Gallery 312

Gallery 312 is a non-profit, artist-run venue committed to the exploration and exhibition of ideas and trends in artmaking relevant to today's world. By focusing on new art forms and emerging artists, and integrating educational strategies, Gallery 312 acts as a local lens for an international community.

Gallery 312 was founded in 1994 by Lewis Kostiner and Anne Neri Kostiner. Artists themselves, with an interest and passion for adding to the cultural life of Chicago and improving the lives of disadvantaged children, the Kostiners opened the Gallery as a not-for-profit organization in a renovated warehouse building in the Fulton Market District. For its first three years all activity at the Gallery benefited local social service organizations aiding children at risk. In the summer of 1996, out of this same commitment, The PEACH Club was born (Patience, Encouragement, Arts, Consistency, Hope), a long-term, after-school program encouraging hope through art programming and consistent one-on-one attention.

Gallery 312 activity is intended to initiate dialogue exploring contemporary art and issues by providing access to the work created by local, national and international artists of all ages and professional backgrounds. A volunteer Advisory Committee is responsible for making programming and curatorial selections. This group is made up of professional artists, educators, and arts administrators who work throughout the city including at: the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Illinois/Chicago, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and other organizations and institutions. All of them are committed to the enhancement of opportunities for artists, exploring the educational functions inherent in contemporary art, and increasing access to this art for the general public.

Programming

The Advisory Committee has initiated project based programming which is developed in a way that complements exhibitions with artists' talks, lectures, workshops, performances, and video screenings. Throughout the year, the focus of gallery programming is as broad as is the diversity of today's cultural scene. Past exhibitions have featured Chicago's master photographers (Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, Yasuhiro Ishimoto, Richard Nickel), internationally recognized artists (Sol Lewitt, Victoria Bell, Leon Golub), established local artists (Jed Fielding, Michiko Itatani, Irene Siegel), and thematic exhibitions addressing the Holocaust, contemporary Latin American art, Chicago's famed Institute of Design (1948-61) and other subjects. The Gallery has collaborated on programming with many area organizations including the Rhona Hoffman Gallery, the French, Canadian and Dutch Cultural Consulates, the Spertus Museum, Columbia College, the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Columbus Museum of Art and several others.

Two annual programs have become eagerly anticipated at G312. Each summer, an large-scale exhibition showcases the work of young and emerging Chicago artists. In its first several years, this exhibition has featured the work of over 150 artists and for many, this has been the first professionally presented exhibition of their work. These exhibitions have included traditional media as well as video installation, Internet art, computer animation, and sound art and aim to present a cross-sectional gauge of the local art scene at the time of presentation.

The Young At Art exhibition (celebrating its seventh year in 2001) provides a showcase for the artwork created by the youth participating in The PEACH Club. In addition, two other youth arts organizations are invited each year to exhibit a selection of the artwork from their participants. Past years have featured work from Chicago Public Schools, the Marwen Foundation, Picture This Projects, KidStART, Pros-Arts Studio, Uhlich Children's Home, Marshall Boys and Girls Club and several other organizations. Each Young At Art program also includes music and performance presentations by youth groups such as Amigos de Dios Marimba Ensemble, Kids Can Dance, Grupo Folklorico Internacional, and Music Theatre Workshop.

The neighborhood around the gallery, just west of the Loop, is quickly becoming a hotbed of cultural activity, with many other galleries located within walking distance. Gallery 312's participation in the West Loop Gate Arts Council, collaborating with other cultural venues for special events, increases exposure and expands the base of support.

Artists interested in participating in Gallery 312 programs should contact the Program Director.

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Gallery 312 is a non-profit, artist-run venue committed to the exploration and exhibition of ideas and trends in artmaking relevant to today's world. By focusing on new art forms and emerging artists, and integrating educational strategies, Gallery 312 acts as a local lens for an international community. Gallery 312 was founded in 1994 by Lewis Kostiner and Anne Neri Kostiner. Artists themselves, with an interest and passion for adding to the cultural life of Chicago and improving the lives of disadvantaged children, the Kostiners opened the Gallery as a not-for-profit organization in a renovated warehouse building in the Fulton Market District. For its first three years all activity at the Gallery benefited local social service organizations aiding children at risk. In the summer of 1996, out of this same commitment, The PEACH Club was born (Patience, Encouragement, Arts, Consistency, Hope), a long-term, after-school program encouraging hope through art programming and consistent one-on-one attention. Gallery 312 activity is intended to initiate dialogue exploring contemporary art and issues by providing access to the work created by local, national and international artists of all ages and professional backgrounds. A volunteer Advisory Committee is responsible for making programming and curatorial selections. This group is made up of professional artists, educators, and arts administrators who work throughout the city including at: the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Illinois/Chicago, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and other organizations and institutions. All of them are committed to the enhancement of opportunities for artists, exploring the educational functions inherent in contemporary art, and increasing access to this art for the general public. Programming The Advisory Committee has initiated project based programming which is developed in a way that complements exhibitions with artists' talks, lectures, workshops, performances, and video screenings. Throughout the year, the focus of gallery programming is as broad as is the diversity of today's cultural scene. Past exhibitions have featured Chicago's master photographers (Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind, Yasuhiro Ishimoto, Richard Nickel), internationally recognized artists (Sol Lewitt, Victoria Bell, Leon Golub), established local artists (Jed Fielding, Michiko Itatani, Irene Siegel), and thematic exhibitions addressing the Holocaust, contemporary Latin American art, Chicago's famed Institute of Design (1948-61) and other subjects. The Gallery has collaborated on programming with many area organizations including the Rhona Hoffman Gallery, the French, Canadian and Dutch Cultural Consulates, the Spertus Museum, Columbia College, the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Columbus Museum of Art and several others. Two annual programs have become eagerly anticipated at G312. Each summer, an large-scale exhibition showcases the work of young and emerging Chicago artists. In its first several years, this exhibition has featured the work of over 150 artists and for many, this has been the first professionally presented exhibition of their work. These exhibitions have included traditional media as well as video installation, Internet art, computer animation, and sound art and aim to present a cross-sectional gauge of the local art scene at the time of presentation. The Young At Art exhibition (celebrating its seventh year in 2001) provides a showcase for the artwork created by the youth participating in The PEACH Club. In addition, two other youth arts organizations are invited each year to exhibit a selection of the artwork from their participants. Past years have featured work from Chicago Public Schools, the Marwen Foundation, Picture This Projects, KidStART, Pros-Arts Studio, Uhlich Children's Home, Marshall Boys and Girls Club and several other organizations. Each Young At Art program also includes music and performance presentations by youth groups such as Amigos de Dios Marimba Ensemble, Kids Can Dance, Grupo Folklorico Internacional, and Music Theatre Workshop. The neighborhood around the gallery, just west of the Loop, is quickly becoming a hotbed of cultural activity, with many other galleries located within walking distance. Gallery 312's participation in the West Loop Gate Arts Council, collaborating with other cultural venues for special events, increases exposure and expands the base of support. Artists interested in participating in Gallery 312 programs should contact the Program Director. <<