About

Nancy Charak makes art in a studio in the Ravenswood area of Chicago. Her painting. The Dreamer and the Dream, was recently in the Evanston+Vicinity Show 2010 Biennial. Another painting, Rainbows End, was juried into the Art Loop Open sponsored by the Chicago Loop Alliance and the Chicago Artists Coalition and exhibied at Block 37. She exhibited at Woman Made Gallery of Chicago in 2008 and juried their show Drawing on Experience. In May 2008, she had a solo exhibit, Resonance, at the University Center Gallery of the University of Montana in Missoula, and Marks in Time and Space at the Fred P. Giles Gallery of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. Her work can also be seen at The Nines Gallery of Holland, Michigan. She is an affiliate member of the ARC Gallery and Educational Foundation, of Chicago, Illinois, one of the oldest womens’ art cooperatives in the country.

Further Reading:

Photo © Birkenheuer Photography

Curriculum Vitae

Gallery Representation

  • ARC Gallery & Educational Foundation, 832 W. Superior, Chicago, Illinois 60622 (affiliate member)
  • The Nines Gallery, 17 W. 10th St., Holland, Michigan 49423

Education

  • MFA    Painting and Drawing, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
  • BA      Photography and Design, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Selected Upcoming & Recent Exhibits

Solo Exhibits

  • Marks in Time and Space, Fred P. Giles Gallery, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, 2008
  • Drawing on Experience, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, 2008
  • Resonance, University Center Gallery, University of Montana, Missoula, 2008
  • Re Emergence, ARC Gallery, Chicago, 2006

Juried Exhibitions

  • The Personal is Political, The Transformative Power of Women’s Art, Koehnline Museum of Art, Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL, October 2012
  • Call and Response: From Artemisia to Frida, Koehnline Museum of Art, Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL, Oct 2011
  • Bare Essentials: Minimalism in the 21st Century, juror Ingrid Fassbender, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, Nov – Dec 2011
  • Art Loop Open, Chicago, jurors Susan Aurinko, Theaster Gates, Mary Jane Jacob, Tricia Van Eyck, “Rainbows End,” Oct – Nov 2010 (Chicago Artists Coalition)
  • Evanston+Vicinity Biennial Exhibition, jurors John Himmelfarb & Julie Rodrigues-Widholm, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL, “The Dreamer and the Dream,” May – Jun 2010
  • Lineal Investigations: a drawing show, Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT, juror Robin Zella, Nov Dec 2007

Group Exhibitions

  • “What’s Abstract?”, two-person exhibit Chicago State University with Julian Williams, curated by Joyce Owens, Jan 29—Mar 15, 2013
  • Open Wall: One Plus One = Community, Alderman Ameya Pawar 47th Ward Office, Chicago, 9/26—9/9, 2012
  • Members’ Show, ARC Gallery, October 10–November 3, 2012, ARC Gallery, Chicago
  • Caffeine VI, The Artists’ Breakfast Group, Glenwood Arts Center, Chicago, Oct 2012
  • Caffeine V, The Artists’ Breakfast Group, Old Town Triangle Gallery, Chicago, Oct 2011
  • “Ooh La La,” ARC Gallery Annual Members’ Show, Chicago, Oct 2011
  • Big Women, Small Works, Portage Art Space, Chicago, curated by Johannah Silva, Mar 2011
  • Collaboration- ARC Gallery Annual Members Exhibition, ARC Gallery, Chicago; with poet Jenene Ravesloot, “Sestina-Variation,” Oct 2010 and “Blackbird,” Oct 2009
  • Marks on Paper, Drawing and Sketch Show, Morpho Gallery, Chicago, curator Gabriella Boros, 2007
  • Poetic Dialogue, University of Wisconsin, Waukesha, WI, curator Beth Shadur, Apr 2007; H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, Feb-Apr 2007; ARC Gallery, Chicago, “Promises,” poet Margaret Rozga, 2005
  • Fresh Produce: New Art by New Nines Gallery Artists, The Nines Gallery, Holland, MI, 2005

Open Studio Visits

  • Marks in Time Preview, Cornelia Arts Building, Chicago, with Marian Carow & Sharon Swidler, Nov 2009.
  • Open Studio Visit, from Hyde Part Art Center, Cornelia Arts Building, June 2009.
  • Art on the Move Studio Visit, Art Institute of Chicago, Cornelia Arts Building, Apr 2008.
  • Studio visit, West Suburban Auxiliary of Museum of Contemporary Art with artists Emily Roynesdal & Tiffany Stronsky, May 2007.

Previous Years

  • Chicago and Vicinity Show, Art Institute of Chicago
  • Davidson National Print and Drawing Competition
  • Chattahoochee Valley Art Association Purchase Prize
  • Van Straaten Gallery, Chicago
  • Bernal Gallery, Chicago
  • Genesis Gallery, New York

Selected Collections

  • Whole Health Management Inc., Cleveland, Ohio
  • Sherwood Forest Bed & Breakfast, Saugatuck, Michigan
  • Mr. & Mrs. Noah Webster, Dallas, Texas
  • Mr. & Mrs. Henry Schaffer, Chicago
  • Ms. Alexandra Seeger, The Netherlands
  • Ms. Jenene Ravesloot, Chicago

Other Professional Affiliations

  • 2005-06, Chairwoman Exhibits Committee & Membership Committee, ARC Gallery & Educational Foundation.
  • 2008, Juror Drawing on Experience Woman Made Gallery, Chicago.