Sing, O muse

What a wonderful surprise*: I’m honored to share that I’ve received an Honorable Mention in the 11th Annual Mobile Photography Awards for my 2017 photo Singing Sands in the Travel/Adventure & Transportation Category! Thank you, MPA!

*(Because I didn’t know the results were revealed a month ago and then recently randomly saw an article about these awards and clicked on it while trying to remember if I’d entered the competition or not and then scrolled and spotted my photo.)

And look what arrived!

As announced in the previous post, my work was published in the latest issue of ArtAscent. It’s a beautiful magazine and my photos are featured on pages 58 and 59. Here’s a little video as well.

I’ll close with this: Last week I wrote a Twitter thread about the omicron explosion in Hong Kong (8 tweets total), with an important message/reminder or two about the pandemic. Take a couple minutes and give it a read.

Power to the

I’m excited to announce that I’ve been selected to publish my photos Nomad (2017) and Float On (2016) in ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal’s “People” issue as a Distinguished Artist!

Thank you, ArtAscent!

Print and digital copies of the international magazine are available here. You can also preview the artists here, and my page is here.

And a call for artists: The Chicago Transit Authority is seeking artists to create new, original public artwork for the new Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr CTA stations. (This art opportunity was sent to me by one of the artists in SLAYSIAN. We’re truly an artist community; love it.)

Euclidean

I’m delighted to announce that I’ve been selected to exhibit my 2015 photo Pythagorean (outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre) in The Chateau Gallery’s The Art of Street Photography online exhibition! And “this was easily the most competitive competition [the gallery director] and guest jurors had ever seen!”

Thank you, Chateau Gallery.

This is the third show I have a piece in this month so far! Take a look at the previous posts for the other two.

For Love

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been selected to exhibit my 2015 drawing Mood (of Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung in Wong Kar Wai’s beautiful film In the Mood for Love) in Gallerium Art Exhibitions’ Valentine 2022 international online group exhibition, and my artwork will also be published in The Book of Arts: Valentine publication!

Thank you, Gallerium!

And in case you missed it last week, see the previous post for another new show announcement.

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!

A Stitch in Time

One of the pieces that sold at the opening on Saturday night: Coil (upper left in the third photo below) by Sam Riesmeyer! Congratulations to Sam (a.k.a. The Punk Rock Stitcher) and thank you to the collector for your support!

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A post shared by sam riesmeyer (@thepunkrockstitcher)

If you weren’t/aren’t able to make it out and want to own some art by 22 talented local Asian artists, I’ve just set up the online shop for the available works in SLAYSIAN 2.0 here!

Early Thanks

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenny Lam (@artistsonthelam)

(I make an appearance at the 0:10 mark)

Thank you thank you thank you! To everyone who came to the opening of SLAYSIAN 2.0 last night, to all the artists (I kept raving to everyone about how great of a group you are, and it’s been so fun to finally meet and talk to you in real life)!, and to the folks at Co-Prosperity Gallery for your support and for making this happen in person after two years and for trusting me / my vision! The vibes were perfect, the turnout was amazing (but the atmosphere was still chill), and it was nice knowing that everyone in the room was vaxxed. And I loved so many of your outfits! And I sold some art! (Congratulations to the artists and thank you to the collectors!) For those who weren’t/aren’t able to make it and want a piece, I’ll be setting up an online shop (like DECAHEDRON’s) for this show at the newer Artists on the Lam site soon, so stay tuned for that / bookmark it.

The show runs ‘til January 15. (Viewing days and hours here.) At some point before then we’ll have extra programming like artist talks and demos, so get excited for more opportunities to hang with this incredible exhibition!

If you took any photos or videos, email me at artists.on.the.lam {at} gmail.com or/and tag me on social media (I’m @artistsonthelam on Instagram and @TheJennyLam on Twitter and Facebook) and I might post yours! (I’ve already been sharing your Insta stories in mine; check ‘em out.)

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!