How much farther until we get to the other side?

Today, Richard and I went to Artropolis at the Merchandise Mart about 11 a.m. and left about 2:30 p.m. There are 5 concurrent shows under one roof.

Art Chicago (12th floor) — art in a gallery atmosphere featuring works appealing to curators and collectors

NEXT (7th floor) — an invitational exhibition of international contemporary emerging art focusing on single artists or special projects

The Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair (south side of the 8th floor)

The Artist Project (north side of 8th floor) — work of independent artists

The Intuit Show (northwest corner of the 8th floor) — folk and outsider art

We estimated we walked about 5 miles at The Artist Project, part of Intuit, Next, and part of Art Chicago. We saw some of our friends at The Artist Project, including Hiroshi Ariyama, Dawn Brennan, Karen Gubitz, Pamela Johnson, Deborah Maris Lader, Hugh Musick, and Casey Ann Wasniewski.

Both of us really enjoyed Next, which had very interesting, varied and spectacular art. We stopped by Stux Gallery, NY, which features several emerging artists, including Anna Joelsdottir and Don Porcella. Walsh Gallery, Chicago, had an interactive “play and record your own performance installation,” using records in a tree-like sculpture. At Western Exhibitions, Chicago, our friends Dutes Miller and Stan Shellabarger, performed their crochet installation project and we saw their “butter” books (page after page of butter wrappers). Three artists I liked at Next: Michael Velliquette (DCKT, NY) showed his playfulness with fanciful paper collages of dreamlike creatures and monsters; Dana Melamed (Priska C. Juschka Fine Art) expertly used transparency film printing waste, acrylic and charcoal on paper to create 3D phantasmagorical paintings; Aidas Bareitis (Leo Koening, NY) used charcoal pencil on paper to create spontaneous portraits and landscapes with seemingly scratchy brilliance.

Jane Fulton Alt participates in her own installation

Craig Anderson plays with his sculptured paintings

Hiroshi Ariyama with his new limited edition screenprints

Dawn Brennan and her hero

Karen Gubitz creates large sculptures from wood and natural materials

Anna Joelsdottir displays her new work in mylar and ink.
Permission: Stux Gallery, NY.

Pamela Johnson paints foods we are addicted to

Deborah Maris Lader excels at tiny print works

Hugh Musick incorporates stories with his collages

Don Porcella creates fantastic things with pipe cleaners.
Permission: Stux Gallery, NY.

You can’t help but notice Dutes Miller and Stan Shellabarger
crocheting their pink tube. Permission: Western Exhibitions, Chicago.

What a great idea Dutes and Stan. Butter books.
Permission: Western Exhibitions, Chicago.

Casey Ann Wasniewski creates sculptures from embroidered fiber

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