Homegrown: A History in Print

By ALISON REILLY

This weekend is the last opportunity to see Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute in the Permanent Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. In honor of SAIC's 150th anniversary, the Print & Drawings Department curated a selection of works by alumni of the art and design school. The prints and works on paper are organized loosely by themes such as the Monster Roster, Chicago Imagists and the Hairy-Who and includes many recognizable names such as Sanford Biggers, Claes Oldenburg, Nancy Spero, Judy Legerwood, and Ed Pashke (Jerry Saltz even makes an appearance). The exhibition also delves deep into the early twentieth century to much success.

German émigré Gustave Baumann's woodblock prints are a delight. Of note is Apple Blossoms, which is accompanied by seven carved woodblocks, illustrating the layers of color needed to achieve the impressive effect in the final print. Todros Geller's series of Yiddish Motifs are also impressive. The artist was working about a decade after Baumann, and in this series he layers woodcuts on Japanese wood veneer paper. Geller's depictions of working class life centered around Maxwell Street in Chicago contrasts his choice of a decorative Japanese paper.

Homegrown makes a point to focus on Regionalism as it was expressed in Chicago in the thirties and forties. Many of these prints were commissioned by the Works Progress Adminsitration, which reiterates the importance of the organization in the development of modern art in the United States. Adrian Troy's The Produce Market and Bernece Berkman's Gobbers, Git a Bag!!! pulse with life and tune viewers into a vibrant city despite the setbacks of the Depression. 

Margaret Burroughs' linocut print Family depicts a striking portrait of a couple. Burroughs first began involved at SAIC in the 1930s and eventually earned a masters in arts education from the school. She had a profound influence on the arts in Chicago; she was a dedicated arts activist as one of the founding artists of the South Side Community Arts Center in 1938. Decades later, in 1961, she cofounded, along with her husband, the DuSable Museum of African American History. 

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Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute in the Permanent Collection is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago until Sunday February 14, 2016.

For more information about SAIC's 150 Anniversary visit: saic.edu/150