Category Archives: Folk Art

Folk Art.

Homelessness

Homelessness, Carolyn Harper. MUSE Gallery
Lemuel, art quilt, 5.5′ x 5′, Carolyn Harper, MUSE Gallery

Look Me In The Eye: Portraits of Homelessness

Carolyn Harper, MUSE Gallery

I am a Philadelphian and an artist with an upcoming exhibition in Old City Philadelphia at MUSE Gallery,Look Me In The Eye: Portraits of Homelessness” is a show of large art quilts and oversized hand embroidered drawings that use personal stories of homeless individuals, Philadelphians, to inspire empowerment and  create visibility of those who have been left behind by our society.

My work combines art and action to produce meaningful social impact. The implementation of portraiture within quilting serves to empower the persons depicted, enabling them to see themselves through their own stories rather than qualifiers such as “jobless” or “homeless”. Through conversations and active listening, I learn about the individual stories of these overlooked and ignored community members. The large scale work forces the audience to confront images of people they would rather not see, and bear witness to the stories behind them. 

Carolyn Harper

This work is extremely relevant to the times we live in, and I am grateful to The Puffin Foundation for providing me with a grant in support of my work. The Artist Reception will take place at MUSE Gallery, 52 N. 2nd Street, Old City Philadelphia, on Friday, November 1st from 5 – 8 pm. The exhibition runs through the end of November; Gallery hours are Wednesday – Sunday from 12-5.

For more information and images please visit about Carolyn Harper: www.carolynharperart.com

About Muse Gallery:

Mission: Established late in 1977, the Muse Gallery is an artists’ cooperative dedicated to encourage and promote its members’ artistic expression through abstract, conceptual and representational forms. Reflecting an aesthetic that awakens awareness, the Muse Gallery affirms the shared experience of art between the artist and the community.  Please see the membership page to view a detailed history of Muse.
To join the Gallery: Muse Gallery is always interested in potential new members. We are often fully staffed and maintain a waiting list. Please visit our membership page.

Thank you to Carolyn Harper for the content of this post.

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7 MILE

Jamea Richmond-Edwards Explores Detroit’s Fashion and Style in 7 Mile Girls

JAMEA RICHMOND-EDWARDS EXPLORES DETROIT’S FASHION AND STYLE IN 7 MILE GIRLS

Artist Talk & Opening Reception at Rowan University Art Gallery: Thursday, November 7, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

GLASSBORO, NJ – Rowan University Art Gallery presents 7 Mile Girls, an exhibition exploring the connection between Black female style of Detroit’s inner city, with designer fashion and self-empowerment. Featuring several new works by artist Jamea Richmond-Edwards alongside paintings loaned by the Rubell Family Collection, the exhibition will run November 7 – December 21, 2019, with an opening reception on Thursday, November 7 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. 

Richmond-Edwards grew up observing the Black community’s fashion style in Detroit’s inner-city during the late 1980s and early ’90s. Popular and idolized were Coogi sweaters, red gators, and designer bags from Gucci and Louis Vuitton. She understood the correlation of the fashion industry around the Black female experience and their complex relationship with luxury clothing.  

Jamea Richmond-Edwards Explores Detroit's Fashion and Style in 7 Mile Girls
Jamea Richmond-Edwards 2018, Shirt with Lace Heart, 72 x 128″, Image Courtesy Kravets Wehby Gallery

The artifice of dressing became the driving narrative of her work and her form of Black aesthetic and expression. She was particularly interested in how her work confronted social disparities and the inequitable practices and tone-deaf decisions continually made by the fashion house of H&M, Adidas, Gucci, and Prada. In opposition to the market focus of these brands her imagery is inspired by the styles of Black designers who have made a positive impact on the fashion perspective, particularly Dapper Dan for Gucci, and the work of Duro Olowu, alongside influences of artists coming out of AfriCOBRA and the Black Arts Movement.

The title 7 Mile Girlsrefers to the street in Detroit where Richmond-Edwards grew up and where she encountered many of the female subjects in her paintings. Inspired by women in her life, the central female figures in her paintings confront the viewer with an air of confidence and agency as guardians of Black culture.  Across her multi-layered collages, the artist conveys the complex intersection of Black style, capitalism, fashion, and personal identity through the lens of these resilient Black women.

Jamea Richmond-Edwards 2019, Two Sisters and the Horned Serpent, 8 x 6 feet, Image Courtesy of Kravets Wehby Gallery

ABOUT THE ARTIST  
Jamea Richmond-Edwards
graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Jackson State University in 2004 where she studied painting and drawing. She went on to earn an MFA from Howard University in 2012. She offers a repertoire of portraits of women drawn using ink, graphite and mixed media collage. Richmond-Edward’s work has garnered the attention of various art critics including in the Washington Post and the Huffington Post’s “Black Artists: 30 Contemporary Art Makers Under 40 You Should Know”. Richmond-Edwards has exhibited her artwork nationally and internationally including the Delaware Art Museum, California African American Museum, Charles Wright Museum in Detroit, MI, and Galerie Myrtis in Baltimore, Maryland. Her works are in the permanent collection of private collectors across the country including the Embassy of the United States in Dakar, Senegal. She currently resides in Maryland with her Husband and three sons. 


ABOUT ROWAN UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY 
Rowan University Art Gallery
serves as a premier cultural destination for South Jersey, the Rowan community, and surrounding region. Our mission is to provide a platform for discourse on best practices in contemporary art by professional artists, curators, and scholars through the presentation of interdisciplinary art exhibitions, panel discussions, guest curatorial projects, and other public programming. 

The Gallery has a history of programming that recognizes the achievements of women in the visual arts with group and one person exhibitions that included: Beverly Semmes (2011), Joyce Kozloff (2014), Jeanie Jaffe (2015), Diane Burko (2018), Heather Ujiie (2018), Ebony G. Patterson (2019), and Julie Heffernan (2019). Its permanent collection includes the groundbreaking and historic installation The Sister Chapel.

This exhibition is presented with the generous support of the Joseph Robert Foundation. Support for programming at Rowan University Art Galleries is also made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information please visit: rowan.edu/artgallery.

GALLERY LOCATION

301 High St W, Glassboro, NJ 08028, 856-256-4521

Visit us online at rowan.edu/artgallery and follow us on Facebook @RowanGallery.  #RowanGallery #7MileGirls

GALLERY HOURS

Monday – Friday, 10 am – 5 pm 

Saturday, 12 pm – 5 pm

Public parking is available in the Mick Drive Parking Garage across the street from the gallery. Admission to the gallery, lecture, and reception is free and open to the public.

Thank you to Chelsea Markowitz for the content of this post.

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Kitty

FELI*DELPHIA: Art Exhibition Benefiting Philly Kitty Rescue

at Boardroom Spirits Distillery

Dear Readers,

It is my pleasure to formally invite you to FELI*DELPHIA: Art Exhibition to Benefit the Philly Kitty Rescue! This is a passion project I have been working on throughout the winter: I’ve organized a group exhibition of over 60 “Philly” and/or “kitty” themed artworks, the proceeds of which will benefit this very special volunteer-run organization that rescues, fosters, and provides medical care for stray and homeless cats and kittens across greater Philadelphia, especially those with special needs. TPK is an organization very close to my heart: a lifelong animal lover, in 2017 I adopted my cat Rufus from them and have since developed a personal relationship with TPK’s founders as well as Rufus’ former foster families. Now I can’t imagine life without him! The event is being generously hosted by Boardroom Spirits Distillery in Lansdale, PA, a northwestern Philadelphia suburb, on Saturday April 6th from 3-8pm. During these hours, Boardoom will even be donating a percentage of their revenue to TPK. Read more information below!

In other news, I am currently exhibiting at two of the schools where I teach: Cecil College in Elkton, MD and the Wallingford Community Arts Center in Wallingford, PA (Media/Swarthmore). In the studio, I am continuing work on the second installation of paintings for Fulton-Montgomery Community College in Johnstown, NY to follow last year’s WOMEN IN STEM series. Scroll down to read more on these and other events.

Created especially for FELI*DELPHIA: EXHIBITION TO BENEFIT THE PHILLY KITTY RESCUE.
SPOTTED: 5 x 7 in framed. Pencil and ink on paper. $50. To buy now, email me directly at ericaharney@gmail.com

Finally: if you like to support the arts, small and local businesses, or simply enjoy receiving updates about my local and regional art events and projects, please Tell a Friend!! Share this newsletter with others who might want to Subscribe.

Thank you!

Erica Harney

Instagram: @erica_harney_artist

Facebook: Erica Harney, Artist

Scenic and Mural Work: Coroflot

Thank you to Erica Harney for the content of this post.

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Die

 Ebony G. Patterson: if we must die

Ebony G. Patterson: if we must die

Ebony G. Patterson bears witness to the violence and social injustices

imposed upon the invisible and the voiceless

February 11 – April 20, 2019.

In dialog with the artist Wednesday, March 27 at 5:00 p.m

GLASSBORO, NJ – Known for her drawings, tapestries, videos, sculptures and installations that involve surfaces layered with flowers, glitter, lace and bead, Ebony G. Patterson’s works investigate forms of embellishment as they relate to youth culture within disenfranchised communities. That work is the focus of the newest exhibition at Rowan University Art GalleryEbony G. Patterson: If We Must Die. The exhibit is on display from February 11 – April 20, 2019.

In conjunction with the exhibit, a conversation with the artist will be held on Wednesday, March 27 at 5:00 p.m. in the gallery, led by visiting scholar Colette Gaiter, a professor in the Department of Art & Design and Department of Africana Studies at the University of Delaware. A reception will follow.

The two featured installations – Invisible Presence: Bling Memories and Of 72 – employ opulent, hand-embellished surfaces and brightly colored patterns that entice viewers to bear witness to the violence and social injustices imposed on the invisible and the voiceless. Patterson’s neo-Baroque works address masculinity, “bling,” visibility, and invisibility within the post-colonial context of her native Jamaica and within black youth culture globally. The references to Carnival in Patterson’s use of beads, plastic ornaments, and reflective materials echo her interest in mining international aesthetics in her practice.

 Ebony G. Patterson: if we must die

Born in Jamaica, Patterson received her BFA from Edna Manley College in Jamaica and an MFA from Sam Fox College of Design & Visual Arts in St. Louis. She has had recent solo exhibitions at The Perez Museum in Miami, The Studio Museum in Harlem, Atlanta Center for Contemporary Art, and Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago. She was featured in biennials in Havana, Cuba; New Orleans; Jamaica; and Miami. She has exhibited in Brazil, Boston, and New York, in addition to group exhibitions at Seattle Art Museum, National Art Gallery of the Cayman Islands, and National Gallery of the Bahamas among others. Her work is included in a number of public collections, including The Studio Museum in Harlem and the Museum of Art and Design, New York; Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC; Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY; 21c Museum Hotels; and the National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston.

The gallery is located at 301 High Street West. Free 2-hour public parking is available in the Mick Drive Parking Garage across the street from the gallery. Admission to the gallery, lecture, and reception is free and open to the public. Regular gallery hours are Monday – Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Directions can be found on the gallery website. For more information, call 856-256-4521 or visit www.rowan.edu/artgallery.

Support for programming at Rowan University Art Galleries is also made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Thank you to Mary Salvante for the content of this post.

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Blood

Russell Craig, Philadelphia Magic Gardens

POWERFUL ARTWORK ADVOCATES FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Works by Russell Craig

An Exhibition at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens: March 2 – April 29, 2018

PUBLIC OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, March 2, 2018; 6:00 – 9:00 PM

SOUTH STREET, PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens’ exhibition, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, highlights the provocative works of self-taught artist Russell Craig. His artistic style and stirring imagery were developed during his seven-year incarceration. Featured in this exhibition are Craig’s large-scale portraits, which are made from prison paperwork, court documents, and discarded materials.

Russell Craig‘s work offers an opportunity to talk about the justice system in the United States by chronicling his life and honoring the people that share his story. Through confrontation and contemplation, Craig’s pieces create a platform to help unify all who have struggled through trauma and advocate for positive change within ourselves and our communities. Craig’s work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He has also worked with Mural Arts
Philadelphia through their Restorative Justice program, and is a “Right of Return” fellow – a program that invests in formerly incarcerated artists to create original works of art that can further propel criminal justice reform efforts.

He is a mentor for those who are currently incarcerated and works with communities who are
often affected by the criminal justice system. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is excited to host this show and other exhibitions that use art to address current social concerns and spark conversations that help ignite change within our city. Through these unique curated experiences, PMG aspires to promote meaningful engagement with visitors and community
stakeholders and to project its values of inclusion and community out to Philadelphia.

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens and Russell Craig welcome you to a night of art and conversation during the opening reception on Friday, March 2, 2018, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM.

PHILADELPHIA’S MAGIC GARDENS

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) is a nonprofit visionary art environment and community arts center located in Isaiah Zagars largest public artwork. Spanning half a block on Philadelphia’s famous South Street, the museum includes an immersive outdoor art installation and indoor galleries.

Zagar created the space using nontraditional materials such as folk art statues, found objects, bicycle wheels, colorful glass bottles, hand-made tiles, and thousands of glittering mirrors. The site is enveloped in visual anecdotes and personal narratives that refer to Zagar’s life, family, and community, as well as references from the wider world such as influential art history figures and other visionary artists and environments.

PMG is a unique Philadelphia destination that inspires creativity and community engagement by providing educational opportunities and diverse public programming to thousands of visitors each year. For more information, visit www.phillymagicgardens.org.

Thank you to Allison Boyle, Events & Marketing Manager, for the content of this post. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, 1020 South Street, Philadelphia PA 19147,

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