Creation of the Birds

Hybrid characters, Indigenous art, and patterned fabrics. [View in browser]( [Colossal]( A Major Exhibition Materializes Surrealist Artist Remedios Varo’s Alchemical Visions [Top: A human-like figure and cat-like figure look at each other at a table. In the room, a cup of water has spilled and star-like constellations fill the air. Bottom: a hybird-like figure of a human and owl uses light from a star outside to cast through their magnifying glass.]( surrealist [Remedios Varo]( was a researcher at heart with a vast curiosity for discovering the unseen. Science Fictions the Art Institute of Chicago showcases more than 60 of Varo’s paintings, sketches, and sculptures, on view at a U.S. museum for the first time in 23 years. [See more]( Sponsor RISD Launches New Program to Boost Corporate Creativity [Against a blue background, black arrows point diagonally to the bottom left while one arrow point to the top right]( It’s no secret that businesses want more creativity. RISD is launching a new program that aims to help. [RISD ExED]( is a new initiative to create educational opportunities for business people regardless of their level of formal design training. ExED’s pilot program, the [Art of Creativity](, is designed for people from any field who want to reinvigorate their own work as an opportunity for creative practice. A mix of on-campus, online, and on-the-job activities will help participants reconnect with their own creative aspirations, build habits that foster creative practice, tap into the creative power of groups, and lead creative work in their own organizations. [Learn more]( Chicago! Join Colossal Tomorrow for a Screening of Tasha van Zandt’s 'After Antarctica' [three explorers sit on ice while covered in snow and ice]( We're so excited to host [a screening]( of Tasha van Zandt’s award-winning documentary After Antarctica (2021). Join us Wednesday, September 20, at Gene Siskel Film Center to learn more about the life and work of polar explorer Will Steger, whose historic and harrowing expedition was the first and last across the coldest continent. Steger is an eyewitness to the greatest changes in the polar regions of our planet and offers incredible insight into both nature's brutality and need for protection. Following the screening, Dr. Maria C. Valdes and Dr. Douglas R. MacAyeal will join us for a discussion on the state of the region today. [Get tickets]( ‘An Indigenous Present’ Is a Paradigm-Shifting Illumination of Native North American Art Today [Beaded high heel boots depicting elk.]( Works by more than 60 artists comprise a monumental new book of Indigenous art. Edited by [Jeffrey Gibson](, the tome highlights myriad works of art, music, filmmaking, choreography, architecture, writing, photography, design, and more. [See more]( Fragile Moths, Butterflies, and Botanicals Commingle in Żaneta Antosik’s Moody Digital Illustrations [Two moths lay on top of a bed of gingko leaves and pink flowers.]( From her studio in Rawa Mazowiecka, Poland, [Żaneta Antosik]( turns her eye toward the delicacies of the natural world as she renders the soft, frail forms of plants and insects. [See more]( Stephanie Shih Wedges Mass Culture Against Loss in ‘American Gothic’ [A vintage box of Twinkies.]( By reconnecting with fragments of her childhood, ceramicist [Stephanie Shih]( replicates domestic items from the ’80s and ’90s, portraying mundane goods with potent emotion. [See more]( The Supernatural Veils El Gato Chimney’s Magical Paintings of Adorned Animals [Two birds with strips of vibrant patterned fabric perch on a branch. In the sky, an arm holding a snake extends from a cloud.]( Strips of vibrantly patterned fabrics, entwined red thread, and everyday objects floating in the sky are a few of the recurring motifs within [El Gato Chimney](’s works. [See more]( In an Open-Source Stamp Kit, ‘BlockFace’ Gets Tactile With Type [Animal-like skeletons swimming amongst each other in a circle.]( [BlockFace Kit](, a modular stamp set, plays with elemental shapes that invite creativity and imagination without requiring the space for large sort drawers or expensive presses. [See more]( [instagram]( [tumblr]( [facebook]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( [website]( [rss]( Today's Best of the Week was edited by Jackie Andres. 🥕 Colossal 6177 N. Lincoln Ave. #314 Chicago, IL 60659 ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ You received this email because you signed up on our website and are an amazing person. [Unsubscribe](