<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760641331/u74rqm5lleb1hbyp4dlx.jpg">Judy Ledgerwood, Flowers for the Blue Line Racine Station, 2025. Artwork © Judy Ledgerwood / Chicago Transit Authority. By CGN Staff If you ride the CTA's Blue Line, your commute just got a lot brighter. Artist Judy Ledgerwood has unveiled a stunning new ceramic installation at the Racine Station, part of the CTA’s multi-year effort to make the Forest Park Branch fully accessible. Titled Flowers for the Blue Line Racine Station, the work stretches across 40 feet of wall space, wrapping the station’s north and west walls in 704 hand-made tiles. This joyful burst of color and pattern transforms a daily commute into something worth slowing down for and also offers a chance to engage with art daily. Ledgerwood developed the project in partnership with Ingrid Harding, Chief of Production at Munich’s historic Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory, a renowned producer of fine ceramics since 1747. Each tile was individually shaped in red terracotta and finished with vibrant glazes, so no two pieces are alike. Sixteen distinct tile designs repeat and recombine into quatrefoils — four-petaled flower forms — that shimmer and shift as you move through the space. The design echoes the white tile grid used throughout the station, blending seamlessly with the architecture while infusing it with Ledgerwood’s signature painterly energy. <blockquote>“The installation reflects the rhythm of daily transit,” Ledgerwood says. “It’s familiar and routine, yet always changing.”</blockquote> For more than four decades, Judy Ledgerwood has pushed the boundaries of abstract painting — challenging its supposed neutrality and reimagining it through color, pattern, and light. Known for her bold use of pinks, fluorescents, and pastels, Ledgerwood has long drawn inspiration from textiles, quilting, and the Pattern &amp; Decoration movement. This new installation marks her first permanent ceramic project of this scale, merging her painter’s eye with the tactile, enduring qualities of clay.<h3> </h3>With Flowers for the Blue Line Racine Station, Ledgerwood joins an impressive lineup of artists — including Theaster Gates and Nick Cave — whose work brings Chicago’s public transit to life. Today, the CTA’s art collection features more than 80 installations across its system, each helping turn ordinary travel into a shared cultural experience.

Judy Ledgerwood Brings Color and Craft to CTA’s Blue Line Racine Station

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760579360/ymo2lem4hwifpcvhvcg2.jpg">Guests at DMoC's annual fundraiser on October 9, 2025 By GINNY VAN ALYEA During a lively and art-filled week in Chicago, the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.designchicago.org/" target="_blank">Design Museum of Chicago</a> hosted Interwoven City, a spirited evening that brought together artists, designers, collectors and supporters for a night of connection and creativity. The benefit took place in the expansive Secrist | Beach space in West Town, where guests gathered among Jacqueline Surdell’s dynamic textile-based works, currently on view in the gallery. The festive night was filled with art, food, signature cocktails, a DJ, silent-auction and conversation—all in support of DMoC’s mission to make design accessible to everyone. Thanks to the generosity of the community, the event raised an impressive $163,901, helping the museum stay free every day and continue to present thoughtful exhibitions and programs. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760579362/msrviyolcpsguloxoemz.jpg">Tanner Woodford, founder and executive director of the Design Museum of Chicago, welcomes guests to the event. Recently, DMoC also highlighted community collaboration through a special exhibition in its downtown gallery featuring work by artists from Arts of Life, a Chicago-area organization supporting artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The show underscored the museum’s ongoing commitment to showcasing inclusive and diverse creative voices. Up next, DMoC is tapping into Chicago’s love of craft beer with Design on Draft: Breweries &amp; Beyond, opening Thursday, October 23, 5–9 pm at 72 E Randolph St. The exhibition celebrates the artistry behind beer branding and how design shapes the way we experience what’s on tap. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760579363/hzot6ndhyvw9rfwz0176.jpg">Guests mingle with the backdrop of Jacqueline Surdell's monumental art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760579363/ya28ufuw1ycf77maugoh.jpg">An immersive environment by interior designer Andee Hess / OSMOSE was on view at Secrist | Beach in their salon

 Design Museum of Chicago Weaves Together Art, Design, and Community at “Interwoven City"

By GINNY VAN ALYEA Tony Fitzpatrick was the kind of friend I never imagined in a million years I would have. I met him within a year or so of taking over as publisher of CGN, when I stopped into his studio on Damen Ave. because I was picking up a framed work by one of his studio assistants, KS Rives. My parents had bought the collage for me and it was really the first work of art I had fallen in love with. KS had said she would be away so it would be ready at Tony's studio. I had no idea what walking in would be like. He had a lot of questions. He wanted to know who I was. How I had met KS. I felt like I a high-schooler meeting the parents before a first date. I said I published CGN, and he said he always liked Natalie [van Straaten, CGN's founding publisher.] Then he said something to the effect of "Too bad her ex-husband was such an asshole." After that I was disarmed. We talked for an hour. I left with my new collage, three books Tony had written, and a promise he wanted to support CGN and buy a full page ad, as he said, "To show all those other fuckers they should be advertising too." Tony gave me confidence when I was getting my bearings as publisher, and he showed me what it meant to double-down on Chicago and love it no matter what. It's not easy to do, but Tony did it. He always seemed to try to give back to the city what it gave to him and to his art. I really think he also made me deeply appreciate living an urban life where you will never run out of things to see or do or think about, complain about and also appreciate. Tony found birds and heard their music in the noisiest places. I hope he's listening to all the songs of his beautiful birds among the moths and butterflies now. * I told someone a couple of weeks ago, who used to be one of his many assistants, that I count myself very lucky that after 17 years, Tony and I hadn't fallen out – yet. She nodded knowingly. Tony's love was fierce and he wore his big heart on both of his fully tattooed sleeves. You always knew where you stood with Tony. Sometimes it was out, but if you hadn't done something really wrong, he'd welcome prodigal friends back in and admit to others if he thought he'd been wrong. No one could bullshit Tony. However, if you cheated, lied, thought you were better than someone else, that was it. His rules were simple and iron-clad. He was a curious and generous person, and he would tell you when he'd been burned and he'd tell you who'd done it, but then he'd move on. Tony had a lot of thoughts on just about very topic, and he was so well known, in part, because the man could talk, and talk and talk. He loved to ramble, but he also loved to spar. He could be cool, well-read, interested in whatever came next. He collected people and their stories - inviting dogs into his open studio and making sure to stock their favorite treats. He'd buy 200 copies of a poetry book and give them all away to friends. He changed gallery models regularly, all in the name of making sure artists got visibility, and their money. He would be on his computer, on the phone and on Facebook all at the same time. And he'd be directing an assistant to cut this fragment of paper a little more or place a piece of ephemera just over there. It was magic to watch. On a visit to his studio one weekend last fall my 8 year old son brought him a drawing of a football player, and Tony gave him some advice about using colored pencils because they're so much better than markers. A couple weeks later he asked how his drawing was going. Tony's artistic resume is well known - artist, writer, playwright, actor, former boxer. He designed album covers - the Neville Brothers, Steve Earle, Big Head Todd and the Monsters. He made art all over town, in restaurants (Yuzu) and tattoo parlors. He has murals from the Old Town School of Folk Music, to Steppenwolf Theater to the town of Glen Ellyn. Tony will always be everywhere in Chicago, even though the man himself is actually gone. At 66 he is gone too soon, but he lived a lot of lives –&nbsp;many more than most. Michele, Max and Gaby - my heart breaks for the three of you. Thank you for sharing your remarkable husband and father with so many of us who were so lucky to have him in our city and in our life.

Artist Tony Fitzpatrick Has Died at 66

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760048898/romowui6o23wdjjraqh0.jpg"> By CGN Staff 3Arts, the Chicago-based nonprofit that supports artists in the performing, teaching, and visual arts, has announced 17 recipients of its annual 3Arts Awards. The organization will distribute more than $1 million in grants this year, a $400,000 increase from previous years, in direct response to widespread national cuts in arts funding. <blockquote>“A thriving city depends on a thriving arts community,” said Cat Tager, Executive Director of 3Arts. “Right now, our arts community faces mounting challenges with each new day, each news cycle, and each trip to the grocery store. Recognizing this critical moment, so similar to the onset of the pandemic, 3Arts will dramatically increase our support for artists this year.”</blockquote><h3> </h3><h3>Honoring Artists Across Disciplines</h3>Now in its 18th year, the 3Arts Awards recognize Chicago-area artists working in dance, music, teaching, theater, and visual art. Each awardee receives $30,000 in unrestricted support, part of the organization’s mission to sustain creative practice through direct and flexible funding.The 2025 honorees include dance artists Wendy Clinard, Chih-Jou Cheng (程之柔), and Torrence “Tea Buggz” Griffin; musicians Tommy Carroll, Ariella Granados, Kara Jackson, and Maxwell Senteney; teaching artists ebere agwuncha, Victoria Boateng, and Tom Lee; theater artists Rammel Chan, Nina Castillo-D’Angier, and Kristin Idaszak; and visual artists Jess Atieno, Leasho Johnson, Fern Logan, and Odette Stout. The 2025 3Arts Awards Celebration will take place Monday, November 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E. Randolph St.), featuring performances by past awardees including The Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, D-Composed, and an aerial collaboration by Michel Rodriguez and Jacinda Ratcliffe. Tickets ($150–$300) include a reception, ceremony, and after-party, and are available at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.3arts.org/tickets" target="_blank">3arts.org/tickets</a>. Proceeds benefit both 3Arts and the Center for Native Futures. <h3>Expanding Reach and Emergency Support</h3>This year’s program introduces two new awards in Music and Visual Arts for artists in downstate Illinois, presented in partnership with Artspace Southern Illinois, expanding 3Arts’ geographic reach.In total, the organization will increase the number of awards and emergency funds available:<ul><li>17 artists will receive $30,000 awards (up from 10 in 2024).</li><li>Six Next Level Awardees will each receive $50,000.</li><li>The Make a Wave microgrant program grows from 10 to 40 artists, each receiving $2,000.</li><li>More than $150,000 in emergency funding will be distributed to artists facing financial hardship.</li></ul><h3>Visual Arts Awardees</h3>Among this year’s visual arts honorees:<ul><li>Jess Atieno explores diasporic histories and identity through printmaking and research between Nairobi and Chicago.</li><li>Leasho Johnson, a Jamaican-born artist, investigates Black queer identity through painting, installation, and sculpture.</li><li>Fern Logan, a photographer and professor emerita, is celebrated for her Artist Portrait Series documenting prominent Black artists.</li><li>Odette Stout, a Chicago-based artist and drag performer, creates multimedia performances examining technology, transformation, and community.</li></ul><h3>Investing in the Future of the Arts</h3>Founded in 1912 and relaunched in 2007 with its current awards program, 3Arts has distributed more than $8.2 million to over 2,500 artists across the region. Its support prioritizes women artists (66%), artists of color (74%), and Deaf or disabled artists (17%).At a time when public and private arts funding has declined nationally, 3Arts’ expansion underscores its belief that investing in artists is investing in community resilience. Read about all the 3Arts Awardee Bios <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.3arts.org/awards/3arts/2025/" target="_blank">here</a>.

3Arts Increases Artist Support in Response to National Funding Cuts

By CGN Staff Today after months of turmoil and press attention about the state of the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), it was announced at the Chicago Cultural Council meeting that Clinee Hedspeth has resigned as as DCASE Commissioner. A new local arts advocacy group,&nbsp;Artists for Chicago,&nbsp;was created in April of this year with a mission to collectively share a voice on behalf of the city's artistic community because of concerns about DCASE and its leadership. In the following months the group worked to raise awareness about what it saw as dysfunction in one of the city's key departments that has offered vital support to artists and cultural organizations. In April the group's public letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson said, "We write to share our deep concern about the dysfunction in the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). Our sector depends on DCASE to be a partner in local government that is available and responsive to the community's needs and a strong advocate for the economic and civic power of the arts. Last month marked the first anniversary of Clinée Hedspeth's&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wbez.org/culture-the-arts/2024/03/18/chicago-names-clinee-hedspeth-cultural-commissioner" target="_blank">appointment</a>&nbsp;as the City of Chicago’s Commissioner of DCASE. Over the last year, through revelations in the media, reports from DCASE staff, and statements from the community, it has become evident that the urgent needs of the arts and cultural sector are not currently being met." The letter outlined the problems facing the artistic community and the tangible solutions and leadership it sought. Artists for Chicago shared an updated message to their community today: Dear Artists for Chicago and Others: At today's meeting of the Chicago Cultural Council, Clinee Hedspeth's&nbsp;resignation as Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events was announced by the committee's co-chairs. You can read more about it in this piece by the Chicago&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2025/10/07/chicago-cultural-commissioner-dcase-clinee-hedspeth-resigns-city-hall" target="_blank">Sun Times</a>. Many months ago, we asked you to trust us by signing onto a Letter of Concern to Mayor Brandon Johnson. Because of that letter, the staff at DCASE felt seen and heard, substantive changes occurred, and real accountability happened.&nbsp; Some individuals have faced retaliation for signing the letter or speaking out in the media. They lost opportunities, grants, and roles. This is not acceptable and should not be tolerated.&nbsp; Artists for Chicago hopes to continue its work holding elected officials accountable to the creative sector and fighting for what we need in the upcoming elections. Thank you for being part of this work with us. The Artists for Chicago Team # Key image credit:&nbsp;DCASE Chicago YouTube

Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Clinee Hedspeth Resigns

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1761594498/qmiff4m4grungnhz5djx.jpg"> By GINNY VAN ALYEA Chicago’s own Vertical Gallery is setting off on an exciting new path. Though gallery owner Patrick Hull's decision means he is leaving the West Town space after the current show closes, he emphasizes that he is also adapting to the current art market to meet collectors where they are. And he's also not done with Chicago. Ultimately, after more than a decade of shaping the city’s urban-contemporary art scene, owner and curator Hull is leaving his physical space in order to expand his gallery’s reach to collectors around the globe. Vertical’s current group show, The Scenic Route—on view through September 27—will be the final exhibition in its West Town space. From here, the gallery will focus on art fairs, pop-ups, and destination events across the U.S. and abroad. The new approach begins this winter at Aqua Art Miami (December 3–7) and builds on Vertical’s successful presentations in Paris and New York. Chicago will remain part of the journey. In March 2026, Vertical will celebrate its 13-year anniversary in partnership with Jackson Junge Gallery, and in July the gallery will present acclaimed Dutch painter Collin van der Sluijs in collaboration with Joy Machine Gallery. Additional exhibitions are planned. As Patrick Hull describes it, “Vertical 3.0 brings our artists and our aesthetic to the world at large, and better serves the needs of a global collector audience demanding new, more interactive experiences.” Though the format is evolving, the gallery’s mission is unwavering: showing the best in contemporary art and giving artists fresh ways to connect with collectors.It’s a bold new chapter for Vertical—one that keeps Chicago close to its heart while embracing a worldwide audience. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://verticalgallery.com/" target="_blank">verticalgallery.com</a> Read CGN's spring 2020 interview with Hull <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/vertical-gallery-s-digital-embrace-how-patrick-hull-sees-art-online-long-term" target="_blank">here</a>.

Patrick Hull Announces He's Leaving West Town Location and taking Vertical Gallery Virtual 

Vertical Gallery Prepares to Take Its Vision Worldwide

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1761594473/s3c56hxvpbgdl0esqtae.jpg">Ching Wei-Wang, performance documentation of&nbsp;Maintain Status Quo Indefinitely, 2024 Via PR CHICAGO&nbsp;–&nbsp;Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago (MoCP) announces the 2025 Snider Prize award recipient and honorable mentions. This year, the Snider Prize has been awarded to Ching-Wei Wang with honorable mentions awarded to Annelise Duque and Selena Kearney. The Snider Prize is a purchase award given to emerging artists in their final year of graduate study. The winner receives $3,000, and two honorable mentions each receive $500 towards the purchase of work to be added to MoCP’s permanent collection. Ching-Wei Wang (Way)&nbsp;holds a BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures from National Taiwan University (2021) and an MFA in Photography from Parsons School of Design (2024). Her work in performance and photography explores Taiwan’s political histories and what she calls “the layered identities shaped by colonial histories, geopolitical tension, and ideological frameworks.” Way has a background in writing and dance, which is evident in her use of text and the movement of the body. <h3>Snider Prize Honorable Mention: Annelise Duque</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1761594474/von5fpzt0ychfpkazlj3.jpg">Annelise Duque,&nbsp;After Image, 2024 Annelise Duque&nbsp;earned her MFA from Ohio State University. Working across photography, performance, video, and collage, she examines issues of time and memory, particularly in relation to her Filipino heritage and ancestry. In her own words, she “is forever entranced by the camera’s ability to reveal both truth and lies, currently using the photograph as a method of time-travel.”&nbsp; <h3>Snider Prize Honorable Mention: Selena Kearney</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1761594475/lm999zg7orr20luwsrkd.jpg"> Selena Kearney,&nbsp;Suspended Dust 1, from the series&nbsp;Shadowy Evidence,&nbsp;2025 Selena Kearney&nbsp;holds an MFA in Photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Evergreen State College, and a Certificate of Fine Art Photography from the Photographic Center Northwest. A member of the Coast Salish tribe, Kearney’s practice is deeply rooted in her heritage. Her work, as she describes, “centers Indigenous presence, cultural continuity, and visual sovereignty.” Working across disciplines including drawing, photography, and performance, she investigates colonial US histories while honoring and elevating the stories of the people who lived before her.&nbsp;About the Snider Prize Award <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1761594477/l1rl6tznytmdkujf0utw.jpg">Lawrence K. and Maxine Snider, MoCP DARKROOM, 2022 Through the generosity of Lawrence K. and Maxine Snider, the Snider Prize was established as a prestigious endowed purchase award supporting emerging artists completing their graduate studies. Since its inception in 2013, the prize has recognized twelve artists and awarded twenty-four honorable mentions, integrating their works into the museum’s permanent collection. This initiative reflects MoCP’s enduring commitment to nurturing new talent and advancing the field of contemporary photography. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mocp.org/about-museum-of-contemporary-photography/opportunities/the-snider-prize/?mc_cid=1ea25cf0f2&amp;mc_eid=58cea278c7" target="_blank">Learn more about the Snider Prize Award</a> #

Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) announces 2025 Snider Prize

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1757613430/ryayornrgseh1r6ul713.jpg">A rendering of the Obama Presidential Center By CGN Staff The Obama Foundation has revealed ten new artist commissions for the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center, slated to open in spring 2026 in Jackson Park. The expansive 19.3-acre campus will include a museum, public library, gardens, and community spaces—and will feature over 25 site-specific works of art, most free and open to the public. <h3>Diverse, Global Voices with Chicago Roots</h3> The newly announced artists bring a dynamic cross-section of contemporary art: <ul><li>Nick Cave &amp; Marie Watt – This Land, Shared Sky, a monumental textile installation combining Indigenous and Black traditions (Museum Main Lobby).</li><li>Nekisha Durrett – Hem of Heaven, a freestanding sculpture of thousands of ceramic tiles reimagining Harriet Tubman’s shawl (Forum Courtyard).</li><li>Jenny Holzer – Text-based painting memorializing the Civil Rights–era Freedom Riders (Museum Skyroom Vista).</li><li>Jules Julien – A digital mural of eleven illustrations on democratic participation (Museum Level 5 &amp; Civics Gallery).</li><li>Idris Khan – Sky of Hope, an immersive ceiling painting of thousands of words from President Obama’s Selma speech (Museum Skyroom).</li><li>Aliza Nisenbaum – Reading Circles/ Weaving Dreams/ Seeding Futures, a sweeping mural celebrating libraries as civic spaces (Library Main Reading Room).</li><li>Jack Pierson – A found-letter word sculpture spelling HOPE, echoing Obama’s signature campaign message (Museum Entry Pavilion).</li><li>Alison Saar – Torch Song, a towering bronze figure inspired by the Statue of Liberty and Chicago blues (Women’s Garden).</li><li>Kiki Smith – Receive, a celestial bronze celebrating our shared connection to the cosmos (Museum Hope &amp; Change Lobby).</li></ul> These artists join a distinguished roster already announced—Lindsay Adams, Spencer Finch, Richard Hunt, Maya Lin, and Julie Mehretu—with more to come. <h3>Art as Civic Catalyst</h3> “Art has the power to reflect who we are and to shape who we aspire to become,” said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. “These extraordinary commissions will invite every visitor to feel inspired, respected, and connected.” Dr. Louise Bernard, founding director of the Center’s Museum, added that each commission is “a meditation on civic life…speaking to resilience, memory, identity, and hope.”Curated by Virginia Shore (Shore Art Advisory), the program underscores the Obamas’ belief in the arts as central to democracy—an extension of their White House legacy of welcoming diverse voices and creative practices. The Obama Presidential Center is planned to open in spring 2026 and is envisioned as a vibrant cultural hub and gathering space. Alongside the museum and library, the site will feature a fruit and vegetable garden, athletic center, and sweeping public grounds designed for both neighborhood and global visitors. Through art installations, performances, workshops, and conversations, the Center aims to inspire creativity and civic engagement across generations. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://obama.org/presidential-center/" target="_blank">obama.org</a>

Nick Cave, Jenny Holzer and others to Create Site-Specific Works for Obama Center

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543252/qhyrzg5ukci8xsy2timk.jpg"> Via PR MILWAUKEE, WI – September 3, 2025 – <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mam.org/" target="_blank">The Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM)</a> announced today that Kim Sajet has been selected as the organization’s next Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director. Kim Sajet is a museum leader and arts advocate, and until recently was the director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. During her twelve-year tenure, she expanded the gallery’s reach through innovative exhibitions and public programs that brought a contemporary focus to the museum’s collections. Under Sajet’s leadership, museum attendance doubled and major capital improvements were made—including reinstalling the America’s Presidents gallery. She also raised more than&nbsp;$85 million for the gallery’s operations and endowment.&nbsp;&nbsp; “MAM’s ability to attract talent of Kim Sajet’s caliber—who is among only a handful of world-class, values-based museum leaders—speaks to the excellent reputation and collections represented by the Museum and its role as a cultural cornerstone of our community and the nation,” said Andy Nunemaker, Chairman of the Milwaukee Art Museum Board of Trustees. “This moment marks a unique opportunity to bring in a leader who can unlock the Museum’s full potential and advance its vision of connecting people with art and with each other, creating experiences that inspire, spark curiosity, and bring joy, while also sharing the Museum’s story on the national and international stage.” A resident of the United States for nearly three decades, Sajet brings a truly international perspective to her role, having been born in Nigeria to Dutch parents and raised in Australia. Before directing the National Portrait Gallery, she served as President &amp; CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Vice President and Deputy Director at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Director of Corporate Relations at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has also directed two museums in Victoria, Australia, and has close ties to museums in the Netherlands. Sajet holds a BA and MBA from Melbourne University, an MA in Art History from Bryn Mawr College, and a doctorate in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), where she served on the board from 2021 to 2025. Formerly the host of the PORTRAITS podcast—nominated for a Webby Award in 2025—Sajet is currently completing a book with Princeton University Press on early photography and the carte-de-visite album of American social reformer Emily Howland.&nbsp;As the new Director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Sajet is excited to be leading a museum with a significant international collection in one of America’s most innovative and entrepreneurial cities. “From the first moment that I started talking to the search committee,” she reflected, “I was impressed with how passionate everyone was about the museum and how they saw it as a central part of what makes Milwaukee a world-class city. The general vibe is entrepreneurial, culturally vibrant, and refreshingly authentic. This sense of experimentation is also a major part of the museum’s collecting and exhibition history. Since 1982, for example, the Currents series has provided an important platform for contemporary artists such as Cindy Sherman, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Isaac Julien and Lawrence Weiner to launch their careers, and international artists such as Damien Hirst and Idris Kahn to have their first American showing. I am keen to expand on this commitment to living artists and also explore the educational opportunities that flow from the art and design of the past. The museum itself is gorgeous, and I want to invite everyone across the country to see for themselves what a special place this is.” “Kim brings with her a passion for making museums educational and meaningful while also ensuring accessibility and fun,” said Nunemaker.&nbsp;“We believe more visitors and patrons to the Museum is a good thing, not only to support the sustainability of the organization, but to engage in the Museum’s vision of connecting with art and each other.”&nbsp; Sajet joins the Museum at a milestone moment, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Bradley Collection of Modern Art—nearly 400 modern masterpieces that transformed the Museum and put Milwaukee on the cultural map. This remarkable gift brought major artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol to Milwaukee, establishing the Museum as a leading center for modernism. The Museum will mark this anniversary with the Art Forward Gala on September 20 and will open a special tribute exhibition, The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee, on September 25. “To begin my tenure during this milestone exhibition is a privilege, and a reminder of the impact that art—and the generosity behind it—can have on a community for generations,” said Sajet.Sajet begins her role effective September 22, 2025.

Milwaukee Art Museum Names New Director: Kim Sajet

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543260/hlaqdbopp85htaosdvcu.jpg"> Via PR ROMAN SUSANART FOUNDATION NFP4750 N Sheridan Road #534, Chicago 60640(773) 270-1224 | <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://romansusan.org/" target="_blank">romansusan.org</a> Open Hours1224 W Loyola Ave, Chicago ILSeptember 18, 2025 - September 30, 2025 We’re open! Join us for the last thirteen days of our thirteenth and final year at 1224 W Loyola Ave. Let’s celebrate what you bring to the space. Show up, sign up, and share. Days will have broad themes, and responsive updates – recurring elements will include drawing the walls, making columns, and holding forth. We will be open daily at 5 PM (starting a little earlier, or staying a little later, depending on the day). Check our calendar for daily iterations, and visit while we’re here. We’re excited to share open participatory events with Marc Fischer, Siobhan Leonard, AJ McClenon, Carole McCurdy, dj peripheral, Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson, and others – and to be a platform for people to show up and express themselves. This space is an artwork we’ve made together. Come help add the final touches! 1224 W Loyola Ave has been the site of 185 projects with the contributions of 913 artists from November 2012 through September 2025. Help us carry this spirit forward by supporting our future(s) beyond Loyola Ave. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543260/xddtktgkycf7xm7plm24.jpg"> We are incredibly humbled and grateful to have shared this space together in Rogers Park since November 2012. In particular, we’re taking this time to thank all of the artists who have gifted us their curiosity and their work: Kristin Abhalter Smith, Nathan Abhalter Smith, Jeremy Ackman, Alejandro T. Acierto, Stephanie Acosta, Justine Adeboyejo, Madeleine Aguilar, ebere agwuncha, Elena Ailes, AJ (Quing of Arts Photography), Anyah Akanni, Wiley Aker, Bimbola Akinbola, Muhammad Habib Akram, Adriana Kuri Alamillo, Mark Alcazar Diaz, Darko Aleksovski, Daniel Alfredo Suarez, Hiba Ali, Christopher Corey Allen, Leana E Allen, Kristin Allmer, Pepe Álvarez, Dylan Alverson, Andre Alves, Kayla Anderson, Joni Anderson, Elinor Anderson-Genné, Yana Andriesh, Kanyinsola Anifowoshe, Haylee Anne, Alexandra Antoine, Kioto Aoki, Inés Arango-Guingue, Kate Arford, Carla Argueta, James Arhelger, Jill Armstrong, Lisa Armstrong, Caitlin Arnold, Oscar Arriola, Ashina, Alice Kiwako Ashiwa, Aram Atamian, Erin Austin, Ceyda Aykan, Soheila Azadi, Dennis Baburov, Linden Baierl, Mara Baker, Jess Baldissero, Melis Baloglu, Katarina Balunova, Whitney Bandel, Yaro Banduro, Audrey Barcio, Lorena Barrera Enciso, Lindsey Barlag Thornton, Nina Barnett, Jess Bass, Sarah Bastress, Joann Bates, Jonathan Baude, Michael Bauer, Rebecca Beachy, Laurel Beckman, Meghan Moe Beitiks, Annita Benjamin, Nancy Benjamin, Eli Bensusan, Daryl Lynn Bergman, Sarah Berkeley, Amy Beste, Ruth Biene, Lauren Bina, Jessica Bingham, Sandra Binion, Lauren Bishop, Zaelia Bishop, Dan Bitney, Katina Bitsicas, Taykhoom Saifuddin Biviji, Araidia Blackburn, Thomas Georg Blank, Jerry Bleem, Matt Bodett, Zak Boerger, Sonya Bogdanova, Mark Boldizsar, Michelle Bolinger, Joanna Booth, Gabriella Boros, Cidgy Bossuet, Dan Boyd, Rine Boyer, Beth Bradfish, Patrick Brady, Alexis Brocchi, Kara Brody, Judith Brotman, Georgia Brown, Jared Brown, Jason Brown, Stella Brown, Maddie Brucker, Jan Brugger, Paulina Budzioch, Gabriel Bump, Michael Burmeister, Robert Burnier, Eileen Burns, Nicholas Burrage, April Butcher, Beatriz Caballero, Elise Cabral, Josephina Cabrera, Holly Cahill, Ava Calabrese Grob, Liz Cambron, Mia Capodilupo, Jacobus Capone, Jessica Caponigro, Eric Capper, Vanessa Capshaw, Nick Carbuto, Jay Carlon, Stephanie Del Carpio, Tallulah Cartalucca, Kate Casanova, castroduperly, CEW Design Studio, Stephanie Chamber, Michael Chambers, Isabella Chamberland, Karen Y. Chan, Vienne Chan, Methas Chantawongs, Li Chao-Ping, Vivian Charlesworth, Salome Chasnoff, Jiayi Chen, Tate Won Chen, Ashwaty Chennat, Julietta Cheung, Inah Choe, Chanhee Choi, Judith Holo Lue Choy, James Chrzan, Courtney Cintrón, Hugues Clément, Alexis Clodfelter, Ashley Clodfelter, Jessica Cochran, Joe Cochran, Alex Bradley Cohen, Barrie Cole, Lauren Coleman, Collective Cleaners, Paté Conaway, Katie Condon, Alex J. Cope, Coppice, Sofía Córdova, Elisa Corena, Molly Costello, Derek Coté, Elise Cowin, Max Cozzi, Molly Crabapple, Ben Creech, April Crescia, Anton Crescia, Soledad Crescia, Emilie Crewe, Sarah Crow, Andres Cuartas, Jernej Čuček Gerbec, Sarah Curl-Larson, Jennifer Curth, Furen Dai, Sara Dambrowski, Rachel Damon, Erin Kyle Danna, Sage Dawson, Melanie Deal, Leigh Anthony Dehaney, Santiago Delgado Escribano, Daniel DeLuna, Lindsey Dezman, Alessandro Diaz, Erika Diaz, Natacha Diels, Micah Dillman, Caitlin Dippo, Daz Disley, Predrag Djordjevic, Yewen Dong, Christa Donner, Stella Donner-Yang, Lindsey Dorr-Niro, Germel Dossie, Carrie Drapac, Jory Drew, Benjamin Duax, Meg Duguid, Jim Duignan, Elena Duque, Nir Dvorai, Nadine Dyskant-Miller, Heidi Eckwall, Rebecca Edmonson, Mohamed Ibrahim Elmasry, Shir Ende, Sophia English, Taylor Ervin, Chad Eschman, Paul Escriva, Iván-Daniel Espinosa, Veronica Espinosa, Elena Esquibel, McLean Fahnestock, Adam Farcus, Gabriela Farías, Jessica Fenlon, Carlos Ferguson, Eliza Fernand, Carolina Fernandez Del Dago, Omari Ferrell, Sara Ferro, Peter Ferry, Lydia Feuerhelm, Dasha Filippova, Taylor Finke, Marc Fischer, Lauren Flaaen, Mary Flack, Dustin Flemming, Elizabeth Flood, Flor, Laurel Foglia, Corbett Fogue, Ryan Fontaine, Paige Fors, Jenn Freeman, Tyran Freeman, Lindsey French, Sarah Friedland, Yoav Friedländer, Kandis Friesen, Joanna Furnans, Wanbli Gamache, Eddie Gamboa, Ricardo Gamboa, Chris Gans, Gabriel Garcia, Noelle Garcia, Julia Garfield, Alex Garza, Cy Gavin, Julia Gavin Bither, Ben Lamar Gay, Rami George, Daniel Giles, Didi S. Gilson, Amber Ginsberg, Anna Goetz, laaura goldstein, Ronen Goldstein, Carley Gomez, Carlos Gonzalez, Clay Gonzalez, Graciela Gonzalez, Javier González Pesce, Anna Goraczko, Justyna Górowska, Becky Grajeda, Will Greene, Tia Greer, Alyssa Gregory, Malakai Greiner, Mat Greiner, Spencer Grogan, Maëlle Gross, Ben Grosser, Kim Guare, Michael La Guerra, Sare Güneş, Max Guy, Tom Hack, Maria Hadden, Pamela Hadley, Chad Hagedorn, Tao Haiyue, Michael Hall, Rosemary Hall, Yhelena Hall, Max Halperin, Raja Halwani, Anthony Hamilton, Rory Hamovit, Sanglim Han, Aram Han Sifuentes, Shir Handelsman, Jillian Hansen-Lewis, Mariel Harari, Diamond Hardiman, Judith Harding, Katie Hargrave, Diana Harper, Nichole Harrod, Gretchen Hasse, Ian Hatcher, Sarah Haug, Teri Havens, Erin Hayden, Kelly Hayes, Tracie Hayes, Armin Hayrapetian, hemlock, Nick Hennessey, Jon Henry, Timo Herbst, Traci Hercher, Rosé Hernandez, Heather Higgins, Sara R. Hill, Wendi Hill, Jennifer Hines, Stevie Hnilicka, Ruth Hodgins, Lisa Hoffmann, Elisabeth Hogeman, Sara Holwerda, Brian Holmes, Sam Hoolihan, Iu Chung Hong, Lindsay Hopkins, Maryam Hoseini, Steven Hou, Kasia Houlihan, Elizabeth Housewright, Billie Howard, Brandon Howe, Cynthia Hsieh, Deidre Huckabay, Brandon Jacob Hudson, Jade Huell, Taylor Hughes, Gina Hunt, E.L. Hunter, Lynn Hunter, Sanja Hurem, Steven Husby, Robin Hustle, Regin Igloria, Kate In, Laura Ingram, Josh Ippel, Jessica Jacobs, Maria Jacobson, Michael James, Linda Jankowska, Patrick Jenkins, Salvador Jimenez, Anna Johnson, Jonathan Johnson, Keiko Johnson, Vincent Galen Johnson, Chloe Johnston, Nathanael Jones, Joanne Jongsma, Jasmine Jordan, Ross Jordon, Jacob Juache, Maria Juache, Steve Juras, Mariame Kaba, Kevin Kaempf, Felicia Kaplan, Venkata Sivakumar Kappala, Vasilis Karvounis, Johanna Kasimow, Amay Kataria, Hoda Katebi, Toby Kaufmann-Buhler, Jennifer Keats, Colleen Keihm, Mel Keiser, Lisa Kemp, Millicent Kennedy, James Kenny, J. Kent, Tynan Kerr, Em Kettner, Misha Khokhlov, Juneer Kibria, An Na Kim, Bobae Kim, Danbee Kim, Houneyh Kim, Wednesday Kim, Jeff Kimmel, Rob Kimmel, Jamila Kinney, Kiril Kirchev, Brian Kirkbride, Julia Klein, Katie Klocke, Jordan Knecht, Kelsey Knutson, Haruhi Kobayashi, Marlo Koch, Stephanie Koch, Lia Kohl, Thomas Kong, Karin S. Korth, Fenia Kotsopoulou, Juliane Kowalke, Brandy Kraft, Ginger Krebs, João Krefer, Claire Krueger, Daniel Kukla, Amy Kuttab, Allison Lacher, Tulika Ladsariya, Gigi Lage, Nathan Lamp, Mira Lane, S. Nicole Lane, Gary LaPointe Jr., Amaranta Isyemille Lara, George Larson, Nate Larson, Camille Laut, Aaron Lawson, Anastasia Lebedev, Kasper Lecnim, Charles Lee, Helen Lee, Lindsey Lee, Marissa Lee Benedict, Matt Lee, SJ Lee, Herbert Lee Jones, Caroline Lee Liu, Cristen Leifheit, Dillon Lemon, Matthew Lemus, Siobhan Leonard, Lauren Leving, Li Zeyi, Maria Lichtenegger, Jasmine Lin, Karin Lindholm, Emily Lindskoog, Caldwell Linker, Lion vs. Gorilla, Louise Yingduo Liu, Sarah Anne Lobb, Norman W. Long, Angela Lopez, Brian Lopez, Mauricio López, Zion Lopez, Nazafarin Lotfi, Maddy Low, Dan Lowe, Lienne Loy, Cole Lu, Jessica Lucas, Benjamin Luebkemann, Daniel Luedtke, Ro(b)//ert Lundberg, Lorette Luzajic, Ellie Lynch, David Lytzhøft, kee mabin, Michael Mac, Dan MacDonald, Courtney Mackedanz, Kera MacKenzie, Lauren Macklin, Garrett MacLean, Perry Maddox, Leonardo Magrelli, Jesse Malmed, Tricia Malorey, Eugene Maltez, Deanna Mance, Jorge Mañes Rubio, Amanda Maraist, Ahmed Mohsen Mansour, Liz Mares, John Marks, Chrissy Martin, Matt Martin, Jonatan Martinez, Colin Marx, Henning Marxen, Annalaura Masciave, Katrina Matejcik, Nate Mathews, Nicole Mauser, Andrew Mausert-Mooney, Christopher Maves, Carlye Mayan, Yvette Mayorga, Andrew Mazorol, Marissa McCants, Liz McCarthy, Margaret McCarthy, Frank McCauley, AJ McClenon, Erick McCree, Angus McCullough, Carole McCurdy, Ben McElroy Fuqua, John McLaughlin, Derrick Meads, Richard Medina, Jaclyn Mednicov, Luis Medrano, Charlie Megna, Emanuela Meloni, Jeff Mendenhall, Aruna Mendon, Tejaswini Mendon, Jasmine Mendoza, Joelle Mercedes, Patrick Merrill, Stephanie Merrill, Nick Meryhew, Emily Michaels King, Sea Michell, Miller &amp; Shellabarger, Dan Miller, Mari Miller, Sarah Ellen Miller, Tracy Miller-Robbins, Marina Miliou-Theocharaki, Yunhee Min, Ruxandra Mitache, Carisa Mitchell, Shanae Mitchell, Juan Molina Hernández, Julie Molter, Ricardo Mondragon, Mitch Monroy, Kyle Montemurro, Emily Moorhead, Ignacio Morales, Allen Morris, Tannaz Motevalli, Alyssa Moxley, Erick Msumanje, Eileen Mueller, Milda Muktupāvela, Alvin Muniz, Anna Munzesheimer, Gülşah Mursaloğlu, Jillian Musielak, Crystal Myslajek, Magritte Emanuel Nankin, Sebastian Napoli, Emanuele Napolitano, Paige Naylor, blake nemec, Marina Nemtseva, Moira Ness, Leah Netsky, Marissa Neuman, Dao Nguyen, Natalia Nicholson, Zachary Nicol, Rick Niebe, Clara Nizard, April Noga, Kevin Norris, Jon Notwick, Connie Noyes, Ej Nussbaum, Kathleen O'Connor, Liam O'Connor, Joseph O'Neill, Tamara Ober, Abigail Ockenfels, Betsy Odom, Aimee Marie Odum, Alys Ayumi Ogura, Duncan Oja, Labkhand Olfatmanesh, Dan Olvera, Sabeen Omar, Lara Oppenheimer, Marco Ordonez, Melissa Oresky, Monica Ortega, Christian Ortiz, Ladan Osman, Brandon Oswalt, Julian Otis, Peixuan Ouyang, Hanna M. Owens, Kasia Ozga, Seda Öznal, Jared Packard, Cheryl Pagurek, Yu-Tzu Pai, Ethan T. Parcell, Israel Pate, Steph Patsula, Sally Paul, Coya Paz, Lauren Paz, Lindsey Pearson, PEEJAYEL, Matthew Pell, Josué Pellot, Greg Penrice, Jeannette Perkal, Katherine Perryman, Miloš Peškir, Judy Petacque, Susanne Layla Petersen, Marina Pfenning, Heather Phillips, Sasha Phyars-Burgess, Raffaele Piano, Cole Pierce, Jessica Pierotti, Wannapa Pimtong-Eubanks, Klaus Pinter, Jacob Platt, Colleen Plumb, Rhett Gérard Poché, Michael Robert Pollard, Diane Ponder, Alison Postma, John Preus, Caroline Preziosi, Jill Pridemore Matthews, Zhao Qian, Will Quam, Ruby Que, Cathy Quintero, Paul Rabe, Erika Råberg, Peyton Rack, Eshan Rafi, Ron Ragin, Shelby Ragsdale, Amanda Ramirez, Chris Ramsey, Izah Ransohoff, Mike Rea, Mark Reamy, Risa Recio, Ellen Redshaw, Chris Reeves, Craig Reger, Mark Regester, Johanna Reich, Clemens Reinecke, Einxel Reyes, Patrick Reynolds, Charles Rice, Pat Rice, Nicholas Ridder, Michael Ridge, Haynes Riley, Kayla Risko, Earl Ritchie, Shoniqua Roach, Cole Robertson, Amber Robinson, Jeff Robinson, Louie Robinson, Lauren Roche, Maggie Roche, Liz Rodda, Charlie Roderick, Diego Rodriguez, Leyla Rodriguez, Tony Rodriguez, Amal Rogers, Emilio Rojas, Peter Ronan, Travis Roozée, Clare Rosean, Douglas Rosenberg, Kit Rosenberg, Nancy Lu Rosenheim, Jordan Rosenow, Andrew Rosinski, Amina Ross, Danielle Ross, Marina Ross, Molly Roth Scranton, Maggie Rothberg, Ramona Rouse, Kate Rowekamp, Emma Rozanski, Miles Rufelds, Greg Ruffing, Breanna Ruiz, Jennifer Rumberger, Mo Bella Russo, Vida Sačić, Cristal Sabbagh, Olim Saeki, Cecilia Salinas, Mark Salvati, Dalila Sanabria, Bryan Saner, José Santiago Pérez, Hannah Santistevan, Emma Saperstein, Hiroya Sakurai, Jake Saunders, Craig Sayduh, Matt Schaefer, Kathryn Schaffer, Elyse Schauer, Maya Schenwar, Roberta Schmatz, Daniel Schmid, Kadie Schmidt-Hackenberg, Maxine Schoefer-Wulf, Emily Schulert, Derek Schulze, Kathleen Scott, Rory Scott, Sam Scranton, Danielle Scruggs, Casey Searles, Leonardo Selvaggio, Olga Selvashchuk, Rui Sha, Mazdak Shadkam, Christine Shallenberg, Leviticus Shand, William Shanley Aron Sharp, Luke Shemroske, Karen Sherman, Levi Sherman, Marni Shindelman, Anna Marie Shogren, Ashley Allen Short, Madhuri Shukla, Olga Sidilkovskaya, Hannah Siegfried, Emerson Sigman, Johannah Silva, Anthony Sims, Tyrone Simon, Federico Simone, Paulius Sliaupa, Charles Joseph Smith, Christopher Smith, Corey Smith, Enid Smith, Greg Smith, Jessy Lauren Smith, Sarah Phyllis Smith, Janna Sobel, Sanaz Sohrabi, Deb Sokolow, Melissa Christine Sommer, Stu Sontier, Eric Souther, Kevin Sparrow, Melon Sprout, Paweł Stasiewicz, John Steck Jr., Olive Stefanski, Raychel Steinbach, Laura Stempel, Joe Steppan, Dana Stirling, Nick Stolle, Nicko Straniero, Kevin Stuart, Marc Sullivan, Leonard Suryajaya, Adia Sykes, SYZY GAL O00O, Aurora Tabar, Emily Taft, Maryam Taghavi, TAITAI xTina, Richard Talaber, Savneet Talwar, Allison Tanenhaus, Paige Taul, Tracy Marie Taylor, Dakota Temte, John Tennison, Chiffon Thomas, Erin Thomas, Michael Thomas, Corrie Thompson, Ryan Thompson, Wade Thompson, Will Thompson, Ruby Thorkelson, Sherwin Tibayan, Angie Tillges, Lynn Tomlinson, Fereshteh Toosi, Cassie Tompkins, Rory Tortensson, Breanne Trammell, Selina Trepp, Monica Trinidad, Vincent Troia, Giau Truong, Alan Yu Wah Tse, Hui-min Tsen, Daniel Tseng, Politimi Tsiftilis, Laura Tyler, Maria Tzeka, Sharon Udoh, Udita Upadhyaya, Piotr Urbaniec, Joél Valdez, Nancy Valladares, Nicolas Vamvouklis, Betsy van Die, Tricia Van Eck, Cedric van Eenoo, Jacob van Loon, Kristin Van Loon, Kenny Vang, Betsy Vandercook, A. P. Vague, Vales Madre, VAY sarolta, Rafael Vera, Hannah Verrill, Maceo Vidal-Haymes, Tasha Viets-VanLear, Hildegard von Bingen, Kasey Waas, Aaron Walker, Christine Wallers, Dongmei Wang, Jenyu Wang, Tianjiao Wang, Yuqi Wang, Kelly Wantuch, Marta Wapiennik, Erin Washington, Kelli Washington, Zuri Washington, Sally Waterman, Zach Waters, We Charge Genocide, Julie Weber, Zara Monica Wee, Chris Weil, Mike Weis, Simon Welch, Tony Werner, Dan Wetmore, Keegan White, Anna Martine Whitehead, Kevin Talmer Whiteneir, Loraine Wible, Arwen Wilder, Lauren Rose Wiley, Holly Wilkinson, Tina Willgren, Andy Willis, Tara Aisha Willis, Melinda Wilson, Emily Winter, Amanda Wirig, Adeline Wisernig, Magdalena Wistuba, Writing Group, Clark Woods, Sadie Woods, Yaloo, Makiko Yamauchi, Andrew Yang, Saebom Yang, Polly Yates, James Yearnd, Anne Yoder, bex ya yolk, Nao Yoshigai, Katherine Young, Avery Youngblood, Cherrie Yu, Jungyul Yu, Chien An Yuan, Gwendolyn Zabicki, Jameson Zaerr, Sara Zalek, Anders Zanichkowsky, Christopher Zanoni, Julia Zastava, Latham Zearfoss, Tobias Zehntner, Gwyneth Zeleny Anderson, Mary Zerkel, Tongyu Zhao, Yuge Zhou, Xiaoqing Zhu, Meredith Zielke, Hallie Zimmerman, and lots of other people who make the community. While this space is closing, Roman Susan will continue to be a part of Rogers Park, Chicagoland, and the Great Lakes. All our hearts to you, friends – again soon! Roman Susan Art Foundation&nbsp;celebrates and shares the work of artists in the Great Lakes region. We create cultural engagements that provide resources and paid opportunities for artists. We are Chicago-based. We are artist-led. We are experimental and learning. For more info, please visit romansusan.org. For further info: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://romansusan.org/open-hours" target="_blank">romansusan.org/open-hours</a> or contact art@romansusan.org This program is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency through awards from the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago&nbsp;Department of Cultural Affairs &amp; Special Events. Roman Susan Art Foundation NFP is supported in part by 175 individual donors,&nbsp;Gen Ops Plus Grants from The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Hyde Park Art Center Artists Run Chicago Fund, The Reva and David Logan Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, 6018North, AD3 Innovation Bootcamp, An Sylvia Exhibitions, Foundation Source, Lucky Pierre, Story Luck, and in-kind support from Cargo Collective, Lawyers for the Creative Arts, and Sloane Communications. To support this ongoing work, please visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://romansusan.org/support" target="_blank">romansusan.org/support</a> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://romansusan.org/FUTURE" target="_blank">ROMANSUSAN.ORG/FUTURE</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543261/umjawywncidwtxjrim8i.jpg">

After Showing 913 Artists in 13 Years Roman Susan Announces Closure

<img width="206" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755211320/fgh88o059ldy0dchhwxm.jpg">Miguel A. Del Real ﻿By CGN Staff Art Encounter announced that its&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artencounter.org/murals" target="_blank">Evanston Mural Arts Program</a>&nbsp;has had a busy summer season and it shared two new projects: a first-ever ground mural in downtown Evanston designed and painted by artist Miguel A. Del Real, and an outdoor butterfly garden mural led by Mario Mena with students at Chute Middle School. All of the organization's&nbsp;30+ mural projects, artists, and partners&nbsp;on the Art Encounter website, and visitors are also able to use AE's&nbsp;Google map&nbsp;to visit murals in person. Details are included below. EMAP's first-ever ground mural project wrapped up just a few weeks ago, and we're thrilled with the results! The pedestrian plaza at 1603 Orrington Ave in downtown Evanston is now home to a vibrant, sprawling piece of art. Chicago artist&nbsp;Miguel A. Del Real&nbsp;used a colorblind-accessible palette to create the dynamic composition full of organic movement and art&nbsp;deco flourishes. This piece required the use of paint specifically created for ground murals, which adheres permanently to the concrete and provides a textured surface that ensure safety and longevity. The abstracted floral design creates an immersive, interactive experience for all who visit, and is equally striking whether viewed from ground level or from above by those in the Orrington Plaza building!&nbsp; Thank you&nbsp;to the sponsors and community partners who made this project possible: Downtown Evanston,&nbsp;Golub &amp; Company,&nbsp;Hagerty Consulting,&nbsp;Magnetar Capital LLC,&nbsp;UL Research&nbsp;Institutes, UL&nbsp;Standards &amp; Engagement, and the City of Evanston. <img width="570" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755211320/m2plobllijgkorwqoid2.jpg"><img width="570" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755211321/luwoe7yhksdzzgzfoayo.png">Celebrating Migration, Transformation, and NatureWith artist Mario Mena <img width="206" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755211322/nr7dqoxh7ofe63bluvu5.jpg"><img width="15" height="1" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755211323/uhrkfpcbaplbj2weict8.gif">From March to June, Chicago artist and teacher&nbsp;Mario Mena&nbsp;collaborated with 6th–8th graders at Chute Middle School to lead a striking outdoor mural project that beautifully complements the school's Okano Butterfly Garden. Chute's Green STEAM Club, 8th grade Advanced Art and Advanced Media Art classes, and additional 6th- 8th graders participated in all parts of the mural-making process with Mario, including conceptualizing the artwork's themes, designing the images, and painting the final product. Each section of the mural was painted on a synthetic mural fabric material called polytab, allowing students to work on the mural in the classroom before the pieces were adhered to the wall in early June. Mario then painted additional finishing touches directly onto the brick. The resulting mural evokes ideas of home, migration, and transformation, celebrating Chute's unique student population and their stories. Make sure to walk or drive by the school on Oakton Street to see it in person! Thank you&nbsp;to Chute teachers Sherri Kushner, Jamal Duncan, and Wendy&nbsp;Mohrenweiser&nbsp;for inspiring this mural and to Healing Illinois, which provided the grant that made this uplifting project possible. Extra thanks to Damon Lamar Reed and Terrence Haymer for their leadership with the polytab installation! <img width="570" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755211324/tqh7krvz4q1zsz1qouy2.png"><img width="570" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755211324/ikzwqka6lv7kfa7why8z.png"><img width="570" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755211325/cwftsupm6o8xexwfcazp.jpg">

Art Encounter's Evanston Mural Arts Program Shares Two New Projects

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543295/jjq0o5kduwwdfo4qligx.jpg"> By CGN Staff&nbsp; We received news from <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://goldfinch-gallery.com/" target="_blank">Goldfinch</a> Director Claudine Ise that she is closing her much-loved gallery space. Below is the message she shared with clients and friends of the gallery this weekend.<h2 class="ql-align-center"> </h2><h2 class="ql-align-center">A FOND FAREWELL&nbsp;</h2><h2 class="ql-align-center">&nbsp;</h2>It is with some sadness but mostly,&nbsp;a deep sense of gratitude that I’m sharing the news that Goldfinch is closing. Over the past several months my&nbsp;priorities have shifted towards personal health and wellness issues, and so after much&nbsp;thought and deliberation I’ve decided that now is the right time to end this chapter of the Gallery’s history. The community formed around Goldfinch has meant the world to me, and I hope it has meant something positive to other people too. I know that if tended carefully, the relationships and communities we form can endure the transformations that come from both sudden changes and slow evolutions. Although the space may eventually evolve into a different sort of entity, I need to close this chapter and honor what is ending before thinking about what might come next.&nbsp;I want to thank our entire roster of gallery artists for believing in our program and for playing such vital roles in it, and thanks as well to every single artist we’ve mounted exhibitions with, included in our Flatfiles, or hosted as program speakers over the years. I’m so grateful to all of the beautiful collectors who have supported this small but ambitious gallery&nbsp;and its artists, and I’m equally beholden to the artists and regular gallery visitors who together formed our loyal and consistent core audience. I also want to thank Elizabeth Lalley for being a formative part of the gallery’s DNA and aesthetic spirit, JP Culligan for playing an integral&nbsp;role in the exhibition mounting and design process of the gallery from our very first&nbsp;shows onward, Ry Thiel and Tom Van Eynde for their beautiful photography, and most of all my husband Andrew, ‘the door guy’ who greeted everyone who came through our doors for openings and public talks, no matter how cold the hallways got.&nbsp;We are in the process of reaching out to the many&nbsp;artists with works in our Flatfiles to arrange for their artwork pickup. Our Instagram will remain an open&nbsp;channel for sharing news on the artists, organizations and events who have been part of our community. And, if and when there are updates on the evolution of the space itself—you’ll read it there first.&nbsp;&nbsp;With love, hope and gratitude,&nbsp;Claudine&nbsp;Claudine IséOwner and Director

Goldfinch Gallery Announces It's Closing

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543287/qq3cplyvwv7bpumxbrtd.jpg">John Seubert&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;There Were No Flowers Tonight&nbsp;|&nbsp;mixed media altar piece&nbsp;|&nbsp;14.5&nbsp;x 16.5 x 5.75 inches Victor Armendariz shared with CGN that long time Chicago artist John Seubert died last week at his Lincoln Park home and studio. His artwork was created in cycles and ranged from paintings, to sculptures which he called his “constructions”, furniture in the form of “Crash Tables” as they were comprised of a “collision of parts”, jewelry, clocks, and lamps with mosaic shades from Lake Michigan beach glass. John variously signed his artwork under numerous guises depending on his mood including, Dear John, John John, John Grey, John Dolly and just, John. The term prolific, does not begin to describe his near obsessive desire to create art. His home was filled floor to ceiling with his artwork and entire rooms were dedicated to the display and ever-evolving arrangement of his collection.&nbsp;To help support his atypical lifestyle, John worked various jobs including assistant to Chicago photographer Mark Hauser, (often claiming credit for urging Cindy Crawford to stop covering her mole in photo shoots), as a gallery preparator at the MCA and various art galleries over the years, as a handy-man, and builder’s assistant. At one point early in life packing all his belongings in his car and moving to Los Angeles to work in Hollywood, sometimes appearing as an extra in movie shoots. His lifestyle brought him to New York in the 80’s where he partied in circles including Andy Warhol (although Andy never spoke to him). And once at a party, Cher pointed to him and said, “You’ve got it!” in admiration of his be-spangled outfit.&nbsp;In 2017 John began showing his artwork at Gallery VICTOR with longtime friend Victor Armendariz. His work was always showing somewhere in the gallery and was prominently featured in the gallery’s 5th&nbsp;Anniversary exhibit,&nbsp;Wunderkammer. John also worked as the gallery’s main preparator and was often seen at the gallery installing artworks, packing, serving wine at openings. John’s work was first shown at Ann Nathan’s Objects Gallery from the late 1980’s through the early 1990’s. In 2014 Jennifer Norback Fine Art presented,&nbsp;The Negro Clocks: 1985-2000&nbsp;featuring a dozen of his handcrafted clocks focusing on racism and channeling his own life experiences with intolerance as a gay man.&nbsp;John suffered a brain aneurism at the end of April which landed him in the hospital for an emergency brain surgery. He returned home in early June where he was anxious to return to making art, which he continued to do until his death. John leaves behind an extraordinary body of work with many pieces placed in collections worldwide.&nbsp;Memorial Mass:Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 11amSaint Mary of The Angels Catholic Church1850 North Hermitage Ave.Chicago, IL 60622&nbsp;Memorial Reception:Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 12:30-3pmGallery VICTOR300 West Superior StreetChicago, IL 60654

Artist John Seubert: 1958-2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542098/nyfctspff6zqvz5cmubx.png"> By CGN Staff via PR Fall West Loop Contemporary Fine Art Expo to take place October 17–19, following debut of spring edition in May 2025. This October the inaugural Fall West Loop Contemporary Fine Art Expo will take place from October 17–19, 2025 at the Stephen M. Bailey Auditorium, located in Plumbers Hall at 1340 W. Washington Blvd. Close to Randolph Street’s many acclaimed restaurants, the expo brings a curated selection of fine art to one of the city’s buzziest, creative neighborhoods. Presented by LA-based Gourmet Expos, the three-day event offers an intimate, boutique-style art fair experience featuring more than 40 invitation-only artists from seven states across the Midwest and beyond. Visitors can explore a wide array of original artwork in styles ranging from abstract expressionism and post-impressionism to encaustic, pop realism, and sculpture, with all works available for purchase directly from the artists. A small-scale, artist-driven fair set inside a historic Beaux-Arts auditorium, the fair aims to create a dialogue between artists and collectors in an atmosphere that isn't intimidating and that is especially appealing to first time collectors looking for unique art by living artists. Each artist will be present to speak about their work, making this expo as much about connection as it is about discovery.<h4> </h4><h4>Hours &amp; Ticket Information:</h4> First Look Preview<ul><li>Friday, October 17, 7–10PM</li><li>Includes hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar – Tickets $40</li></ul>General Admission<ul><li>Saturday, October 18, 11AM–7PM</li><li>Sunday, October 19, 11AM–7PM (Post-game hours for Bears fans!) – Daily Tickets $20</li></ul>Multi-day tickets available For tickets, parking info and artist previews, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.gourmetexpos.com/" target="_blank">www.GourmetExpos.com</a> or contact <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:info@gourmetexpos.com" target="_blank">info@gourmetexpos.com</a> / 310-358-9097. Image: Val Fischer

A Boutique, Artist-Focused Art Fair Comes to the West Loop in October

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542037/vk8ryfgtvupyxejiopou.png"> By CGN Staff Gertie announced the return of the third annual Chicago Exhibition Weekend (CXW), set for September 19–21, 2025.&nbsp; Gertie and EarlyWork shared that they are thrilled to collaborate again, this time expanding the event through new partnerships with Independent Curators International, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, and the Chicago Art Book Fair. These new connections, alongside the organization's longtime relationship with EXPO Chicago and a strong network of galleries and institutions across the city, are shaping a weekend of ideas, routes, and reflections that aim to capture what it feels like to be in Chicago (and to care about art) right now. This year, CXW is grounding the experience with a central hub at 400 N. Peoria, where you’ll find public programs, the Art Book Fair, and a new anchor exhibition commissioned by CXW:Over My Head: Encounters with Conceptual Art in a Flyover City, 1984–2015, curated by Iris Colburn (MCA Chicago) and Gareth Thomas Kaye (independent curator). Whereas past Exhibition Weekends invited visitors to choose their own adventure, CXW 2025 offers more structure for deeper engagement—a way to trace stories between spaces and artworks and to see how they build on the legacy of Chicago’s past while pointing toward its creative future. Gertie says these changes are reflective of the fact that Chicago’s art ecosystem is evolving. More artists are staying. More collectors are looking here. More conversations are happening, and they want you in the room for them. The full CXW site at&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagoexhibitionweekend.com/" target="_blank">chicagoexhibitionweekend.com</a>&nbsp;will be launching soon with event details and information.

Third annual Chicago Exhibition Weekend (CXW) returns September 19–21, 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541895/b3nck4knl9v9f5i5lrtw.png"> Via PR The Chicago Architecture Biennial is pleased to announce the participants of its sixth edition, SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, which will be held from September 19, 2025, through February 28, 2026. Celebrating ten years as North America’s leading international platform for contemporary architecture, SHIFT will present groundbreaking exhibitions, installations, and programming at iconic sites across Chicago’s metropolitan area by over 100 visionary architects, designers, and creative practitioners from around the world. Aligned with the Biennial’s mission, all programming will be free and open to the public. “Chicago is known the world over as a hub of architecture and design and the 2025 Architecture Biennial will further enrich that legacy,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “We are proud to welcome this exceptional lineup that will showcase a depth of talents, innovations, and perspectives from all over the world. I encourage visitors from near and far to come see firsthand and take part in our renowned architectural landscape.” Since its founding in 2015, the Chicago Architecture Biennial has presented more than 400 projects representing over 40 countries, and has attracted more than two million visitors. As a global center for architectural innovation and the Biennial’s founding city, Chicago has long played a key role in shaping the conversation on design, urban development, and the future of cities. From Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to Bertrand Goldberg, John Moutoussamy, Natalie Griﬃn de Blois, and contemporary spatial thinkers such as Jeanne Gang and Amanda Williams, Chicago’s architectural community has long exerted an enormous influence on the field. This enduring legacy positions the city and the Biennial as a nexus of critical discourse and transformative design, where global voices converge to shape architecture’s future. “Throughout history, architecture has reflected the shifts in culture, ideals, and politics here in Chicago and around the world. As we experience unprecedented changes in our country, we continue to see the invaluable impact of bringing people together for these critical conversations through the arts,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “This year’s Biennial will welcome architects, visionaries, and creatives from around the world to our city to showcase their work, share their ideas, and inspire a new generation.” The Chicago Department of Cultural Aﬀairs and Special Events (DCASE) will once again serve as the Biennial’s oﬃcial Presenting Partner, and will host SHIFT’s opening program on September 19, 2025, at the Chicago Cultural Center. “This Biennial reminds the world that Chicago is where bold ideas take shape,” said DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth. “As a longtime supporter of the Biennial, I’m proud to help champion a platform that challenges, connects, and inspires. The Biennial continues to push the boundaries of how architecture and art help share community and culture." "In our commitment to Chicagoans and our international audience, we are thrilled to invite participants to not only bring their innovative ideas to our city, but to apply and execute those ideas as creative solutions to the world’s problems,” says Nora Daley, Co-Chair of the Biennial’s Board of Directors. “Now is an essential moment to continue this conversation because there is a lot we can learn from each other about the ways we can improve communities through design.” "The Chicago Architecture Biennial provides opportunities for architects, designers, and artists – from emerging to established – to experiment and demonstrate the potential and power of design and the built environment for diverse audiences,” says Sarah Herda, Co- Chair of the Biennial’s Board of Directors. “Our sixth edition participants continue this legacy by developing thoughtful and imaginative ways to advance architecture and inspire others to think about the designed environment in new ways.” Curated by Florencia Rodriguez – editor, writer, founding Principal of -NESS and PLOT, and Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago – SHIFT signals the opportunity and need to change direction, to think with others, and to set new grounds for the interpretation and design of our built environments. This edition explores how architecture engages with the profound cultural, social, and environmental transformations shaping our world today and explores the possibility of envisioning alternate paths forward. “Architecture is fundamentally about engaging with change—understanding it, responding to it, and proposing ways to improve the conditions we inhabit,” explains Rodriguez. “In that sense, architecture and design are inherently optimistic disciplines—not because they naively accept the status quo, but because they trust in the power of imagination and knowledge to shape more equitable, meaningful futures. We always have choices, and the decisions we make define what becomes possible tomorrow. As Artistic Director of the Chicago Architecture Biennial on its 10th anniversary, I hope to foster a critical platform where bold, imaginative ideas can surface and be shared with the public.” SHIFT will convene voices from around the world to present projects in a citywide constellation of exhibitions, films, podcasts, dialogues, print and digital publications, and other public events. Together, these programs address urgent questions shaping the spaces we inhabit, such as housing, ecology, and material innovation, to&nbsp;demonstrate architecture’s role in shaping our collective future. The confirmed participant list for SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change is as follows.11 x 17 (Denver, United States and Toronto, Canada)322A (Buenos Aires, Argentina)adamo-faiden (Buenos Aires, Argentina)Stan Allen (New York, United States)alsar-atelier (Bogotá, Colombia)APPARATA (London, United Kingdom)b+ (bplus.xyz) (Berlin, Germany)BairBalliet (Chicago and Los Angeles, United States)Balparda Brunel Oficina de Arquitectura (Rosario, Argentina)Balsa Crosetto Piazzi and Giorgis Ortiz (Córdoba, Argentina and Boston,United States)Besler &amp; Sons (Hopewell, United States)BETA oﬃce for architecture and the city (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)The Bittertang Farm (Bainbridge Island and Chicago, United States)Breathe Architecture (Melbourne, Australia)Bureau SLA and ZakenMaker (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)BURR (Madrid, Spain)C+ arquitectas (Madrid, Spain and London, United Kingdom)La Cabina de la Curiosidad (Quito, Ecuador)Jason Campbell / ellProjects (Chicago, United States)Care. (Zürich, Switzerland)Centro Cooperativista Uruguayo (Montevideo, Uruguay)Skarn Chaiyawat, Rina Shindo, and Witee Wisuthumporn (Tokyo, Japanand Bangkok, Thailand)Abigail Chang (New York, United States)CLUAA (Chicago, United States)Mariano Clusellas (Buenos Aires, Argentina)DAVIDSON RAFAILIDIS (Ontario, Canada and Columbus, United States)Juan Du (Hong Kong, China and Toronto, Canada)E2A / Piet Eckert und Wim Eckert Architekten (Zürich, SwitFirat Erdim (Des Moines, United States)Estudio Flume (São Paulo, Brazil)Estudio Planta (Buenos Aires, Argentina)EXTENTS (Ann Arbor, United States)FAR frohn&amp;rojas (Santiago, Chile; Berlin, Germany; and Los Angeles,United States)FORMA (Los Angeles and New York, United States)French 2D (Boston, United States)Ignacio Galán, David Gissen, Alessandro Orsini, and Nick Roseboro(New York, United States)Jacqueline Kiyomi Gork (Los Angeles, United States)Grandeza Studio (Sydney, Australia and Madrid, Spain)gru.a (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)gt2P (Santiago, Chile)Hardel Le Bihan Architectes (Paris, France)Christopher Hawthorne (New Haven, United States)HHF Architects (Basel, Switzerland)Stewart Hicks (Chicago, United States)Ibañez Kim (Los Angeles, United States)Johnston Marklee (Los Angeles, United States)Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA (Dhaka, Bangladesh)Dominic Kießling (Dresden, Germany)Tamara Kostianovsky (New York, United States)Kwong Von Glinow (Chicago, United States)LA DALLMAN (Somerville, United States)Laboratorio de Arquitectura and José Cubilla (Asunción, Paraguay)Laboratory of Intersectional Ecologies (Umeå, Sweden and Caracas,Venezuela)Lacol Cooperative Architecture (Barcelona, Spain)Sean Lally (Chicago, United States)LAMA.SP (São Paulo, Brazil and Stockholm, Sweden)LIGA, Space for Architecture (Mexico City, Mexico)Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) (Detroit and Los Angeles, UnitedStates)Lütjens Padmanabhan Architekt*innen (Zürich, Switzerland)MAIO (Barcelona, Spain)MASS Design Group (Kigali, Rwanda; Boston, Poughkeepsie, and SantaFe, United States)Max Nuñez Arquitectos (Santiago, Chile)Michael Maltzan Architecture (Los Angeles, United States)MOS and Tony Cokes (New York and Providence, United States)Ivan L. Munuera and TAKK (Barcelona, Spain and New York, UnitedStates)Natura Futura (Babahoyo, Ecuador)Nicolas Dorval-Bory Architectes (Paris, France)Objects of Common Interest (Athens, Greece and New York, UnitedStates)On Architecture (Santiago, Chile)Oshinowo Studio (Lagos, Nigeria)Cristóbal Palma (Santiago, Chile)Paradigma Ariadné (Budapest, Hungary)Parsons &amp; Charlesworth (Chicago, United States)Plan Común (Santiago, Chile and Paris, France)PRODUCTORA (Mexico City, Mexico)project:if (Cambridge, United States)R&amp;R STUDIOS (Miami, United States)RADDAR (São Paulo, Brazil)Sam Chermayeﬀ Oﬃce (Berlin, Germany and New York, United States)Sayler/Morris (Hudson, United States)Berndnaut Smilde (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)SO–IL (New York, United States)Space Popular (Vienna, Austria and Asturias, Spain)STOSS Landscape Urbanism + MPdL Studio with Mark Lamster (AnnArbor, Boston, Los Angeles, and Princeton, United States)Studio Jacob (Vienna, Austria)Studio Sean Canty (Boston, United States)Studio Urbane Strategien (Stuttgart, Germany)Sungjang (Chicago, United States)TEN (Zürich, Switzerland)Alfredo Thiermann with Pedro Correa, Ella Neumaier, and Xavier Nueno(Lausanne, Switzerland)UNA / UNLESS (Venice, Italy)URBANUS (Meng Yan) (Shenzhen, China)Urko Sánchez Architects (Nairobi, Kenya, and Madrid, Spain)Aura Venckunaite (Chicago, United States)WAI Architecture Think Tank (Ames, United States)Worofila (Dakar, Senegal)Oscar Zamora (Cambridge, United States) Working in collaboration with Rodriguez, SHIFT’s curatorial team includes Associate Co-Curators Igo Kommers Wender and Chana Haouzi, Assistant Curator Gabriela de Paula Weinert, and an editorial team led by Isabella Moretti and Santiago Bogani. A distinct graphic identity has been commissioned from Estudio Margem, a São Paulo based design studio led by Alexandre Lindenberg and João Pedro Nogueira, to visually articulate and support the curatorial theme of SHIFT. Major support for the Chicago Architecture Biennial is provided by the Chicago Department of Cultural Aﬀairs and Special Events, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Good Chaos, Zell Family Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the Polk Bros. Foundation.&nbsp; Additional funding is provided by Cari and Michael J. Sacks, Crown Family Philanthropies, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Anne L. Kaplan, Donna C. King Estate, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Mansueto Foundation, Susan and Bob Wislow, Illinois Arts Council, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Neisser Family Foundation, Segal Family Foundation and Scan Design Foundation, among others. Major support for the Chicago Architecture Biennial is provided by the Chicago Department of Cultural Aﬀairs and Special Events, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org Press Accreditation + Press KitOpportunity, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Good Chaos, Zell Family Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the Polk Bros. Foundation.&nbsp; Additional funding is provided by Cari and Michael J. Sacks, Crown Family Philanthropies, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Anne L. Kaplan, Donna C. King Estate, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Mansueto Foundation, Susan and Bob Wislow, Illinois Arts Council, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Neisser Family Foundation, Segal Family Foundation and Scan Design Foundation, among others. ABOUT THE CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIALThe Chicago Architecture Biennial convenes the world to explore innovative ideas and collectively imagine the future of design. The Biennial’s large-scale exhibitions, talks, performances, films, and other events, create opportunities to engage timely global issues through the lens of architecture and design, emphasizing creativity and community participation. Free and open to the public, the Chicago Architecture Biennial stands as North America’s largest international survey of contemporary architecture and design.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial Announces Participant List for Sixth Edition, SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542650/rzwyjr8mmdjcgtlxhexr.jpg"> Via PR GRAY announces the appointment of Valerie Carberry, President and Chief Executive Officer. Carberry, who has served alongside Paul Gray as a Partner since 2015, will steward the gallery as Gray assumes the role of Chairman. These appointments reflect GRAY’s continued commitment to the advancement of its program, and the cultivation of new relationships with artists, collectors, and institutions. As President and CEO, Carberry will provide visionary leadership across all aspects of the organization, guiding operations, the direction of GRAY’s program, forging new artist relationships, and cultivating institutional partnerships that support the gallery’s continued position as a leading platform for art of the 20th and 21st centuries. “This is a moment of profound continuity for GRAY as much as it also marks a new chapter. I acknowledge the trust placed in me to uphold enduring standards of excellence at GRAY, to serve the growing roster of exceptional artists we represent, and to work alongside the very best team of colleagues I could possibly hope for” stated Carberry. Paul Gray, who joined the business in 1982 and has been its leading director since 1996 will continue to foster the gallery’s mission in his role as Chairman, providing strategic&nbsp;leadership and governance, and reinforcing the gallery’s long-term vision and commitment to its clients and artist relationships. “I look to our future with pride, optimism and humility, and I am confident that our mission of serving artists, collectors and institutions is in excellent hands with Valerie” explained Gray. “As I review the growth of our programming, the artists represented and our extraordinary team of directors and associates in Chicago and New York, I realize that much of this is already due to Valerie’s leadership over the decade since she joined. Founded in 1963 by Richard Gray (1928-2018), the gallery has played a pioneering role in bringing major postwar and contemporary artists to Chicago, presenting figures like Alexander Calder, Willem De Kooning, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Jean Dubuffet, Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein and many others. Today, GRAY’s close artist and artist estate relationships include Alex Katz, McArthur Binion, Torkwase Dyson, Theaster Gates, David Hockney, Rashid Johnson, Judy Ledgerwood, Jaume Plensa, Leon Polk Smith, Evelyn Statsinger, and many more. GRAY is a globally recognized team of art professionals devoted to fostering the development of artists’ careers and to building outstanding art collections. For more than six decades GRAY has supported the visions of artists by bringing exhibitions and projects to audiences around the world, working with collectors and institutions to foster practices and preserve legacies. Founded in Chicago in 1963 as Richard Gray Gallery and since 1997 also in New York City, the gallery, now under the leadership of Paul Gray and Valerie Carberry, continues to be recognized for the exceptional quality of its program and for the expert counsel it provides to private and museum clients worldwide. Image: Valerie Carberry. Credit: Weston Wells.

Valerie Carberry Appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of GRAY Chicago and New York

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542428/xtiwyk0uawt9dxgym5ul.jpg"> In an email today EXPO CHICAGO announced that fair founder and Director Tony Karman will be stepping back. The full announcement is below. This leadership change comes after EXPO CHICAGO was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/expo-chicago-to-be-acquired-by-global-art-fair-platform-frieze" target="_blank">acquired by Frieze</a> in 2023. Then at the beginning of this month after the April fair wrapped up, it was announced that a new company founded by <a style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/ari-emanuels-new-company-buys-frieze-owner-of-expo-chicago" target="_blank">Ari Emanuel</a> would acquire Frieze. It's hard to say just how much Tony has contributed to Chicago's art fair legacy and to the many organizations he has championed and supported in visible and invisible ways over the years, including CGN. We are grateful for his vision, his leadership and most of all, his optimism. – Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Publisher After 14 remarkable years as a driving force behind the fair, Tony Karman will step back from his role as Director of EXPO CHICAGO at the end of June. He will continue as President of the fair, serving in an advisory capacity to support the team.&nbsp; Frieze will now begin the search for a new Fair Director, with Tony providing continuity and counsel during this transition.&nbsp;&nbsp; Simon Fox, CEO of Frieze, said: “I want to thank Tony for his dedication, professionalism, and energy at EXPO CHICAGO. I am delighted that this next chapter will ensure a seamless transition of leadership whilst retaining Tony’s tireless enthusiasm, positivity, and support for both the fair and the City of Chicago.”&nbsp; Reflecting on his time with the fair, Tony said: “When I founded EXPO CHICAGO in 2011, our ambition was to renew Chicago’s storied tradition as a preeminent art fair destination — to innovate, to establish enduring programming and partnerships that would benefit the local, regional, and global communities of galleries, collectors, curators, and institutions, and to consistently support our exhibitors and the artists they represent. I remain deeply proud of all that we accomplished, and of the distinct honor it has been to work alongside an extraordinary group of individuals, each of whom contributed meaningfully to this legacy.&nbsp;&nbsp; As I move into a new advisory role with EXPO CHICAGO, I want to acknowledge the deep commitment Frieze has made to both the fair and to Chicago’s wider cultural landscape. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting the team as they shape the future of the fair.”&nbsp; Tony’s leadership has played a defining role in shaping EXPO CHICAGO, driven by his dedication, and we look forward to building on the strong foundation he has built.&nbsp;

EXPO Founder Tony Karman to Step Down As Director

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748039035/s4bvypfb3gucinmlowvu.jpg"> Carved limestone Maya frieze, late classic period, 500-700 CE, 47" x 20"By CGN Staff via PR The&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/" target="_blank">National Museum of Mexican Art</a>&nbsp;(NMMA), announced that&nbsp;in collaboration with the Government of Mexico, it is facilitating the repatriation of a Mayan frieze to its place of origin in Mexico.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At a press conference on Friday, May 16. Anthropologist Diego Prieto Hernández, Director General of the&nbsp;National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a branch of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, accepted the artifact. Dr. Antonio Saborit, Director of the&nbsp;National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, was also present. The limestone frieze, measuring 47”x 21”x 4” and dating from between 500 - 900 CE, is from the Classic Period of Maya civilization in Mexico and depicts a figure wearing an elaborate mask and headdress with hands extended as if speaking. Originally, there were two figures facing one another. The artifact, which was held in a private collection, was displayed at the Brooklyn Museum in the 1960s and 1970s and then at the Art Institute of Chicago in the late 1980s. Jeanne and Joseph Sullivan acquired the piece in 1988, and in 2024, their family sought the National Museum of Mexican Art’s assistance in returning the sculpture to Mexico. This past February the NMMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with INAH to continue collaborating on projects and exhibitions that promote Mexico’s cultural patrimony. The NMMA Visual Arts Department worked with INAH to coordinate an orderly transfer of the Maya frieze.&nbsp;INAH has full normative and guiding power in the protection and conservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.&nbsp;This Mexican institution, founded in 1939, researches, preserves and disseminates the nation's archaeological, anthropological, historical, and paleontological heritage in order to strengthen the identity and memory of the society that holds it.&nbsp; Prieto emphasized that “through this act we wish to attest the significance for the Mexican Government to recover our archaeological and historical heritage, and in general the cultural patrimony of Mexicans that is improperly residing in other countries.” “Our mission compels us to advocate for practices that promote equity and acknowledge the significance of cultural heritage for communities worldwide,” said Cesáreo Moreno, Visual Arts Director for the NMMA. “By acknowledging the importance of cultural heritage to its originating communities, we promote a richer and more nuanced understanding of humanity.”&nbsp;“We are honored to collaborate on this repatriation mission with our colleagues at the National Institute of Anthropology and History and the National Museum of Anthropology. We encourage institutions that collect cultural objects to engage in open, respectful, and proactive dialogue with the communities and countries from which they originate.” Moreno said.&nbsp; # The National Museum of Mexican Art is one of the country’s most prominent Latino cultural organizations and the only nationally accredited museum dedicated to Mexican art and culture. Its Permanent Collection consists of more than 20,000 artworks. The museum has presented over 250 exhibitions, provides arts education to 52,000 students annually, and serves over 150,000 annual visitors from 60 countries. Admission is always free. For more information visit <a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=FfBUr_MZk6PLh28C8c1iGjWQc97R0RMsKa1_eFuKPGI&amp;m=oCf9FuXvJHOQUdgdj1q3lYaeMMv03rD1bNDgLujGeCM&amp;s=IgIcU2FTm5YMogCHsOKH3EytMpGjrc32VosKz6U7SKE&amp;e=" target="_blank">www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org</a>.&nbsp;

National Museum of Mexican Art Facilitates Repatriation of Mayan Frieze to Mexico

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038738/qlxfidsyu10s3edvrxea.jpg">The Zhou B Art Center By CGN Staff via PR More art fair news was announced recently, and a new fair will take place this fall in Chicago. Pigment International announced that the inaugural <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pigmentintl.com/pigmentedblackfineartfaire" target="_blank">Pigmented: Black Fine Art Faire</a> will take place October 31 – November 2, 2025, at the Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th Street in Bridgeport on Chicago's South Side. The four-day exhibition is being hailed as a cultural cornerstone that will anchor October's Black Fine Art Month (BFAM). The fair will feature national and international art programming, dynamic panels, youth showcase, and creative commerce, all designed to elevate Black artistry and ownership. Pigmented is still seeking and accepting applications for a limited number of gallery exhibition spaces. Faie Fine Art of Bronzeville was confirmed as the first exhibitor. Gallery registration is open through July 1, 2025. Designed by architect, artist, and designer Sharon Samuels, the fair will blend architectural elegance with visual storytelling, including: <ul><li>Artist Alley, a curated showcase of 10 independent artists</li><li>The DREAM Student Exhibition, highlighting emerging talent</li><li>Pigmented Store, offering limited-edition merchandise</li><li>Commemorative programming for the 80th Anniversary of the American Negro Exposition</li><li>A visual history of Chicago’s Black-owned galleries</li></ul> Renowned media personality Dometi Pongo will serve as host for the event’s public programs and conversations. Pigmented is honored to collaborate with a growing network of visionary partners and cultural institutions, including: Art Money, Blessman Family Foundation, BUFI, Chicago State University, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Diasporal Rhythms, DuSable Museum, Faie Fine Art, Flourish Foundation, GangGang Culture, ILA Creative, South Side Community Art Center, Vicki and Bruce Heyman, and 100 Black Men of Chicago. "This fair is more than an exhibition—it's a declaration of legacy, community, and cultural sovereignty," said Patricia Andrews-Keenan, Pigment International. "We invite patrons, benefactors, sponsors, and supporters to join us in making history." About Pigment International: Pigment International is a Black woman-led creative collective and media platform dedicated to amplifying Black contemporary art and culture. Through storytelling, exhibitions, and strategic collaborations, Pigment celebrates the artists and institutions shaping our visual legacy. More details will be shared <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pigmentintl.com/pigmentedblackfineartfaire" target="_blank">here</a>. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038739/eov34gt7lvvbttti1sct.png">

Pigmented: Black Fine Art Faire to take Place at Zhou B Center in October 2025

Via PR Celebrating Polaroid’s outsized impact on art and visual culture—and its historic encouragement of artistic experimentation—Rago, Wright, and LAMA will offer works from the institutional collection of the legendary camera maker, including a New York exhibition, major single-owner auction event, and curated thematic offerings.&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=46910bb4be&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec" target="_blank"><img width="564" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037350/tzyibt9o4pmmbtzswyd4.jpg"></a> Rago, Wright, and LAMA are proud to bring works from The Polaroid Collection to auction, recognizing the historic legacy of one of the most recognized names in the photographic discipline. This significant initiative will launch with a New York exhibition and the landmark May 29th auction&nbsp;Photographs from the Polaroid Collection, followed by further curated offerings to be announced. Highlights of the inaugural auction include works from David Hockney, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Sarah Moon, Richard Hamilton, Dawoud Bey, William Wegman, and Harold Edgerton, and are currently on view at Rago/Wright’s New York gallery through May 9th. &nbsp;<img width="564" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037351/v27bdebucghqrjigbdjp.jpg">David Hockney,&nbsp;Interior, Pembroke Studios London Beloved by popular audiences and embraced by a wide swath of artists, Polaroid technology revolutionized photography and was “the Apple of its day,” according to&nbsp;Smithsonian Magazine. Beginning in the 1940s, Polaroid inventor and founder Edwin Land invited notable artists to test the company's cameras and films by creating new works—directly supporting artistic experimentation and weaving artists into the evolution of photographic technology. Many of the works that resulted from this mutually beneficial arrangement became part of the Polaroid Collection. In 1949, Land invited Ansel Adams to help oversee the collection and Adams would remain involved for more than three decades.&nbsp; <img width="564" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037352/pcoz5dup2g0ulyzo6cb1.jpg">Ellen Carey,&nbsp;Pulls (CMY) Among the celebrated artists who collaborated with Polaroid and contributed to this collection were David Hockney, Robert Mapplethorpe, Chuck Close, Robert Rauschenberg, William Wegman, Marina Abramovic and Ulay, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, John Divola, Philippe Halsman, Ellen Carey, and many more. Highlights of Photographs from the Polaroid Collection include Hockney’s Polaroid Polacolor print&nbsp;Interior, Pembroke Studios, London&nbsp;(est. $40,000–60,000), Timothy Greenfield-Sanders 1990 Polaroid Polacolor portrait&nbsp;Jeff Koons&nbsp;(est. $15,000–20,000), Marina Abramovic and Ulay’s 1985&nbsp;Polaroid still: Modus viviendi&nbsp;(est. $20,000–30,000), and Sarah Moon’s 1997 pigment print (shot with Polaroid Type 669 Polacolor film)&nbsp;Stockings&nbsp;(est. $12,000–18,000), as well as works from Chuck Close, Lorna Simpson, Dawoud Bey, Robert Rauschenberg, and more. Many of these works are currently on view at Rago/Wright’s New York gallery, organized to coincide with the prestigious AIPAD Photography Show. <img width="564" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037353/jcxfm5opbdrvw97i9tnt.jpg">Dawoud Bey,&nbsp;Parris, Walida, and Mike: Phillips Academy students, Boston, MA&nbsp; Looking ahead, future offerings from The Polaroid Collection will delve into thematic groupings, including a focus on the work of Polaroid Collection steward Ansel Adams and a presentation of works from pioneering women photographers such as Barbara Kasten, Lorna Simpson, Sheila Metzner, and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons. Further curated selections will feature the experimental works of Doc Harold Edgerton, as well as an exploration of Los Angeles's influential role in the evolution of photography through the works of artists like John Divola and Robert Cumming.“The Polaroid Collection is truly remarkable for its breadth and scope,” says Meredith Hilferty, Rago/Wright Senior Specialist of Fine Art. “We are honored to present these works, which invite an exciting opportunity to reflect on the tandem evolutions of photographic technology, fine art, and visual culture.”&nbsp; Selections from the Polariod Collection&nbsp;will be exhibited at Rago/Wright’s New York gallery at 501 West 20th St from April 22nd to May 9th.&nbsp;Photographs from the Polaroid Collection&nbsp;is a live auction in Lambertville, New Jersey, beginning at 11 am eastern on Thursday, May 29th. The auction accommodates advanced bids, telephone bidding, and in person and live online bidding. For further information, please reach out to&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(32, 32, 32);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:press@wright20.com?subject=Press%20Inquiry%3A%20The%20Polaroid%20Collection" target="_blank">press@wright20.com</a> View Wright's Chicago auction house <a style="color: rgb(32, 32, 32);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/wright" target="_blank">details here</a> #

Rago, Wright, and LAMA to Offer The Polaroid Collection at Auction 

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038120/gi2vlipmbwyi99lzmdfr.jpg">Ed Ruscha, 2025 Art Auction Honoree. Photo: Greg Gorman. Via PR MCA Chicago and Sotheby’s to host Art Auction benefit honoring Ed Ruscha on June 6, 2025&nbsp; CHICAGO—The Museum of Contemporary Art and Sotheby’s are excited to announce&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=9dd8f43347&amp;e=95b957c616" target="_blank">the Art Auction 2025</a>, Chicago’s premier event celebrating art and artists, on June 6, 2025. This year, the auction boasts a selection of works from some of the most significant contemporary artists of our time, including Yoko Ono, Sarah Sze, Gary Simmons, Rashid Johnson, Nicole Eisenman, and Paul Pfeiffer. In addition to staging a live auction of more than 100 works of art, the 2025 Art Auction honors visionary artist Ed Ruscha for his lifetime of contributions to the art world. 2025 Honoree One of the most significant and inventive artists of our time,&nbsp;Ed Ruscha&nbsp;has built an extraordinary six-decade career that is as difficult to categorize as it is to contain. Featuring vernacular imagery that draws on popular media, language, and everyday matters of life, Ruscha’s body of work—which spans painting, drawing, photography, books, and film—reveals an artist whose influence exceeds any one genre or movement. Indeed, he is among that rare group of artists whose impact is felt at the level of art history and US visual culture more broadly. Bidding for the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=e781c3ba3d&amp;e=95b957c616" target="_blank">auction will officially open online</a>&nbsp;on May 19, 2025, with the in-person auction following at the MCA on June 6. All auction works will be on view in the second-floor&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=ce236e05b0&amp;e=95b957c616" target="_blank">Sylvia Neil and Daniel Fischel Galleries</a>&nbsp;on May 30 through June 6, 2025. The evening will begin at 6:30 pm with a cocktail reception, a viewing of available works, and a silent auction, followed by a seated dinner and a live auction led by Phyllis Kao, Vice President, Sotheby’s New York. Guests also have the option of bidding by phone. Proceeds from the auction support the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and its vision of championing revelatory art for all through exhibitions, educational programs, and live art events. The 2025 Art Auction will also honor Ed Ruscha and celebrate the MCA’s long history with the artist. The MCA holds numerous works by Ruscha in its permanent collection and has had the pleasure of witnessing Ruscha’s rise starting in 1988 with&nbsp;Ed Ruscha: Recent Paintings. This celebration of the artist coincides with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the major exhibition Ed Ruscha in 2000, which cemented his status as an important international figure in contemporary art. During his six-decade career, Ruscha has created work spanning painting, drawing, photography, books, and film, in a practice whose influence exceeds any one genre or movement. The MCA is deeply grateful that he is among the generous and storied artists who enliven our institution with their work for this auction. In 1968, the MCA’s first Art Auction was founded by a group of trustees to raise funds for the museum. The 2025 Art Auction is cochaired by board trustees Anita Blanchard, Ilan Shalit, and Joyce Yaung. Those wishing to attend can find&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=2fbe5f8a65&amp;e=95b957c616" target="_blank">more information online</a>, including table reservation and tier details. The event features cocktails and a preview of the art, followed by a seated dinner and live auction. Register to bid online with Sotheby’s at&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-2025-art-auction-hosted-by-sothebys" target="_blank">sothebys.com/mcaauction</a>. For more information about this event, please contact Morgan Turner, Fundraising Events Assistant, at&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:MTurner@mcachicago.org" target="_blank">MTurner@mcachicago.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="tel:+13123973862" target="_blank">312-397-3862</a>. <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://visit.mcachicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mca_artauction2025_digitalcatalog_20250425.pdf" target="_blank">View the 2025 Art Auction Digital Catalogue.</a>

MCA Chicago and Sotheby’s Honor Ed Ruscha at June 6 Benefit Auction 

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543139/ykivdoalfsdlxfn31ijx.jpg">Ari Emanuel. Photo: Paul Smith/Endeavor. Courtesy Frieze By CGN Staff Today, four days after Frieze-owned <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/" target="_blank">EXPO CHICAGO</a> wrapped up its latest fair, news broke that Ari Emanuel–the 64 year-old brother of Chicago's former Mayor Rahm Emanuel–is setting up a new, unnamed company to purchase Frieze. Endeavor, the company that has owned Frieze, said Thursday said that it had agreed to sell Frieze to a new events and experiences company founded by Emanuel and backed by a group of investors. Ari Emanuel shared in a statement, “Frieze has always been a source of inspiration for me — both professionally and personally,” Emanuel, who currently holds the title of executive chairman at WME Group, said in a statement. “Having worked with the team for nearly a decade, I’ve seen firsthand the strength of their community and the ambition driving their mission to expand the reach and understanding of contemporary art.” EXPO CHICAGO just ended its four day run this past Sunday, and Frieze's flagship event, Frieze New York, returns to The Shed next week on May 7. A spokesperson said that changes to the company’s structure will not impact Frieze's leadership team and Simon Fox will remain chief executive. The deal also includes Frieze’s magazine and its seven international fairs, including EXPO Chicago, the Armory Show in New York, Frieze Los Angeles and Frieze Seoul. As noted in the New York Times, "Given the downturn in the art market,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/arts/design/art-basel-ubs-art-market-report.html" target="_blank">which has experienced a 12 percent year-on-year decline</a>&nbsp;in global sales,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/07/the-road-to-the-sale-of-frieze-is-a-winding-one" target="_blank">some industry experts had worried</a>&nbsp;that Frieze’s sale to an outside buyer could have disastrous implications for the business. Some gallerists are now breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that Emanuel has a long history with Frieze; his company first purchased a stake in Frieze nine years ago before gaining full ownership in 2023."

Ari Emanuel's New Company Buys Frieze, Owner of EXPO CHICAGO

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038794/iqewwagzi357c7blvzt0.png"> By CGN Staff In one week Art Encounter will host <a style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artencounter.org/kaleidoscope-2025" target="_blank">Kaleidoscope 2025</a>, its annual art auction and benefit to support its programming. Tickets sales close this Friday, May 2. On Tuesday, May 6 from 6–9pm visitors are invited to LeTour Brasserie (restaurateur Amy Morton with James Beard Chef Debbie Gold), in Downtown Evanston to enjoy an evening of specialty cocktails, a French-Moroccan buffet, a silent art auction, and a raffle celebrating all in the name of helping to provide essential funding for Art Encounter's community programming. The event also honors CGN's founding publisher, Natalie van Straaten, and current publisher Ginny Van Alyea. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038795/vxjsjnuruyhuquj9wk1x.png">LeTour Brasserie in Downtown Evanston is the venue for Kaleidoscope 2025 This unforgettable evening of art, inspiration, and impact celebrates Art Encounter's mission to educate, inspire, and connect people of diverse ages and backgrounds through interactive encounters with visual art. Most importantly, Kaleidoscope raises critical funds to support our outreach programs that bring art education and engagement to under-resourced Chicagoland public schools, assisted living and senior centers, and social service agencies including those that serve individuals with disabilities. Kaleidoscope brings together a vibrant community of friends, artists, art enthusiasts, collectors, gallerists, and philanthropists from Chicago, Evanston, and beyond. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038795/dov97wsx3su55bllv3ch.jpg">Left: Natalie van Straaten; Right: Ginny Van Alyea This year Art Encounter will recognize and honor three champions of the Chicago and Evanston art communities while raising vital funds for Art Encounter.&nbsp;Art Impacts Honorees&nbsp;Natalie van Straaten and Ginny B. Van Alyea have shaped Chicago’s art scene through&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News&nbsp;(CGN) for nearly 45 years. Natalie founded CGN in 1982, creating a vital platform for galleries, collectors, and artists. Ginny, CGN’s publisher since 2007, has expanded its impact, amplifying artists' voices and fostering critical conversations. Their dedication makes them ideal&nbsp;Art Impacts&nbsp;Award&nbsp;recipients.&nbsp;Community Partner of the Year&nbsp;Andy Vick, Executive Director of Downtown Evanston, has been a steadfast supporter of public art initiatives, working tirelessly to enhance Evanston’s cultural landscape. Through his leadership, Downtown Evanston has championed Art Encounter’s community-driven public art initiatives and strengthened Evanston’s creative identity. Andy’s passion and dedication make him an outstanding recipient of this year’s&nbsp;Community Partner of the Year Award. Whether or not you'll be at Kaleidoscope in person, you can help support Art Encounter by entering to win one of three prize packages celebrating outstanding local businesses from Art Encounter's hometown by purchasing raffle tickets to win the following prizes: •&nbsp;Cocktails &amp; Concert at&nbsp;Evanston Space•&nbsp;Dinner Date at&nbsp;LeTour Brasserie•&nbsp;Curated Wine Basket from&nbsp;The Wine Goddess <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038796/xnsnuuhw57llv3jsetmm.png">From left: work by Jordan Nickel, Sandro Miller, and&nbsp;Rubén Aguirre All bidding for Art Encounter's art auction will take place in person at the event, but if you see something you love, you can&nbsp;purchase it now at the buy-it-now price! Online purchasing closes Friday, May 2. Check out AE's website to see 25 works by talented, notable area artists. Kaleidoscope will provide essential funding for Art Encounter's work throughout the greater Chicago area, which includes&nbsp;educational outreach programs for schools, senior homes, and social service agencies; art discussion programs for the public in artist studios and exhibition spaces; and a local mural program that makes art accessible to everyone in our community. These programs include: <ul><li>School Programs&nbsp;providing artist-led workshops, hands-on learning, and field trips to Chicago’s outstanding museums to over 1,500 students annually in under-resourced public schools. These initiatives–including our signature 10-week&nbsp;ARTiculations&nbsp;residency, after-school programs, and more–foster creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression while complementing and supporting classroom curriculum for young learners who may not otherwise have access to arts education.</li><li>Senior &amp; Special Audience Programs&nbsp;providing creativity and connection to seniors, adults with disabilities, and other groups through interactive art discussions, hands-on projects, and more. Engaging with art has been shown to combat isolation, promote cognitive stimulation, and bring joy to participants.</li><li>Evanston Mural Arts Program (EMAP)&nbsp;transforming public spaces into vibrant community landmarks, engaging local artists and residents to create meaningful, visually-inspiring works of public art that celebrate Evanston’s diversity and creativity.</li></ul> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038797/onw3ubvujs5xzroo0zd6.png"> Kaleidoscope helps to support and sustain Art Encounter's community mural initiative, educational programs in public schools, local art tours, and more. &nbsp;In the past year alone, Art Encounter has impacted thousands of individuals, including: • 880 CPS students through our&nbsp;ARTiculations&nbsp;residency program• 250 Evanston students from Title 1 schools through free programs for after-school groups• 110 senior citizens through our program&nbsp;Making for Memory• 55 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through our program&nbsp;Art for All• 430 art-lovers and lifelong-learners through our educational art tours and travel programs• The entire Evanston community through the Evanston Mural Arts Program * Art Encounter's mission is to educate, inspire, and connect people of diverse ages and backgrounds through interactive encounters with visual art. AE believes that there are many ways to see, and that art can be a powerful vehicle to better understand ourselves and the world around us. Founded in 1978, Art Encounter is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering creativity and connection through close, meaningful engagement with visual art. Art Encounter serves thousands of individuals annually, ensuring that art remains an accessible, engaging, and transformative experience for all through three pillars of programming: free, educational Outreach Programs making art accessible for underserved youth, adults, and seniors; unique Public Programs for art enthusiasts, from local art tours to international art travel; and Art Encounter's widely-respected Evanston Mural Arts Program, which has energized Evanston with transformative public art. <h4>For tickets and more information, please visit: <a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.artencounter.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a><a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.artencounter.org/kaleidoscope-2025" target="_blank">www.artencounter.org/kaleidoscope-2025</a></h4> * KALEIDOSCOPE 2025 ART AUCTION <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d938445b34ae0432cbf030c/t/68090a0ad3c25a4fcc24231e/1745422862141/Art+Auction+Descriptions.pdf" target="_blank">CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS</a> Dan AddingtonRubén AguirreTodd AndersonRené H. ArceoWilliam CongerClark EllithorpeDustin HarrisJames McNeill MespléSandro MillerBob MagrissoScott MossmanJordan NickelRaúl OrtizRaul Ortiz BonillaSarah PackerJoanna PinskyDon PollackNancy RosenKaren RossMax SansingAdam SiegelJay StrommenJoseph TaylorAnnie TrincotMolly Z.