TL;DR
Get art and craft supplies delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The Department of Objects is an exhibition based on a five-day winter residency at Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Four artists created paintings and drawings inspired in part by the camp’s collection of vintage objects; the opening reception is scheduled for October 23 in Chicago. The source does not identify the gallery venue or provide exhibition dates beyond the opening.
The Department of Objects, an exhibition of work by four artists who took part in a five-day winter residency at Wisconsin’s Camp Wandawega, is scheduled to open in Chicago on October 23. The project, organized by Joy Machine and The Jaunt, draws on the artists’ time at the historic camp and its collection of vintage objects, according to a report by Colossal.
The residency brought together Wyatt Hersey, Melissa Lakey, Esther Pearl Watson and Anna Valdez at Camp Wandawega, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, a short distance north of Chicago. The artists spent five days in the camp’s lodges, kitchens and bunkhouses during winter. Colossal’s report describes frozen lakes, snow and temperatures as low as 4 degrees Fahrenheit, and says the artists came from California.
The exhibition takes its name from a storage room in the camp attic that the artists used as a workspace. The room, described in the report as a lending library of old magazines, books, fishing lures, patches and camp memorabilia, was nicknamed the “Green Room.” Colossal says the collection inspired paintings and drawings, with some objects from the camp also appearing in the gallery.
The report identifies several works, including Hersey’s View from Wandawega Lodge, a 2026 gouache painting on birch panel, and Valdez’s Assorted Vintage Lures, also dated 2026. Lakey’s Vintage Radios is an acrylic painting on wood panel. The opening reception is listed for 6 to 8 p.m. on October 23; the report says all four artists will attend and mentions a collector preview, but gives no venue address or preview details.
A Residency Becomes a Chicago Exhibition
The exhibition gives Chicago audiences a chance to see work produced through a shared, place-based residency rather than a studio project described only after the fact. The artists’ source material included the camp’s everyday objects and accumulated memorabilia, while the winter setting shaped the conditions of their stay. The show connects those experiences to finished work by four artists.
For the organizers, the project also extends The Jaunt’s approach beyond its artist travel residencies. Colossal reports that the group’s winter camp was designed to bring artists together for time to exchange ideas, food, stories and creative work. The Chicago presentation makes the results accessible to gallery visitors, though the source does not specify how many pieces will be shown or whether additional public programming is planned.
vintage camping memorabilia wall art
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Camp Wandawega to the Gallery
Jeroen Smeets founded The Jaunt’s artist-residency program around trips to destinations chosen by participating artists, according to Colossal. The report says Smeets hosted the first Winter Camp in 2024, bringing four artists together for a week. The 2026 project is described as the third iteration and a collaboration between The Jaunt and Joy Machine; the source does not explain the timing of the second camp.
Camp Wandawega’s grounds are more than a century old. Colossal says the site first operated as a speakeasy and brothel during Prohibition, then became a summer camp run by the Latvian Catholic Church. It now functions as a retreat with traditional camp buildings and activities. The report presents that history and the camp’s preserved objects as part of the setting for the artists’ work, rather than as a separate focus of the exhibition.
“They described it as “the warmest space we can reasonably be expected to work.””
— Colossal’s report on the artists’ workspace
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Venue and Show Dates Still Unlisted
The available report confirms an October 23 opening reception but does not name the Chicago gallery, provide its address, or state how long the exhibition will remain on view. It also gives no information about admission, accessibility, the collector preview schedule, or whether visitors need to RSVP. The report invites readers to RSVP for the reception or sign up for a collector preview, but does not include links or further instructions in the supplied material.
The source describes some camp objects as joining the gallery presentation, but does not identify which items or clarify whether they are loaned, displayed as installation elements, or included in another way. It also does not provide a complete exhibition checklist or statements from the four artists about individual works.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Opening Reception Set for October 23
The next listed event is the exhibition’s opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on October 23. Colossal says Hersey, Lakey, Watson and Valdez are expected to be present. The source also points to a collector preview, though its date and sign-up process are not supplied.
Further practical details—including the gallery name, address, exhibition run and public attendance arrangements—will be needed for visitors planning to attend. The announcement confirms the opening date and time, but does not state whether either may change.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is The Department of Objects?
It is an exhibition of work by four artists who took part in a winter residency at Camp Wandawega. The show is named after an attic room at the camp filled with vintage objects and memorabilia.
Which artists are included?
The artists named in the report are Wyatt Hersey, Melissa Lakey, Esther Pearl Watson and Anna Valdez.
When is the opening reception?
The reception is scheduled for October 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. The supplied report does not give a gallery address or say whether RSVP is required.
Where did the residency take place?
The artists spent five days at Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, north of Chicago. The exhibition itself is described as taking place in Chicago, but the gallery is not identified in the available source.
What inspired the artwork?
The report says artists worked in a camp attic space called the Green Room, which held old magazines, fishing lures, books, patches and other memorabilia. It also identifies the camp and winter setting as part of the residency experience.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
