There was an article in the Arts section of the New York Times on Thursday, October 13 that really made me cringe, and a lively discussion on Twitter soon followed.  In a nutshell, the article talks about LA's recent emergence as a major international art center, and of course they discuss the city's art scene in comparison to New York today, as well as what has made New York's art world so dynamic over the decades. For me, the piece brought up all sorts of feelings and observations about Chicago.

The article starts by discussing a new arts festival, Pacific Standard Time, and referencing the sprawling territory throughout southern California for galleries, museums, and art centers.  The festival is touted as, "a statement of self-affirmation by a region that, at times, appears to feel underappreciated as a serious culture center."  

There were a lot of lines that sounded very familiar to me - if I read the article with all references to California blacked out, I might be able to read this piece as a summation of our own varied, lively arts scene in Chicago.  I give LA credit - they've got some blockbusters going on right now that are drawing crowds (Tim Burton; the graffiti show.) And it's so sunny most of the year that "Curators talk about the difficulty of encouraging people to walk indoors for anything but a movie in a city that has glorious weather so many months of the year."  They have some really solid artists producing work that is of the moment now - who hasn't been obsessed with Ed Ruscha during the past 10 years? 

"Indeed, Los Angeles these days has more than its share of ambitious museums, adventurous art galleries, wealthy collectors, top-notch art schools and — perhaps most important — young artists drawn here by relatively cheap rents, abundant light and an atmosphere that encourages experimentation."

As I was reading the article I thought, there's something missing - they haven't acknowledged that there IS another major city in the US that has all of these things, except of course the abundant sunshine and mild weather.  Actually, there are a lot of smaller cities and communities that have notable art scenes, but they don't get covered because they're in fly-over territory.  Chicago has really solid artists, though less of the Hollywood vibe (fine by me) and we've always been less flash-in-the-pan. But we have great art schools and young artists. We have cheap rents. Hello, the alternative space/apartment gallery scene here is unlike anywhere else, as shown in Hyde Park Art Center's exhibition, Artists Run Chicago in 2009. We have art fairs devoted to it! We have ambitious museums - Art Institute and MCA, yes, but also Smart, Renaissance, and Block.  Adventurous galleries (5 Chicago galleries are in the ADAA, and LA has 6, though two are related and basically have the same name.)  We have wealthy collectors, though they also suffer from the instinct to sometimes buy in New York more often than they should, to the detriment of our local artists. 

The article goes on: “There is now enough critical mass of galleries, of places where artists meet, blogs, magazines..." Again, we have a long list.  

What made me throw down my paper in frustration on an otherwise quiet Thursday evening was when I got to the concluding, and damning, quote from none other than former Art Institute president Jim Cuno, who recently turned up in LA to become president of the J. Paul Getty Trust after a very sudden departure from AIC.  I guess he left Chicago for LA for more than the weather: "Mr. Cuno said his perception was that people in Los Angeles did not really spend a lot of time worrying about what other people thought of them. “I don’t feel or hear any ‘second city’ mentality here,” said Mr. Cuno, who came from Chicago, where that kind of talk is common. “People in Los Angeles are pretty happy with their position in the world and needn’t get the confirmation from elsewhere.”

So, if I lived in LA I'd be confident enough to just shrug my shoulders and move on.  Since I'm from Chicago, I must be foolishly obsessed with what other people think.  What's wrong with caring?  Chicagoans get doses of 'second city mentality' with their breakfast. We're used to it,  even if we can't overcome it. It's an old debate, and it's not going to go anywhere soon, but I think the reference was kind of a cheap shot.  Conversely, Cuno's comment also makes everyone in LA sound kind of dippy and just inherently happy, which I'm sure isn't giving them enough credit for their own hard work. 

There are a lot of opinions out there about Mr. Cuno and his biggest Chciago project, the Modern Wing, which I happen to really enjoy and love.  I have always thought that someone who could have led that project, which ultimately did garner a great deal of favorable press for Chicago in 2009, would go on to have warm feelings about our city.  That would be 'reverse second city menality, as it made me actually think people liked us.  I'm sure there is more to Mr. Cuno's sentiments than what comes through in the article (I hope so) and if that's the case, it's a poor job by NYT for unnecessarily pitting one city against another without a fair fight. 

Back to the Art Institute: I think that the new head of the museum is absolutley off to the right start to start looking at life after the Modern Wing. New president Douglas Druick has been a curator at AIC for decades, so he's part of the family, and he seems to be committed to keeping the museum on strong financial footing so that it can be an anchor for the city and to making sure that the curatorial schedule doesn't get too bloated.  I hope that there are many opportunities ahead to see the museum as a cultural space that belongs to all Chicagoans and visitors. AIC can serve as a mirror to hold up to our own evolving art history, not just the world's; for instance, I'd love to get back to the time when AIC actually had exhibitions focused on Chicago artists and work being made in the city now - with a wing devoted to contemporary art NOW is the time... Such engaging programs could do our pride some good and just might even make Chicago seem almost as bright and sunny as LA.  In our city at least people have no problem going indoors for at least 6 months of the year.

Mr. Cuno's comments stung my civic pride.  Ultimately I think Chicagoans especially value loyalty, and I put myself in that group.  I've built up some extra defensiveness over the past 9 years of living in Chicago, since there is no shortage of opportunities to have to defend Chicago, let alone its art community, against other bigger, shinier places and to work to build its reputation as a dynamic and honest cultural home.  I also have come to expect the same faithfulness from others who are or have been part of that same community.

I look forward to everyone's comments and thoughts on the article and this post.  If you're a writer in Chicago, I also encourage you to write your own article or posting in response to the dominant ideas about Chicago's place in the art world - on its own or in relation to LA and NYC.  As we all know, it's a never ending battle.

Chicago Gallery News and social media consultant Alicia Eler recently convened their second social media arts panel, this time at the Hyde Park Art Center for Chicago Artists Month.  An enthusiastic group gathered on October 19 to meet, Tweet and trade ideas. We heard from four Chicago artists (James Jankowiak, Annie Heckman, Judd Morrissey, and Jason Salavon) each with their own social media opinions and experiences.  Many good points were raised about the benefits and pitfalls of our digital age, and by the end of the night, we realized the conversation will continue as we all learn from and adapt to our changing landscape. Social media crosses many boundaries, and it is opening access to artists, collectors, and news outlets more than ever, whie also threatening to overload us all with too much information and not enough time to digest it all. 

If you're intereseted in discussing social media in the art world, please follow the conversation on Twitter at #socialmediaartists.  Below is an article from the fall issue of Chicago Gallery News about social media, specifically Foursquare, and more. Let us know what you think could be next! 

Reprinted from Chicago Gallery News, September-December 2010

Many of us communicate now through social networking outlets; for those of us who do not yet Tweet or “check-in,” we’ve read articles dissecting the effects that Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare are having on our social interactions, our attention spans, and our productivity.  But there is another side to the data deluge: discovery and learning.

More galleries are using Twitter to communicate, and many art enthusiasts follow museums, art centers and galleries to get up-to-the-minute updates about art news, exhibitions, or just general art chatter. 

To get some background about social media projects used on a large scale in Chicago, and to find out how galleries, collectors and artists might use the technology to discover our art community, I spoke with Sarah Best, the Department of Tourism’s Web Specialist for the City of Chicago.

The Chicago Office of Tourism actively uses Foursquare, Twitter (@ExploreChicago), Flickr, and Facebook to reach visitors, and since the department isn’t a member-based group, they’re not paid by  businesses for any referrals; they’re responsible solely for getting people into the city’s neighborhoods and providing helpful, unbiased information.  According to Best, “We do social media that helps meet the goals of extreme service to visitors.  We are focused on leisure travel vs. convention activities, and we aim to connect visitors to locals.”

Chicago Gallery News has been active on Twitter (@ChiGalleryNews) and Facebook , but I was a little nervous about Foursquare before I spoke to Best.  She explained how the City partnered early, embracing the service in fall of 2009, as a way to link visitors with a range of dynamic activities, particularly opportunities to collect ‘badges,’ AKA Foursquare bragging rights. Foursquare’s interactivity, mixed with competition, turns the city into a big scavenger hunt. Exploring is a little off beat, as well as personalized.  You can measure the number of people attending an event or visiting a venue.  You can tell where visitors are from; according to Best, people taking advantage of the city’s Foursquare offers come from over 30 states, as well as around the world.

I asked Best how Foursquare could work in the gallery community; she said galleries are ‘venues’ that need to first be ‘in the system;’ then they must leverage ‘tips.’  For instance, the City has over 200 tips it gives out - suggestions about where to go to find unique neighborhood tours, memorable movie scene locations, famous works of art (think Calder Flamingo, a walking tour of the loop, or free shuttles during SOFA.)

Users leave tips to let others know what’s good around town.  Someone visiting a gallery district might leave a tip like, “Ask about upcoming Saturday gallery tour on November 20.”  Or “Installations here by School of the Art Institute graduates.” 

There is a Warhol Badge you can collect by visiting 10 different galleries. There is a Swarm Badge, which means that 50 people are ‘checking-in’ at a specific location – a gallery opening, an art fair preview, an artist lecture or open studio.  Foursquare users get into the competition, since they like collecting things and trying to one-up their friends.

Foursquare isn’t for everyone, and it still sort of mystifies me, but I learned a lot from talking to Best; her insights let me imagine the possibilities for connecting the art world and helping people learn and discover art. Trying to reach new patrons and art enthusiasts is an ongoing effort for galleries and museums.  Best says that Twitter has helped the Tourism Department reach some visitors for the first time, and also answer unusual questions. Online, the City reaches those who might not stop into the visitor center, and Twitter still allows people to have a conversation with a knowledgeable, live guide. 

It’s daunting to visit a city and not know how to efficiently find what interests you.  I ask friends who’ve previously traveled to a place for recommendations.  The city is doing this service digitally, on a large scale, and making a different impact than a guidebook can.  Chicago is a city that continues to expand and change, and we certainly are part of a community that is welcoming to locals and visitors alike, either in person, or online.