ste!!a gassaway: unpredictable thoughts

Thanks to my pal Maryann Devine for turning me on to this video. Lot’s of Philadelphia Arts & Culture in one place. The Opera Company gets with flash mobs and performs at Reading Terminal Market. Other established arts organizations need to get out and bring art and performance to everyday places.

Great job Opera Company of Philadelphia!

Wandered by into this little shop. Some very nice arrangements. I hear they are new in old city. Looking forward to getting some flowers for the table there. I just felt very welcomed by the facade. I’ll be back.

Yesterday we met Chris. He’s the maintenance guy. He’s young energetic and he helped us with the Comcast survey guy. The Comcast guy was Michael. He’s a private contractor to Comcast of course. (Let’s not go into that story right now.) There is Mike the dogwalker who we met when he walked the dog from across the street; it’s his girlfriends business. There is Claude who does some work for the landlord; didn’t meet him just talked on the phone. Finally talked to Lynne who is going to clean the place before we move in.

It has begun.

Meeting new folks in a new neighborhood.

Took this on a walk last week. The weather just seems to keep calling out for the evergreen. Love the tile house number!

The sky is a weird yellow and the snow has already covered the cards and sidewalks. It’s 9pm. We have less than an inch. I’m planning on adding a number of widgets here on the blog tonight.

Got a few pics at the Reception. Thought I’d do a bit of cross-posting. Wanna know more about my art check out my studio journal. Enjoy.

Putting each drawer in took careful aim.

Task complete. What a great job.

Craig was an amazingly hard worker while helping us move. I think the rewards of going to the cafe for crepes and coffee was part of the motivation to get things done. Still, we had fun moving this piece of furniture and he put in each drawer by himself. He was very pleased when he completed the task. And helped me hang the George Nelson clock too; making sure it was straight.

We could still use some of his help.
Maybe I’ll give him a call.

Craig T thinks that Morning Glory is an awesome place to relax and have a good meal.
He had a terrific sandwich with potatoes and homemade catsup.

It has been a really fun visit in Philadelphia so far.

In solidarity with our Iranian friends.

The artist and one of her paintings.

The artist as one of her pieces

I actually posted this video at our heavybubble blog because it struck me so. Listening to Kukuli Velarde talk about herself and her path as a painter, then ceramic artist, and now painter again was quite a journey. Lots of artists have this kind of journey. Often as artists we experience these things and never talk to anyone about our journey in this way. Being behind the lens of a video camera with an interviewer who makes one comfortable enough to talk about the work in an open way.

Kukuli Velarde makes amazing work and she works through her feelings over time making pieces that express each and every second of internal process. In that process she confronts the issues that energize her work and bring us face to face with her internal questioning.

The work is powerful and frank. It uses many vocabularies to capture our attention. With all the intensity there is still a beauty and joy that allows you to embrace the art and want to keep it near you.

Use the link below to watch the video. I’ve also included her website.

links:
kukuli velarde: the path of a painter [video]

kukuli velarde [web]

Tags: culture, art, ceramics, colonization, women, painting, philadelphia, David Kessler, Kukuli Velarde

Roma Amor
Digital assemblages and collages of Italy :  Joel Katz
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Collage collaborations by poet Randall Couch and Joel Katz

The Open Lens Gallery
The Gershman Y
401 South Broad Street
Philadelphia PA 19147
www.GershmanY.org

11 December 2008–1 February 2009
Gallery Hours:
Sunday–Friday 9 am–5 pm,
closed Saturday

Opening reception:
Thursday 11 December, 
5:30–7:30 pm

Poetry reading by Randall Couch
at 6 pm

Tags: art, photography, exhibition, philadelphia, collage

This is my first post about our new neighborhood.

It’s been just two weeks since we moved into walking distance of our studio. Now we will have many new adventures. We can’t wait.

I would like to say that we have a neighborhood name like Bella Vista, or Old City, or Northern Liberties. But it seems we aren’t quite anything yet. Some people refer to the area as Graduate Hospital… but that’s night accurate and doesn’t feel right either. Maybe we’ll have to work on a name even if it is just for us.

We were walking around the new neighborhood checking out the architecture, looking for the little gems we could watch as the seasons change and we came upon this door. I thought maybe it was a store entrance, no a restaurant or bar or coffeehouse. The whole entrance was very honest in its appearance. Inviting comfortable. What kind of food? — Some kind of fusion cuisine of course. But what could this word be? Rall, Rass, Roll? Just couldn’t figure it out.

I’ll google it.

Then just a block up we found this:

Tags: signs, tags, graffitti, design, culture, neighborhood

I’m running around with a tape measure and M is recording the measurements. Moving is an adventure. We have done it many times. I often feel like we are pulling the tent stakes up, rolling up the rugs and loading up the camels — heading to some new place for the season.

This move is more like a distant move. For the first time since I moved to Philadelphia we will be moving away from the great green Northwest of the city. We will be moving into a more urban atmosphere. Walking to work and the grocery store, and everywhere.

I’m looking forward to documenting this change.Back to packing.

Tags: philadelphia, urban, moving, city iving