Who We Are
SoNa Chicago Art Gallery highlights contemporary artists from Chicago. The gallery features art in a variety of media including paintings, prints, sculpture, photography, collages, ceramics, mosaics, jewelry, and textiles. The artwork carried by SoNa Chicago reflects the creativity and abundant energy of the human spirit, and reminds us of the potential for joy and the advancement of humanity as a force for good.
We value diversity and the perspectives of people with different backgrounds and experiences. Although we will put a spotlight on Chicago artists, we want the dialogue between artists in the gallery to be global. We view our space as a venue for conversation, community, and a celebration of the arts.
The name SoNa Chicago represents “South of North Avenue” (SoNa) in Chicago. The gallery is located at 1527 N. Ashland Avenue, which is just South of North Avenue and a few blocks east of the iconic intersection of Damen, Milwaukee, and North Avenue. We are pleased to be part of the vibrant arts and creative community of Wicker Park, Bucktown, and West Town. We look forward to collaborating with our neighbors and with artists and galleries from across the city.
Welcome to SoNa Chicago!
Sincerely,
Laura Botwinick, Executive Director, Curator
Molly O’Donnell, Curator
Laura Botwinick
Laura Botwinick has lived in Chicago for over 30 years, having moved here after graduating from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. After receiving an MS in public service management from DePaul University, she pursued a career in health care. Laura has always relished visits to museums, galleries, and artist studios around the world. She has many good friends who are artists and feels privileged to witness the creativity, joy, and frustrations of an artist’s life. When she had the opportunity to open an art gallery, she welcomed the chance to support artists and bring their amazing work the visibility it deserves. Artists play an important role in society both to comment on events of our day and to reflect the world back to us in ways that provoke thought or that can still our minds. Laura understands the powerful role that art plays as a salve to our souls and a reflection of the human spirit. We celebrate this spirit at SoNa Chicago.
Molly K. O’Donnell
Molly O’Donnell started her career in the museum world as the curator of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Missouri, followed by being the director of the Missouri State Museum. After a stint as the curator for a private corporate art collection, she moved to Chicago where she shifted her career into foreign policy. Molly earned an MA in Art History from Columbia University, New York, and a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Missouri. She also has an MS in International Public Service and an MBA. Molly kept her interest in the arts alive in the thriving art scene in Chicago and with as many museum visits as she could fit in when traveling the world. She is pleased to be rekindling her work in the arts through the equality-minded lens of SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art.
