Beverly Art Walk Offers Freedom Of Expression For Diverse Array Of Artists

CHICAGO — When venues throughout Beverly/Morgan Park open for the 12th Annual Beverly Art Walk on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 11 a.m., the community will come alive with art, music, vendors, food and family friendly fun. And when the popular art walk ends at 5 p.m., the after party begins with the amazing world music experience of the Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP) at Nicky’s of Beverly 105th and Western Ave.

CAbP is a 14 piece group that mixes African rhythms with Chicago house, indie rock, hip hop and jazz for a unique world music sound. Performing since 2002, the band combines its historically instrumental style with a new vocal-rich approach – the perfect end to one of the South Side’s favorite days.

A celebration of art, music, and creative culture, the Beverly Art Walk, the cornerstone event of the Beverly Area Arts Alliance, features pop-up galleries hosting 100+ artists, musical performances, public art installations, demonstrations and home studio visits in 39 venues across the neighborhood, kicking off with a “rededication” at an art installation near the site of the Alliance’s future HQ, the historic Eugene S. Pike House, 1826 W. 91st St.

The Alliance has partnered with the Eugene S. Pike House Foundation to rehabilitate the historic structure to create a community cultural center. This year’s Beverly Art Walk will celebrate the coming of the future Pike House Community Cultural Center. A variety of programming will be featured including live music, the Uprising Craft Market, a live painting collaboration by Won Kim (aka “ReviseCMW”) and other Chicago street artists.

Highlighted is a temporary art installation – “Sanctuary” – at a nearly forgotten limestone monument located near the 91st Street Metra station, just steps from the Pike House. The monument marks the area where a bird sanctuary was located in the 1920s, and “Sanctuary” will feature unique bird houses and sculpture by local artists, topped with a whimsical and eccentric sculpture by John Colson.

A “rededication ritual” at the monument will kick off the Art Walk at 11 a.m. Sales of the bird houses will support the effort to save the Pike House. The theme continues with “Birds, Bees & Butterflies,” art and activations in nearby Cosme Park by Cathy Sorich, Dante DiBartolo and others.

“‘Sanctuary’ is designed to bring joy, beauty and humor to passersby and celebrate a connection to history, nature, and a sense of place,” said Beverly Art Walk Curator Sal Campbell. “It’s a perfect way to kick off the best day of the year.”

A community protest art project led by Elaine Miller and Dawn Liddicott — "We the People" — features repurposed yard signs painted with crowd scenes and self-portraits mixed with the words "We the People" and other slogans, using artistic expression to celebrate individuality, connection and community to fight fascism. All are invited to participate.

The Beverly Art Walk will reach throughout the neighborhood to showcase area visual artists where they create their work with an outstanding roster of studio tours including Chicago artist Ashley January’s new studio space at 103rd and Walden. Others include professional illustrator and watercolor artist Judie Anderson, ceramic artist and educator Dan McCabe, Art from the Heart teaching artist Pat Egan, artist, educator and gallerist of boundary Susannah Papish, nationally-acclaimed photography artist Clifton Henri of Flypaper Studio, painter, sculptor and educator Brian Keane and artist/designer Tom Olson, nephew of renowned designer Jack Denst. Many of the studio artists have invited other local artists to join them for Art Walk.

Unique Gallery Venues

Venues along Western Avenue and in clusters around 103rd and 99th streets will be teeming with art and music.

Works by Jennifer Cronin, a Chicago artist known for her captivating realistic paintings that explore the complexity of everyday life, will be exhibited at the Vanderpoel Museum where visitors can view the museum’s renowned collection of turn-of-the-century art.

The Beverly Arts Center will feature “Making A Scene,” an imaginative world full of characters created by painter, multimedia and fiber artist Kathy Weaver to consider our humanity in an age of technology and warfare. Kids of all ages can make their own characters inspired by the exhibit.

Other activities and works include: spoken word performances led by Chicago’s Poet Laureate Avery R. Young in the courtyard, piano concerts as part of “Chicago Plays” piano crawl, Black American history quilts by Dorothy Straughter and vibrant artwork and music by SXU students and more.

The Garage gallery behind Nicky’s of Beverly will continue its tradition of featuring enigmatic and idiosyncratic works in a range of mediums and styles, and live music throughout the afternoon and evening.

Beverly Phono Mart on103rd Street will feature works by artist and owner Chantala Kommanivanh and his brother Von, and Heritage Gallery will feature a wide range of works including paintings, jewelry, mosaics and more. Two Mile Coffee Bar, Afro Joe’s, Oleander & Artesian and other venues around 99th and Walden will feature arts experiences for all ages.

For more information and a map of featured venues, visit Beverly Arts Alliance.