Madelyn Havens is a Chicago-based abstract figurative painter whose work delves into the physical and emotional complexities of the human form. Through an intimate material practice, she investigates the body as both presence and memory, exploring how form, texture, and gesture can convey what lies beneath the surface. Her paintings often center on themes of vulnerability, fragmentation, and the tension between softness and distortion.

Betsy O’Brien graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, (SAIC) in 2010 with a focus in Painting and Drawing. After graduating, she worked at SAIC where she mentored over 30 young creatives and produced dozens of events for Campus Life.

She is now the Student Tour Coordinator at the Art Institute of Chicago where she promotes equitable participation in the arts, and collaborates with diverse partners and communities to strengthen the fabric of Chicago. She was recently selected to participate on the Art Institute of Chicago’s Accessible Experience Working Group as a co-chair.A people person at heart, she has worked with others to create inclusive spaces for engagement throughout her career at Hyde Park Art Center, Camp Birchwood for Girls, and The Second City.

In her spare time she serves on the Executive Board for the Arts of Life, a 501©3 non-profit that advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership.