The Art of Human Rights ~ ZIA Gallery

Foreground: Sheila Ganch, "Stature", stoneware with mason stains,  12 x 18 x 12"

I spent this past Sunday hanging "The Art of Human Rights" satellite exhibition at ZIA Gallery in Winnetka. The show opened today and will be on display through September 1st. All work is available for purchase. This beautiful exhibition includes; paintings, drawings, mixed media, photography and sculpture. 

“The Art of Human Rights" will be on display at ZIA Gallery, located at 548 Chestnut Street, Winnetka, IL 60093, through September 1. A catered reception will take place on Thursday, August 30 from 5-8:30. The exhibition is free and the work sold will benefit Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. 

The gallery is open from Monday through Saturday from 10-5. Additional information can be found at ziagallery.net or by calling 847.446.3970.
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Gallery H, Three Oaks, MI

Gallery H: Sheila Ganch sculpture, Charles Gniech: Anomaly, 40 x 60", acrylic on canvas

A number of years ago, I presented a series of large figurative paintings in a solo exhibition at the Fine Arts Building Gallery. The space included a secondary “members gallery” that presented one piece of work from each of the affiliated artists. After my solo show closed, I moved one the recently shown pieces—“The Actor Sleeps” to the “members gallery”. The substantial painting was eight-feet tall, four-feet wide, and dominated the space.

At the reception for the following exhibition—the work of Grace Cole, if I remember correctly—I was working the front desk. And that’s when I met Nancy Hoffman.

A beautiful woman approached me and asked about the very large painting in the members gallery. She asked me who the artist was and I smiled, extended my hand, and introduced myself. She responded in kind, and after some conversation, Nancy scheduled a meeting to see additional work. She later purchased “The Actor Sleeps” and with a common love for art, we became friends.

Nancy Hoffman is the Director of Gallery H in Three Oaks, Michigan. After seeing my recent exhibition at Gallery 180, she requested some of my work for her Michigan gallery. I was happy to be included. 

Gallery H: Sheila Oettinger, sculpture, Charles Gniech "Rise" 40 x 40" acrylic on canvas

I drove up to Three Oaks last week to deliver the work. Three Oaks is a little town located a few minutes over the Indiana – Michigan Border. The surrounding area is inhabited by the summer homes of Chicago’s affluent. The perfect getaway, Harbor Country offers its residents a quick and peaceful retreat from the chaos of their busy lives in the city. The area includes the beautiful Lake Michigan beaches, plenty of restaurants, antiques, and—or course—fine art.

Being a Curator, I helped to install the current exhibition at Gallery H, which includes the work of Deanna Krueger, Richard Laurent, Sheila Ganch, Audry Cramblit and Andrea Harris. The various paintings and sculptures work seamlessly to create a space of peaceful contemplation. The superior quality of the fine art presented, has resulted in a stellar reputation for Hoffman and her gallery. If you have an opportunity to head up to Harbor Country, take the time to explore Gallery H located at 15 S. Elm, Three Oaks, Michigan. It’s worth the trip. 

Gallery H: Sheila Ganch sculpture in the foreground Charles Gniech paintings

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James Deeb ~ Coming Soon to Gallery 180

Liar, oil on canvas, 20" x 20"

Save the date: Friday, September 7th 5:30-7:30
Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago will present the dark and macabre works of James Deeb. The exhibition of oil paintings and monotypes will run from September 3 through November 1 with a catered reception on Friday, September 7 from 5:30-7:30.

Intrigued by the decay of the world around us, Deeb presents images inspired by the surface of a rusting paint-chipped girder or crumbling mortar and falling bricks. Although the work is inspired by the decay of the world around us, the imagery is typically figure-based, which seems to raise the question of the mortality of humanity, society and self. Deeb explains:

“My work is invested with [a] sense of fading, even when I’m working with a human face or figure. The painted skin is as chipped and scabbed as any weathered door.” “…And as absurd as it may sound, I don’t find this negative or ‘dark’. It’s a release… One that is more comic than tragic.”

The paintings of James Deeb will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through November 1. Previews begin on September 4th. An Opening Reception will take place on Friday, September 7 from 5:30-7:30 pm. 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.

Daughters of Hecate, oil on board, 15" x 12"

Schiff and Tansley ~ Reception Friday

The reception for the Valerie Schiff and Jim Tansley exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago will be held this Friday from 5:30-7:30. The show is amazing. It is a mixture of Schiff’s passionate figure studies in stoneware, and abstract figures in bronze, combined with Tansley’s boldly painted colorful abstractions and elegant charcoal drawings… all inspired by nature. It’s a peaceful exhibition… and one that shouldn’t be missed. I hope to see you at the reception.

The paintings of Jim Tansley and the sculpture of Valerie Schiff will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through August 30. A public reception will take place on Friday, August 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm.  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.

Igor & Marina ~ Chicago Cultural Center

Walkers XVI (Rhinoceros), 2008, oil on canvas, 68 x 48"

Knowing that the shows had changed, I dropped by the Chicago Cultural Center this weekend, to see what was new in the Michigan Avenue Galleries. The Michigan Avenue Galleries are three exhibition spaces on the main floor of the Cultural Center. They typically show though-provoking work by some local artists.

When I entered, I was greeted by an unexpected surprise… Making my way to the second of three galleries, I was faced with paintings by the painting duo, Igor & Marina. I had been introduced to the work of Igor Kozlovsky and Marina Sharapova roughly ten years earlier, when I juried one of their paintings into an exhibition presented at The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. Since then, I have followed the work of this husband and wife collaborative team—mostly via the Thomas Masters gallery on North Avenue. The artists seem to have left Master’s Gallery and are currently represented by KL Fine Arts Gallery in Chicago.

The five paintings in the Igor & Marina exhibition are from the “Walker” series, which references various segments of the history of fine art. Movement has been a subject in art throughout time. The presentation of movement was attempted within cave paintings and Egyptian sculpture, through the onset of photography and into film. The subject of motion continues in fine art today. From the artist statement…

“Our project, “Walkers,” is meant to open a new chapter in the long history of painterly images of motion. We propose to build on a series of works we have been creating over the past 4 years, works that in their painterly technique synthesize many past epochs of artistic achievement in new and compelling ways. In particular, our exploration of the paradoxical relationship of motion and stasis is paralleled by a simultaneous consideration of the relationship between abstract and figurative art and between conventionality and verisimilitude. 

If you’re in Chicago, take some time to see this work. While in the Cultural Center, there is also a truly interesting photography show by Patty Carroll, in the adjacent gallery. Carroll’s show is titled “Anonymous Women”. That work is also pretty amazing.

        

Maggie Meiners ~ ...Day to Day Life

Maggie Meiners, "Great Grandmum"

There are just a few days left to see the Maggie Meiners exhibition, "Vignettes of Day to Day Life", at ZIA Gallery in Winettka. The show presents a series of compositionally-exciting unconventional portraits observed from Meiners' everyday life. The images are large, creating strong visual impact. Meiners' defines the work on her newly-revised web site and I've included it—in part—here...

Every person has aspects of their life that they would prefer to deny or disguise. Here, each vignette is filled with the accoutrements of my day-to-day life. While I greatly admire the works of Cindy Sherman and Tina Barney, I have chosen to capture the events around me as they happen, rather than setting a stage or directing. These works remain personal observations commenting on my own life story, while nodding toward the multiplicities that comprise the totality of every human experience.

As an artist in an unexpected socio-economic construct, I have found that my journey and those of my peers, is no different than those who may be from a different demographic.  Looking clearly and unapologetically at these various roles has afforded me a larger view of the human condition; and an awareness of the self we expose and the self we keep private.

Don't miss this exhibition. "Vignettes of Day to Day Life" continues at ZIA Gallery through July 28th. ZIA Gallery is located at 548 Chestnut Street in Winnetka, IL. The gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 10-5. Additional work by Maggie Meiners can be seen at: maggiemeiners.com

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Schiff and Tansley at Gallery 180

Foreground: Valerie Schiff, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", stoneware, 20" x 11" x 11", $2,800

This past weekend, I installed the Valerie Schiff and Jim Tansley exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. Being the fishbowl that it is—with great exposure to both Lake Street and Wabash—the installation was repeatedly interrupted by interested passersby. Inquisitive patrons would wonder into the gallery to get that “first look” at the work… even though it was still resting on the floor—awaiting final placement. The numerous conversations resulted in a commission for Schiff and a probable sale for Tansley.

But then again, it’s expected… the show is amazing. The included work is a mixture of Schiff’s passionate figure studies in stoneware, and abstract figures in bronze, combined with Tansley’s boldly painted colorful abstractions and elegant charcoal drawings… all inspired by nature. It’s a peaceful exhibition… and one that shouldn’t be missed.

The paintings of Jim Tansley and the sculpture of Valerie Schiff will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through August 30. A public reception will take place on Friday, August 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm.  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.

Foreground: Jim Tansley, "Dialog of Hemispheres", acrylic on canvas, 48" x 72", $6,500