Joy in the World: September Exhibitions in Phoenixville
- Victoria Rose
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
New Shows from Spring City Mill Studio Artists JoAnn Moy, Judy Lupas, & Tina Crespo
We are being treated to an absolutely gorgeous start to the fall season, as blue skies and cool breezes invite us to explore the great outdoors. Natural landscapes can inspire experiences that stay with you long after the leaves have fallen. Three new shows opening in Phoenixville in September capture those moments via painting and photography: Art is Happiness by JoAnn Moy at Art Work Gallery + Meeting Space, Garden Party by Judy Lupas at Art on Bridge, and Inner Landscapes by Tina Crespo at Ravensgate.
“My work is more about the idea of natural subjects, the emotion of being under a brilliant sky,” said Moy. In this exhibition, Art is Happiness, the paintings vary from minis up through large-scale abstract landscapes. “In the early ’90s my favorite painting professor from Drexel, Brian Wagner, always said you should paint from your shoulder not your wrist,” she remembered. “That's why I like to work so big. Standing at my easel in front of a large canvas, I can do that.”
The three artists all have space in Spring City Mill Studios, just across the bridge from Phoenixville. “Being around other artists and their work, you just naturally start critiquing and getting critiqued,” said Moy. “It’s always constructive criticism though and that's how we all grow.”
Crespo, whose show includes photographs which have an abstract quality, agrees. “Our building is incredibly unique and it helps to keep the creativity thriving when so many other artists are there to chat with,” she said. “Both Judy and JoAnn explore nature in ways that I cannot, I love their use of color and movement—I feel lucky to see their work every day on our floor.”
That collaborative, supportive, and challenging spirit is part of what makes the local art community unique and engaged. Creating art can be an isolating activity, but studio spaces in buildings which house dozens of artists brings in other perspectives. “When working on a body of work that feels really personal, you spend a lot of time alone with it,” Crespo said. “It can be vulnerable bringing the work out into the light to be seen by others.” Putting on an exhibition brings the work to new audiences, allowing for new perspectives. “At the same time, I have had some of the most wonderful conversations with people who have connected with more vulnerable pieces,” Crespo noted.
While spread across three galleries, the natural, vivid styles of these artists bring a bright enchanting quality that connects these exhibitions. “The work that I have selected is from the inspiration of the gardens around our home and sitting quietly at Althouse Arboretum . . . near our home,” said Lupas. Her show, Garden Party, includes colorful bold paintings of organic forms like flowers and grasses. “I would like the viewer to experience a place of peace,” she said.
Moy’s abstract paintings bring grand views and bold sweeping colors inside. “Though initially inspired by landscapes and big bright skies, the work isn't meant to be a representation of that, but rather to present an emotion,” she said. “My kids are nearly grown now but in the early mornings when they were babies and up at dawn, I'd look out at different shapes the clouds make and the great variety of color and feel joy.” That joy comes through to the viewer. “I'm so in love with where my paintings have landed,” Moy explained. “I paint to bring happiness to life (with fewer calories!).”
“Every body of work begins with a memory,” Crespo said. “When my mom died, I inherited boxes of loose photographs. Photographs of my childhood, her childhood, her mother’s childhood—as well as many photographs of people I didn’t know dating back to the early 1900s.” This served as inspiration for the show, with musings on her role as an artist and person. “As women, we are our family’s memory keepers,” she said. “I wanted to explore that thought more, what does it mean to be a memory keeper? Who inherits my memories and stories, as a woman who has chosen not to have children?”
Crespo’s show, Inner Landscapes, invites viewers to examine these questions through a mix of vivid and grayscale photography. “This exhibition in particular features photographs that I have taken over the last 15 years,” she said. “My camera has always been a silent traveler, capturing moments that I find nostalgic or peaceful. I always feel like I happen upon these moments in nature, rather than create them. That feeling of awe never goes away!”
The overarching experience of these three shows is transporting the expansive grandeur of nature to gallery walls. Each artist is showcasing their celebration of that feeling. “If I could put happiness and joy in ten-gallon buckets, I'd like each visitor to walk away from the show with at least a few of those buckets,” said Lupas. Similarly, Crespo said that, with her work, “I hope to encourage visitors to cherish their own stories and memories.” More than simply stopping to smell the roses, Crespo said her work invites viewers “To take the time to slow down and notice the little things around you, the natural world is a place of unending inspiration and hope.”
During those months when you can’t go outside and touch grass, these artworks will be the perfect reminder of the natural splendor waiting for its chance to unfurl once again.
Exhibition Information:
Art is Happiness by JoAnn Moy
Art Work Gallery + Meeting Space, 213 Church Street, Phoenixville
Opening Reception: First Friday, Sept. 5, 6–9 pm, with a Signature Fall Cocktail!
Gallery Hours: Fridays & Saturdays 6–9 pm, Sundays 12–4 pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 am–2 pm, with Artist Talk at 11 am
Garden Party by Judy Lupas
Art on Bridge, 252 Bridge Street, Phoenixville
Opening Reception: First Friday, Sept. 5, 5–7 pm
On view through Nov. 3
Gallery Hours: Thursdays & Fridays 4–8 pm, Saturday 11 am–7 pm, Sunday 12–4 pm
Inner Landscapes by Tina Crespo
Ravensgate, 207 Bridge Street, Phoenixville
Opening Reception: First Friday, September 5, 6–8 pm
On View through September
Select pieces will be on view at Julie Miller Pottery Studio, 24 S. Main Street, during the PXV Art Walk on Sunday, Oct. 5, 11 am–4 pm
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