MEANTIME
Meantime believes that every vacant street-facing commercial space in urban communities is a missed opportunity for creativity, entrepreneurship and the building of local wealth and well-being. Working between the real estate industry, city government, land owners and neighborhood stakeholders, we aim to activate spaces that facilitate connections, test ideas, reach new audiences and support local economies.
Meantime was initiated by ISA in response to the increasing prevalence of vacant storefront spaces in Philadelphia neighborhoods and cities everywhere. As a non-profit organization we are building out a series of tools, initiatives and events that will help connect these spaces with users, building new economic and social opportunities for communities.
Programming collaborators include pilot partner Now and Then Marketplace as well as Jerry Kaba, Eugene Lew (Hungry Monsters) with financial support from Shuttle Service, The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation, and the City of Philadelphia Commerce Department.
If you would like to donate to Meantime you can do so HERE.
UP NEXT
FISHTOWN POP-UP STOREFRONT
06.06.24 - 06.30.24
1131 N FRONT STREET
PHILADELPHIA
Thursday June 6 - Sunday June 30, 2024
Throughout the month of June 2024, Meantime will curate a storefront pop-up including art, music, shopping, workshops and events featuring local makers, creatives and start-up entrepreneurs at 1131 N Front Street in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood. The storefront will be open to the public Thursdays through Sundays afternoons and evenings. A full schedule is available on Instagram @meantimephl, and will be updated with additional information throughout the month.
Each week, a different co-curator is collaborating with Meantime to bring the space to life. Collaborations will include vendor markets, art installations and a music-themed weekend including retail and workshops. Specific partners will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Meantime @ Magnet pop-up is funded by grants from the City of Philadelphia Commerce Department, and The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation. Additional support from Callahan Ward and MAR Partners, Tague Lumber, O’Donnell Naccarato Engineers, Church Brick Company, The Modern Republic and STUMP plants.
The pop-up shop opening event is Thursday June 6 from 5:30-7:00PM. RSVP at this link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meantime-magnet-opening-party-tickets-909816123517
Pop-up Hours (June 6-30) Thu, Fri, Sat 12PM-8PM and Sun 12PM-6PM each week.
Follow us on social media for a schedule of workshops, performances and other special events.
PREVIOUSLY
VELOCITIES 2
09.16.23
LEADER THEATER
PHILADELPHIA
Saturday September 16th, 12pm - 9pm
The Leader Theater 4102 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Meantime hosted Velocities 2, a daylong activation of the former Leader Theater in Philadelphia highlighting the building's history as a cinema and neighborhood event space. Curated and programmed with Steph Irwin, Jerry Kaba and Eugene Lew, the event features vendors by Now+Then Marketplace, workshops, a special film screening, live analog synth sounds, and visual projection performances for the first time in nearly sixty years.
The event will take place at the former Leader Theater (currently under renovation) in the West Powelton neighborhood of Philadelphia. The building was constructed in 1912 and featured silent films, vaudeville acts, and eventually talkies on its way to becoming a popular movie destination for the neighborhood and beyond. After closing in 1968, it was later used by the Police Athletic League (PAL) and a retail store. The ornate brick and terra cotta facade, recently encased in metal cladding, is almost restored and is now visible for the first time in decades.
The Velocities pop-up market will focus on analog artisans and handmade products, including vinyl, books and vintage fashion, as well as local food and non-alcoholic beverages. Hands-on making workshops will include Modular Synths 101 by Jerry Kaba and Stefano Daddi; lock picking by TOOOL; and data storage on cassette tapes by Iffy Books. As revealed through research by cineSPEAK, George Romero’s horror classic Night of The Living Dead was the final film screened at the Leader in 1968 and attendees will be invited to experience the film projected onto unfinished walls and accompanied by multiple Philadelphia-based musicians creating unique sounds in the reverberant space. Sound Museum Collective will create a site-specific installation on the theater’s balcony. Rounding out the evening will be light projections created by Gralin Hughes, Grant Bouvier and Luminous Abstract that encompass the entire domed theater space accompanied by soundscapes produced by Richie Brown, Sandy James, and Tangent Universes.
VELOCITIES 1
11.12.22
BLUMENTHAL CHOCOLATE FACTORY
PHILADELPHIA
Saturday November 12th, 11am - 9pm
The Blumenthal Chocolate Factory4102 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Meantime will host Velocities, a one time special event in the Philadelphia Blumenthal Chocolate Factory. Highlighting analog culture, the event features a vendor marketplace curated by Now + Then Marketplace, modular synth sounds by Modular on the Spot Philly, and a series of workshops and musical performances!
The event takes place on the first and second floors of the currently vacant, concrete-frame factory whose historic structure was the birthplace of the iconic SnoCaps, Goobers and Raisinets among other candies. The market section will host 40 local artists, artisans, and collectors with handmade and vintage products, including vinyl, books, art, and fashion, as well as local food and non-alcoholic beverage vendors. Attendees will be invited to adventure through a modular synth garden with Philadelphia-based musicians creating unique sounds in the reverberant space. Musical equipment manufacturers and artists will be on hand to help guests see, touch and test-drive new and vintage modular components at the synth swap meet. Workshops led by Iffy Books, Sound Museum Collective, and Weaver House are open to the public throughout the day on site. Rounding out the evening, attendees are welcomed to a quadraphonic performance by artists including draft/ patch/ weave, Chris Powell, Tina Kalakay, and Phil Yeah.