Big Chalkers, Qualities of Life, Thief of Baghdad, Cobbs Creek trail, Public Architecture, Preserving Philadelphia’s Neigborhoods

Big Chalkers

Tuesday, October 18, 5pm. Café Cret, 16th Street & The Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Kids of all ages can draw all over the sidewalk outside Café Cret with giant sidewalk crayons. As part of DesignPhiladelphia, PlayPhilly invites you to color outside the lines. Free.

Philadelphia Qualities of Life

Tuesday, October 18, 7pm. Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 South 18th Street.  Talk about Philadelphia’s transition from Workshop of the World to a growing creative economy hub with Philly Works, as part of The Commonwealth lecture series at the Philadelphia Art Alliance. Panelists for the discussion will be James Moustafellos (Temple University), Danielle Denk (Dendritic Design), and Dan Garofalo (Penn’s Environmental Sustainability Coordinator), moderated by Philly Works’ Alexandra Schmidt-Ullrich and Will McHale. Register online. $5 admission, free for PAA members and students with valid ID.

Secret Cinema at The Penn Museum: The Thief of Baghdad

Wednesday, October 19, 6pm. Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South Street. As part of the Secret Cinema’s 2011-2012 series at the Penn Museum, The Thief of Baghdad will be shown with live music by Don Kinnier. See this 1924 adventure story starring the dashing Douglas Fairbanks as he attempts to win the affections of an Arabian princess. This series will screen vintage films that relate to the Penn Museum’s geographical focus and archaeological themes on third Wednesdays until January. All films are shown from 16mm prints, in surprising areas of the museum. $10 general admission, $7 for seniors, $6 for children 6-17, free for kids 5 and under, free with a Penn card.

Cobbs Creek Connector Town Hall Meeting

Wednesday, October 19, 4-7pm. Paschallville Free Library Branch Community Room, 6942 Woodland Ave. The Cobbs Creek Connector is a proposed trail that would run from 63rd and Market Street in Philadelphia, to Route 420 in Tinicum Township, and would be part of the East Coast Greenway. The Clean Air Council, trail advocates, and the design team from Urban Engineers will be on hand at two public meetings this month to discuss the connector project.

Public Architecture in Philly

Thursday, October 20, 6-9pm. Arts Ballroom, 1324 Locust Street. Join local design leaders for a panel discussion on how pro bono design is an agent of community change, as moderated by Public Architecture’s John Peterson. Discussion panelists are Beth Miller (Community Design Collaborative), Brian Phillips (Interface Studio Architects), Deborah Gans (Gans Studio). Public Architecture provides pro bono design services for public institutions in low-income communities nationwide.

A Sense of Place: Preserving Philadelphia’s Neighborhoods

Friday, October 21, 8:30am-3:30pm. Temple University Student Faculty Center, 3340 N. Broad Street 2nd Floor. Learn about the resources available to communities in Philadelphia to preserve their history and revitalize neighborhoods at this Preservation Alliance conference. The conference’s keynote speaker is John Kromer, from Penn’s Fels Institute of Government. By attending the conference, neighborhood groups are eligible to apply for a 2011 Pride of Place Grant to support a neighborhood preservation project. $20, register online.