Gabriel Villa, Nicole Marroquin, Eric Garcia and Salvador Jiménez spoke last month at the University of Illinois at Chicago event dubbed “La Tierra Prometidad,” which is Spanish for “The Promised Land.”

These four artists are all from Pilsen, a neighborhood on the Lower West Side of Chicago that is home to mostly Hispanics and many thriving artists who want to showcase their work outside of the typical art gallery. The four artists promote their own work and help teach self-promoting to artists all over Chicago.

Villa, who teaches art in the Pilsen neighborhood said, “Artists of color talk about not being represented, [it] feels like they are taking the stance of being victim.”

Villa agreed that artists of color are under-represented in mainstream places. But that didn’t stop him. In 2009, he painted a mural about the Chicago Police Department’s blue-light cameras on the side of a business. Villa wanted to show his idea of what the blue-light cameras actually do, and wanted to show the people of Chicago. Although Villa had permission from the private business to paint the mural, it was destroyed three weeks later under the orders of 11th Ward Ald. James Balcer.

But Villa’s story didn’t stop other artists. Garcia shows his art all over the city and said, “I’m trying to tell a story and influence people’s ideas with my art.”

Garcia uses art to educate and demonstrate the issues in culture. But he doesn’t just use galleries to show his artwork; he is also recognized in art throughout the city streets, where he focuses on making sure people remember his art and remember the message he is trying to convey.

Marroquin agreed. “[In the] public is the best way to show work,” said Marroquin. “You have to work in both traditional and non-traditional places.”

Marroquin works with teens across the United States and helps them create art for studio spaces as well as on the streets across the country. Marroquin helps guide teens to design art on the sides of buildings, in alleys and even as simple as on the sidewalk of a local street. She believes that you have to be able to show your work in both environments to be successful.

“As an artist, my goal is to show the artwork,” Jiménez said. “[I] promote artwork by having [the viewer] see the piece and have it strong enough to stay with them in their mind.”

Jiménez doesn’t necessarily use the streets as a way to get his artwork seen, but uses unconventional spaces like coffee shops, local stores, bars and gyms.

Rigoberto Robles, a 22-year-old full-time student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was amazed at the information in the meeting. “It shows how art affects people,” said Robles.

The meeting even inspired Martha Ramirez, also 22-year-old full-time student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “I received an e-mail about this meeting and it was informing,” Ramirez said, adding that she was interested in finding a way to self-promote her own artwork and will go to these artists for support.

Garcia ended the meeting by make sure everyone understood one thing: “[It] is a challenge to get art into the world and galleries,” but to never stop trying.

On Sunday, Dec. 12 from 4 to 7 p.m., StreetWise magazine will hold its Third Annual Holiday Fundraiser at Praha, 3849 North Lincoln Ave. Praha will edonate 15 percent of their sales to Streetwise.

StreetWise Inc. is a social enterprise organization that helps unemployed and underemployed men and women. By providing social services like employment training and housing support, StreetWise is able to accomplish its mission. The organization also publishes StreetWise Magazine, a weekly publication that vendors at risk of homelessness sell for both profit and a meaningful employment experience — a way to assist on their journey towards financial stability.

Designer Christine Hutchison of Five Accessories will be selling her pieces at the Streetwise fundraiser for the second time. Her unique designs combine fashion and style with social awareness. Five Accessories prides itself on being a social enterprise committed to creating eco-friendly sustainable fashions including handbags, jewelry and home decor.

Five Accessories has five lines from five different countries: Bali, India, Honduras and the U.S. Products to be featured  at the Praha event include the Bamboo and Coconut Shell handbags from the Bali Collection. Five Accessories employs people from small villages to hand-craft the items. Five dollars from each handbag and 15 percent of each jewelry sale go toward a foundation that supports under-privileged school children to help them continue their education.

Also on display at the Praha event will be handbags from the Cambodia line. The bags come in a variety of sizes, the smallest capable of holding an iPad. The bags are hand-made of repurposed mosquito netting  in Phom Phem, Cambodia by members of the group Smateria. A portion of the proceeds are donated to help women and children who are victims of human trafficking and sex slavery.

Off the Street is Five Accessories’ newest line. This income-generating program employs vendors from Streetwise on an hourly basis to create handmade accessories using recycled material from the streets of Chicago. “Off the Street empowers people to stay off the street by using recycled material,” Hutchison said.

Streetwise vendors also collect materials including bottle tops and old transit cards to make the accessories. They get credit towards buying StreetWise magazines by collecting the recyclable materials. With the help of StreetWise, Five Accessories has collected more than 12,000 transit cards.

The products made through the Off the Street Program include picture frames and bracelets. The picture frames are adorned with either transit cards or recycled newspapers. Bottle top bracelets are made from can pop tops and ribbon. The bracelets come in a variety of colors that include purple, green, orange and blue. Each item comes with the picture and story of the individual who made it, and 15 percent of each sale is donated back to StreetWise.

For more information on the Streetwise Holiday Fundraiser, check out the flier on the StreetWise website. Hutchison and Five Accessories with be featured in StreetWise Magazine this December. To inquire about custom orders or online shopping, got to www.fiveaccessories.com.

On  Saturday, Dec. 4 from 2 to 9 p.m., get some extra warmth at the Winter Celebration on Milwaukee Avenue. The nexus of fun will be the Logan Square Holiday Art Sale at Cole’s Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Holiday art from local fine artists will include an assortment of original art and handmade items from paintings, prints, drawings, photography, letterpress, cards, buttons, collages, recycled crafts, silk-screened bags, non-denominational holiday balls, dioramas, jewelry to Mexican wrestling masks. We are all pinching pennies this year, and many items are under $50.

From there, it’s only a short walk along Milwaukee Avenue to be part of the Winter Celebration. Businesses that are participating include the Sulzen Fine Arts Studio, Revolution Brewery and Hairitics, Chicken Run and other local restaurants. Anti-Matter Studio, Threads Etc. and Cafe Mustache will be all gussied up for the event. The LIMIT Community Mural can bring back summer memories if it isn’t too cold.

The Logan Square Holiday Art Sale & Winter Celebration is organized by AnySquared Projects. For information, e-mail , call 773-862-9609 or visit the Logan Square Holiday Art Sale page at www.anysquared.com/2010_holiday/holiday10.htm.

Your key to the day:

Logan Square Holiday Art Sale & Winter Celebration: A 1-day/2-block extravaganza with a flurry of activities including art, artists, and fun!
When:
Saturday, Dec. 4, 2 – 9 p.m.
• Logan Square Holiday Art Sale: 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2nd floor (Cole’s Bar)
• Winter Celebration: California/Milwaukee Area — 2200-2300 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Visit website for details.
(Milwaukee, between St. Georges Ct. & Medill—California Blueline Stop. Off the Milwaukee, Fullerton, & California buses)

For information:
773-862-9609,  or visit www.anysquared.com

“Her bouffant was an hourglass shape and not round, like everyone else’s,” recalled Spatz in a recent interview.

She loved styling hair so much that she got a full-time stylist position during high school. She wanted to drop out and go to work as a stylist, but her mother wouldn’t let her leave school. Instead, her mother gave her tuition to attend a beauty academy as a graduation gift after high school.

From her simple beginnings, Spatz, now 53, owns a well-known salon, Selvaggio, in the Edison Park area on the Northwest Side of Chicago, which does about 250 haircuts a week. Along with one other stylist, she earns about $10,000 a month. Spatz founded her salon in 2005.

“I can cut seven haircuts in five different techniques,” she said. “Being a well-rounded hairdresser is my favorite because I know how to do all three things well.”

She also believes that cutting and styling hair is an important contribution to other people’s happiness. “Hair is an expression of someone’s beauty, personality,” she said. “They can be a chameleon with their hair.”

Spatz, who sports an angled bob with highlights, has warm hazel eyes and a round face. Her love for her clients is contagious, and her positive feelings for her work are obvious. Of Italian descent, Spatz said she loves cooking Italian dishes and decorating her home and her salon; its walls are covered with portraits of the reggae singer Bob Marley, as well as photos of haircuts she feels most proud of.

“I think hairdressers are usually the most happy people in the world; there is a major history to hairdressing that is inspiring,” she said.

Spatz is following a tradition that started thousands of years ago. Evidence of hairdressing dates back to 30,000-25,000 BC, also known as the Ice Age, according to “Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History” by Victoria Sherrow. In her book, Sherrow said this evidence came from two statuettes, as well as scientific discoveries from pictures, artifacts and writings.

Like many hairdressers before her, Spatz was fortunate enough to be trained by some of the true masters of the industry, she said. One of these masters and the most influential to her was the top international hair designer, Irving Rusk.

Before launching her own salon, Spatz was among the select few who were able to work alongside the legendary Rusk. “He would come into Vidal Sassoon and train us,” she said. Rusk drew admirers from all over world. Spatz worked with teams to collaborate on styles and accompanied Rusk to styling conventions in Chicago.

“He was a mentor of mine,” she recalled. “I loved what he did. We worked as a true team. He produced looks that took over the whole industry. People ran to his shows before anything else.”

But her career was not always one of glamor and conventions. Spatz worked for seven years in her own basement after she married and became pregnant with her daughter and, later, her son. While she was working in her home, however, she read hairdressing journals like Estetica and kept up with changes in the industry, she said.

Her previous work places included Sam Martiranos in Northbrook and Vidal Sassoon in the Gold Coast.

A free-spirited type, Spatz moved to London in 1978 to cut hair after seeing an ad for a job there. “It was the height of pure rock. I learned how to cut inversions, mohawks, punky extreme haircuts.”

She also met the rock singer Rod Stewart there.

Spatz moved back to Chicago in 1979 and has lived here since, where she has developed a large circle of admirers, loyal clients and friends.

“I think she’s the best hairdresser in the entire world,” said Glee Mangiamele, 53, Spatz’s best friend. “I don’t care where she is in the world; I’ll go. If she moved to a hut in Jamaica, I’d go out there or fly her here.”

Mangiamele said Spatz is able to make her look her best. “She always makes me feel like I have the best hair in the world.”

Spatz has clients of all ages. Tanya Quershi, 20, a student who lives in Morton Grove, said when she got her first haircut from Spatz, she thought Spatz was cutting her hair too fast. “I got a little scared because she used a razor instead of scissors, but the end result was perfect.”

Allison Spatz, 25, who is Spatz’s daughter, said she refers her friends to her mother and they “rave about her.”

Allison Spatz said her mother cuts hair in a way that enables clients to recreate the same look at home. “She makes it easy. And if you don’t know how, she’ll show you how while you’re in her chair until you feel comfortable to do it on your own.”

She also credited her mother with being able to take a woman’s look and achieve a new style that is appropriate and still fashionable.

Spatz herself said one of her goals in cutting hair is to encourage people to try different hairstyles. “Some are so attached to the same look and hair that they don’t realize what a new look can do for them. They become so regimented,” she said.

Her daughter credited Spatz with putting clients’ interests above those of her own. “She’s honest. If she doesn’t think you’ll look good with the idea you’re thinking of because a lot of people want the most popular ‘in’ look, she will tell you. She helps you create a look of your own.”

Another client, Kristen Hope, agreed that Spatz sincerely cares about her customers. “I feel like I’m taken care of, as opposed to taken advantage of,” she said. Hope said she has been coming to Spatz for haircuts for five years.

Apparently Spatz commands a feeling of deep loyalty from some of her clients.

Spatz tells the story of Delores Hank, 89, a short, bubbly, white-haired client who drives a Mercedes-Benz and always brings cakes or flowering plants to Spatz with every appointment. “She was one of my first clients, and I still do her hair today,” Spatz said, laughing.

More info on the Museum of Contemporary Art
More info on Redmoon Theatre

An enthusiastic crowd dancing with Ajanta at World Music Festival, 2010

My personal journey as a Bollywood dancer started at age 5. Living in India, it was a little difficult to escape it. Mom sent me to classical Indian dance training and, despising every moment of it as a 10-year-old, I still learned the fundamentals of dance, movement and technique that comes handy every dancing moment of my life.

As I grew older, dance took a backstep as, like every other Indian kid, I immersed myself into an attempt to become a doctor or an engineer, the two favorite professions of middle-class India.

Years later, after coming to California, an instructor surprised me by offering me a teaching position. “Teach dance? Me?” I was terrified! I showed up in class without any training and showed a bunch of moves to a semi-beginner class. They stared at me as if I was from a different planet and I knew I was in trouble. However, eight weeks and one stage show later, I not only learned the concept of “breaking down the moves” but also discovered my biggest passion, teaching Bollywood dance!

From there, there was no stopping.  I continued to teach and perform for various companies in Bay Area where Bollywood is so available that it has become a commodity. I still continued with my effort to sneak in a little more quality, a little more meaning to my content. In 2008, I decided to start my own dance company. The goal was to provide an environment where dancers of all dance styles from around globe had a platform to work together. The company, while it did not make me any richer, provided unlimited experiences both good and bad and in some ways were life changing.

Earlier this year, I left all of that behind to move to Evanston. I even managed to not dance for a whole month and then realized the futility of fighting destiny. I re-started my classes and was overwhelmed with the warmth and support of Chicagoland people. I was most impressed by their desire to experience India and Indian culture through my dance classes and performances and everywhere I went, people danced with me – irrespective of their background, ethnicity, prior experience with Indian dances and so on.

So here I am, few months into my new endeavor, Bollywood Groove, and hoping to increase awareness about Indian dances in a way that is accessible to all. I have been blessed by many fantastic performance and teaching opportunities and I hope I continue to receive the same Chicago love for years to come!

From a California transplant who is loving every moment of dancing in Chicago!

- Ajanta (www.bollygroove.com)

How would you like to attend a radio conference featuring workshops in voiceover, audio drama, and podcasting, while also listening to panelists that include some of the most successful on-air talent, production personnel, and producers from across the nation?

Now’s your chance! Columbia College Chicago and Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems are pleased to announce the 7th Annual Midwest Regional High School and College Radio Conference at Columbia College on Saturday, October 23, 2010.

via Columbia College Chicago : Featured News Story.

Image via Wikipedia

Tired of the same old thing? October is Chicago Artists Month so there are exhibits, open studios, screenings and more.

There are 30 or so events or galleries open every day. A sample of Sunday ‘s includes a walk with artists who will make souvenirs along the way and an eclectic video screening. Search the events calendar to create your custom art itinerary by the day or week.

Here are a couple of today’s events that caught our eye:

Tonight, join Cinema Minima Film/Video, part of the Life in Progress series, to see some short videos and film that include video art, performance and documentary from 10-15 artists/filmmakers/videographers.  Called AnyVision, the video screening on Sunday, Oct. 3 from 7:30 – 10 p.m. will be at Cole’s Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Logan Square.

The shorts are a mix of styles, from Joy Whalen’s work in my loneliness is a lazy prostitute, to Ines Sommers’ informative short documentary on participatory budgeting in Chicago’s 49th Ward, to Michael Bolsinga’s time-lapse videos of his progress of creating Americanadia. Part of AnySquared Projects’ LIP (Life in Progress) art and video series for Chicago Artists Month, AnyVision highlights the personal, the political, the atmospheric, and the emotional with answers to the question “What is progress.”

• When: Sunday October 3, 7:30 – 10 p.m.
• Where: Cole’s Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave.
• For information: www.anysquared.com, , 773.862.9609

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• Albany Park Art Project Continues, 1st North Park Art Walk (windycitizen.com)

They sell the art at local festivals and events to support their income, while sharing the wealth with other parents. Some have even found jobs teaching classes through the program, like Maria Rosa Martinez, the instructor of the arts class, who said her courses prepare parents to get ahead.

“It’s a way for people to create their own business and get a hand with work to become independent artisans,” said Martinez.

The Resurrection Project funds the local after-school program, “Elev8 Chicago.” Elev8 is held for both students and adults during the school year offering afternoon classes that range from art and yoga classes, to basic computer and English courses.

Elev8 Site Coordinator Luis Bermudez said five different schools throughout Chicago offer similar after-school programs, including Ames Middle School in Logan Square and Reavis Elementary School in Hyde Park. Bermudez said the art class at Orozco was designed to create economic opportunities for parents while building a stronger school community.

“Like The Resurrection Project, it’s a holistic development. It’s not enough to provide an after-school program for kids,” said Bermudez. “The idea is to see the family as a whole by partnering with other organizations. That’s all part of Elev8, and the art component is just part of something larger.”

What once started as a small art class of 10 parents almost three years ago has grown to classes of 180-some adults.

Sonia Zamora, parent-leader and volunteer at Orozco, said although the art classes are free, the cost to run the arts program can be pricey when adding the materials, such as corn flour, baby oil, paints and chemicals used to preserve the ceramic. The overall cost to run the adult after-school program is $20,000 a year, and $28,000 to $30,000 for the student program.

“It’s expensive to do this kind of workshop, and sometimes the school doesn’t have enough funds,” said Zamora.

Resurrection Project Board member Raul Hernandez said if the funding from local organizations and help from other programs in the community were not available, this opportunity for parents and students would not be possible; companies such as Atlantis Philanthropy and Northern Trust have donated thousands of dollars to the project. He said with these alliances through organizations, churches and local businesses, The Resurrection Project is working to place more programs in the community, but help is limited.

“Funding is hard to come by, and it’s been a struggle for us to get those funds,” said Hernandez.

Resurrection Project Executive Director Raul Raymundo said it’s a joint effort from the community and groups like Elev8 that make these types of programs possible, and he hopes to see more classes. He said The Resurrection Project is partnering with schools like Orozco to bring resources that provide opportunities for parents and students to better themselves.

“Elev8 has improved our quality of life at many levels but, most important, it has given us an opportunity to grow as parents to be able to help our children succeed academically and beyond,” said Zamora.

The Resurrection Project also funds community investment in subsidized homes, rental housing for seniors and community facilities, such as day care. For more information how to get involved in these programs, or to help fund this organization, visit www.resurrectionproject.org.

The  Chicago Public Art Group and Logan Square Neighborhood Association headed up a group of volunteers who helped paint a mural and celebrate Chicago Foundation for Women’s 25th anniversary on August 21. The Chicago Foundation for Women grant provided a grant to bankroll the project. The mural, on the south-facing retaining wall of the planned Bloomingdale Trail, located at W. Bloomingdale Ave. and N. Albany Rd., was developed with the local community and painted by primarily female team.

You can see photos of the event and mural at the CFW  Picasa photo album.

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We are always looking for quality, low-cost or free events. We encourage you to send us a voice report (call it in at 312 436 1820) if you attend any of these, upload photos, or send us a link to video clips. You can submit the information on any events, and we will the information to our “Look Now” section.

One of the 46000 objects by Rev. Howard Finster

Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster

An evangelistic preacher in paint and self-proclaimed “Man of Visions,” Reverend Howard Finster became one of the most widely known and prolific self-taught artists, producing over 46,000 pieces of art before his death in 2001.

A wide range of objects, paintings, and documentation provide an in-depth survey of Finster’s career, covering the variety of themes of his work, much of it relating to his visionary experiences, including: Visions of Other Worlds, Sermons in Paint, Historical and Cultural Heroes, and his renowned installation environment at The Plant Farm Museum [Paradise Garden].

Dates:
July 24 through September 26

Hours:
Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. to  7 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Admission is FREE.

Location:
Chicago Cultural Center 78 E. Washington St, Exhibit Hall, Chicago, IL 60602

• Thursday, August 12, 12:15 p.m.: Gallery Talk with Michael Bonesteel, author and art historian
• Monday, August 30, 6 p.m.: Film Screening and Panel Discussion of the 30 minute version of the still in progress documentary, I Can Feel Another Planet in My Soul: Strange Visions. Wondrous Art. The Remarkable World of Howard Finster, screens, followed by a panel discussion with film producer Steven Pattie, collector Jim Arient, writer Monica Westin, and moderated by Lanny Silverman, Curator of Exhibitions for the Chicago Cultural Center.
• Thursday, September 2, 12:15 p.m.: Slide Lecture with Lisa Stone, Director of the Roger Brown Study Center 

This exhibition is curated by Glen C. Davies, organized by the Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and sponsored in part by Fox Development Corporation; Thomas E. Scanlin; Office of the Chancellor, U of I; Office of the Provost and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, U of I; Illinois Arts Council; Krannert Art Museum Director’s Circle Fund; and Krannert Art Museum Council.

This exhibition is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Founded in 2005, AREA Chicago comprises both a biannual magazine and a series of sponsored events. Its publications and events serve the double mission of researching art, education, and activist practices within the city of Chicago and producing and strengthening networks among grassroots practitioners. They publish Chicago Radicalendar as well.

Live music by Band Practice & Simon Strikeback (from Actor Slash Model) from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will also be map making and snacks.

Artists include: Charlie Vinz, DiDi Grim, Mary Patten, Mathias Regan and Amy Partridge, Jayne Hileman, Claire Pentecost, Mary Sea, Marian Hayes, Rachel Wallis, Robin Hewlett, Annie Siegler, Laura Szumowski, Csilla Kosa, Frank Rico, Nicole Marroquin, Rebecca Zorach, Claudia Garcia-Rojas, Kolektif Atis Jakmel, Josephine Ferorelli, Jhonathan F. Gómez, Neil Brideau, Alex Guzman and more.

For more information, email Rachel at . See more info at: Facebook Event.