Jason Brammer is one of the stars of my Klein Artist Works program. He's got massive talent, a disarmingly unique vision, and I can't tell where he'd be without me, but I'm proud to be associated with him. Brammer lives in Wicker Park and is showing in Bucktown at Firecat Projects. He's subtly segued from his previous time machines to a reflective, yet futuristic, look at global cartography and the human soul. Trend following is ridiculous and Brammer steadfastly carves his own successful path. He is an artist of the people and it is appropriate that his art is in a gallery where the people go.
Part of bringing art to the people is to present it beyond the usual locations. It is possible to meld local interests with a global perspective as seen in Catherine Forster's works at the Peggy Notebeart Nature Museum where she examines the human instinct to mess with nature; improve it, stamp it, record it, document it and alter it.
There's still strong art to be found where we're accustomed to seeing it - in gallery districts and museums more or less in the city center. Joseph Seigenthaler, at Carl Hammer, is a powerful, focused, sculptor now rendering (political) icons of culture and commenting on his and their world view like Ralph Nader, David Rockefeller, Shel Silverstein and Ron Paul, or maybe their hunting trophies.
Synergies abound in the paired exhibits of Dana DeAno and Camille Iemmolo at Packer Schopf where DeAno's elegies on the 'positive' possibilities of detritus complement Iemmolo's search into the near-tragedies she's endured, like being thrown from a horse a year ago, breaking 7 vertebrae and emerging on the bright side of life with her humor intact.
Synergies abound in the paired exhibits of Dana DeAno and Camille Iemmolo at Packer Schopf where DeAno's elegies on the 'positive' possibilities of detritus complement Iemmolo's search into the near-tragedies she's endured, like being thrown from a horse a year ago, breaking 7 vertebrae and emerging on the bright side of life with her humor intact. 
Bill Conger's formal paintings at Roy Boyd suggest complex cityscapes with highways, byways, waterways and a lush and crowded panoply of color, but are more akin to color poems and the pleasure of painting.
Okay. So wherever you are, wherever you're going, go see some art. It's out there.
Warmly,
Paul Klein
That Obama heart-butt is very disturbing...I'm going to work hard to forget I saw that.
"Part of bringing art to the people is to present it beyond the usual locations."
I really appreciate that sentence. After showing with Ann Nathan for 16 years I stopped in the fall of 09 and have since enjoyed all kinds "unusual" locations and have increased my income at the same time. (With all do respect to Dear Ann and all she taught me.)
some images are a bit disturbing