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2016: Chicago Sculpture International [CSI] unveils Lecture Series

“Women Sculptors of Chicago – Not for Men Only”

A series of five lectures, one each month, from January through May, 2016.

Location: Studio Theater at Chicago Cultural Center.

“Women Sculptors of Chicago – Not for Men Only”  lecture series features images, live process demonstrations and discussions presented by 11 extremely creative and talented female sculptors. All of the artists, who are proud members of Chicago Sculpture International,  will share their process and passion for sculpture with the audience and will discuss their public sculptures which encompass a wide range of media including: large scale works in stainless steel, bronze, welded steel, aluminum, carved wood, found and recycled objects, water-works, 3-D mosaics, indoor installations and gallery-sized artworks.

Women Sculptors of Chicago – Not for Men Only will take place at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington Street in Chicago. Each 90 minute lecture is free of charge. There will also be a Q&A with the presenters during each session.

Saturday, January 23: Toby Zallman & Kara James
Saturday February 27: Victoria Fuller & Donna Hapac
Saturday, March 19: Janet Austin & Nicole Beck
Saturday, April 9: Suzanne Cohan-Lange with  Sherry Antonini & Christine Rojek
Saturday, May 21: Jill King & Karen Gubitz

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Saturday, January 23, 2016:  Toby Zallman & Kara James

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KARA JAMES

will speak on the importance of Public Art and the Chicago Tree Project. She will express how the Permaculture Philosophy fits with the project and discuss the making of sculpture and memorializing of trees in public spaces. James will share her experiences of working with chainsaw on a scaffold and talk about the love, support, critique and entertainment from the community while carving tree at Foster Beach, as well as exhibit all the Tree Project work. She will tell the story of carving a tree that turned out to be rotten to the core, and recreating the piece in a new sculpture out of a tree at Olympic Park. She will be carving a small log for the audience.

 

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Saturday February 27, 2016:  Victoria Fuller & Donna Hapac

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VICTORIA FULLER

Victoria Fuller is a Chicago sculptor, painter, and natural science illustrator specializing in found object and nature-based artwork. Environmental themes in her object-based sculpture play out on a subtle level while her nature-based work aims for a more literal interpretation of the world around us.

Victoria will discuss what influences her work, the process of making a large-scale sculpture and casting bronze, working with found objects, as well as the process artists go through in working with government agencies that commission artwork.

Victoria’s presentation will highlight several of her sculptures including Global Garden Shovel, a 35-foot tall cast bronze made from cast plants and trees from various global regions of the world; Blue Whale, a cement sculpture with embedded tiles made by elementary school children; and Canoe Fan, a large fan made out of Canoes currently on display in Ann Arbor, MI. Fuller will demonstrate how she creates works using the lost wax process.

For more info on Victoria Fuller..  click here..

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DONNA HAPAC

Inspired by nature, Donna Hapac is a constructor whose work has a formal core and a funky edge. Instead of making a series of preparatory drawings, she often goes directly into form. Working with the material, she sees possibilities and lets things happen.

Donna will discuss her sources and influences, materials and techniques, and her use of natural resources to weave open structures that are inspired by nature. Her sculptural forms function like drawings in space and cast complex shadows on walls and floors. She uses reed, waxed linen, and other materials to create sculptures that are at once fragile, resilient, flexible and often humorous.

Donna will discuss her connection to Chicago Sculpture International and sculpture in general, and how she draws upon nature for inspiration. During her presentation, Donna will demonstrate her unique use of materials, and the art and process of knot tying.

For more info on Donna Hapac..  click here..

 

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Saturday March 19, 2016:  Janet Austin & Nicole Beck

Janet Austin and Nicole Beck work BIG! From Janet’s moths with 5-foot wing spans to Nicole’s hi-tech stainless steel installations, these artists will showcase their work, which is documented with new media in an interactive presentation. The pair will discuss how their sculpture remains relevant to public art and hot-button issues.

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JANET AUSTIN

Janet’s large public sculptures are created with enduring outdoor materials: repurposed metal, welded steel, bronze, concrete, LED lighting and mosaics. Inspiration comes from her belief in nature as the ultimate power. She was born and raised in Colorado with a love for the Colorado wilderness.

In the presentation, Janet will demonstrate her sculptural techniques including how she meshes the use of the digital tools with handmade processes to create unique work with the unmistakable mark of the artist. The highlight is a look into the creation of a one minute video showcasing the artist and work.

For more info on Janet Austin.. click here..

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NICOLE BECK

Nicole has been creating public artworks since 1996. Last year she installed “Amplifiers,” a $250,000 site-specific installation for the world-renowned Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois. Obsessed by one of her nascent ideas for the ECE sculpture she built “Spintronic” this year and installed it in Lincoln Park near LaSalle Drive. She also received a DCASE Grant from the City of Chicago to document this build, so Beck contracted Chicago-based Bon Bon Films to produce a video short to reveal her artistic process and ideas rooted in quantum physics.

Beck will show the film and will be joined by director, Lori Bohner, and the cinematographer and film editor, Brian Kilborn, for an interactive forum on the collaborative process of filmmaking and documenting public sculpture. Nicole will also be on the lookout for metalworking interns for 2016.

For more info on Nicole Beck..  click here..

 

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Saturday April 9: Suzanne Cohan-Lange with Niki Nolin & Christine Rojek

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SUZANNE COHAN-LANGE and SHERRY ANTONINI: Working Together/Growing Apart

Artist collaborations, while not always easy, can lead art making to entirely new places. When two or more artists put their heads together and agree to collaborate, questions often arise concerning the nature of the ideas in the mix: Where did the original idea come from? How was it transformed in the process? Who did more work, etc.? The answer, frankly, is: who cares? As long as the process results in new and exciting work or leads each artist in a new direction, the process can be counted as a positive, generative experience.

Sculptor Suzanne Cohan-Lange and interdisciplinary artist Sherry Antonini will present their work as solo practitioners while also highlighting specific projects they worked on together. Tracing the timeline of their work in this way illustrates the twists and turns and ultimate richness of discovery that collaboration can bring to a body of work. This session will also include a Q&A discussion concerning the nature of collaborations, with some experimental exercises thrown in to aid audience members in growing their own new collaborative ideas.

For more infor on Suzanna Cohan-Lange..  click here..
Sherry Antonini..  click here..

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CHRISTINE ROJEK

Christine Rojek has created large-scale public sculpture since 1991. During this time she has produced and installed over 25 interactive/kinetic sculptures nationally. Rojek’s exterior work is site responsive. She enjoys the challenge of commissioned projects that consider the natural surroundings, existing architecture and the history of individual communities. It is her goal to create theatrical, uplifting environments for the public to enjoy.

Fascinated with mechanical movements that recall human anatomy and structural elements found in nature, her practice has resulted in unique, often whimsical, hybrids that illustrate the effects of movement on forms. These dynamic installations become complete when the viewer moves through, interacts with or rests within the site. Rojek believes that creating monumental sculpture is, by nature, a collaborative art. Public sculptors must consult with a variety of professionals to produce complicated installations. Over the past 25 years Rojek has had the opportunity to work with some of the most inventive and accomplished architects, engineers, machine designers, and specialty fabricators in the country.

During her presentation, Rojek will describe her evolution as an artist from portrait painter to performance artist to public sculptor. Using working drawings, scale models and video documentation, she will focus on collaboration in the field of public art and how this process is as exciting as the final work of art.

For more Info on Christine Rojek..  click here..

 

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Women Sculptors of Chicago – Not for Men Only

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Women Sculptors of Chicago – Not for Men Only is sponsored by Chicago Sculpture International with funding from The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Women Sculptors of Chicago – Not for Men Only is presented by Chicago Sculpture International’s Education Committee. The Committee’s mission is to share the professional sculptural expertise of its members in schools and organizations in need of exposure to public art.

Chicago Sculpture International is a member based, nonprofit organization devoted to championing sculptors and the creation of sculpture. Its members seek to expand the understanding and appreciation of sculpture through exhibits, workshops, and collaborations. Chicago Sculpture International brings sculpture to the community and promotes a supportive environment for sculpture and sculptors.

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RELATED LINKS

My Commissions
Photo-Documentation of Events.. click here..
Published Photographs.. click here..
Public Art Talks.. click here..

Home: Public Art in Chicago.. click here..

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