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 200 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 Studio Visits; and the annual CAVA Symposium.
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FEATURED CAVA ARTIST
XAVIER NUEZ
is an acclaimed, award-winning photographer whose unusual, innovative,
and painterly approach to lighting and photography has created a
The artist at work in the field
distinct celebration of all things scary, ugly, or boring. As he says, "You don't need to stand in front of something interesting to be a better photographer."
Razor, 2016
Thirty years ago, Nuez had an epiphany: by mastering light, he could begin to find all the beauty he knew was hiding in the shadows. His striking and powerful artworks are a culmination of years obsessively dedicated to understanding light and color, and from having a compassion for and sensitivity to those things often unacknowledged and ignored by society. He became determined to elevate overlooked things — the ordinary and boring, the shunned, scary, ugly, and outcast — to take on an unexpected, monumental status.
The Gate is Open, 2022
Nuez's photographs have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries internationally, including the Illinois State Museum in Chicago, IL; the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art in California; the Instituto Cervantes Chicago; the Attleboro Art Museum in Massachusetts; and the San Diego Art Institute. His work is in numerous collections worldwide, including those of the Illinois State Museum; the University of Richmond Museum in Virginia; the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND; the Norfolk Southern Collection; the Vicente Fox Library and Museum in
Mexico; and the private collections of Mr. Danny DeVito and Ms. Angela Lansbury. The New York Times has called his Alleys & Ruins photographic series “a masterpiece.”
The Quiet After the Storm, 2018
Xavier’s family is from Spain. He was born in Montreal, and lives in Chicago. He and his wife Nikki manage their Chicago photography studio in the Albany Carroll Arts Building, where they present extensive hands-on "Light Painting" workshops, exploring the photographic techniques Xavier has developed over the years. In between exhibitions and class sessions, they travel the U.S., presenting his work at many of the nation's best art fairs. Two or three nights a week he can be found at Johnny’s IceHouse playing hockey.
To learn more about Xavier, and to see the schedule of "Light Painting workshops and portfolios of his thematic work, click here to visit his website.