<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418177/o1ajlaueiiwpjew1vwqx.jpg"><figcaption>Artwork covering boarded-up storefronts along 18th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood, Thursday, June 4, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Chicago artists use boarded-up storefronts to make a creative statement and make a differenceNot against a monochromatic sea of plywood, touching nearly every neighborhood in the city. On the other hand, a never-ending landscape of plywood is not unlike a city-stretched canvas. “We just wanted to get some color up there, something positive for Chicagoans,” Stanley said, “something that helps in a small way so that Chicago is not so depressed for the next few weeks.”By Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-storefront-artists-riots-20200604-as46v34xwrh3rhdh7xt2o5zmii-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418178/ubpbgsev5gabcbzsmdyw.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Giant fingers portray Chicago’s skyline, people in Megan Sterling’s ‘Cityscape’ muralPainted beneath the L tracks in Rogers Park, the 16 massive fingers are arranged to mimic an urban landscape of high-rises represented by the people of the city.By Madison Savedra, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/murals-mosaics/2020/6/5/21271943/megan-sterlgiant-fingers-portray-chicagos-skyline-people-in-megan-stirlings-cityscape-mural">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418179/cofylpte1xbrlf4mxoxq.png"></figure>&nbsp;Crochet art is brightening up this Chicago neighborhoodBike rails and trees have been looking a lot more colorful thanks to a resident in Chicago's South Loop. Valerie Sherman has taken her crocheting skills to the streets in what she calls "yarn bombing."By Yukare Nakayama, Localish<a href="https://abc7chicago.com/localish/crochet-art-is-brightening-up-this-chicago-neighborhood/6229507/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418180/ilwmhwkrp0yw00fz8ijg.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Art Basel Has Canceled the 2020 Edition of Its Flagship Swiss Fair, Citing ‘Tumultuous and Challenging Times’Amid a climate of continued global uncertainty around matters of health, the economy, and the basic ability to travel, Art Basel has canceled the upcoming edition of its flagship art fair in Basel. The premier international art fair had initially been postponed from its usual June slot to mid-September. The next edition of Art Basel in Switzerland is now scheduled to take place June 17 to June 20, 2021.By Kate Brown, artnews<a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/art-basel-2020-canceled-1880757?utm_content=from_www.artnet.com&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=US%209%3A50%20a.m.%20newsletter%20for%206%2F8%2F20&amp;utm_term=US%20Daily%20Newsletter%20%5BMORNING%5D">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: June 8, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/wk4mrgcmo2iza1qftwdp.png"><figcaption>Jeffrey Gibson, FOREVER ALWAYS, 2018. Glass beads, artificial sinew, metal studs, tin jingles, acrylic felt, over wood panel, 50" x 43" x 4". Courtesy the artist and <a href="http://kavigupta.com/artist/jeffrey-gibson/">Kavi Gupta Gallery</a>.</figcaption></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3>By GINNY VAN ALYEACGN has always been, and will continue to be, here for our community. Our mission is to make the arts accessible to all and to be an available and evolving resource. We are committed to make a conscious effort to spotlight voices that are marginalized and to give artists the platform to say what they need. Right now we understand the need to make sure black voices are heard and that the art of black artists is seen. CGN stands against racism, all forms of discrimination and abuse. We have said before that art can save lives, but we understand now, more than ever, that art serves as an essential tool to show the world how cultural narratives matter. We see our local art community, once again, joining together to ensure this truth and hope that more people will be willing to see it. We will always support our partners making these critical efforts.&nbsp;An artist’s view of the world will be seen and experienced through a constructed object, a performance or a concept. This can serve as a powerful resource educating audiences today and in the future . A work of art can connect with the past be it to memorialize tragedy, preserve beauty, or provide a vehicle for&nbsp;participation in a community. It can build a bridge. We know that art can be positively transformative, and we need it now more than ever to raise people up, bring them together and have impactful personal experiences and conversations.&nbsp;#It seems like ages ago already (<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/4/creative-digital-outreach-from-local-art-spaces-during-covid-19-part-iv">April 9</a> to be exact) that I asked in a late night semi-panic what would be left when we get out from under lockdown? I wanted to find the ever-elusive crystal ball that could tell me what was next, of course I was hoping for a more or less happy ending, a bright light at the end of the tunnel.Almost three months on, there are a few more turns to navigate before we emerge from the events 2020 has unveiled thus far. As we can now tell the landscape we originally knew in early March is now dramatically different. One constant is that I miss my art colleagues. CGN is a tiny office of two, just Emily and me. Our wider network consists of dealers, artists, curators, freelance writers, nonprofit administrators, and many more. I've been home all this time with my two young, yet highly energetic "interns" (read the CGN masthead), and we've all stayed sane. We have had a lot of fun. Now every day is 'take your kids to work day,' and my 6 year old let me know she has to work on a vaccine to fight the virus. There will be a day soon where I will miss being with these two new 'colleagues' all the time.&nbsp;#Phase 3 in Chicago means that businesses may reopen. Many galleries are cautiously and safely doing just that – they are making sure their spaces are safe to enter (masks, sanitizer, all that) so you may once again engage with art in person to support artists and the culture that is so vital to furthering our appreciation of and understanding of the present times. Galleries are also being mindful and considerate of the events of the past several days, with many abstaining from celebrations to ensure the focus is on protesting and coming together throughout the city.&nbsp;#As we have learned so well these past months, art is still available for viewing online 24/7. Virtual shows are not going anywhere as of right now. Choosing to view them and purchase art on your own time and from the safety of home continues to be an excellent option. Spend some time on CGN viewing the full range of in-person as well as virtual programming taking place now and throughout the summer. We will be updating individual hours as we can, but most spaces are beginning to open in some capacity now.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/r9dbdwwfp21w1ru8ovr2.jpg"><figcaption>The <a href="https://www.elmhurstartmuseum.org/from-home/">Elmhurst Art Museum</a> is collaborate with Chicago-based artist Matthew Hoffman, known for his You Are Beautiful project, to spread positivity in the community. A new display in the museum’s south windows will add to his permanent outdoor installation on the building. Visit while on a social distanced walk through Wilder Park.</figcaption></figure>We miss being with you and want everyone to stay safe and to feel supported during this time. It is important to know that galleries will always be a space for connecting and reflection.&nbsp;The power of art knows no limits.&nbsp;We will see you again very soon.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Letter from the Publisher  |  Here We Are: Changed but Reopening

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/fsyt46boz6eqaejcteu8.jpg"><figcaption>Performance still of Agentic Mode at EXPLODE! Queer dance: Midwest. Image credit: Al Evangelista.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By RILEY YAXLEYThe first time I meet Marcela Torres, I make a complete fool of myself. For our interview, we meet at The Clayton, a cigar lounge in the West Loop. I have never been to a cigar lounge and feel overwhelmed following Marcela around the cramped, glass humidor. We stop to let a group of three businessmen squeeze in front of us and, after admitting that I know nothing about the various cigar options, she chooses one for me. We sit at a small, round table in the corner of the lounge and Marcela demonstrates how to properly light a cigar using the matches the host gave us.“You want to hold it at a little bit of angle,” she says, and takes a drag from hers. I forget to regularly smoke my cigar during the interview, allowing the smoldering embers to die out, and attempt to relight it several times with my dwindling supply of matches. After the fourth or fifth time, Marcela graciously fetches a torch lighter from the host and offers it to me. “Here. This might be easier.”A colleague invited me to attend Marcela’s second professional cage fight at Joe’s Live in suburban Rosemont in early March. I wasn’t able to make it to her fight, but nonetheless I was introduced to Marcela’s work and was intrigued by her use of martial arts as a way to explore the “mental space of fear” that makes violence possible.During the past year, I have spent a significant amount of time writing and thinking about whether or not art can affect change, specifically as a way to achieve justice for marginalized communities.Marcela has been performing Agentic Mode, a 45-minute movement performance incorporating Muay Thai martial arts, literature, and oral history, for the past two years. Most recently, she performed for EXPLODE! Queer dance: Midwest at Northwestern University, and she was scheduled to perform at the Rose Wagner Theater in Salt Lake City and at The Momentary in Arkansas this spring, until the COVID-19 pandemic upended public events for the foreseeable future.When I ask Marcela about her process of recreating violence in a gallery setting and how she avoids removing violence from its very real contexts, she pauses before cautiously answering, “I do want people to have intense experiences, but I also want it to be a ‘slow consensual experience.’”Agentic Mode is structured into five segments based on Jeff Cooper’s “Color Codes” of awareness (the code was originally four colors used to describe one’s mindset during a lethal confrontation: white, yellow, orange, and red.)&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/gznjeif8wfe5lknio5dx.jpg"><figcaption>Installation image of Agentic Mode. Image credit: Jonathan Bagby.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The “Color Codes” allow her to achieve this gradual, immersive experience, beginning with the white section of the performance, which represents being unaware or inattentive. Here the gallery is brightly lit and Marcela performs a dance that demonstrates elements of Muay Thai form, showing how the martial art can be used for self-defense and as a way to inflict violence. She also reads a series of monologues in between repetitions of the dance, reciting for her audience:“The combatant was not an isolated individual: his actions were taken on behalf of the nation, a hierarchical military establishment, and an intimate, interdependent platoon—this was what distinguished martial combat from murder...”During this monologue, Marcela alludes to the title Agentic Mode, exploring how individuals can commit gruesome, horrific acts on behalf of a nation exploiting nationalistic beliefs to trigger them to act in primal self-defense.Next comes the yellow section – alert, but still relaxed, no immediate threat. The lighting changes. Marcela creates hand symbols and movements referencing guns and fight techniques before the room goes dark for the orange section, where an immediate potential threat is acknowledged.“I wanted [the audience] to feel a little trapped,” Marcela says about the dramatic lighting change. At this point, viewers are likely feeling unnerved, perhaps a little claustrophobic at just how close they are to the unfolding performance. Marcela begins punching the boxing bags she built herself. They are embedded with microphones and attached to loop and reverb pedals that record and distort each strike to form a cacophonous soundscape that reverberates through the gallery.The intensity builds as the performance enters the red section, which represents a definitive lethal threat. Marcela, her voice a riotous shout, recites from memory the lyrics of American hip hop duo Mobb Deep’s “Survival of the Fittest.”“There’s a war goin’ on outside no man is safe from. You could run but you can’t hide forever...”The use of the song shifts the audience’s attention to how urban communities may often be forced into survival mode to act in different ways. Cooper’s “Color Code” becomes a means of understanding how living in a constant state of fear – whether orange or red –causes people to act with a different code of ethics than other communities living under white or yellow.Bathed in crimson light, Marcela straddles the vaguely human-shaped body bag, walloping it over and over again. She hits it for as long as she can while the uproarious, looped sounds continue to ricochet throughout the gallery, reaching a deafening crescendo. The room goes black and the sound continues for several moments before disappearing completely. The last section of the performance has begun.Marcela takes off her tan, desert camo pants and wraps them around the body bag. She cradles it for a minute before crawling towards the crowd, dragging the bag behind her. She rubs her sweaty body against audience members. Some back away, their panicked, repulsed expressions detectable in the dark. Others gently touch her shoulders or back. Eventually, she finds a lap to sit in, asking to use their cell phone as a light so that she can read a final text.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/rlzwscsubfeakahzzeme.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;When I ask Marcela about this portion of the performance, she says “meekness or asking for help can be really disgusting to people.” Our instinctive reactions as audience members are revealed. Do we offer assistance or comfort? Do we revile her? Do we look for a way to escape? We have lost control of the situation.The relentless pace and length of Agentic Mode feels like an exercise in endurance, intended to exhaust both Marcela as well as her audience. However, Marcela adds that the shape of her work has also been determined by career pressures. She jokes she wasn’t getting as much gallery attention earlier in her career, explaining how she realized she needed to make a performance “at least 30–40 minutes to be on the bill by itself.” She adds that there must be objects incorporated as well in order to call it an exhibition.Marcela is insistent, “I strive for performance to be a really technical machine. I don’t want to be thought of as only a performance artist. I also want to be considered an athlete, a theorist, an educator.” To me, the faint, discolored bruises on her face from the fight a few nights prior remind me that she is challenging herself in a different way than other artists do.She shyly admits to feeling like an imposter in the fight community that she has borrowed inspiration from and expresses an earnest desire to understand what it means to be a member of that community.“I lost the fight”, she says sheepishly, adding quickly that it made her realize, “Maybe I’m finally doing the thing I said I was. Having somebody that strong trying to hurt me, I couldn’t fall back on my plans or training. Instead, I used my instincts.” Despite her loss, Marcela explains how terrifying it was to have a person taller and stronger than she more or less attempting to kill her.“Oh my God, my performance is beating me up,” she says about the experience, laughing. ”But, I asked this person, ‘Please, beat me up.’”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/bgntkcyu0njh39vdklz6.jpg"><figcaption>Octagon ring at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, Illinois.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;In order to make a work about violence, she wanted it to be real – something that the audience could feel. During her fight, Marcela experienced the instinctual fear she has aimed to recreate with Agentic Mode.Curious about how the experience will influence Marcela’s work, I ask her a question in this vein and take a last puff of my cigar. After two hours, I am getting better at relighting it, besides accidentally starting a small blaze in our ashtray by dropping a still lit match into the heap of used matches.Marcela begins to talk and pauses, taking a moment to consider what she’s going to say. “I think a fight can be art, but I don’t want people to think of [my fight] as art because it takes away from the art that’s already there. This is a martial art people study their whole life for.”Our conversation comes back to my original question: How do you create artwork about violence that helps audiences understand violence as a lived reality?“Performance, the idea of making something experiential, is the only thing you can really do.” Marcela speculates, “You’re explaining it in a way that hopefully doesn’t shove it down their throats like ‘We die every day.’ Maybe that’s the only way you can understand, because you’re still making the choice.”I think again of her describing Agentic Mode as a “slow consensual experience.” Violence is rarely consensual. Like Marcela putting herself in a fighting cage, where she could get seriously harmed, to understand what it feels like to be a part of the fight community, her audience chooses to witness her performance—trusting Marcela to make them experience the mental space of fear that makes violence possible.“It’s a sport. It’s over. She just wanted to win,” Marcela says soberly, sitting back in the leather armchair.Her observation, while strikingly succinct, is perhaps the best answer to my questions. We can watch Agentic Mode unfold, allow it to unsettle us and help us understand our instinctual, bodily responses to situations of fear, but it is simply a performance. It ends. Marcela has posed the questions about violence that she wanted to. We have to choose to find the answers.&nbsp;</body></html>

Marcela Torres Wants Us To Experience Violence

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/mmhsuuqnn76msftsl5ft.jpg"><figcaption>Holiday Home (Milwaukee), 2019 featuring the updated color scheme for 2020.&nbsp;Photo by Kevin Miyazaki/Sculpture Milwaukee</figcaption></figure>By CGN Via PRAt a time when so much has gone virtual or been put on hold, it is encouraging that public art has, for the most part, still been publicly &nbsp;accessible while so many doors have been closed. We were encouraged to hear last week that Sculpture Milwaukee is moving ahead with plans to mount its popular city-wide sculpture exhibition. They declared on social media, "We're not cancelled!"&nbsp;<a href="sculpturemilwaukee.com">Sculpture Milwaukee</a> announced on May 28 that its annual world-class collection of monumental sculptures will return to the streets this summer, where they can be safely enjoyed by all. Installation is slated to begin the week of June 8, and will be phased through mid-July, and, for the first time ever, many works will remain on view through the winter.&nbsp;&nbsp;In an historic year of innumerable cancelations and uncertainties due to COVID-19, the non-profit was spurred-on by the urgent understanding that access to free, safe, and culturally enriching activities are more important now than ever.&nbsp;“The sculptures will be a visible and vibrant reminder of our city’s unwavering resilience, an invitation to reimagine our surroundings, take-in new perspectives, and get inspired,” says Beth Weirick of Milwaukee Downtown. She continues, “We want everyone to feel safe coming downtown; Sculpture Milwaukee’s plans fit right in with the larger effort to create a safe, inviting locale for our community.”&nbsp;In light of ongoing public health concerns, Sculpture Milwaukee has announced a few unique features of the 2020 season. The organization has deferred in-person events, instead resources will be made available on <a href="http://sculpturemilwaukee.com/">SculptureMilwaukee.com</a> for self-guided exploration. They’ll host a mix of live-streamed and pre-recorded conversations with artists, virtual art lectures and more. Visitors will be encouraged to share their photos and thoughts about the sculptures via social media. Ground markings will be provided to help visitors maintain the recommended six-feet physical distance from others.“Our exhibition stretches out along Wisconsin Ave from O’Donnell Park to the Wisconsin Center, and this year, in partnership with The Black Box Fund, we’ve expanded into the Historic Third Ward. Altogether, our exhibition is over a mile and a half long, open 24-7 and will remain open months longer than in past years. We believe there will be ample space for people to experience vibrant and diverse, world-class artworks while maintaining a safe physical distance,” remarked Sculpture Milwaukee’s Executive Director, Brian Schupper. “We love Milwaukee, and, we want our exhibition to inspire people to get out and experience our beautiful city once again.” &nbsp;</body></html>

Sculpture Milwaukee Returns This Summer, Making Art Accessible 24/7

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/w6pnggz0ivuwdbs1y1gv.jpg"></figure><h3>Artist Christo, known for works that were massive and fleeting, dies at 84</h3>One specialty was wrapping huge structures, including Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary art, the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris and Berlin’s Reichstag.By Associated Press, Via Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/31/21276321/christo-dead-artist-obituary-wrap-reichstag-chicago-mca-pont-neuf-bridge-gates-central-park">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/mcowpcdp1qccrvth6sai.jpg"></figure><h3>‘This Is a Revolution’: 18 Artists From Coast to Coast Share What They Saw and Felt at the George Floyd Protests</h3>Protesters filled the streets in cities across the United States this weekend. Among them were artists of all stripes, many of whom view activism as an important part of their practice. Below, 18 artists shared what they experienced while protesting this weekend.Via Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/artists-protests-george-floyd-testimonials-1876254">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/dt93g8rc1fhnwkhfucl9.jpg"></figure><h3>Art world presses pause for #BlackOutTuesday</h3>Instagram is a sea of black squares today as artists, curators, museums and galleries follow the music industry’s lead in observing a “blackout day” in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police and the ensuing protests that have swept across the US demanding justice.Via the Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/art-world-presses-pause-for-blackouttuesday">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418777/lwoipisvq4khri7gxow1.jpg"></figure><h3>Alison Gass named new director at San José Institute of Contemporary Art</h3>Gass had a short but productive tenure as director of the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. She secured several major gifts and launched a curatorial fellowship to encourage diversity.By Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle<a href="https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/alison-gass-named-new-director-at-san-jose-institute-of-contemporary-art">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418777/gjfqqjknvqqrpnb0ee2n.jpg"></figure><h3>CPS Launches Online Gallery To Showcase Student Artwork In Wake Of Pandemic</h3>Chicago Public School students can now show off&nbsp;artwork they made in class through the city's new virtual art exhibition that launched Saturday.Featuring more than 800 student art pieces representing over 75 CPS elementary and high schools from across the city, the&nbsp;district’s All-City Visual Arts Exhibition is going online for the first time due to the pandemic.&nbsp;Via WBBM News Radio Staff<a href="https://wbbm780.radio.com/articles/cps-launches-online-gallery-to-showcase-student-artwork">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418778/zyui7bvzmm8qetfljjgp.jpg"></figure><h3>A Virtual Tour of the National Veterans Art Museum</h3>Artwork made by soldiers and combat veterans is as diverse as the military itself. Chicago is home to an armory of art created by members of our armed forces. With Memorial Day in mind, we visited the National Veterans Art Museum for a virtual tour.&nbsp;By Marc Vitali, WTTW<a href="https://news.wttw.com/2020/05/25/virtual-tour-national-veterans-art-museum">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: June 1, 2020

This is the most recent update from the Arts Alliance Illinois, which we received May 29, 2020. &nbsp;We will share more updates as we have them and as the art and business community begins to safely reopen spaces to the public.&nbsp;– CGN&nbsp;<blockquote>Today many parts of the state are moving to Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan for phased reopening. Governor Pritzker released guidelines for businesses to operate during Phase 3, including limits and safety measures for manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops, and personal services (e.g. salons). <a href="http://go.pardot.com/e/789543/dceo-pages-restoreILP3-aspx/smb3/52877748?h=_6rjJFF1Am05MAr4sHhTyVKT4lt5WrCRHYpn1iovFIs">Click here to read these industry-specific guidelines</a>. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced this week that cautious reopening for the city will begin June 3,&nbsp;releasing a city-specific set of guidelines for businesses that are included in this phase.&nbsp;These guidelines refer to museums and outdoor performances in a "later Phase 3," the details of which are being developed in collaboration with representatives from the field. The expanded guidelines will be released when approved by public health officials.&nbsp;<a href="http://go.pardot.com/e/789543/reopening-business-portal-html/smb5/52877748?h=_6rjJFF1Am05MAr4sHhTyVKT4lt5WrCRHYpn1iovFIs">Click here to read the current Phase 3 guidelines for Chicago</a>.&nbsp; The Alliance is supportive of reopening our state's creative industries when it is deemed safe to do so by public health officials, as the health of artists, creative workers, and audiences is our highest priority. We have advocated successfully for our sector’s many diverse stakeholders to be included in reopening conversations with both the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois, and will keep you updated on developments in these discussions.&nbsp;As always, if you have any ideas, questions, needs, or resources to share, please email us at <a href="mailto:info@artsalliance.org">info@artsalliance.org</a>. State funding for the arts preserved In case you missed it, over the weekend the Illinois General Assembly passed a budget bill with several big wins for the creative sector. This collective support from the state helps to ensure arts and culture will be a critical part of our state’s recovery from the current crisis. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="http://go.pardot.com/l/789543/2020-05-27/s9df/789543/42166/2020_0526_IL_arts_funding_preserved_v3.png" alt=""></figure> We're grateful to all the legislators who made the arts a priority, as well as the 36 members of the Arts &amp; Culture Capital Coalition. Finally, thank YOU for being part of our fight for the arts and culture in Illinois. We know the creative sector is hurting right now and we are doing everything we can to ensure it is a critical part of healing and restoration across Illinois. <a href="http://go.pardot.com/e/789543/ILArtsFY21/smb7/52877748?h=_6rjJFF1Am05MAr4sHhTyVKT4lt5WrCRHYpn1iovFIs">Click here to read more.</a></blockquote>&nbsp;&nbsp;

State Funding for the Arts: Art Alliance Illinois Updates

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/ovxvedn7rjxudava1sfv.png"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/l7v6wcb4ikfxafubvztl.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/addington-gallery">Addington Gallery</a>704 N. WellsLocated in the heart of the River North Gallery District for over two decades, Addington Gallery focuses on dynamic contemporary painting, both abstract and representational, with many of the gallery’s artists staking their claim somewhere in between categories. Process and materials play a large role with most of the artists represented, who work in a wide range of contemporary styles, subjects, and media. The gallery offers a full range of services, including installation, painting restoration and conservation, framing consultation, and corporate curating.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/rf1yfbyigxwno9ol3sp7.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/carl-hammer-gallery">Carl Hammer Gallery</a>740 N. WellsCarl Hammer Gallery represents both modern and contemporary art from the 20th and 21st centuries. The gallery’s reputation, recognized worldwide, was established by its leadership for discovering and representing historically significant artists within the “Outsider” and self–taught genres. Today, artists from both the “Monster Roster” and the Chicago “Imagist” traditions are an integral part of the gallery’s programming.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418777/urk3jnhfdcrrkbt60gor.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hilton-asmus-contemporary">Hilton | Asmus Contemporary</a>716 N. WellsHilton | Asmus Contemporary specializes in modern and contemporary paintings, works on paper, mixed media and sculpture with a special focus on photography.&nbsp; Featuring internationally known artists from United States, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean Region.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418778/nsyxx4i0vil84a5njhr6.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/poetry-foundation">Poetry Foundation</a>61 W. SuperiorThe Poetry Foundation, an independent literary organization and publisher of Poetry magazine, presents engaging, multifaceted exhibitions that bring together visual arts and the written word. The Poetry Foundation Gallery exhibits work that is poetry, including posters, broadsides, text– or book–based works, correspondence, and personal effects, as well as works of visual poetry or art by emerging and established poets.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Virtual Gallery Tour: River North (Part II)

Via PRChicago Artists Coalition (CAC) today announced that Teresa Silva, currently CAC’s director of exhibitions and residencies, has been selected as its new executive and artistic director.&nbsp;She will assume the new role on August 1, 2020. The Chicago Artists Coalition is a non-profit organization that has provided artists and curators with the resources to live, work and thrive in the city since 1974.<figure class="image"><img src="http://i1.cmail19.com/ei/i/AC/126/D20/005148/csfinal/TeresaHeadshot2020-990000000003cf3c.jpg" alt="Teresa Silva has been promoted to the new position of Executive and Artistic Director starting August 1, 2020"><figcaption>Teresa Silva</figcaption></figure>The new position and Silva’s appointment bring to fruition an organizational restructure that Caroline Older, CAC’s executive director since 2014,&nbsp;and CAC’s&nbsp;board&nbsp;of directors have been working on since February 2020. The plan called for a 6-month transition to enable Older to take the next step in her career while ensuring the long-term success of CAC.“In early 2020, as we entered CAC’s 45th year of supporting Chicago artists and curators, it became clear that to accommodate changing priorities among arts&nbsp;funders we needed to innovate to&nbsp;ensure CAC’s sustainability,” said Older.&nbsp;“The new management structure provides for a viable financial future while allowing Teresa Silva to lead CAC’s efforts to support Chicago’s artist community.”During her tenure, Older’s accomplishments include relocating CAC to enhance services and accessibility for artists, launching CAC’s first capital campaign, refreshing CAC’s brand with a new website, increasing grants to artists by 2000% and developing a board of directors of esteemed Chicago leaders while improving board and staff diversity. Older leaves CAC on sound financial footing with over four years of balanced budgets and substantial emergency funds secured since March 16.<figure class="image"><img src="http://i2.cmail19.com/ei/i/AC/126/D20/005148/csfinal/Caroline-D.-Older-990a280a28028a3c.jpg" alt="Caroline Older, CAC’s executive director for the past 5 years, will be leaving to explore new opportunities."><figcaption>Caroline Older</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“Caroline raised the visibility and impact of CAC, led its move to a new location and substantially increased CAC’s financial support for artists. Her dedication to the success of CAC has been remarkable,” said Carmelita Tiu, Board Chair. “Teresa Silva has unparalleled experience and passion for CAC’s mission and programming, and will undoubtedly continue to build on the foundation that Caroline created.”Silva was Older’s first hire at CAC, and the two were recognized together in Newcity’s Art 50: Chicago’s Visual Vanguard 2019.&nbsp; Silva will be responsible for procuring financial support for CAC through grants and donations, leading programming, residencies and exhibitions, and overseeing day-to-day operations of the organization.&nbsp;She brings to her position a vast network of artists, curators and arts patrons. Karina Quintana and Aileen Cortez, who have worked at CAC since 2019, will support Silva.“COVID-19 has heightened the need to support artists so that they can continue to work and thrive in Chicago,” said Silva. “I am grateful for this opportunity and that, thanks to Caroline, CAC is poised for a dynamic future that will continue to contribute to Chicago’s reputation as a world-class arts center.”&nbsp;As director of exhibitions and residencies since 2014, Silva has helped launch the careers of countless artists and curators. CAC alumni have gone on to exhibit in New York at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Storm King Art Center and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art and galleries across the country.&nbsp;CAC alums also hold positions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, EXPO CHICAGO, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.About Chicago Artists Coalition Chicago Artists Coalition is a non-profit organization that supports contemporary Chicago artists and curators by offering residency programs, exhibitions, professional development and resources that enable them to live, work and thrive in the city.&nbsp;CAC&nbsp;is deeply committed to advancing the cause of art and its importance in Chicago’s culture and economy by cultivating a wide-reaching civic, philanthropic and public support network. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-xdiihc-dlvzir-y/">www.chicagoartistscoalition.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chicago Artists Coalition Announces Leadership Transition

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418149/nqsigp3c9ymgo21cpqec.jpg"></figure><h3>A Suburban Community College Scored A Big Art Show. Then, The Pandemic Hit.</h3>&nbsp;More than two dozen works from famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo were scheduled to be on display next month at the College of DuPage in west suburban Glen Ellyn.The school spent $2.5 million turning the art gallery inside the McAninch Art Center into a museum — and $250,000 of tickets had already been sold, said director Diana Martinez.“You don’t ever achieve any real exciting success if you don’t try something crazy new,” she said. “And this was pretty crazy.”By Carrie Shepard, WBEZ<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/a-suburban-community-college-scored-a-big-art-show-then-the-pandemic-hit/709e271e-294b-4ff4-9f26-91b53f776dc7">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418150/kamzt65hp3mj58oqjddx.jpg"></figure><h3>New artist incubator opening in Humboldt Park</h3>&nbsp;The Honeycomb Network, 2659 W. Division St., offers artists from diverse backgrounds a place to learn and grow.Denise Ruiz, Honeycomb’s founder, said it will serve as a hub for artists from around the city to collaborate with others while also focusing mental wellness.“We want to normalize mental health care and break the cycle that pushes the negative stigma of speaking with a therapist,” Ruiz said. “We want to connect those two things by fulfilling our creative and wellness dreams.”By Manny Ramos, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2020/5/25/21259339/artist-incubator-honeycomb-network-humboldt-park-gentrification-mental-health">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418151/lkkstdflisoy5f2reufz.jpg"></figure><h3>'They took a risk with me': Why the new curator of the University of Chicago's art museum is a 'bold' choice</h3>&nbsp;“I’m not the usual suspect,” says Myriam Salah, the new executive director and chief curator of the Renaissance Society, the highly regarded contemporary art museum at the University of Chicago.“I’m not the American curator who did a postgrad in curatorial studies. It’s bold that they chose someone coming from different horizons – and the risks that they took with me, I’m going to be taking with the programme.”Salah, who was born in Tunisia in 1985, will be starting in Chicago in September – taking on her new position as art organisations worldwide start to chart their roles in a Covid-19 environment.By Melissa Gronlund, The National<a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/art/they-took-a-risk-with-me-why-the-new-curator-of-the-university-of-chicago-s-art-museum-is-a-bold-choice-1.1023971">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418152/ftncvuaqvlr2ib3hrppj.jpg"></figure><h3>SkyART delivers 1,000 art supply kits, virtual art therapy to Chicago kids</h3>&nbsp;SkyART Founder and Executive Director, Sarah Ward, realized they needed to expand their efforts into a fundraising campaign. So far, they've already exceeded their own expectations. "1,000 is our goal, and we've actually gotten funding to go way beyond 1,000 so what we're going to do is do repeat deliveries," Ward said. SkyArt is committed to helping kids through art during this pandemic and beyond.By Zach Ben-Amots, Localish<a href="https://abc11.com/free-art-chicago-therapy-virtual-class-online/6201564/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: May 26, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418153/l7qlu7rzv3gsmgchncyw.jpg"><figcaption>BOB FAUST, Michael Workman / Landing Projects. 2858 W. Belle Plaine Ave. Chicago, IL 60618 Vinyl lettering on glass, 23” h x 21” w. Not for sale. Artist’s Note: From a foundation that is at best precarious, we enter 2020 with an uncertainty that requires our own power and focus to remain upright. The number “2020” is both a date focused on this political moment in time, as well as a measurement as a call for clarity of vision. By siting “Hope &amp; Peace” in Landing Projects’ windows and playing on the transparency between inside and out or what is “mine” vs. “ours,” it is a super direct reminder of what we need both domestically as well as communally.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By CGN Staff via PRThe past several weeks have made many artists and art world players think very differently about how to make and share art with a public that is largely unable to gather in one place. The organizers of a new initiative, based out of Chicago but with a global reach, were inspired by the generosity of artists and the power of art to transform and connect us.&nbsp;ART-IN-PLACE (AIP) is an initiative of <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=a88b693967&amp;e=a71d7765a5">CNL Projects</a> (founded in 2016 by Cortney Lederer) and <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=5c111d8104&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Terrain Exhibitions</a> (a nonprofit founded in Oak Park Illinois by the late artist Sabina Ott and author John Paulett.) At the onset of the pandemic, these art connectors noticed so many artists began to create and offer to send small artworks in the mail to anyone that asked. Artists were using Instagram as a platform to share this generous offering. They shared collaged postcards (<a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=489ef5137b&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Kelly Kristen Jones</a> and <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=7f4ea96c6d&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Melissa Oresky</a>), "corona rings” (<a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=8435e0cb9c&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Laura Davis</a>), seeds to grow (<a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=d4b2de050b&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Anna Brown</a>), plant clippings, and other creative works. CNL says they received about five different artworks in the mail within a couple weeks. Art became a way to connect, inspire and bring hope during a moment when we were all so suddenly disconnected from one another. We&nbsp;felt moved and inspired. We wanted to create a platform to share this generosity and consider what we all need right now—connection to others outside the virtual. There is no better tool for this than art. Visit <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=323cfea47f&amp;e=a71d7765a5">https://www.cnlprojects.org/artinplace</a> to view participating artists. The organizers note that due to&nbsp;the fact that over 275 artists are participating (including artist living in Berlin, Canada, Japan, India, Israel and Peru) they are still in process of uploading artists' image details and websites. Click on each artist's image to learn more about each artist and locate an address of where to tour art in your community. A live map is being developed for release next week.&nbsp; Collectors have the option to purchase a beautiful set of curated postcards showcasing a collection of every ART-IN-PLACE participating artist (forthcoming). Artists collectables, editions and original works of art are available for purchase. Please contact <a href="mailto:cortney@cortneylederer.com?subject=NEWSLETTER">cortney@cortneylederer.com</a> if you are interested in a work of art.&nbsp;&nbsp;From each artwork sale,&nbsp;artists receive 80% and&nbsp;donate 20% to the <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=1ff9d0b750&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Arts for Illinois Relief Fund,</a>&nbsp;which provides financial relief to workers and organizations in the creative industries impacted by COVID-19.&nbsp; All proceeds from postcards sales will also support this fund.ART-IN-PLACE will be on view from May 20–June 20, 2020&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418154/tb8cjxwf5xylalk8yle7.png"><figcaption>AIMÉE BEAUBIEN 2443 N. Francisco Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 &nbsp;Size variablePrinted banner material, paradord $3,500 Artist’s Note: What happens when a plant closes its eyes, when it loses its leaves? What will the last leaf look like?For After the Last Leaf, I took stock of my immediate landscape and photographed specific leaves plucked from plants growing inside of my home and in the garden that surrounds. Qualities of the garden run parallel to the nature of photography: they are spaces defined by interactions of the scientific, the accidental and the temporal. Wild, fast growing vines slink through the yard and climb around our house. In my home studio, plants mingle with huge tangles of cut and woven photographs that dangle down from the ceiling in various states of progress and decay. I photograph the ever-changing conditions as plants dry and projects grow.Vines trail, ramble, lean, flop, twine, weave, root, grasp, cling and climb. I translate my responses to the vitality of vines by pushing color while imagining how energy is harnessed from the sun in photosynthesis. I reorganize the scale of my photographs to amplify the ambition of vine movements while translating their enviable ability to embrace everything near in acts of remarkable adaptability. Vines are tenacious. Vines will win.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418155/s6215hoqdcirvqlpgc0t.png"><figcaption>CECIL MCDONALD, JR. 10026 S. Wood Chicago, IL 60643 40” x 30”Mylar and pigment ink$3,000 Artist’s Note: Car garage wrapped in Mylar, waited for the colors of night, street lamps, car headlights, brake lights and the green of the surrounding nature to reflect in a spectacular fashion for the photograph. The goal was to explore the transformative power of photography.</figcaption></figure></body></html>

ART-IN-PLACE: A Project to Connect, Inspire and Bring Hope While We Are Disconnected

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418223/borw3cejnunsc96qxfbr.gif"><figcaption>Carl and Marilynn Thoma with Robert Wilson’s 2013 digital animation LADY GAGA: Mademoiselle Caroline Riviere and Andrés Solano’s 1776 oil on canvas painting Portrait of Ana Josepha de Castañeda y de la Requere, 2019. Courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, photo by Tira Howard.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By ANNA DOBROWOLSKITucked away in a warehouse in the heart of the West Loop, the Orange Door hosts a mélange of Japanese woven bamboo baskets, 17th century Spanish colonial art, a sonar-activated windmill and a mirrored infinity chamber. It can take some effort to gain access to an eclectic art collection in the best of times: like an art speakeasy, the Orange Door, an exhibition space operated by the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, is typically open to educational groups, curators, and art aficionados by appointment only. Luckily, in the middle of a pandemic, the barriers separating us from the collection just got lifted.In early March I was able to connect with Marilynn and Carl Thoma to discuss how they first got into art collecting. Since graduating Stanford business school in the 70s, the duo has amassed over 1,400 works of art, making them a fashionable power couple for whom art is not just business but a lifestyle. Carl Thoma heads Thoma Bravo LLC, a private equity firm he cofounded in the 1980s; and Marilynn Thoma actively serves on the boards of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Humanities Festival, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Together in 2014 they established the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, which is dedicated to visual arts and philanthropic pursuits. Today they fund research into art scholarship, novel educational programs, and conservation.Orange Door first opened in Chicago out of necessity, as the Thomas needed a home base from which to make art loans nationally and internationally. Currently, some of the art they have collected is on loan at the MCA, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, with another 17 across the Midwest. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, they also run a separate facility called Art House, which houses one of the largest digital collections open to the public year-round.Each year the Thomas utilize Orange Door’s space to curate an exhibition featuring new Digital Art acquisitions and select artworks from across their collections. In September 2019 they hosted “Infinity Clock: Artworks on Time” and “The Algorists: Historic Computer Art.” The latter highlighted software-assisted work (namely, computer drawings on paper) created by artists such as Peter Beyls, Jean-Pierre Hébert, Manfred Mohr, Vera Molnar, Frieder Nake, Roman Verostko, Harold Cohen, and Mark Wilson. It is quite a treat to interact with these digital installations in person: however, when galleries are shut down to the public and exhibitions are either postponed or cancelled, we turn to our screens to access and engage their work.How do we experience and collect art today? In this interview, the Thomas discuss their journey into the world of art collecting in the digital age.&nbsp;Anna Dobrowolski: What set off the spark in 1975? What was the first piece that started the Thoma collection before it became a foundation in 2014?Carl Thoma: Marilynn and I were both just out of graduate school when we began to collect art. Our interest was heavily centered around California Impressionism and the Taos Society of Artists, leading us to purchase paintings by artists including Redmond Granville, Joseph Henry Sharp, and E. Martin Hennings. Today we continue to collect artwork from across the American Southwest—both historic and contemporary.AD: When you aren’t splitting time between Santa Fe and Chicago, do you have any favorite places or galleries you love to visit?CT: It is hard to narrow down the list, but three art destinations we love to visit are Currents New Media festival in Santa Fe, Art Basel Miami, and the Prado Museum in Madrid.AD: What do you look for when considering a work of art to add to your collection?CT: At first it was a subjective decision—we buy what we like to look at. As we became more knowledgeable, we went deeper into a given period or movement and discovered ever more movements and artists. Because we make loans to museums, we also consider what a piece contributes to the history of art in general and how it might relate to other artworks.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418224/xxxman2zfshtu7mhqisb.gif"><figcaption>Marina Zurkow, Mesocosm (Wink, TX), 2012,real-time generative software animation on monitor.© Marina Zurkow, courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, rendering still by bitforms.</figcaption></figure>AD: How has your taste changed or solidified over the years?CT: We have always been decisive, and we have learned a great deal from a handful of seasoned advisors. Over the years, we have been increasingly drawn to works that embody color, strong compositional design, mastery of the medium, and historical importance. Through the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, we have also become increasingly dedicated to expanding scholarship and collection conservation.AD: Can you tell us more about those initiatives and collections? How do they challenge or shape our perspectives?CT: We support initiatives and collect works of art that encourage reflection, demonstrate innovation, and encourage deeper questions. For example, in 2019 the Foundation’s inaugural Bold Initiatives grant was given to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago to support their OPEN HOUSE initiative. They are taking bold steps to enable greater visitor engagement. This includes making the museum accessible to all facets of the community—not just those who live nearby, who have visited a museum before, or who feel comfortable in such a space. We are helping to fund an onsite educator whose job centers around visitors: understanding their needs, asking questions, helping them to grow and learn in a conducive environment. This commitment to making art more accessible is mirrored in our public exhibition space Art House in Santa Fe, which presents highlights from our collection of Digital Art to a community with deep and rich cultural and artistic histories. We aim to bridge the gap between something familiar, like landscape painting, and something new. And we encourage visitors to ask questions about the art and dive deeper into how these connections across time and place affect them.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418225/xrxnrd7elcnsoebnkx6m.gif"><figcaption>Installation view: Earth Algorithms:Landscapes of the Digital Age featuring art works by Lee Nam Lee, SyōruHonda, and Elias Sime. Installed at ArtHouse, Santa Fe, 2019. Courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma ArtFoundation, photo by Eric Swanson.</figcaption></figure>AD: Many of the digital works in your collection incorporate some kind of interactive element. I’m intrigued by some featured pieces such as Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Please Empty Your Pockets, Jennifer Steinkamp’s Bouquet 1, Guillermo Galindo’s American Dream Flag / Bandera del sueño americano, or Lynn Harshman Leeson’s Deep Contact. In these examples the viewer is engaging with the subject through a screen, which seems to be one of our primary options when looking at art lately. What makes these installations significant today?CT: These pieces are all very different, but what unites them is that each artist pursues an innovative technological idea to completion. In some of the examples you cite, the artists are at the forefront of digital art. Never before have such complex programmed works been viewable within art galleries. This represents a major shift in the experience of art, including interactivity.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418227/rn0ul8zq55sn7zdnlcwe.gif"><figcaption>James Turrell, Ursa Minor, MediumElliptical Glass, 2019, LED light, etched glass, shallow space. © James Turrell, courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, photo by Pace Gallery</figcaption></figure>AD: How does your digital and electronic art collection speak to the idea of art making in a time where everything seems so readily accessible? Can you talk a bit about the shift into collecting Digital and Electronic Art?CT: My business is rooted in investing in new technologies, so collecting digital and electronic art came naturally. Our Digital Art collection mirrors my interest in systematic approaches, scientific thinking, innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology that shifts the trajectory of human experience. Over the years, I’ve found myself considering the role that new technologies play in the evolution of artistic creation and how the artworks we collect inspire an expansion in our understanding of media in contemporary culture.AD: Which piece is your most recent addition? How does it connect to the others?CT: Our most recent acquisition is James Turrell’s Ursa Minor, Medium Elliptical Glass from 2019. He is a key figure in the Light and Space movement. It never seemed practical to own one of his seminal works from the 1960s, which are complicated to re-create. The piece that we acquired uses LEDs with a computer program to simulate the effects of the artist’s enchanting Skyspaces. &nbsp;Art Collecting: A Family AffairAD: From your perspective, how has the practice of art collecting changed?CT: Over the past five decades, collectors have seen an increase in the number of opportunities to purchase. Almost daily, we receive digital images of pieces that are on the market. This increase in opportunity to purchase is especially true with digital artwork, which, like prints, may come in multiple editions.AD: According to a 2017 interview in Albuquerque Journal, your daughter, Margo, is an art professional. What have you learned from her in terms of art and business?CT: Margo has taught us a great deal about modern and contemporary art and Japanese bamboo sculpture. She works closely with some of the foremost scholars and advisors in the field of Japanese bamboo, whose research has informed the scope and shape of our collection. As a gallery director, she has also provided a view into the inner workings of the art market.AD: Do you notice a shift between people wanting to own art and people wanting to experience it? How do you think millennials and younger generations will go about art collecting?CT: Yes—and this is due in part to the fact that it is not necessary to own a work of art to connect with it and explore it from the comfort of your home. While nothing compares to experiencing an artwork in person, it is easier than ever to research and access art through online sources. More artworks are available to be seen as pieces in museum storage become uploaded and shared.Today, artistic masterpieces have the power to impact broad audiences: scholars advancing study of the field, casual observers perusing our collections online, emerging collectors looking for inspiration. Collecting art and sharing it with the world ensures its preservation for future generations to enjoy. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418227/lk1gfyerzkya5tne4uz1.gif"><figcaption>Installation view: The Algorists: Historic Computer Art installed at Orange Door, Chicago, 2019. Courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, photo</figcaption></figure> &nbsp;</body></html>

Behind The Orange Door: The Thoma Art Foundation Builds a Collection to Share With the World

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417879/al4yzksibpsvkvtuqrhu.png"><figcaption>Artist Mark Yee with patrons the Williams family</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAEvery three years, the Hyde Park Art Center relaunches its famed artist–patron matchmaking endeavor. It's a multifaceted, immersive art experience and benefit for the center, and its return is always greatly anticipated. In the best of times, the program gives much needed exposure and support to area artists, while also introducing new collectors to the world of commissions and artist relationships. It also raises funds for the art center and its programming. NJAPF facilitates lasting relationships between artists and patrons, a new base of support for artists, and investment in the vitality of Chicago’s cultural community.Now, with the majority of working artists now unemployed or without their usual financial lifelines, HPAC launched a special COVID-19 edition of the program (the most recent edition of the program concluded at the end of 2019.) &nbsp;The Art Center was inspired by one of its Board members who purchased art as a way to support artists through this difficult time.&nbsp;Taking place every three years, Not Just Another Pretty Face is a collaborative commissioning project created by Hyde Park Art Center. The Art Center arranges commissions between patrons and artists who create engaging personal works of art (from the traditional to the very untraditional).The project has been a successful way for the Art Center to cultivate a very important part of the “ecosystem” that artists need in order to thrive – collectors – by embracing, and encouraging, the idea of patronage in contemporary art. The goal of the program, according to HPAC staff, is guided by the belief that artists need not only consumers (i.e., collectors) of their work, but also need a community of people who know and support them and value what they do.To date, the Art Center has raised over $900,000—half of which goes directly into the hands of artists, with the other half going to support Art Center programs. Through&nbsp;Not Just Another Pretty Face, 375+ original works of art have been commissioned by 275 new and established collectors interested in investing in Chicago’s artists.For this edition, here's what you need to know:<ul><li>No art collecting experience is necessary, and there's something for every budget and style. Peruse the roster of artists available <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001TBk5YFyprmE0a__vTXvUvNKwau55DKeuJfYbTCxdLVmR7reqo6pQLhAdn-89cE6M5VkG7g31LgAWU53YAu91qCeFO8qo1eWFtCTeptu5-5AC2yK9Gy8vJCTmJqyUEFXII9mVIyb2r5vE2ScX-jyYceUaoc6Plh_W&amp;c=IMSoXDtN6YQF6maGwUYgs20dwPJ_-RTRApk7C8WhOuKjbIc0LFxzMA==&amp;ch=W7jSJB2Yvzt0RKsGy2D2sX-_HlEyuy2ROlrDZseflSkM3a4TytR5ug==">here.</a></li><li>Art Center staff will arrange virtual studio visits with artists and facilitate commissions and sales over the next few weeks.</li><li>The commission and/or sale fee will be split 50% to the artist and 50% as a tax-deductible donation to the Art Center’s relief fund, which will go directly to pay artists through our programs.</li></ul>If you are interested in learning more, <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001TBk5YFyprmE0a__vTXvUvNKwau55DKeuJfYbTCxdLVmR7reqo6pQLhAdn-89cE6MqXiDZxXmRohALCXwq--_6zdKI_b8iZUUjlxB2xG2TGYrTyVrAO2Qfp7YUJi8Iwp_ZSf9CiWMobD0GVPtKMnS6aKglu3HxqFRb343XCVcu1zBlg6cLdXBaA-jg0oGLt5rK2QwgHwxAlQpobOWlDD8PSGnE-ED5Ofl0IvXy55Oj6R2F3-LSxaLaVGl0xzRgnHF&amp;c=IMSoXDtN6YQF6maGwUYgs20dwPJ_-RTRApk7C8WhOuKjbIc0LFxzMA==&amp;ch=W7jSJB2Yvzt0RKsGy2D2sX-_HlEyuy2ROlrDZseflSkM3a4TytR5ug==">please fill out this form</a> and someone from HPAC will be in touch.Since its inception in the mid-1990s, Not Just Another Pretty Face has maintained its pursuit of three primary goals:<ul><li>To support Chicago’s artists;</li><li>To make collecting and patronage accessible to a wider group of people; and</li><li>To explore the idea of portraiture in contemporary art.</li></ul>My husband and I participated in the program several years ago and commissioned a wedding present that was a gift from my parents. We loved the selection process as well as the unveiling event and exhibition, and we have kept in touch with "our artist" Mel Watkin. Many people who have participated in NJAPF do so again, and again. This is proving to be a time that will be challenging for artists for a very long time. It is also a time when hopefully we recognize the importance of art in our lives and how it can help us during dark and uncertain days. The NJAPF COVID-10 edition offers opportunities for all.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hydeparkart.org/njapf-2019">SEE THE ARTISTS AVAILABLE FOR 2020 COVID-19 EDITION OF NJAPF</a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hydeparkartcenter/sets/72157673842514364">SEE IMAGES FROM THE 2019 NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE UNVEILING</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://files.constantcontact.com/e0e61f61601/4eb1a619-da30-479a-85f5-3b47cb848640.png" alt=""><figcaption>Chad Kouri, Support Structure, hand cut vinyl on black paper, 11x14, 2019. Commissioned by Onyx Montes for the 2019 iteration of Not Just Another Pretty Face.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Hyde Park Art Center Launches Special COVID-19 Edition of Art Matchmaking Program

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417775/edqx4gmumpvdbz9o4hz5.jpg"><figcaption>Wadsworth Jarrell with son Jerry, Jae Jarrell, and Napoleon Jones-Henderson at an AFRICOBRA meeting,&nbsp;1968, Chicago, IL. Courtesy of Gerald Williams</figcaption></figure>Via PR&nbsp;The three living co-founders of AFRICOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists)—are receiving honorary doctorates from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417776/uyjmup519ojp4yuimsb6.jpg"><figcaption>AFRICOBRA: Nation Time,&nbsp;official collateral exhibition of the&nbsp;2019&nbsp;edition of La&nbsp;Biennale&nbsp;di&nbsp;Venezia,&nbsp;installed at Ca’ Faccanon, Venice, Italy&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Kavi Gupta congratulates Gerald Williams, Wadsworth Jarrell, and Jae Jarrell—the three living co-founders of AFRICOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists)—for their receipt of honorary doctorates from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, "for their extraordinary contributions to culture."<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417777/qp4d78jehr5crxtfvzct.jpg"><figcaption>Jae Jarrell working on&nbsp;Ornaments of Reflection for the Toronto&nbsp;Biennial, 2019, Cleveland, OH.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>This honor comes on the one-year anniversary of the opening of&nbsp;AFRICOBRA: Nation Time, an award-winning, official collateral exhibition at the 58th Venice Biennale. Organized and sponsored by Kavi Gupta, bardoLA, and MOCA North Miami, and curated by Jeffreen M. Hayes, Ph.D.,&nbsp;AFRICOBRA: Nation Time&nbsp;was noted as a highlight of the Biennale by numerous press outlets and further enshrined AFRICOBRA as a crucial voice in the international artistic landscape. Installed in the gothic palazzo Ca’ Faccanon, the exhibition featured both classic and recent works by the artists of AFRICOBRA, including some pieces which had not been displayed publicly since their original showings with the group in the 1970s. Accompanied by extensive historical material to contextualize the state of 1960s America, and Chicago specifically, the exhibition now stands as a definitive exploration of the group’s legendary history.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417778/esfhujsy9st4rknmlclc.jpg"><figcaption>Wadsworth Jarrell in his studio,&nbsp;2019, Cleveland, OH.</figcaption></figure>Founded in 1968 on the South Side of Chicago, AFRICOBRA was on the vanguard of the global Black Arts. Rather than focusing on violent revolution, they focused on nurturing a revolutionary cultural spirit distilling the intertextual aspect of their visual environment into an aesthetic position that was unmistakably current, and unmistakably connected to the African diaspora. Soon, the group was joined by five more members: Napoleon Jones Henderson, Nelson Stevens, Sherman Beck, Omar Lama, and Carolyn Mims Lawrence.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417779/hqhzlhaakjyubjhkj8ji.jpg"><figcaption>Gerald Williams in front of his work at the opening for The Time is Now! Art Worlds of Chicago's South Side atthe Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, 2018, Chicago, IL.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Congratulations, AFRICOBRA, for everything you have accomplished. We celebrate the far-reaching impact your philosophical and aesthetic positions continue to have on our culture—the story of AFRICOBRA has only just begun.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Three Living Members of AFRICOBRA are Receiving Honorary Doctorates from SAIC

<figure class="image"><img src="https://files.constantcontact.com/e0e61f61601/fd572b4f-0c47-4f8b-b3a2-f2c34ef7584a.png" alt=""><figcaption>“Stay Home, Make Art" Design by: Kari “Kasmos” Black. Artists: Dorian Sylvain, Kari “Kasmos” Black, Kahari Black and Katon Black.</figcaption></figure>By CGN via HPAC Staff&nbsp;The <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">Hyde Park Art Center</a> just sent us a reminder that, as they say, distance can't stop us from caring. One artist, who lives with her family not far from HPAC, decided to create her own art during lockdown. Not only did she get creative, but she wanted to make it public as well as use it as a means to cheer others while reminding them to say safe but also busy and inspired at home. Those in the neighborhood can pop by on foot or by car to admire the mural while the Art Center's doors are closed. – CGN&nbsp;When one sees a white wall, another sees hope, and&nbsp;Art Center&nbsp;teaching artist/Center Program alumna&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Kkm9bKppjOkdZwUPKBRdeSDTnq78Tlrw5qh0CgiC_smnBoATccWC0emGrxNwHxlaUpd55T8J8T8uJ9LiavNl1-kWXgmGexluRtRJ93n0ODqhqnAMAiFfhC3b7jZTo_FLyUundtCMa33bvgMJMr4jEg==&amp;c=e67iZzZR19_iMz2PfvJ8uVy1towYYcTN_D8dVqiH3V9SsCrEQ2GjNA==&amp;ch=weIn88dDbSKgUb_Fa23UuSJOgb5K07rQYOnaD-fDzHHEeFoGUSOqBA==">Dorian Sylvain </a>knows this very well.&nbsp;She&nbsp;along with her sons&nbsp;Kari Sylvain&nbsp;(mural designer),&nbsp;Kahari Sylvain,&nbsp;and Katon Sylvain are the artists behind the temporary quarantine-time mural "Stay Home, Make Art" which you can see&nbsp;on the north wall of&nbsp;our building. We had a chance to chat with&nbsp;Dorian, who told us about the inspiration for the mural.What motivated you to create&nbsp;the mural?DS: During the early&nbsp;days of the quarantine, my boys and I talked a lot about what message we could send to our neighbors. We were&nbsp;all under so much stress, I felt color in our "new" desolate landscape could be healing. Remembering that Hyde Park Art Center had a white wall...we thought let's do it! It was kinda spontaneous. My son has a sketchbook full of adorably cute&nbsp;characters...we thought a light message would be well received.What do you hope people take away when seeing the mural?DS: We wanted to send a&nbsp;message of love; bright colors to heal the spirit, playful characters to lighten the mood, and of course a message of caution..."Stay Home."What has helped you stay creative?DS: I somehow&nbsp;feel a responsibility, as a public artist, to attempt to use my skills to educate (many people are not getting the message) and maybe to bring a little joy to a passerby with the subtext..."I miss HUGS!" I think most of us share that sentiment!&nbsp;You can also "visit" Hyde Park Art Center <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">online</a> (they give you lots of ways to make art from home!)&nbsp;

Artistic Family Creates Temporary Quarantine-time Mural at HPAC

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417663/vpbfly28gukl1rapzv0p.png"><figcaption>James Rondeau on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016 at the Art Institute of Chicago.(Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure><h3>How to reopen an art museum: James Rondeau, Art Institute director, on the plans for, perhaps, July 1st</h3>For big cultural institutions closed by coronavirus, reopening is in the air. The Morton Arboretum in Chicago’s western suburbs Tuesday announced it will start welcoming visitors again June 1. The Cleveland Museum of Art that same day said it will reopen June 30, reportedly the first major American art museum to do so.With state and city officials recently outlining the rules for reopening in five separate phases, Chicago museums have a clearer view of what it might take for them to come back into public life.By Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-art-institute-director-talks-reopening-covid-19-0515-20200514-dnjqdmvd4zf5hepk42e24zpxye-story.html?fbclid=IwAR36CNp_WE132RE4g3y-5mBheNORUMGaZxnownICFCsGeNbdBi_RB1IuMio">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417664/mtm7vqs3vvqzqe1hldxb.jpg"><figcaption>The Arsenale, venue for the Venice Biennale. Photo by Andrea Avezzù, courtesy La Biennale di Venezia</figcaption></figure><h3>The Venice Biennale Will Be Pushed Back a Year, to 2022, as the Coronavirus Knocks the Art Calendar Permanently Off Its Axis</h3>The art-world calendar has just seen its most significant reshuffle yet as a result of the lockdown era. The Venice Biennale is pushing the 59th international art exhibition&nbsp;to 2022 in order to accommodate the delayed 17th international architecture exhibition, “How Will We Live Together?,” originally scheduled to open this month.That means the next Venice Biennale art exhibition will coincide with the next&nbsp;documenta, held every five years in Kassel, Germany and due to open in the summer of 2022. The Lyon Biennale has also rescheduled for that year.By Sarah Cascone, Artnet News<a href="https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/venice-biennal-postponed-1863837?utm_content=from_&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=US%204:40%20p.m.%20afternoon%20newsletter%20for%205/18/20&amp;utm_term=US%20Daily%20Newsletter%20%5BAFTERNOON%5D">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417665/e8eiotg28aigxoao6qmp.jpg"><figcaption>Paul Branton in front of his mural under the CTA Green Line tracks in the 300 block of East 47th Street in Bronzeville.Annie Costabile / Sun-Times</figcaption></figure><h3>Chicago artist Paul Branton’s Bronzeville mural a ‘statement of being proud of who you are’</h3>The sprawling work was painted on a metal wall in an alley beneath the CTA Green Line’s 47th Street stop. It features a girl with a green complexion and says she loves the skin she’s in.By Madeline Kenney, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/murals-mosaics/2020/5/15/21248501/chicago-murals-paul-branton-bronzeville">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417666/nec342zdge2w7czkj3iz.png"><figcaption>A still from Cultural Stimulus: Old Irving Park (2020) by Nick Cave</figcaption></figure><h3>Chicago artist Nick Cave has found a way to keep performing during quarantine</h3>In response to the tectonic uncertainty of the Covid-19 era, when the public looks for sources of artistic experience from the safety of home as museums and galleries remain shut, and artists must recast their creative process in social isolation, the artist Nick Cave is launching a new video series called Cultural Stimulus that he hopes will recreate some of the feeling of visiting a public art performance. Prepared while sheltering in place, with available artworks, the pieces are staged and filmed in Chicago’s now empty public places, as well as Facility, Cave’s 20,000 sq-ft studio.By Jacoba Urist, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/the-chicago-artist-nick-cave-has-found-a-way-to-keep-performing-during-quarantine">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417667/eqeboevmiet339hzg0p6.png"><figcaption>Naotaka Hiro, Untitled (Set), 2020. Courtesy of the artist and Misako &amp; Rosen, Tokyo.</figcaption></figure><h3>NADA’S New Profit-Sharing Digital Art Fair to Launch Next Week</h3>The New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) announced on Thursday that it plans to launch a new digital art fair to support member galleries that have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Titled FAIR, the online initiative will boast a profit-sharing model designed to give participants who have recently experienced revenue loss due to the closure of their physical locations a financial boost. Kicking off next week, FAIR will run from May 20 through June 21.Via ARTFORUM<a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/nearly-200-galleries-to-participate-in-nada-s-new-profit-sharing-digital-art-fair-83061">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: May 19, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418768/gzadqe35cw2uonxjmeaz.gif"><figcaption>Nathan has made many artist friends throughout her life, one of them was The Rev Howard Finster. Here Nathan is pictured with him on a visit to his Georgia studio.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAWhen I first started working for Chicago Gallery News in 2002, my daily errand visits to galleries near our River North office offered insights into the fabric of the city’s art community as well as one on one encounters with those who had played key roles in shaping its history. At the time, not all information was relayed digitally; hand deliveries of everything from magazines to maps to ad files were necessary tasks. Natalie van Straaten, CGN’s founder and my boss at the time, would ask me, after my visits, whom I had seen, and what impressions they had made on me: Who was kind and welcoming? Who may have been prickly or brusque? Many of my encounters had been shared by previous employees and interns.&nbsp;A telling factor as to the character of a dealer was often how they would treat the lowest person on the totem pole (me).One of the most welcoming figures was Ann Nathan. By 2002 Ann had been in the art business for many years, having opened her gallery in the 1980s, growing and expanding despite major challenges. Though she could have dismissed me as a young person who knew little about art or the area, she showed curiosity and was gracious with me. I found her to be a little bit of a mystery, but she was as intriguing and inviting as her expansive loft space on West Superior Street.Ann Nathan Gallery closed in late 2016, but Ann has not stopped working. Last fall I called her daughter Betsy, also a dealer in art and antiques at PAGODA RED in Lincoln Park, to ask if I could visit Ann at home. I was invited to join Ann and two of her daughters – Susan as well as Betsy – in October. Though Ann did not know me as well as she once did, we ended up spending the better part of an afternoon revisiting her many stories while touring her vast, eclectic collection of art. Sitting together in her living room, overlooking Lake Michigan, it’s clear that art, in particular the way it connects Ann to creative people, has always kept her going and continues to today.*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418769/usaycny6kkgqwngxebx9.gif"><figcaption>Nathan’s living room displays an eclectic mix of contemporary art, antiques and furniture.pictured Above: Ed Paschke; Center wall: Sangram Majumdar; right side: Enrique Santana</figcaption></figure>Soon after I arrive for our meeting Ann draws my attention to a coffee table, a low, large, heavy piece. As we sip ginger tea, Ann points out that the table is all hand crafted, encouraging me to reach out and touch the top – made partially of concrete or cement and ceramic tiles, as well as the bottom – composed of wood. Measuring 4’ by 4’, Ann and her husband Walter commissioned the table from artist Michael Gross. It was the first table he ever made, and one of many works that the couple would collect, adding a functional piece to their home while also directly supporting an artist. “I liked it because it’s beautiful, and it works,” explains Ann. As Betsy looks over the table, she reminds her mom, “It has a date. You will see our dog at the time – Willy Smith –&nbsp;and see here, it says Walter and Ann.”Ann’s aesthetic preferences as well as practical criteria are evident in many of her home’s works of art and unique objects. When I ask how she began collecting art, together with her late husband, Walter, she remembers, “I loved it. We both did.” Their shared creative pursuit complemented a busy life managing dual careers as well as raising four children: Susan, Richard, Nina and Betsy.In the employment agency business for over 27 years, eventually running multiple agencies, Ann tired of that work. It was the ceramicist Ruth Duckworth who encouraged her to try her skills elsewhere when she suggested she move into a 200-square foot Ravenswood studio in the artist’s pickle factory. Ann opened Objects around 1986. It sounds like it was purely by chance that Ann’s gallery career came to be. Ruth mentioned to Ann, “You know what, I have a little room up at the top of the stairs that I don’t know what to do with. Why don’t you do something with it?”Though the space was tiny, Ann’s own eclectic taste – even now her home is filled with a distinctly personal mix of handmade furniture from Africa alongside contemporary art, antiques and folk art – was well suited to a gallery program. She showed jewelry and ceramics – small, functional objects, and she had to be creative with every inch of space, including pedestals that opened up and doubled as storage space.Eventually, a friend of Ann’s, Chicago real estate developer David C. Ruttenberg, encouraged Ann to relocate from the north side to River North, nearer to downtown. She made the move and remained there until the River North fire in 1989 forced her to close briefly. She reopened in a large ground floor space on Superior Street as Ann Nathan Gallery. Around the same time Ann and Walter also moved from suburban Glencoe to downtown. She summarizes, “We were ready for a change.”*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418770/jj4yfhfoxn8d1x1u68cg.gif"><figcaption>Nathan’s office tells the story of some of her earliest collecting</figcaption></figure>In order to fully understand the origins of what set Ann on her art journey, we get up to go into Ann’s home office. Betsy hints, “It will bring it to life when you’re in that room. You will really be immersed in that moment from the beginning.”As we prepare to move rooms, Ann directs that I should take my ginger tea. She warns that the office could be a mess. It is not. In fact, it strikes me as amazing and transportive – a space that reveres her past and the artists who have been a part of it. At the center of it all is the art of Howard Finster, the Southern&nbsp;Baptist&nbsp;minister from&nbsp;Georgia whose own&nbsp;folk art&nbsp;sculpture garden&nbsp;contained over 46,000 pieces of art. One wall of the office is dedicated to Finster’s art, and hanging in the middle is&nbsp;a photograph from the 1980s of Ann with the artist, in Finster’s famous garden.Susan explains, “This is really where it all began.” Up on the shelves are many carved, wooden, black figures, sometimes called Dancing Dans, that were collected one by one in junk stores. Ann interjects that they were not popular or even collected at the time, but they were considered primitive art, made by totally unknown artists. When I ask if these would be considered Outsider art, Betsy corrects me. “The Outsiders, even though they’re untrained, actually develop their own names in the world, they become known. And these artists are totally unknown.” Ann was taken with these innate efforts at expression, and they set her on a path of seeking out figurative art long before she would start her gallery.As we identify the art on the shelves and walls in the office and end up back at the Finster wall, I get more of the story of how Ann first went down to find the eccentric artist. Ann first travelled to Georgia with Susan – probably in the early ‘80s – in a rented station wagon, which they filled with art and drove back to Chicago. “We had to [drive],” Says Susan. “How else were we going to get all the stuff back?” Ann would take her children with her on many subsequent visits – Finster used to say, affectionately, “Sister Annie’s here,” making her sound like a nun but perceiving her as a kind of angel, drawn to his created world. He believed his garden to be a holy place, with folk art as a medium to communicate God’s word. Ann was a divine visitor.Before the gallery Ann had many art adventures with artists as well as her family. The beginning of it all seems to spring from her perpetual search for figures, like the ones lining the office shelves today. She also sought out tramp art – works made by travelers out of cigar boxes and other things on hand. All over, says Betsy, they would hunt for objects that cost just 50 cents to two dollars. If she heard something could be found, she would go to that junk store and buy it, all along making connections with local sellers.*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418771/ahhm3wea2bna2q9dxxgi.gif"><figcaption>Works shown include a work on paper by Ed Paschke, a painting by Red Grooms, and a silhouette by Kara Walker</figcaption></figure>Ann forged partnerships with many artists over the decades, such as Jim Rose, another Wisconsin-based furniture artist, and she also came to showcase work by Outsider and self-taught artists like Lee Godie. A focus of the work in Ann’s home is on figurative art from many different periods as well as styles.Wandering through the other rooms of Ann’s apartment, it feels like I’m along on a visit with old friends. Some of the most eye-catching pieces are also large in scale, filling the wide, high walls with colorful people and scenes. A distinctive painting of a crowded street at rush hour by Red Grooms from 1964 was the first major piece Ann and Walter purchased. Nearby is also a work by Jacob Lawrence, as well as a more recent silhouette piece by Kara Walker. Adding to the depth of the collection is a trove of African objects, figures and masks as well as various pieces from Asia, revealing how global Ann’s taste is, spanning genres, mediums, time periods and cultures.As we move from wall to wall Ann recalls a story of the time when she came across a pair of unusual, older tables during one of her excursions. Her first thought was that she should put them on hold and come back with Walter before deciding to buy them. “Well, there they were,” she recalls, “I went to a junk store and I saw them there and they were for sale and I said, ‘Would you hold these for me? My husband would have to see them.’ So I left, and on the way home I thought to myself, he’ll never go there. He’ll never go to look at them. So I turned the car around and I went back and bought them.” Since she had two of her children with her in her station wagon, she told them they’d have to make room for the new cargo. Susan adds, “We somehow or other had both tables in the car and we had to drive home with the back open, holding on.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418772/gd2gf0ruzlb4k5jzaigg.gif"><figcaption>Artifacts and figurines from Africa and Asia are displayed throughout Nathan's home</figcaption></figure>Years of acquiring such furniture as well as art has meant&nbsp; Ann developed a savvy habit of using clever storage – I notice that she has few tables. Instead she favors 19th century Chinese and Tibetan trunks, scattered wherever they are needed. In addition to complementing the eclectic art, they double as attractive hide-aways. I sense each piece of furniture and work of art has a purpose as well as a story behind it - discovered by Ann along the way through life and brought back home to live among a new family. A variety of scales, materials and periods all blend to comprise a warm home filled with characters who keep Ann company every day. In the dining room is a table made by ceramicist Arnold Zimmerman. Ann’s kitchen cabinets are lined with a collection of moonshine face jugs from Georgia made by the Meaders family of potters. Additional folk art pieces hold many special glasses and dishes, and shelves display a collection of fish and bird decoys.*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418773/onfsjmzjp1fqbsgul9mq.gif"><figcaption>The Nathans photographed in the ‘50s by Art Shay for LIFE magazine</figcaption></figure>When we move into what was once Walter’s office, my attention turns to a couple of black and white photographs hung above one another on the wall. They are from a photo shoot with LIFE magazine in the late 1950s. Pictured are Ann and Walter with their three children – Susan, Nina and Richard (Betsy was not yet born). The photographer was Art Shay. Shay had been dispatched to cover a story about mothers who worked. “She was an anomaly,” explains Betsy, “because women at that time did not work. And nobody could believe that a married Jewish woman was working, with three children at home.” Though they sent Shay to do the shoot, LIFE never actually ran the story.Ann and Shay managed to reunite nearly 50 years later in Chicago, and Shay personally found the original photos of the Nathans and gave them to Ann. With the reconnection came a show of Shay’s work at Ann’s gallery. Ann remembers thinking, “Let’s do it. Let’s have a show.” By then Shay was in his 90s, but he was equally excited to work together again. The two were friends until Shay passed away in 2018 at 96.It’s been several years since Ann closed her space in River North, but she continues to be active with the art closest to her every day. Though her children visit frequently they comment that on nearly every visit they notice that the art and furniture has been moved around within the apartment. Ann enjoys exercising her curatorial skills each day in order to see things from a different perspective. Much like when she was in the gallery, things are taken out and put away, or they are displayed in new locations. Nothing has to remain the same. Just like in the ‘50s Ann is a woman who never stops working. She loves to observe and enjoy the art around her every single day.&nbsp;</body></html>

Art Dealer Ann Nathan: The Perpetual Collector

CGN staff via PRAfter NADA had to announce the cancellation of their September 2020 fair in Chicago, after only hosting one edition of the show a few months ago in 2019, they have now shared plans for a fully digital endeavor. FAIR, built in partnership with Artlogic, is a new art fair initiative designed to be entirely online, function cooperatively, and act as a benefit for NADA’s community of galleries, nonprofits and artists.&nbsp;The plan has come together in a relatively short period of time and is not only meant to be only online but also a means of supporting galleries through sales (vs grants, loans or fundraising.) What art fair preview have you ever read that doesn't reference the cliche comfortable shoes? Well, now you don't even need them.&nbsp;Taking place May 20–June 21, 2020, FAIR will directly support 119 NADA Gallery Members and 81 other galleries that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, totaling nearly 200 galleries around the world.FAIR offers an alternative profit-sharing model, structured to facilitate mutual support within the art community and provide revenue to each of its participants during a time in which galleries have temporarily closed their physical locations. A percentage from each sale made from FAIR will directly benefit all participating galleries and artists. In addition, a percentage of each sale will go towards supporting NADA for their efforts in producing FAIR, their continued work as an organization for art galleries, through this time of crisis and beyond.Cooperative Sales Model:50% of each sale goes directly to gallery (which is split evenly between artist/gallery)20% of each sale goes into cooperative gallery sales pool; to be shared evenly among all participating galleries20% of each sale goes into cooperative artist sales pool; to be shared evenly among all participating artists10% of each sale goes to support the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA)Each participating gallery will present a series of artworks over four-weeks with the opportunity to share new artworks each week. The initiative will also feature a series of online performances, studio visits and talks to complement the artworks presented by participating galleries and artists. FAIR, produced in collaboration with Artlogic, utilizes their Online Viewing Rooms service and is generously hosted by them.&nbsp;Week 1 of FAIR launches on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 10am EST at <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=d6cb77681a&amp;e=a3f64d3727">thisisfair.org</a>.View the list of participants <a href="https://newartdealers.viewingrooms.com/participants/">online</a>. Chicago and regional galleries participating include:&nbsp;<ul><li>Ackerman Clarke – Chicago</li><li>Circle Contemporary (Arts of Life) – Chicago</li><li>Devening Projects – Chicago</li><li>DOCUMENT – Chicago</li><li>The Green Gallery – Milwaukee</li><li>M. LeBlanc – Chicago</li><li>MICKEY – Chicago</li><li>PATRON – Chicago</li><li>The Suburban – Milwaukee</li><li>Volume Gallery – Chicago</li><li>Western Exhibitions – Chicago</li></ul>&nbsp;FAIR Dates​ &amp;​ Times May 20 – Sunday, June 21, 2020 <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=55dfb3879b&amp;e=a3f64d3727">thisisfair.org</a>Week 1: May 20, 2020 Live at 10am ESTWeek 2: May 27, 2020 Live at 10am ESTWeek 3: June 3, 2020 Live at 10am ESTWeek 4: June 10, 2020 Live at 10am EST&nbsp;

NADA Announces FAIR – Designed Entirely For Online (No Comfy Shoes Needed)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418768/lsfaqztifptyrobhmce4.gif"><figcaption>On the cover, summer 2020 – Ebony G. Patterson, ...three kings weep..., 2018 (still), edition of 3, 3-channel digital color video projection with sound, 8 minutes 34 seconds. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery.</figcaption></figure>The summer 2020 issue of CGN has arrived! Needless to say, the issue we were planning back in February 2020 had to change quite a bit, but we did our best to adapt to a rapidly shifting world and art market. Due to the ongoing stay-at-home order, copies are available in May primarily by <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/print-subscriptions">subscription</a>.&nbsp;We expect that in June 2020 copies will be more widely and publicly available in area galleries, museums, hotels and other locations as they reopen.&nbsp;This issue includes a new look at the local art community during the time of COVID-19 and features interviews with a range of creative makers and supporters, including artist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/5/ebony-g-patterson-the-interactivity-of-visual-appeal">Ebony G. Patterson</a>; collector and former River North art dealer Ann Nathan; art patrons Marilyn and Carl Thoma; Stuart Dyer of Ladybug Vintage; artist Marcela Torres; dealer Patrick Hull of Vertical Gallery on embracing digital sales; new galleries navigating the first year in business; and a walk through Logan Square's galleries and murals. We also spotlight new online ventures and virtual openings.&nbsp;The cover features art by Ebony G. Patterson as well.&nbsp;New content will be posted online throughout the month, and we continue to update our calendar daily, and of course we hope to add more in-person event as soon as possible.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/print-subscriptions">Subscribe now</a> to receive a copy by mail!&nbsp;In the mean time, stay safe and enjoy the art.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

The Summer 2020 Issue of CGN is Here

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418761/ywv7x7b3dpn5gq4tlblm.gif"><figcaption>Marina Zurkow, Mesocosm (Wink, TX), 2012, real-time generative software animation on monitor.© Marina Zurkow, courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, rendering still by bitforms. From CGN's summer 2020 interview with the Thomas.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAChicago Gallery News was founded in 1982/1983 as a means of promoting openings in the then-brand-new gallery district of River North. From a group of 16, the number and locations of galleries exploded over the years. Friday night openings were the place to be.That tradition continued until COVID-19 obliterated the familiar art rituals and gatherings we took for granted – art fairs, summer markets, gallery walks, artist talks, preview parties, end of year MFA shows – the cultural connectivity that powers the art scene has been put on hold.Now all plans are subject to change. Physical proximity to art – not to mention other people – is harder to achieve, at least if it requires private admission or means being in a crowd. Digital ingenuity has constructed some virtual bridges for the time being, but the significance of in-person encounters, dialogues and exchanges cannot be replaced, or held off forever. Adrift in the digital deluge, I’m in search of higher ground.I remember the economic rout of the 2008 crisis, one year after I bought CGN, but these headwinds are stronger. CGN is proud to be a resource to the arts community and its supporters during this time. We committed to printing this summer issue, despite great challenges, because I wanted to offer a life boat in order to ride out the storm. The magazine has always been a tangible testament to all the art alive here. Now many of our dealers and artists are trying so hard to adapt and survive.&nbsp;It helps me to look back as well as ahead. CGN has digitally evolved over the decades, but we were founded in and continue in print. While we can reflect fondly on the early ‘80s we don’t need to go all the way back there (I predate CGN’s founding by a couple of years, so at that time I was excited to get my first bike). Time and people move ahead, in spite of market crashes, fires, wars, recessions, and yes pandemics. We cannot be static. Artists still make art. Dealers, curators and collectors will still connect. The creativity that endures must be recognized and supported.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418762/im8ldb8jwolres45ii2u.png"><figcaption>Steve Jobs in 1984 via The Verge</figcaption></figure>With two months of lockdown behind me, so far, I’m looking ahead to what today will look like decades from now, when face masks and Zoom screenshots from 2020 will look as dated as that picture of Steve Jobs holding the first Macintosh computer does today. Photos of my family’s quarantine will show us with long hair wearing weird white earbuds. We cannot avoid looking dated.As we scramble to be digitally current and connected while we are physically apart, I am also learning, from artists like <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/5/ebony-g-patterson-the-interactivity-of-visual-appeal">Ebony G. Peterson</a>, whom Alison Reilly interviewed for this issue, the benefits of just being and tuning out the world. It makes me hopeful that the pendulum will swing towards a more deliberate, in-person, albeit less crowded, landscape when this is “over.”&nbsp;We are learning so much about virtual possibilities in life and business, but maybe local galleries could be regarded as precious gathering places to connect in person and view art. We have had more than enough time on our screens. Maybe fairs will be less market-obsessed, devoted to gallery survival over notoriety. Small businesses will be treasured over the mega and the convenient. The shifts that began long before COVID-19 – to art fair dominance, email overload and social media bingeing – could be a memory.Of course all of this depends on the art market actually surviving the category 5 financial hurricane we are in. Already since we went to press on this issue (May 4) EXPO Chicago has <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/5/expo-chicago-to-move-from-september-to-april-8-11-2021">announced</a> they are moving the 9th edition of the fair from September to April 2021. One new gallery owner we spotlighted in print has decided she must close her doors for good. There are others who will follow. Our partner galleries and businesses, like so many out there, need your support. Artists depend on your engagement. Please do what you are able in order to hold on to your interest in art and keep investing in creativity financially as well as emotionally. Stay with us so that we can look back someday and remember the experience but be grateful for the hope, the innovation, and the change.&nbsp;</body></html>

Publisher's Letter, Summer 2020: Subject to Change

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418768/jiyjenxhbad0hvyqylki.gif"><figcaption>Ebony G. Patterson . . . while the dew is still on theroses . . . , Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, February – July 2020. © Ebony G. Patterson. All work courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By ALISON REILLY“Be kind to yourself,” Ebony G. Patterson tells me as we end our conservation, “I have so many friends who are teachers, and when I talk to them, they feel like they’re working more now than they were before the moment of COVID-19. So much more seems to be asked of them. I was saying to a friend of mine yesterday that those days of absolutely nothing are very important. Take them when you feel them. Be kind to yourself.”<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418769/iuahfbjmsbtuz4fwysgc.gif"><figcaption>Ebony G. Patterson, ...three kings weep..., 2018 (still), edition of 3, three-channel digital color video projection with sound, 8 minutes 34seconds. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago.</figcaption></figure>Patterson, an artist who has become known for her large-scale, multi-layered, intricate installations, admits that she also needs to dedicate time to the act of self-care. Before the stay-at-home order was in place in Chicago, she was working towards two upcoming exhibitions, one as part of the 2020 Liverpool Biennial and the other at the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis, which was scheduled to open in May.“I’m somebody who moves a lot,” Patterson says, “and in moving a lot, what happens when you’re asked to remain still? In a capitalistic system, we’re so used to doing that the act of not doing makes us feel guilty. There is value in recognizing that it is okay for you to just be. You don’t have to somehow find some kind of activity. You don’t have to behave as if everything is normal, because it’s not normal. There’s nothing normal about this moment.”Early in March, as her scheduled exhibitions were postponed, she was still able to work in her studio. “I was going every day. I would get there about 10:30, I’d work all day until about 9:00, 10:00, and then I’d come home. My assistant, who comes a couple days in the week, we’d check in with each other. We both agreed that we were fine and that when the stay-at-home order came down that’s when we would shift gears and start working from home. Up until then, I was in the studio figuring out problems. I would listen to Jamaican radio in the morning, listen to a book, watch some Judge Mathis, and then go home.”While many artists, galleries, and museums are searching for new ways to stay connected online, for Patterson, it was important to take a break from social media. “I found it to be incredibly triggering,” she admits. In a conversation about the difficulty she was having in shifting from working in the studio to working at home (and staying productive), a friend encouraged her to lean into the way that she felt. “I’ve been trying to listen to myself, my body, my mind, rather than fighting it all. The first thing I did when I decided to lean into it was to just get off social media. I found it a lot easier to cope. But still, there are tough days, and I have to find ways to lean into those moments. That’s the honest-to-God truth.”Patterson splits her time between Chicago and Jamaica, where she was born and maintains close ties with friends and family. “I live in a dual experience. While I’m watching what’s happening on the ground in the U.S., I’m also watching what’s happening in Jamaica. The differences in terms of the leadership, here nationally versus what was happening in this tiny but mighty country of mine, it was like night and day.” But she has serious fears about the economic fallout of her home country, because of its dependence on outside resources, including the tourist industry, “Watching the shift in terms of&nbsp;borders shut down had me worried, and in many ways, it flashed me back to 2008.”<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418770/cpiktiwei7e6rxhbf2ck.gif"><figcaption>Ebony G. Patterson, ...buried againto carry on growing...(detail),Museum of Arts and Design, NewYork, 2015-16. Photo by ButcherWalsh. Courtesy the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago.</figcaption></figure>Her recent exhibition, …while the dew is still on the roses… opened in late February at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, and while it is now closed to the public, she was able to attend the opening. In it, Patterson built an immersive environment for viewers by installing fabric wallpaper as a backdrop for her tapestries, sculptures, and portraits. Visitors walk through an enveloping garden-like space with poisonous silk flowers hanging from the walls and ceilings.Patterson has been exploring the relationship between death and gardens for many years, notably in her 2015 exhibition Dead Treez. At that time, she notes, “I was thinking about bodies that were deceased—that had died violently. I was looking a lot at images that were circulating through social media, images of violence that were shared continuously. And I was thinking about the spaces that these bodies were often dumped, that somehow the land became a way of concealing the secret of some act of violence. Quite often the body was a person of color, a working-class person.”<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418771/zz4mexs2fssdnwh2sg9y.gif"><figcaption>Ebony G. Patterson . . . while the dew is still on the roses . . . , Speed Art Museum, June 21, 2019 – January 5, 2020. © Ebony G. Patterson. All work courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. Photo by Sarah Lyon</figcaption></figure>The interaction that Patterson develops with her audience is crucial to her work. For Dead Treez, she exposed viewers to a contained but dangerous landscape by creating poisonous gardens within several large vitrines, but for …while the dew is still on the roses… she wondered, “What if I could get the audience to walk through the grave? The garden as the grave—how could I present that experience within the show but also as a way of anchoring all the works within the exhibition? The larger work is the installation of the garden and then there are 13 individual works that rest within that.”Visual appeal is key to the success of Patterson’s work. Her shiny, glittery, decorated surfaces attract the attention of the viewer. “I recognize that we’re visual creatures first,” she says. “We like to look at pretty things. The prettier the flower, the more likely it will attract the bee.&nbsp;But what’s inside is what ends up holding the viewer. In many ways, the effectiveness of the surface and its tactility become a ploy to visually trap the viewer.”Beneath the superficiality of the exterior, Patterson embeds macabre objects, like a dismembered manicured hand or a lone high-heeled shoe. “Is it still beautiful? Is it?” she asks, “I never say it’s so simple. I’m still working on it.”Recently, given the abrupt change of pace in her schedule, Patterson has been reflecting on her own work habits.“The last two days, I kept saying to myself, you need to give yourself the same care you give to your work.&nbsp;You must learn to give yourself the same care. At the end of the day, what does it matter if you’re making all this stuff and the thing that makes the work happen is in total disrepair? I’ve been trying to learn that care.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418772/ifuzsjt0e1sgenkefaum.gif"><figcaption>Ebony G. Patterson, Swag Swag Krew from the Out and Bad series (2011-2015), Dead Treez, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, Nov 10 – Apr 3, 2016.&nbsp; Courtesy the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. Photo by Butcher Walsh.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Ebony G. Patterson: The Interactivity of Visual Appeal

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418761/hysjn5mcx9xxhhiaxhux.jpg"><figcaption>“Monet and Chicago” at the Art Institute of Chicago includes the painter’s “Poppy Field (Giverny)” from 1890-91.The Art Institute of Chicago/Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Kimball Collection.</figcaption></figure>Chicago museums facing financial woes as major exhibits are sidelined by pandemic&nbsp;American museums are losing at least $33 million a day because of continuing closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the American Alliance of Museums, a national support and advocacy organization for the field.Losses in Illinois were expected to top $7.3 million in revenues through April 30 based on responses from 56 museums and galleries in a statewide survey conducted by Arts Alliance Illinois.By Kyle MacMillan, Chicago Sun-Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/6/21244193/chicago-museums-coronavirus-exhibit-monet-frida-kahlo-jurassic-oceans-duro-olowu-field-art-institute">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418762/lerbog7fj5egcitirrcj.jpg"><figcaption>Michael West in her apartment, circa 1977. Courtesy of the Collection of The Michael (Corinne) West Estate Archives.</figcaption></figure>Why the Art World Is Rediscovering Female Abstract Expressionist Michael West&nbsp;The doorbell to Michael West’s New York City studio was broken, and she didn’t care to fix it. “I just want to paint in peace,” the Abstract Expressionist painter (born Corinne Michelle West) wrote in 1981, a decade before her death as a forgotten artist living alone, on welfare. Even a missed visit from her former teacher Hans Hofmann, a respected painter who had come to check out her latest work, hadn’t convinced her to repair her faulty buzzer.By Karen Chernick, Artsy Editorial<a href="https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-art-rediscovering-female-abstract-expressionist-michael-west">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418762/gxehfjhvtpyml5nuucrf.jpg"><figcaption>Till Fellrath, left, and Sam Bardaouil, the curators of the Lyon Biennale, now scheduled for 2022 Photo: Pablo Salgado</figcaption></figure>‘In two and a half years, who knows where the world will be’—Lyon Biennale curators reveal why exhibition was pushed back from 2021 to 2022&nbsp;Pressure on resources play a part as well as ethical issues in the wake of coronavirusBy Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/lyon-biennale-curators-reveal-why-exhibition-was-pushed-back-from-2021-to-2022">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418763/rpsn4met05vnswyhul71.jpg"><figcaption>Paintings by Darius Yektai were part of the “Drive-By-Art” event. Its organizer, Warren Neidich, said the show grew out of the question: “How do we show empathy and solidarity in this new age?”Credit...Bryan Derballa for The New York Times</figcaption></figure>A Drive-By Art Show Turns Lawns and Garages Into Galleries&nbsp;The outdoor exhibition on Long Island featured works installed at properties from Hampton Bays to Montauk, with social isolation as just one theme.No one was supposed to get too close to each other over the weekend during a drive-by exhibition of works by 52 artists on the South Fork of Long Island — a dose of culture amid the sterile isolation imposed by the pandemic. But some people couldn’t help themselves.By Stacey Stowe, The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/arts/design/drive-by-art-long-island.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: May 12, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418761/ockzgp9ol1zcvlqacr1p.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;CGN Staff via PR&nbsp;When COVID-19 became a reality back in March, personally I thought, thank God that EXPO isn't until September. It's safe. I was skeptical of events so far out being cancelled.&nbsp;Two months later, I get it. It's all radically different and everyone is doing the best they can to stay safe, to keep others safe, and to rethink.&nbsp;I know Tony Karman is truly an optimist, and I believe in his ability to move the fair from the fall to the spring, when life and art can hopefully begin anew. Everything could come full circle. After all, in the very beginning, the original Art Expo took place in May. So until April 2021, stay tuned for more updates and additional plans from the EXPO team, and stay positive.&nbsp;&nbsp;CHICAGO—EXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, today announced that it will present its ninth edition from April 8–11, 2021 at Navy Pier. The decision to move the fair from its traditional September time slot to this coming spring was the result of a collaborative decision-making process that EXPO CHICAGO conducted with galleries, collectors, institutional partners, and city officials. In response to the rapidly evolving social and business environments, EXPO CHICAGO put in place a plan that allows exhibitors to provide non-binding deposits and, subsequently, a flexible payment schedule for those participating in the exposition. In addition, alongside expanding programming and initiatives, EXPO CHICAGO has pledged to make contributions to both the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) and the New Art Dealers Association (NADA) from the proceeds of the exposition.&nbsp;“Art fairs are collaborative enterprises in which the organizers, galleries, collectors and host city institutions, residents, and leadership work together towards a set of shared goals,” said President | Director of EXPO CHICAGO&nbsp;Tony Karman.&nbsp;“Moving our dates will enable our exhibitors and partners in Chicago to focus on reopening their galleries, launching their upcoming exhibitions, and begin the process of rebuilding so that together we can prepare for this important convening moment for the global art community in Chicago next April.”EXPO CHICAGO Artistic Director Stephanie Cristello states, “The EXPO CHICAGO team is continuing to develop opportunities to enhance the upcoming edition in ways that support the rebuilding of our partner galleries and institutions, and will be committing resources to their programming initiatives and providing additional support in new and innovative ways."Since its inception, EXPO CHICAGO has remained dedicated to supporting local, regional, and international arts communities through its role as a leading contemporary art exposition, presenting one of the highest quality platforms for curatorial programming and discourse alongside its participating galleries. With strong regional support throughout the Greater Midwest, both coasts, and maintaining a growing international commitment from Europe, Asia, and Latin America, EXPO CHICAGO will continue to leverage its strategic position in the center of the United States in the Spring of 2021.“Chicago is proud of our leadership in hosting an annual international art fair for nearly 40 years—EXPO CHICAGO contributes greatly to the vibrant cultural and hospitality ecosystems of our great city,” said Commissioner of the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events&nbsp;Mark Kelly. “We look forward to welcoming the international galleries, collectors and patrons from around the world to Chicago next April, and for all to experience the rich diversity that is a hallmark of our community.”“Our cherished, nine-year partnership with EXPO CHICAGO is steadfast and has never felt stronger, with our mutual concern for the safety and health of Chicago’s creative community in mind,” said Pritzker Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Madeleine Grynsztejn. “We hope the decision to reschedule this vital event to 2021 pays it forward to our artists, galleries, and supporters, and reveals the strength of collaboration and the power of art during difficult times.”&nbsp;</body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO To Move from September to April 8–11, 2021

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEAWe took a break from summarizing the many things galleries are doing during stay-at-home because we were busy trying to get through our summer issue print deadline – a first since we did it completely from home (in two separate states – the CGN office is still made up of just two of us, no matter where we are working). But despite our temporary tunnel vision, the virtual events and offerings have not lulled. There are more than ever. Here we spotlight new programs to connect artists and collectors, artist interviews, and virtual performances and exhibitions.We want to remind you about a recent initiative to come together to support Chicago art spaces. <a href="https://expochicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=feab88d1702b05fff44372e88&amp;id=e1db0bf228&amp;e=b25d02ccd1">#chicagogalleries</a> connects commercial, artist-run, and non-profit spaces across the city to contribute to an ever-evolving landscape of online documentation and diverse digital programming. Follow the hashtag across social media platforms for the latest Chicago-based programs.&nbsp;Here for you are the latest ways that area arts groups and businesses are sharing art with you during this extended stay-at-home period.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418761/xvsohodhwzngvmyqc4ou.png"></figure>ART-IN-PLACE<a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=81074c6106&amp;e=676cb69bb8">Terrain Exhibitions</a> and <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=be3486d4e8&amp;e=676cb69bb8">CNL Projects</a> are excited to partner on a new initiative entitled&nbsp;ART-IN-PLACE, May 20-June 20, 2020. ART-IN-PLACE invites artists to exhibit an original work of art to be displayed outside their home or from a window visible to the public.&nbsp; This collective action provides artists and community members in Chicagoland neighborhoods (and beyond) with a sense of hope and connectivity through the experience of public art.&nbsp;Collectors will have the option to purchase a beautiful set of postcards showcasing a collection of every ART-IN-PLACE participating artist and original works of art. A portion of P\proceeds from all sales will benefit&nbsp;the <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=8258567156&amp;e=676cb69bb8">Arts for Illinois Relief Fund </a>which, directly supports local Illinois artists and arts organizations. Visit: <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=748f0bf9df&amp;e=676cb69bb8">https://www.cnlprojects.org/artinplace</a>&nbsp;to apply and learn more.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418762/eizldgiqurscbvrk6vxq.png"><figcaption>Iris Bernblum, Nightwalk, 2018, single channel HD video, <a href="javascript:void(0)">3:35</a> min. TRT, edition of 5 &amp; 1 AP</figcaption></figure>Aspect/Ratio – <a href="https://vimeopro.com/aspectratioprojects/to-have-and-to-not-hold">(TO HAVE AND TO NOT) HOLD</a>The gallery was started as a traditionally video based gallery and their current/ongoing online exhibition explores feelings of isolation, containment, and the physical need to release energy brought on by solitude. The fragile nature of our current climate sets in motion these works that examine &nbsp;senses comparable to those heightened during a quarantined existence, and serve as visual representations of the emotional states felt in this shared experience. Curated by Chloe Lewis and Daniella Thach.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418763/d1e0zswmm2hqonbca5ix.png"></figure>DPAM Curator at FriezeThe 2020 edition of the Frieze New York art fair is taking place entirely online in the <a href="https://frieze.com/article/registration-now-open-frieze-viewing-room">Frieze Viewing Room</a> (thru May 15). This year’s fair features a Chicago Tribute section curated by DePaul Art Museum Director and Chief Curator Julie Rodrigues Widholm. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of women’s right to vote, the section pays homage to the pioneering women artists of Chicago including Gladys Nilsson, Suellen Rocca, Clare Rojas, Evelyn Statsinger, Faith Wilding, Torkwase Dyson, and Melissa Leandro, among others.&nbsp;You can find more information about the Chicago Tribute section <a href="https://frieze.com/article/julie-rodrigues-widholm-joins-frieze-new-york-2020">here</a> and visit the viewing room <a href="https://frieze.com/article/frieze-viewing-room-open-now">here</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418763/pjomkxcqlxi2iqh4fzw5.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/live-from-the-drawing-room">Driehaus Museum Performances</a> This Thursday celebrated local musician Patrick Donley will play a wide-range of&nbsp;selections from the period on the Driehaus Museum's exquisite Chickering &amp; Sons piano along with some discussion about the music and the instrument. From Schubert to Joplin, Donley's joyful playing along with a cocktail demonstration and curatorial insights will provide plentiful after-dinner entertainment. It's prime time, Gilded Age-style - we hope you will join us!&nbsp; SUGGESTED DONATION: $20. Rsvp via Facebook or watch on YouTube.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418764/wkk0x92dnfosflcwf9cd.jpg"></figure>Kavi Gupta – Artists on Lockdown, Angel OteroThe latest installment from the gallery's series of interviews with artists engages with Angel Otero, an SAIC grad who now lives in New York. An excerpt: "This is a great time to detach yourself from this art world that can sometimes be very demanding in different ways, and just try to feel as free as possible."This interview will soon appear online on the gallery's website. Past interviews are available <a href="https://viewingroom.kavigupta.com/viewing-room/">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418765/yweknen1sf7jggj8n8qt.gif"></figure><a href="http://sites.saic.edu/shows/">SAIC</a>&nbsp;In order to keep our community as safe as possible, SAIC has announced they have reimagined their 2020 shows. Many events are being presented in alternative formats. The school will continue to update their website with the latest information for all upcoming events. Shows are grouped by degree: Undergraduate, Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate.Coming up: May 13 – SENIOR EXPO 2020 is a constellation of activities spotlighting the work of graduating seniors enrolled in Capstone courses. &nbsp;</body></html>

Creative Digital Outreach: Part VI 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418761/sxt09dkiwqns4mswcdpv.jpg"><figcaption>Image credits and captions: Arthur Dove, <a href="https://terraamericanart.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=267a08a7bec1f099f2207f0ac&amp;id=654febdb82&amp;e=ed2e5b3048">Boat Going through Inlet</a>, c. 1929, oil on tin, Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Art Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2015.6, Courtesy: The Estate of Arthur G. Dove/ Terry Dintenfass, Inc.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Via PRThe Terra Foundation for American Art announces an $8 million commitment to emergency funding and ongoing relief for visual arts organizations impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund provides emergency support to selected Chicago, US, and international arts organizations that are part of the foundation’s network of partners, as well as relief over the next two years for US-based art museums in support of their collection projects. Application details about this new two-year grant program will be announced in summer 2020. In addition to its&nbsp;COVID-19 relief response, the foundation remains committed to its ongoing grant programs, which support projects and exhibitions on US art internationally, nationally, and in Chicago. The foundation is actively accepting grant applications for exhibition research and development, academic programs, and publications for <a href="https://terraamericanart.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=267a08a7bec1f099f2207f0ac&amp;id=2fb943a8b8&amp;e=ed2e5b3048">Art Design Chicago 2024</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://mcusercontent.com/267a08a7bec1f099f2207f0ac/images/9e0cbde5-b9bf-4b05-9c95-27e4f933e8c7.png"></figure> <a href="https://terraamericanart.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=267a08a7bec1f099f2207f0ac&amp;id=911f32d508&amp;e=ed2e5b3048">Digital&nbsp;Resources: Art Design Chicago</a>Contributing to an expanded understanding of American art history, Terra Foundation partners developed more than 25 digital resources—including podcasts, websites, TV documentaries, and more—as part of Art Design Chicago 2018. Explore Chicago's historic role as a crossroads of art and design, creativity and commerce.<a href="https://terraamericanart.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=267a08a7bec1f099f2207f0ac&amp;id=7bed52c870&amp;e=ed2e5b3048">Access resources</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>