Binding Agents: A Cook/Book Shop
908 Christian StreetJoin us at Binding Agents for a communal art experience and meal, unlike any you've tasted before...
Cottage Cheese
1 package of Lemon Jello©
Coconut
1 can of Pineapples
Chopped up Walnuts
Chopped up Onions
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 package of Cool Whip©
Somehow these all go together. Or, they did.
The dishes we had growing up, staples at cookouts, community gatherings, picnics. The dishes left behind. The dishes from the past, that truly stay in the past.
Join us at Binding Agents where performance artist, mike durkin, will lead a conversation and meal share of different jello salads. He will share the culture and history of these dishes, from the 1950s to today, their importance in Americana, and how these dishes brought families and communities together. mike will lead diners through various activities centering around nostalgia, hope, and joy. We will then envision how to strengthen communities today.
Dishes will include:
To Begin
John’s Water Ice Mango Jello Shots
To Continue
Campbell’s Tomato Soup Aspic
To End
Strawberry Herr's Pretzel Salad
Participants will also enjoy private browsing of the shop and a discount on purchases (gelatin-related or otherwise!).
Prices are inclusive of fees. Entrance to the shop requires one step up. Please contact us at hello@bindingagentsphilly.com with any questions or accessibility needs; we'd be happy to help.
About the Artist
mike durkin (he/him/y’all) is a large-bodied, multidisciplinary social practice performance artist residing in South Philadelphia. The intersection between art and the everyday guides mike. He has created site-responsive social practice productions exploring urban foodways, community mending, sports, houselessness, food access, place, and the americana. mike works in communities and college campuses across the country. His work combines a variety of styles and mediums to embrace time, place, and the Americana. He aims to bring dissimilar bodies together to challenge and dismantle hate and stigmas, putting effort into the ideas that bring us together rather than push us away.
mike just recently taught a Food and Culture course at UPENN in the Anthropology department, looking at celebratory foods and traditions. mike has worked at the University of Rochester, LSU in Baton Rouge, LA, with Reed College in Portland, OR, the Open Source Gallery in Brooklyn, The Creative Center at University Settlement, among other sites. mike is part of the 2017 MFA in Devised Performance class with Pig Iron Theatre Company/University of the Arts. For more information, www.mikedurkin.info
Thu, May 8, 2025 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Binding Agents: A Cook/Book Shop
908 Christian Street
Binding Agents is Philly's bookshop for cooks and eaters. Located in South Philly’s culinary epicenter, the 9th Street Italian Market, we’re your go-to source for new cookbooks and food-focused reads, plus gifts and goods for making, serving and enjoying. We’re independent, women-owned, fun & funky. Learn more at bindingagentsphilly.com.
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