Art Exhibition: Roman Villarreal- - The Gift of Shaping. Works in Painting and Sculpture
March 20th – April 24th
Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts
540 S. Lake Street, Gary IN 46403
Associated Events
Opening Reception. Friday, March 20, 6 pm – 8 pm. Includes cash bar and light refreshments. Artist Talk. Sunday, April 12, 2 pm.
Ella - Roman Villarreal
EXHIBITION SUMMARY
The Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts’ upcoming exhibition, Roman Villarreal – The Gift of Shaping, celebrates the work of self-taught sculptor, painter, and Chicago southside native Roman Villarreal. From brightly colored portraits to soft alabaster reversible sculpture, Villarreal’s work carries the weight and joy of his lived experience. A prolific maker whose work celebrates family, neighbors, tragedy, and celebration, "the neighborhood itself brings inspiration to my work and provides more than enough materials for my art,” notes Villarreal. “I feel that my main motivation is that I'm doing something that I was always meant to do.... ART. Using the visual aspects of my surroundings, I create sculptures and paintings that tell the history and life of South Chicago." Working for over forty years, Villarreal’s work has been shown and collected extensively throughout the Midwest and internationally.
His first major solo retrospective took place at The Intuit Museum in Chicago in 2023. His public commissions can be seen throughout the Chicago and Northwest Indiana region, notably Tribute to the Past (2015) in Chicago’s Steelworkers’ Park and limestone turtles placed along the Indigenous Culture Trail (2025) at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center in Porter. The MBACD is proud to present Villarreal’s first solo exhibit in Indiana. The exhibit opens on March 20, with an opening reception from 6 – 8 pm, and an Artist Talk on April 12 at 2 pm. These events are free and open to the public.
The Rainbow Lounge - Roman Villarreal
ARTIST BIO: Roman Villarreal (b. 1950) captures the spirit of South Chicago in his art, reflecting the people, places, and life experiences of his community. A self-taught sculptor and painter working for over 40 years, Villarreal tackles complex subjects through creative experimentation in a diversity of media. Frequent subjects include urban tragedy and commemoration, family life and celebration, and the exploration of his Mexican heritage. Gallery Hours: Villarreal’s mastery of materials—alabaster, marble, limestone, serpentine, and acrylic—has resulted in several public commissions.