News
Do you enjoy the West Philly Rotunda‘s selection of great indie shows? Vote for it in Philly Magazine! It’s been nominated, along with four other locations, as one of Philly’s best indie music venues.
Is Van Gogh pertinent to a contemporary artist? Hear three locals, Emily Brown, Hiro Sakaguchi and Zoe Strauss, talk about it April 27 at the PMA. The program, moderated by Van Gogh Up Close curator Joseph Rishel, is in conjunction with that blockbuster show at the museum. To purchase tickets ($10, $8 students and members – no admission ticket required), call 215-235-SHOW or visit the Museum’s website.
The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, which operates one of the city’s two Percent for Art programs (the city operates the other), tries something new – workshops with students and residents in Grays Ferry, Point Breeze and the South of South neighborhoods in which artists and students (and residents) work on visual and performing art projects, all culminating in a 2-week neighborhood festival from June 16-30. The PRA partnered with University of the Arts, and PECO for this effort, called Commotion. The roster of artists includes John Phillips (sound and video), Ed Shockley (playwright), Jebney Lewis (sculptor), Subcircle (choreographer Niki Cousineau and designer Jorge Cousineau), Team Sunshine (physical theater), and Tim Fitts (book arts). The participating UArts students are Tyler Bailey, Olivia Diehl, Trey Dunlap, Aimee Goldsmith, Bryant Meyers, Vasily Orlov, Tulissa Parsons, Amanda Scott, Derek Scull, Maxwell VanHook, Chee Ho Yoon, and Andrew Cameron Zahn. More information on all the artists can be found on Commotion’s site.
James Oliver Gallery is getting in on the growing trend of drawing nights by hosting its own open sessions, Foundation Drawing with artist Jennifer Scott. Classes are every Tuesday night from 7 to 9 PM, and $12, with a live model and light refreshments. Contact jamesolivergallery@gmail.com for more information.
Via Gaby Heit – The American Institute of Graphic Arts is having its grand opening of its Philly space at 72 N. 2nd Street on First Friday, May 4, 5:30-8pm. Along with the exhibition Collection: Selections from the 2010 AIGA Philadelphia Design Awards, the event includes a raffle and T-shirt sale. Visit AIGAPhilly for more information.
We always knew Gallery Joe was cool. The Philadelphia gallery known for drawings is in the inaugural edition of the VIP Art Fair’s new VIP Paper fair, online only, April 19-21. The gallery is offering a selection of drawings by Jill O’Bryan, Dean Smith, Mark Sheinkman, Allyson Strafella, and Lynne Woods Turner. They invite you to register for VIP Paper and visit their gallery booth on the site. Additional information on the event, artists and images can be found online at Gallery Joe’s site.
Michael Bukowski, along with friends Jeanne D’Angelo and Ryann Casey, organized “Empty Night Skies,” a benefit show for Bat Conservation International at Grindcore House in South Philly. the exhibit opens today, April 20, with a reception from 7-10pm and will be up for 2 months. Although the Lovecraftian artwork is unlikely to win over anyone with a mortal terror of the creatures, bats are a crucial part of the ecosytem, and the organizers are fighting to save them from the deadly threat of White Nose Syndrome. There are over 40 artists participating from all over the world but also a number of Philadelphia based artists: Kat Moran, Adriane Dalton, Joe Boruchow, Jeremy Hush, Paul Romano, and Heather Gargon. Some of the work in the show and more info on the artists can be seen here. Bukowski says 100 percent of all proceeds will go to Bat Conservation International. Here’s the event page for the show, and here’s a write up that Geekadelphia did today.
Opportunities
The Photo Review is calling for submissions for its 28th annual photography competition, juried by Peter Barberie, Curator of Photographs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. All entries must be received by June 15, 2012. An entry fee of $35 for up to three images and $8 for each additional image buys all entrants a copy of the full-color catalogue, and the prize-winning photographers will be chosen for numerous honors and chances to have their work seen worldwide. Contest rules and the form for submitting images can be found here. For further information call The Photo Review at 215/891-0214, or email info@photoreview.org.
NedQuest, a socially-minded sticker design community, is holding an Earth Day Contest, in which individuals who submit sticker designs can win not only 250 of their own custom stickers but also $250 in cash and a spot on NedQuest’s site.
The First Peoples Fund‘s Cultural Capital Program is offering grants of $5,000 to master artists to allow them to further share their cultural work with their communities. The one-year fellowship program, generally awarded to previous FPF Community Spirit Award recipients, has a September 1, 2012 deadline. More details through the Foundation Center.
The Main Line Art Center has two upcoming events that are perfect for enjoying the spring weather. The Young Friends One Night Stand and Cookout on May 18, 6-9pm, is calling for submissions; artists ages 21-35 are invited to show and sell their art to picnickers (the Young Friends who will be picknicking). Submissions cost $15 for non-members ($20 at the door) and are free for members. And on Saturday April 28, from 10 to 12 PM, MLAC is hosting open tours of the studios of Fritz Dietel and Jonathan Mandell, two of the artists who participated in C3: Create. Connect. Collect., the project that paired collectors with artists and resulted in some commissioned new works (an exhibit about the project ran in the Art Center’s gallery last fall). Young Friend Members get in to the tours free, while tickets are $25 for the general public. For information on both events and to make reservations, visit MLAC’s site and call Stean Wilborn, 610-525-0272, ext. 12.
Artist News
In the media. Having won acclaim for his tantalizing portraits of cheese, Mike Geno’s now the subject of a nice interview with a NY Times food writer! Read the interview by food writer Jeff Gordinier here. And in the Huffington Post, Matthew Cox’s “Heartthrobs and Avatars” is included in a list of top socially conscious artists.
Steven Baris’ work is part of “Lush Geometry,” a five-person group exhibition at DM Contemporary in New York. Including the work of Carole Freyz Gutierrez, Richard Bottwin, Joanne Mattera and Louise P. Sloan, “Lush Geometry” runs from April 20 through June 1, with the opening reception held today, April 20, from 6:00-8:00 pm. More info about the show and artists on the site. RSVP to info@dmcontemporary.
Columbus State University announced the creation of the Bo Bartlett Center — read the featured in a story in the Columbus Ledger Enquirer. Bo is a native son, and the center will include a multi-million dollar collection of the artist’s works. More info is available at Bo’s site. And Bo’s son Man Bartlett has released “12h point,” an online chat project and a continuation of his work in minimalist audio pieces.
Two of Daniel Heyman‘s large self-portraits are part of a show at the Westbeth Gallery on the lower west side of Manhattan. The group show includes work by Emily Steinberg, Annette Cords, Paul Fabozzi, Bill Hudders, Daniel Walth and Roger Braimon, who curated the show. It opens this Saturday, April 21, and runs through May 13.
Moore College of Art senior Deborah Artaza won the Blick Art Materials’ giveaway motor scooter, beating out over 35,000 others who entered the drawing for the scooter. Congratulations to Artaza on her new 2011 Yamaha Vino Classic Motor Scooter and custom airbrushed helmet by Iwata artist Steve Driscoll, and to Moore College of Art & Design, who received a five thousand dollar Blick gift card as part of Artaza’s Grand Prize package!
