<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/qkm1lpyxkbom2yzu3auv.jpg"><figcaption>The spring/summer 2024 cover of CGN featuring art by Salvador Andrade Arévalo&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>I don’t know what I would do without lists. When it comes to meeting CGN’s deadlines or navigating the logistical obstacle course that is raising two children, lists keep me focused and comforted by organization. I am always updating my lists, segmenting themes, using up notepads and Post-Its, crossing things off or starring critical follow-ups.&nbsp;I find listmaking essentially task-oriented, but that’s where it ends. For instance, I love nothing more than a weekend without to-dos that leaves time for my family and me to make spontaneous plans and discover something new. My thoughts about lists made me consider how magazines and websites have long leaned on publishing their own lists as a way to boost sales, from the top 100 songs of all time, to the 10 best things to do in two days. Lists may offer choices among an overwhelming array, but they can end up obscuring the rewarding discoveries you may find if you let yourself explore on your own. Especially because CGN is focused on supporting and engaging with a creative community, we aim to be a circular resource, not a linear one, a guide that shows you but does not dictate.&nbsp;When I went to summer camp as a kid we heard, “There are no rules, just guidelines.” And there are no rules or lists in this issue of CGN either. We feature 80 pages of insights and information, guided by our seasonal calendars and arts listings – in no particular order (other than sometimes chronological or geographic). There are too many upcoming art events to count, as of press-time, with more added throughout the summer.&nbsp;In this issue, in addition to dozens of exhibitions, we preview the return of EXPO CHICAGO, as well as shows by artists like <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/3/plastics-and-flowers-the-art-of-salvador-andrade-arevalo">Salvador Andrade Arévalo</a>, whose work you will want to know. Read how veteran artist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/3/phyllis-bramson-and-david-leggett-brewing-something-new">Phyllis Bramson</a> is shaking things up and exhibiting alongside a younger counterpart, David Leggett. Lucca Colombelli shares his big plans for his gallery Povos. Artist Suzette Bross details how her organization is bringing artists into Chicago Public Schools. We also highlight how Millennium Park has transformed Chicago’s modern reputation as a center for art since its opening 20 years ago.As you explore art this season–at art fairs, after hours, auctions, solo exhibitions, benefits and more–consider the advice of collector Sundeep Mullangi, “If you’re interested in collecting art, no matter who you are, there is an entry point for you.” Enjoy this issue and go out and find what’s on your list, if you even make one. Give yourself credit that you can discern what it is that you like and would like to follow. &nbsp;– Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Publisher&nbsp;To subscribe to CGN and receive a copy of the spring/summer magazine by mail please <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/magazine">click here</a>.&nbsp;Read our spring cover interview <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/3/plastics-and-flowers-the-art-of-salvador-andrade-arevalo">here</a>.&nbsp;</body></html>

Spring 2024 Publisher's Letter 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419360/ndrpl9ffkex1puyuhqlh.jpg"><figcaption>Photo by Etienne Frossard</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;BY ALISON REILLYSalvador Andrade Arévalo calls himself a printmaker who paints. Born in a rural area of Jalisco, Mexico, he immigrated to Chicago with his family at a young age. Inspired by his parents and older sister, he took art classes in high school and studied printmaking at Yale University. After graduating from college, he resisted the instability of life as a working artist, and instead worked as an admissions officer for Yale, a staffer on Obama’s reelection campaign, and a Master’s student in Latin American studies at the University of Cambridge. Eventually, he moved to Mexico City and spent five years painting in his living room while working remotely to support himself. Now, after completing his MFA at Yale in 2022, he is back in Chicago and currently a Bolt Resident at Chicago Artists Coalition. His solo show, Olvido, is on display at CAC until April 25, and his work will also be included in CAC’s EXPO Booth.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What are your earliest memories of making art?&nbsp;Salvador Andrade Arévalo: Edwidge Danticat, the author, has stated in talks and interviews that all immigrants are artists. In order for immigrants to survive in the US, they must create an entirely new life by pulling from their own internal creativity. They have to have the inspiration, the drive, and the will to survive in a country that isn’t necessarily accommodating to them. For me that spirit, that essence, is an influence in my work. That thriftiness, the frugalness, the need to just make something out of nothing has always been a part of my life, especially as someone that grew up as an immigrant.&nbsp;My parents didn’t complete high school or college. They only went up to sixth grade. But they’re the most brilliant people I know because they work with their hands. My mom knows how to make clothes. She can look at any knit pattern and she can fashion and replicate it. My dad, before retiring, worked setting up sprinkler systems. for massive corporations, storefronts, and skyscrapers in and around the Chicago-land area. He’s always been crafty. He knows how to use any tool. Growing up in a household with two creative people made me want to work with my hands. In this way, I found art as a logical avenue to pursue in school.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419361/vnz2n0ytvxohzsqjv3su.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Doble mirada 1 / Double gaze 1, 120 x 100 cm, oil on canvas, 2023 &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: When did you decide to pursue art formally?SAA: Well the funny thing is that I don’t think I was necessarily drawn to art classes themselves. I was drawn to the markers and the materials. I was the kid that could color within the lines while everyone else was drawing scribbles. I also grew up with an older sister who was super into art. She studied art in college, and she’s a curator. Naturally it made sense for me to take a lot of art classes, too, without thinking I was going to be a full-time artist later on. I took so many art classes in high school, and I majored in art in college. But it took me five years after I graduated from college to fully decide, okay, I want to pursue art full-time.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: How has your training as a printmaker influenced your current painting practice?&nbsp;SAA: The way I paint is a transposition of printmaking in the sense that I work with screens of color. In my paintings and my mixed media pieces, I’m always thinking about building up screens of color. That’s what adds dimensionality to my oil painting. A lot of my paintings are very detailed and meticulous, and they seem like I’m using hard edges, rulers, or tapes, but they’re free drawn and painted. This attention to detail comes from my training as a printmaker, in which I had to be very assiduous about everything. And, even though I don’t necessarily print anymore, I still consider printmaking to be a cornerstone of my practice. Having been formed, artistically, with such rigidity allows me to make moves with much more freedom now, because of my technical foundations. It’s much easier to make art with a strong foundation in technique, rather than starting with a baseline of no skills and trial and error.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Could you talk about the importance of flowers and other motifs in your paintings?SAA: Whenever I introduce my work right now, I say it’s about plastics and flowers. But there’s a lot of meaning behind both of those things. I’ll start with the flowers. I grew up around gardens. Over the summers when I was in high school, I would set up sprinkler systems with my dad. My family is from a very rural part of Mexico in the state of Jalisco. I was born there. You can imagine a rural place with plants everywhere. I’ve always been in some way, shape, or form, surrounded by plants. I made the connection between farming, warehouses, and my family, and I realized the economic exploitation of plants has kept my family in the labor class.The flowers are also there as a visual trap because they’re so beautiful and seductive. I also depict flowers that I find around Mexico or connect to my Mexican heritage. Some of them may not necessarily originate from Mexico; some were brought to Mexico and became popularized and common in folkloric imagery. Flowering plants themselves have also been so genetically modified that they have their own legacy of exploitation and extraction by human touch to be more attractive.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/zcyqqs0s8pruleslholz.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Lenticular, 19” x 17”, hand stitched produce packaging from family’s consumption, 2023</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: And the plastics?&nbsp;SAA: In conjunction with flowers, I use a lot of single-use, disposable plastics, like food packaging or things used to wrap what you order online. Anything plastic that’s simply thrown away, I use in my work. The first thing you do every day is throw some piece of plastic away. If you think about it, have you ever gone through a day without throwing away a piece of plastic? And the plastics themselves come from petrol, and petrol is fossilized organic material. I’m interested in the concept of extraction and what we consume as Americans in the U.S. is stripped of its origins. The plastic that’s used to tape up an Amazon box, where does that come from? Which country in the global south packed this or made it, and where was it taken from and how cheaply and exploitatively was it removed from its origins?&nbsp;My family has been migrating between Chicago and Mexico for over 100 years. But always as laborers. This gives you a sense of my family and how these exploitative systems keep people in their same class forever.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/cqzrhnyq0hboex9rrqbu.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Pasos / Paces, 31.5 x 25 in, found single-use plastics, thread, paper, pressed flowers, textiles, acrylic, gesso, and sequins, 2023 &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Are you collecting these materials, the food packaging and discarded items, in your everyday life or sourcing them?SAA: Right now, most of the plastics in my work are from my family’s consumption. I recently completed a piece that was made from collected food stickers. The stickers name almost every country in Latin America. In a way, the piece was a map of the places that grow our food. And since my family in Mexico grows tomatoes, limes, corn, and agave, making this piece was a full circle moment. The food my family members in Mexico grow and sell, could very well be the food that I consume in the US.&nbsp;So where is our food coming from? Who’s growing it, who’s touching it, who’s packing it, who’s shipping it?&nbsp;My family members who grow limes have to sell a crate of limes that weights several kilos for pennies. When we buy limes in Chicago, we buy three limes for a dollar. Imagine the markup value of that food source as it passes through the system of wholesale buyers and distributors to the U.S. &nbsp;<blockquote>“Thriftiness, the frugalness, the need to just make something out of nothing has always been a part of my life.”&nbsp;- Salvador Andrade Arévalo</blockquote>&nbsp;CGN: What’s a typical day in your studio like?SAA: I get up, have coffee, and decide which part of my practice I’m going to devote my time to, especially since I paint by daylight. I’ll set up my oil paints when the sun comes up and then I paint for the entire day. That’s my super concentrated, most intense work mode. But that’s why I also have the other side of my practice, which is more amorphous. The plastic pieces allow me to have more freedom, and not necessarily be strict with a pencil, a brush stroke, or the color choices that I’m making. I bounce between working fast and slow, and I need one to get into the other. The printmaker within me can get so fixated on tiny details. To break myself free from that rigidity, I need the other side of my practice to give me more freedom to play. I never really feel that I complete a piece. I think I can always go back to a piece and have something to fix. I usually just give myself deadlines and say, “Okay, after this day, you see the mistake, but you’re going to have to live with it.”&nbsp;CGN: Oh no.SAA: For example, the pieces I’m making for my show at CAC, the March 1st deadline was the hard deadline, and I forced myself to never ever touch those pieces again.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419363/nggynj7hv0ymmqldbx0j.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Nudos / Knots, 12” x 9”, oil pastel on paper, 2022</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Would you touch them after the show? Or you let it go at that point?&nbsp;SAA: No, I tell myself, it’s done. Even though I know in my deepest heart that it’s not done, it’s done. Because I have to stop at a certain point, you know? I get finicky about details. It always goes back to the printmaker within me, who wants everything to be perfectly aligned with no mistakes whatsoever. But a big part of being an artist is moving past&nbsp;that rigidity and letting the work do what it needs to do. What I think is a mistake might not necessarily be a mistake for the audience.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What are you exhibiting for your show at CAC?SAA: I’m including one oil painting and two plastic installations. You know the big potato sacks that grocery stores unpack the food in? I’ve gone to grocery stores, and as people are unpacking them, I ask, “Can I have these?” They look at me like I’m crazy. I’ve selected a ton of them, and I knit them together. It’s a quilt of these food sacks from grocery stores.&nbsp;Plastics are super light, so I kind of work like a clown car. I can fit an entire installation of just plastic into one normal sized box. They’re so light and airy and flimsy and probably will degrade over time. I can travel with them. I can put up a big installation in a day and take the installation down in the same day.&nbsp;Then I have a piece that’s a new venture for me. I’m dethreading my old clothes, reversing what a machine can do. I have entirely dethreaded pants and shirts. It’s humorous in the sense that why would I spend hours and hours dethreading my clothes? They do feel very bodily like they had a past life. It also harkens back to the fact that I don’t like to throw things away. The clothes I have ripped or that I no longer use I repurpose in my art now.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419364/klpzg9qczjni4dopaexq.jpg"><figcaption>Salvador Andrade Arévalo, Pensamientos / Thoughts, 24 x 20 in, oil on canvas, 2022</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: I’m excited to see how those turn out.&nbsp;SAA: I’m excited about those, too, because I hold onto things. That attachment to disposable things comes from being low income and being raised by family members that didn’t necessarily have a ton of wealth, but they were able to create an entire world, an entire childhood out of the most basic necessities.I will start a piece and let it sit there for two or three years. Then once I find or stumble across the material that is needed to complete it, I circle back to that piece and I add the missing things that I felt they needed when I first began the piece.&nbsp;That’s happened with these clothes. I could have donated them, but no one’s really going to want them because they have holes and paint stains. The only other option for these clothes is the dumpster. In the U.S. there isn’t a system to reuse or repurpose things that no longer have a functional use.&nbsp;But I found the loose strands in my jeans so poetic and beautiful. I just started pulling out the threads. That’s actually how a lot of my practice works. I see something and I touch it and I look at it, and then I’m like wait, it’s doing something that visually is compelling. If I get stuck I will go through my boxes, and I’ll start touching things and looking at them and then seeing what new projects can arise out of the things that I’ve already collected.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419365/czfh8addtyh8m9p9goxd.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;This interview is featured in CGN's spring/summer 2024 magazine. To subscribe and receive a copy by mail <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/magazine">click here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Plastics and Flowers: the Art of Salvador Andrade Arévalo

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/mtxwsmt0c68vrmy3ywjx.jpg"><figcaption>Barbara P. Jones</figcaption></figure>John David Mooney Foundation Founder Barbara P. Jones Has Died&nbsp;The John David Mooney Foundation announced the passing of Barbara P. Jones on March 21, 2024, in Urbana, Illinois.Barbara dedicated her life to the work and mission of the John David Mooney Foundation since its establishment in 1981. She was founder, director, and administrator for the Foundation, handling day-to-day management of its operations, art exhibits, public relations, development, and events.For fifty years she assisted Chicago artist John David Mooney professionally and personally in his numerous large-scale sculpture installations in Chicago, Urbana, Illinois, the Olympics Games in Atlanta, and international exhibits in Croatia, Italy, Malta, Scotland, Spain, and the Vatican.&nbsp;Barbara will be forever remembered and deeply missed by her family, friends, colleagues, and the arts community she served. Her legacy will prevail through the lives she touched and the indelible mark she made on the cultural landscape in Chicagoland and beyond.<a href="https://www.mooneyfoundation.org/latest">Details</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419360/m7h04wknp4h6mrwwqnwh.jpg"></figure>Les Enluminures offers one of the largest and most wide-ranging inventories of Books of Hours in the world.The gallery's Spring Books of Hours Update gathers a group of impressive and richly illuminated manuscripts from a range of countries. Highlights include <a href="http://link.artlogicmailings.com/ls/click?upn=u001.G-2F-2B7BThqPcsVZgx7C2nV6Pas5JuUwjYz8SU4UpIyCgQ2EkWEbMq5IjYqn7bYHYbYTwJaoWYZDlyAiZXCXt2-2FZw2tnInJPuJJHbgf2fKofHK-2B6n5I2LMw00whSY18UrzdYE2-2FBy72-2BKwiQqyMkhepYfhkxm0WjNxillO0Ka-2BVgciCQ-2FKDEP0svuxM7lxjtaV0ns0q_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVikNEQwxpwEcoOyKbtwuEcK0tbMww-2BObRxV0VERKG1DfOn8I-2FdgLCtG-2BFwQKqkz4ZFyXpHSSAgPQ8IAGwAESFylDJRsCocdjhWUjVOaY-2B7MrZtzaK8HLdy5fnXq5-2Fd07ikIHaFgBopXeEJ8lvcID5GASgdIjAHTc2F2nO9yFs3Ly3bTdK5njtMj20As4yvv9u36Qdc0o5HeQqT8k8JTo9izEagzx4DdYGqlE1OMIkMVa7jESXeUPtO4kHaCou32jkhV67ErFkfbHWrqGU3NCsLkrLEgz1mO5FMqiDHbzkCwtpSsyFOfEeCcW0hVTAIw4pnJQ3JW537RG36-2FqnQnsvYpklfx2hCGajLtfUPrk58a4Rn2ycCND072Tm462AgIu6kJhF-2BpmRdqGdhmBOszCmI2Obh8pOKl-2B6pmS2UEGTTJy7HCg0WRd2u41VaEW-2B8ueM10U4Tcg1RxKRF-2BrSsIwB-2FU07RhcZf09ZfGTwjyFQmoywMLlLTmU17BqyICjIkDniYGkmXy2WSTmg36RXqqbVI86jVGoUqX1Ko7OhSeDXg4-2FfPe2Rgwjo0W-2Ff9gskFyxAh-2Bo42Wr5uKCyLX1Hy-2BeTKyUJ-2FV29PnTyHIBhpAgt895xuHn6r21zZR8v3eCeRDIXd3jpFgbQcFz7SpFeDhBy4FpH9y3Tpi8kZW9llVP0PoCnYtt4dZ-2F-2FpD6UPDxK6rGJtzK1kLT2MJq6oJ3yW1UTVcSGOutFu7V0fKNuUZ7YQ6ep9K8UqEKtf-2FAvMhnz9CodMZ-2F0QKguY2cf8-2F-2BA0QZ0Vq31DnTTEGi2q4oTj3hJUkw-3D">the Hours of Johannes Meckis</a>, a sumptuous manuscript made for a nun who is depicted within the pages, and <a href="http://link.artlogicmailings.com/ls/click?upn=u001.G-2F-2B7BThqPcsVZgx7C2nV6Pas5JuUwjYz8SU4UpIyCgQ2EkWEbMq5IjYqn7bYHYbYzSILD2Gohlf0BV3uszjwBVFf3ouHqUEGtWzK1d6hMVTcFQSsm5MfN31FsLWjUn5TdOP4RbAcj-2FfUX3CLCZKcOA-3D-3D79Es_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVikNEQwxpwEcoOyKbtwuEcK0tbMww-2BObRxV0VERKG1DfOn8I-2FdgLCtG-2BFwQKqkz4ZFyXpHSSAgPQ8IAGwAESFylDJRsCocdjhWUjVOaY-2B7MrZtzaK8HLdy5fnXq5-2Fd07ikIHaFgBopXeEJ8lvcID5GASgdIjAHTc2F2nO9yFs3Ly3bTdK5njtMj20As4yvv9u36Qdc0o5HeQqT8k8JTo9izEagzx4DdYGqlE1OMIkMVa7jESXeUPtO4kHaCou32jkhV67ErFkfbHWrqGU3NCsLkrLEgz1mO5FMqiDHbzkCwtpSsyFOfEeCcW0hVTAIw4pnJQ3JW537RG36-2FqnQnsvYpklfx2hCGajLtfUPrk58a4Rn2ycCND072Tm462AgIu6kJhF-2BpmRdqGdhmBOszCmI2Obh8pOKl-2B6pmS2UEGTTJy7HCg0WRd2u41VaEW-2B8ueM10U4Tcg1RxKRF-2BrSsIwB-2FU07RhcZf09ZfGTwjyFQmoywMLlLTmU17BqyICjIkDniYGkmXy2WSTmg36RXqqbVI9n1xuliF4XwpDwbLFTVoD8xVRQQAGEHGB7dfc3bCy3LflgumBlWM-2F4eHnr-2B1B81oQblgTptLTkK3co0tIhkgSq2GdiKMfSW-2Bmz8pU-2Br2p1A5WxCpXxDBBrF-2BGwIOUvQlDZ4AZYDD89HRC-2B3BH-2FbE1-2F9ghByIxhNTXFIJlmEFbKVtYmdSv4GMEpNGJ5GP1-2FKlBGqr64HHzR0JWYuN1RiKQ1UbCzUcAyNSh9GdLyX-2FzVfvaQsEXtMWRay-2B7bHIpwDiAsYpudwx4jEBJ03ceL46Ps-3D">a ravishing Horae</a> by one of the leading illuminators in Paris at the time of English occupation.<a href="https://www.lesenluminures.com/current-exhibitions/books-of-hours-spring-2024/">Details</a>&nbsp;Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency Announces the Hold Space Grant for Artists of Color.Ox-Bow School of Art &amp; Artists’ Residency has launched a new opportunity for BIPOC artists and creatives to utilize Ox-Bow’s campus and facilities via the Hold Space Grant for Artists of Color. Artists of any discipline, writers, curators, teachers, arts administrators, and Ox-Bow Alumni are encouraged to apply. The grant supports individuals or groups of up to twenty for any length of time from one to seven nights. The dates available for the Hold Space Grant in 2024 are September 4–11.Applications are open now and close June 16, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. EST. The grant provides participants with a communal living experience on Ox-Bow’s 115-acre campus, including meeting space, outdoor activities and studio access in Saugatuck, Michigan. Lodging, three meals per day, use of public buildings, and support in our studios are provided.<a href="https://www.ox-bow.org/hold-space-grant">Details</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 3/29/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/h1k9xjbfxpbyefmt8jfw.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/muscle-memory-paul-gerard-somers">Muscle Memory: Paul Gerard Somers</a>Exhibition begins March 29SoNa Chicago Art Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419361/awuwnrdydan3hgrjrice.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/liz-martino-march-29-to-may25">Lucia Calderon Arrieta: Gloop N Droop Rinconsito</a>Opening: Friday, March 29, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmInternational Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419361/pjs7raefii48lci6ts8f.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/liz-martino-march-29-to-may25">Liz Martino | BLAMM-O: moments of seeing more</a>Opening: Friday, March 29, 7 – 10&nbsp;pmFirecat Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419362/t1ajur89fmnr5zxqhb02.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/abraham-my-chaotic-order">Abraham: My Chaotic Order</a>Opening: Friday, March 29, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419363/ud4qnscdkkckumobwen4.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jennifer-angus-flying-jewels-other-lofty-insects">Jennifer Angus: Flying Jewels &amp; Other Lofty Insects</a>Exhibition begins March 29Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419364/iavrlsuybx3gpqgy7wdq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/perceptions-of-flow-movement">Perceptions of Flow “Movement”</a>Exhibition begins March 30Evanston Art Center&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 29 & 30

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/oiq7rpi3lr9opix7ac5r.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/slzobnjp8ssgt0omotdr.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAThe Museum of Contemporary Photography's (MoCP) annual benefit DARKROOM took place last month on February 29 – Leap Night 2024. &nbsp; Leap Night proved to be a record-breaking year for MoCP with 400 people in attendance and $325,000 raised. Hosted at the Columbia College Student Center in the South Loop, the purple-lit evening offered VIPS and all attendees a chance to bid on an impressive variety of artworks and experiences for the <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=f27f772860&amp;e=d76e1da35a">auction</a>, sponsored by Freeman’s | Hindman.&nbsp; The evening honored two Chicago icons for their contribution to the city&nbsp;and beyond. MoCP honored its esteemed colleague, professor, and distinguished artist&nbsp;Dawoud Bey the Silver Camera Award. VIP ticket holders were treated to an engaging conversation between Mr. Bey and MoCP Executive Director Natasha Egan. Bey also received an actual silver camera - an Argus c3 rangefinder Leica, the same camera he had in 1979. Bey shared with guests that the gift of the Leica was "completely and totally unexpected. My life as a photographer began with a little rectangle brick of a camera. This is a wonderful completion of a moment."&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419347/kdqhzdo5n5q4xq8jyrii.jpg"><figcaption>Dawoud Bey and his silver camera</figcaption></figure>*Artist, designer, and cultural provocateur Jason Pickleman and JNL Graphic Design was MoCP's DARKROOM Honoree, with JNL cofounder&nbsp;Leslie Bodenstein accepting the award after sharing a video tribute of JNL's outstanding design work from over the years. In particular JNL has designed much of MoCP's signature materials, just one of the many, many ways Pickleman has supported the arts community and its institutions through award-winning design. Bodenstein had the crowd cheer into her phone so that Pickleman, who was at home due to his health, could hear the enthusiasm in the room as his award was presented.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419348/zpu0zcocfhuc6h8i4kxy.jpg"><figcaption>Lelie Bodenstein holds the phone up for the crowd to cheer for Jason Pickleman</figcaption></figure> Eszter Borvendeg and Lincoln Schatz co-chaired DARKROOM along with this year's <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=e5c4fd2ac9&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Benefit Committee.</a> Event proceeds support MoCP exhibitions, education, and community engagement programs. The public is invited to continue supporting this year’s DARKROOM with a gift to MoCP through this <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=e0d2e388fe&amp;e=d76e1da35a">link</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419349/fefppjhvdtxlw1x4gwga.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Photos by Julie Lucas, Columbia College Chicago Staff Photographer.&nbsp;</body></html>

MoCP's 2024 Leap Night DARKROOM Honors Dawoud Bey and Jason Pickleman

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/lc5yiulndtzrkqueiojn.jpg"><figcaption>Above: Left: David Leggett, High Vibration Plates Only, 2024, acrylic, collage, and felt on canvas, 28 x 22 in / 71.1 x 55.9 cm. Right: Phyllis Bramson, Basic Truths about Romantic Conditions, 2023, mixed media, collage, and paint on paper, mounted on panel, 48 x 36 in / 121.9 x 91.4 cm</figcaption></figure>By JACKIE LEWISArtists Phyllis Bramson &amp; David Leggett have collaborated at ENGAGE Projects this spring to exhibit Double, Double Toil and Trouble! With a familiar title served up from the cauldrons of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Bramson and Leggett visually recontextualize the phrase through their individual usage of collage, shared comedic relief and maximalist painting.&nbsp;Bramson shared with CGN, “It was my idea to show with David Leggett. I had seen his exhibitions when he used to live in Chicago. Now he is in Los Angeles. I felt people know a lot of my work; I wanted to shake things up!”&nbsp;The exhibition calls on and highlights taboos and dares to platform subjects that are usually kept out of sight or only superficially examined. Leggett’s paintings recycle media familiar to the masses, with his work highlighting the importance of humor in dealing with the reality of mundane life. Through hyper-modern collage aesthetics and traditional symbolism, Leggett touches on themes from hip-hop to art history, sexuality, racial divisions and the self.Considering Leggett’s work, Bramson says, “I find his work to be elegant, well composed and tightly crafted, and I certainly try to do the same. We both use irony, humor and ‘inappropriateness’ – David uses Fat Albert and Black Bart to craft a narrative, and I utilize Orientalism, which I can trace back to my childhood.”“I take many of my cues from standup comedians,” Leggett explains, “which I listen to while in my studio. Humor and the use of color are two tools that I employ to bring the viewer in.”Bramson, whose résumé has a few decades on Leggett’s, wields comedy as well, as she is a self-described “painter-comedian”. She admits, “In the studio I don’t practice good behavior. I maim. I raid. I give myself freedom.” &nbsp;It’s the intersection of bold commentary on every day life and collective memory that makes Double, Double, Toil and Trouble! a unique chance to witness a visual conversation between two artists at different stages in their careers. For Bramson, “We have a fair amount in common, yet still are quite different. David’s bite has sharper teeth! So while we are not to be looked at as all that similar, we both have something to say about the human condition, collaging and sharing the use of specific ideas about ‘beauty’.”Mar 22–Apr 27 • ENGAGE Projects • 864 N Ashland Ave. (60622)<a href="https://www.engage-projects.com">engage-projects.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;This preview is featured in the spring/summer issue of CGN, out April 1, 2024. To subscribe to receive a print magazine by mail please <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/magazine">click here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Phyllis Bramson and David Leggett: Brewing Something New

<html><head></head><body><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2024/03/18/clinee-hedspeth-appointed-new-commissioner-for-chicago-department-of-cultural-affairs-and-special-events">Clinée Hedspeth Named New Commissioner of DCASE</a>Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Monday the appointment of Clinée Hedspeth as the new commissioner of the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).Hedspeth previously served as legislative director under Johnson during his time as Cook County Commissioner. She has also worked as director of curatorial services at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, and more recently as associate specialist of 20th century and contemporary art at Phillips Auctioneers, where she identified and evaluated art.The announcement comes one month after Johnson announced the termination of the <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2024/03/04/dcase-leadership-still-in-flux-as-city-braces-for-start-of-festival-season">previous DCASE commissioner, Erin Harkey</a>, although she remained on the job until last Friday. News of Harkey’s departure came just weeks before the city’s festival season gets underway, and was a surprise to some in the arts community.Via Chicago Sun-Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/education/saic-using-ai-predict-admissions#/">School of the Art Institute of Chicago turns to AI to help admissions</a>The School of the Art Institute of Chicago will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to make more accurate enrollment predictions, a move that could save the school money and offer a path forward for cash-strapped art schools nationally.Via Crain's (paywall)&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/bssm8nlqy2voza6dasu6.jpg"><figcaption>“Still Life 1985” by artist Jim Bachor is on display and for sale at his gallery at 1111 W. Lawrence. Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicagos-pothole-picasso-opens-a-studio-gallery-in-uptown/f6138b68-fe43-4dc8-a607-27057e1050ea">Chicago’s ‘Pothole Picasso’ opens a studio/gallery in Uptown</a>Local artist Jim Bachor, who has been called the “Pothole Picasso,” has opened a gallery/studio in&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/uptown">Uptown</a>, with the hope to get back to his true calling, fine art mosaics.The studio, located across from the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom at 1111 W. Lawrence Ave., is about 1,000 square feet and is divided by a small gallery in the front and a larger studio space in the back, where Bachor said he will move his workshop from the basement of his Mayfair home.Via WBEZ&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 3/21/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419359/i0u8chyqqwtn41mfhctl.jpg"><figcaption>Claude Monet "<a href="https://ulcc.emuseum.com/objects/1382/pommiers-en-fleurs-apple-trees-in-blossom-le-printemps-sp?ctx=ceeb0d9fbaf038e8836cbe635047da00ff97c9b2&amp;idx=168">Pommiers en Fleurs</a>," 1872</figcaption></figure>By Ginny Van AlyeaYesterday the news made the rounds the private Union League Club is (again) planning to sell its famed 1872 Monet painting in order to raise much needed funds to support a $10 million renovation of the 330,000 square-foot Club. A couple of years ago the Club rejected a sale for just over $7 million.&nbsp;The painting's name, value and importance to Chicago comes up every few years in will-they-wont-they sale discussions. The pandemic was financially devastating to many of the city's private clubs, in particular the Union League, which is located in the hard-hit Loop and has extensive hotel and dining facilities.&nbsp;Claude Monet’s Pommiers en Fleurs (Apple Trees in Blossom) measures 23" x 29" and is a classic springtime image by the artist. A Chicagoan, Judge John Barton Payne, who was a member of the Union League Club, purchased the painting from a show of the artist's work at the Art Institute in 1895 just when the artist's star was skyrocketing. According to the description of the Art Institute's Monet in Chicago, "When Monet’s paintings first appeared alongside his contemporaries’ in a Chicago gallery in 1888, he was singled out for praise by the press. And when his works were shown in the city again as part of the last Inter-State Industrial Exposition in Chicago (also known as the “American Salon”) in 1890, they not only captured the eye of local collectors—they ignited a collective passion." A Chicago Daily Tribune review in 1888 exclaimed “Why go to Paris since Paris has come to Chicago?”Payne sold Pommiers en Fleurs to the Union League for $500. A 2020 Art Monitor <a href="https://www.artmarketmonitor.com/2020/12/07/chicagos-union-league-club-board-approves-sale-of-prized-monet-other-works/">article</a> said that at the time of its exhibition in 1895 its value was $1,500. By the late 1950s, it was valued at $20,000, and in 1985, it was said to be worth $900,000.&nbsp;The work has been part of museum exhibitions over the years, recently Monet in Chicago at the Art Institute in 2020, but it has always maintained its status as the jewel of the Club's valuable private collection, which is frequently opened to the non-member public. &nbsp;The club's <a href="https://ulcc.org/art-collection">website description</a> of its collecting history states, "The Club supported the establishment of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum and the Harold Washington Library. It also built one of the most comprehensive private collections of American art. This outstanding, museum-quality collection is one of the first things one notices about the Union League Club: art is everywhere! Some work is familiar – Monet’s Apple Trees in Blossom – while others may be less familiar – Sabraw’s&nbsp;Chroma S4 Chimaera, David Anthony Geary’s Back of the Bus for Now, and Roger Brown’s Cathedrals in Space, for example.It offers ticketed tours of its art collection. It's unclear if the Monet is still on view.&nbsp;</body></html>

Union League Club Selling Monet Painting to Raise $

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/dnzylo7tme3x9vupv8ur.jpg"><figcaption>The newly designed 2024 “I voted sticker,” top left, sits next to the 2022 sticker, left, and the 2023 sticker, right, at the Cook County Office building, March 14, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/03/15/chicago-has-a-new-i-voted-sticker-meet-the-artist-behind-the-bold-and-simple-design/">Chicago has a new ‘I voted!’ sticker. Meet the artist behind the bold and simple design.</a>As Tuesday’s Illinois primary election approaches, early voters have been introduced to a new unique design for what’s arguably the most fun part of casting a ballot in Chicago — getting the iconic “I voted!” sticker.The Chicago Board of Elections ordered 2 million of the apple-size stickers. The new design features a ballot box set over a dark blue backdrop and above the four red stars from Chicago’s city flag. The stickers are handed out like little prizes after voters cast their ballots, passed out at precincts and included in vote-by-mail packets across the city.The artist behind the new sticker, Jane Ignacio, has designed everything for the board for more than 20 years, from its social media posts to its election judge handbooks.“Going to the polling place on Election Day is like my Super Bowl,” the freelance designer said in an interview Thursday.Via Chicago Tribune&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/03/17/museum-visitor-numbers-recover-from-pandemic-related-falls?utm_source=The+Art+Newspaper+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=fe82dc1714-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_03_18_12_31&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_-fe82dc1714-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D">International museum attendance figures back to pre-pandemic levels</a>Visitor numbers at the world’s largest museums of art have largely returned to their pre-pandemic levels, an exclusive survey by The Art Newspaper has found.The Covid-19 pandemic caused museum visitor numbers to plummet across the world as institutions shut their doors and people were forced to stay inside. The number of people visiting the most-visited 100 museums fell from 230 million in 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year, to just 54m in 2020. Since then we have seen a slow recovery, with 71m visitors in 2021 and 141m in 2022.Via The Art Newspaper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artbasel.com/stories/women-collectors-patronage-lisa-perry-komal-shah-survey-global-collecting-ubs?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=240315_EDNL24_editorialnewsletter_aud-G&amp;utm_content=content">Women are spending more on art than men – we look at why</a>From a distance, a work by Mitsuko Asakura might read as a linear interplay of glowing, expressionist color – until the middle drops out in a pendulous swoop of slackened silk. The&nbsp;Kyoto-born septuagenarian&nbsp;textile artist, who fuses traditional fiber dyeing and European tapestry methods with experimental forms, has been revered among a community of craftspeople in Japan. But it was not until her inclusion in a group show at collector Lisa Perry’s female-focused Onna House in East Hampton, New York, in 2022, that her work was noticed by a board member of the Museum of Arts and Design and subsequently entered the permanent collection.Via Art Basel&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/mexican-artist-crushes-tesla-under-221059483.html?guccounter=1">Mexican artist crushes Tesla under giant stone head</a>A giant stone head resembling an ancient Indigenous sculpture sits on top of a crushed Tesla car. It's not the scene of a freak accident, but a piece of art&nbsp;-- whose creator says he wanted to provoke Elon Musk.Chavis Marmol, a 42-year-old sculptor who has never owned a car and travels by bicycle, came up with the idea of dropping the nine-ton carving onto a blue Tesla 3 in Mexico City using cranes.Via AFP&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 3/19/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/tlxnxhosfiuulkphol20.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/phyllis-bramson-david-leggett">Phyllis Bramson and David Leggett: Double, Double Toil and Trouble!</a>Opening: Friday, March 22, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;ENGAGE Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/nwx4dxyd01ssspsno3z1.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-body-of-others-by-jude-griebel">A Body of Others by Jude Griebel</a>Opening: Friday, March 22, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/rvifmbww31l5tkk0n7mf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/works-in-progress-bc732630-07ab-4058-9dfb-83470dfdfbb6">Works in Progress</a>Opening: Saturday, March 23, 1 – 3&nbsp;pm&nbsp;South Shore Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/srtjz12mipkycpai1vvv.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/it-s-for-the-birdshttps://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/it-s-for-the-birds">It's for the Birds</a>Opening: Saturday, March 23, 6 – 9&nbsp;pm&nbsp;Blue Moon Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/iw2rbhjwdvqcwqv67c4u.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alice-shaddle-fuller-circles">Alice Shaddle: Fuller Circles</a>Exhibition begins March 23Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 21 - 23 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/rnfubks9duxw1spid5gz.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2024-faculty-spotlight">2024 Faculty Spotlight</a>Exhibition begins March 21The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/ivtp4xxmoe4twcnqxpeo.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/teatricci">Teatricci</a>Opening: Thursday, March 21, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;Istituto Italiano di Cultura&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/dawp9l7uxtm3z7ze8u6n.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/entering-the-unconscious">Entering the Unconscious</a>Exhibition begins March 21Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/nqguhw7enoq983mcty5z.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pooja-pittie-only-in-dark-the-light">Pooja Pittie: Only in Dark the Light</a>Opening: Thursday, March 21, 5 – 7&nbsp;pm&nbsp;McCormick Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419356/qnzbrr46hzclqxq9wb18.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/john-chamberlain-black-mountain-poems-1955">John Chamberlain: Black Mountain Poems 1955</a>Opening: Thursday, March 21, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;Corbett vs. Dempsey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419357/zg9vtnvxfyjwxsn3ay64.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-night-at-mister-kelly-s">A Night at Mister Kelly's</a>Exhibition begins March 21Newberry Library&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419358/t5eyux09tpitapc5du6q.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/meiji-modern-50-years-of-new-japan">Meiji Modern: 50 Years of New Japan</a>Opening: Thursday, March 21, 6 – 8&nbsp;pm&nbsp;Smart Museum of Art&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 21 - 23 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/f9ww9iocfikgz871hqol.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-image-pool">The Image Pool</a>Exhibition begins March 14DePaul University Art Museum (DPAM)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/xy2vjchqadautde5qmax.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/you-re-not-really-seeing-this">You’re Not Really Seeing This</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmEvanston Art Center&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/fxmayijn8abjlwxpqdq4.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/figuration-and-form">Figuration and Form</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmLily Pad | West&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/r82yipf2xvjx2aag03if.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/david-love-pastures-of-plenty">David Love: Pastures of Plenty</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmTandem Press&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/z5ydrzp2omemq9amqhet.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/with-a-little-help-from-my-friends">With a Little Help From My Friends</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmCircle Contemporary (Arts of Life)&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 14 - 19 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/z8vr6rucvykhhjz7trou.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lorraine-peltz-83c4cac4-224a-4a56-b9a5-3cdc16de6d1a">Lorraine Peltz</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmZolla / Lieberman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/imagined-landscapes-group-show">Imagined Landscapes: Group Show</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmCarl Hammer Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/ny3hpqqk1vcqyazcvca6.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-exhibition-and-opening-reception-6ddcd0ac-d0f1-4986-8c67-d29ffdc89b20">Anthony Adcock: Gridlock</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmAddington Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/xyq3ljbkkgxd5i21udck.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-exhibition-and-opening-reception">Equipoise: Carol Pylant</a>Opening: Friday, March 15, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmGallery Victor&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/yghkt0puz0yhe3ktycas.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mina-loy-strangeness-is-inevitable">Mina Loy: Strangeness Is Inevitable</a>Opening: Tuesday, March 19, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmThe Arts Club of Chicago&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 14 - 19 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/mfnozfv7rlarwzvztvyu.png" alt="page1image24825920"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;CHICAGO — <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">EXPO CHICAGO</a> reveals core programming details for the eleventh edition, taking place April 11–14, 2024 at Navy Pier. Alongside gallery presentations, EXPO CHICAGO showcases programs including the /Dialogues panel series; IN/SITU and IN/SITU Outside, installations across Festival Hall and Chicago’s public spaces; OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, artworks presented on citywide billboards; and the Northern Trust Exchange Stage, a cornerstone of the fair’s VIP Program.“From our inception, EXPO CHICAGO has consistently presented a robust list of critically acclaimed programs that activates the exposition for our patrons and contributes to the enduring critical discourse of the international arts community,” says Tony Karman, President and Director of EXPO CHICAGO. “As the art world gathers in Chicago this year, we are thrilled to welcome these exceptional talents to the exposition, and we look forward to their significant contributions in making the 2024 edition a resounding success.”“EXPO CHICAGO’s programming engages with local and visiting audiences by offering opportunities of engagement beyond the core fair, extending conversations to neighborhoods throughout Chicago,” says Kate Sierzputowski, Artistic Director of EXPO CHICAGO. “On-site dialogues continue to engage arts practices from both within and outside of the city, uniting artists with curators for conversations that explore themes that resonate strongly with our Curatorial Initiatives and first ever Curatorial Conference, Curating and the Commons.”A summary of the core programs and the full schedule can be found at <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">expochicago.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/f8qjbqyiwe3u6f2e1whr.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Cave in Chicago, 2023, still. Courtesy of Art21.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/pcxjo4e5mqsredsizglb.jpg"><figcaption>EXPO CHICAGO 2023, Chance The Rapper in conversation with Hank Willis Thomas, Navy Pier. Photo: Faith Decker.</figcaption></figure>/Dialogues Presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), /Dialogues brings together leading curators, artists, designers, and arts professionals for a series of panel discussions, forums, and artistic discourse on topics of the moment.Highlights include a keynote with Chance the Rapper, Asma Naeem (Baltimore Museum of Art) and Nate Freeman (Vanity Fair) on hip hop and its contributions to international contemporary art; a conversation on art making and social change with For Freedoms; a discussion with curator Carla Acevedo-Yates (Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago) and artists Candida Alvarez (SAIC Professor Emerit) and Omar Velázquez (SAIC MFA 2016) on the importance of Puerto Rican representation within local collections and institutions; a preview of Prospect.6 with co-Artistic Directors Ebony G. Patterson and Miranda Lash; a forum on criticism as art practice with ARTnews; a conversation on arts spaces outside of traditional centers with Jenny Moore (Tinworks), Kristy Edmunds (MASS MoCA), and Jodi Throckmorton (John Michael Kohler Art Center); a panel hosted by United States Artists on contemporary craft with recent fellows; conversations with artists Amanda Williams and Paul Mpagi Sepuya; two public discussions as part of the Directors Summit; and a partnership with Art21 and Daata.The full program may be found here. More information about the previously announced Directors Summit and this year’s extended Curatorial Initiatives may be found here and here, respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;IN/SITU: In the Country of Last ThingsThe IN/SITU program realizes site-responsive and large-scale work throughout Festival Hall. The 2024 IN/SITU program, curated by Amara Antilla Independent Curator and Guest Curator at Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, draws its title from the 1987 dystopian novel by Paul Auster and features fifteen artists who explore the precarious nature of contemporary life. The works intervene within interstitial spaces and pause in the gallery presentations, bringing together artists whose practices investigate collective unease during a fractured time, evoking revisionist histories, and moving beyond critique to imagine more just and sustainable futures.The program will feature artists Ivan Argote (Perrotin), American Artist (Labor), Paul Stephen Benjamin (Efraín López), Kiah Celeste (DOCUMENT), Elena Damiani (Revolver Galería), Anne-Karin Furunes (RYAN LEE Gallery), Rico Gatson (Miles McEnery Gallery), Maria Hupfield (Patel Brown), Voluspa Jarpa (NOME), Lucia Koch (Nara Roesler), Josèfa Ntjam (Galerie Poggi), Michael Rakowitz (Rhona Hoffman Gallery), Claudia Peña Salinas (CURRO), Tori Wrånes (Nazarian / Curcio), and Lauren Yeager (Abattoir).&nbsp;&nbsp;IN/SITU OutsideIN/SITU Outside stages temporary public art installations along the lakefront and throughout Chicago, presented in partnership with the Chicago Park District (CPD), the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and Navy Pier. The 2024 program includes an intervention at the General John Alexander Logan Monument in Grant Park, Nomadic Art Museum, and an installation by Eddie Martinez at Navy Pier.More information on the 2024 IN/SITU Outside program may be found <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/in-situ-outside">here</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/fa83laojsaeqfez3hlow.jpg"><figcaption>Judy Ledgerwood, Jaywalking, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;OVERRIDE | A Billboard ProjectOVERRIDE is a citywide collaborative public art initiative that displays works by both emerging and established artists from Chicago and around the world. The program is organized in collaboration with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). From April 1–21, 100+ digital billboards and information panels across Chicago’s Central Business District will display a selection of works by artists such as Art &amp; Language (René Schmidt), Judy Ledgerwood (Rhona Hoffman Gallery), Raphaël Barontini (Mariane Ibrahim), and Lucia Koch (Nara Roesler). The program will also include work by Chicago- based artists including Lawrence Agyei, Jada-Amina, Jazmine Harris, Tom Jones II, Victoria Martinez, and Yuge Zhou.More information on the 2024 OVERRIDE program may be found <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/override">here</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419356/fbublnuxxopg2tevcgai.jpg"><figcaption>EXCHANGE 2023 Northern Trust Exchange Stage at EXPO CHICAGO 2023, Navy Pier. Photo: Kyle Flubacker &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Exchange by Northern TrustHosted in the Northern Trust Anchor Lounge at Navy Pier, Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting offers VIP patrons discussions on collecting and the art market with industry leaders. Discussions include a conversation on building a Chicago-based collection with collector Anita Blanchard and Yesomi Umolu (Serpentine); a panel on the Legacy of Scott Burton with curator Jess Wilcox and artist Gordon Hall in collaboration with Jeremy Johnston (Darling Green); a look at practices in self-taught art with collectors Ashley Duchossois Joyce and Dr. David Walega, Deb Kerr (Intuit: The Center of Intuitive and Outsider Art), and Rudy Aronoff (Heritage Auctions); and a conversation on collecting prints featuring dealer David Cleaton-Roberts (Cristea Roberts Gallery),collector Dani Levinas, and Monica Brown (Freeman’s | Hindman). VIP Pass-holders will receive information about the full list of Exchange by Northern Trustprogramming in upcoming VIP communications.&nbsp;EXPO ART WEEK (April 8-14)Presented in conjunction with Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism and marketing organization and Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), EXPO ART WEEK will once again galvanize Chicago’s cultural ecosystem through citywide events and celebrations. Highlights of EXPO ART WEEK include South Side Night (Tuesday, April 9), with performances and events at cultural partners in Hyde Park, Bronzeville, and surrounding areas, along with Art After Hours (Friday, April 12) in collaboration with Gertie and sponsored by Masterworks and Arete Wealth.A list of happenings taking place during EXPO ART WEEK can be found <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/expo-art-week">here</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419358/bsz1sc5dvfsgybv0x7co.png" alt="page4image24564608"></figure></body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO Announces Programming for the 11th Edition 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/xf8b75v4o6rsj30xit1r.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Who needs to chase down more brightly colored Stanley cups, when instead you can get ready to pull the trigger on a much more limited edition Hebru Brantley Power Duo? <a href="https://mcachicagostore.org/?utm_source=MCA+General+List&amp;utm_campaign=9c64e28632-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_11_16_09_16_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_-614c1bc232-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&amp;mc_cid=9c64e28632&amp;mc_eid=95b957c616">Mark your calendar for March 13th at 11:00 am (CST)</a>The MCA Store announced that they are selling Hebru Brantley's Power Duo, available in three separate colors next week. The Power Duo is sold online only with limited stock availability. The MCA didn't disclose the pricing for the duos.&nbsp;The '89 colorway is an edition set of 225, and the '66 and Japan colorways are an edition set of 325. Each set includes a 15.5" SUPA figure and 17" LIL WONDA figure. All Power Duo sets are limited to one set of each colorway per customer.Hebru Brantley creates narrative-driven work revolving around his conceptualized iconic characters. Brantley utilizes these characters to address complex ideas around nostalgia, the mental psyche, power, and hope. The color palettes, pop-art motifs and characters themselves create accessibility around his layered and multifaceted ideas. Through his characters, Brantley seeks to reassess contemporary culture and mythology through the lens of Afrofuturism.&nbsp;</body></html>

MCA Is Selling Limited Edition Hebru Brantley Figures

<html><head></head><body><a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-dcase-leadership-in-flux-after-erin-harkey-termination/05af57ca-e283-4c80-8ccc-ea59e3bbcac9?utm_source=Newsletter_Daily-Rundown-Non-Member&amp;utm_medium=WBEZEmail&amp;utm_campaign=Daily_Newsletter_Daily-Rundown_Sponsored_20240305&amp;utm_content=3%2F5%2F2024&amp;DE=WBEZEmail">DCASE leadership still in flux as city braces for start of festival season</a>The city’s top cultural chief, Erin Harkey, is still on the job more than two weeks after she was terminated by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a mayoral spokesperson confirmed Monday.The spokesperson, Ronnie Reese, said that the first deputy commissioner, Jennifer Johnson Washington, would temporarily fill the role once Harkey departs.Johnson, who has been slow to embed his own leadership team at City Hall, terminated Harkey and the city’s buildings commissioner in <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/brandonjohnson/2024/02/16/mayor-brandon-johnson-firings-erin-harkey-cultural-affairs-chief-matthew-beaudet-building-commissioner">mid-February</a>.News of Harkey’s termination came just weeks before the city’s festival season begins and was a surprise to some in the arts community. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is in charge of events like The Taste of Chicago and Blues Fest. It also funds a number of arts organizations and individual artists, an effort that Harkey, who was appointed by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, expanded.Esther Grisham Grimm, executive director of the nonprofit arts organization 3Arts, said it “feels like the rug got pulled out from under us, just as we were gaining momentum.”Via WBEZ&nbsp;<a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/03/07/galerie-f-closing-after-more-than-a-decade-of-championing-chicago-street-artists/?utm_source=Newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=Scientology+Church+Opens+In+South+Loop&amp;utm_campaign=Thursday%2C+March+7%2C+2024+Morning+List">Galerie F Closing After More Than A Decade Of Championing Chicago Street Artists</a>Galerie F is closing after more than a decade in Chicago.The popular street art gallery at 211 W. 23rd St. announced its closure on social media Tuesday night, along with a massive sale of <a href="https://galeriefchicago.com/">75 percent off everything online</a> and in store.The shop will be open noon-6 p.m. Saturday for its closing sale, and possibly Sunday, according to the gallery’s Instagram.“With much painful consideration, we’ve decided to pull the plug on this bugger,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4KCdsQrUvk/">owner Billy Craven wrote</a>. “Choppin’ it up with y’all while you checked out the shows or flipped thru the bins … that’s been saved to our grey matter. Forever!”Via Block Club&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2024/03/06/state-street-preservation-chicago-2024-endangered-properties-demolition?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=030624%20Afternoon%20Edition&amp;utm_content=030624%20Afternoon%20Edition+CID_2ba55a2ecf1c04dca1d1114118af59eb&amp;utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&amp;tpcc=030624%20Afternoon%20Edition">State Street skyscrapers hit top ranking on list of most endangered Chicago buildings</a>Two early 20th century skyscrapers on State Street lead off an advocacy group’s 2024 list of notable properties that could face demolition.The pair of buildings continues Preservation Chicago’s fight with the federal government, which wants to demolish the towers it owns at 202 and 220 S. State. The terra cotta clad sentries from another era have made the organization’s list in four prior years.But the rest of the group's annual “Chicago 7” list of buildings it deems most endangered is devoted to newcomers as preservation priorities, sites that testify to different parts of the city’s history. They have added beauty or style to the streetscape, but some are vacant and could be lost.Via Chicago Sun-Times&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/czmy6cysgj9mg8x6pty7.jpg"><figcaption>Stanley Quenchers. via Stanley Facebook</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world-archives/stanley-quencher-art-2420207">The Stan Culture for Stanley Quenchers Has Some Pretty Cringey Parallels With the Art World</a>Like many of you, Stanley Quenchers blipped onto my radar sometime in December. My friend in New York called as she was chasing around Brooklyn in a panic, trying to land one of these mugs for her 9-year-old daughter. Then the TikTok videos arrived into my feed, bodies racing past one another to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jazzedbyjaz/video/7318835095551642926?q=target%20stanley%20cup%20jump&amp;t=1704905423629">grab mugs</a> in deep magenta at a single shelf in a fluorescent-lit store.Via Artnet&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 3/7/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/os1gidi6ptcshbihvlte.jpg"><figcaption>Joyce Owens. Photo by Tony Smith</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2024/02/13/artist-joyce-owens-76-showed-positive-black-experience-her-work?fbclid=IwAR2spHlUY8v_uMfkvYlg0klXgcOwn7Eo7hzzD2-zxv9JS9JSrDswonYztms">Via the Chicago Sun-Times</a>Artist Joyce Owens, 76, showed the ‘positive’ Black experience in her workArtist Joyce Owens died at her Lincoln Park home Saturday, in the same library where she married her husband 41 years ago.She was 76.Born in Philadelphia, Ms. Owens was a nationally and internationally recognized artist. But she also valued her roles as a professor, curator, mother and wife.<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2024/02/13/artist-joyce-owens-76-showed-positive-black-experience-her-work?fbclid=IwAR2spHlUY8v_uMfkvYlg0klXgcOwn7Eo7hzzD2-zxv9JS9JSrDswonYztms">Read more here</a></body></html>

Artist Joyce Owen Has Died

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419352/zjqhtkuatmbnk1fzqrin.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jacob-hashimoto-fables">Jacob Hashimoto: Fables</a>Opening: Friday, March 8, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmRhona Hoffman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419353/ewetznnprhx0mq36lhpx.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/student-exhibit-a-captivating-connection-between-art-and-science">2024 Annual SAMA Show: A Captivating Connection Between Art and Science</a>Opening: Friday, March 8, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmInternational Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/ldkfulgv1a4aonglwtdr.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/comic-catwalk-a-solo-show-by-skela-aka-sanguine-skills">Comic Catwalk: A Solo Show by Skela AKA Sanguine Skills</a>Opening: Saturday, March 9, 4 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Truborn&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419354/u7gaaj3w82kwvndjuztr.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-control">In Control</a>Opening: Saturday, March 9, noon – 4&nbsp;pmUkrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419355/sula7uaitp0qwxq4zdyz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/andreas-fischer-sky-hole">Andreas Fischer: Sky Hole</a>Opening: Saturday, March 9, 2 – 5&nbsp;pmGoldfinch&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 8 & 9

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/noxg7vszw5lzzcrwzsqf.jpg"><figcaption>Margo Hoff (1910-2008), Dream of &nbsp;Flying, 1956, oil on Masonite. 19⅜ h × 39⅜ w in (49 × 100 cm) Estimate: $7,000-9,000. Result: $30,240</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;On February 23rd, local Chicago auction houses&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wright20.com">Wright</a> and <a href="https://www.toomeyco.com">Toomey &amp; Co.</a> held their inaugural&nbsp;Elevated: Art Via Chicago&nbsp;auction. This special category featured 20th century art from important Chicago collections with an emphasis on artists and movements that have shaped the Chicago art world over the last 100 years."It is such a pleasure to bring works by Chicago artists together in a stand-alone auction," says auction curator Joe Stanfield, Director &amp; Senior Specialist for Fine Art. "Our first-ever Elevated sale was a testament to the stylistic diversity and technical mastery of artists who have helped put Chicago on the map over the last century.Two new world records&nbsp;were set for&nbsp;<a href="https://usw2.nyl.as/t1/206/4u83p22bcw10uzhykoyubf59n/1/3d4e99cc4ceaf0e769e6ec2c9714dd30d79c3b6ba4f96381f773af757c6c98b9">Julia Thecla, with&nbsp;Girl at the Garden Fence</a>, 1931, selling for&nbsp;6 times&nbsp;the estimate at&nbsp;$36,120, and&nbsp;<a href="https://usw2.nyl.as/t1/206/4u83p22bcw10uzhykoyubf59n/2/fe60368a4c298b342de95b2169bae4256ee7f26448c1e403108439c77386e5f7">Margo Hoff, with&nbsp;Dream of Flying</a>, 1950, selling for&nbsp;4 times&nbsp;the estimate&nbsp;$30,240. The whole sale total was $748,002; 92% by lot 161% by value.Julia Thecla and Margo Hoff are significant figures in the Chicago art scene, each contributing uniquely to its cultural tapestry. Thecla, known for her surreal, dream-like compositions, was a key member of the Chicago Surrealist Group, influencing the city's artistic direction in the early 20th century. Her works, often infused with ethereal, mystical qualities, challenge conventional perceptions and invite viewers into fantastical realms. Margo Hoff, on the other hand, was renowned for her modernist approach, capturing the essence of Chicago's urban life with vibrant colors and dynamic compositions. Her contributions, particularly in the post-WWII era, helped shape the city's modern art movement, making art accessible and reflective of everyday experiences.Gertrude Abercrombie's Sunset sold for $163,800, far above its estimate of $70,000-$90,000. A second work by Abercrombie sold for $107,000, more than double the high estimate of $50,000. A set of goblets by Ruth Duckworth sold for nearly three times the high estimate. A show of Duckworth's work just closed at the Smart Museum last month. A work by sculptor Richard Hunt fetched $40,320.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419347/pqfva0vncbtwutrqzicc.png"><figcaption>Ruth Duckworth, (1919-2009), Untitled (six goblets), ~ 1965, glazed porcelain, largest: 8¼ h × 3¼ dia in (21 × 8 cm), smallest: 7⅛ h × 3¼ dia in (18 × 8 cm). Estimate: $2,000-3,000. Result: $8,820</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419348/bgxmn1nkoqups7yzjfty.png"><figcaption>Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977), Sunset, 1954, oil on Masonite, 20 × 25cm. Estimate: $70,000-90,000. Result: $163,800</figcaption></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419349/pq8qn0p0divkazlahlkd.png"><figcaption>Richard Hunt, (1935-2023), Car rec, 2019, moronze, 13¾ h × 13¾ w × 10 d in (35 × 35 × 25 cm). Estimate: $10,000-15,000. Result: $40,320</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Elevating Chicago artists is crucial for showcasing the city's rich cultural and artistic legacy. Highlighting local talent not only honor the city's history but also promote its diverse and vibrant contemporary art scene. Recognizing Chicago's artists helps to underline the city's unique contributions to the global arts landscape, from the pioneering works of the past to the innovative expressions of today. This recognition fosters a greater appreciation for the city's artistic heritage and encourages new generations to contribute to its evolving cultural narrative, ensuring that Chicago remains at the forefront of artistic innovation and cultural dialogue.&nbsp;</body></html>

Wright and Toomey & Co.'s Inaugural Elevated: Art Via Chicago Auction Breaks Records

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/tsp2ziqkkfpgar8j3lz1.jpg"><figcaption>Oracle, 1970. Private collection, Chicago. © Estate of Miyoko Ito. Photograph: Tom van Eynde &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.worldofinteriors.com/story/miyoko-ito-japanese-american-artist-works">Miyoko Ito: Heart of Hearts represents the first book dedicated to the artist's life and work</a>Even in the most public of places, a book is still an interior object. Page after page, we open and close folios like doors, arriving and then departing. In that sense, the new volume by Pre-Echo Press is the fitting format to display the work of Japanese-American artist Miyoko Ito, including 210 paintings, as well as drawings and ephemera. ‘The most comprehensive inventory to date of Ito’s works,’ Miyoko Ito: Heart of Hearts fully invokes the painter’s searching interplay of interiors and exteriors, inner landscapes and floating souls.Via World of Interiors&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2024/02/27/art-institute-showed-willful-blindness-in-buying-nazi-looted-art-n-y-prosecutors-say?tpcc=022824+Morning+Edition">Art Institute showed ‘willful blindness’ in buying Nazi-looted art, New York prosecutors say</a>The Art Institute of Chicago has been accused of exhibiting "willful blindness" to evidence suggesting it was purchasing artwork stolen during the Holocaust when it acquired a drawing that authorities say was looted by the Nazis.The damning allegations were made in court documents filed in New York last week that argue the Art Institute benefited from a decadeslong "conspiracy of silence" over the drawing "Russian War Prisoner" by Egon Schiele.The 160-page filing by the Manhattan district attorney's office lays out its case contending the work of art was stolen by the Nazis from cabaret star Fritz Grunbaum and later laundered through art dealers before arriving in New York.Via Chicago Sun-Times&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/venice-biennale-organizers-responds-to-calls-to-exclude-israel-and-iran-2443316">Venice Biennale Organizers Respond to Calls to Exclude Israel and Iran</a>Organizers of the Venice Biennale have responded to a call to exclude Israel from the event in light of the human toll in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.Via Artnet&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 2/29/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/k96cxg9wiheacrf3asiz.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lens-2024">LENS 2024</a>Opening: Saturday, March 2, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmPerspective Photo Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/yd7o7skvwqmyjdyihucj.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/25th-international-open">25th International Open</a>Opening: Saturday, March 2, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmWoman Made Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419348/wqdhhvaswc9ythezjmh9.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/aimee-beaubien-through-the-hothouse">Aimée Beaubien: Through the Hothouse</a>Exhibition begins March 2Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419349/m8bzefxs9wl2sf5do9ce.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/skin-would-call-a-poor-eye-simple-by-jessica-tucker">skin would call a poor eye simple by Jessica Tucker</a>Opening: Saturday, March 2, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmInternational Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 1 & 2 (Part III)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/ifct0ygkizbtaeonpvnt.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/surrealism-2024-group-show">'Surreal' Group Show</a>Opening: Friday, March 1, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmVertical Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/njp4rf1wofi4ersuf9dn.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/on-a-lighter-note">On a Lighter Note</a>Opening: Friday, March 1, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmVivid Art Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419347/pm0tlylplunl9yind4tn.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/geochroma-barbara-campbell-thomas-amy-sacksteder">GEOCHROMA: Barbara Campbell Thomas &amp; Amy Sacksteder</a>Opening: Friday, March 1, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmJames May Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419348/hpwcbmefdi1koatproxl.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/focus-click">Focus &amp; Click</a>Opening: Friday, March 1, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmThe Art Center Highland Park&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419349/tbgytjtzttj5hihoaejy.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/fred-dorothy-fichter-butterflies-are-blooming">Fred &amp; Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming</a>Exhibition begins March 1Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 1 & 2 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/qci4ypknu3a4ndjbnwvc.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/olvido-solo-exhibition-by-salvador-andrade-arevalo">Salvador Andrade Arévalo: Olvido</a>Opening: Friday, March 1, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Artists Coalition (CAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419347/ngm95l4mwdbzmzpg4ct1.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/one-step-forward-twenty-years-back">One Step Forward, Twenty Years Back</a>Opening: Friday, March 8, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmGallery Seven&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419348/npiheuwvinptbgxafl2d.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/no-color-group-exhibition">No Color: Group Exhibition</a>Opening: Friday, March 1, 6 – 10&nbsp;pmJackson Junge Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419349/xqfsxbhchulw84nqjrnw.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/n-dia-webb-to-the-saints-of-my-sanity">N. Dia Webb: TO THE SAINTS OF MY SANITY</a>Opening: Friday, March 1, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmARC Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419350/fkvholpvhzvctzjdqwuz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/conjecture-mitch-clark-and-john-upchurch">Conjecture:&nbsp;Mitch Clark and John Upchurch</a>Opening: Friday, March 1, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmOliva Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions March 1 & 2 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419346/tzjcvgmvn4twatbnzl5a.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;Krasl Art Center announced a public celebration of the life and art of artist Richard Hunt.Hunt died this past December at age 88. Hunt opened a studio in nearby Benton Harbor, MI in 1995.Last Spring Hunt gifted the studio to Krasl, and now Krasl has committed to keeping the studio active and connected to the community.&nbsp;Saturday, April 6, 2024, 4:30-7pmRichard Hunt Studio 258 Territorial Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3lEnimulGk/">Details</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc57.com/news/the-krasl-art-center-in-st-joseph-michigan-celebrates-gift-from-sculptor-richard-hunt">From August 2023 – Watch: The Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph Michigan celebrates gift from sculptor Richard Hunt</a></body></html>

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