EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
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EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS *
DIFFA-ART FOR LIFE CHICAGO 2024
oCTOBER 24, 2024
The Merchandise Mart
222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654
Join artist Karen Fike, at Art For Life Chicago 2024, a juried art auction and destination social event like no other, to be held on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at The Mart in Chicago. This exclusive evening celebrates the vibrant art world, featuring an impressive array of artwork from emerging talents and celebrated artists. Guests can engage in a thrilling art auction, partake in delightful networking, and savor delicious cocktails, all in the spirit of art and creativity.
Karen's exceptional PRIDE submission has received high praise from nationally renowned jurors, earning it a prominent place in the Art for Life Chicago 2024 Exhibition and Auction. With nearly 200 entries worldwide, this event promises to be a gathering of exceptional creative talent and an unforgettable celebration of art.
PRIDE
40 X 30
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
2018
LIVE PAINTING BY ARTIST KAREN FIKE
WALKING ON A WIRE
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
34X34
2024
August 24th, 2024
Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park
201 West Jefferson Street Joliet IL
joliet art, wine & jazz fest
Join your friends on the lawn by the fountains at Bicentennial Park and enjoy an afternoon of wine, jazz, art accompanied by food and beverage vendors. Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy sipping on wine from local wineries as you listen to live jazz bands along the river surrounded by limestone bluffs.
Wine tastings provided by award winning Bishops Hill of Joliet and Sable Creek of Plainfield.
Musical Entertainment
3:30 – 5:00pm Rhythm Rockets
5:30 – 7:00pm Harold Dawson
7:30 – 9:00pm Sam Burns
AWAKENING EARTH
May 15, 2024
Venue
Zhou B Art Center
CHICAGO, IL
KAREN FIKE
NEW BEGINNINGS
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
40 X 30
2024
Curated by: Sergio Gomez for the Zhou B Art Center in Chicago.
The exhibit celebrates the cyclical dance of life, where death and dormancy give way to life and vibrancy. It reflects on the broader implications of growth and renewal in our lives and communities, prompting a dialogue on how the themes of bloom and rejuvenation can inspire positive change. This encourages us to consider our roles in nurturing and protecting the environment that sustains us.
The physical exhibition at the Zhou B Art Center in Chicago offers an intimate exploration of spring's transformative essence, where each piece serves as a window into the artist's personal engagement with the season.
DIFFA Art for Life Chicago 2023
Join Karen, a renowned artist, at Art For Life Chicago 2023, a juried art auction and destination social event like no other, to be held on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at The Mart in Chicago. This exclusive evening celebrates the vibrant art world, featuring an impressive array of artwork from emerging talents and celebrated artists. Guests can engage in a thrilling art auction, partake in delightful networking, and savor delicious cocktails, all in the spirit of art and creativity.
Karen's exceptional "F*cking Fabulous" submission has received high praise from nationally renowned jurors, earning it a prominent place in the Art for Life Chicago 2023 Exhibition and Auction. With nearly 200 entries worldwide, this event promises to be a gathering of exceptional creative talent and an unforgettable celebration of art.
Ready to Rock Joliet
2023’s Street Art Exhibit
“READY TO ROCK”
Ready to Rock was developed by the Joliet City Center Partnership, Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the City of Joliet to showcase Downtown Joliet, draw visitors to the area, and boost community pride.
Stroll Downtown Joliet and visit all 12 of the 6-foot guitars, each uniquely painted by professional local and regional artists.
Rhythm, Color & Movement: Seeing the Music
Artist Karen Fike painted BEGUILED, Acrylic Mixed Media on Canvas, 30x40 as a celebration of the music that inspires her while she paints: Jazz, Rock, Pop and Love Songs
6th Midwest Opening
CHICAGO––Woman Made Gallery (WMG) is proud to present its 6th Midwest Open, juried by Kimberly Oliva. Forty-three artists from Illinois and six other Midwestern states exhibit works in various mediums, including painting, sculpture, mixed-media installation, and video. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. Regular gallery hours are Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
Chromatic Convergence
"Chromatic Convergence" invites you to witness a curated collection celebrating the multifaceted ways artists perceive, interpret, and interact with color. In this vibrant art assembly, we unlock the door to the artists' inner worlds, where color acts as both muse and medium. With a deft blend of abstraction and figuration, each artist presents a unique manifestation of color's intrinsic essence.
More than a visual stimulus, color resonates deeply within the creative soul. From David Hummer’s evocative portraits to Peter Blindt's enigmatic abstract compositions, every artwork on display encapsulates the artist's sense and sensibility towards color. The exhibition becomes a symphony of emotions, where color serves as a reference, a symbol, a conceptual vessel, or an outpouring of expressive sentiment.
"Chromatic Convergence" features a collection of works by Melissa Arostegui, Peter Blindt, Donna Bliss, Joanna Cislak, Karen Fike, Deanna Gibson, David Gista, Richard Herschberger, David Hummer, Robin Malpass, Jane Michalski, Nancy Natow-Cassidy, Cynthia Roberts, and Roslyne Smith.
Opening Reception: August 18, 2023, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.
ArtBox Projects Basel 2.0 Switzerland
After the Supreme Court's Dobbs Decision, I turned to painting to process my emotions, and my women’s rights collection was born.
The snake imagery in my collection “She Will Rise” represents my feelings toward the three Supreme Court judges who lied about their positions on Roe to secure their lifetime appointments.
ARTBOX.PROJECT New York 2.0
I’m delighted to have my work “You Don’t Own Me” represented at Artbox Project New York. She is from my Women’s Rights series SHE Will Rise and incorporates the poem by author Cliff McClelland “The Allegorical Rape of Women’s Rights.”
Planned Parenthood Winter Fundraiser
Chicago, IL – Local artist Karen Fike is excited to announce that she will showcase a live painting at the upcoming Planned Parenthood Winter Fundraiser.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to use my art to support such an important cause," says Karen. "As a female artist and advocate for women's rights, I believe in the mission of Planned Parenthood and am honored to contribute to their efforts in any way I can."
During the event, Karen Fike will create a one-of-a-kind painting live on-site, which she will donate for auction.
The painting will be a large-scale acrylic and mixed media on canvas, depicting female strength and elegance through figurative abstractions of women, as well as the tension between beauty and chaos.
In addition to the live painting, the fundraiser will feature a variety of other activities and auctions, as well as live music and food and drinks. All proceeds will go towards supporting the health and rights of women.
Roe 2.0-It Ain’t Over Yet
Woman Made Gallery is presenting an exhibition called Roe 2.0 in response to the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade. This landmark ruling established the constitutional right to abortion in 1973. The show is a hybrid group show with works by 44 artists in different mediums in the gallery space and responses to the theme by 100 artists in different ways online. The exhibition also includes a call for abortion stories, which will be added online throughout the year. The exhibition is being presented as a means of resistance to the denial of reproductive rights and access, disproportionately affecting individuals of color and those from economically disadvantaged communities. The gallery stands in solidarity with pro-choice activists and organizations.
Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art's 6th Annual National Juried Exhibition
6th ANJE (Annual National Juried Exhibition)
cello for peace
Early bird admission $30 before January 1, $35 thereafter, $40 at the door.
Early bird VIP front row: $40 before January 1, $45 thereafter, $50 at the door.
SPECIAL DEAL: $25 when you buy four or more tickets (limited time and quantity).
From Balkan rhythms to West African groves, and from Argentine tango to music of Mongolian shamans, Maksin magically connects and brings together some of the most diverse elements of world music into a unique fusion, using his cello as the unifying force. Singing in 30 languages from Arabic and Farsi to Polish and Ukrainian, and from French and Italian to Turkish and Mongolian, Maksin takes his listener on a most musical journey around the globe.
This time he will be joined by his long-time friend and collaborator Romanian guitarist Gabriel Datcu.They will play jazz classics, popular songs in French, Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, milongas by Astor Piazzolla, bossa by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfa, several of Maksin's original songs and compositions as well as some hot rock covers from Bon Jovi, Journey, the Queen and more!
Before the performance, in the intermission and afterwards, you are invited to attend an art exhibit "The Artistry of Beauty", an exhibition featuring women artists whose inspiration springs from their very essence, femininity. It celebrates women taking ownership of their own narrative and how they are portrayed in art. Featured Artists: Eva Evangelista, Gail Mancuso, Susi Schuele, and Kasia Szczesniewski. Also featuring Karen Fike, Deanna Gibson, and Lidia Wylangowska for the night of the event.
Portion of the proceeds from ticket, merch and art sales will benefit For Wellbeing, a charitable medical relief organization in Ukraine.
the artistry of beauty
"The Artistry of Beauty", an exhibition featuring women artists whose inspiration springs from their very essence, femininity. It celebrates women taking ownership of their narratives and how they are portrayed in art. Featured Artists: Eva Evangelista, Gail Mancuso, Susi Schuele, and Kasia Szczesniewski. It also features Karen Fike, Deanna Gibson, and Lidia Wylangowska for the night of the event.
A portion of the proceeds from ticket, merchandise, and art sales will benefit For Wellbeing, a charitable medical relief organization in Ukraine.