Extending from Glenwood Avenue in the north to Washington Avenue in the south, Broad Street has become the artistic core of the City of Brotherly Love. Despite Penn's own vibrant art community , sometimes you need a little bit more than the ICA.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
118 N. Broad St.
(215) 972-7600
www.pafa.org
As the oldest art school in the nation, PAFA hosts one of the foremost collections of American art in the nation. Artists such as Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper and Georgia O'Keeffe complement the gallery's permanent collection, while more modern pieces such as Penn's own Nadia Hironaka's video installation give the gallery a more modern edge.
Prince Music Theater
1412 Chestnut St.
(215) 972-1000
www.princemusictheater.org
Few know that Philadelphia has its own homegrown theater scene, and the Prince Theater is the nexus of the new art movement along Broad Street. Although the theater has only been open for 15 years, more than 50 of its 90 plays have been world or American premieres. In addition to the performing arts, the Prince Theater has spearheaded its own film program, where filmheads can discuss and watch cinema in their own dedicated forum.
The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, Inc.
736-738 S. Broad St.
(215) 893-9912
www.clefclubofjazz.com
Affectionately named "The House that Jazz Built," the Clef Club was founded in 1966 and remains to this day as one of the most happening spots in the city. Although artists at the Clef Club dish out everything from gospel to blues to spoken word, this little dive right on Broad Street also gives back to the community through instrument rentals and summer day camps for kids. With its robust sense of Philly pride, the Clef Club could very well be the coolest little place in Center City.
The University of the Arts
320 S. Broad St.
(800) 616-ARTS
www.uarts.edu
The University of the Arts is another one of the many art schools that dot the Broad Street corridor, but unlike others, the University sports an extensive array of majors. Fields such as animation and pottery all neatly have a home at UA, which stretches from Walnut to South Streets. And considering that UA is an arts school, enterprising artists from inside and outside the community are more than willing to display their craftsmanship every day of the week.
