West Chicago exhibit shows artist’s humor
By Rosemary Mackey
City of West Chicago submission
Artist Joanne Kalchbrenner’s “Whatever Strikes My Mood” exhibit, up through June at West Chicago’s Gallery 200, is appropriately named. She admits that when it comes to her art, she pursues whatever strikes her.
An accomplished photographer, glass painter/etcher and jewelry-maker, Kalchbrenner finds her best work results from inspiration found in the ordinary moments of daily life.
“It’s the things that tickle me that transfer to my art, and as a result so much of my work is whimsical,” she said.
That whimsy carries into her work across the board. It heavily influences her photography, which focuses primarily on her travels in nature. Her keen eye and quick response has rewarded her with some extraordinary shots including a smiling Florida stingray, a jaunty iguana making his way up a flight of stairs, and a large snapping turtle breaking the surface of water at a turtle farm in Grand Cayman.
Closer to home, Kalchbrenner enjoys chronicling the antics of her cat Basil from mischievous kitten to pensive adult. A photograph of her son Joey throwing stones in a pond last season won her a spot in the 2011 lineup of public art banners sponsored by the West Chicago Cultural Arts Commission. The banner will be displayed with 19 others on Main Street through September.
Her work in glass painting and etching is another outlet for Kalchbrenner’s creative playfulness, which she combines with an equal interest in environmental recycling. She enjoys taking ordinary glassware she finds in thrift stores and garage sales and re-purposing it into something fun and novel. Recently she launched a line of “zipper” barware — martini, wine and champagne glasses — that has become popular.
Kalchbrenner is able to support local charities that are near and dear to her heart, like the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Sunrise Therapeutic Horseback Riding, by offering donations of her work to their fundraising silent auctions.
Stumbling upon an interesting bead or bauble is another trigger for Kalchbrenner’s passion for creating. Her handmade jewelry is a popular addition to Gallery 200’s Wonderful and Wearable annual show and sale of jewelry and accessories in December, as well as throughout the year. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings are one-of-a-kind and in keeping with her philosophy of “whatever strikes my mood.”
“My brand of art is often functional, sometimes amusing and always affordable,” Kalchbrenner said. “Life is complicated, so doing something that is fun and makes people smile is what I like to do.”
Her exhibit is open noon-8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through June at Gallery 200, 200 Main St., West Chicago. For details, contact (630) 293-9550 or gallery200.org.