Exhibits

Main Gallery

1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN

82nd Annual Salon Show

September 5–November 8, 2025

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

Micro Artists Talks: October at 6pm in the Bachman Gallery

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, Marc and Tracy Schwimmer, the Kozlowski Family 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

All Creatures Great & Small: A Tapestry of Life in Oils by Denise Petersen

September 4 – October 18, 2025

Artist Reception: Thursday, September 4, 2025, 6–8pm

South Shore Arts is proud to present All Creatures Great & Small, a solo exhibition by Denise Petersen, opening September 4, 2025, in the Atrium Gallery. Featuring more than twenty oil paintings, the show explores the profound connections between humans and animals—relationships built on affection, awe, and the inevitability of loss. The exhibition opens with a reception on September 4 from 6–8pm at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN. As always, admission to South Shore Arts exhibitions is free and open to the public.

With her distinctive style and attention to detail, Petersen invites viewers to reflect on animals as storytellers and mirrors of our own experiences. The works range from tender pet portraits to provocative depictions of taxidermy, balancing themes of joy, companionship, identity, and mortality. Petersen will also present an artist talk on Monday, September 22 at 10am as part of the free South Shore Arts Art in Focus lecture series, and the community is warmly encouraged to attend.

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.