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N E W S L E T T E R S - Winter 2003 |
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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: We will move, we are moving, WE HAVE MOVED! Welcome to the winter newsletter and welcome to a brand-new year 2003. As of this writing WMG is still in the midst of its Holiday Bazaar with more beautiful things than ever filling the interior of the old Keith Mansion on Prairie Avenue. As words fill this page, no boxes are packed, or stacked, and nothing at WMG really indicates a grand move to a new location. But dear reader, as you skim over these pages, please picture all of us--staff, board, advisory board, members and volunteers--helping to gather all the evidence of Woman Made's 10-year history from all the corners of this old mansion and transferring it to a pristine, clean and promising new space. Where is the new space? It's close to Bucktown, two blocks north of North Avenue and half a block west of Western on 2418 West Bloomingdale in Chicago, IL 60647. It is on the first floor of the Artist Community Building (see page 5 for details) and it is wheelchair accessible! This is our second move since 1992. The first happened in 1997 on a hot and sticky August day, away from a little storefront on Chicago's northside. The Gallery has improved, grown and expanded quite a bit since then, so there is much more to pack and move in 2003. But the most valuable things don't need any packing, and they include our joint experience and energy, artists who are eager to enter work into exhibitions, experienced and gracious jurors who put shows together, our members, supporters and volunteers who follow us wherever we go, and all of you who appreciate the existence of this organization and breathe life into it all. The most recent proof of this is the extraordinary response that we have received to our "Help us Move" Fundraising letter, crafted by Advisory Board member, Kathy Greenholdt. As of 12/3/02, 48 individuals gave a total of $4,460.00 to help us with the cost of relocation. We thank each and everyone of those who believe in the future of Woman Made and contributed to the preparation of its new home.
We expect a marvelous artist reception on January 24th with our group show, "Normal/Abnormal: Minds & Bodies, juried by Ann Starr who will have her work under the same title in our new solo show space. On Saturday, October 26, 2002, WMG welcomed Susan Aurinko, Director of FlatFile Photography Gallery, Natasha Egan, Associate Director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Jane Stevens, Co-Director of the Illinois State Museum and Art Gallery, and Tom Van Eynde, Woman Made Gallery Advisory Board member as a professional panel for the workshop titled, Preparing Photography for Museum and Gallery Exhibition. These four panelists graciously contributed their time and shared their expertise with thirteen workshop participants. Through mini lectures, discussions and critiques, the participants gained valuable insight into what is expected by galleries and museums regarding portfolio submission and the preparation of photographic art proposed for exhibition. On Saturday, October 26, 2002, WMG welcomed Susan Aurinko, Director of FlatFile Photography Gallery, Natasha Egan, Associate Director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Jane Stevens, Co-Director of the Illinois State Museum and Art Gallery, and Tom Van Eynde, Woman Made Gallery Advisory Board member as a professional panel for the workshop titled, Preparing Photography for Museum and Gallery Exhibition. These four panelists graciously contributed their time and shared their expertise with thirteen workshop participants. Through mini lectures, discussions and critiques, the participants gained valuable insight into what is expected by galleries and museums regarding portfolio submission and the preparation of photographic art proposed for exhibition. JuneFelicia Bennett, workshop coordinator commented, “I was so impressed by the patience and caring shown by these professionals. They demonstrated charitable convictions to educate the interested photographers at WMG, by staying beyond the workshop’s scheduled ending time until everyone's queries were answered. We, photography artists should visit the panelists’ establishments and express gratitude for the contribution given to us.” Ms. Bennett also thanks the WMG staff, Board member Marian Jones, and Advisory Board member Anna Tyler for their assistance and advice on this project. We are very grateful to artist and Board member, JuneFelicia Bennett for the successful planning and coordinating of this event. -Beate C. Minkovski (above right) 'The Princess And The Pea' chromogenic mural by Adrienne Noelle Werge from the Normal/Abnormal exhibition.  Just as we realized that we can't really be without her, Lari Washburn, freshly voted in as a new Board member made a surprise move with her husband to relocate to Maine. We understand... we know it had to be... but we will always miss her inspiring presence. Lari will continue her connection to WMG as Advisory Board member and serve as our WMG ambassador in her new environment. We officially welcome Mo Cahill to the WMG Board of Directors. Mo is an artist, pursuing her art career full time and she has five children. She studied at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and was founding member and officer for the Chicago Women in Trades from 1980-85. Mo is a WMG member since 1999 and has made great impact volunteering at special events. We like 'hands-on' women and we are glad to have Mo's input. We have hired Sonja Kruitwagen as Gallery Assistant. Sonja is an artist and she has volunteered for WMG for over a year. We are since long aware of Sonja's many talents and capabilities, necessary in the hectic and active life of a gallery, and we are grateful that she agreed to use her innovative ideas and abilities to benefit WMG. What Do We Do For Our Members?: Many individuals, artists and non-artists, women and men, join WMG because they admire and support the work we are doing on behalf of women artists. Very few ask what they get back in return. But here's a list of some things that benefit members of WMG:
What Don't We Do! We don't share personal information including email addresses with anyone. We don't sell or give away the content of our database. We don't jam up your email boxes with junk mail or forward petitions of any kind to you. We don't use our mailing and emailing list for our personal advantage. If you are not a member yet, please visit the Membership Page to become a supportive member today. All donations are tax-deductible as permitted by law. (above right) 'Tactile Commmunication' (close-up), architectural clay, oxides sculpture by Ceil Leeper Sturdevant. A Word About Good Website Design:
Exhibiting Professionalism Workshop Exhibiting Professionalism Manual Career Day Workshop Women’s Art Group
Woman Made appreciates the following individuals and organizations for their ongoing support of the Gallery:
ABOUT ACME...WMG'S NEW HOME! Located just off Western Avenue in Humboldt Park, the Acme Artists Community, 2418 W. Bloomingdale in Chicago boasts the first artists’ working and living space developed and managed by its members. Acme Artists resulted from the efforts of the Near Northwest Arts Council, spearheaded by Laura Weathered, NNWAC director. Woman Made Gallery joins other non-profit organizations in the Acme Building, including the Chicago Community TV Network and the Chicago Mutual Housing Network. As a limited equity development, the Acme Artists Community allows current and future costs, including those to Woman Made, to remain affordable and immune to speculation. Although many of the live/work spaces in the building are owned by residents, Woman Made will rent its new quarters, but have access to a number of shared spaces in the building, such as a roof deck and community room. As part of the Acme Artists Community, the Gallery joins an organization whose vision encompasses that of the surrounding neighborhood and embraces a democratic model of decision-making. Residents represent a wide variety of families chosen by the NNWAC according to certain criteria, including financial need, a demonstrated commitment to art as a profession, and a willingness to participate in the Acme Artists’ Community method of democratic management. For more detailed information about the Near Northwest Arts Council and the Acme Artists Community visit their website: www.nnwac.org For detailed directions and a map click Click Here Contributing Her Mark 2003 artists and poets, their friends, family and fans gathered from all corners of the country to celebrate the publication of WMG's third annual Her Mark Datebook on Sunday, October 20th. Her Mark seemed to come alive as poets read their work to a full and enthusiastic house. An added bonus this year was seeing the datebook artwork on display in the Gallery. A warm thanks to all who attended and made this an especially festive occasion! Copies of Her Mark 2003 are still available at the wholesale rate of $10 each. Visit our Giftshop Section to place your order. Already we're gearing up for Her Mark 2004 and we invite all women artists and poets to be considered for publication in next year's edition. There will be separate competitions for artwork and poetry, each juried by a panel of WMG staff, board and advisory board members. The Her Mark Datebook features a broad spectrum of women's voices and visions; all media, styles and themes are welcome. The entry deadline is May 16, 2003. For a prospectus, send a SASE (specify Her Mark ART or WORDS) to: WMG, 2418 W. Bloomingdale Ave, Chgo IL 60647 or download the entry forms from our Download Page. Just scroll down to the Her Mark 2004 entry forms.
The Widow's Revenge I ran away to the desert, a black shawl, Many miles I walked, barefoot, Layer by layer of skin I peeled off, Then sun reached out with its upturned fingernails I became speckles of copper and meteor I made them see oases. (above right) 'My Mother and Me', mixed media collage by Catherine Stack (from the Her Mark 2003 calendar)
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: Mary Ellen Croteau The art of Mary Ellen Croteau, one of the most famous-if not infamous-- Chicago artists of the last two decades, proves difficult to describe and neatly categorize. Although she characterizes herself as a feminist artist, her art production reveals the myriad contradictions and complexities of that elastic label. A student at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and later at Rutgers University, Croteau trained as a sculptor and confesses that she finds painting "difficult." However, her art production of the last fifteen years, which consists in great part of large scale paintings, reveals unequivocally that Croteau has overcome the technical challenges presented by the medium and imposed her own hand and vision on the perhaps originally recalcitrant canvas.
Although Croteau's embrace of the medium of oil on canvas might lead the viewer to consider the artist an advocate of traditional subject matter and artistic techniques, even a cursory examination of the artist's oeuvre reveals her indebtedness to the "appropriation art" of the 1980's, made famous by such artists as Cindy Sherman, Barbara Krueger, and Sherri Levine. Like these feminist predecessors, Croteau appropriates-or borrows-imagery and themes from both artistic and mass cultural sources to interrogate the manner in which a patriarchal society and set of institutions-including the history of art-naturalizes the oppression and marginalization of women. For instance, in her powerful 1997 painting Annunciation, Croteau wryly and elegantly subverts traditional High Renaissance presentations of the story of Gabriel's announcement to Mary of her pregnancy with the Christ child. Appropriating the diagrammatic compositional format, the saturated jewel-toned colors, and the stage-like settings of Italian Baroque painting, Croteau interrupts one's art historical reveries with the disconcerting, even violent gestures of the two protagonists in the image. Rather than fallen to her knees in the posture of submission and reverence common to images of the Virgin in paintings of the Annunciation, the pointing hand of Croteau's Mary communicates a magisterial gesture of impatience and dismissal in the face of an angel suddenly angry and reduced to open-mouthed bafflement. Annunciation forms part of a larger installation, which Croteau has titled Musée de la Nouvelle Renaissance or Museum of the New Renaissance, an ongoing concept over which the artist has labored since 1995. The MNR functions as a museum space designed for women, an area which repudiates what Croteau calls the "misogynist rooms" of such museums as the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In the MNR, female beholders do not uncomfortably inhabit the male gaze, beholding images of victimized or sexualized femininity. Rather, Croteau creates for the viewer a place where women emerge as subjects of, not objects of the gaze. (Self-Portrait) as Saint Lorena of 1996 testifies to Croteau's predilection for incorporating references to the misogynist practices of the Catholic Church as well as her efforts to address and alter art history's tendency to depict women as victims, vixens, and temptresses. In Saint Lorena, Croteau portrays herself as a canonized Lorena Babbit, beatifically looking upward at floating putti while grasping the knife, which ostensibly cut off her husband's violent and violating penis. In Saint Lorena, Croteau ironizes the notion of sainthood, not evacuating it of meaning, but unmooring it from cultural and religious associations with sacrifice, submissiveness, and masochistic martyrdom. The beheaded and castrated statue of a reclining male nude in the background of the painting attests to the literal disintegration of an outmoded patriarchal order. Croteau often uses laughter as a subversive force in her determination to destabilize patriarchal institutions and the systematic oppression of women. In Men I Have Known, a mason jar stuffed with what appears to be pickled penises, Croteau foreshadows the themes of Saint Lorena. Offering to the viewer an unsettling mixture of humor and rage, Croteau renders the homely Ball jar suddenly uncanny, a site/sight of ravenous hungers and strange trophies. In this way, she undermines the kitchen's -and femininity's-- association with passiveness, safety, hearth, and haven. Croteau's most recent work also addresses issues relating to the body, but from a more metaphorical perspective. In a 2000 painting entitled DeSoto, IL, the artist explores the ruins in and ruining of the American Midwestern landscape. Photo-realist style images, including De Soto and TV Nation, suggest to the viewer that the way in which industry, commerce, and government abuse landscape is akin to the way in which patriarchal institutions oppress women. Works such as DeSoto, TV Nation, and Welcome to Calumet City evoke emptiness and abandon, a sense of ruin peculiar to an American landscape both literally and figuratively scarred by commodification and the encroachment of waste. According to Croteau, even landscape, it seems, is disposable, or alternately, a cancerous and diseased body hidden from view. Art images by Mary Ellen Croteau can be viewed on her website: www.maryellencroteau.womanmade.net. (above right) 'Men I Have Known' mixed media artwork by Mary Ellen Croteau. 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. Karen Abbott, Martha Alexakos, Roberta Reb Allen, Jenny Allred, Ulla Anobile, Judith Anderson, Robin Antar, Stacie Anthony, Krystal Ashe, Laura Balliet, Robin Barcus, Jane Barnes, Kim Basile, Ann Battenfield, Barbara Becker, Kimette Beere, Anya Belyat, Jane D. Benjamin, JuneFelicia Bennett, Sylvia Betts, Michele Bock, Denise Bonesteel, Lucy Botts, Sharon Bourke, Katey Branch, Ellie Brown, Jill Buckingham, Constance Buckley & Micki Leventhal, Nancy Buik, Mary Burke, Michael Burke, Karen Burnett, Julie Caffey & Leslie Swieck, Catherine Cajandig, Paula Campbell, Christine Carpenter, Laurie Schirmer Carpenter, Jeannne Norman Chase, Rose Ann Chasman, Chicago Women in Architecture, Helen Degen Cohen, Connie Coleman, Julia Coyne, Mary Ellen Croteau, Paula Cruz, Elizabeth Dekker, Laurel Delaney, Nofa Dixon, Pamela Dodds, Henri Doner-Hedrick, Karen Egerer, Helena Engel, Theresa Fernandez (Lake View Art Supplies), Clairan Ferrono & David Derbes, Orna Feinstein, Anita & David Flores, Jill Flyer, Claire Foreman, Krista Franklin, Yolanda Garcia, Krystyna Gaveda, Antje Gehrken, George Gehrken, Krista Genovese, Sadie Gerbic, Andrea Geyer, Cindy Goodrich, Leona Green, Eliska Morsel Greenspoon, Phoebe Greyson, Delores Grigsby, Judith Guajardo, Rachel Hangleitner, Laura Trucano Harp, Cam Harper, Warren Hazelton, Barbara Hegy Woman's Work, Debra Herbenick, Maureen Herlehy, Margaret Hodge, Susan House, Deborah Hughes, Olivia Hurns, Lorraine Inzalaco, Cindy Iverson, Melanie Jansen, Margo Jeanchild, Karen St. John-Vincent, Jamie Johnson, Patty Johnston, Laura Jones, Marian Jones, Eileen Jorgensen, Danielle Juracka, Juliana Kang, Catherine Keebler, Gwendolyn L. Kelly, Lisa Kerpoe, Rosalie Koldan & Shirley Guay, Amy Landecker, Linda Lemon, Sioban Lombardi, Rosemary Luckett, Mary-Ann Lupa, Margaret Lutze, Susan McCann, Jasmine Maddock, Monique Malek, Robin Malpass, Regina Maniaci, Elizabeth Marino, Ann Martin, Kelly Martincin, Lauren Mathews & George Dehesus, Jacqeline May, Robin McCauley, Roberta Mezinskas, Margaret Dubay Mikus, Gabrielle Moisan, Jackie Moore, Renee Moore, Joanna Morrison, Catherine Cella Neapolitan, Sharyl Noday, Margaret Newman, Lauren Niimi, Jewell Oates, Andrea Davidescu O'Hara, Julia O'Hern, Julia O'Hern, Open Studio Project, Lisa Orgler, Lucinda Pardo, Sandy Parris, Joyce Polance, Mila Pisman, Sonia Pratt, Susan Pritzker, Barbara Puechler, I. Carmen Quintana, Cherry Rahn, Karen Rechtschaffen, Tatiana Revskaja, Nancy Richards-Davis, Juanita Richeson, Eva Roa, Larissa Rolley, Louise Ross-Miller, Alexandra Rozenman, Christiane Rey, Patricia Rose, Shirley Senior Sallas, Clara Saprasa, Deborah Schlouch, Helen Schneider, Elizabeth Schraft, Nancy Shields, Paula Shur, Bill Siavelis, Diana Simon, Zareen Sirajullah, Laura Sjoquist, Kitty Slattery, Jennifer B. Smith, Deb Sokolow, Alison Spiesman, Helen Gagel Squires, Dawn Strand, Solvei Sullivan, Linda Erf Swift, Ginny Sykes, Jere Van Syoc, Susan Tecktiel, Elsbeth & Otto Thilenius, Mary Tokar, Gale Tolf, Laura Trucano-Harp, Hollis Turner, Stephanie Leigh Vandemore, Tom Vaneynde, Liz Vercruysse, Nanette Vinson, Lynette Vought, Gail Walker, Chris Wayland, Kathleen Weibel, Gayle Weiss, Catherine Wells, Irene Wilson, Midge Wilson - DePaul University, Sally Windle, Mairyann Wrentmore, Ye Liu, Ye Wei Lu, Elizabeth Zorn Thanks to all Moving Fund contributors: Roberta Reb Allen, Martha Alexakos, Carol Augustine, Ina Beierle, JuneFelicia Bennett, Beth Ann Bryant-Richards, Julie Caffey & Leslie Swieck, Lina Chern, Diane Cooper, Barbara Crane, Anita and David Flores, Claire Foreman, Nancy Freehafer, Krista Genovese, Andrea Ginsburg, Jan Gipple, Sue Goldsmith, Stephanie Guerrero, Kathleen Greenholdt, Christie Hefner, Fujiko Isomura, Margo Jeanchild, Diane Kelly, Rosalie Koldan & Shirley Guay, Mark Kosanovich, Amy Landecker, Peggy Lipschutz, Jeanette Martone, Suzanne Massey, Geraldine McCullough, Patricia McMillen, Roberta Miles, Renee Moore, Patricia Parker, Ann Regan, Tatiana Revskaja, Laurayne Robinette, Shirley Senior Sallas, Bill Siavelis, Rebecca Sive, Dian Sourelis, Alison Spiesman, Helen Gagel Squires, Amy Stoeffler, Susan Straus, Mary Ross Taylor, Elsbeth & Otto Thilenius, Anna & Al Tyler, Deborah Weber, Ye Wei Lu We thank all volunteers listed here for their good work on behalf of WMG: Tiffanie Amirante, Monica Brown, Nancy Nield Buchwald, Mo Cahill, Kathryn Ferrell, Julie Foreman, Kathy Greenholdt, Laura Hermann, Stephanie Land, Catherine Lundgren, Lauren Mathews, Sonja Kruitwagen, Karen Rechtschaffen, Jennifer Riehm, Mary Stoppert and Carmen Perez, Lulun Tonsing, Zareen Sirajullah
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 the title of the exhibition you are interested in and print out entry forms in pdf format. You may also use the Generic Form: http://womanmade.org/entryform.html. CALL FOR ARTWORK: Traditions: The Blessing & The Curse Juror: Jan Brown Checco "Traditions: The Blessing & The Curse" will look at the positive and negative consequences of traditions. How have customs, ways of life, mores, background, ethnicity and civilization impacted our lives? Artwork in all media except performance and cd/dvd/web art will be considered. Entry Deadline: January 15, 2003 CALL FOR ARTWORK: The Whole Ball Of Wax Juror: Joanne Mattera "The Whole Ball of Wax" will show how women artists are using this luminous and malleable medium. While the exhibition will focus on encaustic, it is open to any two- and three-dimensional work with wax as the primary element. Entry Deadline: February 12, 2003 CALL FOR ARTWORK: Documentation Juror: Jere Van Syoc Invitation to women artists to submit work that explores the process of documentation. Artwork may represent or utilize "data", such as maps, charts, graphs, recipes, routes, instructions and/or statistics. Also interested in work that documents the production of an artists' work. The documentation may be real or imagined. All media, except performance. Entry Deadline: March 12, 2003 CALL FOR ARTWORK: Annual Members' Show Jurors: Eden Stern, Joyce Owens, Mo Cahill All artists who are members of Woman Made Gallery by Entry Due Date: April 16, 2003 are eligible to enter work into the Annual Members' Show. Artists must submit professional slides of no less than three works executed during the last two years that have not been previously exhibited at the Gallery. Entry Deadline: April 16, 2003 CALL FOR ARTWORK: Digitally Speaking Juror: Dorothy Simpson Krause Woman Made Gallery invites women from all backgrounds, all ages and from all corners of the globe, to submit artwork using digital technology as a major creative component in the production of the work. (Reproduction of work originally created in another medium is not appropriate for this exhibit.) Any required hardware must be provided, installed and maintained by the artist. Entry Deadline: May 21, 2003 CALL FOR ARTWORK: HER MARK 2004 ART Entry Form WMG is looking to showcase a variety of compelling, sensitive and provocative artwork by women for our 4th annual HER MARK publication. All themes, styles and media are welcome. Entry Deadline: May 16, 2003 Notifications Sent: July 16, 2003 CALL FOR POETRY: HER MARK 2004 WORDS Entry Form WMG is looking to showcase a variety of compelling, sensitive and provocative poetry by women for our 4th annual HER MARK publication. All themes and styles are welcome. Entry Deadline: May 16, 2003 Notifications Sent: July 16, 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, 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 Spring 2003 Newsletter must be received by February 15th, 2003. Click here to read our previous newsletters. |
May 28, 2005
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