The Hottest New Block On The Chicago Art Scene

The Hottest New Block On The Chicago Art Scene

Art on West Chicago Avenue is taking over.
Lauren Ike
Lauren Ike Jul 24, 2017
333
views

Chicago's West Town neighborhood has been named the most recent nexus of fine art and culture. Now you can find Chicago's best avant-garde designers, conceptual heavy weights, prominent painters, and world-class conceptual artists all down West Chicago Avenue!

Thaddeus Wolfe at Volume Gallery


The Mission

1431 West Chicago Ave

Michelle Magot Irregular Plane D, 2015 oil on paper 18 x 24 in.

The Mission represents artists from the United States and Latin America, promoting an international dialogue through a diverse program of provocative solo exhibitions and group shows. End of Daylight is a solo exhibition by Rodrigo Zamora, the Chilean sculptor, and painter, exhibiting now through August 5th. Zamora presents paintings that transform objects into amorphous anatomies, challenging memory and perception, specifically within the context of our relationship to our urban surroundings.

The Mission



Matthew Rachman Gallery

1659 West Chicago Ave

Kate McCarthy Lamb of God, 2017 thread, linen, cotton + synthetic fiber 13" x 9 ½" x 3 ⅛"

Matthew Rachman Gallery is an innovative store front gallery space that uniquely features contemporary art and 1960s modernist furniture. Kate McCarthy's multidisciplinary exhibition The Fantastic Nest is a must-see exhibition only on display now through July 23rd!

Matthew Rachman Gallery's upcoming exhibition The Chip opens Friday, July 28th, featuring paintings by Hannah Perry Saucier (on exhibit through September 17th).

Matthew Rachman Gallery



Paris London Hong Kong

1709 W Chicago Ave

Boyang Hou, Practice Makes Perfect, 2016, enamel, gesso on canvas, 19.5 x 17.5 in

Paris London Hong Kong is a private gallery located in the 1709 West Chicago building shared with Western Exhibitions, Volume Gallery and Document. PLHK features world-class contemporary and 20th century art. Be sure to check out PLHK and other West Town exhibitions this September at the start of Chicago Gallery Season.


Western Exhibitions

1709 W Chicago Ave

Richard Hull #3 2016, crayon on paper, 24 x 18 inches


Western Exhibition represents some of Chicago's most compelling contemporary artists. At present the gallery is showcasing 15 artists and one collaborative team, tackling the unique concept of fabric sagging in the middle between two upraised points, using this specific formal gesture to reach different conceptual goals. The group show titled A Sag, Harbored features many of Chicago's heavy weight artists engaging in fiber works. Don't miss A Sag, Harbored, showing now through August 19th!

Volume Gallery

1709 W Chicago Ave

Christy Matson Rays in Brown/Blue, 2013, Cotton, Linen, Tencel 5 x 12.5 inches

Volume Gallery focuses on American design, with a strong emphasis placed on emerging contemporary designers. Summer, typically being the "off-season" in gallery events, is an excellent opportunity for galleries to put on group shows. Volume Gallery offers The Midnight Special, a group exhibition that showcases Volume's various cutting-edge designers. The exhibition will be open now through September 8th.


Document

1709 W Chicago Ave


Elizabeth Atterbury, Slow Song, 2013, chromogenic print, 14 x 11 in.

Document is an innovated gallery that specializes in contemporary photography, film and media based art. The commercial gallery has an incredible group show exhibiting now titled, Paris, London, Hong Kong, Portland, Brooklyn, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, Oak Park, Berlin. This impeccably curated group show will be on display now through August 26th. (Trust me, you do not want to miss Elizabeth Atterbury's monotypes!)

Paris London Hong Kong, Western Exhibitions, Volume Gallery, Document



Regards

2216 West Chicago Ave

Kristen Van Deventer, Untitled Cabbage, 2016, Oil on linen, 22 × 26 in

Regards is largely a visual arts and performance space associated with conceptual arts. Regrettably, Regards is closed for the summer but will re-open in the fall. Rick Bastis will kick-off Gallery Season, opening Saturday, September 9th.

Regards



New Gallery (Coming Soon!)

2058 West Chicago Ave

Faith Wittrock, King, 2017, acrylic, enamel, latex paint and pencil on canvas 24⅛ x 24⅛ in

This gallery space is so fresh it doesn't even have a name yet!

Keep an eye out, this gallery is coming soon!

Founded in May of 2017 by Charlie and John Cibula, this new space will serve as a studio, gallery and residence on the near west side of Chicago. Adding to the growing art hub of West Town Chicago, the gallery will open in September of this year. The exhibition space is a commercial gallery that specializes in contemporary art; painting, photography and fiber based artworks. The new comer gallery will promote the work of emerging local and under represented artists and seeks to strengthen local and global networks, adding to a tradition of growing independent, cooperative and artist-run spaces in Chicago.

The inaugural opening will take place Saturday, September 2nd, 5-9 pm featuring the works of multidisciplinary contemporary artists Faith Wittrock and John Cibula.

Untitled New Gallery (Coming Soon!)


Cover Image Credit: Boyang Hou, Practice Makes Perfect, 2016 (PLHK)
Lauren Ike
Lauren Ike Jul 24, 2017
At Columbia College Chicago
At Columbia College Chicago

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7 Reasons Why Literature Is So Important

"Literature Is One Of The Most Interesting And Significant Expressions Of Humanity." -P. T. Barnum
Breanna Sahr
Breanna Sahr Sep 1, 2015
121857
views

Today, there are too many people who believe that literature is simply not important or underestimate its abilities to stand the test of time and give us great knowledge. There is a stigma in society that implies one who is more inclined toward science and math will somehow be more successful in life, and that one who is more passionate toward literature and other art forms will be destined to a life of low-paying jobs and unsatisfying careers. Somewhere along the line, the world has come to think that literature is insignificant. To me, however, literature serves as a gateway to learning of the past and expanding my knowledge and understanding of the world. Here are just a few reasons why literature is important.

1. Expanding horizons

First and foremost, literature opens our eyes and makes us see more than just what the front door shows. It helps us realize the wide world outside, surrounding us. With this, we begin to learn, ask questions, and build our intuitions and instincts. We expand our minds.

2. Building critical thinking skills

Many of us learn what critical thinking is in our language arts classes. When we read, we learn to look between the lines. We are taught to find symbols, make connections, find themes, learn about characters. Reading expands these skills, and we begin to look at a sentence with a larger sense of detail and depth and realize the importance of hidden meanings so that we may come to a conclusion.

3. A leap into the past

History and literature are entwined with each other. History is not just about power struggles, wars, names, and dates. It is about people who are products of their time, with their own lives. Today the world is nothing like it was in the 15th century; people have changed largely. Without literature, we would not know about our past, our families, the people who came before and walked on the same ground as us.

4. Appreciation for other cultures and beliefs

Reading about history, anthropology, or religious studies provides a method of learning about cultures and beliefs other than our own. It allows you to understand and experience these other systems of living and other worlds. We get a view of the inside looking out, a personal view and insight into the minds and reasoning of someone else. We can learn, understand, and appreciate it.

5. Better writing skills

When you open a book, when your eyes read the words and you take in its contents, do you ask yourself: How did this person imagine and write this? Well, many of those authors, poets, or playwrights used literature to expand their writing.

6. Addressing humanity

All literature, whether it be poems, essays, novels, or short stories, helps us address human nature and conditions which affect all people. These may be the need for growth, doubts and fears of success and failure, the need for friends and family, the goodness of compassion and empathy, trust, or the realization of imperfection. We learn that imperfection is not always bad and that normal can be boring. We learn that life must be lived to the fullest. We need literature in order to connect with our own humanity.

Literature is important and necessary. It provides growth, strengthens our minds and gives us the ability to think outside the box.

Cover Image Credit: google.com/images
Breanna Sahr
Breanna Sahr Sep 1, 2015
At Wittenberg University

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Here's Why You Find Lara Jean The Most Relatable Character Ever

If you haven't seen this movie, you've got to!

Drew L. Hill
Drew L. Hill Sep 19, 2018
309
views

First of all, let's just say this is the cutest teen movie I've ever seen in my life.

All of the characters, while some of them may be a little trope-y, they're done in a way that makes them all authentic, honest and original. I love them all.

Everyone has a back story and is explained well enough that you know what their role is. Some movies don't do this well. Even though you basically know what's going to happen, because, at the end of the day it is still a teen movie, you're going to sob and maybe even scream.

But back to my queen, Lara Jean, and why she's the absolute best

1. She Has Amazing Style

Were y'all keeping up with the fact that she was putting complete and total looks together that entire time? From the socks to the scrunchies, to the shoes; she looked great every single day! I really can't even believe Gen tried to come for her? Rude.

2. Her Best Friend Is Also Cool

Chris AND Lara Jean together?! Stylish, fashionable, hilarious: iconic! 10/10, I love their friendship and how they're the only ones each other trusts. The way they take care of and look out for one another is great. Plus they both have such great personalities.

3. She Daydreams

I love how Lara Jean lives in her own head. She has all these ideas of what love is because she's read about it and imagined it, but she's never experienced it before. Reminds me of someone I know (me).

4. She Pushes People Away

Not necessarily a positive thing about her, but this makes Lara Jean a real person and less like every other perfect fairytale, teen romance movie to ever be made. She has a problem letting people in and her background and the dialogue in the movie actually explains why.

5. She's Not One Of The Popular Kids

Whenever they make a teen movie, there's always the popular kids and I love when the protagonist/main character isn't one of them. I wasn't one of them in high school, so making movies about the cool kids doesn't make them easy to root for.

6. She's a Person of Color

Do you know how great it is to see a POC as the lead in a teen movie? I watch a lot of these because I'm garbage and it's usually a blonde white girl who's like stereotypically attractive but not "popular," and it just makes the movie harder to relate to. I think having the lead be a person of color makes the movie a little more accessible to more people. Because people who look like Lara Jean can see themselves in her and it's important for young people of all types to be recognized in media so they can feel heard and understood. I just love that!

7. She Wins In The End

Even After Gen was terrible to her the whole movie and she lost Peter, Josh and her own freakin' sister, she eventually gets the boy and repairs her relationship with her best friend and her sister! Ahhh, We love a happy ending!

As I said before, this is truly one of the greatest movies I've seen in a very very very long time. All of the characters are so likable, even Lara Jean's dad. It's like "Mean Girls" but so much cuter and less dramatic.

As a fan of the genre of teen romance, I'm glad a movie like this exists, with a woman of color as the lead and a sad backstory, but a cute and witty family. It's truly all the things I ever wanted in a teen romance.

Thanks, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before."

Drew L. Hill
Drew L. Hill Sep 19, 2018
At University of South Carolina

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