25 Years of Women's Works in Woodstock, Illinois

There is an excellent juried art exhibition going on now through April 29, 2012 at the Old Court House Arts Center in Woodstock, Illinois. It is the 25th Annual Women's Works Exhibition, presented by the Northwest Area Arts Council to celebrate a quarter century of the efforts of a group of women who dreamed of a place where women could showcase their talent.

Installation view, Women's Work 2012

I spoke with one of the show's jurors, Lou Ann Burkhardt who was present at the opening reception. She told me that out of close to 1,000 entries, only 110 artists' work were selected for inclusion in the exhibition. Ms. Burkhardt added that she and the other four jurors viewed several images from each of the artists and read all of the artist's statements. Let's hope they were not too verbose!

I was happy for my partner Kim Laurel, whose mixed-media piece "Heavy Water" was chosen for the exhibition. It's an image of a Koi fish, swimming dangerously close to the symbol for biohazard — these are precarious times for life on planet Earth!

Kim Laurel with her mixed media piece, "Heavy Water" (top) Also pictured: "Fish Out of Water" by Michelle Steen

The wall tags indicate that the art was selected from artists spread out across the nation. One city in particular jumped out at me — my hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I don't know the artist, named Kelly Shannon, but I was very impressed with her sculpture, "Ploceidae" which consists of six large, flaming-orange baskets constructed of nylon weed trimmer line. What a clever use of available materials!

Kelly Shannon's sculpture "Ploceidae" and Judith Nahill's painting "Evening Sky"

The cluster of orbs seems to float in the air, suspended in front of one entire wall. On the evening during the opening reception, Ploceidae commanded a bright presence, and a gallery representative told me that in the daytime, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, the sculpture screams of color.

String quartet in the foyer, Old Court House Arts Center

Speaking of contrast, after we enjoyed listening to a string quartet in the foyer of the gallery, we stepped outside and were immediately delighted by the sounds of an electric guitar playing Jimi Hendrix favorites in the courtyard square. It drew Kim and me to the stage in the town square's gazebo, where the talented musician Lane Barrett was practicing his licks. Here's a little impromptu video of the moment.



More on the exhibition:

Old Court House Arts Center
101 North Johnson Street, Woodstock, Illinois 60098
(815) 338-4525

March 8 through April 29
Northwest Area Arts Council presents the
25th Annual Women's Works Exhibition
A national juried show of all media.

The show runs from March 8, 2012 – April 29, 2012

The 25th anniversary of Women’s Works is an occasion to reflect on the past, celebrate the work of today’s women artists and look forward to the future of the exhibit.

Gallery Hours: Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Half a cake

Links:

History of Women's Works

Old Court House Arts Center

Listing: Chicago Artists Resource

Tribune article

NW Herald article

Shakespeare In My Mind's Eye

My painting "Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure' Imagined" will make its debut as part of the group art exhibition, “Chicago Artists Interpret Shakespeare: As They Like It” to be presented at the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago from February 17 to April 1, 2012.

"Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure' Imagined" by Fletcher Hayes,
part of “Chicago Artists Interpret Shakespeare: As They Like It”
at the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago

The three by four foot canvas tells of the dilemma facing Claudio, who is imprisoned for immorality by Lord Angelo, and sentenced to death. His sister Isabella goes to plead for mercy, but gets propositioned by the temporary leader of Vienna. Disguised as a friar, Duke Vincentio devises a brilliant plan that ultimately saves Claudio's life of and Isabella's virginity, with the added bonus of shedding light on Angelo's hypocrisy.


Beverly Arts Center
2407 W. 111th Street, Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 445-3838 ‎• beverlyartcenter.org

February 17 – April 1, 2012    
Gallery Hours: 9 am - 9 pm M–F; Sat: 10 am - 6 pm; Sun: 12-8 pm

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 25, 2012 6-9 pm

Sunday, March 18, 2012, from 2-5 pm -- Q&A Session with the Artists
including a short session of acts and soliloquies performed by actress Dawn Arnold and the Moving Dock Theatre Company of Chicago.

Principal Curator: Anne Farley Gaines
Assistant Curators: Robert Kameczura & Maureen Warren

Gallery Director, Beverly Arts Center: Carla Winterbottom

The Exhibiting Artists are: Jose Agustin Andreu, Rene Arceo, Tim Arroyo, Sharon Bladholm, Keith Brownlee, Mario Castillo, Laura Coyle, Michael Ferris, Chris Flynn, Jonathan Franklin, Anne Farley Gaines, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Sergio Gomez, Fletcher Hayes, Alan Emerson Hicks, Preston Jackson, Robert Kameczura, Deborah Maris Lader, Kim Laurel, Richard Laurent, Diane Levesque, Carron Little, James Mesple, Geoffrey Novelli, Christine O’Connor, Joyce Owens, Mary Patton, Corinne D. Peterson, Tom Scarff, Charlotte Segal, Beth Shadur, Steven Sherrell, Eleanor Spiess-Ferris, Michelle Stutts, Frank Tumino, Maureen Warren, Kathy Weaver, Marzena Ziejka, and Jill Zylke.

This exhibit at the Beverly Arts Center is the first planned venue for “Chicago Artists Interpret Shakespeare, As They Like It,” which will be traveling locally, regionally and nationally in the future.

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Real People Like Real People 2011

My acrylic painting "Patsy B" is included in the exhibition "Real People 2011," on view Aug. 5 through Sept 25 at the Old Court House Arts Center, 101 N. Johnson St. in Woodstock, IL.

The Artist's reception and awards ceremony on Saturday, August 27th from 7-9 pm will coincide with the Woodstock Jazz Festival.

"Patsy B" by Fletcher Hayes,
part of Real People 2011 in Woodstock, IL

About the Exhibition
Every August/September, the Old Court House Figurative League presents a national juried figurative show, "Real People - Celebrating the Arts through Faces and Figures." This year 80 pieces were accepted from the 418 pieces submitted by just under 200 artists from across the US (including Alaska and Hawaii) and Canada.

Opening Reception: Saturday Aug. 27, 7-9 pm
The reception coincides with the Woodstock Jazz Festival. For more information, please visit www.jazzonthesquare.net, and click on the 'Festival' button.

The Real People reception begins at 6:00pm for artists and their guests; open the reception to the general public at 7 pm.

This Year's Jurors
Dan Addington – Dan is the owner and director of the Addington Gallery located in downtown Chicago and is also an artist who has lived in Chicago since 1993.

Laura Kina – Laura is an Associate Professor of Art, Media and Design at DePaul University in Chicago, and is an artist with an extensive body of work and numerous shows under her belt.

Rodger Bechtold – Rodger is a well-respected local Woodstock artist with extensive experience as a painter.

About Woodstock, Illinois
First-time visitors to Woodstock, Illinois usually get a sense of déjà vu if they ever watched the hilarious Harold Ramis movie, "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.

Woodstock has a charming downtown square with a green park at its center. One of the landmark buildings is the old court house, which is now an art center.

Patsy is definitely a real person for the "Real People, 2011" exhibition! If you are up that way, stop in and take a look.

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"Real People 2011" Exhibition
August 5 – Sept. 26, 2011
Old Courthouse Arts Center‎, Woodstock, IL‎

Old Courthouse Arts Center‎
101 North Johnson Street
Woodstock, IL‎
(815) 338-4525‎

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Figure Sketchers are "Drawing Attention" at Tom Robinson Studio/Gallery

The talented and friendly artists who sketch the live models at Chicago's Tom Robinson Studio/Gallery every Sunday put together a group exhibition: Drawing Attention II.

-- Fletcher

Seated Figure (detail), pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes paper, by Fletcher Hayes

Drawing Attention II

See Artslant

CHICAGO, Illinois – May 25, 2011 – A core group of artists draw together weekly and challenge themselves with the rigors of sketching the human figure from life. It takes patience. It takes guts. What they share is a need “to get it right” regardless of their artistic discipline. They are... painters, sculptors, photographers, miniaturists, and muralists. Their styles range from realism in pastels or Conte crayon techniques to near-abstraction in pencil and charcoal. What they produce reflects all the intensity and immediacy of a captured slice of being human.

The spontaneity found in gesture drawings carries over into their formal art. Their compositions include not only figurative works, but landscape, still life, portrait and pure abstraction.

WHEN:
Opening Reception (public invited) - Friday, June 3, 2011 from 5 to 9 pm
Exhibition: Through Saturday, July 2, 2011.
Hours: Saturdays: 12-5 pm or by appointment.

WHERE:
Tom Robinson Studio/Gallery
2416 W North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647
Phone 773-227-3144
Three blocks south from the “Western” Blue Line El stop; # 49 Western Ave bus to North Ave.

THE 12 ARTISTS:
Colette Wright Adams
Ann Berg
Richard Bloomfield
Rita Dianni-Kaleel
Fletcher Hayes
Tyrue Jones
Jim MacRoberts
Julia Oehmke
Krish Sengupta
Charlie B. Thorne
Chuck Walker
Scott Gordon Wills

ABOUT TOM ROBINSON STUDIO/GALLERY:
Tom Robinson -- artist, curator, arts administrator, competition founder and judge, teacher, innovator -- has been a driving force in the Chicago art scene for over 30 years. “I never tire of the ways different artists see and capture the same subject”, says Robinson. “The real difference comes from how the artists direct their attention.”

CONTACT:
Tom Robinson
Owner, Tom Robinson Studio/Gallery
Phone: 773-227-3144

Ethereal Fauna: The Artist's Muse - at Carthage College

Exterior view of Ethereal Fauna signage at the
H. F. Johnson Art Gallery of Carthage College

Group Exhibition from March 29 to May 19, 2011
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 7, 4:30 - 7:30 pm
Visit the Ethereal Fauna website.

H. F. Johnson Art Gallery

Carthage College

2001 Alford Park Drive

Kenosha, WI 53140

More than forty mid-career Chicago-area artists look inward to create images of their inner animal muse. The exhibition serves to stimulate the imagination of the young creative minds of the students at Carthage College. The Carthage College art department has laid out Ethereal Fauna's same format guidelines to their art students, who have created a student show in a separate art department exhibition space.

Gallery Hours
Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Thursday Evenings: 6 - 8 p.m.
Saturday: 1 - 4 p.m.

Free and open to the public

Real People, 2010

My oil painting "Meg" was included in the exhibition "Real People 2010," at the Old Court House Arts Center, 101 N. Johnson St. in Woodstock, IL.

"Meg" is a painting of the well-known artists' model, Meg Guttman, sitting in a wooden chair, reading. The simplified interior evokes Francis Bacon's claustrophobic settings, as if she is inside a box. No smears or splatters, though, except maybe that wisp of hair.

It's funny, I ran into Meg last Sunday at the Gethsemane art fair where she was showing her own artwork. She said, "Hey, I heard you are exhibiting a painting of me somewhere!" She had heard from a friend that this was up.

Meg also sings with a beautiful soprano voice. My favorite is when she sings the Lakme Flower Duet "Sous le Dome Epais."

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"Real People 2010" Exhibition – an exhibition of all media depicting the human face and form
August 5 – Sept. 26, 2010
Old Courthouse Arts Center‎, Woodstock, IL‎

Juried by Gregg Hertzlieb, the director/curator of the Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, the exhibition was selected from entries by 115 artists from across North America, including Alaska and British Columbia, Canada.

Old Courthouse Arts Center‎101 North Johnson Street
Woodstock, IL‎
(815) 338-4525‎

In Two Places at Once

Well, three places at once, if you count Tandem Trouble which winds down tomorrow, Oct. 26 with a closing reception from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. We will make room for the next artist at Eyeporium, and with no time wasted, I'll jump right into the next exhibitions.

This busy Chicago Artists Month finds my artwork being exhibited at two galleries that have their opening receptions the same evening — Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 — and unless I manage to clone myself between now and then, I might have to miss one of the parties on different sides of town.

First is "Ethereal Fauna: The Artist's Muse"

When Tom Robinson offered Kim Laurel and me an exhibition at his gallery, we considered doing a two-person show, but decided instead to broaden the opportunity by inviting other artists into a group exhibition. We selected the theme of the inner animal muse, then put forth a challenge to artists whose work we respect to create one or more new works on the theme of Ethereal Fauna: The Artist’s Muse.

With the idea in mind of a unified installation, we specified a a synthetic paper Yupo because of its tensile strength. The material's translucent quality also reinforces the ethereal aspect.

Hardly anyone was familiar with Yupo, and we had to prod the local art supply stores to stock enough for everyone. Most of the invited artists accepted the challenge and began exploring this new surface. Several artists utilized its unique properties, including its non-absorbency which creates lovely reticulation, its strength and durability by scratching and puncturing the surface, and the transparency by layering or working both sides of the sheet.

My own entry, which is titled "Hopefully I'm Evolving" shows my head on some sort of skeletal amalgam of hooved beast and primate. The Yupo was fine with the acrylics, and I gave it a coat of matte varnish for good measure.

Kim and Tom and I finished hanging the show yesterday, and we are so pleased with the quality of the work, and the overall effect of the handsome installation. You'll have to see it in person to fully appreciate the effect of the artwork gently moving in the breeze which is created by your body as you approach them.

For all the facts and a sneak preview, check out the online gallery at etherealfauna.blogspot.com.

Second group exhibition is "Buy Land!"

Jackie Kazarian did a studio visit and asked me to submit two landscape paintings to the group exhibition "Buy Land!" which she organized for Art in My Back Yard.

She did some fishing to find a space worthy of the exhibition, and landed a vacant storefront prominently located at 4201 N. Elston Avenue, with exposed brick walls and large windows facing the street. It promises to be an interesting show.

Check out my painting "Branching" on the poster:

Art In My Back Yard
presents
BUY LAND!

10 artists view the American landscape through painting, photography and video

"Buy land, they're not making it anymore." - Mark Twain

Lorna Filippini
Pamela Valvano Gibson
Liz Gresey
Fletcher Hayes
Jennifer Hines
Michael Barret Kolasinski
Chris Novak
Garrett Reese
Neil Shapiro
Cyd Smillie

Oct. 2–30, 2009
Opening Reception 6-9 pm Friday Oct. 2

Gallery Location: 4201 N. Elston Ave.
Gallery Hours: Fridays, 6-8 pm
Saturdays, 12-4 pm
Sundays, 12-4 pm

Information: Jackie Kazarian
jk@jackiekazarian.net
773-294-9464
www.artinmybackyard.com

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Here Comes Tandem Trouble

Eyeporium Gallery Presents

Tandem Trouble
Works by
Fletcher Hayes & Kim Laurel

Friday, Sept. 4 through Sept. 26, 2009

at Eyeporium Gallery

Opening Reception — 7-10 pm Friday, Sept. 4
 
Closing Reception — 3-5 pm Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009

1543 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, (in the heart of Wicker Park/Bucktown)

This boutique venue showcases two independent Chicago artists' fun favorites and new works.

Fletcher Hayes pursues an ongoing investigation of the figure through drawing and painting, plus experiments with juxtaposed photographs.

Kim Laurel utilizes mixed media including printmaking, collage, drawing and painting in works that involve abstract symbol studies and iconic animal image forms.

An eclectic mix!

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Eye Want & Eyeporium Gallery
1543 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60622
P: 773-782-1744 Fax: 773-782-1745


Open Monday - Friday: Noon to 7pm
Saturday: Noon to 5pm
Closed Sundays

_____________

Eyeporium will have extended hours during the smART Show. Please call for details.

smARTshow
The Wicker Park/Bucktown Fall Arts Festival
When:
September 11 : 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
September 12 : 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.
September 13 : 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Event Phone Number: 312-335-3000


The second annual fest showcases more than 150 artists inside the Flat Iron building and neighborhood spots. Live music and performance art round out the fest.

Chicago Artists Resource listing

Chicago Artists' Coalition listing

ArtSlant listing (with images)

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Sinister Reflections

An exhibition I viewed on Friday at the Avram Eisen Gallery titled "The End of the 80s" includes a couple of shadowboxes by Sean Culver. My guess turned out correct that the photographic images within the boxes were daguerreotypes, similar to ones I have come across in antique stores.

In a quick glance I saw formal portraits of a shirtless man holding an open book in one box, and a woman with eyes closed wearing a black dress in the other. On closer examination a disturbing object revealed itself in the center of each.

Inside each black-lined box a pair of daguerreotypes are mounted at 90º to each other. Being highly reflective by their nature, they share their imagery, which involves the person on one plate and a more sinister image on the opposite plate -- a skeletal hand and a scorpion, respectively.

To me these combined images signify mortality or some malady of the soul. I came away feeling like an anthropologist who has discovered what it was that killed someone's great-grandparents.


The exhibition continues through August 31, 2009 at 5204 N. Damen Avenue in Chicago.

Fame Spreads the Fortune

It's always a thrill to me when I come across a piece of my artwork in someone's home that I had forgotten that they owned.

Most artists, when they sell a work of art, feel that they are placing their "adoptive child" in a good home. The reality is that the artwork is a commodity that can change hands countless times without notifying the artist. It is unfortunate that subsequent sales of a piece of art by a living artist do not provide residual payments to the artist as the piece's value increases with each transaction.

The greater the artist's reputation, the greater the demand, and with higher demand come lofty values on artwork. It's too bad an artist who is working hard to develop recognition for his/her art doesn't receive a percentage of the profits from previously sold art that is presently worth a lot more to the current owners.

On the other hand, that is why art collectors invest in art in the first place. They know that if they catch a rising star and buy a piece when the prices are still low they will have something much more valuable as the artist gains reputation. That is, if the collector can stand to part with it after the artist has hit the big time.

I'm Enjoying Two Current Exhibitions

JoJo Baby and Sal-E as documented by Bernard Colbert
"52 Mondays: Getting Into Face"

(Sal-E at the opening reception)

Curated by: Annette Sollars

Eyeporium Gallery
1543 N. Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622

July 10 - August 1, 2009
http://www.artslant.com/chi/events/show/60866-52-mondays-getting-into-face

and
"Size Matters" at Packer Schopf Gallery
(At the opening reception)

"Size Matters" at Packer Schopf Gallery: http://www.packergallery.com/

Includes my friends:

Victoria Fuller (website) - Safety Star — a starburst made from fluorescent orange street cones that appears simple until you peer into the steel structure

Renee McGinnis (website) - a heroic portrait of the Merchandise Mart flanked by Cupids, all underneath a gigantic thunderhead

Catherine Jacobi (website) - 'Mary' — a skull almost large enough for a person to hide inside and view out through the eye sockets

Friday's opening of “52 Mondays: Getting Into Face”might be a riot.

I got a sneak preview of the outrageous “52 Mondays: Getting Into Face,” Bernard Colbert's photographs document performance artists JoJo Baby and Sal-E as they get ready to host Green Dolphin Street's weekly “Boom Boom Room” party.

The opening 7–10 pm Fri, Jul 10, 2009 promises to be quite an event.

Eyeporium Gallery
1543 N Milwaukee Ave (between North Ave and Honore St)
Bucktown/Wicker Park, Chicago

773-782-1744
http://www.eyewanteyewear.com

http://www.artslant.com/chi/events/show/60866-52-mondays-getting-into-face

I kid you not, "About Wood" kicks butt!

I recommend the "About Wood" exhibition at Las Manos Gallery this month.

Show:
July 3 - 26 2009

Las Manos Gallery
5220 N. Clark Street (half block N. of Foster)
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 728-8910
Hours: Sat and Sun 12-5 or by appt.

www.lasmanosgallery.org/

Fletcher Hayes: Observation Becomes Myth

In Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five," the Tralfamadorians are able to travel forward and backwards in the continuum of time and space. They have seen the formation of the universe and its ultimate destruction, and so they appreciate all of the marvelous moments in between, which they can experience simultaneously in random order.

My artwork represents marvelous moments -- both real and imaginary -- juxtaposing events as I see fit. It tells how an unexpected event has the power to transform an ordinary day into a historic moment in time.

Those who happen to catch one of life’s fleeting mysteries are eager to find out who else has shared the experience. It could become a tale they will tell until the end of their lives.

Truth is only as accurate as the observer’s memory and level of comprehension allow. No two individuals will recount an event the same way. An important story will live on after the witnesses have departed. Each time it is told, it will be embellished and polished until it reaches heroic proportions.

My goal as an artist is to bring to life a moment in time, described in vivid detail, in order that it might stand on its own legs. It is art that explores the place where truth and lies meet.

Fletcher Hayes
April 11, 2007

Links

Fletcher Hayes website

Fletcher Hayes Saatchi gallery

Friends

Kim Laurel -- blog

Kim Laurel -- gallery

Craig Nutt

Mythopians

Randall Kramer

Roland Kulla

Tom Robinson

Art Galleries

Anatomically Correct

Chicago Printmakers Collaborative

Las Manos Gallery

Mars Gallery

Arts Organizations

Chicago Artists' Coalition

Chicago Artists Resource

Fernwork Arts Incubator

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