The Artists
Roger Wing
Renowned Philadelphia sculptor Roger Wing primarily carves wood. He creates human and animal figures, some larger than life, from single blocks of wood. His 14-foot-tall carved maple portrait of Rev. George Duffield stands guard above the Revolutionary troops buried at Old Pine Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia’s Old City. Numerous large carvings by Wing are scattered throughout the Philly suburbs. Wing’s studio carvings in wood and stone, have been featured in exhibitions, groups shows, books, magazines, television, and film. His commissioned sculptures grace the homes of the rich and famous, as well as schools, and the halls of a local labor union.
For 25 years Wing has traveled the globe competing in sculpture exhibitions in ice, snow, and sand. He has traveled numerous times to Alaska, Poland, Finland, and Germany. In early 2020 Wing visited China for the third time. While there he sculpted in four ice carving competitions winning three medals, a bronze, a silver, and a gold.
Marta Sanchez
Chicana painter Marta Sanchez was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Inspired by traditional Mexican folkloric art expressions and contemporary issues. Her materials, scale, and themes connect to present-day concerns, and she has collaborated with poets and folklorists in creating “collaborative suites” of work that have been both shown and published in print. In addition to significant private collections, her work is in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Yale University, University of California, McNay Art Museum, Fine Art Museum of St. Petersburg (FL), and the National Museum of Mexican Art (Chicago), and Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin, among others. Locally, her public art commissions can be seen at the Simons Recreation Center (West Oak Lane), the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Montgomery County facility). Commissioned by the Hispanic Association of Contractors and Entrepreneurs, Reclaiming Gurney Street is a series of 100-foot steel installations by Ms. Sanchez and poet David Acosta, part of a project to repurpose a former Conrail train yard in the Fairhill neighborhood for the community. With a BA in painting from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA painting from the Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, she currently teaches at St. Joseph University. She is co-founder of the grassroots organization Cascarones Por La Vida, which assists families affected by HIV/AIDS.
Terrence Laragione
Terrence Laragione and Septa Trolleys
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Terrence Laragione studied painting at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Philly has been a large inspiration for his art.
“When I was a kid I used to watch old sci fi series like Flash Gordon and the heroes were always whizzing through space in these Art Deco looking rocket ships. I remember riding the Philly Trolleys as a kid, still bearing their original design from the 1930’s, and they always reminded me of those spaceships, especially at night as they glide through the city with all the colorful lights reflecting off their shiny surface. Years later, when I moved to Kensington and frequently spotted the 15 trolleys running on Girard Ave, I began painting them to satisfy that sense of nostalgia they gave me and also because they just look so darn cool.”
Currently Mr Laragione’s work is exhibited and sold at Buzz Cafe @buzzcafephilly on Instagram and through his paintings page @terrencelaragioneart
He’s also available for commissioned work.
Jordan Mannix
Philadelphia emerging artist Jordan Mannix graduated with a BFA in painting from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in 2021 and has most recently shown at the Da Vinci Art Alliance. Drawing on skateboarding and graffiti culture, he focuses on intuition and movement: “I make artwork with the purpose of discovery. I want to see something I’ve never seen before. Making is how I express the information I’ve gathered in my life so far and give it meaning. Whether I discover something about myself, other people, or an object, it is done through the process of making.”
Christian Rodriquez
Christian Rodriguez (aka TAMEARTZ, for True Art Must Evolve), born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, moved with his family to Philadelphia at age 9. When he became infatuated by the colors, writing, and culture of graffiti art, his parents allowed him to use his bedroom as a canvas to prevent him from getting into trouble. After practicing his skills at 5th and Cecil B. Moore in the Olde Kensington neighborhood, in 2012 he began exhibiting nationwide. Mr. Rodriguez works collaboratively (“City Invincible,” created with 13 other artists, has been called “Camden’s Hollywood sign”) and solo (“Exploring Sovereignty” was the first three-month exhibition by a graffiti artist to be featured at the Philadelphia Art Museum for a three-month showcase; he was commissioned to paint a graffiti-style hadrosaurus for the Academy of Natural Sciences). He is also community manager and art director of Sunflower Philly, a community organization he co-founded to provide access to art, music, and sustainable resources in the Olde Kensington neighborhood. Passionate about community and the power of art to connect, he often paints on plywood in public, bringing a DJ and inviting passersby to dance and converse.
Santi Castro
Santi Castro (He/Him) is a maker of all things magical. Through bilingual text he writes works that push against societal expectations. Santi creates stories that uplift native, Latinx voices in a colonized world. If there’s anarchy and glitter involved, he’s there! Expect him to plant seeds, decolonize and engage in multidisciplinary splendor. He is now a Playwriting major and Sculpture minor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Santi is a 2019 YoungArts Finalist in Playwriting, a 2019 Semi-finalist Presidential Scholar of the Arts, a 2019 Philly Young Playwright winner, has been featured in multiple publications for his visual art and writing and has produced shows at Uarts, Philly Fringe, and the Painted Bride.
Scott Tauser
Scott Tauser is a Philadelphia based photographer, filmmaker, videographer,
and graphic designer. Active in this practice for more than 20 years, he studied film at Point
Park University and has a degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He is a
longtime collaborator in artmaking with Ms. Castro-Tauser in the photography, videography,
poster art, and media design for Expansions Contemporary Dance Ensemble, most recently
Connecting the Distance. Along with having two photographic works in Along the 23 he also was primary videographer and video editor of the video works along with creating the logo, bus shelter poster design and creating the website for Along the 23.