Member News: Art in the Open (Barbara Gesshel & Simone Spicer)

Barbara Gesshel

Philadelphia, PA

http://gesshel.com

The work I am looking to undertake will be in watercolor, chalk, and murals on paper using tempera (ie large format paper hung between 2 trees) on which people could participate in the creation of a public mural.

Simone Spicer

Wyndmoor, PA

http://www.simonespicer.com
I have a huge collection of plastic containers and lids, and would be interested in stringing them together like beads or plastic bobbles, in one long strand and see how long I can make it in the allotted time.   This 'single stream' might follow the curve of the path, or the river, and I could talk to people about the scary facts I have learned in my investigation of plastics in the environment, and enroll people to bring me plastic containers for the project.

Art in the Open (AiO) brings the action and intrigue of artists making their art directly to Philadelphia's Schuylkill riverbanks for three days in May. Here, free to all audiences, selected artists work with brushes, cameras, sewing machines, pens, and hammers, to respond to this historic and environmentally unique local setting. The public is invited to walk among the artists and observe their process of creation and craft up close. Park visitors can also make their own art at select locations along the riverbank path and join in related events offered by a wide partnership of the city's cultural organizations.

AiO celebrates the Philadelphia landscape as both inspiration and as an open-air studio for artists. Over the days of May 18-20, 2012, from Fairmount Water Works to Bartram's Garden, AiO will explore the natural beauty and urban character of the Schuylkill River: where West Philadelphia separates from Center City and thousands of people enjoy a beloved recreational park of paths and views.