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

Mongerson Gallery was pleased to host Tightwire: The Work of Harold Neal, a private exhibition showcasing a collection of Neal’s paintings spanning much of his career. Harold Neal (1924-1996) was a crucial figure in the Detroit Black Arts Movement. His paintings reflect both the beauty and tribulations of his life, illustrating the complexities of existence as a Black man in the United States. Neal remains one of the most important artists of twentieth century Detroit, with his work being shown this past summer at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. The exhibit gave a wide audience the opportunity to see Neal’s work up close in a more vibrant setting than the traditional white box gallery. Mongerson Gallery partnered with Cosentino City Chicago, Alexis Goettsch Photography, and Regiment Securities for the one-night event. This was a fantastic occasion to honor Neal's legacy, and we were so happy his family could join us to celebrate. The gallery is open by appointment only. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mongersongallery.com/artists/30-harold-neal/overview/" target="_blank">Learn more about Neal</a> Image: Harold Neal,&nbsp;Untitled (Man with Scales), Oil on board, 48 x 36 inches.&nbsp;

Opening of Tightwire: The Work of Harold Neal

The only auction house to offer a category exclusively dedicated to&nbsp;Scandinavian Design, Wright celebrates the exceptional craftsmanship and humanist designs of the region with designated auctions twice each year. It is our pleasure to continue this tradition that has been&nbsp;the mainstay of modern interiors for more than a century, and we proudly present works by Alvar Aalto, Finn Juhl, Mogens Koch, Hans J. Wegner, Barbro Nilsson, Axel Salto,&nbsp;and many more.&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wright20.com/scandinavian-design" target="_blank">Details</a>

Scandinavian Design

<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wright20.com/auctions/2025/04/objet/info" target="_blank">Details</a> On April 2nd, Wright and Toomey &amp; Co. once again conjure the elaborate spectacle that is&nbsp;Objet, an auction celebrating fine craftsmanship, exquisite materials, and superb artistry. From decorative arts and silver to timepieces and sculptural works, this sale presents a charming world unto itself. Esteemed makers with examples on offer include:&nbsp;Cartier,&nbsp;Jacques Adnet,&nbsp;Hermès,&nbsp;Jean Després,&nbsp;Van Cleef &amp; Arpels,&nbsp;Gene Moore for Tiffany &amp; Co.,&nbsp;Dunhill,&nbsp;Asprey &amp; Co.,&nbsp;Werkstätte Hagenauer,&nbsp;Bulgari,&nbsp;Gucci,&nbsp;Gio Ponti,&nbsp;Los Castillo,&nbsp;Arman, and others. Auction / Chicago2 April 202511 am central Preview / Chicagoby appointment Additional Information312 563 0020info@toomeyco.com

Objet

In his first solo exhibition in Chicago, Los Angeles-based and Jamaican-born artist Cosmo Whyte situates the architectural archives of his late father as the structural ground for an intervention and interrogation into the spaces and forms of diasporic protest, spectacle, and witnessing. Presented by The Arts Club of Chicago, in The Mother’s Tongue, Pressed to the Grinding Stone the artist reformulates photojournalistic images onto materials ranging from drawings to hand-painted beaded curtains and steel framings of unrealized structures. In so doing, Whyte poetically asks “what makes a witness? And what does it mean to have become one?”&nbsp;Cosmo Whyte received a BFA from Bennington College, a post-baccalaureate at Maryland Institute College of Art, and a MFA from University of Michigan. In 2020 he had solo exhibitions at&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artsclubchicago.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=502da7c1672081e981f967563&amp;id=f2164fb43f&amp;e=e3c33543d7" target="_blank">MOCA Georgia</a>&nbsp;and ICA San Diego. Whyte has exhibited in biennial exhibitions including Prospect.5 New Orleans (2022) 13th Havana Biennial, the Jamaica Biennial (2017), and the Atlanta Biennial (2016). His work has been included in exhibitions at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL; The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; The Drawing Center, New York, NY; The Somerset House, London, UK; Museum of Latin American Art, Los Angeles, CA; Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France; and the National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica. His work is in public museum collections including the High Museum, Atlanta; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL; International African American Museum, Charlotte, NC; Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia; National Gallery of Jamaica; and the Pérez Art Museum Miami. In 2022 he joined the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture as an assistant professor. Whyte lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.The exhibition was curated by Arts Club Executive Director and Chief Curator Janine Mileaf. A fully-illustrated catalog with essay by scholar Vera Grant will accompany the exhibition.&nbsp;Since 1916, The Arts Club of Chicago has been a preeminent exhibitor of international art, a forum for established and emerging artists, and a celebrated venue for performers from around the world. For over 100 years, The Arts Club has opened its membership to artists and patrons of the arts, and its exhibitions to the public. At its inaugural meeting, the mission of the Club was defined as: “to encourage higher standards of art, maintain galleries for that purpose, and to promote the mutual acquaintance of art lovers and art workers.”Please direct press inquiries and requests for images to David Merz at&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:press@artsclubchicago.org" target="_blank">communications@artsclubchicago.org</a>&nbsp;or call 312-787-3997.&nbsp;&nbsp; Programming:&nbsp;A conversation between the artist and Jeremiah Matthew Davis will take place on March 8th at 2:00 pm. This event is part of Panafrica Weekend, a city-wide celebration.

Cosmo Whyte: The Mother’s Tongue, Pressed to the Grinding Stone

Join Angel Bat Dawid, acclaimed Chicago performer and former “Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz,” in a celebration of Cosmo Whyte’s exhibition in the Arts Club galleries. She and musical collaborator 9magicforever1 will incorporate voice, movement and multi-instrumental performance into a newly composed, artistically responsive work in the gallery. Whyte and Bat Dawid share a conceptual connection to ancestry and history, which makes for an apt pairing in this compelling and meditative evening. This event will in-person only. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artsclubchicago.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=502da7c1672081e981f967563&amp;id=9dda886b95&amp;e=e3c33543d7" target="_blank">REGISTER HERE</a>

Angel Bat Dawid in the Gallery

<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wright20.com/editions-works-on-paper" target="_blank">Details</a> Offered several times a year,&nbsp;Editions &amp; Works on Paper&nbsp;celebrates the possibilities of the multiple, showcasing&nbsp;editioned works by some of the 20th century's most significant artists. This auction features&nbsp;artists' books, prints, portfolios, sculpture, and more, offered at a variety of price points accessible to every collector.

Editions and Works on Paper

Logan Center for the Arts, Screening Room, 915 60th&nbsp;St.This documentary double feature offers a rare look behind the scenes at the DIY studios of two enterprising filmmakers, one in Uganda and the other in Tunisia—each of them putting their own wild spin on 1980s-style action flicks.&nbsp;Once Upon a Time in Uganda!(2021) introduces us to writer-director Isaac Nabwana, the driving force behind Wakaliga Uganda, and tracks his unlikely partnership with Alan “Ssali” Hofmanis, an American producer and super-fan who moved to Kampala to join him.&nbsp;In VHS – Kahloucha&nbsp;(2006), documentarian Nejib Belkadhi trails amateur Tunisian filmmaker Moncef Kahloucha as he makes his latest feature,&nbsp;Tarzan of the Arabs, with the help of the people around him.

Film Screening: Action! Documentary Double Feature

Tandem Press is pleased to host&nbsp;Grabando Historias, a Master of Fine Arts Qualifier Exhibition by Christie Tirado, University of Wisconsin-Madison MFA Candidate and 2024-2025 Tandem Press Studio Project Assistant. Drawing from her own experience as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Christie Tirado uses relief block printing to bring visibility to often overlooked narratives of immigrant families. Her work preserves personal and collective histories, capturing transnational migration stories while honoring the labor and sacrifices of those who have shaped communities across borders. Artist BiographyChristie Tirado is a Mexican American interdisciplinary artist and educator from Yakima, WA, currently residing in Madison, WI. As the daughter of immigrants, she navigates the complexities of her heritage, drawing inspiration from the rich tradition of relief block printing. Her work explores the impact of migration on culture, identity, traditions, memories, and histories, with a particular focus on labor-related migration within Mexican diasporas. Deeply rooted in personal familial histories, her practice reflects the resilience and lived experiences of her own family while also&nbsp;grabando&nbsp;both personal and collective narratives. Through cultural exploration and artistic practice, she sheds light on the layered narratives of migration and cultural (in)visibility.Tirado earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, and her Master’s in Teaching from Heritage University in Toppenish, WA. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Her accolades include the 2020 Larry Sommers Fellowship through Seattle Print Arts and the 2020 Golden Apple Award for innovative teaching in Washington State. She is also an Education Graduate Research Scholar&nbsp;at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her artwork has been exhibited and collected nationally in museums and galleries such as Davidson Galleries in Seattle, WA; San Francisco State University, CA; Sonoma State University, CA; The Sun Valley Museum of Art, ID; and La Productora Gráfica del Bosque in Oaxaca, Mexico, among others. Additionally, her work has been featured in prominent news outlets and magazines nationwide, including&nbsp;High Country News,&nbsp;ProPublica, and&nbsp;Crosscut.Previously, Tirado worked as an elementary and middle school art teacher in the Yakima Valley, WA, for eight years. She is currently a project assistant at Tandem Press.This exhibition is supported by the Anonymous Fund.

Christie Tirado: Grabando Historias

The Art Center Highland Park is proud to exhibit Postmemory, a new series of paintings by artist Nicole Gordon. Inspired by intimate interviews with her parents about their family history of immigration and assimilation from Eastern Europe to South Africa, Cuba, and ultimately to the United States, this show contemplates issues of personal lived experience and how memories that are uncomfortable or traumatic are processed. “Postmemory,” is a word coined by Marianne Hirsch that describes— “the relationship that the “generation after” bears to the personal, collective, and cultural trauma of those who came before.” For this series, Gordon pulls imagery from both her own memory and her parents’ and grandparents’ records of history. The scenes depicted are hyperreal dreamscapes that juxtapose the actual with the metaphorical, and the observed with the imagined. The Art Center Highland Park 1957 Sheridan Rd, Highland Park, IL 60035 Half of the paintings in this series are inspired by Gordon’s mother, who was forced to flee Cuba for the United States as a teenager during the Cuban Revolution. The other half of the series was inspired by her father, who was born and raised in South Africa and who’s anti-apartheid views made it impossible for him to stay. Each painting from the series about her mother has a corresponding painting about her father that hangs side-by-side. While the details within the compositions of the paintings are unique, the layout of the corresponding paintings shares similarities. This illustrates the uniqueness of her parents' family stories, told within the shared framework of Jewish history from all over the world. Postmemory will open with a free public reception at The Art Center Highland Park on Friday, February 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and will run through Saturday, April 5. Viewing is available during gallery hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 AM till 4 PM, and by special arrangement. In the same exhibition period, The Art Center will also show Memory is a Verb: Exploring Time and Transience, an exhibition that brings together ten women photographic artists exploring the liminal space between time and transience. Like Postmemory, this body of work represents the universal concepts of loss, mortality, and legacy, and the exploration of what inspires us to seek solace and reexamine our histories.

Nicole Gordon: Postmemory

Bob Hooper

New Works by Michael Hedges

Closing Reception for Nicole Gordon's Postmemory

Our winter show,&nbsp;Transcendence: Works by David Gista and Ginny Sykes,&nbsp;opens in two weeks on Thursday, January 30th, with a reception in the gallery from 5-7pm. We hope you'll join us for an evening of arresting art, light refreshments and engaging conversation. Both of the artists will be in attendance and all are welcome! Transcendence&nbsp;will be on view in the gallery through April 5th and, as a reminder, there is always free parking in our open lot across the street and just to the north on Clybourn. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737671765/vuhylst21xxbiixtqdko.jpg">

Transcendence

Immerse yourself in the Renaissance era with an hour and a half lecture and drawing demonstration by international artist Hector Hernandez. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://rkcgwygbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001t-tIuaE5K2I6fuw6tyfbW5VrQ4QcvL-Qf0cFAsQ7fl5mzmssYM8RV06AePLGw-Nyqo2tE7UW6Dn9-X5FOg93TDc2AK4__HkDFXpVhCnwDsP1NJjicHXzSh7611hXQja0eofqy5A6gejypyOksKzOkmTAQHfJpPCkMWezNNlF0p6BvQNSM2kqPkh1R9fTjw_13QGGOFOJz5nw1nMYvNzbFIO_cTP9GfnMpGtkY6aqC0pikrAflfg6OCfUtJBa6d1ACirsOhI6a_r5hEZ_AwTUojMsyYUrBJ6Ao9zs59AZCzsJL6GPTlHyIA==&amp;c=DyXUPDVPa-gl0iANo6BQdk9ORUQajlzodSlm3NHKmtHy-qBDlzCy8g==&amp;ch=sMSFgfY7VGewp_xLWaHdG5_JIvP99yFgwTJWpKCqZCLGwbpGKUFEzQ==" target="_blank">Register Here!</a>

Renaissance Drawings: Function, Techniques, and Creative Processes

An exhibition that brings together ten women photographic artists exploring the liminal space between time and transience. This body of work represents the universal concepts of loss, mortality, and legacy, and the exploration of what inspires us to seek solace and reexamine our histories; subsequently unearthing discoveries about ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the universe. To be displayed in the Art Center’s&nbsp;Elkins Gallery.

Memory Is a Verb: Exploring Time and Transience

Saturday, April 511:00 am-5:00 pm <a style="background-color: rgb(190, 140, 15); color: white;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://46316.blackbaudhosting.com/46316/tickets?tab=3&amp;txobjid=0a80d064-edb8-472c-8fe2-e9de01769b36" target="_blank">Buy Tickets&nbsp;</a>&nbsp; Free but reservations suggested Our Community Days are a free invitation to all to come to the Driehaus Museum and to experience the Museum with the curator of and artists featured in our current&nbsp;Materialities&nbsp;exhibition. On Saturday, April 5: From 1:00-3:00 pm, artists&nbsp;Jonas N.T. Becker&nbsp;and&nbsp;Adam Brooks&nbsp;and&nbsp;Mathew Wilson&nbsp;from Industry of the Ordinary will be at the Museum to chat with visitors, and will be joined by guest curator&nbsp;Dr. Giovanni Aloi. A&nbsp;Tale of Today: Materialities&nbsp;is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.&nbsp;A Tale of Today: Materialities&nbsp;is funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Materialities Community Days

Brick Mugs: Street Scenes from Chicago&nbsp;March 7th - April 5th, 2025​​Brick Mugs is an ode to Chicago brick streetscapes. It is an exhibition by and for Chicagoans, that brings scenes from our daily lives into the intimate space of a domestic household object: the ceramic mug.​In a city famous for its architectural attractions, this body of work instead focuses on ordinary experiences of our neighborhoods by calling on local artists who work in clay to notice and create their own rendition of the clay-based structures that surround us. The artists celebrate the link between craft and place by creating unique pieces, variations on the theme of vernacular brick and terra cotta architecture. They do the double work of highlighting the labor that built Chicago as well as demonstrating the broad range of their own artistic voices. The artists’ interpretations of sites in their neighborhoods on the surfaces of their mugs are paired with reference photos and a map of locations from which they draw inspiration, to offer audiences multiple perspectives and multi-media impressions of the places we call home.Brick Mugs blends many types of knowledge--trade, historical, design, architectural, craft, spatial--with a focus on sharing and the collective over an understanding of art or public space as the product of an isolated individual “genius.” We want to learn more about the versatility of our medium of clay from each other, both by seeing the techniques and perspectives different artists use to solve the same artistic problem, as well as studying the original buildings and the work of the bricklayer.​Brick Mugs includes an exhibition, a zine, and a public program. The exhibition invites artists from across Chicago to select a brick or terra cotta architectural feature somewhere in the city, and create a mug inspired by that surface. A panel of jurors, including architectural historian Will Quam (Brick of Chicago) and Jackie Townsend (Chicago Women in Trades), will select their favorites. The zine will feature reference photos and photos of the mugs, essays and interviews about Chicago brick and terra cotta, and maps of local architectural quirks, oddities, and wonders.

Brick Mugs: Street Scenes from Chicago

Young at Art&nbsp;showcases the creativity and imagination of the next generation of artists by offering students the opportunity to see their work on display in the museum’s galleries. Featuring drawings, paintings, photographs, collages, sculptures, jewelry, ceramics, fiber, found objects, collaborative projects, and multi-media art, the exhibition highlights the talents of students from kindergarten through grade 12. Whether inspired by personal experiences, societal issues, experimentation with color and line, or the beauty of nature, the exhibition demonstrates young people’s ability to comprehend and address contemporary issues, including identity, environmentalism, technology, and social justice.&nbsp;&nbsp; Each of Madison’s public school art teachers is invited to submit works of art for inclusion as part of this long-standing collaboration with the Fine Arts Department of the Madison Metropolitan School District. Young at Art&nbsp;not only features the development of artistic technique and skill, but the courage of young people to experiment, innovate, and engage critically with the world around them. Most importantly, it calls attention to the inherent possibility in Gen Z, and the possibilities of creative expression for years to come.&nbsp;

Young at Art 2025

Chicago Cultural Center, Michigan Avenue Galleries, 1st Floor EastCurated by Grace Needlman + Will Bishop&nbsp;Coordinated by Ashwaty Chennat&nbsp;Co-Presented by Chicago International Puppet Theater FestivalChicago is home to a rich and growing ecology of puppetry, bridging mediums and communities of makers. This sampling of puppets by local artists challenges expectations about puppetry and inspires the public to tell their own stories. Puppets are made to tell stories. By taking puppets off stage, we can focus on how artists design specific stories into each object. How do artists invent new ways to mechanize materials in motion, build cohesive worlds, and create characters that expand our ability to understand and empathize with ourselves and others?This is an exhibition of potentialities. How can the possibility for a particular story be built into a puppet? What are new and unexpected ways to use familiar materials? What stories could you imagine telling with these puppets? What stories do you want to tell and how can you start telling them?

Potential Energy: Chicago Puppets Up Close

Every art collection tells a story, but rarely do we glimpse the cherished connections between gallery owners, staff, and the artworks that have captured their hearts. "The Art Passions of Collectors and Curators" offers a unique journey through the gallery's collection, where each piece is selected not by academic criteria, but by personal resonance and emotional significance.We invite visitors to explore the artwork through the eyes of those who know the collection most intimately. From the owners' treasured paintings purchased as anniversary gifts from the early years of marriage which led to owning two art galleries, to the Lily Pad Gallery’s staff’s sometimes unexpected choices that speak to each person’s experience, each artwork comes alive through personal narrative.The exhibition will feature carefully selected works spanning various periods, mediums, and styles—united not by artistic movement or artist, but by the interests of those who are dedicated to collecting, curating, and sharing art. Accompanying the collection will be personal statements from its owner and gallery team, offering visitors a glimpse into the human connections that breathe life into a gallery's collection."Art Passions" transforms the traditional gallery experience, reminding us that art is not just about aesthetic appreciation, but about human connection, memory, and the profound ways art touches individual lives."Image: HM Saffer II “The Color of Winter”&nbsp;

Art Passions of Collectors and Curators: Personal Visions, Shared Treasures

Images of environmental destruction dominate the news: the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, flooding caused by rising sea levels, devastating wildfires sparked by drought, oil spills destroying marine ecosystems, and extreme temperatures creating dangerous conditions for plant, animal, and human life. It is no wonder that protecting the environment is one of the most important issues for Gen Z.&nbsp;&nbsp; Green Over Grey: The Art of Adaptation&nbsp;challenges us to hope in the face of dangers at the dawn of the Anthropocene, the current period in Earth’s history defined by humanity’s impact on the planet and its ecosystems. And yet, this era could also be defined by Nature’s resilience and tenacity. Through frank depictions of eco-anxiety, fantastical elements, and science-fiction embellishments, this exhibition explores how Nature can survive, adapt, and even flourish despite human influence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Featuring artwork created by Dane County high school artists,&nbsp;Green Over Grey: The Art of Adaptation&nbsp;was organized by the Museum’s Teen Forum. The group worked together to conceive, plan, and install this exhibition and its related programming, under the guidance of the Museum’s Education department. The 2024-2025 Teen Forum consists of Carmela R., Electra C., Eli H., Luci P., Madeleine B., Natalie V., Quinn F., Shay R.L., Hugh S., and Tyler S.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Green Over Grey: The Art of Adaptation

For&nbsp;Bird and Blossom,&nbsp;MMoCA presents a selection of&nbsp;kachō-e&nbsp;(flower-and-bird pictures) woodblock prints from the Museum’s permanent collection. This exhibition explores artistic renderings of the natural world through two pivotal Japanese print movements: the Edo and Meiji era&nbsp;ukiyo-e&nbsp;and twentieth-century&nbsp;shin hanga. In these colorfully rendered works, animal-habitat relationships prompt close examination. Delicate surface details, the result of the multiblock woodblock printing process, convey naturalistic specificity as well as moments of poetic stylization. The 20 artworks in the exhibition were collected by Madison residents Rudolph and Louise Langer which formed part of the foundational gift to the Museum’s permanent collection in 1968. This presentation of Langer Bequest prints not only prompts conversations about the history of Japanese printmaking but also is a reminder of MMoCA’s foundational strength in prints. Reengaging with these prints in a contemporary setting invites the larger discussion of how our relationship with and understanding of the collection shifts over extended periods of time and in new contexts. <h6> </h6><h6>Helpful Definitions</h6> Ukiyo-e:&nbsp;“floating world pictures,” prints from the Edo and Meiji era. The “floating world” refers to the world of entertainment and pleasure, with common subjects being courtesans, actors, mythology, and flora and fauna Shin-hanga:&nbsp;“new prints,” twentieth-century prints. The term was coined in 1915 by Shozaburo Watanabe, the foremost publisher of shin-hanga. Stylistic changes include depth of field and different approaches to perspective, influenced by the wider availability of Western art in Japan. <h6> </h6><h6>Programming</h6> <a style="color: var(--link-hover-color);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmoca.org/events/living-gallery-the-botany-of-bird-and-blossom/" target="_blank">Living Gallery: the Botany of&nbsp;Bird and Blossom</a>Saturday, February 22 • 10 AM – 6 PM <a style="color: var(--link-color);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmoca.org/events/indoor-nature-walk-of-bird-and-blossom/" target="_blank">Indoor Nature Walk of&nbsp;Bird and Blossom</a>Saturday, March 8 • 2 PM <a style="color: var(--link-color);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmoca.org/events/bird-and-blossom-curator-talk-with-eleanor-pschirrer-west/" target="_blank">Bird and Blossom&nbsp;Curator Talk with Eleanor Pschirrer-West</a>Friday, March 14 • 12 PM&nbsp; Image: Shoson Ohara, “Flycatchers in Snow,” 1929. woodblock, 14 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches. Collection of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Gift of Louise Langer.

Bird and Blossom

With work from Jennifer Merchant, Emiko Oye and Nikki Couppee, the exhibition features three artists that are transforming plastic into wearable works of art. Plastic is undoubtedly a part of our everyday lives, and is an often overlooked material for jewelry. But this transformation from ordinary to something spectacular calls into question: how do we place value on objects? What is cherished? Each artist has their own unique way of interpreting these questions and reinventing the material by tapping into intuition, with color remaining a key component to the work.

Altered States: Plastics Transformed

Jackson Junge Gallery proudly presents their first group exhibition of 2025,&nbsp;THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID. The exhibition features artwork by women about women, showcasing the talent of 36 fem artists, many of whom are local to the Chicagoland area. In response to a contentious election, the gallery hopes to celebrate and empower women by giving female and non-binary creators a platform to share their experiences. When faced with oppression, creating becomes an important outlet where women artists can freely express themselves. The artwork in&nbsp;THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID&nbsp;explores many different facets of womanhood. Representing both the soft, vulnerable side of femininity alongside the strong, protective side is Amber Ramos’ “Exposed and Armored”, an analog collage in which a woman form is half exposed, half covered in armor. While woman possess the unmeasurable capacity to be whatever they choose, unfortunately they are frequently hindered by societal expectations of their gender. With the constricted chest of a woman in “Caged”, Renee Kuharchuk paints a visual representation “of what anxiety feels like while inhabiting a female presenting body. The invisible limits that males place on our existence, presence, our voice. Women have all felt this anxiety, we’ve all experienced being held back or held down, out of our control.” The recent election escalated many women’s anxiety. “They Keep Getting Away With It” by Nalei Taeoalii provides a young person’s perspective on the election. Taeoalii’s painting shows tangled RCA cables trapping vulnerable woman. The complex painting is a metaphor for the artist’s feelings of helplessness – “Growing up in the time of the Internet, I witnessed a lot of my favorite Celebrities eventually get accused of grooming or assault and then maintain some sort of following. Now, I am 18 years old and this Harris Vs. Trump election was the first I ever voted in. Watching a man convicted of rape win the presidential race felt like a confirmation of everything I’d ever felt. That the support and safety of women would never be prioritized over the success of a man.” Anitra Frazier conveys her own feelings towards the election in “…He Loves Me Not…” where she paints the hands of an African American woman plucking the petals off a daisy cloaked in the design of the American Flag. After witnessing the results of the presidential election, Frazier “was disappointed and angry, but not surprised. I felt that perhaps America was ready for a female and Black president, but misogyny and racism won.” Frazier’s painting represents her “fanciful desire for a society that doesn't exist.” The 2024 election is not the first time that women have felt mistreated in politics. Faith Blackwell’s visually compelling piece “2 Feet Hi &amp; Rising” celebrates the natural beauty of black hair while shedding light on the ongoing struggle against hair discrimination under the 2019 Crown Act. The photograph features a striking juxtaposition of the subject's hair against a black floral background. This contrast symbolizes the complex relationship between cultural identity, personal expression, and societal norms. Through this piece, Faith Blackwell invites viewers to “reflect on the significance of natural hair in the Black community and the importance of embracing one's cultural identity. The photograph serves as a powerful statement of empowerment and a call to action for equality and acceptance.” Laina Joy Moffitt’s “Tired Woman” was created after Roe v Wade was overturned in 2022. The piece depicts a woman wrapped in a blanket of open scars. The bright and outwardly feminine color patterns are distractions away from her displeased and exhausted expression. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, Joy painted “Tired Woman” to say "Women are not baby vessels. Women are not second-class anything. Women are tired of being told how to be." Laura Haberer’s painting “She Didn’t Know That Nature Could Be Placed Upon Her Chest” is an intimate glimpse into the momentous moment a new mother meets her baby. The expressive gestures of the brush strokes combined with the warmth in tone envelops viewers in the emotions of the scene. While Haberer’s piece is undoubtably a beautiful celebration of motherhood, the artist also shares her complex feelings towards the intrusion of politics into the deeply personal decision&nbsp;to&nbsp;have children – “My husband and I struggled with fertility, and I nearly died of a septic miscarriage the year before having my son. It isn't lost on me that had that occurred during the current presidential administration or if I lived in a different state, I may not have survived and never had the chance to become a mother. My son wouldn't be here. When I reflect on all the ways in which men in suits have attempted to control women's reproduction, from the idea of restricting IVF to forcing women to bear children they don't desire to withholding life-saving healthcare, it's clear it isn't about reproduction at all, but about control. These men sit in their leather-bound chairs miles from the hospital rooms where babies are born or the bathrooms where women are racked with fear over an unwanted pregnancy. They do not pause to contemplate the emotional state of any woman on the precipice of a reproductive choice, yet they feel entitled to the decision. Words fail to describe the moment I met my son and the change to my very being that I experienced. But it was my choice. As it should be every woman's choice.” While woman’s rights are threatened, many women are finding their voice. At first glance, Brie Hines’ “I Miss the Old You” looks like a bright, colorful painting of note-passing at a fanciful dinner, but it serves as a deeper allegory for the relationship changes Hines experienced on her journey of self-worth and discovery of her voice as a feminist. Hines says “with this transformation came a pattern of abandonment—people who once surrounded me drifted away when I no longer sought their validation. On a broader scale, women who embrace their individuality and confidence are often misunderstood, even resented, by those who once depended on their self-doubt. And now, we are watching this play out on a systemic level. As women reclaim their autonomy—over their bodies, their identities, their futures—there is a force desperately trying to push us back into silence.” An artist who refuses to be silent is Bryn Gleason whose photograph “NO.” shows a woman taking a knife to an egg positioned above her abdomen, a strong visual meant to empower. Gleason understands that “in a world flooded with prompts to be gentile, quiet, caring, and accommodating, merely uttering the work “No” takes practice. Strengthening that vocal muscle is an immense feat, one of significance even if it is only the first of many strenuous steps in ensuring the lines you draw are respected. What then do you do when your “No” is violated? When the boundary you set has been crossed and you find yourself being bent once again to satisfy someone else’s demand? This is when “No” becomes an action. “No” becomes a journey. “No” becomes destruction, loss, survival, and immeasurable grief. “No” should never be smothered by fear, if it is, then it is the most important “No” you will ever survive.” Ultimately, the artworks in&nbsp;THAT’S WHAT SHE SAYS&nbsp;convey a similar message - that woman hold unmeasurable capacity to be whatever they choose. A series of nine small mixed media paintings of sparrows, Elena Nentcheva’s “Bridesmaids” references the tendency in eastern cultures to describe women using bird related terms. Nentcheva believes that while “some may find this to be an implication of weakness, I feel the comparison parallels the beautiful, free, loyal, untamed nature of being a woman”. Amber Penney’s “The Birdcage” is an abstract painting poetically depicting a bird freed from a cage. Penney says the cage serves as “a metaphor for the historical treatment of women, who have often been expected to conform to roles as caretakers and objects of beauty, discouraged from questioning societal norms. The bird, depicted outside the cage, symbolizes freedom, emphasizing that it was never intended to be confined.” While recent events may have women feeling trapped, we hope the community found among the artists of&nbsp;THAT’S WHAT SHE SAYS&nbsp;empowers women to seek freedom. Existing as a woman is a wildly complex experience. When asking artists to provide a few words on their works, our gallery has never received such profound and thoughtfully expressed descriptions. It was difficult not to highlight every piece here, but you can find each artist’s statements alongside their piece on our website after February 24th:&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://j2gallery.com/exhibitions" target="_blank">https://j2gallery.com/exhibitions</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID&nbsp;promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of womanhood. Join us at Jackson Junge Gallery to share this journey. An Opening Reception for&nbsp;THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID&nbsp;will be held Friday, February 28th, 2025 from 6pm-10pm and is free to the public. The exhibition runs February 24th&nbsp;– April 6th, 2025. It is curated by Owner &amp; featured artist Laura Lee Junge, Gallery Director Kaitlyn Miller, and Assistant Gallery Director Kristen Arcus.

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