EXHIBITIONS
EXHIBITIONS
A,TRIA
Now - April 3, 2024
a,tria addresses themes compelling us to consider our personal and collective histories (social, cultural, political, visual) as well as how light, space and practices of display profoundly condition how and what we see—and don't see. Curated by Lia Alexopoulos.
Sonnenschein Galleries, Durand Art Institute, 555 North Sheridan Road Lake Forest, IL 60045, 847 735-5194, Entrance at corner of Deerpath & Sheridan Roads
Opening Reception: March 7, 2024
Artist Walk Through: March 30, 2024
SEE MORE DETAILS BELOW
TRANSITIONS II
September 2024
A solo exhibition of Kirk’s Transitions series, this body of work
1028 S 9th st., Milwaukee, WI
MARCH 7th, 2024, 6pm - 9pm ARTIST TALK MODERATED BY LIA ALEXOPOUloS
MARCH 30th, 2024, 2PM WALK THROUGH with ARTISTS
Press
Press
Chicago's Public Art Scene Is Like No Other — Here's What to See
I felt I was following some of the directions in its twisting lines as I went down 18th Street to look at two outdoor murals by the Chicago artist Sam Kirk. The first, Fierce, just unveiled for Pride, is a brilliant addition. Against a black background, white line drawings of figures surround a rippling rainbow ribbon that winds among seven full-color people whose postures and styles seem both queer and ordinary.
At the very center a figure in a turquoise dress lifts a large brown hand. People snapped pictures from the bus stop across the street, while a woman stopped and mouthed the word "Wow.
September 2021
15 Hispanic and Latinx Artists You Should Be Following
September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a 30-day, annual event that honors the vast ways Hispanic and Latinx communities have impacted the culture and character of the United States. That's a great start—but why not celebrate those communities each and every day?
July 2021
Labor Day mural honors Chicago's essential workers during COVID-19
A new mural was just unveiled in Fulton River District to honor Chicago's essential workers who have worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The mural was painted by South Side native and multimedia artist Sam Kirk, and it featured the portraits of four specific essential workers: Carilla Hayden, a USPS postal Worker; Juan Burrell, a school lunchroom manager at Chavez Elementary; Veronica Sanchez, a nanny and leader with the Latino Union of Chicago; and Maggie Zylinska, a domestic worker.
September 2020
Chicago Essential Workers Honored In Labor Day Mural: ‘Take The Time To Say Thank You’
A new Labor Day mural at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Hubbard Street honors essential and domestic workers by depicting four Chicagoans who have worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The mural by artist Sam Kirk honors Latino Union of Chicago's Veronica Rodriguez, postal worker Carilla Hayden, domestic worker Maggie Zylinska and Juan Burrell, a school lunchroom manager.
September 2020
Art installation celebrating LGBT diversity goes up on Michigan Avenue
Sam Kirk is a Chicago artist whose work focuses on women, housing and LGBTQ issues. Art pieces she created with her wife, Jenny Q, for WorldPride in New York City were installed June 24, 2020, on North Michigan Avenue.
JUNE 2020
MURALS AND MOSAICS: MURALIST SAM KIRK EXPLORES IDENTITY, CULTURE THROUGH PUBLIC ART
The Chicago artist’s work speaks to housing insecurities and the threat of displacement and expresses LGBTQ pride.
October 2019
How Sam Kirk's Public Art Celebrates Culture and Community Around The World
“Much of Kirk’s work focuses on LGBTQ pride, but she has created pieces honoring everything from Hispanic culture to queer youth to women in the trade industry.”
August 2019
MAKE BELIEVE: Sam kirk is always thinking about the bigger picture
“..On Chicago’s South Side, where Kirk was raised, buildings were canvases for colorful graffiti.”
August 2019
WINDY CITY LIVE
Chicago-based street artists are working tirelessly to change our perceptions of public art. They’re using murals as a way to address social issues and to spark dialogue around controversial topics. As a female in a male-dominated industry, artist Sam Kirk is pushing boundaries in more ways than one… She’s our first featured artist in a new series, ‘Word On The Street.’
July 2019
Victoria Cruz Sees Hope For The Future Of LGBTQ+ Rights 50 Years After She Witnessed The Stonewall Riots
“..'The transgender experience isn’t new. It’s as old as the human experience, and anyone who does their research would know this. I think society needs to be educated, and maybe after being educated, empathy will follow.'"
June 2019
L.G.B.T.Q. Visibility, Literally: Painting New York for Pride
"'It was important for the 50th anniversary to have a massive display of L.G.B.T.Q. and allied art on a citywide scale,” Mr. Frederick said, adding that it was the first mural program that NYC Pride had initiated.."
June 2019
Interview with Activist Victoria cruz Activist Victoria Cruz: "The more visible LGBT people become, the more we are hated by some"
"..She is a generation's companion to the now deceased transicones Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. In the Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017), Cruz tries to clarify the unresolved case of Johnson's death.."
July 2019
PRIDE: A Time to Celebrate and Protest
I paid tribute to Victoria Cruz because while I believe it is important to recognize those we’ve lost, it’s also important to highlight those who have been fighting for us who are still with us today - so that we can learn from them and hear about their experiences directly."--Sam Kirk
June 2019
Gallery of Pilsen Murals: EXPLORE PILSEN’S CELEBRATED PUBLIC ART
Pilsen is known in Chicago for its public art and, in particular, its many colorful and distinct murals along 16th Street and beyond. Murals distinguish the neighborhood as a center not only of Mexican culture but of creativity and self-expression.
Chicago Sister Cities International and Columbia College Chicago to Kick Off Mural Art Exchange Between Chicago and Casablanca
.".Wabash Arts Corridor (WAC) announced today a mural art exchange between Chicago and Casablanca to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Chicago’s partnership with Casablanca, Morocco, which became a sister city in 1982. The mural art exchange is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the international relationship between the two cities."
