Wherever There Is Water:
an exhibition of work by
George Ferrandi

JANUARY 27 — APRIL 4, 2009
Suzanne Fleisher and Ralph Joel Roberts Gallery,
Center for Works on Paper, 705 Christian Street, Philadelphia PA

The Fleisher Art Memorial is pleased to present Wherever There Is Water, a residency project and exhibition with Brooklyn-based artist, George Ferrandi. The Wherever There Is Water exhibition opens January 27th in Fleisher's Center for Works on Paper, 705 Christian Street, and culminates in a grand night parade through the streets of South Philadelphia on Saturday, April 24th, 2010. This project and exhibition is one of the city-wide sites featured in Philagrafika 2010: The Graphic Unconscious, an international festival celebrating print in contemporary art.

Work in the exhibition was generated through a collaborative community narrative that will be on display in the gallery and evolve during the duration of exhibition, revealing both its evolution and process. The narrative guiding the residency is centered around the story of Huberta — an elderly woman who sets off in her bunny slippers on an epic journey in search of her old life and her love. While Huberta's adventures on this journey are the main thread of the narrative, the adventures themselves are being informed and inspired by stories of South Philadelphia residents.

The project began with an artist residency in fall 2009, when Ms. Ferrandi converted Fleisher's Suzanne Fleisher and Ralph Joel Roberts Gallery into a studio/research facility/tea room to meet with community members, and translate images from the tales of their adventures into illuminated sculpture to be used in the night parade in April. The gallery will continue to function as George's studio and the Parade Headquarters throughout the exhibition, offering the public an opportunity to see the works in all stages of their development — from idea to illuminated object. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 1:00 to 9:00 PM, and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM through April 23rd.

The public is invited to get involved with this exciting project at Fleisher. The following events are opportunities to meet George Ferrandi and participate in the residency project itself:

• Torchlight & Toddies — for adults only — includes hot toddies, music, and a lantern making workshop in Fleisher's Sanctuary on Saturday, February 6th, at 7:00 PM.


• Every Tuesday in March from 5:30 to 7:00 PM: join the first ever Fleisher Choir and sing in the parade.


• Every Thursday in April from 6:00 to 9:00 PM: lantern-making workshops will be held — free and open to all — at Fleisher's Center for Works on Paper.


• Come join the culminating parade on Saturday, April 24th, at dusk through the South Philadelphia neighborhoods!

Image: George Ferrandi, rabbit lantern, 2009
(Photograph by James Mundie)

Wherever There Is Water is supported by an Artists & Communities grant. Artists & Communities, a program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, is made possible by major funding from the Heintz Endowments, the William Penn Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.