June 2025 Newsletter

May 28

Written By Gene Skala

Current Exhibitions

Chimera

at CSI Project Space Gallery

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 7, from 6-9PM

CSI Project Space, 1912 N Damen Ave., Chicago, IL

At the corner of Cortland and Damen Avenues in the Bucktown neighborhood. Click here for directions.

Gallery hours:
Fri. 2-6PM*
Sat. 12-8PM
Sun. 1-5PM
or by appointment

*Open until 8PM on the 1st of every month for West Town’s First Fridays

Chimeras are hybrid creatures combining different animals into one creature, some examples which are combined with humans are a centaur (half horse, half human), a mermaid (half human, half fish), Anubis (half human, half jackal). Ganesha (half elephant, half human). Then there are creatures combining different animal parts, like Akhekh - A creature from Egyptian mythology with the body of an oryx and the wings and snout of a bird, and Hieracosphinx – A type of Sphinx that had a hawk head.

We are expanding the definition of Chimera for this exhibition to include anyd combining two of more of inanimate or biological objects, such as household objects, machinery, animal, botanical, fungal, or microscopic organisms that normally do not go together, but when combined become a hybrid.

This also has a reference to Dada and Surrealism, described very well with the famous line from Les Chants de Maldoror by the Comte de Lautréamont/Isidore Ducasse: “beautiful as a chance encounter on a dissecting table of a sewing-machine and an umbrella."

Curator - Victoria Fuller

For more information: projectspace@chicagosculpture.org

Micki LeMieux, Gallery Director

Cover image: John T. Upchurch, Adit, Glazed stoneware with oxides, cedar, mohagany, aluminum, copper, steel, leather, slate, found objects, 11 x 13 x 6-1/2 in.

Call for Entries

Sculpture & Film

Group exhibition at CSI Project Space

Chicago Sculpture International (CSI) members are invited to submit sculptural artwork in consideration for the upcoming Sculpture & Film exhibition within the CSI Project Space located at 1912 N. Damen in Chicago, IL. It has often been said that the art of filmmaking is sculptural, with its use of sculptural skills needed to build sets, the spatial compositions and movements of actors in a scene, or even the construction of films in the editing process. This exhibition will feature a wide range of sculptural artwork that explores the interconnection of sculpture and film, whether it displays film imagery, stills, objects, or material within a singular form; presents film spatially through projection or video monitor display; or emerges as a collaborative endeavor between two or more individuals to explore the parallels of cinematic and sculptural space.

The goal of Sculpture & Film is to provide an exhibition space that celebrates the use and inspiration of film within the world of sculpture, allowing for an expanse of traditional to experimental art-making processes, opening up diverse worlds of expression within CSI’s s Project Space. Artists and artist teams are encouraged to submit work that can be displayed on the wall, floor, or pedestal. Installation proposals are encouraged, however space may be limited. Sculpture & Film will be on view at the same time the 61st Chicago International Film Festival, showcasing and celebrating filmmakers and sculptors during the months of October and November.

Please Note: We are requesting exhibiting artists to cover one gallery sitting shift during the duration of this show.

The submission form can be filled out here:

https://forms.gle/fMgs9NeM4bAJvsiS6

Submission Deadline: September 1, 2025
Notification: September 10
Drop off Work: October 4-5 (other arrangements to be made for shipped work)
Exhibition Reception: October 18
Exhibition Dates: October 18 - November 21, 2025
Pick Up Work: November 22 - 23
Image credit: Chris Wubbena

Materiality in Sculpture: A Dialogue Between Substance and Form

Chicago Sculpture International 2025 Biennale

This exhibition explores the interplay of materials in the realm of sculpture, showcasing works that challenge, celebrate, and redefine our understanding of material substance. To connect your own work to this theme, consider how your choice of medium and subject matter can simultaneously reflect the physical and conceptual aspects. Formats include freestanding, wall hung, interactive, installation & video. Open interpretations of the exhibit theme are welcomed.

About the Juror

Debra Favre is an artist who has exhibited in the Washington, DC and the Chicago areas. She is the past Chair of the Board of the Evanston Art Center and has been a juror on the Evanston Art Center’s Exhibitions Committee for the last 14 years. She studied Fine Arts at McDaniel College in Maryland and at the Corcoran School of Art and Design in Washington, DC.

If selected for the exhibition, artists must be CSI members or sign-up for membership: www.chicagosculpture.org/become-a-member

Exhibition Location:

Evanston Art Center
1717 Central St.
Evanston, IL 60201

Learn more and submit your entry HERE

Questions? Contact info@chicagosculptors.com

Member News

Above: Janet Austin, *Tree of Life,* Stainless steel, 11 × 9 × 9 ft.

2025 Rush Cancer Thriver Day Sculpture by Janet Austin

Unveiling: Sunday, June 8, 12 - 4 PM

Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building
1620 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL
Free parking available in the adjacent garage

The sculpture, created by artist Janet Austin and supported by the Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center, was developed in partnership with Rush cancer patients and staff. Austin held focus groups to gather input on the positive affirmation phrases that appear on the sculpture’s leaves. These affirmations—offered in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Serbian, Korean, Urdu, Arabic, and Portuguese—reflect the diverse patient population at Rush.

The sculpture also features animals, birds, and insects that live in and around trees—symbols of strength, interdependence, and renewal.

A formal unveiling presentation will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Speakers include Dr. Amina Ahmed, Medical Director of the Rush Cancer Center; Dr. Sandra Naaman, Medical Director of the Survivorship Program; artist Janet Austin; and two Rush patients sharing personal stories. The day will include art and activities, food, entertainment, and informational resources.

Image credit: Artist Kara Cobb Johnson poses in front of her piece, “The Great Chasm is Merely a Stream,” during the unveiling of the 55th Street viaduct gallery on May 22, 2025.

Kara Cobb Johnson’s new mural unveiled for

55th Street Viaduct Project in Hyde Park

A mural by CSI member Kara Cobb Johnson, who was one of 19 artists selected among 600 artists who applied for the call, was unveiled on May 22, 2025 in the 53rd and 55th Street viaducts Thursday morning. Works spanning the southern walls of the tunnels include bright paintings and illustrations of Chicago youth, neighborhood scenes—among them a Hyde Park jazz jam and the former Bonjour Bakery—and the faces that represent the South Side’s expansive communities. Other works are more abstract, containing kaleidoscopes of geometric shapes, Mesoamerican motifs and a reimagining of 1990s-style street art.

Kara explained her mural The Great Chasm is Merely a Stream, “[It] captures movement. It was inspired by 1990’s graffiti. How graffiti overlaps and incorporates many stories and voices over time. Its ability to enliven cosmopolitan spaces in an instantaneous glance while fulfilling the artists’ desire to become seen and heard. I encourage every viewer to find their own visual pathways and voice through my work. I am grateful to dedicate this to the Hyde Park Community, a place that creates space for free expression in the visual arts and a home to my practice for over a decade.”

The viaduct galleries are a project of the Chicago Public Art Group, Hyde Park’s South East Chicago Commission (SECC) and its Special Service Area (SSA) 61, a special tax district that funds programs and services in the neighborhood. The viaducts function as both the entrances of two Metra stations and corridors that connect the eastern and western portions of Hyde Park.

Image credit: Works by Nikki Renee Anderson (left) and Laura Peterson (right)

Offering: An Exploration of Selfhood

by Laura Peterson and Nikki Renee Anderson

Opening Reception: Friday, June 13, 2025, 5 - 9 PM

Click here to RSVP

Exhibition Dates: June 13, 2025 - July 12, 2025

Oliva Gallery is proud to present Offering, a two-person exhibition featuring the emotionally charged and visually compelling works of Laura Peterson and CSI Member Nikki Renee Anderson. Through sculpture, painting, and installation, Offering explores the intimate terrain of identity, vulnerability, and selfhood—engaging viewers in a reflective dialogue on personal and collective transformation.

Drawing from their respective practices, Anderson and Peterson bring deeply introspective works into conversation. Anderson’s sculptural environments challenge fixed notions of femininity through fluid forms and personal symbolism, while Peterson’s translucent portraits examine the quiet power of emotional renewal. Together, their work invites audiences to navigate the complex intersection of fragility and resilience.

Location:
Oliva Gallery
3816 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60647

Hours: Fridays, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturdays, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Email: olivagallery@gmail.com
Phone: (847) 922-5736

Image credit: Nicole Beck, *Chicago Peace Tree*, Stainless and dichroic glass

Nicole Beck’s Chicago Peace Tree

Nicole Beck has delivered 5 sculptures cross country this Spring for leased exhibitions including the pictured Chicago Peace Tree that was installed in West Des Moines, Iowa and is available for purchase or a subsequent lease in November when that contract ends. Beck’s Asteray will alsobe available in October when the exhibition in Troy, Ohio terminates. Also installed, was King of Prairie Town for the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit in Walsh Park, Heal Us on Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin, and Populus at the Klehm Arboretum In Rockford, IL.

Laurie LeBreton at Epiphany Center for the Arts

May 16, 2025 to July 5, 2025

CSI member Laurie LeBreton’s solo exhibit, "Insisting and Maintaining," opens on May 16th in the Slemmons Gallery at Epiphany

Artist Alok Vaid-Menon has said, “There’s something audacious and beautiful about insisting on maintaining your humor and delight.” For Laurie LeBreton, humor and delight are a direct result of her work as a fiber artist. She works primarily in handmade paper to convey these ideas, using her favorite properties of paper – the messy pleasure of making it, its ability to absorb color, and both its apparent fragility and veritable strength. The paper tapestries in LeBreton’s exhibit INSISTING AND MAINTAINING are typical of her work in many ways. The simplicity and repetitiveness of their construction lead LeBreton to calm and peace. There’s an element of playfulness: She turns a series of flat objects into a three-dimensional structure. She uses this simple structure to comment on impermanence through various means of installation. She uses color to express joy.  Finally, through this work, LeBreton also honors traditional women’s crafts – quilt making, sewing, and weaving, with the intent to convey warmth and comfort, and to express love.

Click here for more information and to RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, May 16 from 6PM to 9PM.

Land and Sea: Lichen-Coral

CSI member Margot McMahon and Sandra Wilcoxon are in a two-person exhibit at the Ukrainian Museum of Art.

April 19th through June 29th, 2025

Ukrainian Museum of Modern Art
2320 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
773 227-5522

Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays, 12:00pm – 4:00pm

The following are not CSI sponsored projects
but may be of interest to our members:

Call for Entries:

Wall Sculpture for Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment

Metro Arts is issuing an Open Request for Qualifications to design, fabricate, and install an interior, permanent Public Artwork Wall Sculpture for the Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment (NYCE) in Nashville, Tennessee. The total artist budget allocated for the new public art wall sculpture at the juvenile justice center is $400,000.00.

The Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment (NYCE) is poised to make a transformative impact when it opens its doors in early 2027. Spanning 14 acres, this facility is designed to uplift the residents of Nashville-Davidson County who are seeking support through essential public services for children and adolescents, foster care, child safety, and the family and juvenile court systems. Located at 1354 Brick Church Pike, just 2.5 miles north of the existing juvenile court on Woodland St, the NYCE site is conveniently situated near the intersection of I-24 and Trinity Lane. More than just a juvenile court, the NYCE facility is a beacon of hope, featuring a thoughtfully designed environment that focuses on empowering youth and families. Additionally, the campus will collaborate with local non-profits to provide trauma-informed services and restorative classes, fostering engagement and support for both youth and their families. This initiative is the vision of Juvenile Court Judge, Sheila Calloway, a dedicated community leader who has passionately advocated for this project for years.

Total Artist Commission Budget: $400,000

Deadline to submit applications: June 23rd at 11:59 PM CST.

Project completion date: December 2026

For more details, please click here to download the full RFQ PDF.

To apply, submit your application through the Submittable link found here.

Any questions regarding the RFQ, please contact Atilio Murga at atilio.murga@nashville.gov

Johnson City, TN Stormwater Basin / Wetland Park Project

DEADLINE EXTENDED: June 13, 2025 by 4:00 p.m. EST
Notification of Three Finalists: June 27, 2025
Finalist Proposals Due: July 25, 2025
Final Artist Selection: August 1, 2025

The City of Johnson City, TN is seeking qualifications from artists or art teams for the commission of a sculptural fountain to be placed in a pond within a newly developed wetland park.

The City of Johnson City is seeking a sculptural fountain design that celebrates ecological restoration, biodiversity, and the return of a tranquil, natural oasis in the midst of a busy urban corridor. The fountain is also intended to serve a functional purpose in aerating the pond in which it will be placed, improving water quality and the health of aquatic life. Artists will have the option to provide either both the sculptural component and the fountain or the sculptural component only. If only the sculpture is provided, the City will select a fountain and will work with the artist to place it along with the sculpture. Artists who include the fountain must offer an aerating fountain as opposed to a decorative fountain, or include a combination of the two.

The pond will be fed by water from a spring that once belonged to one of the first families to settle in the Johnson City area. Through natural water filtration and erosion control in the wetland park, the water flowing through this area is expected to be greatly improved, thereby creating an environment where more wetland species may thrive. Shade trees will also be planted along the waterways, cooling the water temperature and providing more oxygen to sustain aquatic life. After this period of ecological restoration, it is hoped that indicator species such as frogs, salamanders, turtles, and waterbirds such as the Great Blue Heron will occupy this area, signifying positive changes in the overall health of the natural environment. The fountain design should be inspired by this narrative and should in turn inspire the viewer to reflect upon the importance of water quality in our community. Please view the complete project description in the RFQ document at the link below. 

ELIGIBILITY: This opportunity is open to all professional artists over the age of 18 with previous public sculpture experience. Artists must reside within the United States. 

BUDGET: Up to three finalists will be selected to develop concept proposals for this project. The total project budget for the selected commission is not to exceed $65,000. Finalists who plan to provide both the sculptural component and the water fountain (and include both of these elements in their designs) will receive a $2,000 honorarium for their proposals. Finalists who plan to provide the sculptural component only will receive $1,500 for their proposals. The selected artist/art team will be paid $59,000 (if including both the sculpture and the fountain) and $44,500 (if including the sculpture only) for the commissioned work. If the fountain component is not included in the selected artist’s design, the City will provide an aerating fountain to combine with the sculptural piece. The selected artist/art team will be responsible for own travel costs, materials, housing, and personal liability insurance. Finalists will be required to present their work to City of Johnson City staff via Zoom. 

Please view the complete project description in the RFQ document at the link below. 

INSTALLATION DATE: The sculpture installation will take place by August 31, 2026. Installation will be scheduled in consultation with the City of Johnson City Public Works Department. Click here for Submission Details and to Apply.

After clicking the link above, view the Attached Document "RFQu 6849 Sculptural Fountain Project.pdf" for complete submission details

Important: If you wish to submit electronically, please view the "Addendum 1" located just above the "RFQu 6849 Sculptural Fountain Project.pdf" link. The link for electronic submissions in the RFQu document itself is not functional, and our Purchasing Dept. issued the Addendum to provide the active link for electronic submissions. Questions? Please call our Purchasing Dept. at 423-975-2715

40 North’s Public Art League in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois

The deadline to apply is 11:59PM (Central) on July 14, 2025.

Honorarium for year-long exhibition is $2,500.

40 North’s Public Art League in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois is seeking artists to display sculptures in our community. Selected sculptures will be installed in the community metro area and will serve as major visual anchor points, community identity and a statement that creativity and art are of vital importance to our existence in Central Illinois.

40 North will offer selected artists a $2,500 honorarium to cover artist expenses such as temporary (2) year lease of artwork, transportation to and from the installation site, food & lodging, and artist fees for on-site availability during installation and de-installation.

Learn more and apply here.

Submit Your News

Have any news to share?

Shows, awards, residencies etc? Submit here and we'll include them in an upcoming newsletter.

While you're at it, your profile and images on CSI’s website are important. When CSI applies for grants and upcoming shows, images are solely chosen from those you have uploaded to our website. Please take a minute to look over what you have posted and make sure you are presenting the best work. Member Shelley Gilchrist sgilchristart@gmail.com has volunteered to help you if you need it, so feel free to contact her.

CSI projects are partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Chicago Sculpture International acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency for CSI programming including exhibitions and funding for Project Space Gallery.

CSI is a proud recipient of the Driehaus Foundation Arts and Culture Grant to help support funding and programming.

Above: (right) Ron Gard’s sculpture The Struggle Against Death; (right) Ron in 2014 working in Lincoln Park on one of three tree sculptures, Dying to Survive Nos. #3, #6 & #9.

In Memory of Ron Gard

Chicago Sculpture International acknowledges Ivy Gard, who in 2020 graciously donated ongoing exhibition space (CSI Project Space) to CSI and its members in memory of Ron Gard and his achievements in sculpture and dedicated service for several years as treasurer of the organization.

Ron’s exquisite and exacting craftsmanship, along with his vast knowledge of materials and methods, is widely regarded and revered by CSI and his circle of peers.

Land Acknowledgement

The City of Chicago, and its surrounding areas, have always been and always will be, home to numerous Native American communities. As a team dedicated to the uplifting of Indigenous People's sovereignty everywhere, we recognize that each program and exhibition associated with this project is taking place on the traditional homelands of the Council of Three Fires - the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa - as well as the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk Nations. Further, we acknowledge that Chicago is home to one of the largest urban Native American communities in the US. We therefore invite each of our non-Indigenous colleagues to learn more about the forced removal of many of the communities listed above from the state of Illinois and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into their line of work. To provide immediate assistance to Native American Communities in Chicago, you can send donations to the city's American Indian Center here