Side Street Studio Arts to kick off 2019 with 'What Remains' exhibit
Side Street Studio Arts, at 15 Ziegler Court in the heart of downtown Elgin, kicks off its 2019 visual art exhibition schedule Friday, Jan. 18, with What Remains: a joint exhibition by Tanner Melvin and Erin Rehberg.
What Remains runs through Feb. 3, with an artist reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18. The event is free and open to the public.
The opening to the year of visual art is lead by SSSA founders and executive directors Melvin and Rehberg, who began working on the interactive exhibition during a residency at The Studios of Key West during the fall of 2018. In 2019 SSSA is taking strides to re-imagine what a visual art opening can be, as well as aim to better represent its surrounding community. The year is made up of both curated and open-call exhibitions.
"Our annual exhibitions, like Something Wicked, are always highly anticipated," said SSSA Exhibitions Committee Chair Roberto Martinez. "That said, we are always discussing and debating ways to bring new, interesting, and thought-provoking outside work to our space. It is important for us to reflect our community, as well as the greater world around us."
To that end, SSSA's Latino Outreach Coordinator Adrian Mesino has curated a series of exhibitions featuring Latinx artists from the area.
The series, titled En Las Manos De ..., kicks off Saturday, Feb. 9 with a solo show by Melina Scott and continues in March with a solo show by Leo Perez. Later in the year, there will be an open call for an exhibition featuring Latinx artists under the age of 21, who will be able to win cash prizes for their work. SSSA's Latino Outreach Project is in its second year, and is supported by a grant from the Reva and David Logan Foundation in Chicago.
There are currently open calls for work for SSSA's annual anniversary celebration, the Going Dutch Festival, and the Elgin Fringe Festival. The gallery will celebrate year six with an open call show to be judged on opening night. The judges' favorite will receive a $600 cash prize, sponsored by Elgin Public House. SSSA's ninth annual Going Dutch Festival, a celebration of the female voice in dance, music, theater, and the visual arts, will return to downtown Elgin for a third year in 2019 and is currently seeking submissions for both visual and performing artists, as is the 6th annual Elgin Fringe Festival, sponsored by the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission, which is an uncurated, uncensored event.
Annual staples returning this year are Unidos V (July), Re: POPVII (August), and Something Wicked (October). SSSA will also be featuring the work of its current artists-in-residence Chris Arrecis and Jess Rocha, and Karl Jahnke, as well as an end-of-summer Artist-Intern Exhibition.
The 2019 calendar of visual art events includes:
• Jan. 18-Feb. 3, What Remains: a joint exhibition by Tanner Melvin and Erin Rehberg
• Feb. 9-24, In Colour - Melina Scott
• March 1-31, Year 6: a celebration of 6 years of Side Street
• April 5-28, SSSA Artist-in-Residence Exhibition, Chris Arrecis
• May 3-19, Solo Exhibition by Karl Jahnke
• May 24-June 16, Artist-in-Residence Exhibition Jess Rocha
• June 21-30, Going Dutch Festival
• July 5-28, Unidxs V
• Aug. 2-18, Re: Pop VII
• Aug. 23-Sept. 1, SSSA Artist-Intern Exhibition
• Sept. 6-15, Elgin Fringe Festival
• Oct. 4-27, Something Wicked
SSSA was founded by Melvin and Rehberg in 2013 as an outlet for the Elgin arts scene. Side Street provides educational and creative resources and an inclusive space, run by artists. Side Street's mission is to support the artist and artistic journey through collaboration.
Gallery hours, when an exhibition is on display, are noon to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, or by appointment. For details, call (847) 429-2276 or visit www.sidestreetstudioarts.org.