We live in a politically divisive time; our conversations about wealth, poverty, and the availability of opportunity are not unlike those of the 1930s. Working for the common good feels like a quite uncommon occurence, and the very words "social justice" and "progressive agenda" strike fear in the hearts of some people. Perhaps we can argue the politics and economics of the WPA; we can argue about its ultimate place in stimulating a recovery from the Great Depression. But one thing remains indisputable, both in the historical record and in the stories collected by COSACOSA for the Spare A Dime project: the WPA built the America we take for granted today. And even more importantly, the WPA gave the country hope in a time of hopelessness. It offered opportunity – the possibility of a better life where there was none before – to millions of Americans. It made us work together.
"Rise or fall, we'll always be together, indivisibly." In its eight years of existence, the WPA changed the face of America. Hundreds of thousands of miles of road, innumerable public buildings, bridges, airports, and seaports – the very national infrastructure that we know today – was built by the WPA. We're used to having accessible open spaces nearby because the WPA created so many public parks and recreational facilities. The WPA's Federal Project Nmber One, including the Federal Arts Project, Federal Writers Project, Federal Theatre Project, and Federal Music Project fostered a greater appreciation for the arts and humanities through thousands of publicly accessible paintings, writings, plays, and music. The Federal Writers project, along with the WPA's Historical Records Survey also captured living history, from the stories of migrant workers to the narratives of former slaves, and created interest in the preservation of historical records nationwide.
We live in a politically divisive time; our conversations about wealth, poverty, and the availability of opportunity are not unlike those of the 1930s. Working for the common good feels like a quite uncommon occurence, and the very words "social justice" and "progressive agenda" strike fear in the hearts of some people. Perhaps we can argue the politics and economics of the WPA; we can argue about its ultimate place in stimulating a recovery from the Great Depression. But one thing remains indisputable, both in the historical record and in the stories collected by COSACOSA for the Spare A Dime project: the WPA built the America we take for granted today. And even more importantly, the WPA gave the country hope in a time of hopelessness. It offered opportunity – the possibility of a better life where there was none before – to millions of Americans. It made us work together.
0 Comments
You've seen Bok Tech High School, our WPA-built performance site for Spare A Dime. Now check out all the historic W.P.A. murals and sculptures in Philadelphia. • The Custom House and Appraisers Stores, 200 Chestnut Street: “Custom House and Court Activities” and “Various Port Activities in Philadelphia,” 1938 mural in 31 panels by George Harding (pictured at right) • The Kingsessing Post Office branch, 52nd Street and Baltimore Avenue: “Philadelphia Waterways with Ben Franklin Bridge” and “View of Downtown Philadelphia Skyline,” 1939 oils on canvas by Moses and Raphael Soyer • The North Philadelphia Post Office branch, 2601 North 16th Street: “Mail Delivery,” “City,” “Country,” “Northern Coast,” “Office,” “Home,” “Tropics,” and “History of Mail Transportation by Water,” 1939 tempera paintings by George Harding • The Southwark Post Office branch, 925 Dickinson Street: “Iron Plantation near Southwark – 1800″ and “Shipyards at Southward – 1800,″ 1938 oils on canvas Philadelphia by Robert E. Larter (pictured at right) • The Spring Garden Post Office branch, 7th and Thompson Streets: “Streets of Philadelphia," 1938 oil on canvas by Walter Gardner • The William Penn Annex Post Office branch, 900 Market Street: “Mail Delivery – North, South, East, West,” 1941 bas relief sculptures by Edmond R. Amateis • The William Penn Annex Post Office branch, 900 Market Street: “Law,” “Justice,” and two eagles, 1940 bas relief sculptures by Donald De Lue ("Justice" pictured below, complete with fasces – just like our Bok stage and the back of the 1935 Liberty dime!) You've seen Bok Tech High School, our WPA-built performance site for Spare A Dime. Now check out these other historic WPA buildings in Philadelphia. Fairmount Park is home to thirteen shelters built by the Works Progress Administration in 1938 and 1939. Pictured at left, the Wissahickon Shelter, like all of the park's WPA structures, is situated along the path of the Wissahickon Creek. Philadelphia's Central High School opened in 1838 and was the oldest high school in the United States not in New England. The school changed buildings many times over the years, including in 1854 and in 1900. Its final and current iteration is a WPA-built structure from 1939, located at 1700 West Olney Avenue. Philadelphia's 30th Street Post Office building, located at 30th and Market Streets, is a giant art deco masterpiece built by the WPA in 1935. Serving as the city's main post office for over seventy years, it has been renovated into a multipurpose office building. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at some of Philadelphia's public art created by the WPA's Federal Project Number One. Previews and reviews of Spare A Dime applaud our singers and songs. "Aside from being pitch perfect in every way, these performers really connected with their characters. I had goose bumps during every single song..." "The songwriting was excellent...each tune had a memorable melody, thoughtful lyrics, and real emotional integrity" Read the full article from Rock on Philly here. "An impressive collaboration between a diverse array of artists and community members..." "...the ideal of what education should be." Read the full article from Hidden City here. "The work has this blend of despondency and ambition that touches the soul." "...a lesson that...sparing a dime and sharing one’s time serve the same function – the fostering of hope." Read the full article from the South Philly Review here. Menu Mondays | Something from Nothing: Thrifty Foods from the 1930s Thoughtful presentation of food can enhance a meal, especially when you're eating on the cheap. In honor of Earth Day, we've picked this pretty salad recipe from the Great Depression to send you a vitamin-rich bouquet of green(s). Ingredients Romaine lettuce, center leaves 1 carrot, cut in long, thin slices multicolored peppers, cut in strips turnip tips Directions • Place pepper slices inside 2 Romaine leaves • Roll the leaves tightly at the bottom, creating a "bouquet" • Tie with a carrot slice • Slip turnip tips into the bouquet center • Place on a plate and serve with your favorite dressing What happened this week in 1935? "Your Hit Parade" began its radio broadcasts. Even though Spare A Dime's performances for the 2013 Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts are complete, we'll be continuing our daily blog posts throughout the festival – and beyond, to May 6, the anniversary of the founding of the Works Progress Administration. Today, our history Sunday post is particularly appropriate for a musical blog! On April 20, 1935, "Your Hit Parade" began its radio broadcasts. Every Saturday night, the show reviewed the top 15 songs of the week, both by song purchase data (including sales of records and sheet music) and by audience surveys. The earliest format involved a presentation of the top 15 songs. The show popularized the idea of a countdown to the top three finalists and featured a performance of the number one song as a finale. Since the show was sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes, songs not on the top fifteen list (including past favorites and popular standards) were performed as "Lucky Strike Extras." The show stayed on the radio until 1950 when it moved to television for an additional nine year run. Spare A Dime completes its run with standing ovations every night. The paradigm of Spare A Dime finds parallels of place and time, the mystery of history repeating, and we hope you'll see true Liberty finds unity of purpose in community. Rise or fall, we'll always be together, indivisibly. A big shout out and our deepest gratitude to the fantastic cast, musicians, and crew of Spare A Dime, and to all of the project's community participants. You define the very essence of the power of art to transform lives. Thank you. Spare A Dime's stellar cast shows unity in community. There's one last chance to see the show -- Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door of the Bok Tech Theater, 8th and Mifflin Streets in South Philadelphia. Proceeds support COSACOSA youth programs citywide. Please join us! Above (from left to right), Spare A Dimers Bruce Fero (Chorus of Liberty), Sherria Watts (Chorus of Liberty), Lourin Plant (The Veteran), Phyllis Chappel (The Farmer), Venissa Santi (The Mother), Julian Coleman (The Immigrant), Khrista White (The Merchant), Brielle Leary (Chorus of Liberty), Victor Rodriguez (The Builder), and Bill Gross (FDR) sing the grand finale to the show at our Friday evening performance.
Song, story, and new media design came together seamlessly in our first performance.
Spare A Dime provides a grand finale for Bok's New Deal deco grandeur. Above: the Bok Tech Theater entrance, photo by Bradley Maule at Hidden City.
Spare A Dime's performances this weekend are a wonderful opportunity for the community at large to see Bok Tech High School and its glorious theater before the building is closed by the School District of Philadelphia in June. Hidden City is publishing a two-part article this week on Bok and the Spare A Dime project. You can read about Bok in Part 1 here and Spare A Dime in Part 2 here. It's also a special chance for all Bok alums in the area to visit the school as we celebrate its 75th anniversary and Works Progress Administration origins. Bok's culinary department is even cooking up some Depression-era recipes for our concession stand! Please join us! Your $10 ticket cost benefits COSACOSA's youth programs! Tickets online: www.pifa.org/events/10 Tickets by phone: 215-893-1999 Tickets at the door, starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week: Bok Tech Theater, 8th and Mifflin Streets in South Philadelphia For more information, please call COSACOSA at 215.385.2554 We look forward to singing for you! |
Archives
May 2013
Categories
All
cosacosa.org
Spare A Dime ©2012-2022 COSACOSA, Inc.
All rights reserved to all content. |