CHICAGO — Woman Made Gallery (WMG) is pleased to present “Truth as a Contested Concept,” an exhibition juried by Indira Freitas Johnson. Included are works by 44 artists including 16 artists from Illinois. “We used to think of “truth” as being absolute. That our choices were binary. But today “truth” is a contested concept. One of the many questions that come up is whether truth is subject to human interpretation. Does truth change according to circumstances so that what is true for a particular time is not true at a different time? Does this mean that truth for one person may not necessarily be the same for everyone? If this is the case then can anyone really know “the truth”? The juror is interested in creating a dialog around what we consider truth to be. Do we feel that truth is important? Does the constant wearing away of our belief in truth jeopardize our well being?” Artists in this exhibition are wrestling with the concept of truth looking outwards at the world around us and inwards towards one’s personal truth.
Exhibiting Artists: Mia B. Adams, Rossella Agostini, Giovanna Aguirre-Peresson, Jenny E. Balisle, Colby Parker Beutel, Melissa Blount, Michael Borowski, Anko Chang, Mahwish Chishty, Jeanne Ciravolo, Suzanne Scott Constantine, Briar Craig, Katya Fedotova, Vanessa Filley, Michael Gallagher, Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Joyce Goodman, Kelly Hensen, Judith Hladik-Voss, Stephanie Holliger, Linda R. James, Judith Joseph, Cynthia Kerby, Venise Keys, Betty Jane Lau, Léo Lee, Carron Little, Lizzy Martinez, Kelsey Miller, Cristin Millett, Nina Moyer, Darren Oberto, Natalie Jackson, Jaye Schlesinger, Catherine Schwalbe, Samuel Schwindt, Anne Stamats, Dorothy Straughter, Laura Travnicek, Nancy VanKanegan, Margaret Rose Vendryes, Mariko Ventura + Bert Menco, Lisa Whiting, Jeanne Wilkinson.
Juror | Curator: Indira Freitas Johnson
Award winning artist and educator, Indira Freitas Johnson’s passion to make art part of everyday life and to involve local communities in the art process is evident in all her work. Influenced by an artist father and a mother who was a social activist, Johnson believes strongly that art and activism are a powerful combination for social change.
Born in Mumbai, India, Johnson received her undergraduate degree from the University of Bombay and the Sir JJ Institute of Art and her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including the prestigious Illinois Governors Award for the Arts and Chicago Magazine named her the 2013 Chicagoan of the Year. Johnson’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is represented in numerous private and public collections including the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Transit Authority, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, RI.
Ten Thousand Ripples, Johnson’s current Chicago area Public Art, Peace and Civic Engagement initiative uses art as a catalyst for conversations about peace and nonviolence.
Literary Event: Truth, Distortion and Alternative Facts
Curated by Nina Corwin | Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019 | 2-4 p.m.
Poets Jae Green, Gisella Faggi, Jen Finstrom, Stephanie Friedman, and Christine Rhein explore Truth in their work.
Conversation on: ‘Personifications of Truth’ with Dorothy Straughter
Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019 | 2-4 p.m.
Artist Dorothy Straughter invites dialog as she reveals the inspiration and meaning of her work.
Suggested Donation: $15 | Free to members
Artist Talk with Indira Freitas Johnson and Performance by Carron Little
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 | 2-4 p.m.
Join the juror and the artists as they discuss their thoughts about what ’Truth’ means to them and the processes that go into the creation of their work. Carron Little’s Interactive Performance ‘Utopic Dialectics’ speaks about sexuality, love and hope inspired by the philosophy of the abject by Julia Kristeva.
(Banner image: artwork by Catherine Schwalbe)
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Donations are always welcome and appreciated: http://womanmade.org/donate
Woman Made Gallery
2150 S Canalport #4A-3, Chicago, IL 60608
312-738-0400 | general@womanmade.org
www.womanmade.org
Gallery Hours: Thurs–Fri noon–6 p.m. | Sat–Sun noon–4 p.m. | Admission: Free
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; a major anonymous donor; and the generosity of its members and contributors
