Exhibitions

Past Shows

SHAQE KALAJ

October 27 - December 22

Q&A receptions every Saturday in November, 6-8pm

FOOT + HISTORIC BUILDINGS = "DOWNTOWN FOOT ART"

WHAT? WHY? HOW? COME SEE (AND TRY IT YOURSELF)

After two summers in the making, now ready for display are paintings/drawings created by Shaqe using only her foot to hold her brushes and pens. Her depictions of historic Northville & Plymouth buildings have a dreamy but still realistic quality that would be hard to imitate by hand. (The ways in which they lack photographic perfection is exactly what makes them interesting!)

"Downtown FOOT Art" kicks off officially in October, with special Q&A sessions with the artist every Saturday evening in November at 6-8pm. She'll demonstrate her method and invite visitors to create their own piece of "foot art." So bring the kids, who've seemed especially enthusiastic about this approach, as Shaqe found when creating these artworks in public. “It was kind of a performance, and I had a lot of great conversations with local people. One person told me: ‘You made me look at that building again in a new way.’”

Shaqe chose local historic buildings such as the Northville's Marquis Theatre and the Hunter House in Mill Race Village, and Plymouth's Wilcox House. “The buildings have a lot of nuances that people don’t normally notice,” such as detailed sculptural ornamentation, she says.

There's also a social message behind the making of these of paintings: Using an alternative limb for creating art emphasizes the potential that differently-abled people have for art-making. “Someone with a disability who lacks the use of one part of their body can certainly create interesting art using another part, and shouldn’t hesitate to try,” Shaqe says. She hopes to integrate this work with her teaching and creativity coaching, showing how it opens up alternative paths to creativity. "This is also a tool to use toward creating a more inclusive society."

SHAQE KALAJ

August 11 - October 15

This may be most unusual exhibition put on recently in the Detroit area. Unlike conventional exhibitions where all the artwork is considered “complete” and ready for showing, "Works in Progress" displays how a concept for a series of artwork is developed by the artist. Artist-in-residence Shaqe will exhibit artworks in various stages of completion, plus all the supporting research material and background visual references used to develop the series concepts. The real emphasis is to show how the artist’s process is itself art – progressing from research literature, photos, and videos… to preliminary mark-making … to deciding on final media and tools… to the actual creation of the final work.

"Works in Progress" presents three current series concepts Shaqe is developing: “Shapeshifting” (a kind of surrealist painting practice representing shaman experiences, with visionary forms combining human and animal figures), “Pop Worship” (which re-envisions traditional pop-culture figures, such as superheroes), and “Eat Me” (a research-based series of diptychs that humorously juxtaposes human figures with farm animals, with the aim stressing the animals' beauty and personality).

(Note: Unlike most previous exhibitions, visitors should considered this exhibition as "adult-oriented.")

The AGES of ART: 

an intergenerational show at ART & Ideas Gallery

July 7 to August 7, 2011

This exhibit  shows the work of artists at beginning levels to more advanced levels, from the ages of 5 to past retirement age. The one thing all these artists have in common is that they have all worked with Shaqe at the Art & Ideas teaching studio in Plymouth, MI. Their work varies in medium from painting and printmaking to drawing, mixed media, and more. The subject matter varies according to the purpose of the class or workshop they took, or from their own choosing. There are 24 artists exhibiting in this show. 

Artists exhibiting

Ann Birchmeier, Audrey Birchmeier, Emma Birchmeier, Kate Blair, Ruth Carter, Cate Costew (artwork at center above), Hanna Dong, Sara Dzirnis, Lori Edwards, Kathleen Erngren, Took Gallagher, Mary Grannan, Ananya Hariharan, Sophia Hewitt, Keely Kaleski (artwork at left above), Lee McKenzie, Alexandra Milosz, Carla Morabito, Monica Prince, Sharyn Schlarman, Pamela Shelby, Claire Wan, Rachel Wira, and Carol Zeiss (artwork at right above).

“Click here to view opening night photos

Parts of a Whole

Leann Meixner (center image above)

Joan Potter Thomas (right above)

Lynn Krawczyk (left above)

Three local artists -- All working in assemblage!

May 12 - July 2, 2011

Opening reception: Saturday, May 14, 5:30 - 9pm

(artists’ talk: 6pm)

Leann references voodoo, via figures in her assemblage boxes. However, “Voodoo dolls are used very seldom in most voodoo; they actually come from old folk religions... I’d like the viewer to see the humor and personality in each doll...”

Through her assemblage works, Joan frequently explores “the hard next to the soft, the flat against raised, and gritty adjacent to smooth. This “juxtaposition of extremes” is common in her art.

Lynn has become a “serial artist” whose peaceful assemblage-making has allowed her to “steal” a few moments away to herself “without the constant noise and distraction of what felt like a daily schedule with rabies...”

(click here to see the video from the opening night talk)

“Collaging History” Installation

Are our ideas about history fixed in time, or constantly in flight?

A Collaborative Exhibition

where your participation matters

Be an ARTIST:

Participate in a group art project

where you can draw and put pictures all over the gallery walls

No drawing ability necessary; professional artist is masterminding the event.

“I’m looking for people of all ages, non-artists and artists, people with abilities and disabilities, to participate in creating this installation. Participate in putting up images from past history and current history, as well as participate in drawing images. If you think you can’t draw -- good -- I’m looking for people that have a ‘naive’ drawing style. I’ll be leading people in this collaboration to document American/world history in a way that’s relevant to us now. Become a part of this -- your voice is important!” --Shaqe  - artist - teaching artist

Time Tells All...

Retrospective of Art & Ideas 2010 year

...a year-ending/year-beginning retrospective of artists’ work from the first seven exhibitions at Art & Ideas

November 20, 2010 - January 29, 2011

Opening reception: Sat., Nov. 29, 2010; 6:45-9pm

Featuring a 6pm talk by artist-in-residence Shaqe Kalaj

This retrospective of Art & Ideas’ first year of existence will start with a talk by artist-in-residence Shaqe Kalaj titled “Art: The Solution for Tomorrow,” at the free opening reception (note: an RSVP for the 6pm lecture is required -- please call 734-420-0775; the reception is open to all ages, without RSVP at 6:45).

This exhibition features the work of artists from seven 2010 exhibitions -- with selected work dealing in some way with the theme of “Time.” The broad range of contrasting styles & media on display will create an inspiring viewing experience, and is a golden opportunity for viewers who haven’t had a chance to see the earlier shows!Upcoming Shows

Robert Bielat

Sarah Olson

Ellen Moucoulis

Schoolcraft College Art Faculty

October 1 - November 14, 2010

Opening reception: October 2, 5:30 - 9pm

(artist talk: 6pm)

Sculptor Robert Bielat creates raw, dramatic metal sculptures that reflect our aging post-industrial landscape. “My work has evolved through the years, but has always interpreted the tension between man, nature, and technology,” he says, “acknowledging our human imprints on the past, and reminding us that we are creators of the future we wish to share with this planet.”

Painter Ellen Moucoulis has shown her work extensively throughout Michigan and the Midwest. In her “Homage” series, she emphasizes the raw, physical drama of animals. She says the series of paintings demonstrates the synchronicity of thought of artists from different times in history, and from different cultures. “It’s an example of how we are all connected. I chose to revisit and reinterpret themes and images that captured my imagination, using animals to magnify and exaggerate emotion,” including humor, she adds.

Mixed-media artist Sarah Olson will show layered, semi-abstract mixed-media paintings that often use ancient runes or Chinese characters as contextual references. “Although my work spans the general categories of representational, non-objective, and abstract, my hope is that the viewer will sense a persuasive philosophical and spiritual strand winding through and unifying my collective body of work,” she says. “By using the physical media of paint, canvas, and clay, I explore the often ambiguous roles of negative and positive space in the interdependent and ever-changing physical, mental, and spiritual planes."

(Click here to view PHOTOS of opening reception)

...see John Carlos Cantú's full review at http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/art-ideas-social-realism-2010/

(The print version of this review is scheduled to be in the Sunday 9/5/10 AnnArbor.com print edition.)

Social Realism 2010

Photography

Thomas McMillen-Oakley

Shaqe Kalaj

Julia DeClerck

August 6 - September 18, 2010

Opening reception: Saturday, August 7, 6-10pm

(Artist talk: 6:45pm)

So what is "Social Realism"?

In a nutshell, as Wikipedia states (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_realism):

"Social Realism... is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic. The movement is a style in which the scenes depicted typically convey a message of social or political protest edged with satire.... Social Realism became an important art movement during the Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s...."

So does this 1930s movement have relevancy today? Here we are passing through another kind of depression, and the struggles of middle- and working-class people in American society have become more obvious. At Art & Ideas, we want to bridge these two historical periods and allow the artist/photographer to make some social commentary -- with an edge of humor, irony, or wit, along with plenty of "reality." So don't expect this show to be "a downer," with gloomy images of suffering. Still, our artists' commentary about how we and our kids live in 2010 will be poignant.

(Click here to view PHOTOS of opening reception)

Inner Worlds & Animals

Charles Aimone &

Joan Painter Jones

June 18 - July 31, 2010

opening reception: June 19 7-11pm

Artist talk: 7:30pm

Ann Arbor critic John Carlos Cantu has just reviewed our current show! See:

http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/arts-ideas-aimonejones/

Charlie Aimone’s works are small, layered paintings that use a broad color spectrum, often showing an animal as a central image, surrounded by abstract elements. The content of his paintings is based on the premise that dogs (and other animals) possess an innate intelligence that humans do not understand. “Dogs have complicated ways of signaling to you,” he says, whether it’s a look, a twitch of the ear or tail, or in the way they touch you. He reflects his interest in dogs as subjects by depicting them as if through the eyes of a six-year-old child.

His technique for the paintings consists of three layers. First, he draws on the canvas, with a dog or other image as the center point. This is followed by a layer of paint to create “a complex color spectrum,” along with ground-up glass, which is used to break incoming light down into reflected hues of color. In the third layer he uses premium paints that are long-lasting and sunlight-resistant, since “people tend to put my paintings by the front door.”

Joan Painter Jones’ sculptures are imaginative assemblages of wood, metal, found objects, paint, and other media. “My work evolves from the jumble of materials I have picked up from roadsides, parts of things my husband no longer wants or are discarded, and  things friends have given me,” she says. “I am captivated by old scraps of things, old wood with peeling paint, rusty metal, broken things, seem to have had a life and memories are in them somewhere. I know this isn't so, but it evokes that feeling in me nonetheless.”

“Usually my work, especially my abstract wood sculptures, just evolves, grows, until it is finished.  Then I get a feeling of what it suggests to me. My intuitive way of working makes the work personal, and it reveals my passion of putting these things together as well.”

(Click here to view VIDEO of INNER WORLDS EXHIBIT)

Read more about Joan in an article from Ann Arbor.com (click here)

Painting

Shaqe Kalaj

April 23 - June 12, 2010

opening reception: April 24 7-11pm with music by Hanna Fralick ,

Artist talk: 7:30 pm

closing reception:  Saturday, May 29, 7pm, presentation by Patricia Fero and her book “What Happens when Women Wake Up?

Does our childhood hold the source of our Awakening?

Little Girls consists of 17 portraits of women that I have known, portrayed as children from ages 3 to 7. The portraits foremost are an act of honoring these women, revealing an honesty of expression. I feel that I have captured their innocence, wonder, playfulness, sadness, and coyness. I have also captured their time period with the clothing that they are wearing or the lighting or background in the painting. The selected wall-paper chosen for each girl enhances that time period or is representational of some quality about the girl. For instance, Margaret can be placed from the 1920s; the lighting and coloring of the painting is reminiscent of photographs taken during that time. The subject of Adriana is from Italy, and I chose wallpaper that would identify her with her homeland. If we look at Diane, she is shown in a cowgirl outfit with wood paneling dating her back to the 1970s. All the girls are depicted with their own significance and story, and that is how I have honored them.

View Woodcuts at Shaqe’s website:

http://www.imshacha.com/ART/Little_Girls.html

(Click here to view PHOTOS of closing reception)

(Click here to view VIDEO of LITTLE GIRLS EXHIBIT)

Gel-Medium Transfers

Shaqe Kalaj

March 5 - April 17, 2010

opening reception: March 6  7-11pm

Artist talk: 7:30pm followed by demo,

where you can create a gel-medium

Are there universes that we can’t see?

The Macro-Biology Tapestries is a series of work that plays with the idea of how microscopic universes relate visually to our human-scale universe. The works in this series are called tapestries because of their intricate textural quality. Their presentation is one where they hang seemingly in mid-air -- appearing to float in the viewer’s mind and before their very eyes.

The background images in the tapestries are microscopic photographs of biological cells of various sizes and textures, constituting their own universes. The images show more than mutations of cells, but create a background of organic movement -- a beginning point where I foresaw a layering effect that would only enhance the tapestries.

The Macro-Biology Tapestries are gel-medium transfers. The process begins with a black and white photocopy layered about 20 times with gel-medium. After the layering of the gel and a drying period, the paper copy is rubbed off with a wet cloth, leaving the ink in the medium. The final result is a translucent piece of work that can be viewed from both sides.

View Gel-mediums at Shaqe’s website:

http://www.imshacha.com/ART/Macro_Tapestries.html

(click here to view photos of opening night)

(click here to view video of Macro-Bilogy exhibit)

Woodcuts

Shaqe Kalaj

January 15 - Feb. 27, 2010

opening reception: January 16 7-11pm

Artist talk: 7:30pm

How does the wood influence the story?

This show is a retrospective of Shaqe Kalaj’s woodcuts. Within each woodcut there is an "engrained message" that seeps into the wood, leaving impressions of the stories the artist had in mind when creating the work: stories of  a queen on her throne, a horse leaping in mid-air, a musician sleeping to his music, an Asian Jesus walking on water, and other stories that address the possibilities of life and imagination. In this retrospective, she has included her large work “American Woman,” available to be seen at the Jan. 16 opening only. It begs the question of "how do we define female beauty in the US?" It is the wood medium that imbues the work with starkness and infuses the work with a powerful message. 

View Woodcuts at Shaqe’s website:

http://www.imshacha.com/ART/American_Woman.htm\

http://www.imshacha.com/ART/Expressive_Woodcut.html

(click here to view photos of opening night)

(click here to view video of WoodEngrained exhibit)

Ink Drawings

Shaqe Kalaj

December 5 - January 14, 2010

opening reception: Dec. 5 7-11pm

Do we live in our Dreams?

Does are sub-reality -- what we dream of - venture into our daily reality? Dreaming Identity consists of 44 ink drawings. The artist poses the questions: “Do we live in our dreams? Does our sub-reality -- what we dream of -- venture into our daily reality?” These ink drawings take us into a world where houses are piled onto each other and human figures are intermeshed with their environment. Come hear the artist speak about these works that have escaped the dream world and entered our living world.

View ink drawings at Shaqe’s website:

http://www.imshacha.com/ART/Sketches_in_the_Raw.html

(click here to view video of Dreaming Identity exhibit)