Fifty50 Gallery Show
From an email I just got:

Art movements don’t come around very often. It’s been 40 years since the Hairy Who put Chicago on the art-world map. Now there’s a new art movement, complete with a manifesto full of bluster, pseudo-Marxist rhetoric, and two separate shows opening in the West Loop on consecutive nights.

Join the Micromentalists, and their founder, gescheidle's own Patrick W. Welch, on Friday February 23rd at Fifty50 Gallery, and Saturday February 24th at Butcher Shop/Dogmatic.

Who are the Micromentalists?

They reject the idea of monumental art in museums and commercial galleries. They think art should be small and affordable but still challenging, and hanging in EVERYONE’S home. They reject the idea that only the rich can afford good art.

Micromentalists founder Patrick W. Welch, best known for his “miniature hate paintings,” has assembled an extraordinary group of like-minded artists to launch the movement.

The Micromentalists:

Smoov Brainz

Eric Doeringer

Bill Drummond

Grave Dubz

Steve Keene

Ilona Niemi

Paul Nudd

James J. Peterson

Erling Sjovold

Friese Undine

Patrick W. Welch

Erik Wenzel

This would be an extraordinary group show even if it didn’t represent the birth of a new and necessary art movement. Says Welch, “if you don’t think this is the best show you’ve seen for years, I’ll pay for your bus ride home.”

The show opens on Friday at:

Fifty50 Gallery

1017 W. Lake St., Chicago IL 60607

Opening reception Friday February 23rd, 2007

6 – 10 pm

And on Saturday at:

Butcher Shop/Dogmatic

1319 W. Lake St., 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60607

Opening reception Saturday February 24th, 2007

6 – 10 pm

Exhibition runs through March 31st. For images and full press release, please contact Michael Thomas at Butcher Shop/Dogmatic (butchershopdogmatic@msn.com) or James J. Peterson at Fifty50 Gallery (info@fifty50gallery.com) or Patrick W. Welch (patrickwwelch@hotmail.com).

This really should be a wonderful show. Am pretty familiar with the work of half of them (esp. Welch and Nudd and Doeringer's fabulous fakes). And affordable is also my middle name, is what prints are all about.

Have SAIC Ox-Bow benefit tomorrow night (Thursday, that is). If you're thinking about cheap art -- the admission is a bit steep but the buffet is always practically worth it -- you'll have to dig out the link yourself, since it's 1 a.m., but since time is tight, had to post about the show before I forgot.

Then have work at a Salon to benefit the Orion Ensemble at a private home on Sunday (if you're interested you can let me know -- I think it's going to be super crowded). So much to do. With the warmer weather (40 degrees!!) and sun the mood has lifted a bit.

When this print series is done, may do some painting. Yes, affordable.
- posted by Cynthia @ 1:03 AM | | | Link |