April 2024 Newsletter
In Memory of CSI Founding Member
Tom Scarff
It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to one of Chicago Sculpture International's founding members, S. Thomas Scarff. Tom was a pillar of strength and a guiding light for the organization during its inception and remained an active member for many years. He also played a pivotal role in shaping CSI's mission, vision, and values, leaving an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.
A long-time resident of Chicago, Tom was born in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa in 1942 and later received acclaim through exhibitions and commissions from renowned organizations such as Museum of Science and Industry and the Art Institute of Chicago. Tom’s role at Sedgwick Studio, home to other highly-accomplished CSI sculptor members, left a lasting connection with Chicago as a whole.
Tom leaves behind an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire us to uphold the ideals and principles he held dear. As we mourn his loss, let us also celebrate his remarkable life and the great impact had on our organization and the community at large.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Tom will forever remain in our hearts and with the spirit of Chicago Sculpture International.
CSI Project Space and Gallery News
International Sculpture Day is April 27!
Come join us at the CSI Project Space and Gallery
Carving Foam Sculptures Workshop with Jyl Bonaguro
Master the art of sculpting and carving foam in this hands-on workshop led by a professional sculptor.
Saturday, April 27, 2 to 4pm
Location: CSI Project Space
1912 North Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60647
What you'll learn in this foam carving sculpture class:
Let’s Carve Foam – Design, carve, and paint your own sculpture in foam during this 2 hour workshop class under the tutelage of professional stone sculptor, Jyl Bonaguro.
With techniques similar to carving stone but without all the sweat, you will explore the techniques of blocking, detailing, and finishing as you create a stunning masterpiece. No experience is necessary!
Details: Adults Only Ages 16+. No previous experience is required to participate. Materials are provided. Workshop is free but registration is required to participate.
About CSI Project Space
CSI Project Space gallery is under the direction of a collective of Chicago-based artists, hosting curated indoor exhibitions, innovative educational programming for professional sculptors as well as the general public, while giving back through partnerships with local community and philanthropic organizations. In celebration of International Sculpture Day, CSI is offering this FREE workshop to the general public.
About Chicago Sculpture International
Chicago Sculpture International brings art to the public and encourages an evolving community for artists. We look forward to creating more programs that mutually benefit our members, the public, sculpture and the Chicago land area. We believe in Creating Community through Sculpture. visit chicagosculpture.org for more info or to join now!
Jyl Bonaguro is a Chicago-based sculptor and playwright with a professional studio in the Hermosa neighborhood. Jyl creates sculpture works of wings and the human figure in marble, limestone and mixed media for public and private art. Her sculptures have been featured in publications like CS Modern Luxury Interiors, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, Newcity Art, and Sheridan Road and are in private art collections throughout the United States.
Above: Marianne Lovink, Plank series (detail) and Shortstop (detail)
Marianne Lovink
New Work / CSI Project Space
May 9-18, 2024
Opening Reception May 10, 6-8PM
Created after relocating to Chicago during the pandemic, this exhibition by Marianne Lovink is a survey of new work exploring the dynamic interplay of sculptural form and its graphic embellishment. Of particular interest to me is how an imposed motif can conform to, but also resist, the underlying structure, creating intriguing visual tension.
Although the graphic black and white energy of repetitive form has been a common theme over the years; the most recent introduction of color has also added a new vibrancy and playfulness to the previously spare palette of previous works.
CSI Project Space, 1912 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago, Il, 60647
Hours: May 9, 10, 16, & 17, 1-6pm; May 11, 12, & 18, 12-5pm
Perfect Artist Exhibition Space or Special Events in Bucktown in Professional Gallery
Gallery rental available:
May 20 – June 2 (OPEN 2 weeks);
Aug. 14 – Sept. 6 (OPEN 3 weeks)
$500 per week professional gallery space includes track lighting, WiFi, folding chairs, pedestals, 8 foot ladder, bathroom no kitchen, 24 hr access. Features:
• Great local commercial district with artisans and small businesses.
• Gallery floor plans available upon request. 950 sq feet
For specs and details: https://tinyurl.com/project-space-rental
For additional information: info@chicagosculpture.org
News from the Education Committee
CSI Members - Teachers Needed for Workshops
The educational art workshop program wants to build a stronger presence in the community for CSI that promotes marginalized communities to use art as a way for people to connect with each other.
Presently, we are looking for artist members with creative projects to be completed in roughly 60 minutes for the boys and girls club at the Lathrop Homes, located at Damen and Diversey in Chicago.
Artists receive a stipend and materials budget. Any interested members with ideas for a kid’s art workshop activity that is roughly 60 minutes please reach out and email or call Set Gozo at setgozo84@gmail.com or (773) 372-5508.
CSI Grants Committee News
Grants for Arts Projects (GAP)
Deadlines for FY25
GAP 2: July 11, 2024 for project start date of June 1, 2025
Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides funding to strengthen US arts/culture ecosystem
NEA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and mutual respect for diverse beliefs and values of all individuals and groups. Please see link for possible funding eligibility:
www.arts.gov/grants/grants-for-arts-projects/artistic-disciplines
CSI, as an arts organization can help support application processes for CSI members. If any member of CSI is interested to apply for any of of these grants please email: Anthony May, Grants Chair at anthonyheinzmay@chicagosculpture.org
Land Acknowledgement
The City of Chicago, and its surrounding areas, have always been and always will be, home to numerous Native American communities. As a team dedicated to the uplifting of Indigenous People's sovereignty everywhere, we recognize that each program and exhibition associated with this project is taking place on the traditional homelands of the Council of Three Fires - the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa - as well as the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk Nations. Further, we acknowledge that Chicago is home to one of the largest urban Native American communities in the US. We therefore invite each of our non-Indigenous colleagues to learn more about the forced removal of many of the communities listed above from the state of Illinois and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into their line of work. To provide immediate assistance to Native American Communities in Chicago, you can send donations to the city's American Indian Center here.
Current CSI Exhibitions
Image credit: (left) Bruce Webber, Targets (right) Bill Mitchell, Amalgam
CSI x ALMA Group Exhibit
2024 Chicago Sculpture International Juried Exhibition at ALMA Art and Interiors
Exhibition Dates: April 12, 2024 to September 1, 2024
with opening weekend, Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14, 12 to 5 pm.
Opening Reception pARTy EXPO After Hours
Powered by Gertie! and sponsored by Arete Wealth & Masterworks Friday, April 12, 2024, 5 to 10 pm
Art After Hours on Friday evening of EXPO ART WEEK, and features extended hours at over 45 galleries and creative spaces throughout the city of Chicago. With a myriad of exciting events unfolding throughout the evening, be sure to plan your night accordingly using the Gertie programming schedule and map. No matter your background—whether you’re an art aficionado or a newly minted collector—Art After Hours is a great place to forge relationships with new galleries, artists and other collectors!
About CSI x ALMA: Both Indoor and Outdoor Sculptors were invited to enter up to three works for the Annual Spring Exhibition at ALMA Art and Interiors in Chicago, IL. The exhibition will coincide with Expo Chicago, International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art, April 11- 24, 2024 Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois. Alma Art and Interiors, established 2021, is a contemporary fine art gallery in the historic Bridgeport Arts Corridor featuring over 80 artists in 10,000 sq. ft.
Exhibiting artists: Nikki Rene Anderson | Nicole Beck | Hilda deBruyne | Donna Castellanos | Michelle Corazzo | Ei Cullina | Brian Divis | Victoria Fuller | Musa Ghaznavi | Shelley Gilchrist | Karen Gubitz | Donna Hapac | Indira Freitas Johnson | Fred Klingelhofer | Yvette Kaiser Smith | Seoyoung Lee | Micheal Litewski | Luba Mendelevich | Ruth Aizuss Migdal | Bill Mitchell | Chris Newman | Connie Noyes | Kaia Olsen | Louise Pappageorge | Chris Perri | Nancy Lu Rosenheim | Olya Salimova | Dominic Sansone | James Stafford | Roberta Ulrich-de Oliveira | Nancy VanKanegan | Bruce Webber | Jamie Weinfurter | Chris Wubbena | Toby Zallman
ALMA Art and Interiors
3636 S. Iron Street
Chicago, Illinois 60609
(847) 922-5736 or (224) 522-4525
Gallery hours: Open Sundays 12 to 5pm
Contact the gallery at: hello@almaartandinteriors.com
For general information about the exhibit: info@chicagosculpture.org
Rangoli Workshop with Indira Johnson
Sunday, April 28, 2024, 1 to 3pm
Alma Art and Interiors
3636 S. Iron Street
Chicago, Illinois 60609
Rangoli is a South Asian folk art tradition, where a woman inaugurates the day by painting a pattern on the threshold of her home. This tradition is embedded in a ritual practice that is centered around the protection and well being of one’s family. Drawing Rangoli patterns, establishes a ritualistic relationship to the ground we walk on, making it sacred. This traditional ritual has its origin in the need to locate the individual within a larger universe. Similar traditions exist in other cultures including Native American and Tibetan.
The making and participation in ritual art is a way of sharing sadhana or grace. We see this in the rituals we design around births, graduations, marriages and deaths. The act of performing those rituals is a way for us to come together to share our joy and sorrow.
Rangoli drawings are made up of symbols, meant to bring beauty and harmony, and counter the negative forces of imbalance with the positive powers of wholeness and vitality. Traditional materials that will be used include rice flour, turmeric powder, earth, and flower petals and leaves
Indira Johnson, has drawn Rangoli Patterns throughout the US. As she explains, “one of the goals of this project is to discover through dialog, art and ritual the commonality of our human experience, and the spiritual potential inherent in all of us.” This event is free but a ticket is required to participate.
Because tickets are limited, if you need to cancel attending after your ticket is reserved, we kindly request that you contact info@chicagosculpture.org immediately so the ticket may be made available for someone else. For more information please contact: info@chicagosculpture.org
Above: (left) Jill King, Ebb, (center); Nancy VanKanegan, Sacerdotal Clown; (right) Zelene Jiang Schlosberg, Origin
Unfavorable Conditions
Exhibition dates: Extended to April 27, 2024
CSI Project Space and Gallery
1912 N. Damen Ave., Chicago
Unfavorable Conditions reflect on the human ability to navigate internal and external storms and emerge on the other side transformed. This exhibit examines the resilience inherent in the human spirit, encouraging a collective acknowledgement of the strength that arises when faced with life's challenges.
Exhibiting Artists: Angela McElwain, Anthony Heinz May, Cherry Tung, Autumn Lundberg, Caroline Jacobson, Cherylle Booker, Dawn Liddicoatt, Deana Bada Maloney, Frederick Napoli, Howard Sandroff, Jill King, Julia Paloma, Karl Johnson, Kasia Kay, Laurie LeBreton, Lilach Schrag, Lori Rozdolsky, Michael Gallagher, Nancy VanKanegan, Maddy Lee, Pat Brutchin, Maeve McGale, Peter Gray, Set Gozo, Wallace Bowling, and Zelene Jiang Schlosberg
Curated by Micki LeMieux
Self Portraits group exhibit at Chicago Sculpture International Project Space
CALL FOR ENTRIES
Entry Deadline: Friday, May 3, 2024
CSI Project Space and Gallery
1912 N. Damen Ave., Chicago
Artists periodically ask themselves, “How am I doing?”. A closer look often inspires auto-biographical work. Objects are born of thoughts and feelings, then made from an examined life. Self | Portraits invites sculptors to check-in on their condition.
Curated by Thomas Plum
• Applicants must be current CSI members. To sign-up for membership: www.chicagosculpture.org/become-a-member
• 3D work accepted – Sculptural installation work encouraged.
• Open interpretations of the exhibit theme are welcomed.
• Artists must install their own work.
• An artist’s statement and short bio will be required for the accepted piece.
• Contact Info: Name, address, phone, email, website
• 1 to 3 jpg images (+ image details): Title, medium, size, price with 30% donation to CSI added
Submit on this Google form here: https://forms.gle/YaAdqMopfC4bhpUL7
Exhibition Dates: June 8 – July 12, 2024
Notification: Wednesday, May 29 & Thursday, May 30
Artwork Drop-off: Saturday, June 1 & Sunday, June 2, from 1-5 pm
Opening: Saturday, June 8, from 6-9 pm
Artwork Pick-up: Saturday, June 13 & Sunday, June 14, from 1-5 pm
Please Note: We request exhibiting artists to cover 1 to 2 gallery-sitting shifts during the show
Members News
Thick Skinned: Lynn Basa, Christine Forni, Bobbi Meier
Thick-skinned cuts both ways. It’s the build-up of imperviousness to life’s abrasions over time and lived experience, but it’s also a form of concealment. Without these protections, the human condition would be unbearable. Lynn Basa, Christine Forni, and Bobbi Meier each have their way of approaching material as a metaphor for this survival membrane between the external world and themselves.
Artists Talk: Friday, April 12, 7:00pm
On View: April 5th - May 25
Epiphany Center for the Arts
Chase Gallery
201 South Ashland Avenue, Chicago
Gallery visiting hours by appointment:
M, Tu, Th, & Fri – 10am-4pm
To schedule an appointment contact: art@epiphanychi.com
https://epiphanychi.com/lynn-basa-christine-forni-bobbi-meier-thick-skinned/
Kara Cobb Johnson in System and Dialectics of Art
Member Kara Cobb Johnson will be in the spring group show, "System and Dialectics of Art" at Madron Gallery The exhibit runs through June 14th
Exhibiting Artists: Andrew Arkell, Zach Balousek, Michael Banning, Shel Howard Beugen, Jess Beyler, Margie Criner, Matthew Cortez, Kara Cobb Johnson, Matt Kuhlman, Ruben Lima, MISU, Alison Mosher, Kristen Phipps, Joseph Royer, and Bruce Thorn
Featuring live music with the Steve Knight Trio, cocktails, and passed d'oeuvres. Free parking available at Madron.
Madron Gallery
1000 W North Ave, Third Floor
Chicago, IL
Open House at Mana Contemporary
Kara Cobb Johnson will also have an open studio on April 13, 2024, Noon-4pm at Mana Contemporary.
Mana Contemporary
2233 South Throop St., #913
Chicago, IL
Paul Gerard Somers: Muscle Memory
Opening Receptions: March 29 and April 10
SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art opens a new exhibit, Muscle Memory, featuring work by Paul Gerard Somers, on Friday, March 29, 2024. We will celebrate the opening on March 29 from 5-8 pm and have another Opening Reception on Wednesday, April 10 from 6-10 pm during Expo Chicago week.
Paul’s commentary on cultural norms and values play out using unexpected materials and motifs such as sports paraphernalia, childhood toys, and images from popular media. From gender roles to politics and the economy, important topics are explored in playful yet impactful ways.
Paul is an interdisciplinary artist working in fiber, sculpture, painting, drawing, and performance.
He was born in Dayton, Ohio, and lived in several states before settling in Chicago. He received a B.A. from Ball State University, and an MFA from The University of Chicago in 2013.
Come join us for either reception and see wonderful new works by this innovative artist.
SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art
1527 N. Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
Gallery open:
Fridays, 5-7 p.m. Saturdays, 12-4 p.m.
and by appointment
Roland Biermann in Aesthetic Art Prize
Member and interdisciplinary artist (sculpture, installation) Roland Biermann has an exhibit of sculpturally-descriptive photographs in the Aesthetic Art Prize Exhibition 2024
Exhibition dates: 16 February - 21 April 2024
The artist writes: “The TWA Flight Center at New York's JFK airport, with its thin shell roof and four Y-shaped piers, feels like entering a huge walkable sculpture suggested a space experience in an era where intercontinental air travel barely existed and manned space missions were still a distant idea. As an artist working with sculpture and an interest in exploring change and transformation, it is especially the two tube-shaped, red-carpeted former departure and arrival corridors that provide an immersive experience today which, paradoxically, feels nostalgic and futuristic at the same time.
York Art Gallery
Exhibition Square
York YO1 7EW
York
United Kingdom
Hours; Wednesday–Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Lilach Schrag's shows
Lilach is in two other current exhibits:
A Place to Belong is a site-specific video installation that shows at The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens between March 22–April 29 as part of the sixth Jerusalem Biennale for Contemporary Jewish Art. It offers a possibility of an alternate existence in a world of fantasy where miraculous beings assimilate, recharge and persevere in nature.
Power: A Feminist Exhibition is a two-person show with Ginny Sykes at Prairie State College
Lilach’s work includes a circle of six life-size sculptures of female mythological characters from different cultures, and two large fabric panels featuring the Hesperides sisters from Greek Mythology. This body of work looks at powerful magical women who are also vulnerable and fighting for their survival.
Exhibition Dates: March 11 – April 11
Christopher Art Gallery
Prairie State College
Chicago Heights, IL
What We Leave Behind
Work by Toby Zallman Show continues through April 13, 2024
OS Projects, 601 6th Street, Racine, WI
The show’s title, What We Leave Behind refers to plastic waste blighting our planet which will take years to break down into the toxic chemicals from which it was made. It is Zallman’s hope that by creating alluring objects and visual experiences from the waste, while simultaneously foregrounding our complicity in ecological degradation, her project will support behavioral change.
More INFO
The following are not CSI-sponsored calls but may be of interest to our members.
St. Charles Sculpture in the Park
Deadline: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
The Sculpture Committee, St. Charles Park Foundation and the St. Charles Park District invite you to participate in the Annual Sculpture in the Park Exhibit located along the Fox River in beautiful Mt. St. Mary Park, St. Charles, Illinois.
St. Charles’ Sculpture in the Park endeavors to diversify and enrich each show by featuring a wide range of artistic expression.
New this Year: Sculpture in the Park is expanding into a year-round exhibit with increased stipend.
• The honorarium per chosen sculptor will be $1,500.
• Applications must be completed online using the submission form below.
Please apply online: https://www.stcsculpture.org/application
Feel free to email or call Erika Young, Sculpture Committee Member at eyoung@stcparks.org or (630) 513-4319.
Harborpark Sculpture Walk 2024-2026, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Application Deadline: Midnight, April 30, 2024
Review and Selection: May – July 2024
(Selected sculptures must be approved by City of Kenosha)
Artist Notification: No later than July 31, 2024
Installation Dates: September 18 and/or 19, 2024 (Anticipated)
The mission of the Kenosha Community Foundation Arts Fund is to encourage and enhance cultural life and public art in the Kenosha (WI) area through facilitation, recognition, and financial support. The Arts Fund initiative, Sculpture Walk – HarborPark, is a sculpture walk consisting of a two-year installation of sculptors’ work for which each artist will receive an honorarium of $2,250.
Sculpture Walk – HarborPark is entering the 7th exhibit for the project. The Kenosha Community Foundation Arts Fund is soliciting artists for the 2024-2026 Sculpture Walk-HarborPark Exhibit.
Selection criteria including but are not limited to:
Durable media, must withstand all weather elements, including high winds off Lake Michigan
Suitable for an outdoor setting and safe to the public
Represents diverse materials and perspectives
Overall appeal and aesthetic quality
Art-In-Architecture RFQ for Purchase of Artworks
The Art-in-Architecture Program of the Capital Development Board is pleased to announce a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to Illinois professional artists for the purchase of permanent original art for the College of Lake County (CLC), Lakeshore Campus in Waukegan, Illinois.
Type of media for this project is open and includes two-dimensional media such as painting, drawing, photography, textiles, collage, mixed-media, and small-scale three-dimensional pieces suitable for hanging.
The submission instructions for this RFQ are for purchase and not commission. Artists from the Waukegan area are especially encouraged to apply. Final Deadline: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 4:30PM. Applying before deadline is encouraged.
Art in the Park, Rock Falls, Illinois
Call for Entries
Deadline: Wednesday, June 1, 2024
With the continued success of our previous six years Art in the Park Sculpture Walk, Rock Falls Tourism is making preparations for our 7th year of bringing in amazing sculptures to our RB&W District. We are now accepting submissions for sculpture art to be on display at the RB&W District along the Rock River. This open space park is used by many organizations putting on events and draws people from surrounding communities and states, which will ensure a high amount of visibility for your art throughout the year. The RB&W District is also security monitored, 24 hours a day. The Art in the Park Sculpture Walk is also featured on the Otocast application for smartphones which provides an additional layer of exposure. Artists will be asked to record an audio component for this application, should their sculpture be chosen.
The Rock Falls Tourism Department has opened up the selection process to artists within the rest of the
state, as well as surrounding states. The sculptures will be installed at the RB&W District, on August 23, 2024. Artists will be given a $1,250 stipend and will be able to make their sculpture available for purchase.
For more information: HERE
For questions, contact Melinda Jones.
Submit Your News
Have any news to share?
Shows, awards, residencies etc? Submit here and we'll include them in an upcoming newsletter.
While you're at it, your profile and images on CSI’s website are important. When CSI applies for grants and upcoming shows, images are solely chosen from those you have uploaded to our website. Please take a minute to look over what you have posted and make sure you are presenting the best work. Member Shelley Gilchrist sgilchristart@gmail.com has volunteered to help you if you need it, so feel free to contact her.
CSI projects are partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
