Artworks

Wind Challenge 2023

 Katie Kaplan, 'The Whole World is Watching,' silkscreen and monoprint on fabric, dye, batting, wood, 90” x 45,” 2023

The Wind Challenge has continues to feature the work of talented emerging artists, introducing their work to a new audience. This year, Challenge 1 included the work of  Katie Kaplan, Paige Morris, Kara Mshinda and Challenge 2 highlighted  Jordan Deal, Lena Kolb, Caitlin McCormack.

To learn more about the Wind Challenge, or to apply for the 2024 season, click here.

Wind Challenge 2021/22

Artwork by  Christina P. Day, Evgenia Kim, and Natalie Kuenzi (Wind Challenge 2022)

Over the past year, the Wind Challenge has continued to exhibit talented new artists. Challenge 1 included the work of Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez, Miguel Antonio Horn, and Kevin B. Huang; Challenge 2 highlighted Christina P. Day, Evgenia Kim, and Natalie Kuenzi; finally, Wind Challenge 3, featured Hratch Babikian, Mostafa Darwish, and Kathleen Eastwood-Riaño. To learn more about the Wind Challenge, or to apply for the 2023 season, click here.

Fleisher from a Distance: Wind Challenge Edition

Melissa Joseph, Memory Pairing #8, 2018  

While Fleisher’s exhibitions are on pause, join Exhibitions Manager Gerard Silva Monday nights at 6:30pm EST for compelling conversations with past and present Wind Challenge artists. Established in 1978, the Wind Challenge Exhibition Series has enriched the lives of countless visitors and introduced audiences to contemporary art created by the region’s emerging artists.  This online series continues through May 24, 2021, and after their live presentation, the sessions are available on Fleisher's Youtube Page.

The Wind Challenge

Established in 1978, the Wind Challenge Exhibition Series is an annual juried competition committed to enriching and expanding people’s lives through art.

Since its inception, the series has introduced regional contemporary art from over three hundred artists to a broad audience and has helped emerging artists advance their professional careers. Past Wind Challenge artists include photographer Robert Asman and sculptor Syd Carpenter, both of whom were later awarded a Pew Fellowship in the Arts; beloved Fleisher teaching artist Charlotte Yudis; and brothers Billy and Stephen Dufala, winners of the 2009 West Prize. In 2011, a series of free-public programs led by the artists was introduced, designed to enhance the viewing experience for youth and adults.

The Wind Challenge Exhibition Series is made possible thanks to generous support from the Wind Foundation, the Dina Wind Art Foundation, and Fleisher members.

 Artwork by Kevin Huang, part of the 20/21 Wind Challenge season

The Biennial Dina Wind Art as Catalyst Fellowship

The award provides visual artists at a critical juncture in their artistic careers the opportunity to enrich their practice, in developing and sharing a socially-engaged, socially-relevant, and participatory public art project within Southeast Philadelphia and Fleisher’s community.

2019:  Catzie Vilayphonh

2017: Emily Chow Bluck 

Emily entered with a very compelling angle – to probe the social hierarchy of predominantly immigrant-owned businesses in South Philadelphia, and to analyze whether the success of owners who immigrated a generation ago could inspire and guide aspirations of newly-arrived people. She had great success forging deep relationships with a small handful of key people in the project; a main challenge of her project proposal was that the time focused on building and managing those relationships didn’t leave time to then develop the trust with newly-arrived refugees.

Her journal entries, progress report, and proposals (linked below) pose thoughtful, intelligent reflections on social practice as a mode of art, and at the heart of her queries, we at Fleisher deeply resonated with her question: “What can I (the artist) offer these communities something that they want or need?”