DoNArTNeWs

Check it out - a wide angle shot of Justin Duerr’s incredible show at St. Asaph’s.  DoN can’t stop thinking about Justin’s story about his first job in a bakery.  The boss was mean - we’ve all had mean bosses but this jerk took the cake - but Justin learned to decorate cakes and design with frosting. Duerr decorated his own cake for the opening party with day-glo orange piping of a woman’s face. The framing by Robert Bullock of Coalition Ingenu is truly superior, some of Duerr’s drawings are five feet or more with thin plexiglass offering distortion free viewing.  Learn more about Coalition Ingenu and the fine work they do using art to improve people’s lives and our community, you’ll be inspired - Shoska & DoN LoVe this show and art space! 

An incredible thing has happened.  The business community of South Street offered empty store fronts to artists rent free if they pay the utilities; DoN first heard of this from David Foss, director of the Da Vinci Art Alliance.  The Dumpster Divers jumped at the chance and have installed an exciting mixed media art show of museum quality - a lot of the work has been exhibited in actual museums and are scheduled to show in upcoming museum shows.  The Grand Opening is March 15th but there’s plenty to absorb now as the huge space at 723 South Street is transformed.

DoN says when the grid goes down the artists will become the tribal leaders: storytellers, image makers, re-purposers, builders, makers, artists, musicians and those able to carry the history forward and preserve culture.

Dumpster Divers on South Street.

Dumpster Diver outsider, couturier Shoshana Arons with Diver multimedia artist Alden Cole @ 723 South Street.

Burnell Yow!’s “52 Collages in 52 Weeks” @ The Dumpster Divers installation on South Street.

Hammonton NJ is the self proclaimed blueberry capital of the world with a wonderfully quaint downtown district which has truly suffered from Wal-Martization.  Art to the rescue with the Noyes Museum occupying a lovely space with bright windows and unbroken sight lines.  The mysterious Dumpster Divers have been on display with a lavish installation of mixed media works of art that excites the senses and stirs old memories.  Saturday is the last day at the Noyes but then a lot of the work will move to 734 South Street, Philadelphia where the Dumpster Divers have taken over a vacant store front on the hippest street in town.

Carol Cole, “New Beginnings“, mixed media.  DoN was drawn into the luster of the paper mache eggs with the opalescent knobs, spikes and arrow forms creating a frame of strangeness; very desirable, chic and modern.

Ellen Sall, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds“, mixed media. 

Betsy Alexander’s crosses made from cds wonderfully mixes the magic of contemporary music distribution with ancient symbols.  Music was once held secret and sacred by the churches who recognized the power of aural input to influence behavior.  Betsy’s crosses sing a contemporary song with visual cues and signs, symbols and silence speak volumes. 

Alden Cole, “Eros Ex Machina”, mixed media @ The Noyes Museum gallery in Hammonton, NJ.   

Alden Cole’s, Divine Lorraine series is on display at various locales.  Cole’s use of wood is lavishly skillful, real love is applied to the surfaces of his creations. 

Burnell Yow!, “La, Va, Ra, Ya“, mixed media @ Noyes Museum in Hammonton, NJ. 

The Plastic Club @ 247 South Camac Street is hosting a new art show – small WORLDS exhibition.  All works in the show must be less than 16” in any direction including 2D and 3D works by hundreds of artists; there are 182 artworks in the show, no small feat to install.  But, the committee performed wonders in creating groupings, tableau and mise en seine drawing the visitor into tiny spaces packed with authenticity, superior craftsmanship and creativity.  Karl Olsen’s “A” is a masterful painting of his ubiquitous hat, Alden Cole entered a wildly erotic fantasy, Doris Peltzman’s “Portrait of Amber” is haunting and masterful…

small WORLDS opens February 1^st – here’s a sneak peek. 

DoN Brewer’s “light being (Chink)“, Ellen Grenwell’s “4:12 AM, Please Kitty“, Rob Willis‘ “Ichibano” & Hugo Hsu’s “Tenguska“. 

small Worlds @ The Plastic Club. 

Alden Cole’s “Embrace No. 2“. 

The opening reception and awards is Sunday, February 1st, 2009, 2 - 5:00 PM.

DoN has written about other shows by artist Jim Bloom at Home & Planet in Bethlehem, PA and Outsider Folk Art in Reading PA but the current show called “Them” at Vivant Art Collection, 60 N. 2^nd St., Philly is a tour de force.  Bloom has a knack of poking a stick in the eye of cultural prejudices from gender issues to homophobia to obesity; Jim’s brutalist painting style highlights how words and attitudes can be painful and ridiculous.  The one-person show includes portraiture but the works using words are particularly powerful and poetic.  One large canvas shows a smiling couple clicking a snapshot of them outside a concentration camp as if they were visiting Disneyland, another lampoons stereotypes of effeminacy and homophobia and another painting highlights how words are often just so much noise.

Florcy Morisset, the owner/curator of Vivant Art Collection, is thrilled with this year’s first show, telling DoN that she can date the century of a painting by the design of a face in a painting and that Bloom’s socially incorrect subject matter shows how we all are included in “Them”.  Bloom told DoN he was “discovered” by Robert Bullock of Coalition Ingenu introducing him to George Veiner of Outsider Folk Art Gallery who immediately purchased his entire collection for his gallery.  Since then, Bloom has been able to move forward from painting on found objects such as cardboard boxes and paper plates to canvas’ but the vibrancy and irreverence remains.  “Them” is on exhibit through the end of January.  

Jim Bloom @ Vivant Art Collection.

“Light Green Hat“, Jim Bloom @ Vivant Art Collection. 

Paintings by Jim Bloom @ Vivant Art Collection in Old City. 

October 23rd, Alden Cole and DoN attended the opening of the Green Exhibit at Philadelphia City Hall, the 56th group exhibit for local emerging and professional artists with the exhibit focussing on concerns about our environment.  The art display cases have been updated with improved lighting and larger exhibition space allowing the 45 participating artists to show their own take on what it means to be green.  Carol Cole has always reused cast away objects to include in her striking sculptures which appear to made of metal and stone but usually turn out to be styrofoam and plastic - so clever.

Sculptor Carol Cole @ The Green Exhibit.

Dolores Poacelli @ Art in City Hall’s Green Exhibit.  Dolores reuses used aluminum printing plates which she dumpster dives for even though the rats scare her.  These two amazing pieces still reveal traces of the imagery that came before she sanded, rusted and glued the panels onto wood.

Gregory Farrar Scott’s Mask # 40 and Mask # 41 @ The Green Exhibit.

Junk Mail Shag by Valerie Linhart created with shredded junk mail.  DoN LoVeS iT!!!  The Green Exhibit @ Art in City Hall runs through January 23, 2009.  Support your local artists and go buy some art since their are no commissions and the quality is so high.  DoN even got to say,”Hi!” to Mayor Nutter. 

Sandra Benheim’s “Museum Pass“, a collage of museum passes and maps.  Art in City Hall, Philadelphia.

Paula Mendel’s “Growth Where You Least Expect it” @ Art in City Hall.

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

It feels appropriate to post this story on Thanksgiving since tonight DoN ate many of the native foods these two very interesting and entertaining historians described. Sunday, October 23rd, Alden Cole and DoN attended a splendid lecture by Carla and Allan Messinger who presented fascinating information about the Lenape Tribe, “The Original People“.  The hour was packed with so much information so pertinent to our current situation in America including the notion that by Autumn the people would have stored enough food to last until June of the following year (Economist Suzy Ormond recommends one have enough funds stashed to last eight months - hmmmm), that in 1737 the Indians were perpetrated a hoax when they were promised land forever (sounds like Bush’s ownership society hoax - hmmm), 45% of modern medicine is derived from native American plants (hmmm) and that if it were not for the Indians we wouldn’t know about beans, squash, tomatoes, chocolate or corn (yummm!).

Carla & Allan Messinger @ Da Vinci Art Alliance.

Indian artifacts on display @ Lenape Lifeways lecture.  The Messingers described a full cultural life that worked with the land and respected its resources and explained lessons remembered from the people who originally occupied the banks of the Delaware.  A people who mastered the art of survival.

Carla Messinger (a Lenape descendant) displaying authentic garb.  The lecture was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, you can learn more at www.lenapeprograms.info.

Lenape oject d’art.

Carla Messinger and David Foss @ Da Vinci Art Alliance.

Happy Thanksgiving.

LoVe

DoN

Alden Cole with his Aldenized art chair @ Outsider Folk Art Gallery @ Goggleworks.  

Ostensibly, the star of the show is self-taught artist Harriet Wiseman with her Modigliani-esque paintings of ladies and mise en seine on wood, palettes and ledger covers.  Wiseman told DoNshe had never heard of Modigliani until people started telling her about the resemblence to the master and others like Chagall and Kokoschka - nice company to keep!  She began studying art books in the library and soon understood the references; Wiseman is extremely prolific and has truly established a unique style all her own.Oil painting by Harriet Wiseman @ Outsider Folk Art Gallery.Wild Palms II, paint on cardboard, Jim Bloom @ Outsider Art Gallery.

Owner, George Viener, is an extensive self-taught art collector and expert in contemporary folk and outsider art; at one time he held 250 of Blooms paintings.  Curator Emily Christenson toldDoN that Jon Clark of Home and Planet in Bethlehem cherry-picked the most angst-ridden pieces for the superb show held earlier this year in his gallery.

Alden Cole’s dumpster-diver art perfectly suits the space, it wasn’t long before someone took the painted, re-upholstered chair off it’s pedestal to take a load off and it seemed as if everyone took a turn sitting on the art-chair.  Alden’s fantastical luminaries softly glowed around the room, it was super-fun to watch the patrons with dropped jaws staring at the hypnotically changing lights.

The Goggle Works in Reading is a wonderful art space with five floors of studios and galleries as well as a recently installed LED light show in the windows of the old brick facade brightening the downtown scene with art and innovation.  DoN and friends are planning a trip back to Reading to view more, more, more…

Alden Cole will be participating in the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours as well as an up-coming show at Smile Gallery, make sure you visit his gallery/studio in South Philly the second weekend in October.

Panoramic shot of Outsider Folk Arts Gallery in Reading, PA. 

DoNArTNeWs

Ola!  The Philadelphia Sketch Club is hosting Cultural Collisions: Latino Artists in Philadelphiawith an art exhibition of paintings, drawings and photography, the Turtulia included poetry, music, perforformance and dance and the upcoming extravaganza, Gala Milonga, with Tango lessons, dance performance and live entertainment.  Shoshka and DoN attended the opening reception for the art exhibit last Sunday and literally participated in an historic event. Charles Cushing is the curator of the exhibit incorporating Latin American art, poetry, music, performance and more; he has been practicing Tango for weeks preparing to take the floor of the Sketch Club (perfect for dancing by the way) .  The art show originated with Cushing curating a smaller exhibit of Latin artists at Two Penn Center and through a series of acquaintances and meetings he was able to coordinate with the Sketch Club’s exhibition committee a show in the historic gallery during Latin American History Month.  

Produced mostly by Philadelphia Latin artists, the show includes traditional Latin art but also contemporary, abstract, photo-realist, expressionist paintings and fine art photography.For example, a group of four 8×10 silver gelatin print photographs in the far corner of the gallery by Jorge Figueroa represent more than just the emerging artist’s first art show, the images document a way of life since the artist began taking photographs as a teenager and is now 65.  Monica Rodrigo, President of the Board of Raices Culturales Latino Americans, explained to DoN how Figueroa’s family oftened questioned his perchant for taking pictures but now there’s talk of an exhibit at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, a catalog raisonne and more.  Here’s this guy in Guatamala clicking pictures, taking flack from his kids, working hard yet documenting American life, capturing history through glimpses into true humanity.  The artist was present forTurlulia, the poetry reading last Friday evening - more about that later on.

Artist/Curator Charles Cushing at the opening of Cultural Collisions @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Silver gelatin prints by Jorge Figueroa @ PSC Cultural Collisions. The lower image is called, ”The Junkyard Worker“, absolutely stunning - the clarity, narrative, execution, presentation are all first rate; Figueroa’s work is a treasure trove of fine art photography.

Silver gelatin print by Jorge Figueroa.  Monica explained to DoN that this image represents this young girls world, her job as a maid means she is responsible for the space you see in the picture - a corner of the world.

Dante Sanchez‘, “The Time Has Come“, portraying “the moment Judas felt sorry and hung himself”.  Sanchez’ bold strokes, inspired by the writing of Juan Bosch’s “Judas Escariate El Calumniado“, have a plein air quality, as if quickly painted in the moment; Dante captures the instant when the sky darkens as Judas dies.

Dante Sanchez with his, “Dancing on 5th Street.”  During Friday nights, Turtulia, the climax of the evening was a performance of La Bomba in authentic costume with live music!  DoN captured the event on tape and will post video clips soon on DoNArTNeWs.  Dante was the MC and kept the evening on course with poetry, music, song and dancing long into the evening until everyone spilled out onto Camac street to be greeted by warm summer rain.  The Sketch Club should install a DJ booth - what a terrific room for dancing - everyone was moving to the infectious beat, inspired by the creativity, color and culture.

Dante Sanchez‘, “Mental Vacation in Santo Domingo“.  Dante told DoN, “Dominicans are always dreaming of their country, sending money home to their families but always dreaming of the beach.” 

Sylvia Castellanos with, “First Communion“, oil on canvas.  The subject of the work, the artist’s niece now all but grown up into a beautiful young woman, was present at the show; the sense of family, love and pride was overflowing and passionate.

Diana Ovieda’s, “Cherry“, a large painting evocative of the spirit of the historic event at The Philadelphia Sketch Club.  Diana was not present but her mother sure was!  Dr. Nimi Ovieda was not pleased when her daughter veered towards a career in art while away on a high school class trip.  Now Dr. Ovieda recognizes the passion and drive Diana possessed in order to attend PAFA and now U Penn.  ”Cherry” could be a painting from any modern culture, anywhere in the world; the scale, color sense and composition are cosmopolitan, vibrant and timeless.

“Surprise“, graphite on paper by artist Juan Gomez. A super-strong piece; DoN overheard Steve Iwanczuk advising Gomez to enter the piece in an upcoming exhibition.  There are prospectus’ available online at the Sketch Club’s website. 

Jose Sebourne with his watercolor, “Staci Jiggitts“. Sebourne’s technique is so precise, so refined that at first glance the image appears to be a photograph then magically melts into a nuanced painting, the folds of the jacket abstract, the light glinting on an earring really a scrape of paint, the subject a young woman lost deep in thought - a great painting.

Cultural Collision’s Art Stars: Diana Larisgoitia, Pedro Fuller, Jose Sebourne, Dora Becerra, Carlos Pascual, LuzSelenia Salas, Albert Becerra, Sylvia Castellanos and Juan Gomez.

Friday,  9/5, the Turtulia at the Sketch Club with poety and performances by Mirelle Palmansa, Alfierus Bonilla, Gladis Montolio, Dante Sanchez, Irsa Garcia, Isida M. Brache, Iris Violete Colon-Torres, Adolfo Suarez and Carmen Torres with singer Juan Bonilla, guitarist Jose Bonilla and the Impacto Vallenato group performing between readings was theatrically spectacular.  DoN does not speak Spanish - at all - but the crowd made Shoshka, DoN and new friend Charleen feel welcome, the poetry was passionate and emotional, the songs sweet and soulful, the readings by accomplished academics, writers and performers transformative.  America is not just the USA; America extends from Canada to Chile with artists, writers, musicians and performers inhabiting each state, country, island, city, town, farm…world’s collide at Cultural Collisions.

The exhibition continues through September 24th, this Friday, September 19th, is Gala Malanga with Tango lessons, performances and an evening of dancing.  DoN apologizes to all his new latin friends for miss-spelling “Turtulia” in the last newsletter.BARE

Downstairs in the pool room @ PSC is a photo exhibition entitled BARE natural light nude, photographs by Stephen M. Kane.  Like, WOW!!!  Kane’s images are in a word - sexy.  The show brings to mind Thomas Eakin’s challenge to present the nude in a beautiful, natural manner; Kane surely is pushing the same envelop to present the human form in an intimate, artistic form; each sample of his work activates the space with energy. 

Coming Soon

Next DoNArTNeWs will review Ted Warchal at the Hopkins House in Camden, NJ, Rikard Larma at Smile, Second Thursday at Crane and more.

LoVe

DoN

All photographs by DoNBrewerMultimedia. 

Friday night, Shoshana, Alden and DoN attended the opening of Homework/Research at Smile Gallery.  Kathryn Pannepacker has already completed one enormous mural at the intersection of Belmont and Girard Avenues but it “only” represents the carpets and rugs of 43 countries. So, Jane Golden of the Mural Arts Program has found her another site at Broad and Lehigh to add to her collection of world textile design; Pannepacker will begin production of the mural in early September, her show at Smile Gallery on 22nd Street represents the research into styles and textures to be incorporated into the painting. Kathryn is primarily known as a weaver and fiber artist, who better to develop an educational mural commemorating the ethnic styles of such commonplace yet essential household art?  The texture paintings, wax and felt medallions and design examples represent research Pannepacker has gleaned in her world travels, filling the space with color, light, imagination and history.  A tour de force! 

Texture/Technique Study # 5, acrylic paint and marker on wood by K. Pannepacker.

Texture/Technique Study # 2, acrylic paint and marker on wood by K. Pannepacker.

Wax Medallion Study # 3, by K. Pannepacker.

Textile designs from Tahiti and Uzbek/Lakai by K. Pannepacker.

Samoan Islands textile study (tapa cloth), acrylic paint and marker on wood by K. Pannepacker.

Art party for Kathryn Pannepacker @ Smile.

All photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography.