By Maureen Murphy
If you think that the combination of wet paint and the expensive black clothes favored by society’s elite is a bad idea, the organizers of BareWalls would disagree. Bare-Walls, the annual fundraiser that has raked in thousands of dollars for SAIC student scholarships for eight years, brings dozens of SAIC alumni to Gallery 2 to paint three-foot by five-foot pieces of canvas that patrons bid on while they observe the artists create their work. This year, $80,000 was raised and about 850 patrons attended.
In addition to bringing in scholarship money, BareWalls (which is non-juried, thus representing the diversity of SAIC’s alumni) succeeds in many ways. The fundraiser is an opportunity to bring together over 150 alumni to one location. And this location isn’t unimportant, either. Hosting the fundraiser at Gallery 2 brings both alumni and potential bidders to a student space, rather than the usually roped off 112 S. Michigan ballroom or the intimidating AIC auditoriums. And, of course, the fundraiser assures current students that there are alumni who are indeed active in the world of art, and are still considered a part of the SAIC community after graduation.
BareWalls also provides an opportunity for students who have 50 bucks to shell out or receive comp passes (like me) to talk to alumni. Many of the alumni whom I talked to fondly remembered the diversity of ideas present at SAIC. Barry Surkis, who received his BFA in 1975, said he was really lucky to have classes with artists like Robert Smithson and Stan Brakhage, and Claes Oldenberg was a visiting artist at the time. Now a teacher at North Central College, Surkis added, “Of course the faculty [at SAIC] was exceptional.”
Another facet of SAIC that alumni praised is the emphasis on working within many disciplines. 2001 graduate Lisa French, who now works at the Gene Siskel Film Center, said that one of her favorite aspects of the school was “definitely trying different media.”
George C. Clark, who received his BFA in 1965, said “They made everybody take a curriculum that covered the whole range of arts. By exposing you to all those things they open your eyes to [that which] you would not have discovered for yourself.” Clark, who emphasized in design and printmaking while at SAIC, has been working mostly in advertising and illustrating, in addition to showing his work in galleries.

Another common sentiment was the amount of fun the alumni had while at SAIC. Alum Kris Cahill, who studied fashion and textile design and received her BFA in 1982, returned to SAIC in 1989 to develop her painting skills. According to Cahill, “It was a blast, it was so fun ... I was there at the age of 17 ... I made great friends.” Cahill, whose education has led her to design costumes for dance and opera productions, and is also a meditation instructor, did find some challenges at SAIC. She commented, “I have my issues with competition and critiques ... which I hate.”

Although many alumni interviewed were teachers and working in the arts, Atyl’s (who goes by one name) education at SAIC led her to an unlikely career in law. After graduating in 1999, Atyl worked as an interior designer. But, she says, “after a while it was obvious that [people] try to rip off artists through intellectual property issues, so I decided to do something about that.” She is now a lawyer who represents artists.
A few alumni found the job market to be rough. Amy Defries’ painting, featuring an office break room-style coffeemaker bubbling over accompanied by the text, “There’s Trouble Brewing!”, can easily be related to the stiff job market and Enron-style corporate drama. After receiving a BFA in 1991, Defries started her own business to pay off her debt. Although Defries said, “I’m still up to my ears in student loans,” she doesn’t seem to regret going to school at SAIC. She added, “I don’t have to be anyone’s slave ... I have a stress-free existence. I’m not in it for the money, although it would be nice. ... My true wealth is my education.”
C. Maura Poshka, who received her BFA in 1974 and Master’s in Art Therapy in 1992, has found the demand for art therapy to be very slim. However, she says, “Although I’m not a famous person ... I’m still a strong product of the Art Institute.”

Photographs by Maureen Murphy