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Julia Kemerer
Lake County, IL
To inquire about the possibility of commissioning a custom project or the availability of original artwork or prints, prices, or upcoming exhibitions, please contact me at kemererjulia@gmail.com.
ARTIST’S BIO:
Julia Kemerer is a mixed media artist and an avid maker of all things. She paints and sculpts with plaster gauze, found objects, clay, and fiberglass, and has a passion for creative reuse, or what she refers to as “using what you have to make what you need.” Julia’s creations will often make appearances at Brushwood Center, a northern Illinois non-profit devoted to improving health equity through the arts and nature, where she has been the Art Director for over a decade. Through her work there, she curates shows and art markets, runs an art supply exchange, and teaches classes in addition to working behind the scenes on several area public arts projects. Julia attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and holds a degree in Art History from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She lives in northern Lake County, Illinois with her husband and daughter in a 100 year old lake house full of pets, art and plants.
Experience
Director of Art and Administration/Curator
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods
2006 Riverwoods, IL
As Director of Arts and Administration for Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, Julia curates several exhibitions and art markets each year, teaches “upcycling” focused classes for adults and families, and operates Brushwood’s creative reuse center, BASE.
Education
University of Illinois at Chicago
BA in Art History
2000 – 2003 • Chicago, IL
School of the Art Institute
Fine Arts
1992 – 1995 • Chicago, IL
Exhibitions
2026
Group, Something Wicked, Side Street Studio Arts - Elgin, IL (October 2 - November 1)
2026
Group, 46th Annal Recent Works Exhibition, Robert T. Wright Community Art Gallery - Grayslake, IL (October 2 - 29)
2026
Solo, Portals, Pump House Regional Art Center - La Crosse, WI (May 20 - July 11, 2026)
2026
Group, Through the Eyes of Piping Plovers, Robert T. Wright Community Art Gallery - Grayslake, IL
2025
Feature, November Artist of the Month, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL (October 25 - November 30, 2025)
2025
Group, The Mystical, The Magical & The Macabre, Bridgeport Art Center - Chicago, IL (Sept 19 - Nov 7, 2025)
2025
Group, 7th Biennial Wings and Water Exhibition, River Arts Center - Prairie du Sac, WI ((Winner, 2nd Place))
2025
Group, Something Wicked XIII, Side Street Studio Arts - Elgin, IL (October 3 - November 1, 2025)
2025
Group, 8th Midwest Open, Woman Made - Chicago, IL (August 30 - September 27, 2025)
2025
Group, That's Funny, McLean County Arts Center - Bloomington, IL (August 1 - September 10, 2025 https://mcac.wildapricot.org/Thats-Funny)
2025
Publication, UPWARD's Quarterly Winter 2024-2025, UPWARD gallery (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hfs4qw8peUcVh_4AkyAN4lLCSNzIMjwC/view?usp=sharing)
2024
Group, WINGS 2024, Wild Heart Gallery - Online (Make Way For The King - Finalist)
2024
Group, Small Works Show, Artpie - Waukegan, IL (October 16 - November 12, 2024)
2024
Group, Something Wicked 12, Side Street Studio Arts - Elgin, IL (October 4 - October 27, 2024)
2024
Group, Visions Unveiled: Contemporary Art Showcase, DragonFLY Gallery & Creative Spaces - Chicago, IL
2024
Group, Metamorphosis: Emerging From the Dark, Brushwood Center - Riverwoods, IL
2024
Group, It's For The Birds, Blue Moon Gallery - Grayslake, IL (https://www.thebluemoongallery.com/currently-in-the-gallery)
2023
Group, Visible, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL
2022
Group, Holiday Art Market, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL (As "UpCycled Garden")
2022
Group, Mother Earth Market, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL (As "UpCycled Garden")
2020
Group, Messages of Hope, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Heller Nature Center, Highland Park, IL
2020
Group, She Speaks, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL
2019
Group, Holiday Art Market, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL (As "UpCycled Garden")
2018
AdORNAMENTS, Racine Art Museum - Racine, WI
2017
Group, AdORNAMENTS, Racine Art Museum - Racine, WI (Winner – First Place)
2016
group, 40 Cakes for 40 years, Ragdale Foundation - Lake Forest, IL
2015
Group, The People's Show, Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery - Lockport, IL (painting)
2014
Group, Avian Spirits, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL
2014
Event, Smith Nature Symposium, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL (Wearable Sculpture)
2013
Event, Smith Nature Symposium, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL (Wearable Sculpture)
2010 – 2012
Group, Hatch Art House, Hatch Art House - Madison, WI
2010
Group, Aviary, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods - Riverwoods, IL
2010
Group, Materiality, ARC Gallery - Chicago, IL
2010
Group, Personality, Caladan Gallery - Cambridge, MA
2009
Group, 66th International Salon Show, South Shore Arts - Munster, IN
2009
Group, August Showcase, House of Scratch
2009
Group, Paint the Town Blue, Maya Essence - Chicago, IL
2009
Group, Toyth, Prak-sis - Chicago, IL