Category Archives: Charcoal

Thunderbird

Thunderbird Lodge

Thunderbird Lodge in Rose Valley Pa., Life Drawing Workshop

Written and photographed by Robert Bohne

Every now and then, you find an overlooked gem in your own back yard. And so it was with the Thunderbird Lodge in Rose Valley Pa. I’ve lived in this area my entire life, and I’ve driven by this location at least a thousand times, and yet I’ve never really noticed the Thunderbird Lodge. Hidden from view by decades of overgrown trees and wild vegetation, the Thunderbird Lodge on Rose Valley Road is now in the process of being renovated. The trees and vegetation have been trimmed and removed, and the building now takes it’s rightful place among the historic architecture of Rose Valley.

Thunderbird Lodge

Originally a circa-1790 stone barn, the building was converted into a home and studio for artists Alice Barber Stephens and Charles Stephens by architect William L. Price in 1904.  Charles was an authority on American Indians, and he named the Lodge after a legendary North American indigenous creature. Charles was a teacher at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and Alice was a successful illustrator. They raised their son, D. Owen Stephens (1894–1937) in Rose Valley, and painted there until their deaths.

Thunderbird Lodge

The Thunderbird Lodge then became the home of Allen Seymour and Mildred Olmstead. He was a lawyer, member of the Men’s Commission for Women’s Suffrage, and helped in the founding of the ACLU. Mildred worked with the American Birth Control League and was a director of the U.S. section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Together they worked with the American Friends Service Committee, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The house was used as a safe meeting place for other activists, including Jane AddamsJames FarmerGeorge Washington Carver, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 2015, the house was given to the community of Rose Valley and is now in the process of being converted into a museum that will feature the arts and crafts of the region, and on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, the Lodge held it’s first drawing workshop in the studios that were originally built for the Stephens. Studios that haven’t seen artists put pencil to paper in well over a hundred years.

Thunderbird Lodge, Robert BohneRobert Bohne, Carol, charcoal and white pastel on tan paper. 12 x 9 from the first Thunderbird Lodge drawing session.

So here’s a tip of the hat to the volunteers at the Thunderbird Lodge for their hard work and for their vision of preserving the past and presenting the artists of the future.

Written and photographed by Robert Bohne

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The Galleries at the Chamber

Maggie Mills, The Galleries at the Chamber

Maggie Mills, New House, oil on linen, 44″ x 52″, Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Galleries at the Chamber, Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

Lori Dillard Rech, President and Chief Executive Officer of Center for Emerging Visual Artists addressed the assembled guests for the innaugeral art show at the Arts and Business Council of Philadelphia’s offices on the Avenue of the Arts. The Galleries at the Chamber is showcasing contemporary Philadelphia artists in the lobby, board rooms, meeting rooms and offices on the 7th floor of the grand Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, designed in the French Renaissance style by G.W. & W.D. Hewitt.

“I am with the Center for Emerging Visual Artists and we’re really thrilled to be invited to present this show. I want to thank the Karin Copeland and Miriam DeChant who really had the vision for being able to enhance these spaces, enliven these spaces in a way that’s so enriching. We’re very appreciative.”

Tremain Smith, Arts and Business Council

Tremain Smith, Mercy, oil, wax and collage on panel, Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Galleries at the ChamberArts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

Genevieve Coutroubis, Director, Regional Community Arts Program has been with CFEVA for about twelve years and she really began the program of starting to look at trying to customize exhibitions for businesses. We go into lobbies, hospitals, office spaces, all kinds of different non-profits use us and many businesses. We would hope that many of you would consider having an exhibition in your space. We would be more than happy to come out to talk to you about what that means. The way we curate the shows is we bring in a group of artists and we allow you to look at the works and help you find something appealing to you. And hopefully will be appealing to to your clients and what’s appropriate for you and your clients.

For many years we’ve been providing programs just like this, a wide variety of exhibitions in spaces throughout the Philadelphia area. And one of the most important things for us, in terms of our mission, is that this also gives us the opportunity to showcase the amazing artistic talent of this region. And we can give you that opportunity to do that as well. Thank you to the Arts and Business Council for this incredible opportunity to bring artists into these spaces so that the wider business community can look at it and appreciate it. And think about it for themselves.” – Lori Dillard Rech

Gregory Brellochs, The Galleries at the Chamber

Gregory Brellochs, The Hallow, Soma, Sign ink and vanish on panel, Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Galleries at the ChamberArts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

Gregory Brellochs, The Galleries at the Chamber

Gregory BrellochsThe Hallow, ink and vanish on panel, Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Galleries at the ChamberArts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

Genevieve Coutroubis introduced the artists in attendance but first pointed out that all of the artwork is for sale. The represented artists include photographer James B. Abbott, Gregory Brellochs, Kirsten Fischler, Tish Ingersoll, Eric Kennedy, Shalya Marsh, Maggie Mills, Tremain Smith and Michael Yoder.

Shalya Marsh, The Galleries at the Chamber

Shalya Marsh, ceramic, Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Galleries at the ChamberArts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

“The Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia (ABC) strengthens our creative sector, including arts, culture and for-profit creative businesses, by engaging the business, legal & technology communities, providing capacity-building services, and serving as a thought leader and a convener. ABC, with the support of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, is uniquely positioned to actively connect the creative sector with the business, legal and technology communities.” – The Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia mission statement.

Shalya Marsh, The Galleries at the Chamber

Shalya Marsh, ceramic (click the picture) Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Galleries at the ChamberArts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

DoN asked Miriam DeChant what the Philadelphia arts community should know about the Philadelphia Arts and Business Council and Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts?

“What I think I want them to know the most is we are available for them. And we prefer to be a vaccine instead of a bandage. So, I would like them to ask questions, even if they’re not sure of what the question is because if you’re a little wiser about getting things in writing, being more careful about paying their taxes, working within copyright laws. But, in the future, we want to help people determine whether this is a legal problem or not, before it gets to the point where something actually goes wrong.

I’ve been here for five years and in the last ten years our case load had indicated that with the internet people are more aware that there might be a problem. And if they take risks they’re likely to get caught. So, there’s actually a bit of a chilling effect because people are hesitant to appropriate because they’re afraid to use other people’s work in a way their personal rights might not let them allow them to use in a ‘fair use’ way because it’s such a gray area.”

Shalya Marsh, The Galleries at the Chamber

Shalya Marsh, ceramic, Center for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Galleries at the ChamberArts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

“It would be useful to talk to a lawyer about these gray areas. It’s important to talk to a lawyer and ask, ‘How big of a risk is this?’ “Is it worth getting permission or is this enough of a commentary that it’s fair use?

Appropriation is an art form of it’s own, absolutely. There’s a very large case in the Appeals Court of the 2nd Circuit involving prints about photography and approbation in a very interesting way so we’re waiting to see if that goes up to the Supreme Court or not. There’s been progress but it’s a very gray area.

If an artist has a question, they need to submit to me, to us, the work that they’re worried about that’s their’s and whatever it is that they think they are using or gaining inspiration from is legal to share. And then we can talk to them about the therapy. They can call us, there’s an application on-line, We primarily help artists in a pro-bono way for artists who have a low income or modest income, collectors and non-profits, so it’s a bit of paperwork but we’ll work with you on it.

And everyone in the office is really passionate about art.” – Miriam K. DeChant, Esq.

Michael Yoder, The Galleries at the Chamber

Michael YoderCenter for Emerging Visual ArtistsThe Galleries at the ChamberArts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia

Written and photographed by DoN Brewer except where noted.

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The Plastic Club New Members 2013

Terrance Smith, The Plastic Club New Members 2013

Terrance Smith, Some Are Dead, charcoal, The Plastic Club New Members 2013

The New Members 2013 ExhibitThe Plastic Club introduces thirty-eight new members – Norman Tomases, Rik Viola, Elizabeth Hughes, Roderick Schichtel, Ellen LoCiceroJohn Attanasio, Lori Balistocky, Gail Morrison – Hall, Sung Ham, Mark Ciocca, Victoria Nevins, Joan McGraneAlice K. Chung, Jordan Artim, Meri Collier, Janice Ward, Cayla Belser, Kelly McCaughern, Alexis Turner, David Katz, Tilda Mann, Rose Maria Kalogerakis, Aimee GoldsmithTerrence Smith, Robert Kallish Robert Allen, Judy Engle, Ruth Formica, Neil C. Johnson, Veronica Kelly, Carol Magakis, Rosa Kim Paik, Frank P. Rausch III, Constance Rea, Ruth E. Rineer, Ed Snyder, Sanny Williams and Sheila Fox.

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Art Supply Sale On-line at Dick Blick Art Supplies

As many Philadelphia artists and art organizations know, Dick Blick is a great neighbor to our arts community. When DoN visits the Dick Blick store at 13th and Chestnut Streets, there is always a table full of cool free stuff and the store’s management team makes every effort to help with great awards packages of Blick Art Materials for art shows. The spacious store offers artist’s wall space to show their art and the staff is very knowledgable and helpful.

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