b. 1957, Chicago, IL
Education
1987
M.F.A., Painting, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
1981
Certificate in Art Education: Illinois Teaching License K-12
1979
B.A. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
1977
L'Universita Italiana Per Gli Stranieri, L'Academia Pietro Vannucci, Perugia, Italy
Solo Exhibitions
2011
Chicago Cultural Center (forthcoming)
2010 The Observer, Brushwood, Ryerson Woods, Deerfield, IL
2007-2008
Field Guide, The Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago, IL
2006
Closed and Open, The Newberry Library, Chicago, IL
2005
Wriston Art Center, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI
2003
Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
2002
Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL
2000-1999
The Traveler; A Collaborative Installation by Antonia Contro and Maurizio Pellegrin, Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
1998
Tabulae Interiores, Union League Club, Chicago, IL
1997
Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
1995
Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
1993
Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
1991
Center for Contemporary Art, The Clinton Art Association, Clinton, IA
1989
Center for Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
1983
Illinois Arts Council, Chicago, IL
1981
Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
Kemper Corporation, Evanston, IL
Selected Group Exhibitions
2009
39 verbs, work made in collaboration with Joe Merideth, Packer Schopf Gallery, curated by Industry of the Ordinary
As We Live and Breathe, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
Natural Histories, Central Booking, Brooklyn, NY
2008
Paper Love, Devening Projects + Editions, Chicago, IL
2008
Clouds, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
2007
The Legend Altered: Map as Medium and Method in Contemporary Art,
Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL.
2007
Chicago Artists, Block Museum, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
2007
Short Stories, Columbia University, New York, NY
2006
Travel Documents, Koehnline Museum of Art and Columbia College Chicago
2005
The Art of the Bookmark, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, IL
TINY, huge. Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
2004
Departures, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003
Pretty, as a Picture., Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003
Plotting, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
2002
Shifting, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
2001
Bluer, Carrie Secrist Gallery,Chicago, IL
Affecting Invention, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
Self-Portraits, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, IL
2000
Exquisite Corpse, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, IL
Out of Line, the Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Prints from Anchor Graphics, Moreau Center for the Arts, St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN
Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
1998
The Back Room, Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
Nurturing Vision: Contro/ Oruch/ Paschke, Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL; traveled to: Illinois Art Gallery, Chicago, IL; Gallery of Visual Arts, University of Montana, Missoula, MT; Schick Art Gallery, Skidmore College, New York
1997
A Game of Chance, Chicago, IL; traveling through 2000
Those Who Do Teach, Marwen Foundation Gallery, Chicago, IL
1996
HEAT: An Exhibition of Female Eroticism, Artemesia Gallery, Chicago, IL
To Each Her Own, Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
PLEASURE (Beyond Guilt), Artemesia Gallery, Chicago, IL
1995
PULP FICTIONS: Works on Paper, Gallery A, Inc., Chicago
1994
Passionate Perspective, Francis and June Speizer Collection, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL
Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
Transition I: A Look at Progress, Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
1993
Once Upon a Time…A Loose From of Narrative, Gallery A, Inc., Chicago, IL
Women in the Arts, The St. Paul Companies, St. Paul, MN
1991
Source Material, Center for Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
1990
Environmental Figuration, Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL
1989
Milano Internazionale D'Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy
1988
Four Brothers Press 1908-87, Gallery 400, Chicago, IL
1987
Inaugural Exhibition, Center for Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
Thesis Exhibition, Gallery 400, Chicago, IL
Reviews & Publications
2008
Artner, Alan. "Clouds et al." Chicago Tribune, July 4, 2008.
2007
Closed/Open: Antonia Contro (artist's book). 2007. Chicago: The Newberry Library.
2006
Lopez, Ruth. "Show Stoppers of 2006." Time Out Chicago, December 28, 2006.
Reardon, Patrick. "Newberry, Artist Explore the Architecture of Knowledge." Chicago Tribune, June 8, 2006.
Weinberg, Lauren. "Off the Page: Antonia Contro." Time Out Chicago, May 5, 2006.
2005
Yood, James. "Ed Paschke Tribute Show.", 2005 (catalog).
Sundell, Ivy. "Living Artists." Crow Woods Publishing.
2003
Artner, Alan. "Review," Chicago Tribune, Friday, January 17, Section 7C.
2001
"Plotting." Exhibition catalogue, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
Egan, Natasha. "Descry: Antonia Contro and Maurizio Pellegrin." Exhibition catalogue, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, March.
2000
Fossati, Filippo and Maurizio Pellegrin, publishers. "Antonia Contro." Ground: Art and Culture, May.
"Bluer." Exhibition catalogue, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL.
Out of Line." Exhibition catalogue, The Chicago Cultural Center, July.
1999
Brunetti, John. "The Traveler." Exhibition catalogue, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL.
Brunetti, John and Therese Grisham. "The Collaborators: Antonia Contro's and Maurizio Pellegrin's Constructive Engagement, " C Magazine, November.
1998
Brunetti, John. "Antonia Contro," New Art Examiner, June 19, p. 51.
Glatt, Cara. ":Art Exhibit Teaches Us About Teaching," HP Herald, February 1.
1997
Froelke Coburn, Marcia. "New Deal," Chicago Magazine, December.
Artner, Alan. "Collage Days'" Chicgao Tribune, Friday Section, May, p. 23.
Weinstein, Michael. "Antonia Contro at Gallery A," New City, May 8, p. 24.
1996
Holg, Garrett. "Living with Art- June and Francis Speizer in Love with Eccentricity," ARTNews, October.
McCracken, David. "Exhibit offers glimpses of artists' studios," Chicago Tribune, Friday, June 26.
Artner, Alan. "Contro's paintings suggest well-kept secrets," Chicago Tribune, June 20.
Greene, Ann Hunter. "Contro at CCA," Where Magazine, June.
Stonitsch, Lonette M. "Environmental Figuration," New Art Examiner, April, p. 35-6.
1989
Reisenfeld, Robin. "Contro at CCA," New Art Examiner, October.
Chacon, Rafael. "A personal renaissance; recent paintings by Antonia Contro," Chicago Tribune.
Awards
2007
Visual Arts Fellowship, Illinois Arts Council
2002
Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship
1987
Faculty Prize for Graduate Study in Studio Arts, University of Illinois, Chicago
Collections
Block Museum
Chicago Tribune
Davis Museum, Wellesley College
Delaware Art Museum
Fogg Art Museum
Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
Gensler, Motorola Corporation
Kemper Corporation, Long Grove, IL
Motorola Corporation, Schaumburg, IL
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL
New York Public Library The Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL
Northwestern University
Phelan, Pope and John, Chicago, IL
Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, MA
Rockford Museum, Rockford, IL
Wabash College, Crawfordville, IN
Werner Kramarsky