AHAN II Slide Show

October Art Here Art Now Video

As part of Art Here Art Now, the window installations from 1452 to 1466 E. 53rd Street are bringing a unique element of original art creations to this holiday season.  So, whether you are shopping or going out to eat along 53^rd Street … of if you are making a special trip to see the window installations, the visit will add an artsy twist to your holidays.

Art Here Art Now is a collaboration between HyPa (Hyde Park Alliance for Arts & Culture) and the University of Chicago’s Office of Civic Engagement.  The reactivation of empty store fronts with public art changes the way people look at the neighborhood and integrates art with the community.  In Hyde Park on Chicago’s Culture Coast art is ALWAYS Here and Now.

If gazing into windows that transport you and your imagination to new places is part of your holiday tradition, then look no further than 53^rd Street in Hyde Park.  After a very successful Art Here Art Now run in October, during Chicago Artists Month, HyPa sent out a new call for artists to participate in the window installations from 1452 to 1466 E. 53rd Street in Hyde Park.  After receiving dozens of proposals a jury selected seven new artists to transform the vacant storefronts into exhibition space.  The new installations will be on view through January 2011.

Art Here Art Now is a collaboration between HyPa (Hyde Park Alliance for Arts & Culture) and the University of Chicago.

In case you missed Round 1 of Art Here Art Now, or just want to revisit the storefronts, open studio and artists check out the AHAN video.

The reactivation of empty store fronts with public art changes the way people look at the neighborhood and integrates art with the community.  In Hyde Park on Chicago’s Culture Coast art is ALWAYS Here and Now.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a moment to enjoy an Art Here Art Now video.

Don’t miss these special visual art programs in and around Hyde Park throughout this month including a walking tour of Hyde Park’s distinguished collection of murals and art panels along Lake Park Ave.  Download the compete calendar of events and enjoy art here and now in Hyde Park.

You may have noticed some pretty cool art that has taken up temporary residence right smack dab in the middle of the 53rd St. corridor, next to Starbucks, between Harper and Blackstone avenues.

In a stretch of four unused storefronts, there are now artistic displays, an interactive video, a large–scale showroom and a 20–minute short film. Each is designed to reflect a slice of life in Hyde Park.

Through the eyes of various local artists, HyPa, the Hyde Park Alliance for Arts & Culture, and the University of Chicago teamed up to bring eye–catching visual art to 53rd Street.

André Callot and Danielle Paz, both University of Chicago grads, and grad student Jillian Soto of the Art Institute of Chicago are some of the players in HyPa’s latest initiative—“Art Here. Art Now.”

Here’s what Soto had to say as she gave me a preview of her unique work.  “There’s this sense of art and a lot of memories,” said Soto, as she put the finishing touches on her piece that will offer a perspective on the old Harper Theater. “I wanted to create a showroom atmosphere so people would want to be in the space.”

Additionally, a special exhibit by Peter Zeigler, groundskeeper of Harper Court and the former Harper Court Theater, will offer his take on President Barack Obama’s world. Zeigler incorporated a bit of history from the former Dr. Wax Records store and the spot where Obama regularly had his hair cut to create a showpiece honoring businesses that were once mainstays in the area.

So, stroll by the exhibits to really enjoy the artistic flavor brewing within the community. You definitely won’t be disappointed.  And be sure to stop by any Saturday afternoon in October to talk to the artists during the open studio hours of 1 to 5pm.

Most of us have a fairly romantic view of the life of artists. The picture that comes to mind is often bohemian, carefree and set apart from society. But the actual life of artists is vastly different. Like anyone else whose job it is to produce – artists need space.

Enter Art Here Art Now…

… which represents the confluence of desires to see artists at work in the community.  The result is a shared work space featuring three artists in the throws of their creative process.  Beginning on October 1, Melissa Weber, Cydney Lewis, and Marty Burns will occupy the corner storefront in the building at 53^rd Street and Harper Avenue in Hyde Park on Chicago’s Culture Coast. The studio will be open for visiting and interacting with all three artists as you watch their creativity in action every Saturday, in October, from 1 to 5pm.

The idea is not to present a finished product; it’s more for people to see how things change and to see what gets created.

In addition, Art Here Art Now will feature art installations from local artists Andre Callot, Danielle Paz, Jillian Soto and Peter Zeigler available for viewing any time in the windows along 53^rd Street.

Art Here Art Now is a project initiated by local artist and Hyde Park Art Center board member Melissa Weber and is presented by HyPa and the University of Chicago.

Melissa said she is really excited for Hyde Park because this project is a great example of what needs to be done with space in the neighborhood and what art can bring to the neighborhood – making art accessible and part of people’s lives.

Art Here Art Now is one of 12 selected feature projects for October’s Chicago Artists Month.

The results are in and 4 of the 25 nominated “great secret places” are all on Chicago’s Culture Coast along the mid-South Side of Chicago:

1 . The beautiful Osaka Gardens on Wooded Island in Jackson Park behind the Museum of Science and Industry.
2 . Experimental Station’s quiet garden at E. 61st Street and Blackstone Ave.
3 . Promontory Circle, a wonderful hill on a peninsula squeezed between Lake Michigan and the Jackson Park Harbor, just south La Rabida Children’s Hospital.
4 . Oakland Museum of Contemporary Art found on a 41st Street and Lake Park Avenue with masterful wooden sculptures created by the artist who lives next door.

Now it is all up to you to place your vote for Chicagoland’s Greatest Secret Public Place here.  And after you vote – go for a walk or a bike ride and experience and explore these great secret places for yourself.

If you have other ideas for the Greatest Secret Public Places in Hyde Park and surrounding neighborhoods, please send us your ideas and pictures and we will include them here at HyPa.

There are certainly other places I enjoy. I spend hours every weekend reading and swimming at Promontory Point, I stop most nights on my bike ride home to take in the night skyline on the 18th Street bridge, and there are a few others I prefer to remain undiscovered. But when it comes right down to it, many of the places I enjoy don’t attract enough other people to be labeled “public.”

Then there’s this courtyard (check it out on Google Maps, it faces 55th Street, just west of Lake Park Avenue). It isn’t exactly “public” either, given that the courtyard sits in the middle of a privately-owned shopping center. But that’s where the private aspect largely ends. Every morning there is a constant flow of people—old and young, all races, homeless and mansioned, families and singles, cyclists and walkers, readers and talkers, bird-feeders and bird-shooers, would-be artists and would-be art critics … everyone, including the odd Nobel Prize Winner—in and out of this courtyard. A half dozen benches are oriented toward a small, burbling fountain, while a dozen or so tables are scattered about and easy to move around, enabling groups large and small to congregate, debate or satiate any number of gastronomic urges.

People come to grab a coffee at a Francophile’s dream, the Bonjour Cafe and Bakery, where the entire staff speaks French (the cookies are dry, but everything else is great).  Others come to the toy store, bike repair shop, optometrist, or the post office. Others just come to be around others.  Some sit for minutes and sip their coffee, some sit for hours as friends and neighbors come and go. Kids chase pigeons, and pigeons chase kids, and the dogs don’t know what to do.

Just the way it’s positioned, if you’re on foot coming from the south or west, you basically have to walk through the courtyard to get to the grocery store, drug store, and hardware store on the northern, more auto-oriented side of the complex. That makes for casual interactions, a momentary respite from streets, cars and buses, and for many, the easy decision to come back the following weekend and have a croissant before heading off to buy detergent.

Having the public there isn’t enough, and I give all the credit in the world to the owners of center, because on any given weekend there are art, book or plant sales. I’ve seen blues acts, African drummers, and something akin to rockabilly on a small stage by the fountain. In winter, many Hyde Parkers trek there to buy wreaths and Christmas trees. The grocery store next door often roasts a pig on a spit at the northern end of the courtyard, which makes for one of the city’s more unique conversation starters. The frequent active activity makes for a fun change of pace from the more sustained passive activity.

So here’s what I propose: This coming Saturday, put on some sun block, toss a book in a backpack, and ride your bike down the lake to 55th Street. Have a pastry, enjoy a coffee, and just sit and read. That’s all you have to do. The neighborhood will come to you if you go to where the neighborhood goes.

So, what’s your favorite public space? Snap a photo or shoot a video today and submit it to  placemakingchicago@metroplanning.org.

Many of Chicagoland’s most cherished public spaces are tucked away in the hearts of neighborhoods, known only to a lucky few. This summer, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) want to shine a spotlight on these special places across Chicagoland through the “What Makes Your Place Great? Your Secret Corner of Chicagoland” contest.

From June 2 through July 26, 2010, entrants can e-mail original photos or videos showcasing their favorite undiscovered public places across Chicagoland, along with a 250-word-or-less description, to placemakingchicago@metroplanning.org. The four chosen winners will win a prize package that includes passes to the Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago History Museum, or CAF – and the chance to be featured in a CAF tour this fall.

MPC and Placemaking Chicago are grateful for the generous contributions of our sponsors and donors: The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, and Perkins+Will.

http://www.metroplanning.org/news-events/blog-post/5905

12 Free Places to visit in Hyde Park:

1. 57^th Street Art Fair and Hyde Park Community Art Fair – June 5th and 6th.  Join artists and art lovers at Chicago’s oldest juried art fair in the streets of the historic Hyde Park neighborhood and visit the annual arts and crafts fair that runs next to the Art Fair on 57^th Street.
2. Friends of the Blackstone Library. Free events and presentations at the Library, 4904 S. Lake Park Ave.
3. Hyde Park Art Center at 5020 S. Cornell Ave. It is the oldest alternative exhibition space in Chicago with on going exhibitions, events, and activities for all ages.
4. Hyde Park Historical Society.  Open on weekends at 5529 S. Lake Park Ave., offering exhibits and information about the unique history of Hyde Park.
5. International House.  Founded in 1932 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., it is a dynamic program center and residence hall offering a variety of free events at 1414 E. 59^th St.
6. Little Black Pearl at 1060 E. 47th St. is a cultural arts center providing opportunities in art, culture and entrepreneurship to youth, adults and families across Chicago.
7. Oriental Institute Museum at 1155 E. 58th St., is a world-renowned showcase for the history, art, and archaeology of the ancient Near East.
8. Renaissance Society.  The Society at 5811 S. Ellis Ave., Bergman Gallery, Cobb Hall 418, is actually an exhibition space presenting art seldom seen in the Midwest showing the most recent developments in contemporary art.
9. Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. is a magnificent tiled Gothic cathedral and their carillon is the single largest musical instrument ever built.
10. Smart Museum of Art at 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. houses a permanent collection of over 10,000 objects, spanning five millennia of both Western and Eastern civilizations.
11. Special Collections Research Center in the University of Chicago Library at 1100 E. 57th St. exhibits rare books, manuscripts, University Archives, and the Chicago Jazz Archives, and special programming.
12. The Opportunity Shop temporarily located at 1530 E. 53rd St., is a transitory, experimental project space for contemporary art in Hyde Park.

Nicole Mitchell at Little Black Pearl

by Shamontiel L. Vaughn

I am an accidental jazz lover. An ’80s baby, my favorite music was hip-hop and R&B exclusively, although I could handle some country. I grew up listening to music like Rakim, The Temptations, MC Lyte and Marvin Gaye, but I don’t recall ever bobbing my head to jazz. After I graduated from college, I noticed mediocre rhyming in hip-hop was increasing and R&B was turning into singing rap music. I became burnt out on the radio until I flipped to a Chicago jazz station and found out I could add jazz to my favorite genres of music.

A few of my co-workers lived in Hyde Park and would invite me to get-togethers in their neighborhoods. Now mind you I’d never been thrilled with Hyde Park because I always managed to get lost anytime I went there. But like a trooper, I gave it a shot and started going to the area more.

What I noticed (once I figured out which streets to use to get back to Lake Shore Drive) immediately was the diversity and culture in the community. I started reading more about the Hyde Park community and found HyPa’s web site by accident. That’s how I also found out about the Hyde Park Jazz Festival. Curiosity made me volunteer for the 2009 jazz fest. What did I have to do that was so important that I couldn’t dedicate one Saturday to jazz? Nothing.

On September 26, 2009, that’s when I realized it wasn’t just jazz I loved but the Hyde Park community, too. Sitting on the stoop at Hyde Park Union Church and watching different cultures of various generations interact and shout out “hey” when they saw someone familiar made me smile. Quiet as it’s kept, big cities can have camaraderie if we try. After I finished my volunteer work, I strolled around to other venues and realized Hyde Park is not just diverse but also a really beautiful neighborhood.

After that day, I came back more and more to write about different events. I also volunteered for more HyPa jazz fest events. There are some venues from the jazz fest that I’d have probably never visited if not for HyPa. Being both a volunteer and a new-found jazz lover has helped expand my mind and matured my musical tastes. Nowadays I don’t go a day without turning on some smooth or upbeat jazz to get my mind right. I’m still a hip-hop head at heart, but just like Hyde Park, there’s nothing wrong with variety.

For more info on this writer, visit http://www.shamontiel.com.

HyPa welcomes guest commentaries about Hyde Park arts and cultural activities.  If you are interested please contact us.