Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank's

Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Frank's We are Philly's pioneering alternative art space, since 1978. Our space is small. Our artists are mi

MASTERS TALK (art, not golf!): It’s always a funny juncture when the Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition (MLMME21) coin...
04/06/2026

MASTERS TALK (art, not golf!): It’s always a funny juncture when the Mary Liz Memorial Masters Exhibition (MLMME21) coincides with the tournament in Augusta. One or two in our community confuse the two on this particular week. But make no mistake: THIS SUNDAY AT 3:00, we will shine a light on OUR 2026 Masters — a th*****me, namely ERICA HARNEY, VARVÀRA FERN and PAUL SMITH — with another in our occasional and always highly engaging ARTISTS TALKs (we should do more!). It’s a chance to meet, hear from and converse with these acclaimed painters, sculptors and multimedia artists against the backdrop of a phenomenal show. Plus, JODY SWEITZER will moderate and HEATHER RAQUEL PHILLIPS will pour. Because we are soon entering the final fortnight of MLMME21, you won't be able to enjoy this show for long and this is a rare chance to spend time with the creative forces that we are celebrating with the highest honor we bestow at OFF THE WALL/Dirty Franks: MARY LIZ FELLOW. Please join us this Sunday!

EMBRACING CHAOS: We’re proud to introduce the 37 artists of CREATIVITY IN CHAOS, our newest summer juried show. This tal...
05/20/2025

EMBRACING CHAOS: We’re proud to introduce the 37 artists of CREATIVITY IN CHAOS, our newest summer juried show. This talented lineup spans some of the top-selling creatives in OFF THE WALL’s 46-year history, together with 10 artists making their debuts in our space. Together, they speak to the chaos of our times, our sometimes wildly unpredictable lives, and the challenges and rewards of art-making that cuts through the noise to be seen and heard. CONGRATS to the accepted artists! You will be receiving your email contracts and the list of selected pieces in the next 48 hours. The show opens on Thursday, June 5, 7-10 PM, so to everyone—please mark your calendars.

MERRY, MERRY, JOY, JOY: Hope you have danced your way into this magical day, when Christmas has arrived and we’re just h...
12/25/2024

MERRY, MERRY, JOY, JOY: Hope you have danced your way into this magical day, when Christmas has arrived and we’re just hours from lighting the first candle on the Chanukiah/Menorah! This painting and 25 other works from WE ARE FAMILY, the UArts/PCA juried show, have shown their own penchant for terpsichore – dancing their way OFF our Wall (well, almost off; pickups are on Saturday), with red dots hung everywhere with great care. May today continue the festivities for you and your families. We open at 7:00 and the jukebox will be cranked...so please head our way for a nightcap!

MARYANNE BUSCHINI MAT’03
“Like No One Is Watching”
16 x 13 framed (14 x 11 painting)
oil on canvas
500.

TIME IS SHORT: The days may be growing longer, little by little, since Winter Solstice arrived early last Saturday morni...
12/25/2024

TIME IS SHORT: The days may be growing longer, little by little, since Winter Solstice arrived early last Saturday morning. But that won’t help slow the hourglass emptying on our phenomenal WE ARE FAMILY show, which ends after Friday. 2024’s year-ending juried exhibition is the first in an occasional series of show we will be mounting in support of the still-grieving UArts/PCA community, robbed of their institution at the end of May. It has left a huge vacuum in our neighborhood and in the world of Philly arts and our region’s higher education infrastructure. Happily, these past six weeks have been all about 39 alumni and former faculty, administrators and staff and their 68 works. As summed up by this show’s tagline: Our university may be gone. But our art and our hearts stay strong.

JULIE WOODARD MA’15, S’10–24
“The Bridge”
16 x 21 framed
repurposed linen, cotton, silk, leather, merino, polyester, paper, upholstery blends, felted wool, denim, cork and sashiko thread
700.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...: As we enter the New Year, the renowned “awards season” is surely heating up -- and every Off t...
12/25/2024

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...: As we enter the New Year, the renowned “awards season” is surely heating up -- and every Off the Wall jury always has its own prizes to hand out. One of this community’s most acclaimed artists, JEAN PLOUGH, captured our most esteemed honor of all, the MARY-ROWE MEMORIAL JURY PRIZE for her painting shown here, “BLACK DIAMOND BUFFALO.” She is joined on the virtual podium by six more of her WE ARE FAMILY colleagues whom our jurors singled out. Worth noting is that two award-winning pieces are still available for purchase: Sandra Koberlein’s SYMBOLS and one of Sarah Brett’s vases. Please see our website (offthewallgallery.org) for more about these works or to make a purchase.

MARY-ROWE MEMORIAL JURY PRIZE (BEST OF SHOW)
Jean Plough ‘70 for BLACK DIAMOND BUFFALO

THE DODO PRIZE
Sandra Koberlein MAT’15 for SYMBOLS

UARTS ON THE STREET
Joseph V. Labolito ‘82 for AL’S TV & REPAIR SHOP, FRANKFORD AVE, 1982

OLD SCHOOL ART SCHOOL
Michael Garvin ‘74 for SLIP IN CONCENTRATION

ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS
L. StewartCastater ‘62 for CONSTRUCTURE NO. 1

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Sarah Brett ‘16 for her vases ()
JillPearson ‘01 for RAINBOW CLIFF (.pearson.art)

COME TOGETHER: We come not to mourn but to celebrate. We come not to tear down but to buildup. We come together TONIGHT,...
11/21/2024

COME TOGETHER: We come not to mourn but to celebrate. We come not to tear down but to buildup. We come together TONIGHT, 7-10 PM, for the Opening Reception of WE ARE FAMILY, our UArts/PCA juried show featuring 62 works and 38 artists and welcoming countless other alumni, staff and faculty members from that wonderful art-making community. As some of our posters have said, “The university may be gone. But our art and our hearts remain strong.” Stand with us. Represent the love and support Philadelphia arts and Philly arts education — higher education and at every level — need so badly. We look forward to seeing you this evening.

COMING TOGETHER: November promises to be a month where unity wins out. First, we all have to stand together and VOTE tom...
11/04/2024

COMING TOGETHER: November promises to be a month where unity wins out. First, we all have to stand together and VOTE tomorrow. Then, we are going to rally and reunite the alumni and former staff and faculty of UArts/PCA. Carrying out this work are the 38 individuals we proudly list above. They are the artists of WE ARE FAMILY, chosen by a UArts jury from nearly 200 entries. They are the ambassadors not of a former alma mater or employer, ignominiously stripped away, but of a singular, resilient community, stretched across generations and dedicated to the pursuit of art and art-making. CONGRATULATIONS to all of you and welcome (and welcome back) to OFF THE WALL! Art will always prevail, and together we will prove just that. Our show goes up Saturday, November 16…will immediately be open for shopping…and will have its Opening Reception Thursday, November 21, 7-10 PM.

WHAT TO DO WITH ONE MORE HOUR: On the day we celebrate that dollop of extra time and the rare ability to sleep in a bit ...
11/03/2024

WHAT TO DO WITH ONE MORE HOUR: On the day we celebrate that dollop of extra time and the rare ability to sleep in a bit without really sleeping in, we come to you with a proposal for using the 60 minutes gained to great advantage. NATALIE HOPE MCDONALD, one of our most popular creatives and the force behind TOGETHER AND BY OURSELVES, her bravura solo show that continues for another dozen days (through 11/15), will deliver a long-anticipated ARTIST TALK TODAY (11/3) at 3:00. Join us then, with Heather Raquel Phillips behind the bar...and then come back in another 28 hours or so for tomorrow’s ELECTION EVE RALLY, hosted by Sarah Dunmire Eisenstein, featuring — you guessed it — Natalie’s original, one-night-only art, which you can buy or win. She’s the artist for OFF THE WALL/DIRTY FRANK’S as we seek to end the Drama-la and elect Kamala. Now, out of your Pajama-las and see if there’s any Jicama-la on the brunch menu. Like our candidate, it’s good for you!

NATALIE HOPE MCDONALD
“Something Good”
4 x 4
acrylic and oil on canvas
75.

ONE WEEK OUT: The stakes have never been higher. Your vote has never meant more. We are pleased to announce that NATALIE...
10/30/2024

ONE WEEK OUT: The stakes have never been higher. Your vote has never meant more. We are pleased to announce that NATALIE HOPE MCDONALD, whose solo show happily dominates our Wall and 3D space, will follow up her artist talk on Sunday 11/3 (3-4 PM) with a stint as special guest artist at our Election Eve GOTV Rally the next day: Monday 11/4 (7-10 PM). More details soon. Forward together! ( ).

NATALIE TALKS: Sunday, November 3 offers a unique opportunity to connect with and hear from one of our esteemed artists....
10/24/2024

NATALIE TALKS: Sunday, November 3 offers a unique opportunity to connect with and hear from one of our esteemed artists. In this case, NATALIE HOPE MCDONALD, the creative force behind TOGETHER AND BY OURSELVES, will be speaking to her prodigious solo show, which runs through November 15. A fan favorite and the top-selling artist in OFF THE WALL history, Natalie will give her talk starting at 3 PM. As with all DIRTY FRANK’S events, everyone is welcome. Listen, learn and meet the artist. And should you wish to lift a glass to this groundbreaking show, 138 works strong, HEATHER RAQUEL PHILLIPS will be on hand to pour your favorite beverages. We look forward to seeing you there!

(pictured on the poster)
NATALIE HOPE MCDONALD
“Inside My Favorite Bar in the Afternoon (A Portrait of Dirty Frank’s)”
acrylic, oil and pencil on canvas
3500.

Address

347 S 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19107

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 1:45am
Tuesday 11am - 1:45am
Wednesday 11am - 1:45am
Thursday 11am - 1:45am
Friday 11am - 1:45am
Saturday 11am - 1:45am
Sunday 11am - 1:45am

Telephone

+12157325010

Website

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