An Artistic Approach to the New Year: Five Chicago Creatives Share Their Plans for 2020
Photo by Michael Salisbury
No place is it easy to forge a career from your creative pursuits. However, in Chicago there are certainly no shortcuts. A city of side-projects, it’s the norm throughout the arts & entertainment communities for people to spread their time and energy across multiple creative outlets, in addition to their personal development. It takes a pretty delicate, ever changing, balance to handle these matters and in a way that allows you handle everything gracefully. As we get settled into the new year, we check in with a few folks whose work we admire (and seem to do exactly that) to learn more about how they intend to approach the year ahead.
Photo by Michael Salisbury
Nolis Anderson • Photographer, Co-Founder of South Facing Windows
What was the highlight of your 2019 (personally &/or professionally)
The highlight of 2019 was starting my own professional studio space along with two of my peers, Alina Tsvor & Michael Salisbury, South Facing Windows.
Do you typically set new year’s resolutions & do you have one for 2020?
I typically don’t have any New Years resolutions. I try to use New Years to reflect and remind myself to be grateful for the position that I am in.
Do you have any important dates on your calendar yet for the year ahead?
Nothing in particular, freelance life can be a roller coaster of opportunities. At the moment I’m working on my personal work and finding the direction I want to go creatively. The important moments will come.
Who is a fellow creative whose work you’re excited for in coming months?
Joefreshgoods. He’s been one of my closest friends for over a decade now and I’m always impressed by the things that he’s been doing these last few years. Excited to see what his next moves will be this year.
What’s one thing you’d like to spend more time doing in 2020?
Finding myself and my direction with my personal work. It would be nice to get started on my third gallery.
Photo by Mike Sager
Kevin Shark • Associate Creative Director, Co-Founder of Bizarre Love
What was the highlight of your 2019 (personally &/or professionally)
I started 2019 out super over-extended. So the theme of the year was really paring back, and not always by choice - professionally, my focus narrowed to Bizarre Love (a fun lil project I do with Will Galvan that's more often than not a party celebrating dance music, but sometimes other things, too); and my agency work at rEvolution. The highlight was seeing the narrowed focus pay off broadly by the end of the year, and my favorite work for each of them came in November probably. We had three events for Bizarre Love in November - an after party at Blind Barber headlined by Channel Tres, our monthly at Virgin Hotels' Cerise Rooftop headlined by Jitwam, and an event done in collaboration with Art Institute After Dark surrounding the Andy Warhol exhibition which was played by Will, Garrett David, and Gilligan Moss. At the day job, some of my favorite work of my career - an ongoing campaign for the Chicago Fire - began to roll out, including an insane 50-foot mural by Max Sansing which you can find in the South Loop basically just by opening your eyes down there.
Do you typically set new year’s resolutions & do you have one for 2020?
My ongoing resolution is always to read one book more than the year prior - this year was the first in a few that I blew that one, and I blew it by enough that next year will be a cakewalk. I'm hoping to continue some basic printmaking classes that I've been taking at Spudnik Press Co-Operative. It's really exciting to make with my hands again, or for the first time, and to work without a brief. Most of the things I "make" are an interpretation of an existing goal, or a strategy to communicate an idea that isn't always mine. I hope to make more things without the guardrails of expectation. I'd also like to figure out how I like to style my hair. And learning to cook well would be nice, too.
Do you have any important dates on your calendar yet for the year ahead?
We're taking January off before diving into our monthly events at Cerise with Bizarre Love, but none of those dates are set set yet. I’m hopeful to do some things with Bizarre Love around keystone music and cultural events nationally like Movement, the summer festivals here in Chicago, and Art Basel. If we check off a few of those, I'll be over the moon. Beyond that, I'm very much looking forward to casting a vote for Bernie Sanders for President on November 3rd, 2020.
Who is a fellow creative whose work you’re excited for in coming months?
Oh man, so many. Definitely looking forward to seeing what the Internet Hotspot and Foster Project kids get up to. They make me feel old as hell in the best way. And I'm always excited to see what Churro is creating, and what Hidden Characters will drop. Hidden Characters have a direct line to my wallet... I have the IG post notifications on for 'em, and every time I see one come through it's a reminder that I'm about to have less money very soon.
Photo courtesy of Crystal Zapata
Crystal Zapata • Graphic Designer & Artist
What was the highlight of your 2019 (personally &/or professionally)
Personally: Eating jamón in the Spanish countryside
Professionally: I've somehow made it through another year of working non-stop.
What is one lesson you learned this year that you'll carry into next?
Tea > coffee
Do you typically set new year’s resolutions & do you have one for 2020?
Yes – in 2020 I want to be more intentional with my time and energy.
Do you have any important dates on your calendar yet for next year?
I have some huge dates on my calendar! They are all to be revealed eventually.
Who is a fellow creative whose work you’re excited for in coming months?
Too many to choose just one...
Where is one place you’d like to visit in the new year?
The desert
What’s one thing you’d like to spend more time doing in 2020?
Reading
Photo by Michael Salisbury
OJ Hays • Animator & Illustrator
What was the highlight of your 2019 (personally &/or professionally)
Personal and professional highlight of '19 are the same thing for me... my "Cloudsplitters" show back in February. It was my first major solo art show. It was in the office that I'd been working out of, and help build, for the past several years: the Haight/Nicework office in Bucktown. I had full control over the hours, programming, events, private hangs, ect... It was my first show of that size and really showed a lot of people what I'm capable of. Beyond that, it opened my eyes to the ways I could improve, and where I want to direct my art career moving forward. That show was certainly was my most proud moment as an artist... in life, not just 2019.
Do you typically set new year’s resolutions & do you have one for 2020?
I typically have some type of resolution or goal, at least in the form of general good or forward progression. This year I have LOTS of specific projects I'm trying to accomplish. I've been calling 2020 "The year of BIG VISIONS"... crystal clear 20/20 visions... I've set that intention, and have been thinking about it a lot heading into the new year/decade. I'm trying to set myself up to hit the ground running faster/better than ever. There's a classic quote that reads "A vision without execution, is merely a hallucination", and that's exactly how I'm seeing it. Time to execute.
Do you have any important dates on your calendar yet for next year.
I have personal-project deadlines I'd like to hit, but those are all personal and would mean nothing to the readers... I'll give you a date that's more of a "conceptual date" than a "numbers date"... The birth of "JUICELOOPS.LIVE!" This is a whole series of "live-art programming" that I'm developing. I've been doing a wide range of this stuff already... creative-thinking lectures, live-performance paintings, interactive installations, hands on workshops, etc... but this is a whole other level-up! Significantly more organized into a complete thought. It's been quite creatively-exciting already. This is my best work yet, and I feel like this is just the beginning!
Who is a fellow creative whose work you’re excited for next year?
I have a lot of creative friends across a variety of disciplines: art, music, skateboarding, beyond... There's a lot of artistic growth I'm excited about. As far as specifics, Knox Fortune comes to mind. He's got a lot of very exciting stuff on the horizon.
Where is one place you’d like to visit next year?
There's a whole list of places I'm trying to hit. I'd like to start the year in the bay. Some of the other places include New York, Tokyo, Rio, Sao Paulo, London, beyond... it’s a long list. I'm trying to go everywhere.
Photo courtesy of Evie The Cool
Evie The Cool • DJ, Founder of Babes Only
What was the highlight of your 2019 (personally &/or professionally)?
A personal highlight for me this year would be getting out of my toxic relationship, it feels like I have become a completely new person. I also moved into a bigger apartment that feels like a real home, it's been years since I had this.
Professional highlights would include: being invited to the Obama Summit, working with Virgin Hotels, The Hoxton, Soho House, + more, and creating a lot of spaces where women feel inspired and empowered.
What is one lesson you learned this year that you'll carry into next?
A lesson I learned this year is not to rush into anything, I have a lot more time than I thought I did.
Do you typically set new year’s resolutions & do you have one for 2020?
I really don't set New Year's resolutions but I have been awaiting 2020 for a few years now. I would love to stay positive and remain focused throughout. I have a lot of goals that I am hoping to accomplish.
Do you have any important dates on your calendar yet for next year?
Thus far the only thing with an important date that I am sure of is my birthday on May 26th. I will be turning 32 in 2020.
Who is a fellow creative whose work you’re excited for in coming months?
I am very excited about Elise Swopes, Brianna Smith, Hot Fun Mia and Lily Mercer's upcoming work. They have all been killing it in their creative fields so I know 2020 will be something special for them.
Where is one place you’d like to visit in the new year?
I have always wanted to go to Canada, I am hoping to create some opportunities for myself out there. Would also like to continue building my relationships in Europe.
