March 17 – April 27, 2023 3rd + 4th Floor Galleries About ArtConnectED: Come celebrate with ArtConnectED. A decade of excellence in High School Visual Arts Exhibitions and Scholarship! Started in 2013, the IHSAE, now Art ConnectED is 100% powered by teacher volunteers and has grown out of the passion these teachers bring to making a difference for high school art students, and has since facilitated $620+ million in tuition scholarship offers to more than 3,000 students. ArtConnectED advocates for the power of art with exhibitions and other incentives for creative exploration and connections to ..read more

New City Magazine – FEBRUARY 8, 2023 AT 7:00 AM BY PARKER YAMASAKI Read the full review here The post Glam and Doom: A Review of “Environment/s/tallation” at the Bridgeport Art Center appeared first on Bridgeport Art Center ..read more

SAVE THE DATE! APPLY: FEBRUARY 1, 2023 DEADLINE: April 4, 2023 May 19th – July 7th, 2023 Awards Ceremony: May 19th, 2023, 7-10pm Save the date! Our 11th Annual Juried Art Competition and Exhibition will take place in our 4th Floor Art Gallery from May 19 – July 7, 2023. Applications will be accepted beginning Wednesday, February 1st, 2023. Cash prizes will be awarded by two distinguished jurors. The competition is open to all artists, aged 18 and over, who live or have studios within a 150-mile radius of Chicago. Work must have been created within the last three years. Upon being selected, de ..read more

Bridgeport Art Center’s exhibition “Hard to Believe”, which opened on August 19, features work by artists who have participated in (and most have won prizes at) one of Bridgeport’s regional competitions since 2012.  On exhibit are paintings, drawings, and in one case three-dimensional works, that demonstrate mastery of representationalism – creating works that “fool the eye”.   What makes this show so exciting is the way that each artist expands the notion of realism.  These are not just “hand-made” art works that could be mistaken for photographs, but unique contemporary a ..read more

Bridgeport Art Center, The Illinois Art Education Association & The Illinois High School Art Exhibition Present a Celebration of Art Education in Illinois with Two Simultaneous Exhibitions: THE ARTIST BEHIND THE EDUCATION: 2ND ANNUAL ART EDUCATOR SHOW APRIL 15 – JUNE 3 | 4TH FLOOR GALLERY OPENING RECEPTION: FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 | 7 – 10 pm Last year, BRIDGEPORT ART CENTER worked with the ILLINOIS ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATION to inaugurate an annual Art Educators’ exhibit aimed at supporting artistic practice that celebrates the talents of city and suburban area art educators. The 2nd Annual ..read more

Chicago, IL  August 2015 – Opening October 16th at the Bridgeport Art Center is, The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions. This fine art exhibition, features the work of twenty artists from around the country, calling attention to the ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet are not considered crimes. The exhibition utilizes the beauty of high-quality fine art to raise awareness of human rights issues and—in doing so—begins a dialogue that may encourage change. It’s no mistake that this unique rendition of the Breaking Criminal Traditions exhibition ..read more

Chicago’s noted Center for Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College cites “interdisciplinarity” as a defining characteristic in contemporary art practice.  Bridgeport Art Center’s Paper Arts exhibition presents investigations of new materials and interdisciplinary approaches, as well as the use of unique papers. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this area of contemporary art is its exploration of some of the ways in which what is essentially a flat or two-dimensional material – paper – can be transformed into constructions that not only occupy three-dimensional space but that also, there ..read more

Three-Dimensional presents work in a wide range of materials and approaches, from modernist abstraction to conceptual mixed media installation. As an overview of contemporary sculpture, the show can be a valuable experience, especially for students. Marshall Svendsen’s cast bronze works relate to the tradition of sculpture associated with one of Modernism’s greats, Henry Moore, as well as Bridgeport’s own world-renowned sculptor Virginio Ferrari. The works are a blending of organic and geometric elements. Like the original Modernists, Svendsen’s pieces derive inspiration from ancient art, not ..read more

Patterns of Nature (September 21 – November 2) features the work of seven artists, and includes paintings, ink drawings, macro-photographs, reduction woodcuts, three-dimensional encaustic, and a large mixed media installation. Each artist approaches the theme in a unique way, some utilizing recognizable subjects, such as beetles, moths, ferns, amoebas, while two of the artists have abstracted from nature to create new patterns. I believe this is one of the most beautiful exhibits ever seen in the Bridgeport art Center Gallery. Thanks to all the artists for providing the following artist statem ..read more

Legendary architect Harry Weese once posited that “every building is a landmark.” In OUTside THE PRACTICE: MONUMENTS AND PLACES OF MEMORY, Chicago-based architects and designers present distinctive and original visions on the topic, relieved of the constraints of conventional architectural practice. Curated by Stephen Wierzbowski, FAIA, Edward Keegan, AIA, and Lelde Kalmite, works include drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, watercolors, installations, mixed media, and sketchbooks. Presented by the Bridgeport Art Center, the exhibit is a partner program of the Chicago Architecture Bie ..read more