Jackson Junge Gallery is proud to present its third-annual Ten by ten exhibition. Ten by ten is an open-submission exhibition showcasing the work of 275 artists, most being local to the Chicagoland area. The exhibit opens with an artist’s reception on November 8th, 2024, and is slated to close on January 12th, 2025. Admission is free to the public.

Ten by ten is a yearly celebration of Chicago’s diverse arts community, as well as an opportunity for both emerging artists and seasoned creators to exhibit alongside one another. With each piece in Ten by ten being a compact 10” x 10”, the show provides a sampling of each artist’s work and an opportunity for art lovers to discover new artists.

Featured in Ten by ten are many of Jackson Junge’s in-house artists, who exhibit their work in the gallery year-round. One of these artists is Richard Laurent, who describes his paintings as conceptual and symbolic; sometimes narrative. His piece The poet seems to share the story of a poem being written, showing the shadowy profile of a poet lost in thought. The dark shadows cast on their face make the painting feel like we are viewing a private moment. In contrast to Laurent’s quiet piece is in-house artist Autumn Justine Miller’s humorous Barnyard terror, showing an adorable little chick menacingly holding a hatchet. The mixture of innocence and mischief is a common theme in Miller's artwork and something she has become well known for.

Ten by ten consists of 426 artworks, making for a spectacular installation. Pieces with bold color and shape start to come into focus. One of these pieces is Marisa Leger’s painting Red40, named for its bright red subjects- a small bird perched atop a dog’s head. Leger’s works celebrate nature with a blend of realism and mysticism. This blend is beautifully demonstrated in Red40 and is certain to catch the eye. Another piece likely to grab attention is Loralyn Kumlin’s Room with a view. The piece features a figure in a room furnished only with aged floral wallpaper and one of Kumlin’s paintings on the wall. The figure is a 3D representation of the painting’s subject, a tall vase of flowers with an hourglass shape. Kumlin’s work seeks to understand the psychological nature of humans, and the piece certainly gives a lonely, uneasy feeling.

While bold works may draw you into the exhibition initially, works like Jenny Jing Zhang’s Echoes of steps in Milan with smaller, finer details keep you engaged in the exhibition by inviting you in for a closer view. Zhang is an illustrator and architectural designer who creates drawings with loose, organic lines that show busy city streets. In Echoes of steps in Milan, Zhang uses blocks of watercolor and linework to depict a busy crosswalk. Quiet, muted colors provide a nice balance to the chaotic scene.

In addition to these artists, also included in Ten by ten are many more of Jackson Junge’s in-house artists and regular guest artists. Their work will be on display during the exhibition running November 8th, 2024, through January 12th, 2025. Please join us in celebrating the wide range of work that Chicago’s artists have to offer.

Ten by ten is curated by Gallery Director Kaitlyn Miller, Assistant Gallery Director Kristen Arcus, Gallery Owner Chris Jackson and Gallery Assistants Marisa Taravella and Madeline Kirmse.