1. Persistence of Vision at Fill in the Blank Gallery

Work by Learning.

Fill in the Blank Gallery is located at 5038 N. Lincoln Ave. Reception Friday, 7-11pm.

2. More is More at The Family Room

Work by Nancy Rosen.

The Family Room is located at 1821 W Hubbard St., # 202. Reception Friday, 6-11pm.

3. FLAT 7 at Floor Length and Tux

Work by Julie Rudder, Kendrick Shackleford, David Moré, Catie Olson and EC Brown. This fish is not the work, it’s just FLAT’s awesome logo.

Floor Length and Tux is located at 2332 W Augusta Blvd, 3F. Reception Saturday 7-10pm.

4. Quarterly Site #4: Registers at LVL3

Shameless self promotion, but it’s going to be an awesome show. Co-curated by Andrew Blackley, Stephanie Burke and Steve Ruiz. Featuring the work of Duncan Anderson, Susan Giles, Anna Kunz, Oliver Laric, and Nathaniel Robinson.

LVL3 is located at 1542 N Milwaukee Ave, 3. Reception Saturday, 6-10pm.

5. Silkscreen Party/Work Party Oak Park at He said, She said

Bring a T-shirt to silkscreen. Work by Tony Tasset, Pamela Fraser, Rebecca Mir, Aay Preston-Miint and others.

He said, She said is located at 216 N Harvey Ave, Oak Park. Reception Sunday, 2-4pm.

From October 15th, through October 29th, the Chicago Artists’ Coalition and the Chicago Loop Alliance will transform the historic Loop neighborhood into an interactive, multi-venue public art museum. Art Loop Open invites the public to “Visit, View & Vote!” at over a dozen venues throughout the Loop and not only admire local artists’ works but also interact with them and each other via cutting edge technology and public programming.

With the addition of Tony Tasset’s installation in the loop, the Pop-Up Art Inititive currently underway & the upcoming Art Loop Open it is good to see the Chicago Loop Alliance getting some traction and note for their work, here is hoping it can survive as annual events.

ALO wants all of Chicago’s diverse and talented visual artists to apply, potentially win $50,000 in prizes and have the opportunity to reach new and coveted audiences from around the world.

“The work of Chicago artists is our city’s tapestry. Art Loop Open will be a unique opportunity for visitors and residents to celebrate our rich art, showcase our amazing downtown artistic attraction, and offer a platform for local artist to shine. Art Loop Open will be a interactive, cultural experience bringing everyone together to enjoy and admire great works of art.”
-Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago

Wednesday morning July 7th the Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA) will unveil EYE; a lifelike, three-story (30-foot-tall) blue iris (the same as the artist) eyeball sculpture by internationally-renowned Chicago-based contemporary artist Tony Tasset. Eye will be mounted on the Escalator cover at Pritzker Park on the corner of State Street and Van Buren.

In addition to the steel reinforced fiberglass Eye (currently being fabricated by F.A.S.T. Corp. of Sparta, Wisconsin) Tony Tasset is also installing 156 street banners revealing a bold red cardinal – the state bird – in flight against a bright blue sky which in series animates like a flip book on State Street lamp posts north from Congress Parkway to Wacker Drive. The artworks are the centerpiece of CLA’s inaugural Art Loop 2010. An annual celebration of public art in the Loop the Chicago Loop Alliance hopes to continue in which a new work by an important artist is commissioned each summer, along with free related educational and cultural programs, and promotions and discounts from CLA member partners.

CLA Executive Director Ty Tabing is quoted saying:

“We expect Tony Tasset’s EYE at Pritzker Park will become a destination for those living, working and visiting the Loop, and we hope this temporary art installation encourages the public to tour the area and discover all of the incredible public art on display year round. Tony is an artist who excels in multiple art forms – from the visual art of CARDINAL to the sculptural EYE – and we’re proud to showcase this Chicago talent in our first Art Loopseason.”

According to Tasset,

“I hope both EYE and CARDINAL change the everyday experience for pedestrians and drivers along State Street. The image of the flying bird is quieting and humble in contrast to the commercial bustle surrounding it, while the enormous scale of the EYE serves to miniaturize its surroundings. Although EYE and CARDINAL are unique works and do not depend on each other, the two works are linked formally; by the red, white and blue color pallet as well as the repetition of the eye in the bird close up. The juxtaposition of these two archetypal images with the city of Chicago as a backdrop should create a grand surreal picture, in the spirit of Magritte and Dali.”

Other components of CLA’s Art Loop 2010 include its new Pop-Up Art Loop™ initiative which has transformed empty storefronts in the Loop into a moveable feast of public art galleries, exhibits and studios. Pop-Up Art Loop has created some 12 temporary galleries to date, showcasing professional photography, sculpture, 2-D art, video and new media, installations and more. In addition, a free, downloadable Loop the Loop walking tour of public art, including the Tasset exhibition, the Pop-Up Art Loop Galleries, and permanent installations by Calder, Miro, Chagall, Picasso and Kapoor is available on the Chicago Loop Alliance website. The tour is also available via pre-loaded MP3 players on loan at the ArchiCenter at 224 S. Michigan Avenue.

Due to time constraints little time was spent on the 12th Floor going through Art Chicago and a majority of these photos are from the Next Preview Opening. Which from the talk that I heard no one will complain about (even though what little I saw it looked to be better then previous years but Tomato Tomäto).

Coming away from the Next show much can be said about the much smaller size, omni presence of Kavi Gupta’s Gallery & connections, growth of paid Marketing Partnerships in the show & the search for “Big” things to fill all the empty space. Having said that though I walked away with the feeling not of abuse but more how fragile this years Next really was, right or wrong. Any real complaignts I had seemed to fall more with the Marts operations side which seemed to either be skeleton staffed, temp hires or just poorly managed in general. A marked decline from previous years effort.

Best work of the show for me personally was surprisingly the independent groups and apartment galleries representation (which I couldn’t say in previous years) they really stepped up this year in both polish, substance, displaying actual works not items they want to convince you were finished works & energy. Also I don’t think enough can be said for the works in the show by Tony Tasset this year. They were well positioned, welcomed surprises & overall great work by a artist who deserves his reputation.