Flat Iron Art Shows

2010-03-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

The Big Color dance is set for April 2nd and we are looking for a few more artists to fill out the dance card. Last day for submission is tomorrow.This is an opportunity to demonstrate your talent for working in color and in a large format.

The Big Color dance will treat visitors to a big, bold display of colorful artwork. The art will be strategically hung on the winding, interior walls of the Flat Iron Arts Building so that every twist and turn will be a surprise and a delight. We anticipate a good turnout for this fun show.

2010-02-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

It's exciting to announce today our first two confirmed judges! Since its a widely read, rather looked at, page on our website we KNOW you want to know!

Janet Alberti - Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL

Barbara "Basia" Krol - Artist/Educator, Chicago, IL.

There are more out there that we will announce as the "ink dries" - so keep checking back here, or on our website at www.flatironartshow.com!

Call for Artists

2010-02-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Amidst the planning for the March 5-7 Spring smART Show to be held at the Flat Iron Arts Bldg, we are also announcing our call for artists for a show to open April 2 and run though that weekend!

"the BIG COLOR dance" will contain 24 2D works with a minimum measurement of 4' x 6' and utilization of a "bold sense of rhythmic use of color" - see the call at www.flatironartshow.com ! Join the fun, or at least place BOTH dates in your calendar!

March 5th - 6pm-10pm - Opening Reception for the spring smART Show - then continuing on Saturday until 10pm where many studios also "host" ;-) open houses (again!), then Sunday until 5PM.

April 2 - 6pm - 10pm - Opening Reception, "the BIG COLOR dance"- then continuing on Saturday and Sunday, 1pm-5pm - Join the Call for Artists - or come see some BIG Art with BIG Color!

2010-02-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

Well, If you didn't see it...You didn't did you? As promised, at 10PM that night, the walls were covered (mostly) forever. In all 100 gallons of paint and primer were used over the 6 weeks of ramping up, and covering the show!

If you missed it, well, there will be more coming, but you can see some footage at:

http://www.avclub.com/chicago/articles/now-you-see-it-now-you-dont,37947/

or http://www.wciu.com/youandme.php?section=home&assetID=10001155

Now what happens one wonders. It's gone, never to be seen again - well rumor has it that a new Call for Artists was posted today on both Craigslist and Chicago Artists Resource for another competition, this time with CASH prizes! Rumor also holds, that if you go to www.flatironartshow.com - one might find some information regarding it!

In the meantime, the Flat Iron Artists' Association is also readying the building for the March 5th opening of the Spring smART Show - that and more details at www.flatironartists.com

2010-02-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

We've got a wide range of artists contributing to the "Now You See It, Now You Don't" wall art project at the Flat Iron Art Building this Friday, February 5th. One of the artists you'll see is Sebastian Napoli. I've admired his sticker art and now we get to see him work large on the wall. Here's a sneak preview of what he's been painting, along with some of his other work.

2010-02-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

Howaard Webb is another artist musician with a gallery in the Flat Iron Art Building. Many of his works include references to music or instruments:

For the "Now You See It, Now You Don't" show, Howard says, "I have always loved some Chinese art as you can see in the accompanying images. Given a wall space I took advantage of using an ink drawing Landscape near Nanking by Shih-t'ao as a departure for my wall image. Translating the subtleties of an ink drawing to the pastel hues of latex wall paint was trying, but I have enjoyed the challenge."

2010-02-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

Contributing to the "Now You See It, Now You Don't" project is artist Kelly Jensen.

She says, "a biomedical engineer by trade I am innately drawn to form and structure but am also intrigued by curves and chaos. My mind views the world in a very linear manner even when it’s not in an obvious way. My art tends to reflect that. Photography is my first artistic passion but I also paint and experiment with other forms of artistic expression. I am drawn to images with stark contrast and distinct lines and in most of what I do those two elements can be seen."

I'm excited to see what this creative scientist brings to the walls of the Flat Iron Building!

2010-02-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

After a bit of a hiatus I return with another look at what we can expect THIS FRIDAY at the one-and-only opening night of "Now You See It, Now You Don't" at the Flat Iron Arts Building.

Matthew Morgan is a talented musician and artist who will be participating in the wall art show.

From his bio:
"His artwork combines a strong utilization of vibrant color and idealistic perspective that translates imagery into a more vivid form than what is found in nature."

You can listen to some of Matthew Morgan's music here or check out some more of his awesome artwork here.

2010-01-19T18:17:00.000-08:00

The fascinating photographer Bernard Colbert has taken some amazing photos of the artists hard at work on the walls of the Flat Iron Building. So here's a glimpse of what you'll see (x 10!) on February 5th when "Now You See It, Now You Don't" opens for one night only. The square footage that these artists have covered so far is pretty impressive.

2010-01-13T19:35:00.001-08:00

Since learning the list of artists lined up to participate in the "Now You See It, Now You Don't" show at the Flat Iron Building, I've discovered a couple artists that are new-to-me who are doing some really wild stuff.

Laura Etheredge does these intricate and oddly-comforting pen and ink drawings that appeal to the 80s teeny-bopper in me. These are doodled notebooks taken to the psychotic extreme, and I really like them.

She loves robots, typeface, dragons, old fashioned telephones and much more. Please check them out at her website.

Bill Eaton's paintings are so weird to me, they are awesome. Give this guy some neon pink and a blank wall and watch out!

I think that last one is my favorite.

Finally, here's a glimpse of Keelan McMorrow, a pretty sophisticated painter. I can really appreciate his nod to Austrian artist Egon Schiele.

Please visit his website to view his more recent work, which use shadow-box like compositions to suggest the Surrealist tableau of Joseph Cornell.

And do stop by the Flat Iron Building on February 5th for a one-night-only show featuring these artists and many more!

2010-01-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

The "Now You See It, Now You Don't" show keeps growing and mutating as the weeks go by, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find out that a gaggle of kids from Kelly D. Pelka's Right-Brained Studio will be participating!

Chicago is lucky to have a fantastic resource like Right-Brained Studio, which provides workshops and classes for kids 17 and under in Oak Park. I'm sure everyone already knows how under-funded the arts are in our schools. Luckily Right-Brained Studio and its staff are there to fill in the gaps and inspire the next generation of artists. Kelly and her students will be coming to the Flat Iron Building to paint a wall-art piece that "will represent each young artists' inspirations in art and emphasize the importance of personal creativity and meaning in their work."

Check out Right-Brained Studio on their website, and sign your favorite kiddo up for a workshop or class today!

2010-01-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

The list of participating artists is congealing, and while I perused it this evening I found two artists who I'm excited to see what they come up with for "the wall."

Emmy Star Brown really let's it go with these dreamy, crisp arabesques and flora-looking designs on glass, on paper, on canvas, on chipboard. I especially dig her lettering.

Aaron Kobiella has a similar vibe, but in a way that is more disconcertingly digital (in a good way). I keep expecting the neon worms squiggling around each other to vibrate right off the wall.

2010-01-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

Paint has begun to meet wall and the next five weeks will see many artists contributing to the parade of art that will soon line the walls of the historic Flat Iron Building in Wicker Park, home to the Flat Iron Artists' Association. This non-profit organization brings together art makers and art lovers to promote culture in the city of Chicago. Their support has made possible "Now You See It, Now You Don't," a truly unique, one-night-only way to experience art and architecture in the city. In addition to the big reveal of our winding wall art in February, the monthly First Friday events at the Flat Iron Building are a great opportunity to visit artists' studios, snap up a new piece for your collection from its many galleries, and enjoy the unique architecture of one of Wicker Park's most prominent locations.

Above is artist Charlie Rees getting things started - more photos to come as the art progresses.

2009-12-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

The Flat Iron Artists' Association, have started preparing the serpentine halls of the Flat Iron Building for the upcoming "Now You See It, Now You Don't" one-night-only wall art show on February 5th, so to fuel the excitement I thought I'd start combing around for some inspiration.

In imagining the opening (and only) night of this show, I think about the effect of taking art off nails and wires and spreading it directly against the walls on which it usually hangs. There's something elemental and thrilling about ensconcing ourselves in artistic expression and letting the colors and figures bleed into our own space. Some cultures have used wall art to transform ordinary spaces into sacred, didactic ones. Today it seems like the public art form of choice is the mural, maybe because it so easily slides into our daily lives, or because of its unique relationship to the surface on which it's painted. I wouldn't be surprised if many a mural has saved some amazing yet overlooked architecture from destruction. On the other hand, the stigma attached to graffiti and the persistence of taggers further complicates the role of wall art in contemporary culture.

Here's a few inspirational images I found around on the internet tonight.

(All images copyright their respective owners, websites, etc.)