HALLOWED HALLOWEEN - PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

This October 1st - 31st the Autumn Society of Illustration, the Philadelphia Cartoonist Society and Proximity Gallery present:

HALLOWED
HALLOWEEN
Opening Reception - October 1st, 2010
October 1st - October 31st

PROXIMITY Gallery
2434 East Dauphin Street
Philadelphia, PA 19125
267.825.2949


Once a year the summer sun passes on to make way for the birth of the next season. From it's passing, the month of October welcomes many changes with the coming of the season of Autumn. Most know the presence of Autumn thanks to the calm breeze that soothes the sun scorned fields of a past summer's day and the prismatic changes that trees decorate themselves with. Others, especially in the northern ends of the world, know it marks the last harvest of the year. The last harvest, the slaughtering of cattle, and stockpiling of grain are all in preparation for winter. These tasks largely decided Life and Death, and thus was a time to celebrate, mourn and call on the spirits of the season and the field, both good and evil.

A novelty now, viewed as children's games of years forgotten, the rites, practices and superstitions stemming from harvest holidays used to embody the fact that life is precious, delicate, and at a time, largely relied on the last harvest. What at one time was a potluck holiday, borrowing from most farming civilizations, Halloween has lost its edge, its lesson, its beauty. What was once a celebration of life and death, role-reversal and phantasmagoria, black and orange is now garish, commercialized and seemingly meaningless.

Fall is often a short reprieve; a flash of beauty between the sweltering summer and bone chilling winter, passed before it's noticed. However, thanks to rituals that do not invite publicity or the light of day, the practices, adornment and lore that were once Halloween will be celebrated by 35 nostalgic artists this October. For the first time, the Autumn Society and the Philadelphia Cartoonist Society have collaborated to bring you "Hallowed Halloween". This celebration will be welcomed and housed at Proximity Art Gallery, which is Philadelphia's premiere upcoming gallery for fresh, new talent in the visual arts.

The "Hallowed Halloween" art exhibition will feature multi-media based artwork exploring all the elements that make Halloween creepy, imaginative, and fun. This will include exposing its roots in folklore, diverse rituals, adornment and staple characters. Thanks to Proximity Gallery and the gathered artists this exhibition and celebration will ignite the Autumn bonfires as we, the living and the dead celebrate Halloween in all its magic and lore.

Come join the goblins, ghosts, witches and artists this October 1st for the opening reception of "Hallowed Halloween" at Proximity Gallery.