photos by Jason Smith, 2011

It looks like Chicago is really getting serious about its cultural development. This April, yet another opportunity has presented itself to become a part of facilitating the maintenance and stimulation of visual arts in Chicago. In addition to the Chicago Cultural Plan that I mentioned earlier, (see: Chicago Cultural Plan Version 2.0) Hyde Park Art Center invites you to their 11th annual Spring Gala on April 14th, in honor of Dawoud Bey, Anita Blanchard, and Martin H. Nesbitt— three influential role models who have invested their careers in Chicago’s cultural community. Joined by honorary gala chair, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and co-chairs, Penny Pritzker, Bryan Traubert, and Madeline Murphy Rabb, the Art Center celebrates art, artists, and its own dedication to making change in such a flourishing and diverse community.
The event will be located at the Art Center from 7-11pm and includes, cocktails, Hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dancing, and a curated live auction conducted by Sotheby’s, Helyn Goldenberg.

Hyde Park Art Center is an open space that provides educational opportunities, public programming for adults and families, and exhibition space for creative minds and innovative artists to show work and gather collectively. Founded in 1939, the Art Center emphasizes learning and diversity within its community. 

All proceeds from this event will be given to support Hyde Park Art Center’s education, exhibition, and outreach programs that help art-makers and those curious about art, continue to see, learn, discuss, and make art.

Hyde Park Art Center
5020 S. Cornell Ave
Chicago, IL 60615
Individual Tickets: Patron $350, Sustainer $500, Benefactor $1,000  

Yes, collecting art really is something you can 'learn' to do. Collecting art is not so much complicated as intimidating, and the recent Collectors Colloquium was launched as a way to provide interested art enthusiasts with an overview of the art world and to give access to some local experts who can share their wisdom and insights.  At the end of the course, participants will have learned some basics, met others who are also interested in art, and hopefully seen first hand how open and welcoming our art scene is. Art collecting isn't really a 101 course you can check off your list and be done with - Ah ha!  I've learned how to spot the most valuable up-and-coming artists in order to make my investing forture! - it's a very personal, subjective experience that depends on your own taste and interests.  Everyone says it, but it's true. You should buy the best art that you can afford, and you should buy work that you love - ie: you're willing to live with it and enjoy it for a very long time.   But there are some helpful starting points to developing your eye and making smarter choices.  Most people need some kind of direction to get started.  Like any other dynamic topic, discussion is a big part of the learning process.  If you've joined us already, we're pleased to have you along for the journey, as you are well on your way to a rewarding life-long pursuit to living a unique life by having art as a part of your life.  If you haven't had a chance to join us yet, there's still time!  And we of course would like to offer more classes like this in the future.  To be notified of future collecting groups, please email us. Chicago is home to many unique galleries, artists and cultural institutions, and there are a wealth of creative resources to explore and make your own.  Welcome to the journey!

- CGN

SESSIONS TO DATE:

• A Passion for Collecting - Discussions with younger collectors who have been in the game for awhile and who have their own very personal stories of art and collecting passions.  Panelists shared their collecting philosophies as well as resources.

• In the White Cube - An evening with area art dealers who've nurtured the careers of younger artists, developed friendships with collectors, and those who have worked to spotlight emerging artists as well as those who may have been overlooked. 

• On the Auction Block - an evening with art experts at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, one of the area's most visible and successful auction operations.  Collectors learned the sport of buying at auction as well as the sophisticated nature of the auction treasure hunt (and the spectacular values one can find!)

NEXT UP 

• Eye for Hire (February 28, 2012 hosted by Kavi Gupta Gallery, 835 W. Washington)
This session will provide an overview of the art advisory profession, and help attendees understand why collectors hire art advisors. 

• Art as Investment + The (Art) Fair Game (March 27, 2012)
This session will provide an overview of how and why works of art appreciate.  We'll also cover some highlights of the local and national art fair scene and provide an overview of how to navigate an art fair, particularly now that you've met some other like-minded art enthusiasts!

Participants are still welcome to attend on an indiviudal as well as video basis - please email info@chicagogallerynews.com for more information.

The Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) offers an engaging range of exhibitions throughout the year, and like many arts institutions, their programming is possible due in part to the support from donors.  This Friday, the museum is holding their annual benefit auction to drum up that critical support.  Guests will be able to enjoy a festive party while mingling with other photography fans and artists. And the auction is tough to beat, as always.

After the benefit, MoCP is offering their current exhibition, Current Unseen, as well as an upcoming screening and lecture. Read on for all the details. 

The Party 

MoCP’s annual gala and auction this Friday, November 18th begins at 6pm at 301 N Justine St. This year’s theme is prohibition, so get ready for a night full of custom cocktails and rich art. The silent auction offers fine prints by established and emerging artists, and helps support the world of contemporary photography.

Click HERE for a preview 

You may bid on works by artists such as John Baldessari, Penelope Umbrico,  Theun van Rees, and more

Also available during the bidding are several photo ‘experiences,’ including personal portrait sessions with photographer Dawoud Bey and filmmaker/photographer Sandro. You can also bid on a behind the scenes tour of Christie’s, New York for you and a friend!  Absentee bids are welcome (call Jeff Arnett at 312.369.7779 to place a bid. He’s super helpful and really nice.)  Click HERE to purchase tickets 

Olivo Barbieri 

John Sparagana  

At the Museum:

Crime Unseen, MOCP’s current exhibition will run until January 15^th.

Featuring the work of 8 artists who actively engage with myth and reality as they question the roles of memory, the media, and evidence in solving and remembering crime. All of the artists in Crime Unseen grapple with a retelling of disturbing crimes. Using photography and other methods, the artists reactivate historical material and open it up to further contemplation. By drawing on techniques of photojournalism, forensic photography, and documentary landscape (Karen Irvine, Curator and Associate Director). 

Angela Strassheim, Evidence #11 

Upcoming Events

November 30^th from 6-9pm, in conjunction with Crime Unseen, MOCP will screen video work by artists considering the potential for everyday objects, ordinary surroundings and average people to become evidence of something beyond the familiar.

December 1^st at 7pm at the Glessner House Museum, Corinne May Botz will give a lecture about her Nutshell Series of Unexplained Death. Botz photographed a series of miniature crime scene models that were built in the 1940s and 50s by progressive criminologist and heiress Frances Glessner Lee to help detectives learn to better assess visual evidence.  

The Museum of Contemporary Photography is free and is located at 600 S Michigan Ave Hours are: Mon-Sa, 10am – 5pm, Thur 10-8pm+ Sun 12-5pm

Ravenswood ArtWalk is kicking-off the beginning of Chicago Artists Month, and you don’t want to miss it! The reception is being held on Friday September 30 from 7:00 to 10:00, and is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of RAW Arts and Industry Tour in partnership with Chicago Artists Month. This milestone event will have live music from the group Musikanto, courtesy food from local restaurants, spirits from Wine and Metropolitan Brewing Co., and art installations by The Red Thread Project. There will also be a RAW Annual Awards Ceremony followed by an Artists Salon and Silent Auction.

RAW’s mission is to generate community investment in the artistic, industrial, and historic importance of Ravenswood, as well as to raise awareness for the unique creative practices that can be found there. The first Ravenswood ArtWalk took place in 2002 and has grown since, showing the amazing outpouring of support this community has for its artistic hub. Come experience the plethora of activities that has something for everyone! Click here to see a listing of all activities and featured bands.

Chicago Artist Month is a monthly experience unique to our city – all of October is devoted to the working artist. There are multiple daily opportunities to meet artists and to expand your knowledge of Chicago artist’s works and interests. You are invited to meet hundreds of Chicago visual artists at exhibitions, workshops, open studios, tours, and neighborhood art walks throughout the city. The 2011 theme is Artful Networks, which celebrates and explores the communities that nurture and inspire the Chicago artists and their works. It also looks at the various ways Chicago Artists are influenced by their social environments and ultimately the city itself. For a complete line-up of CAM events, please visit the new-and improved Chicagoartistsmonth.org.

Start your weekend off by celebrating the amazing organizations that support our city’s creative outlets and innovators. Then make your way to the Ravenswood ArtWalk on October 1^st and 2^nd, and enjoy all the local efforts that make the event possible. 

When: Friday September 30, 7:00 to 10:00 pm

Where: Ravenswood Event Center; 4011 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago IL

Register Now. Admission is free but seating is limited!

Fall means many things to many people, but there are some central tenants that are reliable, and on which we can all depend in our fair, windy city.  In Chicago, we savor a few remaining days of pleasant weather, while we start cursing those who wear cold weather gear too soon; we get competitive about making dinner reservations and fall plans in area restaurants and theaters. There is a slew of charitable events and benefits to put on the calendar. And there is a great deal of new art to check out and enjoy. 

There are several levels of gallery viewership interest, if you will, all of which have their purpose.  Some people come out just for the big opening nights, others wait until the dust settles to browse in peace.  Some jam the galleries just for the free wine in tiny cups, or enjoy the free beer they can't normally get because they still have a student ID.  Some hoppers come just to press the flesh and network a mile a minute, while others realize they've just spent 90 minutes in the same stairwell having a long overdue conversation.  Some others are supporting artist friends who've worked months, maybe years to put their new work up on the walls at last.  Many visitors are wonderfully surprised by the engery and passion at work in our city. The power of art is on full display this evening.  The official opening of the fall gallery season is wonderful for a host of reasons - quality as well as quantity certainly among them. Below is a summary of what begins tonight and continues all month long, and beyond.

River North, West Loop + Trolleys:

First, there are dozens of openings. The majority of activity is centered in River North and West Loop, where most of the attention has been historically focused. Free trolleys are taking gallery hoppers between three main stops so everyone can get around safely and easily. Just hop on and off to pop into the many spaces along the way.  If you want a map in advance, click here.

Other Neighborhoods:

Then there are other areas of the city putting on their own festivities as well - there's a special reception at MetCap Bank in the historic Tree Studios on Ontario, and nearby on Michigan Avenue, the Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) is hosting an event for the paintings of Janet McKenzie. On the other end of Michigan Ave., the Fine Arts Building is open for its 2nd Friday, featuring many studios and artists at work.

2nd Friday is taking place in the Chicago Arts District in Pilsen East. This is just a warm-up before the big annual Pilsen East Artist Open House takes place in a couple of weeks, an event that has been going on for over 40 years.  The area's history as an artist enclave in unmistakeable, especially when you wander around and peek into the backyard garden spaces, reminiscent of an arty Melrose Place, without the pool.

Independent artists open their studio doors to new patrons and collectors in emerging city art centers, such as Bridgeport, Wicker Park, and Pilsen at Lacuna Artist Lofts. The School of the Art Institute has exhibitions taking place in two of its own galleries, Betty Rymer and Sullivan.

Saturday:

The events continue after the openings are over, starting on Saturday morning, and then heading into Saturday night, when the openings pace is a little more manageable and you can explore some more city neighborhoods.

• There are two free gallery tours on Saturday, September 10. One is in River North from 11am-12:30pm.  You can break for lunch before hitting the second tour of the day, in the West Loop from 1:30-3pm. 

• The newly opened Hinge Gallery has a new exhibition opening 6-9pm. at 1955 W. Chicago Ave., featuring work by Jeffrey Forsythe and Dan Tague.

• Down in Pilsen on W. 18th street, you can take a welcome break at Prospectus Gallery, featuring brand new work by the painter Walter A. Fydryck: Provocative Attitudes. 

• Rotofugi is a gallery and designer toy studio that wears many hats - their Saturday reception is a good reason to get up to Lincoln Ave. Toy Karma 3 is a new group exhibition curated by Mark Nagata, featuring hand-painted toys and original art inspired by Japanese toys.

• Finally, you could just commit yourself to benefitting the arts and winning some fabulous artwork at the famous auction to benefit the Renaissance Society. This year's wild bash, Trompe L'Oeil, takes place at the Geo Lofts on South Iron Street.  There's even an afterparty, 10 PM-midnight, featuring DJ Lee Douglas (DFA). Tickets are $50 and include a Renaissance Society membership...

Beyond this weekend:

And next weekend, there's Gallery Weekend Chicago, which by and large is intended to get people from outside of Chicago to come here and check things out, but there are some events going on that we locals can take advantage of.  And really, it's an event to watch, because there could be some seriously beneficial attention coming our way, as well as some fun plans ahead, for years to come. We wish the participants well!

Fall really is where the fun is in the art world, and September is just the beginning (we haven't even talked about October yet, which is Chicago Artists Month - one of the best event line-ups to focus on artists around.)  We live in Chicago, and it's awesome - particularly rocking in the fall, showing off a good time as well as some sophisticated intellect at the same time. Enjoy it all, and be proud!