postings of a sculptor • veronica scarpellino • all images © 2006 - 2007
And from the Frankford Gazette:
posted by -veronica at 2:45 PM
The 11-building Globe Dye Works complex, portions of which are more than 140 years old, is given new life.
By Christopher Wink
Signs throughout Philadelphia point to the slow development of an industrialization long since gone — even in Frankford.
Tomorrow night, the opening reception of an art show will be held at the old Globe Dye Works on Torresdale Avenue above Kinsey Street. The show, called “Layers” features a host of established and upcoming artists from other Philadelphia neighborhoods and outside the region.
The show is curated by Veronica Scarpellino.
If you have interest in a free art show or not, Globe Dye Works, once the home of a fifth-generation textile dying factory, is worth the visit. You’d never know it, driving north on Torresdale, passing another old brick relic of Philadelphia’s historic manufacturing past, but the Globe is alive.
It’s history and prominence is illuminating. With as much as 165,000 square feet between 11-buildings, the oldest of which was constructed more than 140 years ago, the building has remarkable promise for unique live-work, light-industrial and, yes, even art space.
Read more of its history at the Workshop of the World Web site.
In touring the complex with Jim Smiley of the Frankford Gazette and Charles Abdo, the bright and engaging man that is leading the construction with five other partners and seems very respectful and in awe of the building’s history, I was so taken by moving from one building to the next, some in disrepair, with elements of the Globe business still there, while others were beautiful and ready to be used.
The complex is still developing. There are seven tenants, including a metal smith, a woodworker, an antiques wholesaler, a photographer and a steel drum manufacturer. Portions of the complex are already finished and awaiting new tenants, some portions can be developed to tenant specifications and others are sitting, remaining haunting reminders of the long staple of industrialization.
The Globe business wasn’t shuttered by its Greenwood owning family until 2005, but it sometimes appears like you’re walking through an ancient tomb.
Abdo and his partners are hoping to keep some of that authentic feel, including discussions on leaving a three-story boiler as a “conversation piece.“
Smiley is sharing many photos he took at the Globe, seen here, among others.
The art show is in a particular interesting part of the complex — redone, with beautiful, original floors and 30-foot high open face brick. The free show is a chance to open the building up to the community and potential tenants.
The artists will be in attendance at tomorrow’s opening reception, but the art will remain and be open through June 7 by appointment. Read more here.
The Globe is easily accessible by mass transit. Take the El eastbound from Center City to the Church stop. Walk four blocks east to Torresdale Avenue and one block north to Kinsey Street. The Globe complex will be on your right and can be accessed from Worth Street, which runs parallel to Torresdale.
Street parking is also available.
posted by -veronica at 8:58 PM
Fiercely indulge in comp'd suds from Philadelphia Brewing Co (plus wine and M Room's Mediterranean grub) at this mammoth dye-factory-turned-studio-complex's debut art show. On display: hand-crafted wall sculptures made from recovered machinery, free-standing sculptures created from antique and discarded books, and extended exposure photography of toys projected on cathedral walls (G.I. Job?).
Think globally, act locally -- check out the full list of artists at GlobeDyeWorks.com
posted by -veronica at 9:43 AM
visual art
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In a gritty, post-industrial corner of Frankford, where Amtrak trains rattle by empty sidewalks, the massive Globe Dye Works complex swallows a full city block. When dyeing operations shut down four years ago, the previous owners left behind sewing machines, spools of colored thread, safety notices and an old leather punch. These vestiges are still scattered throughout the cavernous rooms, and the potent history of the space informed its inaugural exhibition, "Layers." "It's a very loose theme," says curator Veronica Scarpellino. "It's about the transition from old to new, from industrial to modern." The work of 13 artists is spread out across nearly 8,000 square feet, offering a rare opportunity to see a variety of pieces untethered from the traditional confines of a gallery. Romy Scheroder used the plentiful open space in one of the sun-filled upstairs rooms to spread out a flock of lifeless, white birds made from handkerchiefs. Maria Anasazi repurposed the pages of old books into a paper globe, a quilt made only of children's stories and a circular accordion that sits atop antique crutches. Justin Coffin carefully photographed Arctic Splash containers littered all over Fishtown, imbuing typical urban detritus with the gravity of a crime scene. "Everyone's work seems to have some ephemerality to it," says Scarpellino, and the hushed Dye Works factory stands as the clearest symbol of impermanence — and transformation.
posted by -veronica at 9:42 AM
