Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Ginny Sykes: Divided Beauty at Woman Made Gallery

Above: Ode to Pandora, Charcoal and Pencil on Paper, 29 1/2" x 41"

Divided Beauty, a Solo Exhibit of work by Ginny Sykes, will open October 10th at Woman Made Gallery. There will be a catalog with 22 new works, and an essay by Joanna Gardner-Huggett of DePaul University. The show runs October 10 - November 13, 2008; an opening reception will be held on Friday, October 10, from 6 - 9 PM.

"Ginny Sykes’s work explores contemporary notions of visual art and performance collaboration. She has exhibited in the US and internationally, including Transcultural Exchange’s “The Tile Project, 2004-2008” (a permanent tile installation in 22 countries), and “Pandora Meets Sarajevo,” an exhibition she co-curated featuring artists from Bosnia, Vietnam and the US.

Sykes’s performance work incorporates dance, sound, text and visual art installations, most recently in “Velocity” by the collaborative group VIGA. “Lessons of Water and Thirst” was co-created with Pont des Arts Ensemble and their newest work, also entitled “Divided Beauty,” will premiere on October 24th at Woman Made Gallery"

Woman Made Gallery is located at 685 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60642

GALLERY HOURS
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - noon to 7pm
Saturday & Sunday - noon to 4pm

Telephone: 312-738-0400


More info >>

Friday, September 19, 2008

Saturday, September 20: Chicago Artists Discuss - The Personal Art of Dissent

Chicago Artists Discuss: The Personal Art of Dissent
Saturday, September 20, 1:00-2:30pm
Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA)
820 N Michigan Ave.
FREE. Reservations requested. Call 312.915.7630 or email luma@luc.edu.

How is art a vehicle to voice political dissent? Chicago printmakers Marilyn Propp, Brandy Pudzis and Michael Goro in conversation with Theaster Gates. How does their work make statements on issues raised in the '08 presidential campaign?

Co-sponsored by LUMA and The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council.

This program is in conjunction with LUMA's Art of Democracy exhibition (September 6-November 9) timed to coincide with the 2008 Presidential election. The exhibit displays works by 60 printmakers whose art is concerned with democracy, social activism and political change. The artists continue the tradition of using poster and print media as a vehicle for social advocacy and propaganda. The exhibition is organized by the New York Society of Etchers and includes 25 Chicago-based artists.

Program Participants:

Marilyn Propp
Artist statement: Kaddish is the traditional Jewish prayer of mourning. It is a prayer for peace and a celebration of life. The human heart needs the freedom to express our deepest longings, our darkest secrets and our common humanity.

Brandy Pudzis
Artist statement: War and sexuality are closely linked. The exertion of control/dominance/power is intertwined with the human dynamic of struggle. I examine and deconstruct inequalities to provoke discussion of often uncomfortable realities.

Michael Goro
Artist statement: I was inspired by an ancient Chinese proverb: "A fish rots from the head down." It captures perfectly the central theme of my print. It serves as a metaphor for the state of contemporary American politics. Government corruption, barely concealed under a thin veneer of hollow slogans, has led the country to the verge of political and economic disaster.

Theaster Gates is active-whether it's institutional critique, object making, public discussion, or performance. His creative work recently enlisted the use of a mythic character known as Yamaguchi, who represents an effort to articulate the complex relationships between Blacks and Asians in the United States by convening soul food dinners. In addition, Gates uses public space and cultural institutions as launching pads for conversation in a series called Representations. His most recent project, the Black Monks of Mississippi, combines the richness of meditative traditions with gospel riffs and philosophical text to create a critical soul music.

The Public Square fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social, and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. By building bridges between theory and practice, The Public Square encourages the use of ideas as tools to improve people's lives. The Public Square programs promote participatory democracy and create space for public conversations. Knowledge is power, yet much crucial knowledge still circulates only in small, isolated communities.

Friday, September 12, 2008

CWCA Member Meeting, Friday, Septmber 19th

There will be an important meeting of all members of CWCA on Friday, September 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the home & studio of Judith Roth, 1801 W. Larchmont Ave., Apt. 410, Chicago. Members, we the Chicago Women's Caucus for Art needs you!

We need your input, energy and good ideas to energize the Women's Caucus for Art. Please attend this important meeting and bring a friend. (Also, bring a snack!) On the agenda will be the future of this organization. Where is CWCA headed; which direction do you want to take it; how much involvement are you willing to put in?

If you have any questions contact Arlene at 847.674.0321 or Judith at 773.883-4407.

Local Art News (excerpt from September CWCA E-News)

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has just opened a new gallery at the former Carson Pirie Scott's State Street store. The building was designed by Louis Sullivan and the 32,000 sq. foot gallery will be called Sullivan Galleries. The school has leased the space out until 2018. Also included in the lease is the fashion program and the design and architecture departments. There will be free admission and Professor Mary Jane Jacobs will head up the exhibition programs. The opening exhibition is called "Ahh...Decadence!" and features 122 works by 42 Chicago artists, and is curated by Lisa Wainwright. Address: 33 S. State Street, 7th floor, opened Tuesday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Other news from SAIC is that long-time president, Tony Jones has retired and the new president from Arizona State University is Wellington "Duke" Reiter.

Get the whole September E-News on our website.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

WCA Midwest Regional Exhibition at ARC Gallery: Opening Reception

"WCA Midwest Regional Exhibition" various media

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, September 5, 6-9 pm
EXHIBITION DATES:
9/3/2008 through 9/27/2008

ARC Gallery and Educational Foundation

832 W. Superior St. #204
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 312.733.2787

www.arcgallery.org
info@arcgallery.org

Gallery Hours

Wednesday – Saturday: 12 – 6 pm
Sunday: 12 – 4 pm

Juried and curated by Beate Minkovski, co-founder and Executive Director of Woman Made Gallery, this exhibition includes artists chosen from 13 midwestern states, and the featured work includes painting, sculpture, photography, video and mixed media collage. Educated in Germany and the US, Beate is a recognized presence in the Chicago art world, particularly through Woman Made Gallery, a notable forum for women artists.

Participating artists include: ATYL, Barbara Aubin, Wanrudee Buranakorn, Pritika Chowdry, Patricia Delker, Ellen Roth Deutsch, Teresa Dick, Janet Gerske, Magadalene Gorecki, Susan Grace, Judy Gregurich, Jodie Hardy, Leslie Hirshfield, Sara Holwerda, Cydney M. Lewis, Lily Mayfield, Monika Meler, Sheila Oettinger, Marivi Ortiz, Corinne D. Peterson, Judith Roth, Maura Schaffer, Victoria Senn, S. Gayle Stevens, and Rena Zaid.