Local Artist’s Work On Display At The Other Art Fair

Photo provided by Damon Lamar Reed.
Photo provided by Damon Lamar Reed.

Local Artist’s Work On Display At The Other Art Fair

By Tia Carol Jones

Damon Lamar Reed always wanted to use art as a way to bring hope to people and to uplift them. He believed it was his purpose to create art that would inspire people. Reed remembers submitting his sports-related art to Sports Illustrated for Kids. It was always his goal to have his work featured in the monthly children-focused sports magazine.

While he didn’t get his work featured in the magazine, Reed continued to cultivate his creativity. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and has been creating art in the city of Chicago and across the country ever since then.

Reed creates art that tells the stories of the people, places and things in the heart of Chicago. Reed, along with 115 emerging and independent artists, will have their work featured at the Other Art Fair, which will take place from Thursday through Sunday, April 9th through the12th, at Artifact Events, located at 4325 N. Ravenswood.

Reed said having his work featured on a platform like the Other Art Fair opens his work up to a lot of other people who might not otherwise see his artwork. Reed said that even when his work is shown at other art events, people will tell him that they saw him first at the Other Art Fair. He said it creates exposure for him and has also led to his work getting sold. He said that he has found participating in the Other Art Fair is beneficial for him.

“One thing about the Other Art Fair is that they really promote it good, so there are always a lot of people coming by,” he said.

Reed said that he wanted to be part of events like the Other Art Fair to create art that people could take home with them, as opposed to his murals, which are on walls. He estimates that he has done 400 murals, including about 90 murals in schools across the city of Chicago. Reed said that having his murals in schools and in communities, and knowing that he always wanted to have his work uplift and give people hope, shows that he is on the right track.

In addition to having his art showcased on murals and at art events, Reed and his wife, Nicole, founded the Still Searching Project. The project, which was founded in 2020, uses art to raise awareness about missing women. He does portraits and murals of missing women.

Reed’s first portrait was of Kierra Coles, the pregnant postal worker who is still missing. The Reeds, along with the Still Searching Project, have been named the 2026 American Red Cross Social Justice Impact Heroes. The project is personal to him, because the murder of his aunt and two cousins has never been solved. He hopes that his artwork and the project will bring awareness by creating a beautiful portrait that would inspire people to think about the subjects of those portraits.

For more information about the Other Art Fair, visit theotherartfair.com/chicago. For more information about Damon Lamar Reed, visit www.damonlamarreed.com. For more information about the Still Searching Project, visit www.stillsearchingproject.com.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

Everyone Has Assets