Category Archives: Philadelphia Art Museums

Philazilla

VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s fun, over-the-top commercial honors the city’s beloved icons while showing off the many other enjoyments that make Philadelphia such a popular place to visit and stay overnight. In these two scenes, a larger-than-life Benjamin Franklin makes his way through the city in preparation for a spat with a cheesesteak that’s just as eager for the spotlight as Ben. An outrageous tiff ensues, leaving a visitor asking, “What’s with them?,” and her taxi driver responding, “Oh those two. They’re always fighting for attention.” The tongue-in-cheek spot ends with the tagline: There’s more to a legendary city than its legends.

Credit: Photo courtesy of VISIT PHILADELPHIA®

PHILADELPHIA, January 26, 2016 – VISIT PHILADELPHIA^® debuted a new television commercial today—a fun, over-the-top spot that honors the city’s beloved icons while showing off the many other enjoyments that make Philadelphia such a popular place to visit and stay overnight. Created in partnership with Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, the commercial is part of the destination marketing organization’s With Love, Philadelphia XOXO^® campaign and the first VISIT PHILADELPHIA spot to air on television since 2011. It is viewable at visitphilly.com/philazillas.

“Cheesesteaks and history are legendary in Philadelphia, and deservedly so,” said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “But we want people to realize that there’s a lot more to this city, and it’s all deserving of attention: the waterfronts, the parks, the restaurants, the bars, the culture, the walkability. Our new commercial shows off these wonders, and every one of them is a great reason to visit Philadelphia. You’ll definitely need more than a day to get it all in though.”

The Concept & Strategy Behind It:

In the spot entitled “Philazillas,” a larger-than-life Benjamin Franklin and a just-as-big cheesesteak vie for the spotlight during an outrageous tiff that leaves a visitor asking, “What’s with them?,” and her taxi driver responding, “Oh those two. They’re always fighting for attention.” The tongue-in-cheek spot ends with the tagline: There’s more to a legendary city than its legends.

Research commissioned by VISIT PHILADELPHIA in 2015 found that while most leisure travelers acknowledged Philadelphia’s iconic sites, they seek fun and authentic experiences, restaurants, nightlife, art and walkability for urban destination getaways. That’s why “Philazillas” shows off the many city features that compel travelers to visit.

“The challenge in developing a spot that broadens people’s perspectives about what makes Philly great was having a bit of fun with the two things the city is most famous for—cheesesteaks and history,” said Steve Red, president and chief creative officer, Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners. “But at the same time, it was important to acknowledge their legendary status and importance to the city.”

Why Now?:

Philadelphia has hit records and milestones in recent years, with 39.7 million total visitors in 2014 and 77% occupancy at Center City hotels and an historic visit from Pope Francis in 2015. To keep this momentum going, it’s important for Philadelphia to stay top of mind for people making decisions about their next vacation or even contemplating a new location for their home or business. That means getting the Philadelphia message out to them on all possible platforms, including on TVs and digital screens.

The Media Buy:

Video consumption across many platforms is at an all-time high, and it’s imperative for VISIT PHILADELPHIA to reach consumers in these spaces. The destination-marketing organization secured a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant to promote visitation to Philadelphia through video on screens of all sorts—TV, desktop, mobile and tablet devices—in 2016. This multi-screen grant helps extend the messaging of the With Love campaign to a wider audience.

There are three versions of the commercial: 60 seconds, 30 seconds and 15 seconds. The 60-second version tells the most robust story, and that iteration will appear online and on VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s websites and social media properties. Due to a limited budget, the shorter versions will run on television and online as part of the paid advertising buy.

The “Philazillas” spot will complement VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s core media buy, which will feature creative on digital and out-of-home advertising in the New York and Philadelphia DMAs. The commercial will run on broadcast and cable networks in three flights: February 1-21, July 11-31 andSeptember 5-18, 2016. In addition, it will appear online through media distribution partners such as Lin Digital, TubeMogul, Facebook and YouTube.

VISIT PHILADELPHIA^® makes Philadelphia and The Countryside^® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county area.

On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets.

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Zo

Art of the Zo: Textiles from Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh, Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition of woven textiles made by the Zo peoples of South Asia, including works that range from ceremonial tunics and wrap skirts to mantles, capes, blankets, and loincloths. Art of the Zo: Textiles from Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh features traditional weavings worn for daily life and ceremonial occasions, such as weddings, funerals, and feasts. The exhibition comprises works from the Museum’s collection of costume and textiles, supplemented by gifts and loans from David W. and Barbara G. Fraser, coauthors of Mantles of Merit: Chin Textiles from Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh (2005).

Art of the Zo, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Haka High-Ranking Man’s Mantle (Can-lo Puan), 1900–40, Myanmar (Burma), Chin State (Purchased with funds from the proceeds of the sale of deaccessioned works of art, 2006-57-1)

The exhibition showcases the patterns, techniques, and local variations that contribute to the beauty and craftsmanship of these woven treasures. Zo weavers create textiles that vary from unpatterned, indigo-dyed cloth and simple, colorful stripes to complex weaves that could be mistaken for embroidery. Among the highlights is a cotton blanket produced in a warp-faced weave around 1900 that would have been used in ceremonies for the sacrifice of a mithan, a semi-domesticated, ox-like animal. Also included is a Dai woman’s gray and white wedding blanket, woven between 1920 and 1960, which would have been created for a bride by her mother, along with shoulder cloths, decorated with glass beads and metal bells, which could double as baby carriers. A variety of men’s loincloths are on display as well, woven of cotton and silk.

Art of the Zo, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Lauktu Woman’s Head Wrapper (Tonpauk La), 1910–20, Myanmar (Burma), Rakhine State (Purchased with the Stella Kramrisch Fund, 2006-1-23)

In addition to textiles, various adornments are featured in the exhibition, among them earrings, bracelets, and necklaces made of metals, glass, and mirrors. The exhibition includes an example of the back-tension looms made of bamboo rods and wooden sticks that are traditionally employed by the Zo peoples to produce their fabrics. The simple loom is shown with a partially woven cloth next to a finished example from the Museum’s collection to offer insight into the weaving techniques. A video presentation, photographic details of selected works, and graphics of specific weave structures further demonstrate the virtuosity of Zo skills.

Art of the Zo, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Laytu Man’s Tunic (Khrangimm), 1920–40, Myanmar (Burma), Chin or Rakhine State (Purchased with the Stella Kramrisch Fund, 2006-1-18)

The Zo peoples, of Tibetan-Burmese origins, have lived for hundreds of years in mountainous regions of South Asia. They comprise about fifty linguistic groups, culturally related through affinities of language, the values surrounding their textiles, and the structure and technique of their weavings. Prior to the arrival of missionaries in the mid-1800s, they worshiped ancestral spirits and spirits dwelling in nature. Today most are Christian. Encouraged by missionaries to give up their traditional textiles, today Zo weavers continue to produce these culturally important textiles and frequently sell them as collectibles.

Art of the Zo, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Khami Woman’s Breast Cloth (Akhen), 1920–50, Myanmar (Burma), Rakhine State (Purchased with the Stella Kramrisch Fund, 2006-1-6)

In Zo communities, textiles have long conferred status on the weaver and document the wearer’s merit in this life and in the afterlife. The textiles are woven exclusively by women and are prized as the highest form of art. The exhibition explores how these works are made and worn, and features early to mid twentieth-century examples from specific localities and cultural divisions, such as the Northern Chin; Southern Chin; Ashö; and Khumi, Khami, and Mro. Although today most Zo people increasingly adopt Burmese and western attire, the weaving traditions are being preserved through the efforts of textile experts like Pa Mang, Nu Shwe, and Mai Ni Ni Aung, who have engaged master weavers to produce contemporary pieces for sale and to train the next generation of weavers. Some of these are available in the Museum Store.

Art of the Zo, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Utbu Woman’s Mantle (Pachang Sungkyar), 1930–80, Myanmar (Burma), Magwe Division, Sedouttaya Township (Gift of David W. and Barbara G. Fraser, 2014-70-23)

David Fraser stated: “These extraordinary textiles offer us rare and exceptional beauty. As records of the artistic traditions that illuminate Zo values, they also are highly valuable in preserving a living culture. Among the Zo, men create the looms, and they also make utilitarian baskets. The women create the art and they are much respected for it.”

Art of the Zo, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Haka Woman’s Ceremonial Tunic (Kor), 1940–70, Myanmar (Burma), Chin State (Purchased with funds from the proceeds of the sale of deaccessioned works of art, 2006-57-5)

Support

Support for this exhibition is provided by The Coby Foundation, Ltd.

Curators

Dilys E. Blum, The Jack M. and Annette Y. Friedland Senior Curator of Costume and Textiles, with consulting curators David and Barbara Fraser

Location

Joan Spain Gallery, Perelman Building, ground floor, The Philadelphia Museum of Art

About David and Barbara Fraser

David W. and Barbara G. Fraser have been studying the artistry, structure, and cultural importance of Zo textiles for fifteen years. Their book, Mantles of Merit: Chin Textiles from Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh, won the Millia Davenport Publication Award of the Costume Society of America and the R.L. Shep Book Award of the Textile Society of America. Their work also garnered the Ancient & Modern Prize. They have curated exhibitions of Zo textiles at the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., the University of Pennsylvania’s Arthur Ross Gallery, and Denison University, and David Fraser has co-curated an exhibition at Haverford College. Barbara Fraser is a member of the Advisory Council of the Textile Museum. A retired financial services attorney, she is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and Emory University Law School. David Fraser is a member of the Costume and Textiles Advisory Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He is a research associate at the Textile Museum, a consulting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and a master artisan of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. A former president of Swarthmore College, he is a graduate of Haverford College and Harvard Medical School.

Art of the Zo, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Mizo Woman’s Ceremonial Wrapped Skirt (Puan Laisen), 1950–70, Myanmar (Burma), Northern Chin State or India, Mizoram (Gift of David W. and Barbara G. Fraser, 2014-70-25)

Exhibition hours

Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Social Media

Facebook and Twitter: philamuseum ; Tumblr: philamuseum ; YouTube: PhilaArtMuseum ; Instagram: @philamuseum

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philadelphia’s art museum. We are a landmark building. A world-renowned collection. A place that welcomes everyone. We bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors—through scholarly study and creative play—to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone. We connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable. We are committed to inviting visitors to see the world—and themselves—anew through the beauty and expressive power of the arts.

Thank you to The Philadelphia Museum of Art for the content of this post.

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lapses

“lapses in Thinking By the person i Am”, Josephine Pryde at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania

Recently, on the day after Christmas, I was lucky enough to catch Josephine Pryde‘s exhibit, “lapses in Thinking By the person i Am” just one day shy of its closing at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the University of Pennsylvania.

Josephine Pryde, lapses in Thinking By the person i Am, ICA, photograph by Laura Storck

This clean yet incredibly rich and interactive exhibit consisted of a series of photographs which focusses primarily on hands in various states of touch, from both the inanimate to the poetic. The sensory journey was enhanced by the opportunity to ride a miniature train, a 1:10 scale model Union Pacific two-car freight train running at 2 m.p.h. along the exhibit to view the images from the beginning to the end, and then back to the beginning. As I gazed upon the images, I wondered if this experience was metaphorical for seeing life’s moments flash before one’s eyes? Or was it analogous to memory? Did this action of movement add significance to what we may consider to be the mundane?

Josephine Pryde, lapses in Thinking By the person i Am, ICA, photograph by Laura Storck

These beautiful portraits are visually pleasing in their color and choice of object under manipulation, such as a touch-sensitive lamp base, smartphone screen, sweater, zipper, and pine cone. Because these images were photographed using a macro lens, the viewer is instantly transported into the moment. The visions of touch are felt as cold, smooth, itchy, prickly, jagged.
Josephine Pryde, lapses in Thinking By the person i Am, ICA, photograph by Laura Storck, view from model train

Excerpt taken from the ICA Josephine Pryde Gallery Guide:

“In the context of the gallery, it could be said that the composition, lighting, and general style of Josephine Pryde’s photographs recall fashion and portrait photography, but this would ignore the fact that fashion and portrait photography refer to art photographs, snapshots, documentary footage, and more…Curator Jamie Stevens writes of this series, “These images act as a potential record of how hands are being used today and become a close analysis of a new body semiotics that has arrived with ‘smart’ technologies.” We have always thought with our hands — building, gesturing, inventing. What is new, and what Pryde has turned her lens onto in these images, is the way our mental processes can now be extended and broadcast via our fingertips. There is a responsive potential from anytime and anywhere to anytime and anywhere.” — Anthony Elms, Chief Curator

Josephine Pryde, lapses in Thinking By the person i Am, ICA, photograph by Laura Storck

Josephine Pryde (born 1967, Alnwick, UK; lives in Berlin and London) is Professor of Contemporary Art and Photography at the University of the Arts, Berlin.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Josephine-Pryde/141080082632715?fref=ts#

http://icaphila.org/exhibitions/7462/josephine-pryde-lapses-in-thinking-by-the-person-i-am

The ICA at the University of Pennsylvania is free for all. Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA), 118 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (215) 898-7108 http://icaphila.org

Written and photographed by Laura Storck

Laura Storck Photography ARTIST. SCIENTIST. PHOTOGRAPHER. ROCK STAR.: https://laurastorck.wordpress.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurastorck/

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Twitter: @Laura_Storck

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