SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015
“WINDED RAINBOW”, Illinois State University Galleries, Normal, IL
2013
“NO SHOES, NO SHIRT, NO SERVICE”, FIGGE Art Museum, Davenport, IA
2012
“GONE”, Linda Warren Projects, Chicago, IL
“SCRAPING THE BOWL”, New Harmony Indiana, Gallery of Contemporary Art, New Harmony, IN
2011
“NEPTUNO”, National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL
“SIDEWAYS CAN” ART CHICAGO/NEXT
2009
“DRAGGING THE LEASH”, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, IL
2008
“SPEAKER PROJECT” MASSART, Boston, MA
2007
“SPANISH CASTLE,” Bucket Rider Gallery, Chicago, IL
“SPIDER PROJECT,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
“SPEAKER PROJECT,” Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL. Catalogue
2003
“JUAN ANGEL CHÁVEZ,” 12X12, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016
“BRICK BY BRICK”, MMAA (Minnesota Museum of American Art), St. Paul, Minnesota
“PRESENT STANDARD”, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
2012
“ART FOR WATER”, Matthew Marks Gallery New York City, NY
“RE: CHICAGO”, De Paul Art Museum, Chicago, IL
“YOU ARE BREATHING IN IT! ALTERNATIVE ART PRACTICES”, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
2011
“THE NORTH WIND SOUTH” Diverse Works, Houston, TX
“OPEN STUDIO” Krannert Art Museum, Champaign-Urbana, IL
2010
“FREE SIZE” Sinudom Silk Screen Factory, Bangkok, Thailand
“WELL PUT TOGETHER II”, Thomas McCormick Gallery, Chicago, IL
“CONTEMPORARY COLLAGE”, Northeastern Illinois University Fine Arts Center Gallery, Chicago, IL
“BETTER TO DIE ON MY FEET”, Self Help Graphics & Art, Los Angeles, CA
2009
“3 X 3” Herron of School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, IN
“CLOSE ENCOUNTERS” Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
2008
“THE INVISIBLE HAND”, Durant Art Institute, Lake Forest, IL
“SIGN LANGUAGE”, Unit B Gallery & UTSA Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2006
“IT’S A LONG WALK HOME,” SPACE 1026, Philadelphia, PA
“THE AFRICAN PRESENCE IN MEXICO: From Yanga To The Present,” National Museum of Mexican Art,
Chicago, IL. Traveled. Catalogue.
“THE LOVE STATION,” Pursuit Gallery, Burlington, VT

PRIVATE COMMISSIONS
2015
CBRE, Chicago, IL
2012-13
EATON CORPORATION, Cleveland, OH
2012
KIRKLAND AND ELLIS, Chicago, IL

PUBLIC ART
2006
Toman Library Mural, Painted mural, Toman Pubic Library, Chicago,IL
2004
“VIDA SIMPLE”, Damen Station Mosaic, Glass mosaic, Damen Station, CTA Pink Line, Chicago, IL
2003
Roosevelt Station Mosaic, Ceramic tile mosaic, Roosevelt station transfer tunnel, CTA, Chicago, IL

COLLECTIONS
Minnesota Museum of American Art (MMAA) St. Paul, MN
De Paul Art Museum, Chicago, IL
National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
2004-present School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sculpture Department
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, First Year Program

PANELS AND LECTURES

2006-07
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago Public Art Committee, Arts Representative
2005
Artist Connects, lecture series, The Art Institute of Chicago
2000
Artist Creating Places: Artist, Communities, and Public Art, at University of Illinois at Chicago.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
2008
Cate McQuaid, ”Sound and vision”, Home / A&E /Theater/Arts, The Boston Globe (October 24, 2008)
2007
Gastman, Roger; Neelon, Caleb; and Smyrski, Anthony. Street World: Urban Art and Culture from Five
Continents. New York: Harry N. Abrams, and London: Thames & Hudson.
Hawkins, Margaret. “Chavez Brings on the Noise with the Speaker Project,” Chicago Sun-Times (June 8).
“Profile: Juan Angel Chávez,” Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine 14, no. 74 ( San Francisco, March).
2005
Huebner, Jeff. “One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Artwork.” Chicago Reader (April 29)
2000
“Watching: An Artist’s View,”Chicago Sun-Times (January 1)
1999
Koslowski, Carl. “Art Sponsors View Shape of Things To Come,” Chicago Tribune (December 15).
Random Walk: Picturing the Future, One Little Tile at a Time,”(September 27).

AWARDS AND FUNDING
2014
Joan Mitchell Foundation Award for Painters and Sculptors, New York City, NY
2008
Artadia, Individual Artist Award, New York City, NY
3ARTS, Individual Artist Award, Chicago, IL
2007
Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, NY, NY
Special Projects Grant, Richard Driehaus Foundation, Chicago, IL
Special Assistance Grant, Illinois Arts Council, Chicago, IL
2005
CAAP Grant, Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Chicago
2001
The Richard H. Driehaus Individual Artist Award, The Richard H. Driehaus foundation, Chicago, IL

EDUCATION
2011
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Master of Architecture in Urban Design (Cambridge, MA)
2006
Instituto Superior de Arquitectura y Diseño, Chihuahua, Mexico. Bachelor in Architecture (Chihuahua, Mexico)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2016-Present
Borderless Studio, Founder, Urban Designer (Chicago, IL). Selected projects:

2018 – Elevated Chicago, Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Strategic Workplan
2018 – South Division Corridor Plan, Grand Rapids, MI
2017 – Northeast Area Master Plan, Kansas City, KC
2016 – Buena Vida Neighborhood Plan, Brownsville, TX

2015-2016
The University of Chicago, Arts + Public Life, Urban Design Fellow, Reseach Analyst (Chicago, IL)
2011-2015
Skidmore Owings & Merrill, City Design, Senior Urban Designer (Chicago, IL)
2011
Utile Inc. Architecture + Planning, Urban Designer (Boston, MA)
2010
New York University, Office of Campus Planning, Urban Planner (New York City, NY)
2006-2009
Municipal Planning Institute, Project Manager & Coordinator (Chihuahua City, Mexico)
2005-2006
E+B Arquitectura, Architectural Designer (Chihuahua, Mexico)

EXHIBITIONS
2017 Featured: “CREATIVE GROUNDS”, School of the Art Institute, Department of Architecture
2017 Featured: “CLAIMING SPACE”, Jane Addams Hull House Museum
2017 Contributor: “50×50, THE SUBJECT IS CHICAGO: PEOPLE, PLACES, POSSIBILITES”. City of Chicago,
Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; Chicago Cultural Center.
2016 Coordinator: “SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION”, Archeworks + National Public Housing Museum
2016 Contributor: “50 DESIGNERS, 50 IDEAS, 50 WARDS”, Chicago Architecture Foundation.
2015 Co-curator, project manager: “FORMS OF IMAGINATION” University of Chicago, Arts Incubator,
Partner exhibition of Chicago Architecture Biennial

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
2017 Visiting Assistant Professor, Washington University, Department of Urban Design (St. Louis, MO)
2016-Present Lecturer, School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Department of Architecture (Chicago, IL)
2015-2017 Facilitator/Instructor, Archeworks (Chicago, IL)
2012-2013 Director/Instructor, MAPEO Workshops (Chihuahua, Mexico)
2010-2011 Design Instructor, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Career Discovery Program (Cambridge, MA)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & AWARDS
2018 American Institute of Architects, Small Projects Awards, RESONATION ROOM
2018 New City, 50 Design: Who Shapes Chicago
2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial, Connector Project
2016 Impact Design Hub, 40 Under 40
2015 Next City Vanguard, 40 Under 40

PUBLICATIONS & ARTICLES
2017 Featured. Next City: Chicago Designer Offers a Model for Repurposing Closed Public Schools
2017 Featured. South Side Weekly: Opening Closed Schools
2017 Contributor. Chicago Architect Magazine: Revitalizing Chicago’s Closed Schools
2017 Featured. South Side Weekly: Curating a New Canon
2016 Featured. University of Chicago Magazine: Start with What You Got
2016 Open-Ed. Next City: What I learned when the Chicago Architecture Biennial came to the South Side.

Juan Angel Chavez, is a Mexican born artist who lives and works in Chicago, Illinois. He has been active in the arts for many years. He was a leader in community engaged public art projects, that left behind a series of murals and mosaics throughout neighborhood schools and community centers. As well as, predominant works of art in libraries and transit stations that are part of the City of Chicago’s public art collection.

In 2001, he began a non-permission art installation initiative, that changed the notion of abandoned urban space and influenced other artist to claim, board up buildings and abandoned urban environments, with found objects and sculptures.  He was awarded his first individual artist award for that endeavor. Since then, he has focused in the creation of large scale installations that transform galleries in museums and cultural centers into interactive environments made from found objects and discarded materials. He has exhibited in various local, national and international exhibitions and he has been nationally recognized by several prestigious awards: Richard Driehaus individual artist award, Chicago, Illinois Arts Council, Individual Artist Fellowship, Louis Comfort Tiffany award, NY, Artadia individual artist award, NY, 3ARTS award in the visual arts category, Chicago, Joan Mitchell Award for painter and sculptures, NY, and most recently the Joyce Foundation award.

Currently, he continues to push forward in creating new bodies of work and developing new ideas for large scale projects. Meanwhile, teaching as an assistant adjunct professor in the Sculpture Department of the School of The Art Institute of Chicago.