Category Archives: Philadelphia Art Alliances

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

The Philadelphia Dumpster Divers @ Outsider Folk Arts in the Goggle Works.

The Philadelphia Dumpster Divers have overtaken Outsiders Folk Arts in the Goggleworks Center for the Arts, a major cultural hub of the Reading region. DoN saw families tumbling out the door after some sort of recital, there’s an art show of students who have taken classes in the center, there’s an enourmous wood shop that smells so good. The Goggleworks is a magnet for artists of all stripes finding access to a wide array of opportunities and is really cool space itself, packed with studios, galleries, show spaces and art. The Dumpster Divers are definitely grooving on the vibe of the place and have installed unique, quirky objects which will inspire many budding artists as well as attracting collectors, since Viener’s artistic eye is well respected.

George Viener is a collector of folk art, outsider art and self-taught art; even though the many of the Divers are professional artists in their own right, collectively the group has a simple basic principle of being creative with what’s on hand, art doesn’t have to be expensive to make and rescueing lost objects ala Marcel DuChamp is de riguer. DoN thinks that counts as self-taught, it’s new, unfiltered raw ideas bubbling to the surface; Dada.
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Len Davidson, Queen of the Gnomes, @ Outsider Folk Arts in Reading, PA.

 

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Randal Cleaver, Space Time @ Outsider Folk Arts.

 

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Warren Muller, Philadelphia light artist @ Outsider Folk Arts in the Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Reading.

Burnell Yow! – Dolls of the Apocalypse @ Outsider Folk Art

In Philip Dick’s dystopian future sci-fi classic, Dr. Bloodmoney, Happy Harrington, a deformed mutant with telekinetic powers trundles around in a wagon pulled by a donkey and gleans from the post-nuclear highway with his robotic prothetic “arms”. Yow! takes DoN to that future place when transmogrified beings wander Earth looking for charms, spells and spare mother-boards. Tapping into the zeitgeist that trash is future treasure, these dolls represent the Apocalypse that has already happened all around DoN is slo-mo without him really noticing. Dolls of the Apolalypse incorporate actual Barbie Doll body parts – using a terrific technique, Yow! tricks the eye into believing the work is cast metal. Plastic is the new Apocalypse.

 

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Burnell Yow!, Dolls of the Apocalypse in The Philadelphia Dumpster Diver Show @ Outsider Folk Arts in Reading, PA.

outsider arts

Lauren Sweeney & Eric Fausnacht @ TwentyTwo Gallery

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Eric Fauscnacht paints chickens – large scale paintings with exotic fowls portrayed against decorative backdrops.  His painterly style is decorative and accessable yet strange and magestic, portraying the humble creatures with style, wit and precision.  Shawn Murray‘s gallery is a perfectly beautiful space which features member artists with one or two person shows in the main room and a terrific group of paintings by the other coalition members in the back space.  Libby Rosoff commented on how many animal paintings she has been seeing in various shows.  DoN has noticed a lot of deer in recent shows; the animal image is primal and deep and must be plucking that nerve string in the group consciousness like a viral meme. 

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Eric Fausnacht @ TwentyTwo Gallery.

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TwentyTwo Gallery in Center City, Philly. 

lauren Sweeney & Eric Fausnacht @ TwentyTwo Gallery 

 Lauren Sweeney‘s delicate watercolors paired with Fauscnacht‘s elaborate chicken paintings is fantastical, inspiring and strange, the show makes DoN want to get back into the studio and paint.

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TwentyTwo Gallery member artist, Reta Sweeney in the on-going group exhibit @ 236 South 22nd Street.

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TwentyTwo Gallery member artist, Edwin Bronstein in the on-going group exhibit @ 236 South 22nd Street. 

 

Photographic Society of Philadelphia – Art in City Hall – extended!!

The Photographic Society of Philadelphia‘s show in City Hall has been extended by popular demand through May 29th!!!  The gallery is on the 5th floor and includes work by many of Philly’s finest established and emerging photographers.  The guest entrance is at the northeast corner of City Hall.photographic Society of Philadelphia - Art in City Hall