Artists In Residence

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When Eileen Tognini has a party, she does more than host: She curates. Ten years ago, Eileen started inviting emerging and recognized artists from Philadelphia and beyond to show at her family’s bucolic country house on Hawk Mountain. She called the indoor-outdoor exhibit “Gallery in the Garden.” For artists and collectors, the salon was the toast of the summer. More recently, Eileen has been hosting—curating—her art parties on the first floor of her home, a historic townhouse she shares with her husband Tony and daughter Isabella. Against walls painted for the occasion, site-specific installations and commissions set the mood. “Having the event in my home gives the work a context,” says Eileen. “I’m curating a moment, an experience: the food, the people, the visual surroundings. The art creates a backdrop for relationships. It becomes a common bond among strangers who are no longer strangers when they leave.” From October 30th to November 27th, Eileen will present “The Titan and the Fireflies,” an exhibit of balloon sculpture by Jason Hackenwerth, at the just-opened Skybox at 2424 Studios.