Philadelphia Is Finally Getting a New Art Museum

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A New Philadelphia Art Museum — Calder Gardens — Is Finally Happening

I’ve been hearing about Calder Gardens for so long that I assumed the museum, like so many other big proposals (see: DisneyQuest), was dead. But it turns out that’s not the case. According to a new piece in the Inquirer, Calder Gardens will open in late 2024 or early 2025.

Calder Gardens is the brainchild of some Philadelphia philanthropists — primarily the Neubauers — and the New York-based Calder Foundation, and it will showcase the work of Alexander Calder, the 20th-century sculptor known primarily for his whimsical mobiles.

Calder lived in Philadelphia for several years. His grandfather sculpted the huge William Penn statue that sits atop City Hall. Calder’s father is responsible for the Swann Memorial Fountain at Logan Circle. And Calder’s art has long been a fixture of Philadelphia’s sprawling public art scene.

The backers of Calder Gardens have been trying to make this happen since the ’90s. I found an Inquirer story from way back in 1999 that talked about the proposal and how then-mayor Ed Rendell was trying to help move the project along. Organizers looked at a space on Broad Street between City Hall and Chestnut Street. They considered a building near the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where Calder’s mother and father studied. For some ungodly reason, they also looked at 10th and Chestnut.

But that was then. This is now. Almost a quarter of a century later, construction is underway on the Ben Franklin Parkway between 21st and 22nd streets.

The location of Calder Gardens in Philadelphia (image courtesy Calder Foundation)

Calder’s artwork has been showcased all over the world. But this will be the “first site wholly dedicated to the art and ideas” of Calder, according to the Calder Foundation.

These renderings have me pretty jazzed:

Fingers crossed they don’t suddenly realize the plot of land sits atop some ancient ruins.

Another Weekend, Another Round of Vehicular Chaos

The Philadelphia Police Department was busy on Saturday night and Sunday morning, aside from all the shootings and other criminal incidents they normally have to deal with.

Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to the 5700 block of Tacony Street to disperse crowds and vehicles doing stupid things. Same thing at 8:50 p.m. at Philadelphia Mills Mall. Then 10:20 p.m. near the intersection of the Roosevelt Boulevard and Byberry Road. And again at 1:30 a.m. at Roosevelt Boulevard and Haldeman Avenue.

But the fun didn’t end there. Around 1:45 a.m., police say, at least 500 people and a bunch of vehicles were obstructing the roadway near Broad and Thompson streets, a couple of blocks north of the Met. Police didn’t report any injuries from the previous incidents. But a small number of officers sustained injuries at this one, with one cop reportedly breaking his ankle.

John McNesby, the president of the police union, had this to say on Twitter on Sunday:

Looks like the curfew is working tremendously#greatidea #enough

— John McNesby (@john_mcnesby) July 23, 2023

Hate Watch

Just learning about this one. Two weekends ago, a group of adults were displaying Nazi and other antisemitic symbols and messages on flags and signs along a bridge near Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Here’s what State Representative Melissa Shusterman, who represents the area, had to say in a statement on Friday:

Nazis shamefully attempted to intimidate and harass residents in Tredyffrin Township near Valley Forge National Historical Park. It’s disturbing that in recent months, we have seen an uptick of similar activity in both Chesco and Delco — hateful leaflets, flags, and graffiti polluting our neighborhoods.

Earlier this year, police arrested a 15-year-old for allegedly spray-painting swastikas and racial slurs on the property of Valley Forge Middle School.

Local Talent

The Philadelphia Orchestra was supposed to tour California in the upcoming season. But now it’s not. You know how it costs more to travel and to ship things than it used to? Yeah, you can blame that.

(Getty Images)

And when I heard that Tony Bennett was no longer with us, I immediately remembered the time that local hero Patti LaBelle joined Bennett for the Super Bowl halftime show. It was one of the weirdest Super Bowl halftime shows I’ve ever seen. And through the magic of the internet, you can watch it here.

ICYMI: Best of Philly!

240 of our favorite people, places and things, all in one tidy package. From drag queens to secret restaurants to exterminators to $10 haircuts, it’s all right here: Best of Philly 2023.

By the Numbers

$300 million: What Dr. Pepper Keurig just paid to own 33 percent of La Colombe. This deal means La Colombe-branded K-cups are coming soon.

$499: Value of the Blackstone griddle-grill that a Delco politician is accused of stealing from his local Lowe’s. But he did pay a little over $6 for a grilling accessory. Ah, the wonders of self-checkout.

97: Predicted high in Philadelphia this Friday as the week gets progressively hotter. And if you’re thinking of escaping to the Shore, it’s supposed to hit the 90s there, too.

And from the Lordy-Lord Sports Desk …

First things first: Joel Embiid got hitched!

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1682850237998673921

Okay, back to baseball.

The Phils had Ranger Suárez on the mound Friday night in the first game of their series with Cleveland and got two quick outs in the bottom of the first. Hey, who’s on first? Why, it’s Bryce Harper, back in the field! Then came two singles, a double and another single that scored two runs. Dang.

The Phils recouped one in the third when Trea Turner tripled off starter Gavin Williams and scored on a Nick Castellanos ground-out. In the fourth, he came up with the bases loaded but couldn’t convert; in their half, the Guardians got another on a single and a double. What’s happened to our bats? In the bottom half, Suárez handed out a single and back-to-back wild pitches for a run, but Alec Bohm made a tremendous stop on a grounder up the line to save more. Good thing the D still worked.

We loaded them up in the sixth with one out, and a Kyle Schwarber walk — the third in a row — pushed in a run. Would the bats come through? Nah. Ranger out, Yunior Marte in. He dished up a single, a double, a single: 5-2. That brought on Matt Strahm and a strong sense of déjà vu. Hey, but back-to-back homers by J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott made it 6-5 in the seventh. Man, this team!

Dingers. JT Realmuto and Bryson Stott. pic.twitter.com/pTkW387itB

— John Foley (@2008Philz) July 22, 2023

It was Andrew Bellatti for the second half of the inning, and he got ’er done. So did Gregory Soto in the eighth, but alas, so did Emanuel Clase in the ninth: 6-5 Guardians final. Damn, the Phils stranded 10 runners and had the bases loaded three times in that game.

It was Tanner Bibee vs. Zack Wheeler on Saturday, and the former whacked J.T. with his very first pitch in the second inning. That was pretty much it for anybody through five thanks to some stellar Phils D. The Guardians scored in the sixth on a couple of singles — well, one was actually a pop fly that fell between three Phils, how embarrassing —  and in the end, that was all she wrote. Talk about midsummer malaise: a miserable two-hit 1-0 loss.

On Sunday, the Phils scored first on three walks, a single, an error and a balk by starter Xzavion Curry in the first inning. Aaron Nola was on the mound for the Phils, and unfortunately, he gave up a solo homer to the first man he faced, Steven Kwan. Andres Gimenez took him yard again in the second, and in the third he gave up one more run.

Things got going a bit in the fifth as Brandon Marsh tripled, Schwarber singled him in, Turner doubled, and Harper pushed Schwarbs home with a ground-out. He’s doing just fine at first base, BTW. The Phils got one more in the sixth on a couple of singles. Nola got through the seventh without damage, and Soto came in for him for the eighth and got it done. Cleveland brought in its seventh pitcher, Tim Herrin, in their half, and the Phils countered with, who else, Craig Kimbrel for the ninth. He got a double play that picked off a runner for Josh Bell, who’d singled, which was a good thing, because David Fry then homered. Tie game. Sheesh.

With Rojas on second, Turner walked, and Harper singled Rojas home, then stole second. Big Nick struck out, and the Guardians walked Stott to get to J.T. His long fly scored Turner. Stott stole his third base of the afternoon, Bohm’s single scored two, and it was 8-4 Phils. But Hoffman gave up a single that scored one, then walked one, and Marte replaced him with the bases loaded and José Ramirez at the plate. He flew out, thank God, and the runners held. Josh Naylor up! Pop up to Bohm at third — two outs. And a ground-out ends it! Phew.

#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/omxrX1cxcM

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 23, 2023

If you’ve got the stomach for it, they start a three-game home stand against the Orioles tonight at 6:40.

Meanwhile, in Doop News …

The Union faced Tijuana in the first game in the Leagues Cup tourney at Subaru Park on Saturday night, and Julián Carranza earned a PK in the 17th minute after he was shoved on a breakaway. Red card on Tijuana for the foul, too! This ref wasn’t taking any crap. Daniél Gazdag took the kick and scored. Three minutes later, they had a wild flurry of shots but couldn’t get one in. Carranza scored in the 26th, but they called it back for offsides. Hold on, let’s check the tape … goooooalll! José Martínez — who else? — got hit with a yellow in the 35th, but so did Tijuana’s coach, for nonstop bitching at that ref.

To make things more interesting, Tijuana scored not even a minute into the second half. There was a big hubbub over a call on Olivier Mbaizo at one point, and Tijuana got a PK — totally undeserved — but Andre Blake blocked the shot. Another hubbub and a red card on Tijuana, but again no score. Nine men on 11 — it shouldn’t even have been a game for the last 15 minutes. Then their starting goalie pulled up lame. Lengthy sub break, and Carranza then scored one more in the 70th. That was it: 3-1 final. Doop!

Erstwhile homegirl Julie Ertz was a starter for the U.S. Women as they took on Vietnam Friday night in the World Cup in their bid for a three-peat. Wunderkind Sophia Smith scored just 14 minutes in, and the team had lots more chances in the first half with corners and set pieces, but Vietnam’s D was tough. They were awarded a PK on a foul committed against Trinity Rodman, though, in the 42nd minute — you know; she’s Dennis’s kid — and Alex Morgan missed it, then missed the bounce-back, too. Smith scored again in the 51st, but no, Morgan was offsides. There was a LONG review, though, and the goal was reversed! 2-0. In the second half, captain Lindsey Horan scored in the 77th, and that marked the final: 3-0. Go, ladies, go!

All Philly Today sports coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.