September 21 – October 21, 2017
Located on the exterior façade of the Crane Arts building
Our latest Artist-in-Residence, Steven Beckly, kicks off his month-long engagement by presenting his work to the community with Beacon. An outdoor installation, Beacon will hang from the exterior of the Crane Arts building (1400 N. American Street) from September 18 – October 14, 2017.
Based in Toronto, Ontario, Steven Beckly’s work explores the epistemology of intimacy, as well as its value in our increasingly interconnected lives. While photography is at the core of Beckly’s work, he often blends photography, book making, and sculpture into installations that challenge the very notions of the photographic, and emphasize the hybridity and multiplicity of the medium.
Beacon, vibrant abstract images hang wistfully from the building’s windows, speaking to the relationships between light and shadow, figure and ground, surface and space. Light is used as a metaphor for hope, emphasizing warmth and intimacy against today’s rapidly changing and politically fraught world. For Beckly, the installation is also symbolic of his presence at PPAC, and his desire to connect with the community in Philadelphia.
Beckly will host an open studio and light reception on Thursday, October 12, from 5-6pm. In addition to discussing Beacon in-depth, Beckly will share the new work he creates during his month-long residency with attendees.
Steven Beckly is a Canadian artist and photographer. His work has been exhibited across Canada and the United States, including solo and group projects at Daniel Faria Gallery, Art Metropole, Gallery TPW (all Toronto, ON), Photo Center NW (Seattle, WA), and the Photographic Resource Center (Boston, MA). This year, Beckly is an artist-in-residence at the the Doris McCarthy Artist-in-Residence Centre at Fool’s Paradise. He received his MFA from the University of Guelph in 2016. He lives and works in Toronto.
PPAC’s Artist Residency program assists talented, self-directed and committed artists in the creation of work by providing necessary financial support, access to high-end facilities and proper technical assistance and education. For one month of the artist’s choosing, PPAC provides a $3,000 honorarium, free usage of printing and scanning equipment, a $1,500 credit towards ink and paper fees in their state-of-the-art Artist Lab, and a $1,000 stipend for travel and/or housing, if necessary. In addition to furthering their artistic practice, PPAC Artists in Residence work collaboratively with the organization to design public events, with the goal of engaging the audiences with the arts. The Artist Residency program fully funded three individuals in 2017, thanks to support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Lynne and Harold Honickman Foundation.
