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To hex with it! Summer is the time to soak in the rays of sunshine, let your heart rate decelerate a little, and open your mind to fresh ideas. Art in the Age (116 N. 3rd Street) is a good place to start: now through August 2, the Old City contemporary artists’ collective-cum-alternative apparel and accessories store is hosting “HEX YES! A Brief History of Hex Signs and its Many Forms” for your viewing and musing pleasure.

The exhibition celebrates the hex sign, that astrological-meets-Native-American-like symbol emblazoned on Pennsylvania Dutch barns, as a historical motif and beacon of joyful expression. Who knew that the design adorned early Germanic homes in Pennsylvania, too? Learn about the ongoing debate over the hex sign’s true origins and signification, and view authentic hex sign-labeled objects courtesy of the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center in Pennsburg, PA.

Art in the Age’s philosophy, since its inception in 2006, of challenging the increasingly stale displays of art in modern society with “thought-provoking products of real cultural capital” rings true with this exhibit. If anything, you’ll leave with a fully-fed brain, armed with a conversation starter for your next awkward elevator encounter.

While you’re there, shop for art prints and music recordings from local groups, hand-crafted men’s and women’s apparel and body products, and Art in the Age’s own organic spirits like the “Root Tea” crafted in the style of pre-Prohibition liquor with North American herbs and pure cane sugar. After all, if you don’t try a bottle they might put a hex on you.

Art in the Age
116 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 922-2600
www.artintheage.com