DoNArTNeWs

light being (Diana), DoN Brewer, digital photograph.

light being (Carl Sagan), DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography @ The Radisson Warwick Hotel, The Coffee Bar.

light beings (May & Andy), DoN Brewer, digital photograph.

The Coffee Bar at The Radisson Warwick Hotel @ 17th & Locust Streets in Philly is spotlighting fourteen photographs from DoN’s series titled “light beings“, February 26th through July 30th, 2010.  Strictly landscape, the images of reflections on urban surfaces seem mysterious or manipulated, the photographs evoke thoughts of what we may become - beings of light traveling at unimaginable speeds in all directions of the universe at once.

DoN was contacted by Amy Potsic of the Center for Emerging Visual Artists inquiring if he could mount a one person show with only two weeks notice?  Duh?  Amy and Ann Koivunen selected 14 images out of twenty-two, Rob Stauffer helped DoN with framing, custom mats & non-glare glass, Shoshka, Aldy & Les helped install the show - art is hard work, man!  You have to know math!?!  The Coffee Bar space is fabu, good light, great Einstein coffee, yummy food and it’s a bar at night!  How cool is that?

Artist Reception: April 7, 2010, 5-7PM.

Photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography.

Alan J. Klawans, Rope and DoN Brewer, View from Finger Span Bridge @ Philadelphia Society of Photography exhibit and sale in Bonte’s Cafe, 9th & Walnut.  It’s really cool when the photographers descend on Bonte’s at 6:00 PM on a Friday night and switch out the photos in the ongoing exhibit, the vibe is so interesting since photographers come from all walks of life, photography is a very democratic art form.  But, the work that the Society shows is always above par, adventurous, experimental, thoughtful and professional.

DoN Brewer Photography

View from Finger Span Bridge

Ed Snyder, Lost at Sea.  Snyder’s Angels always offer hope, inspiration and introspection, the stone icons emote messages that will take eons to expire.

 Amy E. McCormick, Will the Hard Way and John Wernega, Adorned in Gold.

Eileen Eckstein, Coachem Castle Window and Mina Smith-Segal, Rollerbladers @ PSoP in Bonte’s 9th & Walnut.  Eileen is the Society President and Mina leads a drawing workshop @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Morris Klein is the Vice President of The Photographic Society of Philadelphia managing the ongoing exhibit of member works in bi-monthly rotation as well as overseeing the one-person shows at Bonte’s on 17th Street.  Morris’ photographs are often dreamy and languid like an impressionist painting as in this view of the city from the Schuykill River.

Veronica Schmude @ Mirror Image in Old City.

The First Friday vibe in Old City can be frantic, there is so much to see, people to meet and ideas to think about that it can all become a blur.  Not only are there galleries, shops and restaurants, the alternative venues are numerous and varied from street vendors selling paintings, prints, crafts and photos to businesses like Mirror Image, a graphic/web design firm on Market Street with lots of wall space to share exhibiting art work.  Photographic Society of Philadelphia photographers Veronica Schmude and Rocco Agrippa, appropriated the long wall to display their photographs, brought in friends to play music and transformed the office into an art happening.  Veronica’s signature photographs of peeling paint in old buildings and Agrippa’s landscapes brought energy and style to the desk filled space - there were plenty of spots for Shoshka (in her gorgeously inappropriate gallery-hopping boots) to rest while DoN chatted with Veronica.  Recently, Schmude organized a field trip to Eastern State Penitentiary so photographers could shoot in usually off limit spaces and she’s organizing another trip to Pennsylvania Hospital to photograph the historic healing center.  The PsoP (the second oldest photography club in the world) holds monthly meetings with presentations & lectures by member artists @ The Plastic Club on Camac Street.

Rocco Agrippa @ Mirror Image.

Veronica Schmude, PSoP photographer @ alternative art venue Mirror Image.

“Fire Dance, Ubud Bali, Indonesia“, Daniel Reilly @ Bonte’s, 130 S. 17th, Philadelphia.

World traveler, photographer Daniel Reilly’s current one-person show @ Bonte’s Cafe, 17th & Walnut, offers unique vistas, alluring compositions, mysterious visions and one-of-a-kind perspectives that only an artist could see - all in pristine black & white and color photos.  Each photograph is a glimpse into a part of the world that many of us may never experience -  from a birds eye view of Argentine street Tango dancers to haunting groundhog views of the ancient Greek Parthenon to quirky over the shoulder shots of Tibetan monks passing a can of Coke.  A native Philadelphian, Reilly taught English in Buenos Aires for more than three years - the locals wanted to learn American slang such as, “Stop busting my balls!” - ah, pop culture’s influence, who knew?  Daniel was a witness to the 2002 riot at the Pink Palace, he actually ran towards the scene after grabbing his camera only to high-tail it away when police on horseback came rushing towards him.

In San Francisco Reilly worked for a TV station, then spent nine months in Hawaii, on to the islands of Fiji, a tour of New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Indonesia, Lombak, Gili Islands, Singapore, Bangkok Thailand, Athens Greece - Reilly spent two years in Summer!  Daniel told DoN the best time of his life was spent in Croatia.  But, Reilly always come home to family in Philly.  A recent member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia, the show at Bonte’s is one of Daniel’s first one-person shows even though he’s been an event photographer for years with a catalog of over 30,000 images.  Maybe that’s why the selection of pictures @ Bonte’s are so choice - some of the archivally matted and framed prints have already sold; DoN suggests you start to collect Reilly now before the prices go up.

Daniel Reilly, “Untitled, Rio de la Plata, Uraguay.”

“T is for Tango, Buenos Aires, Argentina”, Daniel Reilly, PSoP photographer @ Bonte’s.

Daniel Reilly @ Bonte’s Cafe.

“Holy Dolls, Madrid, Spain”, Daniel Reilly.

Frank Rausch @ The Marketplace at East Falls.  Rausch is a member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia; his dream like images of rippling water are easily recognizable as Rausch’s style.  The Marketplace at East Falls was the home of the first computer, ENIAC, but is now a great farmer’s market with a bakery, coffee, food court, craftspeople and vendors.  Rausch has prime display space with a great view of Laurel Hill - it’s so cool to go to a new space and find art made by friends.

Frank Rausch @ PSoP 16×20 show in Bonte’s Cafe, 1321 Walnut Street.  The current show will be on exhibit through October.

Photographic Society of Philadelphia @ Bonte’s 13th & Walnut.

Photographic Society of Philadelphia VP, Morris Klein’s one-person photo show at Bonte’s Cafe is très chic.  The space is below street level, the warm smell of waffles and coffee waft up to greet you, immediately transporting you to Belgium.  The intimate space offers the artist an opportunity to exhibit a good selection of larger scaled work - in this case Morris Klein features richly saturated landscapes with a particularly poetic palette of color and hue, DoN’s eye was fooled a few times into thinking the images were paintings, the lush view of Boathouse Row is certainly painterly.

Schuylkill Boathouse Row, photograph, Morris Klein @ Bonte’s 17th St.

Atlantic - Amusement Pier, photograph, Morris Klein.

Morris Klein of PSoP @ Bonte’s Cafe.

PSoP has a great new friend in the Bonte Cafe’s in Center City: 922 Walnut has 8 x 10″s, 13th & Walnut is 16 x 20″s and 17th Street is solo shows.  Klein currently has a call to PSoP artists to submit show proposals - a big thank you to Morris & Eilleen Eckstein for maintaining such a high level of public visability for Philly photographers.

The Photographic Society of Philadelphia installed their inaugural show of small scale photographs at 922 Walnut Street.  The board of directors arranged for the picture hangers to be laid out in advance and then with specific framing & wiring instructions, like a flash mob, a gang of photographers swarmed the contemporary space, jovially jostling each other for prime real estate on the warm toned walls.  The range of subject and style considering the parameters of inclusion is mind expanding and hanging out with fellow photography enthusiasts is artistically satisfying.

Eileen Eckstein (left) and Morris Klein are primarily responsible for developing the multiple venues Bonte Waffle Restaurants has offered to PSoP, the cafe at Walnut & Juniper even advertises the show on their sidewalk sandwich board claiming it draws customers.  While Shoshka & DoN installed his latest photograph, light being (Max Ernst), they both were struck by people actually looking attentively at the art - it’s fun being a fly on the wall.  The cafe at 17th & Walnut will promote one person shows soon, the Walnut & Juniper location features 16×20″ works.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Morris Klein, PSoP now has shows running at all three Center City Bonte’s Waffle Cafe’s.  For several year’s the society had an ongoing exhibition @ Joe’s Coffee on Walnut which ended recently; there is an excellent article in the Philadelphia Gay News about how Joe lost the lease on his business, it’s illogical to have all these vacant storefronts.  But the new spaces Bonte’s is offering America’s oldest photography society are modern and loungy - DoN observed patrons checking out the photos while munching waffles, after all some of Philly’s most creative photographers are in the club - John Bacille, Jym Paris, Ed Snyder, Veronica Schmude, Bonnie Schorske..

Photographic Society of Philadelphia @ Bonte’s Waffle Cafes.

DoNArTNeWs has been getting a record number of visitors even though DoN has been busy with art instead of blogging:

• Philadelphia Sketch Club Members show @ Newman Gallery 6/6
• Workshop Show 6/6 @ The Plastic Club
• Photographic Society of Philadelphia @ Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse
• Art in City Hall’s In Your Dreams - DoN has three pieces in the show, 6/11 - 9/11, 2009.
• DoN is now a Board Member of The Philadelphia Sketch Club & member of Exhibitions Committee - this past weekend we installed Phillustration ‘09, a great selection of the art of illustration by Philadelphia area artists, June 12 - 27, 2009, Reception & Awards, Sunday, June 14th, 2 - 4 PM., chaired by Rich Harrington.
• Completion of new website for neo-expressionist artist Alecia D’Alonzo - DoN LoVeS the final version.
• New website & blog in process for NUVISIONS for Disabled Artists.

DoN has plans to visit Tiger Strikes to see David Guinn’s paintings, new photos @ Gallery 339, Fishtown Airways new show, the Romeo & Juliet show @ Da Vinci Art Alliance and more.

DoN Brewer “light being (Chink)” @ Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse.

“Shell Game“, scanner/Photoshop collage by DoN Brewer @ Art in City Hall’s - In Your Dreams - reception 6/11.

DoN Brewer’s Philadelphia from Bartram’s Garden, panoramic photograph @ Newman Gallery.

The long running venue at Joe’s Coffee Shop @ 1100 Walnut is coming to an end 5/27. The Photographic Society of Philadelphia has held a rotating exhibit in this cool space for many years but the shop is closing. The society is searching for a new venue - Thanks to everyone @ Joe’s for all your support.