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Art Matters

Art Matters: ‘Tall decorated jars’
Closeup of a Song Dynasty urn with snakes writhing across a ribbed surface

A snake writhes across a Song Dynasty urn. 

(Image: Penn Museum)

Art Matters: ‘Tall decorated jars’

Jan. 29 marks the Lunar New Year and the advent of the Year of the Snake, an animal that can be spotted in a Penn Museum exhibition featuring objects and celestial figurines from the Song Dynasty.

Kristina García

Art Matters: ‘Two Lines’ by George Rickey
Looking into the sun, an overhead view of the kinetic sculpture

Looking into the sun, an overhead view of “Two Lines.”

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Art Matters: ‘Two Lines’ by George Rickey

A kinetic sculpture positioned on a hillside at Morris Arboretum & Gardens is designed to move with the wind.

Kristina García

Art Matters: ‘In the Garden’ by Jennifer Bartlett
Lynn Dolby points to one of Jennifer Bartlett’s “In the Garden” panels.

Lynn Smith Dolby, director of the Penn Art Collection. 

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Art Matters: ‘In the Garden’ by Jennifer Bartlett

During these hot days of summer, the cool of a garden water feature depicted in “In the Garden” by artist Jennifer Bartlett could provide some respite. Made of 270 one-foot-square steel plates painted with enamel, sections of the mural are installed in five locations in Van Pelt Library.
Art Matters: Sam Maitin’s ‘Celebration’ mural
Celebration mural.

Artist Sam Maitin created his "Celebration" mural specifically for this space in the Annenberg School for Communication.

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Art Matters: Sam Maitin’s ‘Celebration’ mural

The artist known as Philadelphia’s “Mayor of the Arts” created the 17 colorful, playful pieces specifically for the Annenberg School for Communication.
Art Matters: ‘Fields of Transformation’ by Claudy Jongstra
A close-up of fields of transformation, showing wool in grey, cream, indigo, and gold

A close-up of “Fields of Transformation.” The wool was hand-dyed using natural materials, including onion skin and indigo.

(Image: Brian Hogan)

Art Matters: ‘Fields of Transformation’ by Claudy Jongstra

“Fields of Transformation,” a monumental textile mural in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, symbolizes knowledge evolving into wisdom.

Kristina García