Class Notes

GROUP SHOWS/NEWS

Vincent Arcilesi (BFA 1956, MFA 1961) and Nola Romano (BFA 1996) were part of a group exhibition titled City, Country, People at AHA Underground in New York.

Reevah Agarwaal (BFA 2021, MFA 2024), Cecilia Beaven (MFA 2019), Chelsea Bighorn (MFA 2024), Isaac Couch (MDes 2021), Maryam Faridani (MFA 2019), FÁTIMA (MFA 2022), Sidney Garrett (MA 2023), Ruth Poor (MFA 2022), Bex Ya Yolk (MFA 2023), and Sangwoo Yoo (MFA 2024) are part of the Chicago Artists Coalition cohort of Artist and Curatorial Residents for 2024–26.

Claire Ashley (MFA 1995) and Yvette Mayorga (MFA 2016) were featured artists in Augmented Chicago: Inaugural Realities as part of Millennium Park's new public artworks celebrating its 20th anniversary. 

Christina Ballantyne (MFA 2021), Robert Burnier (MFA 2016), Josh Dihle (MFA 2012), Justin John Greene (BFA 2007), Richard Hull (MFA 1980), Jin Jeong (BFA 2017), Minami Kobayashi (MFA 2018), Ish Lipman (MFA 2022), Nour Malas (MFA 2022), Lyndsey Marko (BFA 2012), Soumya Netrabile (BFA 1995), Celeste Rapone (MFA 2013), and Kayla Risko (MFA 2015) participated in the group exhibition Nocturne at Andrew Rafacz.

Luke Agada (MFA 2023), Bryana Bibbs (BFA 2014), Maria Burundarena (MFA 2022), Leasho Johnson (MFA 2020), and Ava Wanbli (MFA 2019) were named NewCity’s 2024 Chicago Breakout Artists. The group exhibition was curated by Vasia Rigou (MA 2015).

Sanford Biggers (MFA 1999, HON 2024), Sheree Hovsepian (MFA 2002), and Nyugen E. Smith (MFA 2016) were part of a group exhibition at Monique Meloche Gallery titled Collage Culture.

Phyllis Bramson (MFA 1974) and David Leggett (MFA 2020) had a two-person exhibition titled Double, Double, Toil and Trouble! at ENGAGE Projects.

Dana Boutin (MA 2010) moderated a panel for Contemporary Collage Conversations that featured Mary Lou Zelazny (BFA 1980) and Aimée Beaubien (BFA 1989, MFA 1994) at Hyde Park Art Center.

Elijah Burgher (MFA 2004), Julia Schmitt Healy (BFA 1970, MFA 1972), Deb Sokolow (MFA 2004), and Ruby T (MFA 2016) are participating in a group show titled The Politicians (some of them) at Western Exhibitions, on view until September 29.

Saumitra Chandratreya (MDes 2017), Elisabeth Condon (MFA 1989), Herion Park (BFA 1989, MDes 2016), and Katherine Pill (MA 2010) participated in the Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration triennial exhibition.

Annika Connor (BFA 2002), Amanda Mulcahy (BFA 2014), and Muchen Wang (BFA 2019) were part of a group exhibition, Girlfriends, co-juried by Mary Stoppert (MFA 1968) at Woman Made Gallery.

Sonya Clark (BFA 1993, HON 2023) and cameron clayborn (BFA 2016) participated in a group exhibition titled The Mask of Prosperity at Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Josh Faught (MFA 2006) and SHENEQUA (MDes 2017) participated in a group exhibition at Volume Gallery titled Apex.

Judith Geichman (MFA 1978), Brian Kapernekas (BFA 1991), Esau McGhee (BFA 2005), and Tish Noel (BFA 2003) are part of Paper Per Se, a group exhibition at 65Grand.

Elijah Burgher (MFA 2004), Azadeh Gholizadeh (MFA 2012), Michiko Itatani (BFA 1974, MFA 1976), Anna Kunz (BFA 1991), Aya Nakamura (MFA 2013), Deb Sokolow (MFA 2004), and Amy Yoes (BFA 1984) participated in a group exhibition titled Cosmic Geometries: The Prairie's Edge at SECRIST | BEACH, curated by Hilma’s Ghost, a feminist artist collective that was co-founded by Dannielle Tegeder (MFA 1997).

Ellen Holtzblatt (BFA 1983), Janet Jaffke (BFA 1982), Olivia Jobbe (BFA 2024), Anna Lentz (MA 2015), and Schetauna Powell (MFA 2024) participated in the 25th International Open group exhibition at Woman Made Gallery. 

Espi Frazier (BFA 1981), Malika Jackson (MFA 2016), and Turtel Onli (BFA 1978, MA 1989) are part of a group exhibition at Hyde Park Art Center titled Parapluie, open until October 27.

Larry Lee (MFA 1999) curated the Spotlight Series at the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. The series featured solo exhibitions of Phillip Chen (MFA 1979), Laura Lynn Hsieh (MFA 2002), James Kao (BFA 2004, MFA 2006), Mari Miller (BFA 2009), Hope Wang (BFA 2018), Sarah Whyte (BFA 2019), Maggie Wong (MFA 2018), Guanyu Xu (BFA 2016, MFA 2019), Xuanlin Ye (BFA 2017), and Yuge Zhou (MFA 2015), and two-person exhibitions that included Cathy Hsiao (MFA 2017).

Martha Madigan (MFA 1978), Lou Mallozzi (BFA 1978), and John Opera (MFA 2005) were part of the group exhibition Captured Earth at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.

Mariana Mejía (MA 2023) is the curator of the citywide retrospective exhibition of interdisciplinary artist Sandra Binion (MFA 1992), Autobiography of Looking. The show consisted of an exhibition at Experimental Sound Studio’s Audible Gallery, a series of performances recreating some of Binion’s most important works at various venues in the city, and open archive sessions hosted by Mejía and Binion at the Hyde Park Art Center.

Roland Miller (MFA 2014) curated a group exhibition titled Overhang at Goldfinch Gallery featuring Christina Ballantyne (MFA 2021), Journie Cirdain (MFA 2022), Peter Fagundo (MFA 1995), Madeline Jane Lounsberry (BFA 2017, MFA 2023), and Ricardo Partida (MFA 2020).

Cathleen Cramer (MA 2008), Amanda Mulcahy (BFA 2014), and Jill Nahrstedt (BFA 2002) were involved in a group show titled You are Invited at DANK Haus in Chicago.

Meg Onli (BFA 2008) curated the 2024 Whitney Biennial that featured work from ektor garcia (BFA 2014), Christoper Harris (MFA 2000), and B. Ingrid Olsen (BFA 2010).

Michele Brody (MFA 1994) and Stephanie Powell (MFA 2001) took part in a group exhibition titled EnvironMental Coy at The Yard: Greenpoint in Brooklyn, New York.

Andres L. Hernandez (MA 2004), Adrienne Jacobs Oliver (MFA 2024), and Nyugen E. Smith (MFA 2016) participated in a group show titled Initiations, curated by current student Paula Damasceno at the Brown Gallery and Museum. 

Lilli Carré (BFA 2006), Ariana Gerstein (MFA 1993), Carrie Schneider (MFA 2007), Leonard Suryajaya (MFA 2015), Ben Thorp Brown (MFA 2012), and Shengze Zhu (MFA 2017) were named 2024 Guggenheim Fellows.

Sonya Clark (BFA 1993, HON 2023) and Saya Woolfalk (MFA 2004) were part of the spring 2024 cohort of grantees from VIA Art Fund, and both received production grants for their work in New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, respectively.

2020s

Noelle Africh's (MFA 2022) solo exhibition Superstition took place at Slow Dance gallery in Chicago.

Jordan Barrant (MA 2024) was named the Pulitzer Center's 2024 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Reporting Fellow. Their research for this project will center on the connections between Jamaican and Southern self-taught artists.

Molly Blumberg (MFA 2020) had a two-person exhibition titled Garden of Liminal Bodies with the Chicago Artists Coalition as part of her HATCH Residency.

Andrew Boynton (BFA 2023) had a solo exhibition titled No Land Without a Lord at Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago.

Alé Campos (MFA 2022) and Sal Moreno (MFA 2021) participated in the group exhibition Unstuck presented by Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery and SITE/less.

Abraham Cone (MFA 2021), Carolina Pereira (BFA 2020), Kate Morrick (MFA 2022), and William Schaeuble (BFA 2022) were featured in a group exhibition titled Back to School at Povos Downtown. Cone also had a solo exhibition titled Rustle up a Plume of Silt with the Chicago Artists Coalition as part of his BOLT Residency.

Leah Dalton (MFA 2024), Jessica Du Preez (MFA 2021), and Olivia Jobbe (BFA 2024) participated in the group exhibition Down There at Woman Made Gallery.

Serena JV Elston (MFA 2023) was featured in the Andrew Rafacz booth at NADA NY 2024.

Sidra Khawaja (MDes 2021) and Rahma Shahid (MDes 2021) showcased an installation at the first Design Summit in Lahore, Pakistan. Their work, Jugaar Protest, was installed at a historically significant, 200-year-old site and was curated by celebrated artist Rashid Rana.

Anne Koval (BFA 2020) published her recent research on artist Hannelore Baron in the exhibition catalog for Hannelore Baron at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in New York. 

Ish Lipman (MFA 2022) had a solo exhibition at Andrew Rafacz in Chicago titled Wind, Sand and Stars.

Aleks Matic (MA 2021) received a Fulbright-Nehru Research Fellowship with a focus on collaborating with a multigenerational collective of Pichvai artists in the temple town of Nathdwara, Rajashtjan, India. She will produce a documentary as a result of her findings.

Isabella Mellado (MFA 2023) had a solo show titled Te Diré Quién Eres at Povos Gallery in Chicago.

Peach Miller (BFA 2021), Rain Shanks (BA 2021), and Amanda Thomas (BFA 2020) celebrated the first anniversary of founding Cherry Knot, a Chicago-based artist-run curation group. Cherry Knot successfully hosted five DIY pop-up art exhibitions and one art fundraiser in their first year as a group.

Mac Pierce (MFA 2023) participated in a two-person exhibition titled A Third Act at Sulk Chicago.

Kitty Rauth (MFA 2022) was part of a three-person exhibition at LVL3 titled Sacred Whole.

Veronica Anne Salinas (MFA 2020) was selected as one of eight artists to participate in the Tallgrass Artist Residency, a program created by the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission centered in the city of Matfield Green near the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. As part of the residency, Salinas participated in a group exhibition and symposium at the Fall Gathering event in Matfield Green.

Olya Salimova (BFA 2022), a 2023–24 BOLT Resident, had a solo exhibition titled The cyborgs undone, the ghosts came to light, the ancestors control the future at the Chicago Artists Coalition. Salimova was also one of two artists selected to design butterflies for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's project, Flight of the Butterflies.

Jesse Stein (MFA 2020) published his debut novel, Children of Mandrake, an illustrated adventure YA novel from Atmosphere Press.

Ty Springer (BFA 2020) curated Sound Mind/Sound Body, a gallery show at Commonwealth Gallery in Madison, Wisconsin. The show featured 21 artists and centered works on disability and mental health.

Zachary Weber (BFA 2021) had a solo exhibition titled On the Wall at Pavilion Antiques & 20th Century Design in Chicago.

Kaiyuan Xu (MDes 2023) was honored with a prestigious MUSE Design Award for her outstanding contributions to fashion design.

Jiaming You (MFA 2022) had their debut solo show in Asia, Remnant of City and Flora, at Bonian Space in Beijing, China. 

Qianwen Yu (MFA 2020) performed her interactive installation piece Woven Symphony at {Re}HAPPENING 12, a one-day event at the historic campus of Black Mountain College in Asheville, North Carolina.

2010s

Alena Ahrens (MFA 2017) was featured in Infinite Arc, a showcase of some of her works hosted by ARTROOM in Lisbon, Portugal.

Darius Airo (BFA 2017) had a solo exhibition titled Mickey's Mirror at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery in Los Angeles.

Hellen Ascoli (MFA 2012) is featured in Flow States - LA TRIENAL 2024 at El Museo del Barrio in New York.

Tizziana Baldenebro (MA 2019) was named executive director of the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation in New York, an organization dedicated to supporting and advocating for women working in the field of architecture.

Samantha Bittman (MFA 2010) had a solo exhibition at Various Small Fires in Seoul, South Korea, titled Samantha Bittman: On Pattern. This is Bittman’s first solo show in Seoul.

Molly Brandt (BFA 2014), Assaf Evron (MFA 2013), and Kevin Weil (BFA 2014) were each awarded a Graham Foundation individual grant.

Eddie Breitweiser (MFA 2012) was appointed instructional assistant professor in the Creative Technologies Program at Illinois State University's Wonsook Kim School of Fine Arts.

Kat Zagaria Buckley (MA 2017), as director of Art Exhibitions and Outreach at the University of Southern Maine Art Gallery, received a Major Grant from the Maine Humanities Council for the gallery's upcoming exhibition Under/Current.

Gwen Yen Chiu (BFA 2019) had a solo exhibition titled Ink and Metal showcasing their new work at McCormick Gallery in Chicago.

Robyn Farrell (MA 2014) was appointed senior curator at The Kitchen in New York City. Farrell also served as curator for the Focus section of the 2024 Armory Show in New York.

Gordon Hall (MFA 2011, MA 2011) participated in a group show titled Exhibit A at DOCUMENT in Chicago. He was also a panelist at EXPO Chicago's VIP Program series, Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting.

Helmut Hammen (BFA 2014) participated in a three-person exhibit titled Bullet Hell at Twelve Ten Gallery in Chicago.

Xiao He (BFA 2018) participated in a group exhibition titled Other Days at Reisig and Taylor Contemporary in Los Angeles.

Alex Herrera (BFA 2011) co-curated Pit Stop at Hyde Park Art Center, an annual collaborative exhibition highlighting works from 40 teen artists from the Chicagoland area. This exhibition was her last as manager of Teen Programs at Hyde Park Art Center as Herrera has moved into her new role as director of programs and partnerships at Free Spirit Media. 

Risa Hricovsky (MFA 2016) had their first solo museum exhibition, Then is Now, at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Eunsong Kim's (MFA 2010) publication, The Politics of Collecting: Race and the Aestheticization of Property, was released in August.

Katie Kimmel (BFA 2014) unveiled Souvenir of the Sunday, an art studio, showroom, and boutique pop-up at Row DTLA in Los Angeles. Souvenir features works by Kimmel and other emerging and established artists like Clare V. and Heather Taylor Home. A percentage of their sales go to the youth organization Heart of Los Angeles.

Rodrigo Lara (MFA 2013) had a solo show titled Constructs at The Mission Projects in Chicago with pieces created during his residency at Cerámica Suro in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Ben Larose (MDes 2016) created and performed his first stage performance piece, NOT AMERICAN. 

Nazafarin Lotfi (MFA 2011) had a solo exhibition, Vanishing Point, at Regards in Chicago.

Yang Mai’s (MDes 2016) solo exhibition titled 怀抱 (Hold Me in Your Arms): 在非洲 - Held by Africa is on display at the Erdemann School in Nairobi, Kenya.

Matt Mancini (MFA 2014), Noël Morical (BFA 2011), and Erin Washington (MFA 2011) participated in a group exhibition titled Tooth for a Tooth at LVL3 Gallery.

Jaclyn Mednicov (MFA 2016) had a solo exhibition titled Beneath the Green at GOLDFINCH Gallery in Chicago.

Eleanor Neal (MFA 2016) was featured in an exhibition titled Decadence of Another Kind at the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago.

Andrea Perales (BFA 2017) and Irene Trujillo Villegas (BFA 2017) participated in a two-person exhibition titled a la hora que tu me digas at Galería El Arenero in Mexico City, a gallery directed by Paola Lopez (BA 2018).

Alejandra Perez (BFA 2019) had a solo show titled enraizarse al aire at Now: Gallery in Lima, Peru.

Shonna Pryor (MFA 2012) participated in a two-person exhibition, Felicific, presented by the Chicago Artists Coalition as part of her HATCH Residency.

MMM (MFA 2017) was one of four featured readers selected for the March installment of the Open Door series at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago. They presented their piece, Space Race: UNCLASSIFIED, a transdisciplinary lecture performance centering on the declassified social history of NASA. Also featured at this event was Clareese Hill (MFA 2017).

Josh Reames (MFA 2010) was featured in a solo booth presented by Selenas Mountain at the Barely Fair during Art Week in Chicago.

Ari Salka (BFA 2016) took part in A Kind of Present Nostalgia, an exhibition presented by Lauren Powell Projects in Los Angeles in collaboration with LPP Sunset Hiking Club. The exhibition took place in Griffith Park during sunset and was accompanied by poetry readings.

Ana Segovia (BFA 2015) is a featured artist in the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy. 

The first episode of Christina Seo's (BFA 2013) series, A Soft Place to Land, was released in June. This four-part web series documents encounters with ecological sustainability in the South Side of Chicago.

Samuel Schwindt's (BFA 2019) solo exhibition, REVEALED ARMOR: LEATHER AND LIGHT, was presented by Epiphany Center for the Arts at Slemmons Gallery in Chicago. 

Samuel Schwindt (BFA 2019) and Sarah Whyte (BFA 2019) participated in the 2024 University of Illinois Chicago MFA Thesis Show titled See, Saw, Seen at Gallery 400.

Nyugen E. Smith (MFA 2016) was one of 12 artists selected to take part in Pratt>Forward 2024, a month-long collaborative program connecting artists and creative thought leaders with a studio space in the World Trade Center.

Son Suk-ku (SAIC 2001–04) has been named a brand ambassador for British luxury brand Burberry. Suk-ku is known for his roles in popular dramas such as Sense8 and A Killer Paradox. His most recent project, a solo performance in the short film Night Fishing, produced by Hyundai Motors, debuted in June.

Adrienne Elise Tarver (MFA 2011) had a solo exhibition, Where the Waters Go, at Dinner Gallery in New York.

Alice Tippit (BFA 2009, MFA 2013) participated in a group exhibition at Marinaro in New York City titled Stay Cool. 

Tsai-Ling Tseng (MFA 2018) had a solo exhibition titled Piece together (times) at Goldfinch Gallery in Chicago.

Christina Villa (BFA 2011) had a solo show titled In the Swell at Christina M Villa Studio in Chicago.

Allison Wade (MFA 2012) participated in a group show titled (No) Room for Doubt at Devening Projects in Chicago.

Hope Wang (BFA 2018) was part of a three-person show titled Crafting Pragmatics at ENGAGE Projects in Chicago.

Erin Woodbrey's (MFA 2014) installation, Gardeners for a Geological Afterlife, was displayed at the Goethe-Institut in Boston. To celebrate the closing of the installation, Woodbrey hosted a finissage with a performance by fellow alum Sarah Williams (MFA 2014).

Derrick Woods-Morrow (MFA 2016) had a solo show at ENGAGE Projects titled Scirocco - Arifi: Where the Sand Meets the Sea.

Yaloo (BFA 2011, MFA 2015) had a solo exhibition titled YALOO at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in Ansan, South Korea.

Yuge Zhou (MFA 2015) was part of a group exhibition titled LOVE: Still Not the Lesser at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, led by Asha Iman Veal (MA 2017) who currently serves as the museum's associate curator. 

Rachael Zur (MFA 2019) had a solo exhibition titled Hours After Winter at Carnation Contemporary in Portland, Oregon. She was also featured in Create! Magazine's article "Exploring the Intersection of Sculpture and Painting: A Conversation with Artist Rachael Zur."

2000s

Alberto Aguilar (BFA 1997, MFA 2001) was awarded a 2024 Latinx Artist Fellowship by the US Latinx Art Forum.

Brandon Alvendia (BFA 2003) was awarded a Visual Arts Spring 2024 Grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation.

Elizabeth Ashe (BFA 2007) participated in three group exhibitions in the greater Washington D.C. area: 2024PRIDE at Portico Gallery in Brentwood, Maryland; Flora at Mattawoman Creek Art Center for the Women's Caucus for Art; and Invisible Architectures/Social Contracts at Maryland Art Place in Baltimore, Maryland.

Tania Bruguera (MFA 2001, HON 2016) is performing a piece titled Where Your Ideas Become Civic Actions (100 hours of reading "The Origins of Totalitarianism") at the Hamburger Bahnhof - Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in Berlin, Germany, until November 2.

Elijah Burgher (MFA 2004) had his fifth solo show with Western Exhibitions at Gallery One in Chicago titled Our Lady of Latrines. 

Talia Chetrit (BFA 2004) had her first solo museum show in the United States titled Matrix 193 at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut.

Aaron Curry (BFA 2002) participated in a group show at The Hole in Los Angeles titled Hollywood Dream Bubble: Ed Ruscha's influence in Los Angeles and Beyond.

Cynthia Daignault (Post-Bacc 2004) was featured in a group exhibition titled Therein the Beauty at Marinaro Gallery in New York.

Salvador Dominguez (BFA 2008) had his first solo exhibition with Andrew Rafacz in Chicago titled Mano de Obra.

Rowynn Dumont (BFA 2007) participated in a group show titled KAFKAesque at Dox Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic.

Megan Euker (BFA 2005, MFA 2007) awarded Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. one of her sculptures and named him the eighth annual Orphan Dream Award recipient. 

Sean Fader (MFA 2008) had an installation of his piece Insufficient Memory | Queer American Memorials displayed in the RL Window at the Ryan Lee gallery in New York.

Emil Ferris's (BFA 2008) highly anticipated graphic novel sequel, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Book Two, was released in May.

Jean Alexander-Frater (MFA 2006) had a solo exhibition, Color Form, at McHenry College.

Orly Genger (Post-Bacc 2002) was featured in the winter 2024 issue of Fiber Art Now.

Sayre Gomez (BFA 2005) had his second exhibition at Xavier Hufkens in Brussels, Belgium, titled Heaven 'N' Earth. He was also featured in a group exhibition titled Reverberations at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

Dan Gunn (Post-Bacc 2005, MFA 2007) had a solo show titled The Ungrateful Son, his first with Geary Contemporary in New York City.

Valerie Hagerty (MFA 2002) was part of a group exhibition, Bluets and Blue, at Springs Project in Brooklyn, New York.

Faith Humphrey-Hill (BFA 2000) had a solo exhibition at Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago titled Knitfinity.

Sun Jang (BFA 2000) was featured in MAKING TIME: A Salon Invitational, a group exhibition at Secrist Beach in Chicago.

Darrell Jones (MA 2009) participated in a symposium titled A Thesis on Spillage at Graham Foundation in Chicago.

Lucy Knisley (BFA 2007) published two new books this year, a children's picture book titled Ride Beside Me and graphic novel titled Woe: A Housecat's Story of Despair. 

Jeff Musser (BFA 2000) discussed his work in an interview titled “Brushing Against Shadow: Exploring Racial Identity with Jeff Musser” with media platform and creative studio Insights of an Eco Artist.

Hương Ngô (MFA 2004) had a solo exhibition at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College titled Ungrafting. 

Joey Orr (MA 2008) was appointed deputy director and chief of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Angel Otero (BFA 2007, MFA 2009) had his inaugural solo exhibition with Hauser & Wirth titled That First Rain in May.

Sherwin Ovid (BFA 2007) had a solo exhibition titled Leeway at Goldfinch Gallery in Chicago.

Heidi Parkes (BFA 2005) has been named the 15th Artist in Residence at the historic Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Throughout 2024 she'll be hand-sewing in her public studio, focusing on her work with diary quilts.

Jaume Plensa (HON 2005) had a solo show at Fondazione Berengo in Venice, Italy, titled Janus.

Luis Romero (Post-Bacc 1999, MFA 2001) had a solo show at Compound Yellow in Oak Park, Illinois, titled All is Illusion, But Nothing Lies.

Nancy Lu Rosenheim (MFA 2006) had a solo exhibition titled Harpy · Human · Hybrid · Beast at Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago.

Sterling Ruby (BFA 2002) was included in a group exhibition presented by Xavier Hufkens Gallery at the 2024 Art SG in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. His work was also selected to be part of a group exhibition titled JANUS at Palazzo Diedo in Venice, Italy.

Edra Soto (Post-Bacc 1998, MFA 2000) won the Public Art Dialogue Founders Award for her achievements in the field of public arts. She also reimagined Via Chicago Architects + Disenadores’ work SCAFFOLD at Comfort Station in Chicago for an exhibition and installation project titled La Casa de Todos / Everyone’s Home.

Aaron Swindle (BFA 2006) was part of a two-person show, Transient Motifs, at the Rochester Institute of Technology's City Art Space.

Karen Tam (MFA 2002) participated in the group exhibition Setting the Table at Artexte in Quebec, Canada.

Scheherazade Tillet (MA 2005) had her first published photo essay, "'Life has not stopped for grief': the photographer holding Breonna Taylor’s memory," featured in The Guardian. 

Amanda Valdez (BFA 2007) had her third solo exhibition at The Landing Gallery titled Wet Kiss.

1990s

Esther Alinejad (BFA 1992) had a solo show titled Above, Beneath + In Between at Thousand Oaks Community Gallery in Newbury Park, California.

Claire Ashley (MFA 1995) completed two artist residencies in Scotland, one with Glasgow Sculpture Studios and one self-directed residency in The Hebrides islands. 

Petra Bachmaier (BFA 1999) and Sean Gallero (BFA 1998) of Luftwerk were featured in the Volume Gallery booth at NADA in New York.

Aimée Beaubien (BFA 1989, MFA 1994) had a solo exhibition titled Through the Hothouse at Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago.

Sonya Clark (BFA 1993, HON 2023) had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York titled Sonya Clark: We Are Each Other.

Jennifer Natalya Fink (MFA 1990) hosted an interactive art event in Paris, France, where she performed her piece Going (Paris) Green. Also her book, All Our Families: Disability Lineage and the Future of Kinship, was one of six highlighted by BookTrib as powerful memoirs in the fight for disability justice.

Gridthiya Gaweewong (MA 1996) and Yasmil Raymond (BFA 1999) were selected to be part of the new Finding Committee for documenta 16 in Kassel, Germany.

Jeffrey Gibson (BFA 1995) represented the US at the Venice Biennale this year and also had a solo exhibition titled They Teach Love at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in Spokane, Washington.

Tracy Ostmann Hascke (Post-Bacc 1993) had a solo exhibition and artist talk at Alma Art and Interiors in Chicago titled Watching You Watching Me.

Jacob Hashimoto (BFA 1996) collaborated with the New York–based textile firm Maharam to create a collection of textiles, Beyond and Midair, inspired by the materiality and intricacy of his past installations. 

Andrew Hornberger (MFA 1997) had a solo show, Revealed, at Old Stone House in Brooklyn, New York.

Peter Hosfeld (BFA 1998) had a solo exhibition titled Distancing Effect at Edge Zones Art Space in Miami, Florida.

Juliet Jacobson (BFA 1999) had a solo show titled Named Rose at Western Exhibitions in Chicago.

Jennifer JL Jones (BFA 1994) had a solo exhibition titled Echoes of Elysium at New River Fine Art in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Eduardo Kac (MFA 1990) and Celestis, a space burial cremation company, launched his holographic art piece Ágora into deep space. Alongside Ágora in the rocket are the cremated remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and DNA from three deceased American presidents.

Keiko Kira (MFA 1995) launched her business, Keiko Furoshiki, where her artwork is brought to life on furoshiki squares made from recycled polyester and used for sustainable gift wrapping. Keiko Furoshiki has since been featured by WIRED, Martha Stewart, and The Spruce.

Damon Locks (BFA 1991) had his project, Noon Moons, featured at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago.

Aeron Maxwell (MFA 1996) had a solo exhibition titled CHASING VISIONS IN HYPERSPACE in the Guild Room at Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago.

Britt Michaelian (BFA 1996) exhibited recent works at Healing House, an art and wellness event at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The show was curated by Frederick Janka (BA 2004) of the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara.

Patricia Michaels (SAIC 1993) received The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture's Living Treasure Award.

Soumya Netrabile (BFA 1995) had a solo exhibition titled mono no aware at Andrew Rafacz in Chicago. Her works were also featured at the Andrew Rafacz booth at NADA New York.

Mark Newport (MFA 1991) was awarded an American Craft Council Award.

Leah Oates (MFA 1997) participated in two group exhibitions at Gallery 1313 in Toronto, Canada, titled A Winter Exhibition and IN FOCUS. Her works were also featured in Landscapes of Transcendence: Part II - Scenes of Ethereality at Susan Eley Fine Art in Hudson, New York; The Magical Garden at Lichtundfire Gallery in New York; and the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival 2024 in Toronto, Canada.

Amy Pleasant (BFA 1994) showed her work in a group exhibition, VIVID: A Fresh Take, alongside her solo exhibition, Passing Through, at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She also had a solo exhibition titled Wall to Wall at the Birmingham Museum of Art and took part in Material Resonance, a group exhibition at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts.

Jennifer Rochlin (Post-Bacc 1997, MFA 1999) had a solo show, her first with Hauser & Wirth in New York, titled Paintings on Clay. She was also featured in an article published by W Magazine, “Jennifer Rochlin Tells Her Life Story, One Wonky Pot at a Time.”

Nola Romano (BFA 1996) was featured in a pop-up group exhibition titled Just Be at AHA Fine Art in New York.

Christine Tarkowski's (MFA 1992) piece, the old Moon in the new Moon’s arms, was a featured installation at The Arts Club of Chicago.

Hilma's Ghost, a feminist art collective co-founded by Dannielle Tegeder (MFA 1997), had its first solo exhibition titled Spectral Visions: A Feminist Collective Signals Magickal Futures at Secrist Beach in Chicago.

Frank Webster (BFA 1990) is featured at the Isabel Sullivan Gallery in New York.

Yvonne Welbon (MFA 1994) opened Sisters in Cinema Media Arts Center, an organization dedicated to studying and promoting Black women filmmakers on the South Side of Chicago.

1980s

Lea Basile-Lazarus (MFA 1980) had a solo exhibition titled The New Landscape at Jeffrey Moose Gallery in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Laurie Hogin (Post-Bacc 1987, MFA 1989) had a solo exhibition titled Kin at Zolla Lieberman Gallery in Chicago.

Martha Kelshaw (BFA 1981) had her piece, NYC Landscape w/Yellow Chair, featured in a group exhibition titled The Montclair Ten/Ten at The Gallery at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Montclair, New Jersey. This is the 10th anniversary of the group exhibiting together.

Eric Kirsammer (BFA 1986) is the owner of two Chicago Bookstores: Quimby's Bookstore and Chicago Comics. Both stores are celebrating more than 30 years in business.

Judy Ledgerwood (MFA 1984) is now represented by GRAY Gallery alongside Rhona Hoffman Gallery. Her work was also featured at the GRAY gallery booth at Art Basel 2024.

Eric Leonardson (MFA 1983) was a resident artist at Roger Brown House in New Buffalo, Michigan. Leonardson also held performances at the Northbrook Public Library and at Color Club in Chicago. 

Paul McCarthy (MFA 1980) was featured in the Xavier Hufkens booth at Art Basel in Basel 2024.

Deyana Mielke (BFA 1984) was involved in four international juried exhibitions in Vancouver, Canada, and also had work featured in 15th Annual Art at the Capitol event in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Turtel Onli (BFA 1978, MA 1989) had a solo exhibition, Turtel Onli: The Black Age of Comics, presented by The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at Cafe Logan in Chicago.

Melanie Parke's (BFA 1989) new studio debuted during Art Snake, the annual open studio tour in Onekama and Arcadia, Michigan.

Shannon Rose Riley (SAIC 1981) published a collection of essays and creative exercises titled Geographies of Us: Ecosomatic Essays and Practice Pages.

Carole Silverstein (BFA 1988) had a solo show titled this ache in your heart is holy at Nancy Toomey Fine Art gallery in San Francisco, California.

Mary Lou Zelanzny (BFA 1980) was featured in a group exhibition titled Boundaries and Beyond: Imagined Landscapes at the Carl Hammer Gallery in Chicago.

1970s

Terry Berkowitz (MFA 1973) participated in both part I and part II of an exhibition titled Biennial Means Necessary at Proyectos Raul Zamudio exhibition space in New York.

Nancy Bowen (BFA 1978) participated in CounterPointe11, an annual collaborative production between woman dance makers and visual artists, at the Mark O'Donnell Theater in Brooklyn, New York. 

Dan Kwong (BFA 1977) spearheaded the restoration of Manzanar War Relocation Center's baseball field in California. He was featured on NPR's All Things Considered discussing the project earlier this year. Kwong will be producing an exhibition doubleheader on the field in late September.

Dan McCormack (MFA 1970) had a solo show at the Art Society of Kingston in Kingston, New York.

1960s

Stanley Dean Edwards (BFA 1966) was featured in a two-person exhibition titled Implied Motion at Oliva Gallery in Chicago.

Sheila Elias (BFA 1969) had a solo exhibition titled Optimism of Life and hosted an open studio at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach, Florida.

Richard Wetzel (BFA 1968) had a solo show titled Some Must Watch, Paintings 1983–85 at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago.

1950s

Dominick Di Meo (BFA 1952) had a solo show titled Torsoscape at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago.

Robert Paige (SAIC 1952) has his largest solo show to date, United Colors of Robert Earl Paige, on view at Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago until October 27.

We make a substantial effort to include as many SAIC alum accomplishments in “Class Notes” as possible. Due to the enormous talent and wide reach of the SAIC community, there may be alum updates that were not included. Please click here if you would like to submit your updates, news, and accomplishments for consideration to be included in “Class Notes” in the next issue of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago magazine. Please note, SAIC reserves the right to edit submissions.

In Memoriam

Dominick Di Meo (BFA 1952)

Linda Horn (MFA 1968)

Valerie Jacobs (BA 1954)

Raymond Noesen (BFA 1992, MS 1998)

Oselaka Osadebe (MFA 1967)

Robert Parker (BA 1952)

Raymond Patlan (SAIC 1971)

Joan Podgorski (BFA 1967)

Juliet Rago-McNamara (BFA 1949, MFA 1973)

Faith Ringgold (HON 2001)

Tomas Sadauskas (BFA 1963)

Pauline Silberman (SAIC 1981)

Gail Suttelle (SAIC 2008)

Joe Zucker (BFA 1964, MFA 1966) ■