Info — ROMAN SUSAN

ROMAN SUSAN ART FOUNDATION celebrates and shares the work of artists in the Great Lakes region. We create cultural engagements that provide resources and paid opportunities for artists. We are Chicago-based. We are artist-led. We are experimental and learning.

Roman Susan maintains year-round programming: 1224 W Loyola Ave is a storefront project space for exhibitions and events; ANNEX develops projects in collaboration with local nonprofits; AUX provides administrative support to help artist-run initiatives realize their work; Community-Hosted Collections place contemporary works of art in the homes of local residents; Navigations are artist-led projects in public/common space; and 4750 N Sheridan Road is a media room and workspace. Join our newsletter for programming updates.

Roman Susan accepts artist proposals year-round. Public feedback guides our ongoing work. Since 2012, Roman Susan has been organized and run with significant help from family, friends, neighborhood volunteers, and participating artists. In 2016, Roman Susan incorporated as a nonprofit organization, receiving 501(c)3 tax-exempt status as a public charity. Roman Susan Art Foundation NFP will continue to operate as an artist-run organization. The directors for the organization in 2025 are Joanna Furnans, Chloe Johnston, Julia Klein, and Juan Molina Hernández. Ruth Hodgins, Siobhan Leonard, Angela Lopez, Joelle Mercedes, José Santiago Pérez, Madhuri Shukla, Tracy Taylor, Polly Yates, and Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson are past directors. Nathan Smith is the Managing Director. Kristin Abhalter is the founder and Executive Director. The organization is named after the founder’s grandparents, Roman and Susan Lewandowski.

Street view of projected moving image work by Paige Taul. Through storefront windows, black and white video shows a face from the bridge of the nose to the chin, facing left. The projected image fills the window space.

It makes me wanna by Paige Taul at 1224 W Loyola Ave, June 2020.

1224 W Loyola Ave has three descending stairs to a recessed floor; regrettably, the interior of the exhibition space is not wheelchair accessible. The public washroom is a very confined space, up two stairs from the exhibition floor. If these factors or others present a barrier for your visit, please write to art@romansusan.org or leave a voicemail at (773) 270-1224 in advance for alternate arrangements. Roman Susan at 1224 W Loyola Ave is located 85 meters northwest of the Loyola CTA Station, with direct access for public transit via the Red Line train and the 147 bus line. A Divvy bike-share hub is located at the west exit of the CTA. There is on-street parking on W Loyola Ave, and a paid parking garage at 1210 W Arthur Ave immediately to the south. For all projects at 1224 W Loyola Ave, open hours are scheduled in advanced, and available at other times by appointment. All projects are visible from the sidewalk immediately outside the space 24/7.

In recent years it has become a trend to acknowledge traditional homelands of the indigenous peoples of a particular area through a land acknowledgment. This type of activity is designed to bring more awareness and understanding of the history of indigenous peoples and their territories. But a land acknowledgment should also be more than that; it should be a call to rethink one’s own relationship with the environment and the histories of all peoples. In partnership, the American Indian Center and Roman Susan Art Foundation have crafted the following land acknowledgment to help all rethink their relationships with the city, the land and the environment. This acknowledgment demonstrates a commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT. IN RECENT YEARS IT HAS BECOME A TREND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRADITIONAL HOMELANDS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF A PARTICULAR AREA THROUGH A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT. THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY IS DESIGNED TO BRING MORE AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THEIR TERRITORIES. BUT A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT SHOULD ALSO BE MORE THAN THAT; IT SHOULD BE A CALL TO RETHINK ONE’S OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE HISTORIES OF ALL PEOPLES. IN PARTNERSHIP, THE AMERICAN INDIAN CENTER AND ROMAN SUSAN ART FOUNDATION HAVE CRAFTED THE FOLLOWING LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO HELP ALL RETHINK THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CITY, THE LAND AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT DEMONSTRATES A COMMITMENT TO BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF WORKING TO DISMANTLE THE ONGOING LEGACIES OF SETTLER COLONIALISM. CHICAGO IS THE TRADITIONAL HOMELANDS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE THREE FIRES: THE ODAWA, OJIBWE AND POTAWATOMI NATIONS. MANY OTHER TRIBES LIKE THE MIAMI, HO-CHUNK, MENOMINEE, SAC AND FOX ALSO CALLED THIS AREA HOME. LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF SEVERAL GREAT WATERWAYS, THE LAND NATURALLY BECAME A SITE OF TRAVEL AND HEALING FOR MANY TRIBES. AMERICAN INDIANS CONTINUE TO CALL THIS AREA HOME AND NOW CHICAGO IS HOME TO THE SIXTH LARGEST URBAN AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY THAT STILL PRACTICES THEIR HERITAGE, TRADITIONS AND CARE FOR THE LAND AND WATERWAYS. TODAY, CHICAGO CONTINUES TO BE A PLACE THAT CALLS MANY PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO LIVE AND GATHER HERE. DESPITE THE MANY CHANGES THE CITY HAS EXPERIENCED, BOTH OUR AMERICAN INDIAN AND ROGERS PARK COMMUNITY SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LAND AND THIS PLACE THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CITY HOME TO MANY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND PERSPECTIVES.

Roman Susan at 1224 W Loyola Ave is open through sponsorship and support by Chrystal + Bob Abhalter, Kristin + Nathan Abhalter Smith, Ivy + Ali Abid, Alejandro Acierto, Clara Alcott, Randy Alexander + Susan Wexler, Joni Kat Anderson, Oscar Arriola, Adam Baker, Cynthia Bargar, Lynn Basa, Rebecca Beachy, Michael Blissett, Dan Boyd + Makiko Yamauchi, Lauren Brescia, Judith Brotman, Stefan G. Brün, Gabriel Chalfin-Piney, Salome Chasnoff, Laura Christman, Deirdre Colgan Jones, Kelli Connell, Paté Conway, Poppy Deltadawn, Meg Duguid, Maria Dunaevsky, Taylor Ervin, Chad Eschman, Paul Escriva, Esther Espino, Carolina Fernandez Del Dago, Noah Firestone, Peter Fleps, Ellen Foos, Joanna Furnans + Christine Wallers, Jason House, kg, Samantha Garcia, Amber Ginsburg, Ronen Goldstein, Becky Grajeda, Yhelena + Michael Hall, Erin Hayden + Jeff Robinson, Lorna + Curtis Henderson, Ruth Hodgins + Kit Rosenberg, Ben Hodous, Michelle Hooper, Josh Ippel, Olivia Junell, Kevin Kaempf, Colleen Keihm, Mel Keiser + Matt Martin, Millicent Kennedy, J. Kent + Andrew Bearnot, Vanessa Joy King, Brian Kirkbride, Lee Klawans, Julia Klein, Thomas Kong, Mie Kongo, John-Michael Korpal, Davi Lakind, Elaine Lemieux, Patrick Lentz, Siobhan Leonard, Leah Levine, Emily Lindskoog, Angela Lopez, Alma + Marion Lucius, Elaine Luther, Erin Lynch, Kera MacKenzie + Andrew Mausert-Mooney, Susan Maller, John Marks + Crystal Myslajek, Yvette Mayorga, Carole McCurdy, Barbara McDaniel, Lise McKean, Joelle Mercedes, Yunhee Min, Ruxandra Mitache, Nora Moore Lloyd, Sheree Moratto, Kalina Morrigan, Craig Neeson, Lara Oppenheimer, Melissa Oresky, Jason Pickleman, Colleen Plumb, Michael Pollard, Diane Ponder, John Preus, Erika Råberg, Austin Reilly, Maggie Roche, Adam Rogers, Michael Rogers, Nancy Lu Rosenheim, Amina Ross, Jonathan Roth, Emma Rozanski, Vida Sačić, Jose Santiago Perez, Julie Schauer, Roberta Schmatz, Daniel Seara, Levi Sherman, Madhuri Shukla, Jean + Vic Smith, Elena Solomon, Natalie + Nate Solomon, Samuel Sotelo, Kevin Stuart, Lauren Sudbrink, Ruby T, Aurora Tabar, Maryam Taghavi, Savneet Talwar, Noah Taylor, Tracy Marie Taylor, Chiffon Thomas, Ryan Thompson, Will Thompson, Karen Townsend, Phong Tran, A.P. Vague, Tricia Van Eck, Betsy + Bill Vandercook, Zachary Vanes, Kaitlin Very, Lisa Vinebaum, David Vosburg, Allison Wade, Maura Walsh, Hope Wang, Jenyu Wang, Liz Weinstein, Leila Wilson, Emily Wood, Yaloo, Andrew Yang + Christa Donner, Polly Yates, Megan Young, Sara Zalek, Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson, Mary Zerkel, and other supporters.

Roman Susan is a W.A.G.E. Certified Institution.

Roman Susan Art Foundation NFP is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt public charity supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; CityArts grants and a Chicago Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; Hyde Park Art Center’s Artists Run Chicago Fund in partnership with Art Design Chicago; Gen Ops Plus grants from The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Reva and David Logan Foundation; as well as generous in-kind support from Archie’s Cafe; Cargo Collective; Chicago Park District; the Graham Foundation Bookshop; Lawyers for the Creative Arts; Sewing Classes at Tchad; and past support from AD3 Innovation Bootcamp; An Sylvia Exhibitions; Crossroads Fund; The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; Foundation Source; Lucky Pierre; The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts; and Story Luck.

We would like to thank Eric Newman Law Office for pro-bono representation and advocacy related to our efforts for romansusan.org/1234.

In 2023-24, Roman Susan is supported in part by federal assistance listing number 21.027 awarded to Roman Susan Art Foundation NFP by the US Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the amount of $50,000, representing 17.5% of total project funding.

If you have the means to do so, please consider supporting our work by visiting romansusan.org/support.