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Madron Gallery is pleased to announce Synthesize, a fine art exhibition exploring the interactions and intersections between art and music—from literal representations of tubas and recording studios to the more abstract sonic language that runs through visual art (tone, dynamic, rhythm, composition). The show features work by contemporary Chicago artist-musicians Zach Balousek, Margie Criner, John T. Upchurch, and Lucie Van der Elst. The Artists’ Reception is open to the public and will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 5:30–8:30 pm, with live music provided by the Tony Richards Duo with Joe Policastro. Synthesize runs from March 3 through May 23, 2025. Zach Balousek, Margie Criner, John T. Upchurch, and Lucie Van der Elst are artists whose individual practices differ in materials, techniques, and methods of storytelling. Yet each artist creates objects that are reflective of their own relationship and history with music. Zach Balousek uses mathematical equations and the traditional pottery technique of wood firing to create ceramic sculptures that double as musical instruments, art that’s made to be moved and manipulated. Margie Criner builds miniature scenes housed in abstract sculptures that are often crafted from guitar wood; music is a constant companion in her examinations of her dreams, memories, and places of personal significance. John T. Upchurch’s sculptures, made from salvaged and found objects, are a delicate symphony connecting form, texture, balance, and lyricism—arrangements with an otherworldly character. Lucie Van der Elst’s elaborate ink and watercolor drawings use the repetition of organic motifs and experiments with ambiguous scale to explore life and nature with familiar yet fantastical interpretations of vegetation, brass instruments, and land formations. Displayed together, the works of these four artists respond to and play off of each other like a band improvising its way into the serendipitous harmonies of an entirely new sound. Zach Balousek (b. 1988) is a Chicago-based sculptor and musician working across a variety of disciplines to create interactive musical artworks. He received his BFA in ceramics from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and was a resident artist at Terra Incognito in Oak Park, IL. Since working construction and building sets for film his artwork has grown in scale from pedestal works to large outdoor installations. He has been the recipient of multiple juried awards and has exhibited throughout the Midwest. Margie Criner (b. 1968) is a Chicago-based artist, musician, and owner of Itty Bitty Mini Mart. Criner earned a BS in textile design from Michigan State University, East Lansing, and studied woodworking and furniture design with the Bauhaus Apprenticeship Institute in Forest Park, IL, and the Chicago School of Woodworking. Criner’s sculptures with miniature interiors have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the country. John T. Upchurch (b. 1968) is a Chicago-based sculptor and musician. Upchurch received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. From 1988–1995, he was a member of the acclaimed band “The Coctails,” touring nationally and internationally. In 1994, Upchurch co-founded Fireproof Press, a letterpress and design studio focused primarily on creative packaging for the music industry. Upchurch joined Columbia College Chicago’s Art and Design Department in 1998, serving in various support, instructional and administrative roles before leaving in 2018. Upchurch’s work can be found in private collections in Illinois, New York, Missouri, Michigan, Colorado, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Washington, and Tennessee as well as Japan, France and the UK.
Lucie Van der Elst (b. 1987) is a multidisciplinary artist, miniaturist, illustrator, and musician. Born and raised in France, Van der Elst studied applied arts and product design at École Estienne and École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, where she graduated in 2010. A post-graduation solo backpacking trip through the United States ended up changing her life in unexpected ways. Van der Elst moved to Chicago in 2016 and has exhibited extensively in Europe and the United States.
Madron is home to Madron Gallery, Madron Press, and the Skolnik family’s private art collection. The Skolnik family, the founders of Madron, is committed to supporting Chicago artists, celebrating Jewish heritage, and acting as stewards of the legacy of American art. Through scholarship-informed programming and the en suite exhibition of artwork available for purchase alongside pieces from the private collection, Madron has carved out a unique place in Chicago’s artistic landscape, sparking dialogue about the ongoing significance of nineteenth and twentieth-century art in today’s world and fostering a dynamic community for Chicago’s culture-makers, shapers, and appreciators.
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