The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Opens Faculty Triennial Exhibition

August 31, 2022

CHICAGO—This fall, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), a global leader in art and design education, will present the SAIC Faculty Sabbatical Triennial exhibition, featuring a wide range of work across multiple disciplines created by nearly 40 faculty who have completed a sabbatical or other paid leave over the past three academic years. Gallery-based presentations, lectures and events, and a dedicated website represent the research and practices of these SAIC faculty members.

“Sabbaticals are often a time for inquiry, experimentation, and production to help faculty sustain their instructional and professional practices,” said Staci Boris, director of exhibitions and curator of the SAIC Faculty Sabbatical Triennial exhibition. “Many of the sabbaticals were impacted by the pandemic, yet the work produced during this time is exceptionally inspiring as faculty embraced the uncertainty, looked to the familiar, and explored new ways of making.”

The Triennial, which opens August 31 at SAIC Galleries, and related programs celebrate the unrelenting creativity and resilience of SAIC’s renowned faculty. The exhibition includes several new works that have never been on view, including a painting from Candida Alvarez that will be making its Chicago debut. Participating faculty include Candida Alvarez, Aimée Beaubien, jonCates, Nic Collins, Romi Crawford, Kate Dumbleton, Stephen Farrell, Elizabeth Freeland, Pablo Garcia, Maria Gaspar, Diana Guerrero-Maciá, Anne Harris, Claudia Hart, Myungah Hyon, Mark Jeffery, Bruce Jenkins, Linda Keane, Lora Lode, Anke Loh, Lou Mallozzi, Ruth Margraff, William J. O’Brien, Mary Patten, Claire Pentecost, Dushko Petrovich, Frank Piatek, Dan Price, Eia Radosavljevic, Melissa Raman Molitor, David Raskin, Scott Reeder, Katrin Schnabl, Jim Trainor, Lan Tuazon, Oli Watt, Bess Williamson, Beth Wright, and Andrew S. Yang.

This 2022 edition of the Triennial marks the first in a newly conceived series dedicated to faculty work, which will occur every three years at SAIC Galleries as the featured exhibition of the fall semester. The 2022 SAIC Faculty Sabbatical Triennial is organized by Staci Boris, director of exhibitions, and Graduate Curatorial Assistants Clayton Kennedy (Dual MA 2023) and Christine Magill (Dual MA 2023). The SAIC Faculty Sabbatical Triennial Exhibition is supported by the Illinois Arts Council.

About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

For more than 155 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program ranked number two in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world, and adults, teens, and kids in our Continuing Studies classes have the opportunity to explore their creative sides, build portfolios, and advance their skills. Notable alumni and faculty include Georgia O’Keeffe, Nick Cave, David Sedaris, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Cynthia Rowley, Michelle Grabner, Richard Hunt, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Jeff Koons.

About SAIC Galleries

SAIC Galleries is a vibrant public art space located in the heart of Chicago’s Loop that features the boundary-pushing work of emerging and established contemporary artists and designers. SAIC Galleries offers 26,000 square feet of exhibition space for annual student and faculty shows, as well as special exhibitions featuring national and international artists. Admission is free.

Press Contacts
Bree Witt
bwitt@saic.edu