An Evening of OUTSIDER ART and JAZZ

Frank Joseph Zirbel, Post Atomic Woman
15” h x 6” x 9”, wood, cast iron, doll, screws, etch, sand and oil paint, 1996  

Save the Date: Friday, November 13, 2015 at 7pm

Join The Art Center-Highland Park for an evening of great jazz, craft beer, barbecue and outsider art. The list of obsessively creative and quirky artists include: Lea Atiq, Ellen Greene, Debo Groover, Mary King, Bruce New, and Frank Joseph Zirbel. If you haven’t yet experienced Outsider Art, you will be astonished by this experience!

A little background... Outsider Art is generally produced by self-taught artists that are not part of the artistic establishment. It is work produced far outside of the historical continuum of society... Embracing unconventional views of the world.

The intriguing art work—combined with wonderful food and smooth jazz—will make for an exceptional evening. The event is a fundraiser for The Art Center-Highland Park which is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of contemporary fine art through exhibitions by both established and emerging artists. The center fosters creativity through the experience and discussion of fine art and offers extensive educational opportunities through a broad range of classes, panel discussions, workshops and lectures. A nonprofit organization, The Art Center-Highland Park connects artists with the community at large—supporting creativity at every level.

Tickets for "An Evening of OUTSIDER ART and JAZZ, may be purchased online at TheArtCenterHP.org or by calling Jacqueline Chilow at 847.432.188

Breaking Criminal Traditions at the Bridgeport Art Center - The Opening Reception and Upcoming Related Events

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions opened last night at the Bridgeport Art Center. The exhibition—along with the open studios event—generated a great number of visitors.

Breaking Criminal Traditions is a fine art exhibition featuring the work of twenty artists from around the country. The exhibition calls attention to Domestic Violence Awareness Month as well as the ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet are not considered crimes. The exhibition utilizes the beauty of high-quality fine art to raise awareness of human rights issues and—in doing so—begins a dialogue that may encourage change. If you missed the reception, [it was a very busy ART night in Chicago] the show continues through Friday, November 13th. Also, there are a couple of other events occurring in conjunction with the exhibition: 

Wednesday, October 21, 6:30–9pm
Film Screening of “Honor Diaries” This documentary profiles activists working for women’s rights in honor cultures and their efforts to create positive change. Cheryl Jefferson will begin a dialogue with domestic violence experts after the screening.

Saturday, October 24, 11-2pm
An Artists Workshop: Creating Art Around Social Issues. This discussion and workshop will highlight how the creation of Art can instill social change.

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions will be on display through November 13. The Bridgeport Art Center is located at 1200 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609. The gallery is open Monday–Saturday 8am-6pm and Sunday 8am-12pm. Most of the pieces included in the exhibition are available for purchase. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com.

The exhibition includes works of art by: Corinna Button (Chicago, IL), James Deeb (Evanston, IL), Sheila Ganch (Chicago, IL), Claire Girodie (Baltimore, MD), Charles Gniech (Chicago, IL), Sergio Gomez (Chicago, IL), Andrea Harris (Chicago, IL), Teresa Hofheimer [Chicago IL], Lelde Kalmite, [Chicago, IL], Paula Kloczkowski Luberda (Naperville, IL), Richard Laurent (Chicago, IL), Kathy Liao (Seattle, WA), Chandrika Marla (Highland Park, IL), Nancy Rosen (Chicago, IL), Lorraine Sack (Indianapolis, IN), Dominic Sansone (Chicago, IL), Valerie Schiff (Chicago, IL), Barbara Simcoe (Omaha, NE), and Anne Smith Stephan (Wilmette, IL)   
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The Anne Hughes event at The Art Center-Highland Park

Last night, The Art Center-Highland Park presented an evening with Anne Hughes. Hughes—an expert on the topic of pastel—offered amazing insight and advise on both technique as well and marketing.

After giving the attendees and overview of her background as a Pastel Artist and her responsibilities as the ZIA Gallery Director/Manager, Hughes elaborated on the business of being an artist—offering advise on everything from approaching galleries for representation to framing tips for pastel artists. She then lead the group on a tour around the current TAC pastel exhibit, "Pastels Chicago 2015." Hughes defined the beauty and subtle nuances within many of the exhibited works. She spoke in depth on technique-as-content and the importance of concept. The event was both entertaining as well as educational.

Hughes' work can be found in many galleries around the country as well as in Canada... But for greater insight, I would suggest visiting Hughes at ZIA Gallery in Winnetka, where you can see her work and discuss it with her directly. Also ask to see her cement sculptures... they are amazing!

Watch for upcoming free programming at The Art Center-Highland Park. Visit TheArtCenterHP.org for details.

Anne Hughes exhibits her artworks across Canada and the United States including solo exhibitions at McClure Gallery, Montréal, Québec; Brainard Gallery of Tarble Art Center, IL; Galerie de la Ville, Dollard des Ormeaux, Quebec; University Club of Chicago; Prairie Gallery, Alberta; Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Minnesota; Beacon St. Gallery, Chicago; Verde Gallery, Champaign, IL, among others.

Honored with numerous residency fellowships, Hughes enjoyed productive sessions at such organizations as Villa Montalvo, the Millay Colony, Anderson Center, Ucross Foundation and the Ragdale Foundation. She was awarded the William B. Bruce Fine Art European Travel Scholarship, a Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation grant, the Vera Woodruff Wassenburg and Doug Koch Memorial Awards, and a Purchase Award at Galex 32: National Juried Exhibition. She has an MFA in Painting from Bowling Green State University, an MA in Art from Eastern Illinois University and a BFA in Studio Art from Concordia University in Montréal, Québec.
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Breaking Criminal Traditions at the Bridgeport Art Center

Richard Laurent, “Arcadia”, oil on canvas, 36 x 36” 2015

Save the Date: October 16th, 7-10pm
From our Press Release for the upcoming exhibition...

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions
An exhibition utilizing the beauty of high-quality fine art to raise awareness of human rights issues

October 16 – November 13, 2015
Reception: Friday, October 16, 7-10pm

Opening October 16th at the Bridgeport Art Center is, The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions. This fine art exhibition, features the work of twenty artists from around the country, calling attention to the ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet are not considered crimes. The exhibition utilizes the beauty of high-quality fine art to raise awareness of human rights issues and—in doing so—begins a dialogue that may encourage change. It’s no mistake that this unique rendition of the Breaking Criminal Traditions exhibition is presented during October—Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This provocative yet engaging exhibition debuted in 2013 at the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, putting the shadowy topics of honor killing, child marriage, acid violence—among others—directly in front of current and future law makers. Since the show debuted, new art pieces have been added. The show has evolved into the unique presentation designed specifically for the Bridgeport Art Center.

Chuck Gniech is the curator of the always-changing Breaking Criminal Traditions exhibition. With various human rights issues outlined by Executive Producer, Cheryl Jefferson, Gniech began researching and selected pieces that could be interpreted to define the issues at hand. Gniech points out that “Many of the exhibiting artists never intended that their work define human rights issues. I simply select beautifully intriguing works-of-art that contain multiple levels of meaning. Each was chosen to allude to the issues—the meaning ultimately decided by the interpretation of the viewer.”

Gniech continues… “Although most of the work in this exhibition is taken out of context, from the artist’s original intention, there are pieces that have been created to address specific criminal traditions.”

“Richard Laurent’s Arcadia, is a surreal composition of a faceless female figure amongst a strangely beautiful landscape. The painting—filled with subtle surprises—highlights a monumental mask as the point of focus. The mask rests gently against a patterned mountain range—that upon closer inspection—appears to be the haunches of an animal. The eyes of the mask, stare blankly off into space… providing an expression of loss or disillusion.”

Artist, Richard Laurent explains that “The image references an ancient social idea—an idea where women are considered feral and by ancient logic... dangerous. She exists only as a mask. Her dream is to be transformed from an empty vessel, into a moral—if not empowered—human being. The title points to a personal outcome without limits.”

Chuck Gniech has curated numerous fine art exhibitions with an emphasis on social justice. The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions continues the string of shows that offer a visual exploration of human rights issues. This show is designed to begin a dialogue and raise consciousness, which is the first step toward preventing the continuation of these horrifying acts.

“The global reach of these complex behaviors extends to the United States,” points out executive producer, Cheryl Jefferson, a participant in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. “The exhibit allows us to take the first step toward change and to support the legal evolution that can only come from within other cultures and our own.”

The exhibition includes works of art by: Corinna Button (Chicago, IL), James Deeb (Evanston, IL), Sheila Ganch (Chicago, IL), Claire Girodie (Baltimore, MD), Charles Gniech (Chicago, IL), Sergio Gomez (Chicago, IL), Andrea Harris (Chicago, IL), Teresa Hofheimer [Chicago IL], Lelde Kalmite, [Chicago, IL], Paula Kloczkowski Luberda (Naperville, IL), Richard Laurent (Chicago, IL), Kathy Liao (Seattle, WA), Chandrika Marla (Highland Park, IL), Zoriah Miller (New York, NY, Paris, France), Nancy Rosen (Chicago, IL), Lorraine Sack (Indianapolis, IN), Dominic Sansone (Chicago, IL), Valerie Schiff (Chicago, IL), Barbara Simcoe (Omaha, NE), and Anne Smith Stephan (Wilmette, IL)

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions will be on display through November 13. A public Opening Reception will take place on Friday, October 16 from 7-10pm. The Bridgeport Art Center is located at 1200 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609. The gallery is open Monday–Saturday 8am-6pm and Sunday 8am-12pm. Most of the pieces included in the exhibition are available for purchase. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com.