FALL 2000

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Dear Friends of the Arts,

I'll keep my comments very brief because this issue of SPOTLIGHTS is filled with news regarding the Council's activities over the last few months. It also includes detailed information about programs you might consider attending in the next quarter.

We must say farewell to our dear Margaret, who after nine years is leaving the Council. Many of you have worked with Margaret Malapanes on SPOTLIGHTS and "Kids Meet Art"™ and I know you, like I, have appreciated her cheerful disposition, desire to please and her superb administrative skills.

Margaret's husband Jim, a talented craftsman, has established a business and needs her assistance. I'm certain her contributions will help their business grow and prosper.

On behalf of the Council and all the people in the schools and corporations you have worked with, we wish you and Jim great success. Know you shall be truly missed, Margaret.

Sincerely,

Kathy Umlauf

Winifred Godfrey: Mayan Procession
Sharon Findley Kirmse

Winifred Godfrey, the Lincoln Park artist who began her career as a portrait painter and is probably best known for her dramatic floral canvases, has carved a new niche in the American art scene in the past decade. Her bold and stunning portrayal of Latin culture, "Mayan Procession," has been captivating audiences across the United States and Mexico.

Acclaimed everywhere it has been mounted, the exhibit was held over two months at Harvard University's David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, so great was the demand to view it. And now it is coming to us at the Northwest Cultural Council. Be sure to mark the dates on your calendar, October 3 through November 21, 2000, when the fourteen-piece, life-sized tableau will be on display at the Council gallery.

The artist became captivated by Latin people and culture over two decades of visiting and working in Mexico and Guatemala. The fourteen panels in this exhibit document the pre-Columbian culture she found in the villages of Guatemala where the indigenous population remains strong and proud in spite of centuries of repression. This innate spirit of these descendants of one of the most accomplished civilizations in history glows from each panel. One curator described the life-sized figures which dominate the canvases as "live monuments of their ancient culture."

Godfrey logged her journeys on film, taking over 1300 photographs to document both the people and the vibrant, intricate colors and patterns of their textiles. The details of the clothing are so complex, they tell the viewer who the wearer is, where they are from, their religious position and even whether they are married or single.

The processional form came to Godfrey as she moved from village to village and watched the native processions in each location. The fourteen panels have become an amalgamation of what she saw there, inviting the viewer to watch the parade with her. You will notice that the procession begins with frontal figures in "Drummers and Flute," moves along to side views and then ends with a back view of the end of the procession as the figures kneel at "Zunil cemetery" to observe the Day of the Dead.

"Mayan Procession" will be accompanied by a companion exhibit of textiles and photographs. And member Ginny Combs has graciously agreed to loan "Guatemala rainbow" from her personal collection at this time. This brilliant and moving exhibition will be ours for just a short while. Don't miss it.

Don Torisky
Sponsors
"KIDS MEET ART"™
at Schaumburg High School

His experience with "KIDS MEET ART"™ at Fremd High School convinced Bill Geist of the value of having students associate with professional, working artists and experience their creative process.

When the District 211 Assistant Principal transferred to Schaumburg High School he knew he wanted to bring the Council's "KIDS MEET ART"™ program with him. NWCC president Don Torisky responded by sponsoring the program at Schaumburg High School.

At this "KIDS MEET ART"™ presentation Barbara Howard, a professional actress and the daughter of long time Board Member Kris Howard, captured the interest of her audience with descriptions of how she finds job opportunities, what it is like to attend try outs, and how she combines her acting career with her role as a mother.

SUMMER 2000

Executive Director's Report    Elyse Umlauf-Garneau

They stuff and seal envelopes, assist artists in the corporate gallery program, and donate space and money to the Northwest Cultural Council. They're the dedicated volunteers who keep the council and its myriad programs humming.

You may think that--like some nonprofit groups--the NWCC has a multitude of paid workers, but this group has only three part-time paid staffers. The rest of the work is performed by a legion of volunteers, without whom the group would probably fold.

I'd like to bring to your attention a few of the people who have made a huge difference in bringing off some of our most important programs without a hitch.

The Corporate Gallery program has been operating since 1989. It may seem like a cinch to hang up some paintings or put in place sculptures and other art pieces. However, it requires a great deal of advance footwork--coordinating the timing of the installation with the artists and the corporations, making sure all the necessary equipment is available, the pieces are insured, and that the installations are done in a way that pleases both the corporation and the artist.

It would be an impossible task for three NWCC employees to manage such activities at nine galleries, especially since the exhibits change every two months. For this work, we rely heavily on our volunteers-the courtesy team members.

Here are some of the people who have shown an extraordinary dedication to volunteering at the NWCC:

Gladys Batey-She has been a courtesy team member for nine years. In all those years, Gladys has never missed an installation. Northern Trust has come to depend on this cheerful, reliable lady. And so have we.

Ruth Richards-Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow stops Ruth in her gallery rounds. Throughout the year, she rides two buses to reach the gallery where she assists artists. For two years, she helped the artists at Unilever. When the gallery opened at Roosevelt University, Ruth asked to move over to our newest site since she is active in the senior programs at Roosevelt.

Jack Perry-Jack learned about NWCC while working in an architectural firm in the Zurich US building. The Corporate Gallery piqued Jack's interest. He called and asked if he could help our group, and he has been a courtesy team member ever since. In addition, he met some painters during his volunteering and when he retired started taking lessons from one of the artists. He has since begun painting and exhibiting his own work; and during his first show sold one of his pieces.

Bert Coons-I recently told Bert that I didn't want to see him in the NWCC offices until August. During our first fundraising campaign a couple months ago, Bert came to our office everyday stuffing, addressing and sealing hundreds of envelopes containing our requests for financial support.

David Hill-David Hill just donated another new space to house the NWCC offices and art gallery in Rolling Meadows. Over the years, David has ceaselessly supported the Council with office space, equipment, advice, and finances.

To all our volunteers, THANK YOU. We couldn't do it without you.

Happy Summer. Kathy Umlauf




Northwest Cultural Council's New Home
Sharon Findley Kirmse

The door is open and the welcome mat is out. The council's long-awaited move to new facilities in the Stonehill complex was finally accomplished in late April. The tremendous amount of work required to make the move will prove well worth the effort when we all enjoy the first show in our new bright and airy space.

The gallery officially opened when our benefactor, David Hill, of Kimball Hill Homes, was greeted by council President Don Torisky and some of the executive Board members. Once again Hill has generously donated use of space in his company complex.

The new facility features much-needed expanded office space, a larger kitchenette to accommodate our many functions and, most important, a large, bright gallery area. The secret ingredient in this mix is the addition of the Kimball Hill Conference Center, which is immediately adjacent to and accessible from our space.

The Conference Center is being equipped with gallery quality lighting so that council artists will be able to exhibit there as well. This area is also large enough to accommodate small performances. This is a marriage that must surely be beneficial to both parties. The company will enjoy a continuing display of original art in its facility and the council will have a greatly expanded exhibition area.

The first exhibition scheduled is our annual new artists show, June 5 to Aug 7. Artists who have recently joined the council will be featured in our gallery, while the work of our returning exhibitors will be mounted in the Conference Center.

CONCERTS IN THE GALLERIES     Sharon Findley Kirmse

Council members and their guests enjoyed a delightful break from the Christmas rush in December when they gathered for the first performance in the NWCC's 1999-2000 Chamber Music Series.

Henry and Elizabeth Teague, owners of Arlington Green Executive Center, generously donated the use of their facility. The beautifully decorated atrium was a perfect setting for the concert, with the snowy scene outside forming a backdrop for the musicians. We were delighted to have the Evanston Chamber Ensemble. The Ensemble members, who perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and several other prestigious musical organizations, charmed the audience with their virtuoso performance.

The March 12 Wind Ensemble concert takes place between the publication dates of SPOTLIGHTS. Watch the next edition of SPOTLIGHTS for a review of this exciting concert, a Chicago Symphony Orchestra Wind Ensemble. It will include principal chair oboist Alex Klein, assistant principal bassoonist William Buchman and J. Lawrie Bloom, clarinet.

The final performance in the current series is scheduled for Sunday, May 7, 3 p.m. at the Roosevelt University Albert A. Robin campus in Schaumburg. It will feature the internationally renowned pianist Pawel Checinski, artist-in-residence and professor of piano at Roosevelt. The pianist is the first holder of the Norman and Freda Mesirow Chair in Music at Roosevelt's College of Performing Arts.

Checinski began his piano studies at the age of 6 in Poland, where he was educated in schools for the musically gifted. He earned a master of arts degree with honors at the Music Academy of Warsaw and in 1971 was awarded a Fulbright Grant by the U.S. Department of State to continue his studies here. He earned both master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees at the famed Juilliard School.

The pianist has performed on five continents and has been recognized at numerous international competitions. He was the recipient of a special award at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. Checinski frequently performs monographic recitals devoted to the work of one composer and has been widely praised for his original interpretation of Chopin. His May 7 recital will be devoted entirely to the work of that great composer.

Tax deductible contributions to support this effort to bring classical chamber music to the suburbs are gratefully accepted. Your generosity will be noted by including your name in the program as a sponsor.



SECOND SATURDAY POETRY WORKSHOPS

Sharon Findley Kirmse

Poetry is an art form with a unique capacity for compressing time and space. It allows you to move back and forth in time, to look inside yourself and to see the world outside of you with a fresh eye. The spareness of it demands well-chosen words skillfully assembled. A fine poem is a gift from the poet to the reader.

The Northwest Cultural Council has extended the gift and nurtured this art form by selecting the work of local poets for publication in Spotlights, where their poetry reaches a target audience of 7,000 readers who are devoted to the arts. The Second Saturdays series of poetry workshops also offers aspiring poets the opportunity to meet with a published poet and other writers interested in honing their skills.

The series is under the direction of "Rhino" editor Deborah Rosen, who is herself an award-winning poet. Rosen writes: "We are excited to be part of NWCC's literary mission to provide writers with lectures, workshops and readings to enhance their personal creativity." Each session offers a presentation by a local published poet, writing exercises and the opportunity for critique of original work. Each session is unique because it draws on the interpretation and style of the presenter. While the particular subject is poetry, the format offers an excellent educational experience for anyone wishing to improve his writing skill.

Participants gathered on a recent Saturday morning for Lynne Kuderko's presentation "Photographs, Memory, Imagination and Poetry." Kuderko is well known in the Chicago area for her poetry workshops and is a four-time recipient of writing fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council. Participants ranged from writers who had only recently begun writing poetry to those who have been serious writers for twenty years. They shared in common a fascination with language and lifelong literary interests.

The leaders' role is to help participants draw out the deeper meaning of a poem, to learn to be more perceptive. Kuderko began by reading several selections by well-known poets who had drawn their inspiration from artistic masterpieces. Then, for a hands-on exercise, she offered several photographs taken in the 1930s and 1940s and challenged those on hand to examine them for details that would escape the casual observer, even to the extent of using a magnifying glass. Participants were asked to use the concrete information in the picture to move to abstract ideas, to use the pictures as a device for inspiration. It was amazing how much information came out in the discussion and how differently each viewer saw the story, who was the main character, what had happened just before the picture was taken, what the style of clothing told the viewer about the people in the picture. With careful observation the writer had a wealth of material to use as a creative starting point. It was an eye-opening exercise in observation.

The discussion ranged from philosophical concepts to plenty of nitty-gritty suggestions. Kuderko spoke of writing a poem as a journey that should take you somewhere, even surprise you. She told the aspiring writers that the poem can lead the poet if you let it happen. And she also spoke of essential tools like good writing techniques, punctuation and word choice.

Participants were then given the opportunity to read their own work and receive feedback from both the presenter and the other writers. Wording was debated and interpretations were challenged, but the writers were very supportive of each other's efforts. The ending hour came and there was still plenty of lively discussion at the table.