In 2022 Loren Marie Brunson (aka Lo Marie) was one of the 3 artists selected to be a part of “Featuring Us”, a program aimed at inspiring the Chicago community, in partnership with Joe Freshgoods & 1800 Tequila. Since then, she continues to show artwork in various exhibitions, lead collage workshops, & co-curates for the Chicago Collage Community. Childhood memories of visiting with grandparents, the incarceration of her brother, and residing in the city prompted Lo to reflect on lived experiences through collage. Her artwork connects the frustrations of people that reside in underserved communities of Chicago to the wealth disparities that reproduce them.
Keeping this direction in mind, Windy City Tells (WCT) was born. WCT is an e-zine that depicts different accounts of what it’s like living in Chicago, current events, and pop culture. It was created to shed light on social issues within the city’s communities, in hopes of encouraging reflection and conversation about issues that affect us all.
Group Exhibitions
2025 Annual 12x12 Show, Elephant Room Gallery - Chicago, IL
2025 A Tribe Called Chicago, Pilsen Arts & Community House - Chicago, IL
2025 The Cardboard Jungle Show: Labor of Love, TribeHouse - Chicago, IL
2024 Small Works: 15 Year Anniversary Show, Elephant Room Gallery - Chicago, IL
2024 Ladies of Zen, The Annex (Zen Yoga Garage) Studio | Gallery - Chicago, IL
2024 “Making Sense of It All”, Elephant Room Gallery - Chicago, IL
2023 “The Everyday”, Fulton Street Collective - Chicago, IL
2023 “Infinite Power”, Studio Nez - Oak Park, IL
2023 Spring Art Show, The Shudio - Chicago, IL.
2023 February Feature | Window Display, The Blackstone Hotel x Elephant Room Gallery - Chicago, IL
2022 “Featuring Us” Exhibition Event - JFG x 1800 Tequila - The Fairlie, Chicago, IL
2022 “I am...”, 2240 Gallery- Chicago, IL
Brand Partnerships
2022 “Featuring Us” - Brand New A Collective - JFG x 1800 Tequila - Chicago, IL
Curation
2025, Co-curator, Chicago Collage Magazine Vol. 2 Exhibition - Chicago Collage Community - Movement on Montrose - Chicago, IL
Workshops
2025 National Craft Month Collage Workshop, Paper Source | Barnes & Noble - Virtual
2024 Snapchat Holiday Festival, Friendsgiving Collage Leader, Snapchat Office - Chicago, IL
2023 “Note to Self”, Junk Journal Workshop - House of The Flying Yam - Chicago, IL
2023 Chicago Collage Community Artist Lead Workshop - Artifact Events | The Other Art Fair - Chicago, IL
Press
2022 Simon, Samantha, “Joe FreshGoods Is Building An “Ecosystem” of Equal Opportunity For Young Artists”, Vice, December 20, 2022
