If you’ve been patiently waiting for more from Dumela Contemporary African Art since last summer’s show, fret not - the waiting is nearly over.  Roscoe Village’s August House Studio will once again host Dumela’s annual summer show featuring original paintings by emerging and established artists from Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. 

Represented artists create vibrant and evocative work in acrylic, oil, watercolors, pastels and mixed media – all handpicked by Dumela’s owners, Nancy McDaniel and Leila Green, during annual visits to Africa.  Dumela has longstanding relationships with African artists, from whom the artwork is purchased.  Dumela then selects custom framing that compliments each piece from a local Chicago company, and assembles their annual sale to share this artwork with the public.  Don’t miss this once-a-year show and sale!

June 1-30, 2012
Opening reception on Friday, June 1, 5:30-9pm

August House Studio  |  2113 W. Roscoe, Chicago, IL 60618
Visit during regular studio hours: Fridays 5-9pm, Saturdays 1-6pm, Sundays 12-6pm;  or contact Nancy McDaniel to schedule a private viewing appointment: 773-477-2404 or kabusinze@comcast.net.

Dumela’s Adventures from the past year...
In August 2011, Dumela excitedly hosted a favorite Zimbabwean artist, Charles Nkomo, for 5 days.  Charles had come to the USA to spend time at a friends’ gallery, Amazwi, in Saugatuck, Michigan. Following his stay there, Charles came to Chicago where Dumela held a show of his work at The Frame Factory - Dumela's long time and exclusive framer.  The show was attended by many clients, fans and owners of the artist's work.  Charles fell in love with Chicago’s scenery, restaurants, and even some shops... Old Navy and DSW!
 
Dumela co-owner Leila Green traveled to South Africa in March to attend the wedding of a close friend's son.  While there, she met with several artists: Charles Nkomo, Patrick Rapai, Ruziwo Katsidzira, and others.  For the first time, she met a young artist named Petros Mwenga, and did not like the work he initially showed her, but thought he had talent and agreed to meet with him again.  After their second meeting, things clicked and she bought a painting from him.
 
Nancy McDaniel, Dumela’s other co-owner, wasn't able to make a trip to Africa in 2011, but through various channels did manage to get some new work from two artists she knows well - Stephen Njenga and Martin Bulinya.  More recently, Nancy has had her hands full with a (troublesome) painting purchased from a Zimbabwe artist, James Jali.  The painting was unsigned when originally purchased, so it was taken back to Harare by a friend, signed by the artist, and was ready to ship back to the US.  The travelers (en route back the US themselves) thought it would be easier, cheaper and faster to mail the painting to Dumela once back inside the US border.  Sadly, as so many people can relate to, the painting is still floating around somewhere in UPS land, after being shipped from Maryland on May 2.  Needless to say - unless there's a shipping miracle - that painting will not be in this June's show, but hopefully will arrive in time for the 2013 show! 

This weekend is an exciting time for art lovers in Chicago. The annual SOFA CHICAGO is back, now with an extra emphasis on art & design. Visit Navy Pier Friday-Sunday to see a wide range of art presented by international galleries and dealers. You’ll find many rare objects and works of art, as well as have access to outstanding lectures. Experts are around every corner, so the opportunities to learn and explore are endless. Once again SOFA is partnering with The Intuit Show of Folk & Outsider Art, so you may enjoy two fairs under a single roof. 

Visit sofaexpo.com to learn more about special exhibits and lectures at the fair to get the most out of your visit. This year’s lectures (click here for info) range from The Bluffer’s Guide to European Jewelry to Cartooning In Conflict: An Illustration of the Futility of War and It's the End of the World As We Know It...But My Art is Fine! A guide to protecting your art. Most of the lectures take place Friday and Saturday, with just one on Sunday, so plan ahead if you’re hoping to get in on the learning. Lectures are included with admission.  Tickets to the fair are available online, or at the door.  

There is certainly enough activity to keep you busy all three days this weekend.  Play hooky and come to the fair on Friday, or just wait until after work and catch some gallery openings Friday evening. Chicago Gallery News is providing a courtesy shuttle between SOFA, the Museum of Contemporary Art + the River North Gallery District all weekend. The shuttles will take you to openings on Friday.  On Saturday evening, there will be an extra stop at KM Fine Arts for their special fall exhibition, Eyes Wide Shut. KM Fine Arts is located on the 25^th floor the John Hancock Center, so you’ll have a fabulous view of the city and the lakefront from the gallery, not to mention cocktails! 

Several galleries in the River North District will have extended hours all weekend (including on Sunday!) and many will be holding opening receptions Friday evening. Take the free shuttle to Franklin + Superior and enjoy the opportunity to visit the culturally rich River North District where streets are lined with galleries and great restaurants. 

River North Gallery District

SOFA + Shuttle Hours

Friday: 11am-7pm  •  Shuttle: 12-7pm

Saturday 11am-7pm  •  Shuttle: 12-7pm

Sunday 12-6pm  •  Shuttle: 11am-2pm

For more information about SOFA and galleries visit: Chicagogallerynews.com

Chicago Humanities Festival is a great organization that works to give people of all ages opportunities to continuously explore the humanities. They host annual festivals like the fall Chicago Humanities Festival, the spring stages, sights and sounds festival, and variety of programs throughout the year that promote the study of the humanities. They are focused on making the humanities a vital and vibrant part of every day life through encouraging people to get involved. The Chicago Humanities Festival was founded by a group of people that believed that the humanities was a rich asset to everyone, and the intention of creating a day devoted to the humanities turned into a festival. Throughout the years many notable artists and performers have come to the festivals or participated in events held at the center. There are a constant source of events highlighting literature and the visual arts, creating great opportunities to get involved.

The month of October has no shortage of great lectures, and from the list of topics everyone is bound to find something that sparks their interest. On Sunday October 16th art historian S. Hollis, Clayson is presenting Shedding Artificial Light on Art History from 3:30 to 4:30. This lecture discusses the French Impressionists fascination with light, and the influences that the incandescent light bulb had on the Parisian artists when introduced in 1881 to Paris. The event is held at Harris Hall in room 107 and is $5.00 for general admission and free for faculty and students.

On Sunday October 23rd, African historian Emily Osborn's lecture Melting Pot: African Culture, studies the continents' past though a variety of methodical tools and approaches. Her next book Recycling Traditions: Aluminum Casting and the Making of a Modern African Diaspora offers a history of technology transfer and diffusion. She looks at the social and cultural history of Africa when discussing the way in which the indigenous people re-use material in creative interpretations, for example using scrap metal to make cookware. Don’t miss this fascinating lecture from 12:30 to 1:30 at The Law School, Glen A. in the Lloyd Auditorium. General Admission is $5.00 and free for faculty and students.

Going into the month of November, you don’t want to miss art detective Francesca Casadio’s CSI: Picasso. Casadio is the senior conservationist at the Art Institute of Chicago and a chemist. She recalls her latest adventure in solving the mystery about Picasso’s paint. She talks of examples from the Art Institute all the way to Southern France, highlighting his works and revealing technology that is rewriting art history. This will be held at the Chicago Cultural Center in the Claudia Cassidy Theater on November 6th from 12:00 to 1:00 pm.

Be sure to check out the list of events at the Chicago Humanities Festival and take advantage of one of Chicago’s greatest resources.

Dumela Contemporary African Art hosted a reception for their big annual summer show earlier in June.  *Read more about their summer show and artists here in CGN’s blog.  The folks behind Dumela invite you back for a special reception on Sunday, August 14, for one of their Zimbabwean artists, Charles Nkom.  

Join Dumela and the The Frame Factory (responsible for the lovely frame assortments & assembly for Dumela’s artwork) to celebrate with Charles while he visits the U.S. and Chicago for his first time! 

Many new, unframed paintings will be for sale, and The Frame Factory will be offering a special discount on framing of Nkomo work purchased at the event. 

More about the artist:  Charles was born in 1974 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and studied fine art at Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre in Bulawayo.  He obtained a residency at the National Gallery in Bulawayo, has participated in many exhibitions, and has painted impressive commissioned murals for various Zimbabwean organizations and companies.  Charles continues to work from Houghton, Johannesburg. 

Click here to watch a brief video about the artist and his work. 

When: Sunday, August 14, 6:30-8:30pm

Where: The Frame Factory, 1809 W. Webster (60614), 773.862.1010

Make a plan to stop by August House Studio in Chicago’s north side this Friday, June 3, and partake in Dumela Contemporary African Art’s Annual Summer Show.  The reception runs from 5:30-9pm tomorrow, and will feature original contemporary art from southern and east Africa in a range of media including acrylic, watercolor, pastel, textiles, oil and mixed media paintings.

The work is created by emerging African artists from Zimbabwe, Kenya, and South Africa, and is handpicked by the partners behind Dumela – Leila Green and Nancy McDaniel.  "Dumela" (a warm greeting of welcome in the Sesotho language of South Africa) began in 1998 as a way for Leila and Nancy to share their passion for east and southern Africa, its people and its art by personally acquiring work directly from artists, and bringing it back to Chicago where it is custom-framed and made available to the public through these annual shows. 

Dumela specializes in contemporary art - some work is described as "naive" or done by untrained artists, while much of the work is done by formally trained artists.  No matter what style, the artwork is always original and is purchased directly from the artists - from their homes and studios; and sometimes even from the trunk of a car!  The majority of the artists are generally not well known in the artworld, but have become personal acquaintances of Leila and Nancy over the years. 

Nancy shared some fond and fun memories with me about her travels, some of the artists, and the adventurous act of looking at and acquiring Dumela's artwork:

The first time we ever met Justin Gope (a young artist originally from Mozambique), he rode his bike for an hour or so to meet us at a friend's home in Harare, with his art rolled up and tied to the back of the bike.  The next year he came to see us again - this time with big framed canvases tied down to the top of a tiny car.

Khumbulani Mpofu and Charles Nkomo are two young artists and friends from Bulawayo, ZImbabwe.  The first time we met Charles, he came all the way on a bus from Bulawayo (maybe a 5 or 6 hour drive) with a huge tube of rolled up canvases. He is now one of our favorite and best selling artists, whose work has evolved and matured over the years.  I also have met with Nkomo (and Mpofu) in my guest house in Johannesburg where he (like some of the other Zim artists) has been living and working some of the time to try to make more money.  We have also spent time with Nkomo and Mpofu in their shared studio space at the National Gallery in Bulawayo.

Once we met Mpofu at the National Gallery in Harare. He arranged with the security guard to let us all into a basement storeroom where he spread out all his work and we purchased a lot of it (the Gallery won't let them sell their work in front of the front door so that's why he arranged for us to go to the basement).

One day Liz, Leila and I drove to a park area in Harare where we met with Peter Kwangware. He spread out his work on the roof and trunk of Liz's car and we bought it from him there.  I have met with John Ndambo, Stephen Njenga, Robert Aswani and Martin Bulinya on the verandah of the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi where we drink Orange Fanta or tea and look at (and buy) art.

Four Zimbabwe artists (David Chinyama, Patrick Rapai, Fungai Junior, and Ruziwo) were renting a house in a Johannesburg suburb to use as their communal studio. I met them there and they had all their canvases hung on the fences and propped against the walls, right near an empty swimming pool with brightly colored bougainvillea everywhere.  It was just wonderful (and I bought about 6 pieces that day).

March 2009: Nancy with artists Patrick Rapai, Ruziwo & David Chinyama at their shared studio in Johannesburg.

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Stop by Friday’s opening reception, or anytime before the exhibition closes on June 26, and enjoy these bright, creative, contemporary works! 

June 3 – 26  | Reception on Friday, June 3, 5:30-9pm

Dumela Contemporary African Art Annual Summer Show

August House Studio

2113 W. Roscoe, Chicago (60618)

Contact Nancy McDaniel at 773-477-2404 or by email or more info or to make a private appointment