Tall Grass Arts Association
367 Artists Walk
Park Forest, IL 60466
Tallgrassarts367@sbcglobal.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information: Janet Muchnik, (708) 748-5123 or (708) 439-2424 (mobile)

Worlds Imagined: The Art of Children’s Books

Beginning on March 7 and running through May 31, 2008, Tall Grass Arts Association in Park Forest, IL will host Worlds Imagined: The Art of Children’s Books. The exhibit will open on Friday, March 7 with a reception in the gallery located at 367 Artists Walk, DownTown Park Forest, from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m.

Worlds Imagined will feature 74 original works of art by nationally-renown illustrators. Illustrators featured in the show include Ashley Bryan and Jan Spivey Gilchrist (seventeen drawings from My America), Jules Feiffer (three drawings from The House Across the Street), Wendy Halperin (seventeen drawings from Thank You, World), Elisa Kleven (ten drawings from Apple Doll), Barbara Lavallee (one drawing from Mama, Do You Love Me? one from Papa, Do You Love Me? and one from Grandma Calls Me Beautiful), Kevin Luthardt (12 drawings from The Vowel Family), Jon J Muth (three from Zen Shorts), Don Nedobeck (three from The Twelve Days of Christmas), Claire Nivola (three from The Friday Nights of Nana) and Susan Sturgill (three from I’m Just a Cat Mattress).

Illustrator Jan Spivey Gilchrist believes that children’s books are a marriage between pictures and words. “The pictures come alive because of the words and vice-versa.” Thus, to enrich the experience of visiting the show and to emphasize both the art and literacy components of it, the illustrations will be mounted next to sections of the text that the illustrations accompany. In addition to the featured artworks, books by these illustrators will be on display in the gallery for students and parents to read.

Many of the illustrators have won honors for their works. Ashley Bryan's numerous awards and honors include the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration, six Coretta Scott King Honors, the Arbuthnot Prize, and a Fulbright Scholarship. He also won a Silver Medallion, for contributions to children's literature from the University of Southern Mississippi. The Man in the Ceiling was Jules Feiffer's first book for children. Highly praised in The New York Times and elsewhere, it was selected by Publishers Weekly and The New York Public Library as one of the best children's books of 1993. Jan Spivey Gilchrist has won numerous awards and commissions throughout her career, including the Coretta Scott King Award. Barbara Lavallee’s books have been selected as California Children’s Books award winners and by Parent’s Magazine as one of the best books of the year. One of Jon J Muth’s books, Zen Shorts, was a Caldecott award winner. His most recent book, Zen Ties, is on the New York Times bestseller list. Jon also illustrated both of Carolyn Kennedy’s anthologies of poetry.

The illustrations presented in the gallery represent a wide spectrum of styles and media. Several of the artists work with watercolors. Elisa Kleven utilizes the art of collage. Wendy Halperin utilizes crayons. Several utilize pen and ink and colored pencils.

Teachers are invited to call the gallery to schedule group tours. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Special hours can be arranged for group tours. The gallery is located next to Village Hall in DownTown Park Forest. It is open to the public free of charge.

For additional information, directions or to schedule a tour, call the gallery at (708) 748-3377.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT ROGER PARIS, CURATOR, (708) 283-1251 (Tall Grass Art School) or (708) 747-2688 (home)

Exhibit Focuses on Work by Three Ethnic Photographers

Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery located at 367 Artists Walk in DownTown Park Forest will show works by three Chicago-based photographers from Friday, October 5 through Saturday, November 17 in a show entitled “3 –Three Men, Three Cultures, Three Ways of Seeing”. Tony Smith is an African American. Joe Compean is an Hispanic. Ramnath Siva is an Asian Indian. All three invite the viewer to glimpse environments the photographer finds familiar and comfortable. These personal visions of the world reveal a great deal about each artist and demonstrate three very different approaches to the photographic medium.

Tony Smith is a photographer, graphic artist, publisher, teacher and music producer. He works in a studio setting and employs models for his subjects. His images show a keen interest in light and form. Rendered in high contrast black and white, he walks a line between realism and abstraction that he labels “surrealism”. The group of images in this show, selected from thousands he has produced, explores the human form as patterns of light and shadow. They hint at his interest in the work of Robert Mapplethorpe without crossing the line that made Mapplethorpe’s work so controversial.

Joe Compean calls himself an eclectic photographer who wants to provoke conversation about his subject matter. Born in Chicago of Mexican parents, he is a graduate of Columbia College. He made a globe for the Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet exhibit that graced the lakefront in Chicago this summer. He has also done installation projects along streets and worked with stereoscopic photography. His work in the Tall Grass exhibition documents life in San Antonio in the region known as La Huasteca Potosina, his mother’s hometown. These candid glimpses of a simple life in a small town reveal his fascination with people and his love of photo documentary. The laminated images are mounted on one inch thick slabs of pine.

Ramnath Siva has lived in the US for the past six years but goes home to Delhi, India every year to photograph. Like Tony Smith’s photos, his subjects are posed studies and demonstrate a keen sense of light and form. But, Ramnath works on the streets and a good deal of the contrast in his images relies on juxtaposition of texture and color. The formal approach to composition is quite different from the candid eye of Joe Compean but both men work to document the people and culture of a place.

Roger Paris, Director of the Tall Grass Arts Association School, is curator of this exhibit. He summarizes the show by saying, “Photography is an art medium. The photographers in this show were selected to sample the broad spectrum of possibility photographic tools provide and demonstrate that artistic intent and personal vision separate artists from snap-shooters.”

A free public reception will open the show on Friday, October 5 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. The gallery is located in DownTown Park Forest adjacent to the Park Forest Village Hall. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For additional information or directions, call the gallery at (708) 748-3377.

The generous support of the Robert Smart family makes this show possible and honors his memory as an active force in Tall Grass Arts Association. Robert Smart was a past president, board member, volunteer and photographer whose images provide decades worth of visual history of the organization. A selection of his images will be seen at the front of the gallery throughout the run of the show.

Part-Time

Administrative Assistant – Gift Shop Manager
Department: Art Gallery
Job Code:

Duties: Provides daily reception services and facilitates communication between the Executive Director, Board members, and members via e-mails, mailings, and phone conversations. Provides friendly and informed service to prospective artists, students, and the public. Provides assistance to the Executive Director and Board Members as requested, working closely with the Executive Director to prioritize workflow and establish priorities. Assists the Executive Director and Board Members with special projects.

Qualifications: High School diploma required, BA/BS/BFA strongly preferred. Previous clerical and administrative experience in a cultural organization. Very strong organization and communication skills. Ability to work well with students, artists, donors, members, and public at large. Ability to handle multiple projects and priorities.

*This is a part-time 20-hour per week position.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2007

Title: Art Fair Coming September 15 & 16 to Park Forest

Join the Tall Grass Arts Association as they present this year’s 52nd Annual Park Forest Art Fair. The admission is free and will feature affordable fine art from a variety of local and non local artists. This event will also feature live entertainment, an assortment of foods, and activities for children. More than 100 artists are planning to participate and 17 new artists have been juried in to participate in the event. The Park Forest Art Fair will be held 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on September 15 & 16 outside on Main Street in Downtown Park Forest, IL.

What the artist Pam Eberlin enjoys best is working with found objects. “My art is all about feeling good.” Her inspiration evolves from manipulating items such as glass, wire, vintage objects, wood and plastic into whimsical fun filled creations. This will be her fifth time exhibiting at fair. Eberlin’s art has evolved in many different directions as she blurs the lines between what can be classified as fine and craft art. She enjoys exploring and defining the boundaries of her materials.

For over fifteen years, jeweler Sam Wolfson has been exhibiting at the Park Forest Art Fair. We always look forward to his return and enjoy his delightful sense of humor.

Carolyn Funk’s interest in photography was sparked by her achievement of winning the 7th grade coloring contest at her school where she won her first camera. It wasn’t until several years after her retirement that she began taking courses at Prairie State College to have her hobby emerged into a career. Since then, Funk has exhibited at numerous art shows. Inspired by her love of nature, her photographs contain a lot of scenery. This year at the fair, she will be exhibiting and selling some of her more recent photos which will be printed directly onto the canvas. This is both an exciting and new technique for her and we look forward to her return to the art fair.

“I like to build things, such as tables, lamps, practically everything.” says the self taught artist, Phil Sapienza, “I consider painting a form of construction. The finished artwork is very satisfying, but the process of creating the art work is what I like the most.” Sapienza has been exhibiting in the fair for over ten years.

First time showing in the fair will be the photorealist artist, Don Millon. He loves to work in a variety of media as he creates portraits of people, animals and landscapes. Millon remarks that “While I am doing a piece, whether it's a landscape or still life, I hope the viewer can feel the serenity, quiet and peacefulness. If it's an animal (or pet), I strive to imprint the animal’s personality and essence into the portrait.” As such, many of his clients have remarked, "You've captured my pet's personality."

Charles Mull says that he creates fusion portraits. His art works’ styles vary as he creates portraits, abstracts, and landscapes in a variety of media such as acrylic, oil, wood, metal and other artistic media. Many years ago while receiving his undergrad degree in Special Ed down at SIU, his interest in art began to grow as his friends encouraged him to be adventurous. As such, he purchased his first art set in college and won a prize at a local event with his first attempt at painting. Since then, his art has always been highly connected to his feelings. It has helped him cope throughout the years with life’s troubles.

The artist Eugene Benes, still the model train enthusiastic, enjoys the challenge of dealing with miniatures as he creates one of a kind writing pens out of such materials as a variety of woods, celluloid and synthetic materials.

“To me, a pen is more than a writing instrument. It is a way for me to display the beauty of nature through my artistic interpretation.” remarks Benes. His work is always presented as a theme. Some of his past themes included the color schemes of diesel locomotives representing “Fallen Flags” of railroads of the past and most recent cities on the route of the Orient Express. No stranger to exhibiting, Benes does approximately sixteen shows a year.

The artist couple, John and Kathy Farabaugh, will be exhibiting together selling their jewelry and stained glass creations. John’s interest in stained glass began when they moved into their home approximately 21 years ago and decided to do some remodeling by replacing one of their front upstairs windows with stained glass. They had trouble finding someone to meet their needs because of the window’s odd size. The Farabaugh then began to take a stained glass course as well as other artistic courses. From there their love of art grew into more than a hobby. Both Kathy and John Farabaugh enjoy creating as well as exhibiting their various artworks together. Although this will be the first time they will be exhibiting in the Park Forest Art Fair, they are no stranger to fair circuit. Their art works will also be featured in this month’s Munster in Park Event which will be held in Indiana on August 20th, 2007.

Brian Bleakley's art inspiration derives from historical figures, places he has been and things he has seen. “I do acrylic paintings, pen and ink,watercolor, wood burnings.I'm inspired by historical figures, wildlife, andoutdoor scenes. Mygoal is to document, contemporize, pay homage to, andre-contextualize each subject; and to make people smile!” Bleakley says, “And just occasionally to say "hmm" or even weep. The 52nd Annual Park Forest Art Fair will be my first time exhibiting in an art fair.” Recently, Bleakley is redefining his career and following his first love, which is art.

“I was born in Boston, Mass., into a family that was split between artists and engineers. Through the influence of those around me, I somehow wound up somewhere in between.” says the photographer, Sharon Lee McCarthy. “In college, at Northeastern University in Boston, science won out over art as I graduated with a BS degree in Chemistry. I continued my pursuit of science at Renesselear Polytechic Institure where I received my PHD in theoretical biochemistry.” Currently McCarthy is a professor of Chemistry at Chicago State University where she has taught for the last 16 years.

McCarthy remarks, “soon through the joint effort of my fellow faculty in the Art department at CSU and myself, I will be teaching a class on the Chemistry of Art.” Their the students will gain first hand knowledge how chemistry influences art as the students experiment with such chemical reactions as mixing paints and etching into metal.

Some time ago, Sharon Lee McCarthy developed a medical condition that slowly began to take away her eyesight and her ability to focus a camera. “I gave up on ever taking photographs again, but with the advent of the newer digital cameras, I took a chance and brought a ‘point and shoot’ camera.” This enabled McCarthy the ability to re-establish her ability to continue her love of photography. “It has been a journey of living with what can be accomplished with a disability, instead of concentrating on what has been lost. I try to maintain a positive outlook on this as my sight is a day-to-day accomplishment. I consider myself lucky as my eyesight has remained stable now for the past few years. However, since I could lose my sight at any time, my photos concentrate on the beauty in nature. I want my work to be a celebration of life.”

“I began working with precious metal clay (PMC) on a whim.” says the technical editor and writer by profession, Patricia Weikersheimer. She has earned an MFA in creative writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1988. Precious Metal Clay, which handles much like modeling clay,is pure silver particles, binder, and water. The created object is fired, during which the binder burns away andthe silver particles fuse.

“It's theorganic quality of the medium that draws me. The surprises and imperfections are part of the pleasure.” says the jeweler, Patricia Weikersheimer. “Jewelry because it is worn is intimate. The element of surprise continues beyond the fabrication—each wearer gives a piece different context, thus influencing it. For me, PMC is about play and surprise. I never could have imagined that my return to the arts would involve silver microparticles in clay form.”

More than 100 juried artists will participate in this event. Each artistic member of the Tall Grass Arts Association is united in both their freedom of expression and/or talent of media. Please come and join us on September 15 & 16 and meet the rest of our organization’s members. Admission to the art fair is free. In addition to the art fair, the Tall Grass Arts Association offers throughout the year a variety of different events which range from an assortment of art gallery openings, educational lectures, field trips, film series, art instruction, and other creative adventures. For more information concerning the 52nd Annual Park Forest Art Fair or any other event, please call 708-748-3377 or visit the Tall Grass Arts Association’s website at www.tallgrassarts.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1^st, 2007

Title: TALL GRASS: 52 ANNUAL PARK FOREST ART FAIR.

Glassware, paintings, photographs, jewelry and other forms of fine art will be exhibited and available for purchase at the 52nd Annual Park Forest Art Fair. The fair has more than 100 artists and artisans displaying and selling original artworks and features live entertainment, a variety of foods, and activities for the children.

This year’s Art Fair celebrates its 52nd Anniversary, making this event one of the longest running suburban art fairs in existence. As such, this event has become a family affair, embracing new and past exhibiting artists.

The Park Forest Art Fair will be held from 10 a.m. –5 p.m. on September 15 & 16 in Downtown Park Forest, IL. The public is invited and admission is free.

Some of the artists, such as Mark Corriero and Grant White, who will be participating in this year’s fair, also have their work currently exhibited at the Tall Grass Art Gallery’s Gift shop which is located at 367 Artists Walk in Park Forest.

“I love nature!” Exclaims the self taught artist, Mark Corriero. As such, Corriero enjoys letting the images emerge from natural elements such as wood and/or logs.

Grant White, the well known sculptor specializes in bronze. White’s art work reflects both the positive and negative aspects of life. White grew up on the south side of Chicago and currently resides in Ford Heights. Grant proclaims that art connects him to the community. He has always had great passion for art and can recall the support of his adoring Grandmother who helped him draw as a child with crayons. Last year, Grant White’s artwork was chosen to be part of the Tall Grass Gallery’s permanent collection.

Several of last year’s prize winners, such as Ginny Raftery and Phil Sapienza will also be returning to the fair. Ginny Raftery enjoys experimenting with color, texture and form. “I have so many artistic ideas; I’m having trouble finding the time to complete everything,” says Raftery. “The world of imagination, nature, and spirituality are what fascinates me.”

Raftery conveys a sense of hope through her use of color, line, value, texture, form and subject matter. Raftery’s representations of such realistic images as trees, the moon, and stars reflect this sense of hope throughout her paintings. Her philosophy is that life at times can be challenging as well as complex, but primarily, life is a precious gift.

Like Raftery, the acrylic painter, Suzanne Dreher also loves color. Dreher’s paintings always begin by her blocking off color and she slowly builds the layers of color unto the canvas. This self taught artist describes her style as being somewhere between realism and impressionism. She enjoys working in a variety of mediums such as acrylics, oil and/or watercolors. Currently, she is working on a mural for the Crete Community.

Carol Boyajian's art work demonstrates her great love of animals and their interaction with mankind. Like many children, Boyajian loved horses and wanted a horse of her own. Since her family lived in Chicago, there was no opportunity for Boyajian to own or raise a horse. For Boyajian, drawing horses was the next best thing to owning one.

Boyajian’s art depicts horses living with the buffalo and other game animals within natural wildlife.

Constantly evolving and inviting changes to her artistic abilities is returning jeweler, Cynthia Russakoff. She at the age of 16 made her musical début with the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony.”\

Jewelry and music are connected.” says Russakoff, “They share in common, endless potential of possibilities. To me, the art of jewelry is like capturing a musical composition frozen in time. What music and jewelry have in common is their sense of rhythm, color, and texture.” Throughout the years, Russakoff has enjoyed developing different styles and creating various artworks. She has taught over 25 years and currently, these past five years has exhibited at the fair.

“Outdoors is my comfort, my muse, and what I love to paint” says the artist, Marikay Peter Witlock. She enjoys painting landscapes that are real and very familiar to her. It is her emotional connection to the world.

During the fair on exhibit in the TGAA Gallery which is located on Main Street at 367 Artists Walk in Downtown Park Forest, will be works of art that range from the highly realistic to the whimsical, from single abstract prints to multi-part installations. The Tall Grass Arts Association is proud to announce its exhibition of ‘INK’, works from the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative which will be on display from August 17th through September 29, 2007. This exhibit will include etchings, engravings, wood block prints, lithographs, serigraphs, monoprints and mixed media approaches to printmaking by sixteen member artists associated with the Collaborative: Hiroshi Ariyama, Joel Dugan, Doug Gapinski, John Himmelfarb, Carrie Iverson, Deborah Maris Lader, Kim Laurel, Kate McQuillen, Steve Mueller, Duffy O’Connor, Dennis O’Malley, Heather Page, Artemio Rodriguez, Anatole Upart and Miles Votek. The Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, founded by artist Deborah Maris Lader in 1989 and located in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, is a facility and community dedicated to promoting the art of the handmade print through shop access, classes and workshops, lectures and exhibitions. The CPC has served as a studio for more than 100 members from fourteen different countries.

For more information about the Park Forest Art Fair, September 15 & 16 in Downtown Park Forest, call the Tall Grass Arts Association at 708-748-3377 or visit www.tallgrassarts.org. This event is sponsored in part by a grant from the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau. www.visitchicagosouthland.com /
888-895-8233

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2007

TALL GRASS FEATURES ARTWORKS BY MORE THAN 100 ARTISTS AT THE 52nd ANNUAL PARK FOREST ART FAIR

Glassware, paintings, photographs, jewelry and other forms of fine art will be exhibited and available for purchase at the 52nd Annual Park Forest Art Fair. This year’s Art Fair celebrates its 52nd Anniversary, making this event one of the longest running suburban art fairs in existence. The fair has more than 100 artists and artisans displaying and selling original artworks and features live entertainment, a variety of foods, and activities for the children. As such, this event has become a family affair, embracing new and past exhibiting artists. The Park Forest Art Fair will be held from 10am –5pm, September 15 & 16 in downtown Park Forest, IL. The public is invited and admission is free.

Patricia Moore, who works principally with acrylic and mixed media, has exhibited in the fair in excess of 37 times, and loves the opportunity to come back to what she refers to as her roots. As a child, Moore attended classes both at the Art Institute of Chicago and Park Forest Art Center, also known as the Tall Grass Art School. Moore’s mentor and high school teacher, Phil Mundt, also shares her sentiment as he returns every year to exhibit.

Phil Mundt specializes in the process of Raku, an ancient Japanese form of pottery known for its spontaneity and random results. His forms, however-sculptural vessels, baskets, containers and wall pieces are anything but classical. His art is created with a combination of wheel throwing and slab building techniques; they are free-form constructions, which offer a richness of surface textures for which their creator is famous. Often his works are embellished with copper earrings and handles, sticks, horsehair, feather and bones. Mundt is inspired by primitive art from many cultures as he creates one of a kind museum quality pieces.

“I try not to take myself too serious, and I believe that my work reflects this attitude, says Mundt. “Fantasy, whimsy, obscure symbolism are tools for me just as surely as the potter’s wheel, the slab roller, the modeling tools, the glaze brush and the kiln are tools: however, I firmly believe in sound craftsmanship, and I cannot seem to get entirely away from the functional aspect of my craft. I want people to touch, to hold, to use my work, not merely to have a visual experience.”

First time showing in the Park Forest Art Fair will be the photographer Cousandra Armstrong. In 2005, she received a camera from a friend and began taking photographs. “Nature photography is the perfection of what the eyes see,” says Armstrong, “And the camera is the tool which can capture what the eye sees.”

Always willing to try something new is the August Tall Grass Gallery’s featured artist of the month, Wynn Hopkins. He is very excited to announce that he has found a way of transferring photographic images by the use of metal powder on to Japanese art paper, a new technique with which he is currently experimenting. Hopkins remarks the nice thing about metal copper is that it gives one a great variety of tones.

Recent retiree Shirley Despot, who has taught for over sixteen years at the Indiana Arts Center, will also be returning this year, displaying her abstract nonobjective watercolor paintings. Additional returning artists include jeweler, Karen Joyce and watercolorist Selma Lisit, both of whom attribute nature as being their main inspirational source. Lisit states that her art has been highly influenced by Asian Art, and her works evoke a sense of tranquility.

Jeweler Beverly Szaton remarks that she loves making beautiful things out of natural elements. Szaton uses Swarovski Crystal in the making of her beaded jewelry. Jeweler Julie Leonhardt likes to combine stained glass and biochromatic glass. Leonhardt has four kilns in her home and all the stones are hand made. Besides making jewelry, she enjoys educating people on what she does.

This event attracts more than 100 juried artists, each united in expressing their passion as well as their talent for art. Come join us on September 15th and 16th, and meet the rest of our artistic family members. For more information, please call 708-748-3377 or visit our website at www.tallgrassarts.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2007

Contact: Therese Goodrich, Park Forest Art Fair Chair, 708-748-3377
Diane McGarel, Park Forest Art Fair Publicist, 708-748-3377

TALL GRASS FEATURES ARTWORKS BY MORE THAN 100 ARTISTS AT THE 52nd ANNUAL PARK FOREST ART FAIR

A variety of artifacts (glassware, paintings, photographs, jewelry, etc…) will be exhibited and available for purchase at the 52nd Annual Park Forest Art Fair. This year’s Art Fair celebrates its 52nd Anniversary, making this event one of the longest running suburban art fairs in existence. The fair has more than one hundred artists and artisans displaying and selling original artworks and features live entertainment, a variety of foods, and activities for the children. As such, this event has become a family affair, embracing new and past exhibiting artists. The Park Forest Art Fair will be held 10 a.m. –5 p.m. on September 15 & 16 outside in downtown Park Forest, IL. The public is invited and admission is free.

The TGAA Gallery, located at 367 Artists Walk in downtown Park Forest, will be open during the fair, featuring the exhibition by the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative entitled, “INK”. This exhibit features the art work by sixteen of its members: Hiroshi Ariyama, Joel Dugan, Doug Gapinski, Michael Goro, John Himmelfarb, Carrie Iverson, Deborah Maris Lader, Kim Laurel, Kate McQuillen, Steve Mueller, Duffy O’Connor, Dennis O’Malley, Heather Page, Artemio Rodriguez, Anatole Upart and Miles Votek. INK includes etchings, engravings, wood block prints, lithographs, serigraphs, monoprints and mixed media approaches to printmaking. The Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, founded by artist Deborah Maris Lader in 1989 and located in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, is a facility and community dedicated to promoting the art of the handmade print through shop access, classes and workshops, lectures and exhibitions. The CPC has served as a studio for more than 100 members from fourteen different countries.

For more information about the Park Forest Art Fair, September 15 & 16 in Downtown Park Forest, call the Tall Grass Arts Association at 708-748-3377 or visit www.tallgrassarts.org. This event is sponsored in part by a grant from the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau. www.visitchicagosouthland.com /
888-895-8233

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2007

CONTACT: RUTH CRNKOVICH , EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 708-748-3377

FIFTY SOUTH SUBURBAN ARTISTS EXHIBIT ART IN LOCAL GALLERY

The Tall Grass Annual Gallery Artist Exhibition opens to the public on Friday, June 22 at Tall Grass Arts Association located in DownTown Park Forest Cultural Arts District. The exhibit will be open to viewers all weekend during the Shakespeare Theatre events. There will be an artist’s reception from 7-9pm in the Marzuki gallery on Friday night. This event is open to the public free of charge. The exhibit will feature newly-juried Tall Grass artists as well as many long-time Tall Grass Artists.

This history of this type of exhibit in Park Forest dates back to the 1950s. Tall Grass Arts Association (TGAA) had its beginning as the Park Forest Art Center (PFAC). In 1956, the Art Center was incorporated as a nonprofit and in 1967 was recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization. In a frenzy of activity, the settlers established a school, exhibition gallery, art fair, Beaux Arts Ball and many other programs. The location for most of the early activities was the Park Forest Plaza, one of the first modern day shopping malls, which served until 1965 when PFAC moved to a building in a nearby small industrial park.

In 1971, the PFAC moved to the lower level of the Park Forest Library. In 1976, the PFAC moved again to Freedom Hall, the community center. In early 1999, the PFAC signed a letter of intent to move to the new Cultural Arts Center in Downtown Park Forest. The move to the new location, 367 Artists Walk in downtown Park Forest was completed in September 1999 in time for the Annual Park Forest Art Fair. This exhibit is held annually just prior to the Park Forest Art Fair to offer the community the opportunity a preview of some of the artists who will be in the fall art fair.

Each year, new artists are invited to submit samples of their works to be considered for inclusion as a Tall Grass Artist. Slides and images are reviewed by a judge/panel. TGAA judges review the overall body of work submitted by the artists and critique the works based on quality of technique, originality of the subject, presentation of the work, and professionalism. Once an artist has been juried into the group, he/she is invited to submit a piece each year for the annual show, request the opportunity to show in the main gallery, sell art in the gift shop, and participate in the art fair. This exhibit features works by six new members.

The Tall Grass Arts Association exhibition gallery has provided an opportunity for emerging Chicagaoland artists to show their work to the South Suburban audience and frequently gain exposure that leads to invitations to show in other galleries. The annual Gallery Artist Exhibition is one of those opportunities. For more information please call 708-748-3377.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 26, 2007

FOR INFORMATION: RUTH CRNKOVICH – (708) 748-3377 OR JANET MUCHNIK – (708) 748-5123 OR (708) 439-2424 or
WES SHERMAN at (908) 812-2575 (cell)

TALL GRASS ARTS ASSOCIATION TO HOST

WORKS OF WES SHERMAN

The Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, located in DownTown Park Forest, will host the works of Wes Sherman from March 30 through May 5, 2007. Wes Sherman's abstract paintings are inspired by Old Master paintings. He uses the forms and composition of Renaissance painting then simplifies the background and foreground. He allows the paint to drip and run in areas while at the same time creating areas of hard-edged abstraction. The paint is applied in layers. In some areas, the paint covers the entire surface while, elsewhere in the painting, the thin layers of paint drip and run exposing the layers of paint.

Ruth Crnkovich, Executive Director of the Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, saw the works of Wes Sherman on exhibit in New York. “I found his works to be both beautiful and fascinating. With the postponement of the Illustrator’s Show, I happily seized the opportunity to host an artist of this caliber in the gallery.”

Wes Sherman lives and works in the New York City area and has been making art since the early 1990’s. He earned his undergraduate degree at Lipscomb University and a graduate degree at Rutgers. He is a lecturer at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Raritan Valley College and Brookdale College. His works have been shown in one-person exhibitions in several cities including Nashville, New York, Chicago, Hammond and Munster. He has also participated in more than 50 group shows. His work is included in permanent collections in museums in New Jersey and Colorado as well as several corporate collections in Tennessee. He has been a visiting artist at Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee, Hunterdon Contemporary Art Museum in Clinton, New Jersey and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Sherman has received many awards for his work and was recently nominated for a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award.

Sherman’s recent works take of the task of recycling painting's history while embracing its heritage. Though grounded by the pursuit of the modernist idea of truth through materials, these paintings and drawings remain unself-conscious and playful with familiar iconography, styles and genres teasing the eye as they emerge and converge on the canvas.

Sherman stated, “I am drawn to painting for its heritage. I paint about painting. The act of painting needs neither eulogy nor apology. Painting does not need to be defended or praised.

What can be said has been said. Artists recycle the same ideas, concepts and stories. Good paintings reflect humanity and are workable fictions. Good paintings are at once singular and plural. They simultaneously emerge and fade into history. All good paintings are good, making them as insignificant as they are significant.”

Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. It is open to the public, free of charge. School groups are welcome but must be scheduled in advance. The Gallery is located at 367 Artists Walk, adjacent to the Park Forest Village Hall. For additional information, call the Gallery at (708) 748-3377.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2007

Contact: Ruth Crnkovich, Executive Director,Tall Grass Arts Association 708-748-3377

Caroline Barnard – Tall Grass Gift Shop “Artist of the Month”

Each month, the gift shop of the Tall Grass Arts Association’s gallery, located at 367 Artists Walk in DownTown Park Forest, highlights an “Artist of the Month.” In February 2007, doll-maker Caroline Barnard is the featured artist. Barnard creates one-of-a-kind” cloth dolls with hand-painted faces and whimsical outfits. Her work was shown on May 18, 2005 on the Carol Duvall Show on HGTV. It has also been featured in several publications including a Dimensions article in “Star Publications” on October 28, 2004.

Barnard believes that “You are never too old for dolls.” She believes that her dolls are timeless and that the art of creating them is both rewarding and stress-relieving. Her goal is “to share the joy of making and collecting cloth dolls with creative people of all ages.”

Barnard’s dolls have been exhibited in the Illinois Artisans Shops in the Thompson Center, Union Street Gallery, the Lemont Art Fair and the Salon Style Artists Gallery in Homewood.

The Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For additional information call the Gallery at (708) 748-3377 or www.tallgrassarts.com. Information about Barnard is available at www.dollscapes.net.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2006

Contact: Ruth Crnkovich, Executive Director,Tall Grass Arts Association 708-748-3377

TALL GRASS ARTS ASSOCIATION TO FEATURE ASIAN ART EXHIBITION

Tall Grass Arts Association (TGAA) is organizing an Asian Arts Festival that will include an exhibition entitled the Sacred and the Secular: Indian and Himalayan Art fornt he collection of the Erie Art Museum in Erie, Pennsylvania. The exhibit opens October 20, 2006 with a viewing from 6:00-8:00 pm, which is open to the public free of charge. The exhibit will run through January 13, 2007. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 am through 4:00 pm or by appointment. TGAA is located in DownTown Park Forest.

The collection includes bronze and stone sculptures from India which range from second century Gandharan Buddhist stone sculptures to world class examples of South Indian bronzes from the Chola and Vijiyanagar dynasties (tenth to sixteenth centuries), Tibetan thangkas and several antiquities from Cambodia and Nepal.

In addition to hosting the exhibition, the educational outreach program will include docent-led tours for area public schools and universities, as well as a lecture series and a collector series for adult learning and outreach to seniors. (See attached schedule .) Also in cooperation with the exhibition, the Tall Grass Art Film Series will feature “Three Times,” on October 8 and “Water,” on November 12, 2006

One of the key components of the Asian Arts Festival will be the teacher packets that can be used by educators in area schools. The packets are designed to supplement and enhance the educational experience associated with visiting the exhibition. The teacher packets will include information about the exhibit, classroom discussion ideas, projects, maps, historical information about the art in the exhibit, and bibliographical and web resources. The packets will be available on the Tall Grass website and can be downloaded, free of charge.

Tall Grass Arts Association would like to express its warm appreciation to Matanky Realty whose support and sponsorship has made the exhibition possible, with additional support from Illinois Arts Council, Melissa Sage Foundation, Cleve Carney, and Lain-Sullivan Funeral Homes. Visits by school groups must be scheduled in advance. For more information about the exhibit, to register for tours or to download teacher packets, Please visit our website at www.tallgrassarts.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Lisa Kreidler, Tall Grass Arts, (708) 748-3377

STANICEK FEATURED ARTIST AT TALL GRASS

The gift shop of the Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery features a different artist each month. During the month of October, the works of Jon Stanicek will be featured. Stanicek studied Graphic Art at the American Academy of Art from 1986 to 1988. He worked for nine years at the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency and has been working as a freelance artist since 1997.

Stanicek’s unique style of painting grew out of his desire to create something that is definable only by himself yet somewhat in the manner of Seurat or Van Gogh, artists who discovered a new way of looking at the world. His style balances realism with bold brush strokes for a dramatic effect of constant movement. Stanicek acknowledges that he must always change and push forward “to reflect the fluctuations of life’s vagaries and his constant battle to restore a sense of order and simplicity to his paintings.” In his vision statement, he explains that “The most important part of my work is people and how our dreams, our childhood and everyday reality of one’s existence manifests in the precise moment when a person crosses over between reality and the land of thought where anything can happen.”

Stanicek will be appearing in “Direct Art Magazine” in the October 2006 issue. His works also will be shown in “First Light 2” from September 14 through October 27 in the Dunham Gallery, Aurora University. His work has appeared in the Triangle Gallery of Old Town, Chicago, the Art Exchange of Chicago as well as many art fairs.

In addition to the works by Stanicek, the gift shop contains a wide variety of works by a number of artists working in a range of media including paintings, photographs, stained glass, jewelry, prints, pottery and more. The gift shop also contains an extensive collection of books about art through which patrons can browse while enjoying a cup of coffee or cappuccino.

Tall Grass Gallery is located in DownTown Park Forest, next to Village Hall. It is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday for Saturday. For additional information, call the gallery at (708) 748-3377.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 16, 2006

TALL GRASS ARTS ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES 51ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARK FOREST ART FAIR SEPTEMBER 16 & 17, 2006

Park Forest, IL—What started as a small group of artists meeting to practice their craft ore than a half century ago has now become one of the most well respected arts groups in the Midwest, and this year that group, the Tall Grass Arts Association, celebrates its 51st Anniversary with the 51st edition of the Park forest Art Fair—one of the oldest juried art fairs in Chicagoan- September 16 & 17, 2006, in Downtown Park Forest, Illinois.

Over 125 artists in a variety of artistic mediums will display their works, most of which are available for sail. The Park Forest Art Fair is free and open to the public Saturday and Sunday, September 16 & 17, from 10 am to 5pm each day. Food and refreshments are available, plus musical entertainment and activities for children, including art contests and storytellers for the Park Forest Public Library.

Artists from as far away ad Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas and numerous Midwestern states will display affordable fine art influencing watercolors, oil, sculptures, jewelry, pottery, photography, and much more. About 50% of the artists exhibiting in the area from the Chicagoland region.

Sponsored by the Tall Grass Arts Association, the Park Forest Art Fair is consistently one of the largest events of its kind in the Chicago area. The TGAA Marzuki Gallery, located at 367 Artist wall in DownTown park Forest, will be open during the fair, featuring the exhibition “Within and Beyond: Interpretation on the Grid” featuring art by Luciana Abait, Diane Cooper, Deborah Adams Doering, Carlos Estrada-Vega, Sarah Ettinger, Carrie Iverson, Laura Lein-Svencner, Carrie McGee, Kate McQuillen, Susan Michod, Ararat Sarkissian, Robert Walker, Debbie L. Weiss.

DownTown Park Forest is located about four miles east of Interstate 57. Take Route 30 east from the Lincoln Hwy (Route 30) exit, to Orchard Drive. Turn Right ( south) on Orchard Drive and proceed about 1.5 miles to DownTown Park Forest.

For More information about the Park Forest Art Fair, September 16 & 17 in Downtown Park Forest, Call the Tall Grass Arts Association at 708-748-337 or visit www.tallgrassarts.org. .This event sponsored in part by a grant form the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitor Bureau, www.visitchicagosouthland.com ( 888) 895-8233.