Julia Kemerer | Visual Art & Sculpture | Gages Lake, Illinois

Gallery visitors viewing the Portals series exhibition, with large-scale bird sculptures emerging from round found-object frames mounted along a white wall, including woodpeckers, songbirds, and a grid of smaller bird portals.

Nine bird sculptures from the Portals series mounted on a white wall, centered on a large great horned owl, surrounded by smaller birds including a rooster, pigeon, purple finch, tufted titmouse, and woodpecker, each emerging from a round found-object frame.

Detail of two bird sculptures from the Portals series mounted on a white wall — a spotted flicker with tail feathers fanning downward and a mourning dove above, with a yellow warbler partially visible at upper right.

Close-up detail of a spotted sparrow sculpture emerging from a round bronze frame in the Portals series, with additional smaller bird portal sculptures visible in the background.

Decorative black duck head sculpture with a striped neck, mounted on a circular metal plaque.

Artist Snapshot

Name: Julia Kemerer
Location: Gages Lake, Illinois
Discipline: Visual Artist / Sculpture
Medium: Mixed media sculpture including plaster gauze, found objects, clay, and fiberglass
Website: https://juliakemerer.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliakemererart/
Other Links:

Introduction

Julia Kemerer is a visual artist based in Gages Lake, Illinois. After many years working behind the scenes in the arts—framing, installing exhibitions, organizing collections, curating, cataloging, leading tours, arranging events, and supporting galleries—she has increasingly focused on exhibiting her own work. Over the past several years, her Portals series has led to multiple group exhibitions, her first public art purchase, her first public commission, and her first solo exhibition.

The Portals series combines sculpture with found-object frames. Rather than containing the work, the frames function as openings through which oversized birds appear to enter physical space. Kemerer explains that the round forms of the found frames recall birdhouse openings and that birds were chosen because they often seem to appear unexpectedly.

Additional visibility is meaningful to Kemerer as she continues expanding her exhibition opportunities and pursuing public art commissions. She recently presented a solo exhibition in La Crosse, Wisconsin, while also developing a commissioned six-foot motorized hummingbird sculpture for the City of Elgin’s 2026 Nightmare on Chicago Street festival. The project marks her first outdoor sculpture, her first work using fiberglass, and her first sculpture designed with moving components.

This Attention Grant funded by Sponsorship from: Traverse City Design Week (Oct. 4-10, 2026)

Interview

What’s been energizing you lately?

Having a challenge and a deadline energizes me. I love taking on a project that forces me to learn and grow. Through a chance meeting at an arts conference last fall, I (maker of giant birds) met someone who had been wanting for years to make a giant hummingbird for an annual Halloween event in Elgin, IL. What made it extra interesting was that it would be a full body bird in flight that would need to be weather proof, and he wanted to motorize it so that it moved. I jumped at the chance! So, I spent my summer learning how to work with fiberglass, how to adapt marionette movements to the scale of a 6’ tall hummingbird, and working with an engineer to attach everything to a motor so it moves on its own. The project was intimidating and thrilling all at the same time. There were moments when I didn’t know exactly how I’d pull it off—but that’s the fun part! And the fact that there was a hard deadline meant there was no turning back.

Is there a piece, project, or idea you keep returning to lately?

Sometimes when I drive around an area with tall buildings, I look up at them and think, “someday, I want to put a giant bird up there, climbing out of a portal on the side of the building.” There would be so many challenges with making that happen, and thinking of all the logistics makes my head spin, but figuring out the puzzle of “how” to make something is just as exciting for me as actually doing it. One of these days, I’ll make it happen.

Materials & Process

Creates sculptural work using plaster gauze and found-object frames.
Uses birds as recurring sculptural subjects within the Portals series.
Currently learning to work with fiberglass for an outdoor public sculpture.
Adapting marionette-style movement to a six-foot sculpture.
Collaborating with an engineer to motorize a sculpture’s movement.

Current Work & Projects

Portals series.
Recent solo exhibition at the Pump House Regional Arts Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Commissioned six-foot motorized hummingbird sculpture representing Huitzilopochtli for Nightmare on Chicago Street (for the City of Elgin, IL.)
Ongoing development of large-scale bird sculptures emerging from architectural “portals.”

Additional Notes

Worked for many years behind the scenes in the arts, including framing, exhibition installation, organizing, curating, cataloging, leading tours, arranging events, and checking coats.
The Portals series has led to a dozen group exhibitions over two years.
The series resulted in Kemerer’s first public purchase, first public commission, and first solo exhibition.
Seeking additional solo gallery exhibitions and public art opportunities.
Featured as Artist of the Month by Brushwood Center.
Recent solo exhibition is presented by the Pump House Regional Arts Center.

Upcoming Events & Exhibitions

46th Annual Recent Works Exhibition

Venue: Robert T Wright Gallery
City: Grayslake, IL,
Date: October 2 – 29

Something Wicked

Venue: Side Street Studio Arts
City: Elgin, IL
Date: October 2 – November 1

Nightmare on Chicago Street

Venue: City of Elgin
City: Elgin, Illinois
Date: October 16-17, 2026

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