<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419390/wpbgog7l4hkm8li5uosb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/aeron-maxwell-chasing-visions-in-hyperspace">Aeron Maxwell: Chasing Visions in Hyperspace</a>Opening: Friday, May 31, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419391/wuly1colgvpfcvinbtu5.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/open-lens-xiv">Open Lens XIV: A Juried Fine Photography Exhibit</a>Opening: Sunday, June 23, 1 – 3&nbsp;pmGallery Seven&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419392/dudhdhyxp5u5xuk32yqk.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/arthur-jafa-works-from-the-mca-collection">Arthur Jafa: Works from the MCA Collection</a>Exhibition begins June 1Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419393/g2au5ny6ppngv5kodmhf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/no-grout">No Grout</a>Exhibition begins June 1John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419394/hngsx4fhmdfdqn2vqmq1.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sandra-ullmann">Slipping Away: Sandra Ullmann</a>Opening: Saturday, June 1, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmPerspective Photo Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions May 29 - June 1 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419390/qjxik5jburd8gwvijth7.jpg"><figcaption>Driehaus Museum: Nickerson Mansion (left) and Murphy Auditorium (right)</figcaption></figure>Via PRCHICAGO (May 23, 2024) – Today, the Driehaus Museum, at Wabash and Erie, is proud to announce that its John B. Murphy Memorial Auditorium has received City of Chicago landmark designation. The Driehaus Museum is now comprised of two landmarked buildings – the 1926 Murphy Auditorium and the 1883 Nickerson Mansion. Following the Museum’s restoration of the historic building, it will officially reopen the Murphy Auditorium as part of its campus on June 21.The restoration of the historic Murphy Auditorium began in summer 2023 and included restoring the main auditorium on the ground floor to its original grandeur, enhancing it with modern lighting, and creating a leveled, unified, and accessible seating area to make it a world-class venue for music, events, and programs that support the Museum’s mission and allow it to open its doors wider to the community. The project also renewed former office space above the auditorium to create a dynamic new Learning Center with art and maker studios, new offices, seminar rooms, and an 800-square foot outdoor terrace on the top floor. Summer programs on the campus will be kicked off with a weekend of free admissionincluding access to the exhibition Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective from Friday at 11AM, June 21 to Sunday, June 23, also ushering in the Museum’s expanded hours and added amenities&nbsp;According to Driehaus Executive Director Lisa Key, “It is thrilling for us to complete this important renovation creating a new Museum campus, offering visitors not only an incredible museum of art, architecture, and design, but now a newly rejuvenated auditorium that will add a vital and dynamic public space to the cultural campus in Chicago that will continue toincrease the historical profile of this great city of architecture.” Key added, “It was museum founder, Richard H. Driehaus, who had the vision to combine these historic buildings into one museum campus. We are so happy this vision has come to fruition and now this expansion allows us to extend our work outward in the larger community.”“It was a huge relief to learn about the Driehaus Museum expanding its campus into the adjacent Murphy Memorial. There are not many options for finding an appropriate re-use that would respect the historic character of such a monumentally scaled historic building while at same time providing a positive impact on the surrounding neighborhood,” said Tim Samuelson, the Cultural Historian Emeritus of the City of Chicago. “The Driehaus Museum has been a thoughtful community partner and valuable neighborhood asset for the past twenty years, and its expansion into the Murphy makes something great even greater!”To become a more accessible and visible part of the community and Chicago’s cultural landscape, starting June 26, the Driehaus Museum will offer expanded hours and free admission on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 7pm. The restoration project also refreshed the Museum’s amenities including a larger coat check and renovated bathrooms. Guests to the Museum will now enter through the Murphy’s Tiffany-designed doors at 50 East Erie, and the Museum’s address will officially change to 50 East Erie.Antunovich and Associates and Bulley &amp; Andrews, both of whom were involved in the extensive renovation of the Nickerson Mansion from 2003-2008, were the architecture and building partners for the Murphy Auditorium. The opening of the updated building will present a full suite of new programming tied to the Driehaus Museum’s strategic vision, along with a range of activities and events, both public and private, for the community.&nbsp;ABOUT THE MURPHY AUDITORIUMLocated at 50 East Erie, the six-story, 32,193-square-foot French Renaissance-style building, purchased by the Driehaus Museum in 2022, was built between 1923 and 1926 by the American College of Surgeons. Designed by noted Chicago architects Benjamin Marshall and Charles E. Fox of Marshall and Fox, the Murphy was used originally to host meetingsand serve as a center for education in surgery. Its iconic exterior is Marshall’s interpretation of the double-columned, two-story façade and flanking entry staircase of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Consolation (1900) in Paris.The building features a pair of cast bronze doors designed by Tiffany Studios at the front entrance, comprised of six panels depicting prominent figures in the history of medicine. It also has a towering, multicolored stained-glass window inside the auditorium. It was built as a memorial to founding member John B. Murphy, MD, FACS. Dr. Murphy was regarded worldwide as the greatest clinical educator of his generation, and known for performing a life-saving surgery on President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.&nbsp;SUMMER EXHIBITIONChicago Collects: Jewelry In PerspectiveMay 23 to September 23, 2024Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective is an exhibition of over two hundred pieces of rare and historically significant jewelry from the 17th century to the present, all from prominent Chicago collections. This first-of-its- kind exhibition includes a range of never-seen-before jewelry and decorative arts objects from the Richard H. Driehaus Collection alongside objects from the Chicago History Museum, the Field Museum, and the Lizzardo Museum of Lapidary Art, among loans from other Chicago collections. The exhibition is organized by jewelry historian and author Elyse Zorn Karlin, guest curator of the Museum’s popular 2015 exhibition Maker and Muse: Women and 20th Century Art Jewelry.&nbsp;SUMMER PROGRAMSWalking Chicago's AlleysJune 15, July 13, August 17, September 28, 11:00-12:30 pm$35 General, $17 StudentPlenty can be learned by walking Chicago’s streets, but a whole hidden history can be seen in its alleys. Visitors can discover how Chicago became the alleyway capital of the country, dig into the history of urban trash, and see Chicago architecture from a new perspective on this alleyway walking tour. Curator and historian Madeline Crispell will trace a route through the Gold Coast and end at the Driehaus Museum, covering everything from how activists like Jane Addams worked to clean up the alleyways to how a new generation of green alleys can help the city adapt to a changing climate.&nbsp;Brick of Chicago Summer Walking ToursJune 26 (6-7pm), July 17 (2-3pm), August 7 (6-7pm), September 4 (2-3pm)$35 General, $17 StudentWill Quam&nbsp;is an architecture photographer and historian based in Chicago.&nbsp;In his popular walking tours, Quam shows visitors a variety of bricks and brick designs used in the city of Chicago. Quam leads a tour in the area around the Driehaus Museum, including the Medinah Temple and the Allerton Hotel.&nbsp;Jewelry Heist Night: Murph the Surf Film Screening and TalkbackWednesday, July 31, 5:30pm$25 General, $15 Student 18+ ​Throughout the run of Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, the Driehaus Museum hosts ‘Jewelry Heist Night’ film screenings of classic heist films and talkbacks with film experts. The 1975 film Murph the Surf chronicles the audacious 1964 heist of the J.P. Morgan jewel collection from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Dubbed "The Greatest Jewel Heist of the 20th Century," the film will be introduced by Chicago Collects guest curator, Elyse Karlin, who will set the context for the film with a primer on the visuals and narrative.&nbsp;Jewelry Heist Night: Topkapi Film Screening and TalkbackThursday, August 15, 5:30pm$25 General, $15 Student 18+ Throughout the run of Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, the Driehaus Museum hosts ‘Jewelry Heist Night’ film screenings of classic heist films and talkbacks with film experts. In the 1964 film Topkapi, the elegant thief Elizabeth Lipp and the cunning criminal mastermind Walter Harper join forces to orchestrate the heist of a lifetime: the theft of an emerald-encrusted dagger housed within Istanbul's prestigious Topkapi Palace. The film will be introduced by School of the Art Institute Professor Bruce Jenkins, who will set the context for the film with a primer on the creative team behind the film.Jewelry Heist Night: Ocean’s Eight Film Screening and TalkbackMonday, September 16, 5:30pm$25 General, $15 Student 18+ Throughout the run of Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective, the Driehaus Museum hosts ‘Jewelry Heist Night’ film screenings of classic heist films and talkbacks with film experts. In the stylish and empowering Ocean’s Eight (2018) starring Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, Debbie Ocean leads an elite, all-female team of thieves and experts in a daring scheme. Their target: the dazzling $150 million diamond necklace adorning the neck of the glamorous actress Daphne Kluger, set to make its debut at the prestigious Met Gala. The film will be introduced by School of the Art Institute adjunct Professor Patricia Erens, who will set the context for the film with a primer on the visuals and narrative.&nbsp;ABOUT THE DRIEHAUS MUSEUMThe Driehaus Museum engages and inspires the global community through exploration and ongoing conversations in art, architecture, and design of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions are presented in an immersive experience within the restored Nickerson Mansion, completed in 1883, at the height of the Gilded Age, and the Murphy Auditorium, built in 1926. The Museum’s collection reflects and is inspired by the collecting interests, vision, and focus of its founder, the late Richard H. Driehaus. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.driehausmuseum.org/">driehausmuseum.org</a> and connect with the Museum on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Driehaus-Museum/362867207176025">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DriehausMuseum">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/driehausmuseum/">Instagram</a>.&nbsp;# # #</body></html>

Driehaus Museum Reopens Landmark Murphy Memorial and Announces Free Visit Days in June

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419390/lfybzjrzk2x4q7zjwpud.jpg"><figcaption>Randolph Street Market</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;In spite of cicadas most of us will look for any excuse to be outside this summer, and one way to take advantage of these beautiful short months is to combine your outings with some art viewing. Find that right work of art or vintage treasure and you can hold on to summer long after August.&nbsp;There is a strong lineup of everything from block parties to street festivals, to a suburban mural celebration and an internationally famous vintage market. Below we list a handful of markets, art fairs and events that you want to put on your calendar.&nbsp;Happy summer!&nbsp;– CGN&nbsp;<a href="https://randolphstreetmarket.com">• Randolph Street Market – West Loop</a>May 25 and 26, 10am-5pmAdvance ticket rates availableRSM Festival kicks off with the 2024 Outdoor+Indoor Summer Season Opener Garden Party this Memorial Day weekend. Experience 300 vendors in a European-style market with the best of unique vintage, antique &amp; repurposed furniture, art, decor, ephemera, vintage fashion for men/women, fancy foods. Always a party but especially in nice weather!&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.57thstreetartfair.org">• 57th Street Art Fair – Hyde Park</a>Saturday, June 1, 11–6Sunday, June 2, 10–5Admission is freeKick off the summer at the first major art fair of the season, located in the beautiful Hyde Park neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. The 57th Street Art Fair is for seasoned collectors as well as anyone new to the art scene. Meet friends, bring your family, enjoy the day at this historic, welcoming, fun event. All artists exhibiting at the Fair are stationed in their booths throughout the weekend to discuss their work. 180 artists are participating.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419391/acgzhkjzkedgykdjrrap.jpg"><figcaption><a href="https://fuexqizab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hWyAjN4Zp_IdS0aKpbn50_PnFcjU_nwGHOm62toYJO4qeKTgDLg5qqGtyVfDeITIzV-wUAOItIEl5KO6lJK851Hc1x_ChFomoI7c_VdiGvK3z1-GBnTfGrWLKjl7DPlxB3S7yywabuC5mSr72wVcMMSbfaWw-hk9K01Va5ypSUYhG7gDLzsR8e-IRzCH9YEY&amp;amp;c=yRmKN-931VdgaSz2cKLIGsaRACsfOd6_Z8hBjODx7VnGCqrQ3fuu-g==&amp;amp;ch=jpNJP_5I9CQJq6h5TKL45SckwHlfUSv1lF0mFR5FdTC0_u-hT4dUng==">Rubén Aguirre</a> (1979, Chicago)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.celebratehighwood.org/international-mural-fest/">• International Mural Festival – Highwood, IL</a>June 6–9Downtown Highwood Metra Station Parking LotJoin Celebrate Highwood as they launch a new event throughout the City of Highwood in their first-ever International Mural Festival. A diverse base of 12 internationally renowned muralists will paint vibrant art installations on the exterior walls 12 building throughout Highwood.In addition to 12 hand-selected artists, this all-ages festival will feature hands-on art activities for attendees, a live-mural art area with pieces to be auctioned off, live music, food and drink vendors, an outdoor bar, and a full carnival.Event beneficiary is <a href="https://theartcenterhp.org/">The Art Center of Highland Park.</a>Artists include: Chicago area artists include: <a href="https://www.theshiftchange.com/">Ruben Aguirre</a>. <a href="https://www.asendone.com/">Asend One</a>, <a href="https://annapmurphy.com/Bio">Anna Murphy</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dontfretart/?hl=en">Dont Fret</a>, <a href="http://www.worksbyelee.com/about-page">E Lee</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stuk.one">Stuk One</a>, as well as <a href="https://al-diaz.com/about/">AL DIAZ</a> and <a href="https://linktr.ee/chrisrwk">Chris RWK</a> of NYC, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iameelco/?hl=en">Eelco</a> from The Netherlands, and other visiting artists including <a href="http://www.epicuno.com/who-is-epic-uno">Epic Uno</a>, <a href="https://www.wanecod.com/bio">Wane COD,</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zimad_art/?hl=en">Zimad</a>, and more.&nbsp;<a href="https://evanstonmade.org/first-saturday-evanston/">• Evanston Made, First Saturdays</a> and Plein Air Festival – Evanston, ILJune 1, July 6, August 3, September 7Evanston Made hosts First Saturday Evanston Art Events, a self-guided exploration of Evanston’s Creative Community, featuring art on display at venues across Evanston.&nbsp; Shop for handmade goods, meet small business owners, enjoy a delicious meal, learn to sketch and make art Friends.&nbsp;Also taking place is the third annual <a href="https://evanstonmade.org/evanston-plein-air-festival-2024/">Evanston Plein Air Festival</a>. Artists are invited to paint in the Plein Air style, all over Evanston for a week, capturing the beauty of Evanston’s natural environment, favorite landmarks and built environment. &nbsp;July 13–21, 12pm - 5pm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oldtownartfair.org">• Old Town Art Fair – Old Town</a>Saturday, June 8, 10am–7pmSunday, June 9, 10am–6pmDon't plan on driving and parking anywhere nearby.&nbsp;$12 donations requested. Kids are free.&nbsp;In operation since the late 1950s, this familiar fair + urban party takes place in the heart of the charming Old Town Triangle Historic District and is at the heart of Old Town's deep artistic history. This year there will be 200+ nationally acclaimed artists, an estimated 30,000 art lovers, a Garden Walk, Live Music, Food Court and Children’s Corner.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://amdurproductions.com/event/gold-coast-art-fair/">• Gold Coast Art Fair – Michigan Ave./Loop</a>Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and 16, 10am–5pmThis fair is a 66 year Chicago tradition, the Gold Coast Art Fair in Chicago’s Grant Park. Browse thousands of art pieces from 250 artists and also enjoy live music and food and drink stations. You can even try your own hand at making art and help your kids get inspired in the Kids Art Zone with art projects, face painting and more.&nbsp;Attendees are also invited to bring their gently used art where it will be donated to Chicago Furniture Bank, a nonprofit that distributes furnishings and art to those leaving shelters and moving into permanent housing.All surrounding streets and garages are open for Gold Coast Art Fair visitors. The fair will not be effected by NASCAR street closures.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bucktownartsfest.com">• Bucktown Arts Fest – Bucktown</a>August 24 and 25FreeA neighborhood tradition, this entirely volunteer run fair that began in the '80s gives all proceeds to&nbsp;fund, develop and support arts education&nbsp;programming at Holstein Park and in the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhoods. What began&nbsp;as four artists showing their work in the park&nbsp;has grown into a community tradition that hosts an estimated 30,000 people each year. The fest is free to the public, with no gates and no donation request.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Summer Art Festival Season Comes to Chicago and the Suburbs

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/iwrcaw2spo8cswvtvaom.jpg"><figcaption>The main entrance to the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art features a work by Jaume Plensa (Spanish, b. 1955), Endless, 2023, Stainless Steel, 432 inches, Gift of Charles S. Hayes ND’65</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Located at the University of Notre Dame, and featuring a tower of stainless steel by Jaume Plensa, the Raclin Murphy is part of a growing arts center in Indiana.The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art opened in late 2023 at the University of Notre Dame and is part of a new arts district on the south end of campus adjoning the greater community. Newly built, but in a classical tradition, the museum offers 23 themed galleries and a collection of more than 30,000 works of art, one of the oldest and largest academic troves in the country. The Raclin Murphy will also host rotating exhibitions. At 70,000 square feet, the $66 million museum is the first phase of what is ultimately to become a 132,000-square-foot museum complex. &nbsp;Nearby is the nine-acre Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park, which celebrates the natural environment of the region with an array of native plantings and grasses. An outdoor extension of the Museum that is open year-round, the park contains major works by Deborah Butterfield, Anthony Caro, Beverly Pepper, and George Rickey, among others.&nbsp;A 36-foot commissioned sculpture by Jaume Plensa, titled Endless, welcomes visitors to Raclin Murphy, a soaring signal of this new institution’s commitment to contemporary art and all that it can do to foster creativity and culture at Notre Dame and well beyond.&nbsp;100 St. André Way, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556<a href="https://raclinmurphymuseum.nd.edu">raclinmurphymuseum.nd.edu</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and Jaume Plensa Work Are Part of New Arts District in Indiana

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419390/yuozmuijwgvsfpre4iht.jpg"><figcaption>Portrait by Jonathan Yeo Studio</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68981200">King Charles: First official portrait since coronation is unveiled, painted by Jonathan Yeo</a>The first official painted portrait of King Charles III since his coronation has been unveiled at Buckingham Palace.&nbsp;The vast oil on canvas shows a larger-than-life King Charles in the uniform of the Welsh Guards.The vivid red work, measuring about 8ft 6in by 6ft 6in, is by Jonathan Yeo, who has also painted Tony Blair, Sir David Attenborough and Malala Yousafzai.Queen Camilla is said to have looked at the painting and told Yeo: "Yes, you've got him."Via BBC&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/experts-react-christies-website-hack-offline-2486213">‘Devastating’: Experts React as Suspected Cyberattack Keeps Christie’s Website Offline During Marquee Auction Week</a>It is not a good week for an auction house to suffer a technological failure, but that is what Christie’s is facing as it prepares for its <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/here-are-the-top-lots-at-the-1-4-billion-new-york-evening-sales-this-week-2483621">marquee New York auctions</a> of Modern, contemporary, and Impressionist art. Since Thursday, the house’s website has <a href="https://dgc6x3fx379s3.cloudfront.net/">displayed a message</a> saying that it is offline and supplying phone numbers to contact its various locations. While the house has only called it a website outage, it is <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/christies-website-hacked-ahead-of-marquee-sales-2485036">widely thought to be a cyberattack</a>. The house’s app displays a message that it was down for “scheduled maintenance.”Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artforum.com/columns/big-dreams-little-village-554003/">Big Dreams for Little Village: A makeover in Motor City</a>Detroit, a metonym for boom and bust in American industry across the twentieth century, has a split personality courtesy of the national news media. This poster child for yesterday’s urban blight is being shaped into a fledgling paradise for tomorrow, with space for urban farms, artists’ studios, and other major real-estate opportunities. This cyclical narrative of rebirth is echoed on the city’s seal:&nbsp;Speramus meliora&nbsp;and&nbsp;resurget cineribus, Latin phrases for&nbsp;“we hope for better things” and “it will rise from the ashes.” Art and culture play a starring role in this burgeoning new identity for the metropolis, but astride these persistent narratives are niggling questions regarding economic inequality and sustainability, plus the robust skepticism of many longtime Detroiters.&nbsp;<a href="https://hyperallergic.com/915055/sale-of-rosa-de-la-cruz-collection-raises-concerns-in-miami-art-world/">Sale of De la Cruz Collection Raises Concerns in Miami’s Art World</a>Last month, the Cuban-born, Miami-based art collector and philanthropist Rosa de la Cruz died at the age of 81. A few weeks later, the museum that housed her private collection in the city’s Design District closed permanently. A portion of the artworks were consigned by Christie’s, where they will go under the hammer in a series of sales <a href="https://press.christies.com/christies-presents-christies-presents-the-rosa-de-la-cruz-collection">kicking off</a> May 14, in New York City.&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 5/15/24

<html><head></head><body>Here is a glimpse at what’s new and notable in a few area spaces, from River North to the Chicago suburbs, this year. –CGN&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/la5eaubwphlhuuqbijvt.jpg"><figcaption>Dugald MacInnes, Detachment, 2026, Scottish slate, 16 x 16”</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics (GoCM) exhibits internationally renowned masters, emerging and established contemporary mosaic artists. Affiliated with The Chicago Mosaic School, GoCM provides a space for artists to exhibit as well as create in a state of the art facility. In addition to a storefront gallery, you’ll find a shop onsite with small works of mosaic art as well as mosaic-making kits and supplies for artists of every level.&nbsp;1127 W. Granville (Edgewater)<a href="https://www.gallerygocm.com">gallerygocm.com</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419387/sqnbn9chnb4bojlpa8z3.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;SoNa Chicago opened in May 2023 just “South of North Avenue” (SoNa) on Ashland Avenue. The gallery features a wide variety of art – paintings, prints, sculpture, photography, collages, ceramics, jewelry and textiles– and has a programmatic focus on Chicago artists. SoNa frequently hosts gallery talks and weekend receptions.1527 N. Ashland (Wicker Park/Bucktown)<a href="https://sonachicagoart.com">sonachicagoart.com</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419388/nefbuuhxehhmvp7rztno.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Gallery Victor, founded by Victor Armendariz, opened in 2017 after Armendariz had been a director at Ann Nathan Gallery for many years. Today the gallery is a River North anchor, having recently expanded into the corner space at 300 W. Superior. The gallery offers work by established and emerging artists and focuses on figurative art, Realism and Studio Furniture. Prior to opening his eponymous gallery, Victor worked alongside Ann Nathan at her gallery down the street for many years. Nathan just passed away on May 5.&nbsp;300 W. Superior (River North)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.galleryvictor.com">galleryvictor.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Gallery Drive-Bys: Spring 2024

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419390/j37rflj70eydl9g8jdzr.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAI'm incredibly sad to share that Jason Pickleman passed away on May 12, 2024. He was 59.&nbsp;Jason was a visionary, a lover of and creator of design, an artist, a collector, a party person and a cultural dilettante, he once told me. Along with his wife and partner Leslie Bodenstein, Jason founded JNL Graphic Design in 1992, which operated until 2023. Pickleman specialized in creating design that could be elevated to the same level as fine art, and in many cases that design stood on its own as art objects. Jason also ran Lawrence and Clark Gallery for several years, showing works from his own collection alongside practicing artists and even mail-in art. He also founded PICKLEMAN, an art advisory in his design studio. JNL was behind countless artistic synthesis, from catalogues and books to packaging and brands.&nbsp;Jason's indelible productions were the result of consuming as much visual culture as he could, day in and day out. He loved sharing art as much as he loved exploring and learning about it. I, and so many others, certainly benefitted from Jason's generous spirit and his wisdom. He was behind CGN's system for organizing the galleries and gallery districts in the early days of the magazine when Natalie van Straaten was publisher. He was a sounding board for me when we introduced the new annual CGN Arts Guide in 2017. And he became a contributor to CGN in 2021, somehow managing to write beautiful articles about a range of notable artistic contributions–from Ray Johnson to Keith Haring–in addition to everything else he was juggling in his daily life.&nbsp;A couple years ago I came across an old snapshot of myself standing on Michigan Avenue in April under a yellow street banner for Art Chicago, designed by Jason Pickleman. I was 14 in that photo, and of course I had no idea that so many of my future springs (and falls) would connect to Chicago's art fair season and to a professional path crossing with Jason. I sent the photo Jason asking if he could believe it, and he said it made him smile. I know I will always do the same when I remember Jason.&nbsp;We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and everyone else we know who loved him dearly. Thank you Jason.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419391/mxfdvkkipwd8qt20excq.jpg"><figcaption>Works from <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2023/7/making-time-for-joy-a-designer-s-exhibition-pays-tribute-to-the-art-of-design">Making Time for Joy</a> at The Suburban in Milwaukee, summer 2o23</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Read Jason's contributions to CGN below.<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2016/8/collector-jason-pickleman-s-creative-life">2016 collector interview</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2021/9/book-report-ray-johnson-c-o">Book Report: Ray Johnson c/o</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2022/5/book-report-the-clip-on-method">Book Report: THE CLIP-ON METHOD</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2022/9/sculpture-report-keith-haring-s-self-portrait">Sculpture Report: Keith Haring’s Self-Portrait</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2023/6/felix-gonzalez-torres-untitled-1995-billboard">Felix Gonzalez-Torres “Untitled”, 1995, Billboard</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Jason Pickleman (1965–2024)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/amo974hluj9b48g4afmh.jpg"><figcaption>An aerial view of Field Rotation, 1981, by Mary Miss (American, b. 1944), earth, wood, steel, water. Commissioned by the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (NMSP), GSU Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Collection of the NMSP.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;One of the land artist’s monumental works is a short drive from Chicago at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAThe artist Mary Miss is one of a group of artists who came of age during the late 1970s and built careers on the idea of incorporating or creating elements of landscape for their sculptural compositions. One of Miss’s earlier signature installations is located on the campus of Governor’s State University at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (theNate) in University Park, IL.The work, titled Field Rotation (1980-81), mines a broad spectrum of art historical references while being a wholly original creation. The work is so large it can be fully appreciated only by viewing from the air, though it is also an adventure to explore while climbing on its ladders or running through its carefully spaced posts. It’s a work that also changes with each interaction as well as the seasons.&nbsp;At its center, a mound has been constructed with a sunken gravel garden in which a three-tiered set of platforms preside over moats which fill temporarily with rainwater. Steel ladders on the north and south walls grant access. Associations with cliff dwelling Native American Indians’ pueblo architecture can be made. Two steel towers inside provide counterpoint to the primarily wooden structure. The perimeter outline of the retreat is based on 18th century military European fortification plans.Outside, 125 wooden poles – menhirs – radiate in eight lines, pinwheel fashion. The elevation of the tops of these poles is constant, highlighting and contrasting with the gentle slope of the Midwestern landscape. A steel tower asserts modernity.&nbsp;*<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419386/uj5rcimur2zd85caylok.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;At the end of 2023 another significant work by Mary Miss, Greenwood Pond: Double Site, installed at the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, made national headlines when it was revealed that the work had long been deteriorating and had reached such a state that it was estimated it would cost the Art Center $2 million to repair it. An <a href="https://desmoinesartcenter.org/news/open-letter-from-director-kelly-baum/">open letter</a> from DMAC Director Kelly Baum shared that despite fundraising campaigns over the years and studies commissioned to examine the stability and safety of the piece, the work has been battered by the environment. “Age and climate have finally won” Baum wrote, “Reasonable maintenance is no longer sufficient.” DMAC stated they will partner with the City of Des Moines to safely dismantle Greenwood Pond: Double Site, beginning with the most hazardous areas, and to restore the impacted section of Greenwood Park.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419387/ihsmncczdix2zcyux9qd.jpg"><figcaption>The artist Mary Miss</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;That works like those created and installed by Miss require significant maintenance and funds over the long term is not a surprise. The staff at theNate is paying very close attention to Field Rotation in order to responsibly preserve the work so that it is not ravaged by Midwestern winters. Jeff Stevenson of theNate shared that the sculpture park is about to embark on a campaign to raise $150,000 for the conservation costs that needs to be addressed, and fans of the installation are aiming to call attention to the urgency of protecting Field Rotation. Venture to see Field Rotation for yourself and spend some time considering its various vantage points as well as the characteristics of each corner and post. The quick escape from the city into a swirling field is a little bit of a shock to the system, but it’s a healing one that is guided by an artist’s hand. Nothing lasts forever, but important works of art and architecture that exist in our midst are worth appreciating and preserving for current as well as future generations.&nbsp;&nbsp;Updates:&nbsp;• In April 2024 <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/2024/04/04/greenwood-park-des-moines-artist-mary-miss-lawsuit-to-stop-demolition-dm-art-center/73207382007/">Mary Miss filed a lawsuit</a> to stop the dismantling of the work at the DMAC, claiming that the Greenwood Pond: Double Site's planned demolition violates the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 – an act that empowers artists to legally defend and protect their own "recognized stature" works art from destruction. Miss's suit also claims that DMAC violated its contract with her by failing to properly protect and preserve the work.• On May 3, 2024 it was <a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/federal-court-bars-des-moines-art-center-destroying-mary-miss-land-art-installation-553807/">announced</a> that in a response to the lawsuit federal court issued a preliminary injunction to stop the order to dismantle Greenwood Pond: Double Site at the Des Moines Art Center.• <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/arts/design/temporary-injunction-iowa-artwork.html">A Land Artist’s Work Evades Demolition</a> via NYT&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419388/ktbquwcgaegabcui1mrm.jpg"><figcaption>A view into the inner sanctum of Field Rotation. Photo by CGN.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419389/cuejsbwa2ejaqnfangi3.jpg"><figcaption>The CGN interns on a field trip a few years ago; Photo by CGN.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;theNate&nbsp;Governors State University&nbsp;1 University Parkway University Park, IL 60484<a href="https://www.govst.edu/sculpture/">www.govst.edu/sculpture</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Mary Miss @ theNate

<a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/federal-court-bars-des-moines-art-center-destroying-mary-miss-land-art-installation-553807/">Federal Court Bars Des Moines Art Center from Destroying Mary Miss Land Art Installation&nbsp;</a>A federal judge on May&nbsp;3 issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/des-moines/2024/05/05/federal-court-orders-halt-to-removal-of-des-moines-park-art/73579401007/">preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;preventing the Des Moines Art Center from <a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/des-moines-art-center-to-destroy-seminal-land-art-work-by-mary-miss1-548344/">dismantling</a>&nbsp;a major Land art installation that it commissioned from artist Mary Miss decades ago. In regard to the contested work, Miss’s&nbsp;1989–96 environment&nbsp;Greenwood Pond: Double Site,&nbsp;Judge Stephen Locher of the&nbsp;US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa ruled that “the Art Center cannot demolish the artwork without Miss’s consent (which she will not grant) because the Art Center promised in a contract not to do so.” Locher noted, however, that Miss could not force the museum to restore the work, which it has said it cannot afford to do, saying, “The end result is therefore an unsatisfying status quo: the artwork will remain standing (for now) despite being in a condition that no one likes but that the court cannot order anyone to change.”Via Art Forum&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/08/students-arrested-school-art-institute-chicago-fashion-institute-technology-pro-palestine">Students arrested at School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Fashion Institute of Technology amid crackdown on Palestinian solidarity encampments</a>As universities across the US continue to crack down on campus protests and encampments in support of Palestine, 68 protesters at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and around 50 at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York were arrested on 4 May and 7 May, respectively.Protesters from SAIC and Columbia College Chicago had set up an encampment in the North Garden of the Art Institute of Chicago, renaming it “Hind’s Garden” in honour of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2024/hind-rajab-israel-gaza-killing-timeline/">Hind Rajab</a>, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed along with her family by Israeli forces in Gaza. The protesters told <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/05/05/arrests-art-institute-protest">Axios</a> that the SAIC administration initially agreed to let them stay in the garden until the morning of 5 May if the encampment subsequently moved to an academic building. While the protesters were discussing the offer, they said, the school's administration informed them that police were en route.Via The Art Newspaper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/05/arts/design/frank-stella-abstract-artist-appraisal.html">Frank Stella Went From Bauhaus to Fun House</a>Frank Stella, who died on Saturday at age 87, once joked that he harbored only one regret. We were sitting in his scruffy studio in the East Village, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/04/magazine/frank-stella-s-expressionist-phase.html">he said</a> he was sorry that he had failed to take legal action when the men's wear store bearing his name opened in New York in the mid-70s. “People call here all the time asking for cashmere coats,” he said.Stella, it can safely be said, was not a fashion plate. To the end of his life, he had the aura of a nervous whiz kid with oversize glasses and frizzy hair. He counted himself among the socially marginalized and once joked in a personal letter about “all us miscreants who drifted into the Bowery of Life, the art world.”Via NYTimes&nbsp;Thumbnail: School of the Art Institute of Chicago students and other pro-Palestine protesters are arrested at the Art Institute of Chicago on 4 May David Jank / Alamy Stock Photo &nbsp;

What We're Reading: 5/8/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419390/wbozcy0gktnfxc7bmz3p.png"></figure>CGN Staff via PRAn event that has become a mainstay of the fall cultural calendar is the River North Design District's&nbsp;Annual Fall Gallery Walk. The 9th edition of the walk will be presented this year by Sherwin-Williams&nbsp;and will take place Friday, September 6, 2024, the opening of the fall art season in the River North gallery district.&nbsp;Showrooms will feature an array of fine artists and designer vignettes, along with special events throughout River North in area galleries and businesses.&nbsp;Each participating showroom and art gallery will be exhibiting artwork created by some of the most influential artists in the art world today. This year, Chicago’s top designers will select their favorite art and create inspirational vignettes in each participating showroom.&nbsp;During the Gallery Walk, all showrooms and galleries will be open extended hours from 5-8 pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;Some showrooms will be open on Saturday, September 7 (list to come). Temporary exhibitions in the showrooms will be on display through October 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;The event is free and open to the public except for the VIP kick off and after-party.&nbsp;The walk begins with a VIP kick off party at The Luxury Bed Collection, 120 West Hubbard St, from 4:30-6pm. From 8-11pm, a safari themed after-party concludes the walk at Lightology, 215 West Chicago Ave,&nbsp;featuring special performances and an auction consisting of artist decorated illuminated Seletti primates. Tickets are $55 each per event in advance and will go on sale in July.Participating showrooms for the walk include: Heritage Auctions, Oscar Isberian, ARMAZEM.design, Daltile, The Luxury Bed Collection, Lightology, Moblili Möbel, California Closets, TOTO, O’Brien Harris, 210 Design House, Artists Frame Service, bulthaup, Kohler Signature Store by Studio41, Studio41, Altalia Furniture, Roca Tile, Farrow &amp; Ball, Molteni&amp;C, Rimadesio and Poliform.&nbsp;&nbsp;Participating designers include: Honsen Interiors, Navy Black Studio, Interiors by Francesca, Yamini Designs, Stone Textile Studio, Bridgette Haulenbeek Interiors, Xcēd Design Build, Hailey&nbsp;Lauren Designs, Epic Interiors, Zach Hayes Design, KP Home, En Masse Architecture and Design, VF Interiors, Elizabeth Krueger Design, Unpatterned, the workshop design studio, SKIN Interior Design, Tom Stringer Design Partners, KBS Interior Design, Beige by Michael Morganti, and MegMade.Participating Art Galleries and consultants include: Alma Art + Interiors, Daniel Kinkade Fine Art, Jean Albano, City Haus Chicago, and gallery 1871.&nbsp;&nbsp;Special exhibition&nbsp;featuring DIFFA Art for Life Pop Up with artists&nbsp;Samantha Haring, Jeff Cote, and Ramin Takloo Bighash&nbsp;curated by Oliver Aguilar.Artists include: Sam Goble, Michael Alan Kaskel, Martina Nehrling, Bobbi Meier, Seon Young Lee,&nbsp;Melissa Herrington and Sara Schneckloth, Steven Haulenbeek, Studio Heron, Sonya Benham, Dan Nelson,&nbsp;Michela Colognese, Diana Noh, Fontaine Scarelli, Adriana Miranda, &nbsp;Jonathan Pliego, Opame Pop Up featuring artist Atelier Nue, Brenda Jackson, Donna Drapeau, Michiko Itatani, Marketa Sivek, Magdalena Krzak, Laurie Kwo, and Yaha.RNDD announced it is partnering with Sherwin-Williams, Heritage Auctions, MDA Lites, Terrazzo &amp; Marble Supply Co, Euro-Marble, LG Group, Ferguson Bath Kitchen &amp; Lighting Gallery, Hardly Water, Mammoth Distilling, Modern Luxury Interiors Chicago, Chicago Gallery News, Kennicott Brothers, Art Encounter, Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID IL), The Merchandise Mart, River North Residents Association, National Association of the Remodeling Industry,&nbsp;BIACG,&nbsp;SOAR, and WCA.RNDD also shared plans to "party with purpose" and align with philanthropic partners Humble Design and the Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation.The event’s host committee includes: Dina Bair, WGN Newscaster, Daniel Kinkade, Daniel Kinkade Fine Art, Randy Fifield, Randy Fifield Modern Living, Jeffrey Johnson, Jeffrey Johnson Pictures, Nicole Flevaris, Kinzie Chop House, and Nina Mariano, Dom’s Chicago.&nbsp;Check RNDD's&nbsp;<a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com/rndd-fall-gallery-walk/">website</a>&nbsp;for periodic event updates.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;About River North Design DistrictThe River North Design District, founded in 2013, is a local community that boasts interior design offerings that are accessible to both designers and consumers. &nbsp;The showrooms carry&nbsp;everything from lighting, tile, plumbing, rugs, and kitchens to furnishings- everything one needs to create a one-of-a-kind haven. The participating showrooms pride themselves on providing a shopping experience that is both unique and personalized. &nbsp;Each showroom is located on street level, which allows customers to stroll along and enjoy the neighborhood.&nbsp;Please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com/">https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com</a>&nbsp;for more information.&nbsp;</body></html>

RNDD Fall Gallery Walk Planned for September 6, 2024

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/ei1s6r9969ymiqzf9wak.jpg"><figcaption>Ann Nathan in her gallery. Photo from Betsy Nathan.</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAWe heard this afternoon that Ann Nathan passed away at age 98 yesterday. Daughter Betsy Nathan, of Chicago's Pagoda Red, shared the news.&nbsp;I never actually knew how old Ann ever was, but many of us were always guessing. I suppose that is how Ann, a woman who was always full of surprises and new endeavors, wanted it.&nbsp;Ann worked in the employment agency business for over 27 years, eventually running multiple agencies. When she grew tired of that work, ceramicist Ruth Duckworth encouraged her to try her skills elsewhere and move into a 200-square foot Ravenswood studio in Duckworth's pickle factory. Ann opened a gallery, Objects, around 1986.&nbsp;Though the space was tiny, she showed jewelry and ceramics – small, functional objects, Ann had to be creative with every inch of space, including pedestals that opened up and doubled as storage space.Eventually it was time for the gallery to grow, and Ann relocated from the north side to River North, nearer to downtown. She was there until the River North fire in April 1989 forced her to close briefly. She reopened in a large ground floor space on Superior Street as Ann Nathan Gallery.&nbsp;I got to know Ann back in 2002 when I first arrived at Chicago Gallery News and our office was around the corner from her eponymous Superior Street gallery. As shared in my interview with Ann a few years ago, when I first started working for CGN, Natalie van Straaten, CGN’s founder and my boss at the time, would ask after my neighborhood visits to area art dealers, whom I had seen, and what impressions they had made on me. 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. 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 closed her gallery in 2016, but she continued to stay connected to art as well as her large family.&nbsp;I had the opportunity to visit Ann at home with two of her daughters in late 2019 to interview her for the spring 2020 issue of CGN. I felt so fortunate at the time, and especially again now, to have had the chance to spend time together before the pandemic made in-person interviews impossible for awhile.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/5/art-dealer-ann-nathan-the-perpetual-collector">You may read the interview here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Trailblazing Art Dealer Ann Nathan Has Died at 98

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/fjmf74mwo0duwczlcvgn.jpg"><figcaption>Suzette Bross</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Suzette Bross thought she had come up with an idea for an art project that would span one year. That idea turned into an organization, CPS Lives, that is celebrating its 6th anniversary this May. Bross’s organization has expanded and undergone several changes in just a few years, all while finding an artistically civic purpose and developing many connections along the way. Following is CGN’s conversation with Bross as she prepared for a booth at EXPO CHICAGO, as well as some exciting collaborations and celebrations this summer.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;– GV&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What inspired you to found CPS Lives? &nbsp;Suzette Bross: I am a photographer, and during my career&nbsp; I have seen the power of groups of artists gathering to raise awareness and make a difference. When I started CPS Lives I envisioned a group of Chicago artists working for one year to make art and highlight the city’s public schools. I was inspired by artist collectives like AfriCOBRA in the ‘70s, which focused on black art movements and racial injustices, and the City 2000 photo project, a yearlong group photography project I was part of, that was formed to document the city of Chicago at the beginning of the new millennium.Initially I thought of CPS Lives as a yearlong project that would pair Chicago artists with various public schools, giving opportunities to both of these communities. CPS Lives was formed post internet and in the social media age, allowing audiences to see projects as they were created, lending a transparency and excitement to the way work was made. Artists would have the opportunity to make work, engage with students and share stories of area public schools. At the end of the year the artists, teachers, students and families would come together to celebrate the collaboration at a huge party in Millennium Park.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: So how did the first year go?SB: Little did I know what I was proposing to accomplish! Chicago is the third largest school system in the country, with around 330,000 students and 650 schools. Our goal is still to be in all schools, but now I realize it will take many years to tell the stories of all our public schools. After six years we have worked with 70 artists and been in 86 schools across 61 neighborhoods. It has been an incredibly interesting and rewarding journey.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419386/bsyowfmyiqcmrw1thr56.jpg"><figcaption>Ludvig Péres, Mozart Elementary School, 2023 &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: How many schools and photographers are you currently working with?&nbsp;SB: The 2023-2024 residency class is made up of 19 amazing artists working with 21 schools.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: After six years what has impacted your programming the most since you got started?&nbsp;SB: We have become a nonprofit. Not only does our organiation provide opportunities for students and artists, we provide a visual historic record about public schools. This became very important when the pandemic hit. Artists such as Matt Siber and Ludvig Péres created work that was specific to that pandemic history, working in empty schools when classes went online and also working with students at home and over zoom to share their experiences. We were able to create a book, Resilience: Chicago Public Schools in a Time of Quarantine, that will forever be a record of this historical time in education.&nbsp;In 2020 we worked with BMO Harris Bank to create one of the first murals made with the plywood used to protect the building’s windows during the protests. Lead artists Jeff Phillips and Dorian Sylvain worked with students from over 20 different public schools at the Hyde Park Art Center to create a photographic collage. Marzena Abrahamik’s joyful Michele Clark High School graduation images were the center of the piece, celebrating the accomplishments of these students during this difficult time for them and their families.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419387/parkhazyiq9ladhb7jbk.webp"><figcaption>CPS Lives selected Denise Waite (top left) and Chang-Ching “Casper” Su (top right) as 2024 EXPO Chicago Artists</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: What do you hope CPS Lives can do for the individual schools, as well as Chicago artists?&nbsp;SB: If you look at what our artists have seen and are communicating in their work, you can really start to see what public education looks like today. There are the proverbial warts of course, but there are also stories of joy and hope and day to day life in public schools in Chicago.&nbsp;When you give students the opportunity to work with professional artists, it can encourage the next generation of designers, photographers, artists and creative thinkers. Many of our artists are CPS alumni–for example: Denise Waite, Bob Thall and Norman Teague–and welcome the idea of giving back to their alma mater, or they are artists interested in giving back to the schools in their neighborhood. Many credit a teacher who inspired them to pursue the career they have today.Encouraging students to think creatively will help them succeed in any career path and confidently address future challenges. Students have a choice about where they go to high school, so many CPS schools must compete for students. Each school has a unique culture, and our artists can help schools understand, define and thus promote what makes them unique.CPS Lives provides local artists with opportunities to make great work with their communities and exhibit around the city, something that’s been very important after the pandemic. CPS Lives also provides schools with the opportunity to be connected to the art world in a meaningful way.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Tell us what CPS Lives has planned this season?SB: We are thrilled to participate in Expo Chicago April 11–14. Our booth will highlight the work of Denise Waite, who worked in her alma mater, Lincoln Park High School, and Casper Su who worked in Haines Elementary. One of the joys of participating in the fair is working with EXPO to bring the students and their parents to the fair and see the students’ expressions as they see their own faces reflected in the art hanging on the walls.&nbsp;Our 6th Anniversary benefit party is May 22 at the Arts Club. The public is invited to meet our artists and many of the teachers and principals from our participating schools and bid on unique art.We are also looking ahead to the 2025. Remember I said one of my original goals was to have a big party with our artists and schools? We are going to do that on the 606 / Bloomingdale Trail to celebrate their 10th annivesary. There are four public schools on the trail, and the 606 connects many Chicago neighborhoods. CPS Lives also provides a way to connect with and see our city, so we’re excited to have fun with them. Stay tuned and join us this spring!&nbsp;#&nbsp;Visit <a href="https://cpslives.org">cpslives.org</a> for information&nbsp;</body></html>

Recording a Day in the Life of CPS:  Artists in Schools

<html><head></head><body>BY BIANCA BOVAFor an ideal day or weekend trip out of Chicago, make the drive (or board the Hiawatha) up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Though not often considered an art destination, there is much of note to be seen in the city’s museums, galleries, and on the streets through the summer.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/gsipmp69mi0myhm0n2s7.jpg"><figcaption>Eddie Martinez, Untitled, 2020. Courtesy of MAM and TImothy Taylor, New York. Part of 50 Paintings &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Milwaukee Art Museum –50 PaintingsNow on view in the famed winged Santiago Calatrava-designed museum is 50 Paintings, a comprehensive survey of works created within the last five years by 50 international artists. Co-curated by the museum’s senior curator of contemporary art Margaret Andera, and renowned artist-curator Michelle Grabner, this landmark exhibition is not to be missed.&nbsp;Through June 23, 2024Idris Khan: Repeat After MeAlso on view through August 11 is British artist Idris Khan's first U.S. museum solo exhibition, which traces Khan’s investigations across time and media. Showcasing major works covering every facet of the artist’s career, the exhibition also inaugurates a never-before-seen body of paintings Khan created expressly for the presentation at the Museum. In these works, Khan synthesizes his earliest concerns with photographic reproduction while delving into the integral role of color in iconic masterworks of art history and our memories of them.Make time to visit the permanent collection galleries while you’re there, if only to see Robert Gober’s mesmeric 1997 work Untitled (Suitcase), back on view following a years-long period of conservation.&nbsp;• <a href="http://mam.org">Mam.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419386/ecpnbl6tmr3wsqhdmbuz.jpg"><figcaption>Sarah Lucas, William Hambling, 2021. Courtesy of Sculpture Milwaukee and James Prinz &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Sculpture Milwaukee, Nature Doesn’t Know About Us; Actual Fractals, Act I &amp; IIThe nonprofit organization producing exhibitions of contemporary sculpture with a dedicated focus on public art practices has three concurrent exhibitions running on the streets of Milwaukee. Nature Doesn’t Know About Us, curated by Ugo Rondinone and featuring a laundry list of bluechip artists remains on view, alongside Actual Fractals: Act I curated by the organization’s new executive director, the artist and dealer John Riepenhoff. Actual Fractals: Act II, also curated by Riepenhoff, opens this June. Pick up a map from a streetside box on arrival, and keep an eye out as you transit the city.&nbsp;Nature Doesn’t Know About Us and Actual Fractals: Act I are on view through October 2024; Actual Fractals: Act II is on view&nbsp;June 2024-October 2025• <a href="https://www.sculpturemilwaukee.com">sculpturemilwaukee.com</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419387/eg77hn3sfdooufpxzsvv.jpg"><figcaption>On view at Kim Storage, from left to right: Maggie Robertson, Tim Anderson, April Behnke</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Kim Storage Gallery, The Beginning is Always TodayPay a visit to Milwaukee’s newest gallery, which presents its program as being concerned with the “evolving landscape of contemporary art.” Gallerist Kimberly Storage (“Storage” being her surname, and not a modifier of “Gallery” as one might assume) presents her inaugural exhibition, <a href="https://kimstoragegallery.com/show/kim-storage-gallery-the-beginning-is-always-today">The Beginning is Always Today</a>, as a survey of work by roughly a dozen artists of varying style and pedigree in a space in the Historic Third Ward’s Marshall Building.&nbsp;On view through May 4• <a href="https://kimstoragegallery.com">kimstoragegallery.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419388/yv4gbkr3ngc33bj1nco6.jpg"><figcaption>The Suburban, (exterior: Tyree Guyton, Timeology). Courtesy of Sculpture Milwaukee, The Suburban, and James Prinz &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>The Suburban, Lisa SigalMichelle Grabner and Brad Killam’s storied gallery, now in its twenty-fifth year, currently features new work by Lisa Sigal, an artist and educator based in Brooklyn. Her work encompasses painting, sculpture, socially-engaged projects, curating, and public art. Over the last three decades, she has exhibited in galleries and institutions in North America, Europe, and Asia. With Nova Benway, Sigal was a co-founder of <a href="https://drawingcenter.org/search/?s=open%20sessions">Open Sessions</a> at the Drawing Center, an initiative that offers support and exhibition space to early-career artists. With Byron Kim, she now co-directs the <a href="https://www.art.yale.edu/about/study-areas/summer-programs/norfolk">Yale Norfolk School of Art</a>, a summer residency program in Norfolk, CT.Also on view are Timeology by Tyree Guyton (part of Sculpture Milwaukee’s Nature Doesn’t Know About Us curated by Ugo Rondinone) and Half Ton Box by Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle.Lisa Sigal's work is on view May-August 2024• <a href="http://www.thesuburban.org">thesuburban.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419389/pjvmbku0emdtg5duavos.jpg"><figcaption>Nicolaes Maes (Dordrecht 1634—1693 Amsterdam), Portrait of Three Children as Ceres, Ganymede, and Diana, 1673. Oil on canvas. Museum purchase, 2005.4. Collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The Haggerty Museum of Art, Image in Dispute: Dutch &amp; Flemish Art From the Collection of the HaggertyMarquette University’s art museum houses a surprisingly eclectic permanent collection of historical and contemporary art. This exhibition by the Haggerty’s Consulting Curator of European Art Kirk Nickel examines artistic responses to the changes reshaping community identity in the Low Countries between 1560 and 1675. Narrow in its scope and breathtaking in the lavishness of the works included, it’s a must-see for anyone craving a counterbalance to the incoming onslaught of blockbuster summer shows at major museums.&nbsp;Image in Dispute: Dutch &amp; Flemish Art from the Collection of the Haggerty is on view through May 12, 2024&nbsp;• <a href="https://www.marquette.edu/haggerty-museum/">marquette.edu/haggerty-museum/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Head North: On in Milwaukee

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/jshwxikss7vi8yect7qf.jpg"></figure>Jonathan Higgins – <a href="https://mannekenpress.com">Manneken Press</a>“2024 marks Manneken’s 24th year as an independent fine print publisher, and it is shaping up to be a busy and exciting one. We kicked off the year by exhibiting in the International Fine Print Dealers Association’s spectacular Print Fair, which took place in February at New York City’s iconic Park Avenue Armory. We are also releasing our first published prints of 2024 – a suite of three color aquatints by Matt Magee which mix taxonomy with minimalism, and our online exhibition series on Artsy continueswith a new show - “Infinite Guile” - featuring ethereal, abstract monotypes by Sarah Smelser, inspired by her travels in Greece.We just came back from EXPO CHICAGO where we showcased new and recent prints by a diverse range of artists, including Chicago favorites Richard Hull, Anna Kunz and Judy Ledgerwood, all published by Manneken Press. Looking ahead, we will be hosting NYC-based painter Jason Karolak, an SAIC alum, in our Bloomington studio where he will begin work on a new group of etchings. Stay tuned for our additional projects as the year progresses.”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-edra-soto">Edra Soto – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-kimberly-oliva-oliva-gallery-and-alma-fine-art-interiors">Kimberly Oliva – Oliva Gallery, and Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-claudine-ise-goldfinch">Claudine Ise – Goldfinch</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-aron-packer-potter-potter-auctions">Aron Packer - Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Jonathan Higgins, Manneken Press

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/gcspo1az9ktuucji4dez.jpg"></figure>Kimberly Oliva –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.olivagallery.com">Oliva Gallery</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.almaartandinteriors.com">Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a>“Each spring, I’m thrilled to launch new projects uniting Chicago’s arts community. A highlight this season is our partnership exhibition of CSI x ALMA, where my co-owner, Gosia Korsakowski, and I will spotlight national talent and foster connections across art forms.&nbsp;Looking forward, our August Arts and Culture Summit aims to ignite dialogue and engagement on Chicago’s west side. Joined by El Schomburg’s Brenda Torres Figueroa and Agitator Gallery’s Gretchen Hasse, we strive to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive cultural hub.Additionally, I would like to highlight “Liminal Space: Bethany Cordero and Deborah Newmark,” opening May 10 at Oliva Gallery. These two emerging artists are ones to watch in 2024.”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jonathan-higgins-manneken-press">Jonathan Higgins – Manneken Press</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-edra-soto">Edra Soto – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-claudine-ise-goldfinch">Claudine Ise – Goldfinch</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-aron-packer-potter-potter-auctions">Aron Packer - Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Kimberly Oliva, Oliva Gallery and Alma Fine Art & Interiors

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/gjxzt7pb37mk9uvzz81c.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Aron Packer – <a href="https://www.potterauctions.com">Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>“As the Fine and Outsider Art Specialist at Potter &amp; Potter, I never know exactly what will come through our doors. To a certain extent, auction houses play the cards they’ve been dealt - which keeps the entire team on its toes. As an example of “I never knew this would happen,” we recently acquired an important collection of Edward S. Curtis works.Named the “Best Auction House in Chicago” for 2024 by the&nbsp;Chicago Reader, Potter &amp; Potter looks forward to burnishing that hard-won award, especially in its rapidly growing art department. Our art sales occur in June and December and offer pieces in all genres, from all time periods, spanning the categories of Outsider, Folk, Contemporary and Fine Art. We accept consignments on a rolling basis.&nbsp;For the fall season I will organize&nbsp;A Cabinet of Morbid Curiosities: The Collection of Richard Harris.&nbsp;This all-encompassing death-related collection addresses this serious and precarious topic in a continuum from humor to tragedy and beyond.”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jonathan-higgins-manneken-press">Jonathan Higgins – Manneken Press</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-edra-soto">Edra Soto – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-kimberly-oliva-oliva-gallery-and-alma-fine-art-interiors">Kimberly Oliva – Oliva Gallery, and Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-claudine-ise-goldfinch">Claudine Ise – Goldfinch</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Aron Packer, Potter & Potter Auctions

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/yfzgdnsqhiqgoqtrnqtx.jpg"></figure>Claudine Ise – <a href="https://goldfinch-gallery.com">Goldfinch</a>“This year I’m especially excited for the Spring/Summer season because in April (through April 20th), we’re presenting a pair of really superb solo shows by two longtime Chicago painters: Leslie Baum (in Gallery 1) and Andreas Fischer (Gallery 2). Both Leslie and Andreas engage abstraction in really different and equally compelling ways, and the gallery is going to draw out that discourse via a public conversation on painting with Leslie and Andreas that will be moderated by Justin Witte, Director and Curator at Cleve Carney Museum of Art, College of DuPage (on Saturday, April 13th at 2pm in conjunction with EXPO Art Week).&nbsp;On deck after that are solo shows by Sherwin Ovid and an emerging Taiwanese artist named Tsai-Ling Tseng, and in summer, our first solo show with Chicago artist Jessie Mott that will focus on Jessie’s new paintings. I can’t wait!”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jonathan-higgins-manneken-press">Jonathan Higgins – Manneken Press</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-edra-soto">Edra Soto – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-kimberly-oliva-oliva-gallery-and-alma-fine-art-interiors">Kimberly Oliva – Oliva Gallery, and Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-aron-packer-potter-potter-auctions">Aron Packer - Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Claudine Ise,  Goldfinch

<html><head></head><body>This spring and summer there will be art fairs, new gallery and museum exhibitions and many creative endeavors taking place.the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to, and we spoke to five art community leaders about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.&nbsp;The following preview is one of five that appear in our spring/summer 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419386/ty9grn7fph3j54ckds5x.jpg"><figcaption>Photo credit: Steph Murray</figcaption></figure><a href="https://edrasoto.com/home.html">Edra Soto</a> – Artist“2024 will be a year to remember. I continue to travel and develop new projects. I will be in Mexico for the first time, as part of the Lit &amp; Luz Festival, with presentations in Museo Universitario del Chopo and SOMA. As a 3Arts Lucas Artist Fellow, I will be in residency at the Montalvo Arts Center in California. Another longer term residency takes place in Kohler, Wisconsin. In commemoration of 50 years of the Kohler Co.’s Arts/Industry program, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center has organized a series of exhibitions featuring residency alumni. I also look forward to&nbsp;Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology, and the Contemporary Landscape&nbsp;at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburg, opening May 11, and&nbsp;Diasporic Collage: Puerto Rico and The Survival of a People&nbsp;at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in East Lansing, Michigan, opening August 31. Both exhibitions will travel nationally.&nbsp;Solo exhibitions are planned for the ICA at Maine College of Art &amp; Design and at Morgan Lehman Gallery in New York. But I am most excited about a commission of my ongoing project “Graft” as part of the Public Art Fund 2024 exhibition program at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza in Central Park, New York, opening September 5th.”#&nbsp;Read 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jonathan-higgins-manneken-press">Jonathan Higgins – Manneken Press</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-kimberly-oliva-oliva-gallery-and-alma-fine-art-interiors">Kimberly Oliva – Oliva Gallery, and Alma Fine Art &amp; Interiors</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-claudine-ise-goldfinch">Claudine Ise – Goldfinch</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/5/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-aron-packer-potter-potter-auctions">Aron Packer - Potter &amp; Potter Auctions</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Edra Soto

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/h3byah21pdmqqxxn5y5e.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/laurie-victor-kay-introspections">Laurie Victor Kay: Intersections</a>Opening: Wednesday, May 8, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmAnne Loucks Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/gorkrxd2zmtqmj5whmsb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lyn-tietz-scenes-of-nature">Lyn Tietz: Scenes of Nature</a>Opening: Sunday, May 5, 1 – 3&nbsp;pmGallery Seven&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419379/jzznh1vdajq8unm9yzdg.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/senior-capstone-exhibition-e9205309-b1ad-4209-80cb-e25804944916">Senior Capstone Exhibition</a>Opening: Thursday, May 2, 7 – 9&nbsp;pmWadsworth Family Gallery at Lewis University&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/hyzsidtuqohvrd6gnc7b.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/student-perspectives">Student Perspectives</a>Exhibition begins May 2Perspective Photo Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/vdshkt5hcj5d5ehosubf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/chryssa-new-york">Chryssa &amp; New York</a>Exhibition begins May 3Wrightwood 659&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419381/tyoutf5jkgcdjxn3gc2e.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/dominick-di-meo-torsoscape">Dominick Di Meo: Torsoscape</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmCorbett vs. Dempsey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419382/bi9pzcu1pbgerwcobzgx.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/william-villalongo-myths-and-migrations">William Villalongo: Myths and Migrations</a>Exhibition begins May 3Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419383/wkiqxegjgx7nefk3d2ju.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ceres-gallery-new-york-arc-gallery-chicago">Ceres Gallery New York/ ARC Gallery Chicago</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmARC Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419385/tjfvlb7nkqz6iybq8m6b.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/adam-siegel-works">Adam Siegel: Works</a>Exhibition begins May 3The Art Center Highland Park&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions May 1 - 4 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/gpecfk8wqe1eik43xfhz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vince-phan-and-molly-blumberg">Garden of Liminal Bodies</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Artists Coalition (CAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/jl30ycbsfd1624ij7a7f.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/emmy-star-brown-familiar-form">Emmy Star Brown: Familiar Form</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmVertical Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419379/xdotz1e7rzaaxcpr3te9.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/half-half-2024-mfa-thesis-exhibition">Half &amp; Half: 2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition</a>Opening: Thursday, May 2, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmBlock Museum of Art&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/loialxknl80mgrpksux8.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/solo-exhibition-of-the-art-of-alfredo-palmero">Contemporary Classicism: The Art of Alfredo Palmero</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmLily Pad | West&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419380/a3yy4pcl8mxfqzp42fej.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/miyoko-ito-needle-stone-and-mud">Miyoko Ito: Needle, Stone, and Mud</a>Opening: Friday, May 3, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmCorbett vs. Dempsey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419381/ijh0izdyeoyvp2apabsv.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2024-school-of-art-design-bfa-exhibition">2024 School of Art &amp; Design BFA Exhibition</a>May 4Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419382/wvwm34cxnz4wknl5y1un.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/opening-passages-artists-respond-to-chicago-and-paris">Opening Passages: Artists Respond to Chicago and Paris </a>May 4Chicago Cultural Center&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419383/pmkqw85pz79yz6baphdj.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-politicians-some-of-them">The Politicians (some of them)</a>Opening: Saturday, May 4, 5 – 8&nbsp;pm(northern) Western Exhibitions&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419384/dgldnvo2wny95ebnq4mq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jordan-strafer-decadence">Jordan Strafer: Decadence</a>Opening: Saturday, May 4, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmThe Renaissance Society&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions May 1 - 4 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/qfdayc7oy2irdxznwryw.jpg"><figcaption>Pat Steir (American, b. 1938) Small Ghost Waterfall, 1993 Sold for $533,400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Via PRCHICAGO – Work by Gertrude Abercrombie, Olga de Amaral, Louise Nevelson, and Pat Steir beat their estimates selling for six figures in Freeman’s | Hindman’s <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRC-2Bk1jCu-2FjBuvLJa07KkVhmDRp8j2M1pmx206u7RIzsqYERuKAy2XwPc89g4r3Z54E-3D-RFt_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn6RB1-2BWZ2rKdtfCrhqclGuQoZTRQ6V235reElvwvokJo3VW-2FJ4pTo392CUy2tw24qfp2FzMnToHJQvZUsXZGBcsqqWa4F08K7X-2BUWx-2BC1H-2FrlI-2B2nAUHal7LUzyA-2Fx46XFWaeigZDB5U2CD-2FlH9U3QxMEcXOFX6YBpfjymhPNWMrg-3D-3D">Post War and Contemporary Art auction</a> on April 24. On the day, seven works sold for over $100,000, four of them created by female artists, spearheading Freeman’s | Hindman to a $2.9 million total.“We were thrilled to see so much spirited bidding in our Post War &amp; Contemporary auction,” said Zachary S. Wirsum, Freeman’s | Hindman’s senior vice president and head of the Post War and Contemporary Art department. “It was especially pleasing to see top notch examples by previously overlooked female artists soar well beyond their estimates.”A Clear Demand for Female ArtistsWorks by female artists proved to be the most coveted lots of the day accounting for just over half of the sale’s total at $1.5 million, including three of the top five lots of the day.Pat Steir’s (American, b. 1938) sizeable 1993 oil on canvas <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRClBBElBYNOw8TyesjzL0fZXK0-2FzZaFeUSoOkgN1YBwEezlt4qChOi-2Bvbv6ZJl7R50-3DuiXm_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn7jp9ZI2nT0Cv8i3CePC2OzI9OWv1HkaZOZnVBTbxDIS3tcgpUde2v-2Fwx2-2Bl3hRYg7weiEMOMt-2BKLKtqs9EOkaWzo2S9OyixKPMk44iJ76bvNeS2HYazdf5e3GOxccs59JS0xX94w4sq9wjoDY1ZZWdYUGMYv30dznPfQw5ruB0ew-3D-3D">Small Ghost Waterfall</a> was the top lot of the day selling for $533,400, more than double its presale estimate. Quintessentially Steir, the piece manages to walk the fine line between abstraction and atmosphere. Steir used a variety of mark-making techniques to emphasize movement and chance, making a connection between word and image to immerse the view into the painting’s specific frame of mind.<figure class="image"><img src="https://meltwater-apps-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/5e38472c6c3a3a00184b210f/image_52158373341714070729508_1714070730627.jpg"></figure> Olga de Amaral (Colombia, b. 1932) Cesta Lunar 35, 1989-90 Sold for $304,800A remarkable textile piece from Columbian artist Olga de Amaral (b. 1932) more than tripled its presale estimate selling for $304,800. <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRDTzQWoIsQ98H98XGW7zG7Rj-2B1cj9BZmAPNa51kCx4W9edEOmDwybUnWAVpyfbM5m4-3DeatJ_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn4AKbpYGCxUXqzdVcQ7G8DSNierVVakcs5uho0-2FbCGJeO0kPgZ-2BYewrZmP6MxQiuml1My1qh5Z0LS-2FLWCIztcdtEhlOH-2FWYrumwyNBvj91xP9Q5AISEfyKyW6-2Fk9mnrGnORhJFC1P79hEXlrjl56xSnekdlTal8-2F18lGIbQnxkABQ-3D-3D">Cesta Lunar 35</a> (1990) is a sweeping, shimmering work comprised of paint and gold leaf enmeshed in fibers, bright gold threads cascading down to a rich violet umber. The piece is an excellent example of the cosmic voyages taken in de Amaral’s Cesta Lunares (Moon Baskets) series.<figure class="image"><img src="https://meltwater-apps-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/5e38472c6c3a3a00184b210f/image_35709780851714070729508_1714070730516.jpg"></figure> Gertrude Abercrombie (American, 1909-1977) Giraffe and Moon with Volcano (Giraffe and Volcano #2), 1951 Sold for $266,700Of course, no Freeman’s | Hindman Post War and Contemporary Art auction would be complete without a piece by Gertrude Abercrombie (American, 1909-1977) vaulting past its estimate. In this sale, <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRC-2BUtfqUmK4Wl941AhVv6jQU-2FfaiTAGiYovEqp7xp0tbecMtNQoLj2TE8pPigwUW2Q2s1Z37MsE8Fv-2Bwi-2FjgbxAjzfhBepmZeYSVW211gmR2Q-3D-3DqRvH_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn5CZFTen8pYeWUFw-2BZnl3ksYBAGQGOL4lhu-2FZh7Hv5GlsbLH9STNwkcz6L47gnw2LlSzQZukOKAOIYOyxVG2yst-2BaZcWJjF6YNAnlybEehunO8syjaisGncLHqGY8m-2FydFLBfIp7Hehmzfigg7QGXgE4-2BWedUiNclNYs9VFZYhXtA-3D-3D">Giraffe and Moon with Volcano (Giraffe and Volcano #2)</a> had the honor of besting its estimate by more than $200,000 selling for $266,700. As aptly named as ever by Abercrombie, the piece depicts a giraffe reaching to touch a low-hanging crescent moon in an austere landscape. Abercrombie did many paintings of giraffes throughout her career and the volcano adds a new dimension to the composition that created a voracious bidding war between five phone bidders.Between Realism and AbstractionTwo works by Alex Katz (American, b. 1927) also managed to reach six figures on the day. The subject of more than 200 solo exhibitions and international acclaim, the signature style of Katz is a deliberately vibrant visual language between realism and abstraction, ambivalence and intimacy. Coming of age alongside the titans of New York’s Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s, Katz boldly favored flatness of color and form rather than gestural primacy and raw emotion. His work is deceptively simple; his technique of painting wet on wet evokes a lustrous finish to his canvases, defying two-dimensionality even in their flatness.&nbsp;The 2016-17 oil on linen entitled <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRARlIqxxarikVKpQoKAQQrnorPLt5O9QM7L-2FdF4pUQaqPj1w2L7Xs3T3Uv0J8pF-2Fns-3DGRHK_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn78xrR-2FRUd6Xc2jcP3kfT-2BYPxIs71Ey2oPYK0uMVwOI-2BR5dbDSv1ayglhLJHV0DypOXNp2N47qtuJfcy-2Bt-2BM6PNf89Jk7ZE-2BBcLts0YTv8UbcPDSo6WIj0EfRVcEKk-2Fw-2BtFzidqLyhqkIv7zztnaPs-2FUfJgKx0ZLvdlr1BplK70Qg-3D-3D">Ariel</a> was the top seller of the pair, achieving $317,500. A quietly moody portrait of Ariel Vieth, a model and frequent muse of Katz’s, the painting depicts a woman who is simultaneously a familiar figure and otherworldly specter.2001’s <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.iLq7DOSrsnpvrEmu8Fg-2BNMWM2lTpvyMoM6o39HlMyRARlIqxxarikVKpQoKAQQrnYQANyk1-2BQVWk7klRWlP0WfPaHvQTPv8M4uyi1F7B8WY-3DNFI7_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoPEaLRzm-2F78kaJkURE3JvKd21AkP2t70-2BHtWbUdqbTMucTujQm4dgUItrJrDuMOUvCBTQZud-2FQ-2BGsvHPKEDecozRJPgRaUBHni-2FhZ79ijr8Zv6Ed8jegNLFZEpKCO8Up31ydOBQtj3NPtxiugC-2B6Qn62maCz8KP6IVp1Fohsrvt58z0iS2IAiWecTLFsJO79gCPuIPbwZAlOgIkK7Yb7wlez6wcNL8D6Kp0ehyC0UIG-2F0jMaVMQSk9ZB4vXyMUpYqEm6qP8AMOA-2FwwwDnzAvGUsWzwimdqtW1duhbxUOcv-2Bz044K6h9qi6-2Ffaq825u1oVQ-3D-3D">Golden Field #1</a> also topped $200,000 selling for $228,600. Although on first blush, these two works may seem markedly different, Katz’s unmistakable style shines through. In both Golden Field #1 and Ariel, Katz is simply painting his environment, flash-in-the-pan moments he captures in thick brushstrokes and meditatively stylized forms.Other Notable HighlightsThe auction saw a number of notable highlights across a wide variety of mediums and movements, including:<ul><li>Louise Nevelson (American, 1899-1988) Untitled, c. 1973-78 Sold for $177,800</li><li>Michael Goldberg (American, 1924-2007) Sad Street, 1958 Sold for $114,300</li><li>Larry Poons (American, b. 1937) Untitled (15-A), 1976 Sold for $82,550</li><li>Ed Clark (American, 1926-2019) Standing Woman at the Chair, 1949-50 Sold for $63,500</li><li>Harry Bertoia (American, 1915-1978) Untitled, c. 1969 Sold for $57,150</li><li>Lynne Drexler (American, 1928-1999) Trunk Grass, 1980 Sold for $53,975</li></ul></body></html>

Women Lead Way at Freeman’s | Hindman’s  $2.9M Post War and Contemporary Art Auction

<html><head></head><body><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/museums-auction-guarantees-2468321">An Unexpected Player Has Begun Providing Auction Guarantees</a>Museums and auction houses have always been odd bedfellows.Museums turn to auction houses to sell art <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/toledo-museum-deaccessioning-at-auction-2098238">deaccessioned</a> from their collections, sometimes <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/baltimore-museum-of-art-cancels-sothebys-sale-1919088">sparking controversy</a>, and to <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/creating-space-artists-for-the-studio-museum-in-harlem-an-auction-to-benefit-the-museums-new-building">organize fundraisers</a>. Auction houses, meanwhile, have become more active as sponsors of museum exhibitions and biennials, <a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/as-biennale-budgets-shrink-auction-houses-help-fill-the-gap-2470504">raising some eyebrows</a>.But now the two sectors are collaborating in an intriguing new way.In what appears to be to be an unprecedented move, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio has started providing guarantees for artworks that it wants to acquire at auction.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2024/04/11/artist-idris-khan-milwaukee-museum-of-art">Artist Idris Khan’s First American Museum Solo Exhibition Comes to the Milwaukee Art Museum</a>For Idris Khan, there’s beauty in repetition. Growing up in a Muslim household in the U.K., the London-based artist followed his father’s religious devotion. “We were praying together, but I never really knew why I was doing that. I never knew the language; I sort of just repeated.”Iteration is now a lifelong investigation, and the main subject of his first solo U.S. museum show “<a href="https://mam.org/exhibitions/repeat-after-me/">Repeat After Me</a>,” on view at the Milwaukee Museum of Art. The title is a mantra from Khan’s father: “‘Repeat After Me’ came from what he used to say to me in the mosque.” Viewers can see this fascination in the looping scrawl of Bicycle Wheel...after Duchamp, 2014, and the overlapping staffs in Bach...Six Suites for the Solo Cello, 2006. And in the new work created expressly for the exhibition, Khan continues to seek the beauty and constraint in the ritual of repetition.&nbsp;Via Cultured&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/ypdpk1bicmdvd9aahdjm.jpg"><figcaption>Gustav Klimt, Portrait of Fräulein Lieser, 1917 © Auktionshaus im Kinsky GmbH, Wien</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/04/24/klimt-portrait-mystery-30m-auction-im-kinsky-vienna">Klimt portrait surrounded by mystery sells for €30m in Vienna</a>A late portrait by Gustav Klimt with a tangled history and surrounded by mysteries sold for a hammer price of €30m at Im Kinsky in Vienna, an auction record for Austria.The recent discovery of Portrait of Fräulein Lieser (1917) was described by the Vienna auction house as “a sensation”. It was previously only known from a black-and-white photograph and had been believed lost until Im Kinsky received a phone call from the consignor around 16 months ago.Via the Art Newspaper&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 4/24/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/wqzobvngib4vtg82itim.jpg"></figure>CGN Staff via PROn a quiet Monday morning in a sunny room inside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago, a lineup of City, political and nonprofit figures gathered to share details about the museum's&nbsp;<a href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=518651a636&amp;e=95b957c616">Día del Niño (Day of the Children) celebration</a>. With representatives from the Mayor's office on hand, the gathering was undoubtedly a positive event to boost due to its focus on bettering the lives of children in the city. A neighborhood program that encourages participation in the arts beyond the museum and the first bilingual family program outside of the MCA, <a href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=96316d8ff7&amp;e=95b957c616">Día del Niño</a> joins the MCA’s ongoing, family-centered programs such as Family Day and Sensory-Friendly Mornings. This free, activity-filled event in Little Village will showcase local vendors, art, and performances at Saucedo Elementary School on April 27, 2024, from 11–2 pm.&nbsp;Guests can register for free tickets via the <a href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=bd2d9797d5&amp;e=95b957c616">ticketing link on the event’s web page.</a>The festival uplifts Chicago youth by celebrating their place in the city through artmaking, food, music, and dance and is organized by the MCA alongside the Chicago White Sox, Sueños Music Festival, Little Village Chamber of Commerce, the Pilsen Chamber of Commerce, the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Hispanic Congressional Caucus Institute, and the Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation.Families are invited to partake in a day of art and fun while learning about migrant experiences and the many communities that call Chicago home. Participating artists include Mr. Pintamuro, Salvador Andrade (CGN's spring cover artist!), Sabina Ángeles from The Jacobo María Ángeles Workshop in Oaxaca, and more. MCA Educators will also be present to facilitate activities. Drawings will take place during the celebration, with prizes such as two pairs of 2-day General Admission tickets to Sueños Music Festival, which runs from May 25 through 26, 2024.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/nng0nsanbrzyyqjqawsm.jpg"><figcaption>Image credit: Jordan Fuller</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;"As we celebrate the Day of the Children, let us acknowledge the rich diversity that defines our youth. In nurturing an inclusive educational environment, we sow the seeds for a future where every child's unique background has the ability to build bridges of understanding that will strengthen the fabric of our global community,” said Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil of the Mexican Consulate in Chicago.“The Latino Caucus Foundation is proud to work alongside the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in supporting events that use art as a vehicle for diverse and equitable spaces for Latino families, artists, and Chicago's cultural ecosystem. The Foundation is committed to supporting these accessible spaces, and we look forward to celebrating Día del Niño on April 27,” said Michael D. Rodriguez, Chairman of the Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation, Alderperson of the 22nd Ward.“Families are at the heart of our community, and their well-being is our top priority. Collaboration with community organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies is vital to ensure that every child has the tools to thrive, especially through family friendly activities like ‘Día del Niño,’” 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez said.“Celebrating the richness of culture and community is at the heart of our mission at the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. It's our utmost pleasure to join hands with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for their Day of the Children celebration. Our members embody the spirit of giving, and we're honored to have Los Comales generously donate food for this event,” said Jennifer Aguilar, Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce."Pilsen Chamber of Commerce and La Michoacana Premium is more than excited to be a part of the Día del Diño event with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Children are the happiness in this world who bring smiles to our faces in times of great fear and strife. This event is important not only by sharing love with them through paletas, but also by sharing tradition through our ancestors' recipes from one generation to the next,” Noe Govea, Vice President of the Pilsen Chamber of Commerce and co-owner of La Michoacana Premium said in a joint statement with Evelyn Ortiz-Govea, co-owner of La Michoacana Premium."Investing in young minds and the next generation of Chicagoans, who are positioned to lift up our community and continue discovering ways to push progress, is essential. Día del Niño is an impactful route to help empower children in our neighboring Little Village community and provide the resources to help youth grow and thrive. The White Sox organization is proud to be a partner to bring this important program to life in Little Village," said Sheena Quinn, Chicago White Sox Senior Director of Public Relations.“We at Choose Chicago are absolutely thrilled to support the Museum of Contemporary Art's Day of Children event at Saucedo Academy in Little Village. This initiative is a remarkable example of community engagement, bringing the spirit of the MCA directly into one of Chicago's most dynamic neighborhoods. It is so important to make art accessible to everyone and to help weave together the rich variety of cultures that makes Chicago such a uniquely vibrant place to live, work, and visit," said Rich Gamble, Interim President and CEO of Choose Chicago.“Sueños Chicago is super happy and honored to be a part of Dia del Niño! Our hope is for every kid to know that there is no dream too big; every kid's dream is worth fighting for. Now let's celebrate todos los niños!" Said the Sueños Chicago Team."It’s truly an honor to be a part of this event at La Villita, hosted by the MCA. We are grateful to participate, and support the community that has supported us since day one,” said Javier Garcia and Nathalie Soli, founders of Big Mich.#Guests can register for free tickets via the <a href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=bd2d9797d5&amp;e=95b957c616">ticketing link on the event’s web page.</a></body></html>

The MCA's Día del Niño (Day of the Children) Celebration Brings Art Into Neighborhoods

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419377/rgefk2eo4ljizcrndwih.jpg"></figure>Via PR(CHICAGO) April 23, 2024 – Hyde Park Art Center, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, announces that it has completed the transition to a contribution-based model for 100% of its art classes. The initiative, Open Arts, launched in spring 2022 with 70% of the courses on a contribute-what-you-can basis. The completion of this pioneering initiative makes the Art Center’s Oakman Clinton School + Studio the nation’s first fully contribute-what-you-can visual art school for all ages. The successful model, dedicated to ensuring more equitable access to artmaking, education, and community engagement, demonstrates the Art Center’s commitment to the South Side and the broader Chicago art ecosystem for the years to come.View <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6bnpikwskdu6yuesdvyif/OPEN-ARTS.mp4?rlkey=vpdf9fpk1ipscfth1l8lwk8ud&amp;dl=0">VIDEO</a> of students, teachers, donors, and Art Center staff sharing first-person perspectives on the program’s impact.As part of the 2016-2020 strategic planning process, the Art Center heard from constituents that the Art Center’s art-making facilities, education programs, and community of makers are a vital part of many people’s lives–and that at the same time, many were unable to participate because of the cost. Hence, the Art Center created a radical plan to ensure that no one is shut out due to their economic status. In 2018, the Art Center Board of Directors initiated the $16 million <a href="http://www.hydeparkart.org/art-makes">ART MAKES: COMMUNITY + CHANGE</a> capital campaign, the largest in the Art Center’s history, to establish the contribute-what-you-can education model and to increase funding for general operations and artist investment. By 2022, the Board had raised $17 million, surpassing the ambitious original goal and enabling the implementation of the contribution-based model.Two years after the initial launch, the Open Arts curriculum now includes all classes offered by the Oakman Clinton School + Studios at the Art Center, with more than 40 on-site courses each quarterly term, and additional workshops and virtual courses that provide more ways for the community to access artmaking. On average, the School + Studios offer more than 150 coursesper year and 120 teaching hours per week. Open Arts encompasses courses for all levels of participants, from skill-building courses for beginners such as painting and printmaking, to professional development programs for working artists including critique feedback and grant writing workshops, removing the financial barriers for artists of all economic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419378/evzydyb1bjtyvqqunvze.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;The contribute-what-you-can tuition model is shown to foster a culture of giving, and its continuous success relies on the generosity of class-takers, funders, and supporters of all types on an ongoing basis. Patrons are invited to contribute what they can through financial donations, class participation, spreading the word via social media, or however else they can. To make a donation that builds a path for continued equitable access to arts education, visit <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/education/open-arts/">www.hydeparkart.org/education/open-arts/</a>.Jill Potter, an Open Arts student, shares the liberty and interactions the initiative gives her: “Having the ability to decide what I can afford is liberating. I don’t have to choose between participating or not. And I can see the difference Open Arts is making at the Art Center. There are so many new faces and ‘first-timers’ in classes.&nbsp; I appreciate the multigenerational learning space where people exchange ideas and experiences.”Randall Miller, a teaching artist at the Art Center for over 10 years, shares how the program ensures steady work and reliable enrollments: “Prior to Open Arts, I worked with a small handful of really dedicated students. Unfortunately, there weren't always enough of them to run a class, so we would either be scrambling to enroll a few more students, or we would have to cancel. That kind of unpredictability was frustrating for students and difficult for me as the teaching artist because I loved working with those students, and I needed steady work. Now my courses have waiting lists and the students I've worked with for years have been able to maintain their work and sense of community.”Jen Tremblay Chambers, Co-Executive Director of the Art Center, shares the genesis, goals, and impact of the initiative: “Our community asked us for better ways to alleviate the financial stress and economic barriers that can come with signing up for a class. That was a call to action. We see first-hand every day the importance for people to be able to access their creativity and build deep relationships with peers and teachers. Many consider the school a second home, and we’re thrilled that tuition no longer gets in the way of their belonging.”&nbsp;About Hyde Park Art CenterHyde Park Art Center, at 5020 South Cornell Avenue on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, is a hub for contemporary arts in Chicago, serving as a gathering, production, and exhibition space for artists and the broader community to cultivate ideas, impact social change, and connect with new networks. Since its inception in 1939, Hyde Park Art Center has grown from a small collective of artists to establishing a strong legacy of risk-taking and experimentation, emerging as a unique Chicago arts institution with social impact. Today, the Art Center offers a diverse suite of programs for artists and art lovers of all backgrounds, ages, and stages in their careers including: contemporary art exhibitions in six galleries; open-access community-based school with 1,500 annual enrollments; weekly arts education to 1,000 elementary school students in public schools; weekly and summer teen programs for 100 teen artists; professional-advancement programs for artists; a local and international artist residency; and public programs that connects residents with Chicago art and artists. The Art Center functions as an amplifier for creative voices of today and tomorrow, providing the space to cultivate new work and connections. For more information, visit<a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/"> www.hydeparkart.org</a>.&nbsp;</body></html>