Member News

Nicole Dul is in a two person show:


Grain of Salt: Feminine Symbols and Identities
An Exhibition of Works on Paper, Paintings and Sculptures
By Brooke Schmidt & Nicole Patrice Dul
June 1 - 29, 2008
Opening and Reception, Sunday, June 1, 1-4pm

Orchard Artworks
520 Tomlinson Rd, Bryn Athyn, PA 19009
215-947-9882 * For Directions: www.orchardartworks.org

Marie Elcin's Water, Water Everywhere" at the Physick House

Here are an image of the downstairs installation and an image and video of the bedroom installation in case you missed the show! The downstairs works are related to thoughts on water-related emergencies and our dependence on urban infrastructure for our health and safety. The bedroom installation explores the history of the house in relation to the 1793 yellow fever epidemic, a colonial era catastrophe.
-Marie

sneak peek

Molly Crowley and I worked on they layout for the collaborative quilt. Sewing starts this week! We expect to show the piece at the upcoming Networking Day in Washington, DC on Saturday, April 5th.

-Marie

Member News

Bonnie MacAllister's pieces "Becoming Meat" and "Scholastic" have been accepted in a show at the University of Michigan!


rEVOLUTION:
Making Art For Change
Third annual art exhibit in conjunction with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center and SafeHouse
Artists, writers, poets, and performers express themselves on issues of gender, sexism, sexual violents, and empowerment.

Opening April 11th Duderstadt Gallery
North Campus
Join the rEVOLUTION!

http://umich.edu/~sapac/involved/rev.html

http://feministartproject.rutgers.edu/

First Drop off for "Enviromental Distress"

Alison Altergott has offered to take work for
"Environmental Distress" at the April 9th meeting
(6:30 p.m.)  She lives in DE and has a relationship
with the gallery.

Please make sure that all work is securely wrapped in
bubble wrap and all 2D work is hung on a wire.  We are
not responsible for damage to work that is not
secured.

You must check your work in at Moore in the faculty
cafeteria. 

You must carry your work to Alison's car.

We will have a second drop off date at Marie Elcin's
house (We will announce this date at the April
meeting.)

If you have any questions about this, please email us.

Thanks,
WCA-Phila

Press Release for "Stitch by Stitch"

“Women Helping Women:  Stitch by Stitch”
Afghan Women’s Collaboration with the Women’s Caucus
for Art Philadelphia Chapter

Opens May 2, 2008-May 31, 2008
City County Building, Wilmington, DE

The WCA-Philadelphia has partnered with Rubia to
organize the collaborative project,
entitled: “Women Helping Women:  Stitch by Stitch.”
The project involved the creation
of a quilt, which showcases the work of women from
Darrai Noor, Afghanistan and
over 25 American women artists from the Women’s Caucus
for Art and Rubia.   The
majority of the participating U.S. artists are from
the Philadelphia Chapter; yet,
artists from New Hampshire, Florida, Oregon,
Tennessee, Missouri, Montana, California,
Louisiana, and Washington, DC have also joined in this
collaborative effort. Joining
the Wilmington Exhibit will be several large suzani,
displayed by Afghan women’s
fund. These large embroidered tapestries are fine
examples of the culture of embroidery
in Central Asia and its association with women, in
particular.

The United States artists observed the embroidered
motifs found in Rubia’s handwork,
which include the poppy, the peacock, and the swirling
sun as found on the Rubia
Website (http://www.rubiahandwork.org). Each square
piece is an interpretation of
a Rubia embroidery.  The Women’s Caucus for Art
Philadelphia chapter assembled the
larger tapestry combining embroidery from Afghan women
and each artist’s 10 x 10
inch piece to create an impressive and intricate
tapestry.

WCA-Phila Co-President Mare Elcin observed, “It was
interesting to see how artists
here picked up a needle and thread, perhaps for the
first time, and were able to
better appreciate the time and effort the Afghan women
put into their craft.”

“I am amazed by the diversity of work and techniques
each artist used in this challenge.
Some artists moved far away from their traditional
mediums to express this interpretation
with textile and embroidery techniques. The tapestry
is dynamic and inviting to
the audience, it is truly hard to describe in words”
states Molly Crowley, of Rubia
Inc.

“The outreach to the other chapters of the WCA was a
new undertaking for our chapter.
It had been a long time since we conducted a national
show, and we were thrilled
at the response.  These Afghan women are extremely
isolated, and it is so exciting
to work with them and to raise money for Rubia to
continue its programming to pay
Afghan women a living wage for their art forms,”
WCA-Phila Co-President Bonnie
MacAllister commented. 

“I wrote a poem for the project, and I wrote of the
women’s strengths. ‘With one
hand she bastes, binding the tatters set forth for
her. She can round off, truncate,
confines, trim knotty spots others might skirt, seize
Gordian tangles, effect brim
or hem in her authority,’”  MacAllister continued.

Elcin expressed, “I find chapter collaborations to be
a way to unify the members
of our chapter and get the creative juices flowing.
Members have an opportunity
to address a medium and a topic that they may never
have approached before, which
in turn may prompt ideas in individual studios for
future work. By joining with
Rubia for this collaboration, we were able to open up
our worldview and find commonalities
with women across the globe. We have the added benefit
of helping another organization,
bring awareness to their cause, and hopefully improve
the economic viability of
our sisters in Afghanistan.”

The show will debut at the Redding Gallery in the City
County Building in Wilmington,
DE.  The show will then travel to the Grace Episcopal
Church in Merchantville, NJ.
Shows across the nation are pending approval as many
artists wish to see the quilt
exhibited their home towns.  The quilted piece will be
showcased at the DC Chapter’s
Networking Day at the Arts Club of Washington, DC on
April 5. 

“I am excited to see Rubia’s work in Afghanistan
welcomed by so many artists in
America. The response has been fantastic. In this
exhibit, we get to showcase a
very different view of Afghanistan, the creation of
beautiful crafts, the tradition
of embroidery, and some glimpses at home life in
Afghanistan. I think this is new
to a lot of our audience, and yet there seems to be a
very deep understanding, visible
through the interpretations by American women.” Molly
Crowley continued.

Rubia is a project of Social & Environmental
Entrepeneurs (SEE), a registered
501(c) [3], which provides non-profit status. Rubia
serves women in Afghanistan,
offering education, skills training and income
opportunities through the promotion
of their traditional handwork. Rubia is committed to
building sustainable business
in a fragile environment, empowering women while
respecting traditional ways, reviving
and preserving traditional crafts.

As an official chapter of the National Women’s Caucus
for Art, the Philadelphia
Chapter supports and upholds their mission statement
and by laws. In addition, the
chapter is committed to creating a support network for
women in the visual arts
in Philadelphia and surrounding communities. The
Women’s Caucus for Art Philadelphia
Chapter strives to increase awareness and recognition
of women in the visual arts
through our exhibitions, lectures, publications and
other educational programming.
----
Listing:
“Women Helping Women:  Stitch by Stitch” opens with
“Environmental Distress:  Work
by the Women’s Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter”
May 2, 2008 at the Redding
Gallery, City County Building, Wilmington, DE.  Live
Performances by Sigma Alpha
Iota Women’s Music Fraternity, Temple University
Chapter, FREE.

Rubia/ WCA-Phila Collaboration
http://www.marycrowley.com/rubia/

WCA-Philadelphia Chapter
http://home.earthlink.net/~philawcamembers/index.html

Redding Gallery
http://www.ci.wilmington.de.us/artloop/

WCA-Philadelphia Blog
http://phila-wca.blogspot.com/
--
Stitch by Stitch Artists:

Women's Caucus for Art  Participating Artists

Alison Altergott- WCA-Phila Past President and WCA/DC

Cynthia Back - WCA-Phila

Betsy Bohrer- WCA-FL

Sharon Burton- WCA/DC and WCA-Phila

Donna M. Conroy - WCA- Central Mass

Kathy Dobash- WCA-Phila

Virginia Dragschutz--WCA  St. Louis, MO

Marie Elcin- WCA-Phila

Veronica Gledhill- WCA-Phila

Jo Grishman- OWCA- Oregon

Marilyn Hayes--WCA President, WCA-Phila and WCA-DC
Past President

Martha Knox- WCA-Phila

Becky Kramer--WCA Member at Large, Montana

Bonnie MacAllister- WCA-Phila Co-President and WCA/DC

Virginia Maksymowicz- WCA-Phila Treasurer

Debbie McCarthy- WCA-Phila

Karin Morris- WCA-Phila

Alison Nastasi- WCA-Phila

Marcelle Harwell-Pachnowski - WCA/DC

Diana Riukas- WCA-Phila

Sonia Sherrod- WCA-Phila Secretary

Heather Sundquist- WCA-Phila

Denise Tullier-Holly- WCA-LA

Katie Weaver--WCA/DC President

Michelle Wilson- WCA-Phila Past President

Kay Wood - WCA/ St Louis MO


Rubia Board and Staff,  Participating Artists

Molly Crowley-  Photographer (PA)

Jeanne Freeze- Fabric artist and upholsterer (NH)

Beth Gottschling- Graphic Designer and Photographer
(Wash-DC)

Rachel Lehr-  Photographer and Fabric Artist (NH)

Alicia Luckstead- Painter and Multmedia Artist (MD)

Anna Mueser -  Multimedia Artist (PA)

Sussy-Rose Shields - Metal Artist (NH)



The Women's Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter
http://phila-wca.blogspot.com
http://home.earthlink.net/~philawcamembers/index.html
http://www.marycrowley.com/rubia/ (Collaborative Project with Rubia)
http://www.inliquid.com/wca/framset.html
A Partner of Inliquid

Beauty, Flower, Poem Review

’Beauty Flower Poem’ opens at Northumberland County Career and Arts Center
Category: Art and Photography

'Beauty Flower Poem' opens at Northumberland County Career and Arts Center

BY JULIE NICOLOV
STAFF WRITER
julie_n@newsitem.com

03/08/2008

SHAMOKIN — Abstract. Healing. Iconic. Those are just a few words used to describe "Beauty Flower Poem," Kathy Dobash's exhibit that opened at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center Fine Art Gallery Friday night.





"The colors are so ... I don't have the word for it," said Mary Rea Pipa, of Elysburg, a long-time friend of the artist.

Dobash has been creating art for most of her life.

"Ever since I was a little girl," Dobash said with an impish smile. "I always scribbled."

Dobash has an art degree and an art education degree from Penn State. She taught art for Millville and Southern Columbia Area school districts. She now gives private art lessons at her studio in Hazleton.

Dobash's studio is in the Markle Building on

Broad Street. The building, and the restoration it is undergoing, is a great inspiration to Dobash.

"It's from a restoration of the ceiling," Dobash said, pointing to a plaster flower in one of her relief sculptures. Pieces from the restoration have found their way into all of the pieces on display at the arts center.

"I salvaged everything I could," Dobash said.

The artwork inspires viewers in return.

"It's almost like a religious or iconic piece," said Chet Davis, art gallery director. "This is different besides traditional mediums."

Most of Dobash's pieces also feature a woman in motion, she added.

The largest piece in Dobash's exhibit is called "Arms Thrown Up to the Sky." It is a lifesize form of a woman made of wire, plaster, ribbons, torn clothes, paint and other items. Dobash put plenty of detail in the colors and textures, but the figure's face is blank.

"The face is ambiguous on purpose. I want people to think about emotion in art," Dobash said.

The echo of pattern, color and subject were not lost on visitors to Friday's opening reception.

"I'm amazed at how she carries the motif in everything," said Connie Martini, of Coal Township.

Dobash also displayed two community projects. Students and members of the Hazleton community created artwork based on a theme such as "autumn" or "First Night." Dobash took the work and created a collage of the images.

"Autumn Landscape Project" included paintings done by Dobash's mother, Marie Dobash, who died in May.

"I was her caretaker, and to keep her busy, I had her painting," Dobash said.

Artwork, community and healing work together in Dobash's art.

She created a relief sculpture that will be raffled to raise money for American Cancer Society Greater Hazleton Area Unit. Tickets are $10 and are available at the exhibit or by calling 459-1212, option 3, extension 3332, or by e-mailing juannuzzi@cancer.org or kathydobash@yahoo.com. The raffle date has not been set, but will occur in April.

"This is beautiful; she's doing a lot of hard work," Pipa said.

"Beauty Flower Poem" will be at the Northumberland County Career and Art Center Fine Art Gallery through April 18. The gallery i

Call for Entries

rEVOLUTION:
Making Art For Change
Third annual art exhibit inconjunction with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center and SafeHouse
Calling ALL artists, writers, poets, and Performers
to express themselves on issues of gender, sexism, sexual violents, and empowerment.
Deadline for submissions:
Friday March 14th
To submit work send pictures, documentss or make an appointment:
rEVOLUTION Committee
rEV08@umich.edu
Opening April 11th Duderstadt Gallery
North Campus
Join the rEVOLUTION!

We are currently looking
for submissions for our annual art show. Please forward our submission form widely. Also, we have some limited scholarship money available to pay for shipping. Someone from the rev08 group will forward that form to you, asap. Thanks!

-Amy Burandt

________
Brenda Oelbaum
Midwest Region, Vice-President, WCA
boelbaum@yahoo.com
President, Michigan Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art
group e-mail feminist-art-project-michigan@yahoogroups.com
website http://www.wcamichigan.com/
national website http://www.nationalwca.org/
(734) 645-9024
Regional Coordinator for the Feminist Art Project-Michigan
http://feministartproject.rutgers.edu/

Deadline for May Show JPEGS and Meeting Agenda

Don't Forget our WCA-Phila Meeting Wednesday, March 12

Moore College of Art & Design
19th & Ben Franklin Parkway
www.moore.edu (for directions)

Don't miss this meeting! It's the deadline for the
May shows (bring all
work for "Women Helping Women: Stitch by Stitch" and
email all jpgs for
"Environmental Distress).

We are doing a demonstration on framing for the
exhibition.

Also, we'll be discussing the National Conference,
Networking Day in DC, and
the other upcoming exhibitions for members. There will be of material from
the conference to take home on various programs etc.
Hope to see you there!

The Women's Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter
http://phila-wca.blogspot.com
http://home.earthlink.net/~philawcamembers/index.html
http://www.marycrowley.com/rubia/ (Collaborative Project with Rubia)
http://www.inliquid.com/wca/framset.html
A Partner of Inliquid