“Soon Come: The Art of Contemporary Jamaica” will open at the DePaul University Art Gallery, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., April 2 and run through May 14. The touring show features the paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculpture and textiles of 20 Jamaican artists.

The exhibition title is taken from the Jamaican vernacular expression “soon come,” which translates as “Great things happen when the time is right.”

The works of the featured artists reflect the mixed culture of the small Caribbean Island and western artistic influences, such as expressionism and minimalism. At the same time, the artists deal with issues of slavery, immigration and the history of their country, a former British plantation colony.

Jamaica has been independent only since 1962, and its development as a nation in the modern world has often been turbulent, according to Louise Lincoln, director of DePaul’s art gallery. “This is vividly reflected in Jamaican art and culture today, which revolves largely around explorations of ethnicity and cultural identity. A major theme of the exhibition is an exploration of the stylistic and conceptual differences between those artists who studied in the United States and Europe, and those who rely on the learned artistic traditions of Jamaican art.”

“Soon Come” showcases the work of some of the premier artists working in Jamaica today, including David Boxer, Hope Brooks and Cecil Cooper, as well as Jamaican artists living and working abroad, such as Albert Chong and Bryan McFarlane. These works, by artists with diverse ethnic backgrounds and artistic training, defy many stereotypes of Jamaican culture.

An opening reception will be held April 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the gallery. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. For more information about this exhibition and future events of the DePaul Art Gallery, call 773/325-7506.

“Soon Come” is organized by the Nebraska Arts Council, the Edra Manley School for the Visual and Performing Arts and ExhibitsUSA. A color catalog accompanies the exhibition. Exhibits USA is generously supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the H&R Block Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Embassy of Australia, the District of Columbia and U.S. Sprint Support from the Lila-Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund has enabled ExhibitsUSA to produce high-quality museum exhibitions at affordable prices.

ExhibitsUSA is a national division of the Mid-America Arts Alliance, a private, non-profit organization founded in 1972 and assisted by the NEA, its six-partner state arts agencies and private contributors.