Space 1026

super great art space!

when I think of why I like the philly art scene, I think of 1026. low key, mostly no attitude, good location (chinatown)
as a non-​artist, I find much of their stuff interesting, but not ground-breaking…maybe that’s because only that one group seems to show there. although I have seen performances there by outsiders, which I hope they will do more of
and where else do people bring their dogs and offer cans of beer from plastic garbage barrels full of ice at art openings?

After hearing about this art space for some time I finally got a chance to visit last week when they were displaying the amazing amount of work by Canada’s lead screen printing team Seripop.
Don’t let the overwhelming amount of gutter punks on arch street scare you away. This is a cute space. The people running it were nice, and it was great to see a simple space with no frills. No pretentiousness, either. a nice change for me since i’m more used to the art scene in Brooklyn.
I totally look forward to returning to this place! Their lineup of work seems great.

I visited Space 1026 last week when I discovered that a Providence art collective, the Dirt Palace, had a gallery up. Well, after a little bit of difficulty finding the place, I got let in and was able to peruse at my own pace. Definitely a hole in the wall, this is indeed, as others have mentioned, not your typical gallery, and I agree that this is definitely more a collective’s display space.
Though the residents were very helpful in setting up the lighting and the video for me to check out all the displays, it was strange that, at 1 in the afternoon, nothing was already set up. But no worries, I respect the DIY/​casual approach.
There was a ton of local flyers and postcards, and there was apparently a store somewhere in the gallery, though I was a little hesitant exploring private areas of the floor.

I have only been to 1026 once. It was for a free silk screening class in May but I found the place to be pretty cool.
I found myself back in my childhood playing around in the pillow fort-​like art which was actually hundreds of couch cushions covered and sewn together. There’s also the felt fingers coming down the staircase that someone had to painstakingly weave together and the tons of old fat skateboards I found all over the place. Neat.
The class was pretty cool. We learned how to make screens and different processes used to print on shirts, paper, etc. The crew was pretty cool and we even walked away with a free print on a blank shirt we brought.
The place has a website with a cool blog and links to all their events. I have to go back again sometime; it was quite an experience.

As Nicole said it’s more of a collective than a gallery. With that said Space 1026 has «art» that goes well beyond the ordinary. one time I came here and saw a really cool mixed media display that featured everyone favorite 8-​bit video game characters. another time I came here and saw people in masks parading around like a bunch of weirdos. you never know what your going to get until you walk up those stares (or inquire with the people smoking outside) but it’s always going to be pretty damn eclectic.
as Nicole says the gallery also doesn’t take itself too seriously which I find to be cool. You’re never going to find an artist «who really connects with their viewers» try to sell a piece for $ 100,000 inside. half the time your not even going to find any art for sale. the Space is about the experience you take away from it .
Recently Space 1026 has also started housing the occasional concert, and I couldn’t think of a better spot for them to happen in. the past couple of bands who have played there have been as quirky as the art on and off the walls.

Space 1026 is more collective than gallery. Started in 2000 by a handful of members, it has grown exponentially both in membership and influence. The slacker art for which this collective is known has shaped the Philadelphia art scene and has gone to New York and beyond as well. I’m not saying these guys were completely responsible for slacker art, but they rode the zeitgeist masterfully, having numerous shows at the ICA and a massive stew of press coverage.
What I like about Space 1026 is the way they employ humor in their work. The artworld takes itself so darn seriously that, particularly when these dudes and ladies entered the scene, childlike tempera paintings of purple monsters abducting reindeer seemed like a breath of fresh air. The driving idea behind this collective is that those doodles you make in your notebook are every bit as important artistically as the statue of David. And furthermore, for a bunch of slackers, they’ve kept this thing going quite a long time. I’m impressed.
On the flip side, sometimes what they try to do fails miserably. There’s a lot of mess behind the success. But I think that’s the same for any artist. What is really worth mentioning here is that collectives like Space redefine the meaning of artist and artwork in a way I think Warhol was trying to do with the Factory but is ginormous ego got in the way (although there were successful enterprises within the Dada movement as well as Fluxus).
Individually some of these artists might have substantial talent and some may be mediocre but together they are a creative force to be reckoned with.