Interim Directorship Ends

I have tendered my resignation to James Oliver Gallery. My interim directorship has now concluded and I will be moving on to pursue brighter pastures.

I will still be curating exciting exhibits around the city come late 2010, so please check back for details as they arise.

I wish the new director the best of luck and hope they are able to put on some stimulating shows.

NBC Philadelphia | Borders (Screen Grab)

(Original Link)

NBC Philadelphia | Borders (Text)

(Original Post)

Artists Without Borders

By KELLY BAYLISS

Updated 10:00 AM EST, Fri, Dec 4, 2009

Elena Drozdove

"Borders," an exhibition featuring three international artists opens at the James Oliver Gallery on Saturday with a reception from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. All three of the critically acclaimed artists will be in attendance.

The exhibit features Mark Khaisman (Ukraine), who creates captivating pieces from brown packing tape, Elena Drozdova (Russia) acrylic paintings and the abstract paintings of Eric Hall (England), a former Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art student.

The "Borders" reception is free. The exhibit runs until January 10, 2010.

First Published: Dec 4, 2009 9:48 AM EST

Philadelphia Magazine | Borders

From Philadelphia Magazine:



Click image above to read.

"Borders"

Artists without Borders

James Oliver Gallery (JOG) is honored to present "Borders", featuring critically acclaimed artist Mark Khaisman of Ukraine, Elena Drozdova of Russia and Eric Hall of England. "Borders" opens Saturday, December 5th with a reception with the artists from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. The exhibit runs through January 10, 2010.

Mark Khaisman, born in Kiev, Ukraine, creates captivating works from brown packing tape layered to create depth and opacity over Plexiglas light boxes. His work has been featured in The London Times, CNN (London), Wired Magazine, Architectural Design, and he was recently featured as a "must watch" artist by Philadelphia Magazine. His work has been exhibited across the United States, including Chicago, Baltimore, Delaware and Utah. He has received various awards and recognitions in Bulgaria, Poland, Paris and the United States.

Elena Drozdova, born in Moscow, Russia, uses acrylic paint on Yupo paper (a synthetic, water resistant material) to produce works reminiscent of French Impressionist painter Édouard Manet meeting Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele. Her portraiture is inspired in part by subjects who "have no means to communicate their experiences to outsiders." Her work has been shown in Moscow, Düsseldorf, Tokyo, Brussels and Venice. In 2003 she received an award in the World Trade Center Memorial Competition in NY.

Born in Liverpool, England, Eric Hall folded his experience in advertising into a career as a painter. Traditionally trained at the Corcoran School of Art and The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Hall has recently shifted styles to reflect a more painterly, abstract form inspired by color and light. His work has been exhibited regularly at the Woodmere Art Museum and the Cheltenham Center for the Arts.

Please join James Oliver Gallery and curator Veronica Scarpellino in celebrating this international event. A reception with the artists will be held on Saturday, December 5th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm, and is free and open to the public.

For further details and images of works on display, please see the posts below or call JOG at 215.923.1242. High resolution images are available upon request.

Transplant Reception Photos

A warm thank you to all who attended our reception for TRANSPLANT on Saturday night. In the pouring rain, no less. We had a wonderful time.

Thank you to Victory Brewing for the beverages, and to missingElement for the photos!

NBC Philadelphia's Homepage

What's that, down there on the left ...?



Update: Now on the front page of Around Town ...

NBC Philadelphia | Transplant

NBC Philadelphia
A Change of Art: JOG Opening Saturday
By DAVID CHANG
Updated 3:21 PM EDT, Fri, Oct 23, 2009


JOG
Art fans in Philly have something to look forward to this weekend from the James Oliver Gallery. Their newest exhibit, Transplant, opens Saturday Oct. 24, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Transplant features painter Ron Johnson and sculptor Steven Earl Weber. The paintings and the sculptures are inspired by the shadows of nature and genetically engineered human organs. Weber will also display sculptures that were previously censored from the Art Institute of Philadelphia.

Enjoy beer, wine and light fare as you peruse the exhibit.

The gallery is located on the fourth floor of 723 Chestnut Street. The exhibit will run until November 21. For more information, check out the gallery website www.jamesoliverygallery.com.

Transplant | Thrillist Philadelphia

Thrillist Philadelphia

The List

Hump This

Organ-ize: Transplant

Sat, Oct 24, 6-9pm at James Oliver Gallery: 723 Chestnut St; 4th Fl (above Morimoto); 215.923.1242

Hit JOG Saturday evening to throw back comp'd vino and Victory suds as you marvel at Ron Johnson's paintings (which draw inspiration from photographs of shadows) and the sculpture work of Steven Earl Weber, including a series of anatomically correct ceramic human organs slapped with appropriate/cynical branding, like the Nike-swoosh-emblazoned heart on a swatch of AstroTurf dubbed "The Athlete With The Most Heart", "Marlboro Lungs", and another heart dangling from a gold chain, draped in signature Burberry plaid you'll deem "The Shopper With The Most Credit Cards".

Read the rest of the Thrillist Philadelphia List here.

Censored Work on Display

Back in 2008, the Art Institute in Philadelphia censored an artist in an exhibit about gun violence. The artist, Steven Earl Weber, will exhibit the censored work for the first time since, at James Oliver Gallery.

A reception with Steven Earl Weber and painter Ron Johnson is on Saturday, October 24th, 6:00 - 9:00 PM, and is free and open to the public.

Thanks to Victory Brewing for beverages!

Gallery Director & Curator

I'm very pleased to announce I have been asked to become the new Director and Curator of James Oliver Gallery.

The owner, James Oliver, is opening a second gallery in Sebastopol, California, north of San Francisco in Napa Valley. This is an exciting opportunity for me to put together some exciting artists for the next few months as things settle in.

Check back for exhibit information as things unfold.

Installation Shots| Globe Dye Works: Layers

We had an amazing turn-out to the opening reception. We're estimating around 1000 people came. Thanks to all who did!

Here are some installation shots, taken by Brian Michael Photography & Design:













And from the Frankford Gazette:

NEast Magazine Preview | Globe Dye Works

New vision, art show for Globe Dye Works in Frankford

8 05 2009 8 05 2009

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.

Thrillist Preview | Globe Dye Works: Layers

Thrillist Philadelphia

Emailed in a LIST on: Wednesday May 6, 2009

Globe Dye Works: Layers

5-9pm, Sat May 9; 4500 Worth St, between Church and Orthodox; Frankford; 215.288.4554

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

Citypaper Preview | Globe Dye Works: Layers

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Globe Dye Works: Layers

Opening reception Sat., May 9, 5-9 p.m., free, exhibit through June 7, Globe Dye Works, 4500 Worth St., 215-288-4554, globedyeworks.com.

by Lauren F. Friedman

Published: May 5, 2009

visual art

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.

Opening reception Sat., May 9, 5-9 p.m., free, exhibit through June 7, Globe Dye Works, 4500 Worth St., 215-288-4554, globedyeworks.com.

© Philadelphia City Paper

Guy Stanley Philoche

I'm thrilled to announce Guy Stanley Philoche will be joining the exhibit "Globe Dye Works: Layers" (see below post). Philoche is a very prolific NY painter whose work is in museums and collections around the world.

"Untitled Series" 2008

"Globe Dye Works: Layers"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



“Globe Dye Works: Layers”
May 9 – June 7, 2009

Opening Reception with the Artists: Saturday, May 9th, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Gallery Hours: By appointment

Contact: Globe Development Group 215-288-4554 info@globedyeworks.com
4500 Worth Street • Philadelphia, PA 19124
www.globedyeworks.com/exhibitions

Directions

"World Bound" detail by Maria Anasazi. Book pages, metal, wood.

Philadelphia warehouse makes the transition to its next incarnation: from textile factory to art community.

Since 1865, the Globe Dye Works warehouse compound has been the site of one of longest running dye factories in Philadelphia. Now under new ownership, Globe will enter its next phase of life as an art community. “Globe Dye Works: Layers,” its first art exhibition, will premier Saturday, May 9th to showcase some of Philadelphia’s best established and emerging artists, including Greek artist Maria Anasazi. A reception with the artists is being held Saturday, May 9th from 5:00 – 9:00 pm and is open to the public. Light fare will be served, and Philadelphia Brewing Company will provide beverages as the reception sponsor. The exhibit runs through June 7th by appointment only.

Curated by Philadelphia artist Veronica Scarpellino, “Globe Dye Works: Layers” will bring together 13 artists to celebrate the transition of the Globe Dye Works building into its next incarnation. Artist Maria Anasazi, a recent Philadelphia transplant from Greece, will headline the exhibit with delicate sculptures created from antique and discarded books. Anasazi is a prolific artist who has shown her work extensively across the country and has received numerous awards and accolades. Anasazi will be joined in the main gallery by other established artists Steven Earl Weber, Kiki Gaffney (courtesy Pentimenti Gallery), Pete Checchia and NY artist Guy Stanley Philoche (courtesy James Oliver Gallery). Together their artwork will pay homage to the past as it meets the present, in unison with the space around them.

The exhibition continues upstairs in two other exhibit rooms, featuring the works of Candace Karch and Joshua Erb, Romy Scheroder, Ron Johnson, Justin Coffin, Deb Imler and Allen Spencer, James Oliver and Peter Stanfield.

Globe Dye Works has been remade to support art studios, craftsman studios, offices and stores. Public spaces within will serve as areas to exhibit art, communicate with fellow tenants, and give residents an opportunity to collaborate. Spaces vary in size, from 500 sq. ft. to 3000 sq. ft., giving residents a flexibility in scope that is rare.

Join the partners of Globe Dye Works and Philadelphia Brewing Company in this celebration on Saturday, May 9th from 5:00 – 9:00 pm.

Press Inquiries ONLY: Veronica Scarpellino vscarpellino@gmail.com
Please note: Full access is available to the press for a tour of the facilities. More High Resolution images available upon request.




"Untitled Series" Guy Stanley Philoche

























"Fertility Goddess" Pete Checchia










"Pass Age" detail, Romy Scheroder