Hello 2011!

20101231-goodbye-2010, originally uploaded by Chris Piascik.

This image is part of the Daily Drawings series by artist Chris Piascik.

Daily Drawing 03-15-2010 from Chris Piascik on Vimeo.

&What

Bieberzig shirt available here.

 You can view more great and fun paintings and text-based artwork by Chris here or on Flickr.

Submit Submit

There are a pair of interesting, upcoming shows that are currently soliciting submissions.  The first show is titled, Twice Removed: A Survey of Take Away Work, and is curated by Karly Wildenhaus.  Twice Removed will consist of a curated display of items that were originally given away free as part of an artwork or installation.  If you have anything like this you can submit your offer here for consideration for the show.  The resulting exhibition will be on view at Golden Age in Chicago's West Loop and will also be documented in a website and a pamphlet.  There's more information listed at their site.

The second show is the 14th Chicago Bike Winter Art Show which will celebrate bike culture in Chicago and is presented in conjunction with Critical Mass Chicago.  Bike related artwork will be considered and can be submitted here.

Twice Removed: A Survey of Take Away Art
January 28 to March 6, 2011
on view at Golden Age
119 N Peoria #2D
Chicago, IL

14th Chicago Bike Winter Art Show
on view at the Chicago Urban Art Society
March 11 - April 1, 2011
2229 S Halsted Ave
Chicago, IL

Big Splashes, Ghetto Caviar, and Devin KKenny

Come check out a fun show tomorrow night Sunday at Beauty Bar in Chicago.  Devin KKenny, Ghetto Caviar, and Big Splashes will be performing, along with sets by DJ's Demchuk and Shazam Bangles.

R.S.V.P. at chicagorsvp@thebeautybarcom w/SOUNDS WOW in the subject line for a hosted drink hour (meaning open bar) from 9:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

Big Splashes
Ghetto Caviar
Devin KKenny
DJ Demchuk
DJ Shazam Bangles
at Beauty Bar
1444 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL

Sunday, December 26, 2010
10pm to 2am

DJ Douggpound at Club Nutz

DJ Douggpound, editor, writer, and DJ for Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job! among other projects, will be presenting comedy at a free show this Tuesday night at Club Nutz.  Club Nutz is the world's smallest roving nightclub.  Starting out in Milwaukee, Club Nutz has migrated over to River North in Chicago and has also popped up at the MCA, the Next Art Fair, and the Frieze Art Fair in London. Tuesday's show will also feature music and comedy by Ross Moreno, Chris Edwards, Entro MC (Trouble and Bass), and more.

DJ Douggpound 

at Club Nutz

418 N Clark St

2nd floor

Chicago, IL

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

8pm 

The Daley Show

The Chicago Urban Art Society (CUAS) and Johalla Projects present a show at the CUAS space in Pilsen dedicated to Mayor Richard M. Daley and his legacy with the city of Chicago.  Work by over 20 artists will be displayed including Ray Noland (CRO), Phoebe Fisher, Nick Adam, Lauren Feece, Chris Silva, Ruben Aguirre, Don't Fret, Ryan Duggan, Cynthia Plaster Caster, Jennifer Greenburg, Billy Craven, Jourdon Gullet, and more.  This show was curated by Peter Kepha and Anna Cerniglia.

The Daley Show
at the Chicago Urban Art Society
2229 S Halsted St (1/2 blk south of Cermak Rd)
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, December 10, 2010
6 to 11 pm
On view through January 8, 2011

The Night 54B Stole Christmas

Pilsen's 54B Gallery presents a graffiti themed art and photography show curated by ZORE.  There'll be a huge array of work by many great Chicago artists including: SHOE, DGONZ, RISK, TRAZ, Brian Evan, ISH, UNEEK RADAH, NERD, STEF, EMTE, DULCE 37, NICK A., FLASH, Melissa H., MSHEL CHICAGO, NYKE, LEEK, XAUST, CZR PRZ, SOME 1, ZERO, KING 157, ZEB, TETO, EDWIN, ZORE 64, FLEX, DMNOLOGY, GIGS, RAFA, ANNE, ANGEL, DRED, POLACK, Alana C., MUZE, Lucky Lucy, KINGDOM, and more.

Pilsen's 54B Gallery
2128 S Halsted (1/2 blk north of Cermak Rd)
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, December 10, 2010
6pm to midnight

ACRE: Country in the City

Artist residency program, ACRE, which hosts artists during the summer at their space in Wisconsin, is holding a benefit this Friday at Heaven Gallery.  Titled, "Country in the City", this Western themed benefit party will feature country sounds and a petting zoo!  There will be art available for sale and auction by a large amount of artists listed here, with funds gonig towards supporting both ACRE's 2011 residency program in Wisconsin and gallery exhibitions in Chicago.

Tickets are $20 ($10 for students) which includes 3 raffle tickets for artwork.

ACRE: Country in the City
at Heaven Gallery
1550 N Milwaukee Ave
2nd floor
Chicago, IL

Friday, December 10, 2010
6 to 11 pm

Proximity Magazine issue 8 release party

Chicago's Proximity Magazine will have a release party tonight Thursday at Maria's Packaged Goods and Community Bar in Bridgeport.  Issue 8 is themed "Education as Art" and clocks in at a hefty 230 pages.  Tonight's release party kicks off the annual Select Fest events for this weekend.

Proximity Magazine Release Party
at Maria's Packaged Goods and Community Bar
960 W 31st St
Chicago, IL

Thursday, December 9, 2010
7 to 11 pm

The Gaylord Phoenix has risen

Chicago's Edie Fake is having a book release party for Gaylord Phoenix this Thursday evening at Quimby's Bookstore.  Gaylord Phoenix is Edie's phenomenal zine series centering on a being going on a spirtiual and physical journey to figure itself out.  I love Edie's drawing style culminating with the epic drawings in the 5th part of the series that was just published recently.  The book coming out this week from Secret Acres combines content from the first 5 zines with a new 6th part tying everything together.

Shenanigans, bad jokes, and objet d'art are promised with every purchase!

Edie Fake: Gaylord Phoenix Release Party
at Quimby's Bookstore
1854 W North Ave
Chicago, IL
Thursday, December 9, 2010
7pm

Neo-Country Sculpture Project

You only have until this coming Friday to order a completely unique gift by Chicago artist, Chris Kerr.  I've long enjoyed his paintings, prints, and installations shown at various art institutions.  Now you can have Chris create a ceramic paperweight, pipe, ashtray, soap dish, or pen holder with any theme you'd like.  Think of the possiblilites!  To give you some ideas check out some of the completed pieces Chris has already made in the past month based on people's requests...

Wheel of Fortune soap dish

Leprechaun pipe

Pabst Blue Ribbon pipe

Jesus pen holder

Death Metal pen holder

Kitty pipe

Wicked Witch of the West pipe

You can check out even more examples at the Slimlimb blog.

All pieces are $20 each including US shipping or $30 each for international shipping.

Order information is listed here.  The deadline is this Friday, December 3, 2010

Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale

This coming weekend is the 5th annual Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale in Chicago.  Being held at the historic and beautiful Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, this free event is always worth checking out.  

I bought some great work there last year including this Half Man/Half Shark print by Steff Bomb...

....who also creates awesome things like these toothy corn and carrot figures...

 Mat Daly creates and prints the various posters for the Renegade Craft Fairs held in Chicago, Brooklyn, LA, and SF...

Other fun and great work will be available this year by over 150 vendors including Jay Ryan of the Bird Machine,  Shawnimals, the Star Wars/Hello Kitty mashups of Hello Wars, Diana Sudyka, Crosshair, Delicious Design League, Sonnenzimmer, and Spudnik Press.  

Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale

at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse

1419 W Blackhawk

Chicago, IL

Saturday & Sunday December 4th and 5th, 2010

from 11 am to 7 pm

*Free*

Food and beverages will be available for sale

DJ's will provide music throughout the day

There will also be free trolley service between the Renegade Craft Fair and the Do-Division Holiday Walk on both days.

ITSOKCOLORWAY

In addition to the What Wood You Say project I wrote about recently, Chicago's Sighn is still working on his life long project to produce 1,000,000 "IT'S OK"'s cut out of various kinds of wood.  He currently has a colorful selection available that were presented in various installations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Rotterdam, and NYC.  Each color is available in a numbered edition of 20 and is also numbered within the 1,000,000 edition.

You can view them in action here...

ITSOKCOLORWAY from Multi Polar on Vimeo.


Available for purchase through Multi Polar Projects.

Art Shay: That Was Then

Chicago photojournalist, Art Shay, has a retrospective of photographs opening this Friday evening at Thomas Masters Gallery in Old Town.  The previous show I saw of his at Thomas Masters last year was excellent.  This show will include never before seen work.

Art Shay: That Was Then
Thomas Masters Gallery
245 W North Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, December 3, 2010
6 to 9 pm
On view through December 23, 2010

Degree of Separation

Corbett vs. Dempsey will be presenting a show of new work by Margot Bergman.  Friday's opening will feature found paintings by anonymous artists that Margot has painted over and re-worked.  Many of the new pieces feature a cartoonish rabbit incorporated into the artwork.

Margot Bergman:  Degree of Separation
at Corbett vs. Dempsey
1120 N Ashland Ave
3rd floor
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, December 3, 2010
5 to 9 pm
On view through January 22, 2011

Death, Drugs, and Hot Dogs

Artist, Mark McGinnis will be showing a visually fun but decidedly NSFW series of 26 silkscreens illustrating each letter in the alphabet Thursday night at Post 27.

Here are a few from his site including D for Drive by...

and L for Lobotomy...

Mark McGinnis: Death, Drugs, and Hot Dogs

Post 27

1819 W Grand Ave

Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Thursday, December 2, 2010

6 to 10 pm

Rogue Santa.... Goes Psycho

Wicker Park's Fugscreens Studios, a silkscreen facility, will have their Winter Art Show this Friday night.  Presenting work by Crosshair, Kyle Baker, Josh Davis, Johnny Sampson, and more.

Rogue Santa Goes Psycho

Fugscreen Studio's Winter Art Show

1735 N Ashland

Chicago, IL

Friday, December 3, 2010

7pm

Pork & Politics: Stuff It! Chicago Style

Artist Ray Noland, has a new show opening this Friday at a Loop Pop-Up Gallery titled, Pork & Politics: Stuff It! Chicago Style.  Featuring work by Ray and other artists in tribute to two Chicago institutions, politics and hot dogs.  Guest artists include: Don't Fret, SOLO, Hebru Brantley, Lashun F. Tines, Dan Lacey, Peter Cuba, Julia Haw, TNOP & Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff.

Ray Noland & Co.- Pork & Politics: Stuff It! Chicago Style
at Loop Pop-Up Gallery
23 E Madison St
Chicago, IL

Opening reception is Friday, December 3, 2010
5 pm to 10 pm
Free
The show will be on display through December 31, 2010

Party Thighs

Chicago's Ruby Weapon will have a party Saturday for the premiere of their video, Party Thighs.  Being held at Logan Square's Reversible Eye Gallery, the release party will feature performances by Ruby Weapon, Big Splashes, and Brilliant Pebbles, as well as DJ sets by Select Inverse and friends.



Ruby Weapon: Party Thighs Video Release Party
at Reversible Eye Gallery
1103 N California
Chicago, IL

Saturday, December 4, 2010
9 pm to 1 am
$5
Beverages and tacos will be available!

Hip Hop Defends Free Speech

Chicago & Bronx-based MC trio, Rebel Diaz, is headling a show tomorrow night Wednesday at Martyrs'.  Performing with BBU, Scheme, Lungz, I'naru' (Chi Town Bomberas), Tony Centrino, and DJ's Illanoiz, Ozone, and Game Over this show is being held as a fundraiser for the self-defense of peace activists.

On September 24th, the F.B.I. raided the homes and offices of 14 midwest peace activists and subpoenaed them to testify in front of a grand jury regarding "material aid to terrorism".  The raids are in response to a recent Supreme Court "decision upholding a dangerously broad interpretation of "material support to foreign terrorist organizations", in which offering advice, training and service to any group deemed to be affiliated with a designated terrorist constitutes material support for terrorism, even if the service in question has nothing to do with any "terrorist" act. In this context, The September 24 FBI raids contribute to the criminalization of any communication with any group the US State Department has designated a terrorist organization or an affiliate of a terrorist organization. Even advocating negotiating with one of these named groups could be construed as a 'crime' - and the ruling effectively criminalizes protest and constricts freedom of speech and dissent."


Rebel Diaz puts on an amazing show.  I've seen them play in front of all kinds of crowds and they always do a great job entertaining and spreading knowledge.  BBU's been getting a lot of attention lately, especially for their bouncy "Chi Don't Dance" and I've seen Scheme and DJ Illanoiz play some nice sets.  All in all it should be a fun night.





Hip Hop Defends Free Speech
Rebel Diaz
BBU
Scheme
Lungz
I'naru' (Chi Town Bomberas)
Tony Centrino
DJ Illanoiz
DJ Ozone
DJ Game Over

Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Doors open at 7pm
Performances from 8pm to 1am
at Martyrs'
3855 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL
$12 at the door

What Wood You Say

Chicago's Sighn is offering a unique art gift idea through the end of December.  Based on his It's OK wood cutout  (being offered in an edition of 1,000,000) and other text artworks by him, What Wood You Say, gives you the ability to collaborate on a Sighn piece by coming up with your own word or phrase to have cut out of wood.

The letters are 2.75" tall and there are approximately 12 characters per foot, cut out of 3/8" basswood.  These pieces are priced at $5 per character, with a 50 character maximum.  Custom pieces have a two-week turnaround.

You can read more about the project here and order them through Multi Polar Projects.

Pocahontas vs. Predator

Chicago artists, Elisa Harkins and Thorne Brandt aka Pooper and Pizza Dog, just opened a show of new work today at Roxaboxen Exhibitions in Pilsen.  Work will include wood cutouts, paintings, and paper-mache sculptures.  They'll also present what I'm sure will be a fun performance this Wednesday the 24th. at Roxaboxen or you can spend Thursday with them at Gucci Manners  sharing turkey and playing art games.

Bird Totem by Elisa Harkins

Pooper & Pizza Dog performing Ham Dance

Elisa Harkins & Thorne Brandt
at Roxaboxen Exhibitions
2130 W 21st St
Chicago, IL

Performances by Pizza Dog and Pooper at Roxaboxen Exhibitions
on Wednesday, November 24, 2010
8pm

As well as turkey and art games at
Gucci Manners
2837 W Washington Blvd
Chicago, IL
on Thursday, November 25, 2010
4pm

Deb Sokolow at Western Exhibitions

Deb Sokolow is presenting a show of new work.  I've long enjoyed Deb's work presented in huge sprawling installations of hand drawn stories illustrating entertaining conspiracy theories and internal monologues.  Her Daley piece shown at the MCA (and now owned by them) was pure genius.

For this show Deb will be presenting large scale hand drawn pages for a novel with no end.  

Deb Sokolow

Western Exhibitions

119 N Peoria St

#2A

Chicago, IL

Opening reception Friday, November 19, 2010

5 to 8 pm

On view through December 31, 2010

Also, artist/curator Ryan Travis Christian will be presenting Part 3 of The Power of Selection.  A series of group shows that he's been showing at Western Exhibitions.  Tonight's opening will feature work by a  great group of artists including, Maya Hayuk, Andrew Schoultz, Bill McRight, Alex Lucas, and Jason Jagel.

Ken Fandell at Tony Wight Gallery

Ken Fandell presents a set of digitally stitched photographs at Tony Wight Gallery in the West Loop.

Ken Fandell:  Sex, Death, and God

Tony Wight Gallery

845 W Washington Blvd

Chicago, IL

Opening reception:  Friday, November 19, 2010

5 to 8 pm

On view through December 31, 2010

Tony Fitzpatrick: Night Parade

The Winter Tiger, 2010 by Tony Fitzpatrick

Chicago artist, Tony Fitzpatrick, has a show of new work opening at his newly reconfigured Bucktown art space, FireCat Projects.  Tony produces beautiful and intricate collages and etchings incorporating pieces of everyday life from the past like ticket stubs and match covers and combines it with drawings and text.  Tony plans to use Firecat Projects as both a place to show his work and to present the work of other artists without taking a commission on sales.  Tony and Stan Klein, the co-director of the space, have already scheduled shows for the next 18 months.

The Messenger, 2010 by Tony Fitzpatrick

Tony's latest book, This Train, will also be available at the reception.

Tony Fitzpatrick: Night Parade
FireCat Projects
2124 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, November 19, 2010
7 pm to 10 pm

100 Polaroids

Wicker Park's Johalla Projects will be hosting the release party for 100 Polaroids, a book of photographs by Patrick Sansone of the band Wilco.

Patrick Sansone: 100 Polaroids
Book release party at Johalla Projects
1561 N Milwaukee Ave, 2nd floor
Chicago, IL
Friday, November 19, 2010
8pm to midnight