Gretchen Charlton Art Gallery

10/26/2020

Last week to see Margie Glass Sula’s work. Maybe the autumn forms caught some snow. I was hoping to see them with snow!

09/24/2020

Work by Margie Glass Sula and Mike Baur

08/25/2020

Here's a bit about the temporary art gift from TheNate that's on display at the Wright House and Gretchen Charlton Gallery.

The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park and Wright in Kankakee have worked together to arrange for the sculptures of artist Mike Baur to be on display at the B. Harley Bradley House through the end of the year.

Two sculptures are on view outside the house on the beautiful lawn and garden area, and one smaller work has been placed inside the house as they welcome visitors for socially distanced, masked, limited tours
of the house. (go to http://www.wrightinkankakee.org for up-to-date protocols)

Mike Baur’s use of materials, shape, and form make connections to the esthetics of Frank Lloyd Wright and visitors can consider color, scale, repetition of form, and line while viewing the art and architecture.

“Weight, stability and permanence are important to me; this must be why industrial components, architectural forms and landscapes have always influenced my work. Combining steel and concrete has become a lifelong approach to building form; while often bringing into the mix plastics, wood and stone to expand on this foundational dialogue. I intentionally leverage the implied utility that industrial materials possess while avoiding the literal.
My current sculpture continues the visual themes I have been developing for over 40 years. My work begins with the considerations that all construction requires, but my goal is to arrive beyond formalistic concerns where the common materials I use transcend their origins. The unique power of the three-dimensional object is always paramount.” ~ Mike Baur
For more information:
https://www.mikebaursculpture.com

Wright in Kankakee, B. Harley Bradley House 701 S. Harrison Ave Kankakee IL 60901

We believe that when we no longer have words, we turn to art; our gift to our friends in Kankakee is an additional opportunity to experience excellent, thought provoking art during this challenging time.

And remember, theNate is a refuge offering 100 acres of prairie lands with 30 monumental outdoor sculptures to feed your art needs. Link in bio

Another piece of Mike Baur sculpture has been placed outdoors at Gretchen Charlton Gallery,
901 N. Entrance Ave – check it out: https://www.facebook.com/gretchencharltonartgallery/

08/24/2020

TheNate is just a short drive up I-57. Take advantage of this world class collection and get involved!

Calling all art lovers! Do you want to learn more about theNate, a world-class sculpture park and the best-kept secret of the South Suburbs? Do you already know and love theNate, and want to share that love with your community? Do you want to have fun while learning something new? If so, we want you!

Help us customize our Ambassadors for theNate pilot program! We are looking to assemble a “think tank” of enthusiastic volunteers to get involved in the development of this new program to train our ambassador-docents who will then help spread the word about theNate, and possibly even learn to give tours of our amazing collection. No prior experience with art necessary!

COMMITMENT: we will meet online/virtually the first Thursday of October and November, initially.
October 1 and November 5
We envision the program running year-round with monthly meetings, but this pilot program will be the two initial meetings.

BENEFITS: be a part of building an exciting new program and gain special behind-the-scenes access to the collection, GSU’s Art Historian Dr. Rebecca Siefert, and the staff of theNate.

Upon completion of the course you will have the opportunity to utilize your area of interest and expertise by:
Sharing your knowledge by spreading the word about the collection
Doing a presentation in the communities we serve, and local organizations
Volunteering at one of our established events
Helping with fundraising and sponsorships
Volunteering for a school tour of theNate
www.govst.edu/sculpture

More info or register: email Sherri Denault [email protected]

08/24/2020

Sony wants more female photographers for its Alpha Female ambassador program, with grants for projects which offer $5,000, a full frame Sony camera and lens, and more. The diversity of brand ambassadors for major camera brands has been a hot topic for a while. Most recently, Nikon South Africa came....

08/18/2020

Mike Baur was generous in providing an additional sculpture for Gretchen Charlton Gallery because they are not doing art shows inside, Gallery Director Victoria Strole is planning outdoor art to enrich the lives of residents and visitors. We’re happy to make this part of our gift to Kankakee - outdoor art!

Come visit theNate to see more of Mike Baur’s work - we’re open dawn to dusk 365 days a year free admission and parking - website link in bio with details for your visit

08/18/2020

.denault with
・・・
Installation .harleybradleyhouse in Kankakee complete! We are lucky to have Mike Baur in the collection and him share his work in Kankakee! Mike Baur is best known for his architectural scale concrete and steel public sculptures, but is also prolific in smaller scale works, exploiting any and all available materials he can work with his hands. After graduating with a BFA from Arkansas State University in 1973, he attended the University of Illinois Graduate School in Sculpture (MFA'75). While in his first year at Urbana Mike switched from fiberglass to concrete after losing several large pieces in a tornado. In 1974, he won an international competition to build a 200-ton concrete sculpture in Barcelona, Spain.

Baur's sculpture can be found in numerous locations in Illinois, in the United States and in Spain. His monumental pieces are sited in Taragona, Spain, in The Illinois Department of Transportation Building in Springfield, on the campus of Elgin Community College, in Northpoint Marina in Winthrop Harbor, the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park among others.

He was represented by the venerable Sonia Zaks Gallery, Chicago from 1981-2005, OK Harris Works of Art, New York from 2007 until its closing in 2014,and has exhibited in numerous museums, outdoor large-scale sculpture venues and group shows in the United States and in Europe. Baur is currently represented by MAM gallery in Omaha, NE and Olsen-Larson Gallery in West Des Moines, IA and Gallerique in Chicago.

08/18/2020

There's a new Mike Baur sculpture on display outside the Gretchen Charlton Gallery! This is part of the outdoor exhibition at the Bradley House in Kankakee. Courtesy of the artist and TheNate. Please use proper mask and social distancing precautions while visiting.

07/22/2020

Call for Art: BAD ART

Now that we’ve all been sheltering in place for 53 days and counting, it’s time to share what you’ve been up to. The Gretchen Charlton Art Gallery is putting together a virtual gallery on Facebook.

The theme is “Bad Art.” Whether you consider yourself an artist or not, numerous studies show that making art, even bad art, is good for your mental health! Let’s all have a good laugh and share the art that’s too bad to be ignored!

Submissions are welcome anytime and will be added to the Facebook album until we start a new theme, so it's not too late to give it a try.

Send jpeg images of your work through Facebook messager or via email to [email protected]

Must include:
Artist name
Title of work
Medium

All work must be submitted by the artist and be appropriate for all ages.