Please join us on Thursday, July 24th
- Showcase Opening & Book Signing -
The Exhibition
In 1927, artist-designer Edgar Miller began transforming the architectural fabric of what would become Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. Working with a cohort of brilliant, like-minded creatives, Miller turned everyday domestic and public spaces into handcrafted masterworks—carving wood, casting plaster, and constructing stained glass windows to embody the philosophy of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “a total work of art.” Through the 1930s, Miller created living spaces—today known as the Handmade Homes—that cultivated a burgeoning artist colony movement on Chicago’s Near North Side that lasted decades. Now, a century later, the new graphic novel A Total Work of Art: The Story of Edgar Miller brings this vibrant era to life over 160 pages of dazzling illustrations and thought-provoking text. This exhibition bridges the past with the present, charting a hundred years of neighborhood evolution, artistic progress, and the enduring power of the handmade tradition.
From July 24th to November 22nd, 2026, Edgar Miller Legacy (EML), in partnership with Art on Sedgwick (AoS), is proud to present the Handmade Histories exhibition and learning experience across three distinct showcases. The exhibition celebrates and explores the content of the very first graphic novel about the life of the twentieth century artist-designer, Edgar Miller, published by EML in June 2026. The original works of Hannah Dykstra, the novel’s artist and illustrator, will be on display, as well as works by other local Chicago artists, including Jean Birkenstein Washington, William Walker, Larry Zgoda, Bob Horn, Sharon Bladholm, Larry Kolden, John Bakker, and Edgar Miller himself. Through three distinct rotating showcases, Handmade Histories explores how Old Town became a crossroads of a rapidly changing urban environment defined by its artistic nature, avant-garde expression, and generational legacy. Alongside the three showcases, EML and AoS will be hosting a series of workshops, neighborhood site tours, and family activity sessions throughout the exhibition’s run.
Showcase I: Community + Garden | July 24th - August 30th
Showcase II: Art + Activism | September 5th - October 8th
Showcase III: Memory + Legacy | October 15th - November 22nd
Publications, original artwork, and Edgar Miller Legacy Shop merchandise will be on sale at the gallery during the exhibition run. See open gallery hours or sign up for a viewing below.
Opening Event Details
Friday, July 24th
5:30 - 8:00pm (Exhibition Tour @ 7:00PM)
Art on Sedgwick Gallery
1404 North Sedgwick Street
Chicago, IL
Small appetizers and beverages will be shared.
The gallery is located just two blocks south of the Sedgwick Brown Line stop. Please note, neighborhood parking may be limited after 6PM.