The Color of Normal

Opening Exhibition at Juliet Art House invites you to reflect on the past year and transition into a new normal.

Tuesday-Friday 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Saturday-Sunday 12:00pm - 6:00pm

No appointment necessary, masks required, indoor capacity limited to 15 people. Due to Covid-19, there will be no opening night reception.

Open House with the Artist & Producing Team

Saturdays: June 19, June 26, July 3, July 10

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

RSVP at thecolorofnormal.com

Visual artist Rebecca Baruc’s first solo exhibition will be free and viewable from June 17, 2021 to July 11, 2021 at Juliet Art House, 1750 South Union Ave.

The Color of Normal is a visual art exhibition inviting people to meditate on how they’ve changed, personally and collectively this past year. Sales of the artwork will benefit Pilsen Alliance’s Summer Youth Organizing Institute and is tiered into accessible price points through a raffle structure.

“I was the Music Program Curator at Uncommon Ground before deciding to pursue my visual art full-time in January 2020. I just began a series of in-person pastel portraits of my artist community when the pandemic halted that project and threw into question the relevance of a solo show. Once I accepted that we might never get back to normal, I curated this show to help us all move toward a new normal. ‘The Color of Normal’ title refers to Josef Albers’ color theory, wherein our perception of one color is relative to the colors we see around it. I’m extending that logic to our realities, where what we see as normal is relative to our lived experiences.”  - Rebecca Baruc

On display will be pastel portraits of Chicago community members alongside multi-media self-portraits. All these works celebrate a living, breathing community of diverse voices, and explore how people perceive each other and themselves. With QR codes presented alongside the portraits, viewers can hear audio of the subjects reflecting on the past year, their current lives, and how they see their futures. Subjects include but not limited to: Jordanna (musician/performer), Dan Wilcop (Artist/Designer), Sierra Hill (Subterranean Marketing Director), Nexus J (Performer/Poet), Jae Deco (Performer/Artist), and Suri (Composer/Writer). 

The artist wants to lift barriers to owning art. For this reason, art sales will be sold at different price points through a raffle structure. For more information on purchasing artworks, please visit https://www.thecolorofnormal.com/shop 

The exhibition will donate 10% of all revenues from art sales to the Pilsen Alliance’s Summer Youth Organizing Institute--a youth led program centered on healing and empowerment. This institute covers a wide range of social justice topics, including gentrification, gender justice, immigrant rights, anti-Blackness, and conflict resolution.

The show lives at Juliet Art House, a new flexible space in the Chicago Arts District in Pilsen dedicated to showcasing and connecting local artists and small business owners. Founded by Chicago Public Schools teachers, Juliet Art House strives to prioritize community and educational partnerships in its creative practice. 

This show is partially funded by the DCASE Individual Artists Program, meant to assist Chicago’s practicing artists that bring value to the City of Chicago. 

The Artist and the Producing Team will be present during Open House hours to answer your questions, encourage conversation and engage with visitors. 

Other Contacts:

Rebecca Eve Baruc, Artist and Curator 

Phone Number: (203) 470-5451

Website: https://www.thecolorofnormal.com 

Chris Camargo 

Lead Marketing, Web Development, & Event Coordinator 

B.A. in International Art Management, Columbia College Chicago

Phone Number: 630-608-3770

Email: chriscamargo14@gmail.com

Mirta Bottai

Exhibition Development & Curatorial Director 

M.A in Arts Management, Columbia College Chicago

Phone Number: 872-203-4045 

Email: mbottai@colum.edu