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
My Little Aura (Barbara Cardenas)
Jennifer Cronin
