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so incredibly honored to have been picked to be in this gallery I havenāt put my art out in the world in so long and it felt so refreshing to meet so many other creatives and just people who care about our DIY scene ā¤ļø if you from from Chicago you should definitely come to the Zine club @ unmasked coven ;)
20h ago
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I have been running a lil lit community since December and if ur in Chicago Iād love to nerd out with you and be friends š
(Also i have a print magazine and I take submissions from everyone all over da world or whatever, if ur not in chicago)
(Also i have a print magazine and I take submissions from everyone all over da world or whatever, if ur not in chicago)
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Located at the intersection of Western and Cermak in Chicago, the Western Pole is a makeshift rotating exhibition space on a city-owned light pole. Itās run by the artist and curator Jesse Malmed and is one of the single most delightful things in my life. I get to walk by it on my commute to the train and see the exhibitions change at a seemingly random cadence. Theyāre usually poster-based in format but Iāve seen a very cool sculpture of a birdhouse affixed to the pole and sometimes the work is interactive, using phone numbers, QR codes, and even links to artistās Venmoās. Iām aching to know how artists are picked and what the general āinfrastructureā of running the pole is. But also, Iām addicted to the mystery and in love with the reclamation of The Commons.
Chicago has a gorgeous and historied community of alternative art spaces, including an ecosystem of apartment galleries and non-traditional exhibition spaces. We have Barely Fair, a miniature art fair with tiny booths. Thereās a gallery run out of someoneās purse and a now-closed space that existed inside of someoneās medicine cabinet! One curator commissioned artists to make earrings and used her earlobes and neck as an exhibition space. Iām even in on it. My husband and I ran Curb Appeal Gallery out of our living room for a year and a half!
I guess what Iām trying to say is, be scrappy, be nimble, and be creative. You want to do a show, build up your artist CV, get into curatorial work? Make the spaces you want to be within. They can be as simple as a city light pole.
Chicago has a gorgeous and historied community of alternative art spaces, including an ecosystem of apartment galleries and non-traditional exhibition spaces. We have Barely Fair, a miniature art fair with tiny booths. Thereās a gallery run out of someoneās purse and a now-closed space that existed inside of someoneās medicine cabinet! One curator commissioned artists to make earrings and used her earlobes and neck as an exhibition space. Iām even in on it. My husband and I ran Curb Appeal Gallery out of our living room for a year and a half!
I guess what Iām trying to say is, be scrappy, be nimble, and be creative. You want to do a show, build up your artist CV, get into curatorial work? Make the spaces you want to be within. They can be as simple as a city light pole.
Feb 25, 2025
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My new job has me running around the city visiting gorgeous spaces and meeting with amazing artists. Itās so invigorating to be out in the world having engaging conversations and taking in all this wild beauty. Chicago PI.FYI stay tuned for some cool exhibitions and pop-ups in the fallā¦
May 23, 2025
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