Many of those at Duane Reed Gallery last Friday night were there to visit with the curator of "Repetition, Rhythm, Pattern," CWEnder and fiber artist Jane Sauer and fiber artist Luanne Rimel, Director of Education Programs at Craft Alliance.
I remember going over to Jane's house on Westminster Place years ago to learn how to make baskets. It quickly became apparent to our group of neighborhood friends that she was way out of our league, and the notion of basket weaving bit the dust. Now some of Jane's baskets are included in the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection.
Artist Jeanine Coupe Ryding, a professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was in town for the opening of her exhibition, "Cut, Inked, Folded, and Stained" at Atrium Gallery.
Philip Slein and Jim Schmidt of Schmidt Contemporary drew a crowd to view two new exhibitions, John Zinsser's "Extension of Thought" (examples above and below) and Jeff Aeling's "New Paintings."
Part of the fun of gallery openings is what people wear, example above. One of Jeff Aeling's gorgeous paintings at Philip Slein Gallery is partially visible right.
When Local Socials spring up again next year, let's hope the galleries will hold coordinated openings on some of the same evenings. It seemed to be a winning combination.