Margy Brill will join us on July 8 for the Art Hop.

"My passion for cities and art coupled with my anthropological lens fuels the photographer in me. From a young age, my family vacations consisted of traveling to new cities across the country and exploring numerous art museums. These experiences sparked my interest in art and fostered my deep love of city life. I have always felt alive in cities, and I find them to be sensational.

Photography allows me to explore and capture elements of life that cannot always be seen with the naked eye: new perspectives, new ways of viewing the world. 'Chicago, awake' is an attempt to explore the city of Chicago in a creative, innovative way. A week prior to taking this series of photographs, I tragically lost a dear friend in an accident. At that time, photography was my refuge, my way to reaffirm signs of life still present in the world and in the city. I needed reminding of how much was alive at a time that seemed so dark. Through photography, I was awakened."

Margy Brill