Circle Contemporary

Circle Contemporary Circle Contemporary is a multi-purpose exhibition space within locations in Chicago and Glenview. C

Circle Contemporary is a multi purpose exhibition space located in Chicago IL. Circle Contemporary is an extension of the Arts of Life studio aimed at showcasing a diverse range of creative practices from individuals of all talents and abilities. Circle Contemporary strives for strengthening the local creative community by providing a space and outlet for artistic inspiration and exploration. The

Arts of Life advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.

REMINDER!!! Our intrepid guest curator will be hosting EXPO walkthrough hours for their exhibition The Threshold Varie...
04/09/2026

REMINDER!!! Our intrepid guest curator will be hosting EXPO walkthrough hours for their exhibition The Threshold Varies this Saturday April 11th, from 5-8 pm.

RADAR is pleased to present The Threshold Varies, a group exhibition featuring artists who engage in perception as something that is variable, contingent, and unstable.

Artists include Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez, Ben Gould, Paul Heyer, Katrina Jackson, Will Krauland, Lawrence M., Susan Pasowicz, Forrest Frederick, Noelia Towers, and Lucy Walsh.


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Special thanks to and for the printing and mounting assistance.

RADAR is a curatorial platform supporting artists and their practices in the Midwest, founded by . Learn more at radarmidwest.com

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Saturday, April 11th from 5:00-8:00pm
During EXPO ART WEEK, join guest curator Madeline Gallucci—artist and founder of RADAR—for an inside look at the exhibition The Threshold Varies. Gallucci will share insights into the curatorial framework behind the exhibition and discuss RADAR’s mission to support Midwest artists through emerging and collaborative initiatives.

The Threshold Varies brings together 11 artists who treat perception as something that is variable, contingent, and unstable. Featuring Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez, Ben Gould, Paul Heyer, Katrina Jackson, Will Krauland, Lawrence M, Susan Pasowicz, Forrest Frederick, Noelia Towers, and Lucy Walsh, the works in the exhibition operate between containment and overflow, hovering at the limits of visibility and testing how intensity becomes legible.

Hi my dears, We are very excited to be presenting our next exhibition opening tomorrow Friday March 13th from 5-8 pm. ...
03/12/2026

Hi my dears,

We are very excited to be presenting our next exhibition opening tomorrow Friday March 13th from 5-8 pm.

RADAR is pleased to present The Threshold Varies, a group exhibition featuring artists who engage in perception as something that is variable, contingent, and unstable.

Artists include Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez, Ben Gould, Paul Heyer, Katrina Jackson, Will Krauland, Lawrence M., Susan Pasowicz, Forrest Frederick, Noelia Towers, and Lucy Walsh.


!







.





Special thanks to and for the printing and mounting assistance.

RADAR is a curatorial platform supporting artists and their practices in the Midwest, founded by . Learn more at radarmidwest.com

—
Saturday, April 11th from 5:00-8:00pm
During EXPO ART WEEK, join guest curator Madeline Gallucci—artist and founder of RADAR—for an inside look at the exhibition The Threshold Varies. Gallucci will share insights into the curatorial framework behind the exhibition and discuss RADAR’s mission to support Midwest artists through emerging and collaborative initiatives.

The Threshold Varies brings together 11 artists who treat perception as something that is variable, contingent, and unstable. Featuring Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez, Ben Gould, Paul Heyer, Katrina Jackson, Will Krauland, Lawrence M, Susan Pasowicz, Forrest Frederick, Noelia Towers, and Lucy Walsh, the works in the exhibition operate between containment and overflow, hovering at the limits of visibility and testing how intensity becomes legible.

Hi my dears, We are very excited to be presenting our next exhibition opening tomorrow Friday March 13th from 5-8 pm. ...
03/12/2026

Hi my dears,

We are very excited to be presenting our next exhibition opening tomorrow Friday March 13th from 5-8 pm.

RADAR is pleased to present The Threshold Varies, a group exhibition featuring artists who engage in perception as something that is variable, contingent, and unstable.

Artists include Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez, Ben Gould, Paul Heyer, Katrina Jackson, Will Krauland, Lawrence M., Susan Pasowicz, Forrest Frederick, Noelia Towers, and Lucy Walsh.

Join us for an opening reception on Friday, March 13 from 5:00–8:00pm at
!







.





Special thanks to and for the printing and mounting assistance.

RADAR is a curatorial platform supporting artists and their practices in the Midwest, founded by . Learn more at radarmidwest.com

—
Saturday, April 11th from 5:00-8:00pm
During EXPO ART WEEK, join guest curator Madeline Gallucci—artist and founder of RADAR—for an inside look at the exhibition The Threshold Varies. Gallucci will share insights into the curatorial framework behind the exhibition and discuss RADAR’s mission to support Midwest artists through emerging and collaborative initiatives.
The Threshold Varies brings together 11 artists who treat perception as something that is variable, contingent, and unstable. Featuring Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez, Ben Gould, Paul Heyer, Katrina Jackson, Will Krauland, Lawrence M, Susan Pasowicz, Forrest Frederick, Noelia Towers, and Lucy Walsh, the works in the exhibition operate between containment and overflow, hovering at the limits of visibility and testing how intensity becomes legible.

Hi folks, Join us this Friday February 27th, 5-8 for the closing of 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 curated by The show...
02/26/2026

Hi folks,

Join us this Friday February 27th, 5-8 for the closing of 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 curated by

The show features works by:

Sonya Bogdanova – Kacie Lees – Melissa McClung – Susan Pasowicz – John Phelan – Carol Peyes – Tim Stone – Kevin Stuart – Amy Vogel
 

In the late 1970s, Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan posited two types of sensory-cultural paradigms: visual and acoustic space. According to McLuhan, we in the industrialized West live in visual space. We transitioned to this during the time of the Greeks, and it was reinforced during the Renaissance. He writes that, since, “Western civilization has been mesmerized by a picture of the universe as a limited container in which all things are arranged according to the vanishing point, in linear geometric order.”
He continues, “Such is the power of Euclidian or visual space that we can’t live with a circle unless we square it.”
Acoustic space, he contends, existed for hundreds of thousands of years prior (and still outlives the Greeks in certain cultures). “The world was multicentered and reverberating,” he writes. “It was gyroscopic. Life was like being inside a sphere, 360 degrees without margins; swimming underwater; or balancing on a bicycle.” Acoustic space does not represent things “one-at-a-time” with the “uniform ethos of the alphabet.” Rather, it “comes to us from above, below, and the sides.”
This is not merely a morphological concept. McLuhan implies that whichever paradigm a culture accepts determines in large part that society’s “perception of sanity.” Optical, linear logic tends towards hierarchy, exclusion, and—McLuhan ventures—even violence: “something is either in that space or not.” I think this determination is political in an age of division and persecution. 
So this exhibition is a thought experiment: is visual art doomed to visual space? Can visual artists escape the vanishing point and capture the multicentered and reverberating, non-hierarchical aspects of acoustic space?

Hi folks, Join us tonight 5-8 for the opening of 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 curated by The show features works by:...
02/06/2026

Hi folks,

Join us tonight 5-8 for the opening of 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 curated by

The show features works by:

Sonya Bogdanova – Kacie Lees – Melissa McClung – Susan Pasowicz – John Phelan – Carol Peyes – Tim Stone – Kevin Stuart – Amy Vogel
 

GUEST CURATOR:
Danny Floyd is an artist, researcher, curator, and educator based in Chicago. He holds a BFA in Photography from RISD, an MA in Visual & Critical Studies, and an MFA in Sculpture, both from SAIC. He is an Assistant Professor, Adjunct of Visual & Critical Studies, and the Undergraduate Division at SAIC. He also served as the Exhibitions Director for ACRE. Since 2013, he has been an active part of Chicago’s artist-run space community through two programs, Ballroom Projects and Adler & Floyd. He has held curatorial residencies with ACRE and Chicago Artists Coalition. He was also awarded the Ga***rd and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Curatorial Fellowship in 2017. He has attended studio residencies at ACRE; AS220 in Providence, RI; Earthbound Moon in Eugene, OR; The Residency Project in Pasadena, CA; and The Roger Brown House in New Buffalo, MI. He began his teaching career in 2010 at a self-proclaimed “postmodern art camp” in Western Massachusetts for children aged 11 to 16 whose freewheeling ethos of interdisciplinary experimentation still informs his teaching and art-making.

Hi folks,Due to extreme temperatures forecast for tomorrow we have decided to postpone the opening reception for our nex...
01/22/2026

Hi folks,

Due to extreme temperatures forecast for tomorrow we have decided to postpone the opening reception for our next exhibition. 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 will now open Friday February 6th from 5-8 pm. Stay warm out there folks!

The show features works by:

Sonya Bogdanova – Kacie Lees – Melissa McClung – Susan Pasowicz – John Phelan – Carol Peyes – Tim Stone – Kevin Stuart – Amy Vogel
 

GUEST CURATOR:
Danny Floyd is an artist, researcher, curator, and educator based in Chicago. He holds a BFA in Photography from RISD, an MA in Visual & Critical Studies, and an MFA in Sculpture, both from SAIC. He is an Assistant Professor, Adjunct of Visual & Critical Studies, and the Undergraduate Division at SAIC. He also served as the Exhibitions Director for ACRE. Since 2013, he has been an active part of Chicago’s artist-run space community through two programs, Ballroom Projects and Adler & Floyd. He has held curatorial residencies with ACRE and Chicago Artists Coalition. He was also awarded the Ga***rd and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Curatorial Fellowship in 2017. He has attended studio residencies at ACRE; AS220 in Providence, RI; Earthbound Moon in Eugene, OR; The Residency Project in Pasadena, CA; and The Roger Brown House in New Buffalo, MI. He began his teaching career in 2010 at a self-proclaimed “postmodern art camp” in Western Massachusetts for children aged 11 to 16 whose freewheeling ethos of interdisciplinary experimentation still informs his teaching and art-making.

We will be hosting closing hours for our current exhibition Hail Mary guest curated by and Friday January 9, 2026
5:00 ...
01/07/2026

We will be hosting closing hours for our current exhibition Hail Mary guest curated by and

Friday January 9, 2026
5:00 – 8:00 pm.

Featuring works by:

Omar Abulsheikh – Marcelo Aguilar –Renata Berdes – Veronica Cuculich – Danny Frownfelter – Amanda Gantner – Ted Gram-Boarini – Michelle Grabner – Ellen Hanson –Stefan Harhaj – Anna Horvath – Aaron Kleeblatt – Rebecca Kubica – Harry Kuttner – Christianne Msall – Ed Oh – Paul Pfeiffer –Andrew Sloan – Tim Stone – Candace Turner – Mary Eleanor Wallace – Maria Vanik


Hail Mary is an exhibition about sport. It examines the complexity and inherent spirituality of participating, watching and being a fan of any sport.

Our current exhibition Hail Mary guest curated by and is on view through January 9th. Reach out to cc@artsoflife.org...
12/11/2025

Our current exhibition Hail Mary guest curated by and is on view through January 9th. Reach out to [email protected] to make an appointment or check out www.circlecontemporary.org to see install images.

Featuring works by:

Omar Abulsheikh – Marcelo Aguilar –Renata Berdes – Veronica Cuculich – Danny Frownfelter – Amanda Gantner – Ted Gram-Boarini – Michelle Grabner – Ellen Hanson –Stefan Harhaj – Anna Horvath – Aaron Kleeblatt – Rebecca Kubica – Harry Kuttner – Christianne Msall – Ed Oh – Paul Pfeiffer –Andrew Sloan – Tim Stone – Candace Turner – Mary Eleanor Wallace – Maria Vanik

🦇🦇🦇⚰️⚰️⚰️Join us tonight October 30th, 6pm - late, for a costume party as we raffle off each and every work of art. ‘You...
10/30/2025

🦇🦇🦇⚰️⚰️⚰️Join us tonight October 30th, 6pm - late, for a costume party as we raffle off each and every work of art.

‘You’re all dead to me’ is an exhibition for Halloween. An homage to the Grand Guignol. A tribute to all cabinets of grotesqueries present and past. 

Raffle tickets available via the link in bio as well as in person at Arts Of Life (2010 West Carroll) 

Deep gratitude and thanks to all of the artists who donated their artwork to this project: Omar A bulsheikh, Renata Berdes, Billy Borgerd, Rachel Bos, Peppi Bottrop, Max Capus, Raina ‘Tokyo’ Carter, Maeve Coughlin, Jessie Darnell, Liza Jo Eilers, Isamu Guy Conners, Rocco Di Caro, Ben Foch, Jake Fagundo, Danny Frownfelter, Manal Kara, James Krone, Lawrence M., Hans-Joerg Mayer, Jack O’Sullivan, Ryan Michael Pfieffer, Scott Reeder, Haynes Riley, Nick Schutzenhofer, Mindy Rose Schwartz, CJ Shaw, Cameron Spratley, Maxwell Volkman, Jean Wilson, and Christina Zion.

Opening tomorrow 5-8 pm. In collaboration with Arts Of Life, M. LeBlanc is proud to announce a special exhibition for t...
09/25/2025

Opening tomorrow 5-8 pm. In collaboration with Arts Of Life, M. LeBlanc is proud to announce a special exhibition for the Fall season. 

‘You’re all dead to me’ is an exhibition for Halloween. An homage to the Grand Guignol. A tribute to all cabinets of grotesqueries present and past. 

The exhibition opens September 26th and runs through Devil’s Night - October 30th. Join us on October 30th for a costume party as we raffle each and every work of art. 

Join us to support this wonderful organization that has provided studio space and care for countless adult artists with developmental disabilities over the decades. 

Raffle tickets will soon be available via the Arts Of Life website as well as in person at Arts Of Life (2010 West Carroll) 

Deep gratitude and thanks to all of the artists who donated their artwork to this project: Omar A bulsheikh, Renata Berdes, Billy Borgerd, Rachel Bos, Peppi Bottrop, Max Capus, Raina ‘Tokyo’ Carter, Maeve Coughlin, Jessie Darnell, Liza Jo Eilers, Isamu Guy Conners, Rocco Di Caro, Ben Foch, Jake Fagundo, Danny Frownfelter, Manal Kara, James Krone, Lawrence M., Hans-Joerg Mayer, Jack O’Sullivan, Ryan Michael Pfieffer, Scott Reeder, Haynes Riley, Nick Schutzenhofer, Mindy Rose Schwartz, CJ Shaw, Cameron Spratley, Maxwell Volkman, Jean Wilson, and Christina Zion.

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