Mugs!

After the incredible bustle of Mother’s Day, it is extremely exciting to see a necessary influx of new inventory flowing through the gallery closet.  Just in is a new batch of the ever popular ceramic product: mugs!  A playful assortment of softly colored mugs by Emily Murphy is sure to be a Springtime favorite at the gallery.

The Art and the Urban Garden Exhibit

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the beautiful weather than by having a garden inside of Lillstreet. The Art and the Urban Garden exhibit is utterly breathtaking and if you haven’t seen it you must come in! It’s been less than a week since the exhibit opened and already so many of my favorite pieces have been sold. The bright lime green walls bring so much light and contrast to the pieces on display.

The picture below has my favorite pieces in the exhibit. most of them have sold but they are such interesting flower pots. I wish I could have them all.

Coming Soon… Art and the Urban Garden

This week marked the closing of our current exhibition, Plane & Solid.  If you did not get a chance to see it, please take time to view it on our web catalogue, also on sale on our web store!  The end of this exhibition means next week will be full of installation for our upcoming show: Art and the Urban Garden.  I hear a rumor that installation will involve some green paint and fresh flowers for this spring-themed show.

The Gallery Closet is currently full of planters, garden sculptures, and exquisite wall hangings waiting to be released on the gallery floor.  Here’s a sneak peak…

Underneath the bubble wrap is photography by Jin Lee, in the large box is a handmade paper drawing by Michele Brody.

Sculpture by Deborah Lecce.  Can you guess what this tail might belong to?

Planters, currently empty but will be full of fresh flowers very soon.  These are by Jake Johnson and Joseph Pintz.

Vases by Amanda Barr.

This is just a small look into what is to come.  Please join us for the Art and the Urban Garden opening reception, this Friday, May 3 at 6pm!

New Work by Andrew Gilliatt

Lillstreet’s Gallery Storefront is continuously being updated with new work, all making its first stop at the Gallery Closet.  We recently received a new batch of work from Andrew Gilliatt.  Gilliatt’s work is bright and graphic, perfect for Spring.  With a background in graphic design, Gilliatt uses laser print decals to add images that range from familiar, domestic objects like forks and spoons, to humorous depictions of  animals and toy boats.  His slipcast forms also reflect his design background with their clean lines and sometimes unusual shapes.

Here’s a look into just a small portion of the new work we have from Andrew Gilliatt:

Megan Mitchell Interview & Jennifer FitzGerald

On Monday I thought, “Spring is here!” However, two days later the weather has been nothing short of gloomy and cold. I spent Monday working upstairs in the offices and someone opened a window to let the (at the time) beautiful air in. My work day consisted of a phone interview with the featured artist for the month of May, Megan Mitchell. She was so sweet and we had a really interesting conversation. I spent the rest of Monday and all of today working on her piece. I had such a blast writing up the interview and I can’t wait for it to be published.

One of the things we talked about was the concept of the public versus the private. While this part of our conversation did not make it to my final draft, I figured I’d unpack it in this blog post. So as I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, I am interning at Lillstreet Art Center because I am doing a program with the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. In this program, I am in charge of completing a seminar, a core course, my internship and an independent study project. In this independent study project (ISP) I am also exploring what the public versus the private means in relation to space and homes. Megan is interested in how people choose to reveal their private selves to the public, which is something that I’m also intrigued by. How does one select specific aspects of the self to be on display whether through writing, art, or action? And, maybe most importantly, how does one choose what to keep private and hidden? Megan talked about how this duality has impacted her work. She said, “My work isn’t just about me or my life but a more universal experience.” She said that one of the things that has been really meaningful has been trying to find a balance of a place to belong to and still having adventures outside of that place.

 Today, I walked through the Gallery and recognized Jennifer FitzGerald’s work. She has a studio on the second floor of Lillstreet and I’ve seen her Installation Proposal in the hallway. Her woven clay work resembles wicker. The writing is super small on this picture because I took it with my phone, but it says “Final Installation will include 400 nests. The viewing experience will be enhanced by the sound of insects increasing from a few to the buzz of hundreds.”

Below are the pictures I took in the Gallery with my phone:

As you can see my photography skills are limited but luckily Joe Tighe, who is a professional photographer and my supervisor, has photographed all of Jennifer’s work for the website. Here are some of his photos:

To see more photographs of Jennifer FitzGeralds work click here.

100 Acts of Sewing

Lillstreet Gallery is exploring an exciting new frontier with the current exhibition 100 Acts of Sewing.  For the first time, Lillstreet is taking the show out of our usual gallery location and utilizing spaces throughout the entire building.  Beginning next to First Slice Cafe and extending up to the third floor textiles department, work by Sonya Philip will lead you to places you may have yet to visit in Lillstreet.

The show displays 100 photographs of 100 handmade dresses, as well as 8 physical dresses, which Philips sewed within the duration of one year.  The repetition and dedication in the process of creating this work brings awareness to the fabrication of the clothes we use and might take for granted every day.  Also, the variety in colors and forms of the dresses themselves creates a diverse and intriguing collection of photographs, which when displayed together in large groups perfectly depict the overwhelming mass of 100 handmade dresses.

Here is a peak…

Reading “The Ceramics Bible”

This week I began to research Tara Wilson and Mariko Brown. Tara Wilson is the featured artist of the month of April and her work is very different from last month’s artist, Kyla Toomey. I’m really excited to interview Wilson and understand her creative process better. The write up of our interview should be up published on the Lillstreet website in the next few weeks. I started writing Mariko Brown’s biography for the website and selected three pieces from her collection in the gallery so I can write descriptions for them. Her work is stunning; I can’t wait to buy one of her cups.

Since I am a pottery novice, Jess suggested I read “The Ceramics Bible” by Louisa Taylor. I’m moving at a relatively slow pace because I’m trying to actually remember what I’m reading. Some of the things I’ve learned so far:

• There are, “hundreds of clay available to the ceramicist” (Taylor 14).
• Understanding the properties of the clay is critical when selecting one for a project and alongside that one needs to know if the piece is “intended to be decorative, functional, or sculptural” (Taylor 14).
• Materials discussed on pages 14-19: Low-fire clay, Terra-cotta, Earthenware, Stoneware, Porcelain, Paper clay, Egyptian paste, Brick clay, Composite/aggregate, Colored clays, Air-dry clay.
• You can make your own clay. Okay, to be fair I already knew that but I had never read any of the recipes. I didn’t expect them to be so complex. Making clay is a science. I think potters don’t get enough recognition for that.

Also, look at what I ate today:

Apple Pie slice from FIRST SLICE PIE CAFE

Until next time,

Rocio

Taylor, Louisa. The Ceramics Bible: The Complete Guide to Materials and Techniques. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2011. Print.

Interview with Kyla Toomey

Hello All,

Last week, I interviewed Lillstreet’s featured artist Kyla Toomey for this month’s Artist’s Spotlight section. The interview went great and Toomey was such a pleasure to talk to. She was very open and honest with her answers, which really helped me understand her better. It also felt so great to be talking to a full-time artist about her current and past experiences as a visual artist. I wrote up our conversation here. When Jess asked me to interview Toomey I immediately began to research her and craft my questions around the information that I obtained. Jess and I went over my questions and then I contacted Toomey to ask for an interview. I am supposed to be interviewing the featured artist of each month!

On other news the Whiskey Vessel exhibit is over. Currently, there are people working to set up the new exhibit; I’m really excited to see it. Also, last week I had a slice of the Key Lime Pie that they sell at the First Slice Pie Café and it was, hands down, the best Key Lime pie I’ve ever tasted. I definitely recommend it. If you’re more of a lemon person, then try the lemon bars because they are magical. I am probably going to get one after I post this.

I can’t believe how amazing this internship is. Everyone who works here is friendly and helpful. My work assignments are tailored to my learning goals and I’m having such a good time. Whenever I describe my internship to people, I’m instantly reminded of how fortunate I am to be here.

Until next time,

Rocio

Sneak Preview – Plane & Solid

Though it is sad to see our last exhibition, Neat: The Art of the Whiskey Vessel, leave the gallery, the anticipation of our next exhibition, Plane & Solid, is almost bursting out of the curtain now hanging in front of the space.  We even built new walls for this show, so the gallery will look like a whole new place!

Plane & Solid references the two forms of geometry: 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional. The show features four artists whose work challenges the viewer to explore the relation between math and art.

The gallery closet was the place to be last week as I received and unpacked the work from Alison Reintjes, Hans Peter Sundquist, Marc Digeros, and Mark Pharis.  Here is a sneak peak from the gallery closet of work by Mark Pharis….

Waiting to be opened…

And just a small portion of the pleasant surprise inside!

We are looking forward to sharing the rest of this incredible artwork with you.  Hope to see you at the opening, this Friday at 6pm!

New at Lillstreet… Screenprints

After the success of Lillstreet’s first ever screenprint show, Graphic Noise, we decided to continue to carry a variety of screenprints in our gallery’s new permanent poster display. Stop by and check it out, right next to First Slice cafe!

Graphic Noise showcased Chicago area printmakers who are all connected through the Chicago Printers Guild.  We are thrilled to support this local collective and the new work shown at Lillstreet ranges from gig posters to art prints; all very exciting additions to our gallery!

We recently received a new batch of screenprints from Fugscreens Studios. Fugscreen’s prints are unique in their striking colors and retro-inspired designs.  Fugscreen’s work is reminiscent of Lichtenstein-inspired pop art and some include images that harken back to mid 20th century children’s books and comic books.  These nostalgic themes are contrasted with references to modern day music and the implementation of bright colors, making the work contemporary and compelling.  Here’s a sampling from the gallery closet…