Open Spaces: Art in the Open

Open Spaces: Art in the Open

Wendy Wolf

Open Spaces: Art in the Open

In the Gallery and On the Trails, June 1st – July 25th, 2015

Some of our featured artists

Opening Reception: June 18, 2015, 6-8PM

Featured artists: Nancy Agati, Harry Bower, Ellen Brooks, Josh Harris, Aaron Lish, C. Paiza Mannella, Sandy Sorlien, Susan Wilson, and Wendy Wolf.

From the Schuylkill Banks to the Schuylkill Center, nine artists from Art in the Open 2014 brought their creative process to our gallery and trails. Each uniquely suited to the Schuylkill Center context, they each explored one or more key elements in their work: ecological (the art work explores, reflects, or seeks to educate on environmental themes); meditative (the art work activates spaces in a way that encourages reflectiveness and mindfulness in the visitor, and encourages a moment of meditation and peace);and material (the art work’s materials are natural, recycled, repurposed, or arranged in a way that reflects an environmental ethic or perspective).

Five artists were on view in the gallery – themes of playfulness and flow exuded from the work, all reflective of different aspects of the Schuylkill River, its watershed, and its inhabitants. Three artists reframed their Art in the Open work outdoors on the Schuylkill Center trails, celebrating the diverse landscapes of Philadelphia as inspiration and open air studio, revealing new ways of seeing the world around us. Finally, Wendy Wolf created a satellite exhibition in the Schuylkill Center’s lobby and newly remodeled Widener Wing in mid-June, highlighting our building’s grand sloped wooden ceilings and floor to ceiling windows with a hanging installation of oversized leaves fabricated from plastic, a decidedly human material.

Each installation in this show created a new space to reflect on our relationship with the world around us, and opened up insights on the artistic process. The artists explored and celebrated the natural beauty and urban character of Philadelphia, and the complex and fascinating interactions between nature and the city.

Ellen Brooks

Nancy Agati

Susan Wilson

Aaron Lish

Josh Harris

C. Pazia Mannella

Aaron Lish

Sandy Sorlien

Harry Bower