The Zhou B Art Center opens its doors for viewers to experience their latest show of poetry and art this Friday, February 15, coinciding with this month’s 3^rd Friday openings. Sergio Gomez collaborated with Poets and Artists Magazine’s Didi Menendez to curate the exhibition, From Motion to Stillness, bringing together over 40 artists and poets. The show explores representations of stillness, quietness, reflection, meditation, inner-peace, solitude and calmness. From Motion to Stillness calls the viewer and reader to step away from the fast-paced and constantly changing world to pause and experience the stillness brought about by these artworks and poems.

Enjoy a night of peace and reflection this Friday at the opening reception from 7-10pm. Visitors can also visit the open studios of all the in-residence artists, interact with many of the artists and mingle with other collectors and aficionados. After viewing some art and the open studios (including 4Art Inc. Gallery and Yale Factor Gallery), visitors can relax in the Zhou B Café and Art Lounge and enjoy other entertainment throughout the building.

Zhou B Art Center

1029 W. 35th Street

Chicago, IL 60609

773.523.0200

www.zhoubartcenter.com

If you haven’t made it out to ARC Gallery’s current exhibitions, you have until next Saturday, February 2^nd to view these impressive works. The gallery offers viewers the chance to see the works of artists, Granite Amit, Nicole McCormick Santiago, and Christopher Fraser.

 Granite Amit                                   

Hereticha Be’Eynecha

Hereticha Be'eynecha is an audio video installation by Granite Amit. Using large-scale prints on translucent surfaces, Amit processes texts and ancient melodies from the Hebrew Bible and focuses on a textual junction within the narrative: the end of the journey in the wilderness and the beginning of the narrative of the story of the creation. The positioning of the visual text with the ancient melodies provides the viewer to connect the responsibilities of both its natural and human surroundings.

Nicole McCormick Santiago                       

Paintings and Drawings

Nicole McCormick Santiago's Paintings and Drawings is a juxtaposition of past, present, and future narratives, as they move around each other in each scene. This communicates a scattered, yet very honest insight into daily life.               

Christopher Fraser                                   

Trust the Photograph

Christopher Fraser's paintings are figurative, selected from images that incite an emotional response, or effuse an apparent subliminal understanding that is obvious. The portraits capture a self-awareness as portrayed through life. With sweeping brushstrokes, Fraser is able to go further into this self-awareness than with a simple snapshot, as he is in constant dialogue with his image.                                    

If you really want the full experience, come to the gallery’s closing reception this Friday, January 25^th.  ARC and Amit have teamed up to honor the memory of Darius McGraw, who worked with Amit and ARC on the “Recurrent Dream” project. Youth from McGraw’s community will present a hip-hop performance, followed by reflections from Camille Odeh.

ARC Gallery

Through February 2

2156 N. Damen Avenue


Chicago, IL 60647

773-252-2232

 www.arcgallery.org

2013 is off and running.  We’re eleven days into the new year, and tonight we’ll celebrate the opening of the winter gallery season along with a few dozen local galleries.  Have you seen the openings list yet?  If not, check it out and make a list of places to go and people (and art) to see.  Exhibition details can be found on our site and in individual gallery listings; here are a few highlights opening tonight…

Our January – April 2013 cover feature gallery, Thomas Masters Gallery presents Melody Saraniti, Drips+Grids.  The gallery is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year; read more about Thomas’ memories and the history of the gallery here.

Melody Saraniti, Drag Oh La, acrylic on panel, 54" x 56"

River North’s Roy Boyd Gallery opens tonight with a refreshing display of paintings by Andrew Graham. 

Andrew Graham, D15, 2012, oil on linen over wood panel, 26” x 46”

The Art Center Highland Park will showcase work by over 150 teachers and members of the Art Center community with In View: Annual Member & Faculty Exhibition.; opening tonight from 6:30-9pm. 

Packer Schopf Gallery has four separate exhibitions opening tonight: Andrea Stanislav’s Wilderness of Mirrors (sculpture, glitter constructions and video);  Bruce Riley’s Psychedelic (mixed media paintings);  Lauren Levato’s Wunderkammer (drawings);  and Deborah Baker’s Zodiac (embroidery).  Pictured below is a drawing from Lauren Levato’s exhibition Wunderkammer.  Levato’s new collection of work delicately combines wonder and the artist’s memory, elaborating on the idea of how the body can become a Wunderkammer (a place where a collection of curiosities and rarities is exhibited).

Drawing by Lauren Levato

Tonight is just the start of a full, fresh season of art to look forward to.  New openings and events are added to our site each week, so be sure to visit us often – and enjoy!

October is here, and that means it’s time for the 17^th annual Chicago Artists Month!  This year’s theme is “Art Block By Block,” celebrating the widespread impact of artists in each unique neighborhood throughout Chicago.  “Block By Block” highlights the synergistic relationship between an artist and his/her community; the selected artists all find inspiration from their surroundings, and—this month—the community will reap the reward of seeing these local artists’ cultural reflections.

This year’s featured artists include Andrew Arvanetes, Hebru Brantley, Brandy Barker, Mary Ellen Croteau, Jim Duignan, Ian Ferguson, Ben Foch + Chelsea Culp, Sergio Gomez, Seana Higgins, Regin Igloria, Preston Jackson, Jeremiah Lee, Victoria Martinez, Ann McNamee Dobrila Pintar, John Preus, Laura Shaeffer, and Selina Trepp.

This Friday on October 5, from 5 to 9 pm, Art Block By Block kicks off a full month of art activities by hosting a Bridgeport Block Party, with locations at the Bridgeport Art Center, Co-Prosperity Sphere, and Zhou B Art Center.  Party-goers will find an assortment of food, music, and—you guessed it—art! Bridgeport Art Center will be hosting the Will To Power exhibition, in which artists create art that embodies the words “will” and "power” by decaying a traditional gallery space.  Co-Prosperity Sphere will feature the opening of Flash Mobbed and Dolloped, an exhibition of old and new works by artist Ian Ferguson.  And at the Zhou B Art Center, there will be live art by artists Rhom, George Lindmark and Zore.

The remainder of the month is chock full of exhibitions, artist talks, art walks, and open houses.  So take the time to go out into your community this month and check out the distinctive artwork of your neighborhood.  For more information, dates, and times, visit chicagoartistsmonth.org

Bridgeport Art Center

West Town has been expanding and buzzing for quite awhile now, and the latest addition to the buzz began last year with the launch of the Annual West Town Art Walk along Chicago Avenue, presented by the West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce. This year, the Walk will take place next weekend October 5-7.  Chicago is at it's best in the fall, and the next few weekends will be ideal for staying outdoors and exploring new neighborhoods and discovering new art.

Starting with a series of opening receptions scheduled for Friday, October 5, 6-10 pm at all participating Art Walk locations the event draws attention to the thriving West Town community while using art as the lens through which to view the neighborhood's dozens of local and upcoming artists and designers.  Every participating location – from restaurants to boutiques – will transform into a weekend gallery, each featuring a specific local artist(s), along with food, drink and music (in select spots). 

Paintings, sculptures and everything in between will be on display, and for sale, at the following participating Art Walk locations: Branch 27, RR1, Urban Source, Flo Café & Bar, Leopold, The Architrouve, Living Room Realty, Shear Conviction Salon & Photo Studio, JK Imaging & Craft, Dovetail, Seek Vintage, Café Central, The Noble Grape, Five Star Bar, Inside Home, Sprout Home, Pie-Eyed Pizzeria, White Dental Studio, and Swim Café.

The Art Walk will also feature a series of programs aimed at children, particularly as the community begins efforts to raise funds for and awareness of Eckhart Park. The following activities will be available for children on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm at Eckhart Park:

• Bubble Bonanza: Artists will make giant bubble creations and younger kids can participate by making their own smaller bubble wands and learning how the process works.
• Kites: Older children can make and decorate their own kites and then fly them in the park.
• Sidewalk Chalk: Kids of all ages are invited to create a chalk mural on the sidewalks leading into the park.

The organizers behind the West Town Art Walk hope that the event draws visitors to the area and that they see what the restaurants, galleries, boutiques and shops have to offer in an area that's centrally located in the city but that occupies its own niche along Chicago Ave. between Michigan Ave. and Wicker Park and Bucktown.  The Art Walk officially includes all businesses on Chicago Avenue, from Noble to Damen and surrounding areas.  Up-and-coming also seems to be a key-theme for the group, and they want other business owners and creatives to take advantage of the possibilities and affordability now while things are still emerging.

The West Town Art Walk: October 5-7, 2012
For additional details, please visit our Facebook page
Location: On Chicago Ave from Milwaukee to Damen
Cost: Free (no donation request)
westtownartwalk.com
Phone: 312-850-9390
Hours: Fri, 6-10pm; Sat, 11am-10pm; Sun, 11am-5pm

Sponsors: Yelp, Windy City Café, Chicago Gallery News, Urban Source, Flo Café and Bar, Leopold, JK Imaging and Craft, Dovetail, Seek Vintage, West Town Chamber of Commerce and West Town Special Service Area.