The Hand-Made Print

Eleven artists of One Horse Press have organized a group exhibition: THE HAND-MADE PRINT: A contemporary take on the (non)traditional,  in the Chicago Artists Coalition sponsored gallery space, Suite 1573  in the Design Center at The Merchandise Mart.

Featured work includes that of Julian Cox, which are figurative abstractions.  He crops the figure in order to create dramatic figurative landscapes. Other notable work includes the prints of Grace Kroll who renders Chicago landmarks in high contrast due to her proficiency with aquatint techniques. Both Sarah Kaiser and Stephanie Toral address birds as metaphors. Kaiser works with chine collé and blends text with imagery in a strong, painterly manner. Toral creates prints and assemblages that incorporate nests, eggs, and other found objects in shadow boxes. Yvi Russell experiments with circular compositions that incorporate a subtle, whispering line.  Jessica Q. Lucas makes striking and crisp woodcuts. Then there is Bob Fields, who experiments with embossing diverse materials. He has a purist approach to printmaking in that he focuses solely on texture and eliminates the need for ink.

The exhibition has an educational component featuring descriptions of both traditional and experimental printmaking techniques. The opening reception will be Friday evening, July 9, from 4:00 to 8 P.M. Hours of the gallery: Fridays: 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Exhibition closes Friday, August 6.

Post NeoCon News!

 

 

After much hard work and meticulous planning, Fine Design at NeoCon 2010 has ended and was a great success!  Three days were packed with educational seminars, showroom events and parties, as well as product debuts that covered a broad range of styles, techniques and features.  Design Center halls were bustling as attendees visited the Design Center’s permanent showrooms to explore the latest and greatest offerings and events! 

 All of the Fine Design seminars, held in the Mart’s fifteen-twenty presentation suite, were CEU accredited; many sold out with standing room only.  The CEU sessions were presented with the idea that as the design industry continues to become more and more competitive, designers and architects have the opportunity to continue their education and learn more about design as well as their clients, and become a leader in the industry. 

 Many renowned speakers came to discuss various aspects of the design world, such as how to stand out as a designer by using innovating and unique materials, new eco-friendly trends, how to value and charge for design services, and many more topics. 

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 “Going Green” was a very popular theme throughout the 16 CEU Seminars. Sustainability respects the environment, in addition to having aesthetic beauty and comfort, and supporting abundance.  We also learned it also doesn’t necessarily have to be more expensive! 

Fine Design Keynote Speaker, Margaret McCurry, gave a captivating presentation with before and after pictures of her work around the country, discussing her style and technique of symmetry and aesthetics while still providing an eco-friendly way of life. Her photos explored her work with modern houses that demonstrate her love of vernacular architecture and fondness for classicism. 

 Fine Design at NeoCon proved to be the place to meet and greet, learn event more about design, and become inspired by endless creativity and innovation! 

 

Again and Again- Closing Reception

Again and Again:  An Exploration in Pattern and Sequence presents a group of artists composing time, space, and sequence through their practices.  By incorporating the unique architecture of the exhibition space, the artists construct a directional path that creates dialog between their pieces and the viewers.

Four artists were selected for a CAC (Chicago Artists’ Coalition) sponsored exhibition; Jiwon Yoon, Angela Bryant, HUR, and Robin Dluzen.  Again and Again is on display Now through May 29. 

Don’t miss the Closing Reception, Thursday, May 27th from 4-7pm.  The exhibition is taking place in the Merchandise Mart, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, Suite 1563.

Jiwon Yoon engages in mark-making that is likened unto ritual.  Again and again she places layers of paint to build up and off the canvas.  Angela Bryant creates patterns through her shaped fabric installations that invite the viewer to be embraced by their color and scale.   HUR diligently paints the same canvas systematically morning after morning, saves the water,and uses it to paint at the next session.  Robin Dluzen takes one image and recreates it over and with the assistance of different media each time.

If  custom fine art is something you are looking for be sure to visit the gallery. Regular gallery hours: Fridays 4pm-7pm, Saturdays 1pm-5pm, and by appointment

A Chicago Artists’ Coalition (CAC) selected and sponsored exhibition.

Curated by MA Candidate Fang-Tze Hsu and the artists.

Contact: Angela@AbryantGallery.com  or call 312.590.5573 for additional information.

The Social Media Revolution…and Your Business

The internet has revolutionized the way we do business. Now social media is transforming the way we communicate…Facebook, Twitter, Blogs  and more, realtime information means easier means of communication. It also means being more creative about how we communicate about our business.

Designers who implement social media are growing their business and changing interior design for the future. Join Kravet and Lee Jofa on May 19th  for a presentation that will provides some quick tips and thoughts about how to engage social media to the best advantage of your business and your brand.

Beth Greene, VP of Communications for Kravet and Lee Jofa, will present the 101′s of Social Media and moderate a panel discussion featuring three influential voices in the local design community.

For a forward thinking and informational presentation on social media and the great tips to benefit your business dont miss this presentation. May 19th at 2:30 pm in The Design Center, Suite 1520.

Questions or to RSVP? Contact Pamela Bruckbauer at Pamela.Bruckbauer@kravet.com

Start the Terrace Season with LinenMe

As the sun gets warmer every day warming our gardens and yards enough, slowy the tables and chairs come out of storehouses. As days get warmer many terraces become almost living rooms for many people. Eating a meal, reading a paper, drinking a cup of tea – all these ordinary activities are somehow more enjoyable when done in a fresh air.

Are you ready for this Terrace season? LinenMe invites you to revise your terrace and garden-life equipment.

 Do you have enough cushions to put under your back when reclining in a chair? Are cushion covers clean? Is their fabric pleasant to your skin? Do colors make your eyes happy? Check out some natural linen quality cushion covers from Emilia collection, available in your favorite colors!

 Did you know that any meal looks more delicious and the overall setting more luxurious and delightful when you serve your dishes on a table covered with a tablecloth? Especially when tablecloth matches the natural environment of the garden – is made from natural fabric and tastefully decorated. LinenMe offers plain, patterned and stitched tablecloths for any taste.

 Make your table cozier and prettier – use table linen placemats. They are made of thick fabric – no wind will blow them away, placemats will serve you for ages as they are durable and machine washable. Color range is wide enough to match other table linen or other accessories on your terrace or garden.

The start of the new season is the right time to renew your entire textile collection. Get all the needed items in the beginning and all you have to do is enjoy your precious time for the whole summer!

Anacara Showroom Hosts Luxe Magazine Launch Party

On Thursday, April 22 Anacara Company, Suite 16-130, welcomed designers and landscape architects to their showroom to celebrate the launch of the latest issue of LUXE Interiors + Design Magazine.

More than 250 trade members attended the event throughout the day and saw the latest outdoor and casual furnishings offerings from Anacara. The party continued down the hall in the Treasure Garden showroom, Suite 1655, where guests could browse the company’s umbrella and shade selection.  Attendees enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music and networking.

Isokern Fireplaces, AIA Chicago, Benjamin Moore Paints, Treasure Garden, Limestone Inc., Barrington Pools, ILCA (Illinois Landscaper Contractors Association), Itex Payment System also sponsored the event and had representatives and product on hand to share with guests.

In case you missed the event, be sure to pick up the latest copy of LUXE Interiors + Design Magazine and stop by the Anacara Company showroom.

Refinish Your Favorites

 

Do you or client have a piece of furniture you simply cannot get rid of, but it is scratched or chipped and thats just not the look you are going for?

 Art Self, furniture repair professional, will be demonstrating the “art” or caring for your fine furniture. The presentation will take place Thursday, April 29th in the Grange Showroom, Suite 1825.  You can learn how to remove the dings, scratches and chips that may occur due to time and daily use, and make old pieces new again!

Event partner and fine French skin care line, Votre Vu will also be on hand to demonstrate some “facial refinishing techniques” of their own.  

Be sure to stop by for some great gift bags that will be available for the first 25 attendees.  Sip tasty Snapdragon Beauty Beverage as you learn the art of Refinishing your Favorite Surfaces.

 Enter for a chance to win a fabulous French prize!

 Thursday April 29, 1pm-2:30pm

Grange Showroom, Suite 1825

RSVP to 312.527.1919

New to the Design Center: Chicago Artists Coalition

The newest addition to The Design Center at The Merchandise Mart is the unique concept that is the Chicago Artists Coalition.  Located on the 15th floor six artists use Suite 1562 as a workroom/outstanding gallery while creating one of a kind and custom pieces of art.

To kick off a great season of work, the Chicago Artists Coalition invites you to an open house this Thursday, April 29th and Friday, April 30, in their space, Suite 1562 from 6pm-9pm.

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Inara Cedrins is an artist, writer and translator. Having worked on a series of Chicago Facades linoleum block prints, she began a Dolce Vita series, centered in Italy Inara went to the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing to study traditional Chinese ink painting on silk, remaining five years to teach at universities including Tsinghua University and Peking University, as well as to the People’s Liberation Army and students at the Central Academy of Fine Art. In 2003 she went to Nepal to study the technique of thangka painting; after the king’s coup d’etat in 2005, she relocated to Riga, Latvia, making prints of the ornate facades and teaching Creative Writing at the University of Latvia.

 Lisa Goesling began taking weekend classes at the Art Institute of Chicago at twelve years old, creating sculptures, drawings and paintings. She is 100% invested in being a fine artist after a varied career as a Public Relations Director, Art Director, Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Lisa was juried into the Corporate Gallery Program with the Northwest Cultural Council in 2008 and has presented her work in galleries throughout the Northwest Suburbs, Wisconsin, Los Angeles and now, the Merchandise Mart

Jaime Lynn Henderson received her Master of Fine Arts degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Painting and Drawing in 2009 and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art from the University of Oklahoma in 2007. Her large-scale, vivid, playful, and fantastical works on paper have been exhibited in numerous galleries and institutions across the Midwest and have won her several awards such as the title of ”Best New Artist Working on Paper” in 2009. In addition to exhibiting with Concertina Gallery in the Goffo Section of NEXT Fair starting April 29 at Art Chicago, Henderson will be featured as a contestant on Bravo TV’s “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist” premiering June 9, 2010 at 11pm EST. For more information, please visit www.jaimelynnhenderson.com or http://www.bravotv.com/work-of-art.

Alexandra Lee (ATYL) was born in Hong Kong, is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is a multi-disciplinary artist. Her concept driven work incorporates themes of childhood, femininity, and the delicate interplay between human connection, their interaction with each other, their environment, and nature. 

Mark Moleski holds a BFA degree in Fine Art from Columbia College Chicago.  He looks beyond the obvious, searching for an alternate guise.  Works on paper; Read, Sit, and Stand are visually manipulated images which take on a new purpose.

Zachary Mory is an artist who focuses on the process of drawing.  By utilizing systems of working, simple tools (pencil on paper), and repetitive marks, he creates intricately woven, non-objective drawings that bring the viewer’s focus to the micro and macro simultaneously.

The six designers come from all over the world and take the uniqueness and creativity Chicago has to offer to make stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces of art.

Raymond Waites Debuts his Couture Private Label Furniture Collection

If you are looking for that special something for your client or home- be sure to visit Laneventure, Suite 1544 on Tuesday, April 27th as Raymond Waites debuts his couture private label furniture collection.

Raymond Waites Couture Private Label line allows designers and consumers to benefit from Raymond’s renowned talents as both a designer and fabric visionary. The Raymond Waites Private Label line is simple in that Raymond’s applications of fabric to frame can be purchased as shown, as well as tailoring the product to suit their own design needs with no additional costs or fees.

The program will begin at 11 a.m. in the showroom and will include a presentation by Raymond Waites, followed by lunch. Designers are also encouraged to schedule a one-on-one appointment with Raymond to discuss their ideas and inspirations.

This event is one you must be sure NOT to miss out on! RSVP today to 312-755-9163 as seating is limited

Lalique Haviland and Daum Showroom Opening Event

A bit before this blog started Lalique Haviland and Daum opened their brand new showroom on the 18th floor of the Design Center. 

On February 25th the kick-off event included an afternoon Tea, followed by a cocktail party which ended up hosting over 300 guests! Designers and their clients, as well as many Design Center showroom staff came out to make the event an amazing showroom opening and a great way to start 2010.

There was a great buzz, around the showroom along with fantastic food and drinks and a coveted goody bag at the door!                                                  

We are looking forward to many more events like this throughout the year!

Signing off- will post again soon!