Pedro Ospina is an artist, educator and the Founder and Director of Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden in North Philadelphia’s Norris Square section. Born in Bogota, Colombia, and raised in New York City, Ospina lives and works in Philadelphia, now, creating beauty and community through his great talent, can-do skill set, and a very big heart. He’d like nothing better than to have you visit Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden and participate in the group sharing of art and food.
Read MoreCongratulations to the 934 artists and arts groups who received awards from the city through the Illuminate the Arts program! Plus, “Grumman Greenhouse” by Jordan Griska, is moving out of it’s space on North Broad Street.
Read MoreRoberta interviewed the three Summer Artists in Residence about their ten-week stay at GoggleWorks, which ends in early August. The three loved the shared studio at the facility as well as the shared townhouse provided for the live-in residency, and found they could spread their wings with new materials in the multi-faceted arts facility and garden. This lively conversation, sponsored by GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, took place on Zoom, and is 35 minutes long.
Read MoreIn the beastly hot days this month, we’ve sought some respite in travel: Roberta went to New York for a few days, others went to the beach or mountains. We’ve all been busy and busy reading. Here’s a quick look at upcoming content on Artblog, plus an event to give your two cents to the City on what they should do with the Roundhouse (former Police HQ), and a long read in the New Yorker by Alice Gregory about her trip to Africa and the work of a groundbreaking art collective, the Congolese Plantation Workers Art League.
Read MoreWe are very sad to report the passing of the great artist, Leroy Johnson, who was a mentor to many young artists in Philadelphia, in addition to being a maker of truth-seeking and truth-telling installations, sculpture and paintings.
Read MoreIt’s a time of high anxiety and we now have a new topic of worry — the City’s commissioning of a southern, white, male sculptor, for a permanent Harriet Tubman sculpture to be sited at City Hall. Meanwhile, across town, quietly, a somber monument to rethinking monuments, by Theaster Gates, appears at Drexel. And we hope you go to the book sale and party at the Icebox Project Space, brought to you by Ulises, FORTUNE and other book makers. Also, two top picks for reading and watching — Matthew Rose’s magazine, “Trouble,” debuts its summer issue; and Art 21 presents a charming, 9-minute video of the late Margaret Kilgallen at work, making art featuring her woman heroes.
Read MoreIt’s summer! But there’s still news, even in the art world. A new foundation, The Ruth Foundation for the Arts (Ruth Arts), today awarded $1.25 to 78 nonprofit arts organizations nominated for the grants. We congratulate the 5 local groups chosen for the new grants: Ballet X, Blackstar Projects, Taller Puertorriqueño, Twelve Gates and The Clay Studio. In other news, two videos we recommend for this hot weekend, and a call from the city for citizen participation in shaping the choice for the new public art Harriet Tubman statue.
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