DesignFind’s Spotlight is your in-depth guide to local design, antiques and arts events. This week on DesignFind’s Spotlight, we explore Philadelphia. Make sure to also check out our latest DesignFind global design events guide!

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DESIGN FIND

Looking for things to do in Philadelphia, PA?

Photo: Philadelphia City Center Skyline at Night by GPTMC

Each Friday, we showcase the latest design events and happenings. This week our venue is Philadelphia. Take a look at what is in store for the month ahead in the world of antiques, fine arts, architecture and design.

LOOKING FOR DESIGN-RELATED THINGS TO DO IN PHILADELPHIA? Take a look at these events:

ANTIQUES SHOWS

April 17-20, 2009
THE PHILADELPHIA ANTIQUES SHOW
The Navy Yard
Philadelphia Cruise Terminal at Pier One
5100 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19112

The Philadelphia Antiques Show is the premier American antiques and decorative arts show in the country. The show features the nation’s leading antiques dealers and offers a wide and varied schedule of events. A special loan exhibit highlights the proud heritage of our country’s 18th- and 19th-century firemen with incredible artifacts. For more information, visit www.philaantiques.com or call (215) 387-3500.

April 17-19, 2009
THE ORIGINAL 23RD STREET ARMORY ANTIQUES SHOW
The 23rd Street Armory
22 South 23rd Street
Philadelphia, PA
Ph: (914) 474-8552
www.barnstar.com/philfall.htm

Now in its 15th year, this show has been the catalyst for creating Antiques Week in Philadelphia and continues to grow in popularity and recognition for both quality and diversity. This year, forty-three exceptional exhibitors from around the country will fill the armory with American and European antiques and accessories including formal and painted furniture, exceptional folk art, textiles, early brass and iron, fine paintings, early toys and banks, estate jewelry, English and American silver, soft paste pottery, mocha, delft, redware and stoneware. Weathervanes, trade signs, tall case clocks, looking glasses, garden and fireplace architectural decorations, early cupboards, tables and sets of chairs, plus hooked and oriental rugs will round out the offerings. For more information call (845) 876-0616. Convenient parking, on site cafe and shipper.

DESIGN CENTER EVENTS

Designer Workshop Series, Marketplace Design Center
April 16, 2009
Philadelphia, PA
Ph: 215-561-5000
www.marketplacedc.com

This month’s Designer Workshop Series includes these presentations on April 16, 2009:

“The Preservation of Passion”
Presented by Lori Weitzner at 11:00am

“Just Like Us…Success, Survival & Stimulus in the Market for Interior Design”
Presented by Steve Nobel at 1:00pm

For more information, click here: http://www.marketplacedc.com/speakers_april09.html

FINE ARTS & MORE (EVENTS LISTED CHRONOLOGICALLY):

ART AFTER 5 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Have a drink. Catch a set. Stroll through the galleries.

Friday evenings take on a whole new groove with Art After 5, a unique blend of entertainment from 5:00–8:45pm in the Great Stair Hall. With an eclectic mix of international music on the first Friday of each month, and recognized and emerging jazz artists performing all other Fridays, it’s a stylish way to start your weekend. Click here for a more info: http://www.philamuseum.org/artafter5/

Through April 12, 2009
DEFIANCE. The Bristol Riverside Theatre presents the second installment in American playwright John Patrick Shanley’s trilogy exploring hierarchies in America. It explores ethics of power in the military through the story of two Marines, a white colonel and an African-American captain, who clash over issues of authority, discrimination, infidelity and loyalty in North Carolina in 1971. (215) 785-0100, www.brtstage.org.

Through April 19, 2009
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD. Based on the books by Arnold Lobel, this Arden Theatre Company presentation tells the whimsical story of an unlikely friendship between a cheerful Frog and a rather grumpy Toad and the life lessons they learn during the four seasons of one year. (215) 922-8900, www.ardentheatre.org

Through April 19, 2009
CRIMINAL HEARTS. The Walnut Street Theatre presents Jane Martin’s starkly funny tale of a unique friendship forged by two very different women from two very different worlds. (215) 574-3550, www.walnutstreettheatre.org

Through April 26, 2009
BORN YESTERDAY. The Walnut Street Theatre continues its landmark 200th anniversary season with Garson Kanin’s brilliant blend of satire, comedy and laughter. (215) 574-3550, www.walnutstreettheatre.org

The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Photo: Discover the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Through May 31, 2009
CÉZANNE AND BEYOND. The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents Paul Cézanne’s posthumous retrospective at the Salon d’Automne in 1907 was a watershed event in the history of art. The immediate impact of this large presentation of his work on the young artists of Paris was profound. Its ramifications on successive generations down to the present are still in effect. Find out more about this exhibit and the museum’s other highlights at: http://www.philamuseum.org/.

April 4-11, 2009
BALLETX. The Wilma Theater presents Christine Cox’s The Striped Hat, a ballet performance inspired by the choreographer’s favorite childhood author, Dr. Seuss. The captivating show includes vibrant costumes, interactive sets and a music collection from Mozart, Debussy and contemporary artists. (215) 546-7824, www.wilmatheater.org

April 4-September 7, 2009
GALILEO, THE MEDICI AND THE AGE OF ASTRONOMY. The Franklin is the only stop in the world for this special exhibition that explores the contributions of Galileo, as well as that of other luminaries during the age of the Medicis. Highlights include one of only two existing Galileo telescopes. (215) 448-1200, www.fi.edu

Photo: Academy of Music by B. Krist for GPTMC

April 7-12, 2009
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG. The Kimmel Center presents sensational sets, stunning special effects, an irresistible story and an unforgettable Sherman Brothers score in this classic musical at the Academy of Music. (215) 893-1955, www.kimmelcenter.org

April 9-June 7, 2009
SOMETHING INTANGIBLE. The Arden Theatre Company presents this play by Philadelphia playwright Bruce Graham. Set in 1940s Hollywood, this story is about two brothers, one an extravagant visionary and the other a plain-speaking numbers man, running a studio on the brink of major movie innovation. (215) 922-1122, www.ardentheatre.org

April 11-September 2009
SHOPPING IN PARIS. This show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Perelman Building, compares American fashions, spanning from 1850 through World War I, to the French luxury designers like Lanvin and House of Worth that inspired them. (215) 763-8100, www.philamuseum.org

April 15-May 8, 2009
SPRING FLING. The Kimmel Center invites visitors to liven up their evenings Monday through Saturday with free performances on the Plaza Stage and happy hour drink specials. (215) 790-5800, www.kimmelcenter.org/free

Photo: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts by B. Krist for GPTMC

April 15, 22 & 29, 2009
ART-AT-LUNCH LECTURES
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Historic Landmark Building, Hamilton Auditorium
Each Wednesday at noon

This Wednesday PAFA presents a sneak peek at the Art of Elizabeth Osborne.
Elizabeth Osborne has been a prominent figure in Philadelphia and at the Pennsylvania Academy since the 1950s. An influential painter and teacher, Osborne has been engaged with capturing the transitory effects of color and light through a variety of shifting subjects since the 1960s. PAFA Curator of Modern Art Robert Cozzolino will provide a sneak peek at the Elizabeth Osborne retrospective exhibition he has organized for Summer 2009.

The Art-at-Lunch series of talks on art and culture take place every Wednesday from noon to 1 pm. These events are free and open to the public, and all visitors are invited to bring a packed lunch or to purchase one in the PAFA cafe. http://www.pafa.org/

April 17, 2009
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA’S MURAL ARTS PROGRAM EXHIBIT OPENING: VISUAL RESTORATION
Commonwealth Gallery, the Lincoln Financial Mural Arts Center at the Thomas Eakins House, 1727-29 Mount Vernon Street, Friday, April 17, 2009 • 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Visual Restoration showcases the two murals, Restoration and From Behind the Mask, created as part of the Greenfield program under the leadership of the Mural Arts Program and lead muralist Eric Okdeh, using and documentary photographs by Howard Zehr and Harvey Finkle, audio interviews, poetry, painted canvases and small clay works created by the students through a partnership with The Clay Studio. For more events sponsored by the Mural Arts Program, check out their events calendar: http://www.muralarts.org/getinvolved/events.php.

April 24, 2009-January 3, 2010
SKIN & BONES – TATTOOS IN THE LIFE OF THE AMERICAN SAILOR. The Independence Seaport Museum presents this new and original exhibition using historical and contemporary images, objects and tattoos to illustrate sailors’ stories and recount the meaning of their tattoos and the belief in their power to protect sailors at sea. (215) 413-8655, www.phillyseaport.org

April 27-May 3, 2009
MUSEUM WEEK. In conjunction with Philadelphia playing host to the 2009 American Association of Museums Conference, participating museums in the region provide special events, public activities and discounts on admission, parking or in the museum store to the public to celebrate the city’s rich cultural offerings. www.phillyfunguide.com

April 27-May 3, 2009
EQUALITY FORUM. This week-long festival celebrates the cultural and political legacy of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and includes more than 50 events by 75 regional, national and international organizations. (215) 732-3378, www.equalityforum.com

April 28-May 2, 2009
PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL. Jugglers, folk singers, puppeteers and acrobats delight young audiences at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. (215) 898-3900, www.pennpresents.org

April 29 and May 2, 2009
THE DAMNATION OF FAUST. The Philadelphia Orchestra launches its multi-season exploration of the works of French master Hector Berlioz with this all-star performance, led by renowned conductor Simon Rattle, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. (215) 893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org

April 30-May 3, 2009
PHILADANCO. The Kimmel Center presents New Faces, four fresh works choreographed by up-and-coming talent Camille Brown, Zane Booker, Hope Boykin and Tony Powell. (215) 893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org

April 30-May 3, 2009
APPETITE. Pig Iron Theatre Company member Sarah Sanford makes her local directorial debut at the Wolf Building with this dance-theater piece about the cycles of life, love and mass food production that converge at the dinner table. (800) 838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com

For more Philadelphia Arts & Events check out these sites:

GoPhila.com, the Official Visitor Site for Greater Philadelphia: http://www.gophila.com/Go/PressRoom/pressreleases/events.aspx

The Philly Fun Guide:
http://www.phillyfunguide.com/

If you have a chance to attend any of the events listed above, please share your feedback. Post your comments here. Also, if you know of new or upcoming design-related events please let us know.

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