11 Artist Histories of Roman Susan
“I remember when I had my opening, there were parents, there were kids, my friends were there. We need more space like that – multigenerational, diverse, and inviting. It was lovely.”
–– hiba ali
“It's spaces like Roman Susan that inspire people to have generosity and care for their community.”
–– Tallulah Cartalucca
“They've always put their money where their mouth is. It says a lot about their integrity. They have a strong connection with their neighborhood.”
–– Julietta Cheung
“I think there's a lot of vision behind thinking about Roman Susan as a space for artists to respond to and make work in as a community-driven/community-driving kind of space.”
–– Kandis Friesen
“There are many different sensibilities and communities of making that find themselves intersecting there, some more briefly and some more long-term. The word warm came up. There's something very warm about their whole project, their whole approach, it's very welcome.”
–– Steven Husby
“I think Chicago is present in my work because, through the opportunities that I've had – that exhibition at Roman Susan – pushed me to expand my practice.”
–– Juan Molina Hernández
“Bringing people together to witness art in this particular way was exciting. I can only say that it was really challenging just before that.”
–– Kevin Norris
“I feel very lucky to be an artist in Chicago and be surrounded by people that I admire, that I want to collaborate with all the time, and that I can talk about our practices. Especially the crowd at Roman Susan.”
–– Ruby Que
“Roman Susan is a true friend that artists can count on. Their working approach is artist centered and they can empathize directly with the concerns of artists. I had a lot of freedom to do exactly what I needed and wanted to do for this project.”
–– Olive Stefanski
“It opened so many doors for my career to continue – to progress. It all came from that show at Roman Susan.”
–– Chiffon Thomas
“The ethos of Roman Susan as a project aligns with how I think about making art in a place. There's mutual respect and genuine curiosity.”
–– Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson
Full transcription of artist histories available through the linked images above. These discussions were organized by Marky Salvati, a 2025 Youth Fellow, partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Salvati is a performer and conceptual glass artist working between Chicago, IL and Providence, RI. He is curious about how glass, heat, light, and performance hold hands, then swing themselves in circles.
“I consider it a great privilege to have closely listened to Roman Susan and its community of curious people. These interviews serve as a record of 11 artist-led projects that happened between 2014 and 2025 at 1224 W Loyola Ave in Rogers Park, Chicago. I am grateful to these artists who spoke with me about their relationship to Roman Susan and their creative practices. I was consistently touched by their articulation and value in community-centered making. Thank you very much to Nathan and Kristin, who continue to support artists in many meaningful ways.”
–– Marky Salvati