Open Lands Arboretum Tree Identification Tour

"Art is Business"

This workshop will take place at 1 PM, followed by a walking tour that will identify various trees. The log cookies will be painted to enhance the gathering space by adding colorful leaf prints to each log cut.

Christine Perri is setting up her workshop for youth ambassadors at the Prairie Boat Gathering Space in Beaubien Woods on October 11, 2025. 

Three Walls/Rad Lab fellowship Congratulations to Kiela Smith

"Art is Business" https://three-walls.org/artists/kiela-smith/.

This project will center on artist-led collaboration, formal and informal action research, and place-keeping activations.

 Hello, friend or lover of arts, culture & community, Please share the attached flyer and web link.

It is a survey conducted during May 2023 about the space needs of South Side Chicago artists and creatives. Whatever way you feel comfortable sharing is appreciated. The survey will continue research for my Three Walls/Rad Lab fellowship. 

https://three-walls.org/programs/rad-lab/

The survey flyer with the QR code is attached & here is a direct link to the survey also:

https://forms.gle/xqALQrMLJ8nQdjbG6

Philosophy

Neighborhood: Greater South Shore

Racial Justice Issue: Self-Determination & Gentrification

This project will center on artist-led collaboration, formal and informal action research, and place-keeping activations. The focus will be to study the feasibility of developing a permanent work/live space cooperatively owned by artists of all abilities. It will also include capacity building about shared ownership.

BIO

Kiela is a lifelong Chicagoan with a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and 30 years of professional arts experience teaching, consulting, planning, and creating collaborative community-based mural projects. Kiela's leadership in conceptualizing, designing, and creating art with the community was also seeded by her family legacy of licensed architects/designers and civil rights activist parents. Her desire to collaborate with and empower other artists and the non-artist community about the power of art and the importance of art spaces has fueled her engagement around artist ownership and community peacekeeping concepts.

ABOUT

RaD Lab+Outside the Walls Fellowship supports ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American) artists and creatives who use radical imagination to practice a racially just society. The fellows will demonstrate alternative ways toward racial equity through the lens of radical vision and social justice.

We will support a combination of project grants at $40K annually for research, implementation, and continuation. Artists have challenges receiving funds at all stages of their projects, and being able to fund at least two phases will invest in the artist and the idea. With this understanding, the program will offer multi-year grants. Additionally, artists rarely get the opportunity, time, space, and financial resources to put their imaginations of justice into the world. The fellowship will help expand the funding landscape and distribute the funds to the most vulnerable community—ALAANA individuals.

The program is divided into RaD Lab (research and development) and Outside the Walls. During the RaD Lab year, the fellows spend a year researching, developing, and testing their project for Outside the Walls. Over this time, each awardee will present their idea to their communities/neighbors, stakeholders, and the interested public every quarter.

Outside the Walls is our presentation model that presents convenings, workshops, exhibitions, and installations in Chicago neighborhoods developed through RaD Lab. The art or research form will be installed in spaces that do not typically host art exhibitions and are easily accessible. In addition, outside the Walls features programming led by artists and their neighbors to support the exhibitions and the engagement cultivated during RaD Lab.

With both parts, Threewalls assists with public engagements by brainstorming different ways to present to the public, logistics (securing space, communicating with various groups), and documentation. Threewalls collaborates with the fellows throughout the process and conducts quarterly check-ins to help solve problems and ensure they progress on their projects.

The Pop-Up Research Station CAFE THINK TANK 2023

Pop-Up Research Station -  Roots and Remedies Conference in Detroit, Michigan. 2013

Pop-Up Research Station invites your participation.

Phantom Gallery Chicago and Phantom Galleries LA have created a network of support for artists, curators, and arts organizers engaged in temporary public art installations, storefronts, and projects that engage community response. We envision the project as a portal for shared knowledge, a resource of best practices, ongoing professional development, and a place for moral support to enhance our collective impact. 

 

On August 7th, 2013, we launched a Podcast produced by GYST Radio on Blog talk.  GYST Podcast  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gystradio. Pop-Up Research Station will develop gradually: hosting creative conversations that explore  “Temporary Public Art Installations,” " Storefront Art Movements,” “Creative Place-making,” and projects that are the impetus for “Cultural Urban Planning.”

 

Liza Simone of Phantom Galleries LA in Los Angeles is currently the host, but there will be guest hosts in cities nationally and internationally.  The Pop-Up Research Station will be a place to glean information. We see the Pop-Up Research Station as the portal to documenting our legacy, giving emerging curators and artists new to the world of creative place-making a “Tool Kit” that has already been 20 years in the making, researched, developed, and implemented by artists who have carved out niches and built new communities from empty storefront to monthly art walks. 

 Roots and Remedies Conference in Detroit, Michigan.

BlogTalkRadio covered snapshots of artist stories, hosted honest discussions on our problems, offered a support system, and solicited advice on how to avoid the potholes moving forward.  The interviews on BlogTalkRadio are conversational and geared toward the artist’s mindset but will be helpful for those interested in our projects as a research tool.

The Pop-Up Research Station began hosting a national conversation formatted as an online "THINK TANK CAFE"  in 2021. The recorded ZOOM podcasts will be a more candid conversation with guest artists, and artists professionals, with facts and figures.  Honest discussions on the problems we face as curators in temporary public spaces, the use of our intellectual property, and how it is used to cultivate urban renewal.

 Kiela Smith Upton, and Laura Weathered of Artists Design the Future/ NNWAC.

We are interested in your story. Please join in on the conversation.  Your feedback is vital. What are your needs in moving forward?  Perhaps you are developing ways to foster collaboration between organizations that we can explore together.   Can we create networks of organizations to jointly pursue funding?  Would an arts organizer's time bank be an excellent idea to follow?

Pop-Up Research Station Café

Join us every Tuesday at 11 am PST, 1pm CST, and 2pm EST

Casual networking & conversations exploring temporary public art, the storefront art movement, creative placemaking, cultural urban planning, and ways to create financial stability for working artists.  Zoom: Meeting ID: 813 6636 7712.  Passcode: popup

Café Menu:  Our weekly menu of topics is co-created by those who attend that week. To see what is happening next week and/ or to add your own topic visit our café menu.

Visit our Youtube Channel for some of our recorded meetings. As long as everyone agrees, we record some of our sessions.

The Pop Up, Research Station CAFE, is organized by: Alpha Bruton of Phantom Gallery Chicago Network, Liza Simone of Phantom Galleries LA & Space in the Gap, Kiela Smith Upton, and Laura Weathered of Artists Design the Future/ NNWAC.

 We will thrive when we find new ways of pooling our resources rather than duplicating them.  Together we can bolster our ability to achieve our goals as we mentor and support each other. 

If you would like to be interviewed, be on our mailing list, or offer suggestions, email  popupresearchstation@gmail.com.

  “Oakland Artists transforms historic corridor in Detroit’s North End.”

SOCIAL MEDIA 

www.Popupresearchstation.com 

www.facebook

Getting Your Sh*t Together Online Radio by GYST Radio | BlogTalkRadio

Twitter.com/popupresearch  

Alpha M. Bruton

"Art is Business"

Artist | Art Consultant | Curator | Researcher

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alphabruton

http://alphabrutonartprojects.blogspot.com/

https://phantomgallery.blogspot.com

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/phantomgallerychicago

Thank you for your time and interest.

                                                        

Tactical Urbanism in the Horizontial Landscape 2022

"Art is Business" https://www.bronzevilleartdistrict.com/palm-sunday-s

Artists Design the Future Creatives Develop SPACES!

"Art is Business"

You are Invited!

I am hosting an Info Session with artists to discuss how artists + creatives might design, own, and manage art space. The Bloomingdale Arts Building is an example of condo ownership, and we will open a discussion about various models.

Laura Weathered

Paola Aguirre Serrano Urban Designer- Common Ground

"Art is Business" reposted May 19, 2022 

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS AWARDS URBAN DESIGNER PAOLA AGUIRRE SERRANO WITH THE 2022 JORGE AND DARLENE PÉREZ PRIZE IN PUBLIC ART & CIVIC DESIGN.

THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

Americans for the Arts today announced that urban designer Paola Aguirre Serrano has been awarded the 2022 Jorge and Darlene Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design. A first-of-its-kind national recognition program established by the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, the prize includes a cash stipend of $30,000 plus opportunities for Aguirre Serrano to participate in discussions about her work with national leaders in the arts and other allied fields.

Aguirre Serrano, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, was trained as an architect in Mexico and an urban designer in the United States. She has practiced professionally for nearly 15 years, working with government agencies, academic institutions, private design offices, and community organizations. Her work began with early professional experience in Chihuahua, where she worked in an urban planning agency with public officials, urban planners, social workers, and community organizers to design processes that would help the final product better connect with the communities being served.

In 2016, Aguirre Serrano founded Borderless Studio in Chicago and expanded to San Antonio in 2021. The urban design and research practice is committed to connecting communities with design processes and envisioning creative ways to invest in spatial justice and equitable spaces. Borderless Studio is built on the values of generosity, empathy, and service and aims to create collaborative city design interventions that address the complexity of urban systems and social equity. Through their work, Aguirre Serrano and her team seek to bring visibility to the impact that segregation and racism have had on communities of color. Examples include projects like Creative Grounds, which explores the community and urban role of school grounds and was sparked by the closure of 45 public schools in Chicago over the past nine years, the largest closure of public schools in the city's history.

Aguirre Serrano is an active educator and has taught at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Sam Fox School of Design at Washington University in St. Louis, and the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, and Design in Columbus, Indiana. She has served as Commissioner of Chicago Landmarks and has sat on the Cultural Advisory Council of the City of Chicago. Aguirre Serrano currently serves on the Scholarly Advisory Committee for the National Museum of the American Latino.

Nolen V. Bivens, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, commented, "Paola Aguirre Serrano's work adds a deep and meaningful dimension to our human experience of the built environment. She believes that confronting the complex issues facing communities today requires an understanding of architecture, urbanism, landscape design, planning, and civic participatory processes, and her impact on communities has been tremendous, particularly in how she prioritizes working with organizations and groups that work with or are located in communities of color. I congratulate Paola on this well-deserved recognition."

"Supporting programs that improve access to the arts in underserved communities and empower creatives to pursue their artistry on a broader scale is at the core of our mission," said Jorge M. Pérez, a globally recognized collector and philanthropist and one of the nation's top real estate developers. "Paola has demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to bolstering art in various communities to inspire positive change across key social issues. We're excited that this award will allow her to continue making an impact."

The generous gift of $250,000 from The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation established the Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design program, named for internationally recognized philanthropists Jorge M. Pérez and his wife, Darlene Boytell-Pérez. The program is designed to empower all stakeholders in the public art process and create a platform to build greater national visibility and appreciation of the unique role the arts play in shaping our experience of the built environment. It also seeks to celebrate and highlight the work and contributions of artists, public art administrators, and representatives from the civic design field who support, develop, and manage the incorporation of art into the design of places and spaces across the United States.

###

Americans for the Arts is a nonprofit organization that advances the arts and arts education advocacy in America. Based in Washington, D.C., it has more than 60 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for everyone to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, and his family to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. The family foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive, and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, health and well-being, education, environment, and economic development – with a particular preference for programs and organizations that could serve as models for other urban centers. For more information, please visit 

Bronzeville Art District Trolley Tour 2022- WE ARE BACK!

"Art is Business"

Join us for a fun and lively introduction to our  Bronzeville Art District 2022 Trolley Tour, designed to bring people together so you can create experiences everyone will be talking about.

The Bronzeville Art District Trolley Tour celebrates 16 years of excellence with art and culture in the community. Our mission is to provide artistic offerings at Bronzeville's fine art galleries and expose patrons to the rich culture and history of the community.

Open to the public, free admission! Take a tour and explore 5 art galleries and the art studios in the Bronzeville Artist Lofts or participate in the Art Crawl to our participating galleries located in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood.

Bronzeville art galleries will have fine art on exhibit and purchase, with live entertainment.

Reggie Nicholson Artist in Resident 2022 - "Soundscape Tapestry"

The Phantom Gallery Chicago is proud to announce a collaboration with composer and musician Reggie Nicholson as resident artists for the 2022 program year.  

"Mettle" (2018) features his second solo recording for percussion. 

The instantly recognizable style and sound of Reggie Nicholson have elevated him to one of the most distinctive, inventive, and inspirational drummer/percussionists of his generation, a formidable technician but one who uses his considerable skills constructively and with infinite taste.

Born in Chicago, his drum concept perfectly fitted the needs of many extraordinary Chicago musicians. An active member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) since 1979, Nicholson has absorbed the musical influences of each AACM member learning the skills to compose and improvise original music.

Nicholson has performed and recorded with a wide variety of jazz and new music luminaries such as Henry Threadgill, Muhal Richard Abrams, Amina Claudine Myers, Leroy Jenkins, Anthony Braxton, Sam Newsome, Myra Melford, Wilber Morris, Elektra Kurtis, Billy Bang, Butch Morris, James Spaulding, Yuko Fujiyama, Oliver Lake, Fay Victor, Roy Campbell, just to name a few. In addition, Reggie has toured throughout Europe and Japan.

As a composer, he was nominated twice for the Cal Arts Composition Award in 1993/1994. His compositions were performed throughout NYC, including concerts for Roulette, Interpretations, Vision Festival, and the AACM.  

Nicholson's recordings, which have highlighted his compositions, are "Unnecessary Noise Allowed (1997)," which features his quintet, The Reggie Nicholson Concept. "Percussion Peace" (2005) is a solo recording experimenting with electronics and percussion instruments. In 2007,  the premiere of "Timbre Suite" (Tone Colors) was recorded for a percussion ensemble." Surreal Feel" (2008) shows the maturity and growth of his composing skills with music for brass instruments and percussion. "Mettle" (2018) features his second solo recording for percussion. His latest recording, "No Preservatives Added" (2020), features new compositions for the percussion ensemble.

Currently, Nicholson is continuing to explore the aesthetics of his musical ideas.

Reggie Nicholson, Composer/Percussionist 

 Tactical Urbanism in the Horizontal Landscape

 "Soundscape Tapestry." 

He will work directly with the lead artist and chief curator, Alpha Bruton. In addition, Phantom Gallery Chicago will provide technical and administrative support for creating new work and exploring new ideas with a two-month sound and video exhibition at the end of the project.

Phantom Gallery Chicago's mission is to promote the betterment of the visual arts community through the arts and to promote cultural activities in exhibits, workshops, and artists-in-residence projects. This collaborative project will utilize sound and visual art in a public installation. Soundscape Tapestry will echo the African American music experience unique to the sounds of Chicago. As a visual artist, Alpha Bruton will experiment with abstractions, vibrational sound narratives, and vibrational sound narrations in response to the experimental sound of composer/percussionists Reggie Nicholson in an eight-week series of concentrated studio time to develop platforms for exploration and creation of new works.

Elastic Arts and AMP- CHI Presents: Intersections, Chicago Jazz Fest Afterfest AACM

Phantom Gallery Chicago realizes artists need to keep creating and inventing at their best and that they need time to reflect and work seriously or just for fun. The journey to becoming a skilled and accomplished artist is lifelong. When you invest in your talent, you can reinvigorate your passion for making art. But, an essential part of the process is building into your schedule a time for renewal, new experiences, and a different perspective. Self-directed artist residency, "artist vacations," is not taken to get away from their work but to find ways to inspire their work with new vitality and energy.

The goal is to give artists a space to imagine new work methods. The AIR is followed by a two-month exhibition created, fully documented, and a full-color exhibition catalog. Collaborating artists are encouraged to share their ideas and complete a visual diary of drawings, collages, videos, or photography. This visual journal will reflect the on-site experience, employing themes, contemporary narratives, and personal or historical regarding the course or discourse of their work.

Elastic Arts and AMP- CHI Presents: Intersections, Chicago Jazz Fest Afterfest AACM

While artist residencies have traditionally provided opportunities for artists to work in solitude, many residency programs today are designed specifically around artists engaging the local community. Increasingly, organizations still primarily offering retreat-style residencies are expanding into community-engaged work and looking for best practices from peers.

This collaboration is curated by the chief curator of the Phantom Gallery Chicago Network and is an ambitious new sector using tactical urbanism and contributing to the horizontal landscape. With the intent of exposing pedestrians and tourists to the experience of what is viewed inside the gallery—creating a dynamic platform for large-scale installations, moving image works, and sound performances, which has had a dedicated space at the Bronzeville Artist Lofts since 2014 years. 

Past presenting film and media artists: "The Kaleidoscope Effect"  by Tali Farchi and Royce Deans (2011), "Vacation Spot" curated by Janelle Vaughn Dowell (2014); Collective Voices "CV Film Festival" curated by Ife Olatunji; (2015-2016). "Wabi House Media" Presents "Pop-Up Movie Theater," "Tactical Urbanism," "Experimental Screenings," and RACE Films" curated by Renee Baker (2017- 2021). "Ceremonial Teas," the Social Move initiative, was curated by Larissa J. Akeremi (2020).

All the projections are accompanied by original soundscapes juxtaposed with the urban sounds of Bronzeville @ 47th Street and various intersections of the community. 

 - September 16th, 2022, 8pm - 10pm

Florin Road Community Beautification Project

"Art is Business" https://cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov/local-grants/local-grant-program.

The Florin Road Community Beautification Project is a public outreach campaign, youth engagement, and beautification effort to improve the area from Tamoshanter Way through Franklin Boulevard on Florin Road. The project will coordinate with Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, Luther Burbank High School, Florin Road Partnership, local non-profits, and businesses to address litter and illegal dumping hot spots. This project will create public spaces for showcasing the culture and diversity of the Meadowview community. The project will include art installations on Florin Road, such as banners, murals, interactive structures, landscaping, museum signage, and public seating. High school interns conduct litter source assessments, adopt litter hot spots for clean-up, and design and promote litter abatement solutions. There will be opportunities for the community to participate in beautification efforts through community art projects, youth programming, and outreach events.

WITH SUPPORT FROM THE OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE- THE TEAM WAS ABLE TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION

The Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) was established in 1977 by a City and County Ordinance. OAC is a public agency devoted to supporting, promoting, and advancing the arts in the region. Funded by the Sacramento City and County, OAC provides funding to local artists and arts groups; promotes the skills through marketing, outreach, and education initiatives; provides resources to support and increase regional arts education activities; and serves as a community partner and resource.

Clean California Local Grant Program
(CCLGP)
Awardee Announcement

Congratulations to the Clean California Grant Program award recipients! Today the Governor's Office announced the award of 105 local projects approved for nearly $300 million in Clean California grants for communities throughout the state. Caltrans received more than 300 applications for local grant projects. Proposals included many community enhancements, such as litter abatement, landscaping and art installations, greening, and community identification projects. Check out the list of awarded projects here!

Awards were given to 105 projects, or approximately 30% of the received applications, totaling $295,993,146 in requested grant funds. The CCLGP team received 329 applications by the deadline of February 1, 2022, which sought $758,485,147 in grant funds. Check out the "Program Results" section on the CCLGP website for more information.

The CCLGP team appreciates all the interest and participation in this program from agencies throughout California!

https://cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov/local-grants/local-grant-program

Milestone	Date
Call for Projects	December 1, 2021
Project Application Deadline	February 1, 2022, by 5:00 PM
Project Award Notification	March 1, 2022
Restricted Grant Agreement Execution	Spring, 2022
Project Completion Date	June 30, 2024

An open studio visit with Alpha Bruton Chief Curator

Bronzeville Art District Art Tour 2021 final installment of virtual open studio. Featuring the work of Alpha Bruton, artist and chief curator of the Phantom Gallery Chicago Network. Talks about the year in review and the curators that have made it possible to continue to exhibit in temporary exhibition spaces.  Noting the works of her spirit keeper series and the exhibition schedule for 2022. The Bronzeville Art District is sponsored by AARP and is the most prominent African American Art District hosting a virtual trolley tour nationally.

FEATURED CURATORS 2021

Renee Baker

Susan Fox, Logistic Manager

 

Trish Williams, and Rhonda Hardy

Pop Up Research Station Artist Design the Future

"Art is Business," www.artistsdesignthefuture.com

SPACE IN THE GAP: CONNECT - REIMAGINE - CREATE

NEW POP UP Research Station Cafe 

Grab your lunch and join in each Tuesday 

11am PST/ 1:00pm CST/ 2pm EST

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81366367712?pwd=emlDZW50TFRBN3lJMzNGTC9iN1lvQT09

Meeting ID: 813 6636 7712

Passcode: popup

On Nov 30 from 1:30-2:30pm Central time, Pop Up Research Station discusses 4 case studies of art space development and ownership models.  Building on the Creative Canvas/business plan discussion section called "Key Activities."

We want to invite some of our key partners and newly forming steering committee members, and general attendees/public as usual.

This will be a  Livestream event on this Nov 30 discussion on multiple platforms, Facebook & YouTube, or more. It can stream up to 10 platforms simultaneously & allows for showing comments/questions on the screen in real-time. 

The Popup Research Station CAFE will offer Streamyard for future Research Station events.

Creatives Building Community

Liza of Space in the Gap, co-founder of Popup Research Station 

Artists Design the Future - creating art space with Laura & Kiela,

Popup Research Station Townhall, with  co-founder Alpha Bruton 

Open room: Anyone can host this room on any topic each week

Chill in the Heart Circle Room - rejuvenate and reset.

Stay for the whole time or as long as you want.

Laura Weathered  /  Kiela Smith-Upton, Project manager

312-447-9254          312-880-7744  

Co-Founders, Artists Design the Future

Bronzeville Art District- Virtual Trolley Tour Open Studio

"Art is Business" 

Phantom Gallery: https://bit.ly/PhantomGalleryChicago

Please join us this evening for October 15, 2021, Bronzeville Art Tour starting at 7 pm.

Virtual Experience: To enjoy the evening virtually, please see the links below. You can visit any of the galleries, art institutions or studios and experience the amazing art and entertainment you would find on our in-person trolley tour. You can pop in and pop out and visit for as long as the presentation is available.

Links are subject to change. Please check before the event.

Gallery Guichard: Virtual and In-person

https://bit.ly/galleryguichardarttour

Webinar ID: 821 1588 2807

International numbers available: International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbNbZGGLSe

Faie Afrikan Art: Virtual and In-person https:us02web.zoom.us/j/87320093471?

Meeting ID 873 2009 3471

Passcode 698508

Meeting ID: 883 7926 7223 Passcode: 687512

Blanc Gallery: Virtual and In-person https://bit.ly/AugustBlanc21

South Side Community Art Center: Virtual Only

https://bit.ly/sscacarttouraug

Passcode: 385108

Or One tap mobile :

    US: +13126266799,,82475324412#,,,,*385108#  or +13017158592,,82475324412#,,,,*385108#

Or Telephone:

    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

        US: +1 312 626 6799  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 646 558 8656  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 720 707 2699

Webinar ID: 824 7532 4412

Passcode: 385108

 International numbers available: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kbLn9FYPfL

Meeting ID: 998 0571 5631 Passcode: 098588

Bronzeville Artist Lofts - Virtual 

Phantom Gallery: https://bit.ly/PhantomGalleryChicago

Raymond Thomas Studio: https://bit.ly/ThomasStudios_Tour

Alan Emerson Hicks:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87803862154?pwd=QUltVUdvYmpKaHBnL3FpditwbmlwUT09

 Meeting ID: 878 0386 2154

Passcode: 065227

You can also copy and place in your browser to search 

Sweet Fruit Falling A SPATIAL ORATORIO FROM THE OPERA BALDWIN CHRONICLES: LONE ALCHEMY

Thanks to the artist in resident Renee Baker for having the vision to bring the project to Bronzeville and record in the Loft Gallery of the Phantom Gallery Chicago Network.  The artwork installed is the sculpture installations of  Renee Baker, "Because we are Nature," featuring her junk drawer series. Visual art is the collection of the gallery.

A CITY OF WORKS EPISODE

SWEET FRUIT FALLING, A SPATIAL ORATORIO FROM THE OPERA BALDWIN CHRONICLES: LONE ALCHEMY

This moment in the life of James Baldwin represents temporality, impermanence, the futility of dreams, and reckoning with the finality of inequality of life in the USA for Black Americans. Baldwin realizes that never will people of color achieve equity or equality in his lifetime..the boxes for blacks and whites have been set..with civil rights almost non-existent.

CAST

RENEE BAKER

Composer

 

DEE ALEXANDER

Performer

 

COCO ELTSSES

Percussion

 

LUV MOSLEY

Saxophone

Artistic Team

Concept/Director

George Cederquist

Concept/Commissioning/Music Direction

Catherine O'Shaughnessy

Concept/Editor

Brad Caleb Le

Chicago Fringe Opera is dedicated to presenting innovative vocal works emphasizing new and contemporary styles, engaging with the Chicago community through intimate and immersive performance experiences, and fostering and empowering local artists. Chicago Fringe Opera is at the forefront of producing dynamic contemporary vocal works in the city of Chicago.

A City of Works – an oblique reference to former Mayor Richard J. Daley's moniker for Chicago – combines the power of music and design in a series of site-specific digital experiences. Evoking the ethereal nature of theatre itself, audiences embark on individual journeys to landmarks throughout our city, unlocking audio and video content and joining a collective experience to watch performances through individual personal devices.

Arriving at specific locations, audiences scan a QR code on their smartphone to access a music video of a given newly commissioned work, the piece having been filmed at that locale, creating a fleeting yet shared theatrical experience. Thus, the project eliminates the need to gather groups of people while leaving content both free of charge and accessible at any time to audiences.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Supported by The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation & The CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Virtual Open Studio- Textile Artists Talk About Their Art

"Art is Business"  Listen to the artist speak on "Creative Conversation," Trish Williams,  Rhonda Hardy.

Featured Artist: Trish Williams,  

Trish Williams was born and raised in Chicago in the North Lawndale community, where she attends public school.  Once she completed elementary and high school education, she attended Malcolm X Community College. Then, under the tutelage of Barbara Jone-Hogu, she was introduced to the AfriCOBRA collective and the South Side Community Art Center, where she was introduced to an even broader spectrum of African American artists.

While she has always created as far back as she can remember by drawing, painting, and sewing, but in 1997 she saw a book titled “A Communion of The Spirits” by Roland Freeman about African American quiltmakers and was reminded of her ancestors who carried on these traditions and knew that is what she must do too, but not for the beds, but for the walls because would encompass most of the things that she loved about art.

She’s exhibited local, national, and international, and her works are collationed globally, and several public art commissions in the Chicagoland area.  Her work is also included in exhibition catalogs, magazine publications, and she is listed as one of 100 artists in the Midwest.  She is also seen in the movie “Southside With You” about President and Mrs. Obama if you look quick enough.

The Women of Color Quilters Network is a non-profit organization* founded in 1985 by Carolyn L. Mazloomi, a nationally-acclaimed quilt artist and lecturer, to foster and preserve the art of quiltmaking among women of color.

It supports its membership through presentations, providing venues for sharing technical information, grant writing, and other services. It offers quilts and fiber art to museums for exhibition and researches and documents African American quiltmaking. In recent years, the Network has showcased the work of its members before national and international audiences. An important component of the network's activity is its quiltmaking in social and economic development projects. Educational projects and workshops foster exposure to the arts, creative development, and improved self-esteem. These programs present the benefits of quilting to audiences of all ages, income levels, ethnic backgrounds,s and learning abilities.     *(IRS 501(c)(3))

Guest Artist - Rhonda Brady: 

Rhonda Hardy is an artist committed to social empowerment by encouraging the appreciation of diverse cultures as seen through art. Her artwork has been exhibited and sold at venues such as the South Side Community Art Center, Gallery Guichard, and the Beverly Arts Alliance. 

The journey to manifest my story started in high school, where I sought to learn everything I could about African and African American culture. I subsequently went to college and obtained a Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in clothing and textiles and became certified in Interior Decorating. So, it is a natural progression that I use my passion, skills, and knowledge as a tool to tell the story of the African American experience using the medium of hand-crafted textiles, fashion, and storytelling.

SPONSORS