What’s Blooming - Gallery & Business events. Meet their guest artists
What’s going on Friday & Saturday at the Galleries & Businesses?
Art Gecko, Ltd., 19 Harrison Street, is where you’ll find Lisa Nordstrom, Mixed Media Artist. Lisa is known for her sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical mixed media constructions that often tell stories, reflect on the human condition and relay the wonders and worries of life’s situations. Most of Lisa’s work is in the collage/assemblage genre–what she’s come to call “gatherings”–with many pieces in private collections. Stop by and see what has caught Lisa’s eye.
Elizabeth Gaylord of Harrison Works, 17 Harrison Street, will be showing her own work. She is an interpreter of the natural world through the use of vibrant colors and dream-like images, often inspried by the mythology of native cultures. She has been drawing and painting for over 25 years.
Elizabeth opened Harrison Works in September, 2002, where she has held many juried/themed shows including both Gaylor Schutt’s and other artists’ works. Elizabeth offers individual and small group painting instruction. The 8th Annual Art of & About Baseball show will open this year at Harrison Works on August 20 and run through October 10, 2010.
A Gallery Grand Opening is taking place at 27 Harrison Street, as Jenny Tiner unveils Bright Olive Gallery! Along with her own acrylic and mixed-media work, Jenny will be featuring a guest artist, Sierra Dufault, a contemporary artist who’s paintings and multi-media art are both colorful and thought provoking. She is a painter, blogger, does live painting, sings and dabbles in other artistic pursuits. She creates art that is colorful, full of imagination and gives rise to purposeful thinking. Her art has been described as a mix between Picasso and Frida Khalo, yet it is truly unique. When you meet her she’ll want a high five and to hear how great she looks in her shirt.
Also on display will be the jewelry of Noa Baron; copper makings, ceramic work of Sue and Jean Clarke; wood bowls, pens and wine stoppers by Richard Clarke, as well as, glass and sterling silver jewelry and candles by Alison Teister. Bright Olive will have live music, food, drinks and henna tattoos, as well as, activities for children. Stop by and congratulate Jenny on her grand opening!
Ridge Art, 21 Harrison Street, will be hosting a silent auction and exhibit to benefit Haitain Children from 6-10 p.m. on Friday & 12-8 p.m. on Saturday. Art will depict the “Tree of Life,” a popular motif in Haitian art. All proceeds form the auction will go directly to the Art Creation Foundation for children in Jacmel, Haiti.
In addition to the silent auction, on Saturday from 12-5:00, illustrator Sam Throngrong will make available “TagTool,” an interactive painting/illustration instrument for children to use. The instrument allows children to draw on a computer tablet and then animate their “painting.”
Laurie Beaseley, proprietor of Ridge Art, has been a collector of folk art and antiques for over 30 years. In 1998 she opened her gallery which specializes in emerging, visionary and self-taught artists from around the world, with a special emphasis on West Africa and Haiti. Laurie regularly traveles to the Caribbean and Africa to search for new works to bring back to her growing clientele.
Dancing Krow, 41 & 43 Harrison Street, will have a new exhibit by area artists titled, “Tea, Cakes and Schrooms.” The exhibit will feature over ten artists with “down the rabbit hole” art, crafts, jewelry and a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party table for guests to enjoy refreshments and try on hats.
Karen Schuman is a Batik and Mixed Media Artist, working with many materials and techniques; from hand-dyeing fabrics to painting, quilting, embroidery, beading, etc….whatever the piece requires. As she creates a piece, the original concepts even further into more abstract avenues, to ultimately create a story that is personal to her, but still open to free interpretation.
The Dancing Krow Studio & Third Friday Gallery is home to five working artists, Karen Schuman, Bruce MacMartin, Jeanne Friedell, Bruce MacMartin and Stacy Bowie.
Pamela Penney Textile Arts, 130 Harrison, will be displaying the “emerging creativity” of several current sewing and knitting students both Friday evening and Saturday. The creations of Veronica Saltzman, sophomore at OPRF High School and Claire S. Beye Elementary School Student, and homeschooled sisters, Catherine and Elizabeth T. as well as several others will be included. In addition, new spring art to wear from Heirloom Textiles, Spirited Hands, Parvaneh, and hand-dyed garments by Pamela Penney will be featured.
Saturday: 1-4:00 pm. Stop by Pamela Penney Textile Arts, 130 Harrison St. to make your own ‘Spring Flower Pin’. Your creativity will bloom with this little project. All ages welcome. $5/person.
Creative Changes Studio, 140 Harrison Street, will be hosting an opening reception from 6-10 p.m. on Friday, featuring two emerging artists, Francesca Cozzone (Visual Arts) and Trent Taylor (Creative Explorer - canvas and shoe art). Read more about them here.
On Saturday, Creative Changes will present a very special guest. Ken Kolter will be on hand for a GUIDED GONG MEDITATION from 3:00 and 5:00; the cost is $20.00 and pre-registration is highly recommended. Come early and enjoy the art work of Francesca and Trent, then stay for the Gong Meditation.
Terry Mueller, founder of Creative Changes, is dedicated to providing space for people to create wholeness for themselves and the community. At Creative Changes you will discover resources to explore creativity, health and alternatives for improving the quality of your life. Join a process painting class, take a bicycle education workshop, attend a special event or enlist Terry for some Wellness Coaching.
Sirius Cooks, 142 Harrison Street. If you have an animal that you love, and you haven’t stopped by Sirius Cooks, you’ll be in for quite a surprise. Featuring home made food for dogs and cats, Sirius Cooks is a jackpot for animal lovers. Stop by on Saturday between noon and 4:00 p.m. when Greyhound Alliance and Catvando TNR will be there. (Catvando finds homes for kittens and cats.)
Bead in Hand, 145 Harrison Street, will be holding an Earring Workshop for ages 10 and up on Friday from 6-10 p.m. & Saturday from 12 – 5 p.m. Drop by Bead in Hand and make a pair of earrings for just $5!
On Saturday from 12-6 pm we will have a sale table out front, along with jewelry made by three emerging artists: Cynthia Fostle, Karen Notko and Gina Thomas, and some beaded items made by Bead in Hand staff. From 6:30 to 8 p.m., we are hosting a Roundtable Conversation on Beaded Jewelry Making. We have asked our guest artists to talk a little about their work–what got them started, how they learned and what continues to inspire them. Please join us for refreshments and inspiration! To find out more about Cynthia, Karen & Gina, please go here.
Janice Elkins Art Gallery, 149 Harrison, will be open both Friday and Saturday. As an abstract expressionist painter, Janice is focused in making an aesthetic exploration of the line, shape, the gesture mark, color choice and the various combination’s of colors. This is coupled with a desire to let the creative process take over with her acting as a guide to let the muse reveal herself. Sometimes the result is bold and colorful, sometimes subtle and muted. The work can be dark. It can be humorous. It can be quirky.
The infamous Buzz Cafe, 905 S. Lombard, is hosting Amy Hayer, a young British artist. She has been drawing and painting all her life. There is nothing else she has ever wanted to do. Inspiration for her work comes from the necessity to have fun and to try not to take life too seriously. She adores decorative patterns, colors, music and her family.
The Buzz Cafe offers a diverse menu specializing in organic, locally grown foods. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, including daily specials. We are very kid friendly!! Please come by and savor our coffee and grab a bite to eat.
Majamas, 909 S. Lombard, will be having a huge sidewalk sale with discounts up to 75% on select merchandise. Store hours on Saturday are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Monday-Friday hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Majamas has been desiging garments for new moms since 1999. Our store offers a huge assortment of fashionable maternity and nursing clothes, as well as a large selection of baby clothes, gifts & more. We design our garments right here and wholesale them to retailers all over the world.
Prodigy Glass Works, 207 Harrison, will have Laura Henderson at their studio. Laura will be doing fused glass projects for adults. She will be offering to make fused glass jewelry, refrigerator magnets, and sun catchers.
Intuit Dance, 237 Harrison Street, has their Spring Studio Performances on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m.; $10 adult, $5 children. Everyone is invited to enjoy the talent of these young dancers.
On Saturday afternoon, at 3:00 p.m., Intuit will be having live music and dance! -free
Wonderwall Music Shoppe & Emporium at 329 Harrison Street is celebrating ‘Asian Pacific-Islander Heritage’ during the month of May with a focus on the ever popular Hawaiian Ukulele. Wonderwall’s co-owner and Honolulu native, GiGi Wong-Monaco is excited to ‘talk story’, share what it was like as a keiki (child) growing up in Hawai’i, learning to play the ukulele, hula and other colorful cultural experiences.
Friday, 6P-9P: Wonderwall’s Sidewalk Ukulele Jam Session! Bring your ukulele and join Oak Park’s most popular ukulele group, The Harrison Street Ukulele Players! Jam on Beatles songs, Hawaiian, Tin Pan Alley and more!
Saturday, “Learn to Play Ukulele in 15 minutes”! Demo Time: 2:30PM. Honolulu native and founder of The Harrison Street Ukulele Players, GiGi Wong-Monaco shows how easy it is to play this little 4-string instrument from her island home of Hawai’i. Bring your ukulele and pull up a chair. Learn to play a Beattle’s song! Her store Wonderwall also has a wide selection of ukuleles for sale too, starting at $15!
Check out Wonderwall’s 2nd Annual Ukulele Art Show at Eastgate Cafe’. Show runs through May 31.
Calypso Moon, 331B Harrison Street, is a working studio producing watercolors and collage by Sallie Wolf. Sallie will have her recently published “The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound” available, as well as, the previous books she has published. Sallie’s featured guest artist is Zoe Dufault, who uses acrylics in a most vivid way.
A statement from Zoe: “Ever since I can remember, I have been encouraged to explore my emotional depths with a paint brush. I feel free when I have a blank canvas in front of me and am always surprised with what seems to effortlessly flow from myself to the surface. My art reflects the fearlessness I feel when I set my mind on creating an art piece. I express myself with rich colors and various textures regardless of the subject I choose. Some of my pieces are me reaching into my subconscious, unaware of the outcome, and others have a distinct figure I am after. I enjoy this freedom as an artist.”
Along with Zoe Dufault’s art, Sally will have Moon Project work, watercolors and collages in the show. Have some refreshments will viewing the work of these two artists.
Magical Minds Studio, 343 Harrison Street, has guest artist Elizabeth Fotopoulo. Elizabeth is an Art Education and Art History graduate, was raised by parents that are skilled painters, illustrators and carpenters. There hasn’t been a day without art in her life. Elizabeth prefers to work in a variety of mediums from painting and marbling to textiles. Most of her art is centered around nature and earthbound objects. She is currently obtaining her Masters Degree in Art Thereapy at the Alder School of Professional Psychology.
Migical Minds offers creative development classes for children 18 months to 12 years. They also provide specialized art classes for children 7 and up and are open 7 days a week with weekend birthday parties available.
Owner, Haj Herbert, is a local mother of two who opened her studio in October, 2008. Her passion has always been to provie children with the resources they need to discover the artist within themselves. Haj holds a BA in Fine Arts and Education. She is currently obtaining her Masters in early childhood at the Erickson Institute.
