Monthly Archives: April 2011

www.Philly.SideArts.com Philly Aids Thrift Art Auction

Before DoN met Todd Hestand of www.Philly.SideArts.com @ a Corzo Center for the Creative Economy event, he had already been posting blogs on the popular free artist’s website with it’s cool blog, great writing by local artists and educators, bio/portfolio pages for artists and Philly social networking.  Linking to the Philly.SideArts.com web site drives web traffic to DoNArTNeWs, posting a blurb on the site stimulates interest in all types of social, art, education, business and opportunities.  The catalog of artists who post their bios and art images on Philly.SideArts.com includes great painters like Arthur Ostroff and Karl Olsen, fine art photographers like Angelo Benedetto and digital artists like Lee Muslin, their database is superb.

Philly.SideArts.com has launched a grand new venture offering artists enhanced services such as art opportunities and expanded portfolio space at a really reasonable price, the same free site is still available and they are expanding to other cities with the same business model.  The possibilities of connecting artists, galleries, collectors, educators and business people in an easy to use, immersive design experience is really cool.   Imagine?  The Philly art scene is a model for other cities.

www.Philly.SideArts.com Philly Aids Thrift Art Auction

Art-trepreneur, Todd Hestand of Philly.SideArts.com gave away extended free memberships to artists whose business cards were pulled from a bag.  Jed, you left too early!

To celebrate the launch of the new site, Todd Hestand hosted a party at the Dark Horse Pub near Head House Square with a silent auction benefiting Philly Aids Thrift, so many artists offered donations that many had to be turned away, yet, there are still several fine art pieces available at the on-line auction including DoN‘s “light being (Joey Ramone)“.   All the proceeds go to Philly Aids Thrift, please bid, there is some really cool art for a great cause.  The party drew a crowd of artists, friends and the art-erati such as Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Lilliana Didovic, artist/entrepreneur Jed Williams, the master Arthur Ostroff and Art in City Hall’s Guru, Tu Huynh – Todd did a terrific job explaining the benefits and services for the new and improved site and really mixed it up with the crowdVisit the Philly.SideArts site to see how vibrant, inspiring and diverse the Philly art scene really is and follow the progress of a thoughtful, intuitive idea to help artists connect in a meaningful way.

www.Philly.SideArts.com Philly Aids Thrift Art Auction

The silent auction sponsored by Philly.SideArts benefiting Philly Aids Thrift.

www.Philly.SideArts.com Philly Aids Thrift Art Auction

The Philly.SideArts.com easy to use homepage.  Join!

 


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Envisioning Shakespeare – Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Through April 26, 2011 at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, in collaboration with the Da Vinci Art Alliance, presents “Envisioning Shakespeare” an exhibition of art by 24 members artists relating to the works of William Shakespeare in the lobby of Wilson Hall which houses Rowan’s Pfleeger Theatre.

Artists in the exhibition include:  Bobbie Adams, Betsy Alexander, Rosalind Bloom, Bud Boehringer, DoN Brewer, Alden Cole, Lilliana Didovic, David Foss, Linda Dubin Garfield, Sharri Jerue, Carl Johnson, Ona Kalstein, Marie Keane, Rikard Larma, Carla Lombardi, Karen McDonnell and Anthony Cortosi, Deb Miller and Ray Costello, Liz Nicklus, Patricia O’Halloran, Francine Strauss, Ted Warchal, Carol Wisker, Burnell Yow! 

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Click the thumbnails for panoramic views of Envisioning Shakespeare – a Da Vinci Art Alliance Event @ Rowan University, Glassboro NJ.

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Envisioning Shakespeare @ Rowan University.  Da Vinci Art Alliance is an 80 year old art gallery cooperative located in South Philly; the expansive show of art gleaned from Shakespeare themed art shows from the past examines images, themes and ideas from Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet and Henry IV, Part 1 by artists working in all types of media.

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Lilliana DidovicEnvisioning Shakespeare – a Da Vinci Art Alliance event @ Rowan University.

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Carl Johnson@ Envisioning Shakespeare – a Da Vinci Art Alliance event.

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

DoN Brewer and Mina Smith-SegalEnvisioning ShakespeareDa Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University.

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Rowan University

Envisioning Shakespeare – a Da Vinci Art Alliance event @ Rowan University.  Thank you to the great work by the Da Vinci Art Alliance team for installing the exhibition; director Dave Foss, board members Alden Cole and Ted Warchal transported and hung the show in a coherent, flowing retrospective in the handsome lobby of the Pfleeger Theater with each artwork resonating and reinforcing the messages from the works in proximity.  But, Dr. Deb Miller, Da Vinci Art Alliance Board President is the master-mind behind the series which has brought this collection of Philadelphia artists together in a bright, welcoming setting where the art can be seen by theater-goers and students at Rowan University.  The on-going series of theme shows allows artists to interpret Shakespeare in their own styles and media, most recently interpreting A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Black Box Gallery at the Lantern Theater Company.

Envisioning Shakespeare - Da Vinci Art Alliance @ Lantern Theater Black Box Gallery

Lilliana Didovic has participated in each of the Da Vinci Art Alliance Envisioning Shakespeare exhibitions and won First Prize this time for her painting in the Envisioning A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the dreamy blue night scene above).  Lilliana is dedicated to Da Vinci Art Alliance, volunteering her time and creating art even as she worked at achieving her Masters Degree in Psychology from the University of Chicago this Spring.

Envisioning “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” @ The Lantern Theater’s Black Box Gallery.

Nadia Kunz was thrilled to be exhibiting for the first time with Da Vinci Art Alliance for the Envisioning A Midsummer Night’s Dream art show; Nadia’s construction is a whimsical interpretation of the famous play created with found objects.

Envisioning “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” @ The Lantern Theater’s Black Box Gallery.

Envisioning “A Midsummer Night’s Dream @ The Lantern Theater’s Black Box Gallery.  DoN know’s that’s Ted Warchal’s Puck in the middle but he needs help identifying the others, if you know who’s who in any of these photos please comment so credit can be given to the artists.

Envisioning “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” @ The Lantern Theater’s Black Box Gallery.

Envisioning Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Black Box Gallery at Lantern Theater.  See the Da Vinci Art Alliance Facebook page for more photos. Thank you to the Lantern Theater for giving DoN exclusive access to the gallery, normally only theater-goers get to see the art show, the underground gallery has a bohemian vibe synchronizing with the eclectic artist collective’s esthetic, Da Vinci Art Alliance has been invited back for next year’s Shakespeare production.

Photos by DoN. shot exclusively with Kodak Digital Cameras

148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Eric Hall 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Eric Hall, Collimation No.40 (Harbor 3) @ 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Arthur Ostroff 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Arthur Ostroff, A Patch of Spring @ 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club on the Avenue of the Artists.

148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Patrick Monaghn 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Patrick Monaghan, Roses and Mango @ 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.  Monaghan’s presentation is among the best with the black wood frame and gold liner drawing the viewer into the moment, accentuating the painting with it’s own light, really tasteful and desirable.

148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Jon Redmond & Sybylle-Maria Pfaffenbichler,  148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Jurors James J. Himsworth III, Julien Robson & Alexandra Tyng managed to include two thirds of the submissions with a mind blowing presentation of contemporary regional oil painters represented in a wide variety of styles; the exhibition committee is to be commended on the wonderful narrative the show communicates with vignettes, groupings and highlights.

Peter Schnore 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Peter Schnore won a special abstraction award in The 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch ClubDoN found the minimalistic, boundary busting, in your face simplicity of this simple block of color to be true genius.

David M. Stallings 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

David M. Stallings, Summer’s Last Eve @ 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Albert Tacconelli 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Albert Tacconelli, Daniel’s Dilemma (Reflections on 9-11) @ 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

The award winners of the spectacular 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club; it’s like the American Idol of the Philadelphia Art Scene – who’s your favorite painter?  DoN often jokes that when a Susan Barnes or a Doris Peltzman painting is entered in a show then you know where at least one prize is going; DoN has observed these fast friends grow from art class buddies into accomplished Philadelphia artists with gallery shows, awards and sales, it’s so cool to see them winning!

Philadelphia Sketch Club president Bill Patterson takes great pride in this show, it’s his baby; DoN eves-dropped on a conversation Bill was having with a visitor and heard him say, “I’m interested in helping these artists sell their work.”  DoN saw some red dots, too; awards are great but sales is the ultimate reward and compliment for an artist.  Patterson is generous, supportive, energetic and business oriented assuring the stability of a major Philadelphia art institution many artists rely on for exposure.

Faith Corman 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

Faith Corman @ 148th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.  Faith is not a painter, she’s a loyal art patron and accomplished jewelry designer, Faith Corman is selling her custom “Sun earrings” to benefit Japan relief efforts.  She didn’t want her picture taken (pretty women never do) but DoN thinks she’s fabulous!

 

Photos by DoN.

Tetsugo Hyakutake – Ephemeral Existence @ Gallery 339

Tetsugo Hyakutake - Ephemeral Existence @ Gallery 339

Tetsugo HyakutakeEphemeral Existence @ Gallery 339.

Tetsugo Hyakutake explained to DoN how he stitches together panoramic images by combining, in the above five separate photos, into hyper-realistic renderings of industrial infrastructure scenes; the naturally black and white man-made landscape, so fluid and frail is punctuated with red signs, warning lights and smeared reflections.  Tetsugo has been studying the Japanese infrastructure for years, and uses color sparingly and symbolically.  Ephemeral Existence at 339 is a large collection of alien landscapes that kind of look like Philly out by the airport but are Japanese highways, overpasses, power stations – slightly Jetson futuristic.  Hyakutake’s photos are highly realistic but actually the landscapes are outside our actual perspective, the panoramas wider than our vision, the industrial installation images glow unblinkingly, water turned into a restrained painters palette, each image is ephemeral narrating our fragile existence on Planet Earth.

Tetsugo Hyakutake - Ephemeral Existence @ Gallery 339

Tetsugo HyakutakeEphemeral Existence @ Gallery 339 through May 7, 2011.

Tetsugo Hyakutake - Ephemeral Existence @ Gallery 339

Tetsugo HyakutakeEphemeral Existence @ Gallery 339.

 

Photos humbly taken with Tetsugo Kyakutake’s permission by DoN.

Dale Levy, Perception @ Twenty-Two Gallery

Dale Levy, Perception @ Twenty-Two Gallery

Dale Levy, Perception @ Twenty-Two Gallery.

Tonight is the Center City Art Crawl but last Friday DoN attended the opening reception for Dale Levy‘s Perception one-person show at Twenty-Two Gallery.  Dale told DoN that Helen Frankenthaler is an influence for her abstract expressionist paintings; the wild colors which appear so immediate actually takes a lot of time as each color dries before the next is added.

Dale Levy, Perception @ Twenty-Two Gallery

Dale Levy, On Edge, acrylic on canvas.

At the opening party a group of Dale Levy’s college girl friends were snapping pictures and hanging out with their old friend in support of her great artistic achievement.  Encouragement and persistence is so essential to an artist’s ability to persevere.  Dale Levy has developed her own recognizable style that looks back to the invention of abstraction but with a contemporary palette and stylish presence.  Make 22nd Street part of your art crawl tonight.

 

Photos by DoN.