One of a kind artist brings her creativity to a one of a kind show

"Art is Business" reposted By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, M.S.J.

Patricia Coleman-Cobb, an award-winning African-American designer


The 4th annual One of a Kind Spring Show® returns to The Mart, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, on April 26-28. The Show brings more than 300 artists and makers together under one roof, featuring a variety of exceptional work from independent artists and makers from across North America and beyond. The event will also host exciting fashion runway shows, live music, a gourmet market, and more throughout the weekend.

Shoppers will be able to meet and engage with participating artists to learn about them, their creative process and their work. The items include accessories, bath and body, ceramics, fashion, fiber art, furniture, glass and gourmet goods, to home goods, jewelry, kids, metal, mixed media, paintings, paper, pet products, photography, sculpture and wood. The Emerging Market section highlights about 20 up-and-coming participants who are new to the event.

“We are extremely excited to be bringing back the One of a Kind Spring Show for the fourth year. After a long winter, our annual show is a great opportunity for shoppers to get out of the house and explore the many offerings,” said Lisa Simonian, Vice President of Marketing at The Mart.

Patricia Coleman-Cobb, an award-winning African-American designer, whose work is steeped in rich African tradition, is new to the Spring Show.

Her hand crafted collection includes many works of art such as beautifully framed clay sculpted and mixed media figures, traditional clay sculptures/busts, and one-of-a-kind mixed media collectible dolls.


THE ARTIST’S WORK from her “Faces in Profile and Courage” series. Patricia Coleman-Cobb will bring her colorful, African-inspired pieces to Chicago for the first time at the One of a Kind Spring Show® from April 26 through April 28. (Photo by Darrell Turner).
She discussed her work with the Crusader, explaining her first “surreal and mystical” exposure to art. “One night, after the house was quiet, I sat folding diapers and towels. As I reached to pick up a towel, I noticed that—like faces in the clouds—the folds of laundry had personalities all their own. As I began to fumble and play with these shapes and expressions, I found myself laughing and talking aloud to myself about how each one looked like it was saying or doing one thing or another.” Though family members could have argued that she was delirious from a lack of sleep brought on by having two babies in diapers, Coleman-Cobb said that in the morning she drew the images that she had remembered. “Within six weeks, I was exhibiting at my first show.”

She had a bachelor’s degree in Clothing and Textiles and hinted that she felt something spiritual that particular night. “Right there in the still of the night, I was handed this amazing gift, it was like being touched by an angel, because I became an Artist that day.” She says that her most touching and notable pieces have been the simple designs that came to her that one night at the dining room table.

Coleman-Cobb’s pieces include the limited-edition series “Pregnant Woman in Mud Cloth,” which uses pregnancy as a theme. “Up until recently, pregnancy was often times spoken of in hushed tones, and not considered something that was [displayed] on the covers of magazines. The maternity fashions were hideous and sold in a back corner tucked away behind clothing made for plus-sized women,” she said. “At the time I created this piece, I did still witness some residual apprehensions from a few about showing a semi-nude piece that celebrated the natural beauty of impending motherhood. But once I introduced these proud maternal pieces showing their beautiful tummies, adorned in Mud cloth and bright colored wraps, they quickly became my most popular signature pieces.”

Coleman-Cobb says that people view her pieces differently. “When people interact with my work, I give them time to interpret their feelings. It has been the most humbling for me to have them explain what it means through their own personal life experiences.”

The artist studied the history of costume and spoke about the early handmade African-American “Topsy Turvy Dolls,” which were pieces designed from the waist up on one end as “Mammy” and the other end as the typical Southern Bell. “Many theorize that these early pieces were made so that the slave children could play with the white side in the absence of the slave master, and upon his approach could quickly flip the doll from white to Black allowing the dress to cover the forbidden fruit.”

The prices for Coleman-Cobb’s extraordinary pieces range from $225 to $3,000.

The One of a Kind Show Spring Show® will be open 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday, April 26; 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27; and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, April 28. Tickets are $12 per adult and provide entry for all three days. Special ticket packages and offers are available. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit  www.oneofakindshowchicago.com. To view more of ColemanCobb’s work, visit  https://patcobb.com/index.html.

Elaine Hegwood Bowen, M.S.J., is the Entertainment Editor for the Chicago Crusadernewspaper. She is also the author of “Old School Adventures from Englewood—South Side of Chicago.” For book info, editor91210@yahoo.com.

TUMULTE NOIR Film Screenings FACTURE COMMERCIALE

"Art is Business" Reposted for Renee Baker artist





May 3. 6-10 pm
May 4 3-6 pm


SCREENINGS:
BODY AND SOUL 1925
WITHIN OUR GATES 1920
SYMBOL OF THE UNCONQUERED 1920
THE SCAR OF SHAME 1927
BORDERLINE 1930
BALDWIN CHRONICLES: 2018
NATURAL BORN GAMBLER 1916

**Uncle Tom's Cabin (US Premiere)
All films scored by 
Renee Baker and Chicago Modern Orchestra Project

PHANTOM GALLERY CHICAGO NETWORK 
436 E 47th St Suite #205 
Free





LIVING SCULPTURE- PERFORMANCE ART- IMPROVISATIONAL SOUND

"Art is Business"

“Living Sculpture” a performance art presentation, created by artist Alpha Bruton, for the Abstract Expressions “Do You See What I See” opening reception at Gallery Guichard, April 11, 2019 reception, 

Marielle Dickens, Chyanne Spencer, Bryonna Young 


About Move Me Soul- 

Move Me Soul is a Youth Dance Company founded by Ayesha Jaco in 2008. Move Me Soul is committed to providing an innovative platform for inner-city youth to train and evolve as the next generation of dancers, choreographers, and teachers.   Performers are engaged in dancemaking, storytelling and character development that allows them to curate Inner-City Aesthetics of the past, present, and future.



Improvisational Sound by guest musicians-


This piece was last presented in its entirety during the Interfaith Concert for Peace at The Chicago Temple, Sunday, March 16, 2008. 

Living Sculptures‖ is a performance art piece choreographed by artist Alpha Bruton, with music by the Ancestral Resurrection Ensemble. The living sculptures and dancer dramatize, through improvisation, a metamorphosis that symbolizes Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and the spiritual ―CRY‖ for world peace. This is a cry of pain, love, and joy. It is not just the physical act of crying, but an inner psychic cry, the longing and hoping, and the giving of all you have.
  

Jazmin Bruton-Davis, Jazell Smith, Oafrikara Mysheallah Webber – living sculptures 

Ancestral Resurrection Ensemble— Siddha Webber – vocals & percussion, Ray Mosley – guitar, Ben Montgomery – percussion, Duryving Ternoir – trumpet, and Eleni Vryza – dancer.

Interesting enough I studied dance at Fresno City College, the department chair was from the school of Martha Graham.

Martha Graham-Lamentation, 1935 introduced  stretch fabric in the dance of Lamentation
What is a stretch bag?  It’s like a human-sized pillowcase made of stretchy nylon and spandex.  They have an opening either in the side or top/bottom of the bag.  On stage, we can make intriguing shapes that don’t look at all like the human body.

Lamentation premiered in New York City on January 8, 1930, at Maxine Elliot’s Theater, to music by the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály. The dance is performed almost entirely from a seated position, with the dancer encased in a tube of purple jersey. The diagonals and tensions formed by the dancer’s body struggling within the material create a moving sculpture, a portrait which presents the very essence of grief. The figure in this dance is neither human nor animal, neither male nor female: it is grief itself.

According to Martha Graham, after one performance of the work she was visited by a woman in the audience who had recently seen her child killed in an accident. Viewing Lamentation enabled her to grieve, as she realized that “grief was a dignified and valid emotion and that I could yield to it without shame.”

ArtSlant shut down after twelve years


Near the end of this MAY 2019, ArtSlant shut down after twelve years in operation. Co-founder Catherine Ruggles has determined it is no longer possible to keep the site running.

First and foremost: you deserve a heartfelt thank you! From the start, ArtSlant has always been a community built by and for artists, arts professionals, and art lovers. Whether you maintained a member profile or premium artist website, followed the latest criticism in ArtSlant magazine, applied to the ArtSlant Prize, or wrote exhibition reviews, your contributions helped make ArtSlant what it was: a resource that inspired, supported, and promoted artists and writers from across the global arts community.

Some background

In 2007, Georgia Fee and Catherine Ruggles launched what would become a twelve-year commitment to emerging artists, arts writers, and critics. Beginning in LA as a network for local artists, ArtSlant Magazine ultimately expanded to fifteen cities and countries around the world, bringing on board fresh writers, editors, and artists to critique, unpack, reflect on, and generally chronicle art and its engagement with contemporary culture. For nine years, ArtSlant also awarded the ArtSlant Prize, celebrating outstanding work from emerging artists. From 2013–2018, ArtSlant hosted a Residency for artists and writers in Paris, founded in honor of Georgia Fee following her passing in 2012.

Georgia Fee took a chance on so many of us, building open pathways to success in an industry that can be hard to break into. ArtSlant Prize winners had their work evaluated by respected gallerists and curators and exhibited at art fairs in Miami and New York City. Many have gone on to have major gallery representation and exhibit their artwork widely. Likewise, countless writers cut their teeth in this small company to go on to edit and write for mainstream art publications, a trajectory we’ve always been very proud of.

Special thanks to our customer service guru, Marcela Rodriguez Aguilar, our exhibition listings champ, Ninna Palmario, and past editors Andrea Alessi, Natalie Hegert, Joel Kuennen, Charlotte Jansen, Andrew Berardini, Stephanie Cristello, Charlie Schultz, Abraham Ritchie, Trong Nguyen, and Sophia Powers.

Thank you

On behalf of all the staff and editors who have left their marks on the site, we want to extend massive gratitude to each of you who made ArtSlant not only a respected platform for emerging artists and art criticism but also a space for play and experimentation. Without your artwork, artist profiles, blog posts, reviews, and exhibition listings, ArtSlant could never have been the meaningful, engaged community it was. Huge thanks to all the artists who supported ArtSlant through our subscription services. ArtSlant was unique in the world of contemporary art in that it created an opportunity for artists and writers to support each other. We have truly loved browsing through all the incredible artwork you have uploaded and shared on the site and hope we, in turn, played a role in your creative growth.

Save your work

Toward the end of April, Catherine will bring the site down. If you haven’t done so already, please save anything hosted on ArtSlant that you want a record of—be it artwork, blog posts, accolades, or reviews. You can find a record of your artwork, artist statements, prize wins, reviews, and other activity by flipping through the tabs on your ArtSlant profile page. Artists with Premium Subscription websites can look here for info on how to transfer your unique domain name.


ArtSlant Prize IX Winners’ Exhibition, SPRING/BREAK ART SHOW, New York City, 2018. With work by David Rios Ferreira, Sabato Visconti, Katya Grokhovsky, and daàPo Reo


Now the good news! ArtSlant will live on as a resource in two digital archives: the Library of Congress and the New York Art Resources Consortium (NYARC).

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress welcomes ArtSlant as “an important part of [its web archive] collection and the historical record.” Initially, the ArtSlant archive will be available to researchers at Library facilities and by special arrangement. After one year, the Library may also make the collection available more broadly by hosting it on its public access website. Learn more about the Library's Web Archiving program goals here and check out their web archives.

NYARC

The New York Art Resources Consortium will also include ArtSlant in its web archive collections. NYARC comprises the research libraries of The Brooklyn Museum, The Frick Collection, and The Museum of Modern Art. These libraries are committed to “enabling access to the broadest possible range of print materials related to art and art history,” and now they are also making archival copies of important web resources for preservation and access purposes.

All of the content included in the web archive collections is made publicly accessible via NYARC’s Archive-It account (full-text search and metadata), within a shared catalog via records they create for websites (called ARCADE—the union catalog of the Frick, MoMA, and the Brooklyn Museum), and via full-text search in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

We hope you feel as proud as we do that the art and writing of everyone in the ArtSlant community will live on in these resources. We have been honored to shape and continue what Georgia Fee and Catherine Ruggles began, supporting ArtSlant’s commitment to artists, arts writers, and criticism for over a decade.


—The ArtSlant Team

Phantom Gallery CHI

Pop Up Research Station ask the Question- Why Aren’t There More Black Librarians?

"Art is Business"  Reposted by Alpha Bruton,  WordInBlack.com February 11, 2022 Photograph by Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels Why Aren...