Attend the opening reception for Franklin McMahon’s RESIST: A VISUAL HISTORY OF PROTEST on Friday, August 2, from 6:00-9:00pm.

Resist: A Visual History of Protest is an exhibition of original artwork by renowned Chicago artist Franklin McMahon (b. 1921 - d. 2012). As an artist-reporter, McMahon was front and center, documenting protest movements that changed America.

In 1955 McMahon covered the Emmett Till Trial for Life Magazine. The 1960’s began with McMahon drawing the construction of the Berlin Wall and continued with his art coverage of Dr. Martin Luther King’s peaceful protests, including the march from Montgomery to Selma across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the Chicago Eight Conspiracy Trial.

Five decades of social change are documented in his brilliantly painted graphite-on-paper images through to 2008 when Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton debated. In capturing historic events through art or major publications from the Chicago press to national publications, McMahon chronicled current events that nudged society in a more just direction.

Attend the opening reception for Margot McMahon’s CULTURAL COMMUNITIES: CHICAGO WRITERS AND BEYOND on Friday, August 2, from 6:00-9:00pm.

Cultural Communities: Chicago Writers and Beyond presents an in-depth exploration of influential writers who have significantly impacted their communities. This study is brought to life through Margot McMahon’s sculptural homage, which spotlights a diverse group of literary figures: Ernest Hemingway fostered a global community of adventurers; Gwendolyn Brooks nurtured aspiring poets; Richard Wright galvanized progressive intellectuals; Julie Otsuka illuminated the Japanese-American narrative; and Alice–Sylvia Shaw established the esteemed Ragdale artist enclave in Lake Forest, Illinois. These writers are united by a shared dedication to cultivating artistic collectives, which in turn have yielded profound works of literature with a focus on social justice.

Attend the opening reception for Howard Simmons’ exhibit Stories My Camera Tells: Once Upon Chicago on Wednesday, August 7, from 5:00-8:00pm.

From a trove of thousands of images photographed between the 1970’s through the early 2000’s, Howard Simmons’ exhibit “Stories my Camera Tells: Once Upon a Chicago” features a selection of his favorite images of notable Chicago personalities and politicians, Chicago street scenes, and iconic images from photoshoots for Ebony magazine and his work in commercial photography. The exhibit includes both celebrated images that document significant moments in American history as well as never-before-seen photography, accompanied by Simmons’ personal stories and accounts about his trailblazing work as one of the first Black photographers for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Photo credit: Howard Simmons, (left) Chicago Mayor, Harold Washington; (right) Martin Luther King for Ebony Magazine, April 1970

Attend the opening reception for the exhibit PRESERVING THE HERITAGE OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY IN ILLINOIS on Wednesday, August 7, from 6:00-9:00pm.

The Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, which began its journey during the tumultuous Democratic Convention of 1968, has made history once again. As the convention returns to Chicago, the Illinois Chapter is the first chapter of the Black Panther Party to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Thematic Listing of the Black Panther Party in Illinois was approved by the state of Illinois and the National Park Service and added to the Register in December 2023. Founded in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, the Black Panther Party helped usher in the Black Power Movement and self-reliance and was responsible for extensive changes in legislation.

Curated by Leila Wills, the exhibit captures the politics and programs of the Black Panther Party and is a testament to the chapter's enduring legacy. 

WOMEN’S VOICES: ARTISTS WHO AMPLIFY

Artist Talk with Marilyn Artus, Whitney Bradshaw, and Ginny Sykes with host, Beate Minkovski, co-founder of Chicago’s Woman Made Gallery

Epiphany Center for the Arts – Sanctuary

Saturday, August 10, 2024 – 5:00-6:00pm

Women’s voices are more important than ever in this pivotal election year and artists play a critical role in amplifying issues surrounding women’s rights. Epiphany Center for the Arts invites you to join us for a compelling artist talk with the creators of three powerful art projects that generate public dialogue, educate, and motivate social action in support of women’s rights. Following the talk, meet the artists in the Chase Gallery for the opening receptions of Whitney Bradshaw’s OUTCRY, Ginny Sykes’ 100 Women: Collaborations Beyond the Veil, and Marilyn Artus’ Her Flag, displayed on the façade of Chase House.

WOMEN’S VOICES: ARTISTS WHO AMPLIFY is being presented as part of Epiphany’s inaugural FEST of US! festival on August 10: A multifaceted art, music and entertainment experience that transcends ‘otherness’ and celebrates the community in US!

Golden Hour at Epiphany:

Stop by Epiphany for Golden Hour beforehand for free live music, drinks and lite bites in the Café Bar! Doors open at 5pm with 1/2 priced bottles of wine and other specials until 7:00pm

Golden Hour Menu + Music Schedule

Please note that outside food or beverages are not permitted in the venue.

Attend the opening reception for Ginny Sykes’ 100 WOMEN: COLLABORATIONS BEYOND THE VEIL on Saturday, August 10, from 6:00-9:00pm.

Chicago artist Ginny Sykes created 100 Women: Collaborations Beyond the Veil to immortalize women of different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Together, the banners form an alternative narrative to the historically patriarchal tradition of monuments within public arenas. Portrayed as both subject and object, as public art, the women stand in contrast to a long tradition of sculptural works designed to regulate women’s bodies in misogynist political and religious traditions. Instead of idealized marble busts that recall the misogyny of Classicism, these translucent tapestries move in the wind, and invite light to pass through the porous portraits of the statuesque women. 

Attend the opening reception for Whitney Bradshaw’s OUTCRY on Saturday, August 10, from 6:00-9:00pm.

Whitney Bradshaw launched her OUTCRY project on the night of the Women’s March in 2018, and since then the series has grown to more than five-hundred portraits of womxn from all walks of life who have chosen to take a stand against a culture that too often dismisses womxn’s voices. 

Drawing from her background in social work, the Chicago-based artist invites groups of womxn who are not previously acquainted with each other into her studio for “scream sessions,” where they can express emotions—ranging from rage to sorrow to laughter—in a brave and supportive environment designed to cultivate a spirit of feminist solidarity across different life experiences. The resulting photographic portraits challenge expectations around how womxn—and in particular, women’s anger—are portrayed in portraiture and mainstream culture. Together the intimate representations of womxn’s power and expression that Bradshaw captures, become a monumental act of collective resistance.

Attend the opening reception for Marilyn Artus’ HER FLAG on Saturday, August 10, from 6-9pm.

Her Flag is an activism project created by Oklahoma artist Marilyn Artus to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment (2020) and bring awareness to the 72 year-long nonviolent fight that kicked open voting for women in the United States. Collaborating with women artists from the 36 states that ratified the 19th Amendment into law, each of the artists designed a stripe that Artus used to create an 18 x 26 foot flag, which has been displayed on the exterior of the Clinton Presidential Library and the National Museum for Women’s Arts. 

Exhibited for the first time in Chicago at Epiphany Center for the Arts, Her Flag is positioned as a focal point for education about women’s suffrage and the history of voting rights. While the 19th Amendment states that no one be denied the vote based on sex, the right to vote for all women would not be afforded to Native American, Asian American, Latinx and African American women until much later. Her Flag reveals many pages left out of the history books. This project is about celebrating an important anniversary in history and motivates women to continue to actively participate in their democracy.

Make sure to RSVP for this amazing event!

Golden Hour at Epiphany:

Stop by Epiphany for Golden Hour beforehand for free live music, drinks and lite bites in the Café Bar! Doors open at 5pm with 1/2 priced bottles of wine and other specials until 7:00pm

Golden Hour Menu + Music Schedule

Please note that outside food or beverages are not permitted in the venue.

Attend the opening reception for Alex Velázquez Brightbill’s, ETHNIC BODIES on Friday, September 13, 6:00-9:00pm.

Alex Velázquez Brightbill’s ETHNIC BODIES collage series explores ideas of beauty, colonialism, and sexual identity. Alex’s starting point is an observation by the Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu that “the female carries the marks, language, and nuances of their culture more than the male. Anything that is desired or despised is constantly placed on the female body.” So, in this series the female figures show their inner thoughts portrayed in their physical world – a grotesque woman, a cat lady, sexual innuendos, playful absurd fetishes, the physical scarring of a culture, fashion and animalistic language combined with humor. Alex explores the conflicting perceptions of Latinx women based on assumptions from history and from current affairs.

The series devotes a specific focus to the maquiladora women of Ciudad Juárez, victims of a wave of femicides in the early 2000s. These women, portrayed through a combination of pornographic imagery and archaeological artifacts, symbolize both sexual objectification and silenced voices. The collages draw parallels between their visibility as sexual beings and their invisibility as victims, reminiscent of how their remains were unearthed from the earth—masked and silenced.

Alex creates her work by piecing together magazine imagery with painted surfaces and found materials. Besides Wangechi Mutu, other sources of inspiration are the early photomontages of the German Dada artist Hannah Hoch, and Chicana queer poet, scholar, and feminist theorist Gloria Anzaldúa.

Through this series, Alex invites viewers to reconsider entrenched notions of femininity, sexuality, and cultural identity. It is a visual dialogue that challenges viewers to peel back layers of societal conditioning and see the multifaceted realities of Latinx women—both past and present. The inclusion of the mujeres de Juárez highlights the ongoing struggle against gender-based violence and the resilience of those fighting to have their voices heard.

Make sure to RSVP for this amazing event!

Golden Hour at Epiphany:

Stop by Epiphany for Golden Hour beforehand for free live music, drinks and lite bites in the Café Bar! Doors open at 5pm with 1/2 priced bottles of wine and other specials until 7:00pm

Golden Hour Menu + Music Schedule

Please note that outside food or beverages are not permitted in the venue

Attend the opening reception for Tony Armendariz’s LATIN EXPRESSIONS on Friday, September 13, from 6:00-9:00pm.

Currently concentrating on portraits and figurative work sometimes combined with architectural elements, Tony Armendariz presents the subjects in his paintings in the classic realist tradition, either as portraits or in scenes of life. It is his intent to display their soul, or authentic self, which at times may not reveal itself immediately. Many times, the "window" opens and shows itself not only through the eyes but also through other features that emote the complete range of “expressions of life” that include the mouth, hands and body language. Often it may include clothing and objects from domestic life and work. The range of the narratives can be quiet and simple. Some are dramatic and profound. Latin Expressions presents paintings capturing subjects mostly from Armendariz’ travels to countries, including Cuba and Nicaragua.

Make sure to RSVP for this amazing event!

Golden Hour at Epiphany:

Stop by Epiphany for Golden Hour beforehand for free live music, drinks and lite bites in the Café Bar! Doors open at 5pm with 1/2 priced bottles of wine and other specials until 7:00pm

Golden Hour Menu + Music Schedule

Please note that outside food or beverages are not permitted in the venue.

Attend the opening reception for October Sharify’s AUTOMATA on Friday, September 13, from 6:00-9:00pm.

AUTOMATA is a body of work that explores the mind, body, and soul as it relates to the impending technological future, and what that means for human spirituality. How does spirituality move through a future where the human body is more machine than flesh? The goal in making and observing these works is that we can begin to discuss and process a future both incredibly near, and beyond our time - as a theoretical anthropology. The word automata means self-willed, self-driven or motivated - usually relating to machines, and it encapsulates the marching of time, the rate of technological advancement, and the indomitable human spirit as it adapts to its environment; on and on and on and on.

Make sure to RSVP for this amazing event!

Golden Hour at Epiphany:

Stop by Epiphany for Golden Hour beforehand for free live music, drinks and lite bites in the Café Bar! Doors open at 5pm with 1/2 priced bottles of wine and other specials until 7:00pm

Golden Hour Menu + Music Schedule

Please note that outside food or beverages are not permitted in the venue.