Category Archives: Philadelphia Art Alliances

Philadelphia groups of artists working together to dreate opportunities for exhibitions, information sharing and support.

Through My Window @ Perkins Center for the Arts

Lilliana Didovic- Through My Window @ Perkins Center for the Arts

Lilliana Didovic, Boat House Row, mixed media with crystals @ The Perkins Center for the Arts presents Through My Window, a Da Vinci Art Alliance Event.  Lilliana is one of the artists who painted the Philly Phanatics which were waving to us from all over the city last summer – Lilliana Didovic & writer Ronnie Norpel‘s piece sold at a charity auction for a bundle, Congratulations!

Lilliana’s painting with crystals representing the iconic lights outlining the architecture of the houses glitters in the huge, open gallery at the The Perkins Center for the Arts in Collingswood, NJ.  Didovic’s window on the world finds glamor and glitz among the darkness of the night and the intimidating rushing river; the crystals as LEDs is genius, both forms will send us light far longer than the old incandescent bulbs stretched across the boat houses.  DoN misses the old lights, though, with the hidden narrative of guys climbing high ladders and walking along rooftops to replace light bulbs but the new lights are totally groovy.

Through My Window @ Perkins Center of the Arts

Through My Window @ Perkins Center for the ArtsDoN is honored to have his drawing featured in the catalog for this exciting art venture, the adjunct to the more famous Moorestown art center, is riding the renaissance wave of artistic and cultured lifestyle that is washing down Haddon Avenue with plush restaurants and historic architecture.

Executive Director, Alan Willoughby told DoN that the town has been very supportive offering the building to be renovated into an art space with workshops, galleries and vitality.  As the center goes through it’s first round of renovation, Willoughby sees a positive potential for growth in a small town with a lot of character.  Watch for a review in this week’s Philadelphia Inquirer, Da Vinci Art Alliance board members Dave Foss & Alden Cole were interviewed about their perspective on this unique exhibition.

Through My Window @ Perkins Center of the Arts

Perkins Center for the Arts, Collingswood, NJ.

Michael DiPrinzio Through My Window @ Perkins Center of the Arts

Michael DiPrinzio, mixed media @ Perkins Center for the Arts, Through My Window, A Da Vinci Art Alliance traveling exhibition through November 11th, 2010 with a special event today called Creating the Poem- 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.  Hurry up, get over there!

 

Photos by DoN.

 

The Photograph that got DoN Banned on QBN.com

Exits & Entrances - David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

DoN posted as donbrewer for almost 10 years on QBN.com, the design social network website formerly known as Newstoday.comDoN occasionally posted links in the public forum on QBN to DoNArTNeWs stories that he felt were of interest to not just the Philly art scene but the global art, design & culture community.  donbrewer participated in many Friday Photoshop Battles and two Newstoday Print Exchanges, sharing art with friends around the world and participating in the broad discussion about design and art.

QBN has blocked donbrewer from posting on the website and deleted his contribution to the history of the network.  DoN appeals to QBN to restore his cyber-identity; if you are on QBN and you appreciated links to DoNArTNeWs stories, please let QBN know donbrewer’s posts belong in the public forum.

The photo is a closeup of a David Foss sculpture currently on display at LGTripp Gallery in Old City, Philadelphia.  Censorship sucks.

The Photograph that got DoN Banned on QBN.com

 

 

Photo by DoNBrewerPhotography, 2010.

Da Vinci Art Alliance – 7 Deadly Sins @ Noyes Museum of Art, Hammonton NJ

Da Vinci Art Alliance - 7 Deadly Sins @ Noyes Museum of Art, Hammonton NJ

Bobbie Adams. Annette Alessi, Roz Bloom, DoN Brewer, Pat Burns, Lois Allen Charles, Piety Choi, Rachel Christy, Rachel Citrino, Alden Cole, Francesca Costanzo, Lilliana Didovic, Gerard Di Falco, Judy Engle, Linda Dubin, Laura Guzzo, Louise Herring, Ona Kalstein, Maria J. Keane, Gary Koenitzer, Sandi Neiman, Marlon Majette, Lee Muslin, Liz Nicklus, Arthur Ostroff, Anna Pizzoli, Peter Seidel, Rex Sexton, Francine Strauss, Anna Vosburgh, Ted Warchal, Carol Wisker, Wendelyn Anderson, Karen McDonnell, Anthony Cortosi.

 Da Vinci Art Alliance - 7 Deadly Sins @ Noyes Museum of Art, Hammonton NJ

Noyes Museum of Art– Hammonton
5 S. Second St.
Hammonton, NJ 08037
(609)561-8006

The DaVinci Art Alliance: “7” Deadly Sins

Exhibit Dates: October 1 – November 24, 2010
Opening Reception: October 1: 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Artist Lecture with Marlon Majette: October 6: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Da Vinci Art Alliance
is a non-profit artists’ organization located in South Philadelphia.  The organization was founded in 1931 to serve the needs of professional artists and artisans in the Delaware Valley.  Da Vinci Art Alliance currently has over 150 members and is supported through membership dues, gallery rentals, sales commissions, grants, and donations.  Da Vinci Art Alliance holds exhibitions of members’ and non-members’ artwork as well as special events, workshops, performances, poetry readings, and lectures.

DoN is thrilled about his museum debut with the Seven Deadly Sins exhibit in the Noyes Museum of Art, Hammonton, NJ for some wack-a-doodle time-tripping reasons; DoN has a history with Hammonton, showing in the Noyes is kind of cosmic.  DoN hung out with GadFly, an early radical blogger who stirred local political shit in a way that not many people have the balls to do today even in our social networked world.  GadFly posted blogs that ended up getting him interviewed by the FBI, radio talk show hosts and the town council, who he called nasty names which ultimately ended up being quoted in his obituary, a final insult to his political enemies.  Before the internet GadFly wrote letters to the editor in papers locally and nationally, ranting endlessly about corruption, when he discovered blogging there was no stopping his vitriolic sarcastic wit.  GadFly‘s blog was the inspiration for DoNArTNeWs. 

GadFly is now known as Dead Larry, a former life guard, since drowning ironically in a gym pool a few years ago.  DoN adopted, his now geriatric, Lady Doofus, the St. Bernard/Chihuahua mix who lived on Dead Larry‘s farm but is now an urbane canine retiree in Marion Anderson Historical Village; Lady Doofus may make a surprise appearance at the art gala in her former home town, along with KaTy the ArT DoG who also enjoyed romps in the Pine Barrens swamps.  GadFly would LoVe that DoN is presenting his art in Hammonton, New Jersey, his home state (DoN was named most artistic, Deptford High School, Class of ’71), especially the 7 Deadly Sins part – gossip with DoN at the opening party, 10/01/10, to get the real dirt on Dead Larry aka GadFly.

Hammonton, NJ, once a vital town in South Jersey, is recovering from being hit by the Walmart Bomb, the downtown became a bit shabby but now is truly quaint like a Hopper painting, the Noyes Museum Gallery is a revitalizing force – art to the rescue!

 

Exits & Entrances – David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

Exits & Entrances - David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

David Foss has a resume as long as your arm, participating in art shows all across the country and leading the venerable Da Vinci Art Alliance with grace and calm.  But, Foss’ current one-person show at LGTripp Gallery in Old City, Philly is a tour de force incorporating his recognizable style and exciting new direction in his paintings and sculpture.  The gallery is enormous and Foss activates every corner with exciting, bold abstractions from teetering constructions to heroically scaled fluid, drippy paintings to small, introspective pieces.  Louella Tripp told DoN, “I’m really excited about presenting Dave’s new work, representing a transition period.  He has been developing new work over the past two or three years in an exciting new direction with more structure including elements of formal work in terms of process; mixing solvents, chemicals and paint included in a measured way, the merging is brilliant!”

Exits & Entrances - David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

Throughout the gallery are a series of mono-chromatic sculptures made from found objects resembling alien habitats.  DoN can imagine climbing the ladders to find hidden technology or stored food of the gods.

Exits & Entrances - David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery in Old City.

Exits & Entrances - David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

This sculpture occupies the far end of the main gallery like a hybrid house/ship/helicopter ready to start lumbering through the room.

Exits & Entrances - David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

Detail of the above sculpture – organic, anatomical, gross and beautiful, the large sculpture attracts attention like a fire alarm.

Exits & Entrances - David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

In the back room gallery space this sculpture is reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle with the hanging ladder to safety swiftly moving just out of reach as it lurches to take off.

Exits & Entrances - David Foss @ LGTripp Gallery

Exits & Entrances is an appropriate title for the show as David Foss gradually moves into a stylistic new realm that is more translucent, poetic and free.  Now instead of his work being dense and compact, his paintings are loose, watery and transcendent.  As Foss exits his past, he enters a future as entrancing as a dream; this painting marks a point in the exhibit where Dave begins a new exploration sure to inspire, illuminate and elucidate.

 

 

Photos by DoN.

Philadelphia Sketch Club 150th Anniversary Members Exhibition @ Art in City Hall

Pat Wilson Schmid Philadelphia Sketch Club 150th @ Art in City Hall

Pat Wilson-Schmid works at being an artist full time, a tireless volunteer, and art advocate; the Philadelphia Sketch Club relies on Pat because she always makes the extra effort to keep the team on task.

Edna Santiago - Philadelphia Sketch Club 150th @ Art in City Hall

Edna Santiago told DoN the painting is an uncle who moved to Philly to raise his family, she said he would be proud to know his visage is being shown in City Hall.  The acrylic on plastic painting is unique, confounding and bold, the narrative takes us to a time and place that is old Philadelphia yet very contemporary and urban, the passages of dark and light are deeply moving.  Chicken Louis, acrylic on plexiglass, Edna Santiago.

Piety Choi - Philadelphia Sketch Club 150th @ Art in City Hall

Piety Choi, Manna, mixed media on canvas.  The splashy painting paired with the intensely decorative tile work mixes time lines, metaphors and ideas on what is beautiful in contemporary culture.  Choi continues to surprise, inspire and challenge the Philly art-erati to step up their game, her works continuously win awards and draw people together to talk.

P J Foster - Philadelphia Sketch Club 150th @ Art in City Hall

 P.J. Foster, Unexpected Journey, acrylic & egg shell @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club Member Exhibition @ Art in City Hall.

Art in City Hall featuring the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s 150 Anniversary members show is the oldest art club in America’s first show at the world famous City Hall and it’s 20 year old public art in City Hall program.  The shown is immense with hundreds of art works by many of Philly’s best artists.

 

Photos by DoN.