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.

Crane Arts, CFEVA@PhotoWest, 10th St. Laundromat & The Beauty Shop

Thursday, DoN visited the Crane Contemporary Arts Center in Fishtown for Second Thursday; Nexus featured Rebecca Gilbert : Dirt Thirst and Virginia Batsonsubstance, sustenanceKelly & Weber features Collect. Consume. Rebuild, paintings by Sean O’Neil, The Icebox has Semi, a juried exhibition of works by Tyler School of Art MFA students, Juror: Elizabeth Grady, The University of Delaware has MFA student show in The Triangle Space and Jessica Demcsak – The Crane Adjacent, presented by INLIQUID.COM.  I know it sounds like a lot but DoN explored the whole space and has some favorites to share: Rebecca Gilbert at Nexus is showing imaginative prints which are delightful and probably the most accessible and salable art DoN viewed, featuring beautifully crafted small pieces which will enhance any art lovers collection (more about Gilbert later).  Virginia Batson is showing some really DuChampian “drawings” using drips of salt water (sweat, tears?) on black paper, also lovely small papers with nubby surfaces and fine line work, again perfect art for contemporary interiors.

 Work on paper by Virginia Batson @ Nexus.

Work on paper by Virginia Batson @ Nexus.

Works on paper by Rebecca Gilbert @ Nexus.

Works on paper by Rebecca Gilbert @ Nexus.

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Beauty Shop, Autistic/Artistic, Bananas, Trans-gression…

Thursday, Alden Cole and DoN drove to Bethlehem to drop off one of Alden’s fabulous luminaries at Home & Planet, an extraordinary art gallery featuring art created from recycled materials.  The gallery was getting ready for First Friday, so we got to see a preview of the featured art which includes some really creative metal constructions by artists Ben and Kate Gatski and welder Lana Garner.  Gatski’s installation includes works created for the garden as well as moo-valous steer heads, cows and giant flowers all made with found metal.  Quite a-moo-sing.Metal cow and flowers by Gatski @ Home and Planet.

Metal cow and flowers by Gatski @ Home and Planet.

Lana Garner creates signature cityscapes from steel dumpster doors, car hoods and drum barrels – a true dumpster diver.  Gritty and bleak, the works portray the urban landscape with humor and inventiveness.  Garner was a member of a women’s welding collective called Accoutrements and now lives in South Carolina where she has an old gas station for her studio and an old church renovated to be her home.  DoN is fascinated with the scale and scope of these monumental works which are extremely heavy and required industrial strength mountings to hang in the gallery.  DoNwas also pleased to see the Philly skyline portrayed in welded metal.  Since Bethlehem used to be a steel town, the works by Gatski and Garner are particularly poingnant.Cityscape on a car hood by Lana Garner @ Home and Planet.

Cityscape on a car hood by Lana Garner @ Home and Planet.

Cityscape on dumpster door by Lana Garner with Alden Cole luminary (left) @ Home and Planet, Bethlehem, PA.

Cityscape on dumpster door by Lana Garner with Alden Cole luminary (left) @ Home and Planet, Bethlehem, PA.

Detail from Lana Garner’s welded art on an old car hood.

Detail from Lana Garner’s welded art on an old car hood.

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DoNArTNeWs – CFEVA, Stango, B Squared, more…

DoNArTNeWs – 4/20/08

DoN LoVes Stango; I purchased one his Marilyns when I lived in Manayunk more than a decade ago.  Since then Stango has stuck to his guns and continues to produce bold, colorful paintings incorporating iconic images of movie stars, pop icons and famous logos which provoke, amuse and sometimes upset viewers.  John Stango has been compared to Warhol and Peter Max but as Picasso said,”Good artists copy;great artists steal.”  Lately he has been producing giclee prints which he customizes.  Stango is exclusively represented in Philadelphia by Nangellini, 832 South Street;  proprietor Nancy (who is a fiber artist creating groovy knit caps and hats, scarves and shawls, even a crocheted wedding dress under which the bride wore a bikini) presides over the colorful collection of Elvis’, Marilyn’s and Chanel’s.stango.jpg 

Nancy knitted while chatting with DoN about maintaining a shop on South Street, taking on the job of representing Stango so he could spend time painting and having an outlet for her own creative pursuits as a fiber artist.  Nangellini is fun and inspiring to visit and an easy place to shop for sumpin’ funky. nangellini

Knitted hat selection @ Nangellini on South Street.

Stango’s Ali

 Painting by John Stango @ Nangellini.

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