On reflection…

I was VERY right about that probability of alot of cold weather. Boooooooooom!

Real CHI-Town reflections coming soon.

AREA Report

AREA Chicago | PO Box 476971 Chicago IL 60647 | areachicago.org | areachicago@gmail.com


December 14th, 2009


Dear Concerned Peoples of Chicago:


Do you ever wonder who does the important and challenging work to confront the status quo in this city? We wonder that too, and that’s why we started AREA Chicago, to document the Art/Research/Education/Activism happening here.


For more than four years AREA Chicago has been producing critical publications and events in Chicago. AREA is a unique project about the city and its social movements. We’re writing today to tell you more about what we are doing and to ask that you help us to continue this work by giving AREA a tax-deductible donation.


AREA continues to grow. Here are a few highlights from 2009:


-AREA #8 - a Local Reader about creative responses to the statement “Everybody’s Got Money Issues” was released to the public on May 1st. A dynamic series of lectures, workshops and other events took place following the release from August through October and has even inspired a new independent reading group of past AREA contributors.


-AREA #9 - A Local Reader on the geographic edges of Chicago that also brought in reflections on issues and ideas which are sometimes at the edges of our work was released on November 1st at the South Side Community Arts Center, the last living WPA era community arts center in the country. This issue had a strong emphasis on mapping projects and was funded especially for that work by grants from the Smart Museum of Art and the Graham Foundation.


-areachicago.org is getting a face-lift and it will be easier than ever to freely access the archives from our past magazines dealing with themes such as privatization, the local food system, solidarity, prisons, education, public policy, the legacy of the ’60s.


-We are developing curriculum out of the articles from past issues of our Local Reader series. With hundreds of articles and interviews about Chicago and the people who live here, we are confident it can be a resource for classrooms and informal education environments.


-The “Notes for a People’s Atlas” mapping project that we sponsor has been expanded to other cities and will be touring throughout the country for the next few years in an exhibition entitled “Experimental Geography” (http://peoplesatlas.areaprojects.info/).


- In recent weeks we were notified that we received a $6,000 grant from the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. We also held our most successful community fundraising auction ever, raising $5,200. This means we are just $2,000 away from our goal for starting the new year with the funds we need. We aspire to raise as much money through grassroots fundraising as possible and this year we have proven we can do that.


As you can see we have a very busy year. We are planning for 2010 already and will be releasing our summer double-issue on the topic of “institutions and infrastructures.” We depend on contributions from individual supporters like you to do all of this. From office supplies, to youth mapping workshops to printing the publications, your support makes this work possible. Please give a tax-deductible donation to AREA today! Checks can be made to our fiscal sponsor “Experimental Station” and mailed to AREA Chicago at PO Box 476971 Chicago IL 60647. To donate online visit http://www.areachicago.org/donate/


Sincerely,

Daniel Tucker and Rebecca Zorach, Editors of AREA Chicago


AREA 2009/2010 Advisors: Beth Gutelius, Amanda Gutierrez, Charles Vinz, David Marques, David Omotoso Stovall, Euan Hague, Gabriel Piemonte, Jerome Grand, Jason Reblando, Jayne Hileman, Laurie Jo Reynolds, Lisa Lee, Mairead Case, Dave Pabellon, Ryan Hollon, Therese Quinn, Daniel Tucker, Dakota Brown, Rebecca Zorach, Rachel Wallis, Eric Triantafillou, Lee Ann Norman, Ashley Weger, Frank Edwards, Robin Hewlett, Sam Barnett, intern sarah smizz

Things that I will miss in Chicago

This list isn’t comprehensive but will give y’all a general idea:

• My new friends
• Getting up and seeing the beautiful skyline of Chicago. Chi-town defo has one of the most beautiful skylines in America.
• The CTA L train. We’ve had some fun.
• The south side
• Getting butterflies when I’m Downtown at night. It’s just kind of magical.
• Being surrounded by motivated, and passionate individuals.
• Argo Tea FrosTea (wHITe tea with white chocolate and mint!)
• Cheap Hollister Clothes
• No family drama
• Hotdogs and I’m sure I will miss that Mexican food.
• meeting the crazy old guy that lives in apartment 1
• keeping this blog
• Being involved with AREA Chicago
• I’ll miss that opportunity to just go pretty much anywhere in the states for no more than £150 return!
• free wifi pretty much everywhere!
• all the collective groups
• the free awesome publications such as AREA
• daily trips to Borders
• ect

AREA Chicago 3rd Annual Wants & Needs Auction Friday, 11th December 7-12pm - Auction @ 930pm

AREA Chicago 3rd Annual Wants & Needs Auction

Friday, 11th December 7-12pm - Auction @ 930pm - 

@ UE Hall - 37 S. Ashland

$10 Donation at the door, $20 Donation for admission and a tote bag. ALL proceeds from AREA’s Wants and Needs Party will benefit the Summer 2010 issue of AREA.
Photos from 2007: Link
Photos from 2008: Link

MC Ryan Hollon will host the event while DJs Dave Marques, Naomi Walker, and Sarah Smizz keep you entertained and dancing.

This year 28 contributors and friends of AREA have offered up their skills and services to you.AREA 3rd Annual Needs and Wants Auction list:

• 1) Beth Gutelius and Dave Pabellon offer a Tequila Night for 4. Starting bid: $50
• 2) Charles Vinz offers his skills as a draftsman tomeasure up one floor of a home and draft it by hand to scale. Starting bid: $30
• 3) Frank Edwards offers 2 introductory or intermediate bass guitar lessons. Starting bid: $25
• 4) Amber Ginsburg and Lia offer to take you on aChicago tastings for 10 with 3 spring greens associated with the naming of the city. Starting bid: $30
• 5) Sarah Lewison offers a retreat in the Countryside for Small Group (up to 5 people) or Individual. We are about 5 hours from Chicago by train- I will pick you up, and take care of you so you can have a chilled-out productive  and engaging retreat.  The place has great light,  an amazing bird population, good internet, wood heat, delicious water, library access, and your stay will be fully catered with mostly local organic food. Starting bid: $150
• 6) Samuel A. Love offers a customized tour of the Calumet Region (Example: sand dunes, Mexican Mutual Aid Societies, company housing, etc…). Starting bid: $30
• 7) Paul Duricais offers a personalized Pocket Guide to Hell walking tours; the tours focus on sites connected to social justice, labor history, and true crime stories. Starting bid: $30
• 8) Rachel Wallis offers her Service/Skill of sewing a pillow to your specifications, with the embroidered design of your dreams. (previous pillow designs have included images from loteria cards, maps with state birds and flowers, robots, sea creatures, and a portrait of north korean dictator kim jong il, although not all on the same pillow). Starting bid: $25
• 9) Mairead Case offers to create six anonymous collaged snail-mail letters for you or your special friend. Remember real mail!? (she won’t write them herself, but she will choose pieces to copy from her personal library, based on the winner’s stipulations), plus small found objects and bits of bright paper. Starting bid: $15
• 10) Tim Sarrantonio/The Arts of Life offers a personalized portrait of the winner by Arts of Life artist Daniel Brendel. The winner can come in and pose for Daniel or they can provide him with a picture they want painted. We will frame the picture for you and prefer you to come see the studio where it is made! Starting bid: $150
• 11) Rebecca Zorach offers one-hour consultation on application to grad school, fellowships, or academic jobs. For best results you should be in the arts, humanities, or humanistic social sciences. If I’m not inChicago I will consult by phone (my dime). starting bid $40
• 12) Dakota Brown offers to make you custom “Correspondence Stock” Typographic Design and Hand Printing. Includes one session on what your options and desires are, and some strategizing on how to do it cheaply + the actual design and printing! Bidder must pay for paper and some printing supplies. starting bid $40
• 13) Mike Wolf offers to make for your use two black-and-white, hand drawn illustrations or fliers on a subject of your choice. Starting bid $25
• 14) Lorenza Perelli offers to make a Italian meal at her house in Pilsen.  3 courses: antipasti; main courses: pasta e ceci (Tuscany); polenta with Gorgonzola, butter and Parmigiano (Lombardia), and salsiccia (options). Italian red wine. Eat dinner, discuss life and enjoy. Dinner will be for 4 people plus Lorenza and Andrew.starting bid: $50
• 15) Alice Kim offers  ‘nouveau’ Korean BBQ home-cooked dinner for 4 at her place — starting bid $50
• 16) Carrie Breitbach offers a custom crochet hat.Chose solid or striped (colors of your choice). starting bid $10.
• 17) Euan Hague offers a 2hr guided walking tour of gentrification, Tax Increment Financing, Historic District status and other urban development processes in pilsen (53 page research booklet included). Time/date/duration can be adapted to suit a class (of up to 25 people). Starting bid: $20 
• 18) Salem Collo-Julin offers baby (or adult) sitting services for a minimum four hours. For those who don’t have children, Salem will entertain your out of town guest, your parents, your roommate that never gets out of the house. Starting bid: $30
• 19) Tricia Van Eck and Andre Fiebig offer a 2 bedroom apt. in Edgewater on the lake with a private beach access for a weekend. You can hear waves while you sleep - its great for people wanting to get out of city without leaving. starting bid $100
• 20) Kieran Gadbury offers 2 hour-long massages!  starting bid: $20
• 21) Lee Ann Norman is offering her program proposal consulting services for 1-3 people.  If you have an idea that’s swimming around in your head related to the arts, arts education, youth, or community development, she can help you solidify your ideas and help you create language/structures/protocols/strategies that will help you realize your plans. starting bid. $50
• 22) Kirsten Cox offers “Your Ideal Dream Get-A-Way Search Service”. She brings ten years of private cottage rental experience ranging from couples to large groups. She will sit with you, personalizing your request, and try to make all your domestic get-a-way dreams come true! Starting bid: $10
• 23) Jacob Chris Hammes offers a hypnosis session. starting bid: $25
• 24) Elise Zelechowski offers twenty five 2x4’s or 2x6’s from the ReBuilding Exchange for your next building project. starting bid: $25
• 25) Robin Hewlett offers brunch for 2 at Backstory Cafe.  starting bid: $30 
• 26) Naomi Walker offers custom-made pies with a mix cds. starting bid: $20
• 27) Mejay Gula offers 4 hair cutting sessions for one person (or one session for 4 people). Starting bid $40.
• 28) Kim Soss offers to be Your very own Personal Librarian will research the question(s) of your choosing. Specializing in architecture, urban planning, and design. starting bid: $25

smizz’s real first NYC Chelsea gallery group show!

December 11th – 23rd  2009

DON’T FLEE THE ART MARKET!

organized by Paulina Bebecka

opening reception Friday, December 11th, 2009   6 – 10pm with DJ Ivan Sunshine

We will feature works, big and small made by

very bright young artists. Whatever your desire for a perfect gift, we will have it:

you want a piece of hair with your collage? We got it. You want a dog’s mouth?

We got it. You want a treasure map? We got it. You want a coyote tail? A breast

mountain? A paper lion coming out of a paper captain’s beard? A set of wooden

blocks? Maybe even a painting? We got it all for every pocket.

Participating artists:

Agata

Shinsuke Aso

Jennifer Brantley

Zach Cregger

Brian Cronin

Ira Eduoardova

Thomas Giubliuzzi

Hands On

Narendra Hayes

Michelle Matson

Jenny Morgan

David Mramor

Seamus Mulholland

Kader Muzaqi

Chris Oh

Steve Oh

James Prez

Naropa Sabine

Jenny Salomon

Sarah Smizz

Eric Taylor

and others…

Postmasters Gallery located at 459 west 19th street between 9 and 10 Avenues is open

Tuesday through Sunday 11am – 6 pm

Please contact Magdalena Sawon or Paulina Bebecka with questions and image requests

www.postmastersart.com

upcoming exhibitions at the gallery:

OMER FAST (January 2010)

STEVE MUMFORD (February 2010)

Abrupt end near for Chicago’s mild weather

A cold last half of the week

The first Arctic air mass of the season will ride a strong northerly flow out of the Canadian Tundra directly into the western Great Lakes Thursday and Friday. In Chicago temperatures will fall into the 20s Wednesday night and stay there for the next two days. With strong northwesterly winds gusting as high as 30 mph, Chicago’s daytime wind chills will probably be in the teens Thursday and Friday. (for british folk - this is -4 C weather!!!!!)