NEWS
Leeway Foundation announced $54,975 in grants to 26 women and trans artists and cultural producers in Greater Philadelphia, supporting their work to address a range of social change issues. Special shout outs to Artblog favorites Betty Leacraft, Catherine Pancake, Courtney Bowles, Linda Fernandez!!!
Leeway’s Art and Change Grant provides project-based funds of up to $2,500 to women and trans artists and cultural producers who: propose a project that impacts a larger group, audience or community; have financial need; and live in the Delaware Valley area. The grant supports artists practicing a variety of disciplines including performance, crafts and textiles, and visual arts.
Art and Change Grants are distributed twice a year and evaluated by an independent peer review panel. The August 2016 review panel consisted of playwright and devised theater maker MJ Kaufman (ACG ‘13), educator and community organizer Rochelle Nichols-Solomon, and folklorist and curator Selina Morales.
The following 26 artists were awarded grants (in alphabetical order):
Anne Harrison of South Philadelphia and Linda Fernandez of West Philadelphia, Multi- Disciplinary
Betty Leacraft of North Philadelphia, Crafts & Textiles/ Visual Arts
Catherine Pancake of Cedar Park, Media Arts/ Music
Courtney Bowles of Kingsessing, Multi – Disciplinary
Cynthia Dewi Oka of Collingswood, Literary Arts/Performance
Debbie Rudman of Kensington, Media Arts
Dena Underwood of Italian Market, Music/Performance
Diane Monroe of East Norriton, Music/ Performance
Emily Bunker of Fishtown, Media Arts/Crafts & Textiles
Fatu Gayflor of Upper Darby, Folk Art/Music
Jai Arun Ravine of West Philadelphia and Coda Wei of Upper Darby, Media Arts/Performance
JD Stokely of West Philadelphia, Performance
Kay Wood of Mount Airy, Media Arts
Lauren Vargas of Hunting Park, Visual Arts
Li Sumpter of Abington, Multi -Disciplinary
Mayada of Northeast Philadelphia, Visual Arts/ Folk Art
Nanci Hersh of New Garden, Visual Arts/ Literary Arts
Pia Deas of Art Museum, Media Arts
Romeeka Williams of North Philadelphia, Literary Arts
Shivon Pearl Love of Brewerytown and Khaliah Pitts of East Mount Airy, Folk Art/Literary Arts
Tessa of Southwest Philadelphia, Visual Arts/Media Arts
Yasmine Awais of West Powelton
K.C. Wuebbling of Cedar Park, Visual Arts/Literary Arts
Amanda Silberling of the group “We Are Watching” wrote to tell us about their campaign on the UPenn campus to raise awareness of date rape, sexual assault, sexual harrassment and other concerns, which are always topical but especially so in this election year. From Amanda’s email:
…I am a junior at Penn studying English and Fine Arts. I found out about Artblog as an intern at the Institute of Contemporary Art (I saw you recently reviewed The Freedom Principle, too!), and I really respect your commitment to covering the Philadelphia art scene.
On Tuesday, the final day to register to vote in PA, a non-Penn affiliated art collective that I co-organize called “We Are Watching” launched a massive public art protest on campus called “Your Body, Your Ballot.” Our goals were to encourage voter registration (we had voter registration forms on-site), show how Trump’s rhetoric endangers us, support people whom Trump’s campaign has maligned, and to illustrate the powerful nature of public art installation.
We Are Watching formed after, as a group of friends, we organically and spontaneously plastered campus with hundreds of flyers declaring “This is what rape culture looks like” in response to a predatory email that a fraternity sent to freshman women.
One of the best-kept secrets of Philadelphia-area art is the annual Art Ability Exhibit, a juried show with more than $7000 in prizes! A project of Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, this year is the 21st iteration of the exhibition. (An aside, I was a juror in 2015, along with Anthony Vega and Deirdre Murphy. It was such a great experience to see all the work by the artists!). From Sherman Fleming, the Art Ability Curator:
The 2016 Award Judges were Stacie Brennan, Senior Director for the Visual Arts, ArtsQuest; Ernel Martinez, Co-founder, Amber Art; Lisa Murch, Director of Education Programs, City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, who looked at 400 entries of art by nearly 200 artists. There were 7 prize categories defined by medium as well as by a special theme, “Water”. In addition, each judge selected their favorite work and collaboratively they chose a “Best in Show”. Winning artists will receive cash prizes ranging from $50 to $1,000. Through generous donations from members of the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital community, board and staff, Art Ability awards these prizes totaling over $7,000.
…In its twenty-first year, Art Ability will open with a Preview Reception on Saturday, November 5 at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, in Malvern. To buy tickets for this event, contact the Art Ability Office at 484.596.5425. Beginning Sunday, November 6, the Art Ability Exhibition and Sale will be open daily and is free to the public through January 29, 2017.
—Through the generous support of The William Penn Foundation, Art Ability is now able to offer an online sales gallery that provides the opportunity to view works for sale from our consignment inventory. Connect… Shop… Support at www.art-ability.org. For more information about Art Ability 2016, including group tours and the Preview Reception, please contact the Art Ability Office at 484.596.5607 or visit mainlinehealth.org/ArtAbility.
Kutztown, so near (and maybe not) so far, has a show of Philly painters:
PHILADELPHIA PAINTERS exhibition in the Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery at Kutztown University runs Oct 20 – Nov 20, and opens with a public reception Thursday Oct 20 from 4-6pm.
The exhibit was curated by KU painting professor Mark Mahosky and features prominent Philadelphia painters Arden Bendler Browning, Charles Burwell, Meghan Cox, Sarah Gamble, Barry Goldberg, Neysa Grassi, Jane Irish, Sarah McEneaney, John Moore, Quentin Morris, Michelle Oosterbahn, Bruce Pollock, Celia Reisman, Stuart Shils, Becky Suss, Jackie Tileston, Isaac Tin Wei Lin, Joan Wadleigh Curran, and Justin Webb.
Four of the painters will be giving public lectures about their work.
Sarah McEneany will speak on Tuesday, November 1;
Celia Reisman will speak on Monday, November 7;
Stuart Shils will speak on Monday, November 14 and
Jane Irish will speak on Wednesday, November 16.All talks will be held at 6:30 p.m. in room 120 of the Sharadin Art Building at Kutztown University and are free and open to the public.
Congratulations, Sarah Archer, on your new book, “Midcentury Christmas,” at bookstores (and online) Oct. 18! From Sarah:
You can find it (“Midcentury Christmas”) on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, and in the museum shops at the Met, MoMA, the PMA, and the Cooper Hewitt. If you’re in New York or Philadelphia this fall, I hope you’ll join me for the festivities! More events are in the works as I type, so stay tuned for updates by following along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Thursday, Oct. 20: Alumni book panel at the Bard Graduate Center (for BGC alums) with me and Brian Gallagher, author of British Ceramics 1675–1825: The Mint Museum, moderated by Professor Paul Stirton, 38 West 86th Street, 6–7:30 pm. RSVP to Dean Elena Simon atsimon@bgc.bard.edu.
Thursday, Dec. 8: Book talk and signing at the American Philosophical Society, 104 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 5:30-7:30pm
Friday, Dec. 9: Join me at the impeccably midcentury-chic ReGeneration Furniture gallery for a holiday book party with period-appropriate food and drink! (RSVP sarah.archer@gmail.com), 38 Renwick Street, NYC, 6-9pm
Saturday, Dec. 10: Modern ornament-making workshop and book signing at The Clay Studioduring Handcrafted Holidays, 137-139 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, 12pm
Sunday, Dec. 11: Book talk and signing at the Tredyffrin Library, 582 Upper Gulph Road, Strafford, PA, 1:30pm
OPPORTUNITIES
Via Kimberly Camp, an RFP for marketing program for Camden Fireworks
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
CAMDEN FIREWORKS
MARKETING
DEADLINE OCTOBER 29, 2016The Camden FireWorks is seeking proposals from companies/individuals to market its artist studios to regional communities towards filling the newly renovated facility.
The Camden FireWorks builds on the momentum of an arts renaissance in Waterfront South Camden, NJ, already well advanced, and forms a crucial part of a future artistic and commercial corridor in South Camden. Housed in an 1880’s Camden City Firehouse located at 1813 Broadway in Camden, the newly renovated facility features eight artist studios with rents that range from $125 to $360 per month. Artists who apply for studios are asked to complete an application which is reviewed by a selection committee comprised of artists and members of the board of directors.
The 100 year-old firehouse includes a public programming space suitable for exhibitions, meetings, receptions and other events. It also includes a 1960a VanderCook Proof Press which may also be available for rent.
The Camden Fireworks marketing goal is to ensure that diverse artists in the region are aware of the availability of studios and that they have opportunity to apply for consideration. Print, broadcast and digital social media campaigns should include but be limited to the Delaware Valley, with particular emphasis on the residents of Camden and Southern Jersey. We want to ensure that artists from all walks of life are given opportunity to apply.
Distribution of materials developed should include, but are not limited to:
• Visual artists in Camden, Philadelphia and surrounding areas
• Art supply stores
• Visual arts organizations/studios
• Art galleries
• Artist cooperatives
• Art education organizations including post-secondary institutions.Proposals should include how the funds will be used, name(s) and resumes of those individuals who will be responsible for completing the work, methods and strategies for reaching diverse communities, methods to be used for distribution, use of social media, timeline for completion, two meetings with the board of directors to report interim and final results, written report of interim and final results, and references. In-kind additional services will receive extra points in the rating of all applications. The budget for the project is $5000.
Proposals are due no later than October 29, 2016, and can be submitted electronically to: mailto:camdenfireworksart@gmail.com
Via Caitlin Palmer of Savery Gallery, artist studios available!
Located in a renovated factory building, these professional studio and workspaces are complete with 10 ft ceilings, floor to ceiling sheetrock, ample electrical outlets, heat and a/c, wifi, and access to lavatories and washroom. Fresh paint before move in!
Studio E: ~ 75 sq. ft, $250/month + utilities AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY
Studio F: ~ 200 sq. ft, $600/month + utilities AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELYStudios can be shared, and are rented on flexible lease terms. Additional furnishings, if needed, can be negotiated.
The building, already a hub for artists and creative professionals to practice their craft, is centrally located in a rapidly regenerating section of Philadelphia. Close to public transportation and I-95.
For more information, photos, or to schedule a tour of the spaces, please contact us by calling 267-687-7769, or emailing gallery@saverygallery.com
