Exhibition & Poetry Reading: Ana Castillo and Illinois Poet Laureate Angela Jackson

EXHIBITION & POETRY READING

Ana Castillo and Illinois Poet Laureate Angela Jackson

When: Monday, June 26th, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Where: Morgan Arts Complex (MAC)

3622 S. Morgan Street, Chicago/ Bridgeport

SPONSORED BY GUILD Literary Complex

The Many Loves of Ana Castillo exhibition will also be on view this evening during the poetry reading at the Morgan Arts Complex.

Debut Exhibition by Celebrated Poet, Artist and Novelist ANA CASTILLO

June 24 - October 9

The solo exhibition of original works on paper opened at our River North gallery on June 24 with a book signing of Castillo's latest novel, Doña Cleanwell Leaves Home. Books will be available fore sale in the both of our galleries as well as on our website.

In The Many Loves of Ana Castillo, Castillo has created a whimsical world of visual characters painstakingly woven with pencil, pen, sharpies and pastels, featuring series of angels, goddesses, animals and auto portraits in a distinctive and original style.

"Whether it's dancing cats or a girl with a dove dress, a series may evolve solely from a desire to try variations of a theme. My immediate environment--quail, turtles, dogs, insects are turned up on paper. All manner of creatures and human figures, past, present, around the globe and from beyond—appear. The sun, moon and stars that give us light are also everpresent.

At times, I go within, inside where emotions from experiences dwell. They manifest in symbols, divine figures, hybrid creatures, my love and respect I’ve had for Mexican artisans and I draw Trees of Life, Talavera ceramic designs, or pre- Hispanic symbols like the Monkey Mambo series. Whether it was Beardsley’s spirit revisiting me or a desire to occupy the hours with a task that required dedication while producing calmness within, but also, finally, a pleasant object, once I began in summer, 2015, I’ve not stopped.

--Ana Castillo June 2, 2023 New Mexico 

Born and raised in Chicago, Castillo's award winning, bestselling titles include the novels So Far from God, The Guardians, Peel My Love like an Onion, and Sapogonia, which was a New York Times Notable Book, and the poetry collection I Ask the Impossible. She has received numerous awards, including the 2018 PEN Oakland Lifetime Achievement Award, the Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement, and this year was inducted into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. Ana Castillo is a powerful voice in not only the literary world but as an artist of originality and substance.