EPISODE ONE

On November 7th 2024, we were thrilled to present this series for the first time, inspired by the South Korean phrase 홍익인간 (hongik ingan), meaning "to broadly benefit the human world." With this ethos in mind, we created a relaxed and much-needed space for Chicago-based creatives to share their artistic practices and insights with the city’s emerging artists, art enthusiasts, and future patrons.

Our inaugural roundtable featured three creative forces: Liz Flores, Francine Almeda, and Bethany Chan. The evening unfolded with a critical live conversation that became the first episode of our media series, followed by a series of drinking games that brought out each artist’s unique personality and perspective.

  • ARTIST & MURALIST 

    She is deeply influenced by the everyday human experience, storytelling, and the female body. Working primarily with acrylic paint on canvas, her work is a representation of the human condition through lines, shapes, and abstract figures. It’s a reaction to life, an emotion, or a memory and is driven by her interests in community, womanhood, and Latinidad. While the women in her paintings are influenced by her experiences, they remain ambiguous in face and form, giving the viewer the opportunity to see themselves. 

    "Painting has always been my way of self-understanding and for viewers, it’s my hope that my work can spark self-reflection in their own life. "

  • GALLERIST, CURATOR, & DJ

    She is the Founder and Director of Tala, an independent contemporary art space and gallery with a multitudinous program containing a library and atrium marketplace. Prior to this, she founded Jude Gallery, an artist-run project and exhibition space which ran from 2021-2024. As a gallerist, Francine builds community-based platforms for artists that encourage transdisciplinary experimentation of all mediums with the goal of proposing new realities. Her practice nurtures new methods of collaboration in order to expand the capacities of art as a caretaking tool. With a focus on conceptual, narrative-driven curatorial projects, and public programming.

  • TATTOOIST & ARTIST

    B is a designer and tattooist based in Chicago. 

    B is currently at Evergreen Studios and has previously worked with clients and companies including Holly Hunt, Autodesk/Fusion 360, the National Audubon Society, and more.

    They are one of the co-founders of and currently lead visual design at the non-profit Advanced Design.