bowerbird@LANDMARKS is an ongoing curatorial partnership that expands cultural offerings in Philadelphia by bringing experimental and improvisational music, film, dance and other creative, genre-defying performing arts to historic sites in the region. Showcasing the newest performing arts is nothing new for Landmarks' four historic, 18th century houses---Grumblethorpe, Physick House, Powel House and Waynesborough. These houses would often have been the locations for recitals of the most "fashionable" music of their time. Powel House which was the one of the most significant cultural and social centers of colonial and revolutionary Philadelphia. Events in the bowerbird@LANDMARKS series revive this long-lost tradition of intimate concerts, and provide an intelligent alternative for contemporary audiences.
What can you expect if you attend a bowerbird@LANDMARKS performance? You can expect to hear some of the most innovative, avant-garde music being produced by local, national and international artists. You can expect to be challenged to expand your definitions of music, and to leave behind your preconceptions. Each performance will involve some risk-taking by both the performer and the audience member, but if you come with an open mind, and we promise to provide you with a uniquely stimulating experience.
The Powel House was built in 1765 by merchant and businessman Charles Stedman, this elegant Georgian brick mansion was purchased by Samuel Powel in 1769 at the time of his marriage to Elizabeth Willing. Samuel Powel, an important, educated man who had toured the Continent for seven years before settling down, served as the last mayor of Philadelphia under the Crown and was the first mayor of the city after the creation of the United States. Mayor Powel was later dubbed the "Patriot Mayor". Mayor Powel and his wife were well known for their hospitality and frequently entertained such notable guests as George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, and the Marquis de Lafayette.
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