The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is pleased to welcome a new exhibition in the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington Street), NKAME: A Retrospective of Cuban Printmaker Belkis Ayón (1967-1999) beginning February 29 through May 24 in the Sidney R. Yates Gallery, 4^th Floor North.

This landmark retrospective is the first in the U.S. dedicated to the work of Belkis Ayón, the late Cuban visual artist and printmaker who mined the founding myth of the Afro-Cuban fraternal society of Abukuá to create an independent and powerful visual iconography. The exhibition’s 47 prints encompass a wide range of the artist’s graphic production including her signature collography technique, a printing process combining materials of various textures and absorbencies. The exhibition is curated by Cristina Vives and organized by the Belkis Ayón Estate, Havana, Cuba, with the Chicago Cultural Center. Exhibition tour management is by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, California.

Free Public Programs

Friday, February 28, 5–8pm

Opening Preview for NKAME: A Retrospective of Cuban Printmaker Belkis Ayón (1967–1999)

Saturday, February 29

11am–Noon

Curator Tricia Van Eck leads a tour of In Flux: Chicago Artists and Immigration

Exhibit Hall, 4th Floor North

Noon–1pm

Curator Cristina Vives and artist Jacqueline Maggi lead a tour of NKAME: A Retrospective of Cuban Printmaker Belkis Ayón (1967–1999)

Sidney R. Yates Gallery, 4th Floor North

1–3pm

Artist Luis A. Sahagun and curator Teresa Silva lead a Totemic Doll-Making Workshop in conjunction with Luis A. Sahagun: Both Eagle and Serpent

Learning Lab and Michigan Avenue Galleries, 1st Floor East

Sunday, March 13, 5:30–6:30pm

Belkis Ayón Gallery Talk with Honey Pot Performance

Honey Pot Performance members Meida McNeal, Jo de Presser, and Jennifer Ligaya considers the themes found in the exhibition NKAME: A Retrospective of Cuban Printmaker Belkis Ayón (1967–1999). This gallery talk will reveal their thoughts about the exhibition as the Chicago ensemble expands their approaches of making performance, building community and creating support structures for artists.

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is pleased to open several exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center and in Millennium Park. Admission to the Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park is free. For complete details, visit chicagoculturalcenter.org and millenniumpark.org.

Chicago Cultural Center – 78 E. Washington St.

All exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street, are presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). Gallery and building hours are Monday–Friday, 10am–7pm, and Saturday–Sunday, 10am–5pm; closed holidays. Admission is FREE. For information, visit chicagoculturalcenter.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ChiCulturCenter.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.

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