Wolves & Deer in art around town over the past year.
Nexus Gallery @ Crane Art Center
Rik Viola @ Philadelphia Sketch Club
Darla Jackson @ CFEVA.
Scott Pelnat @ CFEVA event.
Jack Kelly @ Scott Pellnat’s Art House.
Karen Davis @ TwentyTwo Gallery.
Peter Prusinowski @ Fishtown Airways, 200 East Girard Ave. Prusinowski is a Center for Emerging Visual Artists Fellow, a great honor bestowed on outstanding artists allowing them to exhibit works in group shows, receive publicity, opportunities and support from the Center. Peter is a photography purist who works in a wet dark room and is not interested in digital photography in the least. As he explained to DoN, Peter attempts to emulate masters such as Man Ray who was able to achieve solarization on film which appears like magic in the development process.
Prusinowski’s show at Fishtown Airways focusses on the history of Fishtown and the Penn Treaty, combining historic documents and photographs alongside his own studies of the area. A story of community and it’s importance to the early development of the USA emerges with bucolic river views, charming residences and quirky scenes from the centuries old village inhabited by long time residents and young growing families.
A group of historic documents including old newspaper articles, graphics and papers shed light on the Penn Treaty and the importance of this river town and it’s people.
East Girard Avenue is on the east side of the Frankford El with restaurants, bars, shops and a lively street scene. Fishtown Airways corner is bright and sunny, the gallery painted a buttery yellow, the art pops off the wall against the restful color. Proprietor , Bob Murphy is planning to open an ice cream shop along the broad avenue making this section of Fishtown a family friendly destination as well as an art outpost along with Johnnie Brenda’s, High Wire and Bambi. Shoshka and DoN had a blast talking with the locals and hanging out on the corner.
Envisioning Hamlet is an art show by members of Philadelphia’s Da Vinci Art Alliance based on Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” currently being performed at the Lantern Theater to rave reviews. Several months ago, Charles McMahon, the creative director of Lantern Theater spoke at the club and explained his concept for staging the play; set in a post WW1 dystopian landscape, the play draws the audience into the diabolical circle of deception, madness and death.
More than 30 works of art are on display in the black box theater in the basement of Saint Stephen’s Theater @ 10th & Ludlow Streets ranging from neo-expressionism to abstraction to mixed media construction and impressionism. The art show is open through May 3rd, the play has been extended through May 17th.
“light being (Ophelia)” & “Denmark“, digital photographs by DoN Brewer.
Mina Smith-Segal @ Saint Stephen Theater’s Envisioning Hamlet.
Dr. Deb Miller, president of the Da Vinci Art Alliance, jurors Charles McMahon, creative director of Lantern Theater Company, lighting designer Drew Billiau and scenic designer Dirk Durossette.
Best in Show: Chinoros Roongsakul’s, Sin, acrylic on canvas.
Alden Cole’s, “Oh, that this too, too Solid Flesh“, oil on panel.
Themes of madness, despair, symbolism and love permeate Envisioning Hamlet, the gallery is in the lower level of Saint Stephen’s Theater.
Second place awarded to Bud Boehringer, third place, Debra Miller, honorable mentions: DoN Brewer, Maria Keane and Ted Warchal.
The long running venue at Joe’s Coffee Shop @ 1100 Walnut is coming to an end 5/27. The Photographic Society of Philadelphia has held a rotating exhibit in this cool space for many years but the shop is closing. The society is searching for a new venue - Thanks to everyone @ Joe’s for all your support.
Amie Potsic, the terrific artist activist and enthusiast, is an accomplished artist in her own right. Area 919 on North 5th is a familiar building seen driving to Fishtown but inside the old factory was a swanky art event with furniture by Baltzell, antiques by Michael Garden and magical prints by Anna Husemoller Jeretic. Michael Garden intends to make the space an art outpost between Old City and emerging Girard Ave. art scene.
The pristine white room with Amie Potsic’s large scale silver gelatin prints mounted on aluminum and floating boxes is experience design created by an artist who has encouraged the best to do better. The ultra-fine black and white photographs depict human skin scars juxtaposed with images of scars on statues of Jesus Amie took on trips to Italy, San Francisco and NYC. Amie explained to DoN that pilgrims visit these statues and touch the scars as a form of worship. The display is visceral and poetic with the mind’s eye mixing up the stone skin with the real skin and entire movie length memes playing out about how the sculptor developed such skill or what a horrible burn must feel like or the healing from a grueling surgery. Shoshka found it hard to take at first but as the eye absorbs the photography the true beauty of scars is revealed. Amie explained that one burn victim was complemented on the beauty of his scars while in San Francisco with the admirer wondering where he could get one.
Amie Potsic @ Area 919, on North 5th Street. The drive along 5th Street under the Ben feels like driving through Paris and to have the destination be a chic art event in Northern Liberties with artists, hipsters, beautiful ladies in high heels and old guys with bow ties feels so contintental and suave - DoN highly recommends the trip.
TwentyTwo Gallery is an artist collective, each member exhibits a semi-annual one-person show and is included in on-going group shows. Dale Levy’s colorful abstractions are currently energizing the space with splashy color, nature forms, cartological references, homages to Frankenthaler and Pollack, and metaphorical inferences drizzeled across the large canvases. Levy makes painting look like fun.
Dale Levy @ TwentyTwo Gallery. Levy cleverly titles each piece with her initials and a number, acrylic on canvas.
Dale Levy @ TwentyTwo Gallery, looking like a map from outer space, this painting actually does reference real locations. DoN thinks part of this image represents Sardinia with the orange dot a volcano.
Dale Levy hosted her opening @ TwentyTwo Gallery on a beautiful Spring evening. Shawn Murray and Diane Podolsky once again have installed a superior show; TwentyTwo has some of the best lighting and display of any gallery in the city.
Karen Stone @ Hopkins House Gallery in Camden curated by Bruce Garrity.
Karen Stone @ Hopkins House Gallery. The two works above are part of a show about new directions in painting as part of the symposium “To Be or Not To Be: A Painter’s Dilemma” @ Rutgers University.
Wall drawing made with hair by Brenna K. Murphy @ Center for Emerging Visual Artists on Rittenhouse Square in a show curated by Brooke Hine last summer.
Brenna K. Murphy @ The Icebox in the Crane Center for the Arts InLiquid auction.
Brenna K. Murphy @ Moore College of Art and Design for the CFEVA Introductions ‘09 show. Murphy has installed hair art @ Eileen Tognini’s house.
Hair on paper circles @ The Crane Center for the Arts installed in the hallway. Artist unknown. The Jullius Scissor Salon on Locust Street has a huge hair sculpture in their window.
Hair is such a meme!
Sparkling City and Soft Abstractions - The Art of Lilliana Didovic and Chinoros Roongsakul curated by Dr. Debra Miller is a visual delight with vibrant color, unusual materials and fresh ideas. As a celebration of the second anniversary of Ken Tutjamnong’s restaurant and gallery, Smile, Dr. Deb has created a wonderland experience combining the abstract expressionist nature shapes of Roongsakul and the glamour, style and intensity of Didovic’s landscapes and logos. Ken considers both artists to be his best friends and brought them together from across the globe making Philly the nexus of this collision of art and love; Didovic is from Sarajevo and Roogsakul is an art professor from Bangkok.
Artist Lilliana Didiovic has incorporated, at the urging of Dr. Debbie, Swarovsky crystals into the skylines of famous Philly landmarks, applying hundreds and hundreds one at a time. The effect is luscious, drawing on a craving for bling, nostalgia and unique style.
The Spring evening was perfect for an art crawl, DoN brought Katy the ArT DoG and her pal Doofie, the St. Bernard/Chihuahua mix along for the walk. The dogs enjoyed hanging out on hip 22nd Street - with Smile, TwentyTwo, Good Karma and hip boutiques the broad avenue has lots to offer.
Lilliana Didovic @ Smile Gallery.
Lilliana LoVeS Philly!!!
Dr. Debra Miller and Chinoros Roongsakul @ Smile Gallery.
Philadelphia Night 1 by Chinoros Roongsakul @ Smile; Roongsakul created all the paintings here in town while visiting his friend Ken.
Chinoros Roongsakul @ Smile Gallery.
DoNArTNeWs
I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion is for artists of all kinds. Painters, sculptors, ceramist, jewelers, photographers, and others will benefit from the easy-to-follow self-promotion practices in this book.
Author and art-marketing consultant Alyson B. Stanfield, of ArtBizCoach.com, focuses on sharing the artwork directly with potential buyers through electronic and traditional communication outlets—in a manner that is comfortable, not artificial. Artists match Internet marketing strategies with sincere personal skills to take charge of their art careers.
The book includes online worksheets and downloads.
