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Motherhood Series | How to Raise a Creative: Aleksa Berczynski + Margaret Berczynski · philly has heART

0:13
Hey, Lou. Hey, Robert. How are you today? Good.
0:18
Good. For those listening, we are recording on
0:22
Sunday morning. Real early. Real early. But hey,
0:27
we got to get it done when we can get it done.
0:29
Yeah, early bird catches the worm. I heard you
0:32
had a great Friday night. Tell us about it. Oh,
0:35
my gosh. Lily Allen was in town. And wasn't she
0:39
absolutely amazing? She performed at the Met
0:41
and... The receipt dress came out. An entire
0:45
dress made up of the receipts from her ex -husband
0:51
to all the places where he brought his floozies.
0:55
Oh my gosh. She went through the album from beginning
0:58
to end. It was so good. And for all our people
1:02
out there that love the orchestra, there were
1:05
three female celloists who did all of her greatest
1:09
hits for the first hour of the concert. so great
1:13
okay they projected the lyrics on the screen
1:16
and the whole place became like a karaoke night
1:19
a sing -along a sing -along it was so good did
1:23
lily do her greatest hits was she part of that
1:25
she didn't sing one of her previous songs at
1:29
all it was just the new album and it was all
1:32
performed on a set that was based on i believe
1:36
like her living room where she was left while
1:40
he was at his dojo i can't even i permanently
1:43
have a bad taste regarding all things david harbour
1:46
now yeah yeah she'll be back in september and
1:50
i believe she's going to be performing at the
1:52
xfinity center so it's going to be even bigger
1:54
going back when you first said the met to me
1:57
i was like oh man he's going out to new jersey
2:01
I thought you meant Met Stadium, but let's be
2:04
clear. It's the Metropolitan Theater on North
2:07
Broad. Yes. I saw the Pot of Meats World. Gang
2:12
there. Yes. It's a really, really pretty venue.
2:15
Yeah, it's a great space. Do you do anything
2:17
else? We had a ballet campaign committee meeting
2:22
earlier in the week at the beautiful Marshall
2:25
household in Villanova. Really great time to
2:28
kind of get all of the patrons and volunteers
2:31
and staff together from the ballet to kind of
2:35
talk through how the year's gone and how excited
2:38
everybody is for the building opening coming
2:41
up. September this year. The dancers are already
2:44
in the building and enjoying most parts of it
2:47
while the school side now completes their construction.
2:51
So it was a good time. She ended the meeting
2:53
with a DJ on the backyard. Drinks were flowing.
2:58
Some people had a little too much. Speaking for
3:01
yourself? No, I was a good boy. I was a good
3:04
boy. I had to drive. Okay. Wouldn't want to misrepresent
3:06
the podcast in any way. What'd you get up to
3:08
this weekend? Oh, it was funny. Yesterday, Petit
3:11
Garçon and I, we have this gap of time in between
3:14
his French class and a squash lesson, which I
3:17
realized is the most annoying sentence that I
3:20
have ever said. We have this gap of time where
3:24
we can have a little bit of food, but then we
3:27
just have to burn off the time in Center City.
3:30
And I had noticed that there's this new art gallery
3:34
on 20th block of Sansom that followed us on Instagram
3:38
called Artemis Contemporary. So yesterday we
3:42
went to go check that out and Petit Garçon goes
3:46
to open up the door. And we walk in on a yoga
3:49
class. Oh, my gosh. Just chilling around the
3:53
art? Yeah, it was kind of cool. I was like, oh,
3:56
I'm so sorry to interrupt. And we just backed
3:58
out. And we closed the door. I did verify that
4:05
it was a private event. Everybody was very kind
4:10
about it. Petit Garçon told his dad. Everyone
4:12
waved at me. So we're going to check that out
4:15
next week. And then from there, we went to Frameworks
4:18
Gallery and Studio, where Small Works 26 is on
4:23
until, I believe, the 25th. We saw Callie's pieces
4:29
in it. Oh, yes. Enjoyed that. You know, again,
4:32
we're recording this on Sunday at 7 a .m. I have
4:35
tickets to Crush for today at 3. Eli will be
4:41
joining me for that. Oh, great. So we'll be reporting
4:44
on that next week. And I will be reporting on
4:47
I'm on my way to New York City to see Philadelphia
4:50
Ballet at the Guggenheim. Oh, I had no idea that's
4:54
why you were going to New York City. Yes. Julio
4:58
Nunez is going to do a coaching session for Romeo
5:03
and Juliet at the Guggenheim. I thought his name
5:06
was Juliano. That's what I meant. Let's get our
5:13
names right. Until next week, we'll tell you
5:15
about that. With that, on to the conversation.
5:17
Let's go. Greetings. This is Robert Marsh, and
5:32
you're listening to Philly Has Heart Podcast.
5:34
In this podcast, we sit down with the artists,
5:37
gallerists, curators, educators, and other creatives
5:40
who comprise the Philadelphia art world to discuss
5:43
upcoming performances, exhibits, and other events
5:46
and initiatives that are not to be missed. The
5:49
art scene in Philadelphia is so rich that it
5:51
can seem daunting. Consider this your weekend
5:54
cultural recommendation. With me always is my
5:57
producer, Lucinda Dyer. Buongiorno! And today,
6:00
in our Raising a Creative series, we have past
6:04
guests, Gallerists Alexa and Margaret, owners
6:08
of Philadelphia International Institute Gallery,
6:11
Pi Gallery. Pi Gallery is 35 years old and was
6:16
started with the intent of bringing international
6:18
artists to Philadelphia and has branched out
6:21
to local contemporary artists. Margaret. Let's
6:26
start with you. What was your first memory of
6:29
Alexa expressing some sort of creative moments?
6:33
And do you remember your reaction? Yes, I was
6:37
always encouraging and very happy when she grabbed
6:42
my art supply and start mess up with it, start
6:47
dressing up, start acting. And it was like three
6:50
year old. That's perfect. Loved to play dress
6:54
-up. She loved to put on performance and do art.
7:00
It was for her play, just the game, to do things.
7:05
It was art. It was really good art from a very
7:08
early age. And different media, whatever. It
7:12
was the Play -Doh. It was the crayons, playing
7:16
pencils. Everything was good. The end effect
7:23
was really very, very good. I actually have all
7:27
these pieces safe. Yes! An Alexa Brzezinski archive?
7:34
Yes! And at what point did you realize that she
7:40
had an artistic path ahead of her? Almost from
7:43
the beginning. How she move around, how she look,
7:47
how she interact, how she... She was with the
7:53
art supplies. It was not like a child who is
7:57
not interested was forced to draw or paint. She
8:01
was grabbing those supplies by herself and creating
8:06
amazing things, and she was so into it that you
8:10
see it. You just see it, that it's the pleasure
8:14
for her to play with it. And we always encourage
8:17
her as well. All these presents, Christmas presents,
8:22
birthdays. You have to make your own present
8:27
for us. Don't buy anything. So from very early
8:31
age, I have a jewelry box she made and decorated
8:34
and a necklace and beautiful paintings. From
8:41
the very, very early age, it was always, you
8:44
create it, you don't make money, you make something.
8:48
Oh, I love that. Oh, it's so good. And so then
8:51
as she grows older, how do you continue to develop
8:54
this interest or allow her to explore this interest?
8:58
Yes. We, for years, ran the art salon where we
9:04
invite writers, musicians, singers, painters,
9:09
you name it. And she was around, listening, interacting
9:15
with people. But we also sent her to a media
9:21
theater where she took some classes there, performance
9:25
classes. Her older sister is an artist as well,
9:30
so observing and copying, not copying, copying,
9:35
but seeing what the older sibling is doing, trying
9:40
to be that good at a very young age. And always
9:46
we have like competition. Like all the kids will
9:51
see it and now first place for the best drawing.
9:56
Or sometimes topic. Or this will be flowers.
10:00
Or it will be like coming holidays. You have
10:04
to draw on the topic and kids will draw and then
10:08
it will be first, second, third prize. Usually
10:11
it was like... I kind of... Yes. Oh, that's lovely.
10:16
But it was encouragement. Right. And taking her
10:20
to museums, theater, and other institutions that
10:26
can enrich her. Right, right. It really gives
10:31
you an immersive experience into art. What was
10:35
your first memory of the gallery itself? The
10:39
best thing about my childhood is I remember constantly
10:41
being introduced to artistic places. So even
10:45
it started at home. So in this art salon where
10:49
we'd have artists, that was just part of my everyday
10:52
life. And even to this day, I will meet people
10:55
from my childhood who would say, I just remember
10:57
you would run down and scream, we're ready! I
11:02
was involved and everyone loved this little girl
11:05
eager to get everyone involved and started and
11:08
excited for art. So my parents also brought me
11:12
to the gallery from a very early age. And I was
11:16
also there to be excited. So many people, oh
11:18
my gosh, there's always something new. And from
11:21
a young age, the same thing of, I treated the
11:25
gallery as just a small museum in my eyes. just
11:29
another offshoot, my family's museum. And it
11:32
would just bring me so much inspiration. And
11:35
as my mom was saying, I spent a lot of time alone
11:38
to be candid here, which I loved, but it was
11:42
always something I saw over the weekend in my
11:44
free time that my parents would show me. And
11:46
then I'd run home and doodle, draw, create with
11:50
all this inspiration that I was constantly given.
11:52
So I was really lucky. I remember just running
11:55
to the gallery and being so lucky that I knew
11:58
that it was my family's. Also, that openness
12:00
helped me just be myself and be open and want
12:05
to talk to people and learn because I felt already
12:08
like I was in my home, but not really. Yes. Yeah.
12:11
No, it became an extension of your house. Alexa,
12:13
you're multifaceted. In addition to running the
12:16
gallery, you have a background in film and theater.
12:20
What did your mom's support mean to you? while
12:24
going through film school in Poland? Oh, I couldn't
12:28
have done it without my mom, for sure. As she
12:31
mentioned earlier, there was always an acting
12:33
bug. And it was done with love, but I remember
12:37
even holding temper tantrums, but in a different
12:40
way than other kids. So I would have a temper
12:42
tantrum, they'd go, oh, there's the actress,
12:45
because I would fall to the ground. Oh, and I
12:49
would put the hand on my forehead. Did you need
12:53
a fainting chase? Yes, absolutely. That would
12:58
have been, I would have utilized it for sure.
13:01
But since then, so I was always encouraged. And
13:04
as soon as we found out that the National Film
13:08
School of Łódź in Poland was taking international
13:12
student applications, my mom was the first one
13:15
to plant that seed within me. Yes. And then when
13:19
I moved there, because, I mean, it was a little
13:21
bit scary, let's be honest. I do have a Polish
13:24
background. I speak Polish, but... I got up and
13:28
moved to Poland for school. So my mom stayed
13:31
with me for a month to get me settled, which
13:33
was amazing. And someone said this recently,
13:36
so I'm borrowing it, but this gangster over here,
13:39
this art gangster, she has all these connections
13:42
internationally. So I also met some amazing people
13:45
I could lean on who work in the film space in
13:48
Poland. And with that stability and readiness
13:52
and feel like everyone, specifically my mom,
13:55
was setting me up for school. success I was able
13:57
to flourish I keep crying during these it's fine
14:03
everything's fine it's gonna be great I'm about
14:06
to start getting teary because it was really
14:08
lovely I don't I mean because some people which
14:12
could Be seen as beneficial. Just say, move.
14:15
Let's see what happens. Be open. Be courageous.
14:18
But I liked having a little bit of a handhold.
14:21
I loved the support. Some foundation to start
14:24
with. And then for you to be able to go on whichever
14:28
direction that you chose. That's amazing to have.
14:31
Amazing to have. And to bring those full artistic
14:36
connections that... bring in the art world, bring
14:39
in the theater, bring in everything to then be
14:41
able to share that with your daughter too. It's
14:44
so great. At what point do you pivot from film
14:48
and theater to a career as a gallerist? I still
14:51
think that they're connected. So I came here
14:54
and I'm still very open. And I was recently talking
14:56
to someone about how it would be nice to interweave
15:00
film elements into the gallery space. I think
15:02
that's a venture that's really booming at the
15:04
moment. But even with how I speak with people
15:08
and in the gallery, I think it's myself a time
15:11
to shine as a performer. And I become close with
15:15
the artist. I learn about them. And then when
15:17
the artist is not there, I have to represent
15:19
them and be able to give a glimpse of the artist's
15:24
world. through a lens. And I'm able to do that
15:26
with my acting and film background. Set the scene,
15:30
direct people through the gallery, and it's all
15:33
connected. Our next question was, does your background
15:36
at all inform your perspective and work at the
15:39
gallery? Which, yes. Yes, absolutely. And that's
15:43
how I painted it. I would, and also, not to mention
15:47
that at the Modern Arts Festival, the Fringe
15:49
Festival, When I first got back from Poland,
15:52
I had already started, and that was in my resume
15:54
to enter the film school. I wrote, acted, and
15:57
directed with my mom in it. I acted by myself,
16:00
but it was one woman shows. So I did a series
16:03
of four before film school, and I did two more
16:06
after. So that also helped me. We've spoken with
16:09
many creatives whose parents expressed reservations
16:13
about their children being able to support themselves
16:16
through a creative field. This is typically the
16:20
point in the conversation when we ask the mom
16:22
if she was ever nervous about their child taking
16:25
a creative path. But in this case, I think the
16:28
better question is to ask, as Alexa is continuing
16:33
in your footsteps, do you find yourself advising
16:36
her? how to avoid mistakes that perhaps you made
16:41
early in your career, or advising her to take
16:44
a different approach than how you would initially
16:47
approach something in your career? I will not
16:51
advise her to the point that she will not make
16:55
mistakes. I think that mistakes are the process.
16:58
You have to make some mistake to learn. If I
17:02
tell her that, oh, don't do this way, she might...
17:07
acted differently. I think that everybody has
17:10
to make their own mistakes and learn this way.
17:14
And it's all the process that I make some mistakes
17:19
and I will not warn her about those. Unless I
17:23
see that it's something that's really going in
17:26
wrong directions, but otherwise not. She is good
17:30
at what she's doing. If she makes mistakes, she
17:33
will. She will learn from those mistakes. And
17:37
coming to the monetary success, I think that
17:44
if you are born artist, it does not matter. It
17:47
does not matter. The most important is to do
17:51
what you love. And I think, personally, that
17:55
if you're really passionate about something,
17:58
put a lot of work into it, you will be successful.
18:03
At the end, you will be successful. But if your
18:06
parents think, oh, you should be a doctor, you
18:08
should be a lawyer, or you will make money, and
18:11
they don't like it. And I personally have two
18:15
friends who graduated from medical school, retired
18:19
early, and said, no, I can do my passion, paint.
18:24
So he was not passionate about medicine. He was
18:28
passionate about all along. But it's a very demanding
18:34
job being a doctor and being an artist. So it's
18:38
not always work well. But he really regretted
18:43
that he didn't go to art school and follow his
18:49
passion, follow the path. So I'm always ready
18:54
to learn. And eventually you can find a job connected
18:58
to art, maybe not pure art, you do. pure art
19:02
on your own time, but you're doing a job which
19:05
is helping you survive. Correct, yes. What advice
19:10
would you give other parents who are raising
19:13
aspiring creatives from a practicality perspective?
19:17
Yes, I would say encouragement, encouragement,
19:21
and encouragement. And make opportunity for the
19:26
child to be exposed to all form of arts. And
19:31
sometimes will be difficult times where the child
19:34
even is confused, don't know for sure. So introduced
19:39
to other possibilities. And you see what it will
19:45
be. But I think that taking child to the museums,
19:50
to the galleries, reading, going to theater,
19:54
exposing child to art, sooner or later will be
19:57
success. Everyone has some talent, especially
20:03
if you see that your child is gifted artistically.
20:07
So it's a must. And definitely to being an artist,
20:12
you have to do art constantly. Not that I am
20:16
an artist. You have to produce, you have to improve,
20:20
you have to show the art to the bigger audiences.
20:27
I have experience running the gallery for so
20:29
many years that when somebody is very passionate,
20:33
success will come. Success will come. You have
20:37
had an amazing opportunity to be that. motherly
20:42
figure to so many of your artists that you've
20:46
shown in the gallery as well to help them or
20:50
steer them or to give them the space to continue
20:54
to create art and get better at it to find their
20:58
audience and to walk them through that entire
21:01
process as well that has to be an extension of
21:07
the amazing things that you did with your daughters
21:10
as well Yes, yes, I have a very tight connection
21:14
with many of my artists who show at the gallery.
21:19
And it's not necessary that they have to show
21:22
constantly, but we are friends for life. Very,
21:25
very close friends. And it is fantastic that
21:30
I am so blessed to be part of this wonderful
21:36
art community. I love it. Me too. Yes. Can you
21:43
kind of talk us through how you've taken that
21:48
exposure or that advice from your mom to then
21:52
give to the artists that you're representing
21:55
now? Absolutely. I think, I mean, just watching
21:58
my mom and even hearing her speak now is just
22:00
such a beautiful basis and guideline to be an
22:03
amazing human being to other artists. I mean...
22:07
Everyone wants to have that support that I was
22:09
so blessed with. And I do believe that is given
22:12
to anyone who comes in and we work with. And
22:15
I hope to really just continue, continue that
22:19
legacy of the gallery and that care and support
22:22
and love. You're giving them an amazing foundation
22:25
to kind of run with, just like the support you
22:28
got in Poland when you first got there. Yes,
22:31
I feel very, very lucky. I think there's this
22:33
gentle... and emotional understanding, I think
22:36
there's something to be said about emotional
22:38
intelligence. So understanding situations and
22:41
help support people, and that's paramount here.
22:45
The passion and the support is paramount. And
22:48
you see it so much in the way that you host your
22:53
gallery nights as well, right? It's so welcoming.
22:56
It's so warming. You're introducing... people
23:00
to the art, to the artist, as well as giving
23:03
them space to kind of take it in themselves.
23:07
Yeah, and if I can say something? In April, we
23:12
will have opening of a mother and daughter show.
23:16
Judy Geist and Aline Geist. Her mom passed away,
23:22
but was wonderful painter and sculptor. And the
23:27
daughter... Judy, she is a musician. She played
23:31
for Philadelphia Orchestra, Viola, and she's
23:35
an artist as well. So we will have a mother and
23:38
daughter show in April. Wow, that's beautiful.
23:40
Which is another explosion of creativity. Mother
23:44
is an artist, daughter is an artist, who fell
23:47
in love with both music and art. So it's really
23:50
going to be a beautiful show. So these were pieces
23:54
that the mother had already created. that are
23:57
then going to be on view. Yes. Wow. And there
24:01
are pieces from 60s, 70s. Oh, incredible. Beautiful
24:06
pieces, really, and sculptures. And Judy as well,
24:11
very unique style, and it's not to be missed.
24:15
Oh, I love that. Oh, this is so great. Speaking
24:19
of the gallery, can you remind us where we can
24:23
find the gallery? Gallery is located in heart
24:26
of Old City, 242 Race Street, between 2nd and
24:32
3rd on Race, and we are open Thursday to Saturday,
24:36
12 to 6, except for First Fridays, where we are
24:39
open from 5 to 9 p .m. Every First Friday of
24:43
a month, it's a new show. Excellent. And with
24:47
that, we'll be right back. All right, and we're
24:50
back with our rapid -fire questions section.
24:54
Underrated visual artistic medium. Because we
24:58
just mentioned it, it might be both the incorporating
25:02
film, moving images into the gallery. I want
25:04
to start utilizing that, especially with my background.
25:07
But I think I've been really into that batik
25:10
ever since I saw it at the Muse Gallery. I've
25:13
been really interested. I agree with Alexandra
25:16
that it's so much technology now that we should...
25:21
incorporate a little bit in maybe small videos
25:27
because it's multimedia artists, a lot of multimedia
25:33
artists around so we can have a little bit of
25:36
that as well because it will give more insight
25:41
to the artist itself. We can do it. If you could
25:46
produce a show at Pi Gallery with any living
25:49
artist, no limitations, who would it be? Speak
25:53
it into existence. They're talking to each other
25:57
with their eyes open. I will try Damien Hirst.
26:01
Oh, yes, okay. Yes, because I was drawn to his
26:06
art. Many, many years ago, and I remember even
26:10
Wexler Gallery, which was at the time on Race
26:13
Street, have some pieces of original pieces.
26:17
Wow. And I was like, oh my God, I should probably...
26:21
Yeah, that was incredible. And I somehow didn't,
26:24
so I regret to this day. I didn't. His work is
26:29
very interesting and so different, so I definitely
26:32
would like to. I might be a little topical here,
26:35
but I have been interested since their identity
26:39
has been revealed. Because they've been revealed
26:43
and I can finally be someone to co -curate with.
26:47
Yes. If I could sit down with Bakesy and figure
26:52
out his first co -curated show. Oh, I love that.
26:56
As now emerging as someone. whose identity has
27:00
been revealed, will that change things? Will
27:02
I be able to have input? That might be like a
27:05
first in something exciting that if I could speak
27:08
it into existence. Nice. I like it. I like it.
27:12
I have to run to those DMs now. Now I know who
27:17
it is. Yes. This is for Alexa. Your favorite
27:22
smoothie ever rewards. Always. Get that mango
27:25
lassi. Ooh, nice. Okay. Yes. I love it. Although
27:30
I haven't tried the cold brew one yet. That's
27:34
the one I've been having lately. Myra, do you
27:37
have a favorite smoothie at Riverwoods? No, I
27:39
don't have a favorite because I try to try all
27:43
of them. All of them. So I have a few days this
27:46
and now this. Because sometimes you feel... A
27:51
different. Right. Yes. Hey, can we stop there
27:54
all the way home? Potentially. Okay. And finally.
28:00
Can I do this one? Yes. Okay. Margaret, on a
28:02
scale of one to infinimillionty, how proud are
28:06
you of Alexa? Infinitly. Yes. Yes. So true. Well,
28:15
thank you both for your time today and sharing
28:18
the mic with us again. Everyone, go and please
28:22
check out Pi Gallery. Every single month, it's
28:25
a new artist, a new installation, and such a
28:27
pleasure. So exciting for the next one. Yes,
28:30
yes. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you
28:32
for having us here. We appreciate it. Yes. Give
28:47
it to us, Robert. Pie Gallery is showing works
28:50
from daughter Judy Geis and her late mother Elaine.
28:54
In two, running through the end of the month.
28:57
Chris Wagner, Always Color, is in its last week
29:00
at Muse Gallery. B .A. Harrington, Sweet American,
29:05
at the Museum for Art and Wood is ongoing. From
29:08
Ash, We Do Not Rise, The Gospel of No One, a
29:12
solo show from Thallo at Whit Lopez Gallery,
29:15
is ongoing until April 27th. Soft Architectures,
29:20
a group show at Bridget Meyer Gallery, is showing
29:22
until August 1st. Lucinda, take my credit card.
29:26
I'm freezing that plastic in a cube of ice, but
29:29
also that fantastic, relatively large Ray Beldner
29:33
is still up for grabs for a cool 5K, and that's
29:38
what payment plans are for. Sleepers Awake, an
29:42
Opera Philadelphia production, showing... April
29:44
22nd, 24th, and 26th. Limited tickets across
29:48
all days are available. $11? I'd love it. It's
29:53
a lot cheaper than that Ray Beldner. You're telling
29:55
me. And with that, Philly has heart. And art.
30:07
You've been listening to Philly Has Heart, celebrating
30:10
the people, projects, and passion that inspire
30:12
us. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen
30:16
to podcasts. And follow us on Instagram to keep
30:19
up with Philly's art community.