CAM Update @ the Switching Station Artists Lofts.

Greetings All,
Here is the slide-show from CAM opening house at the "Switching Station Artists Lofts".  Enjoy:>)

Greetings All,
More CAM events.  Next weekend, Oct 13th and 14th is open house/studio at the Switching Station Artists Lofts.  My live-work space will be open Saturday the 13th from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday the 14th from Noon until 6 p.m. I'm not sure how may of the spaces will be open, but last year was a blast and I will post photos.

Greetings All,

Greetings All,

This is Chicago Artists Month and the event have started with a bang.  Friday night was the opening of SDA regional exhibit at Human Thread titled "The Blind Eye: The Result of Doing Nothing"and it was a good started to this months happenings.  Enjoy:>)

The Wedding Dress Project - Piece Of The Week

Greetings All,

I am often given things, fabric, buttons, beads, etc. I was given some wedding garments and also given a challenge to create. I started with the bridal dress (left) and the first creation is a wedding ensemble for one of my "Darling Diva Dolls".

I took the dress apart and sorted out the components and below center is the full view and the detail of the top of the dress.

Below left is the front full view of the robe, back full view of the robe, and a detail of the back of the robe. Enjoy:>)

Piece of the Week, FYI, and Updates

Greetings All,

People share all types of things with me and below are some of the latest gifts. "Following is an interview by Lydia Shepard, a writer from an organization called Sixty Inches from the Center, a non-for-profit group dedicated to archiving Chicago area artists. The files, digital and otherwise, are archived at The Harold Washington Library and are accessible to the public. I think all Chicago area artists should avail themselves of this service. The directions about how to do this are on their website. The people who head "Sixty Inches", Tempestt Hazel and Nicolette Caldwell are very professional and efficient. Check out their other activities on their website. There are so many great things happening in Chicago in the arts!"

http://sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/archive/?p=16644

I was gifted a box of buttons and was wondering what I could create with some of them and below is my "Piece of the Week" creation. I love the multi-color, sizes, and vintage of this piece and I've created three thus far and I working on others. I don't like turning down any gifts and want to show appreciation to the givers.

Below is a sideshow from our We Too Are Chicago opening at the Human Thread gallery. It was wonderful that so many came out and a good debut for our first time exhibiting artist Gerald Brown. Enjoy

We Two Chicago - exhibit

Greetings All,
'We too are Chicago" July Art Exhibition Opening Reception, with Reverend Jesse Jackson, Monday, July 9th 6pm - 9pm @HumanThread
Open to the public; Free event.

Please join us, in support of our youth, our future!

No matter what the tragic statistics tell us, one thing is certain, we must Keep Hope Alive! and Take Action!

This also serves as a pre-conference reception of the 41st Annual Rainbow Push Conference July 11 - 14 @Chicago Hilton & Towers.

Human Thread/Play Date with the Henderson.

Greetings All,

I have finished all the pieces for the exhibit at Human Thread and I no longer have any of the fabrics that where created from my Play-Date with the Henderson from 2009. Below is that final piece (Collaboration-IX-Jamal) and the poem that has inspired the exhibition/journey. The exhibiton will run from:

July 9th - August3rd, 2012

HumanThread Center Gallery

645 W. 18th Street

Chicago, IL 60616

Artist's Reception

2nd Friday Gallery Night

Friday, July 13, 2012

6 pm - 10 pm

For more information visit. http://www.humanthread.net/

We Too Are Chicago!
By Ramona Dallum Lindsey

Your Gold Coast is not our stomping ground
Oprah rarely visits our 'hood.
We're called Kendra, David, Hector, and Maria
We share the block with Phat Daddy and Lil' Mama
We're regulars on the Green, Red, and Pink Line,
Our train stops at neighborhoods like
Englewood, Auburn-Gresham, Pilsen, and Little Village
We too are Chicago
We stare from bedroom windows at boarded up homes
And wonder about Travis, forced from the 'hood,
Because his people couldn't pay
We pass the teddy bear shrine dashing to catch the train
And wonder during our 60 minute ride to the better school
Who will be the next to die.
We gaze out the train window at homeys on the corner
And wonder how long Drop-outs will stand
Because no one cared enough to give them a chance.
We too are Chicago
Our parents work hard to give us the basics
It's no to the fancy dance lessons, art camps, & theater shows
Most of us leave school with nothing to do
We head home to empty houses
Where we lock ourselves in
But some of us take the dangerous detour
Straight to the pushers, bangers, and hustlers
We too are Chicago
We are more than you see
You see hopeless,
We see dreams!
You see lazy,
We see potential!
You see waste,
We see opportunity!
You see depressed,
We see achievers!
We too are Chicago
Copyright 2012