Sarah O’Donnell’s mountain lodge from The Shining at Little Berlin, June 2008
Little Berlin’s founders Martha Savery and Kristen Neville-Taylor put out a call for members a while back to mix it up a bit and push their space forward. I talked with Savery by phone last week and she explained the move as a desire to bring in new energy, ideas and hands to help run the gallery. Yesterday LB announced the names of their new team, some of whom have LB affiliations (having shown there or curated there) and some of whom are new names.
Little Berlin the collective
Robert “Tim” Pannell
Tyler Kline
Masha Badinter
Alex Gartlemann
Beth Heinly*
Kristen Neville-Taylor
Sam Belkowitz
Martha Savery
Tyler Kline’s installation in April 2008
It’s a great list of names and a dynamic team to lead the space forward.
The new members will be artist-curators who will operate collectively on what’s shown at LB, says Savery. “They’re not expected to do the usual show-and-tell art work but will have a say in what we do as an organization…It will be good getting people in on the ground level. We’re viable here…Both Philadelphia and Little Berlin could become a destination.”
There will be a monthly membership feel ($25 or so). And right now Savery said they are doing renovations on the area that was her studio to make it a communal work space for members. (A glass artist and sculptor, Savery is doing more 2-D work now and doesn’t need “so much of the big bulky” stuff in her studio).
Martha Savery with sound sculptures by work by Michael McDermott and Michael Murray, Nov. 2008
LB will continue much as they have been operating since they opened. “Each month there will be a different curator…but [the show will be] determined by members and voted on.”
Meanwhile, Savery told me she is job hunting. “The recession stole my job,” she said. She worked for a book binding studio…rare books…”it depends on very wealthy people” who apparently are not binding many books these days.
Bardo Pond playing at the opening of the September 2008 exhibit.
There will be a new members show in March…a group show with all members. Alex Gartelmann is curating the April show in conjunction with Philadelphia Sculptors (the show will have a catalog published by PS).
From the email announcing the new team:
I feel that this small and dedicated group of artist/curators will become a powerhouse for contemporary art in Philadelphia. We know the challenges and rewards of running an alternative exhibition space, and feel strongly about the importance of a place like little berlin in Philadelphia. We are putting curatorial innovation at the top of our priority list, and by doing so, hope to have a large impact in making Philadelphia a destination for contemporary art lovers and artists.
Look out for our new website featuring information about each of our members, archives of our previous shows, and a calendar of upcoming events!
Best,
Martha
—
little berlin
an undefined exhibition space
119 West Montgomery
Philadelphia PA, 19122
free and open to the public
Saturdays 12-5pm
or by appointment
(610) 308 0579
——
*Beth Heinly is our beloved and super-duper artblog ad coordinator!!
