Rebel with a Cause

First, some personal art announcements and news:

I got interviewed by CanvasRebel! Read it here. Thank you for the opportunity to tell my story!

I’m happy to announce that I’ve been selected to publish my art in Bruxelles Art Vue’s Limitless Nature book! Here are my pages in the volume, featuring my 2015 photo Fall in Love and my 2017 photos Singing Sands, Danxia, and Binglingsi, all shot on my iPhone 5s (view more of my mobile photography here).

You can get a free digital copy here.

Thank you, Art Vue Foundation!

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I’m also excited to share that I have an exhibit at 21c Museum Hotel Chicago: An activation / site-specific installation of my Dreams of a City project! Thank you to Museum Manager Juli Lowe and everyone at 21c for making this happen!

(For those of you who aren’t familiar with my labor of love: From 2008-2009 in Manhattan, and then from 2012-now in Chicago, I’ve been making thousands of pre-stamped self-addressed postcards, each with the prompt, “Tell me one thing you dream of doing before you die. Use this card as your canvas,” and each with a different code on the bottom. I’ve been leaving these postcards in public places all over the city, using the codes to record where I leave each one. So, when a card returns to me, I’m able to match its code with its location / am able to tell where each one was found, and have been gradually creating a map of the city from all your dreams. It’s a love letter to the city and a message of hope.

Watch, listen to, and read recent interviews about the project on WGN Morning News (live TV interview), WBEZ (live radio interview on Reset), and the Chicago Reader.)

And now, on to a visual recap of MdW Art Fair! (Photo-heavy, so if you’re navigating from the main page, continue reading after the jump.)

In the lobby of Mana Contemporary Chicago.

Hour of Magic

Baby’s first art fair!

The Artists on the Lam booth is near the southwest corner of the absolutely gorgeous Mana Contemporary floor that MdW Fair is in, and our window faces west (look at that golden hour light!); come watch the sunset with us during the Vernissage on Friday!

I went today to plan where each artwork would go on the wall. The artists [on the lam] will start installing tomorrow and I can’t wait!

Artists on the Lam presents

I CAN DO THAT 10th anniversary

Mini edition at MdW Art Fair

Curated by Jenny Lam

Featuring

Cristy Corso

Emily Calvo

Nancy Bechtol

Zachary Trebellas

& you

Midway There

I am thrilled to announce that I will be participating in MdW, the local alternative art fair that’s back after 10 years and will be held Sept. 9 to 11 at Mana Contemporary Chicago! This will by my (and Artists on the Lam’s) first time exhibiting at an art fair! (I so love that MdW is free to apply to, present at, and attend.) And what’s more… I’m putting together a mini version / 10th anniversary edition of I CAN DO THAT at our booth! (Throughout the past decade a lot of folks have been asking me if ICDT would ever happen again, and I’m so pleased to finally be able to give you an answer!) Thank you to everyone at MdW for this opportunity. View more details here or/and keep reading below.

Image courtesy of MdW.

Artists on the Lam presents

I CAN DO THAT 10th anniversary edition and celebration

2022 marks the 10th anniversary of Artists on the Lam’s acclaimed I CAN DO THAT, the groundbreaking—and rule-breaking—interactive show that Chicago artist Jenny Lam created and independently curated based on how a lot of people go up to contemporary art and say, “Well, I can do that,” or “my kid could do that.” So at the show Lam had the artists’ original art supplies in front of each piece, as well as blank canvases and other surfaces, and challenged people to see if they could, indeed, “do that,” or if they felt like they could improve a piece, they were able to directly paint or make any mark on that original work of art. It was glorious fun, and was eventually named audience choice for “Best Art Exhibit” in the 20th anniversary edition of NewCity’s Best of Chicago issue. Read more and view [many] photos here.

Now, a decade of anticipation later, Artists on the Lam is finally bringing I CAN DO THAT back! Enjoy a mini version at MdW, an artist-run alternative art fair showcasing over 100 artist-led projects. In keeping with MdW’s focus, the participating artists of this new iteration hail from throughout the Central Midwest. They include: Cristy Corso, Emily Calvo, Nancy Bechtol, Zachary Trebellas, and you. Celebrate with us!

Location: Booth #40 at MdW Art Fair, 4th floor of Mana Contemporary (2233 S. Throop St., Chicago, IL 60608—enter on East side of building)

Opening Night / Vernissage: Friday, September 9, 2022, 5-8pm

Other Visiting Hours: Saturday, September 10, 2022, 12-9pm & Sunday, September 11, 2022, 1-5pm

Admission is free.

You must wear a mask at all times. Let’s continue to keep each other and our communities safe. Read Mana’s COVID safety protocol here.

Instagram: @artistsonthelam | Twitter: @TheJennyLam | Email: artists.on.the.lam {at} gmail {dot} com

More from the original exhibition:

• Read the original press release for 2012’s I CAN DO THAT here.
• View the 2012 opening reception photos in their original albums on Flickr and Facebook.
• Journey behind the scenes of 2012’s I CAN DO THAT via these posts on the blog.

Job Opportunities:

• Art fair booth attendant needed! This is a paid opportunity. Apply here. [Update: This position has been filled. Thank you to the applicants!]