Mutability Servando Garcia, James Kao, Ann Toebbe Curated by Patricia Courson
Opening Reception: September 13th 6-10pm Continues through November 1, 2008
ATC Gallery is pleased to present the opening of their 2008 fall gallery season with Mutability featuring new and recent work from Servando Garcia, James Kao, and Ann Toebbe. These three painters converge to catalogue the many ways in which paint blurs the lines of subject and reality through muted palette, perspective and investigations of space.
Garcia describes his practice as concerned with the creation of space as an expression, and an absorptive visual experience. This exhibition showcases several of his new oil paintings and watercolors made after his transitional move from Chicago to San Francisco in 2007. The work often depicts scenes from his apartment and family life in solemn hues with the occasional flash of bright marks and imagery. Garcia’s new work is greatly influenced by his daughter, familial surroundings and the writing of James Elkins.
All three artists share several similarities in the way their surroundings influence their subject matter, color and approach to painting. Toebbe seeks to create a personal lexicon of memory through repetition of familiar objects found in the various places she has called home over the last decade. Furniture arrangements, holiday decorations, and mealtime detritus can be found within her compressed picture planes that lay somewhere between abstraction and representation. Toebbe shows her Nativity paintings that celebrate family tradition, but also remind the viewer about the fleeting joy of life through the somber grays and blacks within the series; they are one Christmas tree closer to death
Kao’s work cycles through varying phases of romanticism and convention within the context of his still lives and studio landscapes. He describes his work as recording direct and repeated observations; each reiteration of similar motifs marks an increasing intimacy with the world and moves an observational practice closer to a private meditation. Much like Garcia and Toebbe, Kao draws inspiration from his surroundings and daily encounters with ordinary household objects. He is particularly fascinated with dried and rotting oranges; they signify a sentimental offering, sacrifice or emotional presence within the paintings.
Servando Garcia lives and works in San Francisco. He received his Masters of Fine Art at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007. Solo exhibitions include “Everything is Going to Be Okay”, Togonon Gallery in San Francisco and “Works on Paper”, Togonon Gallery. Selected group exhibitions include “Struck” Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, Lloyd Dobler Gallery, Chicago, Gallery 2, Chicago, NEXT Art Fair in 2008.
James Kao lives and works in Chicago. He received his Masters of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2006. Selected solo exhibitions include “James Kao: New Paintings”, Gosia Koscielak Gallery, Chicago and “Dilations”, Gosia Koscielak Gallery, Chicago. Selected group exhibitions include “Ten”, Toomey Tourell Fine Art, San Francisco, CA, “artWork5”, Gallery 2, Chicago, “Interstitial”, Zhou B Arts Center, Chicago.
Ann Toebbe lives and works in Chicago. She received her Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Art in 2004 and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Residency in 2000. Solo exhibitions include “Churches”, Branch Gallery, Durham, NC and “Stained Glass”, ThreeWalls, Chicago. Selected group exhibitions and projects include “Bellwether”, Curated by Shannon Stratton, Vox Populi Gallery, Philadelphia PA, “Constellation”, Curated by Michelle Beckett, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, “Darling Project”, Wendy Cooper Gallery, Chicago, and “Grandma”, AfterModern, San Francisco, CA traveling to Brooklyn Fire Proof, Brooklyn, NY.
2008 Around the Coyote Fall Arts Festival Friday, October 17: 6pm- 10pm (opening party) Saturday, October 18: noon-10pm Sunday: October 19: noon-6pm
After 19 years in Wicker Park, Around the Coyote is moving its fall emerging art festival to the WEST LOOP. Because of our constant efforts to expand and improve our services to artists, Around the Coyote has found a beautiful new venue for its 2008 Fall Arts Festival in one of Chicago’s most vibrant art neighborhoods. PLUMBERS’ HALL (1340 W. Washington Blvd) will house OVER 150 VISUAL ARTISTS’ BOOTHS as well as our LITERARY readings, FILM screenings, MUSIC and THEATRE performances. Some of the country’s best undiscovered painters, sculptors, photographers, installation artists, printmakers, filmmakers, actors, performance artists, musicians and poets will exhibit, sell and perform their work - all under one roof.
But that isn’t the only change Around the Coyote is making to its fall art festival. This year we announce our BEST NEW ARTIST AWARD. One deserving artist will be selected by Around the Coyote staff and our guest curator, ALLISON PETERS QUINN, Director of Exhibitions at Hyde Park Art Center, as the most promising new artist of 2008 and will be awarded $2,000 to be used, as the artist sees fit, in furtherance of that artist's practice. Every submitting artist will be considered for the cash award. The prize will be awarded based on the quality and progressiveness of the artist's work and the professionalism of their application. Our festival curators are unparalleled in their connection to the best new artists working in Chicago. Each was given free reign to curate their programs from applying and invited artists and the results have been outstanding. This festival’s curators include: Allison Peters Quinn (visual art), Catherine Forster (film), Kristi McGuire (literary), Seth Vanek and Aaron Rodgers (music), Oriana Fowler (theatre), and Daniel Tucker (public art). Exhibiting visual artists include: Ben Cowan, Sadie Harmon, nikki hollander, Peter Hoffman, William Hunter, Katy Keefe, Ross Martens, Darren Oberto, Jie Qi, Shawn Stucky…and many more. Images are available upon request.
A Curator’s Choice Tour, Beginning Collectors Tour, Public Art Projects spanning all of Chicago and lectures by artists and art professionals will also take place throughout the festival weekend. For more information call 773-342-6777 or go to www.aroundthecoyote.org/festival /2008_fall/ for a complete schedule.
Festival Tickets: Friday night opening party admission includes weekend pass, food and drinks: $40 patron ticket, $100 VIP donor Festival Day Pass: $10 (one day of visual art, literary, film, music, and theatre) Weekend Pass: $15 (includes Saturday and Sunday admission to visual art, literary, film, music and theatre) To purchase Festival Day Passes or Weekend passes in advance go to Going.com/aroundthecoyote. Tickets are also sold at the door throughout the festival. Passes are good for any performance, venue and party throughout the weekend while seating is available. We recommend getting to any performance 30 minutes early to assure seating. Tickets held at Will Call can be picked up throughout festival weekend at Plumber’s Hall, 1340 W. Washington. All fees are suggested donations.
In conjunction with the Festival in the West Loop, our Public Art Series showcasing the AREA Chicago Atlas Project curated by Daniel Tucker will open in Wicker Park on Saturday, October 18th. Supported in part by the SSA #33; more information TBA.
The Around the Coyote 2008 Fall Arts Festival is part of Chicago Artists Month, the thirteenth annual celebration of Chicago’s vibrant visual art community coordinated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and sponsored by the Chicago Office of Tourism with additional support from 3Arts. For more information, call 312/744-6630 or visit www.chicagoartistsmonth.org.
Around the Coyote, a 501(c)3 non-profit, supports, promotes and makes accessible Chicago's multidisciplinary arts community. Our activities enhance public discourse and provide creative outlets for emerging artists. Year-round programming includes multi-media arts festivals featuring visual art, theater, dance, video and poetry in the spring and fall; art exhibitions in the Around the Coyote gallery; an artist-in-residence program; membership opportunities for artists and art aficionados; educational outreach for all ages through multi-media art workshops, lectures, collaborations with local schools and agencies, and career development workshops for artists. This programming is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the CityArts Program 2 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
