$139,000. Philadelphia, get yours.

Lots happening across the country including Walking with The Dutch Giant: A Benefit for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Honoring Justin Van Hoy at Space 1026 in Philadelphia.

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Public drunken-ness, sequins measured by the ton and puddles of urine are the hallmarks of New Years Day in Philadelphia. The Mummers Parade lasts for over twelve hours on January 1st with elaborately dressed revelers marching up Broad Street starting at 9 am and eventually stumbling down Two Street in the dark. Short of hitting a cop, you’d need to try pretty hard to get arrested at this annual event. Accusations and half-hearted denials of racism and homophobia are a routine part of the parade tradition, which has been a staple occurrence in the city since the early 1800′s (but only banned black face in 1964).

—Alex Lukas / @alexlukas

Little Baby’s Ice Cream

Images from his Shiny Monsters installation, currently on view through August 19th, 2012 at the Philadelphia Art Alliance.

photos courtesy of Jonathan Levine Gallery

Thom Lessner made this bad boy. It’s playable, and on view in Drexel Park in West Philly from June 7th to the 17th.

A new installation of chandeliers by Adam Wallacavage opens tonight (5/17) at the Philadelphia Art Alliance.

Razz was a guy with a really colorful teenage life that after years of running in the streets could see it wasn’t a place for living, so he went to college, got the education he needed to go into business and stay in business his entire adult life. I didn’t know much about his family, but I know he was an older brother to hundreds, maybe thousands of wall writers in Philadelphia over the last 30 years. If you wanted an autograph or some validation for the graffiti you were writing, Razz would give it to you, but he’d also teach by example that real success takes showing up for work everyday. It’s remarkable that he grew up and went to work, and the fact that I thought it was remarkable testifies to the peril of being a king in a field of endeavor with no way to transfer that status to normal life. A lot of writers would call themselves king, then sit on a throne and produce nothing but shit. When he referred to himself as “Lord Imperial Razz” It was meant as half man and half mantra. Razz never got stuck on just being a king, he accepted the responsibility of the crown to be better, and so he was better, every day of his too short 47 years here.

The photos were taken by his friend and conspirator Mr. Blint, and the two of them together really sum up the best of Philadelphia, on a level of cool beyond all known boundaries.

—Steve Powers

The official trailer for the upcoming film from Stephen Powers and Joey Garfield.

The Philadelphia photographer gets a mid-career retrospective at The Philadelphia Museum of Art. It opens on Saturday (1/14).

The NY Times tells you all you need to know

Some cool stuff happening this weekend. If you can’t make it to Philly for the annual 1026 auction, check out the preview and email them to bid. More info here

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