Philly Art Map; Coltrane arts grants; Weekly gun violence brief

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Sunlight on shadows of the past
(Photo by @fatlucy23)

Can Philly Art Map replace Instagram for local art news?

Instagram’s changing algorithm plus the loss of ArtBlog last year has led to a dearth of information on art happenings in the city.

Enter Philly Art Map, which hopes to become a one-stop shop for arts news and events. Continue reading…

You can create a route of art events you want to hit with Philly Art Map. (Courtesy of PAM)

Philly marks John Coltrane’s 100th birthday with $27,000 in grant funding for artists

Artists with a “soul-tie” to Coltrane’s music have the opportunity to showcase new ideas with Coltrane 100 Philly.

The jazz legend’s 100th birthday would have taken place this September 23. The Coltrane 100 initiative also includes various arts and jazz programming from now through November. Continue reading…

The John Coltrane House in the 1500 block of North 33rd Street is designated as a National Historic Landmark. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission placed a marker honoring Coltrane in front of the house in 1990. (Billy Penn file photo)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Two unvaccinated Pennsylvanians die after contracting measles as outbreak reaches nearly 400 cases. Vaccination data shows hundreds of Philly-area schools vulnerable to a measles outbreak. [WHYY/Inq$]

• The suspect accused of terrorizing Philadelphia residents while wearing a creepy mask has been arrested in Las Vegas, authorities announced. [6ABC]

• At the President’s House site on Independence Mall, an anniversary gathering remembers slavery in America while its history remains contested. [WHYY]

• Pa. attorney general sues Snapchat for its addictiveness and disappearing messages. [WHYY]

• Philadelphia should do more to help unhoused people during heat waves, advocates say. [WHYY]

• A South Philadelphia startup is making underwater military drones in a former kitchen countertop showroom. [WHYY]

• Two Philly hot spots — Sao in South Philly and Honeysuckle in Poplar — made Bon Appétit’s list of 19 best new restaurants. [PhillyVoice]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Wednesday.

Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)

We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.

Philly Truce participated in the 2026 Race Against Gun Violence this past weekend. [Fox29]
A gun violence prevention group found that Gen Z is receptive to gun violence campaigns on social media. [The Trace]
A brief chat about gun safety can sharply increase gun owners’ willingness to consider temporarily storing their firearms outside the home during times of crisis, a Rutgers study found. [Wiley Online Library]

By the numbers in Philadelphia

13: Shooting victims recorded from Aug 17 to Aug. 23 with 2 fatalities, according to city data. During the previous week, 17 shooting victims were recorded, including 5 fatalities. [Source: nickhand.dev]
119: Year-to-date homicides, down 20% vs. last year’s pace; down 66% vs. five years ago. [Philly Police]

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

Connecting cultures through the Eye’s Gallery on South Street
The reconstituted gallery from Julia Zagar draws visitors for a curated look at Indian and Latin American folk art, jewelry, and handmade gifts.
More than a cemetery: Inside Laurel Hill
The East Falls cemetery is the final resting place for some historic and famous figures, but it’s way more than just a collection of tombstones.

ON THE CALENDAR

Tour street art in South Philly (Thursday),
Neighborhood Jawnts takes on the Far Northeast and Poquessing Trail (Friday-Sun),
Philadelphia Cycling Classic Fan Fest (Saturday)
AND MORE!

Send us events to add to the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!