Getting The Full Monty of Fulton Market, October 11, 2011

Getting The Full Monty of Fulton Market

by Brent Brotine
Photos by Mike Tanimura and Cindy McEwen

It’s an annual C3 event that gets more interesting every year, and Tuesday, October 11, 2011 lived up to expectations when twenty C3 members and guests toured four art galleries in the burgeoning Fulton Market. Again this year, Ginny Van Alyea, publisher and executive editor of Chicago Gallery News, served as our tour leader and provided her exclusive insights at each stop. Our first visit was Packer Schopf Gallery
at 924 W. Lake, which has shifted from folk art to contemporary art over the years but remains true to its commitment to showcase the unconventional. Owner Aron Packer introduced us to Lorraine Peltz’s dazzling oils with chandelier imagery, Doug Smithenry’s artwork based on YouTube images, Bill Harrison’s scratchboard portraits of “Outlaws and Patriots,” and Michael Dinges’s Dremel-tool engraved artifacts.

Our second stop was the Linda Warren Gallery at 1052 W. Fulton Market, where assistant director Chris Smith showed us the thought-provoking portrait paintings of Ed Valentine. All untitled, they are meant to engage the viewer. We also viewed a selection of dramatic portraits from photographer Tom Van Eynde.

Our third stop was the shared space of Kasia Kay Art Projects and E|C Gallery at 215 N. Aberdeen. E|C director Ewa Czeremuszkin showed us the works of painter and mixed media enthusiast Robert Hardgrave, whose exhibition “The Apple Doesn’t Fall too Far from the Tree” included acrylic-and-thread paintings on burlap plus a very large work on paper.

We ended the evening at Mars Gallery, 1139 W. Fulton Market, featuring the artwork of Peter Mars and other pop art and contemporary artists—and reportedly directly on top of the “Fulton Street Energy Vortex” which owner Barb Gazdik says leads to the creativity of the space. Among Peter Mars’s works on display were new Elvis works recently exhibited at the Clinton Presidential Library. The gallery is a premier rental space for parties, receptions and special events, and as such served as a fitting locale for our wine and cheese reception.