A Portion of The Proceeds Will Benefit The Walt Whitman Initiative To Help Landmark His Brooklyn Home
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, BlackBook Presents opens ‘Robust American Love,’ an exhibition of works by NY artist John Ransom Phillips, which commemorates Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday. The unprecedented series is based on the works of one of America’s greatest poets, bringing Phillips’ evocative, metaphorical painting style with a selection of Whitman’s most provocative quotations.
The gallery will host an official opening on Monday, August 26th, with a cocktail reception from 6:00PM – 7:30PM. Half the proceeds from the sale of the works will benefit The Walt Whitman Initiative, supporting the campaign to preserve Whitman’s last standing home at 99 Ryerson Street in Clinton Hill, where the poet completed Leaves of Grass (1855). The event and exhibition are open to the public.
“John Ransom Phillips is dedicated to ensuring that Whitman remains a living presence in his beloved Brooklyn,” said Karen Karbiener, President of The Walt Whitman Initiative. “We’re grateful for his support of our campaign to save this endangered historical site.”
NYC’s Landmark Preservation Commission rejected WWI’s application for landmark status for the house in 2017. WWI continues to build the case for landmarking it, and the LPC has agreed to a meeting in late August to discuss reconsidering the application.
BlackBook Presents Gallery
BlackBook Presents is a gallery in DUMBO featuring exhibitions, activations, and immersive experiences focused on emerging and celebrated artists and talents.
A division of BlackBook Media and BlackBook Publishing. www.blackbookpresents.com
John Ransom Phillips
John Ransom Phillips is a NY-based contemporary artist who works across various mediums: painting, film, theater and poetry. His paintings combine image and text, nodding to the legacy of Symbolism, in that they demand the spectator unpack them, with careful consideration for what they portray beyond appearances. Phillips received his BA and PhD in Art History from the University of Chicago and BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. www.johnransomphillips.com
The Walt Whitman Initiative
The Walt Whitman Initiative is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and protecting the poet’s cultural legacy. Founded in 2016 in NYC, its initiatives and events have been largely NY-based, as Whitman himself was for his first 42 years. Its membership is international and open to all.
For more information, please contact:
Melanie Capruso
melanie.capruso@digennaro-usa.com