The Blue Plate Special

Photo By Jim Matusik

The Blue Plate Special

This exhibition will feature the work of 50 artists designing plates in Delft Blue. The expression, "Blue Plate Special", first made its way into the American vocabulary on October 22nd, or 1892 through the Fred Harvey Restaurants. A web collection of 1930's prose gives this definition: "A Blue Plate Special is a low priced daily special: a main course with all the fixins, a daily combo, a square for two bits". The Blue Plate Special was very popular in the Depression Era, but still exists today.

The exhibit features the work of 50 artists reinterpreting this American Symbol of past economic times. Some of the artists featured are: Tim Anderson, Paul Sierra, Sam Rosby, Marya Veeck, Cyd Smillie, Peter Hurley, Susan Barton and many more.

August House Studio opened its door in 1987. It has focused on being a neighborhood gallery. The gallery is a comfortable, intimate space that lends itself to both large and small shows. Located in the heart of Roscoe Village, August House Studio brings the Blue Plate Special Exhibition as its 22nd annual Holiday celebration.

The Blue Plate Special
Where: August House Studio
2213 West Roscoe, in Chicago
When: December 5th-December 21st, 2008
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, Noon-6pm

"Facing Walls"- Scharpenberg Gallery, Chicago

All Photographs By Christine Aguila, Copyright 2008

Opening night gala of "Facing Walls" art exhibition at the Scharpenberg Gallery, DANK-Haus, German Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois.

Over 250 art patrons attended the opening night reception of "Facing Walls", in the Scharpenberg Gallery. Artists in attendance were: Cyd Smillie, Justin D. Miller, Susan Barton, Lothar Speer, Ed Ott, Lorna Filippini-Mulliken, Carol Koeller and Ronald Graziano.

Acclaimed International Artists to Exhibit Works Depicting the Struggle to Triumph Over Political, Social, Physical and Emotional Barriers

Facing Walls, a unique exhibition exploring both the physical and psychological effects of barriers presented in society, will open with a gala public reception on Friday, October 3rd, from 6pm to 9pm in the Scharpenberg Gallery on the 4th floor of the historic Dank-Haus Chicago.

Facing Walls will showcase more than 80 works of art by international, European Union artists as well as local artists from Chicago. These artists challenge the issues associated with political barriers through painting, drawing, photography, sculpture and metalwork. The exhibiting artists include artist and curator, Susan Barton, Cyd Smiliie, Ed Ott, Lothar Speer, Sally Swingewood, Ronald Graziano, Laura Keeble, Lorna Filippini-Mulliken, and Carol and David Koller.

Gallery hours are from 11am-3pm, Saturdays and are available by appointment during the week. www.dankhaus.com


"Facing Walls", Susan Barton, 2008, 20x16", Acrylic and Oil on Canvas. Available for purchase. Depicting shifting movements behind insurmountable, physical blocks, the painting displays growing energy through brooding tones of color.

"Freedom Comes As A Vision", Susan Barton, 30x24", Oil and Acrylic on Canvas. Available for purchase. Oppression, blockage and limitation give way to insight through breaks in the canvas. "Freedom Comes As A Vision", speaks to enlightenment, hope and seeing beyond futile inflictions.


"Homeland", 40x30", Susan Barton, 2008, Steel, Barbed Wire with Denim. Available for purchase.

Amidah: Is Art An Act Of Devotion?

Artist, Susan Barton explores spirituality through her art in, Amidah: Is Art An Act Of Devotion?, August 19th, at Lissner Hall, Shaare Tikvah B'Nai Zion, 5800 North Kimball Avenue, Chicago.

Artist and Curator, Cyd Smillie, presents local artists who consider the act of creating art, as silent devotion.

London Artist Group to Show At DANKHAUS-German Cultural Center

Susan Barton, Laura Keeble, Sally Swingewood and Amanda C. Cox will show their work October 12-November 15th, 2007 at DANKHAUS-German Cultural Center in Chicago. The exhibition, Germans In Mind; A Celebration of German Thought has been included in the Chicago Artists Month 2007, along with the 2007 Art Walk Ravenswood, 6th Annual Tour of Arts and Industry. For more information about the various art exhibitions included in the Art Walk Ravenswood, see www.artwalkravenswood.org

Germans In Mind

DANK-HAUS PRESENTS PREMIER ART EXHIBITION GERMANS IN MIND

Chicago, IL--September 11, 2007--DANK-HAUS, German Cultural Center, presents a premier exhibition, ' Germans in Mind; A Celebration of German Thought Through Art', October 13th-November 16th in both the Scharpenberg and Rough Space Galleries. Featuring the work of 23 international and local artists, the exhibition focuses on unique and original visual perspectives inspired by prominent German philosophical themes, prose and iconic figures. Chicago artist and curator, Susan Barton, introduces emerging artists who artistically incite visual dialogue to classic German themes through their work.

The Scharpenberg and Rough Space Galleries are located on the 4th floor of the historic DANK-HAUS, German Cultural Center, 4740 North Western Avenue, in the heart of Lincoln Square. An opening reception will be held Friday, October 12th, from 6-9 pm. The venue is free and open to public, Saturdays, from 11-3pm, with additional viewing times available by appointment.

DANK-HAUS, German Cultural Center is part of Chicago Artists Month, the twelfth annual celebration of Chicago's vibrant visual art community. In October, more than 200 exhibitions of emerging and established artists, openings, demonstrations, tours, open studios and neighborhood art walks take place at galleries, cultural centers and arts buildings though out the city. For further information, call 312/744-6630 or visit www.cityofchicago.org/CulturalAffairs, or www.chicagoartistmonth.org
Chicago Artists Month is coordinated by the Chicago Department of Tourism with additional support from 3Arts.

As featured on Jeremy Vine

Just got off the 'phone from being on Jeremy Vine. I was not a random caller but someone who e-mailed and got picked!
I was going to be on BBC News 24 about my ADHD but this got shelved. So when I heard that this was going to be a subject on Vine I contacted them with a short synopsis and they invited me onto the programme.
It was pretty nerve-wracking but once I got started it seemed very very brief and I really wanted to say more and give some support to the kids and adults out there who suffer not only from the symptoms but from ignorance and misunderstanding from society: I wanted to leave with an important final word but time just runs out on these things, I really should have tried to say to people not to concentrate on the things kids cant do but the things they CAN do. And that applies to everyone, not just people with a neurological disorder.

To see what I managed to squeeze in, click on Listen Again for Tuesday 28th August on the above link, it should be available from Wednesday 29th. I'm on about an hour and 5 minutes in. Tell me what you think, I'll be interested to find out how I came across. I'd like to do more public speaking on this subject because it is so important to me personally and in the wider world.

Upcoming Shows

Just putting the finishing touches to my work that is going into a joint show at the Bhavan Indian Cultural Centre in London.
As soon as I have designed the flyers I shall display more information.

This as well as Susan's show means hopefully 2007 will finish on a positive note!

Degree Show!

Hi there!
Its my degree show soon. I will be posting images but if you are in the area you can come and see my work and lots of other stuff from very talented people -
http://www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk/33604.htm

see you there!

Sacred Lights

Every Image Has A Story - "Sacred Lights"
From Laura:
"I'm currently looking in to the world of magical thinking, that of belief systems be it regarding religion, superstition, obsessive disorders and advertising, each of which controls the thinking of an individual by potentially negative assumptions i.e I am not worthy/guilt/sin/ideals.
I have been looking at stained glass windows and how they are installed to let only sacred light through them in to the vacinity of the holy area, whilst depicting holy scenes or preaching holy scripture as to how one should behave and live their life, this in turn had me look at billboards and how they too preach 'scripture' and depict how one should behave and live their life. So to the job in hand I set out for my first project : to transform a bus shelter billboard (lit at night) to a stained glass window asa comparison between the two 'sacred lights'"

see pics here on the wooster collective site
http://www.woostercollective.com/2007/04/every_image_has_a_story_sacred_lights.html#mail