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Image: CGN Publisher Ginny B. Van Alyea with her family at the Detroit Institute of Arts, posing in a reflection of a work by Tiff Massey. Photo by Albert Van Alyea.

My children are finding out that traveling with mom involves seeking out art – often it’s work-related, but it’s also because seeing art in other places is eye opening. Despite some protests on our most recent trip, the kids are coming around to the idea that there is a reason why most tourists like to visit museums (and galleries). Personally, I am interested in exploring what distinguishes art communities around the country, and of course comparing them to home.

Art-wise, Chicago has everything going on here. It really does. The city counts dozens of world class institutions, and there is a long history of a multi-generational collector base that built these institutions. We also have scores of smaller, independent spaces supporting artists in the early stages. Some of the world’s most famous artists today are either from Chicago or started and built their careers here. Multiple schools and programs in the area are hard at work nurturing the next generation. The City dedicates resources to an evolving collection of public art (a proven tourism success). And still, it’s like when your mother tells you you’re the best. Sometimes, it means more when someone else tells you the same thing. 

Every few years the topic of Chicago’s national art reputation bubbles up. Someone talks about that other city where things happen–when anyone there takes note or writes about Chicago, somehow it means more. It’s like really being seen. But first Chicago needs to see itself. There is so much here, and we need not be overlooked. 

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I started working at CGN in 2002. I have spent this last year approaching an unusual milestone. As of 2024 I’ve spent half of my life–all of my adult years–working on this publication. It’s an interesting thing traveling to other parts of the country and visiting arts communities, only to come home to be enamored with the legacy Chicago has built over the decades. As we head into 2025, I hope each of you will champion art close to home. It’s a new year, and there is new art. I encourage you to seek out undiscovered spaces and reconnect with the ones you already know. And be sure to take friends with you and introduce them to CGN and this exciting, dynamic world right here in Chicago. For my family despite a little resistance, art is opening our eyes, and there is still much more to see. 

 – Ginny Van Alyea

2025 Cover artwork: Jonathan Higgins, “Untitled (dark blue)”, 2019. Metalpoint drawing in silver and copper on dark blue acrylic ground on panel. 30 x 30 x 2.75 inches. Courtesy Jonathan tcHiggins and Manneken Press.