Joy First: What I Learned from Self-Taught Art at Intuit Art Museum
The Intuit Art Museum just reopened, and its self-taught artists reminded me that joy is the truest reason to keep making art.
The Intuit Art Museum just reopened the other day, so I went to check it out! I’d known about it for a while, but it had been closed for so long that I was starting to wonder if it would ever open again. But over Memorial Day weekend, it reopened—and admission was free, so I headed over right away!
This museum focuses on work by self-taught artists, especially those based in Chicago. Throughout the collection, I felt this joyful, passionate energy—like the artists weren’t overly focused on technique, but were just creating because it made them happy. That kind of pure creativity really came through.
My favorite part was the upstairs exhibit: Catalyst: im/migration and self-taught art in Chicago, especially the works by Thomas Kong and Paulina Simon.
Kong, an immigrant from the Korean Peninsula, used to create collages while working behind the counter at Kim’s Corner Food. His motto was “Be Happy,” and that vibe radiates from all of his pieces. You can really feel the joy of making in his art.
Paulina Simon, an immigrant from what is now Belarus (formerly Russia), made work that just felt… happy! I loved it right away. Her imaginative use of color and total disregard for convention made every piece feel so free and alive.
The museum also did a great job explaining the context of self-taught artists and the art scene in Chicago—it was both educational and inspiring. As a self-taught artist myself, the whole experience made me want to keep that same creative joy alive in my own work. It really gave me a boost!