A Conversation with Artist Kristina Gosh
Kristina Gosh talks “shoppe.”
Year: 2010
My name is Tia Jones-Etu.
When I first met Tia Etu-Jones’ two years ago and saw her work I was impressed by her different choices of medium and themes which the resulting works explore. Not limiting herself to one medium and style has allowed her the freedom to create interactive sculptures, paintings, assemblages, murals and even fullyfunctioning marionettes. In her work it is not uncommon to see found objects, tree branches, twine, paint and other familiar materials used in a way that questions language, art history, memory, urban culture, nature and gender roles, among many other things. These themes and mediums weave together to create stories that allow viewers to dive into complex and self-determined interpretations while appreciating something aesthetically beautiful. Sixty sat down with the Chicago-based artist to learn more about how she got to this moment in her career. Tempestt Hazel: Tell us a bit about your self and your artwork. Tia Jones-Etu: My name is Tia Jones–Etu. I am a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where I received my B.F.A. I have …
Reflections on the Critique with Kerry James Marshall: Everett Williams
On September 10, 2010 three artists participated in the Open Crit sessions at Hyde Park Art Center. As always, the session is mediated by photographer and HPAC board member Dawoud Bey, and led by an invited artist. This particular session had Kerry James Marshall as the guest critic. Chicago artist Everett Williams was one of the artists that participated in this session and as a follow up to the critique, I asked Williams some questions about his experience. Tempestt Hazel: It takes a lot of courage to present your work in an open forum such as the one you participated in at Hyde Park Art Center, let alone put it in front of a master artist such as Kerry James Marshall. What did you expect to get out of this experience, and why did you think that at this point in your career it was a good idea to do this? Everett Williams: I want my work to be seen with the best, so at this juncture of my career I need feed back from those …
Kicking Off the DIY Craft Season
With all of the commotion surrounding the Renegade Craft Fair this past weekend, it can be easy to forget that Chicago’s second biggest indie craft show was just two weeks ago. November twentieth was the eighth year for the DIYTrunk Show, a fair put annually by the Chicago Craft Mafia. While similar to the Renegade Craft Fair (both events are held at the Pulaski Field House), the trunk show is somewhat smaller in scale, takes place on one day only, and focuses more on local crafters. The Chicago Craft Mafia organizes the show in order to support the Chicago crafting community. Their passion for craft is laid out in their Craftifesto, which states that craft is powerful, political, personal, and possible At the trunk show I interviewed three very different participants. The first, Paul Snagel, proves that craft is powerful, that is, that the things we want and need can be bought from craftsmen in our own community. Paul rescues vintage objects from obscurity and transforms them into lamps. His interview can be found here. The second, Laura Berger, proves that craft is personal. Laura shares her charming, quirky …
Fresh South Side Street Art
As of about ten days ago, there’s something new to look at from the left side of the Green Line train when heading north from Garfield. A formerly empty wall has been transformed into a piece of teal, geometric street art. I recommend braving the cold and taking a closer look. Discover more Mental 312 here.
On Track with Garage Spaces and Happy Collaborationists
The mission of Art on Track is to increase “cultural awareness and appreciation through exposure to the fine arts [by creating] new opportunities for members of the arts community to showcase their talent to an expanded demographic and reach out to those who may otherwise be isolated from the City’s vibrant art culture.” For the third year in a row, curator Tristan Hummel brought some of the most innovative and participatory art happening in our city to the most unlikely, yet overly familiar venue–a CTA El Train. Each car was occupied by different galleries, collaboratives and artists. In the seventh train the guys of Garage Spaces merged with the ladies of Happy Collaborationists to create an experience featuring Life Blude Girls, post-apocalyptic scenes and word play. SIFC sat down with both groups to get more information about their artistic practice and vision for Art On Track. Art On Track with Garage Spaces and Happy Collaborationists from Tempestt Hazel on Vimeo.
Catching up with Paul Snagel at the DIY Trunk Show
During the recent DIY Trunk Show I caught up with three very different participants (the other interviews can be found here and here) and asked them a few questions. One such participant was Paul Snagel, a craftsman who breathes new life into vintage objects by transforming them into lamps. 1. How long have you been working in your current style? How did you begin creating these sorts of objects? I started making things into lamps about fifteen years ago. I started from the cliche “I could turn that into a lamp” (at least it’s a cliche to me) and then proceeded to actually do it. The first thing I tried was a blowtorch, but it was too tricky for my skills and tools at the time, and I didn’t end up finishing it for several years. I bought three vintage kitchen appliances from George’s Resale shop in Andersonville on the same day, and the rest is history. 2. What is the inspiration behind your work? The only thing I’d call inspiration is seeing a piece …
Catching up with Allyson Dykhuizen at the DIY Trunk Show
During the recent DIY Trunk Show I caught up with three very different participants (the other interviews can be found here and here) and asked them a few questions. One such participant was Allyson Dykhuizen, a knitter who strives to make her craft both accessible and social through the Sweatshop of Love. How did you first get involved with knitting? I had a teacher in high school who knit and loved knitting, and my friends and I thought it was really cool, so we got lessons after school, like an after school class. So, then what brought you to start Sweatshop of Love? I was graduating from college and I didn’t have anything to do, so I started teaching [knitting classes] and now I pretty much solely support myself on the sweatshop. It’s just me, so whatever I can do, whatever time I can devote – I love it so, it’s easy to keep making stuff. So where are you located? Where do you teach classes? I teach classes mainly in Logan Square. But sometimes …
Lakeview East First Fridays
The city’s newest art walk is happening in a neighborhood most Chicagoans would assume has no art scene to speak of. Still, it seems enough people were aware of Lakeview East’s First Fridays to create healthy crowds in each of its four locations. Launched last month as a collaboration between Inkling, a local art and craft gift shop, and Loose Leaf, a nearby café, the walk also includes Clothes Optional, a vintage clothing and home goods store, and Spare Parts, a boutique and gift shop. Lester Palmiano and Phillip Jolliffe at Loose Leaf had been holding monthly art shows regularly for two and a half years. It wasn’t until last month, however, that Lester and Stephanie Keller of Inkling decided to put a walk together. Stephanie reported that the other two locations were “more than receptive” when asked if they wanted to join in. Together, these four businesses comprise Chicago’s only art walk put on solely by non-gallery spaces. Stephanie said she was interested in using her store’s wall space to bring more awareness to local artists. …
Catching Up with Laura Berger at the DIY Trunk Show
During the recent DIY Trunk Show I caught up with three very different participants (the other interviews can be found here and here) and asked them a few questions. One such participant was Laura Berger, an artist who blurs the lines between the art and craft worlds. How long have you been working in your current style and media? How did you begin creating this sort of art? I’ve been painting and drawing my entire life. In college & afterward, I worked as a scenic artist where I painted huge murals for businesses & backdrops for theatre productions. I started working smaller and focusing on my own work in 2007. My father had just passed away and I was really needing a fairly constant distraction that could hold my attention & make my thoughts lighter. I think that’s where the kind of fantastical characters and positive sentiments arose from…basically out of a desire to think about more pleasant things and feel better. What is the inspiration behind your work? I’m inspired a lot by Japanese …
Sixty in 60: Episode 2 – South Side Community Art Center
Sixty in 60 EP 2 South Side Community Arts Center from Andrew Roddewig on Vimeo. In May of 1941, Eleanor Roosevelt officially dedicated the South Side Community Art Center(SSAC) at 3831 South Michigan Avenue as part of the Federal Art Project. Since that date the SSCAC is the only remaining Federal Art Project community center to remain, in operation. For over seventy years the SSCAC has been a home to artists ,and few people are more aware of the home atmosphere then current Executive Director, Faheem Majeed. Faheem was an unofficial Artist, in residence before becoming Executive Director. Faheem believes that the SSCAC is home to everyone and is always willing to talk about the center, the history of the neighborhood or anything that comes to mind. Faheem sat down and talked with us about the SSCAC and his philosophy behind operating one of the most significant yet often overlooked cultural centers in the city. The South Side Community Arts Center hosts a wide variety of exhibits and last month featured installations, projections and performances …
Underneath the Surface: Jaime Lynn Henderson
Chicago-based artist and designer, Jaime Lynn Henderson is one of seven participants in the Chicago Artists’ Coalition residency program at the Merchandise Mart. Since October, these artists have been working regularly in the space experiencing incredible artistic growth. Miss Henderson discusses her art making process. Henderson describes how the artwork she creates is a balance of both complex and simple interwoven layers of personal interests and heavy cultural references.
Water Street Studios Anniversary Show
Water Street Studios is an art center in Batavia, IL that hosts 26 artist studios, community art classes, workshops, large and small scale are exhibits, and various other programs and events offered to the community. On September 17th, I attended their first anniversary show and followed up with an interview with their director of education, Kari Kraus. 1. How did you first become involved with Water Street Studios? I was at Art In Your Eye [Batavia’s annual art fair] in Aug 2008. I actually was leaving the fair and heading to the pedestrian bridge and passed by a tent with a hand-made “Batavia Art Center” sign. I walked past and once I was halfway on the bridge I decided to go back and inquire. I was interested in studio space at the time as I was just moving back home to Batavia and looking for a place to create in. I walked up with my dog (Alberto) and inquired… At this time I was the assistant director of a not for profit art school and …
Sitting Down with Anna Cerniglia of Johalla Projects
Johalla Projects is an art space in Wicker Park run by three curators, Anna Cerniglia, Caitlin Arnold, and Melissa Marinaro. It opened in fall of 2009 and serves as a venue for emerging and mid-career artists. On Friday, November 8th I sat down with Anna, the director, to gain a better understanding of Johalla’s structure and mission. How did Johalla Projects first come together? When I started this, I only wanted this as an office to have all of our curatorial practices kind of based out of. But then we just started having more shows and more focus placed on us, so we started making it more of a gallery as time went on. We still use it as a home base because we do other projects besides what we have going on here. Now, this is more of a project space and I think now we’re trying to turn it into an S-corp, as we have more liabilities on us. And we’re doing bigger shows and starting to gather more artists. How does Johalla …
Artist Talk with Jeff Zimmermann
The God Particle is the most recent installation at the Chicago Cultural Center by artist and muralist Jeff Zimmermann. Throughout Chicago Artists Month, Zimmermann was on site installing the work and opening up a conversation to the public. His work mixes iconography, popular culture and symbolism and come together to allow the viewer to create their own narrative and enter at several points. On November 18th he walked through his work in a gallery talk. The following is the first part of the talk, with an introduction by the curator of exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center. Artist Talk with Jeff Zimmermann from Tempestt Hazel on Vimeo.
In The Studio with Jennifer Taylor
Jennifer Taylor has always been more comfortable in creative settings. She has had a successful career as an actress and simultaneously kept her home occupied with repainted and re-appropriated items and her own paintings. Inspired by a mixture of life experiences and NPR broadcasts, Taylor’s work would fit comfortably with the work of early widely praised twentieth century western art movements. In the summer of 2010, SIFC took a brief tour of her Riverside studio and asked her some questions about her work and career. Tempestt Hazel: Tell us a bit about your self and your artwork. Jennifer Taylor: I’ve always doodled – literally, in the margins of my grade school papers – but in 1985 my husband gave me a Christmas gift of oil pastels and paper. A switch went off and I started spending every free hour of my day drawing with those pastels. Then I moved to oils. TH: How does living/working or being from Chicago influence your creative practice? JT: Chicago is a working city. I’ve lived in NY and LA. …
Chicago Artist At Large with Caitlin Cherry: “We Want In!” Open House/Open Studios at Columbia University
Chicago Artist At Large is an ongoing series about native Chicago artists working and studying outside of their home town. As part of Sixty Inches From Center’s Chicago Artists at Large Series, we invited Columbia University MFA candidate and Chicago native Caitlin Cherry to tell us about some of her experiences in New York City’s art scene. For her first entry Caitlin tells us first-hand about her experience during Columbia University’s Open Studios, which is a showcase of the work being done in the studios of the second-year MFA candidates. There was something sobering about helping to organize Columbia University’s MFA Open House for prospective students this past Sunday. Thinking about the statistics of the program, I realized that out of the estimated 200 bushy tailed individuals that I welcomed and ushered into classrooms for presentations only 2 will get in – if even that. I’m so sober. Fellow 1st years students and I were overwhelmed standing in front of a full capacity room of these prospective students asking personal questions about our experiences since …
Bucktown Arts Festival Turns 25
This past summer marked the 25th anniversary of the Bucktown Arts Fest. As a new resident of the neighborhood, I welcomed the festival as a chance to connect with my local community and see some great art. I dove right in and signed up as a volunteer for both days of the event. On Saturday I arrived at the information tent ready to get my hands dirty. Coordinators Laura Doede and Brett Mackie put me to work selling posters and water. The environment was loose, as patrons with their dogs strolled by, volunteers drifted in and out, and artists stopped by to chat. Our posters, all emblazoned with goat heads, sold like hotcakes, but also raised a common question. “Why the goat?” people asked me. One story is that Bucktown gets its namesake from the goats (a male goat is a buck) that frequented the neighborhood back in the 1800’s, when Poles and Germans populated the area. Living in Bucktown, I’ve found other Chicagoans often lump my neighborhood in with Logan Square or Wicker Park. …
Girl, Please: Looking Forward
Girl, Please is an exhibition that attempts to push the boundaries and blurred lines of contemporary social politics relating to gender and sexual identity. Situated in the lower level of Woman Made Gallery, Emanuel Aguilar and Kristen Carter (jurors and curators) selected a body of art work based not only on aesthetic qualities and the nature of the work but also arranged the layout in such a way to create a specific relationship to potentially ignite critical conversation. This exhibition is one of few focusing on this theme that effectively attempts to eloquently add and synonymously strip away the standard. And instead, focus on a new way to think critically.
Chad Kouri & The Post Family
I met with Chad Kouri at his home studio and during our session he discussed the path and progress of the The Post Family. They are stepping into their fourth year and not your ordinary group of artists working-in-a- studio-space type of deal. These folk look at art communities as a way to inspire each other and expand on their own art making. It is all give give for them. On The Post Family website they share what interests and inspires them with featured articles about artist studio visits, design related news, how technology effects the arts and really anything that is super cool. The studio space is multi-functional and an incubator for creativity. In the coming months we will have interviews with the rest of the group along with highlights from their spring programming. Chad Kouri and The Post Family from Nicolette Caldwell on Vimeo. _ Featured Image taken from Foursquare.
Drink and Be Merry: Marwen Art Fair 2010
Marwen, an art organization that offers art education to under-served Chicago youth, celebrates their 5th annual Art Fair.
Spudnik Press: November Drink and Draw
Two weeks ago I spent my second Wednesday night at the Drink and Draw hosted by Spudnik Press. Every first Wednesday, Chicago artists gather to sketch, doodle, chat, and drink from 7:30 to 9:30 over in Chicago’s eerily quiet industrial corridor. Despite the remote location, the attendance has been high both times I’ve dropped by. On Wednesday, seating was scarce, but whether at a light table or crammed onto the couch, everyone managed to find a place to draw. Though I showed up alone, I soon found a spot at a large table and sat down surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Like most of my visits to Spudnik, an encounter with strangers soon turned into a lively conversation. Working through the night’s theme (imaginary landscapes) and chatting with some East Coast artists about how they made their way to Chicago, before I knew it, it was 9:30. I’ve been criticized for attending an event called the Drink and Draw when I don’t drink and rarely draw. What pulls me in is the feeling of community that …
Sixty in 60: Episode 1 – Hyde Park Arts Center
Sixty in 60. Hyde Park Arts Center from Andrew Roddewig on Vimeo. Clarion New Media, who is sponsoring the current Media Match Drive has produced the first in a continuing web-series entitled “Sixty in 60”. Sixty in 60 is a series focused on Organizations and Institutions that are incubators for the arts in Chicago. Every episode takes a look at a specific place to discover what makes them unique. Our goal is to highlight and promote the organizations and institutions that help the Chicago art community thrive and grow. We are only able to create specials like Sixty in 60 because of support from our community so please donate to the Media Match Campaign, so we can continue to bring art to the center. Episode 1: Hyde Park Arts Center. Located at 5020 S. Cornell Avenue; Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC) has a clear mission to stimulate and sustain the visual arts in Chicago. They have accomplished this mission for over 70 years through exhibitions, education and outreach. As one of the oldest alternative spaces …
Site-Access Symposium with Jillian Soto
The thought of the city as studio can be a very exciting thing. It means no public (and in some cases even private) space is safe when the minds of artists are finding new ways to use it for their own creative practices. Some of the work created during Chicago Artists Month tested new grounds, revisited old grounds and pushed the limits of the type of public art practice that Chicago is accustomed to. As thrilling and provocative as that can be, there is also another side to that and it deals with these public spaces, the needs and wants of the community, and the promotion of understanding and comfort in these creative spaces. Just because the work is in the public doesn’t necessarily mean it is easily accessed by the people who know some of these re-appropriated spaces a regular presence in their everyday lives. How can you tell the difference of when art enhances the community it is planted within, or when it acts as a tool of alienation or insensitivity? For Art …
AMP-CHI: A Creative Collaboration
Elastic Arts collaborates with many people in the local and national art world to bring Chicago some of the most interesting mixes of creative forms. As part of SIFC Chicago’s Going Mobile campaign, Elastic was one of the stops because AMP-CHI, the brainchild of Alpha Bruton and Susan Fox brought together Chicago artists, musicians and poets for a night of complete sensory stimulation–words for your mind, music for your ears and art for your eyes. As Artet, the jazz trio headed by Hanah Jon Taylor, played an amazing blend of experimental jazz, Alpha Bruton created live work on a projector through a combination of illustrations on transparencies and the pouring of watercolor, which projected onto the band. The exchange of inspiration was transferred back and forth from artist to musician–it was obvious how they were reacting to one another. To learn more about how AMP-CHI came to the Elastic stage, I spoke with Susan Fox, the curator of the event, who also serves as Development & Outreach Coordinator for Elastic Arts. AMP-CHI at Elastic Arts …
Reflection on the Critique with Kerry James Marshall: Frederick Owens
On September 10, 2010 three artists participated in the Open Crit sessions at Hyde Park Art Center. This particular session had Kerry James Marshall as a guest critic. Chicago artist Frederick Owens was one of the artists that participated in this session and as a follow up to the critique, I asked Owens some questions about his experience. Tempestt Hazel: It takes a lot of courage to present your work in an open forum such as the one you participated in at Hyde Park Art Center, let alone put it in front of a master artist such as Kerry James Marshall. What did you expect to get out of this experience, and why did you think that at this point in your career it was a good idea to do this? Frederick Owens: There were many things that I hoped to achieve by participating in the crit. I’m searching for an answer to the question: “What is good art and how do I make it?”. I know as an artist what I am setting out to create …
Nothing Is Wasted: Alexandra Lee
The Chicago Art Coalition has offered an artist residency at a space provided in the Merchandise Mart. Six artists have been brought together all coming from different backgrounds bringing forth a variety of styles and experiences. Alexandra Lee is the second artist I spoke with and we discussed how her art making process has adapted and expanded since she began working in the Merchandise Mart space. Nicolette Caldwell: What has this residency been like for you and how has it helped your work progress? Alexandra Lee: I have been working in this residency for six months. We are going to get renewed for another six months. We were selected by the CAC as part of the pop-up gallery residency thing. Normally I don’t really work on paper but I think this is a great opportunity for me to create a body of work that is more physical because usually I work in digital media and performance. And working in this space my goal is to incorporate things I already have and things that I can …
Perks of Biking it: RK Design’s 47th & Lake Park Mural Project
If you consider yourself a native of Hyde Park or any of its surrounding neighborhoods you are probably unaware of your familiarity with RK Designs. This Chicago-based group combines the aesthetics of street art and fine art to make visually provocative graphic design, murals, paintings and more. Evidence of this is found when passing under the Metra tunnel at 47th and Lake Park, at the northern edge of Hyde Park. Their collaborative mural covers the wall and stairways of the south wall, giving an always-needed serving of color to anyone passing by. Combining a range of iconic Chicago imagery, Max Sansing, Rahmaan Statik, Noah Bird “Fesup”, Eric Von Haynes, Dred 88 and Zeek Crowe come together to show the dynamics of that community across the train’s 390 feet long foundational walls. Driving by doesn’t do it justice. I suggest if you get a moment, walk or bike by the piece and smell the visual flowers. Perks of Biking it: RK Design’s 47th & Lake Park Mural Project from Tempestt Hazel on Vimeo. Music by Tall Black …
The Conversation Continues with Artist Mark Moleski
The best feeling for me is when something comes full circle – especially when it involves art. Mark and I first met when I helped coordinate the 2009 BFA show at Columbia College. Mark was one of the graduating fine artists in the show. As a matter of fact he was also one of the first artists I had ever done a studio visit with. The work of Mark Moleski was progressing amazingly then and it so great to be able to continue the conversation we started a little over two years ago about the same body of work and where it is now. As the residency continues I have been meeting and speaking with the participating artists to learn more about their experiences and document the space and their work on the SIFC Chicago website. Below is a transcript of an interview/conversation between Mark Moleski and myself. Nicolette Caldwell: Can you explain a little bit about the residency? Mark Moleski: This is an artist residency of six artists that are working in the …
Here, There and Everywhere: Clutch Gallery
“Clutch Gallery is a year long curatorial project located in my purse. I have had to pare down to carrying the basic necessities to eek out this 25 square inch white cube that is dedicating to exhibiting contemporary art of all media. Clutch opened in December of 2009 and will run until December of 2010….” —Meg Duguid, Taken from clutchgallery.blogspot.com Clutch Gallery is probably the most well-traveled space in Chicago. It’s probably been more places than any artist’s artwork or any curatorial endeavor ever has in Chicago’s history. Clutch Gallery has regular appearances throughout Chicago–anywhere from CTA Transits, bike routes throughout the city, grocery stores, office spaces to national conferences. Director Meg Duguid welcomes artists and curators to propose artists and projects to have in Clutch Gallery–recently Shannon Stratton of Threewalls had a hand in an exhibition at Clutch. I first ran across Clutch as it made an appearance at the TAAC Open Dialogue Conference in August 2010. See more photos of Clutch Gallery HERE.