A bevy of international, female artists explore and express, in a dazzling array of mediums, what it means to be Feminist

[salonlb.] is proud to present “Feminist to The Core”, a group exhibition that celebrates all female artists from across the globe. The exhibition will kick off with an opening reception on August 18th, from 6-10PM, featuring a live performance of “She’s Only Sleeping”, a feminist Adaption of the Sleeping Beauty Fairy tale, by artist/performer Ginny Sykes and Joel Hall Dancers Artistic Director Jacqueline Sinclair, at 7:30PM.

[salonlb.] is a 10,000 square foot industrial loft-style, creative gallery and event space located in the heart of Bridgeport's Arts District. Curators Gone Rogue is the creative force comprised of Susan Aurinko and Susan Blackman. “We are two think-outside-the-box, fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants Susan’s who decided that Chicago artists need a different kind of presence in our city, something beyond the brick-and-mortar galleries,” said Susan Aurinko.

Susan Aurinko has curated over 250 exhibitions, at FLATFILEgalleries, the gallery she founded and directed for nine years, and in a variety of other and venues including IIT, Chicago Photography Center, and created exhibitions for both the Japanese and Danish governments. Susan Blackman has been involved in all aspects of the art business world for 35 years; from managing five galleries, owning her own gallery for seven years, and as the principal of Art Advisory, Ltd. for over 20 years.

“We’ve been popping up shows for a few years, intent on getting artists into the marketplace.  We were talking about it one day and realized that we could do more – be more activists as curators. Everything going on in our country provoked us to reach out to women artists, to give them a voice through their art, to create a show that would encourage other women artists to express their angst and displeasure with the turn things are taking.  “Feminist to the Core” is that show.  These are well-known artists, taking a stand, speaking their minds through their art. [salonlb.] is a beautiful space with a great, open-minded program – we felt it was a perfect fit for this exhibition,” added Susan Aurinko.

The “Feminist to the Core” exhibition is the curatorial collaboration between Curators Gone Rogue and [salonlb.], featuring over 25 artists working in a wide range of mediums from around the world, expressing the artists’ experiences and visions of feminism.

Participating artists include Lisa Jean Allswede, Susan Aurinko, Bridgette Bramlage, Lauren Brescia, Patty Carroll, Julie Carcione, Laura Collins, Jennifer Cronin, Rebecca Cynamon-Murphy, Kim Dotty Hachmann, Savannah Jubic, Iyomi Ho Ken, Barbara Kendrick, Aga Kubiak, Britni Mara, Paula Martinez, Bobbi Meier, Maggie Meiners, Eve Ozer, Melissa Ann Pinney, Sara Salass, Sondra Schwetman, Suzanna Scott, Shima Star, Ginny Sykes, Sydney Vize, and Holly Wong.

[salonlb.] will host multiple events during the run of the show including “FemmeFilmFest” – an evening of video and film shorts by Feminist filmmakers from six countries, workshops, performance art, artist talks, and a panel discussion by artists in the exhibition.  

“We are thrilled to partner with Susan Aurinko and Susan Blackman to bring this hugely important exhibition to the gallery and put a spotlight on female artists working in a variety of mediums,” said Lauren Brescia, Founder + Creative Director. “At [salonlb.], our mission is to create a thoughtfully curated, alternative art experience that both engages the art community and continues to support artists. We look forward to introducing our patrons to these artists and their mission and welcoming art enthusiasts to the lively Bridgeport art scene.”