News

Douglas Witmer, in addition to a raft of new studio happenings, has a show of Recent Paintings at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts‘s Alumni Gallery. Opening on Wednesday, January 28, the exhibition runs through Sunday, April 12. Given the architectural challenges of the building, Doug writes, his collection is being prepared with the space in mind “and I’m looking forward to see how the interaction plays out when my 21st Century paintings meet a Victorian backdrop.” Us, too!

Leeway Transformation winner Annie Mok, with See-Through Girls at PhilaMOCA. Photo: CityPaper. — Leeway Transformation winner Annie Mok, with See-Through Girls at PhilaMOCA. Photo: Michael M. Koehler, CityPaper.

The Leeway Foundation gave out its 2014 Transformation Award recently, granting $135,000 to nine women and trans* artists from the Philadelphia region. They are:

Annie Mok of West Philadelphia, Literary Arts and Visual Arts

Debora Kodish of West Philadelphia, Folk Arts

Ezra Berkley Nepon of West Philadelphia, Performance and Literary Arts

Kariamu Welsh of Wyndmoor, Performance and Literary Arts

Michelle Myers of Camden Riverfront, Performance

O of North Philadelphia, Performance

Sara Zia Ebrahimi of Wyndmoor, Media Arts

Sosena Solomon of Fairmount, Media Arts and Visual Arts

Tokay Tomah of Upper Darby, Music and Folk Arts

The 2014 panel consisted of writer, editor and activist fayemi shakur; feminist and activist poet Lorna Dee Cervantes; performance artist and arts educator S.T. Shimi; media artist and documentarian Seyi Adebanjo; and media artist and previous Transformation Award recipient Yowei Shaw (LTA ’13, ACG ’13, ’12, ’11, ’10, ’09). Cultural strategist Sage Crump, facilitated the second stage panel. Congratulations to everybody involved!

via Robert Bullock – Greetings from Florida, says the Coalition Ingenu Self-taught Artists’ Collective. Since their relocation, we’ve been updated periodically with their happenings. Thanks to loyal supporters, they’ve been able to build, pay for the move and put on some shows, the first of which was the summer 2014 exhibit “A Whole ‘nother Story”

Opportunities

via Michael Carroll – The Gallery at New Boon(e) is looking for artists to submit work focused on the human figure to be a part of a salon-style show for the First Friday of June 2015. The exhibition aims to showcase the symbolic language, ethereal mystique, & constant inspiration the body holds for artists in a time when gender and self-image are being redefined. All media are welcome, there’s no entry fee and if you’re interested, contact Chris to schedule submission: CLSTRFX@iCLOUD.COM

The deadline to apply to Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture’s 2015 session is approaching. Offering a rigorous tradition of peer critique, site specificity, and experimentation, the nine-week program features mentorship with five resident and six visiting faculty members; applications are due February 1. Skowhegan admissions are need-blind, and financial aid is available for all who are accepted. Resident faculty include LaToya Ruby Frazier (Alum ’07), Neil Goldberg, Michelle Grabner, Odili Donald Odita, and Sarah Oppenheimer; visiting faculty include Julie Ault, Ryan Trecartin & Lizzie Fitch.

via Lillian Dunn – The Village of Arts and Humanities has an opportunity for SPACES Cycle 2, a six-month artist residency. Visiting artists live in a creatively restored row home and are paired with community members to design and enact a socially-transformative art project in the neighborhood. Artists receive a $15,000 honorarium, and the residency begins June 15, 2015. Applications are due on February 2, 2015.

Artist News

Zoe Strauss, "We'll Be Back," from Sea Change. Photo courtesy of the artist. — Zoe Strauss, “We’ll Be Back,” from Sea Change. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Sea Change, the post-climate change visions of Zoe Strauss, is opening at Haverford College. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication designed by Random Embassy, essays by Zoe, a poem by Thomas Devaney, and a gallery talk with Zoe, New Yorker contributing writer Mattathias Schwartz and Helen K. White, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Haverford College. The talk is scheduled for Friday, January 23, 2015, 4:30–5:30pm

Sarah Sze. Courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro. — Sarah Sze, Untitled (Days). Courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro.

Victoria Miro is holding an exhibition by Sarah Sze, the artist’s third solo show there, which encompasses all three spaces. This is her first presentation in Europe since representing the United States at the 2013 Venice Biennale. The show runs from 30 January–14 March 2015, with a private view on Thursday 29 January, 5–7pm.