FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 2, 2001

CONTACT:
Tim Fleming 312.733.2263 [Seven Three Split, Chicago]
Tom Colley, Rodger Cooley, 312.666.4566 [The Butcher Shop,Chicago]
Kait Midgett 215.423.2341 [Project Room, Philadelphia]

OPENING:
Saturday, May 12 from 7pm-11pm
at both The Butcher Shop and Seven Three Split

LOCATIONS:
1. Butcher Shop 1319 W. Lake Street, 312.666.4566
2. Seven Three Split 971 W. 18th Street, 312.733.2263

Two Alternative Chicago galleries, The Butcher Shop and 7/3 Split, will host a group of Philadelphia Alternative galleries in a show called BLUNT. The show is part of an Alternative gallery exchange between Chicago and Philadelphia. Approximately 30 artists from the Philadelphia galleries, including Base Kamp, Project Room, Space 1026, and Vox Populi, will show work at The Butcher Shop, and 7/3 Split, with a reception on Saturday, May 12, at both galleries, from 7pm - 11pm.

The show was conceived and organized by Kait Midgett, artist and Director of Project Room, and artist Rodger Cooley from The Butcher Shop. The two were interested in creating an exchange between the artists who have shown at their galleries. This was then expanded to include artists from other galleries in their cities, which ended up with the city to city gallery exchange. The galleries participating in the exchange are labeled "Alternative" in that they are all interested in showing non-commercial, experimental work in all different mediums.

The Butcher Shop has been having shows since 1997. Its aim has been to provide a showing space for artists who are not interested in showing at traditional art galleries, and tobring artists together from different backgrounds, and create a sense of community by providing a forum for these artists to interrelate. Most recently was a show spotlighting public art, called Department of Space and Land Reclamation, which featured a weekend of live public art happenings, ranging from street theater to graffiti to social political billboard art, and more.

Seven Three Split
, an artist run space, opened in October 2000 with "I never thought I'd be a HalloweenCostume", a sound installation event featuring all local Chicago artists. One of its aims has been to merge different audiences- enticing people to make the effort to come out to Pilsen. They have strived to infiltrate art systems and structures through take home media and web based activities, and have had some succes in establishing their space. www.seventhreesplit.org

Project Room
is specifically dedicated to showing installation art. It is a small gallery space housed within director, Kait Midgett's large warehouse shop space, where she runs her mold making and casting business. In the last two years it has been open, it has had mostly solo installation shows of artists from Philadelphia, New York and California. Most recently was its first group show called Cathartic Disgust Gestalt, with artists Charles Burns, Tristin Lowe, Phillip Mott and Robert Beck.

The basekamp gallery
is a non-profit studio and exhibition space started in 1998. Currently The Basekamp site is dedicated to the facilitation and exploration of large scale collaborative works, tocreating a dialogue between artists both emerging and established,national and international. www.basekamp.com

Vox Populi
is an artist run cooperative founded in 1988 to support the work of local and emerging artists in Philadelphia. At the core of Vox's mission is to support under-represented artists. Vox Populi has grown over the years into an accomplished alternative gallery that plays a significant role in Philadelphia as a venue for emerging Artists. www.op.net/~vox

Space 1026
is an artist run cooperative, with both a gallery space and a multi faceted studio facility. It opened in Nov. 1999, and has established a reputation for showing aggressively non-traditional work, such as a show called Revenger, with over 100 paintings on used and discarded skateboards. Also, in March of 1999, well known propaganda artist, Andre the Giant, showed over 50 prints, plus some large scale paintings. Space 1026 most recently showed at CBGB's in New York City. www.space1026.com

 

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