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Imarea Rivera

@imarea_rivera

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Huge shout out to @b.lenartistryllc for including me in two of his curated shows! So happy to have my babies back home💃🏽

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Honored to have been part of The Threads of Us at @zhoubartcenter

It was inspiring to be included alongside many talented artists in an exhibition that explores how art can connect histories, lived experiences, and community.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support and celebrate the opening night.

I couldn’t capture everything, but here’s a look back at what it meant to be a part of it.

Curated by: @b.lenartistryllc

#ZhouBArtCenter #ChicagoArtist #ContemporaryArt #ArtExhibition #ArtCollector

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The fabric of “The Threads of Us” is still being sewn.

Join us Friday, August 21 at Zhou B Art Center for an evening centered on connection, culture, and the stories that bind us together in Chicago.

I’ll be leading an artist talk and exhibition discussion from 7–8 PM, followed by the Threads of Us Mid Exhibition Reception from 8–10 PM.

Come hear directly from the artists, experience the work, and see the exhibition through a deeper lens.

Curated by Blake Lenoir
Friday, August 21, 2026
Artist Talk + Exhibition Discussion | 7–8 PM
Mid Exhibition Reception | 8–10 PM
Zhou B Art Center
1029 W 35th St, Chicago

Come find your thread.

#ThreadsOfUs #ZhouBArtCenter #ChicagoArt

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A TOAST 🥂 to the OLD G | THREADS OF US is officially open, and I’m still taking in everything this weekend meant and how amazing the show was received!

Thank you to everyone who came through, spent time with the work, had conversations, shared stories, and supported the artists. Your presence made the night what it was.

A special thank you to the incredible artists who trusted me with your work and your voices:
@barrett.keithley @legomyedo, @imarearivera, @inarigold , @_jeffkoonz @lonniexedwards @melrickartistry , @pugsatomz , @reggie.mcfly @rudygalindoart , @other_kenn , @sarahwhalen.studio @jy.originals , @diana_lg_art .

It was an honor to bring all of your perspectives together under one roof. Your honesty, vulnerability, and lived experiences are what made Threads of Us possible.

A heartfelt thank you to Eric and the entire team at Old G Gin for believing in my vision from the very beginning. Your partnership elevated the evening, and the cocktails and atmosphere helped create the kind of space where strangers became neighbors through conversation. I appreciate your trust and support and look forward to what we’re building.

Thank you to Zhou B Art Center for providing a home for this exhibition, and to everyone who collected work, expressed interest, or simply spent time engaging with it. Every conversation mattered and there’s MORE TO COME.

If you haven’t experienced Threads of Us yet, I invite you to come spend time with it. Walk through the exhibition, sit with the stories, and ask yourself where your thread lies within this tapestry we call Chicago. Every one of us is connected to this city differently, but together we shape its fabric.

The exhibition is on view through September 14. I hope to see you there.

#ThreadsOfUs #BLEN #ChicagoArt #ZhouBArtCenter ContemporaryArt

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Threads of Us was built around the idea that we’re all connected by the stories we carry, the people who shape us, and the spaces where we choose to gather. This close look is just a glimpse into that experience.

I’m grateful to have partnered with Old G Gin to create a night where conversation, community, and culture could exist in the same room. Every toast, every exchange, every thread mattered.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, collected work, shared a story, and became part of the fabric of this exhibition. This is only the beginning.- B. LEN

#ThreadsOfUs #BLENArtistry #ChicagoArt #OldGGin #ContemporaryArt

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Every thread tells a story. Every artist adds to the fabric.

Join us @zhoubartcenter for The Threads of Us, a group exhibition celebrating the artists, experiences, and relationships that weave together Chicago’s creative community. Fifteen artists. Fifteen unique perspectives. One unforgettable evening of art, conversation, and connection.

Cocktail Hour is from 7:00 to 8:00 PM. Enjoy The Party Thread, our signature cocktail crafted with Old G Gin, along with a selection of handcrafted cocktails designed to complement your evening.

Sounds and a live Boiler Set by DJ Holy C will provide the soundtrack for an immersive night of art, culture, and celebration, creating the perfect atmosphere to discover new artists, reconnect with familiar faces, and celebrate Chicago’s creative community.

From the art on the walls to the music in the room and the cocktails in your hand, The Threads of Us is more than an exhibition. It is a celebration of the ties that connect us all.

Tonight, Old G Gin @theoldgspirit invites us to toast not only to art, but to legacy. To the next generation of creators and leaders who will redefine what is possible. May we build community, create opportunity, and inspire others to do the same. Here’s to leading with purpose, lifting as we climb, and to the threads that bind us together.

Come meet the artists. Share a drink. Start a conversation. Become part of the thread.

#TheThreadsOfUs #ChicagoArt #OldGGin #ZhouBArtCenter #DJHolyC

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THE THREADS OF US

Chicago is a city woven together by neighborhoods, histories, and communities. It is also a city shaped by invisible boundaries. Decades of redlining and segregation didn’t just divide streets, they shaped perception, belonging, and the stories we inherit about one another.

Yet beneath those divisions runs a shared thread.

The Threads of Us brings together artists working through painting, drawing, design, photography, and mixed media, each offering a distinct perspective rooted in lived experience. Together, these works become an invitation to cross the lines we’ve inherited and discover the unexpected connections that exist between us.

As you move through the exhibition, I invite you to search for a thread of yourself within the work, even when the perspective before you feels unfamiliar or seemingly opposite to your own. Sometimes the greatest understanding begins where our assumptions end.

Inspired by the enduring conversations around Chicago’s social landscape found in works such as Family Properties by Beryl Satter, this exhibition asks not only where we’ve been, but where we can meet.

Join us for the opening reception.

Thursday, July 17
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

📍 Zhou B Art Center
1029 W. 35th Street
Chicago, IL 60609

🎧 Live Boiler Set by DJ Holy C

Featuring:
Barrett Keithley • Edo • Imarea Rivera • Inari • Jeff Koonz • Kendall Collins • Lonnie Edwards • Melrick Steele • Pugz Atomz • Diana Leviton Gondek • Reggie McFly • Rudy Galindo • Sarah K. Whalen • Blake D. Lenoir (B. LEN)

Curated by Blake D. Lenoir (B. LEN)

Free and open to the public.

Come find the thread that connects us.

#ThreadsOfUs #ZhouBArtCenter #ChicagoArt #ContemporaryArt #ChicagoArtists

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This month marks a year with @zhoubartcenter!

- 1 year without hesitation on if this is aligned with my path.
- 365 days with people who see my worth.
- 4 seasons of venue manager checklists.
- 12 months of unforgettable art.
- 52 weeks of speed walking after turning the last gallery light off.

Thanks to all the artists who shared their gift, you really solidified this curator path for me🤎

Beyond grateful and to so many more✨

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Our last Few @_thinkandpaint of the year were amazing to say the least, so much good energy ! 🎨

Got the opportunity to do a 🅿️IGMENTS inspired Think&Paint… So much fun , it’s really crazy seeing how the ppl at my sessions get activated !

S/O my dawg @theisydoesit fa helping me host this time, it was only right

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Love show ( a show curated by me)

Thank you to everyone who that showed and showed love I’m truly grateful 🫂❤️

Thank you to @thecortlandt.collective for the opportunity once again

Thank you to @isaiahleeart and @samiahfulcher for helping me set up the work

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LOVE a group exhibition (sept 20)

Curated by me

Hosted by @thecortlandt.collective

Link in the bio for rsvp

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Meet the artists lineup for “all my friends are beautiful.”
We’re bringing amazing talent, & energy.
🖼️ Open gallery at 6PM
🎤 Music kicks off at 8PM
📍Zenith Creative Studio.

RSVP link is live.

#zenithcreativez #art #music #chicagoartist #chicagoevent #friends

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