Lure of the Local

This year’s theme, Portals, invites artists and audiences alike to consider the thresholds, literal and metaphorical, that shape human experience. A portal may be an architectural element, a moment of transformation, a liminal space, or a passage between inner and outer worlds. Portals call attention to the act of transition: the movement from one state of being, perception, or reality into another. In the context of art, they offer a framework for thinking about narrative, spatiality, memory, and transcendence.

We have invited local artists to engage with these ideas in their work, interpreting the notion of “portals” through diverse mediums, processes, and perspectives. Now in its fourth year, this juried exhibition is presented by the Mundelein Arts Commission and features awards for Critic’s Choice, People’s Choice, and a Purchase Award. Our mission is to foster dialogue, elevate local voices, and cultivate a vibrant cultural landscape within our community.