I am originally from Elgin, IL. At the moment I am finishing my last year at Illinois State University. In the spring, I will have my BFA in studio arts concentrating in glass and I will also have an art history minor. I have been learning how to blow glass for the last two and a half years and have loved every second of it. Before becoming a glass major I was a drawing major which has stuck with me in my pieces. I continuously try to combine drawing and glass in my work. Line, clearity, perspective, space, value,and optics: these are some of the words that I think about while creating my work.

About the Art Salon

Slated for September 9-10, 2011,  The Next Wave Art Salon is an innovative two-day event that brings together emerging artists in a “found space” in downtown Elgin.

Artists will have up to a 10’ x 10’ space to exhibit two pieces of work. Performance artists will have an indoor and outdoor stage, and video/film artists will have a projection theater room.

The Salon is designed to attract up-and-coming artists with innovative approaches to their art form; however it is open to artists of all ages and genres.

$3,000 in awards will be given out the night of September 10th.

If you are interested in participating in the Salon, submissions will be open shortly.  For questions email info@thenextwave.me.

Please help us to reach more artists by forwarding this information to other artists, arts-related businesses and organizations who may also like to participate. Please have them send their contact information to info@thenextwave.me.

Congratulations to Hector Barron, Eric Gushee and Charlyn Reynolds for winning the prizes!

Thank you all for participating and we hope you found it encouraging, enlightening, or at least a good time.  We’ve proven there can be a vibrant art scene and that all we need is to create a space for it to unfold.  If you’ve signed up as an artist or added yourself to our mailing list, we’ll keep you posted about the next Salon!

For more pictures of the September 11, 2010 salon, visit  http://www.flickr.com/photos/elginarts/sets/72157624834077087

I am originally from Elgin, IL. At the moment I am finishing my last year at Illinois State University. In the spring, I will have my BFA in studio arts concentrating in glass and I will also have an art history minor. I have been learning how to blow glass for the last two and a half years and have loved every second of it. Before becoming a glass major I was a drawing major which has stuck with me in my pieces. I continuously try to combine drawing and glass in my work. Line, clearity, perspective, space, value,and optics: these are some of the words that I think about while creating my work.

I was born in Mexico City but have lived most of my life in Chihuahua (northern Mexico), a place that has influenced my work on their geography desert, now and for some years I work mostly with ink on paper. I currently live in Cicero, Illinois.

In terms of my artistic practice, I am a process artist based mainly in sculpture with interests in two-dimensional media. I begin my process with a single repetitive action, such as drawing a series of lines or mass-producing a single material. For me, actions and materials are holy tools which need to be examined before use; through careful examination and use, the divinity of these tools can be known. In my practice I study each of my materials individually through manipulation, creating mono-compositions and testing them so that they support themselves. Once I acclimate this very basic action into my practice, a limited vocabulary emerges, at which point I begin another layer of process. In this next step, I allow the second action to interact with the first, orchestrating materials in space or frame to create a holistic composition. These two steps continually repeat in a spiraling process that may sometimes lead to a chaotic, yet controlled moment. My work is the product of this moment.

I am an outsider artist involved with the Awakenings Project of Elgin Illinois.

I think I found a career I can’t mess up!

“… the image is just something to hang paint on” – Jim Dine

“There is something ridiculous and miserly in the myth we inherit from abstract art. That painting is autonomous, pure, and for itself, … But painting is ‘impure’. It is the adjustment of impurities which forces painting’s continuity. We are image-makers
and Image-ridden.” – Philip Guston

I’ve always considered myself a painter…it has been my passion and identity for as long as I could remember.

And when I thought about painting, I was thinking in terms of evocative, physical painters like Guston, Pollack, Morandi, with a bit of romantic realism from the likes of Raphael, Bougerau, and Walker Evans thrown in for good measure. I identified with their bold, painterly marks , as well as their emotion-laden images and photographs. As a result, my greatest challenges as an artist have been to reconcile my love for the photographic image and gestural mark-making.

I began synthesizing photo and gesture in 2006, buoyed by continuing advancement in digital photography. My painting has always explored themes of revealing and concealing, as well as memory, history, and the sequential layering of information.

My current works continue this approach, revealing and concealing the image in a cohesive way. As I work I’m constantly focused on the need to elevate the image, adding a new emphasis or emotion while being careful not to embellish simply for its own sake. I start with a photographic print: paint it, reprinted certain parts, overlap images… in a sequential dance of opacity and transparency that gradually transforms the image into something more evocative, textural and unique.

Photography ha been my life since I can remember. I love the use of light to capture images. Light, whether natural or studio brings out the character of a subject in that moment and when I look at a subject I see the color, texture and form that create it–it becomes something
more than its original intended use. It now has a new purpose, a purpose of enjoyment in vision.
It now has a story.

Soapy Water is what fell on my arm when I was standing on a sidewalk in Chicago. I thought it was something else. I’m glad that it wasn’t. I looked up at the sky scraper above me and saw two men coming down on ropes as they washed the windows.

Fan Artist. I took a lot of photos of people last April at Anime Central. It was a wonderful experience. So much creativity. Cosplayers, voice actors, artists. The woman painting fans had a look that, to me, tells a story…..

I am a free lance woodcarver.

only connect…

i am 21. i try not not capitalize my name when i write it. i hope to be among the storyteller’s of my generation. i wish more people considered themselves artists. Being a messenger is exciting to me.

Beauty is so real, mixed up with it all. i say that knowing of struggle, pain, loss; redemption. and i believe at times i am fortunate enough to stop and take in the beauty, and that’s the most important thing i think i can put in this bio.

i have a film featured in the Elgin Short Film Festival about Elgin.

reflect.
risk.
be a part of things that will outlive you.

A lifelong dancer, Zoh’ra is a multi-talented performance artist who has also graced the stage as a classic musician and jazz vocalist. When she discovered the profound emotion, elegance and joy of Egyptian dance, Zoh’ra fell whole-heartedly in love with this beautiful art form. A rising star on the Midwest bellydance scene, she is a devoted instructor and popular performer. Recently, Zoh’ra was deeply honored to dance for Dina of Egypt.

Zoh’ra is a Moroccan name, meaning a source of radiance or light. It is her intention to honor that name in all that she does.

A lifelong dancer and performance artist, Zoh’ra trained at the Ruth Page School of Dance in Chicago for 12 years, building a foundation in classical ballet and folk dance. An accomplished musician, vocalist, and writer as well, her stage experience has ranged from musical theater to jazz jams to poetry slams. Her B.A. in women and gender studies from Amherst College has provided the perfect foundation for her continuing interest and research in the cultural underpinnings of raks sharki, as well as the often hefty price that women pay in order to follow their dance in Egypt and elsewhere.

Zoh’ra has a profound respect for this beautiful art form, and its talented practitioners all over the world. She has studied with masters from Egypt, Israel, Canada and the U.S., including those she considers her biggest influences: Dina, Hadia, Orit Maftsir, Yousry Sharif, Cassandra, Aziza, and Jim Boz. She is level two certified in Hadia’s Middle Eastern Dance teacher training, and certified in Faten Salama’s folklore training.

A popular performer throughout the Midwest, Zoh’ra is a gifted teacher, breaking down movements with clarity and humor, and setting them in physical, musical and cultural context. Her focus in instruction is Oriental, with a foundation in Egyptian style in its rich diversity.

Zoh’ra’s troupe, the Jewels, consist of dedicated dancers with a range of styles, personalities and abilities, some of whom have studied with Zoh’ra since 2006. Her students continue to be Zoh’ra’s greatest teachers and source of inspiration. The Jewels are invited to perform at events throughout the Chicagoland area.

The Jewels will join Zoh’ra at the Next Wave, to present our version of “Work”: the collaboration, bickering, laughter, compromise and labor that go into any group choreography and rehearsal. For the second piece, Zoh’ra will work on a sha’abi (Cairo street music) improvisation, readying it for performance, with all its repetition, stops & starts, flubs, occasional cursing, and moments of spontaneous, utterly-perfect connection with the music.

Artist who works in printmaking, mixed media, drawing, and photography.

I’m a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, TX and have studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and The American Academy of Art in Chicago, IL.  I am primarily an illustrator focusing on satirical subject matter that comment on both political and social issues.  I tend to take a subtly pessimistic point of view and strive to elicit a thoughtful dialog with my viewers.

I am 10 years old and in fifth grade.  I like art, swimming, ballet and my cats.

I feel an artists body of work is his unwritten biography, archiving his progress in both craftsmanship and self-discovery, all the while capturing the most personal and essential moments in his life, and revealing his personal reflections.
In my painting, I feel free from the jumble of words all too limited in their ability to fully illustrate an image of my sensations and reflections. Painting is a way to bypass the filter of conscious analysisbypassing the point where we attempt to name and catalog our responses, which often diminishes the true glory of the moment.

I am free to explore my dreams, very often so intensely alive that they continue to exist in my sight in the material world. I have yet to find the words capable of illustrating such glorious visions, so I paint them that I may relive them, and that I might apply a pinprick into the veil between our worlds allowing a speck of light to illuminate its existence to others. I aspire to reveal such worlds to my son, that the images from my journey inspire him to begin his own exploration, for a mere sliver of light is enough to bring the world gushing forth, demolishing the walls that confine our thoughts.
Although I fail to find the words to convey my passion, I cannot deny their role in my reflection, for words have allowed me to further explore the images I have been moved to create. For when I write, I am transported into the silent realm of the mind, where the voices of human reason and passion can be heard in intimate conversation, contemplating the infinite dimensions of being.

I was in 7th grade at Abbott Jr. High school when a teacher lent me his Canon FTb over the weekend. He showed me how to process the negatives and makes prints. When the faint remnants of my very first photograph began to emerge in the tray it was one of the most magical moments in my life. I’ve been hooked on photography ever since.

I value solitude and because much of photography’s creative nucleus lies within the nature of its isolation, it allows me to reveal aspects of me which I’m typically reticent to reveal.

I remain an amateur in the truest sense of that word!

This Chicago native has been involved in creating ever since he can remember. Born in the South side neighborhood of Bridgeport an only child, he learned to make friends quickly and developed artistic ways of having fun. Drawing in school as a child continued on into High School to later become a regular part of life. Creating for fun to mastering a craft became a serious goal for Keath, a degree in Fine Arts was put on hold to pursue life’s voyage. Which is now the main motivation for the rest of his mission.
Mastering all medias is one of the main goals for Keath as an Artist as well as bringing a positive message. Keath’s mission is a never ending exploration of creation, no matter how big or small. Using the objects in life that are close to the heart help pump fuel into the life force of his creativity. In the spring of 2007 Keath launched “Bottomless Pitt Creations”  a company which applies creative touches to any object possible. An out of pocket budget has things on a slow start, but more material will be available in the future. A major percent of the material created by Keath Sodapop are hand made. Please take a look at some past works and latest creations…

Circus and the Fog

Two piece minimalist band playing maximalist music.

Circus and the Fog are from a town where the ambulance drivers don’t stop, and the sky is black and bruised. Where the moon is sharp enough to draw blood. Where pianos are used for firewood and the dogs sleep in your mailbox.

Circus and the Fog writes songs that frequently present atmospheric portrayals of grotesque, and often seedy characters and places.

Charles had been writing music for a great number of years before our meeting. He has since molded a seamless representation of our lives. Our music, and our minds, are one.
An eclectic acoustic set will be my performance.
If you’ve any interest, videos & tunes can be found at www.MereFragments.com

I am very passionate about art and my deep faith in God inspires a lot of my work. I am nearly 29 and have been an Illinois resident all my life. I am happily married and am very excited about life. Art has been a very healing outlet in my life as well as a wonderful way to express my deepest thoughts and feelings.

http://www.lucidawakening.net

I intend on adding to my past success such as being a published author and photographer.  I will continue to utilize my creativity, leadership, and interpersonal skills, in order to mantian a harmonious family life, and grow my business Mind of Munson Creations.  I will continue to remain loyal to my family and business.  I will treat both with compassion and open mindedness.  I will allow all to maintain their individuality.  In so keeping, my own.

I will also donate my time to various causes and organizations I believe in.  Furthermore, I will continue to vote and recycle.

My goals over the next few years will be achieved by maintaining a positive attitude, exploring creative alternatives, and follow through.  I plan to continue to produce photography and written work.  This along with the Source is a guiding force in my life and when I tend to get off track I will use this personal mission statement and the Source in order to regain focus in my life.

www.mindofmunsoncreations.vpweb.com

David Picaso specializes in creating artwork that conveys complex designs in the most direct manner, while still working within his professional career as a graphic designer. David’s style of artwork can be described as cinematic and fresh, and his body of work demonstrates a broad range of mix media. Most of it beign graffiti. David uses graffiti as a medium, so that he can engage and interact with people from the streets. All of his work are a reflection of his personality.

An ambitious oil painter, and tattoo artist from a small town in Wisconsin. Raised with the fundementals of a naturalist’s expressions of pushing the limits to the gates, in an idealistic and mindful reality.