Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710
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Contact: Communications and Development
PARKWAY CENTRAL’S PRINT AND PICTURE COLLECTION PRESENTS LIBRARY-FOCUSED EXHIBITION
Local artists create works centered on the Free Library and its community
PHILADELPHIA, April 11, 2012 – The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Print and Picture Collection presents “Stonewalled: Five Artists Install on the Walls of the Free Library of Philadelphia” at the H.O.M.E. Page Café at Parkway Central Library from Monday, April 23 to Sunday, July 29. The exhibition features five Philadelphia artists—P. Timothy Gierschick II, Tara Ivins, Lisa Murch, Ben Volta, and Mauro Zamora—whose work considers the larger role of the Library in the community, while also focusing on the Parkway Central building and its location among other arts institutions.
The five artists in the exhibition were chosen as their work speaks to the topics and issues facing the Library and also because they were able to highlight the architecture of the H.O.M.E. Page Café. “I wanted to do something that really showcased the space,” Aurora Deshauteurs, Curator of the Print and Picture Collection, noted. “Since Philadelphia has one of the most diverse art communities, I wanted to connect these artists to the Library community and vice versa.”
The artists in the exhibition address the Library through varying media including installations, photography, and painting. Gierschick’s and Ivin’s work dives into the idea of architecture; Murch speaks to the use of space; Volta works with students in the community to make art a vital part of education; and Mauro reinforces the power of information. Individually, their approach is personal but together the work explores the multiple uses of the Library.
The Print and Picture Collection houses roughly half-a-million circulating pictures in the largest public picture-lending library in the nation. In addition, there are 395,000 fine art prints and thousands of drawing, photographs, postcards, greeting cards, and other ephemera to be seen.
A public reception for “Stonewalled” will be held in the Café Thursday, May 24, 2012 from 5:30 -7:30 p.m.
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The Free Library of Philadelphia system consists of 49 branches, three regional libraries, the Parkway Central Library, and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. With more than six million visits annually, the Free Library is one of the most widely used educational and cultural institutions in Philadelphia.
04/16/2012
Department of External Affairs, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710, FAX (215) 567-7850