Terrain Exhibitions and the Chicago Artists Coalition are proud to present “I Am Conscious, I Am Love: Declaring Our Presence,” an installation by William Estrada, featuring sculptural work that reclaims public space as a sanctuary and a place for communion; a place to listen, a place to think, a place to talk, and a place to laugh while connecting guests through conversation.

“Declaring Our Presence” is an exhibition that is collaborative in spirit and democratic in practice. Through text, image, and sculpture, Estrada provides an intentional resource for guests to activate the exhibition through discussion and programmed activities. “Declaring Our Presence” is the second installation of I Am Conscious, I Am Love, a two-part series of site-responsive and site-specific installations staged publicly as a space for discovery, conversation, and collective strengthening.

“I Am Conscious, I am Love: Declaring Our Presence” is curated by Sadie Woods. You are cordially invited to the opening reception at Terrain Exhibitions, 704 Highland Avenue Oak Park, on Sunday, June 11th from 2:00-5:00pm. The opening reception will feature a mobile street art cart poster making workshop.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Adults only please for the reception.

ARTIST BIO

William Estrada was born to immigrant parents and grew up assembling memories in California, Mexico, and Chicago. His teaching and art making practice focuses on engaging the complex experiences within marginalized communities and contested spaces. He documents and analyzes public/private learning spaces to transform, question, and make connections to established and organic systems through discussion, creation, and promotion of counter narratives. William’s work is a discourse of existing images, text, and politics that appoints the audience to critically re-examine the meanings of their surroundings. As a teacher, artist, cultural worker, and urban anthropologist he reports, records, reveals, and imparts experiences you find in academic books, school halls, teacher lounges, kitchen tables, barrios, college campuses, and in the conversations of close friends. His current research is focused on developing community based and culturally relevant programs that question power structures of race, economy, and cultural access.

CURATOR BIO

Chicago native Sadie Woods received her BA from Columbia College and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her practice includes sound art and design, deejay performance, exhibition making, and collaborations within communities of difference. She has been a participant in Ecole du Magain’s International Curatorial Program and an editor of the “Harald Seemann Individual Methodology” project; resident artist of the Hyde Park Art Center’s Center Program; Resident Artist at ACRE; Artist-In-Residence at Nichols Tower Homan Square; Sponsored Artist at High Concept Labs; Resident Curator of Chicago Artists Coalition’s HATCH Projects; and Collaborator of Independent Curators International Dakar Intensive. Sadie is the recipient of the Bemis Center for the Arts Artist Residency; sound designer for Brujos Web Series; Curator-In-Residence at Art + Public Life Arts Incubator with La Keisha Leek; Resident Curator for Terrain-HATCH Projects; participating artist of Ten x Ten; resident DJ at Boleo at The Kimpton Gray Hotel; and Lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

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Tags: Chicago Artists' Coalition, HATCH Projects, I Am Conscious I Am Love: Declaring Our Presence, Oak Park, Sadie Woods, Terrain Exhibitions, William Estrada