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Just announced: an Encore Performance! Another Off the Wall Art Exhibit. Daralyn Rist is among artists who will be painting in less than two weeks.

Off The Wall Art Exhibit

MERCEDES FONTAINE

Another artist featured at this week's Off the Wall Art Exhibit is Mercedes Fontaine. Born a Haitian girl in an American world. Raised in Brooklyn N.Y. with the flavors and culture of an Island a thousand miles away all swirled together in New York. Expressing myself in colors, I left paintings & sketches of the world around me everywhere I went. Found my way to Miami where this Caribbean girl met a Cuban boy and we moved to the west coast, San Francisco. Years go by and the big cities start calling again and off to Chicago I go. So this is where you find me now, in the city of big shoulders trying to get the colors just right.

More by Stephan Giannini

STEPHAN GIANNINI

Another of the artists whwill present Off the Wall Art Exhibit this weekend is Stephan Giannini, who gave us this biography:

I grew up in Chicago where developed an early interest in visual art. I paint in oils, create public and private murals and decorations and do commissioned paintings I attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Chicago’s Palette and Chisel Art Club, and The Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

I spend as much time as possible painting and drawing my own work, but In the last 10 years I have also worked on historical restorations of large-scale decorations and murals in many major secular and religious buildings, working on over twenty different projects, including three state capitals and several cathedrals.

More by Daralyn Rist

STELLA DE GENOVA

Stella M. De Genova will be part of the Off the Wall exhibit this weekend. Her web page includes the following introduction to her work:
My art is a 2-dimensional interpretation of realism, sometimes more or less about real. My drawings and paintings are often mixed media, blending watercolors and/or chalk pastels over washes, or adding ink to bring out detail. My compositions always stem from a feeling or emotion that I have and then an image comes to mind. The goal of my artwork is to share what I am feeling: joy or sorrow; strength or vulnerability. Creating art has always been important to me and even though my vision loss makes drawing more challenging for me, it also makes for an interesting journey. The most important reason that I create art is because I love to.

http://artbystelladg.com/

DARALYN RIST

Daralyn Rist’s natural talent and propensity for artistic expression was first revealed in childhood. She began her study of art, dance, and music in Toledo Ohio and rounded her fine art studies as a voice major at Bowling Green State University. Her 23 years of classical ballet including 10 years for the Cassandra Civic Ballet Company have surely contributed to the “romantic and sensual” quality of her work. Daralyn has seamlessly transitioned from performing art and dance, into visual art and painting during the last 10 years while studying at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago under Romel de la Torre. She is a strong up and coming Chicago artist, already making an impact on the local art community. Daralyn has recently been invited to serve on the Executive Committee of the Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago to coordinate and promote artistic talent within the social reach of the Foundation.

Daralyn is one of the artists at the Off the Wall Art Exhibit this weekend. Get your reservations now!

Capelli Castagni is the artwork seen here.

More by Mary Qian

Three more by Mary Qian. See her next weekend at the Off the Wall Art Exhibit!

MARY QIAN

EDUCATION Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. BFA in Fine Arts and Illustration, August 1998 Artist Statement:I feel my art is like an open diary. It records my life, and the life around me.My paintings are my preferred way to explain myself to the world. They speak of the things I don't know how to put into words.Painting is a process and it connects me, my sitters and the viewers. It is a bridge between past and present.

I want to paint people, because people intrigue me, especially during the process of communication in silence. I hope viewers will feel what I felt in the moments of painting. See what inspired me!

AWARDS · 2011 Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Silver Medal · 2011 American Impressionist Society Third Place · 2011 Figurative Merit Award Winner at Scottsdale Salon of Fine Art· 2010 Oil Painters of America Golden Medal · 2010 American Impressionist Society First Place · 2009 Dorothy Driehaus Mellin Fellowship Award· 2008-09 Art Renewal Center (ARC) International Salon. Finalist (Figure)· Salon International 2007 Best of show · Gold Medal Show in Palette and Chisel, Chicago in 2005, first place· Artist’s Magazine annual international art Competition 2004. First place (figure category) · Gold medal show in Palette and Chisel in 2004, Second place. · Artist’s Magazine annual international art Competition 2003. Finalist(figure category)· Helen Memorial Award in 2001 American Professional League Exhibition in New York City (Oil Painting)· 2nd Place in 2001 Utah Pastel Society Annual Show· First Place in 2000 Utah Bountiful Davis Art Center Statewide Competition· Merit Award in 2000 Utah Spring Salon, Springville Museum· 2nd Place in 1999 Utah State Fair – Professional Fine Art

Biography of John Bucci

Giovanni Bucci, the legendary artist, came to this country having escaped communist Yugoslavia His Italian birthplace came under communist rule after WWII. Knowing that he would be unable to endure such restrictions on his abilities, he escaped, leaving his family behind. Being sponsored to come to Chicago, after four years in detention camps in Italy, he began his career in design when he designed and constructed a car that was exhibited at the 1964 World’s Fair in new York. His extensive body of work includes most famously, several working replicas of the Trevi Fountain. Also included are trade show exhibits, photographs, statuary, furniture, metal sculpture, one-of-kind castings and many more beautiful pieces of art. His motto is ‘Niente e impossibile!” and this statement alone captures Giovanni’s approach to all his work. There is nothing that he cannot do.

JOHN BUCCI

John Bucci, whose studio will host the November 19 Off the Wall art event. Be sure to get signed up to attend this wonderful evening.

Abolishing Negative Stereotyping

The foundation is committed to abolishing negative stereotyping of all ethnic and racial groups in the community as well as in the media. The foundation supports the belief that each ethnic and racial group has a special contribution to make to our country and that those individual traditions, customs and attributes must be encouraged and celebrated.

Our Mission

The Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago was founded for the purpose of improving the civic, social and educational welfare of Italian Americans as well as members of all ethnic groups. The fundamental purpose of the foundation is based on the philosophy that the standard of the community will be elevated through a better understanding and mutual respect of all people. Intolerance and stereotyping have no place in this country. Harmony can only be acheived when all citizens obtain a higher understanding and appreciation of the ethnic diversity which is distinctive to our country and is especially unique in Chicago.

Introducing IAHRF

We thank you for the opportunity to introduce ourselves. In 1998, our president, Louis H. Rago, founded The Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago to focus on the issues surrounding negative stereotyping and to promote a better understanding and sensitivity among all ethnic and racial groups...
We are proud that representatives of many ethnic and racial groups have joined with us as Directors and members to support our mission. IF you read through the roster of our Board members, the names (as you'd expect), are primarily Italian. But you'll also notice names, here and in our general membership, of various ethnic and racial groups.
Our logo, the opened armed figure against the Italian flag, represents the warmth of the Italian American community in sharing and celebrating the positive contributions of all ethnic groups. We put people at the center, inviting all to join in preserving and celebrating our diversities that contribute to the distinct flavor that is America.

Meet Ryan Chiaverini

Back Row: Louis Rago, Velda Davino. Front Row: Daralyn Rist, Tomasina Perry, Ryan Chiaverini of Windy City Live September 26, 2011