Bodies Luminous

Exhibition Description: Bodies Luminous, on view May 23 – June 20, 2026.  

Off the Page: Poetry Reimagined is producing Issue 2: Bodies Luminous—a literary arts magazine that also becomes a gallery exhibition. This issue is inspired by Diamond Forde’s poem “fat girl Dances with a Stranger at a Block Party.”

We invite women and non-binary artists to submit artwork inspired by the poem and its themes.

We understand that our relationship to our bodies can be complicated, dysmorphic, beautiful, and evolving. We’re especially interested in pieces which celebrate the body. In Issue 2, we embrace expressions of joy and hope to foster a space where all bodies can be luminous. 

The jurors are look forward to seeing how you interpret Diamond Forde’s Poem “fat girl Dances with a Stranger at a Block Party.”

Eligibility

This exhibition, "Bodies Luminous” is open to women and non-binary artists, including transgender women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer artists. 

Please submit images of up to three works in all mediums, except new media, that include a visual element and have not been previously exhibited at WMG. Artists must address the theme of this exhibition in their work and in their artist statement. 

Entry Deadline: March 28, 2026 | Entry Fee: $20

The exhibition will be held at Woman Made Gallery, located at 1332 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60607.

Curating Team:  Madeline McConico, Sarah Peecher, Ren Buchness 

Madeline McConico is an  interdisciplinary poet, editor, and curator. She holds a BA in English from Iowa State University and completed her MFA at Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Allium: A Journal of Prose & Poetry, Opal Literacy,  POTLUCK, and more. Her poem “10 Steps to Drowning” was reimagined as a 5-panel video installation at the Unleashed Gala in 2024. She was the recipient of a CSPA award for her free-form poem “A letter from me, your Black sister,” and was a finalist for the Wisconsin Institute of Creative Writing Fellowship. She is currently a PhD candidate in English at Georgia State University and the Editor-in-Chief of Frontier Poetry. Madeline also serves as the Co-Founder and Poetry Editor of the project and publication Unwoven Literary & Arts Magazine. Madeline is the Co-Curator for Off the Page: Poetry Reimagined. In her free time, Madeline is an impassioned intermediate yogi and a dedicated ramen eater. 

Sarah Peecher is a native of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, now living and writing in Chicago. She was a Nathan Breitling Poetry Fellow and the recipient of an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. She now teaches undergraduate writing at Roosevelt University. She is the Associate Editor of Frontier Poetry, a publication exploring the edges of contemporary poetry. Along with writing, editing, and teaching, she curates poetry exhibitions for Off the Page: Poetry Reimagined. Much of her work strives to maintain, experiment with, and emphasize connections between the literary arts and other creative modes. Her writing can be found in The Lincoln Review, Agapanthus, Bluestem and more. Her debut chapbook, KEELING (Finishing Line Press, 2025) was a semi-finalist for the New Delta Review chapbook contest. Her poem “Emerging from a silver foil cocoon after the conflagration” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by +doc. She lives with her husband, Eli, and their two cats, Rumpus and Ruckus.

Ren Buchness:  (they/them) is a contemporary artist & fat, queer activist based in Tucson, Arizona. By combining painting & performance, they aim to foster dialogue and understanding of the fat, queer, and trans experience within the current political and social environment in the United States. In 2013, they received their BFA in Studio Art from Florida State University, and in 2018 earned their Master of Fine Art with a focus in painting & video from the University of Arizona. They currently teach a variety of fine art courses including figure drawing and watercolor painting at local colleges and universities. Ren’s work has been shown in multiple galleries across the country. Their work has also been featured in several publications both nationally and internationally.. They are also committed to cultivating a stronger trans and queer community through event planning and marketing with Fluxx productions, a local non-profit focused on queer community and creativity. Most days, you can find Ren in the studio, creating works of art that celebrate and explore the fat, queer experience.

Important Dates 

Final Due Date: March 28, 2026

Exhibition Dates: May 23 - June 20, 2026

Opening Reception: May 23, 6:30–8:00 p.m.

Artist Talk & Mingle: June 4, 6:30–8:00 p.m.

Notification: April 11, 2026

Entry Fee: $20

Each entry requires a minimum of one artwork, though up to three artworks may be considered per submission. Entry fees are non-refundable.

Members at the Enhanced Artist Level and above receive one free entry annually. Please email general@womanmade.org to receive your one-time code for free entry redemption.  

WMG offers fee waivers to those who request the need. To acknowledge the historic inequities of wealth distribution, they are exclusively reserved for ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+. Factors that result in an approved application include financial instability or low income status, student or recent graduate status, identification as ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+, or a demonstrated need otherwise. The WMG team will approve and send a fee waiver link within 2 days of artist's request. Please email WMG at general@womanmade.org to request a fee-waiver.

Eligibility   Woman Made Gallery is a space for women and nonbinary artists, including trans women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer artists. We welcome art from women and non-binary artists from our local community, regionally based, and around the world.     

Due to wall size restrictions, artworks must fall within 6’ horizontally and under 75 pounds in weight, unless delivered to and picked up from our gallery by the artist. Artists may be additionally responsible for the installation of oversized works.

New media artworks are eligible. To be considered, artists must  submit a sample .mp4 or URL under 10 mins for purposes of consideration. For exhibition, WMG requires a digital transfer (Google Drive, Vimeo downloads, WeTransfer) as well as a USB formatted in .mp4 file format delivered to the gallery. WMG can provide a limited number of media players, Epson projectors and TV monitors with basic speakers. All other new media needs are the responsibility of the artist.

Art Sales   Accepted work may be listed for sale or be not for sale (NFS). WMG will retain a 40% commission on sold works. Work remains the property of the artist until sold. Sold artworks shall remain in the exhibition until the end of the exhibition. Artists will be paid no later than 30 days after the close of the exhibit.

Terms of Exhibition   An artist contract with full terms of the exhibition will be administered at the time of acceptance notification. Artists need to retrieve their work by the date noted in the artist contract or make alternate arrangements. WMG is unable to store work beyond the pick-up date. Artists may donate their art to WMG's fundraising efforts if unable to pick it up. WMG is happy to talk through preparations, offer advice, and recommend resources as requested.