Phoenixville artists Emily Mullet and Cynthia Oswald are teaming up with Chef Justin Vickers of Merci Kitchen to create a one-weekend-only art and dining experience. Crowded Castle, a local brewery, will be transformed into a pop-up art gallery from May 20th-23rd. Art will be displayed on the walls and integrated into the surroundings through textiles and various design elements. With locally sourced ingredients, the menu will feature specialty cocktails and food items curated to match the artwork and theme of the event. This show explores the opportunities within our new normal to experience art, food, and community in a safe yet still authentic environment.
The show title, Resilience, is reflective of the adaptive mindset that has been required of humanity within the past year. Wildflowers were chosen as the primary subject matter to portray this sense of resilience. The selected florals, often categorized as weeds, exemplify the persistence of nature, appreciation of simplicity, and continuation of life.
About Emily:
Emily Mullet is a mixed media artist based in the Greater Philadelphia region. She has a diverse artistic background ranging from ceramics to painting. In her current work, she collages screen-printed imagery between multiple layers of reflective resin. This use of resin adds depth with subtle shadows between the delicately cut layers of paper. Emily uses floral patterns and the female figure to explore themes of identity, growth, and human connection.
Emily received a Bachelor of Arts in studio art with an emphasis in painting and graphic design from the College of the Ozarks in 2012. Her pieces have been featured in CandyFloss Magazine and her work has been represented in multiple galleries and shows in the Greater Philadelphia Region.
About Cynthia:
My name is Cynthia Oswald and I run a boutique branding agency and create artwork just outside of Phoenixville, PA. At the agency our goal is to create cohesive branding and help streamline communication tools for our clients. We specialize in collaborating with business owners and marketers to bring their ideal brand to life. This can include logo design or rebrands, secondary brand elements, content strategy, copywriting, and also how these elements are utilized across all communication platforms—such as printed materials or packaging, website design and development, social media, and email marketing. As an artist, I believe that our work is a compilation of our life experience—that can translate so many different ways. For me, it truly has to do with seeing the beauty or magic in any moment. I enjoy focusing on and exploring life’s simple pleasures in my work.
I have over 15 years of combined print design, web development, and fine art experience. I devote my creative time equally among web & graphic design, illustration, hand-lettering and watercolor painting. After working for the company I interned with out of college, Keenan Nagle Advertising, I advanced my career to Director of Web Design + e-Business Development at Brilliant Studio in Exton, PA. In order to combine my love of community and food with my passion for illustration I then took a part-time position working as the Visual Coordinator for Kimberton Whole Foods. In 2013 I began running my studio and collaborating with business owners directly to meet their communication design needs. I’m currently working on my MFA in Communication Design, set to graduate in May 2020. When I’m not working you can find me chasing my toddler or dogs around our small house, enjoying a fire with my husband, reading, or riding my bike on the Schuylkill River Trail.
