Arrival

Two years later, the day is finally here: SLAYSIAN 2.0 opens in person tonight! 6-9pm, 3219 S. Morgan. Wear a mask and come fully vaccinated (bring proof of vax—a photo is fine) and enjoy amazing art by 22 Asian artists from Chicago and the surrounding Midwest area.

Also, the exhibition is one of Bad at Sports’ Top 5 Weekend Picks!  

Thank you! In case you missed it, the show is also one of Sixty Inches from Center’s November Picks and is featured on Block Club Chicago.

Around the Block

 
SLAYSIAN 2.0 is on Block Club Chicago!

Thank you to Amy Qin!

Install’s been going well. (Here’s a little sneak peek.) And I’m not just saying that because artist Julius Bautista brought donuts today.

Two more days ‘til the opening!

Great Lakes

“Jenny, stand here and look like you’re telling me where to put this.”

Today was day 2 of artwork install (here’s day 1) and pictured is a regram from Stafford Smith, who drove all the way from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is one of the 22 artists in SLAYSIAN 2.0, which opens this Saturday!

Also, the exhibition is one of Sixty Inches from Center’s November Art Picks—thank you!

Hang Time

 SLAYSIAN 2.0 is on Choose Chicago and The Visualist—thank you!

 
Today was the first day of install and thus my first day doing this, in person, in years. I actually forgot what it was like. And after staring at the artists’ work digitally for two years it’s so nice to be able to see—and touch, which I gotta do when I see art I’m curating—this art in real life! So many textures and details that simply cannot be captured in a JPG, and even the colors are different. (Many of the artists created brand new work for the exhibition too.) And, of course, it’s lovely to finally meet these artists in person!

The show is starting to come together, and it opens this Saturday!

Phoenix

I am so happy to announce that the in-person exhibition of SLAYSIAN is finally happening! It opens Saturday, November 20. Come (properly masked and fully vaxxed). Most of the artists created brand new work for this physical iteration, so you’ll be seeing art that’s not in the online version. Read my official statement here or/and below.

 
Artists on the Lam presents

SLAYSIAN 2.0

On view: Saturday, November 20, 2021 – Saturday, January 15, 2022

Created by award-winning Chicago artist and independent curator Jenny Lam, SLAYSIAN 2.0 is a group exhibition whose journey began in the summer of 2019, when Lam proposed an art show that would function as a celebration—a celebrAsian, if you will—of local Asian American artists. In January 2020, Lam put out an open call for SLAYSIAN, emphasizing the absence of theme and that the artists did not necessarily have to make art about being Asian; simply being and creating were enough. The ensuing exhibition was scheduled to open on March 20, 2020; this later happened to become the first day of Illinois’ stay at home order. As the opening approached, the pandemic became a reality. Lam postponed the exhibition “until things get better (have hope; they will),” as she wrote at Artists on the Lam, and spent the beginning of shelter in place moving the exhibition online, where it served as welcome respite and garnered acclaim from local, national and international outlets. An excerpt from South Side Weekly’s article about the virtual show:
 

“Spanning neighborhoods, ethnicities, and mediums, SLAYSIAN showcases a subset of artists that have always been part of the city’s art scene, but rarely acknowledged as a collective. […] SLAYSIAN also examines how artists can value their identity while refusing to be pigeonholed by it. […] Their work raises questions of what it means to inhabit spaces designed specifically for artists to grow, but where the Asian American experience may still be sidelined. […] In addition to its role in educating and engaging with the broader Chicago community, much of SLAYSIAN reflects an inward-looking conversation among Asian Americans. […] SLAYSIAN embodies the aspiration that those at the outskirts of a society can redefine what success means for ourselves. […] By allowing for a multitude of stories, […] Instead of being locked into one narrative as victim or immigrant, their art is allowed to grow with the times. […] The exhibition showcases the determination of individuals to find their own answers to what the role of the Asian American artist is.” –Eileen Li, South Side Weekly, June 2020

Now, two years later, you are invited to enjoy this exhibition in person. The show itself has evolved; many of the artists have created brand new pieces for this iteration. At long last, we proudly present to you SLAYSIAN 2.0.

Hailing from all over Chicago and the surrounding Midwest area, SLAYSIAN 2.0’s participating artists include:

Aimy Tien, Alex Belardo Kostiw, Caroline Liu, Charlene Moy, Chris Gallevo, Dao Nguyen, James Gu, Julius Dizon-Cruz Bautista, Justin Suico, Kaitlyn Hwang, Kristin Anahit Cass, Muriel Christensen, Nini Hawes, Priscilla Huang, Richard Gessert, Robert Apolinar, Sam Riesmeyer, Sophie Pokorny, Stafford Smith, Susie Xiong (InsomniaBird), Vivian Le, and Yuqing Zhu.

Opening reception: Saturday, November 20, 2021, 6-9pm
Location: Co-Prosperity Gallery, Public Media Institute, 3219 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60608
You must wear a mask and you must be fully vaccinated. Let’s continue to keep each other and our communities safe. Proof of vaccination will be required.

Visiting hours following the reception: Fridays 4-7pm and Saturdays 2-5pm, closed on holidays
Masks and proof of vax required

Instagram: @artistsonthelam | Twitter: @TheJennyLam

View SLAYSIAN 1.0 here.

Bright and Early

I was interviewed live on WGN Morning News—my first time on TV!—yesterday! Thank you to anchors Robin Baumgarten and Larry Potash for having me, and thank you to WGN for the opportunity and platform to share my Dreams of a City project.

If you missed it (understandable—this was honestly the earliest I’ve woken up in… a long time), you can watch my interview on WGN News’ YouTube (embedded above) or/and on Facebook (embedded below).

Cultural Reset

I was interviewed live on WBEZ! Thank you to WBEZ Reset for having me (for the second time!) and to anchor Susie An for chatting with me about Dreams of a City.

For those who might’ve missed it Wednesday morning, you can listen to my radio interview here.

Well Read

I’m in the Chicago Reader! Thank you to writer Tony Peregrin for this wonderful interview about my labor of love, Dreams of a City.

Online version.

You can read the article about my public art/postcard project online, or/and you can pick up the August 19 issue in print (it’s free!) at Reader distribution boxes throughout Chicago. It’s also available as a PDF.

Pages 10-11 of the print version.

Also, here’s a moment of zen: A time lapse of me putting stamps on a hundred handmade Dreams of a City postcards.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dreams of a City (@dreamsofacity)

And a heads up to those of you who’ve been subscribed to Artists on the Lam using the Feedburner email subscription service / Blogger’s FollowByEmail widget: Alas, apparently it’s being (has been?) discontinued. I’ll look for an alternative, but in the meantime, I’ll be manually emailing these blog posts to you. And thank you, of course, for being such loyal followers—many from the very beginning!

Stay safe out there.

Stop in the name of

I got interviewed by Fstoppers about my iPhone 5s photography!

Thank you to writer Ali Choudhry for this feature article!

In case you missed it in May: PetaPixel interviewed me as well, and here’s when I launched my new online gallery of my mobile photography.

Also viewable, of course, is DECAHEDRON: 74 artists, over 350 works of art across all media, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Artists on the Lam. View the virtual exhibition here.

Continue staying safe, everyone.

Decked Out

It’s here! DECAHEDRON is now live!

June 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of Artists on the Lam. Celebrate with us!

It was a decade ago yesterday that I published my first post on what would later be voted “Best Arts Blog” in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago issue (read more about that in the previous post). As part of the celebration, I’ve curated an international exhibition (read more about this in the artist announcement post).

More about the curatorial process for this show that I didn’t mention in those posts: I’m likening it to an episodic TV series where you wander the land embarking on different adventures and meeting different characters, and then in the end you go back and revisit all your old friends and ask them to be part of your heist. Past, present, and future are all intertwined.

The result? 74 artists, with over 350 works of art.

View the exhibition at the following links: the main page and the artists page (click on each artist to enjoy their art and their words). Most of the pieces are available for purchase (and I was literally in the middle of formatting this post when a painting was already sold).

Celebrating 10 years of:

interaction; collaboration; making art as accessible as possible; proving that art is for everyone; championing local artists while channeling global perspectives; shenanigans; worldwide adventures; saying things everyone thinks but doesn’t say out loud; making messes; winging it; figuring it out; the same pair of sneakers; irreverence; puns; so many puns; open calls; giving emerging artists their first ever shows; refusing to use artspeak; not taking ourselves too seriously; troublemaking; optimism / earnestness / hope; leaving pretension at the door; getting people to actually look at the art; getting people to have fun with art and with each other; getting people to see the world anew; building relationships between artists and viewers; building relationships; building community; bringing people joy; a breath of fresh air; being able to touch the art; people coming into a gallery and not feeling intimidated; teaching; assuring people that they do, in fact, “get” art; showing that there’s nothing to “get”; invoking childlike wonder; connection, and not the schmoozing kind; making sure everyone feels welcome; rejecting cliques; breaking the rules; breaking barriers; bridging the spaces between us; standing out; not paying attention to trends; making our own; substance over style; quality over popularity; quantity; cramming an entire biennial’s worth of artists into one room; cramming as many viewers as possible into one room; helping visitors “hone their art appreciation skills”; giving visitors the “opportunity to explore their own interests and gain a better understanding of the kind of art they enjoy and why”; being worth the wait; being down-to-earth; showing there’s an abundance of culture in the Midwest; every medium you can think of; every art form you can think of; artists spanning the widest range of backgrounds, ages, and experience levels; talent; the best people you’ve never heard of yet; exploring and showcasing the underground; “shaking things up” / “rocking the art world” / “making waves”; changing the game; truly new experiences; being truly independent; perhaps being too DIY [but]; knowing no one is an island; using word of mouth; being unconventional; play; passion; constant growth; and art.

Again, thank you.

Here’s to the next 10 years!

(Pictured: A few photos from the opening reception of 2012’s acclaimed I CAN DO THAT, voted “Best Art Exhibit” in the 20th anniversary edition of NewCity’s Best of Chicago issue)

Leave a birthday message!

What’s your favorite Artists on the Lam memory? Perhaps you had a moment of transcendence at one of our interactive shows, or shared a spontaneous experience with a fellow visitor, or simply had fun. Perhaps a particular blog post moved you. Perhaps you’ve been inspired in some way. Your story could be featured on the site as part of the virtual celebration!

You can also send a photo, a doodle, or any other supplemental material. Email artists.on.the.lam {at} gmail {dot} com.

What Is Time

Today is the 10th anniversary of Artists on the Lam!

It was on Monday, June 6, 2011, that I published my first blog post here.  

(Looking at that post, which is incredibly embarrassing, it’s funny how I’m much further removed from my 2011 self now than my 2011 self was to my teen self I kept referring to in it. (What a sentence.) I was so young but was writing like I was so jaded and world-weary. (Which isn’t surprising considering I already felt old and that time was passing too quickly when I was only 7.) But that was part of the charm of those early posts, of course.)

Thank you, everyone, for being a part of this extraordinary journey.

To celebrate, DECAHEDRON is virtually opening tomorrow! Save the date. (One day from now. But still.)

Until then: Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I’ve been going on a few art outings (artings?)*, and you can treat your eyes with my photos on Instagram (or your other social media of choice: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr).

*(My first one (in over 14 months) was last week, and it was a Special Preview of Frida Kahlo: Timeless at Cleve Carney Museum of Art inside McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. Featuring 26 original works on loan from Museo Dolores Olmedo, alongside a multimedia timeline and replicas of objects from Frida’s life, plus other special programming, it’s the largest Frida Kahlo exhibition in the Chicago area in more than 40 years, and it’s now open to the public. (Among my photos I naturally included one of her revolutionary politics; it was an integral part of her identity.) Afterwards my family and I visited the Morton Arboretum (only a few minutes away from the CCMA), where a new exhibition of sculptures by Daniel Popper called Human+Nature just opened and will run for at least a year. And yesterday we went to Immersive Van Gogh Chicago. Vincent is a reminder: Support us artists when we’re still alive.)

Red Letter

As of yesterday I’m fully vaccinated! First thing I did? Went to my P.O. box for the first time since March 2020! (And afterwards I went to buy socks with more support. Really wildin’ out here.) And what a pleasant surprise to see so many Dreams of a City postcards! Which means: even though I left these postcards throughout Chicago before the pandemic (I stopped once it was time to lock down), all of these dreams were mailed during the pandemic.

Fitting that my first activity was gathering hope. After I scan these, I’ll be sharing them daily to @dreamsofacity. Follow along!

(For those of you who aren’t familiar with my labor of love: From 2008-2009 in Manhattan, and then from 2012-early 2020 in Chicago, I made 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—this is the most important part—with a different code on the bottom. I left these postcards in public places all over the city, using the codes to record where I left each one. So, when a card returned to me, I was able to match its code with its location and was 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 13-year-old love letter and a message of hope.

View all 100 mapped Manhattan dreams 2008-2009 on Flickr, all 600+ mapped Chicago dreams 2012-2020 on Instagram, and more information on this page.)

Another momentous occasion: On this day 10 years ago, I thought of the concept for the first art show I independently curated, Exquisite Corpse!
 

I assigned artists who didn’t know each other beforehand into pairs/groups and had them collaborate on creating new artwork for the exhibition. The late great Paul Klein came to preview it, and he gave me my first real review. It was glorious.

Next up / 10 years later / virtually opening this June: DECAHEDRON!

P.S. In case you missed the previous post, PetaPixel interviewed me about my new online gallery for my iPhone 5s photography. Check it out!

Pixel Perfect

I got interviewed by PetaPixel about my iPhone 5s photography!

Thank you to writer Anete Lusina and editor-in-chief Jaron Schneider for this great feature!

Hotshot

I got my 2nd dose of the Moderna vaccine!

I was prepared for the side effects, which is why I made not one but two art announcements beforehand. Take a look if you missed ‘em.

Speaking of of vaccines: As of one week ago, my parents are now fully vaccinated. On Friday, for the first time since April 2020, my mom went inside the grocery store instead of getting curbside pickup! (Like I’ve said, we’ve been strict—me most of all.)

And: Thank you for including me and SLAYSIAN (still on view since March 2020!) in this wonderful collection of recommendations for Chicago’s AAPI businesses and makers, One Design Company!

Via One Design:

“Local AAPI businesses, makers, cultural centers, and more deserve celebration and support, always—but right now, that’s especially true. In collaboration with our Asian American colleagues, you’ll find a studio-curated collection of 67 Chicago-area businesses, organizations, and makers across 8 different categories. Join us in supporting them now and well into the future.”

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, everyone.

Lens Craft

It’s not the tool; it’s the artist. From 2014–2021, I captured photos around the world using only my iPhone 5s. (And before I finally joined you all in the 21st Century and got the aforementioned phone, I had been using a point-and-shoot.) You don’t need fancy equipment—not even a tripod—to take beautiful photos.

Look up. Chicago 2015.

I’m also nothing if not stubborn, planned obsolescence be damned. It took until last week—right after Apple rolled out iOS 14.5 for newer phones and my 5s crashed whenever I tried to open my Instagram—for me to finally retire my beloved 5s. RIP, Jenny’s first smartphone, March 17, 2014 – April 28, 2021.

Goodnight, sweet prince.

Now, for the first time, these photos can be viewed in one place. (I’d been sharing them on channels such as Instagram, but not everyone is on social media, and on those platforms I also share old non-phone photos as throwbacks, as well as non-photographic artwork, so viewers would have to scroll through years of images.) I’ve launched a new online gallery exclusively for my iPhone 5s photos, from El Fin del Mundo at the southernmost tip of South America to the towering sand dunes of the Taklamakan Desert along the ancient Silk Road in Western China, from crackling glaciers and floating markets to quiet moments of everyday beauty in my hometown.

View the new photo gallery here.

(And, if one individual’s phone photos aren’t your cup of tea, head over to the previous post for the announcement about DECAHEDRON, which features over 70(!) local and international artists working across all mediums.)

Full Deck

As you know, this June is the 10th anniversary of Artists on the Lam, and as part of the celebration, I’m curating an international exhibition called DECAHEDRON. Today, I’m thrilled to announce the show’s participating artists! Hailing from all over Chicago, the country, and the world, they include:

Adrienne L. Glover, Adrienne Powers, Agnieszka Ligendza, Alba Margarita, Alex Kostiw, Alix Anne Shaw, Allen Vandever, Angie Redmond, Brianna Lynn Hernández Baurichter, Bruce Riley, Caroline Walser, Carrie McGath, Céline Browning, Chad Kouri, Charlene Moy, CHema Skandal!, Chris Silva, Christine Nicklos, Claire Ashley, Clarisse Perrette, Corinne Halbert, Cristy Corso, Czr Prz, Dan Castranova, Danielle Pontarelli, Diane Ponder, Emily Calvo, English Prevo, Glenn Wexler, Hazel R. Magnolia, Heidi Jensen, InsomniaBird, James Gu, James Jankowiak, James Mosher, Juliann Wang, Julius Dizon-Cruz Bautista, Justin Suico, Karen I. Hirsch, Kathy Halper, KC Winter, Keelan McMorrow, Kristin Cass, Kurt Kreissl, Laura Catherwood, Lee Eun Young, Lisa Goesling, Mac Blackout, Mairin Hartt, Mark Pol, Mary Porterfield, Mazon, Megan M. Rivera, Melissa Wang, MelonJames, My Linh Mac, Nancy Bechtol, Nathan Stanton, Nik Burkhart, Olivia Shih, Patricia Biesen, Patrick Earl Hammie, Peyton Rack, Priscilla Huang, Ramiro Silva-Cortés, Rialin José, Richard Gessert, Robert Apolinar, Robin Monique Rios, Sam Riesmeyer, Stafford Hiroshi Smith, Tiffany Gholar, Toby zur Loye, Yuqing Zhu, and you.

What an amazing group, right? And, yes, massive; knowing from the start that this would be virtual, I wanted to involve more artists than I would for any physical show, as a way to truly take advantage of having an online platform (when getting interviewed about SLAYSIAN last year, one point that kept coming up was the silver lining of being able to exhibit bonus pieces as digital exclusives), and to truly fit a milestone anniversary.

Go big at home.

The First King: A Children’s Book by My Linh Mac

This is a guest blog post written by My Linh Mac. To pitch Artists on the Lam, contact us here.

People from all over the world, especially Asian communities, are still suffering as Covid blows its first-year candle. As an artist and a member of the Chicago art community, I believe there is no better time than now to share inspiring Asian artist stories. I want to be a part of the celebration for cultural inclusion and share a slice of life of Chicago’s Southeast Asian artists, much like Raya and the Last Dragon, the most recent Disney Princess film.

My Linh Mac (Millie), a Vietnamese artist based in Chicago, recently released her children’s illustration book about the origins of her country called The First King. My Linh is a SLAYSIAN artist with an exceptional multidisciplinary experience as a painter, graphic designer, art educator, and emerging artistic entrepreneur. She’s a true colorist when it comes to her dynamic and vibrant abstract paintings, and she’s made a name for herself through her remarkable ability to create art in one medium that seems to have been produced in another. Mac’s paintings range from mystical to abstract to figurative to industrial, but her multimedia and graphic design work is strictly commercial with high-end visual effects. With her “full package” skillset and innovative mind, My Linh’s presence extends beyond Chicago cultures, as she has exhibited her work in over 8 countries and served on the jury of several global/international artistic awards. The Creative Communication Award (C2A) in Los Angeles, the Brightness Illustration Award in Iran, the Lorenzo Il Magnifico Award, and the Leonardo Da Vinci Award in Italy are just a few examples.

The First King is based on the story of “Con Rong Chau Tien,” one of Vietnam’s most well-known fairy tales and folktales about the country’s magical origins. My Linh wants to express and pass on her heritage pride to other multi-racial children as an educator and artist who embraces cultural diversity. The book’s unlimited e-copies and hard copies are currently available on Amazon Kindle and currently a part of the Urban Legends: From Playground Lore To Cultural Norms exhibition at Columbia College of Chicago’s Library.

What inspired you to start this project?

Many causes, the most important of which is that I haven't been home in Vietnam in 6 years to pursue education and art making in the States, and the pandemic has exacerbated my homesickness. We never know what will happen next, and because art brings out the best in me, I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect with my roots while also pushing myself into new territories in children's book publishing.

The other reason is because of the current racial discrimination toward the Asian communities. Asian artists deserve to be in the spotlight, not as victims but as inspirations for the community. Even though I haven’t lived in Asia since 2009, I still embrace my root cultural value of “it’s not about what you do because of circumstances of hardship, but more about what you do despite the circumstances of hardship.” We, as Asians in general and Vietnamese in particular, are proud of our hard work and compassion for one another, and these great qualities, rather than outdated stereotypes, should be the common perception of Asians. I’ve always felt fortunate to be born with a gift of creativity because there are so many things (like those values above) that can be expressed simply by the use of words.

Instead of specializing in one field, you basically specialize in everything. Do you consider one medium to be your true calling?

I still return to basics with drawing and painting, which is where it all began for me. Only when I’m messing around with the colorful paste with palette knives and totally at ease with making mistakes and fully feel like myself. Recently, painting has been more of a self-discovery/communicative tool for me than an expressive medium for interacting with others. It’s the opposite with other creative mediums that I work with. For example, when it comes to design, it’s not so much about what I want as it is about what the client wants, so knowing his or her style preferences allows me to learn more about their personalities and backgrounds.

How do you find balance among all your roles?

It hasn’t been easy by any means. From the “tip of the iceberg,” it seems that I am a multi-tasking specialist or a crazy planner, but from the “under the water portion of the iceberg,” it isn’t that complicated. Goal alignment is the key, and I’m a sucker for the phrase “hit two birds with one stone.” When I’m working on a company’s branding, for example, I take the time to learn about the company’s history, as well as behind-the-scenes information such as obstacles to conquer, goals/mission, and core value, among other things. This allows me to gain not only business experience but also a better understanding of my design assignment in order to bring out the best of it. I have learned the hard way not to try to do all at once and exhaust myself. “Less is more” isn’t just a style concept; it also applies in real life.

How has your Vietnamese background influenced your art?

I’m not biologically bi-racial or tri-racial, but since I moved to Singapore at the age of 13, then to South-Australia in my late teens, and finally to the United States in my early twenties, it’s difficult to pinpoint the cultural factors that have influenced my works throughout the years. One thing is certain: The First King isn’t the first initiative dedicated to honoring my Vietnamese heritage.

In addition to The First King, is there anything else we can look forward to from you?

Children book number 2 is coming soon. I’m also considering starting a company/business that focuses on cultural bridging, education, art, and entertainment. I can’t say anything more than that, but I’m hoping that all of the hard work I’ve put in so far will be rewarded in the near future.


Read more about My Linh here, and view more about The First King here.