716: Fine Art

by Nicholas Michael Ravnikar

Many refer to Racine and Kenosha as part of the “Chicago-Milwaukee Economic Corridor,” and occasionally by the more ecologically minded “Chiwaukee Prairie region.” I have also heard “Southeast Wisconsin.” But all of those catch-phrases are too dry for my palette; I like to call it “The Median.”

You probably just call it home. But whether you live in Racine, Kenosha, Burlington, Oak Creek, or Salem ~or even Waukegan and Round Lake~ there’s something that you’ll realize quite soon, if you haven’t already: The Median is full of talented artists, writers, musicians, organizers, and social entrepreneurs.

The Racine Arts Council has been a vital source of growth in Southeastern Wisconsin, supporting the artistic community since 1967. But its recent decision to serve as the fiscal receiver for 716: Fine Art have helped a young stable of artists and organizers start up a host of new and exciting programs that will put our community on the map, and help contribute up to an additional estimated $156,985 of economic impact in the Kenosha-Racine area.

716: Fine Art is a new nonprofit organization that gives local artists the attention they deserve from the local as well as national arts communities. The organization focuses its efforts on creating and cultivating new venues for artists in the Median -both by promoting local artists and by attracting talents from other areas - to broaden the cultural diversity and bridge the arts communities of Kenosha and Racine.

With the support of established nonprofit leaders and community stakeholders supporting 716 through their partnerships and advice, the next generation of arts organizers have come to the fore, bringing with us more technology-based, educational programs aimed at alleviating local poverty rates, involving community youth, and improving tourism revenues while opening up new industry markets.

Speaking of cinema: 716: Fine Art presents Cine-Matic, a free film series held at JavaVino (424 N. Main Street, Racine) every Wednesday night, from 6-8 p.m. Not only does the series regularly show silver screen greats such as America’s comic masters, Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, and Buster Keaton, and equally important foreign films by Mernau, Ozu, and Fellini; it also features the local independent films, such as Entropy, Fidel, and October Moon. James L. Neibaur, film historian and author of numerous books and articles, curates the series and hosts discussions following the screening. Aside from the great
films that you can watch for free, JavaVino also offers a selection of tasty meals and half-off prices on bottles of wine.

Maybe you’ve heard about Film Seed, a collaboration between UW-Parkside alumni, professors, and students who are mentoring Racine youth as they outline, script, shoot, edit and market their own short digital movie. The project has brought together numerous partners, like the Racine Arts Council, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Professional Services Group Inc., and Shoot-to-Kill Productions, and has found the support of Youth As Resources-Racine County, Racine Workforce Development, and the SC Johnson Foundation. As the program moves into the Fall, its advisory committee is planning even bigger things, like a partnership with OnTRACK and expansion of its services. Email film.seed@gmail.com for more information, and check out the screening of the youth-made short film on Wednesday, May 31 at 6 p.m. at JavaVino.

716: Fine Art also invites everyone to attend its weekly Open Mic Night, held every Wednesday at 716 58th Street, following the Cine-Matic film series. Performances begin promptly at 9 pm and include: music, poetry, monologue, dance, and comedy. They request a $3 donation from audience members, while performers get in free. The exciting work of local poets
and songwriters make the event more than worth attending, but the refreshments and ambiance don’t hurt, either.

When you’re in the 716: Fine Art gallery, you’re surrounded by the work of fresh, provocative artists, such as Racine’s Maureen Fritchten, Round Lake’s Francisco Loyola, Chicago’s Anne-Elizabeth Hogh, and Beloit-based industrial artist Jack Demunnik. You’ll probably want to stop by on an afternoon or evening when the lights aren’t dimmed for the performers. The gallery is open from Noon to 8pm Tuesday through Saturday, and you can get more information at www.716fineart.org. You can also download
podcasts from 716, including select performances from the weekly open mic. The website is the central point of information for 716’s great programming, like the Acoustic Concerts and Jazz Series, as well as upcoming solo show exhibitions.

716 will be also sponsoring an exhibition at the Racine Arts Council throughout June 2007, featuring the work of Sonya Ferdinand, a Chicago-based artist whose multi-fabric canvasses bring texture and materiality to the fore while commenting on the problems of representation and object-hood. The opening reception on Thursday, April 31 will also include a reading by poets Ryan Phillip Kulefsky of Chicago and Nick Demske of Racine. Doors open at 8 pm, and refreshments will be served.

And be sure to check out Pipebomb: A Magazine of the Arts from the Median. The seminal “Zero Issue” of Pipebomb was released in early March, and Pipebomb will continue publishing visual and literary art in its monthly PDF magazine, archived on its website,
www.pipebombmagazine.org. Pipebomb will also begin releasing a series of short pocket-sized books of poems and visual art, the first editions of which will be available online by August. Special thanks to Creatibo Web design for making Pipebomb possible.