Locked Achievements
February 22 – March 30, 2025
Take an emotionally powerful journey with Chicago’s incarcerated youth in this collaboration between The Beautiful Cat and Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative, featuring visual art and poetry.
Locked Achievements Closing Reception & Artist Celebration
March 27, 2025
We celebrated the talented work of the Locked Achievements artists with a guided gallery tour, writing letters to the teens still incarcerated, and by learning more about the carceral system including how the Locked Achievements exhibition and exhibition catalog are serving as mitigating evidence. All with great music, pizza, and community.
Locked Achievements at Curt’s Cafe
May 1 – June 6, 2025
The Locked Achievements exhibition travelled to Curt’s Cafe shortly after debuting at The Beautiful Cat! This was especially meaningful since some of the youth in the exhibition were working at Curt’s, so got to see their artwork every time they went to work. Learn more about the exhibition here.
Locked Achievements at JTDC
July 2, 2025
Most of the youth in the Locked Achievements exhibition were not able to make see their work on display at The Beautiful Cat or Curt’s Cafe because they were still incarcerated during both shows. Having the exhibition travel to the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center meant that they got to see their work on display in person while getting to meet a local artist during an open mic. Learn more about this special exhibition here.
Locked Achievements at the Little Village Public Library
September 13 – December 12, 2025
In 2025, Locked Achievements travelled to four different venues! Our final stop of the year was at the Little Village Branch of the Chicago Public Library. There, Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative hosted two open mics and and know your rights training. At the first open mic, The Beautiful Cat presented letters of mitigating evidence to the youth who were in the exhibition. These letters are in the youths’ official records in order to help prove to judges that they are capable of achieving significant things that have a positive impact on the public. We are extremely proud to have helped make these exhibitions a reality. Learn more about the LIttle Village exhibition here.
Simple Pleasures
April – May, 2025
Get lost in the details of Indian artist and designer Bansri Thakkar’s drawings.
Color/Chill with Cat & Plant Portraits
May 24, 2025
We spent a chill afternoon enjoying free coloring sheets by Bansri Thakkar as folks lined up for custom cat and plant portraits.
My Toe is on the Trip Wire
June – July, 2025
Be pulled into a world of shining flora with Julia Paloma’s cozy, metal sculptures.
Plaster Casting
July 20, 2025
Art is for everyone! Which is why we hosted a plaster casting workshop where participants used play dough to make relief sculptures then learned how to cast them in plaster.
End of the Tail
August – September, 2025
How do we honor our grief in a world on fire? What role can art play in processing our emotions so we can hold fast to our humanity and not forget the version of ourself that our lost ones loved?
Sankofa / Backcast
November, 2025 – January, 2026
Dream of better worlds and be inspired to make those worlds a reality with the work of Afrofuturist Alvin Schexnider.