ADIA SYKES is an arts organizer, curator, and dancer based in Chicago. Her practice seeks to center philosophies of improvisation, intuition, and care, engaging them as tools through which meaningful relationships between artists and viewers can be cultivated, while leaving space for the vernacular to mingle with constructs of history and theory.
As an administrator advocating for racial equity and sustainable ecosystems for creative practitioners, she has held roles with organizations like Chicago Artists Coalition, where she started their SPARK Grant; Threewalls; and as a Lead Organizer of the Chicago Art Census. At present, Adia is a Program Manager at United States Artists. She has also realized curatorial projects with the Art Institute of Chicago; Centro Arte Opificio Siri in Terni, Italy; Chicago Mayor’s Office; Woman Made Gallery; ACRE; Material Exhibitions; and Engage Projects.
Adia earned a Masters in Arts Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Chicago.
Bio as of 01/2025
Photo by Leslie Frempong