john james pron

Lecture: Art Deco Architecture

University of the Arts 1 Aug 202322)

Philadelphia’s University of the Arts offers a Summer Institute for Educators in the Arts (sponsored and largely funded by the US Library of Congress) that offers creative education courses to serve as professional development for K-12 teachers.

The Library of Congress supports two aspects of the program: 1) to produce Teacher Resource Guides covering a range of arts-based topics designed to help K-12 teacher incorporate primary sources into dynamic classroom experiences and 2) to institute 1-week long intensive classroom experiences for teachers, inviting a variety of arts specialists to lead sessions and lead activities.

The 2023 theme was “THE ROARING 20’S: A CENTENNIAL SURVEY OF THE ARTS IN THE 1920’S”. i produced architectural documentation for the new booklet, I lectured on the topic of ART DECO ARCHITECTURE to the class, followed by a walking tour of relevant buildings in the center city area.

ONE EARTH is a peer-reviewed scientific research journal from Cell Press (published by Elsevier) that seeks to understand and address global environmental changes and their impact on social issues. The February 2021 issue features my collage “THE UNSEEN WALL OF ECONOMIC INEQUALITY” from my Aug/Sept exhibit at the DaVinci Art Alliance (DVAA) in Philadelphia.

The Manotick Arts Association of Ottawa, Canada has a regular lecture series featuring artists from many discipines and I was invited, as an architect, to be part of their 2021 season. Since my career has been that of a practicing architect and university professor, I chose to introduce the presentation by talking about the nature of art IN architecture (in that the buildings of this world fall into three categories: 1) the necessary but undesigned, 2) the craft of designed architecture and 3) integrating both the needs and the craft and raise them up to make it a fine art. I then shows those works in my career of adaptive reuse design: preserving the best of past architecture while making changes for the present. And I ended the powerpoint with my more recent work shown in art galleries, where I am freed up from functional limitations and can express my social values in work that is meant to provoke a response in the viewer.

When I began developing the themes and images that would constitute myPHILADELPHIA FABULIST solo show at the DaVinci Art Alliance, I had no idea that many residents would remember or even care much about the decision to install a larger-than-life statue of controversial Mayor Frank Rizzo in center city. With the emergence of the Black Lives Movement and national controversies over public monuments to the leadership of the Confederate States, this statue was removed in the face on major, sometimes violent protests.

Because the issue was so current in the summer of 2020, PHILADELPHIA MAGAZINE interviewed me on my position regarding such statuary, part of a larger context on the role of history and mythology in Philadelphia.

I delivered a powerpoint zoom lecture on my solo exhibition at the DaVinci Art Alliance- a collection of mixed media collage drawings confronting the truths and the myths of the city of Philadelphia, past, present…and anticipating the future.

As part of their lecture series “Art Around the World”, I presented a powerpoint lecture on the ongoing influence of both the architecture and the lifestyle of Italy. For almost 50 years, I traveled, taught and created art while living in Rome…or else deeply influenced by my experiences and memories of Rome. See the images of that lecture under my “gallery shows” category- presented there because it is a comprehensive overview of my drawing skills, both in terms of architectural proposals as well as artistic flights-of-fancy.

A filmed interview and gallery tour of my solo show NOT-SO-FAST LAST JUDGEMENT was part of a feature highlighting the DVAA on PBS channel 12’s show “You Oughta Know This”. Thursday 79Jan 2020 at 7pm. The entire feature can be found on the show’s archived website.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zowj-79pva

The South Philly Review is a local publication that critiques and promotes the growing arts venues in that neighborhood. This article was published in their mid-October 2019 issue.

Cultural Critic A.D. Amorosi reviewed the Rocky (re)Runs Exhibition at the DaVinci Art Alliance (DVAA), April 2018

Philadephia Inquirer reporter Rick Vadala wrote a feature article on the upcoming Rocky (re)Runs Exhibition at the DaVinci Art Alliance (DVAA) in April 2018

South Philadelphia glossy PHILADELPHIA ROWHOME did a feature on the upcoming Rocky (re)Runs Exhibition at the DaVinci Art Alliance (DVAA) in their winter 2017-8 issue

One component of the year-long celebration of Temple University's Rome, Italy Program, I was invited to lecture on the architectural character of the historic city, the experiences of the Rome Program Architecture alumni who have been attending there for 35 years, and Rome's own influence on me, my architectural designs and my many gallery shows related to the city.  I assisted in founding the Architecture presence there, led several Italy Summer Study Tours, taught there in the spring of 1996 and 2012, and had two university Study Leaves there that allowed me to research and initiate my many and diverse artworks.  

A delegation from Henan University of Urban Construction in China, seeking closer ties with both the City of Philadelphia and with Temple University, was invited by Temple's Institute for Executive Expertise, to spend several days visiting- the university president, administrators, several college deans and chairpersons.  I was asked to host them, lecturing to them on the evolution of the urban design and the architecture of this city, lunching with them (in Chinatown) and leading them on a walking tour of center city (ending with a tour of our iconic City Hall).   

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Unitarian Society of Germantown, I lectured on ideas, images and symbolisms that shaped the design of the previous church (by Frank Furness), the present 1926 design, and future plans.  18 Oc 15

Interview included in the article written by Andrew Corkery for the Spirit News of the riverwards, the online newspaper covering events in Fishtown.   This deals with proposals for adaptively reusing the historic church of St Laurentius- keeping minimal workship services for a much reduced congregation, while sharing the space for much needed social services to the community.  13 Aug 2015.

Write Andrew John Corkery interviewed me, as a specialist in the adaptive reuse of religious edifices, to review conflicting engineering reports on the danger of collapse of Fishtown's historic St. Laurentius church.    

MOTHERBOARD.VICE is an oline magazine and video channel launched by VICE in 2009 and decicated to the intersection of technology, science and humans.  Writer Kyle Chayka interviewed me for my definitions of adaptive reuse, the relationship of adaptive reuse to a world of sharp environmental changes, and my opinions on a proposed museum in the crater of an abandoned copper mine.  

Every major American city has a monthly publication put out by where.com, featuring unique events, happenings and activities.  My philadelphiaBURNOUT exhibit was selected for the March 2014 issue.  

Philadelphia Magazine has a monthly column where they select a half dozen of the most significant art shows about to open.   In March 2014, my PhiladelphiaBURNOUT drawing exhibit was recommended.  

Architecture critic Diane Fiske writes a monthly column on Philadelphia architecture in Art Matters Magazine.  We met, walked the site, and I critiqued the design of the new Comcast 21 Innovations and Communication building- to be the tallest in the city,   Feb 2014

I was invited to travel to Manhattan to address the New York City Alumni Organization's Sixth Annual Networking Night, and presented a powerpoint lecture on skyscraper design- a uniquely American invention, but now a symbol of price of many evolving world cultures.   

Invited to display my exhibition ROMAN REMIX, repurposing six historic churches in the gallery of the Rome campus of Temple University, Italy.     

Invited to present my ROMAN REMIX series of models and collage/drawings in the gallery of the historic St Asaph's Church in Bala Cynwyd, PA.   Precisely matched venue, since the show confronts the adaptive use of ecclesiastical  architecture for urgent social needs.   

Invited guest speaker in the Architecture Program Tyler School of Art Fall 2010 lecture series.   Overview of ten years of exhibitions at the 3rd Street Gallery, Old City Philadelphia.   

 Design Philadelphia 2010  is a citywide cultural event offering over 150 exhibitions, workshops, studio tours, lectures and special events.  Application must be made in satisfaction of numerous criteria.   7-17 October 2010.

"Big Fat Friday" is a monthly feature of the Philadelphia Daily News, accenting selections of gallery openings on First Friday.  For October 2010, it published an image from my Roman Remix show.  

Image selected for the Philadelphia Daily News  "Big Fat Friday" edition.  October 2008

Philadelphia's most prestigious reviewers, Libby Rosof and Roberta Fallon, anticipate the most provocative art shows up the upcoming month of September 2008, in their online Artblog.

Writer and critic R. B. Strauss reviewed my 

Deputy Mayor and Head of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission asked me for a long-term loan of the keynote image of my PHILApocalypse gallery show.  Totallying 7'-0" high and 11'-8" long, the multipane prismacolor collage hung in the Commission's lobby and waiting room.    

For the City Paper's "First Friday Focus", critic Lori Hill reviewed the Phorbidden City exhibit.   October 2006

Selected for the Philadelphia Daily News "Big Fat Friday" edition.  October 2006

Image of charcoal portrait selected for the First Friday edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer.   October 2006

For her online arts magazine Artblog, critic Libby Rosoff reviews my rendered collages at the Art by Architects show at the AIA bookstore in center city Philadelphia.   July 2006

Published in her online arts review Artblog, critic Roberta Fallon reviews my Cita-del of Brotherly Love exhibition, at the 3rd St Gallery, for September 2004.

Withing in the regional arts journal Art Matters, critic Deborah Kravetz previews upcoming shows of note.  September 2004

The Philadelphia Daily News paper runs a regular monthly feature titled "First Friday, at last:  here's what's hot in Old City Galleries".  My Cita-Del of Brotherly Love exhibition was one of several selected.  Septermber 2004.

Diane Fiske writes a regular column on architectural issues for Art Matters, the Philadelphia region's magazine for the arts.  Here she reviewed my Cita-del of Brotherly Love Show in September 2004.

Prior to starting her own blog with Libby Rosof, arts critic Roberta Fallon reviewed for PW: the Philadelphia Weekly.  September 2004

Witing for Art Matters, the regional journal of the arts and antiques, critic Diane Fiske reviews by show Citta di Roma: Touch and Go.  November 2002

The Philadelphia Daily News runs a monthly feature titled "Big Fat Friday" curated by arts critic Anne Fabbri.   In October 2002, she selected my Cita di Roma: Touch and Go show, illustrated by two images- a small one on the cover banner and a larger image on the gallery page.  

Philadelphia's weekly City Paper has a monthly feature "First Friday Focus" curated by arts critic Lori Hill.   In October 2002, she selected my Citta di Roma: Touch and Go exhibit.

Diane Fiske writes a monthly architecture column for Art Matters, and reviewed my gallery show in April 2000- a 2-person show with sculptor Nick Vidnovic.  

The Philadelphia Daily News sponsored a monthly arts and entertainment feature, titled "Big Fat Friday" selecting the most interesting and provocative of the new art shows.   In the May 2000 issue, my work was chosen

Since I lecture on architectural history and- as a practicing architect- I had entree into the vacant PSFS Building as I studied it for adaptive reuse as a hotel, I worked with WHYY staffer Joseph Fattore and production manager Glenn Holsten, who is now an independent documentary film director and winner of 16 Emmy awards.   March 1995.   

I did write the text, as approved, but in the end, due to budgetary concerns, a simple musical sound track was substituted.   Shown on WHYY TV channel 12 as a 15-minute filler for several subsequent years.  

I was one of five faculty members selected for Temple University's GREAT TEACHER AWARD, vetting by a faculty committee and personally selected by university president Peter Liacouras.   1995

Three awards were given me in graduate school at the end of my first year of architectural design , based on merit and performance.  I was admitted to the Accelerated Program, meaning that I was taking first year grad courses while still completing the 4th year of my undergraduate degree at Penn.  Two awards were given at the end of my second year. 

-ARTHUR SPAYD BROOKE MEMORIAL PRIZE   "for merit in architectural design"  1971

-WARREN POWERS LAIRD MEMORIAL PRIZE   "for highest honors in architecture"  1969

-HARRY E. PARKER ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION MEDAL  1971.   In additon, I received scholarship assistance as I was named teaching assistant to Professor Harlan Coornvelt, structural teacher.  

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Noted architectural author and Temple University adjunct faculty member Caleb Hornbostel and I were engaged, for a time, in the development of a proposal seeking a book contract to publish a multi-volume history of architecture textbook.

We collaborated on the theoretical underpinnings of the text, shared the writings, and I prepared all the hand-drawn illustrations for a sample chapter on "the Architecture of Ancient Egypt".   A draft contract from textbook publisher Addison-Wesley, some reviews and sample pages are included here.  

Lindback Awards are competitive honors given to 4-6 Temple University faculty members annually.   Nominations are from individual colleges, and a university committee reviews them to make selections.    

At that time, the Department of Architecture was an academic unity within the College of Engineering Technology at Temple University.  I was the first architecture faculty member to get this recognition from (largely) engineering alumni.  

The John Stewardson Competition is a prestigious state-wide program that all architecture schools in Pennyslvania participate in, limited to the top 5% of each school.    The highest-ranking University of Pennsylvania submission, competing for the Stewardson Award, receives the Graduate School's Shenk-Woodman Travelling Fellowship.   I had won this prize in the spring of 1970 and the $3500 allowed me (accompanied by my wife) to travel freely thoughout Europe.  The places I visited and the buildings I sketched and analyzed eventually formed the basis of my Architectural History courses taught for many years at Temple University.

Awarded on the basis of merit, upon review of design work done in the first year of graduate school.  spring 1970.   The $2550 honorarium allowed me to travel thoughout Europe (with my wife), visiting sites and buildings, photographing and sketching- all forming the basis for my lecture courses in Architectural History, taught many years at Temple University