1K...for Kringle!

Christmas is about the power of family. In this spirit, we’ll dedicate our 1,000th Insta post to one of the most beloved artists in our community, ELIZABETH H. MACDONALD, who is the hit of yet another show. The first artist to SELL OUT all four of her pieces, Betty, who will soon turn 96, continues to conduct a master class etching, engraving and lithography, skills passed on from her mother, Dorothy Wackerman Hutton. It was at Dorothy’s knee at our sister organization, The Plastic Club, that Betty first observed and began to gain her love and proficiency for these media, beginning in the 1930s. (At about the same time, the artist’s father, Hugh Hutton, launched a four-decade career as political cartoonist for The Philadelphia Inquier.) And did we mention Betty’s daughter, Peg, is an OFF THE WALL artist in her own right, who most recently showed her own print work in the 2019 edition of UNDER $100? We promised you a family story — and there you have it. Post #1,000 for Christmas 2022. Have a joyous end of the holiday!

ELIZABETH H. MACDONALD
“Shipwreck”
7 x 9 framed
lithograph
75.

Golden (and Lunar) Rings

Over the years, we have shown a range of work from esteemed artist-educator ROBERT REINHARDT, beginning with his paintings: stunning landscapes of, and inspired by, the American West. (The artist has also produced a series of Scotland vistas, which have not yet appeared at Off the Wall.) More recently -- and again for this year's UNDER $100 -- Bob's focus has shifted to patterned monoprints, which he overlays, one on another, to elicit dynamic interplay and marvelously intricate details. While there often is a starting point for these newer pieces -- in this case, the phases of the moon -- the results are not so constrained, as viewers are transported through unexpected convergences of form and color.

ROBERT REINHARDT
"Lunar Cycles #2"
14 x 11 framed
mixed-media collage of
hand-printed monoprints
95.

No Maids Here

We are a gallery with proud feminist roots, from our very first show 44 years ago this month, HER NAME IS NOT ANONYMOUS ANYMORE — one of the first all-women art shows in Philadelphia...outside, of course, our sister organization, The Plastic Club. So continuing our Xmas Countdown, you’re not going to find, among our self-made artists, Maids A-Milkin...or a-doing anything else. HEATHER RAQUEL PHILLIPS is a strong advocate along these lines, an interdisciplinary artist who celebrates and creates disruptions of norms and convenes and promotes “conversations about power, sexuality, deviance, freedom, failure and desire.” Her three fabric works in UNDER $100 all fit this framework and build off the artist’s innovative, message-driven large-banner series, which she installed in front of her house during the pandemic. Heather’s is a voice that is never silent.

HEATHER RAQUELPHILLIPS
“Never Enough Hanky”
screen-printed scarf with fringe
66.

Nine Bananas Dancing

Embroidery, in its full majesty, does not make its way onto our Wall often enough. In 2009, we devoted an entire show to fabric art, but in the years since, we can probably count on one hand the artists showcasing the medium, from the venerable Elizabeth H. MacDonald to Leonard Hollinger, who often uses stitching within his paintings, to Rae McLaughlin, whose “Hot Bits” collections have made recent appearances. KELLY KOZMA, a true master of embroidery, has not shown multiple pieces since our 2014 MIDSUMMER INVITATIONAL. That happily changed with UNDER $100, when our jury enthusiastically accepted her two submissions. An artist who relishes “the meditative process of hand embroidery as a way of healing,” Kelly has an ulterior motive that shines through in these life-affirming new pieces. “My goal is to interject joy into my work through bright palettes, fun imagery and movement,” she confides, “so rainbow bananas felt like the perfect subject matter.” BRAVA! (And, yes, if you’re counting, it’s really 10 bananas...but we’ll try to slip by for the sake of our Xmas Countdown....)

KELLY KOZMA
“Kickline”
8.75” x 10.75” framed
hand embroidery on paper
95.

Landlords A-Leapin'?

The last time ERICA HARNEY was part of an OFF THE WALL show, she contributed two works to SAVE DIRTY FRANK’S, including a stunning banner that employed small watercolor paintings to grid the ever-gentrifying neighborhood of Fishtown — creating a veritable jewel box of a map. Now the artist, always remarkable in her creativity and output, returns with a new series of doors, mainly front…and strictly Philly. Explains Erica, “My studio work, primarily featuring landscapes and architecture, is inspired and informed by my work as a professional scenic painter: painting backdrops and scenery for Philadelphia-area theatre and production companies.”

ERICA HARNEY
“309 E. Girard”
11 x 9 framed (8 x 6 image)
watercolor, pencil and ink on paper
90.

Half-Pipers Piping

For 11 in our UNDER $100 Xmas Countdown, we'll turn to the hand-cut collage of the marvelous ROBB SPATH, one of the first masters of the X-ACTO to frequent our Wall and, to be sure, a participant in our inaugural GLUE PAPER SCISSORS Invitational, which kicked off '22. Incidentally, 11 is numerically somewhat of a muse to the artist, in his ninth OFF THE WALL show. Robb's work runs a wide gamut from iconographic portraiture to, at turns, humorous and exuberant celebrations of life. Through them all, pop culture -- in this case, specifically skate culture -- propels and colors his intricate worlds.

ROBB SPATH
"Catalina"
8 x 10 framed (5 x 7 collage)
hand-cut collage
75.

12 Days and Counting

12 DAYS AND COUNTING: With UNDER $100 closing on December 29 (12/28 is the last full day), it’s well worth doing our own Twelve Days of Christmas, counting down to the Big Day...rather than up to the Epiphany. We already had drummers drumming in the recent Phil Sumpter extravaganza...so how about 12 BOXES A-BOOMING?!? That’s one of three works from the inimitable JIM BIGLAN, perhaps the most versatile of OFF THE WALL artists who earned from the jury the MOST PROGRESSIVE USE OF MEDIA accolade. The award reflects not just this sculpture combined but also two head-turning works that call on his newfound love of loom weave, embroidery and fabric art in general, an epiphany emerging from a Kutztown weaving class taken last summer. Is there a medium remaining that Jim has not yet tackled, both with passion and aplomb?

JIM BIGLAN
“Boombox”
raku-fired stoneware
95.

Left of Way

LEFT OF WAY: Our winners' circle is more crowded than usual tonight as our community gathered to celebrate a record-setting edition of UNDER $100, which is a little larger by a few key measures. This begins with the record-setting breadth of the show, featuring 102 works, and now includes a top all-time haul of CASH PRIZES — $960! — split among 11 illustrious artists, led by the amazing CYN WHY, whose four paintings on wood, including this leftist “manifesto,” snapped up top honors: our prestigious MARY-ROWE MEMORIAL JURY PRIZE. KUDOS to all our winners (below)! And there is still time to swing by and toast the winners in person, with an OPENING that continues to 10:00 and beyond....

MARY-ROWE MEMORIAL JURY PRIZE (Best of Show)
CYN WHY for her body of work

MOST PROGRESSIVE USE OF MEDIA
JIM BIGLAN for his body of work

MINIMALISM IN THE FACE OF AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS
KAREN STABENOW for her body of work

MOST COMPELLING EXPRESSION OF INNER SPIRIT
DWAYNE BOONE for his body of work

MOST ORIGINAL ASSEMBLAGE
GARY BULWICZ’s “Goats Do Not Eat Tin Cans”

THAT BITCH KNOWS WHAT’S SHE'S DOING!
ALICE MEYER-WALLACE’s “Male Model”

DUPLICITY, OLD AND NEW
ANTHONY MORGAN’s “To Face...One Mask”

BAROMETRIC BREAKTHROUGHS
CAROL TASHJIAN for her body of work

AMAZON DELIVERS
GINA TAYLOR’s “Drunk (in The Other Side of the Box)”

LIFE IS HARD...INK IS HARDER
JENNY WALKER’s “Rosie”

SNEAK A PEEK
HOLLY WYNN for her body of work

Practically on Your Doorstep

Tonight by 10 PM, as Amazon likes to put it, we will have delivered a joyous OPENING RECEPTION for UNDER $100. You are invited to the whole 7-10 PM timeframe for our party to fete the 45 artists and record-setting 102 works — across diverse media, all priced at $95 or less — of what is undoubtedly our most popular and successful juried show. It’s a great opportunity to get a jump on traditional HOLIDAY SHOPPING, as well as to meet most of the artists. Plus, this evening our jury will be awarding $960 in CASH PRIZES to 11 of these inspired and inspiring creatives. JOIN US to find out who our winners are and to enjoy drinks and light hors d’oeuvres…not to mention the festive company of artists and art lovers alike. ’TIS THE SEASON!

GINA TAYLOR
“Drunk (in The Other Side of the Box)”
9 x 12
gouache on paper
50.

(F)Red Dots Abound

Our show just grew! Due to popular demand and early sales, Wednesday we added five new FRED PLUMLEY paintings to our 2022 MIDSUMMER INVITATIONAL. Our audiences have responded to the artist’s vision, especially larger-scale work that more fully conveys his distinctive combination of figurative composition and abstract style. “The Paintings I create are a 'searching out’ of an inner world placed onto a canvas,” says Fred. “They may succeed or fail as works of Art but they do become a mirror at times of a consciousness some may recognize or even share. The goal for me is to hammer a bell in that wilderness and, if I’m lucky, find a golden clarity to express.”

FRED PLUMLEY
“Crosswinds”
oil on canvas
250.

A Distinctive Passion

We’re known for our thematic shows, which often inspire us to structure a show around a medium. You might say this has become the calling card of our 2022 lineup. We started out the year with GLUE PAPER SCISSORS, a showcase for some of our most talented collage and assemblage artists. Painting took center stage with Jean Plough's breakthrough solo Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition outing. And now oil and acrylics key another tour de force with the esteemed six pack of artists in our 2022 MIDSUMMER INVITATIONAL, subtitled "A Passion for Painting!" Mark your calendars for an OPENING RECEPTION gesso made for you (sorry): next THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 7-10 PM. Bring your brushes (but please leave your palette knives in your studio).

Large & Small, Paintings All

Saturday was HANGING DAY for our 2022 MIDSUMMER INVITATIONAL, featuring six of our favorite painters: JENNIFER BARRILE, ALAN BOLLE, GARY BULWICZ, CLAES GABRIEL, ASYA LIVSHITS and FRED PLUMLEY. Curator JODY SWEITZER is spotted here sizing up some substantial canvases from Fred…but only after Jennifer’s LIFE IN MINIATURE series, on a different scale altogether, had occupied the center pillar. Thanks to all those who stopped by to witness a masterful show assume its rightful place on our Wall and in our 3D case…and who started off the sales, too!

On Newsstands Now

You might want to hurry up…or go to a Wawa…but we’d be remiss if we didn’t tout the print edition of yesterday’s nifty INQUIRER feature about REEMERGE. We say that because we believe print is not dead and because we want newspapers and true journalism to continue delivering news and local content like this. (How nice, too, that OFF THE WALL Curator JODY SWEITZER gets a special shot!) Almost as ephemeral as today’s paper is our show, which closes at the end of the night THIS FRIDAY. If you haven’t yet spent time with REEMERGE, wait no longer!

In the News

We’re thrilled to say that today’s online PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER and tomorrow’s (8/3) print edition will shine a spotlight on REEMERGE, thanks to MIKE NEWALL, longtime masterful scribe for our beloved, Pulitzer Prize-winning daily — hey, let’s keep newspapers alive! -- and photographer TOM GRALISH, who visited us on Sunday. The result, our first OFF THE WALL coverage in many a moon, is exceptional.

Last Week to REEMERGE

It’s amazing that our first summer juried show since 2019 has gone by so swiftly. As we prepare to wind down, we realize we are just halfway through our jury’s 11 award winners. (Plus, we need to apprise our winners of their non-cash awards...if you are among them, please stay tuned!) Let’s turn to an eye-opening discovery of a painter, among only a handful of REEMERGE artists hailing from well beyond our region. DAVID HELWER, singled out for the BEST EXPRESSION OF LOCKDOWN SYNDROME, is also one of a few to create a series that used the pandemic as a framework. “My ‘COVID Kitchen Paintings’ are self-portraits in my kitchen during the initial lockdown,” says the South Carolina-based artist. “While engaged in this series, I allowed my mind to wander through my childhood as a boy growing up on a farm in Kansas. I did my best to let the little boy inside of me do most of the painting.” What purer expression of the artistic process?!

DAVID HELWER
“Chickens Talking”
acrylic on canvas
300.

Who's Watching?!

Perhaps it’s fitting — as we prepare for an integrated performance art piece this afternoon (Christy E. O’Connor’s “Raise a Drink to Dystopia,” 3-5 PM) — that we feature the winner of our jury’s SEVEN STAGES OF COVID: PARANOIA citation. The work from HOLLY WYNN dives to the heart of a sensation that was setting in two summers ago. “Being stuck inside during the pandemic left many of us spending a lot more time online, particularly on social media,” explains the artist. “For some of us, we were left with that nagging feeling that you’re always being observed because the content we consume, in place of face-to-face interaction, almost seems designed to make you feel that way.” Luckily for you, later today (as long as you bring your vax card!), your interactions and observations will be very much up close and personal, the way performance art — and just about all art — is meant to be.

HOLLY WYNN
“Everybody’s Watching”
mixed media
50.

Extending Their Stay

As our summer juried show edges toward its close — coming down a week from Saturday — we are happy to report that two REEMERGE artists will remain on the Wall: #AsyaLivshits and #JenniferBarrile. It’s notable that both are making their respective debuts in this space, meaning our upcoming MIDSUMMER INVITATIONAL SHOW will represent their first local encore (of many, we suspect). Jennifer made her inaugural outing at OFF THE WALL all the more auspicious when the jury singled this work out with an award: SEVEN STAGES OF COVID: SHOCK AND FREEFALL. We can all remember those early, rollercoaster days of the pandemic. “During COVID’s bleak onset, I didn’t make art for months,” reports Jennifer. “Eventually I found my groove again. Spending time outdoors with my husband and daughter helped to lift spirits, and my time in nature spilled over into my art — painting landscapes and cityscapes, using my imagination to create something fun.”

JENNIFER BARRILE
“Strange days”
ink on cardboard and cut paper
170.

Live Performance Art Next Sunday (7/31)

LIVE PERFORMANCE ART NEXT SUNDAY (7/31): We are incredibly fortunate to have, as part of REEMERGE, three inspired video artists, whose work is projected in a loop in our 3D space: DIANA RIUKAS (“What’sReally Going On?”), HEATHER RAQUEL PHILLIPS (“Flowers for a Pandemic”) and CHRISTY E. O’CONNOR (“Tea Time in Turbulence”). Next Sunday, JULY 31, Christy will use her video, a filmed performance, as the leaping-off point for RAISE A DRINK TO DYSTOPIA! Starting at 3 PM — with Heather, her fellow interdisciplinary artist, behind the bar — Christy will act and interact in this impromptu, unscripted performance art piece. “Who knew these dark dystopian days would be so drab and dare I say....ordinary?,” muses Christy. “What else is there to do to pass the time at the end of the world than to raise a drink to dystopia?! Inspired by parallels between conditions leading up to the French Revolution and late-stage American capitalism — from plague and wealth inequality, to the demand for individual rights of citizens, leading to political unrest and general discontent and discord of the masses — I am imagining a modern day Marie Antoinette, out of touch and out of reach, eerily like our present day leaders.” So please join us on Sunday, starting at 3:00, to hang out with the Queen (and probably hear some Queen on the juke during Christy’s piece!). Vive l’arte! Vide ton verre Chez Frank!

CHRISTY E. O’CONNOR
“Raise a Drink to Dystopia!”
Live performance art
Sunday, July 31
3:00 on
Dirty Frank’s/OFF THE WALL
NE Corner, 13th & Pine

Stranger Things

It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary if you’ve recently binged a series or two — say, on Netflix (despite dropping a million subscribers) or Hulu — or perhaps a bunch of kitschy flicks. Without a doubt, many of us honed this talent during the pandemic. Count JOSEPH EGGLESTON in our number. Hence the REEMERGE jury’s loving accolade for this painting, inspired by the Scream franchise: SEVEN STAGES OF COVID: TIME TO BINGE. But COVID touched Joseph on a deeper level still. The artist adds texture and detail. “The creative process has always been a mostly solitary act for me as a painter. During the last two years, I have found it to be even more isolating in terms of sourcing my subject matter, what I am drawn to, the limitations of the edge of a canvas, etc.,” he explains. “All of this has led me to rethink color, composition and proportions. I’ve found myself carefully considering how I approach my work so I can be more mindful of what type of conversation I want to have if/when I do have those harder-to-come-by chats about art.”

JOSEPH EGGLESTON
“Casey”
acrylic and wax pastel
400.

Light at the End

To be sure, it’s foolhardy to invoke the word “end” when speaking of the pandemic. Still, our REEMERGE jury felt it incumbent on them to cap their SEVEN STAGES OF COVID awards with a HOPE RISING theme. And what better place to turn for an ever-positive vibe than the artwork of DONALD T. WILLIAMS?! Donald never takes his eyes off the silver lining, despite all obstacles. “The pandemic stands out as a time when I had little control over my life,” the artist reflects. “In the days leading up to the shutdown, I was preparing for my first solo show in decades. It was scheduled to open on March 15, 2020.” Enough said. COVID also waylaid plans for a 10,000-piece series of single-face portraits called “Give me 10 minutes.” But the artist continues to make lemonade — in sweet abundance. “Most of my recent work has been influenced by ‘current news’ and themes that always show up in my work: systemic racism, family, responsibility, love. The pandemic slowed me down but didn’t derail me. It’s actually made me a more empathetic, eyes-wide-open person.”

DONALD T. WILLIAMS
“Black Longevity Matters”
digital print of watercolor original
50.
multiple framed prints available