The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Alumni

07/10/2023

Alums in Chicago looking for summer fun? Gather with us at the in July 22 for lunch, followed by HPAC’s Center Day with free, intergenerational art activities. Bring your family! Register through our LinkTree by July 12.

07/05/2023

✨✨🎊 CLASS NOTES HIGHLIGHT 🎊✨✨

Jamilee Lacy (BFA 2008) was announced as the new executive director of the Frye Art Museum in Seattle.

Image: Jamilee Lacy. Image courtesy of Jo Sittenfeld.

06/30/2023

✨✨🎊 CLASS NOTES HIGHLIGHT 🎊✨✨

Zoe Minzenberger (BAVS 2020) and Fawn Penn (BFA 2016) founded The Digs , a ceramic studio that was featured by Block Club Chicago. .minz.ceramics .penn

Image: Zoe Minzenberger and Fawn Penn at their studio. Image courtesy of Quinn Myers.

06/27/2023

Hey Alums, share your news -- exhibitions, projects, jobs, awards, residencies, grants, publications -- with us by JULY 1st to be included in Class Notes in the fall edition of SAIC Magazine. Help us celebrate you! Link to the Class Notes Form in our Linktree.

06/21/2023

✨✨🎊 CLASS NOTES HIGHLIGHT 🎊✨✨

Annette Hur (BFA 2015) and Min Kyong Baek (BFA 2017) had a two-person exhibition, "Rough Growth", at Helen J Gallery in Los Angeles. .bbbb

Image: "Rough Growth", exhibition view. Image courtesy of the artists.

06/12/2023

Congratulations to Susannah Papish (MFA 2002), who co-authored the book "Invisible Labors" with Melissa Potter. The book explores the rich history of female land-keepers and stewards in the Ridge area, as well as the contribution they made in the 19th and the 20th centuries. Available for purchase at https://bio.site/susannahpapish

05/10/2023

🎉 🙌🏾 Tell us your news! Use the LINK IN BIO to submit your exhibitions, projects, jobs, awards, residencies, grants, publications by JULY 1st to be included in Class Notes in the fall edition of SAIC Magazine. Help us celebtrate you! Link to the Class Notes Form in our Linktree. https://forms.gle/T9UJrronMyqg3DzS9

04/27/2023

Incredible panel last night with , “Artists and Their Dealers.” Star-studded alumni lineup (L to R): (MFA 2012), Ye-a hit Hong (BFA Art History 2022), (MD FBG 2010, BFA 2002), (SAIC 1991-1994), and Matt Bangser (BFA 2004) of . Thank you to our incredible panelists for sharing all their expertise and insight into the artist-dealer relationship!

04/12/2023

It’s here! EXPO CHICAGO 2023! SAIC Alumni receive complimentary general admission. Email [email protected] for details. Don’t miss three days of amazing contemporary and modern art from galleries in Chicago and around the world. See work by SAIC alumni and faculty!


Image courtesy EXPO Chicago.

04/07/2023

Join our discussion on how to build an anti-racist art ecosystem! The third and final Anti-Racist Ecosystem Conference Series will take place in Maclean Ballroom from 6:00 - 7:30 pm on Wednesday, April 12. This is a free event that opens to the public.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/toward-an-anti-racist-art-ecosystem-in-the-world-tickets-565680645037

04/06/2023

Congratulations to Alé Campos (MFA 2022), Janelle Ayana Miller (BFA 2017), Moises Salazar (BFA 2021) .salazar.tlatenchi, and Kushala Vora (MFA 2018) on being featured as Newcity’s Breakout Artists 2023! The award shines a light on the promising artists with emerging creative forces, and the alumni are a part of the 10 artists who stood out from a group of 130 candidates.

04/04/2023

TONIGHT, Tues, April 4! Athena LaTocha (BFA 1992) will speak tonight as the next Distinguished Alumni Lecturer at the Art Institute of Chicago, in Fullerton Hall from 6-7:30pm.

Free, open to the public, and no registration needed.
More info at shttps://www.saic.edu/events/athena-latocha

This event will be live captioned by Communication Access Realtime Translation services.
Athena LaTocha

03/23/2023

"SPACORE" group exhibition opens April 1st at featuring many SAIC alums and students! SPACORE critiques wellness capitalism by exploring the conflict between relaxation and employment. Come and check out the works by both the current students and alumni of SAIC!

Featuring works by:
Autumn Ahn (MFA 2023), Amelia de Rudder (BFA 2002) , Erica Dincalci (MFA 2023), SAGE DYE (MFA 2023), Serena JV Elston (MFA 2023), FLEMING (MFA Candidate), Becs Epstein (MFA 2023), Tali Halpern (MFA Candidate), Sun Lynn Hunter (MFA 2023), Kelly R Johnston (MFA 2023), Dylan Languell (MFA Candidate), Sungjae Lee (MFA 2019), Yeji Lee (MFA Candidate), Rudolf Lingens (MFA 2023), Erica, Maria Littlejohn (MFA Candidate), Mac Pierce (MFA 2023), Ruby Que (MFA 2022), Sandrine Schaefer (MFA 2016), Corey Smith (MFA 2021), Nikki Telegan (MFA Candidate), Val Thompson (MFA Candidate), Tilcara Webb (MFA Candidate), Florence Woolley (MFA Candidate), Kelly Xi (MFA 2023)

03/21/2023

President Elissa Tenny announces plans to retire after the 2023–24 school year.

03/09/2023

Thank you to everyone who participated in Giving Day from all of us here at SAIC. The outpouring of support for our students has been inspirational.

We thank those who contributed, our generous SAIC Giving Day donors and everyone who shared on social media. Every single one of you has made a difference, and for that, we are truly grateful!

03/08/2023

There's still time to give! Oh Thank has been extended until 12pmCST today, Wednesday, March 8! Join the 250+ donors who have supported student scholarships and programs for our third annual Giving Day. Visit https://www.givecampus.com/74psyl to give.

03/08/2023

We reached our goal of 250 donors! The generosity of our alumni, friends, faculty, staff, parents, and students is beyond powerful! All support makes a difference.

Thank YOU for supporting SAIC!

P.S. If you haven't made your gift yet, don't worry! There's still time: https://www.givecampus.com/74psyl

03/07/2023

ALMOST THERE! We're so close to our goal of 250 donors for ! Will you help us cross the finish line? There's still time so if you can give any amount, it will help us reach our goal. Plus, if you give $25 you get a pair of our limited-edition SAIC socks! 🧦 😃 Visit https://www.givecampus.com/74psyl to make a donation today. 👏

03/07/2023

🎉 🙌 Woot! is happening!
So much action on campus today--we're excited to
spread the word to students, faculty and staff about the power of giving. Plus, there's 🍕 & 🍪. 😉
Thank you to all those who've made a gift so far. Don't forget, you'll receive a sweet pair of ltd-ed SAIC socks 🧦 for your donation of $25 or more! Still time to give: https://www.givecampus.com/74psyl

03/07/2023

Our students are getting into the spirit of ! Every dollar donated goes back to support our current students, the next generation of creatives. And don’t forget to give $25 or more to get those sweet SAIC socks. 😉 https://www.givecampus.com/74psyl

03/07/2023

It’s here!! SAIC’s third annual is in full swing! This exciting one-day fundraiser is an opportunity for our entire community of alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends to join together in support of the School that connects us. Donations make a powerful difference by funding student scholarships, wellness services, access to internships and career advising, and so much more. Gifts of any amount, to any fund, count on Giving Day! And gifts of $25 or more will get you a special thank you gift of limited edition SAIC socks!
Give today using the link below.

On campus? Stop by the Neiman Center for trivia, prizes and pizza!

Join me and make a gift to SAIC Giving Day 2023

02/16/2023

Alums in NYC? Join SAIC at the CAA Annual Conference on Friday, Feb. 17. Still time to register, link in bio. Join us to network with your fellow aims and celebrate SAIC alums and faculty presenting at CAA! *Conference registration is NOT required!

01/31/2023

Congratulations to Katherine Behar (BFA 2000) and Bow Ty (MFA 2015), who have received the 2023 Creative Capital "Wild Futures: Art, Culture, Impact” Awards! Creative Capital funds a variety of groundbreaking projects that push boundaries formally and thematically.

Katherine (BFA 2000) was awarded for their project "Inside Outsourcing," through which the artist questions the dynamics between human labor and mechanic automation.

Bow (MFA 2015) is a member of LIZN’BOW, a new media collaborative being awarded for the production of "Novelas de Niñas." The feminist, musical soap opera features a part installation, part interactive theater to reveal a 15-year-old’s transition into adulthood.

01/17/2023

HAPPENING TODAY! Brave that snow and join us at 3pm CST today at the National Museum of Mexican Art () for a conversation with Alberto Aguilar (MFA 2001, BFA 1997) () and curator J. Gibran Villalobos (Dual MA 2013) (), featuring a performance by Madeleine Aguilar (MFA 2022, BFA 2020). No need to register, come as you are.

Image #1: "Quarantine Regimen," Alberto Aguilar, 2020.

01/09/2023

Check out 4c Gallery, a new gallery founded by alum Decheng Cui (MFA 2020)! The 1,400-square-foot space opens this Sunday with a solo show of their work. The gallery functions as an art center that focuses on Chinese conceptual art to promote and seed Chinese art and culture in the U.S.

Image: poster of Decheng Cui's solo exhibition "Metaphysical Tetralogy."

01/01/2023

🎉 👀 Alums, share your news with us-- exhibitions, projects, jobs, awards, residencies, grants, publications -- by JANUARY 15th to be included in Class Notes in the spring edition of SAIC Magazine. Help us celebrate you! Fill out our Class Notes Form below. You'll be prompted to log into a Gmail account to access it. Or just email your news to us at [email protected].

Class Notes Form: https://forms.gle/T9UJrronMyqg3DzS9

12/22/2022

SAIC offices will be closed Friday, December 23, through Monday, January 2. See you in 2023! Happy new year to all!

12/06/2022

It was wonderful gathering with alums and friends of SAIC in Miami last week! Email [email protected] to stay in the loop about other alumni events.

12/06/2022

12/02/2022

Alums at Art Basel Miami Beach -- just a few!
1. Raelis Vasquez (BFA 2018) at Jenkins Johnson
2. Wadsworth Jarrell (HON 2020, BFA 1958) at Jenkins Johnson
3. Lee Buh (HON 2022) at Lehmann Maupin
4. Jeffrey Gibson(BFA 1995) at Roberts Projects
5. Tony Lewis (MFA 2012) at Blum and Poe
6. Bassim Al-Shaker (MFA Studio 2021) at Rhona Hoffman
7. Jacob Hashimoto (BFA 1996) at Rhona Hoffman

12/02/2022

In Miami this week? Check out the Wave Art Fair organized by alum Julie Schabel. Go to for details! Goes through December 3.

12/02/2022

More works by alums at Untitled!
1. Khatia Esartia (2001, BFA) at Marisa Newman Project
2. Misael Soto (MFA 2018) at Dimensions Variable
3. Juan Arango Palacios (BFA 2020) at Gaa Gallery
4. Mari Eastman (MFA 1996) at Goldfinch Gallery
5. Selenas Mountain founders Michael Fleming (MFA 2010) and Olivia Swider (BFA 2010)

12/02/2022

More works by alums at Untitled!
1. Khatia Esartia (2001, BFA) at Marisa Newman Project
2. Misael Soto (MFA 2018) at Dimensions Variable
3. Juan Arango Palacios (BFA 2020) at Gaa Gallery
4. Mari Eastman (MFA 1996) at Goldfinch Gallery
5. Selenas Mountain founders Michael Fleming (MFA 2010) and Olivia Swider (BFA 2010)

12/02/2022

So much alumni work to see in Miami! Photo dump #1 from Untitled:

1. Amy Lemaire (BFA 2000) at SARAHCROWN
2. Jenny Kendler (MFA 2006) at Goldfinch
3. Chase Barney (MFA Studio 2022) at Galleri Urbane
4. Anna Kunz (BFA 1991) at Galleri Urbane
5. Meghan Borah (MFA 2017, PBACC 2015) at Galleri Urbane
6. Minami Kobayashi (MFA 2018) at Goldfinch Gallery
7. Karen Gunderson (1971) at Erin Cluley Gallery
8. Cameron Welch (BFA 2013) at Yossi Milo Gallery
9. Scott Wolniak (BFA 2004) at Goldfinch Gallery

12/01/2022

SAIC is in Miami! There's so much art to see by SAIC alums around Miami and MB this week. 🌴 😎 Check out these alumni works across the city -- more to come!

1. Elisabeth Condon (MFA 1989) at INK Art Fair
2. Joshua Levine (BFA 1994) in BLUPrnt Exhibition at Bridge Red Studios .art
3. Bryana Bibbs (BFA 2014) "Anthem-X" in in Wynwood Arts District
4. Sheila Elias (BFA 1973) in "Miami Works" in Temple Emanu-El, Blank Chapel, Miami Beach
5. Joy Ray (MFA LowRes 2023) at ping-pong-basel.ch/
6. (no image) Ricardo Partida (MFA 2020) in "Boil Toil + Trouble" at

11/23/2022

11/23/2022

Thank you to all the NYC-area alums who came out for our brunch in New York last weekend, followed by a tour with Nick Cave of his permanent installation in the MTA Times Square station. It was wonderful to gather and connect!

11/21/2022

Just one more week to complete the SNAAP Arts survey to tell us about your art school experience and career! Survey closes November 28. We hope you'll take some time to let us know how your education at SAIC has shaped your experience, and how you’ve used what you learned – in your work, in your life. Check your email for more details or email [email protected].

11/19/2022