OFFLINE is an independent art collective based in Chicago where artists have the opportunity to meet, network, and collaborate for sustainability and coexistence. We had the chance to connect with the managing director and one of the co-founders, Peter Jang. Peter is now a junior at Columbia studying Arts Management. Read below to learn more about the beginnings, successes, and future of OFFLINE, where artists can gather and practice collective intelligence.

Why did you choose Columbia’s Business and Entrepreneurship program?

I’ll definitely give credit to our school’s curriculum and faculty. When I was a visiting student in Fall 2017, I met a lot of amazing professors who inspired me to stay longer in the Windy City. After a semester at Columbia, I decided to transfer from Korea because the curricula were well-structured and I could get industry-relevant knowledge and hands-on experience. Also, the faculty are full of resources willing to help and support their students when they ask.

We see that OFFLINE makes an effort to include all genres of art for events. What kinds of works have you curated?

When it comes to curating art and music, we want to feature as many different artists in various mediums as we can, regardless of genre. In terms of art, we have curated most types, from fine arts to interactive arts. At the same time, we have featured various music genres, from techno and house music to experimental pop and hip-hop. One of the most memorable artworks that we’ve featured was an interactive performance by an artist named COLO7 (@col_o7). He and his friends wore artistic garments and then mingled with the audiences on the dance floor.

OFFLINE was founded in September of 2017, but in just 10 months, the collective has curated 4 art exhibitions and live performances featuring over 70 artists. Do you have any advice for students of Arts Management looking to develop their own entrepreneurial projects?

I’d like to say do whatever you can for those you feel need to be represented. After you identify that, put a unique value into what you’re doing to make it sustainable. OFFLINE started off by identifying problematic situations for artists in Chicago. Han, my co-founder, and I thought there were not enough places or opportunities for artists to exhibit their work. Therefore, we pursued a mission to curate a series of events featuring art exhibitions and live performances regardless of genre so that artists can show their work to their audience. We wanted to create and build an artist community where artists can meet, network, and collaborate. Thankfully, a lot of people with creative soul shared our vision and supported what we have done, which enabled us to grow, not only in terms of the size of exhibits, but also in terms of the process of curating events.

How can interested artists be featured in an OFFLINE-curated event?

Please follow us on Instagram @offlineoff_ and get the latest updates about our events first. We will be opening the artist submission process for our upcoming exhibit in early April, so keep in touch with us. You can also send us a direct message or email to officiallyoffline@gmail.com for further information or with any inquiries.

What should we look forward to for upcoming OFFLINE projects in 2019?

This year, we want our audience to understand the message about identity that we want to deliver through our exhibit series. Through these experiences, we want you to witness how we develop as an art collective. But above all, we want you to enjoy the moment at our events and hopefully exhibit your own work.