June Art Exhibit Remembers Era of Wanamaker's

The area's finest artists will share their memories of Philadelphia's most famous department store, John Wanamaker's, at the throughout June.

The new exhibit opens today (Friday, June 1).

The themed show "I Remember Wanamaker's" has attracted more than 20 local artists who have painted their interpretations of the famous Philadelphia attraction. The paintings include watercolor, oil, acrylic and pastels.

A "Meet the Artists" reception, free and open to the public, will be held 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 8, at the Arts Center.

Wanamaker's flagship store was located at 13th and Market Streets in Center City Philadelphia. Designed by famed architect Daniel Burnham and opened in 1911, the John Wanamaker Department Store had a monumental granite exerior and a sumptuous marble interior. It contained more than 1 million square feet of selling area over 10 floors of retail space.

The center of the store featured a Grand Court that soared six stories. In the center of the Grand Court stood a 2,500-pound bronze eagle that had been on display at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. The beautiful organ in the Grand Court was also purchased at the Exposition. It is still regarded as the world's largest pipe organ and one of the finest symphonic instruments ever built.

Another important imagery of Wanamaker's is the Crystal Tea Room, covering 22,000 square feet on the store's eighth floor. Once the largest dining room in Philadelphia, the Crystal Tea Room is still remembered for its sandwiches and rum raisin ice cream.

A must-see each Christmas was the Christmas Light Show featuring a magnificent Dancing Waters Display. And for children, the Rocket Express monorail that ran around the ceiling of the eighth floor toy department was a holiday treat.

The Ocean City Arts Center is proud to pay tribute to this institution whose reach left a mark on the lives of so many people in the Philadelphia and southern New Jersey area. Given the unique imagery from the department store, the "I Remember Wanamaker's" show will be one of the Arts Center's most interesting exhibits.

For more information, visit www.oceancityartscenter.org or call (609) 399-7628.

— News release by Rosalyn Lifshin, Ocean City Arts Center