Side Street Studio Arts welcomes artist Raúl Ortiz for First Friday May 7
Side Street Studio Arts in downtown Elgin invites the community to a new exhibit, titled "Patterns," featuring the layered and colorful paintings of Chicago-based artist Raúl Ortiz.
The exhibition kicks off with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 7, at 15 Ziegler Court. The gallery will be open Saturdays and Sundays through the month of May. It is all ages and open to the public. Masks are required and distancing will be enforced.
Ortiz is inspired by line, architecture, color, pattern, and nature. An active printmaker for over 10 years, Ortiz's current paintings reflect his practice (from printmaking) of layering, obliterating and gradually focusing/refining an image.
His compositions inform and unravel the images that spring out of his canvases as he adds to and peels away layers of paint. Born and raised in Diego Rivera's hometown of Guanajuato until age 5 and grew up in Chicago's Little Village, his work has always reflected a penchant for color and contrast.
"I stumbled upon Ortiz's work at the Rockford Art Museum," said Erin Rehberg, founder and executive director. "It was a smaller piece in a group show, but it really grabbed me and did a lot of the work in pulling me out of a bit of Covid funk. I am thrilled the gallery will be filled with almost 40 of his works, as we can all use a bit of that dynamism right now."
A self-proclaimed "late bloomer" in the art world, Ortiz received a BFA in Painting and Printmaking in 2001. He has since exhibited his work at the University Club of Chicago, Evanston Art Center, National Museum of Mexican Art, Rockford Art Museum, Wright Museum of Art at Beloit, Wis., The Painting Center in New York City, James May Gallery in Wisconsin, and the Meadows Gallery at the University of Texas.
Ortiz's paintings can be found in many private and public collections throughout the United States. Ortiz was an artist-in-residence at The Cliff Dwellers Chicago in 2005.
Free and open gallery hours run Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or by appointment via email at info@sidestreetstudioarts.org.
Also on display from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 7, will be the creative products of the new partnership between SSSA and Family Service Association of Greater Elgin, whose Junior Service Board participated in a two-day "Art For Good" workshop with Rehberg, Elgin City Councilman-elect Dustin Good, and area artists Joel Amore, Chris Arrecis, Adrian Mesino, and Sierra Tuazon.
The "Art For Good" program, developed in partnership with Michael Novelli, explores pathways into activism through the arts. Seven Family Service Association service board members, staff, and young artists participated in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, and will show a series of drawings, paintings, and performance works to
"We experienced two full days of ways to better understand our own thoughts on issues that people are experiencing today that contribute to poor mental health and then utilized art to express those thoughts in ways that might allow others to feel and understand another perspective," said Family Service Association Executive Director Bernadette May. "We discussed topics such as women's rights, race, healthcare access, poverty and the environment. While none of them are specifically mental health, all these factors feed into the total picture of one's wellness. Understanding people as a whole is an important aspect of quality mental health care."
"The two exhibits on display May 7 put both awareness and brilliance on display," added Rehberg. "Spending time with these unique perspectives on the world around us allows us to feel encouraged and be more open at a time when we could use some inspiration."
Side Street Studio Arts was founded by Elgin residents Tanner 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. Its mission is to support the artist and artistic journey through collaboration.
For more information on any of SSSA's programs, visit sidestreetstudioarts.org, call (847) 429-2276 or email info@sidestreetstudioarts.org.
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