Visions of Venus: Second Floor Exhibition Space

Throughout history, Venus has stood as the great archetype of love, beauty, enticement, seduction, sexuality, eroticism, fertility, desire and prosperity. As the goddess of love, she was seen as having blessed the unions of mortals by taming and assimilating the male essence and blending it with the female. As a fertility symbol, she was revered as the mother of the Roman people. As a “changer of hearts,” she was seen as a transformative force that encouraged her followers to cherish their sexuality and celebrate it in the context of love, marriage and family. In yet another incarnation, she was seen as the motivator of women on behalf of the military and the state. In all of her aspirations and intents, she is still perceived today as the embodiment of all things feminine and the complementary opposite of her male cognate, Mars. Venus, whether in a contemporary or classical incarnation, represents the female way of being, seeing and creating.

Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt is the co-curator of The Bennett Collection, a collection of contemporary figurative realist paintings of women that she co-created with her collaborator and spouse, Steven Alan Bennett. She is a student of classical mythology and well-known presence among collectors of figurative realist paintings.

With work by: Doug Webb, Victoria Selbach, Daniel Maidman, Dianne Gall, Aleah Chapin, Jessica Benjamin, Julie Bell, Injung Oh, Julyan Davis, Anna Wypych, Erin Anderson, Wesley Wofford, Marco Gallotta, Debra Balchen, Alexandra Manukyan, Kirsten Stingle, Debra Livingston, Steven Daluz, John Hunn, Suzanne Anan, Carmen Chami, Elizabeth Claire Ospina, Joe Nicastri, Janet Cook, Daniela Kovacic, Jan Anders Nelson, Daggi Wallace, Carrie Pearce,
Sarah Stieber, David Molesky, Graham Bruce-Richards, ,Elliott Stokes, Alessandro Tomassetti, Daire Lynch, Linda Tracey Brandon, Donna Bates, Jennifer Hartzler, Jodi Gerbi, Tina Spratt, Regina Jacobson, James Daniel, Kelly Birkenruth, Kyrin Ealy Hobson, Jason Mcphillips, Lesley Thiel, Pegah Samaie, Rick Price, Robert Stanley, Tyler Streeter, Scott O’neil, Christopher Cart, Mike Brewer, and Hannah Moghbel

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Open Studios: Lower Level, 3rd Floor, 4th Floor

Our resident artists welcome you to the space and their current work. 3 floors of artist studios to visit and over 60 artists in residence!

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Tags: Aleah Chapin, Alessandro Tomassetti, Alexandra Manukyan, Anna Wypych, Bridgeport, Carmen Chami, Carrie Pearce, Chicago, Christopher Cart, Daggi Wallace, Daire Lynch, Daniel Maidman, Daniela Kovacic, David Molesky, Debra Balchen, Debra Livingston, Dianne Gall, Donna Bates, Doug Webb, Elaine Melotti Schmidt, Elizabeth Claire Ospina, Elliott Stokes, Erin Anderson, Graham Bruce-Richards, Hannah Moghbel, Illinois, Injung Oh, James Daniel, Jan Anders Nelson, Janet Cook, Jason E. McPhillips, Jason McPhillips, Jennifer Hartzler, Jessica Benjamin, Jodi Gerbi, Joe Nicastri, John Hunn, Julie Bell, Julyan Davis, Kelly Birkenruth, Kirsten Stingle, Kyrin Ealy Hobson, Lesley Thiel, Linda Tracey Brandon, Marco Gallotta, Mike Brewer, Pegah Samaie, Regina Jacobson, Rick Price, Robert Stanley, Sarah Stieber, Scott O'neil, Steven Daluz, Suzanne Anan, Tina Spratt, Tyler Streeter, Victoria Selbach, Visions of Venus, Wesley Wofford, zhou b art center