News
A new painting by Andrew Conti is a fresh burst of green to start this week off right. This one is the penultimate in his series Viriditas, made of entrancing, robotic-inspired abstractions.
Kathryn Sclavi is working on a new social practice art piece to add to the Design Philadelphia roster. “Putting the Pieces Together – Creating a Community Tablecloth for Camden,” has found her creating a 100 foot long tablecloth with the help of 200 community members and a grant from Cooper’s Ferry Partnership. Tasked with coming up with some way to “connect the lots,” Sclavi envisioned her comically large tablecloth, made in an artistic process that serves as community action. Capped off with a dinner party on October 11, people get to vote on what happens to the tablecloth after the event; the options were decided upon by 4th and 5th graders, so you can only imagine the craziness that will result no matter what. RSVP if you’re interested, or you can text 97000 and write “night gardens.” The event is located here.
ARTnude Philly has released the list of artists participating in “The Body Edited”! Now in its third year, this event benefits the “Patient Special Needs Fund’ at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. ARTnude features a photo shoot features color-blocking designs painted onto nude volunteer models, some of whom are patients from the Abramson Cancer Center. Each color they are painted with represents an official cancer color with layers and patterns that are representations of that aesthetic.; 40% of art sales go directly to the Abramson Center. Hosted by James Oliver Gallery, this years’ opening party is on October 18 from 5-11 PM, and promises (in addition to the chosen artwork) live music and selected performances. The artists for this year’s edition are Melanie Eyth, Barbara Mimnaugh, Robert Darabos, Jenna Wilchinsky, Zhenya Grinshteyn, Kristin Schattenfield-Rein, Steph Fenimore, Susan DiPronio, Kori Moore, John Y Wind, IIlya Livshits, Wendee Koren, Nini Hansom, Leah Whiteman, Katie O’Neil, Asya Livshits, Peter Kelsey, Anita Wexler, Jessica Gamble, Alexandra Mosoeanu, Gaby Heit, Rebecca Robbins, Nick Brown, Jaimee Newman, and Jacqueline Davis Moranti. If you’ve not been to the previous two years’ events, don’t hesitate to buy your tickets.
As loath as we are to give attention to the vile creeps who did this, it’s affected a number of people who we support: Mostafa Heddaya of Hyperallergic reports that last Friday morning, three individuals vandalized works in a photography show titled “Material Evidence,” installed at 540 West Twenty-first Street; left leaflets containing anti-Putin and neo-Nazi slogans and imagery, and pepper sprayed the curator of the exhibition, Benjamin Hiller, a freelance photojournalist and writer. We’re told that the works defaced were photographs dealing with the current civil conflict in Ukraine, comprising work and physical artifacts from a multinational group of photojournalists (Russian, Ukrainian, French, and Spanish). The exhibition is staying on display, with increased security, through October 11. Our thoughts go out to Hiller and the folks who put this exhibition together.
A quick correction from Bridgette Mayer Gallery: there’s been some confusion regarding their upcoming show. New Works: Charles Burwell/Odili Donald Odita is now just New Works: Charles Burwell.
Opportunities
A great residency opportunity, with a deadline on December 7, the co-operatiative Recycled Artist In Residency (RAIR) exists to offer artists the chance to interface with a fully operating recycling center. Consisting of two programs – the Standard and the Biggie Shortie – RAIR is holding highly-encouraged informational tours every other Saturday of each month in September, October, and November; you can sign up at their website. Residents of both programs receive access to Revolution Recovery’s waste stream, and work closely with RAIR’s staff works closely with all residents, both while picking in the yard and in the studio.
The Department of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Design is looking for two full-time standing faculty positions in the areas of Sculpture and Video as a tenured or tenure-track appointment. Nominations and inquiries should be sent to: Fine Arts Standing Faculty Search, c/o Jane Irish, artadmin@design.upenn.edu, T +1 215 898 8374.
Artist News
It’s the last week to see Traces: Paintings and Prints by Kaitlin Pomerantz at at the Adjacent to Life pop-up gallery housed in Ninth Street Espresso. Check it out before it closes on October 10, 2014.
Kim Beck’s work Medal Maker is included in Monument to Cold War Victory, organized by Yevgeniy Fiks and Stamatina Gregory opening at The Cooper Union this week. This creation, a Press-A-Penny machine to create medals for self-identifying and under-recognized Cold War Vets, involves the viewer to actively participate in acknowledging In the ideal setting, Medal Maker would sit prominently on a pedestal such that the veteran, stepping up to make a medal, would take the place of the usual cast-bronze statue.
With artists such as Theaster Gates and Omer Fast on the shortlist, 2014’s Artes Mundi 6 exhibition and prize are definitely something to keep on your radar. Held at the National Museum Cardiff, Chapter Arts Centre and ffotogallery from October 24, 2014 to February 22, 2015, this leading UK art prize’s biennial event features city-wide performance, music, site-specific installations, film, lectures and seminars based around the exhibition and prize.
