Bok

One Minute with Stover Ceramics! Today, we’ve got the first installment of a new series to keep you connected to the businesses at BOK during this crazy time. We’ll be sharing one minute videos that offer a glimpse into the lives of the artists, makers, and small business owners that make up the BOK community. There will be chats about how these lovely people are keeping their spirits up, studio tours, time lapsed progress videos, at-home workouts, and more. We hope that the...se videos will offer a moment of joy (and maybe even a touch of ASMR-type relaxation). We are starting off with this hypnotic progress video from Stover Ceramics. Megan has been working from home with her baby Joelle (who can be seen in the background crushing some veggies in her highchair). Head over to her page to shop directly from her online store. In an amazing effort to support other BOK businesses, she’s accepting Two Persons and Irwin's gift cards as payment for ceramics.

One Minute with Stover Ceramics! Today, we’ve got the first installment of a new series to keep you connected to the businesses at BOK during this crazy time. We’ll be sharing one minute videos that offer a glimpse into the lives of the artists, makers, and small business owners that make up the BOK community. There will be chats about how these lovely people are keeping their spirits up, studio tours, time lapsed progress videos, at-home workouts, and more. We hope that the...se videos will offer a moment of joy (and maybe even a touch of ASMR-type relaxation). We are starting off with this hypnotic progress video from Stover Ceramics. Megan has been working from home with her baby Joelle (who can be seen in the background crushing some veggies in her highchair). Head over to her page to shop directly from her online store. In an amazing effort to support other BOK businesses, she’s accepting Two Persons and Irwin's gift cards as payment for ceramics.

The world might feel pretty dark right now, but South Philly is filled with rainbows Sharing a few of our favorites! 1. We raised our rainbow flag at Bok Bar earlier in the week. Did you see it yet? 2 + 3. Yesterday's storm brought a DOUBLE RAINBOW (!!!) that arched over the building.... 4. Just one snapshot of rainbow artwork from some neighbors. Feeling thankful for these moments of color and the reminder that things might just be okay

We’ve made the difficult decision to postpone our spring Open Studios, which was scheduled for April 4th, until further notice. We are so sad to not be able to welcome you to explore and discover everything that BOK has to offer, but feel that this is the necessary decision for everyone’s health and safety. We will be monitoring federal, state, and local recommendations and plan to reschedule for sometime in the next few months, hopefully when the weather is a little warmer and the world is a little brighter. In the meantime, we encourage you to take a little virtual tour of the building via our new BOK Shop, which features goods and services from over 35 businesses. Nothing cures cabin fever like supporting small businesses https://www.buildingbok.com/bok-shop

We encourage you to take a minute to read this statement from Seamaac, Inc.. Their Elders Program typically meets weekly here at Bok, but has been halted due to the coronavirus. They are asking for donations to continue to serve the 250+ Asian American and Pacific Island elders in the community.

As things are changing every day (every minute, every hour), we wanted to offer some updates to what’s happening here at BOK. In accordance with federal guidelines, all events scheduled for the next 8 weeks have been cancelled or postponed. This includes Feminist Flea, Liberty Flea, Winter Fare, and our spring Open Studios. We will keep you updated on new dates for these events as they are decided. In addition, public access to the building will be shut down. This inclu...des businesses like Two Persons, Miles Table, Firth & Wilson Transport Cycles, Fringe Salon, and more. We will let you know when that changes for the building, but make sure to check in with your favorite BOK businesses to learn how they are adapting. On a more human notewe are overwhelmed with the challenges ahead. This building is made up of hundreds of hardworking small business owners who are traveling into uncharted territory right now. As a small business ourselves, we are trying to find the ways we can support these businesses in the coming months and use our platform to help the community at large. We are doing our best to think creatively (and quickly) to establish systems that allow our followers to continue to support the businesses in the building. Keep your eyes out for updates as we sort through this as a team. Our thoughts are with everyone right now; we know we aren’t in this alone. @backson_jetz See more

You may remember a short video we shared late last year that captured the essence of our building. That 5 minute video was an incredible synopsis of the project and some of its working parts. The amazing team at Arsenal Mediaworks shot so much great footage and were able to tell so many BOK stories, that we decided to put together a director’s cut! Check out this video if you are looking for a deeper dig into all things BOK.

SAVE THE DATE: We are so excited to announce our spring Open Studios! Join us on April 4th from 12-4PM to explore the building and meet the artists, makers, creatives, and small businesses that make Bok special. FREE + family friendly!

Got weekend plans? You do now! We are welcoming Winter Fare AND Liberty Flea back to BOK this Saturday, February 22nd. Winter Fare is a pop-up local food market coming to Dudley Central (next to Two Persons!) from 10AM-2PM. Stop by to shop for local meats, breads, produce, mushrooms, ciders, apples, cheeses, pastas, and more, made with love by an amazing group of local producers and purveyors. Free and family friendly! Liberty Flea is a collection of the top vintage and ar...tisan vendors in the Philadelphia area, offering antiques, home decor, furniture, vintage clothing, and more! They will be here from 10AM-5PM in the West Gym (enter at 1901 S. 9th St. by the BOK blocks!). Admission is $5, 12 and under are free. Dogs are welcome! For more information, visit www.winterfarephl.com and Liberty Flea. Work X Shop Photography

We wanted to shine a spotlight on an upcoming event that’s happening here at Bok: The Jill Melmed-Buzzeo Award 5th Birthday Bash! The organization empowers girls with grit through financial support towards college or other post-secondary school initiatives and mentorships to navigate academic, professional, and social challenges. They’ve organized an event that celebrates woman-run businesses in Philadelphia, from their food and drink partners to the auction items, and s...ponsors. If you are interested in supporting this organization and their mission, come party with them! The JMB Award 5th Birthday Bash is taking place on Saturday, March 14th from 6-8PM right here at Bok. Purchase tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/jmbaward/334836. Linette Messina Kielinski

ATTENTION ALL DOGS OF BOK AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS We could not be more excited to announce that dog daycare is coming to the building in early March! We took this opportunity to show off some of the dogs that come to work at BOK with their humans because...why not? Wag Days Philly is moving into one of the basement spaces (with its very own entrance at the corner of 9th and Mifflin!). They will be offering dog daycare from Monday to Friday, dog walking, dog boarding, an...d small animal care. Also! Wag Days is hiring dog daycare attendants and dog walkers. Email [email protected] for more information. They will also be holding a job info session on Sunday, February 23rd for anyone interested in working with the pups! Click any of the photos below for more information about Wag Days.

Looking for a place to shop local for the holidays while supporting a good cause? House Cat’s Feminist Flea Market & Craft Fair: Benefit for WOAR - a space created by and for womxn, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming folx - is coming to Bok on December 7th! For $5, you can shop over 100 vendors selling vintage clothing, jewelry, art pieces, home goods & much more and your ticket proceeds benefit WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence! Swipe to see some of the vendors who will be there.

We get it, BOK is not an easy project to understand. It's nearly impossible to sum up the building in any sort of timely fashion (just ask anyone who works here). That's why we asked Arsenal Mediaworks for their help to create a short video that showcases what the building is all about. Arsenal took this idea and ran with it, and what they created truly captures the essence of the project. They poured their heart into this video and it shows. We'd like to thank all of the businesses that participated in this video. Every aspect of production was sourced from the building. There's a longer form video coming your way that will be a deeper dive into the businesses that make BOK what it is.

Oh hey National Geographic! Philly was chosen as one of the 25 most exciting travel destinations for 2020, and guess who got a shout out! Here's what they had to say: "Slowly but steadily Philly has changed from a city of industrial might in the first half of the past century to a city of ingenious makers. The evidence is everywhere, from buzzing BOKa South Philly collective of small businesses and art spacesto Bela Shehu’s chic and cutting-edge fashion line NINObrand, in Rittenhouse Square." Check out the guide to see what else they had to say about Philly