CHICAGO—Woman Made Gallery presents Bodies Luminous, curated by Madeline McConico, Sarah Peecher, and Ren Buchness. The exhibition brings together 30 women and non-binary artists working across two- and three-dimensional mediums and installation.
Inspired by Diamond Forde’s poem “Fat girl Dances with a Stranger at a Block Party,” the exhibition explores our complex, evolving, and deeply personal relationships to our bodies. Embracing expressions of joy, Bodies Luminous fosters a space where all bodies are seen, celebrated, and luminous.
The works on view reflect the rich diversity of ways artists interpret themes of embodiment, from the dysmorphic to the beautiful, the tender to the exuberant, with a particular embrace of body celebration and hope. Check the NewCity Review.
Exhibition Events
The exhibition opens with an artist reception at Woman Made Gallery, 1332 S. Halsted St. in Chicago, on Saturday, May 23, from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Closing Reception includes an Artist Walkthrough on Saturday, June 20 from 2 to 4 p.m., offering a final opportunity to meet the participating artists in person. Events at WMG are free and open to the public.
Exhibiting Artists: Julieta Beltran Lazo, Maura Benson, Molly Borth, Liya Du, Sarah Gerbasi, Julie Glass, Erin Gleason, Amy Hanks, London Heist, Hippo Artz, Anke Huyben, Mia Johnson, Lili Jones, Dahye Jung, Yuliya Klochan, Laurie LeBreton, Teresa Magaña, Glenda Mah, Kathie Foley-Meyer, Mercury.N, Jacqueline W. Nuzzo, Kayla D. Smith, Daun Suh, Susanne Swanson Bernard, Skye Terry, Jennifer Warren, Leni Mae Wiegand
Art and Poetry Pairs: Izzy Cho & Dawn Angelicca Barcelona, Xakilah Daniel & Deanna Whitlow, Nitya Mehrotra & Tanya Leon-Moreno, Kinsey Nelson & Kala Wahl, Mariana Noreña & Alyx Chandler, Emi O’Brochta & Bea Forkan
Curating Team: Madeline McConico, Sarah Peecher, Ren Buchness
Madeline McConico is an interdisciplinary poet, editor, and curator. She holds a BA in English from Iowa State University and completed her MFA at Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Allium: A Journal of Prose & Poetry, Opal Literacy, POTLUCK, and more. Her poem “10 Steps to Drowning” was reimagined as a 5-panel video installation at the Unleashed Gala in 2024. She was the recipient of a CSPA award for her free-form poem “A letter from me, your Black sister,” and was a finalist for the Wisconsin Institute of Creative Writing Fellowship. She is currently a PhD candidate in English at Georgia State University and the Editor-in-Chief of Frontier Poetry. Madeline also serves as the Co-Founder and Poetry Editor of the project and publication Unwoven Literary & Arts Magazine. Madeline is the Co-Curator for Off the Page: Poetry Reimagined. In her free time, Madeline is an impassioned intermediate yogi and a dedicated ramen eater.
Sarah Peecher is a native of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, now living and writing in Chicago. She was a Nathan Breitling Poetry Fellow and the recipient of an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. She now teaches undergraduate writing at Roosevelt University. She is the Associate Editor of Frontier Poetry, a publication exploring the edges of contemporary poetry. Along with writing, editing, and teaching, she curates poetry exhibitions for Off the Page: Poetry Reimagined. Much of her work strives to maintain, experiment with, and emphasize connections between the literary arts and other creative modes. Her writing can be found in The Lincoln Review, Agapanthus, Bluestem and more. Her debut chapbook, KEELING (Finishing Line Press, 2025) was a semi-finalist for the New Delta Review chapbook contest. Her poem “Emerging from a silver foil cocoon after the conflagration” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by +doc. She lives with her husband, Eli, and their two cats, Rumpus and Ruckus.
Ren Buchness (they/them) is a contemporary artist & fat, queer activist based in Tucson, Arizona. By combining painting & performance, they aim to foster dialogue and understanding of the fat, queer, and trans experience within the current political and social environment in the United States. In 2013, they received their BFA in Studio Art from Florida State University, and in 2018 earned their Master of Fine Art with a focus in painting & video from the University of Arizona. They currently teach a variety of fine art courses including figure drawing and watercolor painting at local colleges and universities. Ren’s work has been shown in multiple galleries across the country. Their work has also been featured in several publications both nationally and internationally.. They are also committed to cultivating a stronger trans and queer community through event planning and marketing with Fluxx productions, a local non-profit focused on queer community and creativity. Most days, you can find Ren in the studio, creating works of art that celebrate and explore the fat, queer experience.
Statement on Organizational Neutrality
As a registered Illinois 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Woman Made Gallery is committed to its mission of supporting women and non-binary artists through inclusive and equitable programming. To maintain trust, legal compliance, and alignment with its values, WMG does not endorse or oppose political candidates or parties and refrains from promoting personal ideological or religious beliefs. All exhibitions, partnerships, and communications are guided by the gallery’s mission, with a focus on artistic merit, diversity of perspective, and respectful dialogue. Staff, board members, and affiliates are expected to distinguish personal opinions from organizational positions and to use WMG’s platform solely in service of its mission.
Thank You
Woman Made Gallery is supported in part by grants from The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Illinois Arts Council Agency; the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; the Puffin Foundation; a major anonymous donor; and the generosity of its members and contributors.
