Tyler Blog

Cloud Quilt displayed in Tyler's yellow hallway
March 6, 2024

Tyler Foundations Courses Collaborate on Cloud Quilt

Author: Jordan Cameron

A unique type of quilt blanketed the central portion of the yellow hallway on the Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s second floor recently, a visual patchwork of designs that reflect hugely varied concepts of weather.This student art installation, called Cloud Quilt, is a collaboration among the Foundations Department’s three first-year studio courses: Drawing, 2D Design, and 3D Design. Guided by the theme of “weather,” students were asked to consider how speed and direction of motion can be visually communicated to mimic the movement and noise of a weather event. Read More

February 28, 2024

(re)Focus Festival Convenes Tyler Alumni Panel to Discuss Portraying Women's Bodies

Author: Alina Ladyzhensky

In March, amid a Philadelphia-wide celebration of women artists, three Tyler alums will reflect on the portrayal of female bodies in art in a panel discussion hosted by Tyler and Temple Contemporary.  The panel, (im)positions - Women Portraying Women’s Bodies, will feature a conversation among visual artists Erin M. Riley (MFA ’09), Autumn Wallace (BFA ’18), and Chelsey Luster (BFA ’19), moderated by art historian and Tyler Professor Emerita Therese “Terry” Dolan, PhD.  Read More

Mockup of subway poster ads for "Exhale: Size Inclusive Healthcare" by MeiLi Carling
February 28, 2024

Tyler GAID Students Win Big at Flux Awards

Author: Jordan Cameron

The Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s Graphic and Interactive Design program was widely represented at the 2023 Flux Student Design Competition, with a total of 24 selected projects—more than any other program represented in the competition."It's gratifying to see Tyler represented so well in the competition," said Abby Guido, Associate Professor of Graphic and Interactive Design. "It shows that our focus on creativity, technical skills, and critical thinking is practical. This is a great moment for all of us to appreciate." Read More

February 26, 2024

Architecture Professor Designs with Neuroscience in Mind

Author: Wanda Motley Odom

When Associate Professor of Architecture Na Wei contemplates new ways to design buildings, she doesn’t only consider the architectural elements and materials that she might use. Wei also ponders how those components can influence the way people think and feel.“My current research delves into the intersection of architecture and neuroscience, particularly through dynamic experiments in architectural spaces to study the relationship between architectural form language and human perception,” said Wei, who in December was a guest speaker at the 2023 International Conference on Neuroaesthetics, held in Guangzhou, China. Read More

Professor Pepón Osorio and Edgar Heap of Birds (MFA '79)
February 22, 2024

Professor Pepón Osorio and Edgar Heap of Birds (MFA '79) Named 2024 Arts and Letters Awardees

Author: Alina Ladyzhensky

Pepón Osorio, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Community Art, and Tyler alum Edgar Heap of Birds (MFA '79) have been honored as 2024 Awards in Art recipients by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the organization announced in a press release. Since 1942, the awards have been selected annually by Arts and Letters members. The 2024 awards, totaling $125,000, were granted to eleven established and emerging artists. Read More

February 13, 2024

70 Years of Art: Arlene Love Reflects on Tyler

Author: Jordan Cameron

The year 2024 marks seventy years of Arlene Love’s career as a prolific artist. As part of the (re)FOCUS: Philadelphia Focuses on Women in the Visual Arts festival, Arlene Love: Selections from Seven Decades presents a solo exhibition of Love’s impactful work. It is the inaugural exhibition at the Interactive Museum for Contemporary Art (iMOCA), and spotlights Love's pioneering feminist sculptures, as well as her figurative drawing and photography.Love’s professional journey as an artist began at Tyler, where she earned her BFA in 1952 and BSEd in 1953. She spent five years at the school, which was then located in Elkins Park, PA. Read More

Installation view, Amze Emmons: Playing the Grid
February 8, 2024

Recent Faculty Achievements Roundup

Author: Alina Ladyzhensky

Across disciplines and programs, Tyler's accomplished faculty have been curating and participating in exhibitions, writing and editing books and other publications, receiving recognition for their work through grants and awards, and more. Below is a roundup of their recent achievements and activities.  Read More

“Gospel of Three Dimensions” by Mika Obayashi
February 7, 2024

Tyler Graduate Student Wins First Prize in Fiber Art Now Juried Exhibition

Author: Jordan Cameron

Fibers & Materials Studies graduate student Mika Obayashi received first prize in Excellence in Fibers IX, a juried exhibition by the publication Fiber Art Now. Over 1,200 artworks were submitted for consideration. The installation, titled “Gospel of Three Dimensions,” was originally on view in the Jewett Art Gallery at Wellesley College from September 6 through October 28, 2022. The piece is made of abaca paper, cotton cord, and indigo dye, and is created to be a partially immersive experience, giving viewers the opportunity to step into the sculpture. This is in line with Obayashi’s interest in examining conventional experiences of space in her work.  Read More

February 6, 2024

The Origins of Tyler Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM

Author: Wanda Motley Odom

Decorative Digitalism, a merger of digital technology and delicate hand craftsmanship in jewelry, is the brainchild of Assistant Professor Doug Bucci, but in many ways its origins can be traced back 62 years to the founding of Tyler’s Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM program by pioneering artist and educator Stanley Lechtzin.“Stanley was looking for new possibilities in the field, and saw in the factory and industry environments tools and practices that could revolutionize the art of jewelry making and metalsmithing,” said Bucci, who co-curated the show with Saul Bell Design Award-winning artist Sungyeoul Lee.  Read More