Me with Tea Cloud and So Below (Photo: Tavi Weisz)
This August a group from the Enriched Bread Artist Studios participated in an exhibition in Philadelphia. The show was hosted by a very cool artist run space called Little Berlin. Little Berlin (located in the Kensington area near Fishtown) is an exhibition space run by 11 artists who curate the space using a collaborative, do-it-yourself ethic. Individual members curate monthly exhibits in the main gallery space and members organize pop up exhibitions, poetry readings, performances and various community outreach events in the annex space. Little Berlin is also home to Philadelphia's largest zine library. Like the EBA Little Berlin is in a re-purposed building, this time the Viking textile mill.
(Photo: Tavi Weisz)
EBA artists participating in the show included: Colette Greco-Riddle, Sayward Johnson, Gayle Kells, Juliana McDonald, myself, Valerie Noftle, Bozica Radjenovic, Mana Rouholamini, Carl Stewart, Svetalana Swinimer, Tavi Weisz, Joyce Westrop and, Yvonne Wiegers.
Yvonne and I decided to make the trip down for the opening. We drove drove interstate 81, along the Pennsylvania turnpike, and through the Lehigh Tunnel before arriving in the outskirts of Philly and then Kensington. We dropped off Yvonne's work at Little Berlin and then went for some hipster style cheese-steaks at restaurant called Martha.
Yvonne with her work (Photo Tavi Weisz)
I crashed that night in the lovely home artist Amanda Schneider. Saturday Yvonne and I spent a fun day seeing the sites in Old Town and encountering some key works of modernism at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Above Piccasso, Below Delaunay (In this case I found the frame more interesting)
Then we arrived back at Little Berlin for our vernissage where we were greeted by Tavi. It was exciting to talk with young members of the gallery scene about our work at the opening.
Tavi with his work
From left to Right Yvonne, Me, Angela Heaps, Amanda Schneider, Henry Gepfer
The next day I visited the Rodin Museum where my parents went on romantic dates circa 1969. I also saw the folk art phenomenon that is Philadelphia's Magic Gardens which I highly recommend. All too soon I had to hop the train back to Ottawa. (Actually first to New York, then Montreal and then the bus to Ottawa then a taxi to Hull.)
The Magic Gardens
On the weekend of the 25th Carl Stewart went down to Little Berlin for his performance which explored the compromises of relationships by referencing the domestic task of folding laundry. Being a textile artist Carl used the actions of tearing and weaving.
Carl Stewart's Performance Rent Sheet
This was also the occasion of a well attended closing party and BBQ in the courtyard.
Photo: Carl Stewart
Thank you so much to the artists of Little Berlin especially Angela Heaps for organizing, Amanda Henry for hanging and billeting, and Henry Gepfer for hosting the vernissage. Thanks also to Tavi for connecting with the artists of Little Berlin and of course the City of Ottawa for helping to pay for the trip and shipping!
Installation shots featuring: Sayward, Carl, myself, and Bozica (Photo: Tavi Weisz)
Julie, Mana, Gayle (Photo: Tavi Weisz)
Svetlana, Colette, Joyce (Photo: Carl Stewart)