Take that outside! 'Art in the Open' hits the Schuylkill

A group of artists will take it outside May 16 through 18 as part of “Art in the Open” (AiO), an event celebrating artists, their inspirations, and their relationships with Philadelphia’s urban environment. The artists, selected by jury, will set up along the banks of the Schuylkill River from the Fairmount Water Works to Bartram’s Garden. There, they’ll create new works — paintings, photographs, sewing projects, and more — while allowing the public to view and even participate in their processes.

Philadelphia artist Adam Lovitz will be painting inside a structure that lets the sunlight stream through the top. A Plexiglas shelf will hold found or made items, which he’ll use to create a variety of compositions. His hope is that the sun will shine through and cast shadows, creating silhouettes of the forms he creates. He’ll then paint images based on the shadows, and he hopes that people will want to make their own shadow paintings.

His paintings are abstract, but “usually something that’s vaguely familiar arises in the compositions through the colors, texture,” he said. Lovitz is inspired by the city, nature, memories, and feelings.

“Painting is a filter for certain experiences I have,” he said. “And living in the city, you’re constantly confronted with these wonderful visual relationships whether it’s a tree growing through concrete, broken glass, oil puddles. All these things are fascinating to me.”

Lovitz, who has been drawing, painting, and being creative for as long as he can remember, feels that his art is his way of understanding the world. “It’s something that helps me to see things a bit differently. It slows down the process of experiencing things and helps me recollect things,” he said. “It acts as a filter for living.”

And the AiO project lets him share his art and love of Philadelphia with viewers and other creative people. “It will allow conversation, and it’s nice to get out of your cave of a studio to be part of something where other artists are working in a live setting,” he said. “I'm excited to have a conversation between the city and nature.”

"Art in the Open" is happening May 16-18 in Philadelphia along the banks of the Schuylkill River. For the full line-up of artists and more information, visit http://www.artintheopenphila.org/.