Artist at Work Forums 2008

Artist at Work Forums

6:00 - 7:30 PM, Chicago Cultural Center

AUGUST 21, 2008
The Politics of Corporate Commissions

Co-presented with the Chicago Artists Coalition

A discussion about how to land corporate commissions, what to expect from the process of working with a corporation, what goes into decision making, what's at stake artistically, and why do corporations collect art.  With Lynn Basa, Jeff Zimmerman, Joe Miller and moderator Emily Nixon.  (See Panelist bios below)

SEPTEMBER 18, 2008
The Accidental Entrepreneur

Co-presented with Columbia College E-Center

Artists who have become business owners will discuss their challenges in starting businesses, how they managed their business finances, and how they obtained financing for raw materials, art supplies, art studio rental, and other expenses. Nicole Orendain of Columbia College Chicago's Ecenter will present financing options for small and start up arts businesses, with Aya-Nikole Cook, David Zoberis and Caitlin Hazelton (see bios below).

October 16   Making Art, Making Change

Aay Preston-Myint

Laurie Jo Reynolds

Sarah Ross

Zena Sakowski

Moderator:  Salem Collo-Julin

The four Illinois-based artists on this panel can all be described as "artist/activists" -- the en vogue term for creatives whose work often does more than just carry aesthetic weight. However, is that moniker really necessary? When and where do art and activism activity collide? Join us for a lively discussion with four artists whose past and current projects have run the gamut from advocating for prisoners to infiltrating gay pride parades. 

 08/21/08  Corporate bios:

Lynn Basa - Lynn Basa uses fiber, mosaic, terrezzo, stone, steel, glass, and light in both her studio work and large-scale projects for transportation, healthcare, and hospitality clients. She draws inspiration from each site, the people who inhabit it, and tying her work to the meaning of their work. She is represented by FLATFILE Galleries, authored the book "The Artist's Guide to Public Art", and just completed a 6300 sq. ft. project for the new Indianapolis Airport.

Jeff Zimmerman - Jeff Zimmerman works with communities to conceptualize the large-scale murals that he has completed throughout Chicago and other sites both nationally and internationally. Using a photo-realist approach to portraiture, he balances the demands of public art, corporate commissions, and a thriving studio practice. He is represented by Linda Warren Gallery, and his work can be seen all around the city, on the sides of buildings and inside various businesses.

Joe Miller - Joe Miller works outside the established dictates of corporate sponsorships. A former visual merchandiser for Akira Chicago, he has chosen a decidedly anti-commercial stance for his interactive, participatory painting projects. His current work appropriates and manipulates the signs of graffiti artists through public intervention and redirection. He recently received his MFA from the University of Chicago and can be seen on self-created Free Walls throughout the city and at the Empty Bottle.

Emily Nixon    Serving as an in-house corporate art curator as well as an independent curator for a number of years, Emily Nixon has had the opportunity to work on a number of major projects for important corporations. Her extensive work in the field has provided Ms. Nixon and her staff with the experience and knowledge to aptly address clients’ needs and objectives for their collections. A private and corporate art consulting firm, Nixon Art Associates maintains a high level of professional standards in art collection management and investment art.

09/18/08  Entrepreneur bios:

When Aya-Nikole Cook, creator and designer of HAJI, wore a striking pair of pheasant feather earrings on her way out for a night of dancing, she had no idea those earrings were the start of something big. Having created them only that evening, Aya headed out to her favorite Chicago dance club, and was surprised by the buzz her design created. At the end of the night, she had six orders and many, many inquiries about these beautiful earrings. Each piece of HAJI Couture jewelry elegantly emphasizes Aya’s belief in the inherent beauty of natural, organic materials. After a successful launch at Henri Bendel New York in 2007, HAJI Couture has grown from a small line of pheasant feather earrings, to a full line of Couture Accessories, now including some 20 earring styles, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, pins, hair accessories, clutch handbags, and even shoes!

David Zoberis is an artist whose work encompasses everyday life in watercolors, oils and mixed media. A recent 2006 graduate of Northern Illinois University with a BFA in painting, Zoberis has received many awards at Midwestern outdoor art shows and has featured in local newspapers as a "working artist". He has given seminars on mixed media techniques to art guilds and high schools as well as coaches local artists on marketing their work. He operates a painting studio open to the public in Genoa, IL where he teaches young adults and older artists his style of creating images. He believes that "Passion to complete the work is not enough. The process of becoming an artist entrepreneur today means taking action from paintbrush to marketing, sales, packing and shipping.  From image to shipper and banker and supplier, the artist is just a messenger of the soul that lives to paint for appreciative patrons of the arts."

Caitlin Hazelton is a professional wedding, portrait and commercial photographer, and for the past two years has owned and operated Hazelton Photography in Geneva, Illinois.  She has been an artist for 14 years, and in addition to photography & design, has been trained in painting, drawing and sculpture.  Caitlin earned her BA in photography at Columbia College Chicago in 2003, and continues her education and involvement in photography through professional organizations such as the PPA and WPPI.  Caitlin describes her photography as "unique in that I make the experience not just about the photo.  It's about you.  Creativity combined with a friendly approach make the artistic, beautiful and timeless images that I strive for.  Capturing every expression, every moment and every detail."