Greetings!
Welcome to the WMG's Summer newsletter. July, the first month of our new fiscal year has passed, and celebrations for our 20th Anniversary are continuing. Please read about recent gallery activities, current exhibitions, and what is in store for the rest of the year. We have also included highlights of WMG's amazing history in our "Remember?" section. Please email us if you wish to tell us your WMG story or contribute your thoughts in any way. Thanks!
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Recent Exhibitions and Events
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An event-filled and successful first six months started out in January with solo shows by Alexandria Eregbu and Betsy Odom, and 20 in Their Twenties, a group show for which Damien James wrote a favorable review published in Artvoices Magazine.
We had a great opening on March 2 for the 15th International Open and solo shows by Claudia Kleefeld and Kaitlin Kostus. WMG did receive great publicity through articles in various publications, including The Reader, Sixty Inches from Center, and Make Space. Also, Claudia Kleefeld's show was written about in Chicago Art Magazine. We were interviewed by Windy City Times, and by Today's Chicago Woman. Beate Minkovski, WMG's Executive Director was featured on the NEA blog site with a photo and interview.
WMG's 20th Anniversary Gala, celebrating 20 years of supporting women artists, was a beautiful and memorable event held on April 20 at Salvage One. Thanks to the generous efforts by hundreds of people we were able to raise $48,000 for WMG.
May and June's thematic exhibitions that dealt with the environment and recycling: a group show titled Consumer Culture and solo shows by Sarah Hahne and ME Ware, who served as our juror for the group exhibition were on display.
Wonderful poetry readings complemented our group and solo exhibitions. Curated by Nina Corwin and recorded by Kurt Heintz, w e celebrated artist in their 20's in January. Shelley Elaine G. Randall, Hannah Rebecca Gamble, Stephanie Lane Sutton,Carina Finn and Sarah Jedd, Teresa Veramendi, Megan Forajter, Jiyoon Lee and Ryann Wahl read from their works. Old friends, Allison Joseph, Maureen Seaton, Cin Salach, Pamela Miller, Mars Caulton and Lauren Levato came together in May to reconnect and celebrate WMG's 20th Anniversary. In June Lucy Biederman, Kris Bigalk, Coya Paz, Christina Pugh, Kristin LaTour and Andrea Witzke-Slot shared original work that touches on this world of glittering surfaces, symbols and trends as well as the human and environmental impact of Consumer Culture. Poets who Open Doors read in July, and it was Kristy Bowen, Shanny Jean Maney, Jennifer Karmin, Emily Rose Kahn-Sheahan, Johanny Vazquez Paz, and Susan Yount who enchanted the audience.
All through spring, preparations for our amazing outreach program, Twenty Neighborhoods were in full force. Developed and guided by WMG's Gallery Coordinator, Ruby Thorkelson, and with the work by 20 talented teaching artists and willing volunteers, artists' workshops are taking place all over the city, bringing diverse communities together. The results of this fabulous project will be on display at WMG in October 2012. We are most grateful for project funding through a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and The Efroymson Family Fund.
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Current and Upcoming Exhibitions and Events
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In celebration of its 20th Anniversary WMG is currently showing a group exhibition with works by 20 artists who have juried past WMG group shows through August 16, 2012. Artists represented in the "20 Jurors" exhibition are Laura Anderson Barbata, Karen Bondarchuk, Whitney Bradshaw, Cat Chow, Pritika Chowdhry, Melissa Jay Craig, Barbara Crane, Colette Gaiter, Fujiko Isomura, Indira Freitas Johnson, Julie Karabenick, Dorothy Simpson Krause, Leah Oates, Betsy Odom, Monica Ong, Joyce Owens, Catherine Blackwell Peņa, Corinne D. Peterson, Mary Stoppert, and Kathleen Waterloo.
In addition to "20 Jurors", WMG is exhibiting evidence of its 20-year service to women artists with a timeline of more than 300 exhibitions, and its Permanent Collection with work by Judy Chicago, Mary Ellen Croteau, Jan Brown Checco, Anne Elizabeth, Beatrice Fisher, Judithe Hernandez, and other women who have exhibited at the Gallery.
Please join us for a closing reception for the "20 Jurors" group exhibition and WMG's Archives + Permanent Collection on Thursday, August 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. Upcoming exhibitions include "Inspired By: Celebrating Illinois Artists" and a solo show by Mary Stoppert, opening with an artist reception on August 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibitions are up through September 27, 2012. "20 Neighborhoods" with work created at 20 Chicago neighborhood facilities is going to be on display from October 5 to 31. "State of gRace", an invitational celebrating 25 years of Sapphire & Crystals and "20 Years Strong: Women Working in Clay" will show simultaneously from November 9 to December 23. WMG's annual Holiday Fest opens November 30 through December 23 offering an array of unique handmade craft works. Our Members and Volunteers Brunch is planned for Saturday, December 8 from 11 am to 2 pm. Scheduled readings include "It's About Time" on Sunday, September 9 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. "Teaching Artists Showcase" takes place on October 14 and "Words Made to Occupy" is scheduled for November 18. |
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Juried Exhibitions: Call for Art
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Public/Private
Exhibition Dates: January 18 - February 21, 2013
Juror: Emily Green
Entry Deadline: October 17, 2012
Invitation to all artists worldwide to submit artwork in all media for this thematic exhibition.
More here...
16th International Open
Exhibition Dates: March 1 - April 25, 2013
Juror: Kelli Connell
Entry Deadline: November 18, 2012
Invitation to all women artists worldwide to submit artwork in all media for this open exhibition..
More here...
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20 Neighborhoods Project
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What began as a conversation about building the Woman Made Gallery community and the challenge of the seeming exclusivity of the art world has manifested into a truly special project within the city of Chicago. In celebration of Women Made Gallery's 20th Anniversary, 20 Neighborhoods has taken on the unique task of working within 20 different and vibrant neighborhoods throughout Chicago, many of them lacking in access to arts programming. To make this a reality, Woman Made Gallery partnered with twenty Chicago community-based, arts-based, and housing organizations to create an art exhibition based on Chicago women's individual and collective experiences and aspirations for their homes, families, neighborhoods, communities, and city.
With the help of teaching artists, teaching assistants, partner organizations, interns, and countless volunteers, 20 Neighborhoods has successfully introduced a diverse group of individuals to an array of artistic skills and abilities, as well as created space for new conversations on self, home, community, and city. Since June, Woman Made Gallery has hosted found-object assemblage sculpture workshops for participating women, and in some cases youth, at each organization's location, which will culminate in an exhibition of all the participants' art pieces, writing, additional project documentation, and a group-created site-specific installation at Woman Made Gallery in October of 2012. The exhibition will be one of 12 featured programs for Chicago Artists Month in October.
Read more about this exciting project on WMG's Blog. Please make a birthday gift to Woman Made Gallery in celebration of 20 fabulous years! Your support makes projects like "20 Neighborhoods" possible: http://tinyurl.com/827fbab or through www.paypal.com using our email address: gallery@womanmade.org - you will be automatically entered to win a painting by Janet Bloch. |
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WMG at SOFA CHICAGO 2012
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 | | Artwork by Carmen M. Perez |
We are happy to announce that Woman Made Gallery is among the galleries accepted to participate in the 19th Annual Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair: SOFA CHICAGO 2012. This is another special event continuing our 20th Anniversary celebration.
WMG artists who will exhibit their work are Sarah C. Chapman, jewelry; Elizabeth Rhoads Read, sculpture; Carmen M. Perez, sculpture; and Mary Stoppert, mixed media constructions.
General Admission dates are Friday, November 2 through Sunday, November 4.
For more information visit http://www.sofaexpo.com.
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WMG Board of Directors
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  We are happy to welcome Ginny Sykes who joined in the beginning of the year, and Gail Holmberg who was voted on at our most recent board meeting to WMG's Board of Directors. Both women have much to contribute.
Ginny Sykes is an artist and educator, and has been a supporter of WMG since the early years, serving on its Advisory Board.
Gail Holmberg is President of Blue Morpho Consulting. She provides technology consulting services to organizations of all sizes.
Kathleen Waterloo resigned her position as Vice-President, but will stay on through September 2012. Thanks Kathleen, for your devoted support and work for WMG. Shannon Downey tendered her resignation from the Board, but will continue through the end of the year as Chair of the Marketing Committee. We are most grateful for the amazing work and energy she has put into WMG, and for all her valuable contributions as Chair of the Marketing Committee.
Our heartfelt condolences to Janet Snow-Godfrey and her family for the loss of her sister, Jess Ann Kosic.
Please read about the women on our Board of Directors, who they are and what they do here: http://womanmade.org/board.html
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| Remember? |
This photo was taken when Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Chicago in October 1997 to dedicate the Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, named initially in her honor. At that time WMG was located right next to the park on 1900 South Prairie Ave on the first floor of the Keith Mansion. Janet Bloch had baked a chocolate cake for Hillary, but the secret service didn't allow her to eat it. But Hillary (in the center) graciously posed with (from left to right) Antje Gehrken, Vecelina Michaela Minkovski, Janet Bloch,Margo Jeanchild, Martha, and Pearl
Pearl Hirshfield. Visit WMG to see excerpts from our 20-year history. And don't forget to make a birthday gift to Woman Made Gallery in celebration of 20 fabulous years! http://tinyurl.com/827fbab or through www.paypal.com using our email address: gallery@womanmade.org - you will be automatically entered to win a painting by Janet Bloch.
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Join the Member Artists' Galleries
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Become a member of WMG and have from two to eight images, statement, and link to your website included in our Members' Artists Galleries.
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Artwork by Hyangsook Cho
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All members receive discounts for select workshops and events and may participate in the free Her Group session from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month. All members receive calls for art, email notifications of upcoming exhibitions, poetry readings and other WMG events, and forwarding opportunities for artists that are sent to us. We also extend a 10% discount on all crafts purchases We are selecting members for inclusion in WMG's solo shows if their work fits the theme of the exhibition cycle, and we recommend their work to others who are looking for work to exhibit and/or publish. WMG members are also actively promoted on our Facebook. Thanks to all who became WMG members since January 1, 2012. All names are listed here. Become a member here.
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Win a Painting! Donate!
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Artwork by Janet Bloch
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Donate to win an original 5 x 7 in. painting, "Tongues" valued at $250 by Janet Bloch. The framed dimensions are 11.5 x 12 inches.
Minimum donation is $5 and there is no maximum limit. Example: $20 enters your name four times.
Donate safely and securely on our website: https://secure.galganov.net/wmg/order/order.html#Donations or through Network for Good: http://tinyurl.com/827fbab - or donate through www.paypal.com using our email address gallery@womanmade.org - and of course, you can always mail your donation to Woman Made Gallery, 685 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60642. Donations at any time are much appreciated, but must be received by August 24, 2012 for a chance to win Janet Bloch's painting.
The drawing will take place on August 24th at 9 p.m. during our opening reception for "Inspired By: Celebrating Illinois Women Artists" at Woman Made Gallery. Winner does not need to be present and will be notified.
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Thank you for reading this newsletter. Please write a review or send us feedback, ideas, memories, and share WMG with others. Your participation in any form, as a donor, member, exhibiting artist, poet, volunteer, partner, contributor, and appreciator makes all our fabulous WMG programs possible.
Warm regards,
Beate Minkovski, Executive Director
Woman Made Gallery |
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SAVE THE DATE:
CLOSING RECEPTION
August 16, 2012
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 | | Art by Jan Brown Checco |
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WMG's "20 Jurors" and "Archive/Permanent Collection" exhibitions end on Thursday, August 16th. Please join us between 6 and 9 p.m. for a Closing Reception. Raffle tickets to win a painting by Janet Bloch will be for sale. The drawing is on August 24th.
(Image: art by Jan Brown Checco from WMG's Permanent Collection)
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