West Town Chamber of Commerce to Exhibit Esperanza Art Studio’s 'Beyond the Surface'

The exhibition will highlight artists with intellectual disabilities and kick off with a First Fridays event

CHICAGO , ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES, April 2, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The West Town Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce its latest Member Exhibition Space project, 'Beyond the Surface', co-presented by Esperanza Art Studio (www.esperanzacommunity.org). The exhibition, a group show of works that confront the assumptions associated with people with intellectual disabilities, will be on view at the West Town Chamber of Commerce beginning April 5th through April 24th. Through the 'Beyond the Surface' show, Esperanza artists reclaim their identity to dismantle any preconceived notions of who they are. Individuality permeates their work as each artist fills their canvas with unique imagery and color, a reflection of them. These pieces allow spectators to get a grasp of their artists beyond what is seen on the surface.

“This collaboration [with the West Town Chamber of Commerce] means a great deal to Esperanza and our artists. It provides us with a unique platform to showcase our work to a wider audience and engage with the community on a deeper level. Our artists are so excited about exhibiting their work. This show gives them a huge sense of purpose when creating daily, and a huge sense of pride to be able to show the community their work”, shared Kelly Altman, the curator of the show and Coordinator of Creative Arts for Esperanza Community Services.

The exhibit kicks off with an opening to align with April’s West Town First Fridays programming on Friday, April 5, 2024 from 5pm-8pm at the West Town Chamber of Commerce located at 1819 W Chicago Ave. Additionally, other West Town galleries will stay open late on Friday, April 5, 2024 to allow visitors to explore West Town by means of a self-guided gallery walk. The 'Beyond the Surface' exhibit will remain open through April 24th at the office of the West Town Chamber of Commerce and can be visited during office hours. See below for the full list of April ‘s West Town First Fridays participants and programming:

ARC GALLERY: 1463 W Chicago Ave
'Doomscapes and the Digital Beyond' presents work about our damaged planet and its imagined future. Artists of all backgrounds, age groups, generations, and stages of their career explore the challenges to image, object, and meaning making in the context of die-offs, biodiversity loss, dead zones, extinction and the wild proliferation and unmitigated advancements in computational technologies.

DOVETAIL: 1452 W Chicago Ave
Trunk show by Chicago jewelry maker Kim Jones Jewelry from 5-8pm. Enjoy 15% off select vintage during the event.

ESPERANZA COMMUNITY SERVICES: 520 N Marshfield Ave
'Beyond the Surface', a show by Esperanza Artists. People have assumptions associated with people with intellectual disabilities. Through the 'Beyond the Surface' show, Esperanza artists reclaim their identity to dismantle any preconceived notions of who they are. Individuality permeates their work as each artist fills their canvas with unique imagery and color, a reflection of them. At Esperanza we are not an organization of one population, but rather a group of inspiring and unique individuals working alongside each other to create, learn, and grow. These pieces allow spectators to get a grasp of our artists beyond what you see on the surface.

FULTON STREET COLLECTIVE: 1821 W Hubbard St
'Ivory and Ink' is a group show featuring black and white pieces in a variety of mediums. This show will be a group show of work by Fulton Street Collective members.

THE GALLERY AT LIVINGROOM REALTY: 1530 W Superior St
The Gallery at LivingRoom Realty presents 'Sunroom' celebrating three years of the Monthly Flyer Club, featuring 36 flyer designs and other projects. Opening reception is on April 5, 2024 from 6-9pm.

VERTICAL GALLERY: 2006 W Chicago Ave, #1R
April 5 -27: 11-Year Anniversary Group Show featuring Akio Harada (JP), Arne Spangereid (NO), Blake Jones (US), Chris Uphues (US), Euan Roberts (UK), Ezra Brown (US), Flog (FR), Graham Franciose (US), Hama Woods (NO), Helen Proctor (AU), Louis (Masai) Michel (UK), Mau Mau (UK), Oscar Joyo (US), Pipsqueak Was Here!!! (NL), Richard Ankrom (US), Sweler (AU), Troy Scat (US), Yusuke Toda (JP). Plus a special sculpture release from Blake Jones, and a print release from Flog.

ABOUT WEST TOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The West Town Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization with hundreds of small business members. The Chamber’s mission is to foster community and economic development by empowering businesses with information and technical resources, creating connections, and providing neighborhood-wide marketing and other valuable programming.

ABOUT THE WTCC’S MEMBER EXHIBITION SPACE
The Member Exhibition Space is a service for WTCC Members seeking an exhibition opportunity not otherwise tenable in their existing location. Through this program, the WTCC provides short term access to gallery space in order for its Members to expand their programming and visibility surrounding their offerings. The Member Exhibition Space is within the WTCC offices, located at 1819 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL 60622.

ABOUT ESPERANZA COMMUNITY SERVICES
At Esperanza Community Services, our mission is to empower people with developmental disabilities to reach their full potential and lead fulfilling, independent lives. We strive to achieve this through innovative education, effective advocacy, and compassionate support while fostering a supportive community where everyone can thrive.

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Ryan Beshel / ryan@six4creative.com
SIX4 Creative / www.six4creative.com
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Ryan Beshel
SIX4 Creative
ryan@six4creative.com
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