Pearlstein Gallery

Staff pick! 🎨

This week’s staff pick comes from Sovann Gaines, a freshman Music Industry student.

“My favorite piece from this exhibition is the digital pigment prints by Joseph E.B. Elliott. I feel like I can very closely relate to these photographs because a lot of these abandoned places look like places I have explored with my friends. “Richmond Power Station, Turbine Hall” is my favorite out of the six photos because it reminds me of this one abandoned factory I explored in New Jersey, which I also filmed a music video at.”

See Elliott’s beautiful photos and much more at tomorrow’s opening reception for CONTEMPORARY RUIN future visions, 5-7pm.

Happy Earth Day! 🌎

This special Artist Spotlight features Kelsey Skaroff and Daniel Van Dyk, whose work Canyon exemplifies the theme of regrowth after ruin in our current exhibition, CONTEMPORARY RUIN future visions.

Canyon depicts a possible and optimistic future of the site where an abandoned North Philadelphia warehouse was reclaimed by a pre-development landscape. Neither wilderness, groomed parkland or enclosed building, it is a separate type of space crafted and imagined by the artists from a desire to repair and restore. The depicted vegetation is inspired by the previous plant communities at the lot, other local plants through all seasons that tolerate high pH, high temperatures, salt, and pollution, as well as ecological succession.

In short, nature always wins. 🍃🌸

CONTEMPORARY RUIN future visions is now OPEN! 🌇

Featuring 14 local Philadelphia artists and Drexel students, this show examines the pervasive presence of ruin alongside strategies for mitigation and resilience in urban contexts.

Up until May, 22 ~

Artist Spotlight 💡

Terri Saulin is one of the 14 artists featured in our upcoming exhibition, CONTEMPORARY RUIN future visions, curated by Nanci Agati.

In the “Shaker” spirit, Saulin imagines a tiny wasp-worker making imaginary homes for important collections of most special memories. Saulin’s process begins with cartography. Intricate ceramic and paper constructions are three-dimensional memory maps. They are invisible cities, liminal urban planning, and love letters to treasured and influential authors, artists, musicians, friends, and family members.

To see Saulin’s dreamy work, visit CONTEMPORARY RUIN future visions, on view from April 15 - May 22.

Thanks for the feature WHYY! We are happy to have these beautiful murals in our space. 🌷

Crafted in Kensington, trauma-informed art techniques exported to Ukraine “Petrykivka Garden” at Drexel’s Pearlstein Gallery was designed in a traditional folk art style of Ukraine.

The Pearlstein Gallery is pleased to announce CONTEMPORARY RUIN future visions as our spring 2025 exhibition! 🌇

The exhibition, curated by Philadelphia artist Nancy Agati, features local artists, designers, and Drexel University students whose works examine the pervasive presence of ruin alongside strategies for mitigation and resilience in urban contexts.

Featured Artists: Michelle Marcuse, Tim Portlock, Yannick Lowery, Mia Fabrizio, Emily Erb, Terri Saulin, Sophie C. White, Julia Way, Joseph E.B. Elliott, Jennifer Johnson, Kelsey Skaroff, and Daniel Van Dyk

Additional projects: Drexel University Master of Science in Interior Design students

Show dates: April 15 - May 22
Artists will be on-site at the reception on Friday, April 25th, 2025 from 5 - 7pm

Next week! 📘

Join us in the gallery from 5-8pm next Thursday for a double celebration! We will be releasing the catalog for A Certain Slant of Light and introducing two new murals to the URBN Annex lobby, created in a collaboration between Ukrainian artists and Mural Arts. Light food and fare will be provided. Special thanks to and .tal for helping create such a beautiful publication.

A little overdue, but thank you to everyone who came out to the Philly collective reading of An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping! What a wonderful, uplifting, community event. We are so grateful to and Denise Wolf for organizing this event and selecting our space to host.

To read more about or purchase the book, head to https://thickpress.com

Staff Pick! 🎨

This week’s staff pick was chosen by Favor Abioye, BA Product Design and new Pearlstein Gallery team member.

“I like this artwork because it’s very immersive. It makes me feel like I’m looking up at a way out of darkness. The source of light is also cool because it illuminates the tree, revealing specks of white.”

Sea and sky ~ 🌊

Bruce Po***ck’s paintings in A Certain Slant of Light are from his intricate “Indigo” series in shades of blue. These meditative and energetic works feature fractal and geometric patterns inspired by deep observation of nature.

See more from the “Indigo” series in A Certain Slant of Light, on view until March 15.

Artist: Bruce Po***ck
Title: Sea and Sky
Date: 2015
Medium: Acrylic on linen