The Jeff and Anna Salon

The first Jeff and Anna Salon
(coinciding with the
The North Park Art Walk )
took place two weeks ago
in the radically multi-ethnic
Albany Park Neighborhood of Chicago.
(imagine a business district where
an Iraqi coffee shop is next to a Korean grocery
is next to a storefront Orthodox Jewish synagogue
is next to a storefront black pentacostal church)


All of which is next to
the Koh-Varilla Sculpture Studio.
(above are three of their pieces)

Anna is something of a community organizer.

Part of this event,
is a gathering together
of all her artist friends
into one big exhibit.

The other part,
is her getting neighbors
to do the same thing.






Rhea Eunjoo In


One of the participating organizations
was the Chicago Korean-American Art Association.


Rhea Eunjoo In is a Korean student at S.A.I.C.
(Just like Anna was 30 years ago)

Matthew Lawrence Almy


Another local organization
is the Ravenswood Atelier










Mathew Lawrence Almy

What delicious dust!




Joshua Klegerman




Christie Michelle Stewart

(she's listed as one the students,
but I think she already knows more
than many teachers)




Craig Blietz


And then there was the
Chicago Art Salon ,
a group of artists
who share some of the same interests.






Gail Potocki















Vincent Hawkins


And finally,
here's the Jeff and Anna Salon,
comprising the somewhat motley crew
of artists she has chosen as friends
here in Chicago.

Vincent Hawkins
is well known among local sculptors
for his Fire Arts Center
where you, too, can cast your own bronze.











"Cain and Abel"

Michael Ruhack
has sometimes assisted
Jeff and Anna
on their commissions.



Lois and Keith Raub

have proven that artists
actually can live with each other
for more than a few months.









Kerry Brooks


I'm not sure how Anna
met this young artist

Her drawings are incredible,
but you do need
a magnifying glass
to appreciate them.











Harry Sudman

These girls
look good
against the aluminum doors












Elizabeth Ockwell

Recently retired from the S.A.I.C.
where she taught drawing
for many years








Eldon Danhausen


Eldon was the sculpture teacher
at the S.A.I.C.
back when I first met Jeff and Anna.

Unfortunately, he was
not able to attend this event
(except in spirit)





Dennis Paul






Dennis was a Danhausen student, as well.



I prefer to see his work
close up.







David Abed








Finally,
we get to my favorite,
Andrew Conklin.

His drawing and design are so delicious.






And he is so distant
from the
Chicago-ugly-figure-school.


Beautiful people
in beautiful places.

Why are images of that
so hard to find?












I think I prefer
still-lifes of antique silver
and ceramics.

But if somebody has to paint
a laptop computer,
I'm glad that Andy volunteered.














Helen Oh

Helen is Andrew's wife,
and she specializes in
finely drawn
sea shells.






And finally, finally,
here's the wall
hung with my pieces.

Left to right:

*Birth of Venus

*In the Garden

*Mars and Venus Heaving in the Iron Net
that Limping Vulcan and His Cyclops Set.



********




(note: a full list of participating artists
is shown here )