Oh, Roger.....

One of my favorite places to visit in Chicago is the Roger Brown Study Collection in Lincoln Park.  Brown left his studio, and his vast collection of art and objects to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago when he died, and the School has kept it preserved as a museum.  Henry Darger, Gladys Nilson, Jim Nutt and others hang from the walls in his beautiful upstairs apartment, but what gets me excited is the overwhelming collection of other things.

Hand painted signs, Boy Scout knot diagrams, popsicle stick chapels, beer trays, hurse doors.  Lisa Stone, the collection's curator gave my class a great introduction to the collection, pointing out connections that she and others have made between specific objects and specific shapes, images and themes in Roger's work.  In a city that is bursting at the seams with second hand shops, Roger Brown makes all but the most minimalist artist inspired to collect.

*The collection is primarily available to the SAIC community, but private viewings and tours are possible.  See this link for more info.

Love letter to my SAIC class....

After a month of teaching in Chicago, which was a total delight, I'm back in the borough of Brooklyn. A group of Hare Krishna's greeted me first thing Monday morning on the way to the gym and it seemed just perfect; the loud chaos of New York smacked me right in the face, but to see them dancing down the sidewalk put a smile on my face.

Thank you thank you thank you, to all the students who signed up for and took my Maximalist Embroidery class at SAIC.  It was so great to meet you all, and to Sydney and Lisa who came back to hang out and embroider this summer- big big hugs.  You guys are welcome here at Chez Ringquist anytime.  I've been loving editing the details from everybody's final projects.  You guys really hit it out of the ball park last week.

Back in the Chicago Saddle this Summer!

Registration for my summer class at SAIC opened Monday, and I've already heard from a few returning students that signed up.  Yahooooooooooo!  I'm so excited to be headed back to teach for a month.  Can't wait to see everybody and can't wait to catch up with all my colleagues there.    Here's a poster of what else is going on at SAIC in the Fiber and Material Studies Dept. this summer.....give it a click to read the course descriptions up close.