Violent Realities

Photojournalists Jon Lowenstein and Carlos Javier Ortiz have a show opening tomorrow night, Thursday, at Roosevelt University's Gage Gallery. Jon and Carlos have spent several years documenting the victims of gun violence in both Guatemala and the U.S.

Violent Realities: Photographs by Jon Lowenstein and Carlos Javier Ortiz
Gage Gallery
Roosevelt University
18 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception is Thursday, September 17, 2009
5-8pm
The show runs through January 10, 2010

Chicago Meeting of Styles, 2009

This coming weekend is the annual Meeting of Styles in Chicago. This graffiti showcase event is held in at least 15 cities around the world each year. Due to unfortunate circumstances, the NYC and LA events have been cancelled this year, but the Chicago location is still a go.

Here are some pictures I shot at the 2006 Chicago Meeting of Styles...




The Meeting of Styles
Friday, September 18th - Sunday, September 20, 2009
Chicago, IL

Full list of locations and hours is posted here.

No More Worlds

Brand spankin' new apartment gallery, Concertina, has a show opening tonight at their 2nd floor space. Titled, No More Worlds, this show will feature work by Madeleine Bailey, Mark Hensel, Racer Levan, Alex McLeod (whose digital print is pictured above), Jessie Mott, Shana Moulton, and Luke Painter. Concertina will also begin programing artwork in their 1st floor sidewalk level window. I'm looking forward to see what appears in there.

No More Worlds
Opening reception, Saturday, September 12, 2009
7 to 10 pm
Concertina
2351 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Renegade Chicago

It's time for the 7th. annual Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago. This time it's even bigger, featuring handmade work by over 300 artists from around the country. I've picked up some great stuff there over the years. Full schedule and list of participating artists on their site here.

Renegade Craft Fair
*Free Admission*
Saturday & Sunday, September 12 & 13, 2009
11 am to 7 pm
On Division Ave between Damen & Paulina
Chicago, IL

Family View

Photography by Paul Elledge, Leasha Overturf and Jo-Nell Sieren, on view at The Post Family.

Family View
Opening reception, Friday, September 11, 2009
7:30pm to midnight
The Post Family
1821 W Hubbard St #202
Chicago, IL

Melanie Schiff : The Mirror

L.A.-based artist Melanie Schiff has a show of new photographs opening tonight at Kavi Gupta Gallery in the West Loop.


Melanie Schiff: The Mirror
Opening reception Friday, September 11, 2009
Kavi Gupta Gallery
835 W Washington (2nd floor)
Chicago, IL

The exhibition runs through October 24, 2009

Ed Flood @Corbett vs. Dempsey

Chicago Imagist artist Ed Flood (d.1985) has a retrospective of his early work titled, Ed Flood
Constructions, Boxes & Works on Paper 1967 - 1973, opening tonight at Wicker Park's Corbett vs Dempsey gallery. They will also put out a 148-page catalog for this exhibition. Corbett vs. Dempsey consistently puts out great catalogs for each of their shows.










Ed Flood
Constructions, Boxes & Works on Paper 1967 - 1973
Opening reception, Friday, September 11, 2009
5 to 9 pm
Corbett vs Dempsey
1120 N Ashland Ave (1 blk south of Division)
3rd floor (above Dusty Groove Records)
Chicago, IL

The exhibition runs through October 10, 2009

Women

New photography by Craig Doty at Roots & Culture.

Craig Doty
Women
Opening reception Friday, September 11, 2009
6 to 9 pm
Roots & Culture
1034 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Ruben Aguirre Jr. @Anode Gallery

Ruben is taking over Pilsen's new Adonde Gallery space for his No Such Thing As Separate Events show. Opening tonight, there should be a great mix of new paintings up.


Ruben Aguirre Jr.
No Such Thing As Separate Events
Opening reception, Friday, September 11, 2009
6-10pm
Anode Gallery
718 W 18th St (between Halsted St and the Dan Ryan Expressway)
Chicago, IL

James Jankowiak at Antena

I love all the new stuff that James Jankowiak has been working on the past few years. His new installation opening tomorrow night should be fun to check out. Here's some info from the Antena Gallery site...


"James Jankowiak paints organically, each work becoming a ritual of repetition. The organic composition of each piece is part of the evolutionary arch of the manner in which he operates. Specifically, the artist is interested in how simple form can evolve from one incarnation to the next - each step a mutation that replicates what science reinforces about our beginnings and the larger history of the universe. His paintings stand as a testament of a personal meditation on the process of being a living thing, of beginnings and endings, creating and evolving."
- Michael Gardner

James was born and raised in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Although his early forays in the Chicago graffiti scene proved to be influential upon several generations of spray can artists, he always took risks with his art and continues to evolve as a painter and installation artist. His work has been exhibited at several notable institutions such as the MCA, Northwestern University and the SAIC’s Roger Brown Gallery, and also continues to be accessible to the community through his work as a teaching artist with Urban Gateways, A.R.T. and Gallery 37.

There's also going to be work by artist Mike Nourse in the Antena Gallery project space.

James Jankowiak and Mike Nourse
Opening reception is Friday, September 11, 2009
6 to 10 pm at
Antena
1765 S Laflin (just north of 18th st)
Chicago, IL

The show will be open by appointment through October 10, 2009

Freaks & Flash

Chicago's Intuit has a show opening tomorrow night Friday called, Freaks & Flash. Info from their site...

Join us as we explore the roots of modern Western tattooing with a selection of tattoo flash (the design drawings for tattoos) hanging alongside circus banners featuring tattooed performers. The works displayed will reflect both Midwestern and international perspectives. Co-curated by Anna Friedman Herlihy and Jan Petry.



Freaks & Flash
Opening reception Friday, September 11, 2009
from 5 to 8pm at
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
756 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Greetings from Itsokadia -

Here's a sneak preview of the preparations for the Itsokadia - Where Everything is Okay installation at this weekend's Renegade Craft Fair. Featuring 2,000 "It's Ok's" by Chicago's Sighn displayed in a children's television show-like setting.

Sighn will also show new work Friday, along with Bridgette Buckley and Stacy Peterson, at Pine, a group show at Pilsen's Chicago Art Department.


Pine at Chicago Art Department
Opening Friday, September 11, 2009
6 to 10 pm
1837 S Halsted Ave
Chicago, IL

Itsokadia - Where Everything is Okay
at the Renegade Craft Fair
Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, 2009
11 am to 7 pm
Division St between Damen Ave and Paulina St.
Chicago, IL

All Good in the 'Hood

London's Delme has some great new shirt designs out now on Chicago label Formula Werks. Besides the All Good in the Hood series pictured above, Formula Werks has also just put out his Heart/Rainy series featuring the love/hate relationship the denizens of London, Edinburgh, Portland, and Seattle have with their weather.


You can check out the full range of designs and create your own color combos here.

Ooo-lala

France's Space Invader has a new commissioned piece up now at Paris restaurant OHLALA.

And there's a new video interview with him here by Friends We Love...

Off The Wall :: INVADER from friendswelove.com on Vimeo.

Westermann at the Smart Museum

Tomorrow's the last day for the H.C. Westermann show, Your Pal, Cliff, at the Smart Museum of Art. This is seriously one of the best art shows I've seen this year. It's drawn from the H.C. Westermann study collection and is full of his illustrated letters as well as the well made and clever art gifts he made for his wife. You can read my original post here.

Admission is free and the museum is open today until 5pm and tomorrow Sunday 11am to 5pm.

Your Pal, Cliff
Smart Museum of Art
The University of Chicago
5550 S. Greenwood Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637