September 2024 Newsletter
News from the Outdoor Committee
Above: S. Thomas Scarff, Goddess of Wind and Sand, Bronze and aluminum, 15 x 7-1/2 x 3 ft.
Sedgwick Studios to Host Memorial for Tom Scarff
Sedgwick Studios will host a memorial to celebrate the life of longtime CSI member S. Thomas Scarff on Saturday, September 14th, at 3 PM. To attend the memorial, please RSVP to Siena Scarff at siena@sienascarff.com.
Location:
Sedgwick Studios
1544 N. Sedgwick
Chicago, IL
(1/2 block south of North Ave. on Sedgwick St.)
Over a four-decade career as an artist, Tom established a national reputation for his large-scale sculptures, and he was a pioneer in the incorporation of lighting into sculptural work. His art was exhibited in several prominent venues, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, and various public art programs. He also served as the Odyssey curator emeritus for Purdue University for 18 years. Tom's work was recognized with many awards and honors nationally, including multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. He practiced out of Sedgwick Studios, a collective workspace supporting the work of several artists in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. Over the past decade, he spent more time in his painting studio on the beach at Michigan City, where he enjoyed the view of the lake and Chicago skyline on the western horizon.
Because Tom was a captivating storyteller, the organizers of the event would love to hear the stories he shared with his friends, family, and colleagues. If you have one you’d like to share, please send a brief 2-minute video (MP4) or a written story to Siena Scarff at siena@sienascarff.com.
CSI Project Space and Gallery News
Top left: Allison Ford, Spider and Baba Paska, bottom left: Siwei Xu, Nemophilist, right: Shu Wang, Humanization
By Degrees III - 2024 Exhibition
Exhibition Dates: September 14 - October 4, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 14, 2024, 6-9 pm
CSI Project Space is located at 1912 N Damen Ave.
Often an artist’s most groundbreaking work comes from being immersed in a culture of study and intellectual pursuit. Chicago, home to some of the most globally revered academic arts institutions, could be considered a sort of proving ground for tomorrow’s most promising contemporary emerging artists.
The artists in this exhibit are enrolled in or recently graduated from a degree-seeking program. They have submitted works of sculpture, installation, and media work to be featured in the third CSI annual juried group exhibition By Degrees.
Exhibiting Artists: Charlotte Briskin, Catie Burrill, Andrew Cantu, Andi Crist, Dena Sadik Daman, Allison Ford, Abby Franke, Dave King, Maddy Lee, César Benavente Oblitas, Shu Wang, Sishi Wang, yanqi feifei wang,
Siwei Xu
Image Credit: Top left: Allison Ford, Spider and Baba Paska, bottom left: Siwei Xu, Nemophilist, right: Shu Wang, Humanization
Land Acknowledgement
The City of Chicago, and its surrounding areas, have always been and always will be, home to numerous Native American communities. As a team dedicated to the uplifting of Indigenous People's sovereignty everywhere, we recognize that each program and exhibition associated with this project is taking place on the traditional homelands of the Council of Three Fires - the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa - as well as the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk Nations. Further, we acknowledge that Chicago is home to one of the largest urban Native American communities in the US. We therefore invite each of our non-Indigenous colleagues to learn more about the forced removal of many of the communities listed above from the state of Illinois and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into their line of work. To provide immediate assistance to Native American Communities in Chicago, you can send donations to the city's American Indian Center here
CSI Project Space Call for Entires
Existing is Political
Entry Deadline: Friday, September 27, 2024
Exhibition Dates: October 19 – November 22, 2024
Notification: Saturday, October 5
Artwork Drop-off: Saturday & Sunday, October 12-13, from 1-5 pm.
Opening: Saturday, October 19, from 6-9 pm.
Artwork Pick-up: Saturday & Sunday, November 23-24, from 1-5 pm.
“Existing is Political” explores the notion that simply "being" - existing in one’s body, culture, gender, or identity - carries political weight and significance. In an era marked by a two-party system with sharply defined platforms, this exhibition examines how the principles "equality and justice for all" fit into contemporary society. By showcasing diverse voices and perspectives, it aims to inspire dialogue and foster a deeper understanding of existence as a political act in order to inspire action towards a genuinely inclusive society.
Applicants must be current CSI members. To sign-up for membership: www.chicagosculpture.org/become-a-member
2D-3D work accepted – Sculptural installation work encouraged.
Open interpretations of the exhibit theme are welcomed.
Short paragraph statement about the work.
Artists must install their work.
Contact Info: Name, address, phone, email, website
1 to 3 jpg images (+ image details): Title, medium, size, price with 30% donation to CSI added
Submit on this Google form here: https://forms.gle/nhvWW3VKHjcGXZaGA
Please Note: We request exhibiting artists to cover 1 to 2 gallery-sitting shifts during the show.
CSI Members Special Event
CSI Special Tour of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum
RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, October 16th
On Saturday, November 2nd at 10 am, CSI will have a special tour of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum. The tour will feature the upcoming exhibit. Photographing Frank Lloyd Wright (Photographs taken by, and taken of Frank Lloyd Wright). There is a $35 ticket fee for this event.
Click here to Register and Reserve your Ticket
Member News
Above: Christine Forni, Looking for refractions in the light, 2024, Glass, oil & acrylic on canvas and metal
Christine Forni solo exhibition, Natural Recall
Christine Forni's solo exhibition, Natural Recall, curated by Trevor Power at McHenry County College is located in both Gallery One and Two consisting of thirty sculptures and paintings. Her work addresses the shifting landscapes of nature and memory through methodically deconstructing and then reinterpreting relationships merging from the past to the present. The installations capture moments of solitude with terrain using light's interaction with glass, porcelain, reclaimed minerals, and pigments. The work merges unused remnants or overlooked relics to evoke, recall, and remember. Salvaged and mounted together like specimens, they form a “beautiful but broken” material memory of a point in time. Unlike precious specimens, these are not preserved under glass but placed vulnerably on the surface with their fragility on display.
https://www.mchenry.edu/artist/
Artist Talk and Reception: Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Exhibition Dates: August 6 - September 13, 2024
2:30pm – Artist Talk, Luecht Auditorium, B170
3:30pm – Reception in Gallery One, A212x
Location: McHenry County College, 8900 US Hwy 14, Crystal Lake, Illinois 60012-2761
Gallery Hours: Monday–Thursday 8am – 6pm, Friday 6am – 4:30pm
Above: Top left to bottom right: works by Stacee Kalmanovsky, Jay Wolke, Mia Capodilupo, Christine Forni, and Paul Gerard Somers.
Lure of the Local Color Wheel exhibition
Curated by Stacee Kalmonovsky with a grant from the Mundelein Arts Commission
Opening Reception, Friday Sept 13, 2024, 6 - 9pm, free and open to public
Local Food, Music, and Refreshments
Open to the Public: Sept. 14 - Nov 10, Saturdays and Sundays (11-5pm)
Artist Talks - Sat Sept 21 3pm-5pm
Location: 165 N. Archer Avenue, Mundelein IL
Sponsored by Tonality Brewing Company
Exhibiting Artists:
Allison Hausladen, Ann Ossey, Aruna Sarode, Ben Bates, Christine Forni, Diane Adamek, Ed Watson, Elizabeth Sullivan, Elliot Harold, Heather June Toser, Isabella Meltzer, Jay Wolke, Joan Ackerman-Zimny, John DePinto, John Hatlestad, Jonathan Pruc, Justin Ogden, Kate Uttich, Katherine Harvath, Katie Levy, Ken Krasinski, Kevin Shifley, Kim Childress, Kristen Neveu, Laura O'Connor, Lianne Johnson, Maggie Hazard, Mariko Harkin, Maureen Ivy Fisher, Mia Capodilupo, Michael Trahan, Mundelein Historical Commission, Paul Gerard Somers, Rachel Yim, Robert Hogan, Roberta Ulrich-de Oliveira, Roberto Ferrer, Rozanna Shambrook, Ruth Hutter, Samantha McDonald, Sara Graves, Sarah Mastalerz, Sinéad Carus, Sissie Halperin, Sparker, Stacee Kalmanovsky, Susan Berns, Tanya Leintz, Tell Draper, Theresa Fontana, and Tobin Fraley.
Image from top left to bottom right: Stacee Kalmanovsky, Jay Wolke, Mia Capodilupo, Christine Forni, and Paul Gerard Somers.
Above: Solacé Star by Nicole Beck
Nicole Beck installs Sólace Star at Quincy Veterans Home
Sólace Star by Nicole Beck was installed at the Quincy Veterans Home in the outdoor garden area of their Long-Term Care Facility. The work is 15’H x 71” sq. Stainless steel, custom-laminated dichroic and prismatic glass, with custom mosaic seatback panels where veterans, visitors and care takers can find much needed respite. The commission was awarded to Beck by the Capital Development Board of Illinois Art-in-Architecture Program and the fabrication of the steel was subcontracted by her to Vector Custom Fabricating and included complex rolls by Chicago Metal Rolled Products. Micki LeMieux was hired by Nicole to assist with the installation on August 6. Nicole’s childhood friend and neighbor Rob Magiera worked closely with Nicole in creating the cgi renders for the design, and Nathan Overley at Vector transcribed those images into detailed CADs for fabrication. The Long-Term Care Facility will open early in 2025 for those Veterans with Dementia and Alzheimers. Vets were polled by Nicole to supply character traits they found most valuable regarding their military service and laser cut into the middle ring with HONOR-SERVICE-DIGNITY-INTEGRITY.
Image credit (left to right): Cosmic Threads, Wave Dance by Michele Thrane
black & white
Opening Reception: September 15, 2024, 1-4pm
September 14- October 6, 2024
Evanston Art Center, 1717 Central Street, Evanston, IL
black & white showcases the work of Michele Thrane and Trotter Alexander. Thrane works in pure abstraction; working with encaustic monotypes. Thrane uses asemic writing that creates gestural abstractions in her work drawing the viewer in. Alexander’s work uses vivid colors and figures to push a narrative of growth and transformation through the artist’s personal grievances. There is a stark contrast between Thrane and Alexander’s work at first glance, but as the viewer spends time with the pieces and absorbs the content, connections can be drawn through the emotional context and visual abstractions."
https://www.evanstonartcenter.org/exhibitions/trotter-alexander-michele-thrane
4 Makers
Opening Reception: Friday, September 27, Noon - 8 pm
September 27 - 29, 2024
Space 900, 816 Dempster St., Evanston, IL 60202
Four Makers are a select group of 4 women artists who came together to show their handmade artworks. A consistent theme is inspiration from natural forms translating to fiber, clay, collage and wearable jewelry. We each are the sole designers and makers of our work.
Four women artists present recent works in ceramics, jewelry, painted silk and collage. All artists will be present during exhibit hours. Lynn Floriano, Roberta Urich-de Oliveira, Joanna Alot and Chris Thiel.
This has been in the works since November of 2023. We are very excited and are looking forward to working together, discussing our ideas and showing our work.
69 for 69 a Magnetic Fields Art Show
Curated by CSI Member Janelle Rae
Opening Reception: November 1, 6-9 pm
Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Ct., Elgin, IL 60120
69 for 69 is a nostalgic filled ode to Magnetic Fields album, 69 Love Songs. A love song, the most common and often banal tune on the radio. So pervasive the idea in music that how could anyone possibly make a love song that stands out. Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs bible thick collection uses every conceivable genre to explore the depths of the love song. Stephin Merritts’ lyrics take you through the stages of love spanning from lust, terror, excitement, denial, torment, passion, to tenderness. The most personal emotion is expressed in each song like a small epiphany about lusty human connection. The albums duality of absurdity and sincerity create a space for contemplation. As an homage to the album's 25th year in existence, each artist created a piece decoding a selected song of their choice. Each piece echoes 69 Love songs' sentimental goopiness and cynicism. The exhibition serves as a collective look into our perception of relationships and all the taboos that follow.
The following are not CSI sponsored projects but may be of interest to our members
Call for Proposals: Wild Things Annual Conservation Conference at Rosemont
Proposal are Due Monday, September 23, 2024
On Saturday, March 1, 2025 nature lovers will gather for Wild Things conservation conference at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL to spend a day learning how we can protect, understand, and celebrate our biodiverse treasures. For this incredible conference, we need high quality presentations from our community.
The Wild Things Conference celebrates the volunteers, nonprofits, governments, and partners working together to care for the nature and wildlife in their communities. Recognized as one of the nation’s largest networks of people engaged with nature, the community is made up of stewards, advocates, educators, volunteers, and professional staff, all working together to promote and protect prairies, woodlands, wetlands, wild yards, and natural parks of Illinois, the Great Lakes, and the Upper Midwest.
The biennial conference is the largest conservation gathering the in Midwest, regularly drawing nearly 2,000 attendees for the single-day event. The 2025 Conference will take place on Saturday, March 1 and focus on innovative, adaptive solutions to the climate and biodiversity crisis and the importance of human interventions.
Wild Things is an educational program of Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves.
Click here to Apply
Call for Artists: Equal Temperament at Kentucky Museum
Oct. 1, 2024 Online Entries due at 11:59pm
Jan. 1, 2025 Notification of acceptance
Mid-July 2025 Show opens to public
Oct. 2025 Hammer-In & Awards Reception
April 2026 Show closes; works returned.
Equal Temperament highlights the inclusivity of modern metalworking in a juried art show, accompanied by a variety of interpretive programming to showcase metal’s links with other artistic and historical forms. The show invites artists to submit works inspired by or including metalworking or forging that safely fit within a USPS Flat Rate Shipping Box. The works will be juried by an independent panel and showcased at the Kentucky Museum during a 10-month exhibition from July 2025 to April 2026.
Five awards will be given, named in recognition of the field's historical innovations:
Kentucky Museum Purchase Award, $600
Ulfberht Award for the most puzzling work, $250
Masamune Award for the most intricate work, $250
Yellin Award for the most functional work, $250
Brim Award for the most humorous or fantasy-like work, $250
Grants for Rural Midwest Communities
Deadline for submission is October 1, 2024.
Any interested CSI members, please go to: http://forecastpublicart.org/midwest-memory/ to see if your projects and ideas match the grant criteria.
CSI Contact: Anthony H. May, Grants Chair, anthonyheinzmay@chicagosculpture.org
Image Credit: Liberte by Chris Wubbena
2025 Perryville Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit Call for Artists
Deadline for submission is December 6, 2024, by 5pm
Exhibition Dates: April 25, 2025, to April 24, 2026.
All entrants will receive email notification of results by December 20, 2024.
The City of Perryville is excited to announce its annual sculpture exhibition beginning in the spring of 2025. As artists, you are invited to submit sculptures in consideration for Perryville’s Sculpture Trail located at Miget Park and historic downtown Perryville. The juror for this year’s selection of artwork is Jessica Lambert. This year, the juror will be choosing five sculptures from those entries submitted.
All work entered must be durable and freestanding. Each sculpture or sculpture proposal must be safe for the general public and be suitable and maintenance-free for this one-year outdoor exhibition. Each sculpture will be bolted to a concrete pad using Tapcon anchor bolts supplied by the artist.
Each artist selected for the exhibition will receive a $1,500 honorarium to cover transportation, installation and de-installation of the sculpture, and all other expenses involved. Any costs over $1,500 are entirely the responsibility of the artist.
For more details and application, download the full RFQ here.
Have Any News to Share?
Shows, awards, residencies etc? Submit here and we'll include them in an upcoming newsletter.
While you're at it, your profile and images on CSI’s website are important. 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.
CSI projects are partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
Chicago Sculpture International acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency for CSI programming including exhibitions and funding for Project Space Gallery.
