunities for artists and new partnerships. Through this program, we hope to stimulate dialogue and challenge accepted approaches to both house-museums and contemporary art. For more information please contact Robert Wuilfe, Curator at rwuilfe@philalandmarks.org , 215-627-0364, or Frank Vagnone , Executive Director at fvagnone@philalandmarks.org, 215- 925-2251. Website: www.philalandmarks.org