Pepperpot

Pepper pot soup is an essential dish with a heritage stretching back 250 years and beyond to Philadelphia's historic marketplaces. Under the guidance of jazz artist V. Shayne Frederick, Pepper Pot is a multimedia, intergenerational celebration weaving live music, poetry, and speculative portraits of the unsung chefs who sang their wares through the city's streets.

Initially conceived by the late interdisciplinary artist Homer Jackson with Chef Valerie Erwin and illustrator Eric Battle, this 2026 presentation is developed in close conversation with Jackson's widow Lynn Washington and culture worker Asake Denise Jones. Expect new music from composer Dr. Kendra Butler-Waters inspired by American Folk, Blues, and Afro-Caribbean traditions; new poetry drawn from the songs of historic urban merchants, portraits from Eric Battle, and an authentic pepper pot food service by Chef Valerie Erwin.