During the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours
East of Broad Street • October 11-12, 2008
Crane Arts Building
1400 N. American StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19122.
Philagrafika with InLiquid, Philadelphia Center for the Book, and The Print Center will host the Open Portfolio to support individual artist printmakers,
photographers and book artists in the Philadelphia region whose studios cannot accommodate public visitation. This event will provide a venue for
more than 30 individual artists during the weekend of October 11-12, 2008 as part of the citywide Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, to showcase
their fine art prints, photographs and artists books to the public in an art fair setting. Each participating artist will be given a table to display his or
her work for the public from noon to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday at the Crane Arts Building.
Participating Philagrafika Member Artists:
Lauren Abshire
www.laurenabshire.com
Born in Lafayette, Louisianna, Lauren Abshire moved to Philadelphia in 2006 to pursue her master’s degree at Tyler School of Art. Concentrating in printmaking and sculpture, she recently exhibited her MFA Thesis, “You Are Here” at Temple Gallery in Old City Philadelphia.
Charmaine Caire
www.charmainecaire.com
A Tyler school grad, Caire’s work has been exhibited at the Woodmere Museums’ Triennial Photography Show. She is a PEW finalist and has earned many fellowships. Caire was the featured artist in Camera Arts Magazine in October 2002 and her solo show, “Plastic Genome Project” was highlighted by the New Yorker Magazine.
Erin Castellan
www.erinecastellan.com
Erin E. Castellan is a painter, printmaker and knitwear designer. She creates one-of-a-kind prints using multiple processes including monotype, hand-embroidery and fabric chine collé.
Although I use a variety of printmaking methods, my monoprints best communicate my interpretation of our world. The painterly depictions of the human figure are unrestricted by the medium or tool. To me it is an appropriate method for describing the figure’s form and character. By describing the form of the figure, I attempt to describe and expose the apparent as well as disguised feelings and attitude of the model. In this way the observer’s perceptions of those feelings and attitudes will reveal their own. Strength, vulnerability, pride, uncertainty—we all experience the conflicts within the soul. Those struggles are what I strive to communicate through my monoprints.
Kathleen Metaxas
My print and papermaking draw inspiration from varied sources such as nature, the human form and condition, and many other organic designs. In doing so, I have been fully able to explore technique, color, layering and tactile elements which result in complex pieces. The ongoing woodcut installation project is a learning tool that I use to broaden color study and various combinations of printmaking methods. I emphasize non-toxic printmaking by exploring new ways to create interest and depth without employing toxic acids or resists.
Smita Rao
www.smitarao.com
Smita Rao has developed a unique technique to create her digital landscapes. She layers photographs, watercolor paintings, and pencil drawings using computer tools. By combining these layers, merging them by applying certain aspects of each medium, she is able to retain the integrity of all the mediums to create one cohesive composition. The final step is to use computer drawing tools to further enhance the piece.
Fay Stanford
www.faystanford.com
A recovering painter, Fay Stanford worked in monoprint and intaglio before seriously turning her life over to woodcut last year. She has been making art for fifty years and has raised four artists including a writer and a Hawaiian band. She is married to a filmmaker.
Dawn Wesemann
www.dawnwesemann.com
Dawn Weseman is a graduate of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Her work has been shown in juried exhibits and shows throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is a part of many private collections. She has been a Bucks County Resident for over 40 years.
Barbara Zietchick
www.Barbarazietchick.com
Barbara Zietchick has studied printmaking at the School of visual Arts in New York, Manhattan Graphics, NJ Center for Visual Arts, Rutgers University and Bucks County Community College. Her work has been shown in many juried events in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania and is in many collections including: the Newark Public Library, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the New Jersey Historical Society. She never tires of the joy of the many facets of the art of printmaking.