Calendars, Art Shows, and Graves, Oh my!

Yes, those calendars are going like hotcakes. Thank you to all who came out to the Artwalk Ravenwood this past weekend! At one point, I was graced with the presence of 3 of the 5 clowns (featured in June of the calendar) at the same time! (L-R Erin, Alan, Dave.) Some calendars are still available on-line at my etsy store: jeanfitz.etsy.com. Remember this is a Limited Edition (!!!) so snatch ‘em while you can. And, of course, we’re going into a rough patch for this here country of ours and you’ll need to look at nice, uplifting pictures…but who can afford such a thing as fine art in a “crisis moooohment?” You betchya, I understand. That’s why I have a neat-o little set of $8 greeting cards (with envelopes that still taste like basil when you lick them like last year!) and then I’m selling fine art prints of some of my paintings…yep, all for sale at my etsy store.

 Yippee! Affordable art! If you’d still like to see some real, live art, head on over to the Main St. Metra Station in Evanston. The Evanston Arts Depot has re-purposed the old train station into a theatre/cafe and arts space. My paintings are now hanging there during October for commuters and theatre-goers to enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On my way home from hanging paintings in Evanston, I just happened to pass by another great Chicagoland cemetery. It’s not featured in my calendar, but it’s certainly worth a browse… Calvary Cemetery, beautifully located along Sheridan Road facing Lake Michigan and bordering between Evanston and Rogers Park. It is the eternal home of many of Chicago’s Irish, and many of whom, unsurprisingly, are of relation to me.

 

More pictures from this particular trip to the cemetery are at my flickr site.

 

The 2009 Calendar Debut is here!

The moment we all have been waiting for: The unveiling of the 2009 Calendar of Famous Chicago Graves! 

You can visit me and pick one up in person at the ArtWalkRavenswood: http://www.artwalkravenswood.org/ this weekend. (In addition to the calendars, I will have greeting cards, new paintings, and fine art prints for sale. It’s free to look! And did I mention you get to see live artists stand near their work?)

I am offering the calendars for $15 as a special ArtWalk discount this weekend only! They will be for sale on-line at my etsy store as well for $20 starting now and after the ArtWalk. 

This homegrown 2009 calendar, collaged lovingly by hand, features 12 gravesites “brought to life” in the Chicagoland area. ( January: Marshall Field, February; Victims of Al Capone’s St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, March: Oscar Mayer, April: Dick Tracy cartoonist, May: Emma Goldman, June: Circus Disaster Gravesite, July: Mrs. O’Leary-and her legendary cow, August: bicycle maker, Ignaz Schwinn, September: the legendary ghost and statue of Inez Clarke, October: Chicago’s famous ghost, Ressurection Mary, November: Enrico Fermi, December: Indian burial grounds.) Learn about rich history buried around Chicago and keep track of your days at the same time!

 

Tightlipped graves

What’s a Chicago Calendar without a few Gangsters? Well, here are a few hints of what’s to come for the month of February. (For those who know last year’s calendar…they were featured in front of the Green Mill for the month of February. Get it? Now they’re dead.)

Special thanks to Catherine and Ryan for helping bring these historical figures back into focus. The brothers Peter and Frankie “Tightlips” Gusenberg are buried in Irving Park Cemetery. They were 2 of the 7 North Side Mob gangsters killed by Al Capone’s gang at the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929. Despite being riddled with bullets, Frank stayed alive for a few more hours and was sent to the hospital where he refused to squeal to the detectives.

His alleged famous last words are: “I ain’t no copper.” His legacy lives on perhaps with the character on The Simpsons:

Johnny Tightlips.

The cemetery markers for these two souls also remain tightlipped. I went into the cemetery office and inquired about the location of Frank and Peter Gusenberg. A woman, who was “filling in” that day, asked me if I was a relative and if I was sure they were buried there. I told her I was not related. (I did not mention this but findagrave.com has their grave pictured and recorded.) She had me follow her down the corridor to a row of card catalog-like drawers. Sure enough, two note cards appeared with their names in one of the dusty drawers. I wasn’t allowed to take a picture of them so I quickly wrote down the lot numbers. Interestingly, the card stated that Frank was removed from Rosehill Cemetery on July 2, 1929 and Peter was removed June 12, 1929 and buried at Irving Park Cemetery. I wonder if there was fear of more vandalism at Rosehill. Catherine, Ryan, and I began dutifully combing through the section. After no luck, I went back into the office again and got a map. We searched further and came to the conclusion that they must have unmarked graves or there was some error. Those gangsters got away from us. The show must go on though and we set up our scene where, according to the map, they are said to be buried.

Rest in Peace, Frank and Peter.

 

Virgin Mary Appears to Me at Work

This might be old news to Chicago folks but…the Virgin Mary has been sighted at the Kennedy expressway underpass at Fullerton Ave. An altar of candles and flowers surrounds this holy image made up of salt and oil on concrete. Last week, I finally pulled my car over to visit this Mary Apparition. It has gotten a fair amount of local publicity and has been on my commute for months. For a long while I thought it was just a memorial to a fatal accident, but it has been a Marian apparition all along! I parked my car and went in for a nice close-up of Big M. With all respect, I suspect a little magic marker touch-up was done to bring out her features…we all need a little touch-up with age I suppose…

So it was interesting that another Mary manifestation entered my life a week later… I encounter lots of unexpected events, requests, projects every time I go to work (where my title is the Craft Cottage coordinator) but today was extra special.

While walking out to the parking lot today, I saw the facilities manager and maintenance worker extracting something heavy and large from the back of a truck. Behold! The Virgin Mary was being dropped at my doorstep. I suddenly recalled an email from the day before asking if I wanted to restore a statue. Whether I liked it or not, there she was. I may not be the best Catholic on earth to be called on for Mary renovations, but the responsibility now rests with Jean, Craft Cottage Coordinator.

Before leaving, the maintenance worker rummaged around in the truck and procured the Virgin Mary’s detached thumb…surely broken in transit.

I giggled in awe at the heavy stone/concrete thumb rolling around in my palm. After negotiating the proper location for Mary with the workers, I quickly ran into the main building to proclaim the arrival of Mary… with her thumb, of course, proudly raised in the air! To prove that the art lady was not a crazy prophet, I took a group out to visit her and prove her existence. All afternoon, the thumb safely stayed in the pocket of my apron like a little rabbit’s foot.

My task now is to return Mary to her proper state. She has obviously had a botched nose job.

Her missing index finger also indicates her current disqualification for the military.

I’d like to think Mary is in no hurry to acquire a prosthetic trigger finger. One fellow employee has advised me to get some epoxy for her thumb and that I can build a new finger for her. I’m also currently investigating ways to strip it of its chipping coat of paint. Are there any stone sculpture renovators out there? I’ve already been told it is NOT okay to paint her in polka dots. I would never do something so tacky-ahem- but I’m open to hearing other ideas. How can I best restore Our Lady of Crafts???

Since Mary has arrived the last day of work at the Craft Cottage before I depart on my little road trip, I think it’s only fair that Mary’s thumb sits shotgun on my trip to Virginia next week. With Mary’s thumb’s blessings, the polka-dot car will surely hold up well enough in Appalachia and we won’t need to “thumb” any rides.

 

Cemetery Censorship

The 2009 Calendar adventures have begun…but not without a little resistance. A cemetery worker escorted us out of Graceland cemetery today. The man said from his truck window, “We don’t do that here. You’re going to have to leave.” I asked if it was because I was taking pictures and he just replied, “That’s just not what we do here. I don’t have time for this. These are real people here you know.” I responded that we had nothing but respect and we proceeded to get into the car and exit the cemetery…with his truck following closely behind.

(I think I got the shots I needed before we had to go though.)

I have to understand that our get-up would make anyone a little nervous in any environment. There was a polka-dot car, Brianna in a little girl’s Victorian dress, the haunted lore surrounding this specific burial we were at, and the “tourist factor” this famous cemetery already has to deal with daily. I am guessing it is a combination of all of the above. (You’ll just have to get the calendar when it comes out to find out who Brianna was modeling next to…this picture is a hint…)

Are Americans too squeamish about death and art to experience a little color? I bet we wouldn’t be bothered in, say, France. Think Day of the Dead ceremonies in the Mexican tradition! That would be blasphemous in Graceland Cemetery! I can’t help but wonder if the “Resurrection Health Care”  bus slowly winding its way through the cemetery was trying to be funny, just in a more subtle way. That’s funny, right?

 

Live Models for Cemetery Needed

As many people have already heard, I am putting together a 2009 Calendar in a similar spirit as the 2008 Calendar. The polka-dot car will be featured in every month as we did last year but it will be placed strategically with various Chicago Gravestones. Yes, graves. This is where I need your help. I am now recruiting models for each month of the year. In a very respectful, celebratory manner, we will be recreating the character buried approximately six feet under our feet. I will drive you in your costume with props to our chosen location for the picture and in return you get a 2009 Calendar. Sweet deal, right?

(Pictured above is the stylish Natasha at Mies Van Der Rohe’s sleek grave site in Graceland Cemetery last November.)

Here are some pre-selected burials to ponder:

1. CHESTER GOULD-creator of comic strip Dick Tracey, buried in Oakland Cemetery in Woodstock, IL. (a bit of a hike but if you can rock the Dick Tracey outfit, you’re in.)

2. MRS. O’LEARY-yes, the one whose cow started the great Chicago fire. You’ve pretty much got the part if you have a cow costume and a lantern. She’s in Mt. Olivet on the Southside.

3. CHARLES COMISKEY- White Sox guy in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston. This cemetery is very close to a good place to eat chocolate. I’m just saying.

4. HAREY CAREY-buried in All Saints in Des Plaines. Big glasses and a microphone anyone?

5. CLARENCE and GRACE HEMINGWAY- yup, Ernest’s parents are in Forest Park at the Forest Home/German Waldheim Cemetery. Forest Park is a neighboring suburb of Oak Park. And Oak Park is where Mr. Hemingway was known to have said, “is a place of broad lawns and narrow minds.”–or something like that.

6. EMMA GOLDMAN-anarchist who could only get back into the country dead. The fabulous Natasha may have already claimed this rebel rouser as her chosen character. She’s got Russian connections ‘n stuff. This rebel rouser’s final resting place is also in Forest Park near the aforementioned broad lawns. Poor Emma.

7. 4 HORSE DRIVER/BALDY- and while we’re in Forest Park, we could go to Woodlawn Cemetery and recreate the circus from 1918. This famous story can be found here about the Circus train crash that killed scores of Circus performers. There is a mourning elephant statue commemorating the victims. Sad Clown anyone?

8. FRANK & PETER GUSENBURG-gangsters killed at the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. I think it’s in ‘gangster row’ in Irving Park Cemetery. I know a few good gangster get-ups from last year, hmmm?

9. DINAH WASHINGTON-jazz legend in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip.

10. INEZ CLARKE-in Graceland (the King of Kings when it comes to Cemeteries). This legendary and perhaps haunted grave site has a glass-encased statue of this 6 year old girl. It could be our spookiest one yet.

11. CIVIL WAR MONUMENT (in St. Boniface perhaps?)-I have some possible recruits willing to display their stage combat skills with swords and stuff. That one is in the works.

12. ???

There are 12 months to fill but this should get us started. Respond quickly to secure a spot in the Calendar!!! Here are some great websites to start your own searches: Graveyards of Illinois: www.graveyards.com

findagrave.com

 

Cyberdundance

An altar was created this evening in my home. If you don’t recognize these angelic faces, then you probably never went to Catholic school and you haven’t gotten the latest “Men” issue of BUST magazine, featuring Jermaine and Bret of Flight of the Conchords.

At this point I am going to partake in what I call “cyberdundancy.”

cyberdundance: the act of re-posting, regurgitating, or recycling Internet information in another Internet location.

So pardon my cyberdundant youtube link but I think we should all spread the Good News during this Easter time :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hrUGFhsXo

Oh, it’s so good and so catchy. Watch them all.

And while I’m spending time in the adoration-sphere, let’s take a visit to Leslie Hall Land. You may be aware that I had the privilege of posing with the famous ‘cewebrity’ last month in front of the Polka-Dot car. After our photo shoot we totally high -fived.

In true cyberdundance, I have just recently made a comment on her myspace page. Check it out before it gets buried under her other comments from fans.

The pictures are also on my flickr page…hmm, where else can I be cyberdundant?