(Philadelphia, PA) – Grumman Greenhouse, a repurposed Cold War submarine bomber, designed by local Philadelphia sculptor Jordan Griska will be installed at Lenfest Plaza October 18-21, 2011. Griska, 27, was commissioned and paid an honorarium by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), where he graduated in 2008, to create an sculpture as part of PAFA’s effort to showcase rotating, temporary installations designed by emerging young artists.

Located at the west end of the Lenfest Plaza, at the intersection of Broad and Cherry Streets, Grumman Greenhouse, a decommissioned Grumman S2F Tracker, will rest in Griska’s signature origami’d fashion as a working greenhouse. It will sit in a site specific location next to the historic art school and will face Claes Oldenburg’s giant paintbrush installation, Paint Torch.

Over the course of six months Griska, who works with Americana-themed “found objects,” sought additional funding with the assistance of The Philadelphia Salon Director and art advocate Caryn Kunkle for his large scale project. He purchased the airplane, which sits 43 feet from nose to tail and 72 feet from wingtip to wingtip, off eBay, the only bidder. Griska trucked the large plane of the lot of a private owner in Alabama, where it was stripped of it’s valuable parts and on sale for scrap, to his studio in West Philadelphia just before damaging tornadoes hit the South. While he was unable to recover the plane’s logbook he did retrieved the plane’s life story. After serving it’s original purpose for the U.S. Navy as a anti-submarine warfare aircraft, the Tracker enjoyed a second life with the California Department of Forestry where it was used to fight fires.

Now on it’s third leg, the airplane parts have been carefully rebuilt by hand with the guidance of retired military aviator personnel, Union volunteers, private civilian pilots, Griska and his dedicated, passionate group of 10 Philadelphia based artists. The young sculptor’s love for the plane’s 1960s era streamline shape became the ultimate design in recreating a classic image, highlighting American symbolism and global influence.

“I really wanted to do something that was an American icon that fit in with the environment and rose to the occasion,” Griska explained of the twin engined, four seat S2F plane nicknamed “Stoof” by the Navy.

“In my business I attempt to treat laymen and millionaires equally. I find art is a great equalizer,” Project Manager Kunkle said. “Project involvement on this scale from all walks of the Philadelphia community has been unprecedented. Both private jet owners and poor mechanics have volunteered time and expertise to this project. It has been very moving to watch.”

Griska’s vision to expose the plane’s history while putting her back to work translated into the plane’s repurposed function as an active greenhouse. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society will be the caretakers of the greenhouse and the produce will be donated to the City Harvest Program, providing meals for low-income families.

Due to its confined space, Griska drew upon his previous installation designs of manipulating objects in an origami fashion and futuristic retrofitting of bent or mechanized objects. Capitalizing on the available space the nose provided as a natural pedestal, Griska’s artistic intentions were to install the plane nose down to provide structural support and allow for an accessible entrance to the greenhouse, which is housed in the cockpit and cargo hold.

“This plane has a personality, a life,” Griska said of his modern contemporary artwork that will be on display for at least one year. “It has been repurposed, revitalized and is working again to serve the American people.”

A plaque will be installed at the base of the plane with a quote written by General Peter Pace, USMC (Retired), 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It reads: “America ingenuity built this airplane to protect our country from enemies in international waters. American resourcefulness repurposed the same airframe to serve inside our borders, fighting fires and protecting our homeland. And now, as the “Grumman Greenhouse” it serves again – to both inspire and support this community, feeding those in need, and encouraging future artists to imagine, create, and serve.”

The Grumman Greenhouse was ushered to completion by Wayne S. Spilove and could not have been completed without the guidance and generous support of donors Richard Vague, Chris Prahbu, private aviator Charlie Chase and “Squirrel”, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Philadelphia Fire Department, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Boilermakers Union and “Stoof” veterans “Ed” and “Nails.” The project was managed by The Philadelphia Salon, a local advocacy group dedicated to supporting local artists. A detailed account of the Grumman Greenhouse project can be found at http://thephiladelphiasalon.wordpress.com. A dedication ceremony will follow the installation. Date and time are yet to be announced, check The Philadelphia Salon blogsite for updated information.

(Philadelphia, PA – January 18, 2011) – William Penn's 1698 family Bible will be used in the swearing-in ceremony at tomorrow’s inauguration of Governor-elect Tom Corbett after it was made available through the coordinated efforts of several historical institutions working together behind the scenes led by the PHMC, its Chairman Wayne Spilove announced today.  After the ceremony, the Penn bible will be held at the State Archives and presented to the public at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in March.

Spilove stated, “PHMC Executive Director Barbara Franco received the request from the Corbett Transition team for the William Penn Bible and in turn contacted its owner, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP).  Thanks to the harmonious cooperation of everyone involved, particularly that of HSP President and CEO Kim Sajet, the new governor will take the oath on this historic bible and the public will be able to get a rare look at the artifact.”

The PHMC, whose theme for 2011 is “Religion in Pennsylvania,” will present the bible to the public at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg in March along with other William Penn artifacts prior to returning it to HSP.

State Archivist David Haury will accompany the William Penn Bible – last used in an inauguration ceremony over 30 years ago by Governor Dick Thornburgh – to the inauguration and from there to the State Archives where it will remain until it is then transported to the State Museum of Pennsylvania and finally returned to HSP. Kim Sajet commented, “Together with PHMC and others, HSP seeks to work across the state to support all of the rich history and heritage organizations that exist to educate our citizens, engage our visitors, and inform our ambitions.” Sajet received the request and was able to gain the support of her board of directors and respond affirmatively to PHMC within 24 hours.

Wayne Spilove stated, “It’s important for Pennsylvanians to know how hard their historians and archivists work to make the rich history of our Commonwealth come to life. Swiftly borrowing and transporting priceless artifacts is no easy feat, and I applaud the efforts of the members of PHMC and HSP who understand the social and historical value of employing these artifacts in public life.”

Photo Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Re: "1,800 Pa. historic artifacts missing," Oct. 29: Coverage of the state auditor general's report on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission collections generated sensational headlines but missed the point. The story is not "missing" artifacts. The story is the urgent need to fund a modern inventory-control and environmental system. Consider these facts: Reports of missing items were based on an out-of-date 1998 list that was presented to PHMC on the day of the report's release. Locations for 400 items have already been confirmed. Many of the others are reproductions, not original artifacts. Sculptures reported as being sold online were not Pennsylvania's. Locations for the other items will be confirmed (most in various county museums and government offices), although it will take additional weeks of staff time. The real issue is that PHMC's budget has been cut in half since 2006, with staff reduced by 48 percent. One casualty of these devastating cuts has been funding to convert to a single electronic inventory system for all our collections, which number 4.5 million items. We welcome many of the report's suggestions, and are committed to the best stewardship even in difficult fiscal times. But the real question is whether the governor, legislature, and citizens of Pennsylvania care enough about their heritage to provide the resources to preserve it.

Wayne Spilove, Chairman
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Harrisburg

Read more:  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20101109_Letters__Artifacts_aren_t__missing___but_they_do_face_a_threat.html#ixzz14oXlur3r

Maybe it's the Mad Men-crazed moment we're in, but I'm starting to find inspiration in advertisements. My current favorite is one from Patek Philippe, a watch so frightfully expensive, it gets to call itself a timepiece. Beneath a soft-focus photograph of a handsome father beaming at his young son, the copy tells us, "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation."

I like the ad's suggestion that things that take skill to create ought to be cherished and protected. It's a nice corrective to the throwaway mentality that dominates our culture these days.

The watch ad's words came back to me last month as I listened to a nonprofit group make a pitch to the Philadelphia Historical Commission for permission to tear down the landmark Church of the Assumption on Spring Garden Street. Designed in 1848 by Patrick Charles Keely, the Roman Catholic sanctuary played a role in the lives of two Philadelphia saints, John Neumann and Katharine Drexel. The delicate, copper-clad points of its Gothic Revival spires serve as a compass across North Philadelphia. Yet the familiar landmark is being written off by a group that has owned it all of four years.

Not that there aren't extenuating circumstances. The nonprofit, Siloam, is a largely volunteer group that provides free medical care to poor people with AIDS. Only a hard heart would insist that Siloam tap its meager budget to care instead for the magnificent, but needy, church. Accepting the arguments, the Historical Commission approved a hardship waiver Sept. 9, allowing Siloam to tear down the burdensome property.

Granted, Siloam was able to make a credible case for financial hardship - unlike the prior owner, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which virtually dragooned the nonprofit into buying its surplus real estate. But is demolition really a logical way to deal with this unfortunate situation? It hardly seems like the response we want from a city agency charged with protecting Philadelphia's historic inventory.

The decision is being appealed by the Callowhill Neighborhood Association, which got the church certified as historic in the first place. The group believes that Siloam viewed demolition as a first resort, and never made a serious effort to sell the distinctive ochre-colored church to someone who could afford the repairs.

Since the commission's vote, at least two developers have approached Siloam about buying the property. Although both are well-known in the neighborhood, neither had been contacted before by Siloam's Realtor, Colliers International.

"I know I was never called, and I'm the logical buyer," said developer Bart Blatstein, who recently bought the nearby State Office Building, at Broad and Spring Garden Streets, with the intention of converting it to apartments.

After reaching out to Siloam, Blatstein said, he found "a lot of confusion" among the leadership and decided not to pursue a bid. That's a shame because he could easily afford the $1.5 million that Siloam estimates is necessary to stabilize the spires. (The other developer was not identified.)

Blatstein is right about being a logical buyer. He spent much of the last decade helping revive Northern Liberties, the neighborhood a few blocks east of the church. Things may be a bit slow right now, but when the real estate market comes back, he intends to move west along Spring Garden Street, filling in the gap between Northern Liberties and Broad Street. Just a 10-minute walk from City Hall, the area is already viewed as the next hot neighborhood.

And the Church of the Assumption stands smack in the middle.

While cynics might assume developers would welcome a cleared site between 11th and 12th Streets, sophisticated builders see things in more nuanced terms. New construction takes root more easily in areas where existing architecture provides context and texture. Not only is the Church of the Assumption the oldest building on Spring Garden Street, but it is also one of the few survivors of character on the boulevard's tattered eastern flank.

When the market does rebound, Spring Garden Street will be a crucial connector between two of the city's biggest redevelopment zones: the Delaware waterfront and the stretch of Broad Street south of Temple University. While it may not be clear now how the Church of the Assumption might be reused, similar religious buildings have been converted to concert halls, antiques markets, offices, even apartments.

Because it is historic, the church's owner would qualify for tax credits, a common means of financing construction. So, by hastening the church's demolition, the Historical Commission compromises Philadelphia's future while it sabotages an important piece of its Catholic past.

Several commission members tried to make that argument last month. Joan Schlotterbeck, who runs the city's public property division, urged her fellow members to delay the hardship vote for at least six months to allow time to find a buyer. As Siloam's Realtor testified, the church has been on the market for only a matter of months. It's hard enough to sell a rowhouse in such a short time, never mind a huge church with structural issues.

Even a political insider like Wayne Spilove said he was taken aback by the finality of the commission's decision. "The church should have been mothballed until the right use comes along," argued Spilove, a developer and preservationist who chairs the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

In a letter Monday to Siloam's director, Joseph Lukach, Spilove warned that the state commission would oppose the group's plans to use state grant money to demolish the historic property. The group is so strapped, it says it can't pay for demolition itself.

And if it finds money from another source, what happens to the church's equally beautiful convent and rectory? Neither enjoys the protection of historic status. Siloam was so eager last year to get started on the demolition that it started tearing out the marble cladding from the columns and removed the pews.

Before the archdiocese dumped the church into Siloam's lap, it made sure to salvage the fount where Drexel was baptized. Today is the 10th anniversary of her canonization. One wonders whether her home church will still be around for the next generation of Catholics to appreciate.