EXHIBITION DATES: October 16–November 10, 2021
OPENING RECEPTION: Sunday, October 17, 2021 from 1–4pm
GALLERY HOURS: Monday¬¬–Friday, 1pm–6pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9am–4pm

THE EVANSTON ART CENTER (EAC) ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF AN EXHIBITION, DAN OLIVER: AFIRE

The Evanston Art Center is pleased to invite the public to the opening of Dan Oliver: Afire!

October 2021 is the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Today, whether it’s uprisings and protests, or wildfires around the globe—fire is once again in the news. To facilitate public reflection on these past and present events, the Evanston Art Center presents Dan Oliver: Afire.

In his latest body of work, Afire, Dan Oliver explores the theme of fire in all its metaphorical complexity. Passion, rage, chaos, destructive power, transformation, danger, energy, life, hell, protest, wildfires and global warming—fire means so many things and we have a complicated relationship to it. Two of the artist’s most vivid childhood memories are the burning of his family’s parish church and a neighbor’s home. Fire is simultaneously a deeply imprinted symbol and a timely crisis. The exhibition Afire is scheduled to open in October 2021, the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire.

Dan Oliver grew up in the Southern Illinois cities of East Saint Louis and Belleville. He studied with Lester Goldman at the Kansas City Art Institute for his BFA, then, inspired by the Chicago Imagists, moved to Chicago, and earned his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Shifting between narrative, abstraction, the personal and the historical, Oliver’s intention is to always capture a psychological reality. His paintings have a dream logic, and are inspired by diverse sources ranging from pop culture to 20th and 13th century painting. His Catholic upbringing, his travels in Europe and Asia, his interest in art history and philosophy, as well as current events all merge and reemerge in his work. Dan Oliver currently resides in Chicago, and is married to artist Valerie Beller. He is also a museum exhibit designer, and the director of Glow Exhibitions, a private art gallery in Chicago.

Dan Oliver: Afire will be on display in the Evanston Art Center’s First Floor Gallery from October 16–November 10, 2021. The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public. The exhibition is partially supported by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Evanston Art Center, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, is dedicated to fostering the appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences. The Art Center offers extensive and innovative
instruction in broad areas of artistic endeavor through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach initiatives.

Evanston Art Center is located at 1717 Central Street, Evanston, IL. Evanston Art Center Gallery Hours: Monday–Friday, 1pm–6pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9am–4pm. First and second floor gallery spaces are accessible. Limited free parking is available.

Due to COVID-19 protocol, when arriving at the EAC during our Gallery Hours, all visitors are required to wear face masks. Please adhere to 6′ social distancing requirements when in the gallery space.

For more information, please visit us online at www.evanstonartcenter.org or contact Cara Feeney,
Director of Exhibitions, at (847) 475-5300 or cfeeney@evanstonartcenter.org. Visit the Evanston Art Center on Facebook: www.facebook.com/EvanstonArtCenter/, follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/evartcenter, or on Instagram: @EvanstonArtCenter.

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Tags: Afire, Dan Oliver, Evanston, Evanston Art Center