CELEBRATING SELECTIONS FROM OUR PERMANENT COLLECTION The Barbara Crawford Gallery Thursday, February 21, 2019 5:00 to 6:30 pm
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SCH Academy News sch@myschoolemails.com You are Invited: Opening Reception @ The Crawford Gallery February 20, 2019 at 3:17 PM Christina Kelly christymkelly5@gmail.com
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Tree of Life / Lecture / Clockmaker Digital print gifted by the artist in 2017
Matthew Borgen Artist in residence in 2017 A native of Akron, Ohio, Matthew Borgen is a graphic designer and illustrator who moved to Philadelphia in 2003. His installations, videos, and digital prints have populated many regional venues around the country. Cities in the Sky was an exhibition of digital prints exhibited at the Barbara Crawford Gallery from February 16, 2017 to April 14, 2017. “In my recent work I have appropriated imagery from comic books from the ’30s through the ’50s, utilizing their visual conventions, nostalgic aura, and narrative structures to comment on current cultural conditions. The suite of digital prints that make up the exhibition Cities in the Sky combine this found imagery with additional compositional and thematic elements derived from artworks in the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy permanent collection on display throughout the school. These include a mural depicting three biblical scenes painted by Violet Oakley (1874-1961), which hangs in the library. This project encapsulates current conversations in the popular discourse which pit science against religion, region against region, nation against nation, and history against the future into a visual narrative based on humanity’s ongoing pursuit of an ideal society – and the subsequent problems that inevitably arise.” - Matthew Borgen
Relationship Series IV Bronze, 1999. Gifted by the artist in 2003
Joseph L. Castle III Alumnus of Chestnut Hill Academy, Class of 1979 Joseph Castle is a contemporary artist & sculptor living in California. He was raised here in Philadelphia and graduated from CHA in 1979. In 2003 his work was featured in a solo show at the Barbra Crawford Gallery. “My own process is very similar to the myths I draw from: I start with a sort of vague idea of where I want to take things, but as the work and the series progress, the directions and destination become clearer.� - Joseph Castle
Untitled Acrylic on canvas, 1972-1987
Barbara Anne Crawford B.1914 D.2003 Art Teacher at Chestnut Hill Academy from 1934 to 1990 Barbara Crawford was a painter, illustrator, and writer. She graduated from the Pennsylvania Museum School. Crawford started teaching at CHA in 1942, when she took over for her husband, Sam Feinstein, who, after four years as head of the arts at CHA, enlisted in the army. Feinstein was an avid artist who pursued existential answers through his paintings. The two lived and painted together for years in a loft that served as their studio above an auto repair shop in Philadelphia. They later bought a house in the Rittenhouse Square area and converted their second floor to a studio. Considered a first-generation abstract expressionist artist, Feinstein was well known in art circles. His paintings were abstract with no limitations on form or color and concerned with the search for meaningful expression. His work strongly influenced Crawford's style, as seen in this dramatic painting, made of multiple layers of pure color, which took her 15 years to complete. As a teacher, Crawford modeled the abstract expressionist approach, giving her students free rein to explore and create. “Her teaching style was sophisticated, which juxtaposed her subtle sense of humor.� - Dan Brewer
Crossing Guard Oil on canvas, 1976
John Philip Falter B. 1910 D. 1982 Gift from the Springside School Class of 1976 John Philip Falter was a world-renowned illustrator. The John Philip Falter Museum in Falls City, NE, was established in 2015. Falter was best known for illustrating 129 covers for the Saturday Evening Post. “This portrait is of our much-loved Louis "Lou" G. DeAngelo, former head of maintenance at the Springside School. Along with his wife, Jane, who oversaw the school’s kitchen, Lou made sure everything was well attended to. As the morning crossing guard, Lou would welcome you to school, back in the days when many of us walked to school. Firm and commanding with a whistle in his mouth, he ensured that you always made it to school safely. During the day, Lou transitioned into his maintenance role. He also drove a bus when needed.” - Jenny McHugh ’84
Sketch of Albert Einstein Charcoal drawing, 1935 Carola Spaeth Hauschka B. 1883 D. 1948 This well-known portrait of Albert Einstein by Carola Spaeth Hauschka was used in the February 1936 edition of Fortune magazine. Prints made from the original are still being sold. Hauschka’s son, Theodore, a graduate of Princeton University, was a biology teacher at Chestnut Hill Academy from 1935 to 1939. It is assumed that the dedication To My Friends at Chestnut Hill Academy was, in fact, written by Albert Einstein himself.
Afternoon Siesta Oil on canvas, 2006
Judith McCabe Jarvis Alumna of Springside School, Class of 1977 Judith M. Jarvis is a prolific Philadelphia painter, living in Chadds Ford, PA, and exhibiting her works throughout the country. She is the recipient of many awards and accolades. Over the years, her paintings have evolved in complexity and style. “Afternoon Siesta” was created en plein air in 2006. “Life and Art are a process. The burning urge to create is great. My Springside teachers understood that, encouraging and mentoring me.” - Judith McCabe Jarvis
Hibiscus Oil on canvas
Victoria McNeil Le Vine Alumna of Springside School, Class of 1975 Originally a printmaker and graphic designer, Victoria McNeil Le Vine transitioned to painting in the late 1990s. She is deeply involved in the Philadelphia-area arts and cultural community. Working mainly in watercolors and oils, LeVine enjoys an active outdoors lifestyle. Her work seeks to capture the beauty around her, reflecting the impressions, light, and uniqueness of surrounding landscapes.
Sol LeWitt (1928 - 2007)
Wall Drawings Courtesy of
Hank McNeil ‘61
Sol LeWitt is a world-renowned conceptual and minimalist artist. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy is one of the few institutions in the world with a sizable presentation of Sol LeWitt wall drawings. The wall drawings are conceived to entirely fill a wall, however LeWitt re-sized these wall drawings to allow the walls to accommodate a larger number of pieces in The Wissahickon Inn. These wall drawings were executed by his team of assistants. (Students contributed to the drawing closest to the library)
Wall Drawing #960 Black marker, 2001 Gift by Sol LeWitt Student Wall Drawing #960 was gifted to SCH Academy by Sol LeWitt at Mr. McNeil’s request.
Visual Art Faculty member, Dan Brewer recalls that “the Sol LeWitt installation was a transformative event for all who participated. Students had their eyes opened to a new way of constructing meaning from a collaborative experience. They interacted and engaged in a process that enabled them to recognize the significance of this artwork in the context of the community at large.“ These are photographic reproductions of the actual Sol LeWitt wall drawings located throughout the Wissahickon Inn. Photographs by Julia Lehman Photography
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaster, 1980
Constantine Mandola In honor of Black History Month we have included this bust of Martin Luther King Jr., which has historically resided in the library of the Lower School for Girls. Very little is known about Mandola. “Intelligence plus character, that is the true goal of education.� - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Three studies for “Triptych” Oil on canvas, 1907 On loan from the Woodmere Art Museum Violet Oakley B.1874 D.1961 Violet Oakley is best known for her spectacular large-scale Renaissancestyle murals that adorn public buildings, including the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. She was the first American woman in the early 20th century to engage in a task that was considered at that time for men only. Her murals and stained-glass designs depict themes from history and literature. The school’s special Violet Oakley painting, located in the Henry Memorial Library, has three panels and is titled “Triptych.” The paintings were created in 1907 on canvas. Even though the mural does not have a formal title, each panel has a different theme. The first panel depicts “heroism” as young David is shown defeating the giant Goliath. The middle panel shows “sacrifice” as Solomon is instructed by King David. The bottom panel shows “service” as a young Jesus speaks to the wise men or teachers in the Temple. The three panels on display here were done as a study for the mural in the Henry Memorial Library. The actual mural was loaned to the Woodmere Art Museum in 2017- 2018 for an extensive retrospective of the artist’s work, entitled A Grand Vision: Violet Oakley and the American Renaissance. This was the first time the mural was removed from its place in our library and placed side by side to these three studies. Violet Oakley lived in West Mount Airy on St. George’s Road. There is a historic marker on the street that describes “Cogslea,” the home she shared with other artists.
T/L: The Henry Library in 1956 T/R: The Henry Library in 2015 M/L: Study for “Heroism" (Young David) M/R: Study for "Service” (Young Solomon) B: Study for "Sacrifice” (The Boy Jesus among the Doctors)
Credit Crunch Mixed media, 2008
Amy Orr Springside School artist in residence in 2008 “Amy Orr is a maker, teacher, and risk taker reinventing her art practice with each new work. Orr creates obsessively ornate upcycled structures with provocative commentary from common detritus. Her work ranges from museum pieces to street art. Orr creates non traditional quilts from a palette of materials including chicken bones, shattered auto glass, plastic parts, religious mementos, twist ties, credit cards, currency, and dollar store multiples. Orr uses unexpected materials, chosen for their inherent social content. They are all by-products of consumerism: familiar, mass-produced, and disposable. Orr uses these collected elements to create patterns, building elaborate surfaces that explore dualities in traditional fiber art.� - From the artist’s website
Two Girls Oil on canvas, gifted by the artist in 1946
Katherine Wright Dunn Pagon B.1892 D.1988 Alumna of Springside School, Class of 1913 Katherine Pagon was listed on the 1917-1918 Honor Roll at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and was awarded the Cresson Traveling Scholarship multiple times. Pagon was the matriarch of several generations of alumni of both schools. In 1992 the Smithsonian received a collection of 75 letters from the Pagon family representing her correspondence between several prominent artists and collectors, including Dr. Albert Barnes.
Portrait of Jane Bell Oil on canvas, 1937
Lazar Raditz B.1887 D.1956 Lazar Raditz was a well known portrait painter who lived In Philadelphia. He was trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. His subjects included members of many prominent families including the DuPonts and Rockefellers as well as countless professionals. Raditz was also an art teacher at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. Jane Bell was a founder of Springside School. Her school, Miss Bell’s French and English Boarding and Day School for Young Ladies and Little Girls, merged with Miss Comegy’s Girls School to create Springside School in 1889. Shortly thereafter, Jane Bell retired. This painting was created as a study for her final portrait which hangs in the Exchange in the Wissahickon Inn.
Metamorphosis IV Mixed media, 1988-1990
Tim Rollins and the K.O.S.(Kids of Survival) B.1955 D.2017 Gifted by Hank McNeil in 2001, Alumnus of Chestnut Hill Academy, Class of 1961 Tim Rollins and the K.O.S. works can be seen in public collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C., and the Tate Gallery in London, among others. The decay of the natural apple within the work is meant to demonstrate Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
Red Hill Watercolor, 1984
Sandra Uhle Sawin B. 1940 D. 1990 Alumna of Springside School, Class of 1955 Red Hill was one of several works of art by Sawin gifted to the school by her loving family. Sawin was dear friends with her classmate, Gail Fowler Middleton, Class of 1955, who gifted Springside School with the music room in her friend’s honor.
Springside Scottie Mixed media, 2005
Leo Sewell Artist in residence at Springside School, 2005 “Leo Sewell grew up near a dump. He has played with junk now for 50 years and has developed his own assemblage technique. His works are collected by corporations, museums, and individuals throughout the world. Leo continues to cull the refuse of Philadelphia out of which he fashions pieces of all sizes, from a life size house cat to a 40-foot installation of a torch installed at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.� - Taken from the artist website The pieces used to create Springside Scottie were brought in by the lower school girls who worked on this project during Mr. Sewell's residency.
House on Germantown Avenue Watercolor, 1921 Catharine Wharton Morris Wright B.1899 D.1988 Alumna of Springside School, Class of 1916 Exhibited in a show in the Carpenter Gallery at Springside School in 1984 Catherine Wharton Morris’s paintings have been widely shown and collected in major Philadelphia museums including the University of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Woodmere Art Museum. She was a painter, author, and a member of the American Watercolor Society, the Audubon Artists, the Newport Artist Association among others.
Many Thanks. This exhibition would not have been possible without the help from many people. Melissa Haims for curating this exhibition. The artists and donors who have gifted our school with art. The Arts and New Media Department and its Director, Dr. Ellen Fishman. The SCH Communication and Development Teams. The SCH Facilities and Security Teams. The SCH Arts Council and its parent volunteers working on the Crawford Gallery Committee, specifically: Pia Druggan, Camille Focarino, Katy Friedland, Christy Kelly and Julia Lehman McTigue, who photographed the majority the work included in this booklet. A very special thanks to Bill Valerio and the Woodmere Art Museum for generously loaning us the Violet Oakley sketches for this exhibition. And finally, a very special thank you to the Druggans for championing the arts at SCH.