20090529

what did we gallery hop

CHICAGO GALLERIES: RIVER NORTH

may 28 i covered a great deal of ground in chicago. i can't remember the last time i was walking and on my feet for so long continuously. i think i'm going to mark it as a first time personal achievement the fact that i managed to visit some thirty-two galleries in a day. (10:50 AM - 5:30 PM for six hours forty minutes? whoa) the following six galleries i think count as my top six.

(i will be focusing on the actual gallery itself and not the artists shown for this post, but there really is a lot to say after my excursion out yesterday)


ZOLLA / LIEBERMAN
325 W Huron, IL, 60610
mon - fri 10 - 5:30, sat 11 - 5:30
current exhibition: cheonae kim

the gallery space is amazing, open and large with high ceilings and great partitions. i also love the well spaced out pieces and the gallery guide was clever in that it follows your natural progression throughout the space. shows contemporary artists.


STEPHEN DAITER GALLERY / DAITER CONTEMPORARY
311 W. Superior, Ste. 404, IL, 60654
wed - sat 11:00 - 6:00
current exhibtion: marvin e. newman and yasuhiro ishimoto

both stephen daiter gallery and daiter contemporary are photography galleries. the former focuses on more vintage, older schools of photography and the latter shows work by young, up and coming photographers. both spaces are connected and though about medium sized, there is still a good formation of partioning and space.


ZG GALLERY
300 W. Superior, Chicago, IL, 60654
tue - sat 10:00 to 5:30
current exhibtion: molly briggs, also on show (personal fav. amy casey)

in a basement space, medium sized and in a building full of galleries (i think some five galleries in the one place), zg gallery makes an effort to show contemporary artists in their best light and i appreciate solo shows with only a few additional showing artists sectioned off.


MELANEE COOPER
740 N. Franklin, Chicago, IL, 60654
tue - sat 11:00 - 5:00
current exhibiton: group including michael kessler, alicia lachance, cheryl warrick, kathleen waterloo

extremely friendly and nice gallery owner and a well curated and selected exhibition of artists that though similar, appropriate for a group show, have clearly individual style. larger space with a number of smaller "rooms" sectioned off. this sense of ease and comfort when viewing. particularly good show (more on later). contemporary paintings.



ALAN KOPPEL GALLERY
210 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60610
mon - sat 10:00 - 5:30
current exhibtion: absence and presence: the realm of feminine identity (group show)

great large space with two main rooms with tall ceilings, large windows, lots of floor. prominent space on chicago ave, not too many works cluttered or featured inside. contemporary new artists work in a variety of media.


ROY BOYD GALLERY
739 N. Wells, Chicago, IL, 60654
tue - sat 10:00 - 5:30
current exhibition: group exhibition

not too large of a space but is two levels with a variety of contemporary artists on show in a definitely wider spectrum of style and media. not sure if it's the appropriate word, but "quaint" comes to mind, it has a very neighborhood, off the street odd gem feeling to it. gallery owner plays classical music quietyly in background which is a nice change to silence or the strange galleries that chose to play the radio...

2 comments:

Amy + Dianne said...

when i go to chitwon next year im going to ask you for a formal tour guide book hahaha

charis said...

ahahahaha i'll have to write one then : p