What: Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris exhibition
Where: The Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA
When: Wednesday, February 26 through Sunday, April 25
Why: Picasso. Paris. Artsy expats: all combine to create a sweeping museum show. The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s exhibition begins in 1904 with a restless young Pablo Picasso, who at age 23 decided to move to Paris, during its bohemian and cultural heyday. There, he met up with fellow artists like Georges Braque and Juan Gris, and together they formed a lively, avant-garde society known as the School of Paris. They bantered about in smoke-filled cafes with other creative sorts, drinking absinthe and debating life, art, politics, and everything in between.
The artists’ shared philosophies influenced each other’s works, which is a concept explored in the museum’s exhibition. Some of Picasso’s most pioneering paintings (Self-Portrait with Palette, Man with a Guitar), sculptures, and drawings are set among that of his contemporaries, in a series of 11 galleries. It’s the first time many of these pieces have been seen together, connecting the visual dots between techniques that would lead to Collage, Cubism, and Surrealism.
The “Salon Cubism” gallery is particularly cool to explore as it partially recreates the famous Salon d’Automne of 1912, when the Parisian public got their first glimpse of Cubism. Here, you’ll find Marcel Duchamp’s controversial Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2) with its disconnected planes and fragmented lines, which critics compared to an “explosion in a shingle factory.”
You wind down in the “Death and Sacrifice” gallery, and as you can guess from its name, it’s not a happy ending. It highlights works by Picasso and others during the German occupation of Paris, at the start of the second World War. Picasso’s Man with a Lamb is a tension-filled depiction of strife and suffering. And his Black Pitcher and Skull speaks for itself as quite, er, bleak. But who needs everything tied up neatly with a bow? This kind of ending leaves you wanting to talk about the art, which is exactly the point.
Bonus features: Check out the museum’s online gallery guide, which replaces the traditional bound book for the exhibition, thereby saving thousands of trees. It links you to the virtual gallery where you can re-visit all the masterpieces (no lines!), read more about the works, and watch videos from the museum’s director, curator, and conservationist from your iPhone or laptop.
Cost: Adults, $20; Students and youth (13-18), $16; Kids (5-8), $7; Children under 4, free
How to get there: Consult the Philadelphia Transportation guide in the Transportation Advisor section of offManhattan. (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 215.763.8100, philamuseum.org)
Consider staying overnight, as many Philadelphia hotels are offering discounted rates. Preferred hotel packages include one night accommodation, two VIP tickets to Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris exhibition, and other perks. For information on these packages, visit the philamuseum.org.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
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Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram