This Isn’t a Proper Unboxing Video Because Then You’d Have to Watch Me Take Off Gloves and Wash My Hands

Ahhhhh look what arrived today! My first ever zine! It’s a beauty. Artists on the Lam presents: LAMINATOR Vol. 1, featuring artwork, poetry, and prose by 68 artists, poets, and writers from all over Chicago, the country, and the world. 108 pages, 5.8 x 8.3 inches, full color pages on satin paper, gloss covers with gloss lamination, perfect bound. Thank you to Mixam for printing these! And thank you again, of course, to all the incredibly talented contributors!

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Within the next week or so I’ll be mailing zines to everyone who pre-ordered it (and I’ll send email notifications when I do). If you haven’t ordered yet, head on over to this page!

I’ll also drop off five copies at The Art Center Highland Park’s gift shop this Friday during the opening reception of the exhibition I’m in; it’ll cost more there, but since there’s no shipping, the total comes out to about the same.

Can’t wait for you to see the inaugural issue of LAMINATOR!

Click into Place

My 2014 photo Petal—shot on my iPhone 5s—has been selected to be exhibited in Click at The Art Center Highland Park! I remember taking an oil painting class at TAC the summer I was 19 and it was a lovely experience, and I’m overjoyed to show my art there. Thank you to guest jurors Paula Chamlee and Rose Blouin and curator Caren Helene Rudman for choosing my work.

The Art Center Highland Park. Photo via TAC.

When:
March 1 – April 6, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday, March 1, 5:30-8pm

Where:
The Art Center Highland Park
1957 Sheridan Rd., Highland Park, IL 60035

Petal, 2014.

A few days ago I was a guest speaker at University of Illinois Chicago again! Thank you again to Carrie McGath for having me in your English classes.

A zine sneak peek: Can't Shake It by Chicago painter Laura Catherwood.

And zine progress updates:

For contributing artists, poets, and writers, and for everyone who placed a pre-order: Thank you so much for your patience with the production of Artists on the Lam’s new zine, LAMINATOR Vol. 1! The publication is currently in the process of being professionally printed, and it’s estimated that this first batch will be delivered to us in bulk by March 1. Soon after we receive the bulk shipment, we’ll mail your zine (or zines for those of you who pre-ordered multiple) to you, and will send you an email notification as soon as we do.

Another sneak peek of the artwork: Água Viva (Translation: Living
Waters) 1 by Pedro Patti, a 25-year-old Brazilian photographer.

For everyone else: No worries if you didn’t pre-order a copy/copies but would still like to, or later decide you’d like to in the future; I’ll have extra copies just in case!

Zine art: An oil painting called Succession Finale by Evanston painter Kathy Halper.

Zine contributor Kathy Halper’s [relatable for many—maybe even most—artists, myself included] statement:

“A funny thing happened in 2020. I realized I was enjoying the shut-down. Like a lot. It was the life of which I had always dreamt. Suddenly the world was aligned with my anti-social instincts.

I became hyper-focused on my routines and relationships. With affection and tongue-in-cheek awareness of the tedium of life, I began oil paintings focused on the rut of 30 years of marriage, dogs in my personal space and staring at screens. My goal: to preserve and observe life while I live it.

Warped perspectives emerged as a way to create tension in benign stories, as well as insert my own ever-present anxiety where there would appear to be none.

I am inspired by artists such as Marisol and Faith Ringgold, who used folk art to simplify and subvert expectations, and Grayson Perry for his irreverent humor. I also love the painterly interiors of Bonnard and Munch. What has emerged is a personal and clear eyed, if skewed, diary of my life.”

Kathy also currently has a solo exhibition at Evanston Art Center called JOMO: The Joy of Missing Out, where you can see this piece (and others) in person. The show will be on view for a couple more days, until February 18. Congratulations, Kathy!

Happy Black History Month! One more zine sneak peek:
An oil painting called Ecstasy, Passion & Pain by Patrick Earl Hammie.

Lastly, some fun stuff to kick off 2024:

• Here’s an outfit I wanted to show off. (Thanks Chicago Fashion Coalition for inviting me to Soundpost: Perception at Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Center!)
• Do you ever get an idea for a doodle where you’re like, “This is so silly. …I have to do it”? My Eminem x Midwestern Ope mashup sketch is an example of that.

Happy and healthy Year of the Dragon!

Auld Lang Syne

Thank you to my alma mater Columbia University for featuring me again yesterday, this time in their Instagram stories! From when I was named one of 2023’s Culture Shifters by HuffPost:

Now, on to more sneak peeks at the artwork that will be in LAMINATOR Vol. 1 zine (pre-order the inaugural issue here!):

A dreamy photograph called Through the looking glass 4 by Klinta Kalneja in Riga, Latvia:

An incredible acrylic painting called The Streets Are Ours by Chicago artist Keelan McMorrow:

He says:

“As a painter, I’ve always tended to view my work as a sort of alchemy—from pigment to paint, concept to realization, there’s always some kind of transformation afoot. But the thing about painting a picture is that getting another person to look at it is pretty much the whole point, and that’s where the last bit of magic occurs. Whether or not someone else’s heart gets the message, their brain has gotten a piece of that I’ve been feeling, and if I’m lucky it’ll turn into something else, because it isn’t just mine anymore.”

Bonus: Keelan’s take on AI “artists”:

An opportunity for Chicagoans: DCASE’s 2024 Individual Artists Program Grant application is now open! I’m a past awardee; both times I applied, I was selected to receive the grant!: The first was for my ongoing large-scale interactive public art and mapping project, Dreams of a City*; the second was when I conceived of SLAYSIAN**. More details for IAP here. The deadline is January 16, 2024, 5pm CST.

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

**(The exhibition I created and curated celebrating Asian American artists in Chicago and the Midwest, which finally happened in person in 2021! 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.)

And some fun stuff as we close out 2023:

• When I was a kid I made these little mint candy snowmen from scratch (following a recipe from American Girl Magazine) and my mom still has them in the fridge and showed ‘em to me for the first time since [maybe] the ‘00s. And now I’m showing them to you.
• A silly little anniversary: This past fall marked 20(!) years of me having the same hair “style” / a middle part. I don’t have any photos of me from autumn 2003 on hand, so here’s a photo from summer 2004, along with some context for the location.
• An art-related anniversary: Throwback to 10(!) years ago when I was invited to curate the exhibition for Sixty Inches from Center x Autotelic’s birthday bash at what was then called Flats Studio, which was a massive old former bank building, and before that it was a former vaudeville theater, in Uptown. (Look up 1050 W. Wilson Ave.—that was the venue! And now it’s about to be the new home for Double Door.)

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, everyone!

Waterworld

My photo Terminus—shot on my iPhone 5s in January 2020 of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina—was selected to be exhibited in 71% - The State of Water at Palazzo Costanzi, Sala Umberto Veruda, during Trieste Photo Days in Trieste, Italy! Here are some install shots by Exhibit Around, as well as my original photo (see if you can spot it in each exhibition photo). Grazie!

(View more of my mobile photography here, and read more about that Patagonia trip—the last time I travelled—in my pre-pandemic post “Alegría.”)

Switching gears to showcasing others’ talents: My new art, poetry, and writing zine, LAMINATOR Vol. 1, is available to pre-order! On the cover will be this piece:

Charcoal drawing called Acolyte #1 by Win Wallace,
an artist in Lockhart, Texas

And on the inside: Poetry, prose, and artwork across all media (including painting, illustration, painting, collage, textiles, and more) by 68 artists, poets, and writers from all over Chicago, the country, and the world.

It also has an accompanying online exhibition! A few of the artists featured in the zine have art that’s available for purchase; this includes the originals of their pieces in the publication, as well as bonus pieces. Browse them here and support independent artists!

Pictured above are ethereal digital paintings printed on Giclée Archival Paper by Buuchau Chau, a self-taught digital artist from Waterloo, Canada.

You Ain’t Zine Nothing Yet

I’m so excited to announce the contributors in my inaugural zine, LAMINATOR Vol. 1! This new publication—Artists on the Lam’s first physical booklet—features work by 68* artists, poets, and writers from all over Chicago, the country, and the world. This is a labor of love.

*(If you think that’s a lot (it is): The submission process unexpectedly became highly competitive for a little zine; I received applications from over 200(!) people, a record number for me. It got to the point where one night I actually continued to review entries in my dreams.)

In this volume, enjoy poetry, prose, and art across all media and forms—including illustration, painting, photography, collage, textiles, and more—by:

Ami Moregore, Ami Watanabe, Angela Townsend, Annie Govekar, Audrey Clarendon, Buuchau Chau, Chantal Danyluk, Charlene Moy, Christine Lozano, Claire Cai, Constance Volk, Cynthia J. Lee, Dana Albalushi, Darcie Denton, Darinka VZ, Emily Andrews, Emily Thornton Calvo, Fei Ewald, Fernanda Morales Tovar, Gabe Drueke, George Peterson, Gloria Tang Yuze, Hayden Minor, InsomniaBird (Susie Xiong), Jamiece Adams, Jasmine Marie, Jessica Smit Mattingly, Jonathan Espinoza-Perez, Josepha Natzke, Julia Graczyk, Kathy Halper, Keelan McMorrow, Kelly Eden, Klinta Kalneja, Kurt Kreissl, Laura Cantor, Laura Catherwood, Laura Rodriguez, Lillian Prichard, Maddie Hinrichs, Maham Ali, Marcia Biasiello, Marie Magnetic, Mark Banks, Mary Kate Fahrenbach Venturini, Meri Kukkavaara, Nalendra Ezra a.k.a Ejura, Nancy Bechtol, Olukorede Ojelade, Oscar Eduardo de Paz, Patrick Earl Hammie, Pedro Patti, Renata Hernández, Renee McGinnis, Richard Gessert, Sarah Lorentz, Seth King, Shannon Sphar, Sneha Paul, Sophia Croasdale, Stafford Hiroshi Smith, Taryn Okesson, Tiffany Gholar, Vaishnavi Sivaprasad, Wendy Wahman, Win Wallace, Yulin Yuan, and Zee Tan Zhi Wang

Created and edited by Jenny Lam

Pre-order the zine here, where you can also get a sneak peek at some of the artwork and poetry inside, as well as view a mini online art exhibition featuring some of the contributing artists!

Pictured above: A charcoal drawing called Acolyte #1 (this will be on the cover!) by Win Wallace, an artist currently based in Lockhart, Texas, and an oil painting called Wallflowers by Emily Andrews, an artist, actress, and musician from Niagara Falls, Ontario.

We Were Seeds

Submissions for LAMINATOR Vol. 1 are now closed! Thank you so much to everyone who submitted to my new zine; I received applications from 200(!) artists, poets, and writers, the most I’ve ever gotten for anything! And my favorite part is how international this was; I have entries from so many different countries all around the world—truly living up to Artists on the Lam’s motto since 2011, “championing local artists; channeling global perspectives”.

Everyone will be notified whether they’ve been selected in… I originally said about a week or so (hopefully! it’s a lot more than I expected and I’ll try my best). Thanks in advance for your patience!

In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at one of the submissions; it’s a collage called O’ The Almighty Watermelon by Nalendra Ezra a.k.a. Ejura, an artist in Indonesia.

Sign up for pre-orders of the publication here!

[No] One [Is an] Eyeland

I’ve just been announced as one of the winners of One Eyeland Awards | World’s Top Mobile Photographers! My 2014 photo On the Boardwalk won Bronze, and my 2015 photo Spiral and 2017 photo Singing Sands are Finalists. All shot on my iPhone 5s, of course. You can view more of my mobile photography here.

Pivoting to showing off the work of other artists: The open call for my new zine, LAMINATOR, has been included in Artwork Archive’s monthly “Best Artist Opportunities” list!

And here’s a sneak peek at one of the submissions I’ve gotten so far. I usually don’t share art until after the application deadline (which is Monday!), but I couldn’t resist. Happy Halloween!

Oil painting by Kelly Eden,
a contemporary artist in Los Angeles, CA

Submit to Artists on the Lam’s inaugural zine here, where you can also sign up for pre-orders!

Open Call for Artists, Poets, & Writers: Submit to Artists on the Lam’s 1st Zine, Laminator

Artists on the Lam is thrilled to announce the launch of our inaugural zine, Laminator! All artists, poets, and writers from anywhere in the world are welcome to submit work for publication!

In an ever increasingly digital world, we often find ourselves seeking ways to unplug, searching for the tangible, the analog, something tactile and physical we can touch and hold with our own hands, something to keep and cherish as a memento, as ephemera, something to lose, something to find, something to give and share with a loved one like a secret.

Don’t get us wrong—we’re all about the digital realm too; after all, Artists on the Lam started out as a blog back in 2011 (and it’s still going strong!), and during this ongoing pandemic we pivoted to virtual exhibitions (such as SLAYSIAN in 2020, DECAHEDRON in 2021, and HYGGE in 2023). And, of course, you’re reading this online.

But this project has been a long time coming; Laminator is the brainchild of Chicago-based artist, indie curator, writer, and Artists on the Lam founder Jenny Lam, who has been keeping snail mail—and the USPS—alive for the past 15 years with her beloved postcard project Dreams of a City, and who was probably the only young person in the world who didn’t get a smartphone until 2014 (and then stubbornly used that same old phone for 7 years).

And, much like the soothing sounds of a pencil scratching on paper, there’s just something about the feel of flipping through the pages of a good book.

What we’re looking for:

• Visual art
• All mediums and forms are welcome! Examples:
• Drawing
• Painting
• Photography
• Printmaking
• Collage
• Etc.!
• Poetry
• Prose
• All forms are welcome, including non-fiction such as personal essays, anecdotes, letters, etc.!

There’s no theme; submit your best work! (But if that’s too broad for you and you’d like some guidance, here’s a theme Artists on the Lam has always been obsessed with: Dreams. Interpret that however you wish.)

There’s no application fee! It’s free to submit to the zine!

Ready to apply? Complete the steps below:

You I See

My artwork is currently being exhibited in a museum in Korea! Five of my photos—shot on my iPhone 5s—are featured in CICA Museum’s international exhibition Color 2023, which opened a couple days ago and will be up until October 1. If you’re in Gimpo-si, check it out! Everyone else, take a look at the show’s online catalog here.

Earlier this week I was a guest speaker at the University of Illinois Chicago! Thank you to Professor Carrie McGath for having me in your English classes—it was so much fun!

 

And, as always, visit my social media (such as Facebook and Instagram) for my previews and highlights of new art around town.

PS. PSA: The updated COVID booster targeting XBB.1.5 (the new variant driving the current surge) is available at Walgreens starting Monday! I scheduled my appointment for next week.

Roar, Lion, Roar

Thank you so much to my alma mater for featuring me! I’m also in their “Alumni in the News” article—honored to be included alongside Emmy nominees et al. (And on their Instagram page two rows directly below me is Obama.)

Also, thank you all for the birthday wishes!

Lastly, this is the final week to see the group exhibition I’m in, Sweet Home Chicago! The show, which features 78(!) local artists, is up through this Friday, September 1, in the 4th Floor Gallery of the Bridgeport Art Center.

Lionhearted

My 2014 photo Petal—shot on my iPhone 5s—is currently on view in the group exhibition Sweet Home Chicago at the Bridgeport Art Center! Thank you again to curator Marci Rubin for choosing my work and for putting together a great show. Here’s an installation shot she took of the wall that includes my piece (the MCA’s spiral staircase!):

(You can view many more install shots in Marci’s Facebook album here.)

If you missed the opening last month, no worries; there’s another reception this Friday, August 18, 7-10pm, during BAC’s 3rd Fridays Open Studios event! RSVP here. Enjoy the works of over 70 artists in this exhibit alone, and even more throughout the building!

Also, today’s my birthday! Here’s a candid of me for HuffPost’s “Culture Shifters: The Change-Makers We Are Watching in 2023 | Jenny Lam Turned Down Disney At Age 8 — And Carved Her Own Path As An Artist” feature article written by Yue Li and photographed in Chinatown by Taylor Glascock:

In lieu of birthday gifts: Consider becoming a patron of Artists on the Lam! Or, if you would like a gift in the form of art, consider collecting a work or two from my shop!

Center Stage

Friday night’s opening reception for Sweet Home Chicago!:

In the middle of my crowd shot: My mom in the white pants and my dad in the white
mask looking at a sculpture.

The few times I was near my piece it was fun seeing folks talk to each other about it.

Missed it? Not to worry; the exhibition runs through September 1, and there’ll be another 3rd Fridays Open Studios event on August 8. Location: Bridgeport Art Center, 4th Floor Gallery.

And as a reminder, since Twitter’s in shambles, you can also find me at:

• Facebook: facebook.com/TheJennyLam
• Instagram: instagram.com/artistsonthelam
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@artistsonthelam
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejennylam
• Tumblr: artistsonthelam.tumblr.com
• Threads: threads.net/@artistsonthelam
• Mastodon: mastodon.art/@jennylam

Follow along for art, life, palate cleansers, occasional politics, and general nerdery.

Building Bridges

This Friday! I have a piece in the group exhibition Sweet Home Chicago, part of the Bridgeport Art Center’s 3rd Fridays Open Studios event. RSVP here and enjoy 6 floors of art!

Hope to see you there!

A Pick-Me-Up

The local exhibition I’m in, Sweet Home Chicago, is one of Sixty Inches from Center’s July Art Picks! Thanks, Sixty!

The show opens in exactly one week at the Bridgeport Art Center’s 4th Floor Gallery, 7-10pm. It’ll be fun; there are over 70 participating artists!

Urbs in Horto

As an addendum to this post: I’ve just been announced as one of the Semifinalists for the Urban Photo Awards 2023! Thank you to the Super Jury!

Also, my photos (On the Boardwalk and Petal, both shot on my iPhone 5s in 2014) will be exhibited at Trieste Photo Days in Italy! This will be my second year in a row showing my work in the international photography festival.

(Before then, you can view Petal in Sweet Home Chicago at the 4th Floor Gallery of the Bridgeport Art Center starting on the 21st!)