local artists Archives - Page 11 of 12 - Evanston Public Library

Local Art @ EPL

June 3, 2011

We are extremely pleased to introduce local photographer, teacher, and business owner Alan Teller as the next artist in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. From now through July 8th, his evocative photographic series Adlai’s Woods will be on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch. Born during his time as Executive Director of the Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy, Adlai’s Woods represents Mr. Teller’s 2-year exploration of the landscape surrounding the former Illinois governor’s Mettawa farm. Mesmerizing and untraditionally abstract, Mr. Teller’s landscape images capture the “beauty in chaos” while offering “a deeper understanding of time and space and our place within it.” You can preview Adlai’s Woods and more of Mr. Teller’s work by visiting his website, and make sure to check back with Off the Shelf later in June for a featured interview with the artist himself. Stay tuned.

Local Art @ EPL

May 12, 2011

If you missed her fascinating May 7th presentation at Haikufest, rest easy because we are thrilled to introduce local poet and painter Lidia Rozmus as the next artist in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. From now through the end of May, her elegant collection Between a Word and a Brush Stroke will be on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch. For her exhibit, Ms. Rozmus chose a beautifully understated selection of her work in haiga, a Japanese art form that combines haiku poetry with a 13th-century style of black-ink painting called sumi-e. While planning your May visit, don’t forget to click on over to Ms. Rozmus’ website to preview her sumi-e paintings, sample pages from her award-winning books of haiga, and learn more about her artistic background. Finally, make sure to check back with Off the Shelf later in the month for a featured interview with the artist herself. Stay tuned.

Local Art @ EPL

April 14, 2011

We are quite pleased to introduce local painter and Prairie Joe’s restaurant owner Aydin Dincer as the next featured artist in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. From now through April 30th, you can catch his eye-popping paintings in their 2nd floor display at EPL’s Main Branch. Playfully self-described as an artist who both “paints in oil and cooks with oil,” Mr. Dincer’s portraits and landscapes are at once fresh, bold, and fun. So don’t miss this satisfying art sampler straight off the eclectic walls of his popular Central Street eatery, and make sure to check back with Off the Shelf later in April for a featured interview with Mr. Dincer himself. Stay tuned.

An Interview with Leonid Osseny

March 27, 2011

Leonid Osseny is an architect, designer, teacher, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. His show – titled 36 Views of Ulysses – is currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch and insightfully interprets scenes from James Joyce’s landmark novel with a stunningly original collection of inventive graphic works. You can catch 36 Views of Ulysses through April 5th and also learn more about Mr. Osseny’s work at the website for his Lincoln Terrace Art Studio and Gallery. What’s more, you can meet Mr. Osseny in person and hear him speak about 36 Views of Ulysses when he visits EPL’s 1st Floor Community Meeting Room on Tuesday, March 29th at 6:30 p.m. In anticipation of his visit, we recently spoke with him via email about his artistic beginnings in Belarus, his experiences at the 2004 International James Joyce Symposium in Dublin, and his future plans as an artist and writer.

Continue reading “An Interview with Leonid Osseny” →

Local Art @ EPL

March 4, 2011

We are extremely pleased to introduce local architect, poet, and designer Leonid Osseny as the next featured artist in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. From now until April 5th, his eye-popping exhibit 36 Views of Ulysses will be on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch. For 36 Views of Ulysses, Mr. Osseny created a stunningly original collection of inventive graphic works that interpret scenes from James Joyce’s landmark novel as well as 8 poster installations subtitled “Inner Monologue” that explore Joyce’s work in relation to that of Sergey Eisenstein and Stanley Kubrick. Recognized internationally, the exhibit was part of both the North American James Joyce Conference in 2001 and Dublin’s 19th International James Joyce Symposium in 2004. So don’t miss 36 Views of Ulysses right here at EPL, and make sure to check back with Off the Shelf later in March for a featured interview with Mr. Osseny and info on how you can meet the artist himself. Stay tuned.

A Talk with the Artists of ‘Thursdays with Leslie’

February 19, 2011

Thursdays with Leslie is an impressive collaborative exhibition by ten talented painters from the Noyes Cultural Art Center and the latest show in our popular Local Art @ EPL series. Currently on display through February 28th on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch, Thursdays with Leslie features an ecclectic mix of watercolor, oil, and pastel works created by the skilled students of instructor Leslie Hirshfield. I recently spoke with many of the Thursdays with Leslie artists via email about their artistic backgrounds, experiences at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, and impressions of the Chicagoland art scene.

Continue reading “A Talk with the Artists of ‘Thursdays with Leslie’” →

African American Literature Read In at Fleetwood-Jordain Center

February 17, 2011

In honor of Black History Month, the Fleetwood-Jordain Center will host eight multi-talented authors reading and performing excerpts from their published works. The 2011 African American Literature Read-In and Book Fair is sponsored by Books Inc Bookstore and organized by
A Work of Faith Ministry & Literacy. The first annual event will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 1655 Foster Street, Evanston, IL. Evanston Public Library will have a table at the book fair where residents can learn about the library’s collections, programs, book clubs or sign up for a library card. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. For information, contact Gevell Wagner at (773) 350-4675.

Susan M.

Local Art @ EPL

February 6, 2011

feb_art_3 — "Oxen-Detroit Zoo" by Tracy Hodgson

We are thrilled to announce a special February treat for our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. Throughout this month, we’re proudly featuring Thursdays with Leslie, an exhibit showcasing the work of ten local painters from the Noyes Cultural Arts Center. For Thursdays with Leslie, these talented students selected the best watercolor, oil, and pastel works from years spent honing their skills under the expert eye of instructor Leslie Hirshfield. Though their subjects and style might vary, these diverse artists are clearly united by their “enduring love of creating art.” So make plans to catch Thursdays with Leslie on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch before this month ends, and check back with Off the Shelf later in February for a featured interview with the artists themselves. In the meantime, we invite you to meet the artists below:

Continue reading “Local Art @ EPL” →

An Interview with Zuleyka Benitez

December 29, 2010

Zuleyka Benitez is a local painter, business owner, and the latest artist to be featured in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. Her show – titled Narrative Interiors – is currently on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch where you can catch it through the beginning of January. For Narrative Interiors, Ms. Benitez combined images from existing art works, historical magazines and postcards, and other found objects into gouache paintings highlighted with watercolor and pencil. Reminiscent of stage sets or studio photographs, her paintings feature minute, “seemingly decorative elements” that are intended as clues for adding complexity to a viewing experience that unfolds like the plot of a good book. I recently spoke with Ms. Benitez via email about her European childhood, her painting “Hair Club for Men,” and her experience as an artist in Evanston.

Continue reading “An Interview with Zuleyka Benitez” →

Local Art @ EPL

November 26, 2010

We are thrilled to announce that local painter and business owner Zuleyka Benitez will be the next artist in our ongoing exhibition series Local Art @ EPL. Beginning December 1st and extending through the month, her finely-detailed exhibit Narrative Interiors will be on display on the 2nd floor of EPL’s Main Branch. For Narrative Interiors, Ms. Benitez combined images from existing art works, historical magazines and postcards, and other found objects into gouache paintings highlighted with watercolor and pencil. Reminiscent of stage sets or studio photographs, her paintings feature minute, “seemingly decorative elements” that are intended as clues for adding complexity to a viewing experience that unfolds like a good book. So don’t miss Narrative Interiors right here at EPL, and make sure to check back with Off the Shelf later in December for a featured interview with the artist herself. Stay tuned.