NEWS

Pair Jerry Saltz, everyone’s most beloved (or disliked, Robert Storr?) art critic with Baltimore stand up comic Stavros Halkias and let them talk about a bunch of things like art, humor, performance, criticism and what do you get? A little anarchism, a little fun.  Organized by the nomadic museum in Baltimore, The Contemporary, under their “Talking Shop” speaker series, Humor + Absurdity, moderated by Contemporary Business Manager Lu Zhang, Sept. 30, 7-9PM, Baltimore.  More information at their website, and, fyi, all talks are recorded for people who can’t actually attend. http://www.contemporary.org/

And in other Contemporary news, the transcript for an online chat room discussion I was in with a bunch of other arts writers to discuss art writing is online now:  (Ahem, scroll down) http://www.contemporary.org/scroll/bound/

The Pope Ride!

Bike the streets where the cars can’t go!
Sat, Sept. 26, 2015, 10AM
Meet at the Porch at 30th St. Station

Here’s the route: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/808867699
1.3k people say they are going!  It’s not a race but a leisurely ride and organizers are hoping for an orderly, polite ride, with bikers making room for important (official, emergency, police) vehicles to get through when necessary. More information:

https://www.facebook.com/events/410101982508837/

Sad news about another big loss to the Philadelphia art scene-Daniel W. Dietrich, patron of the arts, dies.

From the Institute of Contemporary Art

The Institute of Contemporary Art mourns the loss of Daniel W. Dietrich II (1941–2015). Named an ICA Director Emeritus in 2014, he endowed the museum directorship currently held by Amy Sadao and had served continuously on ICA’s Board since 1970.

Dan was an unparalleled patron of the performing, written, and visual arts, in Philadelphia, New York, and beyond at cultural institutions including the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania (ICA), the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Wellin Museum at Hamilton College, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Colorado Mahlerfest, WHYY, Philadelphia Theater Company, and American Poetry Review.

He was a scholar and collector of influential contemporary American Art, with a profound interest in Marsden Hartley, Neysa Grassi, Edwin Dickinson, Edward Hopper, Barnett Newman, Cy Twombly, Philip Guston, Paul Thek, Warren Rohrer, Jennifer Bartlett, Eileen Neff, Horace Pippin, and Agnes Martin. He described his collecting focus as “American with spiritual influences.”

This winter, he transformed ICA’s curatorial research and artists’ inquiry with a $10M endowment gift. Dan was fond of comparing ICA to an inchworm, following an Albert P. Ryder quote, “Have you ever seen an inchworm crawl up a leaf or twig, and there clinging to the very end, revolves in the air, feeling for something to reach? That’s like me. I am trying to find something out there beyond the place on which I have a footing.”

He is survived by his sons, William S. Hildreth (Ryan C. Cooke), Daniel W. Dietrich III (Yuehling Dietrich), and Adam Dietrich. He is also survived by his personal and romantic partner of recent years, Deborah Ullman, of Orleans, MA.

SMALL FIRE BIG HAMMER COMES DOWN ON 915 Spring Garden Studios

via Philly.com:

A small, smoky fire, quickly put out by firefighters using an extinguisher on Wednesday afternoon, has led to the immediate closure of 915 Spring Garden St., a large old Reading Railroad building that has held about 100 artist studios for more than three decades.
The fire, caused by a refrigerator on the fourth floor of the five-story building, led to minimal damage, but inspectors from the Fire Department and the Department of Licenses and Inspections toured the building Thursday morning and ordered immediate evacuation, stunning artists who have used the building without incident for years.

Steven Donegan, an artist who began managing the building as studio space in 1981 and manages leases for the owner, said L&I has regularly inspected the building over the years and had never issued a citation or noted a violation.

The website currently lists an outstanding violation for uncut weeds on the building grounds. No actual building violations are mentioned.
Cameron said closure of the building, which offers low-cost studios, would leave “a huge hole in the arts community, massive.”

More here:
http://www.915studios.com/http___915studios.com/915_Studios.html

Mt. Airy Arts Garage holds Artbash fundraiser for new home

ARTBASH on SATURDAY SEPT 19, 6PM, launches Mt. Airy Arts Garage’s campaign to find a new home. The community arts venue learned in August that their lease would expire and not be renewed August, 2016, so they’re looking for new digs.

At the Artbash, James Dupree will be awarded the Artist Trailblazer award.  Dupree recently won his fight against eminent domain for his Mantua studios. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1461871210789250/

Curate This! debuts

The new online arts magazine Curate This just launched!  Check it out here: http://curatethisphilly.com/ Congratulations to co-founders, Amanda Wagner and Julius Ferraro!

OPPORTUNITIES

Vox Populi gallery is now accepting applications for internships in the following areas: Exhibitions; Development and Special Events. Vox Populi interns play a vital role in the operation and development of the organization. An internship at Vox Populi provides exposure to the world of contemporary art from an alternative, collective perspective for those who are considering a future in the visual arts as an artist, curator, or administrator. Interns work closely with the Executive Director, Performance Coordinator and artist membership on all aspects of gallery management to contribute to the daily functioning of the gallery. Interns must be able to commit for a minimum period of three months. No interns will be accepted for shorter periods. Applications will be accepted until positions are filled. Please consult the following position descriptions for requirements and how to apply: http://voxpopuligallery.org/news/internships/

ARTIST NEWS

Artblog favorite, Jeanne Jaffe has a show coming up at Rowan University Art Gallery that we are very excited about.  The exhibit, Elegy for Tesla, runs from Sept. 14-Jan. 30, 2016 with artist’s talk, panel discussion and reception Thursday, Oct. 8, 5-8PM. Jaffe has made a multi-media, motion-activated installation that reviews the arc of the life of brilliant but tragic inventor Nikola Tesla.  Jaffe worked with engineers at Rowan to create complex, animatronic puppets. More here: www.rowan.edu/artgallery.

Doodle Day at Temple Contemporary, with Isaac Lin
Thursday, September 10, 11am – 6pm 
Former Space 1026’er now represented by Fleisher-Ollman Gallery Isaac Lin will be at Temple Contemporary doodling all day on September 10. Also on display throughout the day will be the doodles of former presidents including Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson.