CUSP Magazine: Winter Issue 2014

• Short-link
• Link
• Embed

ART FEATURE//STILL SANE Even if it isn’t the Second Friday art walk, there is always something going on at the elee.mosynary gallery in Pilsen. One of our favorite events that they put on is Still Sane, a DIY, “popup” market where independent artists and entrepreneurs show off their work for longtime fans and potential new customers alike. Held on the last Sunday of each month, Still Sane features a wide variety of business people and artists. Some are already quite established and some are just getting off their feet. Some of the attendees aren’t even based in Chicago. At October’s Still Sane, New Jersey based clothing designer Darius Osorio was selling custom designed jeans. If you wanted an alteration on what he had or “increased customization”, Osorio would whip out his tools and get to work right on the table. He had just finished up when we asked him what he was doing so far from home. “I was working on a project with some friends and had some extra jeans, so I came over,” he said. Still Sane might be chaotic, but in this it thrives. Young people, mostly of the fashionista persuasion, came and went throughout the night, weaving through a tightly packed set up including Osorio and about half a dozen local entrepreneurs. In the basement of the gallery, local hip-hop artist Roy French performed an energized set for a small crowd. French hopped around and rapped about “Tumblr hoes,” delighting the group of mostly twenty-somethings with his fun and innovative lyrics. 82 <strong>CUSP</strong> MAGAZINE WINTER ’14 ISSUE

Above the main gallery space, a small group was discussing African politics and munching on fortune cookies sitting in a massive bowl. “We had Chinese food a little while ago, but y’all missed it,” someone told me. Still Sane offers so much that I have a hard time imagining someone not finding something to do here. The crowd is diverse and interesting and the products aren’t the kinds that you can find at Walgreens. Rachel, the owner and creator of Pear Nova Nail Lacquer, pulled out a couple of bottles of homemade nail polish with names like Jekyll, Hyde Park, Boystown Blue that reflect the character of the city. Trained in cosmetic chemistry in Paris, Rachel offers high quality, affordable cosmetic products. Most of the apparel fit a similar mold. While most of it wasn’t cheap, prices still paled in comparison to similar quality goods that you might find at a corporate retailer. And when you buy at Still Sane, you’re supporting other Chicago kids just like you trying to make their dreams come true. If there is a unifying theme of Still Sane, it is the hustle that lots of young Chicagoans know all too well. At the start of his performance, Roy French told the crowd, “I go out and do shit like everybody else. This is my escape from reality.” It’s his method for staying sane. It probably is for everyone there: artist, entrepreneur, and consumer alike. And I guarantee if you go, you’ll find something that helps you keep it real too. <strong>CUSP</strong> MAGAZINE WINTER ’14 ISSUE 83