This year marks the 82nd Annual Salon Show, our prestigious juried exhibition at which prizes totaling $15,000 are awarded. A tradition since the late 1930s, the Salon Show began when ten Hammond and Calumet City artists organized the first annual exhibition of the Hammond District Art Association in the millinery department of Minas Department Store in downtown Hammond.

Thanks to the generosity of Judy and Tom Surovek, Marc and Tracy Schwimmer, the Kozlowski Family and many long-time supporters, the Salon Show is now one of the Midwest’s leading visual arts competitions. This year, 179 artists (who were born or currently reside in Indiana, live across the state line in Cook County, Illinois, or are members of South Shore Arts) submitted almost 600 works of art for consideration.

Our juror, this year, is Victor Armendariz, owner and gallerist of Gallery VICTOR, one of Chicago’s leading contemporary art spaces. Founded in 2017, the gallery features dynamic works across media, including finely crafted studio furniture, by emerging and established artists. Gallery VICTOR also fosters community engagement through educational and social programming, such as The Studio, which offers visitors a look into the creative process by showcasing sketches, studies, and works by rising talents. With over 20 years of experience connecting artists, collectors, and institutions, Victor is known for his critical eye.

And so, we invite you to attend the 82nd Annual Salon Show, this fall’s “must-see” art event, to discover what Victor judges to be the best new art in northwest Indiana.