Fourth Wall at the NMAJH: The Philadelphia Avant-Garde

http://www.pifa.org/events/980193115

Avant-garde is old French military phrase meaning the advance guard: troops sent into battle, the first wave of warriors encountering the enemy. The original artists in the avant-garde movement were soldiers in the day's culture wars, battling the entrenched establishment in Paris who deemed their paintings worthy to hang in the coveted Paris Salon.

The avant-garde today includes artists, musicians and writers who work on the edge of modern culture. The avant-garde artist breaks new ground by exploring traditional concepts, but often beyond the bounds of propriety or cultural norms. Avant-garde artists seek art for art's sake, not for popularity, fame or fortune, though they may find all three over time as their works become known to the public. They urge social, political and cultural changes through their work.

Join Fourth Wall Arts Salon and the National Museum of American Jewish History as they collaborate on a special Arts Salon in celebration of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. Inspired by the artistic, cultural and intellectual explorations cultivated in Paris in the early 20th century, these two organizations join forces to celebrate art, artists and the freedom of artistic expression.

Fourth Wall Artists are among the most talented in the country, often laboring below the public radar as activists and educators, creating the work which comprises the Philadelphia avant-garde.