PAST EXHIBITIONS
Dating back to 2008, 草榴社区's art gallery has been putting on inspiring exhibitions for the greater community to enjoy. Look back at our past exhibitions to learn more.
2023
Various Artists
October 26, 2023 - January 11, 2024
Wisdom of Sufism is a dynamic exploration of contemporary artistic responses to the profound spiritual tradition of Sufism. This group exhibition showcases diverse expressions inspired by the teachings of Rumi, a 13th century poet and theologian, delving into themes of self-discovery and transcendence. Through the mediums of photography, painting, calligraphy, musical instruments and interpretive dance, these artists offer a unique lens into the depths of the human spirit. By melding ancient wisdom with modern forms, they invite viewers to contemplate the universal truths that resonate across time and culture. Join us in this immersive journey that celebrates the enduring wisdom of Sufism, uniting past and present in a tapestry of artistic expression.
2022
Dox Thrash
April 29 - May 14, 2022
This exhibition was curated by History graduate students under the direction of Dr. Whitney Martinko, PhD, associate professor of History. Dox Thrash, a Black artist working in Philadelphia in the mid-twentieth century, is best known for prints made through the carborundum process that he invented. This exhibit presents a new view of the artist by featuring five of Thrash鈥檚 little-known paintings donated to the University by Benjamin Bernstein, a prominent Philadelphia art patron, collector and donor. Painted, Not Printed explores the history of Thrash鈥檚 paintings in conversation with works by other mid-20th century artists such as Julius Bloch, Sam Maitin and Paul Keene.
2020
Marsha Solomon
January 17 - March 2, 2020
Solomon's distinctive technique鈥攍ayering intense sweeps of acrylic color over dreamy whorls of thinned pigment鈥攔esults in a collection of paintings that are abstract, yet feel like specific atmospheric spaces. Some are pensive, some invigorating, some brooding, and others joyful; all of them summon the viewer inside, to engage with an environment of the artist鈥檚 creation. Lyrical Abstractions features 43 paintings, some on canvas and some on paper, in a range of sizes. All of the included pieces are selections from Solomon鈥檚 series entitled From Rhythm to Form, which spans 20-plus years of the artist鈥檚 creative life. They are based upon and inspired by nature鈥攕ky, water, sunsets, planets. Through the years, the series has continually grown and changed. Solomon says, 鈥淎s the series evolves, I evolve in it. I continue to create different ways of seeing, so to speak.鈥�
2019
草榴社区 Faculty
February 1 - April 12, 2019
草榴社区 studio art students know their instructors as knowledgeable, attentive teachers who bring enthusiasm and skill to the classroom; but students are not always aware that the fine arts faculty consists of active exhibitors, professional illustrators and designers whose works are prized by collectors and whose expertise is sought-after regionally, nationally and internationally. Gallery Director and full professor of fine arts, Rev. Richard G. Cannuli, OSA, says, 鈥淥ur students see a bit of how we work during class demonstrations, but a demo and a finished piece can be worlds apart. We assemble periodic faculty shows so that students can see more of what we do, and understand better the arc between the initial idea for a piece and the final product.鈥�
Salomon Khammi
May 2 - September 29, 2019
The exhibit spans a diverse 15-year artistic career and includes two distinct media鈥攁crylic on canvas and encaustic wax on wood panel鈥攊n a wide variety of sizes by Miami-based, Colmbian-born artist Salomon Khammi. Yet all 62 paintings in the exhibition are connected by a mastery of line and color that is sometimes playful, sometimes sensuous, often moving, and always insightful. Before turning to art full-time, Khammi was an architect. He graduated from the University in Bogot谩 in 1998 with a degree in architecture then studied Design at the Polytechnic Institute in Milan. He credits his architectural background with providing 鈥渢he tools to create my artistic interpretations of what surrounds me. Form, line and color have always been very important to me as the genesis of design. All my life I鈥檝e sketched lines in the form of bridges, skyscrapers, etc. Now those have evolved into a geometric artistic concept.鈥�
Various Artists
November 8 - December 12, 2019
This exhibit featured Sacred Treasures, The Art of Father Richard G. Cannuli, OSA, "The Nexus of Christianity and Islam In the Art of Kamal Boullata" and a visual exhibition of the many different Faith's and Beliefs which directly or indirectly have been addressed and included in the original document Nostra Aetate and the many revisions and inclusions since 1965.
2018
Various Artists
February 2 - March 26, 2018
The Gallery partnered with the 草榴社区 Office of Disability Services to showcase some 100-plus works of art鈥攊ncluding paintings, photographs, sculpture and other media鈥攂y people who are living with disabilities throughout the Philadelphia area. Expressions and Impressions: Artists Living with Disabilities features artists who are part of the communities at Inglis House, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, The Arc of Delaware County and Independence EDGE Studio, as well as members of the 草榴社区 community.
Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS
April 11 - August 10, 2018
The exhibit, which coincides with the fifth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, includes many pieces that were directly inspired by the Pope鈥檚 words or deeds. Other pieces convey the spirit of mercy and compassion that has been the hallmark of his papacy. The Love Which Moves the Sun and Stars includes more than 50 pieces: acrylic paintings, pen and ink drawings, and digital drawings on cloth, paper and glass. Interspersed among Br. McGrath鈥檚 artwork will be a variety of Papal artifacts including clothing, shoes and vessels worn or used by Pope Francis and his predecessors; along with coins, stamps, photographs and other items commemorating significant Papal events.
Anthony Busa
August 20 - December 17, 2018
Rural Tibet and Mongolia includes some 30 photographs that Busa took during two separate trips to Asia. The first was an almost month-long trek through Tibet, visiting several isolated Tibetan communities and Chinese towns. During that trip, Busa served as an assistant and apprentice to the group鈥檚 guide, Chinese photographer, fine artist, and cultural exploration guide, Keren Su. The second trip, a National Geographic Expedition, gave Busa access to remote communities in Mongolia. He again served as a photographic assistant, carrying and caring for equipment while learning about field photography from some of the world鈥檚 best. On both of his trips to Asia, Busa was accompanied by his grandmother, Houston, TX-based painter Jo Sherwood, his mentor and one of his greatest supporters. He says, 鈥淢y grandmother has done a lot of educational outreach on disappearing cultures, a topic that is especially prevalent nowadays with globalization and Americanization of communities around the world. Her art strives to both preserve and honor cultures that are changing dramatically, recreating their essence with respect and historical accuracy. She has always encouraged me to represent the world - and these communities where I鈥檓 blessed enough to be a visitor - as authentically as I can.鈥�
2017
March 10 - September 25, 2017
A Slice of Art: Donors鈥� Exhibit from the 草榴社区 Art Collection is an exhibition of 85 pieces that have been donated to the 草榴社区 Art Gallery鈥檚 permanent collection. Presented in conjunction with 草榴社区鈥檚 175th Anniversary celebration, A Slice of Art highlights the essential role that donors have played in the development of the Gallery鈥檚 collection. Through the generosity of alumni, patrons, and artists themselves, the 草榴社区 Art Gallery has amassed a world-class collection of more than 8,000 works of art, including a wide variety of work by prominent past and contemporary Philadelphia artists. In collecting, preserving, and exhibiting pieces of value and importance, the Gallery underscores 草榴社区鈥檚 essential contributions to and participation in the region鈥檚 vibrant artistic life. Each donated work of art broadens the Gallery鈥檚 ability to make art an integral component of a 草榴社区 education.
Richard G. Cannuli, OSA
October 2 - December 18, 2017
Sacred and Profane: The Art of Richard G. Cannuli, OSA is an exhibit of icons (contemporary and mixed media icons), liturgical vestments, and watercolors created by Fr. Cannuli. For the entirety of his professional life, Fr. Cannuli has been creating art that is inspired and motivated by the spiritual. Many of the pieces for which he is best known, including the vivid vestments he designs for clergy to wear as they lead congregations in prayer, are intended to be experienced communally. Each chasuble, stole and cope is a wearable piece of artwork that enriches the experience of worship. In a gallery setting, viewers can better appreciate the drape of the fabric, the interplay between texture and color, the thoughtful incorporation of symbolism and the intricate hand-sewn detail work that enhances the garments.
2016
January 22 - May 14, 2016
As we honor the 45th anniversary of the canonization of St. Herman of Alaska, the north star of Christ鈥檚 Holy Church, we are pleased to announce the opening of the exhibition, Russian America-The Alaskan Native Spiritual Legacy. Organized by Fr. Richard Cannuli, OSA, 草榴社区 Art Gallery and Fr. John J. Perich, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of the Orthodox Church in America and St. Tikhon鈥檚 Monastery and Seminary Icon Repository. The discerning exhibition celebrates the various native American peoples of Alaska, their culture and the spiritual legacy of the Russian Orthodox Church.
George H. Rothacker III
May 23 - July 28, 2016
In the past 25 years, artist George H. Rothacker has painted historic Pennsylvania movie theatres; the lively streets of Havana, Cuba; illustrations of the defining social conflicts of our time; and vibrant portraits of some of the nation鈥檚 storied writers, among myriad other subjects. His exhibit at the 草榴社区 Art Gallery, entitled The Diverse Artistic Universe of George H. Rothacker, showcases the breadth of the artist鈥檚 interests and styles, with 54 acrylic paintings on canvas鈥攊ncluding 18 new pieces鈥攖hat span a quarter century of visual storytelling. 鈥淭he Diverse Artistic Universe of George H. Rothacker鈥� draws together selections from several of the artist鈥檚 earlier multi-painting series, and presents three of his newer series in their entirety.
George Nista
August 8 - October 6, 2016
George Nista is a Philadelphia-area sculptor whose masterful explorations of the human figure are collected under the title Pursuing Beauty. The show includes approximately 40 pieces, some in bronze and some in plaster, including five three-quarter life size sculptures; several portraits; and drawings and models that illuminate the artistic process behind Nista鈥檚 work. According to the sculptor鈥檚 website: 鈥淯nderlying this work is a consideration of the idea of human potential: its achievement, or non-achievement. What does it mean to err, to misstep, not to see? Is what seems like unlimited possibility reachable, either by effort or by destiny?鈥�
Monique Sarkessian
October 17 - November 28, 2016
Visitors to the 草榴社区 Art Gallery were treated to an indoor paradise, alive with vibrant jewel-tones, expressive brush strokes and lush textures. Garden of Miracles: Finding the Divine in Everyday Life is a collection of recent landscapes and still lifes by Philadelphia-area artist Monique Sarkessian. Garden of Miracles, comprised of more than 40 paintings in oil and encaustic wax, included paintings completed during and inspired by the artist鈥檚 recent professional trip to France; several pieces done en plein air at locations throughout the Delaware Valley; and some of her stunning still lifes, featuring glorious blooms and sumptuous fruits. Visitors will immediately recognize Sarkessian as a colorist, whose work begins as a response to color, shape and texture. People often comment that her work has a European feel. Assuming that her dynamic sunflower paintings were done abroad, viewers are often surprised to discover that they were painted in nearby Malvern; her graceful lavender fields were done in Doylestown and New Hope. She muses: 鈥淭he European painters I love are very expressive, and I very much have an expressive nature in life and in my art.鈥�
2015
Irma Shapiro
January 9 - February 19, 2015
Its title, Passion for Color tells a lot about the solo exhibit of impressionistic landscapes by noted painter Irma Shapiro opening at the 草榴社区 Art Gallery on January 9. What it doesn't tell is the Bala Cynwyd artist's penchant for exaggeration and embellishment of her subjects. Reality isn't her shtick. 鈥淚 am a colorist; color is what differentiates my work,鈥� says the 79-year-old painter, who will turn 80 during the course of her 草榴社区 show (on February 16). More than color sets Shapiro's work apart, says Bill Greenwood, noted artist, teacher and artist mentor. He advises viewers of her work to 鈥渓ook as well for the richness of her brushwork as applied to nature and the overall orchestration of her canvasses.鈥�
Virginia Bradley
March 2 - April 16, 2015
Transcendent, thought-invoking works focusing on endangered denizens of the animal world are spotlighted in Virginia Bradley's exhibit Jeopardy. The show is comprised of large renderings (one 9 x 8 feet) of creatures great and small, extinct and extant, but principally of those currently in danger of disappearing.
Ward Van Haute
April 30 - July 20, 2015
Luminous, color rich, reverse images on glass comprise Ward Van Haute's one-person exhibit, Prism of Life. Being watched might be one sense a viewer gets stepping into Van Haute's exhibit. Eyes, lushly colored and richly lashed, both bodied and disembodied, peer out from behind the glass on many of the paintings, which are done on repurposed window panes the artist salvages from a long road sides. In his paintings, Van Haute 鈥渇ocuses on human form in whimsical settings that reflect my cheerful engagement with the world. I'm not dark or off-putting,鈥� says the 36-year-old father of four. While there's whimsy in his treatments, his subject matter isn't always so.
Thomas Merton
August 20 - September 24, 2015
His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that Trappist Priest Thomas Merton (1915-1968) understood Buddhism better than any other Christian he had ever known. Merton's immersion in Zen Buddhism as part of his quest to build world interfaith understanding extended to photography. The exhibit and other campus activities join a year-long world-wide observance of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the scholar, poet, essayist, mystic, artist, contemplative and social activist seen by many as the 20th century's most influential Catholic writer and champion of world ecumenism.
Alma Neas
October 1 - November 12, 2015
Acrylic paintings, hot wax encaustic works, egg tempera watercolors, drawings, prints, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and photography comprise 6Decades, the solo retrospective of the work of Alma Neas. Neas' exhibit brings her back to her roots in Philadelphia, where her works were widely exhibited and she had a long, distinguished career as an innovating educator in a remarkable range of arts and crafts which she taught to students of all ages and walks. In her work, in all of its shapes and forms, Neas strives for balance. 鈥淭he best art for me has always been an equally weighted art of emotion, or feeling, and art of the intellect although, sometimes, one or the other becomes dominant. I am consciously exploring yin/yang concepts, such as the hidden versus the obvious, bold versus delicate, order against chaos, poetry versus fact.鈥�
Cardinal Prospero Grech
November 16 - December 11, 2015
The Roman Catholic Cardinal Prospero Grech (O.S.A.) of Malta says he strives for beauty in imagery that balances color, light and timing with his favorite subject matter being people and architecture. One of his most striking examples of the former is a close- up of Pope John Paul II squinting against the sun, a Crucifix held tightly before him. Identifying himself as theologian, teacher, writer, researcher and mentor, Cardinal Grech lists photography as a hobby. It's one he continues to grow in, says 草榴社区 Art Gallery Director Rev. Richard G. Cannuli (O.S.A.), who notes, 鈥淚've been watching his progress over the years. The time is right for him and 草榴社区 to have his work shown here.鈥� (Cardinal Grech and 草榴社区, as an Augustinian university, share a common theological heritage in the Order of St. Augustine.)
2014
Joyce Mayer
January 10 - February 20, 2014
Joyce Mayer鈥檚 Rondels fused digital art with Paleolithic history through circular works calling to artists who 25,000 years ago engraved images on curved bone. Her series of 43 rondels was a continuation of a successful career with implementation of digital art that built on her skills as a painter, printmaker, watercolorist, sculptor, and assemblage and ceramics artist.
Alan Soffer
March 3 - April 7, 2014
Alan Soffer鈥檚 multi-media exhibit featured ceramic and clay sculptures, prints, paintings and encaustic wax artworks using an ancient heated wax process鈥攁 favorite of Soffer鈥檚 for its combination of painterly and sculptural qualities. Soffer鈥檚 works were inspired by the ancient art of dentistry motivated by his career as a dentist, work he loved but wanted to pair with creative ventures outside the office.聽
Niko Chocheli
April 22 - June 7, 2014
Painter, muralist, illustrator, iconographer and etcher Niko Chocheli's artwork merges fantastical imagination and connection to his Eastern Orthodox faith. His works were seen as so varied and extraordinary that they earned him permanent residency in the United States through an Alien of Extraordinary Abilities Visa issued by the U.S. Government in 1998. Chocheli claims that though he misses his native Georgia, he felt as though he had never left it, bringing Georgian culture to the United States through his artwork.聽
Gerry Tuten
September 5 - October 2, 2014
Tuten constantly searches for subtle and not-so-subtle energies in our visual world, as well as the tensions between things and expression. She connects with spirit using yoga breath control exercises, meditation and self-awareness until, she says, 鈥淭he energy inside bursts forth and spills onto the canvas." "Her attitude towards art is poetic, even mystical," writes highly respected Philadelphia Inquirer art critic Victoria Donohoe: 鈥淕erry has given her art a fresh face, more intensely human and spontaneous. . . Art such as hers is about human experience; paintings speak, and this artist seeks to have hers tap into deeper feelings while avoiding sentimentality.鈥�
October 1 - October 31, 2014
The exhibit was located in the Presidents鈥� Lounge, highlighted the relationship between Pavia鈥檚 history and its monuments, and presenting the great intellectual figures of its prestigious university (Foscolo, Volta, Golgi). The tour uncovered the city鈥檚 most picturesque perspectives through the eyes of six Italian photographers (Cantalupi, Chiolini, Manidi, Nazzari, Sacchi and Valli), as well as the attractions of its historic surroundings. The tour examined the Augustinian heritage of Pavia, by focusing on the story of how Saint Augustine鈥檚 body arrived in the church of San Pietro in Ciel d芒 Oro.
Tamara Nalivakio & Vladimir Pearce-Adashkevich
October 16 - December 4, 2014
Gifted child art students Tamara and Vladimir Adashkevich grew up sister and younger brother amid the post-World War II rubble of the Soviet city of Minsk with dreams of becoming fine artists. With little likelihood that the destroyed city could support such aesthetic ambitions, they reluctantly chose more secure career paths. Some 60 years after they painted together, they are reunited in art at the 草榴社区 Art Gallery. Tamara and Vladimir invite those who attend the exhibit to share a sense of the beauty they have sought and found through their art at home and around the world. They hope 鈥減eople will gain pleasure from seeing some beautiful creations of Mother Nature, and human beings.鈥� Vladimir dedicates the exhibit to Alice Cobb and her late husband Thomas of Los Angeles. On a long ago visit to their city, the couple welcomed him into their home, came to embrace him as a son, and nurtured the spirit of a seeker and achiever.
草榴社区 Art Department
April 22- June 7, 2014
Studio Art professors Sr. Helen Brancato, Susan von Medicus, Christine Clay-Gorka and Elisabeth Nickles curated a collection of calligraphy, prints, drawings, watercolor paintings and oil paintings by talented 草榴社区 students.
2013
Scott Wright
January 9 - February 14, 2013
When Scott Wright says, 鈥淚 am most interested in painting the things that scare me,鈥� he's not talking about the part where he hangs out into yawning space from airplane windows and door-less helicopters jockeying his six-foot frame and big, bulky camera to shoot pictures. What scares him is what he sees happening to his planet below. Wright displayed his multi-media aerial photographs in Altered States, presenting a collection that at once represented the danger facing the world and the beauty of it, filled with images of the destruction humans have caused to the earth and the visible changes it withstands.
Lampo Leong
February 22 - April 18, 2013
Lampo Leong, Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri is a painter, calligrapher and multi-media artist noted for his Eastern/Western fusion and abstract canvases. Particularly unique are his calligraphic works, especially his works torn apart and reconstructed, then manipulated digitally to create linguistically devoid images that take on 鈥渢ranscendental鈥� meanings independent of the original characters. Calligraphic inspiration was paired with an artist talk by Leong and calligraphic demonstration.
Susan Stefanski
April 26 - June 8, 2013
Susan Stefanski was a 47-year-old mother of three working as a secretary for 草榴社区 when she first applied a paint brush to a creative act. Part of her work as a full-time, award-winning artist, Nature鈥檚 Gifts featured landscapes and floral arrangements in oil. Of her fascination with nature, she described: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to go far from home to find God鈥檚 beauty. It鈥檚 everywhere. All you have to do is look and see."
Lester Glass
August 22 - October 3, 2013
As a former architect, designer, builder and developer, Lester Glass had to conform his work to forces of nature and governing Codes. As a painter, he hearkens to his own unique visual perception. Contrasting the real-world physical constraints of such work, Glass鈥� work depicts buildings painted with whimsy, seen in a whimsical and almost impossible way. Describing his work, Glass stated 鈥渢he literal rendering of a subject is not of concern. With my art, I have fought to find a unique expression and interpretation of what we literally see.鈥� His solo show featured 53 watercolors, oils, acrylics and drawings, largely whimsical in nature.
Frank Stephens
October 17 - December 4, 2013
Frank Stephens was told as a child he stood no chance at becoming an artist as a young Black boy. Encouraged by his mother, he continued honing his artistic talents to become an artist, ultimately finding great success. Though he noted artwork is not inherently ethnic, Stephens combined his Black heritage with his creative senses to create works he called: 鈥淲ho I am.鈥� Recalling the discouragement he received as a budding artist, he took pride in being a mentor and teacher to young artists.聽
2012
Idaherma Williams
January 10 - February 16, 2012
Idaherma Williams displayed her works, woodblock prints rubbed from painstakingly carved, painted and inked woodblocks onto handmade Japanese rice paper. She hoped viewers would relate personally to her works, which she connected with joy, through the process of making them in highly-controlled limited series and the sense that they bridge 鈥渢he internal world of dreams and the outer world of physicality.鈥�
Ray Sternbergh
February 24 - April 11, 2012
The posthumous show, arranged by Sternbergh鈥檚 widow and daughter, showcased the New York artist鈥檚 never before publicly seen landscapes, seascapes, portraits, still lifes and sculptures. When describing her father, Ray Sternbergh recalled how 鈥�...the hustling, dealing with agents, just wasn鈥檛 who he was. He painted for himself. It was pure selfish love and joy."
Carol Cole
April 20 - June 9, 2012
A mix of Cole's large-scale and smaller wall-hanging and free-standing sculptures of paper, pulp and found objects comprises her exhibit, Objects and Elements. Her mastery of design is visible in works that surprise. Works that seem to be of great weight are typically airy, while works seeming to be made of metal or wood are neither. Working with found objects, Cole stated: 鈥淚 walk with my eyes down and find treasures everywhere. I see beauty where others see trash.鈥� Along with her artistic success, she has taught papermaking and collage at the Main Line Art Center of Haverford, PA, and considers her educational background a vital part of her creative expression.
Jean-Noel Vandaele
August 23 - October 4, 2012
Jean-Noel Vandaele ended his long career as an abstract painter to become a figurative one re-creating paintings of Flemish, Japanese and American master artists. He substituted his own flat, vivid colors; simplified detail, redrew characters and gave them plain faces. Once into each painting he added a bright yellow head in profile, an open smile its only feature. Hello Yello included his interpretations of masterworks as well as new, original paintings and drawings, with the ubiquitous "Yello Head" attendant in each.
Curated by Fr. Richard Cannuli, OSA, and the Very Reverend Archpriest John Perich
October 26 - December 16, 2012
Combining Cretan, Romanian, Coptic, Carpathian-Rusyn, Greek, Russian, Serbian, and Ukranian icons, vestments, and liturgical items, some of which had never before been displayed, Icon was welcomed with large numbers and considered the first ecumenical exhibit in the Philadelphia area. Its reception welcomed Eastern Orthodox and other clergy to bless the exhibit, who also provided prayer services and lectures to the public on the significance of the objects. 草榴社区 President Peter M. Donahue called this exhibit and its presentations 鈥渁nother way of building unity among Christians."
2011
Judith Schwab and Various Artists
January 10 - February 17, 2011
Judith Schwab鈥檚 collaborative and multi-media exhibit, Women Collared for Work, brought seven female artists together to honor celebrated and unsung women and the struggle towards gender equality. Rev. Richard Cannuli described the forceful exhibit as a 鈥渘eeded jolt for our young people, especially those who will be moving to the forefront in our nation鈥檚 history."
Paul Wilson
February 25 - April 7, 2011
These Eyes: 50 years presented samples of Paul Wilson鈥檚 work in print, from his advertising layouts to his current digitally enhanced art. As a student of visual artists unafraid of using machines to push the boundaries of art, the Philadelphia artist made the computer a graphic design tool at a time when having computers enhance art was not fashionable. The retrospective included images of some of his famous clients, interpretive images of canyons, clouds, trees, rocks, fog, coastlines and still lifes.
Carol Barth
April 15 - June 11, 2011
Once an impressionist landscape artist, Barth turned to presenting images of water, earth, sky and the sun's rays as symbolic of her interpretation of transitions in life and the ultimate transition of death. These canvases were displayed in Visions from the Source, which the artist described as an exhibit from 鈥渕y heart, soul and imagination reflecting my own personal spirituality."
Florence Putterman
August 22 - October 5, 2011
Art critic Willo Doe noted that, 鈥淭o our forefathers, the physical and spiritual worlds were one and the same. Magic was everywhere and real. Putterman is restoring this magic, leading us into dances and dialogues between unnamed mysteries.鈥� Despite a mid-life start to her career, Florence Putterman was renowned for her postmodern paintings and sense of artistic narrative. Entwined Metaphors featured some of her paintings, prints, sculptures and collages.
Elsa Johnson, Kristine Marx, Diane Pepe, Karen Saler
October 21 - December 5, 2011
This exhibit highlighted four artists whose work drew from many mediums, styles and cultural backgrounds, but who were all also influenced by a common grounding in the Philadelphia area. Elsa Johnson acknowledged the impact of her studio work in India on her subsequent artworks. For Visions Four, she displayed small-scale landscapes capturing the seascapes and seasonal hues of Cape Cod. She also exhibited images of marionettes that she created and photographed in beach settings. Kirstine Marx鈥檚 work contains a German influence from her frequent work in Berlin and is further informed by her other travels. In Visions Four, she displayed her abstractions including line drawings representing Hindu temples, and drawings related to her work in video. Diane Pepe鈥檚 work bore strong Japanese influence and featured unique sculptures and cut paper constructions focusing on light and implied movement. Karen Saler鈥檚 work was greatly impacted by her time living in the American Academy in Rome after graduate school and drew from a foundation of painting and drawing and newer work in digital media and mixed media created out of a combination of the three. Visions Four featured her photo essays and images, largely about Italy.
2010
Fay Stanford
January 8 - February 19, 2010
Over the years, Stanford鈥檚 work has touched on Creation, race, death, war and the perils of raising teenagers. In Marvel and Mayhem, the artist used oils, encaustic and woodcut prints to create autobiographical and historical pieces.
Desmond McLean
February 26 - April 8, 2010
McLean mixes images from mass culture, art, history, myth, advertising and scientific issues to comment on our 鈥渆ntertainment-centered culture hooked on celebrity.鈥� In Easelfumes, McLean displayed his Strata paintings that presented 鈥渨ith the opportunity to ponder a heightened reality when the whole is considered."
Timothy Sanchez
April 16 - May 20, 2010
Sanchez was a former elementary and high school teacher who worked ardently to advocate art as an integral part of school curriculum. Now a fulltime artist, Sanchez showed off 14 large scale works in the 草榴社区 Gallery, all abstract expressionistic paintings inspired by the Florida sunlight.聽
Various Artists
May 28 - June 29, 2010
Bound by friendship and respect for one another鈥檚 art, four Philadelphia artists got together with a mission to 鈥済et the art out there鈥� through group exhibits in off-beat places such as cafes, restaurants and bars, as well as more traditional venues of galleries and museums. Now a much larger collective, Quattro Amici Plus brought together twelve Delaware Valley artists to show off their multimedia work in the exhibit Twenty Four Eyes.
The Quiet Men
August 20 - October 6, 2010
This group of five Irish artists emigrated to England where they found themselves on society鈥檚 margin in a mutual mistrust forged by the long and tortured history between the two nations. These painters loudly broke their quietude with a collective exhibit of their works evoking the outsider's鈥� life in England, which made its United States debut at the 草榴社区 Art Gallery.聽
Richard E. Goldberg and Carol B. Saylor
October 22 - December 6, 2010
When painter and teacher Carol Saylor began a journey into progressive blindness and deafness, she found new dimensions of creativity in sculpting. Along her way, she met Dr. Richard E. Goldberg, a retinal surgeon and self-taught painter with a zeal for unmasking linkages between the worlds of medicine and art. Their two-person exhibit challenges the viewers to contemplate the linkage between art and science and participate in the artistic process.
2009
Mel Leipzig
January 9 - February 19, 2009
Mel Leipzig is known as a 鈥渞uthless realist鈥� with an omnivorous appetite to render what he sees in front of him." What the eminent artist invariably sees in front of him - and captures with acrylics on his rich, intricately-detailed canvasses - are men, women and children in the 鈥減rofusion of messy detail鈥� of their daily lives.聽
Richard G. Cannuli, O.S.A.
March 27 - May 17, 2009
Ever Ancient, Ever New, Sacred Treasures was an interpretive exhibit of Old World religious icons that offered a look into the centuries-old shrines stationed along the streets and alleyways of Southern Italy and Sicily. Normally a classical iconographer - as well as a watercolorist, fabric and glass artist - Rev. Cannuli merges these and more disciplines in his distinctive treatment of roadside shrines and processional statues borne by worshippers in holy day observances.聽
May 29 - July 23, 2009
The American Colorprint Society was the first group to push for color print to be displayed alongside its black and white counterparts in United States print exhibitions. Sixty-eight years later, this exhibit showed off works by 50 Society members done in a broad range of print media.聽
Melinda Steffy
August 17 - October 4, 2009
Melinda Steffy created a 鈥渕emory room of paintings/textiles/objects鈥� through which she sought 鈥渢o metaphorically reclaim memories before they disappear." Her works included found objects, remnants, second-hand fabrics, family keepsakes, hand-made pigments and house paints.
Steve McCurry
October 23 - December 31, 2009
The exhibit features images from world-renowned photographer Steve McCurry, best known for his lush color and icon photographs exploring the human condition. Titled Looking East, the exhibit featured images from Yemen, Tibet, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Burma, Cambodia and India.聽
2008
Ellen Slupe
August 21 - October 5, 2008
Ellen Slupe was nearly 20 years into her chosen field of medical research when she decided to return to her old love of art. After exploring portraiture, landscapes and other representative imagery, Slupe arrived at her m茅tier, deemed 鈥済eometric abstraction but of the highly personal sort."
Quentin Walter
October 24 - December 7, 2008
Walter鈥檚 exhibit and performance featured 38 of her small outr茅 (exaggerated, eccentric, bizarre) watercolors. Walter鈥檚 鈥渕arvelous blend of brilliant, saturated color and content鈥� reflects the artist鈥檚 deep affection for jazz and the imprint of regular visits years ago to Jamaica and Martinique.
November 29 - January 5, 2008-2009
An Advent exhibit of religious icons signifying God's angels installed in Corr Hall Chapel on the 草榴社区 campus. The presentation of these traditional works on wood panels is intended to surround worshippers with images of holiness and to bring attention to the presence and action of angels in our lives.