Circle Contemporary, Chicago, IL (2026)

Name: Circle Contemporary
Address: Chicago, IL, US
Telephone: +13128292787

Circle Contemporary is a multi purpose exhibition space located in Chicago IL. Circle Contemporary is an extension of the Arts of Life studio aimed at showcasing a diverse range of creative practices from individuals of all talents and abilities. Circle Contemporary strives for strengthening the local creative community by providing a space and outlet for artistic inspiration and exploration. The

Arts of Life advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.

08/06/2026

Death Magic opens this Friday 5-8pm guest curated by Ryan M. Pfeiffe ☠️🕯️🪄

08/05/2026

Honeybun opens tonight at Union League Club of Chicago join us for the reception 🥳

07/09/2026

Hi folks,

Tomorrow is the last day to catch Wild Thing GUEST CURATED BY PIA SINGH, we will be hosting closing hours from 5-8pm, be there or be ⬜️.

Featuring works by:

Elena Ailes – Chris Austin – Sayera Anwar – Cecilia Beaven – Renata Berdes – Chris Bradley – Zachary Cahill – Isamu Guy Conners – Mari Eastman – Sam Filicky – Joshi Radin Flores – Rosemary Hall – Erin Hayden – Lucy Cash and Mark Jeffery – Lawrence M. – Allyson Packer – Jasmeen Patheja – Carol Pyes – Tongji Philip Qian – Kellie Romany – D. Rosen – Alex Scott – Jacqueline Surdell – Chris Viau – Jean Wilson
 Since 2020, Meta’s algorithm has been flooded with snippets of interspecies empathy- animals in different states of crisis have begun to display “human-like” behavior. From birds caring for pregnant felines, to horses rearing rabbits, or the story of a raccoon and dog forming a lifelong bond… existing (and surviving) stressors of climate catastrophe, war, and urban degradation, we quietly watch primates hug one another, refuse abandonment despite human threat, touching and protecting one another in ways that exceed the human affective awareness.

Wild Thing traces these parallel trajectories and continuities, not just between the bipeds and beasts, but more broadly, within the worlds of artists. Seeking visions and eccentricities from Arts of Life’s studio artists paired with contemporaries of our time, Wild Thing will explore the evolution of all animals, some beasts, and other mutants (some more mutant than others) to explore what remains to be learned from our fellow species. At a time when less-than-human empathies and kindness seem to exceed more-than-human cravings for interplanetary domination, worldly greed, and bloodlust, several artists collectively scratch at the uncanny zone between human-animal-nature, questioning hierarchical notions of humans being ‘higher’ or more evolved in our understanding, in the scala naturae.

06/11/2026

Hey folks join us tomorrow, 5-8 we’ll be doing a feral little walk through of the current show guest curated by Pia. “Animals first entered the imagination as messengers, as promises.” -John Berger, Why Look at Animals?

Softening the opposition between man and “animal”, several pairings in this group exhibition argue against the exploitation and subjugation of who or what have come to be perceived as “others”

Join us for an artist-curator walkthrough of Wild Thing this Friday, June 12th, between 6-7.30 pm. Anticipate an unruly and untamable plurality of tempers and utterances 🐾

[Work detail- Lawrence M.’s ‘Untitled (Firebelly Toad and Yellow stickers), offset lithograph and stickers on paper, 8.5x 11”, available by request]

05/13/2026

Hi folks,

Many, Many Thanks to all who came out for the opening of our current exhibition Wild Thing GUEST CURATED BY PIA SINGH, on view through July 10th.

Please reach out to [email protected] for appointments.

Featuring:

Elena Ailes – Chris Austin – Sayera Anwar – Cecilia Beaven – Renata Berdes – Chris Bradley – Zachary Cahill – Isamu Guy Conners – Mari Eastman – Sam Filicky – Joshi Radin Flores – Rosemary Hall – Erin Hayden – Lucy Cash and Mark Jeffery – Lawrence M. – Allyson Packer – Jasmeen Patheja – Carol Pyes – Tongji Philip Qian – Kellie Romany – D. Rosen – Alex Scott – Jacqueline Surdell – Chris Viau – Jean Wilson
 Since 2020, Meta’s algorithm has been flooded with snippets of interspecies empathy- animals in different states of crisis have begun to display “human-like” behavior. From birds caring for pregnant felines, to horses rearing rabbits, or the story of a raccoon and dog forming a lifelong bond… existing (and surviving) stressors of climate catastrophe, war, and urban degradation, we quietly watch primates hug one another, refuse abandonment despite human threat, touching and protecting one another in ways that exceed the human affective awareness.

Wild Thing traces these parallel trajectories and continuities, not just between the bipeds and beasts, but more broadly, within the worlds of artists. Seeking visions and eccentricities from Arts of Life’s studio artists paired with contemporaries of our time, Wild Thing will explore the evolution of all animals, some beasts, and other mutants (some more mutant than others) to explore what remains to be learned from our fellow species. At a time when less-than-human empathies and kindness seem to exceed more-than-human cravings for interplanetary domination, worldly greed, and bloodlust, several artists collectively scratch at the uncanny zone between human-animal-nature, questioning hierarchical notions of humans being ‘higher’ or more evolved in our understanding, in the scala naturae.

Guest curator hours:
June 12th, 2026
5:00 – 8:00 pm.

04/09/2026

REMINDER!!! Our intrepid guest curator will be hosting EXPO walkthrough hours for their exhibition The Threshold Varies this Saturday April 11th, from 5-8 pm.

RADAR is pleased to present The Threshold Varies, a group exhibition featuring artists who engage in perception as something that is variable, contingent, and unstable.

Artists include Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez, Ben Gould, Paul Heyer, Katrina Jackson, Will Krauland, Lawrence M., Susan Pasowicz, Forrest Frederick, Noelia Towers, and Lucy Walsh.

!

.

Special thanks to and for the printing and mounting assistance.

RADAR is a curatorial platform supporting artists and their practices in the Midwest, founded by . Learn more at radarmidwest.com

—
Saturday, April 11th from 5:00-8:00pm
During EXPO ART WEEK, join guest curator Madeline Gallucci—artist and founder of RADAR—for an inside look at the exhibition The Threshold Varies. Gallucci will share insights into the curatorial framework behind the exhibition and discuss RADAR’s mission to support Midwest artists through emerging and collaborative initiatives.

The Threshold Varies brings together 11 artists who treat perception as something that is variable, contingent, and unstable. Featuring Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez, Ben Gould, Paul Heyer, Katrina Jackson, Will Krauland, Lawrence M, Susan Pasowicz, Forrest Frederick, Noelia Towers, and Lucy Walsh, the works in the exhibition operate between containment and overflow, hovering at the limits of visibility and testing how intensity becomes legible.

Address

Chicago, IL

Telephone

+13128292787

Website

http://artsoflife.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Circle Contemporary posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Circle Contemporary:

Circle Contemporary