Thanks for the memories!

Thank you to everyone who braved the cold to come to our art show last night! Your warmth and enthusiasm made all our hard work worthwhile. It was a smallish crowd (approximately 25 people), but everyone who came engaged wholeheartedly with the art and the artists. Our guests were sincerely interested in our work and our artistic processes, and we appreciated the opportunity to receive feedback. In addition, we were grateful and proud to see two of our artists make sales. When one of us has success, it is a success for us all.

NIA Fine Art Friday brings to a close a full year of work that involved meetings, fundraisers, group and solo art-making, event planning, marketing & promotion, and the installation and execution of our exhibit. Some of our efforts proved more effective than others, but we learned by doing. Each of us has evolved and can apply her experience toward any number of future artistic endeavors.

What becomes of the NIA concept now? For now, we are taking a hiatus as each artist focuses on new projects and goals. Christopher W. Berry is working on deepening his connection to the abstract art community. Christina Bosco and Terrie Byrne are looking into entering art fairs and festivals. Dean Johnson is completing private commissions.

When NIA returns, some of us will have moved on, and there might be some new faces -- as there have always been through our storied history. NIA will continue to make room for emerging artists to gain hands-on experience and interaction with potential fans and buyers.

Like true artists, we will create something out of nothing. For now, we return to the void.

Christopher W. Berry

Christina Bosco

Terrie Byrne

Dean Johnson

To fans of NIA, thanks for the memories!

And thanks to ChiPRC for hosting our event!

See You in a Week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for our fans and supporters! We couldn't do this without you. We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we look forward to seeing you in person on December 2!

Get To Know NIA

NORTHSIDE INDEPENDENT ARTISTS is a grassroots collective. Its members each reside on Chicago's north side. Their individual artistic visions are as diverse as the sights and sounds of the city that has nurtured them.

Over the course of three group exhibits and three smaller preview events, NIA has provided a forum for emerging artists to feature their work. More than that, NIA gives artists valuable experience. To date, the artists themselves have been responsible for planning, curating, installing, and promoting all of their shows. 

NIA empowers its artists to take their careers to the next level. It is also founded on the revolutionary principle of sharing knowledge and power, for one can only rise up when one's community rises too.

Be Our Guest!

You are warmly invited to attend NIA Fine Art Friday on December 2! The whole NIA crew looks forward to meeting you!

At NIA Fine Art Friday, you will be our most welcome guest. We will have complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages, including beer kindly donated by Lagunitas Brewing Company. Best of all, our event is free and open to the public!

NIA Fine Art Friday takes place Friday, December 2, from 6:30 - 9:30. You will find us at 858 N Ashland Ave, which is located just north of Chicago Ave. There is ample street parking, or skip the car and take the #9 or #66 bus.

Come on in, have a beer and a snack, and get to know your local artists, NIA!

The Artists

NIA Fine Art Friday is proud to feature the diverse artistic visions of Northside Independent Artists, or NIA. Its mediums cover a wide range, including oil and acrylic paint, cut paper, and mixed media collage. With NIA Fine Art Friday, this talented and passionate collective of Chicago artists brings you its exciting new work!

A year's worth of hard work has led to this moment, so don't miss it! This event is free and open to the public! There will be complimentary beverages and hors d'oeuvres! Come out and support your local artists! NIA's one major showing for 2016 takes place Friday, December 2, at 858 N Ashland Avenue.

Here are profiles for all of the participating artists....

Christopher W. Berry - Christopher was born in 1972 in Michigan, where he was raised in a small town of less than 1000 people. His interests in the arts started at a very young age, beginning with coloring. In high school, he was very involved in art shows, sharing his artistic talents with the community, including but not limited to such techniques as pointilism. His artistic view grew from there, when he began experimenting with mixed media and drawing. 

Christopher believes his art is the window to his soul. When he is working on a piece, he expresses what he is feeling at that very moment. Christopher had the pleasure of living in 6 states, including Florida and California. Most recently, he moved from Arizona to Chicagoland in August of 2015, where he lives in the Lakeview neighborhood with his partner of 3 years, and their kitty, Romy! Instagram: @chrisinchicago1972 Facebook: Chris's Art Drawer

Christina Bosco - Christina Bosco embraces the element of surprise in her oil paintings, letting the process take her where it will. Christina investigates the formal qualities of emotion, whether depicting one or two quiet figures, or an abstract composition. Recurring motifs are near-empty rooms, skeletal fragments, and balls of string, which represent Happiness. christinabosco.net

Terrie Byrne - Terrie Byrne is an artist who experiences life vividly. The tactile impressions and prismatic colors that surround her are a challenge and a joy to transmute into artistic expression. She is an artisan with traditional tools — brushes, tubes of pigment and drawing implements that create smears, dust and stains. Art-making is part of the tactile experience of life, so her tools must be held and felt. Far from being a solitary explorer, Terrie has enjoyed working alongside other artists. She was Lead Organizer for a figure drawing group called Third Thursday Club, and she is co-founder of NIA.

Dean Johnson - Dean Johnson studied Fine Art at Columbia College Chicago, where he earned his Bachelor Degree. He serves on the Board of Directors for Chicago Publishers Resource Center (ChiPRC) and is its Arts Coordinator. He was named a Top-rated Teacher by Dabble. He is a co-founder of NIA. He was Lead Organizer for Art on Ashland, the East Village Art Walk. Dean’s commissions include numerous portrait paintings, as well as postcard designs for theater companies TUTA and Darknight Theatrical Productions; flyer designs for rock band Arch Visceral Parlor and DJ Elle Madelyn; logo designs for Souls Journey Life Coaching and Athletic Souls; and illustrations for author John Wawrzaszek. deanjohnsonartstudio.com 

Come see the diverse artistic visions of NIA, the Northside Independent Artists. NIA's one major showing for 2016 takes place Friday, December 2, at 858 N Ashland Ave.

Exhibit includes works by Christopher Berry, Christina Bosco, Terrie Byrne, and Dean Johnson. There will be comlimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages, and stunning artwork for sale.

By bus, take the #9 Ashland bus or the #66 Chicago bus to the corner of Chicago & Ashland Avenue. The space is located on Ashland just north of Chicago Avenue.

If you're driving, there is ample metered parking on both Ashland and Chicago.

A year's worth of hard work has led to this moment, so don't miss it! This event is free and open to the public! Come out and support your local artists, NIA!

For more information, see our Facebook Event Page.