Tag Archives: MUSE Gallery

Homelessness

Homelessness, Carolyn Harper. MUSE Gallery
Lemuel, art quilt, 5.5′ x 5′, Carolyn Harper, MUSE Gallery

Look Me In The Eye: Portraits of Homelessness

Carolyn Harper, MUSE Gallery

I am a Philadelphian and an artist with an upcoming exhibition in Old City Philadelphia at MUSE Gallery,Look Me In The Eye: Portraits of Homelessness” is a show of large art quilts and oversized hand embroidered drawings that use personal stories of homeless individuals, Philadelphians, to inspire empowerment and  create visibility of those who have been left behind by our society.

My work combines art and action to produce meaningful social impact. The implementation of portraiture within quilting serves to empower the persons depicted, enabling them to see themselves through their own stories rather than qualifiers such as “jobless” or “homeless”. Through conversations and active listening, I learn about the individual stories of these overlooked and ignored community members. The large scale work forces the audience to confront images of people they would rather not see, and bear witness to the stories behind them. 

Carolyn Harper

This work is extremely relevant to the times we live in, and I am grateful to The Puffin Foundation for providing me with a grant in support of my work. The Artist Reception will take place at MUSE Gallery, 52 N. 2nd Street, Old City Philadelphia, on Friday, November 1st from 5 – 8 pm. The exhibition runs through the end of November; Gallery hours are Wednesday – Sunday from 12-5.

For more information and images please visit about Carolyn Harper: www.carolynharperart.com

About Muse Gallery:

Mission: Established late in 1977, the Muse Gallery is an artists’ cooperative dedicated to encourage and promote its members’ artistic expression through abstract, conceptual and representational forms. Reflecting an aesthetic that awakens awareness, the Muse Gallery affirms the shared experience of art between the artist and the community.  Please see the membership page to view a detailed history of Muse.
To join the Gallery: Muse Gallery is always interested in potential new members. We are often fully staffed and maintain a waiting list. Please visit our membership page.

Thank you to Carolyn Harper for the content of this post.

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DoNArTNeWs – celebrating eleven years reporting on Philadelphia artists and art.

MUSE @40

MUSE @40. Muse GalleryMUSE @40

Muse Gallery in Old City invites you to MUSE @40, our 40th Anniversary Group Exhibition. The exhibition opens on November 29 and runs through December 31, 2017. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday 12 to 5 pm.

Muse Gallery will present small works in oil, acrylic, watercolor, print, photography, mixed media and sculpture.  Our talented members, past and present, are donating these select works to create a unique opportunity to purchase 8” x 8” artwork for $40 each.  Art lovers can support the gallery and fund new initiatives by adding to their collections.

Please join us for:

  • First Friday            December 1 from 5 – 8 pm
  • Artist Reception    December 10 from 1 – 5 pm.

At the December 10th reception, current and past members welcome the public to celebrate the gallery’s longevity and it’s value to Philadelphia’s vibrant artistic community.

In 1977, 60% of students in American art schools were women.  Only 2% of these trained artists showed their work in galleries.  That year Muse Gallery opened its doors as Philadelphia’s only professional women’s art gallery, and it was also the first women’s co-operative gallery.  It was organized by Judith Stein, Patricia Meilman and a core group of nine professional artists.  There are now 21 artist members. 

Muse Gallery has always provided support to its members.  Women artists would have freedom to create without the pressure to sell.  Although Muse Gallery continues to have a strong feminist point of view, it now accepts men as equal members.

The Muse Gallery continues to value the same ideals as it did at its inception.  Its members have an opportunity to exhibit in an open and supportive environment.  We encourage dialogue through monthly meetings, critiques, as well as group and individual shows.  It is also a place where people form lasting friendships and make important connections with other artists. Muse offered women the opportunity to shine and still does after 40 years.

Muse Gallery52 North Second Street, Old City, Philadelphia 19106, 215-627-5310

Thank you to Charlene Lutz for the content of this post.

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Dispossessed

Muse Gallery, The Dispossessed, Carolyn Harper Cohen,Homeless (Michelle), Carolyn Harper Cohen, batik and hand dyed fabric that has been pieced, appliqued and quilted by hand, 60″ x 52″

The Dispossessed by Carolyn Harper Cohen

Muse Gallery is pleased to present The Dispossessed by Carolyn Harper Cohen. The exhibition will run from November 1st – November 27th, 2017 with an opening reception First Friday, November 3rd from 5-8:00 p.m.

Carolyn Harper Cohen’s work has a strong social justice component to it as she creates images of people or groups who have been marginalized, discriminated against, or abused. Each of the works in this exhibit is of a particular Philadelphian; someone living in an area homeless shelter or on the streets. Many of these individuals are children. The works provide faces to those who are faceless, nameless and powerless, and bear witness to those who are suffering. The beauty that the artistic process brings to the images creates a tension with the inherent cruelty of the lives of the subjects; in admiring the works, the viewer becomes almost complicit in their abuse and neglect.

Muse Gallery, The Dispossessed, Carolyn Harper Cohen,Homeless (Alexus), hand pieced, hand sewn quilt, 40″ x 48″, Carolyn Harper Cohen

The works consist of either hand embroidered batiks or hand sewn large art quilts. The methods are layered, as are the colors. The work is tactile and raw rather than slick; the fabric hand dyed, each stitch obsessively sewn by hand. The engrossing surface quality slows down perception, encouraging viewers to react to the work in a very deliberate way.

This work can be seen within the context of ‘craftivism’: a term coined in 2003 by writer Betsy Greer which can be defined as “a way of looking at life where voicing opinions through creativity makes your voice stronger, your compassion deeper and your quest for justice more infinite.”

Craft has traditionally been viewed as ‘women’s work’ and as such was marginalized and undervalued, but the craft techniques in this work can be seen as subverting the traditional genre of portraiture. Piecing fabric together creates an image that is quite different, and less real, than a painting, which oftentimes seeks to imitate and/or idealize the person being portrayed. Instead, Carolyn Harper Cohen has searched to find the individual and emotional human character of each individual.

www.carolyncohenart.com

Thank you to Carolyn Harper Cohen for the content of this post.

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Untitled

Nancy Neill, Untitled, Muse GalleryUntitled 5.16.2, Acrylic and oil pastel on mylar, Nancy Neill

Abstract Landscape-Inspired Paintings On Mylar

Nancy Neill “Untitled”

November 2 – 27, 2016                                                  

Artist Reception: Sunday, November 13, 2:00 – 4:00pm

Muse Gallery, 52 N. 2ND STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106

www.musegalleryphiladelphia.com

215-627-5310 

Muse Gallery is pleased to present “Untitled”, an exhibition of recent paintings by Nancy Neill.   The paintings will be on view from November 2 through 27, with a First Friday opening on November 4 from 5-8 PM and an Artist Reception on Sunday, November 13, from 2-4 PM. Gallery hours during the exhibition are Wednesday through Sunday, 12-5 PM.

Nancy Neill’s body of work at Muse Gallery was mostly inspired by the New Jersey shore and the coastlines of Maine and Canada. Some paintings in the show were inspired by various bodies of water near cities. Her abstract paintings capture the feelings of these places that exist in her memory.   She does not paint from photographs.

According to painter and art professor Kassem Amoudi, “Neill’s current exhibition includes landscapes that are full of mystery. Some are black and white and some are luminous and colorful but there is always an element of surprise.”

neill2Untitled 6.16.1, Acrylic and oil pastel on mylar, Nancy Neill

Her exhibition is called “Untitled.” All of the paintings in this exhibition are named “Untitled” and identified by numbers. She wants the viewer to be transported by what they see and make each painting part of their own reality.

neill3Untitled 7.16.4, Acrylic and oil pastel on mylar, Nancy Neill

Nancy Neill uses mylar, a material that provides a fluid surface for ink, paint and the other drawing mediums she works with. The energy of the landscapes is portrayed by gestural marks and scratches. Her color palette is unorthodox for landscapes – combining strong colors with muted colors of blue and grey to create an energetic yet calm surface.

Nancy Neill has been painting for 20 years and her work has been exhibited in numerous shows throughout the region. She has won several awards and has been featured in a number of publications. Most recently her work was in a group show at West Chester University. She received her B.S. degree from Miami University of Ohio and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

neill4Untitled 4.16.10, Acrylic on mylar, Nancy Neill

“In my most recent paintings, the work is inspired by my time near the ocean and also by natural elements near an urban location.  Many of the paintings suggest water or sky. Sometimes they suggest an atmosphere of a city location.

My work is abstract, yet it captures the feeling of these places because of the lines and shapes used and the strong contrast of light and dark. The imagery in each painting is suggestive of nature and atmosphere, but it also has a sense of mystery because it’s not immediately obvious what it is. The paintings have a unique look because of how they are painted – on mylar, which gives a contemporary feel to the work and because of the color palette used. There is a significant use of strong colors that are combined with a very soft atmospheric color-palette, and there is energy from the mark making.

I paint on mylar. This plastic medium is archival and provides a fluid surface for ink, paint and other drawing mediums.    I paint with brushes and cloths but also sharp instruments to scratch into the paint to give energy to the surface.   The mylar paintings provide a serene yet energetic and saturated surface.” – Nancy Neill

Muse Gallery Mission: Established in 1978, the Muse Gallery is an artists’ cooperative dedicated to encourage and promote its members’ artistic expression through abstract, conceptual and representational forms. Reflecting an aesthetic that awakens awareness, the Muse Gallery affirms the shared experience of art between the artist and the community.

To join the Gallery: Muse Gallery is always interested in potential new members. We are often fully staffed and maintain a waiting list. Please visit our membership page.” – Muse Gallery

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Color

Color notation 3, Diane LachmanColor notation 3, painting by Diane Lachman

Color Collaborations, Muse Gallery, Kathryn Lee, Diane Lachman, Deann Mills

Muse Gallery, 52 N 2nd St in Old City Philadelphia, invites you to their October exhibition Color Collaborations. Three colorist: Kathryn Lee, Diane Lachman and Deann Mills will exhibit paper collages, watercolors and oils from October 5- 30, 2017

The public is invited to First Friday on October 7, 5- 9 PM. There will be an Artists’ Reception on Sunday, October 16, 2- 4 pm which is free and open to the public, Muse gallery is participating in Philadelphia Open Studio Tour (POST) on Saturday October 22 and Sunday October 23 from noon to 6 pm, Meet the Artists on Saturday, October 22 from 2-5 pm.

Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12- 5 pm and by appointment.

Kathryn Lee “My recent paper collages echo the bas reliefs that I loved when I lived in Italy with their interplay of light and shadow. About the same time, I discovered Johannes Itten’s theories on color. I found that there was an order to color just like music. It was intensely freeing to play with color with confidence, both using and not using the rules. These two concepts transformed my approach to art.”

Diane Lachman “Color mood, relationships and memory are my subjects. It takes time and experience to see the subtle variations, but after studying and teaching this subject, I make these distinctions naturally, like breathing. In my recent paintings, geometric forms create tension with the transparent fluidity of the watercolor.”

Deann Mills “Color is a different language, a way of seeing and being surprised.  For me, painting is about the relationships and accidents that happen with color, and the joy of always experimenting and discovering something new. For more information,

contact http://www.musegalleryphiladelphia.com/

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