I know many of you are interested in having a group show this summer. You may have heard that we are unable to use the community room at the art museum due to the expansion project taking place this year.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a new show location?
Please feel free to start a discussion in the comment section of this post. Moderation is down for the time being to enable the conversation. Thanks.
The Allentown Chen Arts Group includes artists living and working in Allentown, as well as regional artists who are interested in exhibiting and selling their work in Allentown. The group includes visual artists, film makers, musicians, dancers, writers, and creative people of all ages who are interested in supporting and promoting the arts in Allentown.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Goodbye to Barba-Del
We received the unfortunate news that Barba-Del Campbell, one of Allentown's most beloved residents, a true lady and lover of the arts, passed away over the weekend. Here are the details and a lovely photo of Barba-Del by Scott Snyder.
Received via email:
Received via email: I reget to report the lost of art patron and Valley resident, Barba-Del Campbell. She was born Feburay 9, 1932 and died Saturday March 6, 2010 at Lehigh Valley Hospital, 6:30 am. She was an Icon in the Lehigh Valley.
A memorial service will be held at the House of Chen, 732 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pa, on Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 1-4pm.
She will live on in all of our stories and the history of the Lehigh Valley.
For more info goto Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yodi.vaden#!/event.php?eid=355853286580&ref=mf
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Show at Touchstone, through 4/30
This show features work by Chris Neyen, a Chen group show regular.
Info from Liz Wheeler:
The Touchstone Theatre Gallery is delighted to be showing the work of Claire Marcus, Michelle Neifert, and Chris Neyen (through April 30).
For more info, call 610-867-1689 or visit http://www.touchstone.org/.
Touchstone is located at 321 East 4th St. in south Bethlehem.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
KU's Sharadin Art Gallery announces 2011 Installation Artist Residency Project
RESIDENCY PROJECT
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Award: $ 10,000 project budget, housing and production assistants provided
Residency Dates: Jan. 10 - 27, 2011Exhibition on view: Jan. 28 - March 4, 2011
The Sharadin Art Gallery at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania requests proposals from artists, craftspersons, and designers for the production of an original, temporary, site-specific installation for our exhibition space.
The artwork will remain on view from January 28 - March 4, 2011. The selected artist (or artist team) will be awarded $10,000. The award must cover all material and labor costs associated with the production of the work, all travel expense to and from our site, all incidental costs, meals, and all artist fees and honoraria.
The university will provide housing one block from the gallery (Main Street Inn) for one artist -- all remaining housing costs for additional artists and/or support personnel must be covered from the $10,000 award.
A group of Kutztown University students will be available to assist with the physical production of the selected proposal. Application deadline is end-of-business, Friday June 11, 2010
Please see complete details at: http://www.kutztown.edu/acad/artgallery/x_residency.html
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Award: $ 10,000 project budget, housing and production assistants provided
Residency Dates: Jan. 10 - 27, 2011Exhibition on view: Jan. 28 - March 4, 2011
The Sharadin Art Gallery at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania requests proposals from artists, craftspersons, and designers for the production of an original, temporary, site-specific installation for our exhibition space.
The artwork will remain on view from January 28 - March 4, 2011. The selected artist (or artist team) will be awarded $10,000. The award must cover all material and labor costs associated with the production of the work, all travel expense to and from our site, all incidental costs, meals, and all artist fees and honoraria.
The university will provide housing one block from the gallery (Main Street Inn) for one artist -- all remaining housing costs for additional artists and/or support personnel must be covered from the $10,000 award.
A group of Kutztown University students will be available to assist with the physical production of the selected proposal. Application deadline is end-of-business, Friday June 11, 2010
Please see complete details at: http://www.kutztown.edu/acad/artgallery/x_residency.html
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
New event coming in May
info from Alfonso Todd:
THE LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AND FASHION EXPO
"Timeless Looks and Sounds"
BLURB MEDIA/PROMOTIONS, REDLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT, VIZYONS PUBLIC RELATIONS, FRESH START MUSIC, APPLESEED ENTERTAINMENT, and
ALFONSO TODD & ASSOCIATES will be hosting the 2 day
LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AND FASHION EXPO at the Banana Factory, at
25 W. Third Street, in Bethlehem, PA on May 21 and 22, 2010.
This will be an affair for up and coming artists, as well as seasoned professionals, in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, who have an interest in the music and fashion industry.
THE LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AND FASHION EXPO will be a community-based event that will involve local residents, merchants, and proprietors, but it will, also, be the genesis of another quality annual event that will make the Lehigh Valley a prime destination.
The goal is to provide the opportunity for all attendees to experience an
informational, educational, and family-oriented event.
Seminars, networking, talent showcases, and fashion shows will abound. In addition, there will be panel discussions, video presentations, and VIP events.
THE LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AND FASHION EXPO promises to not only be a grand experience, but the organizers are dedicated to making this affair into an endeavor which would "make an effective change in our communities by doing activities that get the area residents, merchants, and proprietors directly involved in quality, progressive, and positive events".
SPONSORSHIP AND VENDOR OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE
CONTACT: ALFONSO TODD & ASSOCIATES
TELEPHONE# 484 619 6541
E-MAIL:alfonsotodd36@msn.com
CONTACT: BLURB MEDIA/PROMOTIONS
TELEPHONE# 610 241 8285
E-MAIL:bestimpression4u@yahoo.com
THE LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AND FASHION EXPO
"Timeless Looks and Sounds"
BLURB MEDIA/PROMOTIONS, REDLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT, VIZYONS PUBLIC RELATIONS, FRESH START MUSIC, APPLESEED ENTERTAINMENT, and
ALFONSO TODD & ASSOCIATES will be hosting the 2 day
LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AND FASHION EXPO at the Banana Factory, at
25 W. Third Street, in Bethlehem, PA on May 21 and 22, 2010.
This will be an affair for up and coming artists, as well as seasoned professionals, in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, who have an interest in the music and fashion industry.
THE LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AND FASHION EXPO will be a community-based event that will involve local residents, merchants, and proprietors, but it will, also, be the genesis of another quality annual event that will make the Lehigh Valley a prime destination.
The goal is to provide the opportunity for all attendees to experience an
informational, educational, and family-oriented event.
Seminars, networking, talent showcases, and fashion shows will abound. In addition, there will be panel discussions, video presentations, and VIP events.
THE LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC AND FASHION EXPO promises to not only be a grand experience, but the organizers are dedicated to making this affair into an endeavor which would "make an effective change in our communities by doing activities that get the area residents, merchants, and proprietors directly involved in quality, progressive, and positive events".
SPONSORSHIP AND VENDOR OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE
CONTACT: ALFONSO TODD & ASSOCIATES
TELEPHONE# 484 619 6541
E-MAIL:alfonsotodd36@msn.com
CONTACT: BLURB MEDIA/PROMOTIONS
TELEPHONE# 610 241 8285
E-MAIL:bestimpression4u@yahoo.com
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Vagina Monologues in Bethlehem
Information sent by Angela Sinkler, organizer of V-Day Bethlehem 2010:Vagina Monologues at Banana Factory, 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem
Performances:
Friday, March 19th: 7pm
Saturday, March 20th: 6:30pm
Sunday, March 21st: 4pm
Tickets $10
Proceeds benefit the YWCA of Bethlehem and The Women and Girls of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
To purchase tickets, contact Angela Sinkler at 610-868-1035 or esas518@verizon.net
V-DAY
V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.
MISSION
V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women.
V-Day is a vision: We see a world where women live safely and freely.
V-Day is a demand: Rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery must end now.
V-Day is a spirit: We believe women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities.
V-Day is a catalyst: By raising money and consciousness, it will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering far-reaching awareness, it will lay the groundwork for new educational, protective, and legislative endeavors throughout the world.
V-Day is a process: We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops.
V-Day is a day. We proclaim Valentine's Day as V-Day, to celebrate women and end the violence.
V-Day is a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community. Join us!
5 REASONS FOR MEN TO SUPPORT V-DAY:
Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Girlfriends, Wives
V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.
MISSION
V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women.
V-Day is a vision: We see a world where women live safely and freely.
V-Day is a demand: Rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery must end now.
V-Day is a spirit: We believe women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities.
V-Day is a catalyst: By raising money and consciousness, it will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering far-reaching awareness, it will lay the groundwork for new educational, protective, and legislative endeavors throughout the world.
V-Day is a process: We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops.
V-Day is a day. We proclaim Valentine's Day as V-Day, to celebrate women and end the violence.
V-Day is a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community. Join us!
5 REASONS FOR MEN TO SUPPORT V-DAY:
Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Girlfriends, Wives
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Feb. 20, 2010 Meeting Notes
We had decent turnout for the meeting. About 20 of us met for tasty Malaysian dishes and conversation. The photo above (taken by Diane Teti) is of a tasty seafood and veggie dish in a homemade shredded potato bird's nest.
Here's a breakdown of what was announced or took place at the meeting:
Sarah Fulton was officially appointed to the Allentown Arts Commission.
The commission is holding its Arts Ovation Awards in May and the Chen Arts Group will be receiving an award for being an emerging arts organization. Hooray!
Allentown Freak Out - a fringe festival to be held downtown - is set for June 18-20. A committee of artists and business people are partnering to organize and host the events. The festival embraces arts, cultural experiences and performances outside the mainstream - i.e. "on the fringe." Music, film, theatre, fire performers and buskers will be featured. To volunteer, please email info@allentownfreakout.com To donate toward the cause (any amount is greatly appreciated) please email donate@allentownfreakout.com If you want to sponsor an event or an art group, write to sponsors@allentownfreakout.com
Plans for a group show at Allentown Art Museum have been canceled. The community gallery will be closed this summer for the museum's long-awaited expansion. If anyone is able to offer space at a building around downtown Allentown, please contact chenarts.info@gmail.com
Sue Highet is still seeking artwork donations for the Art of Giving silent auction on March 19. The auction raises funds for the Soup Kitchen. The organizers are particularly short on photography and sculpture donations. Please contact Sue if you'd like to donate your work: 610-435-5054
Yoga instructor John Mann is hosting Big Guy Yoga at Allentown Brew Works from 9 am to 4 pm on Feb. 28. Details are forthcoming. See more info at: http://www.thebrewworks.com/events/
Photographer Kate Hughes is performing in the Vagina Monologues at Banana Factory. Show dates and times are: 7 p.m. Mar.19, 6:30 p.m. Mar. 20 and 4 p.m. Mar. 21. All proceeds benefit charity. Details are forthcoming for this event as well.
Last but not least, Chenster and photographer Jim Gallucci was on hand, along with writer Anne Schauer, to take a photo of the group for an Allentown guide being produced by the Chamber of Commerce. The guide will feature the group and House of Chen under a special section titled "Treasures Known & New." The guide will be in circulation this spring. Be sure to keep an eye out for it and all our smiling faces!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Promote Yourself!
Check out this interesting service offered through PS1 and share the details with your friends.
(info sent by way of Greg Coates)
weekend's Saturday Sessions performances.
A website that invites artists and collectives to exhibit their works
online and invites viewers into their studio spaces, Studio Visit
encourages the local and international artist community to participate
in an online artistic pool of information and a research tool for future
exhibitions. For more details PS1.org.
sample of one finished;
http://ps1.org/studio-visit/
create your own;
http://ps1.org/studio-visit/
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Free Drawing Sessions in Allentown
from Joe Skrapits:
DRAWING FROM SCULPTURE
-at-
ATELIER SALEMME
FREE, OPEN SESSIONS
Saturday afternoons, 1-4
Beginning Feb. 13
Draw from our unique collection of nudes, portraits and multi-figure compositions by Antonio Salemme, one of America’s foremost 20th-century classical sculptors.
Guarantee: Our models hold still!
Antonio Salemme Foundation
542 Hamilton Street, Suite #203
Allentown
610-433-4150
www.antoniosalemme.org
DRAWING FROM SCULPTURE
-at-
ATELIER SALEMME
FREE, OPEN SESSIONS
Saturday afternoons, 1-4
Beginning Feb. 13
Draw from our unique collection of nudes, portraits and multi-figure compositions by Antonio Salemme, one of America’s foremost 20th-century classical sculptors.
Guarantee: Our models hold still!
Antonio Salemme Foundation
542 Hamilton Street, Suite #203
Allentown
610-433-4150
www.antoniosalemme.org
Friday, February 5, 2010
Dominican Artists Show at Baum School
Show opens Feb. 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Baum School, 5th and Linden Sts. in Allentown. Please attend and show support for our local artists.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Another Outlet for Writers and Poetry Lovers
from Yodi:
Stop by, listen and join in. Starting February 2, 2010 the Hava Java Café at 526 N. 19th Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania will be presenting a poetry reading called West Side Poetry.
Hosting West Side Poetry will be Yodi from the Word Wednesday Poetry Ensemble. This ongoing open mic event will feature many members of the ensemble as well. West Side Poetry is every Tuesday starting at 7pm.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Juried Show in Bethlehem Accepting Submissions
Bethlehem's Fine Arts Commission's 45th Annual Fine Arts and Craft Show, A Juried Exhibition.
Date: May 8-9, 2010.
Over $2,000 in awards.
Slide deadline February 12.
For prospectus, send SASE to:
Date: May 8-9, 2010.
Over $2,000 in awards.
Slide deadline February 12.
For prospectus, send SASE to:
Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission
55 E. Church Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
Or download the file from www.bfac-lv.org
For additional information call 610-865-3924 (after 5 pm).
Monday, January 25, 2010
Featuring work by Gregory Coates....
Allentown-based artist Greg Coates will have is work featured soon in multiple shows. Greg will have his own show beginning in February in Philadelphia and he is also part of a group show in Troy, New York. Here are the details:
GREGORY COATES
Dada: Influence and Response In the salon
DATES > February 8 – March 2, 2010RECEPTION > Friday, February 12, 2010, 6-8pm
At the Sande Webster Gallery, 2006 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
From the gallery announcement:
Coates is an international conceptual artist poised in the gap between painting and sculpture. Exploring the nature of unconventional materials is a signature part of his work. He is able to balance an abstract modernist painting sensibility with a gritty found object sculptural inclination. Coates is able to spin mundane rubber tubes, feathers and discarded materials into fine works of art that astonishingly transcend the materials themselves. There is an excitement and tension in the brave use of materials that is resolved by a mastery of craftsmanship. The result is often large-scale contemplative installations that envelop the viewer. Dada: Influence and Response presents new rubber and feather works that explore a contemporary conversation with the anti-art movement of World War I. Dadaism was anarchistic in nature and rejected the prevailing standards in art, commenting on the meaninglessness of the modern world. Coates’ art continues this spirit of Dada, utilizing collage, assemblage and readymade objects without rules or limitations.
Coates was awarded the Joan Mitchell, Pollock-Krasner and Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Fellowship Grants and the New York State Foundation Grant. His work is shown internationally, most recently at Galerie Denkraum in Vienna. In 2002, at the occasion of receiving the Edward Mitchell Bannister award in Rhode Island, Coates’ friend and award presenter Professor Bob Dillworth wrote: “Insisting on the material nature of art, on the interchangeability of things in the world, and malleability of meaning, Gregory Coates has broadened the scope of his own reality to put process and risk-taking at center-stage. This amounts to a kind of visual radicalism rarely seen today.”
and
The Shelnutt Gallery at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute presents "Collage" from Feb. 4 to Mar. 31. A group of 13 artists celebrate their diversity to honor Black History Month. Reception is Feb. 4 at 5:30-8:30 pm.
Aside from that exciting news, Greg is featured in the current issue of LV Magazine, where he discusses his "New Museum" project and more. (Chen Arts Group and Diane Teti - manager of Art Mart - were also mentioned in the piece.)
Greg and Kiki Nienaber are also planning an art show on the nude image at their studio in April. Contact them if you're interested in submitting work for inclusion:
Greg: coatesgregory4@gmail.com Kiki: kikihq@gmail.com
Meeting Notes 1/23/10
Thanks to everyone for attending our January meeting. Some of us enjoyed a tour of the fabulous new Salemme Foundation Gallery before our dinner. If you have not seen the gallery, please contact Joe Skrapits for a tour.Sarah welcomed new members and spoke about our grant project which will feature thirteen 2'x2'x2' artist designed plexiglass cubes. The theme for this community art project is re-urbanization. The cubes will be on display, possibly at an indoor space, in June.
Pete Lewnes announced that he has been appointed President of the Allentown Arts Commission, and that Sarah Fulton has been nominated to serve on the Arts Commission. Congratulations to both Pete and Sarah. Pete spoke about Arts Ovation Award nominations which are due January 29th. Pete has gotten the Allentown City Arts blog running, and I will put up a link soon.
More great news from Pete: he informed us about a LANTA grant which is available for the restoration of public sculptures, murals at the transportation center, and other public works of art. Also, he is working on a new fabulous culinary school for 7th St.
Heather Haas is looking for artists to paint murals on garage doors in the city. For more details on this project, contact us at the e-mail and we will forward to Heather.
Diane Teti talked about the success of Art Mart. Business has slowed down a little since the holidays but she plans on having special events and artist workshops in the space soon. Channel 69 News, TV 2 News, and Lehigh Valley Magazine covered Art Mart, so there was good publicity. There was one sentence in the Morning Call's Retail Watch section. See link to Art Mart at our sidebar, and contact Diane if you would like more information. Diane also mentioned the idea of a Second Saturday Art Walk on Hamilton St. And don't miss Word Wednesdays at the Brew Works, organized by Yodi and Kari Holmes.
Greg Coates is featured in Lehigh Valley Magazine.
Angie Villa brought up the idea of a future group fine art show, possibly at the Allentown Art Museum Community Room gallery where we held our Velocity Show last year. If anyone has any suggestions or would like to coordinate the show, please contact us at the e-mail.
Also, if anyone is interested in helping create and maintain a Facebook page for Chen Arts, which links to the blog posts, please contact us at the e-mail. So far, Stefan and Kate expressed interest at the meeting.
I forgot to mention this at the meeting: The Villas, local original power-pop band, with special appearances by 8 yr. old Gianni Villa and 26 yr. old Pat Villa, will be performing at Mayfair, Sunday May 30th 5:30-7pm Lakeside Stage. See link at our sidebar.
Matt is working on "Fringe Fest" a music and art festival. I believe he mentioned Art and Soul Gallery would be involved too. Sorry, I missed some of the details here, maybe Matt can talk about that in a comment?
Please feel free to add anything in the comments. Thanks to everyone. The art scene in Allentown has really taken off. Thanks to Jenny Chen for outstanding Malaysian food. Thanks to Sarah for her work at the blog and e-mails. See you in February.
Angie Villa
Monday, January 18, 2010
Tango Orchestra performing Thursday night
Live Argentine Tango Orchestra
Mandragora Tango
Playing for our listening and dancing pleasure Thursday, Jan. 21st 7:45 pm
(Complimentary Tango Talk & Introductory Lesson begins at 7 pm)
The Allentown Symphony Hall
23 North 6th St.
Allentown, Pa. 18101
For Tickets Contact:The Allentown Symphony Box Office: (610) 432-6715
www.allentownsymphony.org
Advance sale tickets: $20 / Tickets day of event: $25 / Students: $10 (w/ ID)
Presented by Sharon Hillman & The Allentown Symphony Association
www.mandragoratango.com
Mandragora Tango
Playing for our listening and dancing pleasure Thursday, Jan. 21st 7:45 pm
(Complimentary Tango Talk & Introductory Lesson begins at 7 pm)
The Allentown Symphony Hall
23 North 6th St.
Allentown, Pa. 18101
For Tickets Contact:The Allentown Symphony Box Office: (610) 432-6715
www.allentownsymphony.org
Advance sale tickets: $20 / Tickets day of event: $25 / Students: $10 (w/ ID)
Presented by Sharon Hillman & The Allentown Symphony Association
www.mandragoratango.com
News coverage of the new Salemme Foundation gallery
This article was featured in Sunday's (1/17/10) Morning Call:
(sorry the formatting was screwed up in copy/paste)
NOTICE: The Chen Arts Group is invited to a personal tour of the gallery before dinner Saturday from 5-6:30. Address is 542 Hamilton. Phone: 610-434-7476. Hope to see you there.
Antonio Salemme, a noted artist whose nude sculpture of actor Paul Robeson shocked the 1930s elite, lived and worked in Williams Township for a third of his life. Now, his art has a permanent home in downtown Allentown.Bathed in the light from a magnificent 18 foot-wide arched window overlooking Hamilton Street, a half-dozen figure studies stand or sit in repose, the brick façade of the Hotel Americus across the street glowing softly behind them. A life-sized female nude, in the Greco-Roman style of a classic Venus, stands solemnly next to a seated bronze athlete, his muscles glistening. Smaller sculptures surround them -- some in clay, some in plaster, some in bronze.Along the walls, shelves are teeming with more than a hundred smaller sculptures, in various states of completion. Busts of Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy and jazz icon Ethel Waters rub shoulders with more abstract pieces. Nearly two dozen paintings, in styles ranging from the elusive spontaneity of Cézanne and the Post-Impressionists to the vibrant colors and seductively distorted perspective of Matisse, hang on the dove-gray walls.This is the new Antonio Salemme Foundation on the second floor of 542 Hamilton St.. There is so much remarkable about the space. First, it represents the work of a supremely gifted artist.Antonio Salemme was a prominent sculptor/painter who spent half of his creative life at the center of the teeming arts scene in New York's Greenwich Village from the 1920s through the 1950s, working with artists such as Willem de Kooning and Arshile Gorkey. His most famous piece is a controversial nude sculpture of actor Paul Robeson.In 1959, Salemme and his wife Martha, also an artist, purchased an old schoolhouse in Williams Township, Northampton County, that the couple converted into a home/studio. He worked there until his death at the age of 102 in 1995, and Martha until her death nine years later.As remarkable as Salemme was, equally remarkable is that their prodigious collection of art found a home in Allentown. That story goes back to 1982, when the couple formed a nonprofit foundation with the dream of establishing a museum to display their work. 1982 also was the year that Joseph Skrapits, an artist, freelance writer and contributing editor to American Artist magazine, met the couple.''I first met Antonio through an article I was doing for Philadelphia Magazine on his famous Paul Robeson sculpture,'' says Skrapits, a native of South Whitehall Township. ''When I first met him, I was just bowled over -- here was this very vigorous man, 90 years old, who started talking about Greenwich Village, his friendship with Paul Robeson, and all these people he knew like [Abstract Expressionists] Willem de Kooning and Arshile Gorky. But it wasn't like he was name-dropping -- he was just talking about his life.''Skrapits also had the itch to paint, and Salemme became his teacher and mentor. ''Over the 11 years I knew him, he became a sort of grandfather/big brother -- a really splendid person. Just before he died, I promised him I would see that Martha was OK. I didn't have any thought of becoming involved in the foundation until she passed away in 2004,'' he says.The couple had amassed a lifetime of work and had no family or children to bequeath it to, so it went to the foundation. ''There was the house and a studio full of artwork. Some of us -- former friends and students -- looked at each other and asked ourselves, 'Well, now what?' '' says Skrapits, now president of the Antonio Salemme Foundation.One day soon after Martha's memorial service, Skrapits, who lives in downtown Allentown, discovered there was a small space available at the new Musselman Arts Development Center at Sixth and Hamilton streets. With money from the sale of Salemme's Williams Township property, the space was secured in 2006.''Basically, our endowment was what we got from the sale -- there was nothing else,'' Skrapits says. ''But I was still looking for other possibilities, and found a bigger space -- 1,200 square feet -- at 542 Hamilton, in what had been the old Empire Beauty School. We moved everything into it in October.''''This new space is a tremendous advancement in the cultural revitalization of downtown Allentown,'' says Bob Metzger, interim director of the Allentown Art Museum. Metzger had visited Salemme's studio and met Martha. ''Here we have the work of an artist of the first rank, known and respected to many within the art world, but unfortunately relatively unknown to the general public. This long overdue recognition is warmly welcomed, and will give the opportunity to let him be known to his own community for the first time.''Skrapits, a volunteer like all the members of the foundation's board, is committed to telling others about Salemme. At this time, the foundation space is planned not as a traditional museum or gallery, but as a place to study Salemme's art. It is now open weekends and a formal opening is scheduled for late March. The group also has an impressive Web site.''Our mission is to preserve the legacy of an American master, Antonio Salemme, and to educate the public about his contributions to 20th-century art,'' says Skrapits.The Antonio Salemme Foundation now looks more like an artist's studio than an art gallery. In fact, the place is as much a work in progress as are some of its pieces -- bronze, unfired clay and plaster casts representing all phases of the sculptor's trade. ''We're still in an editing phase, having just recently unpacked more than 120 boxes of sculpture -- about 150 pieces, and that's just the small ones -- and hundreds of paintings. Then there's hundreds of examples of Martha's work, which are mostly watercolors,'' Skrapits says.Salemme's opus is indeed impressive, and represents a bridge between the Impressionists of the 19th century and 20th century Modernism. Born in Gaeta, Italy, in 1892, he moved to Boston with his father in 1904 after the death of his mother. He began studying art when he was 14, and in 1912 a Bostonian patron of the arts, recognizing his talent, sent him to Rome, where he studied classical sculpture. Returning to the United States after World War I, Salemme established a studio in Greenwich Village.Salemme became a prominent artist in the 1920s through the 1930s, when his Neoclassical style and reputation as a portrait sculptor earned him one of the first Guggenheim Fellowships, awarded in 1932.''To give you an idea of how important he was at the time, two of the other award recipients that year were Martha Graham and Lewis Mumford. He didn't even have to apply -- he was invited to take it,'' Skrapits says.One of his most important, and arguably most controversial works of the period, was his 1926 full-figure nude portrait of the actor Paul Robeson in bronze-colored plaster, titled ''Negro Spiritual.'' The sculpture is missing. Notable pieces on display from Salemme's classical period include ''Seated Athlete,'' a life-size bronze not shown in public since it was displayed at the Whitney Museum in 1936; ''Eve,'' another classic life-size bronze of a standing female nude, and a 1926 bust of Ethel Waters, the prominent Harlem Renaissance jazz/blues singer. Paintings from this period are very Post-Impressionistic, such as his Cézanne-like view of Central Park, with its soft colors and carefully preserved perspectives, or his portrait of British novelist Gerald Heard.But as the 1930s waned, Neoclassicism was giving way to Modernism, with figures and landscapes becoming more stylized and more expressionistic. What Salemme was doing was going out of style.''By the time he moved to the Lehigh Valley, he pretty much let his ties to the art world go. His focus was becoming less social and more imaginative and visionary,'' says Skrapits.The Salemmes discovered Northampton County through Manhattan friends who had a weekend place there. On a visit, they discovered an old schoolhouse that was being renovated into a residence, thought it would make a good studio, and bought it in 1959 as a weekend retreat. In 1962 they made the decision to move there permanently.His change of focus is evident in some sculptures on display from this period, such as fanciful, heavily textured pieces Salemme called ''environments.'' But many works from the period still preserve his classic quest for realism, such as busts of John F. Kennedy, Einstein and Eisenhower. Not one to be modest, Salemme called his Kennedy portrait ''the finest there was of the man, and no one is more qualified than myself to say so.''Salemme's later paintings show his drift to a more stylized vision. His world becomes more Matisse-like, filled with bright colors and distorted perspective. A still life of a bowl of green tomatoes becomes a surrealistic study with an imaginary background scene. Portraits of women he called ''imagined portraits'' are created from remembered or imagined details, not from the figures themselves.''When I met him, it was all about color relationships and almost surreal perspectives -- a more modernist approach. He once told me, 'I did my best work after I turned 70,' '' says Skrapits. ''I mean, here was this guy, 90 years old, just churning this stuff out -- it's like he was still trying to tell us something.''
ANTONIO SALEMME FOUNDATION
What: Space devoted to the work of the late painter/sculptor, who worked in Williams Township, Northampton County for a third of his life
When: Open 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, call first; or by appointment. Grand opening in the spring.
Where: 542 Hamilton St., second floor, Allentown
Admission: Free, donations acceptedInfo: 610-433-4150,http://www.antoniosalemme.org/Steve Siegel is a freelance writer.Jodi Duckett, editorjodi.duckett@mcall.com
(sorry the formatting was screwed up in copy/paste)
NOTICE: The Chen Arts Group is invited to a personal tour of the gallery before dinner Saturday from 5-6:30. Address is 542 Hamilton. Phone: 610-434-7476. Hope to see you there.
Antonio Salemme, a noted artist whose nude sculpture of actor Paul Robeson shocked the 1930s elite, lived and worked in Williams Township for a third of his life. Now, his art has a permanent home in downtown Allentown.Bathed in the light from a magnificent 18 foot-wide arched window overlooking Hamilton Street, a half-dozen figure studies stand or sit in repose, the brick façade of the Hotel Americus across the street glowing softly behind them. A life-sized female nude, in the Greco-Roman style of a classic Venus, stands solemnly next to a seated bronze athlete, his muscles glistening. Smaller sculptures surround them -- some in clay, some in plaster, some in bronze.Along the walls, shelves are teeming with more than a hundred smaller sculptures, in various states of completion. Busts of Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy and jazz icon Ethel Waters rub shoulders with more abstract pieces. Nearly two dozen paintings, in styles ranging from the elusive spontaneity of Cézanne and the Post-Impressionists to the vibrant colors and seductively distorted perspective of Matisse, hang on the dove-gray walls.This is the new Antonio Salemme Foundation on the second floor of 542 Hamilton St.. There is so much remarkable about the space. First, it represents the work of a supremely gifted artist.Antonio Salemme was a prominent sculptor/painter who spent half of his creative life at the center of the teeming arts scene in New York's Greenwich Village from the 1920s through the 1950s, working with artists such as Willem de Kooning and Arshile Gorkey. His most famous piece is a controversial nude sculpture of actor Paul Robeson.In 1959, Salemme and his wife Martha, also an artist, purchased an old schoolhouse in Williams Township, Northampton County, that the couple converted into a home/studio. He worked there until his death at the age of 102 in 1995, and Martha until her death nine years later.As remarkable as Salemme was, equally remarkable is that their prodigious collection of art found a home in Allentown. That story goes back to 1982, when the couple formed a nonprofit foundation with the dream of establishing a museum to display their work. 1982 also was the year that Joseph Skrapits, an artist, freelance writer and contributing editor to American Artist magazine, met the couple.''I first met Antonio through an article I was doing for Philadelphia Magazine on his famous Paul Robeson sculpture,'' says Skrapits, a native of South Whitehall Township. ''When I first met him, I was just bowled over -- here was this very vigorous man, 90 years old, who started talking about Greenwich Village, his friendship with Paul Robeson, and all these people he knew like [Abstract Expressionists] Willem de Kooning and Arshile Gorky. But it wasn't like he was name-dropping -- he was just talking about his life.''Skrapits also had the itch to paint, and Salemme became his teacher and mentor. ''Over the 11 years I knew him, he became a sort of grandfather/big brother -- a really splendid person. Just before he died, I promised him I would see that Martha was OK. I didn't have any thought of becoming involved in the foundation until she passed away in 2004,'' he says.The couple had amassed a lifetime of work and had no family or children to bequeath it to, so it went to the foundation. ''There was the house and a studio full of artwork. Some of us -- former friends and students -- looked at each other and asked ourselves, 'Well, now what?' '' says Skrapits, now president of the Antonio Salemme Foundation.One day soon after Martha's memorial service, Skrapits, who lives in downtown Allentown, discovered there was a small space available at the new Musselman Arts Development Center at Sixth and Hamilton streets. With money from the sale of Salemme's Williams Township property, the space was secured in 2006.''Basically, our endowment was what we got from the sale -- there was nothing else,'' Skrapits says. ''But I was still looking for other possibilities, and found a bigger space -- 1,200 square feet -- at 542 Hamilton, in what had been the old Empire Beauty School. We moved everything into it in October.''''This new space is a tremendous advancement in the cultural revitalization of downtown Allentown,'' says Bob Metzger, interim director of the Allentown Art Museum. Metzger had visited Salemme's studio and met Martha. ''Here we have the work of an artist of the first rank, known and respected to many within the art world, but unfortunately relatively unknown to the general public. This long overdue recognition is warmly welcomed, and will give the opportunity to let him be known to his own community for the first time.''Skrapits, a volunteer like all the members of the foundation's board, is committed to telling others about Salemme. At this time, the foundation space is planned not as a traditional museum or gallery, but as a place to study Salemme's art. It is now open weekends and a formal opening is scheduled for late March. The group also has an impressive Web site.''Our mission is to preserve the legacy of an American master, Antonio Salemme, and to educate the public about his contributions to 20th-century art,'' says Skrapits.The Antonio Salemme Foundation now looks more like an artist's studio than an art gallery. In fact, the place is as much a work in progress as are some of its pieces -- bronze, unfired clay and plaster casts representing all phases of the sculptor's trade. ''We're still in an editing phase, having just recently unpacked more than 120 boxes of sculpture -- about 150 pieces, and that's just the small ones -- and hundreds of paintings. Then there's hundreds of examples of Martha's work, which are mostly watercolors,'' Skrapits says.Salemme's opus is indeed impressive, and represents a bridge between the Impressionists of the 19th century and 20th century Modernism. Born in Gaeta, Italy, in 1892, he moved to Boston with his father in 1904 after the death of his mother. He began studying art when he was 14, and in 1912 a Bostonian patron of the arts, recognizing his talent, sent him to Rome, where he studied classical sculpture. Returning to the United States after World War I, Salemme established a studio in Greenwich Village.Salemme became a prominent artist in the 1920s through the 1930s, when his Neoclassical style and reputation as a portrait sculptor earned him one of the first Guggenheim Fellowships, awarded in 1932.''To give you an idea of how important he was at the time, two of the other award recipients that year were Martha Graham and Lewis Mumford. He didn't even have to apply -- he was invited to take it,'' Skrapits says.One of his most important, and arguably most controversial works of the period, was his 1926 full-figure nude portrait of the actor Paul Robeson in bronze-colored plaster, titled ''Negro Spiritual.'' The sculpture is missing. Notable pieces on display from Salemme's classical period include ''Seated Athlete,'' a life-size bronze not shown in public since it was displayed at the Whitney Museum in 1936; ''Eve,'' another classic life-size bronze of a standing female nude, and a 1926 bust of Ethel Waters, the prominent Harlem Renaissance jazz/blues singer. Paintings from this period are very Post-Impressionistic, such as his Cézanne-like view of Central Park, with its soft colors and carefully preserved perspectives, or his portrait of British novelist Gerald Heard.But as the 1930s waned, Neoclassicism was giving way to Modernism, with figures and landscapes becoming more stylized and more expressionistic. What Salemme was doing was going out of style.''By the time he moved to the Lehigh Valley, he pretty much let his ties to the art world go. His focus was becoming less social and more imaginative and visionary,'' says Skrapits.The Salemmes discovered Northampton County through Manhattan friends who had a weekend place there. On a visit, they discovered an old schoolhouse that was being renovated into a residence, thought it would make a good studio, and bought it in 1959 as a weekend retreat. In 1962 they made the decision to move there permanently.His change of focus is evident in some sculptures on display from this period, such as fanciful, heavily textured pieces Salemme called ''environments.'' But many works from the period still preserve his classic quest for realism, such as busts of John F. Kennedy, Einstein and Eisenhower. Not one to be modest, Salemme called his Kennedy portrait ''the finest there was of the man, and no one is more qualified than myself to say so.''Salemme's later paintings show his drift to a more stylized vision. His world becomes more Matisse-like, filled with bright colors and distorted perspective. A still life of a bowl of green tomatoes becomes a surrealistic study with an imaginary background scene. Portraits of women he called ''imagined portraits'' are created from remembered or imagined details, not from the figures themselves.''When I met him, it was all about color relationships and almost surreal perspectives -- a more modernist approach. He once told me, 'I did my best work after I turned 70,' '' says Skrapits. ''I mean, here was this guy, 90 years old, just churning this stuff out -- it's like he was still trying to tell us something.''
ANTONIO SALEMME FOUNDATION
What: Space devoted to the work of the late painter/sculptor, who worked in Williams Township, Northampton County for a third of his life
When: Open 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, call first; or by appointment. Grand opening in the spring.
Where: 542 Hamilton St., second floor, Allentown
Admission: Free, donations acceptedInfo: 610-433-4150,http://www.antoniosalemme.org/Steve Siegel is a freelance writer.Jodi Duckett, editorjodi.duckett@mcall.com
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Benefit Concert for Craig's Kids
Please spread the word about this event. Craig was dedicated to Art N Soul and building the arts community in Allentown. This concert is a benefit for Craig's children. Offer your support if you can.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Open House Cooperative Art Show on Saturday
I received these details from Kerri Ann and Adam and re-posted them here. Hopefully some of you can make it to the show on Saturday. This is becoming a regular event.
What: Gypsy Creations is hosting an Open House Cooperative Art Show
When: Saturday, Jan. 16 from noon to 7 p.m.
Where: 32 S. 18th Street, Allentown
Details: There will be a cooperative art show featuring Victor Fritch, work by recycling artists, drums, fine art, wearable creations, baskets, butterflies and more. Live music by Flux Capacitor.
Call 484-350-9674 for more information.
Save Your Mother. Shop Local. Buy Recycled.
Hosted By Gypsy Creations
What: Gypsy Creations is hosting an Open House Cooperative Art Show
When: Saturday, Jan. 16 from noon to 7 p.m.
Where: 32 S. 18th Street, Allentown
Details: There will be a cooperative art show featuring Victor Fritch, work by recycling artists, drums, fine art, wearable creations, baskets, butterflies and more. Live music by Flux Capacitor.
Call 484-350-9674 for more information.
Save Your Mother. Shop Local. Buy Recycled.
Hosted By Gypsy Creations
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Submissions Accepted for Art Event at The Caring Place
The following info is from Bethlehem artist Reinaldo Valentin. He is coordinating a show to benefit a local charitable organization. You can see some of his work right now at Art Mart. His website is: http://www.undermyfeetgallery.com/
Window of Opportunity
Artist Reception at The Caring Place
Friday, January 29, 2010
7-9 p.m.
931 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA
Under My Feet Gallery is organizing the Window of Opportunity art show. This will feature artworks by artists of all levels, from emerging to established. All sales will benefit the not-for-profit organization, The Caring Place, in Allentown to help raise money to send a group of inner city students to Washington, D.C.
Collectors walk away with something beautiful; a piece of art they love and their money going directly to support their community. Window of Opportunity provides an excellent opportunity to get a one-of-a-kind work of art and helps broaden the view of the world for a youth.
Attention Artists!
Deadline is Monday, January 25
All artists are invited and encouraged to donate one small 2D or 3D piece that must be priced under $50. We will also be auctioning off larger pieces of work. Please note size of work, price and if you would like to have a med-large piece auctioned off, please make a note of it and the value. Artists can submit up to 3 pieces of paintings, drawings, photography, prints, mixed media, and handcrafted items - all are welcome. If you would like to participate in this show, send one to three images to: reinaldovalentin@verizon.net
Learn more about http://www.thecaringplace.org/ or http://www.undermyfeetgallery.com/
Window of Opportunity
Artist Reception at The Caring Place
Friday, January 29, 2010
7-9 p.m.
931 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA
Under My Feet Gallery is organizing the Window of Opportunity art show. This will feature artworks by artists of all levels, from emerging to established. All sales will benefit the not-for-profit organization, The Caring Place, in Allentown to help raise money to send a group of inner city students to Washington, D.C.
Collectors walk away with something beautiful; a piece of art they love and their money going directly to support their community. Window of Opportunity provides an excellent opportunity to get a one-of-a-kind work of art and helps broaden the view of the world for a youth.
Attention Artists!
Deadline is Monday, January 25
All artists are invited and encouraged to donate one small 2D or 3D piece that must be priced under $50. We will also be auctioning off larger pieces of work. Please note size of work, price and if you would like to have a med-large piece auctioned off, please make a note of it and the value. Artists can submit up to 3 pieces of paintings, drawings, photography, prints, mixed media, and handcrafted items - all are welcome. If you would like to participate in this show, send one to three images to: reinaldovalentin@verizon.net
Learn more about http://www.thecaringplace.org/ or http://www.undermyfeetgallery.com/
Monday, January 4, 2010
Artists: Share Your Work Abroad
The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation is currently accepting applications for artists interested in performing in foreign locales. See the qualifications below.
Sadly, the deadline is this week: January 8, read on....
The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation's "U.S. Artists International" application for engagements taking place between March 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011 ends on January 8, 2010.
The program is committed to ensuring that the impressive range of expression and creativity of the performing arts in the United States is represented abroad.
USArtists International provides support for American dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists invited to perform at significant international festivals anywhere in the world outside the United States and its territories.
For more information about USArtists International, including program guidelines and application:
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
http://www.midatlanticarts.org
Attention: Sara Nash, Program Associate, International at saran@midatlanticarts.org.
Sadly, the deadline is this week: January 8, read on....
The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation's "U.S. Artists International" application for engagements taking place between March 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011 ends on January 8, 2010.
The program is committed to ensuring that the impressive range of expression and creativity of the performing arts in the United States is represented abroad.
USArtists International provides support for American dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists invited to perform at significant international festivals anywhere in the world outside the United States and its territories.
For more information about USArtists International, including program guidelines and application:
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
http://www.midatlanticarts.org
Attention: Sara Nash, Program Associate, International at saran@midatlanticarts.org.
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