Ken Ellis

Ken is a native of Chicago and credits his interest in art to his father who taught him to sew.   Taken from news images and stories, Ken's creations have ranged from shocking historical scenes of the life of black and native Americans to Haitian voodoo, crime figures, Chicago's punk rock scene, Asian art and children's nursery rhymes.  

Having worked as a professional bartender in Chicago, Ken's recent works are dear to his heart and feature historically lessor-known actual working bartenders, going back prior to the Prohibition period, shining a light on their colorful past.

 Ken's work is exhibited around the country and was featured in Anatomically Correct's exhibition Sewing the Seeds  A Look at Violence in American History and Fairy Tale Friends in Chicago.   Ken's Bonnie & Clyde quilt from the Sewing the Seeds exhibition can be seen on the cover of Dr. Dog's "Fate" album released on July 22, 2008.  

"My early childhood was in BronzeVille, one of my earliest memories is drawing on the blank pages of a set Biblical storybooks my Ma had bought me. I attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Art from 1973 to 1975 studying Cartooning, Animation & Film Making and the School of the Art Institute in 1975/76 studying animation, I also studied writing, television production & intro. into television at Columbia College in 1976/77.  I have been drawing & painting as long as I can remember I originally painted in oils & was introduced to this medium by my x-wife Marilyn. We would use the dyes to make hand painted tee's , pillows, & baby blankets, Marilyn had some painting she had done w/ the dye which she quilted by adding a batting to the back of the painting which gives the piece a quilted/ relief effect. Working with the fabric dyes, needle & thread I feel as though I'm working WITH the piece as oppose to working ON a piece with paint, this makes me feel more at one with the piece. Most of my early pieces are portraits of historical figures, both known & obscure. Themes I've incorporated in the early pieces gangsters, musicians, black western, native Americans, freaks. Since the late 90's I've began to use different drawing styles & adding beadwork & objects to my pieces & some of the recent themes have been Haitian Voodoo, African- American Northern Migration,  I also have done a series of Fairy Tale & Nursery Rhymes and pieces based on Japanese prints."

Ken's artwork can be seen in the film " High Fidelity" & you can read about it in the book "Wild Chicago" and he appeared on a WTTW television episode.   Several of his quilts are featured in the International Review of African American Art - vol.17 #1- The Black- Indian Connection in American Art.  Ken was also featured in the film, You Weren't There, a history of the Chicago Punk Rock scene from 1977-1984.

His quilts have been exhibited in many galleries in Chicago, New Mexico, Michigan and Minnesota.  In 2013/2014, the Chicago Cultural Center featured his quilts in a solo exhibition. 

Ken is represented by Anatomically Correct Arts. More of his work can be seen online: https://www.anatomicallycorrect.org/KenEllis.htm

Madgar Evers Fabric Dye on Canvas 20 x 19" SOLD	Diane Nash Fabric Dye on Canvas 16  x 20" $520	Ella Baker Fabric Dye on Canvas 22 x 18" $780

 

Bayard Rustin Fabric Dye on Canvas 17 x 19" $650	John Lewis Fabric Dye on Canvas 13 x 16" SOLD	Rev. Fred Shuttleworth Fabric Dye on Canvas 22 x 20" $650

 

Stokey Carmichael Fabric Dye on Canvas 17 x 22" $780	Roy Wilkens Fabric Dye on Canvas 23 x 17" $780	H. Rap Brown Fabric Dye on Canvas 16  x 18" $650

 

Whitney Young Fabric Dye on Canvas 15 x 17" $ 520	Fred Hampton Fabric Dye on Canvas 20 x 18" $ 780

Alan Emerson Hicks

Alan is a "creator of temporal sculpture".  He uses plastic from found objects and stickers to create his sculptures and mixed media pieces in an effort to show how plastics do not bio-degrade in the environment.  He received a BFA in Fine Art (Sculpture) from Illinois State University and previously taught at the Luther High School in Chicago for 7 years.   His work has been exhibited at many galleries in and around Chicago.

 Sun Dancer, Collage, 9 x 11"  $350

Fire Dancer, Collage, 9 x 11"  $350

Drumming at Twilight, Collage, 9 x 11"  $350

Nubia I, Collage, 10 x 10"  $400

Nubia II, Collage, 10 x 10"  $400

The Dancers, Collage, 10 x 10"  $400

Fran Joy

Fran Joy is an artist, designer, curator, and life coach currently living in Evanston. Born and raised in southern Illinois, she moved on to New Orleans and then to the greater Chicago/Evanston area. This life experience plus ten years of residence in Los Angeles and frequent visits to New York City have flavored and colored her passion as an artist.

After studying oil painting, creative writing, and drawing at Columbia College in Chicago, Joy combined her own experimentation with the impromptu training she received from independent artists whose work she admired. Joy is known for her images on social justice, women, spirit images, iconic portraits, colorful abstract landscapes, and large designer wood screens and wall mounts. Her paintings usually begin with an acrylic base on canvas or wood followed by oil pastels, which are used with various sponges for texture, blending and intensity. The colors are usually vivid!

Joy has been featured on the cover of Evanston Magazine and has appeared in the Evanston Review and in the Chicago Tribune.

Joy completed an artist-in-residency at Garrett Theological Seminary on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus exploring themes of social justice and non-violence; it comprised four exhibitions, and two large pieces remain as part of Garrett’s permanent collection: “Violence Interrupted” and “Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.” Joy also served a residency at Garrett’s Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE) focused on “Women in the Day of Trump.”

Joy curated and produced Justice for Peace, a show at Noyes Cultural Art Center that included spoken word artists, spiritual vocalists, and voter activists. She participated in the traveling Chicago/Evanston exhibit Faces Not Forgotten to shed light on young victims of gun violence. She participates in the Evanston Made group show each year. Women Speak, Joy’s exhibition and inspirational event celebrating women at the Lorraine Morton Civic Center, drew over one hundred attendees. Her social justice works were featured in the powerful Mudlark/Art of Evolution theatre production I.D.

Joy has exhibited at the Evanston Art Center, the Noyes Cultural Art Center, 1100 Florence Gallery, Curt’s Cafe, Open Studio Project, Garrett Theological Seminary, Artem Gallery, Danon Gallery, Lorraine Morton Civic Center, and Creative Coworking and her works are in private collections nationally, as well as in Canada and New Zealand.

She received the Evanston Mayor’s Artist of the Year Award in 2019 for her work on social justice and women. Joy formerly served on the Evanston Arts Council and on the board of Young Evanston Artists!.  Currently, she serves on the Evanston Public Art Committee and on the Exhibition Committee of the Evanston Art Center.

Madhatter

Acrylic on canvas

22 x 28"

$600

Millions of women marched to Washington D.C. the day after the inauguration of former President Trump in support of womens' rights.

Sandra Bland

Oil Pastels on canvas

18 x 24"

$800

Sandra Bland drove down to Texas from Chicago to start a new life with a new job in a new state full of life. She was arrested and jailed for no turn signal and ended up somehow hung to death in her cell days later.