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.

97th Annual Members Medal Show @ The Plastic Club

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Alden Cole‘s “Lucy in the Sky“, marker. DoN sees this drawing as the work of one of Philadelphia’s master artists; the combination of illustration, foreshortening, coloration, line quality, relevance and sensitivity to the subject, immortalizing the model. Then DoN realizes it’s marker pens on paper, the same as used in graffiti, popping energy and vibration, ancient and future knowledge, high and low art all vibrating from a single moment in space and time, into the gallery space. Absorbing the power of the messages being transmitted through Cole’s art is like time-tripping through art history in an instant. When you walk up the steps into the studio gallery, this is where the eye is drawn first.

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Lois Schlachter,Clown Fish“, acrylic. Super flat, futuristic, meticulous trips into the swirly world of Lois’ paintings is like a glimpse into a dream of the best amusement park ride you even went on, the kind that’s so fast and so thrilling that you can’t scream because it’s so much fun.
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Marie Davis Samohod, “Ionic Table“, acylic, Naomi Rubin, “The Beauty of the Land”, watercolor.

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Alan J. Klawans, Mike Guinn & Bob Jackson @ the Plastic Club’s 97th Annual Members Medal Show. Without people like these men it just doesn’t happen; the exhibition is so strong, the display so expertly installed and the experience design so inclusive, warm and inviting that it feels natural and accessible but tremendous amounts of work go into such a huge installation, these guys deserve credit for bringing out the best and making it happen. The art movement is Philadelphia is strong and determined, DoN LoVes it when people proudly tell which Philadelphia art school they went to and how organizations like the Plastic Club fill the void of the commaraderie of attending a school of art.

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DoN Brewer, “Thanksgiving“, digital photo, Jeanne Coryell, “Mandala“, watercolor and Alice Meyer-Wallace, “Vrikis And Glads“, oil.

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The Plastic Club’s 97th Annual Members Medal Exhibition award winners: Katherine Stanek, The Plastic Club Gold Medal, Jake Smith, The Plastic Club Silver Medal, John Benigno, The Zeigler Prize, Ben Wilson, The Dorothy Invernizzi Guinn Memorial Prize.

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.

Art of the Flower @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club

The Art of the Flower show at the Philadelphia Sketch Club is an annual, open juried competition for 2 or 3 dimensional works of art on the theme of the flower by prominent and emerging regional artists.  This year’s juror, James P. Repenning, chose not only traditional styles of flower painting but also abstractions, photography, prints and even a neon sculpture.  Rik Viola, committee co-chair, pulled together an exceptional show with a new twist on flowers in art with an opening reception that was well attended and exciting.  The awards were kept secret until they were announced at the gala which added an aura of anticipation since even the winners didn’t know until the announcement.  The exhibition runs through March 22nd and will be followed by the annual Small Oil Paintings show.flowers

The winners wall at The Philadelphia Sketch Club’s annual Art of the Flower Show which overlaps the famous Philadelphia Flower Show.  1st Place, Emerging Amarylis, monotype by Rona Richter, 2nd place, Roses with Reflection, pastel by Beverly Jensen, 3rd place, Dried Flowers in a Burl Vase, pastel by Ben Cohen, 4th place, White Iris, photography award by Elizabeth Bard. Honorable mentions went to Tony Anthony, Robert Bohne, Doris Peltzman, Jessie Joern, Gus Sermas and Eve Hoyt.

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DoN Brewer‘s inkjet print collage, “Gingko“.

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3-Dimension award winner – Luminous Flora – Neon by Eve Hoyt.

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Cactus Flower, ink and watercolor, Peter Petragia.

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Glories, color pencil & ink, Hal Taylor.

Black Rose, etching, Thelma Grobes.

White Orchid, digital print, Valerie Hutton

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Artist Gus Victor Sermas with his mixed media drawing, Flower 1, at The Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Art of the Flower show through March 22nd, 2009.