Some upcoming gallery openings this weekend! Friday, Jan. 20

River East

Thomas Gathman Gallery- Tom Gathman, New Drawings

West Loop

Giola Gallery- Martin O'Conner, Jeremy Black & Jason Ruhl: Paintings that make you want to drive fast and punch people.

Walsh Gallery- Sheba Chhachhi, Wang Shugang, Rodney Swanstrom, Wang Wei

River North

Nicole Gallery- Gallery 2: Three Nigerian Artists, Abiola Akintola, Nnamdi Okonkwo & Pita Ohiwerei

Other Areas

Contemporary Art Workshop- Drawings by Aline Cautis and Paintings by Alex Lu

The Leigh Gallery-Landscapes: Works by Ann Powell (oil), Elvin Griffin (pastel and oil), Barbara Pihos (etching) and Susan Keyes-Hernandez (mixed media)


As always galleries are open from 5pm - 9pm.For more info check the side bar for gallery links!

Gallery Review 1/6/06

Chicago Arts Team Members nepheley and myself (along with a very patient boyfriend) gathered at Chicago and Franklin Friday evening to partake in the River North Gallery openings.

Our tour began at The Byron Roche Gallery, featuring the heavily textured paintings of Sandra Dawson. Dawson's work focused on one or two objects (or persons) and highlighted them among thin layers of plaster covered by boldly colored paint. Dawson's work was often matted on canvas by a two or three inch border that contrasted the background of the central image. As we toured the gallery we were taken aback by some "stock paintings" (work that the gallery has previously shown or stores) near the back--which was to happen often during our tour of the galleries--nearly black small canvasses with one detailed object under a bright light by Ronand.

Next door at the sophisticated and smallish Stephen Kelly Gallery, Lisa Caplan's bright color palettes and perspectives (the show was titled Euphoria and Vertigo) were paired with abstract and dreary (by comparison) paintings of Central Park and other locales in New York. Caplan's use of golds and bronzes made each landscape regardless of its locale (from Venice to the U.S.) look as if they were holding the rising sun.

The Mary Bell Galleries-Group Show, featuing Betty Fulmer, Leslie Tejada, and Tamar Kander was completely stolen by Leslie Tejada. Her abstract, ethereal scenes were captivating and full of interest.

Also on display were the lovely sculptures of Greg Milne, which were breathtakingly beautiful. Milne pairs rustic metal fire painted to a brilliant palette of blues, reds and purples with the smallest accent of crackled white ceramic porcelain.

As on previous River North Gallery Walks, the place to be was the Judy A Saslow Gallery. Not just because of the enormous space and the exciting work on display, but also the excellent food table and bar. The place was packed with people and to encourage their comfort, a coatrack was on hand. As we munched, we looked at work seemingly influenced by comic book art, which felt at once fresh and interesting though slightly repetitive.

Our next stop was to the Melanee Cooper Gallery to view "Urban Landscapes," Solo Show, Kathleen Waterloo, encaustic work and in the second gallery, James Leonard, squeegee paintings. We walked past all of this to view paintings from a previous show of Cheryl Warrick's that were still up in a smaller space and were so strikingly beautiful that we were compelled to ask about taking images for this site. One canvas is filled with different size squares of paintings, almost to a "quilted" effect. Next to them, Waterloo's delicate yet large abstract pieces featuring soft stripes broken up by bits of color looked like repetitive pieces of bathroom art, which in short means that the color palette reminds one of water and the image is not too displeasing to the eye. Warrick's work showed that restricting one's work to a form does not have to be boring.

Our next stop was to the relatively empty Andrew Bae Gallery to view wood block prints by artist Kwan Jean Park. The prints were beautiful in rich fall tones and rendered so carefully onto the paper, you could almost sense the pressing happening before your eyes. Layered onto multiple backgrounds, the work was beautiful without any extra framing. We were all drawn to the storage area of "stock" work and the exquisite hand crafted wooden furniture.

We took a respite at the Catherine Edelman Gallery and viewed photographs taken in New York and Chicago by Bruce Davidson. Black and White scenes of subways and streets from twenty years or more ago had clean lines and excellent contrast.

We crossed the hallway to the Zg Gallery, an exciting new gallery for emerging artists. A group show that was excellently organized and displayed tried to attempt to show the artist's process from scraps of paper to models and then finally, the finished product. It was extremely interesting, yet if felt like the sort of information you glean in a museum.

At the Lydon Fine Art Gallery, Trevor Bell's minimalist and oddly sloping canvasses called us past the fussy fresco art of Genell Miller. With bright bold colors, Bell's work evokes a well-someone-had-to-do-it response followed by awe by the size and shapes of his canvasses. A tiny panoramic painting about two inches in height with no identification card was alone worth the winding trek through the gallery.

We tried to make it in time for the galleries on the northeast corner of Franklin, but they were closing (relatively) early. Pity, since the Schneider Gallery's opening night of Luis Gonzalez Palma's work was considered a must see for this reviewer. The glimpse I got through the darkened windows looked as promising as his last show here; gold leaf covered in layers of resin over a translucent silver gelatin print. Art and Photography have never made such a perfect match.

We reluctantly entered the library like confines of the Habatat Galleries, only to find the delightful and whimsical work of Toots Zynsky in the main gallery. The artist herself was on hand (even that late) to answer questions, as is customary in most gallery openings. The lighting was perfectly executed to show every detail in molded glass rods that nearly resembled large seashells. Also on display, a select group of Chiluly glass work resembling flowers.

At the Gruen Galleries, the glazed pottery paintings of Anna Pales' trees were exquisite and far from repetitive. The colors alone were perfect and the glaze only highlighted each stroke of paint. We were also impressed by Dionisio's asian inspired paintings, as well as Erin Parish's geometric work.

Our last stop of the evening was The Perimeter Gallery featuring the work of Don Pollock. Haunting and evocative, this work ended our evening in the perfect way, leaving us wondering what was ahead for our evening.

Hit: Mary Bell Galleries-Group Show, featuing Betty Fulmer, Leslie Tejada, and Tamar Kander

Habatat Galleries-Toots Zynsky

Lydon Fine Art-Lucy Clink & Genell Miller: Paesaggi e Giardini

Perimeter Gallery-Don Pollack

Schneider Gallery-Luis Gonzalez Palma

January 18 &19- artists discussions @ Chicago Cultural Center

Public Art/Public Conversations: Public Art? Community Art?
January 18, 6:00 p.m.
Is the distinction between public art and community art a useful one, or is there really more common ground than is often suggested? How can professional artists create public work that successfully incorporates community concerns with the specific intent of a project?

As the CTA and the City of Chicago's Public Art Program embark on a major project, which will commission numerous new works for the Red and Brown Lines, this conversation is both timely and instructive. Artists Adam Brooks, Christine Tarkowski, and Theaster Gates join Public Art Program Director and Visual Art Curator Greg Knight in this topical discussion. (CAR)

Chicago Cultural Center, 1st floor Garland Room
Admission Free.

Artists at Work Forums
Global Thinking: Expanded Practice
January 19, 6:00 p.m.
Learn about sourcing materials, finding inspiration and opportunities through residencies, exhibitions, collaborations and self-directed study through the practices of three Chicago-based artists -- Michelle Feder-Nadoff, LaShawnda Crowe Storm and Michael Thompson -- who approach their work from a global perspective.

Michelle Feder-Nadoff's sculpture and installation practice have grown to encompass documentary videography and publishing since her apprenticeship with the traditional coppersmiths of Santa Clara del Cobre in Michoacán, México. Huele de Noche / Night Blooming Jasmine, Feder-Nadoff's new video, premiers at the Gene Siskel Film Center this month. Founder of the Cuentos Foundation, Feder-Nadoff creates and facilitates collaborative and community-based artist projects crossing disciplines and cultures, giving voice to the stories (cuentos) of diverse communities.

The thematic and logistical implications of expanding a national practice internationally will be addressed by LaShawnda Crowe Storm. Storm's recent residency at Fundação Sacatar in Brazil enabled her to expand the dialogue she'd built in her Lynch Quilt Project, working with a national network of textile artists and churches on issues of lynching. In Brazil, she took her interest in community, history and textiles to examine the ramifications of the legacy of slavery in the "New World."

Michael Thompson's notorious stamp art projects as well has his toy-inspired sculptures and elegant kite constructions, rely on an international network of collaborators, guides, and suppliers. His travels - to China, Turkey, Russia, Mexico and elsewhere -- provide fodder for projects, source arcane materials, illuminate techniques and aesthetic distinctions, as well as provide rollicking stories of danger, intrigue and exquisite beauty.

Addressing current issues of interest and concern in Chicago's art community, Artist at Work Forums invite artists, advocates, and related professionals to discuss the current state of creative living in Chicago. AAWF are made possible through the generosity of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. (CAR)

Chicago Cultural Center -- 1st Floor Garland
Admission Free

BSD-Opening reception Saturday January 7, 6-10pm

January 7th, 2006 - February 4th, 2006

BSD Butcher Shop Dogmatic - presents Stacie Johnson, Lisa Williamson and Kristen VanDeventer

BSD Butcher Shop Dogmatic
1319 W. Lake St., 3rd Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60607

Chicago Teaching Artists Collective- January 10

The Chicago Teaching Artists Collective hosts a monthly series of discussions about arts education, the teaching artist field, and community engagement through the arts.

Place: Association House of Chicago
Date:Tuesday, January 10.
Time: 7pm till 9 p.m.
Gene Booth and Krista Babbitt will demonstrate a bookbinding activity which incorporates poetry, critical thinking, and several skills related to bookmaking. Also, Kimberly Soenen will give a talk entitled “PR for the Artist: The Moat Is Afire.”

Free and open to the public.

Association House
1116 North Kedzie Ave.,
Chicago, IL
For more info:
Contact Luis at 773.727.5251
decombobulated@yahoo.com
www.associationhouse.org

Graffitti inspired art-Opening reception Friday January 13, 2006

Big Brother, Little Brother
Two generations of graffitti inspired art, the work of A. Lewellen and W. Kim.

District 13 Gallery
1706 W. Chicago
Opening reception 7 p.m.-11p.m

Afterparty @ Trevio
1575 N. Milwaukee
Chcago, IL

Numerous gallery openings this Friday, January 6 5pm-9pm

Jean Albano Gallery-"...Scapes": a group show investigating the idea of "scapes": landscapes, seascapes, waterscapes, mindscapes, escapes, etc.

ArchiTech-Dream Machines: The inventions of R.G. Martelet

Mary Bell Galleries-Group Show, featuing Betty Fulmer, Leslie Tejada, and Tamar Kander

Roy Boyd Gallery-Carlos Estrada-Vega: Paintings

Melanee Cooper Gallery-"Urban Landscapes," Solo Show, Kathleen Waterloo, encaustic work. Gallery 2: James Leonard, squeegee paintings

Caro d'Offay Gallery-Unveiling the Lumetype

Catherine Edelman Gallery-Bruce Davidson, On the Street

Fine Arts Building Gallery (FABG)-"14th Annual Artists' in Residence Group Exhibition." Artists who work and exhibit in the Fine Arts Building. Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Sculpture, Ceramics, Photo

FLATFILEgalleries-Inside The Sphere of Light: Bob Emser, sculpture. Sublucent: Jason Peot, sculpture. Les Helices: Alain Giraud, photography

Gallery 500 Wells-Ioan Nemtoi & Dana Malone: Paintings.

Gwenda Jay / Addington Gallery-Robin Denevan & Margaret Keller: San Francisco encaustic artist Denevan with St. Louis painter Keller, who uses loosely applied glazes of oil color

Habatat Galleries-Toots Zynsky

Carl Hammer Gallery-All About Women group exhibition featuring Aimee Beaubien, Lauren Bergman, Phyllis Bramson, Orly Cogan, Lee Godie, Grace Graupe-Pillard, Irene Hardwicke Olivieri, Ray Rapp, David Sharpe, Elizabeth Shreve, Hollis Sigler, Mary Lou Zelasny and others

Rhona Hoffman Gallery-Tania Bruguera & Chris Garafalo

Stephen Kelly Gallery, Inc.-New Works by the artist Stephen Kelly

Lydon Fine Art-Lucy Clink & Genell Miller: Paesaggi e Giardini

Ann Nathan Gallery-Bruno Surdo, New Work

NIU Art Museum Gallery in Chicago-"NIU Faculty Salon" Biennial exhibition of work by NIU School of Art Faculty. One Fine Art Gallery-Surroundings: Interpretations of Landscapes. A number of artists share their visions

Perimeter Gallery-Don Pollack, painting

Maya Polsky Gallery-Best works by selected gallery artists, including works by Ed Paschke, Susanna Coffey, Jose Cobo,Velery Koshliakov, Gabriela Morawetz, Pancho Quilici and Vasily Shulzhenko

Byron Roche Gallery-Sandra Dawson: New Paintings

Judy A Saslow Gallery-Fresh Faces: Five Contemporary Artists featuring Michael Brieger, Philip Stein, Fort Guerin, Emmett Kerrigan and Blair Thornley

Schneider Gallery-Luis Gonzalez Palma

Carrie Secrist Gallery-New Work by Joy Episalla

Skestos Gabriele Gallery-Group show curated by Jennifer Jankauskas

Openings are from 5pm-9pm.
To get addresses to these galleries you can check the gallery links on the right side of this blog.

Events @ Messhall this month

Sun 1/8
Brunchluck 12:00-3:00 p.m.

Fri 1/20
Hardcore Histories presents Hardcore Herstories: A Celebration of Women in Hardcore 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Fri 1/27
Suppressed Films of the 1980's, Part II: "The Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones" (screening on DVD projection, 192 minutes, one intermission). 7:00 p.m.

Free and open to all!

6932 North Glenwood Avenue
Chicago, IL
Phone: (773) 465-4033
E-mail: messhall8@yahoo.com
Website: www.messhall.org

Karen Reimer @ the Art Institute of Chicago

Karen Reimer
Thursday, 12 January 2006
6:00 p.m. Lecture
Price Auditorium

In January every year, The Society for Contemporary Art focuses attention on the very best artists working in Chicago. Karen Reimer explores notions of context and limitation by creating embroidered interpretations of contemporary ephemera. By using the labor-intensive medium of needle and thread, Reimer implicitly addresses women's work and the construction of
feminine identity. Transformed through craft, throwaway items such as the torn-off edge of a Federal Express® receipt and a Juicy Fruit® gum wrapper turn into unique objects d'art, as the artist replicates by hand what is ordinarily mass-produced. Reimer explains: "Generally speaking, copies are of less value than originals. However, when I copy by embroidering, the value of the copy is increased because of the elements of labor, handicraft and singularity-traditional criteria of value. The copy is now an 'original.'"

Reimer received an MFA from The University of Chicago. She has had recent solo exhibitions at Goshen College Art Gallery, Indiana and at the Hyde Park Art Center. Her work was included in Stalemate at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and at Baltimore/Chicago at the Decker Gallery, Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore, both 2004. (saic)

Lillstreet Exhibition & SHELTER ME open call for entries

Lillstreet Faculty Exhibition
OPENING RECEPTION: January 14, 2-4pm
Exhibit runs from January 14-January 29, 2006

Lillstreet Art Center
4401 North Ravenswood
Chicago, IL 60640
773.769.4226

Office/Gallery Hours:
Monday-Thursday:
10am-7:30pm
Friday-Saturday:
10am-6pm
Sunday:
10am-5pm


OPEN CALL for entries for an exhibit entitled SHELTER ME.
Exhibit is about works of metal that evoke shelter from the architectural, emotional and metaphysical.

Exhibit dates: May 6-June 17, 2006
Application deadline: April 21, 2006

Click here for application