After more than a decade of sharing the neighborhood with Loyola, Roman Susan is departing from Rogers Park with a bang.
The gallery announced their final 13 days after 13 years spent at 1224 W. Loyola Ave. will be celebrated Sept. 18-30. The local nonprofit organization, created by co-founders Kristin and Nathan Abhalter-Smith in honor of Kristin’s grandparents, has housed countless art exhibitions over the years.
The Abhalter-Smiths said their mission has been to celebrate and share the work of artists in the Great Lakes Region, which according to the two is a goal consistently accomplished and re-accomplished. Now, due to their lease closing at the end of the month, the couple is throwing a 13 day-long party to commemorate their time near Lake Shore Campus, honoring the space by ending on a high note.
Invited community members dropped Roman Susan memorabilia off to be placed in the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries at The Art Institute of Chicago on Sept. 19. They could also record memories of the gallery for its own personal audio archive.
One of the exhibits, on Sept. 20 involved using glitter — one of the most taboo weapons in an artist’s arsenal — a lasting visual statement was made by filling the space unabashedly.
Sept. 24 was dedicated to drawing on the walls and creating papier-mâché casts of the columns out front on the building. Visitors are invited to participate in a workshop Sept. 26 where they’re instructed to wear outfits they believe will be in style in the future.
The non-profit will table 1-5 p.m. Sept. 28, showcasing local self-publishers with zines, books and more.
Everyone — from frequent visitors to those who have never heard of the organization before — were invited to stop by after 5 p.m. each of the 13 days to have fun with art, create memories, make their mark and reflect.
The closure isn’t the end for Roman Susan. Instead, it signals the potential for a new beginning.
The couple said they’re dedicated to continuing their mission of bringing art and opportunities to artists in the Chicago area, such as participating in public projects like Shore Land. The project contains six audio-recorded narratives displaying the history of the Chicago lakefront in regards to colonial overtake of the area from Indigenous people.
The Abhalter-Smiths said their primary goals are to continue offering their artists fair wages and to allow anyone seeking experience-based projects the outlet to do so. In lieu of having a permanent space, Kristin Abhalter-Smith said she plans on finding locations for programming around the city, bringing education to new spaces.
For local artists like Cassie Tompkins, who has showcased her art at the gallery in the past, watching the closure and assisting with final events has been difficult.
“I hope some of the spirit carries forward,” Tompkins said.
She said the closure is a lost opportunity and that the gallery’s absence will hurt the neighborhood, Loyola, artists and anyone that enjoys art.
Roman Susan will soon be cleared out and the building demolished, but its legacy will live on, according to Kristin Abhalter-Smith.
“What’s left is more than objects, but memories as well,” Kristin Abhalter-Smith said.
Updates on Roman Susan can be found at romansusan.org.
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