Supporters of the Arts convened at the Center for Visual & Performing Arts on June 7, 2024, for an enchanting evening of fundraising and philanthropy. The 31st Annual Beaux Arts Ball, titled “Pollock Goes to Prom” invited attendees to embrace the timeless charm of prom attire from various decades or to draw inspiration from the renowned artist Jackson Pollock. The event proved to be an unparalleled success, raising over $200,000 in support of Arts Education in our Region.

The venue was a fusion of artistic expression and timeless elegance, with table covers adorned in splatter paint reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s iconic style. Handmade centerpieces further accentuated the artistic ambiance, while guests embraced the theme with enthusiasm, blending classic prom attire with avant-garde flair inspired by Pollock’s legacy.

As South Shore Arts’ premier fundraising event, the Beaux Arts Ball continues to play a pivotal role in funding the everykid art education programs. 

Thanks to the Beaux Arts Ball, the everykid programs provide accessible arts education to children and youth across the region at no cost, reaching many participants through partnerships with over 40 organizations and municipalities. Since its inception in 1995, the Ball’s success has empowered South Shore Arts to enrich the lives of countless members of our community.

The auction presented an extensive selection of over one hundred fifty items, offering guests a diverse range of coveted treasures. With the utilization of a user-friendly mobile platform, attendees seamlessly engaged in the auction directly from their smartphones, fostering heightened interactivity and participation. Throughout the evening, guests were treated to delightful entertainment, including the opportunity to capture cherished memories at the photo booth. Attendees reveled in the festive atmosphere and indulged in creating lasting mementos with friends and loved ones. 

We would like to express deep gratitude and congratulations to everyone who contributed to the success of the evening: our board members, attendees, committee, community of donors, and staff. An extra special thanks to the three co-chair committee members, Joanne Iwama, Ashley Halpern, and Amanda Panaggio .  

Ben, Emma, Ann & David Bochnowski, Julia & David Kwait

South Shore Arts took pride in acknowledging The Bochnowski Family and Peoples Bank, for their decades of support as our 2024 Patrons of the Year. The Bochnowski family has made significant contributions to the arts in Northwest Indiana, fostering a cultural environment that enriches the lives of residents and supports local artists. The family shares a passion for the arts and regards art education as instrumental to the community’s growth. 

The Bochnowskis have a strong connection to Northwest Indiana, with David Bochnowski’s family roots originating from East Chicago. Both David and Ann Bochnowski advocate for children’s programs provided by the South Shore Arts, as many schools have diminished their focus on arts education over the past few decades. The Bochnowskis believe that art not only improves the quality of life in Northwest Indiana but also provides a critical outlet for self-expression and personal growth, especially for children who might struggle to fit in elsewhere. This belief is further supported by their continued support of South Shore Arts’ efforts to distribute grants and promote local artists. 

Please save the date for the 32nd Annual Beaux Arts Ball on June 6, 2025. It’s sure to be a memorable evening in celebration of Arts Education that you won’t want to miss! 

The 80th Annual Salon Show

With the avowed purpose “to stimulate interest and appreciation of art in our region,” ten artists formed the Hammond District Art Association in 1936. Membership was limited to Hammond and Calumet City artists. Together, they sponsored the first annual Art Exhibition of the Hammond District Art Association in the millinery department of the Edward C. Minas Company Department Store in Hammond. The ten founding artists were William J. Bachman (architect of the Center for Visual & Performing Arts), Martha Ellyson, Anne Geyer, O.O. Haag, Lenore Conde Lawson, Eunice McCullough, Frank Myslive, Clyde Price, Laverne Thornton, and H. Tom Tuinman.

Edward C. Minus Department Store

In addition to Edward C. and Clarence Minas who furnished free space, prizes and other support, substantial credit goes to Mr. Haag, who, along with his wife Margaret, assembled and cataloged the exhibits for many years, furnishing housing for the judges and the labor necessary for the receipt and return of artwork. 

As recalled by Theresa Buzinski, an art patron from East Chicago, the Salon Show was the exhibit where one could go to view and buy original art created by some of the area’s finest artists. Mrs. Buzinski paid $30 for the piece accompanying this article, which she remembers purchasing when the exhibit was still held in the Minas hat department. The artist was B. Morris and the piece looks as pristine now as it did the year she purchased it. This annual exhibition would continue to grow, as the group welcomed artists outside of Hammond, until it would officially become known as the Salon Show in 1943, forming the cornerstone of the organization that would come to be known as South Shore Arts.

From its humble yet ambitious roots on State Street in downtown Hammond, the annual Salon Show would continue to push against any of its perceived boundaries growing to need ever larger spaces to accommodate the expanding interests of residents interested in the arts. Over the years the Salon Show has been juried by a roster of exceptional artists and art connoisseurs alike, such as Sergio Gomez, Tom Torluemke, Lanny Silverman and David Klamen, to name but a few.

South Shore Arts is excited to continue this tradition with the 80th annual Salon Show, September 8 through November 4, 2023, with an awards ceremony held on Sunday, October, 15, from 1-3pm. With up to $13,000 in cash prizes to be awarded, this year is shaping up to be the largest in South Shore Arts’ long history, leaving one to ponder how those original ten founders would view today’s 80th edition compared to the show’s humble beginnings so many years ago. In 2022, a new top prize of $2,500 was established by the family Tracy & Marc Schwimmer in memory of Mrs. Schwimmer’s parents, Renee & Sam Denmark, long-time supporters of Northern Indiana Arts Association, later South Shore Arts.

Ish Muhammad

This year’s juror will be Ish Muhammad, a self-taught artist, curator, and teacher, born in New York City, who is no stranger to South Shore Arts, where he has been affiliated for nearly 30 years. Calling Indiana home for more than three decades, Muhammad received his BS in Electrical Engineering at Purdue University. His work is post-graffiti abstract expressionism and has been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries, museums, and at site-specific instillations, including the Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Cultural Center, Zhou B Art Center, Swope Art Museum, and Maison de Metallos in Paris, France. As a Curator, Mr. Muhammad exercises his network of talented friends and peers to present a uniquely composed iteration of individual works in harmony with the space and each other.  We are excited to see Ish’s perspective and selections for this year’s milestone South Shore Arts’ 80th Annual Salon Show! 

Written by: John Cain

South Shore Arts announces new Director of Education

South Shore Arts, and Executive Director David Mika, welcome Jessica Corral as the new Director of Education responsible for leading and driving growth in Arts Education and Outreach programming across Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties.  She will also support the educational outreach efforts of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra.

"After an extensive search and many fine recommendations, we chose Jessica to lead our Arts Education and Outreach efforts,” Executive Director Dave Mika said. “I am confident given Jessica’s extensive experience as an artist, educator, entrepreneur and community-engaged leader, she will provide a strong foundation on which to expand our Arts Education programming and add tremendous depth to our talented South Shore Arts leadership team."

Corral has served as an art educator for Valparaiso Community Schools since 2011 at Flint Lake Elementary. She was also the Art Department Chair, a member of the District Leadership team, and led and coordinated the district’s initial “Spring into the Arts” festival celebrating and sharing student artwork across the community. Prior to becoming an Art Instructor, Corral organized and ran her own boutique, Jade and Raspberry Designs which later morphed into DIY Art Studio. She continues to be an active artist and is currently serving as the first Executive Director of the Valparaiso Creative Council, a relatively new not-for-profit community organization created to champion artistic endeavors throughout the Valparaiso community.  Corral is an alumnus of Indiana University in Bloomington with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She has her Masters in Education from Calumet College of Saint Joseph.

As Director of Education for the South Shore Arts, Corral will work closely with staff and instructors to ensure the highest standards of education for classes and workshops at South Shore Arts main location at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster and satellite location, Substation No. 9 in downtown Hammond. Corral will continue South Shore Arts outreach efforts, such as the “everykid” program which has served 139 classrooms this past school year across Lake & Porter Counties, engaging 3,500 students in various art & literacy programs.

South Shore Arts was established in 1936 by a collection of local artists with an avowed purposed “to stimulate interest and appreciation of art in our region.”  founded in the Edward C. Minas Department Store in downtown Hammond, South Shore Arts has grown as a not-for-profit Arts organization to champion the Arts in the region through exhibition, instruction, and outreach. South Shore Arts serves as the Regional Arts Partner for the Indiana Arts Commission for Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties.

Ann Latinovich: Efflorescence

South Shore Arts is proud to debut Ann Latinovich’s new body of work “Efflorescence” in the South Shore Art’s Atrium Gallery. Ann Latinovich received her BFA from Tyler School of Art, her formative training included living and studying in Rome, Italy. She received her Masters of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from Chicago's School of the Art Institute. Latinovich is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist whose work has been housed in numerous institutions over the years, including The Art Institute of Chicago, London House Hotel, The Blackstone Hotel, Chicago’s Historic Water Tower, and Rome’s Temple Gallery.

Ann Latinovich’s “Efflorescence” is a collection of new works from three different series, highlighting her unique vision of the world as they weave between intricate portraits and botanical-themed fine art.

“Efflorescence” is a remarkable collection of artworks that are composed of painted still-lifes, photography, and drawings. Throughout “Efflorescence” vignettes featuring flora and fauna revolve around and reflect the human experience. Ann Latinovich cultivates a deep reverence for the process of creating, admiring the act of being still, quiet, and open to inform and lead her to greater discoveries. Discoveries that she has passed along to both her work and her viewers. Presenting through quiet exploration, a conversation between each stem and the unique beauty of each imperfect bloom develops between the viewer and Latinovich’s work. Latinovich states “Throughout creating this series, I have been witness to more joy, color, abundance, delicacy, vulnerability, strength, connection, fluidity and dare I say it, LOVE, all right there, just waiting to have its story told.”

“Efflorescence” is on exhibit in the Atrium Gallery at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts through May 14. An Artist Talk will take place on Saturday, April 2, at 2 pm in the gallery. On Monday, April 24, Ann will give a lecture and gallery tour for Art in Focus at 10 am. The Artist Reception for “Efflorescence,” will take place from 1-3 pm on Sunday, April 30.

Jon Merritt: Geometry Forward

Freson Manifold, 2019 acrylic on masonite and MDF

South Shore Arts is excited to feature Jon Merritt’s exhibit Geometry Forward, in the Atrium Gallery at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts through March 5, 2023. Merritt’s playful desire to make art with geometric shapes, once fostered in the local scene of Northwest Indiana, grew into an obsession and was rigorously formed into a technical discipline.  After over a decade of countless experiments, Merritt intends to present a point of resolution in a continuous creative process.

This exhibition brings together two bodies of work: One series emphasizes symmetry and a striving for the balance of a central core, while the other advances a new model of uneven synthesis, strictly constraining such order and having dissolved any center.

Firedog Tiron

Jon Merritt lives and works in Rockport, Maine, and on Plum Island in Massachusetts. He completed his MFA in painting at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2015 and his BFA at the California Institute of the Arts in 2012. Originally from Munster, Indiana, his passion for painting and geometric abstract art was born while working with artist Tom Torluemke at Uncle Freddy’s Gallery during high school. His influences include science fiction, 20th-century modern art, furniture design, voxel-based video games, and pre-modern examples of geometric design and furniture construction. Assisted by refined woodworking and computer graphics skills, his current work is divided between populating ongoing painting series and realizing his vision in new media.

Artist Statement:

Soxin Manifold, 2019 acrylic on masonite and MDF

My longest-running series of works are my “Manifold” paintings. I adopted the term “manifold” from its mechanical meaning in an abstract sense - that of a kind of atrium form for intake or output. It is a type of architecture for the division or regulation of energy and matter. There is furthermore a mathematical manifold, and the word can also be an adjective describing the quality of being “numerous.” These paintings hung at eye level and often become mask-like, staring back at the viewer as if artificially alive.

One day I knew I wanted a robust definitive series like my Manifolds that were not perfectly symmetrical, so I had to think very differently. Artworks in my Firedog series of paintings and digital projects represent trail markers in an ongoing transformation. “Firedogs” are geometrically styled, but they are also adorned and equipped with geometric compositions atop their backs. A single “Firedog” is a site of geometric art production: During open-ended sketch sessions, abstract designs haphazardly spawn in a chain of expressions from head to tail, and once completed, these designs are rarely edited before being meticulously executed to preserve the thought process.

79th Annual Salon Show

On Sunday, October 2nd,  South Shore Arts celebrated the 79th Annual Salon Show, a juried exhibition, that awarded over  $13,000 in cash prizes. The exhibit opened September 9th and will run through November 6th in the Main Gallery at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

The Salon Show is a tradition that has defined South Shore Arts since its inception in the late 1930s, when ten Hammond and Calumet City artists sponsored the first annual Art Exhibition of the Hammond District Art Association in the millinery department of the Minas Department Store in downtown Hammond.

The exhibit came about when Hammond sign painter O.O. Haag and Edward C. Minas, Jr., met to discuss a sign to be painted on the side of the store. Their discussion led Mr. Minas to ask if an exhibit might be held there, just as Marshall Field and Company had housed the Hoosier Salon Exhibition in its State Street picture galleries, until discontinuing it a few years before.

 The invitation was enthusiastically accepted. Among the 28 artists who exhibited were Lenore Condé Lawson, Frank Myslive, architect/watercolorist William J. Bachman, Mr. Haag, art teacher Charles Untules and sculptor H. Laverne Thornton.

In addition to Edward C. and Clarence Minas who furnished rent-free space, prizes and other support, substantial credit goes to Mr. Haag, who for years assembled and catalogued the exhibits, furnishing free space for the judges and the labor necessary for the receipt and return of artwork.

As recalled by Theresa Buzinski, an art patron from East Chicago, the Salon Show was the exhibit where one could go to view and buy original art created by some of the area’s finest artists. Mrs. Buzinski paid $30 for the piece accompanying this article, which she remembers purchasing when the exhibit was still held in the Minas hat department. The artist was B. Morris and the piece looks as pristine now as it did the year she purchased it.

Since 1989, the Salon Show has been presented in the 5,000-square-foot gallery in the Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster. The first Helen V. Surovek Memorial Award was presented at the opening of the 46th Annual Salon Show in October of that year as one of the exhibit’s top prizes.  

Thanks to the generosity of Judy and Tom Surovek and many other long-time contributors, the Salon Show has become one of the Midwest’s most prestigious visual arts competitions.

This year’s juror, Chris Cosnowski , is an artist and educator living and working in Chicago. Chris received his B.F.A from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1992 and his M.F.A from Northwestern University in 2000. He has been teaching at the American Academy of Art since 2003. He has had work exhibited extensively throughout the United States as well as London. In 2013, he had a 10-year retrospective with the South Shore Arts Gallery in Munster, IN curated by John Cain. Chris’s work has been reviewed in numerous publications including, but not limited to, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun Times, The New Art Examiner and the New York Observer. Other publications include Manifest Gallery’s International Painting Annual 4 and he has been twice featured on the cover of New American Paintings in 2001 and 2014. Chris was awarded a commission to design artwork for the Blue Line Montrose station by the Chicago Transit Authority which was installed in June of 2021.

We thank the Salon Show Exhibit sponsors, BMO Harris Bank, Indiana University Northwest, and the JoAnn & Chuck Long Endowment Fund. Community sponsors Community & Board Sponsors Christian Bartholomew, Leane Cerven, Kay Depel, Drs. Becca & Gus Galante.

Andrew Conklin with his piece “Barista”

Salon Show Award Winners:

Renee & Sam Denmark Memorial Award, $2,500: Andrew Conklin, Barista, Oil on Linen

Helen V. Surovek Memorial Award, $2,000: Bonnie Zimmer, My Gaia, Mixed Media Sculpture

Cegur/ Pohl Award, $1,500: Tina Figarelli, All the Women in Me are Tired, Oil on Panel

Leslie Denmark Memorial Award, $1,000: Elsa Muñoz, La Luz Vuele a Mî, Oil on Panel

Anne E. & Stephen L. Brtko Memorial Award, $500: Alicia Dawn Criswell, If Only, Oil on Canvas

John Cain Legacy Award, $500: Brandon Johnson, The Scribe, Oil on Panel

Hazel Taberner English Memorial Award, $500: Billy Pozzo, Marco, Charcoal on Paper

Chris Pohl & Bruce Cegur with Tina Figarelli

Drs. Becca & Gus Galante Salon Show Award, $500: Alan Larkin, The Bird, Thieves Oil on Canvas

Wanda L. & Richard W. Gardner Memorial Award, $500: William Krug, Tilt-A-Whirl, Oil on Panel

Orval O. and Margaret C. Haag Memorial Award, $500: Rick Therrio, Armida Comes for El Santo, Ink

Linda & Myron Nidetz Memorial Award, $500: James Connolly, Fun Forms with Landscape, Colored Pencil

Ag Perryman Award for Excellence, $500: John Hrehov, Summer Gate, Oil on Panel

The Raab Award, $500: Kimberly Rodey, Dialphone, Acrylic and Graphite on Clayboard

Alexandra Gardner Riddle Memorial Award, $500: James Siergey, The Martyred, Mute Ink

Ernestine "Dolly" M. Wisnewski Memorial Award, $500: Sabrina Sabella, Monochrome, Ink Marti

Woodward Memorial Award, $500: James Deeb, Creeping Bruise, Oil on Linen

Merit Awards, $100:

Laurel Izard, The Hanged Man, Embroidered Cotton

Jeff Bratanch, De-Ja-Vu, Oil on MDF

Matthew Kaplan, Whiting & Refinery - January 2022, Archival Inkjet Print

David A. DeCesaris, Good Shepherd, Acrylic on Birch

Tree, Land, Sky: Modern Landscapes by Kerri Mommer

Local artist, Kerri Mommer is debuting her new body of work “Trees, Land, Sky” in her first solo exhibit with South Shore Arts in the Atrium Gallery at The Center for Visual & Performing Arts. Mommer is a multi-talented artist from the Midwest having had multiple shows throughout large swaths of Indiana, Iowa, and Chicago. Her work has been displayed in numerous group and juried shows over the years, including the South Shore Arts Annual Salon Show. Mommer is active in the regional art community having worked with the Diversified Art Visionaries, the South Lake Artists Co-op, and Artist in Residence-Hammond. She works primarily in water-based media such as watercolor and acrylic paint.

Kerri Mommer’s “Trees, Land, Sky” is a collection of new landscapes exploring her inspiration and insights of the natural world. During the past few years, Mommer has taken to hiking outdoors in order to immerse herself in the wellspring of the natural world. Longing for fresh air and nature especially through the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the artist found her inspiration. Is there a better source of inspiration than that of nature? Ever-changing, a constant unbroken cycle of life, death, and rebirth amongst the land and trees. To look at a sky constantly moving, the face of which is different each day. The world is moving, and Kerri is observing. Whether that observation takes place through the lens of a camera or the brushstroke of a paintbrush, Kerri’s work has been informed by her keen eyes, and through their recordings crafted into her new body of work.

“Trees, Land, Sky” marks a turning point from Mommer’s past bodies of artwork, a switch from her preferred medium of watercolor to new, larger works done with acrylic paint. These new landscapes burst forth in a dance of expressionism that teeter on the edges of abstraction. Where realism may falter, Mommer can paint whatever can be imagined, reaching beyond the boundaries of reality. Unbound by the rules of realism, Mommer’s landscapes can take on a layer of symbolism that otherwise might be lost. These landscapes capture a world of duality. A world that can be bright, hopeful, and even spiritual. But also, a world that is teetering on the edge, unsure, and unstable. A balance of optimism and pessimism. Leaving the viewer with the question of what will the natural world be like in the future?

Tulips are blooming in Munster!

As part of an ongoing art initiative, the Munster Civic Foundation organized a town-wide art display of fiberglass sculptures painted by local artists and creatives.  After much contemplating and delegating with different organizations and community members, a tulip was decided to be the canvas.  The tulip resembles the first bloom of spring with hopes to evoke joy after a long pandemic and is also a nod to Munster’s history being founded by Dutch farmers.

The tulips were designed by IU Northwest student, Tyler Kaufman.  Kaufman is a Crown Point resident who, with the mentorship of his professors, presented the first sketch based on the MCF art Committee’s vision which would later turn into the full 3D rendering.  37 tulips were sponsored by businesses and are on display throughout Munster through September 7th.

South Shore Arts instructor Cara Schmitt and artist Emily Casella joined in on the fun by painting a tulip on behalf of South Shore Arts, which sits in front of The Center for Visual & Performing Arts on Ridge Road.

The inspiration and design for the tulip came from the young artists in South Shore Arts popular weekly class Art & Story Hour. Inspired by the much loved children’s book “Beautiful Oops” by Barney Saltzberg, the tulip speaks to the valuable message of leaning into the spontaneous side of making art. The story is bright and colorful and inspires children to be creative and make a what might be considered mistake into a beautiful oops.

“A little drip of paint…. lets your imagination run wild,” - Beautiful Oops.

A full map of all 37 tulips can be found HERE. Be sure to tag South Shore Arts when coming across the Beautiful Oops Tulip while tiptoeing thru town!

Q & A with Dorman + Torluemke

SOUTH SHORE ARTS WELCOMES DORMAN + TORLUEMKE

South Shore Arts is excited to announce a new collaboration with long-time friends and curatorial partners, the team of Dorman + Torluemke. Linda Dorman, the Director of Exhibits at South Shore Arts in the 1990s, and Tom Torluemke, a highly recognized artist and teacher, will be curating three exhibits annually in the main gallery at the Center for Visual & Performing Arts, as well as two exhibits in the CVPA atrium and three exhibits at Substation No. 9, the South Shore Arts branch in downtown Hammond. Additionally, Linda and Tom will organize arts education programs to accompany their main gallery exhibits as a means of engaging with the community

Q & A WITH THE CURATORS

Q: How long have you both been working together curating exhibits?

A: We both have a history of organizing and curating exhibitions before working together in 2001. Linda was the Director of Exhibitions and Artist Services for South Shore Arts (Nothern Indiana Arts Association) from 1995 - to 2000. After having her son Neil, she went out on her own to curate and facilitate programs and exhibitions in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. It afforded her freedom and flexibility as a parent and curator to see through projects that were important to her. Tom worked at R.H. Love Gallery in Chicago for a few years, running their contemporary art program and organizing their exhibitions. This was on top of his full-time career as an artist and educator. We had lots of energy back then! At first, we collaborated on a few projects to see if we would work well together, and we did. So we embarked on opening an art gallery in Hammond with the help of the City. The gallery was called Uncle Freddy's Gallery, named after Tom's uncle, who was deaf and mute and helped take care of Tom when he was a child. They would draw pictures to each other to communicate what they were thinking or wanted to do that day. Tom attributes his interest in art and his ability to communicate visually to Freddy. From 2002 to 2009, we organized 70 exhibitions and programs. Since we closed the gallery, we have curated exhibitions at Legion Arts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, The Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso, Co-Prosperity Sphere, and the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago. IN 2018 we started organizing exhibitions and happenings around Chicago under the name ORBIT. The pandemic put a stop to that. With our combined experience, we have organized/curated over 170 exhibitions/programs/events and worked with over a thousand artists. 

Q: What led you to curate exhibits at South Shore Arts?

A: A few things led us to our current work curating exhibitions with South Shore Arts. We always funded our exhibitions and programs through Uncle Freddy's and ORBIT more recently. That limited what we could do and our possible venues. Our visions and ideas were more significant than we could realize independently, and then the pandemic halted all of those activities. Tom judged the Salon Show last year, and after selecting the work, we volunteered to install the exhibition. While we were installing the show, we talked about how we probably would have never met if it were not for South Shore Arts, its history, and its potential for the future. Then it finally sunk into us that John Cain would be retiring from South Shore Arts; he was the one that introduced us. We realized that we wanted to be a part of the transition and build specialized exhibitions and programming for the organization. We both have a long history with South Shore Arts and John. He was the one who hired Linda all those years ago and was a mentor, challenging her and fostering her love of art and artists. He also hired Tom to open Substation No. 9 and the Crown Point Art Center back in 1998. We live in and understand the communities that South Shore Arts serves, and working with and supporting artists is essential to the work we both love.

Q: What is something you look forward to in working with South Shore Arts

A: We both have been planning exhibitions in our minds for years. We have spent the past 20 years together making, living, and studying art. Now we can realize some of our ideas and make them a reality. Our first exhibition Nature Lovers, features artists we have admired and who each bring a unique perspective about nature to the show. Later this fall, we will be opening a photojournalism and documentary photography exhibition entitled THIS IS IT, which is a dream for Linda. We will be working with several of the foremost photographers in the country right now. Their work for the exhibition covers a range of critical humanistic themes and ideas. For 2023, we are putting together a group painting exhibition called Sense and Sensibility: Poetry in Painting. For next summer, we are organizing a show called Dealer's Choice, which will showcase artwork from galleries in Chicago with programming that explores and demystifies collecting art. These exhibitions are in addition to the tried and true exhibitions South Shore Arts is known for, like the Salon Show and the Tri-County school exhibitions. We also plan to do some pop-ups in the gallery between the exhibitions.