DoNArTNeWs

The future of painting and image-making was the core of two day symposium at Rutgers University Fine Arts. With introductions to more than a dozen amazing painters, fantastically futuristic images, meme trees, 3D linticular prints and vast amounts of computer-based presentations in four information packed presentations.   DoN likes to go someplace cool for his birthday like NYC but Bruce Garrity one of the coordinators reached out to DoN about the symposium; it turns out Camden is pretty damn cool.  Libby Rosoff of artblog (OMFG!! - a blog legend) was the moderator for Friday’s panel, “Painting,  So What?“, Libby & DoN had only met through Facebook and now we actually know each other in real life.  Rosoff lead a strong discussion of the relevance of painting and what constitutes painting in the world today and really kept the discussion and presentations on target.  Each artist did a video presentation and talk about their art and then Libby moderated questions from the audience with the panel offering thoughtful opinions on what constitute art today.  

The symposium was organized by Margery Amdur and Bruce Garrity who authoritatively and wisely organized panel discussions about art and the relevance of image-making in the post-modern age.  The art on view in The Stedman Gallery is post-post modern contemporary with a futurist beam of thought-bubbles enveloping the diverse media on view in the galleries.  The future is here and it’s about “experience design”, from Camden to Outer Space and back, the dual show at Stedman Gallery and Hopkins House is a retrofitted future fantasy.

 Amy S. Kauffman - a UArts Alum, Holla Back, Girl! - makes her mark by folding tootsie roll, gum and candy wrappers in endless numbers of little paper boats or paper chains such as this enormous coil @ Hopkins House Gallery.  

Pam Longobardi mixes objects that have drifted loose from the giant plastic pollution blob floating in the middle of the oceans with images of plastic bits that have been deformed and reshaped by the ocean and cast up on the beach - check out driftwebs.com .  Pam’s story of how she discovered these objects is totally engrossing, as are her paintings such as “Surge” a painting full of the tension of tidal waves and fragile power grids.

DoN collected so much information to share about the other panelists including Carol Prusa’s entrancing dome drawings with fiber optic lights, Liz Brown’s dioramas of mismatched dumb stuff and Steve Pauley’s gravestone-like carvings of vending machines, anthrax letters and homeland security advisory guides…deep.

Congratulations Kathryn, from all the Da Vinci Art Alliance members on your upcoming cover story in American Craft magazine!!!

The article below on Kathryn will appear in the April/May issue of American Craft magazine with the cover story called Urban Fabric which details her career in murals, fiber art, social activism, painting, and making Philadelphia a better place to live.  Kathryn, who is currently on the Board of Directors and was past Director of Da Vinci, we are so proud and happy for you Kathryn.  Pick up a copy of American Craft in bookstores in April or go to their website to get a preview, with many photos of Kathryn’s many projects.

Congrats Kathryn, we love you!!!!!  

David Foss, executive director Da Vinci Art Alliance (from his e-mail to the Da Vinci Art Alliance).  

The story on American Crafts online magazine is really cool, too.  DoN LoVeS Kathryn; she’s an artist who actually affects change on our urban fabric, the murals at Broad & Lehigh will aid in the revitalization of the city.

Mimesis ; ape-ish copying.  The technical definition is simple but Carter and Carlin exhibit considerable skill in creating atmospheric naturalism, magic realism and ecclesiatical ecstatic images designed to stir the soul and portray the mystery of life through painting.

Neilson M. Carlin @ The Pierre S. DuPont Art Center, Wilmington, DE.

Neilson M Carlin.  DoN overheard Neilson tell a gallery visitor, “you have to scare the kids; raw meat and naked men.”  Carlin has a really great website representing the artist effectively, his understanding of interface design on the web and what he calls “Memesis” in painting is powerful; Carlin has his own painting school in  Kennett Square with a dedicated following. 

Panoramic shot of preparatory drawings for a major painting.

Allen G. Carter, Sr. @ The Pierre S. Dupont Art Center.  Carter wrote an article for International Artist’s magazine - visit the cool website with Allen’s article here.  Carter exhibited works in process including color palettes and diagrams of the design included in the magazine article, utilizing and energizing the space with knowledge and learning.  The school has a really excellent gallery space with the room to explain everything that goes into creating a classically modern masterpiece even displaying full-scale cartoons by Carlin used to create a large scale mural.

Allen G. Carter, Sr. @ Mimesis Exhibit in The Pierre S. DuPont Art Center. 

Artist and teacher - Allen G. Carter, Sr. with his painting teacher and mentor Neilson M. Carlin @ the opening reception for Memesis in The Pierre S. DuPont Center for the Arts in Tower Hill  School. 

The Philadelphia Sketch Club in partnership with the Philadelphia School District presents the 25^th Annual High School Student Art Exhibition from February 9, 2009 through February 22, 2009.  A closing reception and awards will be held February 22^nd, 2 – 5:00 PM.  The invitational represents the best student artists from High Schools around the city.  The 2009 exhibit was organized by Dorothy Roschen, a prominent Philadelphia sculptor and former art teacher, the jurors are Diana Larisgoitia, PH.D, Rik Viola, actor and fine artist and multimedia artist DoN Brewer.

The depth and breadth of this wonderful show demonstrates how young people can communicate through art whether through Photoshop to cut paper to traditional drawings and paintings.  DoN recalls that art was his favorite class in high school, a place to escape from the difficulties of growing up during the Viet Nam War (the Vietnamese called it the American War) with the inherent fear of the draft after graduating.  Today young people are dealing with multiple wars and the new-age depression yet they, too, find solace in losing themselves in paint, charcoal and pastel even if they only have brown paper to develop their ideas.

More than 20 awards are being presented but there are many students being presented with honorable mentions that will receive certificates.  DoN urges you to donate funds, materials or gift certificates to the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s effort; it would be great if every kid who poured his soul into their art is able to go home with an award. 

Olivia Haas mixed media piece won best in show at the 25th Annual Philadelphia High School Art Show @ PSC. 

25th Annual Philadelphia High School Art Show @ PSC.  

25th Annual Philadelphia High School Art Show @ PSC.  

Anthony Martin’s drawing, “Good vs. Evil” won the Lois Muriel Award for Excellence in Drawing. 

Members of the Breckenridge and Wagner families at the unveilng of the Historical Marker at the Philadelphia Sketch Club, the oldest art club in America.  The Breckenridge family donated an important painting of the family matriarch to the Philadelphia Sketch Club that was found folded up in the bottom of a trunk.  The painting has been meticulously restored by the prestigious Newman Gallery and is on display in the meeting room.