PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The Museum for Art in Wood has opened a new multi-disciplinary exhibition, PLACING, featuring the works of seven fellows who participated in its annual Windgate Arts Residency Program in Wood (WARP Wood). The exhibition displays works created by the fellows both before and during the residency and is on view to the public through October 15. Established in 1995, the WARP Wood residency is a collegial experience that encourages fellows to explore new work either solely in wood, or in other materials in meaningful combination with wood, through research, exploration, and collaboration.

This year, the Museum awarded these prestigious fellowships to an international group of resident artists, a student artist, and a scholar. During the nine-week program, the fellows are brought to Philadelphia to work together at the North Philadelphia location of NextFab (1800 N. American Street), a network of membership-based makerspaces.

“Since the first cohort arrived in 1995 to inaugurate the International Turning Exchange residency, the Museum has witnessed how impactful and valuable this unique program is to the careers and perspectives of the world’s leading artists working in wood,” said Jennifer-Navva Milliken, Museum for Art in Wood’s Executive Director and Chief Curator. “WARP Wood also impacts Philadelphia’s cultural community as residents spend their time experiencing the city’s many artistic and historic landmarks while visiting local artists and collectors. This year’s cohort is international and brings a wide range of approaches to the material of wood, and we are eager to learn from their creative explorations, breakthroughs, and discoveries.”

The resident artists selected for the 2023 round of WARP Wood Program can pursue individual and collaborative work that is explorative and experimental. The five artists selected for this year’s program are: Vancouver-based artist and furniture designer Emma Chorostecki, Los Angeles artist and cabinet maker Terry Holzgreen, San Diego sculptor and woodworker Adam John Manley, Tokyo-born and Tainan, Taiwan-based multi-media sculptor Maiko Sugano, and Colón (Entre Ríos), Argentina-based kinetic sculptor Laura Zelaya. Pittsburgh-based artist and educator Teresa Audet fills the student fellowship.

Midway through the residency, San Francisco-based writer, curator, visual artist, and woodworker Deirdre Visser joined the cohort for one week as the Scholar Fellow, exploring personal research, engaging in open discussions, and conducting interviews with each Artist Fellow. The goal of the exchange is to encourage dialogue among the residents deepen the ties between artists all over the world who are compelled to work in the unique material of wood.

While in Philadelphia, WARP Wood Fellows also participate in several Museum-sponsored educational events, including an Open Studio Day at the NextFab North on July 15, where the public is invited to speak with the Fellows, watch demonstrations of techniques, and discuss works-in-progress. During the two months on the program, the Fellows also visit artists, collectors, and other museums throughout the region.

The residency concludes with the presentation of the artists’ work in a multi-disciplinary exhibition, titled PLACING, presented in the Museum’s gallery from August 4 to October 15. The exhibition tracks each Fellow’s experience and growth by including objects produced before and during the program, with three-dimensional work on a. range of scales accompanied by photos and essays documenting the residency experience. The theme of PLACING is inspired by the act of finding a place and making it your own, simultaneously understanding yourself as a product of that environment and adapting to it.

Since 1996, over 160 artists have participated in this world-renowned residency, including American curator and historian Glenn Adamson, Korean sculptor Cha Jong-Rye, and Ghanaian sculptor and fantasy coffin carpenter Eric Adjetey Anang.

The Museum for Art in Wood is the international leader for contemporary art and creativity in the material of wood. The Museum engages, educates, and inspires the public through the exhibition, collection, and interpretation of contemporary art in wood. Founded in 1986 and sited in Philadelphia, the Museum for Art in Wood serves a local and international community. It has built its reputation by providing opportunities for makers and visitors to experience craft directly, through participatory programming; seminal exhibitions and documentation; and the growth, conservation, exhibition, and care of its permanent collection. The Museum’s practice of keeping these resources free and available to the public emphasizes its commitment to building a democratic and inclusive community. Visit museumforartinwood.org to learn more.

Museum for Art in Wood
'Placing: The Windgate Arts Residency Program in Wood 2023'
August 4th, 2023 - October 15th, 2023