8 | news
North Shore art galleries are pictures of health
“The objective of art is to bring satisfaction, to make you feel good, more fulfilled," says Barbara Vahlkamp, who runs the Kamp Gallery in Winnetka with her husband Nick.
ZIA Gallery manager Anne Hughes thinks the art world in general is unpredictable, claiming it “has no rhyme, no reason, no rhythm.” But she knows this: ZIA sold out all of its large pieces at its last exhibition, and many North Shore denizens are only a snappy car trip — or casual walk — away from creative, moving works of art. “People need to take advantage of the opportunities to view art at North Shore galleries,” Hughes said. “There are excellent ones all around us.” An excellent source for all things art galleries — in the suburbs, in the city — is Ginny Van Alyea. She was born in Lake Bluff and moved to Cincinnati with her family four years later. She has been the owner and publisher of Chicago Gallery News magazine/website for six years. Said Van Alyea, “People interested in contemporary art would be pleasantly surprised by the ample opportunities to explore such art along the North Shore. In the suburbs, chances exist for residents to establish relationships with artists whose work is available. Some of those artists might happen to live right in the area.” Wendy Thornycroft is a native of Lake Forest. She is also a painter and one of four resident artists at Re-invent Gallery. Her Catharsis exhibit at the gallery on Wisconsin Avenue runs until Nov. 9. Thornycroft’s abstract art explores the artist’s fascination with life and loss against the vastness of Southern France, the mountains of Japan and the ruins of the ancient Mayans. Nearly one-third of the work available in Re-invent’s innovative retail space was created by artists who live in either Lake Forest or Lake Bluff. “We’re super local,” said co-owner Mikrut, a Lake Forest High School graduate who “lived 24/7 in the darkroom [at LFHS]” before becoming an installment artist. Re-invent’s other co-owner, Lanyon, graduated from Lake Forest Academy. She is a painter. “It started as a dream, opening an art gallery with Cecilia,” Mikrut said. “We then networked, and the ball has never stopped rolling. We knew it would have been way harder to sustain if we had opened just as a fine arts gallery. That’s why we went with a three-pronged business model and emphasized synergy. Our retail space and studio are also important elements of our business model. “Not being in a metropolitan area, that makes it tough,” she added. “But there are benefits to being where we are.” Kamp Gallery has been a presence in Winnetka since 1991. The co-owners, husband and wife Nick and Barbara Vahlkamp, moved the gallery to its current location on Green Bay Road two years ago. “We pride ourselves on trying to find the right paintings for our customers,” Barbara Vahlkamp said. “The objective of art is to bring satisfaction, to make you feel good, more fulfilled.” All pieces of art have a backstory, gallery owners like to point out to their customers. Some of the stories are compelling. Some are educational. The Vahlkamps’ backstory to their nuptials? Fitting. Barbara grew up in Canada and met Nick in St. Louis. Their first date took place at an auction. “He bought an antique rug,” Barbara recalled. “I was in awe.” ■
photography by joel lerner ■ by bill mclean Motionless art moves people. A woman stands before a painting in a gallery, mesmerized and sad. She weeps. Christina Bates, owner of Art Post Gallery in Northbrook, witnessed the moment at her gallery. “I found out the woman’s mother had died,” Bates said. “Her mother was an avid, avid gardener, and the painting she was viewing was that of a detailed flower garden. “Beautiful art,” she added, “also brings pleasure to people. Art brings out all kinds of emotions.” All kinds of for-profit art galleries dot the North Shore. Bates’ place carries original work from more than 100 artists. Lake Forest natives Kristin Mikrut and Cecilia Lanyon — they took a watercolor painting class together 15 years ago, as 11-year-olds — opened Re-invent Gallery in Lake Forest in 2012. It features a gallery, a studio and an innovative retail shop. Kamp Gallery in Winnetka restores artwork, does appraisals and boasts one of the largest collections of historical and contemporary paintings in the Midwest. Rena Sternberg Gallery in Glencoe displays and sells high-quality art from city galleries.
“It gives suburbanites a taste of such art without having to drive to the city,” said Sternberg, who also conducts monthly tours to galleries, private collections, artists’ studios and museums of special interest. ZIA Gallery in Winnetka specializes in contemporary photography, painting and works on paper. Its most recent exhibition of black-and-white photographers Clyde Butcher and Ted Preuss ran from Oct. 19-23. Are North Shore art galleries in the black or in the red? Bates noted the bottom line for some in the gallery industry is often closely related to the health of the housing market. “We’re seeing an improvement,” she said. “People had been putting off the addition of artwork to rooms in their homes. More people now, it seems, are updating, painting and enhancing their homes. Art is a part of that.” But Bates was quick to point out that the worth of a gallery isn’t always about its sales figures. Viewing a gallery’s contents can be therapeutic — and free. “Some,” Bates said, “stop in simply because they need an art fix after a tough day. When you see something beautiful, you feel better. People have told us that they like visiting our gallery because the artwork here is very tasteful and not intimidating.”
Kristen Mikrut, co-owner of Re-Invent in Lake Forest, is showcasing "Catharthis" by local artist Wendy Thornycroft.
photography by joel lerner