Category Archives: Philadelphia Art

Art in Philadelphia, PA.

Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Envisioning Hamlet @ The Lantern Theater Company

Envisioning Hamlet is an art show by members of Philadelphia’s Da Vinci Art Alliance based on Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” currently being performed at the Lantern Theater to rave reviews. Several months ago, Charles McMahon, the creative director of Lantern Theater spoke at the club and explained his concept for staging the play; set in a post WW1 dystopian landscape, the play draws the audience into the diabolical circle of deception, madness and death.

More than 30 works of art are on display in the black box theater in the basement of Saint Stephen’s Theater @ 10th & Ludlow Streets ranging from neo-expressionism to abstraction to mixed media construction and impressionism. The art show is open through May 3rd, the play has been extended through May 17th.

 

 

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light being (Ophelia)” & “Denmark“, digital photographs by DoN Brewer.

 

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Mina Smith-Segal @ Saint Stephen Theater’s Envisioning Hamlet.

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Dr. Deb Miller, president of the Da Vinci Art Alliance, jurors Charles McMahon, creative director of Lantern Theater Company, lighting designer Drew Billiau and scenic designer Dirk Durossette.

 

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Best in Show: Chinoros Roongsakul‘s, Sin, acrylic on canvas.

 

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Alden Cole‘s, “Oh, that this too, too Solid Flesh“, oil on panel.

 

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Themes of madness, despair, symbolism and love permeate Envisioning Hamlet, the gallery is in the lower level of Saint Stephen’s Theater.

Second place awarded to Bud Boehringer, third place, Debra Miller, honorable mentions: DoN Brewer, Maria Keane and Ted Warchal.

Photographic Society of Philadelphia – Last Takedown @ Joe’s

The long running venue at Joe’s Coffee Shop @ 1100 Walnut is coming to an end 5/27. The Photographic Society of Philadelphia has held a rotating exhibit in this cool space for many years but the shop is closing. The society is searching for a new venue – Thanks to everyone @ Joe’s for all your support.

 

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Amie Potsic – Skin Stories @ Area 919

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Amie Potsic, the terrific artist activist and enthusiast, is an accomplished artist in her own right. Area 919 on North 5th is a familiar building seen driving to Fishtown but inside the old factory was a swanky art event with furniture by Baltzell, antiques by Michael Garden and magical prints by Anna Husemoller Jeretic. Michael Garden intends to make the space an art outpost between Old City and emerging Girard Ave. art scene.

 

The pristine white room with Amie Potsic‘s large scale silver gelatin prints mounted on aluminum and floating boxes is experience design created by an artist who has encouraged the best to do better. The ultra-fine black and white photographs depict human skin scars juxtaposed with images of scars on statues of Jesus Amie took on trips to Italy, San Francisco and NYC. Amie explained to DoN that pilgrims visit these statues and touch the scars as a form of worship. The display is visceral and poetic with the mind’s eye mixing up the stone skin with the real skin and entire movie length memes playing out about how the sculptor developed such skill or what a horrible burn must feel like or the healing from a grueling surgery. Shoshka found it hard to take at first but as the eye absorbs the photography the true beauty of scars is revealed. Amie explained that one burn victim was complemented on the beauty of his scars while in San Francisco with the admirer wondering where he could get one.

 

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Amie Potsic @ Area 919, on North 5th Street. The drive along 5th Street under the Ben feels like driving through Paris and to have the destination be a chic art event in Northern Liberties with artists, hipsters, beautiful ladies in high heels and old guys with bow ties feels so contintental and suave – DoN highly recommends the trip.

Dale Levy – Metaphors @ TwentyTwo Gallery

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TwentyTwo Gallery is an artist collective, each member exhibits a semi-annual one-person show and is included in on-going group shows. Dale Levy’s colorful abstractions are currently energizing the space with splashy color, nature forms, cartological references, homages to Frankenthaler and Pollack, and metaphorical inferences drizzeled across the large canvases. Levy makes painting look like fun.

 

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Dale Levy @ TwentyTwo Gallery. Levy cleverly titles each piece with her initials and a number, acrylic on canvas.

 

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Dale Levy @ TwentyTwo Gallery, looking like a map from outer space, this painting actually does reference real locations. DoN thinks part of this image represents Sardinia with the orange dot a volcano.

 

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Dale Levy hosted her opening @ TwentyTwo Gallery on a beautiful Spring evening. Shawn Murray and Diane Podolsky once again have installed a superior show; TwentyTwo has some of the best lighting and display of any gallery in the city.