[Preview] TEN: Paradigm’s 10th Anniversary Celebration @ Paradigm Gallery [Philadelphia]

There was once a time when pop surrealism, new contemporary, underground, low brow… — whatever you want to title any of it — didn’t have as much of a platform to be showcased in legitimate gallery settings.  Over time, venues like Thinkspace, Spoke Art, Copro Nason, Corey Helford, and La Luz De Jesus, among others, have been able to successfully create outlets for this visual work, promoting the artists behind it, as well as the greater movement(s), as a whole.  There has been a lot of crossover between these galleries, although some of them may focus more narrowly on specific areas.  For example, Los Angeles‘ Gallery 1988, primarily deals with pop culture, while New York‘s Last Rites gallery is all about Dark Art, and Jonathan Levine Projects seems to commit itself to the more “high end” territory of these worlds.  A number of galleries have come and gone, but these previously less recognized areas of new contemporary fine art have cemented their places as relevant and vital forms of expression, both in regards to their artistic values, as well as in their marketability.  With all of that being said, we most often hear about places like New York, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area, when speaking about this work, even though we so often post pieces from international artists presenting there. This is especially true when it comes to group shows.  That’s why it’s important to recognize the burgeoning communities in places like Detroit that are slowly becoming more visible for being incredibly active and accomplished in their own right.  Philadelphia‘s Paradigm Gallery + Studio is one such institution that falls into that category of consistently doing great work, but deserving of more of the spotlight.

Paradigm has thrived without the benefit of being surrounded by all of those other aforementioned galleries pushing similar works in these highly recognized and established art districts.  I’m not saying that there was never anything else similar in their area, because I’m honestly not overly familiar with the Philadelphia‘s new contemporary art scene, beyond Paradigm, but… I guess that’s also kind of the point.  Whatever they have had going on doesn’t seem to be as widely acknowledged as a San Francisco or Los Angeles and, not to take anything away from the galleries that have pioneered so much in those areas, but having a scene that supports you is a tremendous bonus, because you aren’t left feeling as if you are fighting uphill to quite the same degree.  These days, the new galleries which continue to pop up around them owe something to Paradigm for being a (now internationally recognized) force paving the way for something like this to grow in Philly.  Jason Chen and Sara McCorriston founded the gallery ten years ago with the primary mission of creating a space to present their own works as well as the work of their peers, while truly highlighting the Philadelphia art scene, in particular.  These days, they are known for bringing in artists from a variety of locations and backgrounds, but that original goal has never been abandoned.

This weekend, Paradigm will be celebrating their 10th year in business with an anniversary group exhibit that will mark their biggest show to date, as they bring in the work of 120 artists that have exhibited at the gallery over their decade of existence.  A group show of this magnitude is great, because it’s a celebration bringing people together to shine a light on what Paradigm is, what they’ve become, and what they’ve accomplished.  Of the event, McCorriston explains, “Since 2010, we’ve grown 4 times the size of what our original space was. It’s proof that the Philadelphia art scene is so supportive and that our diverse program of New Contemporary artists resonates with the community. We’ve curated “TEN” to reinforce what we’ve been doing over the last ten years and our 2020 program not only continues that mission, but highlights how expansive Paradigm’s exhibitions can be.”  The diversity mentioned encompasses not only so many different individual aesthetics, but varying mediums, which include watercolor, oil paintings, sculpture, paper cuts, mixed media, embroidery, photography, and more.  And while we see the inclusion of some of our favorite artists in this lineup, we are also introduced to names which we are unfamiliar, yet incredibly impressed, with.  That’s what a group show should do: introduce the viewers to works and/or artists they might not otherwise come across.

The exhibit opening is this Friday night and will surely feature a number of the artists in attendance.  The press release touts one particularly cool addition to be unveiled that night.  “Leading up to the exhibition, 36 of the artists will contribute to an exquisite corpse, a collaborative group work, which will be unveiled at the public opening reception on February 28th.”  It goes on to elaborate: “Introduced in 1925 by Surrealists, an exquisite corpse brings together a group of artists in collaborative play, to create a single work of art. It pushes the boundaries of a traditional art form in a fun, untethered way. Over the course of the month leading up to the exhibition, around a third of the participating artists will contribute to the piece as a visual reminder of Paradigm’s ever-growing community.”

Probably worth checking out for those that have the availability and will be in the Philadelphia area.

List Of Featured artists:

Check out preview images for the exhibit below the following event details…

WHAT:

TEN: Paradigm’s 10th Anniversary Celebration

WHEN:

Opening:
Friday, February 28th, 2020
5:30pm-10pm

WHERE:

Paradigm Gallery + Studio
746 S. 4th Street, 1st Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19147

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Opening is ALL AGES w/NO COVER
Show on view until Saturday, March 21st, 2020
Gallery hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays • 12:00pm – 6:00pm
And 7 days a week by appointment: [email protected] / (267)266-0073
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/499249324117033/