Rush Arts Philadelphia  —

Rush Arts Philadelphia is dedicated to exhibition and program space based on the successful Rush model and mission: to build a community-driven art space that provides opportunities to both local artists and curators, focused on community revitalization and relevance to the people of the surrounding neighborhoods, and arts-based educational opportunities for local youth who can benefit from them the most.

Kids Art Workshops

Join us Saturday morning at 11 AM and register your little artist for the upcoming workshops facilitated by Raphael Tiberino.

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Upcoming Events

Check out the upcoming in person events happening at the gallery.

Hours of Operation
Thu.- Sat. 12pm-5pm

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Narrative Tactility

Rush Arts Philadelphia is proud to announce the upcoming art exhibit of Narrative Tactility.

The opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 16th, 2023, from 3pm-7pm.

Narrative Tactility

September 16th, 2023 - October 28th, 2023


"Narrative Tactility" delves into the world of fiber, textile, and collage art, highlighting the ways in which these materials serve as the stories being woven, cut, and assembled. The featured artists bring a unique perspective and artistic style to the exhibition.

The exhibition will be held at Rush Arts Philly, located at 4954 Old York Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19141, from September 16, 2023, to October 28, 2023. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The opening reception promises to be a highlight of Philadelphia's art scene, providing art enthusiasts with an opportunity to meet the artists and engage with their thought-provoking creations.

About Lynda Grace

A Philadelphia native, Lynda Grace Black's art explores interconnectedness and stories of triumph and tragedy through soft sculptures, intricate knitted assemblages, and fabric collages. Her poignant collection, "Aspirations of the lost, the longing, and the ignored," pays tribute to lives lost to injustice.

Check out more of Lynda Grace Black’s work ›

About Marryam Moma

A Tanzanian-Nigerian collage artist, Marryam Moma skillfully crafts visually narrative displays that celebrate Black joy and emphasize individuality and self-love. Her art challenges stereotypes and reshapes perceptions, particularly those related to Black women.

Check out more of Marryam’s work here ›

About Dejoenge Reese

DeJeonge Reese is a black female visual artist, educator, and art advocate. She dives into identity and beauty ideals among women of color through her mixed media works, sculptures, installations, and performances.

Check out more of Dejoenge’s work here ›

Lookbook

Tamara Mason, the curator of "Narrative Tactility," has expertise in Renaissance and contemporary art, with a particular focus on the history of collecting art, and African American art and culture. She believes that this exhibition provides a unique opportunity for the artists to explore themes of identity, resilience, and beauty through their chosen mediums. "The works presented in 'Narrative Tactility' invite viewers to engage with materials in a deeply personal way. These artists use their chosen mediums to tell stories that resonate with the human experience, inviting us to reflect on our own narratives," says Mason.

Check out the Lookbook here! ›

Raphael Tiberino: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow  —

July 15, 2023

Rush Arts Philadelphia is thrilled to present "Raphael Tiberino: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow," a captivating solo exhibition that celebrates the artistic journey and profound talent of renowned artist Raphael Tiberino. Curated by the esteemed Danny Simmons, this extraordinary showcase invites art enthusiasts and the local community to delve into the timeless works of Tiberino. The opening exhibition and Artist Talk for "Raphael Tiberino: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow" will take place on July 15, 2023, from 5pm until 8pm at Rush Arts Philly. This highly anticipated event offers a unique opportunity to engage with the artist, gain insights into his creative process, and delve into the inspiration behind his captivating artworks. The exhibition will be on view at Rush Arts Philly from July 15 to July 31, 2023, located at 4954 Old York Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19141.

About the Artist

Raphael comes from Philadelphia art royalty and along with his siblings was considered an art prodigy from a very early age. With an extremely impactful career as an oil painter and pen and ink artist already secure, Tiberino has branched out into teaching and curating exhibitions.

Raphael Tiberino was born in Philadelphia in 1969 the son of iconic Philadelphia artists Joseph Tiberino and Ellen Powell Tiberino. The Tiberinos created artistic gathering spaces, such as The Bacchanal and the Ellen Powell Tiberino Museum, which have helped to define Philadelphia's art scene for decades.

Raphael started painting at the age of four. The style of his most recent works can be traced back to his love of comics as a child. Raphael Tiberino describes his work as figurative impressionism. He graduated from the High School of Creative and Performing Arts with the fine arts major. He then continued his mother's legacy, graduating from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1991. Later, Tiberino was a founding member of the subculture gallery in Nolita.

Tiberino has been involved in countless solo and group shows including the iconic First in the Heart is the Dream show at the Philadelphia Art Alliance and Silent Voices Loud Echoes at the African American museum in Philadelphia.

Tiberino is by far one of the most sophisticated people we have ever met. He is also one of the most engaging, approachable and down to earth, as demonstrated by his popularity among his loyal following of art students at Rush Arts Philadelphia.

Visiting Raphael Tiberino at his home in Powelton village offers one entree into his personality and his pedigree as an fine artist. Raph lives in an artist residency at the Tiberino Museum which is probably one of the coolest places to live imaginable for any artist. He can often be found on the front porch painting in the sunlight and is quick with offers of the finest wine, olives and cheeses.

Learn More About Raphael Tiberino

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorow

"Raphael Tiberino: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow" encapsulates the essence of Tiberino's artistic evolution. Through his remarkable drawings and paintings, Tiberino weaves a narrative that transcends time, connecting the past, present, and future. Each brushstroke and line tells a story, creating a tapestry of emotions, experiences, and visions.

Curator Danny Simmons expresses his enthusiasm for the exhibition, stating, "Raphael Tiberino's artwork transcends time and resonates with viewers on a profound level. 'Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow' captures the essence of his artistic journey and the timeless quality of his creations. This exhibition is a celebration of Tiberino's extraordinary talent and his ability to evoke emotions and provoke thoughts through his art."

Check out the Lookbook

Royalty Abstracted

July 1, 2023


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Lookbook


Robert Smalls: The Downtown train to North Philly  —

April 1st, 2023

Rush Arts Philadelphia is proud to announce the upcoming art exhibit of Robert Smalls, a talented artist known for his unique style and captivating works. The exhibit, titled, Robert Smalls: The Downtown train to North Philly, will feature a collection of Smalls' latest paintings showcasing his artistic vision and creative expression.

“Robert Smalls: The Downtown train to North Philly is a journey into an imagined history of Philadelphia. Moving from its utopian pre-colonial settings to a postmodern urban landscape; the exhibition brings audiences through a surreal narrative of indigenous period romance, into the evolution of urban cityscapes and forward still into a contemporary dreamscape full of intense social complexities. Robert Smalls takes audiences on a visual journey through his Philadelphia, projecting beyond time and space while remaining firmly rooted today’s realities”

-Noah Smalls, Curator


About the Artist

Robert Smalls describes his work as "primitive surrealism”. Smalls draws most of his inspiration from a lifelong fascination with the studies of the unconscious mind, specifically dreams and astral projection. Robert Smalls: The Downtown train to North Philly is a collection of art that features a variety of (mediums) and juxtaposes Small’s current works with pieces completed in the 80’s 90’s and 2000’s.

This exhibit is curated by the artist’s son and R.A.P. Gallery Director Noah Smalls.

Lookbook

Check out the Lookbook here!

Kester Messan: Significant Other

About the Artist

Kester Messan (b. 1998, Lomé, Togo) is a visual artist and writer. He holds a BA in Studio Art from Williams College and is an incoming MFA candidate at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Messan’s practice is born out of observation, or sometimes even, an obsession, over the words, colors, materials, and gestures that are experienced in the day-to-day. He approaches his work through the lens of performance, mining language from theater as a tool to make sense of the repetitions in his environment. An audition, a cast list, rehearsals, scripts, costumes and sets are all used as frameworks to track an individual’s long-term relationship with various institutions of power.

Lookbook

Kester Massan's "Significant Other", is a collection of works that continuously challenge the status quo and oppressive nature of institutions through visual culture.

Featuring 12 works, this collection is in practice an extension of his senior exhibition at William College where he engages intense research to inform the art he makes.

"Through text-based works and sculpture, performance and public activations, Messan’s work employs poetic devices to consider just how easily oppression can be made aesthetic. He explores the possibility of personal agency, free from institutional agendas, from that of religious and academic institutions, prisons, advertising agencies, social networking sites and even dating apps, like Grindr. Messan’s research-based practice points to the potential consequences of marrying materiality with digital devices, and digital devices with desire."

Richard Watson: “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”

July 9th, 2022

A curation of suggested realities

About the Artist

Richard J. Watson, an alumnus of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in Philadelphia, is a multi- faceted artist who is widely recognized as a representational, and collage artist. He has to his credit many public and institutional murals throughout the city of Philadelphia. As one of the most influential figures in the Philadelphia art scene, Watson is not only an artist but an educator, activist, and curator. His works are informed by his own memories and “suggested realities”.

Learn More About Richard Watson

Lookbook

Richard Watson’s “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” is a collection of new and past works ranging from 1996-2022, showcasing Watson’s artistic career and evolution.
Featuring 25 works, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” utilizes historical and contemporary motifs. Paying homage to his rural heritage informed by his childhood in North Carolina, throughout the exhibition, Watson uses this as a backdrop to both appreciate the beauty of America but to also socially critique the country. Throughout his collages, Watson successfully portrays what dreams must be like, “...issues of social politics are presented with fragmented elements of "real life" collaged and collapsed, as dreams are prone to do. If connections are made, all the better. Life should remind us of our dreams.” Each collage portrays the social dichotomies that persist in American history and culture, black and white, function and dysfunction, freedom and slavery, good and evil.

View the Lookbook Here

The Brothers Johnson

February 5th - April 2nd, 2022

The Brothers Johnson is the brainchild of Danny Simmons and co curated by Dawn Stringer and Noah Smalls. All three artist are members of the FB group Black Abstract Artists. Al Johnson, Chuck Johnson and Femi J. Johnson are a trio of dynamic Abstract Artists, although unrelated, they are brothers in art. They collectively display passion, drive and not to mention matched creative wisdom. As teachers and mentors they see the value in passing creative support to their artistic communities. Each artist believes in allowing the viewer the opportunity of developing their own interpretation of their work which in turn can lead to a strong emotional connection.
The works selected were based upon line placement, texture, shape, form and colors. I was immediately drawn in by Al Johnson’s use of bold bright colors, his signature “cosmic splatter” and the intuitive movement and markings of his work. Chuck Johnson's intricate and well calculated line placement, geometric shapes and texture develop into multiple layers of wonder. Femi J. Johnson’s works displays his great use of rich deep passionate colors and deliberate placement of markings, lines, shapes and contrasting colors. This deliberate placement creates concise layers and well defined texture. Although this triad of artists have varying techniques and styles their work is extremely cohesive and “three times DOPE!”

Al Johnson

Al Johnson is a mixed media artist, NFT creator, educator and mentor. His signature style is heavily influenced by the contemporary yet intertwined with classic training received from Pratt Art Institute, the Art Students League and The Albert Pale School of Commercial Art. Al states, “to some my work is abstract, this is dependent upon the viewer's interpretation. Every piece of art has a story and the final chapter is what’s felt after viewing my work. I am merely a vessel.” Al's work has been acquired in public, as well as the private collections including Danny Simmons and corporate collections including Brooklyn Borough Hall and the Georgia Aquarium. Some of other clients include HBO, MGM, and Paramount. He's also received invitations to exhibit at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, Susan Bently Gallery in London as well as Maison de Arts in France. Al is a resident artist at the Banana Factory in New York. More of his will be seen on the upcoming CBS television show, “Star Trek: Picard.

Chuck Johnson

Chuck Johnson is a mixed media artist who resides in Memphis, TN. He received a Master of Fine Art from Memphis University. Chuck's medium includes oil on canvas or wood along with a host of multimedia materials. He takes an approach to creating that explores the often conflicted relationship between decorative traditions in geometric patterns found in other cultures and Western Modernism. His abstract works deliberately avoid culturally specific subject matter and creates more elusive contemporary abstractions. Chuck finds art to be extremely useful and necessary to the health and well-being of society. “I find the relationship between our spiritual well-being, physical bodies and our state of mind is paramount- so it should be with our approach to art.” Chuck has been in a host of exhibitions throughout the country. His work has been acquired for many private collections including Danny Simmons as well as public collections including: Lupton Company in Chattanooga, TN, Department of the Navy at the Pentagon in Washington DC and The City of Memphis just to name a few. Chuck resides in Memphis, TN where he enjoys cultivating Bonzai Trees.

Femi J. Johnson

Femi J. Johnson is an Abstract Artist raised in Easton, PA. He completed a two year art program at Hudson Valley College in New York, in which he explored contemporary and modernist art. Femi's work represents a complete embodiment of abstraction as seen in his ongoing series titled, “ Abstract Story-Scapes. His work combines raw and figured elements with line drawing and mixed media collages which blend with fragments of memory, places, formal and self-education, personal and media -influenced world views. "I use imagination and deliberate bold gestural strokes, deep passionate colors and multiple layers to challenge the viewer's perception.” Femi has exhibited work nationwide including the private collection of Danny Simmons as well as internationally. His work was acquired by the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art located in Asbury, NJ. Mr. Johnson’s creative space is located at Expressions Studio and Gallery located in Allentown, PA. Femi is a teacher, mentor and ardent supporter of the arts community.

The Brothers Johnson Playlist

This exhibition is accompanied by the sounds that inspire the Brothers Johnson including their own.

Lookbook

If you are interested in purchasing any of the works in the exhibition, please contact Rush Arts Philadelphia Gallery via email at rushartsphiladelphia@gmail.com

Lavett Ballard’s “Roots: From Our Head to Our Souls”  —

November 13th - December 30th, 2021

Lavett Ballard’s “ROOTS: From our Heads to our Soul” is a visual interpretation of what the word “Roots” means to the artist and investigates political and social inequities behind it. While investigating this there is also celebration that comes with the word when she thinks about familial roots.

Lavett Ballard is famously known for her collages on wood. However, in this exhibition she expands beyond this medium and features works that are created with synthetic and human hair including sculptures.

“Roots, dependent on the frame of mind of the individual could bring
up visions of planting something in the earth and the organic arteries and veins that
supply sustenance to that which is planted. For me the word brought forth visions of
my Family and my natural hair. Roots in relation to the state of our natural hair as
it grows from our heads, and how society often forces women of color to decide
how we style our hair as a political or statement of our cultural identity. The other
Roots is our heritage, the ancestors and legacy they leave us, which helps form the
Soul of who we are.

The work in this exhibit includes a not often shown Conceptual body of
work created from synthetic and human hair in mixed media, and sculptural
metaphors of African-American experience. The other body of work is my more
renowned Mixed Media/ Collage art created on Wood slices, reclaimed wood
fences, handmade and archival paper, that has been translated into visual
narratives. These works highlight through two dimensional and Installation art the
histories and stories of specifically females of the African diaspora.”

-Lavett Ballard

About the Artist

Lavett Ballard is an Artist, Art historian, Curator, and Author. She hold a dual Bachelor’s in Studio Art and Art History with a minor in Museum Studies from Rutgers University, she also has an MFA in Studio Art from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Ballard’s art has been commissioned as a cover for Time Magazine special Woman of the Year double edition released March 2020. Among her accolades she is a 2021 Yaddo Artist residency fellow, named by Black Art in America as one of the Top 10 Female Emerging Artists to Collect. Ballard’s work has been in film productions and exhibited at galleries and museums nationwide. Ballards work has been acquired by prominent collections such as the African American Museum of Philadelphia, the Colored Girls Museum, the Grant Hill and Petrucci Family Foundation Collection, and Syracuse University Community Folk Arts Center, and Jule Collins Smith Fine Art Museum at Auburn University Collections.

More on the Artist

Exhibition Catalog

If you are interested in purchasing any works, please email us at Rushartsphiladelphia@gmail.com

Check out the Lookbook Here

Taj Poscè: Everything and Nothing

August 14th, 2021 - October 3rd, 2021

Taj Posce’s “Everything and Nothing” is a curation of abstract works that seeks to investigate and challenge young, Black thought and imagination through a fantastical lens. Through Posce’s use of vibrant colors, shapes both familiar and unfamiliar, Posce is able to visually articulate the imaginative spirit that is often misrepresented or not represented at all in contemporary mainstream mediums. In the true spirit of artists and intellectuals who utilize Afrofuturism to challenge popular sci fi motifs, Posce is continuing to interject his own perspective in this unique visual collection.

“ [Everything and Nothing is] a series of conceptual, abstract and figurative works that include painting, sculpture, and installation. The exhibition touches on themes that intersect between dichotomies of everyday life and personal experience through a lens of a young black man; The targeting of black history, what is and is not given to us; The representation of black figures in media and art, or the lack thereof; particularly of supernatural representation (black male/child as an angel); and the abstracted pieces are expressions of these same ideas but also a celebration to create and discover ideas freely coming out of urban communities where there aren't many platforms to do so, and in many institutional setting, there is no space or understanding of these viewpoints.
These works intertwine cerebral thought, theory and history, with a visceral and expressionistic style that intrinsically personify black culture in America particularly while also masterfully combining and reclaiming styles from “The History” of art and what is popular or contemporary. ”
-Taj Poscé

  1. More About Taj Poscè

    More About Taj Poscè

    Taj Poscé born and raised in Philadelphia, still lives and works there. He received his BFA (Bachelors of Fine Arts) from the Tyler School of Arts. During his time at Tyler, he was nominated and accepted into the Yale Norfolk Summer Residency. He later received a study abroad scholarship to practice in a studio in Rome, Italy. His work appeared in a group exhibition at the Temple Rome Gallery. His work has been featured in shows at Vox Populi, The Bishop Gallery, Studio 723, Blank Canvas Gallery, the CCC Gallery, and he has also received the Bertha Lear award for painting, as well as, the Violet Hecht Award for printmaking. Taj was recently awarded a grant by the mural arts Philadelphia Black Artist fellowship program.

Dara Haskins: Navigating Space

May 15th, 2021 - July 18th, 2021

Dara Haskins´ ¨Navigating Space¨ is a collection of works created during the pandemic and includes works inspired by her 2019 trip to Cuba. Haskinś paintings offer insight into the daily lives of Cubans, exploring the dichotomy of being both ¨seen and unseen¨. During the pandemic she was still inspired by her previous collection, ¨Havana Time”, utilizing familiar motifs and colors to depict her own life in quarantine, investigating themes of isolation and closeness.

Featuring 34 works, ¨Navigating Space¨ is a curation of daily life for the African Diaspora. Haskins not only challenges how Black people are represented in the visual arts but also works to provide a glimpse into her own vulnerabilities, both missing Cuba yet drawing upon those experiences on the island to feel closer to it.

“I ask where, and in what way can art influence and create our future to be heard and realized. The people and things I paint reflect this. In my paintings, the hands and fingers are drawn to communicate a nuanced understanding of gender and sexuality. The extended hand or arm gestures toward intimacy, openness, and agency. Most people are drawn to the biggest versions of performance in painting, but I’m interested in the normal and mundane in blackness. I challenge the identity of being seen and unseen connecting historical content to contemporary spaces.”

-Dara Haskins

Anthony Carlos Molden

TOPOGRAPHIES & synopses

Topographies and synopses is a collection of new works by Anthony Carlos Molden. His work is a mix of sculptural relief with a repurposing of found objects and recycled materials. All of his paintings are made with 90-100% recycled materials, including paint and surfaces. It is a life-long goal for Anthony... "to make something of value out of the piles of refuse around us everyday."

Virtual Opening - February 5th

Join us for the virtual opening of Topographies and synopses LIVE from Rush Arts Philadelphia Gallery via Facebook Live.

FACEBOOK LIVE

Make An In-Person Appointment

Come see “TOPOGRAPHIES & synopses” in person.

4 guests at a time are allowed in the gallery. Masks and social distancing are required.

Book an Appointment

Exhibition Art Catalog

If you are interested in purchasing any works, please email us at rushartsphiladelphia@gmail.com.

LOOKBOOK COMING SOON

Press

Black Abstraction  —

Feb. 1st - Mar. 27th

Black Abstraction is a guided virtual tour in which artists attempt to visually communicate with viewers through color, shape, texture and materiality.

The exhibiting artists were selected from the international Facebook Group Black Abstract Artists created by Abstract Artist Chris Van Loan. The works were selected on the basis of their muted and vibrant color pallets, composition, technique, style and visual impact. Each piece represents a segment of the visual narrative working in the exhibition to define Black Abstraction.

In partnership with Rush Arts Philadelphia, Black Abstraction works to provide an international platform on which the work can be seen, appreciated, collected and respected by all.

Curator
Dawn L. Stringer

Virtual Exhibition

Black Abstraction is open for virtual viewing via Kunstmatrix.

VIEW THE VIRTUAL EXHIBITION HERE

Exhibit Art Catalog

If you are interested in purchasing any work(s), please email us at rushartsphiladelphia@gmail.com.

VIEW THE CATALOG
OH HEY, FOR BEST VIEWING, YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR PHONE