DePaul Art Museum to celebrate multifaceted creative practitioners based in Chicago

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CHICAGO — DePaul Art Museum announces the opening of two fall exhibitions: “Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917–1967” and “The Spaces We Call Home,” both guest curated by Marin R. Sullivan. 

​​​“At the root of Edgar Miller’s practice was the formation of a unique artist community in Chicago,” said Laura-Caroline de Lara, Director of DePaul Art Museum. “More than a century after Miller and his partners left their mark on Chicago, the city’s art and design scene is again turning to creative community-building to blur geographic and social lines.”

These complementary exhibitions open Sept. 12, 2024, and run through Feb. 23, 2025, at the museum, located on DePaul University’s Lincoln Park Campus. 

“These two exhibitions present a materially and conceptually diverse cross-section of art and design made in Chicago over the past 100 years,” Sullivan said. “They celebrate the city’s ability to foster independent, innovative creatives while seeking to complicate the definition and legacy of modernism.” Public programs will include an opening reception, a curator’s tour of the exhibitions, a family day mosaic workshop for artists of all ages, panel discussions and more. ​

‘Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917–1967’

“Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917–1967” is the first retrospective and most comprehensive solo presentation of Miller’s work to date. The exhibition celebrates the achievements of the artist’s multifaceted career, while also situating his output within the broader socio-cultural histories of Chicago and the communities in which he worked. 

Renowned for his work in architecture, art, design, and more, Miller’s practice reflects a deep commitment to figurative storytelling and the natural world, underscored by his belief in collaborative creation. By highlighting Miller’s inventive spirit and a counter-cultural history of Chicago, the exhibition offers a compelling alternative to the minimalist ethos of modernism. 

Featuring a diverse range of mediums, the exhibition offers a broad exploration of Miller’s artistic vision: drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, illustration, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, woodcarving, interior design and architectural projects. The exhibition also situates his work alongside the crucial collaborators and colleagues who helped shape his career, such as Hester Miller Murray, Andrew Rebori and Jesús Torres. 

“Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917–1967" will be accompanied by a richly illustrated catalog, with essays from Sullivan, Zac Bleicher, Jennifer Jane Marshall and Craig Lee. It will convey the scope and themes of the exhibition while offering a space to dig deeper into aspects of Miller’s career not featured in the galleries. Hour Studio designed the catalog and contributed graphic design to the exhibition. ​

​‘The Spaces We Call Home’

“The Spaces We Call Home” features six artists and designers based in or with strong ties to Chicago: Azadeh Gholizadeh, Kazuki Guzmán, Ania Jaworska (in collaboration with Zack Ostrowski), Roland Knowlden, Sharon and Guy and Claudia Weber. Their works straddle, draw from and complicate divisions among the fields of architecture, design and fine art. 

Using a diverse array of materials, techniques and traditions — from folk art to modernism and 21st-century technology — these creative practitioners grapple with the complexities of placemaking across time and space. They interrogate and reflect on the layered socio-spatial histories of built environments. While most works included in the exhibition were not created in direct dialogue with Miller, many aspects of his legacy remain relevant, including a spirit of collaboration, a commitment to craftsmanship and a belief in the importance of function and public address of art.

The "Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917–1967" and "The Spaces We Call Home" exhibitions are made possible through major support from the Terra Foundation for American Art as part of their 2024 Art Design Chicago initiative. “It promises to be an inspiring journey through the work of a true visionary whose contributions continue to resonate with creative practitioners today,” said de Lara. 

DePaul Art Museum is located at 935 W. Fullerton Ave. on DePaul University’s Lincoln Park Campus. The museum is open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free to everyone. Additional information is available online at https://artmuseum.depaul.edu/ or by calling 773-325-7506.