Artists Jennifer Cronin and Annie Hejny in Conversation: Lessons on Sustaining an Art Practice and Staying Inspired.

What does sustaining an art practice look like? [salonlb.] invites you to an intimate evening with artists Jennifer Cronin and Annie Hejny, who join us to share the lessons they’ve learned while supporting themselves as full-time artists.

Jen and Annie come together to talk about their experiences transitioning into a career as artists and the habits and skills they’ve developed to sustain their art practices. Discussing topics such as business basics, goal-setting and routines, staying inspired, and how to “embrace your season,” they open up to share both their art and journey as artists.

Jennifer Cronin and Annie Hejny are currently featured in the group exhibition “Se son rose, fioriranno” on view until Friday, July 16th at [salonlb.]. “Se son rose, fioriranno” features an esteemed group of 23 local and international artists. Each artist’s work explores the relationship between art and nature through a wide range of approaches and diverse creative practices that reflect the natural world around us. “Se son rose, fioriranno” is an Italian phrase used to calm disquiet concerns, assuring us that “If they are roses, they will bloom.” The poetic nuance and hopeful optimism of this expression explains that matters are often out of our control. What is meant to be, will be.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Jennifer Cronin

Jennifer Cronin is a Chicago-based visual artist known for her uncanny realistic paintings that explore what it means to be a human living in this world. Cronin’s work has evolved many times over, exploring psychology, domesticity, economic inequality, and climate change. With each iteration is a new attempt to find meaning amidst chaos, and to take comfort in the fabric of our human connection.
While Cronin has spent over a decade absorbed in the craft of oil painting, in recent years she has branched out, exploring new subjects and approaches. She has oscillated from stark to light-hearted subjects, and delved into screen printing, mural painting, digital illustration, and animation. With each new approach, Cronin continues to find ways explore our innate emotional connection to one another, tapping into our shared sense of joy, fear, love, and longing. Jennifer works in her at-home studio in Chicago and is represented by Elephant Room Gallery and [salonlb.].

Annie Hejny

Annie Irene Hejny is a voice for the earth. Her lifelong connection with nature has developed into a visual language through abstract paintings and drawings. She has exhibited her artwork in many solo and group exhibitions in galleries such as the Katherine Nash Gallery (Minneapolis, MN), The Phipps Center for the Arts (Hudson, WI) and Form + Content Gallery (Minneapolis, MN). Her largest solo exhibition to-date at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in 2018 (Winona, MN) received 10,000+ visitors.
Over the past five years, she has successfully completed over 50 commissioned projects for galleries, private collections, and public institutions, locally and nationwide, including The University of Minnesota Mill City Clinic and Hilton Embassy Suites. Her artwork is in the permanent collections of the Minnesota Vikings Art Collection, Minnesota Marine Art Museum and the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota.
She was an artist-in-residence with Lanesboro Arts (2017), The Science Museum of Minnesota Pine Needles Residency (2018), Grand Marais Art Colony (2019) and Anderson Center (2021). As a 2020 recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, her research at the intersection of an artistic practice and forest therapy is a new frontier in community healing with the earth.

ABOUT [SALONLB.]:

[ salonlb. ] is a multidisciplinary exhibition space and forum designed to engage critically with the arts, supporting emerging and mid-career artists, with an emphasis on sculpture, mixed-media, and contemporary craft. Through innovative exhibitions and collaborative practices, [ salonlb. ] provides a creative platform for artists and inclusive spaces for patrons to make genuine connections with art and contemporary expression. Located in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, [ salonlb. ] features over 10,000 square feet of multi-use creative space in a landmark loft-style warehouse, former home to the historic Spiegel Catalog Company.

Details for your visit:

PARKING: When you arrive, please park in the lot located on the westside of the building (across the street from the Zhou B Art Center and Tripp-Lite Facility). There is also plenty of metered street parking available along 35th Street.

ENTER: Enter the building through the main doors located adjacent to the parking lot (to the right of the loading dock). From the lobby, take the elevator up to the 5th floor. salonlb. is located at the end of the long hallway.

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Tags: Annie Hejny, Bridgeport, Jennifer Cronin, Lessons on Sustaining an Art Practice and Staying Inspired, salonlb., Sustainable Practices