Vivid Art Gallery First Friday Art Opening

Vivid Art Gallery will host an art opening for Featured Artist Allison Svoboda and Local Artist Peg Spengler on July 12th at its monthly First Friday event. The opening, which runs from 5-8 PM, is open to all and is free of charge. In addition to great art, there will be refreshments, including the gallery’s signature “Monet Mule” cocktail. Live jazz will also be playing at the gallery to round out the evening.
 
Svoboda will be presenting new abstract work in her exhibit entitled Fractals from our Native Prairie. Her work is influenced by the overarching theme of meditation, focusing on the principles of concentration, clarity, and simplicity. Regarding the inspiration for this new work, which explores an ink process known as sumi-e, Svoboda says, “I have started working with color combinations in my ‘paper quilt’ series inspired by the restored native prairies in Chicago.  In 2015, I received a Hemera contemplative fellowship to study Zen Buddhism in Japan.  While there, I learned calligraphy and traditional arts of Japan including ink painting, shibori and orizomegami.”
 
Discussing sumi-e, Svoboda states, “The direct translation of sumi-e is ‘path of ink.’ In the Zen tradition, the artist would meditate by grinding the ink and focusing on the subject.  This training in the art of concentration, clarity and simplicity inspire my mandalas.” The exhibit will include Svoboda’s trademark mandalas, as well as other work inspired by sumi-e.
 
Also on display during the month of June will be works by Local Artist Peg Spengler. Her exhibit, titled All Over Landscapes, will include her most recent representational landscape paintings. Inspired by the beauty of nature, Spengler creates her work based on her own, unique interpretation of the world around her. She says, “I want to convey what I see in nature through these paintings. Nature is always changing, and I find capturing a specific scene to be very fulfilling.”
 
Spengler’s show at the gallery is part of its “Local Artists Program,” which provides exhibition space to a different local artist each month. Says gallery owner Cynthia Burr, “We think it’s important to support the local art community by providing a space for local artists to show their work. It’s a way for artists to build their resumes and gauge public reaction to their work.”
In addition to the art opening at Vivid, a number of other businesses in the Hubbard Woods Design and Dine district will once again celebrate First Fridays. Along with a “Cocktail Hop” and special promotions from each store, the district will also feature the La Cocinita Food Truck, which specializes in gourmet Latin America cuisine, including tacos, burri-tacos, and arepas, among others. We look forward to seeing you there!