September Artist News
published: Sept. 1, 2026
Maria Gaspar in her studio with We Lit the Fire and Trusted the Heat (After Angela Davis) Photo: Noah Sheldon
Home Grown Vol. III at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
On view now through September 6, Home Grown Vol. III is an immersive exhibition exploring the deep entanglement between human and plant life, featuring Midwest artists working with natural pigments, dyes, plant reliefs, hand-pulled paper, and organic materials. Featuring Allen Moore, Jaclyn Mednicov and more, Home Grown centers artists who interact with the natural world in a variety of ways.
LATITUDE Medley at Epiphany Center for the Arts
On view now through September 20, featuring work by Krista Franklin and Diana Solís, LATITUDE Medley is “a net cast into the vast field of individuals that together make up LATITUDE Chicago’s diverse community.” Artists working in painting, photography, collage, analog or digital processes are all exhibited regardless of shared theme, but instead with a “shared belief that access and education around photographic “Fine Art” production should come without barriers.”
Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón at the Museum of Contemporary Art
On view now through September 20, Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón is “a major exhibition that explores and expands the visual, political, and spiritual histories of dancehall and reggaetón through contemporary art— two dynamic genres that have transcended their grassroots origins to shape global culture.” The exhibition features work by Leasho Johnson, Edra Soto, and many others.
Between Memory and Becoming: Manifestations of Black Motherhood at Co-Prosperity
On view now through September 25, Between Memory and Becoming: Manifestations of Black Motherhood, organized by Wisdom Baty and Alyssa Martinez, features artists Alexy Irving-Alleyne, Andrea Hill Fitzgerald, Grandest Wright, Summer Coleman, and Teni Odunsi. “Through mixed media, sculptures, photography, paintings, and texts, the cohort of artists trace connections between the natural world, diasporic traditions, and practices of survival.”
Parallel Visions: C.C. Ann Chen, Carie Lassman, Frances Lee, and Monika Plioplyte at Tiger Strikes Asteroid
On view now through October 3, Parallel Visions: C.C. Ann Chen, Carie Lassman, Frances Lee, and Monika Plioplyte bring together “four distinct artistic practices that approach questions of perception, place, and narrative from unique perspectives. Working across installation, painting, collage, and mixed media, these artists explore imagined landscapes, abstraction, adornment, and mythology.”
Cydney Lewis: Reflection at Gallery 400
On view now through December 12, Cydney Lewis: Reflection uses “discarded and found materials from her environment to create collages and sculptural assemblages that address Black consumer culture in the South Side of Chicago. Between commutes or spending her downtime, Lewis uses a phone app to layer her hand-cut collages with digital drawings.”
To Be Remembered: Woven Matters of the Heart at the Chicago Cultural Center
On view now through February 28, 2027, To Be Remembered: Woven Matters of the Heart “embraces the reflective ways in which five contemporary textile artists illuminate their rich interior worlds through their unique fiber practices. The artists: ebere agwuncha, Nnaemeka Ekwelum, Hale Ekinci, Josúe Esaú, and Thương Hoài Trần each visually intertwine time, memory, and emotion to conjure deeply felt histories across spatial geographies, venerating the cultural traces that connect us to the motherlands.”
Chicago Jazz Festival at multiple locations
On September 3-6, The Chicago Jazz Festival includes a multiday, multistage lineup of all forms of jazz. This free, high-quality music programming showcases Chicago’s local talent alongside national and international artists to raise awareness and appreciation for one of the city’s most beloved art forms. Featured performances include a Tribute to Ari Brown, M.A.D.D. Rhythms (founded by Donnetta Lil-Bit Jackson), Whitney Morrison, The Chicago Project (featuring Dee Alexander), The Toyoaki Ensemble (including Yoshinojo Fujima), and Asian Improv aRts Midwest (including Tatsu Aoki and Yoshinojo Fujima).
_copycats_ on Sheridan Rd. between Loyola and Pratt, Rogers Park
On September 4, Rachel Damon’s Synapse Arts presents _copycats_, “an interactive performative statement that exposes the absurdity of belonging in hyper-individualized societies.”
Sonorous Somatics 012: Solo set by Junius Paul at Blanc Gallery
On September 5, Blanc Gallery presents Sonorous Somatics 012: Solo set by Junius Paul, a sound and listening series curated by BSA Gold in response to Blanc Gallery’s exhibition program. “A polyphonic experience stretching across electronics, small percussion instruments, and acoustic bass, this 60-minute outdoor set explores the current exhibition themes of past, present, and possibility in Black contemporary art’s reflections of Black political consciousness, and conceptions of Blackness shaped by American national memory.”
Presence as a Pathway to Hope (virtual meeting)
On September 10, join Tiffany Wong and Chi for Presence as a Pathway to Hope, “a new moon ritual designed to help you explore your inner world through grounding, guided meditation, creative practice (sketching/writing), and moments for reflection and witnessing.”
On September 11, Lucy Vurusic Riner and kt williams present JAM, a series combining dance, music, and visual art in a gallery walk setting. “JAM brings together dance artists, DJs, and visual artists across Chicago to create a fluid space where movement, sound, and visual art coexist. JAM is a party and a performance, giving the Chicago community an opportunity to share, witness, connect, and move their bodies and JAM with each other.”
2026 Sonic Pavilion Festival at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion
On September 12-14, the Sonic Pavilion Festival presents seven 24-channel sound compositions for the globally unique trellised speaker array at Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Including a performance by Sadie Woods, each performance creates “a canopy of sound.”
KUUMBA LYNX DanceJOY Wellness Pop Up at multiple locations
Kuumba Lynx Arts & Healing (KLAH) presents a Pop Up Dance Wellness series alongside Lady Sol, KLAH Co-Founder and certified Community Healthcare Worker of Chicago’s inaugural Healing Arts Chicago cohort. The series takes place on multiple dates and in multiple locations:
- DanceJOY Wellness Pop Up | September 12 at Shedd Park
- DanceJOY Wellness Pop Up | October 3 at Lindbloom Park
HA Harmonic: Graphic Score Performance at the General Philip Henry Sheridan Monument
On September 19, join composer Sadie Woods, Angel Bat Dawad, Ben LaMar Gay, and Corey Wilkes for a “site-responsive performance…rooted in the true meaning “HA” as life-force. The work centers breath as a generative and animating presence carried through lip-vibrated aerophones including animal horns, conch shells, brass instruments, and the human voice.”
Proud and Loud: Disability Art and Music at Garfield at Garfield Park
On September 19, Proud and Loud: Disability Art and Music Showcase includes community mural creation led by Genevieve Ramos, performances by dancers Ladonna Friedheim, Robby Lee Williams, musician Victoria Boateng, and more.
Chicago Live Festival at Navy Pier
On September 19-20, Chicago Live Festival, the Midwest’s largest free performing arts festival, includes performances and workshops by Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (featuring Monique Haley), Dee Alexander, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre (featuring Joshua L. Ishmon), PARA.MAR Dance Theatre (featuring Stephanie Martinez), Red Clay Dance Company (featuring Vershawn Sanders-Ward), South Chicago Dance Theatre (featuring Kia S. Smith), and many others.
Maria Gaspar with musical guests, We Lit the Fire and Trusted the Heat (After Angela Davis) at the Museum of Contemporary Art
On September 19-20, Maria Gaspar’s We Lit the Fire and Trusted the Heat (After Angela Davis) “is a sonic sculpture with live performance activations by guest musicians Damon Locks, Ben LaMar Gay, and Mauricio López F. Composed of salvaged jail debris found following the 2021 demolition of Division I at the Cook County Department of Corrections in Chicago, this work stems from the artist’s sustained engagement with the nearly century-old carceral institution located in Little Village, her childhood neighborhood.”
Narratives of Flesh II: Embodied Grief at the International Museum of Surgical Science
On September 23, Genevieve Ramos, Gretchen Hasse, and Barbara Little present an evening of art and performance about inhabiting imperfect bodies and minds.
Neighbors in Nature at multiple locations
Neighbors in Nature is a guided outdoor experience, drop-in art activity, and communal gathering series organized by Marya Spont-Lemus. There are events on multiple dates:
- Presence and Ecological Listening | September 11 at McKinley Park Field House
“Join us on a soundwalk through McKinley Park led by artist and composer Norman W. Long. We will explore different ways to be present using listening and mindfulness exercises.”
- Making and Movement | September 13 at McKinley Park
Making and Movement includes Imagining This World: Build mixed-material dioramas with Mich Shaffer, Rainbow walk collage zine making with Rojas, Weave on the Community Loom with Yominah Omer, Amancio Torres Sanchez, and Daniel Alejandro Macias, Sing summer songs with the Intangible Choir, and Connect with NAEJ.
- Imagining Environmental Justice | September 20 at Party Per Purpose
“Facilitated by artist-organizers from N4EJ, this collaborative creative workshop invites participants to play, design, and imagine just environments.”