Posted April 3, 2013

'Victory for Tyler' alumni art exhibit benefits scholarships

  • Steven Ford "Untitled"
  • C. Saska-Mydlowski "South Beach"
  • Jay Bilinky "Sunset"
  • Jenny Buffington "Totem Waterfall"
  • Joshua Cole "Flagship"
  • Lyla Duey "Bedroom Octopus"
  • Susan Still Scott "Whoopie Blade"

A juried exhibition of art by 38 graduates of Temple's Tyler School of Art from around the nation — the most ambitious exhibit of Tyler alumni art in all media ever assembled — is on display at the Crane Arts Center in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood.

"Victory for Tyler: Victory for All 2013" is the fourth in a series of biennial Tyler alumni art exhibitions to benefit student scholarships at Tyler. The current exhibition — which features works in each of the disciplines taught at the school, including crafts, design, painting, sculpture, photography, film and video, installation, experimental art and more — will be on display at Crane Arts' Ice Box Project Space, Philadelphia's largest viewing room for art, until April 13. An opening reception, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, April 6, from 6 to 8 p.m.

"I'm delighted by the number of outstanding alumni who have volunteered to participate in 'Victory for Tyler' to benefit student scholarships," said Robert T. Stroker, dean of Temple's Center for the Arts and Vice Provost for the Arts. "The most powerful and convincing evidence of Tyler's role in the education of world-class artists is the astonishing quality and breadth of what our alumni produce."

Submissions from more than 183 artists were considered by the show's juror, Paulina Pobocha, assistant curator in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Juror's prizes of $1,000, $500 and $300 will be awarded. The Juror's Grand prize-winning work will go on display at Tyler during Temple's Alumni Weekend, April 19-21.

Among the alumni artists represented at "Victory for Tyler: Victory for All 2013" are Susan Still Scott, whose "constructed paintings" evoke sculpture and architecture; Rachael Gorchov, who makes "cultural snapshots" by painting, duplicating and re-photographing everyday images; and printmaker and jewelry maker Steven Ford, who builds print collages by assembling densely textured prints made from the same plate. The artists selected to exhibit by Pobocha range in age and experience from painter Jay Bilinsky, who graduated two months ago, to John Costanza, who earned his BFA in ceramics from Tyler in 1949.

Many of the alumni artists participating in "Victory for Tyler" have enjoyed reconnecting with Tyler and interacting with current students, many of whom will attend the exhibit.

"I like being involved," said Steven Ford BFA TYL '86, who also volunteered to participate in the first Art Market at Tyler last fall. "When I was at Tyler, a lecture series that brought in working professionals had a big impact on me. At this point in my career, I feel like I want to give back."

The "Victory for Tyler" series is organized by the Tyler Alumni Association Board of Directors and named for its primary sponsor, Victory Brewing Company, co-founded by Tyler alumnus William Covaleski. The exhibition's venue also has Tyler connections; two of the Crane Arts three owners are Tyler faculty members: Professor Nicholas Kripal, chair of the Crafts Department, and Professor Richard Hricko, head of the Printmaking Program. The exhibition is also sponsored by the Temple University Alumni Association, SWIFT Mailing and Leapfrog Advancement.

The Ice Box Project Space, a single, uninterrupted 5,000-square-foot room, is located at the Crane Arts Building at 1400 N. American St., Philadelphia. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.