Category Archives: Philadelphia Art Clubs

Art clubs are members only groups with a mission to promote the development of artists; DoN is a member of several Philadelphia area art clubs.

The Plastic Club – Workshop Show

Plastic Club Workshop Show

Kim Martin @ The Plastic Club.  Kim leads an early morning workshop on Tuesdays at the club featuring extended poses.  The result is magnificent works like this portrait of Bob Jackson; Martin’s exuberant use of color and expressive gesture is fun to be around.

Plastic Club Workshop Show

Glenn Benge, Reclining Figure, chalk @ The Plastic Club.

Plastic Club Workshop Show

 Workshop show @ The Plastic Club.  The venue is one of the few accepting all work which is then juried.

Plastic Club Workshop Show

Correction – the show is down.  Next – Models as Artists.

Prospectus’ – PSCs Miniatures, Da Vinci Art Alliance Heroines & Harlots

Philadelphia Sketch Club Miniatures

Works Eligible:  Miniatures, up to 3 pieces utilizing any 2-dimensional medium.  All submitted work must be offered for sale during the exhibition. No transparencies will be accepted.  Maximum framed size 8”x10”, image size up to 5 “x 7”.  All work must be framed with glass or plexiglass, wired and ready for hanging.  No clip frames.  Improperly framed pieces will be rejected. Active PSC members:  $8 for each piece or $20 for three. All others:  $10 for each piece or $25 for three. Pickup: Unaccepted work: Friday, August 21, and Saturday, August 22, 2009, 1-5 p.m. at PSC, Accepted work: Sunday, September 20, 1 to 5 pm and Monday, September 21, 2009, 1-5 p.m. at PSC. 

Da Vinci Art Alliance Heroines & Harlots

Rules for Entry:  The exhibition is open to all visual artists; work may be in any medium, but must be directly related to the theme.  Dimensions may not exceed 36 x 36” for wall pieces, or 36 x 24 x 12” for 3D work.  Application must include entry fee of $20 for 1-3 entries for non-members, or $10 for 1-3 entries for current Da Vinci members (and your annual membership dues, if not current, of $30 for adults, $20 for full-time students, with copy of valid ID).   Make check payable to Da Vinci Art Alliance; no cash please.  Entries may be submitted in the form of slides, photos, or, preferably, digital images on disk (JPEG, pc format), and must be clearly labeled with the artist’s name, title, date, medium, dimensions, retail price or NFS, and an arrow to indicate top of work.  Images should be numbered to match entry form.  Include a SASE for their return.  No glass slides or Mac format entries can be accepted.

Grow @ Off the Wall/Dirty Frank’s – Salon @ Plastic Club

Grow @ Off the WallNancy Barch, Chained Mail, mixed media @ Grow – Off the Wall Gallery.  The use of disposable materials such as the ceiling tile and old slides reek with hidden meaning and memes.  Slides are so anachronistic and ceiling tiles, even though functional at insulation and sound-proofing, are out of style.  Barch’s piece sends obtuse mixed messages stimulating social consciousness neurons to fire in the brain.

Grow @ Off the Wall

 Grow @ Off the Wall Gallery in Dirty Frank’s Bar.

Grow @ Off the Wall

Alisa Fox, Jars, mixed media.

One of the cool things @ Off the Wall is the corner display case where more delicate constructions can be installed.  The team of Jody and Togo extend much effort in branding, soliciting, promoting and selling art from publicity to art cards and posters to installation, the production is always top notch. Off the Wall has hosted hundreds of local aspiring and established artists in their thoughtful exhibitions.

Karl Olsen @ Grow

Karl Olsen, Free Compost, mixed media including ingredients from mustard to absinthe.

Grow is on display through August 7th and includes work by 30 artists including members of the Plastic Club, Photographic Society of Philadelphia and other regional arts groups.  Frank’s has been an outpost for many Plastic Club members and recently Anders Hansen hosted a Salon at The Plastic Club to discuss the Grow show.  In branding the show, curator Jody Sweitzer and manager Togo Travalia, put a new spin on the current “green” trend with a focus on recycled materials and ideas.

Karl Olsen used phylo dough, Julia Fisichella‘s amazing photoshop collages are inspired, Ed Snyder’s floral photograph exquisitely illuminated the concept with an image pinched from nature, Veronica Schmude‘s moody interior photograph is brimming with stolen narrative (Veronica is the guest speaker at this Tuesday’s PSoP lecture series at The Plastic Club).  The Salon was lively: Shoshanna Aron (just back from Israel) pointed out how being “green” is a new concept – that the old paradigm was consumerism, Bob Bohne introduced the topic of the healing power of art and the importance of community outreach, Alan Clawens highlighted how artists resist creating new work for a theme show and try to squeeze old works into new parameters, DoN mentioned bricolage and Burnell Yow!s amazing show at Smile.  The group sipped wine and chatted until sunset and the party moved to Frank’s.  The discussion helped DoN realize that thinking outside the box isn’t always the best approach – sometimes all you need is the box.

Phillustration 2009 @ PSC

Phillustration 2009 @ PSC

Christian “Patch”ell, self-promo @ Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Phillustration ’09.

Rich Harrington gathered the region’s finest illustrators to participate in the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s annual illustration show – Philly is a hub of creative talent called on to promote products, tell stories, illuminate text and create memorable images.  With almost 100 images in the sunny upstairs gallery the exhibition was informative and amusing.

Phillustration 2009 @ PSC

Hal Taylor, Riki- Tiki-Tavi, book.

Phillustration 2009 @ PSC

Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Phillustration 2009.

The Cafe Artists @ Galleria Deptford

As fate would have it, the curator of Galleria Deptford saw DoN‘s work @ Alden Cole‘s gallery – light being (Larry Angel) – and loved it.  Pauline Jonas invited DoN to the Deptford Municipal Building to discuss showing art in their space; public spaces such as the lobby and wide halls with long walls are equipped with a professional hanging system and lighting which easily displaying various sized work.  The current exhibit is by The Cafe Artists. the fate part is Deptford is DoN‘s home town, graduating from Deptford High School with a Most Artistic award in 1971.

Tony Parisi

Tony Parisi @ Galleria Deptford.

Currently the gallery is showing a group show by the Cafe ArtistsGrace Arden, Simone Avitello, Carol Goneau, Brielle Herquet, Kimberly Huth, Jeanne Jablonski, Karen S. Moore, Jan Narducci, Tony Parisi, Diane Paul, Kathryn Roberson, Jack Tanier, Bonnie Williams and Penny Wise.

The Cafe Artists

Diane Paul & Brielle Herquet of The Cafe Artists @ Galleria Deptford.

Art in public spaces not only reinforces the state of cultural development in a community it serves as metaphor for what the community is seeing, being and living.  Artists groups such as the Cafe Artists, who meet monthly at the Deptford Barnes & Noble, invigorate the comunity through visual art.

Jack Tanier

Jack Tanier, Four Seasons, Fall, oil.

The Cafe Artists honored one of their own recently departed member, Jack Tanier, with a show of his works; impressionistic landscapes strewn with the rubble of human encroachment on the environment or the earth reclaining it’s own.  The art in the lobby is show on easles which can be moved to accomodate Court House crowds, then moved back into place; it’s so beautiful that an artist get’s to be remembered and cherished for lifetime achievement and dedication to art.

Jack Tanier

Jack Tanier paintings outside the courtroom of the Deptford Municipal Building.

The Galleria Deptford, 1011 Cooper Street, Deptford, NJ – DoN‘s show is in December!