exhibited work by Hannah Dykstra
at Art on Sedgwick as part of the Bound Together
2025 Summer Exhibition | July 11th - July 25th, 2025

Reception & Artist Q&A | July 11th, 4-7PM
Community Workshop | July 19th, 3-5PM
Show Closing Viewing | July 25th, 4-7PM

Art on Sedgwick
1404 North Sedgwick Street
Chicago, IL 60610

Viewing times by appointment: kikimcgrathstudio@gmail.com

Abstract & Artist Statement

Hannah Dykstra is an artist who explores the relationship between history, place, and creative freedom—how we are shaped by our context, and how, through human ingenuity and creation, the very constraints that define us can be transformed or subverted into a source of profound creative freedom. At the center of her practice is how one experiences art through the lenses of narrative and physical space. She is drawn to the temporal quality of moving through an environment and how the stories we encounter there—both given and self-created—fundamentally shape our world.

For the Bound Together 2025 Summer Exhibition at Art on Sedgwick in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago, Dykstra brought together select pieces from the forthcoming graphic novel A Total Work of Art, which will tell the story of Edgar Miller and his masterwork, the Glasner Studio, also located in Old Town. Her graphic prints and inspired artwork installations draw directly from her graphic novel artwork. The exhibit also features a 9-foot tall, wooden stained glass window model, designed and made by Dykstra and collaborators, and inspired by Miller’s iconic stained glass windows found throughout his handmade homes in the Old Town neighborhood.

In her art career, she has been drawn to comics as a temporal, narrative-based art form, realized by reading through it rather than seeing it as a single "art object." She became especially drawn to Edgar’s philosophy on art. He paid little attention to the difference between fine art, applied art, and design. He simply made it his own, creating work that was functional, aesthetic, and often existed outside the elite market or in public spaces and private homes. Miller was influenced by the idea of a Gesamtkunstwerk – “a total work of art,” a world within and made of a work of art. Her graphic novel created in collaboration with Edgar Miller Legacy and originating from a residency with Art on Sedgwick, is her artistic interpretation of that spirit.

“When I first experienced Edgar Miller’s artistically made environments in 2018,” Dykstra explains, “I was profoundly influenced by the idea of ‘living in a work of art.’ Thus, in the comic illustrations themselves, I sought to mirror what it’s like to step into the different spaces of his handmade homes—to capture the feeling of moving through his world. They’re exquisite and varied, yet obviously still Edgar Miller.”

The subjects and gallery experience on display share Dykstra’s clear vision of the world through both her and Miller’s eyes. From Idaho's open spaces to the early twentieth century skyscrapers of Chicago, Miller’s dreams were seeded and began to take shape, culminating in the breathtaking Glasner Studio. Within its walls, personal journeys intertwine with a woman's fight for change, leaving hidden stories scattered through its handcrafted details. Edgar's artistic ascent in Chicago was as unexpected as it was revolutionary, his visionary creations leaving an indelible mark on the city's landscape. The Glasner Studio became a haven for civil rights activists, a vibrant hub for artists of all kinds, and a silent witness to a unique and compelling history. But the passage of time threatened to obscure his legacy. Edgar Miller was almost lost to time, that is, until chance rediscoveries pulled his work from obscurity, bringing his extraordinary story and the stories of the Glasner Studio back into the light.

Dykstra’s graphic novel is planned for publication in 2025, and will explore several eras of Miller’s life and the stories of those who called the Glasner Studio home.

Graphic Novel Design Process — From Conception to Final Art

Each page of the forthcoming A Total Work of Art graphic novel is full of inspired artwork and archived materials that can be found at the Edgar Miller Legacy office and archives. Walk through Hannah Dykstra’s work process from ideation to final artwork.

Assembling the Grand Adventure Window Installation

One of the most impressive pieces being shown in A Total Work of Art showcase is a 9-foot-tall wooden framed model stained glass windows, directly inspired by the style of stained glass windows designed by Edgar Miller for the handmade homes of Old Town. Check out the assembly process of the Grand Adventures in the video below.

A Total Work of Art is part of Bound Together presented at the gallery at Art on Sedgwick in July, 2025. The exhibition is composed of paintings, prints, and installations by Teri Carson, Hannah Dykstra, and Consuela Johnson. These three artists have lived or practiced their craft in Chicago's Near North neighborhood. Their work examines the interplay between intimacy, urban environments, and the places we call home.

Art on Sedgwick acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council for this exhibition.