Tag: artstarphilly

November’s Art Pick: Divided – An Election Party and Exhibition

Running a shop, art space, and crafty business can be overwhelming with just two people. So we tend to get stuck in our little Art Star bubble sometimes. Erin & I have recently vowed to check out at least one art exhibition outside of Art Star at LEAST once a month. Tomorrow night we will be attending “Divided – An Election Party and Exhibition“, which will be held at the Ice Box within the Crane Arts Building on Tuesday (election night!) beginning at 7pm.

The exhibition/event is by artist + frequent Art Star collaborator (she made our latest line of mugs illustrated by Susie Ghahremani + we have some other special projects planned with her) and just all around awesome lady – Hope Rovelto & (I’m sure equally as awesome though we haven’t met yet) local artist Amanda Benton. The exhibition will feature art made by the pair.

Here are the details from the press release: “The main event will occur Tuesday, November 6, the evening of one of the most highly anticipated Presidential elections of our time. Beginning at 7:00pm, the artists will project live feeds of the election results from multiple news sources alongside an exhibition including politically themed broadsides, newspapers, ceramics, t-shirts, an interactive map of the United States, and more.

With the support of several local businesses including Barry’s Home Brew, who will be providing beer, and The Dapper Dog Food Truck, who will be serving up some special “Obama and Romney Dogs,” the goal of the collaborators is to capture and critique the spectacle of political discourse in our media landscape. The division of the gallery into blue and red spaces will mimic and call attention to the passionately divided supporters of Republican candidate Mitt Romney and Democratic incumbent Barack Obama.

From the artists: ‘The tension between the divided space is meant to mimic that of our two party system. We are a divided country. Our political debate reflects that and this show is meant to reflect that as well.’

An admission price of $20 gets you your choice of a handmade ceramic cup, all the beer you can drink, games, art, music, and a chance to watch history being made with artists and citizens from the Philadelphia area. A $5 discount applies to all students with ID and anyone who shows up with an “I voted” sticker. A portion of the proceeds from the evening will go to the American Red Cross to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.”

We hope to see you there – after you vote of course!

November 5, 2012
Crafternoon #2: Janell Wysock + Rachel Sherman of Malagueta

Our first Crafternoon was such a hit, so we are excited about our 2nd in the series! We will be visiting the studio of textile artist Janell Wysock & then we will head back to Art Star for a trunk show / make + take with Rachel Sherman, the lovely woman behind the amazing clothing line Malagueta.

Janell Wysock’s studio & samples of her work

Here are the details & full itinerary for the day:

Sunday, October 21st
10:15am-approximately 2pm

$25 per person, limit 10 people per Crafternoon (must have 5 to run)

10:15am– Meet up at Janell Wysock’s studio at the 915 Spring Garden Street Studios
You will get an intimite view of Janell’s studio + she will talk about her work & give a demonstration on her process. She will also have her collection of goods out & available for sale for 20% off – for crafternooners only! coffee, tea & snacks will be provided.

sample of clothing designs by Malagueta

11:45am – approximately 2pm Meet at Art Star where Malagueta clothing designer Rachel Sherman will be set up with her latest line of clothing. She will talk a little bit about her work & then give a demonstration on one of the techniques used on her clothing (see images below) called Couching. Bring a blank t-shirt, skirt, bag, or any other simple fabric piece to try out the technique. All other materials will be provided. Finger foods & refreshments provided.

Sample of the Couching Technique that Crafternooners can try

You will receive 20% off any item purchased from Art Star or from any of the artists that day!

Register here or call us at 215.238.1557

About the Artists:

Janell Wysock completed her BFA at Moore College of Art and Design in 2004. Since then, she has lived and worked in Philadelphia and successfully established her textile work by developing a strong following with her unique and creative woven works of art. Janell is a member of the 3 by Three collaborative with Melissa D’Agostino, and Rachel Sherman, of Maleugeta, who believe hand made local fashion is important to building a caring and sustainable community that respects local makers which, in turn, supports other various local suppliers, creating an over all smaller carbon foot print.

Check out our interview with Janell here or visit her website for more info

After receiving her BFA in Textile Design from Moore College, Rachel Sherman traded in her east coast lifestyle for a stint in Seattle. It was there, in 2002, that she launched her label “malagueta”, based on improvised surface manipulation techniques such as applique, couching, shirring, top-stitching, ruching, embroidery, piecing, and pin-tucking. Her inspiration: foliage, architecture, fruits, vegetables, insects, and machinery.

Malagueta, in Portuguese, is known as a tiny, hot red pepper that grows in Brazil, where her mother was born and where Sherman has visited on many occasions. Her lively interpretations of color and pattern pay homage to her passion for nature and music. Her vibrant, modern and easy to wear creations found their way into independent boutiques down the west coast to Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, then east to Tucson, Miami, and DC, where funky and feminine were embraced by a diverse clientele.

Presently, based in Philadelphia, Sherman has reestablished herself on the handmade scene through local fine art festivals and indie craft shows such as Art Star Craft Bazaar, Crafty Bastards, Holiday Heap, and the SOWA Market.

Visit her website for more info

October 9, 2012
New Art Star Exclusive “Reading Octopus Mug by Susie Ghahremani”

We teamed up with San Diego based artist Susie Ghahremani of www.boygirlparty.com to create this awesome mug. Susie created this illustration just for us & we hope to continue working with her on new products. Local ceramic artist, Hope Rovelto of Little Chair Printing printed the illustration on these mugs for us & she did such an amazing job. I’m excited about future collaborations with these two talented ladies.

Illustration © 2011 Susie Ghahremani/Boygirlparty.com. Cutting board by Farmhaus Furniture.

I went and got a Pumpkin Butter Soy beverage from Soy Cafe across the street to test out the mug. It was like drinking fall in a cup! My favorite thing to do during the cold weather days is to curl up with a good book & drink a hot toddy made by my husband, Cisco. That is what I will be drinking mostly from this mug.

Have you ever made a hot toddy? It is easy. Just add as much Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey as you’d like (usually just a finger or so) to hot tea. Get an orange or lemon wedge & stick some whole cloves into it & plop that in. The honey whiskey adds just the right touch of sweetness. Enjoy!

Susie Ghahremani is a 2002 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with a BFA in Illustration. Her artwork combines her love of nature, animals, music and patterns. Born and raised in Chicago, Susie now happily spends her time painting, drawing, crafting and tending to her pet finches and cat in San Diego, CA.

September 28, 2012