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 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
BARBARA EBERHARD
is an inter- disciplinary artist whose work has been exhibited throughout the United States. She was awarded a B.A. in Theatre from Lewis University,
completed her M.A. in Fine Art at Governor’s State University, and taught at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL.
Barbara’s photographic work is often textural and dreamlike, and she combines it with other media to examine subjects ranging from patriotism (I Pledge Allegiance), to street performance (Dancers), to captured moments in time (Gum on the Street). Her series Behind the Prison Walls features twenty-five images printed on metal exploring the life and history of the Old Joliet Prison (built 1858, closed in 2002). Her photos present the chapel, hospital, destruction of the administration building, and even an underground tunnel, and provide a wealth of information about prisoner’s lives, prison architecture, working conditions, and a few of the famous residents.
Detail from Behind the Prison Walls
“I mostly work in gum bichromate (a photographic printing process from the 1880s),” explains Barbara. "This process combines printmaking, watercolor, and photography, and requires complete engagement of the artist. I feel there's an emotional quality to the gum print, and the results resemble dreams or scenes from memory. There’s also a mystery to each print that allows viewers to find their own meaning in each one. I find this media to be meditative and hands-on as I manipulate and create each image. While working on a print, layer-by-layer, day-by-day, I become intimate with the image, as it leaves an imprint on my mind, heart, and soul.”
From the Dancers series
In her most recent work, Blossom Voices, Barbara incorporates poetry and mixed media. She’s also been revisiting her roots in theater and performing arts, and this summer she initiated a series of Live Lit Storytelling events in her garden.
Click here to find out more about Barbara, and see more of her work on her website.
Above: Floating,
Below: If You Go Away,
from the Blossom Voices series
