West Carroll Open Studios

Annie Heckman, A letter which did not reach its destination, 2010, foam, wood, fabric, acrylic and phosphorescent paint, lighting system, dimensions variable, installed at Swimming Pool Project Space

Four floors of industrial spaces open up to the public in this once-a-year chance to see the artists at work. Painters, animators, sculptors, designers, photographers, and installation and performance artists unveil their processes to viewers, answer questions about their studio practices, and show off their latest projects.

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Our studio building houses artists working in a variety of media, from painting to performance and digital media, and a variety of career paths. The environment is friendly but hard-working; artists just emerging from local colleges work alongside artists who have been practicing professionally for years, and often we work behind closed doors because of busy schedules and deadlines. On the last weekend of October the doors open, and the interactions we have at our Open Studios events help to shape the following year as we re-introduce our work to one another and the public.

 Because of its large, flexible spaces, our building attracts artists working on ambitious projects that require extra square footage to think, plan, and orchestrate. The place where we make our work has influenced many of us in the sense that we keep expanding to fill our containers, creating work from a position of confidence and stability in terms of scale and the ability to stage installations properly in a large, open space. We are influenced externally by the many artist spaces in our neighborhood, as well as the nearby gallery communities on the near West Side and Pilsen.

At our events, we present works-in-progress alongside finished projects, and have many family-friendly projects (including Annie Heckman's glow-in-the-dark icebergs funded by the Department of Cultural Affairs CAAP Grant) in the mix. Artists make an effort to present their work in interactive, informative, generous ways -- installation artists create configurations that visitors can re-arrange, and performance artists (including Amber Ginsburg) engage the audience in their works in a way that makes the creative process more transparent and accessible.

Annie Heckman -- http://annieheckman.com
Jennifer Scott -- http://www.jenniferscottartist.com/ 
Amber Ginsburg -- http://www.amberginsburg.com/
Amanda Clower -- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Clower-Art/174339255932
Arielle Marq -- http://www.ariellemarq.com/
Heidi Norton -- http://www.heidi-norton.com/
John Opera -- http://www.johnopera.com/
Chris Hammes
Anne Karsten (visiting showcase)  -- http://www.annekarsten.com/
 + many more! 

Please check our blog for more details about artists and their work.