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FIRST FRIDAY IS THIS FRIDAY WITH 3 ARTIST TALKS!

Two New Exhibitions

Material Memory: Twisted Lines, Rooted Forms

Opening Reception: August 1st | 5-8pm

Closing Reception: September 5th | 5-8pm

Artist Talks by Lisa Belsky & Barbara Straussberg: August 1st & September 5th @ 6:30pm

Gravers Lane Gallery is pleased to present “Material Memory: Twisted Lines, Rooted Forms”, a joint exhibition by Philadelphia-based artists Barbara Straussberg and Lisa Belsky, on view July 24th through September 6th, 2025. The exhibition explores themes of memory, transformation, and female lineage through two distinct yet resonant material practices. Two public receptions will be held: Friday August 1st and Friday September 5th, 5–8pm, with artist talks at 6:30pm.

At the heart of this exhibition is a deep respect for natural materials and traditional techniques—fiber, clay, paper—and their potential to carry meaning. The exhibition explores themes of memory, transformation, and female lineage through two distinct yet resonant material practices.Both artists approach their mediums with an experimental spirit shaped by personal histories and translate that into layered forms that reveal and conceal, collapse and endure. Their parallel experience of maternal loss (both artists lost their mothers in recent years) weaves through their newest work, and creates a poignant dialogue between structure and surrender, processing grief and growth.

Barbara Straussberg draws from her background as an abstract painter, combining printmaking, collage, and sculpture with handmade papers and archival family images. Her use of Joomchi, a Korean paper-manipulation technique, along with recurring circular forms, speaks to cycles of life, continuity, and remembrance. In this exhibition she continues to push the limits of her materials. She places a special emphasis on sculpting with natural materials and exploring the infinite possibilities of printmaking, sometimes combining the two art forms. Layers of translucent handmade paper embedded with antique family photos form a personal archive of emotion and ancestry. Her latest pieces incorporate monotypes, photopolymer plates, and collagraph textures, creating rich surfaces that invite viewers to peer into personal histories that are both hidden and revealed.

Belsky’s ceramic forms begin with hand-knitted or crocheted fabrics—an inheritance of skill passed down from generations of women in her family. Dipped in porcelain slip and fired, the soft textiles are transformed into delicate clay remnants that hold the memory of their original form. Cracked seams, collapsed folds, and fractured edges are not flaws, but vital parts of the work—traces of tension, tenderness, and transformation. The resulting sculptures are remnants and reliquaries—delicate and strong, fragile and enduring.

Together, Straussberg and Belsky create a poetic dialogue between preservation and letting go, tradition and experimentation. Their shared reverence for natural materials and inherited practices fosters a conversation about what is passed down, what is lost, and what remains. “Material Memory: Twisted Lines, Rooted Forms” is a moving tribute to the act of making as a way to hold memory in form.

More about the Exhibition

In Motion | Jewelry That Plays Back

Night Shift Studio x Gravers Lane Gallery

July 17 – August 28

Opening Reception: August 1st | 5-8pm

Curator Talk: August 1st @ 6:30pm

Gravers Lane Gallery is pleased to present “In Motion”. Art jewelers and guest curators Ellyse Bendillo & Kate Dannenberg of Night Shift Studio were invited for their second time by Gravers Lane Gallery to develop a themed invitational exhibition. The opening reception will take place on August 1st 2025, 5pm – 8pm. Please join the curators at 6:30pm as they lead a conversation about “In Motion” with participating artists and gallery staff.

At the intersection of fine art, design, and engineering, kinetic jewelry challenges traditional expectations of adornment. “In Motion” is an exhibition of contemporary kinetic jewelry and sculpture by studio artists. Reactive and interactive jewelry that moves with you, these pieces dance, sway, spin, and shake—shapeshifting before your eyes. Featured artists apply their well-honed craft skills to breathe life into each element, transcending beyond static form. The range of artists shows the versatility of the material—from geometric construction with crisp mechanics to gently flowing thread-like chain. These artists understand that the tactile experience of jewelry is essential to the enjoyment of adornment. With evocative visual movement and kinetic elements these pieces delight. Metalsmiths are mechanics and architects who embrace a dynamic relationship with gravity.

The art jewelry pieces on display are not passive objects, but expressive works that respond to the wearer’s gestures and environment. “In Motion” highlights how contemporary jewelers use movement to deepen emotional resonance and create a multisensory experience—where sight, sound, and touch converge. In our fast paced contemporary reality, these works reclaim slowness and presence. They ask viewers and wearers alike to pause, observe, and engage. Whether subtle shifts or exuberant motion, the pieces in “In Motion” reflect the living energy of the body—and the imagination of the maker. In doing so, they affirm art jewelry’s place not only as ornament, but as conversation, reaction, and play.

More about the Exhibition

EXPLORE FOUNDATIONS ART FAIR ON ARTSY

Works by Sasha Baskin, Kelly Dzioba, Jing Huang, Colin Pezzano, and Tara Thacker

Gravers Lane Gallery is proud to announce its participation in Artsy’s Foundations Art Fair 2025, a curated digital showcase dedicated to championing emerging artists. Running from July 14 to August 8, 2025, this prestigious event highlights forward-thinking galleries committed to shaping the future of contemporary art.

For this year’s Foundations Fair, Gravers Lane Gallery will present five exceptional artists whose innovative practices embody the gallery’s commitment to material integrity, narrative depth, and cross-disciplinary excellence. The selected artists—Jing Huang, Tara Thacker, Colin Pezzano, Kelly Dzioba, and Sasha Baskin—represent the next wave of Contemporary Craft, exploring timeless techniques alongside unconventional materials to investigate identity, memory, process, and cultural meaning. Explore ceramic landscapes and beaded formalism, each work embodying the power of the handmade in a rapidly changing world.

From ceramic installations that evoke the layered ambiguity of migration (Huang), to hand-built woodwork that visualizes the passage of time and personal history (Pezzano), to beadwork that dazzles with color, camp, and critique (Dzioba), these artists offer a visceral experience of craft reimagined. Baskin’s layered digital works reinterpret reality television as contemporary mythmaking, while Thacker’s feather-inspired ceramics blur boundaries between material, memory, and transformation.

“Each of these artists brings a unique perspective and mastery of material that aligns with our mission to support deeply intentional, process-based practices,” says Chloe Le Pichon, Director of Gravers Lane Gallery. “This presentation at Foundations celebrates the future of craft and the stories we shape through it.”

More about the Exhibition

JOURNEY BASKET #4 BY MARY A. JACKSON ACQUIRED BY MUSEUM OF INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART

Read more about how this important basket became part of the collection

Gravers Lane Gallery is thrilled to share that Journey Basket #4 by Mary A. Jackson has been acquired by the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM. This exceptional sweetgrass basket, representing the Gullah tradition of Johns Island, SC, marks an important addition to the museum’s permanent collection. During a visit to our February 2025 exhibition honoring Jackson’s 80th birthday and Black History Month, curator Laura Addison discovered the piece and championed its acquisition. We extend our gratitude to Laura and the museum team for preserving this legacy.