International Art exhibit and festival,CULTURE BRIDGE Kulturbruecke exhibition

"Art is Business" curated by Marianna Buchwald and Derin Baratka,

DANK Haus, 4740 N.Western, Chicago, IL. 60625 

Curator by Marianna Buchwald 

Sat. Feb.20. 6pm - 10pm Grand Opening Reception,  Culture Bridge, Kulturbruecke exhibition at Scharpenberg gallery.The opening remarks by Prof. Talmadge Wright, associate professor at Loyola University,present an introduction to the idea to developing a dialog between various  kinds of art forms and cultures . In a spoken word performance by Kao Ra Zen, he models an interactive approach to celebrate  dialog through music, poetry and movement, highlighting some of the art works in the exhibition. 

This is a celebration of art  with more than 50 artists from Germany, Poland, Phillippines, India,  France, Turkey, USA, Greece, Brazil , Mexico and other countries. There will be a series of artists talks, panel discussions, performances, music  and theater events , Wednesdays, Thursdays, and free art activities on Saturdays, 12 pm - 4 pm in the gallery during the exhibition.

IAG at AnySquare

Arts & Culture: Physical Transformation — LISC Institute for Comprehensive Community Development

Arts & Culture: Physical Transformation — LISC Institute for Comprehensive Community Development

"Art is Business"

Community Cultural Development — LISC Institute for Comprehensive Community Development

Community Cultural Development — LISC Institute for Comprehensive Community Development

"Art is Business"

THE 312: THEASTER GATES CURATES A ‘RETREAT’ EXHIBITION FOR BLACK ARTISTS

"Art is Business" reposted from agibbs@suntimes.com

Tony Lewis piece Ilen doe, on display as part of the "Retreat" exhibition.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Theaster Gates, one of the most powerful men in contemporary art, didn’t invite media to witness his second annual “Black Artists Retreat,” held over two days in August.

By keeping that meeting private, Gates protected the artists and he pretty much ensured that whatever came out of that meeting would be newsworthy. And it is.

Works inspired by or created during the “Retreat” are showing through Oct. 4 at the Valerie Carberry and Richard Gray galleries on the 38th floor of the John Hancock Center. Gates organized the showing, which includes 27 pieces created by 10 artists. The pieces range in feel and composition from a graphite powder-laden paper sheet intended to be walked upon to an array of police academy bullet targets, framed, of course.

“These are people taking enormous risks,” says Paul Gray, whose family gallery historically worked with talent including Picasso, Matisse and Jaume Plensa (whose giant face sculptures are in Millennium Park.)

It’s not that “Retreat” is a total departure for Gray’s galleries, but it is certainly a change from the norm. “The longer you do what you do, the less risky it seems. It’s great to work with artists who still are apprehensive. And gutsy.”

The artists aren’t newbies either. Many have been at this for a while; most have a Chicago connection and lots have secondary degrees in fine art.

Derrick Adams’ “Deconstruction Worker” series was most recently at the Rhona Hoffman Gallery in Chicago, and Kelly Lloyd is finishing her master’s degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Tony Lewis, also a SAIC graduate, was featured in the 2014 Whitney Biennial.

Gates is using his celebrity to bring shine to other artists, and in so doing, bring even more shine to Chicago. After all, it was New York Magazine that wrote last year that the mark of a hot artist would be to be from Chicago, young and black, and it was Gates (and other similarly powerful black artists, including Carrie Mae Weems) who brought these artists together for discussions and talks.

The exhibition catalog from this experience debuts in two weeks for Expo Chicago and will feature writings by Romi Crawfordfrom the School of the Art Institute and Hamza Walker, director of education at the Renaissance Society.

Related Posts:

It’s Not Your Imagination: Chicago is Exploding with Art

Chicago Artists Figure Prominently in the 2014 Whitney Biennial

Of “Retreat” specifically, many of the pieces seem to deal with race or identity — interesting given America’s preoccupation and new focus on race in light of the Michael Brown shooting and protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and given the recent anti-black hate messages spray-painted on local clubs and bars in Chicago.

Lloyd, for example,  painted a wall-sized mural based off of Montana advertisements. To her mural she adds a pamphlet bookshelf to the bottom corner of her work. And in that bookshelf are pamphlets that are artistic installations in and of themselves. One pamphlet reads: “How to work with a racist wedding photographer” while another says “Dear Matt Damon …”

The piece initially speaks to humorous bits of pop culture and elicits laughter. But of course, upon opening the pamphlets, each piece of paper is devoid of words. Empty. There is no further information.

“This is the third mural I’ve painted,” Lloyd says. “I think it’s a recognizable art form even though it’s not necessarily a recognizable art form in spaces like galleries. Montana, in the American imagination, is a near west state, unpopulated, beautiful and big. And then having an advertisement on top of the ideal is really just trying to lacquer on the idealism of processing landscape, processing the world.”

Mitchell Squire, a multi-disciplinary artist, produced 10 framed works of bullet-strewn targets salvaged from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. He stapled the targets together and then turned them backward in a series of frames. You can’t see the faces of the targets, but you can clearly see the exit wounds, if you will, of the bullets as they blasted through the back. Squire likely worked on these pieces well before the racially charged police shooting situation in Ferguson, but the impact still seems to ring through the work, entitled “The Young Gladiators.”

The retreat, in both senses of the word, was helpful for the artists, says Valerie Piraino, a Rwanda-born “Retreat” artist whose three graphite-on-paper  pieces for this exhibit are each, in part, entitled “Southern Fruit.”

“I’ve been thinking about that all week,” she says. “There’s this terrible misperception in my generation where people feel like social struggle is over. So things like racism and sexism go unnamed, and there’s no way to acknowledge that it happens all the time. BAR allowed for nuanced conversations about what those things look like in 2014 and what they look like in the art world and how that inspires or limits you as an artist. I want to have those conversations all the time.”

Email: agibbs@suntimes.com

Twitter: @adriennewrites

PopUp Research Station goes to Thomasville

"Art is Business"- PopUp Research Station goes to Thomasville to investigate artist, Marty Haythorn.  The Wiregrass Gallery is an artist's cooperative in Historic Downtown Thomasville, Georgia, with over 45 artists.

As a cooperative, The Wiregrass Gallery was established by artists, and is run by artists.  It is a democratic, inclusive, bottom-up organization that thrives on sharing ideas, debate and consensus building.  It's an organization that reflects the creative spirit of it's members and fosters a feeling of vitality and life.  We challenge and inspire each other.  With each visit, you will see something new and different.

The Wiregrass Gallery has over 1700 square feet of exhibition space, including a room for special exhibits and featured artists.  Each month, beginning with the First Friday event in Thomasville, we open a new exhibit based on a local, state or national theme, or feature a body of work by one or two of our members.  We stay open until 9:00 pm on First Fridays and offer wine and cheese and sometimes live music.

Today on Freelancers Union

"Art is Business" Become a member of Freelancers Union
 Copyright © 2016 Freelancers Union, All rights reserved. repost for members of  the Phantom Gallery Chicago Network- subscribe to receive regular E-mails.

02/06/2016  For the first time ever, NYC invites freelancers to speak about nonpayment It ain't necessarily so – 10 urban tax myths Excerpts: For the first time ever, NYC invites freelancers to speak about nonpayment The City of New York invites freelancers to City Hall to speak about the importance of stronger protections for the freelance workforce. Join us on February 29, 1:00 p.m.at a hearing for the #FreelanceIsntFree Act. This is a momentous occasion as it’s the first in New York City history in which freelancers get to speak in an official capacity about the struggles we face with nonpayment. On February 29 at 1:00 p.m., we will convene at City Hall Chambers to share nonpayment stories and hear from #FreelanceIsntFree advocates. We’re seeking freelancers willing to testify to the problem of client nonpayment at the hearing – if you have been affected by nonpayment or late payment and would like to testify, please email us at advocacy@freelancersunion.org. Finally, we invite you to join us on February 29 at 1:00 p.m. to show your support for the freelancers participating in the hearing and for the passage of the #FreelanceIsntFree bill in New York. By showing up in droves, we remind our City representatives that New York City freelancers are a powerful and diverse group of working professionals – and we mean business! RSVP We look forward to seeing you there. This has been an incredible journey thus far and we’re excited to continue pursuing the passage of this legislation. Read on » It ain't necessarily so – 10 urban tax myths This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here. Here, fellow freelancers, are ten “urban tax myths” that just ain’t true. 1. You only have to claim the income for which you receive a Form 1099.   False!  All income from self-employment is taxable — whether or not you receive a Form 1099. 2. Receiving a Form 1099 increases your audit risk. False! The mere receipt of a Form 1099 does not in any way affect your audit profile.  Each tax return is assigned a score, called the Discriminant Inventory Function, or DIF, based on the information reported on the return. The higher your score, the more likely you are to get audited. However, if you don’t report the income from a Form 1099 on your 1040 you will eventually receive a bill from Uncle Sam for additional tax and accrued penalties and interest. 3. Filing late means you're less likely to be audited. False!  Just because you file late in the season, near the April 15th deadline, does not mean you have decreased your audit risk. Also requesting an extension, and filing your return close to Oct. 15, doesn't decrease your audit risk either.  You get audited based on what is on your return, not when you filed it. Join Freelancers Union (it's free!) Become a member 4. If the IRS didn't audit your returns, the deduction you’ve been taking all these years must be legal.   False! It just means you weren’t caught ... yet. 5. Claiming a home office deduction automatically triggers an audit. False!  Before the rules were clarified in the '90s, the home office deduction was thought to be an audit “red flag.”  But not anymore.  In my 44 tax seasons preparing 1040s, none of my clients have ever been questioned or audited by the IRS for claiming a home office deduction.  If you qualify for a home office deduction you should by all means claim it on your tax return. 6. Working taxpayers older than 65 don't have to pay Social Security tax. False! Net income from self-employment in excess of $400 is subject to self-employment tax (the self-employment equivalent of Social Security and Medicare taxes) whether you’re 3 years old or 101 years old, and regardless of whether or not you are already collecting Social Security.     7. You can deduct the cost of your car and all its operating expenses, or mileage, as a business expense if you put advertising on the car. IRS Publication 463 states the facts - “Putting display material that advertises your business on your car does not change the use of your car from personal use to business use. If you use this car for commuting or other personal uses, you still cannot deduct your expenses for those uses.” 8. "It can’t be wrong? I used Turbo Tax!" False!  The Tax Court has on several occasions rejected the "Turbo Tax Defense" when a taxpayer attempted to blame tax preparation software for errors made on a tax return.  If you rely on a “box” to prepare your tax returns remember – garbage in, garbage out. No tax preparation software package, or online filing service, is a substitute for knowledge of the Tax Code, and no tax preparation software package, or online filing service, is a substitute for a competent, experienced tax professional! 9. You can settle your outstanding IRS tax debt for "pennies on the dollar”. False!  Don’t believe the ads for companies that make such a claim.  It sounds too good to be true, and it is!  These ads are referring to an IRS program known as “Offer In Compromise,” but no matter what they say, the IRS isn’t going to let you pay $100 to settle a $50,000 tax debt.  If you use one of these companies you will pay a sizable fee — after all, how do you think they afford to advertise on TV?  Avoid these companies like the plague.  Several of the companies promising to settle IRS debt for “pennies on the dollar” have gotten into legal trouble for taking advantage of their customers and have been shut down. 10. CPAs are 1040 tax experts. False!  The initials “CPA” have nothing whatsoever to do with one’s knowledge of, experience with, or ability to prepare 1040s.  All they mean is that the person can certify financial statements.  A CPA passed a very difficult test on accounting issues, perhaps dozens of years ago, with minimal, if any, questions on 1040 taxation.  CPAs must maintain minimal annual continuing professional education (CPE) credits — but there is nothing that says any of their CPE must be in 1040 taxation. There are many CPAs who are also 1040 tax experts.  But this is because of the education, experience, ability, temperament, and other factors that are specific to that individual preparer, and has to do with nothing to do with their “initials.”  The only “initials” that have any bearing on a person’s competence and currency with federal income tax law are “EA” for Enrolled Agent, “ATP” for Accredited Tax Preparer, and “ATA” for Accredited Tax Advisor. Northeast PA resident Robert D Flach has been preparing 1040s since 1972, and has been writing the popular tax blog THE WANDERING TAX PRO since the summer of 2001.  He has also created and writes the websites THE TAX PROFESSIONAL and FIND A TAX PROFESSIONAL.   He is available to write articles and columns on federal tax planning and preparation for print and online newsletters and magazines and websites and portals. Read on »

Copyright © 2016 Freelancers Union, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email through Freelancers Union. Our mailing address is: Freelancers Union 20 Jay Street Suite 700 Brooklyn, NY 11201 Add us to your address book

Expo Chicago is the Windy City’s Attempt at Creating a World-class Art Fair

"Art is Business"  Expo Chicago Jon Witzky and Jam Lovell Articles

Expo Chicago is the windy city’s attempt at creating a world-class art fair, and they largely succeeded, featuring 140 galleries representing 16 countries. The atmosphere is giddily overwhelming. Expo Raises the bar with booth talks, performances, and panel discussions featuring heavyweights such as curator, critic, and historian Hans-Ulrich Obrist in conversation with Chicago Imagists The Hairy Who members. Artists such as Daniel Buren discussing the intersection of abstract art and architecture, both of these discussions have been archived by Expo Chicago and can be found online. But it’s the art that is the real draw here; with over 3,000 artists represented by 140 galleries, it is hard not to feel dazed by the sheer magnitude of the fair. A scattershot approach to presentation separates an art fair from an exhibition where the curatorial role appears to be nearly absent; in its place, we find a market-based approach where selling is key. Thus we are presented with a safe, non-confrontational view of contemporary art that leans heavily on 2-dimensional, aesthetically pleasing work – work that will sell.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, as is evidenced by pieces such as Daniel Buren’s “Situated works” Buren’s pieces are light-based works made of optical fiber, and their ubiquitous presence dominated the fair as they worked to transform the architecture into a deeply immersive atmosphere, equally jarring and meditative.

Water Light Graffiti is another light-based interactive work by the Paris-based artist Antonin Fourneau. Created with 1000’s water-sensitive LED light bulbs, the public was invited to participate in an ever-evolving graffiti-inspired piece, like a grown-up version of lite-brite with a twist; the addition and erasure of light created through the use of damp sponges. Sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Fourneau’s work hopes to spark a dialogue about the interplay between technology and nature and our dwindling resources.

This is not necessarily a bad thing as is evidenced by pieces such as Daniel Buren’s “Situated works,” Buren’s pieces are light-based works made of optical fiber and their ubiquitous presence dominated the fair as they worked to transform the architecture into a deeply immersive atmosphere, equally jarring and meditative.

Water Light Graffiti is another light-based interactive work by the Paris-based artist Antonin Fourneau. Created with 1000’s water-sensitive LED light bulbs, the public was invited to participate in an ever-evolving graffiti-inspired piece. Like a grown-up version of lite-brite with a twist, the addition and erasure of light are created by using damp sponges. Sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Fourneau’s work hopes to spark a dialogue about the interplay between technology and nature and our dwindling resources. Lotus 0.475 is a kinetic sculpture crafted by Pedro S. De Movellan. 

The piece seduces the audience with its shiny red finish and attracts viewers like flies to light with its slow, fluid motion. After being drawn to the sculpture, the viewer patiently waits for the piece to stagnate, but due to the weight distribution between aluminum, brass, and stainless steel, Lotus 0.475 never quits. In a world where abstract and figural sculpture reigns supreme, it is a breath of fresh air to witness such a carefully planned and crafted piece focusing primarily on kinetics.

This year's Expo marks the first official collaboration between Expo Chicago and China and features four artists represented by CAFA, the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. The highlights of this group were Geng Xue and Wang Yuping. In Mr. Sea, Geng Xue creates delicate porcelain sculptures as well as stop-motion films with these creations. The effect is stunning, bringing the ancient artisanal tradition of porcelain wares into a thoroughly modern sculptural and cinematic realm. 

Wang Yuping works with acrylic on paper to create a series of discrete and whimsical images titled, appropriately enough, Small Things. These paintings feature familiar and unfamiliar objects centered on an off-white background and comment on production and conspicuous consumption.

While embracing its function as an art fair, Expo Chicago secondarily serves as an educational environment for students, faculty, and art lovers. Unlike other art fairs such as Art Prize, Expo primarily exists to serve the buyer's market. Art Prize, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, celebrates and coming, established, experimental, or filmmakers. 

The artists are often present at the event to answer questions and encourage meaningful conversation about the work. Expo Chicago is an international fair showcasing contemporary art from famous, established artists. The artists are not always present at the event. Typically only the dealers that represent them are available and have little time for the non-buyer. Expo sparks conversation among visitors during an event such as Art Prize sparks conversation among visitors and artists.

While embracing its function as an art fair, Expo Chicago secondarily serves as an educational environment for students, faculty, and art lovers alike. Unlike other art fairs such as Art Prize, Expo primarily exists to serve the buyer's market. Art Prize, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, celebrates and 

           

Temporary Public Art Installations to Animate Vacant Spaces: Phoenix, AZ

Temporary Public Art Installations to Animate Vacant Spaces: Phoenix, AZ: Exploring Our Town Profile: How can temporary public art projects help change perceptions about a city’s vacant lots and bolster a developing cultural district?

"Art is Business"

Black Is Back: A Look at Gallery Guichard and the Bronzeville Artist Lofts

"Art is Business"