Select Media Festival 9: Infoporn II Exhibition & BYOB (Bring your own Beamer) at Co-Prosperity Sphere –

Select Media Festival 9: Infoporn II Exhibition includes work by work by Tom Burtonwood, Dayton Castleman, Caleb Charland, Jeremiah Chiu, The Center for Urban Pedagogy, Column Five Media, Theodore Darst, Louis Doulas, David A. Garcia, Firebelly Design, Francesco Franchi, Cody Hudson, Gary Kachadourian, Derek Lerner, The New City Reader Classifieds project by Kazys Varnelis and Joseph Grima & others, MaTeVoS, Serifcan Ozcan, The Present Group, The PMIRL library Infoporn Collection, Adam Lonczynski, Adam Lonczynski and Joshua Clarfelt.

Opening is Friday night from 8pm – 1am. $6

BYOB (Bring your own Beamer): “We take down the Infoporn II exhibition and leave the gallery walls blank for use in Chicago’s first Bring Your Own Beamer (BYOB) event. BYOB is a series of exhibitions hosting artists and their projectors. Started by Berlin-based Rafa√´l Rozendaal, we are excited to host the Chicago version during SMF9. Please show up with a projection source and a projector.”

BYOB is Sunday night from 6pm – 10pm. FREE

Co-Prosperity Sphere is located at 3219 S Morgan St.

2. While What Waits at ROOMS Productions –

The second performance of While What Waits featuring performers Holly Bittinger, Erin Briddick, Veronica Bruce, Jim Dee, Chad Duda, Aaron Gang, Danielle Lavoy, Gino Marconi, Vince McClelland, Katy Nielsen, Rebecca Pyles, Christopher Smith, Jackie Sestak, James Strzelinski, and Adam Todd.

ROOMS Productions is located at 1835 S. Halsted St. Performance is Friday from 7-10pm.

3. A Loss Like the Rome of Waiting at Linda Warren Gallery –

Work by Matthew Woodward. Jennifer Presant: Surface Tension in the project room.

Linda Warren Gallery is located at 1052 W. Fulton Mkt. Reception is Friday from 6-9pm.

4. Wet Affairs at Swimming Pool Project Space -

Work by Jesse Butcher.

Swimming Pool Project Space is located at 2858 W. Montrose Ave. Reception is Saturday from 6-9pm.

5. Melodie Provenzano and Rachel Hovnanian at Carrie Secrist Gallery –

Two still life painters showing minimally colored works.

Carrie Secrist Gallery is located at 835 W. Washington. Reception is Saturday from 4-7pm.

Takashi Murakami at the Château de Versailles
Takashi Murakami’s new exhibit in Versailles has recently opened (closes December 12th if you are of the jet set type) and from what I have heard and seen it is a show not to be missed if for no other reason then it’s striking contrast and humorous seemingly paradoxical existence. read more here

Inaugural Art Loop Open Competition Begins
From October 15-29, Art Loop Open—Chicago’s new art competition (presented by the Chicago Loop Alliance)—will transform ten venues throughout Chicago’s Loop into interactive public art exhibits (200 artists in total) having the public voting on the winner with 1st receiving $25,000 2nd: $15,000 & 3rd: $10,000. It looks to be a fun and smart program to engage the general public (which I still think we could do oh so much more in terms of) but sadly haven’t given it much promotion due to not knowing exactly how to aproach it. I will be looking forward to seeing how it plays out and more so to year two.

From what i can gleam the jury process was pretty solid and most of the artists involved I have either seen, worked with, known or interviewed so I wish them all good luck and more so remind them to forget the prizes this is a great opportunity to rewrite the image of the Chicago artist with the general public so in short “don’t be obtuse, rude, impatient or a douche” also Check out Tom Burtonwood and Pamela M Johnson’s work here & here respectively. Read more here

Banksy does the Title Sequence to the Simpsons

Interesting Video on How Printing Ink is Made
Having been a child in the heyday of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood I grew up with a love of lilting jazz music & seeing how everyday items are made (plus hand puppets but thats private) so it’s interesting to watch just how what I spend most of my money & art career touching plus half of my business career fighting with is made. watch it here

Race & Ethnicity Mapped By Block
As a footer for this week there is a visual map done by Bill Rankin using dots to show the more subtle changes across neighborhoods in Chicago using block-specific US Census data. Called a “taxonomy of transitions” it is quite interesting both visually and mentally but then again I am a data & logistics wonk so might just be me. read more here or even read about music preferences on Last.fm by gender here if you are so brave.

Sorry for the missed week, I was rocking out in the lovely and exhausting Yosemite, climbing waterfalls, almost falling to my death (I shit you not, and it was completely my fault), looking at Pileated Woodpeckers (the Woody Woodpecker ones), drinking lots of Tecate and burning lots and lots of firewood. But now I’m back. It’s getting into that summer session, where things get lean. But as always quantity does not indicate quality, and following that, I give you my weekend picks. Mmmm, tasty!

1. Open Crit at Hyde Park Art Center

Wanna take part in an art critique? Here’s your chance. Artists presenting work: Tom Burtonwood, Takeshi Moro, and Cameron Harvey.

Hyde Park Art Center is located at 5020 S Cornell Ave. Crit Friday, from 6-8pm.

2. 30 Days of Dinner Time at Art on Armitage

Your last opportunity to see this month long event created by artist Kimmy Noonen.

Art on Armitage is located at 4125 W. Armitage Ave. Closing reception Friday, from 6-9pm.

3. LÜX at Lloyd Dobler Gallery

How long has it been since you visited Lloyd Dobler Gallery? It’s been a while for me, so I’m heading back to one of the first galleries I visited in Chicago, and still one of my favorites.Solo show of Sebastian Vallejo.

Lloyd Dobler Gallery is located at 1545 W Division St, 2nd Fl. Reception Friday, from 6-10pm.

4. Me at Monument 2 Gallery

Different from what I’m used to at M2, and looks good. Just be sure to get there early, that place gets fucking packed! Work by Tim Louis Graham and Diego Leclery.

Monument 2 Gallery is located at 2007 N. Point St. Reception Saturday, from 6-10pm.

5. The Pentagon Saves The World at Pentagon

I’d make a joke about the title if it weren’t already such a depressing fucking joke. Bound to be some good work though. Work by Deborah Stratman, Jim Zimpel, Jesse Avina, Daniel Baird, Jake Myers and the Pentagon Education Collective.

Pentagon is located at 961 W 19th St., 1F. Reception Saturday, from 7-11pm.