August 10-16, 2006
Arts Agenda : Last Chance
Last ChanceCatch It or Regret It
Philadelphia turns into a ghost town at night. The streets are nearly silent, save the clicking of traffic lights and an occasional siren. This is precisely what Andrew Tomasulo captures in his large color photos of Fishtown after dark. The road is dead, and the deep blue sky is accentuated by a streetlamp's hazy glow. Meanwhile, Rachel Zimmerman's black-and-white photos focus on the interior of an old machine shop. In one image, a large manuscript covered in dust and debris sits on a wooden chair, a relic from the past.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Career Wardrobe documents the once troubled and insecure women who were empowered by the business suit. In a series of black-and-white portraits, each woman's story is told on a placard next to a photo of her clad in business attire. Many of the women had been unemployed and on welfare, which impaired their sense of self-worth. Today, they have prestigious careers. The photos are simple; it's the stories that are remarkable.
His 39 abstract pieces may not reveal much about the cities of New York or Paris, but somehow Kelly created wood cutouts, paintings and collages inspired by the two metropolises. For instance, Light Reflection on Water looks more like a crossword puzzle that its title suggests (pictured). Whatever the message, his tight precision and use of primary colors stand on their own.

