The Elmhurst Artists' Guild presents *Iconic Hoodie Series* , a solo show featuring member, Charles Williams Jr.  The opening reception is Friday, September 12th from 7:00-9:00 pm.

Charles, a self-taught artist who has been painting for over ten years, is also a member of the Naperville Art League Gallery, where he’s won several awards, including Honorable mention and Merit awards. Influenced by abstract, urban, pop, modern, contemporary, and street art as well as by artists, Jackson Pollock, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Picasso, his style incorporates a variety of mediums and utilizes vibrant colors, geometric shapes and abstract line-work to represent “the energy of life”. Much of his work is inspired and energized by a range of musical genres, such as Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Chill music, and Hip-Hop. Charles has a profound belief that “art is an intrinsic expression of your soul and the medium you choose to express who you are, and what you feel, is a God-given gift to be shared with the world”. Charles seeks to inspire and bring joy, peace, awareness, and love to the world through his art.

Above image: Charles Williams Jr., Peace & Love, 2025.
Below image: Charles Williams Jr. with his work.

Elmhurst Artist Guild Gallery: Iconic Hoodie Series by Charles Williams, Jr.

Images: (left) Mayumi Lake,* Unison (Hadron Clouds)* (detail), 2025, archival print on Japanese washi paper, PVC, rhinestone, 14ft x 5ft x 1in, courtesy of the artist.(right) Bob Faust,* heavy wait* (detail), 2025, wall work on paper, dimensions variable, courtesy of the artist.

*Shakkei: Work by Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust* presents the first major museum exhibition for these two Chicago-based artists whose colorful kaleidoscopic artworks create an immersive optical experience. Featured in separate galleries, recent large-scale work by each artist will transform the space. Lake’s imagery is based on the symbolic floral motifs found in antique Japanese kimonos. Faust’s wallpapers and prints incorporate digital photographs he gathers for each project sourced from the natural surroundings of the location where he is showing the work. Lake and Faust will also collaborate on new work for this exhibition, introduced in the center gallery, combining their love of organic patterning and spatial design. 

The exhibition is curated by Liz Chilsen, Manager of Exhibitions & Collections at EAM,  and prompts conversations around cultural heritage, language, design, and pattern, addressing both the relatable patterns of everyday life and deeply embedded cultural and social histories. 

The Japanese principle of Shakkei (“borrowed scenery”), is a design philosophy that integrates natural landscapes with architectural elements, incorporating existing natural features into architectural designs. The artists interpret the eastern concept broadly as a metaphor for empathy and adaptability, and for the ability to hold multiple viewpoints of “inside” and “outside” simultaneously. Each brings their own perspective to the concept, reflecting their unique experiences and history. 

About the artists:

Working in the space between art and design, __Bob Faust__ (b. Illinois, 1967) crafts artwork with typography at its core and viscerality on its surface. Faust has over 30 years of experience as the principle and creative director of the eponymously named cultural branding studio, Faust. He makes his work with purpose first—to inform, empower and/or instigate in the service and celebration of human difference. Text, patterns, and the ideas of surprise and discovery emerge as throughlines throughout his conceptual art practice that defies categorization and genre. 

Faust has been recognized nationally and internationally for his inimitable creativity through many prestigious honors including a University of Illinois, College of Fine & Applied Arts, 2022 Distinguished Legacy Award and City of Chicago, 2022 Mayor’s Medal of Honor. Exhibitions have included Mass MoCA BY The Numb3r5 (Mass MoCA), For And Nor But Or Yet So (Poetry Foundation), WA/ONDER (167 Green), with all, and still... (The Peninsula Chicago), Rapt on the Mile (The Magnificent Mile Association), Ways and Means (Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and The Chicago Transit Authority), About Face: Stonewall, Revolt and New Queer Art (Wrightwood 659), Great Ideas of Humanity: Out of the Container (Chicago Design Museum), guilty / Innocent (MASS MoCA); Unfolded: Made with Paper (Chicago Design Museum), Betweens (Riverside Arts Center), and CHGO DSGN (Chicago Cultural Center). He has also received recognition from The New York Times, Fast Company, the Chicago Tribune, Newcity, NBC 5 News, the Chicago Sun-Times, CBS Evening News, and T: The New York Times Style Magazine.

In addition to his own work, Faust is also the professional and personal partner of artist Nick Cave. Together they founded the non-for-profit Facility: a multi-use creative space in Chicago that seeks to build community and change the world through art and design. 

__Mayumi Lake__ (b.Osaka, 1966) is an interdisciplinary artist and educator whose work explores the ideas of time, memory, and floating between the real and imaginary. With a foundation in photography, she integrates digital images of nature and Japanese textiles into her collages, sculpture, sound, moving images, and installation to expand the narrative of the work and form conceptual layers. 

Lake’s artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues including Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery, Asia Society, Art in General, and Artists Space in New York; Chicago Artists Coalition and Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago; Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City; Fotografie Forum International in Frankfurt; Cornelius Pleser Galerie in Munich; Galleria PaciArte in Brescia; FOTOAMERICA in Santiago; Witzenhausen Gallery in Amsterdam; and the Setouchi Triennale in Takamatsu. She has published two monographs, Poo-Chi and Ex Post Facto, with Nazraeli Press. Her work is included in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Art Institute of Chicago, Asia Society, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)/City of Chicago, the McCormick Place Art Collection/Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), Video Art World, the Joy of Giving Something Foundation, and Facebook. Lake received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

The Elmhurst Art Museum is an exhibition partner of the sixth edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Opening September 19, 2025 and on view through February 28, 2026 at locations across Chicago, *SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change* engages timely global issues through the lens of architecture and design. Learn more at [chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org](https://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org).

![Shakkei funders 2](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/2gIC6bLJYF9ubpiog93EJh/cbdef8b90d6ad687e2bf9f2188ac4d3d/Shakkei_Funders_v2.jpg)

Shakkei: Work by Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust

The Elmhurst Artists' Guild presents *Honoring Hokusai*, original artworks inspired by Katsushika Hokusai and in partnership with the Cleve Carney Museum of Art at the College of DuPage's 2025 Summer exhibition: HOKUSAI & UKIYO-E | The Floating World. It runs from June 29th through August 17th. 

The Opening Reception is Saturday, July 12th from 6-9:00 pm and is free and open to the public--however [reservations](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opening-reception-for-honoring-hokusai-tickets-1349972918339?aff=oddtdtcreator) are required.  

Participating Artists: Joe Abboreno, Wesley Baker, Benjamin F. Calvert III, Paul Demers, John Duffy, Mijeong Field, Robert Lee Fritz, Jeanne Garrett, Joseph Giron, Cherylyn Gnadt, Hannah Graber, Susan Janssen, Alan Johnson, Gail Karet, Monica Kupisch, Joan Ladendorf, Kim Laurel, Margaret Longo, Katie Luo, Lynn Mackenzie, Katherine Marra, Julie Mars, Mike McGuire, John Nester, Susan Nester, Carleen O'Connor Rivera, Ann Pasteur, Jemsy Pradun, Emily Quinn, Tara Riley, Janet Roller-Schmidt, Rebecca Russow, Louis Sanfilippo, Dorothy Bury Shaw, Jennifer Starchvill, Carole Stone Carson, Karen Sugay, Alison Sunseri, Cassandra Swierenga, Seishu Tanaka, Debra Vaccaro, Sindee Viano, Ana Vitek, Marlene Vitek, Maryann Wattelle, Rosalie White

Above image: *Flowering Quince *by Benjamin F. Calvert III   [Learn more](https://www.elmhurstartistsguild.org/)

Elmhurst Artists' Guild:  Honoring Hokusai 

The [Elmhurst Artists' Guild](https://www.elmhurstartistsguild.org/) presents their Summer Members' show from May 31st through June 27th. The Opening Reception is Friday, June 6th and is free and open to the public.

Participating Artists:  Joe Abboreno, James Ambrose, Judie Anderson, Lauren Anhalt, Dianne Batzkall, Kera Bjerga, Tania Blanco, John Brudek, Paul Callahan, Benjamin Calvert III, Bethany Cordero, David Cyl, Elaine Davis, Jane Erlandson, Mijeong Field, Jeanne Garrett, Gary Schirmer, Maribel Hambric, Fletcher Hayes, Joan Heitmanek, Nancy Hlavacek, Susan Janssen, Louie Jones Jr., Joan Ladendorf, Kim Laurel, Karen Lecker, Katie Luo, Lynn Mackenzie, Kristina Monkel, Fred Moss, Susan Nester, John Nester, Sharon Peters, Janet Roller-Schmidt, Rebecca Russow, Terri Shimkus, Jennifer Starchvill, Anna Toberman, Debra Vaccaro, Marlene Vitek, Maryann Wattelle, Bruce Webber, Rosalie White, Charles Williams, Jr., Serene Wise

Above image:  *Sorrento* by Kristina Monkel
[Learn more](https://www.elmhurstartistsguild.org/)

Elmhurst Artists' Guild Summer Members' Show

The exhibition *Legacies* emphasizes the enduring impact of artists, collectors, galleries, and institutions in shaping the Museum’s collection. Featuring over one-hundred paintings, sculptures, photographs, textiles, furniture, and works on paper, this exhibition highlights the diverse ways in which art collections are built, preserved, and shared across time. It also honors the vital role that generosity plays in sustaining the life and mission of a museum.

Since its founding, the Elmhurst Art Museum has been shaped not only by curatorial vision, but also by the generosity of those who believe in the power of art to educate, inspire, and connect communities. The collection focuses primarily on Midwestern artists with a concentration of, but not limited to, late 20th Century American Art and Mid-Century Design. Many of the works in this exhibition entered the museum’s collection through gifts from neighbors, family members, friends, and artists who sought to ensure their work, or the work they valued, would be accessible to future generations. These acts of giving are profound gestures of trust, partnership, and belief in the importance of public cultural institutions.

Collectors, in particular, have helped define the museum’s identity through their discerning eye and commitment to stewardship. Their donations often reflect decades of thoughtful engagement with artists and art history, and their gifts provide public access to works that might otherwise remain unseen in private hands. At the same time, artists who donate their own work are contributing to a broader legacy—placing their creative vision within the context of a museum collection where it can spark dialogue, influence peers, and reach new audiences.
Legacies showcases the results of these contributions, drawing connections across generations, media, and artistic movements. Whether reflecting personal narratives or responding to broader social issues, the selected works reveal the many dimensions of legacy: as influence, as inheritance, as memory, and as an ongoing act of care.

As the Elmhurst Art Museum continues to deepen its commitment to contemporary art and architecture practices, the permanent collection remains a cornerstone of its mission. This exhibition is both a celebration of what has been given and a call to consider how future legacies are made—through creativity, generosity, and a shared belief in the enduring value of art.

*Legacies* features artwork gifted to the Museum from the following people:
Raymond J. and Sally J. Allen, Phyllis Bramson, Greg Cameron in honor of his mother Jean Cameron, Funds donated in memory of Ben and Alice Hostetler, Cleve Carney, Tarrant Clements, Carole and Dick Cline, Holly Cohn, Mary McKean and Friends of Sandra Jorgensen, Elmhurst Fine Art & Civic Center Foundation, Frank W. England Fund, Dudley Fisher, Doug Fogelson, Lee and Brena Freeman, Glynna and Lee A. Freeman Jr., Yvette Kaiser Smith, Eleanor King Hookham. Harry and Marie Hostetler, John P. McMorrow, John Peloza, David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Arts Foundation Ruttenberg '52 Collection, Frederick R. Sauerbier, Casmir Sliwa, Peter Stanfield, and anonymous donors.

The exhibition contains artwork by the following artists:
Fatima Allotey, Aimee Beaubien, Harry Bouras, Phyllis Bramson, Thomas Brings, Kenneth Burkhart, Joseph A. Burlini, Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Tarrant Clements, Salvador Dali, Dan Devening, Charles and Ray Eames, Doug Fogelson, Lee Godie, Michelle Grabner, Red Grooms, Haeger Pottery, Katsunori Hamanishi, Phil Hanson,Muriel H Hasbun, Michael and Frances Higgins, Jesse Hickman, Billie J Hightower, Sarah Jo Hermanson, Albert Herrmann, Jim Hodges, James Holmes, Eleanor King Hookham, Michiko Itatani, Sandra Jorgensen, Rebecca Keller, Jin Soo Kim, George Klauba, Richard Koppe, Ellen Lanyon, Aleš Lamr, Nathan Lerner, Vincent Longo, Mike Love, Akira Matsumoto, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Denise Milan, Tadashi Nakayama, Vera Neumann, Hideyo Okamura, Abbott Pattison, John Pittman, Archie Rand, Suellen Rocca, Kay Rosen, Barbara Rossi, Jurgis Sapkus, Peter Saul, Thomas Skomski, Otakar Slavik, Angelo Testa, Hugo Weber, Bernard Williams, Mary Lou Zelazny

This exhibition is generously supported by 
![smallest Explore Elmhurst](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/M6PIY67V1govX5tENlibI/6562bff45c374194b61003b351078e1b/exploreelmhurst_smallest.png)![K&T Colors](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/4VsCeeOnEDh9YLiTFphQiX/f8967d0c7f62e33de2750e3bc7676fe3/kt_logo_small.png)

Image: Bernard Williams, *Zotom* (detail), 2006, enamel on wood, 11.75 x 14.75 x 12.25 inches

Legacies: Selections from the Elmhurst Art Museum Permanent Collection

Opening Reception: Friday, May 9, 4-6pm 

Additional viewing hours: Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11, 12-3pm.* 

This annual exhibition highlights artwork created by students from District 205 schools in our galleries. Over 100 Artists from 11 different elementary and middle schools in the Elmhurst area showcase their work from the 2024-2025 school year. 

Admission is free and open to the public.

*The exhibition is not available to be viewed during other days or times.

This exhibition is sponsored in part by:
![D205 Sponsor](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/5241UVMG3MuYpbUjIlWiQt/0e3554266286e0f3886f27cebf25ba1d/unlimited-web_plmzsw_gmi05d.jpg)


D205 Student Art Show

Photographer Kelli Connell explores the psyche of human relationships and our connection to nature and architecture in this two-part exhibition. The title of the exhibition reflects the artist’s commitment to spending time with the people and places she photographs. Together, the exhibitions mark the largest presentation of Connell’s work in Chicago and encourage dialogue about queerness, power structures, shifting ecologies, and complex relationships in the twenty-first century.

The main galleries will feature a tender and emotional sequence of work placing the contemporary artist in dialogue with one of the most innovative American photographers of the 20th Century, Edward Weston. Accompanied by 48 original prints by Weston, Connell presents her 45 photographs in the series *Pictures for Charis*, along with text excerpts by writer Charis Wilson, Weston’s partner of 11 years. For this body of work, Connell revisited the sites of Weston’s iconic black-and-white landscapes and portraits of Charis in California and the West (1934-45) to photograph her longtime partner, artist Betsy Odom. The installation bridges eighty years of ecological and social shifts with a feminist perspective.

The McCormick House gallery presents the latest chapter in Kelli Connell’s ongoing series *Double Life*. In *Double Life*, which the artist began in 2002, Connell explores long-term relationships with others and the self. The digital images document the fictional relationship of two women, both played by collaborator Kiba Jacobson. Connell describes the series as “an honest representation of the fluidity of the self in regards to decisions about intimate relationships, sexuality, gender, family, belief systems and lifestyle options.” EAM commissioned the photographer to respond to the architecture of the house by modernist architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for this exhibition. Connell chose to incorporate the site - and inspiration from the poetry from its former owner Isabella Gardner (niece of the Boston aristocrat by the same name) - to generate new works adding to the perpetual *Double Life* narrative.

__About the Artist__

Kelli Connell (B. Oklahoma, 1974) is a photographer based in Chicago. Through her images, she addresses issues of sexuality, identity and self-perception. Her work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, J Paul Getty Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Dallas Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography, among others. Publications include Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis (Aperture and Center for Creative Photography, March 2024), PhotoWork: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice (Aperture), Photo Art: The New World of Photography (Aperture), and the monograph Kelli Connell: Double Life (DECODE Books). Connell has received fellowships and residencies from The Guggenheim Foundation, MacDowell, PLAYA, Peaked Hill Trust, LATITUDE, Light Work and The Center for Creative Photography. 

*Pictures for Charis*  is co-organized by the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, at the University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents; the Cleveland Museum of Art; and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta.

Photographs by Edward Weston are courtesy of the Edward Weston Archive at the Center for Creative Photography. Photographs by Kelli Connell are courtesy of the artist. 

*Pictures for Charis* is curated for each museum by Rebecca Senf, Ph.D., Chief Curator at the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, at the University of Arizona on behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents; Barbara Tannenbaum, Ph.D, Curator of Photography and Chair of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Cleveland Museum of Art; and Gregory J. Harris, the Donald and Marilyn Keough Family Curator of Photography at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta and Allison Peters Quinn, Executive Director & Chief Curator of the Elmhurst Art Museum.

This project is made possible by Teiger Foundation. 

Additional support to the exhibition and related program are provided by the Illinois Arts Council and individual donors. 

![Teiger Foundation](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/1kAByADC9EHu8S8dDtiz3V/f9db222836fe151ca2f5b0650b3cfb8a/teiger_jpg.jpg)![IAC small](//images.ctfassets.net/df2y673eghyz/5BTLsi9kO9S7cJUP2IxGmI/822dee915dcff2e333da1b90da2051e5/Small_IAC_LOGO_Black_Green.jpg)

Image credit: Kelli Connell, *Betsy, Doug Short’s Home*, 2015, 40x50 inches

Exhibitions

Elmhurst Artist Guild Gallery: Iconic Hoodie Series by Charles Williams, Jr.

Shakkei: Work by Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust

Upcoming Exhibitions

Living with Modernism: Kelli Connell’s Pictures for Charis and Double Life

Past Exhibitions

Elmhurst Artists' Guild: Honoring Hokusai

Elmhurst Artists' Guild Summer Members' Show

Legacies: Selections from the Elmhurst Art Museum Permanent Collection

D205 Student Art Show

Mon - Tues	closed
Wed - Thurs	12 – 5
Fri - Sun	11 – 5