<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/amo974hluj9b48g4afmh.jpg"><figcaption>An aerial view of Field Rotation, 1981, by Mary Miss (American, b. 1944), earth, wood, steel, water. Commissioned by the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (NMSP), GSU Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Collection of the NMSP.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;One of the land artist’s monumental works is a short drive from Chicago at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAThe artist Mary Miss is one of a group of artists who came of age during the late 1970s and built careers on the idea of incorporating or creating elements of landscape for their sculptural compositions. One of Miss’s earlier signature installations is located on the campus of Governor’s State University at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (theNate) in University Park, IL.The work, titled Field Rotation (1980-81), mines a broad spectrum of art historical references while being a wholly original creation. The work is so large it can be fully appreciated only by viewing from the air, though it is also an adventure to explore while climbing on its ladders or running through its carefully spaced posts. It’s a work that also changes with each interaction as well as the seasons.&nbsp;At its center, a mound has been constructed with a sunken gravel garden in which a three-tiered set of platforms preside over moats which fill temporarily with rainwater. Steel ladders on the north and south walls grant access. Associations with cliff dwelling Native American Indians’ pueblo architecture can be made. Two steel towers inside provide counterpoint to the primarily wooden structure. The perimeter outline of the retreat is based on 18th century military European fortification plans.Outside, 125 wooden poles – menhirs – radiate in eight lines, pinwheel fashion. The elevation of the tops of these poles is constant, highlighting and contrasting with the gentle slope of the Midwestern landscape. A steel tower asserts modernity.&nbsp;*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419386/uj5rcimur2zd85caylok.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;At the end of 2023 another significant work by Mary Miss, Greenwood Pond: Double Site, installed at the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, made national headlines when it was revealed that the work had long been deteriorating and had reached such a state that it was estimated it would cost the Art Center $2 million to repair it. An <a href="https://desmoinesartcenter.org/news/open-letter-from-director-kelly-baum/">open letter</a> from DMAC Director Kelly Baum shared that despite fundraising campaigns over the years and studies commissioned to examine the stability and safety of the piece, the work has been battered by the environment. “Age and climate have finally won” Baum wrote, “Reasonable maintenance is no longer sufficient.” DMAC stated they will partner with the City of Des Moines to safely dismantle Greenwood Pond: Double Site, beginning with the most hazardous areas, and to restore the impacted section of Greenwood Park.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419387/ihsmncczdix2zcyux9qd.jpg"><figcaption>The artist Mary Miss</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;That works like those created and installed by Miss require significant maintenance and funds over the long term is not a surprise. The staff at theNate is paying very close attention to Field Rotation in order to responsibly preserve the work so that it is not ravaged by Midwestern winters. Jeff Stevenson of theNate shared that the sculpture park is about to embark on a campaign to raise $150,000 for the conservation costs that needs to be addressed, and fans of the installation are aiming to call attention to the urgency of protecting Field Rotation. Venture to see Field Rotation for yourself and spend some time considering its various vantage points as well as the characteristics of each corner and post. The quick escape from the city into a swirling field is a little bit of a shock to the system, but it’s a healing one that is guided by an artist’s hand. Nothing lasts forever, but important works of art and architecture that exist in our midst are worth appreciating and preserving for current as well as future generations.&nbsp;&nbsp;Updates:&nbsp;• In April 2024 <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/2024/04/04/greenwood-park-des-moines-artist-mary-miss-lawsuit-to-stop-demolition-dm-art-center/73207382007/">Mary Miss filed a lawsuit</a> to stop the dismantling of the work at the DMAC, claiming that the Greenwood Pond: Double Site's planned demolition violates the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 – an act that empowers artists to legally defend and protect their own "recognized stature" works art from destruction. Miss's suit also claims that DMAC violated its contract with her by failing to properly protect and preserve the work.• On May 3, 2024 it was <a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/federal-court-bars-des-moines-art-center-destroying-mary-miss-land-art-installation-553807/">announced</a> that in a response to the lawsuit federal court issued a preliminary injunction to stop the order to dismantle Greenwood Pond: Double Site at the Des Moines Art Center.• <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/arts/design/temporary-injunction-iowa-artwork.html">A Land Artist’s Work Evades Demolition</a> via NYT&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419388/ktbquwcgaegabcui1mrm.jpg"><figcaption>A view into the inner sanctum of Field Rotation. Photo by CGN.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419389/cuejsbwa2ejaqnfangi3.jpg"><figcaption>The CGN interns on a field trip a few years ago; Photo by CGN.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;theNate&nbsp;Governors State University&nbsp;1 University Parkway University Park, IL 60484<a href="https://www.govst.edu/sculpture/">www.govst.edu/sculpture</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Mary Miss @ theNate

<a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/federal-court-bars-des-moines-art-center-destroying-mary-miss-land-art-installation-553807/">Federal Court Bars Des Moines Art Center from Destroying Mary Miss Land Art Installation&nbsp;</a>A federal judge on May&nbsp;3 issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/des-moines/2024/05/05/federal-court-orders-halt-to-removal-of-des-moines-park-art/73579401007/">preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;preventing the Des Moines Art Center from <a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/des-moines-art-center-to-destroy-seminal-land-art-work-by-mary-miss1-548344/">dismantling</a>&nbsp;a major Land art installation that it commissioned from artist Mary Miss decades ago. In regard to the contested work, Miss’s&nbsp;1989–96 environment&nbsp;Greenwood Pond: Double Site,&nbsp;Judge Stephen Locher of the&nbsp;US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa ruled that “the Art Center cannot demolish the artwork without Miss’s consent (which she will not grant) because the Art Center promised in a contract not to do so.” Locher noted, however, that Miss could not force the museum to restore the work, which it has said it cannot afford to do, saying, “The end result is therefore an unsatisfying status quo: the artwork will remain standing (for now) despite being in a condition that no one likes but that the court cannot order anyone to change.”Via Art Forum&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/08/students-arrested-school-art-institute-chicago-fashion-institute-technology-pro-palestine">Students arrested at School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Fashion Institute of Technology amid crackdown on Palestinian solidarity encampments</a>As universities across the US continue to crack down on campus protests and encampments in support of Palestine, 68 protesters at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and around 50 at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York were arrested on 4 May and 7 May, respectively.Protesters from SAIC and Columbia College Chicago had set up an encampment in the North Garden of the Art Institute of Chicago, renaming it “Hind’s Garden” in honour of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2024/hind-rajab-israel-gaza-killing-timeline/">Hind Rajab</a>, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed along with her family by Israeli forces in Gaza. The protesters told <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/05/05/arrests-art-institute-protest">Axios</a> that the SAIC administration initially agreed to let them stay in the garden until the morning of 5 May if the encampment subsequently moved to an academic building. While the protesters were discussing the offer, they said, the school's administration informed them that police were en route.Via The Art Newspaper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/05/arts/design/frank-stella-abstract-artist-appraisal.html">Frank Stella Went From Bauhaus to Fun House</a>Frank Stella, who died on Saturday at age 87, once joked that he harbored only one regret. We were sitting in his scruffy studio in the East Village, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/04/magazine/frank-stella-s-expressionist-phase.html">he said</a> he was sorry that he had failed to take legal action when the men's wear store bearing his name opened in New York in the mid-70s. “People call here all the time asking for cashmere coats,” he said.Stella, it can safely be said, was not a fashion plate. To the end of his life, he had the aura of a nervous whiz kid with oversize glasses and frizzy hair. He counted himself among the socially marginalized and once joked in a personal letter about “all us miscreants who drifted into the Bowery of Life, the art world.”Via NYTimes&nbsp;Thumbnail: School of the Art Institute of Chicago students and other pro-Palestine protesters are arrested at the Art Institute of Chicago on 4 May David Jank / Alamy Stock Photo &nbsp;

What We're Reading: 5/8/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419390/wbozcy0gktnfxc7bmz3p.png"></figure>CGN Staff via PRAn event that has become a mainstay of the fall cultural calendar is the River North Design District's&nbsp;Annual Fall Gallery Walk. The 9th edition of the walk will be presented this year by Sherwin-Williams&nbsp;and will take place Friday, September 6, 2024, the opening of the fall art season in the River North gallery district.&nbsp;Showrooms will feature an array of fine artists and designer vignettes, along with special events throughout River North in area galleries and businesses.&nbsp;Each participating showroom and art gallery will be exhibiting artwork created by some of the most influential artists in the art world today. This year, Chicago’s top designers will select their favorite art and create inspirational vignettes in each participating showroom.&nbsp;During the Gallery Walk, all showrooms and galleries will be open extended hours from 5-8 pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;Some showrooms will be open on Saturday, September 7 (list to come). Temporary exhibitions in the showrooms will be on display through October 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;The event is free and open to the public except for the VIP kick off and after-party.&nbsp;The walk begins with a VIP kick off party at The Luxury Bed Collection, 120 West Hubbard St, from 4:30-6pm. From 8-11pm, a safari themed after-party concludes the walk at Lightology, 215 West Chicago Ave,&nbsp;featuring special performances and an auction consisting of artist decorated illuminated Seletti primates. Tickets are $55 each per event in advance and will go on sale in July.Participating showrooms for the walk include: Heritage Auctions, Oscar Isberian, ARMAZEM.design, Daltile, The Luxury Bed Collection, Lightology, Moblili Möbel, California Closets, TOTO, O’Brien Harris, 210 Design House, Artists Frame Service, bulthaup, Kohler Signature Store by Studio41, Studio41, Altalia Furniture, Roca Tile, Farrow &amp; Ball, Molteni&amp;C, Rimadesio and Poliform.&nbsp;&nbsp;Participating designers include: Honsen Interiors, Navy Black Studio, Interiors by Francesca, Yamini Designs, Stone Textile Studio, Bridgette Haulenbeek Interiors, Xcēd Design Build, Hailey&nbsp;Lauren Designs, Epic Interiors, Zach Hayes Design, KP Home, En Masse Architecture and Design, VF Interiors, Elizabeth Krueger Design, Unpatterned, the workshop design studio, SKIN Interior Design, Tom Stringer Design Partners, KBS Interior Design, Beige by Michael Morganti, and MegMade.Participating Art Galleries and consultants include: Alma Art + Interiors, Daniel Kinkade Fine Art, Jean Albano, City Haus Chicago, and gallery 1871.&nbsp;&nbsp;Special exhibition&nbsp;featuring DIFFA Art for Life Pop Up with artists&nbsp;Samantha Haring, Jeff Cote, and Ramin Takloo Bighash&nbsp;curated by Oliver Aguilar.Artists include: Sam Goble, Michael Alan Kaskel, Martina Nehrling, Bobbi Meier, Seon Young Lee,&nbsp;Melissa Herrington and Sara Schneckloth, Steven Haulenbeek, Studio Heron, Sonya Benham, Dan Nelson,&nbsp;Michela Colognese, Diana Noh, Fontaine Scarelli, Adriana Miranda, &nbsp;Jonathan Pliego, Opame Pop Up featuring artist Atelier Nue, Brenda Jackson, Donna Drapeau, Michiko Itatani, Marketa Sivek, Magdalena Krzak, Laurie Kwo, and Yaha.RNDD announced it is partnering with Sherwin-Williams, Heritage Auctions, MDA Lites, Terrazzo &amp; Marble Supply Co, Euro-Marble, LG Group, Ferguson Bath Kitchen &amp; Lighting Gallery, Hardly Water, Mammoth Distilling, Modern Luxury Interiors Chicago, Chicago Gallery News, Kennicott Brothers, Art Encounter, Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID IL), The Merchandise Mart, River North Residents Association, National Association of the Remodeling Industry,&nbsp;BIACG,&nbsp;SOAR, and WCA.RNDD also shared plans to "party with purpose" and align with philanthropic partners Humble Design and the Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation.The event’s host committee includes: Dina Bair, WGN Newscaster, Daniel Kinkade, Daniel Kinkade Fine Art, Randy Fifield, Randy Fifield Modern Living, Jeffrey Johnson, Jeffrey Johnson Pictures, Nicole Flevaris, Kinzie Chop House, and Nina Mariano, Dom’s Chicago.&nbsp;Check RNDD's&nbsp;<a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com/rndd-fall-gallery-walk/">website</a>&nbsp;for periodic event updates.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;About River North Design DistrictThe River North Design District, founded in 2013, is a local community that boasts interior design offerings that are accessible to both designers and consumers. &nbsp;The showrooms carry&nbsp;everything from lighting, tile, plumbing, rugs, and kitchens to furnishings- everything one needs to create a one-of-a-kind haven. The participating showrooms pride themselves on providing a shopping experience that is both unique and personalized. &nbsp;Each showroom is located on street level, which allows customers to stroll along and enjoy the neighborhood.&nbsp;Please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com/">https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com</a>&nbsp;for more information.&nbsp;</body></html>

RNDD Fall Gallery Walk Planned for September 6, 2024

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/ei1s6r9969ymiqzf9wak.jpg"><figcaption>Ann Nathan in her gallery. Photo from Betsy Nathan.</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAWe heard this afternoon that Ann Nathan passed away at age 98 yesterday. Daughter Betsy Nathan, of Chicago's Pagoda Red, shared the news.&nbsp;I never actually knew how old Ann ever was, but many of us were always guessing. I suppose that is how Ann, a woman who was always full of surprises and new endeavors, wanted it.&nbsp;Ann worked in the employment agency business for over 27 years, eventually running multiple agencies. When she grew tired of that work, ceramicist Ruth Duckworth encouraged her to try her skills elsewhere and move into a 200-square foot Ravenswood studio in Duckworth's pickle factory. Ann opened a gallery, Objects, around 1986.&nbsp;Though the space was tiny, she showed jewelry and ceramics – small, functional objects, Ann had to be creative with every inch of space, including pedestals that opened up and doubled as storage space.Eventually it was time for the gallery to grow, and Ann relocated from the north side to River North, nearer to downtown. She was there until the River North fire in April 1989 forced her to close briefly. She reopened in a large ground floor space on Superior Street as Ann Nathan Gallery.&nbsp;I got to know Ann back in 2002 when I first arrived at Chicago Gallery News and our office was around the corner from her eponymous Superior Street gallery. As shared in my interview with Ann a few years ago, when I first started working for CGN, Natalie van Straaten, CGN’s founder and my boss at the time, would ask after my neighborhood visits to area art dealers, whom I had seen, and what impressions they had made on me. A telling factor as to the character of a dealer was often how they would treat the lowest person on the totem pole (me).One of the most welcoming figures was Ann Nathan. Though she could have dismissed me as a young person who knew little about art or the area, she showed curiosity and was gracious with me. I found her to be a little bit of a mystery, but she was as intriguing and inviting as her expansive loft space on West Superior Street.Ann closed her gallery in 2016, but she continued to stay connected to art as well as her large family.&nbsp;I had the opportunity to visit Ann at home with two of her daughters in late 2019 to interview her for the spring 2020 issue of CGN. I felt so fortunate at the time, and especially again now, to have had the chance to spend time together before the pandemic made in-person interviews impossible for awhile.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/5/art-dealer-ann-nathan-the-perpetual-collector">You may read the interview here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Trailblazing Art Dealer Ann Nathan Has Died at 98

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/fjmf74mwo0duwczlcvgn.jpg"><figcaption>Suzette Bross</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Suzette Bross thought she had come up with an idea for an art project that would span one year. That idea turned into an organization, CPS Lives, that is celebrating its 6th anniversary this May. Bross’s organization has expanded and undergone several changes in just a few years, all while finding an artistically civic purpose and developing many connections along the way. Following is CGN’s conversation with Bross as she prepared for a booth at EXPO CHICAGO, as well as some exciting collaborations and celebrations this summer.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;– GV&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What inspired you to found CPS Lives? &nbsp;Suzette Bross: I am a photographer, and during my career&nbsp; I have seen the power of groups of artists gathering to raise awareness and make a difference. When I started CPS Lives I envisioned a group of Chicago artists working for one year to make art and highlight the city’s public schools. I was inspired by artist collectives like AfriCOBRA in the ‘70s, which focused on black art movements and racial injustices, and the City 2000 photo project, a yearlong group photography project I was part of, that was formed to document the city of Chicago at the beginning of the new millennium.Initially I thought of CPS Lives as a yearlong project that would pair Chicago artists with various public schools, giving opportunities to both of these communities. CPS Lives was formed post internet and in the social media age, allowing audiences to see projects as they were created, lending a transparency and excitement to the way work was made. Artists would have the opportunity to make work, engage with students and share stories of area public schools. At the end of the year the artists, teachers, students and families would come together to celebrate the collaboration at a huge party in Millennium Park.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: So how did the first year go?SB: Little did I know what I was proposing to accomplish! Chicago is the third largest school system in the country, with around 330,000 students and 650 schools. Our goal is still to be in all schools, but now I realize it will take many years to tell the stories of all our public schools. After six years we have worked with 70 artists and been in 86 schools across 61 neighborhoods. It has been an incredibly interesting and rewarding journey.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419386/bsyowfmyiqcmrw1thr56.jpg"><figcaption>Ludvig Péres, Mozart Elementary School, 2023 &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: How many schools and photographers are you currently working with?&nbsp;SB: The 2023-2024 residency class is made up of 19 amazing artists working with 21 schools.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: After six years what has impacted your programming the most since you got started?&nbsp;SB: We have become a nonprofit. Not only does our organiation provide opportunities for students and artists, we provide a visual historic record about public schools. This became very important when the pandemic hit. Artists such as Matt Siber and Ludvig Péres created work that was specific to that pandemic history, working in empty schools when classes went online and also working with students at home and over zoom to share their experiences. We were able to create a book, Resilience: Chicago Public Schools in a Time of Quarantine, that will forever be a record of this historical time in education.&nbsp;In 2020 we worked with BMO Harris Bank to create one of the first murals made with the plywood used to protect the building’s windows during the protests. Lead artists Jeff Phillips and Dorian Sylvain worked with students from over 20 different public schools at the Hyde Park Art Center to create a photographic collage. Marzena Abrahamik’s joyful Michele Clark High School graduation images were the center of the piece, celebrating the accomplishments of these students during this difficult time for them and their families.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419387/parkhazyiq9ladhb7jbk.webp"><figcaption>CPS Lives selected Denise Waite (top left) and Chang-Ching “Casper” Su (top right) as 2024 EXPO Chicago Artists</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: What do you hope CPS Lives can do for the individual schools, as well as Chicago artists?&nbsp;SB: If you look at what our artists have seen and are communicating in their work, you can really start to see what public education looks like today. There are the proverbial warts of course, but there are also stories of joy and hope and day to day life in public schools in Chicago.&nbsp;When you give students the opportunity to work with professional artists, it can encourage the next generation of designers, photographers, artists and creative thinkers. Many of our artists are CPS alumni–for example: Denise Waite, Bob Thall and Norman Teague–and welcome the idea of giving back to their alma mater, or they are artists interested in giving back to the schools in their neighborhood. Many credit a teacher who inspired them to pursue the career they have today.Encouraging students to think creatively will help them succeed in any career path and confidently address future challenges. Students have a choice about where they go to high school, so many CPS schools must compete for students. Each school has a unique culture, and our artists can help schools understand, define and thus promote what makes them unique.CPS Lives provides local artists with opportunities to make great work with their communities and exhibit around the city, something that’s been very important after the pandemic. CPS Lives also provides schools with the opportunity to be connected to the art world in a meaningful way.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Tell us what CPS Lives has planned this season?SB: We are thrilled to participate in Expo Chicago April 11–14. Our booth will highlight the work of Denise Waite, who worked in her alma mater, Lincoln Park High School, and Casper Su who worked in Haines Elementary. One of the joys of participating in the fair is working with EXPO to bring the students and their parents to the fair and see the students’ expressions as they see their own faces reflected in the art hanging on the walls.&nbsp;Our 6th Anniversary benefit party is May 22 at the Arts Club. The public is invited to meet our artists and many of the teachers and principals from our participating schools and bid on unique art.We are also looking ahead to the 2025. Remember I said one of my original goals was to have a big party with our artists and schools? We are going to do that on the 606 / Bloomingdale Trail to celebrate their 10th annivesary. There are four public schools on the trail, and the 606 connects many Chicago neighborhoods. CPS Lives also provides a way to connect with and see our city, so we’re excited to have fun with them. Stay tuned and join us this spring!&nbsp;#&nbsp;Visit <a href="https://cpslives.org">cpslives.org</a> for information&nbsp;</body></html>

Recording a Day in the Life of CPS:  Artists in Schools

<html><head></head><body>BY BIANCA BOVAFor an ideal day or weekend trip out of Chicago, make the drive (or board the Hiawatha) up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Though not often considered an art destination, there is much of note to be seen in the city’s museums, galleries, and on the streets through the summer.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/gsipmp69mi0myhm0n2s7.jpg"><figcaption>Eddie Martinez, Untitled, 2020. Courtesy of MAM and TImothy Taylor, New York. Part of 50 Paintings &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Milwaukee Art Museum –50 PaintingsNow on view in the famed winged Santiago Calatrava-designed museum is 50 Paintings, a comprehensive survey of works created within the last five years by 50 international artists. Co-curated by the museum’s senior curator of contemporary art Margaret Andera, and renowned artist-curator Michelle Grabner, this landmark exhibition is not to be missed.&nbsp;Through June 23, 2024Idris Khan: Repeat After MeAlso on view through August 11 is British artist Idris Khan's first U.S. museum solo exhibition, which traces Khan’s investigations across time and media. Showcasing major works covering every facet of the artist’s career, the exhibition also inaugurates a never-before-seen body of paintings Khan created expressly for the presentation at the Museum. In these works, Khan synthesizes his earliest concerns with photographic reproduction while delving into the integral role of color in iconic masterworks of art history and our memories of them.Make time to visit the permanent collection galleries while you’re there, if only to see Robert Gober’s mesmeric 1997 work Untitled (Suitcase), back on view following a years-long period of conservation.&nbsp;• <a href="http://mam.org">Mam.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419386/ecpnbl6tmr3wsqhdmbuz.jpg"><figcaption>Sarah Lucas, William Hambling, 2021. Courtesy of Sculpture Milwaukee and James Prinz &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Sculpture Milwaukee, Nature Doesn’t Know About Us; Actual Fractals, Act I &amp; IIThe nonprofit organization producing exhibitions of contemporary sculpture with a dedicated focus on public art practices has three concurrent exhibitions running on the streets of Milwaukee. Nature Doesn’t Know About Us, curated by Ugo Rondinone and featuring a laundry list of bluechip artists remains on view, alongside Actual Fractals: Act I curated by the organization’s new executive director, the artist and dealer John Riepenhoff. Actual Fractals: Act II, also curated by Riepenhoff, opens this June. Pick up a map from a streetside box on arrival, and keep an eye out as you transit the city.&nbsp;Nature Doesn’t Know About Us and Actual Fractals: Act I are on view through October 2024; Actual Fractals: Act II is on view&nbsp;June 2024-October 2025• <a href="https://www.sculpturemilwaukee.com">sculpturemilwaukee.com</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419387/eg77hn3sfdooufpxzsvv.jpg"><figcaption>On view at Kim Storage, from left to right: Maggie Robertson, Tim Anderson, April Behnke</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Kim Storage Gallery, The Beginning is Always TodayPay a visit to Milwaukee’s newest gallery, which presents its program as being concerned with the “evolving landscape of contemporary art.” Gallerist Kimberly Storage (“Storage” being her surname, and not a modifier of “Gallery” as one might assume) presents her inaugural exhibition, <a href="https://kimstoragegallery.com/show/kim-storage-gallery-the-beginning-is-always-today">The Beginning is Always Today</a>, as a survey of work by roughly a dozen artists of varying style and pedigree in a space in the Historic Third Ward’s Marshall Building.&nbsp;On view through May 4• <a href="https://kimstoragegallery.com">kimstoragegallery.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419388/yv4gbkr3ngc33bj1nco6.jpg"><figcaption>The Suburban, (exterior: Tyree Guyton, Timeology). Courtesy of Sculpture Milwaukee, The Suburban, and James Prinz &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>The Suburban, Lisa SigalMichelle Grabner and Brad Killam’s storied gallery, now in its twenty-fifth year, currently features new work by Lisa Sigal, an artist and educator based in Brooklyn. Her work encompasses painting, sculpture, socially-engaged projects, curating, and public art. Over the last three decades, she has exhibited in galleries and institutions in North America, Europe, and Asia. With Nova Benway, Sigal was a co-founder of <a href="https://drawingcenter.org/search/?s=open%20sessions">Open Sessions</a> at the Drawing Center, an initiative that offers support and exhibition space to early-career artists. With Byron Kim, she now co-directs the <a href="https://www.art.yale.edu/about/study-areas/summer-programs/norfolk">Yale Norfolk School of Art</a>, a summer residency program in Norfolk, CT.Also on view are Timeology by Tyree Guyton (part of Sculpture Milwaukee’s Nature Doesn’t Know About Us curated by Ugo Rondinone) and Half Ton Box by Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle.Lisa Sigal's work is on view May-August 2024• <a href="http://www.thesuburban.org">thesuburban.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419389/pjvmbku0emdtg5duavos.jpg"><figcaption>Nicolaes Maes (Dordrecht 1634—1693 Amsterdam), Portrait of Three Children as Ceres, Ganymede, and Diana, 1673. Oil on canvas. Museum purchase, 2005.4. Collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The Haggerty Museum of Art, Image in Dispute: Dutch &amp; Flemish Art From the Collection of the HaggertyMarquette University’s art museum houses a surprisingly eclectic permanent collection of historical and contemporary art. This exhibition by the Haggerty’s Consulting Curator of European Art Kirk Nickel examines artistic responses to the changes reshaping community identity in the Low Countries between 1560 and 1675. Narrow in its scope and breathtaking in the lavishness of the works included, it’s a must-see for anyone craving a counterbalance to the incoming onslaught of blockbuster summer shows at major museums.&nbsp;Image in Dispute: Dutch &amp; Flemish Art from the Collection of the Haggerty is on view through May 12, 2024&nbsp;• <a href="https://www.marquette.edu/haggerty-museum/">marquette.edu/haggerty-museum/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Head North: On in Milwaukee

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419386/ty9grn7fph3j54ckds5x.jpg"><figcaption>Photo credit: Steph Murray</figcaption></figure><a href="https://edrasoto.com/home.html">Edra Soto</a> – Artist“2024 will be a year to remember. I continue to travel and develop new projects. I will be in Mexico for the first time, as part of the Lit &amp; Luz Festival, with presentations in Museo Universitario del Chopo and SOMA. As a 3Arts Lucas Artist Fellow, I will be in residency at the Montalvo Arts Center in California. Another longer term residency takes place in Kohler, Wisconsin. In commemoration of 50 years of the Kohler Co.’s Arts/Industry program, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center has organized a series of exhibitions featuring residency alumni. I also look forward to&nbsp;Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology, and the Contemporary Landscape&nbsp;at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburg, opening May 11, and&nbsp;Diasporic Collage: Puerto Rico and The Survival of a People&nbsp;at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in East Lansing, Michigan, opening August 31. Both exhibitions will travel nationally.&nbsp;Solo exhibitions are planned for the ICA at Maine College of Art &amp; Design and at Morgan Lehman Gallery in New York. But I am most excited about a commission of my ongoing project “Graft” as part of the Public Art Fund 2024 exhibition program at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza in Central Park, New York, opening September 5th.”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jonathan-higgins-manneken-press">Jonathan Higgins – Manneken Press</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-kimberly-oliva-oliva-gallery-and-alma-fine-art-interiors">Kimberly Oliva – Oliva Gallery, and Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-claudine-ise-goldfinch">Claudine Ise – Goldfinch</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-aron-packer-potter-potter-auctions">Aron Packer - Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Edra Soto

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/yfzgdnsqhiqgoqtrnqtx.jpg"></figure>Claudine Ise – <a href="https://goldfinch-gallery.com">Goldfinch</a>“This year I’m especially excited for the Spring/Summer season because in April (through April 20th), we’re presenting a pair of really superb solo shows by two longtime Chicago painters: Leslie Baum (in Gallery 1) and Andreas Fischer (Gallery 2). Both Leslie and Andreas engage abstraction in really different and equally compelling ways, and the gallery is going to draw out that discourse via a public conversation on painting with Leslie and Andreas that will be moderated by Justin Witte, Director and Curator at Cleve Carney Museum of Art, College of DuPage (on Saturday, April 13th at 2pm in conjunction with EXPO Art Week).&nbsp;On deck after that are solo shows by Sherwin Ovid and an emerging Taiwanese artist named Tsai-Ling Tseng, and in summer, our first solo show with Chicago artist Jessie Mott that will focus on Jessie’s new paintings. I can’t wait!”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jonathan-higgins-manneken-press">Jonathan Higgins – Manneken Press</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-edra-soto">Edra Soto – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-kimberly-oliva-oliva-gallery-and-alma-fine-art-interiors">Kimberly Oliva – Oliva Gallery, and Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-aron-packer-potter-potter-auctions">Aron Packer - Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Claudine Ise,  Goldfinch

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/gjxzt7pb37mk9uvzz81c.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Aron Packer – <a href="https://www.potterauctions.com">Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>“As the Fine and Outsider Art Specialist at Potter &amp; Potter, I never know exactly what will come through our doors. To a certain extent, auction houses play the cards they’ve been dealt - which keeps the entire team on its toes. As an example of “I never knew this would happen,” we recently acquired an important collection of Edward S. Curtis works.Named the “Best Auction House in Chicago” for 2024 by the&nbsp;Chicago Reader, Potter &amp; Potter looks forward to burnishing that hard-won award, especially in its rapidly growing art department. Our art sales occur in June and December and offer pieces in all genres, from all time periods, spanning the categories of Outsider, Folk, Contemporary and Fine Art. We accept consignments on a rolling basis.&nbsp;For the fall season I will organize&nbsp;A Cabinet of Morbid Curiosities: The Collection of Richard Harris.&nbsp;This all-encompassing death-related collection addresses this serious and precarious topic in a continuum from humor to tragedy and beyond.”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jonathan-higgins-manneken-press">Jonathan Higgins – Manneken Press</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-edra-soto">Edra Soto – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-kimberly-oliva-oliva-gallery-and-alma-fine-art-interiors">Kimberly Oliva – Oliva Gallery, and Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-claudine-ise-goldfinch">Claudine Ise – Goldfinch</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Aron Packer, Potter & Potter Auctions

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/gcspo1az9ktuucji4dez.jpg"></figure>Kimberly Oliva –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.olivagallery.com">Oliva Gallery</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.almaartandinteriors.com">Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a>“Each spring, I’m thrilled to launch new projects uniting Chicago’s arts community. A highlight this season is our partnership exhibition of CSI x ALMA, where my co-owner, Gosia Korsakowski, and I will spotlight national talent and foster connections across art forms.&nbsp;Looking forward, our August Arts and Culture Summit aims to ignite dialogue and engagement on Chicago’s west side. Joined by El Schomburg’s Brenda Torres Figueroa and Agitator Gallery’s Gretchen Hasse, we strive to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive cultural hub.Additionally, I would like to highlight “Liminal Space: Bethany Cordero and Deborah Newmark,” opening May 10 at Oliva Gallery. These two emerging artists are ones to watch in 2024.”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jonathan-higgins-manneken-press">Jonathan Higgins – Manneken Press</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-edra-soto">Edra Soto – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-claudine-ise-goldfinch">Claudine Ise – Goldfinch</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-aron-packer-potter-potter-auctions">Aron Packer - Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Kimberly Oliva, Oliva Gallery and Alma Fine Art & Interiors

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/jshwxikss7vi8yect7qf.jpg"></figure>Jonathan Higgins – <a href="https://mannekenpress.com">Manneken Press</a>“2024 marks Manneken’s 24th year as an independent fine print publisher, and it is shaping up to be a busy and exciting one. We kicked off the year by exhibiting in the International Fine Print Dealers Association’s spectacular Print Fair, which took place in February at New York City’s iconic Park Avenue Armory. We are also releasing our first published prints of 2024 – a suite of three color aquatints by Matt Magee which mix taxonomy with minimalism, and our online exhibition series on Artsy continueswith a new show - “Infinite Guile” - featuring ethereal, abstract monotypes by Sarah Smelser, inspired by her travels in Greece.We just came back from EXPO CHICAGO where we showcased new and recent prints by a diverse range of artists, including Chicago favorites Richard Hull, Anna Kunz and Judy Ledgerwood, all published by Manneken Press. Looking ahead, we will be hosting NYC-based painter Jason Karolak, an SAIC alum, in our Bloomington studio where he will begin work on a new group of etchings. Stay tuned for our additional projects as the year progresses.”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-edra-soto">Edra Soto – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-kimberly-oliva-oliva-gallery-and-alma-fine-art-interiors">Kimberly Oliva – Oliva Gallery, and Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-claudine-ise-goldfinch">Claudine Ise – Goldfinch</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-aron-packer-potter-potter-auctions">Aron Packer - Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Jonathan Higgins, Manneken Press

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/h3byah21pdmqqxxn5y5e.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/laurie-victor-kay-introspections">Laurie Victor Kay: Intersections</a>Opening: Wednesday, May 8, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmAnne Loucks Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/gorkrxd2zmtqmj5whmsb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lyn-tietz-scenes-of-nature">Lyn Tietz: Scenes of Nature</a>Opening: Sunday, May 5, 1 – 3&nbsp;pmGallery Seven&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419379/jzznh1vdajq8unm9yzdg.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/senior-capstone-exhibition-e9205309-b1ad-4209-80cb-e25804944916">Senior Capstone Exhibition</a>Opening: Thursday, May 2, 7 – 9&nbsp;pmWadsworth Family Gallery at Lewis University&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/hyzsidtuqohvrd6gnc7b.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/student-perspectives">Student Perspectives</a>Exhibition begins May 2Perspective Photo Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/vdshkt5hcj5d5ehosubf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/chryssa-new-york">Chryssa &amp; New York</a>Exhibition begins May 3Wrightwood 659&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419381/tyoutf5jkgcdjxn3gc2e.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/dominick-di-meo-torsoscape">Dominick Di Meo: Torsoscape</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmCorbett vs. Dempsey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419382/bi9pzcu1pbgerwcobzgx.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/william-villalongo-myths-and-migrations">William Villalongo: Myths and Migrations</a>Exhibition begins May 3Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419383/wkiqxegjgx7nefk3d2ju.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ceres-gallery-new-york-arc-gallery-chicago">Ceres Gallery New York/ ARC Gallery Chicago</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmARC Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/tjfvlb7nkqz6iybq8m6b.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/adam-siegel-works">Adam Siegel: Works</a>Exhibition begins May 3The Art Center Highland Park&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions May 1 - 4 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/gpecfk8wqe1eik43xfhz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vince-phan-and-molly-blumberg">Garden of Liminal Bodies</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Artists Coalition (CAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/jl30ycbsfd1624ij7a7f.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/emmy-star-brown-familiar-form">Emmy Star Brown: Familiar Form</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmVertical Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419379/xdotz1e7rzaaxcpr3te9.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/half-half-2024-mfa-thesis-exhibition">Half &amp; Half: 2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition</a>Opening: Thursday, May 2, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmBlock Museum of Art&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/loialxknl80mgrpksux8.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/solo-exhibition-of-the-art-of-alfredo-palmero">Contemporary Classicism: The Art of Alfredo Palmero</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmLily Pad | West&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/a3yy4pcl8mxfqzp42fej.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/miyoko-ito-needle-stone-and-mud">Miyoko Ito: Needle, Stone, and Mud</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmCorbett vs. Dempsey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419381/ijh0izdyeoyvp2apabsv.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2024-school-of-art-design-bfa-exhibition">2024 School of Art &amp; Design BFA Exhibition</a>May 4Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419382/wvwm34cxnz4wknl5y1un.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/opening-passages-artists-respond-to-chicago-and-paris">Opening Passages: Artists Respond to Chicago and Paris </a>May 4Chicago Cultural Center&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419383/pmkqw85pz79yz6baphdj.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-politicians-some-of-them">The Politicians (some of them)</a>Opening: Saturday, May 4, 5 – 8&nbsp;pm(northern) Western Exhibitions&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419384/dgldnvo2wny95ebnq4mq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jordan-strafer-decadence">Jordan Strafer: Decadence</a>Opening: Saturday, May 4, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmThe Renaissance Society&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions May 1 - 4 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/qfdayc7oy2irdxznwryw.jpg"><figcaption>Pat Steir (American, b. 1938) Small Ghost Waterfall, 1993 Sold for $533,400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Via PRCHICAGO – Work by Gertrude Abercrombie, Olga de Amaral, Louise Nevelson, and Pat Steir beat their estimates selling for six figures in Freeman’s | Hindman’s <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRC-2Bk1jCu-2FjBuvLJa07KkVhmDRp8j2M1pmx206u7RIzsqYERuKAy2XwPc89g4r3Z54E-3D-RFt_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn6RB1-2BWZ2rKdtfCrhqclGuQoZTRQ6V235reElvwvokJo3VW-2FJ4pTo392CUy2tw24qfp2FzMnToHJQvZUsXZGBcsqqWa4F08K7X-2BUWx-2BC1H-2FrlI-2B2nAUHal7LUzyA-2Fx46XFWaeigZDB5U2CD-2FlH9U3QxMEcXOFX6YBpfjymhPNWMrg-3D-3D">Post War and Contemporary Art auction</a> on April 24. On the day, seven works sold for over $100,000, four of them created by female artists, spearheading Freeman’s | Hindman to a $2.9 million total.“We were thrilled to see so much spirited bidding in our Post War &amp; Contemporary auction,” said Zachary S. Wirsum, Freeman’s | Hindman’s senior vice president and head of the Post War and Contemporary Art department. “It was especially pleasing to see top notch examples by previously overlooked female artists soar well beyond their estimates.”A Clear Demand for Female ArtistsWorks by female artists proved to be the most coveted lots of the day accounting for just over half of the sale’s total at $1.5 million, including three of the top five lots of the day.Pat Steir’s (American, b. 1938) sizeable 1993 oil on canvas <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRClBBElBYNOw8TyesjzL0fZXK0-2FzZaFeUSoOkgN1YBwEezlt4qChOi-2Bvbv6ZJl7R50-3DuiXm_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn7jp9ZI2nT0Cv8i3CePC2OzI9OWv1HkaZOZnVBTbxDIS3tcgpUde2v-2Fwx2-2Bl3hRYg7weiEMOMt-2BKLKtqs9EOkaWzo2S9OyixKPMk44iJ76bvNeS2HYazdf5e3GOxccs59JS0xX94w4sq9wjoDY1ZZWdYUGMYv30dznPfQw5ruB0ew-3D-3D">Small Ghost Waterfall</a> was the top lot of the day selling for $533,400, more than double its presale estimate. Quintessentially Steir, the piece manages to walk the fine line between abstraction and atmosphere. Steir used a variety of mark-making techniques to emphasize movement and chance, making a connection between word and image to immerse the view into the painting’s specific frame of mind.<figure class="image"><img src="https://meltwater-apps-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/5e38472c6c3a3a00184b210f/image_52158373341714070729508_1714070730627.jpg"></figure> Olga de Amaral (Colombia, b. 1932) Cesta Lunar 35, 1989-90 Sold for $304,800A remarkable textile piece from Columbian artist Olga de Amaral (b. 1932) more than tripled its presale estimate selling for $304,800. <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRDTzQWoIsQ98H98XGW7zG7Rj-2B1cj9BZmAPNa51kCx4W9edEOmDwybUnWAVpyfbM5m4-3DeatJ_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn4AKbpYGCxUXqzdVcQ7G8DSNierVVakcs5uho0-2FbCGJeO0kPgZ-2BYewrZmP6MxQiuml1My1qh5Z0LS-2FLWCIztcdtEhlOH-2FWYrumwyNBvj91xP9Q5AISEfyKyW6-2Fk9mnrGnORhJFC1P79hEXlrjl56xSnekdlTal8-2F18lGIbQnxkABQ-3D-3D">Cesta Lunar 35</a> (1990) is a sweeping, shimmering work comprised of paint and gold leaf enmeshed in fibers, bright gold threads cascading down to a rich violet umber. The piece is an excellent example of the cosmic voyages taken in de Amaral’s Cesta Lunares (Moon Baskets) series.<figure class="image"><img src="https://meltwater-apps-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/5e38472c6c3a3a00184b210f/image_35709780851714070729508_1714070730516.jpg"></figure> Gertrude Abercrombie (American, 1909-1977) Giraffe and Moon with Volcano (Giraffe and Volcano #2), 1951 Sold for $266,700Of course, no Freeman’s | Hindman Post War and Contemporary Art auction would be complete without a piece by Gertrude Abercrombie (American, 1909-1977) vaulting past its estimate. In this sale, <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRC-2BUtfqUmK4Wl941AhVv6jQU-2FfaiTAGiYovEqp7xp0tbecMtNQoLj2TE8pPigwUW2Q2s1Z37MsE8Fv-2Bwi-2FjgbxAjzfhBepmZeYSVW211gmR2Q-3D-3DqRvH_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn5CZFTen8pYeWUFw-2BZnl3ksYBAGQGOL4lhu-2FZh7Hv5GlsbLH9STNwkcz6L47gnw2LlSzQZukOKAOIYOyxVG2yst-2BaZcWJjF6YNAnlybEehunO8syjaisGncLHqGY8m-2FydFLBfIp7Hehmzfigg7QGXgE4-2BWedUiNclNYs9VFZYhXtA-3D-3D">Giraffe and Moon with Volcano (Giraffe and Volcano #2)</a> had the honor of besting its estimate by more than $200,000 selling for $266,700. As aptly named as ever by Abercrombie, the piece depicts a giraffe reaching to touch a low-hanging crescent moon in an austere landscape. Abercrombie did many paintings of giraffes throughout her career and the volcano adds a new dimension to the composition that created a voracious bidding war between five phone bidders.Between Realism and AbstractionTwo works by Alex Katz (American, b. 1927) also managed to reach six figures on the day. The subject of more than 200 solo exhibitions and international acclaim, the signature style of Katz is a deliberately vibrant visual language between realism and abstraction, ambivalence and intimacy. Coming of age alongside the titans of New York’s Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s, Katz boldly favored flatness of color and form rather than gestural primacy and raw emotion. His work is deceptively simple; his technique of painting wet on wet evokes a lustrous finish to his canvases, defying two-dimensionality even in their flatness.&nbsp;The 2016-17 oil on linen entitled <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRARlIqxxarikVKpQoKAQQrnorPLt5O9QM7L-2FdF4pUQaqPj1w2L7Xs3T3Uv0J8pF-2Fns-3DGRHK_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn78xrR-2FRUd6Xc2jcP3kfT-2BYPxIs71Ey2oPYK0uMVwOI-2BR5dbDSv1ayglhLJHV0DypOXNp2N47qtuJfcy-2Bt-2BM6PNf89Jk7ZE-2BBcLts0YTv8UbcPDSo6WIj0EfRVcEKk-2Fw-2BtFzidqLyhqkIv7zztnaPs-2FUfJgKx0ZLvdlr1BplK70Qg-3D-3D">Ariel</a> was the top seller of the pair, achieving $317,500. A quietly moody portrait of Ariel Vieth, a model and frequent muse of Katz’s, the painting depicts a woman who is simultaneously a familiar figure and otherworldly specter.2001’s <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRARlIqxxarikVKpQoKAQQrnYQANyk1-2BQVWk7klRWlP0WfPaHvQTPv8M4uyi1F7B8WY-3DNFI7_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn62maCz8KP6IVp1Fohsrvt58z0iS2IAiWecTLFsJO79gCPuIPbwZAlOgIkK7Yb7wlez6wcNL8D6Kp0ehyC0UIG-2F0jMaVMQSk9ZB4vXyMUpYqEm6qP8AMOA-2FwwwDnzAvGUsWzwimdqtW1duhbxUOcv-2Bz044K6h9qi6-2Ffaq825u1oVQ-3D-3D">Golden Field #1</a> also topped $200,000 selling for $228,600. Although on first blush, these two works may seem markedly different, Katz’s unmistakable style shines through. In both Golden Field #1 and Ariel, Katz is simply painting his environment, flash-in-the-pan moments he captures in thick brushstrokes and meditatively stylized forms.Other Notable HighlightsThe auction saw a number of notable highlights across a wide variety of mediums and movements, including:<ul><li>Louise Nevelson (American, 1899-1988) Untitled, c. 1973-78 Sold for $177,800</li><li>Michael Goldberg (American, 1924-2007) Sad Street, 1958 Sold for $114,300</li><li>Larry Poons (American, b. 1937) Untitled (15-A), 1976 Sold for $82,550</li><li>Ed Clark (American, 1926-2019) Standing Woman at the Chair, 1949-50 Sold for $63,500</li><li>Harry Bertoia (American, 1915-1978) Untitled, c. 1969 Sold for $57,150</li><li>Lynne Drexler (American, 1928-1999) Trunk Grass, 1980 Sold for $53,975</li></ul></body></html>

Women Lead Way at Freeman’s | Hindman’s  $2.9M Post War and Contemporary Art Auction

<html><head></head><body><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/museums-auction-guarantees-2468321">An Unexpected Player Has Begun Providing Auction Guarantees</a>Museums and auction houses have always been odd bedfellows.Museums turn to auction houses to sell art <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/toledo-museum-deaccessioning-at-auction-2098238">deaccessioned</a> from their collections, sometimes <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/baltimore-museum-of-art-cancels-sothebys-sale-1919088">sparking controversy</a>, and to <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/creating-space-artists-for-the-studio-museum-in-harlem-an-auction-to-benefit-the-museums-new-building">organize fundraisers</a>. Auction houses, meanwhile, have become more active as sponsors of museum exhibitions and biennials, <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/as-biennale-budgets-shrink-auction-houses-help-fill-the-gap-2470504">raising some eyebrows</a>.But now the two sectors are collaborating in an intriguing new way.In what appears to be to be an unprecedented move, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio has started providing guarantees for artworks that it wants to acquire at auction.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2024/04/11/artist-idris-khan-milwaukee-museum-of-art">Artist Idris Khan’s First American Museum Solo Exhibition Comes to the Milwaukee Art Museum</a>For Idris Khan, there’s beauty in repetition. Growing up in a Muslim household in the U.K., the London-based artist followed his father’s religious devotion. “We were praying together, but I never really knew why I was doing that. I never knew the language; I sort of just repeated.”Iteration is now a lifelong investigation, and the main subject of his first solo U.S. museum show “<a href="https://mam.org/exhibitions/repeat-after-me/">Repeat After Me</a>,” on view at the Milwaukee Museum of Art. The title is a mantra from Khan’s father: “‘Repeat After Me’ came from what he used to say to me in the mosque.” Viewers can see this fascination in the looping scrawl of Bicycle Wheel...after Duchamp, 2014, and the overlapping staffs in Bach...Six Suites for the Solo Cello, 2006. And in the new work created expressly for the exhibition, Khan continues to seek the beauty and constraint in the ritual of repetition.&nbsp;Via Cultured&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/ypdpk1bicmdvd9aahdjm.jpg"><figcaption>Gustav Klimt, Portrait of Fräulein Lieser, 1917 © Auktionshaus im Kinsky GmbH, Wien</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/04/24/klimt-portrait-mystery-30m-auction-im-kinsky-vienna">Klimt portrait surrounded by mystery sells for €30m in Vienna</a>A late portrait by Gustav Klimt with a tangled history and surrounded by mysteries sold for a hammer price of €30m at Im Kinsky in Vienna, an auction record for Austria.The recent discovery of Portrait of Fräulein Lieser (1917) was described by the Vienna auction house as “a sensation”. It was previously only known from a black-and-white photograph and had been believed lost until Im Kinsky received a phone call from the consignor around 16 months ago.Via the Art Newspaper&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 4/24/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/wqzobvngib4vtg82itim.jpg"></figure>CGN Staff via PROn a quiet Monday morning in a sunny room inside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago, a lineup of City, political and nonprofit figures gathered to share details about the museum's&nbsp;<a href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=518651a636&amp;e=95b957c616">Día del Niño (Day of the Children) celebration</a>. With representatives from the Mayor's office on hand, the gathering was undoubtedly a positive event to boost due to its focus on bettering the lives of children in the city. A neighborhood program that encourages participation in the arts beyond the museum and the first bilingual family program outside of the MCA, <a href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=96316d8ff7&amp;e=95b957c616">Día del Niño</a> joins the MCA’s ongoing, family-centered programs such as Family Day and Sensory-Friendly Mornings. This free, activity-filled event in Little Village will showcase local vendors, art, and performances at Saucedo Elementary School on April 27, 2024, from 11–2 pm.&nbsp;Guests can register for free tickets via the <a href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=bd2d9797d5&amp;e=95b957c616">ticketing link on the event’s web page.</a>The festival uplifts Chicago youth by celebrating their place in the city through artmaking, food, music, and dance and is organized by the MCA alongside the Chicago White Sox, Sueños Music Festival, Little Village Chamber of Commerce, the Pilsen Chamber of Commerce, the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Hispanic Congressional Caucus Institute, and the Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation.Families are invited to partake in a day of art and fun while learning about migrant experiences and the many communities that call Chicago home. Participating artists include Mr. Pintamuro, Salvador Andrade (CGN's spring cover artist!), Sabina Ángeles from The Jacobo María Ángeles Workshop in Oaxaca, and more. MCA Educators will also be present to facilitate activities. Drawings will take place during the celebration, with prizes such as two pairs of 2-day General Admission tickets to Sueños Music Festival, which runs from May 25 through 26, 2024.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/nng0nsanbrzyyqjqawsm.jpg"><figcaption>Image credit: Jordan Fuller</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;"As we celebrate the Day of the Children, let us acknowledge the rich diversity that defines our youth. In nurturing an inclusive educational environment, we sow the seeds for a future where every child's unique background has the ability to build bridges of understanding that will strengthen the fabric of our global community,” said Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil of the Mexican Consulate in Chicago.“The Latino Caucus Foundation is proud to work alongside the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in supporting events that use art as a vehicle for diverse and equitable spaces for Latino families, artists, and Chicago's cultural ecosystem. The Foundation is committed to supporting these accessible spaces, and we look forward to celebrating Día del Niño on April 27,” said Michael D. Rodriguez, Chairman of the Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation, Alderperson of the 22nd Ward.“Families are at the heart of our community, and their well-being is our top priority. Collaboration with community organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies is vital to ensure that every child has the tools to thrive, especially through family friendly activities like ‘Día del Niño,’” 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez said.“Celebrating the richness of culture and community is at the heart of our mission at the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. It's our utmost pleasure to join hands with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for their Day of the Children celebration. Our members embody the spirit of giving, and we're honored to have Los Comales generously donate food for this event,” said Jennifer Aguilar, Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce."Pilsen Chamber of Commerce and La Michoacana Premium is more than excited to be a part of the Día del Diño event with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Children are the happiness in this world who bring smiles to our faces in times of great fear and strife. This event is important not only by sharing love with them through paletas, but also by sharing tradition through our ancestors' recipes from one generation to the next,” Noe Govea, Vice President of the Pilsen Chamber of Commerce and co-owner of La Michoacana Premium said in a joint statement with Evelyn Ortiz-Govea, co-owner of La Michoacana Premium."Investing in young minds and the next generation of Chicagoans, who are positioned to lift up our community and continue discovering ways to push progress, is essential. Día del Niño is an impactful route to help empower children in our neighboring Little Village community and provide the resources to help youth grow and thrive. The White Sox organization is proud to be a partner to bring this important program to life in Little Village," said Sheena Quinn, Chicago White Sox Senior Director of Public Relations.“We at Choose Chicago are absolutely thrilled to support the Museum of Contemporary Art's Day of Children event at Saucedo Academy in Little Village. This initiative is a remarkable example of community engagement, bringing the spirit of the MCA directly into one of Chicago's most dynamic neighborhoods. It is so important to make art accessible to everyone and to help weave together the rich variety of cultures that makes Chicago such a uniquely vibrant place to live, work, and visit," said Rich Gamble, Interim President and CEO of Choose Chicago.“Sueños Chicago is super happy and honored to be a part of Dia del Niño! Our hope is for every kid to know that there is no dream too big; every kid's dream is worth fighting for. Now let's celebrate todos los niños!" Said the Sueños Chicago Team."It’s truly an honor to be a part of this event at La Villita, hosted by the MCA. We are grateful to participate, and support the community that has supported us since day one,” said Javier Garcia and Nathalie Soli, founders of Big Mich.#Guests can register for free tickets via the <a href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=bd2d9797d5&amp;e=95b957c616">ticketing link on the event’s web page.</a></body></html>

The MCA's Día del Niño (Day of the Children) Celebration Brings Art Into Neighborhoods

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/rgefk2eo4ljizcrndwih.jpg"></figure>Via PR(CHICAGO) April 23, 2024 – Hyde Park Art Center, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, announces that it has completed the transition to a contribution-based model for 100% of its art classes. The initiative, Open Arts, launched in spring 2022 with 70% of the courses on a contribute-what-you-can basis. The completion of this pioneering initiative makes the Art Center’s Oakman Clinton School + Studio the nation’s first fully contribute-what-you-can visual art school for all ages. The successful model, dedicated to ensuring more equitable access to artmaking, education, and community engagement, demonstrates the Art Center’s commitment to the South Side and the broader Chicago art ecosystem for the years to come.View <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6bnpikwskdu6yuesdvyif/OPEN-ARTS.mp4?rlkey=vpdf9fpk1ipscfth1l8lwk8ud&amp;dl=0">VIDEO</a> of students, teachers, donors, and Art Center staff sharing first-person perspectives on the program’s impact.As part of the 2016-2020 strategic planning process, the Art Center heard from constituents that the Art Center’s art-making facilities, education programs, and community of makers are a vital part of many people’s lives–and that at the same time, many were unable to participate because of the cost. Hence, the Art Center created a radical plan to ensure that no one is shut out due to their economic status. In 2018, the Art Center Board of Directors initiated the $16 million <a href="http://www.hydeparkart.org/art-makes">ART MAKES: COMMUNITY + CHANGE</a> capital campaign, the largest in the Art Center’s history, to establish the contribute-what-you-can education model and to increase funding for general operations and artist investment. By 2022, the Board had raised $17 million, surpassing the ambitious original goal and enabling the implementation of the contribution-based model.Two years after the initial launch, the Open Arts curriculum now includes all classes offered by the Oakman Clinton School + Studios at the Art Center, with more than 40 on-site courses each quarterly term, and additional workshops and virtual courses that provide more ways for the community to access artmaking. On average, the School + Studios offer more than 150 coursesper year and 120 teaching hours per week. Open Arts encompasses courses for all levels of participants, from skill-building courses for beginners such as painting and printmaking, to professional development programs for working artists including critique feedback and grant writing workshops, removing the financial barriers for artists of all economic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/evzydyb1bjtyvqqunvze.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;The contribute-what-you-can tuition model is shown to foster a culture of giving, and its continuous success relies on the generosity of class-takers, funders, and supporters of all types on an ongoing basis. Patrons are invited to contribute what they can through financial donations, class participation, spreading the word via social media, or however else they can. To make a donation that builds a path for continued equitable access to arts education, visit <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/education/open-arts/">www.hydeparkart.org/education/open-arts/</a>.Jill Potter, an Open Arts student, shares the liberty and interactions the initiative gives her: “Having the ability to decide what I can afford is liberating. I don’t have to choose between participating or not. And I can see the difference Open Arts is making at the Art Center. There are so many new faces and ‘first-timers’ in classes.&nbsp; I appreciate the multigenerational learning space where people exchange ideas and experiences.”Randall Miller, a teaching artist at the Art Center for over 10 years, shares how the program ensures steady work and reliable enrollments: “Prior to Open Arts, I worked with a small handful of really dedicated students. Unfortunately, there weren't always enough of them to run a class, so we would either be scrambling to enroll a few more students, or we would have to cancel. That kind of unpredictability was frustrating for students and difficult for me as the teaching artist because I loved working with those students, and I needed steady work. Now my courses have waiting lists and the students I've worked with for years have been able to maintain their work and sense of community.”Jen Tremblay Chambers, Co-Executive Director of the Art Center, shares the genesis, goals, and impact of the initiative: “Our community asked us for better ways to alleviate the financial stress and economic barriers that can come with signing up for a class. That was a call to action. We see first-hand every day the importance for people to be able to access their creativity and build deep relationships with peers and teachers. Many consider the school a second home, and we’re thrilled that tuition no longer gets in the way of their belonging.”&nbsp;About Hyde Park Art CenterHyde Park Art Center, at 5020 South Cornell Avenue on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, is a hub for contemporary arts in Chicago, serving as a gathering, production, and exhibition space for artists and the broader community to cultivate ideas, impact social change, and connect with new networks. Since its inception in 1939, Hyde Park Art Center has grown from a small collective of artists to establishing a strong legacy of risk-taking and experimentation, emerging as a unique Chicago arts institution with social impact. Today, the Art Center offers a diverse suite of programs for artists and art lovers of all backgrounds, ages, and stages in their careers including: contemporary art exhibitions in six galleries; open-access community-based school with 1,500 annual enrollments; weekly arts education to 1,000 elementary school students in public schools; weekly and summer teen programs for 100 teen artists; professional-advancement programs for artists; a local and international artist residency; and public programs that connects residents with Chicago art and artists. The Art Center functions as an amplifier for creative voices of today and tomorrow, providing the space to cultivate new work and connections. For more information, visit<a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/"> www.hydeparkart.org</a>.&nbsp;</body></html>

Hyde Park Art Center Announces Art Education Program is Now 100% Pay-What-You-Can, The Nation's 1st

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/l6keseaatlhm5qixocci.jpg"><figcaption>EXPO 2024</figcaption></figure>By BIANCA BOVAWhen the news broke last July that Frieze had acquired The Armory Show and Expo Chicago, speculation (as it tends to in the art world) ran rampant. How long had the deal been in the works? How much did the art behemoth pay for the Chicago fair? Would they rebrand it, change dates, clean house and build a new team? And the rhetorical (and perhaps most frequently asked) question: who would have guessed that Tony Karman could keep a secret?&nbsp;While the price tag or the mechanics of the deal may never be found out, last weekend the art world finally had a look at what the fair is developing into under its new ownership. The changes spanned nearly every aspect of the fair, though many admittedly may have been apparent only to those who have attended regularly over the preceding decade. The most striking difference was in Expo’s floorplan. In the prime real estate of the fair’s center core, where blue chip and mega galleries including David Zwirner, Gagosian, Hauser &amp; Wirth, and Matthew Marks (all notably absent from the exhibitor list this year) could once reliably be found, there is now Exposure, the fair’s dedicated section for galleries ten years or younger. While 2024 Exposure curator Rosario Güiraldes secured a robust exhibitor list that included stalwarts like 56 Henry, The Hole, and Marissa Newman Projects–galleries that undoubtedly benefited from no longer being relegated to the fair’s periphery–the overall effect of the section’s centralization was that of passing through the doors to Expo but somehow finding oneself at NADA instead. As Expo moves into a second decade, in some ways it also manages to feel more youthful.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/d8syyhvrzppxt3ifbp7v.jpg"><figcaption>Chance the Rapper was once again past of a /Dialogues program during Vernissage, with standing room only. Photo: CGN.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The makeup of the exhibitor list seemed to shift overall in 2024. It wasn’t just the mega galleries that stayed away this year, the number of Chicago galleries participating in the primary section of the fair seemed to dwindle as well. Especially notable was the absence of GRAY and of Kavi Gupta, both of whom had for years occupied significantly sized booths on the fair’s interior. While local dealers may have taken a step back, the fair continues to globalize its selection. This year’s Selection Committee (composed of John Corbett, Jim Dempsey, Leslie Hammons, Rhona Hoffman, Miles McEnery, Monique Meloche, and Nick Olney) welcomed galleries from the Canary Islands, Tel Aviv, Busan, Seoul, and Mahshahr, among other international locales.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419379/bi8wjhlwv8zoznact9a2.jpg"><figcaption>Voluspa Jarpa (b. 1977, Chile) Desclasificados (Declassified), 2016. Digital print on backlight film. This expansive installation by Voluspa Jarpa (NOME Gallery, Berlin, Booth #320) &nbsp;reflects more than two decades of research into declassified CIA documents that chronicle US interventions in Leftist regimes, primarily in Latin America. Part of In/SITU at EXPO Chicago 2024. Photo: CGN.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Additional changes included the absence of longstanding beverage partner Ruinart, and their waistcoat-clad champagne servers, along with the cafes that once dotted the fair’s perimeter offering up made-to-order fare from Hannah’s Bretzel and Eataly. Sure, one could still find their way to the food counters at the show floor’s entrances, but that boxed lunch and drip coffee served from a samovar courtesy of Levy (Navy Pier’s in-house catering partner) personally didn't cure the fair fatigue the same way an overpriced prosciutto and asparagus sandwich and a complimentary cappuccino from the Nespresso bar in the VIP lounge used to.&nbsp;On the subject of lounges, the Anchor Lounge, a space dedicated each year to guests of Presenting Sponsor Northern Trust, was relocated for the first time to a vacant restaurant space on the pier just west of the fair’s West Entrance, while the sponsor’s exclusive programming space, the Exchange Stage, remained on the 300 level of the exhibition hall along with the VIP lounge. This–compounded by a notable reduction in wayfinding aids and general signage throughout the hall and along the exterior of the pier–created what felt like an odd circulation of heavy back-and-forth foot traffic at the fair’s west end that would periodically bottleneck the back aisle. Whether these changes, along with the relocation of the Exposure section, are deliberate recalibrations under Frieze, or are simply the side effects of the unfortunate absence of Expo’s long-time designer Jason Pickleman (who helped usher the fair into existence, after serving as the designer of its predecessor, Art Chicago), remains to be seen in future editions. Either way, the result was an atmosphere that felt discernibly less polished than in years past.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/ylovxxncteyauqya0h0s.jpg"><figcaption>Bert Green Fine Art was part of Editions and Books at EXPO. Photo: CGN.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;None of these transitional effects managed to diminish attendance. The fair reported a total of more than 35,000 visitors to its eleventh edition, comparable to previous editions. By Saturday the robust headcount was unmistakeable, and crossing from one side of the fair to the other was a considerable challenge, as more and more people rambled among the booths.&nbsp;Across the 170 exhibitors that participated, the trend of bringing large scale, two dimensional, primarily figurative works endured, as it seems to have since the online art sales boom of 2020. Whether this is related to the logistics of transporting and installing these works, their status as more imminently salable via PDF than their sculptural or installation-based counterparts, or simply the market forces at work today is difficult to discern. The Books &amp; Editions section of the fair was also more established within the fair, with several participating galleries very pleased with their booth traffic and sales of affordable works.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419381/rdwclemxp95hejdazopz.jpg"><figcaption>Artist Michael C. Thorpe had a solo exhibition at Anthony Gallery. Photo: CGN</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Chatting with dealers in the fair’s final hours on Sunday (none of whom, unsurprisingly, wished to be identified on the record), the question of how the fair had gone was met, in most cases, with a shrug.&nbsp;“It was fine.” “I sold enough, but of course, I wish I’d sold more.” “I sold work to the same people I always sell to here.”&nbsp;Collectors, similarly, seemed satisfied, and many could be spied getting their artwork removal passes checked by security agents at the exits, cash-and-carry acquisitions tucked under their arms, or trollied alongside them. One such collector, Zach Smith, noted, “I picked up a small painting by Ellen Birkenblit from Corbett vs. Dempsey’s stellar booth. I have been following her career for years but was waiting for the right work for me. It has a mysterious noir vibe that appeals to me and of course Ellen’s formal painterly techniques are as good as it gets. The energy that Expo generates every year is so special for Chicago and this year was no different…same great people, galleries, and experiences as always from my perspective.”Another local collector, Chris Craft, excitedly shared on his way out on Sunday afternoon that he and his wife had just purchased four works by various artists at EXPO.So long as the collectors continued to find work worth acquiring, and the dealers sold enough to turn a profit on their booths, perhaps it's best to chalk up the 11th edition’s changes and challenges to having been a natural part of a growth year under new leadership. If there is any single certainty about Expo’s future under Frieze, it’s this: next year, all eyes will be back on the fair to see what its first full edition conceived post-acquisition will look like, and undoubtedly, next time around they will look with a less forgiving gaze.#The last day to view this year's fair online is April 19, 2024EXPO CHICAGO returns in 2025 later in the spring, from <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">April 24-27</a>.&nbsp;</body></html>

Frieze's 2024 EXPO CHICAGO Sees Challenges and Changes 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/wvcqninnyvc1km868cxu.jpg"><figcaption>Soccer Club, Prairie, and Osmos booths</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By BIANCA BOVAOperated by the Julius Caesar artist collective (presently comprised of artists Josh Dihle, Tony Lewis, Roland Miller, and Kate Sierzputowski) and hosted at Irving Park event venue Color Club, Barely Fair is a miniature art fair presenting works at 1:12 scale. Exhibitors are given 20 x 20 inch booths, organized in “aisles” along several tabletops, to mimic the floorplan of a standard art fair. Though diminutive in size, the fair, now in its fourth edition, is considerable in its scope; in 2024 it plays host to thirty-six galleries, project spaces, and curatorial projects, including spaces from New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Tokyo, Ireland, Toronto, Montréal, Buenos Aires, and Belgium, among others.&nbsp;When the fair first launched in 2019, it was clever in concept, sharp in execution, and read as a deliberate send-up of an art fair circuit that had, by then, ballooned to a reported<a href="https://magazine.artland.com/from-antiquity-to-modernity-how-art-fairs-became-a-cultural-mainstay/#:~:text=From%20Antiquity%20to%20Modernity%2C%20How%20Art%20Fairs%20Became%20A%20Cultural%20Mainstay&amp;text=With%20almost%20300%20occurrences%20around,considerable%20industry%20on%20its%20own."> three hundred fairs</a> a year globally. Five years and four editions later, Barely Fair comes across as something more precious; less tongue-in-cheek industry critique than self-serious fair attempting to imitate the manner of its life-size counterparts. While there have always been booths that indulge, experiment with, and skirt the prompt, the tactics now seem shopworn. One large painting that fills the entire volume of the booth–check. Scaled down 1:12 works that are simply miniaturized versions of the artists’ standard works–check. Inclusions of twee furniture and/or tiny gallery goers, egregiously elaborate installations that often spill over the open top of the booth, aggressively minimal booths the likes of which you would never see at a real commercial art fair–check, check, check. Perhaps the limits of the model have been reached, or perhaps inviting exhibitors of its concurrent full scale citymate EXPO to participate results in the small fair becoming an afterthought for some dealers.That said, much of the work on view in the fourth edition still delivers on its own merits. Patient Info’s decision to recreate the entirety of their gallery, replete with its iconic medical chaise and sink, has a great deal of charm, while Amanda Ross-Ho’s graphic t-shirt installation in ILY2 pokes gentle fun at her monumental garment installations inspired by Katherine Hamnett’s quintessential ‘80s slogan shirts. Nearby, in Chris Andrews’ booth Bea Fremderman’s nervous, Gober-ish fish tin (ham can?) installations toy with scale in a more subtle and passive manner.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/o72lbbwcmhhaybwzawdf.jpg"><figcaption>Mini gallery goers at OCHI &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;A few galleries took greater risks, yielding varying rewards. It’s difficult to see Soccer Club Club’s fish tank installation (replete with at least two rather lethargic fish, at the time of this report) as anything other than gimmicky, while Devening Projects’ fluorescent pattern-drenched booth playfully showcasing the sculptures of Alberte Tranberg and Christopher Michlig delivers on every level, satisfying the tenet of scaling the works appropriately while making no sacrifices in their value as objects.&nbsp;When galleries play it too straight, they tend to bypass the format’s potential altogether. Corbett vs. Dempsey’s booth of seven small paintings hung 2-3-2 in a single line across the booth’s walls feels disappointingly void of any real intentions; a stark contrast to their booth across town at EXPO, which was brimming with giddy energy in the form of small scale Ellen Berkenblit’s, glitter-drenched Gabrielle Garland’s, and a just plain strange Roger Brown bearing a shelf full of monstrously large taxidermy seagulls.&nbsp;By way of programming, Barely Fair will once again host Minor Matters, a “small symposium on the economies of scale.” While the symposium is scheduled for the afternoon of April 20th, a list of speakers and panel subjects was not yet available at the time of this report. If the format remains unchanged from the inaugural event in 2023, I encourage other institutions (small and large themselves) to sit up and take note of a lesson learned: thirty minutes is plenty for most any panel discussion.&nbsp;While it still makes for an entertaining stop on the ever-expanding itinerary of satellite events surrounding Expo, Barely Fair risks being reduced to a mere novelty if nothing changes in the years to come. Nevertheless, without fail it upholds what may be its greatest virtue: it's still an art fair you can see in one day.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barely Fair runs through April 21&nbsp;<a href="https://www.barelyfair.com">barelyfair.com</a>COLOR CLUB, 4146 N. ELSTON AVE., CHICAGO, ILADDITIONAL VISITING HOURS16 – 19 APR, 1 – 6 pm 20 – 21 APR, 11 – 6 pmBARELY FAIR is host to MINOR MATTERS, a small symposium on the economies of scale, on Saturday, 20 APR from 2-5PM. For more information on last year's symposium, visit the MINOR MATTERS page <a href="https://www.barelyfair.com/minormatters-1">here</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419370/x2hg4psek8hcqkb5gam0.jpg"><figcaption>Installation view of the fair&nbsp; &nbsp;</figcaption></figure></body></html>

A Visit to Barely Fair During Art Fair Weekend

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/jtdkiy7zcvmqolmreg5t.jpg"></figure>Via PRSculpture Milwaukee shared that as part of the preparations for the eighth (!) public exhibition of sculpture by renowned international artists on the streets of downtown Milwaukee, Sculpture Milwaukee has announced the release of their first companion beer. this is Wisconsin after all, and everything, even art, is better with beer.&nbsp;Debuting this month at Company Brewing and throughout April at select bars and restaurants, including Classic Slice and Bridgewater, Sculpture Milwaukee Monumental IPA is the latest collaboration between Company Brewing and the Beer Endowment, a project SM's executive director and current guest curator, artist John Riepenhoff, started a decade ago to support and promote artist-run organizations.Like Fred Smith Lager, Poor Farm Pils, and other art-backing Beer Endowment craft brews already in production, Sculpture Milwaukee Monumental IPA—a big, bold, and refreshing West Coast double IPA—shares qualities with its namesake. The beer is also symbolic, Riepenoff says, of the deepening and reverberating conversations people are having about art thanks to Sculpture Milwaukee’s continued investment in fostering cultural life in the city: “There’s an explicit social history of humans gathering to converse over libations. In Milwaukee, we obviously have our own beer history and collaborative social spirit. With Monumental IPA, we’re adding to the story by using the beer as a way to welcome people into the conversations Sculpture Milwaukee has already started.”&nbsp;Monumental IPA’s tallboys, designed by artist and former Milwaukeean Nat Pyper, also debut a fresh new identity for Sculpture Milwaukee. The beer’s 16-ounce can, along with other design elements created by Pyper, will be part of our next exhibition, Actual Fractals, Act II, opening on June 3. A follow-up to our 2023 exhibition, Actual Fractals, Act I, which Riepenhoff also curated, Actual Fractals, Act II will kick off with a weeklong series of events, including tours and artist talks.“With elements of design, in Nat Pypers’s case, or performance, in the case of works of social choreography we’ve commissioned from Kim Miller, a local performance and visual artist, we’ll be activating discussions around other monumental physical pieces in the show,” says Riepenhoff. “As we continue to gear up and build on Sculpture Milwaukee’s success, we’re not only finding more ways to collaborate and co-invest to support more artists, but also to spark new conversations about public art that are as important internationally as they are to Milwaukeeans who might enjoy the wonder and surprise of discovering, say, an organic bronze evoking fruits and plants and fertility by the Brazilian artist Erika Verzutti tucked into a pocket park they pass every day.” # &nbsp;About Sculpture Milwaukee - Sculpture Milwaukee is an annual exhibition of public sculpture in downtown Milwaukee that serves as a catalyst for community engagement, economic development, and creative placemaking. Through its free outdoor installations, Sculpture Milwaukee honors the arts and celebrates the community with artworks that spark inspiration and conversation, empowering residents, tourists, students, and art lovers alike to experience sculpture in new and profound ways. Sculpture Milwaukee is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization funded through private grants, donations, and sponsorships. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.sculpturemilwaukee.com/">www.sculpturemilwaukee.com</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Sculpture Milwaukee Announces Something Very Wisconsin: Special Beer

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/mgvlguuyg4vp6tgota4q.jpg"><figcaption>Lucia Koch,&nbsp;3X3 Pots,&nbsp;2024. IN/SITU installation view:&nbsp;In the Country of Last Things at EXPO CHICAGO 2024. Courtesy the artist and&nbsp;Nara Roseler, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, New York. Photo: Evan P Jenkins.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;VIA PR<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=e65ae3a2d8&amp;e=c5b146cc27">EXPO CHICAGO</a>&nbsp;concluded its eleventh&nbsp;edition on Sunday, April 14, following robust attendance from collectors, curators, and museum directors, totaling over 35,000 visitors. This year the fair saw&nbsp;lively&nbsp;sales across 170 leading galleries from 29 countries and 75 cities. In its first year as part of the Frieze network, EXPO CHICAGO reaffirmed its position as a convening moment for Chicago’s creative and philanthropic communities, showcasing the depth and breadth of the city’s cultural landscape.“In our 11th edition of Expo Chicago, we are grateful to now be part of the Frieze family,” said Tony Karman, President and Director of Expo Chicago. “There was a tangible sense of excitement around this year’s edition, a sentiment echoed by our patrons and gallerists, translating into strong sales and an energized atmosphere at the fair and throughout the city.”HIGHLIGHTS&nbsp;<ul><li>The <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=e3efc27e7a&amp;e=c5b146cc27">/Dialogues Stage</a> and Exchange Stage by Northern Trust were&nbsp;activated&nbsp;by 16&nbsp;conversations over four days between artists, curators, musicians, museum leaders, critics, and activists. Panels featuring Chance the Rapper, Amanda Williams,&nbsp;Paul Mpagi Sepuya, and more, drew in crowds of attendees, alongside screening programs by Art21 and Daata. Recordings of these conversations will be made available online&nbsp;over the coming weeks.</li><li>EXPO CHICAGO and Independent Curators International’s first ever curatorial&nbsp;conference <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=c6ceb45ecf&amp;e=c5b146cc27">Curating and the Commons</a>&nbsp;gathered&nbsp;curators for two days of programming on-site at EXPO CHICAGO. Over 200&nbsp;museum leaders and curators visited EXPO CHICAGO&nbsp;as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=1978170403&amp;e=c5b146cc27">Directors Summit</a>, <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=1abcad516e&amp;e=c5b146cc27">Curatorial Forum</a> and <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=046e650939&amp;e=c5b146cc27">Curatorial Exchange</a>.</li><li>Attendance to EXPO CHICAGO increased from last year to 35,000 visitors over four days, with ticket buyers attending from as far as Australia and Taiwan.</li><li>EXPO CHICAGO's expanded program of Purchase Prizes <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=808793afad&amp;e=c5b146cc27">were announced on Friday</a>, including Northern Trust acquisitions for the High Museum of Art, the&nbsp;Milwaukee Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.</li><li><a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=c824ffe10d&amp;e=c5b146cc27">IN/SITU</a>, curated by Amara Antilla, Independent Curator and Guest Curator at Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, was&nbsp;installed throughout Festival Hall and featured&nbsp;fifteen artists who explored themes of systemic economic failure, ecological instability, and political&nbsp;dissolution. Off-site programs <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=96cff4f4a8&amp;e=c5b146cc27">OVERRIDE</a> and <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=2fa1a60b39&amp;e=c5b146cc27">IN/SITU Outside</a> extended EXPO CHICAGO's reach&nbsp;beyond Navy Pier.</li><li>Over 50 international exhibitors participated, including&nbsp;a growing number&nbsp;from&nbsp;South Africa, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The EXPOSURE section, featuring&nbsp;galleries ten years or younger and curated by Rosario Güiraldes,&nbsp;Curator of Visual Arts at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, received strong reviews in the press including in&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=2b78289f2f&amp;e=c5b146cc27">The Art Newspaper</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=5c9e62dff7&amp;e=c5b146cc27">Artsy</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=84858d15a7&amp;e=c5b146cc27">ARTnews</a>.</li></ul>&nbsp;EXPO CHICAGO will return April 24-27, 2025&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO Wrap-Up Report: 11th Edition

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/x15m6gvr89k1ewgxysji.jpg"><figcaption>photo credit: George Almaraz</figcaption></figure>Via PRROSEMONT, Ill. – THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion, the multifaceted contemporary art program located within Fashion Outlets of Chicago with support from the Village of Rosemont, today announced the artist chosen to create a work for its inaugural Purchase Prize at the 11th edition of EXPO CHICAGO. As part of its ongoing sponsorship of the exposition, Fashion Outlets has chosen Michael C. Thorpe to create a custom artwork to join THE COLLECTION’s 23 large-scale installations."I am humbled and honored to be a part of THE COLLECTION at Fashion Outlets of Chicago in their outstanding collection of contemporary art. I'm a firm believer that art is for everyone, and this kind of setting draws people of all kinds to engage with objects and aesthetics,” said Thorpe. “It means the world to me that people who may not typically interact with art in its more formal settings have the opportunity to see my work. That’s what it’s all about." The commission, titled house Lou Jones built, is a quilted work reflective of his artistic practice, executed through his inventive use of textiles, fabrics and quilting techniques. Inspired by artist Lou Jones, the piece is an interpretation of the beginnings of Thorpe’s art career and the home studio of his mentor.“Michael C. Thorpe’s inventive, unique approach to artistic fabrication makes the perfect addition to THE COLLECTION,” said Jim Hansen, Senior Property Manager at Fashion Outlets of Chicago. “We’re thrilled to present this inaugural Purchase Prize at this year’s edition of EXPO CHICAGO as the first textile-based commission for THE COLLECTION.”Michael C. Thorpe describes himself as a painter working in fabric and thread upon a foundation of drawing which he views as the evolved practice of mark making akin to the stitches of quilt making. His compositions are born of long-term projects in which Thorpe is engaged – quilted paintings and works on paper that explore his surroundings, abstraction, letters and words as subjects; sculptural constructions created by combining found objects and quilting debris; and performance pieces emerging from the dedication to an idea. The result is a figurative and conceptual art that is as ingenious as it is uniquely contemporary.Thorpe is represented by Anthony Gallery, Chicago.About Michael C. ThorpeMichael C. Thorpe was raised in Newton, MA and earned his BA from Emerson College in Boston, MA where he studied photojournalism. &nbsp;Before his first solo exhibition, Thorpe attracted the attention of NPR, who wrote an article about his story and dedication to creating art in the medium of quilting. &nbsp;Press articles about Michael C. Thorpe have been published in Artscope Magazine, Boston Art Review, The Boston Globe, CNN Style, Cultured Magazine, Howl, and PBS, among others. &nbsp;Thorpe was recently featured in a Dove Men+Care television commercial and he participated in a collaboration with Nike and the NBA for the league’s 75th anniversary. Works by Michael C. Thorpe have been added to the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and numerous private collections around the country. &nbsp;Thorpe was included in Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art, an exhibition organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, that opened in October 2022 and later traveled to the Frist Art Museum in Nashville. &nbsp;Thorpe’s work was also included in Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories, organized and first presented at the MFA Boston in 2021 and then at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA through March 2023. &nbsp;In the Spring of 2023, the Paul R. Jones Museum, University of Alabama presented a solo museum exhibition, Michael C. Thorpe: Nonsensical Formalism. &nbsp;Recently, Thorpe's work was included in Birds in Art, organized by Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI. &nbsp;In 2024, Michael C. Thorpe will have one person exhibitions at four museums in four states - California Heritage Museum (Santa Monica, CA), The Delaware Contemporary (Wilmington, DE), Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA), and Hickory Museum of Art (Hickory, NC).About THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets FashionTHE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion is a multifaceted contemporary art program located within Macerich’s Fashion Outlets of Chicago, with support from the Village of Rosemont. Components of THE COLLECTION include 24 permanent commissions and a rotating exhibition series located throughout the common area of the shopping center. The public art program has invested in works by Daniel Arsham, Derrick Adams, Carlos Rolón Dzine, Jen Stark, Matthew Hoffman, and many more. THE COLLECTION’s rotating exhibitions feature work by a variety of artists displayed in glass cases located throughout Level Two of the shopping center. For more information, visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oTjORMppDqxAbsefRFk27x507Y8RCkhvCWKPYeD-2BKa2EDZAqceRwnjCivMGWugvHp8SC4Qj4igUzbMa-2BXZtr2-2Fo8-2BU4MsG-2BpsWQOA2lpTgETehvdAOuhyNMmPQSy1tluQ6Wb5IOd4CvOsDTGm8xvCeOZ4gjl5yjHiNJMmhxYkcA-3D6hQo_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK53L-2Fik4fGVXUvw21h7c67vJQx3XYWs-2FAQ-2F6mhMj66JiW7XhE33O34mK84OKyEj39gYciFJ1HHPssl01TCYoT2Yb0KEww-2BgbOM3ZyCdG4ayiGdQocoHI0WozMgYohpXxjGVtSTBnEU9cXaOgiMtGzOerNSQFKcFnmr3nnwo7nUYoTAyfhHExDtJLXbZlf2vStn5rfDY-2BAITzW3OxZyB7tnmeoS6DomE65eOEZhjq4cJsg4AVzcuwVgoW-2Fxa5FyWP9WGGzCv5VeYFkVu5jdRzAmGKwPJJjIZ9jYXRHdGRQTzZMkPqr5xp5Gq1tfBLZLt6eYG7gocaXtDt5akoNozsiqa8K317eeGie7Vo5TMDnJ7iMxy-2FsRyq6-2FSMgTVxjKoA7jt8nO95AYwg8bp-2Fp7-2FBGSIQLB0PBcW0KbyceocXbgGlyenoGDd7DUxEs5eybqTuDB7KOXXOAHlZR1J-2F8kcmyo-2BMNF2l41-2FrB-2B-2F2QrGmRHhrlwf5Dpp10pQAAcBdLMussPqiReeXfXZXd88Kl9cOs7z0Pzo9IpwnpY-2B8PsY-2FhsnWcVQBIECA2Ro9FnlqD4oevG93-2FB5-2Fz8Lq3uLRqhAc8EQkTeaeYM9BbjgTjwENRjBKaWMZXsC74gruS-2Fx3iNdnLHbfVroe1JZYRZUSPMbgRr-2BYCV3Pyqt-2B62MwxaEpmsR7aDV8lXN9FJiDayZfyTJxoizexWSSFHTCVJkKWGXA8zW7YhwQtX-2BEB5q0FbFc5lYR-2FOri49BAz2XT7QEthYFRYU-3D">www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com/TheCollection</a>.About Fashion Outlets of ChicagoFashion Outlets of Chicago is an award-winning 530,000 square-foot, two-level indoor shopping center that is home to more than 130 designer outlets, an impressive contemporary art collection known as THE COLLECTION and high-end amenities. The one-of-a-kind upscale outlet property that redefines and elevates the outlet shopping experience, is located at 5220 Fashion Outlets Way in Rosemont –minutes from O’Hare International Airport and Chicagoland’s major highways. For more information, visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.YGtAXXM2e8X4wIriVfujJsly62AeUO0rs3h4Ai9ane59DVL8fNcBk6hsUfOSe4qHw2HBKw73vLbEQVCdqVMV21kWi9O9y7KCc1QbAzpSIgr27G54J754OptUKMtgaiVyMXjzl5gZafqLeWAQ1h8nvQ-3D-3DEpBZ_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK53L-2Fik4fGVXUvw21h7c67vJQx3XYWs-2FAQ-2F6mhMj66JiW7XhE33O34mK84OKyEj39gYciFJ1HHPssl01TCYoT2Yb0KEww-2BgbOM3ZyCdG4ayiGdQocoHI0WozMgYohpXxjGVtSTBnEU9cXaOgiMtGzOerNSQFKcFnmr3nnwo7nUYoTAyfhHExDtJLXbZlf2vStn5rfDY-2BAITzW3OxZyB7tnmeoS6DomE65eOEZhjq4cJsg4AVzcuwVgoW-2Fxa5FyWP9WGGzCv5VeYFkVu5jdRzAmGKwPJJjIZ9jYXRHdGRQTzZMkPqr5xp5Gq1tfBLZLt6eYG7gocaXtDt5akoNozsiqa8K317eeGie7Vo5TMDnJ7iMxy-2FsRyq6-2FSMgTVxjKoA7jt8nO95AYwg8bp-2Fp7-2FBGSIQLB0PBcW0KbyceocXbgGlyenoGDd7DUxEs5eybqTuDB7KOXXOAHlZR1J-2F8kcmyo-2BMNF2l41-2FrB-2B-2F2QrGmRHhrlwf5Dpp10pQAAcBdLMussPqiReeXfXZXd88Kl9cOs7z0Pzo9IpwnpY-2B8PsY-2FhsnWcVQBIECA2Ro9FnlqD4oevG93-2FB5-2Fz8Lq3uLRqhAc8EQ8WpwFpxdNT2emJ3-2BoOmoIXBaaxnsNx5ow1Vc2415a2nFvUrKBrzMLRceaHtO0zhXJwW-2BHAX5pMQiW8aIFQxIUnNZy47RRb-2FRZ0uz-2F9O2MtRXts5rwCT9D60HbH-2Bnbb50haW6fVN3iGQUn0hDET0z4fs5mcTZIiGKH9fm7uWxCwU-3D">www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com</a>.&nbsp;</body></html>

The Collection: Where Art Meets Fashion at Fashion Outlets of Chicago Unveils Michael C. Thorpe Commission for Inaugural Purchase Prize at EXPO CHICAGO

<html><head></head><body>This year's <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">EXPO CHICAGO</a> features 170 galleries from around the world – from Paris to to Cape Town to Seoul. Several exhibiting galleries also operate close to home all year round, and in recognition of the special programming that these Chicago and regional galleries are exhibiting this weekend, we have a short wrap–up below.&nbsp;Please double check booth details as you are able with an onsite map.&nbsp;Also visit our CGN booth P7 to say hi and pick up a copy of our spring issue and the 2024 CGN Arts Guide!&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/4/what-chicago-galleries-are-bringing-to-expo-chicago">Read Part 1</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/4/what-chicago-galleries-are-bringing-to-expo-chicago-part-2">Read Part 2</a>– CGN Staff&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/trou7eyetedmoqttzokx.jpg"></figure> THE MISSION PROJECTSBooth #115Part of EXPOSURE at EXPO Chicago, The Mission Project is presenting a solo booth this year, featuring new work by Peruvian artist Kenji Nakama. A native of Lima, Nakama made his U.S. debut in a group exhibition last spring at THE RESIDENCE. This presentation will be his first solo exhibition in the United States. Selected work from two of Nakama’s most recent series, Folding Studies and Exhaled Series, will be presented. These compositions are made of manipulated strips of blank white paper. Some are representational – from Warhol’s iconic image of Marilyn Monroe to Van Gogh’s self-portrait – and some are abstract, but all elicit a sense of movement, the gestures of brushstrokes, or the illusion of oil paint dragging on a surface.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/xytuckoz1spt9lulfe6c.jpg"></figure>F.L. Braswell Fine ArtBooth #377F.L Braswell Fine Art is a private dealership focusing on modern and contemporary art by European and American artists. Based in Chicago, Illinois and founded in 2000, areas of specialty include original prints, works on paper and abstract art from the 1930s to present. The gallery is part of Editions + Books at EXPO.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/uzogz493671gspyiegf7.jpg"></figure>PovosBooth #421This is the gallery's first time at EXPO, and it is featuring the work of Ashton Hadari and William Schaeuble. Offsite the gallery will open its second, downtown location on Friday, April 12 with a show of gallery artists as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419370/jvothukgvesie2qxdews.jpg"></figure>Volume GalleryBooth #232Volume is showcasing works by several gallery artists, from Matt Paweski to Luftwerk to Christy Matson (Matson's solo show opens Friday at the gallery in West Town).&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419371/qjcafmlcwvqlqsxppnnm.jpg"></figure> Chicago Printmakers CollaborativeBooth #376CPC is featuring many working printmakers in their booth this year and that means there is a lot of work to browse. In addition to what's hanging on the walls there are many more works you can flip through, many affordably priced and worth a look especially if you are a new or aspiring collector. The gallery is showcasing Chicago galleries as well as printmakers from around the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419371/wewfnr0pcdkbtd4cyagz.jpg"></figure> Bert Green Fine ArtBooth #375Part of Editions and Books, the gallery is featuring a full selection of published prints, including the public debut of 4 new editions. One of the editioned works is a wooden toy gun by Mac Pierce, sold in an edition of 6. Other editions are by Mark Wagner and Industry of the Ordinary.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419372/x2ooqzexfpt6sacxnjqm.jpg"></figure>MICKEYBooth #430The gallery will be showing artists Ryan Nault &amp; Amy Stober. At the gallery's West Town location they are holding special hours during EXPO: Friday: 5-8pm with many other galleries around the city, and Saturday/Sunday: 12-6pm.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419373/iat1a1lvefcp8s5l0f8c.jpg"></figure>AMFMBooth #430Black artists, Erin LeAnn Mitchell, Erol Scott Harris, Kelvin Kweku Haizel, Lola Ayisha Ogbara, and Modou Dieng Yacine. Mitchell, Harris, Haizel, Ogbara, and Yacine explore the domestics of home, time, architecture, and interiority through the use of the body and figure in their work through abstraction, sculpture, painting, and textile.&nbsp;#&nbsp;The EXPO CHGO ONLINE viewing room is also on view now and connects you digitally with exhibitors and allows you to view the artworks on display at the fair in advance of the opening. Accessible only until&nbsp;Friday, April 19&nbsp;at&nbsp;9:00pm&nbsp;CT, the online viewing room is the place to learn more about exhibitors, discover highlights you might have missed, and contact the galleries.<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=7a38fe8fb3&amp;e=c5b146cc27">BROWSE EXPO CHGO ONLINE – Powered by Artnav</a>&nbsp;CGN will cover the Special Exhibitions participants in another post.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What Chicago Galleries Are Bringing to EXPO CHICAGO: PART 3

<html><head></head><body>This year's <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">EXPO CHICAGO</a> features 170 galleries from around the world – from Paris to to Cape Town to Seoul. Several exhibiting galleries also operate close to home all year round, and in recognition of the special programming that these Chicago and regional galleries are exhibiting this weekend, we have a short wrap–up below.&nbsp;Please double checkbooth details as you are able with an onsite map.&nbsp;Also visit our CGN booth P7 to say hi and pick up a copy of our spring issue and the 2024 CGN Arts Guide!&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/4/what-chicago-galleries-are-bringing-to-expo-chicago">Read Part 1</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/4/what-chicago-galleries-are-bringing-to-expo-chicago-part-3">Read Part 3</a>– CGN Staff&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/uoqijgxzvinqv4ibco7c.jpg"><figcaption>Bassim Al-Shaker, Resurrection, 2023, Oil on canvas, 80 x 60 inches</figcaption></figure>Rhona Hoffman GalleryRhona Hoffman Gallery, founded originally as Young Hoffman Gallery in 1976, specializes in international contemporary art in all media, and art that is conceptually, formally, or socio-politically based. The gallery will feature <a href="https://www.rhoffmangallery.com/art-fairs/expo-chicago4">many gallery artists</a> in their booth this year, from Derrick Adams to Amanda Williams, Spencer Finch, Julia Fish, Bassim Al-Shaker and Judy Ledgerwood, among others. Off-site in their West Town space works by Jacob Hashimoto are on view.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/lesyzrmawtwurrvmhk9e.jpg"><figcaption><a href="https://documentspace.com/artist/julien-creuzet/">Julien Creuzet</a></figcaption></figure>DOCUMENTBooth #333Document, with locations in Chicago as well as Lisbon, Portugal, will be featuring the work of artists Elizabeth Atterbury, Kiah Celeste, Julien Creuzet, Jimmy DeSana, Anneke Eussen, Victoria Fu, Gordon Hall, Laura Letinsky, Erin Jane Nelson, Natani Notah, John Opera, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Tromarama, Andrew Norman Wilson.&nbsp;Gallery artist Laura Letinsky also has a special program offsite at the <a href="https://molosco.com">Four Seasons</a>, where her photographs are displayed alongside a new porcelain collection by Molosco. This is Molosco’s first pop-up store in North America.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419370/j9v1feufcjnio7weeens.jpg"><figcaption>May Tveit, Say Yes, 2017, Corrugated cardboard, 85 x 68 x 3 inches</figcaption></figure> Secrist | BeachBooth #305The gallery just unveiled a new name and brand identity in time for EXPO. Appearing for the first time at an art fair as with their new name and Chicago location, for EXPO Chicago, SECRIST | BEACH will present a curated installation&nbsp;featuring new works by represented artists&nbsp;Hilma’s Ghost,&nbsp;Stephen Eichhorn, Anne Lindberg and Liliana Porter. Also on view will be works by artists who will be featured in concurrent invitational salon curations at SECRIST | BEACH’s new Chicago location: Kristoffer McAfee, Jacqueline Surdell and May Tveit. Thematically, this presentation will showcase materiality as a principal means of artistic communication, while investigating conceptual ideas such as&nbsp;the spirituality of abstraction,&nbsp;our common connection to nature and the conceptual necessities of the human condition.One of the artworks on view will be a monumental painting by Hilma’s Ghost (Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray), Cosmic Altar. This significant artwork, developed in collaboration with a psychic medium and professional witch, is work of such significance, it inspired and won a major public commission that will be realized in New York City later this year. Another artwork, Say Yes by Kansas-based artist May Tveit, is a large abstract wall sculpture made from corrugated cardboard that was developed while in residence at the Lawrence Paper Company, a 130-year old business in Lawrence, Kansas. This artwork evokes metaphorical connotations from ziggurats to minimalism and machine-age living, creating a telling context for today.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419371/xgng6o46v7im94owaunj.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Jaffe</figcaption></figure> 65GRANDBooth #225The gallery will be featuring the work of artists Sam Jaffe &amp; Brian Kapernekas&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419371/oheqpac20cb9eqrmc2hw.jpg"></figure> Anthony GalleryBooth #231Anthony Gallery is pleased to present new work by multidisciplinary artist Michael C. Thorpe at the 2024 edition of EXPO Chicago. Fact and Fiction furthers Thorpe’s exploration of quilting as a painterly medium, utilizing both photographic and textile processing to craft composite artworks that blur the lines between reality and imagination.This series begins with reference photographs printed onto canvas. Consisting of cluttered countertops, quiet basements, and living room corners, these reference images are rooted in the everyday. Thorpe bears witness to the inner workings of his perception by interrupting photoreal veneers with invented textile compositions. Sketching with his sewing machine, he fuses the plain with the technicolor, collaging his quilted forms onto canvas, curating a variety of whimsical patchwork tableaux.Guided by his creative intuition and unhindered by aesthetic pretenses—in his own words, first thought, best thought—Thorpe uses automatism to scaffold geometric scenes bursting with color and narrative possibility. It is in establishing these parameters that he is able to breathe life into the most mundane of spaces. Fact and Fiction’s unfailing positivity and generous spirit are contagious, transforming our everyday world into one brimming with possibility.Fact and Fiction welcomes Thorpe back for his second solo presentation, preceded by his participation in 2023’s Flying on a Moving Mountain, and the group exhibition GUMBO.&nbsp;&nbsp;#&nbsp;The EXPO CHGO ONLINE viewing room is also on view now and connects you digitally with exhibitors and allows you to view the artworks on display at the fair in advance of the opening. Accessible only until&nbsp;Friday, April 19&nbsp;at&nbsp;9:00pm&nbsp;CT, the online viewing room is the place to learn more about exhibitors, discover highlights you might have missed, and contact the galleries.<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=7a38fe8fb3&amp;e=c5b146cc27">BROWSE EXPO CHGO ONLINE – Powered by Artnav</a>&nbsp;CGN will cover the Special Exhibitions participants in another post.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>