West Town, Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, Kinzie Corridor, Humboldt Park

West Town

Wisconsin

IL • MI • IN

West Loop, Fulton Market, East Garfield Park

West Loop and West Side

Evanston, The North Shore, Northern, Western and Southern Suburbs

Suburbs

Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Uptown, Edgewater, Andersonville, Rogers Park

North Side

Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, The Gold Coast, The Loop, and South Loop

Michigan Avenue

Pilsen, Bridgeport, Chinatown, plus Hyde Park, Jackson Park/Dorchester, and Bronzeville

South Side

Superior and Franklin streets, West Chicago Ave, and down to Merchandise Mart and the River

River North

Image: Willie Kohler, Keep On Rowing, 2024, oil on canvas, 52 x 48 inches

 Willie Kohler: There Are Many Nows 

SECRIST | BEACH is&nbsp;pleased to announce the exhibition&nbsp;Master Class: Inside the Last American Museum School with SAIC Painting Alumni.&nbsp;Master Class&nbsp;brings together artworks by over 60 former and current students who studied in the Painting and Drawing Department of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) between the years 2000 and 2025. This exhibition, on view from April 19 through June 21, 2025 at SECRIST | BEACH in Chicago, is guest-curated by art historian, Chair of the Department of Painting and Drawing and current faculty member Lisa Wainwright along with SAIC President Emerita, Elissa Tenny. The gallery will host an opening reception for the public on Saturday, April 19 from 5-8PM.&nbsp;In 1866 a group of 35 artists founded the Chicago Academy of Design. Their mandate was to create a free school to study “life” and “antique” drawing and to run a gallery space alongside the school. The building the original gallery space occupied was lost in the Great Chicago fire of 1871, but by 1879 a new gallery space, with the support of new board members, was born and renamed the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. In 1882, that name was changed to&nbsp;what we know as&nbsp;the Art Institute of Chicago. Since that time, the School and the Art Institute have grown into a symbiotic dynamic that has&nbsp;greatly impacted both the Chicago scene and the larger art world&nbsp;in myriad ways.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the eve of its 160th anniversary, and little known to many, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is the last 'Museum School' in North America. In celebration of this achievement,&nbsp;Master Class&nbsp;dives into the close connection between the museum and the alums of its renowned Painting and Drawing Department from the last 25 years. On view in the gallery will be an artwork by each of the artists selected, taking up the entirety of the gallery’s 10,000 sq. ft. space. In addition to their own artwork, each artist has been asked to identify an artist and a work of theirs from the collection of the Art Institute. Didactics and a video presentation on view in our salon room will guide viewers to those works in the collection.&nbsp;&nbsp;Curating this exhibition has reminded us - and will express to viewers - the integral and generative link between the school and the museum, highlighting the long histories of public collections and art-making in Chicago. Some of the connections between the artwork on view and their chosen Art Institute collection include a Tony Lewis drawing and Stuart Davis’&nbsp;Ready-to-Wear&nbsp;(1955), Jeffly Gabriela Molina’s painting with Agnes Martin’s&nbsp;Untitled No. 12&nbsp;(1977), Minami Kobayashi’s painting and Pierre Bonnard’s&nbsp;Earthly Paradise&nbsp;(1916-1920).What becomes apparent in&nbsp;Master Class&nbsp;is the indelible impact these master artworks have provided for two and a half decades of art students. Contextually, placing these works into close proximities allows the viewer to comprehend the role a museum has in the cognitive&nbsp;and technical&nbsp;development&nbsp;of artists. Ultimately, the engaging&nbsp;pairings provide&nbsp;insight into the role of looking,&nbsp;sensorial consciousness,&nbsp;historical mapping,&nbsp;institutional awareness and other more surprising discoveries.&nbsp;This exhibition serves as a&nbsp;tangible experience for anyone interested in art history and pedagogy. CATALOGUE:&nbsp;In recognition of the importance of this monumental exhibition, SECRIST | BEACH is developing a comprehensive catalogue that will provide valuable insight regarding&nbsp;Master Class.&nbsp;Many&nbsp;participating artists&nbsp;have&nbsp;provided their own writing in which they expound on their experience as a student, their relationship with SAIC and why the master artwork they chose was impactful. A cadre of art historians, critics and academics connected to SAIC will also be contributing essays that focus on individual artists and their inspiration. Additionally, art historian and co-curator of&nbsp;Master Class&nbsp;Lisa Wainwright and artist and SAIC&nbsp;Crown Family&nbsp;professor Michelle Grabner will contribute introductory essays diving into the history of the relationship between the School and the Institute,&nbsp;and the placement of twenty-five years of production in the context of contemporary art. SCHOLARSHIP:At the conclusion of&nbsp;Master Class, Carrie Secrist and Bill Beach will be presenting a gift to The School of the Art Institute to support future students and their endeavors in learning.&nbsp; Artists featured in&nbsp;Master Class&nbsp;include:Lindsay Adams, Noelle Africh, Luke Agada, Alberto Aguilar, Latifa Alajlan, Cecilia Beaven, Aviv Benn, Samantha Bittman, Elijah Burgher, Robert Burnier, Nik Cho, Alex Bradley Cohen, Jeane Cohen, Paula Crown, Chelsea Culprit, Tavin Davis, Dana DeGiulio, Austin Eddy, Stephen Eichhorn, Peter Fagundo, Nicola Florimbi, Howard Fonda, Jae Ford, Jonathan Gardner, Magalie Guérin, Antonia Gurkovska, Efrat Hakimi, Andrew Holmquist, Mika Horibuchi, Patrick Dean Hubbell, Steven Husby, Omair Hussain, G.D. Johnson, James Kao, Em Kettner, Minami Kobayashi,&nbsp;Meredith Kopelman,&nbsp;David Leggett, Tony Lewis, MJ Lounsberry, Wangari Mathenge, Kristoffer McAfee,&nbsp;Rodney McMillian, Isabella Mellado, Emily Miller, Jeffly Gabriela Molina, Aliza Nisenbaum, Angel Otero, Ruth Poor, Kaveri Raina, Autumn Ramsey, Celeste Rapone, Josh Reames,&nbsp;Clare Rojas, Sterling Ruby, Charlotte Saylor, Claire Sherman,&nbsp;Sumakshi Singh, Cameron Spratley, Keer Tanchak, Sebastian Thomas, Alice Tippit, Orkideh Torabi, Pedro Trueba, Cody Tumblin, Omar Velázquez, Jonathan Worcester, Hiejin Yoo and Molly Zuckerman-Hartung.

Master Class: Inside the Last American Museum School with SAIC Painting Alumni 

The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) announces its highly anticipated Annual Benefit Gala, taking place Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Institute's historic location. This elegant evening of art, culture, and community will feature a special live performance by the renowned Telnyuk Sisters, direct from Kyiv.The gala begins with cocktails at 6:00 PM, followed by the main program at 7:00 PM. Guests will enjoy an unforgettable evening that celebrates Ukrainian artistic heritage while supporting UIMA's vital mission of preserving and promoting Ukrainian art and culture. Event Highlights Include:Live Performance: The legendary Telnyuk Sisters will perform exclusively for gala attendees, bringing their celebrated artistry directly from Ukraine's capitalSilent Auction: Guests will have the opportunity to bid on unique artworks and one-of-a-kind piecesSpecial Surprises: The evening promises unexpected moments and magical experiences throughout the nightPremium Refreshments: Delicious drinks provided by Revolution Brewery will complement the sophisticated atmosphere The Annual Benefit Gala serves as a crucial fundraising event for UIMA, with proceeds supporting the Institute's ongoing efforts to preserve Ukrainian artistic traditions, showcase contemporary Ukrainian artists, and educate the public about Ukraine's rich cultural heritage.Attendees are encouraged to dress elegantly for this sophisticated evening. The event provides an excellent opportunity for art enthusiasts, cultural supporters, and community members to come together in celebration while making a meaningful impact.Sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses and individuals interested in supporting UIMA's mission at a higher level. Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025Time: Cocktails at 6:00 PM, Program at 7:00 PM Location: Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, ChicagoDress Code: Elegant attire For ticket information, sponsorship opportunities, or additional details about the Annual Benefit Gala, please visit&nbsp;https://uima-chicago.org/gala About the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art&nbsp;The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) preserves and promotes contemporary art as a shared expression of the Ukrainian and American experience. UIMA develops, utilizes and encourages artistic talent through exhibitions, concerts, readings, lectures and films to serve the cultural needs of our community and city, and thereby strengthen cultural understanding and diversity.

The UIMA Benefit Gala

Woman Made Gallery (WMG) is proud to present&nbsp;Photography Now,&nbsp;a group exhibition featuring 43 works by 41 artists.&nbsp;This exhibition invited submissions that explore how women and non-binary artists use photography to engage with the pressing issues of our time. The exhibition seeks to highlight how the photographic medium—whether central or complementary to an artist’s practice—can be used to confront, question, and navigate contemporary socio-political challenges, innovative processes, and evolving technologies. Artists were encouraged to reflect on the critical dynamics of this moment, exploring photography’s role in shaping and responding to global and personal narratives.&nbsp;Exhibition EventsThe exhibition opens with a reception at Woman Made Gallery on Saturday, May 24, from 4 to 7 p.m.The exhibition concludes with a Closing Reception on Saturday, June 21, 2 – 4PM, offering a final opportunity to meet the participating artists in person. Events at WMG are free and open to the public.Exhibiting Artists:&nbsp;​Galit Aloni, Ines Bahr, Debbie Baxter, Nika Belianina, Joanna Biondolillo, Shweta Bist, Brittanie Bondie, Maria Burundarena, Airco Caravan, Grace Chialdikas, Hannah Louise Daigle, Eso Malflor, Atefeh Farajolahzadeh, Shoshana Fink, Sylvie Harrism Carlos Hernandez, Isabella Kahn, Zero Kelly Thompson, Annie Klein, Maria Macko, Megan Major, Erica McKeehen, Editha G Mesina, Gabrielle Morrison, Natasha Leonie Moustache, Jade Nguyen, Eleanor Oakes, Allison Plass, Corinne Pompéy, Liese A Ricketts, Kathryn Rodrigues, Ana M Rodriguez, Elizabeth Sarpong, Nalani Sexton, Anastasiia Terentieva, Ani Tung, Jayla Trenyce, Lynsey Weatherspoon, Madelaina Weinhardt, Chantal Zakari, Shuyuan ZhouAbout the Juror: Whitney Bradshaw&nbsp;is an artist, activist, educator, curator and former social worker living in Chicago. Her work has been shown widely across the United States including solo shows at Atlanta Contemporary, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), the DePaul Art Museum, Villanova University Gallery, the Tarble Arts Center at EIU, the Epiphany Center for the Arts, Wave Pool Contemporary Art Fulfillment Center, Photographic Center Northwest and more. The Museum of Contemporary Photography, the DePaul Art Museum, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Agnes Scott College, the Hall Art and Technology Foundation and Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell collect her work which has been published in Ms. Magazine, GIRLS Magazine, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the BRIDGE Journal and Vogue. In Fall of 2023, Bradshaw was named one of NewCity Magazine’s top 50 Chicago Artists’ Artists. Both she and OUTCRY are the subject of a documentary film titled OUTCRY: Alchemists of Rage directed by Clare Major which premiered at the Frameline Film Festival in June 2024 and was shortlisted for Best Short Film by the International Documentary Association in 2024. Now curator at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, she was previously the chair of the visual art conservatory at ChiArts, an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago, and curator of the renowned LaSalle Bank Photography Collection, later Bank of America. For more information visit:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(74, 74, 74);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.whitneybradshaw.com/" target="_blank">https://www.whitneybradshaw.com/</a>

Photography Now

Join Art Encounter's Joanna Pinsky for an expertly-guided Saturday morning tour of exhibitions at GRAY Chicago and Corbett vs. Dempsey in West Town, two of the city’s premier galleries.Beginning with Apparitions at GRAY Chicago’s immense space, we’ll delve into paintings and sculptures by world-renowned artists who have pushed the boundaries of representation over the past century. Whether invoking a spiritual realm, physical decay, or fleeting time, the artists have pursued traditional and inventive mediums to create a liminal space between what vanishes and what continues to exist. Among the 20 artists exhibited, we'll see works by Magdalena Abakanowicz, Theaster Gates, Alberto Giacometti, Susan Rothenberg, Kara Walker, Ana Mendieta, Jean Dubuffet, and Rashid Johnson.Next, at Corbett vs. Dempsey, we’ll discuss multimedia works by Rosa Barba, an Italian artist who uses cinematic film as a basis for sculptures, installations, and performances that address a range of themes from environmental to the mythological. This futuristic artist has exhibited world-wide including a large installation at MOMA. At the same gallery, we’ll jump back in time to view works by important Chicago artists of the 1950’s and 60’s who exhibited at the Hyde Park Art Center. Link to Register: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artencounter.org/weekend-art-walk" target="_blank">https://www.artencounter.org/weekend-art-walk</a>

Weekend Art Walk: West Town Galleries

Celebrate the culminating thesis projects of 2025 MFA candidates at Northwestern's Department of Art, Theory, and Practice.Daniel Dobrow, bree gant, Breanna Robinson, Renee Royale, José Taymani — 2025 Master of Fine Arts degree candidates — present their thesis projects and conclude their residencies in the<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://art.northwestern.edu/?mc_cid=a75727937e&amp;mc_eid=UNIQID" target="_blank">&nbsp;Department of Art, Theory, and Practice at Northwestern University.</a>This exhibition and the associated events are co-organized by the Department of Art, Theory, and Practice and the Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University. Support provided by the Norton S. Walbridge Fund; the Myers Foundations; the Jerrold Loebl Fund for the Arts; and the Alsdorf Gallery Endowment.Exhibition Opening CelebrationMay 8, 2025, 5PM – 8PM,&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opening-celebration-a-new-state-of-matter-tickets-1316600380179?utm-campaign=social&amp;utm-content=attendeeshare&amp;utm-medium=discovery&amp;utm-term=listing&amp;utm-source=cp&amp;aff=ebdsshcopyurl?_eboga=false&amp;mc_cid=a75727937e&amp;mc_eid=UNIQID" target="_blank">RSVP</a> The Block Museum of Art and the Department of Art, Theory, and Practice celebrate the 2025 MFA thesis exhibition, A NEW STATE OF MATTER. Join us for an opening reception in the lobby of the museum and experience the work of artists Daniel Dobrow, bree gant, Breanna Robinson, Renee Royale, and José Taymani. Open to all; we appreciate an RSVP!

2025 Art Theory and Practice MFA Thesis Exhibition

Curator: Fiona CashellCall for art: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.arcgallery.org/calls-for-entry-archive/call-for-entries-home" target="_blank">https://www.arcgallery.org/calls-for-entry-archive/call-for-entries-home</a>

HOME

For Dear Life grapples with and makes light of the perils of daily life. Inspiration is derived from domestic spaces—a space that can be hauntingly dull as well as safe and protective. I look for comparisons and rely on the uncanny, such as a flushed baby swing mechanism moving a broom to sweep the floor, referencing the monotony and ingenuity of motherhood. Many of the domestic structures are stressed or bent, referencing strain of one in a supporting role; however, in their altered form, they become visible and accomplish new feats, such as a shelf standing up on its own. I translate the push and pull of my own experience through tethered movements, contingent forms, reaching objects, and broom bristles. The absurd hints toward the profound while acknowledging struggle. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.arcgallery.org/exhibitions-archive/lisa-walcott" target="_blank">https://www.arcgallery.org/exhibitions-archive/lisa-walcott</a>

Lisa Walcott: For Dear Life

I paint my experiences of the world and its inhabitants with color, composition and texture through a filter rooted in memory&nbsp;and the echo of emotional characteristics related to those individuals alongside past events, situations and relationships. I explore and decipher how those interactions have shaped my life and have contributed to my personal growth and how my understanding informs my everyday actions. “Affect the Effect” is a series of paintings that act as a direct reflection of my experiences and my desire to share the truth about the power we possess to overcome doubt and express ourselves in ways that&nbsp;are both&nbsp;unique and universal at the same time. We are the creator and we truly can “Affect the Effect” in and of our lives and sculpt them into that which we desire. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.arcgallery.org/exhibitions-archive/margaret-archambault" target="_blank">https://www.arcgallery.org/exhibitions-archive/margaret-archambault</a>

Margaret Archambault:  Affect the Effect

Cover Artwork: “Ubuntu” by Russel Z. Harris 13th Annual Art Competition FinalistsTemoWeriemHolly AkkermanTony ArmendarizHeather BakerHarlan BalloggKyle BarronChristopher BeatySusan BennettSpiro BolosCheryl BooneJoan BredendickLaurie BumanGina BurriCathleen BurrillDorothy Bury ShawPaul CallahanMiguel A. CanoAshley ChappellJavier ChaviraMichael CoakesAndrea ColeAbdoulaye CondeBethany CorderoNastia CraigShkelqim DaniChantal DanylukLenin DelsolSherri DenaultMaisie DoyleMario DuarteConrad EdmondsRea Silvia EmmanouilJason FarleyJayson FateJohn FirakRobert FrankelTracy FreinMaureen GasekShelley GilchristMichael GlassmanMarco GonzalezCharlie GossClifton HenriKaren HirschLeslie HirshfieldAlan HobscheidKeira HowardJay HydeDoina IacobJames JonesJason E. JonesChristopher KillhamCherin KimErin LaRocqueKim LaurelYunkyung LeeSeonyoung LeeJean LewisDawn LiddicoattGeorge LindmarkMorgan MarshallSusan MarxCaroline McFaddenWilliam McKearnJennifer McNultyKatie MeuserRyan MillerKara MittonRosemary MorrisseyEmma MykowskiDaniel NolanGeoffrey NovelliHaven OvertonMariam PareJasmine PercellJonathan PrucLori RoderickElizabeth SarpongHoward SchwartzDavid SeligmanDavid SenJoalida SmitEva SmithDave SobotkaPatricia StewartDorothy StraughterFlannery ThompsonHarvey TillisAlexia TrzynaJeshurun TutsonLaima UrbanMadeline UsherJoanne VenaConstance VolkBruce WebberAJ WestleyRosalie WhiteBrian WildemanVeronica WoodwardXindi WuEdwige Massart Xavier WynnRebekah Younger

13th Annual Juried Art Competition

Michael Bentley, Untitled No. 111, 2024, Gouache&nbsp;on Paper, 41" x 85 1/4" Inception to Conclusion:&nbsp;The Perceivable Healing Power of Water SeriesThis will be Bentley's 7th Exhibition with Gruen Gallery

Michael Bentley |  New Works on View

GRAY is pleased to announce&nbsp;Apparitions,&nbsp;presenting the work of over twenty pioneering artists from across the last century whose interrogations of the human form and its fleeting presence have pushed boundaries of representation. Whether by dematerializing the body, imagining spirits, or making mirages, artists conjure a hallucinatory realm—a liminal space between what appears and what vanishes. Exhibited artists include Magdalena Abakanowicz, Huma Bhabha, McArthur Binion, Roger Brown, Jean Dubuffet, Alberto Giacometti, Ewan Gibbs, Ann Hamilton, Reggie Burrows Hodges, Rashid Johnson, Alex Katz, David Klamen, Jim Lutes, Ana Mendieta, Sandra Mujinga, Trevor Paglen, Naudline Pierre, Jaume Plensa, Susan Rothenberg, Mira Schor, Evelyn Statsinger, John Storrs, Kara Walker, and Wilmer Wilson IV. Apparitions&nbsp;will be on view at GRAY Chicago (2044 W. Carroll Ave.) from April 25 through June 27, 2025. The exhibition will open with a reception 6–8PM on Friday, April 25. Image: Kara Walker,&nbsp;Ten Opaque Micro-regressions, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, New York

Apparitions

Born in Mexico, but raised in Colombia, Stinkfish has been honing his skills on the streets of his hometown of Bogota since an early age. He first experimented with stencils in 2003 and has since perfected his own, unique style. His murals always have a stenciled portrait at their center. These portraits are taken from photos that the artist shoots during his travels around the world. They are faces that catch his eye, but not people he approaches and talks to. Another source is found photographs; either discovered lying on the streets or bought at flea markets. He fashions large format stencils based on these photographs, which on the street are then amended by impromptu, colorful halos.

Stinkfish: Prickly portraits of a fragmented world

Over the years, Robin Denevan has become known as a master in the technique of encaustic painting (an ancient technique utilizing wax, resin, and pigment), forging a creative path uniquely his own. Not only does Robin create very personal, evocative imagery from these unusual and challenging materials, it is rare to even&nbsp;find&nbsp;contemporary painters creating encaustic paintings in this wide range of sizes.The textures in these paintings are visceral and evocative, the colors are bold and expressive. Everywhere, you can see the hand of an artist sure in his craft, yet welcoming the new surprises and discoveries in each piece.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Robin Denevan. Return to the River

I'm pleased to invite you to&nbsp;Symbiotic Struggles: Lichen and Coral, a new exhibition featuring paintings by Margot McMahon and Sandra Wilcoxon that explores the fascinating parallels between two of nature's most remarkable symbiotic organisms. We'd be delighted if you could join us for the opening reception on Saturday, April 19, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. The exhibition runs through June 29, 2025. Image: Sandra K. Wilcoxon,&nbsp;Fringed Rosette Lichen 2, 2025, Physcia stellaris, Candelaria concolor,&nbsp;Hyperphyscia adglutinata, 12 x 15 in. framed, Watercolor&nbsp;

Symbiotic Struggles: Lichen and Coral

Jackson Junge Gallery presents&nbsp;RURAL, a mini exhibition featuring the artwork of Chicago-based artist&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/about/artists/pedro-igrez/" target="_blank">Pedro Igrez</a>. Known for his mixed media work using found objects and raw materials, Igrez has created an incredible new collection for&nbsp;RURAL&nbsp;that focuses on capturing the spirit of a rural landscape.The series of pieces featured in&nbsp;RURAL&nbsp;were created to invoke feelings of being immersed in the countryside, dwelling in a world where one is surrounded by both immense pastures and golden fields of grains. By adding natural elements to canvases of earth tones, Igrez attempts to recreate the beauty of pastoral poetry into physical form.&nbsp;RURAL&nbsp;provides a moment of peaceful reflection as it gives the viewer space to imagine themselves alone in the expansive, quiet world Igrez has created.Join us Friday, June 6th, 6-9pm for an opening reception for&nbsp;RURAL&nbsp;which will coincide with Wicker Park Bucktown’s monthly art walk, First Fridays. Refreshments will be provided. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on view June 2nd&nbsp;through June 29th, 2025. RURAL is curated by Gallery Director Kaitlyn Miller and Gallery Assistant Maddie Kirmse.﻿

RURAL

New Orleans: A Personal Perspective.&nbsp;&nbsp;All cities are unique, instantly recognizable by anyone who has lived in or visited one of them. And yet New Orleans stands out for a number of reasons. Most notably because it is an island of diversity surrounded by a Southern ethos that disdains outliers, rejects joie de vivre, and limits personal freedoms. It is a city filled with music and food and dancing in the streets. Little is off limits and the alcohol flows with abandon while the blues pours out the doorways of hundreds of dim and dingy bars.There is also an intrinsic age to New Orleans, an age that is difficult to find anywhere else in North America. A place where the Choctaw gathered for thousands of years to trade along the shores of the mighty Mississippi, where people’s souls were enslaved and traded, where immigrants found safety, except for some whose lives ended by swinging from a tree. Where current businesses flourish in buildings constructed 300 years ago and where jazz was born.Over the past 25 years Tobin and wife, Rachel, have been visiting this extraordinary city, sometimes with camera in hand and sometimes without. The photographs exhibited are based on a very personal experience of New Orleans, capturing the play of light and shadow on the buildings and reflections in the ever-present water that permeates the entirety of the city. The images also encompass the human character that epitomizes the essence of New Orleans.About Perspective gallery:&nbsp;Founded in 2010, Perspective Group and Photography Gallery is a not-for-profit community-oriented cooperative of fine art photographers whose purpose is to promote fine art photography. In addition to monthly artist exhibits, the gallery produces a guest speaker lecture series, monthly artist talks, an annual international juried exhibition, an annual invitation show, an annual juried exhibition for Chicago area photographers and an annual juried exhibition for Chicago area high school students.

Tobin Fraley

The Evanston Art Center (EAC) is excited to welcome the public to our upcoming exhibition,&nbsp;Friends of Dorothy’s, curated by Emma Rose Gudewicz.&nbsp;The exhibition will be on display from&nbsp;May 24 - June 29, 2025, and will be free and open to the public.&nbsp;Friends of Dorothy’s&nbsp;examines what it is to be queer today, underscoring the artists’ individual experience with queerness. This exhibition seeks to uplift and highlight LGBTQIA+ voices in an uncertain world.The exhibition title&nbsp;Friends of Dorothy’s&nbsp;derives from queer slang in the mid-20th century. At a time when homosexuality was criminalized, many queer individuals used coded language to identify one another safely in public. "Are you a friend of Dorothy?" was a discreet inquiry from one queer individual to another that didn’t risk revealing a queer person’s identity to potentially dangerous people.&nbsp;Amid the regression of societal acceptance and understanding, we reflect on historical queer communities—their unity and resilience—and how their experiences shape the spaces we create today.

Friends of Dorothy’s

<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/" target="_blank">Jackson Junge Gallery</a>&nbsp;is pleased to present their second group exhibition of the year,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/exhibitions" target="_blank">TACTILE TERRAIN</a>, featuring the artwork of thirty-two artists. The exhibition celebrates techniques passed down by artists and craftspeople for generations, with handcrafted work made from fiber, textiles, weaving, woodwork, pottery, ceramics and more.<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/exhibitions" target="_blank">TACTILE TERRAIN&nbsp;</a>brings together artists whose work draws directly from the earth, composed of natural elements and inspired by organic textures and forms. The mediums represented are either found in nature or derived from natural materials. Imagination facilitated by the human hand spins these materials into works of art, a collaboration between artist and nature. The exhibition is filled with beautiful earth tones and varied textures, providing an experience that invites viewers to slow down and reconnect.Local artist Pamela Penney exemplifies this connection with nature in her piece “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/outside-in" target="_blank">Outside In</a>”. Framed in a salvaged window, the work features twigs, seed pods, grasses, and flowers gathered on walks with her dogs. Her process of composing a piece begins out in the wild, where she curates and composes her finds before bringing the chosen pieces home and weaving them together with hand-spun yarns. Penney uses the terrain surrounding her as both inspiration and medium, resulting in work that feels as if it were grown, not made - nature woven through the artist’s hands.&nbsp;Capturing that moment of inspiration in nature is Karen Remsen’s “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/sylvan" target="_blank">Sylvan</a>”. The mixed media painting replicates the immersive feeling of walking down a lush forest path. Remsen used thousands of strung beads to bring texture and shine to the leaves framing the painted subject, a portrait of a woman peeking through the leaves, as well as crushed green stone that you might imagine crunching under your feet as you walk. “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/sylvan" target="_blank">Sylvan</a>” represents the sensory experience of losing oneself in nature, and the magic of being fully in the moment.Shelly Brucar’s fiber collage asks us to take advantage of the moments we have left. “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/while-there-is-still-time" target="_blank">While There is Still Time</a>” focuses on the beauty of the life found within our coral reefs, while stressing the need to protect them from the devastating effects of climate change. The collage is bursting with color, in contrast to&nbsp;the bleached white corals lining our coasts. The piece is both beautiful and sobering, a reminder of what is at stake if we fail to protect our fragile ecosystems.Chicago-based ceramicist Drew Reynolds brings movement into the gallery with interactive sculptures like “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/nebulous" target="_blank">Nebulous</a>”, a ceramic piece designed to rotate freely when engaged by the viewer. “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/nebulous" target="_blank">Nebulous</a>” is an undefined form intended to be viewed from any angle, rather than having a fixed orientation.&nbsp;The result is a sculpture that feels dynamic, alive, and ever-changing, while including the viewer in the process. His piece is joined by other organic, abstract sculptures in the exhibition, like Celia Greiner's wood sculpture “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/cells" target="_blank">Cells</a>”. Greiner’s stacked sculpture places just as much importance on the empty space within the forms as the forms themselves. The grain of maple wood adds a beautiful element of texture and line to the interiors of the piece, inviting the viewer to experience the space between them.Kelly McKaig’s “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/the-sum-and-the-parts" target="_blank">The Sum and the Parts</a>” pays homage to the tradition of stitching - one of the oldest textile arts. The piece is composed of corks sewn together with vintage cotton thread to create a curtain-like installation. McKaig places importance on the social aspect of stitching, saying, “For me, stitching is a companion activity. It’s something taught and practiced among the women in my family, taking place in and around the goings-on of everyday life. Indeed, it is an endeavor that brings and binds people together…” “<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/store/special-exhibit/the-sum-and-the-parts" target="_blank">The Sum and the Parts</a>” emphasizes the communal and generational nature of textile work.&nbsp;In&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/exhibitions" target="_blank">TACTILE TERRAIN</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/" target="_blank">Jackson Junge</a>&nbsp;offers a group exhibition featuring artwork that takes us back to our roots and celebrates the oldest forms of making. Whether it be ceramics, textiles, wood or stone, each piece highlights the beauty and versatility of natural materials.<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/exhibitions" target="_blank">TACTILE TERRAIN</a>&nbsp;will be on view at&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/" target="_blank">Jackson Junge Gallery</a>&nbsp;May 12th&nbsp;– June 29th, 2025. The gallery will be holding the exhibition’s opening reception on Friday, May 16th, from 6 pm - 10 pm, free and open to the public. It is curated by Owner Chris Jackson, Gallery Director Kaitlyn Miller and Gallery Assistant Maddie Kirmse.

Tactile Terrain

The focus of the&nbsp;Portraits With Impact&nbsp;Exhibition is on original paintings which reflect&nbsp;diverse range of personalities. The portrait genre enables artists to create work that resonates on a visual and emotional level, and ultimately invites reflection, sparks dialogue, and fosters a deeper connection. See unique paintings by local artists of historically-relevant individuals: Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Malala, and more. The individual sitters’ personalities are communicated through visual elements such as symbolic color, patterns, abstract shapes and brush strokes. Such design elements have the power to evoke moods that words often cannot express. The portraits, juror Joanna Pinsky, convey emotional responses and disrupt conventions. The result is an impressive exhibition of thought-provoking work.&nbsp;&nbsp;Artists: Melissa Arostegui, Pochis Bank, Andrea Beilke, Nancy Behles, Helena Celewicz, Tony Collias, Shirley Yang Crutchfield, Zarina Natividad Docken, Chris Froeter, Isaac Galvan, David Gista, Alan Hobscheid, Juana Fernandez-Hamer, Fran Joy, Randall Mattheis, Daniel Nolan, Sam Onche, Patty Ray, Bruno Surdo, John Wang’endo, Allison Winstanley, and Jim Yale.

Portraits With Impact

The Evanston Art Center (EAC) is excited to welcome the public to the&nbsp;Evanston Made All Members Group Show Continuing a robust partnership, Evanston Art Center hosts Evanston Made’s All Members Group Show, featuring contemporary artworks from a diverse group of artists working across several mediums. “This annual art exhibit is an excellent opportunity to start an Evanston Art Collection,” says curator and Evanston Made Co-Director Liz Cramer. “Our membership base boasts an impressive roster of artists from emerging/self-taught to credentialed artists who are getting back to their practice after a career in finance. There is something for every collector in this exhibit, with more than 150 artists on exhibit.”"The Evanston Art Center is very honored to be partnering with Evanston Made. This annual exhibit offers a unique view of Evanston’s Creative Community. I also love that this annual event lands on Lisa D’s bday week!"-Paula Danoff, President &amp; CEO of Evanston Art Center. The Evanston Made All Members Group Show&nbsp;will be exhibited in the First Floor Gallery of the Art Center. The opening reception is free and open to the public. This exhibition is partially funded by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the EAC’s general membership. Evanston Art Center, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, is dedicated to fostering the appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences. The Art Center offers extensive and innovative instruction in broad areas of artistic endeavor through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach initiatives.

Evanston Made All Members Group Show 

On Friday, June 6th, we will be having an exhibit opening for featured artist Anne Smith Stephan's show "Parallel Universe."&nbsp;The opening will run from 5-7 PM and will display Anne's newest abstract paintings, which are influenced by her experiences and her memories of them. This body of Anne's work contains a range of pieces, from paintings featuring earthy, muted tones to bright ethereal landscapes.&nbsp;Her&nbsp;work&nbsp;invites the viewer to contemplate the power of our experiences and the unknown.&nbsp;

Anne Smith Stephan: Parallel Universe

Thirty years after assisting John David Mooney on STAR DANCE for the Atlanta Olympics, Arvedo Arvedi returns to Chicago with an exhibition of his recent works.Arvedo's action-oriented technique, painting with hands, brushes, and pipettes, channels an- cestral forms drawn from Hopi cave paintings, the Nazca lines, and Saharan rock engravings. The result is a powerful visual language that transcends borders and time, aiming not to explain, but to connect.The exhibition unfolds across four thematic sec- tions, including a striking series of large-scale canvases representing the 4 elements - Fire, Air, Water &amp; Earth - and a dedicated space for his Arte da Vestire project-limited-edition pash-mina scarves that merge fine art with design and storytelling. DIFFERENT LANGUAGES - Ancient Memories is more than a return to Arvedo's "artistic home," it's a reconnection: to place, to memory, and to the essential role of art as a shared language in a world that's never been louder or more disconnected.

Italian Artist, Arvedo Arvedi

Every once in a while,&nbsp;a gallerist has the good fortune to connect with someone who “speaks”&nbsp;to you through&nbsp;knowledge, elegance and skill with a purity and simplicity that is transcendent...&nbsp;Angel Haro is that for us.&nbsp;When we first saw Haro's paintings, we were taken by his sense of humanity,&nbsp;with a purity in vision through composition&nbsp;and&nbsp;fearless&nbsp;gestures in his work.&nbsp;And that's because Haro creates from a vision of the reality around him. He feels his environment and then expresses it.&nbsp;This&nbsp;expressiveness is about movement and emotion.&nbsp;For example, color takes on feelings and the abstractions&nbsp;become&nbsp;visual narratives. Simply put, he brings a subtle&nbsp;interpretation&nbsp;to the work that&nbsp;challenges&nbsp;the eye into feeling there's something more to be seen.Because&nbsp;of the evocative nature of his work, the gestural, technical characteristics are secondary&nbsp;to&nbsp;his central objective: to place the viewer in the artist's experiential space.&nbsp;Yet, he doesn't overlook the technical either. The simplicity of Haro’s abstractions take on a true understanding of paint, space and his ability to&nbsp;express the human experience&nbsp;on canvas -- or paper -- that is pure and powerful.&nbsp;Angel Haro lives and creates art in Madrid, Spain.&nbsp;There's so much more to say, but more importantly,&nbsp;it's better to see for yourself.&nbsp;Please join us for an evening of HARO's&nbsp;EXPRESSIONS OF REALITY.Meet the Artist at the Opening Reception on May 16th&nbsp;from 6 pm - 8 pm at Rosenthal Fine ArtLight hor d'oeuvres and wine will be served.Image: PALIMPEST, 2025 - Acrylic on Canvas, 78.7 X 118 inches

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