<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418577/uklpwy8zxyvxyrcsondw.jpg"></figure>By MARY DEYOEI explored a number of alternative art spaces across the city recently for&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News.&nbsp;Artists, curators, writers, and others passionate and focued within the community introduced me to their homes, storefronts, and co-ops, demonstrating what a vibrant and vital component these spaces are to Chicago's art scene. Wanting to learn more, I began a new series in&nbsp;CGN dedicating one article each issue to an alternative space in Chicago. I don't purport to know about every site yet, but I like to think I could some day.&nbsp;For this issue, I met up with former MCA Curator Tricia Van Eck to learn how her current project, 6018 North was developing. The space is a 100-year old mansion that will serve as "green, non-profit space for experimental culture, instalation, peformance, and sounds."-MDThe yellow house at 6018 North Kemore in Edgewater sits wedged between two large brick apartment buildings. It has a deep, covered front porch, and large picture windows on the first and second floors. There is no other structure like it on the block, which is lined with four-plus-ones. Currently the house, which had to be gutted after pipes burst over a year ago, is undergoing a deep, green retrofit. Rather than starting from scratch, two teams of student from IIT are redesigning the current structure to be more energy efficient, so it can accomodate the variety of artistic practices, performances, and gatherings that will take place in this multi-functional and collaborative space.&nbsp;Knowing that Van Eck had already held some events in the space, I was shocked when we walked through the front door. There were no interior walls, just wooden studs and exposed beams; the floor was stripped and uneven. Looking more closely, I saw a long wooden table. It was propped on sawhorses and painted with colorful stripes. The benches along the table were white radiator covers that had star-patterned grills. A few glass bottles and vases with flowers were sitting on a side table, and a large white board covered from edge-to-edge with charts, lists and winding arrows, hung on the wall at the head of the table. These were the remnants of a recent Fluxus film screening and dinner party. Van Eck can seat up to 40 guests at the table, and she has no interest in spreading the group among smaller, seperate tables to make room for more. "It's about everyone being at one table, being a part of one unit, one conversation," she said.&nbsp;Each of the dinners hosted at 6018 North has had a theme. The guests are asked to consider a certain issue regarding art in Chicago and how to address it. Recently, the conversation focused on responsibility of art writers. The current and familiar debate is whether the city serves as an incubator for talent. Many artists come here to study, but then they leave because the market is stronger in places like New York, Berlin and L.A. The question around the table that evening was whether bringing deliberate attention to Chicago is the responsibility of the art critic. The guests were split in their opinions; the artists seemed to think this was the responsibility of the writers, while the writers saw it the other way around, and believe they should be free to focus on art criticism. Van Eck intends to continue to engage the community in these types of conversations as she considers how 6018 can best address these issues and be an innovative resource for Chicago art.&nbsp;The various features of 6018 North will include a Fluxus library and a performance space in the basement; a screening room on the third floor, which will also support sound installations; and a garden and living mural (or green wall) in the backyard. The house will also be home for Tricia and her husband, who plan to live on the second floor, and to an artist-in-residence. The annual residency program will begin as early as this May. Each residency will last 5-6 weeks, and in each cycle Van Eck plans to host at least one writer, chef, visual artist, gardener or landscape architect, and curator.&nbsp;Although construction on the house may not be fully complete for more than a year, the next project and programs at 6018 are well underway. Van Eck is a finalist for a grant from Art Place, and if she receives the grant, funds will go towards the residency program. The diversity of performances, exhibitions, residents and guests was desiged purposefully to create a "clinate for experimentation" both within the space and throughout the wider Chicago community.&nbsp;If the current momentum behind 6018 North remains, the space will surely be a magnet for talented artists, leaders and entrepreneur from both Chicago and other major cities. Learn more about the project at <a href="http://6018North.net">6018North.net&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN profiles 1068 North, an alternative space and art residency. 

A climate for experimentation by Mary Elizabeth DeYoe

By GINNY VAN ALYEAWright has become the premier auction house specializing in modern and contemporary design in just over a decade. The visionary behind it all, Richard Wright is constantly thinking about new ways to develop his program and showcase design to the world, including introducing some gallery-like programs, such as living contemporary auctions. Wright actually began his career on the ground level of the gallery scene in 1986 and worked his way up, with stints along the way at antiques malls, markets and at Tradeway Gallery in Oak Park. He opened Wright in 2000 and since then, the auction house has sold nearly 20,000 lots across the spectrum of 20th-21st century design, making the action house an international resource for collecting modern design. A devotion to design drives what Wright personally does and what the auction house constantly strives to be. Wright says he’s proud of how the auction house has been able to evolve, and he enjoys the process of changing and growing, saying he doesn’t do any of it quickly, but he does do it consistently. -GV<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2254/original/r-26v037.jpg" alt=""></figure>CGN: What do you think the line is between art and design, if any?RW: I think there is a natural connection between art and design. In our very first action we mixed in&nbsp; little bit of fine art at the time, because it fit well. Since them, we’ve sold sculpture by the designer Harry Bertoia, for instance. The line starts to blur when you look at the work of certain artists, and we’ve made the evolution ourselves of what we feature over time.&nbsp;How did you become interested in contemporary art?I’ve been increasing and improving my own knowledge of contemporary for a while – I’m really self-taught. Since about 2005 I started looking seriously at art and began to learn, but to be totally honest, I was intimidated by fine art for a long tome. With design, people immediately feel comfortable with it, and they most often have an opinion about a piece because they can experience it and see if it’s functional, what it looks like, and so on. It can be much harder to get an honest, direct opinion about contemporary art. I started learning by going to art fairs, museums, and other auctions. I read a lot and tried to start with basics.I’m drawn to area of the art market I can play with. There’s a natural alignment with sculpture and something about the 3-D aspect that’s a good fit. I like art that is smart, undervalued, but not necessarily high-flying. I like art that I think is accessible.&nbsp;Wright started out as an auction house in the traditional sense, offering historically important design pieces. Recently it has offered ‘living’ art – art that’s of now – through Wright 21. What led you to start commissioning work by living artists, such as Arik Levy?Wright 21 is definitely project-based rather than something that’s ongoing, like a dealer/artist relationship. There are clear benefits for both the artist, as well as the auction house in working together this way. The engagement we have with living designers on a personal level – it’s just fun. It’s also taught me a lot about the design process. There’s a learning curve. At a market level there’s still a sorting out of where and how contemporary design is going (everyone hates the term ‘design art’ but I’ll use it here), but as an auction house we think we’ve done the right thing to engage on more of a gallery level with designers today.There is of course a difference between the primary and secondary markets, so we try to be respectful of the primary market but also elevate it in a good way. I don’t want to overstate it, but the backdrop of the recession has had a dampening effect on the primary market, so this takes some time.&nbsp;Wright’s spring 2012 Living Contemporary auction features work by artists such as Sam Francis and Edward Burtynsky, as well as furniture designed by Willy Daro and Gio Ponti. You’ve also planned a selection of Graffiti Art from the 1980s, which everyone seems to be revisiting these days. How do you see 80s Graffiti Art fitting in with design pieces by Eames and Noguchi?We’ve developed a category where we nod to our hybrid offering of design and art. We’ll show some interesting art we believe in alongside furniture pieces we think go with it. We don’t pair just stuff. Whether a buyer literally takes the whole package isn’t really the point, but the matches again are about breaking down a resistance - you can engage with both worlds. It’s a cool little market for us.For this latest auction, if you step outside of big 80s names, like Basquiat and Haring, thee are also some affordable price points.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2255/original/wrightgilead.jpg" alt=""></figure>Wright is a global auction house, but do you see any significance to being based in Chicago?Honestly, Chicago’s been very good to us – we are in a central point [in the country] and we can afford a big facility here. We couldn’t be at this level in New York, so Chicago is great for us. In New York, if you can’t play at the highest level, you might as well be out. Chicago also has a good design image. There is strong architecture, ad a general sort of positive feeling here. I’ve struggled at times because of a lack of a local market, but I have come to see other strengths and it’s been a good fit for the brand.&nbsp;Do you have any advice for collectors or art enthusiasts who may still be unfamiliar with the action world as an art resource?Action houses as resources are underappreciated. All auction houses, and certainly Wright, are here to educate people. When people come here to a preview, they can see things, sit in them, really try them out. It’s all part of the learning process. There’s also something appealing about the market factor for people, since they can see a firm price that someone has paid, as well as enjoy the spectacle or wilder side of auctions. Auction house websites themselves are a great resource – type something in our search fields and you can see anything we’ve ever sold – it’s a free resource of market knowledge.Beginning collectors can be intimidated by auctions. They might think of stereotypes where you scratch your nose and end up buying something by mistake. Really, even if you’re just starting out, auctions are great places to go and learn. Galleries do this too, but auction houses by their nature handle so much stuff. They’re a little more comprehensive because they are reviewing and taking in a lot. They’re a great place to learn. I love going to New York for the big sale previews. You cans see amazing art! You can actually take art off the walls and really look at it. If you have a question, it will be answered by an expert. That access is invaluable.&nbsp;Wright Auction House1140 W Hubbard (60642) • (312) 563-0020View auction details at <a href="http://Wright20.com">Wright20.com</a>

CGN interviews Auction House founder Richard Wright

15 Minutes with Richard Wright 

Chicago-based esigner Kenneth Walter; of Gray &amp; Walter; has been designing personalized creative spaces for discerning client for 30 years. An advodate of being faithful to a client&#39;s unique taste, even if that leads to uncovering surprises along the way, Walter heralds the benefits of working withing a formalized plan. Not limited by tradition, the designer says he will determine what makes the most sense for a client, and that antiques and contemporary art are a few of his favorite supporting elements for unique space. -GV

CGN:&nbsp;Tell me about your design philosophy and what you do for your clients.&nbsp;

KW: My firm was established in 1989, and today we do all different types of projects, from contemporary hotels and club to historic preservations. I find that I&#39;m very interested in working with a plan&mdash;seeing how a project will relate to a site. I also have to see how a client and the overall project are related to one another. I would never deprive someone, but I will maybe try to talk them into the thing that&#39;s best suited to them. A good professional doesn&#39;t do just one thing. I prefer to work with that is appropriate, but I think a lot of architects and desigers get caught up in a look, and then potential clients get confused when they see only one kind of work in a portfolio and cannot get beyond it.&nbsp;

I describe what i do as &#39;ecletic classicism&#39;&mdash;designed based on classical principles, and classical in terms of order, though not always style. Something could be really far out, or done as a period, or it can be funky. I think you can do anything, as long as there is an overall order.&nbsp;

Things definitley come in and out of fashion. One day people will want silk curtains dripping with trim again. Lucite is back right now&mdash;I never thought I&#39;d see that come back! So, everything that&#39;s old is new again. Chintz will probably come back&mdash;whether it should or shouldn&#39;t isn&#39;t the point, but it will come back, so it&#39;s good to work with a lot of styles.&nbsp;

I think people can have a wonderful art collection and it doesn&#39;t have to have museum-level name or even quality. When we work with clients, we often start out helping to grow a collection. We say, you can buy something that&#39;s affordable by a major name artist&mdash;a lithograph, or a print, and there are also many emerging artists to explore&mdash;you just have to love what you buy. You really can&#39;t even buy art as a major investment unless you&#39;re spending thousands of dollars anyway.&nbsp;

How do you combine antiques with contemporary art?&nbsp;

There&#39;s nothing I love more than contemporary art with antiques. I recommend for clients to look at a piece of art and ask &#39;Will I love it in 5 years? In 10?&#39; For antiques, changes are the real thing will cost more than a reproduction, though sometimes I&#39;m shocked by reproduction price&mdash;it screams new but it&#39;s actually&nbsp;more expensive! Buy the best that you can afford and that you feel you will really love. I think it&#39;s a great idea to go to estate sales&mdash;you never know what you&#39;ll find, and there are some great values to find as you learn. Auction houses are great too.&nbsp;

Do you have any favorite pieces or projects?&nbsp;

One of my favoirte projects was for a young couple who had nothing when they came to me. We helped them set up an art collection as well as their home&mdash;we got them into Ruth Duckworth, Giacometti, Henry Moore&mdash;named artists with provenance from good galleries, many in Chicago. If a client has an art collection started, we help them add to it, or curate it, or update framing and placement&mdash;there is so much to do. It&#39;s lots of fun.&nbsp;

CGN interviews local designer Kenneth Walter or Gray & Walter. 

Designer  Talk: Kenneth Walter

When Todd Schwebel was a kid, he&rsquo;d pass over the more popular Sports Illustrated for Antiques magazine. Long before the advent of virtual bulletin board sites like Pintrest.com, Schwebel would dog-ear magazine pages, making notes and pointing out to his mother which chair or table he wanted to have someday. An eighth-generation Illinoisan, it was his grandfather who regularly took him to country auctions downstate, where Scwebel would spot bargains for Empire and Victorian pieces when we was still a teenager, sparking an interest in high-quality antiques that would stay with him all his life. &ndash;GV

Todd Schwebel thinks there is a big problem for antiques. Though he&rsquo;s been a collector since he was just a teen, his passion is hardly the norm among his contemporaries. Antiques have fallen so far out of favor with today&rsquo;s sleek, design-minded, transient audiences, Schwebel doesn&rsquo;t know how they&rsquo;ll ever come back in style. It&rsquo;s a crisis that has repercussions far beyond nostalgia, or the fate of a few aging antiques dealers. When Schwebel and I met recently in River North, I wanted tips to share with younger collectors about beginning an antiques collection. We ended up having a conversation about the cultural challenges facing the industry and whether there&rsquo;s any way to save it before it&rsquo;s too late.

In the late 1908s Schwebel bought a 1906 Kenwood residence, which had been the only freestanding house in Chicago designed by architect Benjamin Marshall. In 1921 the Norton family, who owned the house, hired Howard van Doren Shaw to increase the homes size as well as ass his own signature touches. By the time Schwebel bought the house, it was in disrepair; he painstakingly restored it and filled it with period-appropriate antiques. 20 years after he did it again for clients who purchased the same house for their young family. Formerly an antiques dealer specializing in early 19th C. American antiques, today he runs The Schwebel Company in River North, a design firm that provides architectural and design services nationally. The firm has also won many awards for historic preservation, Schwebel still sells investment quality American antiques, fixtures, and decorations, and he&rsquo;s a go-to expert for individual collectors as well as museums. Devoted to American style, antiques from our nation&rsquo;s history are a key part of his creations. Schwebel&rsquo;s business takes him most often to the eat coast. In 20 years situated in River North, among many contemporary art galleries, Schwebel says he hasn&rsquo;t made one waling antiques sale, something he attributes to a profound lack of interest in Chicago.

As Schwebel sees it, many valuable antiques important to our city&rsquo;s history will soon be too far away to get back. Antiques aren&rsquo;t in fashion; people either buy cheap furniture they can thoughtlessly toss some day, or the same trendy, inexpensive furniture their neighbors have, which will never appreciate in value. Schwebel feels that by blindly following brand-name, mass-market designers, people feel their taste is publicly validated. Explaining, Schwebel says, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve met people whose parents have wonderful collections of antiques &ndash; including really beautiful, quality pieces - and the adult children just don&rsquo;t want them. They don&rsquo;t appreciate how quality pieces are significant. So, pieces got to auction and are bought up by those who do know.&rdquo;

Schwebel points to Samuel Marx, a well known mid-20th Century Chicago designer, whose elegant pieces, he says, have been siphoned to collections on the coats; &ldquo;So much of his work has left Chicago and the North Shore because there isn&rsquo;t local interest anymore. It&rsquo;s striking work, and collectors in LA and New York have snapped it up at auction here. It&rsquo;s really hard to get that back now, so something&rsquo;s been lost from Chicago.&rdquo; In general, quality pieces that can still be had cost more than people want to spend if they don&rsquo;t have the knowledge. &ldquo;Since there&rsquo;s no real respect or authority on the topic of antiques here,&rdquo; Schwebel says, &ldquo;I think in some ways it&rsquo;s a reflection of what&rsquo;s wrong with our culture. We don&rsquo;t value history. We don&rsquo;t recognize the treasures we have here &ndash; not just older, but even pieces from the 20th Century. One person I do give lots of credit to is Leslie Hindman for how she&rsquo;s gotten antiques out there. Ultimately we still need more leadership on a cultural scale.&rdquo;

Schwebel suggests, &ldquo;I think because of a branded, &lsquo;celebutante,&rsquo; media culture people have these fleeing tastes.&rdquo; Even those who are savvy manage to be influenced by others taste, opting for what is easiest, rather than what takes the time and effort to built up.

There are several forces working against antiques, according to Schwebel;: &ldquo;Antiques are a forbidden zone for some if they don&rsquo;t have the opportunity to learn.&rdquo; He adds that would-be-collectors end up turning away from or sometimes fully against historic pieces. Depending on the period, antiques&rsquo; cultural and political associations can be minefield for collectors, since pieces are tied to history in sometimes complicated ways, for instance where some European colonial pieces are concerned. It is up to collectors to make educated decisions about what they chose to own.

&nbsp;

The bottom line according to Schwebel, is that people aren&rsquo;t being told about antiques often enough. He believes we have a duty in Chicago to support our decorative arts and to preserve local collections. Younger than east coast cities, much of our identity is split between a gritty past and modern architectural marvels. However, we can&rsquo;t throw everything over in favor of the new. &ldquo;I worry that some day other aspects of the city&rsquo;s cultural scene will also be threatened,&rdquo; warns Scwebel. He points out that without enough diversity in patrons&rsquo; collecting passions, area museums will suffer, losing out to high profile institutions and collections on both coasts.

How would Schwebel begin to address the antiques problem? &ldquo;You&rsquo;d need a critical mass of younger people interested to make a difference. One solution is to fight fire with fire.&rdquo; By embracing the very celebutante &nbsp;culture that&rsquo;s chipping away at history and individual taste, the thought is that a TV show featuring a high profile designer or collector couple could turn the tables. Antiques Roadshow is a good but staid example of what Scwebel has in mind, he says, because it imparts real information. However, many show guests are hoping only to discover hidden value they can cash in. A better, more social show would be about creating collectors vs. consumers.

Antiques appeal to collectors in part because history is built into objects crafted by hand, which have stood the test of time. Pieces used for reasons now obsolete may still be enjoyed as a way to tangibly recall history and culture.

Antiques are never really out of style, though favored periods change. It takes personal devotion like Schwebel&rsquo;s, plus time and investment, to develop a collection. Such a commitment can tie you passionately to history in ways that will support the future.

The Future of Antiques: A Conversation with Todd Schwebel

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/gnsbx6reet8thfy9rgo3.png"><figcaption>Antiques mix with art by Jacob Hashimoto, Theaster Gates, Judy Ledgerwood and others.</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAI drove to visit Deone Jackman at her home in Hyde Park on a perfect fall Chicago morning. Lake Shore Drive was wide open, and Lake Michigan was colored an ideal shade of cerulean blue, enhanced by the drapery of orange leaves still clinging to the trees along the bike path. Hyde Park often feels like an escape from downtown to me, but until I stepped into the entryway of Deone's 9th floor lake front apartment, I had no idea just what awaited me.&nbsp;*Deone says she has always collected things from her travels. Judging by the many exotic artifacts and statues from far away lands placed throughout her apartment, she must have logged many miles to find so many striking objects.&nbsp;"As a kid I was always cutting things out of magazines and putting them up on walls, long before I had actual art to display," she says.&nbsp;Deone's entree into serious art collecting did not begin in a small way when she acquired work by two of Chicago's most well-known artists: Roger Brown and Jim Nutt. She remembers the acquisitions as "big, compelling, scary purchases."Though I had come to her apartment to talk to her about her art collection, Deone told me upfront that she still thinks the idea of being 'an art collector' is rather grandiose – a familiar, but somewhat vexing topic for those considered by others to be collectors. Regardless of how Deone chooses to view her history of buying and living with art, there is no disputing that her Hyde Park home invites discovery. Deone has covered the walls with remarkable and varied works of art I immediately recognize – pieces by Ed Paschke, Kerry James Marshall, Cheonae Kim, Judy Ledgerwood, Curtis Mann, Jin Soo Kim and Gladys Nilsson – and she has filled her life with enduring relationships with many Chicago artists.&nbsp;Behind many of these works on display are relationships. One which Deone is particularly proud of is the one she's developed with the Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC). A passionate supporter of the Center, it's clear that HPAC has given her a great deal in return. At least a few of the artists whose works may be found throughout Deone's sprawling home, such as Cat Chow, were discovered through HPAC's Not Just Another Pretty Face (NJAPF) program – a biennial benefit that pairs patrons with artists. Patrons select an artist they'd like to work with – in a given price range – they meet the artist, establish a budget and then discuss the commission to be created. After a period of more than a year, a catalogue featuring contrasting perspectives on the experience is published, and the final works are unveiled at a special reception at HPAC in front of patrons and the artists. NJAPF artists split their commission with HPAC, and the program encourages a new group of people to support contemporary artists, as well as understand the joys and possibilities of commissioning artwork. As Deone attests because NJAPF builds very personal bonds between patrons and artists, it can lead to long term support for the creation of art in Chicago.&nbsp;*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418871/xftvpzoqypbguyfdpq1x.png"><figcaption>Jackman's inviting, round living room faces east, towards Lake Michigan, and overlooks Promontory Point Field House in Burnham Park.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Deone has had the pleasure of enjoying several artistic collaborations. After encountering a series of kite constructions by Jacob Hashimoto at a private event at the MCA Warehouse, she decided she had her own project for the artist. Deone wanted Hashimoto to expand on what he'd done at the MCA and create hundreds of his small kites to install in the ceiling of her second home in Michigan. It turned out to be a 2 1/2 year project, and she ended up with about 2,000 kites to cover not just part but the entire ceiling – a breathtaking result of what seemed at the time like a chance encounter.&nbsp;Deone admits she's a bit impulsive when making some purchases, but she smiles when she confesses she sometimes has to rearrange rooms. "That's the joy of it," she says. Changing things up often means they don't become part of the wallpaper, but Deone also has always felt compelled to arrange objects – so much so that her late husband was always asking her to just sit down.&nbsp;As a visitor, certain groupings become apparent, like the area in Deone's office, that she refers to as her "Wall of Women," including works by artists such as Mickalene Thomas and Julia Fish. But for the most part the way the collection has come together is idiosyncratic. The variety in Deone's collection is apparent in the inclusion of quite a number of antiques, which complement, even soften, the contemporary art. A wood, slant front desk looks at home in the dining room by a large-scale Roger Brown, while an elegant side table beneath two works on paper by Judy Ledgerwood adds an appropriate delicacy.*More meaningful than the art works themselves are the relationships Deone has with the artists. "Any artist I collect, if it make sense to become friends, I love to know them. It's incredibly important in collecting – more so than the objects."&nbsp;She says she considers Chicago an accessible place to get to know artists and therefore to collect art. Deone things it's partly the nature of the city, but she also believes that many artists who choose to live and work in Chicago are inclined to build honest relationships with collectors.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418871/f2y5hr2lxdaqatgduzaa.png"><figcaption>Deone's portrait by artist Ben Gest, commissioned via Not Just Another Pretty Face</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;One of Deone's closest artist relationships is with Theaster Gates, a fellow HPAC supporter. Deone became interested in what Gates was doing with his Dorchester Project, and she was moved by his focus on bringing about positive, creative changes throughout the arts to the Woodlawn neighborhood – an area of town Deone says most Hyde Parkers had long been told to stay clear of because of the risk of danger and violence. She sees Gates's artistic, as well as geographic, choice as a compelling investment in personal life as well as urban space, and she says she appreciates that she has been able to watch his project take shape and expand. Endeavors like The Dorchester Project, which began as a way to transform a poor area of Chicago through reinventing abandoned buildings and creating inviting, cultural spaces while challenging notions of economics, race, and the status-quo, have helped Deone understand how complex the art world can be for an artist who must balance the demands to be successful while also doing what they desire. "You learn about the pressures artists face and the choices they must make. I feel really privileged because it feels like a personal experience for me. Theaster is open about what it's like, and I admire his willingness to share with the community and with me. He doesn't make it a mysterious process."&nbsp;Our tour of the apartment finished in the sitting room, where we could admire the view of Lake Michigan and Promontory Point, almost as much as Deone's two lazy cats were enjoying the midday fall sunlight. Deone returned to her favorite topic, the Hyde Park Art Center, when we began to discuss why openness in art is so critical to the collecting process and to exposing the joy of exploring contemporary art.&nbsp;There are some leaders in the art community who are constantly striving to make art accessible and to make it a living subject. Deone says, "HPAC is such a facilitator of this. They help make art understandable, comfortable." It is undoubtedly her greatest art relationship.&nbsp;There will always be preconceptions to refute about contemporary art, barriers to break through and effort to put in in order to learn and better understand, but just as any relationship – friendly or romantic – progresses through many stages of development, a love of art can begin with butterflies of excitement and end as a deep and enduring companionship.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Collector Conversations: Deone Jackman

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417610/ha2eud8kypc3jwokujif.jpg"><figcaption>Karl Wirsum, Hollow Swallow, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 20 1/2" x 35 1/2"</figcaption></figure>By LAURA METTAMCGN spent some time talking with Karl Wirsum about his long career as a Chicago artist and as a member of the famous Hairy Who artist group from the 1960s. He shared what sparked his artistic interest as a child, the multiple influences on his work throughout his life, and the advantages of looking forward, not back.&nbsp;Chicgaoans may encounter legendary artist Karl Wirsum riding the El downtown, socializing at School of the Art Institute of Chicago events, attending gallery openings, or offering his point of view in a panel discussion. Wirsum is a familiar presence in our art community for several reasons, the most significant being the volume of his distinctive work that surrounds us in galleries, museum collections and public art.&nbsp;At 71 Wirsum is still looking ahead and enjoying his life as an active artist. He recently had a solo show in New York for the first time in two decades, and he has a full schedule in Chicago; last fall during Chicago Artists Month the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs presented this year's Ruth Horwich Award to Wirsum in recognition of his enduring career. Wirsum's work may be seen in the collections of major museums around the country, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, where Wirsum also participated in the 1968 Whitney Biennale.&nbsp;Roased in Chicago, Wirsum was hospitalized for a month when he was just a boy. To help his son with boredom during his long stay, Wirsum's father created a series of narrative images of elves, drawn in sequential situations that told a continuous story. The wonderful distraction influenced Wirsum's entire creative life. Not yet six years old at the time of his hospital stay, he began to create drawings of his own fantasies; eventually the doctor approached Wirsum's mother and suggested she enroll her son in free Saturday classes for children at the Art Institute. It was there that Wirsum benefitted from the museum's stimulating programs, a little creative homework, and the inspirational experience of being in a museum.&nbsp;*<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417611/okgwnargk4pm1pi4gwq9.jpg"><figcaption>Karl Wirsum, (American 1939–) Screamin’ Jay Hawkins,:1968. Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago</figcaption></figure>Wirsum became a member of the wild-child group the Hairy Who in the 1960s, after graduating from the School of the Art Institute in 1961. He reflects that within the group of artists, whose names we still recognize today, each had their own endeavors to pursue but together they brainstormed, installed works, designed and produced catalogues – &nbsp;the relationship was truly collaborative.&nbsp;How the Hairy Who got its quizzical name is a long story, according to Wirsum. The artists working together at the time looked to music groups, as well as art historical periods, for catchy, yet mysterious name inspiration during an evening of brainstorming at the home of artists Jim Nutt and Gladys Nilsson. The name of the art critic Harry Bouras kept coming up all night. Bouras had a weekly radio program and the group found his pronouncements humorous. Continually referenced throughout the evening, and being the only person who was in the dark who Bouras was, when Wirsum's curiosity got the better of him, he blurted out, Harry who? The group responded, "That's it!" and the name stuck. Harry became Hairy, and the group's collective identity was solidified for good.&nbsp;The Hairy Who's rise to prominence began in the late 1960s when Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC) organized several key exhibitions that introduced audiences to the vibrant young group. The first, entitled Hairy Who, presented works by six artists, including Wirsum, and set the tone for what was to come in future presentations at the Center. HPAC, and in particular its director, artist Don Baum, were critical to Wirsum's artistic development for a handful of happy years. Wirsum remembers being surrounded by creative friends and like-minded companions at the time. Working individually towards a collective artistic mission was radical, and it was a sociable departure from the classic scenario of the isolated artist.&nbsp;A close friend of Wirsum's was his contemporary, Ed Paschke. He describes their time together "like working on a comedy routine." In 1961 Wirsum, Paschke and Burt Phillips ventured to Mexico after Paschke and Phillips won travel fellowships. They picked Mexico because it was a country next-door to the United States, meaning they could get there by bus, and Phillips knew a woman who needed house sitters for an extended stay.&nbsp;The country's ancient arts, as well as folk traditions and styles, plus pervasive public murals, captivated Wirsum. Paschke and Phillips stayed for two months. Wirsum was there for nearly six. Inspired by the area's mural works, Wirsum covered the house owner's walls while she was away. She returned to Mexico to find Wirsum still in residence, and she was (luckily) delighted by her new, colorful surroundings. The characteristics of Mexico's street and indigenous art stayed with Wirsum; vivid palettes, energetic, bold lines and an emphasis on the figurative are qualities viewers recognize as distinctly his today.&nbsp;Humor plays a prominent role in Wirsum's work as well. Viewers see figures that have exaggerated, comic-like features, neon colors, and loud personalities, living in worlds of wonder and imagination. Aggressive lines and whimsical shapes disrupt any surrounding seriousness.&nbsp;Wirsum's creative perspective may emanate from a darker place, but he explains that in his art he turns ideas around and presents them with a humorous note. He says he doesn't use humor for humor's sake; instead he takes something common, like a jack-o-lantern, and tries to achieve a certain gaiety in his representation, while also playing up its strange associations.&nbsp;Wirsum has had relationships with two galleries in all this time. He exhibited at Phyllis Kind Gallery for years, and then in 1998 he began showing with Jean Albano Gallery in River North. Of working with Jean Wirsum says, "She has a high level of integrity, and she's worked hard on my behalf. Overall between galleries and artists, it's all about human relationships."&nbsp;Wirsum's enthusiasm for his work has not diminished over time, but he also doesn't put stock in looking back. "I do not dwell on self-reflection. I prefer to look forward." He says his approach to his work has been a "continuum of refinement" rather than a search for breakthrough moments. Though he likes to collaborate, he ultimately prefers to work alone. Wirsum explains he knows his time is limited, and he wants to make the most of it.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>