Judy Engle, You’re Going to Love It Here, mixed media collage, Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s
How Would You Save the World? Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s,
11th Annual Community Juried Show
“Today is hanging day for HOW WOULD YOU SAVE THE WORLD?, the driving question of our 11th Annual Community Juried Show. Please come in and watch the show go up over the next 7-8 hours (though please don’t show up until we open at 11:00!). Then come back for the OPENING RECEPTION next THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 7-10 PM, when about 20 of our 27 SAVE THE WORLD artists will come together to celebrate, and share, life-changing ideas. We’ll let JUDY ENGLE kick things off with a community-oriented collage. Judy’s thesis is all about “A Place to Call Home: a safe, stable, comfortable place to lay one’s head down at night and wake to each new day.” Her definition compels her to invest in her neighborhood and care about her neighbors: one small but important step in the right direction. Stay tuned — and look closely at our Wall and 3D space over the next eight weeks — for more ways to improve the world!” – Togo
How Would You Save the World? Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s, 11th Annual Community Juried Show, through August 5th, 2016, NE Corner 13th and Pine Streets, Philadelphia, PA
How Would You Save the World? Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s, 11th Annual Community Juried Show
“Here are two more reasons to stop in today (starting right now!): #1) EXPERIENCE IN PERSON the exceptional 3D case, which contains the world of eight of our 27 SAVE THE WORLD artists, including two exciting discoveries: TREBS THOMPSON, who created “The Peace Bomb” lamp and bejeweled bear head, which speaks to our attitudes to some of the great species of our planet, and MARCO A. VELASQUEZ, whose “Burrowing Seed” living assemblage speaks to the end of our journeys as human beings; #2) WELCOME BACK HEATHER RAQUEL PHILLIPS, Dirty Frank’s bartender and OFF THE WALL artist, who is on her first shift back since receiving her MFA. CONGRATS, HEATHER!” – Togo”
It’s easy to fall into superhero jargon when you answer the question underlying our 11th Annual Community Juried Show, HOW WOULD YOU SAVE THE WORLD? But you — yes, YOU! — can be an everyday hero. More often than not, it’s the little things — volunteer or civic duty, changing old habits, sharing good advice with Facebook friends (or even in person…imagine that!), a vote purposefully cast — that make the real difference.
Here is one more way: COME TO OUR OPENING RECEPTION for SAVE THE WORLD this THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 7-10 PM. You can spend time with eye-opening, perspective-shifting art and strike up meaningful conversations with our talented artists, as well as fellow art lovers. We’ll also announce JURY CITATIONS, from specific categories, to honorable mentions, to one artist who will take home BEST IN SHOW.
Plus, as always, we’ll have your favorite beverages on tap and in bottles…our curator, JODY SWEITZER, behind the bar…and light hors d’oeuvres to munch on. Which is not to say the art or conversation will be heavy. We like to think they’ll be accessible and engaging. This is exactly what should happen in a great democracy — and in a city that is welcoming America in a fortnight and hosting the DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION in seven weeks! Our Wall and 3D case are overflowing the ideas that drive to the heart of HOW TO BE THE CHANGE YOU BELIEVE IN, as Gandhi famously put it.
It’s individual change you can help bring about:
* JUDY ENGLE emphasizes community connections, while CHUCK SCHULTZ portrays a caring safety net for those without community.
* On a similar plane, ROB LYBECK bemoans the toll that “progress” and gentrification take on our city, and fellow urban photographer MATT COHEN vividly portrays both activist and activism.
* DAVID CHATFIELD paints a standard for all artists to rally to: Creativity Is Activism.
* NOA TRAVALIA says Amazon (.com, not the mighty rainforest) should have a reduced role in our lives, while GENE RENZI would have us buy nothing online — but rather just kick back and appreciate the simplest things.
* JOOP VAN DER WAGT revels in the immediacy of life, and MARCO A. VELASQUEZ reminds us of the inevitable circle each of us will traverse, returning to nature. (These are also two of our newest artists — and most distant ones: Joop is in the Netherlands and Marco in Miami.)
And this amazing juried show is also about macro-level issues that have never mattered more:
* ELIZABETH H. “BETTY” MACDONALD, a printmaker with few peers, and JESSICA BARBER and ELIZABETH STRICKER, from a younger generation of this same craft, all take up the call that better practices — personal and corporate — and a richer understanding of ecosystems will make the world a better place.
* TREBS THOMPSON directly addresses the extinction we are exacting on some of the world’s most majestic creatures.
* Then the pressing need to avoid the potential push-button finality of war take center stage for both TREBS and EMI TRAVALIA, while ceramist DOROTHY ROSCHEN chooses to simply raise the white flag — at least to half mast.
* JIM BIGLAN, whose art is more often personal in nature, adopts a riveting political tone with his new 3D and 2D work, and in the latter category, acclaimed political cartoonist JOHN JONIK offers three works, each deftly attuned to a specific issue.
And that’s just 17 of our 27 crusaders sans capes!
Said another way: a mere email cannot translate the richness of viewpoints, topics and artistic media in play. Like the process of change itself, it requires your hands-on participation.
We very much look forward to seeing you Thursday and beyond and…
Up, up and away!
Togo
Togo Travalia, Manager
OFF THE WALL GALLERY at Dirty Frank’s, NE Corner, 13th & Pine Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19107
offthewallgallery@gmail.com
facebook.com/OTWDirtyFranks
@OTWDirtyFranks
(215) 732-5010 (bar)
(484) 357-6440 (cell)
OPENING RECEPTION this Thursday, June 9, 7-10 PM. Who will win their accolades?
How Would You Save the World? Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank’s, 11th Annual Community Juried Show, through August 5th, 2016, NE Corner 13th and Pine Streets, Philadelphia, PA.
Thank you to Togo Travalia for the content of this post!
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Neil Marcello, Good and Plenty, Sweet Tooth Series, 2014-2016
Neil Marcello, LemonHead, Sweet Tooth Series, 2014-2016
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