Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods. Legendary trumpeter Lee Morgan grew up on Madison Street in the Nicetown/Tioga neighborhood in North Philly. Lee’s block is a 20-minute walk from the intersection of Broad, Germantown and Erie (BGE).
In conjunction with traffic safety and beautification improvements to the iconic intersection, the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy (OACCE) issued a Call for Artists to compete for a site-specific public artwork. During an information meeting, Rachel Schwartzman, Percent for Art Rebuild Project Manager, shared the goals of the BGE Public Art Project.
In the 1960s Sonny “The Mighty Burner” Hopson held record hops at the Arcade Ballroom, located at Broad and Erie.
Sundays were for teenagers. The record hops were promoted as “wholesome affairs that will help keep youngsters off the streets and out of trouble.”
The Arcade Ballroom was located in a two-story building constructed in 1920. There were retail stores on the ground floor and a dance hall on the second floor. The building is still there.
The finalists competing for the Percent For Art commission have been selected. OACCE invites the public to meet the artists and share their ideas for the BGE project. I plan to attend the community meeting to share this neighborhood history with the artists.
To reserve a spot for the community meeting, go here.