Photo by: Matt Graber

I came across a petition this past week to Save Dupree Studios .  A friend of mine who visited Philly a couple of weeks ago from California was here to do a documentary covering art in many forms.   Mr. James Dupree was also included in the documentary sharing his love for the arts and urban life . Dupree Studios has been apart of Philadelphia’s Urban culture since 2005 providing an outlet for those who share the same artistic vision as well as for those who just can’t get enough of art in its many forms.

Philadelphia is known for Theater and the Art’s. Anyone who’s ventured out in the City can see art in everything they place their eyes on almost. From paintings to graffiti-drawings to fashion to exotic hairstyles with unique urban wear included. I see art on a daily basis and I’m  learning to appreciate it  a bit more.  It would leave  a great void in the hearts of many  if Dupree Studios were to close permanently only to be demolished and replaced by ‘The Plaza’ according to the City of Philadelphia and use the property of Mr. Dupree’s studio as a parking lot.

Dupree Studios offers instruction painting, drawing, printmaking, and mixed techniques. Students come to study and refine their craft. It is a;so the personal studio of Dupree where he created and developed work for commissions, exhibitions, and large scale public projects. This is the kind of space artists dream to have. There is no place like it. – Dupree Studios

There are so many other sections in the City that needs to be occupied but as always when the big guys with big money come in they want to target the Urban community and wipe away its legacy of ‘Culture‘.  Dupree studios offer many outlets by providing programs and art classes that are very affordable to the less fortunate. I’m sure that the intention is to make the City of Philadelphia a more welcoming City for visitors and a better looking place to live, to dine and shop but what happens when the culture of a City is taken away?  I don’t think we need another shopping center I think we need more resources to help those that live in small urban communities. I come from a small urban community and I can remember as a child all the resources we had and the many places we had access to, to see a stageplay or an art piece done by a Philadelphia native.

It’s a sad shame that many of the youth of this generation will never know what true ‘Urban Culture’ really is. Today we see so many negative images on television trying portraying their own version of what Black communities are like instead of actually hearing it from real people who live in those exact neighborhoods. Many think that what they see on TV is our culture and it’s not. The media is known to feed negative images so that others who don’t know may believe the hype.This weekend Saturday March 1, 2014, Mr. Dupree would like to invite those who wish to attend  the “Stolen Dreams in the Promised Zone” opening reception  at the Dupree Gallery 703 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 from 5p.m. – 10p.m. To learn more about Mr. James Dupree and his fight to save his art studio, please visit Save Dupree Studios for updates. All it takes it just one voice to make a difference to help save Dupree Studios.