Our Biennial is one of the Midwest’s largest and most prestigious juried exhibitions, offering artists an opportunity to have their work viewed by three talented curators: Chanelle Lacy, Director of Art Initiatives at Gertie, Joe Lanasa, Director/Founder of Fulton Street Collective, and Cortney Lederer, Public Art Consultant and Educator. Our Biennial will be promoted and viewed by hundreds of visitors, including gallerists, curators, and collectors.
Cash awards and cash equivalents will be presented at the artists’ reception. Awards, which may include Best of Show and Juror’s Merit categories, are given at the jurors’ discretion. From the final pool of selected applicants, the jurors will also award 3 artists, who have not exhibited at the Evanston Art Center in the past 5 years, with the opportunity to be included in an exhibition in our galleries.
Chanelle Lacy is a curator, cultural producer, and Reiki Master. She is also the Director of Art Initiatives at Gertie and the fearless leader of EarlyWork! Passionate about bringing ambitious, rigorous, and challenging projects to life, Chanelle works closely with artists both emerging and established to expand not only their creative practices but the art historical canon at large. Her passion for art and her commitment to amplifying underrepresented and marginalized voices make her a true champion of the arts. Most recently she produced SKIN + MASKS, a blockbuster exhibition crafted in collaboration with musician and activist Vic Mensa, centering works by contemporary artists exploring the elusive essence of identity. Originally presented in a classic gallery setting, SKIN + MASKS traveled to Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile for a six-month pop-up exhibition presented in partnership with EXPO Chicago and the City of Chicago. In 2021 she curated Realms of Refuge, a group exhibition focused on the alchemical processes that enable us to transcend our earthly entanglements to reach higher states of consciousness, embodiment, and expression. Chanelle forged her path in the arts working at a contemporary gallery where she lent her vision to the program for six years. During three years of her tenure, she held the position of Director. Chanelle continues to be a force, serving as a trusted advisor.
Cortney Lederer is a public art consultant and educator with over twenty years of experience managing artistic programming for foundations and organizations. Cortney has curated installations by notable artists such as Jacob Hashimoto (2019) and Olafur Eliasson (2021) at th Willis Tower and Luftwerk at the landmark Chicago Board of Trade Building (2024). She served as the art advisor for E(art)H Chicago, (2023) an initiative supported by the Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF), providing $700,000 in grants to artists to inspire new ways of thinking about environmental responsibility in neighborhoods across Chicago. This summer, she launched a new public art initiative for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2024) connecting people to nature through 30 art installations across the city. Cortney is currently serving as the public art consultant for the Chicago Park District to design and manage an RFP for artist responses to contested monuments on parkland through installations, onsite programming, and activations. She is also the Public Art Consultant for the City of Wichita, managing three, new public artworks for the Arkansas River Improvement Project. Most recently, she worked with a team of planning consultants hired by Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to develop a community-engaged, pilot cultural and historical marker program. This pilot program celebrates the city’s cultural heritage by sharing untold stories and events through artist-designed markers. Cortney is an Associate Professor, Adj., in the Arts Administration and Policy department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and serves on the board of Arts of Life and Every House Has a Door.
Joe Lanasa is one of the founding members and the current director of the Fulton Street Collective. He created FSC in late 2002, along with his amazingly talented friend, Anna Fermin. Their original vision still holds true today, which is to host a community of creative, talented people, and give them the resources they need to support and cultivate their art so that they can enrich the lives of others and become part of the greater community. Joe is also a street poet, songwriter, rock musician singer, and guitarist, performing in mostly Chicago-area clubs for over ten years now. His musical influences include a crazy blend of brilliant performers, including Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, Scott Momenthy, Iggy Pop, early Springsteen, Marty Robbins, Elvis, Van Morrison, and Bob Marley.
IMPORTANT DATES
JUNE 2, 2025: Artist Submission Deadline
JULY 16: Notification of acceptance
AUGUST 17 – 19: Accepted artworks delivered to Evanston Art Center
AUGUST 20 – 22: Installation
SEPTEMBER 21: Biennial Exhibition closes
SEPTEMBER 22 & 23: De-install and pick up artworkThe Evanston + Vicinity Biennial Exhibition will be exhibited in the first-floor gallery of the Art Center.
Evanston Art Center, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, is dedicated to fostering the appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences. The Art Center offers extensive and innovative instruction in broad areas of artistic endeavor through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach initiatives. Evanston Art Center is located at 1717 Central Street, Evanston, IL. Evanston Art Center Gallery Hours: 9am – 6pm, Monday – Thursday; 9am – 5pm, Friday; 9am – 4pm, Saturday & Sunday. First and second-floor gallery spaces are handicapped accessible. Limited free parking is available.
