Category Archives: Philadelphia Artists

Philadelphia’s art scene is vibrant, ever-changing, combining technique and technology for new visions of reality, creating a transformative influence on life-style in the urban community and beyond.

Work by Disabled Artists on Display & Sale at Moss Rehab

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by KYW’s Karin Phillips
A show and sale of art by professional artists living with disabilities is on display for three more weeks at an Elkins Park rehabilitiation center.

The artwork goes on and on, up and down the hallways of Moss Rehab in Elkins Park, representing many media. Cliff Anderson (photo) – a local musician and artist who has lived with polio for decades – has submitted work for years – this year, a nude and a still-life of a fading flower:
“I’m emphasizing the color and the excitement in color, almost as in a note or chord in music.”
Lois Levy, director of the All About Art show, says there are 40 new artists this year:
“It’s a very competitive show, it continues to be, which means a lot of the artists who get in know that and they feel they’ve accomplished something if even just one piece is accepted into our show.”
Clif Anderson @ Moss Rehab Art Shoe

 

(Photo by KYW’s Karin Phillips)

Valerie Carroll & Reta Sweeney @ TwentyTwo Gallery

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Reta Sweeney

 

Reta Sweeney @ Gallery TwentyTwo.  Part of what DoN refers to as the School of Philadelphia (Peltzman, Barns, Monaghan…), Sweeney sees light with a delightful optimism and has the ability to create welcoming atmosphere in paint.  Reta’s paintings are joyous, reveling in the liquid medium, working quickly and efficiently, applying color with skill, so as to sign the work by scratching into the wet paint with satisfaction.

 

Reta Sweeney

 

A Rose Bouquet, oil on canvas, Reta Sweeney @ TwentyTwo Gallery.

 

Reta Sweeney @ Valerie Carroll

 

Cherry Blossoms and Tulips, Reta Sweeney, oil on canvas and Valerie Carroll @ Gallery TwentyTwo – DoN was impressed and inspired by the pairing of these two paintings, it’s not just the color palette, soothing pinks enhanced with warm atmosphere,  but the balance of symbolism and visual cues that creates a broader real world narrative.  This is a lesson in how to decorate with art confidently placing expressionism with impressionism in close proximity increasing the visual energy of the art.

 

Valerie Carroll

 

Valerie Carroll @ TwentyTwo Gallery.  Paintings like this make’s DoN want to paint, reaching deep into the soul creating an image to explain the human condition, paint strokes representing the passage of time, entropy and generativity vs. despair visualized with mysterious smudges and emotional color.