<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419279/h4ryyi1sntgzrxtn8hgr.jpg"><figcaption>Wanted: More Eyes On John D. Graham, 2023.</figcaption></figure>Manneken Press Hosts Collaborative Exhibition of Works by Richard Hull and John YauManneken Press, based in downstate Bloomington, IL, is an independent fine art press publishing limited editions, unique prints, artist’s books, portfolios and drawings by leading contemporary artists, many with Chicago connections. Art critic and poet John Yau and artist Richard Hull produced a series of prints this past spring that are now part of the exhibition at Manneken on Artsy.&nbsp;Manneken co-founder Jonathan Higgins shared, "Yau and Hull are &nbsp;longtime friends and have both engaged in collaborations with others, but never until now with each other. Loosely following the format of “Wanted” posters of outlaws from the old Wild West for this project, Yau provided pithy phrases which he sketched directly onto rectangular plates. Hull used the texts as prompts, drafting abstracted portraits on a larger square plate. The three plates were placed together and printed once for the initial impression, then a second cognate or “ghost” impression was pulled, a pattern followed throughout the series.Each of the prints contains a message. Some call for more attention to under-recognized artists like John D. Graham, and Miyoko Ito. “Wanted: The Lost Movies of Anna May Wong” (2023) is a lamentation for the first Chinese-American film star whose career was diminished due to stereotyping and Hays Code censorship."The exhibition is <a href="https://www.artsy.net/partner/manneken-press">online through February 4, 2024</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arcgallery.org/exhibitions-archive/50th-anniversary-exhibition">ARC Gallery to Open 50th Anniversary Exhibition This Weekend</a>Artist Residents of Chicago (ARC) was founded in 1973 as a women-run artists’ cooperative organization at a time when the art world refused to take women’s voices seriously. ARC in 2023 still brings innovative, emerging and experimental visual art to a wide range of viewers. As a non-commercial gallery, we are able to provide a unique atmosphere of continued artistic experimentation and dialogue.&nbsp;The public is invited to attend a reception with ARC as its members celebrate with a 50th Anniversary Members' Exhibition. For this milestone celebration, ARC presents work by members past and present. Featuring an installation piece by founding member Gerda Meyer-Bernstein, now 100 years old. One of the original alternative Chicago galleries of the 1970’s, along with Artemisia, and N.A.M.E., ARC is now the last of these great names still standing.Opening Reception Fri.&nbsp; Sept 29, 5-8pmRead CGN's feature on ARC's anniversary <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2023/6/arc-gallery-at-50">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419280/etyf0ypws6zd5a843jeu.jpg"><figcaption>Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977), Snared, Oil on masonite, 8 x 10 inches &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://mailchi.mp/mongersongallery/new-to-the-gallery-gertrude-abercrombie?e=d4bddc3732">Mongerson Gallery Offers a classically enigmatic work by Gertrude Abercrombie.</a>The gallery shared the acquisition of a work by the celebrated surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie. Painted in 1967, Snared showcases Abercrombie’s penchant for dreamlike tableaux and haunting symbolism. A lone figure stands in a desolate night landscape, reaching out towards the owl before her. Behind her, her long hair is caught in the keyhole of a ghostly door— she is in limbo, snared between what she reaches towards and what holds her back. The piece was exhibited at the The Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL. Gertrude Abercrombie: An Exhibition. July 28 - October 25, 1991.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419281/cqxc4bhoopgsmirnxgxd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://andrewrafacz.com/exhibitions/chicago-exhibition-weekend-2023/">CXW &amp; ANDREW RAFACZ present Chicago Community Board</a>Andrew Rafacz Gallery announced that their now-boarded up facade on the ground floor of 1749 West Chicago Avenue, which was seriously damaged when a truck drove through the gallery window a few weeks ago – will be repurposed as a physical information board and nexus for any and all exhibitions and scheduled events citywide in the arts this fall.The gallery shared in a message, "We encourage all of our fellow galleries, institutions, artists, performers, writers and collectives to post their related show announcements, posters, maps, texts, images and memorabilia to our community board facing a bustling stretch of Chicago Avenue.The visual palimpsest of our city’s dynamic, layered arts community will continue to evolve throughout the fall season, as the gallery rebuilds behind the scenes."They Community Board launches September with Chicago Exhibition Weekend and continues once CXW is over.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 9/25/23

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419279/oc6dnngxybadnuixxmsc.png"></figure><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/09/21/bob-ross-painting-for-sale-auction/70917462007/">Bob Ross' 1st painting from famed TV show up for auction. How much is it?</a>Happen to have $10 million lying around?If so, the first-ever painting that legendary artist Bob Ross created on his show could be yours.Via USA Today&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/nfts-are-worthless-1234680119/">Your NFTs Are Totally&nbsp;Worthless</a>A team of&nbsp;researchers have crunched the numbers to explain why you don’t see people hawking ugly cartoon apes on the internet as much anymore:&nbsp;NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, once vaunted as a revolution in&nbsp;crypto&nbsp;and digital&nbsp;art, are largely worthless.Via Artnews&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/van-gogh-museum-pokemon-tease-collaboration-in-new-trailer-2364365">The Van Gogh Museum Enters the Pokémon Universe, Teasing a Collaboration With the Beloved Pocket Monsters</a>The Van Gogh Museum and Pokémon Company have released a teaser trailer for a new and unexpected collaboration set to begin on September 28.In the video, Pikachu and Eevee can be seen running through a field of sunflowers before something in the sky catches their attention. The pocket monsters look up and see the sun and clouds transforming into the painterly style of Vincent Van Gogh—with loose brush strokes, swirls and all.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/09/22/chicago-architecture-biennial-2023">Thompson Center transformed for Chicago Architecture Biennial</a>Artistic directors of this year's Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) say they're disrupting the traditional way art and architecture are presented. Though the Biennial celebrates Chicago's global reputation for architecture, the event's main goal is to highlight creativity in our neighborhoods and reimagine well-known spaces.CAB is making closed spaces more accessible and interesting, including those at the Thompson Center, closed to the public since July 2022.<ul><li>As part of the Biennial, the public will be invited inside to experience "HygroShell," a curved sculpture made of malleable timber, at the center's LaSalle entrance.</li><li>Artists are also transforming an abandoned Sprint store there into an art gallery. Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama is using natural materials to drape artwork around the steel, austere structure of the building.</li></ul>Via Axios&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 9/22/23

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419279/plcpsyt2qegzcan3ojjh.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Event features dozens of artistic tenants, including Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, Chicago Opera Theater, Exile in Bookville, Jazz Institute of Chicago, Liederstube, Monsieur Pamplemousse, Natya Dance Theatre, Press Here Studio and the Second Floor Art Gallery exhibiting Don Yang&nbsp;Via PR -- Chicago’s historic <a href="https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/">Fine Arts Building</a> (410 S. Michigan Avenue) marks its 125th anniversary with a major public celebration on Friday, October 13 from 5-9 p.m. that activates all ten floors of this Chicago Landmark, an artist haven since its founding in October 1898. Mayor Brandon Johnson has declared Oct. 13 <a href="https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/mayoral-proclamation/">Fine Arts Building Day in Chicago</a> “in recognition of [this] milestone 125th anniversary” and to “encourage all residents to support this historic landmark.”The Fine Arts Building is a home for art in all forms: from pioneers like Poetry magazine’s founding publisher Harriet Monroe, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, sculptor Lorado Taft and the Chicago Little Theatre, to the ongoing legacies of painters, musicians, booksellers, puppeteers, dancers, photographers and craftspeople who inhabit the building today, the Fine Arts Building is buzzing with more than a century of Chicago creativity and innovation.The 125th Anniversary Celebration on October 13 will include a free concert at 7:30 p.m. in the newly renovated Studebaker Theater from Dr. Yulia Lipmanovich, a distinguished concert pianist and piano teacher based in the Fine Arts Building. The Studebaker originally opened with a piano recital by Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler in 1898, and Dr. Lipmanovich will be recreating some of Zeisler’s original setlist to commemorate the theater’s 125th anniversary. Advance registration for the concert program is free and recommended at <a href="https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/125/">fineartsbuilding.com/events/125</a>.An expanded version of the building’s monthly <a href="https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/second-fridays/">Second Fridays</a> open studios events, the 125th Anniversary Celebration highlights artistic tenants throughout the building, ranging from music, dance and puppetry to literature, fine art and jewelry—illustrating the full range of art forms that fill the halls of the Fine Arts Building today.&nbsp;Programming highlights of the October 13 celebration include (with event locations):&nbsp;·&nbsp;Chicago Human Rhythm Project (Studio 300) will present a “Taste O’Tap” with opportunities for visitors to learn the first steps of the Shim Sham (national tap dance anthem) as well as demonstrations of lesser-seen tap choreographies to classical music, swing and old standards such as “I've Got You Under My Skin.”·&nbsp;Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival (Studio 433) will present an overflowing display of handmade puppets and flowers, created for a special public spectacle in Maggie Daley Park to <a href="https://chicagopuppetfest.org/amal/">welcome Little Amal to Chicago</a>.·&nbsp;Chicago Opera Theater (Studio 404) will present a series of live musical performances in celebration of its 50th anniversary.·&nbsp;Exile in Bookville (Studio 210) will highlight an all-star group of authors as guest booksellers throughout the evening.&nbsp;·&nbsp;Jazz Institute of Chicago (lobby) will present performances from a jazz combo 5-7 p.m.·&nbsp;Liederstube (Studio 721), which presents classical music in intimate and informal settings, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. They will perform selections of their greatest hits, inviting visitors to gather around the piano and sing art songs.·&nbsp;Monsieur Pamplemousse custom jewelry by Alex Agudo (Studio 702) will walk guests through the making of a bracelet or key chain pendant with a special 125th anniversary message. Limited edition for the first 100 guests.·&nbsp;Natya Dance Theatre (Curtiss Hall) will perform the dance theater of India known as Bharatanatyam, which combines percussive footwork, geometrical body movements, hand gestures and facial expressions to convey profound messages.&nbsp;·&nbsp;Press Here Studio (Studio 419) will present the Center for Mad Culture’s interactive exhibition “It’s Not Art Therapy” by Sandie Yi and Katie O’Neill, as well as a reading and book signing with MV Perry, who will read from his new novel A Revolution of the Mind.·&nbsp;The Second Floor Art Gallery (2nd Floor), curated by Stanley Smith of Oak Street Design, will open a new show featuring the plein air paintings of fellow Fine Arts Building tenant and artist Don Yang, showcasing the architectural icons of Chicago and the surrounding areas.·&nbsp;New historic exhibits <a href="https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/windows-into-history/">Art Alone Endures and Staging Ground</a> (5th Floor) offer “windows into history,” sharing stories of the artists and companies that have called the Fine Arts Building home over the past 125 years. The exhibits are free and open to the public daily during normal business hours. A self-guided walking tour of historic sites and artists’ studios throughout the building is available online at <a href="https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/map/">fineartsbuilding.com/map</a>.&nbsp;Additional tenants participating in the 125th Anniversary Celebration include: Ann Pickett Studio and Gallery; portrait artist Lou Ann Burkhardt; Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras; painter, illustrator and editorial cartoonist Richard Laurent; Patrice Olsen Fine Art, presenting drawing, painting and photography for social justice; Ossia Musical Forum, a musical academy and chamber music concert booking specialist; and abstract artist James Tansley.Second Fridays open studios are free to attend at the Fine Arts Building on the second Friday of every month from 5-9 p.m., and include gallery openings, special performances and artistic demonstrations. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/second-fridays">fineartsbuilding.com/second-fridays</a>.&nbsp;The Fine Arts Building is a home for art in all forms: from pioneers like Poetry magazine’s founding publisher Harriet Monroe, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, sculptor Lorado Taft and the Chicago Little Theatre, to the ongoing legacies of painters, musicians, booksellers, puppeteers, dancers, photographers and craftspeople who inhabit the building today, the Fine Arts Building is buzzing with more than a century of Chicago creativity and innovation. A Chicago Landmark since 1978, the building features original manually-operated elevators, Art Nouveau murals from the late 19th century and the recently renovated Studebaker Theater, one of the city’s oldest and most significant live theatrical venues.</body></html>

Chicago’s Fine Arts Building to host 125th Anniversary Celebration

Building a Next Gen Collection: Zach Smith

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419235/yhl2k9qpcrqtvkvt1zna.jpg"><figcaption>Derrick Adams's Fun Time Any Time in Polk Bros. Park. Photo CGN.</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAAt the start of summer I found myself at Navy Pier purely for family adventure and not to spend days walking Festival Hall during an art fair. As it was a cold, windy day we weren't able to enjoy the outdoors for long – we spent 30 minutes playing a &nbsp;wet, quick round of Putt Putt golf, and having paid for parking and determined to get our money's worth, we set out to see Chicago's number one tourist destination as tourists in our hometown.Before heading indoors from mini golf, we walked into Polk Bros. Park, at the west end of the Pier. Thanks to EXPO CHICAGO, the annual rotation of public art installation, part of <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/in-situ-outside">IN/SITU Outside</a>, gives any visitor to the Pier a reason to come back to see new art long after EXPO ends in April. Derrick Adams's Fun Time Any Time was still on view when we visited (it came down after June 25) and the shiny black unicorns were unoccupied. It fell to my family to show other onlookers that the art could, in fact, be interactive and fun. Adams's quartet of magical creatures are also vehicles for leisure as well as cultural understanding. Both adults and children took turns riding the glossy, rainbow-maned unicorns, with my seven year-old son looking like he was training for the Triple Crown.The Navy Pier of today is, thankfully, a far cry from the tired, worn, heavily carpeted Pier of the late '90s and 2000s. A major overhaul, unfortunately timed right around the pandemic, managed to update and refresh all the surfaces and spaces and to also introduce new destinations. The food court is still the food court, and throngs of people still gobble up Garrett's Popcorn and overpay for branded souvenirs and tchotchkes, but the overall look is light and airy and sleek. This may be a tourist destination but it is a modern, very Chicago-style one.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419236/iyjtdsecyndjvrwr2nwc.jpg"><figcaption>Hebru Brantley's Flyboy. Photo CGN</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;After a little lunch (at Harry Caray's – not modern but still fun) we found ourselves standing outside the entrance to the Chicago Children's Museum. We hadn't visited the museum in about 6 years, but now that my children are 7 and 9, and familiar with hand sanitizer, they were desperate to go inside, so off we went. There was much more to do for older children than I remembered, and the art on display, as well as the many creative activities, was prominent. Outside the museum on the south side of Navy Pier near the tour boat docks, we had seen one of Hebru Brantley's towering Flyboys installed, a kid dressed as a hero and ready to take off or at least make some art. Inside the museum Hebru himself could be seen, at the entrance to the art lab in a display explaining the benefits of getting messy and expressing your ideas on paper. A selection of completed art studio works by children are on installed in a glass case nearby. I personally enjoyed seeing a visual artist positioned as an inspirational super star rather than an athlete or movie star.&nbsp;At the entrance to the art studio, an illuminated sign quotes Hebru Brantley in both Spanish and English,&nbsp;<blockquote>"From Kirby's Clubhouse to Sky Studio, my hope is that in these spaces, you will feel free to immerse and express yourself in all sorts of creative ways."</blockquote>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419237/opqlxfw8eakdmylum5q4.jpg"><figcaption>The Art Studio. Photo CGN.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419238/actoavl725kiibr8bljd.jpg"><figcaption>An animated sign in English and Spanish welcomes visitors to the Art Studio. Photo CGN.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419239/u4irbdlp22n1whjp3czq.jpg"><figcaption>Works by artists at the Art Studio. Photo CGN.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;*&nbsp;Just down the walkway from the art studio is a climbable sculpture available to kids and adults alike, as long as you don a helmet. Titled Cloud Buster, the structure by Kevin Winters is built out of steel, wood, wire, rope, acrylic, fiberglass and artificial turf. Winters was inspired by the structure of the particle accelerator complex at Fermilab in suburban Batavia, IL. Bringing art, design and physics together, Winters has created a dynamic playground in the sky through which to expend energy of another sort. After all, young visitors to the museum can be expected to stay still for only so long, even when they're making a mess in the art studio.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419240/abyhxn25htxchjumajbz.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Winters's Cloud Buster. Photo CGN.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;A visit to any museum wouldn't be complete without having to exit through the gift shop (you also enter the museum here), but in addition to browsing toys and t-shirts for sale, you notice several handwoven, patterned sculptures suspended from the museum entrance's ceiling. Helpful signage visually identifies each work and which group of children created it. Some were crafted at the museum – collaborations between visitors and resident artists – while many others were made by local school groups. 200 visitors, community center members, students, and professional artists were invited to contribute to the collection. Each spinning work is made of yarn and is a tactile exploration of color, layering and storytelling - many resemble traditional Native American God's eyes that watch over and engage these bright, hopeful young minds that pass in and out of the Children's Museum in the heart of a busy city. These parting images from the museum are a reminder that art isn't always right in front of us on the wall, it is often above and all around us, waiting to be explored or even created.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419240/txvbwoiphbv5cetanmhf.jpg"><figcaption>Woven creations at the entrance/exit to the museum. Photo CGN.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;#&nbsp;The Chicago Children's Museum Offers Free Family DaysIn 2023: Last Thursdays from January – May and September &amp; October!In partnership with Navy Pier, Chicago Children’s Museum guests can enjoy five fun-filled activities for families and children (ages ten and under) on the last Thursday of each month from January through May and two additional days of activities in September &amp; October. Free admission to Chicago Children’s Museum.&nbsp;No pre-registration is required. $10 discounted parking at Navy Pier with validation.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/family-days">Details here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Artistic Discoveries at the Chicago Children's Museum 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419279/di7oa09v6boqjcck5d99.jpg"><figcaption>JNL Graphic Design studio visit, Chicago, 2015. © Iker Gil. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://mascontext.com/observations/jnl-graphic-design-celebrating-a-studio-that-sculpted-the-visual-and-cultural-landscape-of-chicago-and-beyond">JNL Graphic Design: Celebrating a Studio that Sculpted the Visual and Cultural Landscape of Chicago and Beyond</a>As JNL Graphic Design closes its doors, we want to celebrate the remarkable contributions by Jason and Leslie with the voices of many who admire their work as clients, collaborators, and friends.Via Mas ContextJust a few of the contributors:&nbsp;<ul><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/natasha-egan">Natasha Egan</a></li><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/andrew-fenchel">Andrew Fenchel</a></li><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/tony-karman">Tony Karman</a></li><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/donnie-madia">Donnie Madia</a></li><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/john-mckinnon">John McKinnon</a></li><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/zo%C3%AB-ryan">Zoë Ryan</a></li><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/david-salkin">David Salkin</a></li><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/tony-tasset">Tony Tasset</a></li><li><a href="https://mascontext.com/contributors/richard-wright">Richard Wright</a></li></ul>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/arts-entertainment/warrant-issued-seize-schiele-drawing-art-institute-chicago">Warrant issued to seize an allegedly stolen Schiele drawing at the Art Institute</a>New York authorities have issued a warrant to seize a watercolor and pencil drawing by Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele from the Art Institute of Chicago. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office issued a series of warrants last week seeking to seize three artworks created by Schiele that it believes to be stolen.Via Crain's&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/jens-haaning-empty-frames-museum-loan-2364634">A Court Has Ordered an Artist to Repay a Danish Museum $72,000 for Submitting Two Empty Frames for a Commission</a>A Copenhagen court has ordered a Danish artist to repay the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art nearly $72,000 after he delivered two empty frames in lieu of a commissioned artwork in 2021, claiming that the frames were a new conceptual piece, provocatively titled Take the Money and Run.The museum had loaned the artist, Jens Haaning, 534,000 krone ($84,000) to recreate a 2007 sculpture, in the form of banknotes, titled An Average Danish Annual Income, which represented the salary using krone bills affixed to a canvas. A 2010 version used euros to represent a typical Austrian income.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/arts/design/van-gogh-returned-dutch-museum.html">Stolen Van Gogh Painting Is Returned in Ikea Bag</a>A Vincent van Gogh painting stolen from a Dutch museum in March 2020 was returned on Monday by a tipster, who delivered it encased in Bubble Wrap and tucked in an Ikea bag to the home of a private Dutch art crimes detective.Via NYT&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 9/20/23

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419279/veeqo9agvpoxrs5iffcb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/under-the-cherry-moon-solo-exhibition-by-chicago-artist-ashkon-haidari">Under the Cherry Moon: Solo exhibition&nbsp;by Chicago artist Ashkon Haidari</a>Opening: Friday, September 22, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmPovos GalleryDrawing on a deep relationship with ancient history as well as his Persian heritage, Ashkon tells contemporary stories. In layered spaces that reference centuries of graphic art, he contributes uniquely to the legacy of surrealism.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419280/en3fsy9gu4nqunx4vagw.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ben-stone-sports">Ben Stone:&nbsp;Sports!&nbsp;</a>Opening: Saturday, September 23, 5 – 8&nbsp;pm(northern) Western ExhibitionsA survey of Ben Stone’s athletics-themed work,&nbsp;SPORTS!&nbsp;opens at our second location, (northern) Western Exhibitions, in Skokie, Illinois with a free public reception on Saturday, September 23, from 5 to 8pm. Gallery hours at nWX are Wednesday to Saturday, 12-6pm and Sundays 12-4pm. The show will be accompanied by an essay by Abraham Ritchie.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419281/exvye9qacil6swcv3j8s.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/letters-lost-series-by-drago">Letters, Lost Series by Drago</a>Opening: Friday, September 22, 7 – 10&nbsp;pmT. Mari GalleryDrago captures the moment in time, his thoughts, and who he is as an artist. His focus is to express the beauty and create what inspires him like the innocence of a hug or a feeling from a kiss. Everything he produces resonates with an inner conception, a passionate introspection. What he designs is personal, innocent, and unrestrained.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419282/upbg44eppv9nvvbslw4q.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/bruno-surdo-tree-spirits">Bruno Surdo: Tree Spirits</a>Opening: Saturday, September 23, 2 – 5&nbsp;pmPAGODA REDWe are thrilled to announce that Bruno Surdo, the acclaimed painter and teacher, will be exhibiting for the first time at PAGODA RED.TREE SPIRITS is a recent body of work that manifests Surdo's mastery of classical portraiture in the deeply personal twists and turns of burls and branches.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419283/nzdldvnzbro9aawpvqqm.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/janet-trierweiler">Janet Trierweiler</a>Opening: Saturday, September 23, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmBlue Moon GalleryJanet’s work is in collections worldwide. Collectors include: Northwestern University, The Illinois Institute of Art and Fifield Companies. Her work has been featured in Voyage Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Evanston Magazine, Sheridan Road Magazine and Northwestern News.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming">VIEW CGN'S FULL CALENDAR HERE&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Open Sept 21 - 23: Part II

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEAChicago’s architectural influence and legacy is known around the world, its lakeside site and modern skyline fascinating admirers of architecture and design throughout the decades and dazzling tourists every day. The city’s skyscrapers are progressive ideas and daring made real, defining the modern city and climbing to heights that continuously defy what we think could be the limits of engineering, design and physics. Two major city-wide events take place this fall: The 5th edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial opens in September and the return of Open House Chicago, put on by the Chicago Architecture Center in October.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419272/orlq6lwgs76i1w5rqv7e.jpg"><figcaption>The CAB5 curatorial team</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Chicago Architectural BiennialThis fall the city will be the nexus of ideas about how architecture can do far more than skim the atmosphere and sell boat tour tickets when the fifth edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial opens September 21. Co-led by Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, Faheem Majeed, Andrew Schachman and avery r. young–the team behind the art collective Floating Museum–CAB5: This is a Rehearsal takes an expansive view of design as an iterative rehearsal process to explore architecture, cities, and the different social, ecological, economic and political forces that shape them.&nbsp;The Biennial has examined the roles of architecture and public space since its founding, and this edition will be no different, except that the global city of 2023 is quite altered from the city of 2021, and certainly 2019. This year CAB5 is a large-scale, multilayered art exhibition that invites the public to participate in a meeting of the minds in order to consider just what is possible today that builds upon what was created in the past.&nbsp;The Chicago Architecture Biennial runs Sept 21–Jan 2, 2024<a href="https://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org">chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org</a>&nbsp;*</body></html>

Beyond the Dazzle: Inspiration,  Admiration and Lessons in Chicago’s Architecture This Fall

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419279/kjm0n9kyjytqzzk0xyls.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gregg-bordowitz-tetragrammaton">Gregg Bordowitz: Tetragrammaton</a>Opening: Thursday, September 21, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmCorbett vs. DempseyCorbett vs. Dempsey is honored to present Gregg Bordowitz, Tetragrammaton, featuring a selection of recent monotypes. This is CvsD’s first exhibition with Bordowitz and is the artist’s debut in a commercial gallery.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419280/mmcpjuyrludykgknmdy6.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/josiah-mcelheny-red-black-to-black-from-blue-black-to-black">Josiah McElheny: Red Black to Black, from Blue Black to Black</a>Opening: Thursday, Sep 21, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmCorbett vs. DempseyFrom Red Black to Black, from Blue Black to Black, a suite of new works including a sculpture, an installation, and four paintings by Josiah McElheny. This is the artist’s third solo exhibition with the gallery. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419280/tt5wbnesxmueqjontopv.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/deborah-stratman-laika">Deborah Stratman: Laika</a>Opening: Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 6 – 8&nbsp;pmCorbett vs. Dempsey&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419281/smqwhvkvyiafrnkpfpey.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/scottish-artist-frances-lightbound">Scottish Artist: Frances Lightbound, Tectonics</a>Opening: Thursday, September 21, 5:30 – 7:30&nbsp;pmJohn David Mooney FoundationTectonics&nbsp;is about things in process; objects out of place and/or out of time. About buildings as condensations of human and non-human activity. About navigating tides of sensation while being occasionally anchored to islands of familiarity; about objects and spaces that rhyme.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419282/irtv5awpubp9nvsdjikj.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/day-of-an-affair-owen-spryszak">Day of an Affair: Owen Spryszak</a>and<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/winter-salon-works-by-over-50-gallery-artists-be8e7ec6-c996-4231-938c-bd81ac3186d5">The Psalms: New Work by Tony Fitzpatrick</a>Both opening: Thursday, September 21, 7 – 10&nbsp;pmT.F. Projects and The Dime&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419283/qxcu1rqv7f4bfxhyfoms.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ruth-duckworth-life-as-a-unity">Ruth Duckworth: Life As a Unity</a>Opening: Thursday, September 21, 6:30 – 8:30&nbsp;pmSmart Museum of ArtThe Smart Museum of Art presents the first monographic museum exhibition devoted to Ruth Duckworth in nearly twenty years, foregrounding the artist’s sculptural production across a prolific period in Chicago and at the University of Chicago.&nbsp;*Read CGN's fall issue feature on the exhibition <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2023/9/a-transcendant-sculptural-legacy-ruth-duckworth">here*</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419284/jqsxnzd2aepeg1vpthuc.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sequence-of-a-dream">Sequence of a Dream</a>Opening: Friday, September 22, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmChicago Printmakers CollaborativeFeaturing work by Kouki Tsuritani, Kumi Obata, and Alberto Cruz&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming">VIEW CGN'S FULL CALENDAR HERE&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Open Sept 21 - 23: Part I

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419272/b0ocnv99gjxvfj8aozxm.jpg"><figcaption>Ruth Duckworth, Earth, Water, Sky, 1967–1968, Ceramic mural, 400 square feet, covering four walls and the ceiling, Located in the entrance to the Henry Hinds Laboratory for Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago, Presented to the University in honor of Jane H. Sherr by the Leonard J. Horwich Family. Photo by Michael Tropea. © Estate of Ruth Duckworth.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By MARY DEYOEThis fall the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago presents the monographic exhibition: Ruth Duckworth: Life as Unity (September 21, 2023–February 4, 2024). The show focuses on the artist’s sculptural work, and features nearly 60 objects made between 1966–2005, some of which are on loan from close friends of the artist and have never been publicly exhibited.&nbsp;In the documentary from the early aughts by Karen Carter, Ruth Duckworth: A Life in Clay, the octogenarian artist says “I don’t think everyone has a destiny. It’s more haphazard than that.” This rings true for an artist whose sculptural work demonstrates a deep fascination with nature, geomorphology and the interconnectedness of the natural world as a whole.“Like many women working in craft media at the mid-century, Ruth Duckworth (1919–2009) did not receive the critical consideration her work merits,” said Laura Steward, Curator of Public Art. “This exhibition and accompanying catalogue are the result of the growth of ‘eco-criticism’ in the field of art history. This novel critical framework allows us to center the artist’s relationship with the natural world, which in Duckworth’s case was profoundly influenced by the ‘Satellite Era’ and her engagement with geophysical sciences at UChicago.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/zwvhakjmhbhyuapenbmh.jpg"><figcaption>Ruth Duckworth, Untitled (Wall Sculpture), 1970, Porcelain, 33-3/4 x 17-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches, Courtesy of the Estate of Ruth Duckworth and Salon 94. © Estate of Ruth Duckworth.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;In 1964, Duckworth came to Chicago after receiving an invitation to teach at University of Chicago’s Midway Studios. She planned to stay for only one year, but instead made Chicago her home. She lived in the city until her death in 2009. Although widely known as being a “British studio potter” (she attended art school in England to escape Hitler’s Germany, and lived there for nearly two decades before coming to the United States) her childhood in Hamburg and life and career in Chicago played important roles in shaping this artist.The title of the exhibition derives from a quote by Duckworth, which evocatively captures the range of scale in which the artist worked as well as the common thread throughout her career. “I think of Life as a unity. This includes mountains, mice, rocks, trees, women, and men. It’s all one big lump of clay.” From the magnitude of the mountains to the tiniest of creatures, Duckworth saw them as all connected. It is fitting then, that in addition to the exhibition, two of Duckworth’s massive murals will be available to the public for viewing throughout the exhibition. Clouds over Lake Michigan, originally commissioned in 1974 by Dresdner Bank for its Chicago office and was recently gifted to the University by Cboe Global Markets and installed at the Joseph Regenstein Library on the UChicago campus, and Earth, Water, Sky, commissioned in 1968 for the Henry Hinds Laboratory for Geophysical Sciences. Both works are huge, and are in contrast with her sculpture, much of which can easily be held in one’s hands.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/fuf830z4dmooiz1lux4d.jpg"><figcaption>Ruth Duckworth, Untitled, 1972, Stoneware, 17-1/4 x 19 x 3 inches, Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago, Gift of Margaret Fisher, 1967.24. © Estate of Ruth Duckworth.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;With Life as Unity, Steward readdresses much of the artist’s work through the lenses of “eco-criticism” - focusing, in part, on new approaches of the natural sciences and environmental perspectives and activism of the 1960s. The exhibition draws connections between Duckworth and key figures at the University of Chicago and in Hyde Park such as Laura Fermi, who founded the Hyde Park committee for Cleaner Air and Professor of Meteorology Tetsuya “Ted” Fujita, whose photographs of clouds Duckworth first encountered when working on the commission Earth, Water, and Sky.&nbsp;When one enters the exhibition, they are met with nearly 30 objects in stoneware and clay – earthy-hued abstracted figures (some birdlike), vessels, pots, and nearly translucent porcelain sculptures&nbsp; – the majority of which, like much of Duckworth’s pieces, are untitled. As the artist explained “titles pin people down [...] I want them to have their own ideas.” The presentation is punctuated by murals and wall sculptures many of which illustrate the influence of geomorphology on her work. Indeed as a result of the Satellite Era, Duckworth was able to view images from space of weather patterns. In the documentary, while standing in front of Clouds Over Lake Michigan she points out just some of the many different types of clouds she sculpted on the surface.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419274/kfhdwwj0flbi06mcd00q.jpg"><figcaption>Portrait of Ruth Duckworth inside of Earth, Water, Sky, undated. The University of Chicago Archival Photographic Files, apf1-05879. Photo courtesy of Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Ruth Duckworth: Life as Unity shines a light on an artist with deep roots in Chicago and the UChicago community. Duckworth saw herself as “a survivor.” She said, “I survived Hitler, being a refugee, being poor several times in my life, being depressed - I have survived. I’ve had accidents that should have killed me and they didn’t.” She is undoubtedly survived by her own large body of work that, for us and for future generations, fortunately continues to reveal new threads of interconnectedness. It is, afterall, “all one big lump of clay.”*In conjunction with the exhibition the Smart Museum presents a series of free programs from tours, kiln crawls, and musical performances to family days and scholarly talks featuring faculty from UChicago’s Department of Geophysical Sciences and the Divinity School.&nbsp;The accompanying catalogue features an introduction by exhibition curator, Laura Steward as well as essays and contributions by Abigail Winograd, Jack Schneider, and Kendra Thornburgh-Mueller. The catalogue is also fully illustrated with images of all the works in the exhibition, including new documentation of Clouds Over Lake Michigan in its new home in the 1st floor reading room of the Joseph Regenstein Library.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/exhibitions/ruth-duckworth-life-as-a-unity/">Ruth Duckworth: Life as Unity</a>Smart Museum of ArtSeptember 21, 2023 - February 4, 2024&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

A Transcendant Sculptural Legacy: Ruth Duckworth

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419279/gsz2boddys7iueksfzyt.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/rock-paper-scissors">Rock, Paper, Scissors</a>Alma Art &amp; InteriorsOpening: Friday, Sep 15, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmSep 15 – Nov 3 • BridgeportElizabeth Burke-Dain features a series of artworks made from ceramics, paper, and textiles in a solo debut. These works are presented in an immersive art installation setting that reflects the color, geometry, and architectural features found in her ceramic paintings. Designed to encourage participation from the owner, these artworks may be arranged in any configuration preferred, based on personal taste and available space.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419280/wwwhufwjykycmr6ibj5y.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/no-martins-encontros-politicos-political-encounters-part-2">No Martins: Encontros Políticos (Political Encounters)…Part 2</a>Mariane Ibrahim GallerySep 15 – Oct 28 • West TownNo Martins’ newest body of work confronts Brazil’s aspirational thesis of racial democracy. Through a series of nine large scale canvases, Martins depicts dark skinned Black people of varying genders, body types, friend groups, and familial dynamics in varying states of repose and interaction. Their gaze is turned towards each other, the ocean, or whatever thing they’re focused on - but never towards the viewer. Intentionally, Martins’ figures have no concern for anyone but themselves and the experience of sun, salt, and sea. In this manner, Martins gifts the Black people in his paintings an agency that is not recognized by the broader Brazilian society.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419280/jsqs7any0rk09edvhxx3.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/data-nasser-adonis-river">Dala Nasser: Adonis River</a>The Renaissance SocietyOpening: Saturday, Sep 16, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmSep 16 – Nov 26In the fall of 2023, the Renaissance Society will present the first institutional solo exhibition of Beirut and London-based artist Dala Nasser, featuring a new site-specific commission responding to the expansive height and volume of the Ren’s exhibition space.As an artist working through abstraction and alternative forms of image-making, Nasser applies an interdisciplinary approach through painting, performance, and film. Her indexical paintings of land, made through direct contact on location, stand in opposition to the sweeping vistas offered by traditional landscape painting.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419281/q1ustqtm6ur9utvryxhg.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cydney-m-lewis-beauty-amongst-the-darkness">Cydney M. Lewis: Beauty Amongst the Darkness</a>Elephant Room GalleryOpening: Friday, Sep 15, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmSep 15 – Oct 14 • South Loopydney Lewis is a multimedia artist with a multi-disciplinary and distinguished background. Currently living in Chicago, her art practice highlights the transformation and manipulation of materials. As a self-described “visual archaeologist,” Mrs. Lewis considers the intersection of the natural, spiritual, and scientific worlds. Through our current landscape, she observes nature’s perseverance and ability to adapt, and asks how we might coexist in harmony. Pattern, repetition, and constant movement form the foundation of her work. By weaving nature, technology, destruction, and beauty, she presents her intuition of the surreal and the real.&nbsp;The fluidity of her ability to transform materials reflect her mastery of ballet as well as her endeavors in film.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419283/huvql0srctnbwo8khdjh.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ornament-is-arguments-on-ornament-in-design">ornament IS – Arguments On Ornament in Design</a>Bridgeport Art CenterOpening: Friday, Sep 15, 7 – 10&nbsp;pmSep 15 – Nov 3 • Bridgeport“ornament IS”&nbsp; will document through drawings, paintings, essays and artifacts, the dominant and discarded movements of architecture and design, as well as the diverse resources of architectural ornament throughout the world history. The other goal is to exhibit an exploration of new possible theories of ornament in architecture and design and to display them as renderings, writings and artifacts.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419283/oeqbzcejmjaykpbihlpr.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-stop-motion-worlds-of-joe-baughman">The Stop Motion Worlds of Joe Baughman</a>Krasl Art CenterSep 16 – Nov 26 • St Joseph, MIImagine a production studio: You walk past the set of an attached garage – a car, workbench, and sofa inside. You can see up the steps and through the open door that the rest of the house is missing. In the background, someone is working on the battery-powered lights to some street lamps. Around the corner is a nature scene with a giant fake tree in the middle. An otherworldly creature – a cross between a bird and a bear – is resting near the tree. Beyond that, you see painted mountains. Now, imagine all of this inside someone’s home.These miniature worlds form the basis of artist Joe Baughman’s stop-motion animations, the likes of which you might have seen in music videos for Wilco, The Roots, and Julien Baker as well as his own band, Joe Baughman and the Righteous Few.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419284/ti5yiisdaqpth0ov34a6.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/through-our-eyes">Through Our Eyes</a>Istituto Italiano di CulturaSep 16 – Oct 8 • Michigan Ave.“Through Our Eyes” is a long-term photography project which launched in 2019. So far, it has involved 156 children aged 9 to 17 in Samos, home to one of the Greek islands' hotspots for migrants, in North-West Syria, in the internal displacement camps of Ad-Dana, and in the Mathare slum in Nairobi where roughly 500,000 people live in extreme poverty.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419285/zjouobipwhlloakt0pty.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mardy-sears">Mardy Sears</a>Evanston Art CenterOpening: Saturday, Sep 16, 1 – 4&nbsp;pmSep 16 – Oct 29Mardy Sears is an Evanston artist and a member of the Evanston Made art community. She is a printmaker, ceramicist, and artist book maker. After graduating with a Masters in Fine Arts from The Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College Chicago in 2006, she began working as a Conservation Technician with a focus on paper at The Art Institute of Chicago.Mardy’s visual language includes images of animals, primarily birds and sea creatures. Her animals tell stories of humanity and connect our everyday lives to the environment we live in. She incorporates text and poetry into her image making, that is often presented in book format.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming">VIEW CGN'S FULL CALENDAR HERE&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Open Sept 15 and 16

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419272/r1yum3kc9au7s53ubxz2.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sanford-biggers-back-to-the-stars">Sanford Biggers: Back to the Stars</a>moniquemelocheOpening: Thursday, Sep 14, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmSep 14 – Oct 28 • West TownBack to the Stars, the Biggers's fourth solo presentation with the gallery, showcases new artworks from his ever-evolving Chimera and Codex series, which juxtaposes figurative marble sculptures and quilt compositions. These new works bring aesthetic, poetic, and social insights to the intertwining stories embedded in material culture. Biggers’ creative processes recognize and conflate syncretic impulses between aesthetic expressions from seemingly disparate societies and histories, transforming them into rigorously formal and conceptual new works.Biggers’ Chimera sculptures combine various African and European masks, busts, and figures that explore historical depictions of the body and their subsequent myths, narratives, archetypes, perceptions, and power.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/nxsaahxczy8oqcfie0oa.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/anna-kunz-rosy">Anna Kunz: ROSY</a>McCormick GalleryOpening: Thursday, Sep 14, 2023 5 – 7&nbsp;pmSep 14 – Oct 27 • West LoopROSY is a new body of work featuring thirty small oil paintings and eight works on paper.&nbsp;Anna has also installed one of her beautiful diaphanous, curtained installations — layers of dyed and printed textiles hanging from the ceiling before the gallery’s front window. The conversation between the arrangement of small oils and the undulating curtain of color serves as a reminder that immersiveness, architectural intervention (“softening,” as she puts it), and shared experience are crucial themes for Kunz. She intends her installations to create a social space that encourages reflection and invites multiple points of view — "Compassionate Geometry."&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419274/mefqwlqwhlmsqy2zz4pl.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/harriet-monroe-the-open-door">Harriet Monroe &amp; the Open Door</a>Poetry FoundationOpening: Thursday, Sep 14, 7 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 14 – Jan 13, 2024 • River NorthHarriet Monroe (1860–1936) was a poet, a critic, and the founding editor of Poetry magazine whose steadfast commitment to the art form and its creators altered the course of American literary history.&nbsp;Harriet Monroe &amp; the Open Door maps the evolution of Monroe’s editorial philosophy, locating it within the cultures and structures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This exhibition includes original artwork by Lilli Carré alongside archival photographs, letters, and other documents from Monroe’s life.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419275/k0ojtwhaklggsktkn68v.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/not-just-another-pretty-face">Not Just Another Pretty Face</a>Hyde Park Art Center&nbsp;Opening: Thursday, Sep 14, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 14 – Nov 5The exhibition commemorates the 2020 and 2023 installments of the Not Just Another Pretty Face project. The triennial program, created by Hyde Park Art Center in the mid-1990s, allows the Art Center to play matchmaker for artists and potential art buyers. This dynamic project facilitates a fun and accessible commissioning process that builds lasting relationships between artists and patrons, creates a new base of support for artists, and invests in the vitality of Chicago’s cultural community. The completion of each installment is celebrated by an exhibition, a catalog documenting the process, and a lively event to unveil the finished pieces, which will make their way to the patrons’ homes following the exhibition.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419275/uiuzwfmxliwchhz4gg0c.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/material-revolution-ii">Material Revolution II</a>Pistachios Contemporary Jewelry Gallery&nbsp;Opening: Thursday, Sep 14, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmSep 14 – Nov 12 • River North&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419276/mju1154ufkejuzgfgujf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-resilience-of-hope-new-works-by-carrie-seid">The Resilience of Hope: New Works by Carrie Seid</a>gallery 1871Opening: Thursday, Sep 14, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmSep 14 – Nov 14 • Lincoln ParkSeid's colorful squares of acrylic, mylar and vinyl reflect the light and offer an image of hope.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming">VIEW CGN'S FULL CALENDAR HERE&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Open Sept 14

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419272/sj3s3bsp433nu2zsgwrn.jpg"><figcaption>Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The Cardsharps, about 1595. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Two of the Italian master’s rarely loaned works are on view the Art Institute of Chicago this fall.&nbsp;Visitors to the Art Institute have a rare opportunity to view a stunning pair of paintings by Caravaggio, on loan from the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas and the Detroit Institute of Arts. The works, dating from 1595 and 1598, rarely travel, so this trip to Chicago is a special journey. At The Art Institute they will be accompanied by 16th century groupies, if you will, known as Caravaggisti, or followers of Caravaggio. Since there are only seven Caravaggio paintings in collections in the United States, this is a rare opportunity to view the innovation and influence of Caravaggio’s work in person without springing for a plane ticket to Italy. Don’t miss the chance to see the drama and eternal beauty of these remarkable works up close. Then perhaps consider how influential they were in their own time as well as centuries later.&nbsp;&nbsp;Among Friends and Rivals: Caravaggio in RomeSept 8–Dec 31, 2023The Art Institute of Chicago&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/sllhzuzbxiioucun5d9q.png"><figcaption>Martha and Mary Magdalene, about 1598Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Detroit Institute of Arts, gift of the Kresge Foundation and Mrs. Edsel B. Ford</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419274/qa7cxvtxwznfbjdbblhx.png"><figcaption>The Resurrection, c. 1619-20, Francesco Buoneri</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

City Highlight: Caravaggio in Chicago

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419272/pt1q0eizji2mbvhrzs6u.jpg"><figcaption>Vito Acconci and Judith Kirshner in&nbsp;Maze Table, 1985. Courtesy of Rhona Hoffman Gallery.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By BIANCA BOVAChicago’s place in the commercial art world has always eluded easy categorization. You can find as many people who insist its relevance is ironclad as you will those who insist it is little more than an afterthought in flyover country. As time and the tides of the market have shifted, both have been true in turn. While Chicago’s galleries may not operate competitively with, say, New York in terms of real estate (Gagosian’s Chelsea location alone occupies 25,000 square feet), or with London in terms of historical pedigree (Colnaghi, Est. 1760) its defining merit is its galleries’ highly individualized programs.There are the galleries which have for decades served as tent poles for the Chicago art world–beginning with Rhona Hoffman, its doyenne. The gallery’s artist roster reads like the table of contents of a twentieth century art history book: Sol LeWitt, Gordon Parks, Jenny Holzer, Gordon Matta-Clark, Vito Acconci. There is also a prominent Chicago streak: Michael Rakowitz, Amanda Williams, Judy Ledgerwood, Richard Rezac, Julia Fish. Few are the galleries (and fewer are the dealers themselves) who endure long enough to restage significant works, as Hoffman did in exhibiting Acconci’s Maze Table, first in 1985-86, and then again in late 2022. This dual model of developing the careers of the brightest artists working, while also maintaining a commitment to their practices long enough to introduce their canonized works to a second generation is, quite simply, art dealing in service to its highest purpose. It’s also not a bad way to make a living.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/no76zbrxlysje1nbqxjn.jpg"><figcaption>GRAY at 60, Gray Chicago, 2023. Courtesy, Gray Chicago/New York. Photo: Jim Prinz</figcaption></figure>Richard Gray is another name that looms large in Chicago’s commercial history. The gallery’s recently mounted anniversary exhibition, GRAY at 60, included works by sixty artists who have shown with the gallery (or whose works the gallery has specialized in) since opening its doors on East Ontario in 1963. Representing over a century of art making, the exhibition rivaled a museum show in its scale and scope.&nbsp;Despite this grandiosity, GRAY’s program is so well-defined as to leave a kind of signature on art collections it has helped to build.&nbsp;In a recent New York Times profile on winemaker Maggie Harrison, it was noted that Harrison, now in her fifties:“Grew up in a suburb of Chicago,” and that her parents’ “passion was collecting art. The walls of their otherwise unremarkable house were crowded with canvases by David Hockney, Alex Katz and Chuck Close. A large painting of a heart by the artist Jim Dine hung in Harrison’s bedroom.”&nbsp;Is there any question what gallery her parents were clients of?&nbsp;Reaching such milestones as Rhona Hoffman and Richard Gray have first requires surpassing other, smaller milestones. MICKEY, as well-appointed a gallery space as you will find anywhere (unsurprising given that it is the work of Dirk Denison Architects), has just reached one, celebrating five years of operations on Grand Avenue last month. As evidenced by MICKEY, a summer group exhibition, a survey on view until September 10th that includes a work by every artist the gallery has shown since opening its doors, the program there is, in a word, wild. It seems distinctly possible that the only straight line that can be drawn through the work of Michelle Grabner, Michael Madrigali, Paul Heyer, Leonardo Kaplan, Chloe Seibert, and Zach Meisner is gallery owner Mickey Pomfrey’s almost alarmingly keen eye. Pomfrey is, after all, one of the first dealers to have shown the work of art star Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), albeit under the auspices of an earlier space, Courtney Blades. The highly refined strangeness of MICKEY’s program is perhaps only rivaled by the highly refined strangeness of the gallery’s informal, in-house wine program. Ask director Tim Mann to recommend a bottle before your next dinner party; you won’t regret it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/bbu8eyxfs3rsflcowsfe.jpg"><figcaption>Five years of MICKEY installation view, Courtesy of MICKEY, Chicago</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;This hyper personalized approach to programming a gallery is not a new concept. A look over the exhibition history at Dan Devening’s gallery, Devening Projects (one of the first spaces to make the move to Carroll Street in West Town) shows a veritable who’s-who of the last two decades in the Chicago art world. While it’s no surprise to see names like Nathaniel Robinson, Richard Rezac, Jin Lee, Peter Fagundo, and Christine Tarkowski on the roster, it’s often a curiosity to see when in their careers Devening mounted these shows. What’s more fun is to see the names of dealers, curators, and other industry figures who maintain their own practices as artists crop up, including Jason Pickleman, Aron Gent, and Sterling Lawrence. Add to this Devening’s impressive CV as an artist himself, and his long tenure as a member of the faculty of the School of the Art Institute, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone more professionally embedded. Bearing this all in mind, it would serve collectors attracted to young talent well to keep an eye on the emerging artists like Zander Raymond, Maggie Crowley, and Jacqueline Surdell that show with Devening.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419274/r4ssxnnexiafo8fq7t55.jpg"><figcaption>&nbsp;Jacqueline Surdell, Score! installation view at Devening Projects. Photo by Ian Vecchiotti courtesy of the artist and Devening Projects &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;These are, of course, homegrown examples of why Chicago’s market has sustained. Long is the list of great galleries that had their genesis in Chicago and later expanded–Feature, Richard Feigan, GRAY, and Document, to name a few–and rightfully so. In more recent years, Chicago has also become an attractor of galleries established in other markets. Mariane Ibrahim Gallery moved operations in 2019, closing its original headquarters in Seattle in favor of relocating to Chicago. Having subsequently expanded to Paris in 2021 and Mexico City in 2022, bypassing the opening of any additional domestic spaces, it seems Chicago serves the gallery’s American market more than sufficiently.&nbsp;With the recent acquisition of EXPO Chicago by Frieze, and the rampant speculation surrounding the likelihood of a significant uptick in the blue chip art market in the city it might bring, one wonders if Chicago will increase in desirability as location for future outposts of other galleries with established global footprints. Perrotin? LGDR? Gagosian? A girl can dream.While there is much to be said about the economics (macro and micro) of the art market, and the geographic and political boundaries that have a way of regulating it (or not), at the end of the day, there is no greater force or factor that defines a gallery than the vision of its founder, and the program they build. Chicago is rich in these legacies. Taking into account the view from this moment, it appears it will be for generations to come.&nbsp;</body></html>

The Gallery Continuum: Reviewing Spaces Standing the Test of Time

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419272/q6tiiaa5gaatj61qv9cb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NationalMuseumofMexicanArt">National Museum of Mexican Art Unveils New Mural Created with Chicago Bulls</a>The Museum's youth initiative, Yollocalli Arts Reach unveiled a new mural in partnership with the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chicagobulls?__cft__[0]=AZU_Mst33WCbFpRyJaboY1zrgoZm9W2hYU6Ojwe4-cu1StyxfVlBemNRJZrPO1FrCmpTd-lLPztqjmYjtqT5ice7Bd54Uqa9J0ejcC30Uw4DF51qBfJRNWwa2vNdNLfztAATdtAClOUsre6d9uB4hkPkyOUnwaAXiRZ_ywkhwwIPfEhYpQhf_L3BA8uY0KQqD-aKDhrFaxbY0Kv3AW3Q7v7U&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Chicago Bulls</a>! Youth from Yollocalli’s Street Art Program participants spent the summer alongside their teaching artist, Mario Mena designing and painting a mural with an uplifting message that celebrates Mexican culture. The mural is located at 1859 W. 19th St.&nbsp;<a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/09/11/new-lakeview-master-plan-calls-for-wider-sidewalks-safer-crossings-and-more-public-art/?utm_source=Pico&amp;utm_campaign=369f678aa1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_09_11+Morning+List+3&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_-cbdb1cc15c-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&amp;mc_cid=369f678aa1&amp;mc_eid=9fac193df8">Plans for Lakeview Arts Include Art Spaces Called 'Alleries'</a>With a new master plan, neighborhood groups are hoping to improve Lakeview and Roscoe Village by adding more art and advocating for projects that cater to pedestrians.&nbsp;Throughout the past year, the Lakeview and Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce surveyed more than 700 residents and 65 business owners to develop a master plan that will help guide development for the next decade.&nbsp;One way neighbors hope to add more public art to the area is by turning alleys into art galleries, called “alleries,” particularly along Lincoln Avenue. Planners envision business owners would donate their back walls to display art and allow the alley space to be used for community events.Via Block Club&nbsp;<a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com/podcast/?fbclid=IwAR3DT3UWDYJ7pl6rAgw8imrlSRVlLkodormbzbHmFyk95K2kn-uUePkP55g">RNDD Releases Latest Art and Design Podcast&nbsp;</a>A new episode of Design District is out now. In this episode of Design District, RNDD sits down to chat with Cristina Dordas, National Commercial Sales Manager at Roca Tile USA, Jennie Bishop, Principal and Founder of interior design firm Studio Gild and Zach Pruitt, Design Channel Manager of JC Licht. Listen in as we talk about trends in wall surfaces.<a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com/podcast/?fbclid=IwAR3DT3UWDYJ7pl6rAgw8imrlSRVlLkodormbzbHmFyk95K2kn-uUePkP55g">Listen here</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/k7tdeq70xg3cof54kprd.webp"></figure><a href="https://fineline.org/pages/the-great-orb-hunt?fbclid=IwAR3pGexRKjkL6YOxcm4zJmvS50KMLvNe8Qm_GiNdb_WBbFVaqHfw7AoMqVA">Fine Line Creative Arts Center Hosts 'Orb Hunt' for Art Objects</a>Fine Line Creative Arts Center has teamed up with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County on an Orb Hunt in the forest preserve, hiding hand-crafted glass and ceramic orbs on the grounds at Fine Line and at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve.Visitors are invited to walk or bike around both locations and find one of these orbs. If&nbsp;you are lucky enough to find an orb, it's yours to keep,&nbsp;but we ask that you only keep ONE orb please.&nbsp;If you find another orb, leave it where it is to be found by another seeker.&nbsp; &nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 9/12/23

<html><head></head><body><a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/nicole-berry-armory-show-2023-plans-2354456">Armory Show Director Nicole Berry on Hiring Women Curators to ‘Challenge the Canon,’ and What’s in Store for the Fair Now That It’s Owned by Frieze</a>The unexpected news that the international art fair conglomerate Frieze would acquire the Armory Show and Expo Chicago in July set the art world wondering what changes might be afoot for the upcoming New York fair, which has been an art world mainstay since its founding in 1994.“It will be business as usual,” fair director Nicole Berry told Artnet News, noting that when the sale went through, “everything was already well in place” for the fair’s 2023 edition, which opens this week at the Javits Center on Manhattan’s West Side.Via Artnet&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419263/syplxqw0qxxumln7y46r.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: The Obama FoundationObama Presidential Center construction</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/nonprofits-philanthropy/obama-presidential-center-chicago-south-side-tour">Inside and around the Obama Presidential Center as it rises in Jackson Park</a>It’s still far too early to tell whether it indeed will be a transformative project, one that will raise Chicago’s profile and change the direction of a big chunk of the South Side for better — or, according to a few critics, for worse.But after years of planning and raising well over $1 billion, the Obama Presidential Center finally has emerged from the ground as a physical presence in Jackson Park, just across the street from Hyde Park Academy High School and a quick walk from the University of Chicago campus.Via Crain's&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/british-museum-cataloging-debacle-2356464">A Weak Cataloguing System Made It Easy to Steal From the British Museum. Institutions Around the Globe Are Reckoning With the Same Vulnerabilitie</a>sGreece’s culture minister Lina Mendoni wrote a blistering commentary in response to the ongoing scandal at the British Museum, where it has come to light that more than 1,500 items from the collection were stolen by a staff member.“The thefts by the responsible curator, but also the proud silence of the leaders who neither take care of their collections nor implement the appropriate security measures, proves that the ‘hospitality’ provided to the Parthenon marbles at the British Museum has always been flawed, incomplete, and problematic,” she stated in opinion piece for <a href="https://www.tanea.gr/print/2023/08/29/opinions/praksi-dikaiosynis-cri-epanenosi-ton-glypton-crtou-parthenona-stin-athina/">Ta Nea</a>.Via Artnet&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 9/10/23

<html><head></head><body><h3>September 9</h3>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419272/u3ahidebn8ylhipnuwak.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/danny-j-martinez-aka-van-dam-one-leopard-brains-solo-show">Danny J Martinez (aka Van Dam One) "Leopard Brains" Solo Show</a>Vertical GalleryOpening: Saturday, Sep 9, 12 – 5&nbsp;pmSep 9 – 30 • West Town‘Leopard Brains,’&nbsp;features more than two dozen new paintings and sketches, all exquisitely rendered in Martinez’s colorful pop-surrealist style.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/vxvytljbvywcvagypjkg.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cameron-spratley-violets-and-daisies">Cameron Spratley: Violets and Daisies</a>M. LeBlancSep 9 – Oct 29 • Logan SquareM. LeBlanc is proud to present its second solo exhibition with Richmond-born, Chicago-based Cameron Spratley, Titled ‘Violets and Daisies’, the exhibition brings together a body of work Spratley has been developing over the past two years.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419274/adurq9fuefjwwtgqbmmz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/deborah-maris-lader-the-air-water-show">Deborah Maris Lader –&nbsp;The Air &amp; Water Show</a>Bert Green Fine ArtOpening: Saturday, Sep 9, 3 – 5&nbsp;pmThru Sep 30 • Michigan Ave. / The LoopDeborah Maris Lader is the founder and director of the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative. She makes prints, drawings, and mixed media artworks, primarily driven by representational styles but with an eye for experimentation. Thematically, her diverse output emphasizes the fragility of life, while celebrating it at the same time. This show is a selection of many years of her printmaking, some of which utilizes non-traditional materials and methods.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419275/hohwnys9ivsh9mafiufp.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ghosts-of-displacement">Ghosts of Displacement</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 9, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmSep 9 – Oct 1 • EvanstonPerspective Photo GalleryThis poignant series delves into the artist's family history, where the echoes of displacement and survival resonate deeply.&nbsp;&nbsp;Through her exploration of photographs, papers, and cherished objects carried by her family across an ocean, Frangos enters a profound connection with the ghosts of the displaced. In each composition, she seeks communion with these spectral figures, honoring their legacy while sharing a post-war migrant experience that resonates with countless others. The series&nbsp;serves as a reminder of the profound impact our family histories have on shaping who we are today.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419276/j269rsomdbsg4qni7ojm.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gallery-closing-event">Closing Celebration for Weinberg/Newton Gallery</a>Weinberg/Newton GallerySaturday, Sep 9, 6 – 9&nbsp;pm • River WestJoin the gallery for a celebratory closing party to commemorate the hard work and creativity of the Weinberg/Newton Gallery team and the numerous exhibiting artists, who worked hard to engage the Chicago community through a wide range of social justice issues through art. Food and refreshments will be served. <a href="https://weinbergnewtongallery.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=13d5172bf37bbf601de9678f4&amp;id=e450e3b5d8&amp;e=dd04d0a94f">RSVP here</a> &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419277/odvrtp1kpsfmb2snhgih.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/kaveri-raina-songs-of-silence-yet-bluebirds-hum">Kaveri Raina : Songs of silence, yet bluebirds hum</a>PATRONOpening: Saturday, Sep 9, 5 – 7:30&nbsp;pmSep 9 – Nov 4 • West TownKaveri Raina’s multilayered paintings emerge from the artist's unique approach to narrative construction; a performed collection of gestures and events that evoke a chorus of abstraction coiled through the threads of visual storytelling. While referencing various sources of imagery from the personal to the art historical, her visual language of recurring, abstract forms are culled from a net of art history, cinema, and fantasy. Painted entirely on heavy, pigmented burlap, Raina transforms the agrarian material into a diaphanous screen across and through which she pours and contours acrylic paint that is then further obfuscated through layers of loose graphite, oil paint, and pastel. Visible on both sides of the porous, rough fabric, the compositions appear as fleeting, momentary constellations of information.&nbsp;<h3>September 10</h3>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419278/rscfra1mh8tcg8jrtdvc.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/scott-wolniak">Scott Wolniak: Crosscurrents</a>GoldfinchOpening: Sunday, Sep 10, 2 – 5&nbsp;pmSep 10 – Oct 21 • East Garfield ParkWolniak's newest&nbsp;paintings can be seen as outward projections of interior spaces,&nbsp;manifesting the artist’s interest in the ways that abstraction can convey a sense of rhythm, transformation, groundlessness, and internal movement. These lively, densely-layered works oscillate between their indexical, physical surfaces and illusory fields of depth, cultivating a non-objective visual language that embodies the energy of natural phenomena, without explicitly depicting it.<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming">VIEW CGN'S FULL CALENDAR HERE&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;#</body></html>

New Exhibitions Open Sept 9 & 10

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419272/jkzuenshxfarddgbnzah.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/maria-tomasula">Maria Tomasula</a>Zolla / Lieberman GallerySep 8 – Oct 14 • River NorthOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmAs long ago as the 1990s Maria Tomasula's paintings incorporated motifs still present in her work including spaces closed off by hanging draperies or textured walls, and cultural artifacts often depicted in midair. What has evolved in her output is the deliberation she brings to rendering her apparitional arrays. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/mwluun3j17sicfjghwxn.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/seeing-race-before-race">Seeing Race Before Race</a>Newberry LibrarySep 8 – Dec 30 • Gold CoastRace is a powerful and challenging concept. When, where, and why did conceptions of race come into being? How might learning about its history help us better understand the complex role that race plays in our lives today?&nbsp;&nbsp;Centuries before the term race came into popular use, people around the world used distinctions like language, dress, class, geography, and religion—in addition to traits like skin color or facial features—to categorize each other. Seeing Race Before Race explores these early expressions of race in medieval and early modern Europe between 1100 and 1800.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419273/mecn0ykc3rblbqrspcoa.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-outsider-in-celebration-of">THE OUTSIDER/ In Celebration Of</a>Carl Hammer GalleryOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 8 – Dec 16 • River NorthA group show of work by historically significant artists within the “Outsider” and self-taught genres, including internationally renowned artists Henry Darger, Bill Traylor, Joseph Yoakum,&nbsp;Lee Godie and others.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419274/qarzzjzcp6yjv8frrgpc.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/robin-denevan-portals-and-passages-new-encaustic-paintings">Robin Denevan: Portals and Passages, New Encaustic paintings</a>Addington GalleryOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 8 – Nov 1 • River NorthThroughout his career, Robin has been inspired by his travels to a few of the world's great rivers. Many of his paintings are based on drawings he did of the Yangtze River in an area that has since been dammed and flooded. It was a unique opportunity to see such a magnificent and haunting landscape. He did these studies during the dry season when sandbars and islands cut the river into many paths.Eschewing the use of a camera as a tool of reference, Denevan relies solely on the charcoal and sketchbooks he brings with him as he and a guide explore these mighty rivers together in small boats and canoes.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419275/wffe0zjyqsbkbtdiidhr.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/bruno-surdo-new-paintings">Bruno Surdo, New Paintings</a>Gallery VictorOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 8 – 30 • River NorthSurdo strives to communicate a message to the viewer – to engage the person in a conversation between what he puts forth and what he or she can then interpret. The interchange of response and curiosity are goals the artist set when composing his ideas. Surdo believes art is a continual form of expression and he feels committed to search for a language that brings his thoughts and feelings to the surface.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419276/ckny93awtcxms4k0np8b.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/adonis">Adonis: This is How Love Arrives</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 8 – Dec 30 • River NorthHilton ContemporaryThis is How Love Arrives is the debut solo exhibition of original works on paper by 93-year-old Syrian Nobel Prize-nominated poet, critic, essayist, and translator, Adonis. Born in Syria in 1930, ADONIS (nee Ali Ahmad Said Esber) is considered “the greatest living poet of the Arab world.” A secularist, he was imprisoned as a young man in Syria for his political views. In 1956, he fled to exile in Lebanon, where he led a modernist movement that revolutionized Arabic poetry. He moved to Paris in 1985 where he has lived for nearly 40 years. In 1997, the French government awarded him the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of the highest honors by the French Ministry of Culture, and in 2012 named him Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor) for not only his poetry, but for his contributions as a thought leader.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419277/jsj70r4teid9ruhlwo4s.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/paul-brourman-chicago-looks-good-on-you">You Wear It Well: Paintings by Paul Brourman</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 8, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmSep 8 – Oct 14 • River NorthJean Albano GalleryWorking mainly in the medium of oils, Paul Brourman’ssubjects include portraiture, landscapes, western subjects related to Montana’s rich history. His works are a product of classical training in contemporary realism with hints of impressionistic brushwork. The works in this show also have a distinctly Chicago theme.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming">VIEW CGN'S FULL CALENDAR HERE&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;#</body></html>

New Exhibitions Open Sept 8: Part II 

<html><head></head><body>Publisher's Note:&nbsp;The start of the fall art season is arguably the biggest of the year. Nearly every gallery and museum opens a major exhibition and there is an energy that is unmistakable. We encourage you to try to see what interests you, visit old favorites and discover and explore new ones too. There is simply no way to see every new show on opening night, so don't limit yourself to which spaces have receptions and free wine. Visit when it's quieter on a Saturday morning or leave work early during the week and go with a friend. Galleries are also more than happy to set up private appointments and tours as well.&nbsp;For these early September exhibition previews we are indicating opening dates as well as neighborhood so that you can plan as best as possible.&nbsp;Happy gallery hopping and enjoy the fall!&nbsp;– CGN&nbsp;<h3>September 7</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419263/gi8c3nedvcnyjo9hinj0.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/love-still-not-the-lesser-d319b8f0-5cc0-4537-b973-2fb4204326ad">LOVE: Still Not the Lesser</a>Museum of Contemporary PhotographySept 7–Dec 22 • &nbsp;South LoopOpening Sept 7, 5–8pmLOVE: Still Not the Lesser brings together 12 international artists uniting across communities to share the ways they’ve encountered and understand love. Together, these artists explore dynamics within sensual eroticism, romantic partnership, family structures, social utopia, and life and death. The exhibition presents a world where love as a universal value of respect and care for all humans has been fully achieved.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419264/kaxtlxk8mdjhmyv9qtec.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/life-cycles">Life Cycles: Learning Studio</a>DePaul University Art Museum (DPAM)Sept 7, 2023 – Feb 11, 2024 • Lincoln Park“Life Cycles” will include artworks from the DPAM's permanent collection in conversation with contemporary Chicago artists who are not yet represented in the collection. With more than 50 artists, “Life Cycles” will feature paintings, sculptures, video, photography, drawings, installation and other multi-media work. Museum staff collaborated with DePaul University undergraduates to select artworks from the collection, write educational texts, and plan public programs.&nbsp;<h3>September 8</h3>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419265/nsfkij1eoviwuxqqp2fy.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/chris-cosnowski">Chris Cosnowski: Morality Play</a>ENGAGE ProjectsSep 8 – Oct 14 • West TownOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmCosnowski takes his hard-edged hyperrealism to another level using allegory, historical reference, and mass-produced objects to question today’s guidelines for moral development. Pairing real objects together to recreate symbols of nationalist ideologies, religious influences, and social constructs, Cosnowski dismantles propaganda simply by asking questions with paint. The title Morality Play references Cosnowski’s light-hearted representations of cultural objects that elucidate just how fragile, yet persistently ubiquitous these ideas can be.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419266/fwonm4jbfuxj50gga7do.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lauren-wy-the-runner">Lauren Wy: The Runner</a>Western ExhibitionsSep 8 – Oct 28 • West TownOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmThe Runner, a new animated film and project series by Lauren Wy, foregrounds her second solo show at Western Exhibitions. Taking a cue from late 60’s and early 70’s films, especially Le Weekend by Jean-Luc Godard, the animation and its attendant sculptural edition distill the spirit of fantasy escapism, of running away into a dream.Wy’s animated film is a surrealist collage experiment utilizing analog processes with digital tools and altered frame rates to create a time-based pseudo-narrative drawing that embraces a raw provisionality. The short film is presented alongside a series of large-scale drawings and paintings on thin, mechanically flat synthetic surfaces.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419267/atdijkptj7hwkxlgmuzx.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/bassim-al-shaker-four-minutes">Bassim Al Shaker: Four Minutes</a>Rhona Hoffman GallerySep 8 – Oct 21 • West TownOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmBassim Al Shaker is an Iraqi&nbsp;artist&nbsp;based in the United States. Bassim was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq, during a period of political conflict and humanitarian torment. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Baghdad College of Fine Arts, with a focus on drawing and painting. His style is the culmination of a background in academic drawing and painting techniques and exploration in contemporary&nbsp;art.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419268/wjyhazj80qvemh5k8nb3.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-the-mist-of-a-great-fall-the-niagara-paintings">In The Mist of a Great Fall: The Niagara Paintings</a>Oliva GallerySep 8 – Oct 7 • Logan SquareOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmIn this, his third solo-exhibition, Curtis Anthony Bozif broadens the scope of his recent work, informed by environments of the Great Lakes, to include the falls at Niagara. This new series of large-scale abstractions, rooted in observation and in place, assay tone and the prismatic color spectrum.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419268/euh41mcl7jim2bfzcvxd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/stephen-burks">Stephen Burks: Spirit Houses</a>Volume GalleryOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 8 – Oct 28 • West TownA series of modern altars, Spirit Houses builds upon Burks’ radical design speculation in the form of six unique typologies contemplating spirituality in our contemporary lives. The accompanying essay “On Cosmologies: Stephen Burks Approaches the Sacred” by Najha Zigbi Johnson, offers deeper reflection into the religio-spiritual origins of Burks’ newest body of work.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419269/nmvxu86vji4wefoali1l.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jimmy-desana-suburban">Jimmy DeSana: Suburban</a>DOCUMENTOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 8 – Oct 28 • West TownDeSana's series Suburban not only challenges the divide between artistic and commercial photography that was still prevalent in the 1970s, but also a range of other commonly held binaries such as male and female, gay and straight, domination and submission, suburban culture and private self-exploration, standardized domesticity and the subjectivity of sexual pleasure, among others. Yet, by staging puzzling domestic scenarios with nude figures under colorful tungsten lights, DeSana did not intend to step into the territory of erotic photography. Instead, he used the body to resignify daily objects and spaces, ultimately shedding light on the strangeness of suburban lives dominated by consumerism.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419270/iwfmh6qejmfpqjwxxxay.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lee-stanton-out-of-the-blue">Lee Stanton: Out of the Blue</a>ARC GalleryOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmThru Sept 23 • West TownAccording to Buddha, “When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.”White on blue. A line.&nbsp;An identifiable path created by a point moving in space. Look up! Lines,&nbsp;a trail of condensed water from an aircraft at high altitude, a white streak&nbsp;across&nbsp;the sky. Intangible,&nbsp;the&nbsp;sky&nbsp;has no surface; it&nbsp;cannot be turned into a thing or given a quantity. It may represent infinity, eternity, immortality, transcendence, or simply inspiration.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419271/qkbxf4bfnip2vq2c4srn.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/reception-tom-robinson-loralyn-kumlin">Tom Robinson &amp; Loralyn Kumlin</a>SoNa Chicago Art GalleryOpening: Friday, Sep 8, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmSep 8 – Oct 14 • Wicker Park / BucktownIn the early months of isolation during the pandemic, artists Tom Robinson and Loralyn Kumlin began renovating a huge vintage dollhouse that they found discarded in a Chicago alley. They collected and furnished the rooms with miniature furniture and accessories and then made miniature copies of their full-scale artwork to adorn the walls of the dollhouse. Wonderful work emerged from that effort as they moved on to create their own structures, paintings, and miniatures. Their new work and the dollhouse are featured in the exhibition.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming">VIEW CGN'S FULL CALENDAR HERE&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;#</body></html>

New Exhibitions Open Sept 7 & 8: Part I

<html><head></head><body><a href="https://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/the-randolph-street-market-celebrating-20-years/9390?fbclid=IwAR3e_7vL_z8z1XkfCI56VytYKV_0J9JlBG6LRAqxMWF3KyhxpKno2C3CW9E">The Randolph Street Market: Celebrating 20 Years</a>Asked to describe her creation, Chicago entrepreneur Sally Schwartz put it this way: the Randolph Street Market is “a unique fancy antiques and vintage market with emphasis on vintage fashion, decorative arts, and arts of all kinds,” she said. But there’s more, and this is key. “It is a city market, for a demographic that is urban, richer, and younger.”Via Maine Antiques Digest&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/09/01/the-week-in-art-british-museum-in-crisisan-in-depth-look">The Week in Art: The British Museum in crisis—an in-depth look</a>In the first episode of this new season of The Week in Art, we talk to Martin Bailey, The Art Newspaper’s London correspondent, about the <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/keywords/british-museum-thefts">thefts scandal at the British Museum</a> and its implications for the museum in the future.Via the Art Newspaper&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419263/s7mdpfqqhvxehf8q61r8.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Chihuly at the Boathouse, his Seattle studio. Photo ©Chihuly Studio. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/dale-chihuly-the-boathouse-studio-2356390">Step Inside Artist Dale Chihuly’s Stunning Seattle Studio, Filled With an Epic Antiques Collection and His Otherworldly Glass Forms</a>You may think you know all there is to know about <a href="https://www.artnet.com/artists/dale-chihuly/">Dale Chihuly</a>, master of glass, whose delicate handblown creations take the medium to the realm of fine art.But stepping inside the Boathouse, the former Seattle boatbuilding workshop on Lake Union that has served as the headquarters of his artistic production since 1989, reveals a museum-like space that celebrates not only Chihuly’s curvaceous, colorful glass forms, but the artist’s many decades of collecting both art and antiques.Via Artnet&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 9/5/23

<html><head></head><body><blockquote>The start of fall means new exhibitions and fresh endeavors, and it’s the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes who give us so much to look forward to. we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.</blockquote>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419263/lbr9u8769ash3fibgkvw.jpg"></figure>Erin Harkey –Chicago Deptartment of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)&nbsp;“At the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, also known as ‘DCASE,’ we serve as a collaborative presenter, arts funder and advocate for creative workers throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. Chicago is one of the greatest cities in the world for arts and culture—and our working artists generate billions in economic revenue for the city. There is so much to look forward to this fall—from the return of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the launch of a new theater season and the citywide World Music Festival Chicago, to name a few.&nbsp;Taste of Chicago in Grant Park celebrates the diversity and culinary talent of our city this September. The landmark Chicago Cultural Center is a must-see, always brimming with free visual art exhibitions, performances, films and more programs by DCASE and our partners. Then my favorite start to the holiday season is the City’s annual Tree Lighting in Millennium Park followed by skating at the McCormick Tribune ice rink.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419264/jtjxepq3lhkdcffv9sj8.jpg"></figure>Patrick Hull –&nbsp;Vertical Gallery“My interests continue to expand, both as a collector and as a gallery owner. I’m loving the surrealist resurgence, especially work in the pop-surrealism category, and adding new pieces to my personal collection. Several upcoming Vertical Gallery shows are focused on pop surrealism: in September, we have “Leopard Brains,” the first solo show from Danny J. Martinez (a.k.a. Van Dam One), an emerging artist at the vanguard of the pop surrealism movement, followed by two group shows: “New in Town” is curated by Blake Jones, and “Ode To” is curated by Joseph Renda Jr. We’re also returning to SCOPE Miami Beach Art Fair in December to present a solo show featuring another pop surrealist, the French artist Flog.Vertical recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary and moved to a new location within West Town (just a half-mile from our previous location), and we want to thank everyone for their continued support. We’re keeping our format of monthly exhibitions and introducing new artists to the Chicago market, and in 2024 we’ll branch out via exhibits in other U.S. cities and by increasing our participation in international art fairs.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419264/vxxnsfbrospqxajhxzhk.jpg"></figure>Roberta Kramer –&nbsp;Heritage Auctions“This season Heritage Auctions brings fresh energy, creative curation, and new partnerships into the gallery. Our auction previews in River North are becoming more dynamic with cross-category curation, and we’re making natural and thoughtful connections by showing stunning photographs with iconic prints &amp; multiples. Unexpected combinations, such as sneakers paired with modern &amp; contemporary art, are playful and equally on point. Shaking things up in the gallery invigorates our team and introduces Heritage Auctions guests to categories they may have otherwise passed over.&nbsp;Beyond an opportunity to see rare and precious items up close before bidding, we take pride in creating a welcoming setting where friendly experts are available to build relationships. With this in mind, Heritage is deepening our Chicago connection by supporting the River North Design District, participating in Design Chicago, and expanding our reach at EXPO CHICAGO.&nbsp;&nbsp;Heritage Auctions Chicago continues growing, with specialists available to support the Midwest in more than 50 collecting categories. It’s a pleasure to evolve with our community and enjoy these enduring relationships.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419266/f6vidpxck0vhwnsjq2bf.jpg"></figure>Floating Museum –CAB5: This is a Rehearsal“Floating Museum’s creative leads – Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, Faheem Majeed, Andrew Schachman, and avery r. young – have brought their vision for multidisciplinary, community-driven, and site-responsive projects to the Chicago Architecture Biennial for this year’s CAB5: This is a Rehearsal. At the helm of CAB5, Floating Museum has invited 90 contributors from across the globe to experiment, coact, and collectively reimagine what a resilient, equitable, and thriving city might look like in an era of superimposed crises. With horizontality as foundational to Floating Museum’s conception of “rehearsal,” the team is excited to ideate and fabricate in community with artists, architects, builders, designers, educators, municipal departments, non-profit organizations, activists, innovators, and attendees, all as equal contributors to this year’s Biennial. Though CAB5: This is a Rehearsal will close in early 2024, Floating Museum hopes the myriad connections fostered through the event will act as new beginnings for further experimentation towards the compassionate urban futures we so critically need.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419267/mtuei6zlqjra9oigsejf.jpg"></figure>Kavi Gupta –Kavi Gupta Gallery“The Kavi Gupta team is celebrating a landmark year of growth. Our publishing arm and bookstore, Kavi Gupta Editions, designed and published a dozen new artist books, spotlighting Tomokazu Matsuyama, Arghavan Khosravi, Alfred Conteh, and Michi Meko, among others, including a major hardcover catalogue published with EXPO CHICAGO documenting Skin + Masks, our philanthropic collab with rapper and activist Vic Mensa. We helped produce Beyond the Horizon, a hardcover book documenting two Jeffrey Gibson exhibitions: Beyond the Horizon at Kavi Gupta and Sweet Bitter Love at the Newberry Library. We also helped realize multiple new public sculptures, including Dancer, a large-scale work by Matsuyama in New York’s Flatiron Plaza.&nbsp;We’re celebrating our first solo show with Seneca artist Marie Watt, open through Sept. 30. It debuts a long wished-for project we helped produce: ambitious new hanging sculptures Watt made from traditional Indigenous jingle cones, which relate to healing. We brought in multiple internationally recognized Indigenous dancers to activate the works. We’re excited for our fall exhibition with Chicago artist Nikko Washington. And we’re gratified Jeffrey Gibson will represent the US in the Venice Biennale. We’ve fostered Jeffrey’s practice for five years, producing his most important and ambitious performances and projects. All this growth signals that our mission to support marginalized voices by encouraging and amplifying their ideas is impacting the culture.”&nbsp;</body></html>

Fall 2023 – Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to

Via PR1 SEPTEMBER 2023Wright is honored to announce <a href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=80cb983bd1&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec">EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT: The Collection of Jason Pickleman</a>, a September 14th auction celebrating the work and vision of beloved Chicago artist, designer, collector, and gallerist Jason Pickleman. Once described as "a dancefloor mainstay of Chicago," Pickleman is recognized for his artistic vision, playful demeanor, and remarkable generosity, and this auction is a rare opportunity for art enthusiasts to immerse themselves in his creative world.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/images/6277f59b-71e5-ab6f-61fc-40b3e5390a0b.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;Amassing art since he was a teenager, Pickleman attended Boston University where he studied English literature—and met Leslie Bodenstein, who would become his partner in life and at JNL Graphic Design. The pair founded the studio in 1992, working from a decommissioned post office in Chicago's River North area and merging their art and design sensibilities with tremendous success. "To live in Chicago is to encounter Jason Pickleman’s work," according to the Chicago Tribune, and local clients have included Millennium Park, Avec, Blackbird, Time Out Chicago, Chicago Transit Authority, Poetry Foundation, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, EXPO Chicago, and the Field Museum. Beyond the Windy City limits, JNL has worked with clients including the Prada Foundation and Skinny Pop Popcorn, for whom they designed Warhol-inspired packaging.&nbsp;The space between commercial and contemporary art has been of the utmost importance to Pickleman, who has defined himself by his ability to move effortlessly through these worlds as both an artist and collector. Pickleman was among the creators featured in the 2007 exhibition Young Chicago at the Art Institute of Chicago, and his art now resides in the institution's permanent collection. His works have been shown at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Chicago Design Museum, Ken Saunders Gallery, and the Neon and Light Museum, among others. In 2021, he created a monumental sculpture for Sculpture Milwaukee and this celebrated work, <a href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=5700255f77&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec">Hand Heart</a> (est. $30,000-50,000), leads EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT.&nbsp;As testament to his unorthodox and open-hearted ethos as a collector, Pickleman opened his collection gallery Lawrence &amp; Clark in 2015, named for the Chicago intersection where it stood. Here, Pickleman curated and installed works from his own collection, throwing open the doors to the public to be seen again (and again) by anybody who wanted to drop in. "Much of the work in EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT would have been on exhibit at Lawrence &amp; Clark," Pickleman says. "When a collector buys a work of art, it usually gets sequestered away, and publicly seen again only very rarely. The gallery was a way of giving my collection a second public life."&nbsp;Pickleman has long been an ardent supporter of rising talent in his chosen city, tirelessly making his own circuit between galleries, thesis exhibitions, and less formalized art spaces. Of his personal taste, Pickleman noted, "I’m most interested in ambiguity and pieces that seem strange or awkward; living with them fuels my creativity." The works featured in this auction reflect Pickleman's eclectic tastes, ranging, for example, from a Gaetano Pesce <a href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=b5d9df2168&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec">Amazonia vase</a> (est. $1,000-1,500) to Jenny Holzer's <a href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=2411707b80&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec">Inflammatory Essays</a> (est. $1,500-2,000) to infamous self-taught Chicago artist Wesley Willis's <a href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=710070fd51&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec">World Trade Center&nbsp;</a>drawing (est. $1,000-1,500).&nbsp;"I never thought much about the distinction between being an artist, designer, and an art collector," Pickleman says. "Each role informed and reinforced the others." With trust in his own taste and an infinite commitment to showing up for Chicago's art communities, Pickleman has built a unique collection that reflects his endless curiosity and creativity. "Jason has been a friend and colleague for many decades," says Richard Wright. "He and Leslie designed my very first advertisement back in 1992. It is an honor to work with them both for this special auction."&nbsp;&nbsp;The full selection of works featured in <a href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=45dacbea27&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec">EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT: The Collection of Jason Pickleman</a> will be on view at Wright in Chicago from September 9th to 14th with gallery hours of 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, and 10 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday. The auction will begin at 11 am central on Thursday, September 14th, and accommodates advanced bids, telephone bidding, and live online bidding. For further information, please reach out to <a href="mailto:press@wright20.com?subject=Press%20Inquiry%3A%20The%20Collection%20of%20Jason%20Pickleman">press@wright20.com</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=78b448ffa0&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec">VIEW AUCTION</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/images/b14af85c-7162-773c-4121-23585d6abbf3.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Jason Pickleman, &nbsp;<a href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=5700255f77&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec">Hand Heart</a></figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/_compresseds/dd4238ff-8c6e-3a6b-d5dd-54f230b84348.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>113&nbsp; JASON PICKLEMAN A Parallel American 1; A Parallel American 2 (two works)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/images/55670be8-b839-aff7-9653-ba705831da12.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>307&nbsp; JASON PICKLEMAN Hourglass (from the Icons series) (two works)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/_compresseds/864405a0-5f6d-ce06-cac9-afed1d20849b.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>134&nbsp; JASON PICKLEMAN Arrows (six works)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/_compresseds/9de33a5e-821d-b077-6272-3dd5cc2400f7.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>215&nbsp; JASON PICKLEMAN Metal Typeball</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/images/f3c0b67c-8250-e697-d16f-a78fc53dd3c1.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/images/3aca564d-ce75-132b-bc02-91dc9c2f7393.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>304&nbsp; GAETANO PESCE Amazonia vase and Gaetano Pesce: Le Temps des Questions (book)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/_compresseds/93b8d441-98f4-eff8-84b0-5f6b7e06a5ed.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>292&nbsp; BEN FOCH Newport Beach #10</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/_compresseds/0eea8bab-0b15-25b1-aaeb-bf2e034298f7.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>135&nbsp; JUDY LEDGERWOOD Untitled #22</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db/_compresseds/ed2f32b5-9251-3bb3-bde6-db9833b1f1da.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>184&nbsp; CHRISTOPHER PRINZ Wrinkled Bench (Raw Yellow Iridescent)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wright to Celebrate Chicago Legend Jason Pickleman with 'EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT'

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419263/khnhjoclleh7svhbxaar.jpg"><figcaption>Only in the Dark, 2023. Created by Dr Yiyun Kang. Courtesy of ART on THE MART.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Via PRCHICAGO, IL – ART on THE MART, an innovative digital art project that transforms a Chicago architectural landmark into a larger-than-life canvas, celebrates its 5th anniversary this fall with work by two veterans in the field of digital and video art. The 2023 fall programming will feature a new commission by the acclaimed Dr. Yiyun Kang, esteemed in the field of projection mapping and immersive art, and the return of the popular projection by the renowned Charles Atlas. Dr. Kang and Atlas’s projections will be on view nightly at 7:30pm CT from September 14 to November 15, 2023. &nbsp;“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Kang to Chicago and ART on THE MART. As such a groundbreaking artist in the realm of projection mapping and immersive art, it’s exciting to see her vision be realized on THE MART,” said Cynthia Noble, Executive Director of ART on THE MART. “In celebration of our 5thanniversary, it’s also hugely exciting to welcome back Charles Atlas, whose career is deservedly booming right now. We look forward to having him in Chicago again.”&nbsp;Responding to humanity’s environmental crisis and the unfathomable power and intelligence of AI technologies, Dr. Kang’s site-specific commission Only in the Dark will unfold over three immersive scenes that mix digital animations with AI-generated imageries to explore how we can think collectively about a more inclusive future. The work begins with a scene depicting the shifting structure of THE MART, alluding to a new beginning. The second scene uses biophilic designs to illustrate the coexistence of nature and humans. Ending with a hopeful future, the final vignette depicts a human dancing in water surrounded by a beautiful halo created from the light bouncing off the water’s surface.&nbsp;‘Only in the Dark’ is presented in partnership with Superblue, where Dr. Kang is the latest addition to the gallery’s artist roster. &nbsp;&nbsp;In creating ‘Only in the Dark,’ Dr. Kang was inspired by THE MART and its history and position as a leader in sustainable practices. Owned and operated by Vornado Realty Trust, THE MART is an architectural icon and an internationally recognized leader in culture, design and technology. Known colloquially as a “city within a city,” THE MART opened as the largest building in the world in 1930 and has continuously evolved to incorporate the latest in environmental practices. In 1996, THE MART became one of the first major properties in downtown Chicago to adopt the district cooling system to reduce the discharge of CFCs. THE MART was awarded its LEED certification in 2007 and its Fitwel certification in 2018, earning the title of largest Fitwel-certified building in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419264/mqifpcyprquvx9x5d2hf.jpg"><figcaption>The Geometry of Thought, 2019. Created by Charles Atlas. Courtesy of ART on THE MART</figcaption></figure>“To escape our current darkness, this work suggests using non-binary thinking,” Dr. Kang said. “Building upon THE MART’s history of contributing to environmental solutions, I hope ‘Only in the Dark’ will help us to consider new ways of thinking to address some of the most pressing issues facing us today.” &nbsp;Reflecting on its five years of empowering artists to create innovative new work, ART on THE MART’s fall 2023 season will revisit Charles Atlas’s celebrated projection, The Geometry of Thought, which first debuted in fall 2019. The site-specific work features a&nbsp;characteristic combination of abstract shapes and numerals unfolding over eight chapters. The chapters will begin with a splash of color starting at the base of THE MART’s façade and rising to the top of the turrets, animating and exploring the iconic structure and architecture. Atlas has been a pioneering figure in film and video for over four decades. He has extended the limits of his medium, forging new territory in a far-reaching range of genres, stylistic approaches and techniques. In December 2023, the Art Institute of Chicago will also have&nbsp;The Years&nbsp;(2018),&nbsp;a recently acquired work by Atlas, on view in their&nbsp;galleries. ART on THE MART will then bring the projection back for a 1-3 day pop up timed to the opening. &nbsp;“I am thrilled to return to the beloved city of Chicago with ‘The Geometry of Thought’ animating THE MART’s façade,” said Atlas. “It is a truly unique platform for an artist to create work for and it’s been exciting to watch the program develop over the last five years.”&nbsp;ART on THE MART can best be experienced from the jetty section of the Chicago Riverwalk on Wacker Drive between Wells Street and Franklin Street, where accompanying audio can also be heard. ART on THE MART is presented in collaboration with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and is complimentary to all viewers.&nbsp;For more information on the 2023 season, please visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=ejmDrstLsKgZJLOItgn3EXl1sVb7zKa2ug7uWS6TcLYUC59lBNDyr0JoXCfUi7D9e7hAvHv4Eo6sjL0BD8lqz1LcG9Gv5-2BH9ShU-2F9qH66Ek6k3lSzWBjSIuZpcS2s-2BQsgfHL0lIpmNqj2yabHLop4g-3D-3DimPc_BYLPtpUivDHORxxkVXshLCRT3wjV7CgXbLJWP9J5MP-2BvAdgfICCFFHxnTjvEhUHLATit0Q8QLp1LC-2BEz94L006GhxlNRp8PQ8ByadGauC7daKnEKiKKxEIs4yCfldzUjvpEstC6T-2FTmal-2FjTKU2OHQFAtRRgMYLzyb3gK458yEK0guY1CnhrnChl1V0lXk-2FTna5hq0caUpQWLHv8bUlwJLMkRJmWDY3BogsnjttV6AWvQ3QTjap8JLjMAUuuBQ-2BrEAISQm2MCJC9DU5p-2BCOuBO250cFlh-2B0eYrZRoQnJTtXiTZJYS8-2Br5klFX5HUd8HlS76hLfCRqZA88lmqli3upJBSGwfN4jYMK6a-2FT2F-2BngjYbzTaKdeEjEJp9lc1UgcvoOtJYlmC1c5P4vpVecslFFzPizWuq5dNMKSNGoTV2z5iKXRUvC5UDAe3YpclH7F0C1-2BWh3Lme-2Bnjm9e98Fta9oupLlFOPSqXQOvyxRvmPl8KdqgxMdts3TgcqKiCah7Sn0prNyurpgh-2BizOaA3lUzH9qJN-2B-2FvuKfRvYfCq-2BjNvTMtb1EkGjFglHB1P5W9ZIpiiqwYi1l02c1dOjptjfeIbMJ1e9btCTUvPbRUfsdGv3eHy0j9e8PfgjXispusXHI8Z4-2F-2FThmwVY0i1MjHVhsaBxCndnbITTWX24bvyReH0cb59Cr5gEGzXlf03Mwhn5GDOs7qHTIzw2R2a-2FzVWQ498x959EI-2BtSr-2BsKZ0WLYr6Ew-2BIeQqvVEbhLiGKNcjpLUaBL6Ftvg-2FrJNQTCcmJJPCOmCXwGEkdAIVJue8rl0cbvpRLE-2FcIPvyrADhYtWUbgpa8qm5mb9eM0uCikRo3UVU4HFzKgrpuOyiexiLJB4C8g7OaXR9JtETGbHg5nZBo2FxrtaMOS1zxNDV3-2BTT4P3vbm3NCBKUn42ic6yDfK6rSm2na3sCS6pgR14MQG8RMCWlin-2B03okFJoxsxbTiOTklg-3D-3D">artonthemart.com</a> or follow #ARTonTHEMART.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

ART on THE MART's 5th Anniversary Season Features 2 Site-Specific Commissions

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419263/vpvpgogj4qe0jcegtldy.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com/andrewrafaczgallery">Andrew Rafacz Gallery Closes Temporarily Due to Truck Through Window</a>Shared via Facebook this week:&nbsp;"Five planets were retrograde: Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto. The cosmic turbulence of late summer was too much to contain the apocalyptic power of Roxanne Jackson’s ceramic sculptures.On Sunday morning, August 27th at 2:44 am in Chicago, a black pick-up truck made a shocking sharp left turn into the gallery’s front window, smashing ceramic vessels, cakes and cockatoos to smithereens. The driver was soon a shadowy figure, fleeing the accident and disappearing into the humid night, leaving behind an uncanny crime scene of ceramic shards and rubble.An active investigation is ongoing. As a result, we are sad to report that our current exhibitions are now closed, and we are temporarily suspending our programming as we rebuild and regroup. We are determined, however, to prevail from this strange and unsettling setback. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or inquiries during this time."&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saic.edu/news/saic-students-win-aia-chicagos-award-architecture?fbclid=IwAR2ZBOFvqQxzvYQTBSF9XQnMWCKGWDSzhjk3jFizu92imExGa8MZNT7DDqU">SAIC Students Win AIA Chicago’s Award in Architecture</a>SAIC architecture graduate students Rui Wang and Ziqi Huang were awarded the American Institute of Architect Chicago Foundation’s Student Awards in Architecture. The AIA Chicago Foundation supports Chicago’s architectural community through scholarships, awards, and grants. Every year they hold a juried competition of student projects from universities in the Chicagoland area to recognize the innovative young talent working in this city.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419264/ahnijgzbo7uw2ug1suq0.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.facebook.com">Woman Made Gallery Starts Online Teaching Social</a>WMG shared "We're starting a new series on our socials where we teach you about different women artists, art HERstory, and fun art techniques. If you have any ideas for future posts, shoot us a DM! Anyways, swipe to learn more about the pioneer of abstract art, Hilma Af Klint.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/teachingtuesday?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZU4xc_6ysjjrN30jb2lcpQV2mdCxZKbg4YWluDzpc9HrCNuuRWiYDpq2AOGAT75Gi-rlCcTWCv41Sf4sa3p4-93rBB8rmxK8XMLLOkvEfZmRUuUj9QsioIQu74AFXRsN2tzMl3nKN-rasEW_CsVfp5HnEkXbrGKJKXvbRBHJQ9ADgI5x9G9y4INoEAgDPfklXI&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#TeachingTuesday</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

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