As the temperatures climb into the forties and the days grow longer, there is a lot to look forward to this Spring here in Philly. In addition to walking without slipping on black ice, or listening to music in a park, Covid-19 cases are going down, and new artist opportunities available and compelling virtual events are popping up.
By now we’ve all heard of the term “Zoom fatigue” and/or felt its ill effects, but it seems a small price to pay when it comes to these upcoming events. Philly is made up of outstanding artists and thinkers that radiate creative and collaborative spirit. Artblog recently held “Office Hours” at Virtual First Thursday, where Marguerita Hagan called socializing with artists and seeing art “a different type of intoxication.” I agree. I’ll take Zoom fatigue in the short-term when the longterm trade-off is creative energization and social fulfillment.
Catch up with the latest at Artblog and browse this brief list of artist opportunities, virtual events, and Artblog posts in the pipeline. We hope you enjoy it!
ARTBLOG ANNOUNCEMENTS
Alex Smith and reek bell appear in ‘Isolation Street: A Zine of Arts and Culture in Quarantine’
Artblog contributors, artists, and creative writers Alex Smith and reek bell both appear in the very first issue of new arts & culture zine Isolation Street: A Zine of Arts and Culture in Quarantine!
The zine is made by Ian McDeath. To order a copy, send $5 to Venmo: @Isolation-street and include your mailing address in the payment description. (We recommend you change the privacy settings of the payment to “private” when doing so.)
Kemuel Benyehudah represented Philly Artblog at the 2021 Digital Rally for Philly Arts
Artblog contributor Kemuel Benyehudah spoke eloquently about his investment in the arts and specifically Philadelphia arts, and read an excerpt from his excellent essay Reimagine our schools as a school-to-museum pipeline for Black students. While the livestream event has passed (it occurred on February 9th & 10th, 2021) you can see a recording of Kem’s appearance on Power Street Theatre’s Youtube. Skip to 5:32:50 to find Kem!
Logan Cryer’s first episode hosting Artblog Radio is out now
Artblog contributor Logan Cryer is hosting select episodes of Artblog Radio in 2021. Their first episode was released on February 11, 2021, and if you missed it we highly recommend checking it out! Logan speaks with Jordan Deal, emerging interdisciplinary artist, about their current exhibition Hissed gently in silence, a dream of Flight.
You can catch Hissed gently in silence, a dream of Flight, works by Jordan Deal, Joy Feasley, and Paul Swenbeck, at Fleisher-Ollman through March 13, 2021. Reserve a socially distanced visit here!
OPPORTUNITIES
Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists – Mural Arts – Deadline: Feb. 28, 2021
The Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists is designed to fund, foster and elevate the important work of Black artists residing within the City of Philadelphia. The 2020 fellowship cohort included painters, photographers, glass blowers, filmmakers and more!
This Fellowship will support 20 artists of any medium with $2,000 in unrestricted funding. Mural Arts will highlight Fellows across our channels, and connect them to a network of local and international artists. Fellows also receive Financial Planning sessions courtesy of sponsor TD Bank as well as dedicated evaluative sessions with curators from Rush Arts Philadelphia, HAHA Magazine, and StreetsDept.com to assess individual needs.
Applications due by Sunday, February 28, 2021.
Awardees will be contacted by April 30, 2021.
Open Call, Group Exhibition – AUTOMAT – Deadline: Mar. 12, 2021
AUTOMAT is now accepting submission for their 2021 Open Call exhibition. Open to artists working in any medium in the Philadelphia region and beyond. This group exhibition will be curated by our members and will feature 4-6 artists and will run from April 2 – 29, 2021. Please see submission requirements [on AUTOMAT’s website] to apply.
NOTE: While there will be no formal opening for the exhibition we plan to have open gallery hours on the weekends and by appointment as well as digital exhibition components.
Submission Deadline: March 12
Notification of Acceptance: March 19
VIRTUAL EVENTS
All of the following virtual events are free to attend.
In Conversation: Jessica Vaughn & Nikil Saval, Moderated by Meg Onli – ICA – Feb. 26, 6:30 PM
Join us for a conversation between artist Jessica Vaughn, Andrea B. Laporte Associate Curator at Philadelphia ICA, Meg Onli, and Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval, whose book Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace was a critical piece of text used by Vaughn as she formulated the concepts for the exhibition [Jessica Vaughn: Our Primary Focus Is To Be Successful].
This program is free and open to the public, and will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Live captioning will be provided. Registration required.
Jessica Vaughn: Our Primary Focus Is To Be Successful, Feb. 26– May 9, 2021, Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania
Curator/Artist Talk with Dara Haskins and Chelsey Luster – Da Vinci Art Alliance – Feb. 26, 7:00 PM
Join curator Chelsey Luster and artist Dara Haskins for a conversation on Instagram Live where they will discuss the current exhibition at DVAA, Sanctuary: An Exploration of Queer Safe Havens. Access the conversation at @ChelseyLusterArt
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:
Sanctuary: An Exploration of Queer Safe Havens explores safe spaces and personal sanctuaries through Queer POC artworks. This exhibition gives the viewer an opportunity to look into the most vulnerable and intimate spaces that these artists create for themselves and others in their community. This exhibition presents the reality that we all build a space that protects us from the harshness and tragedies of the world; some of these spaces are filled with others that share our identities and sometimes we are in these sanctuaries alone. This reality brings us closer together in a time where we are divided.This exhibition showcases the works of Rick Vaughn, Autumn Wallace, Dara Haskins, Pablo Alarcón Jr., Jungmok Yi, and the members of the Somatic Stories Project. “Sanctuary” creates a space for artists to show why developing a safe haven is so important for one’s well being. Sanctuary: An Exploration of Queer Safe Havens will take place at the Da Vinci Art Alliance from February 18th- March 7th.
Sanctuary: An Exploration of Queer Safe Havens, Feb. 18- Mar. 7th, Da Vinci Art Alliance
Black History Month Art Auction – Instagram (@PhillyArtJawn) – Feb. 26, 8:00 PM
Philly Art Jawn (@phillyartjawn) will be hosting a Black History Month art auction, taking place on Instagram on February 26th at 8:00pm EST, featuring the artwork of several local artists in Philadelphia.
We will be welcoming Philadelphia-based artists* and Walls For Justice founder, Samuel Rodriguez as co-curator for the 2021 virtual art auction. Samuel Rodriguez began Walls For Justice as protests supporting the Black Lives Matter movement began to gain traction, as a way to unite members of the Philadelphia community through the painting of murals. As peaceful protests continue and our city rebuilds, Rodriguez’s initiative works with local businesses affected by the protests who wish to use their storefronts as canvases to support the BLM movement and to spread messages of unity.
The online auction will take place on Friday, February 26th, and it will end on Sunday, February 28th, 2021. 50% of the proceeds directly fund Walls For Justice, a group of artists and community members who beautify boarded-up storefronts in Philly. An additional 50% will be going to the featured artists.
[ED. Note: See bottom of this post for the full list of participating artists and for more information from the organizers.]
Sharing Notes: Personal Narratives from the Philadelphia Arts Community – List Gallery – Mar. 15, 2021; Apr. 19, 2021; May 3, 2021
The List Gallery is pleased to announce Sharing Notes: Personal Narratives from the Philadelphia Arts Community, a four-part virtual lecture series highlighting individuals who have been making important contributions to the arts in the Philadelphia area. The distinguished speakers will share insights about how they have navigated the art world and discuss how the pandemic has led to innovative programming and strategies at their respective institutions. The List Gallery is honored to feature: Christina Vassallo, executive director of the Fabric Workshop and Museum; Ricky Yanas, artist, educator and co-founder of Ulises bookshop and curatorial platform; Jennifer-Navva Milliken, artistic director of the Center for Art in Wood; and Elizabeth Spungen, executive director of the Print Center, Philadelphia.
Register:
- Ricky Yanas, Artist, Educator and Co-Founder of Ulises – March 3, 2021, 5:30 PM
- Jennifer-Navva Milliken, Artistic Director, Center for Art in Wood – April 19, 2021, 5:30 PM
- Elizabeth Spungen, Executive Director, The Print Center, Philadelphia – May 3, 2021, 5:30 PM
[ED. Note: List Gallery’s talk by Christina Vassallo has already passed, occurring February 22nd at 5:30 PM.]
POSTS IN THE PIPELINE
Natalie Sandstrom reviews ‘Studio Olafur Elliasson: The Kitchen‘
Like many during this pandemic, Natalie has found herself experimenting in the kitchen. She has been especially drawn to art-cookbooks, like ‘Studio Olafur Elliasson: The Kitchen,’ which she regards as a uniquely philosophical selection from the genre. In this upcoming post, Natalie cooks select recipes, reflects on the importance of community, what is lost when we are unable to convene with loved ones to share a meal, and what can be gleaned from this experience.
Logan Cryer reviews “Sanctuary: An Exploration of Queer Safe Havens” at Da Vinci Art Alliance, curated by Chelsey Luster
Logan Cryer reviews Sanctuary: An Exploration of Queer Safe Havens at Da Vinci Art Alliance, an exhibition showcasing vulnerable and intimate spaces constructed for, and by, artists and their communities. The show argues that these spaces protect artists and unify them- even during a pandemic where we are physically divided. Sanctuary: An Exploration of Queer Safe Havens was curated by Chelsey Luster. Many of you will remember that Logan Cryer reviewed “19.5%: Women and Politics” in 2019, which was also curated by Chelsey Luster. We are excited to hear Logan’s second review following this exciting young curator!
Sanctuary: An Exploration of Queer Safe Havens will take place at the Da Vinci Art Alliance from February 18th- March 7th. Make sure to check out the Curator/Artist Talk with Dara Haskins and Chelsey Luster – Da Vinci Art Alliance – Feb. 26, 7:00. (More details above under “Events.”)
*Artists in the @PhillyArtJawn Black History month auction:
Aminah Muhammad, Ashley Bauer, Becky McIntyre, Caroline Leopold, Daniel Feeser, Daniel Sweeting, Dora Cuenca, Emanual Marquez, Genni Naklicki, GS Bullen, Gwen Wiess, Jen Mundy, Jennifer Small, Karina Puente, Kelechi Azu, Lisa Urban, Lost and Found Art, Madeline Smith, Margaret Ricchezza, Masani Keels, Megan Holben, Meghan Gleason, Ms Amethyst, Nicole Sarnese, Reyna Howkins, Sean Hildreth, Tyger B, WL Philly, Yannick Lowry, Sam Rodriguez, Walls For Justice
More information:
From Cassie Donahue (@PhillyArtJawn): “We wanted to use this event as an opportunity for individuals to express themselves, and to highlight black history and culture through the many different mediums of art. We invited artists from Philadelphia to submit artworks of any medium to be featured in Philly Art Jawn’s Black History Month art auction this February to bring artists together through the medium of art.”
“This auction is important because it shows me another way that artists can come together with a shared mission that uses art as a platform for social change. We are using the power of art to unite and share our mission that art can have a big impact on issues like race and other social injustices!” -Samuel Rodriguez
