News

David Lynch's self-explanatory Burn Pinecone and Throw in Your House. Photo: Galerie Karl Pfefferle, Munich, Germany. — David Lynch’s self-explanatory Burn Pinecone and Throw in Your House. Photo: Galerie Karl Pfefferle, Munich, Germany.

It’s not open until September 13, but David Lynch: The Unified Field at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is on the lips of many major institutions in the art world. From a Twin Peaks screening featuring actress Catherine E. Coulson to a short-film competition judged by Lynch and his studio, the exhibition has just about covered every way to engage with Lynch’s enigmatic and influential body of work. You can find a full program of both public and members-only events associated with the show at PAFA online.

When you’re the ICA, the revelry never ends. Fresh off their 50th anniversary celebration, the Institute of Contemporary Art (along with just about every other Philadelphia museum) is celebrating the Launch of Year Two of STAMP on Wednesday, August 20 with food, dancing and activities from 5-8 PM. Wednesday, you’ll note, is Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesday. An even better way to sweeten the deal, but don’t forget to RSVP.

Hopeful auction-goers at a last year's DesignPhiladelphia. Photo: Philadelphia Center for Architecture. — Hopeful auction-goers at a last year’s DesignPhiladelphia. Photo: Philadelphia Center for Architecture.

This week, we got excited to see a preview of the artists selected for the Reflecting Design Silent Auction, the main attraction of the 2014 PopUp Place Kick-Off Benefit and Party. Tasked with re-imagining a nondescript IKEA mirror for auction, the choices of Shelley Spector, Jack Larimore, Brownstein Group and David Fierabend of Groundswell are, however, just the beginning. The full list of artists is an even bigger treat:

RJ Thornburg & Warren Muller, bahdeebahdu
Beth Beverly, Diamond Tooth Taxidermy
Bluecadet
Brownstein Group
Dennis Haugh, Dennis Haugh Studio
David Fierabend, Groundswell
Brian Foster & Ernie Sesskin, Groundwork Home
Tyler Hays, BDDW
Carolyn Keer, Anthropologie
Kieran Timberlake Architects
Ray King
Jack Larimore
Kevin O’Brien, Kevin O’Brien Studio
Josh Otto, Otto Architects
Darin Rowland
Shelley Spector
Dom Streater
Adam Wallacavage
John Wind, Maximal Art

Isaiah Zagar, phillymagicgardens.org

Check out the design feed blog periodically, because they’ll be updating info about the events.

Opportunities

If you’re a fan of Finland’s new postage stamps, and/or want to take up explorations of sexuality in your artwork, this one’s for you: the Tom of Finland Foundation, which bolsters the careers of emerging queer artists, is holding its 10th annual competition. Juried by 10 ten major art-world figures (including Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, Eli Sudbrack and Christophe Hamaide-Pierson, Richard Hawkins, Bruce LaBruce, Helmut Lang, Linder, and A.L Steiner), the competition invites submissions from artists who . The grand prize winner receives an original Tom of Finland preparatory drawing, a complementary booth at the Tom of Finland Foundation Art Fair, foundation membership and exhibition opportunities; second and third place winners are also in the running for prizes. The rules state that any artist can apply, with the exception of previous winners of this competition, or artists who are already commercially selling work that portrays sexuality. The deadline for submissions is November 3, with the winners slated to be announced on December 3.

Not only the year’s first juried student show, Convergence is a collaboration between all five of Philly’s art schools. Their call for entries, which has a September 5 deadline, culminates in Convergence (September 19 – October 19, 2014), and plans on rotating the winning works amongst the schools at the beginning of each semester. First up is Tyler, hosting in January-February 2016. The RFP is open to all Certificate, BFA, MFA and Post-Bacc students at PAFA, Moore College of Art and Design, Tyler School of Art, The University of the Arts and The Art Institute of Philadelphia. Good news for the entry-fee-fatigued: there is NONE. For full detai. This event is planned to rotate amongst the schools and will happen at the beginning of each semester. Tyler will host in January/February 2016.

Artist News

New work by Charles Clary. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Charles Clary, who’s currently showing at Arch Enemy Arts, is soon headed to Pierogi Gallery in Williamsburg as a part of Pierogi XX: Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition. This one opens September 5 from 7-10 PM and runs exactly a month.

Joanie San Chirico has a solo show of work going up at Weil Cornell Medical Associates on the Upper East Side. From 8/21-10/20, two 30-foot walls are all hers.

As part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Fall 2014 Lecture Series, Theaster Gates, the William and Stephanie Sick Distinguished Professor is giving a lecture on Tuesday, September 2, 6pm at the Rubloff Auditorium.

In case you missed it…

Katie documented the Digital Revolution as seen at the Barbican.

Joshua read between the lines at FJORD.

Andrea took stock of the Barnes’ ongoing Matisse assessment.