Artist of the Week

Chicago Artist Month

October is the 13th annual Chicago Artist Month, and as a result there are open studios, galleries, and special events all over the city. What I thought I would do is ask a few of my favorite Chicago artists what having an entire month devoted to them means to them, and what they have planned this month. For a breakdown of all that is planned for this month you can visit chicagoartistsmonth.org.

Joey Potts

I am very excited about Chicago Artist Month. Chicago has so many talented artists, and its great to have people excited to see new art, discover new artists and galleries, and take part in the artist community. It is a very busy month for me, I am finalizing 22 brand new paintings for my first solo show, and I am extremely excited and proud to be having it at home in Chicago. The show is entitled 'Quest for the Cyclops Pyramid' and will open officially on the 18th of October, 7-11pm at 32nd and Urban Gallery in Bridgeport. There is a 'soft' opening for the show on Friday, October 17th. 32nd and Urban is located at 3201 S Halsted. I am thrilled to be having the opening at 32nd and Urban, as they have been showing great works and pushing the boundaries since they opened almost two years ago.

I will be having a brand new t-shirt design with local Chicago based clothing and design label Formula Werks released this month. Go to formulawerks.com and sign up for the newsletters to be notified of the release. I gotta say, its one of my favorite designs!

I am also in what's sure to be an amazing group show entitled 'We Need Each Other' at Oh No! Doom gallery. The fine folks at Oh No! Doom asked 40 artists to paint two one foot square panels. The panels will be put together to form one gigantic 80 panel art piece. Think of it as a gigantic exquisite corpse...it is going to be quite impressive. 'We Need Each Other' opens Saturday October 11th from 6-11pm, which is located at 2955 W Lyndale.

The last show I will be in this October is, unfortunately, not in Chicago. However, I am very honored to have been asked to participate. The show is being put on by Osaka Popstar for their vinyl 'Devil Dog' toy. This show features tons of artists from around the world who will all customize the 'Devil Dog' vinyl toy. Artists include local Chicago artists Jose Garibaldi, Joey D, Formula Werks, Brian Morris, Yunicorn, Travis Lampe, Revise CMW, and Peabe (although he recently moved to San Fran), as well artists such as Ron English, Shepard Fairey, Jim Mahfood, and Robert Rodriguez...yes, the Robert Rodriguez. The show opens Halloween night at The Showroom Gallery in NYC.

Be sure to keep an eye on http://www.wearecartel.com/. It is a Chicago based art collective I am part of, and we regularly post updates on our own shows and happenings. Make sure to check out Revise CMW's weekly weekend blogs!!!!

Its going to be a great month, and I hope to see everyone out and about enjoying artists month!



Erika Bjornson

I don't have enough good things to say about Chicago Artists Month. I am currently exhibiting in the Andersonville Arts Weekend where businesses along Clark Street are selecting artists to showcase their work. There will be receptions on Friday evening, Oct.3rd and I will be at zozos for kids. I hope many people come to Andersonville because it's sure to be a wonderful evening/weekend. Since participating in an open studio last October during Chicago Artists Month, I was able to meet many wonderful people and have been selected for several art fairs and have been featured in two group exhibitions at The Black Walnut Gallery in the West Loop. I hope all artists and art lovers will come out in October to see the amazing amount of work at their fingertips.



Danny Powell

My opinion of chicago artists month is: Lots of things happening, so it is nice to get out see everyone's work before it gets too cold and were all stuck inside. Besides the Chicago Art Collectives show on 10/25 (organized by Daniel Gerdes), I plan on seeing Damien James' new work at around the coyote..which is in the loop this year. Damien showed in the space next to me at the fall atc in 2006, and that is where i met a lot of my friends...including Kim Frieders. October is a great month to meet other artists if you are new to things in Chicago.



Kim Frieders

The great thing about Chicago Artists Month is its motivational quality. Galleries and independent curators focus on Chicago artists, often offering opportunities available at no other time of year, for artists to exhibit and art lovers to discover local talent. Not only that, Chicago Artists Month is a call to action for the DIY artist. In years past I've put on my own independent events and participated in group shows put on by large institutions. This year, I am participating in what I like to call a "Collectives collective". Parts and Labor Collective, Infidel Group and Deadline Projects will join forces to show art lovers what Chicago's Art Collectives are made of (I'll be representing the first 2). The show will be held at the Parts and Labor loft at 3144 W Carroll - watch my exhibitions page for details!

Kristin Reger

I'm showing at the CCT GALLERY as part of a group show:
'Perspectives'
Opening Reception
Friday, October 3, 2008 5:30 - 8:00 pm
Through December 12th, 2008
CCT Gallery 1012 N. Noble Street Chicago, IL 60622