Tom Palazzolo films + dance party!!!

Tonight Sunday, the Chicago Underground Library and Odd Obsession Video will be presenting some short films by prolific Chicago filmmaker, Tom Palazzolo.  Tom has been documenting rarely covered elements of Chicago life since the late 60's.  Films like, The Bride Stripped Bare, which is about the unveiling of the Picasso sculpture in downtown Chicago, mixes humor with observation of the event.  His iconic films reveal people and moments in this city that I've never seen anywhere else.  The Tattooed Lady of Riverview Park shows you the legendary Riverview Amusement Park that used to be located on Western Ave and Belmont.

Filmed not too long before the park was uncermoniously shut down, Tom's film gives you a sense of the weirdness of the late 60's and of the amusement park itself.

The Art Institute of Chicago also recently had four of his films in constant rotation, including, Love It, Leave It, which I thought was genius.  That film has footage of circus clowns preparing for a parade, a nudist beauty pageant, and shows Chicago cops marching in formation with night sticks preparing to push through protesters.

Some of the short films scheduled to be screened tonight include Jerry's, Ricky & Rocky, Love It Leave It, The Bride Unveiled, and The Tattooed Lady of Riverview, among others.  Tom Palazzolo will be there at 7pm to introduce his films and there'll be a dance party afterwards at 9pm.  I highly recommend this event!

Tom Palazzolo Films
presented by the Chicago Underground Library + Odd Obsession Video
at High Concept Laboratories
1401 W Wabansia (across the street from and a little east of the Hideout Bar)
Chicago, IL
Sunday, January 30, 2011
7pm to midnight  - Films will be screened from 7 to 9 pm, dance party from 9 pm to midnight
*FREE*

Jim Nutt at the MCA

http://vimeo.com/19144729 from MCA Chicago on Vimeo.

Chicago Imagist artist, Jim Nutt, has a show opening at the MCA of his paintings featuring heads of women.  This is a series he's been working on for the past several decades.  In conjunction with this show, there'll also be a companion exhibition titled, Seeing is a Kind of Thinking featuring work by over 50 artists who were either influential on Jim Nutt's work or were influenced by him.

Painting by Rachel Niffenegger

Tonight's the member preview and the shows are open to the general public beginning tomorrow Saturday.

Jim Nutt: Coming into Character and
Jim Nutt: Seeing is a Kind of Taking
at the Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL

On view from January 29, 2011 through May 29, 2011

Brain Power

Rogers Park's rogue gallery, Impala Studio, has a show opening tonight of work by Christina M Z Anderson, featuring drawings, found objects, and water colors in a surrealist vein.

Christina M Z Anderson: Works from Inside the Brain
@Impala Studio
1768 W Greenleaf
Chicago, IL

Opening tonight, January 28, 2011
7pm

The Eviction Show: Everything Must Go

It's sad to hear about the closing of 54B Gallery in Pilsen.  Open for three years now and run by Brian Evan, this gallery was a sorely needed space that held not only graffiti related shows but a great assortment of events as well.  With its hidden side yard and fire pit, shows at 54B always turned into late night community parties.

Here are some photos I shot at their, The Night 54B Stole Christmas show last month....

Brian Evan, the director of 54B Gallery, Chicago

A painting by CZR PRZ

Nothing WE Can't Fix, silkscreened posters with handpainted text overlay by Nick Adam

FLASH ABC and crowd at the show

Artist Terrance Byas and friend

Anna supports PRESTON for Mayor

Chicago flag colors shoe coordination

Jamie and Angel

To celebrate the space, 54B will present one last show tomorrow night Friday, The Eviction Show: Everything Must Go.  I don't know what they'll be showing but I'll come by to say good-bye!

The Eviction Show: Everything Must Go
@54B Gallery
2128 S Halsted Ave
Chicago, IL

Friday, January 28, 2011
7:30 pm to 1 am

Twice Removed

Golden Age in the West Loop will be presenting a show opening this Friday titled, Twice Removed.  Curated by Karly Wildenhaus, Twice Removed will feature artwork that was originally designed to be distributed free by artists as part of an art installation or as a piece in a show.  This is work that normally doesn't have a life beyond the original display in a gallery or museum.

I thought this was an interesting concept for an exhibition because I usually pick things like this up from shows, but most of the time the things given away are too banal or unwieldy to take back home.  I've picked up different posters by Felix Gonzalez-Torres at art museums and typically see them discarded outside by visitors who gave up on carrying them, myself included.

I submitted several things from my collection and two got accepted for the show.  This cut text paper piece titled, Over and Over, by Chicago's Sighn was on display at the Next Art Fair in 2010.  It was hand cut with a jigsaw in an edition of 5,000 sheets.

These ribbons were part of a huge wall installation titled, I Wish Your Wish, by Brazilian artist Rivane Neuenschwander at the Carnegie International in Pittsburg.  The artist stated that if you wore one on your wrist until it fell apart then the wish printed on it would come true.  The one I got said, "I Wish My Cat Could Talk".

Twice Removed: A Survey of Take Away Work
at Golden Age
119 N Peoria
2nd floor
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, January 28, 2011
6 to 9 pm
On view through March 6, 2011

Hibernaculum

Artist Drew Griffith will have sculptural installations on view tomorrow Sunday at ACRE Projects in Pilsen

Drew Griffith: Hibernaculum
at ACRE Projects
1913 W 17th St
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Sunday, January 23, 2011
4 to 8 pm
This show will also be on view Monday, January 24, 2011
from noon to 4 pm.

Bruce Riley at Eyeporium

Artist Bruce Riley has a show opening tonight at Eyeporium Gallery in Wicker Park.  I've long enjoyed his glazed paintings and other work going back to his shows at the former Unit B Gallery in Pilsen.

Bruce Riley: Side Effects
at Eyeporium Gallery
1431 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Saturday, January 22, 2011
Noon to 5 pm

On view through March 30, 2011

A Healthy Skepticism

Albany Park's Swimming Pool Project Space has a show opening tonight titled, A Healthy Skepticism.  Featuring paintings and sculptures by Joshua Abelow, Carl Baratta, and Josh Reames.

Joshua Abelow, Carl Baratta, and Josh Reames: A Healthy Skepticism
at Swimming Pool Project Space
2858 W Montrose
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Saturday, January 22, 2011
6 to 9 pm

The exhibition will be on view through February 6, 2011
The gallery is open on Tuesdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 pm

Jason Hanasik at Iceberg Projects

California photographer, Jason Hanasik, has a show of photography dealing with Western traditions of masculinity opening tonight at Iceberg Projects in Rogers Park.

Jason Hanasik: He Opened Up Somewhere Along the Eastern Shore
at Iceberg Projects
7714 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL

The gallery is located in the rear behind the house

Opening reception: Saturday, January 15, 2011
6pm

Declaimed

65Grand Gallery in West Town has a photography show opening tonight with work by Nicholas Knight.

Nicholas Knight: Declaimed
65Grand Gallery
1369 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, January 14, 2011
7 to 10 pm
On view through February 12, 2011

Christophe Roberts and David "COVE" Gonzalez at RGB Lounge

New Wicker Park space, RGB Lounge, will have an open house tonight featuring work by Christophe Roberts, who creates intricate sculptures out of Nike shoe boxes like these...

and David "COVE" Gonzales, who is a painter who also does beautifuly rendered drawings with ballpoint pens.

Cristophe Roberts & David "COVE" Gonzalez
Open House at RGB Lounge
1420 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Friday, January 14, 2011
7pm

Heads on Poles

Western Exhibitions in the West Loop will open a show tonight titled, Heads on Poles, featuring, uh, heads on poles.  Curated by Paul Nudd and Scott Wolniak, this show will have work up by a lot of great artists including Lilli Carre, Ryan Travis Christian, Vincent Dermody, Edie Fake, Chris Kerr, David Leggett, Michael Rea, David Shrigley, Edra Soto, Jeremy Tinder, Jason Villegas, and many more.  There's a full list and more info on the show here.

The gallery will also host a reception for the culmination of Terence Hannum's ambitious, year-long zine project, Heresies, wherein he produced a different zine each month in 2011.  A boxed set will be on view tonight.

Heads on Poles and Heresies
Western Exhibitions
119 N Peoria St
2nd floor
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, January 14, 2011
5 to 8 pm

I'm Sorry But These Abs Do Not Apologize

A new year brings a new Labs with Abs calendar by Philadelphia's Andrew Jeffrey Wright of the Space 1026 collective.  Limited to a hand screenprinted edition of 275 copies, this calendar will surely inspire you as you gaze at it in your office cubicle or work locker.  Check out more of Andrew's work here and here.  You can order a copy of the calendar through Space 1026 or at Domy Books in Austin, TX among other places.

Johalla Project's 2nd Annual Art Auction & Fundraiser

Support the great art programming at Johalla Projects by attending their 2nd Annual Art Auction & Fundraiser.  Featuring work by an awesome selection of artists including Chris Silva, Chad Kouri, Ryan Duggan, the infamous Cynthia Plaster Caster,  Nick Adam, the brother/sister duo White Mystery, and more!

I went last year and won a couple of cool pieces in the raffle.

Johalla's 2nd Annual Art Auction & Fundraiser
at Johalla Projects
1561 N Milwaukee Ave
2nd floor
Chicago, IL

Friday, January 14, 2011
7 to 11 pm

DASH & GTEK

Chicago graffiti artists, DASH and GTEK, will have a show of new work opening this Friday at 54b Gallery in Pilsen.

DASH and GTEK: It's About Time...
54B Gallery
2128 S Halsted Av
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, January 14, 2011
6 to 9 pm

ZEB FEST 2011

To help raise funds for Zebadiah Arrington's legal fees for a graffiti case in New York, Pilsen's Anode Gallery is hosting a silent auction of photographs by Zebadiah.  You can preview the train-centric work here and check it out in person this coming Friday, January 14th at Anode.  There'll be music, drinks, and more prints as well.

Zebadiah Arrington: Silent Auction
at Anode Gallery
718 W 18th St
Chicago, IL

Auction ends at the reception on Friday, January 14th. 2011
6 to 11 pm

Public Collectors

Marc Fisher, part of the Temporary Services artist collective, also runs a site and project called Public Collectors.  Dedicated to preserving flyers, record album covers, photographs, and other ephemera not usually collected and preserved by mainstream institutions, Public Collectors is a treasure trove of both unusual and mundane items.  As an adjunct to the site, Marc also posts daily entries to the Public Collections tumblr page where he posts items related to the project, as well as contents from his personal collections.

In celebration of that visual blog, Marc recently published a zine titled, Paper Blog, featuring some of the great images posted in the past year.  Ranging from vintage children's homework,  a missing hat flyer, and old anatomy drawings, this zine was fun to look through and a great buy.  Available from Half Letter Press and at Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago.

Suckadelic Pop-Up!

The almighty Sucklord, the mysterious Svengali who controls the Suckadelic empire, had a pop-up shop open up earlier today in Chelsea in NYC.  Displaying a full array of Suckadelic sculptures, silkscreens, paintings and other artwork as well as merchandise like limited edition action figures, bootleg Star Wars toys, mix cd's, and more.  This exhibition and store is hosted by NY's Boo Hooray and will be open through January 23, 2011.



The entire Suckadelic toy line will all be on display.  And there will also be a 100 page catalog available documenting the Suckadelic world.

The Suckadelic Art Toy Universe
at Boo-Hooray
521 W 23rd St
New York City, NY

Open everyday from 11 am to 6 pm through January 23, 2011
There'll be a closing party beginning at 3pm on the 23rd.

Full Metal Rabbit

Rhode Island's master printer, Leif Goldberg, currently has his new 2011 calendar, Full Metal Rabbit, out in the world.  Silkscreened by Goldberg in an edition of 180 copies, this calendar features his customary mind blowing graphics and garish, but always appropriate, color schemes.  Available in Chicago at Quimby's Bookstore, PictureBox online, LA's Ooga Booga, and other fine establishments.