The group exhibition "In Praise of Physical Labor" with work by artists from across the United States and Canada offers diverse responses to the idea of physical labor, including representations of urban, rural and domestic workers. The beauty of manual tools and the unique nature of handmade items are highlighted as well.

Currently based in Brooklyn, NY, Shana Wittenwyler's work in the exhibition, "Summer Straw," evokes experiences in her hometown of Monticello, Wisconsin. Due to vast economic need, younger generations are moving from her farming town to pursue professions outside of the labor-intensive agricultural field. Feeling a deep connection to the farming profession and the daily experiences of her father, Wittenwyler embarked on a project to document the rural way of life in her native community. Wittenwyler explains, "After three generations, my father's way of life and value system, typically idealized as American, is dying. His sense of loss manifests itself in disgust and depression. Through my father's eyes, I have tried to record the people he knows before they become a lost generation. My father serves as guide, translator and narrator for my interviews and documentary photography. While collaborating on this project, my father's energy and commentary is inexhaustible. Rejuvenated by documenting a way of life he values, the work alleviates some of his disillusionment, providing him with purpose and hope."

Other artists in the show include Chicago resident Jenny Arbaugh, a recent School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduate, who creates photographs of herself as documentation of her employee discrimination suit that was tried before the U.S. Supreme Court. In an evocative series of work, Arbaugh manipulates the appearance of her own body to represent the exploitation she experienced after her grievances were put on stage by the U.S. court system. Arbaugh's politically charged works remind viewers of the trepidations and potential violence of the workplace.

Curated by Californa artist Ursula Kammer-Fox this group exhibition is one of three shows a year held at Woman Made Gallery that features the work of both women and men. Participating artists include Jenifer Arbaugh, Suzan Ashby, Julie Wendt Brundage, Donna Catanzaro, Susan C. Dessel, Pat Dumas-Hudecki, Mason Galganov, Timothy Bryan Ghiloni, Jennifer Giesler, David Grainger, Sandra Graves, Tatijana Jacenkiw, Zev Jonas, Barbara Kalina, Rosalie Koldan, Jeanette Martone, Marjorie Meister, Leigh Ann Metzler, Linda Michel-Cassidy, Carla Michel, Cella Neapolitan, Rosemary Kavanagh O'Carroll, Zsofia Otvos, Debra Paulson, Shari Pettis, Teri Richardson, Dawn Roscoe, Jaye Schlesinger, Ann Corley Silverman, Philip Spear, Ted Strandt, Shana Wittenwyler and Marjorie Woodruff.

Physical labor occurs in myriad forms. Please come to Woman Made Gallery to reflect, analyze and celebrate the physical experience of labor. Opening reception: October 12 from 6 until 9 p.m. Works are up through November 8, 2007.

Image: "Summer Straw" by Shana Wittenwyler; digital Chromogenic print, 24 x 16 inches

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With her mixed media assemblage, "Rulers," Kammer-Fox reinvents object by juxtaposing several rulers of various size and condition. For Kammer-Fox, the more dents and wear on a tool, the more aesthetically interesting the object.

Please join us at the opening reception on October 12 from 6 until 9 p.m. Works are up through November 8, 2007.

Image: "Rulers" by Ursula Kammer-Fox; mixed media assemblage, 21 x 24 x 3 inches

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Woman Made Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of "Women in Dangerous Professions: Work by Peggy Lipschutz." Lipschutz presents portraits of women who inspire her such as Amelia Earhart and Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. Her piece entitled, "The Most Dangerous Woman in America" depicts Mother Jones, whose many achievements include the organization of striking miners to fight against the poor working conditions in Colorado and West Virginia.

Born in England in 1918, Lipschutz received formal training from the Pratt Institute. A longtime Chicago area resident, Lipschutz worked as an illustrator, political cartoonist and served as editor for the newspaper, Labor Today, before devoting herself fully to painting fifteen years ago. Her work has been shown at the Art Institute of Chicago, Detroit Institute of Arts, and the ACA Gallery in New York. She maintains a rigorous studio practice and contributes to the arts through her powerful and expressionistic works that celebrate female achievement.

Please join us at the opening reception on October 12 from 6 until 9 p.m. Works are up through November 8, 2007.

Image: "Maggie Kuhn" by Peggy Lipschutz; oil on canvas, 28 x 24 iches

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Artisan Gallery: Naked Clay

The Artisan Gallery at Woman Made exhibit, 'Naked Clay,' is the result of a call to clay artists asking them to create and submit works in clay that were finished with a single firing; any coloration had to be in the clay when it was fired or it must have occurred as a result of the firing process. Naked clay means there can be no glazes, paints or external ornamentation. As usual, we were not disappointed with the wide variety of styles and processes in the works we received from the artists.

The 'Featured Artist,' Regina Simas, from Oxford, Ohio is a standout with her use of Neriage, an ancient technique in which modeling and decoration happen at the same time. Simas begins with several lumps of white stoneware clay, to which she adds oxides or ceramic stains. She makes slabs of different colors that are layered into several blocks. She then cuts sections of the blocks and attaches them to one another to form pieces with one or several decorative patterns combined on them. The bowls and platters she exhibits in this exhibition are original explorations in pattern and color.

Curated by Mary Stoppert and Carmen M. Perez represented artists include Kim Acerra, Nancilee Yeates Bodine, Rhonda Gushee, Laura C. Hewitt, Janis Wilson Hughes, Dena M. Ladner, Monica Leap, Deborah J. Maxwell, Lilianne Milgrom, B. J. Morgan, Daina Platais Ortiz, Judith M. Osmer, Roberta Polfus, Mercedes Rodgers, Regina Simas, Kristi Sloniger, Conifer J. Smith, Julia Terr, Kelly Thiel, Lynn Anne Verbeck-Terrier, Elaina Wendt, and Deana Fisher Wilfong.

'Naked Clay' will be on display through November 8, 2007.

Image: 'Invisible Ones, #1' by Elaina Wendt; fired earthenware, 33 x 10 x 6 inches

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About Woman Made 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 Hugh M. Hefner Foundation; the Efroymson Fund, a CICF Fund; a major anonymous donor and the generosity of its members and contributors.

Website: http://www.womanmade.org

Woman Made Gallery Beate C. Minkovski Executive Director Email: gallery@womanmade.org Phone: 312-738-0400