Body Language: Human Connection Forged Through Figure Drawing

October 16, 2023

Left: © Pia De Girolamo, Wakeboarding on Green, Acrylic on canvas, 37" x 27"
Right: © Pia De Girolamo, Cyclist on the Bridge, Acrylic on canvas, 20" x 30"

 

BODIES IN MOTION AND SOMETIMES AT REST

A Solo Exhibition by Pia De Girolamo


Exhibition Dates
September 13, 2023 – October 8, 2023
  
Opening Reception
Saturday, September 16 from 2 - 5 PM

Location:
Cerulean Arts Gallery
1355 Ridge Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(267) 514-8647
https://ceruleanarts.com/



Body Language:
Human Connection Forged Through Figure Drawing in New Exhibition

By Amie Potsic

 

Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest is a solo exhibition of new work by, Pia De Girolamo, presented by Cerulean Arts Gallery. The paintings will be on view at Cerulean Arts Gallery in Philadelphia from September 13th to October 8th, 2023. The opening reception is on Saturday, September 16th from 2 to 5 PM. Cerulean Arts Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday 10 AM to 6 PM and Saturday & Sunday 12 to 5 PM.

In her new series of abstract acrylic paintings, De Girolamo investigates the interplay of movement and tranquility, as she portrays familiar faces, family, and friends. These artworks, ranging from expansive wall-sized pieces to intimate compositions, delve into the essence of human connection and the profound impact of shared experiences. With a command of color and form, De Girolamo presents visual narratives moving from dynamic action to serene contemplation. This exhibition marks a seamless continuation of De Girolamo's unique abstract approach, forging a profound and intimate connection between artist, subject, and viewer.

De Girolamo explains, "My current series of acrylic paintings on canvas and panel portrays abstracted figures in motion and at rest. The models are family and friends. In my prior landscape-based work, the human form rarely made an appearance. But, after two years of confinement due to the COVID pandemic, reconnecting with family and friends rekindled the strong impulse to paint the people I cherish."

De Girolamo found herself drawn to figures in action that convey joy, energy and intensity, which is the opposite of what was experienced during the pandemic lockdown. She also painted models at rest, gazing at the seashore or sitting composed in a chair. After the pandemic, one of her first trips was to St. Lucia where she was drawn to painting people interacting with the landscape in paddleoards, fishing, and hiking. These works were the beginning of the figure and motion taking center stage in her work.

"Action and contemplation are both necessary for a balanced life. This series represents my first exhibition of figurative paintings but it is rendered in the same abstracted manner I used for earlier work, " says De Girolamo.

Pia De Girolamo is an accomplished painter living and working in the Greater Philadelphia area whose recent exhibitions featured large-scale paintings based on abstracted mountain landscapes, as well as a series evoking the urban landscapes of Rome and Italy. She has had seventeen solo exhibitions, most recently at the Museo Mastroianni, within the Musei di San Salvatore in Lauro in Rome and at the Cerulean Arts Gallery in Philadelphia. She has also shown extensively in group exhibitions regionally. De Girolamo has a BA in Art History from Barnard College, Columbia University and an MD degree from the University of Rochester. She lectures on the relationship between art and medicine as well as the connections between art, nature, and health. Her awarded work has been acquired for collections by the Museo Mastroianni, Rome, PNC Bank, Pittsburgh, PA and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia and has been highlighted in Hollywood feature films. For more information on De Girolamo's work: http://www.piadegirolamo.com

Cerulean Arts Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Philadelphia. Boasting eight gallery spaces, a classroom, and an artisan shop, Cerulean supports local artists and collectors. The gallery presents monthly exhibitions, workshops, and artist lectures. For more information on Cerulean Arts Gallery: https://ceruleanarts.com/

Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest will be on view at Cerulean Arts Gallery in Philadelphia from September 13 – October 8. The opening reception is on Saturday, September 16th from 2 – 5 PM. Cerulean Arts Gallery hours are Wednesday - Friday 10 AM - 6 PM and Saturday & Sunday 12 – 5 PM.

Artwork © Pia De Girolamo, Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest series, Cerulean Arts Gallery, 2023

 © Pia De Girolamo, Running Through Orange, Acrylic on canvas, 37" x 28"

Artwork © Pia De Girolamo, Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest series, Cerulean Arts Gallery, 2023

Artwork © Pia De Girolamo, Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest series, Cerulean Arts Gallery, 2023

© Pia De Girolamo, Fisherwoman, Acrylic on canvas, 32" x 24"

Artwork © Pia De Girolamo, Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest series, Cerulean Arts Gallery, 2023

© Pia De Girolamo, Image courtesy of the artist

Artwork © Pia De Girolamo, Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest series, Cerulean Arts Gallery, 2023

Artwork © Pia De Girolamo, Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest series, Cerulean Arts Gallery, 2023

© Pia De Girolamo, Wakeboarding on Green, Acrylic on canvas, 37" x 27" 

About Cerulean Arts Gallery

Cerulean Arts Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Philadelphia. Boasting eight gallery spaces, a classroom, and an artisan shop, Cerulean supports local artists and collectors. The gallery presents monthly exhibitions, workshops, and artist lectures. For more information on Cerulean Arts Gallery: https://ceruleanarts.com/

For more information about De Girolamo’s work, visit her Art History page here:
Art Histories: Pia De Girolamo — Amie Potsic Art Advisory

To visit De Girolamo’s website, visit:
Contemporary Paintings and Original Prints by Pia De Girolamo

Banner Image: Artwork © Pia De Girolamo, Bodies in Motion and Sometimes at Rest series, Cerulean Arts Gallery, 2023.

 

Out & About at Frieze New York and de Young Museum in San Francisco

July 27, 2023

 

We recently visited the leading international art fair, Frieze New York. Below are some highlights from our visit! To learn more about this art fair, click here.

Artwork © Jean-Michel Othoniel and Suzan Frecon, Kukje Gallery and David Zwirner Gallery, Frieze New York, 2023.

Artwork © Nan Goldin, Gagosian Gallery, Frieze New York, 2023.

Artwork © Nan Goldin, Gagosian Gallery, Frieze New York, 2023.

Artwork © Olafur Eliasson, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, Frieze New York, 2023.

Artwork © Lauren Halsey, David Kordansky Gallery, Frieze New York, 2023.

Artwork © Nancy Grossman, Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, Frieze New York, 2023.

Artwork © Matthew Ronay, Casey Kaplan Gallery, Frieze New York, 2023.

 
 

We recently visited the de Young Museum’s recent exhibitions, Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence and Ansel Adams in Our Time in San Fransisco, CA. To learn more about these exhibitions, click here.

 

ANSEL ADAMS IN OUR TIME

On view from April 8 - August 6, 2023 at the de Young Museum, San Fransisco, CA.

Artwork by Ansel Adams, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Ansel Adams, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Ansel Adams, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Ansel Adams, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Ansel Adams and Catherine Opie, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Meghann Riepenhoff, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Laura McPhee, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

 

Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence

On view from March 18 - October 15, 2023 at the de Young Museum, San Fransisco, CA.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA, 2023.

 
 

Out & About at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Paradigm Gallery, and Ubuntu Fine Art Gallery

June 1, 2023

 

We recently visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s most recent exhibition, Judith Joy Ross. Below are some highlights from our visit! To learn more about this exhibition, click here.

Artworks © Judith Joy Ross, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, 2023.

Artworks © Judith Joy Ross, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, 2023.

 
 

We recently visited Paradigm Gallery’s recent exhibition, Katherine Fraser: All Fun and Games. Below are some highlights from our visit! To learn more about this exhibition, click here.

Artworks by Katherine Fraser, Paradigm Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2023. Photo Credit: Amie Potsic

Artworks by Katherine Fraser, Paradigm Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2023. Photo Credit: Amie Potsic

 
 

We visited Ubuntu Fine Art Gallery’s most recent exhibition, SYNERGY: An Inspiring Photography Exhibition by Steven CW Taylor. Below are some highlights from our visit! To learn more about this exhibition, click here.

Artist Steven CW Taylor, Ubuntu Fine Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2023. Photo by Amie Potsic

Artworks © Steven CW Taylor, Ubuntu Fine Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2023.

Artworks © Steven CW Taylor, Ubuntu Fine Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, 2023.

 
 

Press Release: LOST LIGHT LUV, An Exhibition and Book Release by Leah Macdonald at InLiquid Gallery

March 7, 2023

Press Release

© Leah Macdonald, Image courtesy of the artist

 

Artist's thirty-year-legacy of analog photography turned experiential exhibition and book

Lost Light Luv is an experiential exhibition and book release celebrating photographer Leah Macdonald's legacy project encompassing thirty years of analog photography and master printing.  Inspired by the female figure and the challenges women face, her work is emotionally charged, visually dynamic, and intensely personal.  To create her visual world, Macdonald utilized the historical 4x5 view camera, Type 55 Polaroid film, and silver gelatin prints created in a traditional wet darkroom.  Each photograph in Lost Light Luv is created to be a unique monoprint, a singular glimpse into the complexity of power, femininity, and beauty.  Macdonald will present her new book, original monoprints, and a darkroom installation, revealing a behind the scenes view of the interpersonal and photographic.

 

© Leah Macdonald, No 21322, Waxed Gelatin Silver Print, 9" x 9", 2015

“In the darkroom, I was both a methodical performer and wild chemist, a crazy experimental mess... I wanted each and every print to physically describe some very important challenges for me - feeling uncomfortable in my body, dealing with anxiety, self-doubt, fear and insecurity. I wanted the prints to show the scars that we often don’t see on each other, the hurts that happen that we hide underneath our skin. I wanted my insides to come out but I did not want to give away the secrets.”
— Leah Macdonald


LOST LIGHT LUV


Solo Exhibition & Book Release
Curated by Amie Potsic

Exhibition Dates:
March 9 – April 15, 2023

Book Release
Book Signing and Artist Talk: March 18, 4:30 - 6:30 PM

Receptions
Opening Reception: March 9, 6 - 9 PM
Closing Reception: April 13, 6 - 9 PM

Location:
The InLiquid Gallery in the Crane Arts Building
1400 North American Street, Suite 108
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 235-3405

Gallery Hours
Wednesday – Saturday, from 12 - 6 pm

 

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Lost Light Luv, a solo exhibition and book release, celebrates photographer Leah Macdonald's artistic legacy encompassing thirty years of analog photography, master printing, and emotive portraiture.  The show is on view at The InLiquid Gallery in the Crane Arts Building in Philadelphia, PA from March 9 - April 15, 2023.  The book signing and artist talk are on Saturday, March 18 from 4:30 – 6:30 PM.  The opening reception is on Thursday, March 9 from 6 – 9 PM.  The closing reception is on Thursday, April 13 from 6 – 9 PM.   

Inspired by the female figure and the challenges women face, Macdonald's work is emotionally charged, visually dynamic, and intensely personal. To create each image, Macdonald collaborated with women who could relate to her own struggles while being brave enough to bare their own. In conversation, the collection of portraits conveys a depth of emotion, self-awareness, and longing.

To create her visual world, Macdonald utilized the historical 4x5 view camera, Type 55 Polaroid film, and silver gelatin prints created in a traditional wet darkroom. Macdonald's work was created in the heyday of black and white photography before digital made it obsolete as an industry standard. As the photography field changed, Macdonald's work became all the more precious and unique. Additionally, rather than printing in editions, each photograph in Lost Light Luv is created to be a one-of-a-kind monoprint, a singular glimpse into the complexity of power, femininity, and beauty. This body of work is a love letter to silver gelatin photography itself while simultaneously honoring the stories and individuals illuminated by Macdonald's lens.

"I remember my favorite things about analog photography. The way it looked, the way it felt- the constant ideas that sparked inside me.  I was compelled to think about scenes and locations and clothing and models and props. Always scouting, searching, and looking for the landscapes and buildings that could act as theatre sets for my imagery. I looked at every person in terms of a photograph.", says Macdonald.

In addition to the exhibition at InLiquid, Macdonald will be having a book signing and artist talk on Saturday, March 18 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM.

Leah Macdonald was born in Philadelphia, attended the San Francisco Art Institute, and went on to receive her MFA in Photography from the California College of Art.  She has enjoyed a long and varied career path within the arts: commercial photography, professional analog printer, and college professor.  Additionally, in 2007 she was asked to do a live painting demonstration on the Martha Stewart show. Other highlights include a solo retrospective at Wexler gallery in 2010 and being the scenic director of In My Body Musical in 2016. She has created numerous artist books and her work has been published extensively.  For more information on Leah Macdonald's work: http://www.leah-macdonald.com/

The curator of the exhibition is Amie Potsic, CEO and Principal Curator of Amie Potsic Art Advisory, LLC, where she supports artists, collectors, and institutions through Art Advising and Legacy Planning.  Potsic is also an established photographer and installation artist as well as Host of the Art Watch Radio Podcast on WCHE 1520 & 95.3.  She has held faculty appointments at the University of California Berkeley and the San Francisco Art Institute and been a guest lecturer at the International Center of Photography and The Delaware Contemporary.  She has curated exhibitions at venues including Philadelphia's City Hall, Maryland Art Place, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  For more information, visit https://www.amiepotsicartadvisory.com/.

Lost Light Luv will be on view at The InLiquid Gallery in the Crane Arts Building in Philadelphia, PA from March 9 - April 15, 2023.  The book signing and artist talk are on Saturday, March 18 from 4:30 – 6:30 PM.  The opening reception is on Thursday, March 9 from 6 – 9 PM.  The closing reception is on Thursday, April 13 from 6 – 9 PM.  InLiquid's Gallery hours are Wednesday – Saturday, from 12- 6 pm.  For more information, visit: https://www.inliquid.org/inliquid-gallery-events/lost-light-luv 

© Leah Macdonald, No 21251, Toned Gelatin Silver Print, 9.5" x 12", 2010

About InLiquid Gallery

The InLiquid Gallery is the physical expression of InLiquid's mission as a hub for visual art in Philadelphia. As a non-profit providing opportunities and a platform for enhanced exposure for local artists, The InLiquid Gallery is the first permanent space that offers rotating curation of our artist members' work. The InLiquid Gallery aims to provide the local and visiting public with a social destination where artwork can be seen, enjoyed, experienced, and purchased. For more information, visit https://inliquid.org/ or follow them on Instagram at @inliquidart.

For more information about the exhibition, click here: Lost Light Luv (inliquid.org)

Banner Image: © Leah Macdonald, No 21251, Toned Gelatin Silver Print, 9.5" x 12", 2010

 

Press Release: THROUGH LINES / FAULT LINES, An Exhibition by John Singletary at The Gallery at Penn College

February 28, 2023

Press Release

© John Singletary, Traces, Installation view, 22:45 minute multi-channel video, 2023

 

Artist creates multidisciplinary immersive installation experiences and pushes the boundaries of the photographic medium

Pushing the boundaries of the photographic medium, John Singletary creates multi-disciplinary installation experiences. Photographs and videos are animated through synchronized state-of-the-art organic LED panels, which serve as large format electronic canvases. Included in the exhibition is Anahata, an immersive experience that explores human relationships and their connection to the divine.  Additionally, Singletary debuts Traces, a new multimedia work using video, digital and stop motion animation, historical footage, and audio to depict the extraordinary light and darkness in the human condition.

 

© John Singletary, Still Frame from Traces, 22:45 Minutes, 20 x 30, Pigment Print from Video Capture, 2023

“Surveying the myriad and disjointed experiences that make up a life, ‘Traces’ explores the way we construct our internal narratives and create meaning from experience.”
— John Singletary


JOHN SINGLETARY

THROUGH LINES / FAULT LINES

Exhibition Dates 
January 17 – March 22, 2023

Artist Talk & Closing Reception
Wednesday, March 22nd, 4 - 7 pm

Location
The Gallery at Penn College (a Penn State Affiliate)
Room 303, The Madigan Library
1 College Ave
Williamsport, PA, 17701
(570) 320-2400
https://www.pct.edu/gallery

Exhibition Hours:
Tuesday - Thursday: 2 - 8 pm
Friday: 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday: 1 - 5 pm

 

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – Through Lines / Fault Lines, a solo exhibition by artist John Singletary, includes multi-disciplinary installation experiences which push the boundaries of the photographic medium.  Photographs and videos are animated through synchronized state-of-the-art organic LED panels, which serve as large format electronic canvases. Included in the exhibition is Anahata, an immersive experience that explores human relationships and their connection to the divine.  Additionally, Singletary debuts Traces, a new multimedia work using video, digital and stop motion animation, historical footage, and audio to depict the extraordinary light and darkness in the human condition.  The show is on view at The Gallery at Penn College in Williamsport, PA until March 22, 2023.  The closing reception and artist talk are on Wednesday, March 22nd from 4:00 - 7:00 PM.

The exhibition includes two installations: Traces and Anahata.  "John's new series, Traces, was created specifically for his solo exhibition in The Gallery at Penn College," said Penny Griffin Lutz, gallery director. "Visitors will be immersed in an audiovisual experience that explores culture, beliefs and human connection."  Traces uses video, digital and stop-motion animation, historical footage, and audio. Anahata is photography-based and presented as an immersive installation on organic LED electronic canvases.

A photographer and multimedia artist based in Philadelphia, Singletary received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from The University of the Arts. His work has been collected by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Center for Fine Art Photography, as well as other institutional and private collections.

The artist says the imagery and vignettes in Traces, an ongoing multimedia work, depict "the extraordinary light and darkness in the human condition and life events such as the genesis of our existence and the purpose we serve to each other and ourselves."

The audio component of the installation consists of a series of anonymously conducted interviews with a range of participants. The perspectives highlighted reveal the universality and individuality of values, the intersectionality of symbolism across cultures and lineages, and the perpetual cycles of life.

Anahata explores human relationships and their connection to the divine. Choreographed movement was captured with an open-spectrum camera in a purpose-built, ultraviolet light studio where dancers performed in handcrafted costumes. The resulting dreamlike images are steeped in archetypal symbolism, mythology and mysticism.

A long-term collaboration between the artist and dancers, costume designers, makeup artists, choreographers and other artists, Anahata unveils a "frenetic tribe" that feels of another place and time.

In addition to the exhibition at The Gallery at Penn College, Singletary will be having an artist talk and closing reception on Wednesday, March 22nd from 4:00 - 7:00 PM.

John Singletary is a photographer and multimedia artist based in Philadelphia, PA. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from The University of the Arts. His work has been collected by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Center for Fine Art Photography as well as other institutional and private collections. He has exhibited at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, LGTripp Gallery, James Oliver Gallery, Sol Mednick Gallery and The Delaware Contemporary. His work has been reviewed or featured in Lenscratch, L'Oeil de la Photographie, Od Review, Movers and Makers (WHYY), and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Singletary is a contributing writer for The Photo Review.  For more information on John Singletary's work: https://www.johnsingletaryimaging.com/

The Gallery at Penn College serves as a cultural asset to Pennsylvania College of Technology and local communities. The Gallery provides the opportunity for the appreciation and exploration of contemporary art, and encourages critical thinking and meaningful experiences. For more information, visit https://www.pct.edu/gallery.

Through Lines / Fault Lines will be on view at The Gallery at Penn College in Williamsport, PA until March 22, 2023.  The artist talk and closing reception are on Wednesday, March 22nd from 4:00 - 7:00 PM.  The Gallery at Penn College is open 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. (The gallery is closed on Mondays and Saturdays and will also be closed March 5 - 12 during Spring Break.  For more information, visit: https://www.pct.edu/gallery

© John Singletary, Traces, Installation view, 22:45 minute multi-channel video, 2023

About The Gallery at Penn College

The Gallery at Penn College serves as a cultural asset to Pennsylvania College of Technology and local communities. The Gallery provides the opportunity for the appreciation and exploration of contemporary art, and encourages critical thinking and meaningful experiences.

Exhibits typically include a meet the artist reception and gallery talk. Entries are juried and selected by a committee of dedicated faculty, staff and artists from the community. The Gallery also oversees the College's permanent art collection.

For more information about the exhibition, click here: https://www.pct.edu/gallery

Banner Image: © John Singletary, Traces, Installation view, 22:45 minute multi-channel video, 2023

 

Out & About at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Woodmere Art Museum and Cerulean Arts

 
 

October 25, 2022

We recently visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s most recent exhibition, Matisse in the 1930s. Below are some highlights from our visit! To learn more about this exhibition, click here.

The Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA, 2022.

Artworks by Henri Matisse, The Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA, 2022.

Artworks by Henri Matisse, The Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA, 2022.

Artworks by Henri Matisse, The Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA, 2022.

 
 

We recently visited the Woodmere Art Museum’s current exhibition, Just In: Recent Acquisitions of Photography. Below are some highlights from our visit! To learn more about this exhibition, click here.

Just In: Recent Acquisitions of Photography at the Woodmere Art Museum, 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic

Just In: Recent Acquisitions of Photography at the Woodmere Art Museum, Artwork by Bruce Katsiff, Brian Peterson, and more. 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic

About the Exhibition

Woodmere’s collection, dedicated to the art and artists of Philadelphia, includes works of art that tell the unique story of photography as it evolved in our region. This exhibition will explore a broad range of creative practices and experimentation within the photographic process. With a selection of works acquired in recent years, Just In will feature photography by a number of contemporary artists.


This exhibition accompanies our concurrent show The Photo Review Best of Show, which presents the work of the fifteen prize winners of the 2021 International Photography Competition, organized annually by the Photo Review.

Just In: Recent Acquisitions of Photography is on view through March 5, 2023.

 
 

We visited Cerulean Art’s Member Exhibition to see Leah Macdonald’s encaustic paintings. To learn more about Macdonald’s work, click here.

Cerulean Arts Member Exhibition, Artwork by Leah Macdonald, 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic

Cerulean Arts Member Exhibition, Artwork by Leah Macdonald, 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic

Cerulean Arts Member Exhibition, Artwork by Leah Macdonald, 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic

Cerulean Arts Member Exhibition, Artwork by Leah Macdonald, 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic

About the Exhibition

Leah Macdonald’s most recent exhibition at Cerulean Arts was on view from September 14 - October 9, 2022.

Additionally on view was Intrigues and Intimations, featuring Matthew Courtney & Tom Csaszar. The exhibition was on view from September 28 - October 23, 2022.

Intrigues and Intimations, featuring Matthew Courtney & Tom Csaszar at Cerulean Arts, 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic.

Intrigues and Intimations, featuring Matthew Courtney & Tom Csaszar at Cerulean Arts, 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic.

 

Out & About at Frieze New York, Grounds for Sculpture, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Garden Party

 
 

June 23, 2022

Frieze New York took place from May 18 to May 22, 2022. Below are some of our favorite artworks from this year’s fair.

Artwork presented in collaboration with how to perform an abortion and the National Women’s Liberation. Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Simon Fujiwara, Esther Schipper Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Simon Fujiwara, Esther Schipper Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Shilpa Gupta, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Nancy Grossman, Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Nancy Grossman, Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Liam Gillick, Casey Kaplan Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Carol Bove, David Zwirner Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Olafur Eliasson, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Kye Christensen-Knowles, Lomex Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Kye Christensen-Knowles, Lomex Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Oscar Munoz, Mor Charpentier Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Charles Gaines, Hauser & Wirth, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Charles Gaines, Hauser & Wirth, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Ibrahim Mahama, White Cube, Frieze New York, 2022.

Artwork by Ibrahim Mahama, Goodman Gallery, Frieze New York, 2022.

 
 

We attended the opening reception of Roberto Lugo’s exciting new exhibition, The Village Potter, and the group exhibit Fragile: Earth - both on view at GFS. Below is a selection of snapshots from the opening reception!

Artwork by Roberto Lugo. The Village Potter at Grounds for Sculpture, 2022.

Artwork by Roberto Lugo. The Village Potter at Grounds for Sculpture, 2022.

Robert Lugo: The Village Potter is on view from May 22 to January 8, 2023. Click here to learn more.

Additionally on view is Fragile: Earth, a group exhibition featuring 16 ceramic artists: Natalia Arbelaez, Ebitenyefa Baralaye, Ashwini Bhat, Syd Carpenter, Adam Chau, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Magdolene Dykstra, April Felipe, Raheleh Filsoofi, Salvador Jiménez-Flores, Anabel Juárez, Anina Major, Jane Margarette, Mariana Ramos Ortiz, Virgil Ortiz, and Sarah Petty. Click here to learn more about the exhibition, Fragile: Earth.

Artwork by Raheleh Filsoofi. Fragile: Earth at Grounds for Sculpture, 2022.

Artwork by Syd Carpenter. Fragile: Earth at Grounds for Sculpture, 2022.

Artwork by Raheleh Filsoofi. Fragile: Earth at Grounds for Sculpture, 2022.

Artwork by Ebitenyefa Baralaye. Fragile: Earth at Grounds for Sculpture, 2022.

Artwork by Virgil Ortiz. Fragile: Earth at Grounds for Sculpture, 2022.

Artwork by Salvador Jimenez-Flores. Fragile: Earth at Grounds for Sculpture, 2022.

 
 

We recently attended the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Garden Party at the Rodin Museum. Below are some highlights from our visit! To learn more about the Rodin Museum’s permanent collection, click here.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art Garden Party at the Rodin Museum, 2022.

Artwork by Auguste Rodin. The Rodin Museum, 2022.

Artworks by Auguste Rodin. The Rodin Museum, 2022.

Artworks by Auguste Rodin. The Rodin Museum, 2022.

Artworks by Auguste Rodin. The Rodin Museum, 2022.

Artworks by Auguste Rodin. The Rodin Museum, 2022.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art Garden Party at the Rodin Museum, 2022.

 
 
 

Donald E. Camp exhibits “Emmett Till / America 1955” artwork on the passing of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022

 

May 18, 2022

Donald E. Camp exhibits “Emmett Till / America 1955” artwork on the passing of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022

 

© Donald E. Camp, Emmett Till / America 1955, Glass mirror with liquid light and sun-baked acrylic.
Collection of the Delaware Art Museum.

 
““Black men, Black people have been misrepresented in the media for a few centuries. I want to make work that portrays People, Black men, Black People, as noble creations of God.””
— Donald E. Camp
 

Donald E. Camp’s work addressing racism in American history and culture continues to be salient as his work Emmett Till / America 1955 (created in 1990 and now on exhibit at the Delaware Art Museum) references the historically significant photograph of Emmett Till.  Camp's Emmett Till / America 1955 piece was recently acquired by the Delaware Art Museum and is currently on view through May 23, 2022.  The timing of this acquisition coincides with the passing of the long-awaited Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022.  Emmet Till's brutal experience and its portrayal were formative elements in the civil rights movement as well as in Camp's life and poignantly inform his work.  

The Emmett Till Antilynching Act is the United States law that makes lynching a federal hate crime.  The bill was named after 14-year-old Emmett Till, who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, sparking national and international outrage.  A federal antilynching bill had been in discussion for over a century and had been proposed numerous times before finally being signed into law on March 29, 2022.

Donald Camp's signature body of work, Dust Shaped Hearts, focuses on the representation of African American men and has grown to include women as well as people of a variety of backgrounds to acknowledge Camp's belief that the struggle against ignorance and intolerance is a universal one. Camp's artwork also currently exists in conversation with artists discussing race relations and the complexity of inclusive histories such as Kerry James Marshall, Kara Walker, and Nick Cave.  Dust Shaped Hearts continues as Camp lends his voice to the artistic dialogue on racism and human rights today.

““We are thrilled to have Donald E. Camp’s important career represented in the Delaware Art Museum’s collection, says Margaret Winslow, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Delaware Art Museum.  “As Professor Emeritus at Ursinus College and founding member of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, his contributions to art, photography specifically, are significant. Camp’s portraits, created through unique photographic processes, capture the individual dignity of his subjects. His images celebrate those African American men and women who have made invaluable contributions to our society.””
— Margaret Winslow, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Delaware Art Museum

Another recent acquisition, Camp’s portrait of the civil rights activist and Congressman John Lewis was recently on view at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA.  Camp's print of civil rights activist Congressman John Lewis, Good Trouble was featured in the exhibition The Work of Art: Museum Collecting Unpacked.  The exhibition shared the stories of approximately 25 carefully selected objects from the Michener's permanent and archival collections to explore the life cycle of a work of art, from its creation to museum acquisition.

In addition to these museum acquisitions and exhibitions, Camp gave a Virtual Lecture entitled “Emmett Till America and Me”, presented by the Main Line Baha’i’ Communities as part of their Uncomfortable Conversations series addressing racism.  Camp was fifteen years old when he saw the photograph of Emmett Till.  It was in the "Jet" magazine that he sold while working in his father's barbershop in Western Pennsylvania. In his lecture, he shares the story of how the lynching of the young Emmett Till affected him and the world and resulted in his signature artwork, Dust Shaped Hearts.

About the recent acquisitions, Camp says, “I'm very content that my work, especially Emmett Till - America 1955, will be preserved by museums and become part of the historic conversation about who we are as human beings.”

 
 

© Donald E. Camp, Young Man #2 – Million Man March, 1996, Casein and raw earth pigment on archival rag paper, Photographic Casein Monoprints, 41 x 29 inches. For all sales inquiries or commissions contact Amie Potsic Art Advisory.

© Donald E. Camp, Congressman John Lewis, 2015, Casein and raw earth pigment on archival rag paper, Photographic Casein Monoprint, 30 x 40 inches. Collection of the Michener Art Museum.

© Donald E. Camp, Young Man #3 – Million Man March,1996, Casein and raw earth pigment on archival rag paper, Photographic Casein Monoprints, 41 x 29 inches. For all sales inquiries or commissions contact Amie Potsic Art Advisory.

 
 

Donald E. Camp is a resident of Philadelphia and professor emeritus at Ursinus College. He moved to Philadelphia in 1972 where he was a Staff photographer for The Evening and Sunday Bulletin and cofounded the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists.  Camp is a recipient of fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Pew Foundation for the Arts. He is noted for his continuing body of work, "Dust Shaped Hearts" a body of mono-prints using light sensitizes casein and dry earth pigments. He is a subject in the American Artist Oral History of the Smithsonian Institute and The History Makers.  Camp has lectured and exhibited internationally including at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia and the National Museum of The Gambia. His work is in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Delaware Art Museum, The Michener Art Museum, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.

 
 

Uncomfortable Conversations:
Virtual Presentation with Donald E. Camp

Emmet Till, America and Me

Emmett Till / America 1955, 1990. Donald Camp (born 1940). Glass mirror with liquid light and sun baked acrylic,​ ​48 × 36 inches. Delaware Art Museum, Acquisition Fund, 2020 © Donald Camp.

 
 

Senior Artist Initiative

2022 Interview

 
 

Publication

 
 

To learn more about Donald E. Camp and his series Dust Shaped Hearts:
Click here to visit his virtual exhibition.

 
 

Mei Mei, An Exhibition by Richard Bowen at The SPACE Art Gallery in Philadelphia

March 12, 2022

Mei Mei Installation image, The SPACE Art Gallery, 2022. Photo credit: Amie Potsic


Seen Through a Lens of Reverence

Mei Mei, the current exhibition at The Space Art Gallery, is a poignant collection of portraits by photographer Richard Bowen.  Over decades, Bowen photographed orphaned girls in China waiting to be adopted in pop-up studios he brought to the sites.  He did so to honor their presence and to document the work of One Sky, the organization he and his wife founded to support these girls in need.

On view are exquisite black and white portraits of the girls presented in a large-scale grid.  It is powerful to see the portraits, mostly with eyes looking straight at the camera, in relationships created by the grid’s imposed architecture:  You can see an arresting close-up of a child’s eyes gazing upward next to a girl’s heart-breaking look over the shoulder near a little girl standing up with her hand casually in her pocket.  Their similarity and their specificity couldn’t be more pronounced.  They share a jarring conformity yet each girl is clearly her own person. 

Bowen’s commitment to this subject was emboldened by his own experience of adopting two daughters from China.  The empathy and sensitivity of the images are a testament to the love of a father for a daughter.  The portraits have dignity and bear honest witness to the lives that began in such humble circumstances.  His work documents an important political and social history as well as individuals deeply affected by it.  The photographs are touching, sweet, and painful all at once.  Bowen’s artistry was in conveying their strong emotions and singular identities through a lens of reverence.

- Amie Potsic

On view from February 1 - March 31, 2022, The SPACE Art Gallery welcomes the moving portraiture of photographer Richard Bowen, capturing the spirit of girls living in China’s state-run welfare institutions circa 2000.

About the Exhibition

 There is an ancient Chinese legend that describes an invisible red thread joining those who are destined to connect, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. For photographer Richard Bowen, that thread led him to China’s state-run welfare institutions, at a time when there were thousands of children, primarily girls, growing up without families to take care of them. mei mei (circa 2000) presents a poignant glimpse of just a few of these remarkable children. Composed against neutral backgrounds, these portraits capture the girls’ inner lives, away from their often bleak surroundings. The images show an almost endless range of expressions: small faces filled with longing and hope, joy and sadness, humor and mischief, defiance and despair. Through the camera’s eye, we see these young vulnerable children as individuals with vital, distinct, and beautiful personalities that they rarely have the chance to express. Once each unique human being comes into focus, the connection is made, and the red thread becomes visible. And once seen, the bond can never be broken.

All the girls who appear in this show resided within China’s social welfare system circa 2000.  Nearly all the girls here spent their childhoods in an institute, a lucky few have been adopted in China or abroad.  When Richard photographed the girls, they were either actively attending, or about to begin attending, Half the Sky programs (now OneSky).  Their names, listed around the edge of these banners in English and Mandarin, were given by welfare staff and are randomly presented to protect each young lady’s privacy.

“This was this totally unique period of history — creating the largest all-female diaspora ever.”
— Richard Bowen 2021

Richard Bowen, Mei Mei 55, Photo Courtesy of The SPACE Art Gallery, 2022.

Richard Bowen, Mei Mei 15, Photo Courtesy of The SPACE Art Gallery, 2022.

Richard Bowen, Mei Mei 16, Photo Courtesy of The SPACE Art Gallery, 2022.

Richard Bowen, Mei Mei 22, Photo Courtesy of The SPACE Art Gallery, 2022.

Richard Bowen, Mei Mei 59, Photo Courtesy of The SPACE Art Gallery, 2022.

Richard Bowen, Mei Mei 107, Photo Courtesy of The SPACE Art Gallery, 2022.

Richard Bowen, Mei Mei 127, Photo Courtesy of The SPACE Art Gallery, 2022.

About the Artist

 Veteran Hollywood cameraman Richard Bowen began his career as a visual storyteller soon after graduating from university. While backpacking around Europe in the 1970s and taking photographs, he stumbled onto his first movie set, Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900.  He instantly fell in love with film, returned to the US to complete graduate studies in filmmaking, and became a cinematographer.

 Richard went on to build a successful 40-year career in more than 20 feature films and hundreds of TV commercials. His work appears in films by noted directors such as Sydney Pollack (Havana), Clint Eastwood (Flags of Our Fathers), Lawrence Kasdan (Wyatt Earp), and Tim Burton (Mars Attacks!). He also collaborated with his wife, screenwriter/director Jenny Bowen, on three independent productions: Street Music, The Wizard of Loneliness, and In Quiet Night.

In 1998, the Bowens’ experience adopting their first of two daughters from China helped inspire another collaboration: the creation of the nonprofit foundation Half the Sky (now known as OneSky for all children). They were thrilled with the turnaround their love could make for one small child – and determined to make a difference for all the little ones then languishing in China’s orphanages.  Today, OneSky is a global NGO that has transformed the lives of over 200,000 marginalized children and helped a nation re-imagine its entire child welfare system.

Richard’s OneSky work returned him to his still photography roots. Traveling across China to different orphanages, he began to document the children he met “and let them speak to the world.”  These are the mei mei (“Little Sister”) photographs you see here.

While the Bowens lived in China in 2004-2009, Richard made a discovery. The Cinderella story many of us associate with Disney or Grimm’s fairy tales had, in fact, originated in China in 768 AD. To share this original story with the world, Richard wrote, directed, and produced a new independent feature film: Cinderella Moon (2012). He shot the film entirely in China.

For Richard, Cinderella Moon and mei mei are inextricably connected. In different ways, both the film and the book tell the same story: girls are as valuable as boys and deserve the same chances in this world.

This show you are now viewing has been in the works since February 2019, delayed numerous times due to COVID-19. As he was finalizing the preparation and approving the final physical proofs, Richard suddenly passed away on December 25, 2021.

This show not only recognizes Richard’s powerful work but also the enduring legacy he leaves as OneSky continues to support the needs of vulnerable children around the world.

For more information, visit: https://www.thespacephiladelphia.com/online-store-richard-bowen  

About OneSky
OneSky teaches communities and caregivers to provide nurturing responsive care and early education that unlocks the potential hidden in our world’s most vulnerable young children. OneSky believes the unlimited potential waits inside every child. And it should be every child’s birthright to have full access to loving, nurturing care and quality education. This show benefits OneSky.

For more information about the exhibition or to schedule a visit to the gallery, click here: https://www.thespacephiladelphia.com/

 

Much Needed Satire: Florence Weisz’s Presidential Manipulations

March 9, 2021

“Encompassing our past six presidents and some of their opponents, Presidential Manipulations serves as a historical document, creative experiment, and enduring political satire. ”
— Amie Potsic
Florence Weisz, 41 Bushart Shrubbie #9, Xerographic collage color and b/w copier prints, 10 x 8 in, 1992 (Banner image: Florence Weisz, Obamart: Flag, Archival print, 16 x 20 in., 2009)

Florence Weisz, 41 Bushart Shrubbie #9, Xerographic collage color and b/w copier prints, 10 x 8 in, 1992

(Banner image: Florence Weisz, Obamart: Flag, Archival print, 16 x 20 in., 2009)

 

Much Needed Satire:  florence weisz’s Presidential Manipulations

By Amie Potsic


Presidential Manipulations is Florence Weisz’s four-decade retrospective of political artwork – the embodiment of her political activism and perspectives on the administrations of six presidents: Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama, and Trump.  Given the tumultuous nature of the transition of power in our most recent presidential election, Weisz’s collages documenting, critiquing, and roasting each president serve as evidence of the peaceful transitions and political humor we depend upon in the United States.  Her work is a welcome opportunity to interact with those in power and to exert our own influence on the political dialogue.

With Trump having lost the recent 2020 presidential election in hyperbolic fashion, Weisz's forty years of satirical artwork about American Presidents culminates in high drama.  Looking at Mr. Trump's record on insurrection, civil rights, a free press, and separation of powers, Weisz's work is a visually direct, witty, and poignant view of Trump’s attempts to undermine the United States government.

Through her use of rye humor and uncanny wit, Weisz investigates candidates, policies, and our current state of world affairs.  Weisz takes the likeness of a presidential candidate or sitting president and alters it offering the viewer a chance to reconfigure the faces that we so often feel like we already know.  The body of work consists of over sixty photo-based collages, including interactive installations that incorporate interchangeable “face-parts” of politicians. Her work charges audiences with the task of manipulating the installations using the politician’s own features.  

Weisz says of her work, “I began this series in 1980 to express my distress that Ronald Reagan was elected to the presidency of the United States that year. Since then, I have added to the series during each American president's term, including the Trump administration. Most works begin with a portrait of the president, which I divide into a grid of nine squares. I replicate, rotate, reverse, and re-arrange the features in various permutations - funny, satirical, expressive - to create new versions of the well-known face. I have been interested in the exposure and over-exposure, the fragmentation, and the ultimate distortion of public figures. I find this exploration even more compelling and cathartic now, in our hyper-partisan America.” 

Weisz’s creative response to the last forty years of presidential administrations lays bare the continuity of our system of government while giving the people a hand in political manipulation.  Providing audiences the opportunity to interact and change the expressions of the presidents is a refreshing antidote to the sense of powerlessness we often feel in the face of politics.  Encompassing our past six presidents and some of their opponents, Presidential Manipulations serves as a historical document, creative experiment, and enduring political satire.

 

Presidential Manipulations by Florence Weisz

Florence Weisz, 45 Trumpart: Constitutional Crisis, Digital print, parchment facsimile of US Constitution and Constitution shredded in strips Collage by Florence Weisz  Trump photo by David Paul Morris /Bloomberg/via Getty 22 x 22 in, 2017

Florence Weisz, 45 Trumpart: Constitutional Crisis, Digital print, parchment facsimile of US Constitution and Constitution shredded in strips Collage by Florence Weisz  Trump photo by David Paul Morris /Bloomberg/via Getty 22 x 22 in, 2017

Florence Weisz, 42 Clintonart: My Lips Are Sealed, Xerography, 10 x 8 in, 1995, Framed Size: 15 x 13 in

Florence Weisz, 42 Clintonart: My Lips Are Sealed, Xerography, 10 x 8 in, 1995, Framed Size: 15 x 13 in

Florence Weisz, 46vs45 Biden and Trump and You - Bipartisan Interactive Installation, Color and b/w digital prints, 32 x 67 in, 2020

Florence Weisz, 46vs45 Biden and Trump and You - Bipartisan Interactive Installation, Color and b/w digital prints, 32 x 67 in, 2020

Florence Weisz, 40 Reaganart Totem Sculpture - FDU Installation, Xerography, 40 x 10 x 10 in, 1986

Florence Weisz, 40 Reaganart Totem Sculpture - FDU Installation, Xerography, 40 x 10 x 10 in, 1986

Florence Weisz, 40 Reaganart: Interactive Aljira 1984 DETAIL, Xerography, 8.5 x 8.5 in, 1984

Florence Weisz, 40 Reaganart: Interactive Aljira 1984 DETAIL, Xerography, 8.5 x 8.5 in, 1984

Florence Weisz, 40 Reaganart, Xerographic collage Newsweek Magazine cover photo and black/white copier prints, 22 x 22 in, 1981

Florence Weisz, 40 Reaganart, Xerographic collage Newsweek Magazine cover photo and black/white copier prints, 22 x 22 in, 1981

Florence Weisz, 40 Reaganart: The Book, Xerographic collage color and black/white copier prints, 8.5 x 8.5 in, 1983

Florence Weisz, 40 Reaganart: The Book, Xerographic collage color and black/white copier prints, 8.5 x 8.5 in, 1983

Florence Weisz, 45 Trumpart: Covid–45, digital collage, 10 x 8 in, 2020

Florence Weisz, 45 Trumpart: Covid–45, digital collage, 10 x 8 in, 2020

Florence Weisz, 41 Bushart Shrubbies, 9 collages - 10 x 8 inches each, Xerography, 1992

Florence Weisz, 41 Bushart Shrubbies, 9 collages - 10 x 8 inches each, Xerography, 1992

Florence Weisz, 42 Clintonart: Hillary - Icon Iconoclast, Xerography, 26 x 26 in, 1994

Florence Weisz, 42 Clintonart: Hillary - Icon Iconoclast, Xerography, 26 x 26 in, 1994

Florence Weisz, 43 Bushart Jr: W-USA, digital collage, 31 x 31 in, 2004

Florence Weisz, 43 Bushart Jr: W-USA, digital collage, 31 x 31 in, 2004

Florence Weisz, 44 Obamart: Looking Out for Us II, digital collage, 10.5 x 8 in, 2009

Florence Weisz, 44 Obamart: Looking Out for Us II, digital collage, 10.5 x 8 in, 2009

Florence Weisz, 45 Trumpart: Fake News, Digital print, newspaper, shredded newspaper, 20 x 20 in, 2017

Florence Weisz, 45 Trumpart: Fake News, Digital print, newspaper, shredded newspaper, 20 x 20 in, 2017

About the Artist  

Florence Weisz's primary medium is collage. She has explored many subjects over the years, abstract and figurative. She creates her own distinctive materials and searches for innovative ways to express each visual theme. Her media have included xerography, alcohol-based ink collage paintings, assemblage, mail art, ceramic tile murals and digital imaging.

Weisz has exhibited her art in the US and abroad. Among the venues hosting her one person shows are: The Newark Museum, Jersey City Museum, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Pierro Gallery of South Orange, NJ, Kent Place Gallery, Barron Arts Center, Johnson & Johnson World Headquarters, Chubb Corporation Gallery, John Harms Center for the Arts, InLiquid Gallery, Fairleigh Dickinson University and New Jersey City University galleries.

Weisz's work has been included in group exhibitions at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, Studio Museum of Harlem, Franklin Furnace, BACA Downtown, Pfizer Headquarters, Zim-Lerner Gallery, Katonah Museum in New York; DaVinci Art Alliance, CFEVA Center for Experimental Visual Artists, InLiquid Gallery in Philadelphia; Reading Museum, Mainline Art Center, Wayne Art Center, Cheltenham Center for the Arts, Salas University, in Pennsylvania; throughout the State of New Jersey including Aljira Gallery, City Without Walls Gallery, Walsh Gallery at Seton Hall University, Monmouth University Galleries, Printmaking Council, AT&T, Bell Labs, Nabisco, A.J. Lederman Gallery, and the Morris Museum, Monmouth Museum, NJ State Museum, Trenton City Museum, Jersey City Museum, Bergen Museum, Newark Museum and Princeton University Museum.

Her artworks are in the collections of The New Jersey State Museum, IBM, The Port of Authority of NY and NJ, Citibank, Warner Lambert, Schering Plough, Gibraltar Securities, City Federal, Depfa Bank, Ciba-Geigy, Marriott Hotels, The University of Pennsylvania Hospital and E.I. du Pont de Nemours.

She has completed site-specific commissions for private homes, corporate and public spaces including, Chubb Insurance, PSE&G, Centocor, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Schering Plough HealthCare Products, Three Stamford Plaza and the Municipality of Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Born in New York, Florence Weisz studied in Paris and Jerusalem after earning a degree in Fine Art from Douglass College, Rutgers University. She is a recipient of a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship Award.

For more information, visit: www.florenceweisz.com and www.presidentialmanipulations.com

Exhibition Review: "Threshold" featuring artist Deirdre Murphy

November 10, 2020

Threshold Installation Image at BoxHeart Gallery 2020. Artwork by Deirdre Murphy.

Threshold Installation Image at BoxHeart Gallery 2020. Artwork by Deirdre Murphy.

“Deirdre Murphy’s recent solo show at BoxHeart Gallery in Pittsburgh was a triumph in artistic vision and resourcefulness.  Threshold presents works from Murphy’s bio-art residencies looking at molecular viruses to Plein air works created while forced into quarantine due to the Coronavirus.  It was prophetic that her recent work has focused on the oculus, looking at cells in a microscope and the solar system through a telescope.  Focusing on the micro and macro levels of seeing created a body of work in which the cyclical shape and experience of time is reflected and reformed in our environment.  Bringing the work made in collaboration with scientists into dialogue with her new works made in quarantine shows a strong continuation of visual vocabulary as well as a deep understanding of our relationship to that which we see, and that which we cannot. 

Murphy’s work is a testament to the way artists see the world – in visual connections, formal associations, and conceptual implications.  Finding solace in Plein air painting during quarantine, Murphy found a new oculus through which to view the world.  Sketching from the edge of a graffiti-strewn drainage pipe, she looked out at a changing natural landscape as a metaphor for the quiet change all humanity was experiencing.  The phrase tunnel vision is apt to describe our experience of the Coronavirus in the earlier months of quarantine – feeling as though all other stimuli were lost and we could only see through the limited pathway in front of us.  The uncertainty and vision of possibilities Murphy both gazed upon and imagined through that threshold, yielded paintings with hope, beauty, and tranquility. 

It is revelatory to see the cosmos, molecules, and a parallel for our daily attempts to escape isolation in this series of paintings.  Murphy’s ability to conjure a new kind of home in the landscape through a fractured portal to reality provides a sliver of hope in our otherwise uncertain future.” -Amie Potsic

Threshold: Paintings by Deirdre Murphy at BoxHeart Gallery

© Deirdre Murphy, Cabin in the Woods , 30” x 30”, Oil on canvas, 2019

© Deirdre Murphy, Cabin in the Woods , 30” x 30”, Oil on canvas, 2019

© Deirdre Murphy, Cabin by the Lake, 30 x 30”, Oil on canvas, 2019

© Deirdre Murphy, Cabin by the Lake, 30 x 30”, Oil on canvas, 2019

© Deirdre Murphy, LOVE IS LOVE, 36” x 36”, Oil on canvas, 2020

© Deirdre Murphy, LOVE IS LOVE, 36” x 36”, Oil on canvas, 2020

© Deirdre Murphy, When They Slumber, 6” x 6”, Gouache on panel

© Deirdre Murphy, When They Slumber, 6” x 6”, Gouache on panel

© Deirdre Murphy, EXIT, 36” x 36” Oil on canvas, 2020

© Deirdre Murphy, EXIT, 36” x 36” Oil on canvas, 2020

© Deirdre Murphy, Shooting Star / The World is Always More than I Can See, 46” x 38 “, Oil on canvas, 2019

© Deirdre Murphy, Shooting Star / The World is Always More than I Can See, 46” x 38 “, Oil on canvas, 2019

© Deirdre Murphy, Oculus Major (detail) Luna Moth & Phosphorescent Fireflies, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2019, 5 of 6 panels

© Deirdre Murphy, Oculus Major (detail) Luna Moth & Phosphorescent Fireflies, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2019, 5 of 6 panels

 © Deirdre Murphy, Oculus Major (detail) Italy Light Pollution Map, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2019, 4 of 6 panels

 © Deirdre Murphy, Oculus Major (detail) Italy Light Pollution Map, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2019, 4 of 6 panels

© Deirdre Murphy, Oculus Major (detail) North America Light Pollution Map, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2019, 2 of 6 panels

© Deirdre Murphy, Oculus Major (detail) North America Light Pollution Map, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2019, 2 of 6 panels

© Deirdre Murphy, Oculus Major (detail) Celtic Light Pollution Map, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2019, 6 of 6 panels

© Deirdre Murphy, Oculus Major (detail) Celtic Light Pollution Map, 36” x 48”, Oil on Canvas, 2019, 6 of 6 panels

About the Exhibition

Thresholds take you from one place to another. The thematic thread of the portal or circular vantage point can be imagined as a telescope, microscope, periscope, or binocular. These framing devices act as a threshold from one realm to another. This exhibition, which was partially made during the pandemic quarantine, is a departure from Murphy’s BioArt and a return to her seminal interest in Plein air painting. This shift is in response to feeling isolated and the desire for fresh air and life-affirming green during the quarantine. The circle is symbolic of the cycle of life with no beginning and no end that reveals the resilience of life, of the light at the end of the tunnel.

For more information, visit: https://boxheartgallery.com/

About the Artist

IMG_2054_process.jpg

Deirdre Murphy has exhibited internationally and extensively in the United States in museums, galleries, and institutions including Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Delaware, Minnesota, Washington, and Oregon. Her artwork has been exhibited at institutions including the Philadelphia International Airport, Palm Springs Museum of Art, Biggs Museum of American Art, New Bedford Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, University of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. The recipient of numerous awards and grants, most notably a Percent for the Arts sculpture commission (Dublin, CA) the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts Fellowship, and a Leeway Foundation award, she has been an artist-in-residence at Winterthur Museum (DE), Lacawac Field Station (PA), Powdermill Nature Reserve (PA), Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (PA), Vermont Studio Center (VT), and Pouch Cove Artist Residency (St. Johns, Newfoundland). Her artwork has been published in Symbiosis, New American Paintings, and FreshPaint Magazine. Murphy’s artwork can be found in various public and private collections including Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Museum, Temple University, AlphaMed Press, and Gamblin Artists Colors.

Murphy earned her MFA degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her BFA degree from the Kansas City Art Institute. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Lehigh University and taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Murphy has been a visiting artist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania College of Design, University of Texas, Philadelphia University, Kent State University, and Dickenson College. She is represented by the Gross McCleaf Gallery (Philadelphia), BoxHeart Gallery (Pittsburgh), and Zinc Contemporary Gallery (Seattle).

To learn more about Deirdre Murphy, visit: http://www.deirdremurphyart.com/

Amie Potsic Writes In Response to COVID-19 Budget Cuts

September 2, 2020

“The arts not only enhance the city of Philadelphia from a creative perspective, they are a major force in the economy generating $4.1 billion for the local economy annually and providing 55,000 jobs.  Not only do the arts play an impactful economic role in the region, arts and culture are the main drivers of growth and reinvigoration of the city overall.  It is essential to support the arts in Philadelphia because the arts are what make Philadelphia a thriving and compelling city.  Rather than lose the ground gained by the cultural sector on behalf of the city, support the arts and the revitalization of Philadelphia post-pandemic.... Show the city residents who are arts and culture workers, those who engage in the Art in City Hall program, and city residents that benefit from our city’s arts organizations, that they matter.”
— Amie Potsic

Letter from Amie Potsic, Chair of the Artistic Advisory Board of the Art in City Hall Program to the Mayor and Council Members of the City of Philadelphia in response to COVID-19 related budget cuts to the arts.

May 10, 2020
Dear Mayor and City Council Members, 

I write to you on behalf of Art in City Hall’s Exhibitions Advisory Committee as chair of the committee and supporter of the program’s impact on the city of Philadelphia. I implore you to reconsider the new proposed budget, which suggests eliminating the Office of Arts Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) and Art in City Hall (AICH). The AICH program is one of the most far reaching, impactful, and accessible artistic offerings in the city of Philadelphia, which should be awarded, rather than removed. With 108,557 audience members in 2019 alone, the program touches artists, students, and constituents from every region of Philadelphia. The program should be funded to continue as it is one of the city’s creative innovations and contributions to the arts and culture landscape of Philadelphia, which has been the driver of Philadelphia’s economic revitalization in recent years. 

I have been fortunate to be on the committee for ten years, the last eight as chair. The board serves to support the program’s Director through creative and professional input as volunteers from the artistic community of Philadelphia. Reflective of the program itself, we are a diverse group of arts professionals who come together to help Tu Huynh, the program’s exceptionally talented Director, to serve the city of Philadelphia and its residents with art that is relevant and vital to their lives. The AICH program serves as a bridge between the arts and government, in which both can work together to support all Philadelphians. During the Covid-19 crisis, arts professionals and artists need support as much as any sector. Artistic expression and performances by these individuals are what have kept people going during this pandemic across the globe. The city of Philadelphia should support its arts professionals in creative fields, as well as the citizens who benefit, by continuing the Art in City Hall program. 

 Art in City Hall is immensely impactful while being run by only one staff member and on a very modest operating budget. Tu Huynh, the Director of AICH, has created a high-quality program of exceptional exhibitions for the past fifteen years that have included emerging to established artists, artists with disabilities, veterans, students, and more. Huynh brings a level of expertise, work ethic, and, accessibility to the program that is unparalleled. I am stunned by the impact statistics of this program every year as I see the program not only meet but exceed expectations. 2019 was no exception:

Meeting and exceeding expectations in all categories in 2019, the AICH program had an on-site audience of 108, 557 visitors, presented 20 exhibitions, exhibited 651 professional artists and 1,098 student artists, and had 87 community partners. This reach and impact are rare in the art world. The program’s tremendous impact should be a badge of honor to the city and continue to be a source of pride for the artistic community. 

The program not only serves an enormous amount of people, it also highlights and gives voice to some of our most vulnerable. City Hall has presented exhibitions by artists with disabilities on numerous occasions, spearheading a celebration and exhibition highlighting the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. AICH was set to present an exhibition in the near future that would celebrate the 30th anniversary of the historic legislation. 

A partner in many city-wide artistic initiatives, the AICH program has supported festivals like Craft Now, Fiber Philadelphia, Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST), Design Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA). City Hall being a collaborator in these city-wide art festivals connects our city government with events and movements that affect the region in a meaningful way and further art and commerce in our city. 

As an additional nod to the AICH program, it is the first participant of the National Arts Program, an organization that exhibits artwork made by employees and their families. The National Arts Program, a national initiative, began their program in Philadelphia and collaborated with city hall to launch their innovative and accessible art exhibition bringing out the artist in everyone. Annually, Philadelphia city employees and their families exhibit their artwork and garner prizes and celebration. Few things bring the city and its employees together in such a positive manner. 

The arts not only enhance the city of Philadelphia from a creative perspective, they are a major force in the economy. According to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the arts and culture sector generates $4.1 billion for the local economy annually and provides 55,000 jobs. Not only do the arts play an impactful economic role in the region, arts and culture are the main drivers of growth and reinvigoration of the city overall. It is essential to support the arts in Philadelphia because the arts are what make Philadelphia a thriving and compelling city. Rather than lose the ground gained by the cultural sector on behalf of the city, support the arts and the revitalization of Philadelphia post-pandemic. 

I urge all of you to consider the positive impact of the arts on our citizens, and specifically the Art in City Hall program, when evaluating the upcoming budget. To eliminate the Art in City Hall program and the Office of Arts Culture and the Creative Economy is a short-term fix that will hinder the growth of the city in the long-term. Show the city residents who are arts and culture workers, those who engage in the Art in City Hall program, and city residents that benefit from our city’s arts organizations, that they matter as much as any other constituents in the city. To eliminate the office and program entirely is an unnecessary burden on the artistic community and reduces the reputation and honor of the city of Philadelphia overall. Please reconsider the proposed budget and keep the Art in City Hall program. The value of the program and its impact cannot be overstated.


Sincerely, 
Amie S. Potsic 
CEO & Principal, Amie Potsic Art Advisory, LLC 
Chair, Art in City Hall Exhibitions Advisory Board 

PRESS

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Save the arts and serve all the people, restore OACCE and PCF budgets

Artblog solicited testimonials about the proposed cuts to the city budget that would axe the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund (PCF).

Show the city residents who are arts and culture workers, those who engage in the Art in City Hall program, and city residents that benefit from our city’s arts organizations, that they matter as much as any other constituents in the city.
-Amie Potsic

Dear Mayor and City Council,

I write to you on behalf of Art in City Hall’s Exhibitions Advisory Committee as chair of the committee and supporter of the program’s impact on the city of Philadelphia. I implore you to reconsider the new proposed budget, which suggests eliminating the Office of Arts Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) and Art in City Hall (AICH). The AICH program is one of the most far reaching, impactful, and accessible artistic offerings in the city of Philadelphia, which should be awarded, rather than removed. With 108,557 audience members in 2019 alone, the program touches artists, students, and constituents from every region of Philadelphia. The program should be funded to continue as it is one of the city’s creative innovations and contributions to the arts and culture landscape of Philadelphia, which has been the driver of Philadelphia’s economic revitalization in recent years.

I urge all of you to consider the positive impact of the arts on our citizens, and specifically the Art in City Hall program, when evaluating the upcoming budget. To eliminate the Art in City Hall program and the Office of Arts Culture and the Creative Economy is a short-term fix that will hinder the growth of the city in the long-term. Show the city residents who are arts and culture workers, those who engage in the Art in City Hall program, and city residents that benefit from our city’s arts organizations, that they matter as much as any other constituents in the city. To eliminate the office and program entirely is an unnecessary burden on the artistic community and reduces the reputation and honor of the city of Philadelphia overall. Please reconsider the proposed budget and keep the Art in City Hall program. The value of the program and its impact cannot be overstated.


Amie S. Potsic, CEO & Principal, Amie Potsic Art Advisory, LLC
Chair, Art in City Hall Exhibitions Advisory Board

Excerpt from a longer letter by Amie Potsic

This does not have to be written into the story of how we fought COVID19. We won’t stand for the “elimination” of agencies which care for the creative spirit and public art of the city. -Anne Ishii

“Welcome to Philadelphia,” someone said to me sarcastically, when I expressed my outrage at Mayor Kenney’s announcement of the 2021 budget for the city, which eliminates the Office of Arts Culture and Creative Economy and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

“Welcome to Philadelphia.” Like it could only ever be a sarcastic barb. How could I possibly feel welcome in a city that doesn’t support what I do, what I stand for, who I am. Welcome to Philadelphia sounds in verbiage, very much like what I had been saying to friends before this crisis:

“Come to Philadelphia.”

Today I am mortified to be in a city that values its arts and culture sector so little as to declare expendable what was already a mere pittance of a budget ($4mm, or half of one percent of the deficit). Funding for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and the Office of Arts Culture and Creative Economy “will cease to exist”?

This does not have to be written into the story of how we fought COVID19. We won’t stand for the “elimination” of agencies which care for the creative spirit and public art of the city. I don’t want to be in a city that can live without publicly funded, equitably distributed arts funding and advocacy that supports mostly small organizations created by artists of color. Working at the intersection of the arts and social justice–12 Gates, SAADA, Beyond Bars, AAU, The Village of Arts and Humanities to name but a few. It affects groups like ours, sure, but will be the death knell for most independent arts groups looking to grow and find support.

Without public funding and more importantly, the city’s nominal support of arts and culture, you create a power vacuum in the arts that will be filled by an oligarchy of private interest groups. And the bleeding edge of creative industries–the people who give Philadelphia its gritty, weird, fun, nerdy, outspoken, beligerence-will stop investing in Philadelphia. People will stop coming to Philadelphia, and then all our artists will do the inevitable: take that sarcastic welcome as an indication to leave Philadelphia.

The arts are not some corsage in the lapel of the city’s newsletters, nice to flaunt occasionally. We are not the martyred orchestra playing till the last passenger of the Titanic absconds certain doom. We are the refuge for all of the lost souls. We are the sea. We are the movie-makers, not the extras. We are your city.

Anne Ishii, Executive Director, Asian Arts Initiative

Adapted by the author from her AAI blog post

We all know the well documented impact on the city economy the arts sector has:
— Generates $3.4 Billion in economic activity in Philadelphia
— Provides jobs and sustains 55,000 full-time employees
— Generates $157 Million in City tax revenue
-Carmen Febo San Miguel

While I fully understand that the City is facing an unprecedented budget challenge, I must describe that since I came to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico in 1976, I have seen our city grow to become one of America’s greatest and diverse cultural hubs. It is incomprehensible to those of us that have fought hard for over 50 years to establish a visible, meaningful presence for the arts in City government that, in one move there will not be an office in City Hall. The minor short-term budget savings associated, in addition to the additional savings of eliminating the cultural fund, is more a reflection of how art is undervalued by this administration than the true impact of these savings. The impact of these cuts far outweigh the long- term economic damage that will be inflicted on the arts sector.

We all know the well documented impact on the city economy the arts sector has:
— Generates $3.4 Billion in economic activity in Philadelphia
— Provides jobs and sustains 55,000 full-time employees
— Generates $157 Million in City tax revenue

But, even more importantly, is the negative effect this message sends in the midst of the trauma of this crisis, when audiences are clamoring for access to the affirmative, creative experiences that the arts provide, in every community, at all income levels, to every citizen, and to every child.

Carmen Febo San Miguel, Executive Director, Taller Puertorriqueño

The defunding of PCF will disproportionately affect small organizations–many of these are run by marginalized artists: people of color, women, and the LGBTQI+ community. -Harry Philbrick

Philadelphia’s arts and culture will be essential components in the eventual revival of our economy. One of the reasons that Philadelphia has been growing and thriving over the past 20 years is the growth of the arts. Hundreds of arts organizations all over the city fuel Philadelphia’s status as a destination in the region and in the country as a whole. The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the The Philadelphia Cultural Fund are symbolic of the City’s support for the arts sector. Their complete dissolution is therefore a tragic mistake. For Philadelphia Contemporary, which I founded four years ago, receiving support from PCF was a marker indicating we had “made it” into the cultural community. The defunding of PCF will disproportionately affect small organizations–many of these are run by marginalized artists: people of color, women, and the LGBTQI+ community. These neighborhood-focused, grassroots, growing organizations don’t qualify for private funding aimed at major institutions.

Harry Philbrick, Founding Director, Philadelphia Contemporary, 19123

The arts play a vital part in the cultural and economic landscapes of our communities -Betty Leacraft

Mr. Clarke, Philly needs this office! The Arts play a vital part in the cultural and economic landscapes of our communities! I live within “your district” and saw you appear onstage, last Summer, praising the highly successful and well attended Girard Avenue Festival! Please don’t allow your underserved communities to suffer yet another blow to activities that help galvanize those living in your district.

Betty Leacraft, Fiber/Textile Artist, Leeway Awardee and Grantee

While this lack of financial investment [for the arts] has always struck me as a tragic blindspot, the complete dismantling of PCF and OACCE stands out as self-destructive. -Nato Thompson

Before joining Philadelphia Contemporary in 2017, I worked in New York City at a public arts organization Creative Time. I commuted to New York from Philadelphia for ten years because I love this city. No small part of that was my appreciation for the arts community. The arts community in this city is vast and the amount of sweat equity this receives for the little amount it puts in should not go unrecognized. The city, it is well known, has not placed much priority on the arts in terms of financial support. While this lack of financial investment has always struck me as a tragic blindspot, the complete dismantling of PCF and OACCE stands out as self-destructive. The arts are why myself and so many others found this city to be such an incredible place to call home. I hope that we can not only not cut these departments but also invest in a strategy where the arts, with its vast array of constituents and leaders, can guide us out of the difficult financial future that awaits.

Nato Thompson, Artistic Director, Philadelphia Contemporary

It has erased my confidence in the value of moving forward with the City on this project. How can the already understaffed Percent for Art office have the capacity to manage all of projects currently in progress with these cuts? -Jennie Shanker

I’m the selected Percent for Art artist at the Maplewood Mall in Germantown. After 6.5 years of work on this project, I now must consider walking away from it. With the threat of the City’s public art expertise being diminished, I do not believe it would be wise to continue. The City is a partner in these projects to protect the interests of all parties. It no longer feels safe.

Maplewood Mall has potential and charm, but it had been neglected for decades. In initial community meetings, there were doubts that the discussions would lead anywhere. People had lost faith that the City cared and that any promise would be kept.

It’s now under construction. The artwork is fully integrated into the site thanks to a ground-breaking initiative that brought me into the design team from day one. I was about to sign a contract to complete the work when the quarantine hit. Then the mayor’s budget was announced. It has erased my confidence in the value of moving forward with the City on this project. How can the already understaffed Percent for Art office have the capacity to manage all of projects currently in progress with these cuts? Additionally, how can I be confident that this work will be properly maintained by a city divesting itself from its support of the arts?

The purpose of this project is to revitalize a gem of a site in Germantown that the City has neglected. It’s meant to attract Revolutionary War Museum visitors to spend time in Germantown, giving them a beautiful, unique setting to explore after seeing the historic sites. Without proper management by the City, I see this project as something that will suffer the same disregard that Maplewood has seen for decades. I see no reason to continue down that path.

Jennie Shanker, Percent for Art artist, Educator, Leeway Grantee

We were able to leverage PCF funding to produce four international exhibitions that have been innovative, meaningful, and timely, and which brought media attention not just to us, but to the City of Philadelphia.
-Leslie Kaufman

I am the president of Philadelphia Sculptors, a small nonprofit that has benefited greatly from PCF funding. As a small organization, we are not eligible for funding from most foundations. Since the late 90’s, PCF funding has kept our head above water and allowed us to mount exhibitions that we never could have done without its funding. We were able to leverage PCF funding to produce four international exhibitions that have been innovative, meaningful, and timely, and which brought media attention not just to us, but to the City of Philadelphia. As a result of this funding, we were in a position to partner with the Government of Quebec, allowing us to welcome Canadian artists and become part of their cultural exchange. Without the opportunities provided to us by PCF funding, we would be restricted to small exhibitions and would never have attained the position we now have in the world of sculpture. Through this funding, we have been able to aid artists by providing them funding for their participation in our shows, and to hire them as contractors to do administrative, graphic design, and publicity. We have enabled artists to stay in Philadelphia, both by funding them, and by giving them exhibition opportunities. PCF funding has been essential to our existence for over 20 years, and it is one of the most enlightened programs that Philadelphia has. We cannot afford to lose it!

Leslie Kaufman, President, Philadelphia Sculptors

It is time to end the ten year tax abatement which has long out-lived it purpose, not the Philadelphia Cultural Fund (PCF) and Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy (OACCE). -Tristin Lowe

I moved to Philadelphia in 1991, Into a space at Coral and East Dauphin. At that time, the area was rather blighted, crime and crack were pervasive. The expansion joints in the sidewalk, the cracks in the pavement were filled with tiny plastic vials. At the Dauphin El stop, water was perpetually raining down thru the eroding stairwell that doubled as a urinal. But I loved it. Philly. There was a rawness, an honesty, a grittiness, and a feeling that you could do anything. There was a community of artists, and co-ops like Vox populi, Nexus, High Wire, The Clay Studio, The Rosenbach Museum, the Fleisher Art Memorial, The Project Room. All these venues and more were doing great things. There was an amazing underground music scene as well. Ortliebs, The Kyber Pass, The Ruba Club, Silk City, the Unitarian Church, the Lone Star, etc., all these places planted seeds of the arts and culture in our city. That crack war zone is now called “America’s Hottest New Neighborhood.” (ICYMI, How Forbes has labeled Fishtown, May 2018)

While my artwork might not be in the most public of places, the process which took a few of years couldn’t have happened without the passionate involvement of numerous local businesses. We are social animals, and it’s the Arts that brings us together, and brings people to the city, and its impact on the city is immeasurable. From Robert Indiana’s Love Park sculpture to Claes Oldenburg’s Clothespin on the Parkway, the Orchestra and Sun Ra, to the Duchamp collection at the PMA, the arts bring people from all over the world. As of 2018 “The Arts contribute $763.6 Billion to the U.S economy, more than Agriculture, or Transportation. Employing 4.9 million workers with earnings of more than $370 billion. Furthermore, the Arts exported $20 billion more than imported, providing a positive trade balance,”

At this Time when we might be going into an economic Depression, and it is the arts that draw us out, evoking a connection with each other and with humanity, while creating the economic stimulus for our City, it is hard for me to understand how cutting funding in the Arts is proposed. As of 2005, for every 1 dollar spent on investment in the Arts there’s a least 7 dollars returned. “Our industry also generates nearly $30 billion in revenue to local, state, and federal governments every year. By comparison, the three levels of government collectively spend less than $4 billion annually to support arts and culture—a spectacular 7:1 return on investment that would even thrill Wall Street veterans.”

It is time to end the ten year tax abatement which has long out-lived it purpose, not the Philadelphia Cultural Fund (PCF) and Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy (OACCE).

Tristin Lowe, Percent for Art artist, 19119

The PCF and the OACCE are absolutely essential parts of life in this city. -Virginia Maksymowicz

The PCF and the OACCE are absolutely essential parts of life in this city. Thanks in large part to the expertise of Tu Huynh, Art in City Hall is particularly valuable. The gallery and display cases provide a unique educational venue. Every sector of society passes through those halls, from our elected representatives to citizens serving jury duty to school children to tourists. I know of no other exhibition space that can boast such a diverse audience. The three most recent shows — “PhotoVoice” (the work of 33 students who used photography to explore health issues); “Bethel Burying Ground: A Tribute to A Sacred Place” (exploring Philadelphia’s early 19th-century free Black community); and “American Peril: Faces of the Enemy” (a portrait series by local photographer, Justin Chiu, addressing racial prejudice) — exemplify the range of topics highlighted. Support of this invaluable program MUST be continued.

Virginia Maksymowicz, 19104, Artist, Professor Emerita, Franklin & Marshal College

The Cultural Fund helps us plan, it helps us learn, it helps us grow. It allows us to survive and thrive.
-Billy Dufala

The Cultural Fund was the first funding our program ever received and made the first iterations of our dream possible. Since our organization’s humble beginnings, the Cultural Fund has been a part of the driving force behind what has allowed us to create the opportunities we have made possible for our community. It has allowed us to continually educate a curious public and aids in our ongoing work to deliver creative contributions to the cultural landscape of our amazing city. The Cultural Fund helps us plan, it helps us learn, it helps us grow. It allows us to survive and thrive.

Billy Dufala, Artist, Co-founder, Director of Residencies -RAIR

Staying connected to our communities and the arts is what makes living in isolation sustainable for many of us. -Jarrod Markman

When we start talking about money it is easy to forget that innovation doesn’t just come from advancements in technology. Innovation comes from a more human place – an experience, a desire, a need. During this pandemic every aspect of our day-to-day life must be innovated, the ways we all keep sane most of all. Staying connected to our communities and the arts is what makes living in isolation sustainable for many of us. The continued funding from PCF will ensure that Da Vinci Art Alliance and many other important community art organizations are still here as we begin to rebuild. With funding from the PCF, Da Vinci Art Alliance serves over 8,000 annual patrons, 200 visual art members, and educational outreach programs reaching hundreds of neighborhood youth and dozens in memory care-units. Without funding from PCF, our neighborhood and community will feel this loss most deeply.

Jarrod Markman, Executive Director, Da Vinci Art Alliance

I am struck by the essential connections Philly’s cultural offices and commissions make: bringing artists, architects, local businesses, city officials and neighborhoods together to create lasting public works.
-Mark Stockton

Mark Stockton, Score, 2016, Marian Anderson Recreation Center, Percent for Art Program

In 2016, I was given the opportunity to create Score, a 60’ site-specific mural that celebrates the history of baseball, its impact on our culture and community, and the life of Marian Anderson through Philadelphia’s Percent for Art Program. Looking back on my experience, I am struck by the essential connections Philly’s cultural offices and commissions make: bringing artists, architects, local businesses, city officials and neighborhoods together to create lasting public works. Essentially, these programs act as amazing hubs for interdisciplinary activity. When these unlikely partners (my project incorporated youth baseball, architecture, cultural history, music, professional sports and the arts) are invited into a discussion- then a new civic space has been created, allowing these communities to respond to one another through creativity. In a time of isolation, the resulting works stand as monuments to our ability to connect with one another.

Mark Stockton, Philadelphian Artist- 19125, Associate Teaching Professor- Drexel University, Board Member- Vox Populi

By supporting the arts we support each other -Christine McDonald

I have had the pleasure of being included in three exhibitions through the Art in City Hall program, and my time working with the staff and Tu Huynh for those exhibitions was wonderful. The inclusion of my artwork came as I was just completing my undergraduate degree at Temple University and it was such a vote of confidence firstly that art matters and that secondly art has an important place in Philadelphia – a city I have called home for the last six years. By supporting the arts we support each other, and intrinsically human creativity. I hope the City Council can move Philadelphia forward with more creativity, rather than elimination.

Christine McDonald, Sculptor, 19125

Girl in the Garden: Danger in Paradise Video at HOT•BED

August 5, 2020

Girl in the Garden: Danger in Paradise is a nuanced response to climate change conveyed through the compelling viewpoints of girlhood, deforestation, and Magical Realism. With new photographic works and installations, Potsic explores female agency, the wooded lifeblood of our planet, and the fate of humankind. After photographing her daughter in the lush forests of the northeastern United States, Potsic traveled to Paradise, California and surrounding forests (located upwind from her extended family’s home) to photograph the complete devastation caused by the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history. Personal experience underscoring the urgency of climate change, Potsic intertwines visions of girlhood in paradise with nature’s unprecedented destruction caused by wildfires.

The garden being a place of innocence and danger has long dominated our view of nature tracing back to Romanticism, Enlightenment philosophy, the Bible, and our earliest human religions. Now, with wildfires raging in California and the Amazon at alarming rates, deforestation has reached biblical proportions spanning the globe. Simultaneously in American culture, the female empowerment movement recently surged allowing for more complex definitions of femininity than ever before. Examining the concept of Paradise through contemporary lenses of climate change and gender, Potsic creates a narrative and physical space that invites personal connection and individual action.

Click here to access the full Girl in the Garden press kit.

© Amie Potsic, Vision Detail, Mixed Media on Panel, 36” x 72”, 2019

© Amie Potsic, Vision Detail, Mixed Media on Panel, 36” x 72”, 2019

Miami Satellite Fairs: Pulse, Scope, and Untitled Art Fair

January 31, 2020

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Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Ralph Ziman

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Ralph Ziman

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Ralph Ziman

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Ralph Ziman

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Alexi Tores, Jennifer Balcos Gallery

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Alexi Tores, Jennifer Balcos Gallery

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Meguru Yamaguchi, GR Gallery

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Meguru Yamaguchi, GR Gallery

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Kazuyuki Takishita, Tokyo Japan

Pulse Art Fair, Artwork by Kazuyuki Takishita, Tokyo Japan

SCOPE-art-show_grande.jpg
Scope Art Fair, Artwork by Porkchop, Parlor Gallery

Scope Art Fair, Artwork by Porkchop, Parlor Gallery

Scope Art fair, Artwork by Tim Okamurua, Meijler Art

Scope Art fair, Artwork by Tim Okamurua, Meijler Art

Scope Art Fair, Artwork by David Holler, New Apostle Gallery

Scope Art Fair, Artwork by David Holler, New Apostle Gallery

Scope Art Fair, Artwork by Lan Zhenghui, Ethan Cohen Gallery

Scope Art Fair, Artwork by Lan Zhenghui, Ethan Cohen Gallery

Scope Art Fair, Artwork by Lyle Owerko, Art Angels Gallery

Scope Art Fair, Artwork by Lyle Owerko, Art Angels Gallery

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Patrick Quarm, Asetsena Pa (Good Living), 2019, Albertz Benda Gallery, Untitled Art Fair 2019

Patrick Quarm, Asetsena Pa (Good Living), 2019, Albertz Benda Gallery, Untitled Art Fair 2019

Untitled Art Fair 2019

Untitled Art Fair 2019

Michalene Thomas, from the series Orlando, Yancey Richardson Gallery, Untitled Art Fair 2019

Michalene Thomas, from the series Orlando, Yancey Richardson Gallery, Untitled Art Fair 2019

Zipper Galeria, Sao Paolo Brazil, Untitled Art Fair 2019

Zipper Galeria, Sao Paolo Brazil, Untitled Art Fair 2019

Stephanie Syjuco, Catherine Clark Gallery, Untitled Art Fair 2019

Stephanie Syjuco, Catherine Clark Gallery, Untitled Art Fair 2019

Special Events: Pérez Museum Opening Reception, El Espacio 23 Opening Event, and The Rubell Collection Opening

January 31, 2020

Teresita Fernandez at the Pérez Museum Opening Reception

Teresita Fernandez at the Pérez Museum Opening Reception

Teresita Fernandez at the Pérez Museum Opening Reception

Teresita Fernandez at the Pérez Museum Opening Reception

Teresita Fernandez at the Pérez Museum Opening Reception

Teresita Fernandez at the Pérez Museum Opening Reception

Barthelemy Toguo, road to Exile, 2018, El Espacio 23 Opening Event

Barthelemy Toguo, road to Exile, 2018, El Espacio 23 Opening Event

Ana Maria Devis, Infinito, 2018, El Espacio 23 Opening Event

Ana Maria Devis, Infinito, 2018, El Espacio 23 Opening Event

Esterio Segura, La historia se muerde la cola (2015), El Espacio 23 Opening Event

Esterio Segura, La historia se muerde la cola (2015), El Espacio 23 Opening Event

JOnathas de Andrade, Eu, Mestico, 2017, Espacio 23 Opening Event

JOnathas de Andrade, Eu, Mestico, 2017, Espacio 23 Opening Event

Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Student (2016). El Espacio 23 Opening Event

Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Student (2016). El Espacio 23 Opening Event

The Rubell Collection in Miami, Keith Haring

The Rubell Collection in Miami, Keith Haring

The Rubell Collection in Miami, Kehinde Wiley, Sleep, 2008

The Rubell Collection in Miami, Kehinde Wiley, Sleep, 2008

The Rubell Collection in Miami, Paloma Varga Weisz, Waldfrau, getarnt, 2002, Sleep, 2008

The Rubell Collection in Miami, Paloma Varga Weisz, Waldfrau, getarnt, 2002, Sleep, 2008

The Rubell Collection in Miami, Sterling Ruby, Flag 2014; Sterling Ruby, SP177, 2011; Lucy Dodd, Guernika, 2014 Carl Andre, Llano Estacado, Dallas Texas, 1979

The Rubell Collection in Miami, Sterling Ruby, Flag 2014; Sterling Ruby, SP177, 2011; Lucy Dodd, Guernika, 2014
Carl Andre, Llano Estacado, Dallas Texas, 1979

Amie Potsic presents Midnight Mass at The Delaware Contemporary

December 2, 2019

Amie Potsic presents Midnight Mass at The Delaware Contemporary, January 24 - April 25, 2020.
Opening Reception: Friday, February 7, 5 - 9 PM.

Artist Statement – Midnight Mass
”My work references the sensory experience of being within the forest while encouraging us all to appreciate and preserve its future. Incarnate environmental explorations, my photographs and installations invite you to connect with your own perception of nature in a manner that is both intimate and enchanting. I focus on the beauty and mystery of the forest to share my sense of wonder, develop our connection to trees, and encourage environmental protections. Personal experience underscoring the urgency of climate change, I draw attention to deforestation by creating visceral and cerebral connections to trees and the natural world.

Amie Potsic, Midnight Mass (Installation view) 2020, © Amie Potsic 2020

Amie Potsic, Midnight Mass (Installation view) 2020, © Amie Potsic 2020

Midnight Mass is a site-specific installation created from over 250 feet of silk. The semi-translucent silk with photographic imagery from the forest weaves its way through the air to arch, bend, and arabesque in the sky. The panels extend from the entrance reaching up toward the looming windows behind to be backlit like stained glass. The installation fills the space in graceful, abstract lines and draping, drawing the eye up toward the apex of the room. Looking up at the illuminated silk, a conjured sense of our own scale, akin to what we feel in a cathedral or looking up at the forest canopy, enhances the experience of the artwork and museum’s architecture.”
- Amie Potsic

Biography
Amie Potsic, MFA is an accomplished photographer and installation artist living in the Philadelphia area whose work addresses cultural, personal, and natural phenomena. Potsic has exhibited her work internationally at the Art Park in Rhodes, Greece; Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá, Colombia; Medfoundart di Cagliari, Italy; the Royal College of London, England as well as in museums and galleries throughout the United States. Potsic received her MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute and BA’s in Photojournalism and English Literature from Indiana University, graduating with Distinguished Honors and a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. She has held faculty appointments at the University of California at Berkeley, Ohlone College, and the San Francisco Art Institute, published her work in The San Francisco Chronicle and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and has been a guest lecturer at The International Center of Photography. Potsic is currently the CEO & Principal of Amie Potsic Art Advisory, LLC and Chair of the Art in City Hall Artistic Advisory Board to the Office of Arts and Culture of the City of Philadelphia.

“Some artists devote entire careers to a single obsession. Amie Potsic manages to divert a series of obsessions into clear and direct narratives that nonetheless build seamlessly into her own artistic portfolio.... The full scope of her oeuvre interacts and builds a distinct artistic voice.”
- Nicholas Shonberger, Independent Scholar


Click here to access the full Midnight Mass press kit.

Amie Potsic, Midnight Mass (Installation view) 2020, © Amie Potsic 2020

Amie Potsic, Midnight Mass (Installation view) 2020, © Amie Potsic 2020

THE STORY OF ART AND CLIMATE: CREATING CHANGE THROUGH ART AND ACTION

Image featured: Amie Potsic "Vision" Mixed Media on Panel 36"x 72" 2019 © Amie Potsic 2019.

Image featured: Amie Potsic "Vision" Mixed Media on Panel 36"x 72" 2019 © Amie Potsic 2019.

November 20, 2019

Join us for a lively discussion and presentation on the positive impact of the arts on the Climate Change movement and how creativity and storytelling can create change. As part of the 24 Hours of Reality, an international day of Climate presentations offered by Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, Hot Bed will host an artist panel discussion and climate presentations with scientific experts in the midst of Girl in the Garden: Danger In Paradise a solo exhibition by Amie Potsic which focuses on climate change and gender roles through the lens of deforestation and wildfires. One Tree Planted has committed to planting one tree for every attendee at this presentation. Please join us to learn how you can create change, engage in the arts, and have a tree planted in your honor. Click here to download the Climate Change Resource Guide.

The Story of Art and Climate:  Creating change through art and action

To RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-story-of-art-and-climate-creating-change-through-art-and-action-tickets-79199348383

Artist Panel:

Amie Potsic, Ana Vizcarra Rankin, Marguerita Hagan & Deirdre Murphy

Moderators and Presenters: 
Al Morales: Presenter and Moderator, Climate Reality Project
Alana Morales, Youth Presenter: Climate Reality Project
Dr. Erik Cordes, Associate Professor, Vice Chair, Ecology and Integrative Biology, Temple University & Alexis Weinnig, Graduate student, Department of Biology, Temple University: Science Experts and Presenters

About 24 Hours of Reality: https://www.24hoursofreality.org/
About One Tree Planted commitment for event:  https://onetreeplanted.org/
Event is free and open to the public.

Click here to access the full Girl in the Garden press kit.

Out and About: Fall Art Season in Philadelphia & Wilmington

October 11, 2019

“I recently had the pleasure of seeing a number of exhibitions by artists whose work acts as a catalyst to important issues while also being conceptually and aesthetically rigorous.  Deirdre Murphy’s exhibition “Oculus” is the result of a residency at the University City Science Center.  She has created gargantuan paintings inspired by gazing at molecules in the microscope that are lyrical, dramatic, and painstakingly created.  I loved the show even more after interviewing her for a podcast on Art Watch Radio .  I also visited Ana Viscara Rankin’s solo show at Kitchen Table Gallery where she interprets maps and human migration through abstract and layered paintings, which like Murphy’s work, comment on climate change and how we affect our environment.  Her installation was very compelling and joined the sky and earth both literally and figuratively.  In “That’s When We Flew” at UBIQ, Aubrie Costello has expanded her silk graffiti to include imagery of her creative collaborations on silk as well as wearable art.  Her opening event was an exciting alchemy of art, fashion, music, and fun.  Her recent collaborative work involves performers and creatives that enliven her works and allow them to move in the world and amidst relationships.  It was wonderful to see her silk installations and wearable creations engage audiences in new and unexpected ways. 

Erica Zoe Loustau mounted a large-scale, site-specific installation in the atrium of the Delaware Contemporary for all of 2019.  “New Heights” is grand, abstract, colorful, and dynamic.  I wanted to lay under it and bask in its grandeur and subtle movement.  Her work is always incredibly complex and impressively presented.  This installation is no exception and greatly enhances the industrial architecture of the museum.  Also at the Delaware Contemporary, John Singletary’s solo exhibition “Anahata,” was an experience to savor.  In the darkened gallery, his black and white photographic imagery was aglow on OLED electronic canvases where the imagery moved, pulsed, and morphed before my eyes.  Anahata is Sanskrit for “unhurt” or “unbroken” and corresponds to the energies of the heart and a harmonic connection to the celestial realm.  Being in his gallery felt like a religious experience as the imagery conjures ritual, dance, prayer, and human connection.  The figures engaged in movement, the sound of abstract sonic harmonies, and the glow of modulating light were magical.  His work is a testament to what can come from elaborate collaborations with fellow artists as his work involved numerous contributors to bring the totality to fruition.  Comingling ancient symbolism with modern technology, his work illuminated the power of black and white photography at its most luscious.”

- Amie Potsic

Artist Credit: Aubrie Costello

Artist Credit: Aubrie Costello

Artist Credit: Aubrie Costello

Artist Credit: Aubrie Costello

Artist Credit: Deirdre Murphy

Artist Credit: Deirdre Murphy

Artist Credit: Deirdre Murphy and Scott White

Artist Credit: Deirdre Murphy and Scott White

Artist Credit: Deirdre Murphy

Artist Credit: Deirdre Murphy

Artist Credit: Deirdre Murphy

Artist Credit: Deirdre Murphy

Artist Credit: Ana Viscara Rankin

Artist Credit: Ana Viscara Rankin

Artist Credit: Ana Viscara Rankin

Artist Credit: Ana Viscara Rankin

Erica Zoe Loustau at The Delaware Contemporary "New Heights" 2019

Erica Zoe Loustau at The Delaware Contemporary "New Heights" 2019

Erica Zoe Loustau at The Delaware Contemporary "New Heights" 2019

Erica Zoe Loustau at The Delaware Contemporary "New Heights" 2019

Dryads, John Singletary, 5’ x 3’ OLED Installation, Pigment Print 24” x 42”

Dryads, John Singletary, 5’ x 3’ OLED Installation, Pigment Print 24” x 42”

Providence (detail), John Singletary, 3’ x 30’ OLED Installation, Pigment Print 24” x 18’

Providence (detail), John Singletary, 3’ x 30’ OLED Installation, Pigment Print 24” x 18’

Installation View - The Delaware Contemporary, John Singletary, OLED Multimedia/Sound Installation, Photo Credit: Rick Wright

Installation View - The Delaware Contemporary, John Singletary, OLED Multimedia/Sound Installation,
Photo Credit: Rick Wright