September, 2017 | DoNArTNeWs

Homeless (Michelle), Carolyn Harper Cohen, batik and hand dyed fabric that has been pieced, appliqued and quilted by hand, 60″ x 52″

The Dispossessed by Carolyn Harper Cohen

Muse Gallery is pleased to present The Dispossessed by Carolyn Harper Cohen. The exhibition will run from November 1st – November 27th, 2017 with an opening reception First Friday, November 3rd from 5-8:00 p.m.

Carolyn Harper Cohen’s work has a strong social justice component to it as she creates images of people or groups who have been marginalized, discriminated against, or abused. Each of the works in this exhibit is of a particular Philadelphian; someone living in an area homeless shelter or on the streets. Many of these individuals are children. The works provide faces to those who are faceless, nameless and powerless, and bear witness to those who are suffering. The beauty that the artistic process brings to the images creates a tension with the inherent cruelty of the lives of the subjects; in admiring the works, the viewer becomes almost complicit in their abuse and neglect.

Homeless (Alexus), hand pieced, hand sewn quilt, 40″ x 48″, Carolyn Harper Cohen

The works consist of either hand embroidered batiks or hand sewn large art quilts. The methods are layered, as are the colors. The work is tactile and raw rather than slick; the fabric hand dyed, each stitch obsessively sewn by hand. The engrossing surface quality slows down perception, encouraging viewers to react to the work in a very deliberate way.

This work can be seen within the context of ‘craftivism’: a term coined in 2003 by writer Betsy Greer which can be defined as “a way of looking at life where voicing opinions through creativity makes your voice stronger, your compassion deeper and your quest for justice more infinite.”

Craft has traditionally been viewed as ‘women’s work’ and as such was marginalized and undervalued, but the craft techniques in this work can be seen as subverting the traditional genre of portraiture. Piecing fabric together creates an image that is quite different, and less real, than a painting, which oftentimes seeks to imitate and/or idealize the person being portrayed. Instead, Carolyn Harper Cohen has searched to find the individual and emotional human character of each individual.

www.carolyncohenart.com

Thank you to Carolyn Harper Cohen for the content of this post.

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THIS OCTOBER: Explore. Discover. Connect with a vibrant artist community during Philadelphia Open Studio Tours

October 7: South | October 8: Northeast | October 14: Northwest | October 15: West | FROM NOON – 6:00 PM

PHILADELPHIA, PA – September 11, 2017. From October 7 through October 15, 2017 the Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) will present the 18th annual Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST)—a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of a visual artist. Discover Philadelphia’s creative gems—artist studios, house galleries, maker spaces and community workshops—as hundreds of artists throw open their doors and bring the artistic process front and center in twenty Philadelphia neighborhoods.

POST is a community building initiative designed to strengthen bonds within the visual artist sector, foster meaningful interaction between artists and the public, and promote a greater awareness for the creative minds that make Philadelphia a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. New this year, POST is four distinct quadrants: South, Northeast, Northwest and West. The program spotlights the vitality of each neighborhood’s visual arts scene and underscores the important contributions artists make to our city’s economy and civic life.

Lucas Kelly by Matthew Bender

Great for all ages, POST makes connecting with local artists easy in an approachable and easy-to-navigate, self-guided tour over two consecutive weekends. The program provides attendees with a rare glimpse at the creative process through open studio visits, hands-on demonstrations, workshops, artist discussions, receptions, guided tours, and featured exhibitions. No other open studio event in the region provides a rich and diverse cultural experience to the public, free of charge.

Philadelphia Open Studio Tours is made possible with generous support from Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia, myCIO Wealth Partners, LLC, Reed Smith LLP, University of Pennsylvania and 40ST Artist-in-Residence Program. Additional support is provided by Brandywine Realty Trust, Stifel, MJB Wealth Management, The William Penn Foundation, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and the Independence Foundation. Promotional support is provided by Fireball Printing, HeavyBubble, Metro Philadelphia, ici, and Design Philadelphia.

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Rachel Constantine by Mae Belle Vargas

Featured Exhibitions and Events

Comprehensive festival information is available at philaopenstudios.org, the best source for the most up-to-date details about participating artists, venue locations, and events. Audiences can search POST participants alphabetically by last name, geographically by neighborhood, and thematically by type of work or media. Printed Directories are available for free at all participating POST venues starting in mid-September. CFEVA and ici are proud to offer studio visitors a free POST mobile app and smartphone guide, powered by the ici platform. Information about the mobile app and smartphone guide is online at www.icihere.com, or by following the ici User Guide, available immediately after download.

SOUTH

POST @HBHQ

October 7 to 8 │ NOON to 6PM

Reception: October 8 │6 to 8PM

Featuring Elena Bouvier, Bill Brookover, and PD Packard. @HBHQ is an exhibition, workshop, and demonstration space housed at 1241 Carpenter Studios, and curated by the artist team at Heavybubble.

1241 Carpenter St, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19147 │heavybubble.com/hbhq

Da Vinci Art Alliance (DVAA) OPEN HOUSE

October 7 │ NOON to 5PM

Get in the Halloween spirit early with Da Vinci Art Alliance (DVAA)! Enjoy an afternoon of art-making, cider-sipping and glass pumpkin patch picking all while supporting DVAA, Tyler School of Art, and CFEVA’s Philadelphia Open Studio Tours. Featuring Periphery”, a group of multi-disciplinary artists whose production and conceptual queries are articulated on the outer boundaries of their material communities.
704 Catharine St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 │ www.davinciartalliance.org

POST Artist Katherine Fraser in her studio at 319 N. 11th St.

NORTHEAST

Over the Rainbow

August 20 to October 15
Artist Talk: October 15 │ Noon
Featuring new work by CFEVA Fellow Mi-Kyoung Lee

ArtBox at Shirt Corner │ 259 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 │ www.cfeva.org

Glen Foerd on the Delaware

October 8 │Tour/Artist Talk: 11AM & 12:30PM Reception: 4 to 6PM
Featuring installations by Talia Greene, Lewis Colburn, Myung Gyun You, and Aislinn Pentcost-Farren with Camp Little Hope. 2017-18 Resident, Karina Puente, will be working on site.

5001 Grant Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19114 │ www.glenfoerd.org

Old City Fest

October 8 │11AM to 6PM

Old City Fest is a celebration of art and design, fashion and food, creativity and culture on the streets of America’s most historic square mile.

3rd and Arch St │ www.oldcitydistrict.org/oldcityfest

NORTHWEST

LandLab

October 14 │ NOON to 6PM

A partnership between The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education (SCEE) and CFEVA, LandLab Residents will spend the next year engaging with SCEE’s property, conducting research, and developing creative installations that intervene with the land. Visit them during POST f to learn more about ways in which they will be working to remediate the ecological issues found in the 340-acre wooded property.

Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education │ 8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19128 │ www.schuylkillcenter.org

Local Engagement at Awbury Arboretum
September 20 to October 20 │ 9AM to 5PM
Post-POST Reception: October 19 │ 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Awbury Arboretum is a historic landscape in Northwest Philadelphia that is free and open to the public 365 days a year. The parlors of the beautiful Francis Cope House will feature 2017 POST Northwest artists.
Awbury Arboretum │ One Awbury Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19138 │www.awbury.org

WEST

CFEVA@Sonesta

Through December 31 │ Artist

Featuring works by: Henry Bermudez, Andrea Krupp, Robert Miller, and Dolores Poacelli.

Sonesta Hotel │1800 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 │www.sonesta.com

40ST Artist-in-Residence

October 15 │ NOON to 6PM

A year-long studio program catering to West Philadelphia. Residents include Santiago Galeas, Khiry W. Worrell, Serena Muthi Reed, Josh Graupera, and Margaret Kearney.

4007 & 4013 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 │ www.40streetair.blogspot.com

For Our Ancestors
October 9 to November 14
Artist Talk: October 15 at 2:00 PM

Featuring new photographic pop-up books by Colette Fu that “speak, mediate, express, delight and inform.” Constructing pop-ups allows Fu to combine intuitive design and technical acuity with her love of travel and curiosity about the world around her.

CFEVA │ 237 S 18 St, 3A, Philadelphia, PA 19103 │www.cfeva.org

About CFEVA

With of mission to cultivate, nurture, and advance the careers of emerging visual artists while simultaneously expanding opportunities for the public to discover and connect with art, CFEVA’s services are designed to: raise the profile of Philadelphia’s professional artists, foster artistic experimentation and innovation, and showcase how vibrant artistic communities boost cultural tourism and foster economic development. Through fellowships, residencies, educational outreach, exhibitions, professional development, and city-wide events, CFEVA provides artists with the tangible resources needed to develop viable and sustainable careers.

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Explore Philadelphia’s visual arts community this October with POST, a free citywide event. #POSTPHL #POST2017
Hundreds of artist workspaces open this October during Philadelphia Open Studio Tours! #POSTPHL #POST2017

Thank you to CFEVA for the content of this POST.