Western Exhibitions
Western Exhibitions wants you to be a young art collector.
Not the heiress with a deep love for her boyfriend’s Banksy rip-offs type of young collector, the cool kind. Anyone with a spare $20 can purchase from a wall of smaller works by gallery artists: zines, postcards, tiny drawings, perfect ways to start baby’s first art collection.
These little slices of the art world accompany their gallery displays of contemporary feminist and LGBTQ+ artists who are building unique artistic narratives and spaces. Anyone can buy art from Western Exhibitions, and they hope that everyone can find themselves reflected in the work they show.
Lilli Carré, All Queens Chess (right)
Lilli Carré, Time Piece 3 (below)
Images courtesy of Western Exhibitions
About the art/ists
Western Exhibitions represents artists working with conceptual themes through physical, handmade work. They pride themselves on supporting artists exploring feminism, LGBTQ+ identities, and building alternative cosmologies* and visions for the world. Artists like Deb Sokolow, Lilli Carré, and Elijah Burgher each take different formal and conceptual approaches to themes of gender, the body, growth, and myth.
Deb Sokolow makes drawings centered on space and architecture, investigating the myth of “the architect genius” and noting that architecture is dominated by men. She uses text and color in blueprint-style drawings to satirically reimagine physical spaces.
Lilli Carré uses a wide variety of media — physical and technological — to imagine the female body, the relationships we have with our bodies, how bodies exist in the physical world, and ways to deform the body using different materials.
Elijah Burgher’s drawings and paintings explore queer sexuality, invoking themes of magick, spirituality, relics, sub-cultures, and desire. His small, colorful images use scenes from his life and depictions of his friends.
Each of these artists explores intersections of identity, society, personal experience, and material to create distinct works that speak to Western Exhibitions’ focus.
*What are cosmologies?
Cosmology, as a scientific field, is the study of how the universe formed. There are also metaphysical cosmologies, which incorporate philosophical ideas about reality, being, and cause-and-effect, into the history of the universe. For Western Exhibitions’ artists, “alternative cosmologies” fall more into the philosophical-conceptual category. They might be thinking about questions like “How did the universe form, and why this way?” and using art to explore or interpret their answers.
Deb Sokolow, Visualizing Mood-Ring Rooms Which Manifest an Occupant’s’ Changing Emotions With Color
Elijah Burger, Jeremy in his office (left)
Images courtesy of Western Exhibitions
It’s not like other galleries
Starting as a “guerilla” pop-up gallery*, Western Exhibitions and its founder, Scott Speh, bounced around Chicago apartments and art spaces hosting shows for his emerging artist friends before moving to a commercial gallery space in 2004. Since then, Western Exhibitions has continued expanding while maintaining its commitment to artists representing its values.
While they didn’t begin as a gallery specifically dedicated to themes like feminism and LGBTQ+ identities, the artists and works that found their way to the gallery crystallized common themes. Western Exhibitions has continued to strengthen their roster of artists exploring themes of identity, power, and world-building.
Perhaps its most unique facet, the wall of artist manifestos, small works, books, and other trinkets offers an affordable entry into the world of art collection. You could spend a whole trip just perusing their section of accessibly-priced art. Not only is it an opportunity for the average viewer to participate in art collection — found rarely, if ever, at a commercial gallery — it encapsulates their vast range of artists, showcasing additional work from makers not currently on view in the galleries.
*What is a pop-up gallery?
Chicago has a unique history of pop-up and apartment galleries, where many artists and curators got their start showing undiscovered art. Some were founded by art school students looking to start a curatorial career by showing their peers’ work. Others were created as spaces for artists to explore non-traditional work. Apartment galleries also partially mitigate the financial burden of renting a commercial space. Some only occupied a closet or a bathroom, while others spanned the entire living space. While most apartment galleries have been fleeting projects — most popular in the 90s and early 2000s — a few still exist, tucked away in unassuming apartments across the city.
What is an artist manifesto?
You’ve probably heard of the Communist Manifesto — Karl Marx’s famous pamphlet detailing the principles of Communism, the theory supporting it, and its ultimate goals. Artists sometimes produce manifestos too! Artist manifestos essentially function the same way as any other manifesto: they are written explanations of artistic intention. Some manifestos express the ideologies behind a movement, like Futurism, Dadaism, or Guerrilla art, while others are specific to the artist.
Inside the walls
This was one of my favorite galleries. Friendly, welcoming, and fun, Western Exhibitions’ vibes are only topped by their art.
Western Exhibitions emphasizes that their space is for everyone, encouraging Chicagoans to take advantage of galleries as “the best deal in the cultural sector” — a free opportunity to see art. Describing exhibitions as a sort of “album” or “latest release” from an artist, gallery director Scott Speh thinks of Western Exhibitions’ shows as places to discover discrete presentations of ideas, representing artists’ new ways of making and thinking. Visiting galleries like Western Exhibitions is a great way to immerse ourselves in those fresh concepts and unique visual expressions.
And, as Speh says, “if you want cool stuff in your town, you should support it!”
An added bonus, Western Exhibitions occupies the same floor as DOCUMENT, Volume Gallery, and David Salkin Creative.
New shows every 7 weeks.
Lilli Carré at (Northern) Western Exhibitions, Stone Figures Mud Drawing (installation view)
Images courtesy of Western Exhibitions
Visit Western Exhibitions
1709 W Chicago Ave #5009, Chicago, IL 60622
Hours
Tuesday-Saturday
11 am–6 pm
(Northern) Western Exhibitions
7933 N Lincoln Ave, Skokie, IL 60077
Hours
Wednesday-Saturday
12 pm–6 pm
Sunday 12 pm - 4 pm
How to get there:
Train & Bus
Take the Metra to Ashland & Cortland. Then, catch the southbound 9 Bus to Ashland & Chicago.
(Northern) Western Exhibitions
Train & Bus
Take the Pulse Dempster Line to Dempster-Skokie CTA. Then, catch the 97 Bus to Oakton/Lincoln.
(Honestly, just hop in an Uber. It’s like a 15-minute drive from Northwestern.)