4833 rph

An Introduction

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:39:32 -0600

If you visit the Hyde Park Art Center within the next month, you’re bound to see a new face around. That face belongs to me! My name is Hillary, I’m a senior at the University of Chicago Laboratory High School and I will be volunteering at HPAC from May 12th to June 6th. Fortunately for us seniors, Lab offers us the option to go on what is called “May Project” and do something meaningful in our last weeks as high schoolers instead of learning in the conventional classroom environment. I have been making art since I was a child and I fully intend for it to play a significant role in my adult life in some way. Because of my love for art, it was only logical for me to see what I could do to help around the Art Center while also learning about how it functions. I will be interacting with staff in all the various departments at HPAC and doing everything from simple, everyday tasks that must get done, to assisting in a children’s class, to more significant projects. By the end of my time here I hope to have gained a well-rounded understanding of just how much it takes to run a successful and thriving community center like HPAC.

A Special Mother's Day Second Sunday

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:19:37 -0600

Despite the rain yesterday, lots of families came out for a fun and exciting Second Sunday. Amanda Innis encouraged everyone to accessorize their refrigerators by making some colorful magnets while next door people made Georgia O’Keefe inspired drawings. In Studio 2 parents and kids made wish collages out of origami paper and then hung their wishes on a wishing tree. People wished for a wide array of things from world peace to super hero powers. On top of that, HPAC helped wish mothers a Happy Mother’s Day by giving out beautiful tulips. What better way to spend Mother’s Day than with art and flowers at the Hyde Park Art Center!

Chuck and Bruce become radio stars in New Zealand!

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:05:52 -0600

Chuck and Bruce will be talking about the Close Encounters project on Radio New Zealand this weekend!

The interview is available on the Radio New Zealand website for anyone to listen to: Click here to listen / download the clip or go to http://www.radionz.co.nz/nr/programmes/artsonsunday and click on the Close Encounters link.
Check it out - find out more about the project - laugh at New Zealand accents!

Chicago Underground Railroad???

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:38:03 -0600

Naomi Davis and Martha Boyd from the group C/CURE (Chicago/Calumet Underground Railroad Effort) shared their thoughts on Monday about historical preservation, sustainability and urban development. C/CURE’s mission is to aid the development of the Riverdale area (located at the southernmost city limit on the Calumet River) by using a historical Underground Railroad site, the John Ton farm, as a basis for boosting tourism initiatives and economic growth. The organization wants to develop the area holistically with consideration for the area’s social and cultural diversity while keeping in mind sustainability and green initiatives. These initiatives require a great deal of support, both politically and financially, and C/CURE is in the process of spreading the word to both politicians and the general population. Great conversation arose from the talk, and centered on development trends in the city of Chicago and the importance Underground Railroad heritage. Naomi and Martha are not artists per se, but their work has great cultural significance. In the end the question arose “How can artists play a part in this effort?”

New Zealand invades Hyde Park

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:28:45 -0600

Image: Wayne Youle, 12 Shades of bullshit, 2003, laser cut acrylic and spray paint, 23 × 55 inches

If you encounter any people wandering around Hyde Park looking lost and talking with strange accents, introduce yourself - they might be the New Zealanders from the Hyde Park Art Center!

The Hyde Park Art Center is playing host to 6 New Zealanders: 4 artists and 2 Maori representatives, who will be arriving in the next week for Close Encounters, a project that will result in a 2009-10 exhibition at the Center. The New Zealanders will be joined by 4 US artists who are also involved in the project.

The group are converging for a hui (traditional Maori meeting) that will be held at the Maori meeting house at the Field Museum. They will be discussing some big issues - race relations, development of communities, and the relationships in social groups.

Bruce E. Phillips, who is co-curating the project with HPAC director Chuck Thurow, arrived in April with his partner Fiona Moorhead. Bruce may be familiar to HPAC regulars - he had a curatorial residency here last year. Bruce and Fiona have been busy organizing the upcoming events.

Wayne Youle, one of the New Zealand artists, arrived on Tuesday night. He’s busy soaking up Chicago atmosphere and is looking forward to going to a baseball game on Friday night!

Have a look here at the HPAC exhibition page for a description of the project and more information about the artists. We’ve also started a blog (http://closeencountershui.wordpress.com) that will be added to from 15 May onwards with updates on the project.

Still Recovering from Creative Move 3!

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:21:25 -0600

That’s right. The staff members here at HPAC are still trying to catch up on sleep and sanity after 24 hours of art, performances and fun this past weekend. Creative Move 3 was a big success and hundreds of people of all ages came out to celebrate and get in touch with their creative sides. Highlights include performances by Synapse Arts Collective, Darrell Jones, Spot and Rocco, installations by Kally Kaszynski and Rebecca Keller, lots of exciting projects and workshops, and a gigantic cake shaped like a mountain! The video below features Japanese drummers, JASC Tsukasa Taiko, and Kaszynski’s installation, ‘Olympus Manger,’ Scene II.

Creative Move on the Go!

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:56:07 -0600

We started at 8pm, but if you missed last night, never fear! We’re still rolling! With a free brunch, musical performances, and workshops galore, there’s still plenty to do. And stop in to help us ‘Move Mountains” by checking out the show Olympus Manger.

Istria Opens!

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:07:35 -0600

Istria is here and they’re open!

Stop in for some coffee, or perhaps a little gelato? Whatever you’re in the mood for, come on down! Today is opening day, and they’ll be open during all of Creative Move, and at 6:30am every morning until 10:00 pm.

And now, the Art Center is complete (until we think of something else to add)

Happy Birthday, Chuck!

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:47:41 -0600

Our Executive Director, Chuck Thurow, turned a young and sprightly XX years of age. Want to know how old he is? We’ll give you a hint. Younger than the Art Center, but older than PR and Events Manager, Colleen Coyne, who turned 35 a few months back.

Happy Birthday, Chuck!

Counting down to Creative Move

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:00:48 -0600

Looking for something awesome to do this weekend? Well, we’ve got just the thing for you. Starting this friday at 8pm, we’ll kick off another 24 hours of creativity, fun, and general coolness. You can view the schedule for Creative Move: Moving Mountains here.

Will you be there?

Second Sunday Strikes Again!

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:09:45 -0600

Yesterday’s Second Sunday event was jammed pack with exciting projects and an extra special performance by guest artist, Omen Sade. Kids and parents alike got to explore their creative sides by making sculptures from everyday household items such as cotton balls, toilet paper rolls, and egg crates. The reverse collage project taught participants about Dada techniques, exploring free association between images, color, and shape. Then, Omen Sade gave a special performance which featured two masks of the Commedia dell’arte style of street theater. Omen made the audience laugh with his outrageous comedic stunts and even served watermelon to everyone at the end of his performance.

TalkingPoint - Laura Kina Aronson

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:51:13 -0600

On Monday, the Art Center welcomed Laura Kina Aronson as its featured artist. Laura is a Chicago-based artist, educator and Asian American activist. An Assistant Professor of Art, Media and Design and the Program Director of Asian American Studies at DePaul University, her work is focused on the fluidity of cultural difference, in the slipperiness of identity and what we think of as “race” and how that intersects with ethnicity, religion, class, and gender.

Spring Break Camp Wraps!

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:57:36 -0600

We had a great two weeks of Spring Break Camps which wrapped up this past friday. Two separate one week sessions which had a really fantastic mix of kids kicked some life into the Art Center and gave us a bit of a preview of summer camps! It sounds like everyone had a blast, and we absolutely enjoyed having them here!

Q&A with series A founder Bill Allegrezza

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:56:50 -0600

Local writer and all-around Chicago enthusiast Anthonia Akitunde interviewed series A’s Bill Allegrezza to find out more about Chicago’s poetry scene, what makes something “experimental”, and the impetus behind the reading series, which we host here at the Hyde Park Art Center. Read the interview at I Am Chicago.

Smell of Coffee?

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:12:40 -0600

It’s coming….

Stay Tuned for more details.