Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Thanks to Jed Morfit for finding this! (and The New Yorker for making it!)

This Saturday: Autumn Spell at Gallery 309

Hey guys! Come check out this show that I have a few pieces in. It opens this Saturday and is curated by the fabulous Paul Romano, so its sure to be amazing...I got a sneak peek when dropping off work earlier this week and I'm so excited.

 

Autumn Spell

Opening reception: Saturday, October 29 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Gallery 309

309 Cherry St. 

Philadelphia, PA

Please join us to celebrate the season of transformation. Masquerade is encouraged. If you can not attend, please come out the following first friday, November 4th, 6-10PM.

Works inspired by Halloween and the Fall by artists:

Esao Andrews
John Baizley
Joseph Beaulieu
Emi Boz
Michael Bukowski
Kate Collins
Susan Crawford
Jeanne D'Angelo
Eric Eaton
Gus Fink
Heather Gargon
Jason Goldberg
Kat Gun
James Heimer
Sam Heimer
Jeremy Hush
Darla Jackson
Jenx
John John Jesse
Margaux Kent
Walter Kent
Robert Kraiza
Kristen Margiotta
Eric McDade
Tara McPherson
Michael Michael Motorcycle
Buddy Nestor
Tim O'Hanlon
Anthony Pedro
Paul Romano
JL Schnabel
Amanda Shames
Ketch Wehr
Hilary White
Mike Wohlberg

Curated by Paul Romano

DEADLINE: Nov 1st - CFEVA Career Development Program Fellowship

CFEVA's Career Development Program Fellowship is a great thing to be a part of and I highly recommend applying. The ladies behind the program are amazing and so supportive, and it offers some great opportunities. Not to mention I met some amazing artists that I was in the program with, like Jed Morfit and Anne Canfield. Details from CFEVA are below:

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists™ strives to provide the essential support services and programs emerging artists need to build sustainable careers.

Our two-year Career Development Program offers a select group of talented artists:

• Exhibitions
• Community
• Career counseling
• Mentorship
• Professional development seminars
• Volunteer opportunities
• Alumni solo exhibitions
• Alumni travel grants

Eligibility requirements include:

• Applicants cannot be full time students.
• Applicants must live within 100 miles of Philadelphia (NYC and the 5 boroughs, NJ, DE, and Baltimore included).
• Applicants cannot have an ongoing contractual agreement with a commercial gallery or gallery representation.

The application can be found online at http://cfeva.org/cfeva_programs_career.aspx .  For more information, please contact Amie Potsic, Director of the Career Development Program at amie@cfeva.org or 215-546-7775 x 12.

TODAY! Knight Arts Challenge Live Web Chat

Have a question about the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia? Participate in a live web chat, from 1-2pm, where Knight Foundation staff will be on hand to take questions. All you have to do is go to the website, type in your question when prompted, and you’ll get real-time responses.

Applications are now being accepted for year two of the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia, a three-year, $9 million arts initiative seeking the best ideas to engage and enrich Philadelphia's communities. Anyone can apply! For more, visit www.KnightArts.org.

Baby Rabbit continued...

I have been dying to start this mold, but since the rubber I had on hand didn't fully set up, I had to order a new kit (The rubber I had was leftover from a commission I got in 2008 so it really didn't owe anyone a thing...I was surprised it lasted as long as it did...) Because it hadn't arrived before I left for the studio (sometimes Polytek's turnaround time is ridiculously fast) I decided to do a blanket mold instead of a paint on mold. Below are some of the process photos.

  Baby bunny before the mold (I still have a few things to tweak before he's fully finished, but like to do that after making the mother mold...just in case.)

I covered him with a thin sheet of plastic to protect him from the clay blanket.

This is me cutting slabs of clay to use for the blanket...which is not easy to do while simultaneously trying to take a photo.

Covering the rabbit with the slabs of clay.

Fully covered. (It looks like an ugly potato.)

   

Now for a flange around the bottom and a strip of clay along the length of the piece.

And 2 pieces of clay that will end up as a pour hole and a vent. 

I then added some metal shims along that key that runs the length of the piece so I could do both sides of the mother mold at once. I Vaselined the board and the shims and then mixed up some plaster, threw on a splash coat and then one layer of burlap. I thickened up the edges so I'd have something to bolt through. Because I did this in about 12 minutes (I was running late to pick up Justin for a meeting at our new space!) and had plaster on my hands, I didn't get any photos of me making the mother mold.

After our meeting at the new space, we stopped at Rocket Cat for some coffee (and an apple for O'Rae). Then back to work.

 

I pulled out the metal shims...

...then carefully removed the first side of the mold...then the other.

 

 

He survived!

I cleaned out the clay from the inside of the mother mold, placing it all in a multi mix bucket to measure roughly how much rubber I'll need to pour into the mother mold.

I then cleaned up the edges a bit and put it back together. 

 

Once the rubber arrives, I'll finish the mold, so stay tuned for Part II!

SiliBrush or Silly Brush?

Has anyone seen these yet? This is a Silibrush by Polytek. Here's a bit more info from their website:

New reusable brushes save $ when making brushed molds. They are 6.5" long and are made of silicone so they can be used to brush polyurethane rubbers and plastics. Once the polyurethane cures, just peel it away from the brush and it's ready to use again. We recommend having 4 or 5 brushes on hand so a new one can be used for each coat of rubber applied (eliminates having to wait for the rubber to cure to be removed). Our tests have shown these brushes work with TinSil and PlatSil products as well. Test them out for yourself. 

Now I have to admit, I am intrigued, but skeptical. I love Polytek but I can't tell if these are genius or would be awful. When making rubber molds, we go through a ton of chip brushes and I always feel guilty creating so much waste...I'd love to find a way to use less brushes but I wonder if this would do the trick? At $5.00 each vs. $6.99 for a 36 pack of chip brushes, the price is a bit steep...and I wonder if those little silicone fingers would just tear off when peeling away the polyurethane. Hmmm...I'm about to place an order with Polytek for some new mold rubber (the stuff I tested the other day never fully set up so its no good...) and might just get one to try it our and report back...The crazy things we do in the name of research...!

Submit your propsal now: Philly Stake

The next Philly Stake is November 13th at The Ukie Club. Everyone with a creative project that needs funding should submit a proposal by Oct 30th! Check out the details from their email announcement:

PROPOSAL DUE DATE: October 30th by NOON
Stake's goal is to directly fund Philadelphia creative projects. We encourage creatives, artists, organizers and thinkers of all kinds and at all career stages to apply. The application is simple and brief by design, just 4 questions and 4 images. We regret that, due to the number of proposals we receive, we are unable to accept all of them. Ten proposals that fulfill all of the following criteria will be chosen to include in the dinner election.
If funded, you will be responsible for making a presentation to the Stake community regarding your progress on this project at the next Stake event (approximately 3-4 months after the November dinner).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CRITERIA
This grants funds Philadelphia-based creative projects. Stake grants are project specific; they do not fund an artist's individual studio work, nor art gallery/non-profit organizations' overall work. Grammar and spelling count! Please make sure you proofread your proposal and follow all instructions below.

QUESTIONS
1. Describe the project a STAKE Grant would help you accomplish (approx. 100 words):
2. How will you use the grant toward the realization of your project? $750 is your imaginary budget (50 words):
3. A little about yourself and what led you to your current creative goals. This may include a previous project of yours, ways it both succeeded and failed (this can be entirely unrelated to your proposal) (100 words):
4. Why is this project important? How will it benefit the community? (100 words):
IMAGES
Submit 4 digital images (up to 2 MB each, jpeg or gif format ONLY) relating to your project or past projects in order to better illustrate your words above. (Examples: sketches for project proposal, photomontage, maps, diagrams, or other related imagery)
SUBMIT
Proposals will be accepted from October 23 through October 30.
Email:stakephilly@gmail.com with only the name of your project in the subject line and answers to the above questions in the body of the email.. The only attachments we accept are your images!
PROPOSAL SELECTION AND EVENT DETAILS
From the complete proposals submitted before the deadline, ten projects will be chosen to be voted on at the event on November 13. We select seven proposals at random and three proposals chosen by Philly Stake core organizers to ensure a broad and diverse group of proposals.
You will be notified by November 3 if your proposal is selected. Thoroughly review your submission before sending; incomplete proposals will not be considered.
Proposals will be made available on the Philly STAKE website approximately one week prior to the event and will be posted in the dining room during the event. Applicants will be given 3 minutes to present their proposal to event attendees. Projects should be ready to implement once money is awarded.
All Stake attendees will vote on their favorite, and the winner of the most votes will win the grant for the evening. 

Check us out on facebook or at www.phillystake.org 

Philadelphia Sculpture Gym Info Session/Potluck!

 

 

Interested in becoming a member? Want more details? Like food and beer? Well then come to the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym info session and potluck on Saturday, November 12th! We'll be discussing preliminary membership details, pricing, location, classes, services, equipment and more. You'll have a chance to ask questions, make suggestions and to meet other future members, all while eating delicious food! We'll also be offering a special charter membership plan for those of you who are with us from the beginning! Sound good to you? Then check out the details below:

Who: You!
What: Philadelphia Sculpture Gym Info Session/Potluck
When: Saturday, November 12th at 5pm
Where: Darla and Justin's studio, 1513 Hancock Street, Phila., PA 19122
What to bring: Food or Drink to share

Hope to see you there!

Sculpture Saturday and O'Rae Sunday

Just saw the the Fairmount Park Art Association has been doing Sculpture Saturdays and wanted to share the info on the last one of the season, which is tomorrow. Info from their website:

Sculpture Saturdays Presented by PNC Arts Alive is back for Fall 2011! Join the Fairmount Park Art Association for five Saturdays this September and October for FREE family-friendly SCULPTURE WORKSHOPS, iPOD TOURS, and LIVE MUSIC along Philadelphia’s Kelly Drive. Enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, including artist-led sculpture workshops for kids, self-guided iPod tours, and live performances from The Adam Monaco Band, Trinidelphia, KyoDaiko and more. There’s something for everybody to enjoy while discovering public art in in Philadelphia.

DATES:

>> Five Saturdays: September 10th, 17th & 24th, and October 15th & 22nd, 2011

>> Dates may be canceled if it rains – check here for updates!

TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Live music performances daily at 11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Kelly Drive, Philadelphia, PA

>> Sculpture workshops and iPod tours will take place at Cosmic Café at Lloyd Hall (On Kelly Drive between Boathouse Row and The Philadelphia Museum of Art)

>> Live music performances will take place at The Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial Sculpture Garden (Along Kelly Drive, just north of Boathouse Row)

 

And on Sunday our little lady, O'Rae, turns 2, so we'll be partying hard with the fam to celebrate. Love you O!

Back in the saddle again...

I haven't made a rubber mold since I was pregnant with Olivia, who turns 2 this Sunday. I didn't want to be in contact with chemicals while pregnant or nursing so Justin made all the rubber molds. Since then, I haven't made a new piece that's needed a rubber mold (only waste molds) so the baby bunny in a crow mask is the first thing I'll be making a rubber mold of in a while. This seems so crazy, considering that it felt like I was making molds every month back then. Anyway, I am super excited to get back into it, because I LOVE mold making...I mean, don't get me wrong, it makes me nuts, but I love it. Despite my super excitement, I made sure to do a test of the rubber I have, to make sure its still good, rather than covering the piece in it first. I'll check back in a bit to see if it set up and if so I am good to go. Process photos to come.

 

Here are Parts A and B before mixing. (I'm using Polytek 74-29)

 

I got to bust out the bucket dumpers Justin made (Anyone who uses 5 gallon buckets of mold rubber will know what a pain in the ass they are to pour...this makes it sooooo much easier!)

Kickstarter: The Eleventh Hour

 

"The eleventh hour" is a colloquial expression meaning "a time which is nearly too late", which seemed quite fitting as we only have 11 hours left in our Kickstarter! We are completely overwhelmed and amazed by the support of our 145 backers so far. We will continue to keep our backers posted on our progress, even after the Kickstarter ends. And as mentioned previously our backers will be the first to know the official location of the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, once we sign the lease (which is being worked up this week!)

Thanks again to everyone for the tremendous support. Kickstarter can be quite the gamble and we are so proud to have ours be a success! We are at 120% funded with 11 hours to go...so exciting! Anyone who is not already a backer that would like to become one, you can visit our Kickstarter page here before it ends at 11:59pm tonight!

"So you're like a gym...to work out in?"

...well, no. We're a membership based workshop for artists and craftspeople to come build stuff...but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be working out on your own time! As artists, we often beat the living hell out of our bodies on a daily basis...whether it be lifting things that are too heavy to lift alone, overworking our joints doing repetitive motions, or just breathing in shit that's terrible for us. On top of that, we're up too late in the studio, eating crap that's bad for us, and waking up too early to go work a "real job", using coffee as our survival fuel...(I know this is a sweeping generalization but I am using my own household as a point of reference so at least in our case this tends to be the norm.) I hadn't thought much about the art/working out connection until I was in art school when someone had said to me that sculptors should stop at least once an hour to stretch their hands and wrists...this could apply to clay modelers, someone using a grinder, someone who's been running wood through a table saw all day, etc... because our hands, our bodies, these are our tools...the drills and saws and welders, those are just tools for our tools to use to make stuff. So first and foremost, one has to take care of the tools they were born with, so they can continue to use the other kinds of tools for a long long time. And besides, working out increases your strength, keeps your weight down, your energy level up, and protects against health conditions and diseases. Don't know where to start? The minimum amount of recommended physical activity is "2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (ie brisk walking) every week and muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms)." Most importantly is to choose something that you'll actually do often enough for it to make a difference. I used to be into mixed martial arts, then power lifting (yup, that's me in the photos), then just working out in a gym...then nothing for a really long time...and now I'm back to working out by taking 4-5 classes a week at Lithe Method (anyone who knows me well will laugh that I somehow managed to talk about Lithe Method on a sculpture blog...let's just say I am a big fan...) Whatever it is that you decide is your workout of choice, the important thing is that you are doing something to keep yourself healthy and strong and to help protect against possible injuries.

CEO...Woah!

So today I became a CEO...or am about to be. So weird! I went into our accountant's office to file the paperwork to make the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym a real live business and came out so insanely excited. Having found our building, met our matching goal for the Knight Arts Challenge Grant, and now filing this is making what started as a 150 word dream turn into a reality. Last night I got to talk for a moment at the Town Hall Meeting for the upcoming Knight Arts Challenge and, despite forgetting most of what I said, I remember saying how this has changed my life...but what I realized at that moment was that I hadn't really thought about how true that statement was because nothing felt real until this week. Now it feels official. Woah...
And let me use this time to say that by all means, anyone and everyone who has an idea that would benefit the arts in Philadelphia, apply to the Knight Arts Challenge! You have until October 31st to submit one or one thousand 150 word ideas. Anyone can apply, as long as the idea is about the arts, takes place in or benefits Philadelphia and you match the amount of money you ask for. You never know what might happen so it is most certainly worth a shot. And if you have any questions or are freaked out about it, check out the Knight Arts website...there's a newsletter to sign up for, they have a Twitter where you can post questions about applying and they will have a web chat coming up as well. They are really supportive and very real people...so as they said at the meeting last night, forget everything you know about grant writing and apply!

Image from here

This Thursday! Public Speaking for Artists

Please note our program will be held at 237 South 18th Street, Suite 3A

CFEVA Direct Dialogue Lecture Series

Public Speaking for Artists

Thursday, October 20, 2011
Speaker: Tom Wright, Director of Public Speaking, Temple University

Whether you are presenting an artist talk to a small group or a lecture to a packed auditorium, public speaking can be a daunting experience. Join us to discuss the basics of public speaking and learn tips that will have you presenting yourself and your artwork like a pro.

Tom Wright joined the faculty of the Department of Strategic Communication at Temple University in 2003 after completing his Ph.D. from Purdue University.  Dr. Wright has served as the Director of Public Speaking since 2008.  As Course Director, Dr. Wright has overseen the inclusion of multicultural perspectives on public speaking.  He has also taught communication theory, persuasion, social movements, small group presentations, interviewing, and rhetorical criticism.  Dr. Wright has received numerous awards and teaching stipends including the School of Communication and Theatre's Junior Faculty Award for Innovative Teaching (2007) and the Provost's Award for Innovative Teaching in General Education (2011).   


Location:    The Center for Emerging Visual Artists,
                   237 South 18th Street, Suite 3a 
                   Philadelphia, Pa 19103

All programs begin at 5:30 pm. Each session is $12.00. Registration is required. Individuals who have not pre-registered are not guaranteed a seat. To reserve a space or to receive more information about The Center for Emerging Visual Artists or Direct Dialogues Lecture Series, please contact Genevieve Coutroubis, by phone (215) 546 - 7775 x 11 or by email Genevieve@cfeva.org

Kickstarter Update: 100%!!!!

 

We met our Kickstarter goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone who isn't on our Facebook, Twitter or following our Kickstarter might have missed the craziness that went down early Saturday afternoon, so let me retell the details for everyone. Justin and I had been up too late the night before (1:30am for me and 2am for him)...he was finishing up the last 18 bases for a commission I had gotten a while back, as our client was coming to get them the next afternoon. I was up contacting everyone I know and don't know to promote our Kickstarter page, as we had 4 days and $2,910 to go. We both went to sleep exhausted and woke up early to start all over again (5:30am for me and 6:30am for him), me with emailing and him with bases...and we had roofers coming at 8:00am...AND we had to get ready for POST! As I was getting ready to run out the door to get snacks for the Open Studio, we got a $100 donation...then a $200...then another $100.....then $25...I was so excited about this that I started a Facebook post, and as I check back to see what the percentage was its said 100%. Lis Kalogris had made a pledge to put us over the top! I started screaming (yes, screaming...classy lady here...) and Justin came running upstairs, thinking something awful had happened. I gave him the news and proceeded to bawl my eyes out, overwhelmed by happiness at the support we've received and the fact that we met our goal and therefore I would not be having a nervous breakdown over the following 4 days. I teared up at the thought of what had happened all day long...so if you saw me looking weepy at POST it was due to happiness.

 

 

So a huge thanks to all of our backers! This has been a tremendously amazing experience and we are ecstatic to have met our goal...again, we could not have done it without you! THANK YOU!
(And I'll be back today to post the names of our donors over the last week, so check back this afternoon.)

Image from here

Come visit us during POST this weekend!

 

One last reminder that this weekend is Philadelphia Open Studio Tours East of Broad and Justin and I will have our studio open to the public on Saturday, October 15th and Sunday, October 16th from 12-6pm both days! 

Come on by to say hi and talk to us about our art and/or the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym! 

Our studio is currently located at 1513 N. Hancock Street in Fishtown. We're easily accessible by public trans, car, or even walking if you are in the area! We're not far from the Crane building and there are lots of other fabulous artists to check out in the area.

Hope to see you there!

 

 Here I am in the studio!

 

Here's an in progress piece of Justin's

 

And if that's not enough to get you here, we'll also have SNAP and cider and delicious food...

Woo hoo!

Image of Darla by Michael Persico, SNAP image from here

Tonight! Crossing Jordan at the Skybox

For anyone who has never seen a show curated by Eileen Tognini, you've been missing out! She really puts together the whole package...the work is amazing, its promoted well, the openings are packed, the food is always great, AND she's one of the sweetest people I know. Sounds great, right? It will be. I'm really excited to see this exhibition of work by Alison Stigora...the Skybox space at 2424 studios is massive and it always takes strong/huge work to fill it. From the images I've seen so far it looks like this exhibition will not dissappoint, so check it out tonight, or this weekend during POST, as the space will be open from 12-6pm on Saturday and Sunday. See below for more details!

Join us for the Opening Reception on Friday October 14, 7-10pm
Exhibition Runs October 14, 2011 – November 19, 2011

Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, Noon – 6pm
Open for the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours on October 15th and 16th from Noon to 6pm
The Skybox at 2424 Studios, 2424 East York Street, Philadelphia PA 19125
In conjunction with Eileen Tognini, The Center for Emerging Visual Artists presents a solo exhibition and larger-than-life installation by CDP Fellow Alison Stigora, where the charred remains of salvaged timbers are juxtaposed with a turn-of-the century industrial space to create a powerful story of survival and rebirth.
The charred remains of salvaged timbers are re-imagined into a large site-specific installation by Alison Stigora in the soaring space of The Skybox at 2424 Studios.  Stigora presents an original installation utilizing 10,000 hand-charred tree limbs, which were gathered from fallen wood from two nature preserves and two private estates and burned over 184 hours.  Sprawling across the floor and climbing up two stories, the burnt wood undulates and inspires both physically and metaphorically. Juxtaposed with the turn-of-the century industrial space of the Skybox, Crossing Jordan communicates a powerful story of survival and rebirth.
For Stigora, burnt wood is a powerful medium that resonates with people in a primal way – fire creates a deep blackness that cannot be achieved otherwise. In the burning process, wood cracks and scales from the heat, creating a maze of scars on the wood’s surface.  The process of destroying and recreating is what allows a sculpture or drawing to develop. Stigora salvages charred remains from the aftermath of a fire and allows those same ash-covered remnants to communicate their story of survival as they are reborn into new sculptural works and installations.
www.eileentognini.com |  www.2424studios.com | www.alisonstigora.com

Image and info from here

ArtHash

Thanks to ArtHash for posting about our Kickstarter page! Check them out here.

Resources: PVLA - Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

If you are an artist in Philadelphia, you are bound to run into some legal issues sooner or later...Maybe you are starting a business (!), maybe you need a contract written up, maybe you had someone hand you a contract that was the scariest sounding thing you ever read in your life (side bar, the first lease Justin ever had originally said he could not have cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds, lizards, fish, snails and more in his space ever and that anything he attached to the walls would then become the property of the building...he worked with a lawyer to rewrite it and had a much more normal and much less specific lease in the end), or maybe your sculpture fell over onto someone's toe and they are really mad...whatever the issue may be Philadelphia has an amazing resource available to artists called the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. The are one of the programs under the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia and I highly suggest that anyone in need check them out. There is an application fee but they will waive it for artists in need. I spoke to the attorney that we were assigned to today and she was a huge help. She made a lot of great suggestions, let me know how to move forward with things, and told us we were headed in the right direction, which of course is always nice to hear from a lawyer!

LOCATION!!!!!

So for anyone who isn't on our Facebook page or a backer of our Kickstarter, you may not have seen the exciting bit of news we had to share last night...WE FOUND A LOCATION!!!!! Now, before you get too excited, we aren't telling anyone the address until we have the papers signed and the keys in hand but let me tell you, we couldn't be happier! The location of the building is AMAZING! The space is large with high ceilings. There's room for large shops, a classroom, a few studios (holler if you're interested!) a gallery and more. It's convenient to multiple forms of public transportation, easily accessible by bike or car (or foot!), it's near a great coffee shop, it's in our neighborhood...Woo! We cannot wait to tell you where it is...and we'll be telling our Kickstarter backers the location before the ink is dry on the lease, so if you want to be among the first to know, make a pledge at any level and we'll let you know as soon as its officially official!

TONIGHT! How Philly Moves 5-7pm

Tonight is the Mural Dedication and Rooftop Dance Party for How Philly Moves!

	Wednesday, October 12 · 5:00pm - 7:00pm   Terminals E & F parking structures, Philadelphia International Airport.
	More info from the How Philly Moves Facebook Page:

Join the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program for a rooftop dance-party to celebrate the completion of How Philly Moves, a new, 85,000 square-foot gateway public art installation at the Philadelphia International Airport by artist/photographer JJ Tizou and lead muralist Jon Laidacker.

A little threat of rain won't stop this party!

Come celebrate with us on Level 6 of Parking Garage F. Take SEPTA to the airport, disembark at Terminals E and F where you will be directed to the party! Music will include West Philadelphia Orchestra and Unidos da Filadelfia samba drummers...

Space is limited. RSVP to: howphillymoves@muralarts.org

Space is not *that* limited, and it would be great to draw a crowd, so please share/repost this unique opportunity. Just ask everyone to RSVP through Mural Arts.

POST THIS WEEKEND! October 15-16 12p-6pm...Come visit us!

This weekend is Philadelphia Open Studio Tours East of Broad and Justin and I will have our studio open to the public on Saturday, October 15th and Sunday, October 16th from 12-6pm both days! Come on by, say hi, have some fancy drinks (Like SNAP and cider...my favorite!) and fancy food, talk to us about the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, meet the famous Olivia! 

Our studio is currently located at 1513 N. Hancock Street in Fishtown. We're easily accessible by public trans, car, or even walking if you are in the area! We're not far from the Crane building and there are lots of other fabulous artists to check out in the area.

Hope to see you there!

This weekend! October 16th: CAFe 2011

This event sounds like fun! For more info visit www.inliquid.com

Go here: The Wagner Free Institute of Science

 

For anyone who likes nature/weird stuff/bones/fossils/stones/shells/taxidermy/etc The Wagner Free Institute of Science is the place for you. What? You've never been? Stop right now and go there. (Do I say this alot? Well its easy because there are so many awesome places in the area for artists!) Anyway, its a Victorian science museum that features an amazing collection of a wide variety of objects. They also have the most amazing lecture hall ever, along with some pretty fabulous lectures in said lecture hall!

One upcoming lecture is Under Glass: A Victorian Obsession and it sounds amazing. Check it out!

 

Check out their website for more details. The museum is free to attend (thought there is an $8 suggested donation and they are certainly worth supporting if you can) and now has a special open studio time for artists to come and sketch. See below for more info:

New Museum Policy - Sketching from the Collection - Artists and Art Teachers:

Artists are always welcome to sketch from the Wagner Institute's collection. Due to an increase in the number of visiting artists, the Institute has reserved Fridays from 1PM - 4 PM, as open studio time for artists. Other visiting student groups will not be scheduled at this time. No reservations are necessary. The use of pens is prohibited, only pencils may be used. Sketchbooks are not to exceed 18x24 inches. For questions or more information, please call 215-763-6529 x17. 

Images from Wagnerfreeinstitute.org

Sculpture Tool Donation

Last week we received a great donation of sculpture/carving tools for the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym...they originally belonged to a local female sculptor with the initials A.Y. (Anyone have an idea who?) I always love seeing what tools people use because I am pretty particular about the tools I model clay with (and my favorite one seems to have gotten lost in the studio move...whont whont...)

Anyway, we are looking forward to adding these into the ever growing collection of tools for the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym!