Please visit Slought Foundation if you're in Philadelphia. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 1 - 6 p.m., or by appointment: (215) 701-4627.
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Documentary filmmaker John Thornton recently completed a terrific interview with Dan Miller and posted it on YouTube. Dan has taught at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for fifty years! Dan, Joe Amarotico and Jim Brewton were close friends at the Academy. Great film, John! Cycle on over to "James E. Brewton, Graffiti Pataphysic" at Slought Foundation, 4017 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA. OPENING: Friday, March 21 @ 6 p.m. The exhibition continues through April 26, 2014. SLOUGHT FOUNDATION is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 1 to 6 p.m. and by appointment. Call (215) 701-4627. FREE. www.slought.org/resources/james_brewton Fun morning! I got an email from a lovely woman who contacted me through the site. She saw paintings by Brewton at a thrift store in the Chelsea, New York City, area. She wrote that there were several paintings at the store--some abstract, some nudes. Signed "Brewton." So I grabbed my coat and zoomed downtown. It's cold out today! On my way there, I was thinking how lucky I am, to have this treasure hunt as part of my life. Jim's death was a hideous disaster for me, but he left this gorgeous, exciting and puzzling adventure behind. All I had to do was see past my grief. Which took forty years; luckily I'm not too late. I scuttled down the street and into the thrift store minutes after it opened the doors. There, against a wall: A giant canvas with newspaper clippings added to the abstract background. The work didn't look like Jim's, but the signature was eerily similar. With the help of two store employees, I looked at the back: wrong Brewton. With thanks all around, to the kind lady who noticed the paintings and contacted me, and the nice people at the thrift store. And to my father, for being himself. I am so grateful to be playing this treasure hunt game. For more than 40 years, Jim's artwork has been in isolated private collections. We're thrilled to show a sample of the many beautiful paintings, prints and constructions we've found so far. Slought Foundation 4017 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA March 22-April 19 (~ish; the closing date isn't set in stone.) Thursdays - Saturdays 1 to 6 pm and by appointment. FREE. Call (215) 701-4627 Opening: Friday, March 21, 6 pm. Please come! Coming in March: solo exhibit of Brewton worksArtwork by James E. Brewton will be shown at Slought Foundation, 4017 Walnut St., Philadelphia, beginning on March 21, 2014. The exhibit is part of an academic conference, "Philadelphia a la Pataphysique," at the University of Pennsylvania.
We are absolutely thrilled! And very grateful to the conference organizers and kind supporters who make it possible to locate, clean and conserve Jim Brewton's artworks. Many of these paintings and constructions have always been in private collections; others have not been publicly shown in more than 40 years. Visit the "Philadelphia a la Pataphysique" site for more about the conference. Special thanks to our benefactors, one of whom is matching personal donations to the Brewton Foundation during 2014, dollar for dollar (contact us for details). We hope you can come to the Slought Foundation, and that you'll enjoy these extraordinary, unusual works by a Philadelphia artist. It's official! Our Pennsylvania corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit! We were based in Florida from 2008 through 2012; but Jim Brewton was a Philadelphia artist, so it made sense to relocate. Moving to another state meant we had to apply all over again for tax-exempt status from the IRS, and then wait. ... And wait ... and we just heard we've been approved. Looking forward to working with arts groups in the Philadelphia area! When we formed the Brewton Foundation in February 2008, we knew of only 20 surviving artworks by James Brewton (1930-1967). With the encouragement of a curator (our 'patron saint'), we started to hunt for more. During the last five years we've interviewed scores of people and located more than 100 Brewton works. "We're so grateful to all who have given us funding, artwork, information, expert advice and their time. In 2012, we received a very generous donation from a benefactor.... A few highlights from 2012:
Exhibition ~~ For the first time in 41 years, Jim's work was in a show. His Portrait of Edgar Allan Poe (c. 1959), was in "Haunting Narratives: Detours from Philadelphia Realism, 1935 to the Present" at the Woodmere Art Museum, May 12 through July 15. Press ~~ The show at the Woodmere garnered some notice for Jim's painting: Brady, Shaun: "New Exhibit Explores Our 'Haunting Narratives'," (with photo of Brewton's portrait of Edgar Allan Poe) Metro Philadelphia, May 15, 2012; and "Realism in a Minor Key," American Artist magazine, October 2012 (with photo of Brewton's Poe) "tinged with a touch more than the typical darkness." Back-of-house ~~ We're moving the Brewton Foundation to Pennsylvania; the location is more relevant to Jim's life and work. The Florida nonprofit will not be dissolved until the new company is up and running, in order to maintain our 501(c)(3) status. Donations ~~ We're so grateful to all who have given us funding, artwork, information, expert advice and their time. In 2012, we received a very generous donation from a benefactor who prefers to remain anonymous. We're using the funds to move the nonprofit; to have a film reel of a 1971 exhibition transferred to DVD; to publish www.jebrewton.org on the web; and locate and document more artworks. To all of you who help us: Thank you. We appreciate you! |
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