South Shore Arts gallery manager Mary McClelland expects a piece or two at their annual salon show to have some viewers rendered speechless.
"There might be a couple there this year that may have people scratching their heads and maybe a little shocked, but art absolutely has to do that," she said.
"If art's not causing you to have some sort of emotion, whether its happy or sad or angry, than it's not doing it's job."
On display at South Shore Arts' William J. Bachman Gallery in Munster through Nov. 2, this year marks the South Shore Arts' 65th running of their annual show. Approximately, $10,000 in prizes were awarded for this year's show at a ceremony held at Bachman Gallery on Sept. 28.
For this year's show, whose history dates back seven decades, South Shore Arts selected William Lieberman, who has been the director of the Chicago-based Zolla/Lieberman Gallery in downtown Chicago for nearly two decades and an artist in his own right, as its juror.
Lieberman had plenty of works to choose from this year; more than 400 pieces of work were submitted to South Shore Arts for the Salon Show by 155 artists. To enter work into South Shore Arts' annual show, artists either must be members of South Shore Arts, reside or have been born in Indiana, and reside or be employed in Cook County.
In the end, he selected 65 pieces by 50 artists to exhibit in this years show.
"You never know what you're going to get every year (from a juror's selections), and that's what I think keeps it exciting," McClelland said.
"Every juror is different in how they go about (selecting pieces). But (Lieberman) had a vision and it all really came together."
Of his 65 selections, Lieberman had 20 awards to bequeath worth a combined total of $11,000.
Christina Body of Chicago was given the show's top prize, its $2,000 Helen V. Surovek Memorial Award, for her oil-on-canvas painting "Bend," at the Sept. 28 ceremony at Bachman Gallery.
Additionally, Steven J. Ricks from Valparaiso and Christopher St. Ledger from Lockhart, Texas, were respectively awarded the show's Past Presidents Award and Renee Denmark Memorial Award, both prized at $1,000.
"People love this show," McClelland said. "You can't walk in here and not find something that you'll like."
While Lieberman had plenty of selections to choose from this year, McClelland hopes that the show continues to grow.
"I'd love to see the day come where we get 250 (artists entering the show)," she said. "It would mean more work, but there's no reason why we shouldn't because there's just tons of great artists out there I think its a fabulous (show), but I dont think that as many artists that should know about it do."
onExhibit
South Shore Arts' 65th Salon show
When: through Nov. 2, Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Where: William J. Bachman Gallery, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster
Cost: free
FYI: (219) 836-1839 or southshoreartsonline.com
