Philadelphia show draws dozens of fine artists
Philadelphia show draws dozens of fine artists
September 18, 2011|By Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Staff Writer
McGee Ferrell/Rittenhouse Article
Joe Barker is an acknowledged romantic, so when a young woman asked him for a watercolor of the Parc Restaurant, across 18th Street from his art booth on Rittenhouse Square, he agreed.
"She wanted to remember a romantic dinner," said Barker, of Philadelphia, as he dipped a brush into his paints and placed a stroke here and there on his canvas.
The request was made at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. At exactly 1:30 p.m., the work was finished - another original among thousands that have graced Rittenhouse Square in the 80 years since a group of art students strung clothesline between light poles and trees to let the world see their work.
The three-day Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Show, which began Friday and ends Sunday, has come a long way since that day in June 1932 when the young members of the Art Students League took a bold step to be noticed and sell their art in the depths of the Great Depression.
Over the years, the show was opened to professional artists and to those from New Jersey and Delaware. Today, the seven-year-old September show, as well as one in June, draws artists from all over.
The 143 artists with booths at this weekend's show come from 22 states and Canada, organizers said.
One, Jenny Pope from Ithaca, N.Y., has been attending for three years.
"Because the show is limited to fine art, there is less of a distraction than ones that have a lot of pottery," she said.
Pope is a printmaker who makes "color-reduction woodcuts with an ecological twist." She depicts only endangered and invasive species.
The process she uses involves one block, a drawing, and multiple carvings and printings.
This is one of 17 shows she goes to each year.
"I also exhibit at galleries, but it doesn't bring in enough," said Pope, originally a designer who has just completed a picture book on the history of starlings. "You need the festivals."
Erin McGee Ferrell, a painter from Moorestown, said successful artists today devoted "60 percent to marketing - especially social media - and 40 percent to craft."
She's been turning her work into time-lapse videos, as well as posters and refrigerator magnets - to create art that most people can afford.
It's also theater. Last weekend, she created a stir along Route 38 in Pennsauken when she set up a large canvas and began a painting of an Elvis impersonator who every weekend shows up at Weber's Drive-In.
Another time, she said, Fox News caught up with her when she put on a ball gown and stood in the back of a pickup truck for a painting of Geno's and Pat's at Ninth Street and Passyunk Avenue. That painting drew South Philadelphia-born filmmaker Vincent Garofalo to Ferrell's booth.
Garofalo wanted Ferrell to appear in a film he's working on.
"It's a comedy," he said. "About art."
Just to be clear, Saturday on Rittenhouse Square wasn't just about art. It was also about strolling, and picnicking on blankets draped across expanses of grass.
This is the city to which Ellen Gavin of Millville, who grew up in Philadelphia, returns time and time again to capture on canvas.
"I love city scenes, I enjoy the people, and I think my art reflects my personal connections to the city," she said. "I think that kind of connection to your subject makes the difference in how your audience perceives it."
The people who buy her art are not necessarily connoisseurs, "but appreciate it on different levels," Gavin said. "It is like a restaurant. Everyone who eats there doesn't necessarily have the same experience."
Waiting for the woman who commissioned his watercolor of the Parc Restaurant to return, Barker recalled that his first work, a crayon drawing of the Last Supper, was executed at age 4.
"My grandparents kept saying to me, 'Don't become an artist, you'll never make any money,' but my grandmother kept that drawing on her fireplace for 40 years."
When he last saw it, it was covered with mold and dust. He doesn't know what happened to it.
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Contact staff writer Alan J. Heavens
at 215-854-2472 or aheavens@phillynews.com.
South Jersey Magazine July 2012 issue
by Editorial Staff--South Jersey Magazine
When it comes to artistic talent, South Jersey has no shortage. That was more than clear from the response to our Top Artists contest, which attracted dozens of worthy entrants crafting intriguing pieces across a broad range of media. Here, meet five outstanding winners and find out what drives them to express their creativity.
Erin McGee Ferrell
Erin McGee Ferrell (pictured) lives in Moorestown, grew up in Kentucky, and studied art at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, as well as in Seattle, Vermont, Italy and West Africa. When it comes to her artwork, she finds herself drawn to bustling settings, like the Italian Market in Philadelphia. “I believe that the energy of the atmosphere affects my painting,” she says. Her work is on display at Tortilla Press in Collingswood, and one of her largest works to date, a 7-by-24-foot mural, will be installed this month at the new AtlantiCare hospital in Hammonton.
Pat’s/Geno’s on Ninth, Oil on Canvas
“This is painted on the streets of the Italian Market, interacting with the community while I depict the community. I’m not an artist creating in the studio, isolated.”
When it comes to artistic talent, South Jersey has no shortage. That was more than clear from the response to our Top Artists contest, which attracted dozens of worthy entrants crafting intriguing pieces across a broad range of media. Here, meet five outstanding winners and find out what drives them to express their creativity.
Erin McGee Ferrell
Erin McGee Ferrell (pictured) lives in Moorestown, grew up in Kentucky, and studied art at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, as well as in Seattle, Vermont, Italy and West Africa. When it comes to her artwork, she finds herself drawn to bustling settings, like the Italian Market in Philadelphia. “I believe that the energy of the atmosphere affects my painting,” she says. Her work is on display at Tortilla Press in Collingswood, and one of her largest works to date, a 7-by-24-foot mural, will be installed this month at the new AtlantiCare hospital in Hammonton.
Pat’s/Geno’s on Ninth, Oil on Canvas
“This is painted on the streets of the Italian Market, interacting with the community while I depict the community. I’m not an artist creating in the studio, isolated.”
East Third Street Show
Artist Erin McGee-Ferrell's show focuses on 'East Third Street Moorestown.'
By Diane Fuhrer | Email the author | January 15, 2011
When Erin McGee-Ferrell looks out the window of her third-floor studio, she doesn’t see train tracks. She sees art.
McGee-Ferrell, known for her bright, colorful portraits of Main Street landmarks, has a new show at the Nash Gallery/Artfully Yours that runs through Jan. 31. East Third Street Moorestown is a celebration of the artist’s neighborhood.
“When people think about Moorestown, they don’t think about East Third Street,” McGee-Ferrell said. “I wanted to highlight it and say this is a great place to be. It’s fun. I like living next to the tracks. I take pride in being an East Thirder.”
McGee-Ferrell and her husband Nathan and three children–Angus, 14; Sé, 13; and Fiona, 8–live in a historic home on East Third. They are just the second family to live in the home, which houses her studio. The home, built in 1889, was owned by a woman who passed it down to her daughter.
“I love the character of old houses,” said McGee-Ferrell. The walls of her house are lined with her artwork. In the third-floor studio she not only works on her paintings, but teaches as well. She offers classes in drawing and painting for children and adults.
She has been painting forever she said, noting that she has always been exposed to art. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College, a liberal arts college, where she focused on art.
Ferrell, 38, moved to Moorestown about five-and-a-half years ago. She began painting en plein air on the streets of Moorestown, Collingswood and Riverside. In 2007 she began painting mom and pop stores in Philadelphia, documenting, she said, a piece of history. She currently has a show of her Philadelphia paintings at the Fairmount Park/Love Park Welcome Center through the end of January.
Her East Third Street works move away from what she terms her lollipop colors of the Moorestown Main Street works. She has moved onto more grays and ochers.
“I got bored working with those colors,” she said of the bright reds, blues and yellows of her earlier work.
She paints all types of genre–abstract, portraits, still life. Her neighborhood scenes are post-impressionistic, she said.
She is excited about her latest show for many reasons. One, it will be the last show at Nash Gallery/Artfully Yours current location. And two, the works are a return to painting Moorestown scenes.
“She’s well-known in Moorestown,” said Carol Nash about why she’s hosting the show. “People know her and like her.”
McGee-Ferrell’s one-woman show “East Third Street Moorestown” will be at the Nash Gallery/Artfully Yours through Jan. 31. Gallery hours are: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. For information about lessons, contact Erin McGee-Ferrell.
Interested in a follow-up to this article?
By Diane Fuhrer | Email the author | January 15, 2011
When Erin McGee-Ferrell looks out the window of her third-floor studio, she doesn’t see train tracks. She sees art.
McGee-Ferrell, known for her bright, colorful portraits of Main Street landmarks, has a new show at the Nash Gallery/Artfully Yours that runs through Jan. 31. East Third Street Moorestown is a celebration of the artist’s neighborhood.
“When people think about Moorestown, they don’t think about East Third Street,” McGee-Ferrell said. “I wanted to highlight it and say this is a great place to be. It’s fun. I like living next to the tracks. I take pride in being an East Thirder.”
McGee-Ferrell and her husband Nathan and three children–Angus, 14; Sé, 13; and Fiona, 8–live in a historic home on East Third. They are just the second family to live in the home, which houses her studio. The home, built in 1889, was owned by a woman who passed it down to her daughter.
“I love the character of old houses,” said McGee-Ferrell. The walls of her house are lined with her artwork. In the third-floor studio she not only works on her paintings, but teaches as well. She offers classes in drawing and painting for children and adults.
She has been painting forever she said, noting that she has always been exposed to art. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College, a liberal arts college, where she focused on art.
Ferrell, 38, moved to Moorestown about five-and-a-half years ago. She began painting en plein air on the streets of Moorestown, Collingswood and Riverside. In 2007 she began painting mom and pop stores in Philadelphia, documenting, she said, a piece of history. She currently has a show of her Philadelphia paintings at the Fairmount Park/Love Park Welcome Center through the end of January.
Her East Third Street works move away from what she terms her lollipop colors of the Moorestown Main Street works. She has moved onto more grays and ochers.
“I got bored working with those colors,” she said of the bright reds, blues and yellows of her earlier work.
She paints all types of genre–abstract, portraits, still life. Her neighborhood scenes are post-impressionistic, she said.
She is excited about her latest show for many reasons. One, it will be the last show at Nash Gallery/Artfully Yours current location. And two, the works are a return to painting Moorestown scenes.
“She’s well-known in Moorestown,” said Carol Nash about why she’s hosting the show. “People know her and like her.”
McGee-Ferrell’s one-woman show “East Third Street Moorestown” will be at the Nash Gallery/Artfully Yours through Jan. 31. Gallery hours are: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. For information about lessons, contact Erin McGee-Ferrell.
Interested in a follow-up to this article?
Philadelpia Phillies Paintings
_Moorestown Artist Commissioned for Philadelphia Phillies Paintings _
"Painting the Town Red" Kristen Coppock
Moorestown painter Erin McGee Ferrell recently completed three works of art depicting the Phillies, just in time for playoff season. McGee Ferrell's commissioned interpretations of a pitcher winding up to throw and two versions of Citizens Bank Park already are sold, but the artist's sentiment for the images has stayed with her.
Most of the time she is working, McGee Ferrell prefers to paint outdoors surrounded by activity. Oftentimes, she sets her easel in public places, surrounded by people that watch her work and interact with the artist. She has painted many of the City of Brotherly Love's historic sites often frequented by tourists. Her recent completed pieces include a rush-hour scene on the Ben Franklin Bridge and the popular Philadelphia culinary landmark, Pat's King of Steaks.
For Full article...by Kristen Coppock
Erin McGee Ferrell, "Painting the town Red" Kristen Coppock
Opportunities to view work
McGee Ferrell is hosting an Artist Studio Sale Nov. 13 that is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in her home at 424 E. Third Street. Although her exhibits are typically themed, the sale features a little of everything. "It's all the stuff that doesn't fit in (elsewhere)," she said.
The artist also is participating in an ongoing show at Philadelphia's LOVE Park. The show's opening reception is Nov. 30, from noon to 2 p.m., and her work will be exhibited through January.
For more information about Erin McGee Ferrell and her work:
Erin McGee Ferrell Website
About Erin McGee Ferrell Artist
My paintings are not created behind closed doors. They are created on the streets of Philadelphia and in the fields of South Jersey. I invite you to watch me work as I stand my easel on the Ben Franklin Bridge, the Art Museum steps, and on the sidewalks of the Italian Market. For me the process is as exciting as the product. Look for me in the crowded markets, the tourists' destinations, and famous landmarks. While my adrenaline pumps, large colorful oils on canvas are created in these people rich places.
Some Artists have an image of how the finished canvas will look and they work toward that end. I see many possibilities for workable solutions. My finished paintings often surprise me. The process of layering paint and reworking line justify to my art making experience the value of persistence. Artistic maturation is having the experience to identify at what point the challenge is met.
Sharing my painting process with the public is a gift, not so much for the outcome but for the vulnerability of failure. The composition on my canvas may not work. The balance of line, color, and design may be horribly rendered... but you bore witness to my endeavor. I created a moment of pause and wonder in the business of the mundane.
Quick Links
www.ErinMcGeeFerrell.com
Original Art and Prints
Commission Work
Erin@ErinMcGeeFerrell.com
Erin McGee Ferrell
Artist
Kristen Coppock Email
BCT staff writer Kristen Coppock may be reached at 609-871-8073
