LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE

After 18 months of planning, it's go time!

The organizing committee for the upcoming Southern Graphics Conference has done all that they can do in preparation for the best ever SGC meeting. Like any effort of this scale, there have been problems... the Hilton Hotel seems to be trying to get out of this economic situation by charging SGC through the nose for everything. The City of Chicago has chosen this week to do major construction work in front of one of the main venues at Columbia College. No matter, we're ready. There are dozens of galleries in Chicago that are having shows coordinated to the SGC conference.

An original performance, written by Warrington Colescott, will be performed by a Columbia College troupe. And, of course, there is my personal favorite...the Product Fair.

This year, we have 1550 preregistered for the show, over 30 vendors, including several new faces. The Open Portfolio, on Saturday, will once again be in the same general area as the Product Fair in the Northwest Exhibit Hall at the Hilton.

Last, and I hope certainly not least, on Sunday, March 29 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm we will host an Open House at Graphic Chemical & Ink. We'll have the nickel tour, door prizes, refreshments and much more.

So here's the facts:

SGC Conference, March 26-29 at Columbia College, 623 South Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL
Product Fair, March 27, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Chicago Hilton and Towers, 800 S Michigan
March 28 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Graphic Open House, March 29, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, 728 North Yale Avenue, Villa Park, IL

See you in Chicago - soon.

OPEN HOUSE - MARCH 29th

I have been announcing this in numerous ways, but lo and behold not here. What was I thinking?

In conjunction with the Southern Graphics Council conference in Chicago (March 25-29, 2009), Graphic Chemical & Ink is planning on hosting an Open House at World Headquarters on March 29th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

For those of you not familiar with our facilities, World Headquarters are located at 728 North Yale Avenue, Villa Park, IL 60181. Lest you get the wrong idea, we aren't exactly a 100,000 square foot building. We don't have multiple floors. In fact we could lie our way to about 11,000 square feet - roughly the size of the 8 Track Tape Department at Best Buy.

Not to cast aspersions on software manufacturers, but some commonly used software isn't too clear about our location. Yale avenue is 1 1/2 blocks long where we are located. You can only get to our building by turning off of eastbound North Avenue (Illinois Route 64), or by turning off of Ardmore Avenue onto Shiller , which dead ends at Yale. Should you have problems with directions, call us at 630-832-6004, and someone will talk you in.

Villa Park is actually pretty close to O'Hare Airport for those of you headed out that way. Public transportation is available on the Union Pacific West Line which takes about 40 minutes to get out from the Ogilvie Transportation Center (Madison and Canal) in Chicago to the Villa Park station. The Villa Park station is about a mile or less from Graphic.

We expect to have refreshments, possibly raffle prizes, and who knows what else we can think of between now and the 29th. Remember that you get a twofer when you come out here - you also get the new headquarters of Stones Crayons in the bargain.

We really look forward to seeing you out here on March 29th.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCY - LINCOLN, NE

Artist-in-Residence Opportunities at Lux Center for the Arts, Lincoln, NE

Postmark Deadline: March 15

Residencies available in ceramics, printmaking, painting, and fibers. Residency is available for 3 months or up to 2 years scheduled to begin May 1, 2009 for most areas. An MFA is preferred but not necessary. Residency is granted based on quality of work and community-mindedness. Residents are provided with private or share studio spaces and most materials necessary to produce work. Year-long residents receive a solo show at the end of their residency and all residents receive representation in the Lux Center's sales gallery throughout their residency. Residents have 24 hour access to facilities. Residents are responsible for studio management and maintenance, approximately 10-12 hours per week. Residents are expected to assist with opening receptions and special events. No stipend is offered but residents with MFA have the opportunity to teach for Doane College at an average of $300 per month and all residents have opportunities to teach community classes for adults and youth for pay. Contact the Education Director at 402-466-8692 for more info or visit www.luxcenter.org.

Jenni Brant

Education Director

brant@luxcenter.org

Lux Center for the Arts

2601 N 48th Street

Lincoln, NE 68504

402-466-8692

www.luxcenter.org

The mission of Lux Center for the Arts is to enhance the lives of a diverse public through the visual arts by providing exceptional learning opportunities in contemporary art, craft, and design. These opportunities, honoring the legacy of arts educator Gladys M. Lux, include art classes, residence programs, gallery exhibitions, and community outreach.