Congratulations to Taji Ra'oof Nahl for his Guggenheim Fellowship! Val Gay welcomes us to "A Great Day" with her cheer song on Instagram, Tuft the World writes a book and The Rail Park receives NEA funding for 'The Cut.' Enjoy the News!
NEWS
Taji Ra’oof Nahl, TR7. Profile pic- Photo credit: Ibrahim Morris
Taji Ra’oof Nahl receives Guggenheim fellowship! Taji Ra’oof Nahl is a Philadelphia artist, friend and art dealer of the late Terry Adkins, who sold Adkins’s work through his gallery. He makes installations, music, spoken word, videos, is highly collaborative and his work is focused on the Black experience and history. We are happy to see Taji receive this prestigious Guggenheim fellowship. Congratulations, Taji!
Val Gay Sings!
I always thought it was charming of Val Gay – who is a professional trained vocalist – to call her Instagram “Val Gay Sings” And Now, as Philadelphia’s new Arts and Culture leader, Cabinet member in Mayor Cherelle Parker’s cabinet and Executive Director of the Office of Arts and Culture (OACCE), Val Gay has sprung a charming and disarming video of her singing a cheer she wrote, “It’s Gonna Be a Great Day!” – with the entire OACCE staff as chorus, filmed in part, in the OACCE office in City Hall. Welcome Val Gay! You make our hearts sing. See the video reel at Val’s Instagram here.
Second Annual Philadelphia Print Consortium FAIR
Saturday, APRIL 20,
UARTS Dorrance Hamilton Hall, 320 S. Broad St.
10am -3pm
Free
This is the second year that the Philadelphia Print Consortium is hosting this event at The University of the Arts and we had a great turnout last year. We have over 50 artists, studios, and institutions participating this year. These participants represent the diverse community of printmaker, artists, and print related institutions in the greater Philadelphia metro area.
This one-day fair will be held Saturday April 20, 2024, at the University of the Arts – Dorrance Hamilton Hall / Solmssen Court, 320 S. Broad Street on Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. It is FREE and open to the public from 10am – 3pm.
Participating Studios, Institutions, Presses, Schools and Artists
Abigail & Ben Guidry, Adam Katz, Amanda Zeilinger, American Color Print Society, Arcadia University, Art Mora, Brodsky Center at PAFA, Asia Niemiec, Aubrey Brown, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Brianna Mayer, Butterfield Editions, BYO Printmaking Collaborative, Caleb Perez, Casey Shiflet, Charlotte Holt, Chimaera Gallery, Claire B Marcus, Common Press/University of Pennsylvania, Em Vieser, Eric Hinkley, Erin Margaret Murphy, Esme O’Brien, Fabric Workshop and Museum, Femme Collective, Gabriel Echeverri, Hui-yi Kuo, Inner Loop Press, Jesse Arbor, Leann Carlson, Mary Agnes Williams, MICA Printmaking, Mike Sgier, Moore College of Art & Design, Nicole Hehn, Nicole Saltzer, Patty Smith, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Peri Law, Petrichor Press, Ream Editions, Rhonda Babb, Rich Wakefield, Ripley Nichols, Rodger Binyone, Romy Burkus, Sam de Poto, Second State Press, Shannon Dougherty, Space 1026, Susan Viguers, TermiteTV Video Collective, The Print Center, Thirty West Publishing House, Tyler Print Guild, University of the Arts, Who Press’d Press
A group of “Tuft the World” supporters pose with the organization’s founders, Tim Eads, standing, fourth from left and Tiernan Alexander seated, third from left. Image courtesy of Tuft the World.
Crafting Company Tuft the World Teaches the World to Tuft in New Book
Pre-order price on Amazon – $16.99 Tuft the World, written by Philly-based artists Tim Eads and Tiernan Alexander is an easy-to-follow illustrated guide to tufting for both first-time crafters and seasoned tufters. The detailed crafting manual gives step-by-step instructions and offers over 170 full-color photographs on how to create contemporary, stylish, and enjoyable machine-tufted rugs, clothes, and objects. Tuft the World (TTW), the company, is a tufting supplier for crafters looking to make tufted rugs and wall-hangings. They operate a crafting studio in the makerspace, Bok Building in South Philadelphia, offering classes for beginner and advanced tufters. TTW has been teaching tufting around the country and supplying tufters all over the globe with materials since 2018.
In Tuft the World, the book, tufters will learn the basics about:
This much-needed companion book introduces and expands knowledge for the many new and experienced tufters interested in the booming craft of machine-tufted rugs and decor. Inspiring and simple to follow, this book is sure to make a tufter out of anyone.
About Tuft the World, Tim Eads and Tiernan Alexander
The company Tuft the World was established in 2018 by Tiernan Alexander and Tim Eads, Texas-born artists living and working in West Philadelphia. Tuft the World was founded to provide tufters with the high-quality tools, materials, and instruction they need to make their own tufting projects. Tiernan and Tim’s collective experience as crafters and educators, as well as their uniquely creative approach to art and life, inspire their mission to make the craft of tufting accessible to a broad audience, while staying true to their values of equity and sustainability. They have led tufting workshops across North America and collaborated with industry leaders in rug design and carpet manufacturing. Alexander holds an MA in material culture from the prestigious Winterthur Program in American Material Culture.
Invasive Species Installation Piece of Projected Image of the Cut
The Rail Park Gets NEA Grant for ‘The Cut’
At the end of 2023, The Rail Park submitted our SEPTA RFI for The Cut and testified in City Council in support of blight remediation and acquisition of the Viaduct– two HUGE strides forward towards our shared Three Mile Vision. To support this momentum, we are thrilled to announce we have been awarded a grant from the @neaarts that will help us continue this momentum through a community-engaged design process. Thank you for the support, @neaarts ! Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming calls to action and other ways you can advocate for Rail Park expansion in the months ahead. More at the Rail Park Instagram.
