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Check Out The Gallery Scene, Cheapo!
Monday Dec 26, 2005.
By Erin Brereton
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At my high school, kids were defined by the hallway they hung out in. Gym hallway? Jock. Shop hallway? Electronics/car junkie, possibly with an affinity for Motorhead. (Or, given the stereotyping tendencies of the moment, possibly called "motorhead.") As for me, my domain was the art hallway, mostly by association, as I wasn't a very good artist. But that was where to be: Bigger lockers, lots of people with box purses, the somehow comforting, yet possibly cancerous, fumes wafting out from the photo darkroom...magic. And lucky for me, my best friends were artists—good ones—so I could always find my way into half of one of those huge lockers, or get help in painting class, or have artworks explained to me. And now, more than 10 years after high school ended, those friends are still active in the art world—as creators and observers—and I'm still along for the ride. Which is why, when my friend Michelle asked if I'd like to go with her to our former high school art teacher's gallery for an opening, I said yes. Our teacher, Mr. A, was a fan favorite. For one, he let everyone in high school call him Mr. A, even though his real name was Mr. Anderson. In high school, Mr. A did these giant, bold, stormy paintings and encouraged us to find the art in everything, work independently and steadily create. And I know he was a good teacher, because his lessons have inspired wonderful paintings by my fellow classmates that I've been able to pilfer for the walls of my home. Everybody wins! Mr. A's studio/gallery, the NAB gallery, is in the West Loop at 1117 W. Lake. NAB is a great place. The artists who create in its many alcoves happily lend out the space for shows, workshops and work in general. And unlike some of the fancy downtown galleries, NAB Gallery is a non-profit, artist-run group dedicated to helping out local artists. It's played occupant in different buildings since 1973, settling into its current home in 1991. The West Loop neighborhood wasn't half as trendy then as it is now. However, his studio is directly above a plumbing/toilet store, so he retains what the kids call "street cred." And though he has retired from our illustrious high school (and by illustrious I of course mean soul-crushing), Mr. A remains in contact with many of his former students, even sharing his gallery space so that they can show their work. On a recent Saturday night, he was exhibiting the work of Kathleen Vojta and Susan Sensemann, two artists who didn't know each other but met to critique and share—with each other and everyone else—their recent works. Here's the thing about art gallery openings and shows: They are almost always free. And there are refreshments, typically wine and cheese (which we sampled at NAB) and other hors d'oeuvres. If you can't make the opening, many galleries, including NAB, offer showings by appointment. The quick summary? Art galleries provide a fun, boozey (and cheaper, should you not get your rear in gear on free days) alternative to Chicago's museums. (We even parked for free right in front of NAB). And, like museums, the nice thing about galleries is that you can work at your own pace (especially if they aren't too crowded), pausing as long as you like in front of the works. One in particular that drew me in featured a number of mediums (I think glass, acrylic paint and possibly a photo). And as I was pondering what the heck the artist had made it with, who should appear but Mrs. A, Mr. A's wife—and my former biology teacher! We caught up and chatted about the art and wished each other well before I bumped into one of the artists, Kathleen, who was as nice and humble as you could ever hope for. Her career appears to be at a taking-off stage (the talk of the night was all about how she'd recently sold a piece at an out-of-state gallery) but the nice thing was, she seemed totally unaffected by the financial and business side of the art world. Because it is a business: She was showing her work to get it out there and get it sold, make no mistake. And selling more pieces means possibly someday making a living off her art, which is a dream for those not interested in teaching art or otherwise making a commercial job out of it. But I'm a giant sell-out (in fact, I'm dreaming up the invoice for this column in my head right now) so the whole thing, like many artistically-minded events, left me feeling sorta guilty. But you know, what would be really great would be if I could funnel some of that into inspiration to start writing fiction, work on that great novel, pen a freaking haiku. And maybe I will. Right after I send that invoice... Want to find out more? Visit Nabgallery.org for info on NAB's upcoming shows. For more information on Chicago gallery openings and shows in general, visit Chicagogallerynews.com/openings
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Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap.