<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418973/p6opya8qtu8no9sr7ju5.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alex-katz-the-white-coat">Alex Katz: The White Coat</a>Opening: Friday, Oct 22, 2021 5 – 7&nbsp;pmGray WarehouseCreated between 2020 and 2021, Katz’s White Coat paintings are based on the likeness of Vivien Bittencourt, a photographer and filmmaker, and the artist’s daughter-in-law. Across these eleven portraits, Katz paints Vivien in a variety of dynamic compositions unified by a brilliant light blue ground color. With a discerning eye for color, form, and economy of line, Katz upholds the immediacy of portraiture while balancing the specific and abstract, intimate and remote, geometric and gestural.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418974/zxkspmee94xl9jgaigj6.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/there-is-still-magic-here-a-solo-exhibition-of-oil-paintings-by-jennifer-cronin">There is Still Magic Here: A Solo Exhibition of Oil Paintings by Jennifer Cronin</a>Opening: Friday, Oct 22, 2021 6 – 10&nbsp;pmElephant Room Gallery“There is Still Magic Here” is a new series of paintings illustrating everyday, overlooked landscapes as an agent for exploring the wonder in our daily lives. Over the past year, Cronin began the habit of taking daily walks. It was during these walks that she would stop to photograph seemingly mundane urban surroundings which in that moment, beckoned to her. The resulting paintings are a rich representation of the magic the artist felt when viewing these landscapes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418975/lm84mih04rdv63jcvqhe.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-balm-art-for-black-women-s-wellness-6385ba85-b706-40f7-b255-a48a279588ed">The Balm: Art for Black Women’s Wellness</a>Opening: Friday, Oct 22, 2021 6 – 8&nbsp;pmSouth Side Community Art CenterThe Balm: Art for Black Women’s Wellness&nbsp;emerged as a collective artists’ action. Eight women who engage the time-honored tradition of using their artistic practice to give vision and form to our healing have contributed work across a variety of media and points of view. Themes emerged organically, with works that stand in both testimony and conversation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418976/b7sp3afqv25b1awnudoy.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ryan-licht-sang-bipolar-foundation">Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation</a>Oct 22 – 24, 2021Zolla / Lieberman GalleryThe juried artwork in INSIGHTS IV, as well as those from the previous exhibitions, has been generously donated to the Foundation’s Permanent Exhibition Collection by the artists.&nbsp; Now comprised of more than 70 pieces, including paintings, photographs, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics and textiles, the Permanent Collection will be the basis of traveling exhibitions to give voice to artists with Bipolar Disorder and to reduce the stigma associated with it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418977/keubkepoh6lvqi3fx23y.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/nontraditional-materials-exhibition">Nontraditional Materials Exhibition</a>Opening: Saturday, Oct 23, 2021 6 – 9&nbsp;pmDragonfly GalleryNontraditional Materials Exhibition showcases artwork that is beyond classical painting and sculpture. Dragonfly Gallery will highlight artists experimenting with unexpected materials and unconventional methods of creating. Transforming the materials to create extraordinary artwork.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418978/srakirxbfhnlqkx2hxvb.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jessica-stockholder-specific-shapes">Jessica Stockholder: Specific Shapes</a>Opening: Saturday, Oct 23, 2021 5 – 8&nbsp;pmKavi Gupta GalleryStockholder's&nbsp;work is created in response to, and incorporates, the contemporary flood of consumer products made with industrial materials and processes; it inhabits and confronts a world where those who make and consume such objects are also hyper-aware of the threat they pose to human existence. Stockholder leverages the ways our use of technology has altered our relationship with the surfaces of our devices, which disguise their internal mechanisms. Incorporating these concepts and objects into her compositions, she allows for myriad meanings and references to accumulate, resulting in works that remind us how important form is to all areas of life and that it has political resonance.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start October 22 & 23

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418973/qobzlbb2assvtifwlj3g.png"></figure><a href="https://hilton-asmus.com/on-the-road-again/?v=32aec8db952d">Hilton | Asmus Contemporary Hosts Splashy Party with Cindy Crawford in the Name of Charity and Art&nbsp;</a>Hilton | Asmus Contemporary hosted an exclusive evening with supermodel Cindy Crawford and world- renowned British fine art photographer David Yarrow to celebrate the opening of their exhibition CHANGING LANES on Oct. 9 in their new, second space in Bridgeport at the Morgan Arts Complex. The presentation featured Yarrow's newest works, including a re-creation of Cindy's iconic 1992 Pepsi ad, with proceeds benefiting the UW Kids Cancer Program, where Crawford's brother was once treated for Leukemia. Hilton | Asmus is also located in River North.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418975/k2t1se2zzu0sjvsm7x9q.png"></figure><a href="https://wgntv.com/morning-news/around-town/around-town-checks-out-par-excellence-redux-the-back-9-at-elmhurst-art-museum/?utm_source=EAM+Mailing+List&amp;utm_campaign=e50235730f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_24_08_17_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_2e43eedea7-e50235730f-374555725&amp;mc_cid=e50235730f&amp;mc_eid=9f943455be">WGN Around Town checks out ‘Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9’ at Elmhurst Art Museum</a>WGN News gives a preview of this unusual, interactive art exhibit at Elmhurst Art Museum. Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9&nbsp;promises an unusual twist on a familiar pastime. Book a tee time for the second edition of this show.&nbsp;Via WGN&nbsp;Zhou Brothers Unveil New Sculpture&nbsp;On October 12 the Zhou Brothers unveiled Red Angel statue, a gift to Chinatown in memory of the late Bernie Wong, founder of the Chinese American Service League (CASL). The sculpture is at the corner of Princeton Avenue and Tan Court, in front of the Chinese American Service League&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 10/18

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418973/kjbxh18rdkha9azmxgp6.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/michelle-wasson-on-feronia">Michelle Wasson: On Feronia</a>Opening: Friday, October 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418974/af49jpfhhgtu526nweim.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lily-pad-showcase-five-year-anniversary-a6dd7cfa-74c0-43a1-be0d-f461cca7e126">Lily Pad Showcase: Five Year Anniversary</a>Opening: Friday, October 15, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmLily Pad | West&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418975/qzdxevx7akh9jgx9fxb1.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/weekend-bash-studio-sale">Weekend Bash &amp; Studio Sale</a>Opening: Saturday, October 16, 12 – 5&nbsp;pmCircle Contemporary (Arts of Life)&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418976/ca2vmnxixrlhtpy4lsxr.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/kandinsky-the-rediscovered-bauhaus-sketchbook-1c01d593-1fe1-4520-865d-ded48eca3834">Kandinsky: The Rediscovered Bauhaus Sketchbook</a>Opening: Saturday, October 16, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmUkrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA)&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418976/uma7a1hsrbgbtxzo6go8.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/georges-coulomb-play-on-color">Georges Coulomb: Play on Colour</a>Opening: Saturday, October 16, 3 – 8&nbsp;pmExpression Gallery of Fine Art&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418977/qesoo953hj92nuagq5f0.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/still-life">Still Life</a>Opening: Saturday, October 16, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmThe Franklin&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418978/zfmraibai0atefssmmla.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/dan-oliver-afire">Dan Oliver: Afire</a>Opening: Sunday, October 17, 1 – 4&nbsp;pmEvanston Art Center&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start October 15 - 17

<html><head></head><body>Via PROn September 28, Hindman Auctions set a new world auction record for Martin Wong’s Persuit (El Que Gane Pierde - He Who Wins Looses), 1984, which sold for $1.1 million in its Post War &amp; Contemporary Art Auction. Offered with an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000, the work saw competitive bidding and received strong interest from museums and private collectors, with a U.S. institution ultimately emerging as the winning bidder. The painting is from Rumsey Hall School, a coeducational boarding and day school in Washington, Connecticut.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418973/x6uuobupyetpvd4amc20.jpg" alt="page1image26704304"><figcaption>Persuit (El Que Gane Pierde - He Who Wins Looses), 1984. Price Realized: $1,100,000</figcaption></figure>Persuit (El Que Gane Pierde - He Who Wins Looses) emerged as the top lot in the Post War &amp; Contemporary art auction and was among seven auction records set in the sale. The work is acrylic on canvas and measures 48 by 72 inches.Rumsey Hall School was founded in 1900 by Lillias Rumsey Sanford of Seneca Falls, New York and moved to the current Washington campus in 1949. Persuit (El Que Gane Pierde - He Who Wins Looses) was donated to Rumsey Hall School in 1989 by Allen Finkelson, a parent of three Rumsey Hall graduates and former long-term trustee and board chair.“The thrill of setting an auction record with the sale of this tremendous painting is even sweeter knowing that the proceeds of the sale will benefit the student experience at the Rumsey Hall School,” shared Zack Wirsum, Hindman’s Senior Specialist for Post War and Contemporary Art. “More thrilling still is the knowledge that the work is going to an institution where it will continue to have widespread attention and can educate the public about the specialized magic of Martin Wong.”Martin Wong, born in Portland Oregon in 1946, came of age in the heady California dreamscape of late 1960s San Francisco. Wong, an openly gay man of Chinese ancestry, found acceptance in the open- minded hippie counterculture while working mostly in ceramics and performance art. Wong earned the most recognition in the Bay Area for his draftsmanship, as well as the nickname Human Instamatic for his ability to crank out $7.50 portraits at street art fairs. It was not until moving to New York’s Lower East Side in 1978 that he turned to painting as his primary creative expression.Wong is recognized for his merging of social realism and visionary art styles, as well as considering themes such as ethnic and racial identities. He became known for documenting New York City in his works. This piece captures the city in the gritty 1980s and the way in which urban life can feel imposing, particularly for the underrepresented.Persuit (El Que Gane Pierde - He Who Wins Looses) captures an ominous, authentic and gritty New York night and illusionistic wooden frame peppered with poetic phrasing, typically borrowed from his often collaborator Piñero. In his signature uncommon social-meets magical-realist fashion, Wong champions the underdog, the underrepresented, the unseen, while also revealing the unique and flawed glory of these ignored individuals.Bidding for the September 28th auction was available live, and via phone, the Digital Bid Room, Hindman’s recently launched online and mobile bidding platform, and three other online bidding platforms.&nbsp;Hindman continues to welcome consignments for upcoming Post War &amp; Contemporary Art auctions.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418974/xvj7eaqitkstq5rkyehm.jpg" alt="page2image26703472"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418975/cvam8lfqnztjkbwini5t.jpg" alt="page2image26692656"></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Hindman Sets World Auction $1.1 million Record for Martin Wong 

<html><head></head><body>By CGN StaffThe Great Chicago Fire began on the evening of October 8, 1871 and raged for two more days.&nbsp;The fire is a legend around the world, the stuff of stories and history books, far from the reach of modern day life, though we live its after effects every day without even knowing it.&nbsp;Around the city several arts institutions are marking the century and a half since fire through immersive, creative exhibits. Some highlights and related shows are below.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418973/nbu7abq4kpflmqj0hcpk.jpg"><figcaption>The Currier &amp; Ives lithograph shows people fleeing across the Randolph Street Bridge. Thousands of people literally ran for their lives before the flames, unleashing remarkable scenes of terror and dislocation. "The whole earth, or all we saw of it, was a lurid yellowish red," wrote one survivor. "Everywhere dust, smoke, flames, heat, thunder of falling walls, crackle of fire, hissing of water, panting of engines, shouts, braying of trumpets, roar of wind, confusion, and uproar."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currier_and_Ives">Currier and Ives</a> - Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-23436)</figcaption></figure>Chicago History MuseumThe Chicago History Museum has been under construction for months now but is reopening in time to mark the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire and to welcome visitors back to new spaces and an expansive exhibition covering the history of the fire itself.&nbsp;Chicago's busy streets were taken over by flames for three days, overwhelming a city built of wood and causing severe destruction. After the fire died, recovery efforts exposed deep social and economic inequalities when more than 100,000 people became homeless, and society placed blame upon the Irish immigrant O'Leary family. The devastation also sparked change and regrowth in Chicago by introducing new fire safety guidelines and rebuilding as the resilient city known today.  &nbsp;One hundred and fifty years later, City on Fire: Chicago 1871  guides visitors through the crucial events and conditions before, during, and after the fire—many of which draw striking comparisons to today's social climate. This family-friendly exhibition features more than 100 artifacts from the Chicago History Museum's collection, interactive and multimedia elements, and personal stories from survivors of the fire. The exhibition is designed for families to&nbsp;learn, explore, and&nbsp;discover&nbsp;the impact the Great Chicago Fire had on the city and the people who lived here. Featured in the City on Fire: Chicago 1871 exhibition is a 40-feet-long painting study created as a guide for a larger Chicago Fire Cyclorama painting, which was displayed in Chicago in 1892-93 in a round building constructed for visitors to have an immersive experience.Full exhibition info available at the museum's special website <a href="https://www.chicago1871.org/about">Chicago1871.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418974/q51fznfs7cqgydivfe2r.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://driehausmuseum.org/programs/detail/fiery-night">The Driehaus Museum</a>Part of the museum's Story Time: Fiery Night on Saturday, October 9 at 9:30 am and 11:00 am.&nbsp;A child-friendly introduction to the Great Chicago Fire in a historic setting. Guess who’s coming to the Marble Palace for tea? Chicago’s own Mrs. Catherine O’Leary and the Nickersons’ neighbor, Mrs. Anna Tree! History comes alive during Story Time as kids meet these historical figures to hear a personal account of their experiences in 1871 and about the fire that changed everything. Mrs. Tree will recall one unforgettable incident through a reading of Fiery Night: A Boy, His Goat, and the Great Chicago Fire, by Sally M. Walker and Kayla Harren - a true story of strength, courage, and love that is part of the history of the Driehaus Museum neighborhood.<a href="https://46316.blackbaudhosting.com/46316/tickets?tab=3&amp;txobjid=358ab190-20b4-4968-821e-06fb7f996bd3&amp;mc_cid=4b5e10917f&amp;mc_eid=UNIQID">BUY TICKETS </a>$15 for one adult and child; $5 for each additional child&nbsp;Wrightwood 659On view now is <a href="https://wrightwood659.org/exhibitions/romanticism-to-ruin/">Romanticism to Ruin: Two Lost Works of Sullivan and Wright</a>, an exhibition that &nbsp;attempts to conjure the essence of two long-gone masterpieces. Louis Sullivan’s Garrick Theatre Building in Chicago stood for only sixty-nine years and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Building in Buffalo lasted only forty-four years,The <a href="https://e.wordfly.com/click?sid=MTQ0MV8xMjY4XzEwNDZfNzM4MA&amp;l=2e95df88-6c26-ec11-a826-0050569d9d1d&amp;utm_source=wordfly&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=RomanticismtoRuinweek3&amp;utm_content=version_A">Great Chicago Fire</a> actually had an impact on the design of the Larkin Building in Buffalo, NY, some 30 years later.The threat of fire held a special significance for John D. Larkin,&nbsp;who was&nbsp;an eyewitness to the vast destruction&nbsp;of&nbsp;the Chicago fire of 1871.&nbsp;The original Larkin &amp; Weller soap-manufacturing business was located on Halsted Street in Chicago, a couple of blocks from the edge of the fire. Larkin&nbsp;insisted&nbsp;that Frank Lloyd Wright design an&nbsp;"absolutely fire-proof construction." In response,&nbsp;Wright created a&nbsp;steel-framed building that was clad in brick inside and out. Of course in the end, it wasn't fire that destroyed the Larkin&nbsp;Building,&nbsp;but mankind's blinding urge for&nbsp;"progress," resulting in the 1950 demolition of Wright’s masterpiece to make room for a truck barn.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

150 Years Since the Chicago Fire – Marking The Anniversary Through Art

Via PRThe organizers of Intersect Chicago (formerly known as SOFA) shared a brief announcement Wednesday that they have decided to postpone the November 2021 fair. The fair was scheduled to open in less than a month, opening November 4 in its traditional home in Festival Hall on Navy Pier. &nbsp;&nbsp;As the pandemic continues, the health and safety concerns expressed by our community of dealers, collectors, and cultural partners have led us to the difficult decision to postpone the November 2021 edition of Intersect Chicago / SOFA. We appreciate the support and interest we received in planning the event and will keep you updated on the new dates of Intersect Chicago / SOFA. Our commitment to culture and community in the region remains strong, and we will continue to bolster our Chicago-area partners.&nbsp;When CGN knows more we will update our website and share details.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Intersect Chicago (Formerly SOFA) Postpones Upcoming November Fair

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418963/lpqfoklol7u2w8t27qas.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Cave and Bob Faust's expansive building-wrapped mural at 679 N. Michigan Ave, image by James Prinz</figcaption></figure>Via PRThe Magnificent Mile®&nbsp;has recently installed a&nbsp;monumental, multi-story public art installation, entitled&nbsp;Rapt on The Mile,&nbsp;created by renowned artists&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=6711e67a02&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Nick Cave</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=50db606a07&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Bob Faust</a>. The vibrant mural, which now wraps the 679 N. Michigan Avenue building, is presented by&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=ccf8ea0aef&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">The Magnificent Mile® Association</a>&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=fed6c2d5b9&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">EXPO CHICAGO</a>&nbsp;and key support and funding from&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=43bbf0d886&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">World Business Chicago</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=c5c96aa652&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Choose Chicago</a>,&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=0b11870eeb&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">City of Chicago</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=370635a494&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago</a>, <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=7bcd10aacc&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Northern Trust</a>, <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=a064d19351&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">The Peninsula Chicago</a>, and <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=cc78aa69e7&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Water Tower Realty</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; Rapt on The Mile&nbsp;is designed to act as a multi-story beacon inviting Chicagoans and visitors from around the world to enjoy all that iconic Michigan Avenue has to offer. It will be on display&nbsp;through January 31,&nbsp;2022.&nbsp;Installed by&nbsp;Creative Graphics Management, the vinyl piece spans more than three stories and&nbsp;wraps 6,000+&nbsp;square-feet.&nbsp;The expansive building-wrapped mural utilizes iconic images and layered colors to create a three-dimensional garden, evocative of a fertile migratory hub, much like the way Cave sees the city. Rapt on The Mile also contributes to the long legacy of public artwork produced by Nick Cave, and its debut precedes the first career-spanning retrospective of the internationally renowned artist entitled – <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=e7300aba8c&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Forothermore</a> (May 14 – October 2, 2022) at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. In addition to the Michigan Avenue installation, Faust’s exhibit,&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=48107622ef&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">with all, and still…</a>, is currently on display at The Peninsula Chicago with a direct tie to&nbsp;Rapt, not just by adjacency, but also subject and style. View full press release <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=6e5f78e476&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">here</a>.&nbsp;Take a Piece of Rapt on The Mile Home with a Limited-Edition Print&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/feab88d1702b05fff44372e88/images/4cc1d326-5661-69c4-8515-fd1870d16033.jpg" alt=""></figure>Rapt on The Mile draws inspiration from Head Dressed, a&nbsp;limited-edition print and poster&nbsp;created by Nick Cave and Bob Faust for EXPO CHICAGO's 2019 edition. In collaboration with the&nbsp;Rapt&nbsp;reveal and celebration, the limited-edition print is&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=8d25e3bec6&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">on sale now</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; Proceeds from the sale of the original&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=4facee4149&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">limited-edition print</a>&nbsp;go to the&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=5891920514&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Facility Foundation</a>&nbsp;– which provides scholarships and opportunities for emerging artists;&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=b6c03429ef&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">The Magnificent Mile® Association</a>&nbsp;– a private, non-profit membership organization with a mission of preserving, promoting and enhancing the City of Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue business district; and EXPO CHICAGO’s&nbsp;<a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=2364e7c905&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">Curatorial Initiatives</a>&nbsp;— which seeks to promote the development of curators and foster the international dialogue between artists and institutions in Chicago and the greater Midwest.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO Announces Large Scale Michigan Ave. Installation by Nick Cave and Bob Faust 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721420196/ohwv120qgfyxjunp40le.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/opening-celebration-for-smart-to-the-core-medium-image">Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago</a><a href="https://uchicago.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aba2086a45b4ee8391b89447b&amp;id=9f5daebdbf&amp;e=00938adab1">Smart to the Core: Medium / Image&nbsp;</a>Opening: Wednesday, Oct 6, 2021 5 – 7&nbsp;pmExplore the social and perceptual impact of visual culture at this special opening of Smart to the Core: Medium / Image. With the exhibition designed and curated around the University of Chicago’s popular “Media Aesthetics” course, the opening will include a gallery walkthrough, remarks from curators and faculty, light refreshments, and a unique visual experience.<a href="https://uchicago.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aba2086a45b4ee8391b89447b&amp;id=20610feb6d&amp;e=00938adab1">RSVP for the opening</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418963/ixd5hbtvtstizvalx98m.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/common-gesture">Oliva Gallery</a>&nbsp;Common GestureOpening: Friday, Oct 8, 2021 5 – 10&nbsp;pmSlow or quick, direct or indirect, gestural marks have an immediate response to the surface that they associate themselves with. These marks celebrate materiality and highlight passages of the body’s movement through space. Gestures not only accentuate time, but they have the potential to organize or disrupt a composition. In the works of Lisa Marie Barber and Sarah Dupré there is a clear embracement of line, color via paint or glaze, and play upon surface texture.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418964/qz6ewc1etuixzirp6vid.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/shahidul-alam-we-shall-defy">Wrightwood 659</a>Shahidul Alam: We Shall DefyOct 8 – Nov 27.&nbsp;Wrightwood 659 presents&nbsp;Shahidul Alam: We Shall Defy. We Shall Defy includes photographs by Alam and his community of artists and activists, as well as illustrations, verse, and more by three additional artists: Amal Akash, a singer-songwriter and visual and performance artist based in Dhaka; Alam’s niece Sofia Karim, an architect and visual artist in London; and New York-based filmmaker, writer, photographer, and installation artist Naeem Mohaiemen and the King Kortobbyo team. Together, their work explores the turbulent path that Alam and his team have navigated in their struggle to achieve justice and equity.The primary focus of the exhibition is a series of 9 large banners that are inspired by an ancient form of Bangla art—Patachitara, cloth scrolls containing detailed depictions of mythical narratives. The banners in the exhibition are printed with photographs by Alam and 14 artists, thereby integrating the contemporary and ancient methods of storytelling while expanding on the turbulent experiences of the Bangladeshi people.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418965/moj2ty7xhrjnuil6ejr1.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/spirits-of-the-sand-and-sea-george-klauba">Hofheimer Gallery&nbsp;</a>Spirits of the Sand and Sea: George KlaubaOpening: Friday, Oct 8, 2021 5 – 8&nbsp;pmSpirit Sailors roamed the dry sandy deserts of Australia, finding kinship with Aborigines through their tattoos and totems.&nbsp; They came from battles in the Pacific during WWII, their souls searching together for home and the heavens.All artwork is inspired by the book "The Walkabout of Sailor Jim" by Judith Lloyd Klauba and George Klauba.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418966/kawggjcek4kekjq3r4yp.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/thinkspace-presents-at-vertical-gallery">Vertical Gallery</a>‘LAX / ORD III: Growing the Focus’October 9 – 30. Opening reception Saturday, October 9, 12–6pm.Featuring a mural installation from Langston Allston plus a group show featuring 3 small works from 24 additional artists. LAX / ORD is a group exhibition showcasing new small format works by some of the most relevant and exciting artists working in the New Contemporary Art Movement. Connecting the West Coast art scene to that of the MidWest’s, this survey exhibition will feature local and international artists curated by one of the movement’s most active and respected proponents: Los Angeles’ Thinkspace gallery.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418966/gzj7t0e4wahqnzec6uai.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/indira-freitas-johnson-the-resonance-of-emptiness">Evanston Art Center&nbsp;</a>Indira Freitas Johnson: The Resonance of EmptinessOct 9 – Nov 14In <a href="https://www.evanstonartcenter.org/exhibitions/indira-freitas-johnson-resonance-emptiness">The Resonance of Emptiness</a>, Indira Freitas Johnson explores the concept of emptiness and the interconnectedness of all things offering viewers an aesthetic experience of emptiness and stillness while exploring the shifting distinctions between strength and vulnerability, permanence, and decay, and the extraordinary and mundane.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418967/fb0oqzw6nzgds8l1wnim.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/american-society-of-marine-artists-north-regional-exhibition">Krasl Art Center&nbsp;</a>American Society of Marine Artists North Regional ExhibitionOct 9 – Nov 28The American Society of Marine Artists is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to recognize, encourage and promote marine art and maritime history. Their National Exhibition travels to KAC’s galleries this fall to highlight the beauty in and around water.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418968/sxa2lwmczutfrh5t0azk.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/5th-midwest-open-juried-by-alison-wong">Woman Made Gallery</a>5th Midwest Open, juried by Alison WongOctober 7 – November 6. Reception: October 9th, 4 – 7 PMArtist Walkthrough: November 6th, 3:30 PM&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions October 6–9

The Art Institute's Docent Firing Drama in two parts (so far)&nbsp;• Original editorial from the Chicago Tribune: <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-art-institute-docents-firing-20210927-dfrho66bjba2bp27phz2yndwzu-story.html">Editorial: Shame on the Art Institute for summarily canning its volunteer docents</a>• Response Op-ed from the Chair of the Board of Trustees: <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-art-institute-docent-change-response-20210930-himtjin2xne2jkkkb7hzz5xpra-story.html">Op-ed: The Art Institute — and its critics — must embrace change</a>• <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/letters/ct-letters-vp-092921-20210928-gbyhrtorv5dm5p35ymvdzitpai-story.html">Letters in response</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/09/30/old-town-developers-tap-world-class-architect-to-design-projects-in-the-neighborhood/?utm_source=cred-thursday-alert-dealmaker&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=20210930&amp;utm_content=article4-readmore">Old Town Developers Tap David Adjaye to Design Projects In The Neighborhood</a>Developers have recruited architect David Adjaye to overhaul several properties in Old Town, including the site of the old Treasure Island Grocery Store.Adjaye, known for projects like the National Museum of African American History and Culture, was selected to design buildings owned by Fern Hill and Moody Church, a historic non-denominational Christian Church at 1635 N. LaSalle Drive.Via Block Club&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/10/04/lucas-museum-acquisitions">Museum of Star Wars creator George Lucas goes on buying spree with international, if not intergalactic, focus</a>When the filmmaker George Lucas announced his plans to build the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art nearly a decade ago, the idea of “narrative art” seemed as flimsy as a makeshift Hollywood stage set. To many, it simply seemed like a superficial way of grouping the comics, illustration art and Norman Rockwell paintings that Lucas has long collected along with some beloved Star Wars art, costumes and other artefacts from the extensive Lucasfilm Archives. &nbsp;But these days, with construction of the museum in Los Angeles well under way (the projected opening is in 2023) and a string of recent acquisitions, the museum’s interest in visual storytelling and mythmaking—as well as myth-busting—is evolving. The focus is extending well beyond the fantasy of an innocent white America featured in Rockwell’s work to include art by major Black and Latino artists.Via The Art Newspaper&nbsp;&nbsp;Thumbnail image: A docent and tour group consider "American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman), 1968" by David Hockney, in the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago on Aug. 25, 2014. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

What We're Reading: 10/4/21

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418963/i4ehsk0l47awssqnq9a5.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By CGN StaffSaatchi Art's The Other Art Fair is back in Chicago this week for its third edition in the city. After bouncing around to a couple venues and seasons the fair is now part of the fall calendar and is coming to the West Loop to Revel One, an expansive site on Fulton Market.&nbsp;As always TOAF differs from other international art fairs because of its emphasis on independent artists and affordable art.&nbsp;We will be checking out the fair in advance on Thursday, but here for you, courtesy of the fair organizers, is a list of the top 10 things to experience at The Other Art Fair Chicago. Plan ahead and then see everything for yourself!&nbsp;One item not on the list, but which of course should be, is that CGN will once again have a fair booth on-site (booth #109). Stop by to see us in person, say hello, or pick up a copy of the 2021 CGN Arts Guide and the fall 2021 magazine!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Sneak Peek at The Hoxton<a href="http://www.thehoxton.com/">The Hoxton Hotel</a> will display works of art from four Chicago-area artists including <a href="https://www.saatchiart.com/elliscollage">Allie Ellis</a>, <a href="http://www.britnimara.com/">Britni Mara</a>, <a href="https://www.saatchiart.com/account/profile/1750821">Yoora Lee&nbsp;</a>, <a href="https://www.saatchiart.com/kaisersmith">Yvette Kaiser Smith</a> as a preview to the Fair’s opening.&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Meet the Artists and SHOPShowcasing works by over 120 talented artists, all of whom have been specially selected by an expert-led selection committee. The Other Art Fair provides art lovers with the opportunity to discover and buy art directly from the very best independent artists. For a full list of artists, visit <a href="http://chicago.theotherartfair.com/">http://chicago.theotherartfair.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Special Exhibit: Arts of Life x Duck Feet<a href="https://artsoflife.org/">Arts of Life’s</a> Ricardo Partida is a Mexican-born, Chicago-based painter who will make his curatorial debut at the Fair to create Duck Feet. The exhibit will feature 20 artists currently living and working in Chicago, a city that champions individuality and each artist is influenced by the inevitable hybridities found in the art styles of their community.&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Up and ComersAs part of The Other Art Fair’s continued mission to break down traditional barriers of the contemporary art world, New Futures, presented by <a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/">Colossal</a> is designed to launch the careers of talented emerging artists including free exhibition space and mentorship. Chicago-based Artists include: <a href="https://www.saatchiart.com/andreacoleman">Andrea Coleman</a>, <a href="https://www.saatchiart.com/ashleybradley">Ashley Bradley</a>, <a href="https://www.saatchiart.com/tiannabracey">Tianna Bracey</a> and Francine Almeda.&nbsp;5. Screen Printing<a href="http://www.allstarpresschicago.com/">All Star Press</a>’s installation will pull back the curtain on the screen-printing process. Attendees of the Fair will get an inside look at the messy, chaotic process of printmaking, this process will draw contrast with the beautiful, error free final prints that the process makes possible. Artists <a href="http://www.griffingoodman.com/">Griffin Goodman</a>, <a href="http://www.kellyknaga.com/">Kelly Knaga</a> and <a href="http://www.sentrock.com/">Sentrock</a> will each paint a new piece, which will then be deconstructed to create a series of totally unique limited edition monoprints.&nbsp;6. FriYay! Friday Late with AMFMJoin The Other Art Fair and <a href="http://www.amfm.life/">AMFM</a> on&nbsp;Friday October 1, 6:30-10pm&nbsp;for Friday Late. Enjoy a curated program of music, performances and special events including a DJ set by <a href="http://www.joshuadubman.com/fire-aux">DJ Fire Aux</a>.&nbsp;7. Illustration Corner with Society6Each day of the Fair, the Illustration Corner will feature a series of talented illustration artists from across Chicago creating 60 second illustrations. Lucky attendees will take home a free, original work of art!&nbsp;First come, first serve.&nbsp;8. Interactive Mural by Emmy Star BrownChildren under 12 gain FREE entry to the Fair. Let kids unleash their artistic flair and participate in creative art activities suitable for all ages including a mural wall created by Chicago-based painter and muralist, <a href="http://www.emmystarbrown.com/">Emmy Star Brown</a>, known for her bold use of color. The mural will have shapes and lines open allowing attendees to join in on the creative process.&nbsp;&nbsp;9. Photo FinishView and shop a collection of works by emerging Photographers, Lois Bielefeld, Stephanie Taiber and&nbsp;Jonathan Castillo. <a href="https://www.filterphoto.org/">Filter Photo’s</a> mission is two-fold: first, to serve and support the photographic communities of Chicago and the Midwest; and second, to highlight Chicago as a vital center of the national photographic community.&nbsp;10. Soul &amp; Smoke Food TruckCalling all foodies, <a href="https://soulandsmoke.com/">Soul &amp; Smoke</a>, will be serving their delicious, slow roasted meats and sides outside the Fair so you won’t go hungry while shopping and exploring art.&nbsp;SHOW HOURS AND FAIR DATES Thursday, September 30: 6pm – 10pm Private View // Preview Evening Friday, October 1: 3pm – 10pm Saturday, October 2: 11am – 7pm Sunday, October 3: 11am – 5pm&nbsp;For more information, to view the&nbsp;Safer Fair Plan&nbsp;and to purchase tickets, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theotherartfair.com/chicago/">https://www.theotherartfair.com/chicago/</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

The Other Art Fair Returns to Chicago This Weekend 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418963/yjntxveqqv0ww4nefgap.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/hannah-levy-surplus-tension">Hannah Levy: Surplus Tension</a>Opening: Thursday, Sep 30, 6 – 7:30&nbsp;pmArts Club of ChicagoCrafted of such evocative materials as steel and cast silicone, her forms at once evoke inanimate decor and sensual beings. In Hannah Levy: Surplus Tension, Levy departs from the specificities of the Arts Club’s Miesian aesthetic of shiny terrazzo, travertine cladding, or sumptuous silk and velvet drapery to reflect upon the underside of mid-century modern. She delves into the details of an architectural moment that is commonly held to be characterized by clean lines and white walls to find corsetlike leather ties around tubular metal chairs or mirror surfaces in black marble akin to reflecting pools. Levy further calls into question the gendering of that aesthetic by acknowledging the contributions of Mies’s longtime collaborator Lilly Reich, who early on used textile to inventively demarcate space as Mies did in his design for The Arts Club rooms.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418964/do865vlknxzx2islzqrs.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pop-up-exhibition-and-book-signing-kirill-polevoy-chasing-light">Pop-Up Exhibition and book signing Kirill Polevoy, Chasing Light</a>Opening: Thursday, Sep 30, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmGallery Victor ArmendarizA self-taught photographer, Kirill Polevoy, first started making photographs with an old Russian film camera "Zorki"&nbsp;in 2003. In 2010, he switched to the digital format and primarily works in black and white. Kirill currently resides in Chicago, where he concentrates on street photography with an occasional landscape.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418965/nlxcokjnlj4uc0ct128q.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jason-brooks-forever-golden-memorial-exhibition">Forever Golden: The Life and Times of Jason Brooks</a>Opening: Friday, Oct 1, 6 – 10&nbsp;pmElephant Room GalleryElephant Room Gallery presents an October 1st - 15th retrospective exhibition honoring legendary graffiti and street artist Jason “The-7-ist” Brooks Golden. The event will memorialize and pay tribute to the 7th year of his passing by sharing previously unreleased works including paintings, drawings, wheat pastes, zines, letters, photos of tags and murals, some of which will be available for sale.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418965/nxjrqv0aycc7kbaywri9.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/looking-up-photographer-henri-dauman">Looking Up: Photographer Henri Dauman</a>Opening: Friday, Oct 1, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmThe Art Center Highland ParkThe Art Center Highland Park in partnership with The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Arbor Terrace Highland Park is thrilled to be bringing the incredible work of internationally renowned Life Magazine Photographer, Henri Dauman, to our galleries.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418966/kuwu42cdnuwh35yaqcil.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-form-by-which-to-be-possessed">A Form By Which To Be Possessed</a>Opening: Friday, Oct 1, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Artists Coalition (CAC)In this exhibition, Taghavi’s multitude of paintings exploit a single character: a sigil, an occult letter-form believed to cast a spell upon its viewer. The sigil derives from a book of talismans, The Secrets of Qasemi, by the 15th-century Persian poet and scholar, Hussein Va’ez Kashefi, in which the power of flight is promised to its viewer.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418967/rkutgv4bvz86rdgpoezz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/kina-bagovska-song-after-song">Kina Bagovska: Song After Song</a>Opening: Friday, Oct 1, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmARC GalleryKina&nbsp;studies&nbsp;and explores the symbols of handmade&nbsp;embroidery from Bulgaria and how they are transmitted across generations. In her most current series of paintings, she attempts to reevaluate the aesthetics of the traditional craft and how its assigned value changes nowadays. To emphasize the semantics she combines symbols from Bulgarian embroidery and texts from modern poetry.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418968/jms3tewnaelfai5vgpqp.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/anjali-srinivasan">Anjali Srinivasan</a>Oct 2 – Nov 7Ken Saunders GalleryThe originality and force of these works is nearly breathtaking. The artist’s Quiver Bowls are created from a combination of silicone and super reflective blown glass that result in forms that are biomorphic, soft, shapeless. The artists mirror paintings and fabric sculptures are fiercely original kaleidoscopic explosions that strongly reference the opulent interiors of the 17th century Indian architectural history.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418969/bxfb2mntccpmo6dlpntz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/steve-geer-stories-to-be-written">Steve Geer: Stories To Be Written</a>Opening: Saturday, Oct 2, 6 – 7:30&nbsp;pmPerspective Group + Photography Gallery, Ltd.In his series “Stories To Be Written,” objects discovered by chance by walking the sidewalks of Chicago are shown in their found context – the ground on which they rest and the towering environment around them. Their unwritten stories are like latent images waiting to be developed with the experience and personal bias of the viewer.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start September 30 - October 2

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418963/wlwt4iksk32wxqnjl0i4.png"></figure><a href="https://www.architecturalrecord.com/women-in-architecture">Amanda Williams Receives 2021 Architectural Record Women in Architecture Design Leadership Award</a>RECORD has announced the 2021 winners of its&nbsp;<a href="https://rhoffmangallery.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ef43352ef9557e0524662970b&amp;id=4dbd5f26f8&amp;e=c50eb07ba1">Women in Architecture Design Leadership awards</a>, which recognize and promote the role of women in the profession in the U.S. across five categories: Design Leader, New Generation Leader, Innovator, Activist and Educator. Now in its eighth year, the award’s winners for 2021 are Design Leader Annabelle Selldorf, New Generation Leader Amanda Williams, Innovator Julie Bargmann, Educator Deborah Berke, and Activist Tamarah Begay. Through their efforts in design and in tackling broader social challenges, these five women have proved to be inspiring leaders in the field of architecture and beyond.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418964/twy4dpbas9hwebevz7ws.jpg"></figure><a href="https://terrainexhibitions.org">Terrain Biennial is Back</a>The 2021 Terrain Biennial runs from October 2nd - November 15th, 2021 in the Chicagoland area and satellite locations nationally including New York and internationally in India.&nbsp;This year, the Terrain Biennial aims to find spaces of joy and community essential for collective healing in these times of isolation, public reckonings, and mourning. Sharing much of the same sentiment as yearbook signatures and pen pal letters, this year’s biennial theme is K.I.T. (keep in touch). After more than a year of lockdown, participants are encouraged to consider how their projects serve communities, encourage lived experiences of art, and facilitate deepening friendships and new connections.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.wpr.org/sites/default/files/styles/embed-landscape/public/design_submission_of_shinsaku_munemoto_of_shinsaku_munemoto_associates_architects_.jpg?itok=KY2OHA1z" alt="Rendering of a possible Cold War memorial in Kenosha County"><figcaption>This is a rendering of one design. Rendering courtesy of Tawani Enterprises</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.wpr.org/chicago-billionaire-pritzker-bringing-cold-war-campus-wisconsin">Chicago Billionaire, Pritzker, Bringing Cold War Campus To Wisconsin</a>Design teams from the United States, Italy, Japan, and Jordan are competing to build a Cold War monument in western Kenosha County.Design teams from Japan, Jordan, Italy and the United States are competing to build a Cold War memorial in Kenosha County, Wis.&nbsp;The competition is part of a larger plan to create a campus on nearly 290 acres in Somers to commemorate the Cold War.Chicago billionaire and founder of the Chicago-based Pritzker Military Museum &amp; Library retired Col. Jennifer Pritzker is behind the project.&nbsp;<a href="https://chicagoscomeback.org/?utm_source=CNL%20Art%20Consulting&amp;utm_campaign=61e7cf11d8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_03_01_05_43_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_99ec04cd2a-61e7cf11d8-107428223">Chicago's Comeback Mural</a>Cortney Lederer and CNL Projects worked with Sport for Good Chicago (an initiative of <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=996b7d1efb&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Laureus USA</a>) to curate and facilitate the production of a traveling mural by Chicago artist <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=9df75154b4&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Damon Lamar Reed </a>with fabrication support by artist and designer <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=b1d4791be9&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Caroline Robe</a>. Painted for the month-long Chicago's Comeback campaign, We Play, We Heal, We Grow! the mural was first unveiled at the Crosstown Classic, uniting Chicagoans around the power of sport to help kids heal and thrive. The mural is now traveling around Chicago nonprofits focusing on sports and youth.&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 9/28

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418952/kep4rtjdrz4nauqomaqd.jpg"><figcaption>One of two collections on permanent display is the Early Wisconsin collection, unveiled in 1998 upon Wisconsin’s sesquicentennial. Photo: Jamie Stukenberg Photography</figcaption></figure>By JACQUELINE LEWIS<a href="https://wisconsinart.org">The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MoWA)</a> is celebrating their 60th Anniversary in 2021. Located in West Bend, Wisconsin, MoWA started as a small, hometown gallery and has flourished into one of the leading regional art museums in the country, dedicated to showcasing the art of Wisconsin artists as well as offering a dynamic cultural community just outside of Milwaukee. Back in 1961, founder Melitta Hedwig Suder-Pic opened the institution with her two daughters in honor of her uncle, artist Carl von Marr. At the time not even the founders could have imagined the museum’s future growth.The Museum of Wisconsin Art is commemorating this achievement throughout this year with exhibitions and activities focused on female success. Exhibitions and events celebrate their founder and countless other women visionaries of Wisconsin.This July they celebrated with a community Birthday Bash, in conjunction with the opening of their new exhibitions Claiming Space: A New Century of Visionary Women and Carey Watters: Tiny Cuts. The opening celebration relaunched studio classes at the museum, along with an artist meet and greet – a fitting event that captured the sentiment of the moment, the survival of the museum during a challenging year, and offered a look towards the future: 60 years, and going strong.&nbsp;Claiming Space is on view through October 3, 2021. Just as Melitta Hedwig Suder-Pic funded visionary women of her time, this exhibition honors Wisconsin’s current cohort of innovative women, showcasing art from female artists across the state who work in an array of media. The artists can finally “claim space” in museums that were historically dominated by men.Tiny Cuts is on view until September 12, 2021 and displays Carey Watters’ detailed paper reliefs that capture her feelings of distress and marginalization. The tiny pieces of paper were painstakingly cut from their original source and brought to new life as fragments hanging onto a new source. Watters created the works to demonstrate the difficulty in finding emotional and physical support in society, especially as a woman.&nbsp;MoWA is located at 205 Veterans Ave. West Bend, WIVisit <a href="https://wisconsinart.org">wisconsinart.org</a> for information&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418953/epqpxbhgmmaodah7c5ea.jpg"><figcaption>Beth Lipman’s InEarth, Glass, wood, metal, paint, adhesive, 2017, is part of Mowa’s permanent collection, as well as 5,000 other works of art. Photo: Jamie Stukenberg Photography &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418954/fafdaujgujrg243mpecf.jpg"><figcaption>Works on view at the opening of Carey watters: Tiny Cuts, on view through September 12</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418954/niyanhv2ncl0ftxyhkgt.jpg"><figcaption>Visitors to Claiming Space: A New Century of Visionary Women, on view at mowa through October 3. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418955/vupjfkbmnnvpb75xumr1.jpg"><figcaption>MoWA is located less than 40 miles from Milwaukee, and 125 miles from Chicago &nbsp;</figcaption></figure></body></html>

Six Decades Proud: The Museum Of Wisconsin Art Marks a Milestone of Celebrating Local Artists

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418963/xivwlzggyldzkllsijjv.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/crip">Crip*</a>September 23Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418964/n3bn0jlbb8wccqjnlvqn.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/smart-to-the-core-medium-image">Smart to the Core: Medium / Image</a>September 23Smart Museum of Art&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418965/x9neawos2vfd0hyiuy3k.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/romanticism-to-ruin-two-lost-works-of-sullivan-and-wright">Romanticism to Ruin: Two Lost Works of Sullivan and Wright</a>September 24Wrightwood 659&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418965/qhxmd4qhd93qf0tuygpg.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/yoko-ono-mend-piece">Yoko Ono: Mend Piece</a>September 24Tarble Arts Center&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418966/qurabsfjj8opue8u6kvf.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/toward-common-cause-art-social-change-and-the-macarthur-fellows-program-at-40-wendy-ewald-and-amalia-mesa-bains">Toward Common Cause: Art, Social Change, and the MacArthur Fellows Program at 40 Wendy Ewald and Amalia Mesa-Bains</a>Opening: Saturday, September 25, 2 – 5&nbsp;pmWeinberg/Newton Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418967/d3gm94z7nzbbzuudebc0.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/dimitri-pavlotsky">Dimitri Pavlotsky: Portraits Inside Out</a>Opening: Friday, September 24, 7 – 10&nbsp;pmFirecat Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418968/mmvfpxrtgrdrckjm5nyi.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/group-show-curated-by-kennedy-yanko">Surface is Only a Material Vehicle For Spirit</a>Opening: Saturday, September 25, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmKavi Gupta Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418969/c9i5yzqscjv9rzwjyv4t.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/woody-de-othello-hope-omens">Woody De Othello: Hope Omens</a>September 26John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start September 23 - 26

<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/christo-wrapped-arc-de-triomphe/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab6i&amp;linkId=132392163&amp;fbclid=IwAR1NzVoorBf6BUVZrsYNc1FqsIzlIBCRoNEv0YC5XoxBJcjQJn3aNKKd_Ec">Christo's dream unveiled: A wrapped Arc de Triomphe</a>In Paris this weekend, traffic stopped and crowds gathered to see the Arc de Triomphe transformed: the huge monument wrapped in shimmering, fabric, tied in place with red rope – the colors subtly emulating the French flag.&nbsp;It's the creation of the artist known simply as Christo. But when Christo died last year at 84, finishing the project became a mission for Christo's small team of three: his nephews, Vladimir Yavachev and Jonathan Henery, and studio manager Lorenza Giovanelli."All the design was done," said Henery. "Every rope, every fold, every pleat, is exactly, exactly and precisely the way Christo designed it. It will be his baby. We're just finishing it for him."Via CBSThumbnail image: Christo's long-planned dream of the wrapped Arc de Triomphe.&nbsp;CBS NEWS&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/raisin-exhibit-brings-seminal-chicago-play-to-life/357a5b9e-1dc4-4045-9c09-328f835116a4?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=Web-Share&amp;fbclid=IwAR3xcdDqWm1xpa8UTf7naYKkG6B0tHQjwLa7IjGMkxNx0dhvNZ6HhMVUeVQ">Artists Bring Themes From ‘A Raisin In The Sun’ Home To Chicago</a>A new art exhibition explores themes from “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry — the seminal play set in Chicago — where local and global artists wrestle with the theme of “home.”Via WBEZ&nbsp;<a href="https://news.wttw.com/2021/09/16/sounds-18th-street-unites-mexican-artists-across-us-new-music-festival">‘Sounds of 18th Street’ Unites Mexican Artists From Across US in New Music Festival</a><a href="http://nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/">The National Museum of Mexican Art</a> will hold its first ever music festival with help from Mexican artists around the country. It’s called Sonido Dieciocho or <a href="https://nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/events/sonido-18-fest">Sonido 18 Fest</a>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;the theme “Sounds of 18th Street” pays homage to its location.“For a lot of the South Side Mexicans and Latinos, it wasn’t known as Pilsen it was known as La Dieciocho,” says Jorge Valdivia, the museum’s director of performing arts. “That’s how it was commonly referred to way back in the day. Now ‘Pilsen’ is used to refer to it a lot more. So it’s sort of paying homage to La Dieciocho and how we used to identify Pilsen as.”&nbsp;Via WTTW&nbsp;<a href="https://lit.newcity.com/2021/09/20/a-boone-for-poetry-in-conversation-with-the-foundations-new-president/?fbclid=IwAR1Zi3iaHF80krxpRc8nYl5D0KfIqTME4S3vecmW1HmSHyrrbzaQ8Cm0WZ8">A Boone for Poetry: In Conversation with the Foundation’s New President</a>In a 1999 profile published in the New Yorker, the writer Malcolm Gladwell described the “Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg.” Weisberg was the city of Chicago’s first commissioner of Cultural Affairs, serving from 1989 to 2011, when she retired at the age of eighty-one. The essence of the story was that she was one of those people who knew everybody—a “connector”—for jobs, for collaboration, for friendship.The irony is that if Gladwell’s story were to be written today, it would be about the woman who stepped into Weisberg’s formidable—and legendarily extravagant—shoes when she succeeded her as the Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Michelle Boone.Via Newcity&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

What We're Reading: 9/20

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417561/i3nnnwp5y7jt1zabdwmm.jpg"><figcaption>Margo Wolowiec, Look to the Oceans, 2020, Handwoven polymer, linen, sterling silver leafed thread, reflective mylar emergency blanket from disaster preparedness kit, deadstock organic cotton, dye sublimation ink, acrylic ink, mounted on linen support. 46 1/2 x 72 inches &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>BY ALISON REILLYMargo Wolowiec, who lives in Detroit and studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), uses a complex process involving digital image manipulation, transfer paper, and a floor loom to create arresting textiles that, from a distance, read as paintings. Inspired by current political and social conditions, Wolowiec considers how existential threats like climate change are expressed through our increasingly digital lives. This fall, her work will be featured in an exhibition showcasing artists from the Midwest at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: How have the past 18 months since the pandemic started been for you (as an artist)? How has your art practice changed during this period?Margo Wolowiec: The pandemic has been a challenge for me, the early months especially drained my energy levels. It’s been pretty inspiring that a lot of artists and musicians have put out some really beautiful and thoughtful work throughout the pandemic, but for me it was a low time creatively. I do think it has influenced my practice quite a bit though. I have been making new work that I feel really connected to, I’ve been taking much more interest in my own mental health and wellbeing, so I’ve also slowed my pace; I say no to things more than I used to, and I take care to protect my energy. I feel like the work I’m currently making is a reflection of that right now.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: When did you know that you wanted to be an artist?MW: I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. I was encouraged at a young age by my art and music teachers to pursue the arts. For a while I thought I’d study piano, but as I got older I became much more interested in painting and drawing. I begged my parents to help me go to art school. It was a tough sell, but I eventually convinced them that it was the only thing worthwhile, and they helped send me to SAIC. I’ve been focused on building a career as an artist ever since and worked service industry jobs for quite some time until I could make the switch to a full-time studio practice. I can’t see any other way of living—I know I’ll be making art in some form for the rest of my life.&nbsp;CGN: What was your experience like at SAIC? Do you still have connections to the city of Chicago?MW: My time at SAIC was really expansive, and the interdisciplinary model really worked for me, especially since my understanding of art was pretty limited going in. I really had only a background in drawing and painting, so being able to take classes in any discipline and learn printmaking, lithography, darkroom photography, fiber and weaving, as well as the critical and theoretical foundations of each discipline, was eye opening for me. I fell in love with weaving while at SAIC and have been weaving ever since. I still have a lot of connections to people I went to school with, so many shows I do or lectures I’m invited to give are through SAIC connections. I also met some of my favorite artists and mentors at SAIC - Christy Matson and Josh Faught have been especially supportive. I have learned so much from them and am a huge fan of their practices.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417561/ahd2qhymonpt4anldkel.jpg"><figcaption>Margo Wolowiec,11 Cities, 2019 Handwoven polymer and linen, dye sublimation ink, acrylic paint, indigo dye, reflective mylar from emergency preparedness kits, hot rolled steel 70 x 66 inches</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: How did growing up in Detroit influence your decision to become an artist? How has the city changed since you moved back?MW: Detroit is a really incredible city. It’s a small town in a lot of ways, compared to New York/LA, but its creative force is so vast. So many hugely influential artists have come out of the city, especially in the music industry – it’s the birthplace of Motown, I’ve seen Smokey Robinson walking around town, we are home to Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Alice Cooper. I grew up seeing Detroit as a sort of creative nexus, and since you can feel that energy here, being an artist always seemed like a totally achievable career path to me. I never really questioned that. The city has changed a lot since I’ve moved back. It’s being gentrified – there are some serious concerns around that – and I hope the city does more meaningful work to protect Detroit’s oldest and most vulnerable residents, but it’s still the same, in that it is home to amazing art and music, and there are even more galleries and working artists here now than I think there ever have been.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What is your studio like?MW: My studio changes often because I have been moving around a lot. Currently it takes up two rooms of my house. Working from home has been a great setup throughout the pandemic, but I usually work outside of my house. My looms and equipment take up a lot of space, so I prefer commercial loft type buildings that I can expand into, especially if I’m working on large scale projects. I’m also big into work/life balance and try to keep a healthy equilibrium between my home life and studio life.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: How would you describe your studio practice?MW: My workflow fluctuates—when things are busy I schedule my weeks and months in advance and hold regular studio hours for myself so I stay on top of everything. When things are slower, I’ll wander in and out of my studio at a more leisurely and unstructured pace. My process is very labor intensive and physically demanding, so I take care to avoid burnout and protect my time to stay refreshed and energized in my studio. That’s when I feel most productive.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What is your process to create your textiles?MW: I usually start with an image collection process based around a specific idea or theme. I’ll use Google searches, with keywords or hashtag and geotag searches, and mine various online image sharing platforms for source material. I collect more than I use and let myself have a free-flow association between images, texts, screenshots of news articles, or whatever pops up based on my searches. After I choose the sources I want to work with I piece them together in Photoshop. This is when I start to envision how the source materials will translate into a woven form. After I get the images where I like them digitally, I print them out onto transfer paper using dye sublimation ink, then transfer the images onto sets of individual threads. This transfer process I’ve developed is based on a traditional fiber dying process called Ikat that is used to create repeating patterns or pictorial motifs. Once the images are transferred to the threads, I weave them together on a floor loom. I play with the images a lot while I’m weaving them, manipulating the threads as I work to either keep the image in focus or let it blur and distort. I also incorporate other non-traditional materials in my weavings and sometimes hand paint or over-dye the textiles to highlight or obscure certain areas.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417562/vl66eqplmtrgxn9ql6ln.jpg"><figcaption>Margo Wolowiec,&nbsp;Seed Surge, 2020Handwoven polymer, linen, sterling silver leafed thread, reflective mylar emergency blanket from disaster preparedness kit, deadstock organic cotton, dye sublimation ink, acrylic ink, mounted on linen support 47 x 45 inchesCourtesy of Jessica Silverman Gallery</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: How did you develop an algorithm to source images for your work?MW: I used to use an algorithm to automatically mine images based on geotag or hashtag inputs. For instance, anytime anyone uploaded a photo with a geotag in a set defined area, that photo would automatically download to a folder on my desktop. There are stricter data protections in place now, and this auto mining process is blocked on all image sharing platforms. This is likely because companies were mining personal data for advertising purposes and who knows what else, so it’s probably a good thing that this isn’t available for anyone to use anymore. Now I hand sift to gather my sources and collect images and data that are licensed under Creative Commons or other open source licenses. I cull from an array of social media and image sharing platforms, as well as news media platforms, or any other relevant databases based on what I’m interested in.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Some of your new work (Seed Surge, Exit Plan,) includes reflective mylar from emergency preparedness kits, which stood out to me in the list of materials. How did you source this material and why did you decide to incorporate it into your work?&nbsp;MW: This stems from my interest in the darker corners of the internet – the Reddit rabbit holes and conspiracy theories that are born in online forums. The 2016 election really amplified a wave of misinformation and general fear that we will be dealing with for a long time, and these anxieties played out on the internet through a hyper-focus on emergency and doomsday preparations. I made some sculptural panels at that time that incorporated a woven copper mesh that is used to protect sensitive equipment from electrostatic interferences and electromagnetic waves. This sort of technology trickles down to wearables, such as hats that are woven with copper or silver shielding to protect the wearer from wireless radiation, or pouches that shield cell phone signals to ensure the device and all its private data goes undetectable.&nbsp;I started collecting a variety of materials like this to incorporate into my work and am currently playing with emergency blankets that are found in preparedness kits. They shield and protect the wearer with lightweight and high-visibility heat-reflective mylar. In my work this material signals protection and safety while sounding an alarm.#&nbsp;</body></html>

Margo Wolowiec: An Artist Translates Signals of Our Times

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418963/tumi4qjtooflhfyk53c1.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jacob-hashimoto-11df96fa-ba58-4b51-9445-6e9d90e55885">Jacob Hashimoto</a>Exhibition begins September 17Rhona Hoffman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418964/clhsjfn7wpazsgwbanxv.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-la-francaise-the-french-way">A La Française: The French Way</a>Exhibition begins September 17Springboard Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418965/eod4rdkyd8kovfdgpzua.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lea-lund-erik-k-nomads">LEA LUND &amp; ERIK K: Nomads</a>Opening: Friday, September 17, 5 – 7:30&nbsp;pmCatherine Edelman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418966/w7cnswxai7cav96gik60.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lauren-wy">Lauren Wy | AUTODESIRE: Volume 1</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 11&nbsp;am – 6&nbsp;pmWestern Exhibitions&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418966/byiwyqqocdgcecv3g8q8.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jonathan-muecke">Jonathan Muecke</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 11&nbsp;am – 6&nbsp;pmVolume Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418967/cjvnsuqtbtjvamtcv1b6.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mara-baker-new-monotypes">Mara Baker: New Monotypes</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 3 – 5&nbsp;pmBert Green Fine Art&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418968/yxa48yzf9oy4vvkvsj8p.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/melanie-schiff">Melanie Schiff: Blind Spots</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 3 – 7&nbsp;pmPATRON&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418969/xxnezp2h2wtt45aof4rb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/aron-gent-ice-dye-tie-dye">Aron Gent: Ice Dye Tie Dye</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 11&nbsp;am – 6&nbsp;pmDavid Salkin Creative&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418969/npbeazsvhycjfjqbljhq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/was-is-ought">Was/Is/Ought</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 12 – 5&nbsp;pmCarrie Secrist Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418970/tfqitxmflyt0qqndrcrz.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/david-shrobe">David Shrobe</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 11&nbsp;am – 6&nbsp;pmMonique Meloche Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418971/tqgms9bv6fav90juawgg.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/intersections-3-generations">Intersections: 3 Generations</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmStola Contemporary Art&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418972/wfyi6wifkkdou5uqq2wo.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/chicago-textile-week">Chicago Textile Week: Deep, Far, Home</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418972/u1xeeudp5sjhn7sd01xr.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/tongue-in-cheek-irreverence-in-print">Tongue in Cheek: Irreverence in Print</a>Opening: Saturday, September 18, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Printmakers Collaborative&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start September 17 - 18

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418944/eum9ebjsvyxyymspnnsu.jpg"><figcaption>Pooja Pittie in her studio. Image courtesy of Petra Ford &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>BY ALISON REILLYIn February 2020, artist Pooja Pittie rented a large studio at Mana Contemporary. Supported by a 3Arts Residency Fellowship at the University of Chicago at Illinois, she was looking forward to the opportunity to create large-scale paintings, “moving as much of my body as possible, laying down paper on the floor, getting really close to the surface,” she explained to me during a recent conversation. However, almost as soon as she had moved into the new space, Governor Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order for all Illinois residents. Like many across the country, she was in a state of shock. Although Pittie has lived in the U.S. for 22 years and considers Chicago her home, her family lives in India, so her feelings of isolation and anxiety were compounded by the distance between them.&nbsp;Fortunately, Pittie still had her home studio set up, so she could continue to work, “but it didn’t feel like I could just continue to paint as before,” she said. Instead, she gravitated towards drawing and started making small-scale compositions with stitching on top, using yarn she had at home. “I really delved deep into stitching, sewing, knitting, not in any skilled manner,” she admitted, “just remembering what I was taught at my all-girls school in India.”Pittie was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of progressive muscular dystrophy in 2000, but her symptoms did not begin appearing until about a decade later. “I was able-bodied for many years living with the diagnosis,” she told me.&nbsp;While she was looking forward to experimenting in the large studio at Mana, she acknowledges that her home studio is most conducive to her workflow. “With my needs, it’s pretty clear that I need workspace at home. Now with my complementary practice of working with drawings and yarn, that happens in my living room in the afternoons when I’m too tired to be in the studio,” she explained.&nbsp;“My day is divided by energy. I’m the most energetic in the morning so I go into my studio, and then when I’m tired, I’m creating from the couch. But I’m creating a lot. I spend a lot of hours with the drawings. Not to sound like a cliché, but the studio can be anywhere. I just need to keep creating and doing something with my hands.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418945/fzhsqopfp2yfhxnbqlrt.jpg"><figcaption>Pooja Pittie, Fields of Consciousness, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 40 inches. Image courtesy of McCormick Gallery &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Pittie’s drive to make art has been present throughout her life, even before she identified as an artist. Growing up in India, as a child, she taught herself to draw by copying cartoons, images from fashion magazines, and still-life pictures. Although her peers noticed her art skills, she was focused on becoming financially independent, inspired by her father who was an industrialist. She excelled at school, eventually earning accounting certifications and pursuing a career in finance. In 1999, she moved to the U.S. to be with her then-husband, and, although she considered going to art school, she instead earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Her interest in art persisted, and, after her divorce in 2005, she started taking evening painting classes through SAIC’s Continuing Education program. While she enjoyed the classes she was taking, making art was not a priority in her life as she was balancing the responsibilities of being a young, single mother and running her own children’s book business.“My studio, my space has changed so much in a very short span,” Pittie explained. In 2015 when she started regularly drawing, “it was on my couch. Then I moved to the dining table with watercolors, then into my little home office. I set up my easel there and it eventually became a full-blown studio, and then I moved to a bigger apartment so that I could have a larger studio space.”&nbsp;The continuous expansion of her space to accommodate a growing art practice felt natural to her. While she had exceled as a businesswoman, she said, “It’s not my innate skill, which is why I always felt so inadequate. My dad is a natural-born entrepreneur. I thought that’s who I was, and he thought that’s who I was, and everyone else around me probably thought that too, but I didn’t feel like that. Establishing a regular art practice really made me feel like much more of an expert than all my years of training.”Pittie made her first acrylic painting in 2016, and since then, she has completed residencies at Chicago Artists’ Coalition and Hyde Park Art Center and gained the support of McCormick Gallery. This fall, a series of new paintings and drawings will be on display at the gallery in the West Loop. “My current work is very motivated by needing to express energy, which is diminishing and is an extremely precious resource for me,” she said. “I’m finding that color is the way that I’m expressing this energy. Both in the paintings, the drawings, and the fiber work that I’m doing, the starting point seems to always be color.”Her recent abstract paintings feature looser, more gestural brushstrokes. In her previous work, she overlaid small dots on these marks, as if to mask some of their irregularities. As she spent more time with her drawings and weavings, she began to move away from the repetitive, precise stokes. Her new canvases teem with an energy similar to that found in the abstract expressionist paintings of Joan Mitchell. &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418946/xwkduksefsm6ioovcsyn.jpg"><figcaption>Pooja Pittie, Time Spirit, acrylic on linen, 30 x 40 inches. Image courtesy of Robert Chase Heishman</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“I work on multiple pieces at the same time, so I’ll start several canvases when I’m feeling energetic and I really want to capture that energy, and they’ll rotate on and off the easel,” Pittie explained.&nbsp;While she now fully embraces her life as an artist, in retrospect, Pittie has identified two major fears that delayed her in pursuing her passion. “How could I be an artist if I haven’t been to art school?” she said, “And I saw how physically challenging it was. I used to wonder how am I going to carry canvases back and forth? How am I going to carry a portfolio? I didn’t use mobility devices back then but still it was difficult for me.”Pittie was raised by her parents to believe that to be successful, you must attain the highest possible education in that field. “If you’re not ready to do that or if, for some reason, you haven’t done that, then what makes you think that you can have a committed career?” she asked herself. Her second major fear is familiar to many artists, “What if I get bored of making art every day? Or if I enjoyed it all these years, but what if I don’t want to make it every day?” She nevertheless admits, “Both of those notions are so laughable right now. They haven’t mattered one bit. I am definitely not bored! These are the fears, the blocks, you put in front of yourself, and they can be quite difficult to ignore.”Along with her exhibition at McCormick Gallery this fall, Pittie is working on a commission by the University of Chicago to create a work for the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this fall. This is the first private commission that she has accepted since January 2021, and while she is very excited to work with the University of Chicago, she wants to be careful not to overwhelm herself.&nbsp;“I feel like I’ve been running so much since 2016. I’m extremely grateful for how quickly things progressed and how organically they’ve grown, but during the pandemic, I have been reevaluating what is truly important. I am trying to hold onto all that slowness.”&nbsp;Pooja Pittie: New Paintings, opens September 16 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/mccormick-gallery">McCormick Gallery</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Pooja Pittie's Colorful Energy

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418963/pltgv030atcx9zbky0ro.jpg"><figcaption>BETHANY COLLINS,&nbsp;America: A Hymnal, 2017 Book with 100 laser cut leaves, 6" x 9" x 1" Photo: Evan Jenkins</figcaption></figure><a href="https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/bethany-collins-america-a-hymnal/?utm_source=Website+Signup+Form&amp;utm_campaign=f4eb811575-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_02_05_42_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_2cebdb5105-f4eb811575-143859041">Artist Bethany Collins's America: A Hymnal at Crystal Bridges</a>September 11 - November 29, 2021 PATRON Gallery's artist Bethany Collins (b.1984) uses language to explore American history and the nuance of racial and national identities. For this sound installation, Collins recorded six singers performing different versions of the popular American hymn “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee),” which has been rewritten more than 100 times with lyrics supporting American causes such as revolution, suffrage, Native sovereignty, temperance, the Confederacy, and abolition. This exhibition was organized by Austen Barron Bailly, chief curator, Crystal Bridges, and Allison Glenn, senior curator and director of public art, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and former associate curator, contemporary art, Crystal Bridges.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com">River North Design District Reports Crowd Numbers from Sept 10</a>The RNDD marked its biggest year yet as it returned from a one year hiatus to host its 6th annual Gallery Walk. As of Monday they were still tallying but they reported &nbsp;philanthropic contributions to CAPE and Digs with Dignity above $13,000, including $10k from Tito’s Vodka.&nbsp;Designer and artist vignettes are up until October 11th.17 showrooms participated, with 20 interior designers and 6 galleries and 24 artists. There were 1,145 public RSVP’s for the Gallery Walk in total.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418964/peaclmhezuk9v7xejbvj.jpg"><figcaption>Photo by James Prinz</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thepeninsulachi/?fbclid=IwAR1yHVFtywdsTjzQ0jcZsRYtE0yZrnWDelaKuq8Yo2Xhwm-Hqa3OYrCzCyM">Bob Faust's Art On View at the Peninsula</a>Part of the hotel's Art in Resonance series, the Peninsula introduced their newest installation titled "with all, and still...," created by Chicago artist Bob Faust, on display in The Lobby on the fifth floor through 2021.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418965/indec38oaoge0juhtdt8.png"></figure><a href="artonthemart.com/programming/">Barbara Kruger Will Be on Art on theMART</a>On September 17 at 7:30 p.m. Untitled (Questions), 1990/2021, a&nbsp;projection by renowned conceptual artist Barbara Kruger debuts as part of a series commissioned by Art on theMART and coordinated in partnership with Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, an expansion of the&nbsp;Art Institute of Chicago’s presentation of Thinking of&nbsp;You. I Mean&nbsp;Me. I Mean You., an indepth&nbsp;look at four decades of Kruger’s practice. Untitled (Questions), 1990/2021 will be shown&nbsp;nightly at the Chicago Riverwalk, between North Wells and North Franklin Street at 7:30 and 8&nbsp;p.m. from September 17 through November 25. Kruger’s work in Chicago will engage the surrounding cityscape on billboards, the Chicago&nbsp;Transit Authority, and more. The exhibition is organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, the Los&nbsp;Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Tune in to the livestream on the Art&nbsp;on theMART Facebook page on September 17 at 7:30 p.m.&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 9/13

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418952/teto4m2el49f8bmza9nn.jpg"><figcaption>Artist and writer Audrey Niffenegger is the founder of the Artists Book House. Photo by Anna Dobrowolski &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>By ANNA DOBROWOLSKIRavens, cobwebs, dust, and mold. Against the backdrop of a decommissioned lighthouse, six years of neglect turned Evanston’s historic Harley Clarke mansion into a setting befitting a horror movie. Now, a new foundation dedicated to the book arts is set to reverse the shudder. Artists Book House is the brainchild of Audrey Niffenegger, a visual artist and author best known for her novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife. In July, she invited me inside to talk about how she will make the house a home to the book arts. &nbsp;Since the City of Evanston’s council decision on February 28th to lease the coveted Harley Clarke Mansion to Artists Book House, paperwork quickly escalated to groundwork. The task: to restore and update the Harley Clarke grounds. Undaunted, Niffenegger faces the challenge with John Eifler, Nick Patera, and the team at WB Olson, Inc. on her side, in addition to a team of trusted board members and volunteers.&nbsp;We shouldn’t expect a housewarming party anytime soon, though. As she shows me, there’s plenty to be done between now and its opening in 2026.&nbsp;***<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418953/d8rpfqhxabrhqi1po6uq.jpg"><figcaption>A view of the conservatory at the Harley Clarke Mansion. Photo by Anna Dobrowolski</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“Here we are, surrounded by phantom books,” she laughs as we walk into a wood-paneled library. For any self-respecting writer, empty bookshelves usually warrant concern. Not to a history-lover like Audrey, for whom an old setting for future bookish pursuits is a lesson in time travel. (As if renovating a mansion wasn’t ambitious enough, she is also working on the sequel to her best selling novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife.)&nbsp;On our tour of the impressive 22,000-square-foot space, she leads me to the conservatory where ABH will hold paper-making workshops. Curious onlookers appreciating the gardens curated by Jens Jensen Gardens could peer into the windows to witness the transformation of pulp to fiction, or any other genre.&nbsp;Steps away, she pictures a bookstore, art gallery, and a cafe with a view of Lake Michigan even the most bibliophobic visitors could appreciate. She recalls her first time visiting the Harley Clarke mansion – then the Evanston Arts Center –when she was a fourteen-year-old printmaking student. It was the beginning of a time-tested relationship between herself and the building. After graduating from the Art Institute, she returned to Harley Clarke to teach for 15 years.&nbsp;Outside, ornate lead gutters catch our eyes; the original pipework was forged by the grandfather of her friend, a blacksmith. Now, the third generation of metalworkers keep the tinkering tradition alive, proving that the mansion’s future depends as much on conservation as it does on innovation.&nbsp;As expected from a mansion left to its own devices for six years, Audrey’s current ‘studio’ flaunts the unglamorous hallmarks of a home whose maintenance has been deferred. Rooms once housing offices, darkrooms, and various studios remained bare, save a few visitors. She points to flour left by the city of Evanston on the ground, “That’s to see where the raccoons are coming from!” (A pawprint is just my size...) To make the three-story building more accessible to humans rather than critters, she plans to convert an empty passage next to the butler’s pantry, a vestige from the building’s residential past, into an elevator.We make our way to the basement and take turns deciding whether the ghoulish green paint was original. Here, Niffenegger envisions a printmaking studio because of its capaciousness, even if it is more secluded.&nbsp;Her work is cut out for her, sure, but there’s something elemental about rolling up the proverbial sleeves to build something new.***<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418953/nvjtq9eyg2ao7tfo6mbh.jpg"><figcaption>Vacant no more. Evanston’s coveted Harley Clarke mansion, built by Architect Richard Powers for the Clarke family in 1927 will be the future home to ArtistS Book House, a foundation dedicated to the book arts. Photo by Anna Dobrowolski &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>What do the book arts mean to you, personally?&nbsp;Back in the empty library, Audrey describes the real star behind the entire operation, the book arts. That is to say, “any idea or skill, philosophical or conceptual approach, that you could bring to bear on the idea of the book,” she tells me. Traditionally, papermaking, printmaking, calligraphy, and bookbinding fall under this category.&nbsp;“Sometimes an idea exists in the ether but never takes on physical form. You might approach bookmaking because you want to make the actual object or you have a story to tell, like in a memoir or epic poem,” says Audrey.&nbsp; “We are interested in a multitude of approaches and are here to help people realize their ideas of the book and not be limited with what a book can do.”&nbsp;What goes inside the book is just as important. ABH will function as a literary center, library, bookshop, as well as an arts center. “What really excites us is to have all this exist in one building where the disciplines can cross-fertilize,” she says. Someone writing an epic poem might go downstairs and discover people who are printing or experimenting with movable type.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418954/rvv6ii2vbfkgpangtcvf.jpg"><figcaption>From 1965 to 2013 the Harley Clarke mansion housed the Evanston Art Center. This used to be the old darkroom for enlarging and developing film. Photo by Anna Dobrowolski</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“There’s more than just making paper for books. I’m thinking about paper sculptures Erin Cramer makes. Her work is inspired by vegan taxidermy.” Anyone in the community, from paper virgins to seasoned bookmakers, could flirt with other paper-centric projects such as tunnel books, fiber-based sculptures, comics, puppeteering, or zines. For the completely unconvinced, the ABH’s website hosts various tutorials and interviews. “There’s so much that can happen when you get people from different disciplines together.Having multiple disciplines under one roof appeals to Audrey, who has been carving a niche into an international and locally established bookmaking tradition since 1994. “This would be the third-generation book arts center in Chicago and the ‘spiritual heir’ of the Book and Paper Center in Columbia College Chicago.” In 2019 the center closed to make space for classrooms, leaving its artistic members virtually homeless. Once the Artists Book House is completed, it will be a second homecoming.After the fall of the center, there was some concern whether small book-making traditions could ever grow obsolete. Following prolonged digital engagement, we admit longing for imperfect paper and DIY projects in true ‘arts and crafts’ fashion. In the 19th century, William Morris, a champion of the book arts, led the UK-based Arts and Crafts Movement. In his later years, he went on to develop the Kelmscott Press to produce luminous leather-bound books replete with calligraphy and illuminations-- a gothic revival that renewed interest in the book arts, if only as a productive outcry against mass-produced books which he notoriously called ‘ugly’.&nbsp;Is Niffenegger a modern-day William Morris? I wonder. The same unadulterated passion towards handicrafts is there. Her approach is to open these arts to the community as an educational center to keep the traditions alive.&nbsp;***<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418955/otpummbfb8ogyjpipdul.jpg"><figcaption>Harley Clarke’s former conservatory doorway. Photo by Audrey Niffenegger &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“Dare we ask another pandemic-related question? What did the process look like? How does a new organization take shape and establish community these days?”“It’s been such a strange time. Before the pandemic there had been a tremendous amount of discussion surrounding the building.” The Harley Clarke had almost been demolished in 2018 and faced many competitive proposals since. Niffenegger and her board turned in the Artists Book House proposal for the Harley Clarke Mansion in February 2020, about a week before the world shut down.&nbsp;It wasn’t until May of the following year that they received the keys. “I was watching the city council vote on the proposals on a laptop while I was cooking dinner. We were not expecting it to happen when it did!”“The pandemic changed everybody’s focus like that,” she adds, “I don’t think anybody can really know how the pandemic will change the art scene or Evanston or funding or any of it. Artists Book House could have been just as easily Artists Book Warehouse or Storefront! It just happens that we now have a house.”&nbsp;Getting the keys to the house in the middle of the pandemic had some advantages. “Because we are so small and new, we didn’t have any established patterns to uphold or break. We didn’t have any staff. We didn’t have a building.” Despite not having any physical classrooms, they managed to build an online presence and archive of videos, interviews, and tutorials on their website. Not to say the pandemic was in any way good. “In a way it leveled the playing field amongst art institutions. It was actually okay for us that not much happened. It meant fewer people to disappoint. Whatever craziness we’re about to do we will do from zero.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418956/tfiwql8yruen7yl4u5tk.jpg"><figcaption>Downstairs, the former billiard room will be transformed into a printmaking studio. Photo by Anna Dobrowolski</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Though the opening is far away, are there any dream collaborations or visitors?&nbsp;“It goes two ways. There’s a lot of amazing local talent that we would like to uplift if we are in the position to do so; and there are people we would like to be here so that people can experience different artists. At some point, we would love to host conferences for the North American Hand Papermakers, the Guild of Book Workers, College Book Arts and the Ragdale Foundation, to name a few. You just never know who will be interested or inspired to do something.&nbsp;Now that things are starting to take shape, how are you planning on reining in the community? What do you need from artists, community members?&nbsp;“We’ve been receiving a lot of support. People really want another central gathering place, and this happens to be a nice stage because it’s a hinge between Chicago and the North Shore. We are trying to partner with bookshops and a coffee shop. A lot of people are donating books. People are interested in volunteering.&nbsp;There’s a lot to do between now and the day we open to the public, which we hope to do in 2026. We are hoping that we can use the time for fundraising, constructing and doing all the physical work. At the same time, we are trying to let people know that we are slowly coming into existence. One thing that we are planning to do is to organize tours and find ways to bring people in so that they don’t have to wait five years.”&nbsp;&nbsp;***For the time being, Niffenegger and her board are looking forward to mingling with people at events such as Evanston’s Out of Space concerts. Other events that will take place on Harley Clarke grounds will be announced on their <a href="https://artistsbookhouse.org">website</a>.&nbsp;A tip: keep your eyes open around Halloween time. A house with phantom books is sure to set a scene.&nbsp;#&nbsp;</body></html>

In Pursuit of Bookish Things: Audrey Niffenegger on Building  Artists Book House  a Home in Evanston

<html><head></head><body>By CGN STAFFConsider for a moment the fall of 2019: The first weekend after Labor Day meant dozens of galleries were jammed with art lovers standing shoulder to shoulder. The end of September meant a weekend filled with EXPO Chicago VIP events, and the Ship of Tolerance docked at Navy Pier. The Chicago Architecture Biennial began a three month run, and November brought SOFA Chicago. Everywhere you went, there were people. Lots of people. There were no capacity limits or lines outside.&nbsp;If you wondered throughout 2020 how we could ever return to crowded openings, festivals and art fairs, this season several events are leading the way safely back in person. A few highlights are listed below. Visit chicagogallerynews.com for updates and additional events throughout the fall.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418944/zikteksyu6rmec2xkgby.jpg"></figure>• <a href="https://www.theotherartfair.comhttps://www.theotherartfair.com/chicago/tickets/?utm_campaign=2517&amp;utm_source=CGN&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=CGNbanner970wx250h">The Other Art Fair</a>Billed as "The Art Fair for a new generation of art buyers", TOAF is a young, fresh party sort of art fair. Returning this fall for a third edition, the fair will take place in the West Loop at Revel Fulton Market.Thousands of affordable artworks from 120 independent artists will be exhibited, as well as immersive art experiences, special installations, murals and performances, and COVID-19 safety protocols!&nbsp;Plus, DJ sets, a fully stocked bar and some of Chicago’s freshest street food crews will set up in TOAF's outdoor seating areas.September 30 – October 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418944/dizeuwyt9gxrnvghpiqs.jpg"></figure>• <a href="https://www.chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org">Chicago Architecture Biennial</a>The Available City, the 2021 edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, is a framework for a collaborative, community-led design approach that presents transformative possibilities for vacant urban spaces that are created with and for local residents. Through workshops, installations, activations, performances, and programs, The Available City invites a critical global conversation that asks how design can foster collective engagement and agency to identify new forms of shared space in urban areas. The Available City directly confronts the often-opaque process of how cities are designed and developed by proposing an inclusive and transparent design process.&nbsp;The fourth edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial presents a new chapter of a decade-long research initiative led by 2021 Artistic Director, designer, and educator David Brown. The Available City introduces a process for bringing ideas generated from community workshops into existence on vacant lots in neighborhoods across the city. Currently, there are more than ten thousand city-owned, vacant sites in Chicago that each measure 25 by 125 feet. In aggregate, these lots are roughly equal in size to Chicago’s downtown center, the Loop. The Available City explores a scalable approach to urban design that recognizes the significance of addressing both individual lots while also envisioning the network of these thousands of sites as a cohesive urban landscape.September 17 – December 18&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418945/zl7dz4eqqoyfxfszl4iy.jpg"><figcaption>Filter Photo</figcaption></figure>• <a href="https://www.filterphoto.org">Filter Photo Festival</a>Filter Photo Festival is a multi-day celebration of photography that takes place every autumn in Chicago. The 2021 Festival will be held September 22nd - 26th and will be primarily in-person at the <a href="https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/chicago#top">21C Museum Hotel</a>, centrally located downtown in proximity to museums, galleries and other cultural institutions.&nbsp;Programming includes <a href="https://www.filterphoto.org/festival-workshops">workshops</a>, <a href="https://www.filterphoto.org/portfolio-reviews">portfolio reviews</a>, <a href="https://www.filterphoto.org/ken-gonzales-day">lectures</a>, and <a href="https://www.filterphoto.org/artist-talks">artist talks</a>. Additionally, <a href="https://www.filterphoto.org/collaborating-with-the-archive">exhibitions</a> will be hosted at Filter Space gallery in West Town.Portfolio reviews are a central element of the Festival. During a portfolio review, an artist is able to share work directly with local, national, and international photography professionals, including gallery directors, curators, editors, and publishers. Emerging and established photographers are welcome to sign up for these 20-minute, one-on-one sessions.&nbsp;September 22 – 26.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418946/qyzfcgfqmbquophu2col.jpg"><figcaption>Lavezzorio Community Center. Photo by Anna Munzesheimer</figcaption></figure>• <a href="https://openhousechicago.org">Open House Chicago</a>Every October, the Chicago Architecture Center hosts Open House Chicago—a free public festival that offers self-guided history and architecture trails throughout Chicago, talks and programming, and behind-the-scenes access to architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites across the city.Open House Chicago remains one of the largest events of its kind in the world. This year's in-person site visits occur on October 16 and 17, with extended programming and city-wide trails available for the entire month of October.This year's festival will build on the success of the OHC 2020 mobile app to bring expanded content directly to your mobile phone.October 16 – 17, with events throughout October.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Remember...The Crowds? The Return of Larger Scale Exhibitions and Fairs

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418952/dms0a8gc10t2ogb6vsiv.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/stockyard-institute-25-years-of-art-and-radical-pedagogy">Stockyard Institute: 25 Years of Art and Radical Pedagogy</a>Sep 9, 2021 – Feb 13, 2022DePaul University Art Museum (DPAM)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418953/owpi4kygpoan8awbfhh8.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/claude-viallat">Claude Viallat</a>Sep 10 – Oct 30, 2021DOCUMENT&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418954/clb3epaiz87g1bhblitg.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/nancy-fritz-arc-members-show">Nancy Fritz</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 10, 2021 5 – 8&nbsp;pmARC Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418954/qjeztuutx4a7g8hf393d.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/nancy-fritz-arc-members-show">Pugs Atomz: Mookie on the Southside</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 10, 2021 6 – 9&nbsp;pmConnect Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418955/ozrcv8atgvlk26t6orlb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/scott-ingram">Scott Ingram</a>Sep 10 – Nov 15, 2021Anne Loucks Gallery&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418956/xdmfuscto63ocdpiod1v.jpg"></figure><a href="https://ravenswoodchicago.org/signature-events/ravenswood-artwalk/">Ravenswood ArtWalk</a><a href="https://eatpaintstudio.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=823961c8f3c53e6374f467338&amp;id=cac51aa3d7&amp;e=951696c418">Emily Rapport</a> of Eat Paint Studio, and many other artists, will be part of the return of this popular art event Sept 11-12&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418957/wo9tzsvlvadzugarun3m.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/susan-rothenberg-on-both-sides-of-my-line-1974-1979">Susan Rothenberg: On Both Sides of My Line, 1974-1979</a>Sep 10 – Oct 9, 2021Gray Warehouse&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418958/kvxuroahmiqm2as18rqf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/an-abstract-universe">An Abstract Universe</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 10, 2021 5 – 9&nbsp;pmOliva Gallery&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418958/y5o7kdc6l95dyyrg56oc.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/david-heo-presence-solo-show">David Heo&nbsp;"Presence" Solo Show</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 11, 2021 5 – 8&nbsp;pmVertical Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418959/awtyvukv6d0wphnqxdee.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ethos-and-truth-bruno-surdo">Ethos and Truth: Bruno Surdo</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 10, 2021 5 – 8&nbsp;pmGallery Victor Armendariz&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418960/b3kinmjgdqytgw70i97c.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/autumn-colors">Autumn Colors</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 10, 2021 5 – 8&nbsp;pmVale Craft Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418961/jnbnabqhwcrnb8xcfbb1.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/go-figure-a-survey-of-figurative-art">GO FIGURE! A Survey of Figurative Art</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 10, 2021 5 – 9&nbsp;pmCarl Hammer Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418962/gtwfp8pzgbon2iluhjxw.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/julia-katz-solo-exhibition-and-rndd-walk">Julia Katz: Solo Exhibition and RNDD Walk</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 10, 2021 5 – 8&nbsp;pmAddington Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start September 10 - 11

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418952/trf2cvihqxoccpkgn52q.jpg"></figure>Via PRAt 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, two radiant 8’ x 10’ murals by Tony Fitzpatrick will be unveiled in the heart of Glen Ellyn at 427 N. Main St. The murals will be displayed near the new pedway completed this past spring, which connects pedestrians to the Metra, garages and downtown businesses. The murals depict birds native to the area: a woodpecker and a cardinal. Composed of acrylic paint on aluminum board, the visually collaged background features imagery distinctive to pop culture influences in Fitzpatrick's work. In creating the murals, Fitzpatrick was assisted by his studio partner and protégé, Danny Torres, and Sam Decarlo who, like Fitzpatrick, is a former College of DuPage student. “I was honored to be have the opportunity to create this work for Glen Ellyn,” says Fitzpatrick. “It’s one of my core beliefs that art is best made via cultural and community efforts and this project is a perfect opportunity to show that in action.” The Fitzpatrick murals are part of the DuPage Public Art Project proposed by Diana Martinez, Director of the McAninch Arts Center, and approved by the College’s Board of Trustees in October 2020 with the goal of initiating public art events and art installations. The partnership with Glen Ellyn is the inaugural kick-off to the College’s Public Art Project, where COD will work with the Village to establish a public arts committee, and partner for the creation of two public art installations and one community arts engagement effort. At the conclusion of the agreement, COD will partner with another town for two years in hopes that the established committee in Glen Ellyn will continue on its own. Martinez proposed the idea in an effort to build Public Art Committees in cities throughout DuPage County. The idea of the Project was inspired by the announcement by COD President Dr. Brian Caputo of the Arts, Culture and Community Engagement Pillar of the College’s 2021-2026 Strategic Long-Range Plan. “The College is committed to supporting arts, culture and community engagement throughout District 502 and beyond,” Caputo said. “The DuPage Public Art Project will foster partnership and continued involvement within our neighborhoods, and I am excited to forge ahead as we unveil this first work of what I know will be a worthwhile endeavor.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418953/gdngmdjatlyzfvyu3p58.jpg"><figcaption>Fitzpatrick and Torres at the unveiling&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> “Tony’s works are a perfect first project to launch this public art initiative as he grew up in DuPage County and has many connections to COD,” says Cleve Carney Museum of Art Curator Justin Witte. “He was also close friends with the founding donor of the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, Cleve Carney. The timing of this installation is ideal as it serves as a precursor to his upcoming exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art opening October 16.” A Public Arts Project Committee comprised of residents Dawn Smith, Geoff Bevington, Carol White, Jennifer Umlaff and Chair, Diana Martinez (MAC Director), and MAC Project Coordinator Molly Junokas and College of DuPage/CCMA Curator Justin Witte was tasked by the Village Board to provide a proposal for a mural for the pedway on the north brick wall. “The committee met and wanted to present something that reflects the beauty and nature of Glen Ellyn by a professional artist that would garner national artistic attention,” says Martinez. “Tony is an author, actor and acclaimed artist whose work has been exhibited in nationally renowned museums. He grew up in Lombard, was a dear friend of the late Cleve Carney and attended COD so was the perfect choice. The committee unanimously agreed on approaching Fitzpatrick to paint the mural. He accepted and suggested the idea of classic bird images, which reflect the nature and trees of Glen Ellyn, customized with words and details reflecting other aspects of the village.” “Public art is more than just pictures on the side of a building. &nbsp;Public Art is a catalyst for economic development and has the power to draw people to our community,” observed Glen Ellyn President Mark Senak. &nbsp;“Art provokes our emotions, activates our minds and widens our consciousness. &nbsp;People gravitate to public art, like the Bean in Millennium Park. &nbsp;These murals are a great start. I want to thank our friends at College of DuPage for raising awareness of the virtues of public art and look forward to working with them on making public art part of the Glen Ellyn brand.” &nbsp;The mural was sponsored by, College of DuPage, the Village of Glen Ellyn, and by the Glen Ellyn Environmental Committee who was awarded a grant from the DuPage Foundation, whose generous award contributed to the installation. Tony Fitzpatrick is a Chicago-based artist best known for his multimedia collages, printmaking, paintings, and drawings. Fitzpatrick's work is inspired by Chicago Street culture, cities he has traveled to, children's books, tattoo designs, and folk art. Fitzpatrick has authored or illustrated eight books of art and poetry, and, for the last two years has written a column for Newcity. Fitzpatrick's art appears in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and the National Museum of American Art in Washington, DC. The Neville Brothers' album “Yellow Moon” and the Steve Earle albums “El Corazon” and “The Revolution Starts Now” also feature Fitzpatrick's art. In 2015, Fitzpatrick opened The Dime, an exhibition space in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Before making a living as an artist, Fitzpatrick worked as a radio host, bartender, boxer, construction worker, and film and stage actor. Fitzpatrick’s final museum exhibition will be Tony Fitzpatrick: Jesus of Western Avenue at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, Oct. 16, 2021 through Jan. 31, 2022. More information can be found at <a href="http://theccma.org/">TheCCMA.org</a>&nbsp;To read CGN's fall 2021 interview with Fitzpatrick, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2021/8/a-man-walks-into-a-museum-for-tony-fitzpatrick-2021-is-a-return-to-more-than-before">click here.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Tony Fitzpatrick to Unveil Murals in Glen Ellyn Featuring Native Birds

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418944/y1jvh2ovohnifrpdnffv.jpg"><figcaption>The 2020 Youth Art Winner displays her work at the Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center’s Youth Fest &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By Jacqueline LewisIt’s difficult, maybe impossible now, to go one day without seeing heartbreaking news about violence and fear rippling through Chicago’s underserved neighborhoods. However, the plague of crime and grief in the city can obscure notable successes borne from a great deal of resilient creativity and a love of culture.Many collectors and arts patrons in Chicago, as well as around the world, are familiar with the groundbreaking art and community efforts of artist Theaster Gates, who has founded multiple arts organizations in areas facing challenges foreign to most neighborhoods in the city – Gates’s Dorchester Art &amp; Housing Collaborative, Chicago Arts &amp; Industry Commons, <a href="https://rebuild-foundation.org/chicago/">Rebuild Foundation</a>, and the Stony Island Arts Bank have become dynamic spaces for artists as well as their communities.&nbsp;CGN wanted to share the missions and efforts of several additional area arts organizations, many of which have been operating for decades to support Chicago’s youth one student at a time. Each one is devoted to cultivating and facilitating impactful programs while utilizing arts education as a vehicle through which to bolster underserved communities. By harnessing their energies towards furthering their education through creativity, who knows, one of the students in these programs could become the next Theaster Gates.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418944/nsltm5y5mhj9fjtf3d7h.png"></figure><a href="https://marwen.org">Marwen</a>Located at the top edge of River North, Marwen offers free visual arts classes and college career programming to Chicago’s middle and high schoolers, with courses ranging from color theory to photography to social responsibility. The organization has recently launched The Artist Roster, which exhibits art from local emerging and teaching artists and alumni.Marwen sees art as a vehicle for social change, leadership development, and a path to employment and seeks to inspire young people to build their future through art.A former student testified, “Marwen made me more comfortable with myself and helped me become more involved in my community.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418945/ul77blsxs04p2mpyl9na.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.urbanartretreat.com">Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center&nbsp;</a>North Lawndale’s Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center (CUARC) offers workshops, women’s retreats, and volunteer opportunities, in addition to free youth programs that work with students where they are, at any age, and whether or not they are in school.&nbsp;Director and Board President Dianna C. Long shared a story with CGN about the program’s impact on just one student, emphasizing that tangible successes are what these organizations hope to accomplish.“Demarcus and his older brother Chris came into our art program when they were 6 and 7 years-old. Demarcus clearly enjoyed making art. I remember we were working on writing and illustrating a little book about family for each child, and Demarcus was very frustrated. When I offered to help, he told me that he could not spell or write. I had him tell his story to me so I could put the words into his book and he made the pictures. He revealed that this dad was in prison, and his mom was in a drug treatment center. He and his siblings were living with his grandmother. &nbsp;After a year, I noticed that Chris no longer came to art, and Demarcus told me Chris had joined a gang and had also said he was too old for art. Demarcus learned to read and write, and he continued to enjoy making art. Quite a long time later, a very tall Demarcus came to the door with his family for our Christmas giveaway. I didn’t recognize him, but he remembered me. It was a tearful reunion. I was so happy to see him. He never joined a gang or been in trouble with the law.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418946/gkkjoh48ibkg6l4fkm2j.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.lbpacademy.org">Little Black Pearl Art &amp; Design Academy</a>Little Black Pearl Art &amp; Design Academy is a 40,000 square foot center serving the youth of Kenwood, Woodlawn, and Bronzeville. Since 2011 Little Black Pearl has combined art and more formal education, focusing on STEAM studies and prioritizing creativity, culture, and entrepreneurship skills.The organization believes that “no gift is as precious as a child.” Because students entrust their hopes, needs, questions, and talents to their leaders, in turn, LBP attests they must guide, support, and challenge them to reach their full potential. Through programs like Arts = Smarts, and by exhibiting student art for sale, LBP offers its students opportunities to pursue a career in the arts.Aware of the challenges urban youth face LBP aims to provide a safe environment led by positive role models who offer can offer students a physical and emotional alternative in which to creatively explore instead of turning to more destructive outlets.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418947/rujlbnrox25rqsamchuq.webp"></figure><a href="https://www.skyart.org">SkyArt</a>SkyArt, based on Chicago’s South Side, offers visual art programs for students 5–24 years old and brings consistent and free art education to areas of Chicago with few other cultural opportunities.&nbsp;What started as a passion project with one employee and 18 students has flourished into a bustling organization whose mission is to “transform the lives of young people who call these underserved parts of the city home.” Classes include cultural field trips and a year-long program for serious art students called Project 3rd Space.Studio programs utilize an approach called SkyWay, which blurs the lines of formal art education and the less subjective experience of art-making. SkyArt also runs school and community programs that venture out to classrooms and other community venues, bringing the art directly to the students. A beautiful artist garden on site covers four city lots.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418947/iaya5sxqwiiv3bp9gugx.jpg"></figure><a href="https://thefcac.org">Firehouse Community Arts Center</a>In 2003 Pastor Phil Jackson hosted hip-hop services for young adults in North Lawndale. After noticing that people with a passion for the arts were coming from all over the city, Pastor Phil began the early stages of Firehouse. With a mission to “interrupt the cycle of violence among youths in North Lawndale through the power of the arts” Firehouse offers year-round arts programming as well as mentorship and career development opportunities.Using what they call the Theory of Change, Firehouse guides participants to discover their worth and mission in a safe, loving space while sparking an interest in the arts and working to prevent violence by channeling art and creativity. For Firehouse, the goal is for students discover their life’s purpose and forage their own path while halting violence cycles.&nbsp;</body></html>

News

Chicago Gallery News