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[With so much happening in Philadelphia’s arts and culture scene, we want to make Uwishunu, in conjunction with sister site With Art Philadelphia, your one-stop-shop for all that’s happening with local art. Every month, we’ll gather our top art picks, featuring exhibits and events at both smaller, alternative galleries and art spaces, as well as at the city’s major art institutions. Be sure to check them out for yourself.]
With the fall season in full swing, it’s the perfect time to explore the city’s vibrant arts scene. And just like last month, in conjunction with our sister site With Art Philadelphia, we’ve gathered our top art picks, featuring exhibits and events at a variety of local art galleries and spaces.
Below, take a look at our guide to October art happenings around town and be sure to check out a few of these! See you out there.
• Open Air Philadelphia: Through October 14, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, nightly 8-11 p.m., free. Created by renowned new media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and presented by the Association for Public Art, Open Air illuminates the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with 24 powerful robotic searchlights, creating enormous three-dimensional light formations in the night sky visible up to 10 miles away. Check out all of our coverage of this amazing public art light installation here.
• Philadelphia Open Studio Tours: October 6-7 and 20-21, various neighborhoods throughout the region, free. Don’t miss out on the largest tour of artist studios and creative workspaces in the region. The 2012 Open Studio Tours offer the public free tours of local artists’ studios, and will take place October 6-7 for venues West of Broad Street and October 20-21 for venues East of Broad Street. In addition, the week between the tour dates will feature a ton of amazing special events and exhibitions. Plus, a kick-off party will be held October 2 starting at 6:30 p.m. at World Cafe Live. For more details, click here.
• Paul Fabozzi: Site Translations: Through October 20, LGTripp Gallery, 47 N. 2nd Street, free. Paul Fabozzi’s recent series, Site Translations, strays beyond the traditional landscape, with each abstract piece playing on the idea of “place.” Central to the artist’s work is negative space, which represents the world outside of Fabozzi’s encapsulating structures. A First Friday reception will be held October 5 from 6-8:30 p.m.
• Pattern Languages: Artists & Architectural Grammar: Through October 20, Mount Airy Contemporary Artists Space, 25 W. Mount Airy Avenue, free. The six artists in this exhibition share a common fascination in the built grammar of our lives — the syntax of roadways, the haiku of space platforms and even the intricate plumbing of the isometric view. The exhibit draws its name from A Pattern Language, a seminal 1977 treatise on architecture and habitation.
• 20 in 2012: Through October 27, Pentimenti Gallery, 145 N. 2nd Street, free. In celebration of the gallery’s 20th anniversary, it invited 16 artists to create works using emerald and/or white as a basic color palette, the colors traditionally associated with a 20th anniversary. The concept of each piece was left to the artist. The result is an amazingly diverse collection of works in various media that you won’t want to miss.
• The Way Things Are: Through October 27, Locks Gallery, 600 Washington Square South, free. Bringing together the work of Ulla von Brandenburg, Florence Doléac and Virgil Marti, the artworks in this exhibit question our relationships with “things” in different ways. The show is inspired by other realms including theater, industrial design and the decorative arts. There will a reception with the artists on October 5 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
More October Art Picks, below.
• Shine: Rebecca Gilbert: October 3-November 16, 110 Church Gallery, 110 Church Street, free. In this solo show, skilled printmaker Rebecca Gilbert builds narrative through natural imagery. Exploring the concept of trial and error, the artist considers the experiment the real treasure, as she celebrates the value in process itself. An artist reception will be held October 12 from 5-8 p.m.
• Eileen Neff: Three or Four Clouds: October 3-27, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, 709 Walnut Street, free. This exhibit brings focus to the conflating of this Philadelphia artist’s experiences in her 29th-floor studio with those conditions at work in the gallery. Neff works take on an aerie-like perspective as an expression of her interest in both the landscape and interiors as sites for her deeper investigations of presence and perception. An opening reception will be held October 5 from 6-8:30 p.m.
• Endure: October 3-28, Muse Gallery, 52 N. 2nd Street, free. This solo show featuring Nancy F. Halbert includes gestural art, figurative paintings, pastels and monoprints of landscape impressions from St. John to Maine. Halbert’s work captures the balance between energy and stillness. There will be a First Friday opening reception on October 5 from 5-8:30 p.m.
• Making and Meaning in Winslow Homer’s The Life Line: October 5, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, $10; $8 members; $5 students with valid ID (does not include Museum admission). In this special lecture, the curator of the exhibition Shipwreck! Winslow Homer and The Life Line talks about the historical context of this iconic painting and the research that inspired the show. The Life Line tells a thrilling story of human heroism and romantic encounter, deftly managed by the artist in a series of changes to the painting revealed by conservation science.
• Fresh Impressions: October 5-27, Projects Gallery, 629 N. 2nd Street, free. This juried exhibition in collaboration with the Brandywine Workshop showcase a variety of print forms, including new techniques, genres and forms. A First Friday reception will be held October 5 from 6-9 p.m.
• National Archaeology Day Celebration: Indiana Jones Day: October 20, 1-7 p.m., Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, free with museum admission. Celebrate National Archaeology Day at the Penn Museum and explore the Museum through the eyes of Indiana Jones, Hollywood’s famous archaeologist, with interactive dig sites, scavenger hunts, movies, games and talks. Indiana Jones Day is cosponsored by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America.
• PAFA After Dark: Designed with Love: October 25, 6-9 p.m., Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118 N. Broad Street, Free for PAFA members; $10 advance; $15 at door (based on availability). Two great competitions make for one great night. From noted architect Frank Furness’ drawings for the academy’s historic 1876 building to the new line of Anthropologie fashions made from artworks by PAFA students, this night celebrates the best in art and design competitions and the colorful characters who won them. Guests will enjoy art, tunes by DJ Apt One, themed cocktails, art-making activities and more.
• Venissa Santi: Afro-Cuban Jazz: October 26, 6-8 p.m., Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, included with gallery admission or Friday night ticket. One of the 21st century’s new breed of vocalists, Santi sings an exciting blend of American and Cuban standards, folkloric songs and original compositions that reflect influences ranging from Billie Holliday and Betty Carter to Celia Cruz. In other words, the perfect way to kick off your weekend.
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