The Brandywine Workshop, Restaurant Identity Project, The Print Center of Philadelphia

The Brandywine Workshop

Produced by Karen Smyles

Founded in 1972 as the Brandywine Graphic Workshop, the organization remains committed to the creation, documentation and preservation of a legacy of culturally diverse American art and insuring the participation of multi-ethnic artists and audiences in the field of fine art printmaking and related media technologies. It moved from its first location at 1923 Brandywine Street in North Philadelphia’s Spring Garden section to the South of South Street community in the downtown section of South Philadelphia and began using the name Brandywine Workshop.

Brandywine Workshop and Archives provides a number of professional development opportunities for artists such as exhibitions, lectures, visiting artist residencies and inclusion in permanent collections where they have developed strong partnerships. The Workshop also mentors and trains high school and college students through its internship program, which develops skills in edition printmaking, video production and archival collections management.

History highlights include: hosting residences for more than 350 artists from the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, traveling exhibitions to more than 35 cities abroad and building one of the mostly important collections of contemporary, culturally diverse printmaking in America.

Friday Arts talks with Founder/President, Allan Edmunds about the role the organization has played in the past and what’s on the horizon. We also talk with Brazilian-born, mixed-media artist, Doris Nogueira-Rogers about her work and residency at Brandywine.

The Restaurant Identity Project

Produced by Monica Rogozinski

Restaurant Design is a big component of a new restaurant. As part of Tyler School of Arts at Temple University, the Graphic and Interactive Design program students, spend a semester working on a full concept for a restaurant they create.

Students come up with a theme based concept for a restaurant. They figure out the type of food that would be served based on their concept. They name the restaurant and design a logo, menu, packaging (bags and boxes, and extra collateral). They do all their own copywriting for the restaurant culminating in a complete branding project. The exhibit installation and deinstallation are part of it.
Every year a renowned designer is invited to judge the show and award students in different categories. This year, Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich came from New York to talk to the students about his work for numerous restaurants across the country, including the Starr Restaurants and his design for Parc and Il Pittore in Philadelphia.

The exhibition and award ceremony attract students from all departments, and has been one of the most popular within the school and the Temple community for the last 15 years.

The Print Center of Philadelphia

Produced by Michael O’Reilly

The Print Center of Philadelphia is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Their mission, according to the website, is to “encourage the growth and understanding of photography and printmaking as vital contemporary arts through exhibitions, publications and educational programs.” And as you might expect, after being around for 100 years, they are not afraid to do their exhibitions and publications a little differently. After all, this is the organization that over the last 100 years, featured work from Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, Ansel Adams, Ann Hamilton, Art Spiegelman and Kara Walker, to name but a few of the illustrious artists that have graced the space of the small Rittenhouse Square gallery. Add to that list the name of Gabe Martinez – billing himself as a visual artist, Martinez does photography and pretty much everything else in this wide ranging show called Gabriel Martinez: Bayside Revisited. The show is a dramatic, immersive, multi-media exhibition that reflects on the history of Fire Island as it figures in the history of gay culture. The works in Bayside Revisited incorporate a variety of print and photographic processes including a site-specific film installation. In his ongoing exploration of the issues surrounding the legacy of gay activism, Martinez uses the printed image as a way to celebrate, memorialize and illuminate history, which echoes The Print Center’s approach to its Centennial.