Chicago, Illinois Woman Made Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of the 10th International Open and solo exhibitions by Chicago artists, Joyce Owens and ATYL.

In addition Woman Made's Artisan Gallery shows works in ‘All Manner of Mosaics,’ an exhibition that continues the exploration of the materials and techniques being used by women artisans.

Please join us at the artist reception on March 2, 2007, 6-9pm at 685 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. Works will be on display until March 29th.

Regular Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12 to 7pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4pm.

Continuing in the gallery's tradition of serving as an advocate for women artists, the International Open honors the work of women artists in a variety of media such as sculpture, painting, and photography. Niffenegger represents an excellent choice as juror of the show due to her many achievements in the arts. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Newberry Library, Harvard's Houghton Library, Northwestern University, and Temple University. Her best-selling novel, 'The Time Traveler's Wife' was critically acclaimed. Her most recent written work includes a visual novel, entitled, 'The Three Incestuous Sisters."

One of the most poignant images chosen by Niffenegger comes from Tulu Bayar, a Pennsylvania artist. Bayar’s photograph, Viscid #4, offers a dramatic juxtaposition as a woman rests on a tattered couch outside with a vacuum cleaner placed before her; the rugged terrain of the landscape mimics the worn furniture. Bayar writes, "I intend to disrupt the codes by which we normally read images of a woman, or a woman-artist. My photographs reflect my desire for powerful maternal femininity to combat and overwhelm abandonment and abuse." The artist's bold attitude and imaginative vision resonate in the other works by a variety of artists selected for the exhibition.

Participating artists include: Tulu Bayar, Sarah Beitler, Eve Biddle, Elan Bogarin, Cathi Kern Borushek, Mary Jo Bowers, Pritika Chowdhry, Suzanne Cohan-Lange, Niki Nolin and Sherry Antonini (collaborative work,) Mary Connelly, Jax Deluca, Henrietta DuBois, Erica Duffy, Phyllis Edelstein, Kathleen Fenton, Josephine Ferorelli, Beatrice Fisher, Kate Friedman, Linda Frost, Katrina Funk, Joyce Goodman, Suzanne Gorgas, Kym Hepworth, Pamela Hobbs, Kelly Jo Asbury, Sujin Lee, Marcie Lenke, Beilie Liu, Regina Mamou, Elizabeth Mead, Sobha Menon, Ashley Nason, Mari Ogihara, Pamela Paulsrud, Mary Penn, Maria Serena Perrone, Michelle Yun-Hee Proffit, Mary Stone, Denise Moody Tackley, Elaine Toland, Daniella Woolf and Jing Zhou.

Image: 'Viscid #4' by Tulu Bayar, c-print photography, 20 x 20 inches

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Pop culture, representations of women and Utopic fantasy coalesce in the work of ATYL. Employing a color palette reminiscent of your favorite jolly rancher, ATYL creates computer generated images that reference the stylistic conventions of popular video games. Her works include references to the mundane, sexuality, intimacy, and the urban environment.

ATYL received her B.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She continues pursuing her art, while also working as an attorney. In her statement she comments: “I challenge the ideals of justice, empowerment and faith. In JUST CitRUX, I re-fashion Genesis into a world where God is a woman and Law is the paramount. Is there ethics in Justice? Is love humanity's Holy Grail?” These are some of the questions ATYL asks in her work.

Please visit Woman Made Gallery and witness this striking presentation of avant-garde anime-style images. An opening reception will be held on March 2nd from 6 until 9 p.m. and works will be on display until March 29th.

Image: 'Ace of Grace' by ATYL, computer generated image, 18 x 18 inches

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In a provocative series of portraits, Joyce Owens recalls history and confronts stereotypes of African Americans. Inspired by past oversights, Owens demonstrates an acute sensitivity in rendering the human condition. At once proud and introspective, her portraits depict African Americans in period clothing that emphasizes the regality of her subjects.

Owens explains, "I see every face as a mask that I want to remove or peek through. Painting portraits is my attempt to know and understand my real or imagined subjects, express my personal hopes and dreams for the world and help end racism by filling gaps in American history and showing the images and stories that have been left out of most history books." Owens' investigative approach to the art of portraiture yields breathtaking results.

Owens received her B.F.A. from Howard University and her M.F.A. from Yale University. Currently she is Professor of Drawing and Painting at Chicago State University and Curator of the galleries program. Joyce Owens won this solo exhibition as First Prize for her work in the 9th International Open, juried by art critic, Margaret Hawkins. This is Owens' second time winning the honor at WMG. Faith Ringgold, renowned artist and writer, awarded Owens First Prize in the 5th International Open competition in 2002.

Please join us at the opening reception on March 2nd from 6 until 9 p.m. Works will be on display through March 29th.

Image: 'Man In Plain Tie' by Joyce Owens, acrylic on wood box, 16.5 x 10.5 x 3.5 inches

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Poets include: Ray Bianchi & Waltraud Haas/Portuguese, Chris Glomski/Italian, Francesco Levato/Italian, Radmila Lunic/Serbian, Jennifer Scapettone/Japanese, Steven Schroeder & Huichun (Amy) Liang/Chinese, Lina ramona Vitkauskas/Lithuanian and Jackie White/Spanish.

The reading takes place on Sunday, March 11, 2007 from 2 to 4pm. The events is free; street parking is available, and the blue line Grand stop is a few blocks away. There will be complimentary refreshments and books for sale

For more information, contact Lauren Levato at womanmadepoetry@hotmail.com or call WMG at 312.738.0400 or gallery@womanmade.org

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Participating artists include Karen Ami as our featured mosaic artist. Karen is the founder and Executive Director of The Chicago Mosaic School. She says of her art: “I create mosaics to satisfy my urge to make things whole. I use sculpture and mosaic to communicate through texture and color. There is a beauty in the fragments of colored glass, in the sensuality and smoothness of clay, and in the contrast of light and texture. I believe a sense of humor enhances the colorful, amusing, and strange struggles that make us human.”

Karen Ami is joined in the exhibition by mosaic artists Valerie Alduen, Chicago; Sherry Dorst, Napa, CA; Julie Burkhart Haid, Hudson, WI; Vanessa Wright Hollifield, Winston Salem, NC; Gisele Perreault, Chicago, IL; Gwyn Kaitis Roland, Joliet, IL; Staci Sterenberg, Chicago, IL; Beth Ann St. George, Tempe, AZ; Leann Wooten, Chicago, IL. Other exhibiting Artisan Gallery artists include: Angela Askin, Beth Bartley, Molly Bitters, Jill Buckingham, Sarah Chapman, Lori C. Coan, Linda Deardorff, Judy B. Freeman, Sandra Golbert, Judy Gray, Caroline Haurie, Laura C. Hewitt, Dorothy Hughes, Ala Jaron, Stephanie Marder, Natalie Prevost- Mero, Emily McCormick, Emily Murphy, Kimberly Nikolaev, Elizabeth Parrock, Carmen M. Perez, Elizabeth Rhoads Read, Karen Roberts, Liz Vercruysse, Emily Watson and Lisa Williams.

Works will be on display through March 29, 2007.

Image: 'Fisher of Men' by Vanessa Wright Hollifield, glass mosaic plate, 13 inches diameter

Artisan Gallery

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 Chicago Community Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; the Polk Bros. Foundation; the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation; the Efroymson Fund, a CICF Fund; and the generosity of its members and contributors.