The Da Vinci Art Alliance has a pair of new offerings opening in December in South Philly.
Located at 704 Catharine St., the Da Vinci Art Alliance is unveiling a collection of small works called “Perennial Visions” along with an exhibition called “…” by artists Daisy Diamond and Olivia Guarnieri. Both will be on view from Dec. 5-22 in adjacent galleries at Da Vinci, with opening receptions on Dec. 7 from 4-7 p.m.
In the case of Perennial Visions, the studio will showcase more than 50 small works by local artists as part of an annual Members Exhibition.
From printmaking to sculpture to weaving, the multi-disciplinary artworks on view showcase the individual talents, perspectives and creative impulses that can be amplified by collective care. Each work on display is 10” by 10” or smaller, intentionally designed to be accessible for the new art buyer. Most works are priced between $100-$150.
“With arts funding being slashed and art institutions closing their doors, this year’s Perennial Visions has been created with the intention of supporting artists,” said Veronica Cianfrano, Da Vinci Art Alliance Gallery director and curator of the exhibition. “Yes, artists have the uncanny ability to adapt and create no matter the circumstance but they can’t do it without financial and community support. My hope is that people will see this as a great opportunity to create an affordable art collection or purchase one-of-a-kind gifts in time for the holidays.”
In “…”, Diamond and Guarnieri explore this symbol of ambiguity, and the myriad meanings it can contain.
Though Diamond and Guarnieri have long studied and mastered their crafts in sculpture and painting, this will be the first time they present their works side by side. They say the works of art will have conversations with each other.
“I am very glad to present this exhibition that only asks, rather than knows what it is,” said Guarnieri. “Much like “…” fills the space between clauses with meaning, so, too, do the pieces on view alchemize the space between them—and between the artists themselves.”
Guarnieri is a visual artist who received a BA from Vassar College, where she studied English, media studies and studio art, and presented a senior thesis on object-oriented ontology. Since living in Philadelphia, she has shown work in various gallery spaces including locally at Vox Populi, as well as Creative York (York), CICA (Gimpo, South Korea), Dodomu Gallery (virtual) and The Rest Gallery (Ithaca, New York). Last year, she attended a residency at Arts Letters & Numbers and completed a summer studio critique program at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. This summer, Olivia was a resident at Cornell’s Image Text Workshop, and in 2025, she will be participating in a residency at the Da Vinci Art Alliance.
Diamond has exhibited work in Philadelphia at Vox Populi, Fleisher Art Memorial and William Way LGBT Community Center. They have a BA in Art and Visual Culture from Bates College and are completing a MS in Art Conservation at the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation.
“Creating this show with Olivia has been such a joyful exchange, where our shared interest in the ‘thing-ness’ of objects, language and ideas has been able to unfold at its own pace,” Diamond said.
An Exquisite Corpse Workshop for “…” will take place on Dec. 14 from 1-2 p.m. A closing reception and artist talk for both exhibitions will be held on Dec. 22 from noon to 2 p.m.
