Feature image: Autumn Horwath, Melt with the Moon
submitted
Exhibition Dates: November 7 – December 13, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7, 2025, 5:00–9:00 PM, Awards at 8:00 PM
Location: Oliva Gallery, 3816 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60647
Chicago, IL – Oliva Gallery is proud to announce the First Annual Midwest Ceramic Exhibition, Timeless Bodies, a juried group exhibition on view from November 7 through December 13, 2025. This inaugural exhibition explores the enduring power of the human form as expressed through ceramic art, featuring a dynamic range of sculptural realism and abstraction.
Throughout history, the human body has symbolized life, emotion, and spirit, reflecting both fragility and resilience. Timeless Bodies invites audiences to consider how form can hold and convey memory, cultural history, and personal narrative. Artists from across the Midwest were selected to highlight the interplay of storytelling and sculptural expression in clay.
The exhibition is juried and curated by Chicago-based ceramic artist Nancy Pirri, whose work has been recognized nationally and internationally, including at SOFA Chicago and in publications such as 500 Figures in Clay (Vol. 2). Pirri’s practice centers on the human figure and themes of resilience, and she is represented by Oliva Gallery, J. Petter Galleries (MI), THE STALLS/Primitive Warehouse, and Inner Haven Gallery.
Participating Artists Include:
Nikki Renee Anderson, Monica Bâlc, Lynn Basa, Aaron Becker, Sharon Bladholm, Debbie Burk, Lisa Farris, Autumn Horwath, Lynda Lawson Karr, Jayne King, Dawn Liddicoatt, Linda Marcus, Johannah Tomita Martin, Amber Matthews, Suzanne Mauro, Carole McCurdy, Bobbi Meier, Arny Nadler, Andryea Natkin, Alexis Lee Ortiz-Duarte, Roberta Ulrich-de Oliveira, Susan Volk, Christopher Williams, Runhui Xu, Thomas Zamiar.
Special Programs:
● Artist Talk – Saturday, November 15, 2025, 3:00–5:00 PM
● Figure Drawing Session – Sunday, December 7, 2025, 3:00–6:00 PM (Live model, $20 entry, advance registration required)
● Closing Reception – Saturday, December 13, 2025, 5:00–9:00 PM
Following the exhibition, Oliva Gallery will also host a Holiday/Gift Party on Friday, December 19, 2025, offering unique, small-scale artworks and handmade items available for purchase.
About Oliva Gallery
Oliva Gallery is dedicated to showcasing exceptional work by contemporary artists with roots in the Midwest and beyond. Through exhibitions spanning painting, sculpture, and mixed media, the gallery fosters critical dialogue, interdisciplinary exploration, and inclusive cultural engagement.