August 7, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

Contrarian, Utopian, Polymath – László Moholy-Nagy at the Guggenheim

July 28, 2016 by Flora Ward

Splashing Around – Creative Africa and Nari Ward on Artblog Radio

At the Barnes Foundation, Nari Ward’s direct engagement with issues of race, culture, and class in contemporary America makes for an interesting counterpoint to the African art collected by Dr. Barnes (and by the Penn Museum) in the early 20th century. Finally, the three shows of contemporary photography, textiles, and architecture that fill the first floor of the PMA’s Perelman Building leave us with lots of questions about the “Africa” in “Creative Africa.” Just how fixed is regional or even national identity for both artists and artworks that circulate widely thanks to the global art market? What makes African art African?

July 19, 2016 by Roberta

Congratulations- Pepon Osorio, Pap Souleye Fall, Gabrielle Patterson, Blaise Tobia+Virginia Maksymowicz! Gross McCleaf’s Sharon Ewing’s Letter to the Editor, New Latino Art Gallery RASCO Fine Arts, Help the Icebox+Marginal Utility fund an important show, Plus Opportunities!

Artblog Board member, Gilda Kramer and husband Sam Adenbaum discovered a new gallery I am excited to hear about and share with you in case you haven’t heard of it. RASCO Fine Arts shows Latino artists and is a passion project of the owner, explained Lillie Carabello, speaking on behalf of the gallery.

July 5, 2016 by Flora Ward

Sculpture at Sea – Artship Olympia at the Independence Seaport Museum

One of the most unconventional places to view art this summer is the cruiser Olympia, docked on the Delaware River. Commissioned in 1895 and now part of the Independence Seaport Museum, Olympia is the oldest steel warship still afloat in the world–and now it is playing host to sculptural installations that show up in the most unlikely spaces, from officers’ cabins to bathrooms to the galley kitchen.

June 28, 2016 by Roberta

Welcome, Curator Meg Onli, to ICA! Congratulations, Artist Curator TC Campuzano on Lansdowne show; BalletX+Magritte; Jamar Nicholas podcast to come; BlackStar Film reviews to come; political shows for Dems at PAFA, Rosenwald-Wolf, City Hall; Plus Jacolby Satterwaite, Ditta Hoeber, and Good Reads

Artblog favorite, Anthony (TC) Campuzano, curates a show in his home town of Lansdowne, PA, a Philly suburban town so small you might miss it when driving west out Baltimore Pike. Beyond Cold Polished Stones is a show with a lot of ties to Anthony — his childhood babysitter (and Tyler graduate) is in the show; the architect of his parents’ home is in the show. And on July 4, the artist/curator will be walking in the Lansdowne 4th of July parade — it’s a family tradition (his father is Mayor)

June 16, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

Magician of Light and Space – Robert Irwin at the Hirshhorn Museum

I had the wonderful experience of taking a dozen college classmates and their spouses through the exhibition recently. Only one person had any background in art history and none of them recognized the artist’s name. I explained that Irwin’s work takes time–literally, time for the eyes to adjust. They concentrated on the floating sphere bisected by a dark, horizontal line which disappears towards the circle’s margins–and the magic began. The painting creates a series of changing optical effects which it would be useless to try to explain, and because the effects depend upon presence and time, the artist refused to have his work photographed for many years–he has since relented. Anyone who knows Robert Irwin’s work only from reproductions has no idea of what the work is about.

June 14, 2016 by Roberta

Congratulations 2016 Pew Fellows + Organizations – Sharon Hayes, Tiona McClodden, Erin Bernard, Kelsey Halliday Johnson, Monument Lab, Temple Contemporary, ICA, PMA, Barnes! Plus Brandywine Workshop Happy Hours with the Arts, In/Out Symposium at Moore and Opportunities

The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage spreads $10 million in 53 grants to individuals and organizations. We’re especially happy for these strong women in the mix – Sharon Hayes and Tiona McClodden, who are new Pew fellows; Erin Bernard and The History Truck and Kelsey Halliday Johnson for her exhibition about women’s art and technology from 1970-85 – yay! Congratulations, all!

June 10, 2016 by Roberta

Our America – Great show of Latino artists recently in Delaware opens June 24 in Allentown

The curated show of paintings, sculpture, video and works on paper from the 1950s to the present is notable for works with fierce pride in Latino identity and for works with unabashed political underpinnings. The show and its catalog shed light on contemporary artists who would stand out in any group.