Chicago, Illinois, June 2004—Three Chicago area artists including Jeremy Schulz, of Create Random Acts of Public Art will be joining the list of artists, activists and students who participated in the New Orleans debut of the George W. Bush Art Opening. The show was a huge success with over 150 in attendance and was held over for additional days to meet the demand of people who had not been able to make it to the one night event. The art show was organized by Karen Ocker, veteran book designer, and Illustrator of the George W. Bush Coloring, who came up with the idea of the community art show to "offer others a chance to creatively voice their own feelings about Bush, his policies and his administration and be an active participant rather than just an observer."

The George W. Bush Coloring Book is the latest release from Garrett County Press, award winning independent publisher of Temp Slave. The book draws from the imaginative words President Bush has uttered over the years, and creatively delivers them in the form of a coloring book. Illustrator Karen Ocker, lends her visually distinct style to on-the-record quotes such as "It's amazing I won. I was running against peace, prosperity and incumbency," and "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." Doug MacCash, art critic at the New Orleans Times Picayune reported that Ocker's "drawings are crisp, nicely composed and chock full of smart-aleck visual details." 

The George W. Bush Coloring Book Art Show was organized to coincide with the book's launch in New Orleans and will be travelling to Chicago for one night only on June 23rd at 7:30pm. The event will be held at Barbara's Bookstore, 1218 South Halsted St. Artists, activists and students who are participating in the art show range in age from 8 to 87 and were asked to select and "color in" a page and George W. Bush quote from the coloring book but not necessarily "stay in the lines". Ocker requested they interpret the term "color in" loosely.

On view along with half a dozen pieces of Ocker's own original Bush-themed art are 19 pieces that cover a wide range of mediums. New Orleans glass artist, Lisa Tahir contributes a glass sculpture that is back-lit to illuminate the theme of death and war which was inspired by the Dubya quote from the coloring book, "we must not allow the world's worst leaders to develop and harbor the world's worst weapons. I got a lot of tools at my disposal, and I'm a patient man; and I'm a patient man." The coloring book illustration for this quote features a Dr. Strangelove-like illustration of a gun-toting Condoleezza and Bush riding a WMD while Cheney and Powell surround themselves with an arsenal of weapons.

The show also includes a beautiful, finely hand-carved wooden WMD checker set and "tree table" by New Orleans artist Paul Troyano and an amazing, strappy George W. Bush Coloring Book paper dress created by New York City fashion designer, Rosie Stevens. Come down and practice knocking down the Bush administration with Ocker's "Pinheads," a Bush administration bowling set, or view some of the more traditional illustrations that are inspired by World War II poster designs. Long-time New Orleans politcal activist Debra Forfreedom has created a reprise of her Vietnam Era collage for the show and Michele Harrison's beautifully intricate bead work is not to be missed. Select artist bios can be viewed at www.gcpress.com/news/latest37.html.

For more information contact Barbara's Bookstore Barbara's Bookstore, www.barbarasbookstore.com/ , (312) 413-2665 or g.k. Darby at Garrett County Press, 504-598-4685, www.gcpress.com, garrett (at) gcpress.com


The George W. Bush Coloring Book
Illustrated by Karen Ocker
Historical footnote by Joley Wood
Garrett County Press
24 pages. Softcover. Saddle Stitched.
Nonfiction/Political
ISBN: 1891053949
Collectors Edition Number: A482EEG
Connect the dots included.
www.gcpress.com