Chicago City Pools

Photographer Missy Weimer photographed all 47 of Chicago's public swimming pools during the summer of 2010.  She'll be presenting 17 photographs from this documentary series this Friday evening at Wright, the design auction house, in West Town.

Missy Weimer: Chicago City Pools
at Wright
1440 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, June 3, 2011
5 to 8pm
On view through June 17, 2011

POLYAMORY

West Town gallery Noble & Superior Projects, will open their final show this Friday, June 3rd.  Titled Polyamory, this show is an ode to apartment galleries and independent art spaces and the people who run them.  Noble & Superior Projects is one of those rare apartment galleries like Lloyd Dobler in Wicker Park or Antena in Pilsen, that have a consistent program of well and interestingly curated art shows.
I'm going to miss tramping up the stairs to their space behind a house on Superior St.

This show will feature work by Robin Juan of HungryMan Gallery, Bill Gross of 65Grand, Vincent Uribe and Allison Kilberg of LVL3, Kirk Faber of Kirk's Apartment, and Elliot Reed, Erin Nixon, and Patrick Boblin of Noble & Superior Projects.

POLYAMORY
Noble & Superior Projects
1418 W Superior St
(enter through the gangway on the left, the space is on the 2nd floor of the rear building)
Chicago, IL

This final show will be one night only
Friday, June 3, 2011
beginning at 6pm

Esta Chido Todo: The Drawings of Raul Maldonado

Intuit is one of those art spaces where it's pretty much guaranteed that you'll encounter intriguing and rarely seen art.  Considering that much of the artwork they feature is by relatively unknown outsider artists it's great that there's a gallery like this in Chicago devoted to sharing their work.  Their upcoming show was curated by Susan Matthews and will be of drawings by Raul Maldonado. Info below from Intuit...

Translated “it’s all cool,” Intuit will present the first major exhibition of the work of Raul Maldonado. A young Mexican immigrant from Hanover Park, Illinois, Maldonado creates large-scale works comprised of 22-by-28 inch poster board, completing and numbering one board at a time on his drawing table. These dozens of boards are then assembled into the completed drawing that can stretch up to 15 feet. Growing up in Guanajuato, Mexico, Maldonado began drawing at the age of 10 inspired by the cartoons he watched on television. Like many self-taught artists, Maldonado finds influence in pop culture sources such as anime and graffiti.

*During the opening reception, guests can treat themselves to a tamale as the tamalespaceship from Tamalli Space Charros will be landing outside Intuit from 6pm-8pm.


Intuit also has a gift shop with outsider art related items that you won't see anywhere else in Chicago, as well as a permanent installation in their back gallery with a recreation of Henry Darger's one-room apartment/art studio.

Esta Chido Todo: The Drawings of Raul Maldonado

Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

756 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago, IL

Free opening reception on Friday, June 3rd, 2011 from 5 to 8pm

The show will be on view through September 3, 2011

Admission during regular gallery hours is $5 for adults and free for children under 12

Strange But True

Carl Hammer Gallery in River North will have a great show open this Friday night linking large scale Polaroid photographs by William Wegman of his photogenic Weimarner dogs with vintage sideshow banners.  Info from the gallery....

In 1998, Carl Hammer Gallery loaned a large number of vintage sideshow banners to the renowned photographer, William Wegman.  Based on his creative interpretation, the artist photographed his favorite subjects against these banners in his inimitable style and titled the newly developed series of color Polaroid photographs Strange But True.  We are pleased to pair this remarkable body of work with select examples of vintage sideshow banners by master banner painters Fred Johnson and Snap Wyatt in offering up a summer exhibition by the same title.  The resulting effects achieved in this pairing not only portray Wegman's brilliant sense of humor, but display an aesthetic kinship with the imagism of artists uniquely outside of the mainstream and pushes beyond the constraints - formal, social, and personal - that weigh on Western art and society.

William Wegman, Snap Wyatt, and Fred Johnson: Strange But True

Carl Hammer Gallery

740 N Wells St

Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, June 3, 2011

6 to 8 pm

On view through August 26, 2011

Stains Pillowcases by Andrew Jeffrey Wright

Why worry about keeping your pillowcases pure white when you can just purchase them pre-stained?  Philadelphia artist, Andrew Jeffrey Wright, has a new set of pillowcases available through Australian shop, Third Drawer Down.  Released in an edition of 1,000 and priced at $50, these pillowcases have 4 sides illustrating a fascinating array of stains including eye boogers, pizza, tire tracks, Tammy Faye Baker-style make-up, blood, and fried chicken.  

Whatever you've got going on in bed, he's got you covered.  Available through Third Drawer Down.

Get your own Goons!

30 Faces, originally uploaded by Goonskio.

Goons, one of my favorite street artists, released a set of 30 faces last week at prices ranging from $1 to $30. I ordered a few and just got them in the mail.

Check out the original selection here. He's also got some great stickers and hand drawn posters available.  It's a rare chance to pick up one of his pieces since most of his work is wheatpasted to walls.

Breakin' at the Writer's Bench

If it doesn't rain tomorrow Sunday, there will be b-boys and b-girls breakdancing at the Logan Square eagle monument from 2 to 5 pm.  There will also be music provided if you're inclined to dance as well.

Logan Square Monument
across the street from the Logan Square Blue Line CTA station
at Milwaukee Ave and Logan Blvd
Chicago, IL
Sunday, May 22, 2011
2 to 5 pm

Gregg Bordowitz at Iceberg Projects

Iceberg Projects, an adventurous gallery in Rogers Park, will have a show and talk by writer and artist Gregg Bordowitz tonight, Saturday.  I say adventurous because not only do they have a varied and interesting program, it's also a fun trek to get there.  I've lived in Rogers Park most of my life and I've rarely made it up to the very northeast corner of the city where the gallery is located.  It's also housed in a remodeled building behind a house on Sheridan Rd., so you go down a path on the side of the house to get to it. For tonight's show,

Gregg Bordowitz curated a great selection of artwork from the collection of Dr. Daniel S. Berger, the owner of the gallery.  There'll be pieces by Lee Godie, Leon Golub, Angel Otero, Ed Paschke, Ray Yoshida, Mark Chamberlain, Mark Jackson, and Kiki Smith.

Gregg Bordowitz at
Iceberg Projects
7714 N Sheridan Rd
Enter on the left side, the gallery is behind the house
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Saturday, May 21, 2011
6 to 9pm
There'll be a talk by Gregg Bordowitz at 7pm
There will also be another talk in the gallery with Bordowitz and Stephanie Brooks on
June 11, 2011 at 6:30 pm.

Empire

Greg Stimac presents a new video, titled Empire, at Andrew Rafacz Gallery tomorrow night Saturday.

Greg Stimac: Empire
at Andrew Rafacz Gallery
835 W Washington
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Saturday, May 21, 2011
4 to 7pm
On view through July 2, 2011

Best post-rapture sale sign ever

Rummage Sale, originally uploaded by jeremy pettis.

Graphic designer Jeremy Pettis is leaving Milwaukee for Chicago and is having a rummage sale on Judgement Day. Sign design by Armahn Gonzalez.

To Art and Profit

This weekend is the 3rd and final part of "To Art and Profit", an inter-disciplinary performance series curated by Abra Johnson and Meida McNeal.  I heard a lot of great things about pt. 2, which was presented last month.

Info from their site...
The final weekend focuses on a trifecta of relationships—art makers, consumers, and sponsors. How can we make commercial art that is socially relevant, appealing, and entertaining? Can we create new systems of value and new models of socially accountable and affordable art production? Can community-centered art pay?  How do artists retain their integrity and become/remain commercially viable? How can we build creative markets that don’t dumb its consumers down or lock others out?

To Art and Profit
Come As You Are: Reimagining Art with a Conscience
at Links Hall
3435 N Sheffield Ave
Chicago, IL

Friday & Sunday, May 20 & 21, 2011
8pm
$15

There will also be a free neighborhood spectacle and panel presented as part of this series at the
Southside Community Art Center
3831 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL
Sunday, May 22, 2011
2 to 5 pm

Kate Levant and Joseph Kramer at ESS

Experimental Sound Studio presents a show by Kate Levant and Joseph Kramer opening tonight, Friday.

Kate Levant and Joseph Kramer
at Experimental Sound Studio
5925 N Ravenswood
Chicago, IL

Friday, May 20, 2011
6 to 9 pm
On view through June 26, 2011

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors from Sonnenzimmer on Vimeo.


Nadine Nakanishi and Nick Butcher of Sonnenzimmer collaborated with Anders Nilson for this show of new paintings opening tonight at Fill in the Blank Gallery in Lincoln Square.

Nadine Nakanishi, Nick Butcher, and Anders Nilson: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
at Fill in the Blank Gallery
5038 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, May 20, 2011
7 to 11 pm
On view through July 2, 2011

Graffiti art show at Zhou Brothers

Chicago artists including Demon, Dgonz, Gtek, Mario ZORE Gonzalez Jr, and Brian BE Evan will have a show of new work opening at the Zhou B. Art Center tonight, Friday, as part of the Bridgeport Art Walk.

Zhou B Art Center
1029 W 35th St
Chicago, IL

Friday, May 20, 2011
7 to 10 pm

A Hostile Womb

Artist Mark Mulroney will have a show titled, A Hostile Womb, opening tonight at Ebersmoore in the West Loop.

Info from their site...
Mark Mulroney utilizes ideas and imagery from comics and popular culture, along with the conventions of illustration to formulate, satirical motifs littered with absurdity and underlying themes such as, “dying violently stinks” and “giant boobs are super”.

One group of paintings on panel are all about scrapbook pages and making pleasant compositions from leftovers. Trademarked with Mark’s use of overt imagery, they are reminiscent of Jean Arp, but with more of a narrative quality. Alongside the scrapbook paintings are a series that emulate pamphlets and other methods of disposable advertising for events that Mark wishes would have actually happened; like a photo-op with Sammy Davis Junior’s Severed Head, and a birthday party where Mickey Mantle attends and lets you tug on his arms.

Mark Mulroney: A Hostile Womb
at Ebersmoore
213 N Morgan St
#3C
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, May 20, 2011
6 to 9pm
On view through June 25, 2011