PREVIEW
N E W S F R O M T H E P E N N S Y LV A N I A A C A D E M Y O F T H E F I N E A R T S
SPRING 2015
The Artist’s Garden
American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887-1920
Childe Hassam, The Goldfish Window (detail), 1916, Oil on canvas, 34 3/8 × 50 5/8 in. Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH, Museum Purchase: Currier Funds, 1937.2
February 13 - May 24, 2015 Opening reception: February 12, 7 - 8:30 p.m. Philadelphia boasts a distinguished gardening history dating back to William Penn’s 17th-century vision of the city as a wholesome “green country town.” It is in the City of Brotherly Love that the Colonial Revival Garden movement originated with the Centennial Exhibition in 1876, and where, in 1913, the Garden Club of America was founded. This spring, PAFA illuminates the intertwining stories of Impressionism, Philadelphia’s role in the national garden movement, and the growing popularity of gardening among the middle-class with The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887-1920.
IN THIS ISSUE 2
Traction Company
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Sculpture Alumni Carving Out Successful Careers
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Largest Alumni Bequest Names Curator of Modern Art
Curated by Anna Marley, Curator of Historical American Art, the exhibition brings together a stunning collection of paintings, photographs, garden sculptures, and decorative arts, drawn from the collections of art museums, botanical gardens, libraries, and private collections. Many of the artists featured in the exhibition taught, studied, or exhibited at PAFA, and were involved in the horticultural arts. They include Cecilia Beaux, Hugh Henry Breckinridge, William Merritt Chase, Charles C. Curran, Maria Oakey Dewing, Frederick Carl Frieseke, Daniel Garber, Philip Leslie Hale, Childe Hassam, Violet Oakley, Jane Peterson, Jessie Wilcox Smith, John H. Twachtman, Robert W. Vonnoh, and J. Alden Weir. “The Artist’s Garden explores various aspects of what one might call the horticultural impulse in American Impressionist
art – from the gardens of artists, and the magazines that celebrated and influenced them, to the emergence of the modern American conservation movement, and the field of landscape architecture – the exhibition considers gardens urban and suburban, real and ideal,” says Marley. Two bronze garden sculptures, Girl with Fish (1914) by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth and Water Lilies Fountain (1913) by Bessie Potter Vonnoh, installed in a garden-like setting, welcome visitors into the exhibition through the rotunda of PAFA’s Historic Landmark Building. These elements introduce visitors to a turn-of-the-century aesthetic that links the world of art with the world of the garden. Here and throughout the exhibition, the design is inspired by late-19th century archival photos of PAFA’s galleries, contemporary to the period of art included in The Artist’s Garden. (continued on page 8)
Exhibitions Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is America’s first School and Museum of Fine Arts. A recipient of the 2005 National Medal of Arts presented by the President of the United States, PAFA is a recognized national leader in Fine Arts education. Nearly every major American artist has taught, studied, or exhibited at PAFA. The institution’s world-class collection of American art continues to grow and provides what only a few other art institutions in the world offer: the rare combination of an outstanding Museum and extraordinary faculty known for its commitment to students and for the stature and quality of its artistic work.
Traction Company
PAFA’s Sculpture Plinth Exhibition Program presents: R OBERT TAP L IN
July 2 - October 11, 2015
February 13 - May 24, 2015
Opening Reception: July 1
Opening Reception: February 12, 7 - 8:30 p.m. Following PAFA’s inaugural plinth installation of KAWS’ BORN TO BEND sculpture in 2013/14, the second installation on the plinth above the entrance of PAFA’s Historic Landmark Building will be The Young Punch Juggling by Robert Taplin. The 16-foot sculpture is the latest in Taplin’s series of contemporary takes on the historical Punch figure that Taplin has depicted in a variety of compromising scenarios. The sculpture will be complemented by two large-scale sculptures by Taplin in the galleries of the Historic Landmark Building — Punch Makes a Public Confession and Punch is Homeless — as well as a number of small-scale maquettes.
David R. Brigham, President and CEO John J. Berg, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Jeffrey Carr, Dean of the School of Fine Arts James Gaddy, Vice President of Human Resources Melissa D. Kaiser, Executive Vice President of Development Harry Philbrick, The Edna S. Tuttleman Director of the Museum Heike Rass, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications Anne Stassen, Dean of Students André S.F. van de Putte, Dean of Enrollment
The Sculpture Plinth Exhibition Program embraces PAFA’s mission to engage the full spectrum of American art — including art made now — in a visceral and highly-visual way. Taking its cue from the Fourth Plinth Program in Trafalgar Square in London, PAFA’s program presents an annual series of attention-catching art in an unexpected location. Learn more at pafa.org/Taplin. Sculpture Plinth Exhibition Program: Robert Taplin is supported by Arthur Dantchik, Joe and Jane Goldblum, and Marie Morgan.
Preview is produced by PAFA’s Marketing Department and published twice a year. Design Laura B. Beard Copy Editors Heike Rass, JoAnn Loviglio, and Silvana Pop
Board of Trustees
R oc k , Paper , S cissors
Kevin F. Donohoe, Chair
Drawn from the JoAnn Gonzalez
Herbert S. Riband, Jr., Esq., Vice Chair & Secretary Thomas N. Pappas, Vice Chair James C. Biddle, Vice Chair
This summer
Thomas L. Bennett, Treasurer Anne E. McCollum, Assistant Treasurer James Alexandre
Francis J. Leto
Roger H. Ballou*
Sara Lomax-Reese
Donald R. Caldwell, Chair Emeritus
Winston I. Lowe, Esq.
Valentino D. Carlotti*
Brett Matteo
Charles E. Chase
Jonathan H. Newman, Esq.
Elliot H. Clark
James E. O’Neill, Esq.
Jonathan L. Cohen*
Sashi Reddi
Monica Duvall DiLella, M.D.
Gretchen E. Roede
William J. Farrell, II
Theodore O. Rogers, Jr., Esq.*
Robert I. Friedman, Esq.
Steven L. Sanders
John A. Fry
William H. Schorling, Esq.
William P. Hankowsky
Henry B. du P. Smith
Edward T. Harvey
Richard W. Snowden
Susan M. Hendrickson
Julie D. Spahr
Dorothy Mather Ix
Barbara A. Sylk
Ro King*
Richard W. Vague
Joel M. Koppelman
Marguerite Lenfest
Frances M. Maguire*
*National Trustee
Honorary
Ex officio
Dorrance H. Hamilton
David R. Brigham, President and CEO
Emeritus
Gregory J. Fox
John B. Bartlett
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority
Robert L. Byers, Sr. Charles E. Mather, III Samuel J. Savitz William A. Slaughter, Esq. Harold A. Sorgenti, Chair of Emeritus Trustees Richard E. Woosnam Deborah C. Zug
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Jill Rupinski, Faculty Representative David Campbell Wilson, President of Alumni Council Linda Aversa Caldwell, President of Women’s Board
, PAFA’s galleries play host to an exhibition celebrating the Traction Company, an artists’ collective founded in 2007 by five PAFA alumni. Housed in a 19th-century 6,000 square foot warehouse turned cooperative art studio in West Philadelphia, the Traction Company brings together 14 members: Connie Ambridge, Steven Lamar Dailey, Jeff Dentz, Billy Blaise Dufala, Morgan Dummitt, Pavel Efremoff, Sedakial Gembremedhin, Laura Giannini, John Grieg, Jr., Miguel Antonio Horn, Zach Kainz, Brendan Keen, Joshua Koffman, and Lucia Thomè. Drawing attention to the organic growth, vibrancy, and flux of artist-run spaces, the exhibition features three collectively built installations, along with contextual and historical imagery, and individual works of present and past members who have contributed to the growth of the collective. “This is an incredible opportunity for the Traction Company to talk about where we are as individual artists in an artist-run space, and the challenges we face to sustain our workspace,” says Horn. “Our community of artists grew over the years out of necessity to establish a place to make our work after leaving PAFA. For nearly a decade, different members worked together on the space once a week to outfit it to our needs, which have evolved along with the neighborhood around us. Our collective practice is in turn affected; we’re now working collaboratively on artworks for this show that consider the impact of these changes on our community.” Included in the exhibition is subTRACTION, a 1/6 scale recreation of the collective’s warehouse workspace, originally created for Citywide, a 2013 exhibition of artist-run spaces in Philadelphia. Two new collaborative pieces are also created for the exhibition: Truss is a monumental structural form made of salvaged timbers from a demolished building in West Philadelphia. The reclaimed wood is re-assembled and constructed within the galleries in an effort to highlight the historical and inherent beauty of the reclaimed material itself, while reflecting Traction Company’s concern for the long-term sustainability of its own building.
The second new installation consists of four modular studios built by the artists within the galleries. These studios are the group’s proposed answer to the threat of relocation. The escape pods have everything the artists of the Traction Company need to work, including tools, desks, and generators. All three installations address the notion of impermanence and Traction Company’s concern over the frailty of their current workspace. Witnessing the buildings around them being torn down or succumbing to natural decay, the members of the collective are confronted with the notion of their own ephemeral position on a daily basis. The questions raised by this instability, and the potential solutions presented, are the driving force behind the new works for this exhibition. “I look forward to seeing these installations take shape in the galleries, alongside the artworks of Traction Company’s current and former members. PAFA is the perfect platform for all of this work, as it was here where all of our formative years as artists began,” says Horn. By constructing as a group within the gallery, the artists invite museum visitors into the practice which created and sustains their collective, while allowing the public to witness the dynamic and vibrant nature of a cooperative workspace. Learn more at pafa.org/tractioncompany.
Hickey Collection May 15 – November 1, 2015 What is drawing? While seemingly straightforward, the potential answers to this question are innumerable and complex. Some may see drawing as practice for a larger work in another medium; a system of note taking; a substitute for the camera; an act vital to artistic, spiritual, or intellectual growth; the primary focus of art; a method for experiment and risk; not confined to two dimensions; an extension of the body; everything. Drawing is essential in the contemporary art world. The number of artists who identify primarily as practitioners of drawing is great; many artists move between drawing and other previously privileged practices without making hierarchical distinctions. The number of forms drawing can take is extraordinary and surprising; artists regularly expand the vocabulary for art through drawing. Rock, Paper, Scissors features selections from the JoAnn Gonzalez Hickey collection made by students in PAFA’s Fall 2014 Advanced Drawing seminar, led by PAFA’s Senior Curator, Robert Cozzolino, and artist/faculty member Astrid Bowlby. As the course progressed, the students brought their studio experience, class discussions, and experiences with original artwork and the broader art world to shape the exhibition. Students established a relationship with Hickey and explored her collection, an invitation made possible through her SYZYGY curatorial platform for study. The result is an unusual curatorial project full of discovery. Andy Moon Wilson (b. 1974), Untitled, 10-10-10 (October 10, 2010), Ink, acrylic, and colored pencil on Stonehenge paper; 10 x 10 in.
Traction Company is supported by the Alter Family Foundation and an Anonymous donor.
5 TO WATCH
March 20 – April 17, 2015 Preview Party: Thursday, March 19, 6-9pm Avery Galleries, 100 Chetwynd Drive. Bryn Mawr, PA
pafa.org/pafa.edu
The third annual 5 to Watch exhibition highlights the work of five exceptional PAFA graduates and puts their work in dialogue with Avery Galleries’ distinguished collection of historic American art. This year’s exhibition features the work of Justin Johnson, Paul Metrinko, Samantha Mitchell, Thomas Raggio, and Christina Weaver.
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Alumni & Faculty
School & Museum
114 t h A nnual S tudent E x hibition May 15 - June 7
Pre vi e w Pa rty Ma y 1 4
Pu b l ic Op e n in g May 1 5
S culpture A lumni C arving out S uccessful C areers
“In my high school, the message was that if you really want to be a serious painter, you should go to PAFA,” recalled Claire Kowalewski Marsh (Cert. & BFA ’15), a Caldwell Scholarship recipient from the San Francisco Bay area. The other big draws for her were the Cast Hall, and the opportunity to work with faculty member Alex Kanevsky. Asked if her work in this year’s ASE would be a departure from what she showed last year, she replied, “I hope that I have the courage to do that.” “I feel like I’m not just a painter right now, I feel like my work is as much about making a space and organizational,” she stated. “I still have some regrets about what I showed last year, like I played it very safe and kind of showed what I thought they wanted me to show.” While not uncommon for students to grapple with these kinds of decisions, such struggles are essential for growing as an artist, noted Madeline Peckenpaugh (Cert. & BFA ’15), a Cresson Travel Scholarship recipient and Wisconsin native for whom the ASE and travel scholarship opportunities were the two biggest pulls that brought her to PAFA. “With putting up your own show, you really learn what’s most important to you, what you’re proud of and what you really want to show people,” Peckenpaugh explained.
“It’s all about trusting your gut. Last year, I knew right from the beginning what paintings I wanted to show in the ASE but I kept second-guessing myself. I ended up with what I really wanted but it was a difficult process.” Open Studio Night on February 20 gives students a trial run of how to confidently and clearly discuss their work with members of the public. After Open Studio Night, students spend the rest of the spring semester refining their work and meeting regularly with faculty and visiting critics. “Everyone will look at your work through their lens; some are going to be behind what you’re doing and some are not,” explained Zach Zecha (MFA ’15) of Colorado Springs. “Sometimes it’s just about being able to explain it better, to turn it around and say, ‘OK, how can I convince them that what I’m doing is what I need to be doing?’” He is working on an installation of assemblage pieces for ASE that are inspired by family, childhood, loss, the cultural differences between the East Coast and his native Colorado, and other parts of a personal narrative for viewers to examine and create their own narratives. “It is a museum institution setting, and it’s certainly a benefit to have that as part of your exhibition record,” he said. “That carries a certain amount of prestige. It’s kind of a cool deal.”
If
OPE N ST U D I O NIG H T February 20, 5:30 - 8 p.m. Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building
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the Annual Student Exhibition is the PAFA student’s equivalent of opening night on Broadway, you could consider Open Studio Night as an early dress rehearsal. Happening this year on February 20 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., the Open Studio Night marks the official start of PAFA students’ journey that will culminate with the ASE in May. For one night only, students enrolled in the MFA, BFA, Certificate, and Post-Baccalaureate programs open their private studios to the public _ well over 150 studios in all. It’s a rare opportunity for visitors and art collectors to meet the next generation of talented emerging artists, get an up-close and personal view of their works in progress, and hear them talk about their creative process. Among the most popular events of the school year, the Open Studio Night typically attracts more than 800 eager visitors to get a sneak peek inside the artists’ studio and a preview of what’s to come in the ASE. Students spend the rest of the semester refining their work with feedback from faculty and critics. After spring break, they submit work to be considered for one of PAFA’s coveted awards, including the prestigious Cresson Award and the Women’s Board Travel Scholarship.
From Philadelphia’s sports stadium complex and London’s Trafalgar Square and beyond, PAFA sculpture alumni continue to make their mark with large-scale original and commissioned works of art. Stephen Layne (Cert. ’94) and his 9-foot-tall monument to the late Philadelphia boxing legend “Smokin’” Joe Frazier made local and national headlines and newscasts. The sculpture, a commission for the city of Philadelphia, captures the moment after Frazier delivered the knockout heard ‘round the world to Muhammad Ali in 1971’s “Fight of the Century.” The cast bronze memorial of Philadelphia’s heavyweight champ will tower over the crowds at South Philadelphia’s sports stadium complex when it is installed in the spring. “This is the largest thing I’ve ever done and the first commission,” Layne told a group of students visiting his studio recently. “It’s both physically and mentally exhausting work that requires a lot of small adjustments; you have to keep stepping back and looking over and over to see how you can make it better.” When they are not creating their own original art in their enormous studio and bronze foundry in North Philadelphia, Shane Stratton (Cert. ’93) and Julia Stratton (Cert. ’94) work with fellow sculptors to bring their works to fruition — including bronze-casting Smokin’ Joe for Layne, whom they have known since their PAFA days. “Philly is a great place for sculpture,” Julia Stratton said. “People from New York come down and see our space and they just can’t believe it.” The Strattons fabricated clay models and full-size plasters and rubber molds for Gift Horse, German-American artist Hans Haacke’s winning selection in the prestigious Fourth Plinth commission for London’s Trafalgar Square. Haacke’s monumental sculpture is a nod to the equestrian statue of William IV originally planned for the empty plinth but nixed for lack of funds. A bow-tied electroluminescent ribbon on the mid-trot front leg of Haacke’s horse skeleton, to be installed in March, will feature a real-time ticker of the London Stock Exchange.
pafa.org/pafa.edu
“It’s just such a great opportunity,” Julia Stratton stated. “When someone says, ‘Would you like to model one of your favorite objects in the world and get paid really well to do it, and it’s going to go in Trafalgar Square, it’s a very easy decision.” Not far from the Strattons’ workspace, Independent Foundry in the Port Richmond neighborhood is casting Gift Horse in bronze, bone by bone. The partnership was created due to the tight deadline for Gift Horse, Julia Stratton explained during a fall studio tour organized by sculpture faculty member Kate Brockman, who also was a student at PAFA with Layne and the Strattons. “There was only a year to do the project, start to finish,” Julia Stratton told the students. “What we’ve done is modeled it in sections, making molds and then handing off the molds to (Independent Foundry) to do the bronzes, which allows them to start casting while we’re still modeling.” Among the PAFA graduates who work or worked at the foundry are Traction Company co-founder Zach Kainz (Cert. ’07), Pavel Efremoff (Cert. ’04), Steven Daily (Cert. ’13) and Blaise Goldman (Cert. ’12). Another Traction Company member, Miguel Horn (Cert. ’06), has had his biodegradable sculptures and other largescale works exhibited in Zona MACO, Mexico City’s prestigious international art fair, and solo shows across North America and Mexico. Alison Stigora (MFA ’07) and Jordan Griska (Cert. ’08) were recently selected to create prototype sculptures for the Schuylkill River Trail. Griska, whose Grumman Greenhouse stands on PAFA’s Lenfest Plaza, has his acrylic sculpture Dolos on view at Socrates Sculpture Park in New York. Layne and Brockman said the interconnectedness of PAFA’s sculpture alumni creates a close-knit community that benefits everyone. “Steve is working above Kate’s shop, and Shane and I worked out of Kate’s studio for at least 15 years, so it’s been a long partnership,” Julia Stratton stated. “The people you meet at PAFA, you never know, they might be your working partners down the road.”
PAFA pre par e s to b id far e w e ll to D e a n Carr After a successful tenure of 12 years as Dean of Academic Affairs and then Dean of the School of Fine Arts, Jeffrey Carr will be stepping down from his position at PAFA in July. Trained as a painter himself at the New York Studio School and the Yale School of Art, Dean Carr has been a champion of PAFA’s fine arts programs since his arrival in 2003. He has articulated a vision of a 21st-century fine arts education grounded in PAFA’s long-held strengths in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. After his retirement, Dean Carr will hold the title of Dean Emeritus and will remain as a consultant to PAFA. A national search for a successor is underway. “Art is one of the most intimate and demanding expressions of our humanity. To be in a setting that celebrates this expression both sustains and renews us. I have enjoyed being a part of this celebration,” Dean Carr said. PAFA President and CEO David R. Brigham remarked, “Dean Carr has maintained the best of PAFA’s traditions in fine arts training while preparing our students for a complex and rapidly changing art world.” Dean Carr was the driving force behind a substantial renewal and growth in PAFA’s programs, including the introduction of a Drawing major in 2006 that has recently been made a Department; the introduction of PAFA’s first BFA program in 2008 and the creation of a department of liberal arts in 2009; the more than doubling in size of the Masters of Fine Arts programs; the attainment of NASAD reaccreditation and Middle States accreditation; and most recently, the introduction of a new Low-Residency Masters of Fine Arts program and a new undergraduate program in Fine Arts Illustration. “Jeff has been incredibly supportive of education and faculty at PAFA,” noted Al Gury, Chair of the Painting Department. “He has a good heart and he has used that to support our departments and programs.”
Photo: Kelly and Massa Photography
Exciting. Challenging. Scary. Fun. Life-changing. Daunting. Prestigious. Unique. These are just a few of the ways students describe the Annual Student Exhibition (ASE), a PAFA tradition widely recognized as the largest and longest-running student art exhibition of its kind. More than 1,000 artworks by graduating BFA and MFA students, as well as third- and fourth-year Certificate students, will be on view in the 114th Annual Student Exhibition from May 15 through June 7. ASE provides students the unique opportunities to curate, install and sell their own works in a major museum for an exhibition attended by thousands. One of the Philadelphia region’s most highly-anticipated annual events for art collectors, curators and the art-loving general public, ASE can be stressful for young artists for whom this huge and popular event may be the first large-scale public showing of their work. “I was volunteering at ASE last year and thought, ‘Oh my God, this is crazy -- and next year I’m going to be here!,” laughed Alma Selimovic (MFA ’15), a native of Sarajevo. There’s a lot of interest in what we’re doing, which is awesome, but on the other hand it’s scary: What are you going to present? It’s a pressure but you don’t want to think too much about it.” Students embrace the challenge -- in fact, it’s the reason why many of them chose PAFA in the first place.
Photos: JoAnn Loviglio
Photos: JoAnn Loviglio
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Alumni & Faculty
Museum
N ew M useum E ducation I nitiative
Visiting Artists Program
Youth C ounci l
S pring ‘ 1 5
“The Youth Council has been
Lectures 11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m., Historic Landmark Building. Free and open to the public.
really awesome. I love everything we do. I love being in an environment where everyone Photo: JoAnn Loviglio
involved wants to be where they are. Even just a few weeks in, I’ve gotten to experience art in
GHIBER TI PAN E L S After being away from home for two long years, some of PAFA’s oldest and most loved residents have returned, looking refreshed and brighter than they have in a long time. The Ghiberti door panels were re-installed in PAFA’s Cast Hall in August after a two-year restoration effort. The panels were de-installed in summer 2012 and transported to Skylight Studios in Woburn, Mass., where they were examined to determine treatment options. The panels were stripped of old paint layers, the plaster was repaired and structurally reinforced, and each plaster was framed.
Above: Orit Hofshi
They are now back in the Historic Landmark Building, where art students have been drawing from the cast collection for more than a century. The panels, are cast reproductions of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery known as the “Gates of Paradise.”
Thursday, January 22
H eathe r Rowe
Thursday, January 29
A lumni N E W S
A nd r z ej Zie l in k si
Thursday, February 5
G ideon B o k
Thursday, February 19
Thursday, February 26
O r it H o f shi
Monday, March 2
M a r ie Lo r en z
Thursday, March 26
M a r y Reid Ke l l e y & Pat r ic k Ke l l e y Thursday, April 9
P hoebe Washbu r n
Thursday, April 16
A nne Lindbe r g
Thursday, April 23
E l l en A lt f est
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Photo: JoAnn Loviglio
Kathe r ine B r ad f o r d
Members of the Alumni Council from left to right: David R. Brigham, Fred Danziger, Jennifer Baker, Nancy Bea Miller, Laura D. Adams, Nancy Cintro, David Campbell, Maureen Drdak, Hilarie V. Hawley, Liz Wilson, Jeffrey Carr. .
Two organizations dedicated to the School and its alumni are welcoming new leaders. In September, the PAFA Alumni Council unanimously elected David Campbell Wilson to serve as its new President. Maureen Drdak, who also serves on the Alumni Council, took the reins as the Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ new President on June 1. “My desire is to work with the School to identify and facilitate opportunities of mutual benefit, strengthen our relationship with our members,” Drdak noted, “and spread the ‘good
news’ of our stated mission — ‘Artists Helping Artists’ — a mission of increasing relevance and challenge.” Hilarie Hawley, who helmed the Fellowship for 13 years, stepped down in June but will retain the title of President Emeritus. In her farewell remarks to the group, she stated that it was “a challenge and a privilege to carry the Fellowship on to solid ground. Thirteen years later I am closing the book on my efforts with satisfaction and hope for the future.” Nancy Bea Miller, the enthusiastic leader of the Alumni Council for three years, described her term of service as “richly satisfying, challenging, broadening, stretching and often just plain fun!” “I highly recommend a stint of community service as a way to enhance your own life,” she noted. To that end, the Alumni Council is reaching out to the PAFA community for new council members. Membership is open to those who have satisfactorily completed at least one year of any of PAFA’s degree-granting or certificate programs (Certificate, BFA, Post-Baccalaureate, MFA). Interested alumni are encouraged to send a resume and cover letter, indicating availability to attend meetings and alumni events (pdf format) to pafaalumni@gmail.com.
a new light, and I have been exposed to things I wouldn’t have been otherwise.” - Kiersten Bond, age 14 This fall, PAFA launched its new Youth Council, a free after-school program for high school students that offers opportunities for collaborative art-making, creative thinking, and input into PAFA museum practices. Youth Council members meet weekly and spend a semester getting to know each other and the Museum. Some weeks they meet staff members, other weeks they explore the exhibitions, and recently they designed and printed their own PAFA Youth Council t-shirts. The teens will visit other arts and cultural organizations and artist studios as a way to understand PAFA’s role in the cultural landscape of Philadelphia.
Members of the Youth Council also have an opportunity to learn professional skills. For example, all prospective students had to complete an application and an in-person interview with Museum Education staff. Throughout the year, students will be responsible for organizing events for their peers. “The diverse backgrounds of the Youth Council have been a great asset to the group. Their interests range from music, theater, and internet culture to engineering and science,” says Elizabeth Hamilton, Art Educator who coordinates the Youth Council. “Their extracurricular activities include interning for a fashion magazine editor, acting in school plays, and launching an online t-shirt shop. Some even put their talents towards helping others. Andy Nguyen, a junior at William Penn Charter High School, for example, uses his interest in videography to work on a documentary project for Widener Memorial School.” PAFA’s Museum Education Department envisions the Youth Council as both an opportunity for teens to learn about museum practice, and for PAFA to learn how to best serve its regional teen audiences. The program is part of PAFA’s Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) for Teens initiative, generously sponsored by the Barra Foundation. What Youth Council members are saying: “I applied to the Youth Council because I wanted to find out what happens in the art world, and learn about different forms of art. So far, the Youth Council has been very helpful in teaching me to work with different groups of people and learn how to collaborate.” - Dominic Alston, age 18. “The Youth Council has been really awesome. I love everything we do. I love being in an environment where everyone involved wants to be where they are. Even just a few weeks in, I’ve gotten to experience art in a new light, and I have been exposed to things I wouldn’t have been otherwise.” - Kiersten Bond, age 14.
Introducing
Jodi Throckmorton , PAFA’s New Curator of Contemporary Art
PAFA welcomed Jodi Throckmorton as the new Curator of Contemporary Art in late October. Throckmorton comes to PAFA from the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, where she served as Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. Prior to that, Throckmorton served as Associate Curator at the San Jose Museum of Art (2007-2013). “Jodi’s skill as a curator, as well as her passion and enthusiasm, became clear when I had the pleasure of working with her on PAFA’s Eric Fischl exhibition in 2012,” says Harry Philbrick,
pafa.org/pafa.edu
the Edna S. Tuttleman Director of the Museum. “Jodi’s essay in PAFA’s Female Gaze exhibition catalogue (2013) is evidence of her superb skills as a writer, as well as her outstanding scholarship. She is, in short, a talented and well-rounded addition to PAFA’s curatorial team. Jodi will be a wonderful ambassador to the community, and play a key role in expanding PAFA’s contemporary program.” During her time at the Ulrich, Throckmorton curated Postdate: Photography and Inherited History in India (2015); Bruce Conner: Somebody Else’s Prints (2014); and Free Texts: Stephanie Syjuco (2014). At the San Jose Museum of Art, she curated Questions from the Sky: New Work by Hung Liu (2013); Renegade Humor (2012); This Kind of Bird Flies Backward: Paintings by Joan Brown (2011); The Modern Photographer: Observation and Intention (2010); and more. Throckmorton also co-organized, with Philbrick, Dive Deep: Eric Fischl and the Process of Painting, on view at PAFA and the San Jose Museum of Art (2012-13).
In her new role, Throckmorton oversees PAFA’s contemporary art exhibition programs, and works closely with Philbrick and the Collections Committee to reinvigorate PAFA’s dedication to acquiring contemporary art. Throckmorton assumes curatorial responsibility for gifts and purchases of artwork, and the care and display of works in the permanent collection, post-1965. “It is a great honor to join the talented staff at PAFA, an institution that I have admired for many years for its long-standing reputation as a leader in the field of American art. With such a rich legacy of exhibitions and impressive collections, I am eager to build on PAFA’s strength in contemporary art and to connect the institution’s rich legacy with the art of today,” says Throckmorton. Throckmorton earned her MFA in Museum Studies from San Francisco State University, and her BA in Art History and French from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
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Museum
Giving
Largest
PA FA N E W S
Alumni
CAFÉ
This spring, PAFA will open a Stephen STARR Café on the ground floor of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building. With seating for 40-50 guests, the café will be open 8am-7pm daily and serve breakfast breads, lunch, and afternoon snacks. The café will also offer outdoor seating on Lenfest Plaza, weather permitting.
Bequest Names
PARTNERSHIP WITH MURAL ARTS PROGRAM
Curator of
In January, the Mural Arts Program opened a ticket office for group sales on the ground floor of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building. Conveniently located overlooking Lenfest Plaza, PAFA visitors can combine a museum visit with a Mural Arts tour. PAFA members will receive a discount.
Modern Art PAFA recently received a major bequest from Evelyn Kaplan in memory of Will Kaplan, who graduated from PAFA in 1930, marking the largest alumni gift in PAFA’s history. This gift will endow the Curator of Modern Art position at PAFA, establishing Robert T. Cozzolino as the first Evelyn and Will Kaplan Curator of Modern Art in addition to his title of Senior Curator. Will Kaplan, the son of a Russian naturalized citizen, enrolled at PAFA in 1927. He was 18 at the time, and had previ-
HISTORIC LANDMARK ROOF REPAIRS
Roof repairs will begin in the spring, replacing northeast, southeast and center roof sections. This includes skylights, slate tiles and metal gutters. The Historic Commission has reviewed and authorized the proposed work. The repairs will require scaffolding across the front façade on the Historic Landmark Building. The work is expected to be completed before the summer.
EXTENDED M useum H O u r s
Architectural rendering of the new café.
ously spent three years studying at the Philadelphia Museum School of the Industrial Arts, which is now the University of the Arts. Kaplan received a board of education scholarship toward his studies from the School District of Philadelphia, and supported himself while living at home. His goal in enrolling at PAFA was to “receive a thorough art training.” In his application essay, he noted “when my ability shall reach the point where I am considered a good artist, then I shall enter the commercial field.” Upon graduating, he started his own advertising agency, Will Kaplan Advertising, which was a very successful endeavor. Following Will’s death in 1998, Evelyn Kaplan made a generous donation to PAFA’s Scholarship Fund in her husband’s memory, expressing the hope that “some student, or students may benefit from the privilege [Will] shared long ago.” She described her husband as “proud and grateful to have been a student at the Pennsylvania Academy.” Will’s nephew, Jules Kay, and his wife Connie, join PAFA in celebrating this gift. Connie and Jules are long-time supporters of PAFA as well, carrying on the family tradition. Will and Evelyn were also loyal supporters of Connie in her role as USArtists Chairman (’96) and her 17 years as Dealer Coordinator of the American Fine Art Show & Sale sponsored by the Women’s Board to benefit PAFA. PAFA is deeply honored by this gift, which celebrates a passion for the arts and will help ensure future generations are able to benefit from the same exceptional arts education Will Kaplan enjoyed as a student.
Will Kaplan, 1932.
(Continued from page 1) PAFA Presents The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887-1920
S a v e the d a te
114 t h An n ual St udent Exh ibit ion May 15 – June 7, 2015 Preview Party: May 14, 4-8:30 p.m.
Hosted by the Women’s Board of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Public Opening: May 15, 5-8 p.m.
First Annual Members Meeting & Appreciation Event
On January 1, 2015, PAFA introduced new Museum hours to extend its offerings to museum visitors.
The new hours are as follows:
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.. Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed Mondays and legal holidays.
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This past October, PAFA invited members to Front: Philip Leslie Hale (1865-1931), The Crimson Rambler (detail), ca. 1908, Oil on canvas, 25 1/4 × 30 3/16 in. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Joseph E. Temple Fund, 1909.12. Photo: PAFA, Barbara Katus/Brian van Camerik
American Artists/European Gardens; The Lady in the Garden; The Artist’s Garden; The Urban Garden; and The Garden in Winter/Garden at Rest. PAFA is collaborating with a diverse group of organizations, including the Barnes Foundation, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Stenton, and Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, to borrow and exhibit related objects and to partner on programming.
The exhibition will make a national tour to four additional venues: • Chrysler Museum of Art: June 16 – Sept. 6, 2015 • Reynolda House Museum of American Art: Oct. 1, 2015 – Jan. 3, 2016 • The Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens: Jan. 23 – May 9, 2016 • The Florence Griswold Museum: Summer 2016 Visit pafa.org/artistsgarden to learn more.
Leading support from the Mr. & Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, Inc and the Richard C. von Hess Foundation. The Major Exhibition Sponsors are Bill and Laura Buck, and Christie’s. Additional support from Bowman Properties, Ltd., Edward and Wendy Harvey, Mr. and Mrs. Washburn S. Oberwager, Pennsylvania Trust, Martin Stogniew, in memory of Judy Stogniew, a lover of art and gardening, Ken Woodcock, and the Wyeth Foundation for American Art.
Photo: Silvana Pop
Wednesday evenings will offer visitors opportunities to tour the galleries after-hours, and partake in special programming as part of the new series, “Art in Process.” Celebrating PAFA’s mission of promoting the transformative power of art and art-making, this series brings special performers from various artistic disciplines into the galleries, in addition to art-making activities, insightful talks, and more. Wednesday evening Museum access is free to PAFA members. Regular admission applies to members of the public.
Docent Joann Simon and staff member Sarah Holloran chat at the Members Meeting. pafa.org/pafa.edu
participate in the 1st Annual Members Meeting and Appreciation event. More than 100 members gathered in the Historic Landmark Building for an evening of food, drink, and conversation about PAFA’s new initiatives. Members enjoyed presentations by David R. Brigham, President and CEO, and Harry Philbrick, The Edna S. Tuttleman Director of the Museum, about the future of PAFA. Robert Cozzolino, Senior Curator and Evelyn and Will Kaplan Curator of Modern Art, shared insights into the special exhibition Peter Blume: Nature & Metamorphosis, on view through April 5, 2015. Stay tuned for details about PAFA’s Second Annual Members Meeting and Appreciation event, scheduled for fall 2015!
Learn more at community.pafa.org/join.
Join or renew today t o r e c e i v e y o u r PA FA m e m b e r s -o n ly t o t e b a g !
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Events
Members attending the Opening Reception for Peter Blume: Nature and Metamorphosis.
Record visitor attendance at the David Lynch ehxibition Opening.
David Lynch in conversation with Curator Robert Cozzolino, at the Opening of David Lynch: The Unified Field.
Photo: Denise Guerin
Photos by Denise Guerin
Students, alumni and families gathered on Family and Alumni Weekend, October 18 - 19, 2014.
The second annual Benefit Auction raised funds for PAFA while celebrating the work of many talented alumni and faculty.
Families participating in arts activities at the Family Arts Festival, on Lenfest Plaza, in October.
Attendees enjoy the Opening Reception of Convergence in Gallery 128.
SPRING 2015 AT PAFA J A NUA RY
Art at Lunch
Visiting Artists Program: Heather Rowe
Wednesday, February 18, 12 – 1 p.m.
Thursday, January 22, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Artist in the Garden: Explorations of the Magical and the Real
Alumni Gallery Opening Reception
The Artist’s Journal Workshop: The Artist’s Garden
Wednesday, January 28, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Every Wednesday, February 18 – April 1, 2 – 4 p.m.
Douglas Witmer: New Paintings
Instructed by Dressler Smith
Visiting Artists Program: Andrzej Zielinksi
The Review Panel Philadelphia
Thursday, January 29, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Observe & Create: Automatic Drawing
Wednesday, February 18, 6 p.m.
MARCH
Visiting Artists Program: Marie Lorenz Monday, March 2, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Art at Lunch
Wednesday, March 4, 12 – 1 p.m.
Thomas Hart Benton: Painting the Sound
PAFA Fundamentals for New Members
Joan Waltemath, David Dempewolf and Judith Stein
Saturday, March 7, 10 – 11 a.m.
Visiting Artists Program: Katherine Bradford
Unlocking the Urban Garden: A Social Experiment
Bacchanal 2014 set a new record for this event, raising nearly $550,000 for student scholarships. Left to right: Gina Gallo, Jean-Charles Boisset, 2014 Bacchanal Thomas Jefferson Award Honoree; Lydie Brown de Janosi and Keith Cox, Bacchanal Co-Chairs.
Symposium: Magical Realism & Modernism Friday, March 20, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Art at Lunch
114th Annual Student Exhibition
Thursday, March 26, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
F E BRUARY
Certificate & BFA Open House
Wednesday, April 1, 12 – 1 p.m.
Students enrolled in PAFA’s MFA, BFA, Certificate and Post-Bacc programs open their studios to the public.
Art at Lunch
Thursday, February 5, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Art at Lunch
Wednesday, February 11, 12 – 1 p.m. A Shorty History of Punch
The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887-1920 Thursday, February 12 6 – 7 p.m. Peale Circle Reception 7 – 8:30 p.m. Members Reception*
*Free for members; $15 in advance, $20 at the door
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PAFA Graduating Students
Wednesday, May 6, 12 – 1 p.m.
Flower Arranging Workshop with Love’N Fresh Flowers
Open Studio Night
Visiting Artists Program: Gideon Bok
Norman Lewis: Abstracting African American Art
Visiting Artists Program: Mary Reid Kelley & Patrick Kelley
A PR I L
A Journey of Inspiration and Vision
Art at Lunch
Wednesday, April 15, 12 – 1 p.m.
Progressive Ladies of the Garden: PAFA & Stenton
Saturday, March 7, 4 – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, February 4, 12 – 1 p.m.
Art at Lunch
Visiting Artists Program: Anne Lindberg
A History of the Educational Alliance Art School
Thursday, February 19, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Art at Lunch
Brian Boutwell, Doug Martenson and Abigail Synnestvedt (4th year BFA student) at the Opening Reception for A Fine Arrangement.
Wednesday, March 25, 12 – 1 p.m.
Instructed by Dressler Smith
Saturday, January 31, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Museum Director Harry Philbrick, Eiko, and photographer of the exhibition William Johnston at the opening of Eiko: A Body in Fukushima.
Art at Lunch
Thursday, April 16, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. Sunday, April 19, 1 – 3 p.m.
Art at Lunch
Wednesday, April 22, 12 – 1 p.m. Historic Stenton
Visiting Artists Program: Ellen Altfest
Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thursday, May 14, 4 – 8:30 p.m.:
Preview Party hosted by PAFA’s Women’s Board
Friday, May 15, 5 – 8:30 p.m.: Public Opening Reception
Artists & Gardens: A Day of Art & Horticulture Saturday, May 16, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Historic Landmark Building and the Arboretum at the Barnes Foundation
The Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art; Historic Mission and Future Vision
Thursday, April 23, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 18, 12 – 1 p.m.
PAFA Performances: Copeland String Quartet
Friday, April 24, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Peter Blume & His Jewish Experience
Walking Tour: Secret Gardens of Philadelphia
Walking Tour: Secret Gardens of Philadelphia
Meet Jodi Throckmorton
Preview Party: FIVE TO WATCH
Art at Lunch
Art at Lunch
JULY
Curator Conversation: The Artist’s Garden
Avery Galleries, 100 Chetwynd Drive, Bryn Mawr PA Featuring alumni Justin Johnson, Paul Metrinko, Samantha Mitchell, Thomas Raggio and Christina Weaver.
The Lost Garden
Horace Pippin: Interior Life
July 2 - October 11, 2015
Friday, February 20, 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Graduate Symposium: Art & the Environment Saturday, February 21
Art at Lunch
Wednesday, February 25, 12 – 1 p.m.
Wednesday, February 25
6 – 7 p.m. Members-Only Curator Conversation with Anna Marley.
Visiting Artists Program: Orit Hofshi
Thursday, February 26, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 7, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
A Place for Memory
Thursday, March 19, 6 – 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 19, 6 – 9 p.m.
New Student Weekend
Saturady and Sunday, March 20 & 21
Wednesday, April 1, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 4, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, April 8, 12 – 1 p.m.
The Review Panel Philadelphia Wednesday, April 8, 6 p.m.
Karen Wilkin, Astrid Bowlby and Edith Newhall
Visiting Artists Program: Phoebe Washburn Thursday, April 9, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. pafa.org/pafa.edu
Alumni Gallery Opening Reception Stan Bielen, Nicole Michaud, Lauren Pellerito
Saturday, April 25, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, April 29, 12 – 1 p.m.
JUN E
Summer Art Camp 2015
June 29, 2015 – August 14, 2015 Enrollment Opens Early February
Tration Company
Opening Reception: Wednesday, July 1
MAY
Observe & Create: Printing with Nature Saturday, May 2, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Instructed by Dressler Smith
F or event details please call 21 5 -972-7600 or visit pafa .org
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PAFA INFORMATION
Non-Profit.org U.S. Postage PAID Philadelphia, PA Permit No. 2879
pafa.org / pafa.edu / 215-972-7600 128 North Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102
Historic Landmark Building / 118 North Broad Street, Philadelphia Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building / 128 North Broad Street, Philadelphia Museum Hours Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. NEW! Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays and legal holidays. Admission / 215-972-2060 Adults $15; Senior (60+) and Students with I.D. $12; Youth ages (13-18) $8; Children (12 and under, excluding groups) FREE. Portfolio Museum Store / 215-972-2075 Closed on Monday Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Members receive a 10% discount. PAFA Café / 215-972-2058 Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Membership / 215-972-2077 Members enjoy free admission and other benefits. For information: pafa.org/membership Tours 1 and 2 p.m. daily. Tours are free with admission. To arrange a group tour for adults, seniors and school groups, e-mail tours@pafa.org or visit pafa.org/adultgroups. Facility Rentals / 215-972-1609 The Historic Landmark Building and Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building provide elegant and dramatic settings for entertaining. For information: pafa.org/rentals
Academic Programs / 215-972-7625 PAFA offers a four-year Certificate, BFA, BFA in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania, Post-Baccalaureate, and MFA. For information: 215-972-7625 or admissions@pafa.edu. Accessibility The accessible entrance for both the Historic Landmark Building and the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building is located in the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building Lobby. Wheelchairs are available, and restrooms are accessible. Important Phone Numbers Alumni Gallery 215-391-4187
Library 215-972-2030
Business Partners Program 215-972-2002
Marketing 215-391-4184
Continuing Education 215-972-7632
Museum Front Desk 215-972-2069
Development 215-972-2077 Museum Education 215-391-4806
Transportation The Museum is near the Jefferson and Suburban train stations, SEPTA bus and trolley stops, and PATCO’s High Speed Line. For SEPTA information: 215-580-7800 or www.septa.org. Discounted parking is available at adjacent Parkway Corporation parking lots. Tickets must be validated at the Museum Admissions desk.
Membership 215-972-2077
Blick Art Materials 215-972-2035
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ public programs are funded in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency). General operating support provided, in part, by
Connect with @PAFAcademy on social media!
C ontinuing E ducation P rograms ARTZ in the Studio
Mondays, Apr. 6 – May 11 Jointly sponsored by ARTZ/Artists for Alzheimer’s Philadelphia and PAFA, this new program is designed for those living with memory loss.
CE Open House
Saturday, Apr. 11, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Interested in taking a class? Come to our Open House and meet the friendly faculty and staff, view demonstrations and tour PAFA’s historic Cast Hall and state-of-the-art facilities. RSVP to the CE Office, 215-972-7632 Daniel Green, Self-Portrait Wall Street Station (detail)
Master Classes, Workshops and Lectures
Woodcut Workshop with Dan Miller, Feb. 28 – Mar. 1 Portrait Painting Workshop with Al Gury, Feb. 14 – 15 Master Class with Daniel Greene, Mar. 26 – 29
Featuring two public demonstrations: • Portrait Painting in Oil, Thurs., March 26, 7 – 10 p.m. • Portrait in Pastels, Sat., March 28, 7 – 10 p.m.
Visit the Vaults with Bill Scott & Cindi Ettinger, Apr. 10, 2 – 4 p.m. Voyages through Perceptual History with Stuart Shils, Apr. 17 – 19 • FREE Public Lecture, Thurs., April 16, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Still Life Workshop with Christine Lafuente, May 2 – 3 • FREE Public Lecture, Fri., May 1, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
An Artist’s Retreat with Anna Rhodes, May 15 – 18 Plein Air Painting in Bermuda, May 18 – 22
Programming in conjunction with The Artist’s Garden, American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887 – 1920 February 13 – May 24, 2015
• Artists in the Garden: PAFA at Morris Arboretum, an exhibition of PAFA faculty, alumni and student artwork at Morris Arboretum, curated by PAFA faculty member Jill A. Rupinski, Mar. 1 – June 2 • Landscape Painting at Morris Arboretum • The Pennsylvania Landscape Tradition in New Hope, PA • Botanical Alla Prima Workshop • Plein Air Painting at Bartram’s Garden
Pre-College Programs
Drawing and Painting for High School Students Saturdays, January 31 – April 4, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Summer Academy for High School Students July 6 – August 7 Christine Lafuente, Peonies in Summer, 10 x 10 in.
Spring 2015