Humanities

Contributed to the #artvsartist challenge with closeups of some of my quick sketches! View my drawings (and more) in full here and here. Lensa who? AI what? All you need is a pencil and paper, baby.

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been selected to exhibit my drawing Tree Hugger, which I made when I was in high school, in Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery’s 12th Annual Nature Art Exhibition! View the show here. Thank you, LST!

Artist opportunity: Chicago DCASE’s 2023 Individual Artists Program Grant application is now open! The deadline is January 10, 2023, 5pm. I’m a past recipient. Both times I applied, I was selected to receive the grant!: The first was for my interactive public art and mapping project, Dreams of a City*; the second was when I conceived of SLAYSIAN**. More details for IAP here.

*(Recent interviews about that passion project / labor of love!: WGN Morning News (video, recorded live), WBEZ (audio, recorded live), Chicago Reader (article).)

**(Which finally happened in person last year! You can continue to enjoy the original virtual version from 2020 here and read about SLAYSIAN in press coverage (including feature articles, reviews, and interviews with the artists and myself) from 2020 here.)

Can you believe this was a decade ago?: Throwback to December 2012 when I went to Miami for the first time and then wrote my now-classic blog post “Notes from [an] underground [art scene advocate / Miami Art Week virgin].” The middle paragraph of image 3 might be one of the funniest things I’ve written. Also, check out the tags I wrote (bottom of image 4). And the 5th image is the kind of comment I love receiving, and what makes it all worth it.

And speaking of older blog posts: Congratulations on winning the World Cup, Argentina! The last place my parents and I traveled to before the pandemic (remember when I lived up to the “globetrotting polyglot” descriptor in my bio?), and I miss it. I waxed wistful about it in the post “Alegría”; read about people, love, life, and getting stranded.

Happy and healthy holidays, everyone! Consider making a year-end gift to Artists on the Lam here. As always, I am so grateful for all of you.

Become a Patron

Support Artists on the Lam here

Since its founding in 2011, Artists on the Lam has been dedicated to championing local artists while channeling global perspectives (our motto!), making art accessible, breaking barriers, building community, inspiring people to see the world anew, and demonstrating that art is for everyone—all to acclaim.

Hailed by the press and the public as an “art wave-maker,” “a global arts mover and shaker,” “a pioneer of art that is interactive, collaborative, and as much fun for viewers as it is for artists,” and as an enterprise that “keeps Chicago’s arts and cultural scene fresh, engaging, and thriving” and “embodies everything that we, in the art world, need,” Artists on the Lam has spent the past 11.5 years cultivating a vibrant international community across 177 countries and counting, connecting artists and art lovers from all walks of life.

We’ve launched the careers of emerging artists and provided a prominent platform for emerging, mid-career, and established artists alike, whether it’s through the blog that started it all, which was voted “Best Local Visual Arts Blog” in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago issue by readers like you, or through groundbreaking—and rule-breaking—interactive art shows, such as the landmark exhibition I CAN DO THAT, which was voted the audience choice for “Best Art Exhibit” in the 20th anniversary edition of NewCity’s Best of Chicago issue by visitors like you.

From massive audience participatory shows like LEXICON, which was lauded by visitors as “wonderful training and exercise in the world of art appreciation,” to storied celebrations like SLAYSIAN, which South Side Weekly praised for its “role in educating and engaging with the broader Chicago community” and for “showcasing a subset of artists that have always been part of the city’s art scene, but rarely acknowledged as a collective,” at Artists on the Lam we’ve always prided ourselves in being at the forefront of art.

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If you’ve ever had fun at one of our events, connected with one of our artworks, enjoyed reading—or been oddly moved by—a post on the blog, found respite perusing a pandemic-era virtual exhibition, or would simply like to express your appreciation for the things we do, consider making a donation here! Your name will be included on a published list of patrons.

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In the past, Artists on the Lam has been awarded grants from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and has received COVID-19 pandemic relief funds from The Soze Foundation’s Artist + Activist Relief Fund Grant, Chicago Artists Relief Fund, Secret Walls’ Support Your Local Artist Fund, and Propeller IMPACT Fund Grant.

Thank you endlessly for your generosity and for supporting artists and the arts!

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Laureate

Last summer, a college student completed her undergraduate thesis about SLAYSIAN! I have her draft and it’s 26 pages all about the artists in the exhibition I curated! I’ve always talked about wanting to inspire others but when it actually happens I’m always surprised. So unbelievably honored.

 
(Here’s the online art show, March 2020-∞; here’s SLAYSIAN 2.0, the in-person exhibit, November 2021-January 2022; and here’s press coverage of the virtual exhibition, from 2020.)

And: The previous post has a massive roundup of updates; check it out if you missed it!

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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A post shared by Jenny Lam (@artistsonthelam)

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.

Sum of its parts

Some exciting announcements and news:

I’ve been selected to publish my work in Bruxelles Art Vue’s Human Body Is Art! Here are my pages in the book, featuring a 2007 oil on canvas painting and sketches from my 2008 series Gossamer. Thank you, Aleksandra Rowicka and Art Vue Foundation!

I’ve also been selected to exhibit my 2014 photo Haka in Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery’s 12th Annual Figurative Art Exhibition, and Pivot Design featured me in their story of Chicago artists who inspire them! Thank you all!

Congratulations to SLAYSIAN artist Kaitlyn Hwang for being an Outstanding Service in Arts and Humanity Awardee! Here’s her interview with Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs:

Like the previous post, I’ll close with my highlights of recent art around town: Nick Cave’s first retrospective Forothermore at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (here’s a related Gala Performance featuring none other than Patti Labelle and Nona Hendryx, also on TikTok); Immersive Monet & The Impressionists at Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago, by the same folks behind Immersive Van Gogh (note that I still wear a facemask); and more on Instagram.

Happy summer, everyone! (Even to those of you south of the equator. I’m mentally sending you some of our record heat.)

Look Up

I’m happy to announce that I’ve been selected to exhibit my 2015 photo Spiral in Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery’s 11th Annual All Women Art Exhibition, and I’m one of the Top Winning Artists in the Photography & Digital Category! And the gallery received 1,147 entries from 30 countries! What an honor to start the Year of the Tiger this way. Thank you, LST! View the show here.

Look what I received in the mail: Gifts (a card, a sticker, a pin, and tea) from the awesome InsomniaBird (Susie Xiong), one of the artists in SLAYSIAN (which has been deinstalled but can be enjoyed online)! Thank you, Susie.

In honor of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, here’s a fun [hilarious] fact about myself [because it’s so unlike me], with relevant accompanying photos.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Views of a Room

Documentation of SLAYSIAN 2.0 is now online! 40 beautiful photos of the show, taken by Colectivo Multipolar, are after the text here, and crowd-sourced opening reception photos (from November 20) and more are here.

Virtually enjoy the storied exhibition featuring and celebrating 22 Asian American artists from Chicago and the Midwest, curated by yours truly.

Blank Page

Happy New Year!

My top liked Instagram photos of 2021. Thanks, friends.

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been selected to exhibit some of my work in Contemporary Art Gallery Online’s Photography/Digital Art Exhibition & Competition! Thank you, CAGO.

On to the pandemic:

CoPro Gallery will be closing SLAYSIAN 2.0 today (instead of one week later) due to the current Omicron surge; the venue’s exhibitions coordinator informed me that she just tested positive for COVID-19, despite being fully vaccinated and boosted. (I haven’t been there since a month ago so I haven’t been exposed.)

I am so glad we were able to safely have our opening reception (which was November 20) and majority of the show’s run before the current wave!

I’ll be sharing photos folks have taken of the exhibition here soon.

(Also, the artwork will be stored until it’s safer for the artists to pick up, which means you have a little more time to collect their art if you’ve been meaning to but didn’t get the chance! Browse the available pieces here.)

Stay warm and stay healthy, everyone!

Signal Boost

I got my COVID-19 booster shot last week! Moderna at Walgreens, like my first two doses.

An artist opportunity: Chicago DCASE’s 2022 Individual Artists Program Grant application is now open! The deadline is January 7, 2022, 5pm. I’m a past recipient; both times I applied, I was selected to receive the grant! The first was for my interactive public art and mapping project, Dreams of a City*, back in the day; the second was when I conceived of SLAYSIAN two years ago. More details for IAP here.

*(You can check out recent interviews about that passion project / labor of love on WGN Morning News (video, recorded live), WBEZ (audio, recorded live), and the Chicago Reader (article).)

If you apply, best of luck!

Speaking of SLAYSIAN…

I finally put this video on my TikTok:

@artistsonthelam

Thank you ##artists & all who came! 💕 ##artistsoftiktok ##artistontiktok ##artshow ##curator ##artgallery ##aapi ##asianamerican ##chicago ##art ##artist ##fypシ

♬ original sound - Jenny Lam

Some more artist spotlights:

Skate decks and coffins and fans, oh my! I love the range of materials Susie Xiong (InsomniaBird) used for her art—all emblazoned with her signature big-eyed bird motif—in the show! These nine pieces are all available to collect here.

Before Kristin Anahit Cass showed me her new series for the show, I’d never seen SWANA futurism before! Exquisite. From her artist statement:

“Cass’s works in this exhibit are from a project examining SWANA (South West Asian and North African) futurism. Her work explores multiple temporalities, much as ancestral divination practices harness a nonlinear understanding of time and simultaneous occupation of spaces. While disorienting time and space as we take control of our narratives, we experience past, present, and future at once. The portraits from The Republic of My Imagination series visualize the world that could be, building on the cultures of our ancestors. They call out for broader solidarity within the SWANA region. They envision the liberation that could be shared, especially when we open ourselves to the voices of queer, feminist and other marginalized groups. The otherworldly landscapes from the series A Planet of Our Own cross the divide between real and imagined places that our ancestors built or inhabited, where we embrace the past and move into the future, challenging entrenched narratives of conquest and Eurocentric histories. Cass imagines a future of wonder, beauty, and the possibilities we create for ourselves.”

Kristin’s seven pieces in SLAYSIAN 2.0 can be collected here.

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A post shared by Kristin Anahit Cass (@kristinanahitcassprojects)

And the process behind Justin Suico’s Six Roses, one of his two lovely new acrylic paintings in the exhibition (and they’re both available as well!):

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A post shared by Chicago Artist & Curator (@justin.suico.art)

To bookend this post with personal updates:

Thank you to Instagrammers Chicago and Secret Chicago for sharing my photo of Chicago Union Station! I have so many wonderful memories involving that place.

Spot the Amish!

Lastly, in case you missed it in the previous post, I’m the Featured Artist for the second issue of the literary journal Lover’s Eye Press! Founding editor-in-chief Eniko Deptuch Vághy opened our interview with these kind words:

“When I first saw Jenny Lam, I knew I had to meet her. As an artist, independent curator, writer, and overall badass, Jenny’s sparkling grace and exuding talent make her an inherently magnetic and unforgettable figure. Not only is Jenny brilliant, but she is probably one of the busiest artists I’ve ever encountered. Her interest in the world and people around her reveals her belief in the importance of facilitating connections between individuals through conversation or collaborative art projects—sometimes both simultaneously.”

Thank you so much, Eni! Read the rest here.

Mind’s Eye

I was interviewed by Lover’s Eye Press as the featured artist of the lit mag’s second issue! Thank you to founding editor-in-chief Eniko Deptuch Vághy (so much love to you!) and the LEP team; what an honor and pleasure.

What an introduction!

In our conversation I discuss my projects (including Dreams of a City, I CAN DO THAT, and SLAYSIAN), my influences, and my love of interactive art, and I reveal that I wrote high fantasy novels as a tween for fun (didn’t we all?). You can read my interview here. (And pictured above is a sketch I drew a few years ago.)

Back to SLAYSIAN 2.0:

Sold at the opening last week and via Artists on the Lam’s online shop last night: Baigujing prints by Vivian Le; and sold through the online shop last night: Vivian’s other new piece in SLAYSIAN 2.0, Harvey! (I love its frame so much.) Congratulations to Vivian and thank you to the collectors for your support!

And another work that sold at the opening: Thank U, Next by Nini Hawes! (With another unconventional frame that I absolutely love.) Congrats to Nini and thank you to the buyer!

Collect Nini’s other digital prints (including another new one created for this show) and more art by 22 local Asian American artists here.

Bounty

I’m so thankful for the community we’ve built and continue to build.

Selfies by participating artists Priscilla Huang and Robert Apolinar at the opening on Saturday (I definitely didn’t know where the lens on Robert’s phone was):

Something I’m proud of is curating group shows that turn out to be some of the artists’ first real gallery exhibition. (Reminder that for SLAYSIAN—like most of the other big group shows I curate—I put out an open call for artists, which I love doing because I get to “discover” so many talented people.) Sophie Pokorny is one of them:

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A post shared by ✨ sophie ✨ (@sjhp97)

And another piece that sold at the opening: Double Mother by Alex Belardo Kostiw. Congratulations, Alex! Unbeknownst to me, Kimberly Atwood of Elephant Room Gallery took a photo of me taking a photo of Alex’s piece:

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A post shared by Kimberly Leja Atwood (@kimlatwood)

Thank you, Kim!

Although SLAYSIAN 2.0 is physically on view until January 15, I’ve set up an online shop of the available works here, just in time for the holiday weekend. Collect art by 22 talented local Asian artists!