Very honored to be included again in Newcity's round up of Chicago arts organizers, especially next to Kitty Rauth and in such great company of so many people I admire from afar and up close!
I'm proud of the work Kitty and I have been doing at Comfort Station since she joined the team in 2022, and it's an added bonus that Newcity's cover for this issue features Edra Soto’s "La Casa de Todos" installation, which has been one of the main projects we've all been working toward since Kitty took on the role of artistic director.
Thanks to everyone who sees this work, all the Comfort Station programmers and volunteers who drive what we do, all the artists who have worked with us over the years (a very very long list), and to Erin Toale for this concise but thoughtful write up. It truly means so much to see our work as artists-running-a-space described in relation to kindness!
Comfort Station is helmed by one of the kindest duos in Chicago’s contemporary art scene: executive director Jordan Martins and artistic director Kitty Rauth. Logan Square’s pluralistic artist-run space was founded in 2011, and has evolved from being volunteer-run toward a formalized model with paid employees. A key achievement in this transformation was bringing on Rauth, who Martins calls a “hand-in-glove fit,” as the first part-time salaried employee in 2022. Rounded-out staffing has allowed the capacity for and offerings of public programming to increase as Martins focuses on fundraising and sustainability, securing both NEA and Terra Foundation funding for the “La Casa de Todos / Everyone’s Home” installation on the public lawn by Edra Soto. Don’t miss the auxiliary event schedule at Comfort Station, where their founding DIY ethos remains intact, as well as their commitment to engaging a wide range of artistic communities.