Philly News Briefs: 7/6/15

1.) An exhibit on the painting style Impressionism is coming to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This will be the only United States showing of “Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel and the New Painting,” and the exhibit will be on display until the middle of September. Paul Durand-Ruel was an art dealer who enthusiastically championed Impressionism in the face of public ridicule when the style was new and unpopular. Some 90 Impressionist masterpieces are in the exhibit, including works by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Mary Cassatt, and many more. Admission is $20, with discounts for students and seniors.

Andrea Bocelli will perform for Pope Francis in September.

2.) As per a new city law, Airbnb rentals are legal in Philadelphia – and now they are subject to a hotel tax in the same way as other lodgings. This happened just in time for two major events in the city: the Pope’s visit in September and the Democratic National Convention next year. With more than 1.5 million visitors expected to descend upon the city for the former event alone, it’s expected that some of them will be utilizing home rentals through services like Airbnb. It’s interesting to note that Airbnb is illegal in many cities, but it is on home owners to check the legality for their area before posting a rental.

3.) Famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will sing for the pope when he comes to visit in September. Bocelli will perform at the World Festival of Families, which is scheduled to be held September 26th on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Colombian pop star Juanes will also be present to perform.