Spring is shaping up to be a busy season in Chicago’s art world, with new exhibitions across galleries and museums. Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke with five insiders about what excites them now and what they anticipate next.

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Laura-Caroline de Lara – DePaul Art Museum

“Our team at DePaul Art Museum recently opened Christina Fernandez: Multiple Exposures, curated by UCR Arts’s Joanna Szupinska, in March. We have been loving introducing Chicago audiences to the LA-based artist’s photography, exploring migration, labor, gender, and Fernandez’s Mexican American identity. As part of our ongoing initiative to support Latinx artists, DPAM is honored to have recently acquired one of Fernandez’s works from the exhibition for our permanent collection, so audiences can continue to engage with her work in Chicago after the exhibition’s close. We also have an incredible array of public programs alongside the exhibition, including an exhibition tour with the artist during EXPO Chicago; a hands-on, multi-generational workshop with Chicago-based artist Victoria Martinez; and more. Simultaneously, DPAM will prep to launch our fall season, which includes a solo show for internationally renowned artist Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle and a survey of the history of the Young Lords Organization in Lincoln Park, which both open to all on September 11.”