Lorraine Sack ~ Breaking Criminal Traditions on WBEZ

Lorraine Sack, Figure with Magenta Background, Oil on Linen, 56 x 32"

Friday afternoon, WBEZ's Worldview, aired an interview on Weekend Passport with Cheryl Jefferson, Executive Producer of The Art of Influence... Breaking Criminal Traditions. The interview focused on the genesis of the exhibition and the show's intent to raise awareness of the ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet aren’t considered crimes.

During the interview, Jefferson spoke of the amazing figurative paintings created by Indianapolis artist, Lorraine Sack. Her beautiful, classical representations of the human form are draped or veiled in two of the three works. Jefferson explains that the paintings allude to the issues surrounding women who choose to veil.

The third of Sack's paintings—shown at the onset of this blog post—Figure with Magenta Background, was selected for the exhibition, not as a representation of veiling, but as a symbol of empowerment. The subject is a powerful women, confronting the viewer. She's comfortable in her skin—wearing nothing but an extravagant bracelet. The vibrant red walls and the matching ottoman on which she sits, add to the power of the image. The warmth of the surrounding color reflects on to the mocha skin-tones of the subject. She is an expression of power and self-assured elegance.

Jefferson's Weekend Passport interview can be heard on WBEZ's Worldview. The Art of influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions is on display through February 3. The gallery is located on the 3rd floor of the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, located at 565 West Adams Street in Chicago [the corner of Adams and Jefferson]. Street Parking is abundant.

The gallery hours are: Monday-Thursday 7:30am-11pm, Friday 7:30am-9:30pm, and Saturday 8:30am- 6pm. Most of the pieces included in the exhibition are available for purchase. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com.


Painter Lorraine Sack studied at the apprenticed based art school Atelier Lack in her native Minnesota. The school, with linage back to the Boston School of Art and 19th century French Academy, focused on the fine art of seeing nature truthfully. The four year program incorporated the French academy’s ideas of drawing and seeing values with the impressionist idea of seeing true versus formulaic color. In addition to her formal training, Lorraine studied the Old Masters and Impressionists in Italy, Germany and France. She also studied anatomy extensively to better understand the human form.

Currently Lorraine works out of her studio in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work is represented by the G. C. Lucas Gallery, Indianapolis, Indiana. Gallery 180, Chicago, Illinois featured her latest solo exhibition in 2011. Her paintings have been juried into a number of museum shows and selected for several group exhibitions nationally and internationally.

Lorraine is the recipient of many awards including: The Butler Institute of American Art, Honorable Mention in The 73rd National Midyear, The Lexington Art League, Second Place in The Nude Annual Juried Exhibition, The Hoosier Salon, Outstanding Oil in the Hoosier Salon Annual Exhibition, The American Artist Magazine, Emerging Artist Achievement Award, The California Art Club, Honorable Mention, The Art Calendar, Web Site Publication in November of 1997, The Pastel Society of the West Coast, Specialty Award, The John F. & Anna Stacey Scholarship and the Frances Hook Scholarship Fund. 

Lorraine has been included in publications such as the American Artist Learning from Today’s Art Masters and The Artist’s Magazine. 

Collections including Lorraine’s work are Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago, Kinsey Institute Art Gallery in Bloomington, Indiana, Kizu Senior Living Community in Kyoto, Japan, Rosemount Inc. in Denmark, and RTW Corporation in Bloomington, Minnesota. 

Breaking Criminal Traditions ~ Installed

"Venus", a bronze sculpture by Valerie Schiff, welcomes patrons to
The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions was installed this past weekend. The exhibition—including both two-and-three dimensional works—opened yesterday for preview. The public Opening Reception will be held on Thursday, October 10th from 5:15-8:15. The exhibition is presented in the 3rd floor gallery of IIT Chicago - Kent College of Law, located at 565 West Adams Street, in Chicago.

Already receiving enthusiastic reviews, "Breaking Criminal Traditions" was compiled to raise awareness of global criminal traditions... traditions that continue today. The pieces included, were selected to elude to the issues without being overtly obvious. The content of the show walks a blurred line between the horrifying reality of the world in which we live—and the intense beauty of empowerment and freedom.

Patrons who explored the show during previews, defined the work as inspirational and empowering. One viewer was even moved to tears.

Left: Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, "Connected", Stoneware, 12" diameter

Right: Zoriah Miller, "The Weapons Cache, Archival Photograph 1/8, 24 x 24"

The exhibiting artists are: James Deeb (Evanston, IL), Sheila Ganch (Chicago, IL), Andrea Harris (Chicago, IL), Paula Kloczkowski Luberda (Naperville, IL), Richard Laurent (Chicago, IL), Zoriah Miller (New York, NY, Paris, France), Nancy Rosen (Chicago, IL), Lorraine Sack (Indianapolis, IN), 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 February 3. A public Opening Reception will take place on Thursday, October10 from 5:15-8:15pm. The gallery is located on the 3rd floor of the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, located at 565 West Adams Street in Chicago [the corner of Adams and Jefferson]. Street Parking is abundant and there are a number of lots within a single block.

The gallery is open Monday-Thursday 7:30am-11pm, Friday 7:30am-9:30pm, and Saturday 8:30am- 6pm. Most of the pieces included in the exhibition are available for purchase. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com.


Valerie Schiff has studied with a variety of talented teachers including: Lynn Borst, Alan Gavin, Richard Halsted, and Gay Riseborough. Seeking to learn more about human anatomy, Valerie was fortunate to study with Sheila Oettinger. Working with Oettinger helped her to work larger and to subtly infuse power and emotion into her sculpture. Schiff’s accolades include numerous awards including multiple "Best in Show" prizes.

Paula Kloczkowski Luberda is an established and widely exhibited artist. Her work has been presented in regional, national and international exhibitions for more than two decades. Her extensive award list includes: A Purchase Award from The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, A Merit Award from Salisbury State University; Best of Show from Nicolet College, Wisconsin; 3rd Place Indiana University; Merit Award Quincy Art Center; Honorable Mention from Rockford Art Museum, and an Award of Excellence from the Norris Cultural Center of St. Charles. Paula Kloczkowski Luberda—and her work—has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times and the Daily Herald News Paper, as well as other print media. Her work was also featured on NBC Channel 5 news. Luberda’s education includes a BA in Studio Art, an Associate’s degree in Design and Illustration, specialized instruction in ceramic sculpture from the Art Institute of Chicago, fiber sculpture from Concordia University, Montreal Canada, Mold making from San Antonio Institute of Art, San Antonio, Texas, and Patination at Cleveland University, Cleveland Ohio.

Zoriah Miller is a world renowned photojournalist known for his prolific work documenting conflict, crisis and disasters. His award winning photography has appeared in major motion pictures, on television, book covers and in publications such as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Elle, The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan and countless others. His work is exhibited around the world and permanently archived in the United States Library of Congress.

Lorraine Sack ~ Bird Lore

Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago presents the oil paintings of Lorraine Sack. This still life and figurative exhibition—complete with subtle representations of perfectly rendered birds—defines Sack’s delight for the feathered creatures, as well as her passion for painting. Influenced at an early age by her mother’s enthusiasm for birds, Sack learned—and was inspired by—stories of their magical capabilities, their unique songs, and their beautiful markings. Sack explains…

“…This fascination led me to begin a dialog—in paint—exploring bird lore. The theme is rich. The wealth of birds used in mythology, folklore, religion, poetry, proverbs, and lyrics make it both easy and challenging to choose what to create…” Sack continues… “I am a painter because I can't imagine otherwise. The process of designing and painting the figure or still life is what makes me eager to work in the studio everyday. I work only with natural light and from life—allowing me to capture the subtle shifts of light and subject. The process and the creation of the image is intoxicating.”

Amazing to look at, Sack has devised a method of painting using oil on linen without turpentine or mediums. The result is a pure and vibrant painting. She weaves together various colors, using line and shape as visual guides within the work.

The paintings of Lorraine Sack will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through May 2. An Opening Reception will take place on Friday, March 11 from 5:30-7:30 pm. This exhibition is free and open to the public. All works are available for purchase. Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-5:30pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Additional information can be found at gallery180.com.

Image: Lorraine Sack, "Kingfisher" oil on linen, 36x24, $6,900.
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A Wonderful Event ~ The Art of Human Rights

Last night’s “The Art of Human Rights” event, was wonderful. The event was packed with Artists as well as Collectors supporting Heartland Alliance. This annual event helps Heartland Alliance to provide housing, healthcare, economic security, and legal protections services to more than 200,000 people whose lives are threatened by poverty and danger, including those living with HIV and AIDS. The after work cocktail party and art auction—both live and silent—was produced by the Junior Board headed by Stephanie Scherra and Kristin Weiss… both amazing women.

The event provided me with an opportunity to connect with the array of Artists that I’ve worked with over the years. This generous group of painters, photographers and sculptors are the people who offered their talents to generate the financial donations. Without the support of these Artists, the Collectors would not have anything to collect—and this Heartland Alliance event would not exist.

The above image is a painting donated by Indianapolis Artist, Lorraine Sack. I’ve been lucky enough to work with Sack for—roughly—the past ten years. I first came across her work when I produced a show titled “Naked or Nude” for the Fine Arts Building Gallery. Not only does Sack produce beautiful still life imagery, she is also an amazing figure painter. If memory serves, I believe that two of her pieces were included in that Fine Arts Building Gallery exhibition ...and both sold.

A Master Painter, Sack has developed a technique of painting with oil paint on linen, without turpentine or mediums, creating a pure and vibrant painting [paraphrased from her web site]. The paint is applied in layers—weaving together colors and values. The works are amazing. And yes—last night—I purchased the wonderful painting shown above, during the live auction.

If you're still interested in purchasing work to support Heartland Alliance, you can do so by visiting the photo ’11 exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. All commissions from the sale of work will be donated directly to Heartland Alliance for their Art of Human Rights benefit. All of the imagery from the exhibiting photographers can be seen at gallery180.com The exhibition closes March 3rd.


Above: Just one section of the crowd from last night’s Heartland Alliance event at Gruen Gallery, Chicago.
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The Art of Human Rights - Preview Reception

Last night’s reception for “The Art of Human Rights” Preview Exhibition at Gallery 180 was amazing. Prior to the start of the event, President, John Jenkins purchased “Impressions” by Indianapolis Painter, Lorraine Sack. The painting was the second of Sack’s to be acquired for the Permanent Collection of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. With an abundance of interest in her work, I have scheduled a solo exhibition of Sack’s still life paintings for the spring of 2011. Additional work by Lorraine Sack can be seen on her web site: lorrainestudios.com I’m looking forward to working with her again.

Lorraine Sack, "Impressions"

Above is a painting titled "Impressions" by artist Lorraine Sack. This piece is from a series of still life oil paintings that Sack has been working on for the past few years. The image is 16 x 20 inches and produced in oil on canvas. Sack's website explains her process...

The creative process of still life is much like theatre to me. It is taking a blank space and changing it into something specific to be viewed.

The process of setting the stage for the painting is intuitive. I try out the space itself with objects, natural light, and color as characters each playing a part. Usually the object I chose for the focus is one I admire for the presence it holds. I look at the abstract patterns while arranging and rearranging the secondary objects, the light, and the background around the focus until I see the right ensemble.

Then I start the painting process. First, I establish the abstract patterns with a solid foundation of paint on canvas. Next, I slowly layer veils of color with my brush to weave the space into objects and develop their character. Finally, I know the still life is finished when all the parts play their role working together as a unified voice to create the space I intended.

Lorraine Sack's "Impressions" will be available at the upcoming benefit for Heartland Alliance as well as the Preview Exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. Gallery 180 will host a catered reception for the Preview Exhibition on January 22 from 5:30-7:30. This event is free to the public and all of the work will be available for purchase with all proceeds going directly to Heartland Alliance. Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago is located at 180 N. Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago's Loop. I hope to see you there!

Additional work by Lorraine Sack can be seen on her web site: lorrainestudios.com

The "red" Reception...

There was a wonderful turnout at tonight’s reception for “red” the National Juried Exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. Three pieces were acquired for the school’s Fine Art Collection. They were: Richard Benoit’s "Earth Writing", Claudia Craemer’s "The Path was Chosen for You" and Lorraine Sack’s "Sea Captain". The show continues through November 11th. If you have the opportunity, drop by the gallery to see this wonderful collection of work from around the country. The show is free to the public and the presented pieces are available for purchase. Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art is located at 180 North Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop.


Richard Benoit "Earth Writing" acrylic on wood, 24x24"


Claudia Craemer "The Path was Chosen for You" oil, 40x40"


Image: Lorraine Sack, “Sea Captain” oil on linen, 18x24”

Lorraine Sack's "Sea Captain"

I've always been intrigued with the paintings of Indianapolis Artist, Lorraine Sack. Over the years, I've juried Sack into a number of exhibitions and I'm always astonished with her superior technique and the brilliant imagery she produces. Sack submitted some of her recent pieces to "red" the National Juried Exhibition to be presented at Gallery 180 beginning in mid September. I selected this wonderfully symbolic still life to be included in the show. The piece—titled "Sea Captain"—is an oil painting depicting two ceramic pots, organic pods, and a red bowl positioned on a wooden table. A small painting of a seascape is hung on a beautifully patterned wall behind the unusual grouping. In an email, Sack explained…

I've always loved the character and attitude the teapot holds. It has such a feeling of movement, like a sea captain standing at attention on his ship with his trusty mate (the matching smaller pot) near by. The authoritarian red and earthy tones seem to be the natural choices for color ...The background a stormy neutral, and the red highlighting the ship behind the Captain. The pods add an organic element, reminiscent of sails. The stems of the pods flow in a wave pattern which imply the presence of water.

Lorraine Sack’s “Sea Captain” can be seen during the “red” exhibition presented at Gallery 180 from September 14th through November 11th. A reception will be held on Friday, October 9th from 5:30-7:30. Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago is located at 180 N. Wabash in Chicago's Loop. Additional work by Lorraine Sack can be found at: lorrainestudios.com

Image: Lorraine Sack, Sea Captain, oil on linen, 18x24", $3,600