25 Apr “Lucas Life in Chicago – An Exhibit at Bottles Up!” – With Opening Reception June 5th, 2026
“LUCAS LIFE IN CHICAGO – AN EXHIBIT AT BOTTLES UP!”
Original Oil Paintings and Poetry
Featuring Artist: Rina Lucas – staffandpalette.com
Including Wine Tasting Reception
June 5th, 2026: 5:30 – 7:00 pm
BottlesUp! https://bottlesupchicago.com
3164 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
FIRST FRIDAY EVENT
Program
Staff & Palette is delighted to partner with Melissa Zeman of BottlesUp! in the heart of Lakeview East downtown to bring a unique multimedia experience “Lucas Life in Chicago – An Exhibit at BottlesUp!” featuring the paintings and poetry of artist Rina Lucas during the month of June 2026 with opening wine tasting reception June 5th from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.
Artist Statement
As I was curating for this exhibit, I wanted to give viewers a glimpse into my vibrant and textured life as a new Chicagoland resident: the mix of joy and sorrow that is held in my “Holly’s Garden Chicago” series telling stories of survival, recovery, love, loss, and remembrance; select pieces from the “At Home in Chicago” series which intertwines the nesting of now with the many complex strands that brought me here; and finally a taste of the “My Chicagos” series, unveiling the urban setting here as it appears to my eyes. I love the way the colors and concepts of each of these pieces work together to communicate my experiences as an artist living, working, and healing in Chicago. Welcome to “Lucas Life in Chicago – An Exhibit at BottlesUp!” – Rina Lucas, Staff & Palette
Artist Bio
Soprano Rina Lucas is known for her powerful instrument, effortless range, and musical versatility. Comfortable in multiple genres, she has performed as a soloist with the Charleston Symphony, with the Lowcountry Voices, during the televised Spotlight Awards, in her own multimedia Piccolo Spoleto productions in SC alongside pianist and composer Arshak Sirunyan, and in her original virtual and live shows at The Moss Center and the Floyd Center for the Arts in VA. In addition to her accomplishments as a vocalist, Rina is also a gifted poet and visual artist working in oils. All of her paintings, rich and diverse in subject and style, are accompanied by poetry and signed in Hebrew as a nod to her roots. She has been featured in numerous juried exhibitions along the East Coast, here in Chicago, and beyond. Her interdisciplinary work has also been recognized by Artistonish Magazine, Classical Singer Music Magazine, Medici International Music Competition, Music International Grand Prix, National Association of Teachers of Singing, and TERAVARNA. With a Bachelor of Science from James Madison University and a Master of Physical Therapy from Gannon University, Rina’s path to performance has been nontraditional, having turned to the arts full time in 2012 after a career as a Physical Therapist. Since that time, she has developed her talents with several excellent mentors including: Professors of Voice – Sandra Barnhardt, Patricia Clevenger, Dr. Jill Terhaar Lewis, and Ariana Wyatt, Artists – Michael Farrar, Z.L. Feng, Jonathan Green, and Terry Lyon, as well as the former Poet Laureate of Charleston, SC, Marcus Amaker. She owns Staff & Palette, her studio for paint, poetry, and voice in the Greater Chicago area where she has recently relocated with her husband John and their beloved pups, Ariel and Eli.
“LUCAS LIFE IN CHICAGO – AN EXHIBIT AT BOTTLES UP!”
HOLLY’S GARDEN CHICAGO
An Oil Series depicting scenes and themes from the sacred garden of remembrance named for our first Collie and comprised of plantings lovingly brought with us from Virginia to Charleston, SC and now lovingly tended here in Chicago, IL
A BIRD’S EYE VIEW
12×12 Framed Oil on Canvas
“A Bird’s Eye View”
Holly’s Garden Chicago
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
Some things are best seen
From above
Where lines and colors blur and blend
To reveal the main idea for a moment
Minus the details.
CICADA SONG
16×12 Framed Oil on Canvas
“Cicada Song” is inspired by actual events but is also a powerful metaphor for how the culture of abuse crushes spirits, silences voices, and severs relationships. The antidote to this is found in the strength of our songs that, like the Cicada’s, persevere to survive and speak truth transforming the world along with us as we have the courage to change into the most authentic version of ourselves.
“Cicada Song”
Holly’s Garden Chicago
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
I stood with a fair haired child
Many summers ago,
She spoke with a voice like mine…
People told me
She favored me,
But on this day
She was frightened
Screaming and crying
Terrified
And I knew that feeling well,
In this instance
The scary sensations came from
Being overwhelmed
By creeping things
Chirping Cicadas
Emerging from their seventeen year slumber
Underground
To meet the sun and one another
For a short while,
But these strange creatures
Seemed like monsters
To a small girl
Who had never observed them before,
She needed experienced eyes
To help her see herself
In these insects
As fellow living beings
With a precious purpose
And a voice…
“Sweet Angel
Don’t be afraid!
These little animals
Are our friends,”
I carefully picked one up
To show her
And he began to sing,
“See?
He’s singing!
Just like me!
That’s what they do!
They rest for a long time
Remaining quiet
Under the surface,
And when they wake
They break free from their shell
Becoming totally new
And all they want to do is
Share their songs,
They look unusual to us
But they are gentle
And even beautiful in their way,
If we take a minute
To hear their voice
We see it is like ours,”
Her face lit up
With understanding
And natural empathy,
She was smiling
Seeing past the alien visage
And the leggy limbs
To the sleek silvery wings
And proud vocals,
Hearing the combined songs
From many locusts
Singing in the trees
Along with this one
In my hand,
Her fear was gone
Her eyes like mine
Filled with wonder
My heart brimming over
With songs of my own
I set the fragile bug
Back where I found him,
But suddenly there were
Loud footsteps
A large shadow loomed
Blocking the light of the sun
He was there…
The one who looked like
Both of us,
Before I knew it
His heavy boot
Came crushing down
On the helpless life
In anger
In disgust
In hatred of much
He did not understand…
For the inexplicable pleasure
Of hurting something
That could not
Fight back…
There on the ground
Lay in pieces
The broken body
Of the blameless Cicada
Whose song had been silenced
For no reason at all…
And innocent eyes once filled with joy
Turned dark with tears
Confused
Searching mine
But I had no words of comfort
To give her
Or myself…
That was several seasons ago
In a time when I too
Felt the Cicada’s anguish
Under a forceful foot,
I cannot bring back the song
I heard on that day
Nor the childlike fascination
That replaced fear
On the face
Of that little girl I always remember
And love…
But as I recline among the arbors
In this new place
Bursting with new life
And new songs
From brave Cicadas
Whose essence survived
And sojourned on
From that day
To this one
I find my own voice and spirit
Lifted
In harmony with the tenacious truth
Of their masterful melody
The very key to their
Survival…
“Sing on little ones all
Who have been pressed down
Let your voice ring out
As powerful medicine
The arias of those
Who have overcome.”
DRAGONFLY DREAMS
12×16 Framed Oil on Canvas
“Dragonfly Dreams”
Holly’s Garden Chicago
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
Change is never easy…
Yet as we traverse
Trying trails
It is certain
Something to accept
To embrace
To even envelop
Ourselves in
As a reminder that
We are living
Breathing
Growing
Learning
Loving
Dreaming…
Of all that
Yet may be
Because we are
Lighter than air
Letting go of
Past pain
And
Present preoccupations
Taking delight
In our flexible flight
The pulsing power
Propelling us
Up and over
And through
This transformative transition
And onto
The next one
With all of its color
Sound and energy
Whipping in our wings.
ELI
14×11 Framed Oil on Canvas – NFS
“Eli”
Holly’s Garden Chicago
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
For our Eli
November 3rd, 2012 – October 23rd, 2024
From the first moment
I saw you
It was
Through rose colored glasses
So in love
I fell…
And like a shooting star in summer
Filled with fire and fury
And sunlight
That both brightens and burns
You landed
In my lap,
And since that second
Life took on a Pink hue…
In a flash
We learned together
That even utter adoration
Is often complicated
Especially when
It’s been injured,
So we found
Our own meter
To match the musical meteor show
That brought you
And what a bond
We forged
Like no other
You were an Enigma
Since rarely does
A luminary
Allow an earthly embrace,
Our journey carried us
Through many more solstices
Along oceans and
Over mountains
To the edges of
Great Lakes,
And each experience
Trusting our travels
Increased my certainty
That you were as much
My teacher
As pupil,
Celestial lessons were
Kindled with
Wisdom and
Healing
Crafted by
Our connection
Paw in hand…
And oh how we laughed!
And yes, we cried…
Especially on that dark day
Your brilliant glow
Streaked across the sky
For what seemed like
The final fall…
And I thought my arms
Would never stop aching
From the inability to catch you
To keep holding you
Here…
But you
Our Beloved Mystery
Came from the Heavens
Where human hearts dream
And many times you meet me there…
As I cradle you close
Your fur
Against my face
Once again
I know
You are always with me
Your ethereal illumination
So evident
Still…
Even more so
Little Sunshine
As you watch over us
From above,
Our family fell for you
When you became ours
And forever we
Have that feeling…
Knowing this tumble
Through space and time
And tenderness…
Will always lead us
To you.
PEEP SHOW
12×24 Framed Oil on Canvas
“Peep Show”
Holly’s Garden Chicago
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
Nature’s naughty
Is sometimes nice,
The pure joy of abandonment
As feathers flutter and flap
Watering weary wings
With breathless beak and breast,
An otherwise shy Robin
Now a bathing beauty
Unaware she is being admired from afar,
Her delicious delight contagious
Her earnest jubilation worthy of emulation
Her love lavished on herself a lesson
In how to fully cherish this gift of life
So precious and fleeting
With the rapture of splashes and smiles
Among many other moments of
Satisfied glee.
ZACHIAS’S BIRD BATH
24×18 Framed Oil on Canvas
“Zachias’s Bird Bath”
Holly’s Garden Chicago
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
How cherished
Is the memory
Of our Little Man
With fullest heart
Cultivated continually
In this precious garden
To nurture souls
Nourish nature
And comfort the caretakers
Just as he did in life
And ever more
Will do.
AT HOME IN CHICAGO
An Oil Series intertwining the nesting of now with the many complex strands that brought me here to Chicago
HOSPITALITY’S HARVEST
14×11 Framed Oil on Canvas
“Hospitality’s Harvest”
At Home in Chicago
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
The fine fragrance
Of generosity
Lingers in the air
And on the palate
Reminding us
Though everything is new…
Surroundings
Sights
Sounds
Significance
Amid the dizzying array
Of changes
A big move
To city life brings
Hospitality remains host
A harvest of kindness key.
THE GRANDMOTHER GIFT
20×16 Framed Oil on Canvas
“The Grandmother Gift”
At Home in Chicago
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
Everything
That gave her strength
I inherited,
Along with her fears
And faults
I was given grace
And grit,
Because she lived
And learned
I am lavished
With her love,
Because her roots
Took hold
In granite
I can stand
Tall
On her firm foundation,
Because her hands
Were worn
With hard work
I know how to cultivate things
And clean things
And feed my family,
Because her voice
Rang high
Over the hollows and hills
Soprano from the south
Alto from the north
I can sing my truth in both registers,
Every time I stand on stage
Or hum a tune at the kitchen sink
She is with me,
Because her life was
An authentic expression
Her creative spirit also
Lives on
In the words I write
And canvases I paint
Even in the gardens I grow…
Rich soil is such a part of
My heritage
On both sides,
Contradictions too
As Union and Confederate Soldiers
Hebrews and Brethren
Cherokee and Europeans
Eventually held hands,
Because of her laughter
Through it all
I experienced joy
And learned how to heal
Through humor,
Because she suffered much
I know empathy
Gentleness
And compassion,
There are stories of shadow
That dance in her light
And darken the heart of her family
Even today
But whether from my mother’s side
Or my father’s
In her way
She overcame
All of it
So that I could too
That’s her gift to me
To all of us,
And though I pass
Her legacy
Through art
Rather than DNA
The flowers of her life
And mine
Ever bloom.
MY CHICAGOS
An Oil Series unveiling the urban setting here in Chicago as it appears to my eyes
CHICAGO TRAFFIC
11×14 Framed Oil on Canvas
“Chicago Traffic”
My Chicagos
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
Breathless beauty
Through and through
Surrounds us…
Color and light
Shapes and sounds
Fragrance and fresh air
Flora and fauna
People of every persuasion
Always peace
Even in the pattern
Of the city’s chaos
And I think
The frustrating obstacles
To our ongoing inching
Forward…
Endless crowds and cars
Downtown delays
Deadlines and desires unmet
Accolades unsung…
Are what allow us
To pause and notice
Long enough
To let sublimity land.
MY KIND OF TOWN
10×8 Framed Oil on Canvas
“My Kind Of Town”
My Chicagos
Painting and Poem by Rina Lucas
It’s the swift swirl
Of the city saunter
Scenes shifting
Energy all around
The jazzy jet set
People pass with purpose
Planning or playing
Along urban avenues
Graced with green gardens
Buttressed by buildings
Bantering with blowing breezes
All are ever aware
Since sidewalks see such smiles
That this town
Tended by tides
From the blue horizon
And the wide world over
Is a proud place
To call home.
Many thanks for sharing this preview of the exhibit with me! I look forward to seeing you at the opening reception!
“LUCAS LIFE IN CHICAGO – AN EXHIBIT AT BOTTLES UP!”
Original Oil Paintings and Poetry
Featuring Artist: Rina Lucas – staffandpalette.com
Including Wine Tasting Reception
June 5th, 2026: 5:30 – 7:00 pm
BottlesUp! https://bottlesupchicago.com
3164 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
FIRST FRIDAY EVENT
If you are interested in purchasing any of these original oil paintings, each accompanied by poetry, please contact me at: