Thu, Sep 24, 2015
Mo Brooker uses abstract painting as an ephemeral expression of his belief in God. Renowned for his striking use of color, he's one of today's most significant painters, yet he's never taken full credit for his brilliance. Singer-songwriter Jasmine Tate says making music is her vocation, not a career. Yet the stories she tells, though informed by her faith, are universal. And, Kelly Schumacher sees herself as part of a continuum of liturgical artists that stretches back centuries. While today, many artists are more concerned with expressions of self, expressing God's glory remains the principle driving force for this PAFA-trained artist.
Thu, Oct 1, 2015
Classically trained Larry Gold has spent a lifetime turning out classic hits. Today he's helping bring out the soul in R&B and hip-hop. Curating has become a buzz-word for organizing a life, but there are people who do it for a living. And Jennifer Allora is half of one of today's most innovative artistic partnerships, Allora & Calzadilla. Though married, only half of their relationship is emotional.
Thu, Oct 8, 2015
The Philadelphia Orchestra has a new harp. We travel to Chicago with Elizabeth Hainen, the Orchestra's principal harpist for her first meeting with the instrument. The Philadelphia-wide site specific art festival Open Source features works by 14 high-profile artists from around the world, all created in tandem with local communities. And Bruce Metcalf, the Philadelphia-based fine art jeweler, is a master of more crafts than seems possible. But he refuses to use precious materials in his work, finding them a little too... precious.
Thu, Oct 15, 2015
Ceramicist Lauren Mabry is turning heads in the art world. She uses hundreds of handmade glazes in the creation of her signature abstract cylinders. Though they entered the main stream consciousness in the 20th Century, comics may well be as old as art itself. And the singer-songwriter Martin Sexton has rolled with the punches in an ever-changing music world.
Thu, Oct 22, 2015
The Philadelphia-based stained glass artist Judith Schaechter brings a very non-traditional perspective to a very traditional medium. Performing in the street, or "busking" has existed for as long as music itself. Today, it can be the starting point for a career- or a job in itself. And sculptor Jim Dessicino uses a craft, usually associated with permanence, to examine the transient nature of contemporary narratives.
Thu, Oct 29, 2015
Dindga McCannon was a pioneer of art quilting, an innovative approach to a traditional medium. Today, her ever-evolving practice remains strongly rooted in her African-American heritage. Steven and Billy Dufala are a seemingly ubiquitous presence in Philadelphia's contemporary art scene. But their success is built not on competitiveness, but a profound sense of community. In the popular imagination, tango is an exotic seduction born of the sultry streets of Buenos Aires. In truth, it is a complex improvised dance form practiced the world over.
Thu, Nov 5, 2015
When artist Ellen Harvey visited the Barnes Foundation she found inspiration for a new work in an often-overlooked part of the collection. As well as being among the world's largest musical instruments, Carillons, tucked away in bell-towers, may also be the stealthiest. Now in his early 20's, Matthew Fowler is already a veteran singer-songwriter. He made his first album at age fourteen.
Thu, Nov 12, 2015
The Israeli singer and actor Ester Rada makes music that expresses her Ethiopian heritage and her love of American Jazz and R&B. Brian Sanders' choreography is a unique wonder of art and acrobatics. And Mariel Capanna believed her path would be straight and narrow until she discovered that painting had bigger plans.