 GALLERY |
685 N MILWAUKEE AVE CHICAGO IL 60642
TEL: 312 738 0400 |
 |
|
 |
about us |
|
 |
|
Privacy Policy Copyright 1998-2008 © Woman Made Gallery |
|
|
N E W S L E T T E R S - Spring 2004 |
|
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: Letter from the Executive Director All of us at WMG--board, staff and volunteers--are busy with auction preparations as another beautiful season awakens hope and anticipation for a promising start and a fresh beginning.
After some tough months of penny pinching and serious belt-tightening, the future is beginning to look brighter for Woman Made. We received a generous private donation of $3,000 from our guardian angel, Pamela Callahan, in honor of her grandmother Mary Ashley's 90th birthday. A grant check for $10,360 from the Illinois Arts Council helped to pay some long overdue bills, including art insurance and the news of a CityArts Program II grant from the City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs for $3,500 for three consecutive years raised our spirits considerably. Our auction invitations, designed pro bono by Allison Hill who also generously donated one of her paintings (depicted on this page) have gone out with the help of hard-working volunteers. And due to tireless board efforts, much needed auction sponsorship funds are coming in. It takes uninterrupted work and the constant help and support of many caring individuals to raise enough money in order to continue our important mission. The fruits of our labor are in full view: continuous programs that promote and showcase women's creative expressions. Another wonderful exhibition, the 7th International Open has just ended. Claudia DeMonte's juried selections for the show have inspired and enlightened numerous gallery visitors. Congratulations to Whitney Lee, Donna Lograsso and Lynne Kelly who won first, second and third prize. Our local public radio station, WBEZ put the spotlight on WMG and the exhibition on its program, Eight Forty-Eight. You can hear the March 23rd interview on: www.wbez.org/audio_library/848_ramar04.asp#23 On display through May 13th are the many upbeat and funky images that Zg Gallery owners, Myra Casis & Meg Sheehy juried into the Pop Group Show. Jean Albano from Jean Albano Gallery awarded the Pop Solo Show to artist Heidi Kellner from Urbana, Illinois. Ending the 2004 spring season is the group show, Spatially Inspired: Media & Form, with a multitude of three-dimensional art selected by Chicago artist, Ilse Bolle, whose magnificent fiber constructions may be viewed through June 17th in her solo show, Connections. Exhibitions and workshops are in place through 2005 and show announcements, newsletters, press releases, mailings, emails and our website spread the word about our work and mission: WMG exhibits art made by and about women, educates the public about women's art, and advocates for the equal treatment of women's accomplishments. A warm thanks to all who support WMG's mission in so many ways. Happy Spring!! -Beate C. Minkovski (right) 'History Repeating', oil on linen, 15" x 9.5" - Art Auction Donation by Alison Hill  Board & Staff News Elections for new board officers will take place during our May board meeting. We would like to welcome Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk as WMG's newest Advisory Board member. Mary Ann is involved in numerous volunteer projects, besides being PR Chair for the Texas Visual Arts Association, Founder/Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Visual Arts Coalition of Dallas and Co-Founder and Chairman of the John Philp Thompson Foundation for Research for Non-Chemotherapy/Non-Radiation treatment/cure for Brain Cancer. Mary Ann states: "Thank you for inviting me to join your Advisory Board. I am sincerely honored to join any group that helps artists and firmly believe that women's advancement in any field can only be for the betterment of society as a whole!" Letters to Woman Made Gallery: Letters to Woman Made Gallery Hi Beate! I just wanted to let you know how much I love this targeted approach to fundraising (Banner Campaign). Your pitch gave me a definite sense of the problem and the solution and the Paypal option made it a total no-brainer. Thanks so much for making it easy! (Of course, I did already have a Paypal account, which helped immensely.) Best to you, Betsy Martens WMG Art Auction
Please join us for this 'once-a-year' special event at Catalyst Ranch to raise funds for WMG. The auction takes the efforts of all of our members and supporters to make it one of the "most enjoyable evenings" of the year for those who attend. There is a wide array of amazing art and items to be had for bargain prices, delicious food, and musical accompaniment for the evening's festivities. This is our number one fundraiser of the year, which is important to our mission and the ongoing work of Woman Made. Many artists have donated to the auction and amongst them are Anne Elizabeth, ATYL, Pamela Callahan, Moira Carlson, Jan Brown Checco, Laurel Garcia Colvin, Melanie Deal, Anne Leuck Feldhaus, Allison Hill, Valentin Ion, Geraldine McCullough, Bert Menco, Joyce Owens, Carmen Perez, Karen Rechtschaffen, Juanita Richeson, Eileen Wasserman, Kathleen Waterloo, Rhonda Wheatley, Elly Wilder and MANY MORE. All will be listed in our auction booklet and on our Auction Page Besides a fabulous live and silent auction we'll have a great raffle with $1000 as first prize, a Chicago Hotel Package as the second prize and a digital camera as the third prize. You can help us in different and important ways:
Call us at (773) 489-8900 if you want more information about the event, or email us at gallery@womanmade.org (right) 'Bandit', oil on Masonite, 24"x14" - Art Auction Donation by Pamela Callahan Banner Campaign If you've visited the Woman Made Gallery space at 2418 Bloomingdale Avenue, you probably noticed there's something missing . . . there's no sign, no banner, nothing to tell you that this is the home of Woman Made Gallery! The image on the left shows how the gallery facade looks now.
We've set a number of objectives for the coming months. Among them is building a stronger connection with the surrounding Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood, as well as the greater Chicagoland community. One of our challenges is making our presence known, but without a sign or banner, we are virtually invisible. As a member of Woman Made and/or as a supporter of our mission, we ask you to donate what you can to help us fund the new banner we wish to produce and install outside our space. Our goal is to raise $800, which will cover materials, printing, hardware, and installation costs. Please help us to raise the needed funds by June 30, 2004. We appreciate any amount, no matter how small. You may donate online to send in your tax-deductible donation. Your help will go a long way in helping us fulfill our overall mission. Thank you to Margo Jeanchild, Janet Bloch, Lauren Mathews, Diana Buckley, Roberta Miles, Betsy Martens, Paula Greer, Marian Jones, Bonnie Factor, Carol Tarnoff, Mary Ann Anthony, Joyce Morishita, John & Dorianne Venator and TIN CAN COLLEGE. Their contributions reduced our $800 goal to only $362. Thank you to Early Art Auction Sponsors: Thank you to Early Art Auction Sponsors Art Angel - $1000 Visionary - $500
Patron - $250 Friend - $100 - $249 Thank you to our Hosts (right) 'Field of Dreams III', encaustic on 4 panels - 15"x9" - Art Auction Donation by Kathleen Waterloo Special Thanks To... (Please check our next newsletter if your name is not yet included here)
Woman Made appreciates the following individuals and organizations for their ongoing support of the Gallery: Our Board Members for their continued hard work, devotion and board pledges Our Business Sponsors Our Donors Dragonfly's Delights In many cultures the word dragonfly imparts magical symbolism. Dragonflies are believed to personify enlightenment, luck, harmony and serendipity, along with immortality and regeneration. For Alice Kitselman and other breast cancer survivors it is Japan's symbolism of the dragonfly, victory in battle, that brings a poignant connection. In December 2000, Alice was simultaneously diagnosed with breast cancer and a rare form of bone cancer. Suddenly, at the age of 39, Alice was faced with two surgeries and the dreaded chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The physical and emotional battle had begun.
On a dark winter night shortly after her chemotherapy treatments began, Alice received an anonymous gift. Delivered by mail, a basket arrived that was filled with caring, personal items. "This anonymous gift with the loving note marked the road to my healing. At that moment I ceased to feel powerless and alone and knew that I wanted to pass a similar gift on to other women with breast cancer." Exposed to art since she was very young, Alice Kitselman's passion is the art of Rubberstamping, which eventually evolved to Mail Art and Artistamps. Also gifted in designing Monotypes, Alice turned her artistic talents to master the ultimate work of art- the creation of hope. In October 2001 the Dragonfly's Delights Foundation was born. Created as a means to nurture and console, gift baskets were given to women in Northern New Mexico who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Through relationships with medical doctors, oncologists, and cancer centers, Dragonfly's Delight's Foundation provides gift baskets to women during their early stages of cancer treatment. Most often Alice interacts with office staff and nurses. While currently working with two sets of surgeons, Alice's goal is to "get the basket into newly diagnosed hands as soon as possible directly after diagnosis." Dragonfly's Delights also works with the local hospital and the new cancer institute. Items found inside each basket often include a candle for prayer and meditation, note cards to encourage communication, a stuffed animal to comfort, chocolate to represent the sweetness of life, a milagro to inspire miracles, luxury bath to soothe, handmade items to spark creativity, a scarf or hat to provide warmth, "Messages of Hope" by cancer survivors (creating a bond) and a journal to create an inner dialogue. It is Alice's dream that satellite offices would be in every major city across the United States and at some point, internationally. As an artist, Alice has the vision that perhaps other artists would join forces to help promote her mission by creating special gifts for baskets or designate a special event to benefit Dragonfly's Delights Foundation. As part of Dragonfly's Dream, Alice's goal is to publish a journal filled with quotes consisting of words of encouragement and dragonfly art. This journal would be included in every basket and become a sales tool for fundraisers. In India, the dragonfly is the symbol for the magic of potential. This dragonfly symbol awaits each of us. More about Dragonfly's Delights Foundation: Artist Profile: Lee Bontecou Lee Bontecou is one of a few women artists who received recognition in the 60's for her large wall reliefs, composed of stretched canvas over welded metal armatures, combining both painting and sculpture.
Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1931, Bontecou studied sculpture in New York from 1952-1955 with William Zorach. Recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to Rome in 1957 and 1958, and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award in 1959, she continued to challenge artistic conventions of both materials and presentation in such early works as Flit that combine mechanical and biological forms. After a successful solo exhibition in 1971 at Leo Castelli Gallery, Bontecou all but disappeared from the art scene to work in seclusion in her rural Pennsylvania studio. She married, raised a daughter, taught art at Brooklyn College until 1991 and continued to create work that until recently has not been publicly shown. A retrospective of Lee Bontecou's work with over 70 sculptures and 80 drawings is on exhibit through May 30, 2004 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (right) 'Flit' by Lee Bontecou - welded iron, canvas, wire, black velvet. 65" x 65" - 1995 - Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Reading & Book Signing Sunday, May 2, 2004 Join us as we host a reading and book signing by Mayapple Press authors Adrienne Lewis and Judith Kerman.
Lewis, managing editor for Mayapple Press and 2003 recipient of the 2003 Raymond Tyner Prize for Poetry, is the author of Coming Clean.
Kerman is the author of Three Marbles; Mothering and Dream of Rain; and has recently edited a collection of poems titled Uncommon Places: Poems of the Fantastic and translated La Carta de Amor al Rey Tut-Ank-Amen/The Love Letter to King Tutankhamen; both authors will read from their respective titles and give the audience a taste of some their new poetry as well. Call for Art and Words for Her Mark 2005: Call for Art and Words for Her Mark 2005 It’s already time to think of entering artwork and/or poetry into the Her Mark 2005 calendar competition. HER MARK 2005 is an exhibition in book form, one that travels outside the Gallery walls and remains in people’s hands throughout the year. The entry deadline is May 19th, 2004. Send a self-addressed-stamped-envelope to request guidelines for art and/or poetry or get the guidelines from the Download Page Poetry Corner
Invoking the Muse Oh Muse, in your poem-white robe of light, bring me words Venus Examines Her Breast She’s pissed at all the minor milk ducts shit, she says, and sets her chin lean of mind to expect much from a goddess. Aspiration takes seconds, the lump says the Doc, Now aren’t we a happy camper? everything is so expensive yet familiar. as a snake-shaped scar, chipping slowly gets better than this, she thinks: Nipple, to capacity. I can shift out of first! anchored in the mirrored now. You’re (right) 'Lotus Pod', archival pigment ink digital photograph, 17" x 11" - Art Auction Donation by Laurel Garcia Colvin
Seeding the Snow Seeding the Snow is a journal of women's writing and artwork that celebrates the mid-western landscape. We are always looking for submissions of poetry and prose related to the connection between women and nature in the mid-west. We also are interested in artwork that reproduces well in black and white. To subscribe, please send $16 to Seeding the Snow, 2534 N. St. Louis, Chicago, IL 60647. More information is available at www.seedingthesnow.org Purpose by Margaret Dubay Mikus: Purpose Let me tell you a story. One that tells you as much about me as anything. For most of my life I thought I was not a creative person. Science was the path that seemed open to me and in 1982; I earned a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Chicago. My work was in molecular genetics (gene cloning) and I was good at it. But I did not fit. Something was missing. My life was off balance. In graduate school, I had the first attacks of what was later diagnosed as multiple sclerosis. MS is caused by the immune system attacking the insulation surrounding nerve cells. The damage can be healed, but over time scarring can occur, leaving permanent damage. Symptoms come and go depending on what nerves are affected, including numbness, weakness, tingling, muscle spasms, fatigue, problems with sleep, balance and vision. For me, as the disease progressed, it mostly affected my left side, which is controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain, the center of creativity. In some ways, it was as if I was cut off from my creative self. With intensive work and professional help, I healed from MS in 1995. Yes, I know that's not usually thought to be possible, but if you don't worry about that, then doors can open. The following summer, I began writing a poetic journal that bubbled up from me as if flowing from some deep creative well. I was astonished and amazed when these poems seemed to touch others deeply. I resumed photography, which I had been unable to do when I had MS. And I continued working on my singing with a superb voice teacher. That "recovery of voice" fed my writing. All in the context of taking care of a house, husband, and two children. A year later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer (two unrelated tumors, one in each breast). I was devastated, but gathered my resources and expanded my healing process. I chose to combine conventional medicine (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation) with my own personal mix of unconventional therapies. Reconnection with my spiritual side, writing, music and photography were essential to my healing from cancer—and transformed my life. I used some of these poems and photos when I designed my Life Support Cards (TM) and in my book, As Easy as Breathing: Reclaiming Power for Healing and Transformation—Poems, Letters and Inner Listening. I created my workshop series, Expanding Our Possibilities of Full Blooming (TM). With my poems as the core, I used energy balancing, flow writing, music, and visualization to help access creative potential. One of the poems from As Easy as Breathing is called "A Messenger." To set the stage: Exhausted after surgery and chemotherapy, I was badly burned from weeks of radiation treatments and trying to decide whether to stop. How could I make a balanced decision when I was so off balance? I talked, I wrote, I read, I thought and I listened. I cried out to the Universe for help. And I paid attention. Here was an immediate response: A Messenger
A man came to my house today He was heavy-set, wearing He talked of a sister who had died How clearly so fearful of death, and lose hope Sometimes the most ordinary people can help us, if we are paying attention. His comment, "Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease," unintentionally supported my decision to stop radiation. Three years later, I mentioned the poem to him and gave him a copy, since he seemed open to it. (Something I did often.) Recently, when he came again to replace the sump pump battery, I mentioned that "A Messenger" was in my book. This is what he told me: Three years ago, when he read the poem I gave him, he saw himself differently and was inspired to stop smoking! He was a heavy smoker and has not had a cigarette in two and a half years. So this is what I want to say to you: Doing art from that deep honest place, in whatever form, can be healing, inspiring and moving for you and for others in ways you do not control or even intend. I suspect there are many like me who grew up cut off from creative expression. As my story shows, that rift can be mended with awesome results. Hang in there! (right) 'River View at Starved Rock', photography by Margaret Dubay Mikus Young At Art Roberta Miles, WMG member, visual artist and member of The Art House, on Harrison St., in Oak Park, has created a community project to bring art to seniors. Members of The Art House will be providing ongoing art classes to residents of Holley Court Terrace, 1111 Ontario St., Oak Park, a senior retirement community. Miles created the project while participating in a Landmark Education leadership program. Part of the course work was to create a project that benefits the community. "Creativity can begin at any age. It can invigorate and also prolong life. The mission is to have happy, self-expressed seniors with a renewed zest for life and creativity and to have happy, self-expressed artists contributing and making a difference," says Miles. For more information and how to get involved contact Roberta at RobertaM@aol.com or call 773-465-5055. Please check our WOMAN MADE GALLERY CALENDAR for all events throughout the year. Please + Thank You 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 our next newsletter if your name is not yet included here.
Dinah Abram, Allant Group, Inc., David Alm, Linda Foss Asakawa, ATYL, Nancy Azara, Nicol Backer-Smith, Laura Balliet, Jane Beaver, Thayer Behmke, JuneFelicia Bennett, Ina Beierle, Rexene Bertolino, Andrea Bird, Susan Bishop, Christina Body, Jennifer Boe, Amy Lemmon Bowen, Mary Jo Bowers, Katey Branch, Sarah Marie Brokke, Monica Brown, Maureen Burdock, Pamela Callahan, Martha Castillo, Shannon Cleary, Linda Davis Coghill, Gail Crandus, Kimberly Curtis, Sandra Wong Darroch, Melanie Deal, Rosemary DiNardo, Jude DiPaolo, Eileen Downes, Frances Eldridge, Anne Elizabeth, Angela Ellsworth, Denise Faith, Kathryn Ferrell, Penny Feuerstein, Jan Flapan, Nancy Foster, Nessia Frank, Shelley Gilchrist, Pam Glynn, Peggy Grady, Marjorie Graham, Christine Grant, Kathy Greenholdt & Paul Coady, Selene Sepsey Grimes, Ann-Louise Haak, Karen Hanmer, Kristine Hansen, Jessica Harvey, Beverly J Hawkins, Birte Hella, Robyn Henzel, Pearl & Hyman Hirshfield, Lisa Hohlfeld, Ellen Holtzblatt, Noelle Horsefield, Sisavanh Houghton, Fujiko Isomura, Danielle Juracka, Emily Kalwaitis, Ursula Kammer-Fox, Lisa Kay, Alessandra Kelley, Diane Lang Kelly, Gwendolyn Kelly, Beverly Keys Erin Kuechler, Susanna Lang, Louie Laskowski, Sharon Lee, Margaret Leininger, Kate Leonard, Katherine Mann, Jeanette Martone, Suzanne Massey, Matthew Mateja, Maureen May, Jennifer McNeely, Bert Menco, Barbara Meyer, Roberta Miles, Cathey Miller, Claire Mooshil, Andrea Morris, Christine Mroz-Fries, Susan Muir, Seeme Murtaza, Marina Nandapurkar, Cheri Reif Naselli, Dora Natella, Mary O'Connell, Lisa Oelfke, Mary Orin & Elizabeth Coleman, Patricia Otto, Mary Ann Penner, Marsha Peters, Nancy Pirri, Joyce Polance, Michelle Pollock, Joohyun Pyune, Mary Lou Quinn, I. Carmen Quintana, Barbara Rachko, Erena Rae & Gustav Friedrich, Jeni Reeves, Lois Roberts, Martha Rosenfeld, Christine Ruch, Sally Ruddy, RJ Ryan-Novak, Thuy Saliba, Shirley Senior Sallas, Melanie Scott, Patricia Seggebruch, Elizabeth Shank, William Siavelis, Soonnam Kim Singer, Kelly Smith, Kimanne Smith, Helene Smith-Romer, Gail Smuda, Carol Spicuzza, Norine Spurling, Leslie Steele, Laura Stempel, Ellen Worthy Stokes, Katherine Strause, Peri Irish Switzer, Adrian Thomas, Susan Page Tillett, Barbara Trentham, Ya-Ling Tsai, Celon Valimar, Karin Vance, John & Dorianne Venator, Mika Nicole Weaver, Jackie White, Angela Rose Wilson, Carol Worthington-Levy, Mairyann Wrentmore, Sigrid Zahner, Alison Zehr (right) 'Mistress of Disguise' by Moira Carlson. Acrylic on canvas, 30" x 24" - Art Auction Donation Volunteers We appreciate the help by our volunteers and thank them for their valuable contributions. Karen Abbott, Roberta Reb Allen, Claire Arctander, Monica Brown, Diana Buckley, Mo Cahill, Pamela Callahan, Shannon Cleary, Kathryn Ferrell, George Gehrken, Kathy Greenholdt, Paula Greer, Margo Jeanchild, Diane Lang Kelly, Lauren Mathews, Margaret Dubay Mikus, Carmen Perez, Dina Petrakis, Karen Rechtschaffen, Ann Regan, Elizabeth Shank, Zareen Sirajullah, Wilma Stevens, Amy Stoeffler, Mary Stoppert, Wilma Stevens, Rhonda Wheatley Business Support for WMG - Please support our Sponsors We gratefully acknowledge sponsorship of our website by Good's of Evanston, an arts and framing business since 1903. WMG members receive a 10% discount on all regularly priced items. Just present your membership card.
Thank you to Lynn Anderson and Courtney Bell from Artspacewho sponsored the 7th International Open invitation. Artspace is an open art studio for the artist within to discover a new medium of self expression. Through paint, sketch, collage or journal, this studio offer a space to explore. Artspace is located on 1608 N. Milwaukee #1012, Chicago, IL 60647 - Call 773-292-1448 for more information. WMG Wish List
Donated items should be in workable condition and are tax-deductible. Sponsor An Exhibit Or Purchase Award: 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 (773) 489-8900. Businesses We Support EZMAIL services PSN - Progressive Systems Network Order/Reservations Please use our MAIL-IN ORDER FORM or visit our ONLINE SECURE SITE where you can order various items, like Her-story T-shirts, WMG mugs, the Big Fish CD, Her Mark 2004 calendar/datebook or register for workshops and pay with Visa or Mastercard. Membership/Volunteer Form 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. Member Discounts Please check our MEMBER'S DISCOUNT PAGE for businesses that give discounts to our members. Call for Artists: These are the options for obtaining guidelines for group exhibitions: 1. Send a self-addressed-stamped-envelope with title of exhibition to: Woman Made Gallery, 2418 W Bloomingdale, Chicago, IL 60647. 2. Download the entry form from: Here. 3. Email gallery@womanmade.org to receive an email version of the entry form if you wish to submit digital files Newsletter Contributions Woman Made News is produced quarterly. Send newsletter contributions to Mary Ann Anthony, Woman Made Gallery, 2418 West Bloomingdale, Chicago, IL 60647. 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 Summer 2004 Newsletter must be received by May 30, 2004. Previous Newsletters Click here to read our previous newsletters. |
!["Goods]("gifs/Goods.gif")
May 28, 2005
WebSite Design by Galganov