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Te Philadelphia

International

Art Expo (PIAE)

Need

Photo

The Three days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, were the total number

Te Philadelphia International Art Expo (PIAE)
of days per week that October Gallery could bear in time and payroll
to operate its brand new art gallery in 1985. That summer of nervous evolved from this experimental afair. At the time
Nation’s uncertainty and zealous expectancy gave promise to dreamers, we called it “Te Black Art Show and Sale.” In our

excitement we zealously scheduled these events every
idealists and those willing to step out on faith.
spring and autumn. Later, as momentum grew, we
We could count on our hands the number of gallery visitors at made the mature decision to present the Expo just
Largest frst. But by autumn we had begun to make headway. Customers once a year—in autumn (mid-November), consistent

came more frequently and often returned to the gallery noticeably
with our name, October Gallery (OG).
enthused. The newfound art expressions, clad in cultural heritage,
were a hit. We were grateful! Nine hundred people crammed into the frst event at
African- Mercer’s cousin, Donald Redcross, CPA (who in the 1980s owned the now defunct Dunfey Hotel on City Line Avenue in

Philadelphia. Several more of the early Expos were held
the nation’s second largest African-American accounting frm–Levy,
there as well. Later, we tried the University Sheraton
Redcross) was our business mentor. “Rent a hotel function room and Hotel (one year), the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel
American do something big,” he said. “Have a large party chock- full of people. (one year), Adams Mark Hotel (fve years), Pennsylvania

Give Philadelphia some pizzazz and thank the folk for their support.”

That’s exactly what we did. It was a “thank you party.” No admission Convention Center (three years) and the Philadelphia
Ad as it appeared in the Philadelphia Tribune
was charged. Tuesday, April 8, 1986. Marriott Hotel (two years). In 1998, PIAE moved
Art Expo University’s sports arena.
to its present venue, Te Liacouras Center, Temple

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