Around the Coyote Gallery, Caro d' Offay Gallery, David Leonardis Gallery, Gosia Koscielak Studio & Gallery, Johnsonese Gallery, Rotofugi Designer Toy Store and Gallery, Th!nkArt

Extended Gallery hours, special receptions and performances

Chicago, IL - The Wicker Park / Bucktown Gallery Association is holding a Second Saturday Gallery Walk on September 8th, 2007 from 6-10pm at multiple venues throughout Wicker Park and Bucktown. The WPBGA is an organization of galleries in the Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhood (roughly defined with the southern border at Division, the northern border at Fullerton, the western border at Western, and the eastern border at the Chicago River).

The WPBGA works to promote Wicker Park and Bucktown as a visual arts destination for collectors and art world professionals, while actively working to attract new galleries to the neighborhood. WPBGA promotes the artists and programs of its members through advertising, public programs, and collaborative events.


WPBGA will have a free shuttle service provided by our sponsor iGo Car Sharing for all those not into the "walking" part of the Gallery Walk or for those who just don't have a lot of time, but want to see all the galleries. Two cars will stop approximately every 15 minutes at each of the galleries participating in the Gallery Walk offering to shuttle patrons on to the next gallery. The drivers will announce themselves at each gallery, making it easy to jump on the shuttle!

1935 W. North Ave.
Haseeb Ahmed: The Common Sense
RE:Action Reading Series at 7:30pm
Opening Reception: September 8th, 2007 from 6-10pm. Refreshments served
aroundthecoyote.org, 773.342.6777

For one month Around the Coyote Gallery will be converted into a Mosque. This exhibition seeks to assess the viability of Islamic practice in the American context and the character of both. The mosque will be created out of common construction materials. A hypostyle arcade system like the one used in the first mosque, the home of the Prophet (P), will be created by exploding 2x4's.The entire space will be domed over with Muqarnas, blocks resurrected with the help of advanced rapid prototyping machines to mediate the heavens and Earth. Haseeb Ahmed is the principal builder, artist, and caretaker of the site. He is a native of Toledo, Ohio and will be receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Architecture and a Bachelors of Arts in Visual and Critical Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The integration of literary and artistic visions provides the basis for the RE:Action Reading Series, curated by Margot Bordelon (Lookinglass Theatre) and J. Adams Oaks (Serendipity Theatre Collective). Using the artwork of Haseeb Ahmed as inspiration, four emerging writers will share works they created. Along with our curators, readers include Megan Stielstra and Ric Walker. September 8th at 7:30pm. Free.

2204 W North Avenue
Ben Brant: Everything Always Intersecting & Benjamin Marcus: Crossed Countries
Closing Reception: September 8th, 2007 from 7-10pm
carodoffaygallery.com, 773.235.7400

Ben Brandt's exhibition Everything Always Intersecting explores the complex relationships between both internal and external aspects of mankind and the surrounding environment, through a combination of painting and sculpture. Through a process of manipulating and rearranging physical matter like paint and wood, Brandt is exploring the changing nature of the object as it develops in relation to himself, as well as to the environment.

In the back gallery, Benjamin Marcus reveals his graphite drawings that explore the limitations of abstract versus representational techniques. By utilizing the tools that are normally attached to representational narrative work such as composition, subject matter and stunning marksmanship, Marcus draws his viewers in. The Caro d'Offay Gallery will also host a 24 hour performance, in which various artists will be creating works produced by the hand of physical exhaustion

1346 N Paulina St.
extended gallery hours September 8th, 2007 from 6-12am
www.DLG-gallery.com, 773.278.3058

David Leonardis Gallery has been a leader in the Wicker Park Bucktown Gallery District for fifteen years and a land mark for Contemporary, POP, Folk Art, and Photography. DLG Wicker Park will be presenting an exciting group show for the WPBGA Second Saturday Gallery Walk on September 8th including works by: Howard Finster, Miro, Christopher Makos, Joe Pellegrini, Rita Akao, Mike Winn, Michel Balasis, Herb Nolan, Marc Hauser, Andy Kane, Bill Eaton, Mitch Canoff and Chris Peldo.

With the September 2006 addition of DLG River North, the David Leonardis Gallery has been able to reach an even broader demographic of art lovers. Please stop by and see us at 217 W. Huron St. #5, Mon - Fri 12-5:30pm and Sat 12-4pm. Or give us a call at 312-863-9045. DLG River North will host a Group show on Friday September 7th from 6-midnight.

1646 N Bosworth Ave.
Lorraine Peltz: Chandeliers, Starbursts, etc.
extended gallery hours September 8th, 2007 from 6-10pm
gosiakoscielak.com, 847.858.1540

In her first exhibition at the Gosia Koscielak Gallery, Lorraine Peltz presents a body of work that continues and expands her dialogue with issues concerning the social narrative we construct in both the private and public realms. Her paintings and drawings provide profound visual pleasure with bold color and striking imagery, as well as engaging us intellectually with her content of sign and symbol. Lorraine Peltz's recent paintings examine a dreamy side of feminine fantasy and fashion culture. By combining various painting languages including recognizable imagery and painterly abstraction, Peltz attempts to mimic and reconcile how meaning is made, bit by bit, real life alongside memory, poetry next to prose.

Peltz lives and works in Chicago and teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. This show runs Aug. 31 - Oct. 3, 2007 at the Gosia Koscielak Gallery.

2149 W Armitage
Shencheng Xu Retrospective
Opening Reception & Book Release: September 8th, 2007from 6 to 10 pm
johnsonese.com, 773.252.8750

The Johnsonese Gallery is pleased to announce a retrospective of ten years of sculpture made-in-America by Chinese artist Shencheng Xu. Xu completed over a dozen monumental works in China before arriving in the US. Xu uses a variety of organic and synthetic materials for his sculptures, while employing traditional techniques to address contemporary issues. The work has been described as anthropomorphic, polymorphic, and chimerical. His trademark is a 'universal' face, which may be interpreted as any or all races, ages and sexes. Nearly all of works incorporate this face. Together the artist and the gallery will be publishing a book of Xu's work since his migration to America. The book will be released at the show opening

Xu currently teaches at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Many Chicagoans are familiar with Xu's work because for four years running he has been selected for the Lincoln Park Community Art Initiative. Several of his past winning works from this public sculpture competition will be included in our gallery show. The show runs Sept 8th - Oct 6th, 2007.

2149 W Armitage
Toy Karma
Opening Reception: September 8th, 2007 from 7pm to 11pm
rotofugi.com, 312.491.9501

Join us Saturday, September 8th as we celebrate the art and artists of classic Japanese Monster toys with "Toy Karma"! This exhibit, curated by Mark Nagata (Max Toy Company, Super 7 founding partner), showcases the very best of artists from Japan, the US and beyond working in the kaiju tradition. Paintings, photography, sculpture and toys dedicated to the art of the Japanese monster will dominate our little gallery for this group exhibit featuring the likes of Tim Biskup, Frank Kozik, Carlos Enriquez, CCP, RealXHead, Cronic and more. The exhibit continues through September 30, 2007. To get on the preview list please send an email to toykarma@rotofugi.com.

1530 North Paulina, Suite F
While Here In This Place
Extended Salon Hours September 8th from 6-10pm
773.252.2294

Th!nkArt, continues to expand not only with emerging and established artists but also with its constructive concepts. Infused with elements of the traditional French salon, Th!nkArt provokes the exchange of ideas in an environment dedicated to the growth of both the art and its viewers through discussion, poetry, music, and other art forms. Th!nkArt is in the process of establishing partnerships with galleries, museums, art centers, cultural centers, and collectors to create art experiences. Currently, it works with an internationally known print house, Atelier Pasnic, which was created in 1978 and is based in Paris, France. Atelier Pasnic represents internationally recognized artists.

Th!nkArt is currently showcasing in its international art salon prints, works on paper, paintings, and sculpture by French artists Emmanuelle Renard, Fred Kleinberg, Pierre Marie Brisson, James Coignard, Monique Tello, Jean-Pierre Pincemin, Herve Di Rosa, David Gista, Michel Haas, chalk on blackboard drawings by Nicolas Kennett (also a painter and sculptor) and prints and sculptures by Francois Weil. Also hanging in the salon are prints by Puerto Rican painter and printmaker Ricardo Ramirez, Argentinean artist Antonio Sequi, Todd Narbey of New Zealand, and American artists David Jansheski, and Ed Paschke.