Happy New Year!!! 2011 starting out fun and busy, with many new projects under hood.
And as far as City of Chicago goes, 2011 will be a decisive year on the next candidate to hold the mayoral reins, now that Daley decided to retire, leaving behind quite an interesting legacy.
And, concurrent with the mayoral election, J2 Gallery (Jackson Junge Gallery) in Bucktown is holding a group exhibit, titled "Chicago A.D. - After Daley"
From Urbancityblog.com:
Coming soon to the Jackson Junge Gallery, an exhibition that depicts the possible future of a city no longer led by Mayor Daley. A mayor of 21 years, leaves in the wake of many power, economic, and social changes. But the future ahead, is unknown and open to interpretation. Opening Reception of “Chicago A.D. ( After Daley)” is Jan 21st from 6pm to 9pm. “As a venue that showcases contemporary Chicago artists we couldn’t resist the upcoming mayoral election,” said Chris Jackson, director and co-owner of the Jackson Junge Gallery. “We gave the artists considerable leeway simply asking them to create a visual perspective on what this turning point might mean for the City of Chicago. As a result, we received a broad range of work ranging in tone from political and satirical to reflective and inspiring. We can only hope that the election itself proves as insightful!” Mayor Daley will be remembered by his expensive Olympic bid, his deal that sold the city’s parking meters, and how he helped shape Chicago’s history.
The show's opening reception is this Friday, January 21st, from 6 to 9 pm.
Exhibit runs from January 21st through February 27th.
J2 Gallery is located at: 1389 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago IL
My piece in this exhibit is an interpretive one. "Owls Over Windy City," is a 24x36 Acrylic on Canvas. The owls hovering & scoping out Chicago represent our future politicians / mayoral candidates. Owl bird carries multiple symbols, as, I think, Daley's departure carries multiple meanings. On one hand, owls are perceived to be wise and protective, as our future head of city just may be (or at least we can entertain ourselves with this blissful concept). Owls are also mysterious and secretive, which are questionable, but very possible qualities of our future mayor (uhm, Rahm, if you do get the seat, I sincerely hope that these will no longer apply to you). Owls, however, are also predators, and don't mind harming others for personal gain - and maybe that is what we will get from our new man or lady of Chicago when their true colors show. Or maybe the new mayor, like an owl, will just quietly feed off the city's "rodents" that Daley left behind. Either way, it will be quite a year!
Prints of the painting will soon be available here on my website.
