<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419415/erftys7c1pptlnserkru.jpg"><figcaption>Katsushika Hokusai: “The Great Wave off Kanagawa (Kanazawa oki nami ura),” from the series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” (Fugaku sanjürokkei); Polychrome woodblock print (Nishikie), circa 1830-1832. Photo courtesy Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa.</figcaption></figure>VIA PRCCMA's next major summer art exhibition coming in 2025 is “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection.” The exhibition will feature over 50 original works by renowned artists from the Japanese Edo Period, along with a historical exhibit, children's area, and other educational and interactive&nbsp;installations throughout the MAC. The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art in collaboration with The Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa, and with the support of MondoMostre. The “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” exhibition showcases over 50 original artworks by masters of Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868). Works by acclaimed artists Hokusai and Hiroshige provide a window into life during a time when the City of Edo (present-day Tokyo) thrived as the center of Japan’s economy and culture.“Art at this time was very intimate and focused on themes of performing arts, courtly life, nature, and the vibrant urban culture of Edo,” said CCMA Curator Justin Witte. “Now 200 years later, the striking and graphic style of these images still feels fresh and innovative, inspiring contemporary artists and illustrators.”In addition to the artwork, the exhibition will include: a historical area and timeline with multi-media elements; an outdoor Japanese garden; a children’s Edo art &amp; anime area with coloring pages and activities; an interactive Edo Experience with Shogun and Kabuki garments and more.“As with past major exhibitions, including ‘Frida Kahlo: Timeless’ and ‘WARHOL,’ the creative teams and designers of McAninch Arts Center will create interactive exhibition experiences that help visitors connect with this enchanting era of Shoguns, Samurai and Geisha, that are rich educational experiences and special events that enhance understanding and appreciation of the Japanese Edo era,” said MAC Director and Executive Director Diana Martinez.The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, with works from&nbsp;The Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoathat was originally collected by Edoardo Chiossone (1833-1898) and whose collection is known worldwide for the quality of art and its remarkable state of conservation. The featured Ukiyo-e collection on loan will be curated by Professor and art historian Rossella Menegazzo of The University of Milan as part of the larger exhibition at the MAC and CCMA, curated by Justin Witte. Tickets for “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” will be available soon. More information about this exhibition will be announced at a later date.<a href="https://engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=66955ccb65c62e053ab21fe9&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theccma.org%2Fhokusai%3Fss_source%3Dsscampaigns%26ss_campaign_id%3D6674776baa162b4445c05697%26ss_email_id%3D66955ccb65c62e053ab21fe9%26ss_campaign_name%3DHokusai%2B%2526%2BUkiyo-e%2Bat%2BCleve%2BCarney%2BMuseum%2Bof%2BArt%26ss_campaign_sent_date%3D2024-07-15T17%253A31%253A31Z&amp;w=610a97870a7b92681378bfb2&amp;c=b_6674776baa162b4445c05697&amp;l=en-US&amp;s=OJUvjGXR5CWdbLpyeLPKFg-67eo%3D">&nbsp;More Info&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419416/wcebw5f9zb32owicnj3o.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Cleve Carney Museum of Art Announces “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” Coming Summer 2025 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/ezvvcfhsikf6qe2yppyz.jpg"><figcaption>The Crown Fountain in Millennium Park. Peyton Reich / Sun-Times &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2024/07/12/millennium-park-crown-fountain-chicago-20th-birthday-jaume-plensa?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=071224%20Afternoon%20Edition&amp;utm_content=071224%20Afternoon%20Edition+CID_444d029ea5e58f49a635ffba1ad8bc86&amp;utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&amp;utm_term=The%20faces%20in%20the%20fountain%20Millennium%20Parks%20Crown%20Fountain%20still%20watching%20over%20Chicago%20after%2020%20years&amp;tpcc=cst_cm">The faces in the fountain: Millennium Park's Crown Fountain still watching over Chicago after 20 years</a>Millennium Park turns 20 on Tuesday. But the 24.5-acre expanse became the king of Chicago city parks almost as soon as it opened in 2004 — four years late and with a price tag of $490 million, more than triple the original estimated cost. About $220 million of that came from private donations.At a black-tie cocktail party before the park opened, former Chicago Park District CEO Forrest Claypool, speaking with the late WTTW-Channel 11 host John Callaway, dismissed the tardiness and cost overruns.“The park is so beautiful that in 15 years nobody will remember any of that,” Claypool said.Via Chicago Sun–Times&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-history-majors-job-prospects-2511339">Do Art History Majors Really Face the Worst Job Prospects of Any Profession?</a>Art History majors face the worst employment prospects of any profession after graduating from college, <a href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market#--:explore:outcomes-by-major">a study</a> by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has found. The data, released by the Fed in February, became a talking point online this week, just as students close out the academic year and many start the job hunt.Diving into the report, specifically it found that Art History majors face an unemployment rate of 8 percent, the most of any university major. The vast majority that have jobs are holding down positions they are overqualified, according to the underemployment rate of 62.3 percent.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/new-york-artists-reate-works-jfk-new-terminal-1234712124/">18 New York Artists Tapped to Create Works for JFK’s New&nbsp;Terminal</a>John F. Kennedy Airport, one of the world’s busiest crossroads, will soon be its destination in its own right for world-class art. Eighteen artists hailing from seven countries have been tapped to create installations for the airport’s new Terminal 6, set to open in 2026, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced on Tuesday.&nbsp;The $4.2 billion terminal is now set to host works by artists based in New York, including Sky Hopinka, Charles Gaines, and Barbara Kruger. The group also includes a significant amount of artists who are based in New York City or New York State but were born abroad, such as Felipe Baeza and Uman, who were hail from Mexico and Somalia, respectively.Via ARTnews&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/07/16/christies-first-half-2024-results">Christie’s first half auction sales decline 22% year-on-year, to $2.1bn</a>The latest proof that the art market is down but not out arrived today (16 July), as Christie’s announced select results from the first half of 2024. The auction house’s total revenue from live and online auction sales during this period reached $2.1bn worldwide, around $600m less (-22%) than it made under the hammer during the opening six months of 2023. The drop is even steeper when compared to the same period in 2022, when competition for the collections of Anne Bass, Thomas and Doris Ammann and Hubert de Givenchy propelled Christie’s to a hearty $4.1bn in revenue from auction sales—nearly double its equivalent results this year.Yet several other metrics showed that Christie’s has held surprisingly steady in the face of recent turbulence. Its healthy 87% sell-through rate was on par with that in both 2023 and 2022. The index of hammer price to low estimate was 111% through this June, meaning that the winning bids for all lots sold (before fees) outperformed their minimum expectations by around 11%.Via The Art Newspaper&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 7/17/24

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/hrgzb0ntakk8npqkbdv2.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/darin-latimer-fix-your-hearts-or-die-war-on-every-corner">Darin Latimer: Fix your Hearts or Die (War on Every Corner)</a>Opening: Friday, July 19, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/xasfafkuoghxoypax7bd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/memorable-ordinary">Memorable Ordinary</a>Opening: Friday, July 19, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmKim Storage Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/ewsnjgila1r0tljpgt3m.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-conversation-with-dale-washington">In Conversation with Dale Washington</a>Opening: Friday, July 19, 6 - 9 pmBridgeport Art Center&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/hz8fkruil6vbfemvhrno.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mid-summer-dreams">Midsummer Dreams</a>Opening: Saturday, July 20, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmChicago Sculpture International (CSI)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions July 19 - 21

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/dpb9vylvevzg5cpovlhr.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By CGN STAFFArtist Tony Fitzpatrick shared yesterday that this Friday Night, July 12, 2024 will be the final gallery opening at the Dime, an artist-focused exhibition space located at 1513 N. Western AvenueFitzpatrick emailed friends his message, saying The Dime has "a marvelous couple of Shows...Photographs by Daphne Walsh and paintings by Liz Laughlin...After 10 years it's time to go. The short reason is: I've gone out of business. I'll not blame anyone or anything other than the sad fact that I am a for-shit Businessman. I resisted taking any percentage of Sales because I believe that Artist's have enough economic disadvantages without imposing another one. I wish to thank my Landlord and friend Perry Casalino for the remarkably generous rent deal which allowed us to operate for 10 years -- Those of you who came through and added joy, laughter, and Goodwill to this place . The amazing Artists who taught me so much over this last decade. It was a joy...Goodbye, Fare thee Well, and Amen...Tony&nbsp;Details on The Dime's Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_dime_tf_projects/">account</a></body></html>

Tony Fitzpatrick Announces Final Show for The Dime

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/xdr1sxyhqjsbxqdz1gt2.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-bloom">In Bloom</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmCircle Contemporary (Arts of Life)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/w4hhntijylodamwsxwns.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/fear-is-a-joke">Fear Is A Joke</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmT. Mari Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/cmp3mj3vz7klf0yk0mzs.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/be-of-love-care-in-an-age-of-discontent">Be of Love: Care in an Age of Discontent</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 7 – 11&nbsp;pmPublic Works&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/jdwpcxfgc6b9jipalncb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/hope-a-prelude">Hope: A Prelude</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmHilton Contemporary&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419412/iylg2mqqlutc5ifdgctu.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/arts-of-life">Human Resources | Group Show with Arts of Life</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Artists Coalition (CAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419412/khhpclmkwlzuhdaenvhs.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/aleksander-najda-and-vasyl-savchenko">The Ground of Things: Aleksander Najda and Vasyl Savchenko</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmUkrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419413/xa0gbnjf4fgtv1tbl6f5.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vera-klement-26ffa579-a8f2-47d6-bce6-5af0337adc2f">Vera Klement: After A Life</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmZolla / Lieberman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions July 12 & 13 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/yncf8qyiaa6jyd7hjcdh.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-exhibition-and-opening-reception-4fd4828c-849a-44c6-8d9d-5dc8f33e3068">Wesley Kimler</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmGallery Victor&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/djdgcdhxreirnzeixrgg.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/opening-reception-for-2024-vicinity">Opening Reception for 2024 Vicinity</a>Opening: Saturday, July 13, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmPerspective Photo Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/tbcii1qyqnjotiim5k7d.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-exhibition-and-opening-reception-e2f4fb32-2124-48b0-9c91-15e69a175491">Karen Perl: When the Dreams Came</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmAddington Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/jgplixnos6apquvyldnf.jpg"></figure>The Night You Love Me – Diego De La RosaOn view July 12-August 30<a href="/organizations/w-gallery">Povos Downtown</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419412/snvfonjwu9vvksy0j9sl.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-bigger-table-50-years-of-the-chicago-poetry-center-8bf99681-09ba-465f-8058-82d0f33697fb">A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center</a>Opening: Saturday, July 13, 2 – 5&nbsp;pmPoetry Foundation&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419413/xtxhnv6t9zv3ui12i7xd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/doug-stapleton-false-augury-collages-and-objects">Doug Stapleton | False Augury: Collages and Objects</a>Opening: Saturday, July 13, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmBert Green Fine Art&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419414/cw58pcybwbhgjwprwtzx.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-edition">Where a knot begins and ends</a>Exhibition begins July 13Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419414/bxagpnluwgxyl8nvqxl7.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/connectivity">Connectivity</a>Opening: Saturday, July 13, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmWoman Made Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions July 12 & 13 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/omd9p2ktifwadzjdkbw7.jpg"><figcaption>Pictured:&nbsp;The Lovers Dance&nbsp;by Yvette Mayorga, photo courtesy of Millennium Park Foundation &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>By CGN Staff via PRMillennium Park's 20th anniversary celebrations continue this week with a very 2024 announcement about installations that bring art to the public via augmented reality. Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Millennium Park Foundation announced new temporary public art installations coming to the Park, including physical works by one of the world’s most recognized sculptors, Franz West, as well as world by Chicago-based artists Claire Ashley, Faheem Majeed, Yvette Mayorga and Carlos Rolón.&nbsp;While the Park's famous Cloud Gate was recently reopened following a 20th anniversary facelift, just in time for a record number of summer selfies, the news of innovative augmented reality works in Millennium Park by Ashley, Majeed, Mayorga and Rolón is sure to send visitors and their smartphones into overdrive. The works will be on view throughout Millennium Park now through November 2025. West’s sculptures will be on view in the South Boeing Gallery starting the week of July 22nd through November 2025.Located on both the north and south ends of Millennium Park, the Boeing Galleries house temporary modern and contemporary art exhibitions where visitors can directly experience the work and expressions of current artists. In the 20 years since the Park’s opening, the Boeing Galleries have featured artworks by Chakaia Booker, Yvonne Domenge, Jun Kaneko, Edra Soto, and Christine Tarkowski, among others. The cost of exhibition curation and management is underwritten by Millennium Park Foundation using funds from private donors.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/uofeadhjni36rwsr1mu5.png"><figcaption>Claire Ashley, N O M A D I C&nbsp; F L U O R A T I C&nbsp; P H Y L O S I A N&nbsp; S P A W N, 2024&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“Since Millennium Park opened 20 years ago, the Park has been a unique showcase for Chicago’s flourishing public art scene, attracting visitors from across the globe to see works that celebrate the soul of Chicago and its people,” said DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth. “Art can inspire, challenge and bring joy, and these new temporary installations, including for the first time works viewed via augmented reality, will give everyone visiting Millennium Park this summer an unforgettable experience.”“For the first time our curated Boeing exhibition will span both space and time,” said Donna LaPietra, Chair and President of the Millennium Park Foundation Board of Directors. “In celebration of the Park’s 20th anniversary, we wanted to showcase both large-scale public art works alongside pioneering augmented reality works of Chicago-based artists, creating a dynamic fusion of traditional and innovative public art experiences throughout the Park. These exhibitions highlight Millennium Park’s commitment to making art accessible and interactive, offering visitors a unique and immersive cultural experience. We invite everyone to join us in this remarkable journey and witness a year of firsts for the 20th Anniversary season.”Viewers of the augmented reality works will need to use the free Hoverlay app, available in the Apple AppStore or Google PlayStore, as well as an augmented reality-capable device running iOS 14 or later or Android 8.0 or later.For information about Millennium Park exhibitions, art and architecture, the 20th Anniversary Celebration and more, visit <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.CSSunAOBvEOR4GhykBjJWWnTwxFlkUDDBF-2Fji248p2y6hFXsBorvoCC9fZuH5e36f75VCxaJvIMcUVrPB-2B9jDhS87cZAc-2BmLX0q2ReeRRkhm2GDgx5hGZvJkSZKsYWhEJESh_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN2htsLqOnV28cTjbNPU0LQaAR7i0-2FTDQ2uQQMHQ1gTYbZNYuZjCzevUeyDyw7HyxHLcur44-2F63-2FUYmoBTlz-2FTpOQvCtSvQjEZ8xXQtwLwM1-2FzBopy3iPpVtI3XDmAN10hCXhzqluVCeXV5jurUsJ-2BwhXZE1vY7-2FrKA8nWSyXx6G9w-3D-3D">millenniumpark.org</a>Read CGN's feature on Millennium Park's anniversary <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/6/20-years-of-drawing-the-world-to-chicago-millennium-park">here</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/t6h6shz3jmuvclwr6d2x.jpg"><figcaption>Franz West</figcaption></figure>The new installations are:Franz West: Millennium Park features three monumental installations by West: Stonehenge (2011), Kugeln (Balls) (2002), and Dorit (2002), set against the iconic backdrop of Millennium Park. On view starting the week of July 22ndStonehenge, with its playful, abstract forms, invites viewers to engage physically and imaginatively, while Kugeln (Balls) presents three individual brightly hued spherical sculptures that disrupt conventional expectations of balance and form. Dorit, characterized by its organic shapes and vibrant colors, further exemplifies West's unique approach to sculpture, blending humor and a sense of the surreal with profound artistic statements.Emerging in the early 1970s, Austrian artist West (1947-2012) developed a unique aesthetic that engaged equally high and low reference points and often privileged social interaction as an intrinsic component of his work. While he was known primarily as a sculptor, his body of work incorporated drawing, collage, video, and installation, using papier-mâché, furniture, cardboard, plaster, found imagery, and other diverse materials. West is celebrated for his ability to merge sculpture with everyday life, transforming public spaces into interactive art environments. His work challenges traditional perceptions of art, emphasizing the importance of viewer interaction and the integration of art into daily experience.&nbsp;More information about West at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tcMbQXbKg02VZhNs5YVTouQX5JnzCVDUNwytQ-2FJu2oo3Y1iD_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN3xnPXC8xeItC2je-2FTSkYAPK8dHF3WWDBeuP4WZ7EGne1P4OlWBn8wSuj6kbZIHZmGxn2ug6B6o-2FcyZPTRWuog8xXH9CsVWa7zU0hHfu7P8YcDpCZH5OZBfpl5vwP72NluV6PmVj4ztB64mBD8DALnnF8Yb7s-2F8qLFBS8B-2Bg-2BJLew-3D-3D">archivfranzwest.org</a>. &nbsp;Augmented Chicago: Inaugural Realities&nbsp;(on view now through November 2025)Augmented Chicago: Inaugural Realities showcases the innovative works of four internationally celebrated Chicago-based artists, Claire Ashley, Faheem Majeed, Yvette Mayorga and Carlos Rolón, pioneering the use of Augmented Reality (AR) for the first time in the vibrant setting of Millennium Park. This exhibition invites visitors to experience a groundbreaking fusion of technology and artistry, transforming the Park's landscape into a dynamic canvas of digital creativity. By highlighting AR as a new tool and medium in the world of public art, these artists explore new dimensions of interaction, engagement, and expression, offering a fresh perspective on the urban environment.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/mts9qzvj9f7u9pctzsvm.png"><figcaption>Carlos Rolón, Ni Aquí, Ni Allá (Neither Here, Nor There), 2024&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>• Carlos RolónNi Aquí, Ni Allá (Neither Here, Nor There), 2024&nbsp;Chicago-born Rolón is celebrated for his multidisciplinary artistic approach, exploring themes such as craft, ritual, beauty, identity, and their intersections with art history. With roots in Puerto Rican heritage, Rolón's background fuels his exploration of personal concepts, blending self-examination with rich cultural symbolism. This synthesis fosters community engagement and blurs the boundaries between public and private spheres, providing viewers a bridge to connect with the broader cultural narrative.Through Ni Aquí, Ni Allá (Neither Here, Nor There), viewers are invited to experience a transformative oasis inspired by the vibrant spirit of Puerto Rico. By blending both the digital art and physical elements within the park, Rolón creates a sanctuary amidst the urban landscape—a space where people can pause, rejuvenate, and connect with nature. Inspired by the vibrant landscape, atmosphere, and sounds of Puerto Rico, this installation features tiled benches, the gentle melodies of the coqui (small frog), a cascading waterfall, and botanical elements that collectively capture the essence of the island. Through the harmonious interplay of virtual and tangible elements, visitors are transported into a dynamic environment, inviting them to embark on a sensory journey of immersion and exploration.More information about Rolón at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tfxrid7Jl-2BAGW2emu1ms4tS0j6mNazw4VTG-2FVrsU-2BM-2B-2BvGHO_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN3COmKlIPu82SNhReSTRasQPCSkXF78F6CI0jXIiToLeqqFPFbEhck7QqZwwRaMnHmuN-2Bk6V83aJwG6uWLnJuqUxb9Rdamm69yz2p1GDX0qQLHe5NwkVFkgjNiHYnPLxzutcywcJjQeSZAWPCna-2B-2BOdPwDb9TFU-2BlgDUIwDFukiYA-3D-3D">carlosrolon.com</a>. &nbsp;• Yvette MayorgaThe Lovers Dance, 2024Mayorga is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist known for her Rococo-inspired reliefs that merge confectionary labor with found images to explore themes of belonging. Dominated by the color pink, Mayorga celebrates femme power while questioning the allure of consumer culture and the American Dream as a first-generation Latinx.The Lovers Dance is Mayorga’s first augmented reality public work. Drawing from the stories and shapes of her intricately piped paintings and public installations, Mayorga creates an immersive, interactive experience that reflects her signature feminine world-building. In The Lovers Dance, she explores themes of belonging and love by depicting two dancers emerging from the sky, set against a backdrop of piped frosted clouds reminiscent of a theatrical play.More information about Mayorga can be found at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3teMddG6RZu47bg0FHBslqB3zOcGtPvcUKpFNnIvXYwx8GFBc_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN1QkuiIOSSouImE-2FfnUfnPtDVjEqAvLT7P3-2FDBMMAg1-2FAsJrkdDG-2BdDWqID3bsuFvRIRfg-2BnBpSIR2JhRLGyw-2BqkTqX1cYz-2Bnv8Qn55eR9MXDhigi7wg1hopKCPv3SOsnEmipoa-2BEHzGf51FRM-2B0CLbM6u7bnaPUMj9bU2I6v4Drw-3D-3D">yvettemayorga.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;• Claire Ashley with audioscape by Joshua Patterson&nbsp;N O M A D I C&nbsp; F L U O R A T I C&nbsp; P H Y L O S I A N&nbsp; S P A W N, 2024&nbsp;Scottish born, Chicago-based artist Ashley mines the language of painterly abstraction, monumental sculpture, and slapstick humor to investigate inflatables as painting, sculpture, installation and performance costume. Currently a teacher at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, her works have been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries, museums, site-specific installations, and performances events.In N O M A D I C&nbsp; F L U O R A T I C&nbsp; P H Y L O S I A N&nbsp; S P A W N, viewers encounter four apparitions, experienced here over one calendar year, responding to the shifting seasonal color palette of Millennium Park’s Lurie Gardens.<ul><li>Spring: A single apparition grows. The mother form stretches and elongates, birthing its spawn, grumbling as it spits them out.</li><li>Summer: Multiple apparitions vibrate. The mother and spawn sway, float, shudder, vibrate, spin, roll, and feast, bubbling and boiling in a whirling dervish-like motion.</li><li>Fall: The apparitions slow down. The mother and spawn merge, clicking back together into a new lumpier formation.</li><li>Winter: A single apparition hibernates. It snores, snuggles, stretches, and yawns. Crystalline growths appear, beginning the regeneration process for spring.</li></ul>More information about Ashley at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tXtY-2FA45pKDUEqOa6dl823MBFh4tKQMUmCyLT7aRvsg-2FwBBx_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN1RR9hZodOZMUBACldOhaHvlQEUnap4mH2-2B-2FJmThjH1OzSMPRkwZgSkcYzmv62yD9H0Dd2-2BvFlJhJFzpHat6eSpG3-2Bw2Nf1GbYlCWi-2BrUODKpDdgPcRqO9-2FNB-2FcO7dzzgAjZjTvBv-2BwcO82m1W3GC5H0-2FmKWoOrf9aBu1nnUI4OVQ-3D-3D">clairehelenashley.com</a>.&nbsp;• Faheem MajeedFreedom’s Stand: Sentries Beacon, 2024Faheem Majeed is a professor of art at the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as an artist, curator, and community facilitator. He blends his uniqueexperience as a non-profit administrator and artist to create works that focus on institutional critique and exhibitions that leverage collaboration to engage his immediate, and the broader community, in meaningful dialogue.Freedom’s Stand: Sentries Beacon is an homage to the pioneering spirit of Black newspapers in the United States, drawing on the legacy of community-generated news and self-representation. Inspired by the historical impact of Freedom’s Journal, the first Black-owned newspaper founded in 1827, this augmented reality sculpture highlights the importance of Black voices in media. Combining elements from Chicago’s Wall of Respect, the Community Mural Movement, and traditional West African Dogon architecture, Freedom’s Stand creates a rich cultural tapestry.Freedom’s Stand: Sentries Beacon features three dynamic augmented reality newspaper stand sculptures that grow into towering structures and shrink back into smaller stands, symbolizing the evolving nature of Black media. The design, reminiscent of traditional newsstands integrated with Dogon granary aesthetics, creates a living archive. These sculptures showcase a curated collection of headlines, articles, and advertisements from 209 Black newspapers, ensuring the work remains dynamic and ever-changing. This project underscores the importance of celebrating diverse voices in media, ensuring they inform and inspire future generations.More information at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tZDx5biPr4fme-2FswAGqgwnbF0hRdpJcbMrZcFE-2BG-2FOsP8J8h_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN30BvpetB-2Bej0VzsGFhA1sdf8NSajUL4ZGnWM-2BOP49IsIQTEaPaBe4zI-2FeZDhxGJKPpfYuhMQ3Tz4OpXOT8NoxDawXDYwSH3E0zWF0oJIAqA2LHAfm6yStNwP2SdwKI2Fa3kiHVaspSufIKMa95eRGtNoYnfn1bfJCpxYEm0ZXD4Q-3D-3D">faheemmajeed.com</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Augmented Reality + Art Come to Millennium Park 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/ak3y128hf1hyfe33ujtw.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs's latest wall in Laon, France, 2024</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;BY ANNA DOBROWOLSKII caught up with Collin van der Sluijs as he put the finishing touches on a four-story-tall rooster in a small town in France. "I'm baking from the heat, so it's a good time for a break," he tells me.While some artists shy away from graffiti, dismissing it as a mere teenage fling with urban art, Collin van der Sluijs raises it to new heights, literally. His style blends formal academic art training with illustrative boldness. Drawing inspiration from unexpected sources like Michelangelo and Da Vinci (yes, the cartoon characters), he has spearheaded a graffiti renaissance. On July 5th, he returns to Vertical Gallery in Chicago for his fifth solo show, Observer.&nbsp;CGN: Observer is a clever title for the exhibit - it tows the line between perception and attention to something or someone, and surveillance. What prompted this show? Did you build it with a question in mind?Collin van der Sluijs: I’m always asking questions. Who am I, what am I doing here?&nbsp; I am always looking around for answers, observing my surroundings.&nbsp;When I’m walking through a city or cycling through the landscape, I’m also looking at walls. I think, “That would be a nice one to paint.”&nbsp; I will stop and paint watercolors en plein air. I try to make an interpretation of whatever it is I’m looking at. When I’m in the studio – my studio is in my hometown in Maastricht. I can just go there by bike like a typical Dutch guy and in ten minutes I'm there – I’m working on paintings about things that I’ve experienced or things I’ve seen. We are all observers.&nbsp;CGN: Yet not all of us are equipped with that ability to pay attention, especially to something as familiar as a wall on our commute. Maybe this sounds basic, but what makes a wall interesting to you? &nbsp;CvdS:&nbsp;The wall doesn’t have to be downtown. The building itself can be along an interesting route. It’s almost always a portrait, not a landscape wall. I don’t know why. If it's a tall surface, I see it and think, “That’s a pretty good spot for a painting. It's a feeling of sport, too, in a way."&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/xw550yehmw4l3uzp6xnm.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs, a Maastricht, Netherlands wall in progress, summer 2024</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Sounds challenging. Can you tell me more about how graffiti ended up in your art practice?CvdS: “When I was about 10 or 11, I went grocery shopping with my mom and dad. I saw a group of guys in the city painting graffiti. I thought, “Wow, this is like drawing outside your little bedroom and into the wild. Before that I was always drawing the classics, like the Ninja Turtles and cartoons. When I came back home from that I started sketching – and to be honest it looked like shit. But I always stuck with it.My parents sent me to art school because they thought it would be better for me to learn something there. They were always supportive.While being in the art academy I tried to find a way to get that graffiti feeling into my art. I combined spray paint with oils and acrylics, which they didn’t like. It took some time to master that combination. I still haven't mastered it, but that’s fine because otherwise it would be boring.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: It used to be a sort of unspoken rule to not get caught tagging buildings, etc. but it seems like graffiti is picking up in the mainstream art world – I’m thinking of a certain famously anonymous graffiti artist, for example -- but you embrace it and make it a part of your gallery work, which is refreshing. Did you ever get caught?&nbsp;CvdS: No, never. I also never would cover people’s houses or whatever. If it’s an abandoned building that’s about to get torn down anyway, that’s ok.In art, there is – or maybe was -- a tendency to hide it. Some artists will say “I’m not 16 anymore.” There were times when I tried to hide it, but it didn’t work out. For me it is how everything started. It’s a thing from the past that will always haunt me in a positive way. Now I travel everywhere because of it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/baqrnvxv4qg1zmjo8p8c.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: This is your 5th show at Vertical. How is this show different from the others to you?How did you scale-down?&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/f2btgod8z6eh0tjonbyf.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CvdS: The way I work hasn’t changed over the years, but what I observe. I started with gallery work around 1990—growing from small shows to bigger shows. I see how things change. Like murals going mainstream. More artists working out of the box.[...]Growing as an artist doesn't necessarily mean 'growing up' from the things that fascinated us as children. Sometimes, it just means finding a bigger wall to scale.&nbsp;“If I were to give my younger self advice, I'd say to believe in yourself. It won't be easy; there will be unsafe and crazy situations, but when the project is completed, you'll often leave with a laugh. If you don't take a risk, you'll never know."&nbsp;#&nbsp;Collin van der Sluijs Observer July 5 - 27, 2024 Opening reception: Friday July 5th, 5:00-8:00pm <a href="https://verticalgallery.com/blogs/news/collin-van-der-sluijs-observer">Vertical Gallery</a> – 2006 W Chicago Ave #1R<a href="https://www.instagram.com/collinvandersluijs/">@collinvandersluijs</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419412/gnrayzf9x6hnasdltoun.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Collin van der Sluijs Elevates Graffiti to New Heights

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/xaqvyy12vqqfhyprtyjn.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By CGN StaffThe River North Gallery District spaces are banding together again to host their traditional mid-summer gallery walk on Friday, July 12 from 5–8pm. Afterward, walk attendees are invited to enjoy cocktails and al fresco dining at River North's many restaurants.&nbsp;A July gallery walk has been around in the district for many years. This time of year galleries are eager to invite collectors and visitors to the city &nbsp;on self-guided tour of &nbsp;spaces located on Huron, Superior, and Wells Streets, while meeting artists, curators, and gallery staff.&nbsp;The Mid-Summer River North Gallery Walk is free and open to the public. Maps are available at Addington Gallery (704 N Wells St.)Some galleries are opening new exhibitions while others are hosting receptions for ongoing summer shows.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Participating galleries:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/joan-holleb-heading-home">Addington Gallery</a> - Exhibiting Karen Perl<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/spring-summer-group-show">Carl Hammer Gallery</a> – Exhibiting Boundaries and Beyond: Imagined Landscapes<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/gallery-victor-armendariz">Gallery Victor Armendariz</a> – Exhibiting Don Pollack, Wesley Kimler, and Matthew Cook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hilton-asmus-contemporary">Hilton | Asmus Contemporary</a> – Exhibiting Cristina Mittermeier<a href="http://www.zggallery.com">Zg Gallery</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/group-exhibition-featuring-meredith-kopelman-lynn-neuman-james-ostrander-ruth-poor">Zolla/Lieberman Gallery</a> – Exhibiting Vera Klement&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

River North's Mid-Summer Gallery Walk Happens Friday, July 12, 2024

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/tzkjybz2oyod7wuqh6g3.jpg"><figcaption>Leon Granacki</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://classicchicagomagazine.com/an-artist-goes-to-war/">An Artist Goes to War</a>“My father died in 1993.&nbsp; The day after new tenants moved into his old flat, I got an excited call:&nbsp; ‘We have found something of your dad’s and I think you’ll want to see it right away.’ I made a mad dash to Keeler Avenue and as I burst in, they immediately handed me Most Secret: Memoirs of a Doughboy’s Past, the visual diary he began when he landed on Guadalcanal November 11, 1943.&nbsp; The precious little book had gotten shoved to the back end of the tallest shelf in my old bedroom closet.&nbsp; As I gingerly thumbed through the pages, I entered the life of my father the soldier—a life he had kept most secret from all of us.” –Victoria Granacki, author of An Artist Goes to War:&nbsp; Leon Granacki in the South Pacific WWII.&nbsp;Via Classic ChicagoNote: CGN interviewed Ms Granacki and her late husband Lee Wesley back in 2019. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/5/stewards-of-art-and-history-the-expansive-collection-of-lee-wesley-and-vicki-granacki">Read the collector profile here.</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/thtrrbgtibsthddyoq3z.jpg"><figcaption>The Brauer Museum of Art at Indiana's Valparaiso University. Photo courtesy of the Brauer Museum of art.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/valparaiso-university-shutters-brauer-museum-deaccessioning-controversy-2505345">Indiana's Brauer Museum Shutters Amid Deaccessioning Controversy</a>Indiana’s Valparaiso University has shuttered the Brauer Museum of Art and dismissed its director, Jonathan Canning, amid ongoing controversy over the university’s plan to sell three artworks to fund renovations of its freshman dormitories. The school’s president, José Padilla, first notified the school of the possible sale in February 2023, citing a projected $9 million deficit for 2023–2024 and falling enrollment, from 4,500 to less than 2,800 over the past five years.VIa Artnet&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/arissmven4zs9i7mzc6p.jpg"><figcaption>Nicole Eisenman (American, born 1965); 'Beer Garden with A.K.' ; 2009; oil on canvas; overall: 65 x 82 in. (165.1 x 208.3 cm); Private Collection, Switzerland; CI.2013.036. CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2024/06/12/stylistic-chameleon-nicole-eisenman-survey-at-mca-chicago/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2FqTi8T-33Yckh_kI9y9FhxNuEsXH7dKfInEoRQwGeN2Luf80iudf60qw_aem_zAkwQIzERBneGFjbg_0GiA">‘Stylistic Chameleon’ Nicole Eisenman Survey At MCA Chicago</a>She can be lewd, crude, and rude. Uproariously funny, inappropriate, or deeply insightful, all at the same time, depending on where you stand.Taking cues from Michelangelo, Baroque painting, German Expressionism, Pop art, comics and soft porn–to name a few–Nicole Eisenman (b. 1965, Verdun, France; lives in Brooklyn, NY) proves difficult to categorize.Via Forbes&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 7/1/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/smp8yheaxkcbbkdwwtje.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By BIANCA BOVAWilliam J. O’Brien is a world-maker. Working across a range of media that spans ceramics, bronze, drawing, painting, fiber, and steel, his ability to collate the output of his vast practice into a single coherent narrative that engulfs the physical spaces it occupies and hints at the psychic spaces of its inhabitants holds a singular power unrivaled by his similarly prodigious contemporaries.A prolific artist, O’Brien has already enjoyed a decades-spanning career that has included solo exhibitions at institutions including the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; the Renaissance Society, Chicago; KMAC Museum, Louisville; MAD Museum, New York; Witte De With, Rotterdam; and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City. His first major museum survey came in 2014 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, curated by Naomi Beckwith. His work resides in the permanent collections of museums including The Art Institute of Chicago; Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles and KMAC Museum, Louisville, among many others. He also holds a post as professor and former Chair in the Fine Arts department at School of the Art Institute of Chicago.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/vxbfquolaxuifrqzfnwj.jpg"><figcaption>WILLIAM J. O’BRIEN, Freak Flags, 2024, Installation view, ACKERMAN CLARKE, Chicago, IL USA &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;With this laundry list of accomplishments behind him–and having overcome a catastrophic studio fire in 2012 that destroyed hundreds of pieces of his work–O’Brien not only continues to pursue his practice, but to expand it. In 2023, he partnered with the Chicago Park District to install the exhibition Earth, Water, Fire, Wind &amp; Space at the historic Lincoln Park Conservatory. ​​The multimedia exhibition spanned both the Palm Room and the Show Room of the Victorian greenhouse, and featured over one hundred ceramic and papier-mâché sculptures integrated throughout the plant life, infrastructure, and water features therein. Reflecting on the exhibition, O’Brien notes, “The show at the conservatory was me thinking about where art can exist more outside of a traditional gallery or museum context.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/tckthnzrubkgjg1zilzy.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;This embrace of nontraditionalism extends into the latest expansion of O’Brien’s practice with the founding of Shadow Work Press, and the subsequent publication of the artist’s debut novel, Nighttime Kingdom.&nbsp;“The decision was, ‘If I'm going to publish a book, I want it to be on my terms, so I'm just gonna do the press,’” says O’Brien, “It was about reclaiming a sense of expression and of autonomy.”The novel, which features a foreword by T. Cole Rachel and cover design by Ben Tousley, marks O’Brien’s first foray into fiction writing. Its narrative arc follows protagonist Ted Krieger’s heart-wrenching journey as he navigates the haunting secrets of the small-town America in which he was raised, the tumultuous city of New York in which he lives, and the discovery that healing can only begin with the confrontation of the ghosts of the past.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419403/ys1sxoqnrchl2ioz5faf.jpg"><figcaption>WILLIAM J. O’BRIEN, Freak Flags, 2024, Installation view, ACKERMAN CLARKE, Chicago, IL USA &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“The novel is a form of experimentation,” acknowledges O’Brien, “I have always had a relationship with language in some form or another within my practice. In my early career, and also recently this summer, I worked on zines, poetry, and self-published works that straddled the art, literary, and alternative comics audiences. For the recent novel Nighttime Kingdom, I approached writing the novel in the same way that I approach making my artwork. I view the embodiment of emotional and psychological states as a current core of what I do in my practice and approached writing the character development and plot for Nighttime Kingdom in the same way. Although the creative fields like to create tight lines between disciplines, I have never thought of my work as fitting neatly into one classification. The book is a story that incorporates drawings, and I view it in the same vein as how I sculpt clay and make drawings. It just so happens that it fell this time with this novel into a formal book."When asked about any biographical elements to the story, O’Brien clarifies, “There is a town called Burton, Ohio that has an Apple Butter Festival, and I did structure the novel's setting based on their town square–on my childhood memory of that town square. But the whole story is a total fictionalization. I was thinking about the emotional story arc. It’s about exposing the reality of the vulnerability of what it's like to be a queer person growing up in rural America, and what that feels like. I think the book is also about power, masculinity, violence, inherited expectations and tropes of masculinity. These can be heavy and personal topics. It’s not a light piece.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/q2cwvsch8apzkprshxrv.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Buoying up the heaviness of the narrative is the suite of drawings that appear throughout the novel’s pages. Neither explicitly illustrative nor tied directly to the storyline or to the characters of Nighttime Kingdom, these drawings (many of them hauntingly spare and gorgeously gestural) serve as a kind of ancillary punctuation, a means of emphasizing the atmosphere created in the book.&nbsp;“The drawings were a way of reclaiming a sense of imagination over a story that is very heavy,” says the artist, “I looked through twenty years of my sketchbooks and pulled the [drawings] that felt right, and placed them throughout the text. And that's what I liked so much about having them in, was that including them didn't feel like a device. It was not like these are drawings that are in service to this story in a particular way. It’s a form of straddling that I'm interested in. If someone reads the novel, and they have an emotional response, I'm like, ‘Oh, good. It's successful.’ They might not like it or they might not relate to the story, but if there is an emotional response that is elicited, in the same way they might have an emotional response looking at a sculptural work or a painting, then that to me that’s–well, it's the best I could ever expect.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419405/nxnt8qy6jnnomzlsjpls.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;On the heels of the successful releases of both hardcover and paperback editions of Nighttime Kingdom, Shadow Work Press is now set to release a series of three zines by O’Brien over the course of the summer of 2024.&nbsp;“I'm really excited about the zines,” O’Brien says,” I would say that on some level, I feel like I'm reclaiming more of my creative autonomy that was lost along the way of my going from an emerging artist to, I guess you’d say, an established artist. I feel like I’m in what is actually a nice chapter, where I've kind of started to do more projects that are more in line with things that I'm just interested in doing.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419406/ap6fdnak6rlxnzqgudob.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;This sensibility was palpable in O’Brien’s recent exhibition Freak Flags at Chicago’s Ackerman Clarke Gallery. The exhibition, which to the credit of gallery owner John Schmid was surprisingly reserved in both tone and volume, consisted of just four colored pencil and ink on paper drawings by the artist, each roughly 80 inches by 60 inches in size. Their monumentality and wall power unequivocally held the space, and created an environment that rewarded the kind of long, slow, deliberate looking that best benefits the depth and complexity of O’Brien’s drawings, but which many prior exhibitions elsewhere containing a higher volume of his work typically sacrifice in service to including a more definitively representational survey of the wide range of media he employs.“I would say that drawing is the foundational language of my practice,” O’Brien says,&nbsp; “It is the core that allows me to extend and experiment with other types of materials.&nbsp;Of his influences, he adds, “I grew up in rural northeastern Ohio, where there is a rich history of craft and folk art, and I feel a certain affinity to the Imagist artists of Chicago. I see no hierarchies between traditional academic artists and self-taught artists, and I personally have connected more with visionary artists because of their use of embodiment as the material center of making and creating art.”It is perhaps this nonhierarchical attitude, with its attendant egolessness and its openness to experimentation and acts of personal interpretation, that characterizes what might be (in less thoughtful hands) a disparate practice as not only a coherent one, but one which is so richly developed as to always leave those who traverse its output wishing they could remain within its confines, and press forward to reach the furthest recesses of its great depths.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419407/ovhlgsawmhwkarpr0sqn.jpg"><figcaption>WILLIAM J. O’BRIEN, Maze, 2018, Colored pencil and ink on paper, 60h x 75w in, 152.4h x 190.5w cm, Unframed; 65 1/4h x 80w x 2.75d in, 165.7h x 203.2w x 7d cm, Framed</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://williamjobrien.com">williamjobrien.com</a>Purchase O'Brien's new book at <a href="https://williamjobrien.bigcartel.com">williamjobrien.bigcartel.com</a>View O'Brien's exhibition at <a href="https://ackermanclarke.com/William-J-O-Brien-Freak-Flags">Ackerman Clarke</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

The Prolific William J. O’Brien is a World-Maker

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/zfa1x1foo3hzz4qbfsvx.jpg"><figcaption>The artist Joseph Seigenthaler in his studio&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAArtist William Joseph Seigenthaler passed away in&nbsp;March. Seigenthaler was an American sculptor and video artist who exhibited his figurative sculpture for over 30 years. His work is included in numerous private collections and in the permanent collections of the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin, the Flint&nbsp;Institute&nbsp;of Arts, Flint, Michigan and Museo de Escultura Figurativa Internacional Contemporánea, Spain. Seigenthaler also was an influential teacher, having instructed countless art students at the University of Montana – Missoula, Harold Washington College in Chicago, and the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Seigenthaler leaves behind his wife of 31 years, painter Anne Gilbert, three daughters,&nbsp;Sarah, Elise and&nbsp;Chloé, his&nbsp;father, William Robert (Bob), siblings, Kate, Delia, Robert, Mary, and Dan and&nbsp;many friends.&nbsp;Seigenthaler was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1959. He earned a BFA in painting from the Memphis College of Art in 1981. Shortly after graduating, he freelanced sculpting life-sized wax figures for wax museums, primarily the Music Valley Wax Museum in Nashville and the Country Music Wax Museum in Tamworth, Australia. He studied ceramic art at the Appalachian Center for Craft in the mid 1980s, and in 1990, he received an MFA from Northern Illinois University. Seigenthaler collaborated on large design projects at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum of Natural History and the John G. Shedd Aquarium as well as other institutions. Outside of his work Seigenthaler became an expert at house renovation, completely rebuilding a family storefront. He also continued to be influenced by his hometown of Nashville,&nbsp;playing&nbsp;guitar and honoring his own love of music.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/xglkwia3lx3ffwuavl7t.jpg"><figcaption>Joseph Siegenthaler, Fly Dog</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Betsy Nathan, owner of Pagoda Red and daughter of Ann Nathan, who showed Seigenthaler’s work in her gallery starting in the 1990s, shared with CGN, "I remember when Ann Nathan Gallery received Joe Seigenthaler’s work for his opening in 1996.&nbsp; It was like a community of distorted bodies emerging to startle anyone who couldn’t see his brilliant craft that was obsessive, ceramic, surrealist and realist all at once. As my mom used to say, “If art doesn’t speak to you, it isn’t for you.’&nbsp; Well, I suppose, a bald bust with strange and wide open bloodshot peering eyes spoke to her….and, then, went home with her.&nbsp; This mysterious work remains looking out at all who enter the front door.&nbsp;It startles some and piques the curiosity of all –undeniably pushing boundaries, like great art does."&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/gsjdpchajvgchl6arhca.jpg"><figcaption>An opening for an exhibition of Seigenthaler’s head sculptures.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Seigenthaler's clay sculptures could be shocking when first encountered, and they left an impression. Seigenthaler was best known for his figurative works, creating realistic emotive faces and contorted bodies in various states, never failing to evoke a viewer's response. Seigenthaler also worked with computer animation loops of his creatures.&nbsp;Seigenthaler's family and friends had so many wonderful things to say about&nbsp;Joe&nbsp;the artist as well as&nbsp;Joe&nbsp;the person and friend.&nbsp;Bryan Schuetze, who met and became friends with Seigenthaler in 1987 at art school, shared at a memorial service this spring, "Joe was an incredible talent and inspired so many artists like myself. I had never met anyone like Joe. He was incredibly kind, generous, open minded, sensitive and very loving. NO one worked harder, and smarter than Joe. He was an expert at everything he wanted to do. This long list includes sculpting wax figures of country music stars in his early years, hand building incredibly powerful and visually arresting ceramic figurative sculpture. He told me he got tired of breathing clay dust and then he self taught himself and became an expert artist at digital media including 3D visualization, animation and sound."&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419403/mdosotgflw2gvda2bs6l.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Elise Seigenthaler, Joseph's middle daughter, shared with friends and family, "Joe poured his entire being into everything he tackled, never settling for less than 100%. Whether it was diving into a project and staying up until its completion or devouring a Costco-sized-box of peanut M&amp;Ms in one sitting, Joe's commitment was stubborn and unwavering.He had a discerning eye and a relentless pursuit for perfection, evident in his sculptures. Through painstaking attention to detail, he transformed clay into lifelike representations, flawlessly capturing even the minutest imperfections. Wrinkles, warts, cellulite, veins, and pores gave his work authenticity, reflecting his commitment to honesty and realism."&nbsp;Elise said that she and her sisters feel lucky to have had parents who could show them a beautiful example of what a loving, unconditional marriage looked like. Her father taught them the importance of following our passions, the value of hard work, and the strength that comes from a loving family.Seigenthaler's passing was too soon. His art and spirit will surely continue for through his memorable works and his family and friends.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/gjxgjf4gazmtqxd71sap.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Seigenthaler, 1959–2024</figcaption></figure></body></html>

Artist Joe Seigenthaler: 1959–2024

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/f2jchssmu6wislbqjina.jpg"></figure>The open call for<a href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001dKq8ZYAIjOcm76hovqi6nHbqXqb85-H7qcuRL0epbC5RXejY1HzaNqPE3r9fEjXmGnBjLnMQQFLsAAvJrgyn1V9RJl7QbwJr8FKzH_LYaEZMR8uxJFKvQC-tt6B2z6P8ghXTvLfAt2or4xZ9wxmegpgnZlXL-oxnkOVatLCp06phJWkG0G_9mALvqyNpjnckPysno_iIi9QVqm4m2molyJdDwHKeaJvYLi7A3UACU-aAHcbt-CbDqg==&amp;c=p6LsgflNEAXqSqsqTOJlVr7JAfpr3JRl7yO4KEL-HQ05eZ0t2X6eeg==&amp;ch=oatqqfnTZx6YMX76h1Vi3NZSi8khKQoZBYTgwzmWjWU5s-Zir-VeTw=="> Artists Run Chicago Fund </a>2024 is live!Deadline: August 5This unique regranting initiative, designed and administered by Hyde Park Art Center, has provided over one million dollars in support of the artist-run community in Chicago, and we’re still going. Since 2020, the ARC Fund has awarded one hundred and eighteen $8,000 grants to artist-run platforms, infusing Chicago’s contemporary art network with flexible financial support to strengthen their diverse and experimental programs.This year, the&nbsp;Artists Run Chicago Fund&nbsp;(ARC Fund) seeks to award&nbsp;fifteen&nbsp;$8,000 unrestricted grants to artists-run platforms in Chicago. Grantees will be selected through a free, juried, open call.The 2024 Artists Run Chicago Fund is generously supported by the Good Chaos Foundation, the Local South Foundation and The Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation.<a href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001dKq8ZYAIjOcm76hovqi6nHbqXqb85-H7qcuRL0epbC5RXejY1HzaNrrmUGhhFg2gr-SiY502vIJkKZ5U0NZmThvdT1exMj9Ku9asuPjjHycJBUTl3q7KyrcPE2hsUrn84_O8KxlIWpOo96AR_GQPLv9tPy-EKYvjqbsZV2UrfAChuwZoWtJ8w-xYiezLyQlfgEJfC0lhn5wXRSMv8sg5vmcWrxQg3wYZFCV49ia-QqqCdEyWLTSevH3zAwm6w8ez&amp;c=p6LsgflNEAXqSqsqTOJlVr7JAfpr3JRl7yO4KEL-HQ05eZ0t2X6eeg==&amp;ch=oatqqfnTZx6YMX76h1Vi3NZSi8khKQoZBYTgwzmWjWU5s-Zir-VeTw==">APPLY NOW</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Hyde Park Art Center's Artists Run Chicago Fund 2024 is live

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/sj4yenxjkisggwdigupy.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/teresa-baker-shift-in-the-clouds">Teresa Baker: Shift in the Clouds</a>Opening: Wednesday, June 26, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmThe Arts Club of Chicago&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/ytk1xdaajskngtkafvp6.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/rebecca-shore-being-there">Rebecca Shore: Being There</a>Opening: Thursday, June 27, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmCorbett vs. Dempsey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/sbp9jrv3f2npgtiqwyro.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-bigger-table-50-years-of-the-chicago-poetry-center">A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center</a>June 27Poetry Foundation&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/iyd1v37xiji8c66ybk1e.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/connected-landscapes-the-macinnes-brothers">Connected Landscapes: The MacInnes Brothers</a>​Opening: Thursday, Jun 27, &nbsp;7–9&nbsp;pmGallery of Contemporary Mosaics&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/ujc9b02jrrcojzvhtvhf.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/indigo-seven-gilded-agility">Indigo Seven: Gilded Agility</a>Opening: Friday, June 28, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmInternational Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419405/y8p0pjchhhl69h8pvac0.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/grid-luck-alberto-aguilar">Grid Luck: Alberto Aguilar</a>Opening: Sunday, June 30, 2 – 6&nbsp;pmThe Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA)&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions June 26 - 30

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEAThe Society for Contemporary Art announced two recent acquisitions for the Art Institute of Chicago. The SCA's annual meeting and dinner took place on the evening of June 18 in the museum's Griffin Court. Guests were able to view 6 selections for consideration – three works each from two artists – before gathering for dinner and hearing from AIC curators about the artists and the individual works. SCA members in attendance that evening voted to acquire one work by each artist. The two acquisitions are Farbengeographie [Color Geography] Nr. 4 (1972) by K.P. Brehmer and the second is Returning with Something (2022) by Sung Tieu.&nbsp;Brehmer was born and died in Germany and is considered still an under recognized artist. Tieu was born in 1987 in Vietnam but has spent most of her life in Germany.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/iihdy1beiyupfslcbkvz.jpg"><figcaption>K.P. Brehmer (German, 1938-1997) Farbengeographie [Color geography] Nr. 4, 1972 Table lacquer, lacquer, acrylic on PVC 200.1 × 115 cm (78 3/4 × 45 1/4 in.)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Born in Berlin, Klaus Peter Brehmer trained as a reproduction technologist and, in the early 1960s, studied at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Around this time, he adopted the initials “KP,” both a nod to the then-banned West German Communist Party (KPD) and a playful attempt to complicate an ideological subject position. Rather than becoming a party member, he saw being an artist as a way to be “useful to society.” Brehmer is most frequently discussed alongside his contemporaries Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Konrad Leug, and Wolf Vostell, who were grouped under the banner of Capitalist Realism, a German tendency that sat between Western Pop Art on the one hand and Eastern Socialist Realism on the other.&nbsp; Appropriation remained a central motif in Brehmer’s practice. His work hinged on the subversion of capitalist visual representation approached through politics, economics, science, consumer culture, and everyday life. Diverse in media, technique, and edition, his works share a profoundly democratic concern with the capacity for a viewer’s emancipation through “visual agitation.” Amidst the Cold War’s binary conception of the world, this “sharpening of the senses,” as Brehmer called it, aimed at enabling the viewer to see through ideological constructs and established narratives to unfold competing interpretations. Brehmer died in Hamburg, Germany in 1997.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/hyrugrctbloqjfhuwq33.jpg"><figcaption>Sung Tieu (German, b. 1987) Returning With Something, 2022 Chess-Computer Objects from VEB Funkwerk Erfurt, shoes from Schuhfrabik "Roter Stern" Burg, magazine printed VEB-Interduck Leipzig, stainless steel, suitcase fixings, fabric Work Contract dimensions; each: 32.1 × 23.4 cm (12 11/16 × 9 1/4 in.); 50 × 65.2 × 55.1 cm (19 11/16 × 25 11/16 × 21 11/16 in.)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Working across media, Sung Tieu’s exhibitions meld sculpture, drawing, text, sound and video to investigate the evolving structures and mechanisms of control. Her practice raises questions around equality, belonging and individual sovereignty – often revealing the psychological effects of ideological systems and the politics they engender. Extensive research is set in contrast with an autobiographical query which allows Tieu to simultaneously address the deeply personal as well as the institutionalized structures that frame individual expression and agency. She has examined how social or political control can be imposed through design – be it of office furniture, household goods or bureaucratic paperwork. Mimicking and exploring the present legacy of Modernism – both art historically and more broadly – Tieu reveals it as an organizing force that processes and filters information, often favoring sameness over difference and order over invention.For more information about SCA and to view past acquisitions <a href="https://scaaic.org/acquisitions">click here</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

The Society for Contemporary Art Announces Two Recent Acquisitions for AIC Collection

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/vqisaom4tez8swnr9vdm.jpg"><figcaption>Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate. Photo Patrick L.Pyszka, City of Chicago. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By CGN StaffAnish Kapoor's famous public sculpture in Chicago, officially knows as "Cloud Gate" but affectionately known as “The Bean”, is back and ready for the world's fingerprints. The city recently completed renovations to The Bean, which was first unveiled 20 years ago at the opening of Millennium Park. Now the city says that while working to care for the shiny towering work of art they also took advantage of the opportunity to enhance the visitor experience as well as improve and modernize accessibility in the surrounding plaza.&nbsp;"Cloud Gate" is one of <a href="https://www.choosechicago.com/things-to-do/tours-attractions/">Chicago’s most popular sights</a>. The monumental work of art anchors downtown <a href="https://www.choosechicago.com/articles/parks-outdoors/millennium-park-campus/">Millennium Park</a> and reflects the city’s famous skyline and the surrounding green space. Now the 33 foot high, 110 ton sculpture can even help visitors plan their next trip to Chicago with a new <a href="https://www.choosechicago.com/bean/?open=true">interactive, AI-powered tool</a> that&nbsp;Cloud Gate was Kapoor's first permanent public outdoor work in the United States, and is widely considered his most famous.Enjoy reconnecting with this iconic work this summer!&nbsp;Read CGN's feature on the 20th anniversary of Millennium Park <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/6/20-years-of-drawing-the-world-to-chicago-millennium-park">here</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

The Bean is Open Again 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/pwkuwejdiaijhrytt3at.jpg"><figcaption>Naotaka Hiro (Japanese, b. 1972) A Hole in My Stomach, 2024 Stainless steel, steel74 x 25 x 10 inches. Courtesy of the artist and MISAKO &amp; ROSEN, Tokyo Part of Actual Fractals, Act II, Curator: John Riepenhoff. &nbsp;Location: Baird Center, Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI Image courtesy of Michael Lagerman. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>VIA PRSculpture Milwaukee announced that <a href="https://www.sculpturemilwaukee.com/visit">Actual Fractals, Act II,</a> its 2024-25 and eighth annual free exhibition of works by renowned international artists, is now on view in downtown Milwaukee.&nbsp;A follow up to Actual Fractals, Act I, Sculpture Milwaukee's 2023-24 exhibition, Actual Fractals, Act II extends its thematic interest in monumental public art exploring the interconnections of human beings, nature, animals, and cosmopolitan communities, despite human beings' perceived differences and divisions.Combining a lively, thought-provoking mix of existing works and new pieces commissioned by Sculpture Milwaukee, the exhibition celebrates a new cohort of artists who invite the public to connect and see each other with fresh eyes. “We’ve chosen artists who are committed to breaking down barriers and, in one way or another, describe the complex interconnections between us and the world we live in,” said artist John Riepenhoff, Sculpture Milwaukee's executive director and current guest curator, who organized both acts of Actual Fractals. “Their capacity to help us reflect on how we share space together, in this moment, feels like a revelation.”Spanning a mile of Wisconsin Avenue, AF, Act II features, on a plaza next to the Baird Center, “A Hole in My Stomach” (2024), a new steel figural work by the celebrated Japanese-born, California-based artist Naotaka Hiro. A contemporary response to the historic Japanese movement, Gutai, Hiro focuses on the body and its unknowability. The sculptural work, like his canvases, involve molding material to his body which is akin to a performance. This process requires a tremendous amount of endurance, evidence of which is visible in the piece. A few blocks to the east, across the Milwaukee River, “Abundant” (2024), a cast bronze basket with painted enamel accents by Teresa Baker, invites quiet contemplation of the handicrafts of her Native Mandan/Hidatsa culture. Perched across the street from the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse in its first U.S. viewing, “Pangolin” (2021/24), a cast bronze, white-lacquered sculpture by the late German-Iraqi artist Lin May Saeed, poignantly emphasizes the beauty and vulnerability of this rare mammal. And at the far eastern end of the avenue, in Museum Center Park—a stone’s throw from Milwaukee’s signature orange “Sunburst” (formally, “The Calling”) by Mark di Suvero—“Untitled” (2024), a totemic painted aluminum figure by the Japanese artist Izumi Kato brings to mind Paleolithic art and futuristic aesthetics at the same time.More large-scale works selected by Riepenhoff for AF, Act II—including pieces by Derrick Adams, Sarah Braman, Anish Kapoor, Mary Miss, and Milwaukee-based artist Michelle Grabner—will be arriving downtown next month and throughout the summer. In the meantime, all nine of the sculptures included in Actual Fractals, Act I are still up, dotting parks and plazas across the city. And there’s another exciting new arrival—originally commissioned by the Swiss-born, New York-based artist Ugo Rondionone for Nature Doesn’t Know About Us, his 2022-23 Sculpture Milwaukee exhibition—that was also recently installed in Museum Center Park: “Glass Spiral” (1990/2024), an ecosystem by the esteemed multimedia artist Meg Webster, who is closely affiliated with the Land Art movement of the 1970s. Viewers of all ages and levels of ability can enter the sculpture, which coils like a snail’s shell, to experience the mesmerizing water- and plant-filled piece from the inside, making themselves moving parts of this new, reengineered version of another beloved “Glass Spiral” that the Milwaukee Art Museum commissioned Webster to make in 1990.&nbsp;In addition to creating new resonance among all the works installed across Milwaukee by our past and present programmers—today, there are a total of 31 sculptures on view from different overlapping exhibitions—Sculpture Milwaukee is brewing up more ephemeral programming to enrich viewing experiences. Debuting a fresh identity for our organization, design and branding elements—seen everywhere from our posters and placards—created by alphabet artist Nat Pyper play with the words “Sculpture” and “Milwaukee” in curving arrangements that mimic the geography of the rivers that bend and merge downtown, and how people move and congregate around public art. Reflecting our interest in building new layers of value, for viewers and artists alike, Pyper’s designs are part the AF, Act II, as are works of social choreography that Sculpture Milwaukee commissioned from Kim Miller, a local performance and visual artist, to help activate audiences and engagement with works in the exhibition.“As we continue to gear up and build on Sculpture Milwaukee’s success, we’re not only finding ways to collaborate and co-invest to support artists, but also to spark new conversations about public art that are as important internationally as they are to Milwaukeeans,” said Riepenhoff. “It’s an exciting time, as art increasingly takes a central place in our city and our culture. Actual Fractals champions bold new artists alongside more established art stars, and I’m thrilled to share this exhibition with many different local audiences and visitors to our remarkable city. I invite you to come down and see the exhibition early and often, as it will be growing and changing not only across the seasons, but every day, as new viewers come, move around, and bring new resonance to the works with their enjoyment and investigation of the sculptures we’ve brought to the streets of Milwaukee.”&nbsp;EXHIBITION PROGRAMMINGGuided tours of Actual Fractals, Act IIWalking tours, Monday, July 22, and Monday, August 5, 2024, 5:30 pmTour by trolley, Monday, July 29, 2024, 4 pmSelf-guided toursVisitors can view <a href="https://www.sculpturemilwaukee.com/visit">a map online of all the curated works currently on view</a>, or they can scan the QR code on any sculpture’s object label for more information.&nbsp;&nbsp;EXHIBITION CURATION&nbsp;Actual Fractals, Act II is curated by John Riepenhoff, executive director of Sculpture Milwaukee. A multimedia artist and Milwaukee native whose exhibitions and curatorial projects have been presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Tate Modern in London, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, among other places, Riepenhoff also owns and operates The Green Gallery, located on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side.&nbsp;</body></html>

Sculpture Milwaukee Announces 8th Annual Exhibition is on View: Actual Fractals, Act II

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/pvztobn7y9rikwtlgvjb.png"></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/deconstructing-paper-pulp">Deconstructing Paper &amp; PULP</a>Opening: Friday, June 21, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmThe Art Center Highland Park&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/qkxj1gbsoyisnb9a3k9o.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/third-fridays-in-bridgeport-d26e08d8-79d9-4c96-9eb0-1694a3cbecb2">Third Fridays in Bridgeport</a>Friday, June 21, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmAlma Art &amp; Interiors&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/tprx4yckrdqej6wnrn8s.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ellsworth-kelly-spectrum-colors-arranged-by-chance">Ellsworth Kelly: Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance</a>Exhibition begins June 22The Art Institute of Chicago&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419403/puu6rlvrnj1gnvuv7wzt.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/laleh-motlagh-talk">Laleh Motlagh Talk</a>Saturday, June 22, 1 – 2&nbsp;pmSoNa Chicago Art Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/gwzl2zo0mqobspzlsbxz.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/words-of-art-dennis-lee-mitchell-and-rhonda-gates">Words of Art: Dennis Lee Mitchell and Rhonda Gates</a>Saturday, June 22, 2 – 4&nbsp;pmZolla / Lieberman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/bcssg5k9yznmogmzyl8l.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/artist-walkthrough">Artist Walkthrough</a>Saturday, June 22, 2 – 4&nbsp;pmWoman Made Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419405/kjysgayiwn15ditoqstb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/meet-our-collective-artists-8deb7934-aeb8-4a56-8b4a-0b1b2c3a1cf5">Kay Smith | Acrylic Paintings</a>Opening: Saturday, June 22, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmBlue Moon Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions June 21 & 22

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/w6puqqipds09cvyepknr.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEALast week Jessica Cochran and Angie Lennard hosted a lively launch for their new print/publishing venture, called Process/Process&nbsp;The launch party took place in West Town at 1821 W Hubbard, where Process/Process will operate, with many area collectors, dealers, curators and artists in attendance. Five new print collaborations were also on display. As Cochran shared with CGN, "We are going to be working with artists to make and sell limited edition prints, and our inaugural portfolio (half of which just debuted) features Michelle Grabner, Candida Alvarez, Kay Rosen, Alberto Aguilar, and many others." She cited Chicago's Anchor Graphics as a model for what Process/Process hopes to do.&nbsp;Process/Process invites artists to make new artworks that adapt the material, aesthetic, and critical possibilities of printmaking. By moving the ideas and processes that drive an artist's practice into the realm of the printed edition, Process/Process enables artists to develop exploratory new works. All projects are close collaborations between the artist, Angee Lennard, printer, and Cochran, partner.Upon producing and publishing new editions with artists, Process/Process places them into private and public collections.&nbsp;View the full portfolio <a href="https://process-process.com">online</a>. Works are also available for sale on their <a href="https://process-process.com">website</a>, and viewings can be arranged by appointment. Process/Process also offers boutique contract printing and art advisory services.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/daxyueq5cghte76fzttf.jpg"><figcaption>Candida Alvarez, Adjust your eyes, 2024, Lower right, Screenprint with debasement on Arches 88, 12 x 14" (paper), 4 7/8 x 6 7/8" (image)&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419403/dy8drwjafkqfmuf5eaur.jpg"><figcaption>Alex Bradley Cohen, Place #1, 2024, Etching, 11 ⅞ x 15 ¾ (paper), 8 ⅜ x 12 inches (image). Edition of 20 plus 2 AP. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/ui1pdjn7tjsw8ccjp69g.jpg"><figcaption>Kay Rosen, Parts of Speech, 2024</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419405/cgpyjmt8dht9cyosohfz.jpg"><figcaption>A work by Michelle Grabner</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Process/Process: A New Print/Publishing Venture with an Eye on the Future

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419395/wsiimz2i4k2unclavjf0.jpg"></figure>Via PR &nbsp;CHICAGO – WNDR Museum, Chicago’s original immersive art and technology experience, located in the city’s West Loop, today introduced a reimagined atrium featuring the installation of Yayoi Kusma’s LOVE IS CALLING, alongside a relocated WNDR Lounge, offering a variety of local fare to both ticketed and non-ticketed guests.“At WNDR Museum, we’re always evolving and looking for new and exciting ways to spark curiosity and creativity in our guests,” said WNDR Museum’s Brad Keywell. “The addition of the reimagined WNDR Lounge and our newest work by Yayoi Kusama demonstrate our commitment to making world-class artworks accessible to the public while providing a community hub in our hometown of Chicago.”&nbsp;LOVE IS CALLINGWNDR’s largest infinity room to date by artist and global icon Yayoi Kusama,&nbsp;LOVE IS CALLING, invites visitors into a dark, mirrored room illuminated by inflatable forms that extend from the floor and ceiling. These soft sculptures are covered in Kusama's iconic polka dots and pulsate with a dynamic, shifting palette of colors, ranging from neon greens and pinks to deep blues and purples. The mirrored walls create an illusion of infinite space, as the colorful, dotted tentacles seem to stretch out endlessly in all directions, surrounding the viewer in a surreal, otherworldly environment. LOVE IS CALLING&nbsp;premiered in Japan in 2013. Its installation at WNDR Museum Chicago will mark the work’s Chicago debut.Accompanying the visual spectacle of LOVE IS CALLING&nbsp;is an audio component of Kusama’s voice reciting a love poem in Japanese. The poem, whose title translates to “Residing in a Castle of Shed Tears," was written by the artist herself, reflecting her contemplations on love, existence, and the cosmos, adding an introspective and emotional layer to the sensory experience.&nbsp;The WNDR LoungeThe newly-unveiled&nbsp;WNDR Lounge will feature both bar and lounge-style seating, offering an assortment of local food and beverage offerings including coffee, soda, cocktails and snacks. Accessible to both ticketed and non-ticketed guests from a designated entrance on Monroe St., the WNDR Lounge is open during regular WNDR Museum hours.In addition to the WNDR Lounge, the WNDR Shop, also located in WNDR Museum’s atrium, features an assortment of unique goods from local makers, artists and nonprofit organizations alongside special WNDR-branded merchandise and collaborations.&nbsp;Tickets &amp; HoursGeneral admission tickets to WNDR Museum start at $32 and must be purchased in advance at <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oTjORMppDqxAbsefRFk27wz1Bt90zoma8G4B3VYS-2Bq-2BbMri0yv3Ix0F2synpyrmnGi6F6Aosn1g8d-2BOLJv4Jm4R7q0iGN-2FlXIPQPqyyXzj7iTKLTey-2FTh9di0PfNqCbESE7j_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK6pF5-2BX84lC07qHiN3JlR49RFa9OLhLSmQM42fuOHwsTon-2FtI1hYlhuyfoGAKM7J5VNU6R4vCKx4aO6NVebMah6ud1rBSYxdMLMkW4KDJHV4dhVyLZRTlCGS4G9D0r48BEHSqqDKdRTq8r7CNuY0RXfUYCtilkvm1fnDS-2FLJa6MwVM3DT49EezstYjuFjei9hjoeOrXOhLVexIGiu3a032GizvwllzNuFcmpAYSLxAg0YE7a7IdYCI1wt0OtMka7-2F3qFPVwkgk-2Fp5bEGFzBHThypqS7g8gPsgsINREgnPtobSfISKX7k-2BvQOlTD-2BBBlUjOVqKA2-2BF6XDQZ2VRbSaSawT8GLrOrgSevi6Pv-2BYwUaz-2Bem2KOOriVyYF9Vo2WPgy1mzzgMCgcmttXfpa3wxsAJVky05md3PznB04gOe-2BMCn8o9-2FQEIrJbl4b7etW5P8QAZc-2B8aQ8l5-2FZvikOnJrVhVRTwpYVk-2BRZLqQMFlJEq9xcGme1WH4z-2FXroUL6Yn6ihpvzvyuCQ1e-2FkOaR4VhKL6sszqoCNcsP1-2B7sJsMxraf56HMMTmBVWV-2FI09Czu1Qmi-2BhaSVsW76z4mok64pRiI6lKBp9K3Fnxp308IsUdq0gfgl5zJ8lz079rZGS5TWjdKmwoBL1cxHlFj63X5ygsRuZ8Dqu24TUnVu8SaGVCP9q3EcB1Pa40KaPH7kvLRVCNP-2F-2FTgBHChQ3oRMcHY1F3aDkB0lAL4xJx02u8QMTEJW9-2FICCt2iUUWRF9MQw9FHiq44-3D">www.wndrmuseum.com</a>. Children’s tickets are available for children ages 12 and under and start at $22. Children ages two and under receive free admission.&nbsp;About Yayoi KusamaBorn and raised in Japan, Yayoi Kusama emerged as an artist during the Vietnam War era and continues to make work that reaches diverse audiences worldwide. Throughout her prolific practice spanning over six decades, Kusama has consistently created artwork about repetition and the concept of infinity. In 1965, Kusama produced her first Infinity Mirror Room. This marked a move from the material repetition found in the artist’s paintings and sculptures to the illusion of infinite space using mirrors. Since then, Kusama has made more than twenty unique rooms.Yayoi Kusama is one of the world’s most iconic artists working today. With connections to Pop Art, Minimalism, psychedelia and popular culture, Kusama’s multidisciplinary career transcends categories as the artist continues to innovate over a career spanning more than 70 years. Kusama’s artistic practice encompasses paintings, sculpture, installations, works on paper, performances, films, fashion, design and literary works. Her work across this wide breadth of media alludes to both microscopic and macroscopic universes.&nbsp;</body></html>

WNDR Museum Announces Redesigned Yayoi Kusma Space and New Lounge in West Loop

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419395/ayhgquztzviuj1zlif2c.jpg"><figcaption>McCormick's New Space in West Town is the former location of Mongerson Gallery, which recently moved back to River North</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Tom McCormick is Moving His Gallery From West Loop to West TownOver the weekend McCormick shared, "After 24 years in the West Loop, iIn July we will be leaving our grand gallery for a new Grand Gallery, in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. We will be joining the area's other expat relocators such as Rhona Hoffman, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Patron and Andrew Rafacz. After July 12 we will be open by appointment only until we reopen in our new space after Labor Day.&nbsp;Watch for the opening exhibition in the new location on September 12, Mud Time: And Other Forces of Nature, new paintings by John Santoro."&nbsp;<a href="https://marianeibrahim.com/news/133-marisol-rodriguez-to-join-mariane-ibrahim-as-curatorial-gallery-news/">Mariane Ibrahim Announces New Curatorial Director</a>Mariane Ibrahim is pleased to announce Marisol Rodríguez as the Curatorial Director of the gallery’s three locations: Paris, Chicago, and Mexico City. Marisol Rodríguez will be based in Paris and will spearhead the gallery’s curatorial vision across the three spaces, and enhance the gallery’s relationships with museums and institutions, particularly in Europe, Africa, and the Americas.<a href="https://marianeibrahim.com/news/133-marisol-rodriguez-to-join-mariane-ibrahim-as-curatorial-gallery-news/">More here</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park_20.html">Millennium Park's Full 20th Anniversary Schedule Announced</a>Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced the full slate of programming for the City’s Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Celebration (July 18–21), presented by Capital One. Scheduled to take place almost exactly 20 years since the Park’s official opening on July 16, 2004, this four-day free celebration features award-winning headliners, activities for families and youth, dance performances, new public art, and concerts.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 6/18/24

&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="http://i2.cmail19.com/ei/i/F1/BB1/4CE/230541/csfinal/IMG_2400-7f89b4427a1b4fc.jpg" alt=""></figure>Via PRChicago Artists Coalition is pleased to announce their incoming cohort of Artist and Curatorial Residents for 2024-26!“As we approach our 50th anniversary, I am excited to welcome this next group of creatives to the CAC&nbsp;community,” says Executive Director Brookes Ebetsch. “I cannot wait to see the connections that are made between this cohort, the collaborations that are sparked and the learning that takes place amongst us all. We, the CAC staff, board and alumni community look forward to the future we continue to create together!”CAC looks forward to working with this group over the next two years. Stay tuned for more updates as we introduce you to our new residents over the coming months!Incoming Curatorial Residents:<a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-y/">Francine Almeda</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-j/">Gordon Fung</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-t/">Sidney Garrett</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-i/">Christine Magill</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-d/">Christina Nafziger</a>Incoming Artist Residents:<a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-h/">Reevah Agarwaal</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-k/">Cecilia Beaven</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-u/">Chelsea Bighorn</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-o/">Isaac Couch</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-m/">an emard</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-c/">Maryam Faridani</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-q/">FÁTIMA</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-a/">Jairo Granados-Cardenas</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-f/">Eli Greene</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-z/">Oriana Koren</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-v/">Ruth Poor</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-e/">Martha Osornio Ruiz</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-s/">Nekita Thomas</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-g/">bex ya yolk</a>, <a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-flyuyik-dlvzir-w/">Sangwoo Yoo</a>You can see all 5 groups of Artist and Curatorial Residents in the above composite.&nbsp;

Chicago Artists Coalition Announces Its 2024-26 CAC Residents

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419395/jhgzrwaidkwius75orzw.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/implied-motion-stanley-dean-edwards-and-david-roth">Implied Motion: Stanley Dean Edwards and David Roth</a>Opening: Friday, June 14, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmOliva Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419396/srine2u9vdqwl9gvlvt8.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sharon-louden-perennials">Sharon Louden, PERENNIALS</a>Opening: Friday, June 14, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmENGAGE Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419397/mmnvmfn1xkewytbbmow6.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jessie-mott">Jessie Mott: Pluto</a>Opening: Saturday, June 15, 2 – 5&nbsp;pmGoldfinch&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419398/q0eknvzytfh9xk4ylw57.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/teen-show-a9c01ed3-7296-4475-a805-778b79cf71f6">Pit Stop</a>Exhibition begins June 15Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419399/k8n3snrro3ge75btuaxi.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/diana-motta-metaphysical">Diana Motta: Metaphysical</a>Opening: Saturday, June 15, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmSTASIAS&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419400/f1z4ewtkbmjjc6myzkyh.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/spring-lab-2024-exhibition">Spring &amp; Lab 2024 Exhibition</a>Saturday, June 15, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmMarwen&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions June 14 & 15

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419395/qdoy2rglttzuxrsocsxf.jpg"><figcaption>Moises Salazar Tlatenchi – "'In Your Light' highlights how nature is a safe space for LGBTOIA + members. As many queer people may feel unsafe or anxious in public city spaces, nature and green spaces will always be a haven for the LGBTQIA+ community."</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAWhen my children were very young we spent many hours at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. It was a wonderful destination for busy little people where we could engage their senses and put them in touch with nature in the middle of the city. A favorite spot in the museum was always the Butterfly Haven, where my daughter could stand still and just wait for a butterfly to land on her for a few moments.&nbsp;During a walk around Lincoln Park one morning last week I came across the Flight of Butterflies exhibition on the grounds near the Museum. On view through fall 2025 the exhibition stars nearly 2 dozen works around the museum and the surrounding park plus another 10 or so placed downtown. These works, like the natural creatures that inspired them, will not stay put for long. Soon they will migrate around the city. &nbsp;A map on the museum's website shows where each work will end up so you can <a href="https://naturemuseum.org/exhibits/flight-of-butterflies">follow their journey</a>.&nbsp;This city-wide exhibit merges nature, art, and storytelling as a call to action for wildlife conservation. Local artists adorn butterfly sculptures with original designs, expressing their unique connections to nature.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419396/ewp2gkxx9aroayg4cbcp.jpg"><figcaption>Leonard Surajaya – "This sculpture is adorned with the eyes of my family and friends in both Indonesia and Chicago. Connecting communities in mv hometown and mv new found home, I set forth a vision of diversity and pride in belonging to our home on earth."</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The list of artists who have collaborated on this exhibition, creating uniquely beautiful creatures that stay put for more than a moment, features many familiar Chicago names, from Candace Hunter, to Leonard Surajaya, Rubén Aguirre, Yvette Mayorga and CGN's spring 2024 cover artist Salvador Andrade Arévalo, as well as many others.&nbsp;The Nature Museum supports global conservation of tropical butterfly habitats through partnerships with butterfly farms through the <a href="https://naturemuseum.org/exhibits/judy-istock-butterfly-haven">Judy Istock Butterfly Haven</a>. The museum says that this project amplifies their institutional mission to create positive connections between people and nature, and illuminates their vital conservation stories, and Flight of Butterflies brings the delight of art and nature to the public.&nbsp;April 2024 – September 2025Through July 2024: On Nature Museum Grounds + Michigan Avenue<a href="https://naturemuseum.org/exhibits/flight-of-butterflies">Details</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419397/jsvebf3iwvellhiemskb.jpg"><figcaption>Ariée Carter – "My nature is wonderful. lt's comfortable like my dresses. I created Junona. She is inspired by Christian Dior. She is friendly, courageous, kind, and gentle. When people see her, I want them to think about flowers and the sparkles in the water."&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419398/tmfmoigdy0khvly8ltgo.jpg"><figcaption>Melanie Vazquez – "This sculpture pays tribute to Mexican culture and honors my roots through nature's interconnectedness.Inspired by papel picado, each delicate cut-out symbolizes nature's essence, evoking growth, vitality, and spiritual harmony. Through this piece, I celebrate life's beauty, reflecting on nature's enduring spirit in my origins and heritage."</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419398/sbjlyi77bn3y3vrfikrc.jpg"><figcaption>Liz Flores – "My butterfly is an exploration of home and bow we all search for a place to exist. Each part of the butterfly wing contains a figurative element, bridging nature and people. It celebrates the act of migration. the search for something better, and nature's quest to not only survive but thrive."</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

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