Art in Alternative Spaces
Art in Alternative Spaces
presents
COURAGE
ARTWORKS BY FIRST RESPONDERS, FIREFIGHTERS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS, A POLICE OFFICER AND VETERANS
Over two years ago, the CDC confirmed the first known case of Covid-19 in the United States. On March 13, 2020, Governor J.B. Pritzker closed schools in Illinois after issuing a disaster proclamation and a stay-at-home order, which resulted in the closing of all non-essential businesses. As the virus spread, many lives were lost. First responders, police officers, firefighters, health care workers, and military personnel became our heroes. Over time, some businesses recovered, but many closed. As students returned to in-person learning, a new Covid-19 variant emerged, sending them back to online learning. When the risk of this variant diminished, students returned to schools. However, as of February 2022, there have been 7,950,910 cases and 923,067 deaths from Covid-19 in the U.S.
Illinois Governor Pritzker issued this statement as the mask mandate was lifted in Illinois on Feb. 28, 2022, “We each have a role to play in staying healthy and we have many tools that can help protect us from severe illness due to COVID-19. Our tools include readily available safe and effective vaccines, monoclonal antibody and oral antiviral treatments, at-home testing, as well as the personal health actions people can take such as avoiding crowds, hand washing, and continued mask wearing as may be recommended.”
We dedicate this exhibition to the brave first responders, police officers,
firefighters, health care workers, and military personnel who bore witness to
the unimaginable loss of human life and to those who continue to face the future
with courage.
The date of our Art Reception was selected to coincide with the two-year anniversary of the closing of schools in Illinois due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." Marie Curie, two-time Nobel prize recipient
"Look for the helpers." Fred Rogers via his mother
Exhibiting Artists
Pate Conaway, Randolph Evans, Diane Henson, Dr. Kuhn Hong, Jerry Kykisz,
Evgeniy Maloteka, Leonid Osseny, Patrick Panizo, Mary Porterfield,
Juan Roman, Robert Schoenecker,
Catherine Schwalbe and Spencer Vassel
Watch WTTW's Chicago Tonight episode of the exhibition (originally aired March 14, 2022)
https://news.wttw.com/2022/03/14/new-art-exhibition-skokie-showcases-work-first-responders
on exhibition March 1, 2022 - April 3, 2022 at
Devonshire Cultural Center Gallery
4400 Greenwood St Skokie, IL 60076
FREE Artist's Reception:
Sunday, March 13, 2022 (2 pm - 4 pm)
with musical guest Wabi Sabi
Wabi Sabi is an acoustic band playing traditional dance music, including lively jigs and reels from Ireland, peppy tunes from Canada, old-time standards from the United States, and the occasional haunting song. Seasoned multi instrumentalists on fiddle, mandolin, guitar and ukulele, they can be heard periodically at Chicago Barn Dance Company events in Chicago and environs. They also perform for other events and private parties.
Admission to the exhibition is FREE.
The Center’s regular viewing hours are
Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 8:30 pm;
Saturday and Sunday 8:30 am - 6 pm.
To Purchase Artwork, Please phone 224-432-4240
or email ANATOMICALLYCORRECT2022@GMAIL.COM
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Dr. Pate Conaway Audiologist There are those moments in our lives where we shrug off the old and embrace the new. These awakenings can be subtle or profound, a simple transition or a dramatic upheaval. Some we welcome with a desire to change, while others we fight tooth and nail, trying to hold onto some dated idea. For this piece, I wanted to honor the process of birth and rebirth – the courage it takes to be human. My inspiration was a scoreboard, an object that is meant to count. During any part of the game, the scoreboard is where we can pause and focus, to learn how we are doing and measure milestones. Pate Conaway is a doctor of audiology. He has spent the last 30 years working with children. In 1996, he graduated from the Chicago's Second City Training Center, then went on to receive an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Columbia College, Chicago (2000). Pate believes that his investment in being an artist has made him a better healthcare professional and teacher. With the onset of the pandemic, Pate helped maintain a full-time audiology clinic throughout its first 18 months. Currently, Pate is a full-time artist, plus he teaches pediatric audiology.
(RE)BIRTH $925
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Randolph Evans U.S. Army Medic - Vietnam War Veteran At 19 years of age, Randolph, a native of Peoria, IL, went to Vietnam to work as a medic for the Army Medical Corp after only 10 weeks of training. He was assigned to an assault helicopter company and began his "on the job" training. "My job as a medic was to be on call. We went by helicopter, ambulance, jeep or we ran. I watched a lot die. This isn't an apology or confession; it is a worm that has crawled into my head to live and serve as a reminder not only on veterans day, but every day of my life."
Battlefield, Acrylic on Canvas, 36 x 42" $2,500
Desensitized Civilians, Acrylic on Canvas, 30 x 45" $1,400 I I Served, Acrylic on Canvas, 32 x 56" $2,500
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Diane Henson U.S. Army/Iraq War Veteran Diane served in the Iraq War as a Specialist E-4 with the United States Army Reserves. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix and a Certificate in Art. Her work focuses on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that P.T.S.D. affects about 11 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan, and 20 percent of veterans who served in Iraq.
Crying for my War Mixed Media - 16 x 20" framed $390
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Dr. Kuhn Hong Nuclear Medicine Radiologist Born in South Korea, Dr. Kuhn Hong worked heartily at his academic studies since youth. He wanted to pursue art as a career, but was persuaded by his parents, fearing an artist could not make a living after the war, to go to medical school. His love of painting continued and he joined a group of fellow med students to paint together on the weekends. After graduating from medical school, Dr. Hong came to Chicago, completed residency training, and started his practice. His brushes lay aside while he was busy working at the hospital and raising his family with his wife. It wasn't until he joined a short-term medical mission trip down the Amazon River in Peru, when he picked up his ink pen and reignited his creative fervor. While treating hundreds of patients in tiny river villages, he started to draw the people he encountered and the surrounding scenery in a small sketchbook during breaks. Copies of those ink drawings were shared with people who donated medicine, money, and payed for his mission expeditions. His first solo exhibition was in Seoul, Korea after the gallery owner saw his ink drawings. After many years of medical practice and mission trips, Dr. Hong retired and moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to serve in a mission hospital as a volunteer radiologist for 5 years, from 2013 to 2018. During his time in Addis Ababa, he spent weekends and evening hours painting freely. He held exhibitions at Asni Gallery and at the mission hospital where he served. He was invited to showcase his artwork at Viviene Gallerie in Paris, France as well. Dr. Hong retired from his medical career in 2013 after
working at Little Company of Mary Dr. Hong shares his intentions with this statement, "Many precious lives lost in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis including numerous medical doctors around the world. I painted their portraits from collected images into two panels to celebrate their lives and to memorialize their dedication and sacrifice."
Rushing Covid-19 Patient from Ambulance Oil on Canvas 28 x 34" framed $2,000
Covid 19 Patient in ICU Oil on Canvas 28 x 34" framed $2,000
The Fallen Heroes "A" Oil on Canvas - 30 x 40" unframed - $3,000
The Fallen Heroes "B" Oil on Canvas - 30 x 40" unframed - $3,000
Not All Heroes Wear Capes "A" Oil on Canvas - 30 x 40" unframed - $3,000
Not All Heroes Wear Capes "B" Oil on Canvas - 30 x 40" unframed - $3,000
In Memory of Lost Lives in a Convent, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40" unframed - $3,000
Dr. Kuhn Hong, Nuclear Medicine Radiologist, Self Portrait Oil on canvas, 18 x 22" framed - $1,500
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Jerry Kykisz 1st Lieutenant - U.S. Army - Infantry Vietnam War Veteran
Jerry is one of the founding members of the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, IL where he curated exhibitions for over 10 years and served on the Board. Also, he is one of the founding members of A Touching Tribute: The Long War Memorial, a memorial to all the post 9/11 casualties for the U.S. military. The large scale memorial is designed to be wheel chair accessible, displaying military ID tags, commonly referred to as "Dog Tags", along with the names and images of each of every member of the military services who have lost their lives in the Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) of the United States. The display also includes the Women of the Long War; honoring the post 9/11 Woman Warrior Casualties. Jerry has curated many exhibitions across the country of artworks by veterans, including a Women of Courage exhibition at Chicago's Ukrainian National Museum and at the Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, NY. Recently, he began working with Trickster Gallery in Schaumburg, Illinois on creating a permanent space for A Touching Tribute: The Long War Memorial display. Jerry is also a founding member of the Artists Website: Art by First Responders See https://www.firstrespondersart.org/ for more information.
A Touching Tribute: The Long War Memorial (for display only) wheel chair accessible installation of military ID tags Each tag with the Name and Other Identifying Information (OII) has a partner, the fallen warrior's picture. The tags are corresponding, so when the lid closes, each photograph connects with its owner's name. Finally, a single black tag is prominently included throughout the display, representing that military suicide awareness remains a large part of the overall memorial.
A Touching Tribute: The Long War Memorial, Women of the Long War wheel chair accessible installation of military ID tags
Women of the Long War detail (for display only) wheel chair accessible installation of military ID tags
Ceremony of Salvation - Color Photography - 16 x 20" framed - $200
Color Photo - 24 x 18" framed - $225 |
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Evgeniy Maloteka Photo Journalist/Videographer from Ukraine
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Untitled - Color Photo 20 x 16" framed (from touring exhibition Conflict Zone) NFS This photo was taken on April 16, 2014, as a Ukrainian Army helicopter flew over Ukrainian Army combat vehicles on the way to Kramatorsk. The central government had been unable to rein in the insurgents, who were being stirred up by paid operatives from Russia, having seized numerous government facilities in at least nine eastern cities to press their demands for broader autonomy and closer ties with Russia. Evgeniy Maloletka is an independent documentary photographer based in Kiev, Ukraine, originally from the city of Berdyansk, the Zaporizhya region in eastern Ukraine. Before trying his hand at other things, he discovered photojournalism. Maloletka started his career in 2009 as a staff photographer for local news agencies UNIAN and PHL. He spent a month working on a photo project called House of Hope about a child cancer center in the capital Kiev. The photographs were auctioned off at a charity event, helping to raise $5,000 for sick children whose families could not afford treatment. Maloletka was deeply involved in the coverage of the Ukrainian revolution since the beginning before moving to cover the conflicts in Crimea and eastern Ukraine for various international media. His work has been published in TIME Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Newsweek, The Independent, El Pais, The Guardian, The Telegraph, and others. He is currently assigned to work in eastern Ukraine for The Associated Press, also contributing video content. His video footage has been aired on the BBC, Euronews, NBC, and other international TV stations. "After all the years of conflict, peace is what the men, women and children in Ukraine want more than anything."
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Leonid Osseny Soviet Union Army/Chernobyl Liquidator Osseny was born in 1948 in the city of Nizhny-Tagil, Russia. In 1963, Osseny became a student at the Ural College of Applied Arts, and later attended Belarus State Theater and Art Institute in Minsk in 1972 studying art and design. After graduating, he worked as an architect and restorer at the Belarus Institute of Renovation and Conservation. In 1986, Osseny joined the Soviet Union Army Reserve and was recruited to monitor the radiation levels of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. He worked as a liquidator at the plant. In 1991, Osseny moved to Chicago, IL where he worked as an architect, designer, freelance artist and an illustrator. He also began to teach art classes along side his wife Sonya. In 1994, the couple moved to Skokie, IL and opened their Lincoln Terrace Art Studio and Gallery in downtown Skokie. They are pleased to say that some of their early students are now bringing their children back to the studio to take art classes from Leonid and Sonya. Leonid Osseny’s art and research were recognized in numerous exhibitions nationally and internationally. Among them, shows at the ArchiTech Gallery, Chicago, the International James Joyce Symposium at the National College of Ireland, Dublin. Personal exhibitions at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago, Evanston Public Library and the Gene Siskel Film Center. His work was published in the Joyce Studies Annual, Fordham University Press, and can be found in public and private collections in the United States and Europe. Several original drawings for James Joyce “Ulysses” are on display at the James Joyce Museum in Dublin, Ireland.
Leonid Osseny - Self Portrait - NFS
On July 11, 1986, Junior Sergeant Osseny Leonid Ivanovich was awarded a Russian diploma for skillful and selfless actions in the performance of tasks to eliminate the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, while showing high moral qualities. It is signed by the Commander of the Red Banner Military District, Colonel General V. Shuralev.
Photo of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine after a nuclear accident that occurred on April 26, 1986 at the No. 4 reactor, near the city of Pripyat, in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history in cost and casualties.
The lines with dates point to the places where Osseny worked, monitoring the radiation levels which most times exceeded all human safety norms.
Chernobyl Soldiers - also known as "liquidators" - on a brake before going to assignment/watch. Osseny's archive photo, 1986. "My friends, soldiers - liquidators who did not have special protective uniforms for working at a nuclear reactor, courageously performed their civic duty."
"Soldiers resting after the watch at the reactor" - drawing by L. Osseny 1986 (NFS)
"Flowers" of Chernobyl, Oil on Board 26"х 35" framed - $600
"Diary and Sketches of my time in Chernobyl" NFS
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Patrick Panizo Police Officer Officer Panizo has served for the past 20 years as a patrol officer for the Skokie Police Department. He is a self taught artist and enjoys creating art with digital media. "This piece represents the amazing courage displayed by the brave and heroic first responders who rushed to the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. For so many of these first responders, it was their final act of courage. I made it to appear as the viewer is the first responder rushing to the scene. I created this project on a Wacom Cintiq 22HD Digital Pen Display, using Photoshop Elements." And They Rushed Toward Terror, Digital Art - 18 x 22" framed - $195
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Mary Porterfield Occupational Therapist
She has exhibited both nationally and internationally at venues including the Lim Lip Museum in South Korea, the Phoenix Art Museum, the San Diego Art Institute, the Hyde Park Art Center, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the Kohler Arts Center, the Dubuque Art Museum, the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, the Rockford Art Museum and the Weatherspoon Museum. Solo shows have included the Hofheimer Gallery (Chicago, Il), the Packer-Schopf Gallery (Chicago, Il), Indiana University-NW (Gary, IN), the University of Illinois (Urbana, Il) and the West Valley Art Museum (Surprise, Il). Honors include three Illinois Artist Council Grants, a City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Grant (DCASE), a Puffin Foundation Grant, and three Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grants. Porterfield teaches at Northeastern Illinois University and received an MFA from Arizona State University.
Alice Begins - Oil on Layered Glassine - 36 x 36" framed $650
Mirror Reflections - Oil on Layered Glassine - 34 x 34" framed $650
Passages - Oil on Layered Glassine with Yupo and Vellum - 20 x 26" framed $400
Beyond Reach - Oil on Layered Glassine - 30 x 40" framed $650
Echoes of Flight - Pastel and Charcoal on Paper - 11 x 17" framed $250
Swimming Toward - Pastel and Charcoal on Paper - 11 x 17" framed $250
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Juan Roman Physical Therapist
I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Chicago. I graduated from Northwestern University in the field of Physical Therapy. Through my Puerto Rican heritage and Chicago roots, I have managed to preserve a cultural foothold in both places. My challenge in the reality of globalization becomes, "How do I preserve the Puerto Rican culture and advance it for the succeeding generations, or, ANY other culture (Think about it) in the mosaic that Is America?" My interest in photography began at 5 years old and continued through high school until I became interested in making masks. My traditional and contemporary style Puerto Rican "Vejigante" carnival masks are in the collection of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, as well as, in the local Chicago museums of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture and The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance. In this exhibit, I display my photographs taken one week after the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers in New York City on 9/11. I have been a frequent visitor to New York City as a tourist since the 70's, and later when visiting my daughter who worked as a teacher around the NYC metropolitan area. I had booked the airline ticket well before and planned to visit the week after 9/11, not knowing what would be in the future of NYC. I strongly believe that the arts are important and mentoring, especially our children, is a way to preserve our various cultural and artistic traditions.
Untitled 9/11 - Color Photography, 14 x 18" framed - $70
NYC Firehouse after 9/11, Color Photography - 14 x 18" framed - $70
9/11 World Trade Center Tower, New York City - Color Photography - 14 x 18" framed - $70
9/11 New York City, GasMask - Color Photography - 14 x 18" framed - $70
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Robert Schoenecker FireFighter/EMT Robert Schoenecker recently retired from a 25-year career on the Milwaukee Fire Department, where he served as a firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT). His art gives voice to the unspoken trauma and tragedies that firefighters and other first responders often experience. Robert is one of many in his family called to serve and protect his community and country, which include police officers, federal agents, and a deputy sheriff deputy. Prior to becoming a firefighter, he served as a Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1989-1993. Robert Schoenecker’s work focuses on the aftermath of trauma experienced by firefighters and other first responders who often witness unspeakable violence and tragedy. Required to provide emergency medical care in addition to firefighting, firefighters are often those arriving first to house fires, vehicle accidents, industrial accidents, overdoses, and murders, among other tragedies. By focusing on the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Robert’s art gives voice to first responders’ thoughts and feelings that often cannot be shared due to the stigma associated with it, even among members of their own crew or family. Using a mixed-media approach of acrylic paint, spray paint, and charcoal, his paintings reflect the disorientation and disassociation frequently experienced by those with PTSD. In addition, Robert’s installation of a “typical” trauma call, using his own firefighting gear and medical supplies, shows how the repetition of bearing witness to violence and tragedy over the course of a career profoundly affects a first responder’s view of the world. Through his art, Robert hopes to show audiences that while first responders are often considered heroes, the reality of the job can cause its own wounds and scars, some of which may never heal. To see more of his work, go to https://www.firstrespondersart.org/1st-up-artwork-by-robert-m-schoenecker.html
There's Kids in There - Acrylic on Canvas - 24 x 36" $325
Elixer Caravan - Mixed Media on Canvas - 16 x 20" $275
Otto (Dix) and Me Contemplating Death - Acrylic and Pencil on Canvas - 24 x 36" $400
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Catherine Schwalbe Recreational Therapist Schwalbe's capability to work part-time as a Recreation Therapist/Consultant, in 1998, following graduate coursework in Recreation Therapy, aided in her ability to create a more solid art practice. As with many, Schwalbe has shifted her life and reorganized priorities in a post(ish) pandemic world, putting both feet into her art practice. My Big Heart was born out of a career in caring for the quality of life of elders through recreation therapy in long-term care. Forty-two years working in long-term care, 27 years consulting, nearly two years consulting from home as a nonessential employee during the pandemic have all aided in the decision towards that full-time art practice. Schwalbe is a maker of objects and creator of experiences that may include mixed media, sculpture, found objects, bronze & iron, installation & site-specific works all centered around issues and aesthetics related to food systems, water, agriculture, the art and science mashup, and being human. Schwalbe has Haptic Studios for more mixed media works and has been a long-time member of Lillstreet Studios at Lillstreet Art Center, though she believes art happens where the artist is. She teaches a class in the Summer at Lillstreet called The Art of Food – the class evolves every year based on a theme related to food, art, and connection. Schwalbe's social practice works have been born out of the need and comfort with engaging people and understood (now) as an overlap with her recreation therapy practice. Schwalbe adheres to the Fluxus philosophy: "The distinction between Art and Life is irrelevant." |
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Spencer Vassel FireFighter A 25 year veteran of the Milwaukee Fire Department, Spencer Vassel is a native of Chicago, but has spent his life in Wisconsin. He found his passion for art as a student of Milwaukee Public Schools. Spencer is a two time Blue Ribbon winner at the Wisconsin State Fair. He attended MIAD for graphic design and illustration and discovered his love for watercolors in 1998 while taking a basic and advanced course at Artist and Display in Milwaukee. Spencer's work is a reflection of his life experiences through brush and paint. Spencer's art can also be viewed on the website: https://www.firstrespondersart.org/artwork-by-spencer-vassel.html |
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Spencer Vassel - Self Portrait - Watercolor - NFS
Future Firefighters - Watercolor 18 x 24" framed - $400
The Rescue - Charcoal on Paper, 16 x 20" $150
First In - Watercolor 16 x 20" $200
Print Available
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© 2022 - 2023 Anatomically Correct. No text or photograph contained in the pages of this website may be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the artist and/or Anatomically Correct.
Founded in 1991, Anatomically Correct is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to showcasing works by artists in alternative spaces in a combined effort to educate, diversify, and promote community awareness of the visual and performing arts.
This project is sponsored in part by the Illinois Arts Council, a state
agency and the Skokie Park District.
For more information or to purchase artwork, please
contact:
Anatomically Correct
info@anatomicallycorrect.org
Vietnam
was my inspiration to get a camera and record the time of my life. In 1969, I took my first photographs in Vietnam & Japan, both
countries were a visual paradise for the exotic and erotic. Some two decades
later, my first exhibit at ARC Gallery in Chicago, made an artist out of me. 
Mary
Porterfield’s 
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