Wicker Park’s Flat Iron Arts Building Sells To New Owners For First Time In 3 Decades

Longtime owners of the iconic Flat Iron Arts Building in the center of Wicker Park have sold the property to a pair of local real estate developers.

The Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., has for decades been home to artist studios, performance spaces, cultural organizations and many other local businesses with an artistic bent.

The building is also home to several bars and other businesses on its ground floor along Milwaukee and North avenues.

Since 1993, the Flat Iron has been owned and managed by Berger Realty Group, which also operates the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., and other properties in Chicago.

Via Block Club

Top image: The Flat Iron building in Wicker Park on Nov. 2, 2022. Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Congratulations to Caroline Kent, recipient of the Studio Museum in Harlem's Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize!

The Wein Prize, one of the most significant awards given to individual artists in the United States today, was established in 2006 by jazz impresario, musician and philanthropist George Wein to honor his late wife, Joyce Alexander (1928–2005), a long-time Trustee of the Studio Museum and a woman whose life embodied a commitment to the power and possibilities of art and culture. Presented each year at the Studio Museum’s fall Gala, the award recognizes and honors the artistic achievements of an African-American artist who demonstrates great innovation, promise, and creativity.

Envisioned as an extension of the Studio Museum’s mission to support experimentation and excellence in contemporary art, the Prize includes an unrestricted monetary award of $50,000. On October 24, 2022, The Studio Museum in Harlem was proud to announce artist Caroline Kent as a recipient of this prestigious award.

Via PATRON Gallery

Chicago Artists Coalition Welcomes new curatorial residents for the HATCH residency program, 2023-24.

Denny Mwaura is a curator and writer based in Chicago. He is the Assistant Director at Gallery 400, UIC. Mwaura was the 2021 recipient of the Schiff Foundation Fellowship for Critical Architectural Writing, an award granted by the Department of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. He received his MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Sophie Buchmueller is a Chicago-based arts worker with experience in curation, collections management, and museum education. Currently, she is the Registrar at Corbett vs. Dempsey. She is driven by the potential of contemporary art to serve as a framework for knowing and understanding the world—not just as a reflection of reality, but as a mode of active engagement with our often-precarious surroundings. She holds a BA in American Studies and French from Carleton College and MAs in Art History and Arts Administration & Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Sofía Sanchez Bjorboa is an art historian and Chicago-based independent curator. Sofía has held exhibition-making roles in the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil in Mexico City, the Sullivan Galleries, and the Field Museum in Chicago. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History from Centro de Cultura Casa Lamm and a master’s degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Visual and Critical Studies.In 2021, she wrote a book, Anyone who has never been bored cannot be a storyteller, which will be published in May 2023. 
 

Evanston Art Center Announces Its Winter Expo Plans

The Winter Arts & Crafts Expo includes original, handmade works of jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal, glass, painting, photography, mixed media, and more. All proceeds from the Expo will benefit the ongoing exhibition, education, and outreach programs at the Art Center. The Winter Expo is also the perfect opportunity for families to shop for everyone on their holiday gift list. 

The Winter Expo is free and open to the general public from November 19th – December 20th. In addition to the regularly scheduled Winter Expo dates, the EAC will also host a special shopping event with handcrafted items made by Art Center students! There are also items offered by Teen Board members. Plus several themed pop-up shops and workshops. 

Preview Party: November 18 from 6-9pm. Tickets: $40 for early registration and $50 at the door. Register today!

General Shopping: November 19 – December 20

Silent Auction: November 18 – 20