<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1764906395/d6rch3f72ee3rug7rszh.jpg">Ten years of CGN Arts Guides. Artists from left: Carlos Rolon, Scott Reeder, Judy Ledgerwood, Bethany Collins, Tony Tasset, Andrew Holmquist, Amanda Williams, Christina Ramberg, Jonathan Higgins, Diego Marcon In 2018, when we published our second edition of the Arts Guide, we evolved our founding name, Chicago Gallery News, to the more inclusive CGN. This was partly to indicate that we not only include arts programming and events in galleries in our coverage but we also highlight museums, auction houses, studios, sculpture gardens and other places where art exists. It was also time to signal that our reach extends beyond Chicago’s city limits. The name CGN represents an evolution of key aspects of the publication while keeping our supportive mission very much the same. CGN has been around for over 43 years. This is the 10th edition of the annual Arts Guide, which we launched in 2017 as a replacement for our winter magazine. Celebrating milestones is also bittersweet. Some spaces listed&nbsp;in 2017 have closed their doors, but many more are still here, while others have opened and showcase new gallery and institutional models to promote the artists they champion and engage their communities. The staying power of CGN’s Arts Guide has become an important visual and physical representation of the art, creativity and culture that happens each year in Chicago’s neighborhoods, its suburbs and throughout the near-Midwest.&nbsp; * Continuing in print is part of CGN’s commitment to being a contemporary resource as well as a repository of decades’ worth of names and places recorded for history. Paging through past issues, you can look up who was open when and in which part of town, or point to which artists showed where, and what art fairs came and went. Future arts researchers can will trace institutional and gallery changes in the context of the local art scene at a particular moment–when Young Hoffman parted ways to become Donald Young and Rhona Hoffman; when the 1987 market crash shuttered many doors, and when the 1989 River North fire jumbled addresses and new districts were established. These ten editions of the Arts Guide complement our other, more editorial magazines. They stack up–annual volumes of art in the Midwest.&nbsp; Each year I am proud of what we produce in CGN. There is tremendous history and innovation in Chicago to draw from and an exciting next generation to engage with and support. Thank you for your support of CGN, and of the art community! Subscribe to the 2026 Arts Guide and to CGN all year long <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. &nbsp;– Ginny Van Alyea

Publisher's Letter: The CGN Arts Guide Turns Ten

<h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wbez.org/museums/2025/12/02/dusable-black-history-museum-chicago-director-kim-dulaney-whistleblower-lawsuit-perri-irmer" target="_blank">DuSable Black History Museum, CEO misused public funds, whistleblower alleges</a></h3> An ex-employee of the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center has filed a lawsuit against the institution and its president and CEO, Perri Irmer, alleging misuse of public funds, harassment and retaliation. The lawsuit is the latest in an ongoing whistleblower campaign by Kim Dulaney, a retired Chicago State University professor who joined the South Side museum in 2021 as director of education and programs. She later became the vice president of the same department. Via WBEZ <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/louvre-leak-strike-2725275" target="_blank">Louvre Workers Announce Strike After Water Leak Drenches Egyptian Archives</a></h3> Last month, a water pipe at the Musée de Louvre rained unexpectedly on scores of archival documents relating to Egyptian history. The Parisian museum’s latest misfortune has marked a breaking point. Today, employees announced their plans to strike. Via Artnet <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/arts/design/frank-gehry-buildings-photos.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7U8.Klvq.PlbVeHekki-B&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">Frank Gehry: 12 Essential, Stunning Projects</a></h3> The most celebrated architect of his age, a wry, pugnacious, singular genius, Frank Gehry, who&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/arts/design/frank-gehry-dead.html" target="_blank">died Friday at 96</a>, redefined American architecture and became so famous that he was even a character on “The Simpsons.” In Bilbao and Berlin, New York and, especially, Los Angeles — where the Canadian-born Gehry settled and became inseparable from the city — he left behind playful, polarizing, materially and technologically stunning buildings.&nbsp; Via NYT Image: Frank Bienewald/LightRocket, via Getty Images <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/martin-parr-dead-photographer-magnum-1234765602/" target="_blank">Martin Parr, Photographer of Tourists with a Wry Sense of Humor, Dies at 73</a></h3> <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(229, 75, 39);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/t/martin-parr/" target="_blank">Martin Parr</a>, a photographer known for pictures of tourists that were both genuinely curious explorations of their lifestyle and wry indictments of it, has died on December 6 at his home in Bristol, England. His death, at age 73, was announced on Sunday by the namesake foundation that he founded in Bristol in 2017. Via ARTnews

What We're Reading: 12/9/25

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1765255901/jjhbatvicsygw0eytp1o.jpg"> By CGN Staff This season, we’re highlighting some of our favorite places to find artful, meaningful gifts — all while supporting Chicago’s independent galleries and cultural institutions. Part 2 here focuses on museum stores and markets offering unique objects, books, prints, memberships and curiosities. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/2025-cgn-holiday-gift-guide-part-1-museum-stores-markets" target="_blank">Part 1</a> spotlights museum stores and area markets. These sources offer gifts and works of art for even the toughest gift recipients on your list and buying art or shopping at local institutions also supports artists and other members of the cultural community. Of course it's wonderful to enjoy and buy art any time of year, not just during the holidays! You can also purchase a copy of CGN"s new 2026 Arts Guide or share an annual <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/products/cgn-gift-card" target="_blank">gift subscription</a> with someone! *<h2> </h2><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1765255902/yl9xfkyvfu2mxaxhp0ez.jpg"> <h2>McCormick Gallery</h2> McCormick gallery hosts its Annual Holiday Sale with 50 works and terrific discounts, up to 50% through December 19 Pictured above is a work by Roy Lichtenstein&nbsp;(1923-1997), As I Opened Fire...color offset lithograph on heavy wove paper, 1966. Full price is $6,000. Sale Price $4,000. You can visit the gallery's website for the complete list of available deals and pricing. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thomasmccormick.com/exhibitions/164" target="_blank">Shop here</a> <h2><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1765255903/vsrjpgpiknkhkc2bfwcw.jpg"></h2> <h2>Kim Storage Gallery</h2> Kim Storage in Milwaukee's Third Ward is hosting a holiday sale and exhibition through December 20. Pictured above is a piece by Hector Acuna,&nbsp;12/30, Egg tempera on panel, 5 x 4”, $200. You can visit the gallery's website for the complete list of available deals and pricing. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://kimstoragegallery.com/show/kim-storage-gallery-the-holiday-gift-guide-2025" target="_blank">Shop here</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1765255905/fxaizmnwdmaopnvxldu9.jpg">Bunnie Reiss, Flower Magic, $450 <h2>Joy Machine </h2> This gallery's name makes it a happy place to find an artful gift. it's not too late to stop by&nbsp;General Strike, their inaugural matchbox show, up through December 20!&nbsp;If you're looking for a special gift this holiday season, the gallery has several&nbsp;works under $500 to make a certain recipient extremely excited. Scroll down to see the collection. And don't forget, they also have a selection of&nbsp;phenomenal silkscreen prints&nbsp;available in conjunction with The Jaunt.&nbsp;&nbsp; <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joymachine.art/" target="_blank">Shop here</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1765255905/xohueyjuujgulrm3osng.jpg"> <h2>Oliva Gallery </h2> The Logan Square gallery's Timeless Bodies Holiday Gift Party is set for Friday, Dec 19, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Timeless Bodies&nbsp;interprets the human form through sculptural realism and abstraction. Throughout history, the human form has been symbolized as a container of life, emotion, and spirit, reflecting both fragility and resilience. How does the body hold and convey our stories, memories, or cultural history? Artists were encouraged to celebrate the interplay of form and storytelling in clay. <a style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/timeless-bodies-holiday-gift-party" target="_blank">Details</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1765255906/vpjkqe3l4wi5570sbkrp.jpg"> <h2>The Grove Gallery </h2> This gallery in Evanston just celebrated their first anniversary and is celebrating with a Small Works Holiday Show thru Dec 22 Celebrate the holidays by shopping for unique, affordable, small works of art handmade by local artists.&nbsp;This curated selection of paintings, drawings and prints range from abstraction, Impressionist landscapes, interiors and figurative work. Made to fit any budget.&nbsp;The gallery is collaborating with Evanston Made, a local arts nonprofit which celebrates community.&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/small-works-holiday-show" target="_blank">Details</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1765255907/rvq7f12yqccebc1vlaeq.png"> <h2>Woman Made Gallery</h2> Woman Made Gallery's (WMG) 2025&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(45, 79, 101);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://womanmade.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=77610ec6940e4a7c0d652a863&amp;id=859054d66c&amp;e=a3993dd90f" target="_blank">Small Works Members Show</a> is an annual exhibition celebrating the creativity and achievements of WMG’s vibrant community of artists. Curated by&nbsp;Astrid Houzé&nbsp;de l’Aulnoit&nbsp;and&nbsp;Mary King, this year’s exhibition features an exceptional selection of small-scale works by&nbsp;107 member artists. Artworks measure under 20 inches, showcasing the power of intimate expression across diverse mediums—including painting, sculpture, mixed media, printmaking, fiber, and photography. All works are priced at&nbsp;$400 or less, offering an ideal opportunity for art lovers and new collectors to acquire original pieces from local and regional artists. Closing Reception: December 20, 2025 | 2–4 p.m.&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/small-works-members-show" target="_blank">Details</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1765255908/i6c58hvkboapfhlyidmi.png"> <h2>Evanston Art Center</h2> EAC's 23rd Annual Winter Arts &amp; Crafts Expo is on through Dec 20. The&nbsp;Winter Arts &amp; Crafts Expo&nbsp;includes original, handmade works of jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal, glass, painting, photography, mixed media, and more. All proceeds from the Expo will benefit the ongoing exhibition, education, and outreach programs at the Art Center. The Winter Expo is also the perfect opportunity for families to shop for everyone on their holiday gift list. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/23rd-annual-winter-arts-crafts-expo" target="_blank">Details</a>

2025 CGN Holiday Gift Guide, Part 2: Galleries

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1766002069/rvtemprd9p8nhtyoe4wt.jpg">Sabina Ott, “the weight of air”, 2016. Polystyrene, plastic, cloth, canvas, mirror, gauche, and spray enamel, 24 x 20 x 3 inches. Collection of Vincent Uribe. © Estate of Sabina Ott. Image courtesy of Jeroen Nelemans. By JEFFERSON GODARD How many artists have their first solo show at a museum (Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 1983) just one year after finishing college and then go on to have an almost forty-year career all while influencing so many others in the process? Sabina Ott is the culprit here, and she is currently being celebrated at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in all this and not ordinary, the first solo presentation of her work since she left our material world in 2018. Sabina Ott was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles. Her first works were large figurative oil paintings that depicted natural settings with theoretical and poetic references. Some of these early works would become part of institutional collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Los Angeles County Museum of Art amongst many others. As her career progressed, Ott moved beyond painting to create installations, videos, screen prints, and sculptural works. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1766002070/pxoplims4aoki5gjfowh.jpg">Installation view of Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 2025. Photo by Mariah Monedah, courtesy of MMoCA.&nbsp; Throughout her career, Sabina was never one to focus on one material alone and often pivoted between media that included oil, acrylic, ink, video, encaustic, and polystyrene. all this and not ordinary focuses on polystyrene-based works that she first began showing at The Great Poor Farm Experiment I (2009) at Michelle Grabner’s The Poor Farm, an experimental residency and exhibition space in Manawa, Wisconsin. In polystyrene, she loved the malleable and lightweight properties as well as the ability to layer on it. Often, she would layer canvas, spray foam, and mirror, but she also layered meaning. In this regard, Sabina often turned to poetry and specifically Gertrude Stein for inspiration. In fact, all of this and not ordinary is also a line from Stein’s poem A Carafe, that is a Blind Glass. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1766002070/igagkua0pea9gjqj49fb.jpg">Installation view of Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 2025. Photo by Mariah Monedah, courtesy of MMoCA.&nbsp; all this and not ordinary focuses on works that were created in the last eight years of her life and includes printed excerpts from Gertrude Stein poems on the walls. These decisions were prompted both by the influence of Stein in her work but also echo Sabina’s own teaching practice. Sabina was a mentor to so many students at the institutions such as Columbia College Chicago, Washington University, San Francisco Art Institute, ArtCenter College of Design, California State University, and the Melbourne Royal Institute of Technology in Australia. Sabina not only charted a storied artistic and academic career that had international reverberations, but she left her most lasting mark on Chicago, the city that she called home for the last 13 years of her life. Mentoring students at Columbia College, where she served for over a decade, she wanted to do more for her community. In 2011, Sabina founded Terrain Exhibitions, an experimental exhibition space that ran out of her Oak Part home and hosted some ambitious artworks from acclaimed artists. One of the first iterations of the now storied Graft series from Edra Soto enveloped Sabina's porch, a sculptural painting installation from Michelle Wasson’s Red, Yellow, Blue began on top of the roof slowly dripping and landing on the front lawn, a 10-foot pink unicorn horn, Struck, was supplanted on the front yard by Iris Bernblum, and Cauleen Smith’s banner extolling Gwendolyn Brooks’ Conduct your Blooming, that now resides in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, all had their first showing at Terrain. Artist Tom Burtonwood continued Terrain after Sabina’s passing, and the Terrain Biennial still maintains an international presence today. Aside from his steadfast support of Terrain, I must also make mention that if not for the efforts of Tom and his collaborator Holly Holmes, many of the works included in this exhibition would not have been available to us. Thank you both for all of the hard work that you continue to do to cement Sabina’s legacy. # all this and not ordinary continues at the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mmoca.org/events/sabinaott/" target="_blank">Madison Museum of Contemporary Art</a> through February 15, 2026, and will have an opening celebration on December 12th, 2025, from 6:00-9:00 pm, with a gallery talk by Chicago-based artist Michelle Wasson on December13th at 1:00. Please consult the museum’s website for more details. Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary&nbsp;is organized by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and co-curated by Paul Baker Prindle, MFA and Jefferson Godard, M.Arch. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1766002071/ymr8rjjbau6hxaknjmk8.jpg">Installation view of Sabina Ott: all this and not ordinary, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 2025. Photo by Mariah Monedah, courtesy of MMoCA.&nbsp;

An Exhibition in Madison Shows Artist Sabina Ott is Not Forgotten

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1764777128/lidy2ijlo2emvn3jyyyc.jpg">Mike Rea, The Woods are Lovely Deep and Dank, I have Miles to Go and Bongs to Rip Before I Sleep (detail) By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE Photos by Bertran Productions Learning that Chicago native Mike Rea, now teaching at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, was presenting a monumental solo show in Philadelphia necessitated a pilgrimage. Having followed his wild creative process for two years, seeing the culmination of three years of studio magic in “Mature Works” at Bertrand Productions was an unmissable event. It was a worthwhile trek. Words struggle to do the show's brilliance justice, but I will attempt to capture its essence by focusing on several standout pieces. In Rea's world, nothing is unintentional. The long, convoluted titles—nods to famous poems, novels, song lyrics, etc.—serve as a key entry point, leaving a delicious trail of breadcrumbs that hint at the intricate layers of meaning within each piece if you're willing to follow the path; indeed, a whole review could be written about the titles themselves. Ultimately, the exhibition functions as a form of personal storytelling, with a few pieces serving as subtle self-portraits offering viewers a glimpse into Rea’s very being. His defining characteristic, above the rich symbolism and historical allusions, is an absolute mastery of craft; he&nbsp;meticulously executes every detail with zero compromise, elevating the work through sheer technical precision.&nbsp; Tucked away in a former textile factory in the artsy Fishtown neighborhood, Bertrand Productions uses its raw architectural character—lofty ceilings and concrete floors—as a perfect backdrop for Rea’s show. This&nbsp;spacious, industrial-style&nbsp;venue, run by Joseph Leroux and his wife, Stacey Lee Webber, provides the necessary room for Rea’s sizable, grandiose, and mesmerizing pieces to breathe and command attention.&nbsp; Step inside, and you're immediately face-to-face with two towering, commanding sculptures. Their striking height and vibrant colors pop with the same larger-than-life energy as Rea himself, perfectly setting the stage for his signature, attention-grabbing style. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1764777129/okqerakovontutsghlnb.jpg">Mike Rea, High Tuffness Rea’s prior works have mostly been natural wood sculptures, making this intense color addition a new and surprising direction. For several standout pieces, he fully embraces “vivid veneers and garish paint finishes,” resulting in high-saturation, high-gloss surfaces with a brilliant, synthetic shine. The glass-like vibrancy is a "sugary spectacle," reminding me of glossy old-school candies like Skittles and Jolly Ranchers. This exciting shift bridges his established style with a fresh aesthetic, likely resonating with longtime admirers. While purists might find the color overshadows the wood's subtlety, within the current context, the color seems exactly apropos. First up, Rea delivers a witty, 'Giacometti-esque' punch with his emaciated figure, titled The Woods are Lovely, Deep, and Dank; I Have Miles to go and Bongs to Rip&nbsp;Before I Sleep. The 85” tall sculpture consists of approximately 46 carved, vivid bongs, with cannabis in the bowls (the piece is made of poplar and pine coated in shiny paints, dye, and polyurethane). Fondly known as the 'Walking Bong Man,' this figure might be interpreted as a lighthearted self-portrait referencing one of Rea’s favorite pastimes—what he refers to as a way of 'rounding the corners of the day.' This inspired work elevates mundane objects and countercultural themes, leveraging the visual language of a revered master in an unexpected way. While some viewers might miss the artistic and cultural commentary, the work successfully integrates pop culture with high art in an engaging way. Now, meet the legend: High Tuffness, a 16" x 16" x 27” dog sculpture also made entirely of bongs. This smaller companion piece is Rea's&nbsp;heartfelt—and aptly hazy—tribute to his most loyal canine companion, Doctor Tuffy. Mounted on a platform and accented with a wooden lighter, this cheeky sculpture perfectly encapsulates their inseparable bond. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1764777130/yqlzpvrhg7adpclqxu61.jpg">Mike Rea, Everything Needs Something Holy Ghost Oxford Commas (A Simple Heart) Arguably the show's most intricate and deeply personal work is Everything Needs Something Holy Ghost Oxford Commas (A Simple Heart). Reaching an impressive 10 feet, 1 inch in height (32” x 23” at the base), this tantalizing sculpture alludes to a bold and unapologetic intimate experience. Its foundation is rooted in Rea's own anatomy, with the base created from four vivid blue replicas of his left leg that he cast himself, each detailed with a subtly sexy fishnet imprint. These 'legs' support a structure that evokes a BDSM or restraint-focused apparatus; a wooden vibrator sits centered atop the bench. The sculpture pulses with layered symbolism. While the tennis rackets are personal symbols of Rea's hobby, they could just as easily be interpreted as paddles. At the top sits an exotic parrot, wings spread, seemingly captured in a moment of intense excitement or pure ecstasy. The sculpture operates on multiple levels of intent; Rea notes the piece is “bound together aesthetically and literally structurally,” making it a compelling—and visually potent—focal point within the exhibition. The work is an audacious, unblinking piece that compels a reaction from every viewer. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1764777131/pomd6muhvzmt8kfpsxcs.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1764777132/vhqsyzfhxo9vl4cwnyrd.jpg">Mike Rea, Goal, Is É Sin an Saol (detail) Finally, Goal, Is É Sin an Saol stands out as an elegant, mysterious replica of Ned Kelly's iconic suit of armor, meticulously crafted by Rea from pine, steel, birch, and other materials. The title, Irish Gaelic for "Such is life," creates a poignant link between the artist's own heritage and the fatalistic phrase widely attributed to the Australian bushranger just before his 1880 execution. The sculpture invites interaction: viewers who peek inside the armor will discover words carved into its interior—perhaps Rea's private thoughts, perhaps other Gaelic phrases. This piece follows a historical practice of embedding messages in art, resulting in yet another deeply personal work by Rea that might serve as a meditation on both protection and vulnerability. The entire body of work pulses with life, demanding reflection and drawing on the artist’s authenticity and his eclectic library of influences. That potent energy lingered with me throughout my Philadelphia visit, right up to the final chaotic hours of my stay. A 1:30 AM fire alarm at the historic Penn View Hotel prompted a frantic evacuation; disoriented guests spilled onto the street in various stages of undress, creating a scene of unexpected commotion that, in its own unique way, mirrored the kinetic intensity of Rea’s dynamic exhibition. Both the show and the incident were intense and undeniably "lit." "Mature Works" successfully highlighted Rea's confident mastery just shy of his 50th birthday, bringing a powerful exhibition to Bertrand Productions and Philly. If you have an opportunity to see any of these pieces in the future, seize it: Just do it! Mike Rea earned a B.S., Education, Northern Illinois University; an M.A., Sculpture, University of Wisconsin-Madison; and an M.F.A., Sculpture, University of Wisconsin Madison. He lives and works in DeKalb, IL.&nbsp; Bertrand Productions4500 Worth StreetPhiladelphia, PA&nbsp; “Mature Works,” by Mike Rea ran from September 20 – November 7th, 2025.&nbsp;

Roadtrip to Philadephia: A Visit to See Mike Rea's "Mature Works"

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147466/fhzfubhh1y6zxixw76qh.jpg">Esmé's light fixtures already resemble blank canvases. Photos by CGN. By GINNY VAN ALYEA On a warm Chicago evening earlier this fall, stepping into a Lincoln Park restaurant felt more like crossing the threshold of a gallery than a restaurant. Most of my days as&nbsp;publisher of CGN are spent in proximity to art, and I do eat at restaurants, but I can’t say I’ve had a meal or art experience quite like the one I had at Esmé. That is the point. From its earliest days, Esmé has set out to merge food, art, and philanthropy in an ambitious experiment. Now, with an Apple TV+ docuseries running and Michelin inspectors circling once again, the restaurant finds itself back in the spotlight. I had heard about Esmé since it was awarded a Michelin star in 2022, less than year after it opened in 2021. Esmé is the culinary artistic-collaboration of husband-and-wife duo Chef Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo, who opened the restaurant as both a fine-dining destination and a mission-driven project. Their vision was that a restaurant could be more than an elevated place to eat — it could also be a civic space, an art gallery, and a philanthropic engine all at once. Esmé’s tasting menus change with each artist-in-residence collaboration, transforming both the dishes and the dining room into a temporary exhibition. Previous artist collaborations have been with Emmy Star Brown, Raspy Rivera, and Meghan Borah, and others. Proceeds from these seasons often benefit local nonprofits, creating a direct tie between indulgence and community impact. The current collaboration features Chicago-born, L.A. artist Lefty Out There (Franco Campanella), known for his looping, interlocking “polymorph” motifs. His work, which began in graffiti and street art, now spans textiles, sculpture, and digital installations — a rhythmic visual language that feels both infinite and playful. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147466/cpmjb50gkzxmyhutytnq.jpg">The surprise amuse: Meringue - Tomato, Peanut, and Osetra Caviar. At Esmé, Lefty’s work is hung salon-style on the wall when you first enter the space. While I waited for my dinner date to arrive, I was greeted by Chris, who offered a sparkling wine with fall-appropriate cherry incorporated – a bright, pink palate preparation to enjoy while I had a chance to look around the space, first at Lefty's art, including a projection piece, then at the professional staff moving quietly and efficiently among the tables and back and forth to the open kitchen. In the dining room large, white fixtures – flat panels suspended from the ceiling that resemble canvases – act as blank spaces that reflect light back onto where the art really was, on the tables and plates.&nbsp; Once my friend arrived we were presented with what we thought was a mutually favorite hors d’oeuvre: deviled eggs. In fact this was just the first surprise of the night, as it was not an egg, but a tomato meringue with caviar, peanut and delicate, edible flowers. There were two, placed atop a thick, gilded picture frame.&nbsp;The presentation of this first bite made the art-links of Esme’s menu apparent, but once we were seated at our table the unique collaboration with Lefty Out There was unmistakable. The current tasting menu–which began in August and it set to continue until March 1, 2026–is inspired by Lefty’s hallmark polymorphic shapes.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147467/ganuvecjknigracwfq56.jpg">A custom designed tray built from wood and moss serves Tuna — peach jam, otoro, sake sabayon, and tuna bone marrow, Uni — nori, sunchoke purée, fried kelp, and kelp oil, and Foie — whipped foie with hoja santa, cherry, nasturtium, and a butterfly tuile — a reflection of the land above. There is color, detail, intricacy in each dish, with many being served on custom made dishware and plates. A custom sculpture Hassun Tray built by Lefty from layered wood and moss draws on Lefty’s experience using LiDAR digital mapping and references contours that mirror map elevations and topography. As you eat each introductory bite you move through nature, from sea (tuna, also nori, kelp) onto land (whipped foie, cherry, nasturtium). The art presented in the tray’s design remains after each bite is gone.&nbsp; A two-bite course of smoked grapes, latticed over king crab-filling, is topped with fennel and presented atop a 3-D printed copper-hued dome that resembled a brain, though not in an unappetizing way. The serving piece looked like it would be heavy, made of metal, but it’s very light. The dish was the same, it looked heavy but was in fact delicate.&nbsp; Colors. Detail. Intricacy. Lefty’s art lends itself to repetition –&nbsp;certain shapes and curves are like disciplined doodles. You can’t quite always identify an exact pattern but you can pick out the shapes. The artist has broad experience in multiple mediums, from 3D printing and murals to fiber and painting. At Esmé you see Lefty’s presence everywhere.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147468/biyjuk4farsik5dqdota.jpg"> Lefty's designs in clay. A dish of squab, foie, plum, tamarind, celery root and nihari. Photo by Sara Wright. For a dish of squab with plum, the vibrant tamarind sauce that accompanied it was baked in celery root inside of a clay vessel featuring Lefty’s squiggle designs. Our server used a special hammer to break open the clay and reveal the sauce. Next we had Wagyu beef, beet mole and charred lettuce, accompanied by an unusual, Italian-style wine from Mexico. Other dishes we had didn’t directly draw from Lefty’s art but still incorporated the creativity of local artists. One of the restaurant’s signature dishes of caviar and ice cream, with white chocolate and some sort of savory pepper paste, was served in a custom designed, ostrich-sized ceramic egg, chilled to best present and preserve the coolness of the ice cream.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147469/g4qvvs1bmu633bjfkt09.jpg">Shareable ice cream and caviar mid-meal. Mother of pearl — peanut miso, celery hot sauce, sweet potato ice cream, white chocolate, osetra caviar. Desert was part art heist, part treat, all surprise: cake was concealed beneath printed rice paper made to resemble a painting on canvas, framed in gold. To get to the sweet cake, I had to destroy the canvas.&nbsp; Each effect is immersive and unique: dishes appear not just plated, but staged, like performers in an abstract set. Signature forms ripple across everything, from custom placemats (more than two dozen in total, hand-sewn with 88,000 stitches), to laser-cut tray designs, and even the plating itself. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147470/rpcrzvaukulr1dratxoj.jpg">Dessert is behind the rice paper canvas: blackberry vanilla opera cake, oat crumble, anise hyssop ice cream * To expand on where Lefty Out There’s art fits in a dining space, Allan Weinberger, director of VSG Contemporary, which represents Lefty, describes how this project is not unlike other collaborations and is well suited for an art experience.&nbsp; “Franco Campanella, Lefty’s formal name, loves integrating his art into culturally adjacent moments,” says Weinberger. “He’s collaborated extensively with John Summit on music projection mapping, Miami nightclub E11even, Formula 1, the Chicago Half Marathon and various fashion brands. His visual language adapts well to different environments. For the diner, the experience is unique and engaging, you get to learn about and be inspired by an artist while enjoying a meal. It’s immersive, playful, and unlike a traditional art encounter.” For Esmé’s latest residency Weinberger describes the partnership as a natural extension of the artist’s trajectory. “Since opening, Esmé has developed a Michelin-starred dining experience that deeply integrates art into its courses,” he says. “The restaurant transforms several times a year with new artist collaborations. Lefty Out There elevated this concept further, introducing custom design elements across the space, from windows and placemats to dishes, while curating the gallery with a selection of new works alongside pieces returning from his 2023 London exhibition, many of which had never been shown in the United States.” When I asked Weinberger how he would describe the partnership of having an artist exhibit in a dining setting, he explained, “As an art dealer, I’m not usually drawn to showing work outside spaces made for art. If people aren’t coming in conditioned to see art, the work rarely lands, and it definitely doesn’t sell. We looked at this opportunity carefully and felt that, with the right planning, it could really work. We just wanted to ensure it was presented as an art show.”&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147470/rhj9mqqvccrhrecm9tzr.jpg">Lefty Out There works are installed in the front of the restaurant salon-style That was easy, he says, because of the creative leaders behind Esmé. “Jenner Tomaska is more than a chef, he’s a brilliant culinary artist and his collaboration with Lefty Out There felt like a genuine creative match. They both care deeply about their craft and it’s more than a business. At one point, while producing custom plates for a dish, they simultaneously decided the quality wasn’t good enough for service and the plates were pulled.&nbsp;This partnership wouldn’t work with just any restaurant; it had to be an exceptional one, like Esmé. Our goal was to make the presentation feel intentional and artistic, not just like restaurant décor.” Exhibiting art outside of a formal gallery space always takes creativity, but hopefully it results in many rewards because it invites and allows a different kind of access and has the potential to engage a new audience. I asked Weinberger what the challenges have been as well as unexpected outcomes of this kind of collaboration.&nbsp; “The biggest challenge was managing the logistics—shipping, installation, and planning for a project that’s inherently speculative. If the art doesn’t sell, it can be a tough financial situation. Fortunately, with the support of Frame Chicago, who helped curate the partnership, the opening week went very well in terms of sales, setting a strong tone for the rest of the collaboration. The collector response to this show has exceeded expectations and we’re thrilled. For years, Alisha, Shafiq, and Firoz have witnessed the transformation of the contemporary art scene, evolving Frame Chicago from a casual framing shop into a cultural hub. They have a pulse on what’s happening in the art world, and both Lefty and I deeply admire the artistic excellence they represent.”&nbsp; * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147471/wnnjjvbzkkuw4prbsqs9.jpg">Cheese coral – aerated Epoisses and Gruyere, taiyaki, and honeycomb The Esmé dining room feels alive with visual rhythm. One late-meal course, dubbed “Cheese Coral”, arrives as a sculptural reef of airy cheese, honeycomb and red Taiyaki pastry shaped like a coy fish, simultaneously fragile and abundant. Another paired turbot with melon and corn, a geometric interplay of textures and tones that echoes Lefty’s looping patterns. These are not just bites; they’re compositions — edible artistic choices meant to be admired and then consumed. As a diner the specific presence of art forces you to sense details — the cut of a vegetable, the texture of a sauce, the angle of a garnish. Esmé transforms eating into something closer to observing. I thought about how each dish would be if it weren’t part of a chef + artist partnership and wondered why there aren’t more like it, since the creative synergy felt so natural. I also wondered, since this partnership with Lefty is so complete - on the walls, on the plates, in the serving pieces – what would other collaborations be like? Would they all be as successful? * This fall, Esmé’s story has been on the plate as well as the screen. On October 10th Apple TV+ debuted Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, an eight-part docuseries that follows chefs worldwide as they pursue, retain, or risk losing their Michelin standing. Esmé is one of the featured restaurants. The series aims to reveal the unseen side of fine dining: the relentless precision, the anxiety of inspection, the personal toll of an elusive rating system. For Tomaska and Bravo, the cameras arrive at a high-stakes moment. Michelin will announce its 2025 ratings next week on November 18th, when Esmé will learn whether it keeps (or loses) its single star — or potentially ascends to the coveted two-star echelon. With the recent news that a fellow Chicago restaurant, Alinea, has lost one of its three stars and now will boast two, the pressure is on for Esmé to move up and maintain the city’s overall star count.&nbsp; While diners at Esmé experience a serene, gallery-like dining room each week, viewers worldwide are tuning in to glimpse the sweat, tension, and vulnerability behind its closed doors. * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763147472/vr6qgez4333q3zig9lgy.jpg">Wagyu - Red beet mole, romaine sauce, golden beet puree, pickled mulberries, confit beets What’s striking about Esmé is how seamlessly it toggles between the intimacy of fine dining and the spectacle needed to gain and keep global attention. On one hand, a dish like the turbot with melon feels like a deeply personal of the chef— the kind of course that asks for quiet. On the other, the entire concept of collaborating with an artist is inherently performative, begging for documentation and a wider audience. The docuseries heightens this duality. How does a restaurant designed to be immersive for those in the room translate when broadcast to millions of viewers? Will the art-dining fusion appear as sincere as it feels in the moment, or risk seeming contrived under the harsh gaze of editing? This is the tension at Esmé’s heart: the space between experience and performance, authenticity and ambition. *Esmé’s significance goes beyond its four walls. In spotlighting Chicago artists, and funneling resources into local causes, the restaurant positions itself as a civic player in the city’s cultural ecosystem. In Lefty Out There, Esmé found a collaborator whose Chicago roots mirror its own, creating a uniquely local resonance in a global fine-dining landscape. As Weinberger suggests, by placing Lefty’s work on dining tables instead of gallery walls, Esmé underscores Chicago’s ability to redefine the boundaries of cultural experience. Art was on the walls, certainly on the table, and in each dish. Maybe best of all, I had an inventive, magical setting for a long overdue catchup with a dear friend on a lovely fall evening in one of the world’s most creative cities.&nbsp; View past menus and artistic collaborations at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.esmechicago.com/our-food" target="_blank">esmechicago.com</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/esme_chicago/" target="_blank">@Esme_Chicago</a> Follow Lefty Out There <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/leftyoutthere/" target="_blank">@LeftyOutThere </a> #

Art, Ambition, and the Weight of Stars: Dining at Esmé in Chicago

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613392/jreapcye9mklfzu8fm0q.jpg">A view of Mathieu Lehanneur’s Olympic Cauldron in Paris in the Jardin des Tuileries, with the Musee D’Orsay, the Left Bank and the Eiffel Tower beyond. Photo by CGN. By GINNY VAN ALYEA My family and I traveled to France this summer, right after school let out, starting in Paris and winding our way down to Provence and then back to Paris. The occasion was to meet up and celebrate a dear friend’s birthday, but my planning also quickly focused on art. This was not my first time to France but it would be for our two children, who are young but also old enough to be excellent travelers. My husband and I wanted to share the highlights of a first encouter but also go beyond what we ourselves had explored previously. We visited many iconic and historic sites, but the trip offered something more: a repeated and often unplanned engagement with contemporary art in historic places. As someone who lives around and writes about art, I was attuned to these juxtapositions—but seeing them through the lens of family travel gave them a different kind of resonance. * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613393/n5zbdqnbjcvmnelbzngk.jpg">The newly restored interior of Notre Dame Cathedral. We decided to divide our time between Paris on the Left Bank, followed by a week in Provence with our friends, and two nights back in Paris on the Right Bank. It sounded like plenty of time, but while we realized quickly that there is never enough time to see it all, we still had a lot to do and enjoy.&nbsp; On our first afternoon in Paris, we visited the interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral, which reopened in December 2024 following the 2019 fire. Lucky enough to grab free, timed entry tickets while still in the taxi in from the airport, we didn’t have to wait long to see the cathedral’s restoration work up close. Once inside we marveled at how the centuries old stone is clean and light, practically aglow. Outside on the river-side, towering crains and scaffolding show that there is more work being done to continue the restoration. The kids will never know for themselves how the fire that ravaged Notre Dame horrified the world. For me it was amazing to behold the difference before and after. After our visit, a walk to ice cream on Ile St. Louis allowed us to enjoy our arrival after so much planning and to look forward to what’s next. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613394/tf4yfftyaqelsvcuobm2.jpg">The exterior of Fondation Louis Vuitton, designed by Frank Ghery. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613395/yob8ctdkmnvhm3xqeawd.jpg">A David Hockney self-portrait <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613396/gci0vyht7xr21o0q5wqt.jpg">A room filled with spring images by David Hockney <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613397/kbsjxadjwfis6qalbjzl.jpg">Hockney's opera sets animated in an immersive room The next morning, we climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe—still one of the best views of Paris—and we spent time taking pictures as well as visiting the small museum devoted to military history at the top of the monument. Down on the ground again, amidst the city’s famous traffic, we took the navette (shuttle) out to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Boulogne, where friends joined us for David Hockney 25. The Fondation’s building, designed by Frank Gehry, resembles waves or a lotus blossom. We waited in line while holding custom white umbrellas, due to the intense heat at noon, our reserved entry time. My son had protested going inside to a museum with contemporary art (I have heard this before) but in the first gallery, taking in the large, bright canvases by Hockney from the ‘60s he turned to me and said, “Oh, I actually like this art.” The kids, joined by two friends we met up with, hopped from gallery bench to bench, taking every chance to sit but also observe the crowds and admire the art. They were very interested in Hockney’s iPad landscapes and his portraits of so many different faces done in appealing, cheerful colors. The highlight, though, was the chance for the us to find our own giant beanbag in the darkened, long gallery featuring projections of Hockney’s opera stage designs from over the years, including one for Puccini’s Turnadot, performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1992. Looking skyward, hearing captivating music and watching saturated, moving scenes tied painting and music together in a memorable way.&nbsp; After two hours in the air conditioned exhibition, we returned to the heat to unwind and find lunch nearby in the charming Jardin d’Acclimatation, an idyllic Parisian amusement park recommended by friends that offered good food, peacocks, a roller coaster, and shade. Great America this was not. The proximity of contemporary art to such a delightful outdoor destination that also appeals to children made me wish we had such a stimulating pair of sites at home.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613398/z4wzrinri8shlvxoxdku.jpg">Visiting the Grand Trianon, where there were hardly any crowds. Day three took us out to Versailles by train, where we rented bikes and explored the grounds—starting with a picnic made from provisions we picked out at the market in the town of Versailles. We took our time visiting the royal properties in reverse, first the Grand Trianon, then the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s hamlet, and ending at the main palace. After a few hours in the heat on our bikes, the children briefly marveled at the gleaming gilt all around the gates and eaves of the palace, but by the time we reached the Hall of Mirrors, we had stood too close to too many people for too long.&nbsp; Our little bike group was no match for the throngs of bused-in, guided tourists who spilled in from the parking lot.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613399/yhc6kml0qe4rh1pyyyqv.jpg">Inside the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, where the crowd was massive. Back in Paris that same evening, we took a long walk home after dinner and stopped to take photos by the Louvre’s now iconic glass pyramid, beautifully lit and relatively empty in the late evening. Being mid-June it was still twilight. Turning away from the Louvre’s courtyard and towards the direction of the Eiffel Tower and the Jardin des Tuileries we were delighted by the glow of Mathieu Lehanneur’s Olympic Cauldron, which has remained in place since 2024’s summer games, when it would rise 60 meters into sky and its design symbolized France’s national motto, “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”.&nbsp; The cauldron is made of a 23 ft. diameter ring suspended from a helium balloon (also a hallmark of France’s innovation). The cauldron’s glow is not from actual flames but LED lights, which emit flame-like wisps because of 40 lamps backlit by mist from by 200 water jets. In a city with so many old icons, this is undoubtedly a new one. * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613400/ht7jn1bl4dicchqsvdph.jpg">Waiting to tour the Palais des Papes When we boarded the train to Avignon, our trip began to shift. In town the Palais des Papes, a massive Gothic structure near the Rhône river, dominates the city center. We considered a minute whether or not to buy tickets to tour the building, as the kids had been on the train or in the car for most of the day, but we were very glad we did, as we came away with quite a bit of knowledge about the time when the center of the Catholic Church was not in Rome but in France. The former fortress and palace is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it was here that six papal conclaves were held in the 14th century. We also were lucky to visit the installation of work by Jean-Michel Othoniel to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the city of Avignon’s designation as European Capital of Culture and the 30th anniversary of its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On view through January 4, 2026, OTHONIEL COSMOS or the Ghosts of Love, is an expansive, artistic immersion hailed as the artist’s largest project ever conceived and the first on a national scale, spread across 10 unique locations, with more than 260 works for Avignon. Mirrored glass sculptures, iridescent aquamarine bricks and graphic interventions animated the medieval interior. The tension between old and new wasn’t just thematic—it was spatial, visual, and palpable. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613401/wxgjyvwxb3qlfvbcn60b.jpg">An installation by Jean-Michel Othoniel <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613402/vbh0vm48hxpexzx1gsfq.jpg">An installation by Jean-Michel Othoniel on the Pont Saint-Benezet in Avignon The following days in Provence were spent resting a little more, adjusting to the southern pace and letting the kids recover from the more intense museum time. We still found ourselves busy each morning, setting out ahead of the heat explore the Luberon on planned trips to experience local food and culture, spontaneously jumping out to see the lavender fields or hiking around Roussillon and its Mars-like hills (where ochre, humankind’s first pigment used in art likely came from). Everywhere there was history, and there was art. We visited Château de Lourmarin, where I came across a library room featuring a collaboration between the Fondation des Treilles and the Fondation de Lourmarin Laurent-Vibert. Contemporary photography by international artists with portraits of everyday people in arresting natural settings were on display—quietly, without fanfare. The children were off on a scavenger hunt in the château with others from our group, which gave me time to enjoy the vaulted stone space uninterrupted. The town of Lourmarin itself was quirky and full of life: artisan boutiques, antiques, and a kind of layered charm you hope for in small towns but don’t always find. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613403/zteqvpqnfgndtdahw8aj.jpg">The interns posing for another photo at the top of the hill in Lacoste <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613404/trbbbclfo2r1jgt8ok2j.jpg">A surprise installation in Lacoste In the hilltop town of Lacoste, we wound up the stone streets overlooking the Vaucluse and to the Château that was once the home of the infamous and exiled Marquis de Sade. The Château ruins were purchased by the late fashion designer Pierre Cardin in 2001, and today there is an arts festival that takes place in the town each summer. I did not know before our visit that the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has a campus in the tiny town. Though student residents were between installations, an American art school in this Provencal village felt both surreal and fitting. I thought how nice it would be to be a student again and reside in this creative, energetic place where centuries-old architecture was inspiring 21st century textile work juxtaposed with LED sculptures. It was a serendipitous travel moment, entirely unrepeatable.&nbsp; A day later on the way to Les Baux-de-Provence, we stopped at Glanum in the Alpilles, where ruins of what was once a wealthy city, including its spring and a triumphal arch, remain remarkably intact. It was a hands-on history lesson—city plans and advanced infrastructure visible in 2,000 year old stone, accessible without barriers. The kids were allowed to roam and interpret on their own. We wondered what it would have been like for citizens to abandon the walls and monuments they built by hand, stone by stone.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613405/iqyklxywzpp1kgstrlby.jpg">The Maison Carrée in Nîmes Our last full day in Provence was spent in Nîmes, where we saw the Maison Carrée, a nearly pristine Roman temple thought to be from the 1st century AD. Opposite the temple square is the glass, steel and concrete Carré d’art, opened in 1993 and designed by British architect Norman Foster. Though the building is nine stories, half of it is below ground to maintain scale with its temple neighbor. A short walk away is the city’s famous, 2,000 year old amphitheater, which continues to host performances today. These monuments were reminders of the scale and durability of Roman urban planning—and the continued effort France invests in preserving as well as using them. On our drive home my husband pleaded with our kids to stop one more place–no small ask since everyone was eager to return to the pool as soon as possible. We stopped at Pont du Gard, where hundreds of people swam below the aqueduct, families gathering along the riverbanks and wading into the water. There are few places I have seen where ancient engineering so seamlessly accommodates 21st-century summer vacationers. * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613405/hooiu8zv7yur5gwgevhx.jpg">Aya Brown at Galerie Gomis in Paris The following morning we were up early in order to catch the train back for a full day in Paris. We dropped our bags and went straight to Marche Des Enfants Rouges for lunch. We stood shoulder to shoulder with everyone else who was hot and thirsty on a Saturday afternoon and opted for a delicious Japanese meal—cool udon, ramen, and beer—and then strolled home, gelato in hand, via galleries in the Marais. I stopped into Galerie Gomis when I unexpectedly noticed Aya Brown’s work on view as part of girls! girls!! girls!!! Brown recently exhibited her prints as part of a group show at Anthony Gallery in Chicago. The connection felt like a full-circle art moment. We made some museum choices for this trip because we had the kids along. Had it just been my husband and me we would have covered more ground. Being an introductory trip, we chose the Louvre over the Musee d’Orsay. On our last full morning in Paris, we walked to the Louvre, feeling grateful that we avoided a museum strike a few days earlier. The crowd seemed even a little lighter than usual. In the spirit of first-timing, my daughter insisted we see the Mona Lisa. We found her easily, initially thinking we were in the wrong room because the crowd was small. There was a sign posted politely reminding visitors to be respectful to gallery staff. Once we had seen the famous smile we were free to wander to see many more highlights by artists such as Delacroix, Ingres as well as The Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Egyptian antiquities in the basement.&nbsp;We even got to peek at France's Crown Jewels. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613406/dmsnzem4qomwjxf2l5lb.jpg">The Crown Jewels at the Louvre <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613407/xpxge4curnuzeoqpqvwy.jpg">The perfect send-off on our final day in France. One of our last quiet moments in Paris came on our final day, when we visited the Tuileries Garden and spontaneously rented a petit bateau—a little sailboat the kids pushed around the fountain with sticks. They named her Mona. The simplicity of the kids free in a park, eating gelato and people-watching, while afternoon sun reflects off the water was a reminder that delight in Paris will find you suddenly. It won’t be on a check-list or in a fancy restaurant. It can’t be planned.&nbsp; That evening, after excellent Roman pizza at a tiny place in the Marais, we walked home through warm city streets, past the glowing Bourse de Commerce. We hadn’t made it inside this trip, but we knew we have more to look forward to next time. * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1763613408/hgjloiqx7m1lyx8b2pkn.jpg">Our Invader finds * One more thread that ran through our adventure: before we arrived in Paris a friend recommended that we track the Invader tiles. The French street artist known as Invader has placed thousands of mosaic tile works across France (and beyond), each resembling an 8-bit alien character from the classic arcade game Space Invaders. Unlike Banksy, whose fame can overshadow the work, Invader’s pieces blend into their surroundings. You might see one tucked above a bakery, or high on a stone wall in Avignon. Our son in particular&nbsp;became a sharp-eyed scout, spotting Invaders everywhere—some chipped, some pristine, others invalid fakes. It was the kind of organic art experience that felt personal and earned.The discovery was better than any guided tour we could have planned or tourist trinket we could have bought. Our family’s trip wasn’t structured just around art, but art was definitely a thru-line—everywhere from cathedrals and palaces, to gardens and châteaux, in contemporary interventions and ancient ruins. The blend of contemporary art in historic spaces wasn’t always announced. But those contrasts—between old and new, formal and spontaneous, monumental and small-scale—are what stuck with me. They reminded me that culture is a living continuum, not an itinerary or social media post.&nbsp; When you travel with kids, those moments can matter most when you stumble into them together as well as at your own pace. They have the potential to leave the impression that you cannot travel without enjoying art (sorry Tommy.) In fact, art makes the trip better. #

French Encounters: A Family Trip Through Art and History

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1762268685/pymmrobzv8ld5ever7ck.jpg">The cover of New Sculpture By BIANCA BOVA In the Summer of 1986 the Renaissance Society mounted an exhibition entitled New Sculpture, featuring the work of three artists: Robert Gober, Jeff Koons, and Haim Steinbach. Curator Gary Garrels (who acknowledges having benefited from the assistance of an astonishing trifecta of counselors to the show: Richard Hoblock, Jerry Saltz, and Christopher Wool) characterizes it as follows: “There is a continuum set down here with Gober and Steinbach anchoring the ends and Koons balanced in the middle.” This is as discernable in the catalog as it seems to have been in the exhibition itself [n.b. I did not see this exhibition firsthand. Not having been born until 1992 I, once again, missed the party].&nbsp; The best catalogs are not just repositories of the collected photographs, images, and essays from a show, printed and bound. They are something at once companionate and singular. They carry the exhibition title, and at least something of its spirit. They are often the only record that remains after the show has closed.&nbsp; The catalog for New Sculpture is slim and strange, and my copy of it numbers among the prized possessions of my bookshelf. Measuring at 12 ⅜” by 6” it is a staple-bound and tightly delimited ten pages, inclusive of acknowledgements; a staff and board directory; a curatorial essay; the artists’ curricula vitae; and six black-and-white images, two of which are luscious full-page, full-bleed images of Gober’s The Ascending Sink and Koons’ New Hoover Convertible.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1762268686/s2vhskddpx6eemgvh2x2.jpg">Top: Haim Steinbach, security and serenity, 1985Bottom: Haim Steinbach, lead part, 1986 It was designed by the late Michael Glass, a seminal and dominant force in shaping the aesthetic identity of the Chicago art world in the late twentieth century. His influence remains legible in the iterative identities of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; in the logo that graced the entryway to Rhona Hoffman Gallery until the day it closed; and in the decades of work produced by his protégé, the late Jason Pickleman. The catalog for New Sculpture is as thoughtful a piece of his work as ever was made. The brush of the capital “S” in Sculpture against the lower edge of the cover, the unbroken rhythm of the two-column layout that repeats what it faces in Gober’s sinks, Koons’s vacuum cleaners, and Steinbach’s rubber Dracula heads, the austerity of the sans-serif fonts used throughout (which my untrained eye is too dull to correctly identify)–all thoughtful, careful gestures, executed with precision by the teams at Word City typesetters and Thomas Graphics printers. Its spareness begets clarity, its clarity is from where its communicative authority derives.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1762268687/xjpewpduhl8gcddnud6f.jpg">&nbsp;Robert Gober, The Ascending Sink, 1985&nbsp; The acknowledgements, penned by longtime Renaissance Society Director Suzanne Ghez (who was then roughly a decade into her tenure) buries the lede somewhat. New Sculpture constituted the first museum showing in the Midwest of these three artists. The lenders list is a veritable who’s who of relevant galleries of the day: Paula Cooper; International With Monument; Feature; Rhona Hoffman; Donald Young; the list goes on. Likewise, the CV’s of the artists are an astonishing snapshot of early achievement. Koons has just five solo shows to his name, and Gober only three, while Steinbach’s entry (the senior of the group) reflects his just-recent accession into the Saatchi collection. To read through them is to observe careers on the brink of tipping into greatness, poised to claim their place in the vast swathe of art history that would come to define those years at the end of the century. &nbsp;	 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1762268688/jsoadql7rcrsppytxihj.jpg">Jeff Koons, New Hoover Convertible, 1980 Garrells’ catalog essay is rigorously researched, conceptually airtight, and littered with quotes from the three artists that it’s noted are “taken from informal conversations between the artists and the author” in March of the year of the exhibition. These cut through the antiseptic overtones of the publication keenly.&nbsp; “It’s a prerequisite that good art demands that you wonder, ‘what the hell is this?’” Gober says, “People are afraid to enter that state, and so they come up really fast with reasons, equations for things.” On the subject of connoisseurship of consumer goods, Steinbach pushes gently back with the declaration, “I’m not involved with that kind of thing.”&nbsp; Koons, for his part, notes, “If I feel I can preserve the integrity [of an object], or most of it, then I say go ahead. If not, then I just have to work in another medium or find a different object.”&nbsp; Herein lies the balance; the stark power of Glass’ design and the harmony of Garrells’ curatorial eye anchoring the ends, and the humanizing inclusion of the artists’ own casual voices (all too frequently absent from these publications, then as is unfortunately, equally true now) holding fast in the center. A final twin, a mirror to the spectrum of Gober-Koons-Steinbach as Garrels articulates it. The catalog for New Sculpture is a self-contained unit; an all-encompassing gesture that serves conceptually as both complete sentence and as punctuation.&nbsp; # New SculptureThe Renaissance Society&nbsp;at the University of Chicago1986, 10 pp., 6 b/w illustrations, paperbackISBN 0-941548-11-2OUT OF PRINT Download a free PDF <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://renaissancesociety.org/media/files/NewSculpture.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;

Book Report “New Sculpture” – Time Travel to The Renaissance Society and the Summer of 1986

<h3>St. Louis has long been a hub for the visual arts, with a deep bench of contemporary galleries and museums, as well as thriving grassroots art communities. For those planning a road trip from Chicago or elsewhere in the Midwest, a few days in St. Louis this fall can yield a surprisingly rich art itinerary that blends institutional heavyweights with independent spaces.</h3><h3> </h3><h3>There is even a road trip-themed photography exhibition to enjoy on your road trip! “In Search of America” is on view at the St. Louis Art Museum through October 19, so get on the road!&nbsp;</h3><h3> </h3><h3>&nbsp;– CGN</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760474819/vus8dwehdkkg8smmvdex.jpg">Anselm Kiefer, German, born 1945; Anselm fuit hic (Anselm Was Here), 2024; emulsion, oil, acrylic, shellac, gold leaf and sediment of electrolysis on canvas; 30 feet 10 1/16 inches x 27 feet 6 11/16 inches; Collection of the artist and courtesy Gagosian 2025.309; © Anselm Kiefer, Photo: Nina Slavcheva <h3>Where to Start</h3> Start your art wandering in the Grand Center Arts&nbsp;District, a walkable cluster of art institutions. • Pulitzer Arts Foundation: Housed in a&nbsp;Tadao Ando-designed building, the Pulitzer offers&nbsp;rigorously curated exhibitions. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pulitzerarts.org/art/jennie-c-jones-a-line-when-broken-begins-again/" target="_blank">Jennie C. Jones: A Line When Broken Begins Again</a> runs Sept 5–Feb 1, 2026.&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pulitzerarts.org/" target="_blank">pulitzerarts.org</a> • Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM): Next door, CAM champions emerging and mid-career artists with an international lens. Haegue Yang: Quasi-Heartland runs Sep 5–Feb 8, 2026. The exhibition marks Yang’s first solo museum presentation with a comprehensive selection of works in the midwest since 2009. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://camstl.org/" target="_blank">camstl.org</a> • The Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) houses an encyclopedic collection. Don’t miss the 20th-century and contemporary wings, and plan for a stroll outside—the museum’s monumental front steps offer a panoramic view of the park’s autumn foliage. Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Sea opens October 18 (pictured above). <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.slam.org/" target="_blank">slam.org&nbsp;</a> • The St. Louis University Museum of Art, founded in 2002, is housed in a stunning Beaux Arts style building from the turn of the 20th century. The permanent&nbsp;collection includes artists such as Chuck Close,&nbsp;Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, Kiki Smith, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.slu.edu/sluma/" target="_blank">slu.edu/sluma</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760474821/nojzqt0y7rhvlqpnfmcy.jpg">Jennie C. Jones has an exhibition at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation <h3>The Grove &amp; Cherokee Street</h3> From the Grand Center Arts District you can take a short drive south to explore revitalized areas like The Grove and Cherokee Street, both known for their vivid murals, vintage shops, and artist-run spaces. Local initiatives nearby like Paint Louis have turned highway underpasses and brick buildings into open-air canvases. The Luminary is just one space that features forward-thinking programming, from installation, conceptual work, to socially engaged projects. The Luminary also supports residencies and has an on-site publishing initiative. <h3>Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum</h3> Part of the Sam Fox School of Design &amp; Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, this is one of the nation’s leading university art museums. A teaching museum, it serves as a center of cultural and intellectual life on campus and in St. Louis. The museum dates to 1881 and holds more than 8,700 works in its collection.&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu//" target="_blank">kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760474823/rlk9q08sjcuv56ugilas.jpg">Stan Strembicki: Art History Revisited features work by the&nbsp;St. Louis-based photographer and is just one of four exhibitions on view at Bruno David Gallery Sept 13–Oct 25, 2025 <h3>Friday Nights and Gallery Hopping</h3> If you time your trip around First Friday, many galleries and museums in Grand Center stay open late, hosting free events. First Friday also extends into the Central West End, which was recently damaged during devastating May 2025 tornadoes. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.duanereedgallery.com/" target="_blank">Duane Reed Gallery</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.houskagallery.com/" target="_blank">Houska Gallery</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.squareonegallery.com/" target="_blank">Square One</a> stay open late each month and are within a 5 minute walk of each other. 15 or so minutes away is <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.brunodavidgallery.com/" target="_blank">Bruno David Gallery</a> which has been showing art since 1984 and hosts openings on some Friday nights. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.shearburngallery.com/" target="_blank">William Shearburn Gallery</a>, a Midwestern mainstay, is also nearby. The co-op <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.soulardartgallery.com/" target="_blank">Soulard Art Gallery</a>, east by the river in the city’s oldest residential neighborhood also participates in First Friday, and it’s close to award-winning <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tuckersplace.com/" target="_blank">Tucker’s Place</a> steakhouse and the famous Soulard pre-lenten Mardi Gras celebration, which usually runs from mid-winter into spring. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760474824/omkhftl0h09wnsp3uijs.jpg">Tony Tasset, Deer, 2015, fiberglass, steel, paint, 12 x 20 x 8 feet.&nbsp;On view at the Laumier Sculpture Garden. <h3>Where to Stay and Get Outside</h3> Art lovers will appreciate the funky, historic atmosphere of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hotelsaintlouis.com/" target="_blank">Hotel Saint Louis,</a> a boutique property in a restored 1893 building. A stay at the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.angadartshotel.com/" target="_blank">Angard Arts Hotel</a>, keeps your art experience running 24/7. Their rooftop <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.angadartshotel.com/restaurants-bars/art-bar/" target="_blank">ART Bar</a> offers great views of the city and the Mississipi River. If you have kids in tow (and even if not), get outside to the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.laumeiersculpturepark.org/" target="_blank">Laumier Sculpture Garden</a> where everyone can marvel at 60 large-scale sculptures while enjoying fresh air and space to stretch in a 105-acre park in the heart of St. Louis. Free and open daily.&nbsp; Other creative ideas? <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.jbtelmuseum.org/" target="_blank">The Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum</a> is an off-beat space featuring phones from the late 1800s to 2012. There is also the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.neonmuseumstl.com/" target="_blank">Neon Museum of St. Louis</a>, open certain dates each month.

Art Road Trip: St. Louis

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760116783/j3hab4piabgmqmw0k401.jpg"></h4>Pigment magazine on site at EXPO CHICAGO 2024 pictured in front of an IN/SITU installation<h4> </h4><h4>By JACQUELINE LEWIS</h4><h4> </h4><h4>This fall, Chicago will host the inaugural year of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pigmentintl.com/pigmentedblackfineartfaire" target="_blank">Pigmented: Black Fine Art Faire</a>. Held at Zhou B Art Center October 30–November 2, the fair is the latest creation of Patricia Andrews-Keenan of Pigment International, a media and arts publication. Drawing on decades of storytelling and a deep love for the Black arts tradition, Andrews-Keenan has built a platform that amplifies artists and Black-owned galleries alike. In this conversation, she shares what inspired the fair, what visitors can expect, and why Chicago was always the right city to bring it to life.</h4><h4> </h4><h4>With the inaugural exhibition Andrews-Keenan isn’t just hosting an event, she hopes to build a legacy rooted in storytelling, community, and cultural preservation. As she looks to the future, her vision is clear: to create a platform that lasts well beyond her, amplifying Black art for generations to come.</h4> CGN: Can you tell me how your experiences led you to found Pigment International and now Pigmented: Black Fine Art Faire? Patricia Andrews-Keenan: It started with reading and writing in elementary school, and then I became a journalism major in school. I segued from there into corporate communications. The whole time I was there it was about doing articles, doing speeches, communications, annual reports, those kinds of things. From there I started doing media and PR on my own, but the thread that has always run through that has been my love of things surrounding Black art. When I was young, I would buy posters, really anything that had images of people of color on them. I would buy sheet music, go to thrift stores, go to the flea markets and look for things to hang on my wall. And as my career progressed and I was able to buy art, I began to buy prints and more. And then as I began to travel, I would buy even more art. That was always kind of the simultaneous thread. CGN: So how did that thread evolve into Pigment International? PAK: After I left corporate America around 2008, I found myself doing media and PR for events in Chicago. One of the first ones I did work for was the African Festival of the Arts, which has been happening here for at least 35 years. Through this experience, I started to meet the artists themselves. It was just very cool, because what I realized was that each of these artists had a story to tell. And in my mind artists don’t become famous unless people write about them. If no one wrote about Rembrandt or Picasso or any of those art history big shots, no one would know their name. Someone had to tell their stories and begin to cement them in history. So [in Chicago] I could see where there was a need for these [contemporary] artists to have their stories told, and it is within the Black art community. That’s when I began to fully realize the need to put together a platform for Black art and Black voices. I remember sitting in the office at home trying to come up with the name. I started looking up art terms and all these things. When I came across the word “pigment” which is what paint is created out of and thought about how it also represents the pigment in our skin, I just knew. That was it. It was perfect. And that’s what we’ve done for the last seven years. We’ve taken that platform and continued to build it with the printed publication, the digital publication, the events, the exhibitions, all of that. CGN: How did Pigmented: Black Fine Art Fair come about? PAK: One of my other great passions, in addition to art and writing, is travel. Since 2017, we’ve gone to see shows in Miami, Venice, New York, Morocco you name it. We’ve seen how shows are done. We’ve met the people running them. But what I found was, when we talk about shows that are run by people from the diaspora–Black people, whether they’re in Africa, the Caribbean, or the U.S.–there are very few. There’s PRIZM out of Miami, the Harlem Fine Art Show out of New York, Black Pony in the Caribbean. That’s about it. And people in Chicago were telling me there hadn’t been a show here organized by people of color in more than 40 years. [Artist} Nick Cave said nothing since the 2000 Colors show organized by Oprah and her partner Stedman, and the two traveling exhibitions by the Harlem Fine Art Show. CGN: Why did you choose Chicago to be the home base for this new fine art fair? PAK: Well, I’m from Louisiana, but a lot of my influence comes from people who were made by Chicago, Dr. Margaret Burroughs, for one. I’ve learned so much from the South Side Community Art Center and the arts organizations here. There’s so much history- from Archibald Motley to Charles White, from the Black Arts Movement to AFRICOBRA. And right now, there are two big anniversaries: the 85th of the South Side Community Art Center, and the anniversary of the American Negro Exposition, which happened here in 1940 to commemorate the end of slavery. When I realized that, I wanted to marry that history with a show that reflects where we are now. I also knew other galleries wanted to come here. Folks from Atlanta, Detroit, Memphis—they were saying, “If there was a show in Chicago, we’d do it.” So that’s where it came from. It’s the confluence of history, need, and willingness. CGN: And this year’s fair is being held in Bridgeport at the Zhou B Art Center? PAK: Yes, October 30 through November 2. We expect to have 10 different galleries, 10 different artists, and all kinds of programming. We’re doing things that reflect both the history of this city and the future of Black art here. We’re going to open with a reception that nods to the Black Renaissance. We’re going to have fun with that. I also found an image from the American Negro Exhibition that’s in the public domain, so we can reproduce it for merchandise. We want this to be a tourist destination. This is a perfect time to come to Chicago. CGN: What kinds of artists and galleries will be&nbsp;showing? PAK: We’re putting a big emphasis on Black-owned galleries and how they’ve contributed to Black artists’ careers. September Gray Fine Art Gallery out of Atlanta, Blackbird Gallery from Detroit, Waterkolours from Memphis. GangGang, the creator’s of Indianapolis’s successful Butter Art Show, will be curating an event during the show. &nbsp;&nbsp; We also have local galleries including Connect Gallery in Hyde Park, Faie Afrikan Art in Bronzeville and The Daniel Texidor Parker Gallery. Dan Parker’s been collecting art for 60 years. He came up under Dr. Burroughs in Chicago, and now has his own gallery.&nbsp; We’ve also confirmed artists including Dr. Thomas Lockhart out of Denver who is just finishing a residency in Martha’s Vineyard. Eric January, a local artist who was awarded the Derrick Adams Residency will be joining us, as well D. Lammie Hanson, whose work was featured during the 2024 Venice Biennale. Many of the artists who have been involved with us since 2018 will be showcased. The caliber of the creativity is exciting. CGN: What would be your ideal outcome after this first fair? PAK: I want people to say it was a wonderful event. I want it to be financially successful–for the galleries and for us. Our Pigmented Store will be fun and revenue generating, something we’ve learned from the shows we’ve attended. &nbsp;&nbsp; But really, we want to do it again. That’s the dream. CGN: And longer term? Where do you hope the fair goes in the next 5–10 years? PAK: The Harlem Fine Art Show has been going on for 17 years. PRIZM has been around about 10. I’d love for this to become that. But personally I also want to be able to go on vacation. I want this to be something the next generation can take on. We’re already working with organizations including&nbsp;the Flourish Fine Arts Accelerator, I Love Art (ILA), and Englewood Arts Collective, and these young people are doing amazing work in the arts. I’m honored to be associated with them. I hope they see this as something they can take further, and I’ll be there to help, but from the sidelines. It’s a passion for me. I think it’s something that needs to be done. And I hope people see that it’s something that needs to continue, even when I’m not doing it. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760116784/ebly1h9gehmul0lxa67b.jpg"> <h4>The Pigmented Black Fine Art Faire</h4>October 30–November 2, 2025Zhou B Art Center&nbsp;1029 W. 35 th St. Chicago, IL 60609<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pigmentintl.com/pigmentedblackfineartfaire" target="_blank">pigmentintl.com/pigmentedblackfineartfaire</a>

Launching Legacy: The Inaugural Pigmented Black Fine Art Faire

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758343910/makvftgw1lltogyaz3jt.jpg">Theaster Gates. Concrete slabs from Lorado Taft Midway Studios as installed at Listening House. Photo: Sara Pooley By ALISON REILLY Theaster Gates: Unto Thee opens September 23 at the Smart Museum of Art, marking the artist’s first solo exhibition at a museum in Chicago. This overdue presentation of his work will feature installations of materials that Gates acquired through two decades of involvement with the University of Chicago, first as a staff member and then as faculty. The materials include the Department of Art History’s glass lantern slide collection, concrete floors salvaged from the Department of Visual Arts’ Midway Studios, slate from Rockefeller Chapel, and hand-carved wooden pews from Bond Chapel.&nbsp; “Unto Thee,” Gates explains, “offers a reckoning with the ways in which true collaboration between the ‘local’ and the ‘institutional’ could result in deep transformation of both. Unto Thee allows me to return every material artifact given to me by the University in a new state of recognition by a larger, cultural context outside of the institution and the city of Chicago, thereby redeeming these discarded materials beyond their state of inheritance.” A series of public programs, tours, and film screenings at the university and Gates’s cultural centers will accompany the exhibition, including an opening celebration from October 4-5, 2025. Gates will participate in a panel off campus, followed by a performance at Bond Chapel by The Black Monks, Gates’s music project that merges Black musical traditions and Eastern monastic practice.&nbsp; Galina Mardilovich, curator at the Smart Museum, said, “The Black Monks are really one facet of Theaster’s practice that we’re so excited to feature. They originally formed as a response to an invitation by Charles Esche to respond to the Smart’s exhibition, Heartland, which connected Chicago-based- musicians with musicians in the Netherlands around the topic “music of the Mississippi.” It’ll be interesting to bring them back here, bring them back home, so to speak.”&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758343912/jfwwjwn4jniflarvijrw.jpg">Glass lantern slides from the University of Chicago’s Department of Art History, now in the care of Theaster Gates. Courtesy of the Rebuild Foundation. &nbsp;For Gates, collecting these pieces of the university’s history is not transactional. He said, “My access to the glass lantern slides depended completely upon my relationship with the facilities team at the University of Chicago. The vitrines from the Oriental Institute arrived at my step, because people were willing to build a bridge from their institution to an art studio. These objects represent stories, relationships, trust, and goodwill.” The concrete floors from Midway Studios, which are covered in layers of paint, showcase over a hundred years of artistic history. They tell the story of the early twentieth-century sculptor Loredo Taft, who moved his studio from downtown Chicago to the Midway Plaisance. Eventually, as Mardilovich explained, “It became a de facto art space, a studio space for faculty at the University of Chicago before there was an official space for them. Taft created this really interesting community of artists and is credited for supporting women sculptors. He was elevating unconventional and untraditional art makers at the time and supporting them as well as giving them space to create.” In the early 2010s, when the Logan Center for the Arts was being built, there was demand at the university to renovate Midway Studios. Gates, who was instrumental in the creation of the center, received parts of the studios’ concrete floors that were given away. At some point, he also collected surplus granite from the Logan Center construction site. Vanja Malloy, Dana Feitler Director of the Smart Museum and co-curator of the exhibition, said, “I think that it’s beautiful–the juxtaposition of the granite for a new chapter of the arts at the university that Theaster helped found, with the concrete, the foundational beginnings.” Gates’s art practice focuses on recontextualizing these architectural elements as sculptures and deriving meaning from the new relationships they create. “These objects are redeemed, and their redemption value is a demonstration of the work that I was invested in outside of the University,” Gates said. “I was trying to amplify the materials that sat in front of me. The amplification was not for my glory; it was simply to demonstrate that everyday things, even when unruly, excessive, inconvenient and without practical use, can be reimagined as intelligible, substantial, and absolutely necessary.” <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758343913/eh8yregpfttpctrtglix.jpg">Theaster Gates. Granite from the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts as installed at Listening House. Photo: Sara Pooley Along with the exhibition, Gates will be teaching a class called Unto Thee, giving students an opportunity to learn more about the material history of the university and its broader context on the South Side. “From what I’ve observed, Theaster is a beloved colleague to many but also a really inspirational professor,” Malloy said. “He’s really excited about sharing his knowledge and fostering the next generation.” The Smart Museum also commissioned Gates to create a new work, which will be on display in the museum’s lobby as part of their Threshold series until July 2026. The installation will feature an expansive shelving system showcasing a collection of African masks that Gates recently acquired and conserved, along with his personal record collection. Music will be playing in the lobby, and the museum will invite DJs to activate the space. While plans have not been confirmed, Malloy and Mardilovich are discussing community workshops focused on archiving and collection practices.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758343913/nqyvkjcyxodfbypvbkxd.jpg">Glass lantern slide from the University of Chicago’s Department of Art History,&nbsp;now in the care of Theaster Gates. Courtesy of the Rebuild Foundation. Unto Thee provides an opportunity to celebrate the richness of Gates’s generative art practice over the past 20 years and the connections that he has cultivated along the way. “The exhibition demonstrates something evident in the first book of the New Testament, Matthew 25:14-30, the Parable of Talents,” Gates explained. “The ambition that I had at the University of Chicago was to find ways to use its resources and multiply those resources for the impact of the community that I lived in. In addition, I use these materials, transfiguring them from waste products to culturally productive works of art, with the intention of amplifying the University’s deep belief in the arts. In a moment when that belief seems in peril, this exhibition seems even more timely. It is a reminder that art is not a waste, and great art requires great administration, aesthetic execution, and an unwavering belief in artists.” Theaster Gates: Unto Thee is on view at the Smart Museum of Art&nbsp;at the University of Chicago&nbsp;September 23, 2025–February 22, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/" target="_blank">smartmuseum.uchicago.edu</a> #

Theaster Gates's first solo exhibition in his home town of Chicago takes place at the Smart Museum of Art

A Homecoming at the Smart Museum of Art: Theaster Gates

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758304689/lymltafc6dhgcru6jlst.jpg">2024 By CGN Staff This fall, downtown Chicago will light up as the 11th Annual Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade takes over State Street on Saturday, October 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. Presented by LUMA8 and the City of Chicago, the free, family-friendly parade features music, dance, giant puppets, glowing floats, and dazzling performances. A project first dreamed up and co-founded by one of the City's previous Commissioners of Cultural Affairs, Mark Kelly, along with Sharene Shariatzadeh, the annual art-themed gathering downtown has proved it has staying power. Named one of the world’s best Halloween celebrations by Wanderlust Magazine and highlighted in USA Today’s top 10 parades, Arts in the Dark draws over 100,000 spectators and celebrates Halloween as the artist’s holiday. <h2>A Cultural Mosaic on Parade</h2> More than 5,000 performers from 100+ cultural organizations will showcase Chicago’s artistic diversity with music, dance, and spectacle. New this year are Creative Guilds—groups of architects, photographers, audio makers, writers, and other artists collaborating on imaginative displays such as a 50-foot cosmic serpent, 40-foot glow worm, and 16 towering skeletons. While inspired by Halloween, groups are encouraged to present their own identity and art form. Expect vibrant representations of Black, Mexican, Irish, Colombian, Brazilian, South Asian, Korean, Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Peruvian, and LGBTQ+ cultures, alongside dance companies, music groups, drag performers, circus artists, and more. <h2>Honoring Chicago’s Creative Spirits</h2> The parade will again recognize Creative Spirits, local cultural leaders including Tara Mallen (actor/director), Terry Hunter (Grammy-nominated DJ), Wilfredo Rivera (choreographer), Joe Cerqua (composer), Jimalita Tillman (theater producer), Eugene Bush (film producer), and rising street artist Clue. “Chicago is a hothouse of cultural ferment, and this parade will capture that creative spirit in a magical evening procession,” said Kelly, parade co-founder and artistic director. <h2>Join the Fun: DIY Costume Contest</h2> A new Haunted Runway Costume Contest, presented by Goodwill Greater Milwaukee &amp; Chicago, invites parade-goers to design their own look. Submit a photo by October 8 at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bit.ly/TheHauntedRunway" target="_blank">bit.ly/TheHauntedRunway</a> for a chance to win Goodwill gift cards and VIP seating for next year’s parade. Finalists will strut their creations during the event as the crowd votes for a grand prize winner. <h2>Event Details</h2><ul><li>When: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 6–8 p.m.</li><li>Where: State Street, starting at Randolph Street</li><li>Cost: Free</li></ul> Arts in the Dark is produced by LUMA8 and the City of Chicago with major support from Chicago Loop Alliance and Goodwill Greater Milwaukee &amp; Chicago, and is part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Fall Fest 2025. For full details, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artsinthedark.org/" target="_blank">artsinthedark.org</a> or <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.luma8.org/" target="_blank">luma8.org</a>

Chicago’s Arts in the Dark Parade Returns for Its 11th Year of Halloween Magic

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758136685/ervdoypnekbu1emhoh27.jpg">A celebratory EarlyWork dinner kicks off the weekend. By GINNY VAN ALYEA The third annual Chicago Exhibition Weekend, hosted by Gertie and EarlyWork, features 50 participating galleries and creative spaces across the city September 19–21, 2025 spotlighting Chicago’s vibrant cultural landscape and artistic spirit. Last year’s edition attracted 5,000 attendees over three days.&nbsp; This year CXW25 expands its footprint with more galleries, demonstrating the vitality and diversity of the city’s growing commercial art scene. There are more partnerships in place, as well as a central hub space. At the heart of this year's event is a mission to take Chicago's reputation as the heart of "fly-over country" and bust it open, using art history as a means to show that Chicago is and has always been a vibrant, and most of all, significant player in the country's creative and cultural history. Part walk down memory lane, part super-party, and part civic flag-waving, CXW25 promises to be a busy, art-centered weekend that gathers more staying-power and vibrancy each year.&nbsp; September 18–21, 2025<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagoexhibitionweekend.com/" target="_blank">chicagoexhibitionweekend.com</a> * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758136686/ox9qir3vkh4m6yf41c2n.jpg"> <h3>Special Exhibition</h3> Over My Head: Encounters with Conceptual Art in a Flyover City, 1984–2015, curated by Iris Colburn and Gareth Kaye, will revisit some key moments of Chicago’s own art history in order to put them back on the map. The exhibition, which will run for three weeks and be free and open to the public, explores key post-conceptual exhibitions staged by pioneering Chicago dealers such as Rhona Hoffman, Donald Young, Feature Inc., Feigen Inc., and Robbin Lockett. focusing on works that marked pivotal moments in an artist’s practice, reflected enduring dealer-artist relationships, or engage themes of temporality, transmission, and memory. Located at 400 N. Peoria Street, CXW’s hub site,&nbsp;Over My Head&nbsp;examines Chicago’s oft-forgotten position as a nerve center for post-conceptual art in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday, September 19, 2025 and is on view through October 11, 2025. <h3>CXW Hub and Opening Weekend</h3> 400 N. Peoria – CXW’s central hub – is set within a raw industrial site in Fulton Market. The site will host an exhibition as well as conversations produced in partnership with Independent Curators International (ICI), curator-led walk-throughs as well as programming in conjunction with the Chicago Art Book Fair. The space is intended to be a resource before and after visiting galleries, offering a look at history as well directions to participating local galleries. The exhibition’s opening weekend promises to be as layered as the art on the walls. Public hours run September 19 (12–8 pm), September 20 (10 am–6 pm), and September 21 (10 am–6 pm), followed by regular hours through October 11. A September 18 preview dinner—led by acclaimed chef Agustin Mallmann, traveling to Chicago just for the occasion—offers an intimate prelude and keeps up the weekend's super-party rep. Tickets are sold out. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758136688/xn20blwbkhbtavr7bqyx.jpg">Faheed Majeed and Monique Brinkman-Hill CXW is also launching a conversation series with Independent Curators International (ICI), curated by Scott Campbell, ICI’s Midwest Programs Manager. Two marquee talks bookend the weekend:<ul><li>Zoom Out: Sept 19, 6 pm: Faheem Majeed and Monique Brinkman-Hill reflect on the South Side Community Art Center’s historic and evolving role in supporting Black artists.</li><li>Zoom In: Sept 21, 3 pm: Hamza Walker and John Corbett revisit the friendships and cultural networks that helped shape Chicago’s conceptual art scene.</li></ul> Also don't miss: • Maintenance Works: Art, Labor, and Care, Saturday, September 20, 2-3pm at SECRIST | BEACH: 1801 West Hubbard Street Chicago, IL 60622 Artists Brendan Fernandes and Molly Gochman in conversation, moderated by Samara Furlong. Maintenance Works: Art, Labor, and Care&nbsp;will delve into caregiving, collective memory, and the role of art as an act of maintenance and connection. Together, Fernandes and Gochman will reflect on how performance, participation, and collaboration shape their practices—examining how undervalued gestures of care, cleaning, and tending become sites of dignity, connection, and transformation.<h3> </h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758136688/y5laohbnej9xhfiqelvc.jpg"> <h3>Books</h3> Adding another dimension, the Chicago Art Book Fair (CABF) will set up shop inside the hub. Known for championing independent publishers, zinemakers, and printmakers, CABF offers an international yet distinctly Chicago showcase of experimental printed matter—from zines and books to limited-edition prints. The partnership this year with CXW will raise the fair's profile and be sure to exchange audiences. <h3>A Biennial</h3> CXW also coincides with the opening of the 6th Chicago Architecture Biennial: SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, which has a base at the Chicago Cultural Center but also offers programming city-wide out of a commitment to showcase the collective strength of&nbsp;over 60 citywide partners, fom museums and cultural institutions to architecture firms and government agencies. The Biennial officially opens to the public on&nbsp;September 19, 2025, with exhibitions at the&nbsp;Chicago Cultural Center,&nbsp;Graham Foundation,&nbsp;Stony Island Arts Bank, a site-specific installation on the grounds of the&nbsp;Griffin Museum of Science and Industry,&nbsp;and special performances throughout the day.&nbsp;In case opening weekend is busy enough, CAB is on view through February 2026. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1758136689/c0tomua110vphah8tbio.png">CXW's route curators <h3>The Invitation</h3> For CXW organizers and curators the hub is more than a venue. It’s a launch pad: a place to meet friends, soak up context, and set out to explore the city’s galleries and institutions during a weekend that celebrates the people and stories making Chicago’s art scene second to none –&nbsp;finally a destination in its own rite and not flyover on the way to somewhere else. There are also many opportunities to go into dozens of spaces and businesses that make Chicago what it is. Visitors will also have the option of choosing a curated route from one of Chicago’s cultural movers and shakers to help guide you to destinations around the city. Trust these route curators for their selections, from participating galleries and institutions to under-the-radar restaurants and shops. To view the full list of participating galleries and their own programs and exhibition openings, visit <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagoexhibitionweekend.com/" target="_blank">chicagoexhibitionweekend.com</a>.

Putting Chicago First: Round Three for Chicago Exhibition Weekend

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1756792275/ede20d6h7rc3uwpveqe8.jpg">Pictured: the fall 2025 cover of CGN featuring art by Jacqueline Surdell <h4>﻿To subscribe to receive a print copy of the fall 2025 issue of CGN <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</h4> By GINNY VAN ALYEA I say it regularly, but I am an optimist. I am not, however oblivious. I have worked at CGN for 23 years, through many market ups and downs, neighborhood changes, art fair evolutions and more. I go back through Chicago’s art world history often, and when I look to CGN’s founding in 1982, we have weathered a lot. I have been privy to several conversations this year about the current art market’s slower sales, high overhead and tightening margins. One question looms largest: where is the next generation of collectors? Today’s likely pool of art buyers doesn’t hesitate to snap up concert tickets or plane tickets. They go big for innovative experiences and dining instead of acquiring a lot of ‘stuff.’ However, plenty of people engage with artists on Instagram and tune in to the world’s current events through a conceptual lens. A young generation’s buying power has the potential for lasting impact: to put it in perspective, a month’s worth of $30 salads and $15 smoothies could instead be $800 towards a work on paper by a young artist. Thoughtful saving and spending can start an art collection, launch an artist’s career and sustain a new gallery.&nbsp; The money is out there. And so is the generational engagement. New collectors will still emerge—not from traditional wealth pipelines, but from creative industries, tech, and mission-driven professions. Entry-level collecting often begins with drawings, prints, photography, emerging art—mostly (hopefully) under $5,000. It also begins with love–when you find something you just have to have and will cherish for years to come. Also like falling in love, art shouldn’t be a trophy, it is a commitment—to the person who created it, and also a declaration to yourself to live with art and explore it.&nbsp; The art world is working towards meeting collectors where they currently are–improving pricing transparency and online buying, offering flexible payment options and outreach. Events that prioritize education, access and fun—not just exclusivity—go a long way towards making any potential buyer feel welcomed rather than intimidated. And buyers need to spend the time, speak up, and ask questions. Long-term sustainability means collectors and galleries supporting each other. This will depend not just on high-net-worth clients, but on broader audiences who see collecting as part of their cultural life—not just as luxury.&nbsp; This fall issue of CGN offers so many ways to discover and engage with art, from reading about our cover artist Jacqueline Surdell's September exhibition at Secrist | Beach, to following contributor Susan Gescheidle on her journeys to new and upcoming spaces. We interviewed Melissa Weber and Jay Dandy about their shared passion for supporting local artists and we also asked other area collectors to share their own stories and lessons. We also spoke with five people in the art world to see what they are looking forward to. And we have put together lists of highlights happening this season, from the return of Chicago Exhibition Weekend to a slate of dynamite exhibitions, art fundraisers and galas you won't want to miss. Future collectors–we know you’re out there and we encourage you to partake! CGN is always here as a friendly resource. We welcome you to the art world! # <h4>To subscribe to receive a print copy of the fall 2025 issue of CGN <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</h4> <h4>Read CGN's fall 2025 cover interview with artist Jacqueline Surdell <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/jacqueline-surdell-an-artists-voice-helps-scale-her-art" target="_blank">here</a></h4> Top cover image: Jacqueline Surdell, Suddenly,&nbsp;she was hell-bent and ravenous (after Giotto), 2024. Nylon cord, steel, polyester fabric, steel spool top,&nbsp;steel chain and meat hooks. 65 (body) x 252 (pole to pole) x 7 inches.

Publisher’s Letter: Fall 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1756482746/x70sia8lakp1bmz2wobj.jpg">Installation view of deathmatch By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE Photos by Mikey Mosher <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bgfa.us/" target="_blank">Bert Green Fine Art</a> (BGFA), directed by its namesake, Bert Green, sits in Chicago’s historic Willoughby Tower.&nbsp;The gallery, says Green, is dedicated to thought&nbsp;provoking and timely exhibitions that push boundaries, in compliment to a print publishing division, which makes affordable limited editions for new and established collectors.The small venue complements its latest exhibition, Mac Pierce’s deathmatch, which explores themes of combat, war, and mortality, and is particularly well-suited to a more intimate environment.&nbsp; Fueled by his passion for technology, Chicago artist Pierce, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Art &amp; Technology Studies program, explores the complex and often troubling relationship between technological advancement and warfare. Pierce observes a disconnect between simulated and actual conflict. This phenomenon, he argues, has led to the erosion of social trust through the proliferation of misinformation. The artist describes himself as a “tinkerer and maker,” and his artistic approach is hands-on and experimental. He utilizes cutting-edge tools like AI, 3D printing, coding, and modding to deconstruct and critically examine the mechanisms of emerging weaponized technologies and surveillance. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1756482747/ftjrssgbybegjbwphwf0.jpg">Mac Pierce, Untitled (army man), 2025 - 3D printed PETG, Loctite® 4070,&nbsp;Nylon threaded rod, 65 x 48 x 18”. This innovative spirit shines through in Pierce’s third solo exhibition at BGFA. The exhibition includes an eclectic mix of works, including found objects, combat games, drone footage, and even classic toys, all serving to explore the multifaceted impact of technological advancements on conflict and societal control. Gallery owner Bert Green said of the artist, “Mac Pierce caught my eye as a young and up and coming artist who has a brilliant conceptual approach to his work that resonates beautifully with our current era of disruptive technologies. “ The show’s title, deathmatch, comes from video game terminology referring to a competitive game mode where players score points by defeating opponents, popularized by Doom in the early 1990s and still common in first-person shooter games. Pierce’s early understanding of conflict and war was significantly shaped by his grandfather, a World War II veteran. His grandfather introduced him to Army Men miniatures, a popular children’s toy that Time Magazine recognized in 2011 as one of the top 100 toys of all time. These small figures, coupled with a hand-carved wooden rifle from his grandfather and playing “Cowboys and Indians”—a game now viewed as culturally insensitive—instilled in Pierce his initial understanding of combat. However, contemporary perspectives now scrutinize these influences for two key reasons: the history of Native American genocide and concerns about violent games affecting children. Still, playing with miniature soldiers and enacting combat scenarios might, for some, stimulate imagination and strategic thinking. This exhibition features two artworks by Pierce, directly informed by these formative experiences, illustrating a journey from childhood play to artistic expression. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1756482748/kpfa9bw2plkaeqvgx9zi.jpg">Mac Pierce, Real Toys for Real Boys, 2024, Plywood, edition of 6, 44 x 8 x 1”. Upon discovering a damaged, discarded Army Men toy on a Chicago sidewalk, Pierce was inspired to create a scaled-up replica of the compelling footless soldier. A local engineering firm that conducts industrial scans performed a CT scan of the toy soldier, enabling Pierce to create an identical larger 3D-printed version. Untitled (army man,) is a green 3D-printed sculpture (65” x 48” x 18”) stamped with CHINA, referencing its origin and themes of global production and commodified war imagery. Pierce regards the human-sized sculpture as commentary on the monstrosity of war and its consequences. The nearby display of the original toy prompts viewers to consider its role as a symbol of conflict. Real Toys for Real Boys is a piece consisting of six life-sized replica firearms crafted from plywood. The title originates from a former website, which advertised its wooden toy guns with the slogan “Real Toys for Real Boys.” Placed haphazardly around the gallery, the guns blend playful innocence with real firearm symbolism. Each wooden gun features an edition number mirroring a firearm serial number. The installation critiques the normalization of guns by displaying them as scattered toys. I really like C/S/TS (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret,) a modestly sized linoleum print on paper (12 x 9 inches) created by Pierce in 2023. Though small in scale, it has a big impact within the exhibit because of the subject matter. It incorporates text from classified Pentagon documents leaked by Jack Teixeira in 2022 on the Discord platform. Teixeira, an IT specialist in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, shared sensitive details—like Ukraine troop movements, data on Chinese spy balloons, and weaknesses in Taiwan’s air defenses. The print visually mimics the original documents, showing creases and folds from pages Teixeira smuggled out. He stated that his actions were intended to address misinformation, but reports indicate his motivation was to impress online friends; he received a 15-year sentence in November 2024. The artwork draws on this event (that mirrors similar leaks, like the Pentagon Papers, WikiLeaks, Manning, and Snowden) to highlight ongoing issues of surveillance, data security, and misinformation. By using text of actual leaked material, C/S/TS prompts viewers to reflect on trust, accountability, and the complexities of information warfare and secrecy in the digital age. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1756482749/w9tjf3wgecyrdsgwucwj.jpg">Mac Pierce, We’re So Over, We’re So Back, 2025. (Detail pictured below) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1756482750/es94nodzxq4b4zzhdh59.jpg"> Creative Technologist Pierce incorporates digital technology to craft engaging experiences. For The Effects of Terrestrial Events upon Celestial Mechanics, he uses recovered footage from a damaged drone found at the intersection of Monroe and S. Wabash streets, with scenes appearing to be shot in Chicago and Brazil. This footage is displayed on a wall-mounted Steam Deck alongside the drone, mounted on a stick on the wall. Pierce integrated drone footage from Ukrainian Telegram channels but deliberately excluded Russian footage due to Telegram’s perceived association with pro-Kremlin propaganda. In a corner of the gallery sits Pierce’s&nbsp;KDR (Kill-Death-Ratio): an acrylic tombstone featuring a faint message,&nbsp;“YOU DIED,” in big block letters, burned into an embedded OLED monitor. Pierce kept the single text image on the monitor 24-7 for six months to create the ghosting. The piece, etched with a skull, rests on a polished concrete base atop a pedestal, mimicking a cemetery plot. This piece is one of my favorites—it’s intimate, and everyone has experienced loss and visited cemeteries. Pierce describes it as both a tribute to endless virtual gaming deaths and a stark reminder of mortality, especially in the context of war. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1756482751/w0gczxszixlggbfcupxv.jpg">Top: KDR, 2025, OLED gaming monitor, acrylic, polished concrete, laser cut aluminum, vacuum formed ABS, 3D-printed ABS, modified monitor mount, Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, stainless steel hardware, HDMI cable, USB-C Cable, 20v AC adapter, DC step-down converter, heat-set inserts, wiring, ghosts, 25 x 17 x 11”. We’re So Over, We’re So Back is a stunning 28 x 24 x 6-inch aluminum sculpture of a tech-ouroboros—a gleaming serpent caught in an eternal snack of its own tail. A blood red, water-cooled PC as its belly transforms its scales into a high-tech radiator, blurring the lines between human, machine, and reptile. The serpent’s gaze is fixed on an attached, adjacent monitor where a modified Counter-Strike game has gone rogue! Bots battle on ever-changing landscapes, hinting at technological and warfare loops. Pierce spent nine months learning the necessary skills through YouTube tutorials to construct the ouroboros sculpture, which runs the video game. A public build log documents his process, highlighting the power of self-learning and encouraging others to embrace their creative spirit. Pierce’s creation, like a perfectly executed move by a Counter-Strike professional, is brilliant and thought-provoking, sparking discussions on hacking, surveillance, and firearms. In the digital realm, the end is merely the beginning, and the game is always afoot!&nbsp; deathmatchThru October 18, 2025&nbsp;Open Friday 12–4PM, and by appt.Bert Green Fine Art, 8 S. Michigan Avenue, Ste. 620, Chicago<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bgfa.us/" target="_blank">bgfa.us</a> #

deathmatch by Mac Pierce at Bert Green: An Intimate Artistic Exploration of War and Games, Both Real and Pretend

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755612906/ygta84ajkyqdbntytthj.jpg">Rafael J. Miranda Mattei, Sin titulo (Vistas del Cerro Maravilla), 18 x 24”, solvent ink on paper, 2024 By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.elschomburg.com/" target="_blank">El Schomburg</a> opened in October 2023 in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Founded by Brenda Torres Figueroa—artist, educator, and curator—the center serves as a contemporary art space and cultural hub rooted in Chicago’s Puerto Rican community and inspired by the legacy of Afro-Puerto Rican historian Arturo Alfonso Schomburg. Located in a storefront with a black brick façade, the site features a mural of Arturo Schomburg and a Puerto Rican flag above the entrance. “Grabaciones para un pais de memoria corta: Tracking Issues”, an exhibition curated by Alexis Figueroa of Trailer Park Proyects, presents the unique work of Puerto Rican artist Rafael J. Miranda Mattei, based in the United States. This exhibition celebrates a two-decade-long artistic and personal collaboration between Figueroa and Miranda Mattei. Notably, Miranda Mattei’s first visit to Chicago in 2013 was for a Trailer Park Proyects exhibition organized in Figueroa’s truck. Figueroa is interested in how Miranda Mattei’s artistic perspective has evolved over the past seven years, examining the impact of distance and new environments on his artistic journey. Miranda Mattei is a mid-career artist and educator, whose work has been exhibited at various venues and museums in San Juan, New York City, Chicago, San Franciso, Madrid, and Buenos Aires. Living in New Jersey, he acknowledges the difficulties associated with being apart from friends and family in Puerto Rico and says this separation shapes his perspective and informs his artistic work, which continues to explore issues of identity and political representation. Miranda Mattei is presenting work at El Schomburg with the aim of engaging the Puerto Rican community in Chicago and aligning with the venue’s emphasis on Puerto Rican and Diasporic art. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755612908/iyspjv9s4dalfiapyjea.jpg">Installation view<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755612909/pxcxxfibzddf4egzxu3y.jpg"> “Grabaciones para un pais de memoria corta” (Recordings for a Country With a Short Memory), offers a critique of the fragility of collective memory within colonial and diasporic contexts. Miranda Mattei ingeniously employs the term ‘Tracking Issues,’ referencing distorted VHS images, to symbolize fragmented and lost narratives. Building upon inspirations from Neo-Dada, Pop Art, and Neo-conceptualism, Miranda Mattei utilizes cynicism and satire to critically examine Puerto Rican society and government, addressing the profound impact of politics and media on collective memory. Miranda Mattei, Figueroa notes, is admired by peers as an “artist’s artist” for his singular vision and willingness to confront controversial subjects. While Miranda Mattei is wary of the political climate under Donald Trump, he boldly uses the environment to inspire more inclusive narratives of resistance and resilience. The exhibition’s relevance provides an astute commentary on the intersection of politics, media, and collective memory that resonates strongly within the current political climate. Miranda Mattei’s artwork investigates the interplay among memory, narratives of past experiences, personal identity, history, and the lasting influence of prior events. If you remember the days of “Be Kind. Please Rewind,” Blockbuster video rentals, VCR players, or capturing important moments on VHS tapes with bulky camcorders, then this exhibition will resonate. Anyone who has ever made a curated mix tape or CD will relate to this work as a means of revisiting the obsolete physical media from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, a period that deeply informs Miranda Mattei’s artistic vision. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755612911/afl8pyhkvomytjistb0x.jpg">Rafael J. Miranda Mattei, Sin titulo (Entierro de Munoz Marin) 18 x 24”, solvent ink on paper, 2024 Miranda Mattei’s choice to explore collective memory via ubiquitous but outdated media, like VHS tapes and CDs that once served as revolutionary accessible tools for capturing memories of significant events also highlights this particular media’s historical, personal, and political significance to Puerto Rico. It’s a link to past and present. His nine solvent ink prints on paper of scanned flattened VHS boxes, function as archives of Puerto Rican history. The visually striking 18 by 24-inch framed VHS prints, with their vivid colors and geometric forms, showcase a cornucopia of classic brands like BASF, Maxwell, Panasonic, Polaroid, Sanyo, Sony, and TDK. The display may remind viewers of their own VHS collections, whether stored, recorded over, or lost. As Figueroa observes, taping over or losing VHS tape content symbolizes lost memories, echoing Miranda Mattei’s focus on the fragility of memory—a point supported by University of Chicago research on the malleability of memory, which explores forgetting and the creation of false recollections. Miranda Mattei reinterprets pivotal moments in Puerto Rican history through a unique artistic practice: hand-labeling VHS tapes with invented titles. These VHS prints bridge past and present, providing new insight into major events. Miranda Mattei’s work covers the devastating 1985 Mameyes landslide; the 1996 Humberto Vidal gas explosion; the funeral of influential political figure, Muñoz Marín; and the 1999 accidental death of David Sanes in Vieques from a United States military bombing error. He also captures the 1978 Cerro Maravilla massacre and its subsequent cover-up, where two young pro-independence activists were murdered in a police ambush; Karl Wallenda’s fatal high-wire walk in San Juan that same year; and Puerto Rican boxer Tito Trinidad’s triumph over De La Hoya. Through this artistic endeavor, Mattei visually reinterprets these events, fostering a connection between historical narratives and contemporary understanding. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755612913/vk1lymhgkxsaqw0lk8pg.jpg">Rafael J. Miranda Mattei, Man in Condado, 44 x 60”,&nbsp;India ink on hot press Arches paper, 2025 The exhibition features varied artworks, such as a 32.5 x 31.5-inch mixed media piece inspired by a CD mixtape. Another striking piece viewers will appreciate is an installation of&nbsp;twenty-two vivid-colored VHS tapes joined together with plexiglass, forming a dynamic half-rainbow arch across the wall. Several new large-scale black and white works (44 x 60 inches), meticulously created with India ink on hot press Arches paper, are on display. These pieces reference the VHS print of Karl Wallenda’s 1978 San Juan tightrope performance and fatal fall, drawing inspiration from photos of the fall taken by Gary Williams, a San Juan newspaper photographer. The photos were featured in the April 3, 1978, Time Magazine article, “Sit Down, Poppy, Sit Down!” Miranda Mattei’s drawings of Wallenda evoke Robert Longo’s “Men in the Cities” black and white series, portraying sharply dressed figures in mid-motion against a stark white backdrop — an aesthetic that mirrors both Wallenda’s attire and form during his fatal descent. “Man in Condado” depicts Wallenda plummeting from below, dressed in black trousers and white-soled shoes, one arm visible – a chilling foreshadowing of his death. Miranda Mattei’s drawings are powerful, elegant, yet terrifying, imbued with the knowledge of the tragic end to the story. The local television station WAPA in San Juan captured the moment live, indelibly engraving it in the collective memory of those who witnessed the fall. Miranda Mattei’s art beautifully revives this somber chapter of the island’s past. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755612915/wwquvuzzpoy28su0wtla.jpg"> The exhibition offers an unfiltered view of Puerto Rico’s history, highlighting both its strengths and flaws. Though living in New Jersey, Miranda Mattei maintains a deep connection to his Puerto Rican heritage, portraying the island’s complexities beyond the idealized image of a sun-kissed Caribbean paradise. In doing so, Miranda Mattei deliberately refrains from comparing Puerto Rico’s corruption to that on the mainland, just as he avoids drawing parallels to how mainstream media sensationalizes stories to distract from less desirable topics. The exhibition demonstrates a consistent and unwavering perspective on Puerto Rico, acknowledging that these issues resonate beyond the island. This multi-media retro-esque exhibit is a nuanced and heartfelt love story embracing Puerto Rico’s complexities. Don’t miss the chance to experience this candid homage to Puerto Rico’s cultural legacy: “Be Kind. Please Rewind!” # Grabaciones para un pais de memoria corta:&nbsp;Tracking Issues is on view thru September 19, 2025at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.elschomburg.com/" target="_blank">El Schomburg</a>2538 W. Division, ChicagoHours by appointment.&nbsp;Call 15 minutes prior. 787–409–6983 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1755612916/ijx277xpjotihfluwnjm.jpg">Installation view

El Schomburg: Grabaciones para un pais de memoria corta: Tracking Issues by Rafael J. Miranda Mattei

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541928/rz8ovhk6lact4sqj6rfn.jpg">Installation view of Tessercats By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://watershedstudio.works/" target="_blank">Watershed Studioworks</a> in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood is hosting "Tessercats," an exhibit by Erik Wenzel with nearly 40 feline-inspired portraits informed by theoretical mathematics, and hyperspace. Established in 2019, Watershed Studioworks operates as an artist-run gallery and studio workspace. Co-owned by visual artist Kelly Rickert and Sarah Bordson, the gallery showcases art that promotes community engagement and meaningful dialogue. Wenzel relocated his studio to Watershed Studioworks during the pandemic and started working on these paintings. The gallery is an intimate storefront space with large windows and natural light, and an ideal venue for exhibiting Wenzel’s small but mighty Tesser-cats.&nbsp; Last year, I had the opportunity to visit Wenzel’s studio and observe a selection of his kick-ass cat portraits in progress.&nbsp;A long-time cat enthusiast, Wenzel has produced many cat-themed works, evolving from simple sketches and doodles to these vibrant, striking portraits. Seeing them together as a group was fabulous.&nbsp;After a year and the completion of roughly twenty-five additional paintings, "Tessercats,” the exhibition, has come to fruition. On the gallery walls, the portraits are a veritable feast for the eyes, and I’m here for it.&nbsp; “Tessercats” represents Wenzel’s return to the art scene following a hiatus earning a Master of Art History. The exhibition title, derived from a combination of "cats" and "tesseract," refers to a four-dimensional cube. While researching the early modernist avant-garde, Wenzel became interested in hyperspace, spatial dimensions beyond the three we frequent. His focus is on the historical avant-garde's quasi-spiritual ideas about this spatial fourth dimension and how it ties into madness, mental illness, and self-care. Wenzel, an artist, curator, and writer, weaves these abstract spatial ideas into his new series of serious and silly cat paintings.&nbsp;Influences on his art practice include Marcel Duchamp, Gilett Burgess, the cubists, and architect and designer, Claude Bragdon. Wenzel states, “All this became an enticing way to think through history, conceive of abstract space as a mental place and explore.”&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541929/dxtkbgkav2ahsmmfgowz.jpg">Lindner, 2023, acrylic and graphite, on panel, 9”x 12” In 2022, Wenzel left academia, self-published a book titled “Mental Health Illness,” featuring new work and busied himself painting cat portraits. Wenzel creates these gorgeous gems using materials such as acrylic, gesso, ink, collaged paper, puffy paint, and graphite. Most works are 9 x 12-inch panels, with some at 12 x 12 inches and one at 16 x 20 inches. In addition, the show includes two large graphite drawings. Geometry influences the structure of these portraits: triangles and cones form the ears and nose, circles outline the eyes and cheeks, and squares are included here and there. These portraits show close-up, frontal cat faces, occasionally including shoulders. All cats are alike, yet unique. Wenzel regards the repetitive nature of his artistic process as both therapeutic and meditative. His repetitive imagery recalls Warhol’s screen prints, though each cat portrait is unique in color and materials. The subjects appear stoic and contemplative, resembling spiritual icons. Wenzel says there's no hidden message; his process is guided by intuition, with the goal of creating imaginative, four-dimensional representations of cats.&nbsp;Some days, inspiration comes easily; other days, he tells us, “The cats aren’t talking.”&nbsp; The paintings are fantastic and fanciful, but it’s the eyes that fascinate me. They are skillfully rendered, effectively embodying the sentiment that "the eyes are the window to the soul," a phrase often attributed to William Shakespeare. Some eyes are abstract, multicolored, or tie-dye-like patterns, while others are monochromatic. These portraits require close observation to appreciate their curious details.&nbsp;For example, “Lindner,” features pinwheel-patterned eyes: one contains two tiny tent-like pentagons at its center, the other a small gem-like hexagon. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541930/xdtcbkf6u18xe4xdspij.jpg">&nbsp;Trellis Tra La La, 2025, acrylic on panel, 9”x 12” Many works feature spiral-patterned eyes, reflecting Wenzel’s focus on mathematics and geometry, and recalling the retro1960s Spirograph toy. These dreamlike swirling-patterned eyes also evoke the bold, psychedelic aesthetics of the 1960s and 1970s (think acid trips!) Examples include “Snow Pea,’” “Mascara Fresco,” “Mr. "Stripes,” and my favorite, “Trellis Tra La La.” The latter, created in 2025, is an acrylic painting rendered in black and white, depicting a cat with predominantly black, spiral-shaped eyes. The composition includes yellow and teal cubes and intersecting lines, dynamic gestural marks, and pinkish-red circles.&nbsp; Wenzel shows creativity in naming these cats as well, using mental health-inspired titles like “Serenity Self-Preservation,” “Depression with Vibes,” and “Delectable Behavior Therapy” (a play on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT). “Serenity Self-Preservation” hints at safeguarding one's mental and emotional well-being to maintain lasting tranquility. This acrylic on panel piece features a finely drawn graphite cat on an ivory background, embodying serenity. Though easy to overlook due to its subtlety, the painting stands out once seen. "Depression with Vibes" alludes to misery with changes in mood, behavior, or disposition. This acrylic and collage painting portrays a black and grey cat set against a muted grey background, highlighted by colorful lines, multi-colored eyes, and vivid paint blobs on its face. The artwork suggests depression but also a sense of radiance.&nbsp; Wenzel's titles use intent, psychological themes, and humor—both subtle and direct—to address complex emotions in his art. Titles like “Nicely Niced,” “Chin Scritcher,” “Snow Pea,” and “Late Night Goofus” are witty and engaging. Wenzel slays with “Eye Contact With A Four-Dimensional Cat Through An Infra-Thin Layer.” The titles and Tesser-cats, overall, reflect a blend of intelligence and folly, with titles that aptly match each cat's personality.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541931/fojy4rxlvtjexh6k94he.jpg">Mascara Fresco, 2023, acrylic and gesso, on panel, 9”x 12” Wenzel's Tesser-cats explore universal themes related to human experience. The works incorporate playful elements alongside aspects of vulnerability, engaging viewers through neutral expressions that encourage both analysis and general observation. Viewers can choose to overthink or simply enjoy. Wenzel suggests a "cat approach": relax in the moment “especially when there's a nice sun patch to lounge in.” Catch the show before it ends; you might just be chosen by a Tesser-cat! Wenzel holds a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Chicago (UChicago).&nbsp; “Tessercats” runs through July 26th at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://watershedstudio.works/" target="_blank">Watershed Studioworks</a>, 3016 W. Belmont, Chicago.&nbsp; Open Saturdays 12 PM to 5 PM and by appointment Artist talk, Saturday, July 12th at 3:00 PM&nbsp;

Landscape Survey: Tessercats, New Work by Erik Wenzel at Watershed Studioworks

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541841/mcvvfwqtu42go5xdrrr8.jpg">Maxwell Volkman, Tweakin, 2023, 34x 44 in. Acrylic, oil, inkjet prints, I’ve varnish, cut paper, colored pencil, and staples on canvas By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE <a style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/_gure__/" target="_blank">GURE</a> – Alex Adkinson &amp; Maxwell Volkman: The River Sweats with Oil and Tar GURE, located in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, is presenting its third exhibition titled “The River Sweats with Oil and Tar,” featuring the works of artists Alex Adkinson and Maxwell Volkman. GURE is a converted garage with an industrial design and provides a unique backdrop for the two-person show. The exhibition explores themes of angst and critiques of American culture through mixed media artworks that reflect on post-industrial landscapes and societal issues. GURE, owned and operated by Sharmarke Ahmed, is located on a quiet residential street. Enter through the side yard gate to find an enchanting garden setting and a fire pit where people gather. The gallery is in the rear corner of the yard and features industrial components including brick walls, a metal garage door, and concrete floors, alongside modern white walls. It suits the Adkinson and Volkman show perfectly.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541841/v0yxsling70bmtytasfi.jpg">Installation view. Work by Alex Adkinson on left and by Maxwell Volkman on right. Adkinson's mixed media artworks use materials such as steel, copper, reclaimed wood, inkjet prints, and various other elements to create pieces with an organic and raw aesthetic. Volkman uses various materials like paint, duct tape, shooting targets, grommets, inkjet prints, cut paper, and fingerprints to create textured visual compositions. They both tackle contemporary issues: Adkinson focuses on post-industrial landscapes and ecological problems, while Volkman explores fear, trauma, drug culture, and violence. Their work shares an organic quality that complements each other in the GURE framework. Adkinson's relocation from Tallahassee to Chicago has significantly influenced his recent work, integrating elements of both natural and urban environments seamlessly. As an artist and digital imaging researcher focusing on biodiversity, his surroundings are understandably crucial to him. In Tallahassee, he experienced isolation and swampy conditions, which he found powerful. In contrast, he believes that the densely populated urban environment of Chicago exerts a stronger influence on him. This is evident in his artwork, exploring themes of alienation and beauty in a post-industrial landscape. The Midwest’s abandoned factories, rusted steel and objects, crumbling bricks, and industrial agriculture highlight significant changes in the landscape. These conditions, coupled with the constant lack of solitude in the city, deeply affect Adkinson. He notes that he and Volkman share concerns about their examinations of American culture, feeling frustration, angst, and melancholy in a problematic world. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541842/xsmq31wyhrrgwqhtmrrh.jpg">Alex Adkinson, Wished-for Disappearances, 2025, 10 X 22 in., Steel, reclaimed wood, acrylic, inkjet print, aluminum&nbsp; Adkinson's inspirations are diverse. He aligns with T.S. Eliot's sentiments on modernity and the wasteland, which inspired the GURE exhibit title. Others include Gilberto Zorio, Robert Smithson, Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, Sasha Fishman, and Heana Yoo. Adkinson's work at GURE features three small assemblages, a collage on paper, and two larger sculptures. 'Fidelity Ablation,' an 8-foot-tall sculpture made of steel, acrylic, and photographic print on polyvinyl, stands prominently on the lawn outside the gallery. The gallery features four smaller pieces displayed on the walls, along with Adkinson's floor sculpture 'A Measure of Growth,' which is 51-inches tall. The eye-catching sculpture features tall urban fruiting grass, steel, copper, mounted objects, and clay bowls suspended by chains. It balances a calm presence suitable for a yoga studio with an unusual vibe that suggests a ritualistic gathering. It Illustrates the beauty and ambiguity present within the post-industrial environment. The small pieces are intricate and interesting as well. ‘Wished-for Disappearances,’ made from materials including reclaimed wood, acrylic, aluminum, a nature photo, and part of a rusted pitchfork fished out of the Chicago River, tells a compelling story. I appreciated the piece and its narrative. Adkinson employs a diverse and rich array of materials in his work, and the palette features muted, earthy tones. His work is elegant, poetic, and fragile, yet still conveys a sense of frenetic movement, akin to Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, which transitions from an acoustic intro to a rock anthem. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541843/q5xma41fznvw4icgkhks.jpg">Alex Adkinson, A Measure of Growth, 2024, 51 X 28 X 12 in. Steel, copper, wild clay, urban fruiting grass, root&nbsp;&nbsp;ball, bismuth, manoammonium, phosphate, copper sulphate&nbsp; Volkman relocated to Chicago in 2019 from Tacoma, WA and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute (SAIC). He consistently made collages before his arrival, and he still does. At GURE, he is showcasing two collaged acrylic and oil canvases, along with two smaller collaged acrylic and flashe works on paper. 'Tweakin,' a 34 x 44-inch painting, portrays an individual in a stapled shut yellow straitjacket, encapsulating Volkman's exploration of themes related to discomfort. The piece incudes an image of a Xanax tablet and the text "Ketamine Infusion.” On the opposite wall is 'Confetti,' a piece related to Ketamine featuring multiple images of Crysten Ritter as Jane from Breaking Bad, with red paint resembling blood. Volkman's art, though unsettling, grabs attention like drivers observing accidents. His paintings combine spectacle with nuance to explore broader themes and issues. Volkman suggests that horror helps people manage anxiety, fear, and trauma, and he uses his art to process events and engage with the world.&nbsp; Volkman cites Francis Bacon, David Wojnarowicz, Sterling Ruby, Dash Snow, Daniel Johnston, Thomas Hirschhorn, and Harmony Korine as influences. His work explores themes of mental illness, social class, drugs, dark humor, religion, and violence. Volkman notes that his night terrors affect his art as well. He sources images online, from mass media, videos, horror films, and photography that evoke unease, fear, loss of control, and helplessness. Volkman integrates these images into his layered paintings, producing visuals that are subtly unsettling yet socially pertinent. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760541844/nyvfzk0otmrt42rcrllp.jpg">&nbsp;Maxwell Volkman, 2 Geeked, 2025, 24 x 18.75 in. Acrylic, flashe, inkjet prints, cut paper, colored pencil, duct tape, shooting targets, and grommets on paper in custom poplar frame The works on paper pieces ‘2 Geeked,’ and ‘Snow White,’ are good examples of this. 'Snow White' shows an alluring dark-haired woman encircled by enticing blue OxyContin pills. In '2 Geeked,' an erotic woman holding a gun faces the viewer with red paint dripping like blood, and the word OMEN appears in block text above her. It exhibits qualities that are both repelling and provocative, making it notable in the show (and my favorite by Volkman.)&nbsp;The theme from The Exorcist, Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, would complement Volkman’s work perfectly. Volkman framed the two 24 X 18.75 inch works on paper to harmonize with Adkinson’s industrial style. He made wood frames and spray-painted them with Rust-Oleum Chrome Metallic Finish. The paintings are attached to the frames using grommets, screws, and staples, with fingerprints visible on the frames. The faux-metal frames enhance 'Snow White' and '2 Geeked,' Volkman’s newest pieces.&nbsp; Art often reflects society, and this exhibition does just that. It offers not only an aesthetic experience but also a commentary on contemporary issues. Both artists have upcoming local exhibitions. Adkinson will be in a two-person show at Sawhorse, and Volkman will participate in a two-person exhibition at LVL3. The exhibition continues at GURE through June 28th and is open by appointment only. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/_gure__/" target="_blank">DM for address</a> and to schedule viewing.

Landscape survey: Alex Adkinson & Maxwell Volkman at GURE 

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543008/c1vgofbzbogpm3k60bc4.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. The Pont de l'Europe, 1876. Association des Amis du Petit Palais, Genève. Image courtesy of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Photo by John R. Glembin. By GINNY VAN ALYEA This June the Art Institute’s major summer exhibition, Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World, will present the Impressionist’s work in the context of the era and the social circles in which he lived. Caillebotte (1848–1894) is closely associated with his monumental painting of a French street scene on a gray and inclement day, Paris Street; Rainy Day, a work that is the crown jewel of the Art Institute’s permanent collection as well as this exhibtion. The show promises to expand how visitors see the artist’s own life and what inspired him, allowing us to appreciate intimate elements of Caillebotte’s world while also presenting questions about what the artist himself saw and wanted viewers to see in his paintings. Curious about the every-day, despite his own privileged background, his radical perceptions and depictions are quite relevant today.&nbsp; This exhibition, which opened in October 2024 at Paris’s Musée d’Orsay, includes more than 120 works—paintings, works on paper, photographs, and other ephemera from throughout Caillebotte’s career. In addition to recognizable works like Floor Scrapers and Paris Street; Rainy Day, the show presents lesser-known but pivotal works like the Musée d’Orsay’s recent acquisition, Boating Party, and the Louvre Abu-Dhabi’s The Bezique Game, as well as many works from private collections that are rarely seen by American audiences.&nbsp; Gloria Groom, Chair and Winton Green Curator, Painting and Sculpture of Europe, The Art Institute of Chicago took time this spring to give us a preview of what we can expect from Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543009/eifhd9rrw2xakm7icpq5.jpg">Gloria Groom, Chair and Winton Green Curator, Painting and Sculpture of Europe, The Art Institute of Chicago. Photo by <a style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.clarebritt.com/" target="_blank">Clare Britt</a> <h4> </h4><h4>CGN: How did this exhibition come together? What will visitors see, in addition to Paris Street: Rainy Day?</h4> Gloria Groom: Caillebotte is a figure painter, first and foremost. The Art Institute of course owns the granddaddy of all of his paintings, Paris Street: Rainy Day, and it is such a remarkable work because really it’s the first and last multi-figural painting at this scale. Everybody kind of knows the painting, but they don’t know the man. That’s what we wanted to flesh out. We were able to amass a lot of new archival material and get into family archives and really identify the people in his paintings. As a result we realized most of the people are men, so he had a real focus on a subject that most Impressionists wouldn’t be doing, because men weren’t commercially viable [as subjects]. We wanted to focus on that.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543009/qienwmlrfsavknzuvhrw.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1877. The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. Worcester Collection. <h4>CGN: Caillebotte was an Impressionist, but what set him apart from his contemporaries?&nbsp;</h4> He was born in 1848, right during the&nbsp;French Revolution of that year. He watched Paris go from having a king, to the monarchy collapsing, then to the Second Republic. What the republic brings with it is a lot more freedom, but at the same time anxiety, because he grows up and he’s painting and taking classes during the Franco–Prussian War. For men it was a complicated time, fighting and getting beat by Germans. His interests were not only in the men of his social class, which was upper middle class, but also the people that worked for him, the workers, the gardeners, the people who were scraping down the floors in the room that was going to be his studio in Paris.&nbsp; He’s also not like the Impressionists because he actually lives with his family and gets along fine with them. He accepted his wealth, but he didn’t want to be just known as a wealthy dilettante. He really throws himself into whatever he’s doing, be it gardening, racing boats or building boats. We wanted to show he was a man of his era. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543010/i34tixqc9fbsji36seig.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. Balcony, about 1880. Private collection. Photo courtesy of the private collection/Bridgeman Images. <h4>CGN: What was so unusual about how he observed and depicted male subjects?</h4> GG: Men had clubs–like the sailing club, as an example–to belong to, but women did not. Caillebotte liked to be with other males in the Impressionist circle. He esteemed women artists like Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt, but he liked to be in groups and he liked supporting them through his financial wealth, through his talents as a painter. We are really expanding on what he did by spending time in these circles. It’s hard to paint men and make them look interesting, but he’s a real colorist and he’s interested in decorative patterns. So you get portraits that aren’t as austere as one might think. And he uses his male friends as his models. <h4>CGN: There are few direct gazes I see in these paintings of men. He’s really observing them, whatever they’re doing. They’re not sitting for a portrait or even necessarily paying attention to him.</h4> GG: Right. There are only a couple that you get the sense of portraiture. And those are really the ones that ended up in those collections, since most didn’t sell and ended up with family. The idea of detachment is very Baudelairean and something quite modern in the last part of the century. The male gaze is very different, because it’s looking at males. Even when he’s looking at women, there’s a kind of detachment. When you compare a Renoir painting of a woman to one by Caillebotte, any day of the week you’ll see there’s a big difference between the way they’re expressing the feminine in art. He’s really more interested in showing men. He was surrounded by men, he grew up with three brothers and lived in a household of men–he lived with his brother after he left his parents’ house, when they both died. So he is happiest and most comfortable it seems, through his paintings, with these male companionships.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543011/oxtfvl1cvwrl9xwv1dr3.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. Floor Scrapers, 1875. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Gift of the Caillebotte heirs through Auguste Renoir, 1894. Photo courtesy of Musée d’Orsay, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Franck Raux. <h4>CGN: Did Caillebotte’s subject matter alone qualify him as radical, or was it something else?</h4> GG: I think he was radical not just in his male portraits, but in everything. The Floor Scrapers was considered radical. The thing that really made him stand out was his technique. It looked like it came from the tradition of painting where you do drawings, then you do sketches, then you find the final composition, because some of them were large scale, not as large as ours, but bigger than a regular Impressionist landscape. He painted in a way that suggested he spent a long time with it, as opposed to the impressions of the Impressionists, and that painting style made him popular. His subject matter was still rather radical because he would zoom in on things.&nbsp; One of the criticisms of our painting at the Art Institute was, why would you make a subject so banal on that scale? It doesn’t deserve that scale. He was considered a more traditional artist, and at the same time a very radical artist because of the foreshortening and because of the subjects he chose, but the way he painted was more legible and accessible than what we call the flickering brushstrokes of a Monet or a Pissarro. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543012/brndanv1keat7wise9sk.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. Man Drying His Leg, about 1884. Private collection. Photo by Lea Gryze, Berlin. © Private collection, Berlin, 2024. <h4> </h4><h4>CGN: It sounds like he didn’t fit that easily with the other Impressionists.&nbsp;</h4> GG: It’s when he’s painting landscapes in water that he becomes an Impressionist, but when he’s painting figures,&nbsp;it looks more traditional. We’ll have a lot of preparatory drawings in the exhibition, for our Paris Street: Rainy Day and The Floor Scrapers and others. People will be able to see that he, like Seurat and like so many artists who are considered modern, starts with observation and drawings and then eventually composes the final painting. But I think the big story is his insistence on painting figures, and men in particular. It’s the radicalness of his way of seeing men. <h4>CGN: What do you think Caillebotte was trying to say or capture in his subject matter?&nbsp;</h4> It’s narrative, but it’s not. He sets us up. Even Paris Street: Rainy Day, it looks like you can read the scene. And when you start trying to figure it out, you don’t know what they’re looking at. They’re not looking at each other, but they’re together. It’s cinematic but it’s not yet giving you the caption that you need. And the name he called it, Paris Street: Rainy Day–he’s not telling you what to think either. That’ll be fun. It will help us understand our painting, which we associate with Chicago. I think it’ll give us the context through the other modern works to better understand it. # <h4>Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World</h4>Jun 29–Oct 5, 2025The Art Institute of Chicago<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10068/gustave-caillebotte-painting-his-world" target="_blank">artic.edu</a>

A preview of the Gustave Caillebotte exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago summer 2025

An Artist’s Own World: Gustave Caillebotte at the Art institute

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543675/kqaqvcpfvnre0gplcfdx.jpg"> By GINNY VAN ALYEA The city of Detroit. Once synonymous with industry, and consequently, urban decline. What once looked, for years, to be a city perpetually in a hapless situation has been recently overcoming adversities and undergoing a remarkable reinvention I would say, to a great extent, thanks to doubling down on the vitality of arts and culture (something I couldn’t help but think city leadership in Chicago could take a moment to study).&nbsp; My children had a school break this past October. Some classmates went to places like New York, Costa Rica, even Europe! Instead, in the spirit of embracing what’s near, I opted to plan a three-night family visit to Detroit. The entire drive would be awash in colorful fall foliage, I was excited to experience a vibrant Midwestern city filled with creativity, innovation, and civic pride, getting just enough scenery along the way that it would feel like we spent some time in nature. During our trip, we got just a taste of Detroit’s revitalized downtown—its galleries, museums, restaurants, and charming independent shops—a cultural beating heart of dynamic artistic expressions developing the city. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543676/q1dr4y8exyeforxswaks.jpg"> We arrived in Detroit on a crisp autumn afternoon. Due to our own time constraints, we weren’t going to arrive until around 3:30 p.m. Our very first stop was The Shepherd, a new art center that opened only a few months earlier in 2024. Located in an 110-year-old Catholic church, once known as Good Shepherd and that closed in 2016, plans to breathe new life into the space as The Shepherd were announced in 2021 by Library Street Collective co-founders Anthony &amp; JJ Curis. The Shepherd is at the heart of the Curis’ vision for a revitalization of Little Village on Detroit’s east side, and the pre-existing space offered room for exhibitions, performances, a library and educational spaces. An artist-focused b&amp;b retreat in the church’s former rectory space, a park, and public sculpture offer something for everyone. Mothership Connection, a 26-foot tall outdoor sculpture by British-Trinidadian artist Zak Ové shares a name with Parliament Funkadelic’s iconic album of the same name from the 1970s. The towering work’s details show that varied materials and colors intentionally engage viewers in order to invite them aboard to consider the histories and contributions of enslaved Africans and others who helped build the country. Nearby, also on the grounds, is Charles McGee Legacy Park, in honor of the late Detroit artist who created art about the Black experience and the citizens of the city. There is even a skate park, designed by skateboarder Tony Hawk and the artist MacArthur Binion, whose own foundation, Modern Ancient Brown is onsite at the Shepherd. There is so much going on both inside and out of the main building there is a feeling that the creative energy on campus is bound to spill into the neighborhood. The day we visited, fall colors and sunny skies showed the parks in perfect light. Visitors lingered on benches, and it was easy to see how The Shepherd will be a gathering space for many people and eventsthroughout the year.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543677/anmcjozo6tmlxngw9icz.jpg"> After leaving The Shepherd as the sun started to set, we drove right into downtown so we could visit two galleries before they closed for the weekend. We arrived at The Belt, an alley with a lot going on on a Saturday night. Packed with people enjoying drinks around communal tables, taking a shortcut between streets or heading to the Standby restaurant and cocktail bar, The Belt is billed as a “culturally redefined alley” and is named for its location in a former downtown garment district. Installed along the walls of the alley were large-scale photographs by Genevieve Gaignard, part of Public Matter, The Belt’s fully accessible, outdoor exhibition platform. Previous exhibiting artists include Shepard Fairey, Nina Chanel Abney, Beverly Fishman, Daniel Arsham, and others. Happening upon The Belt is like saying the magic word to enter Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley and having a secret entrance appear. In keeping with the theme of being transported, in this case between Broadway and Library Street and Gratiot and Grand River, an opening in a brick wall offers a special window into the gallery we had come to see, Library Street Collective, the space responsible for this inviting destination. On view during our visit was an exhibition of round, large-scale paintings by Detroit artist James Benjamin Franklin. The highlighter-bright paint hues leave impressions on your retinas, adding to the stunning visual staying power of the works. Next door to LSC is Louis Buhl &amp; Co., a project space with an exhibition in its front gallery and shelves and flatfiles in the back area. Gretchen at the gallery gave us a helpful tour of the space while talking about what it means to her to have grown up near Detroit and live in the city now as a young person, when just a generation ago very few people would have considered living and working downtown. The vibrancy and cultural currency of art in Detroit is a testament to what can draw and retain a young professional class in the city. Gretchen also gave us a great recommendation for where to find the best Detroit-style pizza. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543678/yuiyngfqem5jfky995jz.jpg"> On Sunday morning, it took us less than 10 minutes to drive from our hotel in Corktown to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier cultural institutions in the entire country. Situated on the outskirts of Midtown Detroit, the museum is an architectural masterpiece and houses an extensive collection of more than 65,000 works that span centuries and cultures. DIA made news more than a decade ago when its trove of priceless art was considered fair game for deaccessioning as a means of raising money to lift the beleaguered city out of bankruptcy and pay the pensions of city retirees. The near-miraculous, widely covered “Grand Bargain” with business leaders, private foundations and the state of Michigan —who collectively contributed $800 million to the underfunded plans in exchange for ensuring the museum’s collection, even works that were purchased with city funds, was spared from the auction block—means that you cannot view the works on view at the museum today without thinking what might have been: art lost from public view forever. My family spent almost the entire day at DIA.&nbsp; There was so much to see, just among the permanent collection’s highlights, including Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s magnificent The Wedding Dance from 1566, to the expansive paintings by contemporary African American artists. And, of course, the Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera, which recall Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in scale of course, but they also tell a story of humanity in painterly detail on a cavernous surface. The murals are a national treasure depicting the history of the city’s industrial might and the backbreaking work of its citizens during the 1930s.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543679/yrvvgdfbbdqstv9abt3b.jpg"> An immersive, special exhibition by Detroit artist Tiff Massey, Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois, notably features contemporary installations by Massey in dialogue with DIA holdings by Donald Judd and Louise Nevelson. Massey’s own contemporary, monumental works summon Detroit’s hardworking spirit just as Rivera’s murals did a century ago. The exhibition ends May 11, 2025. On Monday, we took the kids to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and enjoyed the interactive exhibits. Some notable highlights include the Rosa Parks Bus, presidential limousines, and yes, a Weiner Mobile. Spending time here continued my childrens’ first-hand engagement with various avenues for creativity on this trip, and the historic campus in Dearborn was especially beautiful in October. We enjoyed the change to let the kids run loose outside by the museum’s clock tower before departing. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760543681/mxy2xzy53oopirvje3dk.jpg"> Our final evening found us back downtown for dinner, and we ended up having Detroit-style pizza, as we had promised the kids. Everyone agreed that an art trip wasn’t so bad after all, and we enjoyed spending time in a city with so much energy and so much to do. It’s always nice to be someplace where people are glad you are there, and that felt especially true in Detroit. We will be back. OUR FAMILY DETROIT ITINERARYNote: Our travel days were based around a school schedule, which was less than ideal, but aren’t all school vacation times? We drove on Saturday, and the trip is 4 1/2 hours and heads into Eastern Standard time. We had to hustle to make it to some spaces that afternoon.as they did not reopen until Wednesday. For our DIA visit we had to go Sunday, since the museum was closed Monday and Tuesday. We unfortunately couldn’t fit in a much- anticipated stop at Cranbrook Art Museum and Cranbrook House and Gardens because we ended up spending four hours at DIA–whoops–but it was time well spent and a good reason to return. Another seasonal note: the Henry Ford Museum was open, but Greenfield Village was closed. SATURDAY• The Shepherd, and downtown galleries Library Street Collective and Louis Buhl &amp; Co.• Coffee at Madcap Coffee Co., ice cream at mister dips, Bon Bon Bon Chocoltes in Parker’s Alley• Dinner @ San Morello• Drinks @ Shinola Hotel SUNDAY• Detroit Institute of Arts• Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD)• Walk through The Belt alley• Dinner @ Standby MONDAY• Breakfast at Astoria Pastry Shop in Greektown• Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation• Dinner @ Buddy’s for Detroit-style pizza downtown TUESDAY• University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) in Ann Arbor• Twin Maple Orchard in Galien ﻿

Detroit: A City’s Fresh Energy Offers an Excellent Family Weekend Away

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542612/k7fluwm8wypmczpru5mc.jpg">Grunts Rare Books By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gruntsrarebooks.us/pages/peter-carney-nightside-of-eden" target="_blank">GRUNTS RARE BOOKS</a> –&nbsp;Peter Carney, The Nightside of Eden Peter Carney can paint, and beautifully! Carney grew up in Utah; played in a punk band in high school; was given free paints by a friend after high school that led to his interest in painting; and has a background working back of house in restaurants. So how did he end up in Chicago, break into the tight-knit art scene here, and secure a solo show at Grunts Rare Books—an unassuming but well-regarded bookstore and curated project space? And has Carney’s extensive restaurant experience influenced his art practice? To get answers I headed to Grunts Rare Books for the Friday night opening of Carney’s first solo painting exhibition,&nbsp;The Nightside of Eden. Grunts Rare Books opened in October 2024, and is co-owned/operated/directed by Marc LeBlanc and Taylor Payton.&nbsp;Payton portrays it as, “Chicago’s premier bookstore for rare books, exhibition catalogs, and other exhibition ephemera that document the history of modern and contemporary art in printed material.”&nbsp;Adjacent to the bookstore is the project space for curated art exhibitions. The creative duo of LeBlanc and Payton share a passion for books, readings, poetry, performances, film screenings, and art exhibitions. Thus, Grunts Rare Books serves as a gathering space for intellectuals and creatives of all sorts to hang out and have conversations. It’s a dynamic yet low-key multifaceted space, much like the beatnik coffee shops one might have frequented in the '60s.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542614/r5ric2klapcvvslverfb.jpg"> While LeBlanc and Payton are Co-Directors of the bookstore, Payton curates the exhibition program in the adjacent gallery (a continuation of her former apartment gallery, SULK.) Payton, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), is one of the busiest people I know. She works not only at M. LeBlanc and Grunts Rare Books but bartends at Inner Town Pub—which bills itself as “Home to the Arts,” and is located around the corner from the historic Rainbo Club. And for the past two years Payton has curated onsite public programs for EXPO CHICAGO, the contemporary art fair held at Navy Pier. She does it all, and she does it well.&nbsp; Stepping through the doorway of the bookstore into the tiny gallery space, one immediately notices the tall windows and the far-off city skyline. At that time of the day, the windows cast just the right amount of ambient light, bathing the room and Carney’s seven oil-on-panel paintings in a perfect soft glow. Being somewhat familiar with Carney’s work, I was anticipating paintings of miniature figures (often with weapons) as he has painted before.&nbsp;I was delightfully surprised by this new body of work of luscious still lifes and moody seascapes. The paintings convey quietude and are formal compositions with muted palettes and a sophisticated use of light (think Dutch Master vibes.) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542615/vzgpuetialmc5pc81j70.jpg">Peter Carney, Slim ball, 2024, oil on panel, 18 x 24 in. The first thing you’re struck by is the imagery of comestibles: a pile of freshly caught&nbsp;Golden Bream fish&nbsp;lying haphazardly on the beach, plump squabs (baby pigeons) hanging on meat hooks drying, a bright pink crab staring us down, and a green apple. Equally attention-grabbing are the melancholic seascapes (several with lone figures on isolated beaches.) All of Carney’s paintings are captivating and elegant—even a bit sensuous. The dangling lifeless squabs, dead fish with bulging eyes, and the crab--still alive with eyes wide open--but as Carney says, “suggesting itself as food,” remind the viewer of the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. The solitary figures in the seascapes are equally unsettling. In&nbsp;Benito Soy&nbsp;the isolated figure stands pensively in the foreground against the sea grass, ocean, and night sky. In&nbsp;Oregon timber&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wet dreams, the reclining and sprawling position of the figures seems to indicate something is amiss, despite the scenic setting. Carney’s seascapes are inspired partially by film stills, videos and playlists he made before he turned twenty, Milton Avery’s seascapes and landscapes, trips to the ocean in California and Maine, and finally, from recent cooking-related trips that took him to Miami and Spain.&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542615/ssxv61bi5b7zzyry2abp.jpg">Peter Carney, The Constant of blood, 2025, oil on panel, 18 x 24 in. Carney moved to Chicago in 2022 to be a part of a broader painting scene with friends.&nbsp;To help supplement his painting practice, he looked for a job.&nbsp;He saw an ad for restaurant work at Kasama, a relatively new Filipino restaurant in his neighborhood, and, fortuitously, he was hired on the spot. It is here that his restaurant background begins to really merge with his artistic world. He started his new job the day Kasama was awarded a Michelin Star–the only Filipino restaurant in the world, coincidentally, with a Michelin Star. It was Carney’s first fine dining restaurant experience, and he began to observe food differently there, leading over time to this exhibition. He worked his way up to Junior Sous Chef in charge of the breakfast team and prep for pop-ups. Seeing food up close and personal day in and day out, Carney was in awe of the splendor of it all (from the colorful ingredients to meat to seafood to finished meals plated and served artfully to guests.)&nbsp;Gourmet food is thoughtfully prepared, and the presentation is a thing of beauty showcasing a chef’s skill, much like the aesthetically pleasing and thoughtful paintings Carney created for this exhibition. Food has long been considered an art form, so it’s a fine line between the sensibility of cooking and sensibility of creating paintings. Carney appears, however, to enthusiastically and successfully blend these two worlds (though full disclaimer, I have yet to get to Kasama to taste his cooking.) On my bucket list!&nbsp; Also, through Kasama, Carney traveled to San-Sebastian, Spain, for Gastronomika, to serve breakfast sandwiches, and to Bilboa for a dinner pop-up with Miele Appliances. He walked along the beaches at night with his best friend and painted. Chefs Kitchen brought him to Miami for a pop-up during Art Basel, where he spent every night on the beach recording it and taking photos.&nbsp; It seems that Carney has, indeed, been influenced in many ways by his restaurant experiences.&nbsp;Squabs, crabs, and fish became his muses. Their flesh, and the colors and textures of produce and herbs, influenced his palette.&nbsp;And the industrial look and color of the Kasama kitchen inspired his muted minimal (mostly) horizontal backgrounds. The pop-ups, meanwhile, informed his seascape paintings.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542616/ollcbtxc7z0jzfltyhs3.jpg">Peter Carney, Wet dreams, 2025, oil on panel, 18 x 24 in. When asked about artistic influences, Carney says “I fell in love with oil painting and Francis Bacon at first, then eventually really really loved Edouard Vuillard and Matisse.” Bacon’s influence is evident in Carney’s treatment of flesh, most notably in the pile of fish in&nbsp;Slim ball&nbsp;and the squabs in&nbsp;The Constant of blood. The squab flesh appears silky, meaty, and juicy, painted in pink, yellow, and grey, with dabs of gold, set against a stark horizontal horizon of grey and green.&nbsp;Carney is not concerned about tight realism or precise detail-- it’s more about visual quality, color and texture, and the act of loosely rendered painting. Carney’s works evoke emotion and are of a painterly quality, though his brush strokes are delicate and not heavy-handed.&nbsp;Carney, at 26, has a skillful hand and a good eye.&nbsp; In the bookstore hang three additional paintings that have a different feeling than the rest of the show.&nbsp;They are fanciful and charming, and the palette is subtler.&nbsp;Cupcake&nbsp;is an oil on panel painting of a yummy-looking koala bear cupcake with a ship silhouette in the background. It’s a stunner with a sugary sweet pinkish-violet palette, which is perfect. The other two smaller pieces, Dance dance revolution and Music farm animal toy, are framed paintings on paper of monkeys. Payton equates the beach to theater in these pieces saying, “two circus monkeys are caught on an absurdist shore by the relentless spin of the disco ball beneath them.”&nbsp; Carney’s path to Chicago was via one of his oldest friends, Rachael Bos, another transplanted artist from Utah. Once in the city Carney quickly became immersed in the local art scene, meeting Payton, and discovering SULK. He participated in exhibitions at SULK, Unda.m, Inner Town Pub, and most recently, his work was part of the&nbsp;Miniotics&nbsp;group show at Weatherproof.&nbsp;The Nightside of Eden&nbsp;is Carney’s first solo painting exhibit. Carney is one to watch, and Payton is another. The exhibition continues at Grunts Rare Books through July 5th.&nbsp;1500 S. Western Avenue, Suite 403. Open Saturdays 1-4 PM.<a style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gruntsrarebooks.us/" target="_blank">gruntsrarebooks.us</a> You can also find Grunts Rare Books hosting Grunts Plein Air every Sunday at Logan Square Park from 11am-3pm (during warmer months.) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542617/zaakxdufyoijwinzuohj.jpg">Installation view of The Nightside of Eden # Publisher's Note: I met Susan Gescheidle when I first moved to Chicago and started working at&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News&nbsp;in 2002. At the time the CGN office was located around the corner from the River North gallery, called&nbsp;gescheidle,&nbsp;Susan had just opened after working at Lyons Wier Gallery for a time.&nbsp;Susan&nbsp;eventually relocated her gallery to Peoria Street in the burgeoning West Loop, then relocated to Lake Street before closing in the fall of 2008. In fall 2024 I ran into Susan again after many years. We chatted about CGN, as well as how Susan had recently found her way back to being immersed in Chicago's gallery scene, in particular visiting the city's smaller, newer spaces. After following her art outings on&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/susangescheidle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;for a couple months, I asked Susan if she'd ever consider sharing her personal and informal dispatches with CGN readers in order to help spotlight and support these spaces, and she graciously accepted.&nbsp; – Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Publisher You can read Susan's other surveys here: • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/landscap-survey-whats-on-in-chicagos-outer-spaces-sawhorse" target="_blank">SAWHORSE</a>•&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/landscape-survey-whats-on-in-chicagos-outer-spaces-minionotics-at-weatherproof" target="_blank">Weatherproof</a>

Susan Gesceidle visits Grunts Rare Books to see paintings by Peter Carney

Landscape survey: Peter Carney at Grunts Rare Books

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542498/jfm86zmzmzjh3tuzxj5d.jpg">David Krueger working on art in the Chicago studio By JACKIE LEWIS Five years ago <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artsoflife.org/" target="_blank">Arts of Life</a> turned 20, but the pandemic disrupted some of their larger plans to mark the anniversary. This year, the city-wide celebration of a quarter century of making a difference in the lives of artists andbringing awareness to disability culture has already more than made up for plans cancelled in 2020. Since January 2000, Arts of Life has elevated the broader Chicago arts community by challenging the notion that disabled artists are “outsiders” when compared to their contemporaries. Through a collaborative decision making model that allows all artist voices a say, Arts of Life has created an equitable, creative collective that speaks with their artists and their needs, not for them. By offering professional art studio space, community programs, and home-based programs, Arts of Life strives to meet the needs of people of all abilities who are interested in making art and connecting with fellow artists. Today, the organization supports over 80 artists, offering each one their own studio space in one of their three professional studios where artists work from individualized project plans or receive 1:1 visual art facilitation, all while earning monthly stipends and bonuses from the sales of their own artworks. To celebrate this year’s anniversary of a quarter century, Arts of Life has published a book titled&nbsp;2wenty 5ive Arts of Life 2000–2025, highlighting 25 artists who have impacted the Arts of Life community alongside stories of inspiration. In the book’s foreword, Debra Kerr, the Director of the Intuit Art Museum (formerly Intuit, the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art) notes, “Arts of Life has built a thriving organization from the initial nine artists and one location to more than 80 artists in three locations.” Numbering more than 200 pages, the book is the culmination of years of hard work and inspiration, commemorated within a bright blue cover and featuring a portrait by an Arts of Life artist centered among colorful rays emanating joy and creative energy. The book will be distributed across the country through Urban Outfitters. Arts of Life’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, Denise Fisher, shares the organization’s excitement regarding this milestone while looking towards an exciting future, “We are overjoyed to mark Arts of Life’s silver anniversary with a year of celebrating both the past quarter century and what is to come. This milestone is a testament to the creativity and resilience of our community. Our collective work is captured in our beautiful book, which highlights our role in the national progressive art studio movement in supporting artists with disabilities. We look forward to gathering with new and longtime friends as we continue to work towards a more equitable and accessible future.” At the book launch and birthday party on February 22nd current and former artists, families, staff, volunteers and art supporters gathered to dance, cut cake, take photos under a balloon arch and share their love of art and community. Cindy Shanker, a volunteer since 2012 and a pillar in the Arts of Life community was honored for her many years of community service. Those who work with her say Shanker has a reputation for being dependable and encouraging people not to worry, confidently promising that today each artist will receive skillful attention, sensible assistance, and boundless energy and enthusiasm. The February celebration was truly a kickoff for a year of gratitude as well as national engagement. Later that month in New York City the organization continued the book launch at the Outsider Arts Fair where they set up a booth centered on selling the new book. Arts of Life also brought along artist Marcus Kennedy, who is featured in the book, as an artist ambassador, an exciting first for the group. The organization has participated in art fairs around the world, including Art Fair Tokyo and Art Collaboration Kyoto, NADA and Untitiled in Miami, and EXPO Chicago. Circle Contemporary, Arts of Life’s rotating exhibition gallery that features recent works from in-house artists as well as guest contemporary artists is also mounting a special exhibition, What they said, March 28–May 9. Circle Contemporary is an extension of efforts to strengthen Arts of Life’s creative community, and it aims to provide a space and outlet for artistic inspiration and exploration.&nbsp;What they said&nbsp;is guest curated by acclaimed artists Nick Cave and Bob Faust. “We are overjoyed to be working with Bob and Nick on&nbsp;What They Said,” shares Fisher. “For 25 years, Arts of Life has worked to support the careers of our artists with disabilities. Collaborating with internationally recognized artists like Faust and Cave plays an essential role in increasing our artists’ opportunities for professional development as well as increased visibility.” <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542500/mj8yuxrernbxexnqjoch.jpg">Image: Art work by Arts of Life artist David Kreuger Prolific artist and designer Faust says he was inspired by the formal qualities of Arts of Life artists’ recent work. “For What they said, Nick and I are making artwork selections based on the feelings that come up when we experience them. Whether it’s a clash of color, build-up of material or anintensity coming through repetitive mark-making, each has a way of getting under the skin.” Artists included in the exhibition are John Bateman, Shenequa Brooks, Saumitra Chandratreya, Joel Ebner, Dan Gamble, Ted Gram-Boarini, Ted Hamel, David Krueger, Lawrence M., Tim Stone, James Schenck, Lisa Solar, Oly Trindl, Maria Vanik, Frank Vega and Jean Wilson. Late this summer Arts of Life will have a dedicated exhibition at the Design Museum of Chicago, August 11–September 30, and a correlating Art on theMART projection later this year. Their annual Benefit Art Auction will take place on October 3. Arts of Life artist David Krueger says, “To me, art makes me really happy about myself, it gives me a lift. It makes me feel happy to experience the different colors and the different textures. It makes me feel more comfortable. I like to spread my feelings through my paintings.” With 25 successful years of art inclusion and exposure in the Chicago community, it’s clear that the work of Arts of Life and the joy they have to share through and for their artists is only getting started. DETAILS AT <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="ARTSOFLIFE.ORG" target="_blank">ARTSOFLIFE.ORG</a>

Celebrating Arts of Life: 25 Years In, There's More Joy To Come

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542460/mzajun9xd9f10vmus86j.jpg">Intuit's new exterior, with a vinyl building wrap by Bob Faust By GINNY VAN ALYEA Last week, after being closed for 20 months, Intuit Art Museum, formerly the Intuit Center for Outsider Art, reopened after an extensive renovation, both inside and out. Now encompassing three floors over 18,000 square feet, among the dramatically enhanced spaces that will welcome Intuit visitors are four exhibition galleries; a dedicated education and art-making studio; a flexible community gathering space to host performances, lectures and activities for visitors; a revamped gift store featuring an array of unique, fun and artist-made products; and a reimagined Henry Darger Room and interpretive exhibition, showcasing the art and life of the iconic Chicago artist over the span of two floors. Intuit’s staff is especially proud of the physical upgrades to accommodate all guests, including a new passenger elevator, interior staircases, and an accessible and welcoming entryway.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542461/nfupknfjbviz7fhxx31w.jpg">The Henry Darger Room Founded in 1991 as a nonprofit, Intuit is a premier museum of self-taught art. Intuit champions the diverse voices of self-taught art, welcoming both new and familiar audiences.&nbsp; At the press gathering in front of a packed room – named the Cleo (after one of Intuit's biggest supporters, Cleo Wilson) – Intuit's Executive Director Debra Kerr repeated the old, very long name (Intuit:&nbsp;The&nbsp;Center&nbsp;for&nbsp;Intuitive&nbsp;and&nbsp;Outsider&nbsp;Art) seemingly one last time in order to officially usher in a new day for the creative organization in its refreshed West Town home. Kerr was ecstatic to laud the new identity&nbsp;in the spirit of welcoming not just artists but the many Chicagoans and visitors to the city who are not familiar with Intuit's mission of recognizing artists who are outside of the mainstream and who did not, or could not, go to art school often, because of barriers–geographic or societal or other. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542462/potsncklbhbi7rnwfw1y.jpg">Sculptures by Dr. Charles Smith Because of Intuit, Chicago is recognized worldwide as one of first places to represent these artists. Now, following a $5 million business development grant from the City of Chicago, Kerr and the Intuit team were able to realize a dream to have more exhibition space as well as educational classrooms and to make their 100 year old building accessible. 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. credited Intuit with paving the way for the community growth that has happened around West Town over the decades. "Intuit has been here a long time," he said. "There used to be Cabrini Green here, gas fires and vacant properties. Intuit had the foresight, like many art spaces, to go where others hadn’t. Artists make a city vibrant and that brings diversity to the neighborhoods." * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542463/flbba2f10k8om2arluym.jpg">A work by Charles Warner from Catalyst, looking out into West Town Intuit's first exhibition in the new space is installed throughout the second floor, which overlooks the busy West Town intersection of Chicago, Ogden and Milwaukee Avenues. The groundbreaking&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://qjxtjxbbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qGm0Cd0PQG4MW-49mn3aXLXOsgDPbh3B3euYI72gHm-lSYJ9xSsbRtc8VLytOv-dCXvC-GAgSC1obO-CByMoydjMKWCDn1DBTGwGYkbYBVx3o7CIpiTO90qYWlRnfnC4FxWwHeLRQwgKjSCZwKryMEqOAWFr6ceDwlaCEXM-cwvpd0WVbwCPCw==&amp;c=JYDNkpGo5Up_ciQdGCOCPBK0NOir0ppJ7m0Oy-FlvwVWyXDDCUaGLg==&amp;ch=AZmHzuGSdNJtHxLBuS3MjN7Mspa5FRMPd9CG_JEMdwG0IUEU-jwURw==" target="_blank">Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago</a> is the first major exhibition to focus on the importance of immigration and migration in the genre of self-taught art.&nbsp;Catalyst&nbsp;explores the contributions of artists who came to and continue to enrich the culture of Chicago, a city with a significant and ongoing history of migration and immigration.&nbsp; Permanently on view is <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://qjxtjxbbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qGm0Cd0PQG4MW-49mn3aXLXOsgDPbh3B3euYI72gHm-lSYJ9xSsbRq_rNVn5wMHpPyBmOHGCoe-ZaX-TewRgOUKKRYq5YUDQbBuDsDn4IGN0yJqKHNQGAEPsUe-eOCE4J9wNu4PU8cnTs4Ot8GebQ9DtKzwb1GijUWdQGT9h4YPRxyUsUtORiA==&amp;c=JYDNkpGo5Up_ciQdGCOCPBK0NOir0ppJ7m0Oy-FlvwVWyXDDCUaGLg==&amp;ch=AZmHzuGSdNJtHxLBuS3MjN7Mspa5FRMPd9CG_JEMdwG0IUEU-jwURw==" target="_blank">Henry Darger: The Room Revealed</a>, which celebrates the legacy of the noted Chicago artist through exhibition of his artworks, source materials and evocation of his apartment at 851 Webster Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, which doubled as his home and studio for more than 40 years.&nbsp;Darger's images are animated in the windows of the apartment space and a wall with digital representations of the ephemera and papers he saved gives viewers a feel of what the artist's creative environment was like. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542464/n4vu7aaz3q5atpyrhbjb.jpg">A work by Lee Godie <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://qjxtjxbbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qGm0Cd0PQG4MW-49mn3aXLXOsgDPbh3B3euYI72gHm-lSYJ9xSsbRtc8VLytOv-dZRIP5yycpATq9DWd0oEqoVbIV-uDN9yeRnZn60SiTTTOPKOFrhsp21Zn-1XBHRy5E6P6iXkELflbK172G3-ROAftwP2elFHl8DjANffPgyJRG9zKfsevQkY1H90M5CAInP0TGtLe1gfLMNwxd1jNibguITY0uk2K&amp;c=JYDNkpGo5Up_ciQdGCOCPBK0NOir0ppJ7m0Oy-FlvwVWyXDDCUaGLg==&amp;ch=AZmHzuGSdNJtHxLBuS3MjN7Mspa5FRMPd9CG_JEMdwG0IUEU-jwURw==" target="_blank">Highlights from the IAM collection</a>&nbsp;are also now on view in in the first-ever gallery devoted to continually exhibiting the Museum’s collection. The exhibition acknowledges significant work made by Chicago-based artists such as William Dawson, Lee Godie, Mr. Imagination, Roman Villarreal, Wesley Willis and Joseph Yoakum. Intuit may have been closed for over a year and a half, but this reopening means that the public will enjoy the museum and its unique mission for many years to come. # <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://art.org/" target="_blank">Intuit Art Museum</a>756 N. Milwaukee Ave.Chicago, IL 60642 HoursWed-Sun: 11 am–6pmThird Thursdays: 11 am–8 pm Admission is $15, or free for members, those 24 and younger, and those unable to pay.&nbsp;

Intuit Art Museum Reopens to Welcome the Public Inside

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542272/oscebkkqascedznxmpho.jpg">Newfields IMA, Photo by Eric Lubrick; Courtesy of Newfields By BIANCA BOVA For those attuned to the dramas of the art world, Newfields needs no introduction. Formerly the Indianapolis Museum of Art (founded 1883), the institution reconceptualized itself in 2017, marrying the museum to its grounds and surrounding attractions in Indianapolis, Indiana. Newfields became the unified name for the 152-acre compound that houses the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Fairbanks Park, The Garden, Lilly House, and the Elder Greenhouse. It then further extended its brand to the Miller House and Garden in Columbus, Indiana. The rollout of this expansion and rebranding was less than smooth. It was deemed by critics to be “<a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-29/why-is-everything-being-designed-for-instagram" target="_blank">the greatest travesty in the art world</a>,” and earned Newfields’ then-director Charles Venable the honorific of “<a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/newfields-director-charles-venable-indianapolis-art-museum-1218602" target="_blank">the most controversial museum director in America</a>.” The museum was accused of abandoning its mission, and Venable of turning “a grand encyclopedic museum into a cheap Midwestern boardwalk.” Venable resigned from his role as Director in 2021, though not officially because of the backlash from his refocusing of the museum’s program. Rather, it was a decision born of the fallout from a <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/arts/design/indianapolis-museum-job-posting.html" target="_blank">racially insensitive job posting</a>. All of this left Newfields seemingly adrift, and the institution cycled through an astonishing <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/26/arts/design/indianapolis-museum-le-monte-booker.html" target="_blank">three leaders in just four years</a>. Today it is helmed by Director Belinda Tate and President and CEO Le Monte Booker, whose efforts to right the ship are legible.&nbsp; Its museum is one that I know better than most. I was born and reared in Indiana, and I come from a family of automotive professionals and enthusiasts. All my life we made regular trips from my hometown of St. John down to Indianapolis to attend events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. These trips invariably included visits to the Indianapolis Museum of Art as well. The IMA looms as large in my memory, and went as far in forming my interest–and eventually my taste–in art as did the Art Institute of Chicago.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542273/sm5vqpigp0gb43sssi28.jpg">Roy Lichtenstein (American, b.1923–d.1997)Five Brushstrokes, 2012; Design Date 1983-84painted aluminum480 x 77 x 15 in. (assembled)Courtesy of the Robert L. and Marjorie J. Mann Fund, Partial Gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Still, I never felt compelled to visit Newfields. I met every headline regarding its dysfunction with fresh disappointment. Earlier this year I was given good reason to reconsider my position, when a checklist for one of their current exhibitions <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://discovernewfields.org/exhibitions/message-medium-contemporary-art" target="_blank">The Message is the Medium</a> landed in my inbox. There isn’t really a museum I wouldn’t go to for a show with a roster that reads in part as follows: Vito Acconci, Robert Irwin, Donald Judd, Anselm Kiefer, Robert Rauschenberg, Do Ho Suh, Rachel Whiteread, Richard Hunt, Roger Brown, Robert Smithson, Lynda Benglis, Simone Leigh, James Turrell. So I booked a trip to Indianapolis and went to Newfields, ready to be impressed by the exhibition and resentful of the degradation of its environs.&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542275/jsqsswxiuef6s4ze9kjq.jpg">Vito Acconci (American, b.1940 - d.2017)&nbsp;Round Trip (A Space to Fall Back On), 1975; rebuilt 1987Medium and Support: stools, boxes, audio tape Dimensions: Dimensions variable The exhibition itself is not without curiosities that are suggestive of ongoing administrative troubles (no one, including the exhibition’s curator, could pin down an end date for the show or explain to me why it seems to be in the middle of an indefinite run). Setting that aside, it is an exceptional exhibition. Vito Acconci’s Round Trip (A Space to Fall Back On) and James Turrell’s Acton are both early masterworks requiring participatory attention that alone makes a visit worthwhile. Robert Rauschenberg’s Sling-shots lit #3, one of the few pieces from a series that utilizes sailcloth, mylar, and moveable window shade systems to remain in public circulation, as well as Anselm Kiefer’s Die Himmelspaläste (The Palaces of Heaven), are proof positive of the deep collecting habits of a handful of notable benefactors to the museum, as well as the commitment of the museum’s Contemporary Art Society (which for 58 years acquired work for the permanent collection, until being dissolved in 2020, along with the rest of Newfields’ affiliate organizations). The show is rounded out by a suite of loans (the aforementioned Smithson, Leigh, and Benglis sculptures) from <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artbridgesfoundation.org/exhibitions/crystal-bridges-museum-of-american-art" target="_blank">Art Bridges</a>, the partner loan network of Crystal Bridges. It's of interest to see this initiative put into practice, and the works lent make a fine complement to the museum’s contemporary holdings.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542276/rsbijc4pw69hon4aqxvp.jpg">Simone Leigh (American, b. 1967)&nbsp;Las Meninas II,&nbsp;2019Medium and Support: terracotta, steel, raffia, and porceleinDimensions: 71 1/2 x 77 1/2 x 62 in. Beyond the contemporary galleries are equally satisfying exhibitions drawn from the museum’s extensive American Art, Asian Art, European Art, African Art, Native Art of the Americas, Textile and Fashion, Design, and Glass collections (the lattermost being especially robust, as it's a <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://indianaglasstrail.com/history/" target="_blank">regionally significant medium</a>). Periodically the galleries are punctuated by interdepartmental installations that veer from the heavy-handed (a Jenny Holzer LED sign hung alongside a 15th century Italian wedding chest sidepanel) to the smart and striking (paintings by Joan Mitchell and Sam Gilliam flanking a set of Frederick Wilson Tiffany stained glass windows depicting the Angel of the Resurrection). Also of note is the museum’s atrium, which houses one of only a handful of large-scale, site-specific institutional commissions by the late light and space artist Robert Irwin. Light and Space III spans the rise of the escalators servicing the museum’s four floors, lending the space an ethereal, heady, almost spiritual atmosphere. By way of special exhibitions on view, the Robertson-Slapak Collection of Chicago Imagist works puts to shame any other retrospective of the group’s output mounted in the past decade, and speaks to what feels like an oft-overlooked Midwestern collector class that has pockets as deep and taste as good as any propping up the more well-known institutions in larger cities.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1760542276/nsclgofbj3lcxye50ivk.jpg">Kathryn Janeway,&nbsp;Michael, 1978&nbsp; Down in the museum’s lower level, alongside the theatre and the giftshop, one finds galleries presently devoted to the 93rd Annual Juried Exhibition of The Indiana Artists Club and a show, Artists Among Us, of works by Newfields’ staff. One work included in the latter, a 1978 photograph entitled Michael, by Kathryn Janeway (a member of the museum’s security team, who shared with me that she had not previously exhibited her work), is nothing short of exceptional. I continue to think about it daily, which I can't say about much other work I’ve seen recently. Both exhibitions feel like throwbacks to a time when institutions on the whole were more in touch with and respectful of their core constituencies–which is to say, those engaged directly with the art world, rather than the general public at large–and were as much a pleasure as a surprise to see.&nbsp; All told, Newfields should be on the shortlist of museums that are in and of themselves a worthwhile destination. May (when I went) happens to be an ideal time to travel to Indianapolis, as the city is energized by the lead-up to the “greatest spectacle in racing,” the Indianapolis 500, which is run every Memorial Day weekend. Moreover, there is not a more hypnotically beautiful place to be in the Spring than Indiana, and not a nicer place to experience the full pleasure of it than, quite honestly, on the grounds of Newfields. A long stroll through the manicured English gardens and rolling prairies that surround the historic Lilly House (itself a beautifully restored example of turn-of-the-century architecture) can replace all that a long, hard Midwestern winter depletes from one.&nbsp; In the aggregate all of this is almost–almost–enough to make one forget that Newfields is simultaneously responsible for propagating such cultural dreck as <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://discovernewfields.org/taptours/stop/1/stop-8" target="_blank">Funky Bones</a>, various <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://discovernewfields.org/lume-indianapolis-featuring-dali-alive" target="_blank">immersive projection rooms</a>, and of course the infamous <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://joyfulnoiserecordings.do317.com/events/2016/11/17/internet-cat-video-festival" target="_blank">Cat Video Festival</a> that seemed, with its debut, to signal the beginning of the end.&nbsp; All museums in all strata of the cultural sector are beleaguered by problems of one kind or another. It is inherent to their very nature, their bureaucratic form. Newfields has perhaps brought more problems onto itself than other institutions, and surely has borne them more publicly than most. For all of this, at the core still sits one of the great American museum collections, which in fairness ought to be a point of pride in the Midwest, for its content if not its delivery in concept. Still and all, the message–as we’re told–is the medium.&nbsp; Support for this article’s research was furnished by a&nbsp;Travel Grant for Visual Arts Journalism from the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation.&nbsp; # <h4>Read Bianca Bova's Indianapolis art itinerary <a style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/three-hours-southeast-of-chicago-art-in-indianapolis" target="_blank">here</a></h4>