eileentognini.com

Design*Sponge on Gallery in the Garden

2008-04-03T10:18:00.002-04:00

Guest Blogger Kevin Derrick is invited by Design*Sponge to highlight a few Philadelphia art/design folk and their digs. A long time supportor, Kevin captures "how to live with art" during 2008 Gallery in the Garden.

design-phan on Gallery in the Garden

2007-09-28T10:03:00.001-04:00

Blogger, design trendspotter, freelance writer, Caroline Tiger visits Gallery in the Garden and picks a couple of her many favs from last Septembers show.

More Press

2007-09-26T09:55:00.001-04:00

The press articles are rolling in about the Westin's Room 414. Here are two more.

"Westin Show: A Center City hotel breaks from the chain", Philadelphia City Paper, September 12, 2007

"Philadelphia Hotel's Room Design Risk Pays Off," Jim Weaver, Des Plaines Journal, August 1, 2007

Westin Hotel Room Featured in USA Today

2007-08-20T11:27:00.000-04:00

We were featured in this weekend's USA Today! Read the full article here.

Room 414 Press

2007-08-20T08:52:00.000-04:00

Our Westin Hotel room project has gotten a lot of attention! Press includes:

Artfully Yours, Philly, Globorati, August 28, 2007

Philly Hotel Deals, Budget Travel, Aug 22, 2007

Hot or Not? Bronze Shower Hands By Greg Nangle, Chicago, apartmenttherapy.com, July 5, 2007

Travel Tuesday - Philadelphia, Surroundings, posted by Linda Merrill, July 3, 2007

It's (K)Not Wood, July 1, 2007

Philly Pride, Hospitality Design, July 2007

Studio visit: Greg Nangle, Design - phan.squarespace.com (C. Tiger's blog), June 29, 2007

Armed Robbery, DailyCandy.com, June 19, 2007

Westin's Room 414, psfk.com, June 19, 2007

A New Experience, National Post Newspaper, by Canadian Travel Press, June 16, 2007, circ: 232,000

Hotel room as Philly art, Philadelphia Inquirer, by Caroline Tiger, June 8, 2007, circ: 330,622

Sometimes we wish we didn't live here, Phillyist.com, Posted by Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey, June 8, 2007

Westin's Hip Hotel Makeover Update, Live in a Venti Cup, June 7, 2007

KYW NewsRadio interview with Lauren Lipton, June 6, 2007

{Philly} Hotel Makeover, Oh Joy.com, June 5, 2007

Sneak Peak: uwishunu, Design Sponge, June 5, 2007

Westin Philly's Art Room, Gridskipper.com, June 5, 2007

Philly Tourism Gets It Right, DHome Blog, June 5, 2007

Snapshot: The uwishunu Room at the Westin Philadelphia, HotelChatter.com, June 4, 2007

Rumblings: You Can Run, But You Can't Hide Blind Item Edition, Philebrity.com, June 1, 2007

Uwishunu and the Westin Philadelphia, Social Philly, May 31, 2007

WHYY interview with Brenda Jorett, May 31, 2007

Icepack, Philadelphia Citypaper, by A.D. Amorosi, May 30, 2007

Comings & Goings, New York Times, by Hilary Howard, May 20, 2007

Westin unveiling (photos), Philly2night.com, May 9, 2007

Creating a Special Hotel Room in Philly, theLobby.com, April 30, 2007

Blog, Meet Hotel. Hotel, Meet Blog, Life in a Venti Cup, April 30, 2007

The uwishunu Hip Hotel Room Makeover

2007-06-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Check out the The uwishunu Hip Hotel Room Makeover unveiled at the Westin Philadelphia on May 31st, Room 414. My collaborator, RJ Thornburg, we were given the fabulous opportunity by Errin Cecil-Smith, Program Director (GPTMC Philly's tourism board), to create a boutique hotel experience in Philadelphia (where no boutique hotels exist - do you believe it?!) that highlight the cache of creative talent and resource in our town. So, in March, at the point of near completion of the hotel's renovation, General Manger Mike Manzari reserved a room just for us - Room 414 - to transform a raw room into an experiential, art and design cocoon filled with the original works of some 28 artists, designers, furniture makers, along with fine details provided by Philadelphia purveyors. RJ and I had 6 weeks to create a space that celebrates the talents and treasures of our community.

There are never enough thanks to ALL the great people that participated, trusted, and supported this way cool project.

So take a peek at the virtual tour. Don't hesitate to drop an email and let me know what you think!

Welcome

2007-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to eileentognini.com. Please browse, enjoy, and come back to leave your comments. Make sure you check the "news" often for up to date events, exhibits, press, and other news.

Very special thanks to loads of people involved in making this site a great place to hang out in -- you know who you are but may never know how much you've REALLY done. Jen, Lis, Ricardo, Christine, Scott, Deb, Diane, Arden, RJ, Warren, Leslie, last but never least -- Tony and Isabella.

Gallery in the Garden

2007-01-31T10:00:00.001-05:00

Gallery in the Garden, coming into its 9th year this year, has become a "laboratory" in some ways, not only for me and how I continue to develop the physical landscape as I envision it, and how it is used each year for the show -- but a place for artists to freely experiment with a new body of work, new materials, a new direction. It has become a place for dancers, poets, performers along with visual artists to create a magical experience.

Visited by garden groups, including the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Delaware Valley Pond Society, Hardy Plant Society, and Delaware Valley College show that art and nature really are simpatico.

These are just a sampling of some of the wonderful invitations that in collaboration with artist Debra Rosenblum have been created to capture the spirit of Gallery in the Garden. Using the images by artists and/or references to the artwork has been the constant theme that has guided the design effort for each year's invitation -- always a reminder that these endeavors are true collaborations from the very beginning.

Gallery in the Garden 2005 once again featured the work of many amazing artists. Isabella had her first photography credit -- the invitation was inspired by the image that she captured of the fish in the pond. Along with the fish, the reflection of the trees and sky above was the bonus. Once again Deb manipulated the image so it was viewed as a tapestry. Or is it a painting?

Photography by Susan Benarcik

(from top to bottom)
Detail:
Glass vessels by Will Dexter,
Ceramic sculpture by Rain Harris,
Wood-fired vessel by Willi Singleton.

Sticks and Stones: the making of a sculpture garden

2007-01-31T09:55:00.001-05:00

Photography by Debra Rosenblum

In 2004, a generous and impassioned art collector and supporter of the arts, commissioned me to collaborate with her on a most ambitious private endeavor -- to create a sculpture garden/event on her beautiful woodland property in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. With complete curatorial freedom, I was indulged by being "provided" with a wonderful landscape and fabulous architecturally designed home to install sculpture and site specific installations. With Gallery in the Garden and then Sticks and Stones, visitors were able to experience contemporary work in a residential context where the environment(s) differed so dramatically -- contemporary home versus primitive stone farmhouse, a large woodland space versus an intimate garden setting. In 2005 over 900 visitors experienced the magical event!

Photography by e bond

Detail: Excerpted from "Limbo" Debra Werblud

A Second Nature

2007-01-31T09:50:00.000-05:00

It occured to me that several of the artists that I'd worked with over the years either used Nature's materials for their work, or were directly influenced by Nature. The March 2006 show at Crafts for Living in the East Falls section of Philadelphia showcased the diverse sculptural work and paintings that created a second nature. I was pleased and honored to host a group from the Garden Writers Association who were in town for the always spectacular Philadelphia Flower Show.

CuAgAu: elemental

2007-01-29T14:30:00.002-05:00

The 2006 St. Mary's benefit at bahdeebahdu was more than we could have ever imagined. Our first auction of the bunch (of the last 3 annual benefit events) yielded over $15,000! This year's theme was Copper, Silver, Gold... that meant that artists donated work that included any of these metals, were made with, or otherwise. All auction items started at an opening bid of $100, and some quickly rose to the hundreds and more. With 3 lots, and lots for everyone, the St. Mary's benefit party has again established itself in the community as a blast of a party offering great work for an important cause. And besides, it's always great to see Patsy Ratchet and the "girls" .

InVest

2007-01-29T14:30:00.001-05:00

So we discovered that when you do something good, you want to do it again. The 2ndSt. Mary's benefit was the sale of artist made "vests" -- wearable or not wearable. Once again, designer, sculptors, photographers, painters were invited to donate a "vest." All vests were sold for $200 each. Another grand blast raising lots of money for this wonderful Philadelphia based organization helping families effected with HIV/AIDS.

Pulp Fiction

2007-01-29T14:29:00.000-05:00

The title "Pulp Fiction" conjures so many ideas. The movie of course comes to mind, the old fragile comic book like publications come to mind too. As for this , it was all about work made from wood or paper. Emerging and recognized artists from New York to California participated in this great show co curated with Leslie Matthews and hosted by RJ Thornburg and Warren Muller, bahdeebahdu.

Charmed and Embraced

2007-01-23T10:51:00.002-05:00

Charmed and Embraced was the first of the wonderfully rewarding benefit show/sales that I co-curated with Leslie Matthews, and bahdeebahdu's RJ Thornburg and Warren Muller to benefit St Mary's Respite Center for families and children whose lives are effected by HIV/AIDS. We'd invited some 150 artists to donate a piece in the likeness of a "charm" or a bracelet. Designers, photographers, sculptors, and painters created a unique piece that was required to fit in a 6 inch square plexiglass box and sold for $150. Attended by some 400 people, kicking off the holiday season the spirit of giving was in full force. Oh yes, even Patsy Ratchet came out of retirement for this one!

AHead

2007-01-23T10:50:00.004-05:00

Along with Leslie Matthews, my co-curator, and bahdeebahdu studio/gallery partners RJ Thornburg and Warren Muller, we organized a group show of artists who interpreted the "head" or portrait. An amazing show with a broad range of materials -- glass, wire, found objects, live plant material and metal to name a few. This December 2003 show was the beginning of a great string of shows at bahdeebahdu and more importantly wonderful friendships and collaborations.

CBS 3 "Eye on Philadelphia"

2007-01-20T15:31:00.000-05:00

CBS 3's TV anchor, Beverly Williams for Eye on Philadelphia televised a tour of "Sticks and Stones: the making of a sculpture garden" June 2004 -- the private 2.5 acre woodland garden that played host to a sculpture garden/event filled with the work of some 25 artists. You can watch it online.

"Their Secret Garden" Philadelphia Inquirer

2007-01-20T14:34:00.000-05:00

In a wonderful article "Their Secret Garden", by Judy West from the Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday Magazine, the spirit of the house and garden are captured. I won't forget the day -- Judy brought her adorable 4 year old son who in truth arrived as a city kid who became enchanted by the hummingbird moths that Isabella showed him. At the end of the day a few spottings of salamanders, birds and frogs turned a city kid into an enamored country boy.