Edra Soto and Dan Sullivan run one of the more unusual and progressive art spaces in Chicago. The Franklin is an outdoor gallery and project space that rests in their backyard. No amenities, just the brisk northen winds to energize an artist’s creativity. The COMP Magazine recently visited their East Garfield Park home (and gallery) to discuss non-traditional formats of presenting art, their project for CTA, and why their widely different backgrounds offer an ideal platform for investigating new artistic dialogues.
Photo of Dan Sullivan and Edra Soto in front of The Franklin (photo courtesy of The Chicago Reader)
Lets start with the impetus and inception of The Franklin. What prompted you to create The Franklin? Do you have a philosophy or mission for the space? Is there a specific function you want The Franklin to have in the Chicago art community?
ES: During my time studying at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, I attempted to create an installation project that had community centric components. Titled I Love Chicago Project, it welcomed and celebrated all disciplines, taking place at my studio located in the Michigan Building back in 1999 during the first year of my MFA. I invited musicians, performers and anyone who wanted to present their work to a small audience. I programed events for a couple of months. I think that The Franklin consolidates all my attempts to bring various disciplines into a cultural or educational experience. The Franklin was also born out of my desire for supporting the arts community that I’m a part of after living in Chicago for over 15 years. The Franklin also became my first project in collaboration with my husband Dan Sullivan, who helped with the fabrication of most of my large-scale installations. The Franklin was part of an exhibition we did at Northeastern Illinois University titled Living by Example. This exhibition was a tribute and an examination of Chicago artist-run culture. We asked ourselves “What will be a significant contribution to this culture? What haven’t been explore and how can we highlight those properties through out project”. We decided to design and fabricate our exhibition space. We wanted a space outdoors, with flexible properties that allows artists from various disciplines configure it to their convenience. The Franklin has 6 walls that are removable and deck that can be used as a stage. It’s particular design allows ventilation and light to come through but still, all under a roof. Another component that we promote at The Franklin is our personal art collection. This collection is the result of our relationship with Chicago artist-run culture. The collection was generated by trading with artists-friends, buying art at non-profit organizations and donations by artists. During opening nights we keep the house open to allow visitors to view our collection. We know so many artists in Chicago that have invaluable collections of art. I always think about the fact that only friends or family will see this collection. I think allowing general public to view the collection is another way to perpetuate and promote Chicago artists work. I have done a lot of namedropping since The Franklin opened its doors!
The Franklin (detail)
You two met at SAIC. From what I’ve gathered, you have fairly different backgrounds. Perhaps, you each can offer a little background on yourselves and interests. What type of impact has this had on the creation of The Franklin or other collaborative projects?
ES: I grew up in Puerto Rico. I come from a middle class family. I was submerged in mainstream culture. I wasn’t very aware of this till I started studying at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I did my bachelors a Escuela de Artes Plasticas de Puerto Rico. It’s located in the heart of Old San Juan, right in front of the national monument El Morro. I greatly enjoy this experience and didn’t want it to end. I spent 5 years there and had a prolific commercial art career. My intuition was telling me that I was not living to my potential, so I left. I thought a Masters Degree would help me figure out what am I really pursuing by making art. The first time Dan helped me with my art was on the completion of a project I did for my MFA thesis. This was a participatory installation project titled Spotlight. I did most of this work, but he helped me fastened the sculpture to the floor and make it secure for visitors that stepped in the sculpture. From then on, knowing that I could count on his involvement, I felt I was able to pursue more ambitious projects. I never had a problem dreaming big, but his assistance truly opened up the possibilities of materializing big projects.
DS: I grew up in Maine. I spent a lot of time outdoors creating my own fun with friends. I studied art until I got to college and realized I didn’t like studying art. By then I was playing in a few bands and music was my primary focus. After college I worked at SAIC until I was basically fired, which was the best thing for everyone. I had met Edra and made a lot of friends there, so that was good, but surrounded by artists it occurred to me that I knew nothing about art. After that I started hustling up work in the trades or in galleries or wherever. One thing led to another and these days I own a custom fabrication and general contracting business, which I’ve been doing for about 10 years. I enjoy the parameters presented by clients; working on deadlines and staying within budgets, and there is a fair amount of creativity that I can put into the designing furniture and other projects. Working with Edra has its challenges but we both understand that our skill sets are very complimentary. Honestly, I feel like we have only scratched the surface of our potential as collaborators.
DominoDomino during an opening of the Dock 6 Design and Art Series(detail)
What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered running The Franklin? The exhibitions are held outdoors, Chicago is known for its unyielding weather. Has this played out in any interesting stories?
ES: So far, no much. We have experience all kinds of artists with all kinds of approaches to The Franklin. Its particular designed structure is something that artists seem to keep in mind. Most of the projects presented at The Franklin are site-specific. Artists that approach the wintertime are exited to do so. Most of the time, they incorporate the weather issues into their project. Our upcoming project, opening on Valentine’s Day (Visitation Rites: February 14 from 6-10pm) focus on burning and leads the audience to our fire pit for this ritualistic approach leaded by artist Chris Smith. This will be the third iteration of Chris’s projects
Detail of the Puerto Rican domestic screen that served as inspiration for the monumental structure to be installed at the CTA Western Blue Line during this fall (2015)
You are currently working upon the redesign of the Western Blue Line Stop’s façade for the CTA. Can you provide an introduction to your proposed project and the process?
ES: CTA did an open call for a contract titled Your New Blue expected to be up for public viewing this fall. In my experience applying for grants, this was one of the easiest applications I’ve ever completed. I did apply with great confidence. With our skill sets and experience, I have thought of this as the opportunity we have been waiting for. This is a fabulous site with great amounts of daily public traffic and compatible with the type of creative solutions we can offer. We are working on creating a monumental screen that will be places right below the pedestrian platform. This is part of a series I’ve bee exploring titled GRAFT, inspired by Puerto Rican decorative screens.
DS: Edra and I had been independently drawing upon the architectural ironwork found throughout the neighborhood she grew up for inspiration: me in my furniture design, and she in some of her site-specific installations (the Graft series). When this opportunity arose we both immediately knew we were going to do something with these “screens” and explored a few options until we settled on our current plan. I used my contacts in the trades to source the fabricator, research the materials, finishing, installation, and set the budget. Fabrication is due to start in the next two months.
Edra Soto Working at the Rauschenberg Residency last summer (photo by Laurie Lambrecht)
What do you have planned for 2015 and beyond?
ES: I will be participating in various group exhibitions, including Material Normal, Monumental curated by Alberto Aguilar at Riverside Arts Center, Domesticated Paradise curated by La Keisha Leek at Comfort Station, and a two- person show with Bernanrd Williams curated by CarolAnn Brown that opens on October 3rd at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City. Dan and I will be exhibiting together for the first time in New York as collaborators. Our exhibition titled DominoDomino at Morgan Lehman Gallery opens on May 7. We are presenting a traditional county plaza domino table fabricated by Dan as a high-end piece of furniture. We are complementing this work with an edition of flags I’ve made in Captiva at the Rauschenberg Residency last summer. I will be presenting an outdoor version of this edition of flags at the IV Trienal Poli/Gráfica de San Juan, Latinoamérica y el Caribe curated by Gerardo Mosquera from Cuba, Alexia Tala from Chile and Vanessa Hernandez Garcia from Puerto Rico. This exhibition opens October 24 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Without a doubt, excitement is in the air …
My 2016 starts with an exhibition at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois Springfield, curated by Allison Lacher that opens on January 19.
Curated by Bert Stable and title GRAFT, this exhibition marks my first solo show in New York!!! at Cuchifritos Gallery and Project Space located inside the Essex Street Market in the Lower East Side. This exhibition opens on March 26.
DS: I have nearly completed the renovation of Reckless Records’ new store on Milwaukee Ave in Wicker Park, which will feature some collaborative design work by myself and Edra. We are also collaborating on design work for the build out of a brewery that will be opening in Logan Square/Avondale sometime this summer. Edra and I also have a show together in New York in May. More immediately, I am moving my shop, with my colleagues in the Dock 6 Collective, to a building that we are purchasing in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood. This is a rather massive undertaking but it is very exciting. It will be the home of Dock 6 for the foreseeable future.
Tropicalamerican (edition of flags) (photo by Laurie Lambrecht)
Edra Soto and Dan Sullivan run The Franklin at 3522 West Franklin Blvd., Chicago, IL 60624, (WEST SIDE / EAST GARFIELD PARK). Phone – (312) 823-3632
Links to additional information on the Franklin, Edra Soto, and Dan Sullivan:
The Franklin – http://thefranklinoutdoor.tumblr.com/
The Franklin on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thefranklinoutdoor
Edra Soto – http://edrasoto.com/
Dan Sullivan’s Navillus Woodworks – http://www.navilluswoodworks.com/about.html
Dan Sullivan, furniture designer & musician, and Edra Soto, artist, Chicago, IL 2017
Interview and portrait by Chester Alamo-Costello
