Sketches by Picasso at AIC

I visited the Picasso in Chicago exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago this week.  Awe-inspiring, of course. Galleries upon galleries filled with all things Picasso from all stages of his career.  I have observed his paintings often at the AIC.  So I was particularly intrigued by his sketches, drawings and studies.  It is wonderful and eye-opening to peek into the creation process of a great artist.  And these works fulfill that wish for me.  I snapped some quick images and placed them here. Picasso in Chicago closes on May 12 -- so hurry if you want to see it.

A still life.

A portrait

Study for a cafe scene

Seated figure

Posing figure

Art-Throb™--Art Buying Boot Camp

Hello Everyone--
In a previous post, I promised to forward information on the Art Buying Boot Camp held this weekend at the 57th Street Art Fair in Chicago. Here is some info:

Art Buying Boot Camp is a guided tour lead by local artists and art experts. Open to the public on Saturday and Sunday June 6 & 7, at 11:30 a.m. and at noon, Boot Camp participants will meet at the information booth at 56th and Kimbark Avenue. WGN has some a small video on it as well.

I hope you can visit the 57th Street Art Fair this weekend in Chicago’s historic Hyde Park neighborhood. Yes, I will be there in booth 318, near 56th Street. Stop by.
Art-Throb is a trademark of Barbara Baur Art, a business representing Barbara Sistak Baur.

New Web Site!

www.sistakbaur.com

Better organized, a cleaner look and a more pleasant experience visiting it -- these are the reasons I created my new website. (Yes, I do all the work myself so be kind.) I have been online with my blog for a long time but that always presented organizational and presentation challenges.

Here is what you can find at the website. All art is posted to together in neat and tidy galleries. Images enlarge for better viewing. The pages are easy to navigate. Schedules and news are easy to find. There is a newsletter sign-up (if you have friends that like art, be sure to direct them to my new site). Also I have introduced new "mini" paintings. The smallest of which is 3"x4". Have a look-see. They cute.

I will continue my blog but will use it more for ramblings and musings than art presentation, which is better on the web site. One nice thing about websites and the internet in general, is that you can add items and change things endlessly. So my website will be such a place. For now, it is just getting started and it will grow and grow.

57th Street Art Fair

Here is a video about the 57th Street Art Fair, June 6 & 7, in Hyde Park, Chicago. Look for me in booth 813 if you go!

The 57th Street Art Fair takes place on 57th Street in the historic Hyde Park neighborhood, six miles south of the Chicago Loop off Lake Shore Drive. The Art Fair is FREE and open to the public. In addition to over 250 artist booths, visitors will find a family friendly and alcohol free environment. There are hands on activities and playgrounds for the kids along with food to please everyone’s palate available for purchase at multiple venues.

Hyde Park is home to the University of Chicago as well as many unique independent bookshops, cafes and a plethora of other cultural events, activities and venues. Hyde Park is a lovely neighborhood setting for the Midwest’s oldest art fair!

Art-Throb™--Dole Mansion

My life-drawing group, Valley Art Club, has a show of work created during workshop time. It is at the Dole Mansion in Crystal Lake, IL. It will be on display the month of April, 2009. The Dole Mansion is now an art center with studios and galleries throughout.

First Friday
The Dole Mansion is a great place to visit, especially on first Fridays of the month when the artists there host a reception around the current exhibits. It is complete with good, drink and a festive atmosphere.

It is actually called the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park but everyone just calls it the Dole.

By the way, Art-Throb™ is the term I use to describe a great place or places to enjoy an art experience. I hope to see you at an art event soon.

Art-Throb™ -- Freeark Gallery

Art-Throb is the term I use to describe a great place, usually a little out-of-the-way, to enjoy an art experience. The Riverside Art Center houses the Freeark Gallery, an intimate venue that features area artists. Committed to the community, it recently completed a show of artwork, Opinion Pieces, by Ruth Freeark (yes, the gallery's namesake). That followed an exhibition of work by Riverside resident John Muntean, chemist/sculptor. His work is called Magic Angle Sculpture. Exhibits rotate on a regular basis so you can stop by often and find new adventures. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 1 pm to 5 pm and is located at 32 E. Quincy Rd., Riverside. The annual Riverside Art Center members show is being shown until Jan. 8, 2009, where a wide variety of work is on display. An open house is Friday evening, Dec 5, 2008.

Art-Throb™ -- The Pfister Hotel

The Dog, shown in perfect form, is typical of late Victorian art.

Art-Throb is the term I use when I discover a great place, usually a little out-of-the-way, to enjoy an art experience. I came across such as place this past weekend – the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. First of all, the Pfister is a turn-of-the-century restored beauty in itself. But on top of that, it boosts the largest Victorian art collection of any hotel. There are more than 80 pieces. Guido Pfister, the hotel founder, collected the works from about 1860 until 1895 (the concierge tells me). Victorian art typically features pleasant landscape, figures from Greek or Roman themes and/or mythology. The people in the paintings are idealized and beautiful. Victorian paintings reflect the optimism of the turn of century. The director of the Milwaukee Art Museum writes, “Dating generally from the years surround the hotel’s founding (1893), the art collection is an exceptional example of late Victorian taste in America.”

The paintings are located throughout the lobby, mezzanine and 7th floor meeting and banquet rooms. You are free to roam and view. The gift store sells a $10 guide which is worth the price. To get there, set your GPS to 242 E. Wisconsin St.

The painting behind me is named The Captive.

Art-Throb is a trademark of Barbara Baur Art.

Art-Throb™ -- ArtFairCalendar.com

Art-Throb is a term I use for a great place to discover art. And ArtFairCalendar.com is such a place. This web site gives you all the info on the top Art Festivals and Craft Shows in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and, well, all across the country. If you enjoy spending time at art fairs, you must visit this site. “Art Fairs bring together in a unique manner the creators and the culturally aware to enrich one another's lives.” (quoted from ArtFairCalendar.com)