TP_021518

tinleyjunction.com Life & Arts
the tinley junction | February 15, 2018 | 23
Local artists on display for another two weeks
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Amour, Amore, Liebe.
Across the globe there are a
thousand words for love, but
nothing quite captures the
concept like a picture ... or
paintings, jewelry and sculptures.
Through Feb. 24, the walls
of the Tinley Park-Park District’s
Vogt Visual Arts Center
will be adorned with images
of endearment for its
display entitled, “What Do
You Love?” The opening
reception on the afternoon
of Feb. 3, gave art fans the
chance to see the show and
chat with local artists about
their inspirations.
Vogt Center instructor
Carol Chirafisi loves sharing
the joy of art through her
paintings and as a teacher.
“I mostly love working in
oils and depicting concepts
that relate to people so it’s
portraiture but it’s not in the
traditional sense,” she said
at the Saturday afternoon reception.
“It’s figures and the
objects that pertain to them.
It’s narrative in a sense. It’s a
composition of many objects
that relate to a person’s life.
It’s about life, but it’s not too
direct. You have to figure the
meaning out for yourself.”
All things horror capture
the imagination, and the
heart, of Tinley Park resident
R.J. Durkin. His graphite
pencil drawings featured
in the February show depict
iconic characters from the
films of three late-directors
George A. Romero (“Night
of the Living Dead”), Tobe
Hooper (“The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre”) and Wes
Craven (“A Nightmare on
Elm Street”).
Durkin’s work combines
realistic details with elements
of expressionism to
make something all his own.
“I’m not really for the
Art lovers gathering at the What Do You Love? show’s
opening reception on Feb. 3
computer generated artwork
that goes on today because
there’s no life to it,” he explained.
“It’s the faults that
make something unique.
People can get hung up on
technical mistakes, but that’s
what makes it you. Mistakes
give your work personality
and give it life.”
His art also pays homage
to fatherly love as his dad
John F. Durkin used art to
make every Halloween extra
special for his family growing
up.
“Every year for Halloween
my dad painted on our
big picture window, which
obviously inspired me to
first pick up a crayon and a
coloring book,” said Durkin.
A photo collage of John F.
Durkin’s past picture window
designs was also included
in the “What Do You
Love?” exhibit.
Freedom is central to
Lansing resident Deanna
Scheihing’s favorite medium,
fluid art, as the everevolving
process of each
painting allows for unbridled
creativity.
“I love fluid art because
you can let your head go
and combine different colors
and you really don’t
know what you’re going
to get,” she said. “There’s
so many different varieties
and techniques. A piece can
change so much in a time
period of 12 to 24 hours.
You can watch it evolve.”
For gallery director Julie
Dekker, this show has
special meaning. Not only
does she love art in all of
its forms, but she also has
a deep love for the Vogt Visual
Arts Center itself. She
even included the gallery in
her wedding when she married
her husband Kurt on the
grounds in 2010.
“This place is just so
special to me,” she said. “I
spend so much time here
and it’s like a house. It has
an intimacy you don’t get
in a cold building with just
walls, so people get homey
here. They’re welcome in
the kitchen and you can hang
out anywhere you want to.
People always seem to feel
at home here and that’s really
important to me.”
Dekker counts the “What
Do You Love?” show as one
of her favorites of the year as
it brings so many artists and
art forms together in friendship
and love.
“Today is almost a celebration
of that feeling. This
is the one show that culminates
in that. People actually
are expressing their love for
A photo collage of Tinley Park resident John F. Durkin’s past picture window designs, which
inspired his son, R.J. Durkin to pursue art. Photos by Laurie Fanelli / 22nd Century Media
Malasia Johnson takes a photo of her brother Endris Albury, of Park Ridge, by his piece
“Tall Grass Art”
things. And when they come
here, they are already in that
mood and spirit. This reception
is one of total camaraderie
and happiness,” she said.
“It’s always such an uplifting
and happy thing. This is
a great show.”
The “What Do You
Love?” exhibit will be on
display at the Vogt Visual
Arts Center through Feb. 24.
Gallery hours and additional
information can be found at
tinleyparkdistrict.org/vvac.