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CGN works with dozens of art world leaders, creatives and supporters all year long. Each one has a different perspective on the industry in general as well as their own role within it. CGN is pleased to share many of these insights and personal stories in a new online series.
By ABBEY KOT
Since 2009, Chris Jackson and his partner, Laura Lee Junge, have owned and operated the Jackson Junge Gallery out of Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. This week, we sat down with Jackson to discuss the details of his career as well as his personal insights on the gallery’s unique shows and services.
CGN: Your career has a dynamic background in the arts world, ranging from work in theater and television to the founding of this gallery. What are some surprising commonalities you have found throughout your career?
Chris Jackson: Throughout my career in theater, film, television, and the arts—including founding a gallery—I’ve noticed several surprising themes across these mediums. Storytelling is at the heart of each. In theater and television, storytelling is more overt, with narratives shaping each performance or episode. In the art world, it’s subtler, as curating an exhibition involves crafting a story that connects the artworks in meaningful ways for viewers.
Each field also demands significant teamwork. In theater, film and television, writers, directors, actors, and crews work together to bring a vision to life. Similarly, in the art world, I collaborate closely with artists, curators, and the public. The success of any project depends deeply on this collaborative spirit. Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking are essential in all three fields. In theater and commercial work, problem-solving happens on the fly—managing time, budget, or a tricky scene. In the gallery world, I balance artistic vision with practical considerations like space, lighting, and presentation. Regardless of the medium, the ultimate goal is to engage the audience, evoking an emotional or intellectual response. The challenge lies in understanding your audience and connecting with them on a deeper level.
The arts also demand adaptability and resilience. In the performing world, you might face changing scripts, technical issues, or unexpected challenges, while in the gallery world, market trends and public tastes are constantly evolving. The ability to pivot and embrace change is crucial in both arenas. Authenticity is valued across all fields—whether it’s an actor’s performance, a showrunner’s vision, or an artist’s work in a gallery. Audiences respond to genuine expressions of creativity. Emotions drive reactions in theater, film, television, and the visual arts. All these forms thrive on making people feel—whether joy, sadness, curiosity, or even discomfort. The ability to evoke emotions is a common thread that transcends the medium.
These shared elements emphasize that while the mediums may differ, the core principles that drive success in the arts are remarkably similar.
CGN: The Jackson Junge Gallery offers custom framing services alongside its typical exhibition space. What inspired you to curate an environment that suits the needs of collectors on multiple levels?
CJ: Combining custom framing services with a traditional exhibition space creates a comprehensive experience for collectors and art enthusiasts. The gallery can provide a complete, end-to-end service, allowing collectors to acquire a piece of art and leave with it fully framed and ready for display.
Framing serves as an extension of the artwork itself. The right frame can elevate a piece, enhancing its style, while the wrong one can detract from its impact. By offering custom framing in-house, the gallery retains creative control over how the artwork is ultimately displayed, aligning it with both the artist’s vision and the buyer’s preferences. Framing services also allow the gallery to build ongoing relationships with clients, as collectors often return for framing services for pieces acquired elsewhere. This creates opportunities to nurture relationships, share expertise, and introduce clients to new exhibitions.
From a business perspective, framing services provide an additional revenue stream, supporting the gallery’s sustainability even during fluctuations in art sales. This model allows the gallery to act not only as a curator of fine art but also as a partner in preserving it. In doing so, the gallery enhances the experience for art collectors while becoming more dynamic and versatile.
CGN: As the gallery’s proprietor, your day to day involves managing multiple facets of the business. Have there been any challenges that stand out to you as an important lesson that shapes your practice currently?
CJ: One of the most defining challenges of running a gallery is the constant balancing act between the creative and business sides. Early on, I learned that managing a gallery is as much about business as it is about showcasing art. Ensuring financial sustainability while maintaining artistic authenticity requires balancing creativity with practical considerations like overhead, pricing, and marketing. This ongoing negotiation has honed my ability to operate with both a creative vision and a business mindset.
The art market is ever-evolving, and staying responsive to these changes is crucial. Whether adapting to the rise of online art sales, shifts in collector preferences, or new technologies like AI, flexibility has become a cornerstone of the gallery’s strategy. This adaptability helps keep the gallery relevant and appealing to a diverse audience. Managing relationships with artists, collectors, and the local community is also key to the gallery’s success. Finding the right balance between promoting artists’ work and making collectors feel valued has been a delicate but essential lesson.
With so many facets to oversee—curating exhibitions, managing sales, overseeing framing services, marketing, and more—time management and delegation have become vital. Learning to trust staff with certain responsibilities while focusing on the broader vision is essential to avoid burnout and ensure smooth operations. Resilience is another invaluable lesson, especially in the face of uncertainty. Whether it’s fluctuations in art sales, unexpected costs, or global events like the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to pivot, re-strategize, and explore new avenues (such as virtual exhibitions) shapes the gallery’s approach to both short-term and long-term goals.
Another important lesson is that each exhibition needs a strong, cohesive vision. Over time, refining the practice of curation to present exhibitions that resonate with visitors, tell a story, and provoke thought has become even more crucial. It’s not just about displaying beautiful art, it’s about creating a meaningful experience for viewers. These challenges and lessons underscore that managing an art gallery requires a blend of creativity, business awareness, and adaptability, all of which shape my approach to leadership.
CGN: What does the curation process look like when proposing a very open ended concept, such as your recurring TEN by TEN group exhibition, in which the only limitation is essentially size?
CJ: The curation process for an open-ended concept like the TEN by TEN exhibition, where size is the primary limitation, requires a careful balance of inclusivity, medium diversity, and cohesive presentation. With the 10x10 inch size as the only constraint, I remind our staff that this limitation serves to equalize all submissions, making the size both a challenge and a unifier for artists from various backgrounds.
We actively reach out to artists from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. An inclusive exhibition should represent diverse perspectives, styles, and cultural influences. TEN by TEN welcomes all artistic mediums—painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography, digital art, textiles, and more. The open call for submissions encourages artists to explore how their medium adapts to the 10x10 format. This exhibition creates space for both emerging and established artists, allowing visitors to discover new voices alongside familiar ones.
In TEN by TEN, size becomes a unifying thematic element. The artworks are displayed in a grid, emphasizing the consistent dimensions and highlighting how each artist uniquely fills that 10x10 space. This approach enables viewers to appreciate both the individuality of each piece and the cohesive visual impact of the collection as a whole.
By focusing on inclusivity, diverse mediums, and cohesive presentation, the TEN by TEN exhibition showcases the adaptability of artists and fosters a dialogue between different forms of creative expression, all within the shared 10x10 constraint. This not only highlights the variety of work possible within a common framework but also celebrates the richness of a collective artistic experience.
CGN: Is there any advice you would give to those looking to enter the gallery space, either on the creative or the administrative side?
CJ: Entering the gallery world—whether on the creative or administrative side—requires a combination of passion, perseverance, and practical skills.
For creatives, it’s essential to cultivate a consistent style or thematic focus that distinguishes your work. The Jackson Junge Gallery seeks local artists with a clear, unique voice and a cohesive body of work that tells a story or explores a specific idea. To gain exposure, I suggest displaying your work at local art fairs, community shows, or online platforms. Building relationships with galleries and curators is crucial. Attend gallery openings and events to network with curators, gallery owners, and other artists. Networking can lead to valuable connections and opportunities. Research galleries that align with your style and reach out with a professional portfolio and artist statement. We often invite artists to apply for our group exhibitions, which can lead to additional opportunities. Professionalism is key. Meet deadlines, communicate clearly, and be reliable. If you don’t get an opportunity right away, keep creating, refining your skills, and continue to reach out. Don’t be discouraged by rejection; be persistent.
For those interested in the administrative side, start by volunteering or interning at a gallery or museum to gain firsthand experience. Many galleries value practical experience, and internships provide insights into daily operations, curation, and event planning. Entry-level positions, such as front desk staff or gallery assistant, offer a solid foundation in customer service, sales, and gallery operations. Sales skills are especially valuable. Understanding how to connect with clients, tell the story of an artwork, and close a sale is essential. Marketing also plays a significant role in a gallery’s success, so learn about social media marketing, email campaigns, and event planning to promote exhibitions and attract visitors. If you’re interested in curation, practice by organizing smaller shows or pop-up exhibitions. This experience helps you build a portfolio and gain skills in developing themes, selecting works, and designing shows. Gallery work often involves juggling multiple tasks, from event planning to managing artists’ contracts. Strong organizational skills and flexibility are crucial, as gallery staff frequently wear many hats. Ultimately, working in a gallery is about supporting and championing artists. Building strong relationships with artists and helping them present their work to the world is incredibly rewarding and central to the role.
The gallery world can be competitive, but it’s also vibrant and full of opportunities for those who are passionate, resourceful, and determined to contribute to the art community.
Jackson Junge Gallery is located in Wicker Park at 1389 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622
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Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke with five insiders about what excites them now and what they anticipate next.
The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition click here.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789517637/noxz9olp47gfneafz8xg.jpg\")
“I’m thrilled to further expand my artistic and design practice by introducing other mediums into the mix. I’m looking forward to watching the seasons change and devoting a lot of time in the studio as well. Fall/winter is my favorite time to create new works.
I have an upcoming solo show with VSG Contemporary that I am excited about. The work will delve further into the topics of cultural mythology and how these tales and narratives have helped shape my worldview.
Also, it wouldn’t be right if I left out my excitement for this upcoming season of Chicago sports.”
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961823/s3lp0uull2s8mvd8funj.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Extension Cords, Glazed stoneware, chrome, Sizes vary 2021-present. Photo: Mikey Mosher
This interview is part of CGN's Fall 2026 issue. Purchase a copy or subscribe.
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Andi Crist
BY ALISON REILLY
Andi Crist’s warm, engaging demeanor is evident in the first few minutes of our conversation. Generous with her time and forthcoming in her observations, she cares deeply about building relationships through her art making. Crist grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, devoured art classes, wrote songs and played music in high school, and moved to Chicago to study visual art at Columbia College. In 2024, she received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a woodworker, sculptor, ceramicist, and conceptual artist, and she teaches at Illinois Institute of Technology. We discussed her multidisciplinary practice, her experience working as an art handler, preparator, and fabricator, and how she thinks about labor, creativity, and value in the art world.
CGN: You grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. How did that environment shape your point of view as an artist?
Andi Crist: That’s such a funny question. Nobody’s ever really asked.
CGN: Oh, really?
AC: Yeah, maybe because I never was super connected with the arts community down in Birmingham. I moved to Chicago in 2007, so it’s been 20 years since I lived in the South. I was definitely one of those art kids—one art credit was required in high school, and I graduated with like seven. I was surrounded by artists who had a big impact on me, because they were working artists. All my art teachers were trained in Alabama and then continued to teach and work in Alabama, which gave me this desire to try to expand my community outside of what I was familiar with.
CGN: Do you identify as a Chicagoan?
AC: My family still lives in Alabama, and I go back every year. I love being in Alabama. Maybe now being in Chicago for almost 20 years, I identify as a southerner living in the city. I carry on the social qualities of a friendly southern person [laughs].
CGN: You have a varied art practice—woodwork, ceramics, mold making. What drew you to those types of fabrication methods and that type of art making?
AC: My dad is a carpenter and a hobbyist woodworker, but his career was psychology, and my mom was a professor and an incredible craftswoman. I absorbed my mom’s model of creativity, which is to try a bunch of different things and not necessarily finish them but to try to learn as much as I can by just going for it. My practice over the years has become an exploration of conceptual elements of what makes art art and not just craft. Do you have to be a master craftsperson or a professional artist in order to make something that resonates with people?
I make a lot of work that references the mode of making and requires a variety of different media. I just finished teaching a ceramics production class where students learned how to produce molds, think about positives and negatives, and get into a level of production rather than just handicraft as a way to multiply their output.
I got into fabrication because I’ve always liked working with other artists. I have a background in theater and gallery work. I’m a voracious learner, and I like being able to share those skills with my community. Then I end up making work about that. It’s a self-feeding cycle.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961825/zzejqwibga5f5wk6einh.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Artist’s Ladder, 2023. Photo: Jeff Perlman
CGN: Thinking about your background as an art handler and preparator—how did you get to the point where you were making work about that experience?
AC: In 2010, right before I graduated from Columbia, I was living in a storefront in West Logan Square with my partner at the time. We started a gallery called Autotelic in the space and had to build it out using the worst tools with very minimal resources. Then we started curating shows there and that meant helping other artists figure out how to install their work in our unusual space. Eventually, I gained the reputation for knowing how to do that type of work. I started getting invited to work in museums and galleries.
The Holocaust Museum was the first museum I worked at, and as difficult as that subject matter is, that experience was really important to me because I was learning more about the larger world of gallery work. As an artist working as a preparator, you’re straddling both sides of that space. You’re really seeing how the sausage is made. You’re hearing all the conversations about artists, curators, the process of exhibition making. There is a lot of information you can gather about the economics of the art world by just being the person that has the know-how to touch and handle artwork. Eventually that started feeding into my art practice because I wanted to make work that was contributing to a conversation around art as a type of job. It fueled a methodology of seeing everything in the world as the result of a long line of processes that required effort and thoughtfulness by many hands.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961826/uv5bysb5fbne30gr5czh.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Fair Warning, 2025.
CGN: The title of your recent exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum—Live, Laugh, Lo—sorry, not Live, Laugh, Love—Live, Laugh, Labor.
AC: [Laughs] That’s what everybody does.
CGN: I love the title—it’s perfect. You incorporate humor along with thoughtful critiques about labor and value in your work. What role does humor play? How does it help you connect with your audience?
AC: One of my biggest criticisms of art with a capital A is how easily it can be overly intellectualized. I think that’s why I end up making a lot of work that references things that already exist or have some kind of real purpose. It’s important to give people a foothold so there’s an obvious place to board that train of thought. As an artist—maybe this is me getting into a sweeping argument about what artists should be—but I personally believe in intellectual accessibility. Humor is a swift way to drop defenses and allow people to come in without feeling like they are not getting the joke or not understanding. I like to make work that can hold both of those things at the same time—it’s funny on the surface level, it’s kind of cheeky, but there’s also another way to look at it that is intellectually clever. There is a joy in the attempt to “get it”. Like the satisfaction of grasping how a crossword puzzle actually works.
It’s also so much a part of my personality. I take myself seriously as an artist, but my ego isn’t at the heart of it. It’s really something that I do because I love to make things, and I love to connect with other people. My parents raised me on puns, creating those language relationships between things and people and space. Understanding a joke is the same way that we understand art, and while neither of my parents would consider themselves artists, they taught me how to think about art.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961828/gnotyfijabr7e15kb6hm.jpg\")
Andi Crist, 69 Bananas
CGN: Your work, Artist’s Ladder, explores hierarchies, workplace cultures, and institutional values. What experiences shaped your reflections on these themes?
AC: The ladder piece distinctly represents the complicated relationship between front of house, back of house, and the hierarchy of labor. Who is the artist in those relationships? How much does another person’s knowledge and expertise contribute to the success of another artist?
There are enormous, industrialized art practices out there, warehouses full of people making things, and those people are also artists. When you make work that involves other people, it’s important to acknowledge their contributions. I’ve had complicated interactions with other artists who are like, ‘Hey, do you want to collaborate with me on this thing?’ but really they just want me to make their idea. I made Artist’s Ladder while I was in grad school at UIC, and it really represented my relationship with a lot of other artists, because I could be an actual support structure for them. Then it turned into this absurd physical thing. It’s extremely overbuilt with inlaid racing stripes made of exotic hardwood, and a butcher’s block-style plaid top. It’s not really like an FU as much as it is asking for acknowledgement of my skills and the essential support structures that exist.
CGN: I want to ask you about another piece, Five O’Clock Somewhere, a wool rug that resembles a children’s play mat. I work at a library, and it reminded me of rugs I see all the time. It’s a peaceful image of an office park with a large fountain surrounded by a parking lot. I’m curious why you chose a rug as the medium to depict that image.
AC: To me the heart of that joke was that it was a landscape. I wanted it to be physically traversable. And that was, I don’t want to say controversial, but it was something that I had to talk about a lot. The critique of that work was the fact that I didn’t want to hang it on the wall and turn it into a tapestry. I really wanted it to be a rug that people could walk on. When I showed that work at Chicago Artists Coalition for the New City Breakout Artists show. There was a lot of pushback about having it on the floor and allowing people to walk on it.
That, to me, was such an important conversation, because, in my mind, the fact that you could walk across it and traverse it was part of how I was thinking about the object. Rugs are utilitarian–they are floor coverings. When you make art that doesn’t do anything, you don’t get to participate in that part of the conversation.
I enjoy sparring around art like that. I am totally tickled by the pushback. The critique of display is exciting, and sorting through the politics of utilitarianism in art spaces is fun to me. And then—it was so crazy—we ended up showing it halfway on the wall and halfway on the ground.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961829/r1zylkwfw9rkw191skdl.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Five O’Clock Somewhere, on display at Live, Laugh, Labor: Thoughts on Usefulness and Other Myths at The Cleve Carney Museum of Art, 2025.
CGN: Oh, wow.
AC: I was like, this is the epitome of compromise! I had to build a structure so that it could hang that way safely.
CGN: I would say just put it on the ground if that’s what you want to do. It’s interesting that there are still very fixed ideas about the way that art should be displayed.
AC: That preparator part of it, that’s what I’m all about. I was having that conversation about what physically supports the work or what conceptually supports it in the way that it’s shown.
CGN: Have you always been a writer? How do your art and writing practices work together?
AC: I can’t say that I’m a writer, it’s probably the same way that it can feel weird to call yourself an artist. But I feel like I’ve always been relatively good at writing. The first time I ever did any kind of professional writing was contributing, a long time ago, to a website called eHow. The editors would send me a title, and then I would have to research how to do that thing. Then I would write out step-by-step instructions for how to do that.
I think that’s how I had to make myself think through my conceptual practice—I had to do the research, coagulate that into some kind of document, and then I would have stream-of-consciousness conversations with myself. “Why are we interested in this? Why would we make it this way? What would I want to talk about if someone were to ask me about this?” It’s almost like I was pre-interviewing myself.
I think the writing is just another way for me to process that idea before I put in all of the time and energy to actually accomplish it.
CGN: What are you working on right now? What projects do you have coming up?
AC: The biggest project that I have right now is my house. My family and I suffered a major house fire on New Year’s Day. We’ve been displaced since then and are navigating rebuilding our house. It was a total loss.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961830/kekfqzf9f87fq48juogh.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Single-Use Fireplace, 2025. Photo: Mikey Mosher.
CGN: I’m so sorry to hear that.
AC: Thank you. We’re all okay, but it’s been a really tumultuous year. I moved my studio into a storefront last summer, and so most of my, at least relatively recent, work is safe, and I still have all of my materials, but my home life is starting over. I just had my first full year at this space, and it’s got a little gallery built out in the front called Coming Soon. It’s beautiful with floor-to-ceiling windows on Division and Central Park. I’ve been inviting people into the space to try things out.
After teaching the ceramics class, I came into a bunch of nice slip casting molds, and I’m making some really playful, weird, ceramic stuff. I want to be open and not put too much pressure on myself. Having a big studio by myself is very expensive, so it’s easy to want to make it feel like it’s worth it. But if for now all I can do is make it a resource for other people, then that will be the thing I do. Be less selfish, but more selfish with my time. Saying I can’t do that, or I don’t want to do that. It’s not my nature to say no—I’m such a yes man. I’m learning how to be a yes man for myself.
CGN: That makes sense after going through something so traumatic.
AC: I have an amazing support system. Our friends started a GoFundMe. It was incredible. I’m so humbled and floored by how held I felt by Chicago. I can’t help but throw a little shout out to my Chicago people. I can see how people’s lives get totally ruined by this kind of tragedy. I feel so lucky. Chicago definitely showed its love back.
CGN: For your project Coming Soon, are you bringing in other artists?
AC: My philosophy is that I want to be involved as little as possible. I am thinking about it more as a hosted than curated space. I’m actively soliciting proposals or ideas for workshops, meetings, book clubs—I’m down for making it a resource, whatever that means. I don’t want to over-think it, I want it to be an intuitive and organic thing, which is why I call it Coming Soon—it can be a placeholder for anything. It’s exciting. Taking my hands off the reins is a good exercise for me.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961831/gno5dhliwfnzpuaim78s.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Extension Cords, Glazed stoneware, chrome, Sizes vary 2021-present. Photo: Mikey Mosher
Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest. Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke with five insiders about what excites them now and what they anticipate next.
The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition click here.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789516769/izokunnmrufdyjbjnypk.jpg\")
“Intuit Art Museum’s renovated, expanded spaces give audiences the chance to connect with art through daily art-making, third Thursday Art After Work, group Slow Looks designed to provide a mindful experience with a single work and upcoming conversations with sculptor Bill Brady (Oct. 3) and Dr. Mary Trent (Oct. 15), who curated our current exhibition on the role of scrapbook-making in Henry Darger’s art.
On view is the thought-provoking Monumental: The Sculpture of Dr. Charles Smith, which encourages guests to consider the lack of historical representation of African Americans and Black people in America. Dr. Smith’s memorials champion Black history and stories of everyday life he sees missing in mainstream narratives.
This fall we’re opening an exhibition of paintings by Karla Wong, an artist who immigrated from Oaxaca and who explores themes of life and death, gender identity and self-discovery.”