ARC Gallery Fundraises Following Vandalism in West Town

ARC Gallery posted over the weekend that their street facing window had been totally smashed and there was damage to the gallery. Their 50th anniversary exhibition is currently on view. Just a few weeks ago, a few blocks west on Chicago Ave., Andrew Rafacz Gallery had a truck drive through the front of their space. 

The gallery shared on Facebook: "ARC Gallery was vandalized late last night. This is the 2nd time this year that the windows of the gallery have been broken! We are saddened by this incident during the 50th Anniversary of this Women's co-operative gallery. Please support our mission to continue for the next 50 years!" https://qrco.de/beR3wJ

Newberry Names New President

The Newberry Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Astrida Orle Tantillo as its tenth President and Librarian. Tantillo was named following an international search that employed the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. She joins the Newberry from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), where she served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) from 2012 to 2022 and is currently Professor of Germanic Studies and History. As Dean, Tantillo oversaw a budget of $100 million, 25 academic departments and programs, approximately 700 tenure and non-tenure track faculty members, and more than 200 staff members. She was recruited to the Newberry's Board of Trustees in 2022 due to her extensive experience in academic administration in Chicago.  

During her tenure, LAS supported a variety of new centers and initiatives, including the Freshwater Lab, an interdisciplinary freshwater policy and research initiative; the Inter-University Program for Latino Research/UIC Mellon Fellows Program; and the Center for LatinX Literature of the Americas. She raised $50 million as part of IGNITE: The Campaign for UIC, while strategically investing in faculty hiring, recruitment and retention, and expanding the number of endowed chairs and professorships. She strengthened and expanded collaborations with cultural institutions including the Field Museum and Chicago Humanities.   

WNDR Museum Announces Free Day for Artists

WNDR Museum, Chicago’s original immersive art and technology experience will celebrate International Artist Day on Wednesday, Oct. 25 with free admission at all three locations. For one day only, WNDR will open its doors and welcome visitors to experience more than 20 interactive artworks by cutting edge artists, collectives, technologists, designers and makers from around the world. Hours vary by location. 

Guests visiting WNDR Museum on International Artist Day on Wednesday, Oct. 25 are encouraged make reservations in advance via www.wndrmuseum.com/artistday to guarantee entry. Walk-ups are welcome on a first-come-first-serve basis as space allows.

WNDR Museum International Artist Day Hours Wednesday, Oct. 25, 12 to 8 p.m.

WNDR Museum Chicago, 1130 W Monroe St.

Renamed Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago

The nonprofit African American Arts Alliance of Chicago has announced a new name, effective immediately: the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago.

President Charlique C. Rolle and Vice President Vershawn Sanders-Ward spoke at a recent event of the service organization’s 26-year legacy and mission to support, showcase and advance excellence in the vibrant Black arts and culture sector in Chicago.

 “We are immensely grateful to our founders for creating this space for us. As the next generation of Black voices and artists in Chicago, our goal is that the Black Arts & Culture Alliance is truly a hub for artists and voices of the diaspora, where we can see ourselves represented through all of the nuances of our history and our future. Art-making and storytelling have always been a vital tool for liberation in our community and a driver of our cultural experience and community-building efforts. The Alliance will continue to build and support the intersections of how Black artists influence and stimulate our culture, society and economy,” said President Charlique C. Rolle.

In 1997, African American Arts Alliance co-founders Jackie Taylor, Joan Gray, Chuck Smith and Ron O.J. Parson saw a great need for community interaction and development, and incorporated the African American Arts Alliance to build upon the rich history of the original Black Theatre Alliance, expanding the organization to serve the needs of Black performing, visual, literary, technical and design art forms.