Save the Date: Trenton Ave Arts Fest!

Saturday, May 21st we'll be set up at the Trenton Ave Arts Fest! Stop by our booth (#102) to say hi, ask questions about the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, make a donation, check out our calendar of workshops and/or fill out our artist questionnaire to be entered into the drawing for a free month of membership (once we open)! We're really looking forward to participating in this event and to seeing the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby!

Video from the Knight Blog

The Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia Winners from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.

WE WON!!!!!

It's OFFICIAL!! The Philadelphia Sculpture Gym is going to happen with the help of a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge!!! A HUGE thanks to everyone at the Knight Foundation for believing in this project and for giving us an amazing opportunity!!! Justin and I are insanely excited (and scared out of our minds) to make this dream a reality! Now...we just have to raise $19,900 (my mom gave us the first donation of $100...Thanks Mom and Dad (aka Debi and Andy Jackson)!!!) to match the grant! Anyone interested in donating (we love you!) please feel free to contact us at philadelphiasculpturegym(at)gmail.com to find out more about doing so.


Also, exciting news is that we are being fiscally sponsored by The Miami Foundation, a non-profit company based in Miami. What does that mean? That your donation is tax deductible! To make a donation online, please visit the Miami Foundation website and click on 'Give Now'. This will take you to a secure Pay Pal donation page. Under 'Purpose' please type "Philadelphia Sculpture Gym Fund". It's that easy! Be sure to send us an email letting us know that you donated so we can be sure to thank you profusely!!

Stay tuned for upcoming community based fund-raising events (Art Raffle anyone?) and Philadelphia Sculpture Gym Workshops (One day workshops that will give people a feel of what Philadelphia Sculpture Gym Classes will be like, while learning a new and exciting skill such as mold making, casting, animal sculpture, art packing, etc...)

Thanks again to everyone for your support!

Who the heck are we...

Darla and Justin casting a life-size sculpture, 2002

The Philadelphia Sculpture Gym is the idea of a husband and wife combo team, Justin Grant (husband) and Darla Jackson (wife). They also have a cute baby named Olivia. Darla and Justin are both sculptors who met at Moore College of Art & Design while Darla was a 3D Fine Arts major and Justin was the shop tech. They fell in love over Spring Break while making a waste mold on/casting Darla's first life-size figure (awww). Since their first collaboration went so well, they decided to go ahead and do a few more...many more molds, setting up a live/work studio space together, lots of casting, buying a house, setting up a new studio space, making 12 six foot high Victorian boots, getting married, making a cute baby named Olivia...and now the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym!

Darla with the giant boot (Footsteps Commission for Moore College), 2008

Darla makes mostly animal sculpture and installations. She teaches sculpture classes at the Fleisher Art Memorial and just finished up a year as a visiting professor at PAFA.

They were clawing… (Squirrel), (In progress) 2010

Surprise Party (Raccoon), 2009

You can't take it with you (Wealth), 2007

Justin and Olivia, 2011

Justin does a little bit of everything; sculpting, casting, welding, forging, woodworking, construction, packing art, shipping art, installing art, etc....kind of a jack of all trades. Currently he is co-manager of Crozier Fine Arts' Philadelphia branch.

Untitled, (In progress), 2009

Two Rattles and a teether that Justin made, 2009

Giant rolling wall he built for Rowan University Art Gallery (before it got its drywall...), 2010

Giant anvil for Mother Bethel AME Church, 2010

Olivia, our best work yet, 2011

Call for Artists: Challenge VIII Bartram's Boxes Remix

A Call for Artists from The Wood Turning Center:

The Wood Turning Center is pleased to announce the next Challenge series, an exhibition call to wood turners, furniture makers, sculptors, painters, printers, video, instillation, performance, and multi-media artists. Collaborations are welcome. Applications are due August 30, 2011.

Challenge VIII Bartram's Boxes Remix (BBR) is a collaborative project between the Wood Turning Center (Center) and Bartram's Garden, Philadelphia (home of famed 18th century explorer and botanist John Bartram). The title of this project, Bartram's Boxes Remix, references the boxes containing seeds, plants, and curiosities that John Bartram began sending to his colleagues in England in 1735, making Bartram's Garden an international hub of plant knowledge and sharing.

In the spirit of John Bartram's desire to share his passion for trees and other plants, BBR will bring together artists who will create works in wood and other materials from Bartram's Garden. Artists will be able to select from 13 types of wood from the Garden felled by a recent storm. BBR celebrates John Bartram's legacy of discovery and will provide a unique opportunity for artists to "remix" the history, materials and inspiration of one of America's oldest gardens in their work.

The Challenge series provides artists from around the world with a forum to push the frontiers of conceptualizing and executing their work while inviting the public to expand its understanding and appreciation of contemporary art in wood. The Challenge series includes works from both established and emerging artists.

For more information on the Challenge exhibition and how to apply click this link and download the full application. APPLICATION

Available Wood at Bartram's Garden:

Tulip Poplar, Cucumber Magnolia

Bitternut Hickory, Honey Locust

Silver Maple, Yellowwood

Willow Oak, Silverbell

White Mulberry, Paper Mulberry

Osage Orange, Kentucky Coffee Tree

Boxwood

Logo 2.5

Almost there! This is the logo after a few tweaks, and there are still a few more to come. We are so excited!!!

Logo 2.0

Lots about the logo, I know, I know. But thats pretty much all we have going on at the moment...a logo and a dream (le sigh!)...
Anyway, this is what happens when you take a logo drawn in pencil and give it to a fabulous and wonderful friend who is also a graphic designer. We have some small tweaks but overall I LOVE it. Thank you so much Homer!!!