COLOR SONGS: CHRIS DEVINS DEBUTS “HARMONIA AND THELONIUS” AT BRIDGEPORT ART CENTER

Harmonica & Thelonius by Chris Devins

Where music ends, and painting begins, Chicago artist Chris Devins refuses to draw a line. On Friday, July 17, Devins will debut his oil painting “Harmonia and Thelonius” at Bridgeport Art Center’s prestigious 4th Floor Gallery as part of Color Songs: Musicians as Visual Artists, an exhibition curated by Dr. Yaoundé Olu running through September 4, 2026.

The work belongs to Devin’s ongoing series “Into the Black,” a body of work committed to expanding the presence of Black, brown, and female figures within classical iconography and the walls of major cultural institutions. In a tradition where such representation has long been withheld or marginalized, “Harmonia and Thelonius” stakes a luminous claim—placing Black subjects squarely within the canon of fine art portraiture with elegance, gravitas, and unmistakable intention.

Color Songs celebrates the dual creative lives of artists who compose in both sound and image. The opening reception takes place Friday, July 17, at 7 p.m. at Bridgeport Art Center. The exhibition remains on view through September 4, 2026.