Chicago Alliance
of Visual Artists
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CAVA is a volunteer not-for-profit organization founded in 1988 to serve artists aged 50+. We're dedicated to giving our over 300 members throughout Chicagoland the opportunity to exhibit artwork in at least three exhibits annually in such notable venues as the Chicago Cultural Center, Evanston Art Center, Bridgeport Art Center, Beverly Arts Center, and the Leslie Wolfe Gallery in Old Town.
Creating art can be a solitary occupation—CAVA organizes and presents events for older artists to come together through its exhibitions, salons, member luncheons, workshops, annual Symposium, and special events. For more information, visit our CONTACT page, and sign up for our e-newsletter.
CAVA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:
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Exhibit in the Annual Members Show;
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Enter the juried Later Impressions exhibition;
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Engage in various group and media-focused exhibitions
we organize throughout the Chicago area; -
Participate in membership social and educational programs, including our Salon/Critique Events; CAVA's Intergenerational Projects; Artist Studio Visits; and the annual CAVA Symposium.
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FEATURED CAVA ARTIST
JAN ELBERT grew up exploring the woods, creeks and overgrown paths around her childhood home in eastern Tennessee. That early experience instilled a respect for the natural world that has continued to the present. She has followed different paths in making art—an early career in ceramics, then sculpture, and now 2D work. Says Jan, “I now paint primarily with oil on canvas, and also work with pastels over watercolor.”
Gold Shines, oil on canvas
After earning post-graduate degrees at San Jose State, she moved from the Bay Area in California to Chicago in the late 1980s. She taught ceramics for a few years at Loyola University, and settled into a 20-year stint as senior graphic designer at Harper College in Palatine, IL. Since retiring in 2020, Jan has concentrated on painting, developing her skills with new materials by taking classes and workshops.
Tell Us of the Reef, oil on canvas
“Impressions from the landscape are an important focus in my paintings,” says Jan. “My volunteer experience with a prairie-restoration group provides inspiring views of grasses and savannas. My inspiration can come from seeing stunning sunlit grasses in a field,” she says, “or from witnessing a prescribed burn, calling up different imagery.”
Alchemy of a Burn, oil on canvas
Issues concerning over-developed, degraded natural environments are an ongoing concern for Jan, and are reflected in her recent work. “My newer paintings aim to display the web of inter-connectedness that underlies our shared ecosystems,” she says. “I hope my art enhances viewers' awareness of the need to preserve these vital environmental spaces.”
Profit and Plunder, oil on canvas
To find out more about Jan, and see more of her work, CLICK HERE to follow her on Instagram.