<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/ckvupfpikfudirbqyuwd.jpg"><figcaption>Pictured from left: a post by Manish Nai; right of the fireplace is a work by Michael Rakowitz. In the fireplace is a neon installation by Jason Pickleman. Painting above the fireplace by Hugh Kappel. Sculpture by Jeffrey Gibson. Table, Yves Klein.</figcaption></figure>CGN recently interviewed collectors Sundeep Mullangi and Trisssa Babrowski about their passion for art and for supporting local artists and art spaces. In addition to sharing the story of their own collection, they offered some advice to anyone interested in starting their own collection. &nbsp;To read the full interview <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/4/a-living-collection-sundeep-mullangi-and-trissa-babrowski-support-their-city-through-art">click here</a>.– GV&nbsp;&nbsp;By Bianca BovaCGN: What advice do you have for those who want to begin collecting?&nbsp;Sundeep Mullangi: Understand that if you’re interested in collecting art, no matter who you are, there is an entry point for you. There is no set pattern or formula because it is so personal to each individual.&nbsp; For us and many of our friends, art collecting is an integral part of our whole life. General curiosity is so important. If something catches your attention, follow it, regardless of if it’s something you can acquire. Go figure out what this individual artist is trying to do, and then see how they are doing it, and then understand how that fits in their practice. Once you do that, you’re going to be hooked, you’re always going to want to look at more, to learn more.&nbsp;Trissa Babrowski: Be fearless. Trust your instincts. There is no wrong way to approach collecting, there’s really no wrong answer. Artists and galleries, especially in Chicago, are very open to engaging with people at all levels of experience and understanding of art.&nbsp; I find people are very much interested in having conversations, developing connections and relationships, and helping you to expand your knowledge base. Just go in, be open to learning,&nbsp; and be open to talking to people. And always, always go with your gut – if you respond to a piece, if it feels right, then it probably is.#&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/bz21zbjqqw6opaneyipc.jpg"><figcaption>A painting by Judy Legerwood (left). A spill painting by Tony Tasset (right) &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419370/i8rxxpejfqhfey0hn0oe.jpg"><figcaption>This miniature duet by Lilliana Porter is mounted between two door frames. Trissa says every time she passes it she considers the figures having a conversation. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419370/ibfuutx2c12rkauksa0q.jpg"><figcaption>Works from Amanda Williams's Color(ed) Theory Series</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Collecting  Inspiration: How to Find What You Want to Live With

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/wf9icuqksmgfbv3ee2ef.jpg"><figcaption>Sundeep Mullangi and Trissa Babrowski in their entrance hall. Wall mural painted by Patrick Rouillier. All photos by CGN.&nbsp; &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>By BIANCA BOVAStepping into Trissa Babrowski and Sundeep Mullangi’s home for the first time is an unforgettable experience. Situated on a quiet block in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood, the Italianate Victorian house’s rather staid exterior belies the profusion of color, pattern, and artwork that greets visitors as soon as they cross its threshold. Upon entering it is immediately evident that each element has been thoughtfully selected and flawlessly integrated into a truly original environment reflective of the shared vision of its two creators, and the culturally and socially rich life they have built there.&nbsp;Babrowski, a vascular surgeon, and Mullangi, the head of fixed income research at an investment management firm, met as students at Illinois Wesleyan University. While art collecting has always been a shared endeavor, their personal interests in art were developed independently. For Mullangi, it came about through an internship at the McLean County Arts Center in Bloomington, Illinois during college.&nbsp;“They needed to digitize their financials, and I was hired as an intern to input all their paper records into QuickBooks. One day, I got out of the back room and walked around, and I realized how incredible the place was. I started working there on Saturday afternoons, because they needed someone to open the doors. That’s when I started meeting artists and saw the process of putting together the shows. That was my first real foray into art, and I loved it,” he explained.&nbsp;For Babrowski, her explorations began at an earlier age. “When I was a child–probably five or six–my local public library had a lending program that allowed you to check out small reproductions of art masterpieces. There was an old pegboard wall full of all these little reproduction oil paintings, in this industrial brutalist-like library setting. I remember looking up at that and being overwhelmed by the amount of beauty contained in that space. I thought it was the most remarkable thing, that you could have an actual piece of art, and that it was something that could change according to your mood or whims. It had this transient, really beautiful quality about it,” she noted, before adding with a laugh, “My sister and I shared a bedroom, and we’d have competing walls and argue about whose installation looked better.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/f3wuisu9edlbyq4774sf.jpg"><figcaption>Seen through the doorway on the left is a Cabinet of Curiosities by Norman Teague. Photograph, center, by Irena Haiduk. glass objects by Anne Wilson.&nbsp; &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The house itself, which the couple shares with their three sons, who range in age from eleven to sixteen, bears a certain historical importance to the neighborhood. Built in 1873, it is the oldest residence in Kenwood, and one of only a few remaining wooden houses in the city. Having been constructed prior to the annexation of Hyde Park and Kenwood by the city, it was not subject to the ban on such construction materials that was implemented in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire.&nbsp;Inside, its Victorian character remains legible in the high ceilings, tall windows, grand fireplaces, and washes of sunlight that fill the rooms on the ground floor.&nbsp;“We want the architecture, and the bones of the house, to be able to speak for themselves,” Babrowski says, “I think there’s something unexpected and something really fun about having very contemporary art within this setting. Houses aren’t static and houses shouldn’t be museums; they shouldn’t be strictly adherent to their past. They grow and evolve, just like any sort of living creature does.”Mullangi adds, “Trissa has an incredible eye, and we’ve created this kind of layering. Art on top of wallpaper, wallpaper on ceilings, rugs we’ve hand-picked from all over the world, which has been fun as well, when we travel. The house is a visual memory of our life together. It is very much a family home, and we enjoy having people over, sharing the space, and opening people’s eyes to living with art in a way that maybe they haven’t seen in the past.”One especially striking element is a mural by Patrick Roullier that begins just past the entrance of the home and extends along the two walls that follow the primary staircase up to the second floor. With its lush depictions of the flora, fauna, and landscapes of India in a muted palette, one could easily be forgiven for mistaking it for vintage wallpaper at first glance.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419370/nel8oxkkxmzo9axxoavj.jpg"><figcaption>A view into the living room. On the right, a work by Michael Rakowitz. In the fireplace an installation by Jason Pickleman. Sculpture by Jeffrey Gibson. Painting above the fireplace by Hugh Kappel. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“I imagined what the people who built the house in 1873 might have covered these walls with”, says Babrowski, of the mural, “During that time those who were fortunate enough to go on grand tours of Europe, often returned home with these beautiful painted wallpaper panels. I thought about how we could update that idea, and make it relevant for us. So it’s these scenes from India that are particularly important to us. Sundeep’s family had mango plantations, and so the mango tree motif is an essential element of the design. It was a way to stay in keeping with the house but still, at the same time, make it modern and fresh and a backdrop for our life as a family.”&nbsp;Art can be found in nearly every room of the home, with works by artists ranging from Derrick Adams, Bethany Collins, Julien Creuzet, Beverly Fishman, Vanessa German, and Jeffrey Gibson, to Claire Sherman, SoiL Thornton, Martha Tuttle, Kehinde Wiley and Jonas Wood. Chicago artists are also well-represented in the collection, including Dabin Ahn, Roger Brown, Theaster Gates, Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, Judy Ledgerwood, Laura Letinsky, Angel Otero, Jason Pickleman, Michael Rakowitz, Tony Tasset, and Amanda Williams, among others. &nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>“Organic while simultaneously intentional, our collection serves as an ongoing love letter to Chicago. We believe in fostering a rich arts ecosystem as philanthropists and patrons, convinced that a vibrant cultural milieu is the most effective mechanism to facilitate societal change and evolution. We consider ourselves keepers of this art rather than collectors, and especially seek to support the stories and practices of artists traditionally excluded from the historical cannon. While objecthood is central to any collection, we are most interested in how art serves as a vehicle for bridging cultural divides.”&nbsp;- Trissa Babrowski &amp; Sundeep Mullangi</blockquote>&nbsp;“It’s not that we don’t go outside of Chicago to buy art, because we absolutely do,” says Mullangi, “but we really believe in supporting the art community here, both artists and galleries. We’re not just buying art to own it, to possess it, we’re buying art to be supportive of this whole ecosystem that it all rests upon. We’ve always had the feeling of, ‘If not us, then who’s going to do that?’ Because you need the support of the people who are embedded here to really make a difference.”&nbsp;For the couple, that support extends well beyond art collecting. Both are also active philanthropists and supporters of many cultural and educational organizations in the city.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419371/enm06umypracejejrvfe.jpg"><figcaption>A family room features an eclectic selection of art. A triptych by Beverly Fishman is pictured on the right.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“I’m passionate about volunteer work,” says Mullangi, “I serve on boards at the University of Chicago, through the Lab School; at the Hyde Park Arts Center; and at Illinois Wesleyan University. I really like to be at the intersection of community, education, and art. I find that these three institutions are right at that intersection, trying to help develop programs and leadership and see what the way forward looks like.I grew up in Macomb, Illinois. It was classic small town USA. When I was in high school, it was all about sports, it was about football. It was about Friday night games, and varsity letters, and wearing your sports jacket, and then potentially giving that jacket to a girlfriend,” continues Mullangi, “We all grew up with that being the norm, that’s just what you do, but in the art world you don’t do that. You don’t get a varsity letter for painting well. I’ve always wanted the equivalent memento available for artists, to make the way we emphasize art in our culture not so dissimilar to how we emphasize sports. The Hyde Park Arts Center especially does a phenomenal job in this way, with their fundraising to allow individuals, both kids and adults, the ability to take classes for free, or for whatever they can pay. That work I’m so proud of to be a part of, because that is what we need to do much more of. In Chicago, in other urban areas, we need to allow individuals to find their niche, and, importantly, to then go figure out how to improve upon that. Then maybe they’re on their way to do something pretty significant.Trissa, as a surgeon, she helps people every day in ways that literally change their lives. My professional life is much different, so I’ve tried to effect change in an alternative way,” he adds, “What Trissa does is also actually very creative, and beautiful too. Of course, we don’t all get to see it, because all of her work is inside the body.”&nbsp;“As a vascular surgeon, what I do does involve a lot of creativity,” Babrowski says, “You have an area that’s diseased, and you have to figure out a way to circumvent that. I always tell the residents, ‘it has to be perfect and it has to be beautiful, and unless it’s beautiful, it doesn’t count.’ I think that’s also kind of evocative throughout our collection as well. There’s a lot of what might be called traditional women’s work in it. I think women’s creativity, the way that women express themselves, has traditionally been undervalued. Everybody deserves to be seen and felt and heard, and through the collection we try and ensure that’s true because everybody has creativity, it’s just about the way that you express it. And that’s different for everybody.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419372/yxuljyl2a6i4pux7xbbo.jpg"><figcaption>Pictured above, from left: a work on paper by Soil Thornton, photograph by Laura Letinsky, painting by Martha Tuttle, ceramic piece by Melissa Weber, drawing in frame by Nate Young. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>In bringing these creative voices together in their collection, Babrowski and Mullangi create space for dialogues to develop between the works themselves, which in turn have the ability to spark meaningful conversations between their viewers.&nbsp;“Clearly there are a lot of problems within the world today. I think art gives us a language and an opportunity to think about it, and have civil discourse about issues that may not be so easy to talk about,” says Babrowski, “Simply having the opportunity to look sometimes gives you greater compassion and understanding of other people’s perspectives.”&nbsp;Many are fortunate enough to have that opportunity, as Babrowski and Mullangi’s hospitality is well-known. Gatherings of family, friends, and artists, along with social events for the art community are frequent occurrences in their home.&nbsp;“I always say when the house is full, there is a very particular vibe. It almost feels like the house itself is happy to be full of people,” says Babrowski.&nbsp;Their generosity extends beyond making the collection accessible through visits and parties, as the couple are frequent lenders to institutional exhibitions as well.&nbsp;“I think it’s the saddest thing when a work disappears into a private collection, and nobody else gets to see it,” says Mullangi. &nbsp;“Artists do this incredible work–and incredibly important work–where they’re translating a message into a visual medium, and that should be shared and projected, and shouldn’t just live in isolation for only a handful of people to see, in our opinion,” adds Babrowski, continuing, “We’re fortunate that we’re able to acquire these works, and that we are their caretakers. But, just as with this house, we really feel that we’re just their guardians for a period of time. You know, the human lifespan is very short. We aren’t going to be the ones who have any of this for that long of a time, really. In the meantime, why not share that with people while we’re still able to, and while we’re here to enjoy that as well?”#&nbsp;To read more about collecting what you love, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/4/collecting-inspiration-how-to-find-what-you-want-to-live-with">click here</a>.&nbsp;This interview is featured in the spring/summer 2024 issue of CGN. To subscribe to the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

A Living Collection: Sundeep Mullangi and Trissa Babrowski Support Their City Through Art

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/jsedp2pbh9exo2qc3j6k.jpg"><figcaption>Lucca Colombelli, Founder, Povos (photo by Travis Barron) &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By BIANCA BOVALucca Colombelli speaks quickly, with a cavalier manner that suggests that even if he doesn’t—by his own admission—know what he’s doing, he certainly knows what it is that he is going to do next. On a recent visit to his gallery Povos’s Chicago Avenue location, which is currently under renovation, Colombelli walked me through the space while rattling off the forthcoming improvements to everything from the baseboards to the lighting. We then sat down for a conversation about the gallery’s simple beginnings, its rapid expansion, and the multi-hyphenate future Colombelli sees for himself as a young person in the art world.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Lucca. Let’s begin with how your gallery, Povos, got its start.&nbsp;Lucca Colombelli: I’m an artist first. I didn’t necessarily like the way that the [gallery] system was set up. I have been in those ‘rooms’ in the commercial art world and thought, ‘This doesn’t feel like it’s about art at all.’ I wanted to make [a space] that was beautiful and celebratory and inclusive.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What did you feel like the art world was about, if you didn’t feel like it was about art?LC: To me the commercial art world [from galleries to art fairs], especially as an artist, felt very much like it was about money and about creating an exclusive culture that discouraged [most] people from getting involved, so [the main players] could maintain the power over both what’s being shown and where the money is moving. I try to convey [to my artists] that ‘this should be about you.’ That’s how I feel and I want them to feel too.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Even about art fairs? Which are inherently commercial spaces?&nbsp;LC: it’s like the artist almost has no place at an art fair.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: I like to say, “An art fair is no place for an artist.” Often it can feel like they’re the last person you want in the room when you’re doing a deal.&nbsp;LC: The artist might not want to be there either. An artist I know, who is established, once said to me, ‘Going to the fair as an artist is like watching your parents have sex.’&nbsp;Starting the gallery became this very difficult and involved learning process through which I can see how the system actually happens and can also work. EXPO CHICAGO this April will be my first fair [as a participating gallery]. With a seat at the table, what are we going to do with it? Who’s going to come and support it? How can we make it about the artist? &nbsp;CGN: How, in practice, are you implementing that paradigm shift?&nbsp;LC: I am not sure I can quantify how it’s working, but if you come to our gallery openings–there’s a good feeling. To me I think that’s largely because it’s been a grassroots gallery.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Is it still grassroots?LC: This started as shows in an apartment, and then eventually shows on Milwaukee Avenue. It was a passion project. We were fortunate people came to support it and feel involved. There’s such a strong culture built around [Povos]. The people working here now, including me, are still practicing artists, but now we’re understanding how to do this. I’m bringing in a full time director, a manager and support staff. We have had a run of funding, and we’re opening a second location and doing the fairs. We’re also getting attention – from institutions, the press, and some major collectors. I’ve become friends with the heads of several national institutions and found mentors in the local art world as well.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/t3iinalkrl39xkiednoo.jpg"><figcaption>Povos x blackpuffin, Conflicts of Freedom, August 2023. Photo: Jake Ellerbrake &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: You’re a young dealer, and you seem invested in pushing back against the art establishment, in creating your own model. The more transparent you can be the better, if you want others to be able to learn from what you’re doing.&nbsp;LC: I didn’t know what the hell I was doing at all. I went to art school for two semesters and dropped out. The idea was to develop a sustainable online gallery model.&nbsp;CGN: When you say sustainable, do you mean economically, ecologically, or in some other way?&nbsp;LC: I’m talking about economics. Instead of 50/50 between the artist and the dealer, and putting a lot of money into real estate or rent, online it could be 70/30. A portion of that 30% would go to social work partners. I was interested in this idea of a low-overhead, online gallery that could also better the community. I worked with Chicago Social Change; Save Money, Save Life; and Simple Good, where I’m on the Associate Board. We did fundraisers, and I did a guest teaching spot last year. We’re looking at doing it again in the spring with after school programs.&nbsp;So, initially the idea was to bring the digital to the physical as much as possible with popup events. We were doing it in restaurants, in houses, wherever. Then we got the space [on Chicago Avenue], and people started to notice us. A big advocate has been Abby Pucker [of Gertie]. She reached out in fall 2022, and we have become good friends. She’s helped elevate the project and put it on the map for new people. This went from an artist run project, to two locations, doing fairs and finding funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Can you share more about your funding model? Fairs don’t get cheaper year over year, and neither does real estate, for that matter.&nbsp;LC: In year one, with the popup online model, I didn’t make any money. Year two, on Milwaukee Ave., going in we didn’t have even a year’s worth of overhead, let alone funds for staffing, events, and marketing. It was just me running it. It didn’t start going well until maybe August 2022, where we had a show with Will Schaeuble, a young SAIC graduate. We sold out opening night. We had never had anything like that happen.&nbsp; CGN: What accounted for the difference?&nbsp; LC: We started marketing [the show] really early. We seemed to do everything right. I thought, ‘Maybe this could work.’ Just a little earlier I thad hought, ‘Oh my God, how are we gonna pull this off?’ While there was a growing culture of artists hanging out, I didn’t think it was sustainable. I think this is a problem young galleries can face. You can approach it with a lot of passion, but it’s not necessarily going to make economic sense.&nbsp;August happened and it worked. Then in September 2022 we sold out Ashkon Haidari’s opening night. After that I wanted to reorganize and to create new systems and bring in help. A big part of my philosophy has been: say yes, then figure it out. I saw the opportunity and the potential of [a physical] space, but when I got it it was a nightmare. It took a serious amount of work, but I knew we could turn this into something cool, and the price was right, even though I didn’t have the money until I did a little fundraising.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Was that primarily through private donations, or were you seeking grants?&nbsp;LC: All private, mostly collectors who support my vision of this artist-utopic gallery.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Do any of the backers have equity in the gallery? &nbsp;Yes, some of them have ownership stakes, but the majority are involved in a cultural or infrastructural way.&nbsp;CGN: Do you intend to retain majority ownership long term?&nbsp;LC: I’m more interested in building something sustainable and beautiful than maintaining my vision for it.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Do you feel that those are mutually exclusive?&nbsp;LC: No, not necessarily. If someone wants to come in and do this or they have an idea for 10 locations, it can’t just be me making the calls on that. We’re building an advisory board and an internal board with the new equity members–local curators and multiple artists who I’ve contacted and who have said, “Yes, I’d love to be part of this.” It’s so rewarding to come from not knowing who any of these people were two years ago, to having my–I keep calling it, the Avengers Board. &nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Frankly, it’s uncommon to see that level of support being offered to someone who–as you put it yourself–knew no one and had no idea how the industry even worked just a year or two ago. What has helped you most in establishing that base of support?&nbsp;LC: I think it has a lot to do with the feeling of the space and our philosophy. It’s not about closing the door or opening it selectively. It’s about, “Hey, we got the foot in the door. Everybody come check this out.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419370/yy5tl6w8ibl4whutlv5i.jpg"><figcaption>Ashkon Haidari “Under the Cherry Moon” September 2023. Photo: Jake Ellerbrakes &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Do you feel that that’s an ethos that makes you distinct from other galleries in the city?&nbsp;LC: I know there are a lot of really inclusive, cool people in Chicago. It’s easy to be a young artist and think, “Oh, I don’t want to work with them,” or “Screw the man!” It’s an immature attitude that I had, and now I realize that all these people are very smart and great and also work in some similar ways.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Who are other dealers that you admire?&nbsp;LC: Mariane Ibrahim–I think she’s a rock star. I also really like Patron’s program, and they’re very friendly to us as well. You could throw a rock and hit a good gallery on this street.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Can you tell me more about what informs Povos’ program?&nbsp;LC: To begin with it was just people I liked. We’re evolving towards the space being spearheaded by smart and interesting collaborations with other people, not necessarily just my vision.&nbsp;CGN: Do you represent artists? Do you have a stable?&nbsp;LC: We don’t currently represent people exclusively. I never thought I had enough to offer. But now we’re going to try to sign people locally for representation, about eight artists.&nbsp;CGN: Can you tell me about the gallery’s second location?&nbsp; LC: Last year I exhibited my paintings with Winston Guo, who ran W. Gallery in the South Loop on Van Buren. I haven’t shown in years and never really in Chicago. We threw a big opening. It was really fun, we sold some work. Winston and I talked about our gallery practices and differing strengths and challenges. This year he will come on as a full time director with me, primarily based out of his original space. We’re calling it “Povos Downtown.”&nbsp;CGN: Do you plan on running two simultaneous programs, or will it serve as an extension space?&nbsp;LC: It’ll be staggered. So yes to two programs, five shows each a year, for one year.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What is happening in the meantime?&nbsp;LC: We’ve stepped into an advisory network of secondary market dealers who are also young and ambitious. I’m doing some interesting work with 20th century art. I also met a guy in Mexico and we’re considering forming an international advisory with a Latin American and Italian masters focus. That’s not technically Povos, but that’s me. Also, I’m possibly curating a museum show in Japan this year at the Kyoto City Art Museum.&nbsp;CGN: Is the Kyoto City Art Museum an institution you have an existing relationship with? How did that opportunity come about?&nbsp;LC: There’s an arts government program in Kyoto. You take corporate tax money and turn it into something art related. The companies get a write-off, and the city gets a cut. A friend from art school has a connection to one of these programs, and that brought about the opportunity.&nbsp;I hope I can do a lot more for artists and in this industry if I can fulfill every role. I can be a curator, I could be an advisor, I could be a gallery, I could be an institution. If we have all the moving parts, we can accomplish a lot.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What do you see as the advantage to that approach over selecting a role, and devoting yourself to it?&nbsp;LC: I think you don’t have to be at the mercy of a system when you can fulfill multiple roles within it, and create new systems with that.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Do you ever worry that could potentially be a disservice to your artists? That if you’re successful in creating these new systems, you risk divorcing them from the conventional art world at an early stage?&nbsp;LC: No, I don’t think we’re divorcing them from the system at all. We just are becoming more involved in the system. Instead of just fulfilling the role of the gallery, we can go and make other kinds of deals and opportunities for them.&nbsp;CGN: There’s a rich history in Chicago of artist-run spaces that have gone on to achieve great commercial success. Take for example, many of the galleries that have participated in both editions of the Hyde Park Art Center’s Artists Run Chicago exhibitions, or going back even further, the spaces profiled in the the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago’s 1984 catalog Alternative Spaces: A History in Chicago. I’m hearing that you feel you’re subverting that standard developmental model, and that you’re successfully breaking boundaries. I’m trying to parse out what it is that makes you and your gallery different. Can you help articulate that for me?&nbsp;LC: I think keeping this glass door policy with the people we work with is different. Also our local cultural presence is a big thing, because it is inclusive.&nbsp;CGN: You acknowledged earlier that many Chicago galleries’ cultures are inclusive, so what sets Povos apart?LC: It’s the only space where I’ve seen the interaction between the billionaire and the bartender. Everyone walks in here and no one knows who anyone is, but they’re there and “Hey, what’s up?” is a very approved action at Povos.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Programmatically, where do you feel that your gallery fits into the context of Chicago?&nbsp;LC: I think we have a unique vision, which is the artists that I think we represent locally largely are, I call it, folkloric surrealism. It is an ongoing theme, and I think that’s what I enjoy. Some artists are self-taught, some are trained. All of our artists are young and working in this kind of magical way.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Chicago has deep historical associations with certain movements in the art world, and you can see the legacies of those movements in contemporary galleries’ programs today. I’m curious where you see Povos’ program in that context, if at all?&nbsp; LC: I never thought about it much. I am kind of new, and even new to the [art] scene. I’ve been [in Chicago] about seven years, and it has been a learning process. As far as historically, I don’t know if I’m informed enough to place the gallery anywhere. I think right now, it feels like we’re the new generation.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What brought you to Chicago, and what made you want to stay?LC: Yes, I spent two semesters at SAIC, where I met some of my best friends. I had a really good professor who said “You seem like you know what you want to do. You want to go paint, go paint. You want to open a gallery? Open a gallery. You don’t have to be here to do that.” And he was right, ultimately.&nbsp;I’m grateful to Chicago for letting me get away with this. I don’t think I would have been able to do it anywhere else. Buckle up, and let’s see what happens with the real version of this, because I think it hasn’t realized its full potential. I’m excited to see where it goes.<a href="https://povoschicago.com">povoschicago.com</a>#This interview is featured in the spring/summer 2024 issue of CGN. To subscribe to the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.&nbsp;</a></body></html>

A Young Gallerist Imagines the Future: Povos's Lucca Colombelli

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/gvrqnyfbjvuqddmxnqtj.jpg"><figcaption>Workers were preparing on Friday for the eventually move of “Monument with Standing Beast,” a sculpture by Jean Dubuffet, from the Thompson Center.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</figcaption></figure><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2024/04/05/thompson-center-renovation-dubuffet-art-monument-standing-beast-snoopy-blender-google?tpcc=040824%20Afternoon%20Edition">Giant sculpture to be moved from Thompson Center by end of April</a>A sculpture that has stood outside the Thompson Center for four decades will be moved by the end of the month."Monument with Standing Beast," by French artist Jean Dubuffet, is being moved, for now, to a yet-to-be-determined state facility.It was announced last year that the artwork — nicknamd "Snoopy in a Blender" — <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/7/15/23793133/snoopy-sculpture-thompson-center-art-institute-public-art-editorial">eventually will be headed</a> to the Art Institute of Chicago, where several Dubuffet works already are displayed.Via Chicago Sun-Times&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/qoewodtkdj1n7o55g1mb.jpg"><figcaption>Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011), Untitled , 1967, color screenprint on paper.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://mailchi.mp/northwestern/helenfrankenthalerprints?e=64540e863b">The Block among&nbsp;10 national museums to receive works from Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Prints Initiative</a>The Block Museum of Art is happy to announce that it is one of 10 institutional recipients of works through the <a href="https://northwestern.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=904f932038284b4d9eea69636&amp;id=b6a91a8235&amp;e=64540e863b">Helen Frankenthaler Foundation</a>’s Frankenthaler Prints Initiative.&nbsp; The initiative is an&nbsp;ongoing program for university-affiliated art museums, reflecting&nbsp;the foundation’s commitment to supporting undergraduate and graduate education in the visual arts and art history.&nbsp;The selection of works&nbsp;received by The Block was thoughtfully drawn from the foundation’s extensive collection of work by Frankenthaler and encompasses the broad scope of the artist’s work,&nbsp;including etching, lithography, screenprint, woodcut, and other techniques.Via PR&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/work/2024/04/05/union-wave-afscme-newberry-library-chicago-museums-cultural-institutions?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=040524%20Afternoon%20Edition%20-%20sponsored&amp;utm_content=040524%20Afternoon%20Edition%20-%20sponsored+CID_4c4188403e4d074cc0e69f4fbb598ad8&amp;utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&amp;utm_term=Union%20wave%20is%20picking%20up%20at%20Chicago%20suburban%20libraries%20cultural%20institutions&amp;tpcc=040524%20Afternoon%20Edition%20-%20sponsored">Union wave is picking up at Chicago, suburban libraries, cultural institutions</a>For more than a century, the Newberry Library’s grand Romanesque building has loomed over a city block in downtown Chicago.Established in 1887, the Newberry is home to books, maps, music and other materials spanning six centuries. Its history and majestic architecture evokes a sense of reverence. But its staff can’t survive on cultural cachet alone.“There’s a lot that’s special about the Newberry,” said Sophia Croll, program manager at the library. Yet the institution has “chewed through a lot of staff,” largely due to low pay, she said. “You couldn’t afford to live in this city and work here.”Via Chicago Sun-Times&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 4/10/24

<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-part-2">Read Part 2</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;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/wayrdd5swxbesa1ivugl.jpg"><figcaption><a href="https://qvrzaq.clicks.mlsend.com/ty/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjM4NzU1NixcImxcIjoxMTc2MjI3MDA0MzE2Mzk4NzIsXCJyXCI6MTE3NjIyNzAxNjkzMDc2ODQyfSIsInMiOiIzMWQ4YmVmMTdkNDBiOGE0In0">Judy Ledgerwood</a>:&nbsp;Field Flowers, 2020, monotype.</figcaption></figure>Manneken PressBooth #472Manneken Press will participate as part of <a href="https://qvrzaq.clicks.mlsend.com/ty/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjM4NzU1NixcImxcIjoxMTc2MjI3MDA0MDg1NzExOTAsXCJyXCI6MTE3NjIyNzAxNjkzMDc2ODQyfSIsInMiOiI0MjEyODZmZjNhNWU3OTYwIn0">Editions + Books</a>, a distinct gallery section which features artist books, editions and multiples. Manneken will feature works by <a href="https://qvrzaq.clicks.mlsend.com/ty/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjM4NzU1NixcImxcIjoxMTc2MjI3MDA0MTgwMDgzNzcsXCJyXCI6MTE3NjIyNzAxNjkzMDc2ODQyfSIsInMiOiI3NTI4YmMzYWFmZWMwMDFlIn0">Matt Magee</a>, <a href="https://qvrzaq.clicks.mlsend.com/ty/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjM4NzU1NixcImxcIjoxMTc2MjI3MDA0MjIyMDI2ODQsXCJyXCI6MTE3NjIyNzAxNjkzMDc2ODQyfSIsInMiOiI3NGZiODFlMGY4ZTdlZGIxIn0">Philip Van Keuren</a>, <a href="https://qvrzaq.clicks.mlsend.com/ty/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjM4NzU1NixcImxcIjoxMTc2MjI3MDA0Mjc0NDU1NjYsXCJyXCI6MTE3NjIyNzAxNjkzMDc2ODQyfSIsInMiOiJjNTgyOTYyZjZmZWYxNDllIn0">Sarah Smelser</a>, <a href="https://qvrzaq.clicks.mlsend.com/ty/c/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjM4NzU1NixcImxcIjoxMTc2MjI3MDA0MzE2Mzk4NzIsXCJyXCI6MTE3NjIyNzAxNjkzMDc2ODQyfSIsInMiOiIzMWQ4YmVmMTdkNDBiOGE0In0">Judy Ledgerwood</a> and others.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419369/njbdxgdwhftpeg6yhfgd.jpg"><figcaption>Ebony G. Patterson, …bent… and rippled in the swallow….submitting to ….an ending, 2023. Digital print on archival watercolor paper with hand-cut and torn elements, construction paper, and plastic, mounted on wallpaper. 86 x 107 x 16 in</figcaption></figure>moniquemelocheBooth #313moniquemeloche will present a curated selection of works by Luke Agada, Candida Alvarez, Sanford Biggers, Antonius-Tín Bui, David Antonio Cruz, Yvette Mayorga, Lavar Munroe, Maia Cruz Palileo, Ebony G. Patterson, Cheryl Pope, David Shrobe, Arvie Smith, Shinique Smith, and Jake Troyli.Several of the gallery's artists will be participating in EXPO's programming as well. A highlight will be:&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001cbzQpKrrUq66ZmWJyKdN7ykJR8n3wisinQWQJCap-9I2Sq_iBFuhEdRLAlcXJszlnrLv5vFyAy6eh5jPMI_tvZB9cMgxuNIzQUICa9KYvmiIOV-EKmx1nWvwRTEII0NAQ45wvl2GpIRy92Y1ccSesSEmHSEppRZ7J-UpCF-138t7X8sv3Hhy_w==&amp;c=-tG4hbFlsizi5fEQWG3ENM2Mk4JyYxqjciU0IxPz3hE4nug1SotcUQ==&amp;ch=vOt4tvkq9C_9j-0iY8N-rRIhkF0FhRTo6aKvA1hewY5qXDUCGUO1lA==">For Freedoms | Art Making and the Social Change Stage: Curating Civic Listening Through Art Identities</a>Antonius-Tín Bui, Shinique Smith, Jake Troyli and Lisa Lee, moderated by Toni Anderson&nbsp;Thursday, April 11, 2-3 pm on the /Dialogues Stage&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419370/nuwr0zuqwxssw8hq0egu.jpg"><figcaption>Roger Brown,&nbsp;Visit the Oregon Coast,&nbsp;1979,&nbsp;oil on canvas with taxidermy seagulls,&nbsp;72 x 54 x 12 inches. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Corbett vs DempseyBooth #237The gallery will present a multifarious mix of artists from its program. On the front line, the booth will feature major works by four of Chicago's greatest sculptors: H.C. Westermann, Joseph Goto, Diane Simpson, and Richard Rezac. Roger Brown's incredible 1979 hybrid Visit the Oregon Coast bridges second and third dimensions, with a shelf of taxidermied seabirds. As always, painting occupies a central position in the gallery's pantheon, and this year is no exception, with new work in several media by Ellen Berkenblit, Brian Calvin, Gabrielle Garland, Magalie Guérin, Roscoe Mitchell, Lui Shtini, Omar Velázquez, and Molly Zuckerman-Hartung. Spotlight sections will present paintings by Karl Wirsum (concurrent with his dual&nbsp;New York exhibitions), Nicole Eisenman and Rebecca Morris (proximate to&nbsp;their sequential shows at the MCA Chicago), Ted Halkin (in anticipation of his upcoming show at the Art Institute of Chicago), and the indomitable 98-year-old Dominick Di Meo (in anticipation of his upcoming gallery show at CvsD).*The gallery is also participating in Barely Fair this weekend and will present a suite of exquisite pocket-sized&nbsp;paintings by Rebecca Shore. These works feature a variety of subject matter: landscapes, still lives and interiors, each constructed from a particular perspective. Highly&nbsp;refined with attention to detail throughout the image, Shore's works are animated by the phenomena of daily life.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419371/tgnuzqmcurgb7odm2v7l.jpg"></figure> CONVERSO MODERNBooth #148CONVERSO, based in Chicago since the mid-90s, has become one of America’s most prominent dealers of modern furnishings and objects. Known for highlighting furniture by architects, rare prototypes, and limited-editions that attract attention from collectors and designers alike, their booth at EXPO will offer collectors much to covet.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419375/gcads9xwnststafkapho.jpg"></figure> Les EnluminuresBooth #343Les Enluminures is enthusiastic to showcase 11 timeless, extraordinary works by exceptionally skilled artists. The exhibition features ten exceptionally rare, manuscripts. Essentially panel painting in book form, their quality is on par with (and in some cases originating from) that expected from royal collections. This group is crowned by a Renaissance necklace, wholly original. Its ageless design is a veritable technical tour de force. &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419375/fbgogyyfdj9ilz4d2pt1.jpg"><figcaption>Raphaël Barontini, Au Balcon du Palais Sans-Soucis, 2024. Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim</figcaption></figure> Mariane Ibrahim GalleryBooth #203Mariane Ibrahim will unveil a solo presentation of artist Raphaël Barontini at EXPO CHICAGO.&nbsp;Barontini will also be featured in a citywide collaborative public art initiative between EXPO CHICAGO and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) in collaboration with the Chicago Digital Network to exhibit artwork on all CDN billboards and City Information Panels "CIPs" in the Central Business District from April 1—21, 2024. Participants included both emerging and established artists from Chicago and around the world.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419376/lgcghccszc8x3rimcc61.jpg"><figcaption>Anna Kunz, Mock Orange, acrylic on canvas, 2024, 60 x 66 inches, signed, dated and titled verso</figcaption></figure> McCormick GalleryBooth #271This is Tom McCormick's 40th year at the art fair - he first packed up his truck to participate when John Wilson was running Art Expo in the 1980s. This year his booth will feature many gallery artists, including Anna Kunz, Pooja Pitte, Kim Piotrowski, Gwen Yen Chiu, John Santoro, Michael Hedges and Janis Kanter. The gallery will also exhibit works by artists whose estates the gallery represents: Richard Hunt, Perle Fine, Mary Abbott, Melville Price and Jan Matulka.&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>

What Chicago Galleries Are Bringing to EXPO CHICAGO: PART 1

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419368/psu3zevb73zjak1rhdox.jpg"></figure> APRIL 4, 2024 &nbsp;(Chicago) Carrie Secrist announces today the next iteration of 32 years of operation in Chicago. Henceforth, this new chapter will be called&nbsp;SECRIST | BEACH&nbsp;and will be located at 1801 W. Hubbard Street in Chicago.&nbsp;Established in the city's River North gallery district in 1992, Gallery A (becoming Carrie Secrist Gallery in 1996) sought to re-imagine an enlightened salon by creating an environment rich with conversation. Initially focused on emerging artists and local makers as well as large thematic exhibitions, this first iteration of the gallery emphasized an engaging environment for discovery and experience.In 2003, Carrie Secrist Gallery relocated to the West Loop, a 5,000-square-foot space on Washington Blvd. The new space allowed Secrist as curator to exhibit larger scale artworks as well as the opportunity to formally develop investigations around her aesthetic interests through in depth solos exhibitions and large-ranging survey exhibitions that partnered internationally known artists alongside those mid-career and emerging.&nbsp;Beginning in March of 2020 - coinciding with the onslaught of the COVID epidemic - Secrist began developing the next vision of the gallery, continuing a career-long process of reinvention.&nbsp;Carrie states, “Even prior to the pandemic, I found myself questioning if our foundational commitment to sharing a longer look and a deeper dialogue around artworks that demanded an in-person exchange still mattered in the art world of the ‘now’. Then as fate would have it, I (along with most of the rest of the world) was offered down time to experiment, elaborate on those questions, eliminate the unnecessary excess of ‘what was’ and finally prioritize what proved to be at the core of authentic creativity... community. So while other businesses were downsizing their physical footprint and digitizing most of their communication, I decided to mow down my corn crop and erect a baseball diamond for the spirit of yesteryear to reclaim the field ... trusting in my gut that ‘If We Build It, They Will Come!’.”Moving forward to April of 2024 that vision will culminate in a new 10,000-square-foot space featuring double bow-trussed ceilings flooded with sky-lit natural light, opening a new chapter in a storied career:&nbsp;SECRIST | BEACH.&nbsp;&nbsp;SECRIST | BEACH&nbsp;combines the names of Carrie Secrist and her partner in business and life, Bill Beach. With this transitional moment in name and location, new progressive programming will be introduced that reinvestigates and expands the initial gallery mission from 1992 of an enlightened salon. One half of the physical space will be dedicated to challenging and solidifying the practices of represented artists. The other half will present a simultaneously curated group exhibitions that will conceptually elaborate upon the concurrent solo exhibition while introducing new ideas. Bisecting the two spaces will be a salon - a dedicated physical room for artistic collaborations that will offer a variety of intellectually challenging programs featuring lectures, events, performances and more. This new initiative is squarely aimed at the gallery goer with the intent of dialogic real time engagement.&nbsp;The preview of inaugural exhibitions at SECRIST | BEACH will take place Friday, April 12, from 5-8PM.&nbsp;&nbsp;HILMA’S GHOST |&nbsp;SPECTRAL VISIONS: A Feminist Collective Signals Magickal Futures&nbsp;A retrospective and new works by Hilma's Ghost (Sharmistha Ray + Dannielle Tegeder)&nbsp;&nbsp;COSMIC GEOMETRIES: The Prairie's EdgeCurated by Hilma's Ghost&nbsp;and featuring the following artists:&nbsp;Candida Alvarez, Elijah Burgher, Holly Cahill, Mike Cloud, Gianna Commito, Edie Fake, Vanessa Filley, Julia Fish, Beverly Fishman, Diana Guerrero-Maciá, Azadeh Gholizadeh, Michelle Grabner, Christina Haglid, Rachel Hayes, Gina Hunt, Michiko Itatani, Miyoko Ito, Anna Kunz, Alice Lauffer, Aya Nakamura, Deb Sokolow, May Tveit, Georgina Valverde, Susan C. White, Amy Yoes and Jade Yumang.</body></html>

Carrie Secrist Gallery Reopens as SECRIST | BEACH

<html><head></head><body>Entering its eleventh year as a leading international art fair, EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art will host 170 leading international exhibitors for its 2024 edition in Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, presented alongside one of the highest quality platforms for global contemporary art and culture.&nbsp;The exposition draws upon the city’s rich history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while engaging the region’s contemporary art community and collector base. The 2024 edition of EXPO CHICAGO will present various programs and events throughout Chicago during EXPO ART WEEK (April 8–14, 2024).&nbsp;Following are some programming highlights to watch for both onsite and throughout the city this April.– GV&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/k5fayiguooqaigyo3o4f.jpg"><figcaption>Chance the Rapper. Photo: Courtesy of Keeley Parenteau.</figcaption></figure>Presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), /Dialogues brings together leading curators, artists, designers, and arts professionals for a series of panel discussions. A keynote discussion with Chance the Rapper, Asma Naeem Ph.D. (Baltimore Museum of Art) and Nate Freeman (Vanity Fair) on hip hop and its contributions to contemporary art takes place Thursday, April 11, 7-8pm.&nbsp;Throughout the run of the exposition, visitors attending /Dialogues programs and film screenings will be able to lounge within the Soho House Snug, a community area provided in collaboration with Soho House Chicago.View the full <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/dialogues">/Dialogues lineup here.</a>&nbsp;*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419360/h5lccyps6zkixavm9yi0.jpg"></figure>New Monuments | Chicago by Brendan Fernandes is a public intervention at the General John Alexander Logan Monument in Grant Park and part of <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/in-situ-outside">IN/SITU Outside</a>. Envisioned as the first in a series of interventions engaging monuments internationally, it features a sculptural installation composed of scaffolding surrounding the monument, marking the space as “in transition”; a durational performance on April 12 from 7:00–10:00pm; and public hours on April 10–13 from 11:00am–5:00pm, during which audiences are invited to respond to Fernandes’ prompt about their visions for new monuments. Responses will be displayed to illustrate this communal moment of self-expression, social engagement, and critical dialogue around the history and current state of monuments in Chicago, and beyond. &nbsp;Performance on April 12 from 7:00–10:00pmPublic hours on April 10–13 from 11:00am–5:00pmLogan Monument in Grant Park, S. Michigan Ave &amp; E. 9th St.&nbsp;*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419360/suo28knji8xtbs1ag1sf.jpg"><figcaption>Charles Arnoldi, Ellipse II, (2020), Edition of 30, Wood Block. Sheet Size: 129cm × 115cm. €3,750.00</figcaption></figure>Exhibiting as part of <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/exhibitors/expo-editions-books">EDITIONS + BOOKS</a> at EXPO this year, Stoney Road Press was established in Dublin in 2001 and is known for collaborating with Irish and International artists in the production of fine art prints, exhibiting them at international art fairs with the assistance of Culture Ireland.Editions + Books showcases a cross-section of established and emerging artists. From limited editions to publications, the exhibitors offer a diverse array of print media and object-based practices that span across photography, sculpture, and monographs, and other multiples.&nbsp;*&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419361/h5tvjlxrne4uu4jlnkpd.jpg"><figcaption>OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, 2024. Judy Ledgerwood, Jaywalking, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Rhona Hoffman Gallery.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/override">OVERRIDE</a> | A Billboard Project is a citywide collaborative public art initiative between EXPO CHICAGO and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)&nbsp;in collaboration with the Chicago Digital Network&nbsp;to exhibit artwork on all CDN billboards and&nbsp;City Information Panels "CIPs" in the Central Business District from April 1—21, 2024. Participants included both emerging and established artists from Chicago and around the world. Placing artwork within this public context and the broader presentation of billboard advertising, OVERRIDE takes its name from industry terminology referring to the continuation of an outdoor advertising program beyond a contracted period. Fully integrated into the language of advertising and local familiar signage, each of the works included within the OVERRIDE program present the opportunity for local and international artists to intercept and push the boundaries of how visual culture is disseminated in our increasingly image-based environment.Building upon the City of Chicago and DCASE’s longstanding commitment to public art, OVERRIDE provides EXPO CHICAGO a key opportunity beyond Navy Pier&nbsp;to showcase works by leading international artists in neighborhoods throughout the city.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/m20djbmu6vqumkvplxeb.jpg"><figcaption>Eddie Martinez, Half Stepping Hot Stepper and Untitled, on-view April 5–August 25, 2024 at Compass Rose | Navy Pier as part of <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/in-situ-outside">IN/SITU Outside.</a></figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;For tickets <a href="https://www.tix123.com/tickets/?code=EXCH24&amp;_gl=1*1lv5t2k*_ga*MTI1Njc3OTk3NS4xNzA5MDA2OTQ2*_ga_9F4GPT8QEV*MTcxMTcyNTM0OC4yMi4xLjE3MTE3MjUzNzQuMzQuMC4zMjk2ODE5NTc.&amp;_ga=2.59521325.1691843750.1711725349-1256779975.1709006946">click here</a>Hours and tour times are below.&nbsp;VIP PREVIEWTh, April 11 | 12:00noon – 9:00pm – By Invitation OnlyOPENING NIGHT OF EXPO CHICAGOTh, April 11 | 6:00–9:00pm&nbsp; –&nbsp; Limited AvailabilityGENERAL ADMISSIONFriday, April 12 | 11:00am – 7:00pmSaturday, April 13 | 11:00am – 7:00pmSunday, April 14 | 11:00am – 6:00pmTOURSGuided tours led by museum educators and other arts professionals. 60 minutes. +$30Friday April 12 @ 1:00pm and 3:00pmSaturday April 13 @ 1:00pm and 3:00pmSunday April 14 @ 1:00pm.&nbsp;• Also: Art Encounter’s International Highlights tour explores work by leading artists from Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa as well as New York and Los Angeles. 90 minutes. +$40&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expochicago.com">EXPOCHICAGO.COM</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

When the Fair Comes to Town: EXPO Chicago and Beyond

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/ammqst3nxbd5pzdrmisw.jpg"><figcaption>Jules Allen, Untitled, 1996–97, Gelatin silver print. Image: 11 ¼ x 17 7/8” (28.6 x 45.4 cm), Edition of 3 + 1 AP. Courtesy the artist and GRAY.</figcaption></figure>McArthur Binion and Jules Allen: Me and YouGRAY&nbsp;This two-person exhibition features 11 new paintings by McArthur Binion and a survey of gelatin silver prints by New York-based photographer Jules Allen.McArthur Binion’s new series, Handmadeness, delves fully into the lexicon of what Binion terms the under conscious: visual markers of his identity collaged in a repeating, interwoven grid. These images in the paintings’ ground layer span a range of sources, from the deeply personal and autobiographical to the public and political. Binion obscures the under conscious with washes of ink in novel color combinations and a lattice-like layer in paint stick, the artist’s chosen materials since the 1970s.Allen studied photography under Jack Welpott, whose formalist leanings were rooted in the tradition of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, and he received a MS in clinical psychology to better understand the human subject. In 1978, Allen moved to New York and met Binion among a rich milieu of Black avant-garde musicians and artists.Me and You commemorates a 40-year dialogue between the two artists, whose mutual admiration originated in the Black avant-garde of 1980s New York City.Apr 12–May 31 • Opening reception Apr 12, 5–8pm2044 W. Carroll (60612)<a href="https://www.richardgraygallery.com">richardgraygallery.com</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419360/ojijsda5r05qxcv4wxy1.jpg"><figcaption>Nicole Eisenman (b. 1965, Verdun, France; lives in Brooklyn, NY), Beer Garden with Ulrike and Celeste, 2009. Oil on canvas; 65 × 82”. (165.1 × 208.3 cm). Hall Collection. Image courtesy Hall Collection.</figcaption></figure>Nicole Eisenman: What Happened&nbsp;MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART (MCA)Nicole Eisenman: What Happened is the artist’s first major comprehensive survey. Through over 100 works dating back to 1992 Eisenman explores political, economic, and social themes through her formally experimental and often-humorous portraits of daily life. The MCA is the only US venue and the last destination for the exhibition. &nbsp;April 6–Sept 22<a href="https://visit.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/nicole-eisenman-what-happened/">mcachicago.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419361/mfnosdkxnmvi3d4qlf4k.jpg"><figcaption>Christina Ramberg, Probed Cinch, 1971. Private collection, New York. © The Estate of Christina Ramberg. Photography by Clements/Howcroft, Boston.</figcaption></figure>Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective&nbsp;and&nbsp;Four Chicago Artists: Theodore Halkin, Evelyn Statsinger, Barbara Rossi, and Christina RambergART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGOWhile best known for her stylized paintings of fragmented female bodies, throughout her brief yet focused career, Christina Ramberg vacillated between the depiction of various figural elements—hair, hands, torsos, and garments—while also creating equally rich, abstracted forms that emphasize structure and surface.&nbsp;The first comprehensive exhibition devoted to Ramberg in almost 30 years presents approximately 100 works, from intimate early paintings focused on the pattern and form of women’s hairstyles and garments, to mature work featuring cropped female torsos in lingerie that contains and restrains. The exhibition presents her most iconic imagery while grappling with all phases and elements of Ramberg’s continually evolving career.<a href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/9723/christina-ramberg-a-retrospective">Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective</a> • Apr 20–Aug 11&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/jughfflawgo7vsq5p6ah.jpg"><figcaption>Barbara Rossi, Flower Returning to the H2O, 1978, Acrylic on hardboard, Gift of the Robert A. Lewis Fund in memory of William and Polly Levey</figcaption></figure>Four Chicago Artists: Theodore Halkin, Evelyn Statsinger, Barbara Rossi, and Christina Ramberg explores the art of four artists, all formally educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and informally inspired by the city’s cultural resources—from the Field Museum to Maxwell Street Market. Each artist developed highly unique practices. The works that resulted are as visionary as they are true to feeling, centering the transformation of shape, line, and color into otherwise incommunicable meaning.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10097/four-chicago-artists-theodore-halkin-evelyn-statsinger-barbara-rossi-and-christina-ramberg">Four Chicago Artists</a> • May 11–Aug 26&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/uianrqyno3jcbeoi7gah.jpg"><figcaption>Vera Klement in her studio</figcaption></figure>Vera Klement&nbsp;ZOLLA/LIEBERMAN GALLERY&nbsp;In a career spanning over six decades, Klement’s work was a reflection of her many influences. From classical music to literature to modern art, these themes are filtered through her early formative experience fleeing the Nazis with her family just before World War II and a lifetime examining that loss of home and identity. Klement passed away in October 2023.&nbsp;Jul 12–Aug 15 • Opening reception Jul 12, 4–7 pm 325 W. Huron (60654)<a href="https://www.zollaliebermangallery.com">zollaliebermangallery.com</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419363/vdjpikkn8dnm4e14q21b.jpg"></figure>Victoria Martinez: Braiding Histories&nbsp;CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTERThis one-person exhibition features the art of Chicago-based creative Victoria Martinez, who works in a variety of materials and scales, drawing inspiration from the body, the urban environment, architecture, and graffiti. Victoria Martinez: Braiding Histories is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.Apr 6–Jul 28 • 78 E. Washington (60602)* Artist tour and talk April 10 @ noon, part of EXPO ART WEEK&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419364/jllsyjwp4qimtfpf4e0a.jpg"></figure>Grid Luck: Alberto AguilarCLEVE CARNEY MUSEUM OF ARTIn Grid Luck, Alberto Aguilar delves into the grid’s role as a generative and expansive tool. Taking inspiration from the College of DuPage Permanent Art Collection, the exhibit reimagines the materials and spaces within the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, resulting in the creation of new site-specific works. Aguilar’s innovative use of existing objects from institutional spaces as his material provides a novel take on traditional art making while providing fresh perspective on overlooked possibilities.Jun 29–Oct 6&nbsp;College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn (60137)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theccma.org/grid">theccma.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419364/p6jhrqabkbmyaq8ufyaq.jpg"><figcaption>Bruce Webber, Targets; Right: Bill Mitchell, Amalgam</figcaption></figure>CSI x ALMAALMA FINE ART &amp; INTERIORSThe 2024 Chicago Sculpture International Juried Exhibition takes place at ALMA Art &amp; Interiors in Bridgeport. Sculptors were invited to enter up to three works to exhibit in the 10,000 sf space. The curated collection, showcasing nearly three dozen artists and a wide range of artistic expressions across various media, opens during EXPO After Hours on Friday, April 12, 5–10pm. Opening weekend is April 13 and 14.April 12–Sept 13636 S. Iron (60609)<a href="https://www.almaartandinteriors.com">almaartandinteriors.com</a><a href="https://www.chicagosculpture.org">chicagosculpture.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419365/whkewjtwrdnqnkvbaaxr.jpg"><figcaption>Sif Itona Westerberg, Dog Barking, 2021, aerated concrete, ebonized wood, 47.2” x 31.5” x 2”, installation view. Photo by CGN&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Sif Itona Westerberg: Twin Flame, Double RuinDRIEHAUS MUSEUMWesterberg takes inspiration from the Ancient Greek myth of soulmates—a single body that was divided into two parts, fated to forever yearn and search for its reflection. The exhibition title borrows terminology from new age concepts of interpersonal connection, a ‘twin flame’ often described in psychology as akin to soulmates, which Westerberg contrasts with ideals of creation and metamorphoses through the double entendre of ‘ruin’ in reference to either disaster or the remnants of Classical artifacts. Westerberg transforms industrial materials such as aerated concrete into delicate, sensitive surfaces engraved with the retellings of ancient lore.Thru Apr 14 • 40 E. Erie (60611)<a href="https://driehausmuseum.org">driehausmuseum.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419366/cmndowa0rwxwxnzdc3y3.jpg"><figcaption>Selva Aparicio, Remains, 2013/2024. Lettuce, particle board, and paper. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Selva Aparicio</figcaption></figure>In Memory OfDEPAUL ART MUSEUMDomestic violence is an epidemic that crosses geographical, cultural, and linguistic barriers. And yet it is private, existing within someone’s home in isolation and extreme vulnerability. For her first solo museum exhibition Chicago-based artist Selva Aparicio (b. 1987) transforms each of DePaul Art Museum’s first-floor gallery spaces into a domestic setting by way of a careful excavation of the artist’s life and memories. Responding to the architecture of the museum, Aparicio creates new site-specific works as well as remakes previous ones.Thru Aug 4 • 935 W. Fullerton (60614)<a href="https://resources.depaul.edu/art-museum/Pages/default.aspx">depaul.edu</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419367/b9md0i12oitnzsqz2cdn.jpg"><figcaption>Erin Jane Nelson, The Tree That Threw Herself in the Ocean, 2022, pigment prints, artist tape, glass and bio-based resin on glazed stoneware, 50” x 34” x 5”</figcaption></figure>Erin Jane NelsonDOCUMENTNelson’s practice is grounded in photography sourced from her archive of found and original images. Each project delves into new conceptual frameworks as far-ranging as regional histories of the Southern barrier islands, formative personal relationships, spirituality as a process of mourning and healing, and science fiction narratives. Through speculative world-building, layering and research, her work broadly explores the psychological impact of the climate crisis through a feminist lens.Jun 7–Aug 3 • 1709 W. Chicago (60622)&nbsp;<a href="https://documentspace.com">documentspace.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Spring 2024's Art Highlights 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/nhgo2uu6pnmnc0i9oaav.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419360/dt5xgtjm6smqtbzjhqxc.jpg"></figure>Driehaus Museum Renovation ContinuesLast &nbsp;week the museum team conveyed the nearly&nbsp;nine foot sculpture, The Archer, up to the 6th Floor balcony. The renovation work is 94% complete and they are making plans for a grand opening. Stay tuned for more details.The museum also announced that you can enjoy a springtime view of the Driehaus Museum all year, with artist Harper Veresiuk's watercolor interpretation of the 1883 Nickerson Mansion. Available as prints and magnets in the <a href="https://shop.driehausmuseum.org/?mc_cid=4e482f5bb3&amp;mc_eid=d1db3f815c">museum store</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/03/20/a-night-at-mr-kellys-at-the-newberry-offers-trip-back-to-days-of-storied-chicago-nightclub/?utm_source=Newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=A+Night+At+Mr++Kelly+s++At+The+Newberry+Offers+Trip+Back+To+Days+Of+Storied+Chicago+Nightclub&amp;utm_campaign=Wednesday+Arts+March+20%2C+2024">‘A Night At Mr. Kelly’s’ At The Newberry Offers Trip Back To Days Of Storied Chicago Nightclub</a>Have you ever wished you could have seen Ella Fitzgerald live on stage, singing Gershwin tunes? Laughed at Bob Newhart’s Abraham Lincoln public relations man bit in person when he was an up-and-coming comic? Visited a dark, smoky and swinging nightclub in mid-20th century Chicago with a two-drink minimum, surrounded by hip luminaries?If you visit “A Night at Mr. Kelly’s,” the new exhibition at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton Ave., you’ll get as close as you can in 2024 (short of a VR machine).The exhibition, which opens Thursday, offers a multitude of artifacts and oral histories to help craft what life was like in one of the city’s coolest nightclubs in the 1950s and ’60s.Via Block Club Chicago&nbsp;City Announces Headliners for Millennium Park 20th Anniversary CelebrationMayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced the first round of special programming for the City’s Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Celebration (July 18–21). Scheduled to take place almost exactly 20 years since the Park’s official opening on July 16, 2004, this four-day free celebration features award-winning headliners, activities for families and youth, workouts, new public art, dance performances, and concerts— presented by DCASE with the Grant Park Music Festival, Millennium Park Foundation, and others. This special anniversary programming will be in addition to the annual music festivals, film and music series, workouts, family programming and more offered season-long in <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tRQTdV7nSi9T-2BCzOvduUdm8R-2BL89Vma351sXnEAOr2205hbW_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJxdGCsDxwuBXtzUN-2F90mrZtEZ6Pv6RaA7fMIKi-2FCMYuKokB9jH3unCm4UFiZscYlJkDBNJP84-2FUXe2x8ajoRayq1RreONFp03Z5Mm5qXA6-2BQUm8MUa4Wn0Nq1PZBU5n-2FKXVbLcxkqqy6xu6s7nmFzZbZK-2FZC2pryDDlPE2bRGqRU-2BB6D749zsEZ2EcVy5uVRCItq98w3Fj6YrwcQRcgbQWYxOpAV5Vp7SG0Og4PGSq4tEVP1525dtmRehjE-2F9DcWN6hNRbVdu9jwXikDHIZn5a0w-3D-3D">Millennium Park</a>—the #1 attraction in the Midwest and among the top 10 most-visited sites in the United States. &nbsp;“Millennium Park is where we showcase the best of our city’s vibrant arts, culture, and talent from across the globe,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “I look forward to celebrating the Park’s milestone anniversary and its unrivaled art, architecture, and cultural events with unforgettable free programming all summer long.”<a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_20.html">More details here</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 4/1/24

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/qkm1lpyxkbom2yzu3auv.jpg"><figcaption>The spring/summer 2024 cover of CGN featuring art by Salvador Andrade Arévalo&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>I don’t know what I would do without lists. When it comes to meeting CGN’s deadlines or navigating the logistical obstacle course that is raising two children, lists keep me focused and comforted by organization. I am always updating my lists, segmenting themes, using up notepads and Post-Its, crossing things off or starring critical follow-ups.&nbsp;I find listmaking essentially task-oriented, but that’s where it ends. For instance, I love nothing more than a weekend without to-dos that leaves time for my family and me to make spontaneous plans and discover something new. My thoughts about lists made me consider how magazines and websites have long leaned on publishing their own lists as a way to boost sales, from the top 100 songs of all time, to the 10 best things to do in two days. Lists may offer choices among an overwhelming array, but they can end up obscuring the rewarding discoveries you may find if you let yourself explore on your own. Especially because CGN is focused on supporting and engaging with a creative community, we aim to be a circular resource, not a linear one, a guide that shows you but does not dictate.&nbsp;When I went to summer camp as a kid we heard, “There are no rules, just guidelines.” And there are no rules or lists in this issue of CGN either. We feature 80 pages of insights and information, guided by our seasonal calendars and arts listings – in no particular order (other than sometimes chronological or geographic). There are too many upcoming art events to count, as of press-time, with more added throughout the summer.&nbsp;In this issue, in addition to dozens of exhibitions, we preview the return of EXPO CHICAGO, as well as shows by artists like <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/3/plastics-and-flowers-the-art-of-salvador-andrade-arevalo">Salvador Andrade Arévalo</a>, whose work you will want to know. Read how veteran artist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/3/phyllis-bramson-and-david-leggett-brewing-something-new">Phyllis Bramson</a> is shaking things up and exhibiting alongside a younger counterpart, David Leggett. Lucca Colombelli shares his big plans for his gallery Povos. Artist Suzette Bross details how her organization is bringing artists into Chicago Public Schools. We also highlight how Millennium Park has transformed Chicago’s modern reputation as a center for art since its opening 20 years ago.As you explore art this season–at art fairs, after hours, auctions, solo exhibitions, benefits and more–consider the advice of collector Sundeep Mullangi, “If you’re interested in collecting art, no matter who you are, there is an entry point for you.” Enjoy this issue and go out and find what’s on your list, if you even make one. Give yourself credit that you can discern what it is that you like and would like to follow. &nbsp;– Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Publisher&nbsp;To subscribe to CGN and receive a copy of the spring/summer magazine by mail please <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/magazine">click here</a>.&nbsp;Read our spring cover interview <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/3/plastics-and-flowers-the-art-of-salvador-andrade-arevalo">here</a>.&nbsp;</body></html>

Spring 2024 Publisher's Letter 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419360/ndrpl9ffkex1puyuhqlh.jpg"><figcaption>Photo by Etienne Frossard</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;BY ALISON REILLYSalvador Andrade Arévalo calls himself a printmaker who paints. Born in a rural area of Jalisco, Mexico, he immigrated to Chicago with his family at a young age. Inspired by his parents and older sister, he took art classes in high school and studied printmaking at Yale University. After graduating from college, he resisted the instability of life as a working artist, and instead worked as an admissions officer for Yale, a staffer on Obama’s reelection campaign, and a Master’s student in Latin American studies at the University of Cambridge. Eventually, he moved to Mexico City and spent five years painting in his living room while working remotely to support himself. Now, after completing his MFA at Yale in 2022, he is back in Chicago and currently a Bolt Resident at Chicago Artists Coalition. His solo show, Olvido, is on display at CAC until April 25, and his work will also be included in CAC’s EXPO Booth.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What are your earliest memories of making art?&nbsp;Salvador Andrade Arévalo: Edwidge Danticat, the author, has stated in talks and interviews that all immigrants are artists. In order for immigrants to survive in the US, they must create an entirely new life by pulling from their own internal creativity. They have to have the inspiration, the drive, and the will to survive in a country that isn’t necessarily accommodating to them. For me that spirit, that essence, is an influence in my work. That thriftiness, the frugalness, the need to just make something out of nothing has always been a part of my life, especially as someone that grew up as an immigrant.&nbsp;My parents didn’t complete high school or college. They only went up to sixth grade. But they’re the most brilliant people I know because they work with their hands. My mom knows how to make clothes. She can look at any knit pattern and she can fashion and replicate it. My dad, before retiring, worked setting up sprinkler systems. for massive corporations, storefronts, and skyscrapers in and around the Chicago-land area. He’s always been crafty. He knows how to use any tool. Growing up in a household with two creative people made me want to work with my hands. In this way, I found art as a logical avenue to pursue in school.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419361/vnz2n0ytvxohzsqjv3su.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Doble mirada 1 / Double gaze 1, 120 x 100 cm, oil on canvas, 2023 &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: When did you decide to pursue art formally?SAA: Well the funny thing is that I don’t think I was necessarily drawn to art classes themselves. I was drawn to the markers and the materials. I was the kid that could color within the lines while everyone else was drawing scribbles. I also grew up with an older sister who was super into art. She studied art in college, and she’s a curator. Naturally it made sense for me to take a lot of art classes, too, without thinking I was going to be a full-time artist later on. I took so many art classes in high school, and I majored in art in college. But it took me five years after I graduated from college to fully decide, okay, I want to pursue art full-time.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: How has your training as a printmaker influenced your current painting practice?&nbsp;SAA: The way I paint is a transposition of printmaking in the sense that I work with screens of color. In my paintings and my mixed media pieces, I’m always thinking about building up screens of color. That’s what adds dimensionality to my oil painting. A lot of my paintings are very detailed and meticulous, and they seem like I’m using hard edges, rulers, or tapes, but they’re free drawn and painted. This attention to detail comes from my training as a printmaker, in which I had to be very assiduous about everything. And, even though I don’t necessarily print anymore, I still consider printmaking to be a cornerstone of my practice. Having been formed, artistically, with such rigidity allows me to make moves with much more freedom now, because of my technical foundations. It’s much easier to make art with a strong foundation in technique, rather than starting with a baseline of no skills and trial and error.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Could you talk about the importance of flowers and other motifs in your paintings?SAA: Whenever I introduce my work right now, I say it’s about plastics and flowers. But there’s a lot of meaning behind both of those things. I’ll start with the flowers. I grew up around gardens. Over the summers when I was in high school, I would set up sprinkler systems with my dad. My family is from a very rural part of Mexico in the state of Jalisco. I was born there. You can imagine a rural place with plants everywhere. I’ve always been in some way, shape, or form, surrounded by plants. I made the connection between farming, warehouses, and my family, and I realized the economic exploitation of plants has kept my family in the labor class.The flowers are also there as a visual trap because they’re so beautiful and seductive. I also depict flowers that I find around Mexico or connect to my Mexican heritage. Some of them may not necessarily originate from Mexico; some were brought to Mexico and became popularized and common in folkloric imagery. Flowering plants themselves have also been so genetically modified that they have their own legacy of exploitation and extraction by human touch to be more attractive.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/zcyqqs0s8pruleslholz.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Lenticular, 19” x 17”, hand stitched produce packaging from family’s consumption, 2023</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: And the plastics?&nbsp;SAA: In conjunction with flowers, I use a lot of single-use, disposable plastics, like food packaging or things used to wrap what you order online. Anything plastic that’s simply thrown away, I use in my work. The first thing you do every day is throw some piece of plastic away. If you think about it, have you ever gone through a day without throwing away a piece of plastic? And the plastics themselves come from petrol, and petrol is fossilized organic material. I’m interested in the concept of extraction and what we consume as Americans in the U.S. is stripped of its origins. The plastic that’s used to tape up an Amazon box, where does that come from? Which country in the global south packed this or made it, and where was it taken from and how cheaply and exploitatively was it removed from its origins?&nbsp;My family has been migrating between Chicago and Mexico for over 100 years. But always as laborers. This gives you a sense of my family and how these exploitative systems keep people in their same class forever.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/cqzrhnyq0hboex9rrqbu.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Pasos / Paces, 31.5 x 25 in, found single-use plastics, thread, paper, pressed flowers, textiles, acrylic, gesso, and sequins, 2023 &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Are you collecting these materials, the food packaging and discarded items, in your everyday life or sourcing them?SAA: Right now, most of the plastics in my work are from my family’s consumption. I recently completed a piece that was made from collected food stickers. The stickers name almost every country in Latin America. In a way, the piece was a map of the places that grow our food. And since my family in Mexico grows tomatoes, limes, corn, and agave, making this piece was a full circle moment. The food my family members in Mexico grow and sell, could very well be the food that I consume in the US.&nbsp;So where is our food coming from? Who’s growing it, who’s touching it, who’s packing it, who’s shipping it?&nbsp;My family members who grow limes have to sell a crate of limes that weights several kilos for pennies. When we buy limes in Chicago, we buy three limes for a dollar. Imagine the markup value of that food source as it passes through the system of wholesale buyers and distributors to the U.S. &nbsp;<blockquote>“Thriftiness, the frugalness, the need to just make something out of nothing has always been a part of my life.”&nbsp;- Salvador Andrade Arévalo</blockquote>&nbsp;CGN: What’s a typical day in your studio like?SAA: I get up, have coffee, and decide which part of my practice I’m going to devote my time to, especially since I paint by daylight. I’ll set up my oil paints when the sun comes up and then I paint for the entire day. That’s my super concentrated, most intense work mode. But that’s why I also have the other side of my practice, which is more amorphous. The plastic pieces allow me to have more freedom, and not necessarily be strict with a pencil, a brush stroke, or the color choices that I’m making. I bounce between working fast and slow, and I need one to get into the other. The printmaker within me can get so fixated on tiny details. To break myself free from that rigidity, I need the other side of my practice to give me more freedom to play. I never really feel that I complete a piece. I think I can always go back to a piece and have something to fix. I usually just give myself deadlines and say, “Okay, after this day, you see the mistake, but you’re going to have to live with it.”&nbsp;CGN: Oh no.SAA: For example, the pieces I’m making for my show at CAC, the March 1st deadline was the hard deadline, and I forced myself to never ever touch those pieces again.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419363/nggynj7hv0ymmqldbx0j.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Nudos / Knots, 12” x 9”, oil pastel on paper, 2022</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Would you touch them after the show? Or you let it go at that point?&nbsp;SAA: No, I tell myself, it’s done. Even though I know in my deepest heart that it’s not done, it’s done. Because I have to stop at a certain point, you know? I get finicky about details. It always goes back to the printmaker within me, who wants everything to be perfectly aligned with no mistakes whatsoever. But a big part of being an artist is moving past&nbsp;that rigidity and letting the work do what it needs to do. What I think is a mistake might not necessarily be a mistake for the audience.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What are you exhibiting for your show at CAC?SAA: I’m including one oil painting and two plastic installations. You know the big potato sacks that grocery stores unpack the food in? I’ve gone to grocery stores, and as people are unpacking them, I ask, “Can I have these?” They look at me like I’m crazy. I’ve selected a ton of them, and I knit them together. It’s a quilt of these food sacks from grocery stores.&nbsp;Plastics are super light, so I kind of work like a clown car. I can fit an entire installation of just plastic into one normal sized box. They’re so light and airy and flimsy and probably will degrade over time. I can travel with them. I can put up a big installation in a day and take the installation down in the same day.&nbsp;Then I have a piece that’s a new venture for me. I’m dethreading my old clothes, reversing what a machine can do. I have entirely dethreaded pants and shirts. It’s humorous in the sense that why would I spend hours and hours dethreading my clothes? They do feel very bodily like they had a past life. It also harkens back to the fact that I don’t like to throw things away. The clothes I have ripped or that I no longer use I repurpose in my art now.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419364/klpzg9qczjni4dopaexq.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Pensamientos / Thoughts, 24 x 20 in, oil on canvas, 2022</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: I’m excited to see how those turn out.&nbsp;SAA: I’m excited about those, too, because I hold onto things. That attachment to disposable things comes from being low income and being raised by family members that didn’t necessarily have a ton of wealth, but they were able to create an entire world, an entire childhood out of the most basic necessities.I will start a piece and let it sit there for two or three years. Then once I find or stumble across the material that is needed to complete it, I circle back to that piece and I add the missing things that I felt they needed when I first began the piece.&nbsp;That’s happened with these clothes. I could have donated them, but no one’s really going to want them because they have holes and paint stains. The only other option for these clothes is the dumpster. In the U.S. there isn’t a system to reuse or repurpose things that no longer have a functional use.&nbsp;But I found the loose strands in my jeans so poetic and beautiful. I just started pulling out the threads. That’s actually how a lot of my practice works. I see something and I touch it and I look at it, and then I’m like wait, it’s doing something that visually is compelling. If I get stuck I will go through my boxes, and I’ll start touching things and looking at them and then seeing what new projects can arise out of the things that I’ve already collected.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419365/czfh8addtyh8m9p9goxd.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;This interview is featured in CGN's spring/summer 2024 magazine. To subscribe and receive a copy by mail <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/magazine">click here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Plastics and Flowers: the Art of Salvador Andrade Arévalo

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/mtxwsmt0c68vrmy3ywjx.jpg"><figcaption>Barbara P. Jones</figcaption></figure>John David Mooney Foundation Founder Barbara P. Jones Has Died&nbsp;The John David Mooney Foundation announced the passing of Barbara P. Jones on March 21, 2024, in Urbana, Illinois.Barbara dedicated her life to the work and mission of the John David Mooney Foundation since its establishment in 1981. She was founder, director, and administrator for the Foundation, handling day-to-day management of its operations, art exhibits, public relations, development, and events.For fifty years she assisted Chicago artist John David Mooney professionally and personally in his numerous large-scale sculpture installations in Chicago, Urbana, Illinois, the Olympics Games in Atlanta, and international exhibits in Croatia, Italy, Malta, Scotland, Spain, and the Vatican.&nbsp;Barbara will be forever remembered and deeply missed by her family, friends, colleagues, and the arts community she served. Her legacy will prevail through the lives she touched and the indelible mark she made on the cultural landscape in Chicagoland and beyond.<a href="https://www.mooneyfoundation.org/latest">Details</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419360/m7h04wknp4h6mrwwqnwh.jpg"></figure>Les Enluminures offers one of the largest and most wide-ranging inventories of Books of Hours in the world.The gallery's Spring Books of Hours Update gathers a group of impressive and richly illuminated manuscripts from a range of countries. Highlights include <a href="http://link.artlogicmailings.com/ls/click?upn=u001.G-2F-2B7BThqPcsVZgx7C2nV6Pas5JuUwjYz8SU4UpIyCgQ2EkWEbMq5IjYqn7bYHYbYTwJaoWYZDlyAiZXCXt2-2FZw2tnInJPuJJHbgf2fKofHK-2B6n5I2LMw00whSY18UrzdYE2-2FBy72-2BKwiQqyMkhepYfhkxm0WjNxillO0Ka-2BVgciCQ-2FKDEP0svuxM7lxjtaV0ns0q_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVikNEQwxpwEcoOyKbtwuEcK0tbMww-2BObRxV0VERKG1DfOn8I-2FdgLCtG-2BFwQKqkz4ZFyXpHSSAgPQ8IAGwAESFylDJRsCocdjhWUjVOaY-2B7MrZtzaK8HLdy5fnXq5-2Fd07ikIHaFgBopXeEJ8lvcID5GASgdIjAHTc2F2nO9yFs3Ly3bTdK5njtMj20As4yvv9u36Qdc0o5HeQqT8k8JTo9izEagzx4DdYGqlE1OMIkMVa7jESXeUPtO4kHaCou32jkhV67ErFkfbHWrqGU3NCsLkrLEgz1mO5FMqiDHbzkCwtpSsyFOfEeCcW0hVTAIw4pnJQ3JW537RG36-2FqnQnsvYpklfx2hCGajLtfUPrk58a4Rn2ycCND072Tm462AgIu6kJhF-2BpmRdqGdhmBOszCmI2Obh8pOKl-2B6pmS2UEGTTJy7HCg0WRd2u41VaEW-2B8ueM10U4Tcg1RxKRF-2BrSsIwB-2FU07RhcZf09ZfGTwjyFQmoywMLlLTmU17BqyICjIkDniYGkmXy2WSTmg36RXqqbVI86jVGoUqX1Ko7OhSeDXg4-2FfPe2Rgwjo0W-2Ff9gskFyxAh-2Bo42Wr5uKCyLX1Hy-2BeTKyUJ-2FV29PnTyHIBhpAgt895xuHn6r21zZR8v3eCeRDIXd3jpFgbQcFz7SpFeDhBy4FpH9y3Tpi8kZW9llVP0PoCnYtt4dZ-2F-2FpD6UPDxK6rGJtzK1kLT2MJq6oJ3yW1UTVcSGOutFu7V0fKNuUZ7YQ6ep9K8UqEKtf-2FAvMhnz9CodMZ-2F0QKguY2cf8-2F-2BA0QZ0Vq31DnTTEGi2q4oTj3hJUkw-3D">the Hours of Johannes Meckis</a>, a sumptuous manuscript made for a nun who is depicted within the pages, and <a href="http://link.artlogicmailings.com/ls/click?upn=u001.G-2F-2B7BThqPcsVZgx7C2nV6Pas5JuUwjYz8SU4UpIyCgQ2EkWEbMq5IjYqn7bYHYbYzSILD2Gohlf0BV3uszjwBVFf3ouHqUEGtWzK1d6hMVTcFQSsm5MfN31FsLWjUn5TdOP4RbAcj-2FfUX3CLCZKcOA-3D-3D79Es_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVikNEQwxpwEcoOyKbtwuEcK0tbMww-2BObRxV0VERKG1DfOn8I-2FdgLCtG-2BFwQKqkz4ZFyXpHSSAgPQ8IAGwAESFylDJRsCocdjhWUjVOaY-2B7MrZtzaK8HLdy5fnXq5-2Fd07ikIHaFgBopXeEJ8lvcID5GASgdIjAHTc2F2nO9yFs3Ly3bTdK5njtMj20As4yvv9u36Qdc0o5HeQqT8k8JTo9izEagzx4DdYGqlE1OMIkMVa7jESXeUPtO4kHaCou32jkhV67ErFkfbHWrqGU3NCsLkrLEgz1mO5FMqiDHbzkCwtpSsyFOfEeCcW0hVTAIw4pnJQ3JW537RG36-2FqnQnsvYpklfx2hCGajLtfUPrk58a4Rn2ycCND072Tm462AgIu6kJhF-2BpmRdqGdhmBOszCmI2Obh8pOKl-2B6pmS2UEGTTJy7HCg0WRd2u41VaEW-2B8ueM10U4Tcg1RxKRF-2BrSsIwB-2FU07RhcZf09ZfGTwjyFQmoywMLlLTmU17BqyICjIkDniYGkmXy2WSTmg36RXqqbVI9n1xuliF4XwpDwbLFTVoD8xVRQQAGEHGB7dfc3bCy3LflgumBlWM-2F4eHnr-2B1B81oQblgTptLTkK3co0tIhkgSq2GdiKMfSW-2Bmz8pU-2Br2p1A5WxCpXxDBBrF-2BGwIOUvQlDZ4AZYDD89HRC-2B3BH-2FbE1-2F9ghByIxhNTXFIJlmEFbKVtYmdSv4GMEpNGJ5GP1-2FKlBGqr64HHzR0JWYuN1RiKQ1UbCzUcAyNSh9GdLyX-2FzVfvaQsEXtMWRay-2B7bHIpwDiAsYpudwx4jEBJ03ceL46Ps-3D">a ravishing Horae</a> by one of the leading illuminators in Paris at the time of English occupation.<a href="https://www.lesenluminures.com/current-exhibitions/books-of-hours-spring-2024/">Details</a>&nbsp;Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency Announces the Hold Space Grant for Artists of Color.Ox-Bow School of Art &amp; Artists’ Residency has launched a new opportunity for BIPOC artists and creatives to utilize Ox-Bow’s campus and facilities via the Hold Space Grant for Artists of Color. Artists of any discipline, writers, curators, teachers, arts administrators, and Ox-Bow Alumni are encouraged to apply. The grant supports individuals or groups of up to twenty for any length of time from one to seven nights. The dates available for the Hold Space Grant in 2024 are September 4–11.Applications are open now and close June 16, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. EST. The grant provides participants with a communal living experience on Ox-Bow’s 115-acre campus, including meeting space, outdoor activities and studio access in Saugatuck, Michigan. Lodging, three meals per day, use of public buildings, and support in our studios are provided.<a href="https://www.ox-bow.org/hold-space-grant">Details</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 3/29/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/h1k9xjbfxpbyefmt8jfw.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/muscle-memory-paul-gerard-somers">Muscle Memory: Paul Gerard Somers</a>Exhibition begins March 29SoNa Chicago Art Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419361/awuwnrdydan3hgrjrice.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/liz-martino-march-29-to-may25">Lucia Calderon Arrieta: Gloop N Droop Rinconsito</a>Opening: Friday, March 29, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmInternational Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419361/pjs7raefii48lci6ts8f.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/liz-martino-march-29-to-may25">Liz Martino | BLAMM-O: moments of seeing more</a>Opening: Friday, March 29, 7 – 10&nbsp;pmFirecat Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/t1ajur89fmnr5zxqhb02.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/abraham-my-chaotic-order">Abraham: My Chaotic Order</a>Opening: Friday, March 29, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419363/ud4qnscdkkckumobwen4.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jennifer-angus-flying-jewels-other-lofty-insects">Jennifer Angus: Flying Jewels &amp; Other Lofty Insects</a>Exhibition begins March 29Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419364/iavrlsuybx3gpqgy7wdq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/perceptions-of-flow-movement">Perceptions of Flow “Movement”</a>Exhibition begins March 30Evanston Art Center&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 29 & 30

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/oiq7rpi3lr9opix7ac5r.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/slzobnjp8ssgt0omotdr.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAThe Museum of Contemporary Photography's (MoCP) annual benefit DARKROOM took place last month on February 29 – Leap Night 2024. &nbsp; Leap Night proved to be a record-breaking year for MoCP with 400 people in attendance and $325,000 raised. Hosted at the Columbia College Student Center in the South Loop, the purple-lit evening offered VIPS and all attendees a chance to bid on an impressive variety of artworks and experiences for the <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=f27f772860&amp;e=d76e1da35a">auction</a>, sponsored by Freeman’s | Hindman.&nbsp; The evening honored two Chicago icons for their contribution to the city&nbsp;and beyond. MoCP honored its esteemed colleague, professor, and distinguished artist&nbsp;Dawoud Bey the Silver Camera Award. VIP ticket holders were treated to an engaging conversation between Mr. Bey and MoCP Executive Director Natasha Egan. Bey also received an actual silver camera - an Argus c3 rangefinder Leica, the same camera he had in 1979. Bey shared with guests that the gift of the Leica was "completely and totally unexpected. My life as a photographer began with a little rectangle brick of a camera. This is a wonderful completion of a moment."&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419347/kdqhzdo5n5q4xq8jyrii.jpg"><figcaption>Dawoud Bey and his silver camera</figcaption></figure>*Artist, designer, and cultural provocateur Jason Pickleman and JNL Graphic Design was MoCP's DARKROOM Honoree, with JNL cofounder&nbsp;Leslie Bodenstein accepting the award after sharing a video tribute of JNL's outstanding design work from over the years. In particular JNL has designed much of MoCP's signature materials, just one of the many, many ways Pickleman has supported the arts community and its institutions through award-winning design. Bodenstein had the crowd cheer into her phone so that Pickleman, who was at home due to his health, could hear the enthusiasm in the room as his award was presented.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419348/zpu0zcocfhuc6h8i4kxy.jpg"><figcaption>Lelie Bodenstein holds the phone up for the crowd to cheer for Jason Pickleman</figcaption></figure> Eszter Borvendeg and Lincoln Schatz co-chaired DARKROOM along with this year's <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=e5c4fd2ac9&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Benefit Committee.</a> Event proceeds support MoCP exhibitions, education, and community engagement programs. The public is invited to continue supporting this year’s DARKROOM with a gift to MoCP through this <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=e0d2e388fe&amp;e=d76e1da35a">link</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419349/fefppjhvdtxlw1x4gwga.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Photos by Julie Lucas, Columbia College Chicago Staff Photographer.&nbsp;</body></html>

MoCP's 2024 Leap Night DARKROOM Honors Dawoud Bey and Jason Pickleman

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/lc5yiulndtzrkqueiojn.jpg"><figcaption>Above: Left: David Leggett, High Vibration Plates Only, 2024, acrylic, collage, and felt on canvas, 28 x 22 in / 71.1 x 55.9 cm. Right: Phyllis Bramson, Basic Truths about Romantic Conditions, 2023, mixed media, collage, and paint on paper, mounted on panel, 48 x 36 in / 121.9 x 91.4 cm</figcaption></figure>By JACKIE LEWISArtists Phyllis Bramson &amp; David Leggett have collaborated at ENGAGE Projects this spring to exhibit Double, Double Toil and Trouble! With a familiar title served up from the cauldrons of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Bramson and Leggett visually recontextualize the phrase through their individual usage of collage, shared comedic relief and maximalist painting.&nbsp;Bramson shared with CGN, “It was my idea to show with David Leggett. I had seen his exhibitions when he used to live in Chicago. Now he is in Los Angeles. I felt people know a lot of my work; I wanted to shake things up!”&nbsp;The exhibition calls on and highlights taboos and dares to platform subjects that are usually kept out of sight or only superficially examined. Leggett’s paintings recycle media familiar to the masses, with his work highlighting the importance of humor in dealing with the reality of mundane life. Through hyper-modern collage aesthetics and traditional symbolism, Leggett touches on themes from hip-hop to art history, sexuality, racial divisions and the self.Considering Leggett’s work, Bramson says, “I find his work to be elegant, well composed and tightly crafted, and I certainly try to do the same. We both use irony, humor and ‘inappropriateness’ – David uses Fat Albert and Black Bart to craft a narrative, and I utilize Orientalism, which I can trace back to my childhood.”“I take many of my cues from standup comedians,” Leggett explains, “which I listen to while in my studio. Humor and the use of color are two tools that I employ to bring the viewer in.”Bramson, whose résumé has a few decades on Leggett’s, wields comedy as well, as she is a self-described “painter-comedian”. She admits, “In the studio I don’t practice good behavior. I maim. I raid. I give myself freedom.” &nbsp;It’s the intersection of bold commentary on every day life and collective memory that makes Double, Double, Toil and Trouble! a unique chance to witness a visual conversation between two artists at different stages in their careers. For Bramson, “We have a fair amount in common, yet still are quite different. David’s bite has sharper teeth! So while we are not to be looked at as all that similar, we both have something to say about the human condition, collaging and sharing the use of specific ideas about ‘beauty’.”Mar 22–Apr 27 • ENGAGE Projects • 864 N Ashland Ave. (60622)<a href="https://www.engage-projects.com">engage-projects.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;This preview is featured in the spring/summer issue of CGN, out April 1, 2024. To subscribe to receive a print magazine by mail please <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/magazine">click here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Phyllis Bramson and David Leggett: Brewing Something New

<html><head></head><body><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2024/03/18/clinee-hedspeth-appointed-new-commissioner-for-chicago-department-of-cultural-affairs-and-special-events">Clinée Hedspeth Named New Commissioner of DCASE</a>Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Monday the appointment of Clinée Hedspeth as the new commissioner of the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).Hedspeth previously served as legislative director under Johnson during his time as Cook County Commissioner. She has also worked as director of curatorial services at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, and more recently as associate specialist of 20th century and contemporary art at Phillips Auctioneers, where she identified and evaluated art.The announcement comes one month after Johnson announced the termination of the <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2024/03/04/dcase-leadership-still-in-flux-as-city-braces-for-start-of-festival-season">previous DCASE commissioner, Erin Harkey</a>, although she remained on the job until last Friday. News of Harkey’s departure came just weeks before the city’s festival season gets underway, and was a surprise to some in the arts community.Via Chicago Sun-Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/education/saic-using-ai-predict-admissions#/">School of the Art Institute of Chicago turns to AI to help admissions</a>The School of the Art Institute of Chicago will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to make more accurate enrollment predictions, a move that could save the school money and offer a path forward for cash-strapped art schools nationally.Via Crain's (paywall)&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/bssm8nlqy2voza6dasu6.jpg"><figcaption>“Still Life 1985” by artist Jim Bachor is on display and for sale at his gallery at 1111 W. Lawrence. Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicagos-pothole-picasso-opens-a-studio-gallery-in-uptown/f6138b68-fe43-4dc8-a607-27057e1050ea">Chicago’s ‘Pothole Picasso’ opens a studio/gallery in Uptown</a>Local artist Jim Bachor, who has been called the “Pothole Picasso,” has opened a gallery/studio in&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/uptown">Uptown</a>, with the hope to get back to his true calling, fine art mosaics.The studio, located across from the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom at 1111 W. Lawrence Ave., is about 1,000 square feet and is divided by a small gallery in the front and a larger studio space in the back, where Bachor said he will move his workshop from the basement of his Mayfair home.Via WBEZ&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 3/21/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/i0u8chyqqwtn41mfhctl.jpg"><figcaption>Claude Monet "<a href="https://ulcc.emuseum.com/objects/1382/pommiers-en-fleurs-apple-trees-in-blossom-le-printemps-sp?ctx=ceeb0d9fbaf038e8836cbe635047da00ff97c9b2&amp;idx=168">Pommiers en Fleurs</a>," 1872</figcaption></figure>By Ginny Van AlyeaYesterday the news made the rounds the private Union League Club is (again) planning to sell its famed 1872 Monet painting in order to raise much needed funds to support a $10 million renovation of the 330,000 square-foot Club. A couple of years ago the Club rejected a sale for just over $7 million.&nbsp;The painting's name, value and importance to Chicago comes up every few years in will-they-wont-they sale discussions. The pandemic was financially devastating to many of the city's private clubs, in particular the Union League, which is located in the hard-hit Loop and has extensive hotel and dining facilities.&nbsp;Claude Monet’s Pommiers en Fleurs (Apple Trees in Blossom) measures 23" x 29" and is a classic springtime image by the artist. A Chicagoan, Judge John Barton Payne, who was a member of the Union League Club, purchased the painting from a show of the artist's work at the Art Institute in 1895 just when the artist's star was skyrocketing. According to the description of the Art Institute's Monet in Chicago, "When Monet’s paintings first appeared alongside his contemporaries’ in a Chicago gallery in 1888, he was singled out for praise by the press. And when his works were shown in the city again as part of the last Inter-State Industrial Exposition in Chicago (also known as the “American Salon”) in 1890, they not only captured the eye of local collectors—they ignited a collective passion." A Chicago Daily Tribune review in 1888 exclaimed “Why go to Paris since Paris has come to Chicago?”Payne sold Pommiers en Fleurs to the Union League for $500. A 2020 Art Monitor <a href="https://www.artmarketmonitor.com/2020/12/07/chicagos-union-league-club-board-approves-sale-of-prized-monet-other-works/">article</a> said that at the time of its exhibition in 1895 its value was $1,500. By the late 1950s, it was valued at $20,000, and in 1985, it was said to be worth $900,000.&nbsp;The work has been part of museum exhibitions over the years, recently Monet in Chicago at the Art Institute in 2020, but it has always maintained its status as the jewel of the Club's valuable private collection, which is frequently opened to the non-member public. &nbsp;The club's <a href="https://ulcc.org/art-collection">website description</a> of its collecting history states, "The Club supported the establishment of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum and the Harold Washington Library. It also built one of the most comprehensive private collections of American art. This outstanding, museum-quality collection is one of the first things one notices about the Union League Club: art is everywhere! Some work is familiar – Monet’s Apple Trees in Blossom – while others may be less familiar – Sabraw’s&nbsp;Chroma S4 Chimaera, David Anthony Geary’s Back of the Bus for Now, and Roger Brown’s Cathedrals in Space, for example.It offers ticketed tours of its art collection. It's unclear if the Monet is still on view.&nbsp;</body></html>

Union League Club Selling Monet Painting to Raise $

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/rnfubks9duxw1spid5gz.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2024-faculty-spotlight">2024 Faculty Spotlight</a>Exhibition begins March 21The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/ivtp4xxmoe4twcnqxpeo.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/teatricci">Teatricci</a>Opening: Thursday, March 21, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;Istituto Italiano di Cultura&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/dawp9l7uxtm3z7ze8u6n.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/entering-the-unconscious">Entering the Unconscious</a>Exhibition begins March 21Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/nqguhw7enoq983mcty5z.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pooja-pittie-only-in-dark-the-light">Pooja Pittie: Only in Dark the Light</a>Opening: Thursday, March 21, 5 – 7&nbsp;pm&nbsp;McCormick Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419356/qnzbrr46hzclqxq9wb18.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/john-chamberlain-black-mountain-poems-1955">John Chamberlain: Black Mountain Poems 1955</a>Opening: Thursday, March 21, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;Corbett vs. Dempsey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419357/zg9vtnvxfyjwxsn3ay64.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-night-at-mister-kelly-s">A Night at Mister Kelly's</a>Exhibition begins March 21Newberry Library&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419358/t5eyux09tpitapc5du6q.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/meiji-modern-50-years-of-new-japan">Meiji Modern: 50 Years of New Japan</a>Opening: Thursday, March 21, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;Smart Museum of Art&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 21 - 23 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/tlxnxhosfiuulkphol20.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/phyllis-bramson-david-leggett">Phyllis Bramson and David Leggett: Double, Double Toil and Trouble!</a>Opening: Friday, March 22, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;ENGAGE Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/nwx4dxyd01ssspsno3z1.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-body-of-others-by-jude-griebel">A Body of Others by Jude Griebel</a>Opening: Friday, March 22, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/rvifmbww31l5tkk0n7mf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/works-in-progress-bc732630-07ab-4058-9dfb-83470dfdfbb6">Works in Progress</a>Opening: Saturday, March 23, 1 – 3&nbsp;pm&nbsp;South Shore Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/srtjz12mipkycpai1vvv.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/it-s-for-the-birdshttps://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/it-s-for-the-birds">It's for the Birds</a>Opening: Saturday, March 23, 6 – 9&nbsp;pm&nbsp;Blue Moon Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/iw2rbhjwdvqcwqv67c4u.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alice-shaddle-fuller-circles">Alice Shaddle: Fuller Circles</a>Exhibition begins March 23Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 21 - 23 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/dnzylo7tme3x9vupv8ur.jpg"><figcaption>The newly designed 2024 “I voted sticker,” top left, sits next to the 2022 sticker, left, and the 2023 sticker, right, at the Cook County Office building, March 14, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/03/15/chicago-has-a-new-i-voted-sticker-meet-the-artist-behind-the-bold-and-simple-design/">Chicago has a new ‘I voted!’ sticker. Meet the artist behind the bold and simple design.</a>As Tuesday’s Illinois primary election approaches, early voters have been introduced to a new unique design for what’s arguably the most fun part of casting a ballot in Chicago — getting the iconic “I voted!” sticker.The Chicago Board of Elections ordered 2 million of the apple-size stickers. The new design features a ballot box set over a dark blue backdrop and above the four red stars from Chicago’s city flag. The stickers are handed out like little prizes after voters cast their ballots, passed out at precincts and included in vote-by-mail packets across the city.The artist behind the new sticker, Jane Ignacio, has designed everything for the board for more than 20 years, from its social media posts to its election judge handbooks.“Going to the polling place on Election Day is like my Super Bowl,” the freelance designer said in an interview Thursday.Via Chicago Tribune&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/03/17/museum-visitor-numbers-recover-from-pandemic-related-falls?utm_source=The+Art+Newspaper+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=fe82dc1714-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_03_18_12_31&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_-fe82dc1714-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D">International museum attendance figures back to pre-pandemic levels</a>Visitor numbers at the world’s largest museums of art have largely returned to their pre-pandemic levels, an exclusive survey by The Art Newspaper has found.The Covid-19 pandemic caused museum visitor numbers to plummet across the world as institutions shut their doors and people were forced to stay inside. The number of people visiting the most-visited 100 museums fell from 230 million in 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year, to just 54m in 2020. Since then we have seen a slow recovery, with 71m visitors in 2021 and 141m in 2022.Via The Art Newspaper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artbasel.com/stories/women-collectors-patronage-lisa-perry-komal-shah-survey-global-collecting-ubs?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=240315_EDNL24_editorialnewsletter_aud-G&amp;utm_content=content">Women are spending more on art than men – we look at why</a>From a distance, a work by Mitsuko Asakura might read as a linear interplay of glowing, expressionist color – until the middle drops out in a pendulous swoop of slackened silk. The&nbsp;Kyoto-born septuagenarian&nbsp;textile artist, who fuses traditional fiber dyeing and European tapestry methods with experimental forms, has been revered among a community of craftspeople in Japan. But it was not until her inclusion in a group show at collector Lisa Perry’s female-focused Onna House in East Hampton, New York, in 2022, that her work was noticed by a board member of the Museum of Arts and Design and subsequently entered the permanent collection.Via Art Basel&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/mexican-artist-crushes-tesla-under-221059483.html?guccounter=1">Mexican artist crushes Tesla under giant stone head</a>A giant stone head resembling an ancient Indigenous sculpture sits on top of a crushed Tesla car. It's not the scene of a freak accident, but a piece of art&nbsp;-- whose creator says he wanted to provoke Elon Musk.Chavis Marmol, a 42-year-old sculptor who has never owned a car and travels by bicycle, came up with the idea of dropping the nine-ton carving onto a blue Tesla 3 in Mexico City using cranes.Via AFP&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 3/19/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/f9ww9iocfikgz871hqol.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-image-pool">The Image Pool</a>Exhibition begins March 14DePaul University Art Museum (DPAM)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/xy2vjchqadautde5qmax.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/you-re-not-really-seeing-this">You’re Not Really Seeing This</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmEvanston Art Center&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/fxmayijn8abjlwxpqdq4.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/figuration-and-form">Figuration and Form</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmLily Pad | West&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/r82yipf2xvjx2aag03if.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/david-love-pastures-of-plenty">David Love: Pastures of Plenty</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmTandem Press&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/z5ydrzp2omemq9amqhet.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/with-a-little-help-from-my-friends">With a Little Help From My Friends</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmCircle Contemporary (Arts of Life)&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 14 - 19 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/z8vr6rucvykhhjz7trou.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lorraine-peltz-83c4cac4-224a-4a56-b9a5-3cdc16de6d1a">Lorraine Peltz</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmZolla / Lieberman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/imagined-landscapes-group-show">Imagined Landscapes: Group Show</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmCarl Hammer Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/ny3hpqqk1vcqyazcvca6.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-exhibition-and-opening-reception-6ddcd0ac-d0f1-4986-8c67-d29ffdc89b20">Anthony Adcock: Gridlock</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmAddington Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/xyq3ljbkkgxd5i21udck.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-exhibition-and-opening-reception">Equipoise: Carol Pylant</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmGallery Victor&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/yghkt0puz0yhe3ktycas.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mina-loy-strangeness-is-inevitable">Mina Loy: Strangeness Is Inevitable</a>Opening: Tuesday, March 19, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmThe Arts Club of Chicago&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 14 - 19 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/mfnozfv7rlarwzvztvyu.png" alt="page1image24825920"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;CHICAGO — <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">EXPO CHICAGO</a> reveals core programming details for the eleventh edition, taking place April 11–14, 2024 at Navy Pier. Alongside gallery presentations, EXPO CHICAGO showcases programs including the /Dialogues panel series; IN/SITU and IN/SITU Outside, installations across Festival Hall and Chicago’s public spaces; OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, artworks presented on citywide billboards; and the Northern Trust Exchange Stage, a cornerstone of the fair’s VIP Program.“From our inception, EXPO CHICAGO has consistently presented a robust list of critically acclaimed programs that activates the exposition for our patrons and contributes to the enduring critical discourse of the international arts community,” says Tony Karman, President and Director of EXPO CHICAGO. “As the art world gathers in Chicago this year, we are thrilled to welcome these exceptional talents to the exposition, and we look forward to their significant contributions in making the 2024 edition a resounding success.”“EXPO CHICAGO’s programming engages with local and visiting audiences by offering opportunities of engagement beyond the core fair, extending conversations to neighborhoods throughout Chicago,” says Kate Sierzputowski, Artistic Director of EXPO CHICAGO. “On-site dialogues continue to engage arts practices from both within and outside of the city, uniting artists with curators for conversations that explore themes that resonate strongly with our Curatorial Initiatives and first ever Curatorial Conference, Curating and the Commons.”A summary of the core programs and the full schedule can be found at <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">expochicago.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/f8qjbqyiwe3u6f2e1whr.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Cave in Chicago, 2023, still. Courtesy of Art21.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/pcxjo4e5mqsredsizglb.jpg"><figcaption>EXPO CHICAGO 2023, Chance The Rapper in conversation with Hank Willis Thomas, Navy Pier. Photo: Faith Decker.</figcaption></figure>/Dialogues Presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), /Dialogues brings together leading curators, artists, designers, and arts professionals for a series of panel discussions, forums, and artistic discourse on topics of the moment.Highlights include a keynote with Chance the Rapper, Asma Naeem (Baltimore Museum of Art) and Nate Freeman (Vanity Fair) on hip hop and its contributions to international contemporary art; a conversation on art making and social change with For Freedoms; a discussion with curator Carla Acevedo-Yates (Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago) and artists Candida Alvarez (SAIC Professor Emerit) and Omar Velázquez (SAIC MFA 2016) on the importance of Puerto Rican representation within local collections and institutions; a preview of Prospect.6 with co-Artistic Directors Ebony G. Patterson and Miranda Lash; a forum on criticism as art practice with ARTnews; a conversation on arts spaces outside of traditional centers with Jenny Moore (Tinworks), Kristy Edmunds (MASS MoCA), and Jodi Throckmorton (John Michael Kohler Art Center); a panel hosted by United States Artists on contemporary craft with recent fellows; conversations with artists Amanda Williams and Paul Mpagi Sepuya; two public discussions as part of the Directors Summit; and a partnership with Art21 and Daata.The full program may be found here. More information about the previously announced Directors Summit and this year’s extended Curatorial Initiatives may be found here and here, respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;IN/SITU: In the Country of Last ThingsThe IN/SITU program realizes site-responsive and large-scale work throughout Festival Hall. The 2024 IN/SITU program, curated by Amara Antilla Independent Curator and Guest Curator at Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, draws its title from the 1987 dystopian novel by Paul Auster and features fifteen artists who explore the precarious nature of contemporary life. The works intervene within interstitial spaces and pause in the gallery presentations, bringing together artists whose practices investigate collective unease during a fractured time, evoking revisionist histories, and moving beyond critique to imagine more just and sustainable futures.The program will feature artists Ivan Argote (Perrotin), American Artist (Labor), Paul Stephen Benjamin (Efraín López), Kiah Celeste (DOCUMENT), Elena Damiani (Revolver Galería), Anne-Karin Furunes (RYAN LEE Gallery), Rico Gatson (Miles McEnery Gallery), Maria Hupfield (Patel Brown), Voluspa Jarpa (NOME), Lucia Koch (Nara Roesler), Josèfa Ntjam (Galerie Poggi), Michael Rakowitz (Rhona Hoffman Gallery), Claudia Peña Salinas (CURRO), Tori Wrånes (Nazarian / Curcio), and Lauren Yeager (Abattoir).&nbsp;&nbsp;IN/SITU OutsideIN/SITU Outside stages temporary public art installations along the lakefront and throughout Chicago, presented in partnership with the Chicago Park District (CPD), the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and Navy Pier. The 2024 program includes an intervention at the General John Alexander Logan Monument in Grant Park, Nomadic Art Museum, and an installation by Eddie Martinez at Navy Pier.More information on the 2024 IN/SITU Outside program may be found <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/in-situ-outside">here</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/fa83laojsaeqfez3hlow.jpg"><figcaption>Judy Ledgerwood, Jaywalking, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;OVERRIDE | A Billboard ProjectOVERRIDE is a citywide collaborative public art initiative that displays works by both emerging and established artists from Chicago and around the world. The program is organized in collaboration with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). From April 1–21, 100+ digital billboards and information panels across Chicago’s Central Business District will display a selection of works by artists such as Art &amp; Language (René Schmidt), Judy Ledgerwood (Rhona Hoffman Gallery), Raphaël Barontini (Mariane Ibrahim), and Lucia Koch (Nara Roesler). The program will also include work by Chicago- based artists including Lawrence Agyei, Jada-Amina, Jazmine Harris, Tom Jones II, Victoria Martinez, and Yuge Zhou.More information on the 2024 OVERRIDE program may be found <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/override">here</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419356/fbublnuxxopg2tevcgai.jpg"><figcaption>EXCHANGE 2023 Northern Trust Exchange Stage at EXPO CHICAGO 2023, Navy Pier. Photo: Kyle Flubacker &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Exchange by Northern TrustHosted in the Northern Trust Anchor Lounge at Navy Pier, Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting offers VIP patrons discussions on collecting and the art market with industry leaders. Discussions include a conversation on building a Chicago-based collection with collector Anita Blanchard and Yesomi Umolu (Serpentine); a panel on the Legacy of Scott Burton with curator Jess Wilcox and artist Gordon Hall in collaboration with Jeremy Johnston (Darling Green); a look at practices in self-taught art with collectors Ashley Duchossois Joyce and Dr. David Walega, Deb Kerr (Intuit: The Center of Intuitive and Outsider Art), and Rudy Aronoff (Heritage Auctions); and a conversation on collecting prints featuring dealer David Cleaton-Roberts (Cristea Roberts Gallery),collector Dani Levinas, and Monica Brown (Freeman’s | Hindman). VIP Pass-holders will receive information about the full list of Exchange by Northern Trustprogramming in upcoming VIP communications.&nbsp;EXPO ART WEEK (April 8-14)Presented in conjunction with Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism and marketing organization and Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), EXPO ART WEEK will once again galvanize Chicago’s cultural ecosystem through citywide events and celebrations. Highlights of EXPO ART WEEK include South Side Night (Tuesday, April 9), with performances and events at cultural partners in Hyde Park, Bronzeville, and surrounding areas, along with Art After Hours (Friday, April 12) in collaboration with Gertie and sponsored by Masterworks and Arete Wealth.A list of happenings taking place during EXPO ART WEEK can be found <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/expo-art-week">here</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419358/bsz1sc5dvfsgybv0x7co.png" alt="page4image24564608"></figure></body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO Announces Programming for the 11th Edition 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/xf8b75v4o6rsj30xit1r.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Who needs to chase down more brightly colored Stanley cups, when instead you can get ready to pull the trigger on a much more limited edition Hebru Brantley Power Duo? <a href="https://mcachicagostore.org/?utm_source=MCA+General+List&amp;utm_campaign=9c64e28632-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_11_16_09_16_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_-614c1bc232-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&amp;mc_cid=9c64e28632&amp;mc_eid=95b957c616">Mark your calendar for March 13th at 11:00 am (CST)</a>The MCA Store announced that they are selling Hebru Brantley's Power Duo, available in three separate colors next week. The Power Duo is sold online only with limited stock availability. The MCA didn't disclose the pricing for the duos.&nbsp;The '89 colorway is an edition set of 225, and the '66 and Japan colorways are an edition set of 325. Each set includes a 15.5" SUPA figure and 17" LIL WONDA figure. All Power Duo sets are limited to one set of each colorway per customer.Hebru Brantley creates narrative-driven work revolving around his conceptualized iconic characters. Brantley utilizes these characters to address complex ideas around nostalgia, the mental psyche, power, and hope. The color palettes, pop-art motifs and characters themselves create accessibility around his layered and multifaceted ideas. Through his characters, Brantley seeks to reassess contemporary culture and mythology through the lens of Afrofuturism.&nbsp;</body></html>

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