Art Green (1941–2025)

Art Green, an original member of a rabblerousing group of artists known as the Hairy Who and a key figure in the Chicago Imagist movement, died on April 14. He was eighty-three. His death was announced by Garth Greenan Gallery in New York, which represented him. Green in the mid-1960s was a recent art-school graduate when he founded the Hairy Who in Chicago alongside fellow grads James Falconer, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Suellen Rocca, and Karl Wirsum. 

Via Artforum

Chicago's cultural affairs department hits crisis point

Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is in disarray. At least 18 staff members—around 25% of the department—have left since Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed a former legislative director, Clineé Hedspeth, to replace ousted Cultural Commissioner Erin Harkey last year. (In February, Harkey was named the new chief executive of Americans for the Arts.)

“The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth are committed to filling departmental vacancies and have successfully brought in new talent as positions are posted,” Bria Purdiman, the department's deputy commissioner for marketing and communications, tells The Art Newspaper. “Our department continues to operate at a high level and remains intensely devoted to the Chicago arts and culture community.”

Via The Art Newspaper

Long-awaited DuSable Park takes a big step forward

At just 3.4 acres, the long-awaited $15 million Jean-Baptiste Point DuSable Park won’t be the city’s largest public green space, but it has the potential to be one of the best.

As it should be. The park is planned for an absolutely prime spot east of DuSable Lake Shore Drive that is bounded by the Chicago River, the Ogden Slip and the lake.

Chicagoans have waited 38 years for this park honoring DuSable, watching previous plans come and go.

But the wait now appears to be ending.

Via Chicago Sun-Times

Image: An artist’s rendering shows the proposed DuSable Park pavilion. Chicago Park District

Expo Chicago Director Talks Art and Economy in 2025

This year marks the 12th version of Expo Chicago. Despite changes in name and ownership, giant art fairs have been an annual civic tradition since 1980.

The biggest recent development came in 2023 when Expo Chicago was acquired by Frieze, an international group of art fairs that platforms modern and contemporary art.

Even with all of the change, the quality of the fair has been carefully cultivated, and one thing remains constant: the presence of Tony Karman. Karman is the president and director of Expo Chicago and its most passionate booster.

Via WTTW