Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition 17
Jean Plough M L M M E 17
GO FIGURE
March 27 – June 3, 2022
OFF THE WALL Dirty Frank’s offthewallgallery.org @otwdirtyfranks NE Corner, 13th & Pine Philadelphia, PA
Looking Ahead March 27 — June 3
Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition 17 “Go Figure: Paintings from Jean Plough” Opens Sunday, April 3, 3–6 pm
Thursday, May 12
Deadline for entries to Summer Juried Show
June 5 — August 5
15th Annual Community Juried Show Opens Thursday, June 9, 7–10 pm
Monday, July 4
Year-ending Juried Show theme announced
August 7 — September 16
2022 Midsummer Show Opens Thursday, August 11, 7–10 pm
September 18 — November 11
2022 Autumn Invitational Opens Thursday, September 22, 7–10 pm
Thursday, October 13
Deadline for entries to Year-ending Juried Show
November 13 — December 26
17th Annual Juried Exhibition $600+ in cash prizes / $10 hanging fee Opens Thursday, November 17, 7–10 pm
on cover, clockwise from top left: “Jumping Jack Figure,” “Nothing Left to Lose,” “Women’s Work,” detail from “Man with Red Tie,” “Why Are We Here?”
Our Mary Liz Fellows 2020 Jim Biglan Carla Liguori Caitlin T. McCormack Lindsey Wavrek 2019 Elizabeth H. MacDonald Alice Meyer-Wallace Karl Olsen
2018 Jim Biglan Felix Giordano 2017 Jim Ferrell Bob Jackson Jesse Vandenburgh 2016 Bob Gorchov Wendy Ploger Wayne W. Urffer
2015 Leroy Forney Carla Liguori Kim Martin 2014 Russell Brodie Matthew Green Jim Montgomery
Go Figure
The last time we celebrated a MARY LIZ MEMORIAL MASTERS EXHIBITION, named for our founding director and the highest honor we can bestow, the whole world was about to be turned on its ear. MLMME16 went up on March 14, 2020. There never was an Opening Reception. But many positive things came out of the pandemic, too. During these past, at times harrowing, two years, we never stopped showing art on our Wall and in our 3D case, and we had the chance to meet some phenomenal artists—JEAN PLOUGH foremost among them. So it’s both fitting and ironic that the return of MLMME17 also marks Jean’s tour de force debut on our Wall, which is the first-ever solo outing for a Mary Liz Fellow. In fact, Jean joins a small and select group of OFF THE WALL artists who have enjoyed a lone spotlight shone on their work, following in the footsteps of only three other soloists in our 43-year history: Elizabeth H. “Betty” MacDonald, Bob Jackson and Ellen Powell Tiberino—pretty heady company! The accolade is well-deserved. Rarely has an artist struck a more resonant chord in our community. After first seeing work she generously contributed to our SAVE DIRTY FRANK’S online auction in 2021, we quickly realized that Jean’s canvases—deftly combining abstract intensity, mastery of color and texture, and figurative and graphic elements—would electrify our space. So they have and will continue to do through June 3. Jump right in and ENJOY! Jody Sweitzer Curator
Togo Travalia Manager
We’re thrilled to welcome Jean Plough into the ranks of our esteemed Mary Liz Fellows. 2013 Robert Bohné Matthew Green Jim Montgomery 2012 Phil Sumpter Marlise M. Tkaczuk Rick Wright 2011 Michael Guinn Alice Meyer-Wallace Jack Thompson
2010 David Guinn Jim Montgomery
2007 Raphael Tiberino Wayne W. Urffer
2009 Bob Arufo Bob Jackson
2006 Clark DeLeon Jim Ferrell Bob Jackson
2008 Huston Ripley Jesse Vandenburgh Rob Willis
2005 Ellen Powell-Tiberino Jerome Robinson
Jean Plough
Some of my paintings develop out of insomnia, others from images I see right before going to sleep.
“BLACK ARTICHOKE” oil on canvas 200.
Several are based on photos I like and then change.
“Bronze Figure” acrylic on canvas 200.
opposite page, clockwise from top left, all acrylic on canvas: “DON’T TREAD ON ME” 400.
“Fall from Grace”
70.
“Catching a Devil”
60.
“Hades”
300.
“Dog and House”
60.
“EMPTY”
200.
“Girl Near Window”
70.
Born in Queens, I studied painting at University of the Arts. I remember going to Frank’s when I was an art student, and also later on when I lived at 12th & Pine Before I came to Philadelphia, I lived in Maryland, Nashville, Denver and San Juan, Puerto Rico. My claim to fame is being part of Insomnia, Landscapes of the Night, an exhibition at National Museum of Women in the Arts. I have three sisters, a cat named Tabina Calico and a woofdog. Follow Jean on Instagram @jeanplough
Sometimes, when a painting seems unresolved, a word or phrase comes to come that completes it.
Although I’m usually an abstract painter, sometimes I do figures. This is because most things look like figures anyway.
clockwise from top left, all acrylic on canvas: “RED/DEAD”
100.
“Red Rainbow Brige”
200.
“SMALL DREAM”
250.
“Spirit”
70.
opposite page, acrylic on canvas:
“TECH”
70.
“Ophelia, Floating Girl”
300.
“Reclining Figure”
400.
“THERE IS NO WINDOW” 200.
Make offthewallgallery.org your one stop to discover our artists, shop for art, read programs and posts, and find our calls for art.
Call for Entries
RE EM ER GE 6.05 – 8.05.22
Rarely in history do all artists— no matter how they identify, where they live, create and find inspiration—have a common touchpoint impacting their work. The pandemic was such a shared event. Show us with outstanding work from the last two-plus years how COVID and the future it ushers in have been reflected in your art and creative process and/or how you now think about ideas such as freedom and limitations, isolation, community, personal choices and public health. • All media are welcome: 2D, 3D, multimedia and more. • 2D work cannot exceed combined dimensions (height+ width) of 48”; 3D work must fit in our secure case. • There is no entry fee. • Email by Thursday, May 12 to offthewallgallery@gmail.com no more than five (5) entries with six things: 1) high-quality images, 2) framed dimensions, 3) titles, 4) prices, 5) media, and 6) a single two-sentence statement about your work. • Be ready to deliver accepted, wired, ready-to-hang artwork to Off the Wall on Saturday, June 4.
Off the Wall Gallery Dirty Frank’s offthewallgallery.org @otwdirtyfranks
NE Corner, 13th & Pine Streets
Philadelphia, PA