Skewville at Pawn Works

Brooklyn-based street art duo Skewville will have a show opening up tomorrow night Saturday at Pawn Works in Ukrainian Village.  You may see some of their trademark wood sneakers hanging over wires in Chicago this week.  They also do larger scale work and tomorrow's show should have a great selection.

I'm happy to see that they also completed a large text-based mural in Chicago recently.

Skewville
at Pawn Works
1050 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Saturday, July 30, 2011
6 to 10 pm

The Printers' Ball - It's Alive!

Tonight's the 7th. annual Printers' Ball at Columbia College Chicago in the South Loop.  The Printers' Ball is a celebration of independent printing and publishing in Chicago.  Bringing together diverse groups and publications with many giveaways, workshops, and music on 3 floors, it's always a fun time.

This year my friends Logan and Sandy sent several hundred copies of their new art/comic/newspaper thingy Supb-A-Roht to the Printers' Ball straight from Thailand.  Featuring illustrations and more from artists from that country, I'm looking forward to checking it out.  You can read more about it here.

Here's the full schedule of events for the Printers' Ball.
The Printers' Ball - It's Alive!
Columbia College Chicago
Ludington Building
1st, 2nd, and 8th. floors
1104 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL

Friday, July 29, 2011
6pm to 11pm
*Free*

Carnaval Croquant

No Coast Outre presents Carnaval Croquant,  an art event featuring photography, artwork and performances at Belmont Army Surplus in Wicker Park tomorrow night Friday.  Featuring a huge mural and installation by artists sponsored by RVCA and a photography show by photographers working with Analog, it should be a fun time.  There'll also be a performance by Rabble Rabble.

Food and drink sponsored by Finch's, POP Chips, Red Bull, and more.

Carnaval Croquant
at Belmont Army Surplus
1318 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Friday, July 22, 2011
beginning at 7pm

July Soul Summit

The monthly Soul Summit dance party at the Double Door will have a special guest tonight.  DJ Tropicaza  from Mexico City will be spinning tonight along with your regular Soul Summit DJ's, Dave Mata, Duke Grip, and Sloppy White.  I heard Tropicaza spin when he was here last year.  He brought a lot of interesting and fun rare 60's and 70's soul records from Mexico and I'm sure that tonight will feature more of the same.  Tonight's set is 21+ and free.

Here are a few pictures I shot there earlier this summer...

They'll also unveil their new silkscreen poster tonight...

Soul Summit
at the Double Door
1572 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Thursday, July 21, 2011
9pm to closing
21+
*Free*

Stef Sola

Chicago's STEF will have a solo show opening tonight at RGB Lounge in Wicker Park.  Coming from a background in fashion, dance, and graffiti, STEF's work has a very distinctive and colorful style.  You can read more about STEF and her show at the RGB Lounge blog here.

STEF Sola: Out of Darkness
at RGB Lounge
1420 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Thursday, July 21, 2011
7 to 11 pm
On view through July, 2011

Foto Expo at Casualiving

I'm glad to be a part of the FOTO EXPO show opening this afternoon at Casualiving.  The curator's theme for the show was, "Looking as an action.  An alternate approach to photographic practice." Which led to the interactive work being shown today ranging from the American Ruins series of View-Master reels by Matt Bergstrom, slide projections by William FitzPatrick, cigar boxes converted into 3-D viewers by the Chicago Reader's Jim Newberry, an amazing set of Chicago Police Dept themed photographs by Matt Tuteur, a postal installation by Chris Milhausen, and more work by Peter Skvara, Tessa Perutz, Zebadiah Arrington, Theodore Boggs, Enzo Moscarella, Garrett Munski, and myself. 

Located in the West Loop, this gallery also features an amazing built-in wood installation.

FOTO EXPO: A Group Effort

at Casualiving

119 N Peoria #3B

3rd floor

Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Saturday, July 16, 2011

2 to 10 pm

Other hours by appointment at casualiving@gmail.com

Triple Crown of Yo-Yo Offical After-Party

After today's Triple Crown of YoYo Midwest Classic finals in Milennium Park, Rotofugi will host the offical afterparty from 6 to 8 pm.  With yo-yo demos by yo-yo players and champions, a toy release by Chris Ryniak, and live painting by Brooks Golden and Jeremy Pettis there'll be a lot of great stuff to check out.

Triple Crown of YoYo Offical Afterparty

at Rotofugi

2780 N Lincoln Ave

Chicago, IL

Saturday, July 16, 2011

6 to 8 pm

*Free*

Silver Room's Annual Block Party

It's time again for that summer time treat, the Silver Room's Annual Block Party.  The store does a lot throughout the year to promote culture by having in-store art shows and movie screenings.  This block party is their big blowout with a main stage on the street, as well as dj's spinning in-store and on their back patio.  They also unveil a new mural next to the main stage each year.  The event is free and family friendly. This should be a lot of fun.

Here's the full line-up from their site....

EVERGREEN STAGE
Noon Welcome by Daniel Bryant and Congo Square Theater
12:05 Life Recycled Puppetery
12:25 Dance Lab Studios
12:45 Kuumba Lynx
1:10 Magic Carpet
1:45 Urban Stomp with Toseima Jiles
2:00 Velvette
3:20 FM Supreme
3:50 Koku Gonza
4:20 O'my's
5:00 DJ Scratch
6:00 Threads and Treads Fashion Show
with Copenhagen Cyclery and Brooklyn Industries
6:30 Theaster Gates and the Mississippi Black Monks
7:30 Joi Cardwell
8:00-10 Ron Trent

IN STORE
11-12:30 Broha Onaci
12:30 - Tess Kissner
2-3:30 Redux
3:30 3:45 Cecelia Weiss Bambara
3:45 5:15 Joe Bryl
5:15 -6:45 Steve Miggedy Maestro
6:45 - 7 Belly Dancing with Pheadra Darwis
7:00 - 8:30 Mario Romay
8:30 - 10 Hollywood Holt

REAR PATIO
11-12:30 Nigel Gillet
12:30 - 2:00 Gene Hunt
2:00 - 3:30 Zebo
3:30 - 4:00 Milly Mango
4:00 - 5:30 Brian Reaves
5:30 - 6pm Prob Cause
6pm -7:30 Lego
7:30 till 8 10 ille
8 - 9 Earn Money
9 - 10 Raj Mahal

The Silver Room's 9th Annual Sound System Block Party
at the Silver Room at 1142 N Milwaukee Ave as well as the intersection of Milwaukee Ave and Evergreen Ave
Chicago, IL
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Noon to 10 pm

Grime Time Photo show & T-Shirt Release Party

Chicago graffiti magazine, Grime Time, will have an exhibition of new photography opening tomorrow night Friday at Impala Gallery in Rogers Park.  They will also be releasing several great new Grime Time t-shirt designs by different artists.  Music by the excellent DJ's of Impala Sound as well as a record set by me.  It should be a fun night!

Grime Time Magazine Photography Show & T-Shirt Release Party
at Impala Gallery
1768 W Greenleaf (between Clark St and the Rogers Park Metra station)
Chicago, IL

Friday, July 8, 2011
6pm to 4am
*Free*

Dominick Di Meo at Corbett vs Dempsey

Dominick Di Meo, an artist who was part of the famed Monster Roster group of artists in the 50's, will present a selection of canveses titled, "Transfer", at Corbett vs Dempsey.  Utilizing image transfers, collage, stencils, and other techniques, this series consists of work from the 60's through the present day.

Dominick Di Meo: Transfer
Corbett vs Dempsey
1120 N Ashland Ave
3rd floor
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, July 8, 2011
5 to 8 pm
On view through August 27, 2011

The Post Family at CUAS

After several years of showcasing work by other artists as well as individual members, The Post Family art and design collective is presenting their first show featuring everyone in their group.  Rather than go the usual route by displaying finished artwork, they decided to delve into the personal objects and collections that inspire them and show those instead.  Here's a teaser video of the installation at the Chicago Urban Art Society in Pilsen...

Chicago Urban Art Society: Collections from Nick Brazinsky on Vimeo.

The Post Family: Collections

at the Chicago Urban Art Society

2229 S Halsted

Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, July 8, 2011

6pm to 11pm

On view through August 27, 2011

Our Life

Nick Adam will unveil a series of artworks titled, Our Life, tonight in the Loop.  Displayed in the windows of the abandoned Century Building, Nick's series is a set of words composed of cut paper and grommets.  Based on a font that Nick developed, each letter has arms and legs that work to connect each letter.

Over the past several years Nick has created various sets of public work rooted in explorations of letter form and compounded with social and political commentary.  I've enjoyed viewing and coming across these pieces in the streets of Chicago.  This current piece is described by Nick as "...a celebration, for all that we do and all that we are."

Nick Adam: Our Life
Public display on view at the windows of
The Century Building
202 S State St
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Thursday, July 7, 2011
5 to 8pm

This window installation will have an opening reception scheduled at the same time as the Worth-While art show a block east and the Go Do Good photography show a few blocks north so you can visit all three at the same time.

Worth-While

The Chicago Urban Art Society and the Chicago Loop Alliance's Pop-Up Art Loop Program present a show opening tonight titled, WORTH-WHILE.  Curated by Kevin Wilson, this show will feature artwork by Josh Dihle, Garret Durant, Paul Louis Nelson, and Sighn.  Info below from their site...

Every individual is responsible for finding one’s own purpose in life, in whatever manner that’s best fitting, and within this subjective process questions of personal value often arise. “WORTH-WHILE” is an exhibition featuring the work of four artists who explore this area of uncertainty with an emphasis on affirmation in art and the use of one’s practice as a sort of self-help ritual. Heavily based upon text and repetition, common themes in the work arise and a balancing act is created between seemingly positive messages and existential undertones of anxiety and sarcasm.

Worth-While
208 S Wabash
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Thursday, July 7, 2011
5 to 8pm

Go Do Good

Photograph by Ron Gordon

The Chicago Photography Collective is presenting a summer show on State St with work by 11 photographers including Ron Gordon, Matt Tuteur, Paul Natkin, and Marc PoKempner.  Inspired by the Go Do Good good deeds campaign,

which in turn was based on this new public mural by artist Kay Rosen, this show will present socially conscious photographs.

The Chicago Photography Collective: Go Do Good
at the Block 37 Building
108 N State St
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Thursday, July 7, 2011
5 to 8 pm
On view through October 1, 2011

Delicious Design League at Inkling

In addition to tonight's printmaker extravaganza at Rotofugi, Delicious Design League will have a show of screenprints open tonight Friday at Inkling in Lakeview.

Delicious Design League
at Inkling
2917 1/2 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, July 1, 2011
6 to 10pm
On view through July 31, 2011

The Little Friends of Printmaking & Aesthetic Apparatus at Rotofugi

Two great Midwest printing duos will have shows of new work opening tonight at Rotofugi in Chicago.  The Little Friends of Printmaking produce vibrantly colored and beautifully designed posters.  I've purchased some fun prints by them over the years. You can check out their work here.

Aesthetic Apparatus works out of Minneapolis and also produces screenprinted posters.  I'm not familar with their work but you can catch some of it here.

The Little Friends of Printmaking & Aesthetic Apparatus
at Rotofugi
2780 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, July 1, 2011
7 pm to 10 pm
On view through July 31, 2011