Chicago Alliance
of Visual Artists
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Connect with and follow us!
CAVA is a volunteer not-for-profit organization founded in 1988 to serve artists aged 50+. We're dedicated to giving our over 375 members throughout the greater Chicago area the opportunity to exhibit artwork in at least four exhibits annually in such notable venues as the Chicago Cultural Center,
MANA Contemporary, Evanston Art Center, Bridgeport Art Center, Art Center Highland Park, and Leslie Wolfe Gallery in Old Town.
Creating art can be a solitary occupation—CAVA organizes and presents events for older artists to come together through its exhibitions, salons, member luncheons, workshops, annual Symposium, and special events. For more information, visit our CONTACT page, and sign up for our e-newsletter.
CAVA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:
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Exhibit in the Annual Members Show;
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Enter our juried exhibitions, including the annual Later Impressions exhibition;
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Engage in various group and media-focused exhibitions
we organize throughout the Chicago area; -
Participate in membership social and educational programs, including our Critique Events; Artists' Studio Visits; and the annual CAVA Symposium.
FEATURED CAVA ARTIST
Kelly Zeng spent most of her professional career in software product development. A chance encounter with Ingrid Albrecht, a fine‑art master in watercolor, changed the trajectory of her life. Under Albrecht's guidance, Kelly's weekend hobby became a serious daily practice, and opened the door to her journey into design and artistic self‑expression.
I Am Music P1, watercolor on Yupo, 2026
“I primarily paint in watercolor, and I lean on techniques such as monotype, suminagashi, gelli printing, and collage to refine design ideas and painting directions,” says Kelly. “Sometimes my experimental pieces evolve into finished work in their own right. I paint the moment when something breaks open inside you — not dramatic, but quietly undeniable.”
In the beginning, Kelly focused primarily on landscapes. “I love to travel and have collected many jaw‑dropping moments along the way, she says. "Recently I’ve begun exploring more complex inner landscapes — using color, movement, and imagery inspired by music, poetry, dance, and other artistic forms.”
I Am Music P9, watercolor on Yupo, 2026
Kelly has continued painting landscapes, which in recent years have become more abstract, with large blocks of bright color. These new landscapes imagine the emotional climate of home," says Kelly, "showing spacious, atmospheric worlds where color becomes breath, and the environment itself feels protective."
Her latest line of inquiry has her remaking a group of portraits she created a few years ago. “Now that I have more tools in my visual language, I want to make these portraits more expressive, layered, and relatable, revisiting the series with calligraphy, embroidery/textile elements, and using the fluid quality of watercolor.”
Like Never Before, watercolor on Yupo, 2025
Kelly is a signature member of the International Society of Experimental Artists (ISEA). In 2025 her painting Like Never Before received a Merit Award at the ISEA annual exhibition at the Ormond Memorial Museum in Florida.
This year Kelly taught an Urban Sketchers symposium workshop, “From Experimental Sketches to Masterpieces,” inspired by a chapter in Sally Mann’s recent book Art Work. Says Kelly, "Leading the workshop demonstrated to me the value of teaching, and how it deepens my own practice, look forward to expanding my teaching portfolio.”
To find out more about Kelly, and see more of her collections of work inspired by music, poetry, and nature, CLICK HERE to visit her website, and follow her on instagram at @kellyzengart