JAM FINE ARTS

The Art Institute of Chicago has .pdf's of most of the catalogues from the Chicago & Vicinity shows that started in 1897. These were prestigious exhibitions for local artists. The museum stopped doing them in 1985, but they still have a glorious reputation among the local artists. Evanston Art Center hosts a biennial now that refers back to these shows. I have a piece in the current one.

I'm a nerd and I downloaded every catalogue they had from here: https://www.artic.edu/search/exhibitions?q=Chicago%20and%20Vicinity

This is a trove of Chicago history and art history. On a more personal level, the last show in 1985 featured artists that I have met, are famous, or that taught me in art school. Michiko Itatani, Martyl, Eleanor Spiess-Ferris, Lee Grantham are standouts. Itatani, Spiess-Ferris, and Grantham are still active today.

Some of the organizers and trustees of the earliest shows have names like Palmer, Potter, Burnham, Ryerson, Field and Wicker. The name, "Marshall Field," was continuous through the years.

In year two, I saw Laredo Taft and Ivan Albright's father, A. E. One of the coolest trivia from the second catalogue is that the artists' addresses were listed! One lady had a studio in the tower of the Auditorium Theater! So. Jealous.

Next, I'm going to dip into a postwar show during one of the golden ages of the arts in Chicago. Mies van der Rohe was developing the International Style in Chicago. Maholy Nagy immigrated with his designs influenced by the Bauhaus...1952...

The catalogue doesn't have that many images. Vera Berdich is the only person I can recall hearing about.

Now, I'm going to jump ahead a generation to 1971 and see who's showing. Oh my god! "Sam Gilliam, Artist" is listed as one of the jurors! Wow. Roger Brown, William Conger, and lots of interesting sculptors with Rauschenberg-type assemblages and a pop minimalist.  Neato.

Next, let's go back to the WWII era and see what's happening. 1944...Ha! The cover features a painting of happy servicemen returning to their friends and family at a port or something. Wait. There is one lady isolated in the middle of the painting holding two small children she looks very unhappy. 

Featured artists include Gertrude Abercrombie! Ivan Albright! Martyl. Oh, shit! Joan Mitchell showed a piece called Accordian Player. If that is The Joan Mitchell she was only 19 years old. Louise Dunn Yochim was in this show. She was one of the grand dames of Chicago art. I have one of her books. A very good year.

I'll continue exploring these catalogues in my off time and learning more about Chicago art and artists.

I am very grateful to the curators for the opportunity to exhibit with so many artists that I've admired for years and to get to know the work of artists that are new to me. I saw their excellent exhibit space prior to installation when I dropped off Arctic Ice Sheet this morning. I am really excited to see the show! Come check it out. If you are planning to attend the opening, RSVP at the link below.

On view: August 26 – October 1, 2023

Opening Reception Sunday, August 27, 1-4 pm RSVP

Our Biennial is one of the Midwest’s largest and most prestigious juried exhibitions, offering artists an opportunity to have their work viewed by three talented curators:

Chantal Healey, Executive Director, Chicago Public Art Group
Denny Mwaura, Assistant Director, Gallery 400, UIC
Erica Warren, PhD, Art Historian, Curator, Editor, Craft Quarterly

The following artists were selected by the jurors to exhibit their work in EAC’s Biennial: Alice Rebechini, Ann Blaas, Audrey Barcio, Beth Herman Adler, Brian Petrone, Carolyn Cronin Hughes, CoCo Ree, Delaina Doshi, Emma Rose Gudewicz, Erika Mulvenna, Gretchen Jankowski, Indira Johnson, Italav Langmar, Jacqueline Kott-Wolle, Jeanne Reilly, Jennifer Bock Nelson, Jerry Bleem, Jihyun Ra, Juliann Wang, Julie Mars, June Ahleman, Karen Perl, Katheran Lampert, Kevin Lyle, Kim Laurel, Liang He, Lorraine Peltz, Malika Jackson, Marco Bendin, Mariko Ventura, Mary Fedorowski, Mia Capodilupo, Michael Gallagher, Nelson Armour, Nikki Anderson, Peter Mudd, Ramin Takloo-Bighash, Raul Ortiz, Riva Lehrer, Robert Frankel, Robert Tanner, Ruth Lantz, Ruth Poor, Sarah Kaiser , Shelley Brucar, Steven Turner, Susan Bennett, Susan Marx, Tim Lowly, Vanessa Filley, Vivian Visser, William Weidner, Yiwei Wang, and Yvette Kaiser Smith.

GALLERY HOURS & VISITOR INFORMATION
This exhibition will be held in the First Floor Gallery of the Evanston Art Center (EAC). Masks are optional but strongly recommended for students, visitors and staff.
Gallery Hours
Monday–Thursday: 9am–6pm
Friday: 9am–5pm
Saturday–Sunday: 9am–4pm

HOW TO PURCHASE ARTWORK
Artwork sale proceeds benefit both the artist and the Evanston Art Center. If you are interested in purchasing artwork on display, please contact Emma Rose Gudewicz, Director of Development and Exhibition Manager, at [email protected] or (847) 475-5300 x 102.

Elemental ImpactChicago Sculpture International Juried Exhibition at the Epiphany Center for the Arts
November 17, 2023 to January 13, 2024Entry deadline: September 9, 2023
Sculptors are invited to enter up to three works in the Chicago Sculpture International Juried Exhibition at the Epiphany Center for Arts Chicago, IL.
Call for sculpture submissions for Elemental Impact at Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago.
This exhibition takes interest in the parts that make up the whole, and how a single element can impact the world at large. Much like a single choice in material or form can change an entire piece, each work in a collective can change and impact the whole by proximity.
The works chosen for this exhibition will have a strong sense of material choice and presence that is both able to stand on its own while also engaging with its environment and the works around it in a way that fundamentally changes the experience of the space.
The exhibit is being curated by Kaylee Fowler.
If selected for the exhibition, artists must be a current CSI member or sign-up for membership. www.chicagosculpture.org/become-a-member

An artist statement will be required for the accepted piece.
About the gallery:
Epiphany Center for the Arts
201 S. Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 421-4600
Entry Requirements 
All entries will be submitted as digital images; jpeg for still sculpture, MP4 for kinetic works.
Applications must include a sculpture information in the following form:
.docx version  |  PDF version
Contact information: artist’s name, email, website, and cell
Example: FirstNameLastName_SublimeSculpture_3 materials, H x W x D inches and year completed.
Please also include value of the piece for insurance purposes.
Each entry must be saved as a jpeg with the file name in the following format:
Artist’s name, title of work, and number of the entry, separated by underscore. Example: FirstNameLastName_SublimeSculpture_3
Please format jpegs to 300 dpi at 4”x 5” or 72 dpi at 1024 pixels in longest dimension. Limit length of MP4 files to 60 seconds max.
Place application form along with images into a .zip compressed folder and email to: [email protected]
Works must be under 7 feet tall to fit into the space. Any works over 60 pounds the artist must provide assistance/arrangements for moving works in and out of the space.
Works can be suspended from the ceiling if under 40 pounds and provided that the hanging specifications are included in the proposal, so that the install team can advise if there needs to be any changes to the layout of the works.
If the artist would like the work to be listed for sale for the duration of the exhibition, please include a retail price; Epiphany will take a 30% off of this price for any sales.
Calendar
Exhibition dates: November 17, 2023 to January 13, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday, November, 17th, 2023, 6-9pm
Entry deadline: September 9, 2023, by 6 pm
Email notification of acceptance: October 15, 2023
Delivery of Accepted Work: Saturday, November 11, 2023, 12-5pm and Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 12-5pm
Pick-up of work: January 16 - 18, 11AM - 3PM Shipping address:
Artists who choose to ship their work are responsible for shipping costs to and from the gallery on the given dates. Email [email protected] to coordinate shipping information and arrangements.
Additional arrangements can be made for drop-off and pick-up. Contact the gallery at: [email protected]

For general information about the exhibit: [email protected]