Kelsey Halliday Johnson (MFA '12) to Present at the Cumulus Denver Conference: From Understanding to Design and Back Again

Kelsey Halliday Johnson (MFA '12) will present her paper "Annals of the Present World: Contemporary Art as a Local and Global Document" at the Cumulus Denver Conference: From Understanding to Design and Back Again. Cumulus is the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art and Design founded by The University of Art and Design in Helsinki and the Royal College of Art in London in 1990. Their biannual conference is being held in Denver from 9/29-10/2 with a focus on sustainability in art and design. Johnson's paper examines different approaches of contemporary artist-activists and their methodologies as they deal with topics of sustainability and globalization from both a local and global perspective. 

For more information about the festival, please visit, 

http://cumulus2011denver.org/

http://www.cumulusassociation.org/

Of Play and Want, A show in the Morgan Gallery by Chloe Isadora Reison ('12)

Of Play and Want is a show of sculpture and photography, made by Chloe during the interim summer of her two year MFA program at the University of Pennsylvania. The show will take place in the Morgan Gallery, in the Department of Graduate Fine Arts. This will be the only opportunity to see the show, as it will come down the following weekend. Please come and view this work, as well as enjoy a cookout, which the artist has organized in conjunction with her show. The cookout will take place at the same time and location as the opening.

For more information, please visit

http://chloeisadorareison.blogspot.com/

Of Play and Want: New Works by Chloe Isadora Reison

Opening Reception: Thursday, August 18th, 6pm-9pm

Morgan Gallery

School of Design

University of Pennsylvania

205 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA

Penn Design 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, Opening May 12th, 6pm

Penn Design Fine Arts is proud to present the 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition at the at the Ice Box exhibition space in Crane Arts, Philadelphia. The exhibition will bring together works by the 22 artists who will graduate from the program this May. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Exhibiting Artists: Paige Adair, Amy Archambault, Sandy Boyer, Zoe Chronis, Sarah Cohen, Robert Dimin, Rachel Eschenbach, Stephen Grebinski, Justine Hill, Beth Hull, Soo Kang, Bradley LaMere, Elina Malkin, Michael Marfione, Kent Miller, Jayson Scott Musson, Heidi Nam, Martha Rich, John Schlesinger, Tamara Suber, Jessica Vaughn, and Jessica Yang.

The PennDesign MFA class of 2011 has been challenged to independently pursue artistic research in visual art. With the graduation of this class, we celebrate the Fine Arts program's new unification of individual disciplines. For example, the work of a photographer is no less conscious of the universe of painting, and a video artist might have equal interest in sculpture. These graduating students have had exposure to international traveling studios, sponsored residencies, and visiting faculty. The combination of these experiences have broadened the students' perspectives and shaped their responsibilities as artists.

To learn more about the exhibition, visit http://pennexhibitions.com/index.php?/home/mfa_shows/2011/

Opening Reception: Thursday, May 12th, 6:00 - 9:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Thursday, May 12th - Sunday, May 29th

Crane Arts Building: Ice Box Project Space
1400 North American Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 12:00 - 6:00pm

Chloe Isadora Reison and Mary Valverde (MFA '12 candidates) in Exhibition at the Morgan Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Opening April 8th, 6pm

In "Deliberate Enigmas", Chloe Isadora Reison and Mary Valverde (MFA '12 candidates) present their individual sculptural works, as well as a collaborative performance piece, to take place the night of the opening. Both Reison and Valverde are interested in material culture, consumption and excess. They execute their respective work quite differently from one another, though each artist approaches their practice with a similar and curious sense of exploration, and a dedication to formalism. Their goal in showing together is to perpetuate the influence and inspiration the two artists have taken from one another, as well as to see what dialogue may arise in the joining of their work. Reison and Valverde see this as the start of a conversation that they hope to continue throughout their careers.


Opening Reception: Friday April 8th, 6:00 - 8:00pm
Performance Time: 7:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, April 8th - Friday, April 15th

Morgan Gallery
Department of Fine Arts
University of Pennsylvania
205 S 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Jessica Vaughn (MFA '11 candidate) in Exhibition at DuBois College House, University of Pennsylvania, Opening April 5th, 7pm

In "Redress", Jessica Vaughn (MFA '11 candidate) presents photographs and works on panel made during her graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She explores printmaking and photography in unconventional ways by altering the surface of her works through processes of drawing, painting and erasure. Vaughn’s work starts with a recognizable image, found photographs from magazines, newspaper sources or ones that she has taken. She combines different processes together to create connectivity and analysis in images where it is generally assumed none exists. Such is the case in her recent work where she uses 16 th century Dutch woodcuts and African American hairpieces, or installation set-ups of cardboard banker boxes, iconic red plaid plastic bags and faux star galaxy backdrops. Her sense of abstraction has developed from translating information that is often recognized and seen as monolithic into something new.

To view more of Vaughn's work, visit http://jessvaughn.com/home.html

Opening Reception: Tuesday April 5th , 7:00 - 9:00pm

DuBois College House
University of Pennsylvania
39th and Walnut
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Tra Bouscaren (MFA '12 candidate) will present selected work at Stony Brook University's Philosophy and the Arts Conference, April 1st, 11am

Tra Bouscaren (MFA '12 candidate) has been selected to present his work "Progressive Palingenesis" at the Stony Brook University, Philosophy and the Arts Conference. The conference hosts an excellent lineup of philosophers, artists, art historians, and scholars from other fields coming from across North America to present their ideas and artworks. The Keynote Speaker for the event, Dr. Kaja Silverman (University of Pennsylvania, Art History) will address the conference on Friday. Information on the conference, as well as the schedule of events for Friday, April 1st and Saturday April, 2nd can be viewed at the link below. For more information regarding this event, visit http://www.philosophyartconference.org/2011-conference.html

Event Date and Time: Friday April 1st, 11:00am - Saturday April 2nd, 7:45pm

Stony Brook University, Manhattan
387 Park Avenue South, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10016
(Please enter at the 101. E. 27th Street entrance, below the Stony Brook flag)

Kelsey Halliday Johnson (MFA '12 candidate) and Robert Dimin (MFA '11 candidate) in Exhibition at Project Space 240 Church, Opening April 1st, 6pm

Kelsey Halliday Johnson (MFA '12 candidate) and Robert Dimin (MFA '11 candidate) will be in a group exhibition titled, "After the Curtain" at Project Space 240 Church, Philadelphia. The exhibition features the latest work by Leigh Barrow, Reed Barrow
Mia Berg, Justin Melnick, Stephen K. Schuster, Dimin, Johnson & others.

Opening Reception: Friday, April 1st, 6:00 - 9:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, April 1st - Saturday, April 30th



Project Space 240 Church
240 Church Street (Between Market & Arch and 2nd & 3rd)
Philadelphia, PA 19104
http://projectspace240church.com/home.html

Jayson Musson (MFA '11 candidate) interviewed in "Art in America"

Jayson Musson (MFA '11 candidate) was recently interviewed by Brian Boucher in "Art in America". Musson's alter-ego, Hennessey Youngman is the latest phenomenon to sweep the Internet. Musson / Youngman, the creator of "Art Thoughtz", who is black, styles himself in one of his videos as "the pimp of one-liners". He offers screamingly funny and sometimes sharply critical observations on the art world in the form of instructional videos. Topics range from the perils of copying Bruce Nauman ("You into torture? Shit, I'm into torture. Shit, you know what? Too bad. Bruce Nauman, he owns torture!"), to understanding relational esthetics, to how to be a successful artist. Over the last year, 10 videos have been posted, all in the same genre, some purportedly responding to requests and comments from viewers.

To view more of Musson's "Art in America" interview, visit http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/news-opinion/conversations/2011-03-24/hennessey-youngman-youtube/

Visit http://www.youtube.com/user/HennesyYoungman to catch the latest Hennessey footage.

MFA '11 & '12 Graduates Candidates in Group Exhibition at the Morgan Gallery, Opening March 22nd, 5:30pm

Several MFA '11 & '12 graduate candidates will be featured in a group exhibition titled, "Trembling: A Collaborative Ongoing Installation" in the Morgan Gallery, University of Pennsylvania. This ongoing collaborative installation takes place on behalf of graduate faculty Matt Freedman's Drawing Seminar. The seminar pauses in midstream for an evening of viewing and celebration. In the spirit of experimentation, the seminar and exhibiting artists invite you to explore this work amidst it's progress. The exhibition will be up and continuing to evolve until March 27th. Artists featured include Tra Bouscaren , Sarah Goffstein, Kelsey Halliday Johnson, Elina Malkin, Saori Moriizumi, Yoorim Park, Erik Reinholdz, Meredith Sellers, Woohyun Shim, Brett Wiemann and Mikey Winsor

Opening Reception: Tuesday, March 22nd 5:30 - 8:30pm
Exhibition Dates: March 22nd - March 27th (Visit the MFA Graduate Office for Appointment)

The Morgan Gallery
University of Pennsylvania
205 S. 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19104

Justine Hill, Bradley LaMere and Jessica Vaughn (MFA '11 candidates) in Group Exhibition at Project Space 240 Church, Opening March 4th, 5pm

Justine Hill, Bradley LaMere and Jessica Vaughn (MFA '11 candidates) will be featured in a group exhibition titled, "Fire and Smoke" at Project Space 240 Church, Philadelphia. The exhibition will feature the latest works in painting, drawing, sculpture and performance by Hill, LaMere and Vaughn. The performance is scheduled for 7pm.

Opening Reception: Friday, March 4th, 5:00 - 9:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, March 4th - Sunday, March 27th




Project Space 240 Church
Located between Market & Arch Street and 2nd & 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA
http://projectspace240church.com/home.html

Jayson Scott Musson (MFA '11 candidate) featured on "ArtBlog Radio"

Jayson Scott Musson (MFA '11 candidate) was recently interviewed by "ArtBlog Radio". Profanity and insults are just distractions in Jayson Scott Musson’s posters, screeds and rants. The real message is the human comedy of rules, categories, identities, stereotypes, pretensions and social classes. In the "ArtBlog Radio" interview, Musson talks about trying to solve his problems as an artist and as an equal opportunity irritant to the politically correct. Jayson Musson currently has a solo show of his work at Marginal Utility February 4th - March 27th, 2011.


To view this feature, visit http://theartblog.org/2011/02/the-real-jayson-scott-musson-speaks-on-artblog-radio/

Penn Design MFA Students in Group Exhibition at Project Space 240 Church, Opening Friday, February 4th, 5pm

Several Penn Design MFA students will be featured in a group exhibition titled, "Just Neighbors" at Project Space 240 Church, Philadelphia. "Just Neighbors" is multimedia show that features talent from Project Space's neighborhood. Artist featured include Sarah Anderson (MFA '12 candidate), Tra Bouscaren (MFA '12 candidate), Thomas Buildmore, Jim Coughlin, Stephen Grebinski (MFA '11 candidate), Patricia Hillman, Tyrus Lytton Rachel Pfeffer, Dana Rangled, Alexander Rosenberg, Anna Fox Ryan, Cheryl Smith, Aaron Thompson, Jonathan Weary, Michael Yoder & other artists who live and work in Old City, Philadelphia. Project Space 240 Church was established by Robert Dimin (MFA '11 candidate) who will also have work featured.

Opening Reception: Friday, February 4th, 5:00 - 8:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, February 4th - Saturday, February 26th, 2010

For more information about Project Space 240 Church, visit http://projectspace240church.com/home.html

Project Space 240 Church
Located on Church Street, between 2nd and 3rd, a block up from Market Street
Gallery Hours: Sunday - Wednesday by appointment or chance / Thursday - Saturday 1:30 - 5:00pm

Jayson Musson (MFA '11 candidate) in Solo Exhibition at the Marginal Utility Gallery, Philadelphia, Opening February 4th, 6pm

Jayson Musson (MFA '11 candidate) will be featured in a solo exhibition at the Marginal Utility Gallery, Philadelphia. "Neoteny | The Hard Sell" is an exhibition of art stuffs by Musson. Whether or not you attend is of small consequence to the “artist” (the term is employed loosely here), because, as the artist puts it: “I stays paid anyway!” However, the veracity of this claim is highly questionable, as it is widely known that even though the artist is in his early 30’s, he still rents an apartment, not even an apartment by himself mind you, but rather he shares a two-bedroom apartment with a roommate (who is a much better artist than he). Also, the artist still rides a bicycle because he doesn’t have the least bit of self-control when it comes to the management of his personal finances so he is unable to save for even the most austere of auto vehicles. In fact, one time I was at his house, pardon me, I mean one time I was at his two-bedroom apartment he shares with a roommate, and the artist, a bit drunk, spent a surprising amount of time looking at lycra superhero costumes on ebay which he claimed he was going to use for a “sculpture”. Well, whatever sculpture you could make by purchasing a costume off of ebay is no sculpture I want to partake of. Not at all. Not. At. All. But perhaps you do. You strike me as someone who consumes art only in jpeg format (while I have laid beneath Olafur Eliasson’s sun at the Tate!), someone who doesn’t possess a single inkling as to what comprises a true work of art. If this is the case, and I know it is, then you would most likely find some kind of satisfaction in attending.

Oh, as per the artist’s request: please keep your children at home. Because children, unlike the divinely crafted snowflake, are not unique nor are they special, and children speak at a volume which is simply unacceptable within a gallery, and even though Marginal Utility is a non-profit gallery, the etiquette of a commercial, for-profit gallery must be adhered to lest our entire society fall apart at its most sacrosanct seams. (Nathanial Snerpus)

Opening Reception: Friday, February 4th, 6:00 - 11:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, February 4th - Sunday, March 27th

Marginal Utility Gallery
319 North 11th Street, 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Gallery Hours: Friday 5:00-8:00pm / Saturday + Sunday 12:00-5:00pm
http://www.marginalutility.org/

Jayson Musson (MFA '11 candidate) in Group Exhibition presented by Bodega and Extra Extra Galleries, Opening February 5th, 6pm

Jayson Musson (MFA '11 candidate) will be featured in a group exhibition titled, "The Island Beautiful / Mortal Mirror". The exhibition is presented by Bodega and Extra Extra Galleries, Philadelphia and hosts the work of thirteen artists translated by Alex Da Corte in two mirrored spaces, one with color and the other without. It will also be accompanied by the release of a limited edition artist book. Featured artists include Anna Rosen, Alexander May, Rory Mulligan, Brendan Lynch, Jayson Musson, Nick Van Woert, Andy Maas, Kate Greene, Alexi Kukuljevic, Edward Carey, Christian Holstad, Strauss Borque-LaFrance and David Muenzer.

Throughout The Island Beautiful / Mortal Mirror Da Corte absorbs work from each artist into his own. In the way one may appear in another’s dream, the artists appear as extensions of themselves; the original structure and meaning co-opted by Da Corte and reinterpreted in a dissociated imagination. The history of each artist, the past meanings given to the work, the cultural significance they exude, the singular experience assumed, are all collapsed in favor of a connected weightless whole. The work of others and consumer waste are equally available as raw material. Da Corte uses the exhibition to expose our use of language and identity as problematic. Thought, meaning and interpretation are presented as unfixed and we are given a new logic shaped by multiplicity and parallel understandings. The Island Beautiful / Mortal Mirror invites you to enter an island of thought only made whole through one’s incomplete memory. One space, a vivid fever dream, the other a skeletal hand pointing to illusion.

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 5th, 6:00 - 10:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, February 5th - Saturday, March 19th

Bodega Gallery
253 North Third Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Extra Extra
1524 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125

Cristina Tufiño (MFA '12 candidate) in Group Exhibition at the Green Gallery, Wisconsin, Opening January 21st, 6pm

Cristina Tufiño (MFA '12 candidate) will be featured in a group exhibition at the Green Gallery, Wisconsin titled, "A PERSON OF COLOR / a mostly orange exhibition". The exhibition has been curated by José Lerma of Andrea Rosen Gallery, NY. Tufiño will present her most recent work, a Roman Orange Fragment Figure Banner for the exhibition.

To see more of Tufiño's work, visit http://www.cristinatufino.net/

Opening Reception: Friday, January 21st, 6:00 - 9:00pm
Exhibition Dates: January 21st - February 27th, 2011

The Green Gallery East
1500 N Farwell Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53202
http://www.thegreengallery.biz/

Jessica Vaughn (MFA '11 candidate) in Group Exhibition at AirSpace Gallery, Philadelphia, Opening, January 14th, 5:30pm

Jessica Vaughn (MFA '11 candidate) will be featured in a group exhibition at AirSpace Gallery, Philadelphia. In addition to her exhibition, Vaughn was recently nominated by Penn Design for the Dedlhaus Foundation and Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Fellowship Awards. This past fall, Vaughn was also awarded an AIGA Scholarship (http://www.aiga.org/) for the 2010-2011 academic year.

To view more of Vaughn's work, visit http://jessvaughn.com/home.html

Opening Reception: Friday, January 14th, 5:30pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, January 14th - Friday, February 11th

AirSpace Gallery
4013 Chestnut Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19104
http://www.inliquid.com/features/40street/gallery.php

Kelsey Halliday Johnson (MFA '12 candidate) awarded the Lugo Land Residency; will lecture at the University of Fine Arts Ravenna, January 10th

Kelsey Halliday Johnson (MFA '12 candidate) was recently awarded the Lugo Land Residency from the University of Pennsylvania's, Penn Design. Before arriving at Penn Design, Kelsey received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University in Art and Archaeology where she concentrated in fine art photography and European cultural studies. She is the first MFA recipient of the Lugo Land Residency in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania. Past residents have included such esteemed photographers as Tim Davis, Graciela Iturbide and Guido Guidi.

Johnson will be giving a lecture at the University of Fine Arts in Ravenna (Accademia di Belle Arti di Ravenna) that will include a discussion with Luca Nostri, curator of Lugo Land. In the lecture she plans to talk about her photographic experience studying at Princeton under Emmet Gowin and topics such as the MFA Program, Zen and the art of Pentax 6x7 Maintenance as well as Reevaluating images.

Lecture Date and Time: Monday, January 10th, 2:30 pm

Accademia di Belle Arti di Ravenna
via delle Industrie, 76
48122 Ravenna
tel. +39 – 0544.453125 o 455784
fax. +39 - 0544.451104

To view more work by Kelsey, visit http://www.kelseyhalliday.com/

More information may be viewed on Princeton's site, http://www.princeton.edu/arts/news/archive/lugo-land-residency/

Robert Dimin, Tamara Suber and Amy Archambault (MFA '11 candidates) in Group Exhibition at the Morgan Gallery, Opening December 15th, 5pm

Robert Dimin, Tamara Suber and Amy Archambault will have work featured in a group exhibition titled "Projections, Installations and Divagations" at the Morgan Gallery, the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Design. The exhibition is in direct response to Kaja Silverman's Graduate Contemporary Art History Seminar. Dimin, Suber and Archambault respond to the work of Anri Sala, Tacita Dean, Sharon Lockhart and other prolific film artists. The exhibition cleverly melds both film and sculptural installation underneath the harmony of twilight.

Opening Reception: Wednesday, December 15th, 5:00 - 7:00pm
Exhibition Dates: Wednesday, December 15th - Tuesday, December 21st

The Morgan Gallery
University of Pennsylvania, Penn Design
205 S. 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Gallery Hours: Mondays - Fridays 10:00am - 5:00pm

MFA Class of 2011 in Inaugural Exhibit at Project Space, Philadelphia, Opening December 3rd, 5pm

Members of the MFA class of 2011 will be featured in the inaugural exhibit at Project Space, Philadelphia. Project Space is a new art exhibition space founded by Robert Dimin (MFA '11 candidate). The work featured showcases the range of medium and working methods of the second-year MFA students. A percentage of all sales from this and future events will provide additional exhibition support for the MFA class of 2011. Exhibitions at Project Space will highlight members of the Penn Design Fine Arts Community. Please join us for this special event on the "First Friday" in Philadelphia!

Opening Reception: Friday, December 3rd, 5pm until late

Project Space
240 Church Street (between 2nd & 3rd and Market & Arch)
Philadelphia, PA
projectspacechurchst@gmail.com

PennDesign Fine Arts Sculpture Seminar in Group Exhibition at the Meyerson and Morgan Galleries, Opening December 3rd, 5:30pm

The PennDesign Fine Arts Sculpture Seminar is proud to present "Paradiso", a group exhibition featuring work in a range of media in response to Dante's, "The Divine Comedy". The exhibition will feature work by Amy Archambault, Tra Bouscaren, Zoe Chronis, Rachel Eschenbach, Justine Hill, Michael Marfione, Bradley La Mere, Chloe Reison, Tamara Suber, Cristina Tufino, Mary Valverde, and Jessica Vaughn

Opening Reception: Friday, December 3rd, 5:30 - 7:30pm
Exhibition Dates: Wednesday, December 1st - Wednesday, December 8th, 2010








Exhibition on Display in Two Locations:

Meyerson Gallery
210 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Morgan Gallery
205 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104