Eliza Weekley

Eliza Weekley is a professional dancer and figure model. Originally from Athens, Ohio she began her formal dance training with BalletMet in Columbus. There she had the opportunity to work with Edwaard Liang and perform company roles in Gerard Charles’ “The Nutcracker" and “Alice in Wonderland”. After moving to Chicago, Eliza trained at the Grainger Academy of the Joffrey Ballet and then became a member of Ronn Stewart’s Cocodaco Dance Project for two seasons. Eliza went on to dance with Chicago Repertory Ballet under the direction of Wade Schaaf for seven seasons, where she worked with choreographers such as Shannon Alvis, Taylor Mitchell, Mariana Oliveira, Mike Tyus, and Brian Enos. Most recently she has been freelancing around the city guesting with the Ruth Page Center for the Arts and Chicago Festival Ballet as well as performing in Jonathan E. Alsberry’s Finale for Dance for Life produced by the Chicago Dance Health Fund. When not dancing Eliza models at Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts and Chicago Academy for the Arts. 

Blanca Favi

blancafavinunez@gmail.com
773-862-2009

Blanca Favi is a Spanish artist and painter based in Chicago whose practice explores the human figure through oil painting, drawing, and portraiture. Her work is grounded in observation and an interest in the ways the body can communicate emotion, movement, and intimacy.

In 2025, Blanca completed 365 Portraits, a year-long project in which she painted one portrait every day for a year. The project deepened her understanding of the figure through daily observation and experimentation, allowing her to explore gesture, expression, anatomy, and the subtle details that make a figure feel alive.

Her painting process is intuitive and physical, often incorporating expressive brushstrokes. In her classes, Blanca encourages students to approach painting through close observation while developing confidence in their own visual language. Her approach combines practical understanding of anatomy, proportion, and form with experimentation and a sensitivity to gesture and expression.