Betty Rymer Gallery, Chicago:
"Fool's Paradise" (exhibition on view August 15 - September 22)
Reception: Thursday, September 7, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

A nation, a home, the pastoral, urban, a city, a forest, suburban, rural. How do we define these places? Where does one start and another begin? In this exhibition, each artist explores the elusive geographic and metaphoric meaning of a particular place. What emerges are new landscapes that seek to fictionalize, rather than represent the environment, by using imagination to fashion a fantasy. Whether romantic or mythical, bleak or idyllic, the artwork questions the future of landscape art while investigating the evolving boundaries of place in today's society.

Artists include Stephen Eichhorn, Brock Enright, Ivan Hürzeler, Rashid Johnson, Jessica Labatte, Rich Mansfield, Thomas Rapai, and jon.satrom.


This exhibition is curated by Murphy Dunn and Madeline Nusser and is supported, in part, by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state
agency.

Betty Rymer Gallery
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
280 S. Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60603
312.443.3703
saic_brg@artic.edu
http://www.artic.edu/saic/bettyrymer
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm

Marwen Alum and current Artist-teacher will be in a small group show opening at Polvo this Friday. Stop by and see some of his new work: artists' books and drawings.

Regin Igloria: Gone Backwoods
mini-exhibit: more stuff from the polvo archives/collection
flatscreen dvd: Michael Gumhold (Austria)

Polvo's summer continues by showcasing the work of Regin Igloria. For this show Regin will exhibit a series of drawings and artists' books. He describes his work: "My drawings and books utilize the tactics of popular imagery seen in catalogs, outdoor magazines and public phenomena-examples of cultural media-to convey this emotional plight. Longing to be elsewhere, of finding a home which may never be lived in is a joy in itself. The physical act of creating my work is a slow, methodical process. I participate in such an activity as I might on an outdoor hike, experiencing its difficult moments, continuing forward, finding a place to stop and rest, and moving forward once again."

Regin has an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design and a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is responsible for active recruitment for Ragdale, collaboration with other arts organizations, managing all phases of the application process including panel selection and review, serving as a liaison between residents and staff during residency and establishing a strong alumni program.

Opening Friday August 18 from 6pm-10pm
August 18 - September 9, 2006

Polvo
1458 W. 18th St. 1R
Chicago, IL 60608
773.344.1940
http://www.polvo.org
Hours: Saturdays from Noon-5pm or by appointment

Meet Mike Nourse...
Mike joined the ranks at Marwen as Marwen's Manager of Studio Programs in early July.

Mike Nourse is a man of many fingers, but he works primarily in digital video. Since graduating from SAIC'’s Visual Communication program in 2002, he has been teaching media studies at both Depaul University and SAIC. Mike has produced a series video shorts focused on entertainment, news, and political media commentaries that he considers "investigations"” or "re:constructions", as they follow rules to yield results. While he works with various festivals (both as contributor and curator), he also paints digital transfers which have also been showcased in Chicago galleries and in the loop'’s Thompson Center. In 2003, Along with 2 other like-minded instructors, Mike co-founded an intermedia arts school called The Chicago Art Department, which has recently moved into a new location in the Chicago Arts District.

Mike recently showed me his blog:
http://fnewsmagazine.com/mikenourse/

Marwen presents
On the Verge: Youth Video Festival
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago IL

PERSONAL, POLITICAL, HUMOROUS, CUT-UP, DOCUMENTARY, ANIMATION, NARRATIVE, RE-MIX, EXPERIMENTAL...

On the Verge is a Youth Video Festival developed by Marwen's Student Advisory Board. Participating organizations include The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Early College Program (Chicago, IL), The Institute of Contemporary Art's Fast Forward Program (Boston, MA), Free Spirit Media (Chicago, IL), Marwen (Chicago, IL), Street Level Youth Media (Chicago, IL), and The Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN).

Young artists from across the country present work shot in bedrooms, classrooms, and neighborhoods; sampled from tapes and found footage; and filmed in imagined landscapes. Using video to express their stories, create their visions, and document their experiences, these youth projects illustrate diversity in time-based and screen-based media. From animation to documentary, experimental to narrative; On the Verge: Youth Video Festival reflects contemporary youth culture by representing a wide range of styles, techniques, and perspectives.

On the Verge: Youth Video Festival
Presented by Marwen
Saturday, August 12, 2006

11AM to Noon: Opening Reception and Info Fair Noon to 2PM: Screening followed by a raffle drawing

Gene Siskel Film Center
164 North State Street
Chicago, IL. 60601

Marwen was founded in 1987 to provide high quality visual arts education, college planning, and career development programs--all free of charge--to Chicago’s under-served youth in grades 6-12. In addition to after school and weekend programs for middle and high school students, Marwen offers opportunities for its alumni to continue their involvement with our organization; courses for Chicago public school teachers of all levels and disciplines; and school partnerships that take place during the day in our studios. With our facility welcoming students, alumni and teachers from every neighborhood in the city, Marwen is a thriving center for the arts in Chicago.

Participating organizations:

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Early College Program
The Institute of Contemporary Art's Fast Forward Program
Free Spirit Media
Street Level Youth Media
The Walker Art Center