Last First Friday I pulled legwarmers on under my pants, stuffed gloves in my pockets, and donned a fuzzy hat with earflaps as I got ready to spend the night hopping from gallery to gallery.  The problem was that as soon as I stepped outside I realized I’d made a grave mistake in assuming the beginning of January meant winter weather!  Did anyone else end up with pockets crammed full of extraneous knitwear last First Friday??

I started my rounds at The Clay Studio, where Yinka Orafidiya’s “All or Nothing” exhibition was the main event.  I was in awe of her courage in transcribing her journals on the walls of the space and exploring her struggle with chronic depression through her pottery.  Orafidiya is a Leeway Foundation grantee, and she will give away the cups she made at the end of the exhibition to symbolize her healing while simultaneously spreading the message of awareness to a wider audience.  There were many other artists exhibiting recent work at The Clay Studio, though, and the two pieces I really fell in love with were these two incredibly different pitchers.  I love the modern “coloring in the lines” look of the pitcher by Brian Jones, and that little square on the lid is the perfect touch!  Adam Posnak‘s pitcher is reminiscent of the popular rooster motif for kitchen designs, but instead he’s depicted a buzzard.  That’s my kind of kitchen motif!

Brian Jones // Adam Posnak

Next, I stopped by The Knapp Gallery to see Karl Frank Slocum’s exhibition “Following the Lines.”  As the title implies, Slocum’s approach to furniture making in this exhibition relies on following the natural lines, shapes, and “imperfections” of the wood slab in both the construction and design of his pieces.  Instead of imposing his own shapes and structures on the wood, Slocum’s method allows the wood to speak for itself, and the resulting pieces are functional celebrations of the natural character of the medium.

Karl Frank Slocum

Karl Frank Slocum

Over at 309 Gallery was the near-closing of an exhibition called “The Conjurer” featuring JL Schnabel’s Bloodmilk Jewelry and Christina Brown’s photography for the line’s lookbook.  The crystals, chains, and metal claws are shown in cases alongside natural artifacts such as bones, eggshells, and wood which enhance the mystical theme of the line and give the show a bit of a Mütter Museum vibe.  Brown’s photography is the perfect complement to the jewelry, her images all at once shrouding and revealing and tricking the eye.   This show is only running through January 15th, so make sure you check it out THIS WEEKEND!

JL Schnabel's Bloodmilk Jewelry

JL Schnabel's Bloodmilk Jewelry

JL Schnabel // Christina Brown

I was perhaps most excited to check out Jay Hardman’s “Unsustainable” show at Space 1026.  I’d heard from a reliable source that his cake sculptures depicting construction sites still emitted the sweet, sweet smell of cake and frosting.  And I was not disappointed!  Space 1026 definitely smelled the best last First Friday.

Jay Hardman

Finally, I made one final stop at Vox Populi to see how much more art I could feast my eyes on before getting stuffed!  My favorite exhibition belonged to Brie Ruais, who showed a series of work called “Unfolding: Performing Sculpture”.  Demarcating the boundary of the space was a long piece of malleable clay that stretched down the wall and smeared its way across the floor.  I was pretty sure the point was to create a new performance sculpture with various imprints of the people who tread upon it, but I admit to stepping over it like almost everyone else – just in case.  There were a few faint footprints across the piece, but mostly I thought it looked pretty good the way it was originally!

Brie Ruais

Written and photographed by Carina Giamerese: Contributing Writer, Side Arts.

When I get out to First Friday, I’m usually looking for something a little bit different. Don’t get me wrong, I love stopping in galleries like Artists’ House, and I stared for quite a while at Adam Vinson’s tiny realist oil painting “Pear and Marble” last Friday. However, as a photographer, I’m often drawn more strongly to three dimensional work, which is why the current exhibition at Wexler Gallery is one of my top picks this month, along with shows at Brave New Worlds and Gallery ML.

Roy Lichtenstein

Sydney Cash // William Morris

Brent Kee Young // David Trubridge

I found some interesting jewelry and glass sculptures on the ground floor at Wexler Gallery, including a dish set by Roy Lichtenstein, a hypnotizing light sculpture created by reflections and shadows by Sydney Cash, and this blown glass bird sculpture by William Morris.  However, my fancy was really tickled once I stepped up the stairs to the gallery’s second floor. I loved this delicate and sculptural glass chair by Brent Kee Young and was mesmerized by the lines created by David Trubridge’s Garden Bench.  One of the exhibits that just opened on Friday is Hideaki Miyamura‘s beautiful collection of ceramic vessels and sculptures that exemplify his uniquely iridescent and almost holographic style of glazing.

Hideaki Miyamura

Hideaki Miyamura

Next, for something a little different, I checked out “Sonic Generation” at Brave New Worlds which celebrates the 20th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog (and, of course, Tails!). I never had a video game console growing up, but I still managed to play the first world of Sonic about a million times and watched the cartoon every Saturday. There’s just something about that hedgehog and his blue mohawk-resembling spikes that is so badass! The show is small, but anyone in the Sonic Generation should take a few minutes to stop by, reminisce, and pick up a few affordable prints and posters. You can also download David Landis’s (FREE) papercraft pdf that gives you step by step instructions and all the graphics you need to create your own three dimensional Sonic fan art.

Kasey Tararuj

Glen Brogan // Chris Beaumont

David Landis

Finally, for something completely different, my final pick is the last body painting show at ML Gallery until the springtime. This space is one of only two in the world dedicated to body art painting and photography exclusively, and model JEM (*warning – site is NSFW!) was there on First Friday to model some body paint in the flesh.  I loved Nix Herrera‘s intricate airbrush stencil of a hundred dollar bill on a woman’s torso, and Lawren Alice‘s series of monarch butterfly inspired designs (photographed by Noah Musher) were bold, graphic, intriguing, and perfect to hang in your home.  The intersection of paint, body art, photography, and the human form represented by the artists showing at ML Gallery is visual feast not to be missed.   Actually, drooling is probably a more appropriate response.

Natasha Kudashkina // Lawren Alice

JEM.model painted by Lawren Alice

Mike Lynch // Nix Herrera

Hideaki Miyamura‘s ceramics are showing at Wexler Gallery until January 28, 2012.

Sonic Generation is showing at Brave New Worlds through the end of December.

Gallery ML‘s current body painting exhibition is showing through the end of December.

Written and photographed by Carina Giamerese: Contributing Writer, Side Arts.

4 November 2011, 8pm till 10pm

Cups & Chairs Tea Cafe

701-705 South 5th Street (at Monroe Street)

www.cupsandchairs.com • (215) 238-8832

Join us on 4 November 2011 for opening night, Accademico E Bella!, at Cups & Chairs Tea Cafe. Meet two of Fleisher Art Memorial’s representational artists John Sasnett and Daniel Chow who will be showcasing their Accademico e Bella works; meet designer and artist Jen-rung Lai who will be showcasing her beautifully crafted jewelry that spans from simply classy, vivid whimsy, vintage revival, to oriental grace. Both Sasnett and Jen-rung are Rhode Island School of Design alumni.

Jen-rung’s inspirations come from nature, her travels, and interior spaces and architecture designs. She earned her Interior Design Certificate from Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education, and has completed several residential and commercial interior projects which include the beautiful Cups and Chairs Tea Cafe in Philadelphia.

What is an artist’s opening night without live music? Adam Rivera and other musicians will be performing. Born in Central New York, Adam started playing the guitar in elementary school when he was given one of  his brother’s “too many guitars”  by their father. His brother and father played guitar and bass. By the time Adam was in high school he started composing his own songs and lyrics. 

It’s always tea time at Cups & Chairs

Beginning May 1st, Cups & Chairs, Queen Village’s contemporary tea lounge, is excited to showcase paintings by local artist, Daniel Chow. An oil painter of the impressionist genre, Daniel prefers to describe his works as representational, because he believes that nothing is absolute. Although his paintings are alla prima, still days, weeks, or sometimes months of forethought have happened before the first stroke was placed on the canvas.

Daniel is self-taught, but some of his early work came under the tutelage of Benjamin Long at the Fine Arts League of Asheville, North Carolina.

First Friday, Opening Night, and Music Night
Join us at Cups and Chairs’ on May 6th for First Friday and celebrate spring an early Mother’s Day with friends and family over tea and treats. And don’t forget to buy a gift for mother.

Cups & Chairs Hours:
Monday-Friday: 7a-8p
Saturday: 8a-8p
Sunday: 8a-6p

701-703 South 5th Street • at the corner of South 5th and Monroe Streets • Philadelphia, PA 19147 • 215.238.8832 • www.cupsandchairs.com • info@cupsandchairs.com

Daniel Chow is a premium member of Philly Side Arts