Video: Liberty Bellows Info

If you are walking through the Philadelphia International Airport, you will quickly notice that there is an excellent display of accordions happening right now between Terminals A-East and B Ticketed passengers. If you are planning to travel, or just want to see the displays, I recommend stopping by to see the fascinating exhibit.

I was fortunate to be able to speak with Mike Bulboff, owner of Liberty Bellows and organizer of the accordion exhibit, and he answered all my questions:

How did you get to do the accordion display?
“The airport features different things that make Philadelphia special and knowing we had one of the few accordion stores in the area. they invited us to contribute a display.”

How long will the accordion display be there?
“This unique exhibition runs until the end of December 2022.”

Where is it located?
“It is located in the public space between Terminal A East and B. There are 40 accordions in the display.”

Are these accordions available for purchase?
“All of the accordions displayed are on the Liberty Bellows website and are for sale at the end of the year. “

Who is playing the most enjoyable accordion music in the display area?
“When you walk through the exhibit you will hear the music of Stas Culcicovschi, who is a teacher at Liberty Bellows. We welcome you all visit our store. Artist-in-residence Stanislav Culcicovschi teaches all levels of piano accordion, chromatic and diatonic button accordions, and concertinas. Stas won 1st Place U.S. Champion Senior Division 78th at the ATG Festival in 2018.”

The Airport’s Exhibitions Program is a nationally-recognized, award-winning visual arts initiative.  In 1998, Philadelphia International Airport established an Exhibitions Program – a visual arts initiative to humanize the Airport environment, provide visibility for Philadelphia’s unique cultural life, and to enrich the experience of the traveling public. The Exhibitions Program is responsible for organizing and presenting rotating exhibitions that are located throughout the Airport. The exhibits change throughout the year to provide a variety of educational and cultural programs. This forum for presenting visual arts attests to the Airport’s commitment to supporting arts and culture. The Exhibitions Program provides millions of visitors from around the world access to a wide variety of art forms by artists and arts institutions from the Philadelphia area.

Liberty Bellows, 614 S 2nd St.,Philadelphia, “Your One Stop Accordion Shop,” was founded by Mike Bulboff who became enamored with accordions after he discovered one in his father’s attic while he was in high school. His passion, that started out as a hobby, evolved into his life’s work and mission to introduce the once-popular instrument to a contemporary audience. Today, Liberty Bellows is considered to be one of the largest accordion stores in the United States with more than 1,000 accordions in its inventory.  

The shop specializes in several types of accordions including piano, chromatic, diatonic, and concertinas. To further Bulboff’s desire to popularize the accordion, Liberty Bellows also offers repair services, online and in-person lessons by the store’s artist-in-residence, along with online how-to video demonstrations. Bulboff said that the accordion is “used in all genres of music,” from classical to Cajun, folk, jazz, polka, Klezmer, pop, rock, tango, traditional Irish music, Zydeco, and more. By making the accordion more accessible and cultivating a community, Liberty Bellows is “committed to ensuring that the accordion will thrive for many generations to come.”

For more information: info@libertybellows.com