Philadelphia Freedom: The City and its Artists

Philadelphia's importance as a cultural center for the visual arts has long stood in the shadow of its bigger and more famous sister, New York. While anything but an artistic backwater, the city in recent years has developed a more notable reputation for cheesesteaks and its excitable sports fans than for its rich cultural history and its integrality to the development of American art. Too few people know that in many ways American art was born here, and too often the city itself has only meekly raised its hand to its many extraordinary achievements in the arts. The goal of this exhibition is to bring together the work of the many artists who lived, worked or studied in Philadelphia from the nineteenth century to the present. The selection of artists is in no way comprehensive, but the exhibition tells an important story about the city's historical and cultural significance through the artists it cultivated. We paid homage to Elton John's beloved song in the title of our show to capture the energy of Philadelphia and apply it to this celebration of its visual arts.

Please join us at the gallery for an opening reception on Thursday, October 24th from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Kindly RSVP to 610-896-0680 or info@averygalleries.com.