Hey ya’ll. I’m back from my Kentucky adventures, and I’m going back out this weekend. I did manage to make it to Packer Schopf for 39 Verbs on Sunday, and glad I made it (even though I was still a bit muddy and got a touch of the culture shock). I’d never heard of Industry of the Ordinary (the organizers of 39 Verbs) but I’ll be keeping my eye on them in the future. This week I’ve got three relatively traditional (relatively being the operative word) venues, a 2-for-1, and a closing reception (get them while supplies last!). Without further ado, my 5 picks, in chronological/alphabetical order:

1. The Murmur of Pearls at Corbett vs. Dempsey

Truthfully, I like this work because it reminds me of the work of a friend of mine, Justin Storms. Now, I know, no one ever wants to be compared to anyone else, because we’re all unique and individual snowflakes, but WTF? I like the work ‘cus I like Storm’s work. Being somewhat obsessed with The Unicorn Tapestries as a kid probably didn’t hurt. Paintings by Gina Litherland, the show opens Friday from 5-9pm.

Corbett vs. Dempsey is located at 1120 N. Ashland, 3rd fl.

2. Cline Ave & Front Porch Disasters and Other Open Secrets at Linda Warren

I guess this is also a bit of a 2-for-1, though not the one I was referring to in the introduction. I’m generally a fan of Linda’s gallery, and this round is not exception. Cline Ave, a series of paintings by Emmett Kerrigan, may appear benign, but the industrial/living-space rendered a bit cartoonishly is strange, if not instantaneously depressing (in the best possible way). Wow, I’m good at run on sentences. In the back room, AKA the Project Room, Front Porch Disasters and Other Open Secrets, work by Lora Fosberg adorns the walls. The two shows are in one of the best dialogs I’ve seen in a while at Linda’s place, I look forward to seeing it all in person. Reception is Friday, from 6-9pm.

Linda Warren Gallery is located at 1052 W. Fulton Market St.

3. Public Spaces at Stephen Daiter

Stephen Daiter is a bit of a hidden gallery. Unlike Edelman, the other major photo gallery in River North, Daiter is hidden upstairs, past an elevator that is incredibly slow and smells a bit of burnt plastic. Dont’ let this deter you, however, because Dater is a place, especially if you’re into photography, that you need to get to. For this round at Datier, Private Views – Public Spaces, work by Barbara Crane is on display. Awkward Polaroids of 70s people? Why not? Crane does a variety of work, so this isn’t the most contemporary, but good none the less. Reception is Friday, from 5-8pm.

Stephen Daiter is located at 311 W. Superior St. #408

4. 2-for-1: ThreeWalls and Western Exhibitions

Both these venues are having entertaining events on Friday, and since they are literally down the hall from each other, I figure, go to one, go to both. I’d start at Western Exhibitions, which is showing Superfreaks, work by Eric Lebofsky & A Wildness of Edges, work by Melissa Oresky. When you’re done gawking at that, head for ThreeWalls for New Knowledge, a trivia night that is going on as part of In Search of the Mundane, a collaboration with Randall Szott and InCUBATE. Weird-ass paintings and drunken trivia? How could such a thing ever be wrong?

ThreeWalls and Western Exhibitions are both located on the 2nd Floor of 119 N. Peoria St.

5. NOTICE – CLOSED at Heaven Gallery

NO PICTURE AVAILABLE! DON’T BLAME ME!

This is the closing reception I was talking about. Co-sponsored/co-produced by Heaven and Spudnik Press, the show features a bunch of work by Jeremy Lundquist, along side a group exhibition, A Unique Marquee, that was co-curated by Lundquist and Angee Lennard, the Director of Spudnik Press. Again with the run on sentences. A good nightcap if you ask me.Reception is Saturday from 6-9pm.

Heaven Gallery is located at 1550 N. Milwaukee Ave, 2nd Fl.

The Art Newspaper sat down with Jeff Koons, the antithesis of the Chicago Conceptual Art style to talk about the new work, his focus, the battalion of artists he has working for him to produce the work, the current exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery in London and his general take on art.

Read the full interview here.

“Thumbing granite rocks into the womb of a marshmallow mermaid, sopping granite compound orgiastic waterfalls on the cotton fields of heaven.”

That is how the press release opens. Woah. This Saturday, August 8th, Scott Projects is welcoming London based artists Sopping Granite (Ben Vickers and Sarah Hartnett) for the show The First Letter of Every Word is You. Apparently, they exchange ideas via telepathy. Definitely check out their website, which seems to serve as part portfolio, part research notebook, and part collage.

Here is the link to the Facebook event page. Hope to see you there!

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This week Bad at Sports celebrates its 200-th episode by getting back to the known- Review-o-rama. We welcome guest reviewers Tony Tasset and Lori Waxman to take the pulse of Chicago’s west loop.
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‘Sup ya’ll. Drumroll please…

1. Three cheers for Futurism!?

You’ve got to love an art movement obsessed with industrialized warfare who’s adherents where so woefully incompetent at warfare that most of them died as soon as they set foot on the battle field. Remember dears, function before fashion on the battlefield. If you’d like to learn more about the Futurists, stop by Istituto Italiano di Cultura on Friday around 6pm. They’ll be reading the Futurist Manifesto alongside contemporary music and dance commemorating Futurism’s 100th B-Day. Hooray for Futurism!

2. Inflatable Art at Spoke!

OK, so I don’t think I’ve ever seen Claire Ashley’s work before in person, but I looked up her website, and her performances look weird enough to warrant an in-person look. For Spoke she is creating a giant blow up mattress/wall/window voyeur object-thing. Apparently there will be a camera there to shoot people playing with it, so go play! You can have interactive art with no one to interact with it. Friday night from 5-7pm.

3. Everyone likes art raffles, right

Well my dear friends, it’s time to say bon voyage and go to heaven. Not the dead people one, the one on Milwaukee. Harold Arts is raffling off art by their 2009 residents to raise money for the future Harold Arts Residency. That’s a clean little loop if I ever saw one. So come, play the odds, and perhaps you’ll go home with some art you like. Friday from 8-midnight.

4. The ultimate battle: the herbivore vs. the carnivore.

Dude, high five to Hyde Park Art Center and the people who put on Artist Run Chicago. They just keep having awesome stuff, why must it end? Well it’s not over yet my friends, and this week they’ll be holding the great “Fryvalry.” Ya’ll are invited to bring meat or veggies (whatever fits you persuasion) for Phillip Von Zweck and Kevin Jennings to grill up in the ultimate test of gristle vs. greens. It’s just cool. Saturday afternoon, 3-6pm.

5. Indie films..

If you’re looking for some fun Sunday evening, and have $10 to spare, you should head over to the Elastic Arts Foundation and check out some indie films. The screening was curated by Ehsan Ghoreishi and is being held to raise money for another film, Voices and Faces of the Adhan: Cairo. Voices… is a documentary about muezzins, and how soon, for the first time in over a thousand years, they’re all going to be out of a job. Thanks technology, sometimes you suck. You can learn more here. Movies start at 7pm and go ’till 10pm.

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