Ari Norris (b. 1995, West Michigan)
lives & works in the greater Chicago area
arinorris.us@gmail.com / ig: @arinorris.us
Education
2021 MA - Metalwork, Jewelry Design, and Digital Fabrication, Northern Illinois University. DeKalb, IL
2019 BFA - Sculpture, Northern Illinois University. DeKalb, IL
Fellowship
2025 Luminarts Visual Arts Fellowship, Luminarts Cultural Foundation. Chicago, IL
Solo Exhibitions
2025
Fully Filtered, Artruss. Chicago, IL
Solo presentation at Door County Contemporary Art Fair with The Plan. Fish Creek, WI
An Exercise in Restraint, McHenry County College. Crystal Lake, IL
2024
Just Dust, David Salkin Creative. Chicago, IL
2022
Quartet for the End of Time, The Plan. Chicago, IL
2019
the Treachery of Objects, David Salkin Creative. Chicago, IL
Two & Three Person Exhibitions
2025
Still Life with Bowl of Universe, Ari Norris & Timothy Norris.
Truman State University Art Gallery. Kirksville, MO
2023
Introspective Dream Assembly, Ryan Burns & Ari Norris. Curated by Esau McGhee.
Riverside Arts Center. Riverside, IL
2021
Our Two Scents, Marvin Chan & Ari Norris. Cleaner Gallery + Projects. Chicago, IL
2018
Shooting Pool with a Rope, Derek Ernster, Jose Jimenez, & Ari Norris. Baby Blue Gallery. Chicago, IL
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025
Luminarts Visual Arts Exhibition, John David Mooney Foundation. Chicago, IL
Purpose of a System is What it Does, Sawhorse. Chicago, IL
Miniotics, Pop Gun at Weatherproof. Curated by Gunner Dongieux and Trinity Bavaria. Chicago, IL
2024
The 100th Show, Left Field Gallery. Los Osos, CA
Faculty Biennial Exhibition, NIU Art Museum, DeKalb, IL
Twenty-Somethings, Holland Area Arts Council. Holland, MI
2023
West, Wester, Westest 4, Curated by Ryan Travis Christian. Left Field Gallery. Los Osos, CA
Selections from the Irie Collection, McHenry County College. Crystal Lake, IL
2022
The Patriot, O'Flaherty's. New York, NY
2019
5th International Exhibition on Conceptual Art, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA) Museum.
Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
More Small Painting(s); an Exhibition Homage to CvD, Lawrence & Clark. Chicago, IL
The Plant Show, Ground Level Platform. Chicago, IL
Rulers, Coco Hunday. Tampa, FL
Artist Residency Alumni Exhibition, Main Street Arts. Clifton Springs, NY
53rd Annual National Drawing and Sculpture Show, Cain Gallery, Del Mar College. Corpus Christi, TX
2018
the 75th Rockford Midwestern Biennial, Rockford Art Museum. Juried by Aron Packer. Rockford, IL
Impromptu, Rubberneck Gallery. Chicago, IL
2017
Midwest Sculpture Exhibition, Indiana University Kokomo Art Gallery. Curated by Tara Scott. Kokomo, IN
14th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition, Freeport Art Museum, Juried by Dan Addington. Freeport, IL
Artist-in-Residence
2022
Artist-in-Residence at Art Casting of Illinois, inc. Oregon, IL
2021
Artist-in-Residence at Art Casting of Illinois, inc. Oregon, IL
2019
LAUNCH Invitational Residency at Chicago Artists Coalition. Chicago, IL
2018
Artist-in-Residence at Main Street Arts. Clifton Springs, NY
Public Collections
Notre, Chicago, IL
Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX
The Bank of Kaukauna, Kaukauna, WI
Private Collections
Chicago, IL
Dearborn, MI
Door County, WI
Evanston, IL
Fairbanks, AK
Grand Rapids, MI
Los Angeles, CA
Milwaukee, WI
Naperville, IL
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Virgil Abloh Estate
Washington, D.C.
Public Speaking
2025
Visiting Artist Lecture, McHenry County College. Crystal Lake, IL
Artist Talk with Timothy Norris, Truman State University. Kirksville, MO
2023
Artist Talk with Ryan Burns, moderated by Esau McGhee, Riverside Arts Center. Riverside, IL
Awards
2020
John X. Koznarek Memorial Scholarship Fund
Lester K. Smith Creative Art Scholarship
2018
O’Malley-Pugh Endowment Fund
Sally Stevens Scholarship in the Arts
Selected Bibliography / Press
2025
Gescheidle, Susan. Chicago Gallery News. "Landscape Survey: What's on in Chicago's Outer Spaces: Miniotics at Weatherproof."
Web & Print. March 22, 2025.
Jaurez, Frank. Artdose Magazine. "Review: Door County Contemporary 2025." Web. June 15, 2025.
Krainak, Paul. Bad at Sports. "Sub-Rural #49.5, Door County Contemporary Art Fair." Web. June 15, 2025.
Pop Gun, with text by McCormick, Carlo. Blank Mag Books. "Miniotics" Exhibition Catalog. Print. 2025
Schwindt, Samuel. Newcity. "Ruins in Reverse: A Review of Ari Norris at Artruss." Web. May 28, 2025.
2024
Kaye, Gareth. Chicago Spleen. "Four (Minus One) for Friday: Ari Norris: Just Dust @ David Salkin Creative."
Web. April 26, 2024.
2023
Massa, Daniel. Northern Star. "NIU Exhibits Bring Together the Old and New." northernstar.info.
Web. April 3, 2023.
2022
Bad at Sports. "Top V. Weekend Picks (4/21-4/27)." badatsports.com. Web. April 21, 2022.
Regarding "Quartet for the End of Time," at the PLAN, Chicago, IL.
2021
Bad at Sports. "Top V. Weekend Picks (5/13-5/20)." badatsports.com. Web. May 13, 2021.
Regarding "Our Two Scents," at Cleaner Gallery + Projects, Chicago, IL.
Pickleman, Jason. "Lawrence & Clark." Print. October 2, 2020.
2019
Alyea, Ginny Van. Chicago Gallery News (CGN) "the Newest Thing; What Collectors are Buying Now."
Print & Web. Fall 2019 Issue.
Coco Hunday. "Rulers," Exhibition Catalog. PDF/Web. 2019.
Del Mar College. “53rd Annual National Drawing & Small Sculpture Show,” Exhibition Catalog.
Print. February 15, 2019.
Northern Illinois University Art Museum. "Jack Arends Hall Alumni Celebration: 50 Years of Excellence in the
Visual Arts," Exhibition Catalog.
West, SK. "'Rulers,' Explores Measurements and Leaders at Coco Hunday in Tampa." Creative Loafing.
cltampa.com. Web. June 5, 2019.
2018
Bad at Sports. "Top V. Weekend Picks (1/11-1/17)." badatsports.com. Web. Jan 11, 2018.
Regarding "Shooting Pool with a Rope," at Baby Blue Gallery, Chicago. IL.
Bad at Sports. "Top V. Weekend Picks (6/14-6/20)." badatsports.com. Web. June 14, 2018.
Regarding "Impromptu," at Rubberneck Gallery. Chicago, IL.
CVPA, xFeatured. “Watch: the 2018 NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts Convocation Video.”
NIU CVPA Arts Blog. niuarts.com. Web. Feb 14, 2018.
*Video Documentation
Main Street Arts, "Meet the Artist in Residence: Ari Norris." Main Street Arts Blog.
mainstreetartsgallery.com. Web. July 2nd, 2018.
Northern Illinois University, “Ari Norris - Huskie Spotlight.” NIU Website / NIU CVPA Arts Blog.
niu.edu. / niuarts.com. Web. July 2018
NIU Art Museum, “Museum Notes; A Publication for Members of the NIU Art Museum.”
Pub. Vol. 22, Issue 3, Spring 2018.
Rockford Art Museum, "The Rockford Midwestern Biennial 2018," Exhibition Catalog.
Published by 11th Street Printing. June, 2018.