Opening Reception: March 3, 2006 from 6-9pm Woman Made Gallery's March group show is showcasing fine art by women from the international community. Simultaneously we will exhibit artwork of volunteers who helped us to relocate to our new space on Milwaukee Avenue. We will continue to show masks by 14 women in our Artisan Gallery. The exhibitions will open with an artist reception on Friday, March 3, 2006, from 6 to 9pm. The gallery is free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 7pm and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm.

Entries were juried by Chicago-based writer and art critic Margaret Hawkins. In her juror statement Ms. Hawkins comments:

"Jurying the 9th International Open for Woman Made Gallery was challenging to say the least with almost 1200 entries (individual images) in a broad range of media from around the world. By necessity I found myself simply choosing the work I loved because I couldn't think of any other way to narrow the field and get this tiger by the tail. Thus the show is weighted to the figure and even in the abstract works to the organic, the animal, the psychological, the biomorphic and in some cases the cellular. I've chosen 40 works, trying to make a cohesive - but not too boringly homogeneous - show that is inclusive but not crowded. I ended up with work from Ireland and Iran, Chicago and Hawaii, but it pains me there are lands I entirely left out. Less is more but woe is me."

The exhibition opens on March 3rd with an artist reception from 6 to 9 pm at Woman Made Gallery, 685 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago's River West neighborhood.

Exhibiting artists include Nancy Agati, Setsuko Aihara, Yasmine Awais, Amy Babinec, Theresa Bertocci, Rupa Chordia, Marie-France Cournoyer, Nuala Creed, Marisa DiPaola, Donna Dodson, Magda Dudziak, Golnaz Fathi, Julie Foreman, Barbara Freeman, Jocelyn M. Goode, Clare Grill, Michelle Kay, Mairead O'Neill Laher, Laura Sherrill Ligon, Regina Mamou, Nichole Maury, Monika Meler, Lisa Merida-Paytes, Marcia Middleton, Uzma Mirza, Nancy Morrow, Judith Schubert Mullen, Jennifer Murray, Joyce Owens, Nicole S. Pietrantoni, Cherry Rahn, Jennifer Raimondi, Alisa Savage, Dana Ann Smith, Roberta Smith, Jacklyn Soo, Wendy Red Star, Annette Tacconelli and Hong-Ling Wee.

Image: 'Patriot Act' oil, mixed media, 24 x 24", by Roberta Smith

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Participating artists include Mary Jo Bowers, Monica J. Brown, Deb Flagel, Marcia Grubb, Nancy Elaine Harvey, Kelly Hensen, Alex Herrera, Mary King, Ron Lancaster, Monika Meler, Ellen Miles, Morgan Mills, Carmen M. Perez, Barbara Puechler, Ellen Rodman, Ashley Rodman, Caren Helene Rudman, Lora Sherman Cynthia Staples, Emmanuella Tao, Pearlie Taylor, Elizabeth Van Riper, Gayle Weiss, Elly Wilder and Tamasha Williamson.

The Volunteer exhibition: "From There to Here" will be on display from March 3 to 30, 2006.

Image: 'Apple Triangle' - oil on canvas, 30 x 40" by Cynthia Staples

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"All Manner of Masks" features women artisans from across the US who are exploring the concept of mask or masking in a variety of craft media. The artists were asked to approach the idea of mask or masking as a literal, abstract or conceptual exercise and result.

Participating artists include: Beth Bartley, Judie Benzer, Parbati Dasgupta, Wendy Deerly-Reese, Arlene Egelberg, Judy Freeman, Barbara Harris, Nicael Leistikow, Melissa Maguire, Darcy Meeker, Julie Pitzen, Lynne Richards, Harriet Schneider, Marian Slepian and Kathy Zajac.

The "All Manner of Masks" exhibition is up through March 30, 2006.

Image: 'Jotun', Raku, wire, beads, 10" x 7" x 3" by Wendy Deerly-Reese, Washburn, WI

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Woman Made Gallery is a tax-exempt, not for profit organization founded in 1992. Its goal is to support women in the arts by providing opportunities, awareness, and advocacy. It specifically accomplishes this through monthly thematic exhibitions which raise public awareness and recognition of women's cultural contributions.

Woman Made Gallery is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council a state agency; a CityArts Program II grant from the City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs; the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; the Polk Bros Foundation; the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation and the generosity of its members and contributors.