Reflection: The Pilsen Project

I can’t believe how quickly the past four weeks have gone by!

At the beginning of February (Week One), we teamed up with Miguel Cortez  of Art Pilsen to attract followers for his blog and social media platforms and increase his overall digital presence.

With Week Four coming to a close, we asked Cortez his after thoughts on working with The Pilsen Project and learned that our efforts did have an impact on Art Pilsen and we all made some great connections and contacts.

The Pilsen Project: Did we help increase traffic to the Art Pilsen website, Twitter page or Facebook account?  Miguel Cortez: YES

TPP: Did we provide more in-depth coverage for your site?  MC: YES

TPP: What did you take away from working with us?
MC: I met several very cool people.

TPP: Is this something you would consider doing again?  MC: YES

TPP: What could we have done differently? MC: It was all fine.

Art Pilsen increased its Total Likes on Facebook and had its Most Popular Week starting on February 12-20 (Week Two of The Pilsen Project)! 

Working with the Pilsen art community was a truly unique experience and I hope that Art Pilsen will continue to grow and improve along with the community itself.

Amanda B.

P.S. Since December, Art Pilsen has steadily increased its number of followers on Twitter and is now being followed by 401 people. 

Artist Snapshot: Alvaro Sahagun (Part 1 of 2)

Images courtesy of Alvaro Sahagun

1.) Full name and quick bio....has art always been a part of your life? How did you get started?

My name is Luis Alvaro Sahagun I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and raised in the urban setting of Chicago Heights, Illinois.  Like most children drawing cartoons and creating imaginative superheroes was my coping mechanism to my childhood problems.  Art has always been a part of my life; it is my medication. My artwork is indicative of how I see the world and how I battle with the difficulties of life.

2.) What is your favorite medium and why?

I am currently in love with creating art with cardboard. By using an urban material and a contemporary process I create a merge between academia and street art.  The outcome challenges the audience to re-evaluate their preconceived notions of which materials are accepted as beautiful in art.

-Monica M.

Art in Schools: Part 1 of 2

If you grew up in the 1990’s or earlier, chances are you took an art class as part of your elementary school curriculum. You may have dabbled with water colors, lamented covering your school uniform in oil pastels or—if you were lucky—got to spend a few coveted minutes on the oh so awesome pottery wheel. For many kids, art was a normal part of the school day, allotted as much time as science, language arts, or math.

Today, though, art’s place in school curriculums is sliding lower and lower on the priority scale.  Over the last two decades, the emphasis on standardized tests as benchmarks for success (and federal funding) has fostered schools and classrooms that focus on math and literacy with laser-like intensity, while subjects like art and music quietly languish to the back burner.

But far from being an “elective” subject that children don’t really need, research has proven time and again that exposing children to the arts in the classroom helps them develop critical life skills.

A 2007 study “Studio Thinking: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education” pointed out skills which were important not just for art, but other fields of study as well. Skills like the ability to develop and execute an idea and the ability to learn from—and move past—mistakes, were things which art classes taught students. The old adage “think outside the box” is learned in the art studio, where children are taught to envision something on a blank page or a shapeless lump of clay.

This, the study suggested, could be carried over to science, where students could be asked to create a hypothesis for an experiment and then try to achieve that outcome; or to history, where students could apply their imaginations to understanding events of the past, and possibilities of the future.

Equally importantly, though, are the mental and emotional development benefits of art. Students are taught patience, persistence, and how to connect with each other and the world around them on a deeper emotional level.

So what are schools doing to re-introduce the arts to the classroom? As it turns out, quite a bit. Schools are partnering with organizations and tapping into their local art communities to reestablish arts programs both in school and after school. Chicago, with its vibrant art ethos, is one of the cities reclaiming art for its schools.

Check Out Part 2 for the steps organizations are taking to bring art education to children and youth in Chicago.

Katherine H.

Pilsen Murals: " “Increíbles Las Cosas Q’ Se Ven”

Over the years, the people of Pilsen have nurtured a festive art community... that's a given....BUT... among the many galleries and museums scattered throughout the community, are other public forms of expression--MURALS.


Over the next few weeks, we will highlight some of these urban art billboards, the intriguing artists that created them, and their importance in this rich neighborhood.


First up... drum roll please... rat-a-tat-tat...


 “Increíbles Las Cosas Q’ Se Ven”--"Oh the things you'll see"
In 2001, Jeff Zimmermann, a native artist from Chicago, presented a three-panel building mural on the corner of 19th and Ashland in Pilsen. Like many of Zimmermann's pieces, the mural incorporates politics with community action, neighborhood personas, and religion. 

Photo courtesy of madaboutthemural.wordpress.com

Panel One-devoted to image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Panel Two-features the working members of the community
Panel Three-displays political figures like Cesar Chavez hovering over the heads of students and successful career,minded individuals. 


This is just one of the many attractions that Pilsen has to offer, so if you haven't already...check it out...very large, very colorful, very cool.
-Monica M.

Chicago Youth Art Programs

As part of a larger article on about youth art programs in Chicago (up later this week), we have been researching various institutions and non-profit organizations that are offering art programs for children and youth here in Chicago. Some of the programs are very nifty, so we decided to compile a list! Check out their websites for plenty of excellent information.

ProsArts Studio--located in the Pilsen area, this organization has been providing arts-in-education and community building services for 30 years. They work in neighborhood schools as well as run programs outside the classroom.

Yollocalli Arts Reach--another Pilsen-area organization, affiliated with the National Museum of Mexican Art, Yollocalli is a youth-oriented outreach which combines creativity, heritage, and "urban art practices" to help children and young adults become engaged and active within their communities.

Marwen--located in the River North neighborhood, Marwen provides visual arts education for Chicago youth, as well as college and career programs such as college counseling, arts and study field trips,  and scholarship and internship opportunities.

The South Chicago Art Center--located in South Chicago, this free center provides in-school and after-school programs for children and teens, an award-winning Artist's Garden (created and  tended by the children in the program), and field trips to art museums, galleries, and other spaces.

Art Institute of Chicago--The list would not be complete without mentioning the Art Institute's contribution to providing art programs for kids and teens. From studio workshops, to a Museology program, to the Teen Lab, there is something for everyone.

These are just a handful of the many great youth arts programs around the city.

Katherine H.

Challenge!!

ATTENTION Pilsen community members...
We want to see your artwork! Whether you are an amateur or a professional, provide us with some links/images/website/info of your work.  We would love to highlight your efforts with an artist profile on our blog!
--You can post your material in the comment box below, or follow us on Twitter!
Monica M.

Artist Snapshot: Saul Aguirre

Saul Aguirre | Photo by Irish S.

We took a few minutes at "Short Court" to speak with Pilsen artist of many mediums, Saul Aguirre. 

Aguirre has been quite a force in the Pilsen art community since arriving there, and is currently helping to organize a show for some local artists in New York this summer.

"I've been making art since I was young," Aguirre said of how he got his start in art. If he had to fix it to a number, he believes he started creating when he was around seven years old, a young boy in Mexico City, Mexico.

In 1986, Aguirre moved to Chicago, where he has lived ever since. It was here where Aguirre "really opened doors" to his art career. He went to the Art Institute, where, as a student, he "was almost like being an apprentice."

"I would ask, 'how do you use that?'" Aguirre said of the various tools and media his teachers used. "'What is that?'"

Now , Aguirre does it all, a "multidisciplinary artist," who likes to work with all kinds of media. He uses his art to express ideas about the current social and political landscape, and to "visualize what's going on in the world," Aguirre said.

Aguirre has maintained an active presence in the local Chicago art community since moving into the Pilsen neighborhood. Chicago, he feels, suffers a lack of recognition by the larger art world. The more conservative tastes of collectors who are used to art-producing giants like New York City and Miami mean that they are not buying from Chicago artists as much.

"For an artist to be here and work [only on art] is hard," Aguirre said, "there is no support system."

As such, the artists have created their own support system, and are working to bring the rest of the world up to speed on the kind of art Chicago creates. It is up to the community, Aguirre believes, to decide to put Chicago on the map as an artist's city.

Until then, Aguirre continues to do what he loves best: creating art, and helping build the art community.

"I am not exclusive," he said. "I am for the community. Anyone needs me, I'm there."

To learn more about Saul Aguirre, or learn more about his upcoming projects, click here!

Katherine H.

New Look

As you can see, The Pilsen Project has revamped its look and now features a background with photography by Miguel Cortez and links to Art Pilsen's page, Facebook and Twitter.


Clicking this little bird --> will take you to our Twitter page and you can see a stream of our tweets running down the left side. Be sure to check out live tweets from Friday's "Short Court: Tropical Aesthetics" event at Antena.


You can also find links to each week of our project on the left hand side, which will update as we go along.


Amanda B.

"Short Court: Tropical Aesthletics" at Antena

Well, the Chicago weather was typically uncooperative, but we came, we saw, and we played some small-court volleyball (very badly)!

Antena, located on the corner of 18th and S. Laflin, looks from the outside like part of a large warehouse. Inside, though, the space could easily be a comfortable, open-plan apartment. For the purpose of "Short Court", though, as you can see above, it was turned into a gallery-cum-volleyball court.

Alberto Aguilar, standing with his work "Boliche Che-Che"

The first thing you can't help but notice about Antena is its low-key, DIY vibe. This is not the tails-and-caviar affair that we so often see on the television. The artists and visitors who attended "Short Court" were wildly diverse and an incredible amount of fun.

Jake Myers, founder of Octagon gallery, plays some volleyball

There was Alberto Aguilar, whose wood and latex paint creation was one part wall art, one part ball and hoop game that takes its inspiration from tether-ball and the Spanish ball-in-cup game, boliche.









There was Jake Myers, who runs Octagon art gallery and is part of Tag Team, a two-man operation that curated "Short Court". Myers did not have any art featured in the evening's show, but he was all energy nevertheless, encouraging visitors to try their hand at volleyball and discussing the state of the art community in Chicago (interviews with both of these fine gentlemen to follow).

"Into the Woods" by Nicole Northway

"A Thousand Hungry Flowers" by Angeline Evans

The art featured around the studio came in a variety of media. Some of the art used more traditional elements and subject matter.  












And then there were the ones which required you to take a second glance!













We were unable to stay for the entire event, unfortunately, as the inclement weather was only getting more unpleasant, but we really enjoyed the time we spent there, and look forward to getting to know some of these awesome local artists better!

For information about future gallery openings and other events with local artists, check out Art Pilsen for listings, or follow @artpilsen on Twitter!

Katherine H.

Art meets fashion

From kilts to pink flamingos, "Short Court: Tropical Aesthetics" wasn't short on sartorial inspirations.
- Irish S.

Tonight! "Short Court: Tropical Aesthletics" At Antena

As part of the ongoing project to highlight the art community in Pilsen, we will be heading out to a gallery opening this evening. "Short Court: Tropical Aesthletics" is having its opening night at Antena studio in Pilsen! For those of you who are interested in attending, you can find more information here at Art Pilsen (seventh entry down!) and get a full list of the artists being showcased here at Antena's website.


The theme of this show is apparently beach, beach, beach! Who doesn't love the idea of the tropics, especially right now with the weather as gloomy as it is? According to Miguel Cortez, owner of Antena, "Short Court: Tropical Aesthletics" is going to be a sporting event and an art show all in one!

The gallery opens at 6pm and the opening will last until 10pm. Among other things guests will be able to do, there will be a chance to challenge some professional volleyball players (yep, inside the gallery!) to a game, sample some delicious tropical drinks, and take in the art showcased by Chicago artists. I am told there will even be sand!


Project Pilsen will be speaking with some of the artists, taking pictures, and hopefully (fingers crossed that technology is on our side) live-tweeting the event through our Twitter @projectpilsen. Keep an eye on this blog for a full review of "Short Court: Tropical Aesthletics"'s opening night later on.

Cheers!


Katherine H.

The Pilsen Project: An Introduction

"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament"
Oscar Wilde

Welcome to the Pilsen Project, a blog and experimental news site working in tandem with Art Pilsen as part of a graduate project. The Pilsen Project is run by a group of DePaul University journalism students: Katherine Hall, Amanda Boleman, Irish Silvestre, and Monica Macellari. Here, over the next four weeks, we will be posting a variety of media related to various artists, galleries, projects, and other elements of Pilsen's vibrant art community, as well as a log of our experiences reporting on this neighborhood.
We will be working with Pilsen artist, and owner/moderator of Art Pilsen, Miguel Cortez who has kindly agreed to let us link back to his site and Twitter feed. Everyone should go visit his site. No, really.
Over the next four weeks, check in on the tabs located at the top of the blog. For each week, we will be posting various media--be it video, photographs, audio, or words--about various themes, one for each week. We will also be tweeting our progress, as well as any new shows/other art happenings that are posted to Art Pilsen.

We hope you enjoy your visit to our corner of cyberspace!

Katherine H.