Projects Gallery
Candace Karch always said she'd be back, but we were worried: Last March, she shuttered the Piazza's bubbly Bambi Gallery due to nearly 99 problems, including theft, flooding issues and landlord woes. Thankfully, though, Karch is curating Bambi's first pop-up show, "Lovely Things, " since she left NoLibs. She considers the four featured artists — Jim Garvey, Matthew Osborn, Bonnie Brenda Scott and Stacey Lee Webber — to be the city's most promising up-and-comers. Webber, who makes sculptures inspired by blue-collar living, was recently selected to be part of the Smithsonian's "40 Under 40: Craft Futures" show. Osborn is an off-the-grid artist who, Karch says, "barely gets in touch with anybody, but if I told him the show was opening tomorrow, he'd paint all night long and do a fantastic piece that everybody just loves." Karch expects to hold about three more pop-ups in 2012. No word yet whether Bambi will move into a permanent space again. Opening reception Fri., Jan. 6, 6-10 p.m., free, through Jan. 28, 629 N. Second St., 267-303-9652, projectsgallery.com.
Space 1026
By day, Jay Hardman works for a construction company; by night, he creates sculptures of construction sites. "I can't escape it; I really love buildings," he says. In the exhibit "Unsustainable, " Hardman presents two structures that are made partly of an unlikely material: cake. "Cake looks a lot like some construction materials, like roofing tar is really similar to frosting," he says. "When you look at my work, you do a double take." The cake not only creates a neat trompe-l'œil effect, but it also suggests that American buildings are gluttonous and disgustingly huge. In other works, Hardman utilizes more traditional materials, focusing on the small-scale drywall finishing and vintage wallpaper. Many of his sculptures are based on local structures, including Kensington warehouses and Italian Market buildings. Opening reception Fri., Jan. 6, 7-10 p.m., free, through Jan. 28, 1026 Arch St., second floor, 215-574-7630, space1026.com.
And Then There's ...
Slingluff Gallery is putting on a show to support the best place in town to watch the sun set. Some of the proceeds from the exhibit, featuring 30 local and national artists, go to the Friends of Penn Treaty Park. Opening reception Sat., Jan. 7, 6-9 p.m., free, through Jan. 29, 11 W. Girard Ave., 215-307-1550, slingluffgallery.com. ... At Knapp Gallery, furniture-maker Karl Frank Slocum explores wood's imperfect shapes and lines. Opening reception Fri., Jan. 6, 4-11 p.m., free, through Feb. 26, 162 N. Third St., 267-455-0279, knappgallery.com. ... At Dumpster Diver Lance Pawling's show at North Bowl, all of his works are made of trash, obviously. Opening reception Fri., Jan. 6, 7 p.m.-midnight, free, through Feb. 29, 909 N. Second St., 215-238-2695, northbowlphilly.com.
