Evoke, a queer-owned art gallery and production studio on the Northwest Side that just celebrated its first anniversary, is taking a stand against commercialization with its newest exhibition.
“Not For Sale: A Radical Statement on Art, Value and Integrity” opened Jan. 10 at Evoke, 3040 N. Central Ave. and features works spanning a variety of media—all for viewing purposes only.
By creating an exhibition of art that cannot be bought, curators Hex Parsons and Greg Rose said they hope to make a statement against the commodification of art and redefine galleries as a space for self-expression.
“Sometimes you make a piece that is so personal and intimate, so to have someone purchase it for a price is demeaning,” said Parsons, who is also CEO and co-founder of Evoke. “We wanted to provide an opportunity here to exhibit works that aren’t for sale, and allow artists to share works that are special to them without some of that red tape.”
The exhibition features everything from oil paintings to neon chandeliers, textile work, floating sculptures, video and furniture, Parsons said.
One piece, a painting named “My Swan” by Chicago-based artist October Sharify, is a “devotional painting” to the artist’s partner that they made a couple years into the relationship.
The painting lives in Sharify and their partner’s home and has never been featured in a gallery before, they said.
Sharify said they were drawn to the theme behind “Not For Sale” because it removes the pressure of creating art for the purpose of generating sales, allowing for a more authentic form of expression.
“I feel like it was really important for this painting to be in ‘Not For Sale’ because it gives a little peek into the private lives of artists that doesn’t necessarily make it to the market,” Sharify said.
The exhibition also features three pieces by New Mexico-based artist Hannah Paz-Westbrook, who created a chalk mural, fabric installation and video project.
The chalk mural, which Paz-Westbrook made on-site during a trip to Indianapolis, is titled “Madre Tierra” and features a “feminine landscape” that draws comparisons between the female form and mountains or other natural occurrences, she said.
The fabric installation incorporates hand-painted silks and other pieces of fabrics that hang from the ceiling to create a whimsical installation, Paz-Westbrook said. The video piece, “the Line Becomes a River,” is a performance piece in which Paz-Westbrook paints her face with different colors, only for the paint to be washed away by rain.
“The idea behind ‘Not For Sale’ resonates so much with the work that I love to make because a lot of my art—like the mural or video project—is hard to sell as an object,” Paz-Westbrook said. “I also really like the idea of creating art that can only be experienced for a limited time.”
Other artists featured in “Not For Sale” include Sarah Hairston, Payton Harris Woodard, Janette Torres, Delisha Mckinney and Alejandra Carillo.
A handful of the artists featured in “Not For Sale” will be at an artist talk for the exhibition happening 5-8 p.m. Jan. 18. Tickets are free and available here.
People can also view the exhibition by appointment only through Feb. 8. Visits can be scheduled by emailing admin@evokechi.com or reaching out to the gallery on its social media pages.
“This exhibition is truly something special and the culmination of ideas and conversations we’ve shared in Evoke,” Parsons said. “There are a lot of artists who share these ideals, and we’re excited about the conversations this gallery is sparking.”
“Not For Sale” is the seventh show Evoke has organized since the gallery launched in January 2024, said Fabian Sotelo, co-founder of Evoke.
Since opening, the organization was able to move locations from a warehouse in Belmont Cragin to its current storefront, which Parsons said allowed for the creators to make more immersive experiences with their galleries.
Now entering their second year, the team behind Evoke hope to expand on its offerings and solidify Evoke as a “third space” that builds community around art, Rose said.
“We’re going to be holding more artist talks, along with a slew of other community-focused activities like book clubs or make-and-take workshops,” Rose said. “We want to ignite that creativity in everyone, make it easier for people to build relationships with artists and build an even stronger sense of community.”