“William J. O’Brien: From Here to There”
Exhibition Dates: October 1 – November 14, 2025
Artist’s Reception: Sunday, October 12, 2025 from 1 to 4 p.m.
“Tea Dance” for National Coming Out Day
Visual Arts Gallery at GovState

William J. O’Brien’s multidisciplinary practice is rooted in a search for identity, connection, and genuine expression through material and process. Drawing inspiration from Modernism, spirituality, personal history, and the traditions of Outsider Art, his work spans drawing, ceramics, textiles, and sculpture. Repetition, ritual, and emotion guide his practice, which O’Brien describes as both refuge and offering—a way of coexisting in the world.

O’Brien has exhibited widely, with solo shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Renaissance Society, KMAC Museum, and MAD Museum in New York, among others. His work is held in the permanent collections of major institutions including the Hammer Museum, Pérez Art Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. A recipient of awards from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation and Artadia, he is also Professor and Chair of Ceramics at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

For O’Brien, art is not about explanation but experience: a dance of color, pattern, and form that reflects both struggle and joy, offering viewers a space for reflection, surprise, and solace.

More about the artist: https://williamjobrien.com/

Free and open to all,
Registration requested: https://engage.govst.edu/register/artistreception

ALSO ON VIEW:
“Seed Lynn: Archives of Black Carnivals, Masquerades & Parades”

Exhibition & Reception, E Lounge/Visual Arts Gallery, GovState
Sunday, October 12, 2025, from 1 to 4 p.m. with DJ Duane Powell

Free and open to all,
Registration requested: https://engage.govst.edu/register/artistreception
“Tea Dance” for National Coming Out Day, and a reception for the exhibit “William J. O’Brien: From Here to There”.

Experience the vibrant photography of Seed Lynn, who immerses himself in Black carnivals, parades, and masquerades across the globe. His images capture movement, memory, and community—joyful traditions that celebrate and sustain Black culture.
Join us for the inaugural exhibition of Seed Lynn’s archive and an afternoon reception featuring the sounds of DJ Duane Powell, one of Chicago’s most celebrated House Music DJs.

About the Artist – Seed Lynn
Seed Lynn is a cultural worker, writer, imagist, and artist based in Chicago. Through his photographic practice, he listens with sensitivity and illuminates narratives rooted primarily in Black communities. His work has been supported by the Gates Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, University of Chicago, and Chicago Public Schools.

His first solo show, This Heavenly Body, exploring Black roller-skating culture, debuted at Blanc Gallery in Chicago before traveling to Detroit. He has also exhibited House Heads Hug Better at Miyagi Records, and his photography of House Music culture was featured in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s blog.

About the DJ – Duane Powell

For more than two decades, DJ Duane Powell has built a reputation as one of the most sought-after DJs and a respected music historian. Named Chicago Reader’s Best House Music DJ in 2019, he has performed nationally and internationally, including a recent engagement in Ghana. His work has also been presented at Stanford University, the Goethe-Institut, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Powell created the celebrated House Music “Sunday Service” with the encouragement of artist Theaster Gates, and he continues to share his deep knowledge of Black music history through his Rear View Mirror Sessions lecture series. He also serves as trustee of the Frankie Knuckles Foundation, preserving the legacy of House Music’s “Godfather.”

Official Website

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Tags: DJ Duane Powell, From Here to There, GovState, IL, National Coming Out Day, Seed Lynn, Tea Dance, University Park, William J. O’Brien