<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418356/lejc9vv9xieri2aooifq.jpg"><figcaption>Pictured from left: Eric Fischl, The Chair, the Bed, Getting Ready; sculpture by Cuban collective The Merger; two photographs by Katy Grannan; Julian Schnabel, Winnie Fung &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAWhen an art world colleague mentioned one day that a favorite client of his had an extensive, private collection of art not often shared with the public, I was intrigued. I never tire of profiling collectors and how they assemble personal outlets for creative passion. It’s truly one of the highlights of being the publisher of CGN. The difference right now is that due to COVID-19, I would not be able to see this collection in person. Like so much else these days, this collection would have to be experienced virtually – emailed images digested from my laptop. While that sounded discouraging at first, it allowed for a more lingering, ultimately still first hand look at one man’s devotion to a top notch collection displayed over five locations, including two residences in Chicago, a suburban office on the North Shore, and two homes in California.&nbsp;The collection contains approximately 120 works of art, and currently nothing is hidden away in storage. It spans mediums, from figurative paintings to multimedia works, as well as from collage to sculpture, but the collector, who opted to remain anonymous for this interview, says that most of the art may be classified as post-1980 work by American and European contemporary artists. Adding to the range and eclecticism of the collection are antiquities, fossils, Chinese cloisonné, medieval reliquaries, textile garments, and original comic book art. And while I was unable to see the collection first-hand, it may be viewed by private appointment.The collector’s interest in art was piqued in college, and over time, he discovered he wanted to be surrounded by art. As he found his personal focus, he has approached art collecting as a life-long education in creativity and deliberate engagement.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418357/b1noe8zot6y3nctaz2qq.jpg"><figcaption>Wall artworks left to right: Jan De Maesschalck, Homesickness; Elliott Hundley, Still Life with Sculpture; a Ming Dynasty cloisonné basin with mythical beasts. &nbsp;Items on table include sketchbooks by Joanne Greenbaum and a Kate Gilmore's video, Anything…</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Initially what helped you learn about art? &nbsp;Collector: Like many humanities majors at liberal arts colleges, I took a few art history classes, one of which was a fine arts course titled Twentieth Century Painting, which the students jokingly named “Spots and Dots.” Although this was during the late 1970’s, the art I surveyed in the course seemed to end abruptly at 1960’s minimalism. I wondered what important art had been produced in the intervening decade, so I asked a friend, an art history major, what she knew. Her response was memorable: “Not much…Some guy crucified himself on a Volkswagen.”My interest in art generally, and more specifically contemporary art, began with that college course, despite where its coverage ended. After graduation I took a job in banking in Los Angeles.&nbsp; On the weekends I would go to museums and galleries, just looking and learning.CGN: When did you get started enjoying art and then collecting it?&nbsp;Collector: My interest in collecting art really began when I happened to see the photos of Henry Geldzahler’s New York apartment in the September 1982 issue of Architectural Digest.&nbsp; Several qualities about that apartment appealed to me. For one, the art was displayed informally. Until then I had thought art was only displayed in ornate frames and in fancy, decorated homes, but here was art almost haphazardly arranged, with pieces placed on floors and in bookshelves. Second, there was a lot of art in the small apartment. He had artwork everywhere – on walls, atop tables, and in every corner. Finally, he had two artworks by young, then-unknown artists that really knocked me out: Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Geldzahler had just acquired the paintings at the P.S. 1 Queens exhibition New York/New Wave. I thought, if art this novel and exciting is being created now, then I want to start a collection. Basquiat and Haring were already priced out of my reach, so I started looking at local LA artists.&nbsp; Shortly thereafter I acquired my first painting, a small work by artist Jeffrey Vallance. I got a cash advance against my credit card to buy it. The painting is still displayed in my Chicago condo.CGN: You own a wide range of art, from large-scale work by internationally known blue-chip names to smaller-sized pieces, many by Chicago-based artists, among others. How do you manage the installation of such a blend of work? &nbsp;Collector: I don’t think about how a work will be displayed when I purchase it, and this indifference has led to some interesting issues. I purchased a Paul McCarthy work, Bavarian Deer, a few years back. I knew it was big, because part of its impact is its scale – the artwork is a small 1960’s postcard image of a deer, blown up to monumental proportions. It wasn’t until the work arrived in Chicago though, that I realized it wouldn’t fit in my building’s elevator. My art installer, Dennis Callahan, arranged with the building to ‘ride the elevator,’ placing the work on top of the elevator cab and riding with it. Then we decided to hang the work in front of a window, which was the only space for it in the condo.&nbsp; Installed it looks amazing: a nostalgic image of innocence, enlarged to nearly billboard-size.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418358/cjgidyvhdkwmal3whani.jpg"><figcaption>Left: Jared Joslin, Panther and Zebra. Top right: Tony Fitzpatrick, Chicago Harlequin; Bottom right: Tony Fitzpatrick, Woman on the Beach</figcaption></figure>CGN: Do you look for conversations between the works?Collector: I sometimes arrange works thematically. For example, in my office I have two drawing collages by Tony Fitzpatrick, purchased from the artist. While I was visiting with Fitzpatrick, he mentioned a Chicago artist in his own collection, Jared Joslin. So I purchased one of Joslin’s works, Panther and the Zebra, and it is installed next to the two Fitzpatrick pieces. &nbsp;CGN: How would you describe the focus of your collection now?&nbsp; What’s it like to live among this mix of art that so many only see in a museum?Collector: The focus of my collection now is 1980’s American Contemporary.&nbsp; Initially I approached collecting the way most consultants advise: buy what you like. For me, though, this was unfocused, because I found that I liked a lot of art. So I needed to narrow my range, and when I looked at my collection I decided that the works that meant the most to me were those made by American artists prominent when I first became interested in art in the early 1980’s: Julian Schnabel, Eric Fischl, Susan Rothenberg, Robert Graham, Robert Therrien, Jim Dine, and others.&nbsp;Art of the 1980’s has a vibrancy, and that energy spilled over into music, fashion and performance. I think the influence is ongoing.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418359/gher1q1ju8aojidmgpiz.jpg"><figcaption>From left to right: Paul McCarthy, Bavarian Deer; Liz Deschenes, Blue Wool; On floor: Ursula von Rydingsvard, Lucretia; Math Bass, Scottie Dog &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>CGN: You’re still an active collector today. How do you learn about and discover art now?&nbsp;While my 1980’s focus continues, I have added a handful of works each year from current artists, purchased from galleries. Most recently, I’ve acquired two Jan-Ole Schiemann paintings from Nino Mier (LA) and Kasmin (NY), a Jenna Gribbon work from Fredricks &amp; Freiser (NY) and a Paul Sietsema work from Matthew Marks (LA).CGN: Where do you primarily buy art – through galleries, auctions or art fairs?Collector: For works from the 1980’s, I am primarily purchasing at auction.&nbsp; More current works I purchase through galleries, and occasionally at art fairs.&nbsp; I go to very few fairs, only Frieze New York, Frieze Los Angeles and EXPO CHICAGO.CGN: Your focus, once you decided on one, is very personal.&nbsp;Collector: I love living with these works, and spending time with them. 20 years ago, the comedian Steve Martin displayed his art collection in Las Vegas, and he wrote and narrated the audio tour guide. A point that he made was that an artwork succeeds when you can stare at it for hours and find meaning, but you know in the end you’ll never fully understand it. He said it better, and funnier, but that’s the gist, and I agree with him.One issue I am conscious of is that private ownership of art deprives the general public of viewing those works.&nbsp; But I don’t think it applies to the works in my collection. I tested my hunch a few years ago by offering to have my estate leave my collection to a well-known modern art museum, which shall go unnamed. The museum agreed to accept the collection, but only if they were free to sell any or all of the works.&nbsp;Thus, the market has spoken: my art works are very meaningful to me, but they are not necessarily rare, and their private ownership does not deprive patrons of the ability to view works that might be deemed enormously important.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418360/xsvdhaztu85cm7zlcrij.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dine, Alone at Night, each panel signed, titled and dated 1991 on the reverse, oil on 2 joined canvases, in artist’s frame, 86 1/8 by 147 3/4 in.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: What do you think about art for investment?Collector: When it comes to art, one needs to be agnostic as to intrinsic value and investment potential. I don’t think about art as an investment, except to the extent that I do insure the collection and try to keep track of its value for that purpose. Over the past 40 years of collecting art, I’ve certainly purchased works that have increased in value, and conversely some of the works I’ve purchased probably have very little resale value.&nbsp;I guess the way I look at the value of art can be summed up by a story about a recent acquisition. Many years back, I asked an artist – who happened to live next door to me in LA at the time – the price of one of his works, a favorite of mine. The price he named was more than I could afford then. Recently, I finally acquired that work from that same artist through a NY gallery for 30 times the price the artist stated so long ago. It doesn’t bother me that I had to pay so much more for it now, I’m just happy to have it in my collection. I ended up sending the artist an email congratulating him for holding the work so long, and in the process earning a ten percent annual compounded return for 38 years!<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418360/nhjjyl5oivnap0kafijn.jpg"><figcaption>Robert Longo, Untitled (Two Women)</figcaption></figure>CGN: What would you tell a visitor about your collection, as well as about collecting in general?Collector: Since my collection is so varied, I would speak about each work individually rather than the collection as a whole. In fact, rather than speaking I would hand the visitor an information page I’ve prepared for each of the works. It includes information that would typically be shown in an auction catalog, for instance: date created, media, and provenance. I have tried to include, in a condensed version, thoughts and ideas on the artists, and sometimes specifics about the actual artwork in the collection, on a page that the visitor can read while looking at the work itself. I re-read these notes myself from time to time.As far as collecting in general, I would suggest buying what you like; but, again, at least in my case, it helps to have a focus. You might build a collection around a certain time period, a genre, or different stages in a single artist’s life and work. I would also advise finding out as much as you can about the artists in your collection, including auction notes, criticism, films, and interviews. For example, to fully understand a Schnabel plate painting I think it’s crucial to watch Michael Blackwood’s important 1982 documentary A New Spirit in Painting. Likewise, my Eric Fischl painting The Chair, The Bed, Getting Ready had much greater resonance for me after reading his autobiography Bad Boy. I would also recommend three great books on how to view and understand modern art: Robert Hughes’ The Shock of the New, Leo Steinberg’s classic Other Criteria, and Calvin Tomkins’ amazing book The Bride and the Bachelors, which I keep coming back to, and have now read several times. Also, go to galleries and speak with the representatives.&nbsp;I never understood Nan Goldin’s photographs until her work was explained to me by Mike Davis at Matthew Marks. Once decoded, I fell in love with these photographs, and recently added Goldin’s 1991 photo Guy at Wigstock to my collection.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418361/c2c3dqdf7qwwaqdq8mg3.jpg"><figcaption>Nan Goldin, Guy at Wigstock</figcaption></figure>CGN: What kind of conversations have started about the art in your collection?Collector: Almost everyone that visits the collection tells me which work is their personal favorite. Some tell me which is their least favorite! Now, when I have visitors, I do ask them which is their favorite, but I also ask them: Why? What do you like about your favorite work in the collection? What are the qualities of the work that make it your favorite, or least favorite? I enjoy this discussion and have learned from it too. And I do ask people to take their time while visiting the collection. There is a terrific article written by art historian Jennifer Roberts titled The Power of Patience. In it, she argues, convincingly to my mind, that collectively we have lost the ability to focus in a slow, engaged way – what she calls ‘immersive attention.’ Its only at this slow-paced, immersive engagement with the work that I believe art truly reveals itself.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

A Collector's Personal Focus: Discovering the Value of Engagement

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418339/fbsw91z0ffsyqc9cxpuj.jpg"><figcaption>Yvette Mayorga, Portrait of the Artist’s Parents (After Portrait of the Artist’s Daughter Francois Boucher, c. 1760) 2020, acrylic piping on canvas, 48” x 60,” diptych &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By ALISON REILLYTreating paint like frosting on a cake, artist Yvette Mayorga pipes saccharine landscapes onto canvases. Littered with pink cars, empty Cheeto bags, smiley faces, and references to ICE and Homeland Security, her paintings tell a truth that may be hard to stomach: the American dream is making us sick. Mayorga has been working with these motifs for several years, but the ongoing pandemic confirms what she has hinted at all along—that the promise of a better life in the United States may come with a number of severe consequences. Mayorga’s paintings, featuring fluorescent colors and soft textures juxtaposed with military figurines and blurred faces, are jarring portraits of America in 2020.&nbsp;Over the past few months Mayorga has been preparing for a number of exhibitions including LatinXAmerican at Depaul Art Museum, which opens in January 2021 and ESTAMOS BIEN: LA TRIENAL 20/21 at Museo Del Barrio in New York. She was recently selected as a finalist for the 2020 Artadia Chicago Awards.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418340/vpbefdfwagadtbenlwuu.jpg"><figcaption>Yvette Mayorga in her studio. Photo by William Camargo</figcaption></figure>CGN: First, how have you been doing these past several months, and where are you working from?Yvette Mayorga: It’s been difficult to see my community and family members be put at a higher risk due to COVID-19. I had the privilege of shutting down my studio at MANA and being able to work from home for most of quarantine, but of course many essential workers didn’t have that choice and continue to be put at risk. Once the guidelines were lifted a bit in July, I returned to my studio while practicing social distancing and safety guidelines. It’s definitely been a lot of ups and downs and check ins with friends and family to make sure everyone is holding up and remembering we are strong as a community.CGN: How has your practice changed since March when the stay-at-home orders were put into effect?YM: Quarantine has affirmed what some of us have already known—that there is still work to be done in rewriting Art History due to COVID-19’s disproportionate effect on people of color and immigrant communities. I plan to continue to share the untold stories in my work with frosting through my feminist perspective.CGN: What is a typical day in your studio like?&nbsp;YM: A typical day in my studio includes an iced coffee, playing some Buscabulla, and beginning by catching up on some art admin emails/inventory/contracts for the first hour, then I do any research/source image printing related to the work I’m working on, and then I begin mixing my colors for piping. Some days my order of doing things changes, but usually it’s in that order, because it makes me get emails out of the way so I can focus on my favorite part, which is the creating.CGN: When did you know that you wanted to be an artist?YM: It’s something that my intuition has always told me to follow, although during high school I did consider different creative career paths, such as fashion design or interior design, but I was always pulled towards painting. I definitely think growing up with siblings who were great at drawing and were always being creative around our house made me think there was a possibility in art. It also helped that my high school art teacher gave me advice and tools to think about art as a career, because I didn’t know anyone who was an artist—and that’s really integral to seeing yourself in a field—if you don’t know anyone doing your dream job, it takes more of a risk to follow it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418341/ddjbbqos0kmwsybl915i.jpg"><figcaption>American Urn, (After Madame Victoire vases at Château de Versailles,) 2019, acrylic piping on canvas, 48”x 60” &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>CGN: I read that you initially used baking frosting in many of your paintings and sculptures but have since changed to acrylic to ensure the longevity of your work. How have other aspects of your practice changed over the past several years (conceptually or physically)?YM: I used to source frosting from bakeries who had buckets of leftover frosting that was going to be discarded. I really enjoyed seeing all the different colors and decorations mixed in the tubs that gave me small glimpses of maybe who those cakes were being made for that weekend. Most of my “Monuments” series are made with real frosting, and, of course, frosting decomposes after a certain amount of time, so I went back to paint but with a more sculptural approach, where I used traditional baking tools to do the painting. That was more exciting to me than traditional painting—I think it’s the sculpturally-inclined part of me that loves to see texture and relief on any substrate.&nbsp;Conceptually my work continues to naturally evolve as one research topic leads me to another and another and so on. The content is all pertaining to one grand idea, but the idea is so complex and has so many layers I still am barely touching it—that, to me, is exciting.&nbsp;CGN: How did you decide to incorporate confections, cake decorating, and pastillage into your work?YM: I first wanted to address the decadence attributed to the American dream and consumerism, while referencing my mother’s labor – in the ‘70s she worked decorating cakes at Marshall Field’s. I began using real frosting to reference both themes, and now I am also incorporating references to the Rococo style—everything is tied to ideas of labor, gender, architecture, and colonialism under the big umbrella of American idealism that is placed on immigrants.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418342/beomtzzfbxurmc7vckvc.jpg"><figcaption>Vase of the Century</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Tell me about your experience growing up in Moline, Illinois? How has that informed your work?&nbsp;YM: My experience growing up in Moline was mostly great. It’s a small city where everyone you go to kindergarten with you also go to high school with. I grew up surrounded by my family and a tight knit community. I also felt like I partially grew up in Zacatecas and Jalisco, Mexico where my family and I would travel to every summer until I was about 18 years old to visit my grandmothers. I think the experience of being in two countries as a child really gave me a transnational perspective that allowed me to understand my parents’ stories of growing up in Mexico and to shape my understanding of my identity. I am grateful for my parents to have given my siblings and me that experience, because it has made me who I am today.CGN: What impact has Chicago had on your formation as an artist? What is your relationship to the city?YM: Chicago was where we would visit my aunt as a child and also a place filled with memories of my parents’ time here in the seventies, as it was one of the first cities they immigrated to. There is a lot of my familial labor history embedded in the South Side of Chicago that reminds me of what it must’ve been like for my parents to begin their life here. As an artist, it’s where my community is.CGN: I was looking at your Instagram and saw an adorable little puppy. Can you tell me about your dog?YM: Roco (Rococo) is our new family member, she is a Victorian Bulldog. My partner and I decided it was time for a happy addition during quarantine, and she’s really brought us light during difficult times.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418342/amv2ny6qgmckyf0m9wtd.jpg"><figcaption>High Maintenance, 2019, Installation, 41’ x 25’ x 10’ Tube Factory, Indanapolis, IN</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418343/tajxbnk7aylh070xhriq.jpg"><figcaption>Monochromatic Dreams, installation</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418344/cnusmofqjcu25kz8cdwn.jpg"><figcaption>Detail of shoes in installation</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;This interview is featured in the fall 2020 issue of CGN. To receive a print copy, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/print-subscriptions">please subscribe</a> for $20/year!&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418345/rpgttrqhgn5epcd0lyb6.png"></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Yvette Mayorga: Artistic Confections Add New Layers to Art History

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418374/fs4fnkibujspfnda38tt.png"><figcaption>Our fall issue features artist Yvette Mayorga</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAIt has now been half a year since we have been able to access people, places and art in the ways we once did. After April and May when so much was shut down, July and August have offered glimpses of life for the forseeable future – more limited, still within reach, as long as you plan ahead and as long as you begin to accept life’s many risks, COVID-19-related or not.&nbsp;Yet it seems the goal posts still move daily. I want a crystal ball – one that would show me it’s all going to be OK, and when.&nbsp; Without one, and in order to be able to participate safely in life in Chicago, I have spent time evolving my own tolerance for risk; I realize it’s a luxury to be able to thoughtfully weigh risks, as many people in our community do not have much choice about where they live, where they work from or with whom they are in contact. We live among many levels of accessibility, undoubtedly with barriers.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418375/ywdo1sktajtwurshuzgm.jpg"><figcaption>CGN Publisher (BITMOJI) Ginny B. Van Alyea – Hoping for a crystal ball with a good outlook for 2021.</figcaption></figure>Most of us have been denied levels of access in the short term. But what about those who have faced it in the long term? As we follow critcal safety measures now, when we visit galleries and museums or attend events, how do these new limits inhibit those who already have to clear a high bar? The neccessity of timed entries, capacity limits, reservations, not to mention internet access, likely excludes communities we seek to reach more than before.How do we continue to pursue a love of art while supporting the art industry and keeping everyone safe? This fall, spaces are planning new shows or opening exhibitions postponed in the spring. We are not back to normal. We may never be. This season there are no international art fairs coming to Navy Pier (closed until spring.) Neighborhood markets and festivals are on hold. But the traditionally energetic September start to the art season <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/september-11-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-september-exhibitions">will still take place</a>. It will be over the course of a long weekend, with less spontaneity, and fewer people, but it will happen. Many nonprofits are readying plans for virtual galas. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/chicago-architecture-center-announces-the-new-open-house-chicago-for-october-2020">Open House Chicago</a> will span 10 days, outdoors and online, and include new neighborhoods. There are undoubtedly opportunities in exploring new terrain, even when it’s steep.&nbsp;*With some free time this summer to think about how to get art in front of more Chicagoans long term, I looked up the Chicago Public Library’s <a href="https://www.chipublib.org/faq/covid-19-reopening/?_ga=2.183422182.1766970376.1597412852-2083650044.1579274603#kids-museum-passports-2">Kids Museum Passports</a> – a terrific program that allows CPL cardholders and adult residents to visit area museums for free with children. While these passes allow families to visit for free, unless otherwise noted, a group must include at least one child under 18 for the Passport to be valid; only two adults are admitted per pass. They are not for adults-only visits. Plus the pass must be checked out in person, not virtually or downloaded.&nbsp;When I thought about musuem free days and times for area residents, limits and scheduling inconveniences exist there too. Though museum finances have been severely impacted this year, perhaps some could devise free pass programs, ala SpotHero: check for upcoming ‘spots’ or visiting times, then download a pass that begins a countdown of useability. The flexibility could encourage more convenient and frequent encounters with art.&nbsp;Additionally the library could update its Passport to be mobile and to accomodate adults. While some galleries use Tock to set up visiting times, maybe they will also host a no-reservations-needed hour, when people, distanced of course, may still stop in without an appointment (like the old days!)*This is all praying that Chicago pulls through one of the most distressing and violent periods in recent history, and that institutions and businesses will be able to keep their doors open and someday thrive again.For now, please use CGN as a resource to explore art from home – as well as safely in person – in our newly distanced world. This issue features interviews with many art world makers and leaders who offer insights on <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/yvette-mayorga-artistic-confections-add-new-layers-to-art-history">working as an artist</a> today, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/a-collector-s-personal-focus-discovering-the-value-of-engagement">collecting art</a>, writing about and photographing art, designing with art, and more.&nbsp;2020 has given us all many challenges, and more are still to come. We are a long way from the summit, but on the way up the view is ever-changing, and we have the opportunity to notice things we weren’t able to before – crystal ball or not.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our fall 2020 issue of CGN is out now. To receive a print copy, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/print-subscriptions">please subscribe</a> for $20/year!&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418375/ix67br18asqleqwn6mxf.png"></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Fall 2020 Publisher's Letter: What Lies Ahead? How Can We Ensure Access?

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418215/iin5kmjw9523bw9jfcd1.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By CGN StaffThe Driehaus Museum is the latest local institution to re-open after closing its doors this spring due to the pandemic. The staff says they are eager to welcome the public back to the ‘Haus (we didn't know they called it that!) The Museum will reopen to the general public on Saturday, August 29 with new measures and visiting requirements in place, as well as some new exhibitions planned for this fall.&nbsp;All galleries in the historic mansion will be open to view as well as the special exhibition, <a href="http://driehausmuseum.org/exhibitions">PAN: Prints of Avant Garde Europe, 1895-1900</a>. Museum guides will be on hand to answer any questions as you explore the galleries and current exhibitions.New weekly private, guide-led tour hours are also being offered on Fridays between 11–4 and include tours for up to 6 people with a discussion of the history and architecture of the building, the Museum’s collections, and highlights of the current exhibitions. Guided Tour tickets include general admission.&nbsp;The museum is now closed M–Th but open Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays to the public.&nbsp;Guests are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance of their visit since, due to reduced capacity limitations, purchasing tickets in advance will secure your preferred date and time.&nbsp;The first exhibition to open on August 29 be <a href="http://driehausmuseum.org/exhibitions">PAN: Prints of Avant-Garde Europe, 1895-1900</a>, which documents a new era of printmaking for the turn of the century, as well as the desire of the arts and literary journal’s founders to elevate graphic arts to the same level as the academic fine art of its day.Coming up September 26 is the much anticipated, second exhibition in the Driehaus Museum's new contemporary art initiative, A Tale of Today. <a href="http://driehausmuseum.org/exhibition/youngandhoribuchi">A Tale of Today: Nate Young and Mika Horibuchi</a> focuses on two Chicago-based artists whose works will engage expectations of the Nickerson Mansion by responding to the design and history of the 1883 building.<a href="https://46316.blackbaudhosting.com/46316/Driehaus-Museum-General-Admission-Timed-Entry-29Aug2020-21">RESERVE YOUR TICKETS HERE</a>If you are having trouble with your reservation, email <a href="mailto:info@driehausmuseum.org">info@driehausmuseum.org</a> or call 312-482-8933.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="http://driehausmuseum.org/images/uploads/visit/reopenguidlines2.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Driehaus Museum Re-Opening

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418793/vfkmvkhxp9gzsm3ekood.jpg"><figcaption>Andrew Ginzel and Kristin Jones’ Panopia at the 15th District police station, among a number of public artworks in police buildings throughout Chicago. (Courtesy of the artists)</figcaption></figure><h3>A Closer Look at the Public Art at Chicago Police Stations</h3>After removing its Columbus statues, Chicago will reassess its collection of hundreds of public art pieces to better “reflect our values as Chicagoans.” So I asked artists to reflect on the work they made for the city’s police stations.By Logan Jaffe, Pro Publica Illinois<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/a-closer-look-at-the-public-art-at-chicago-police-stations">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418794/tckkiszgw9tdrz6mok3j.jpg"><figcaption>Kerry James Marshall's cover for the September issue of Vogue. COURTESY VOGUE</figcaption></figure><h3>Jordan Casteel and Kerry James Marshall Paint Covers for Vogue’s September&nbsp;Issue&nbsp;</h3><a href="https://www.artnews.com/t/kerry-james/">Kerry James</a> Marshall and <a href="https://www.artnews.com/t/jordan-casteel/">Jordan Casteel</a> are the latest to people to join a storied list of artists—including Salvador Dalí, Giorgio de Chirico, and John Currin—that have been invited to create covers for the vaunted <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/september-issue-cover-2020-global-hope">September issue of&nbsp;Vogue</a>. According to the magazine, the celebrated portraitists were given total creative freedom in the choice of cover star, real or imaginary, as long as the subject was painted wearing one of four couture outfits selected by the Vogue team. Each artist was also asked to use “hope” as a creative starting point.By Tessa Solomon, ARTnews<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/kerry-james-marshall-jordan-casteel-vogue-covers-1234569219/">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418795/zqklrawfbd7jl7tac7yx.jpg"></figure><h3>Amy Sherald on Making Breonna Taylor's Portrait</h3>For more than 20 years, Amy Sherald has been putting the narratives of Black families and Black people to canvas. In 2016, she became the first woman and first African American to win the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, which led to her painting Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery in 2018. That oil-on-linen portrait was her first commissioned work—until Breonna Taylor.By Miles Pope, Vanity Fair<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/amy-sherald-on-making-breonna-taylors-cover-portrait?fbclid=IwAR0tLCbvqtUU69owyCcT4C7fCWucFhguKnxb-AZ7o8-rUyxJZshl6-MppFQ">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418796/ie4p4b2s8eomnt8oza05.jpg"></figure><h3>Meet the National Parks’ ‘Ranger of the Lost Art’</h3>Hundreds of thousands of sweaty, athleisure-clad national park visitors have entered the park gift shop after a hike and immediately gravitated toward one particular display: the vintage-looking magnets, postcards and posters with the park’s name in blocky lettering, its best-known vista or features rendered in simple contours and pastels.By Erin Berger, NYT<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/25/style/ranger-doug-leen-wpa-national-park-posters.html?action=click&amp;module=Editors%20Picks&amp;pgtype=Homepage">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 24, 2020

<html><head></head><body>By CGN StaffMark your calendar for the second weekend of September when several openings take place across the city.&nbsp;Spaces in West Town, River North and the Near North Side will be hosting in person openings with extended hours in keeping with the City of Chicago's Phase 4 safety measurements.&nbsp;Be sure to visit CGN's '<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=openings">Openings</a>' page in the coming days since we will be adding new exhibitions and events daily. Please note that some exhibitions are beginning without formal opening receptions, but for now we are highlighting those spaces welcoming the public back on a single day or evening.During opening receptions throughout the city, the following health and safety practices may be in place:<ul><li>Many gallery openings are running on extended hours during the day to encourage social distancing, so please visit when it is convenient for you.</li><li>Masks are required</li><li>Crowding will be limited/monitored. You may have to wait briefly to enter a gallery if another group is already there, depending on the individual gallery's own space and rules.</li><li>Reach out directly to galleries if you have any questions or would like to set up a private appointment.</li></ul>On behalf of the Chicago Galleries and CGN alike, we thank you for your continued support!&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418099/oxbjkbtjcpxgv1skcr6c.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/what-is-home">What is Home?</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 11, 12 – 7&nbsp;pmCatherine Edelman GalleryCatherine Edelman Gallery is excited to open the Fall season with What is Home? featuring work by Keliy Anderson-Staley, Omar Imam and Rubén Martín de Lucas.&nbsp;The show opens September 11 and runs through October 31, 2020.&nbsp;To avoid crowds, the opening reception will be from noon – 7:00 pm on Friday, September 11. Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturday-gallery-tours-with-director-juli-lowe-tickets-116756565029">here</a>&nbsp;to register for a private tour of the exhibition led by Director Juli Lowe on Saturday, September 12, 10:00-11:00am. Tours are free, but are limited to ten people. Masks are required.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418100/dksopfh5bmy4pqkmcp25.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/if-we-do-not-now-dare-everything">Anthem</a>Virtual Exhibition, available for in-person viewing via storefront windowWeinberg/Newton GalleryPlanned to coincide with the 2020 presidential election cycle,&nbsp;Anthem&nbsp;looks past partisan divisiveness and focuses on the issue of voting as a fundamental right. The works on view both online and in the gallery's storefront windows examine familiar emblems of American patriotism, along with experiences of collective identity, and acts of resistance. The various mythologies ascribed to political leaders – their likenesses as well as their legacies&nbsp;–&nbsp;are also scrutinized.&nbsp; Anthem&nbsp;features work by Bethany Collins, Jaclyn Conley, Eve L. Ewing, Mike Gibisser, Naima Green, Ellen Rothenberg and Sanaz Sohrabi and is organized in collaboration with the ACLU of Illinois.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418100/gdvwa6mlayhg2bnrmu0c.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/resurfacing">Resurfacing</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 11, 5 – 10&nbsp;pmOliva GalleryIn the gallery's first ever textiles exhibition, Alonso and Tubbs interweave their past lives into RESURFACING, an interactive installation saturated with color and texture.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418101/piwbqqyycpujmmcn4bq8.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/suzanne-rose-blindspot">Suzanne Rose: Blindspot</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 11, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmZolla / Lieberman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418102/fmxzdct8eeuqsnfosjpa.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/fall-season-opening-and-river-north-art-walk">Joanne Mattera: Hue and Me</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 1 – 6&nbsp;pmAddington GalleryThis exhibition, entitled "Hue &amp; Me", will be Mattera's first solo with Addington Gallery. The exhibition opens on Saturday September 12th with an All-Day Open House Reception from 1pm through 6pm. The artist will be present to meet and discuss her work. A catalog will be available for purchase and to view at no charge online.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418103/hxwoasod8uftjhwkfxns.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/no-country-for-old-knuckleheads">No Country for Old Knuckleheads</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 2020 1 – 5&nbsp;pmHofheimer GalleryThis 2 person show features artists Fred Stonehouse and Michael Noland. Artists will be present.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418104/egwdcxuxjccg8bro5ki1.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/power-trip">Power Trip (Virtual Opening Reception)</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 2020 4 – 5&nbsp;pmARC Gallery&nbsp;Power Trip is a body of work about exploitation, relationships, and self-validation. The exhibition features six new textile pieces and paintings by Bryana Bibbs, a textile artist and painter. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2014, Fiber and Material Studies) and is currently a teaching artist at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Evanston Art Center.&nbsp;</body></html>

A Sneak Preview of Upcoming September Exhibitions 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418012/l00qrszwzysykkeffnv2.png"><figcaption>Manuel Martinez</figcaption></figure>Navy Pier to close temporarily after Labor DayLoss of tourism dollars has been "devastating to the organization’s budget," resulting in a projected $20 million deficit in 2020.By A.D. Quig, Crain's Chicago Business<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/government/navy-pier-close-temporarily-after-labor-day">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418013/hqapdrp9op3ndnpughrk.jpg"><figcaption>Johannes Vermeer's The Music Lesson (1662–65) is one of 65 works from the Royal Collection to feature in an upcoming exhibition at the Queen's Gallery The Royal Collection</figcaption></figure>The Queen's hidden masterpieces to leave Buckingham Palace for the first timeMajor palace renovations mean that the Queen's Gallery will display 65 works from the Royal Collection including pieces by Rembrandt and VermeerBy Kabir Jhala, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/buckingham-palace-art-renovations-queens-gallery">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418015/qdcm7ah98cyto72bvfeh.jpg"></figure>Michael Rakowitz’s&nbsp;Art of ReturnThrough playful, outraged interventions, a&nbsp;sculptor&nbsp;seeks to reclaim a lost Iraq.By Raffi Khatchadourian, The New Yorker<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/24/michael-rakowitzs-art-of-return">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418016/fjfn9d9viqal0qpaqgm3.jpg"></figure>MCA Chicago Staff and Administration Eye Each Other Warily in Response to Job&nbsp;RestructuringsThe Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has initiated a new employment structure that will involve converting all part-time visitor experience positions to full-time ones.By Claire Voon, Art News<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/mca-chicago-part-time-employees-reduction-coronavirus-1202697195/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418017/dsvvnjhh4vzrpantwav2.jpg"><figcaption>Christopher Columbus statue at Arrigo Park was removed in late July. A city project will now assess art and monuments across the city. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file</figcaption></figure>City launches project to assess public art and monumentsMonuments and public art will be catalogued, and an advisory committee will determine which pieces demand action.By Clare Proctor, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/8/13/21365160/chicago-public-art-monuments-statues-removal-assessment">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 18, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417846/lniiqlhjihk3zebshrat.jpg"><figcaption>Artists Run Chicago 2.0 installation view including miniature exhibition curated by Julius Caesar. &nbsp;Photography courtesy of Tran Tran.</figcaption></figure>Via PR<a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">Hyde Park Art Center</a>, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s South Side, will re-open its doors for limited exhibition hours starting September 1, 2020, with the launch of the <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/exhibition-archive/artists-run-chicago-2-0/">Artists Run Chicago 2.0</a> exhibition, celebrating the work of 50 artist-run spaces and organizations that fuel Chicago’s independent art scene.&nbsp; Artists Run Chicago 2.0 highlights the incredible work artists around the city are doing in their apartments, storefronts, on the streets of Chicago, and even a barn, challenging the conventional expectations of exhibition, discourse, and community.&nbsp; Works from each of the spaces will be represented in this exhibition encompassing six galleries, the entire Hyde Park Art Center footprint.“Following the COVID-19-related closure of the Art Center in mid-March, we are delighted to welcome the community back with this massive exhibition, showcasing the incredible diversity and sheer force of independent art galleries operating in Chicago now,” said Kate Lorenz, Hyde Park Art Center Executive Director. “We will be proceeding with care and the utmost caution to ensure the safety of our staff, community, and visitors. While the experience of visiting the Art Center may be slightly altered for the near future, we are excited to celebrate the work of so many creative artist-run spaces and share it with the public. We are confident that visitors and students will encounter the same sense of creativity, curiosity, and community for which Hyde Park Art Center is known.”To mark the ten-year anniversary of the original Art Center exhibition, Artists Run Chicago (2009), Artists Run Chicago 2.0 examines the core motivations, trajectories, and philosophies that have made the past decade generative for new models of artist-run initiatives to exist throughout the city and suburbs. As they did in 2009, artists-run spaces have continued to transform storefronts, apartments, warehouses, garages, and nomadic existences into environments in which art can be experienced at its most experimental and intuitive stage.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417847/xryhnp05ttjdptcvlec8.png"><figcaption>Installation of Summer Skin w/ Zoe Avery Nelson and Judy Ledgerwood @ PRACTISE (2017), Courtesy of Practise</figcaption></figure>However, the artist-run model has also found a heightened criticality during this time as well. Despite taking on a multitude of forms and models, these spaces have come to represent a merge between artistic practice and social engagement, in which their small, independent, and hyperlocal status can be constantly modified and tailored to serve the communities they call home, whether through online forums to discuss art or engaging with community activists in support of social justice. In a time in which institutions are reevaluating their missions and relevance in a rapidly changing social landscape, artist-run initiatives have found themselves at the forefront of new conversations around art, challenging conventional expectations of exhibition, discourse, and community, while injecting new models, ideas, and faces into our understanding of what experiencing art can be.Art spaces represented in Artists Run Chicago 2.0 hail from a wide range of Chicago neighborhoods, from Beverly to Rogers Park, Englewood to Oak Park; here is the complete list: 062,&nbsp;4th Ward Project Space,&nbsp;65Grand,&nbsp;ACRE Projects,&nbsp;Adds Donna,&nbsp;AMFM,&nbsp;Annas,&nbsp;Apparatus Projects,&nbsp;Bad At Sports,&nbsp;Blanc Gallery, boundary,&nbsp;Chicago Art Department,&nbsp;Chuquimarca,&nbsp;Clutch,&nbsp;Co-Prosperity Sphere,&nbsp;Comfort Station,&nbsp;Compound Yellow,&nbsp;D Gallery,&nbsp;Devening Projects, Document,&nbsp;Experimental Sound Studio,&nbsp;F4F,&nbsp;The Franklin,&nbsp;Heaven Gallery,&nbsp;Iceberg Projects,&nbsp;Ignition Project Space,&nbsp;Julius Caesar,&nbsp;Lawrence and Clark, LVL3,&nbsp;Mujeres Mutantes,&nbsp;Night Light Studios &amp; Gallery, Ohklahomo, Nightingale,&nbsp;Practise,&nbsp;Prairie,&nbsp;Roman Susan,&nbsp;Roots &amp; Culture,&nbsp;Rootwork Gallery,&nbsp;The Silver Room,&nbsp;Slow,&nbsp;The Suburban,&nbsp;Sweet Water Foundation,&nbsp;table,&nbsp;Terrain Exhibitions,&nbsp;Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Trunk Show, TRQPITECA,&nbsp;VGA Gallery,&nbsp;Wedge Projects, and&nbsp;Western Pole. Artists Run Chicago 2.0&nbsp;is organized by Noah Hanna and Allison Peters Quinn with contributions from Max Guy and Andi Crist.Free online public programming accompanies this exhibition, including monthly performances, workshops, and artist and curator-led Art Center tours.&nbsp; Hyde Park Art Center has partnered with Public Media Institute&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sixty Inches from Center to produce a special Artists Run Chicago 2.0 edition of Lumpen magazine for its 136th volume, distributed for free at Hyde Park Art Center and Buddy, located in the first floor galleries of the Chicago Cultural Center.About Artists Run Chicago (2009):Chicago has long been known for cultivating a strong entrepreneurial/Do-It-Yourself spirit in business and the arts. Art organizations like Randolph Street Gallery, N.A.M.E., and the Uncomfortable Spaces in the 1980s and 1990s provided respected role models for independent art initiatives that followed. The 38 artist-run venues that participated in Hyde Park Art Center’s 2009 exhibition were responsible for transforming storefronts, sheds, apartments, lofts, industrial warehouses, garages and roving spaces into contemporary art galleries testing the notion of “exhibition” while complicating the definition of art. Coinciding with the Hyde Park Art Center’s 70th anniversary, Artists Run Chicago reconnected the Art Center to its beginnings as an artist-run space through collaborations with spaces that demonstrated a similar dedication to fostering new projects by new artists.Now a decade later, only six of the spaces in the original exhibition survive: 65 Grand, Co-Prosperity Sphere, Devening Projects, Julius Caesar, Roots &amp; Culture, and The Suburban (relocated to Milwaukee, WI). Several of the spaces included in Artist Run Chicago 2.0 are celebrating a 10-year anniversary and cite the attention around the early 2000s as impetus for their existence.Artists Run Chicago 2.0 runs from September 1-November 1, 2020.&nbsp; The exhibition will be available for viewing Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 12-6pm; Thursdays from 1-7pm; and Fridays from 10am-4pm. There is no admission charge but, to comply with social distance standards, advance reservations are encouraged for 90-minute visits and can be made by visiting <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">https://www.hydeparkart.org/</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fall Class SessionIn addition, the Art Center is currently piloting a limited number of artmaking classes for adults in a hybrid model of online instruction coupled with on-site studio access. These include Ceramics and Printmaking Independent Study courses incorporating virtual group class time and on-site independent studio time.&nbsp; Additionally, the Art Center is offering a limited Ceramics “Work from Home” option that will include guidance on how to safely use ceramics in a home studio followed by limited studio access to fire and glaze.&nbsp; For more information on current offerings, including the incredible range of ongoing virtual courses for all ages, and expanded in-person options for fall. For updated offerings and information about fall registration please visit <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/education/">https://www.hydeparkart.org/education/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For more information, please visit&nbsp; <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">https://www.hydeparkart.org/</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Hyde Park Art Center Re-opening To Showcase 50 Independent Artist-Run Spaces

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417999/c6wb95sr2dtnlwgaccfu.png"></figure>&nbsp;Via PRCHICAGO, IL — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events&nbsp;(DCASE)&nbsp;are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020&nbsp;CityArts&nbsp;Program grants. Each year, the&nbsp;CityArts Program&nbsp;encourages Chicago-based, arts and culture-focused&nbsp;organizations&nbsp;of all sizes&nbsp;to attain artistic&nbsp;excellence and financial stability&nbsp;by making general operating&nbsp;grants across all artistic disciplines.&nbsp;This year,&nbsp;the Program is awarding&nbsp;general operating grants&nbsp;between&nbsp;$2,000 to $30,000&nbsp;–&nbsp;and special project grants ranging from $2,500 to $56,200&nbsp;–&nbsp;to 191&nbsp;nonprofit organizations&nbsp;for a total of $2 million.&nbsp;The project grants are&nbsp;being awarded&nbsp;in alignment with the Year of Chicago Music, now continuing through 2021.“The COVID-19 outbreak is devastating the creative sector, and the need is tremendous,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “In these very challenging times, the City of Chicago is supporting its local arts organizations through the CityArts Program, other cultural grant programs and the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund. Still,&nbsp;we hope that other public and private sources of funding step up to&nbsp;ensure the sector’s immediate and long-term viability.”DCASE has more than doubled its&nbsp;grants in&nbsp;general operating expenses&nbsp;–&nbsp;unrestricted funds that may be used however the grantee wishes –&nbsp;over the last four years, in recognition that&nbsp;these&nbsp;are&nbsp;increasingly critical for nonprofit organizations to carry out their missions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Further,&nbsp;to make more impactful grants to arts organizations&nbsp;during&nbsp;this time of need, the number of general operating grants made through this program has increased by 25% over 2019 and the average general operating grant amount has increased by 20%.&nbsp;These increases&nbsp;were&nbsp;made possible in part by&nbsp;a&nbsp;$250,000&nbsp;award from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This grant contributes funds to the CityArts Program for distribution to local nonprofit arts and cultural organizations.The 2020 CityArts Program project grants are awarded in alignment with the City’s Year of Chicago Music&nbsp;to&nbsp;strengthen&nbsp;Chicago’s&nbsp;music landscape – one of the most influential music communities on&nbsp;the globe&nbsp;– to highlight its legacy, expand its audience and&nbsp;grow its capacity.&nbsp;Funded projects include audience development and marketing strategies for Chicago musicians and music organizations; initiatives that are documenting, celebrating and preserving Chicago’s unique musical&nbsp;legacy; and innovative programs that could serve as replicable models for the industry.&nbsp;Examples of the organizations supported through project grants include Arts &amp; Business Council of Chicago in partnership with Chicago Reader (Chicago Music Website),&nbsp;Arts Alliance Illinois in partnership with 2112 and CCE&nbsp;(Chicago License Local Initiative), Asian&nbsp;Improv&nbsp;aRts&nbsp;Midwest (Archiving Chicago's Asian American&nbsp;Jazz&nbsp;&amp; Creative Music Collaborations) and&nbsp;the&nbsp;Black Ensemble Theater (Black Ensemble Intercultural Music Festival).&nbsp;Mayor Lightfoot is committed to supporting&nbsp;Chicago’s rich&nbsp;arts and culture community&nbsp;and last fall&nbsp;announced a&nbsp;$1&nbsp;million&nbsp;increase in City funding for&nbsp;the DCASE Cultural Grants Program, bringing the total budget to $2.7&nbsp;million.&nbsp;This increased budget fulfills&nbsp;a commitment to prioritize equitable grantmaking and microfinancing to individual artists, organizations and arts corridors throughout&nbsp;Chicago, particularly&nbsp;in communities of need.&nbsp;Earlier this year, the City of Chicago and DCASE&nbsp;also&nbsp;announced&nbsp;158 project-based Individual Artists&nbsp;Program grants&nbsp;ranging from&nbsp;$850 to $5,000&nbsp;—&nbsp;to resident Chicago artists across all artistic disciplines including film &amp; media arts, literary arts, performing arts (theatre/dance), music and visual arts/design.&nbsp;Additionally, 13 high-qualified artists received the Esteemed Artist Award, a special new $10,000 grant for expenses associated with an artist’s practice, such as studio rental, supplies, travel and equipment.The City of Chicago&nbsp;has&nbsp;also partnered&nbsp;with&nbsp;the State of Illinois, Arts Alliance Illinois&nbsp;and the broader philanthropic community to provide financial relief to workers and organizations in the creative industries impacted by COVID-19.&nbsp;Since its launch&nbsp;in April&nbsp;2020, the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund has awarded&nbsp;well over $5 million&nbsp;to 1,460 artists and 233 organizations across&nbsp;the state.&nbsp;The&nbsp;fund is administered by Arts Alliance Illinois in partnership with 3Arts and Arts Work Fund, long-standing and trusted service organizations and&nbsp;grantmakers.In addition to this&nbsp;important&nbsp;relief&nbsp;fund,&nbsp;Arts Alliance Illinois’s&nbsp;COVID Relief Policy Agenda for the Arts&nbsp;is demanding stronger federal support for nonprofits and small businesses, especially in communities of color; continuation of expanded unemployment benefits; increased incentives for charitable giving; and federal assistance in offsetting state and local revenue shortfalls.&nbsp;For details, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=Fx6ZlfogyykExOP4a2vWQ7Y-2FGFTBAzql5MZiufKbHE8CFGrVcuZjILFnKXPR4jDqBxfF_BYLPtpUivDHORxxkVXshLCRT3wjV7CgXbLJWP9J5MP9LJ6jv7-2Bb0c97UF1yE1XeiKasl3Q0KHAlfCn9N7XONZksYe5OIXa5kf5eLUqZODuRSP9aq4SJ-2B49W0jH0wJ361M0DLw-2FLrEVI6E6-2FTD59WIsY4V59Qpnpsa7HT4Bi-2BLcrPVYytFq-2FWShLsqFP9j4TZwfPljDpXurpSKvjupFQJxvZJ15d0J74Q79KbkjRMaSifv55g0Wo5sWh19lqTui1P9t-2FlmgSW-2FIF5Yu5amsqZ6pTE5mDttYYp6CDHvoPfbPPhnqGjJOPF6fprosZgmJHRtWmjLTHCImmUToVWKg7FJsNzhez7cGmFJeIOZ6uPX7HZIhTQ-2Fz2xYeRtr-2BzOWG81Rezpcr-2F-2Fm6BDPLJ2caagjjF47GLZqAXDvlXvqeZwF-2B4-3D">bit.ly/ArtsReliefAgenda</a>.Since 1984, the Cultural Grants Program has served as a catalyst to foster a robust, healthy arts community where artists, non-profit arts and culture and creative industries thrive. For more information, please visit <a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=Fx6ZlfogyykExOP4a2vWQ-2FOfdVALjpYZsEGm6zCd-2Bgd4qbfTXA6h20a3N6YR0-2FVRZKhA_BYLPtpUivDHORxxkVXshLCRT3wjV7CgXbLJWP9J5MP9LJ6jv7-2Bb0c97UF1yE1XeiKasl3Q0KHAlfCn9N7XONZksYe5OIXa5kf5eLUqZODuRSP9aq4SJ-2B49W0jH0wJ361M0DLw-2FLrEVI6E6-2FTD59WIsY4V59Qpnpsa7HT4Bi-2BLcrPVYytFq-2FWShLsqFP9j4TZwfPljDpXurpSKvjupFQJxvZJ15d0J74Q79KbkjRMaShCOAk0BDoLTSXLc9rgUuP6MIaepIAm0f1MCObWd9OHubrAiwd1G4a26i6KMn3BxT7c9Ati4I8DwPfHhQJW3xtXMnGzz3dnW3go7UHQm1rE2lFPQ68zYugNU5sE6bPS-2BDuMBS4HsA8IvexVBJALnsF-2BBLWisVffd-2FCTmSMqcDj1jK1fbwVbWCUnHO-2BUi1-2BJy9Q-3D">chicagoculturalgrants.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</body></html>

City of Chicago Awards $2 Million In City Arts Program Grants to the Arts

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418000/b0xmljcronqbssopkefw.jpg"><figcaption>City of Chicago Boards of Change, detail. PHOTOGRAPHED BY STEVEN PIPER, PHOTOGRAPHER AT FCB</figcaption></figure>Chicago Using Street Art To Improve Census Response, Get Out The Vote“Bandos.” Boarded up businesses and homes. That’s what Chicago native, resident and artist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/6/artist-spotlight-barrett-keithley-s-images-of-hope-and-unity-replace-boarded-up-store-fronts">Barrett Keithley </a>calls them.Keithley was tired of seeing the South Side neighborhoods he grew up in and around filled with “bandos” so he decided to do something about it.He started painting. Keithley knew he was onto something right away.By Chadd Scott, Forbes<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2020/08/07/chicago-using-street-art-to-improve-census-response-get-out-the-vote/#2bd5036a532e">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418000/wqtd3skr4a9fcqaqwuil.jpg"></figure>‘Ducks on the Mag Mile’ Celebrates Special Olympics IllinoisThe pandemic is forcing Special Olympics Illinois to conduct their annual Duck Derby a little bit differently this year. But there is one tradition that remains the same.&nbsp;Rubber ducks are taking over downtown Chicago in an annual art display. “Ducks on the Mag Mile” is celebrating 15 years with the Special Olympics Illinois and it’s annual Duck Derby fundraiser, where adopted rubber ducks are poured into the Chicago River. This year’s fundraiser consisted of a virtual festival, where people were still encouraged to adopt a duck for $5.&nbsp;Chris Winston with Special Olympics Illinois says the public has responded well to the virtual switch.By Angel Idowu, WTTW News<a href="https://news.wttw.com/2020/08/06/ducks-mag-mile-celebrates-special-olympics-illinois">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418001/mjbowlpuhpj7bohm4kj3.jpg"><figcaption>Curator Nina Sanders, second from the right, worked with other cultural teachers to create “Apsáalooke Women and Warriors.”© Adam Sings in the Timber</figcaption></figure>Apsáalooke exhibition at Field Museum avoids stereotypes, shows ‘Native Americans are still here.’The exhibit places historical artifacts of the Apsáalooke tribe alongside art from its contemporary culture.By Jade Yan, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2020/8/11/21357671/apsaalooke-women-warriors-field-museum-natural-history-chicago-exhibit-indigenous-native-tribe">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418002/qryknaqqxwgsqxbdr17m.jpg"><figcaption>BLM Mural Uptown by 18 artists — taken by Carson Cloud</figcaption></figure>Colorful Black Lives Matter Mural Covers Chicago StreetThe large mural in the 4700 block of Clifton Avenue, between N. Broadway Ave. and Lawrence Ave., spells out the slogan in bright colorsBy Becca Wood, NBC 5 Chicago<a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/colorful-black-lives-matter-mural-covers-chicago-street/2317474/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 11, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417993/b8fpgxhubsntqlrpqrm3.jpg"><figcaption>Unity Temple in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. Photo by Andrew Pielage courtesy of the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation.</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAAs fall draws near – hard to believe in the middle of the time warp in which we now all live – the calendar, or the version of planned time we used to know – is taking shape. One event many have become accustomed to enjoying is the Chicago Architecture Center's annual fall <a href="https://openhousechicago.org">Open House Chicago</a>. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event. While it's a relief that the event is happening, changes to its format are inevitable.&nbsp;For the past nine years, OHC has inspired countless institutions to open their doors and welcome in the public to experience behind-the-scenes access to buildings across Chicago. Participants have included arts centers, religious buildings, distilleries, corporate offices, schools, artist studios, and more.&nbsp;Hosted by the&nbsp;Chicago Architecture Center (CAC)—formerly the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the Center is a gateway for visitors, as well as locals, to explore the city through docent-led tours, exciting programs and imaginative exhibits at its own center at 111 E. Wacker Dr. as well as in hundreds of spaces and neighborhoods in the city and suburbs.&nbsp;2019 counted over 350 spaces and engaged 109,000 individuals who made 370,000 total site visits to 352 sites in 39 Chicago neighborhoods, plus the near suburbs of Evanston and Oak Park. This all took place over the course of a single busy, and crowded weekend.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417994/mxqfcmgbn10qkircf38s.jpg"><figcaption>The Overton Business and Technology Incubator in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.</figcaption></figure>In 2020, the event will now span 10 days (October 16−25). In support of public health and with sensitivity to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CAC has reconfigured OHC for outdoor and online attendance. This reimagined OHC framework—designed for individuals, families and small groups that have isolated together—will highlight and promote visitation of specific areas, encouraging foot traffic and participants to patronize local businesses while learning more about the unique histories and stories of these featured areas.&nbsp;More than 20 Chicago neighborhoods and two suburbs will be highlighted during OHC 2020, with an intentional focus on, and engagement with, areas and corridors prioritized by the City of Chicago’s INVEST South/West initiative including Auburn Gresham, Austin, Back of the Yards, Bronzeville, Englewood, Humboldt Park,North Lawndale, Pullman, Roseland and South Shore. Fourteen additional focus areas confirmed to date are Chicago’s Loop, Near North Side and Near West Side plus Beverly, Chinatown, Evanston, Hyde Park, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Oak Park, Pilsen, Rogers Park, Wicker Park and Woodlawn.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417995/oi9z6xhjjppx48vxcqut.jpg"><figcaption>Nichols Tower, formerly the “Old Sears Tower,” in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.</figcaption></figure>Visitors to each OHC 2020 area will be supported in their self-guided exploration by free resources available online at openhousechicago.org, as well as through an application for mobile devices. Using these free resources, OHC 2020 attendees will be able to explore and select routes on a variety of themes, learn more about buildings and sites of interest in each neighborhood, browse and register for related OHC online programs and more. CAC walking tours continue throughout the festival, some highlighting OHC neighborhoods. Building upon the success of more than 50 remotely accessible CAC Live programs offered continuously by the CAC since April 4, 2020, OHC will include a variety of online events aligned with its 2020 neighborhoods and themes. Featuring guest presenters and representatives from numerous Chicago organizations, these online events may include classes, discussions and lectures, music and performance presentations, virtual tours and other offerings designed to bring the expressions, flavors and voices of OHC 2020 neighborhoods into the homes of people across and far beyond Chicago. To further embed OHC 2020 into the neighborhoods it spotlights, the CAC will again engage multiple community-based organizations for advice and mutual support in communications and engagement, route creation, site selection, the development of program content and more.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417997/fvefe5gd559hkazynnds.jpg"><figcaption>The Oak Park Art League in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Advance registration for most free and paid online events will be required, through the OHC mobile app, at <a href="architecture.org">architecture.org</a> or <a href="openhousechicago.org">openhousechicago.org</a>. Current CAC members will receive exclusive benefits and discounts throughout OHC 2020.2020's realities have meant changes at every level of culture and engagement, but as we are finding, there are opportunities in many places. For this 10th year of Open House Chicago, the changes are another example of what is not cancelled and instead what is indeed open to all.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417998/m9xlsstqeywssbvxiruu.jpg"><figcaption>Austin Town Hall in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Chicago Architecture Center Unveils Changes to Open House Chicago 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417974/zhivsidueijg711qrwtq.jpg"><figcaption>Stonehenge. Photo by Andre Pattenden, courtesy of English Heritage. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h3>Where Did Stonehenge Get Its Stones? Scientists Thank 90-Year-Old Retiree</h3>&nbsp;The origins of Stonehenge’s massive stone monoliths, long shrouded in mystery, have at last been demystified. The new research was made possible thanks to a former diamond cutter, Robert Phillips, who was involved in repairs carried out on the prehistoric structure in 1958. Phillips kept a the three-and-a-half foot cylindrical cores, which was set to be discarded, as a souvenir, hanging it in his office. Sixty years later, Phillips, on the eve of his 90th birthday, returned the core to English Heritage, which oversees Stonehenge.&nbsp;By Sarah Cascone, Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/stonehenge-get-stones-age-old-mystery-finally-solved-1898403?utm_content=from_&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=News%207%2F30%2F20&amp;utm_term=US%20Daily%20Newsletter%20[AFTERNOON]&amp;fbclid=IwAR1fLp320PPVFPLLiExZmulXpdsTgwMb_xviXkFPKNgFxxWWFAcyiCZUVGg">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417975/vh5v9bf1wh3myz0tivkr.jpg"><figcaption>Notre Dame's grand organ pipes with the famous rose window above Photo: Chris Waits &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h3>Saving Notre Dame's 'voice': mammoth restoration begins on cathedral's fire-damaged organ</h3>&nbsp;The latest stage in the restoration of Paris's Notre Dame cathedral begins today: the gradual removal of its great organ, which must be cleaned piece by piece, according to the public body in charge of the cathedral's reconstruction. Scaffolding was erected in July to enable the operation.During the <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/fire-damages-notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris">April 2019 fire</a>, the symphonic organ was not badly damaged either by flames or by the water used during the firemen's rescue operation. However, the instrument was covered with lead dust and some parts were affected by thermal variations, such as during last July's heatwave.By Anna Sansom, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/notre-dame-organ">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417976/vevk8jw2oblkdp2r10ad.jpg"><figcaption>Arkady Rotenberg has made a nearly $3 billion fortune overseeing infrastructure projects. Endeavors such as the 12-mile Crimean Bridge have earned him awards in Russia, as seen here where he received a Russian Hero of Labor gold star but also landed him on the U.S. sanctions list for undermining Ukrainian independence.PHOTO: MIKHAIL METZEL/TASS/ZUMA PRESS</figcaption></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>How Two Sanctioned Russian Billionaire Brothers Bought Art Anyway&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;Two months after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russian construction billionaires Arkady and Boris Rotenberg in March 2014, the brothers sent their art adviser on a shopping spree, according to a Senate investigation report released Wednesday. At a Sotheby’s auction that month in New York, the Rotenbergs, who are lifelong friends of Russian President Vladimir Putin, paid $6.8 million for 10 works of art, including a cubist still life by Georges Braque and a swirling tableau by Marc Chagall, the report said.By Kelly Crow, Wall Street Journal<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-two-sanctioned-russian-billionaire-brothers-bought-art-anyway-11596035186?mod=hp_lead_pos13&amp;fbclid=IwAR07-tnz2L-knd-WmiCchnDBE3-CGMHIPmFaWUSkLTNdn3dlDgH2oVHSToM">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417977/nttijoxmcfpta0fw2xvp.png"><figcaption>“Constellation” a sculpture by architect Santiago Calatrava at River Point Park on July 28, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h3>Farewell, Spire. Hello, spiral.</h3>&nbsp;Remember the Chicago Spire, the planned 2,000-foot condo tower that would twist into the sky like a giant corkscrew but wound up an embarrassing hole in the ground?Well, the architect of that failed project, Spanish-born, Zurich-based Santiago Calatrava, is back, with something considerably shorter — 29 feet short, to be exact.By Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/blair-kamin/ct-biz-calatrava-sculpture-in-chicago-kamin-20200729-alxyyxo6pngb7drpntzmavwml4-story.html?fbclid=IwAR0WEPAgbYph44C8l0EUTRN9n8aCxyV92H6aEkH0C7aIQ0AnFpW9C7xHVJs">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417978/uyhbh2n0zsnqq6atybw2.jpg"><figcaption>Visitors at the Berardo Collection Museum's reopening on July 15, 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo by Horacio Villalobos/Corbis via Getty Images.</figcaption></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Most People Plan to Visit Museums Just as Much as Ever and 5 Other Takeaways From Artnet Survey</h3>&nbsp;The pandemic is likely to change the way people do just about everything—the way they travel, the way they shop, the way they work.But for around 60 percent of respondents to a new Artnet News survey, it will have little impact on the way they interact with art.&nbsp;This is one of the surprising takeaways from the survey, which polled almost 2,000 Artnet News readers from 67 countries (though the majority of respondents hailed from the US). All told, the survey paints a picture of an art-engaged audience concerned with safety, but also committed to in-person experiences with art—though maybe not for the reasons you might expect.&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-engagement-survey-artnet-news-1897510">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 3, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417634/ztcr9ndhyabqf1a5ei6v.png"><figcaption>May's Heroes for Heroes design by David Lee Csicsko</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEADavid Lee Csicsko, an internationally recognized and celebrated designer and artist currently living and working in Chicago, has engaged in a wide variety of projects at nearly every scale during his 30 year career; from small privately commissioned prints to to his more recent explorations of the possibilities inherent in working with stained glass and mosaics at large scales. These monumental projects have included work for hospitals, universities, elementary schools, churches, and various private homes. He was even one of the artists who designed the Obama White House for Christmas in 2012.&nbsp;This weekend his artistic touch is about to be all over another special event, the first-ever virtual Scottish Highland Games to benefit the oldest nonprofit in Illinois, the <a href="https://www.chicagoscots.org">Chicago Scots</a>. And for the past few unusual months, he's been making his distinctively colorful, graphic portraits available to the public in the name of a good cause through the sale of specially editioned, and hotly anticipated, history-themed t-shirts, masks, and more.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417635/ryeurs0dv0r1owqu9naq.jpg"></figure>Csicsko has been working with the Chicago Scots since the spring to support staff and residents of the organization's Caledonia Senior Living in suburban North Riverside, a noble effort considering how severely senior care facilities have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic.&nbsp;In March in the early weeks of lockdown, while working on a design for the Chicago Scots to celebrate Tartan Day, which was coming up on April 6, Csicsko asked friend and Chicago Scots president Gus Noble, what/whom he thought Csicsko should feature in the design. Noble suggested featuring Scottish King Robert the Bruce (remember Bravehart?), since 2020 marked the 700th anniversary of Robert's signing of the Declaration of Arbroath (asserting Scottish independence from the English on April 6, 1320). When Csicsko asked how things were going at Caledonia Senior Living because of the virus, Noble responded that the campus was in an advanced state of lockdown, but that residents and staff were holding up very well due to the work of Caledonia's incredible staff. "They are heroes," Noble said. To recognize that heroism in the face of COVID-19’s challenges, Chicago Scots had begun to raise much needed funds to buy PPE, as well as to give each member of the team hero pay, meals, treats, and groceries to save trips to the store – anything to support these frontline workers and to encourage them for the lives they were protecting, especially when many of the elderly residents were cut off from visiting family members.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417636/qzzvyzhg3kigil6ndbv2.jpg"></figure>Csicsko has designed popular t-shirts and products for Chicago's Fine Art and Classical radio WFMT's fundraisers in the past, so Csicsko and Noble decided to team up to expand the ways in which funds could be raised for Caledonia's staff, they decided to call it “Heroes for Heroes”, incorporating the Tartan Day design for t-shirts, face masks, mugs and other items featuring Robert the Bruce to support Caledonia's heroes. The campaign expanded to do limited releases each month and to add new designs as well as celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the Chicago Scots this year. Now Chicago Scots features a different Scottish Hero each month. April’s hero was the Bruce, May’s was Mary Queen of Scots and, like his Red Red Rose that’s “newly sprung in June,” June's hero was the bard Robert Burns. July's hero was Neil Armstrong (in keeping with the society's mission that all they welcome everyone who is Scottish by birth, by heritage or simply by inclination, as Armstrong was American with Scottish heritage.) August is yet to be revealed.&nbsp;Noble says they have some terrific Scottish heroes waiting in the wings to make their appearance in the months ahead, and fans of Csicsko's work as well as the Chicago Scots have indeed been collecting the eagerly awaited new releases each month as well as guessing which ones will be next.&nbsp;Csicsko says he likes to work in a&nbsp;series, "I love when I can dig in and explore the subjects, from composer portraits,&nbsp;architect&nbsp;portraits, people in science and now important historical figures from Scotland. I love doing visual research, and adding accessible&nbsp;symbols to help tell more of the story."&nbsp;To begin he says he first does a quick pencil sketch and then draws on the computer. For him, "It's very satisfying&nbsp;to take a historic figure and make them become relevant&nbsp;to today's audience. With all the Scottish Heroes, it's fun to add a tartan when ever&nbsp;possible. I mean, why not?"<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417637/cjwog72rgtroay4anjpt.png"><figcaption>Csicsko in his studio</figcaption></figure>Csicsko's designs are helping to make tartan go beyond its standard association with Christmas time and tourists. Csicsko's aesthetic and striking use of color and pattern is distinctive, and each project he engages in is entirely unique. Through his work, Csicsko celebrates the diversity and richness of the human imagination, and expresses the joys of life through his dynamic use of color, bold graphics and playful patterns. Lending his talents to this latest project is just one more way, among many, he supports a greater need in a way that spreads joy and color through art.The&nbsp;COVID-19 challenges are significant but Csicsko has stayed busy, and he is thinking of others as well as new ventures. On Facebook&nbsp;he is currently making new free, shareable coloring pages. As of July he had over 150 original new pages.And he's also designing a line of smart looking masks.In addition to his fine art, David's projects include creating the mosaics at the Belmont 'L' station, designing the Obama White House for Christmas, illustrating the much loved children's book 'The Skin You Live In'. &nbsp;His designs for the fun, reusable shopping bags for Mariano's have become collected and spotted around&nbsp;the world. &nbsp;He has had exhibits&nbsp;LUMA Loyola's Museum of Art, and the&nbsp;Alliance Française de Chicago. His output ranges from the Chapel stained glass windows at the Robert and Anne Lurie Chicago Children's Hospital, to windows for colleges&nbsp;and churches. Mr Csicsko has as&nbsp;volunteer created graphics for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial&nbsp;Concerts and Groceryland a Charity Food Source for the needy.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417638/p2eixhgghfjaugj8isot.jpg"></figure>To purchase an item to support Caledonia House <a href="https://chicagoscots.itemorder.com/sale">click here</a> (deadline: July 31 for July's Hero)To learn about Chicago Scots click <a href="https://www.chicagoscots.org">here</a>To learn about David Lee Csicsko click <a href="https://csicsko.com">here</a> or follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/david.csicsko">Facebook</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417638/lvnh2yljmf9qkkdjgnsg.png"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417639/ptptk1ug3odzbvq9bv61.png"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Artist David Lee Csicsko Lends Graphic Talents to Benefit Healthcare Heroes

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417990/kowmqxbp9g28wp1ji8en.png"><figcaption>The 1982 painting "Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" by Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Art Institute of Chicago on Friday, July 24, 2020. Billionaire, Ken Griffin paid more than $100 million for the large-scale 1982 canvas "Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" and has loaned it after a pre-pandemic purchase. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure><h3>Now hanging at the Art Institute: Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin’s new, $100 million Basquiat canvas</h3>Now that eye-widening sale has turned into news Chicagoans can use. Exuberant, elemental and about 14 feet wide by 8 feet high, the painting is now hanging on a wall in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute, where it will be on view when the museum reopens Thursday after its more than four-month COVID-19 closure.By Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-griffin-basquiat-art-institute-loan-0725-20200725-g2l2lzlkhfdh7dpobezyvqw4p4-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417991/iw9jnggncbsc8dbvki22.png"><figcaption>Pablo Picasso, Still Life (1922). Pablo Picasso’s Estate. VEGAP. Madrid, 2020.</figcaption></figure><h3>Stunned Conservators Just Found a Ghostly Picasso Hidden Beneath One of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Most Treasured Paintings</h3>The discovery lends new insight into Picasso's practice.What’s better than one Picasso? How about a second Picasso lost for decades?That’s exactly what a team of research scientists&nbsp;at the Art Institute of Chicago discovered and wrote about in a report published this week in&nbsp;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-020-3136-y#Sec2">Applied Science</a>.By Caroline Goldstein, Artnet News&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/picasso-still-life-1896526">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417992/jerx09nbn9gwg7icrsfc.jpg"><figcaption>Legislation calls for the Smithsonian Institution to study a site for a National Museum of the American Latino on the National Mall in Washington</figcaption></figure><h3>US House votes to establish a National Museum of the American Latino</h3>The US House of Representatives voted today to establish a National Museum of the American Latino under the umbrella of the Smithsonian Institution to promote recognition of the Hispanic community’s role in American history and culture.By Nancy Kenney, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/us-house-votes-to-establish-a-national-museum-of-the-american-latino">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: July 28, 2020

<html><head></head><body>By CGN StaffThe MoCP is the world’s premier college art museum dedicated to photography.&nbsp;Founded in 1976 by Columbia College Chicago as the successor to the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography, the Museum began collecting in the early 1980s and has since grown its collection to include more than 15,000 objects by over 1,500 artists.&nbsp;The Museum of Contemporary Photography's popular Fine Print Program allows collectors to affordably buy art by some of the world's most renowned photographers while also supporting the museum's programming. &nbsp;Printed especially for the Museum by some of the most innovative photographers working today, the sale of editioned Fine Prints (many for just $400) directly supports artistic and educational programs at the MoCP.&nbsp; Prints by more than 60 artists are available online including works by artists of local, national and international renown such as Sarah Pickering, Olivo Barbieri, Tony Tasset, Ken Fandell, Brian Ulrich, Anna Shteynshleyger, Anna Fox, Aspen Mays, Kahn and Selesnick, Simon Roberts, Yeondoo Jung, and Tim Davis. Works by internationally-collected artists like Alec Soth, Vik Muniz, Candida Höfer, and Curtis Mann have quickly sold out in recent years.Each image is printed on archival-quality paper and is offered in an edition of 30, numbered and signed by the artist.This year, four artists join the program &nbsp;– all women artists:&nbsp;<a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=9233b6e150&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Patty Carroll</a> <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=3858ba12e8&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Beth Dow</a> <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=d7e6f68eee&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Priya Kambli</a> <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=503fd7658e&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Millee Tibbs</a>At a time when many of us have not been able to visit a museum in months, the latest unveiling of MoCP's print program additions means you can (physically! not virtually!) bring museum-quality work in your own home.&nbsp;<a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=47cf8dad40&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Explore Fine Prints</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418790/az3av3ephtct3uukj3ya.jpg"><figcaption>Patty Carroll (American, b. 1946) Scrapbooking from the Domestic Demise series, 2016 Archival Pigment Print 12 x 12 inch image on 14 x 14 inch paper Signed Edition of 30 $400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418790/zw8ent9qvnjcizrsx5gf.jpg"><figcaption>Beth Dow (American, b. 1965) Natural Color from the Prediction Error series, 2018 Archival Pigment Print 15 x 12 inch image on 20 x 16 inch paper Signed Edition of 30 $400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418791/hqiyvkmkbnlh2eetmqfy.jpg"><figcaption>Priya Kambli (Indian, b. 1975) Eye (Muma and Maushi) from the Buttons for Eyes series, 2019 Archival Pigment Print 10 x 14 inch image on 11 x 15 inch paper Signed Edition of 30 $400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418792/r5cqdoqpyp7c8mudzjog.jpg"><figcaption>Millee Tibbs (American, b. 1976) Untitled from the Mount Analogue series, 2014 Archival Pigment Print 11 x 14 inch image on 11 x 14 inch paper Signed Edition of 30 $400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

MoCP Unveils Latest Works in Its Fine Print Program (And all the Artists are Women!)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417978/nl7jbgis6cqp7yq4dext.jpg"><figcaption>Kate Lynn Lewis, The Radiance of Being</figcaption></figure>CGN Staff via PRSpending a beautiful, sunny day walking Chicago's Riverwalk might make you feel a twinge of normalcy, like you're back in 2019. Except now in 2020 you must wear a face mask and be mindful not stroll too closely to others enjoying the same view. However, summer is here, the sun is out, and there is new art to enjoy.&nbsp;This week the&nbsp;Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)&nbsp;in collaboration with the Department of Assets, Information and Services&nbsp;(AIS)&nbsp; announced new public artworks on&nbsp;the&nbsp;Chicago Riverwalk&nbsp;–&nbsp;including a mural celebrating 100&nbsp;years of Art&nbsp;Deco by&nbsp;artist&nbsp;Kate Lynn Lewis and portraits of Chicagoans by&nbsp;street muralist Dont Fret. Guests&nbsp;to the Riverwalk&nbsp;are required to wear a face covering and practice social distancing.“The new artworks on the Riverwalk continue Chicago's rich tradition of murals and public art," said Mark Kelly, Commissioner of DCASE. “These commissions support local artists and enrich our second waterfront, as Chicago welcomes visitors – and residents – back to our city, safely and responsibly.”Located at the Riverwalk’s Community Marketplace&nbsp;west of Michigan Avenue, the newly completed&nbsp;mural&nbsp;The Radiance of Being,&nbsp;designed and painted by Chicago-based artist Kate Lynn Lewis,&nbsp;celebrates 100&nbsp;years of Art Deco&nbsp;architecture.&nbsp;Spanning over 180 feet&nbsp;tall&nbsp;on two levels, the&nbsp;lead artist and an all-female crew completed the&nbsp;mural over six weeks.&nbsp;In the artist’s own illustrative style, the&nbsp;scene&nbsp;is&nbsp;composed of motifs from&nbsp;some of Chicago’s Art Deco buildings, including the Chicago Motor Club, the St. Jane, One N.&nbsp;LaSalle, 10 W. Elm St., the Palmolive Building,&nbsp;the&nbsp;Palmer House,&nbsp;the&nbsp;Adler Planetarium and many&nbsp;others.&nbsp;A nearby mural on one of the Riverwalk interior walls&nbsp;shows&nbsp;a map of where&nbsp;these&nbsp;buildings can be found&nbsp;in the city.“Having the opportunity to give back to the city that has developed me as an artist and a person has been the experience of a lifetime,”&nbsp;said artist Kate Lynn Lewis.&nbsp;“The Riverwalk is surrounded on all angles by art deco architecture, so it felt like a great opportunity to expound on the immersive experience of painting a deco collage inspired by motifs found in the area. I love that this experience is just one of countless examples of how Chicago has invested in the creative culture that makes it so beautifully unique.”The Confluence,&nbsp;the Chicago Riverwalk’s most western point near Lake Street,&nbsp;will become home for a&nbsp;series of 55 portraits of Chicagoans by street artist&nbsp;Dont Fret later this month. Created by one of Chicago’s most visible street artists&nbsp;–&nbsp;Dont&nbsp;Fret,&nbsp;The People in Your Neighborhood&nbsp;will offer a microcosmic reflection of scrappy and hard-working Chicagoans found throughout the city, each portrayed with&nbsp;Fret’s inimitable documentarian flair.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417979/wv05g3244xuadwrm0jn6.jpg"><figcaption>Dont&nbsp;Fret, Manny's Deli</figcaption></figure>“There are certain character traits that I think define a true Chicagoan. Tough, full-browed with a sense of ingenuity and midwestern humbleness, but always toiling, working, moving forward with an almost absurd laugh and grin about this crazy, wonderful city,” said&nbsp;Dont&nbsp;Fret. “I was asked to paint 55 portraits of Chicagoans who I think contribute to the hard work that defines our city, although it can only scratch the surface of the millions of stories moving through our streets. These are the people in your neighborhood.”These new artworks will complement&nbsp;several&nbsp;installations&nbsp;that were&nbsp;added to the Riverwalk last year.&nbsp;Between the below..., a series of five intricate and colorful banners by Kingston-born multimedia artist Ebony Patterson, hang at the Riverwalk on&nbsp;Wacker Drive, just east of the Michigan Avenue Bridge.&nbsp;Known for her drawings, tapestries, videos, sculptures and installations that involve surfaces layered with flowers, glitter, lace and beads,&nbsp;Patterson&nbsp;is an&nbsp;associate&nbsp;professor in&nbsp;painting at the University of Kentucky, Lexington,&nbsp;and is represented by Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago.Nearby under the Columbus Avenue&nbsp;Bridge,&nbsp;artist&nbsp;Alberto Aguilar's&nbsp;Echo Hecho Fresco was also added to the Riverwalk in 2019. The zigzag pattern made with&nbsp;CDOT traffic paint&nbsp;is intended to&nbsp;reflect the&nbsp;constant movement of people through the tunnel, cars on the bridge above, boats below and river flowing beside.The award-winning Chicago Riverwalk, a 1.25-mile promenade through the heart of downtown, has quickly become one of the city’s most popular destinations for art, music, dining and the enjoyment of natural habitats, beloved by Chicagoans and visitors alike. The Riverwalk is managed by the AIS&nbsp;with programming from DCASE. Access to the space is free and open to the public daily from 6am–11pm.&nbsp;Under the City’s phased reopening, the Community Marketplace is set to open July 17. Face coverings and physical distancing are required for all&nbsp;visitors. Vendor&nbsp;details are available by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=Fx6ZlfogyykExOP4a2vWQ9p4frCbFaRwb7jG00BWy2WVcn5INrLroHU97-2BaA4vmLZfu3_BYLPtpUivDHORxxkVXshLCRT3wjV7CgXbLJWP9J5MP9LJ6jv7-2Bb0c97UF1yE1XeiKasl3Q0KHAlfCn9N7XONZksYe5OIXa5kf5eLUqZODuRSP9aq4SJ-2B49W0jH0wJ361NM0FOZiL1GFTzBMt2Gu7zTMc39udau6iXwplVM5stLkNtA1PXGQcyYqH3U27sUP2ldBNVgvvLwIqtzPfTshw-2Bpw9R9LG2fYwolHyZ6pztA-2FlqqcqDo0ty737qTkl0b8ZQFg8LuVuYZ-2BVqYU-2BNY9uTvUFPV35Ut7en9aIfw-2Fd4HZj1msc03pPN7j1vPZ2b6p0FUMAoun-2FZzb-2BC4wCFeJpz2ht1K0A3oYaLLmv7lfIxTb8234mBKLxJBpZoec7VDhRFrGDPv9EdER8fJcwYbcMHH8s-2Bjf3zbL9CdVmDz-2BdPSo-3D">www.chicagoriverwalk.us</a>. &nbsp;</body></html>

Riverwalk's New Art Continues Tradition of Murals and Public Art and Welcomes Visitors Back to City

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417919/rje9vqylh3fbwvkuy5k0.png"></figure>Via PR<a href="https://www.expochicago.com/amanda-williams-what-black-is-this-you-say">EXPO CHICAGO</a>, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, which has moved its regularly scheduled fall art fair to spring 2021, launched its new virtual salon series, Dine&amp;, with an artist conversation and dinner featuring artist Amanda Williams and 2020 James Beard nominee Erick Williams (no relation). A new initiative from EXPO CHICAGO, Dine&amp; pairs bespoke culinary experiences with conversations led by prominent figures from Chicago’s artistic and cultural communities. For the first event in the series, Virtual Virtue: What Black is This, You Say?, Erick Williams of Virtue restaurant designed a four-course dinner menu inspired by the many hues of black envisioned by the artist Amanda Williams in her recent digital series What black is this, you say?.Over the course of the meal guests experienced a dynamic discussion between the artist and chef on Amanda’s digital series that originated as her response to the Instagram ‘black out’ on June 2, 2020, when black squares publicly swept the platform in an effort to show solidarity with the #blacklivesmatter movement. Meals were delivered to guests' homes, with an optional wine pairing featuring wines from Black-owned wineries McBride Sisters and Maison Noir Wines. The event brought together collectors, philanthropists, and cultural leaders from Chicago and around the country to experience a dialogue between chef and artist. EXPO CHICAGO has donated event proceeds to Enrich Chicago, a nonprofit organization working to address systemic racism in the arts, and honoraria for both participating artists.&nbsp;“Throughout this incredibly challenging time, I have thought deeply about the role EXPO CHICAGO can play as a connector—between multidisciplinary creators, between artists and arts patrons, and between arts patrons and organizations that are making real change,” said President | Director of EXPO CHICAGO&nbsp;Tony Karman. “In creating Dine&amp;, the exposition seeks to connect our community in new and innovative ways, fostering important conversations and continuing our year-round support of the Chicago arts community. We are honored to work alongside and collaborate with both Amanda Williams and Chef Erick Williams, whose artistic contributions to this event will have a tangible impact on the extraordinary work of Enrich Chicago.”<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417920/icyw2oegjfludj1alird.png"></figure>Director of Enrich Chicago Nina D. Sánchez stated, “The funds EXPO CHICAGO helped raise tonight will further our mission to fund equity research, develop the next generation of aspiring anti-racist arts administrators, and sponsor anti-racism workshops with leading national training organizations for arts leaders throughout Chicago. It is heartening to see our city’s art fair provide thoughtful support of Black artists and Black-owned businesses, and recognize the work we do at Enrich—we hope this series can serve as a model for influential organizations nationwide.”Guests in attendance received one of 32 signed limited-edition artist proofs, an adaptation of Amanda Williams’ series What black is this, you say? in embroidered silk dupioni paired with a work on paper. Produced by EXPO CHICAGO and Open Editions, the work adopts the form of a dinner napkin and conventional swatch card used by fabric manufacturers, acting as a vehicle for messages written by the artist in response to the visual culture of protest.EXPO CHICAGO has also partnered with Williams and Open Editions to produce a collectible and functional edition of What black is this, you say?. Based on her Instagram series, the artist’s interpretation of distinct hues of black will be presented as embroidered fabrics in a set of six dinner napkins. Each napkin in the set is sewn from a different type of fabric to portray a range of shade and texture. This edition includes an artist-designed swatch card, which features the fabrics in a conventional grid, paired with captions used in the original series. The open edition of What black is this, you say? is available for $85 and can be purchased online <a href="https://open-editions.com/products/amanda-williams-what-black-is-this-you-say-napkins">here</a>. Proceeds from the sale of the edition will benefit Enrich Chicago to support anti-racism learning workshops, capacity-building training and leadership development for the Rising Arts Leaders of Color program.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417921/axg2edrmqy2wahamg7u3.jpg"><figcaption>Amanda Williams. Limited edition AP of 32. Raw silk, silver embroidery, 18 x 18 inches. Hand painted work on paper, watercolor, 4 x 8 inches.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Dine&: EXPO CHICAGO Expands Its New Initiative 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417908/ln4jqizyakouzikbisgz.jpg"><figcaption>Murals on the walls of the Uptown Post Office in Chicago on June 22. The W.P.A.-era murals, painted on ceramic tiles by artist Henry Varnum Poor, celebrate the accomplishments of architect Louis Sullivan and poet Carl Sandburg. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;How will Chicago artists make it through the pandemic? 85 years ago the Feds had an answer. Could it work again?Indeed, 85 years ago this spring, in the darkest days of the Great Depression, with more than 20 percent of Chicagoans out of work, President Roosevelt did something unprecedented. By signing an executive order creating the WPA — one of several federal programs established during the 1930s that provided regular salaries to artists — he was promoting the role of the federal government as arts patron. He was suggesting the government should play a part in directing the cultural identity of the nation itself. And by the late 1930s, about 75,000 Chicagoans — and 12,000 more in the surrounding suburbs — were working for the WPA.By Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-lessons-of-great-depression-art-0719-20200715-pb2at6yaqjd6hhevkj364ip4om-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417909/oqsjctqzzxwtsqucjfts.jpg"><figcaption>Coming Home, purportedly by Gertrude Abercrombie, sold at auction for $93,750 last year.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Experts weigh in on alleged art forgery ring in MichiganArt historians explain why the work of lesser known artists with rising markets, like George Copeland Ault and Gertrude Abercrombie, might become the target of a fakes schemeBy Ruth Lopez, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/experts-weigh-in-on-michigan-art-forgery-ring">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417911/y8sls16yejzeagdz0mud.png"><figcaption>A mural based on the phrase “Beyond Human Dreams of Loveliness” stretches 150 feet along an outside wall at Harry S Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave. in Uptown. Pat Nabong / Sun-Times</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Street artist Left Handed Wave’s Uptown mural ties together neighborhood’s past, present‘Beyond Human Dreams of Loveliness’ at Truman College spells out that phrase, each letter inspired by a place — past or present — central to Uptown and the surrounding area.By Clare Proctor, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/murals-mosaics/2020/7/17/21310570/chicago-murals-uptown-left-handed-wave-beyond-human-dreams-loveliness-truman-college-balaban-katz">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417912/cjuzdgviofjelusvjs6f.jpg"><figcaption>TEFAF's spring 2018 edition in New York. KIRSTEN CHILSTROM</figcaption></figure>TEFAF Cancels Fall New York Fair as Pandemic’s Far-Reaching Impact Becomes&nbsp;ClearAs the coronavirus pandemic continues to make it difficult for large events to be held throughout the remainder of 2020, another top art fair has been canceled, marking the second event of its kind to be called off this week alone. The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) said in a statement that it will not host its New York edition, which had been postponed from May until the end of October.By Maximiliano Duron, artnews<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/tefaf-new-york-fall-2020-canceled-1202694702/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: July 21, 2020

<figure class="image"><img src="http://i2.cmail19.com/ei/i/E6/51F/945/031908/csfinal/Untitleddesign-6b4bd8bb11a91af1.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Kayla Anderson (left) and Kristin McWharter (right)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Via PRChicago, IL. July 16, 2020 --&nbsp; Chicago Artists Coalition is thrilled to announce&nbsp;the recipients of the 2020 ENVISION Grant for Chicago-based artists working in the field of time-based digital and electronic art: <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-xkjdya-dlvzir-r/">Kayla Anderson</a> and <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-xkjdya-dlvzir-y/">Kristin McWharter</a>. Anderson and McWharter have been awarded unrestricted grants of $2,500 each for their demonstrated artistic excellence. 2020 is the inaugural year of the ENVISION Grant, which is made possible by a partnership with the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation.&nbsp;In announcing the grants, CAC’s Executive and Artistic Director, Teresa Silva said, “We are pleased to provide direct funding to Kayla Anderson and Kristin McWharter for their compelling and rigorous work. Our hope is that the ENVISION Grant will have a positive impact on their studio practice for developing imaginative and experimental new work. CAC is also grateful to the Thoma Art Foundation for their vision and generosity in supporting Chicago artists.”The Thoma Art Foundation’s Curator of Digital Art, Jason Foumberg added: “The Thoma Foundation is thrilled to sponsor this three-year award for emerging Chicago-based artists working in the digital art field. We often look to emerging artists as we would a crystal ball, to see what the future holds in terms of experimentation, innovation, and paradigm shifts. For this reason, we are pleased that the jury has selected Kayla Anderson and Kristin McWharter, two promising artists working at the forefront of virtual reality who shed light on human relations in our technological age. I look forward to seeing the artworks that Anderson and McWharter develop in the near future.”Anderson and McWharter will be recognized for their achievement in an award ceremony by CAC and the Thoma Art Foundation, once it is deemed safe to reopen to the public, anticipated for fall or winter 2020.The next ENVISION Grant application cycle opens May 2021 and&nbsp;more information about the program can be found <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-xkjdya-dlvzir-j/">here.</a>&nbsp;

Chicago Artists Coalition announces recipients of the inaugural ENVISION Grant

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417613/ewmbpctjbvirbrvxlb65.jpg"></figure>By CGN Staff&nbsp;We can't count the number of things that are different about the art world these days, since COVID-19 turned everything in our community upside down. One of many recent creative responses has been to meet the ongoing need for protective, reusable face masks in an artistic as well as impactful way. Jeffrey Gibson, an artist represented by Kavi Gupta Gallery, and a 2019 MacArthur Foundation Fellow, is the latest artist to participate in the gallery's COVID-19 Mask Project, an effort to sell personal protective works of art and donate 100% of the proceeds to charity.Gibson is known for melding indigenous North American materials and forms with those of Western contemporary art to create a new hybrid visual vocabulary and prompting a shift in how Native American art is perceived and historicized.Regarding the need for masks right now, Gibson shared, “We’re living in a time when people should be wearing masks—period. Unforeseen, my tribe, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, has been hit hard by COVID-19. We’re a small tribe based in Central Mississippi. People aren’t able to work or make income. It means a lot to me to be able to raise money to help. The mask itself—whether you’re buying it as an artwork, or buying it to be worn—it’s an object of our time.” Indeed these masks that are so critical now will someday come to represent so much of our day-to-day life in 2020.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417614/stb0juflo9boel4ygy1h.jpg"><figcaption>Kavi Gupta COVID-19 Mask Project x Devan Shimoyama. Courtesy of the artist and Kavi Gupta</figcaption></figure>A gallery representative shared, "We started this project to not only raise money for overlooked communities in need, but to also amplify the message that masks are vitally important and that wearing one is a civic duty– we must protect each other."The masks provide a barrier to the wearer and those in proximity, but also 100% of proceeds from mask sales will be donated, split between the <a href="https://www.choctaw.org/ ">Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians</a> to aid with COVID-19 critical care response, and to <a href="https://ndncollective.org/">NDN Collective</a>, an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building and narrative change.Gibson explains his process: “When I first started to think about making masks, my first thought was to work with the materials we already have in the studio. I’ve been making these quilts and all of the fabrics have different texts. They say things like DEFEND, WE’RE DIFFERENT, LOVE, and POWERFUL. The mask design goes from ear to ear, so the words sit right under the eyes. The words vary from mask to mask.The masks are made from three panels of fabric, and have two colored cords that slip over the head and can be adjusted using wood sliding beads to tighten the mask or loosen it. There’s a little pointed area over your mouth and nostrils, beak like, so its not right up against your mouth. There is also a space inside for an insert. They’re all 100% cotton. I wanted something people could wash: hand wash, because of the beads.”Masks are now available for <a href="https://kaviguptaeditions.com/products/preorder-kavi-gupta-jeffrey-gibson-covid-19-mask-project">preorder</a>.&nbsp;Previous editions have sold out quickly. Completing the preorder reserves a Jeffrey Gibson mask,&nbsp;made by the artist in a limited edition of 100. Masks will ship in 2-3 weeks.&nbsp;The first phase of the project featured artist Devan Shimoyama, more info <a href="https://kaviguptaeditions.com/products/kavi-gupta-devan-shimoyama-covid-19-masks-project?_pos=2&amp;_sid=661124aad&amp;_ss=r&amp;variant=31905786527799">here.</a> The next chapter of the Mask Project will launch in September and will feature another artist from the gallery's program.&nbsp; &nbsp;For questions&nbsp;contact the gallery&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:covidsupport@kavigupta.com">covidsupport@kavigupta.com</a>Jeffrey Gibson photo credits: Kavi Gupta COVID-19 Mask Project x Jeffrey Gibson. Courtesy of Jeffrey Gibson Studio and Kavi Gupta. Photo: Brian Barlow&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Artistically Powerful Face Masks Are Objects of Our Time

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417612/t8ngfegbam4veuo8vtf7.jpg"><figcaption>The finished mural installed at BMO Harris "If I Could Show The World"</figcaption></figure>By CGN Staff via PRLast month on June 15th <a href="https://cpslives.org">CPS Lives</a> and BMO Harris collaborated with CPS students, volunteers, and their families in order to create the&nbsp;mural, "If I Could Show The World"&nbsp;at the Hyde Park Art Center. With the help of lead artists Dorian Sylvain and Jeff Phillips the work of 11&nbsp;different CPS Lives artists and over 20&nbsp;different CPS Schools were featured in the finished mural.The finished mural was then installed at BMO Harris Bank's downtown Chicago location on the corner of LaSalle and Monroe, and a small celebration with the public took place on June 29th to highlight the efforts of CPS Lives artists and CPS students who made this project possible. The mural is on view to the public for about a month.&nbsp;Art can tell stories and change narratives,” says Suzette Bross, Executive Director of CPS Lives. “This mural is an expression of giving back to the community and showing the good in humanity.”<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="http://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/blog-mural-girl-350x234-1-300x201.jpg" alt="A little girl with a mask helps with the mural" srcset="http://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/blog-mural-girl-350x234-1-300x201.jpg 300w, http://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/blog-mural-girl-350x234-1-224x150.jpg 224w, http://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/blog-mural-girl-350x234-1.jpg 350w" sizes="100vw" width="300"></figure>In June 2020, a group of Chicago students transformed temporary plywood, used to cover BMO Harris Bank’s main branch during protests, into a work of art expressing messages of hope and unity.As protests erupted across Chicago – and the country – and thousands of Chicagoans demonstrated peacefully, CPS Lives and BMO Harris Bank looked for ways to jointly support local communities and to stand against racial inequality and injustice. BMO – a longstanding supporter of both Chicago’s public schools and the city’s arts community – reached out to CPS Lives and asked if they wanted to create artwork on the plywood around the branch.“BMO’s values of fairness, equality and inclusion perfectly align with ours,” says Suzette, who founded CPS Lives, a non-profit organization that creates artist residencies in Chicago Public Schools to share honest and positive stories about public schools. Local artists partner with a Chicago Public School during the academic year to collaborate on a project. The art they create gives young people in Chicago a platform to speak about their hopes, dreams, and ideas.“There are 400,000 students in the CPS system, and many people in the city don’t know anything about them,” says Jeff Phillips, a local artist who works with CPS Lives. “This was an opportunity to give the students their own voice – in a really public way.”Amplifying voicesLike protest, art can give a louder voice to people who aren’t being heard. The recent protests have given voice to people from all walks of life, joining together to demand change to make society more just and inclusive. Similarly, this group of Chicago Public School students and artists created a powerful public art project to send a message of their own.“Protest and public art are similar expressions. They’re both a personal statement of values,” says Dorian Sylvain, a Chicago artist and CPS Lives collaborator. “Displaying art in the public spaces goes beyond aesthetics. It creates dialogue – and it’s human nature to want to be heard.”Suzette reached out to Jeff and Dorian to collaborate, and they quickly got to work on a proposal and a design. Together, they came up with the idea of a mural made up of images and photos from CPS Lives artists and CPS schools, highlighting the proud academic achievements of graduating students – and surrounded by images of life at public schools across the city.“Highlighting all these beautiful young faces that are usually somewhat anonymous – it not only empowers the kids who see themselves on that mural, but also other people who are like them. That can be very validating,” says Dorian.Jeff agrees. “We wanted to evoke something positive and emotional, and to do what art is supposed to do – reflect the everyday in a new light.”A creative collective<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="http://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/blog-mural-making-350x234-1-300x201.jpg" alt="People with masks working on the mural" srcset="http://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/blog-mural-making-350x234-1-300x201.jpg 300w, http://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/blog-mural-making-350x234-1-224x150.jpg 224w, http://corporate-responsibility.bmo.com/us/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/blog-mural-making-350x234-1.jpg 350w" sizes="100vw" width="300"></figure>Titled “If I Could Show the World,” the mural was named and assembled by students from more than 20 Chicago public schools participating in the CPS Lives program. Hyde Park Art Center donated its space, and more than 75 people came together to create the murals, including students who chose to spend their first day of summer vacation there.“The experience was festive. We had music playing, it was a beautiful day, the students came in and they brought their friends. We just had a good time,” says Dorian. “The spirit of collective work, and the gratification of producing something together that one person couldn’t have done on their own – it’s so empowering. Sharing, listening, learning from each other – all those principles come out when we work together.”“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” says Jeff. “To see these kids creating together, and hearing them say things like ‘I feel like an artist’ – it was incredible.”Inclusion and equalityCPS Lives is the first of several non-profits that will create art for BMO’s main branch windows over the coming months, serving as a visual reminder to continue our progress toward a more inclusive society. The art will be displayed in neighborhoods across Chicago as it rotates out of the bank’s windows.“Art is such a powerful and direct way to express hope and optimism,” says Jeff. “Public art speaks to the community. The message spreads. If you create something interesting and beautiful, you invite people in to learn more about your world – and that can make all the difference.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417612/kz4uxtz1qxjrytqqmuo4.jpg"><figcaption>Students from Chi Arts help paste down images at the Hyde Park Art Center</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

CPS Lives and BMO Harris Collaborate on Mural with Students and Families

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417642/bnyyybjw5kd17guelf85.png"></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAIn-person events are a mixed bag right now, as some things take off with sensible adjustments to group size and requests to wear masks and others are on extended hold. As more events come back on the calendar, everything is left up to individual comfort levels.&nbsp;Additionally, many organizers are choosing to move ahead with virtual events for the time being, since they have been well-received since the start of the pandemic and because many business owners are learning that holding virtual events is not only safe, but also welcome to new audiences who can actually go farther than ever from the comfort of home. One such event going virtual is the Bronzeville Trolley Tour. The group's website says that like Harlem in New York, Bronzeville is a community where Chicago’s African American music, Literature, Fine Art, and Theater historically thrive. At present, the <a href="https://www.bronzevilleartdistrict.com">Bronzeville Art District (BAD)</a> consists of six established visual art spaces working together to focus and drive cultural activities in the community such that a distinctive cultural identity can be crystallized and communicated.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417642/iqi6svxbirk5vzrygg31.png"><figcaption>Tour-goers in the past stream into the South Side Community Art Center</figcaption></figure>The tour, known well beyond Bronzeville, has been ongoing each month for many years, but for the foreseeable future it will come to you, as the tour takes a break from the on-wheels, and crowded, format familiar to many. Many Bronzeville spaces will also continue to host virtual exhibitions from July through December.&nbsp;Participants this weekend include:&nbsp;Blanc Gallery&nbsp;Gallery GuichardLittle Black Pearl Art &amp; DesignBronzeville Artist LoftsFaie African Art GallerySouth Side Community Art Center&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417643/omqh8xhednmz44cncik6.png"><figcaption>The owner of Blanc Gallery gives a video preview of the show that will be on view Friday</figcaption></figure><a href="https://youtu.be/Vkq4CwB_HYw">Click Here</a> to watch an introduction video with a weekend preview on YouTube, where gallery owners discuss shows that will be on view and special events taking place via the virtual tour on Friday night.&nbsp;To join and ride on Zoom this Friday, July 17 from 7–8pm RSVP at <a href="http://bit.ly/bronzevillearttrolleytour">bit.ly/bronzevillearttrolleytour</a>The tour will be taking place on the 3rd Friday of every month, and the remaining dates for 2020 are August 21, September 18, October 16, November 20 and December 18. More information about the tour and the district may be found <a href="https://www.bronzevilleartdistrict.com">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Bronzeville's Famed Trolley Tours of African American Cultural Community Go Virtual 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417606/z4xjlmi7smz3ort2frjl.jpg"><figcaption>The murals that Sounding Boards collect as businesses opt to take their plywood down will live in a storage facility until the initiative is able to move on to the next phase of its preservation plan. Mackenzie Crosson / WBEZ</figcaption></figure>Protest Art Has Covered Boarded Up Businesses — Will It Be Preserved?Some businesses were damaged, some were looted, and others sought to pre-emptively safeguard their property from civil unrest by boarding them up—and the blank plywood covering their windows became canvases. Ant Ben hoped his painting would have a life in a Chicago public school once the restaurant decided to take the boards down, but the piece disappeared before that was possible.By Mackenzie Crosson, Steven Jackson, Izii Carter &nbsp;- Via WBEZ Radio<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/protest-art-has-covered-boarded-up-businesses-will-it-be-preserved/e3db8017-a6ba-4dde-9bc3-3d17f6ee5392">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417607/svjnd5rw3zqnvhn9xiix.jpg"><figcaption>The installation “Dirty Laundry” on the lawn at Schurz High School. (Erica Gunderson / WTTW News)</figcaption></figure>Artists Nick Cave and Bob Faust Ask Community to Make #AMENDSThe broad front lawn at Carl Schurz High School in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood is bisected by two laundry lines strung between trees and festooned with bright yellow ribbons that flap and rustle in the breeze. Scrawled in black marker on the hundreds of ribbons are personal messages about racism.The ropes and ribbons, in place since Thursday, are one portion of the three-part community-based art project “#<a href="http://facilitychicago.org/the-contribution-project/">AMENDS,</a>” which seeks to end racism by beginning with the self. It’s the work of life and art partners Nick Cave and Bob Faust at their multidisciplinary creative space and gallery Facility, right across the street from the school.By Erica Gunderson, WTTW News<a href="https://news.wttw.com/2020/07/12/artists-nick-cave-and-bob-faust-ask-community-make-amends">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417608/vw608cueucb6l7w82kkm.png"><figcaption>Christie's "ONE" auction.</figcaption></figure>Christie’s Nets $420 M. in First Livestreamed Global Relay Auction Led by $46.2 M. Lichtenstein&nbsp;NudeThe global event closes the first set of milestones of the new virtual auction era. The auction hammered at $362 million, above its pre-sale low estimate of $337 million, realizing a total sell-through rate of 94 percent.By Angelica Villa, artnews<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/christies-one-sale-results-roy-lichtestein-1202694117/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417609/gmwwtyaoap7zsfrhxxwc.jpg"><figcaption>Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2020 have been cancelled Photo by Linda Nylind. Courtesy of Linda Nylind/Frieze</figcaption></figure>Frieze directors ‘left with no choice’ but to cancel London fairs in OctoberContinued restrictions on large-scale events and travel due to coronavirus have made the show logistically impossibleBy Anny Shaw, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/frieze-directors-left-with-no-choice-but-to-cancel-london-fairs-in-october">Read More</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: July 14, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417594/doqlkyg8pkrautoue9w2.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;CGN Staff, Via PRThe Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is pleased to announce that it is planning to reopen to the public on Friday, July 24, 2020, after several months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. With generous support from Northern Trust, the museum is welcoming back visitors with free admission through the end of August, as well as new museum hours, days, and a lower capacity optimized for the safety and well-being of visitors, following city, state and CDC health guidelines.The MCA will now be open to the public on Fridays and weekends from 11 am to 6 pm, with the first hour of the day dedicated to seniors and people at an increased risk. Visitors are encouraged to make online reservations in advance through a new touchless admission process. The MCA’s reopening features more work on view by Chicago artists and from Chicago collections than ever before in its history. Acclaimed Chicago filmmaker Deborah Stratman’s exhibition on her film The Illinois Parables, includes a re-creation of the WFMT radio studio of the renowned Studs Terkel with a selection of his celebrated interviews. Just Connect is a timely exhibition on how the pandemic has made us more aware of our desire to connect, and how we depend on our communities and families for a sense of belonging. The popular exhibition, Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago has been extended to September 27, featuring an exceptional assembly of works drawn from Chicago’s greatest public and private collections by the British-Nigerian fashion designer Duro Olowu.﻿MCA Director Madeleine Grynsztejn says, “Throughout extraordinary moments in history, artists have always shown us the way forward with work that has the power to heal, connect, inspire, and ignite our creativity. Art museums are among the lowest-risk spaces to visit in the city, and the spacious design of the MCA offers wide-open public spaces to easily accommodate physical distancing while guests experience the art on view. We also encourage visitors to step outside to enjoy time for quiet contemplation in our terraced sculpture garden with some of the best views in the city overlooking Lake Michigan.”With the health and safety of the community as its top priority, the MCA has implemented extensive new safety measures that follow city, state, and CDC guidelines, from a new touchless admission process, to a system of newly designed wayfinding to ensure physical distancing, to enhanced cleaning and sanitization. A full roster of safety measures is online at <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001j_e975AqtCcZm4RiG1uZtYXtPbOHM38JGMAdkgAwJoSlgLZMt-zeTczCZiPblC1cpcLqlEqYqrw2lGc2pxHr0lc5Cmyb3ERGdDzNM4vIv4zYUf1o91eGgJDWKqf1z6Avr4NTe0Gm4PWS4vfXN3cpT8vfuBLfNpbo&amp;c=SqG7nguZ9rNrA4JhIyF9nXlWIltHh4u-vo4-TiJiBVmxl3ypX8_ejg==&amp;ch=6FKRbN0JfcJdzPfvUy9xJLwLVfOj_161TmZbVLMfK7qIVREP0YhFyA==">www.mcachicago.org/safety</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

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