Petrucci Family Foundation

We are thrilled to announce our acquisition of two fabulous photographs by Fabiola Jean-Louis, made possible by Myrtis Bedolla! ------------- Caption courtesy of our wonderful summer marketing intern, Tioluwani Ariyibi: Fabiola Jean-Louis is a lecturer, conceptual artist, and visual activist who employs paper sculpting, photography, filmmaking, pottery, paper textiles, installation art, and painting in her work. "Paradise Lost” is a self-portrait from her series, “Atonement.” In it, she wears a dress and headpiece intricately sculpted out of paper (yep, you read that right. PAPER!) The image blends Catholic iconography with African symbolism (note the cross on the figure's head, the Ankh in her hands, the Classical European dress, and the African fabric covering the child). She stated that “this project is a reflection of [her] life - a journey of realizing impermanence, fear, guilt, and years of Catholic school. It is about [her] personal connection with God, and the reclamation of [her] Black, ancestral, spiritual identity.” In "Road to Freedom” a woman in a simple protective hairstyle with a middle part stands with her back to the viewer. As far as we can tell, she is unclothed, except for a white ruffled collar. The background is obscured, implying a murky, uncharted path ahead. Featured work: PFF573 - “Paradise Lost,” Archival Pigment Print, 2021, 31 x 25 11/16 in. PFF574 - “Road to Freedom,” Archival Pigment Print, 2019, 30 x 22 in.

“Perspective on the Past“ is an exhibition curated by Susanna Gold for the Barbara Crawford Gallery at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, and the programming for this show has been incredible. Every K-8 classroom has toured the exhibition, and many classrooms have incorporated the show’s themes into their curriculum (from studio art to history, literature, and even math classes studying the artworks). They have found avenues for engagement that we couldn’t have dreamed of, and the cherry on top has to be this 2-day residency with Tawny Chatmon (@tawnychatmon), who created a unique, collaborative piece with second-grade classes! More on that experience in the link below:

I think the best installation yet, and pairs nicely with the wine!

We are honored to have had “Shifting Time” featured on a recent episode of the The Chavis Chronicles! Berrisford Boothe and Klare Scarborough joined Dr. Chavis to discuss “Shifting Time: African American Artists 2020-2021,” and how the text offers a glimpse into the lives of over 70 African-American artists during the early years of the pandemic. You can find the full episode on the PBS website: https://lnkd.in/et-KKDt9

We just completed our third installation at Cree Wine Company! This iteration includes work by Monica Ikegwu, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Richard Mayhew, James Brantley, Berrisford Boothe, YoYo Lander, Charles White, Louis Sloan, Artis Lane, Benny Andrews, Lezley Saar, Derrick Adams, and Katrina Andry. Cree Wine Company is one of New Jersey’s best places to taste, learn, dine, and buy wine from around the world. It is also the only permanent, publicly accessible display of works from the PFF Collection. Join our mailing list to keep up with other exciting PFF updates! https://lnkd.in/eHvFGF4a

We are delighted to announce our new acquisition, "Good Job, Clarence Ivory Williams, Sr." Mixed Media Collage on Doors 48" x 80.5"! A few months ago, PFF traveled to NOLA and had the pleasure of meeting with several remarkable artists. Our first visit was with Carl Joe Williams. This piece was a work in progress at the time, but Jim Petrucci's youngest son, Lorenzo, immediately took to the work. It depicts Carl's grandfather from a photograph he found during a visit with his aunt in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In Carl's words, "He looks like he had a job as possibly a porter, mechanic, plumber, or bus driver. Jobs like these would be seen as an esteemed position for African Americans during that time in 1958."