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Clarence Schmidt's House of Mirrors, photo by Gregg Blasdel

A Talk with Gregg Blasdel, Art Environment Scholar
February 16 , 2006

Press release:
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art is hosting a talk and slide presentation by Gregg Blasdel, an early champion and scholar of art environments. The talk will be held at Intuit, 756 N. Milwaukee Avenue on Thursday, February 16th at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Street parking is available in the immediate vicinity of the Center.

Gregg Blasdel, Associate Professor of Fine Arts at Saint Michael’s College, has explored and documented art environments since the 1960s. His article “The Grass Roots Artist,” which appeared in Art In America in 1968, pioneered the study and appreciation of art environments – including Cano's towers in Colorado, the work of Clarence Schmidt, the work of Jesse Howard, and others. In addition to presenting a slideshow, Blasdel will screen a rare 16mm film on Clarence Schmidt, shot by William Lipke, that is described as “a real period piece with a soundtrack that features Allen Ginsberg chanting and Clarence running through the meadow with daisies in his hair.” This presentation is not to be missed!

This presentation is a partnership with Intuit and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Integrated Visions: 20th Century Art Environments art history class, and is supported by the Roads Scholarship Fund for Research and Travel.