Matt Kalasky speaks with artist Li Sumpter and educators Charlie McGeehan and Sam Reed about “Survival Guide for the Future” — an emergency preparedness, Afrofuturist and post-apocalyptic inspired curriculum conducted this spring at the U School High School in collaboration with The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design. Culminating in both a student-created zine and an exhibition at The Galleries at Moore (opening tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 3, 2018), this project gave students a platform to reflect on their current lives and imagine a vibrant teen-centric Philadelphia of the future.
Read MoreThis week on Artblog Radio we’re featuring audio from the Blue Note Salon, an April 21st panel curated by Black Quantum Futurism at the Icebox Project Space. This interactive discussion covers a wide range of topics from the role of jazz musicians and jazz culture in paving the way for the Civil Rights Movement to current efforts by local artists to connect their work to social change movements addressing gentrification, displacement and cultural heritage preservation.
Read MoreImani Roach visits local artist Frances Beaver at her Fishtown studio to chat about her recent video project, Sex of the Earth, and her evolving relationship to narrative and performance.
Read MoreThe Women’s Mobile Museum is a year-long project by the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center which brings renowned South African Photographer, Zanele Muholi to Philadelphia to engage with a group of ten local women who are interested in media arts and museum studies but have not had significant access to formal training in these areas. Imani sat down with Muholi and two of the program’s apprentices, Shasta Bady and “Muffy” Ashley Torres, to discuss their hopes for the project and their journey thus far.
Read MoreFor years, multidisciplinary performer Martha Stuckey has commanded stages in a brightly-colored wig and stilettos as the lead singer of Red 40 and the Last Groovement, Philadelphia’s premier clown-funk-cabaret band. Now she is preparing to strike a more personal note in her upcoming commissioned show, Due to Sensitive Nature, on view April 12th-14th at the Kimmel Center’s SEI Innovation Studio. She speaks with Imani Roach about taking risks, growing up singing in Lutheran church, and what it means to be a woman in charge. How did kettle corn and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit help to shape her performance trajectory? Listen to find out. Imani interviewed Martha at Moore College of Art and Design’s TGMR radio station on April 3rd, 2018; the podcast is 51 minutes long.
Read MoreWhen multi-media artists Lucia Alber and Katie Rauth first met as interns at Vox Populi Gallery, they recognized in each other a shared interest in the performance of gender and an attraction to similar forms and materials. Since their earliest collaborations in 2016, they have continued to build a powerful friendship both inside and outside of the studio — a friendship which served as an important source of support during Lucia’s recent experience being stalked by a man who serviced her car at a local Jiffy Lube. Here they speak with Matt Kalasky, about Leave Worry Behind, the body of work that emerged from that harrowing experience, on display at Practice Gallery beginning Friday, April 6th. This work, created by Alber and curated by Rauth, uses French boudoir aesthetics to examine the sexual politics of car culture. What is a “sulking room” and how much self-care is too much self care? Listen to find out. Matt interviewed Lucia and Katie at Moore College of Art and Design’s TGMR radio station on April 4th, 2018; the podcast is 20 minutes long.
Read MoreToday, we share a 2012 image of a Peeps Diorama of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! Libby reported on this when she found there was a trend in using Peeps in art! Enjoy your Easter, Passover, April Fool’s Day!
Read MoreThough still in her early-30s, local renaissance woman Lauren NeFesha has already lived many lives. Now this former fashion student (and nationally-ranked boxing champion) is making a name for herself as a songwriter and mosaic artist. She chats with Artblog’s Imani Roach about speaking up for the most marginalized among us and allowing curiosity to be her guide without judgement. What do a mosaic and a boxing match have in common? Listen to find out. Imani interviewed Lauren at Moore College of Art and Design’s TGMR radio station on March 16th, 2018; the podcast is 33 minutes long.
Read MoreKara Springer works at the intersection of sculpture, photography and language to activate bodies in space. Born in Barbados and raised in Ontario, Canada, this former industrial designer grounds her minimalist aesthetic with careful attention to history and geography. Springer speaks with Artblog’s Imani Roach about diaspora, legibility and her current installation at The Galleries at Moore — Ten Days Before Freedom, a Hymnal. What can perilous landscapes teach us about the nature of built space? Listen to find out. Imani interviewed Kara at Moore College of Art and Design’s TGMR radio station on February 26th, 2018; the podcast is 34 minutes long.
Read MoreAs a Chinese-born artist making a life for herself in Philadelphia, Yixuan Pan thinks a lot about translation and the limitations of language. In fact, since earning her MFA from the glass department at Tyler School of Art last year, she has built a rich and varied practice around the insights gained from living with confusion. Here she speaks with Matt Kalasky, ahead of her February 28th collaborative performance at Vox Populi Gallery, about starting with wonder and chasing art across media. Can a conversation where no questions are allowed qualify as studio time? Listen to find out. Matt interviewed Pan at Moore College of Art and Design’s TGMR radio station on February 13th, 2018; the podcast is 21 minutes long.
Read MoreArtblog had a little soiree with our family of contributors. We love to talk and had so many great conversations! This video by our contributor, Carly Bellini, captures the spirit of the night in a nice compact 55 seconds. Thank you, family friends, for donating good food and beverages, and thanks, all who came out, for making the night sparkle. See you next time!
Read MoreThe Fabric Workshop and Museum, founded in 1977 by arts visionary Marion “Kippy” Boulton Stroud, is celebrating its 40th birthday with a major retrospective exhibit. Process and Practice: 40 Years of Experimentation hilights archived ephemera from the institution’s famed artist-in-residence program that has been preserved for decades in “artist boxes.” Artblog’s Imani Roach spoke with Susan Lubowsky Talbott, the Museum’s Executive Director, about exhibiting “failures,” engaging the public, and her legacy. What was the most surprising thing she discovered in those artist boxes? Listen to find out. Imani interviewed Susan at the Fabric Workshop and Museum on January 9th, 2018; the podcast is 30 minutes long.
Read MoreWe are very sad to report the passing yesterday of our friend, A.M. Weaver. Her exit from this earth creates a big hole in the art world and a bigger hole in our hearts. We know many of you were friends of hers, worked with her, were mentored by her, and are mourning her loss as we are. We will let you know about a memorial service for A.M. as soon as we hear.
Read MoreYou’ve probably seen Kelli Morgan around town, presenting her research, working with students, moderating conversations with artists, and generally staying busy as PAFA’s first Winston & Carolyn Lowe Curatorial Fellow for Diversity in the Fine Arts. Now she’s heading off on a new adventure as Associate Curator of American Art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. Artblog’s Imani Roach spoke with the Detroit native on the eve of her departure about her unconventional path to museum work and her fresh vision for curating the American canon. Listen to hear her advice for aspiring young curators and much more. Imani interviewed Kelli at Moore College of Art and Design’s TGMR radio station on January 3rd, 2018; the podcast is 39 minutes long.
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