Category Archives: Philadelphia Art

Art in Philadelphia, PA.

Dumpster Divers on South Street

An incredible thing has happened.  The business community of South Street offered empty store fronts to artists rent free if they pay the utilities; DoN first heard of this from David Foss, director of the Da Vinci Art Alliance.  The Dumpster Divers jumped at the chance and have installed an exciting mixed media art show of museum quality – a lot of the work has been exhibited in actual museums and are scheduled to show in upcoming museum shows.  The Grand Opening is March 15th but there’s plenty to absorb now as the huge space at 723 South Street is transformed.

DoN says when the grid goes down the artists will become the tribal leaders: storytellers, image makers, re-purposers, builders, makers, artists, musicians and those able to carry the history forward and preserve culture.

dumpster divers

Dumpster Divers on South Street.

dumpster Divers on South Street

Dumpster Diver outsider, couturier Shoshana Arons with Diver multimedia artist Alden Cole @ 723 South Street.

dumpster divers 

Burnell Yow!‘s “52 Collages in 52 Weeks” @ The Dumpster Divers installation on South Street.

dumpster divers 

Art of the Flower @ PSC

DoN is delighted his inkjet print collage was selected to be included in the Art of the Flower show at The Philadelphia Sketch Club.  The annual show includes many of DoN‘s favorite Philadelphia painters and photographers as selected by juror James P. Repenning; helping install the show was especially fun knowing DoN’s “Ginkgo” is included along side exquisite works by Peltzman, Eckstein, Monaghan, Barnes, Tony Anthony, Roschen, Camera…  The reception and awards is Sunday @ 2:00.  Repenning’s work on the art card is lovely but in real life is an incredible mixed media piece with dimension, depth and high style design, executed with utmost craft – really stunning.

flower1

Hearts @ High Wire

February is over, finally.  DoN keeps getting unsolicited e-mails from Yahoo personals that he has 0 matches. 0.  Out of the millions of Yahoo’ers absolutely zero are a match made in cyber-heaven.  Valentines Day is stupid but the show at High Wire in Fishtown was intelligently filled with hugs and kisses.  A whole lot of love.  

high wire

 Alden Cole’s “Take Another Piece of My Heart, Now Baby.” paired with the Frank Sinatra homage is sublime.  First of all, Frank Sinatra is dead, so it’s really about worship, not love. The radiant Alden self-portrait with diced hearts is enlightened to the transient nature of love, good-naturedly doled out in bits and pieces.

jim Bloom @ high wire

Jim Bloom @ High Wire.  “Men Seldom Make Passes At Girls Who Wear Glasses.”

isaiah zagar

Isaiah Zagar , “Julia Loves Folk Art“, mixed media @ High Wire Gallery.

Zagar’s installation was enormous, painterly, informed and cerebral like he was hit by a bolt of pink lightning from the sky and love is shattered into shards of broken memories. 

 

Dumpster Divers @ Noyes Art Museum, Hammonton, NJ

Hammonton NJ is the self proclaimed blueberry capital of the world with a wonderfully quaint downtown district which has truly suffered from Wal-Martization.  Art to the rescue with the Noyes Museum occupying a lovely space with bright windows and unbroken sight lines.  The mysterious Dumpster Divers have been on display with a lavish installation of mixed media works of art that excites the senses and stirs old memories.  Saturday is the last day at the Noyes but then a lot of the work will move to 734 South Street, Philadelphia where the Dumpster Divers have taken over a vacant store front on the hippest street in town.

dumpster divers carol cole 

Carol Cole, “New Beginnings“, mixed media.  DoN was drawn into the luster of the paper mache eggs with the opalescent knobs, spikes and arrow forms creating a frame of strangeness; very desirable, chic and modern.

dumpster divers 

Ellen Sall, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds“, mixed media. 

dumpster divers Betsy Alexander 

Betsy Alexander’s crosses made from cds wonderfully mixes the magic of contemporary music distribution with ancient symbols.  Music was once held secret and sacred by the churches who recognized the power of aural input to influence behavior.  Betsy’s crosses sing a contemporary song with visual cues and signs, symbols and silence speak volumes. 

dumpster divers Aldy Cole

Alden Cole, “Eros Ex Machina”, mixed media @ The Noyes Museum gallery in Hammonton, NJ.   

 dumpster divers Aldy Cole 

Alden Cole’s, Divine Lorraine series is on display at various locales.  Cole’s use of wood is lavishly skillful, real love is applied to the surfaces of his creations. 

dumpster10.gif 

Burnell Yow!,La, Va, Ra, Ya“, mixed media @ Noyes Museum in Hammonton, NJ.