ARCHIVE.
Past exhibits and performances.
Side Street Studio Arts presents: "I, Become"Since the 1980s, there has been an intensification of identity-focused art. From Kerry James Marshall to Robert Mapplethorpe, concentrated bodies of work on identities and privilege have been displayed all over the world. “I, Become” is a group exhibition about identity, featuring portraiture works reflecting a range of perspectives and cultures.
Featured artists include Victor Cornejo, Kristin Ingram, Suzann Gonzales Jonson, Travis Linville, Adrian Mesino, Nancy Valladares, Guanyu Xu, and more.
On display Friday, February 9th through February 25th.
Opening Reception Friday, February 9, 7-9pm
FREE & Open to the public
GALLERY HOURS Thursday-Friday Noon to 6pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, and Sunday 11am-3pm
Side Street Studio Arts presents Changing Light, an exhibition showcasing the work of our summer artist-interns. The display focuses on the relationship between reality and identity while aiming to escape, create, and hold on to environments and the individuals within them. Changing Light is inspired by the artists' desires and wishes. From graphic novel characters to real life friends, the show highlights personal experiences, fantasies, and elements derived from life.
Featuring art by Sofia Maes, Adrian Mesino, and Ricco Nunes.
This exhibit will displayed in the gallery and theater August 18 - September 3 with an opening reception Friday, August 18 from 7 - 9 pm. A music performance and story telling by Adrian Mesino will begin in the theatre at 8 pm.
$5 suggested donation
MOMENTS is a joint exhibition between Chloe Topf and Natalie Pivoney, two artist interns at Side Street Studio Arts. Topf's drawings focus on eliminating the boundaries of art by placing physical objects beyond handcrafted frames. She is interested in seeing how a person's past influences how they experience her work. Pivoney's oil paintings use light and color to emphasize the emotions imparted on us by "place."
The exhibition will be on display during gallery hours between May 19 - 28, 2017.
#supportlocalart #downtownElgin #firstFriday
#supportlocalmusic#watchdance #magic #makestuff #expansion #year4 #fourforfour
Celebrating four years of Side Street Studio Arts with live performances, art making, visual art, the grand opening of SSSA Supply & SSSA Lab, the Side Street family, and much much more!
$5 suggested donation
What a great schedule!
5-6pm Printmaking Hands-On Demo w/ Jim Lloyd - LAB
6pm Ribbon Cutting - LAB & SUPPLY
6-6:30pm Cody Clark roving magic - LAB & SUPPLY
6:30-7:30pm Live Painting Round #1 w/ John E French, Karl Jahnke, Victoria Kozlowski - LAB
7-7:30pm Screen Printing Hands-on Demo w/ Freddrick D. Wimms - LAB
7:30-7:45pm Cody Clark - GALLERY
7:30-8:30pm Printmaking Hands-On Demo w/ Jim Lloyd - LAB
8-8:30pm The Jades - THEATER
8-9pm Live Painting Round #2 w/ John French, Karl Jahnke, Victoria Kozlowski - LAB
8:45-9:05pm La Groove Fatale from Eastern Groove Studio - THEATER
9-9:30pm Screen Printing Hands-on Demo w/ Freddrick D. Wimms
9:15-9:30pm Cody Clark - GALLERY
10-10:45pm lettering - THEATER
STEM + ART = STEAM
In the Gallery 2/16 - 2/26
Artwork by Chuck Pheatt and Lynn Torbeck
Reception: Friday, February 24, 2017
With a performance by Harpist Rebecca Royce
7pm – 9pm $5 Suggested Donation
The theme of the exhibition is STEM art. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, coined in the 1990’s by the National Science Foundation to promote science education. The origins of promoting science education go back to 1957 and the launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik.
Both Pheatt and Torbeck are a product of the promotion of science expertise in the 1950’s. They use their scientific training in selecting and developing artwork that presents their scientific vision in multiple mediums, including acrylic on canvas, hot glass, warm glass, cast bronze, steel, light sculptures and electronics. The result is art with a story to tell and concepts to illustrate.
It’s that time of year again folks, and we know it can be tough. All the red hearts, and chocolate coverered… everything, dancing in the isles of every store, parading the time-honored theme of the little cherub wielding his bow and arrow, daring to point it in our direction. And so it goes. In celebration of it all Side Street brings you "Love is Love" and Backwards Broadway.
"Love is Love" is a visual art pop-up exhibition featuring a variety of works from artists from all over the region. The exhibition will be on display in the gallery Friday, February 10 through Saturday, February 12 in conjunction with our Backwards Broadway performances.
Side Street presents: BACKWARDS BROADWAY, a role reversal musical revue featuring area performing artists in support of Youth Outlook. Performances will be held Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11 at 8pm. Suggested donation tickets are $12 and will be made available starting in January.
#supportlocalart #downtownElgin #backwardsbroadway #vday
#loveislove
LIVE January 13 – February 5
A solo exhibit by Roberto Martinez
Showcasing documentary photographs of local concerts
Opening Reception:
January 13 6pm-9pm
FREE
Gallery Hours:
Th & F 12pm-6pm
Sa 10am-6pm
Su 11am-3pm
Sponsored by the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission
Time and Place: analog photography of Doug Hanson
November 4-13
Opening Reception: November 4
Free 7pm-9pm
Time and Place collects moments from several years of Doug Hanson's analog photography, from large format Malaysian landscapes to studio wet plate portraits. Assembled chronologically, these pieces create a timeline of photographic explorations, but presented here, each image takes on an alternate story line as it's presented as a piece of a larger whole. This imaginative exhibition plays with viewers' sense of space and time, offering them their own role in the developing story.
Curated by Rachel E. Maley
Side Street Studio Arts announces a pop-up exhibition - "Monochrome: Blue"
Monochrome describes paintings, drawings, sculpture, design, or photographs in one color or values of one color. For our first monochrome pop-up exhibition, we are working through our blue phase.
We are pleased to welcome the work of Jordan Maley, Kimberly Witz, David Bremer, Natalie Pivoney, Jamey Bouwmeester, Jane Erlandson, Joshua L Smith, Lance Long, Jolanta Nawrocka, Connor Fenwick, Chris Palm, Fermin Barbosa, Christian Arrecis, John Bender, Kari Christensen, Nour Ayoub, Rachel Elizabeth Maley, G. Peterson.
Monochrome:
Blue opening Friday, September 30 6-9pm
Gallery Hours:
Friday, September 30, 6-9pm
Saturday, October 1, 10am-6pm
Sunday, October 2, 11am-3pm
-An exhibition in the making and made.
Nine artists take over Side Street Studio Arts and Next Door Theater. Each artist has been assigned an area to create and exhibit within, from the basement to the kitchen, these amazing artists will turn our space into theirs. The only rule: consider the space in the creation. Ansel Arnold, Shay Atkinson, Jane Erlandson, Karl Jahnke, Roberto Martinez, Tanner Melvin, Erin Rehberg, Bobby Rowland, and Lindsey Wiseman will gain access to their spaces starting Wednesday, January 13. Their creative and installation processes will be open to the public for viewing during gallery hours through Friday, January 22 when works will be finished. An Artist Reception & Performance will be held that Friday and all works will be available for viewing during gallery hours through January 31.
Who knows what these folks will do to our space! Check it out.
Gallery Hours:
Wednesdays-Fridays Noon to 6pm
Saturdays 10am to 6pm
Sundays 11am to 3pm
Artist Reception & Performances
Friday, January 22 from 6 to 10pm
$5 Suggested Donation
SSSA Artist-in-Residence
Martinez E-B
In preparation for his large scale solo exhibition in Cleveland, OH, Side Street Studio Arts resident artist, Martinez E-B, has developed a visually challenging series of paintings and collages that re-contextualize signs, flags, mementos, color, and the notion of social belonging.
Join us for the opening reception of his exhibition Friday January 8 at 6pm. The event is free and open to the public.
Artist Statement: There is a certain aura, power and authority that color, objects and images can have for a particular group of people. We have the right to pull from the world around us and place specific aspects of it into our own setting, thus creating new meaning. I intentionally complicate and re-contextualize those objects, images, signs, and symbols. Through a multidisciplinary process, I attempt to interrogate the complex relationship between us and the visual language that identify us, tell our histories, give power and expression to us, and at
times hold us hostage.
Side Street Studio Arts is proud to be hosting Re:Pop III, our third annual printmaking pop-art exhibit August 5th - 30th.
Re:Pop III will showcase how the resurgence of printmaking as an art and business has shifted the dynamic of all media, and the future of the printed arts. This exhibit is focused on those artists dedicated to print media, i.e. fabrics, paper, and the remainder of all printed arts.
The First Friday Artist Re:Ception will be held Friday, August 7th from 6-10pm.
Th Battle of The Bands continues at 8pm.
$5 suggested donation
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#supportlocalart
#downtownelgin
Side Street Studio Arts presents Unidos (More than One) – a group exhibition expressing hybrid cultures and Latinidad relations. Artwork reflects a vast collection of personal experiences and the intersection of differing, occasionally contradictory identities.
Saturday, June 20th
Small Art Talk:
1:30p-3p
$5 suggested donation
Saturday, June 20th
Artist Reception:
7p-10p
FREE
Exhibiting artists include:
Kim Chayeb, Lucia Espinoza, Frances Hernandez, Gustavo Luna, Rachel Elizabeth Maley, Ignacio Martinez, Roberto Martinez, Ant Morales, and Carolina Poveda.
A month-long exhibit...
because they deserve it.
In celebration of Mother's Day, Side Street Studio Arts is curating a visual art exhibition and evening of performance featuring the work of the children of artists and artists inspired by their mothers.
Artist Reception:
Saturday, May 9
from 6pm to 10pm, with performances running from 7pm to 9pm
$5 Suggest Donation
Emerging City
Photographs of Elgin’s rich history always amaze me. As a photographer, I like to see these old photos and compare them with my own. For four years, I have been practicing and mastering my picture making in Elgin; my subjects have ranged from documentation of construction sites and decaying locations to the people within. After documenting the architecture of Elgin, I am now moving inside to capture the leadership and personalities within these spaces. Emerging City is an exhibition that will feature beautifully crafted portraits of the people who work in Elgin and have a significant presence within the daily cultural life of the city. These portraits are shot with a press camera, which was once used for the Courier News back in the 40’s. Photographer, Clifford E. Lohs, spent most of his career shooting with this camera, and once took a picture of John F. Kennedy during his 1960 campaign in Elgin. This exhibition will feature life-size portraits of Elgin’s cultural leaders and will be presented during the Elgin Fringe Festival. With the aesthetics of history and large photographs, viewers are confronted head on to create a sense of immediacy and deeper personal understanding of the roots in Elgin.
Silver Moments in Time
featuring the work of Doug Hanson
Exhibit runs 9/24 - 9/28
Blue Box/Side Street Lunch with the Artist - 9/24 at Noon
Artist Reception - 9/26 at 6pm
"Silver Moments in Time" - Artist Statement
Being dislodged from our normal and modern expectation of photographic style and appearance permits a new look at the familiar things around us. A vantage point poised in a slightly altered sense of time that can re-acquaint us with the beauty we have taken for granted and the emotion we long to feel. In The Time Machine by H.G. Wells a man was able to reflect on society, humanity, mortality and self through his travels in time. My Time Machine is a camera and the antiquarian processes that transport the viewer to that slightly different vantage point. A place where one’s own portrait may appear to be a picture of something much deeper and even startling. A place where an image of something familiar is rendered in a way that opens a door to a different kind of reflection on the moment, the story, and one’s self.
My images are original Tintypes or prints from glass negatives handmade with the 1850’s photographic technique called Wet Plate Collodion. Aside from the Daguerreotype it was first time the world was able to practically capture light and fix a permanent image as a photograph. The hand made process is fraught with uncertainty, mishaps, and artifacts that imbue a timeless and often haunting quality to the images. Modern themes rendered in this way present a degree of chronological conflict at times which opens this door to new reflections. I am exploring the common yet important themes of mortality, intimacy, and self through new images made in this old way. These are my Silver Moments in Time.
Side Street Studio Arts (SSSA) presents Re:Pop II a printed arts exhibition, curated by SSSA Director Tanner Melvin, July 30-August 10. The exhibition is a collaboration among Kimberly Fredricks, Printshop Director at Water Street Studios in Batavia, IL, Jim Lloyd, an Elgin-based printmaker at Chaosseed Press, and SSSA, and is open for gallery hours beginning on Wednesday, July 30 at noon, through Art and Soul on the Fox and Janus Theater’s Walkabout event, which will be held, in part, at SSSA.
Re:Pop features the work of both local Elgin artists, as well as those from Rockford, Chicago, and more, including Wes Beeler, Kevin Bowman, Fredricks, Jeff Kehoe, Lloyd, Andrew Mullally, Curtis Readel, Sarah Reed-McNamara, Tessa Shackelford, Manny Tang, and more.
Side Street Studio Arts presents
Festival, featuring the works of Zelda Vidal
"At a young age, my grandfather instilled a sense of wonder that helped me create my own style. I built a universe with it. It allowed me to conjure up colorful creatures and place them in narratives that are laced with humanistic struggles. Each piece I finish is a creative exploration to evoke the nostalgic, otherworldly atmosphere that sparked my love for art. My work is both personal and playful; it is driven by the natural human spirit. Whether it is exploring the deep intricacies of the mind or expressing the joy of youthfulness, I strive to create pieces that pull the observer into a quiet, wonder-filled universe." - Zelda Vidal
EVENTS:
July 9th - Write Your Story - a Children's Book workshop for children who aspire to write their own stories
(11am - 12:30pm , $5 suggested donation)
July 10th - Illustrate Your World - a Children's Book workshop for children who want to learn about the world of picture book illustration
(11am - 12:30pm, $5 suggested donation)
July 11th - Artist Opening Reception
(6pm - 10pm, $5 suggested donation)
Sociological Imagination
May 28-June 30, 2014
Side Street Studio Arts' first Artist-in-Residence, Jose Luis Reyes uses pixelization of comic book super heroes and iconic images to emphasize the blurred reality of childhood dreams.
At a very young age JLR knew he wanted to be an artist like his idols Picasso, Warhol, and Chuck Close. Now, at the age of 35, time is now his nemesis.
With the support and patience from family, friends, and the good people atSide Street Studio Arts, JLR presents a year of work in his first solo show Sociological Imagination.
Artist Reception
Friday, May 30, 7-10pm
Featuring a live DJ Set by Ben Gilbert
In Hindsight: Varied Perceptions of Reality
In Hindsight: Varied Perceptions of Reality featuring the work of Wiseman. “Reality is relative to how you choose to perceive it,” states Wiseman “Over the years my interest in perceived aspects of reality has shifted. In the beginning of my career, I was interested in the anatomy and functionality of human beings. From there, my portraits attempted to reveal honest emotional depths as well as illusionistic depictions of their likenesses. Now my works focus on transformation and dark hallucinations as a reality.”
In Hindsight runs February 6-9, with the artist reception Saturday, February 8 from 6-10pm, featuring live music by Trocar Buttons.
Don't Ask
Curated by and featuring work of Deena Delagarza as well as Carolyne O'Ryan, Kit Beier
The first of Side Street's Fall/Winter 2013 Artist-Intern Exhibitions
A show emphasizing work that has been created for the sake of creating. Feeling isolated and alone, I've found art again and used it as a tool to move through and passed one of the most difficult and trying times in my life. This show is an evolution from a broken down little girl, to a less broken girl.
In celebration of Native American History Month...
Side Street Studio Arts presents
A Celebration of Native American Culture
Guest Curated by
Elgin Artist Mary Holat
Exhibit Runs November 14 - 30, 2013
Artist Reception Saturday, November 16, 11am-3pm
Kid's Day Event Saturday, November 23, 11am-3pm
$5 Suggested Donation
Mary Jane Holat, a hand builder of pottery, was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1946. A member of the Saulte Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Mary is best known for her "Spirit People" pottery creations. Mary began her creative journey into pottery over a decade ago at a community studio shortly before retiring from a 25 year career in social work. She credits her growth in pottery to
excellent teachers whom have provided her not only with good instruction but valuable feedback and encouragement along the way. Most recently Mary received personal tutorials in pottery while staying in a pueblo near Sante Fe, New Mexico.
Mary's work with her "Spirit People" theme emerged from her deep felt desire to express her Native American culture and heritage in the visual arts. Her work at the pueblo with her teacher has brought Mary closer to the Earth from which she's learned the art of locating, harvesting and refining clay from the source to use in her pottery work. Mary's love of Mother Earth shows up quite well in her works of art. She utilizes carved antlers, pine cones, shells, leaves, and sage to create depth and texture within her pottery designs.
Currently residing in Elgin, Illinois, Mary exhibits regionally throughout the Fox Valley and currently has pieces displayed at the Bahwating Art Gallery in Saulte Sainte Marie Michigan. Mary includes kiln and traditionally fired "Spirit People", coiled pots, plates, bowls and small dishes in her collection.
"If I named my work in its entirety I would call it Earth Spirit Pottery. Clay comes from the earth and we are all born with spirit. The combination of Earth and Spirit offers endless lessons in clay and in my life" Mary Holat
Featuring contributions from the Elgin Area Historical Society and the Elgin Public Musuem
Karin Stothart
Sharon Sychta
Artefact Artists
Guest Curator Brad Pogatetz
Liz Gresey
Travis Linville
Steven Lockwood
Dave Metzger
Bruce Rohr
Fred Wimms
Lindsey Wiseman
Reveal Artists
Guest Curator Steven Lockwood
Rita Grendze
Ana Zanic
Chris Hodge
Brad Pogataz
John Caruso
Alice Van Acker
Steve Sherrell
Jim Kirkhoff
Virginia Melanson
James G. Jenkins
Congratulations to New Nights on their winning of the 2019 Battle Of The Bands!
Battle Of The Bands
-2018-
Congratulations to Sunday Cruise for winning the 2018 Battle Of The Bands!!!
Get ready, Elgin.
Side Street Studio Arts is kicking off its 5th year of Battle Of The Bands! Our "BOtB" competition allows artists the freedom of expression and is designed to build support for the local music and art scene. Bands from all over the area share space, creativity, and audiences during this summer-long, un-juried competition. Hone your craft, build a following, and win a prize package worth over $2000!!!
You perform, the public responds.
#supportlocalmusic
#musicmakesme
Doors open at 7pm.
*Performances start at 7:30pm.
$5 suggested donation.
2018 BOTB LINEUP:
Round 1.1 – 1.4 / SATURDAYS
1.1 June 2
OWEN WILSON'S NOSE
ONE PING ONLY
MIDDLE-AGED OVERDOSE
QUIET COVE
1.2 June 9
NEW NIGHTS
SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME
WATER DOG
1.3 June 16
GABE HIRST
MR BUTTERFIELD
LONG BIRDS
1.4 June 23
BINX
SUNDAY CRUISE
GIRL K
Quarter Finals/Round 2.1 - 2.2 / SATURDAYS
2.1 July 7
1.) MIDDLE AGED OVERDOSE
2.) SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME
3.) MR. BUTTERFIELD
4.) BINX
2.2 July 14
1.) QUIET COVE
2.) NEW NIGHTS
3.) LONG BIRDS
4.) SUNDAY CRUISE
Semi Finals/Round 3.1 - 3.2
3.1 FRIDAY July 27
1.) BINX
2.) SUNDAY CRUISE
3.2 SATURDAY July 28
1.) MR. BUTTERFIELD
2.) NEW NIGHTS
FINAL BATTLE:
SATURDAY, August 11
NEW NIGHTS
vs
SUNDAY CRUISE
*1st and 2nd round performances at 7:30pm.
**Semi-Finals and Final Battle at 8pm
*All dates/lineup subject to change.
Brought to you in part by our amazing sponsors.
Battle of the Bands 2017
What is Side Street's BATTLE OF THE BANDS?
Side Street Studio Arts’ annual Battle of the Bands competition allows artists a freedom of expression and is designed to build support for the local music scene. Bands from all over the area share space, creativity, and audiences during this summer-long, un-juried competition. Hone your craft, build a following, and win a prize package worth over $2000. You perform, the public responds.
FINAL BATTLE:
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE vs. MT. POCONO
2.1 WINNERS:
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE
& BEACH BUNNY
2.2 WINNERS:
MT. POCONO &
PHANTOMS & PESTILENCE
1.1 WINNERS:
BEACH BUNNY &
MAN BITES DOG
1.2 WINNERS:
CRIPPLED GIRL &
PHANTOMS & PESTILENCE
1.3 WINNERS:
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE
& SLOTH HANDS
1.4 WINNERS:
EL SOCKO
MT POCONO
Thank you to our 2017 BOB Sponsors:
BRAVO Magazine
Elgin Fringe Festival
Elgin Symphony Orchestra
Fat Cat Custom Guitars & Repair
Hope For the Day
Little Lung Productions
Martini Room
Rediscover Records
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NEW THIS YEAR OVER $3000 IN PRIZES FOR THE WINNER,
including $1000 cash, professional recordings of live performances, studio time, rehearsal space, additional performances,
and more!
Round #2
Friday, June 24
What Lies Ahead
Phantoms & Pestilence
Friday, July 8
The Ferns
Think Easy
Saturday, July 9
Home Burial
Early Autumn Station
Friday, July 15
Horse Painter
Stevebarnes
and the Hazy Sparrow
Round #1
What Lies Ahead
The Ferns
Moore
Party Apple Peel
Phantoms & Pestilence
Think Easy
Home Burial
Peter Clementi
Horse Painter
Lower Automation
Early Autumn Station
Go Viral
Steve Barnes and the Hazy Sparrow
Semi-Finals
Friday, July 22
Home Burial
What Lies Ahead
Friday, August 5
The Ferns
Steve Barnes
and the Hazy Sparrow
Final Battle
Friday, August 12
Home Burial
Steve Barnes
and the Hazy Sparrow
Doors open at 7pm. Performances begin at 7:30pm. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door. All battles will be held at Side Street Studio Arts, unless otherwise noted.
#musicmakesme #supportlocalmusic #downtownElgin #BOB2016
Battle of the Bands 2015
CONGRATULATIONS TO OCEANS & OCEANS
THE WINNER OF OUT 2015 BATTLE OF THE BANDS!
Don't miss them on the Main Stage at Nightmare on Chicago Street
Saturday, October 24 at 6pm!
Thank you to Curtis Bell for capturing this amazing moment at our 2015 Battle of the Bands Final Battle!
Congratulations to
Rune the Lion
Winner of SSSA's 2014 Battle of the Bands!
See you in May 2015!
Battle of the Bands 2014!
Side Street Studio Arts, Rockfest Press Photography,and Theory Prints are proud to announce the 2014 Battle Of The Bands! This summer-long event is a celebration of local and regional musicians. With 16 bands filling out the bracket, Battle of the Bands 2014 will culminate with the Final Battle between two bands on Friday, August 22nd. Each band will have 75 minutes to pack SSSA with as many fans as possible, crank it to 11, and show their worthiness. You can't vote, if you're not there! The winner will receive over $2000 dollars in prizes, including musical equipment from Rebel Black Audio, BIG EAR nyc, Fat Cat Custom Guitars & Repair, Rediscover Records, as well as a performance and rehearsal time at SSSA.
All shows are all ages. $5 Suggested Donation
FINAL BATTLE
August 29, 2014 at 8pm
Rune the Lion
vs.
The Shakes & Rumbles
Battle of the Bands 2014 Sponsors
*All bands, performers, and musicians are subject to perform all original material with a signed letter of intent to play original music, lyrics, and scoring. At no such time do we permit "cover bands", "tribute bands", or any music which may be considered traditonal or public domain music that may contain arrangements in said music that may have been created by another artist protected by copyright. Any music which may support a performance must be original, unlicensed, and unpublished artist works.