Happy Halloween from the Cultural Arts Center!

Today we had a costume dance party led by our fabulous dance teacher Joanna Quigley. Check out our amazing home-made costumes!


Freddy as Kid of Kid'n'Play


Tyree, Tom, David, Pietro and Joanna


Ashley as a witch


Joanna and Keith cut a rug


Tom as Batman


Joanna, Madeline, Tyree, and Jason as Magneto

Cultural Collaborations at La Salle University Art Museum

All year the artists of the Cultural Arts program have been working with art teacher Emilia Brintnall and La Salle University Art Museum's educator Miranda Clark-Binder on creating artwork through our Cultural Collaborations partnership. Miranda has been presenting works in the museum collection based on different themes, and the artists have been creating work in response to these themes with Emilia's help. We've explored portraiture, abstract expressionism, cityscapes and narratives in art.

Today, an exhibition of the artwork we created opened at the Community Art Gallery of La Salle University Art Museum. Below are some pictures from the reception.


Ashley and Rasheed with her rendition of a painting in La Salle's collection, part of the "Narratives in Art" series.


Mike S. talks about the painting he created after looking at Indian miniatures as part of the "Narratives in Art" series.


George with his stuffie self-portrait, part of the "Portraits" series


Hubert in front of his collaborative painting with Pietro, part of the "Abstraction" series


Cultural Arts Associate Director Linda Price and Ashley


Laura with a reception guest


Mary and Hector


Richard talks about his stuffie portrait with reception guest Justin.


James with the painting he created after learning about the abstract work of Philadelphia artist Moe Brooker.

You can learn more about the La Salle University Art Museum by visiting their website.

Points of Transformation Award

Mike Gerkovich, a direct support professional and teacher for the Cultural Arts program, was recognized today for his work at the Points of Transformation Brunch. He received an award for his work with the artists of the Cultural Arts Center. Mike puts the mission of the Cultural Arts Center into action every day by working with program participants as his artistic peers and, more importantly, as his friends. Congrats, Mike!



From left to right: Kathy Sykes of IdS; Shalaine Wallace of PDDC, who also won an award; Mike G.; Laura Princiotta, Chief Operating Officer of PDDC; and Linda Price, Associate Director of the Cultural Arts Center.

Photo credit Bonnie Squires

Pictures from Shaky Shaky Planet

Shaky Shaky Planet debuted at the Painted Bride Art Center on Wednesday, September 7. Emily Schumacher co-wrote and co-directed this original performance with the Shaky Shaky Players of the Cultural Arts Center.

Over a hundred people were introduced to the denizens of the planet of Jupiter-Venus, where Goblins, Robots and Blob People worked together to overthrow their evil employers Roberta and Villina with help from the Ghost-Slayers and, of course, an epic dance-off!


Ashley backstage getting ready to go on


Our fabulous director Emily


Monica the narrator


Villina and Roberta, the evil mermaid proprietors of the Blue Lobster


Richard, Jason, Sharay and Tyree as Blob People


David, Mike S., Sarah and Murph as Goblins


Charles, George, Marcos and Mike G. as Robots


The Ghost Slayers!


Miss Charlene sings her solo


DANCE OFF!!!


Joanna Quigley as the Referee




The cast takes a bow

The Cultural Arts Center at PDDC Presents "Shaky Shaky Planet"

The Shaky Shaky Players of the Cultural Arts Center at PDDC are proud to present an original theater project created in collaboration with artists Emily Schumacher, Michael Gerkovich and Emilia Brintnall. 1950s sci-fi meets telenovela meets seafood restaurant in Shaky Shaky Planet, where blob-men, robots and goblins break into song for no reason and the bad guys sometimes poison your Alaskan crab legs with Potion #52.

Shaky Shaky Planet debuts at the Painted Bride Art Center on Wednesday, September 7 at 7 PM as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. The Painted Bride Art Center is located at 230 Vine Street in Philadelphia.

Tickets are available by contacting Linda Price at lprice@arcpddc.org or through the Fringe Festival Box Office.

Magic Gardens Part Two!

Today another group of artists visited Philadelphia's Magic Gardens to be inspired by Isaiah Zagar's mosaic murals.


Myesha, David and Howard explore the gardens


Myesha


James


Walter, Mary and James

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

Today we visited Philadelphia's Magic Gardens to learn about the mosaic murals of Isaish Zagar. We also made our own doily tiles. All photo rights reserved by Philadelphia's Magic Gardens.


Counterclockwise from left: Romy, Leroy, Richard, Gabe, Matali, Marianna, Jamie, Monica, Mike S., Mary, Ike, and Tyree


Romy and Ike


Richard and Ike with Kay


Mike S.

Dwayne Boone Featured in "The Peripheterists"

Cultural Arts artist Dwayne Boone will be featured in The Peripheterists, an exhibition curated by Jocko Weyland at apexart in New York, NY. The exhibition opens June 1 and will be on view through July 30. Visit apexart's website for more information.

Video about "The Artist Is All of Us"

The Philadelphia Foundation, who hosted The Artists Is All of Us in their Community Art Gallery, has created a video about the bodies of work created by the artists of the Cultural Arts Center featured in the exhibition. The video also includes photographs from the opening reception on May 6.

You can view the video here.

Thanks to Betsy Anderson and Danielle Cerceo at the Philadelphia Foundation!

More Photos from "The Artist Is All of Us" Opening Reception

Freddy's drawing of ghost Alice


Sarah talks about Sandy's books


Drawings by Richard and Sandy


Tapestries by the artists of the Cultural Arts Center


Portraits by Dwayne and Ashley


An abstract painting by Hector

Art Exhibition at the Philadelphia Foundation

Works by the artists of the Cultural Arts Center are featured in The Artist Is Everyone, an exhibition at the Community Art Gallery of The Philadelphia Foundation. The exhibition will be on view through August 31, 2011 and highlights the connections between art history and the bodies of work Cultural Arts students have created. The exhibition opened on May 6 with a beautiful First Friday reception hosted by the Foundation.


Dwayne with his painting of the Philadelphia skyline, which was featured on the exhibition's postcard


Arc of Philadelphia Board President Ken Oaks with PDDC Board President Norma Carter


Arc of Philadelphia and PDDC Executive Director Bruce Hulick, Dwayne and Cultural Arts Center Associate Director Linda Price


Checking out photos from the House of Dreams performance at the Rotunda


Kathy Sykes, Eleanor Elkin and Norma Carter

All photographs by Mark Garvin