The second exhibit of the 2024-2025 Arts and Music department Call for Artists cycle, Genesis of An Artist: My Story by Antonia Ruppert, opens April 14 on the 8th floor of Harold Washington Library Center. The show features 30 acrylic and mixed-media paintings by Antonia Ruppert.
A native of Chicago’s Austin community, Ruppert creates paintings that connect people and tell a story. The oldest of six siblings, with no funds to purchase art supplies, she recalls drawing on discarded paper inserts from her mom’s stockings. These humble beginnings have been instrumental in inspiring hundreds of paintings and drawings, where hope, faith and community are central. Ruppert was the 2021 Invest South/West Artist in Residence for Chicago’s Austin community and the 2022 Artist in Residence for the Addison Public Library. Ruppert is an honoree of the Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine Award for Cook County, IL.
Ruppert has been featured in the Museum of Science and Industry’s Black Creativity Exhibition, Moraine Valley Community College, and the DuPage Art League’s Best of the Best Exhibition. Her paintings and murals can be found in numerous regional venues that includes the Chicago Public Library, Berwyn North District 98 Elementary Schools, University of Chicago Hospitals, Acorn Public Library, Addison Public Library, Austin Childcare Network, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Forest Park District, and more.
Antonia Ruppert’s Genesis of An Artist: My Story by Antonia Ruppert is on display April 14 - May 25 at Harold Washington Library Center.
