Farewell to WMG’s First Exhibitions of 2013

Reflections on Public/Private, Exquisite Uterus Project and solo show by Julia Ris

January 18-February 21, 2013        

Woman Made Gallery 2013 exhibition season began with three simultaneous and equally stimulating shows.

“Public/Private”

Felicia Diaz – Monotony: Self-Portrait
pastel on mat board
35 x 28 inches

“Public/Private” a group exhibition with 32 works by 29 artists, explored a unique juxtaposition between private experiences, thoughts, and emotions, and the public world. Each piece is a personal testament to how the public and private spheres of our lives are now endlessly intertwined via television, advances in technology, and social media.

In a society filled with texting, news feeds, and tweets, it’s becoming more and more difficult to

have a conversation face to face. Social media and technology as a whole have, unfortunately, turned us into impersonal creatures. In some ways, these things have allowed us to possess a voice without a face. In turn, it’s gotten harder to share things with others on a personal level without the crutch of a phone, laptop or tablet.

Felicia Diaz’s Monotony: Self Portrait is a unique response to this phenomenon. She writes, “My work deals directly with the struggle of individuals to present themselves to the public world in a way that is both honest and fulfilling. In society, I feel that the process of how to act in various social settings has become more confusing and convoluted than ever before, because of things like social media and the growth of technology.”  In her work, Diaz wants the viewer to sense the disconnect and struggle to see who the person being depicted really is behind all the layers. http://feliciadiaz.com/

Patricia Bellan-Gillen- Doubt/Beautiful Wound
digital print with colored pencil
20 x 29 inches

In an artistic interpretation that is similar to Diaz’s but with less emphasis on social media and its effect on the individual, Patricia Bellan-Gillen states, “Front and center in the living room of our homes for decades and now often in every room and beyond, the television screen stands like an animated idol in our lives: a contemporary totem to our “Ojo de Dios”. The ubiquitous television has brought the public into our private lives and the private into our public sphere.” To learn more about Patricia Bellan-Gillen and her work, visit http://patriciabellangillen.com/

Meredith and Anna

In their performance “Best/Worst” Meredith Weber and Anna Trier invite the public to display their day-to-day emotions through the distribution of balloons. They explain, “In an age where our thoughts, moods and whims are constantly being broadcast via social media, “Best/Worst” seeks to visualize these exclamations. During the opening reception, both Meredith and Anna distributed the balloons outside of WMG, allowing pedestrians to select their balloon “Best or Worst, Fucking Day Ever”. Afterward, they installed the additional balloons inside the gallery and continued to distribute them to gallery visitors.

Best/Worst- performance

This performance serves as both a parody of the daily public airing of private feelings and experiences that so many of us participate in when we use social media, as well as an exercise in regaining our autonomy in choosing what we do decide to make public. The balloons can be used as sarcastic or literal interpretations of our internal lives, displayed proudly for anyone to see. For more on Meredith and Anna visit http://www.meredithandanna.us/

Public/Private exhibiting artists included Patricia Bellan-Gillen, Corinna Button, Elena Dahl, Felicia Diaz, Hannah Fehrman, Aidan Fitzpatrick, Anja Foerschner, Ghislaine Fremaux, Lizeth Gamboa, Alexandra Goode, Magdalene Gorecki-Eisenberg, Leah Gose and Ashlae Shepler, Kathy Halper, Eric Rachel Hudak, Robin James, Aunia Kahn, A. Keitz, Careen Joplin Langstieh, Sioban Snyder, Meredith Weber and Anna Trier, Jennifer Weigel, Jean Davey Winter, and Sarah B. Woods.

“Exquisite Uterus Project” - In conjunction with “Public/Private”, the lower level of Woman Made Gallery hosted over 150 interpretations of uteri, made by both artists and non-artists.

The exhibition has its origins in reaction to what is being called the most current ‘War on Women’, from which fiber artist and educator Alison Gates and Helen Klebesadel decided to offer feminists the opportunity to participate in this collaborative art project. The goal was to channel some of the rage experienced in response to the attacks on women’s reproductive health in this increasingly political environment.

Kathleen Buchanan – Don’t Tread on Me
mixed media
12 x 12 inches

The “public/private” theme connects with this exhibition as well, in that the female reproductive system is a very personal topic, yet it is continuously exploited by the politicians who are turning it into a public dispute.

Curators Gates and Klebesadel write,”We have a vision for a world where every woman is free to decide whether and when to have children; where every woman has access to the best reproductive healthcare available; where every woman can exercise her choices without coercion or discrimination. It turned out others share that vision too, and within the limits of the project these creatives have expressed their perspective on the issues in fiber, paint, bead, and sequins. The response has been awe inspiring.”

Solo Show: Julia Ris

Julia Ris – Awry
encaustic on board
48 x 36 inches

The third and final exhibition at Woman Made Gallery was a refreshing break from the interrogative nature of Public/Private and The Exquisite Uterus Project. Chicago Artist Julia Ris exhibited encaustic work in her solo show entitled, “Working the Angles: The Julia Set”.

Ris’s painting “Scaffold” won first prize back in May 2011 in WMG’s “Abstractions” exhibition juried by Sandra Perlow, and she was awarded this solo show. Ris’s work has been exhibited at other galleries in the Chicago area as well.

Ris’s work is beautifully crafted with a myriad of bold colors and shapes, some structured and geometric, others purely organic. The combination created a visually stimulating and lively space with an energetic urban feel in the gallery. Not to mention it smelled wonderful!

Julia Ris – Cut Away
encaustic on board
12 x 12 inches

Ris comments, “More and more over the years I find myself drawn to the complexity and surprise of what lies beneath the surface. I build the layers. I’m compelled to scratch through to expose what is alluded to or hidden. Though I love oils, the immediacy of the encaustic medium has a huge appeal and allows me to layer, scratch through and build up surfaces. Wielding a blowtorch adds to the thrill.”

More on Julia Ris can be found at www.juliaris.com and www.fusedchicago.org/interviews/featured-artist-julia-ris/

Although we are sad to see these exhibitions go, we are looking forward to welcoming the 16^th International Open and concurrent solo shows, on display from March 1^st through April 25^th.

- Nichole Wallace,  Gallery Intern

“Women Working in Clay” and “State of G/Race” by Sapphire and Crystals

State of G/Race Opening on November 9, 2012

20 Years Strong: Women Working in Clay | Sapphire and Crystals: State of G/Race | November 9 – December 23, 2012

In celebration of WMG’s 20th Anniversary, we are hosting two fabulous exhibitions: “State of G/Race” with work by Sapphire and Crystals, a collective of professional African American women artists in Chicago, and “20 Years Strong: Women Working in Clay” on display at the lower level of the Gallery.

“Women Working in Clay” Opening with Gail Holmberg, Linda Hillman and Joan Friedberger in front of Virginia Scotchie’s ceramic wall installation.

20 Years Strong: Women Working in Clay includes work by 21 clay artists from all over the U.S. The show demonstrates the varied and powerful contributions women ceramic artists make to the art world. Entries were curated by Linda Hillman, a ceramics artist who holds a B.A. in Art and Art History, a M.S. in Visual Communication from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a M.S. in Applied Linguistics from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

In her curatorial statement, Linda Hillman writes: “My vision has been to showcase the conceptual strength, beauty, and skill women demonstrate in their ceramic work—the contemporary vessel, the quotidian pot, sculpture, and figuration. It is a big goal and women’s contributions to the art world are wider than this show can accommodate. However, ‘Women Working in Clay’ is a tribute to women who have forged a place for themselves and others in ceramics.

”Included are ceramic works by Mary Barringer, Meredith Brickell, Linda Christianson, Anne Currier, Andrea Gill, Silvie Granatelli, Jan McKeachie Johnston, Gail Kendall, Eva Kwong, Winnie Owens-Hart, Donna Polseno, Angelica Pozo, Liz Quackenbush, Annabeth Rosen, Virginia Scotchie, Ellen Shankin, Linda Sikora, Sandy Simon, Susanne Stephenson, Jerilyn Virden, and Paula Colton Winokur.

A State of G/Race is a group exhibition  featuring art by Sapphire and Crystals, a collective of professional African American women artists in Chicago who are celebrating their 25th Anniversary. It includes new art work addressing the theme, and a collaborative altar installation.

“State of G/Race” Opening
Joyce Owens (right) with Shyvette Williams

Conceived initially by Marva Pitchford Jolly and Felicia Grant Preston, the idea that women artists of African descent produce their own shows resulted in the collective’s first exhibition at the historic South Side Community Art Century (SSCAC) in 1987, with the second exhibition following at Nicole Gallery in Chicago’s River North in 1988. Throughout its 25 year history Sapphire and Crystals has held exhibitions at many galleries and art centers within the city and beyond. The individual personal work by each member addressing various themes such as race and gender, limited palettes, and honoring their pasts, exemplifies the diversity within the group. The signature self-portrait silent auction takes bids during the opening reception and presents affordable collecting opportunities for visitors on the first night only. The collaborative site-specific altar installation is an exhibit feature distinct to this collective.

Curator, Joyce Owens earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. A professor of painting and drawing at Chicago State University, she also curates for the two on-campus galleries. Owens has been sought out to jury fine art exhibitions and art fairs at the Museum of Science and Industry, The DuSable Museum, the Women’s Caucus for Art and The Wells Street Art Fair to name a few. Owens serves on the Advisory Committee for the Department of Cultural Affair’s Chicago Artists Month since 2002. She consults with the Chicago Artists Coalition, and is on the Advisory Board of Woman Made Gallery. Owens is an associate editor for The Journal of African American History.

Included are works in a variety of media by Rose Blouin, Makeba Kedem Dubose, Juarez Hawkins, Renee Williams Jefferson, Marva Pitchford Jolly, Joyce Owens, Felicia Grant Preston, Joanne Scott, Patricia Stewart, Dorian Sylvain, Shirley J. Sullivan, Pearlie Taylor, Arlene Turner-Crawford, Rhonda Wheatley, Shahar Caren Weaver, and Shyvette Williams.

Sapphire and Crystals will be hosting a special event on December 15th from 12 to 5 p.m. which includes a fine art sale and a film screening in honor and memory of Marva Jolly who recently passed away. Mudpeoples: A Portrait of Clay Artist Marva Jolly, by Shuli Eshel will be shown at 2:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

 

During the opening reception on November 9th I had the pleasure of viewing amazing art by so many talented individuals, individuals that you would be proud to know. These women show incredible diversity and integrity in their work. I can only hope to one day be as established and accomplished as they are.

“State of G/Race” Opening
with artwork by Patricia Stewart

-Lola Ogbara, Gallery Intern

20 Neighborhoods Comes to a Close… for a moment.

Possibilities for Phase 2, and Reflection on the Final Exhibition

Closing event

On November 1^st, 20 Neighborhoods community members, including Teaching Artists, participating Artists, and Partner Organization representatives, gathered at Woman Made Gallery to say goodbye to the 20 Neighborhoods Exhibition. This final meeting marked the end of the project’s first phase, which included the curriculum design sessions and teacher trainings in the Spring, the Summer art-making workshops that took place across the city, the citywide gatherings at Woman Made Gallery, and the exhibition.

We used the time together to reflect on the project thus far and discuss the development of a “Phase 2”, to take place in 2013. At the end of the evening we dismantled the collaborative fiber installation in the gallery’s atrium, cutting fabric pieces and untying braids as mementos to take home.

What’s Next?

With over 25 people present, the anecdotes and prescriptions based on the past experience of the project, as well as dreams for what will come next, were many and varied. In looking back, a number of people expressed that the “professional” setting of Woman Made Gallery elevated and validated their experience of art making and presentation, as well as community building.

In terms of art-making, there seemed to be a general consensus that if we are going to pursue another project that involves art workshops, then we need to build in more studio time for both skill-learning and art-creation, as well as pursue more better funding for more abundant materials.

As we talked about the concrete ways in which community building took place, both in the individual workshop groups and in the gallery as a whole, it became clear that many are interested in deepening those connections with other groups across the city. Taking the difficulties of geography and transportation into consideration, many ideas for a Phase 2 focused on leveraging the new connections and networks created through the project in order to group two or more partner organizations that could create and/ or exhibit artwork together, both at Woman Made and other gallery spaces throughout the city, as well as perhaps outdoors.

Exhibition Event Series

This meeting was also the last event in a month-long series that accompanied the October exhibition. In summary:

Poetry Reading - On October 18^th we held a poetry reading, which included both a reading of original poetry by participating artist Victoria Rowels who worked with South Side Community Arts Center, as well as research and poetry from the poets Emily Dickinson and Audre Lorde by participating artist Sharon Stillwell from Mercy Housing South Loop Apartments. Stillwell’s exploration of Dickinson and Lorde, while fascinating on its own, also provided an interesting historical context for Rowels’s original poetry, which focuses on the history of African Americans in the U.S., and connects it to present-day violence and activism in Black communities.

Film Screening and Discussion: The Invisible War - On October we screened “The Invisible War”, a documentary on the epidemic of rape and sexual assault within the U.S. military. This was followed by a discussion with Sabrina Waller, member of Iraq Vets Against the War and participating artist with Living Art Center’s Women Vets Art Group. In conversation with Art Therapist and Teaching Artist Suellen Semekoski, Waller spoke about her own military history and subsequent anti-war activism and art making. She highlighted the importance of art therapy in treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and ended with a reflection on how veterans are very well-positioned to be peace activists, asking: “If veterans can define non-violence, what else can they do?”

 Artist Talk: Victoria Martinez - On October 20th, Victoria Martinez, Teaching Artist at Yollocalli in Pilsen, and designer of the collaborative fiber installation for the 20 Neighborhoods Exhibition, gave an artist talk in which she discussed her art practice and shared images of past and current work. She also talked about her work as an art teacher in various schools and organizations across the city. She reflected on her use of found fabric and fibers, particularly in the context of her site-specific work. She also contrasted the more horizontal and adult-centered environment that she had to navigate when she designed and directed the 20 Neighborhoods fiber installation, with the classroom settings she is used to as a teaching artist working with children and teens.

Panel Discussion: Creating Community Beyond Place - Finally, on October 27th, we hosted a panel discussion, moderated by Suellen Semekoski (Women Vets Art Group). Entitled “Creating Community Beyond Place”, the event featured 20 Neighborhoods Artists from Partner Organizations that focus on building community beyond geographic place. From Arts of Life we had Frances Roberts and Jean Wilson with Caitlin Law, their Arts Coordinator. From Center on Halsted we had Cassandra Herring, Louise Klie, Eva Skye, and Teaching Artist Veronica Stein. And from the Women Vets Art Group we had Emily Siefken and Sabrina Waller.

The main inquiry was: how does art-making help us connect through shared experiences and identities? Panelists shared ideas and stories about how art making has inspired both personal autonomy and interpersonal exchange. The discussion was quite candid, with panelists bringing up artistic and emotional breakthroughs and at times painful pieces of personal history. The most compelling moments included an exchange between Cassandra Herring, who is active duty military, and the two women veterans in the room who are both anti-war activists, as well as Eva Skye’s explanation of what geographic space means to her as a transgender person, particularly in terms of personal safety. We ended with a reflection on what it feels like to be truly in community with others.

And now…

In the spirit of that “community feeling”, we are looking forward to continuing the development of “20 Neighborhoods: Phase 2” with the now more-solidified community that formed through Phase 1. We are anticipating some beautiful and unexpected changes as a result of this shift in context.

After a little break, we are excited to move ahead in December, using the same collaborative and participatory design process of surveys and meetings that we used to create “Phase 1”. Keep an eye out for updates on the project’s evolution, and as always, feel free to get in touch with questions and ideas!

–Ruby Thorkelson, 20 Neighborhoods Project Director & Gallery Coordinator

For more information on the 20 Neighborhoods Project, check out:

• 20 Neighborhoods Documentary
• 20 Neighborhoods Exhibition Catalog
• 20 Neighborhoods Online Gallery

 

20 Neighborhoods with AG47

Teaching Assistant Elyse Schauer tells us about the workshops with AG47

August 12, 2012

AG47 had it’s first workshop at Create Counseling Center in Logan Square on Saturday, August 11th. Three women visual and performance artists who mentor pre-teen and teenage girls through AG47, came together with fellow AG47 mentor, Katherine Robinson, to make assemblage sculptures that reflect the 20 Neighborhoods project’s themes of self, home, community/neighborhood, and world. The Create Counseling Center art therapy clinic has generously donated their space for us to use throughout the project.

We began by asking the questions “What does community mean to you” and “What makes you safe to make art?” on paper on the walls, leaving free room for artists to respond. After a brief discussion on the points that came up, we did some performance exercises in the hallway, which helped everyone get acquainted and loosen up. Next there were brief demos on gel medium and packing tape transfers, to be used to create collages.

The last half of the time was an open studio hour, with the goal of each participant creating 5-6 “artist trading cards”- brief examples of our art that we could trade with each other. It was great to begin making work so quickly, with a quick project in mind, and not a lot of pressure. Our magazines, glue, and oil pastels provided plenty of inspiration. At the end of the class, we all went home with trading cards from our fellow artists- a great way to begin an art making journey together.

Next week we will bring objects related to the project’s first theme of Self, and begin planning our sculptures.

20 Neigborhoods at Enlace Chicago

Teaching Artist Olga Maria Marroquín tells us about the workshops at Enlace Chicago

August 26, 2012

Class 1: The first class got off to a great start, we had three ladies who were enthusiastic and willing to share their stories and experiences as they related to Woman Made Gallery’s theme. We talked about the concept of the workshops, the objective of having them and the impact we hoped to obtain by digging into ourselves and creating art based on our experiences and hopes. We broke down each word and talked about what it meant to us personally as well as what came to mind when pondered on it. I encouraged the women to also think about abstract images as they reflected on each word.

We then used the “where I’m from” exercise to get to know each other. One of the ladies said “this will help us get to know things about ourselves we didn’t even know!” I really liked that she said that because I personally feel like older Hispanic women are not encouraged enough to take time and contemplate what it is that really inspires us as well as what weighs us down. The three women all had a lot in common but most of all they all talked about growing up on a ranch in Mexico and the beauty as well as the difficulties of being a woman when you grow up on a ranch. At this point we did start to hit some emotional turf as one of the ladies described the unfairness, bias and macho mentality her grandfather (who owned the ranch) portrayed as she grew up there. The two other ladies came in and out of conversation sharing their similarities in the story. Although all this was personal to them, nothing was taken to a sour place. Everything was talked about in a conversation tone and we ended up losing track of time.

Class 2: Our second class wasn’t as productive as unfortunately just one of the women was able to make it. I spoke to Hector and asked if he could check in with the other two. Sadly we had to cancel class for the day since the other women were not able to attend.

Class 3: Focused on: “Self” We had one of the original participants come in (Yolanda) with her young daughter Crystal as well as a new lady (Teresa)… I had copies made of the words they came up with at the 1st session describing what “Self, Home, Community and City/World” meant to them. I gave Teresa and Crystal a little back-ground of what the projects concept is. They started to cut out pictures from magazines that reflected “Self” and likes, hopes, or interests. We then took turns to describe what each cut-out meant to us and why we chose it. Crystal was a little apprehensive at first to speak, but once we started the conversation circle, she felt comfortable enough to share. It was interesting to see both mother and daughter describe their likes and aspirations for a garden. They had both picked out images with grass and flowers on them. I then had the ladies select postcards from our art resources that most sparked their interests or reminded them of a child hood experience. My helper Laura picked out a cactus postcard and described her road trips to Mexico when she was younger. Teresa said she too could relate to that. We then took our magazine cut-outs and I showed them how to do the packing tape transfer technique. They thought it was very cool.

 Class 4: Focused on: “Home” Today I had participants bring in pictures from home. I showed them how to do the gel medium transfer and my helper Laura showed them how to make their magazine cut-outs into plastic like form also using the gel medium. I introduced them to some of the textiles from our resources and had them choose a couple to incorporate to their boxes that reflected elements in their home. Also, Angelica from class #1 made it in and we got her up to speed. I’m happy I finally remembered to take some photos.