Category Archives: Da Vinci Art Alliance

Women of Vision: 2012 Lilliana S. Didovic at Hidden River Gallery

Women of Vision: 2012 Lilliana S. Didovic, Philly Abstract, at Hidden River Gallery

Women of Vision: 2012 Lilliana S. Didovic, Night, at Hidden River Gallery

“I knew Debra Leigh Scott years ago since she was running Enclave Gallery and she picked me as one of the Da Vinci Art Alliance artists to show in an exhibit. Since then we keep seeing each other at different events and she sent me an e-mail and invited me to be part of this show. I submitted some of my pieces, there is nine pieces all together here, which is good.” Lilliana S. Didovic is prolific, working multiple canvasses with paint and mixed media, DoN wondered what she’s working on now? “Just last night we had a fabulous book party at Smile Gallery for Her Philadelphia Tales, The Art of Lilliana S. Didovic! It was a really great success. My new pieces are related to South Street, some sparkling with mirrors and rhinestone. Now I’m having a related exhibit at the Lantern Theater related to love and loss, Romeo and Juliet. Recently, in Millville NJ, I’m part of HERSTORY 2012: Ladies of Leonardo.”

Women of Vision: 2012 Lilliana S. Didovic, Day, at Hidden River Gallery

DoN commented that Lilliana has two Women’s History shows running simultaneously. “I think all month’s should be dedicated to women!”, said Lilliana laughing. “They have such an important part of history of the world. Taking care of everybody in the world. Ha, ha, ha!” DoN persisted, “As someone who’s seen a lot more of the world than most Philadelphian’s, our people are famous for never leaving their own neighborhoods, you have lived in many, many places what do you see from women artists today?” Lilliana said, “Women are just as productive as a man, there is no difference, to be motivated in different ways. I’m not just separating women from men because a lot of men’s art is not different than the women. Women in their mind are being men and men in their mind are being women and then men do with men in their mind and women do with women in their mind. Everything is all around, whatever way you’re motivated, you’re making your art.”

Women of Vision: 2012 at the Hidden River Art Gallery and Salon, 525 South 4th Street, Philadelphia hosted by Debra Leigh Scott through April 30, 2012.

DoN will be posting stories about the other featured artists Pamela Peitzman, Barbara Gesshel, Madeline Bates, Lauren Acton and Maria Lourdes Soloman on upcoming DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog posts.

Read more about Women of Vision 2012 at Side Arts Philadelphia Art Blog

Photographs by DoN Brewer

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InLiquid v.12

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Ellie Brown, InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

Brenna K. Murphy, InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

Clarissa Shanahan Schirmer, InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

Jim Houser, InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

Jung Wah Ahn, InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

Jordan Griska, InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

LGTripp Gallery, InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

Donna Usher, LGTripp Gallery, InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012, ICE Box Gallery, Crane Center for the Arts

Rachel Zimmerman, the mastermind behind the artist representation website InLiquid, sent DoN a FaceBook message asking if he had received his V.I.P. invitation to the InLiquid v.12 Benefit Auction 2012? DoN double checked his inbox and passes to the pre-opening Silent Auction cocktail party for the biggest art event in town unopened. Cool! 4:00 – 6:30pm, Friday February 10th – DoN had copped the ultimate art party early-bird special!

The ICE Box Gallery in the Crane Center for the Arts is massive but the hall was filled with art of all kinds, tables brimming with collectibles throughout the room, even extra walls to accommodate the array of art and DoN had it all to himself, sort of, for about thirty minutes. Wandering through the collection DoN spotted familiar artists from across Philadelphia and lots of new faves. A cocktail bar was in the middle of the room and a bartender made DoN a drink with gin, aloe vera juice and muddled basil, in the Gray Area (the large gallery next to the ICE Box) tables with fantastic treats like a thin crustini with a smear of sun dried tomato paste topped with a dollop of pate’. Displayed around the room were silent auction bidding sheets for dozens of desirable services and a group of prints selected by jurors from submissions. So, even if you didn’t win your bid you can still buy a collectible art print.

Soon DoN had a good buzz going from the gin, wandered back in the hall to absorb the sights and ran into artist Amie Potsic. Walking and talking we were struck by the high quality of the art: a bold red and black painting by Da Vinci Art Alliance Executive Director David Foss, massive abstract expressionist paintings by one of Amie’s faves, Jung Wah Ahn, Brenna K. Murphy‘s hair art, Ellie Brown‘s bag photographs (she photographs people and the contents of the bag they carry) and so much more by many great Philadelphia artists.

Amie Potsic is an artist, photographer, maven, Director of Career Development at CFEVA, and has been an InLiquid member artist since it’s inception in 1999 – that’s pre-Google. Amie told DoN the more web presence she has the better. InLiquid is a non-profit organization providing hundreds of artists not just portfolio web pages but real world opportunities to show their artwork, their website is information rich with artist images, bio’s, statements, events and news. Some of the donated art is still for sale on the InLiquid website. Support the efforts of InLiquid artists and businesses who gave so generously from their own inventory to help the artist community hub in Fishtown grow and thrive.

More photographs on DoNArTNeWs FaceBook page.

DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog

Photographs by DoN Brewer

Her Philadelphia Tales

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DoN Brewer is proud to announce the publication of his first book, Her Philadelphia Tales, The Art of Lilliana S. Didovic (Volume 1) available now on Amazon. Paintings by Lilliana S. Didovic and a collection of blog posts by DoN Brewer on the Philadelphia art blog Philly Side Arts, a tech start-up web site for artists and DoNArTNeWs DoN Brewer Reviews the Philadelphia Art Scene art blog with an introduction by Professor Dexiang Qian, Her Philadelphia Tales, The Art of Lilliana S. Didovic (Volume 1) is more than an art book, it is an affirmation of love, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Her biography, written by Lilliana S. Didovic and DoN Brewer, based on interviews, e-mails and conversations, is an unimaginable and fascinating adventure of one artists journey toward creative self-actualization.

Red, 48″ x 60″. mixed media on canvas, page 17 of Her Philadelphia Tales, The Art of Lilliana S. Didovic (Volume 1)

Philadelphia Loves Lilliana!

Cover of Her Philadelphia Tales, The Art of Lilliana S. Didovic (Volume 1)

Blogging for DoNArTNeWs and Side Arts is one of those opportunities people talk about when they say, Do what you love, DoN loves writing about Philadelphia art, artists, photographers, designers, sculptors and cultural leaders of all stripes. Helping the creative community get publicity is self serving and generative simultaneously resulting in the opportunity to publish this book. Thank you to the Philadelphia art community for accepting DoNArTNeWs and DoN Brewer on Side Arts as a reliable art review resource . Thank you to Philly Side Arts for helping DoN think bigger. Thank you to Lilliana S. Didovic for trusting me with Her Philadelphia Tales, The Art of Lilliana S. Didovic (Volume 1).

www.lillianadidovic.us

www.DoNBrewerMultimedia.com

sidearts.com

Read more about Her Philadelphia Tales at Side Arts Philadelphia art blog.

LoVe

DoNArTNeWs Philadelphia Art News Blog

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Absolutely Abstract 2011 @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club, DoNArTNeWs Interview PSC President Bill Patterson

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HD Video – watch in full screen mode – DoN

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Sarah R. Bloom, Totally Exposed, I Fall and I Rise @ Da Vinci Art Alliance Gallery

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Sarah R. Bloom, Totally Exposed, I Fall and I Rise @ Da Vinci Art Alliance Gallery

“Totally Exposed, I Fall and I Rise, is titled because obviously I’m exposed, I’m naked but it’s also about being exposed to the elements, the effects of time.” Sarah R. Bloom, a beautiful fresh face, says with a sigh, “I’m coming to grips with aging, thinking about cycles of aging, for me, it’s been this sort of non-linear pattern of resistance and acceptance. I came to the stages of grief, not exactly but similar to, fearful denying…” DoN interrupts her and complements her youthful beauty and questions why the artist is experiencing Erikson‘s sixth of the seven stages of life: Middle Adulthood: 35 to 55 or 65 Ego Development Outcome: Generativity vs. Self absorption or Stagnation? “People keep saying that to me but I am 42. Just knowing other women at this age and while I felt I had a lot of time left, there are a lot of hormonal changes that start happening that I’ve noticed in myself. Being interested in self portraits maybe I’m more hyper-aware of myself and changes I’m going through that other people might be. And being in recovery, maybe, I’m more self aware because I had to go through a whole set of processes to start fixing things. So all those things combined that when it just so happened I was getting into the abandoned thing when I turned forty.”

Sarah R. Bloom understands other photographers shoot in abandoned buildings, or shoot models but Bloom shoots self-portraits with a DIY attachment to her camera that allows her to set-up remotely, take the picture and the camera will delay, then take several shots; genius. The result is a gallery filled with emotionally raw, sexually charged, deeply personal representations of one woman but she represents all women who watch the world crumbling around us. “I struggle to show the similarities; I’m still vain, somewhat. Obviously. But this last year struggling to shoot, while be more raw in my poses and still create a nice image but not worry so much about, do I look pretty? Because that’s not what it’s about.” So how did you not fall into despair when the choice came to be generative? “I think recovery started that, I never really thought about that until now. I guess I started despair way early maybe, I mean my whole twenties were a wreck, pretty much, so then being in recovery, almost sixteen years sober, and also part of age is accepting things and having that self awareness of processing a lot of stuff. I recognize that this age is a time when I would have physical feelings of feeling different, the body doesn’t bounce back as quickly from things. I dunno, um, it was either it was a choice to decide, I don’t want to be in that place anymore. And part of it is I feel like I’m running out of time.”