Art brings pride to William Way
By Andrew Keller
PGN Contributor
© 2007 Andrew Keller

“I’VE NEVER REALLY LOVED BEFORE BUT NOW YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY” BY SHELLEY SPECTOR Photos: Larry Nichols

There’s only one week left to experience one of the best art exhibits of the summer — for free.

“Out Loud and Proud,” on display at the William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, 1315 Spruce St., assembles artwork of all different types, including paintings, sculptures and weavings, primarily from seasoned artists.

“The artists that you see in that show represent very established artists — artists that have been in the art business for about 20 or 30 years,” said Thom Duffy, chair of the art committee for William Way.

But there are also new faces, whom Duffy picked with the help of artists Bill Scott and Gabriel Martinez.

Shelley Spector, Philadelphia-based sculptor of a piece called “I’ve never really looked before but now you take my breath away,” said she was impressed by the quality of the show.

“It’s a really high caliber of work. It also shows a lot of voices,” Spector said. “I think it’s a reflection of the support within the community.”

Spector made her sculpture specifically for the exhibit, with intentions to provoke discussion about how people view families, relationships, community and self.

“When I made the piece, when I was working on it, it was a lot about perception. I think that’s an important idea for gays and lesbians,” she said. “Most of my work has layered meanings. Most important is the meaning that people come away with.”

Spector also expressed admiration for the range of the show, evidenced in pieces like Kathryn Pannepacker’s “Qtip/Qflag,” a cylindrical weaving that addresses not only queer issues, but also larger world themes.

“QTIP/QFLAG” BY KATHRYN PANNEPACKER

Pannepacker intended to weave a wall-mounted rainbow flag out of multicolored cotton swabs she bought at a dollar store. The use of cheap materials, for Pannepacker, raised the issue of being able to take something made in China for pennies, making art out of it and turning around and putting it in galleries.

“It’s just a whole sort of labor/class/social issue for me that I think about sometimes with material,” she said.

Even though Pannepacker had used unconventional materials in her weavings before, she was surprised at the result.

“When I went to cut it off the loom, I was kind of surprised at how it just did this twist thing,” she said. “It took a life of its own.”

Stuart Netsky’s work, “Mirror Mirror,” made with a mirror and paint, represents something he has been doing for the past 15 years. The piece in the William Way exhibit is one of his recent works.

“I’ve been doing a series of painted mirrors as they relate to narcissism and ultimately our mortality and our reflection and sort of denying our ability to face our reflection in the mirror,” he said.

Netsky’s work can be seen in his studio by appointment. Pannepacker’s new work, as well as that of her colleague, Corey Armpriester, will be shown at the Seeber Gallery in September. Spector runs her own online gallery, www.spectorspector.com. She is also working on a Fleischer Challenge Exhibit for February and is part of several group shows.

For those still not sold, Virgil Marti’s piece, “Squashed Cube 1,” is a photograph of a chandelier that appears to have melted into geometry. Jerry L. Bennett’s “Fruit Bowl” is a porcelain sculpture pointy enough to impale any fruit placed in its confines.

The William Way displays group and solo art shows throughout the year. Every spring there is a juried competition. The next exhibit opens Aug. 4.

“Out Loud and Proud” runs through July 28 at the William Way Community Center. For more information, visit www.waygay.org or call (215) 732-2220.