Having just moved to Chicago from California a little over a month ago, I see every gallery, studio, and art-related event that I attend with the fresh eyes of a newcomer.  The sheer enormity of the art scene in Chicago is awe-inspiring, and reminds me why I moved here.  Hoping to see a large amount of artwork without having to travel from gallery to gallery, I decided to visit the Flat Iron Arts Building during its monthly First Friday Event in Wicker Park/Bucktown.  Knowing that it involved open studios, I decided to dress casually and was glad that I did; the vibe there is definitely—refreshingly—laid back.    

Upon first entering the building, there is an information desk with flyers, artists’ cards, and a collection for the suggested five dollar donation.  From there, visitors are free to explore three floors—each a maze of hallways lined with art that lead to a variety of studios and galleries.

In many mainstream art venues, in order to meet the artist you must attend the opening reception—and even then, sometimes you aren’t so lucky (the artist may be busy or out of town).  The Flat Iron Arts Building differs from traditional art galleries, since studios are relaxed places where the artists can work.  Although the artists in the building are primarily up-and-coming, I was pleased that they were all present during studio hours, and friendly as that!  I was able to chat with artists not only about their work, but about the local art scene as well. 

Being an up-and-coming painter myself, I was curious about the venue; how does one get his/her work exhibited there?  Rather easily, as it turns out.  I was guided toward an in-the-know individual who kindly told me that if I filled out a liability form, I was welcome to hang my work there next month.  This came as a surprise because although I have been to open studio events in California, they were not on the same (massive) scale as the Flat Iron Arts Building, and if you were not a tenant of the studio building, your work could not be shown there. 

In addition to being a destination for discovering new artists, the Flat Iron Arts Building is also a place where you can give creativity a try yourself.  Through discussion, I learned about the existence of life-drawing classes that are open to the general public, hosted by tenants in the building.  Being a figurative artist, this sparked my interest, both as a drawing exercise and a way to meet other young artists in the area. 

A few weeks after my first visit, I’m still weighing the pros and cons of showing my work in this space.  Although I wasn’t given specifics about location, I got the impression that non-tenants are generally assigned to hallway areas, some of which are quite narrow and with a fair amount of foot traffic.  Because the monthly openings are casual events, the likelihood of meeting serious buyers could be low, and the risk of work getting damaged considerable (I have a recurring nightmare about someone spilling a glass of wine on my painting).  However, despite these potential drawbacks, the opportunity to get myself “out there” free of charge, in a comfortable, low-pressure environment seems well worth the risk. 

I think that the “all artists welcome” mantra of the Flat Iron Building is probably what steers some artists and patrons towards the facility, and others away.  For me, this all-inclusiveness is what I appreciate most about the venue. The Flat Iron Arts Building benefits local artists and the general public mutually; because of it, people can see the work of artists such as myself who have not yet been picked up by galleries or dealers. 
 

Michel Balasis, As If  (tenant)

Marketa Sivek, Red Sunflowers (tenant)

Photographer Christopher Schneberger’s new series Glimmer: The Haunting of the Graham House opens at Printworks Gallery this evening. While these photographs would be intriguing year round, Schneberger’s images are aptly haunting as we approach Halloween. 

The featured image of the show, Glimmer, shows a blonde teenage girl comfortably dressed in pajama-like attire sitting on the bathroom counter casually painting her toenails red, in what appears to be her own middle to upper-middle class bathroom with shiny, dark granite counters, clean white sinks, and matching white window trim. After a long second, the viewer notices a ghastly female figure seen only inside the mirror, next to the blond girl’s own reflection. One assumes that the blonde teenager is unaware of the ghoulish figure, but she could also be familiar with the haunting presence. In stark contrast to the richness of the rest of the photograph, and to the youth of the pajama-clad teen, the ghoulish girl, has grey, dead-looking skin, her dark hair swept away from her face. She is wearing a ruffled, flower-print dress that is certainly outdated by at least a century.

This photograph has an interesting back story. Schneberger had done a lot of research on ghosts, and he has exhibited them in previous photographs, usually showing them existing in physical rooms and spaces. For this series, the Graham family (name changed for secrecy) approached Schneberger and told him that “our ghost lives in the mirrors”, not in visible spaces. Skeptical of ghosts, but interested in the Grahams’ story Schneberger asked if he could move into the Grahams’ house to further investigate andhopefully photograph the supposed ghoul. At first Schneberger didn’t see any girl, and thought his skepticism was correct.  John, the dad, pleaded, “She doesn’t know you yet; sometimes I wish she didn’t know me.” After several visits Schneberger was ready to write this off as yet another hoax, until one evening when Sarah, the mom, called from the bathroom, “She’s here!” Schneberger ran to find a young woman in the mirror, as if she were standing next to Sarah.

Schneberger decided to move in after that, and the Grahams agreed. These series of photographs are from the two months the Graham family granted him full access to their Victorian home.

For further information on this photograph, please click here or visit the Printworks Gallery website.

Some of Schneberger's other photograph series include the following titles: Being Nowhere, Magic and Murder, A Case of Levitation, Croswell Twins, and Governess. If this Glimmer series doesn’t whet your ghoulish appetite, I’m not sure what will. Decide for yourself by visiting Printworks Gallery. The opening is tonight October 19, and the exhibition runs until November 24, 2012.

Glimmer Series, Christopher Schneberger

Glimmer Series, Christopher Schneberger

Glimmer Series, Christopher Schneberger

Bedrooms of the Fallen, Ashley Gilbertson, Sgt. Thomas M. Gilbert. 

Collateral Damage: The Human Face of War is on view now at Stephen Daiter Gallery through October 27.  The group exhibition features powerful imagery that examines significant issues and effects of war including post-traumatic stress, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, gender issues, the impact of war on an individual and on a family, and much more.  The subject matter of the exhibition is centered around conflicts of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the issues examined strike a much deeper chord, recounting past wars and more universal themes.

Men with War, Samantha Appleton, Praying in an Al-Quada Safe House, Ramadi, Iraq

Four accomplished photographers - Samantha Appleton, Vincent Cianni, Ashley Gilbertson, and Stephanie  Sinclair - have six projects on display, in addition to other historic war photographs by Dmitri Baltermants, Robert Capa, Werner Bischof, Wayne Miller.

Join the gallery for a reception with some of the artists this Sunday, September 23 from 10am - 1pm.  Contact the gallery or visit stephendaitergallery.com for more information about the exhibition.

Proceeds from sales of prints in the exhibition will benefit post-traumatic stress support groups such as Wounded Warriors.  In the case of sales of prints from the Gays in the Military series, funds will be sent to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization that advocates for LGBT personnel.

Pauline Simon, The Ocean, n.d.

There's still plenty of time to check out Karl Wirsum Eyeballs the Intuit Collection, an exhibition that celebrates artists expanding the imagination. The show closes on September 1.

Wirsum selected his favorite pieces from Intuit's permanent collection--a collection developed in 2002. Work by Pauline Simon and Pierre-Louis Prospère were also included in Wirsum's exhibition.

Wirsum has been an active member in Chicago's art scene since the 1960s, relying on a style that combines graphic imagery and humor. The collection for his ongoing show (which he has curated) mirrors these elements.

INTUIT's permanent collection.

From INTUIT's website: "Curator Karl Wirsum has “eyeballed” Intuit’s Permanent Collection to create an exhibition of his favorites. As a member of the Chicago Imagists group Hairy Who, he was instrumental in setting the tone for Chicago’s art scene in the 1960s."

The "Hairy Who" exhibition of 1964 at the Hyde Park Art Center firmly put Wirsum on the map. The group was a leading force in Chicago's contemporary art scene for decades.

INTUIT is the nation's only nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to present self-taught and outsider art. Its permanent collection houses more than 1,100 works of art.

Wirsum is an adjunct professor of painting and drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

A Gallery Walk with Wirsum will take place on August 11 at 1pm. Wirsum will explain his selections for his exhibit and discuss his feelings on being an artist on the other side of the canvas. The walk is free and open to the public.

Nevada Wier

Eight new artists headline the celebration of ZIA Gallery's second annual Artists Summer Group Exhibition starting August 3. The show will include photography, painting, collage and handmade paper, among other mediums.

"The beauty of a group exhibition is that it has the power to widen the scope of an art lover’s appreciation," an entry from ZIA Gallery's blog stated. "Individuals might attend a group show because they are interested in one artist’s work, and then discover five other artists whose work they enjoy just as much."

Zoriah Miller, Melissa Jay Craig, Tim Liddy, Dulce Pinzón, Richard Laurent, Jonathan Ricci, Nevada Wier, and Fumiko will be showing their work. Art World Chicago reported their work ranges from "Liddy’s trompe l’oeil, copper-constructed paintings of old game board box lids to Melissa Jay Craig’s handmade paper sculptures of mushroom books."

Last year's opening brought 150 patrons. This year's showcased work continues with a diverse offering of subjects and different ideas. Photographs documenting the human condition from internationally known Miller and abstract paintings from Ricci and Toda are among the show's highlights.

Opening reception begins Aug. 3 from 5-7:30pm. The exhibition ends Aug. 25.

ZIA Gallery is located in Winnetka at 548 Chestnut Street.