Farewell Letter From Spoke


Dearest friends and affiliates of Spoke,

It is bittersweet to share with you that after almost three years of hosting 40+ events, exhibitions, experimental artist projects and residencies, Spoke will be closing its doors this month.

Spoke served as an opportunity for us to form a multifunctional space that combined group studio practices with an experimental project space in a shared environment. Our mission was to create opportunities for creative use and interaction promoting resourcefulness, spontaneity, and experimentation in a space that was accessible and open to all types of people and creative work. We feel we’ve accomplished much over this period of time: the past three years at Spoke have been filled with vibrant projects and gathered a wonderful community of creative people. We are very fortunate to have started a space in Chicago, a city that embraces such endeavors.

We want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement, for stopping by, for all your reviews and articles. We would especially like to thank all of the creative individuals who took part in and organized projects, and all of the artists who have worked at Spoke. You have contributed and influenced so much of what we have done.

Those of us who founded Spoke have either moved out of Chicago or have made the decision to shift focus and dedication to our own art practices and careers. This has been an invaluable experience personally and professionally for all involved. It has left an impression on our practices that will undoubtedly be incorporated into our futures. Although Spoke will be ending, the space will still be functioning as a group studio space. We are excited to pass on the space to such great artists.

We invite you to check out our blog as it will remain an archive of Spoke. We hope that the work we have put into Spoke can continue to be shared as a valuable resource for all.

Thank you and have a wonderful August.

Sincerely,

Spoke Founders & Creative Directors
Rana Siegel (2008-2011)
Heather Mullins (2008-2011)
Monica Herrera (2008-2010)
Rachel Moore (2008-2010)

A special thanks to past & current artists working at Spoke:
Deirdre Colgan current
Chelsea Goodwin past
Jean Frater current
Kristin Mariani current
Jereon Nelemans current