Modern Art is so honored to have designed Jessica Todd Harper's recent book, The Home Stage (out this November from Damiani).
Her photographs are so beautiful, its no wonder Vogue deemed this book "A coffee table book you need now."
And the most exciting part? Well, having a photo of you and your child in a book that someone at Vogue deemed "a coffee table book you need now." (see below)
The tasteful gentleman is looking for that someone special to accompany him to Modern Art's ARTFUL DINING: A Benefit for the Lancaster Museum of Art. Won't you join him (and us)?
We'll be filling our walls with our artwork, as well as the the amazing woodcuts of Tugboat Print Shop (all the way from Pittburgh), and local favorite My Aunt Debbie; filling our bar (and the Mona Lisa) with wine, beer and tequila, stocking our paint tables with the amazing food of the Scarlet Runner, and pumping up the tunes in case the tasteful gentleman asks you to dance.
Here's all the other important info:
FRIDAY, October 17, 6-9 pm @Modern Art (529 W. Chestnut St, 17603) $45/person (includes food, dink and revelry)
To rsvp, call 717-394-3497 or email generalmuseummanager@gmail.com.
Thank you to all the bold, brave and creative visitors who stopped in for Truth or Drawer this weekend, including this lovely lady who accepted the truth (from our pet gorilla) so gracefully. You people make us proud!!!
Check back soon for a full recap, complete with the beautiful photos from Code of Growing Tree Photography.
Sadly, our dear friend The Lionel has left us unexpectedly last night. With his sleek frame and handsome mug, we're not surprised that someone rode off with him. We just wish we'd had one last chance to express our gratitude for all those smooth rides. If you see Lionel around, give him our love. Stay awesome with your new owner.
And whatever you do, don't go changin'.
Modern Art has been very busy preparing a new event for our dear friends during Lancaster's Fall ArtWalk:
Truth or Drawer. A risky game of art, excitement, and some other things.
Here's how it works:
You come visit Modern Art on Saturday or Sunday, Oct 4/5 between 12-5.
You are confronted with a choice: Truth, or....DRAWER.
You decide...
...perhaps you pick Truth? You have chosen to sit yourself down on our truth couch and answer one of our probing truth questions. We record these answers for posterity. (And then use to create a stunning piece of artwork.)
..or dare you pick dare? Aha! You are bold! You have chosen to select a drawer from the card catalog which will direct you to complete one of our Modern Art dares. Perhaps you'll need to create something, act out something, eat something, drink something. Maybe do an errand for us. Maybe ask us to do an errand for you. Maybe have your portrait painted on the wall. You wont know until you pull that drawer.
Whichever you choose, you will be HANDSOMELY REWARDED!!! (And you will be handsome.)
Come play. We double dog drawer you.
On Friday, September 12, join us and the great folks from the Triangle for some very short (but very awesome) storytelling.
It's been a mere three months since we bid adieu to our dear friend the Bookworm. And so here, a tribute: Complete with a basket full of compelling books (covering a variety of genres, and including some of our favorites: The Brothers Karamazov, Freedom, How to Talk to Your Dog, Advanced Thermodynamics and Fifty Shades of Gray), the Bookworm is a fully-functioning mobile library. The advanced checkout system, powered by cutting-edge technology, allows you to check out a book by signing your name on a card attached to each book, then stamping it with the date on which you are asked to return.
After spending much time with the Bookworm, Modern Art decided it was time to set our fine friend free. We donated him to the Lancaster Public Library Art Auction in hopes that he would flourish and prosper with a new group of book lovers. We wish you well, big guy!
An ode to the Bookworm would not be complete without an Ode to two wonderful folks without whom the Bookworm would not be. To Brian Frailey, original namesake of the Bookworm, owner of our favorite bookstore Dogstar Books. Modern Art itself would not be if not for him (and the fact that he moved his store to a bigger location so we could move in to its old place.)
And to the amazing Steve Carlson who so generously lent...then donated....the amazing trike to Modern Art to transform for ArtBike. Thank you, Steve, your kindness will not be forgotten!
In honor Modern Art's third ArtBike, and grand pronouncements, we present to you some of our favorite ArtBike case studies. Whether they are life changing for the subjects or just for us is up for debate. But we still like the stories. CASE STUDY #1: Happy Loving Couple
Early on one ArtBike Sunday, a young couple popped in to Modern Art excited about borrowing a couple bikes. They happened to catch us at a slightly chaotic moment (not uncommon)—many children running around, bikes still being set up, furniture being moved around— so before we had a chance to get their names, IDs, and have them sign a waiver, they'd chosen two of our favorite bikes and pedaled off. Oh well, surely they'll come back, we thought.
Hours passed. The day grew cloudy. We lent out more bikes and continued on, wondering who the mystery couple had been.
More hours passed.
More clouds. And rain.
More hours.
We waited nervously, peeking out for the bikes every few minutes.
As the day grew to a close, we really started to worry. Everyone had come back, but our two bikes (one with a gold-framed picture of Jo's husband Jeremy) were still out. Perhaps our naive idea that we could lend bikes out, for free, just for fun, was finally backfiring. It wasn't going to work. Our faith in the inherent goodness of our community started to fade. The bikes were gone. We called it a day and started closing up.
And that's when it happened: As we were locking up, loud shouts and laughter approached on wheels. Our wheels! Our mystery couple! "WE HAD THE BEST DAY EVER!!" we heard them scream. They jumped off the bikes, ran up to us holding hands and smiling widely at each other. Kissing even. "We went everywhere! All over town! Thank you so much! WE FELL IN LOVE AGAIN! "
As it turns out, the mystery couple was out for a rare afternoon without their 18-month old. They'd stumbled upon ArtBike, jumped at the chance to ride, and in doing so reset the spark in their relationship. And reset our faith that if you do things just for the love of it, even little things, it'll all work out. People are good. And a day on a bike with some art thrown in can change you. It may just have been our very best Modern Art moment ever.
Here's to you, happy, adorable, lovely ArtBike couple! Thank YOU for changing our lives.
Thank you to everyone who helped us find all of our lost things over ArtWalk weekend! Check out more photos from the whole project here. (Thanks to Growing Tree Photography for the great pics!)
Back by popular demand and now weather resistant! Pick one up at Modern Art. (they're free!)
Thank you to all the kind messengers who have delivered our very important messages about town recently. The confidential, urgent nature of the content required swift, discreet and reliable carriers. To all of you who accepted this challenge, we are forever grateful.
Working with the great photographer, JSugar, and the great model/designer Mussels makes for a fab photo shoot.
Everyone is a winner.
Thank you, Frank Fairfield, for a lovely show. We wish you lived next door.
Frank Fairfield returns to the Tiny Modern Stage on Friday, April 25.
All tickets ($15) will be on sale at the door at 7:30, show starts at 8pm.
All ages, BYOB.
Frank Fairfield is a young man and old time folk musician who plays fiddle, guitar and banjo while singing and hollering. An unbelievable word of mouth sensation who channels the spirit of another era in his spellbinding live shows.
“A young Californian who sings and plays as someone who’s crawled out of the Virginia mountains carrying familiar songs that in his hands sound forgotten: broken lines, a dissonant drone, the fiddle or the banjo all percussion, every rising moment louder than the one before it.” – Greil Marcus
“One of America’s best conduits of antiquity” – Pitchfork
ArtBike is back, and do we have some wheels for you. From 12-5pm on May 4-5, our fleet of Artbikes will be up and street-ready for the weekend. Come on over to Modern Art, grab an ArtWalk map, and take your favorite for a spin through the lovely streets of our lovely city. All you need is a smile. (And, preferably, to know how to ride a bike.)
We have about 10 bikes, in various heights, styles and working orders. We've got a few helmets, a pump, locks, and wigs if you need them.
Can’t wait to see you. (In the meantime, check out some of these pics from previous Artbike weekends:)
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An important letter from Modern Art Staff:
To Whom it May Concern: While you spin on your ArtBike through Lancaster's ArtWalk, perhaps you'd be willing to look out for some very important items gone missing from Modern Art? They are vital to our next project, which is in production as we write. A gracious, palpable, colorful award to all who may find and return any of the lost items (you will know them when you see them).
Thank you for your consideration.
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We have another great Old-Time pickin’ and story tellin’ show coming to Modern Art you won’t want to miss. John Haywood & Brett Ratliff play mountain music from the coalfields of Southeastern Kentucky. They’ve sat knee to knee in jam sessions and square dances with some of the great masters of Kentucky traditional music such as Lee Sexton, Paul David Smith, George Gibson, Art Stamper & many others. Both John & Brett are native East Kentuckians and deliver, through music & story, a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage and vibrancy of life in the beautiful Appalachian Kentucky Hills.”Pot luck/food share at 6:00 PM– Concert begins at 7:00. As always, BYOB (And your Listening Ears!!)
Tickets are $15 AT THE DOOR.
Modern Art is an art and design studio based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Through slightly disarming, curious, and unconventional surprises, we use creativity and design thinking to provide an entry point into change making. We investigate how this can strengthen and propel a community’s sense of social awareness and responsibility.
529 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster, PA / (610) 761-9799 / Studio is open on Open Studio evening, by appointment and by chance!