Opening for Sage Projects

SAGE will officially open a project space at 333 South Street. There will be a five person exhibition downstairs based on the theme of repurposing and recycling. Because of the dire economic situation a number of stores have become vacant on South Street in Philadelphia (more on that). A number of arts groups are taking empty storefronts and repurposing them to showcase their work and bring new energy to the area.

Artists Henry Bermudez, David Foss, Jon Manteau, Vincent Romaniello, and Rob Solomon will use cast-off materials, excavated finds and remnants of the former boutique itself, in the creation of paintings, assemblage, video and installation work.

On the upper level these artists will join Karen Baumeister, Paul Behnke, Nic Coviello, Jim Erikson and Michelle Marcuse for a members group exhibition that will change over the March and April programs.

Sage Projects
Purpose/Repurpose
Opens
Wednesday, March 4
12 - 6pm
Reception
Sunday, March 8
2 - 8pm
sagewhat@warpmail.net
download press release

Nic Coviello at Nexus

Nic Coviello
Spotting Raptors and Color Field Landscape Painting

I had the pleasure of seeing the work for this show as it progressed over the past year. Nic felt strongly that he wanted to use direct painting in addition to the photo-based acrylic screens on aluminum plates that he is known for. This promises for some surprise that I am sure you will enjoy when you visit this exhibition on Second Thursday at Nexus.

NEXUS/Foundation For Today's Art
1400 N. American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122

Opening Reception: March 12, 2002
Closing Reception: April 3, 2009
Open: Wednesday - Sunday 12–6
Free Admission

Above, Coming Home, Hawk Mountain, 49 x 67", metallic acrylic on panel by Nic Coviello.

Great Story from MAN

Tyler Green at Modern Art Notes has penned an excellent post on the subject of the NEA receiving $50 million as part of the stimulus package. In Fifty million reasons that a 'victory' is a defeat Green writes "How silly is $50 million? In San Diego alone, the two headline arts institutions, the San Diego Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, have between them cut about 30 jobs. That represents the loss of around $2 million in annual salary (and benefits) at just two art museums in just one medium-sized city." Read on

Inspiration - Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly is an artist it took me a while to understand, now he is high on my list of the most inspiring artists I can think of. The topic of "words in art" (the current rage of hipsters) came up the other night and no one thought of Twombly as being an early adopter. I think he is somewhat under-recognized even though he has clearly done about as well as any major artist has. It has been over 10 years since there was a major retrospective in New York at MOMA. I for one would love to see another one soon. He had one last year at the age of 80 at the Tate Museum, London.

Elizabeth Sheppel, painter

HAPPY VALENTINES!

A lusty red painting by artist Elizabeth Sheppel, from the great state of Georgia.

Above, Square Series #3, 2008, oil on panel, 6 x 6"

S.A.G.E. Studio Art Group Engaged

About a year ago a group of us organized a studio visit. It turned out to be so rewarding we did it again and again, usually with the same artists and occasionally adding a guest or two when the artist's space was large enough.

As in all things human - change happens. In this case in positive ways. We are planning various ways of including the public through exhibitions and other less traditional methods. We even have a name, SAGE, and have a website to let folks know what is happening.

Visit http://sageset.blogspot.com/ for more on the group and for NEWS like the upcoming Woodmere Art Museum show.

John Malloy in DC area

There is a lively arts scene south of here in the Washington and Maryland area with many talented artists like John Molloy. He has been involved in a variety of artistic pursuits including illustration, graphic novels, painting and digital media. John will be exhibiting at Art Whino which is located in National Harbor, MD (20 minutes from Washington DC).

Above, an illustration from a series of frames titled refract.

Art Whino
Saturday, February 21st
from 6pm – Midnight
show ends March 12th
173 Waterfront St.
National Harbor, MD 20745
Music by Rank and File

Installation

You have probably seen enough so I will close with this group shot. If you haven't been following lately there are a number of individual close-ups below. Thanks for your comments on the work.

New Work

Above, Seer Divination Device
wood, string, dried natural material.

Below, Instant Shrine
insulation, wood, cookie cutters, sand,
dried plant material, level, unknown
plastic form.

New Work

Above
WALL-EE and WALL-FF
recycled product security wrap, paint, wire.

Below top
Turf Temple
peat, weed-wacker wire, insulation, straw.

Below bottom
Collector
mesh, vases, wire, dried plant material,
plastic mixing cup, colored water.

New Work

Above
Prototype for Gold Conversion
packing material, push pins, funnels,
wood dowel, sand.

Below
Homage to Jon Manteau, Down the Shore
rope, wood.

Take-out paintings

To stay on the recycled theme here are some new paintings made on take-out food trays. The sizes range from an entree to a side dish. There is a nice 3D quality as the sides come out into space. The top piece looks like it is from a pie.

New Work

I have been using recycled materials I find around the house and studio and have made a number of assemblages. This wasn't preconceived as being "green" or as a reaction to our faltering economy, but as it turns out it makes perfect sense at this time.

Above
A Place to Hang My Balls
recycled wire baskets, paper, newspaper,
paint, tarp, wire mesh, tennis ball,
foam insulation.




Madonna with Beard
recycled foam insulation, wire, tarp, steel wool, ribbon.

Artists need no stimulus

Senator John Kyl of Arizona has been one of the loudest voices against there being any funds for the arts in the stimulus package, but there are quite many others who feel the same way. I heard Mr. Kyl on NPR one day and just couldn't believe the things he said. We all know the statistics on how many jobs by creative types are out there. Well I hope they are still out there. As usual all the letters and emails to your representatives are form those on the negative side of this issue. If you feel strongly that the arts should be part of the mix write those who represent you in Washington.

Good article on this topic at Artinfo.com. Dana Gioia, the NEA chairman under the Bush administration, recalled that when Roosevelt aide Harry Hopkins was asked why the government should hire artists, he replied, “Hell, they’ve got to eat just like other people.”

Gioia added, “As far as I’ve heard, nothing has changed about the dietary needs of artists.”

And there are a few comments on the subject at Suburban Guerrilla.

Us An' Them

I heard about this musical project by Garry Dial and Terre Roche a few years ago while taping them in a performance, and had the pleasure of hearing the Tibetan National Anthem that night. Terre said that the idea of putting together national anthems from all over the world originated around 17 years ago.

From Michael McDowell at CD Baby (you can play the songs from the sidebar)

"Roche and Dial actually laid the groundwork for this project in the early 1990s, gradually entrusting the rendering of each anthem to artists either under their tutelage or with demonstrated vision of their respective anthems as a celebratory device, rather than one subjected to the ever changing winds of the political climate. In that respect, they have kept the original blueprint intact while allowing each participant carte blanche within those parameters."