Literary Event: *Footnote curated by Jae Green
2026-03-15 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
Woman Made Gallery presents *Footnote, a literary event curated by Jae Green featuring long-form and experimental work that breaks from traditional short-form structures. Expect pieces that unfold through layered nuance, unconventional approaches, and a step-back perspective.

27th International Open Artist Walkthrough
2026-03-28 14:00 - 16:00
Mark your calendar for an artist talk on the closing day of the 27th International Open, a juried exhibition featuring 41 women and non-binary artists from the US, Canada, Europe, and Hong Kong. Select artists will discuss their work, its inspiration, and creative process. The event is free and open to the public.

Artist Reception: Seeds of Resilience
2026-04-11 16:00 - 19:00
Join us for the opening of Seeds of Resilience, a multidisciplinary exhibition featuring work in a variety of mediums by 41 artists. The exhibition opens Saturday, April 11, 2026, with a public artist reception from 4 to 7 p.m. and remains on view through May 9, 2026.
Curated by Monica J. Brown and Nora Moore Lloyd, Seeds of Resilience brings together women and non-binary artists whose works explore how personal, cultural, and ecological survival are deeply intertwined.
View the exhibition online.

Panel Discussion & Book Launch: Women of Backbone with Bren Kleinfelder
2026-04-12 15:00 - 17:00
Join us for an afternoon panel discussion and book launch celebrating artist and photographer Bren Kleinfelder and her project Women of Backbone. This special event invites visitors to engage with Kleinfelder’s powerful body of work through conversation, photography, and multimedia presentation.
WMG’s Project Space will feature a curated selection of large-scale color photographs from the 2024 shoot alongside black-and-white works, including Upon Turning 40 from WMG’s permanent collection. Visitors are invited to purchase copies of the book, leaf through an open copy on display, speak with women featured in the project, and watch documentation from the Women of Backbone research and process.
Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase, along with a selection of poster prints and artworks for sale.
Free and open to the public. All are welcome.

Seeing Seeds Drawing & Printmaking Workshop
2026-04-18 10:00 - 13:00
This hands-on workshop, led by Sharon Bladholm, explores the art and ecology of seeds. While creating art, participants will discuss seed diversity, seed structure and dispersal, and the importance of natural and man-made seed banks in ecological restoration. No experience necessary; all materials provided. Space is limited to 12 participants. Workshop fee: $65 (refreshments included)
Saturday, April 18, 2026 | 10 AM to 1 p.m. at Woman Made Gallery
1332 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60607 | 312-738-0400 | general@womanmade.org

Seeds of Resilience Closing Reception and Artist Walkthrough
2026-05-09 14:00 - 16:00
The group exhibition Seeds of Resilience ends with an Artist Walkthrough on Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Join us to hear select artists share insights into their art practice and the work on display.
View the exhibition online.

Bodies Luminous Opening Reception
2026-05-23 17:00 - 20:00
Bodies Luminous is a group exhibition featuring work by 27 women and non-binary artists inspired by Diamond Forde’s poem “Fat Girl Dances with a Stranger at a Block Party,” alongside six artist-poet collaborations exploring our complex and personal relationships to our bodies. The exhibition is on view through June 20.

Dorothy C. Straughter: Resilience
2026-05-23 17:00 - 20:00
Resilience is a vibrant tapestry of over 142 embroidered words and phrases contributed by community members, stitched together into a colorful celebration of collective hope and the human spirit.

Off the Page: A Poetry Slam
2026-06-11 18:30 - 20:30
Compete in a poetry slam—with prizes!—hosted by slam connoisseur Kat Freeze with an assist from Off the Page curators Madeline McConico + Sarah Peecher. How does this work, you may ask?
⭐ Bring two of your best poems which address the body. The memo is embodiment: the dysmorphic, the beautiful, the tender, the exuberant. Bonus points (metaphorically) for celebration of the body.
⭐ All women – including trans women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer and nonbinary poets – to the front for this competition! Everyone else is invited to cheer loudly for those competing.
⭐ Poems must be read or recited in 3 minutes. If you go over time, you lose points! Them’s the rules.
⭐ We recommend practicing, but please don’t be intimidated. Newbies are one million percent welcome!
⭐ The event questionnaire will gauge your interest in competing, but official sign-up will be on a first-come, first-served basis at the door.
P.S.: Judges to be announced in the event comments and on our Instagram prior to the event.
GET YOUR TICKET HERE!
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, June 11, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Dual Exhibition Exchange with ARC gallery
2026-06-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Woman Made Gallery, 1332 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
Get your ticket here
Join us for a free, collaborative gallery tour celebrating the body through two powerful exhibitions.
Gallery Exchange: Body Sovereignty × Bodies Luminous
Join us for a free, collaborative gallery tour celebrating the body through two powerful exhibitions, and the two Chicago galleries bringing them to life.
On June 13 from 10am to 12pm, we’re kicking off at ARC Gallery (1463 W Chicago Ave) where ARC member Raissa Bailey will walk us through Body Sovereignty, a show that invites us to reclaim and reexamine what it means to inhabit our own bodies. From there, we’ll make our way together to Woman Made Gallery (1332 S Halsted St), where Rebekah Baker will guide us through Bodies Luminous, a radiant exploration of the body as a site of light, identity, and expression.
A Historic Collaboration ARC Gallery and Woman Made Gallery are two of Chicago’s most prestigious and enduring champions of women in the arts. For decades, both institutions have been dedicated to amplifying the work of women and gender-expansive artists, creating space for voices that have too often been pushed to the margins of the art world. That these two pillars of Chicago’s arts community are coming together — not just to exhibit, but to actively collaborate and build bridges between their audiences — is something truly worth celebrating. This exchange reflects a shared belief that feminist art spaces are stronger together, and that the conversations happening in one gallery are enriched by what’s happening in another.
The tour is free and open to all. Just bring your curiosity.
How to get in between the two galleries: The two galleries are a short 17-minute drive or a 30-minute bus ride apart. Carpooling is encouraged.
Coffee and refreshments will be provided at Woman Made Gallery
Schedule
10:00 am — Gather at ARC Gallery | Tour of Body Sovereignty with Raissa Bailey
10:45 am — Commute together to Woman Made Gallery
11:15 am — Tour of Bodies Luminous with Rebekah Baker
12:00 pm — End of event
Starting location: ARC Gallery 1463 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

Bodies Luminous Artist Walkthrough
2026-06-20 14:00 - 16:00
Join us on the final day of Bodies Luminous for an intimate artist walkthrough. Hear select artists reflect on their work and creative practice, and listen as poets share the words that inspired the art on view.

Pro/Fuse Opening Reception
2026-07-11 04:00 - 19:00
Woman Made Gallery presents Pro/Fuse, a juried exhibition curated by Kathleen Waterloo. Featuring works by 48 women and non-binary artists, the show reveals the full expressive range of encaustic and wax media, from luminous, translucent surfaces to richly textured, sculptural forms, spanning painting, mixed media, assemblage, and experimental work that pushes the boundaries of wax as an artistic material.

Building with Fire: An Artist Demo with Kathleen Waterloo
2026-07-26 14:00 - 15:30
Whether you work in encaustic, are curious about the material, or simply want to see how Kathleen produces her signature layered paintings, this demonstration offers a rare, up-close look at her process and techniques.
The event is open to artists at every level of experience. Donations are appreciated.
Workshops

Pro/Fuse Artist Walkthrough
2026-08-15 14:00 - 16:00
Join us on Saturday, August 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. for the closing Artist Walkthrough of Pro/Fuse, the final opportunity to view the exhibition before it comes down. A select group of participating artists will be on hand to share insights into their work and artistic practice, walking through their pieces and the techniques behind them. Audience members are welcome to ask questions throughout – a chance to hear directly from the artists shaping this exhibition’s exploration of wax as a medium.
