C’mon, just ask us what you get when you mix a crooner (voted Best in Philly®: Cabaret by Philadelphia Magazine) with a jazz trio? A very special cabaret evening with Northwest resident, Michael Richard Kelly, at the Mt. Airy Art Garage, of course!

On Friday, May 11^th at 7:30PM, MAAG will welcome Michael Richard Kelly with the Tamer Tewfik Trio for an evening of cabaret with Northwest sensibility, new renditions of old standards, and an array of ballads and songs from the 1930s and 40s.

A Northwest neighbor with a passion for song (who was recently featured in the Chestnut Hill Local), Michael will be performing selections from his show entitled “I Sing for My Father,” where he’ll pay homage to the legacy of his father, Leon E. Kelly, who was a singer, radio and television broadcaster, and news anchor.

A professional singer for over thirty years, Michael has performed at multiple venues across the country, and his career has encompassed many facets of performance. Some of you may have seen him in Forbidden Broadway or at Danny’s Skylight Room in NYC. Regardless, whether Michael is rubbing elbows with Broadway stars like Liza Minnelli during his run in “The All Night Strut” or singing cabaret at Odette’s in New Hope, PA, he brings a passion to the stage that is quite incomparable.

So, rest-assured, it’s going to be quite a night. Plus, our gallery will be open where you can still admire the Sol Levy photography retrospective. Tickets are $40 and all proceeds benefit the Mt. Airy Art Garage.

Yet, why not make an entire night of it in Mt. Airy? Start your evening with dinner and drinks at: Avenida, Earth Bread + Brewery, Geechee Girl, or Wine Thief Bistro. Then, come and enjoy the smooth sounds of Michael Richard Kelly and his Jazz Trio. Seating is limited so reserve tickets now.

On Friday, May 11^th at 7:30PM, MAAG will welcome Michael Richard Kelly with the Tamer Tewfik Trio for an evening of cabaret with Northwest sensibility, new renditions of old standards, and an array of ballads and songs from the 1930s and 40s.

A Northwest neighbor with a passion for song (who was recently featured in the Chestnut Hill Local), Michael will be performing selections from his show entitled “I Sing for My Father,” where he’ll pay homage to the legacy of his father, Leon E. Kelly, who was a singer, radio and television broadcaster, and news anchor.

A professional singer for over thirty years, Michael has performed at multiple venues across the country, and his career has encompassed many facets of performance. Some of you may have seen him in Forbidden Broadway or at Danny’s Skylight Room in NYC. Regardless, whether Michael is rubbing elbows with Broadway stars like Liza Minnelli during his run in “The All Night Strut” or singing cabaret at Odette’s in New Hope, PA, he brings a passion to the stage that is quite incomparable.

So, rest-assured, it’s going to be quite a night. Plus, our gallery will be open where you can still admire the Sol Levy photography retrospective. Tickets are $40 and all proceeds benefit the Mt. Airy Art Garage.

Yet, why not make an entire night of it in Mt. Airy? Start your evening with dinner and drinks at: Avenida, Earth Bread + Brewery, Geechee Girl, or Wine Thief Bistro. Then, come and enjoy the smooth sounds of Michael Richard Kelly and his Jazz Trio. Seating is limited so reserve tickets now.

For more information, call 215.242.5074.

So, now it’s time to hear about last month’s meeting from Paula Mandel.

March Breakfast Club (3rd Thurs. of each month) –ooh, what you missed!

Linda Slodki shared a new video about the creative energy and people of MAAG. Great music and images!

Sarah Bond, a self-described quilter, teacher and artist, presented her colorfully patterned quilts to the group. She has been “a maker” all her life and sees a connection between all of the construction paper creations she cut and paste as a child and the art of quilting she has pursued for 30 years. She is not sure what drew her originally to quilting but after learning about ancestral quilters on many branches of her family tree, she is now convinced that quilting is hard-wired into her DNA. Sarah’s great, great grandmother, Jane Arthur Bond, was one of the few documented slave quilters. Jane reportedly quilted all her life and some of her quilts survive today. Sarah shared a photo of one of Jane’s quilts that she accidentally found in a book entitled “Stitch From The Soul” which she later tracked down and obtained for her own collection. Sarah’s great grandmother, Louvinia Cleckley was another family quilter. Her quilts became a family secret until her father revealed them to Sarah. Sarah shared an original red and white lone star made by Louvinia that she now proudly owns. Another of her distant relatives, Ruth Clement Bond, was a civil rights activist and sometime quilt designer whose quilt from the 1930’s was included in the book “ 20th Centuries Best American Quilts.”

Sarah uses a variety of fabrics in stark black and white patterns, solids, vibrant colors and fabrics from around the world to interpret traditional quilting patterns in more modern ways. She teaches quilting at Mt. Airy Learning Tree. For more information you can contact her at Quiltsontheside@comcast.net.

Susan Taylor-Connor pinned paintings by some of her therapy clients on a clothesline and then began her presentation with this poem:

I Will Not Die an Unlived Life
by Dawna Markova

I Will Not Die An Unlived Life
Living Wide Open?
Landscapes of the Mind
I will not die an unlived life
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,?
to make me less afraid,
more accessible;
to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom,
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

Susan proceeded to talk to the group about her approaches to helping them “uncover the mysteries of their lives, untangle whatever is stopping them from understanding their uniqueness, reclaim their lives and then figure out how to give back to the world.” She often works with victims of abuse and helps them “become whole and healed and forgive their perpetrators.” She guides their unconscious utilizing poetry, music, dance, painting, and journaling to assist in the uncovering of the clients personal dream interpretations. She does not necessarily encourage people to finish their artwork, merely to examine it along the way and begin to understand its meaning at its moment of creation.

Susan and her partner Roy Shirley founded Cornerstone Center for Change in the mid-80s. Located in Glenside, the center offers Counseling, Coaching, Spiritual Direction and Workshops/Retreats.

Speakers at the next Breakfast Club will be Carol Phillips and Maryann Helferty. The date is April 19th, the third Thursday from 9 till 10:30am. All artists, all disciplines, are welcome.

For the last two years (as I’m sure you know), we’ve been working our backsides off to make MAAG a place where artists can learn, create, and grow together – a place where both art and community are fostered. Today, we stand closer to that goal than we’ve ever been before. Our doors our open, the gallery walls are up, and even our bathrooms are becoming a reality! During this exciting, transitional time, we’ve even managed to host numerous events: Exhibits, Dances, Breakfast Clubs, Markets, and most recently, Mural Arts Community Paint Days.

Yet, none of this would have even been possible without the encouragement and guidance of our dear friend, mentor, and avid photographer, Solomon Levy. A staple to the Northwest landscape, Sol resided in Mt. Airy for over four decades and had played a leading role in many community organizations such as Weavers Way, Habitat for Humanity, Mt. Airy Learning Tree, Project Learn, and others.

As MAAG’s Vice President and founding Board member, Sol Levy was instrumental in making our dreams a reality. After all, it was Sol who discovered our incredible space here at 11 W. Mt. Airy Avenue – who saw past twenty-odd years of dust and envisioned a bustling center for the Arts. When doors were closed to us, he opened them; when we got stressed, he reminded us that nothing worthwhile was ever easy. Sadly, Sol left us too soon (nearly a year ago at this point); yet, his legacy will carry on forever through his memory and art.

So, join us for the opening reception and dedication of our permanent gallery, the Solomon Levy Gallery of Art, on Friday, April 27, 2012 from 6-8PM. The Gallery’s first exhibit, “Travels Through Life,” will feature Sol’s work and will span his earliest landscapes through his most recent abstractions. Whether capturing the grand terrain of Europe or a few inches of cracking paint on a city door, no scene was too vast or insignificant for Sol’s lens. All work will be for sale.

Sol Levy’s “Travels Through Life” opens on Friday, April 27th and continues through May 20th. Regular hours are: Thursday – Saturday, Noon till 6 pm and Sunday, Noon till 5 pm. In addition, private appointments are available.

Come celebrate the legacy of Sol Levy’s retrospective photography. What better way to celebrate his life among so many friends and family than with the dedication of our new gallery! Join us!

Photo by Alix Passage

And now a message from Paula Mandel…read on.

We had three incredible presenters at the Breakfast Club meeting on the 3rd Thursday of February.
Christiane Meunier attended the Great American Quilt Show 20 years ago, started a quilting magazine and then found herself unexpectedly morphing into a quilter. Like jazz, quilting is a truly American craft and hers appear as important abstract paintings. She bases them on traditional patterns which are changed dramatically as they reference her life experience. Christiane brought in her marvelous and unique quilts which she uses to connect herself to her ancestors. One quilt evolved after her time in Russia when the government was closed and people had not been paid for 6 months. In their culture security=stagnation and they were excited about the future possibilities. She designed her Russian Log Cabin with icons in mind, utilizing golds and hand-dyed fabrics. Another quilt became her musically rhythmic response to Hurricane Katrina embracing the diverse community that pulled together, feeling “bonded by their brokenness. ”Christiane follows her instincts as she develops her ideas and has no idea where the work will take her. For her, patterns have meanings. Her current work is comprised of years of unfinished parts of quits, “orphans” which she has cut into strips and reunited as towers of new life.

Jim Harris is a musician (his band Saint Mad is people by middle-agers and performs at MAAG often www.saintmad.com ) and playwright who specializes in parody and comedy. His passion for animals and environmental issues drive his creations. He shared several of his humorous books with the group as well as two videos utilizing royalty-free photos which were delightful and powerful. He writes parodies of local institutions and sang a new one he had just written about MAAG. Quite a treat!

Janet Mason is an author, a teacher at MALT and a marketing professor. She spent 20 years writing a memoir about her mother’s death from cancer. She was in a very high-pressure job and after she was laid off, realized that her renewed life as a writer makes her “feel human again”. She reminded us that “art is a long process” as she announced that her book would soon be published. Janet was gracious enough to share an exercise with the group which she often uses in her workshops to get people to begin to write. She asked each of us to write 5-10 defining moments in our lives as artists. As several in the group read their lists, we got to know each other and ourselves in a more intimate way. DO try this at home!

Our speakers this coming Thursday will be Sarah Bond and Susan Taylor-Conner. Feel free to invite fellow artists.

Undoubtedly, we’ve enjoyed these events just as much as the people who attended them. Whether we were dancing on our concrete floors for equality, enjoying the premiere of MAAG’s very-own theme song by St. Mad at the lovely home of Frank and Betsy Steel, or supporting local artists through conversation and collaboration, a great deal of laughter and fun was had.

Yet, in the midst of all these happenings, we’ve been pushing full steam ahead with one very substantial, serious goal in mind: Opening our doors full-time. However, before we can do that, we must first complete the second phase of our construction – our bathroom buildout.

Thanks to the generosity of those who attended our Winter Fundraiser (please see our “Thank You” letter here), as well as a $10,000 matching donation, we’ve been able to start this second phase which will include two handicap-accessible bathrooms.

Although this fundraiser catapulted us towards our goal, we’re not quite there yet. That being said, we still need your sustained support and generosity. If you haven’t donated to our Building Fund, please consider it by clicking on the aforementioned link or downloading this pledge form.

If you’ve already donated, please consider a second time ‘round. And if donations aren’t your thing, perhaps a membership is more your style. Regardless of which type of support you may choose, every donation (no matter how great or small) pushes us closer to opening full-time – and for that, we’re eternally grateful.

In that same spirit of giving, MAAG can promise you this: Our loyal and undying passion to enrich the Northwest community. Not only will MAAG be a place where artists gather to create, exhibit, teach, and sell their work, but it will also be a locale for community, in all its diverse and wonderful forms. Plus, here is just a taste of some upcoming events:

• Workshops and Classes
• Art Installations/Gallery Shows
• Artists’ Breakfast Clubs
• Solomon Levy Gallery Opening and Exhibit
• Mural Arts Program Community Paint Days
• After-School Programming
• Cabarets
• Live Model Drawing and Painting
• Quilters’ Circles
• Apprenticeship Programs for Young Adults
• Photography Shoots
• Writers’ Weekends
• Poetry Readings

As Dorothy once said, “There’s no place like home.” So, with that sentiment in mind, please contribute whatever you can today and bring us closer to establishing our permanent artistic space – a place we can surely call “home.”

Once construction is complete for our long-awaited bathrooms at the Mt. Airy Art Garage, MAAG will begin offering classes and workshops! All MAAG members are eligible to propose a class or workshop. If you have a talent to share, now is the time to let us know!

MAAG’s mission and focus is on fine art and handcrafts, but classes may also be proposed for related topics such as creative writing, poetry, acting, music, and other performance art. We do have a few restrictions related to noise and safety (no forging or glass blowing, for example), but we are open-minded! Based on the Proposals received from our membership, we plan on launching MAAG’s first “semester”—and we hope you will be a part of it.

While Proposals are welcome on an ongoing basis, please note that the deadline to be considered for the first round of classes and workshops is April 15, 2012. Get your proposal in the mail now! Read more…

Photo by Alix Passage

Now that construction is underway for our long-awaited bathrooms at the Mt. Airy Art Garage, we are thinking about what comes next. In addition to developing the Solomon Levy Gallery, MAAG will strengthen our ties to artists and the community by beginning to offer classes and workshops! All MAAG members are eligible to propose a class or workshop. If you have a talent to share, now is the time to let us know!

MAAG’s mission and focus is on fine art and handcrafts, but classes may also be proposed for related topics such as creative writing, poetry, acting, music, and other performance art. We do have a few restrictions related to noise and safety (no forging or glass blowing, for example), but we are open-minded! Based on the Proposals received from our membership, we plan on launching MAAG’s first “semester”—and we hope you will be a part of it.

Please print and fill out the attached form, then mail your Proposal to Mt. Airy Art Garage, 11 W. Mt. Airy Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19119, attention Donna Globus. While Proposals are welcome on an ongoing basis, please note that the deadline to be considered for the first round of classes and workshops is April 15, 2012. Get your Proposal in the mail now!

Questions? Email donna@mtairyartgarage.org

"Wonder Women" Screenshot from the DVLF

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund (DVLF) is recognizing some fierce female leaders in the Philadelphia LGBTQ community. To no surprise, on March 7th, MAAG Co-Founders Linda Slodki and Arleen Olshan were deemed as DVLF “Wonder Women.”

Still beaming with pride from their last public honor in WHYY’s Coming of Age this past June, Linda and Arleen had this to say, on MAAG’s Facebook site, in response to their recognition:

We are so proud and honored to have been chosen as Wonder Women and featured on today’s DVLF website. We are only as strong as the entire community that supports us. Many thanks again to everyone.

If Linda and Arleen are, indeed, only as strong as the community which supports them, then the Northwest has fostered the growth and cultivation of two truly inspirational individuals. Even photographer Zoe Strauss can’t resist taking time out of her busy schedule and current exhibition at the Philadelphia Art Museum to give them props!

Linda and Arleen, I think I speak for all of us when I say: May your dreams continue to evolve with the expansion of the Art Garage.

"Wonder Women" Screenshot from the DVLF Website

Zoe Strauss Gives our Co-Founders a Shout-Out!

Still beaming with pride from their last public honor in WHYY’s Coming of Age this past June, Linda and Arleen had this to say, on MAAG’s Facebook site, in response to their recognition:

We are so proud and honored to have been chosen as Wonder Women and featured on today’s DVLF website. We are only as strong as the entire community that supports us. Many thanks again to everyone.

If Linda and Arleen are, indeed, only as strong as the community which supports them, then the Northwest has fostered the growth and cultivation of two truly inspirational individuals. Even photographer Zoe Strauss can’t resist taking time out of her busy schedule and current exhibition at the Philadelphia Art Museum to give them props!

Linda and Arleen, I think I speak for all of us when I say: May your dreams continue to evolve with the expansion of the Art Garage!

The craft show is Sat., Feb 25 & Sunday, Feb. 26
Noon to 6/Noon to 5
11 Mt. Airy Ave., (just a few steps off of Germantown Ave.)

To tempt you … some of the vendors and their wares. Ooolala

Claudia McGill, Goddess Figurines, Clay

Diane Podolsky, Beneath the Moon, Etching

K Ohara

Kevin Bennet, Twilight in Manayunk