Third City Studio welcomed a new art exhibition on Saturday titled Midnight Blooms, featuring the work of nine Chicago artists.
About 30 people attended the opening event at 5538 W. North Ave. The exhibition, curated by former Third City Studio artist Jeff Rivers, explores nighttime as a refuge for creativity and self-expression, bringing together artists whose work reflects the ideas and emotions that emerge after the city’s daylight fades. The exhibit will remain on display through Oct. 10.
The exhibition features the work of nine artists: Josh Cook, Ladipo Famodu, Avin HannahSmith, Shanelle Harrison, Braimah Lawal, Kenya Moffet-Garner, Raven Smith, Messejah Washington and Kare Williams.
Rivers dedicated the evening to a close friend who passed away the previous year, who he described as one of the greatest people he had ever known and his best friend.
“He was an art lover, somebody who was my biggest supporter. He would have been happy to support everybody’s art in this room just as much as he supported mine. So I would really like to dedicate tonight to his memory and everything that he gave to his community,” Rivers said.
When asked what he wanted first-time visitors to know about Third City Studio, Rivers described it as a welcoming and humble space with ambitious goals. He said the studio aims to push itself and its artists to the next level through community engagement, greater access to the art market and increased visibility across Chicago.
Toby Abalanche attended the exhibition to support his friend and artist Lawal. He praised Third City Studio for supporting local artists and bringing hope to communities through art.
“Art is a way of communicating, both from a present and historic perspective, all at the same time in a weird way. But it’s very important to use art to bring hope to communities,” Abalanche said.
Moffet-Garner said she was invited to participate in Midnight Blooms by curator Rivers. She said they have worked together on several shows and have attended each other’s exhibitions, describing their relationship as being that of “art friends.”
“A lot of people are coming out and showing their skills, engaging with the community and showing that art can exist in every pocket and corner, in every space, especially in the Austin area. You wouldn’t expect a fine art gallery over here, but they’re here, they’re existing. So I think it’s a really cool opportunity for artists to show up and showcase their work here,” Moffet-Garner said.
It was her first visit to Third City Studio, and she has called the Austin neighborhood home for about a year.
“Austin is very diverse compared to the South Side and there are a lot more artists coming out here as well. I’m just excited to see what can come here in the future,” Moffet-Garner said.
Rivers explained that the title Midnight Blooms was not something he intentionally developed. Rather, it seems natural to connect the theme to his own creative process, noting that he spent much of the summer staying up until 5 or 6 a.m. painting and making art.
“I think that’s the way it is for a lot of us. Pretty much every artist in this show has a full-time job in addition to a full-time art career. So, a lot of the time we carve out for our art is during the midnight and late-night hours, when we’re burning the creative oil to get our work done, knowing we need to go to sleep within an hour or two so we can wake up and get to work in the morning.
Rivers said he hopes Third City Studio can become a catalyst for greater financial investment in the surrounding area, including attracting collectors and artists interested in larger-scale installations. Third City Cafe, which is being planned next door to Third City Studio, is scheduled to open in winter 2026.
“I hung everything the way I wanted to. I chose the art, and there was really little to no criticism or outside input from the gallery director or board. That wasn’t from a lack of involvement; it was out of the trust they gave me as a professional artist to make this happen. So I think the biggest thing and I think it’s true in all creative fields, whether it’s acting, music or art, is that people just need a chance,” Rivers said.