January 2023 Newsletter
Welcome to the January Newsletter
You will find:
News from the CSI Committees
Show opportunities
Ongoing Member Exhibitions
Post-publication additions
News from the Board
HAPPY NEW YEAR
from the president
CSI had an outstanding year in 2022. We are up to 256 members, our biggest membership ever. We presented two indoor exhibitions: Sculpture Invasion 2022 CSI Biennial at the Koehnline Museum of Art and Responding to Rhythms at the Beverly Arts Center. Our gallery mounted eight exhibitions, featuring 102 artists. We added more cities and park locations—meaning more of your sculpture—to our Sculpture in the Parks program, and we have begun to put installations in Big Marsh, the former industrial site that has been transformed into a natural area.
We stayed within our budget of $133,675 and grew our income for 2023 and 2024 thanks to a $20,000 DCASE grant. Next year’s budget will be approved in January and available to members to look over on our website.
In 2023, I’ll be stepping down as president. Look for information on our new president and board members in our February newsletter.
Thanks to all of you who volunteered or participated in our shows. The involvement of our members is the number one reason we are successful and continue to grow.
Thanks for all the support and friendship you gave to me during my time as president. I look forward to all that 2023 brings to CSI.
Janet Austin
News from the Indoor Exhibition Committee
2023 Chicago Sculpture International Juried Exhibition
Jack Olson Gallery, NIU School of Art & Design
2023 Chicago Sculpture International Juried Exhibition
Exhibition Dates: January 23 - March 2
Closing Reception: March 2, 4:30 - 6:30PM
Exhibiting Artists: Nicole Beck, Jyl Bonaguro, Michele Corazzo, Bethany Cordero, Eoin Cullen, Brian Divis, Darlys Ewoldt, Shelley Gilchrist, Damon Hamm, Yvette Kaiser Smith, Gina Lee Robbins, Terry Karpowicz, Scott Mossman, Katherine Nemanich, Connie Noyes, Howard Sandroff, Dominic Sansone, Zelene Schlosberg, John T. Upchurch
News from the Education Committee
To All CSI Members,
The outreach educational program wants to build a stronger presence in the community for CSI and the gallery, CSI Project Space. Promoting marginalized communities to use art as a way for people to become more connected.
Presently, we are looking for artists with creative projects to be completed in roughly 60-90 minutes for the boys and girls at the Lathrop Homes at Damen and Diversey in Chicago.
The Artist stipend is $500.
All supplies needed for project(s) will be given out to communities in individual boxes paid for by CSI grant funds. We would rather have simple materials and supplies to maintain a feasible budget, so those CSI members interested should keep simplicity in mind. All we need are interested members, with ideas and a supply list for the workshop/activity. The in-person activity is roughly 60-90 minutes.
Groups including the Lathrop Homes (low income/mixed income), Boys and Girls Home, Wicker Park Senior Housing CHA Property, and A Special Place for Veterans have all showed interest in participating.
Any member interested, should reach out with their ideas to mickilemieux@chicagosculpture.org
A very special thanks to Anthony Heinz May for getting this program started.
Membership Opportunities
Slow Looking: The Language of Beauty in African Art
January 20, 2:00 - 3:30pm
Art Institute of Chicago
In this facilitated conversation, visitors are invited to spend time in The Language of Beauty in African Art and share questions and observations among each other and scholars from our staff who can offer researched social and historical context.
Join us in viewing this sculpture exhibit. 20 spots were reserved for Illinois resident members. Contact Kara Cobb Johnson for more information: karasusanne@gmail.com
News from the CSI Project Space
(formerly known as 3D4D Gallery)
Intersection
Exhibition Dates: January 14th – February 24th
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 14th, 5-8 pm
Intersection is an exhibition featuring a vast range of sculptural artwork exploring the idea of intersection – whether it displays a formal joining of materials or processes; discusses contemporary issues of intersectionality in concept or content; presents differing or contrasting views within one united three-dimensional form or space; or emerges as a collaborative endeavor between two or more individuals. On display in the Chicago Sculpture International Project Space at 1912 N. Damen in Chicago, this exhibition celebrates multiples ways of working, expressing, and being, where artists reinforce the inter-connective nature of art and humanity within a shared, supportive space.
Intersection was juried by a committee of Chicago Sculpture International Members
Exhibiting Artists: Mike Baur, Bethany Cordero, Robert Craig, Darlys Ewoldt, Rebekka Federle, Michael Gallagher, Musa Ghaznavi, Kara Cobb Johnson, Yvette Kaiser Smith, Laurie LeBreton, Micki LeMieux, Marie Magnetic, Scott Mossman, Kunal Sen, and John T. Upchurch
Member News
Members are welcome to submit news regarding exhibitions and professional development achievements to info@chicagosculpture.org
We would love to see what you are doing!!
OPENING RECEPTION:
JANUARY 20, 7-10PM
EXHIBITION DATES:
JANUARY 20 - MARCH 3, 2023
Save the Date for Artist Talks:
February 17
Bridgeport Art Center
1200 W. 35th St., Chicago
(4th Floor Gallery)
ENVIRONMENT/S/TALLATION is an invitational group exhibition of installation art curated by Marci Rubin, Curator, Bridgeport Art Center. Each invited artist works within a discourse about the environment through their process and materials. Installations constructed from reclaimed materials such as plastic packaging, clothing, and furniture create lush colors, and textures while playing with the light and shadows of the gallery's environment.
Invited Artists: Christine Forni, Michael F. Gallagher, Bobbi Meier, Bryan Northup, Marci Rubin, Hereaclitus Here Vernon, Toby Zallman
Cover artwork: ''All This and More" by Bryan Northup
Image credit: Bobbi Meier, Sunday Dinners (girly-girl), 2022, Pantyhose, fishnet stockings, fiberfill, thrifted needlepoint, various accoutrement, on stretched canvas, 13.5 x 13.5 inches. Image taken by Tom VanEynde.
Imperfect Rituals
Exhibition dates: January 8th - February 18, 2023
CSI member Bobbi Meier is having a solo exhibition at Riverside Arts Center. Imperfect Rituals is an exhibit of ceramics, textiles, drawings and sound by Bobbi Meier; imbued with emotional reaction to the break in personal, social and political rituals of the past six years.
Curated by: Judith Mullen
Riverside Arts Center
32 East Quincy St.
Riverside, IL 60546
For more information: info@riversideartscenter.com
(708) 442-6400
Gallery Hours: Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 1-5pm Closed Sunday - Wednesday, Holidays Admission is free
The following are not CSI sponsored projects, but may be of interest to our members.
2023 DCASE Individual Artists Program Grants
Application Opens November 28, 2022
The 2023 Individual Artists Program (IAP) grant application will open on November 28, 2022. IAP aims to assist Chicago's practicing artists in creating work that develops their craft and elevates their careers. IAP grants support artists across all artistic disciplines including Film & Media Arts, Literary Arts, Music, Performing Arts (Theatre/Dance), and Visual Arts/Design. Visit chicagoculturalgrants.org to sign up for an info session to learn more.
Art Opportunities at Quad City Arts
Group Exhibition for Artists of African Descent
Quad City Arts' and Azubuike African American Council for the Arts are partnering to curate a juried, group exhibition of artists of African descent. The show will be juried by a group of Quad City based African American artists, along with Azubuike Arts and Quad City Arts.
All artists of African descent residing within a 250-mile radius of the Quad Cities are invited to submit up to four artworks of any medium for a juried, group exhibition in Quad City Arts' Rock Island Gallery from Feb. 3 - March 17, 2023. There is NO entry fee. Submission deadline is Jan. 1, 2023. Look here for more information.
2023-24 Call for Proposals
Quad City Arts invites artists residing within a 230-mile radius of Rock Island, IL (most of Iowa, Illinois, parts of WI and MO) to submit a proposal for a gallery exhibition during 2023-24. Selected artists will be paired with one or two additional artists for a 2-month long exhibition between Sept. 2023 and Aug. 2024 in one of our two large exhibit spaces. Cohesive bodies of work are highly desired. All media will be considered. All exhibited work will also be featured in our online sale gallery. Look here for more information.
Six Mile SculptureWorks is excited to announce our second outdoor sculpture exhibition in downtown Granite City, IL! We're hoping you would be willing to share this announcement and prospectus with your membership? This exhibition is a partnership between SixMile SculptureWorks, a program of Alfresco Productions, and America's Central Port. We'd like to invite your members to submit work for this show - the prospectus for the show, as well as the entry form is attached - entries are due by 5pm (central) on February 1st, 2023. If you have any questions please send all inquiries to SixMileSculptureWorks@gmail.com. The honorarium for the year-long exhibition is $1,500, and the exhibition begins in May of 2023.
Post-Publication Additions
This call is not sponsored by CSI but may be of interest to our members who live and work in Illinois:
The Art-in-Architecture Program of the Capital Development Board is pleased to announce
a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to Illinois professional artists to create permanent original public art for the Jefferson Terrace Building in Springfield, Illinois.
This building renovation provides office space for approximately 200 state of Illinois
employees from several state agencies. An ADA accessible concrete and metal panel ramp has been added to the existing building, east of the existing stair, as shown in the drawings and images in the RFQ (https://tinyurl.com/4wkfw8bn). The artwork is located on the exterior of a three-story,130,000-square-foot office building several blocks from the Illinois State Capitol Complex. It is located along the accessible ramp added to the building during the project. Jefferson St., also the path of Illinois Route 97 West, is a very busy Springfield thoroughfare used heavily by residents, visitors, and travelers. According to the Illinois Dept. of Transportation, Jefferson St. sees an average daily traffic count of over 11,000 vehicles per day at this location. The addition of artwork to this corner will enliven and activate the exterior of the building and will also serve as a wayfinding aid.
Stipend: An initial $1,000 to selected artists to develop site-specific proposals. $27,000 to execute approved proposal.
Application Deadline: Friday, February 17, 2023, 4:30 P.M.
While you're here...
Have any news to share? Shows, awards, residencies et al.? Send the particulars along to info@chicagosculpture.org, and we'll include them in an upcoming newsletter.
While you're at it, your profile and images on CSI’s website areimportant. When CSI applies for grants and upcoming shows, images are solely chosen from those you have uploaded to our website. Please take a minute to look over what you have posted and make sure you are presenting the best work. Member Shelley Gilchrist sgilchristart@gmail.com has volunteered to help you if you need it, so feel free to contact her.
Preview image: Image credit: Bobbi Meier, Sunday Dinners (girly-girl), 2022, Pantyhose, fishnet stockings, fiberfill, thrifted needlepoint, various accoutrement, on stretched canvas, 13.5 x 13.5 inches. Image taken by Tom VanEynde.
