CHICAGO (December 2025) — “Catalyst” at Intuit Art Museum
Intuit Art Museum, a museum dedicated to self-taught art, reopened its doors at 756 N. Milwaukee Ave. in May with its inaugural exhibition, “Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago.” The show brings together 22 self-taught artists who work in a variety of mediums, from sculpture, painting and fiber arts, to explore identity, memory and trauma.
Catalyst co-curator Dana Boutin and Intuit chief curator Allison Amick wanted to “highlight and celebrate the city’s artistic heritage and our creative communities.” Boutin previously said immigrants “not just built the buildings here, but also contributed to the culture here in such an important way.”
One important theme for the show was how artists make space in their lives to practice art, Boutin said.
“People who have migrated and immigrated to Chicago have found a number of different ways to do that in their work through inventive environments in their homes and their workplaces,” Boutin said.
Alfonso “Piloto” Nieves Ruiz, active in the United States, born Querétaro, Mexico, 1975. In the Name of Progress, 2017. Credit: Courtesy of the artist.
Boutin highlighted the work of exhibiting artist Alfonso“Piloto” Nieves Ruiz, who transforms clay and discarded objects to make sculptures and other works of art. He displays his work, along with other artists’ work, in his Evanston-based Mexican restaurant, Zentli.
In addition to the show, exhibiting artists have come to the museum to share their expertise, including Carlos Barberena, a Nicaraguan-born printmaker and member of the Instituto Graphico De Chicago, who is “inspiring new generations to engage in printmaking as a social force,” Boutin said. While she had not anticipated how timely the show would be when she visited his studio, his work resonates strongly today, she said. He has made his prints available to download on his website and people have been using them in recent protests, she said.
When asked about the importance of the exhibition, especially after the recent assaults on the city, Boutin said, “These events and these opportunities from organizations all over the city allow us to stand as a community and stand with our neighbors.”
“Catalyst” has been extended to March 22. Find out more here.
Intuit champions the diverse voices of self-taught art, welcoming both new and familiar audiences. Intuit presents the work of self-taught artists—also known as outsider art. These artists typically work outside the mainstream and may have faced societal, economic or geographic barriers to a traditional path of art making. By presenting a diversity of artistic voices, Intuit builds a bridge from art to audiences.
