For Immediate Release:

Philadelphia’s artistic community is a potpourri of media and ideas, often emphasizing the individual visions of the creators. When such a diverse group of creative souls come together to emphasize a sense of community, not only of artists but of the area in which we live, wonderful collaborations can take place.

The city was the namesake and backdrop for the Jonathan Demme film "Philadelphia", the story of a young lawyer afflicted with AIDS. In the spirit of that tale, Philadelphia’s new film production company Invictus Films recently joined forces with Katseye Studio, an artistic cooperative in Port Richmond, in holding a creative workshop with the clients of Calcutta House, a center that provides supportive housing for persons suffering from the ravages of AIDS.

Calcutta House residents participated in creating canvas panels of batik and tie-dyed designs with the assistance of Kat Reilly and Molly Meehan of Katseye Studio and Venda Peterson, Vice President of Production for Invictus Films on the afternoon of November 11 at the Halcyon Gallery space at Katseye Studio.

"For me, this makes the art come full circle" said Reilly, "and being able to give some expression and joy to people who don’t have a lot really pays it forward". Peterson was equally excited about the workshop. "I can’t think of a better way to spend my day. It’s amazing what’s happening in the artistic community in Philadelphia, and I’m ecstatic to be part of something like this," she said. Reilly plans on conducting an ongoing series of workshops, later unveiling the works in an opening at Halcyon Gallery.

Calcutta House, located at 1601 W. Girard Ave., exists to serve the most fragile people with AIDS and to support the self-empowerment of each person to live as fully as their situation permits. Their mission is to provide supportive housing with services responsive to the individual: those who are dying, those who are able to rebuild their lives and move on to independence, and those who will continue to require the assistance of supportive housing.

Katseye Studio occupies a historic factory on the 32nd block of Amber Street, and features the efforts of painters, photographers, printers, musicians and ceramic artists. Invictus Films joined the Studio as fellow artists and collaborators. "The sense of community at Katseye and the Gallery is what compelled us to join forces" said Peterson, who added that several scenes from "The Judas Kiss", a feature film produced by Invictus Films, will be shot in the factory’s spaces.

Ten percent of all sales from the Katseye Studio artists are donated to Calcutta House, and Invictus Films’ President Alexander Emmert has pledged a percentage of his production profits from "The Judas Kiss" to the center.