Evanston Art Center Presents “23”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2023
Evanston Art Center 2023 Exhibition

MATTHEW DICKS: “23”

EXHIBITION DATES: April 1 – May 7, 2023
OPENING RECEPTION: April 2, 1-4pm
GALLERY HOURS: Monday–Thursday, 9 am–6 pm; Friday, 9 am–5 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9 am–4 pm

The Evanston Art Center (EAC) is excited to present a new exhibition, “23,” featuring works by Matthew Dicks.

Dicks writes, “I am rushed with connotations of importance for ’23,’ one of them being the number of chromosomes directing the complexity of my identity. Information from African, European, Native American, and Asian generations carries through my work. Tales of love, triumph, conflict and the plethora of human experiences find me as an active participant to translate onto canvas. Contemporarily, the two digits have been synthesized as an equalizing figure of speech to convey intrinsic value in high fashion. The same is accomplished in fine art. The visual captivation of ’23’ is an iconic reminder for reaching beyond greatness in the African American community, specifically Chicago, where I now reside. In surrendering to an immediate recognition of the present moment, the identifying marker is ’23’.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Matthew Dicks is a contemporary American artist based in Chicago. His work juxtaposes European stylistic tropes with instinctual modalities of African, Pop, and Street art, materializing the ephemeral imagery of the natural and metaphysical conscience. Since returning to America in 2018 after a two-year self-exile painting in Paris and Amsterdam, Matthew has held over a dozen exhibitions in such institutions as the Museum of Science and Industry and several prominent art centers in Chicago, Washington D.C, and Austin, TX, including his first solo exhibition. 2021 included a collaboration with Disney, ESPN, ABC, and multiple Grammy-nominated artists to feature his artwork as the cover art for a musical recording released by Hollywood Records. Matthew has participated in several artist talks, roundtable interviews, and podcasts, notably with national civil rights advocacy organization Color of Change, Behold the Art, and Levraddigans Studios. Matthew has continually met public demand by contributing his artistic vision to several public murals, including the first large-scale Black Lives Matter street mural in Chicago.

“23” will be on display in the Evanston Art Center’s Main Second Floor Gallery from April 1 – May 7, 2023, with an opening reception on Sunday, April 2, from 1-4pm. The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public.

Evanston Art Center, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, is dedicated to fostering the appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences. The Art Center offers extensive and innovative instruction in broad areas of artistic endeavor through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach initiatives.

Evanston Art Center is located at 1717 Central Street, Evanston, IL. Evanston Art Center Gallery Hours: Monday– Thursday, 9 am–6 pm; Friday, 9 am–5 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9 am–4 pm. First and second-floor gallery spaces are accessible. Limited free parking is available. Masks are optional but strongly recommended for students, visitors and staff.

For more information, please visit us online at www.evanstonartcenter.org or contact Audrey Avril, Manager of Exhibitions, at 847.475.5300 or aavril@evanstonartcenter.org. Visit the Evanston Art Center on Facebook: www.facebook.com/EvanstonArtCenter/, follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/evartcenter, or on Instagram: @EvanstonArtCenter.