May 20: Art & Life of Ruth Van Sickle Ford

The Aurora Public Art Commission Presents:
Warm Light, Cool Shadows, the Life and Art of Ruth Van Sickle Ford

Oil paintings and watercolors on loan from private collections

Date: May 20 - August 12, 2011

Opening Reception:

May 20, from 4:15 - 7:30 pm

Reception Schedule:

4:15 - 5:00: Presentation and book signing by Nancy Hopp, author of the newly published “Warm Light, Cool Shadows,

The Life and Art of Ruth Van Sickle Ford”

5:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Reception, featuring music by dulcimer player Bill Robinson, a 2006 inductee into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame.

Location: Aurora Public Art Commission in the David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 3rd floor gallery, 20 E. Downer Pl., in downtown Aurora

Hours: Wednesday - Friday Noon - 4:00 P.M.

Admission: Both reception and daily admission are free and open to the public

Off street parking available one block west at Downer & Stolp, bring ticket to Museum Shop to be validated!

April 15: Japan Relief Show at 7 West Studio

Aurora - Clever! Shiny! Strange! Pretty! things from local artists will go toward Japan Relief this April and May.

7 West Studio in downtown Aurora is holding a show where selected works will be up for sale to benefit those affected by the recent disaster in Japan. Japan Relief items sold at the studio will help fund the efforts of American Red Cross to help earthquake victims in Japan.

7 West Studio's Japan Relief Show opens on Friday, April 15 and runs until the end of May. The public is invited to an opening night reception from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 15. Join the 7 West artists for an important night of art to support Japan Relief. Store hours are regularly 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

7 West Studio features original art, jewelry and gifts by your friends and neighbors in a lovely location along the river between Stolp Avenue and River Street.

Street parking is free during the opening reception and convenient parking is available in a parking garage at the corner of Stolp and Downer.

Visit www.7weststudio.com to shop the studio online.

NOW: Call for Aurora ArtWalk artists for June 3!

The Aurora ArtWalk is back! ArtWalk V will happen once again from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, June 3 in the area of Stolp Avenue and Downer Place in downtown Aurora.

New this year, venues will display different perspectives of art; art as seen through people’s relationship to society and the particular groups and/or philosophies with which they identify.

You’ll see art from all walks of society: freaks and geeks, classical and modern, religious and political, cultural and historic, sporty and sexual, offensive and appetizing, repulsive and engaging. Be prepared to experience humanity in all its forms.

Artists are invited to submit their art for consideration of inclusion in the ArtWalk. All types of art will be considered. Interested artists must apply online for the Aurora ArtWalk through the website at www.AuroraArtwalk.com and pay an entry fee of $20. If selected, artists will be paired with a fitting downtown venue in which to exhibit or perform. All artists accepted through this juried process must be able to deliver work and attend/perform for the duration of the ArtWalk, and are eligible for the award. Any and all ArtWalk artists are encouraged to offer work for sale.
Some artists will be invited, and others need to apply.

Those selected applicants will be eligible to win an “audience favorite award” through a monetized voting process. Attendees will purchase “votes.” Each artist will collect votes. Whoever collects the most votes wins an all new Traveling ArtWalk Award and becomes the ArtWalk ambassador for one term—until the next ArtWalk!

Artists in any medium are encouraged to apply. The ArtWalk is open, but not limited to: dancers, photographers, painters, performers, vocalists, poets, sculptors, spoken word artists, ceramicists, authors, installation artists, independent filmmakers, environmental artists, and musicians of all genres. All submissions are due by April 29, 2011. Artists will be notified by May 15, 2011.

The last four ArtWalks saw outstanding attendance with standing room only audiences bringing thousands of patrons and art lovers to downtown Aurora.

The Aurora ArtWalk is produced by the Cultural Creatives, a group of Aurora artists, patrons, business and property owners and engaged citizens with a common interest in encouraging an arts-friendly environment. For more information on the Aurora ArtWalk, visit AuroraArtwalk.com. Sponsorships for this event are currently available. For information on sponsorships, volunteer opportunities and questions related to the submission process, please e-mail : AuroraArtwalk@gmail.com.

March 17: AU art exhibit: Chris Pappan

AURORA, Ill.--Aurora University will host "History Re-Imagined: The Art of Chris Pappan: Ledger Drawings, Paintings and Installation” by the Chicago Native American artist from Thursday (March 17) to May 27.

The free public exhibit will be in the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures at Dunham Hall, 1400 Marseillaise Place.

Pappan will greet the public at an opening reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the museum.

A companion slide lecture, "In Two Worlds--Ledger Drawing of the Plains Indians," will be presented by Meg Bero of Batavia, Executive Director of the Schingoethe Center, at 6:30 p.m. March 23 at the museum.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Call (630) 844-7843, e-mail museum@aurora.edu or visit aurora.edu/museum for more information.

March: AU student exhibit

Batavia High artists’ work featured at Aurora University gallery

AURORA, Ill.– Aurora University will open an art exhibit by Batavia High School students on Thursday, March 3, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. and scholarship presentations at 6 p.m.

The public is invited to the reception and exhibit through March 31 in the AU Schingoethe Art Gallery at the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures in Dunham Hall at 1400 Marseillaise Place.

Meg Bero, Executive Director of the Schingoethe Center, will present AU scholarships to the top four student artists. Awards are best in show, $1,500; first place, $1,000; second place, $750; and third place, $500. The scholarships are renewable annually to students who qualify.

Student artists will exhibit paintings, drawings, photography and other media.

Batavia art teachers are Jennifer Melendez, Andrea Schindlbeck and Dawn Zalkus.

Student artists are: Ian Bosak, Brendan McGee, Natalie Brooks, Naomi Viland, Katelyn Peercy, Bekah Gustin, Jenny Blatt, Jenna Guastella, Megan Pieterick, Ellyn Thesis, Gabby Domena, Braden Charles, Kelsey Riley, Diane Bernardoni, Kim Bartos, Bari Robinson, Brian Grebner, Marie Baldwin, Olivia Boyd, Eleana Daniel, Kelsey Fagan, Kendal McCabe, Amanda Hampe, Magueritte Mallory, Lexy Marks, Leslie Billings, Taylor Richardson, John Seagren, Kevin Kunz, Soobin Lee, Rachel Key, Ashlynn Handel, Sean Gamble, Callie Livengood, Tarin Butterfield, Kelly DalSanto, Ben Steskal.

The exhibit is free to the public. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Call (630) 844-7843 or visit www.aurora.edu/museum for more information.