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Rosemary Mackey
(630)
293-2200 ext. 139
rmackey@westchicago.org |
City of West
Chicago
475 Main
Street
West Chicago,
Illinois 60185 |
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Botanical Artists Nurture Friendship Through Art
“Sharing Our Passion” Opening Reception
Gallery 200 - 200 Main Street, West Chicago
Saturday, November 7, 2009 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
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Illustrations from her children’s bookThis World, That World; an American Child’s Journey Across National, Cultural and Linguistic Borders, portray artist Phoebe Smith’s experiences as a young American immigrant in a foreign country. |
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Fran Kelly reflects her philosophy on nature in her illustrations, hoping others will also experience her appreciation for the natural beauty she feels is often taken for granted. |
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Artist Bobbie Brown’s rendering of ‘Purple Wave’ Petunia portrays the new plant introduction as commissioned by the Japanese breeder. |
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Three artists, (left to right) Bobbie Brown, Phoebe Smith and Fran Kelly, bring their pursuit of natural art to West Chicago's Gallery 200 in November. |
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West Chicago, Illinois: October 27, 2009 - Inspiration, encouragement and support for each other’s creative efforts have brought three friends together in their pursuit of natural art in “Sharing Our Passion,” the Featured Artist exhibit by local artists Phoebe Smith, Fran Kelly and Bobbie Brown on display throughout the month of November at Gallery 200, 200 Main Street, in downtown West Chicago.
Watercolorist and botanical illustrator Phoebe Smith explained their collaboration, “Bobbie, Fran and I are excited to present our work together because it reveals how, from common beginnings, our artistic paths have evolved.” Smith’s interest in art began during her childhood in Sweden as an immigrant student, where art became a means of communication without words. Having lived in several European countries as well as Mexico, she developed an interest in bi-cultural identity, earning a masters degree in English as a Second Language and bilingual education from Georgetown University. Her latest endeavor, This World, That World; an American Child’s Journey Across National, Cultural and Linguistic Borders, combines her personal multi-cultural experiences and watercolor illustrations into a children’s book, written with today’s educators in mind.
As a youth in Germany during World War II, artist Fran Kelly learned to appreciate nature through family outings with her parents while hiking in the Black Forest and cycling along the Rhine. “I am constantly reminded of those outings by a great desire to share, through art, the joy and whimsy of our natural environment,” she said. A retired Spanish teacher, Ms. Kelly has received a Naturalist Certificate, a Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate and continues toward the Master’s Studio Certificate through the Morton Arboretum. Her favorite medium is watercolor, followed closely by colored pencil, where she often uses her personal, close-up photography to combine those elements in her renderings.
A graduate of the University of Dayton, artist Bobbie Brown became an instructor at the Morton Arboretum after completing the Botanical Art Certificate Program. “I love teaching,” she said recently. “Each artist seeks to share what they find meaningful and inspiring in their artwork, and kindred spirits tend to become cherished friends.” Her award-winning artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally and includes the commissioning of botanical paintings for Ball Horticultural Company’s Centennial Collection. She is a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society and two of her commissioned paintings are included in the Vanishing Circles Collection of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
The public is invited to meet the artists and view their art at a free Opening Reception on Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. at Gallery 200. Ms. Smith will be available to sign books, and the original illustrations will be exhibited. Entertainment and light refreshments will be served. “Sharing Our Passion” will be on display throughout the month of November.
Fast becoming a haven for art lovers as a quality destination for browsing and buying great local art, Gallery 200 is a cultural initiative supported by the City of West Chicago and the Cultural Arts Commission. Regular Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, from 12:00 - 8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. Open studio hours hosted by the Underground Art group are Tuesday evenings, from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit the website at www.gallery200.org or call (630) 293-9550. |
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| CITY OF WEST
CHICAGO 475 Main Street, West Chicago, Illinois
60185 T - (630)
293-2200 www.westchicago.org |
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