Chanthaphone Rajavong, Four Approaches to Paper - An Installation, paper sculpture installation.

The City of Philadelphia’s Art In City Hall exhibition program celebrates its 59th group exhibition for local emerging and professional artists. Paper Works! features the work of 20 Philadelphia area artists working in the medium of paper.

Paper Works! was juried by Winifred A. Lutz, formerly a professor of sculpture at Tyler School of Art of Temple University, and widely recognized as a primary innovator in the field of handmade paper as an art form over the past 35 years. She has lectured nationally and internationally on her unique paper casting methods. She has created major installations and permanent public works and is known for her site-integrated sculpture.

The works Ms. Lutz chose for Paper Works! present a wide range of explorations and techniques in paper. Naturally, handmade (abaca) paper molds and unique forms are featured in a number of installations by artists who adapted their work to fit in the large public hallway display cases. Other smaller works include papier-mache, paper cut-outs, relief and found-object sculpture, artist books and mixed media conceptual pieces where paper and text play a significant role. Paper Works! celebrates paper as a versatile and dynamic medium and distinguishes itself from exhibitions where paper is primarily used as a surface such as in traditional drawing, painting and printmaking.

The exhibit runs from October 1 – January 15, 2010 on the second and fourth floors of City Hall, NE corner.

The 20 participating artists are:

Josephine Alcott
Maria Anasazi
Chad Chaney
Colette Copeland
Fritz Dietel
Nicole Donnelly
Conor Fields
Lesley Haas
Virginia Maksymowicz
Craig Matthews
Steven Mogck
Elisabeth Nickles
Chanthaphone Rajavong
Erin Tohill Robin
Lauren Rosenthal
Brooke Schmidt
Susan White
Thomas Parker Williams
Michelle Wilson
Drew Zimmerman

Art In City Hall is a collaborative effort between the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the arts community. It is supported by an independent Advisory Council made up of arts professionals and private citizens. Since the program began in 1984, over 1600 emerging artists have shown their talents in the hallways of City Hall through juried group exhibitions based on specific themes. In addition to these exhibitions, the program also displays artwork from Philadelphia’s schools, other city agencies, local non-profits, and community arts organizations.