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...

In my last post I talked about my preparation for the exhibit "Spaces We Inhabit" and the two sculptural installations I created for this show.  This post is a collection of images from the exhibition.      "Spaces We Inhabit" at the Hairpin Arts Center, Chicago.                 Me with my installation Spaces We Inhabit .  It consisted of 7 ceiling-hung columns, each 15' long.  The cubes themselves vary in size from 1.5"x1.5"x1.5" to 4.5"x4.5"x4.5".                                            Infinite Possibilities on the wall to the left.    The Power of Place and   Make No Little Plans on pedestals.  On the wall - two paintings by...

The Accumulation of Small Moments  12"hx12"w  Encaustic, Fiber on Panel  Do you ever find yourself in need of a change?  Maybe it's a change as small as a new haircut or maybe it takes the form of a new look to a room in your house.   Perhaps you don’t want a new look, but a new attitude.    Maybe what you seek is a new view of your life or your work?  W hatever it may be, it's always something fun to do because it brings some "newness" into your life.  We all find comfort in the status quo but a little change; something new can be just what we need.  Frozen Music     5.5”hx11”wx6.5”d    Encaustic, Fiber, Wire, Found Metal For a while now I have wanted to change my website.   I wanted to keep the basic design simple and focus on showing my artwork in a straightforward way.   I also wanted to assimilate various social media platforms into my website...

Coming Together 9x12x13 encaustic, fiber, wire I do not like the cold. I know that many people are eager for the start of winter. They are happy to embrace the snow and the cold and all things winter. Now don't get me wrong, I am not immune to the beauty of newly fallen snow and the wondrous vision of the world enveloped in a white veil during a snowstorm but I prefer to experience this while tucked away in my home without any need to head out into all of this splendor. Needless to say, I am one of the many people that are eager for the start of spring. I love spring. Nature comes to life, replacing the dull colorless landscape with polished green and lovely flecks of color. One of my favorite signs of spring includes the return of boats to our harbors. While sailing along Lake Michigan this early in the year would undoubtedly be chilly to say the least, this action speaks to the optimistic expectation of warmer days to come.     It is with great expectation that I l...

I love Fall. I love the cooler temperatures and I love the changing colors & falling leaves and I really love the annual tradition of switching out my summer clothes for my winter clothes. The sight of a favorite comfy sweater almost makes me yearn for chilly Chicago winter days…almost. Not only does the weather change but the city changes. The beaches close, school resumes and in general, the number of visitors is vastly reduced. Now I love living in the city, but the sheer number of tourists that visit every summer can be overwhelming at times. There is a small pocket of time between summer and holiday shopping season where downtown Chicago feels more intimate. The sidewalks are just a little easier to navigate and the restaurants in our neighborhood are actually filled with neighbors. I am particularly happy to welcome Fall this year with a number of exciting exhibitions! Tactile Encounters: The Influence and Appearance of Textures I am pleased to have five 3D encaustic ...

Tendency of Thought (18"x18", encaustic, cheesecloth) A number of months ago I looked at a call that I wanted to apply to and saw that it specified “Only 2D” submissions. Now given that I have focused on 3D work over the last year or so, I thought this was a nice little challenge. Challenges are a good thing. They encourage us to experiment and they test our willingness to step out of our comfort zone. Sometimes these challenges emerge as mere questions; how can I hang this sculpture on the wall, how can I use this material differently, how can I convey this idea? A good number of these deliberations remain ‘on the back burner’, so to speak, waiting for that spark of inspiration. Sometimes that spark happens right away. I see something new that hints at an answer, or look at the problem in a whole new way. Sometimes it’s just that infamous 'happy accident'. With this submission challenge, I knew that I wanted to incorporate both encaustic and cheesecloth...

I always find it to be wonderfully thought-provoking to learn the whats, the whys and the hows about a particular piece or about a body of work. Understanding an artist’s process can be incredibly fascinating and telling. I am a very process oriented artist and this is evident in many of my series including my encaustic Urban Windows series, my encaustic tile Tesserae series and most recently in my encaustic and fiber vessels and sculptures. Last month I began a new encaustic and fiber sculpture and I thought that it might be interesting to document the making of this new piece. Window no. 34 (6.75"x6.75",encaustic) Tesserae X (18"x18", encaustic tiles) Since I made my first encaustic and fiber Vessel in 2011, each work was created in a purely intuitive manner. As my designs became larger and more complex I began to create models. Coming Together began as a drawing and from this drawing I made a paper model. By creating this model I was...