WeGotTheBeat:ArtfromStudentsfromTheBritishSchoolofChicago

Artists from our Visiting Artist Program work with students at The British School of Chicago

Our own Artists/Musicians Rick Janes and Val Leventhal assist students from The British School in Chicago, IL in creating art from found and recycled objects.

RICK "FISH" JANES

From the 1970s to the present, his illustrations and cartoons have appeared in publications as diverse as in-flight magazines for Continental & United Airlines, The Chicago Blues Review, and the Benchley's Jazz Club newsletter, as well as in advertising for The U.S. Blues Brothers Bar, Destination Publications, and other companies. His artwork has been featured on album and CD covers for various performers, including The Prediktors, Mick Scott, William Purvis & the Seventh Sons, Val Leventhal and others. For ten years beginning in 1982, he provided a monthly color poster for the U.S. Blues Brothers Bar in Chicago and, since 1993, has created a monthly events calendar for the Gallery Cabaret in Chicago. His 3-dimensional constructions and other artwork have appeared in shows at the Gallery Cabaret, as well as in art exhibits at Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago; the Northlight Center for the Arts in Skokie, Illinois, and the Goodman Theater in Chicago; the last three exhibitions presented by Anatomically Correct. In 2008, he was part of two group shows at Blue Line Studios in Chicago. In 2006, an image of his 3-D relief construction "Mr. Bluesman" was selected as the cover illustration for a sheet music collection published in the U.K.

Under the nickname 'Fish,' Rick has been a guitarist and singer with a number of groups since 1967, including The Looking Glass Blues Band, The Ezra Quantine Blues Band, Mountain Bus, Jeanne Carroll & the Night Owls, The Wild Child Butler Blues Band, The Wildman Band, Miasma, The Val-Pack, and, currently, Fish & the Bluefins. From 1982 to 1992, he hosted the Wednesday Open Mic at the U.S. Blues Brothers Bar in Chicago, and, since 1993, has hosted the Tuesday Blues Jam at the Gallery Cabaret in Chicago. Most recently, his guitar work has been featured on Val Leventhal's "Roots & Flowers" CD. He has performed in venues ranging from the World Teenage Fair at McCormick Place, Chicago (1967), to the The Chicago Peace Fest (2007), as well as blues and jazz clubs too numerous to mention. Lost in America Records is producing an album of his original music set for release in 2009, and Dimension One Records is planning a CD retrospective of his guitar work from the 1960s to the present, also for release next year.

VAL LEVENTHAL

Singer/songwriter Val Leventhal has been performing in the Chicago area since 1973. She writes and sings folk, country, rock, blues, jazz and pop. She has appeared monthly with the original jazz/rock band Third City at the Charleston in Chicago, and also regularly with Fish & The Bluefins, Miasma, has worked in the studio and on stage with Chicago recording artist and producer Robert Kramer, and appeared with The ValPack at various venues.

She has been a featured performer at the Around the Coyote Art Festival (Club Lucky stage) for 3 years running, and also previously at the Bucktown Arts Fest. In August 2003 and June 2004 she was chosen to participate in the Chicago Singer Spotlight at FitzGerald's in Berwyn. You also may have seen her solo acoustic show at the Caffe de Luca in Chicago. In addition, Val has worked as a professional session vocalist, jingle singer, and private vocal coach.

She is currently touring locally, and working on her next CD project.