Missy Dahl is a current Chicago artist whose work focuses on the human condition by exploring the theme of ancestry through lost and found photographs of families. After graduating from the Gage Academy of Art, Dahl began her illustrative career in Seattle, Washington where she worked out of a private studio, taking on more than six solo exhibitions in the span of four years. Since then Dahl has become a co founder of a community collective called the Totem Atelier and was the sole represented artist in the upcoming movie Nothing Against Life. Dahl has found inspiration in the past as it shapes society. Through her own personal reflections and the memories of others, Dahl’s work is able to capture a combination of classical training and timeless inspiration.
-written by Gabby Blumenthal
Gary (Gar) Hoover is an accomplished
street photographer, designer and award-
winning screenwriter. He has a feature in
development and is working on several film, stage and TV projects while teaching
screenwriting at Loyola University and
world-renowned Second City, where he
serves on the Film and TV faculty.
An ad agency veteran, Gar is also creative
director and a founding partner of ideafarm,
a branding and digital content agency that
helps entrepreneurial companies tell their
stories to the marketplace. “My photographic work explores primarily urban subjects, capturing images that reveal a hidden
narrative. I like to seek out the hopefulness and wit in neglected or burnt-out urban environments,
then digitally enhance the images to bring into high relief the beauty that’s already within. While
my work often celebrates the best of humanity, there is often a hint of melancholy at the core." -Gar
Cydney Lewis is a multimedia artist whose work is very involved in her surroundings. Her city, friends, family and interactions all become very important to the experiences she creates with her art. What makes her works reflect everyday life even more, is that they are created with the materials she sees on a daily basis. Her works are currently being made from recycled plastic bags but they sometimes also involve items that are disposed of in beauty shops. Cydney creates an interesting juxtaposition by taking these artificial trash items found in the city to create whimsical scenes of nature, youth and beauty. While not being too explicit, these works address problems with artificiality entering every aspect of our life. Her works become a sort of angel that disposes of trash, restores beauty and reminds us to enjoy the simplicities of life.
-written by Ellen Hanson
Sam Kirk is a self-taught artist who has developed her skills by constantly creating. She is a South Side native who now finds herself living in her own world of in-betweens and unstable middle grounds. She bounces back and forth from reality to an imaginary world and her aesthetic is also a balance of architectural lines and rough edges. Despite this, she is still conscious of the world around her and her art reflects her worries of a loss of culture. Living and working in Chicago is how she first became enamored by the diversity of people, places and the way they interact. Now, a central theme in her art is preserving and provoking these interactions everywhere. For her, art is like breathing and while always important, it becomes more and more important to her everyday. -written by Ellen Hanson
Donte describes himself as being about “Living Art”. In a way this comes through in two different ways: he lives artfully and his art is alive. From dancing, to painting, to modeling, every aspect of his life is about art. On the other hand, his art seems to be about life and have a life of its own. He uses a photographic memory to translate what he sees in Chicago and manifest it into a feeling through his use of paint. The energy of growing up around skateboards and hip-hop culture have certainly added to and influenced his art. His bright colors and bold gestures show the excitement of the world around him and the way he interprets it. In both art and life, he works without hesitation and is not afraid of making a mistake. -written by Ellen Hanson
Wandering. Looking for something to follow. Hoping to find something to prove that everything is profoundly meaningful. Some sort of singular theory of life. In this quest, I seem only to stumble upon the inconsequential things. An annoyance, some confusion, a mistake that takes a long time to clean up, a stubbed toe, a dirty dish, hair—all of the little things that pile up until it becomes clear that the passage of time has been present only in the form of passing distractions. Maybe there is some meaning, but it seems to be an illusion that only luck may one day unveil.
It can be difficult to remain interested, excited, engaged, and true to oneself amidst the backdrop of routine, everyday life. My most recent work is about personal fantasy and escape amidst everyday experience. It is a reimagining of everyday life, based on often small, seemingly insignificant frustrations. A playful rumination on the little things, the subtleties, which can fill our lives for better or worse. Growths of the seeds of worry, fear, amusement, and minor upsets. Fruitless daydreams. It is about what a mind does with what it is given. -artist statement
