Forms & Fragments

The Art Museo at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare is giving four extraordinary sculptors from Chicago the platform to express their inner self.  With Forms & Fragments,  a free exhibit running April 19 to July 30, 2012, the Art Museo inside ICO will engage the community with a presentation of a broadly inclusive range of contemporary sculpture.   Curated by Schneider Gallery Chicago, the exhibition will showcase the diversity of material, technique and content of today’s local sculpture scene. 

“We chose this particular representation to give a voice to local artists who are working in the area in less familiar mediums,” says Rose Licavoli of Schneider Gallery.  “More often than not we see 2-D art forms.  With Forms & Fragments  we are challenging the conventional way of thinking of what should hang on walls.” 

Reflecting the philosophy that art should be where the people are, the exhibition space will be mounted centrally in the lobby of ICO – the heart of the Art Museo (open 24/7).  The sculptures are highly expressive and the Art Museo invites guests and visitors of the hotel to immerse themselves in these less traditional forms of art which are – Forms & Fragments.  

Each artist represented in the exhibit  is a member of the Chicago Sculpture International.  They are as follows:

Nikki Renee Anderson

In my artwork, I explore the nuances of the feminine experience from reflections of childhood and adolescence. My work addresses private spaces such as bedrooms, dressing rooms and bathrooms because the objects within those spaces become metaphors for identity. The objects have a whimsical quality that suggests imagery related to fairytales and fantasies. In referencing childhood with the aesthetic of the sculptures, I am mapping the beginnings of identity. http://www.nikkireneeanderson.com/index.html

Shelley Gilchrist

I use organic materials - wood, beeswax and resin - to create active abstractions of a natural world in constant flux. Making sculptural paintings that allude to landscapes and water forms allows me to maintain a connection to natural splendor while leading a city-based life. Using abstract curvilinear motifs in the shaped grounds and surface designs, I convey rhythms and patterns of land formation and water motion. Vivid colors energize the work, and molten encaustic surface textures enhance its organic quality. http://shelleygilchrist.com/home.html

Donna Hapac

I build organic structures by accumulating repeated elements, each one of which I make by hand.  The sculptures are transparent or translucent forms.  They may hang on the wall or from the ceiling -- or sit on low pedestals.  Light is a key element of the work.  It may glow from within the forms or shine on them, casting shadows. http://www.donnahapac.com/

Mimi Peterson

My interests are complex, my approach conceptual, my method of art making is mostly an organized process of trial and error. Like our hybrid culture of the 21st Century, my work exposes dualities through comparison. By juxtaposing materials that I have altered, paradoxical relationships are forged. The idea of Nature's perfect dimensions versus Man's imperfect decisions is a consistent outcome of my work.  http://mimipetersonart.com/home.html

ABOUT THE ART MUSEO

ICO offers a unique cultural experience in the arts that sets it apart from anything in the local hospitality industry.  “The Art Museo concept showcases the hotel’s embrace of the arts – sculpture, canvas, architecture, photography, and music – enhancing guests’ stay and fueling a passion for experiencing culture,” says General Manager Jay Primavera. 

 From the hotel’s conception a few years ago, art was at the heart of the ICO.  The property is essentially a series of art exhibition halls with meeting spaces and guest rooms built around it.  A stay or visit to ICO includes a complimentary education in art.  Guests are invited to immerse themselves in the artistic ambiance the hotel provides and are encouraged to roam the hotel to admire original works – most also available for sale. Complimentary gallery tours are available upon request.