LFA 2026

Description

OH Art Foundation Presents3rd Annual Latinx Heritage Festival for the Arts City of Many Arrivals: Latine BrillanceCurated by: Cristobal Alday and Michelle RuizLocation: OH Art Foundation, 2nd floor gallery of Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St., Chicago, IL 60609Exhibition Dates:  Sep 18th 2026 – Oct 31th 2026Application Open: April 6th 2026 - Deadline: July 19th 2026Opening Reception: Friday Sep 18th, 2026, 7pm-10pmAbout the Exhibition:OH Art Foundation presents Open-call for 3rd Annual Latinx Heritage Festival for the Arts “City of Many Arrivals: Latine Brillance” a group exhibition curated by Cristobal Alday @criscrrross & Michelle Ruiz @michelle___ruizMigration to Chicago often begins as a family story—shared at kitchen tables, carried through long car rides, and preserved through jokes, recipes, and ritual. This exhibition invites artists to draw from these intimate archives, transforming memory into visual language and storytelling into worldbuilding.We are seeking artists whose work engages themes of migration, family history, ritual,  entrepreneurship, cultural transmission, and joy within Latine communities in Chicago. The exhibition traces how families arrived carrying more than suitcases: they carried dreams, skills, grit, songs, ancestral knowledge, and a belief in hacer hogar—the ongoing practice of making home wherever one lands. Small businesses become landmarks. Everyday acts of care—braiding hair, opening a storefront, offering resources or sharing a meal—become blueprints for survival and imagination.Rather than centering hardship alone, this exhibition leans into play, tenderness, humor, and wonder. Artists are encouraged to approach memory as nonlinear and layered, where past, present, and future coexist. Color, speculation, and personal symbolism are welcomed as ways of honoring how stories are passed down—not always linearly, but always with feeling.This exhibition celebrates Chicago as a city shaped by Latine communities, connecting generations of movers and makers while imagining expansive Latine futures. Submissions across all media are welcome, including installations and works suitable for video projection, with opportunities to present completed short films or recorded performances prepared for exhibition.Eligibility & Guidelines:
Open to artists 18 years or older
Must reside in the United States (Midwest-based artists especially encouraged)
All 2D visual media will be considered (painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, digital, etc.)3D and time-based media may be included as exceptions due to limited installation support and space capacity.
Fee: $25.00 one-time applicant fee with up to 2 artwork applications 
Artwork Requirements:Submissions may include, but are not limited to: paintings, drawings, photography, digital, and mixed media on the wall. Works should be thought-provoking, emotionally resonant, and relevant to the themes of the exhibit. All submitted works should be original, and artists may submit up to 2 pieces for consideration. No sculptures or installations.Artwork Size Restrictions: Larger works are encouraged. All work must be no larger than 12 ft width x 10 ft height including frame and ready for wall hanging.Shipping: Artists will be responsible for shipping and delivery to and from the gallery.Art Sales: There is a 40% commission on all gallery salesParticipation Rules: By submitting your art to us, you grant Oh Art Foundation and Zhou B Art Center permission to publish your work in print, online, and on social media for exhibition and marketing purposes. All artwork will be attributed to the artist. By participating, you certify that you are the rightful owner of the art and that it does not infringe on any copyright violations.About the Curator:Cristobal Alday and Michelle Ruiz Cristobal Alday (he/him) is a Queer Latinx writer, artist, grants administrator, researcher and curator from the south side of Chicago. He focuses on photography, and film particularly dealing with queerness, and how identity is influenced by familial dynamics, and space. Using collage making and poetic responses, he reflects on artists’ works and exhibitions to focus on the collaborative aspect of projects and art making through audience interaction. Utilizing archival family photographs and influences from around the city, he creates a form of communicating the past, present and what could be the future through a queer lens. He has been an independent curator since 2020 and currently utilizes his home to curate exhibitions with works by local, mainly queer artists of color. Recently co-curated Just Below the Surface with Carlos Flores at Chicago Art Department featuring works by Diana Solis and Patric McCoy. Just Below the Surface re-envisions mainstream LGBTQ+ narratives to not only survey and celebrate the enduring legacy and transformative histories of Chicago's Black and Brown Queer communities but also encourages a deeper understanding of the intricate, overlapping narratives that have shaped Chicago's history. Has held previous positions at the Art Institute of Chicago-Prints and Drawings Department, Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University: Art Theory and Practice Department, National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago Artists Coalition, Johalla Projects, Chicago Art Department and currently working at the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. Recipient of the DCASE Individual Artist Program Grant (2023) and Ignite Fund Grant (2024) for No Me Voy A Olvidar de Ti. A map of lost and existing spaces from the 70’s to the early 90’s, presenting a comprehensive view of Chicago's LGBTQ+ history beyond the confines of today's Boystown neighborhood will travel to local high schools and cultural centers to be used as an educational tool to bridge the gap and foster intergenerational queer connections. Exhibited at Fundación Universidad del Cine (Universidad del Cine), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Fulton Street Collective, Chicago Illinois; Chicago Artists Coalition; MANA Contemporary, Chicago; Chicago Art Department; Tempus Projects, Tampa, Florida; Visual Arts Gallery, Miami, Florida; and YesProjects at Zhou B Arts Center, Chicago, IL. Written for Sixty Inches from Center, Chicago Reader, NewCity, and Co-Prosperity: https://sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/byline/cristobal-alday/ https://chicagoreader.com/author/cristobal-alday/ Michelle Ruiz (She/her) is a curator and cultural worker with over seventeen years of experience in visual arts management from Chicago. Her practice centers on advancing BIPOC artists through art acquisition, civic engagement, and socially driven cultural initiatives. As founder of Elle Art Consulting, Ruiz curates corporate and residential art collections, manages public-facing projects for artists, and leads community-based curatorial initiatives.  Recent projects include, curator of Elsa Muñoz: BOTáNICA APOKALíPTICA  (Pecha Projects, Columbus, OH, 2025) and project management to Krista Franklin on the fabrication of Where Ever You Go, There You Are, a permanent installation at O’Hare Airport, Terminal 5, (2022-23), commissioned by Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Chicago Department of Aviation.She also serves as Marketing Associate for Freeman’s, America’s oldest auction house, supporting over 140 auctions annually in collaboration with expert specialists across collecting categories in major U.S. markets including Chicago, Philadelphia, Palm Beach, Denver, Cincinnati, and New York City.Previously, Ruiz was Program Coordinator at the U.S. Latinx Art Forum, where she facilitated the launch of the Latinx Artist Fellowship—the first major prize of its kind—awarding $50,000 to a multigenerational cohort of fifteen Latinx visual artists. Funded by The Mellon and Ford Foundation, in partnership with leading institutions including the Whitney Museum of American Art, El Museo del Barrio, LACMA, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, National Museum of Mexican Art, and others through a robust series of public programs.Ruiz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago, along with certificates in Art as Global Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and Arts and Cultural Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.About OH Art Foundation:OH Art Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization found in 2013, currently housed in Zhou B Art Center in the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago, IL. The mission of the OH Art Foundation is to strengthen Chicago communities by offering accessible art education, exhibitions & events, and programs that promote understanding of diverse cultures through art.We believe in the power of art to bring people together, creating spaces for dialogue and understanding. By providing a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, we aim to foster a more inclusive and equitable society.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohartfoundationFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohartfoundationJoin OH Art Foundation: https://www.ohartfoundation.org/join-usAbout Zhou B Art Center: Founded in 2004 by the internationally acclaimed Zhou Brothers, Zhou B Art Center was created as a site of exchange between local artists and the global art community while promoting the contemporary convergence of Eastern and Western visuality in the United States. Located in Chicago’s historic Bridgeport neighborhood, the Zhou B Art Center’s mission is to engage cultural dialogue through contemporary art exhibitions and programming with an international scope.The Zhou B Art Center provides galleries, studio spaces, and a collaborative environment to a thriving community of talented artists and curators. The purpose of the Zhou B Art Center is to nurture the creativity and growth of its nearly 50 resident artists while providing groundbreaking exhibitions open to the public. On the Third Friday of each month, the center hosts a free exhibition and open studio event where locals can explore the main galleries as well as resident artists’ studios. This event is the perfect opportunity for Chicagoans and tourists alike to support the numerous artists involved with the Zhou B Art Center.User Entry Process TutorialYou can leave this video on your call site's homepage (or embed it on any page) for a quick tutorial your users can watch to help them with the submission process.