News From Around the Art World: May 26, 2020
A Suburban Community College Scored A Big Art Show. Then, The Pandemic Hit.
More than two dozen works from famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo were scheduled to be on display next month at the College of DuPage in west suburban Glen Ellyn.
The school spent $2.5 million turning the art gallery inside the McAninch Art Center into a museum — and $250,000 of tickets had already been sold, said director Diana Martinez.
“You don’t ever achieve any real exciting success if you don’t try something crazy new,” she said. “And this was pretty crazy.”
By Carrie Shepard, WBEZ
New artist incubator opening in Humboldt Park
The Honeycomb Network, 2659 W. Division St., offers artists from diverse backgrounds a place to learn and grow.
Denise Ruiz, Honeycomb’s founder, said it will serve as a hub for artists from around the city to collaborate with others while also focusing mental wellness.
“We want to normalize mental health care and break the cycle that pushes the negative stigma of speaking with a therapist,” Ruiz said. “We want to connect those two things by fulfilling our creative and wellness dreams.”
By Manny Ramos, Chicago Sun Times
'They took a risk with me': Why the new curator of the University of Chicago's art museum is a 'bold' choice
“I’m not the usual suspect,” says Myriam Salah, the new executive director and chief curator of the Renaissance Society, the highly regarded contemporary art museum at the University of Chicago.
“I’m not the American curator who did a postgrad in curatorial studies. It’s bold that they chose someone coming from different horizons – and the risks that they took with me, I’m going to be taking with the programme.”
Salah, who was born in Tunisia in 1985, will be starting in Chicago in September – taking on her new position as art organisations worldwide start to chart their roles in a Covid-19 environment.
By Melissa Gronlund, The National
SkyART delivers 1,000 art supply kits, virtual art therapy to Chicago kids
SkyART Founder and Executive Director, Sarah Ward, realized they needed to expand their efforts into a fundraising campaign. So far, they've already exceeded their own expectations.
"1,000 is our goal, and we've actually gotten funding to go way beyond 1,000 so what we're going to do is do repeat deliveries," Ward said.
SkyArt is committed to helping kids through art during this pandemic and beyond.
By Zach Ben-Amots, Localish
