Leeway's Photography/Works on Paper Awards Exhibition

PHILA, PA THE LEEWAY FOUNDATION is pleased to announce an exhibition featuring the recipients of Leeway s 2002 Awards to Emerging and Established Artists in Photography/Works On Paper, co-curated by the PHILADELPHIA ART ALLIANCE and THE PRINT CENTER. One of only a handful of foundations in the country to focus exclusively on individual women artists, Leeway supports, encourages and celebrates the women artists of the Philadelphia region. Says PAA curator Amy Schlegel, "The Foundation and this awards exhibition serve a great purpose by providing emerging women artists with the recognition and exposure that they need to boost their careers and established artists with the opportunity and 'permission' to spend an extended period of time in the studio, to take a research trip, or to produce new work for upcoming exhibitions." "The Print Center is honored to host this exhibition, adds curator Jacqueline van Rhyn. The Leeway Foundation plays an integral part in supporting the thriving art community in Philadelphia."

THE EXHIBITION DATES
December 5, 2002 to February 2, 2003

OPENING RECEPTIONS
Thursday, December 5, 5:30-7:30pm

LOCATIONS
Philadelphia Art Alliance
251 South 18th Street, Philadelphia
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11:00am-5:00pm 215.545.4302
www.philartalliance.org

The Print Center
1614 Latimer Street, Philadelphia
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11:00am-5: 30pm
Closed December 23, 2002-January 5, 2003 215.735.6090
www.printcenter.org

The exhibition encompasses a variety of techniques executed on paper such as photography, drawing, printmaking, digitally-generated images, collage and non-traditional forms. In its diversity of subject matter and approach, the pieces in the exhibition reflect the beauty, humor, brilliance and stark truth of the work being done by our community's women artists. So many recipients were inspired by life around them, says Judith K. Brodsky, one of the jurors for the awards. Joan Klatchko's photographic observations (often ironic but always kind) of everyday life in the suburbs; Melina Hammer's photographs of spaces bearing evidence of human use; Rachel Stecker's stories revealing the lives of the people she photographs; Adrienne Stalek's installations uncovering the medical dehumanization of women; Zoe Strauss' making people aware of their surroundings through pasting images of their neighborhood all over that neighborhood; and Karen Fogarty's drawings conveying the feel and look of a city scene. Others are telling us about themselves: Tara Goings' dream worlds; Barbara Bullock's wonderful personages referring to her African heritage; Emily Brown's ink washes vividly recreating for us the woods and fields she loves; Enid Mark's elegant integrations of poetic words and images; Astrid Bowlby's cutouts taking ownership of the spaces in which they are installed; Lynnette Mager, Helen Cahng and Yukie Kobayashi involved with personal artistic expression and life itself.

THE ARTISTS
One hundred and eighty women artists from throughout the Philadelphia five-county region applied for Leeway's 2002 Awards. Fourteen artists were selected to receive awards: five established artists and nine emerging artists. In addition to the financial awards (a total of $190,000 was awarded), a joint exhibition was arranged to increase their recognition and representation as artists. The list of recipients follows. For additional information on individual artists, visit www.leeway.org.

AT THE PHILADELPHIA ART ALLIANCE

Barbara Bullock
Phila County • Established Artist • $35,000

Karen Fogarty
Delaware County •Emerging Artist •$2,500

Tara Goings
Phila County • Established Artist • $20,000

Melina Hammer
Phila County • Emerging Artist • $7,500

Yukie Kobayashi
Phila County • Emerging Artist • $7,500

Adrienne Stalek
Montgomery County • Emerging Artist • $2,500

Rachel Stecker
Phila County • Emerging Artist • $7,500

Zoe Strauss
Phila County • Emerging Artist • $2,500

AT THE PRINT CENTER

Astrid Bowlby
Established Artist • Phila County • $30,000

Emily Brown
Phila County • Established Artist • $30,000

Helen Cahng
Phila County • Emerging Artist • $7,500

Joan Klatchko
Bucks County • Emerging Artist • $15,000

Lynnette Mager
Phila County • Emerging Artist • $7,500

Enid Mark
Delaware County • Established Artist • $20,000

SPECIAL PROGRAMS
The Philadelphia Art Alliance and The Print Center have developed special programs to run in conjunction with the exhibition.
PAA's Brown Bag Lecture Series features the following artists talks from 12:15-1:00pm:

• Melina Hammer Photography Wednesday, December 11
• Karen Fogarty Works On Paper Wednesday, December 18
• Tara Goings Works On Paper Wednesday, January 8
• Barbara Bullock Collage Thursday, January 9
• Adrienne Stalek Photo-based Installation Wednesday, January 15
• Yukie Kobayashi Paper-based Sculpture Thursday, January 16
• Rachel Stecker Photography Wednesday, January 22
• Zoe Strauss Photography Thursday, January 30

For up-to-date information on other gallery programming, visit the gallery Web sites.

ABOUT THE LEEWAY FOUNDATION
Founded in 1993, The Leeway Foundation supports individual women artists, arts programs and arts organizations, focusing on the Greater Philadelphia region, in order to help them achieve personal and community transformation. Leeway's Awards to Emerging and Established Artists were created to recognize and encourage the vital, visionary work of the Philadelphia region's diverse community of women artists. Given annually in a selected visual or literary discipline, awards are based wholly upon the artistic excellence of a body of the work. It is Leeway's intention that these awards support the continued artistic development of women artists affording them the time and the means to create art.

ABOUT PHILADELPHIA ART ALLIANCE
The Philadelphia Art Alliance is committed to exploring the visual, performing and literary arts within a setting that encourages spirited exchange between all those whose lives have been enriched by the arts. The Philadelphia Art Alliance's commitment is to the belief that the arts often provide meaningful insights into the most important issues facing contemporary society. To this end, the Philadelphia Art Alliance presents stimulating exhibitions, performances and educational programs for all ages in a welcoming social environment that encourages dialogue between artists of all disciplines and between artists and the public.

ABOUT THE PRINT CENTER
The Print Center supports printmaking and photography as vital contemporary arts and encourages the appreciation of the printed image in all its forms. The Print Center presents a variety of programs for the public including 13 exhibitions annually; The Print Center Gallery Store offering the largest and most diverse selection of contemporary prints in Philadelphia; the longest running annual international competition for prints and photographs in the country; an extensive series of continuing education programs; and special events.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 215.545.4078 OR VISIT LEEWAY.ORG. NOTE: IMAGES OF ARTIST WORK ARE AVAILABLE AS ELECTRONIC FILES