Featured Local Artists

We LOVE to promote local artists! We think they are the lifeblood of Chicago's cultural heritage. And, since we're in River North, just steps from the Gallery District, we feel it is our duty to partake in the art scene. We try to give a different artist the spotlight every three months. Below you will find some of the past virtuosos that have entertained our patrons in the past.

Featured Artists

Jennifer Lindsay Sullivan

"Painting brings out colors in me that I am otherwise only able to dream of while sleeping. When I work with oil, I am reminded that there are no restraints in life, there are endless possibilities, and that beauty has no limits. Color adds soul and life to a painting, and any subject can be made beautiful and interesting with color. My art is created to make others feel positive and inspired about everything that life has to offer.

I have always had a passion for painting, but my passion was really sparked when I lived in Italy for three years.  I lived in Milan and then Rome, where I became very inspired to paint everyday.  Rome is simply a colorful city, and the influence is seen in my paintings. My first exhibition"Emozioni nel Vecchio Continente," was very popular among local Romans who admired my vivid and bright colors. I was written about in Italian art magazine InsideArt which commented on my exhibition saying, "you have the impression to immerse yourself in a rainbow of fourteen different colors"

Lindsay Schlesser

Lindsay Schlesser's chief focus as a rising member of Chicago's arts community is the translation of live performance into photographs.  Her photography allows the sensation of dance to transcend mediums smoothly.

A native Chicagoan she has been honing her craft by working with the city's premier dance and theater groups.  She collaborates with companies like The Dance Center of Columbia College,  The Dance COLEctive, Redmoon Theater, and more.  Her photographs have appeared around Chicago's cafes and in magazines including Time Out Chicago.

Lindsay firmly believes that art rises above mediums and using her personal lens to capture movement she interprets live performances into two-dimensions without losing the choreographer's aesthetic.  She is applauded for her creative adaptations and firm rejection of simple documentation.

Previously Featured Artists

Maria Tirabassi

Chicago based artist Maria Tirabassi has sold over 1000 paintings to art enthusiasts in the United States, Europe and Japan. She is known for her whimsical style, which is freeing and uplifting. With a childlike quality, her soulful pieces demonstrate an expressive, curious approach to art.

Recognized as a leading outsider artist, Maria drew inspiration from her son nearly 12 years ago when they were painting together. Watching her son paint inspired Maria to create whimsical pieces that have been described as naive and expressive. Art critic Karen Breide said, "...The paintings are beyond description, you just have to see them."

Maria's work reflects her love of all colors in nature. She has a unique ability to work with texture and believes in "allowing" a painting to evolve rather than planning for a specific result.

It is Maria's desire that her paintings inspire the soul, and that after viewing her paintings one may walk away with an affirmation of humanity. Although she is not afraid to show conflict or pain on the canvas, her preference is for the art to be uplifting.

Rex Flodstrom

Rex Flodstrom is a painter, photographer and videographer living in Chicago Illinois.

Rex has been an artist since childhood. Now his pieces are born from the culmination of years observing and experiencing. Influenced by the places seen, people he has crossed paths with, things witnessed and read, and the patterns in nature, Rex paints life through his soul.

He strives to capture moments in time and emotions that come forth. Various forms of spirituality influence him. An expression of universal form and spirituality is felt within the brush strokes.

Many pieces are inspired by the naturally occurring rhythm and geometry of our world. His paintings convey oneness and unity, while hinting at multiple realities beneath the surface. With visual art Rex expresses something words cannot begin to account for. He observes the work as meditations created for this physical realm.