Stanek In Situ
Stanek Gallery is proud to partner with various entities and bring our artists to the largest audience possible. Stanek In Situ is a collaborative program that partners with entities like 110 Park Swarthmore and the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.
Deborah Fine at 110 Park Swarthmore
Deborah Fine is a valued represented artist of Stanek Gallery. She is guided by her intuition and the relationship between material and canvas. In a state of constant exploration, Fine layers a variety of materials including acrylic paint, texture mediums, oil pastels, and more. She deploys the ideologies of Abstract Expressionism since an integral part of her process is movement. Fine embraces spontaneous drips and lines, allowing the canvas to decide where the next layer of paint will rest. Every decision considers the overall composition before Fine embarks on a new intuitive action to alter the piece. See her work now at 110 Park Avenue, Swarthmore.
Deborah Fine, Deep River Blues, 2014. Mixed media on canvas mounted on panel, 10 x 10 inches. Inquire for price.
Deborah Fine, Rain and Fire, 2014. Pastel on paper, 14 x 14 inches. Inquire for price.
Deborah Fine was born and raised in the Philadelphia area and is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. In 1969, she returned to Philadelphia from school in Pittsburg to earn her BFA at the University of the Arts. In the years that followed, Fine continued her education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Mainline Art Center. Deborah Fine owned a small business for many years and worked in the arts supporting fellow artists. This entrepreneurial experience served her well in the transition from operating and managing a small business to establishing a studio practice that feeds her passion for painting.
Deborah Fine’s work is in many public and private collections. She has been exhibited throughout the Northeast at museums, art centers, and prominent galleries including the Woodmere Art Museum, the Main Line Art Center, and most recently, Stanek Gallery.
Deborah Fine, Thunder Rose, 2021. Mixed media on canvas, 36 x 36 inches. Inquire for price.
James Brantley at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral
Journeys and Celebrations
January 12 – February 24, 2024
Another chapter of Stanek in Situ brings a solo presentation of the captivating and inspiring work of James Brantley. This exhibition is presented by the Cathedral Arts program of the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral and curated by Thomas Lloyd, Canon for Music and the Arts, in collaboration with the Stanek Gallery.
James Brantley, Hustler, 2017 and redone in 2024. Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inches. Inquire for Price.
James Brantley was born in Philadelphia in 1945. He has been drawing and creating from a young age and has not stopped. Upon graduating from Simon Gratz High School in the Nicetown neighborhood of North Philadelphia in 1963, Brantley began studying art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA). In September of 1964, Brantley was drafted into the United States Army to serve in Vietnam. After one tour of duty in Vietnam and on tour Stateside, Brantley earned an honorable discharge in 1966.
Able to take more time for his artistic passion, Brantley resumed his studies at PAFA, completing a four-year Certificate Program in Painting in 1971. He then enrolled in the General Studies Program at The Philadelphia College of Art in 1971, and later studied 19th and 20th Century Art History at the University of Pennsylvania in 1972.
James Brantley’s much sought-after works are included in numerous public and private collections, including the Woodmere Art Museum, the Michener Museum, and the US Department of State Collection in the Embassy of the United States in Sierra Leone. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts acquired his debut work, “Brother James (1968),” in 1970 after the famous Pennsylvanian realist painter, Andrew Wyeth, admired it. Brantley has also won awards for his work, including the Hallgarten Price from the National Academy of Design and the Louis Fine Purchase Award from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art.
James Brantley, Journey, 2007. Acrylic on canvas, 36 × 92 inches. Inquire for price.
Within this collection of work, James notes that Hustler is a self-portrait and though he has no favorites, Journey represents most of the elements of his process.
Words from the Artist:
My journey as an artist has not been an easy choice. There were the constant reminders of not being appreciated, in this life. These concerns were from family, friends, educators or just total strangers. I want people to know that I have the determination of a pit bull dog, once I bite I hold on until I'm done. Young artists need to have that dog, crocodile, wolverine, or whatever it takes to persevere. Find one person that believes in your voice and sing to them.