Kassem Amoudi is a Palestinian Jordanian American artist who came to the US in 1983. He got his MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and now teaches there. The first time I remember seeing one of his paintings was at the Woodmere Art Museum. Like a philosopher Kassem thinks in terms of dualities, pairs of things that complement one another. He told me about one of the greatest of these pairings. – John Thornton, arts videographer
Artists in the Time of Pandemic, Kassem Amoudi
One of the paintings I will show at Cerulean Arts Gallery from the Stripes series. It is a 48×48 Acrylic. The show starts May 5th with social distancing and masks. The opening will be a Virtual tour and talk on Saturday the 8th at 2 pm. You can register for it at the gallery website when they add it. It hasn’t been posted yet because there is another show right now. — Kassem Amoudi
I will be One of the panelists at this webinar at Woodmere Art Museum May 6th at 7. Please click the link to register. Closing Reception (virtual): Group ’55 and Midcentury Abstraction in Philadelphia Presenters: Bill Valerio, Woodmere Director & CEO; Patricia Stark Feinstein, Curator of the Samuel L. Feinstein Trust; Barbara Wolanin, PhD, Curator of the Group ‘55 exhibition; Kassem Amoudi, Artist Join Woodmere in celebrating the art and artists of the Group ‘55 exhibition through an online closing reception. The online program will feature a new film on the exhibition, along with a conversation between Bill Valerio; Patricia Stark Feinstein; Barbara Wolanin, PhD; and Kassem Amoudi. Group ‘55 and Midcentury Abstraction in Philadelphia is on view through Sunday, May 9. This event will be held online via Zoom, and registration is required. Participants will receive event information via email upon registration. Free | 7pm | Click here to register. https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aCKZqyA-R-WFIqoOgyrUEQ
Thank you to Kassem Amoudi and John Thornton for the content of this post.
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A solo exhibition by Sarah Detweiler, presented by Paradigm Gallery.
April 23 – May 22, 2021
Paradigm Gallery is pleased to present mOTHER, a solo exhibition by figurative painter Sarah Detweiler. mOTHER features 12 new vibrantly haunting works from Detweiler’s ongoing series, Hidden Mother, which adeptly subverts the portrait form and instead, focuses on a woman’s self-imposed perceptions and expectations that a mother attaches to their identity. Her evocative paintings use concealment as a way to reveal deeper truths. mOTHER marks Detweiler’s first solo exhibition at Paradigm Gallery and will be on view* from April 23 – May 22, 2021 with a virtual opening on Friday, April 23 at 5:30PM, RSVP is required:
The Hidden Mother series was inspired by a trend in Victorian portrait photography in which mothers concealed themselves in fabric while they held their children still for long exposure photographs. Detweiler’s images remove the children, showing only the women covered and posed alone within each frame. In this way, they are both hyper visible and hidden. While the artist used herself as the model for previous works, her new collection turns her gaze toward other women, thus expanding the view of motherhood as both a connective thread and as an experience that is unique to each individual.
Though the series has been ongoing since January 2020, mOTHER marks the first body of works where Detweiler collaboratively created the pieces with her subjects. Detweiler worked closely with her subjects to best tell their stories, intuitively translating their experiences and feelings onto the canvas. By personalizing her paintings to her subjects’ stories, their life experiences shine through the patterns and colors of the work, even as their faces are obscured. Though Detweiler knows her subjects personally, in maintaining the anonymity of her subjects, she preserves a universal relatability — the woman under the shroud could be you, your mother, your friend.
The paintings in mOTHER include hand-stitched embroidered elements that add texture and dimension, while alluding to a craftwork traditionally associated with femininity. The stitching is often only noticeable upon closer inspection, reinforcing the significance of that which is hidden in plain sight. The resulting images in this exhibition are deep, vibrant, and fantastical. They express their subjects’ ambivalence, acceptance, and embrace towards their changing roles as mothers, all while celebrating the true multiplicity of their identities.
Detweiler opens the conversation around transformation and identity, honoring each woman’s existence beyond motherhood. Her powerful images are both eerie and whimsical, cathartic and hopeful. Though the subjects are hidden on a superficial level, the coverage actually allows the artist to see more deeply, revealing them in new and beautiful light.
*Due to COVID-19, ”mOTHER” will be open for regular weekend hours with limited capacity andis available to view by private appointments during the week until further notice. The digitalexhibition twin is available on https://www.paradigmarts.org/ for viewing from home.
These policies are dependent on the current policies of the CDC, WHO and the Governor and Mayor’s offices. Paradigm Gallery’s number one priority is the safety and wellness of their visitors. For live updates on the exhibition and appointments, please visit the Paradigm website and socials. For any questions on Paradigm’s current policies, please email info@paradigm-gallery.com.
About Sarah Detweiler
Sarah Detweiler is a Philadelphia area-based, mixed media painter. Her experiences as a woman and mother are explored through figurative narratives created with a combination of embroidery with oil, acrylic, gouache, and watercolor.
Sarah has a BFA from the University of Delaware in Visual Communications and a Masters in Art Therapy from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She has exhibited in group and solo shows in various locations including New York City, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chester County, PA and Philadelphia. Sarah has been featured by The Jealous Curator, Create Magazine, Making Art Films, and Thrive Art Studio. Her work has been published in Uppercase Magazine and Create Magazine.
Sarah’s art centers around themes of fertility, motherhood, female empowerment, and the human experience.
About Paradigm Gallery
Paradigm Gallery + Studio® was established in 2010 by co-founders and curators, Jason Chen and Sara McCorriston. The gallery exhibits meaningful, process-intense contemporary artwork from around the world. Now open 11 years, Paradigm Gallery is globally recognized and known as a tastemaker within their greater Philadelphia arts community. As the gallery grows, it maintains its original mission to keep art accessible. Through monthly donations, free public art installations, and initiatives like Insider Picks, Paradigm Gallery, continues to be a champion of small businesses and emerging and mid-career artists.
Location:
746 S 4th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Media Contact:
Lainya Magaña, A&O PR
347 395 4155
lainya@aopublic.com
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For the month of May new works by illustrator Jordan Kressley will be on display in the gallery.
A fairly recent graduate in the field of illustration Kressley has made the wise decision to stick to traditional hands on mediums, quickly and adeptly honing the skills of chalk pastels. In an age of digital content one can drown in these works on paper that have tediously been labored upon are a fresh breath on art. Everything about this young artist’s choices set her apart from the pack. She impresses the viewer with every single work she creates with scale and attention to detail. Kressley creates a fantastical and rich sense of depth and luminosity in her work, where the bright and energetic meet calm of boundless darkness. While referencing the living world around her, she develops exciting compositions with unique narratives that capture the viewer’s attention. Presenting a new series of works that tie in her current interest in flora and fauna that push the boundaries of reality just enough. Do not miss the opportunity to view these wonderful works in person. Stop in the gallery 5 days a week to view and add to your collection. All works are also available for sale online through our site www.blackmothgallery.com
Steve Martin Black Moth Tattoo & Gallery Voted Best of Philly 2020·Voted Best of the Main Line 2020 ·Voted MontCo’s Best of in the Happening List 2018 2019 2020
Linda Dubin Garfield’s Solo Exhibit Benefits Women International Leadership
In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe, Linda Dubin Garfield cancelled her travel plans and instead spent time reminiscing about her past travels. In a typical year, Garfield travels during the summer months and returns home to create artworks using the impressions left by these landscapes and cultures. Garfield has spent decades creating mixed media collages inspired by her travels to 37 countries on every continent. Instead of traveling this year, she spent her time working on a new body of mixed media work that reflects on the memories associated with her past expeditions.
Footprints: Travel Landscapes is a selection of new work by the artist, curated like a map that touches each of the 7 continents she has visited. The Da Vinci Art Alliance, 704 Catharine Street opening/birthday party is May 13, 5- 8 PM. The exhibit runs until May 30. For appointments visit www.davinciartalliance.org/footprints.There will also be a virtual opening and exhibit at the DVAA website.
In lieu of birthday gits, Linda asks the people make a donation to Women international Leaders at www.will-pa.org whose mission is to invest in underserved women globally who take the lead in becoming self-sufficient, elevating their families and communities. A percentage of sales will also benefit WIL.
Linda Dubin Garfield’s abstract and dynamic works use multiple layers of ink that waver between background and foreground to create a fusion of surface design and abstract expressionism. Using hand-pulled printmaking techniques, photography, collage and digital imaging, she explores the mystery of memory and the magic of place, inviting viewers to observe the world through her “mind’s eye.”
Linda Dubin Garfield is an award-winning printmaker, the founder of ARTsisters and smART business consulting, and sits on the board of several nonprofits. She also offers memoir art-making workshops at several organizations like Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Centers for Older Adults, Simpson House and Atria Senior Living. Linda Dubin Garfield has hosted charitable birthday celebrations since the untimely death of her dear friend 15 years ago. In lieu of birthday gifts each year, Garfield collects donations for nonprofits that she supports and that match her annual art theme. Some charities are Family Support Services, Locks of Love, Women in Leadership, Breastcancer,org, and the Dementia Society. She has raised over $15,000 for various charities since 2006. ###
Philadelphia Open Studio Tours Northeast 2021, April 21, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Your virtual studio tour of Philadelphia continues! Grab a seat to visit with over 30 POST new Philadelphia-based artists, with visitors visiting from all over the world and across the country (literally!).
Sign up now and join us on Wednesday April 21, 6-8pm EDT (and each Wednesday evening following this month.) Different artists each Wednesday in a unique, virtual (non-Zoom!) platform.