Monthly Archives: July 2015

Panorama

Panorama:  Image-Based Art in the 21st Century, Main Line Art CenterDavid and Goliath © Marjan Moghaddam 2012

Main Line Art Center Unveils Panorama: Image-Based Art in the 21st Century
Two-month extravaganza features 15+ programs across greater-Philadelphia, free evening festival, and virtual exhibition opportunities.
September 12 – November 4, 2015

HAVERFORD, PA (July 29, 2015) — Fresh off the heels of Main Line Art Center’s new digital media program and building and campus expansion, the Center, located in Haverford, announces the unveiling of the first annual Panorama: Image-Based Art in the 21st Century.  The two-month happening runs September 12 through November 4, 2015 and is a celebration of the photographic image and its expansive role in contemporary artforms like digital photography, printmaking, video, film, animation, and gaming design.  Panorama is supported by Wilkie Lexus and Main Line Today (as of July 28, 2015).

Anchored by the on-site exhibition Modern Utopias and a dynamic and interactive evening festival at Main Line Art Center, Panorama features physical and virtual exhibitions, lectures, portfolio reviews, and educational programs held at Main Line Art Center led by accomplished artists who utilize digital technology to deliver the unexpected.  In addition to the programs occurring on the Art Center’s campus, Panorama includes image-based programs produced by Creative Partners, arts and culture organizations spanning from Philadelphia to Lehigh County.  As of July 28, 2015, Creative Partners include ArtsQuest, the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Gravy Studio & Gallery, inliquid.com, James Oliver Gallery, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia’s Art in City Hall, Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, The Print Center, and Silicon Gallery Fine Art Prints.  For a list of Creative Partner programs, visit www.mainlineart.org.

The focal point of Panorama is Modern Utopias, the featured exhibition on view in Main Line Art Center’s galleries September 12 through November 4.  Curated by Main Line Art Center Executive Director Amie Potsic, Modern Utopias presents compelling visions of modern existence, human potential, and virtual realities through works by Marjan Moghadden (New York, NY), Noah Addis (Columbus, OH), and Nicole Patrice Dul (Philadelphia, PA).  The Art Center will host an Artist Talk & Opening Reception on Friday, September 18 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, and Artist Nicole Patrice Dul will present a two-day workshop on her process, Solarplate Etching, on Tuesday, September 29 and October 6 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

Beginning September 12, anyone, regardless of age or experience, can contribute to the Panorama virtual exhibition, which will be available on Main Line Art Center’s newly redesigned website in December.  Community members are encouraged to visit Community Partners, which include gardens, parks and green spaces in the greater-Philadelphia area, or other locations to document what utopia means to them, and then upload their digital photograph or video to www.mainlineart.org.

Finally, virtual and hands-on collide at Main Line Art Center on Saturday, October 24 from 5 to 9 pm for the high-energy Panorama Festival featuring music and entertainment, food trucks, live art experiences, innovative art-making, digital demos, and more.  Artist Tim Portlock will light up the night with a presentation of site-specific work, kicking-off the Center’s new Digital Artist in Residency Program.

Main Line Art Center is the community’s home to discover, create, and experience visual art.  A frequent recipient of Best of Awards for its beautiful galleries and high-quality art instruction, the Center’s visual art classes and contemporary and innovative exhibitions stimulate creativity, conversation, and joy. The mission of the Art Center is to inspire and engage artistic creativity for all ages and abilities and celebrate and strengthen the essential role of visual art in community life.  Last year 16,000 people found inspiration at Main Line Art Center, including artists with disabilities in the Center’s Accessible Art Programs, now in their 51st year, and 80,000 others were touched through the Center’s programs in the community.

Main Line Art Center is located at 746 Panmure Road in Haverford, behind the Wilkie Lexus dealership just off of Lancaster Avenue. The Art Center is easily accessible from public transportation and offers abundant free parking. For more information about Panorama including a list of all programs, please visit www.mainlineart.org or call 610.525.0272.

Thank you to Rachel Ammon, Communications Director of Main Line Art Center for the content of this post.

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Figure

UCAL Figure Study

Go Figure! University City Arts League, 4th Friday, July 31st, BYOB Painting and Drawing Workshop

“There will be an open studio figure drawing workshop that I will be modeling for on Friday the 31st. The workshop is BYOB, some supplies are provided and advanced registration is requested. $15 and 2 for $25. Art materials are provided, but bring your sketch books, pads and canvases. I’ll be doing a combination of croquis and long poses, including some acrobatic gesture poses.” –Drew McNaabe

Go Figure! BYOB Painting and Drawing Workshop featuring a nude model. Fourth Friday, July 31, 7:00 – 9:00pm. Learn traditional life drawing skills in pencil and charcoal. Bring a bottle of wine and a friend, art materials will be provided. One person $15.00 / Two people $25.00. Instructor Justin Baldwin is a Philadelphia painter with an MFA from PAFA with years of experience teaching painting and drawing.

University City Arts League is located at 4226 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-382-7811

University City Arts League Mission

The University City Arts League is a non-profit organization dedicated to education and cultural enrichment in the arts. Our primary goals are:

  • To provide a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to experience the arts
  • To encourage and support the development of the arts
  • To bring the arts to the community through partnerships and educational outreach

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A Moment

moment3 Arnold Newman, New York City, 1979, platinum print

Michael Somoroff: A Moment.

Master Photographers, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, UArts

Michael Somoroff: A Moment, Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography Michael Somoroff: A MomentSol Mednick Gallery of PhotographyThe University of the Arts

Written and photographed  by Laura Storck

As a photography student at The University of the Arts, I make every effort to take advantage of the wonderful rotating exhibits on display Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography on the 15th floor. I was especially motivated to see the current exhibit by ‘Michael Somoroff: A Moment. Master Photographers‘ which includes several gorgeous platinum prints of well-known luminaries such as Elliott Erwitt, Mary Ellen Mark, Frances McLaughlin-Gill, Ben Somoroff, Ben Stern, and Arnold Newman.

moment2Michael Somoroff: A MomentSol Mednick Gallery of PhotographyThe University of the Arts

According to The University of the Arts May 2015 news release of this exhibit:

Between 1977 and 1983, Michael Somoroff, then a young New York photographer, had the privilege of photographing photographers who played a dominant role in shaping the medium during the climax of analog image making, including Robert Doisneau, Elliott Erwitt, Ralph Gibson, Jacques Henri Lartigue, Duane Michals and Helmut Newton, among others. He was first introduced to many of these icons through his father, Ben Somoroff, who studied under Alexey Brodovitch at the School of Industrial Arts in Philadelphia, now The University of the Arts, and had become a well-known and respected still life photographer working in both Philadelphia and New York. These portraits were originally created as a kind of visual journal, a tribute to the modern masters of the medium by a young photographer. Intensely personal, the images were never intended for publication and were put aside for many years. Thirty-five years later, this body of work is finally being shown and published.

moment4Ben Somoroff, New York City, 1977, platinum print

Michael Somoroff studied art and photography at the New School for Social Research in New York, opening his own studio in the mid-seventies, eventually moving for a time to Europe. In Europe, he contributed to such publications as Life, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Stern, Time, and Der Spiegel. His work is represented in collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; and Museo Correr, Venice; it has been exhibited at the International Center of Photography, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In 2006, Somoroff created a large-scale outdoor installation, “Illumination I” for the Rothko Chapel in Houston, as the first artist invited to do so since Barnett Newman. Somoroff’s homage to legendary photographer August Sander, “Absence of Subject,” was presented during the 2011 Venice Biennale, the only private exhibit in the artistic history of the city to be placed on Piazza San Marco. Since 2011, “Absence of Subject” has traveled continuously throughout Europe and soon in South America. In 2012, “A Moment. Master Photographers: Portraits” by Michael Somoroff was awarded Best Photo Books of the Year prize chosen by American Photo.

moment9Michael Somoroff: A MomentSol Mednick Gallery of PhotographyThe University of the Arts

Upon viewing the beautiful platinum printed image of each master photographer, I felt inspiration, connection, and catharsis. The platinum print process is prized for its rich, long tonal range that includes lush blacks as well as delicate gray mid-tones and for its ability to show fine detail. Somoroff rendered his subject’s essence with the utmost expertise and transcendence. To pay personal homage to the images of these icons felt akin to a spiritual journey in a sacred space.

moment8Mary Ellen Mark, New York City, 2011, platinum print, Michael Somoroff: A MomentSol Mednick Gallery of PhotographyThe University of the Artsmoment5Ben Stern, New York City, 1979, platinum print Michael Somoroff: A MomentSol Mednick Gallery of PhotographyThe University of the Arts

I felt especially moved when seeing Mary Ellen Mark’s portrait, and particularly saddened by her recent passing. I remember first learning about her work when visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art in September 2012 for her exhibition Prom: Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark. This exhibit occurred in conjunction with her husband’s work, cinematographer Martin Bell’s film Prom (2010), and I was very fortunate to witness a roundtable discussion among Mary Ellen Mark, Martin Bell, and the curator of photographs of the PMA, Peter Barberie. Mary Ellen Mark’s photography has been a major influence on my desire to capture documentary and street images, which has therefore inspired and helped me to feel more empathy, compassion, and responsiveness toward the human condition.

moment6Elliott Erwitt, Easthampton, NY, 1979, platinum print, Michael Somoroff: A MomentSol Mednick Gallery of PhotographyThe University of the Arts

This experience forces me to ponder where my photographic path may lead…Will my portrait ever adorn a gallery wall? All I can offer with certainty is that I appreciate every little struggle and triumph along life’s serpentine journey; I cherish and find value in the many relationships I have formed; and I strive to keep going with continued optimism. Peach and love to all.

moment7Frances McLaughlin-Gill, New York City, 1978, platinum print, Michael Somoroff: A MomentSol Mednick Gallery of PhotographyThe University of the Arts

Now in it’s 37th year, the Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography offers a year-round regular schedule of exhibitions of contemporary photography. The only endowed gallery in Philadelphia dedicated solely to the exhibition of photography, the Mednick Gallery earned the Photo Review Award for service to photography. Associate Professor and former director of the Photography program Harris Fogel, who founded Gallery 1401 in 1999, has been director/curator of both galleries since 1997. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00am – 5:00pm., Saturday and Sunday by appointment. The exhibit is on display through July 31st.

The University of the Arts, The Sol Mednick Gallery of Photography, Terra Hall, 15th Floor 211 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 717-6300

Event page – http://www.uarts.edu/about/sol-mednick-gallery

website – www.uarts.edu

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Written and photographed  by Laura Storck except where noted

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Church St.

 Church St. Art & CraftBen CohenChurch St. Art and Craft, photograph by Jeff Stroud

Church St. Art and Craft, 2nd Annual Summer Juried Art Show, Mt. Holly

Written and photographed by Jeff Stroud

In Mill Race Village, Mt Holly’s Historic area just off Main Street, sits a small two story house on the corner of Church Street. In two rooms of that historic house will be found a monthly collection of local artist work with the co-op member artist the basis of each of the collections. The Church St. Art and Craft space may be small yet it allows one to be intimate with the art, close enough to touch and intimate enough to imagine pieces in your own home.

The exhibition during the month of July is a juried show of member and guest artists who have submitted their work to be juried by Shaun Stipick; Director of the Herman T. Costello Lyceum, Burlington City, NJ. Mr. Stipick’s vision was held upon several oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, mixed medium collage, and upcycled paintings. Nineteen artists competed for wall space and prizes; most of the artists have at least 3 pieces exhibited among this collection.

churchst4 Judy Sawicki, Still Waters, oil, Church St. Art and Craft, photograph by Jeff Stroud

Third place winner is Judy Sawicki, a guest artist, with her small oil painting. ‘Still Waters’ graces the front wall, her work is classic nature scenes capturing the essence of old masters. Second place, a guest artist as well, is Joyce McAfee’s ephemeral watercolor ‘The Dune’; the painting seems to be a mirage, ready to blow away with the next wind.

churchst3Joyce McAfee,The Dune, watercolor, Church St. Art and Craft, photograph by Jeff Stroud

churchst5Maureen Gass-Brown, Traveling Light, pastel water colors, Church St. Art and Craft, photograph by Jeff Stroud

In first place is Maureen Gass-Brown’s ‘Traveling Light’ her pastel water colors seem to capture a sense of journeying to the path paradise. Maureen’s artistry brings nature and landscape to life offering muted color brilliance to her work.

The gallery exhibition is a feast for the eyes and soul, as you travel around the room you are greeted with humor, classic scenery, walks in a garden or on a beach, Ben Cohen’s brilliant primary color pastel flash out in bold reds, yellows, blues capturing city life in a bright flash, playful and humorous.

churchst1Church St. Art and Craft, through August 2nd, Summer Juried Art Showphotograph by Jeff Stroud

Written and photographed by Jeff Stroud

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Red Bubble: Jeff Stroud – Nature Spirit Photography

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Inside Out

public24Dog Barking at the Moon (1926) by Joan Miro, photographed by Laura Storck

Inside Out, Philadelphia Museum of Art,

Museum Masterpieces in Your Community

Written and photographed by Laura Storck

I spy art in unexpected places! That’s right — high-quality reproductions of famous art works have popped up in local communities as a part of the Inside Out program, a project sponsored by the Philadelphia Museum of Art through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. In this program, the museum is sharing 61 framed replicas from its collection around the region.  Brilliant!

public22Two Calla Lilies on Pink (1928), Georgia O’Keeffe, photographed by Laura Storck

What a great way to bring fine art outside of the confines of the gallery walls to the public realm. I felt absolutely ecstatic when I learned that 11 works would be sprinkled throughout my own backyard in Haddonfield, NJ. Not only does this allow for the convenience and easy accessibility to enjoy these works nearby, but I can savor them en plein air; I absolutely adore the organic context.public21The Libraries Are Appreciated (1943) by Jacob Lawrence, photographed by Laura Storck

Since I spend the majority of my free time in Philly, this outdoor exhibit also allows me to rediscover, reconnect, and to appreciate this beautiful neighborhood and all it has to offer.

public20The Kiss (1916) by Constanin Brancusi, photographed by Laura Storck

I was able to locate and photograph the pieces in under an hour (by the way, I DO love a good scavenger hunt!). These alluring works are very carefully placed, and complement each spot very well. The art at each location conveyed a cosmic romanticism and palpable energy that forcefully pulled me in.

public18Tanis (1915) by Daniel Garber, photographed by Laura Storckpublic16Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna, 1859) by Sir Frederic Leighton, photographed by Laura Storckpublic15Poplars on the Bank of the Epte River (1891) by Claude Monet, photographed by Laura Storck

Here is the list of all 11 replica art works that are currently on view at various locations in Haddonfield:

  • Rondel Depicting Holofernes’s Army Crossing the Euphrates River (1246-48), from France
  • Mont Sainte-Victoire (1902-4), by Paul Cezanne
  • The Libraries Are Appreciated (1943), by Jacob Lawrence
  • Dog Barking at the Moon (1926), by Joan Miro
  • Marine (about 1652-53), by Simon Jacobsz de Vlieger
  • Tanis (1915), by Daniel Garber
  • Two Calla Lilies on Pink (1928), by Georgia O’Keeffe
  • Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna) (1859), by Sir Frederic Leighton
  • Pichincha (1867), by Frederic Edwin Church
  • The Kiss (1916), by Constantin Brancusi
  • Poplars on the Bank of the Epte River (1891), by Claude Monet

I was thrilled to see a photograph one of my favorite masterpieces of all time, Brancusi’s The Kiss, included in this outdoor exhibit. This piece is so simple yet it conveys such emotion, tenderness, and gentle eroticism that runs deep to the core. Personally, I am always swept away and overcome with emotion when this amazing sculpture finds my gaze.

public13Pichincha (1867) by Frederic Edwin Church, photographed by Laura Storck

public12Mont Sainte-Victoire (1902-4) by Paul Cezanne, photographed by Laura StorckInside Out, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Laura StorckMarine (1652-3) by Simon Jacobsz de Vlieger, photographed by Laura Storck

Inside Out is being unveiled in two cycles between Summer and Autumn 2015. From mid-May until August, you may find art works in the following communities:

  • Haddonfield, Camden County, NJ
  • Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy, Philadelphia, PA   
  • East Passyunk, Philadelphia, PA  
  • Media, Delaware County, PA
  • Newtown, Bucks County, PA

From mid-August through November, you may stroll through these neighborhoods to find the next wave of pop-up collections:

  • Fishtown, and Kensington, Philadelphia, PA
  • Ambler, Montgomery County, PA
  • Norristown, Montgomery County, PA
  • Wayne, Delaware County, PA
  • West Chester, Chester County, PA

This project does an amazing job of reaching out to make this fine art accessible to communities that are relatively geographically distant from the museum.  I sincerely look forward to checking out the rest of the outdoor exhibits!

Go to www.philamuseum.org/insideout for maps and detailed information.

Included in this article are photographs of all but one of the Haddonfield art replicas on display. I’ll leave the challenge up to you to find it!

“Inside Out, May 15, 2015 – Mid-November 2015

Encounter high-quality replicas of artworks from the Museum’s collection in your neighborhood. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is sharing its art. This summer and fall, sixty high-quality replicas of Museum masterpieces will find their way into communities around the region. Each participating neighborhood will feature about ten artworks within a short distance of each other. Walk through the park, hop on a bike, or meander down Main Street through each exciting outdoor exhibition.Join your family and friends and encounter art in unexpected places. Picnic next to Claude Monet’s iconicJapanese Footbridge, stop to smell the flowers near Georgia O’Keeffe’s Calla Lilies, or shine a flashlight on Paul Gauguin’s Sacred Mountain during a midnight stroll. Never been to the Museum? Inside Out brings treasures from its collection to you. Pick a neighborhood, grab your friends and family, and explore.” – Philadelphia Museum of Art, Inside Out

Written and photographed  by Laura Storck except where noted

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