space 1026

04.23 2025

THE DAY, TODAY, TO DATE: Moments Scrapped by Thomas Joseph

Opening event: Friday, May 2, 6-10 p.m.
844 North Broad Street

THE DAY, TODAY, TO DATE is a debut show of works by Philadelphia-based artist Thomas Joseph. Throughout the month of May, the gallery will display over 60 collages that depict the ordinary beauty of daily life in Philadelphia, in a painterly style. Constructed with a draftsman-like rigor, these “moments scrapped” are a love letter to chain convenience stores, storage warehouses, SEPTA, and Philly’s rowhomes.

The show runs from Friday, May 2, through Friday, May 30, 2025, with an opening event on Friday, May 2, from 6-10 P.M.

Thomas Joseph grew up in Levittown, PA, and attended Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. He posts about his work and process on Instagram at @coldsleeve. He began working with collage in 2017 and lives in South Philadelphia with his partner and cats. He is an architectural designer by day.

Gallery hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 6-8 PM, beginning May 7. Saturday, May 24, 2-5 PM. Additional hours and events posted to Instagram at @space1026.

Questions? Please contact gallery@space1026.com

Q+A with the artist, Thomas Joseph

Q: For the most part, your pieces depict Philadelphia scenes. What happens with a particular place that inspires you to make a collage?

TJ: In the day-to-day in Philadelphia, whether by walking or biking, sometimes the scene is set for you. The sun hits perfectly, the shadows cast perfectly, the building stands perfectly. With a simple snap of your phone, you have that scene set forever, in one way or another. Most of my pieces are all from parts of the city I’ve passed daily in whatever commute–to work, to a loved one’s, to an errand. Life changes all the time, and spending this time to illustrate these vignettes starts to immortalize them. Biking past the same storage facility every day, staring at the same buildings while waiting for your train to arrive–these mundane stomping grounds become very special with a little paper shredding. With the bare amount of composition in mind, anything can look handsome. Out of the hundreds of photos I may take in a week, hopefully just one of them is enough to inspire a handsome piece out of it.

Q: What’s your favorite building in Philadelphia right now?

TJ: For many years, I had a real fixation on University City staple International House. A late-70s, brutalist dormitory built in a time when utopia was still seen as a place you could design to. I wrote a few short stories, a zine, and did extensive art and photography for that relic. I found the building to be very romantic, and very threatening. I used to feign interest in moving in just to get tours of the place. International House has undergone many changes even just within the past five years, and surely soon will be unrecognizable, but I’ve documented almost every square inch of that building, which will be my mind palace even when I myself am unrecognizable.

Q: What materials do you use? How did you come to use them?

TJ: I exclusively use vintage National Geographic magazines. I originally purchased some at a thrift store while working in a conventional collage style. For many years I fixated on the atmosphere of the mid-century National Geographic imagery. I amassed a large collection as I grew into the medium. With my current “painting” style, I’ve moved away from the subjects of the images in the magazines in favor of the shades of colors and textures each one can provide. Honestly, the hardest part of the process is hunting down the correct colors from this wide selection, but I believe this search adds to the pieces themselves outside of using some sort of stock color paper. I’ve grown to be very specific on the issued years of these National Geographics. Personally, the 1960s is the sweet spot. Great paper quality, great image and color resolution, a lot of wide shots, right amount of gloss. In the 1950s and before, the paper is very feeble, color printing wasn’t as prominent and the ink dusts off very easily. From the 1970s, onward the paper becomes overly glossy, almost a plastic-like sheen, too crisp. When folks offer to buy or donate magazines to me, I make sure to let them know they need to be from the years 1960 to 1972.

Q: What other artists’ work do you like or find inspiring?

TJ: Collage-specific, artist Lola Dupre is extremely inspiring. Their technique involves printing out many copies of the same image, splitting segments into very intentional fragments, and doing real-life, Photoshop-style warping. They create very surreal compositions of stretched-out castles and boats, animals whose proportions are skewed every which way, sandwiches stacked impossibly high. I find their work so extremely playful and also technically impressive. I’ve also really enjoyed James Casebere’s miniatures and photography. Specifically, I find his black and white model work from the 80s really fascinating. The soft glows, the shadows, the small narratives informed purely from the setting. Very dreamy. Taking the time to set up an entire model just for one or two specific images–it’s so neat to me.

Q: You’re also a big music fan and musician – any music recommendations to pair with these pieces?

TJ: I think my favorite part of this entire gig–making collages–is how much time it gives me to listen to music or podcasts. A massive inspiration for these pieces, what most of these pieces have been made listening to, is the greatest band of all time, The American Analog Set. Their album, From Our Living Room To Yours, is a dreamy masterpiece, where when I look at a lot of my night-orientated work, I hear Magnificent Seventies playing in my head. Other beloved musicians I find inspiring are folks like Serengeti, Spiritualized, WU LYF, Luna, Cindy Lee, Panda Bear, Amen Dunes, Tom Waits, David Bowie, Fishmans, Prefab Sprout, The Radio Dept, to name a few! Those types of tunes, when I hear them, I just need to go do something. Those records, I cannot help but feel incredibly blessed to exist at the same time as.

04.10 2025

This Saturday April 12th in our gallery—–>

DOUBLE HEADER OF FREE FUN!!
Woodley White Book Signing & Bobby Lee & The Hubba Hubbas!!

Woodley White signing his brand new book, “Woodley White: T-Shirts” 2pm – 3pm.

Live performance by Bobby Lee & The Hubba Hubbas, 3pm – 5pm.

SPACE 1026
844 N. Broad St.
Philadelphia

04.01 2025

CRACK OPEN THE SPACE EGG: a little 16 person show

Matt Furie
Bill Nace
Ana Woulfe
Isaac Lin
Woodley White
Austin Ansbro
Dan Tag
Jaither West
Eva Killinger
Annson Conaway
Jacob Ciocci
Emilia Brintnall
Dwayne Boone
Anthony Coleman
Lauren Pakradooni
Andrew Jeffrey Wright

April 4 – April 26, 2025

Opening reception:
April 4th, 6-10pm

Music show:
April 12th, 3pm – 5pm
Bobby Lee & The Hubba Hubbas

Comedy show:
April 18th, 8pm – 9:30 pm
New Thingz

Music show:
April 25th, Doors 7pm Music 8 – 10pm
Rachel Andie | Cadre Noir

SPACE 1026
844 N. Broad St.
Philadelphia

image is by Jacob Ciocci

02.18 2025

JAD FAIR PAPER CUTTINGS AND DRAWINGS

March 7th – March 28th, 2025

Opening Reception: Friday March 7th, 2025, 6-10PM

Space1026 is proud to present over 100 paper cuttings and drawings by artist and musician Jad Fair.

A founding member of lo-fi alternative rock group Half Japanese, Jad Fair has astonishingly released over 200 albums and his recording credits include collaborations with Moe Tucker of The Velvet Underground, Daniel Johnston, Kramer, Yo La Tengo and Teenage Fanclub.

Inspired by his brother David Fair, Jad first began making paper cuttings while on tour with Half Japanese. Unable to make drawings in the van, he found he could do paper cuts even while traveling and could find materials anywhere he went. Jad’s artwork is featured on many of his recordings, and his paintings and paper cuttings have been exhibited in Glasgow, New York, Melbourne, Toronto, Berlin, Brighton, Austin, and San Francisco.

A signed and numbered silkscreen of one of his paper cut outs produced especially for the exhibition (and printed at Space1026) will be available for purchase at the reception and Space1026 store, alongside Jad’s latest album “Pure Candy”, a full length collaboration with Samual Locke Ward on Shrimper Records and Chicago’s Stationary (Hearts) Recordings, which coincidentally will be released the same night.

02.03 2025

Hang in There

Opening Reception February 7th from 6pm to 9pm
On View through February 28th
Space 1026
844 North Broad Street, Philadelphia

Hang In There is a snapshot of the UArts community’s students, faculty, and alumni in the aftermath of the abrupt closure of the University of the Arts. The sudden and unceremonious end to this 150 year-old institution has left an immense crater in the Philadelphia art community, the size and shape of which we are only beginning to behold. There is no single “UArts Style” but the breadth and vitality of art in this exhibition demonstrates the diversity of artists who have been connected with the university over the years. 

This announcement–decided in secrecy by a select few–was just one of several recent closures of art- and artist-making institutions in the US, occurring only months after PAFA announced its intention to end its degree programs. Losing these celebrated communities, some older than 100 years, is a symptom of larger political and cultural attitudes towards the arts and institutions. The loss of these institutions displaces a generation of artists and educators, leading to fewer artists and a blander world. Considering the state of things these days, we need the arts and artists more than ever.

The response to UArts closing was a glorious display of community support and resistance, with artists coming together to mourn, and to move forward. The UArts community and their friends have engaged in actions to bring attention to the larger threat against arts and culture that this closure portends.

As a community of artists, alumni, instructors, drop-outs, and burnouts ourselves at Space 1026, we recognize the precious yet precarious circumstances these artists find themselves in. We are reminded of our own displacement when we lost our original building at 1026 Arch St. With UArts graduates, instructors, and students amongst our membership, Space 1026ers share in this collective grief with a dedication to continue cultivating the next generation of artists and their craft here in Philadelphia. This show celebrates the friends and members of UArts; it celebrates the energy and joy of art; it celebrates our steadfast commitment to the places and people we love.

Works by:

01.25 2025

Friday, January 31st at Space 1026
844 North Broad Street Philadelphia
Doors at 8

01.10 2025

Some Paintings

Opening Friday, January 10th
6pm-10pm

Join us, January 10th at Space 1026 for the opening of Some Paintings featuring works by Le Josh and Michael Frechette!

@hsojel
@michaelfrechettepaintings

11.20 2024

Art Auction 2024 Info

Join us for the annual Art Auction here at Space 1026! Mark your calendar for Friday, December 13th and get ready for a festive evening of art, community, and bidding fun!

Doors 6pm
Auction 7pm

Space 1026
844 North Broad Street
Philadelphia

Flyer by SOULPURL 77

But that’s not all—leading up to the auction, we’re hosting a Week of events including hands-on workshops, film screenings, music performances and more!

First Friday Preview
Friday, December 6th
Your first opportunity to see the items for auction
7pm to 9pm

DIY Sewshop with Vaudevillians NYB
Saturday, December 7th
2pm to 4pm
Sign Up Here

Space Bazaar
Sunday, December 8th
Everything must go table sale
One day only!!! You’ll be amazed!!
11:30am to 4pm

New Thingz
Monday, December 9th
A night of new jokes hosted by Andrew Jeffrey Wright
Doors at 7pm, Show at 7:30pm

Block Print Workshop
Tuesday, December 10th
with Jackie Small
6pm to 8pm
Sign Up Here

Film Screening
Wednesday, December 11th
Jon Moritsugu’s Terminal USA (1993)
Hosted by Bruce Bohri
7:30pm

Noun, Nina Ryser and Kate Ferencz
Thursday, December 12th
Doors at 7:30pm, Music 8:30pm

11.14 2024

The Chronicles of Doom

10.02 2024

Commencement: Groundwork

Works by Zoe Strauss and the 3212 Think Tank
October 4th – November 18th 2024
Opening Reception Friday, October 4th from 7pm to 9pm
Space 1026
844 North Broad Street, Philadelphia

Space 1026 is pleased to present Commencement: Groundwork, one of the first steps in an ongoing and developing exhibition by photographer Zoe Strauss.

Strauss is known internationally for her vision of the world highlighting the constants and the changes that reside in the same place as shown through her photography. Strauss’ photographs challenge the authority of the image through repetition, context shift, and historical reframing. While rooted in reality, her images assert themselves as subjective pictures of the world as we feel it as well as how we see it, and cast doubts and propose questions about the veracity of the documentary image.

This exhibit is an introduction, a prologue if you will, of work that points to specific concerns about place and space and makes us ask basic questions about our perception of what is reality. The world we are living in together, at this very moment, is always a balance between here and there. The question Strauss poses is are we seeing, evaluating, and judging things in their entirety or are we the parable of the blind men and the elephant? What are the limits and objectivity of documentary photography? As we stand on the ground, this exhibit asks us to recognize that as it is above, so it is below.

Commencement began as an examination of what it is to be a person living in America among the ever increasing anxieties and critical situations around the globe. It was initially conceived in 2016 as the foundation for a Guggenheim Fellowship Award, which Strauss received the following year. With the cataclysmic upheaval in society and politics since then her concerns over civic and environmental crises became less conceptual and more of an immediate reality.

Since then, Strauss turned her focus towards developing the 3212 Think Tank. Named for the Doomsday Clock’s prediction of our proximity to the end of civilization as we have known it (three minutes to midnight). The 3212 Think Tank is a classroom study space for researching, learning, and discussing the impact of the ebb and flow of our society and culture. It operates within a public high school serving as a laboratory for students to critically think about the world around them.

As a way to illustrate and acknowledge the evolution of our lives, culture, and the world in which we all live and co-exist in, some of the photographs in the exhibit will change during the course of the show. Which is to say that like life, some things enter and some pass away, and other things arise to take their place.

Zoe Strauss was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1970. She began taking photographs after receiving a camera for her 30th birthday. Her work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, The Bruce Silverstein Gallery, NYC, DePauw University, Greencastle Indiana, SFMOMA, San Francisco, The International Center for Photography, NYC just to name a few.

She has been a part of group exhibitions at the Indianapolis Installation Festival, Indianapolis, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, the Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC, the Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, Centraal Museum, Utrecht, NL, the Brighton Photo Biennial, Brighton, UK, the Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PPOW Gallery, NYC and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Strauss has been awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Pew Fellowship in the Arts, the Tiffany Foundation Grant, the United States Arts Fellowship and more.

She currently acts as mentor to upper lever public high school students at the 3212 Think Tank at Science Leadership Academy at Beeber in Philadelphia.