JOG turns Ten – Congratulations! James Oliver Gallery (JOG) is celebrating their 10th Anniversary! Their celebratory exhibit, JOG10 (up to Nov. 19) features gallery favorites Thomas Paul Raggio, John Wind, Cheryl Harper, Nadine Rovner, Steven Mogck, Dennis Daly, Steven Earl Weber and Mathew Davis, as well as new folks they will be working with: Emily White, and Ira Upin.
Others they will be working with in future are papercuts artist Rosa Leff, featured in Evan Laudenslager’s write-up, Michael Grimaldi, and Kevin Bourgois.
At 91, Lorrie Goulet’s dedication to the carver’s art is unwavering, even though she cannot wield the carver’s tools like she could as a young woman. Throughout a recent wide-ranging conversation I had with her at her home and studio in Chelsea, I was struck by Goulet’s deep commitment to the physical work of carving, its tools, techniques, and materials. Her eyes light up and her gestures become animated when talking about stone, its myriad types, colors, and textures. For Goulet, stone–her primary material–is alive, and each stone has its own personality. “I put my life with the stone’s life,” she told me, following up with “I don’t have many stones left.”
Read MoreIf you haven’t done so you should read Hammam’s essay, Cultivating Competition: A Small Note on the Art Writing Challenge. After reading Hammam’s essay, I wanted to pull out a few points and add a few comments of my own.
Read MoreOne question that emerges is the following: is competition the most progressive way of cultivating an artistic-intellectual community, one that focuses on the reception of artistic initiatives and activities that occur in a particular place?
Read MoreIt seems to me that NMAAHC has the opportunity, not yet fully realized, to bring to African American artists the attention and recognition they deserve, and to place them squarely in the cosmos of American art, and at the same time to “privilege the black voice.” Indeed, the museum brilliantly has accomplished that in its other Culture Galleries.
Read MoreWe’re not handing out gold stars or laurel wreaths in this Challenge, but we do believe in the value of prizes to reward excellence. Prizes for excellence encourage and support writers in the community and by extension, the arts in Philadelphia. Publication of the writers’ works brings new voices to the public realm, spreads the arts to a wider audience and can be a springboard to writing opportunities for winners.
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