News
Philadelphia sculptor Winifred Lutz’s outdoor installation at the Abington Art Center opens September 8, 2012, in which she’ll uncover an abandoned 2000-square foot pool and cabana site in the Center’s Sculpture Park. Funded by the NEA, the unveiling of the pool is accompanied by an exhibition of Lutz’s work. Lutz had a previous outdoor installation in Abington’s woods. The exhibition runs September through November.
The ICA presents the “Happiness Modules,” a participatory lunchtime program led by professors Cassie Mogilner, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Wharton, and David Comberg, Lecturer, Design, Fine Arts. The two will guide participants in an examination of happiness across disciplines. The program is related to “The Happy Show” at ICA, an exhibition by transgressive graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister.
Gallery news – Old City Body Art Gallery ML is opening at a new location at 111 Arch Street. New to us House Gallery 1816 opens “Crackpot Realism,” featuring the abstract realist work of Jim Brossy, tonight, April 6 from 5 to 8. artblog fave Butch Cordora is curating shows at his gallery, Ven and Vaida! His first outing, opening tonight, is Adrian Abonce – You Are Beautiful, 15 black and white and color photos.
Carolee Schneeman, wonder woman of first wave feminism, is coming to Philadelphia on April 24 for a week of events hosted by the Slought Foundation and the College of Physicians, many of which are open to the public. “Utterly Precarious: Carolee Schneemann in 5 Parts” includes screenings of her film work, a public conversation with Christine Poggi of the University of Pennsylvania and Aaron Levy of Slought, a master class with students, a museum tour, and – to the joy of cat people – a party for cats on April 26th in honor of Schneemann’s feline companions Kitch, Cluny, Vesper and Minos. We hope the term “herding cats” won’t come into play here. Schneeman week in Philadelphia begin April 24. More information can be found on Slought’s event page.
It’s not a completely new idea but we like independent curator Jenny Lam‘s show I CAN DO THAT! at Variable Space in Chicago,which allows audiences to mess with the art on display and prove they really can do that (or not). We love this exhibition’s tongue-in-cheek commentary on rule-breaking and art criticism, and we hope to someday see a show like this in Philly!
The Leeway Foundation‘s newsletter this month is chock full of Leeway artists enjoying much success. Some examples: Cindi Burstein received a planning grant from the Fledgling Fund for her documentary, Concrete, Steel & Paint; and Beth Nixon gets a RETROSPECTACULAR! of the last twelve years of her work, curated by Sarah Lowry (ACG ’08). Congratulations to all!
In the media – The Quay Brothers, whose retrospective opens at MOMA in August. were featured in the Wall Street Journal March 30 in an article by Pia Catton. The brothers, who live in London, are UArts graduates and made a movie at the Mutter Museum that had its debut last year. Michael Kalmbach’s podcast discussion with Guillermina Gonzalez on Delaware State of the Arts, in which they discuss the Creative Vision Factory, is now available here.
Opportunities
The DCCA has a call for its annual Members Show. This year’s juror is Julien Robson, Curator of Contemporary Art, PAFA. The show runs June 15 to September 16. The postmark deadline for aplications is April 13. More info and submission guidelines here.
Eastern State Penitentiary’s call for artist installations for 2013 is out; the deadline for submissions is June 13. Guidelines can be found on ESP’s website.
Via the Leeway Foundation – Philly Parks and Recreation is looking for teaching artists for their summer camps to work with youth ages 8-17. They are specifically seeking artists who work in either painting, drawing, sculpture, or photography. Their deadline is May 7; for contact information, dates and more visit their site.
Big Art Show’s 2012 dates at Pterodactyl have been announced, and they are looking for artists and bands for these off-the-wall art parties, scheduled for April 28th, June 30th, and August 25th. More information about this year’s Big Art Show can be found at Pterodactyl’s site.
The Soap Factory, an experimental space in Minneapolis, is seeking artist submissions for their upcoming 2013 season; Artists from anywhere are encouraged to apply. The place seems Philly-like: no heat in the winter; no air conditioning in the summer; just a great big old space with enthusiastic hosts who run it. More information on their website.
NextFab, who recently opened their new flagship location on Washington Avenue, is calling for artwork and design products to be displayed at The NextFab 2 Preview Party on April 19th, 2012.
The Free Library of Philadelphia and Free University are offering a free, six-week writing course — focused on writing about music and film — at the Walnut Street West branch. Classes are taught by instructor Michael Tratner, Professor of English and Film Studies at Bryn Mawr. Classes run on Saturdays from 1-4pm, April 21-May 26. Call to register – 215 685 7671
Online printing company Next Day Flyers is hosting a contest for artists, in which thirty winners get a beautiful set of custom printed Postcard Portfolios to use for promoting their work. To enter, visit the Next Day Flyers site.
Via Wooloo – Art Takes Times Square is having an open call for artists. Brought to you by Chashama and the Times Square Alliance, you can create your free entry here and have a chance at seeing your work become part of an exhibition on the digital billboards of Times Square.
Banff Centre is offering the dreamiest front desk job we’ve seen in a while. Aside from living and working in an ideal location (the Rockies) and working with artists-in-residence, this position will also be responsible for the experience of all Banff Centre guests. Application can be found here.
Artist News
Three artists with Philly roots – Matt Savitsky’s show Room Face Realness opens this weekend at Helmuth Projects in San Diego; Bret Syfert’s recent online preview for his film “YES MAN!” was a success; and Bay Hallowell’s show CHAKRA CHIMES continues at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara through April 13.
We’re always looking for new Philadelphia artists who have previously flown under our radar, and local collective Johnny Everyman caught our attention. The group is in an upcoming Eleanor Heartney-curated exhibit at Chelsea’s Denise Bibro Fine Arts. Everyman’s painting, titled Obama Wants You!, is part of the show Petroleum Paradox, which opens May 24 and runs to June 23, 2012 , with a reception on Thursday, May 24th from 6-8:00 p.m.
Studio Incamminati fellow and friend Natalie Italiano is displaying work from her ongoing project “100 Alla Prima Portraits of Teenagers” at 149th Exhibition of Small Paintings at the Sketch Club on April 15. Using the contemporary realist style she’s crafted at Incamminati, she has taken portraiture, typically reserved for the wealthy, to another, more innovative place, capturing the lives and insights of her young subjects. Italiano’s blog chronicles the project’s process and her conversations with the teenage models. (She has already met her goal of 100 since starting in September 2010, and is aiming for another eight paintings).
