The Art Dames Society - Gratitude Show

The Art Dames Society was launched as an international support network for women creatives who are changing their career path into the arts. It shines a spotlight on emerging, mid-career, and established women artists through opportunities to showcase their work and share their stories with the world. We believe that all voices are important as each woman's life and art journeys are unique and shape the circumstances of her art practice.

Having had personal experience with returning to the arts after years of neglecting her creative callings, the founder Ceili Seipke, made it her mission to support like-minded women artists through opportunities, resources and mentorship.

The Art Dames Society is an inclusive platform that currently focuses on showcasing the work of women artists through the First Friday Art Gallery, introducing them to wider audiences through the Artist Directory and In the Spotlight interviews and sharing business/career advice on the Spotlight page.

“Is it enough, yet?” Assemblage/Installation

Join us to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative that is “Celebrating women artists who radiate wisdom, experience, strength, and the beauty of aging.”

Works featured by Renee Kuharchuk include “Mouth 3” and “Is it Enough, Yet?”

Participating artists in The Art Dames Society Gratitude Show.

The Art Dames Society - First Friday Show

Featured artist, Renee Kuharchuk, whose work focuses on portraiture and close up imagery.

Join us to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative that is “Celebrating women artists who radiate wisdom, experience, strength, and the beauty of aging.”

“Picking 4” and “Biting” are acrylic paintings featured within this exhibition by Illinois artist Renee Kuharchuk. Her painting “Picking 4” garnered her 3rd place.

Extra Credit Art Exhibition: Art Space Chicago

Extra Credit is an Art Exhibition featuring both educator and student work from local Chicago Artists.

Extra Credit is an Art Exhibition featuring work from local Chicago artists and their students.

Great Northern Art Explosion: Ausable Artisan Village

Center: “Biting” Acrylic painting by Renee Kuharchuk

Center: “Picking 3” Acrylic painting by Renee Kuharchuk

Ausable Artisan Village presents: The Annual Great Northern Art Explosion located in downtown Grayling Michigan - An international juried fine art exhibition featuring over 100 artists and artworks selected by professional juror Amy Vos Dillinger.

Show dates from August 26th, 2023 through public award ceremony, September 10, 2023.

Art Explosion 2023 Accepted Artists:

Clifford Burkholder, Abby Akers, Linda Allen, Madeleine Althoff, Sylvia Bandyk, Kelli Bechtel, JoAnn Bennett, Shanti Bennett, Larry Blovits, Mary-Glynn Boies, Anita Brett, Robert Bridenbaugh, Michael Bruner, melinda bylow, Anthony Cairo, Jeff Caverly, Pat Cheal, Marc Chicoine, Cheryl Chidester, Winnie Chrzanowski, Alisa Clark, Amy Clark, Jeannine Cook, Jacob Cotton, Paulette Cruise, John DeHoog, Terry Dickinson, John Diephouse, Randi Dodgson, Lisa Downs, henry droski, Robert Esckelson, Gwen Meyer Ethelbah, Daniel Feldhauser, Christopher Fowler, Aimee Fresia, Jill Gary, Jerry Gates, Raymond Gaynor, Susan George, Jan Gill, Sharon Grant, Janet Grifka-Smith, Marcia Guetschow, Becky Hansen, Ebonee Hansen, Robert Harold, Rebecca Hauschild, Gary Johnson, Michael Koole, Renee Kuharchuk, Justin La Doux, Sheila Lamberson, Gaye Lee-Peters, Frank Leimbek, Jennifer Mann, Carol Mannas, Marlies Manning, mike mcgraw, Stacy McKellip, Russel Minnerick, Sara Naylor, Jay (aka Jacqueline) Norris, Lisa Oliver, Nicki Omori, Justice Otterbacher, Frauke Palmer, stone peng, Joyce Petrakovitz, Stacie Poindexter, Trish Poupard, Olivia Prado, Agnieszka Przyborowski, John Puffer, Matthew Schellenberg, Bonnie Sheckter CPSA, Megan Shilobod, Carolyn Shoemaker, sandra sholl, Shena Sloboda, David Smith, Jennifer Sowders, Jan Stannard, Betsy Stecker, Laura Stockwell, Pamela Stoddard, Jennifer Sugarman, Mary Sundstrom, Nicole Szymanski, Amy TATROE, Ilene Thayer, Susan Thiel, Jamie Thomson, Pete Wardrope, Christy Warren, Carrie Weis, Jeff Wortman, Elizabeth Yarosz-Ash, Larry Zdeb, Albert Zifilippo, MaryAnn Ferrigan, Lynn, Pettyjohn, Paul Nilsson, Jan Treston, Gilbert Kustra, Jake Allen, Terry Akers

Emotionally Heightened

“Emotionally Heightened” is an exhibition of a recent body of work by visual artist Renee Kuharchuk. This collection of works embodies the feelings of anxiety, illustrated through close up snap shots of everyday habits and visual manifestations of these anxious feelings. These images illustrate a feeling and highlight that habit or symptom when emotionally heightened. We all have those subconscious mannerisms - biting nails, picking fingers, twirling hair, tapping a foot. What happens when a spotlight is shined on those mindless routines? What happens when we take notice of what is happening in our bodies when experiencing painful situations? These movements serve as a way to cope. It’s a manifestation of that emotion in our bodies; how we self-soothe.

The style of each painting illustrates the symptom or situation. Some works use short feathered marks that mimic meditative, repetitive movements such as yoga, prayer beads, or worry stones while others use loose swooping lines and layered energetic strokes to exemplify anxious or painful situations. The loose and wild brushwork create chaos and disorganization - a reflection of the internal struggle. By creating small clustered brush strokes using bright colors, the works leap off the canvas and almost vibrate with movement.

This September, Brother Chimp Brewing will be hosting the solo exhibition “Emotionally Heightened” by artist Renee Kuharchuk. Renee is an artist working in the Chicagoland area. This exhibition displays 19 of her original paintings and is an exploration of portraiture and mental health. The exhibition is accompanied by an artists talk, where Renee will be answering questions about her work, describing her intention and purpose behind making these pieces. This is an opportunity to experience these works while getting personal insight into Kuharchuk’s artistic process.

Chicagoland based artist Renee Kuharchuk pushes the boundaries in her work to get the viewer to feel. Her works dominate the canvas and demand attention. A practice born from personal experience, Kuharchuk’s imagery is identifiable while her brush technique is stylized. Her collective mark making is a demonstration of her creative practice as a means for healing. This body of work brings awareness to our collective struggles with mental health.