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N E W S L E T T E R S - Fall 2002 |
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This newsletter is divided into the following articles. To read any one of these articles, please click on the text of the article title.
Letter from the Executive Director: Fall is here with the fragrant ingredients of summer and the savory flavor of winter. Life is in continuous transition, and we are not resisting but are going with the flow. Woman Made Gallery has found a new home and will start 2003 in a brand-new space. Our last show will be the annual Holiday Bazaar at Prairie Avenue; these familiar walls have witnessed so many exciting events, and are heavy with the memories of a multitude of art as diverse and unique as the individuals who created them. We are grateful to the owners of the Keith Mansion, and especially to Marcy Baim for having allowed us to occupy this magical space since 1997. Many things were possible because of her support of our mission and we thank her for having been such a great landlord. We are extending our invitation to all our supporters to join us at a Farewell Party at 1900 S. Prairie Avenue on Friday, December 20th from 6-9pm. For the first time in its 10-year history, the Gallery will have its home not in isolation, but amongst other artists and non-profit organizations at the Acme Artist Community, 2418 W. Bloomingdale Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647. Organizations that also occupy the first floor space on Bloomingdale are the Community TV Network and the Chicago Mutual Housing Network. Besides a variety of common-use areas, the building is a hub of flourishing creativity inhabited by various artists who reside in the well designed studio/living spaces on the first and second floor. The Acme Artist Community is one of the projects of the Near NorthWest Arts Council, a non-profit organization that develops programs, creative projects and artist housing in collaboration with a network of community development interests. Our main contact has been the NNWAC Executive Director, Laura Weathered and we feel very privileged to fit into their vision and are looking forward to adding enrichment to the developing community. We are looking forward to a fabulous opening reception on January 17th, 2003 that will celebrate WMG in its new space and show the first group exhibition of the new year: Normal/Abnormal: Bodies & Minds and the first solo show with artwork by Ann Starr. -Beate C. Minkovski Board member Kathy Greenholdt has decided to leave the WMG board with its often intense demands to give more time to her new artistic devotion, music. Kathy has been the very capable designer for various projects, including newsletters and invites for special events, like our annual art auction. We thank her for her valuable contributions to the growth of Woman Made Gallery. Kathy assured us that she'll continue her services as supporting member on the Advisory board and we are grateful for her involvement. We have ivited John Washburn to serve on our Advisory Board and he has graciously accepted. John is an experienced corporate real estate facility manager who has worked at AT@T and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. We officially welcome three new members to the WMG Board of Directors:
Lari Washburn is an artist and the founder of Creativity Center, 'IdeaVerse' at Lucent Technologies. She is an Intuitive Painter and developer of intuitive painting workshops for the corporate environment. Previously, Lari worked as a Special Events Project Manager for AT@T. Aimée Picard is a textile artist and freelance writer. Here are her comments: "I've been a WMG member for almost five years. Woman Made plays a unique role in not just providing exhibition opportunities for women artists, but also professional development opportunities. I'm a self-taught artist, and also self-taught at the business of being an artist -- and I think that's the case for many others, so the resources Woman Made provides are critical. I'm happy to be part of the Woman Made community!" Staff member Jori Lewis has left WMG and is on her way to an exciting new life in New York. We thank Jori for all the good work she did for the Gallery and we wish her the very best wherever she goes. We welcome Nancy Nield Buchwald as our new Gallery Assistant. Nancy is a PhD Candidate at University of Chicago. Her research interests include Abstract Expressionism and contemporary feminist art. Nancy is a fabulous writer and will contribute her talents in various areas from the website to the newsletter. (above right) 'St. Charles Streetcar, New Orleans' photograph by Juanita Richeson from the Her Mark 2003 calendar.  Dear WMG:
Dear Beate, PS: I am in wonderment seeing Fujiko Isomura's pieces online. WOW ----------------Dear Beate, And I want to thank you again for suggesting that I turn that first "Chicks" painting into a series. They are coming slowly but steadily (I am on painting #5 in the series right now) and I find the process absolutely fascinating. I have never worked in a series before. I have done similar paintings but not conceptualized them that way and thinking about work as a series allows a deeper exploration than is possible in any one painting. All five seem to be just as bizarre as "Chicks"--I seem to have a fondness for disturbing, disconcerting images. Again, thank you for suggesting the series. Your encouragement is really appreciated. Sincerely, Moira Carlson (above right) 'Lipstick', oil on canvas by Moira Carlson (from the 'Chicks' series.) We are thankful to the jurors of the 2002 Annual Members' Show, Kathleen Waterloo, Patricia Biesen and Aileen Dy. We have included one of the juror statements which might help artists to get an idea on what jurors are looking for: "Having been a member of WMG for many years I was really honored to be asked to co-jury the 2002 Members' Show. It was quite an educational experience for me since last year my work was rejected from the Member's Show. This baffled me because this exhibition had been a staple on my resume for many years. After jurying this show I could certainly see why my work was rejected. What I learned is that a lot of work is rejected for the following reasons: 1. The slides are too dark and the quality of the work itself cannot be seen. 2. The work is shot against a background that is confusing to the juror. For example, if you put your work against a grainy wood panel, is this part of the work? 3. The work looked as if it were part of an art lesson or class study such as a painting of a bowl of fruit. 4. The work had merit and showed off the talent of the artist but didn't "touch" the juror. Work that is unique, emotional, controversial or has an obvious mission is what attracts jurors. 5. The work simply didn't suit the tastes of the juror. The juror might like abstracts and dislike realism. For this reason alone, a lot of quality work ends up rejected. 6. The three slides selected by the artist are inconsistent. Jurors want to see consistency not how far you can "stretch" in your craft. It is best to show a series of work in similar medium, size, style and subject matter. 7. And lastly, there is simply too much good work and someone else's work might be slightly stronger. I feel like I have new eyes and hope to embody these lessons into the next work I create." -Patricia Biesen Her Mark 2003 Release Party
Highlights of the party will be a reading featuring Her Mark poets, a book signing by both artists and poets, and a special release party discount (10% off 5 copies or more). Also, a special exhibit of original artwork featured in the calendar will be on display in the Gallery gift shop from October 18 - November 14, so if there's an artwork that catches your eye in the pages of Her Mark, you may have the opportunity to purchase it for your very own! Datebooks are $18 each and on sale at WMG plus $2 for shipping and handling. You may order from our Secure Site where you can pay with Visa or MC or print, complete and send in our Mail-In Form. Workshop: Preparing Photography for Exhibitions Panelists include Susan Aurinko, director of FlatFile Photography Gallery, Natasha Egan, Associate Director of The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Jane Stevens, Co-director of the Thompson Center Art Gallery, and Tom Vaneynde, public relations photographer for Chicago area museums and galleries. They will share expertise earned through the experience of photography preparation and curatorship of exhibitions. WMG members, and other emerging and interested art photographers can benefit from this program. Registered participants may bring one small (11” x 14” maximum image size) exhibition ready “photographic work” for a free critique. Random drawing will make the selection for critiques. Date: Saturday, October 26, 2002 from 2-5pm at WMG. Fee: $25 for WMG members. Please call WMG to register: 312-328-0038 or register Online. (above right) 'You Are Here,' oil & pencil on masonite, 24"x18", by Julia Fosson - (cover image of the Her Mark 2003 calendar)
Woman Made appreciates the following individuals and organizations for their ongoing support of the Gallery:
WOMAN MADE GALLERY ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH JUDITH DAWN MEMORIAL FUND FOR THE ARTS Woman Made Gallery is currently in the process of planning an event in partnership with the Judith Dawn Memorial Fund for the Arts, to be held at Woman Made in Fall of 2003. The event will benefit and support survivors of sexual assault and abuse. The Judith Dawn Memorial Fund for the Arts was established by Jean Cozier, a local sexual abuse survivor and supporter of area programs for survivors of sexual assault and abuse. It is named for her cousin, Judith Dawn Hickey, an incest survivor and artist who died of cancer in 1998. The program is privately funded and offers financial awards to survivors of sexual assault and abuse in Cook, McHenry, and Lake counties in Illinois, and Kenosha County in Wisconsin, who wish to pursue their healing by studying the creative arts. It is administered by the Lake County Council Against Sexual Assault (LaCASA) in Gurnee, Illinois. LaCASA is a non-profit agency that offers programs for the prevention of sexual assault and abuse and counseling for survivors and their families. ABOUT THE ARTIST
Judith was a born artist. One of my earliest memories of her was watching her paint flowered sandals on her feet for a dance. While she studied art at several points in her life, it wasn’t until she began her healing process that her talent and creativity exploded. She painted over a hundred canvases between 1993 and 1995, many of which are owned today by family and friends. She was just starting to exhibit at local galleries near her home in San Diego, California, when she became too ill to paint. Examples of her art can be seen in Chicago at several locations: at LaCASA, in Gurnee; at Rape Victim Advocates, in the Chicago Loop; and at the Quetzal Center on Chicago’s North Side. One of her watercolors, entitled "The Awakening" was chosen by LaCASA in 2001 to represent their 20th anniversary theme of "Healing, Empowerment, Celebration" during the year’s events. ABOUT THE PROGRAM In December of 1997, I had established a Donor Advised Fund at the Chicago Community Trust. The purpose of that Fund is to support area programs that benefit adult survivors of sexual assault and abuse. Unable to find an existing program that fit my vision for Judith’s memorial, I decided to create a new program. I met some wonderful people at LaCASA who helped me further define my vision and offered to administer it. We set up a selection committee of three – a board member, a volunteer, and a staff member – to review applications and choose award recipients. Since 1998, the Judith Dawn Memorial Fund for the Arts has made awards to twenty survivors, who have chosen to study painting, art, writing, multi-media, photography, dance and music. The program is open to sexual assault and abuse survivors, 18 years and older, who wish to study the arts. Applicants are not restricted to formal courses of study – awards can be used for classes, supplies, workshops, exhibit fees – anything that will help them pursue their art and healing. Confidentiality of applicants and recipients is maintained at all times, unless the applicant chooses to self-identify. Candidates submit an application form, along with letters of reference, to the Selection Committee, which meets 4 times a year to review applications and make awards. The Judith Dawn Memorial Fund for the Arts has enabled me to fulfill two dreams. Judith, my cousin, dreamed that survivors like her could find ways to heal and create art. I dream of keeping Judith’s art and memory alive and working in the world to help heal and empower others who have dreams, but lack the resources to fulfill them. And by helping heal others I heal myself. (above right) 'Awakening', painting by Judith Dawn. Premier copies of Her Mark 2003 will be available at a free Release Party on Sunday, October 20th from 2-4pm at the Gallery. Here you can join calendar contributors - both artists and poets - for a festive launching of this annual WMG publication. Highlights of the party will be a reading featuring Her Mark poets, a book signing by both artists and poets, and a special release party discount (10% off 5 copies or more). Also, a special exhibit of original artwork featured in the calendar will be on display in the Gallery Gift Shop from October 18 - November 14, 2002. If there's an artwork that catches your eye in the pages of Her Mark, you may have the opportunity to purchase it for your very own! Datebooks are $18 each and on sale at WMG. Datebooks are $18 each and on sale at WMG plus $2 for shipping and handling. You may order from our Secure Site where you can pay with Visa or MC or print, complete and send in our Mail-In Form. We have included one of the Her Mark 2003 poems below for your enjoyment. Pot Bound Rivals, you and I, Yours is thin Mine's terracotta - Yours hardens quickly into permanence. I add water to mine, Yours fires white and decorous. Mine is slang for vase. Yours is well-behaved enough to win. Mine will crack some day Strange container, © Susan Richardson
By the Women from Seeding the Snow: Seeding the Snow is a journal of women's writing and artwork that celebrates the midwestern landscape. We are always looking for submissions of poetry and prose related to the connection between women and nature in the midwest. We also are interested in artwork that reproduces well in black and white. To subscribe, please send $14 to Seeding the Snow, 2534 N. St. Louis, Chicago, IL 60647. You can get more information at this address or through email at karengeorge17@cs.com A Woman Artist You Should Know: Elisabetta Sirani My talk in October on Elisabetta Sirani will focus on research I completed while in an art history graduate class taught by Dr. Marilyn Dunn. Entitled "Picturing Women," the course was offered through the Women’s Studies program at Loyola University this past year. Born in 1638, Sirani lived and worked in Bologna until she died in 1665. I learned that she was internationally famous during her lifetime and that she produced over 190 works of art during a career that spanned only ten years. Since I am an artist, and I studied classical painting in Italy for three years, I was very curious and excited to learn about Sirani. I wondered how it was that I had never heard of her before. As my research progressed I began to see a familiar pattern: women artists are treated and pereceived differently than men in and by society. While there had been some treatment of Sirani’s life in writing through the last three centuries, her work, until very recently, had been neglected by art history. I also discovered that the way Sirani had been constructed by various writers had been gendered to reflect prevailing cultural norms and attitudes towards women, depending on when they had written about her. Understanding this and what changes have recently been made in art history, criticism, and gender studies, offers a fuller picture of Sirani’s art and life. In class we looked at the concept of the "exceptional woman," and what that meant in gendered terms. Simply put, it meant that some woman supposedly acted outside the norms of her sex. As it was defined by men, this female exceptionality meant disrupting the status quo to one degree or another, while making feminine achievement a kind of aberration, something seemingly unlikely for most women to attain.
Elisabetta Sirani was one of the chosen few women artists to be accorded "exceptional status" by the writers and patrons of her time. In her case this extra-ordinary rank was used to conflate her with the greatness of Bologna itself, which had produced her. Conforming to gendered norms by remaining a chaste virgin throughout her short life, in death she became even more of a celebrity, elevating the status of both artist and Bologna. Yet in the same way that the reception of Artemisia Gentileschi’s work has been eclipsed by her rape at 17, so has Sirani’s work been overshadowed by her exceptional status and the circumstances of her premature death at age 27. She was widely mourned, given a huge funeral, and buried next to the artist Guido Reni, her esteemed predecessor. She has been often described as a follower of Reni even though he died when she was 4 years old. According Sirani "exceptional" status forecloses any comparison of her art to that of her male peers. Perceiving her artistic production as an abnormal feminine achievement discourages investigation into her works’ complexities, simultaneously elevating and reducing her to a rarity, which exists outside a meaningful historically specific context. To me, what makes Sirani exceptional is the breadth and quality of her work. In my upcoming lecture I will show examples of her art and will illustrate some of the ways that Sirani interacted with the artistic culture of which she was a part. Her art was situated within prevailing artistic currents, yet she modified these with qualities that express her difference in point of view from some of the male artists around her.Copyright 2001 Ginny Sykes Ginny Sykes is an artist and arts educator who studied in Italy and is currently pursuing a masters in women's studies. She has several permanent mosaic works in Chicago's public art landscape. The lecture is scheduled for Sunday, October 6 from 2-4pm at Woman Made Gallery. (above right) 'The Penitent Magdalene in the Wilderness,' oil on canvas - 64.25"x78.75" - painted in 1660 by Elisabetta Sirani. Please check our WOMAN MADE GALLERY CALENDAR for all events throughout the year. Sponsor An Exhibit Or Purchase Award: Please become an exhibit sponsor or give an exhibit purchase award for future shows. An example of exhibit sponsorship is providing money for printing and mailing expenses of invitations. Your name would be printed on the invitations and in our newsletter. You might also want to give a purchase prize for a select exhibition. This means that you would commit to buying one artwork from one exhibition. Your name and /or company would be credited on all printed materials and on our Web site. For more information contact WMG at (312) 328-0038. 4439 Design Working with independent artists, nonprofit organizations and corporations, 4439 Design offers creative design solutions to any project, small or large. Call for further information and samples. Contact Jeanne Nemcek at 773 539-9270 or email her at nemcek@flash.net EZMAIL services PSN - Progressive Systems Network We would like to thank the following individuals who have become members or renewed their memberships and all those who have donated money, items, time and talents. We apologize for any misspellings and appreciate if you would let us know. Please check in our next newsletter if your name has not yet been listed here. Verda Abernathy, Janice Anderson, Nell Angelo, Jahan Ara, Nancy Askin, Carol Augustine, Remi & Cathy Auxenfans, Pamela Ayres, Anoush Bargamian, Elizabeth Bass, Ellen Wade Beals, Jeanne Tornow Bemi, JuneFelicia Bennett, Cali Bergold, Marianne Biagi, Mary Biddinger, Janet Bloch, Erin Blustein, Megan Burns, Kim Brenner, Patricia Brutchin, Moira Carlson, Jennifer Casey, Virginia Cassetta, Jan Brown Checco, Laurel Garcia Colvin, Nina Corwin, Peggy Dee, Claudia Delestowicz, Searah Deysach, Jackie Dimetros, Deborah Adams Doering, Ingrid Neuhofer Dohm, Mari Dominguez, Susan Dupor, Hadia Finley, Christine Flores-Cozza, Cianne Fragione, Nancy Freehafer (Seeding the Snow), Yvonne Gajewski, Galganov & Associates, Teresa Getty, Phyllis Danielson Gillie, Kathy Greenholdt, Sharon Harper, Cynthia Heller Heinz, Robyn Henzel, Christa Hinton, Kippra Hopper, Victoria Hutsler, Setsuko Isomura, Nancy Jaeger, Indira Freitas Johnson, Jacquelyn Johnston, Katherine Kaminski, Adele Kiel, Helen Kopec, Karolyn Kuehner, Dianne Lancia, Peggy Lipschutz, Catherine Lundgren, Marilyn Madden, Donna Magnani, Susan McCann, Mary McHugh, Mary Mejia, Barbara Blackledge Miller, Kendra Miller, Pamela Miller, Renny Mills, Ardis Moonlight, Laura Nugent, Susan Pagadala, Stephanie Petrusic, Ron Parisi, Alice Peppler, Ruth Praser, Helen Quade, Nancy Recchia, Ann Regan, Whitney Riley, Alyce Ritti, Laurayne Robinette, Lorraine Sack, Kim Schoel, Maureen Seaton, Judith Segall, Linda Sharpe, Marlene Skolnik, Amy Stoeffler, Lois Stone, Mary Stoppert & Carmen Perez, Katherine Pukas, Ceil Leeper Sturdevant, Gabrielle Swain, Jere Van Syoc, Christine Thiel, Frances E. Trainor, Carole Vogler, Saudia Wadud, Rhonda Wheatley, Theresa Witek, Karen Wolf, Mi Wu Special Thanks To: Between the Heart & the Land poets for their reading on July 14th RHINO 2002 editors and contributors who participated in the reading in the park on August 11th. Her Mark 2003 designer Jeanne Nemcek for her skills and artistry; Poetry jurors, Krystal Ashe, Lucy Anderton, Tara Betts and Anida Esguerra for their time and selections, and Nicole Perez for her drawings inside the datebook. Volunteers We thank all volunteers listed here for their good work on behalf of WMG:
Thanks to all 10th Anniversary contributors: Thanks to all boardmembers for helping with the Anniversary Celebration Thanks to Goose Island for donation of two kegs of great beer: http://www.gooseisland.com Thanks to our Jurors We thank our dinstinguished jurors of the 2002 exhibition season. With their help, expertise and sensibilities we were able to mount a series of wonderful shows at the Gallery: Rosemary Luckett, Faith Ringgold, Judith Raphael, Mary K. O'Shaughnessy, Mayte Gonzalez Diaz Harbison, Kathleen Waterloo, Aileen Dy, Patricia Biesen, Christie Hefner, Carrie Secrist and Barbara Crane. (above right) 'The Bone, Connections Series,' encaustic & m. m. on wood panel, 24"x12", by Laurel Garcia Colvin (from the Her Mark 2003 calendar.)
Please use our MAIL-IN ORDER FORM or visit our ONLINE SECURE SITE where you can order various items, like WMG T-Shirts, WMG mugs and the Big Fish CD or register for workshops and pay with Visa or Mastercard. Membership Form/Volunteer Opportunities : Please go to our MEMBERSHIP PAGE to find out how you can support our efforts with your membership and volunteer services. Regular membership is only $35 per year and can be charged with Visa or Mastercard from our Secure Site. Please check our MEMBER'S DISCOUNT PAGE for businesses that give discounts to our members. You have two options for obtaining guidelines for shows: 1. Send a note (with a self-addressed-stamped envelope) requesting the show prospectus of your choice to: Woman Made Gallery, 1900 South Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616. 2. Click on http://www.womanmade.org/calexhibits.html and print out entry forms in pdf format for the exhibition you wish to enter or print out a generic Entry Form: http://womanmade.org/entryform.html. ANNUAL HOLIDAY BAZAAR 2002, Nov. 29 - Dec. 22, 2002 NORMAL/ABNORMAL: Bodies & Minds, January 17 - February 20, 2003 6th INTERNATIONAL OPEN, February 28 - March 27, 2003 TRADITIONS: THE BLESSING & THE CURSE, April 4 - May 15, 2003 THE WHOLE BALL OF WAX, May 23 - June 19, 2003 Good luck to all exhibition entrants. Remember to enter shows in the most professional way with the best slides possible. Woman Made News is produced quarterly. Send newsletter contributions to Mary Ann Anthony, Woman Made Gallery, 1900 South Prairie Ave, Chicago, IL 60616. You may e-mail your entries to gallery@womanmade.org. Woman Made Gallery reserves the right to edit articles for clarity and brevity. Entries for the Fall 2002 Newsletter must be received by November 15th, 2002. Click here to read our previous newsletters. |
May 28, 2005
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