Thank you for Lighting Up The Night on the Walnut Street Bridge!
Thank you to everyone who joined Chester Made on April 17th, 2019 on the Walnut Street Bridge for Light Up The Night pop-up art gallery and spoken word event. What an incredible night!
The Walnut Street Bridge is now and will always be a special place in the city of Chester where one community can come together and realize the important connection we all have in this world. Chester Made would like to thank curating artist Sarah Heyward for organizing an incredible art gallery, Widener University for being such a hospitable host, Devon Walls of MJ Freed Theater for being the most engaging MC ever, and Pennsylvania Humanities Council for their support through this entire project.
A special thank you to all of the artists who featured their artwork and brought the bridge to life with their paintings, photographs, sketches, designs and sculptures! Photos from the event are posted in an album on our Facebook page. Please like, share, tag yourself, and comment your favorite part of the event!
Original support for the Chester Made Cultural Exploration Zone was provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
Top 10 Artists:
Meet the Top 10 Artists selected from the Light Up The Night juried exhibition!
Artist: Linda Braceland
Title: Sunflowers in Vase
"I produced this piece for an art show that was to emulate an artist from the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia. I chose Van Gogh. The theme for the Light Up The Night exhibition was spring and light. I felt that it was a good representation of this theme since it was a flower still life in which I played with the light to create the exact affect. I took this photograph in my studio, and then digitally painted certain aspects of it."
Price: $300
Contact info: lbrace@comcast.net; www.lindabracelandphotos.com
Artist: Siobhan Cottle
Title: Coexist
Medium: Colored pencil, gouache, and marker.
Artist: Maddie Hammel
Title: Spring Fever
"When I saw this scene, I knew I had to paint it. The plethora of life was so invigorating after a long winter. I wanted to capture the warmth and beauty of these plants; not as individuals, but as a collective whole."
Contact info: tug46922@temple.edu; https://www.instagram.com/madham_artspam/
Artist: Greg Irvin
Title: JAZZUS
"Last October (2018) Leon Jordan and his Jazz band performed at MJ Freed Performing Arts Theater, Chester, PA. Featured on the bill and with his band was local but internationally renowned jazz guitarist Monnette Sudler. Her and the bands performance along with the particular lighting that night, was truly inspiring, and I was fortunate enough to capturer her really working her craft emotionally and exquisitely. It was just one of those pieces that you just can't skip by--she really liked it as well and I thought it was worthy. I'm glad the judges/jury did too."
Contact Info: mrgirvin@comcast.net; Instagram @geeirvin
Artist: Deborah Montgomery
Title: Lighthead
Medium: Fine art sculpture made of found objects during a Chester Made Broken Pieces workshop.
Spoken Word Artist: Leon Mopecha
Title: Home
What makes a Home?
Having a family?
Owning the room you sleep?
Making the space unique?
Everything…
Can you touch a home?
Can you own a home?
Can you sell a home?
Can you feel a home?...
Can you lose a home?
What makes a home?
I've been in a lot of “homes”.
Each time someone asks me where my home is,
Where do I go “home” to,
I tell them I have a house.
Because I believe a “home” is more than where you live.
Can a home change?
I'm still not sure.
Can you have an unlimited number of homes, or do you have to exchange them?
I know you can do all these things with houses,
But what differs them to a “home”?
What makes a “home”?
A home is a place to ask and answer all of these questions.
A home is a place to feel safe.
A home is a place to feel welcome.
A home is a place to feel happy.
A home is a place to feel sad.
To me, that makes a home.
One day, I hope I can find one.
Performed at Light Up The Night on Wednesday, April 17th, 2019.
Spoken Word Artist: Ruth Moton
Title: TAKE A STAND, MAKE A CHOICE
Performed at Light Up The Night on Wednesday, April 17th, 2019.
Prior to attending the [spoken word] workshop at the theater, I never thought of myself as a writer. Photography and admiring the world in all its beauty, has always been my passion. It was early in the AM, I was thinking about all going on in our world. I picked up a junk mail envelope in my kitchen. Once I started writing, the words continued onto a few envelopes. It wasn’t until the workshop when the facilitator asked, “who said you weren’t a writer?” that I entertained the thought.
Social Media: Legacy4tography, llc is the name of my company. I am the Founder/CEO/Photographer/Videographer/Production Manager…I wear many hats. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, Linkin, Tumbler, & Twitter are entities in which various projects can be found.
Website: LEGACY4TOGRAPHY.COM
Artist: Martina Pettiford
Title: Kenya
"My Instagram is @Martina.indd. I am selling prints of all my artwork that I post on my Instagram page."
Contact info: For pricing please email Martina at pettiford.martina143@gmail.com.
MARTINA (LEFT) WITH KATIE HERSCHEDE WHO PURCHASED "KENYA" AT LUTN.
Artist: Patricia Wagner
Title: The Beauty of Diversity
Medium: Photography
Price: $225
Contact info: wagner64@gmail.com
Artist: Councilperson Elizabeth Williams
Title: Love
Medium: Photography
Price: $10
Contact info: ewilliams@chestercity.com