We are thrilled to announce a special May treat for our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. Throughout this month, we’re proudly featuring the work of the E/ artgroup, an eclectic collection of Chicagoland artists “dedicated to exhibiting and growing artistically.” Comprised of artists Mary Beth Bellon, Susanne Clark, Sarah Hahne, Mary Hilger, bert leveille, Nan Seidler, and Victoria Senn, the group explores “their own unique and individual styles creating collages, watercolors, oils, mixed media, fabric constructions, and digital media.” You can catch their show throughout May on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Library, and you can learn more about the group by visiting their website. Also, make sure to check back with Off the Shelf later in May for an interview with the artists. In the meantime, we invite you to meet the artists below:
Mary Beth Bellon: Mary Beth holds a BFA from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago with concentrations in film and animation. She continued her study at the International School of Animation at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, where she received a diploma in Classical Animation (IMDb). A member of the Palette and Chisel in Chicago, Mary Beth exhibits her work in both group and solo shows. Work can also be seen in her studio where she works many types of media, including oil and animation. Her studio is located at the Starline Factory Gallery and Studios at 400 Front Street in Harvard, IL, studio 205E. During the summer she is often outside doing Plein Air painting, she finds it helps make her a better artist. You can contact her at mbzstudio@ameritech.net and view her work on her blog and website.
Susanne Clark: Susanne began working in transparent watercolor in the late 90’s. In the last five years her award winning paintings have been juried into national exhibitions with the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Northwest Watercolor Society, Wyoming Watercolor Society, the Municipal Art League of Chicago, Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, and the Algonquin Public Art Program among others. In 2006 her commissioned painting of the Dundee Township Public Library was selected to appear on their new library cards. She holds a BFA from Northern Illinois University. She is represented by the Old Courthouse Arts Center in Woodstock. Contact: suzeescot@yahoo.com
Sarah Hahne: Sarah is a mixed media artist who most recently has been working with recyclable materials. She has exhibited throughout the Chicago area and has been included in exhibits juried by Ed Paschke and Judy Chicago, as well as exhibiting at Woman Made Gallery, including a solo exhibit there in 2012. She also had a Local Art @EPL exhibit in October 2013. You can contact her at HahneArt@comcast.net and view her work on her website.
Mary Hilger: Mary graduated from the university of Iowa with a BFA in painting. She worked for Marshall Fields at the State Street Store for about 10 years, creating visuals on the sales floor and in the windows. She also worked with the Theater of Western Springs, designing and painting sets, and appearing on stage. She currently works as a mixed media artist and has participated in many group shows. Contact: yukidookidoo@yahoo.com
bert leveille: bert has several one-person and group exhibits to her credit, as well as juried shows including: The Chicago Show, Real People, and Woman’s Works. Her large-scale art was featured in the dance “Tunnel,” incorporating her unique 15 foot art tunnel which also hung in a one-person Elmhurst College exhibition where she had earned her degree. Her 2 and 3 dimensional installations have been featured at “Around the Coyote,” Schaumburg Praire Center and Bubotto. She is exploring digital painting – just another medium. Contact her at bertl@att.net, and view her work on her website.
Nan Seidler: Nan graduated with a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She continued her education at Northern Illinois University with an MsEd in Counseling. Nan taught art at a private school in Chicago and at the Chicago Urban League while raising her two daughters. Later she was a counselor at McHenry County College where she co-founded the art show, “Woman’s Works” with the group Workshop for Contemporary Art as a part of Women’s History Month. This show has grown for twenty-five plus years to become the prestigious national juried event that it is today. Nan applies most years and has been accepted in approximately twenty of the twenty-five shows.
Nan lives with Jim May, her storyteller/writer husband, in rural McHenry County and every year they lead several storytelling, writing and art workshop in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Nan has been in many juried and invitational shows and has her work in private collections and at the Woodstock Courthouse Art Center. Nan primarily works in mixed media. Often her work is informed not only by her background in art, but by psychology, myth, dreamscapes, personal history and ecology. You can contact her at nanseidler@earthlink.net and view her work on her website.
Victoria Senn: Victoria has worked in watercolor, acrylic, photography, and most recently in mixed-media collage. She was born in Chicago, Illinois and is a graduate of the American Academy of Art. Richly textured and colorful, her widely exhibited work combines paint, torn hand-made Japanese paper, and digital print media. Her collages are representationally grounded and focus on the human condition from a uniquely personal perspective. Contact: vickisenn1@yahoo.com
