October is Chicago Artists Month: Celebrate the Visual Arts Community With Over 200 Neighborhood Art Walks, Studio Open Houses, Exhibitions and Events

Chicago Artists Month, organized by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, returns this October for its fourteenth year. The month-long event presents unique opportunities for the public to meet hundreds of Chicago visual artists at exhibitions, workshops, open studios, tours, neighborhood art walks and more in venues across the city. With over 200 program partners, Chicago Artists Month aims to showcase the extraordinary talent and vibrancy of Chicago‘s art community.

This year’s theme, Chicago Artist Month 2.0, refers to the concepts of interactivity and connectivity associated with Web 2.0, and it highlights the ways in which artists interact with their audiences, interface with other artists, and use technology in order to create and distribute their work – locally, globally, and virtually.

Each year, Chicago Artist Month spotlights a group of artists who embody the diversity of the community. Each is associated with an exhibition or event described below. They are nominated by the organizers of these programs and represent just a handful of the many artists participating in Chicago Artists Month. More information on these artists is available at chicagoartistsmonth.org.

These featured programs are only the beginning. Chicago Artists Month includes dozens of exhibitions and events in more than 40 Chicago neighborhoods. Some of the open studios, open houses, and art walks are highlighted below, but a full calendar of events is available at chicagoartistsmonth.org.

Chicago Artists Month 2009 is made possible through support provided by Bank of America, the Chicago Office of Tourism, 98.7WFMT and WTTW11, Time Out Chicago, Chicago Artists’ Coalition, and Chicago Gallery News. The official dining partner of Chicago Artists Month is Lettuce Entertain You® Enterprises, Inc.

Chicago Artsits Month Opening Celebration

• Honoring artist Barbara Crane and arts patron Ruth Horwich
• Thursday, October 1, 6-8 pm
• Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street

For her enduring career committed to stretching the boundaries of photography and her lifelong dedication to teaching, renowned photographer Barbara Crane is receiving the very first Ruth Horwich Award to a Famous Chicago Artist. Named for one of Chicago’s most steadfast art supporters, this award recognizes the enduring career of an esteemed Chicago artist. The Department of Cultural Affairs kicks off Chicago Artists Month with a tribute to these two extraordinary women. Join us for this celebration and the opening of Barbara Crane: Challenging Vision, a retrospective exhibition of her work.

Featured Artist Events

Each year, Chicago Artists Month spotlights a group of artists who embody the diversity of the community. Biographies and more information on these artists are available at chicagoartistsmonth.org.

Amanda Williams
Chicago Works: New Works by Amanda Williams

• October 2–November 4; Opening: October 2, 6-10 pm
• Three Peas Art Lounge, 75 E. 16th Street, 312.624.9414, threepeasartlouge.com

Inspired by Harold Washington’s campaign for a hardworking, functional city, Chicago’s South Side native Amanda Williams explores the blue collar mentality and work ethic and how it pervades racial and class lines. Included in the show is William’s “Receipt Project”, which features works generated by soliciting source materials from Facebook “friends” in exchange for a penny. “A Penny for your Thoughts” and its companion piece “Return on the Dollar” consider ideas of what “change” means in the Obama era while exploring the double meanings of “change” and “exchange” with regards to money and evolution.

S. Hill-Sanchez
Interface

• October 2–30; Opening: October 2 (The Exchange Project) & October 30 (Derivatives) 6-9 pm
• Artist Lecture Series: October 6 & 20, 6:30-8:30 pm; Open Studios: October 17–18, 10 am-4 pm
• River East Art Center, 435 E. Illinois Street, Suite 030, 312.321.1001, rivereastartcenter.com

Meet the River East Art Center (REAC) resident artists during a month-long program that explores how artists, artworks, and audience interface with one another. In The Exchange Project exhibition, see the evolution and results of collaborations between REAC resident artists working in pairs across media.

Opening at the end of the month, the Derivatives group show highlights the relationship between works by REAC’s resident artists and correlating pieces created in response by other Chicago artists, writers, and even musicians. Hear the artists’ stories behind these collaborative shows at the lecture series, and get your hands dirty as you experiment with clay, metals, charcoal, and paint during interactive demonstrations at the open studios weekend. Artists include Tara Fadenrecht and S. Hill-Sanchez.

Jason Salavon
Re:figure, A Contemporary Look at Figurative Representation in Art

• September 8–October 30; Opening: September 10, 5-8 pm
• Glass Curtain Gallery at Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash Avenue, 1st Floor, 312.369.6643
• colum.edu/STUDENT_LIFE/EXHIBITIONS/DEPS/Glass_Curtains_Gallery.php

See how artists use new technology and old media in new ways to reconsider the human form through a variety of media including video game screen captures, photography, sculpture, collage, and drawing. Artists include: Edna Dapo, Barbara DeGenevieve, Don Doe, Robert Flynt, Ashley Hope, Jenny Kindler, Sabrina Raaf, Jason Salavon, Betsy Schneider, Amber Hawk Swanson, Su-en Wong, and Stacia Yeapanis.

Barbara Hashimoto
The Junk Mail Experiment: PARIS

• September 11–November 7; Artist Talk and Reception: October 24, 2-4 pm
• Dubhe Carreño Gallery, 118 N. Peoria Street, 2nd Floor, 773.931.6584, dubhecarrenogallery.com

Step into Dubhe Carreño Gallery in the West Loop for a virtual trip to Paris’s Musée du Montparnasse, where the latest exhibition of Chicago artist Barbara Hashimoto’s Junk Mail Experiment will stream live via video feed during the installation and opening events. Hashimoto’s ongoing environmental art project began in 2007 when she collected and shredded every piece of junk mail sent to her studio for a year. This labor-intensive yet intimate process inspired a series of small works, installations, performances, and international collaborations made possible through blogs, social networking, video- and photo-sharing sites, and web-based communities.

Quinton Foreman
What Does Peace Look Like?

• October 3–31; Public Painting: October 10, 1-4 pm
• Hamilton Park Cultural Center, 513 W. 72nd Street
• “Art Style and Technique” Panel Discussion: October 17, 2-4 pm
• South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive
• 773-638-0401, creativeartistassociation.org

Join artists from the Creative Artist Association in visualizing peace in their exhibition What Does Peace Look Like? and related programs. Faced with violence in our homes, neighborhoods, country and world, these artists deal with questions of conflict and images of peace. The artists invite the public to collaborate with them on painting a mural that envisions peace in the community of Englewood, the city of Chicago and the world. Co-hosted by the Hamilton Park Cultural Center and the Englewood Community Cultural Planning Council. Artists include: Cousandra Armstrong, Gloria Buckley, Quinton Forman, Melvin King, Willie Morris, Roby Nyther, and Horace Taylor.

Shayna Cohen
An Interdisciplinary Urban Farm: Tour and Demo

• October 3 & 10, 12 noon-4 pm
• Altgeld Sawyer Corner Farm, W. Altgeld and N. Sawyer Streets, altgeldsawyer.cornerfarmchicago.com

Visit a farm without leaving the city at the Altgeld Sawyer Corner Farm, a collective project of members of the Columbia College Interdisciplinary Department, Christopher House, Twine NFP, and residents of the Logan Square neighborhood. The Corner Farm is dedicated to education and growing fibers for papermaking and natural dies alongside vegetables for the community. Tours of the farm begin on the hour and include the story behind this eco-art spot as well as the kinds of plants and vegetables grown there. And don’t miss the natural dye and papermaking demos-visitors each get a sheet of handmade paper! Artists include: Shayna Cohen and Amy Mall.

Andrew Lawniczak
Give a Wrinkle, Give a Story

• October 9–31; Opening: October 9, 7-9 pm; Artist Talk: October 15, 12 noon-1 pm;
• Open House: October 16, 11 am-4 pm
• Polish Museum of America, 984 N. Milwaukee Avenue, 773.384.3352, polishmuseumofamerica.org

At its third stop on an intercontinental tour, the Give a Wrinkle, Give a Story interactive exhibition celebrates wrinkles (yes, the skin kind) and personal narratives by documenting stories and wrinkles collected from people in Germany, Poland, and the United States. The Chicago phase of the project will feature a collaborative installation of these wrinkles and stories with full spatial, lighting and sound design. Come experience the colorful stories behind the wrinkles. This project was conceived and produced by Voitek Sawa, a Polish-American artist working in film, performance, and installation. Artists include: Andrew Lawniaczak, Voytek Madeyski, Marcin Murawski, and Lidia Rozmus.

Lauren Levato
Binary: A Pairing of Opposite States

• October 9–November 7; Opening: October 9, 6 pm-12 midnight
• “Wetware Render Machine” Performance: October 9, 7-10 pm
• Near NorthWest Arts Council at St. Paul’s Cultural Center, 2215 W. North Avenue, 773.278.7677, oppositestates.com

Just like the binary “on-off” switches that operate computers, artists also work in modes of being switched on and off, especially when they collaborate with other artists. Their inspirations, methods, and media perform a push/pull on each other resulting in mixed media, hybrid, and mash-ups. Binary is an exhibition of Chicago artists who have entered a binary relationship with other artists to create new visual artworks using new media such as Flash, SMS Text Messaging, and Photoshop in combination with more traditional media like fiber, drawing, and screen printing. Artists include Aviva Alter, Susan Aurinko, Josh Cotter, Chris Hefner, Skye Enyeart, Alan Lerner, Mia Capodilupo, Francesco Levato, Lauren Levato, and Adam Rust.

Doug Smithenry
Virtual Rainbow: Redefining the LGBT Community in the Digital Age Through Art & Performance

• October 9–November 15; Opening: October 9, 6:30-9:30 pm
• “Artists Bridging the Digital Divide: exposing your art online” Workshop: October 12, 7-9 pm

• “No Exit” 75-minute opera: October 16 & 17, 8 pm; October 18, 3 pm
• Center on Halsted: 3656 N. Halsted Street, 773.661.0763, centeronhalsted.org

Check out the diversity of inspiration taken from new technology and the Internet in this group show of emerging and established LGBT artists, including Doug Smithenry, a visual artist who chronicles Internet culture through his paintings. Don’t miss selections from his “Coming Out Online” project, an installation of paintings that document the online testimonials of gay teens outing themselves in YouTube videos and that reflect the sense of community this online forum has created for them.

Related programming will include the premiere of “No Exit,” an opera co-produced with Chicago Opera Vanguard, and multi-media performances in song, dance, and spoken word, as well as a workshop focusing on artists who embrace digital dissemination of their work.

Scott Ashley
Art on Track

• October 10, 11 am-8 pm
• CTA Train around the Loop
• Free tickets and boarding at Adams and Wabash, departs every 15 minutes, chicagoartontrack.com

Hop aboard Art on Track, a public art festival that uses the city as a backdrop. Nonprofit organization Salvo will convert an 8-car CTA train into the world’s largest mobile art gallery and transform the Loop into a corridor of entertainment and culture. Artists performing art on public transportation in other cities will be broadcast via webcam, and festival participants will simultaneously participate in a single huge act of public art making in the final hour of the festival. Artists include: Scott Ashley, Aldo Castillo, Alex Magana, Chase Sperry, Maria Squeri, David Temchulla, and Charley Thomas.

Candida Alvarez
39 Verbs, Produced by Industry of the Ordinary

• October 11, 5-8 pm
• Packer Schopf Gallery, 942 W. Lake Street, 773.301.7162, industryoftheordinary.com

Examine. Disperse. Impregnate. Cook. These are a few of the 39 Verbs featured in the latest happening produced by Industry of the Ordinary, a collaborative initiative of Chicago artists Adam Brooks and Mathew Wilson that challenges the pejorative notions of the ordinary. Over five years of practice, Industry of the Ordinary has generated projects described by a single line of text on its website, industryoftheordinary.com. To date, 39 verbs have been used. Don’t miss this one-night event in which 39 artists, critics, curators, and other cultural workers have been invited to reinterpret these verbs.

Artists include: Candida Alvarez, Dawoud Bey, Susan Giles, Jason Lazarus, Adelheid Mers, Tony Tasset, and Dan S. Wang.

Michael Una
Hands On

• October 10, 6-11 pm
• Happy Dog Gallery, 1542 N. Milwaukee Avenue, 847.224.3961, deadlineprojects.com

Don’t be afraid to touch and interact with the work in Hands On by Deadline Projects, a collective of Chicago artists. This one-night exhibition of multidisciplinary art is designed to cause sensory overload and break down the barriers between art and audience. Local artists present new work specifically created for you to touch, handle, and manipulate. Artists include: nikki hollander, Blake Parish Lewis, Sarah Perez, Holly Sabin, Shawn Stucky, and Michael Una.

Open Studio Buildings

Artists frequently choose to work in buildings containing multiple studios. Stop by some of Chicago’s most popular artist havens, as they open their doors to welcome you into their private work spaces.

Lillstreet Art Center Open House

• October 3, 10am-6pm
• 4401 N. Ravenswood Avenue
• 773-769-4226
• lillstreet.com

Cornelia Arts Building 22nd Annual Fall Open House

• October 3-4, noon-6pm
• 1800 W. Cornelia Avenue
• 847.537.6029
• fota.com

Fine Arts Building Open Studios

• October 9, 5-9pm; October 10, noon-4pm
• 410 S. Michigan Avenue
• 708-822-0063
• myspace.com/fineartsbuildingstudios

Sedgwick Studio Presents

• October 16, 8pm-midnight
• 1544 N. Sedgwick Street
• 312-440-9467

Artists of East Bank Open Studios

• October 16, 6-10pm; October 17, noon-6pm
• 1200 W. 35th Street
• 773-307-9484
• artistsoftheeastbank.com

Greenleaf Art Center Open Studio

• October 23, 6-10pm
• 1806 W. Greenleaf Avenue
• 773.465.4652
• greenleafartcenter.com

317 W. Howard Street Studios

• October 24-25, 11am-6pm
• 317 W. Howard Street, Evanston
• 773-213-6561

Switching Station Artist Lofts Open House

• October 25, noon-7pm
• 15 S. Homan Avenue
• 773-722-2003
• myspace.com/ssartistlofts

West Carroll Open Studios

• October 25, noon-7pm
• 3200 W. Carroll Avenue
• 847-977-3834
• westcarrollopenstudios.blogspot.com

10th Annual Albany Carroll Open Studio Event

• October 25, 12noon-7pm
• 319 N. Albany Avenue
• 773-638-3500
• albanycarroll.com

Open Houses

Check out these communal studios where multiple artists share space, equipment, resources and ideas.

Chicago Printmakers Collaborative: Open House and Demos

• October 4, 1-4pm
• 4642 N. Western Avenue
• 773-293-2070
• chicagoprintmakers.com

Talisman Glass Open House

• October 7 & 10, 11am-4pm
• 469 N. Racine Avenue
• 312-455-9555
• talismanglass.com

Project Onward Open House

• October 9, 3-6pm; October 10, 1-5pm
• 78 E. Washington Street
• 312-744-8032
• projectonward.org

Chicago Hot Glass Open House

• October 10, 12noon-8pm
• 1250 N. Central Park Avenue
• 773-919-8004
• chicagohotglass.com

Studio 935 Printmaking Demos: Bridging Technology and Tradition

• October 16, 5-9pm; October 17, 10am-9pm; October 18, noon-6pm
• 1257 N. Milwaukee Avenue, 2nd floor
• 773-342-9144
• studio935.com

Art Walks

Discover art and artists while you explore the Chicago neighborhoods where they live and work. Visit studios and see a range of artwork in galleries and non-traditional art spaces.

Hubbard Street Art Walk Plus

• October 3, noon-8pm
• Start at: The Studios on Hubbard
• 1474 West Hubbard Street, 2nd floor
• 773-484-0242

Ravenswood ArtWalk

• October 3-4, 11am-6pm
• Start at: 4147 N. Ravenswood
• 773-883-8858
• ravenswoodartwalk.org/09

2nd Fridays in the Chicago Arts District

• October 9, 6-10pm
• Start at: 1821 S. Halsted Street
• 312-738-8000
• chicagoartsdistrict.org

Kinzie Corridor Art Walk

• October 10, noon-8pm
• Start at: Arts of Life
• 2010 W. Carroll Ave.
• 312-829-2787
• kinziecorridorarts.com

Bridgeport Art Walk

• October 16, 6-10pm; October 17, 12noon-6pm; October 18, noon-4pm
• Start at: Artists of East Bank
• 1200 W. 35th Street
• 312-560-9251
• artistsoftheeastbank.com

18th Street Pilsen Open Studios

• October 17-18, 12noon-8pm
• Start at: Colibri Studio/Gallery
• 203 W. 18th Street
• 312-733-8431
• pilsenopenstudios.org

East Garfield Park Art Walk

• October 25, 12noon-7pm
• Start at: Switching Station Artist Lofts
• 15 S. Homan Avenue
• 773-722-2003

MEDIA CONTACT:

Christine Carrino, 312-742-1148
Media Relations Manager
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
christine.carrino@cityofchicago.org

• chicagoculturalcenter.org
• dcatheater.org
• projectonward.org
• chicagoartistsmonth.org