human ~ a national juried exhibition

Above is an image of Young Suk James Kim's "Expulsion" which was just one of the pieces acquired for The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago's Permanent Fine Art Collection. It became a part of the school's collection as a purchase award during a show titled "The Human Form" which was presented at Gallery 350 from July 31 - September 6, 2006. Well, It's time to explore figurative imagery, once again, with "human" a national juried exhibition, which will run at Gallery 180 from January 16 through March 1, 2012. The Deadline for entry [received] is Saturday, October 15.

This National Juried Exhibition is open to all artists, living or working in the US. Work must be original. All media except video and installation are eligible. Sculpture is encouraged. No size restrictions. Each artist may submit up to 3 pieces for the entry fee of $30.

The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago will purchase at least one piece from the exhibition for inclusion into the school’s Permanent Collection. The collection is diverse and can be viewed online at gallery180.com. The Purchase Award/s will be selected by committee and will be announced at the opening reception.

All submitted works must be for sale. The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago will retain a 50% commission from all purchases made during the exhibition. A portion of the commission will be donated to Heartland Alliance for their work in Human Rights. The exhibition will be highly publicized. A color exhibition catalog will be produced to help promote sales.

You can download the Exhibition Prospectus on the home page at gallery180.com

Image: From The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago Corporate Collection: Young Suk James Kim, "Expulsion" oil, 56" x 66"
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Tom Torluemke ~ Precious and Few

Tom Torluemke's exhibition, titled "Precious and Few", will open at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago on August 5th. This incredible body of work is filled with imagery laced in surrealistic fantasy. Torluemke uses this strange and beautiful realism to convey his thoughts on current events as well as presenting the emotions that define humanity. Torluemke writes:

"With the exception of the two paintings each depicting a couple kissing, my works are motivated or inspired by the desire to combine ideas, thoughts, emotions and feelings for the creation of a painting so that those thoughts and emotions, etc. are turned expressively into a material form.

Life's complicated. Its range is vast. I don't understand it, I only sense there's some rhythm to it. Much of which is near invisible, or at least I can't describe it with words. So I choose to use images, color and shapes to come as close as I can to the mystery of life. Once I think I'm close to it, it's like it was a mirage, I rub my eyes to see if it's real and it's gone again.

Back to the kissing paintings, what I do best. When life gets too difficult, I think of a tender, loving moment. That's why I make those."

The paintings of Tom Torluemke will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through August 31. Previews begin on July 26th. An Opening Reception will take place on Friday, August 5 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: At Home 2007, [kissing], oil on canvas, 70 x 54.5", $12,000.00

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Roberta Kozuch ~ Layers

Opening June 8th for preview, Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago will present the multi layered paintings of Roberta Kozuch.

Influenced by the International Style of design, each piece in this series of paintings references a strong grid system. Much of the imagery is created by combining strips of re-purposed paint-splashed canvas, found typography and found imagery. The paintings are then reevaluated and reworked into powerful statements of pattern and texture. Kozuch explains...

“The paintings become representations of the experiences we encounter as we move through our lives—and the layers of experiences, which make us who we are.”

The work of Roberta Kozuch will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through July 22. An Opening Reception will take place on Friday, June 10 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
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George Billis Gallery at Art Chicago

April 29 - May 2, 2011, Opening Preview April 28
The Merchandise Mart, 12th Floor

The George Billis Gallery [New York and LA] will be representing my work, this year, at Art Chicago. Art Chicago, the annual international fair of contemporary and modern art, brings together the world's leading emerging and established galleries. Art Chicago offers curators, collectors, artists and art enthusiasts a comprehensive survey of current and historic work, from cutting-edge to modern masters in a wide variety of media including: painting, photography, drawings, prints, sculpture, video and special installations.

The show runs through Monday, May 2. Tickets are valid for Art Chicago, NEXT, and the Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair. Adults: $20 daily or $25 multi-day pass... Seniors, Students or Groups: $15 multi-day pass, Children 12 and under are free. It's an amazing event... wear comfortable shoes!

Image: Charles Gniech, "Quiet Surface I", 24" x 24", acrylic on canvas
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Vintage Polish Poster Exhibition at CONNECT

The Spring CONNECT Graphic Design Conference will be held at the Merchandise Mart Conference Center on Thursday and Friday, May 5 & 6. The event kicks off at 6pm on Thursday evening with a screening of the documentary, "Freedom on the Fence". Executive Producer and Prominent collector of Polish posters, Martin Rosenberg, will introduce the film and further discuss the topic at the film's conclusion.

Freedom on the Fence is a 40-minute documentary about the history of Polish posters and their significance to the social, political and cultural life of Poland. The film examines the period from WWII through the fall of Communism, and captures the paradox of how this unique art form flourished within a Communist regime. The documentary contains interviews with older and younger generations of poster artists, examples of past and current poster work, historic and current film footage of where and how the poster is viewed, and commentaries from both American and Polish scholars and artists on the significance of the Polish poster as a cultural icon. Directed by Glenn Holsten and Andrea Marks, Executive Producer: Martin Rosenberg, Producer: Andrea Marks.

The CONNECT conference concludes on Friday evening with a reception for the Vintage Polish Poster exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. The reception is from 5:30-7:30pm. Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago's Loop. Posters included in the exhibition are available for purchase. All of these events are free to the public.

You can find additional information on the CONNECT Graphic Design Conference at ai-connect.com
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Tom Torluemke ~ Save the Date

I first became aware of Tom Torluemke’s work while attending a dinner party at a friend’s home. Looking at two large canvases in the host’s personal collection, I was intrigued. I was introduced to the artist at another social event, which allowed me an opportunity to connect a face with the work that had captured my interest. It seemed obvious to me that we would be working together in the future. Since then, I kept Torluemke's work on my short list for exhibiting at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. A few weeks ago, I finally had the opportunity to visit with Torluemke at his amazing home and studio in Indiana.

Torluemke is an intriguing artist. After showing me around his space, we sat in his studio and talked about the work. We eventually began exploring the stacks of paintings, which surrounded us.

Torluemke’s canvases are composed of multiple-layered components. Surreal in a dreamlike collage of imagery—one element melting into the next—the work thrusts the viewer into an environment of psychological and social commentary. Torluemke's aesthetic transcends the concrete and allows for a fully developed voice within the context of his concern for truth and expressions of deep emotion, feeling and spirituality.

The work of Tom Torluemke will be on exhibit at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago from July 26 through August 31. A reception is scheduled for Friday, August 5, 5:30-7:30. Gallery 180 is located at the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop. The exhibition is free and all works are available for purchase. Save the date... It's going to be an amazing show!
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Marc Dimov and Carl Wilen at ZIA Gallery

This Friday, March 25th, ZIA Gallery will be opening an exhibition by artists Marc Dimov and Carl Wilen from 5-7:30pm

Marc Dimov is exhibiting a series of photographs dealing with the subject of fish and sustainability. Through an artist's residency, Dimov photographed fish at a a wholesale seafood distributor. Approaching the warehouse, with 5 photographic prints of fish, he expressed that he wanted to photograph their inventory. Once he mentioned that the work was about sustainable fishing practices, they immediately gave him charge of their facility. Each fish was photographed individually with the fins meticulously spread open to highlight the beauty of the animals. It's interesting work... a—must see—exhibition.

Carl Wilen has been creating art for more than 45 years. The ZIA Gallery exhibition gives a taste of the artist's imaginative range of two and three-dimensional—evocative and clearly personal—fine art.

The exhibition continues through April 30th. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday, 10 - 5. It is located 2 blocks from Winnetka's Metra Station. ZIA Gallery is located at 548 Chestnut Street in Winnetka, Illinois. You can also find ZIA online at: ziagallery.net
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