Arts

The tease of light and shade connected together in perfect union by interlocking tones of color are what makes landscapes a favorite focus for Polish artist Kinga Legg.

While Baltazar Castillo grew up in the Austin area, his parents originally settled in Wicker Park when they came to this country.

"Built is the coolest thing I could think of doing within my budget," says Tristan Hummel the organizer of an eighty artist colony that will create a city out of shipping containers in the parking lot at 1767 N. Milwaukee Ave., opening to the public on Aug. 12, 5 - 10 p.m. and Sat. Aug. 13, noon. - 10:00 p.m.

By participating in a newly launched short survey from the privacy of their own computer, people doing arts business in Wicker Park or living in the neighborhood can provide information that will help themselves and the  community as a whole. Those targeted are artists, arts organizations, creatives, arts business, producers and venues.

Local artist Keith Brownlee is exhibiting at the Zhou B Art Center. Brownlee has lived and worked in Wicker Park since the nineties. He has innovated a process in painting using layer upon layer of resin producing compositions that bare greater resemblance to sculpture than painting.

This is the last week to see Rinus Van de Velde's work at Monique Meloche Gallery. The exhibition is entitled Dear David Johnson, a fictitious letter from the artist to a curator is hand painted on the wall. Accompanying the letter is a series of charcoal drawings. The artist refers to each exhibition as a chapter in his own fictional auto-biography.

Miller Jackson is a four and a half year-old who has been studying Japanese for the last two years at Burr School, which is a Japanese Magnet School. He loves Japan and all things Japanese. So, when the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami hit Japan, he saw the images and heard the news.

Steeped in ideas of love and romance, February 14 is celebrated as St. Valentine's day in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Flowers, cards and sweets will be bought and given by the millions. But, of course, the most important are the ones that you give and receive.