Alicia Forestall-Boehm

In today's world of COVID-19, experiencing life virtually is our new normal. From classes to work to cultural events we are living our lives while sheltering in place. Temporary closings, limited openings and social distancing, have forced artists, art galleries, art museums, and art organizations to think outside the box to find new ways to present art exhibitions. With that in mind, I decided to create an online virtual art gallery that can host an exhibition that is engagin g and informative. One that is visually appealing as well as interactive.  A virtual art exhibition th at can be used by a single artist to present a solo show or a gallery or art group to pr esent a group or member show. I am pleased to present the virtual art exhibition #FusedAtHome , a collection of artworks by the artist members of FUSEDChicago. I designed and produced this interactive art exhibition. It uses an appealing art gallery background. The viewer can travel between the many gallery rooms to vi...

On Friday, March 6th, I attended the opening of BUILD: A Sculpture Show at Oliva Gallery in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. Included in this show was a new sculpture that I created specifically for this exhibition . The idea of social distancing was just beginning to take hold, and while many of us in attendance at the exhibition opening were resisting hugging and shaking each other’s hands, none of us could have guessed that in just over a week, the gallery, and most businesses would be closed and we would all be sheltered at home. The resulting quarantine has put a pause on all of our lives. Many artists have created art for postponed or canceled solo and group shows that no one will see. Fortunately, many museums are offering virtual tours and many art curators and artists are creating virtual online art exhibitions. The Corona Sidestep: A Virtual Exhibition , curated by Joanne Mattera, is an excellent collection of artwork that offers “some visibility to ar...

Artist Talk, Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois Last week I spoke to a group of art students at Western Illinois University.  I told them about my work, about myself and about the paths that I had taken to get to that moment.  When asked to offer up any words of advice that I might have for emerging artists, I told them to "simply get yourself out there...that you never know who would see your work and what opportunity that may bring".  I shared my story of how doing just that has led me to where I am now and to an art commission that currently covers every open surface in my art studio. In June of 2015 I received an email from Amy DeLap and Andrew Jendrzejewski of Art Space Vincennes . They were offering me a solo show at their gallery.  Now, to be perfectly honest, I had to Google Vincennes, not knowing where, exactly, it was located. Well, it turns out that Vincennes, is located in Indiana, our next door neighbor!  Founded in 1732 and home...

Installing an art exhibition can be a fun and creative endeavor but it also requires A LOT of hard work.   Installing a show is a true labor of love.  It involves an eye for balance and harmony.   Deciding where a piece of art should be placed in an exhibit space is as important as the work itself.     Once a preliminary overview of what will be included in the exhibition is made, an initial placement of the works is made.   This helps to visualize how the show will look once it is hung.  A relationship of color and form is considered when determining the placement  of art in a space.    It is essential that there is breathing room so that each work can be individually appreciated. Another thing that is often essential is a ladder!   Some installations have unique challenges attached to them.     The ceiling height and duct work at ARC Gall...

As many of you know, I am a big fan of right angles.   Windows no. 34 My Windows Series consisted of small squares carved into square panels and my Tesserae paintings were created with many square-shaped encaustic tiles.  Tesserae II Moving Day I designed custom wood panel frames to house my mini encaustic and fiber cubes. detail, Spaces We Inhabit My mixed media cubes grew and were hung in columns from the ceiling. Perhaps my cube obsession culminated into the installation Infinite Possibilities .  Each one of these unique cubes is installed in a grid formation on the wall, hopefully by someone OTHER than me! Infinite Possibilities  In fact, you can find the square shape in many of my vessels and woven encaustic and fiber 3-dimensional works! Vessel 6 So when the opportunity arose to participate in an art exhibition that was titled The Dot Show I jumped at it! Dots!   They are not i...

I am so very happy to announce that I have a number of exciting opportunities to show my art in 2016! February 26 - March 31, 2016 4th Annual Art Competition Bridgeport Art Center Chicago, Illinois Persistence of Vision April 2- May 21, 2016 11th Annual Encaustic Invitational: Length x Width x Depth Conrad Wilde Gallery Tucson, Arizona The Power of Place May 1- June 31, 2016 The Dot Show Chicago Arts District showPODS 1822-43 S. Halsted Street Chicago, Illinois Detail, Flow October 10-November 20, 2016 Solo Space and Surface:  Sculpture and Paintings by Alicia Forestall-Boehm Western Illinois University Art Gallery Macomb, Illinois    Spaces We Inhabit, Art Space Vincennes

Setting up an art exhibition quite often begins by choosing a theme.  A theme can serve to tie all of the included works together.  It usually explores a particular concept or idea.     I am a member of the artists group FUSEDChicago.  For our first group show of the year, Textual Encounters at ARC Gallery in Chicago, we exhibited works that are inspired by the written word.  My textural reference was a quote from the artist Jasper Johns:  “One likes to think that one anticipates changes in the spaces we inhabit, and our ideas about space.” For this exhibit I wanted to include some of the columns from my sculpture "Spaces We Inhabit".  These 15 feet high sculptures were designed to be hung from the ceiling, enabling visitors to walk among them but I was unable to do so in this space.  So I adapted and installed 7 of the columns with this wall hanger.     "Spaces We Inhabit", ARC Gallery I have been in ar...