Resilience: Art & Design in Times of Uncertainty
A group exhibition highlighting young artists based in Philadelphia
On view Tuesday, May 3 - Tuesday, May 24, 2022
About
Resilience is a defining characteristic of an emerging generation of artists and designers. 2020 was a year of pause, as the collective shock from the pandemic rippled through our social fabric and into our most personal lives. It was a call for transformation with respect to every aspect of the world. Who are we when we are alone and what are our roles in our communities? How can we become part of something bigger than ourselves? In a time of ongoing social and political upheaval and a growing environmental crisis, we have had to continuously adapt our routines and reconsider the ways in which we relate to each other and the spaces around us. In taking on different forms, these relationships have revealed a new personal and collective resilience.
This exhibition, Resilience: Art & Design in Times of Uncertainty, brings together fifteen artists from a variety of backgrounds and mediums who reflect on these questions and the multifaceted nature of resilience. Sculpture, painting, and embroidery based works explore resilience through a personal and historical lens, while digital abstractions of landscapes pose questions about our built and natural environments. In other pieces, photography and documentation practices create space for reflection on memory and these distinctive moments in time.
From an initial call for submissions in March, this show bridges new connections between young artists from across Philadelphia schools, including Drexel University, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University, and the College of Arts & Sciences and the Stuart Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania.
Works were curated by Co-Editors Eleanor Shemtov and Adrianna Brusie, Caroline Jones, and Avery Givens Nardone. Our second print issue, t-art magazine / volume 2 will include works featured in the exhibition along with additional stories and interviews surrounding the theme of resilience.
15% of all proceeds from artwork sales will be donated to CARE to provide humanitarian and medical aid to Ukraine.
生 Born | Raw
Artificial Landscapes by Eleanor Shemtov
Featured Artists
Sudeep Bhargava (he/him) is an artist and writer currently based in Philadelphia by way of Dallas, TX. As of May 16th, 2022, he received a BA in communication from the University of Pennsylvania and is further pursuing a MSc at Oxford University.
Storm “X” Brewer (they/them) is originally from Evansville, Indiana and currently lives in Philadelphia as a stulpture student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. stormxbrewer.com
Lara Bros (she/her) is BA candidate in Art History at Drexel University and focuses on utilizing art for social justice work in order to help bridge gaps in our understandings of each other. Her art practice explores themes of memory, nostalgia, and how vulnerability informs our perspectives. laraibros.com
Neill Jordan Frianeza Catangay (he/him) is a Filipino interdisciplinary artist born and raised on Guam. He received his BA at the University of Guam and his MFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. neillfcatangay.com
Kate Coyne (she/her) is a freshman studying product design at Drexel University. Coming from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, she enjoys reading, running, and anything that allows her to be in nature.
Kristina Denzel Bickford (she/her) is from the greater Philadelphia region and holds a BS in art and biology from Colby College. A former high school biology teacher, she has returned to art full time and is currently pursuing an MFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Ash Garner - THECOLORG (she/her) is a millennial feminine queer interdisciplinary artist based in Philadelphia, PA. She earned her BFA from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and her MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Ash creates work that challenges perceived binaries, conscious/unconscious bias, and societal expectations by analyzing and bridging her childhood experiences with her adulthood experiences. thecolorg.com
Amy Krimm (she/they) is a multimedia artist from Silver Spring, Maryland currently studying Visual Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She is interested in themes of memory, craft, and domesticity in the modern world. @artbyamybk
Laura Li 李婧宜 (they/them) is a multimedia artist who embraces, mends, and makes marks on and with imperfections and broken memories. lauralijingyi.com
Hannah Pacitti (she/her) lives in Philadelphia, where she attends the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for her undergraduate degree in painting.
Eleanor Shemtov (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and designer from New York passionate about music, sustainability and innovation, and storytelling. She is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Design and Cognitive Science and graduating in May 2022.
Hainuo Shi (she/her) is a first year MFA student at the University of Pennsylvania originally from Beijing. shihainuo.com
Talia Valenti (she/her) is an artist and student at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture hailing from South Philadelphia.
Generation Pandemic is an oral history archive that documents the impact of COVID-19 on young adults in America. The project is led by Alan Jinich (he/him) and Max Strickberger (he/him), seniors at the University of Pennsylvania. generationpandemicprojet.com
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge that the space used for this exhibition at the University City Arts League and the universities represented by the artists and members of t-art sit on indigenous territory known as the 'Lenapehoking", the land of the Lenape, also called the Lenni-Lenape or Delaware Indians.
This project was made possible by the Kelly Writers House Creative Ventures Fund.
University City Arts League is the neighborhood hub for arts education in West Philadelphia. Our contemporary art center champions intergenerational learning with a wide array of visual and performing arts programs, classes, workshops and residencies. We are committed to our relationships with surrounding schools, community centers, individuals and our neighbors. Historically dedicated to cultivating and sustaining new talent by way offering consistent paid opportunities, professional development and exhibiting space to the broader arts community. The Arts League functions as an amplifier for creative voices of all backgrounds, providing the space for exploration, growth and joy.
4226 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
t-art magazine is a student-run publication based at the University of Pennsylvania that exists at the intersection of art and technology to create a dialogue between interdisciplinary creative fields. By bridging the gap between artists and innovators within the Penn community and beyond, our print and digital magazine explores the collaborative potential to push the boundaries of art and design.