Art to Heart

Corbett vs. Dempsey, one of Chicago’s most welcoming and interesting art galleries, is having a knock-out show of Morris Barazani paintings through Valentine’s Day. Barazani is a Chicago treasure—the influential, octogenarian artist has been on the scene since the early 1950s, and directed and taught at UIC’s Circle Campus for 24 years. It’s all too easy to stay in and live online these days, but step away from the keyboard and make the effort to experience this 1972-2008 survey of lush, abstract-expressionist oils in person. Ask to see more of his small-scale collages and works on paper from the back.

Hindman 2.0

Do your bidding a little differently at Leslie Hindman’s Marketplace sale this weekend—the auction house has launched LHLive, which allows online bidding during the sale. Interested buyers have to preregister, sign up for each sale, and log in for the action on game day. It’s an arresting development, especially if there are only a few lots you’re after and you don’t feel like sitting around all day twiddling a paddle while you wait for them to come up. Marketplace auctions, by the way, are great opportunities to pick up deals. I previewed this sale and found an eclectic mix, heavy on wooden furniture (antique to modern), silver, collectibles (dozens of glass paperweights and perfume bottles), prints and paintings, ethnic art, and handwoven rugs. There were even a few pianos, and these Dakota Jackson chairs, estimated to sell for $800 to $1,200. Fair warning—examine the inventory hands-on during Thursday to Saturday viewing hours, as that’s the best way to judge condition and get a proper sense of scale.

Urban Renewal

Don’t know how it’s possible, but Urban Source has added even more lines of artisanal wallpapers to their tightly organized little West Town showroom and design studio. We often turn to owners Jennifer Rossignuolo and Rose Tejeda-Navarre for design advice and expertise, and you should too if you want something really special—no Mart pass is necessary, and many offerings haven’t previously been available outside of the trade. Jenny showed me some funky new hand-screened wallcoverings from the Spanish company Tres Tintas (9 Selvas retro chair pattern, pictured) that are making me rack brain to think of somewhere to slap them up. How does the elite inventory end up on Chicago Avenue? “We do go to trade shows,” she said, “but now that we’ve established a reputation, manufacturers approach us, wanting distribution.” Other fresh paper-mates include L.A.’s Kreme and enviro-sponsible Madison & Grow.

Write On

E-mail thank-you’s and Facebook pokes are nice, but that’s nothing like getting a handwritten note in the mail. All She Wrote, the cheeky-to-classy gift and home store, is having its annual stationery sale through February 13. Take 20 percent off all custom orders on Crane & Co., Kate Spade, Boatman Gellar, and other fine lines.

Slush Fund

Wait, wait…don’t tell me you’ve never thought of WBEZ as a possible source for home design inspiration. Who would, really? But the NPR site offers up a Chicago-themed photo of the day on their home page, and last week this graphic, painterly image of tire tracks on a wintry parking lot by Derek Wiebenson caught my eye. Wiebenson, a self-taught photographer who in this American life is also an engineer, has had a few shows around town but mostly sells his photos online. They are printed to order, in your choice of size and finish. He likes to click in the fresh air, and has a series of these snowy car talks available. “I don’t know what was different this winter,” he says, “but I realized how interesting and complex snow in the road can be—perhaps it’s the engineer in me. I like when mechanics or patterns are applied to natural subjects.” In my sound opinion, a few of these in crisp black frames would be perfect for a mudroom.