philadelphia art alliance lecture series

The Philadelphia Art Alliance is thrilled to announce our newest program stream, The Commonwealth! Continuing with PAA’s new mission of the advancement and appreciation of contemporary craft and design, The Commonwealth will explore the current issues pertaining to the modern craft and design movement, through panel discussions and lectures by artists, academics and curators from the notable craft specific institutions in the city and the larger Northeast Corridor. The selection of critically acclaimed speakers represent the next generation of craft artists and curators, who will seek to provide a clearer understanding of the place of craft and design in the larger context of modern fine art. This series is the product of collaborations between PAA and nationally featured artist/educator Doug Bucci, who is serving as Program Curator. The Commonwealth will kick off on October 14th, 2010 and will continue with subsequent lectures each month (excluding January) until the series wrap-up in May 2011. The cost of admission to each lecture is $5 for general admission; PAA Members and Students with current ID will receive FREE Admission.

Dates and Speakers are as follows:
· October 14th, 2010: David McFadden, Chief Curator at the Museum of Art and Design, NYC
· November 11th, 2010: Svenja John, Internationally lauded jewelry artist from Germany
· December 9th, 2010: Candy Depew, Sculptor and director/owner of the Candy Coated Center, Philadelphia
· February 10th, 2011: Melanie Bilenker, world-renowned jeweler
· March 10th, 2011: Judith Schaechter, Philadelphia glass artist
· April 14, 2011: Adelaide Paul, Philadelphia ceramic artist and PEW Fellowship Grantee
· May 12th, 2011: Wrap up panel discussion with participating lecturers, moderated by Rama Chorpash
**All Lectures take place at 7:00 PM**

Each speaker in the series will address a different topic as it relates to the modern craft movement. Topics to be addressed include: The Institutional Joining of Art Craft and Design, Globalization, Sustainability, Departures from Craft, Impact of Science and Technology, and Social Movements. In May 2011, the series will wrap up with a panel discussion, featuring many of the speakers from the previous 6 lectures. Rama Chorpash will moderate this discussion, taking the views expressed from each lecture and synthesizing them in order to find a common theme, which will spark an open discussion with panelists and audience members alike.

PAA announces this new series with great excitement, as we embark on the next chapter of our distinguished history. Having successfully navigated through our transition from a multi-disciplinary art center to one focused on contemporary craft and design, PAA is poised to embrace our new mission, and position our institution as a pre-eminent presenter of thought provoking craft and design exhibitions and programs in the Philadelphia region and beyond. The Commonwealth will solidify this commitment and usher in a new era for PAA and our constituents.

For more information about this series or PAA, please visit here.