CFEVA at 40: Four Decades of Supporting Contemporary Art

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) and the James A. Michener Museum of Art (Michener) are pleased to announce that the Museum will host CFEVA at 40: Four Decades of Supporting Contemporary Art February 17, 2024 – May 26, 2024 to mark CFEVA’s 40th Anniversary.

The exhibition will celebrate the artists affiliated with CFEVA who represent the Philadelphia region’s artistic legacy and future. The exhibition will be curated by Maida R. Milone and Genevieve Coutroubis.

This year marks CFEVA's 40th year of serving Fellows and Alumni artists, and in turn being supported by Artistic Advisors, who have and will continue to shape the arts community in the Delaware Valley and beyond.  A group of 40 artists and advisors have been selected to represent CFEVA from the over 300 artists whom CFEVA has mentored over forty years -- Vincent Desiderio, Katie Baldwin and Tim Portlock, to name just a few – and the dozens of established artists who have given their time and talent as advisors, including the late Ray Metzger, Will Barnett and Sydney Goodman, and current advisor Donald Camp.

A partnership with the James A. Michener Art Museum is particularly significant for this exhibition as the goals and missions of the two organizations are so closely aligned.

CFEVA was founded in 1983 as a support system for the visual artists of Greater Philadelphia. Since its inception, the organization has dedicated itself to making art careers viable for those who choose them, helping visual artists reach their audiences, and promoting interest in and understanding of visual art among members of the community. CFEVA’s support of visual artists, who go on to become leaders of the cultural community, is important to maintaining and expanding the creative environment and economy of the Philadelphia region. Though CFEVA’s artists come from a wide range of backgrounds and work across all mediums, they share one common trait, artistic excellence.

The James A. Michener Art Museum collects, preserves, interprets, and exhibits art, primarily American art, and promotes the Delaware River Valley region’s rich artistic and cultural heritage, with a particular focus on Bucks County. The Museum presents exhibitions that explore a variety of artistic expressions and offers diverse educational programs that develop a lifelong involvement in the arts.

Andrea Packard, Midnight Glory, 2012. Inked and carved wood panels. 74 x 62 inches. Courtesy of the artist

Chelsey Luster, Marsh, 2023. Oil on panel, 4 x 5 feet. Courtesy of the artist

Jedediah Morfit, Anemone, 2017. Reinforced Fiberglass, plaster, zip ties, and paint. 22 ½ x 11 ½ x 9 ½ inches. Courtesy of the artist

Will Barnet, The Cigar, 1998-99. Oil on canvas, 30 x 45 inches. Courtesy Alexandre Gallery