Video and Film by Philadelphia Artists

Video and Film by Philadelphia Artists will be presented at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from April 4 through June 11, 1995. This program presents work by 13 artists who are Discipline Winners in Media Arts from the 1993-94 Pew Fellowships in the Arts. These artists are finalists and winners in this program that has awarded grants to individual artists since 1991, providing them with the opportunity to dedicate themselves to their artistic work for up to two years. The exhibition includes new and recent work, ranging from experimental imagery to fictional narratives to documentaries. The video portion will be shown continuously in the Video Gallery located in the Museum's 20th-century galleries on the first floor. It is the fourth exhibition in a new series devoted to video, made possible by a generous grant from the Women's Committee of the Museum. The films will be screened in the Van Pelt Auditorium on the ground floor. The broad spectrum of themes and issues surveyed in this program give a lively indication of the diversity and richness of the Philadelphia video and film communities. Connie Coleman and Alan Powell's electronic processing of television imagery produces visual fireworks and often biting humor. Christopher Daniels' Victor deals with the conflicting loyalties of a gay African American reservist. With disarming candor and wit, Cheryl Dunye's The Potluck and the Passion explores racial, sexual, and social politics at a lesbian dinner party. Glenn Holsten's Spotlights, made in collaboration with other local artists, are well known to viewers of WHYY television. Eugene Martin's videos offer glimpses into the lives of Philadelphia dancer Steve Kriekhaus and of young urban criminals. Louis Massiah's The Bombing of Osage Avenue examines that notorious event from the perspective of the history of the neighborhood. Robert Mugge's Deep Blues takes rock star Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics on a tour of contemporary Mississippi blues. Frances Negrón-Muntaner's Brincando el charco chronicles the experiences of a gay Puerto Rican in the United States. Using a Fisher-Price toy video camera, Michael O'Reilly creates a haunting picture of life after a severe head injury. Peter Rose's recent work takes the form of video meditations, one based on the church of Sacre Coeur in Paris. Margie Strosser's Strange Weather follows the claustrophobic routines of crack addicts in Florida. Lise Yasui's Family Gathering unravels the story of her Japanese American grandfather's internment during World War II. While these artists are primarily Philadelphia-based, many of them have established national reputations. Louis Massiah made two of the widely seen Eyes on the Prize series for public television. Robert Mugge has made numerous award-wining documentaries about the music world. Both Frances Negrón-Muntaner and Margie Strosser are included in this years Biennial exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Connie Coleman, Alan Powell and Peter Rose have all exhibited their videos extensively over the last two decades.