Chicago Artists' Coalition's annual Paint-a-Thon

5/23/08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Olga Stefan, Chicago Artists’ Coalition Executive Director, 312-781-0040

David Schmitz, Chicago Artists’ Coalition Special Events Coordinator, 312-781-0040

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Artists’ Coalition (CAC), the Midwest’s premier visual arts service organization, will hold its second annual Paint-a-Thon and Live Auction at Peter Jones Gallery and the Chicago Mosaic School, 1806 W. Cuyler, on Sunday, June 1 from 1-6 pm.

The 2008 Paint-a-Thon will feature eight distinguished guest artists and ten emerging artists creating original works of art before the general public from 1-4 pm. A live auction, led by auctioneer Andrew Lick of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, follows from 4-6 pm. All artwork created during the event will be available for purchase in the live auction.

This year’s sponsored artists have raised a minimum of $250 each in pledges on behalf of the CAC, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts service organization. But, while some fundraisers ask artists to donate all the proceeds to the organization, or their work entirely, the CAC will give back 25% to the artists as a symbol of the organization’s gratitude for their support.

This year’s invited artists include:

Brian Bonebrake is a Chicago native and proprietor of Red Trike Art Company. Bonebrake’s colorful and meticulous still-life paintings were recently featured in
the Chicago Reader.

Terry Dixon is a native of Washington D.C. and a graduate of the Atlanta College of Art and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Dixon’s paintings reflect the influence of African art, abstract expressionism, and jazz music and were recently featured in BusinessWeek magazine. Most recently, Dixon was named a “Chicago Artist to Watch,” a program initiated by the Chicago Artists’ Coalition.

David Gista studied classical fine arts at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and is part of a new generation of avant-garde French painters. Gista’s oil and acrylic paintings on traditional and bright colored cloth canvas offer a running commentary on modernity and contemporary life. Gista is represented by Darthea Speyer Gallery, which also represents legendary Chicago artists Ed Pashke and Leon Goleb.

Robert Johnson was Director of the Bureau of Art for the Chicago Public Schools and taught art at the Chicago Public Schools for more than thirty years. He has also instructed at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Johnson has exhibited at Xavier University, Loyola University Crown Center Gallery, The Beverly Art Center, and the John Blank Center for the Arts, among other venues.

Karena A. Karras is a Chicago native and a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has also studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, The Naguib School of Sculpture, and the Vogue School of Design. Primarily a painter, Karena's work also incorporates box constructions, collage and sculpture.

Didier Nolet studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts Paris and has earned a national reputation as a pastel and oil painter. Nolet’s landscape works have been featured in one-person exhibitions at the Elmhurst Art Museum, Perimeter Gallery, Ann Nathan Gallery, and Concordia University, among other venues. The artist’s workshop, Didier Nolet Studio, offers instruction in pastel and oil painting techniques.

Sandra Perlow earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her colorful abstractions have been presented in solo exhibitions at Elmhurst College, the Chicago Cultural Center, and Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago. The artist has recently shown in group exhibitions at the Museum of New Art, Detroit, and the Indianapolis Art Center and is represented by Alfedena Gallery, Chicago.

Eleanor Spiess-Ferris has exhibited extensively throughout the Midwest and the United States. Spiess-Ferris studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of New Mexico and has been the recipient of Illinois Arts Council grants and an Arts Midwest Fellowship.

Sponsored Paint-a-Thon artists include: Nancy Bechtol, Gabriel Garcia-Fraire, David Geary, Scott Johnson, Alex Lee, Kathleen Letts, Bert Leveille, Julia Katz, Nancie King Mertz, and Julio Villagomez.

One-of-a-kind CAC T-shirts, created onsite by participating artists, will be available for sale during the event for $35 each. The CAC will also offer gift certificates towards purchase of artwork just in time for graduation and the June weddings.

The Paint-a-Thon and Live Auction are free and open to the public. Donations to the CAC will be accepted.

Please visit http://www.caconline.org/default.asp?page=paintathon for more information about the event and participating artists.

Olga Stefan
Executive Director
Chicago Artists' Coalition
www.caconline.org
312-781-0040
olga@caconline.org