Category Archives: Art Spaces Philadelphia

Art galleries, shops, showrooms, lobbies, hallways, studios, warehouses, lofts, workshops, restaurants, coffee shops, schools, and any space where art is displayed in and around Philadelphia.

A Night of Art, Music and Film @ Studio 34

Leave a reply

Shoshana and DoN attended “A Night of Art, Music & Film” @ Studio 34.  The yoga/healing studio/art space at 4522 Baltimore Ave hosted avant garde music, poetry, the premier of a film and an art exhibit, creating an exciting and interesting vibe in the mixed use space. 

Artist, Stefan Kietzman with his paintings in the gallery at Studio 34.

Artist, Stefan Kietzman with his paintings in the gallery at Studio 34Painting by Stephan Kietzman @ Studio 34.

Painting by Stephan Kietzman @ Studio 34.

Stefan Kietzman

From surrealist abstraction to impressionist landscape, Stefan Kietzman demonstrates his wide range of technique and painting facility.

Photographer/Artist, Alan Massey

Photographer/Artist, Alan Massey with his photography installation at Studio 34 (sorry for the lens flare) but DoN wanted you to see the scope and scale of Massey’s  unique display.

Detail of Alan Massey’s photos of sidewalk cracks

Detail of Alan Massey‘s photos of sidewalk cracks which seemed to spill out of a broken picture frame and squiggle across the wall.  Each photo is an image of an actual crack in city concrete, Massey can tell you exactly where each one is located.

Artist, Maryann Held

 Artist, Maryann Held with her modern pin-up illustrations.  A graduate of UArts, Held says the school, “…pushed not just what was good but what makes me happy.”  Holla!  Held is planning a career in illustration and designing books for kids.

Djo Fortunado

Djo Fortunado working on a background painting for his production of “Gods vs. Men” to be performed at The Rotunda in University City.  Fortunado wrote, directed, cast, designed costumes, created sets and even wrote music for what the artist calls a Reggae, Rock, HipHopera.  During the evening Djo also served as MC, introducing the eclectic mix of artists and performers.  Cool.

Drawing by Djo Fortunado @ Studio 34.

Drawing by Djo Fortunado @ Studio 34.

Character studies for “Gods vs. Men” by multimedia artist Djo Fortunado.

Character studies for “Gods vs. Men” by multimedia artist Djo Fortunado.

Cait Davis

Cait Davis, starred, directed and produced “in This Place“, a movie she wrote and designed with a little help from her friends.  The abstract narrative follows Cait’s character through trials and tribulations of being young in the city – DoN found himself wishing she wouldn’t smoke so much in the movie.  The saturated colors and quirky angles captured by cinematographer Ray Flynn takes the viewer from The Green Line Coffee Shop (a very funny scene) to the bedroom to a dreamscape with precision and technique which truly resembled the qualities usually found in film not video.  “In This Place” will be entered in the Brooklyn Film Festival.

A unique aspect to the evening was that many of the artists are high school friends who all attended CAPA, the High School for Creative and Performing Arts (Cait and Alan have known each other since they were two) remaining close and collaborative.  So, friendship in the modern age isn’t just who has the longest friend list on FaceBook or being friended by strangers on MySpace, it’s actually showing up and supporting the people you love.  PAFA people support each other and so do members of Da Vinci Art Alliance, the Plastic Club and Philadelphia Sketch Club.  Being an artist is a competitive business, not for the thin-skinned or weak at heart, but with the appreciation of friends and family, producing art can be a rewarding intellectual experience.  Thanks to James Peniston for being such a gracious host and introducing DoN to all the artists.

 

K. Pannepacker Homework/Research @ Smile Gallery

1 Reply

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 # 5, acrylic paint and marker on wood by K. Pannepacker.

Texture/Technique Study # 2, 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.

Wax Medallion Study # 3, by K. Pannepacker.

Textile designs from Tahiti and Uzbek/Lakai 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.

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

Art party for Kathryn Pannepacker @ Smile.

Art party for Kathryn Pannepacker @ Smile.

All photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography. 

Quattro Amici + @ Off The Wall

Leave a reply

Thursday evening after a few hours of drawing at The Plastic Club, DoN headed over to Dirty Frank’s to see the show at Off the Wall Gallery for Quattro Amici +: Anders Hansen, T. Clyde McCobb, Catherine (Kit) Mitchell, Diane Podolsky plus Karl Olsen’s Mid 08 Summer Showcurated by the indefatigable Jody Sweitzer who personally selected and hung the art.  Like being in a Paris underground bar, the show is hung salon style with paintings, drawings and prints strewn across the wall almost as if Toulouse, Claude and Pablo were sitting and drinking Absinth at the bar, even a few dogs wandered behind the bar looking for treats.  In fact, Karl Olsen’s paintings and pastels have a striking Lautrec quality.  Each of the pieces are desirable in their own right; Hansen’s languid watercolors, Podolsky’s stylish mixed media, Mitchell’s bright and colorful landscapes and McCobb’s confident paintings represent more than an artist collective, it’s a school of thought, a way of seeing, a bond of trust and friendship that encourages strength and adventure in art.

Anders Hansen watercolor.

Anders Hansen watercolor.

Quattro Amici + exhibit at Off The Wall @ Dirty Franks.

Quattro Amici + exhibit at Off The Wall @ Dirty Franks.

Karl Olsen mixed media (DoN LoVeS the reflection of the beer signs on the glass).

Karl Olsen mixed media (DoN LoVeS the reflection of the beer signs on the glass).

Karl Olsen, Susan Stromquist and Mike Guinn

Karl Olsen, Susan Stromquist and Mike Guinn at the Quattro Amici + opening party @ Dirty Franks’ Off the Wall Gallery.

Sarah Olsen with Anders Hansen @ Dirty Franks.

Sarah Olsen with Anders Hansen @ Dirty Franks.

All photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography. 

CFEVA Artists @ Drexel University’s Pearlstein Gallery

1 Reply

Wednesday evening, Shoshana, Alden Cole and DoN attended Far Away From the Beginning A Departure from Childhood Idealism, an outstanding exhibit of contemporary art curated by Tara Caton, in cooperation with the Center for Emerging Visual Artists at Drexel University’s Leonard Pearlstein Gallery at 33rd and Market Streets.  Tara Caton, a former intern at CFEVA, is graduating from Drexel with a degree in “Entertainment and Arts Management” and produced the show as her Senior Thesis Project.  Caton tells DoN she, “looked for artists with commonalities of themes, a number of artists work with dark memories from childhood, a childhood perspective with adult melancholy, fantasies, toys, play, dreams and memory.”  Tara selected all the works, wrote the text, produced the brochure and art card and installed the art; she will be the first to graduate with this degree and said it was a huge honor to do such a big job for an undergrad project.  The exhibit in the Pearlstein Gallery includes many familiar CFEVA artists including Anne Canfield, Darla Jackson, Joelle Jenson, John Karpinski, Jedediah Morfit, Caleb Nussear, Scott Pellnat, Peter Prusinowski, Serena Perone, Matthew Neff, Cecelia Rembert and Nataliya Slinko.  Far Away From the Beginning is on exhibit through September 5th.

Curator Tara Caton at The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery.

Curator Tara Caton at The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery.

Artist Scott Pellnat

Artist Scott Pellnat with his adorable little girl explaining his sculpture which looks like it’s made of cast iron but is really “off the shelf” plastic parts.  “Why create your own figures when you can buy a Barbie?”

Each section of Pellnat’s sculpture is rearrangeable so you can customize the surprisingly light pieces of surrealist art to suit your mood.

Each section of Pellnat’s sculpture is rearrangeable so you can customize the surprisingly light pieces of surrealist art to suit your mood.

Jedediah Morfit explaining his bas-relief sculpture

Jedediah Morfit explaining his bas-relief sculpture; working in common, forgotten, traditional genres (museums are full of them) Morfit re-fashions the method into new and vital art.

Detail from Jedediah Morfit’s “The Price of Doing Business”.

Detail from Jedediah Morfit‘s “The Price of Doing Business“.

Anne Canfield’s “The Mermaid and the Tiger Meet Halfway”, oil on linen.

Anne Canfield’s “The Mermaid and the Tiger Meet Halfway“, oil on linen.

John Karpinski

John Karpinski is attracted to the paradox of comics and how they say a lot with so little. Through comics adults can regain time from their childhood; John’s childhood favorite comics were Daredevil # 158 and What If? # 15.

All photos by DoNBrewerMultimedia Photography.  

CFEVA Introduction 2012

Blick Art Materials

Super Models @ The Plastic Club

Leave a reply

Last Sunday afternoon Shoshka, Alden Cole and DoN attended The Model Artist Show at The Plastic Club featureing art by artists/models with 71 artworks by Philly’s favorite models.  Without the models there would be no life study at Fleisher, PSC, Plastic Club, UArts…

The models spend a lot of time with artists and obviously are exposed to trends, techniques, methods and procedures allowing them to develop their own singular styles, many of the models have their own fine art degrees.  The Model Artist Show is superb with a wide variety of media from painting to prints to sculpture – now we know what they’re thinking about while they pose for hours on end.

Artist/Model Susan Stromquist won 2nd prize for No. 18 Folded Figure 1.

Artist/Model Susan Stromquist won 2nd prize for No. 18 Folded Figure 1.

Artist/Model Veronica Meekins.

Artist/Model Veronica Meekins. 

DoN has drawn or painted Veronica many times and even used a print of her for NTPE1 (more about NTPE later).

Mixed media by Jym Paris; the use of fabric and mixed media is unique and exciting.

Mixed media by Jym Paris; the use of fabric and mixed media is unique and exciting.

DoN told Paris he’s stealing his idea (good artists copy, great artists steal – Picasso).

Model/Artist Pam Cole.

Model/Artist Pam Cole.

Pam instigated the idea of multiple models at The Plastic Club which has become a popular motif for the artists – very challenging. 

Artist/Model Susan Wierzbicki with her “Water Your Garden” acrylic painting.

Artist/Model Susan Wierzbicki with her “Water Your Garden” acrylic painting.

Artist/Model Heidi Sterling’s “The Island”, oil on panel.

Artist/Model Heidi Sterling‘s “The Island“, oil on panel.

Alden Cole LoVeD Sterling’s series of wildly abstract paintings; this image is one of five of the spectacular paintings.

Artist/Model Hannah Holby’s “Fisherman - T Rex”, oil on print. DoN LoVeS dinosaurs!!!

Artist/Model Hannah Holby’s “Fisherman – T Rex“, oil on print.  DoN LoVeS dinosaurs!!!

Artist/Model Hannah Taylor’s “Leelo”, oil on canvas. Is this super-pop or what!?!

Artist/Model Hannah Taylor’s “Leelo“, oil on canvas.  Is this super-pop or what!?!

Artist/Model Rob Willis’ “Quiver”, mixed media.

Artist/Model Rob Willis‘ “Quiver“, mixed media.

Charcoal drawings by Rob Willis.

Charcoal drawings by Rob Willis.

Rob Willis (with nephew) won first prize for his full body of work at The Plastic Club’s The Model Artist Show.

Rob Willis (with nephew) won first prize for his full body of work at The Plastic Club’s The Model Artist Show.

The exhibit is on display in the Camac Street gallery through August 24th – go see it!