FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2012
MEDIA CONTACT: Paula Danoff, email Paula or
(847) 475-5300, ext. 206
BREEZE KEEPER: LOCAL ARTIST INSTALLS WIND-ACTIVATED SCULPTURE AT EVANSTON ART CENTER
Official opening Sunday, August 12, 2012: Artist talk at 3 pm.
Christine Rojek's “Breeze Keeper” is a field-like expanse of 64 counter balanced aluminum prairie images plus 12 unexpected symbolic images that sway with the wind. Over the course of the next year people of all ages will be invited to share their personal stories of inspiration, which will be translated into the symbolic images. Many of these stories will be those of students and visitors to EAC. Rojek will in turn interpret and design sculptures to represent selected musings, and scatter them throughout the “field”.
In essence, “Breeze Keeper” will become an homage to the collective ambitions and aspirations of people of all ages, but more importantly it will illustrate how our goals change over time. The piece will lyrically explore what is interesting to a 5 year old in comparison to a teenager or a person experiencing mid-life. True to its title, “Breeze Keeper” will literally become a keeper of stories as we “shoot the breeze” about our lives."
Every year, the Evanston Art Center invites an artist to create a site-specific installation for its front lawn as part of its well-established program Sculpture on the Grounds. The continuation of this series has provided interactive outdoor art for the public to enjoy, and the most recent installation will further the EAC’s mission to introduce new thought-provoking works by a diverse range of artists and to make contemporary art more accessible to Evanston and the surrounding communities. For the 2012-2013 season, the EAC presents the installation of “Breeze Keeper,” a sculpture by Christine Rojek. The piece will consist of wind-activated elements that are suspended from four frames representing the Illinois landscape. “Breeze Keeper” is comprised of 64 aluminum prairie flowers plus 12 unexpected symbolic images. Measuring 15 feet at its tallest point and stretching 35 feet across the Art Center grounds, the sculpture will make a striking impression on both observers and passersby.
Based in Chicago, Rojek specializes in kinetic sculpture and uses the tenets of fine design to create interactive environments that appeal to a wide audience. Found in over 25 locations throughout the United States, her performance art inspired installations have a range of aesthetics from dramatic to playful. Rojek earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and continued her studies at the American School of Art in Fontainebleau, France where she focused on both performance and installation art. Rojek has received widespread recognition for her achievements, including several fellowship grants from the Illinois Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and an AT&T Technology in Art Grant. When she is not creating sculptures, Rojek teaches at Columbia College Chicago and is the co-founder of SculpTours, a touring company that promotes the appreciation and advancement of sculpture in Chicago.
Rojek looked to the natural Illinois landscape as inspiration for her work: “As the cityscape melts into open land, the landscape alternates between carefully planted crop rows and the gentle prairie. Since my artwork often melds nature and physics I imagined a sculpture that would mimic the sway of the prairie. One sculpted and counter-balanced prairie flower lead to a cluster that I now call “Breeze Keeper.” Rojek has found the perfect home for her creation here at the Evanston Art Center, which she described saying, “The great front lawn of the Evanston Art Center provides a dynamic and unrestricted backdrop for sculpture. Dramatic tall trees frame the sculpture site yet the area is open enough to allow strong sunlight and a steady breeze. After walking the grounds through the natural landscape to the inspiring lake view I was convinced that EAC was the perfect site for “Breeze Keeper.””
A non-profit organization, the Evanston Art Center is dedicated to fostering the appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences. The Evanston Art Center offers extensive and innovative instruction in broad areas of artistic endeavor through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach initiatives.
GALLERY HOURS: 10 AM – 10 PM, Mondays – Thursdays; 10 AM – 4 PM, Fridays & Saturdays; 1 – 4 PM, Sundays:
All exhibits are free and open to the public. Limited parking is available.
The Evanston Art Center is located at 2603 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL.
For more information please visit us online at www.evanstonartcenter.org or contact Paula Danoff, Director of Communications, at (847) 475-5300 ext. 206. Visit the Evanston Art Center on Facebook: www.facebook.com/evanston.art or follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/evartcenter.
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