Exhibits

Main Gallery

1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN

82nd Annual Salon Show

September 5–November 8, 2025

Awards Ceremony: Sunday, October 19, 1–3pm

This year marks the 82nd Annual Salon Show, our prestigious juried exhibition at which prizes totaling $15,000 are awarded. A tradition since the late 1930s, the Salon Show began when ten Hammond and Calumet City artists organized the first annual exhibition of the Hammond District Art Association in the millinery department of Minas Department Store in downtown Hammond.

Thanks to the generosity of Judy and Tom Surovek and many long-time supporters, the Salon Show is now one of the Midwest’s leading visual arts competitions. This year, 179 artists (who were born or currently reside in Indiana, live across the state line in Cook County, Illinois, or are members of South Shore Arts) submitted almost 600 works of art for consideration.

Our juror, this year, is Victor Armendariz, owner and gallerist of Gallery VICTOR, one of Chicago’s leading contemporary art spaces. Founded in 2017, the gallery features dynamic works across media, including finely crafted studio furniture, by emerging and established artists. Gallery VICTOR also fosters community engagement through educational and social programming, such as The Studio, which offers visitors a look into the creative process by showcasing sketches, studies, and works by rising talents. With over 20 years of experience connecting artists, collectors, and institutions, Victor is known for his critical eye.

And so, we invite you to attend the 82nd Annual Salon Show, this fall’s “must-see” art event, to discover what Victor judges to be the best new art in northwest Indiana.

Atrium Gallery

Sound the Alarm: Juan Carlos Rodriguez

Artist reception: July 18, 6–8pm

South Shore Arts is proud to present Sound the Alarm, a powerful solo exhibition by artist Juan Carlos Rodriguez. Sound the Alarm is a collection of paintings aimed to prompt viewers to think about the world they live in. With every brush stroke, composition, and word placed, Rodriguez meticulously chooses to make the viewer realize that something is off here. Rodriguez showcases more than 18 recent paintings that explore the intersections of identity, community, and political consciousness through vibrant, movement-driven works.

Each piece transforms the canvas into a space where joy, struggle, resistance, and resilience converge. The exhibition confronts themes of displacement, identity politics, cultural erasure, and collective memory, offering a body of work that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.

“At it’s core, my work is about connection. Whether addressing inequality or shedding light on uncomfortable truths, I want my art to resonate with people on a personal level. I aim to evoke a response that lingers, sparking dialogue and inspiring action. Art, for me, is not just a form of expression but a way to contribute to the collective conversation about who we are and who we can become.” - Juan Carlos Rodriguez

Sound the Alarm is a visual manifesto—an urgent call and a vibrant celebration of lived experience, resistance, and the power of community.

Substation No. 9

435 Fayette Street, Hammond, IN

Momentary: An Exhibition by The Underground Artists Group

August 1–September 13

Artist Reception: Friday, August 8, 6–8pm

Drawing from personal experiences, the featured artists explore the emotional terrain shaped by changing perspectives and the passage of time. With over 20 works in various media, Momentary offers a poignant meditation on fleeting joy, memory, and the quiet sorrow that often comes with change. The exhibition captures warmth, longing, and the uncertainty of the future with sensitivity and depth. Ultimately, Momentary is a tribute to the evolving nature of memory—how it shifts as we grow and move forward—encouraging viewers to pause, reflect, and perhaps recognize echoes of their own stories in the work.

Substation No. 9 is open Mondays 5–8pm and Saturdays 10am–2pm

ARE YOU AN ARTIST?

More than 15 exhibitions fill four South Shore Arts galleries each year, showcasing regional, national and international artists and cultures. If you are an artist interested in exhibiting with South Shore Arts, submit your exhibit proposal here or contact Brandon Johnson, Gallery Coordinator, at Brandon@southshoreartsonline.org

SPONSOR AN EXHIBIT!

Advertise Your Business While Supporting the Arts.
Exhibit sponsors receive:
• logo and credit line on signage at exhibit
• logo and/or credit line in publicity and promotion
• opportunities for corporate entertaining throughout the exhibit

Contact Sandie Phalen, Director of Marketing and Development
219/836.1839, ext.101
 

© All images are copyrighted by the respective artists.