In the early 1980s, a cooperative of sculptors created an exhibition on Chicago’s Navy Pier, featuring numerous outdoor sculptures. Inspired by this exhibition’s public appreciation, the cooperative continued to display sculptures around the city. In 2004, the group formed Chicago Sculpture International with founding members Nicole Beck, Bob Emser, Terry Karpowicz, Christine Rojek, Tom Scarff, and Barry Tinsley. Chicago Sculpture International is a 501(c)(3) membership organization and was the first recognized chapter of the International Sculpture Center. We are proud to have 250+ members and very pleased to be here today. Chicago Sculpture International brings art to the public and encourages an evolving community for artists.

Above: Janet Austin’s Ephemeral, Immortal at Ronan Park

Left: Peter Krsko’s Tree From Within II at Big Marsh Park

Left: Sculpture by Nicole Beck

Grants Awarded

Over the past few years, Chicago Sculpture International has been recognized as a major part of the thriving arts scene of Chicago through grants awarded by city and statewide programs.  Our established and ever-growing mission is to serve and champion sculptors while facilitating the importance of arts and creativity throughout the city and beyond.  Thanks to support of grants received by the Illinois Arts Council, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Driehaus Foundation, we look forward to creating more opportunities for the arts that mutually benefit our members, the public, sculpture and the greater Chicagoland area. CSI believes in Creating Community through Sculpture as a form of shared vision for positive progression.

Sculpture in the Parks

CSI works closely with The Chicago Park District to enhance the experience of public spaces by placing CSI artist based sculptures in diverse neighborhoods around the city of Chicago. In conjunction with the Chicago Park District, Evanston Arts Council, and North River Commission, Sculpture in the Parks is a two year long exhibit of approximately 20 sculptures in 20 different parks throughout the Chicagoland area. The Chicago Park District has more than 600 parks and a total of over 8,800 acres of green space, making it the largest municipal park manager in the country. Sculpture in the Parks is only one of CPD's art exhibitions. There are other temporary sculpture installations, of local as well as internationally known artists. For outdoor exhibits we also provide free audio tours through Otocast.

Big Marsh

Big Marsh Park is a 278-acre property on the southeast side of Chicago. Once the site of a waste and slag dumping ground from surrounding industrial operations since the late 1800s, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District teamed up in early 2000’s to restore this area to a healthy habitat and eco-recreation park. From fort-building and bug-catching, to birding and BMX bike jump lines, there is something for all ages, interests, and abilities. CSI's Big Marsh program 2022 created amazing works that utilized existing objects and nature in the parks and transformed them into works of art. Big Marsh invites and inspires the Southeastern communities of Chicago to gather, experience, create and celebrate art.

The Chicago Tree Project

This project was started in 2014 when the Chicago Park District was faced with the question of what to do with thousands of trees that had been infected with the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect encouraged by climate change that has been destroying millions of trees in North America for the last ten years.  The Park District approached Chicago Sculpture International (CSI), and together they created a program that would give some of these sick and dying trees a second life as a work of vibrant public art.Traditional carving and various media have been integrated into the trees. The program, a first of its kind in the nation, started out as a local endeavor and has now become national and international, with other U.S. cities using the Chicago Tree Project as the model for their own tree sculpture projects.

Interior Exhibitions

Each year we promote public indoor exhibitions, collaborating with numerous curators and venues. Partnerships between CSI and various institutions allow members to apply for juried shows around the Chicago area. CSI members have exhibited at Midwest colleges and universities, Lincoln Park and Garfield Park Conservatories and Expo Chicago along with the Richard Wright Gallery of Art at The College of Lake County, Koehnline Art Museum, Ukrainian Museum of Art, the Beverly Arts Center, Epiphany Center for the Arts, and Bridgeport Art Center among others. We support artists by giving them exceptional opportunities for exhibitions for professional advancement and growth.

Project Space

CSI Project Space is an experimental art space with the intent to develop reach and engagement with the community, bringing fresh perspectives through community-oriented programming. CSI Project Space aims specifically to engage emerging artists whose work drives attention to current issues affecting society. Under the direction of a collective of CSI Chicago-based artists, there are indoor exhibitions and innovative educational programming workshops for professional sculptors as well as the general public, while giving back through partnerships with local community and philanthropic organizations.

Outreach

CSI develops community outreach programming to serve areas around and beyond Project Space with cost-free workshops. We promote art as an educational tool and way to connect communities through inclusivity. In 2022, our outreach programming facilitated workshops with the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, Lathrop Homes (a mixed-Income housing community) and Arts of Life - an organization offering adults with disabilities the opportunity to create/showcase artistic creativity. We also have proposed engagements with the Wicker Park Senior Housing CHA Property, and A Special Place for Veterans. In the future, CSI is planning more programming with marginalized communities who would otherwise be without access to public art.Through partnership with the Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium (CCAC) we are initiating disability accessible tours ADA Accessible Tours. We are committed to diversity, inclusivity, and equity in our programming.