Monthly Archives: June 2010

Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Carly Valentine - Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show

Carly Valentine @ The Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show at The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Carly Valentine - Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show

Carly Valentine @ The Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show at The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Carly Valentine - Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show

Carly Valentine - Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show

Carly Valentine @ The Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show at The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Carly Valentine’s black and white photography looked gorgeous mounted on the historic walls of the venerable Philadelphia Sketch Club Gallery on Camac Street.  Four times a year the club hosts the grads of AI to show their work in the gallery with a gala party; a great reason to dress up and have a drink.  Valentine’s deeply narrative work, mostly self portraits, nod to modern art with Magritte-like compositions, beaux arts frames and costumes from another era.  The rich blacks, creamy ecru and dreamy metaphors filled books, the walls over the fire place and the entire “winners wall” of the gallery.  Carly was unaware of the historic significance of exhibiting in America’s oldest art club, her grandmother, DoN‘s good friend Jeannette Walsh, was long time president of the Regional Art Association in Clementon, NJ (the foundation of DoN‘s art career), who was a fine artist in her own right, as well as a blue grass musician and entertainer.  Jean would be so proud to know Carly is excelling not just in fine art and photography but in being a really nice person, a trait no school can ever teach.

Gabriela Girova - Art Institute of Philadelphia

Gabriela Girova @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

John Moore - Art Institute of Philadelphia

John Moore‘s painterly photographs combine natural elements with ethereal industrial constructs creeping into the composition.  The grad show at PSC was very gratifying with a focus on business, including business cards, book arts, web sites and unique presentation for their photography, information useful for art students emerging into a competitive market.  DoN appreciated that Moore bucked the trend and “forgot” his cards, DoN wrote his name on another grad’s card.  The graduates had a crash course in installing a show at The Sketch Club which concurrently has Phillustration 2010 running, they had to take down a complete show, install a new one, then re-hang the first show in the same order – welcome to the art world!

Art Institute of Philadelphia Grad Show @ The Sketch Club

Tamara Brown

Tamara Brown’s carved books with photo emulsion images inside the books are fabulously evocative and transmogrifying, combining text and technique in a unique mash up.  LoVe iT!


Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

Through My Window, Da Vinci Art Alliance Members Traveling Art Show now in Millville, NJ Arts District in the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts through 7 – 10 -2010

Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

Carol Wisker - Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

Carol Wisker with her award winning mixed media creation, Machine: War Games Series, when the show first opened at Smile Gallery, Carol won Best in Show.  The huge gallery space at RRCA is a wonderful opportunity to see most of the original show hanging together again.  3rd Friday in Millville was really fun with live entertainment tucked into every park, alley and plaza including a glee club performance!!!  The creative vibe of the monthly event with art shows, restaurants and shops welcome visitors warmly with small town ambiance and upscale art.

Ona Kalstein - Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

Ona Kalstein, Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts.

Ted Warchal - Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

Ted Warchal @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts special exhibit, Through My Window, A Da Vinci Art Alliance Members ExhibitTed, Ona & DoN are members of the Board of Directors of Da Vinci, thanks to all the artists & volunteers who arranged for the art to show up on time and to Dr. Debra Miller & David Foss for the expert installation, the RRCA is a wonderful exhibition space.

David Foss & Nicole Koenitzer

David Foss & Nicole Koenitzer.

Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Art

 Betsy Alexander - Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

Betsy Alexander - Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

Betsy Alexander‘s Sci-Fi homage drew some teenage geeks into the gallery who seemed mesmerized at the depth of knowledge in the obscure references.  Burnell Yow! told DoN he was hesitant when Betsy voiced her encyclopedic idea – but beam me up!

DoN Brewer & Lilliana Didovic - Through My Window @ Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts

DoN Brewer‘s drawing of Paris rooftops is paired perfectly with Lilliana Didovic‘s Boathouse Row painting.

The concept pf Through My Window is that more than 20 artists were offered a window to do whatever they wanted with, the result is a uniquely Philadelphian art perspective: Bobbie Adams, Betsy Alexander, Jesse Best, DoN Brewer, Rachel Citrino. Alden Cole. Lilliana Didovic, Jerry di Falco, David Foss, Carl Johnson, Ona Kalstein, Nicole Koenitzer, Gail Kotel, Rikard Larma, Lee Muslin, Liz Nicklus, Kathryn Pannepacker, Michael Shane Simmons, Mike Sweeney, Ted Warchal, Carol Wisker & Burnell Yow!

 

 

Photos by DoNBrewerPhotography.

Seven @ Da Vinci Art Alliance – 2010 Annual Fundraiser

DoN Brewer - Seven - Da Vinci Art Alliance

DoN Brewer, Seven, Photoshop.

Seven Prospectus

Seven, a Da Vinci Art Alliance Members Exhibition @ Da Vinci Art Alliance opens 7/10/10, the annual fundraiser is 7/17/10

Seven @ Da Vinci Art Alliance – 2010 Annual Fundraiser

Da Vinci Art Alliance presents 79th Anniversary Fundraiser, July 17th, 2010.

215-829-0466

 

REMINDER TO ALL DA VINCI ARTISTS:

Our annual members show in July is on the theme of Seven; there is no entry fee for submissions, all work will be included, per rules on attached prospectus.  The exhibition will travel to The Noyes Museum of Art in October!

CALENDAR FOR JULY MEMBERS SHOW:

Delivery of labeled art work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 27, 2010, 5-7 pm & July 7, 6-8pm

Installation of show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 8, beginning at 11 am  

Opening Reception and Awards Presentation . . . . . . . . . July 10, 6-9pm

Lecture* and Closing Reception. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 25, 1-4 pm

Pick-up of unsold art work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 25, 4-6 pm & July 26, 5-7 pm

*The PPT lecture on “Depictions of the 7 Deadly Sins in Northern European Art of the 15th-17th Centuries” will be presented by Da Vinci President Deb Miller, supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council. 

All events are free and open to the public.  Please plan to attend, and to invite guests!

 


 

 

 

 


The Philadelphia Sketch Club’s 2010 Members Exhibition @ Newman Gallery

Susan Barnes - North End Beach

Susan Barnes, North End Dunes, oil.

The Annual Members Exhibition of the Philadelphia Sketch Club at Newman Galleries on Walnut Street is a wonderful introduction to the many fine artists who belong to America’s oldest art club.  The swirly mix of styles, techniques and ideas is evocative of the Philly art community in microcosm; the mezzanine and third floor gallery holds a heady mix of contemporary art by masters, newbies, wannabes of all ages celebrating the first decade of the 21st Century.

Edna Santiago - Museum Stroll

Edna Santiago, Museum Stroll, acrylic on plexiglass.

The Philadelphia Sketch Club

 Garth Herrick, Red Barn, 11:00 AM at Beaver Farm and Donald Meyer, Study (Structure) Hosta Series, egg tempera.

Linda Townsend - Holstein

Linda Townshend, Holstein, oil on canvas.

Karen McDonnell & Anthony Cortosi

Karen McDonnell, Wisdom, mixed media.  Karen  e-mails DoN phone pics of stickers of this little guy in public spaces, her contribution to the Philly art scene by introducing graffiti style into the mix of traditional media is like when photography put it’s foot in the door.  The silver spray paint gives a glamorous luster to the surface of the canvas as if dressed up for the special day when all the artists show their best work.

The 2010 Members Exhibition of The Philadelphia Sketch Club @ Newman Galleries with 156 works by as many Philadelphia area fine artists runs through 6/9/2010.

 

Photos by DoNBrewerPhotography.

 

Material Motion – A CFEVA Event @ Dalet Art Gallery in Old City


Danielle Bursk - Material Motion

Danielle Bursk - Material Motion

Danielle Bursk, Kiss, casein & acrylic on paper.  Danielle’s ginormous drawings seethe with energy and motion yet there is a zen like calm in the action drawings.  The compositions of flowing plumes of marks are like phosphenes flashing and blinking, like after-images inside your eyelids after staring too long, the dramatic drawings look deep inside the mind.

Cecelia Rembert - Material Motion

Cecelia Rembert, Eulogy, oil on canvas.  Now based in NYC, Rembert is a CFEVA alum currently working on a series of paintings about storytelling the human experience.  Cecelia’s paintings in the show mostly feature a bird or two reminding DoN of Steven King’s psycho-pomps – the idea that birds are messengers from another realm.  The bird images soar and connect with an internal yearning to be able to fly.

Gregory Brellochs - Material Motion

Gregory Brellochs - Material Motion

Gregory Brellochs, Gamete, graphite on paper.

Gregory Brelloch - Material Motion

Gregory Brelloch - Material Motion

Gregory Brellochs, XYZ, graphite on paper @ Dalet Art Gallery.

DoN did not meet Mr. Bullochs at the opening but the masterful drawings speak for themselves, the liquidy graphite forms cloud shapes, horizons and dream scapes then turns to large scale scientific illustration of imaginary microscopic life forms, the overall effect is introspective and alluring like the shapes that float into your mind as you drift off to sleep.

Ana B. Herdandez - Material Motion

Ana B. Hernandez @ Material Motion.  Ana’s swirling scarlet fabric sculptures exemplify the tone of Material Motion, @ Dalet Art Gallery on 2nd Street, the fluid shapes float above the crowd, melding into the mood of the room.  The deep red speaks to the large graphite drawings in a secret language of color and shapes.  Material Motions is curated and organized by the fabulous team at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists; Amie Potsic has such a dream job of pairing artists with venues and Ann Koivunen works tirelessly to promote the arts in Philly, even though the work is demanding, the level of professionalism and care for the artists is gratifying and inspiring.  Works by fabulous Philly photographer James B. Abbott and Christine Elfman‘s ethereal paintings complete the coherent theme the enormous space that is the Dalet Art Gallery allows, each corner is activated  and inviting.  Later this summer the gallery will be hosting the Princeton Photography Society.

 

 

Apologies to Danielle for posting photos sideways – oops!

 

Photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography.