A piece by David Rettker, one of our featured artists for our annual art exhibition and auction, Into the Woods.
A piece by David Rettker, one of our featured artists for our annual art exhibition and auction, Into the Woods.

Into the Woods: Art Exhibition

December 2, 2015

A Celebration of 100 Years of the Forest Preserves

Annual Art Exhibition and Auction
Includes sushi, sandwiches, wine, and beer
Wednesday, December 2nd
6 – 8:30 pm
Mars Gallery
1139 W. Fulton Market
Chicago
$50 per ticket

Featured Artists:

Ed Lipinski

Ed Lipinski is a retired middle school industrial arts (wood working) teacher. He is a woodturner, who’s work has been shown in central Illinois shows and shops. The pieces are locally harvested woods from naturally felled trees.

 

Joan LipinskiJoan Lipinski has been making pieces with available materials since becoming a Pontiac resident by default, for almost 40 years. Most of her focus has been fiber arts, from quilting to collage to paper making, with materials that can be readily found in a small community. She has participated in central Illinois shows, and is an Artomat Artist.

Stacza LipinskiStacza Lipinski lives and works in Chicago. She received her MFA from Ohio State University in 2002 and her BFA from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in 1998. She continues her work in large scale paper construction and gouache painting that have been exhibited at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center (2005), Las Manos Gallery (2006), the Evanston Art Center (2006 &2007), the Hyde Park Art Center (2007), Artworks in Cincinnati (2008) and the Elmhurst Art Museum (2009).

Cordy MacDonald

Cordy MacDonald: Born in Chile and raised in Argentina by American parents, Cordy MacDonald has always expressed a love and curiosity for nature and the great outdoors: from the study of biology and the teaching of natural sciences to high school students to her joy of backpacking, nature photography, and native gardening. Cordy’s colorful paintings express her emotional connection to the natural world and the essence of her subjects.

Mike MacDonaldMike MacDonald: Chicagoland is home to wondrous habitats: kaleidoscope prairies, sublime oak savannas, and magical ferns. Yet these remarkable places remain a secret to most Chicagoans. As an evangelist of Chicago’s natural wonders, Mike is a mission to change that: to share Chicago’s natural beauty and biodiversity with the world. Using passionate public speaking and breathtaking photography, Mike conveys the marvels and magnificence of a wild Chicago that rivals any place on Earth. Through his photography, Chicago’s natural wonders have been promoted around the world: locally, in Chicago Wilderness Magazine, nationally, in publications like Boy’s Life, Petersen’s Photographic, and Outdoor Photographer, and internationally, on the cover of BBC’s Gardens Illustrated.

David RettkerDavid Rettker: Anyone who has lived in or visited Chicago will recognize most of his scenes, but David Rettker’s style casts these scenes in ways that are unexpected. Ranging from the eerie to the ominous, his paintings draw us in to an environment where the city and the sky can almost feel like one, and where everything from the tail lights, to tree branches seem imbued with emotion.

Brent YoungBrent Young, from Youngstown, Ohio, was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Brent attended college in his home town at Youngstown State University where he earned his bachelor’s in studio arts. It’s very apparent that Brent’s love for flags and his favorite animal, the elephant, are often the (never political) theme for his works. Brent can be seen walking through alleys collecting, what in one person’s view might be junk, but in Brent’s mind are functional and sculpture pieces. Brent currently lives in Chicago, where he continues to create, show his works and sell from his home studio.