PHILADELPHIA, September 9, 2019—Philadelphia Stories celebrates its 15th anniversary with a gala event at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts (439 Ashbourne Road, Cheltenham, PA) on Saturday, November 16, 2019, from 7-10pm. The festivities will include a cocktail reception, live auction, art opening, and the release of The Best of Philadelphia Stories, 15th Anniversary Edition anthology.
Philadelphia Stories, co-founded by Carla Spataro and Christine Weiser in 2004, began with the mission to publish the finest literary fiction, poetry, essays, and art from the Delaware Valley, and to make the quarterly magazine available for free. Since its inception, the non-profit organization has expanded its programs to include two national contests, a magazine for young writers, and a books division.
“We are grateful to the amazing writers and artists who have shared their work in our magazine over the past 15 years,” says Philadelphia Stories Executive Director Christine Weiser. “It is an honor to showcase the talent of the Delaware Valley in Philadelphia Stories and share their work with 5,000 readers each quarter. It is also an honor to have the support of our member community who help keep the magazine in print and free.”
“When I came across the issue of Philadelphia Stories that contained my piece in my local Delaware County library,” writes author Nancy Farrell, “the joy I experienced was immeasurable. Philadelphia Stories sparks the imagination of the public, likely inspiring its readers to pick up a pen or a paint brush. Philadelphia Stories is a special publication, and what exists within its pages is magical.”
The 15th Anniversary Party will celebrate fifteen years of writing with the launch of The Best of Philadelphia Stories, 15th Anniversary Edition.
The 15th Anniversary Celebration will also be the opening of the art exhibit, The Philadelphia Stories 15th Anniversary Art Exhibition, a unique collaboration of local artists celebrating 15 years of publishing the work of local artists. The public opening of the exhibit will take place on Saturday, November 16, 2019, and runs through December 5, 2019 at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts.
“Previously published as an artist in Philadelphia Stories myself, it has been my honor to serve the magazine as Art Editor and to now curate the exhibit commemorating its 15th anniversary,” says Pam McLean-Parker. “In celebration of this anniversary, Philadelphia Stories will feature a selection of the original artwork published over the last five years in a three-week exhibit at Cheltenham Center for the Arts this fall. Our Invitational Exhibition will include much of the artwork published in Philadelphia Stories between Winter 2015 and Fall 2019, during which time, Philadelphia Stories has published 156 visual works by nearly one hundred artists from throughout the Delaware Valley! The Philadelphia Stories 15th Anniversary Art Exhibition promises to be the most significant invitational group art exhibit in the Philadelphia Area this fall!”
The 15th Anniversary Party will include an online and live auction that will benefit Philadelphia Stories’ mission to “cultivate a community of writers, artists, and readers.” Tickets for the celebration are $40 per person in advance and $45 at the door. Click here to reserve your ticket.
For more details, please visit www.PhiladelphiaStories.org.
About Philadelphia Stories
Philadelphia Stories is a 501c3 that has served the writing, reading, and art community of the Greater Delaware Valley since 2004. Co-founders Carla Spataro and Christine Weiser began Philadelphia Stories to promote the culture of the Philadelphia area. Since that time, Philadelphia Stories has supported its mission to build a Philadelphia-based community of writers, artists, and readers through the free magazine and affordable educational programs and events, including sponsoring national poetry and fiction awards and publishing Philadelphia Stories Junior and PS Teen, magazines devoted to publishing the writing and art of children from the Delaware Valley, ages 18 and younger.
About the Cheltenham Center for the Arts
In 1940, Gladys Wagner, Tobeleah Wechsler, and Helen Foster founded the Cheltenham Center for the Arts with the goal of building a supportive community “for people to work together and talk together about art.” The Cheltenham Center for the Arts is dedicated to making the arts an integral part of people’s lives, as well as supporting the artists who live and work in the vicinity. The Center offers inspiring instruction and programming that both meets the interests, and broadens the horizons of our community.