Art of Illinois Opens at Gallery Seven

-Lockport Gallery Seven in Lockport opened its exhibit Art of Illinois: A Bicentennial Celebrationto a “bursting at the seams” crowd on Saturday, October 6th. Over 60 artists from around the state are part of this exciting exhibit, which is on both the second and third floors of the Gaylord Building.

Presenting the awards and a certificate of Recognition from the Illinois State Senate was Senator Pat McGuire. Fred Klingelhofer from Des Plaines won Honorable Mention with his sculpture Metropolis.

“I’ve heard that authors should write about what they know. I believe this sage advice applies to authors of all art forms. This said: I was raised and nurtured by ordinary people in a blue-collar community of Chicago’s south side. I was formally schooled in the physical sciences receiving a bachelor’s degree in physics and worked as an engineer designing electron optics for thirty years. My wife and I have children and grandchildren. This is the history that dictates the arcs, angles, and textures of my work.

I try to engage the casual viewer as well as sculpture enthusiasts. My work varies in its degree of abstraction and realism but always includes the effect of a living entity, that is, the pieces are first and foremost sculptures. My history influences how I create the works. The viewer’s history will describe any “meaning” or engagement with my work that is carried away by them.

A metropolis is defined as: A very large and densely populated industrial and commercial city. Every metropolis has grown and evolved as it has grown. The sculpture “Metropolis” depicts this metamorphosis from the wooden base at the start of its growth to the advent of steel structures rising above this early base and finally to a shining architectural gem. A city is a reflection of the hopes and ambitions of the people who live and have lived there.

Metropolis is my statement about growing up in Chicago; the small houses on the south side near the “Yards”, the rusting steel bridges, giving way to the ever-changing architecture of “Down Town”.”

This exhibit is free and open to the public until October 31st. Don’t miss out on the chance to see this amazing work by amazing Illinois artists

Gallery Seven is managed by a group of local artists, located at 200 West 8th Street, Lockport. This free gallery is open to the public Noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, and Noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. All exhibited work at Gallery Seven is for sale.

815.483.4310 gallery7@ymail.com www.galleryseven.net