Tag Archives: Art News Blog

Prints

Joanne Isaac, Old City Coffee

OLD CITY COFFEE PRESENTS JOANNE ISAAC: PRINTS IN THE CAFE

Art Show will run from November 2 – February 1, with opening reception on First Friday

PHILADELPHIA – On Nov. 2 during First Friday, Old City Coffee will serve as the setting for the first posthumous showing of work by storied artist, Joanne Isaac. A reception will be held for guests to experience the charming, graphic world of an internationally-applauded printmaker.

With a specialty in etching, Isaac made a name for herself and attracted a loyal following with her series focusing on Pennsylvania Dutch barns and depictions of scenes from nature. Other notable career milestones include her books, Tom Thumb’s Alphabet (Putnam, 1970) and Amanda (Lerner Publications, 1968), the recipient of the 1968 award for years’ best illustration from the Society of Illustrators, New York. Isaac’s works can be found in the private collections of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Paris, and the Free Library of Philadelphia. Her work has also been presented internationally in Germany, Italy, Poland, Japan, Canada, Brazil, and Spain.

Joanne Isaac, Old City Coffee

As the creator of Old City Coffee’s original logo, Joanne’s influence is evident as soon as you walk into the café. The 4 oz. espresso cups, also designed by Joanne, encompass her thoughtful style with each deliberate detail adding to the overall feel of the brand. The simple, yet sophisticated, cups encircled by six, multi-hued, brown bands designed to evoke the taste, smell, and texture of the quintessential espresso experience. This thoughtful attention to detail communicates to customers the love and appreciation the business has for coffee as a whole. Isaac’s impact is also felt in the way Old City Coffee operates with a commitment to tradition and high quality goods, traits that have become synonymous with the specialty coffee brand. Her designs not only carry on a piece of family history, but also embody a holistic mindset inherited by her family.

Joanne Isaac, Old City Coffee

A woman ahead of her time, Joanne rejected the notion that she should work only as a homemaker and, instead, prospered as an artist with the full support of her family. As the mother of four, Joanne successfully juggled her career and family, and her influence can be seen in her two daughters who organized the exhibition. Joanne’s daughter Ruth is the founder and co-owner of Old City Coffee. Elder daughter Rachel, inspired by Joanne’s passion for art, followed in her mother’s footsteps as a professional artist and a framer.  Joanne’s legacy carries on through the two most important pieces of her life: her family and her artwork.

“Her commitment to and passion for her craft shone through in every piece and we want to continue sharing her work with the world,” says daughter, Rachel Isaac.

The showcase will be open to the public, with a kickoff opening reception on Friday, Nov. 2 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Pieces will be on display in Old City Coffee’s café area every day during operating hours. The display will end with a closing celebration on Feb. 1 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. to commemorate the life and artwork of Joanne Isaac. For more information go to: www.oldcitycoffee.com

Thank you to Alex Styer, Senior Account Executive & Director of Digital Media at Bellevue PR for the content of this post.

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Leisure

American Leisure, Gravy Studio

American Leisure

Matt Hurst, Lauren Klein, Katie Reynolds, Katie Tackman, and Jesse Todd at gravy.

November 2nd – December 1st, 2018

Opening Reception:  First Friday November 2nd, 6 – 10pm, Gravy Studio & Gallery, 910 N. 2ND Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123 · 267.825.7071

American Leisure, Gravy Studio

Jesse Todd

This collection follows five Philadelphia-based photographers who’ve traveled near and far, from places such as the shore towns of Wildwood, NJ and Atlantic City, NJ to Williams, Arizona and Miami Beach, FL, searching for inspiration in the leisurely and recreational activities that define the American consciousness.

American Leisure, Gravy Studio

Katie Reynolds

Images of mid-century motels and diners, rodeos, carnivals, and classic cars, seen through the eyes of photographers Matt Hurst, Katie Reynolds, Katie Tackman, Jesse Todd, and Lauren Todd, populate American Leisure.

American Leisure, Gravy Studio

Katie Tackman

Inspired by the work of John Baeder, Robert Frank, William Eggleston, and Robert Adams this series of 35mm and 120 film photographs offer a glimpse at how average Americans spend their time and providing a link between the past and present.

American Leisure, Gravy Studio

Matt Hurst

Additional American Leisure events:

South Broad St. Photo Walk: November 17th

Artist Talk/ Movie Event: December 1st at 1pm

Open Hours: Saturdays 1-5pm

Sponsors: Powers Whiskey and Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company

American Leisure, Gravy Studio

Laurin Klein

“Gravy started in 2011 by Drexel photography program alumni Emma Stern, Katie Tackman, and Benjamin Riley in a motorcycle warehouse space in Fishtown. Since then Gravy Studio + Gallery has grown to include six members and functions as a collaborative photography workspace and gallery located on 2nd Street in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia. Our goal is to serve as a multi-functional space that promotes the discussion and advancement of photography as an art form. As one of the only photography-based galleries in Philadelphia, we strive to support local photographers through gallery exhibitions, events, artist talks, and workshops. We are an artist-owned gallery collective which fosters an equal dialogue between curator and artist. We strive to connect with the community through open dialogue about social, political, and artistic ideas filtered through the lens of photography. The rest is Gravy.” – Gravy

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Lands

Drew Leshko, Sacred Lands, Paradigm Gallery + StudioDrew Leshko, Penn Treaty Metals

Sacred Lands

New sculptural works by Drew Leshko

Exhibition Dates: March 23rd – May 19th, 2018

Opening Reception: March 23rd, 2018 5:30 – 10:00pm

Paradigm Gallery is pleased to present Sacred Lands an exhibition of new sculptural works by the artist Drew Leshko opening March 23rd, 2018 and remaining on view through May 19th, 2018. The exhibition’s title is a reference to Leshko’s Philadelphia neighborhood of Fishtown and its ancestral roots as the home to the indigenous Lenni-Lenape. For more than a decade Leshko painstakingly documented the rapid re-development occurring in his hometown of Philadelphia specifically the historical neighborhood of Fishtown. Although Leshko’s works are sculptural by nature, he largely considers himself a documentarian, his sculptures echoing the work of legendary documentary photographers Gordon Parks and Bernd and Hilla Becher.

Leshko is particularly attracted to overlooked and oft-neglected sites, the unremarkable
buildings which will not be preserved. With past works, Leshko’s been drawn to the
once-thriving churches that have closed their doors as parishioners have been forced to
relocate, and the small local businesses with their classical designs which are now juxtaposed
with modern slapdash renovations, as well as the facades and machines of yesteryear. His
models splendidly isolate anachronistic architecture, encouraging the viewer to consider history
through a unique prism.

Drew Leshko, Sacred Lands, Paradigm Gallery + Studio

For Sacred Lands, Leshko replicates the Kensington Soup Society, a soup kitchen which
opened in 1844 and closed in 2008; Penn Treaty Metals, a metal recycling business spanning
three generations, the name of which references William Penn’s Treaty with the Native Lenape
in 1683; and the Edward Corner Marine Merchandise Warehouse, with its hand-painted signs
providing a physical reminder of Fishtown’s waterfront history. Leshko’s sculptures will be
complemented by his small-scale reproductions of local signage (for bars, restaurants, VFW
halls, and even strip clubs), as well as vintage photographs of historical buildings courtesy of the
Philadelphia City Archives.

Drew Leshko, Sacred Lands, Paradigm Gallery + StudioYesterday’s Tavern, 2018, paper, acrylic, inkjet prints, PVC plastic, chain, wire, pastel, 12” x 1 1/2” x 11”

Leshko’s 1:12 dollhouse scale replicas are meticulously crafted, requiring 120 to 160 studio
hours to create. He begins each sculpture working from a single photograph as an image
reference, but then will discard the photograph in mid-process, relying on memory to complete
the piece. His miniatures act as singular physical documents of the buildings and businesses
which are sadly proving unsustainable. Leshko’s ongoing examination of gentrification and
historical preservation (or lack thereof), asks the timely question “in a soon-to-be-forgotten
America, what is worth preserving?”.

About Drew Leshko

Drew Leshko is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based artist. Working from observation and
photographs, the artist painstakingly recreates everything from building facades to campers at a scale which may be familiar to some viewers as standard dollhouse spec; the treatment to
Leshko’s work is widely different. The minute detail of his work includes city detritus such as
dumpsters and pallets, which are commentary of the ideas of what is worth preserving.
Accumulations of typically overlooked details and minutiae like acid rain deposits and rust
become beautiful adornments.

Leshko’s work has been exhibited in galleries, and museums both nationally and internationally.
His work is included in permanent collections including the Dean Collection (NYC), West
Collection (Philadelphia), Iron State Development’s corporate collection (Hoboken), Urban
Nation Museum (Berlin), and many private collections throughout the world.

About Paradigm Gallery

Established February 2010, Paradigm Gallery + Studio started as a project between
co-founders and curators, Jason Chen and Sara McCorriston, to create a space to make
artwork, exhibit the work of their peers, and invite the members of the local community to make their own artwork in a welcoming gallery setting. Over the years, Paradigm Gallery + Studio has become a gallery of diverse contemporary artwork from around the world, while maintaining a focus on Philadelphia artists.

Thank you to Madison Fishman for the content of this post.

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Happily

Happily Ever After, Main Line Art CenterEmily Smith, when a man decides to hurt you series_existential

Investigating the Female Gaze in Happily Ever After

at Main Line Art Center

October 2 – 29, 2017

Artist talk and opening reception: Friday, October 13, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
2017 Digital Artist in Residence Jenny Drumgoole debut presentation
DESIGNPHILADELPHIA featured event
—-
Panel Discussion: October 26, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Happily Ever After and the Female Gaze: Philadelphia
Women Artist Trailblazers – Then and Now
—-
Portfolio Review with Main Line Art Center’s
Artistic Advisory Board: October 20, 1:00 – 4:00 pm

Main Line Art Center investigates the female gaze, modern femininity, and contemporary challenges to women’s rights with Happily Ever After, an exhibition of works by female artists running October 2 through October 29.

Curated by Amie Potsic, Executive Director & Chief Curator of Main Line Art Center, the show features the work of artists Aubrie Costello, (Philadelphia, PA), Jenny Drumgoole, (Philadelphia, PA), Jes Gamble, (Philadelphia, PA), Erica Zoë Loustau, (West Grove, Pennsylvania), Mari Ogihara, (White Plains, New York), Glynnis Reed, (Egg Harbor, NJ), and Emily Smith, (Philadelphia, PA). From self-defined vantage points of power, these women artists address the human experience through a female lens in the 21st century – a post-feminist era rife with demands for a new feminism. Addressing pre-pubescent characters, trans and female identities, emotionally charged language, and complex female forms, a single definition of woman is defied. In today’s fairytale, Cinderella is breaking the glass slipper and “happily ever after” remains elusive. A free artist talk and opening reception will be held on Friday, October 13, from 5:30 – 8:00 pm at Main Line Art Center, and starting at 6:30 pm, Aubrie Costello will be doing a live installation that will carry throughout the evening.

Happily Ever After, Main Line Art CenterMari Ogihara

Taking inspiration from the majesty and strength of samurai armor as well as the vulnerable sensuality suggested by women’s undergarments, Mari Ogihara creates ceramic chastity belts and female figures alluding to corporeal desire and implied violence.  Directly confronting the emotional impact of violence against women, Emily Smith’s paintings reveal the psychological and physical trauma of being attacked by a male stranger processed through paint, fabric, and memory.

Jes Gamble uses photography to document performance and fiber based works that explore an emotional journey from fear to empowerment, all the while referring to the inescapable history of female experience and the act of mending to build human connection. Celebrating the authenticity of female kinship, Glynnis Reed’s photographs meld confident female and transgender subjects with natural imagery to create auras of complex spirituality.  Influenced by the natural landscape, her girlhood home, and architecture, Erica Zoë Lostau creates site specific installations of repeated shapes on geometrically arranged lines of mono-filament seeking a sublime level of illusion and metaphor.

Happily Ever After, Main Line Art CenterGlynnis Reed

Imagining what would happen if the sexual awakening of puberty were averted, Jenny Drumgoole’s videos present her alter-ego named Soxx who turns traditional women’s behavior on its head by throwing parties for sanitation workers, eating pudding for hire, and running for Mayor of Philadelphia.  As if applying punctuation to the same city, Aubrie Costello’s silk graffiti speaks to women’s physical and emotional struggles, the power of language, and unrelenting natural elements.

The artists in Happily Ever After resist and embrace the traditional trappings of women’s beauty and identity while rewriting urban legend, redefining women’s work, and re-forging paths to power. In doing so, they not only actualize the female gaze, they stare you straight in the eye.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Main Line Art Center is proud to present the lecture “Happily Ever After and the Female Gaze: Philadelphia Women Artist Trailblazers – Then and Now” led by Cindy Veloric, MA, research assistant at the Philadelphia Museum of Art,  Artistic Advisor at Main Line Art Center, and independent art historian.  Veloric will explain an extended series of circumstances particular to Philadelphia that enabled a number of “firsts” for trailblazing women artists. In the context of Main Line Art Center’s exhibition Happily Ever After, Veloric will also lead a panel discussion with women artists in the show (Aubrie Costello, Jenny Drumgoole, Jes Gamble, and Emily Smith) looking at the female gaze and politics of influence in the their work today.

Main Line Art Center is the community’s home to discover, create, and experience visual art. The mission of Main Line Art Center is to inspire and engage people of all ages, abilities, and economic means in visual art through education, exhibitions, and experiences. Committed to increasing the visibility and accessibility of art, the Art Center presents innovative exhibitions and events in the community, including Panorama: Image-Based Art in the 21st Century, a Greater Philadelphia-wide celebration of the photographic image and digital media. Main Line Art Center’s educational offerings for all ages, abilities, and economic means span from traditional to contemporary, and are all held to the highest level of excellence. In 2015, Main Line Art Center received the Commitment to Cultural Access Award from Art-Reach for the Center’s Accessible Art Programs for children and adults with disabilities. Additionally, the Art Center grants over $10,000 in need-based scholarships annually. Last year, Main Line Art Center engaged 21,000 people through classes, exhibitions, and Summer Art Camp, and touched the lives of over 78,000 through Exhibitions in the Community and festivals across the Philadelphia area. Main Line Art Center is located at 746 Panmure Road in Haverford, behind the Wilkie Lexus dealership just off of Lancaster Avenue. The Art Center is easily accessible from public transportation and offers abundant free parking.

As the oldest design festival of its kind in the country, DesignPhiladelphia highlights the work of thousands of local designers, architects, and creative professionals to demonstrate Philadelphia’s reemergence as a 21st century city shaped by thoughtful design, collaborative business practices, and community engagement. Over the course of ten days each October, places such as universities, cultural institutions, civic associations, city agencies, retailers, manufacturers, and startups across the city participate in over 100 engaging events including panel discussions, fashion shows, participatory workshops, studio tours, book signings, professional development classes, design exhibitions, and imaginative celebrations.

For more information about Happily Ever After, please visit www.mainlineart.org or call 610.525.0272 X 116.

Thank you to Amie Potsic for the content of this post.

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Picket

“PICKET FENCES” BY TEXTUAL ARTIST GERARD SILVA

ART GALLERY AT WILLIAM WAY LGBT CENTER DEBUTS

“PICKET FENCES” BY TEXTUAL ARTIST GERARD SILVA

Solo Exhibition  Features 26 Works on Paper through April 28, 2017

Picket Fences,” a solo exhibition by textual artist Gerard Silva, made its debut at the Art Gallery at the William Way Center on March 10 and runs through April 28, 2017.

Each of the exhibition’s 26 works on paper has been hand-printed by Silva and culled from a larger group in his “Picket Fences” series, serving a symbol of the way we choose what parts of ourselves to present to a society that makes judgements of approval or disapproval, of acceptance or rejection. While Silva strives for perfection, the hand-printing process produces slight variations that he can’t help but leave for the viewer to pass their judgements on.

“These screen prints relate to our daily lives in which we strive for acceptance; we are selective and we seek some kind of perfection in ourselves and in others,” Silva explains. “And it is this search for perfection in the many roles we all play that leads to insecurities that we have a difficult time admitting to or sharing with someone: insecurities that I’m acknowledging here.  But ultimately, I am who I am.  We are who we are.”

This project originated from the artist’s own frustrations and discouragement while working in his studio, often resulting in insecurities and self-doubt that spilled over into the many other roles in his life: a son, a friend, a gay man, a minority, a citizen, an outcast, a non-white, a non-black, a punk, a skeptic, a sinner, a foreigner, an American.

When pondering how he measures up, Silva’s collective work asks, “Is there a perfect state of being out there? Is the grass greener on the other side? Where is my white picket fence?”

Silva is a Philadelphia-based artist who has studied in New York, London and Arizona. His work has been shown in the Meyerson Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania, at the Kingston Gallery in Boston, at the San Diego Art Institute and at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico. He was also included twice in the Arizona Biennial.

The William Way Center is open Monday through Friday from 11:00am -10:00pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00pm – 5:00pm.  Admission to the main floor gallery is free.

The William Way LGBT Center is located at: 1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

215-732-2220

PICKET FENCES” is showing the following 15” x 22” works on paper:

PERFECT

WHITE

LATINO

PRETTY

PHONY

LUCKY

ESTABLISHED

PREEMINENT

COMMERCIAL

IMPORTANT

RICH

PROMISCUOUS

OLD

EMERGING

POOR

SERIOUS

WILD

BLACK

YOUNG

MAN

FABULOUS

QUEER

FUCKED-UP

BUTCH

CONNECTED

ANGRY

Thank you to Jolyn for the content of this post.

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