Friday 6/7 – Thursday 6/13
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Ladies and gentlemen! Behold the circus banners of Fred G. Johnson, a social commentator and master painter of flash art who lived for almost a century. Step right up to witness his genteel portraits of so-called freaks, like Emmett the Armless and Legless Boy, who’s painting a landscape with a brush in his mouth. A free opening reception takes place tonight at Carl Hammer Gallery, 740 N. Wells, at 6; call 312-266-8512 for more information.
8 SATURDAY At the turn of the 20th century Edward S. Curtis was known as a society photographer, but a documentary assignment in Alaska brought him in contact with Native Americans, and soon afterward he journeyed to Montana to photograph an outlawed religious ritual. When Curtis realized the federal gov- ernment was wiping out indigenous cultures, he set out to photograph every tribe in the west still practicing traditional ways, eventually sacrificing his marriage and the respect of his friends and family. His 20 volumes of quasi anthropology were criticized for blending fact and fiction, and shortly after he finished the last one all his photography disappeared from public view. Anne Makepeace’s award-winning video, Coming to Light: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indians, will be shown today at 10 AM at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton. Following the screening, Makepeace, archaeologist Hartman Lomawaima, and curator Melissa Wolfe will discuss the lives and work of Curtis and Chicagoan Elbridge Ayer Burbank, whose oil paintings of Native American rituals are currently on display at the library. The event is free; call 312-255-3700 for more information.
12 WEDNESDAY In her photo-realistic paintings and drawings, renowned still-life artist Jeanette Pasin-Sloan turns everyday objects–mostly cups and bowls–into op-art patterns of light. She’ll be in town today, recounting her trials and triumphs in what she perceives as a male-dominated art world, as part of the Professional Women’s Club of Chicago’s luncheon series “Women in Action: The Road Less Traveled.” Networking starts at 11:30 at the University Club, 76 E. Monroe, with lunch to be served at noon. It’s $48, $38 for members, with a $5 late fee for registrations received after Friday, June 7. Call 312-461-9366 or see www.pwcc.org for more information.
