In 2016, Amy Krouse Rosenthal envisioned a different kind of beauty salon: a forum where artists, authors, musicians, and others would convene to talk about and work on the beautiful things they were making. This exhibition is the first iteration of the concept. The gallery will reflect several spaces the prolific author frequented, inviting visitors to sit and read, write, and/or engage in interactive initiatives presented on the gallery walls. Never-before-seen drawings, notebooks and other inspirational materials will also be on view. Extensive programming featuring her many collaborators will highlight / extend this author’s life work.

All of Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s (AKR) work had a profound simplicity to it. Whether it was her children’s books, adult books, visual art, happenings, musical events, videos, radio segments, or performances, she made the ordinary into something extraordinary. Her focus on the magic in seemingly small, mundane things cultivated a sense of community and universality. AKR: A Beauty Salon will be an amalgam of experiences designed to encourage visitors to experience and participate in the generous creative energy that AKR represented and offered.

The gallery will present a series of environments designed to encourage the exploration of the intertwined facets of AKR’s creative energies. One area will be a re-creation a coffee shop (specifically Filter Cafe in Wicker Park, Chicago), which was one of AKR’s favorite places to sit and think. This will include sofas, coffee tables, and free coffee. A second area contains a selection of AKR’s notebooks and ephemera. Visitors can interact with a gumball machine that will dispense missions conceived by AKR. In another area, there will be two bookshelves of AKR titles, where visitors—especially children—are invited to relax on beanbags and peruse. One dedicated wall in the gallery will invite visitors to make their own mark in response to prompts based on AKR’s work.

Over the course of AKR: A Beauty Salon, there will be a variety of events, lectures, and salons revolving around AKR’s ideas that reflect her passion for collaboration. In addition to several pop-up events including yoga classes and a temporary tattoo parlor, there will be a concentrated series of events starting August 9th (also officially known as Amy Krouse Rosenthal Day in Chicago) through August 12. Participants will include author John Green, writer Claire Zulkey, radio host Justin Kaufmann, filmmaker Steve Delahoyde, DJ Hurley Mower, advertiser David Jones, illustrator Tom Lichtenheld, and musician Nick Gage.

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Tags: AKR: A Beauty Salon, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Claire Zulkey, David Jones, Hurley Mower, John Green, Justin Kaufmann, Nick Gage, Steve Delahoyde, Tom Lichtenheld