Artists

NIA Fine Art Friday is proud to feature the diverse artistic visions of Northside Independent Artists. Profiles for all of the participating artists can be found below:

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 had only grown from there, where 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 the 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