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

Home Base

Oak Park, IL-based gallery, The Suburban, has a new book out documenting their first decade in existence.  Featuring the work of well over 160 artists in a small space, they've been able to show a lot of interesting work that would otherwise never had an opportunity to be seen here.  Artist Michelle Grabner, is one of the co-founders of The Suburban, and she will be part of a discussion being held tonight at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago along with critic Lane Relyea, and the MCA's new Chief Curator, Michael Darling.  There will be a booksigning for Can I Come Over to Your House?:  The First Ten Years of the Suburban after tonight's talk.

Home Base:  Michael Darling, Michelle Grabner, and Lane Relyea in Conversation

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

220 E Chicago Ave

Chicago, IL

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

6pm

Tickets are $10, $8 for members, and $6 for students

Lynda Barry talk at SAIC

Artist, writer, and cartoonist, Lynda Barry, will be speaking at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago tonight.  She'll also be reading from and signing her new book, Picture This:  The Near Sighted Monkey Book.  I heard her speak with Matt Groening at UIC not too long ago and she was hilarious.  She had a lot of great advice about writing.  Lynda wrote and drew the long running comic, Ernie Pook's Comeek, which appeared in alternative newspapers around the country for many years.  I highly recommend checking out her talk.  I also suggest arriving early because there's bound to be a lot of people.

Lynda Barry talk
at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
SAIC Auditorium
280 S Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL
Monday, November 15, 2010
Admission is Free
Doors open at 5:30 pm and the talk begins at 6pm

After her talk, Lynda will be signing copies of Picture This:  The Near Sighted Monkey Book, which will be available for $30.95 (credit cards only)

Touch & Go: Ray Yoshida and his Spheres of Influence

Artist and School of the Art Institute teacher, Ray Yoshida, will have a posthumous exhibition dedicated to him and to the lasting influence he had on his students and peers.  I've long enjoyed his work, especially the pieces with the elements cutout from old comic strips.  The show will be held at the School of the Art Institute's beautiful Sullivan galleries in the former Carson's building on State St.  In addition to Ray's work there will be paintings, drawings, and more by some of my favorite artists including Chris Ware, Roger Brown, Martin Ramirez, and Christina Ramberg.

Touch & Go: Ray Yoshida and his Spheres of Influence

School of the Art Institute Sullivan Galleries

33 S. State St

7th floor

Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, November 12, 2010

6 to 8 pm

The show will be on view through February 12, 2011

Jerome Acks at 65Grand

West Town's 65Grand will have a show opening Friday night by Jerome Acks featuring work that is sculpted, dyed, sewn, and painted with some humor mixed in.  You can read more about the show here.

Jerome Acks: Big Sky
65Grand
*New Location*
1369 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, November 12, 2010
7 to 10 pm
The show will be on view through December 18, 2010

You Are Looking at Art About Looking at Art

Noble & Superior Projects in West Town will be opening a show tomorrow night Friday with photography ,an archive-based installation, and more by Jason Lazarus, Joseph Grigely, and Eric Fleischauer, and a mysterious stranger credited as Anonymous.

You Are Looking at Art About Looking at Art

at Noble & Superior Projects

1418 W Superior St

In the rear coachhouse, 2nd floor

Chicago, IL

Opening reception, Friday, November 12, 2010

6 to 10 pm

On view through December 11, 2010

Tado at Rotofugi

Mike and Katie Tado aka Tado are a British-based couple who do animation, toy design, and more.  They'll be at Rotofugi tomorrow night Friday doing signings from 7 to 8 pm. and unveiling their show, The Wrong 'Uns featuring handmade figures, prints, paintings, and their new Piggaphunts phone charms.

Tado: The Wrong 'Uns
at Rotofugi
*New Location*
2780 N Lincoln Ave at Diversey
Chicago, IL

Opening reception, Friday, November 12, 2010
7 to 10 pm with a signing by Tado from 7 to 8 pm
The show will be on view through December 5, 2010

Forever and ever

Forever and ever. Mayor Daley., originally uploaded by Nick Adam.

Chicago artist and designer, Nick Adam, has launched a rogue campaign commenting on Richard M. Daley's extended tenure as mayor of the city of Chicago. You'll be able to see them on display at the upcoming Daley Show opening Friday, December 10, 2010 at the Chicago Urban Art Society in Pilsen or look for them out on the street.

Os Gemeos ~ Viva la Revolucion

As part of the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego's Viva la Revolucion: A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape show, Brazil's Os Gemeos painted a huge vertical mural on the side of a parking garage.  Iconoclast Editions is distributing copies of the poster pictured above for 1 cent + the cost of shipping.  Considering it's being sent rolled in a tube instead of folded, and knowing how well packaged other stuff I've ordered from Iconoclast has arrived, I think that's fair.  Iconoclast has a lot of great stuff by some of my favorite artists including Barry McGee/Twist, Todd James/REAS, and Andrew Jeffrey Wright.

I bought this hilarious and porny (NSFW) Attitude Dancer: an Advanced Coloring Book by REAS in Philadelphia 10 years ago and some rare copies are now available through Iconoclast at a low price as well.

You can order the Os Gemeos poster here.  The Viva la Revolucion show at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego will be on view through January 2, 2011.

All City Indigenous: 10 Years of Statik

Chicago painter and muralist, Rahmaan Statik Barnes, will be presenting a retrospective of work from the past 10 years this afternoon at the Silver Room in Wicker Park.  In addition to the work on view, there'll also be live aerosol painting as well as sets by different DJ's each Sunday in November.

The art show kicks off today, Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 2 pm with Johnny Fonseca spinning through 6 pm.

Sunday, November 14: DJ Daryll Mellowman
Sunday, November 21: DJ Cordell Johnson
Sunday, November 28: DJ Kwest_on

Also, legendary live house musician, Peven Everett, will be performing an acoustic set at a special  reception on Saturday, November, 20th from 7 to 11 pm.  I haven't heard Peven play in several years so this should be a treat.  That Saturday will also feature performances by Sweetpants Money, Instrumentality, and DJ Susannah Kim.

All events are free and all ages.

Rahmman Statik Barnes
All City Indigenous:  10 Years of Statik
The Silver Room
1442 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

The exhibition will be on view through December 1, 2010

Violence

The Exhibition Agency in Wicker Park will be opening a group show tonight titled, Violence.  The gallery is a newly formed space founded by Corinna Kirsch, formerly of Concertina Gallery.  The gallery will be presenting work by Brandon Anschultz, Justin Gainan, Matthew Paul Jinks, RJ Messineo, Michael Sirianni, and Molly Zuckerman-Hartung.

Violence
at The Exhibition Agency
2351 N Milwaukee Ave
2nd floor
Chicago, IL

Opening reception Saturday, November 6, 2010
7 to 10 pm
On view through December 4, 2010

Territorial Markers: Recent Drawing Machines by Mark Porter

Chicago artist Mark Porter is presenting an installation of drawings and kinetic sculptures opening tonight at Fill in the Blank Gallery in Lincoln Square.  Over the course of the exhibition the sculptures will release a soapy mixture as a wall drawing on the space.

Mark Porter: Recent Drawing Machines 

Fill in the Blank Gallery

5038 N Lincoln Ave

Chicago, IL

Opening reception, Friday, November 5, 2010

7 to 11 pm

On view through December 4, 2010

The God Particle

Chicago painter and muralist, Jeff Zimmerman, is having a reception for his room sized installation, The God Particle, tonight at the Chicago Cultural Center.  I caught a peek at it the first day he was working on it last month with the guide drawings that go under the piece.  Those alone looked great.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the finished murals look like.

Here's a little video preview of Jeff working on one of the murals...


Jeff Zimmerman: The God Particle
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E Washington at Michigan Ave
1st floor
Chicago, IL

Reception, Friday, November 5, 2010
5:30 to 7:30 pm

The Exquisite Book

Quimby's Bookstore hosts a signing tonight for The Exquisite Book. Based on the Surrealist drawing game where artists collaborate on a portion of a drawing without seeing the whole thing beforehand, this book consists of 10 sets of drawings by a total of 100 artists.  I was happy to see the work of a lot of great artists in the book including Matt Leines, Edie Fake, Lilli Carre, David Shrigley, Arthur Jones, and the Little Friends of Printmaking.

Tonight's signing will include Anders Nilson, Lilli Carre, Susie Ghahremani, Lauren Nassef, Isaac Tobin, Paul Hornschemeier, as well as the authors, Jenny Volvovski, Matt Lamothe, and Julia Rothman.

The Exquisite Book signing

at Quimby's Bookstore

1854 W North Ave

Chicago, IL

Friday, November 5, 2010

7pm

Smoke & Mirrors

Concession Stand, 2008 

Chicago photographer, Elizabeth Ernst, is presenting a new chapter in her series of work depicting the performers of an imaginary circus and sideshow.  Elizabeth sculpts the performers out of clay and scrap metal, photographs them and prints the images on linen paper, and then paints over the photographs with acrylics.  She also merges the work with images she has photographed at actual circuses.  You can read more about her process and view other images in the series here.

Sideshow Performer, 2010

Elizabeth Ernst:  Smoke & Mirrors
at Catherine Edelman Gallery
300 W Superior St
Chicago, IL

Opening reception, Friday, November 5, 2010
5 to 8 pm
There will be a talk with Elizabeth Ernst at noon on Saturday, November 6, 2010
On view through December 31, 2010

Chicago group show at Russell Bowman

River North dealer Russell Bowman is presenting a group show of some of my favorite Chicago artists.  Featuring the work of many of the Imagists as well as other big names who started working here in the 1960's and 70's, there'll be a lot of rarely seen pieces like these by Roger Brown, Ed Paschke, Barbara Rossi, Miyoko Ito, Karl Wirsum, and more...

Lady Waiting for Dinner, 1983 by Barbara Rossi

Bow Wow Leggins, 1986 by Karl Wirsum

Cleon, 1974 by Ed Paschke

Cave Park, c.1971 by Roger Brown

Chicago! Chicago! group show

at Russell Bowman Art Advisory

311 W Superior

Suite 115

Chicago, IL

Opening reception, Friday, November 5, 2010

5:30 to 8 pm
On view through December 31, 2010

Drew Griffith and Matthew Whiting at Johalla Projects

Artists Matthew Whiting and Drew Griffith present paintings, drawings, and sculptural objects depicting a depopulated world. Opening this Friday evening, at Johalla Projects in Wicker Park.

Drew Griffith and Matthew Whiting: I Don't Feel at Home in this World

Johalla Projects

1561 N Milwaukee Ave

2nd floor

Chicago, IL

Opening reception Friday, November 5, 2010

7 to 11 pm

On view through November 28, 2010

Michael Rea at Ebersmoore

Chicago artist, Michael Rea, has a solo show opening at Ebersmoore in the West Loop this Friday evening.   Michael's wood sculptures never cease to amaze me.  From a huge robot "Suit for Stephen Hawking"...

on display at the Co-Prosperity Sphere to a wood drum kit at Version Fest, and this piece displayed by Ebersmore at the NEXT Art Fair earlier this year...

... Michael's work is always super detailed, thought provoking, and a little crazy.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll have up on Friday.

Michael Rea: New Work
at Ebersmoore
213 N Morgan
#3C
Chicago, IL

Opening reception, Friday, November 5, 2010
6 to 9 pm
On view through December 11, 2010