George Rodriguez at Magic Gardens, Re(Focus) celebrates 50th anniversary of FOCUS, Vermont Studio Center seeks flood relief funding, Alexandra Tatarsky’s Gnome Core at Glen Foerd, plus more
Hi, this week we’re seeing lots of exhibitions popping up. Re(Focus), a multi-venue exhibition festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first major exhibitions featuring American women artists. The Magic Gardens have a new exhibition of ceramic work from George Rodriguez, a really fantastic artist inspired by his Latin American culture and community. World Café Live holds StorySlam event, picking stories from audience volunteers. Second State Press looks for FOB holding members for Fall. Checkout Artblog Connect our newest chapter of bringing arts and culture to the community. There’s lots more to see and do, get out there and enjoy yourself!
Notable Exhibitions
In Unison: Ceramic Sculptures by George Rodriguez at the Magic Gardens
Ceramic sculpture for In Unison by George Rodriguez. Image Courtesy of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.
July 21 – September 10, 2023
Tour & Talk: Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 6 – 8 PM
Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, George Rodriguez creates large-scale decorative ceramic sculptures addressing his identity and community as a Mexican-American Artist. For In Unison, Rodriguez constructs a bridge between past and present through symbols and imagery tied to personal histories, collaboration, and community. His work takes the forms of grand guardians, animals, tomb sculptures, and shrines depicting community members as ancient relics.
Re(Focus) Then and Now: Philadelphia celebrates 50 years of women in visual arts
Opening reception at the galleries of Moore College, January 27, 2024
As of July 1, there are 34 participating institutions celebrating the 50th anniversary of FOCUS, one of the first major exhibitions featuring American Women Artists. The Galleries at Moore College of Art and Design is the lead institution with participation from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA), the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), African American Museum of Philadelphia (AAMP), Woodmere Art Museum, University of the Arts Galleries, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia Mural Arts and more. (RE)FOCUS THEN AND NOW will mirror the original FOCUS in featuring more than 100 exhibitions, panels, lectures, films, workshops, and demonstrations devoted to women’s art and open to the public.
For more information contact Jack Stawowcyzk@gmail.com or 609-647-9055
Inliquid Gallery New Now VI
Image courtesy of InLiquid Gallery.
July 29 – September 9, 2023
2nd Thursday Reception – August 10th, 6 – 9 PM
Hours Wednesday – Saturday, 12 PM – 6 PM
InLiquid Gallery, 1400 N. American St. Philadelphia, PA 19122
31 artists of diverse mediums, inspirations, and histories, come together in the InLiquid Gallery. Though distinct, each is linked by the Philadelphia community and a shared interest in human experience. This year’s cohort of artists embraces personal growth and discovery, drawing from memory, intuition, interconnection, and mythology, as part of the creative process. The artists invite viewers to engage in conversations around national divisions, societal inequities, the climate crisis, and a desire for healing and metamorphosis.
Help the Vermont Studio Center recover from flooding!
Support Vermont Studio Center! Image courtesy of Vermont Studio Center.
Due to massive rains in the Northeast, the Vermont Studio Center has faced destructive flooding and is asking for help recovering from the damage. Help out here.
Newly announced Artblog Connect for Philly arts listings!
Artblog is pleased to announce we’ve taken over the role of weekly art listing service from our friends at Philly Stewards. The new service will launch soon and allow free user upload for listers and easy access to information for galleries, events, and exhibitions around town. Artblog Connect will launch before the end of August and send its first newsletter Thursday, August 31st. Hope you’re as excited as we are.
Glen Foerd and artist-in-residence Alexandra Tatarsky present two public experimental performances, Gnome Core
Gnomecore perfomance by Alexandra Tatarsky. Image courtesy of Glen Foerd
On August 5th and 6th from 1 to 2 PM Philadelphia’s own performance artist Alexandra Tatarsky will present two free experimental art performances as part of their Artist in Residency. We at Artblog are excited about this performance and can’t wait to see what Alexandra has in store. Tatarsky’s performance was drawn from research on professional hermits who were contracted by the wealthy to look wise and embody some druid-like idea for 18th-century aristocratic gardens. The research will culminate in the performances somewhere between eco-lecture, dance, foraged dinner theater, and song.
Learn more and RSVP here for the August 5th show and here for August 6th. The performances are free.
West Collection tours available Wednesdays
The West Collection reopens for guided tours by appointment. They have a new North Campus building, allowing generous space for large-scale art installations and its own tour. South Campus features a new exhibition Equity / Activism / Joy featuring work by Damien Davis, Mark Thomas Gibson, Glenn Hardy Jr., Titus Kaphar, and, Mickalene Thomas. Tours are available Wednesdays in August (2nd, 16th, and 30th), by appointment only, lasting 45-90 minutes.
July 25th, 8 PM, Doors at 6 PM
Tickets are $15 and benefit First Person Arts
The Lounge at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Join Philly’s original StorySlam when audience members become onstage storytellers, telling true, personal stories. The host Chris Lundy will present 8 storytellers from audience volunteers. For a chance to be pre-selected to tell your story, send the first line of your story to: Stories@FirstPersonArts.Org
From July 26 through the 30th, the West Philadelphia theater company will perform Shakespeare with a musical twist. With music by Galt MacDermot and lyrics by John Guare, this 1971 Tony Award-winning, adaptation of the Bard’s sixteenth-century comedy is a fusion of danceable pop, stirring soul, electrifying rock, creative storytelling, and biting social commentary.
Apply for the Second State Press FOB holder program
Fall September 12 – January 12, Deadline August 7th
Apply to become part of the Fob Holder Program an opportunity that allows artists unlimited 24/7 access to professional printmaking facilities in exchange for working in the Second State Press studio.
