Art + Soul Food II (Electric Boogaloo)

June 12th, 2010, people. Save the date. On June 12th, 2010, Art + Soul Food will be back, bigger and better than ever. Lots of plans in the works, so check this space for all the news.

That is all.

(Did I say June 12th, 2010?)

Everybody's Working-

For the weekend!
A+SF teammates were all over this whole curating thing the last two days. The excitement became contagious as artists trickled in Saturday and Sunday to drop off their work.
Here you see co-curator Sarah Peoples supervising the hanging method of assistant-to-the-curator Jacob Roller (who moonlights as property developer).
Well done!
Sarah painstakingly makes sure that each of Natalie Hope McDonald's photos are on the level.
Josh Harmony's pottery was too irresistible to leave in the box. Wait until you see the mini-cups! Perfect for drinking sake out of...
We were up to our necks in pedestals and paint for shelves...

Ahhhh paint scabs.It wasn't all fun and games though. Co-curator Beth Smallwood has some pretty unconventional methods when it comes to directing...


So cavalier!Pearl Bell brought the family over along with her work-that's husband Matt and daughter Ava.

Unfortunately she took Ava with her...but we're happy to have her plates!
We all treated ourselves to some Rita's-Ava got Cherry, I splurged for a soft-serve with jimmies. (sprinkles?)
John Blanchet dropping off his work and papers at the space on 2819 Girard...
Along with the puddles painters will be a digital video installation by Ira Blanchard, inside this secret room:
We have our work cut out for us, as you can see.
Rob Sutherland dropped off his work at the space on 2943 and then came down to 2819 to check out the progress.
Then we all peeked in 2711 to see the newly rehabbed floor. That's Maria Eife to the left. Note the Rita's cone in her hand. We're turning into junkies here...I can't wait to get back to work again today so I can have more water ice!
Where water ice leaves off, beer picks up-and we plopped our sweaty butts down for a few at Era after the day was done. Look! Our coasters!
Unfortunately we missed all of the big bike race action of the day, but a couple enthusiasts were kind enough to give us a recap.
Era was flexing its artistic muscles with a show of its own. We spoke with Luke Haggerty, the photographer you see below. Work it, Luke.
And the lovely Paula Pardo shows us her lemons from behind the bar.
On our side of the bar, her photos can be seen:
At some point we all made it home in time to catch a disco nap or two and now it's time for me to get my act together and gear up for another busy day.
Can't wait to see you all on Saturday!!!!
xoxo,
A+SF

Meet the Artists!

While all of the artists participating in Art+Soul Food have been mentioned in some capacity or another on this blog, here is a complete list with brief descriptions/images of their work and, when applicable, links to sites. We are thrilled to be working with such a talented team of creative individuals, and have some exciting plans in regards to curating all this work into the storefront gallery spaces. Please stop by again soon as more details emerge...


Pearl Bell: Fashion inspired art and Tableware. Pearl's hand crafted plates feature an array of unique and expressive visages, the common thread in all of them being a high level of attention to detail. In Pearl's own words: "I especially love faces. I feel that the details of a face reveal so much about a person. Each is so different; each flaw, each expression makes up for so much of what a person’s individuality is."



Beth Beverly:Sculpture. Having experimented with various methods of tissue preservation and taxidermy for the last eight years, Beth's latest work reflects a whimsical fascination with bridging the gap between dreams and waking life.




Ira Blanchard:Videography. Ira has been documenting a myriad of situations for years, recently returning to Philadelphia after a stint in New York where he worked on several projects. We've commissioned him to dazzle us with a moving collage of images related to the forces of nature for this event, which will be projected onto a wall in one of the gallery spaces.

John Blanchette: John is perhaps known to more of us for his culinary prowess, having worked in a slew of the kitchens in such fine establishments as Royal Tavern and Marigold's. Aside from his gastronomic adventures, he's a self-taught painter, creating (along with several other artists in this show) what has come to be known as puddle paintings.

Greg Brellochs:Painting. A Professor of Sculpture and Design at Camden County College, Greg is a Philadelphia based artist whose work explores an intersection of Art, Science and Philosophy through the visual experience and process of drawing. "My work seeks to integrate my interests in aesthetics, the natural sciences, cognitive science, and philosophy. I am intent upon the embodiment of concepts through the formal aspects of the work, and look to create arresting, sensual and evocative experiences."


Gabriel Byrne:Painting. One of the Puddle Painters in the show, Gabriel produces his work with oil paint and egg tempera. He stresses a "heavy emphasis on experimentation in my work. The experimental process attempts to replicate the primordial Waters of Chaos; raw nature as it was before the notion of ten thousand separated things existed. My desire is to provoke in the viewer a sense of themselves which exists beyond name, position and status; to strip down notions of identity in search of a universal self."


James Coughlin: Painting. Jim employs a plethora of materials and disciplines when creating his hypnotic images, including but not limited to: spray paint, oil paint, fire, and a hefty serving of patience. Jim has most recently began exploring the marriage of his painting with his photography work, and has created stencils from various snapshots to combine with the puddle paintings.
Bob Deane:Pottery. Bob works with clay derived from local creeks just outside of Philadelphia. His experimentation with glaze have resulted in effects visually similar to that of the paintings we will be showing, and are an excellent 3-dimensional complement.

Maria Eife: Jewelry Design. Maria is an active member in the Philadelphia art community (SNAG, Collab) and designs thought-provoking and thoroughly modern pieces employing traditional and non-traditional materials alike. Her most recent works reflect an exploration of word-play and self-adornment.



Ryan J Greenheck: Pottery. Ryan creates classic forms of bowls, teapots, pitchers, and mugs, each wheel thrown, slip decorated, and glazed. With the beautiful shapes and meticulous slip trailed patterning, each piece feels as if it belongs to a world that is precise, well ordered, and waiting for afternoon tea.

Josh Harmony: Pottery. With a BFA in ceramics from the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Inst. of Tech, Josh creates endearingly charming and functional tableware.


Natalie Hope McDonald: Photography. Natalie Hope McDonald lives and works in Philadelphia, and in the past has exhibited her paintings in group and solo shows. Most recently, she began exploring photography as a way to document urban life in its most immediate digital form. She now photographs urban and small town landscapes and its people. McDonald relies on natural light, shadow and graffiti to capture lonely, pensive scenes of modern American life.

Megawords: Lighting Exhibit. A collborative of creative individuals best known for experimentation in contemporary media and communication, Megawords pushes the boundaries of conventional exhibition and creative process.


Rabid Fox: Jewelry Design. Rabid Fox is a locally made line of jewelry centered around a plethora of adorable and sometimes mischievious looking animals, manipulated to wrap around one's finger (or wrist, neck, etc...). Molds are created from toys which are then transformed into cast-metal jewelry through a process called lost-wax casting.

Sarah Peoples:Sculpture & Drawings. Sarah creates tangible snapshots of specific emotions, moments, dreams in a variety of mediums. Her images are provocative, her sculpture disarming, and her most recent works reflect a deep exploration of myth and mystery.






Rob Sutherland: Pottery. Rob takes a more documentary approach to ceramics than most; he views his work as recorded observations about the world around him, bits of posterity to hold onto as the world around him constantly evolves. In his words, "A pot needs to function in a way not only to satisfy the task, but also to connect with the contemporary world."