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The David Leonardis Report #22

Last night I saw the CUBS lose to the San Diego Padres. It was my eleventh CUBS home game this season. The CUBS have played 22 home games so far. I made it to half. That’s pretty good I guess. My friend Roger Herring from Socca on Clark had been trying to keep up with me in the SSCHGAR. Roger has gone to the www.Wrigleyrooftops.com ten times. While it’s a totally different feel being on the roof tops than it is actually being at Wrigley, I’m going to keep racing Roger to the end of the season like I’m the CUBS and he’s Milwaukee.

Incidentally did I mention how I feel about last seasons Cubs catcher Jason Kendall who is now on the Milwaukee Brewers. Let’s just say that I was at a couple of CUBS / Brewers games this year and the “Kendall. You Suck!” Cheer is very popular with the Home Crowd. One guy sitting next to me was from Georgia and I think it was my 7th game and he said that it was his 6th but his first at Wrigley Field. Anyway he and I decided that we were going to solve the Palestinian / Israel conflict by simply offering up Kendall as a sacrifice. The conflict would cease and there would be peace and harmony in that region and Kendall would be gone. I’d like to say that I’m not in any way trying to trivialize that conflict. I know this sounds weird but let’s face it that’s why you’re reading isn’t it? A brief note about Kendall. The CUBS picked up Kendall after Michael Barrett got into a fight with Zambrano and Rich Hill. Barett was the CUBS catcher that hit AJ Pierzinski in the face during the Cross Town classic a couple of years ago. That was one thing. But when he started fighting with his own pitchers Lou cut him. Enter Barrett and this guy has 6 errors in his first game. I mean he just couldn’t have been worse. We trade him to Milwaukee and now this guy is on fire against the CUBS. He hits. He steals bases. He fields. Amazing. What is up with that? Anyway I really do have a couple of more rants about Kendall but I’m going to move on.

Sorry it’s been a while in between reports. It’s hard to do all sorts of cool stuff and be diligent about writing it all down. Well you know how it is.

Let’s see. I went to see the Chicago White Sox play the Minnesota Twins. We had a no hitter going into the ninth. No final no hitter but the Sox wailed on the Twins and that’s always nice.
I’m from Boston originally so I don’t playa hate with the Sox and CUBS. GO CUBS! GO SOX!

Turns out I’m going to my 12th CUBS game tonight. Against the Padres. Roger’s not going so I’ll have a 2 game lead on him. It is just like CUBS / Milwaukee. CUBS won and now I only need 18 more games to beat my last season’s record. Not to mention that the CUBS are on FIRE and a World Series is in our Future. GO CUBS! GO!

I think this is a great time to acknowledge an awesome year of the David Leonardis Report on the Local Tourist. Last year my second report was on the Art Expo and my fabulous publisher Theresa Carter sent me there with a Press Pass. I Love the Pass and I Love The Local Tourist. Thanks Theresa. (You’re welcome, David!!)

All right. On to Artropolis. I went to the opening night gala at the Artropolis. I’ve been going to the Chicago Art Expos for 16 years now. I’ve never exhibited in one but a lot of people I work with in the business do. I’ve always concentrated on selling the happy fun art to the cool people. If you’re looking for the depressing Francis Bacon looking art, that’s the gallery down the street. Don’t even get me started about the River North art scene.

This year I checked out the Artist Project, the Antiques Fair, Art Chicago and just a glimpse of the Next show. I remember thinking that the VW Bus made out of wood was the coolest piece I saw at any of the exhibits that night. Last year it was all of the Tom Wesselman’s. I love a good VW wood or not but I’m a much bigger Tom Wesselman fan.

I talked with several artists that had booths and Aron Packer of the Packer / Schoff gallery. Aaron is an old friend and a fantastic gallerist himself. You get the implication that I am of course a fantastic Gallerist myself. I know you did. I’m just fishing for a compliment. Aron had good things to say about the show. He was very happy with the publicity and thought the layout of the Next show was really nice. All right here it is. My much expected review of the Artropolis. I was appalled by a lot of the art exhibited in the Artist Project section. There were some obviously good artists like David DeRosa and several other artists that I met that night for the first time. But there was art there that was Street Fair quality. I can only say again that I was shocked that a lot of the art I saw there was in a show put on by Chris Kennedy and the Kennedy family. They should know better than that. I mean to say that they put in the extra 250 bad artists in the show because they wanted the extra $300,000 is belaboring the obvious. Again. there were some great artists there. Just not that many.

The Art Chicago fair had a much better feel to it. This is the real fair. The Real McCoy. Gallery owners like Charles Cowles Gallery Inc. and Artists like Victor Skrebneski make that a top rate show. You see I’m not just ragging on them. My opinions are heart felt. The Antiques fair was great too. That is a time honored profession and currency. People are always looking for good antiques. I ran into Todd Schwebel there. I’ve know Todd for years. Todd has a fantastic shop in River North. Todd’s the kinda guy where his business is happening because he knows people and he runs his business like a business. I admire that. He’s from an old school Chicago family. He and that fair make me think of the south side of Chicago where they have some fantastic old homes. It’s 57th or so I think. Somewhere around where Louis Farakan has his big compound. There must be two dozen beautiful old money mansions within a few blocks. It’s worth a drive around to take in the architecture. Well actually with Gas being $4.50 a gallon for premium, you may have to plan it out in advance a little. Make a day trip of it. My friend Brad paid $99 for a tank of gas yesterday on the way to the CUBS game. Now that’s outrageous. If you want to buy an ATM or have a great spot for one call brad. Brad is an art collector. So you’ll know you’re dealing with a better more well rounded person up front.

The Intuit show was filled with dealers and collectors that made a lot of money or much recognition in their careers because of Howard Finster. How many of them do you think were willing to cough up $120 to have their name on the Howard Finster Vision House in perpetuity? One. See I just went ahead and told you before you had a chance to guess. It just seemed like the literary thing to do there. It was Cleo Wilson by the way. Thanks Cleo. Anyway I’ve already heard that they’re going to do another show and it’ll be different than the lay out of this last Artropolis. Stay tuned and I’ll give you another brutally honest review.

This seems like a good time to say that we are almost ready to open the phase two of my Howard Finster Vision House. I’ll be installing new artworks in June and July. Also in July there will be an article about the Museum and me in Smithsonian Magazine. I gotta tell you I’m pretty proud of that. Thanks Howard. It’s my pleasure to build this Museum for you.

Also a quick shout out to Abel Ferrara who is filming “Chelsea on the Rocks,” about the history of the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. Abel is the real McCoy by the way. That’s for sure. Google him. I mean Wow!

I’m on my way to Fado tonight for my publisher Theresa Carter’s birthday bash. Fado’s a cool place I hear. I guess I’ll know for sure tonight. Before that I’m going to the Columbia College portfolio review. My chance to find a young artist or two to mold before they’re corrupted by the Art World. I always know an artist is the Real McCoy if they collect art. Then they get it for sure. Art Collectors are better more well rounded people. The great artists collect. It’s that simple.

All right then. I did it! Another first rate David Leonardis Report. I want to thank you for reading and feel free to give me a shout if I can help you with your art collection.

DL

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