VALENTINE'S DAY 2014 WORKSHOPS

Photo by Mark Fiorenza

FRIDAY, FEB 14TH 7-10PM 

No plans for Vday?

Join us in our Metal Shop for plasma cutting and welding demos.  

Then, stay for pizza & beer afterwards!

Price: $60.00 per person

SATURDAY & SUNDAY FEB 15TH-16TH 

When we say we make our own valentines, we really mean it. 

Come on out for one of our two person workshops!  

*All prices are per two people and includes materials.

                                          

10:00-12:00pm     Forged Valentine                             

                               Metal Shop                                                                        

                               Instructor: Gustavo Actis                                               

                               Price: $110                                                                        

10:00-12:00pm     Plaster Valentine                             

                               Casting Shop                                                                

                               Instructor: Darla Jackson                                             

                               Price: $100                                                                        

                                   

10:00-1:00pm      Hearts of Wood                               

                              Wood Shop                                                                       

                              Instructor: Geoffrey Thompson                                  

                              Price: $125                                                                       

1:00-4:00pm       Aluminum Valentine                         

                             Metal Casting                                                                  

                             Instructor: Gustavo Actis                                              

                             Price: $110                                                                        

2:00-4:00pm       Plasma Valentine                             

                             Weld Shop                                                                        

                             Instructor: Darla Jackson                                                

                             Price: $100                                                                       

*Space is limited.  Most of the two person workshops is a small ratio to instructor. 

To Register: 

Email Programs Director 

Jenny Welsh 

PSGJennyWelsh@gmail.com 

with the following information: 

Email Subject Line: Valentine's Day Workshops

Body of email: 

Name of Workshop you're interested in signing up for.
(be sure to include the day & time of the workshop)

Name/Names of persons participating in the workshop.

Contact Phone Number 

Contact Email 

 & any questions or concerns you may have about the workshop. Our Instructors are available to answer any questions too! 

We are looking forward to meeting new people & to our first Valentine's Day Weekend  at the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym since opening! 

Photograph by Mark Fiorenza 

*New* November/December Workshops

Aluminum Casting

1-Day Intensive

Saturday, December 14, 11:00-5:00pm 

Instructor: Gustavo Actis

Price: $110.00 (materials Included)

The Aluminum Casting Workshop is a 6-hour workshop where you will learn how to make a simple 2 part Greensand mold of a pattern and then how to cast the piece in aluminum. Each participant does the entire process from start to finish and will have a finished piece to take home with them at the end of class. No prior experience is necessary.

Face Casting

1- Day Intensive
Saturday, November 23, 10:00-4:00pm
Instructor: Jenny Lee Maas
Price: $125.00 (materials included)

Details: This class will teach the basics of face casting in a  rubber mold.  You can cast your own or cast bring a face model with you.  We will be taking a mold and casting it in plaster.  If the rubber mold is taken care of properly, it can last for years of projects & experiments.  Please note skin allergies, we are using rubber, soap and baby oil.

Welding 101

3 Tuesdays 7:00-9:00pm

12/3, 12/10, 12/17
Instructor: Laura Conklin

Price: $250.00 (includes materials)

3 Wednesdays 1:00-3:00pm (ONE SPOT LEFT) 
12/4, 12/11, 12/18
Instructor: Rea Walsh 
Price $250.00 (includes materials) 

Details: This 3 week class covers Oxygen-Acetylene welding and cutting, MIG, TIG, Plasma Cutter, and various grinding and metal finishing techniques.  Students will learn all the processes and have the opportunity to create a small-scale sculpture or functional craft. No previous experience necessary.

TIG Basics

1 Day Workshop, Sundays 7:00-9:00pm

12/8, 12/22

Instructor: Rea Walsh

Price: $80.00

Details: This 2-hour session will teach you the basics of TIG Welding and give enough time to practice the skills needed & ask questions. Working 2 on 1 with the instructor there is a lot of time for one-on-one instruction.  No prerequisites.


Sculptural Metalworking

3 Thursdays 7:00-9:30pm
12/5, 12/12, 12/19
Instructor: Bevan Weissman
Price: $200.00 (includes materials)

Details: This three-session introduction to metalworking and welding is focused on creative
exploration through steel. Students will learn plasma and oxy-acetylene cutting, MIG
welding, grinding & polishing, and other techniques while creating pieces of their own
design. Students may opt to make instructor-directed projects if they desire a more
structured class experience. No prerequisites.

Animal Skull Sculpture

2 Tuesdays 6:30-9:30pm
12/10, 12/17

Instructor: Darla Jackson

Price: $125 + $25 materials fee

Details: This class is perfect for all levels, from the beginner interested in learning basic animal anatomy and proportion to advanced students. Students will work from real animal skulls over the course of 2 weeks. No previous experience necessary.

Animal Sculpture

1-Day Intensive

Dec 28th, 10-3pm

Instructor: Darla Jackson

Price: $100 + $25 materials fee

Details: This one day intensive is open to all skill levels, from the beginner interested in learning basic animal anatomy and proportion to advanced students. Students will work from a live animal model over the course of 5 hours. No previous experience necessary.

BYO Bicycle Frame Class

Finally, Paul Carson is back with his Bicycle Frame Class!  There is a limited amount of space available (only 5 people!) so please email Programs Manager Jenny Welsh at PSGJennyWelsh@gmail.com to sign up asap.

 BYO (Build Your Own) BICYCLE FRAME CLASS

Description:

Ever frustrated by riding a bike just not shaped well for you? Ever tempted to try and build your own frame, but not sure where to start? This is the class for you!

In this class, students will learn how to build their own bicycle frame from steel tubes, using lugged construction. They will learn about bicycle geometry and handling, and what configurations are typically applied to what kind of riding applications. They will learn the basics of fitting a bicycle frame to a rider, and how to set up a bicycle frame jig.

You will come out of the class with an unpainted steel roadbike frame set up for fast city riding, commuting, or touring, It will accept caliper brakes and 28.6mm threadless headset. Extras (handlebars, seat, pedals, and wheels) are totally up to you!

Class Goals:

Students will leave the class having built their own bicycle frame, fitted specifically for them (or for the person of their choice) from steel tubing. Students will learn about fabricating structures made of thin wall tubing, and about brazing techniques.

(Outside the scope of this class, but highly recommended:  build up your bike. paint your name on the side. ride it around. impress your friends.)

Prerequisites:

No previous experience required. 

Dates/Times:

This is a week long workshop taking place Monday, January 6th through Friday, January 10th from 4-10pm.

Students will need to attend each night of class, from 4-10pm, Monday through Friday.

Costs:

Class fee is $450. Does not include materials.

Materials:

Materials are provided, for a materials fee of $250.  Students may customize their build with a selection of dropouts and braze ons.

Instructor Biography:

Paul Carson is an engineer by training and metalworking enthusiast.  After years of making bicycle powered sculptures, a recumbent trike, gas powered bumper cars and other contraptions, he designed his own bicycle building process using the fixture and manufacturing process design skills he learned working as a manufacturing engineer.

& MORE COMING SOON!

If you want to sign up or have any questions about the workshops please email: 

Programs Director, Jenny Welsh 
PSGJennyWelsh@gmail.com 
(215) 870-1081

All of our instructors are available to answer more specific questions before & after signing up for workshops. Email Jenny and she will get you in contact with them. 

PSG in Philadelphia Inquirer

Bevan Weissman, Darla Jackson and Gustavo Actis in the Philadelphia Inquirer!

A HUGE thanks to Ellen Scolnic for the great article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer and to Ron Tarver for the great photos! To check out the article online visit this link: PSG in the Philadelphia Inquirer

Like what we're doing and want to donate to our Lucky Ant campaign? Check that out here: PSG on Lucky Ant

And I just want to say that I'm overwhelmed by the amazing feedback...I've gotten some pretty amazing phone calls and emails today from people who have read the article and just wanted to touch base.  I cannot say enough how excited I am for this space and how proud I am of everyone who helped get it to where it is today. It's truly been a community effort and I am humbled by all of the support and kindness. Thank you thank you thank you...

PSG on Knightarts.org!

 

 Stephanie Koenig, Live Past Your Memory’s Fears

Thanks so much to Chip Schwartz for the great article on the Knight Arts blog!  He highlighted work by Stephanie Koenig, Nathaniel Mell and Gustavo Actis from Process Show: Casting, the exhibition that is up in our gallery right now! Congrats guys!

Here is a link to the article: www.knightarts.org

 Nathaniel Mell, Manifestation

 Gustavo Actis, Relic of the Ancient Future #2

Crates on the ceiling...

 Things are rolling along at the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym. As per any construction project, things are taking longer than expected but we've been keeping ourselves quite busy regardless. One of the things we've been working on is the ceiling of the Member Lounge. Originally the whole thing was covered in this awful paneling and we knew we wanted to keep the structure but overhaul the look. So we stripped it down and Justin had the idea to cover it, inside and out, in pieces of art shipping crates...we're reusing items that were destined to be trashed and it looks pretty awesome. Justin and Gus started the project off, hanging some of the bigger crates. This weekend Brynn, Gus and I got in there and started on some of the smaller sections. Everything had to be looked at, with us deciding which was the best part of the crate to save (hey, we're artists!) and then measuring and cutting the piece to fit. Gus and I finished it up Monday evening and I think it looks awesome. We'll be bringing the crates down the walls too, but there will be some windows going in to keep the space bright and open.

Process Show: Casting

 

Relic of The Ancient Future #1 by Gustavo Actis, 2011

 

I'm so excited to announce the artists that are included in our first juried show in the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym gallery! Process Show: Casting will be one of 4 process based shows that will happen each year (the others being wood, metal and mixed media) as a way to showcase the wide range possibilities within each medium/process. The artists are:

Gustavo Actis

Aylin Green

Stephanie Koenig

Nathaniel Mell

Lauren Pellerito

Amy Perdue

Emmett Ramstad

Colleen Rudolf

Kari Scott

Gabrielle Miles Silverlight

and Jenifer Stern

Congrats guys! Hope to see everyone on Friday, July 6th at the opening reception!

Weekend Recap

Wow...what a crazy weekend that was, packed from start to finish. Friday night we started off at Indy Hall for the In Progress show, celebrating their expansion into the first floor of 20 N. 3rd Street. The show was great and the space was packed!

 

Here are my snake and rabbit sculptures on either end of the table, with Terri's deer in the middle.

Justin and Gus's work.

 

Olivia was umbrella obsessed and had a whole bunch of admirers on our way from the car to Space 1026.

 

Jake Henry's show, It's a trap!, at Space 1026 was really fabulous. It was a mix of wood and metal sculpture, both free standing and some wall mounted pieces, and paintings, which all worked beautifully together. I especially liked the giant trap at the far end of the room, although I kept being afraid of Olivia getting into it (which she tried!)

 

Welded teeth

And I loved this little welded bear trap...

After the openings, Jenny and I went to the Crane Building to set up for the 2012 Philadelphia Truck Expo. We were given a pickup truck to use and everyone had to create something in it, around it, on it, etc... It was Jenny's great idea to do a natural history museum type display of all the amazing things we found in our building while renovating...

Our truck full of fabulous specimens!

Detail.

The opening was really fun and all the trucks were really varied which I loved. Ryan and Tim did a great job pulling it all together. Thanks for having us!!!

Lastly, we got some great donations this weekend, including a fridge (Thanks Gus!) and kitchen set up for our member lounge (Thanks Joe!) and some wood carving and leather working tools (Thanks Victor!). And big thanks, as always, to the amazing people who come help make it happen, Jenifer, Brynn (aka the Zen master), Gus, and Jenny. We could not do it without you guys.

(Sidebar. Anyone wanting to remove paint from windows, make a paste of washing soda and spread it on. Let it sit for a while, keeping it moist. Then use a scraper and a wire brush to take it all off. We have these horrible textured glass windows that grabbed the paint like it was its job, and this worked to get the paint off, and is non-toxic (Take that Paint Stripper! Booyah!)!)

Tiny Aluminum Pour!

Last night, between rainstorms, we got to see a tiny outdoor aluminum pour and it was incredible.

 

It started off with the tiniest little crucible I'd ever seen...

  

...and the cutest little furnace (I understand that tiny and cute are generally not words that go with pouring molten metal but I feel they are fitting...so there.)

  

Even though it was her first metal pour, Olivia was far more concerned with the puddles than anything else.

Getting set up...

 

...and fired up!

 

 And because one fire is never enough, we had to light another one for cooking veggie hotdogs...

 

That's the aluminum being put in through the hole in the top of the furnace so it will melt down.

 

Such a fabulous set up that Gus made.

Preheating the ingot mold on the edge of the furnace.

Scraping off any slag off of the molten aluminum.

 

Almost ready to pour! See how the crucible is glowing? It was so beautiful...

Poured! 

Gus poured the aluminum into sand molds he had made, and I was lucky enough to see him make another on the spot after pouring the first two, which he then poured into for a total of 3 castings. I would've taken photos of the sand mold process but Olivia stole my phone at some point. I'm sure we'll be doing this again soon so not to worry...

First Friday! PSG at Indy Hall

Hey guys! Sorry for the silence on the blog yesterday. Olivia and I were out picking up art and dropping it off for a show tonight at Independents Hall! Justin, Terri, Gus and I will all have some work in the show and the space is looking amazing. (Congrats guys!) They have expanded into the first floor of 20 N. 3rd Street and decided to celebrate by having a show of in-progress work! Come check it out. The opening starts at 6pm. For more info, look here.

Gustavo Actis

This Saturday! Charter Member Exhibition Opening Reception!

 Gallery during the Spodee Launch Party. 

Work by Gustavo Actis, Terri Aluise, Darla Jackson and Jennifer Welsh.

This Saturday is the opening reception for our Charter Member Exhibition! The opening will take place from 12-6pm, during the Trenton Avenue Arts Festival and the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby!
Come see our space and the first show of work by our amazing Charter Members: Gustavo Actis, Terri Aluise, Joshua Parker Coombs, Justin Grant, Darla Jackson, Michael Konrad, Stephen Millner, Jedediah Morfit and Jennifer Welsh!

You'll also get a chance to take a tour of the space and ask any questions you might have! Looking forward to seeing everyone!