Imagine if, like Pompeii, Philadelphia was covered in lava and ash overnight...

Future Excavations: Artists, Remnants, and Relics

July 19-August 3
Gallery 224
The University of the Arts
333 S. Broad street, Philadelphia
2nd floor

Opening reception

Art Juried by Archaeologists and Artists

July 20, 6-8pm

Future Excavations: Artists, Remnants, and Relics presents works from various artists in the MFA program at the University of the Arts that deal with temporal themes. In many different ways, all of the selected artists are working to recover the past in some form and to present the public with a bit of history they feel has been overlooked. As co-curator Veronica Cianfrano explains the show, ”We feel that this collection of people offers such an amalgamation of minds in artistic concept and in practice that it would still be apparent in 600 years... If Philadelphia got covered in lava over night, how would an archeologist see the work presented in this building, by this community of artists?

The show’s participants attempt to answer this question through a set of processes. First, the initial excavators/curators will select work from all the second and third year artists in the University’s program and arrange the work in a historical fashion, audio tour and all.This selection and arrangement is the basis for the initial show on view at the University of the Arts Gallery 224, July 19th to August 3rd.

Following this initial stage, the work will go through yet another filtration process by which archaeologists, the curators, and the director of the University of the Arts MFA program will jury the UArtsshow, picking a final set of pieces that will be exhibited at the A.I.R Gallery in the Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood of Dumbo,. This portion takes place during the opening reception on Tuesday, July 20th, 6-8pm at Gallery 224.

The Archaeologist as Art Show Juror

Philadelphia area Archaeologists, David Orr, Jed Levin, and Patrice L. Jeppson will participate in this art show as jurors. Co-curator Veronica Cianfrano explains their role in the jury process:

[Archaeologists] are well versed in the beauty of historical artifacts and the meaning they carry for us as human beings. In this way, you [the archaeologist] are bringing a necessary visual language to the selection process. As is always the case, one’s taste or distaste for certain pieces will likely play a roll in the selection process, but we do have certain criteria by which you should measure your judgments:

1-How well the piece adheres to the theme of the show.

2-Based upon your expertise, how well the piece functions in terms of their roll as markers of a cultural past/present.

Jurors:

• David Orr (Archaeologist, Temple University)
• Patrice L. Jeppson (Archaeologist, Cheyney University)
• Jed Levin (Archaeologist, National Park Service)
• Joe Girandola (Artist, UArtsMFA Director)
• Jessie Clark (Artist, Curator, MFA Student)
• Veronica Cianfrano (Artist, Curator, MFA Student)

For More Information: jessicaanneclark.com and veronicacianfrano.com

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