Roland Kulla ~ Structural Complexities

Roland Kulla, Airline II, 48" x 60"

An Opening Reception for Roland Kulla's most recent body of photo-realistic bridge paintings will take place at ZIA Gallery on Saturday, September 12TH from 5-8PM.

Kulla—a long time friend—has been exploring the visual patterns and repetition of bridges for more than fifteen years. The painted web-like steel structures seem to be metaphor for the obstacles in life... not barriers but the day-to-day challenges that make us alter course—if only temporarily. The beauty of the paintings continues with a peaceful and brilliant backdrop of atmospheric freedom. This—must see—series is filled with amazingly beautiful and complex compositions.

ZIA Gallery is located at 548 Chestnut in Winnetka, Illinois. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10–5. Street parking is plentiful.
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Almost Human ~ The work of Beth Carter

 On a recent trip to New York, I met Lauren Wagner, an art consultant for Axelle Fine Art Galerie in Soho. Wagner is an amazingly passionate consultant who clearly loves the work that she represents.

Walking into the gallery at 472 West Broadway, it was hard not to approach the ominous sculptures that greeted visitors. The dark and almost-human works of British artist, Beth Carter drew me in like a moth to a flame. The sinister looking creatures— sometimes bronze and sometimes resin—expose sensitive, human emotions, deflecting the expected horror associated with monsters. The characters can be found reading a book, attempting to repair the petal of a flower, or gazing at a moth. They touch the heart of the viewer—the segment that knows that our exterior shell is just a shell.

I strongly suggest stopping in to Axelle Fine Art on your next trip to Manhattan. The summer group show, which includes Beth Carter, concludes on September 13. Introduce yourself to consultant Lauren Wagner. She’s amazing.

Beth Carter, Minotaur and Moth, Bronze. Edition of 15. 13″x10”x12”

Beth Carter received her degree in Fine Art from Sunderland University in the United Kingdom. In 1995, she was awarded 1st prize in the “Northern Graduate Show ‘95” at The Royal College of Art, London. Afterwards, she traveled to Sri Lanka and India to study mythological sculpture. She later travelled to New Zealand, Mexico, Gambia, Kenya and Tanzania to further explore the precedents for this genre of sculpture. Her work has been shown in the US and abroad and appears in private collections throughout Europe, Asia and the US.
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The Art Center-Highland Park presents: PASTELS CHICAGO 2015

Nancie Mertz, “Catching Rays on Chicago Avenue”, pastel, 15” x 36”

Save the Date - Friday October 2

The Art Center-Highland Park will be hosting the Chicago Pastel Painters’ Fifth Biennial National Juried Open Exhibition, “Pastels Chicago 2015”. The exhibition will consist of approximately 100 works of art created in the medium of pastel with imagery presented in a diversity of visual styles and subject matter, created by the most elite pastel painters from across the country. The aspiration of the Chicago Pastel Painters is to educate the public about the beauty and permanence of pastels as a viable medium in the world of fine art.

Judith Carducci, Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, is the Curator of the exhibition. Richard McKinley—Pastel Society of America's Hall of Fame Inductee—is the awards judge and will reveal his selections at the opening reception on Friday, October 2, 2015, 6:30–9pm.

A public reception for “Pastels Chicago 2015” will be held at The Art Center-Highland Park on Friday, October 2 from 6:30–9pm. The Art Center-Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road in Highland Park, Illinois. Gallery Hours are Monday through Saturday from 9am–4:30pm and Sunday, by appointment. All work in the exhibition is available for purchase. The exhibition opens on September 11 and continues through October 31.


The Art Center-Highland Park is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of contemporary fine art through exhibitions by both established and emerging artists. We foster creativity through the experience and discussion of fine art and offer 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.

Chicago Pastel Painters - Founded in 2004, the Chicago Pastel Painters, a society member of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS), is a non-profit fine arts organization completely run by volunteers dedicated to the education, exhibition, promotion and development of professional, original works of art in the medium of soft pastel in the Chicagoland area.

Juror of Selections - Judith Carducci, PSA
Listed in Who’s Who in American Art, Judith Carducci has received international recognition as one of today’s best portrait painters. Her work has been shown in such venues as The National Arts Club and the Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Cahoon Museum of American Art, and the Butler Institute of American Art.

Judge of Awards - Richard McKinley, PSA
Richard McKinley has been a professional working artist for 38 years and has over 35 years of teaching experience. In 2010 he was inducted into The Pastel Society of America’s Hall of Fame at the National Arts Club in NYC. An avid plein air painter, he is a frequent contributing editor for the Pastel Journal Magazine.
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Meditative Surfaces ~ one final day at TAC

Meditative Surfaces at The Art Center-Highland Park will close on Friday, July 10th at 4:30pm. If you haven't yet had an opportunity to experience this exhibition, your time is limited.

This version of the always-evolving fine art exhibition, Meditative Surfaces, brings together the work of six very different artists—with a visually reoccurring theme that explores the meditative influences of variations on repetition. The show is comprised of two painters; Charles Gniech [myself] and Rebecca Moy, a mixed media artist; Deanna Krueger, two photographers; Maggie Meiners and Doug Fogelson, as well as sculptor; Josh Garber. The work produced by this group of artists, is assembled to encourage audience introspection.

The Art Center-Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road in Highland Park. The gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 9-4:30 and on Sunday, by appointment. All of the works on exhibition are available for purchase.

The Art Center-Highland Park is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of contemporary fine art through exhibitions by both established and emerging artists. We foster creativity through the experience and discussion of fine art and offer 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. 

The Collectors Panel Discussion at TAC

"...Buy it because you love it madly, because it makes you happy, melancholy, or nostalgic, because it touches a nerve in you, because it makes you feel—not because it may, one day, be worth a lot of money. Mere speculation is not, in itself, a reason to own art. If you buy it, buy it because you have, in some way, been moved by it—because it speaks to you in a soft whisper that only you can hear..." explains Independent Curator and Photographer, Susan Aurinko, one of four speakers at the Collectors Panel Discussion, presented last night at The Art Center-Highland Park.

The event offered opinions and a variety of stories from the guest panelists who came from different segments of the arts industry. Aurinko, was the Founder and Director for FLATFILEgalleries. Still a Consultant, her insights were thoughtful and unique—pointing out in an essay on collecting fine art, that "...collecting out of passion is far more valid than collecting out of a desire for eventual financial reward." Frank Paluch, the Director of Perimeter Gallery located in Chicago's River North Gallery District, agreed. Paluch—with great eloquence—went on to tell the story of a client who asked if a particular work that he was considering for his collection, would increase in value. Almost re-living the experience, Paluch paused, smiled and said—very clearly—"...you really never know."

The quiet manner and unexpectedly-perfect comedic timing of Peter Bartlow added numerous moments of humor to the event. An authority on the works of Chagall, Miro and Picasso, his contribution to the discussion was priceless—with perceptions based on his experience with high-end collectors.

The final member of the panel was Joan Arenberg, Private Collector and President of "Art on the Move Tours". Arenberg began a wonderful discussion of her experience meeting artists in their studios. She—as well as Aurinko—frequent the numerous open studio events that occur throughout the community each month.

The evening offered insight into the panel's personal collections... their first acquisitions, who they collect most and why.With a majority of Artists in the room, the question and answer segment turned to representation and how to get noticed. These questions were addressed but the most important take away was for artists to get there work in front of the public. Perhaps that will be a topic for a future TAC event ...which will offer coffee [as well as wine] and perhaps use of a microphone for the attendees in the back of the room. My apologies.

Thank you to our panel of experts... The knowledge they shared was invaluable. Without their generosity, events like this would not be possible. And special thanks to Maggie Meiners for her connections!

Our Panel: Joan Arenberg, Peter Bartlow, Susan Aurinko, and Frank Paluch - Deanna Krueger Image

The Art Center-Highland Park is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of contemporary fine art through exhibitions by both established and emerging artists. We foster creativity through the experience and discussion of fine art and offer 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. The Art Center-Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035

The Speakers:
Joan Arenberg, President of "Art on the Move Tours" and private collector has led and designed over 250 tours for Potpourri at The Art Institute of Chicago. Day tours exploring Chicago as well as national travel programs feature visits to artist studios, museums, special exhibitions, sculpture parks and give participants the opportunity and responsibility to learn about art, and to explore, and continue to explore the wide range of fine art possibilities.

Susan Aurinko, as a curator, has created more than 230 exhibitions, both at FLATFILEgalleries—the gallery she founded and directed for nine years—and in a variety of other venues, including IIT, and exhibitions for both the Japanese and Danish governments. Aurinko sits on the Boards of Directors of Chicago Artists Coalition and Apprentice Lab, as well as the Advisory Board of Filter Photo Festival and the International Photography Awards (Lucie Awards).

Peter Bartlow is an authority in the works of Chagall, Miro and Picasso whose involvement with art dealing began in 1972 when he opened his first art gallery. He and his wife, Audrey, met as graduate History of Art students and have two children. In addition to expertise in Modern Master graphics, he has discovered and placed hundreds of paintings by Willy Ramos, Anna Caser, Doug Hatch, Rudolf Svehla and others. He is currently consulting for high net worth collectors.

Frank Paluch has directed Perimeter Gallery in Chicago’s River North Gallery district for 30 years. In addition to curating numerous exhibitions, Paluch has also juried museum competitions including University of Illinois, Milwaukee Art Museum, University of Wisconsin, The Racine Art Museum, and The Renwick Craft Invitational at The Smithsonian American Art Museum. Paluch has a background as a professional photographer and his work is in a number of museum collections in the United States and Europe.

Tonight: A Collectors Panel Discussion

Please join me this evening when I will be hosting a Collectors Panel Discussion at The Art Center-Highland Park.  The event, beginning at 7pm, will be a discussion of what and why Collectors collect... from the point of view of the Dealer as well as the Collector. The panel will include: Joan Arenberg; Private Collector, Susan Aurinko; Founder of FLATFILEgalleries, Peter Bartlow; Director of Bartlow Gallery and Frank Paluch; Director of Perimeter Gallery. This is a free event. Doors will open to the public at 6:30pm. The event will conclude at 8:30pm.

The Art Center-Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035

About our Speakers:
Joan Arenberg, President of "Art on the Move Tours" and private collector has led and designed over 250 tours for Potpourri at The Art Institute of Chicago. Day tours exploring Chicago as well as national travel programs feature visits to artist studios, museums, special exhibitions, sculpture parks and give participants the opportunity and responsibility to learn about art, and to explore, and continue to explore the wide range of fine art possibilities.

Susan Aurinko, as a curator, has created more than 230 exhibitions, both at FLATFILEgalleries—the gallery she founded and directed for nine years—and in a variety of other venues, including IIT, and exhibitions for both the Japanese and Danish governments. Aurinko sits on the Boards of Directors of Chicago Artists Coalition and Apprentice Lab, as well as the Advisory Board of Filter Photo Festival and the International Photography Awards (Lucie Awards).

Peter Bartlow is an authority in the works of Chagall, Miro and Picasso whose involvement with art dealing began in 1972 when he opened his first art gallery. He and his wife, Audrey, met as graduate History of Art students and have two children. In addition to expertise in Modern Master graphics, he has discovered and placed hundreds of paintings by Willy Ramos, Anna Caser, Doug Hatch, Rudolf Svehla and others. He is currently consulting for high net worth collectors.

Frank Paluch has directed Perimeter Gallery in Chicago’s River North Gallery district for 30 years. In addition to curating numerous exhibitions, Paluch has also juried museum competitions including University of Illinois, Milwaukee Art Museum, University of Wisconsin, The Racine Art Museum, and The Renwick Craft Invitational at The Smithsonian American Art Museum. Paluch has a background as a professional photographer and his work is in a number of museum collections in the United States and Europe. 

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The Art Center-Highland Park is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of contemporary fine art through exhibitions by both established and emerging artists. We foster creativity through the experience and discussion of fine art and offer 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.

Opening this weekend at The Art Center-Highland Park

There are four wonderful exhibitions opening this weekend at The Art Center-Highland Park. Although the exhibitions are on view, the reception is scheduled for Friday, May 22 from 6:30-9pm. The shows include: Meditative Surfaces, Aftereffect; a solo exhibition by Teresa Hofheimer, From Nature; a national juried exhibition and a presentation of public sculpture by Eric H. Steele.

This latest version of the always-evolving fine art exhibition, Meditative Surfaces, brings together the work of six very different artists—with a visually reoccurring theme that explores the meditative influences of variations on repetition. The show is comprised of two painters; Charles Gniech [myself] and Rebecca Moy, a mixed media artist; Deanna Krueger, two photographers; Maggie Meiners and Doug Fogelson, as well as sculptor; Josh Garber. The work produced by this group of artists, is assembled to encourage audience introspection.

Teresa Hofheimer, Loss of Innocence, pastel on linen 48 x 30"

Teresa Hofheimer - Aftereffect
Aftereffect is a series of paintings and drawings—produced sporadically over the past decade—which address the power and resilience of the human spirit in the aftermath of tragedy. The work is a reaction to our society’s increase in gun violence. Hofheimer points-out that “Since 2001, more than 5,000 people have been killed on the streets of Chicago, outpacing the 2,000 killed in Afghanistan.” She continues to explain the victims are typically our youth. Half the recent victims are under the age of twenty-five. The concept is harsh yet the imagery is approachable and thought provoking.

Jody Berns, In the Heat of the Night, photograph 12 x 12"

With beautifully composed imagery created by conceptually driven fine artists, From Nature— national juried exhibition—offers a fresh look at the world around us. The exhibition presents an exciting and alternative view of elements found within nature. Highland Park resident, Jody Berns is included in the exhibition with a twelve-inch square black and white digital photograph titled “In the Heat of the Night”. The image presents a confined thorny botanical composition utilizing strong chiaroscuro to silhouette the sharp yet inviting forms. The title alludes to the passions of the forbidden—like Joseph Cornell’s boxes—presenting the uncomfortable dichotomy of pleasure and pain. Less conceptual imagery in also included.

Eric H. Steele, Victor, steel, 96 x 28.5 x 21

TAC also presents the large-scale sculpture of Eric H. Steele in The Center's sculpture garden with smaller pieces shown in the foyer. Steele’s beautiful steel constructions address the space between destruction and hope. Steele's work will be presented through December 12th. The other shows mentioned above continue through July 10.

The Art Center-Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road in Highland Park. The gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 9-4:30 and on Sunday, by appointment. All of the works on exhibition are available for purchase.

The Art Center-Highland Park is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of contemporary fine art through exhibitions by both established and emerging artists. We foster creativity through the experience and discussion of fine art and offer 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.