If You Build It

Event picks for Design Philadelphia 2009

by Lauren F. Friedman

Swap-o-Rama Rama Photograph by M. Luckasavage

The 130-plus events that comprise the fifth annual Design Philadelphia (Oct. 7 to 13, designphiladelphia.org) — including fashion shows, book signings, studio tours, exhibitions, architectural interventions and lectures about everything from woodwork to storm-water management — all raise one key question: What exactly is "design"? "Design is so much more than a style of clothing or a make of car," says Hilary Jay, executive director and co-founder of the festival. "It's everything we touch and see and smell and do." Design Philadelphia's diverse offerings are all over the map, but Jay explains that its goal is simple: "to show everyone that design is an agent for innovation and change."

5 Day / 4 Night VIP Cancun Getaway at the Grand Coco Bay For 2 Adults & 2 Children + Maya Gods Tour | Two 60 Minute Massages (Choose Between Deep-Tissue & Swedish) and Two B12 Shots from The Lohad Center for Anti-Aging | Whiskey Beverage Stones | $19.99 for NEW Premium Take Home Teeth Whitening Treatment with LED light with Free Shipping ($50 Value) | Professional Grade MP3 Player Flat Iron from ISO Beauty (Shipping Included) | Edible Arrangements-$20 for $40 To Spend on Fresh-Fruit Bouquets and Chocolate-Covered Fruit | Vacation in Las Vegas, NV - 3.5 and 4 Star Hotels | Las Vegas, NV - 3.5 and 4 Star Hotels - 3 Days & 2 Nights - Friday or Saturday Check-in Only | Las Vegas, NV - 3.5 and 4 Star Hotels - 4 Days & 3 Nights - Sunday – Thursday Check-in Only | Steel Arc Stand & Polyester Hammock Bed Set (Free Shipping)

HALF OFF DEPOT

Why live life at full price?

All in Good Taste

'South Kensington is quickly becoming a local center for design, and this event aims to hit a few highlights: Milner + Carr Conservation (the firm responsible for the painstaking restoration of Eastern State Penitentiary's synagogue), Bahdeebahdu gallery and Feast Your Eyes' new lofted event space, where seven creative table settings will be on display. Cocktails and little vittles will be served at each stop. 'Thu., Oct. 8, 6-9 p.m., $10, Crane Arts Stable, 1431 Cadwallader St., RSVP to skip@fyecatering.com.

TAZtetris

'The International Design Clinic and Stimulant Design are using scaffolding, tarp, spray paint and reclaimed lumber to reimagine an abandoned lot as an ad hoc gallery space for images from Flickr. Scott Shall, director of the IDC, explains that TAZtetris democratizes visual art and challenges traditional avenues for curation and creation "that have particular biases that involve certain publics but not others." 'Opening discussion Thu., Oct. 8, 6 p.m.; exhibit Thu.-Sat., Oct. 8-10, 7 to 11 p.m.; free, 1432 Diamond St.

SP[]T

'SP[]T invites people to think as broadly and creatively as possible about the space usually reserved for a car — to go even bigger and nuttier than the Park[ing] Days that take place across the country. "We wanted to do something more renegade and open to artists and designers of all kinds," says event manager Katie Winkler. This year's projects — all of which go up during the day and come down at night — include a sculpture of orange street cones, an old car covered in Astroturf, a tiny performance space and a children's playground. Just don't forget to feed the meter. 'Sat., Oct. 10, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., free, Piazza at Schmidts, 1000 N. Second St., philaspot.wordpress.com.

Dialogues on Design: Reese Palley

'Reese Palley has circumnavigated the world on his boat and written 'a long list of books — the latest on the history of concrete — but his real passion is chairs. "A chair is absolutely unique," he says. "It's so personal — it fits the body so closely." Palley will discuss chair design and the unusual method he's devised to sort knockoffs from originals. "No matter how perfect a reproduction is, when you split them in two halves — with a reproduction on one side and genuine article on the other — they will never match," he says. "Like fingerprints." 'Sat., Oct. 10, 4-6 p.m., free, Center for Architecture, 1218 Arch St.

Second Annual Philly Swap-O-Rama Rama

'The rules of the Swap-O-Rama Rama are simple: Arrive with at least three clothing items to donate, and leave with as many as you can carry. Jazz up your new acquisitions at free silk-screening and trim stations, listen to bands from Girls Rock Philly, sit in on a creative reuse workshop and buy some food to keep you going — just don't spill it on the polyester button-down that you suddenly can't live without. ' Sun., Oct. 11, noon-5 p.m., $20, Old Pine Community Center, 401 Lombard St., sorrphilly.wordpress.com.