Here's something to supplement a more somber story we published about Kensington this week:

The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (PPAC) is collecting photos from Kensington residents (South Kensington, specifically) for a group exhibition called the Philly Block Project.

Divided into three parts, the exhibit will showcase "a visual narrative" using neighbor-sourced photos as well as some from photographer Hank Willis Thomas and other artists. The preface to the exhibit opens Thursday, March 10, at Photo Arts Center, 1400 N. American St. The collected three parts of the exhibition will be on display come summer. 

Beyond the visual narrative bit, PPAC founder Sarah Stolfa hopes the exhibit will display some of the aesthetic stereotypes about the neighborhood (read: blight, drug use, crime).

“I think the people who come to Kensington to photograph come with an agenda; to photograph urban blight,” Stolfa told Philly Mag. “It’s not real — it’s not the whole picture, it’s not coming from the people.”

South Kensington (which begins is bordered by Fishtown and Northern Liberties) has seen more recent investment than other parts of the neighborhood. Stolfa also hopes the project will capture some of the changes happening there.

Philly Mag has a full write-up on the project.