PAFA Students Opening Gallery for Emerging Artists

MFA students at PAFA, seeing a void in Philadelphia's current gallery scene, working to fill the gap with AUTOMAT, opening in April  

PHILADELPHIA (January 30, 2015) -- A group of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) students haven't yet graduated but are already embarking on careers as artists and entrepreneurs by founding a new gallery focusing on emerging and experimental art.

The members of AUTOMAT gallery are PAFA Master of Fine Arts students Morgan Hobbs, Jillian Schley, Rebecca Sedehi, Shane Allan Smith, Tiffany Tate and Zach Zecha. Tate is a recent MFA alumna and the other AUTOMAT founders are preparing to graduate in May.

The reason for establishing their own space is simple, Tate says: "There aren't enough opportunities for emerging artists in Philadelphia."

"Though many amazing spaces and programs exist, it remains difficult to exhibit, especially coming right out of graduate school," she says. "We want to be a part of the solution, to create a space open to experimentation where local, emerging artists can take chances with their work and ideas can cross-pollinate."

AUTOMAT's new home is coming to 319 N. 11th Street in Philadelphia's Loft District, inside a former industrial space that's becoming a haven for both innovative and established gallery spaces.

In addition to embracing the work of emerging artists, AUTOMAT's founders also are planning creative outreach and engagement with the community and public schools, as well as bringing guest curators and panel discussions to the gallery.

Zecha says, "We met at PAFA because of art and I feel it is important for all of us that the conversation continues."

"This space is meant to create opportunities for ourselves and others, expand our individual dialogues, and engage with the community in which we are a part of," he says. "This project is designed to find other artists, to make art, show art, to live art as a verb."  

The first AUTOMAT group exhibition is slated for First Friday, April 3. An Indiegogo fundraising page spells out the scope of the ambitious project, its budget and wish list, a list of perks for donors, and a charming video that explains it all. For more information on AUTOMAT Gallery, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/automat-gallery.