Anthony Campuzano, Constant Life Crisis, 2005. Collection Robert L. Pfannebecker.
“announce” the show, a giant version of an invitation to the exhibition. It includes the names of all the artists in the exhibition and will hang front and center in the lobby of the Library—the first thing you encounter when you enter. Bantjes created three new drawings for the show and designed the graphic identity for the exhibition and its promotional materials. In addition, Tannenbaum asked each of the artists to write a brief statement explaining their relationship to fraktur. They will present those narratives along with images of the historical pieces of fraktur from the Library’s collection that inspired them. The Library is excited about hanging this contemporary show throughout the building. The Tobias brothers’ work, displayed in the lobby, will utilize that very public space. There is also a gallery off the lobby that will provide information about the artists that helps to explain the connection between the historical and the contemporary art. The other five artists will be displayed in a gallery on the second floor. The Library’s collection of historical fraktur will be shown in the Rare
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Book Department’s gallery on the third floor. Tannenbaum hopes that by creating concentrations of art in different areas of the building “they will engage audiences and broaden the way they think about traditional libraries.” To that end, she plans to create a “treasure map,” of sorts, which will show visitors where all the art can be found within the building. She hopes that this will allow anyone who comes into the Library the opportunity to explore the space in a new and interesting way, and “to draw attention to the incredible collection of art that can be found there.” Delighted to be back in Philadelphia, Tannenbaum believes that the contemporary art scene has a richer, larger community and asserted, “Philadelphia has so many terrific art schools and art institutions, and there is so much to see and experience here. It also has an interesting cross-section of generations of artists. There are the older artists who have spent their lives here and have a real devotion to this city. Then, there is also a new generation of young artists coming here for the first time.”
EXHIBITIONS Philadelphia Museum of Art Drawn With Spirit: Pennsylvania German Fraktur from the Joan and Victor Johnson Collection February 01–April 26, 2015 Shelley Spector: Keep the Home Fires Burning March 07–September 27, 2015 Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library A Colorful Folk: Pennsylvania Germans & the Art of Everyday Life March 01, 2015–January 03, 2016 Free Library of Philadelphia Word & Image: Contemporary Artists Connect to Fraktur March 02–June 14, 2015 Quill & Brush: Pennsylvania German Fraktur and Material Culture March 02–July 18, 2015