Art dimensions

Kimball Hill & Northwest Cultural Council Gallery takes pride in bringing diverse shows to the area. Now they've gone one better by combining two artistic assortments in one exhibit.

"Multiple Dimensions" features both paintings and sculptures in a single show. The paintings are done by Ben Dallas of Chicago, and the sculptures are the works of Island Lake's Michael D. Brown. Both are retired Harper College art professors.

"The reason it's called 'Multiple Dimensions' is because both Michael and I work in 3-D, but we do it in a different way," said Dallas, who has eight pieces in the exhibit.

Dallas refers to his art as wall-hanging dimensional pieces. He develops the shapes.

"One shape in the show is called 'Gradient,' " said the 64-year-old. "It is a long wedge that is thicker at the top than at the bottom. I named the shape 'Turn,' because it turns at the top or bottom."

As an art history teacher at Harper, Dallas explained he was always interested in the how and why of painting. He looked for a new angle to the craft.

"In the '80s, I began experimenting with the usual rectangular art shape and how to change it," he said. "Instead of just a rectangle, I put sides on it and change from thick to thin and other things, which help determine how I paint it."

Brown has 12 maquettes (small-scale models of a finished sculpture) in "Multiple Dimensions." Some may have seen the 4,000- to 7,000-pound versions in different towns. "The Gate" is displayed in Oak Park, and his "Differentiation" can be found in Highland Park.

"The maquettes allow me to visualize the larger piece and plan how to make it and put it together," said the 65-year-old. "As you can imagine, dealing with 7,000 pounds of stone needs attention from engineering to an aesthetic point-of-view."

Looking at historical and sacred sites has given Brown a feel for stone artistry. He's journeyed to many famous spots including the Anasazi cliff dwellings, Aztec Ruins National Monument and Canyon De Chelly.

"My work is influenced by these places and sacred sites," said Brown.

"This exhibit contains work seldom seen by the general public," said Kathy Umlauf, executive director of the gallery. "The council's exhibitions display work not easily accessible. It's our mission to educate and give people the opportunity to see all kinds of work."

If you go

What: "Multiple Dimensions" exhibit

When: Through Feb. 26

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment

Where: Kimball Hill & Northwest Cultural Council Gallery, 5999 New Wilke Road, Suites 307 and 308, Rolling Meadows

Artists reception: 1-3 p.m. Sunday

Admission: Free

Call: (847) 956-7966