Art in the News
Posted on Sun, Dec. 26, 2010
Galleries: At City Hall, even the furniture is dysfunctional
By Edith Newhall
For The Inquirer
If the holidays have you yearning for a temporary escape from your dysfunctional family, you can always go to City Hall. "Dysfunctional Furniture," a juried exhibition at Art in City Hall, will make you feel right at home, minus the multiple trying personalities. As a matter of fact, it's uncanny how many of the works by the show's 24 artists suggest the absence of people.
Posted on Sun, Dec. 26, 2010
Galleries: At City Hall, even the furniture is dysfunctional
By Edith Newhall
For The Inquirer
If the holidays have you yearning for a temporary escape from your dysfunctional family, you can always go to City Hall. "Dysfunctional Furniture," a juried exhibition at Art in City Hall, will make you feel right at home, minus the multiple trying personalities. As a matter of fact, it's uncanny how many of the works by the show's 24 artists suggest the absence of people.
Posted on Sun, Dec. 26, 2010
Galleries: At City Hall, even the furniture is dysfunctional
By Edith Newhall
For The Inquirer
If the holidays have you yearning for a temporary escape from your dysfunctional family, you can always go to City Hall. "Dysfunctional Furniture," a juried exhibition at Art in City Hall, will make you feel right at home, minus the multiple trying personalities. As a matter of fact, it's uncanny how many of the works by the show's 24 artists suggest the absence of people.
Galleries: At City Hall, even the furniture is dysfunctional
By Edith Newhall
For The Inquirer
If the holidays have you yearning for a temporary escape from your dysfunctional family, you can always go to City Hall. "Dysfunctional Furniture," a juried exhibition at Art in City Hall, will make you feel right at home, minus the multiple trying personalities. As a matter of fact, it's uncanny how many of the works by the show's 24 artists suggest the absence of people.
As I walked into the gallery proper, in Room 116 on City Hall's ground floor (the exhibition continues in the second-floor hallway of the building's northeast corner), my eyes were immediately drawn to Laura Frazure's peculiarly lovely and off-putting "Beauty is only a promise of happiness" - Stendhal, a work that resembles a cross between a chaise longue and a gigantic sea horse completely covered in platinum-blond synthetic hair. It has no face, like the Addams Family's Cousin Itt, and is not supposed to be sat on. As if.
Nearby, another mesmerizing and slightly terrifying piece beckons. It's Deanna McLaughlin's Homelessness vs. Hedonism, a found, dilapidated steel shopping cart that McLaughlin has woven with numerous worn leather belts as if to hold the cart together. The "shop till you drop" mentality that McLaughlin wanted to conjure and contrast with the condition of homelessness is not made obvious by this work - the shopping cart looks more like a wheelchair - but it's compelling and disturbing nevertheless. You can almost see the person who might be seated in such a chair.
The subtler works in this show are similarly disquieting.
Matthew Alden Price's Line Drawing II is a white melamine shelf on which he has balanced stacks of pale ceramic cups and saucers in rows, totem-style; he also has attached them, right-side up, to the bottom of the shelf, so it appears the cups and saucers have gone right through the shelf. The piece appears to be a metaphor for family members of the past. (In his artist's statement, Price said he had been influenced by his family's Maine cottage and its contents, made by several generations of family members.)
At first, Michael Brolly's carved wood desk and chair, Pedagogical Starveling, look so generically attractive you wonder what they're doing in this company. On closer inspection, you see that he has ingeniously sanded down parts of his furniture to paper thinness, giving the impression they were worn down by human use over many years.
The works on the second floor allude to people, too, with the same ambivalence. Lydia Hunn's painted wood sculpture, Apollinaire Renamed, looks like the two ends of a bed frame positioned together - with no room for a person between them - and also like the front of a jail. And yet the bright colors that Hunn painted the rungs of the "headboard" and "footboard" makes them resemble enormous birthday candles. A child's nightmare? Hunn's sculpture makes me think of Louise Bourgeois and Apollinaire.
Nothing says "annoying people" and "rampant consumerism" better than Trash Can Potato, Carlos Avendanos' color photograph of a worn couch perched precariously on a city trash can. At the same time, you can be grateful you're not living in the house behind it.
Albert LeCoff and Jack Larimore were the jurors for "Dysfunctional Furniture"; the show also includes works by Gretchen Altabef, Charna Eisner, Hannah Fink, Kay Healy, Tara Inman-Bellafatto, Henry Laustau, Ife Nii Owoo, Michelle Post, Leo Razzi, Maria Schneider, Adam Shuman, Herbert Simon, William Skrobut, Holly E. Smith, Chris Todd, Michael Wiley, and Burnell Yow!
Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/entertainment/20101226_Galleries___At_City_Hall__even_the_furniture_is_dysfunctional.html#ixzz19znFEKS0
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/weekend/visual_
arts/20101226_Galleries___At_City_Hall__even
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www.citysbest.com/.../dysfunctional-furniture-now-on-view-at-city-hall/
weeklypress.com/art-in-city-hall-shows-dysfunctional-furniture-p2285-95.htm
http://www.nationalartsprogram.org/news/art-city-hall-presents-11th-national-arts-program%C2%AE-philadelphia
http://www.phillysidearts.com/2010/12/art-in-city-hall-presents-dysfunctional-furniture/
http://brewermultimedia.com/2010/12/27/
dysfunctional-furniture-art-in-city-hall/
http://www.pontealdia.com/philadelphia/el-arte-una-conexion-de-los-presos-con-la-comunidad.html
https://www.pontealdia.com/philadelphia/la-voz-de-los-presos-a-traves-del-arte.html
http://artscultureandcreativeeconomy.
blogspot.com/2010/08/insideoutside-art-by-prison-inmates-and.html
The Art Gallery At City Hall opening:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/96541529
.html
http://www.kyw1060.com/Art-Gallery-at-Phila--City-Hall-Opens-to-the-Publi/7489061
http://whyy.org/cms/news/government-politics/2010/06/16/art-gets-a-home-at-philadelphia-city-hall/40121
http://theartblog.org/2010/06/we-need-more-art-in-the-open/
http://www.kyw1060.com/Outdoor-Art-Show-Along-Schuylkill-River-Ends-Satur/7447409
Art gets a home at Philadelphia City Hall
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
By: Tom MacDonald
tmacdonald@whyy.org
Philadelphia City Hall now has a mini art museum to showcase the city's best.
The gallery is only 800 square feet, but has a number of different pieces from wood sculptures to paintings and photography. Gary Steuer is the city's Chief Cultural Officer. He says Room 116 combines the office for his department and a showcase for Arts and Culture in the city.
Philadelphia's Chief Cultural Officer Gary Steuer
"Using the gallery as a platform for supporting the city's cultural organizations, cultural sector and citywide festivals. So each year we will have a schedule of exhibitions that will be designed to reflect that philosophy. We're forming an advisory group that will help us with the choice of the exhibitions."
A dozen Philadelphia artists are featured in the first exhibition, which runs through August 6th. The gallery is accessible from the East side of City Hall near the visitors' center.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/96541529.html
http://www.kyw1060.com/Art-Gallery-at-Phila--City-Hall-Opens-to-the-Publi/7489061 Pat Loeb
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/art/Art-Time-Summer-in-the-City.html
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/
20091123_Students_reinterpret_
Fairmount_Park_mansions.html
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/weekend
/20091023_Works_made_of_paper_bring_fragile
_technique_to_a_show_at_City_Hall.html
http://colored-thread.blogspot.com/
http://brewermultimedia.com/2009/06/22/in-your-dreams-art-in-city-hall-2/
http://theartblog.org/2009/03/on-the-fringe-of-fiber-at-city-hall/comment-page-1/
http://www.artsphoria.com/art.html
Mayor Nutter re-opens the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, naming Gary Steuer as the City of Philadelphia's Chief Cultural Officer:
http://ework.phila.gov/philagov/news/
prelease.asp?id=436
http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/2008
/07/22/reaching-for-the-czar-qa-with-gary-steuer/
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com
/articles/17745/news
http://www.phillyfunguide.com/event/detail/82411
http://www.phillysidearts.com/2010/03/art-in-city-hall-presents-wind-prints/
http://philanet.com/Philly-Suburbs/2010/03/10/art-exhibit-in-philadelphias-city-hall/
http://space1026.com/blog/art_around_town/
http://citypaper.net/philadelphia/events/event/9290_e_9290_2010-03-11/Cultural+Arts+Center+PDDC+Art+Exhibition
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cultural-Arts-Center-PDDC/307186021785?v=wall#!/photo.php?pid=3996529&id=307186021785
Works made of paper bring fragile technique to a show at City Hall
By Victoria Donohoe
For The Inquirer, Posted on Fri, Oct. 23, 2009
'Paper Works!," a City Hall art show, wears its technique on its sleeve.
Twenty Philadelphia-area artists are represented, each showing one or several works in a juried display selected by Winifred A. Lutz, a sculptor distinguished for her sensitive renderings in this fragile medium.
For the casual Philadelphia gallery goer, paperwork art is still an unknown. It was the art of the technically advanced media world that hatched it. So the effort to make this art less elitist and more reachable hopes to find just the right boost in this competitive show, set up by the Art in City Hall program.
The work ranges from notable seriousness, eloquence, and considerable technical fluency to entries we recognize more for their sincerity. The criterion for importance here is that such a mix is well-suited to the regular traffic of City Hall visitors.
Outstanding is Chanthaphone Rajavong's idiosyncratic and powerful work, which demonstrates an Asian dexterity and a subtly creative use of found materials, including newsprint and paper money. This sculptor combines a down-to-earth approach with elegance in a four-piece installation that includes such creations as a woman's fancy hat and tall boots made of playing cards.
Other high points are pieces by Maria Anasazi and Virginia Maksymowicz. Profoundly influenced by growing up in rural Greece without books of her own, Anasazi finds that folding, cutting, and sewing pages of discarded books provides a sense of home for her. Indeed, her two pieces here have precisely that edge of feeling that can lift a work above the merely charming or decorative.
Maksymowicz is modestly socially aware in her piece, modeled on her own head, bent way forward so her facial features are completely hidden in her hands. The piece suggests personal experiences of an artist with a feminist viewpoint, and it has a beautifully poised strength and delicacy.
This featherweight sculpture cannot be mistaken for conventional artwork. It is about deep personal feelings hauntingly explored via a type of realism that more conventional artwork simply does not have.
Philadelphia City Hall, second and fourth floors, northeast corner of Broad and Market Streets. To Jan. 15. Mon.-Fri., 8-5. Free. 215-686-9912.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20091123_Students_reinterpret_Fairmount_Park_
mansions.html
http://events.examiner.com/venue.aspx?venue_id=4443&perf_id=1649870&exmkt=Philadelphia
http://video.ap.org/?f=PAPHQ&PID=ftb_LpnbJwI6Oi_QYUkvLN1AgrJsNdfz
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/events/Fairmount-Parks-Colonial-Elite-64773332.html
http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/4639283/
http://funnelpages.com/2009/10/18/this-weeks-listings-october-19th-25th/
http://colored-thread.blogspot.com/
In Your Dreams - June 11 - September 11, 2009
Artsphoria
"Snippets That Glow in My Brain"
Q&A with Artist Carol Taylor-Kearney
Interview by Andrea K. Hammer, director of Artsphoria
Why did the Art in City Hall exhibit In Your Dreams interest to you?
What prompted me to participate in Art in City Hall is the rich history of support that the City of Philadelphia has had regarding the visual arts. It has the Mural Arts Program, numerous Percent for Art projects, renowned museums and collections, the nation's first art school and museum, and outstanding arts institutions from art schools to the Fringe Festival, to Philadelphia Open Studio Tours. As the center for the city, it follows that Philadelphia City Hall should be an important venue for area-based artists' work.
How does your work relate to the theme of this exhibit?
It also happened that the artwork I am presently developing fits the theme of this particular "Call for Artist Submissions." In Your Dreams asked artists to "take a journey through the subconscious" and to provide "imagery reflecting the ephemeral, irrational, and the nonlinear qualities of dreams." My artworks, in general, are not unlike dreams. They present narratives that both reflect ?lived? reality but have their own world with their own concerns. They are built through conceptual blending, a theory of cognitive development in which diverse ideas and sets of experiences are linked to create something new. They contain the fuzzy traces and layers of my thinking about a concept. I begin with scavenging. I amass and organize collections from where I live, where I work, what I do, and the roles I play. This means that my artwork is sometimes messy, not necessarily logical, and filled with a lot of stuff. It is representational, abstracted, and conceptual. It uses both handmade and manufactured goods, and combines painting, craft, printing, collage, and sculpture.
Where do you generally draw inspiration for your art, and how does it feed your life?
Most of my ideas come to me while walking around. I?ll see or hear snippets, and they will glow in my brain. I?ll make up word games about them or try to find them in other media?in publications and on the web, in shows and songs, artwork and stories. It seems very mysterious, but simply put, it is recycling; namely, the framing of found and disposed objects, experiences, and information into a collection that has a story of its own. In Figure This, as in many of the art works from my In the Studio series, the world takes place inside my studio. The studio itself is both a physical space and a mental space for my rumination about a visual art concept or concern. Figure This shows the space inhabited by the figures from art masterworks mixed with depictions from fashion magazines. Objects and tools found in my studio get into the act?even the window support has grown floppy legs that stand in
contrapposto! And as the title to the art work suggests, just as we try to read, to interpret our dreams, I would like the audience to go through the layers of what is presented and figure it out. Figure out the body, figure out our relationship to the body, figure out our notions on beauty and our "comfort levels" with the human form, and figure out how we have used the body to function in the world--whether to sell products, design useful tools, make measurements, or elicit emotional and intellectual responses.
What would you particularly like readers to know about your work, and what would you like them to experience when viewing it?
I suppose that the greatest hope for my artwork is to make people think--to engage people with life. When I make this work I really have to examine things. The window that I found, the pieces that I have collected, photographs that I have taken, the stuff I'm viewing or reading or hearing, the conversations with others, even my dreams, all contribute to the process and the theme of my artwork. I also have to pay close attention to the technique. The window's glass is painted in a method called "reverse painting on glass." Because viewers are looking through the glass to the painted side, what they are seeing is the reverse of what I paint--that is, the painting has been painted backward. This is a bit tricky and is made more complicated because once the paint is down, I cannot fully remove it. I have to be happy with what I have done. Like life, there are no do-overs, just do agains. And like conceptual blending, what I have done becomes input for the next step in creative thinking.
To learn more about this artist, visit www.taylor-kearneyfinearts.com.
http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/48604572.html
http://brewermultimedia.com/2009/05/28/in-your-dreams-art-in-city-hall/
http://streettalkin.com/philadelphia-art-in-city-hall-new-exhibit-in-your-dreams-opens-june-11/
http://theartblog.org/2009/07/weekly-update-art-in-city-hall-bound-by-glass-cases-and-mired-in-the-past/
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/Art-in-City-Hall.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cleanandsolid/3620707271/in/photostream/K. Pannepacker (curator for "On the Fringe of Fiber")
http://americancraftmag.org/article.php?id=7289
Pannepacker stands in front of sections representing textiles from Mongolia and Niger on Wall of Rugs No. 2.
"On the Fringe of Fiber"
http://theartblog.org/2009/03/on-the-fringe-of-fiber-at-city-hall/comment-page-1/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/libbyrosof/sets/72157615637079929/
DoNArTNeWs
http://brewermultimedia.com/2009/03/08/photographic-society-of-philadelphia-art-in-city-hall/
Photographic Society of Philadelphia - Art in City Hall
As DoN entered the 5th Floor of Philadelphia City Hall for the Photographic Society of Philadelphia exhibition of member work a part of Art in City Hall he was greeted by Eilleen Eckstein with a flower for participating artists. Shoshka pinned DoN's carnation and they entered the ornate halls together; the gala was jammed with estimates of 300 attendees, the walls are hung with a fantastic array of photographic styles all meeting the only rule, that the framed image not exceed 16 x 20 inches. The crowd was jovial and high spirited.
The Photographic Society of Philadelphia opening night party for Art in City Hall on the 5th floor.
That?s Armond Scavo's, of Earthlight Images, photo of City Hall in the middle; Armond offered discounted services to PSoP members; DoN had the opportunity to see how Armond has consolidated his studio into the first floor of his home in South Philly. Now Scavo is doing digital as well as wet dark room work - a real talent and great Philadelphia personality.
Lynn Shepsman with her photograph, "Deep in Devotion". DoN is fascinated with how this simple image emanates a certain time and place and when DoN talked with Lynn he learned the image is indeed of contemporary India.
Photographer Alan K. Klawans @ Art in City Hall. Klawens recently curated the excellent small WORLDS show at the Plastic Club.
Alan K. Klawans' photos, "Buoy #14", a composite image and "Nuts and Bolts."
DoN LoVeS Veronica Schmude's photographs, "Untitled #1″ & "Untitled #2". Kudos to the exhibition committee for the most excellent digital catalog, Morris Klein customized the pdf files so that each artists work appears on the cover - here's DoN's. brewer pdf
A visitor studying DoN's entry in Art in City Hall's, Photographic Society of Philadelphia members exhibition. DoN?s work was framed by Armond Scavo of Earthlight Images, simply heat mounting the prints to foam-core board with no glass heightened the visibility of the images.
http://brewermultimedia.com/2009/03/08/moore-college-of-art-design-160-years-and-beyond-art-in-city-hall/
Cathey White, Growth "Process", spray paint and mixed media. Boot designed and cast by Darla Jackson. Art in City Hall currently has a show on 2 & 4 called the Fringe of Fiber curated by Kathryn Pennepacker, very cool show and PSoP on 5..
DoNArTNeWs
DoNBrewerMultimedia Reviews the Philadelphia Region Art Scene
http://brewermultimedia.com/2009/03/09/on-the-fringe-of-fiber-art-in-city-hall/
On the Fringe of Fiber @ Art in City Hall
Kathryn Pannepacker curated "On the Fringe of Fiber of Fiber," @ Art In City Hall, filling each of the luminous new display cases with cutting edge fiber arts from the eloquent to the extreme, blobby constructs and wearable art to crafts and fine art, fluidly mixed together in an eloquent statement on the state of the arts in fiber. "On the Fringe of Fiber is on floors Two and Four of the historic building; art is truly integral to Philadelphia, Art In City Hall is a real gift to the city and its artists. 
Lesley Haas - On the Fringe of Fiber @ Art in City Hall. The dress on the left is shredded paper - Bjork would LoVe it!
Pat diPaula Klein, stitched by hand over several months with cotton floss on linen, the process and the materials speak of women?s work, texture and time, rhythm and repetition (catalog).
On the Fringe of Fiber" @ Art In City Hall
http://www.artsphoria.com/art.html
City Suburban News - "On the Fringe of Fiber" front page
City Suburban News - "On the Fringe of Fiber" page 3
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Don Simon, "Untitled" - colored pencil |
Dolores Poacelli, "Recycled 1" - etching plate, mixed media |
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http://artsphoria.com/ With art's power to address pressing issues such as |
Online Extra: Another Participating Artist's Insights on "The Green Exhibit" in Philadelphia's City Hall "The Art in City Hall program is one of the rare venues that supports the artists in this city and the one that artists wholeheartedly reach out and hope to be part of," said artist Dolores Poacelli, "This one, titled 'The "Green Exhibit,' is one of the most poignant themes in a time when we are becoming aware the limitations of commodities and natural resources - maybe things the artistic community has been aware of for some time." Ms. Poacelli attended the opening reception fpr the exhibit and spoke with other artists who are full-time "dumpster divers" and those who see trash and make it an aesthetically beautiful visual statement. She added that the show has many "brilliant" pieces in it and has been pulled together and displayed skillfully. Her pieces "Recycle 2" and "Recycle 3" are part of an ongoing series made from used aluminum printing plates, which she picked out of a dumpster and sanded. Then, she added rusted pieces and "found objects" and glued all of them onto wood panels. "The images in each piece are indicative of the human hand in circular forms - a merging of hand, mind and the environment in which we all create and the cycle of all of nature," she said. "An artist's job is to make us aware of beauty in all things, and I think this wonderful show does just that. I'm proud to be a part of it." |
Art Going Green At City Hall
By Andrea K. Hammer, For The Bulletin
10/27/2008
http://www.thebulletin.us/site/index.cfm?newsid=20178454&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=8
Art can be insular, but often it speaks to the transcendant issues of our time - global warming being no exception. "The Green Exhibit" - presented by the Art in City Hall program - highlights the work of 45 local artists using recycled and environmentally friendly materials and found objects.
"City Hall is an important venue because it is at the heart of Philadelphia, in the 'people's house,' and such an important venue needs to have art that reflects the artistic talents of our city," said Art in City Hall Program Director Tu Huynh. "Art is an important forum for engaging in some of the most critical issues of our time, and there is no greater building in Philadelphia than City Hall for such engagements - it houses all three branches of government, and our exhibitions are right outside the offices of the Mayor and City Council. It was coined in 1984 as 'the people's first gallery.' "
Art in City Hall is a collaborative effort between the City of Philadelphia's Department of Public Property and the arts community. An independent advisory council, comprising arts professionals and private citizens, supports the program. Since it began in 1984, more than 1,500 emerging artists have displayed artwork in the hallways of City Hall through juried group exhibitions. In addition to shows for professional artists, the program also exhibits artwork from the School District of Philadelphia, as well as other city agencies and nonprofits.
"Each of our exhibitions for professional and emerging artists is based on specific themes. The idea for 'The Green Exhibit' began through our Exhibitions Committee, made up of local arts professionals. This was our 56th thematic group exhibition in City Hall," Mr. Tu explained.
He also noted that the concept of "green" is not only a symbolic color for environmentalism but also a progressive way of looking at human organizations regarding sustainability in cities and smaller communities. In addition, the term refers to finding more efficient and healthier solutions to building while rethinking energy and water consumption, limited resources and health along with the reduction of waste, pollution and environmental degradation.
"More art equals more perspectives, more stories, more shared experiences and more ideas," Mr. Tu added. "From a curatorial perspective, juried group shows judged through digitals and slides always have an element of faith in it - meaning, you're not going to be absolutely sure what the piece is going to look like until it arrives. That's also true when we allow an installation artist to adapt his or her work to the dimensions of our display cases. There's plenty of guidance given, but the artist needs to be true to his or her art even when the context has been changed because of space."
In addition, he noted another challenge of exhibiting the work of 45 artists involves arranging the show and making the different pieces work as a whole. With the assistance of Cavin Jones, the Exhibitions Committee chair who is also a muralist, they "juxtaposed works that could not only relate to one another conceptually but may perhaps interact with one another through comparable or contrasting artist techniques and formal elements of design."
The exhibit features plastic bag and papier-mache sculptures to a hand-woven rug made from junk mail. Several installations are mixed-media assemblages and sculptures using paper, recycled metals, glass bottles and plastic bags. The show also features photography, works on paper, painting and printmaking.
"With the current administration in City Hall, we don't need to stress to our mayor the importance of sustainability and lessening our impact on our environment. Mayor Nutter gets it. The new Director of Sustainability Mark Alan Hughes gets it," Mr. Tu said.
"The role of art is a significant one. And any art institution, including our small program, can play a role in education by having exhibitions such as 'The Green Exhibit."
Mark Alan Hughes mentioned "healing" as one of the abilities of art; that art has the power to help educate, inspire and heal the damage that's been done by a way of thinking that does not take to heart the importance of sustainability and green design."
Mr. Tu also noted he is "thrilled that we have an experienced professional in Gary Steuer as the current steward of the arts in Philadelphia. He understands the challenges we have in our city, and the important role art has in our community - whether it's nonprofit, private or government."
In addition, Mr. Tu described this exhibit as part of a "process." He also expressed the hope that "The Green Exhibit" will contribute to an ongoing forum for discussions and other forms of engagement focusing on environmental issues.
"Artists get it," Mr. Tu added. "As one artist mentioned to me, Philadelphia artists have been 'green' long before the term ever became popular. We're sort of preaching to the choir, but it's the choir that needs to take it to the streets. Artists have and they always will take it to the streets."
"The Green Exhibit," which opened last week, will run through Jan. 23 on the second and fourth floors of City Hall, northeast corner. For additional information, visit www.artincityhall.org.
Andrea K. Hammer is the founder and director of Artsphoria: Celebrating Arts Euphoria (www.artsphoria.com).
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Environmental artwork turns our trash into treasure
BY ELENA SMITH
http://phoenix.swarthmore.edu/2008/11/20/living/environmental-artwork-turns-our-trash-into-treasure
In print | November 20, 2008
The 20th century marked a transformation in the art world?trash became not something that you have to take out three times a week every other week, but a revolutionary new material. Artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Ed Kienholz sculpted scrap metal, waste paper and found objects into intricate assemblages. Their works critiqued the art world?s traditional obsession with fine materials?gold foil, oil paints, bronze?and insisted that beauty could be unveiled in the trash dump.
(Courtesy of Projects Gallery)Artist Alex Queral carefully carved a phone book into a relief sculpture of a woman's face in his piece called "Contemplating Helen."
In her mixed media piece "Junk Mail Shag," artist Valerie Linhart innovatively creates a colorful shag rug by weaving together strips of junk mail.
In the era of global warming, trash is assuming new meaning in art. Scrap metal can no longer simply be read as an aesthetic statement. Our current culture has infused it with political significance as a cry against waste and environmental destruction.
The Green Exhibit, a juried group exhibition on view at the Philadelphia City Hall, demonstrates the influence of environmental activism upon contemporary artists. Many of the 45 local artists included in the show construct forms from recycled or found materials. The remaining artists turn to traditional materials to provide a window into the sanctity of nature.
Don Simon is one of the few painters included in the exhibition. With a nod to Surrealism, Simon portrays a whale swimming in the air above a bright blue Philadelphia city skyline. Though Simon seems hopeful for a day when Philadelphia will be pollution-free, the painting is also a grim reminder of the smog that clouds the city?s sky today.
Tony Nash, Carol Cole and Ellen Benson are members of Dumpster Divers, a group of artists who comb the trash bins of Philadelphia. Benson writes, ?To me and to most ?divers,? art materials are everywhere!? The artists share a unique eye for beauty, transforming objects that others have discarded into works that captivate attention.
Artist Paul Maraldo is involved in the Plastic Bag Initiative Agency (PBIA). This summer, members of the agency fused performance art and activism by dressing up in cascading robes of plastic bags and distributing reusable bags to shoppers. The artists? costumes, made from layers and layers of plastic bags, are a symbol of our thoughtless dependence on plastic bags. One of the PBIA?s giant plastic robes looms in a City Hall display case, forcefully reminding the viewer to bring reusable bags to the market next time.
Water bottles are subject to a similar critique in Diedra Krieger?s installation piece. Krieger filled an entire display case with post-consumer plastic bottles. When we throw bottles away in the trash or recycling bin, it can be so easy to forget the size of our carbon footprints. Krieger shows us how our trash accumulates into a large mass with long-lasting environmental implications.
Although we can take proactive steps to reduce our dependence on plastic, we have less control, in a certain sense, over paper consumption. Junk mail and unrequested catalogs arrive in our mailboxes without our approval. In ?Junk Mail Shag,? Valerie Linhart transforms the ?daily barrage of waste that floods in and out of our homes.? Cutting the mail into delicate strips, she sews the paper together into a colorful shag rug.
My favorite piece in the exhibition is Alex Queral?s ?Contemplating Helen.? Queral carved a phone book into an intricate relief sculpture. A woman?s face emerges from the pages of numbers, looking out and away from the viewer in deep thought. Queral writes in his statement, ?In carving and painting a head from a phone directory, I?m celebrating the individual lost in the anonymous list of thousands of names.? The piece demonstrates Queral?s ingenuity and proves that fine art really can be made from anything.
Located in City Hall, the Green Exhibit is in a unique position to influence the politics of Philadelphia. Mayor Michael Nutter earmarked sustainability as one of his six priorities for the city. With several display cases from the Green Exhibit sitting directly outside his office, will the art exhibit inspire the mayor to live up to his promises? Let?s hope so.
The Green Exhibit is on view through Jan. 23, 2009 on the 2nd and 4th floors of City Hall, located between Market St. and Broad St., Philadelphia.
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Nutter Reopens City's Arts Office, Picks Arts Czar
by KYW's
Mike Dunn
Nutter Reopens City's Arts Office, Picks Arts Czar
Members of Philadelphia's arts community cheered wildly as Mayor Nutter on Friday reopened the city's Office of Arts and Culture and chose an arts czar.
It was a standing ovation for Mayor Nutter from hundreds of arts supporters as he formally reopened what's now called the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy. The city's cultural office had been closed four years ago in a cost-cutting move by then-mayor John Street.
Nutter also created a new position -- chief cultural officer:
"This is a significant position in our city government. This is a position that will be seated at the table of our cabinet."
And for that post Nutter chose Gary Steuer (pronounced "stoyer", in photo at right), now vice president of a New York-based nonprofit called Americans for the Arts:
"My real challenge is going to be to look at all aspects of city government, to look at all aspects of civic life, and see how the arts can be strengthened and reinforced."
One goal, the mayor said, is to expand arts education for young people. He said that invigorating the arts this way will bring more people to the city -- including artists who will move here.
Also on Friday, Nutter filled two other vacancies in his administration. He chose Frances Burns as commissioner of the Department of Licenses and Inspections. Burns has served as a deputy in L & I and in the managing director's office.
And the mayor chose as his new chief information officer Alan Frank, a local entrepreneur, who will oversee technology for city government.
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http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/2008/07/22/reaching-for-the-czar-qa-with-gary-steuer/
http://ework.phila.gov/philagov/news/prelease.asp?id=436
Art in City Hall Likeable Art
http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2008/07/03/first-friday-focus
When the slimy humidity and the not-so-aromatic smells of the city have boiled your brain cells to their lowest count, sometimes you just need to look at something pretty. Perhaps that's the idea behind Art in City Hall's "Likeable Art" exhibition. You, or presumably, someone, is meant to just like it. Not think about it, not compare it to the show you saw at Pageant last month, not do anything but enjoy it. In no uncertain terms, the organizers are presenting the works as ones that "reflect themes that are popular and accessible ... that's tasteful, that has agreeable subject matter, that's noncontroversial or in-your-face." Playing it safe this time? Maybe, but take a close look at Holly Smith's witty wood construction "Son-in-Law of Cerberus" or Alice Dustin's portraits of carousel animals or Katie Graeur's epic painting of a very stylish chair ? or for that matter, any of the 43 local artists whose work reflects what may be their own aesthetic preferences or what they perceive to be yours. As some might say is always the case, no thinking required but it's always welcome. Through Sept. 26, City Hall, second and fourth floors, NE corner, 215-686-9912.
Inliquid.com
New Faces - Weekly Press
New Faces to City Hall - The Artblog, March 1, 2008
Toying With Art 2007Art Ability in City Hall
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/83-10192007-1426392.html
http://ucreview.com/default.asp?smenu=86&sdetail=336
Art Matters
reviews Art of the City
Jan Feighner
9/1/2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Summer in the city--urban landscapes at City Hall
 Sarah Steinwachs |
 Keiko Miyamori |
| Detritus and Light, drawings | City Root Maquette #2, root, bricks, metals in plastic block (the drawing, a detail of which is reflected on the block, is from Sean O'Rourke's sweet cartoony pen and ink of San Francisco) |
Art Blooms in City Hall
The Evening Bulletin
May 4, 2007
Lilly Williams
A breath of fresh spring air blew through City Hall on May 4 as Art in City Hall held a memorable gala. And due largely to the creativity of Evantine Design, City Hall has rarely looked lovelier, its glorious public spaces awash in color and flowers.
The red carpet and Quaker City string band welcoming guests as they arrived also added to a festive evening. As did the mouth-watering treats provided by Frog Caterers.
This year's gala, "Art Blooms in City Hall" honored Irvin J. Borowsky, founder and chairman of the Liberty Museum, and his wife Laurie Wagman, founder and chairman of the American Theater Arts for Youth Inc. (TAFY).
Ms.Wagman spoke of City Hall being her first introduction to grand architecture, of growing up in Philadelphia and playing the game of "spot Billy Penn" with her sister. She noted that "art requires support and time, and it needs to be respected."
Mr. Borowsky said that "art, like artists themselves, speaks volumes, and reflects a city that won't stand still."
Both Mr. Borowsky and Ms. Wagman are lifelong supporters of the arts.
A single white rose was placed on the podium in memory of Peter F. Iacovini, former member of the "Art Blooms in City Hall" executive committee, who passed away suddenly in January.
Among those turning out to salute Art in City Hall were Marianne Raphaely, advisory board chair of "Art Blooms in City Hall," with her husband Dr. Russell Raphaely, Tu Huynh, Art in City Hall program director, and Joan Specter, founder of Art in City Hall.
Also attending were Walt and Catherine Ward, Christine and John J. Meko, Jr., Suzanne and Ronald Naples, Carey and Roy Maloumian, Lisa and James O'Connell, M.D., Howard Aaronson and Elie Haupt, Dorothy and Frank Giordano and Linda and Tom Knox.
Art in City Hall was organized by former Coucilwoman Specter, City Representative Dianne L. Semingson and Deputy City Representative for Arts and Culture Oliver Franklin in 1984. Comprised of 15 large display cases installed in City Hall to display the work of professional Philadelphia artists, the program ceased in 1989 due to a lack of funding.
Under Mayor Rendell, who saw City Hall as a focal point in the revival of Center City, Art in City Hall was re-established.
Of course, City Hall is itself an art treasure worth seeing anytime. A Second Empire Style masterpiece boasting elaborate architectural elements such as turreted courtyard stair tower and projecting corner pavilions, City Hall can also claim an astonishing 250-plus relief and freestanding sculptures by master sculptor Alexander Milne Calder (whose grandson is best known for his mobiles). Calder's most popular contribution to City Hall is the 37 foot tall, 27 ton sculpture of William Penn atop its tower, the tallest on any building in the world.
Although it has experienced a bumpy road in recent years, Art in City Hall is still around, and wondrously flourishing. Its current exhibit "Spring Manifestations" is a vibrant display featuring eight artists. Using mixed media, found objects and photography, these Philadelphians reveal their creative interpretations of spring in fresh ways that are guarantees to surprise and delight.
Catch it soon - it's only here through June 15.
Lily Williams can be reached at society@thebulletin.us.
Hall Mask by Alexis Abate, South Philly Review
Flights of Fancy
About Face: A Mask Collection Finds An Appropriate Setting in City Hall
by Robert Fallon, The Philadelphia Weekly