Joyce Owens

Two + Two = Preston, Jackson, Williams and Wheatley

Four Chicago-based artists present an expansive range of art in this exhibition, which kicks off during Black History Month. Preston Jackson, professor
of sculpture at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, delves into the nation’s past through depictions of well-known individuals and innovative portrayals
of less familiar figures who none-the-less played an important role in our history. Joyce Owens, curator of the Galleries Program at Chicago State University
where she also teaches painting and drawing, is a figurative painter who addresses issues around race using found and traditional materials. Her work asks us to question superficial responses, encouraging us to "look beyond the masks — the many faces we all wear” for deeper understanding. Bernard Williams,who taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1991-2003, produces large scale installations and public art pieces that grow from two sources: his continuing examination of American and world history and culture; and an interest in archaeology, cartography, and ethnology. In many of his works, signs and symbols are used to comment on the complexities of history, human development, and movement through the ages. Rhonda Wheatley focuses on
language and the written word. She is interested in the often elusive act of trying to understand and translate one’s feelings into words, using this construct as inspiration for the fluid nature and movement of her paintings and collages on canvas and paper.

Public Reception: Thursday, February 2, 5 - 8 p.m.