Coming up at the Chicago Art Source Gallery in Lincoln Park is an exhibition titled Chicago Six, opening Thursday, April 4 and featuring diverse works from the following Chicago artists: Mark Phillips, Eric Holubow, Sheila Ganch, Lynn Basa, Kristin Komar and Michelle Gordon. The focus of the group show is to allow each artist to represent what they find inspiring, challenging and rewarding about living in Chicago. Though these Chicago-based artists are not all originally from Chicago, they have all made the city their home.

The six artists I will be discussing cover a wide range of mediums such as printmaking, photography, sculpture and painting, while still representing the theme of Chicago life found in the buildings, the people and the busy streets in each work.

Mark Phillips works with metal, printmaking and paint to represent the gritty El stations, the graffiti-clad walls and the busy streets that have become visual embodiments of his urban life in Chicago.

Eric Holubow photographs abandoned churches, theatres and warehouses in an effort to capture the beauty in these dilapidated structures, revealing a different side of Chicago architecture.

Sheila Ganch shapes abstract sculptures portraying the people that grab her attention in the city, such as the form of a couple bent over a table in thought, maybe waiting for their food at a local restaurant or playing a game of chess in the park. By creating different bodies in varied positions, Chicago becomes their common denominator. 

The three painters in the exhibition see the city in more abstract, color-filled ways. 

Lynn Basa creates tableaus of color springing forth from city lights and buildings.

Kristin Komar pairs unnatural shapes and colors on a background of dripping paint that represents the man-made buildings placed up against natural parks and lake and river.

Finally, Michelle Gordon piles color upon color to portray the diverse spectrum of people and places that life in Chicago has to offer.

Chicago Six

April 5-June 22

Chicago Art Source Gallery

1871 N. Clybourn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614

Living with Wolves is on view now through July 7 at The Field Museum.  The exhibition features stunning large-scale photographs from Jim and Jamie Dutcher’s years spent living among a pack of wolves (the Sawtooth Pack) at the edge of Idaho’s Sawtooth wilderness.  Photographs and illustrations come from the recently published and critically acclaimed National Geographic book, The Hidden Life of Wolves.  A series of Emmy Award-winning films was also produced.

For over 20 years, the Dutchers have studied wolf behavior and fought to raise public awareness about the intelligent animals and the threats to their survival.  The Dutchers hope that this exhibition will help to debunk many misconceptions about wolves as they reveal the social hierarchy, family bonds and strong personalities of the Sawtooth Pack and other wolves.  Viewers will learn about the selection of pack leaders, the raising of pups, mourning processes within the pack, and how wolves play such an important role in balancing ecosystems.

Learn more about the Dutchers’ mission and get involved at livingwithwolves.org.

Click here to watch a short video, The Hidden Life of Wolves.

Thru July 7: Living with Wolves

The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605

This past weekend I had a chance to check out Andrew Rafacz Gallery’s current group show Lake Effect/ Nor’easter: Part I in the West Loop. An exhibition of two parts collaboration with LAMONTAGNE, a gallery located in Boston. Each gallery will feature works represented by the other. Part II will take place at LAMONTAGNE opening in Boston on December 15. Featured artists in Part I include: Tory Fair, Jeff Perrott, Daniela Rivera and Joe Wardwell.
 
The aim of the show is to give Chicago a unique glimpse of the vitality of the work created by artists working and living in the Bay State.
 
I enjoy the idea of a two part collaborative show in different cities, functioning as a sort of artist swap, giving the other city a friendly glimpse of different work. The works themselves were lighthearted. Tory Fair’s cast resin sculptures Sculpture From Above and Pink Crate Sculpture struck me as innovative and a little strange, in an unexpected way. Fair’s palette utilizes a soft pink - a color I’m not typically drawn to - in a satisfying manner along with bright yellow and metallic silver. The way the sculptures are positioned casually on the hardwood floor instead of formally on a pedestal, adds to their contemporary air. These sculptures have a presence of being honest, and give off the idea of hope that art can connect to the viewer without being too serious.
 
Daniela Rivera’s oil paintings are arranged with some hung on the wall in a grid, and others trailing off into two stacks onto the floor. All twelve canvases are painted varying shades of green, reminiscent of summertime grass. Rivera’s paintings are easy to relate to, giving an intriguing mix of nostalgia and that refreshing, forbidden feeling of not wearing sandals in the summer while sipping on homemade lemonade.
 
Fair’s sculptures and Rivera’s paintings stood out to me in the group show. Jeff Perrott’s abstract large paintings and Joe Wardwell’s graphic paintings were both interesting, unfortunately I didn’t relate to them as much as I would have liked. Overall, the show was refreshing, contemporary, and the works were playful.
 
Be sure to check out the exhibition for yourself - the show runs until Saturday, December 22. Andrew Rafacz Gallery is located at 835 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago.

Tory Fair, Sculpture From Above, cast resin, 18” x 14” x 12”, 2012 and Tory Fair, Pink Crated Sculpture, cast aluminum and resin, 15” x 15” x 14”, photographer: Erin McGuire

Daniela Rivera, Growth, oil on canvas on panel, 24” x 24” x 2 ½ ”, 2011, photographer: Erin McGuire

Daniela Rivera, Growth, oil on canvas on panel, 24” x 24” x 2 ½ ”, 2011, photographer: Erin McGuire

MDW Fair 2012 is back and happening all weekend starting off with the Vernissage Opening Party tonight, Friday November 9 from 7pm-12am.

MDW Fair first debuted in spring 2011 as a gathering of independent art initiatives, spaces, galleries and artist groups from the Chicago area.  This year’s fair is a collaborative project between the Public Media Institute, Document, Roots & Culture, and threewalls featuring more than 75 exhibitors, publishers, and performers. MDW Fair highlights artist-run activities as well as grassroots and independent culture.

The Friday Vernissage Event invites the public to join in celebrating with food, drinks and music. From 7– 8:30pm tonight the Propellor Fund Award Ceremony is honoring the 15 winners of the 2012 Propeller Funds award. Propeller Fund is a grant for self-organized, public, and collaborative projects and is administered by threewalls and Gallery 400 at UIC. Also from 7pm until midnight tonight on the second floor of Mana Contemporary Chicago will be opening night festivities, including performance programs and libations.

For a detailed list of performances, events, and a complete list of participants throughout the weekend please check out MDW Fair 2012’s website.

When:

Saturday, November 10: 12-6pm

Sunday, November 11: 12-6pm

Where:

Mana Contemporary

2233 South Throop Street, Chicago

22 is an art and design gallery just west of downtown Chicago, located on 6910 Cermak Road in Berwyn, IL.  The multi-use space is dedicated to exploring the overlap between art and design, highlighting the work of emerging and established artists and designers. Modular22 is the gallery’s most ambitious project to date, a large-scale installation featuring work from over one hundred artists, designers, and architects.
  
The entire structure measures 8 feet tall and 25 feet long, with the artwork displayed on interlocking wooden panels. The artists included in the show are from Chicago, the U.S., as well as internationally. The color palette for the artwork, done only in black and white, is intended to keep the project visually cohesive while featuring work by such a variety of artists and styles. A participatory component of the work is evident on the chalkboard panels that ask for visitors to leave their own mark. The gallery is considered new and upcoming, and the directors believe that art and design are inseparable, as evidenced by Modular22. “The project brings the infrastructure of a gallery display system to the foreground, treating it as equal to the artwork it’s used to display,” stated Calek.
                       
The gallery owners are recent MFA graduates from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Jessica Calek, architect and director of 22, designed the Modular22 Project. Dan Streeting, graphic designer, painter, and creative director of 22 built the infrastructure with Calek, and their intern Erin McGuire, a recent graduate & painter from SAIC. The Modular22 project was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign over the past summer. The wooden panels were lasercut by Advanced Laser Cutting Technologies in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
 
MODULAR22 opened on Saturday, October 13, and the work is on display until December 22, which is also the closing reception. Make sure to check out this exciting, innovative installation! The gallery is open to the public six days a week. Check 22’s website for more details. Note: the gallery is also accessible via the CTA.

View from the entrance of the Modular22 installation , photographer: Dan Streeting

View of the Modular22 installation from the back of 22's gallery space, photographer: Dan Streeting

close-up of a lasercut panel, and some artwork in Modular22, photographer: Dan Streeting

close-up of some artwork in Modular22 installation, photographer: Dan Streeting