By Khephra Burns

&ldquo;An artistically vibrant community, Chicago is emblematic of the creativity that exists wherever black people gather to express the joy and beauty of being black.&rdquo;

Opening October 29 and continuing through November 1, the Harlem Fine Arts Shown (HFAS) returns to Chicago. How could it not? Chicago rivals Harlem for its rich history as a center for African American creativity in the arts. While the Harlem Renaissance is widely celebrated for the flowering of art and literature that gave birth to a new black consciousness in the 1920&rsquo;s, another, less-well publicized, black renaissance began to flourish on Chicago&#39;s South Side in the midst of the Great Depression. It was led, one could argue, by painter Archibald Motley and grew to include such seminal figures as William Edouard Scott, Charles White and&nbsp;Eldzier Cortor, Elizabeth Catlett, Richmond Barth&eacute;,&nbsp;Margaret Taylor Burroughs (cofounder of the DuSable Museum) and others whose names today loom large in the constellation of African American masters.

Motley, who had been working since the 1920&#39;s, prefigured Alain Locke&#39;s &quot;New Negro&quot; in both the content and style of early works like Barbecue (1934) and The Liar (1936), in which he celebrated the surging vitality of inner-city black social life in a district now known as Bronzeville. It was Motley in fact who is credited with coining the name Bronzeville. As an artist, he was the first to focus on the urgency of black nightlife in paintings like Syncopation (1925) and Stomp (1927). &quot;Nothing like it had been seen in American painting,&quot; observed artist Romare Bearden.

<img alt="" data-caption="Archibald J. Motley Jr., Barbecue, c. 1934. Oil on canvas, 39 x 44 inches (99.1 x 111.76 cm). Collection of the Howard University Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. © Valerie Gerrard Browne." data-rich-file-id="854" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/854/original/web-barbecue1934.jpg" />

The Chicago-based progeny of the Motleys, Catletts and Burroughs include such noted contemporary artists as Dawoud Bey, Barbara Jones Hogu, Kerry James Marshall, Theaster Gates, Wadsworth Jarrell, Gerald Griffin and the late Allen Stringfellow.

As you might expect, given its wealth of talent and history, Chicago is home to a strong community of collectors, cultivated in no small part by the&nbsp;South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC), which celebrates its 75th Anniversary beginning in December of 2015.

<img alt="" data-caption="Gerald Griffin" data-rich-file-id="855" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/855/original/gerald-griffin-facing-the-rising-sun.jpg" />

Throughout the country, a burgeoning interest among African Americans in fine art that speaks to their history and culture can be credited to the greater exposure that has come courtesy of institutions like the SSCAC, art fairs and expos like the annual HFAS. Founded in 2009, the HFAS travels annually between Harlem, Martha&#39;s Vineyard, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and now, for the second consecutive year,&nbsp;Chicago. It is a venue for the serious collector of works by artists of African descent, as well as a point of entry for the novice collector and the curious looking to see something of themselves rendered artistically on canvas.

For many the HFAS represents their first exposure to fine art reflecting the breadth and depth of the African Diaspora. It is the mission of HFAS to provide that kind of exposure to new generations in urban centers across the nation.

&nbsp;

The 2nd Harlem Fine Art Show takes place in Chicago October 29-November 1.

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/harlem-fine-arts-show">Click here</a> for details about show hours, special events and tickets.&nbsp;

HFAS&nbsp;is the largest traveling African Diasporic art show in the United States. Since its inception in 2009, HFAS has had over 60,000+ visitors, traveled to 10+ cities as well as showcased 100+ artists and galleries

The Harlem Fine Art Show returns to Chicago 

HFAS Celebrates Arts in Chicago

BY MARY DEYOE

House music, quilting, collaborative dance performances and architectural model-making are just a handful of the art forms you may experience during Chicago Artists Month. While there is no shortage of arts to discover throughout the year, what CAM has continued to do well for the past 20 years is draw our attention to neighborhoods, artists, and art forms with which we may be less familiar.

&ldquo;CAM seems to encourage a flurry of artistic production on top of what&#39;s already happening in Chicago,&rdquo; said CAM Featured Artist Victoria Bradford. &ldquo;It engenders cross-pollination of audiences across genre and geography. And it gives artists an opportunity to convene and communicate.&rdquo;

An initiative of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, CAM features events that are independently produced by artists and organizations spread throughout the city&rsquo;s neighborhoods from Hyde Park to Humboldt Park to Edgewater. While CAM always aims to engage the city from all corners, this is particularly central to this year&rsquo;s theme &ndash; The City as Studio. The EL Train, front porches, abandoned structures and the space below the expressway all figure prominently among the 2015 Featured Events.

Vacancy at the Glass Curtain Gallery at Columbia College features work by artists and architects who use empty, abandoned spaces in the city to imagine new possibilities and to change the notion of &ldquo;empty&rdquo; to &ldquo;open.&rdquo; Under the Freeway, conceived&nbsp;by artists Connie Noyes and Marvin Tate was a one-night, clandestine event. In order to attend, guests were challenged to find their way to the location by completing tasks and following guidelines created by the artists.

<img alt="" data-caption="Under the El installation" data-rich-file-id="845" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/845/original/under-the-freeway-dining.jpg" />

&ldquo;I wanted people to wonder where they might be going for the night, said Noyes, much in the same way many displaced people do every night.&rdquo;

The evening included installations created by Noyes and a performance by cellist Lilianna Wosko. &ldquo;Wosko&#39;s cello added a classic energy and ambiance to the deeply-rooted, macro-society under a small part to the freeway,&rdquo; said Noyes.

<img alt="" data-caption="Installation by Noyes and Tate" data-rich-file-id="846" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/846/original/noyesinstallation1.jpg" />

Notable this year are the number of performances and workshops on the subjects of dance and music. Until recently Chicago Artists Month focused primarily on the visual arts. Coming on the heels of EXPO Chicago and in the midst of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, it is refreshing to see these other art forms take the stage.

Neighborhood Dances asks participants to record daily &ldquo;micro-dances&rdquo; from September 18-24, staged in front of buildings, residences and other architectural structures throughout the city. The performances are open to the public and each will yield a 15-second video. All of the videos will be combined, and, over the course of a week, workshopped and choreographed into a performance to be showcased on October 24 at Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery. &nbsp;This project was born out of an ongoing series by Victoria Bradford, who is a current resident at Defibrillator.

<img alt="" data-caption="Part of Neighborhood Dances" data-rich-file-id="847" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/847/original/img-3310.jpg" />

&ldquo;Every day I wake up, knowing that somewhere that day, someplace in the city, I&rsquo;m going to make a dance,&rdquo; said Bradford. &ldquo;This city is as much where I ask questions and take risks as where I perform.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Chicago Artist Month runs from October 1 &ndash; November 15, 2015

For a complete list of events, visit <a href="http://www.chicagoartistsmonth.org">www.chicagoartistsmonth.org</a>

Highlights from Chicago Artists Month 2015

Chicago Artists Month 2015 - The City as Studio

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418548/zzxbal3vp2oyktkjk4ds.jpg"></figure>BY REBECCA WOANThis post is courtesy of Chicago-based Chartwell Insurance. Please visit <a href="https://www.chartwellins.com/">www.chartwellins.com</a> for more information about your art insurance needs.&nbsp;Art consignment can be generally described as a work of art being delivered by its owner —the consignor— to a specialist art vendor —the consignee— for the purpose of being sold at some time in the future. Vendors include art dealers and auction houses. Owners might prefer that the vendor actually purchases the work outright, but the consignment system provides owners with the professional services of the vendor, who should have an extensive client list of possible customers as well as a much better publicity and distribution system than owners could typically achieve unaided. Vendors usually do not charge owners for accepting works on consignment, making their money from a commission in the event of a sale.Cautionary tales from consignment:When it works as planned —and it typically does— consignment is a convenient way for owners of art works to have the works sold in an efficient and effective manner, and a low-cost method of providing art vendors with inventory. However, things can go horribly wrong.&nbsp;Art works can be sold by unscrupulous vendors without notifying the owner. When this is discovered the vendor may apologize profusely and remit the proceeds, but in the meantime has had access to those funds. Worse, the artwork may have been sold, the money spent, and the vendor is unable to pay the owner. This may constitute fraud and result in criminal prosecution, but that will be of little comfort to an owner who has lost both the art and the money.The artwork can be lost, damaged or even destroyed while under consignment. When that happens, a close reading of the consignment agreement —hitherto probably ignored by the owner— might reveal that the vendor no responsibility or limited responsibility for insurance. To make matters worse, the owner’s insurance policy might (and probably will) exclude losses arising while the work is on consignment.&nbsp;Practical considerations for consignment:• Art consignment is a common practice for the good reason that it benefits both parties to the agreement. However, artwork is frequently consigned and then ignored by the owners. Here are some basic considerations for owners contemplating consignment:•&nbsp;Before consigning artwork a seller should determine the most appropriate venue for sale, whether it should be a gallery, a private dealer or an auction house. Art consultants can assist with this decision, and Chartwell Insurance Services would be pleased to provide a list of consultants, from whom Chartwell receives no payment.•&nbsp;Consign with a reputable vendor. Find out if the dealer has any liens, lawsuits or pending judgments.•&nbsp;Demand a strongly written consignment agreement which includes your right to sell, a description of the work, the term of the agreement (typically no more than one year, and preferably for six months) an agreed upon sales price, the agreed commission split, when and how payment is to be remitted, and when the seller is to be notified of a sale.•&nbsp;Notify your insurer prior to the consignment.•&nbsp;Arrange for an inspection of the art every six months to ensure that the artwork has not been sold or damaged. In some instances consignors learned of sales of their art works years after the sale. If an actual inspection is not practical consider a “face-time” call to view the art.•&nbsp;Perfect your consignment rights by filing UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) financing statements. (A right is perfected by registering it with appropriate statutory authority so that it is made legally enforceable and any subsequent claim on that asset is given a junior status.) A UCC filing may not provide recourse when proceeds of a sale are not remitted but they will help prevent the seizure of artwork by creditors of a gallery. To protect privacy sellers may want to consider the use of an LLC when filing a UCC statement. The help of an attorney experienced in the art world is recommended.•&nbsp;Explore whether there is a possibility of an escrow account for a sale. An escrow account helps ensure that valid payment has been made and immediately distributes the sales proceeds to a seller. This is not customary, but some banks may agree.Chartwell Bulletins are produced by&nbsp;<a href="http://chartwellins.com/">Chartwell Insurance Services</a>&nbsp;an independent insurance broker specializing in the personal asset protection of high net worth individuals.&nbsp;Chartwell Bulletins address issues of general interest and since coverages vary by company and by state should not be taken as an interpretation of a particular policy or advice on any individual situation.To discuss this issue or others related to insurance, please contact&nbsp;Rebecca Korach Woan:&nbsp;312-645-1200 or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chartwellins.com/contact/">rwoan@chartwellins.com</a></body></html>

Art Consignment: What is It and What to Look Out For

BY THOMAS MCCORMICK

What a spectacular day!&nbsp;

With weather that was literally picture perfect, Janis and I attended the annual Carts &amp; Cocktails event last&nbsp;Saturday at the&nbsp;Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park&nbsp;outside Chicago. The park is located on the campus of Governors State University, about 45 minutes south of downtown Chicago. This place is a true gem,&nbsp;and for those who have never been there &mdash; and that&#39;s most of us &mdash;&nbsp;MAKE THE TRIP! Over 30 large scale works of art&nbsp;are sited in the most gorgeous natural prairie setting, with rolling hills, lakes and wild life. You will be charmed and amazed.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="839" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/839/original/aeca04fb-39bc-4793-897a-300d6d3e425e.jpg" />

A highlight of the day was the rededication of two sculptures by Richard Hunt, (pictured above)&nbsp;getting a big hug here from me along&nbsp;with Janis and Chicago collector Jim Parker on the left.&nbsp;Large Planar Hybrid, 1973-74, is a&nbsp;cor-ten steel piece behind us that is now sited in conversation with another work,&nbsp;Outgrown Pyramid II, 1973, nearby. The two sculptures have recently been refurbished and moved to a new location in&nbsp;front of the school. This has been a big summer for Richard, one of the premier living American sculptors,&nbsp;who just turned 80 and is being showered with parties and accolades. He well deserves all this attention.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="838" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/838/original/f9d8a635-b198-4418-aab0-8c0bd5dcb62f.jpg" />

The first work encountered on our Champagne-infused golf cart tour of the park was John Henry&#39;s monumental (and I&#39;m talking big-assed) sculpture&nbsp;Illinois Landscape Number 5, 1976. The piece has recently been repainted a brilliant yellow and in the afternoon sunlight, it seemed to crawl across the landscape like some&nbsp;primordial&nbsp;creature stretching itself out against the lovely prairie backdrop. I don&#39;t know how long it is (a football field?) but this sucker is a really awesome!

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="837" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/837/original/8a5d5037-d5e8-4f8a-b224-f5bba076002f.jpg" />

Another unbelievable work is Tony Tasset&#39;s&nbsp;Paul,&nbsp;2006. This is the first piece you see driving into the university, and your view of it is way out across a field where a 25 foot tall Paul Bunyan, looking exhausted, challenges your sense of perception. You know he&#39;s a long way off but he can&#39;t possibly be that large! Up close you see Tasset has given him the weary face of Michelangelo&#39;s Moses (notice one our our golf carts whizzing past for a sense of scale). We love Tony&#39;s sense of irony, humor and the way he&nbsp;messes&nbsp;with our heads!

Anyway, that&#39;s how we spent our weekend, hope your&#39;s was fun as well.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.govst.edu/Nathan_manilow_Sculpture_Park/">Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park</a>

<a href="http://www.thomasmccormick.com">McCormick Gallery</a>

Gallery owner Tom McCormick shares highlights from his booze-filled visit to the glorious south side Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park to see large-scale works of art by Richard Hunt, Tony Tasset and others

Carts & Cocktails 2015: A Spectacular Day at Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park

BY MARIA CAMILA VARGAS

While we celebrate Chicago artists all year long at Chicago Gallery News, Chicago Artists Month (CAM) officially&nbsp;takes place October 1&ndash;November 15, 2015. A program of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), CAM is a platform for independently-produced events that showcase the work of Chicago artists and creatives.

For its 20th anniversary this year CAM&rsquo;s theme is City as Studio. Hundreds of events are taking place in every neighborhood in the city, but below is a list of area galleries that are part of CAM events; this list also highlights area galleries that are showcasing work by Chicago-based artists. Be sure to check these shows out and see what our artists are up to.

Also, Chicago Gallery News is sponsoring its annual Chicago Artists Month gallery tour on Saturday, October 17 from 11am-12:30pm in River North. Check out our&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/art-services/free-cgn-saturday-gallery-tours">tour page</a> for details, but we will visit: Addington Gallery, Jennifer Norback Fine Art, Jean Albano Gallery and Berlanga Fine Art &bull; Photographs.&nbsp;

The full list of Chicago Artists Month events may be found on the CAM <a href="http://www.chicagoartistsmonth.org">website</a>.&nbsp;

Chicago Artist Month Openings featuring&nbsp;Chicago Based Artists

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; River North</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Addington Gallery, September 11&ndash;November 3, Sarah Rehmer: New Paintings

&middot;&nbsp;Jean Albano, September 11&ndash;October 24, William Harrison: Drawings

&middot;&nbsp;Berlanga Fine Art &bull; Photographs, October 16&ndash;November 14, Rosemary Warner: Black &amp; White in Color

&middot;&nbsp;Jennifer Norback,&nbsp;&nbsp;October 2&ndash;31,&nbsp;In The Studio (Group Show)

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; West Loop + West Side</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Rhona Hoffman, September 11&ndash;October 24, Nathaniel Mary Quinn

&middot;&nbsp;Linda Warren Projects, September 11&ndash;November 7, Nina Rizzo: You Are Here; and&nbsp;Doug Fogelson: Broken Cabinet

&middot;&nbsp;McCormick Gallery, September 19&ndash;October 31, Robert Natkin

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Pilsen + Pilsen East, Bridgeport + Hyde Park</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Prospectus Gallery, September 11&ndash;October 17, Carlos Barbenera: Recent Prints

&middot;&nbsp;4art Inc Gallery, September 18&ndash;November 20, 2nd Annual Salon Style, Group Exhibition

&middot; Chicago Art District, October 1&ndash;November 15, Arts in the Park: The People&rsquo;s Studio,&nbsp;Group Exhibition

&middot; Crude Creatures Contemporary Art Gallery, October 9&nbsp;&ndash; November 2, The Death of Gallery

&middot;&nbsp;Uri-Eichen Gallery, October 9&ndash;November 6, Pilsen Stories

&middot;&nbsp;Cultura in Pilsen, October 10&ndash;November 1, Pink Line Dreams

&middot;&nbsp;Zhou B Art Center, October 16&ndash;November 11, Voluptuous Anarchy

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; North Side + Bucktown + Wicker Park</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Jackson Junge, September 11&ndash;November 1, Jason Hawk: Excerpts on a Fading Bloom;&nbsp;and Brian Morgan: Power, Politics and Pavement

&middot;&nbsp;ARC Gallery, September 30&ndash;October 24, Urban Threads

&middot;&nbsp;Morpho Gallery, October 16&ndash;November 1, Best of 2015 Emerging Artist

&middot;&nbsp;DreamBox Gallery, October 16&ndash;November 15, Proximity &ndash; Nearness in Space and Time

&middot;&nbsp;Galerie F, October 23&ndash;November 2, Jason Brammer: Fantasy Landscapes

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Michigan Ave , Loop + South Loop</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Bert Green Fine Art, September 12&ndash;October 31, Morgan Sims: New Paintings

&middot;&nbsp;Mongerson Gallery, September 18&ndash;November 25,&nbsp;Far Out Females: Mid-Century Chicago Surrealism

&middot;&nbsp;The Fine Art Building / Gallerique, October 9&ndash;November 20, StudioScapes

&middot;&nbsp;MoCP, October 15-December 23, Grace of Intention: Photography, Architecture and the Monument

20th Anniversary of Chicago Artists Month

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA

Women in the Arts. This is a deep topic, and it&rsquo;s long been a much-debated flash point in the art world throughout art history and into modern times. While CGN is regularly devoted to generally promoting many facets of the visual arts in Chicago and in the region, for this fall&rsquo;s edition we chose to focus editorially on a few women leading our cultural community now.&nbsp;

The Chicago area has a rich history of women both working in and supporting the arts; after all it was Mrs. Potter Palmer&rsquo;s generous contributions to the Art Institute of Chicago that became the foundation of the collection that is world renowned today. Women were even taking architecture classes at the early School of the Art Institute back in 1889. Throughout our artistic history, women have made pivotal contributions.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="SAIC Architecture Students, 1889" data-rich-file-id="733" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/733/original/saic1889.jpg" />

We are home to organizations, such as Woman Made Gallery and ARC Gallery, devoted to supporting and providing women with creative opportunities and resources. Women like Suzanne Ghez, who solidified the international reputation of the Renaissance Society, and Ruth Horwich, who was an unwavering patron of multiple institutions, such as the Hyde Park Art Center and the Smart Museum, made indelible marks on our community that will last for decades. They are just two of scores of women who have been instrumental supporters of the arts.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="From left: MCA Dir. Madeleine Grynsztejn, photo by Nathan Keay; Chicago Architectural Biennial co-director Sarah Herda; Renaissance Society Dir. Solveig Øvstebø" data-rich-file-id="766" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/766/original/women-in-arts-2.jpg" />

Today many creative women in our midst are working as artists, gallery owners, museum directors, curators, critics, designers and architects. There are more than 45 women who own, lead or direct area galleries, art centers and museums listed in CGN. Interviews in this issue span generations, offering promises for the future while honoring the past. Gallery owner Rhona Hoffman, just one of the 45 mentioned above, has launched the careers of dozens of artists, male and female, in her four decades in business. Helen Zell has built one of the most significant art collections in the country from her enthusiasm for female artists like Gertrude Abercrombie, Lee Bontecou and Louise Bourgeois. Artist Cheryl Pope engages the public to work out conflict and address violence. Julie Rodrigues Widholm, Solveig &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; and Madeleine Grynsztejn are all young, female directors leading area art museums. Zo&euml; Ryan is a young curator turning the world&rsquo;s eyes on design while opening the Art Institute&rsquo;s first galleries dedicated to the subject. Naomi Beckwith is curating personal, thoughtful exhibitions at the MCA. Sarah Herda is one half of the team launching the first Chicago Architecture Biennial - a three month global event featuring projects and ideas by world super stars as well as local luminaries like Jeanne Gang.&nbsp;

We cannot forget that Chicago Gallery News was founded in 1982 by Natalie van Straaten and is currently owned by Publisher Ginny Van Alyea and run with help from Managing Editor Laura Mettam.

CGN wants to honor all women who pursue creative endeavors, be it starting a gallery, practicing as an artist, becoming a curator, or starting an art collection, and we hope to encourage everyone, men and women, to continue paving Chicago&rsquo;s cultural path.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="784" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/784/original/cgn-sept-dec-2015-cover-w.jpg" />

Top row: Dealer Rhona Hoffman; Collector Helen Zell.&nbsp; 
Middle row:&nbsp;Artist Cheryl Pope, photo by&nbsp;LaMont Hamilton; DePaul Art Museum&nbsp;Dir. Julie Rodriques Widholm; Far right:&nbsp;Studio Gang/Jeanne Gang&rsquo;s Aqua Tower (detail) in Chicago. 
Bottom row: Gladys Nilsson, Big School Picture; Little Paper Mural, 1992,&nbsp; Samuel T. Avery Endowment. Collection of Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Art curator Naomi Beckwith, photo by Paul Mpagi Sepuya; Art Institute of Chicago curator Zo&euml; Ryan.

Fall Cover Story: Women in the Arts

By MARY DEYOE

Chicago has a long history of innovation in architecture. A city of many firsts and many greats &ndash; the skyscraper, Mies van der Rohe&mdash; it has continued to push boundaries and lead the way in experimentation. It is fitting then for the city to present <a href="http://www.chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org">The Chicago Architecture Biennial</a>, which will be the largest survey of international architecture ever in North America.&nbsp;

Running from October 3, 2015 through January 3, 2016, and featuring work by more than 60 international participants with full-scale installations, exhibitions and programs, the Biennial provides a dynamic forum to explore the significant role that architecture plays in contemporary society, as well as for leaders in the field to put forth their visions and expectations for the future.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="The winning design for the Lakefront Kiosk Competition, Chicago Horizon, by Rhode-Island based Ultramoderne." data-rich-file-id="783" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/783/original/chicago-architecture-biennial-.png" />

The Biennial itself is spread throughout the city. The Cultural Center will act as the main hub, and other locations include Millennium Park, Water Tower Galleries, Stony Island Arts Bank, and The Graham Foundation, which along with The City of Chicago and BP, is a presenting partner. Sarah Herda, The Director of the Graham Foundation and a professor in the School of Architecture at UIC, is a Co-Artistic Director.

The theme for the Biennial&rsquo;s inaugural year is &ldquo;The State of the Art of Architecture,&rdquo; which was taken from a 1977 conference that brought together America&rsquo;s leading designers. The conference was organized by architect Stanley Tigerman, who is a member of the Biennial&rsquo;s international Advisory Committee along with architecture powerhouses Frank Gehry, Jeanne Gang and David Adjaye.

&ldquo;The state of the art of architecture is something that&rsquo;s indeterminate,&rdquo; said Co-Artistic Director, Joseph Grima, an architect, writer and editor based in Genoa, Italy. &ldquo;We left the title as open-ended as we could, in the hopes that future editions will be less referential to the past and more open-minded to the present.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="778" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/778/original/jeannegang-reverseeffect-creditstevehall.jpg" />&nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Top: Studio Gang’s Reverse Effect, photo credit Steve Hall; Bottom: Jeanne Gang, photo credit Kevin Miyazaki and Redux" data-rich-file-id="779" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/779/original/jeannegang-creditkevinmiyazakiandredux.jpg" />

Of course the title also opens the door to questions about the often blurred line between the disciplines of architecture and art, and that conversation will be on view at both the MCA and the Art Institute with exhibitions running concurrently with the Biennial.

Open through January 31, the MCA&rsquo;s Chicago Works: Ania Jaworska is the first in this series to present the work of an architect. Jaworska, who is a lecturer at both the School of the Art Institute and UIC, explores, often with humor and irony, the relationship between the built environment and society. The exhibition will feature two projects in process. The architectural elements &ndash; arches, gates, and signs &ndash; act, at once, as pieces of art as well as suggestions for what could be complete built structures. The viewer is left to accept the pieces as they are, as well as fill in the missing gaps.

Also on view during the Biennial is the first comprehensive museum survey of the work of British architect David Adjaye. The Art Institute&rsquo;s Making Place: The Architecture of David Adjaye runs September 19 through January 3, 2016, and focuses on Adjaye&rsquo;s unique approach to design. Adjaye, who was born in Tanzania and lived in Africa in his early childhood, is less concerned with establishing a signature style than focusing on the needs of each individual project. Adjaye designs emphasize a strong response to the history, local needs and concerns of an environment. His public projects can be found across the globe including in the UK, Ghana, Qatar, Russia and the US. With community always at the core of his work&mdash;Adjaye is interested in creating links between people and exploring the evolution of a place&mdash;it is fitting that Adjaye is a member of the Biennial&rsquo;s inaugural Advisory Committee as well as serving on the jury of the Lakefront Kiosk Competition.

One of the Biennial&rsquo;s most visible components, the Lakefront Kiosk Competition invited artists and architects from around the world to submit proposals for a new structure that would sit along Lake Michigan&rsquo;s shore. The jury reviewed over 400 submissions from more than 40 countries, and selected a design by Rhode Island-based Ultramoderne. Its design, Chicago Horizon, will be placed along the lakeshore in Spring 2016. Until then, it will be on display in Millennium Park with three other kiosks that will also ultimately be placed along Lake Michigan. These three designs are the collaborations between Chicago architecture schools and international architects.

In addition, the Biennial has partnered with more than 90 organizations in the city and region to offer public programming that will run for the entire three-month period.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The public nature of the event was one of our highest priorities,&rdquo; said Herda. &ldquo;Architecture is not only for architects. Everyone experiences architecture&mdash;whether good or bad&mdash;everyday.&nbsp; The public rarely has access to an architect&rsquo;s work until after a building is finished. The Biennial will offer a rare opportunity for the public to engage the ideas that shape the designed environment - the spaces they themselves live and work in.&rdquo;

The local partnerships, which include Theaster Gates&rsquo; Rebuild Foundation, also bring attention to the city itself. While the Biennial addresses global issues, it is keen to recognize the importance of its home. When architects, designers, artists, writers and a host of others arrive in Chicago between October and January, they will encounter not only the state of architecture, but the art of Chicago itself on display. 
 
All exhibitions and programs of the CAB are free and open to the public.

October 3-January 3, 2016

<a href="http://www.chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org">www.chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org</a>

The Inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial opens in Chicago in 2015

The Inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial 

There was a lot of buzz when the long-awaited Bloomingdale Trail (AKA The 606) opened in June on the city&rsquo;s northwest side. Tremendous vision, planning and resources went into the design and implementation of the trail, but a common refrain from those involved is that the trail is meant to evolve the way Chicago neighborhoods do.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The integration of art, artists, and &lsquo;arts thinking&rsquo; into the re-design of the Bloomingdale Line forms the core of The 606 Arts program and establishes a new model for public art and infrastructure reuse,&rdquo; says lead artist Frances Whitehead. &ldquo;The Arts program converts an artifact of Chicago&rsquo;s industrial heritage into a laboratory for new creative practices...Reflecting the grassroots vision that The 606 become a &lsquo;Living Work of Art&rsquo;.&rdquo;&nbsp;

To become a part of future art projects visit <a href="http://www.the606.org">www.the606.org</a>

Image at top of page: On the 606 Trail: <a href="http://tselone.blogspot.com">Nino &ldquo;TSEL&rdquo; Rodriguez&rsquo;s</a> graffiti mural spelling out the street artist&rsquo;s name, &ldquo;TSEL&rdquo; with an Aztec serpent above. The piece is a combination of mixed street art colors and tribal elements. Most of TSEL&rsquo;s work combines his passions and cultural background.

606: A Living Work of Art

BY MIA DIMEO

Guarded by two bronze lions in a massive neo-classical building on Michigan Avenue, the one million square foot Art Institute of Chicago is the second largest museum in the country. More than 1.4 million people visit the museum annually to see its iconic works, including Picasso&rsquo;s The Old Guitarist or Grant Wood&rsquo;s American Gothic. But most visitors don&rsquo;t realize that the museum, and its collection, was spawned from a humble academic operation begun by a group of artists in 1866. Working in rented studios from plaster casts from antiquity, 35 artists called themselves the Chicago Academy of Design and created the first incarnation of what is known today as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).

Financed by membership fees and donations, the artists hoped to create a school and gallery akin to London&rsquo;s Royal Academy. After some initial success, the school&rsquo;s new five-story building was lost in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, plummeting the young school into debt. During the next decade, the school struggled through several iterations, acquisitions and titles before a board of trustees was formed to support and expand the institution as a cultural asset to the city, naming it the Art Institute of Chicago in 1882. A well-known banker and philanthropist, Charles L. Hutchinson, was elected to be the first director the same year, leading up to the World&rsquo;s Columbian Exposition. The city helped with the cost of a new building, and, lions and all, the fa&ccedil;ade we know today was completed in 1893, in time to host the Exposition&rsquo;s scholarly congress.

<img alt="" data-caption="Architecture classes at SAIC, 1889" data-rich-file-id="759" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/759/original/1889-architecture.jpg" />

In the early 20th century the museum continued collecting, acquiring European many Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterworks, while the school focused on applied and fine arts courses. Notable alumni of the era included Georgia O&rsquo;Keefe, Archibald Motley, lvan Albright, Claes Oldenburg and Regionalists Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood. The addition of liberal arts courses in 1936 enabled SAIC to begin awarding Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, and by 1940, SAIC had given its first Master in Fine Arts degree. Abstract painting, first taught post-war, in 1944, revealed a schism between the great value the museum placed on creating a civic house of treasures, and the present moment of experimentation in art making at the school. This was echoed at various points in the institution&rsquo;s history, and even today both arms operate largely separately, with their own executives and boards.

The later half of the 20th century brought new styles and ideas about art education. A wave of freethinking comic book-influenced artists, later known as the Chicago Imagists, met at SAIC in the1960s. Ed Paschke,&nbsp;Jim Nutt, Roger Brown, Christina Ramberg, Gladys Nilsson, Karl Wirsum and others made work celebrated still today as distinctively Chicago. At this time the school also adopted an interdisciplinary learning approach, still a core of SAIC&rsquo;s teaching philosophy. The development of a Film Center (now the Gene Siskel Film Center) and the first-ever Department of Art and Technology Studies followed in the early 1970s. &nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Gladys Nilsson. Big School Picture; Little Paper Mural, 1992. Samuel T. Avery Endowment. From the upcoming Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute in the Permanent Collection exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago." data-rich-file-id="764" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/764/original/nilsson-big-school-picture-copy.jpg" />

Fast forward. The Art Institute has a flashy new wing, designed in 2009 by Renzo Piano, to house the museum&rsquo;s contemporary and modern collection. SAIC&rsquo;s campus occupies important historic spacees around the Loop, beyond Michigan Avenue, including the Alice R. Sharp Building, designed by Holabird and Roche and several floors of the Sullivan Center (formerly known as the Carson Pirie Scott building), making it the biggest combined museum and school campus in the country. SAIC students focus on Art Therapy, Fashion Design, Historic Preservation, Performance, Sound, Visual and Critical Studies and New Arts Journalism, beyond traditional fields like drawing and painting, sculpture and art history. Forward thinking artists, writers and designers make up SAIC&rsquo;s recent alumni list: Rirkrit Tiravanija, Tania Bruguera, Paul Chan, &ldquo;Dread&rdquo; Scott Tyler, Amanda Ross-Ho, Cynthia Rowley, David Sedaris, and David Hartt.

2015 has been a memorable year for the school. In May, SAIC awarded an honorary doctorate to Douglas Druick, Rhona Hoffman, Albert Oehlen, Janet Byrne Neiman and Kanye West, causing a frenzy of media attention. September marks SAIC&rsquo;s 150th anniversary and begins a yearlong celebration of events and programming, starting&nbsp; with a talk by cartoonist, author and alumnus Chris Ware, as part of the schools&rsquo; Visiting Artists Program. Coinciding with EXPO Chicago, September 17-20, SAIC will present a week of alumni events, including a block party and two EXPO /Dialogues lectures at the fair, Hans Ulrich Obrist: In Conversation with the Hairy Who and Celebrating 150: SAIC Alumni Panel, a reflection on the development of&nbsp;artistic practices and experiences in Chicago&rsquo;s art scene.

Civilization and Its Discontents: SAIC Alumni Exhibition, Selections from 1985&ndash;2015, curated by artist and faculty members Scott and Tyson Reeder and on view at the Sullivan Galleries, will features alumni from the last 30 years who have (in some way) changed the conversation within their discipline, highlighting the distinctive SAIC spark shared between them. In the same space, Outside Design Exhibition&nbsp;explores the turn in art and design towards biotechnology and ecological systems. The ends with a talk by artist Jeff Koons, who was influenced by the Imagists while living in Chicago, assisting Ed Paschke, and briefly attending SAIC.&nbsp;

Late this&nbsp;fall the Art Institute will open Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the Permanent Collection on October 17, emphasizing the tie between the school and the museum. Curated by Mark Pascale, Homegrown includes 20 self-portraits by Ivan Albright, pieces by the so-called Monster Roster artists and a selection of more contemporary alumni works, creating a visual timeline of talent nurtured by the school and its faculty, 150 years old and counting.&nbsp;

Find a full schedule of Anniversary events through 2016 at <a href="http://saic.edu">saic.edu</a>

Top image:&nbsp;A student from the Sculpture program

150 and Counting: SAIC Celebrates a Landmark

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418545/p7wr8wu7rx6wtebob8ol.jpg"></figure>By FRANCK MERCURIOIn 1913 the International Exhibition of Modern Art made its way to Chicago from New York. Popularly known as the Armory Show, the exhibition introduced Chicagoans to the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Brancusi, and Kandinsky—and in the process, scandalized the public and many in the city’s conservative art circles.Shortly thereafter, several arts organizations were formed, either in support of “the moderns” or in opposition to them. The Arts Club of Chicago, founded in 1916, had a decidedly modernist bent. The Renaissance Society, organized a year earlier in 1915 by a group of University of Chicago academics, was squarely in the other camp. The Society’s members aimed to “stimulate the love of the beautiful and to enrich the life of the community through the cultivation of the arts”—an idealized, 19th-century view of the function and societal role of art. During the first ten years, the organization reflected its scholarly origins by presenting a fairly sober roster of topics, such as “The Beginnings of Italian Sculpture” and “Chinese Paintings of the Tang, Sung, and Yuan Periods.”But the Modernist movement could not be avoided forever.&nbsp;Attitudes shifted in 1927 with the election of Agnes C. Gale, the Society’s first female president. She, along with succeeding president Eva Watson Schütze, brought modernism to the forefront of the Ren’s agenda. Writing in the Society’s 1929 bulletin, Schütze made her mission clear: “Part of the program of the Renaissance Society is to study the art of the present time, the new renaissance.”Since then, there’s been no turning back. Over the years, the Ren has made its reputation by exhibiting intellectually challenging works by vanguard artists. This included a commitment to international, national, and local artists working in a variety of genres, from conceptual art to improvisational music to spoken word. The Society’s curators often worked alongside these artists to commission new pieces, something that helped distinguish the Ren from other arts institutions.This fall, the Ren pays homage to its tradition of supporting cutting-edge art as it celebrates the Society’s 100th year with a program of special exhibitions and events titled Centennial. Included are shows featuring the work of Irena Haiduk, Wadada Leo Smith, and Paul McCarthy.&nbsp;“All of these exhibitions have a very special role in our Centennial program,” says Solveig Øvstebø, the executive director and chief curator of the Renaissance Society. “The last show, Paul McCarthy, I think is an incredible, exciting presentation of his works.”McCarthy is an LA-based multidisciplinary artist known mainly for his large-scale sculptures and installations. The Ren exhibition, titled Paul McCarthy: Drawings (opening November 8) will present two-dimensional works by the artist created for his White Snow project and subsequent installation, WS, exhibited at the Park Avenue Armory in 2013. The drawings reflect McCarthy’s intentions for his larger works and give insight into his creative process. The show is curated by Øvstebø along with guest curator Suzanne Ghez, the Ren’s former director.Kicking off the Centennial celebration will be Irena “Ika” Haiduk’s Seductive Exacting Realism (opening September 10), a collaboration with the Istanbul Biennial. “Ika will present a completely new piece,” says Øvstebø. “Her work is very directly linked to socio-political discussions of our times.” According to the Ren’s website, the Chicago-based artist’s work will explore contemporary global politics through a “discursive data stream carrying a song in the form of a debate between two melodic voices.”Indeed, the Ren has a long tradition of sponsoring and showcasing experimental music in addition to visual art. Ankrasmation: The Language Scores, 1967–2015 (opening October 11) features the work of musician, composer, educator, and artist Wadada Leo Smith. Curated by Hamza Walker (currently on sabbatical from the Ren) and John Corbett (of Corbett vs. Dempsey Gallery), the show complements the MCA’s The Freedom Principle: Experimentations in Art and Music, 1965 to Now.In addition to its slate of exhibitions and programs, the Ren is using the Centennial as an opportunity to increase the Society’s visibility, especially here in the city.“The thing with the Renaissance Society is that it has such a strong voice on the international landscape,” explains Øvstebø. “But I think more people should know this institution in Chicago.”To that end, the Ren is unveiling a new graphic identity, new website, and even new signage that will help visitors better locate its home on the University of Chicago campus.“People tell me that the Ren is a hidden gem,” says Director of Communications, Anna Searle Jones. “And I’m glad people think of us as a gem, but I don’t want us to be hidden. One of the aims of the Centennial is to make more people aware of what we do, that we’re free, and that we’re open to the public.”CENTENNIAL EXHIBITIONS:&nbsp; • Irena Haiduk: Seductive Exacting Realism -&nbsp;September 10-October 8, 2015 •&nbsp;Ian Wilson: Discussions -&nbsp;October 1 and 4, 2015 •&nbsp;Wadada Leo Smith: Ankhrasmation: The Language Scores, 1967–2015 -&nbsp;October 11 to 29, 2015 •&nbsp;John Knight, Museotypes at the Art Institute of Chicago -&nbsp;October 23 to November 29, 2015 •&nbsp;Paul McCarthy -&nbsp;November 8, 2015 to January 24, 2016 &nbsp;The public is invited to celebrate the Ren’s anniversary on Saturday, September 19, at the “100th Birthday Bash”.&nbsp;Visit <a href="http://www.renaissancesociety.org">www.renaissancesociety.org</a> for more details.&nbsp;Top image: Paul McCarthy, Dwarf House, 2009, Pencil and collage on paper, 80” x 97”.&nbsp;Part of Paul McCarthy, on view November 8, 2015 to January 24, 2016</body></html>

The Ren: 100 Years of Cultivating the Arts

The annual art season storm is here. This issue was a lot of fun to put together, as we combed many calendars to plan ahead for openings, new exhibitions, art fairs, galas and celebrations.&nbsp;

Chicago has a youthful spirit, but as a few institutions celebrate major milestones, we can see how deep the city&rsquo;s cultural foundation really go: this fall the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago marks its Centennial, and the School of the Art Institute turns 150 years old - it&rsquo;s really something to see photos of architecture students at work at the school back in 1889. &nbsp;

While we are always mindful of history, looking towards the future is a theme in the art world this season, as the first Chicago Architecture Biennial launches October 3, running through January 3, 2016. Many of the world&rsquo;s top architectural minds will gather in our city to examine &lsquo;the state of the art of architecture.&rsquo; Amidst a building boom here at home, the discussions and exhibitions that will take place for the Biennial will consider architecture&rsquo;s role in not only beautifying our spaces but benefiting our citizens. Bringing this message to life, at the same time as the Biennial, is the first major retrospective of architect David Adjaye&rsquo;s work at the Art Institute, curated by Zo&euml; Ryan.&nbsp;

Franck Mercurio talked to several young art world leaders who are bringing our arts scene into the future; he spoke with the new director of the DePaul Art Museum, Julie Rodrigues Widholm, as well as the Renaissance Society&rsquo;s Solveig &Oslash;vsteb&oslash;, plus a few ambitious members of the Art Institute&rsquo;s Auxiliary Board.&nbsp;

History is always being made here, and this fall Chicago will welcome a large cast of international artists and galleries, as we host three art fairs within six weeks. EXPO returns to Navy Pier for its fourth iteration, September 17-20, and it welcomes its largest tally to date, when 140 galleries exhibit the best of what is happening now in contemporary art. The Harlem Fine Art Show, part of a group of four art shows around the country, comes to Chicago&rsquo;s Merchandise Mart for the second year, October 29-November 1, featuring work from the African Diaspora. The following weekend SOFA is back at Navy Pier for its 22nd year, as over 70 dealers feature sculpture, objects, functional art and design at the always-anticipated fair.&nbsp;

Chicago&rsquo;s unique brand of trail-blazing spirit is evident in these pages this issue. Kevin Nance interviewed veteran dealer Rhona Hoffman about her experience leading one of the most respected galleries in the country. Hoffman has paved the way for so many artists as well as other dealers. Nance also toured the collection of Helen Zell, who embraces collecting and the life-long pursuit of art with zest.&nbsp;

Cheryl Pope is an example of an artist who never stops looking within herself for ways to improve her art as well as the lives of others, particularly youths subjected to violence.&nbsp;

We have so many passionate figures contributing to our cultural community, and they are each building upon strong foundations to continue Chicago&rsquo;s reputation as the city that works, especially when it comes to art.

Fall 2015 Publisher’s Letter: Youth and History in the Art World

By&nbsp;FRANCK MERCURIO

Chicago&rsquo;s young cultural leaders are making their mark on the city&rsquo;s art scene. Meet some of the under-45 set&mdash;curators, museum directors, and philanthropists&mdash;who are taking Chicago&rsquo;s arts institutions to exciting new places.&nbsp;

The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now, open through November 22, marks a milestone in the career of Naomi Beckwith (age 38), the Marilyn and Larry Fields Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art. A kind of culmination of Beckwith&rsquo;s curatorial experiences at the MCA, the show presents the visual arts alongside music, performance, and other interdisciplinary expressions. It also reflects Beckwith&rsquo;s commitment to often neglected historical subjects, in this case, the black cultural nationalism of the 1960s and its continued influence on artists today.

<img alt="" data-caption="MCA Curator Naomi Beckwith" data-rich-file-id="740" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/740/original/beckwith.jpg" />

&ldquo;Contemporary artists have reached back to language, forms, terms, and concerns related to democratic possibilities that surfaced prominently in the 1960s,&rdquo; writes Beckwith in her exhibition catalog essay. &ldquo;In various ways, they seem eager to explore the legacy of the integrationist civil rights and the separatist Black Power movement by asking how art mattered in that moment of urgent political struggles.&rdquo;

This type of thoughtful linking of past and present&mdash;and questioning of conventional histories&mdash;places Beckwith within the vanguard of her peers. Since joining the MCA in 2011, she has expressed her distinctive point of view in large-scale installations, such as The Freedom Principle, William J. O&rsquo;Brien, and Yinka Shonibare: MBD, as well as in small-scale shows, such as MCA DNA: Richard Hunt. Each exhibition reflects Beckwith&rsquo;s passion for topics and artists that are often under-represented in museums.&nbsp;

Beckwith&rsquo;s is an interest shared by other young Chicago curators, including Julie Rodrigues Widholm (age 40) who recently left the MCA to become director of the DePaul Art Museum.

<img alt="" data-caption="DePaul Art Museum director Julie Rodrigues Widholm " data-rich-file-id="742" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/742/original/julie-rodgriques-widhom.jpg" />&nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Matt Siber’s Trapezoid, 2015, wood, plexiglass, flourescent lights, courtesy of the artist" data-rich-file-id="741" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/741/original/siber-trapezoid.jpg" />

&ldquo;Part of my personal mission as a curator is to make sure there is a plurality of voices and experiences represented in museums,&rdquo; Widholm says. &ldquo;So, I absolutely look forward to bringing [to DePaul] voices from all over the world&mdash;including Chicago&mdash;but also from Africa, Latin America, and Asia.&rdquo;

At the MCA Widholm organized several major exhibitions around socially inclusive themes, including Tropic&aacute;lia: A Revolution in Brazilian Culture (2005), Escultura Social: A New Generation of Art from Mexico City (2007), Rashid Johnson: Message to Our Folks (2012), and Unbound: Contemporary Art after Frida Kahlo (2014). She also displayed a commitment to Chicago artists by organizing 30 12 x 12 shows featuring emerging local talent.

Widholm now leads a university museum housed in a new state-of-the-art facility with a growing reputation for innovative exhibitions. &ldquo;Over the last few years, the DePaul program has become more interesting, exciting and connected to contemporary artists in Chicago,&rdquo; says Widholm. &ldquo;I feel it&rsquo;s on a wonderful trajectory.&rdquo;

Widholm&rsquo;s first exhibition as DPAM director will be Matt Siber: Idol Structures (opening September 10) featuring recent sculptural works by the Chicago-based artist. Concurrently, she will wrap up her final MCA exhibition, Kathryn Andrews: Run for President (opening November 21).

<img alt="" data-caption="Renaissance Society Director, Solveig Øvstebø. Photo: Kevin Nance" data-rich-file-id="743" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/743/original/solveig.jpg" />

Widholm joins the museum leaders&rsquo; club with another young director, Solveig &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; of the Renaissance Society. &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; (age 42) succeeded long-time director, Suzanne Ghez, in 2013. She also serves as the institution&rsquo;s chief curator and has organized important solo shows by Varda Caivano, Mathias Poledna, and Nora Schultz in just the past two years.

Keenly aware of the Ren&rsquo;s tradition of presenting new works by avant-garde artists, &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; understands the importance of keeping a finger on the pulse of the art world.

&ldquo;The institutional landscape of the contemporary art field has exploded,&rdquo; says &Oslash;vsteb&oslash;. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s completely different from where it was in the 80s or even the 90s. It&rsquo;s important to figure out where we can be the most relevant.&rdquo;

&Oslash;vsteb&oslash; directs an exhibition program centered on commissioning new work from artists. &ldquo;It is incredibly important for me to decide how this institution can best support artists,&rdquo; she says &ldquo;and to be in close dialogue.&rdquo;

With this in mind, &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; is looking forward to unveiling a brand new work by Chicago-based artist, Irena Haiduk. Titled Seductive Exacting Realism, the exhibition kicks-off the Ren&rsquo;s Centennial celebration on September 10. (See CGN&nbsp;for the story.)

*

It takes money to commission new works, organize exhibitions, and support curators; this is where Chicago&rsquo;s philanthropic leaders step in. The city&rsquo;s cultural institutions are generously endowed by the community, which includes members of local families who have a long tradition of serving on the boards of Chicago&rsquo;s museums.

The Art Institute of Chicago&rsquo;s Auxiliary Board is one such group. The Board, now 43 years old, is the oldest and most recognized charitable board of its kind in the nation, yet many of its members are younger. Under the leadership of Dustin O&rsquo;Regan, Board president, the organization has brought in new members&mdash;some in their 20s and 30s&mdash;and is cultivating a group of young philanthropic leaders.

&ldquo;The Auxiliary Board is one of my favorite organizations I&rsquo;m involved with,&rdquo; says board member Michael J. Patterson (age 24). &ldquo;I think it includes great people who are intelligent and passionate about the mission of the museum.&rdquo;

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s such a great board, because it really, truly works to benefit the museum,&rdquo; adds Daisy M. Wood (age 27). &ldquo;You can see first hand the effects that our fundraising efforts have had.

The Auxiliary Board supports a range of community outreach projects in an effort to expose &ldquo;new, young, diverse audiences&rdquo; to the museum, including the annual Holiday Treasure Hunt and Tea Party, which Patterson chairs. Since 2004, the Board has raised more than $1.5 million through events such as Uncorked: A Case for Wine.

JR Glenn (age 32) serves on the Board&rsquo;s Development Committee and is the chair of Uncorked. For him, joining the Board is not only a way to give back to the community, but also an educational experience, one that opens up the world of art and art history.

&ldquo;The more I learn, the more I appreciate it,&rdquo; says Glenn. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always loved the museum, but I want to learn more; and help others learn more.&rdquo;

This sentiment seems to be a major motivating factor shared by Chicago&rsquo;s young cultural leaders&mdash;a desire to work for the benefit of the community, to bring new ideas to light, and to engage the public with the power of art.

&nbsp;

Pictured at top of page: The 2014 Uncorked: A Case for Wine, sponsored by the Auxiliary Board of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photo credit: Robert Kusel Photography

Chicago’s young cultural leaders in Chicago institutions and museum boards are making their mark on the city’s art scene.

The Art World’s Next Generation of Leaders

<a href="http://www.360chicago.com/">360 CHICAGO</a>, formerly the John Hancock Observatory, recently renovated the Hancock&#39;s 94th floor observation deck. You can expect the same stunning 360 degree views overlooking&nbsp;Chicago, but visitors can also look forward to&nbsp;new and improved seating areas (125 people can enjoy sunset views on stadium-style seating), a modernized caf&eacute; and bar (for cocktails, artisanal snacks, or perhaps some gelato), and a new interactive concourse-level display that highlights the history and culture of nine Chicago neighborhoods.&nbsp;

&ldquo;360 CHICAGO and our parent company, Montparnasse 56, specialize in the operation of world-class cultural and tourist attractions. We strive to completely redefine the guest experience, from our observation deck to all the unique and compelling spaces and experiences throughout,&rdquo; said Nichole Williamson, general manager, 360 CHICAGO. &ldquo;The spectacular results of our most recent enhancements are part of a long-term investment we&rsquo;ve made in our space and in our city, and we couldn&rsquo;t be more pleased.&rdquo;

Bronzeville, Bucktown, Hyde Park, Lakeview, Logan Square, Old Town, Pilsen, Wicker Park and Wrigleyville are in the spotlight in the new concourse exhibition, depicted in part through the juried photography of nine local artists. Out of more than 1,200 entries, nine artists were selected as part of 360 CHICAGO&#39;s Neighborhood Focus Photo Contest, held in partnership with Chitecture and Choose Chicago, which launched in March of 2015.&nbsp;Browse the selected&nbsp;photos&nbsp;below.&nbsp;

Learn more about&nbsp;360 CHICAGO, its thrilling&nbsp;<a href="http://www.360chicago.com/tilt/">TILT</a>&nbsp;viewing experience, private event opportunities,&nbsp;and plan a trip soon to explore, at a glance, Chicago and its iconic neighborhoods&nbsp;from the ground up;&nbsp;way&nbsp;up.

&nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Bronzeville Photo WInner: Khabrim Diallo (31) of Buena Park/Uptown" data-rich-file-id="666" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/666/original/bronzeville.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Bucktown Photo Winner: Sal Ursino (25) of Park Ridge" data-rich-file-id="667" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/667/original/bucktown.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Hyde Park Photo Winner: Nick Ulivieri (30) of University Village" data-rich-file-id="668" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/668/original/hyde-park.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Lakeview Photo Winner: Cody Giguere (21) of Lakeview" data-rich-file-id="669" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/669/original/lakeview.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Logan Square Photo Winner: Danny Cantu (32) of Humboldt Park" data-rich-file-id="670" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/670/original/logan-square.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Old Town Photo Winner: Alina Tsvor (24) of Bucktown" data-rich-file-id="671" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/671/original/old-20town.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Pilsen Photo Winner: Chris Diers (44) of Pilsen" data-rich-file-id="672" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/672/original/pilsen.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Wicker Park Photo Winner: Edson Soares (26) of Andersonville/Edgewater" data-rich-file-id="673" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/673/original/wicker-park.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Wrigleyville Photo Winner: Ulysses Salcido (26) of Hermosa" data-rich-file-id="674" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/674/original/wrigleyville.jpg" />

BY LAURA MILLER METTAM

360 CHICAGO recently renovated the Hancock's 94th floor observation deck with new and improved seating areas, a modernized café and bar, and a new concourse-level display that highlights the history and culture of nine Chicago neighborhoods. Bronzeville, Bucktown, Hyde Park, Lakeview, Logan Square, Old Town, Pilsen, Wicker Park and Wrigleyville are highlighted through the juried photography of nine local artists. 

Here's Looking at You, Chicago 

BY FRANCK MERCURIO

&bull; Susan Giles: Points in Space&nbsp;at The Mission (through June 27) 
&bull; Susan Giles: Scenic Overlook&nbsp;at the Hyde Park Art Center (through July 26)

We tend to think of monumental architecture as solid, stable, and static&mdash;massive structures built to withstand weather and war and embody power and permanence. But in&nbsp;Scenic Overlook&nbsp;at the Hyde Park Art Center, artist Susan Giles takes that notion and turns it on its head&mdash;or more correctly, on its side.

<img alt="" data-caption="Susan Giles, Minarets 2015, concrete and paper, Courtesy The Mission" data-rich-file-id="652" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/652/original/themission001020.jpg" />

Entering HPAC&rsquo;s two-story gallery space, visitors are confronted by four large-scale sculptures. At first glance, they appear to be giant wooden telescopes mounted to steel tripods, all four pointed towards the same, distant star. In actuality&nbsp;they represent observation towers&mdash;Tokyo Skytree, Canton Tower (Guangzhou), CN Tower (Toronto), and Ostankino Tower (Moscow)&mdash;super tall structures that serve as architectural icons in their respective cities.

In a subversive move, Giles tilts each tower on its tripod; these vertical structures become horizontal; stable forms becomes mobile. Do these sculptures still represent buildings? Or have they been transformed into Saturn V rockets, or ballistic missiles?

The artist&rsquo;s intention seems to change depending on the viewer&rsquo;s vantage point. From the gallery&rsquo;s main level, the sculptures appear to be on a planned trajectory, aimed toward a specific point on the gallery&rsquo;s second-level balcony. Standing at this point (perhaps the &ldquo;scenic overlook&rdquo; referenced in the installation&rsquo;s title), visitors get a bird&rsquo;s-eye view of all four towers. But it&rsquo;s a somewhat menacing perspective akin to looking down the barrels of four guns, perhaps a reflection of our post-911 world where tall buildings take on new and somewhat threatening meanings.

<img alt="" data-caption="Susan Giles, Horizontal CN Tower, 2013, wood and wood veneer, 20 ft 9 in x 25 in x 25 in, Courtesy The Mission" data-rich-file-id="651" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/651/original/themission000656.jpg" />

In a smaller space, just off the balcony, three of Giles&rsquo; table sculptures are displayed. Here, the artist continues to manipulate architectural forms and explore ideas of permanence and instability, construction and destruction, by juxtaposing concrete with paper. Giles&rsquo; concrete forms are powerful in their minimalist simplicity and contrast with the detail and delicacy of the paper forms, each of which represents a different iconic structure, including the Arc de Triomphe and Tower Bridge.

More of the Giles&rsquo; small-scale sculptures are displayed at The Mission Projects in West Town. The&nbsp;well-curated companion show is&nbsp;titled&nbsp;Points in Space. Of these,&nbsp;Minarets&nbsp;(2015)&nbsp;showcases the artist&rsquo;s skill at balancing abstract concrete elements with more recognizable architectural forms. Giles places the decontextualized minarets onto two diagonally positioned bases, giving the piece a sense of movement and suggesting new interpretations of traditional Islamic structures.

All of Giles&rsquo; sculptures are meticulously constructed. The artist fabricates each with equal finesse, whether the material is wood veneer, cast concrete, or folder paper. But it&rsquo;s Giles manipulation of those materials and forms that give her works a conceptual richness, enabling viewers to extract different meanings from each piece.

Image pictured at top of page: Installation view from Hyde Park Art Center&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.themissionprojects.com">The Mission</a>,&nbsp;1431 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

<a href="http://www.hydeparkart.org">Hyde Park Art Center</a>,&nbsp;5020 S Cornell Ave, Chicago, IL 60615&nbsp;

Susan Giles art installations in Chicago at Hyde Park Art Center and The Mission Projects

Susan Giles: Exhibiting at The Mission and Hyde Park Art Center this Summer

BY FRANCK MERCURIO&nbsp;

One of the stand-out paintings on display at the Art Institute of Chicago is David Hockney&rsquo;s American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman). Hockney pokes gentle fun at his subjects, while reinforcing popular notions about art collectors: older, affluent, and eccentric. Gazing at the painting, one can&rsquo;t help but wonder: Who were Fred and Marcia as a younger, greener couple? What inspired them to begin to collect contemporary art? A number of younger art collectors in Chicago are bucking the &ldquo;stodgy patron&rdquo; stereotype and assembling vibrant collections of contemporary works that reflect the interests and issues of their generation.

&nbsp;

<h4>Ian Gray + Peter Johnson</h4>

(pictured at top of page from&nbsp;left: Ian Gray and Peter Johnson at home. Artwork pictured in background: photograph by Matt Austin; painting by Elijah Burgher.)

What better place for art collectors to live than in the heart of a gallery district? Ian Gray (25) and Peter Johnson (24) reside in an industrial-style West Loop loft near some of the city&rsquo;s best-known galleries. Peter directs public relations at the Center on Halsted, while Ian helps run his family&rsquo;s 50-year old art business, Richard Gray Gallery (the founder is his grandfather). The couple met in college and started collecting seriously after moving in together in Chicago.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve only ever collected together&mdash;we didn&rsquo;t do any separate collecting before we started dating,&rdquo; says Peter.&nbsp;

&ldquo;There are a handful of staples that came from my parents, but most of the collection, the bulk of it, we found here in Chicago,&rdquo; explains Ian. &ldquo;It helps to have parents who collect; it helps to have grown up in a house that everyone else thought was a museum but for me was very much a home.&rdquo;

This background of living with art influences the installation of the couple&rsquo;s pieces. Despite the presence of dozens of works, their loft feels more like a home than a museum. Referencing an area containing large-scale pieces that can be rotated in and out, Ian states &ldquo;We wanted this spot in the house to be a space where we could show works, but I&rsquo;m edging away from the word &lsquo;gallery.&rsquo;&rdquo;

Adds Peter, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a place in our home where we can live among art.&rdquo;

Peter and Ian collect works from a variety of local artists, including Elijah Burgher, John Neff, Doug Ischar,&nbsp;Matt Austin, and&nbsp;Deana Lawson (Brooklyn-based but represented locally). Many of these artists reflect the couple&rsquo;s mutual interest in gender and identity politics, but other works reflect Peter&rsquo;s interest in &ldquo;art versus artifact&rdquo; and Ian&rsquo;s &ldquo;deep interest in the intersection of computers and logic.&rdquo;

&ldquo;I think we actually have very different tastes, but we&rsquo;ve been able to find these really interesting cross-sections,&rdquo; says Peter.

Most of the couple&rsquo;s pieces were purchased from local galleries, including Andrew Rafacz, Carrie Secrist, Rhona Hoffman, Fernway, and Western Exhibitions.

&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t work with just one gallery,&rdquo; says Peter. &ldquo;I think we try to get around and see a lot, and if it&rsquo;s something we like, then we usually get it.&rdquo;

&ldquo;There are a couple of artists whom we&rsquo;re quite fond of,&rdquo; says Ian. &ldquo;But Robert Burnier is probably the one I have the biggest obsession with.&rdquo; Indeed, the couple owns three works by the Chicago-based artist who models his sculptural works digitally before creating physical, three-dimensional pieces.

&ldquo;We both get a lot of pleasure from interacting with artists,&rdquo; says Peter. &ldquo;If an artist is accessible to us, and we&rsquo;re getting work from them, we have them come over, help hang the work and talk with them about it.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

*

&nbsp;

<h4>Ashley Galloway + Oren Lund</h4>

If you&rsquo;re a new collector, it helps to have a girlfriend who knows all about art. Ashley Galloway (33) serves as a kind of advisor, confidant, and &ldquo;collecting partner&rdquo; to Oren Lund (35) whose contemporary art collection fills his modern Bucktown townhouse. Ashley&rsquo;s resume is impressive&mdash;she studied photography as an undergraduate, attended Sotheby&rsquo;s Institute of Art in London, and later worked at the Tate. Oren began his professional life as a chef and now works as an attorney.

<img alt="" data-caption="Oren and Ashley in Oren’s home seated in front of Hyounsang Yoo’s photograph, &quot;C, LC, VM, VLM, Y, LK, LLK, PK and MK,&quot; (2014)" data-rich-file-id="558" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/558/original/orencollector.jpg" />

Both actively support the arts in Chicago, with Oren serving on the executive committee of the Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council and Ashley on the Museum Council of the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Together they&rsquo;ve become involved in several other arts organizations.

&ldquo;I started getting into the visual arts to impress Ashley,&rdquo; says Oren, half-jokingly. &ldquo;Since then I joined Filter and the Chicago Artists Coalition [Chartwell Collectors Circle] and am starting to get more involved with Threewalls. Most of the cool things that I&rsquo;ve collected have been in the past year since knowing her.&rdquo;

&ldquo;The community in Chicago is fantastic,&rdquo; says Ashley. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been fun for us, as we&rsquo;ve gotten to know each other, to explore [the community] together and learn about the different galleries and all the fairs. It&rsquo;s a part of our regular weekend activities.&rdquo;

The couple focuses mainly on Chicago artists. Oren started by buying smaller, more affordable pieces from online auctions, local art fairs, and directly from artists during studio visits.

The collection reflects a variety of works from an eclectic mix of artists. Included are Chicago Imagists-inspired works by the street artist Lefty, collages by Stephen Eichorn, a drawing by self-taught artist Lee Godie, and photographs by Alice Hargrave, Barbara Diener, and Hyounsang Yoo.

Given her background, Ashley is naturally drawn to photographic works. But for Oren, photography was more of a hard sell, at least initially. Instead, he is drawn to the immediacy of painting.

&ldquo;[Photography] tends not to be as visceral,&rdquo; says Oren. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s more of a separation between the art and the viewer&hellip;we&rsquo;re seeing things through a printer, through a lens, and through an artist.&rdquo;

Yet Ashley&rsquo;s and Oren&rsquo;s individual likes and preferences have influenced each other and what they collect. Case in point: Hyounsang Yoo&rsquo;s C, LC, VM, VLM, Y, LK, LLK, PK and MK (2014, pictured). It&rsquo;s a piece that Oren first discovered at the 2014 Filter Photo Festival and serves as an example of the couple&rsquo;s evolving perspectives as collectors. The clouds of colored pigment captured by Yoo give the work a strong graphic quality&ndash;almost painterly&ndash;that appeals to Oren, even though it&rsquo;s a photographic print.

For both, collecting has been a fun learning experience. Ashley&rsquo;s advice to new collectors: &ldquo;It always helps if you can talk to the artist and learn how they got there.&rdquo; Adds Oren &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been visiting artists studios to get some of that context.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

30-Something: Young Chicago Collectors 

BY MIA DIMEO

Anything can happen at auction. Maintain eye contact. Nod. Raise your paddle. Wait for the gavel to fall and - SOLD! You&rsquo;re the proud owner of a Chanel evening bag owned by Oprah Winfrey.&nbsp;

Or an early Lee Bontecou sculpture from the estate of philanthropist Claudia Luebbers. Or a signed manuscript by Mark Twain. Or a diamond lizard brooch. How about a pink Art Deco settee or a lock of Elvis Presley&rsquo;s hair?&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Lee Bontecou, (American, b. 1931), Untitled, 1959, canvas, wire and steel signed Bontecou and dated (lower right side), 16 x 12 x 14”. Estimate: $200,000-300,000. Property from the Claudia R. Luebbers Trust, Chicago, Illinois " data-rich-file-id="565" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/565/original/bontecou.jpg" />

Leslie Hindman has been in the auction business for more than 30 years, starting her career in the late 1970s at the Chicago branch office of Sotheby&rsquo;s. When the mega-house pulled out of the local market several years later, Hindman filled the gap by opening her own space in 1982. Prominent estate auctions and big sales like the $1.43 million dollar sale of a previously unknown Vincent van Gogh in 1991 helped establish her auction house&rsquo;s notoriety in the Midwest and beyond. By 1997 Sotheby&rsquo;s came back around, purchasing Hindman&rsquo;s auction house and giving her a principal management role with the company. She kept busy hosting two HGTV shows, authoring a book and opening a River North gallery space before starting a new auction house in 2003. This time she expanded her range to underserved cities ripe with potential consignments: Denver, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Naples and Palm Beach. Currently Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is the largest auction house in the Midwest, holding more than 50 auctions a year, including this spring&rsquo;s highly anticipated sale of Oprah&rsquo;s real favorite things: selections of furniture, decorative arts, fashion, 20th century prints and paintings from her Chicago estate. &nbsp;

With global art sales totaling $54.1 billion in 2014, it&rsquo;s no surprise that one of the areas with the most growth for Hindman is middle market contemporary art. The aforementioned Bontecou, for instance, is expected to fetch between $200,000-300,000 at auction in May. The untitled canvas, wire and steel wall piece from 1959 is an early example of the artist&rsquo;s characteristic oval voids. Its provenance is reflected in its price&mdash;the piece was exhibited in a major 2004 retrospective that toured the Hammer Museum, the MCA and MoMA.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Our firm has grown considerably since 2003,&rdquo; says Hindman. She notes that success in the market comes from being one of the largest auction houses in the country with access to good commissions. &ldquo;People know to call us. We are lucky to be a leader.&rdquo;

Of course, Bontecou lovers don&rsquo;t have to vie in person. LH Live allows for real-time online bidding, in addition to phone and absentee bids. As a result, some of the highest grossing sales can happen in nearly empty rooms. Hindman also created an online platform shared with several other auction houses called BidSquare, where shoppers can view items by category across several auctions.&nbsp;

How does stuff land at the auction house to begin with? Hindman cites the most common reasons for consignments are the three D&rsquo;s&mdash;Death, Divorce and Debt. After the seller shares information about the property in question, Hindman&rsquo;s team of specialists determines authenticity (no fakes allowed) and then estimates the value of a piece using prior auction records. Specialists will also make house calls, sifting through messy hoards, thoughtful collections and everything in between to identify the best property for an auction. In one case, a previously unknown Wassily Kandinsky watercolor, as well as an unsigned Oskar Kokoschka painting and several other exceptional pieces, was consigned after being stacked under a bed for decades.&nbsp;

Zack Wirsum, Director of Hindman&rsquo;s Fine Art Department, specializes in Post War and Contemporary Art, helped consign the Expressionist trove plus dozens of other artworks in the eight years he&rsquo;s worked at the auction house. Son of Hairy Who member Karl Wirsum, Zack experienced art from a young age and has developed his own practice of making abstract paintings (he is represented by Jean Albano Gallery.) Unlike many artists who recoil at the idea of auctions and the market, Wirsum feels a heavy responsibility towards artworks he works with, particularly those made by living artists.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Placing auction estimates on work by family friends and by my father tests my objectivity,&rdquo; Wirsum says. &ldquo;But I respect the process and the challenge. Right now we have an early skull piece by my dad from the last Hairy Who show, and a reverse Plexiglass painting by Barbara Rossi that was shown in the infamous Made in Chicago exhibit. I&rsquo;m glad to see both going back out into the world to hopefully join important collections.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Wirsum and Hindman agree there can be an intimidation factor for those less familiar with bidding at auction, particularly for younger collectors. One initiative to welcome new auction-goers and connect to the contemporary community surrounding the auction house is a West Loop gallery walk on May 16, 6-9 pm. Organized by Wirsum&rsquo;s department, the walk will align with previews for the Post-War and Contemporary sale, featuring work by Gilbert and George,&nbsp;

Amy Sillman and Nick Cave and the Carol H. and Richard M. Levin collection, which will include work by Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry and Robert Henri.&nbsp;

Wirsum&rsquo;s team is also curating Blank Space, a new concept taking its name from a Taylor Swift song, The auction on June 24, with most low estimates under $800, means buyers can dip their toes in the pool with affordable purchases of paintings, prints and sculptures. Not into bidding wars? LH Exchange (LHX), a new Craigslist-like platform, gives users a more direct method to sell less expensive property while working with Hindman&rsquo;s specialists to provide pricing and shipping assistance.

Contemporary art is a big category for younger collectors,&rdquo; says Hindman. &ldquo;We want to make sure they know that they can find interesting things under $1,000.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Live and Online with Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA, PUBLISHER

In our winter issue I wrote about giving up on the impulse to be overly enthusiastic about a quiet time of year: sub zero temperatures and a permanent frozen feeling should make us take advantage of the time to wind down and refresh in advance of spring.&nbsp;

Well, I&rsquo;m ready for the thaw. In fact, I&rsquo;d welcome a heat wave on all fronts about now. When the most exciting things we&rsquo;ve had to talk about are runoff elections, interest rates and how garish the new Wrigley Field scoreboard is, we need cultural and social inspiration so that we have interesting things to talk about again. Many dealers and artists understandably lament the lull in visits during January, February and March. Beyond the art world most of us are also eager for a quicker pace.&nbsp;

The arts calendar in Chicago has been shifting more heavily towards the fall during the past couple of years. I think as a result, many artists, dealers and institutions have had to summon greater creativity to compete with the season&rsquo;s other offerings. This summer I&rsquo;m particularly looking forward to multiple creative exhibitions, including several new collaborations. Douglas Dawson Gallery and Rhona Hoffman are teaming up for Keeping Secrets: Fetish in African Art, with art and artifacts from Dawson&rsquo;s Gallery on view in Hoffman&rsquo;s space. Dawson is also part of a triple showing of works from the collection of mega collector Ruth Horwich, who passed away in 2014. Together with Carl Hammer Gallery and Russell Bowman the three dealers will show various parts of Horwich&rsquo;s collection in new ways. The Zhou B Art Center is also working across town with the Ed Paschke Art Center to do an arts exchange between artists at both centers. All this shared brainstorming and teamwork will deliver new ways of seeing art in a season of vibrancy.&nbsp;

Summer group shows are opening around the city, while weekend art events pepper various suburban art centers and nearby Midwestern cities. Annual art festivals and fund raisers get the uninitiated out into the neighborhoods to meet artists as well as neighbors. Mainstays like the Randolph Street Market are refreshed when vendors set up outdoors. The return of the 57th Street Art Fair and the Old Town Art Fair means that another year has passed.&nbsp;

With all there is to do, collecting and living with art is of course on our minds. Kevin Nance talked to Ellen and Richard Sandor about how they came to be some of the most obsessive and knowledgeable photography collectors in the world. Franck Mercurio spoke with two young couples about how they manage to live a 20 or 30-something life while also making art a part of their environment. R.S. Johnson is still striving to both collect and sell important work after six decades in the business. Within these interviews, as well as an auction feature by Mia DiMeo, is the message that there are many inspirations and resources for collecting and sharing art, no matter the reason or season.&nbsp;

Spring&rsquo;s thrilling promise of new life can be frustratingly touch and go, but relishing a Midwest summer&rsquo;s full bloom sets us up for the fall marathon while giving us so much to enjoy.

May-August 2015 Publisher’s Letter: A Creative Thaw’s Promise of New Life

BY FRANCK MERCURIO

There was a time&mdash;back in the day&mdash;when Chicago&rsquo;s Loop was the place to buy art. Writing in the Encyclopedia of Chicago, Lynne Warren, curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, states that in the 19th century &ldquo;Many [Chicago] artists set up ateliers or were associated with department stores, a phenomenon that continued well into the twentieth century, particularly with Marshall Field&rsquo;s, which featured a fine-arts gallery until early in the 1950s.&rdquo;

The gallery scene left downtown long ago for other neighborhoods, such as River North and the West Loop. But could the Loop, once again, support a concentration of galleries? The question is open to debate, and a few gallerists have recently opened on South Michigan Avenue, including LA transplant Bert Green, whose gallery features original works by contemporary artists, and Douglas Dawson who moved into the former Donald Young Gallery space in the historic Santa Fe Building.

The Chicago Loop Alliance is encouraging more arts-related businesses&mdash;such as Green&rsquo;s and Dawson&rsquo;s&mdash;to take up residence downtown. This past March, the Alliance unveiled &ldquo;Transforming Wabash,&rdquo; a plan that seeks to revitalize the historic Wabash Avenue corridor through a series of projects, including the establishment of an &ldquo;Art Street&rdquo; along Adams that would connect the Art Institute of Chicago with State Street and attract &ldquo;arts and arts-related tenants for first and second floor storefronts.&rdquo;

The Art Street would be one of several proposed &ldquo;districts&rdquo; along Wabash&mdash;including a hotel and nightlife district, a retail district, a makers district, and a university district&mdash;that would better link Michigan Avenue with State Street.&nbsp;

&ldquo;One of the big ideas in Transforming Wabash is connection,&rdquo; says Michael Edwards, president and CEO of the Chicago Loop Alliance. &ldquo;Right now Wabash, because of its design and conditions, tends to separate people from the energy of Millennium Park and from the energy of State Street.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption="Artist’s rendering of a “maker space” on Wabash Avenue, courtesy of Chicago Loop Alliance" data-rich-file-id="564" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/564/original/makerspace.jpg" />

The El tracks dominate Wabash, creating a dark, loud, and uninviting pedestrian zone. But the Transforming Wabash plan envisions improvements that could help make the corridor a must-see Chicago experience. Public art projects and arts-related businesses would play significant roles in the plan.

&ldquo;One of the great things about current economic conditions on Wabash is that the cost of entry is less [than other Loop areas],&rdquo; says Edwards. &ldquo;So there are spaces on Wabash that could be very affordable for different kinds of businesses that you&rsquo;re not going to find on State Street.&rdquo;

During the recession, the Alliance sponsored Pop-up Art Loop, which brought artists and art installations into vacant downtown storefronts. It became a way to show budding arts entrepreneurs what was possible within the context of the Loop.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Pop-up Art Loop was about activating vacant storefronts,&rdquo; says Edwards. &ldquo;Today, if you walk down Adams and look up one story, there appear to be underutilized and vacant second floor spaces that could be become homes for artists, or what we&rsquo;re terming &lsquo;makers.&rsquo;&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="562" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/562/original/activate.jpg" />

The Transforming Wabash report indicates that these &ldquo;makers&rdquo; are typically defined as high-tech businesses that specialize in electronics, robotics, and 3-D printing, as well as metal and wood working, arts and crafts, calligraphy, film making, computer programming, gaming, fashion, and graphic design.&nbsp;

The raw talent for these types of businesses already exists downtown, given the presence of the School of the Art Institute, Columbia College, and other university campuses. Development of a makers&rsquo; district becomes, in part, a matter of encouraging these students to stay in the Loop after they graduate.

&ldquo;As an incubator street, I think that&rsquo;s where the biggest value is,&rdquo; says Tristan Hummel, the Chicago Loop Alliance&rsquo;s program manager and curator, about the Wabash corridor. &ldquo;Certainly, there&rsquo;s a lot on the street that would suggest that we could attract [SAIC and Columbia College graduates] to stick around for a little while in an incubator-type setting.&rdquo;

Hummel points to the murals around the intersection of Wabash and Van Buren as an example of how public art projects enhance the area and signal to creative types that Wabash is a place to locate their businesses.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&ldquo;Columbia College has the WAC initiative&mdash;the Wabash Arts Corridor&mdash;they brought in Shepard Fairey, never2501, Retna, and all these great artists to create murals,&rdquo; explains Hummel. &ldquo;These are attractive pieces in their own right, but also appealing to people who start thinking about how they can work in that area when they see art like that.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Encouraging public participation in downtown arts events has been a recent goal of the Chicago Loop Alliance. They point to the success of Activate, a series of outdoor parties that the Alliance hosts in different alleys around the Loop.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great way to get new people engaged in the city,&rdquo; says Edwards. &ldquo;The Activate program engaged 143 artists&mdash;we paid them&mdash;and generated about $400,000 of economic impact over last season.&rdquo;

Artistic remnants or &ldquo;legacy pieces&rdquo; of the Activate events can still be seen in several Loop alleys, including murals by local artists and collaboratives, such as Chris Silva and Luftwerk. As this article goes to press, the Alliance is planning its 2015 Activate season and exploring the possibility of hosting one of its parties in an alley off of Wabash, drawing more attention to the Transforming Wabash plan and bringing the reality of a downtown &ldquo;Art Street&rdquo; one step closer.

&nbsp;

The next Activate event is Friday, May 15, in the alley on Monroe between State/Wabash. Art curated by Johalla Projects.&nbsp;

For information visit <a href="http://www.loopchicago.com/ACTIVATE">loopchicago.com/ACTIVATE</a>

&nbsp;

Is the Next Arts District The Loop?

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA

Violence in Chicago, and beyond, adds up to&nbsp;a lot more than&nbsp;inspiration for campaign promises and&nbsp;content for the nightly news. It claims lives, unravels neighborhoods and families,&nbsp;crushes the&nbsp;dreams and stokes the fears of far too&nbsp;many&nbsp;people throughout our city and communities. Several city galleries and artists are trying to help those of us on the outside of most of these daily tragedies to comprehend their devastating depth as well as to start to pay more attention and be a part of the solution, whether by lending support through resources, iniatives or simply compassion. By looking at&nbsp;these issues from a personal perspective, whether it&#39;s gathering statements from affected youths or depicting the faces of prisoners, several artists are making the abstract more personal and real. &nbsp;

<h4>The&nbsp;Chicago Angels Project,&nbsp;The Forgotten: Chicago Youth Lost to Gun Violence&nbsp;(2011/13)</h4>

As part of The Chicago Angels Project at Josef Glimer Gallery, almost a hundred faces look out from the gallery walls - faces of young people whose lives were ended far too soon. ThinkArt&nbsp;in partnership with&nbsp;The Arts Palette&nbsp;and&nbsp;Josef Glimer Gallery presented&nbsp;Uplift Community High School&nbsp;student artists&rsquo; series of mosaic linoleum relief prints representing the spirits of deceased&nbsp;youths. The linocuts are displayed next to art by Chicago artists, at once elevating these images to the level of art while maintaining the colorful, art-class sensibility typical of young children still learning new conceptual and artistic skills. Behind the attractive display in the gallery is the sadness, grief and horror of living day after day with loss and fear, but there is also a collective effort to memorialize and remember.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Left: Marvin Tate, Schoolyard of Broken Dreams, 2014, 16” x 19.5” x 4,” Boxed assemblage with found objects &amp; LED light. Right: Lee Tracy, Hate Ruins Everything, 2012, 27.5″ x 20,” Archival ink print on cotton rag paper, Edition of 5." data-rich-file-id="545" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/545/original/glimer-2.jpg" />

On February 12 the&nbsp;show opened recently to a packed crowd of art world and civic figures alongside area high school students and&nbsp;family members affected by the loss of relatives, friends and neighbors.&nbsp;&nbsp;The brightly colored linoleum block prints&nbsp;are by former and current students of Laura Mullkoff, an art teacher in Uptown&rsquo;s&nbsp;Uplift Community High School. Each image&nbsp;memorializes&nbsp;a minor lost to gun violence&nbsp;from 2011-2013. Other victims of gun violence may have escaped with their lives, but their lives and physical or emotional capabilities may have been forever altered.&nbsp;

The show&#39;s organizers hope that through art, lives will be remembered and that&nbsp;violence prevention becomes a priority for Chicago&rsquo;s policy-makers.

Participating local artists include&nbsp;Susan Aurinko,&nbsp;Iwona Biedermann,&nbsp;David Gista,&nbsp;Doug Fogelson,&nbsp;Jean-Marc Giboux,&nbsp;Chris Hefner,&nbsp;Layne Jackson,&nbsp;Teresa James,&nbsp;Marvin Tate and Lee Tracy.&nbsp;

A portion of all sales will be donated to the following non-profit&nbsp;organizations:&nbsp;Alternative Schools Network,&nbsp;CeaseFire, and the&nbsp;Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.

On view through February 28 at <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/josef-glimer-gallery-ltd">Josef Glimer Gallery</a>

Additional information at <a href="http://www.chicagoangelsproject.org">chicagoangelsproject.org</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>Victims &amp; Villains&nbsp;at the New Kruger Gallery</h4>

<a href="http://www.krugergallerychicago.com">Kruger Gallery</a>, a gallery run by Mikelle Kruger, re-opened this past January on Southport in Lakeview (it was formerly in River North). The gallery is committed to showcasing a range of art dealing with issues of social justice, and the first solo exhibition in the space features work by Chicago-based&nbsp;Heather Green. I stopped into the gallery a couple of weeks ago to see the show and to meet Mikelle and Heather. In a short time I learned a great deal about the many issues concerning the justice system in the United States. Green&#39;s&nbsp;passion&nbsp;for&nbsp;justice issues is what she considers a sort of activist calling. After copious reading as well as viewing documentaries and other studies about subjects like the penal system in the US, solitary confinement, and&nbsp;recidivism rates, she attempts to unearth individual examples of the spectrum of human nature in our society. She looks at the people who have committed crimes as well as the&nbsp;system that she credits with compounding their already tenuous psyches and ultimately the broken state of their lives.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="544" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/544/original/krugertwo.jpg" />

Green sees her work &quot;as a means to share ideas with an audience that can facilitate change on a larger scale than I am personally able.&nbsp;At times, I feel like a conduit through which ideas and imagery can be filtered. While looking at disturbing things and teasing out their thought-provoking beauty can be spiritually difficult, I feel the higher purpose of the work requires me to grow a thicker skin.&quot;

The exhibition is divided into two sections. On one wall of the gallery are several large scale, painted portraits - of Marissa Alexander, George Zimmerman, and others. There is no identifying text or other clues. Green painted the portraits from publicly available mug shots and blew them up in order to maximize the impact and engagement for the viewer. One cannot help but meet each villian&#39;s gaze, depicted here as ultimately sad, troubled, lost.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="546" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/546/original/green2-2.jpg" />

The other part of the exhibition, #yesallwomen,&nbsp;deals with the&nbsp;2012 Steubenville&nbsp;rape case and the fervent social media response that went along with it. Here Green works&nbsp;scrutinizes rape culture&nbsp;and the subsequent conviction of&nbsp;Trent Mays and Ma&rsquo;lik Richmond in 2013. Green makes the case that much of the outrage, criticism and judgement during the trial was conducted more or less anonymously via social media. Responses were fervent and prevasive, perhaps because of the cover allowed by social media.&nbsp;Here Green&#39;s works on paper flutter in delicate layers, with cutout words lifted from case-related hashtags and online statements.&nbsp;

Victims &amp; Villians by Heather Green at <a href="http://www.krugergallerychicago.com">Kruger Gallery</a> through February 28.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h4>Try Youth as Youth at David Weinberg PHOTOGRAPHY</h4>

David Weinberg Photography&#39;s&nbsp;Try Youth as Youth is the second exhibition at the gallery devoted to social justice. The first, <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/8/we-all-we-got-art-supports-social-change">We All We Got</a>, brought together several area politicians and youth advocacy groups and&nbsp;spotlighted photographer Carlos Ortiz&#39;s experiences embedded in a south side community struggling to live with&nbsp;day-to-day violence in Chicago. For this latest exhibition the&nbsp;ACLU of Illinois&nbsp;and David Weinberg Photography examine the juvenile justice&nbsp;system in America&nbsp;through an exhibit of photography, sculpture and video installation aiming to shed light on the lives of incarcerated youth.&nbsp;Try Youth As Youth&nbsp;features works by four&nbsp;artists with a shared dedication to institutional reform of the systems that far too often dehumanize young people and fail to provide them with constitutionally adequate conditions and services.&nbsp;

&bull; Tirtza Even&#39;s video&nbsp;Natural Life, a two-channel projection installation, challenges inequities in the juvenile justice system by depicting the stories of five individuals who were sentenced to life without parole (&ldquo;natural life&rdquo;) for crimes they committed as&nbsp;youth. Even makes the case that it is not just the offender who is affected for life - families must deal with the reality of having a relative on the inside for life. Incarceration also doesn&#39;t close the book for victims either. Even&#39;s depiction provides a window into what life is like, day after day, in prison and what growing up in such circumstances can be like.

&bull; Steve Davis began work&nbsp;on&nbsp;Captured Youth in 1997 after participating as a visiting artist at one of Washington State&#39;s correctional facilities - commonly referred to as &quot;schools&rdquo;. These state-run facilities are the remnants of what were reform schools located on the outskirts of town, but what goes on within the security walls is far from educational or rehabilitative. This is where the subjects of Davis&#39; portraits restlessly reside. His images work to humanize the youth that have committed crimes or entered into the system by means of bad luck and accident of birth.

<img alt="" data-caption="Left: Richard Ross; Right: Steve Liss" data-rich-file-id="548" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/548/original/weinbergdue.jpg" />

&bull; TIME Magazine&nbsp;photojournalist Steve Liss spent 2 years photographing and interviewing detainees, their parents, correction officers and counselors in Laredo, Texas, eventually publishing&nbsp;his 2005 book No Place for Children. The youth in his black and white images suffer from drug dependencies, mental illness, depression, and violence. Liss has captured the heartbreaking realities of the youngest incarcerated children and the cruelties they face.

&bull; Richard Ross photographed and interviewed subjects in&nbsp;31 states and 200+ facilities over&nbsp;8 years,&nbsp;in&nbsp;a project that has yielded 10,000+ images and 1000+ interviews. His images and interviews illustrate the fact that no two inmates or their situation&nbsp;in any given place are the same. Viewers must contemplate life for a young person in solitary confinement, or what it must be like to&nbsp;being restrained, viewing the institutional instruments that hold prisoners down, implemented by guards and employees.&nbsp;

<a href="http://d-weinberg.com/tyay">Try Youth as Youth</a> at&nbsp;David Weinberg Photography

&nbsp;

Images at top of page, from left to right: by Steve Davis (at David Weinberg), by Heather Green (at Kruger), by Lee Tracy (at Josef Glimer)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Three Shows Give Artistic Perspective on the Lasting Damage of Violence 

BY MARY DEYOE<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/518/original/flatsstudio3.jpg" alt=""></figure>In Uptown, one block off the Wilson red line El stop, is the old Wilson Avenue Theatre - a former vaudeville theatre and site of one of Charlie Chaplin’s early performances. It was recently a TCF Bank. Today it is FLATS STUDIO, an arts center associated with FLATS apartments, based on a simple hope that art can build community.&nbsp;The grand foyer of the space has a high arched ceiling, and stark white walls are framed by Corinthian columns. With bare bones lighting and temporary walls that are more like large signboards, FLATS STUDIO possesses a raw, rustic feeling that strikes an appropriate aesthetic balance for the neighborhood.&nbsp;Uptown itself is a mix of million dollar homes and run down or abandoned spaces. You see a Starbucks on one block and a Dollar Store on the next. “We really wanted to use this space,” said Jay Michael, co-founder of FLATS, “as a means of bridging the gap between development and gentrification.” Since the first show in September 2014, the gallery has attracted a diverse audience including members of the community, SAIC professors and students, artists, and tenants from FLATS apartments. “We did not create FLATS STUDIO for our tenants, but it has been exciting to see them at the events,” said Michael. FLATS STUDIO hosts an opening for each show on the third Friday of each month.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/517/original/flatsstudio4.jpg" alt=""></figure>The gallery’s December show, Playtime, featured work by roughly 10 artists, all of whom explored a different approach to the idea of play. In the center of the room was a small plastic slide and other playground structures. Nearby was work by artist and FLATS STUDIO co-curator Edward Muela: two orange paper mache rifles with arms and fingers poised in a gun shape (the thumbs up) for the barrels. And in a back room, on the bars of a defunct bank vault door, was a nice blue neon light bent into an elegant flourish.The next show planned for FLATS STUDIO will be a collaboration with Chicago Public Schools, featuring work by high school juniors and seniors. SAIC graduate and co-curator Audra Jacot has a Bachelor’s degree in sculpture and a Masters in Art and Technology. Jacot is also a substitute teacher for the CPS Advanced Arts Program. “I am very excited about this show, and the students are extremely excited to show their work outside of the classroom.”While art was not the focus when FLATS was formed, Michael said the desire to incorporate art into the business was natural, “and we’re only moving forward.” Prior to FLATS STUDIO, the company used vacant ground level commercial space in their buildings for exhibitions. For a year, JC Steinbrunner hosted his Salon Series at the FLATS 1325 Wilson Ave. location. Before that, Chicago artist and Bravo’s Work of Art contestant, Young Sun Han, curated pop up shows featuring work by other local artists.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/515/original/audrajay.jpg" alt=""></figure>Artists for the FLATS STUDIO are selected by an application process. “In general, what we are looking for is a show theme,” said Jacot. All of the artists featured are local, which is important to Michael and Jacot, in order to keep the program centered on Chicago. “We want all aspects of our business to be hyper-local.”In January the FLATS offices will move to Uptown’s former Salvation Army building, where they will display photography from Chicago-based Co-Edit Collection, a website that sells work by professional commercial photographers. Co-Edit was founded by Chicago-based photographer Tim Klein. “We just let Tim take over the space,” said Michael. Michael has also curated a section of work on Co-Edit’s site.&nbsp;FLATS residential spaces are also filled with original art, each building featuring the work of one artist. At 4875 Magnolia photographs by Bob Rehak adorn the walls. In the 1970s Rehak lived and worked in Uptown and photographed residents. “Rehak’s work is almost the precursor to the site ‘Humans of New York,’” said Michael of the popular website that features portraits of everyday people on the streets of New York City. Hanging Rehak’s work in Uptown is a subtle way of connecting current residents with the past.&nbsp;“We have had a lot of fun meeting all of the artists,” said Jacot, and with such a large number of artists applying to show in the space, she is excited about all of the possibilities.In addition to supporting the arts through exhibitions, FLATS offers artists reduced rent to live in the studio apartments. To apply artists must demonstrate a commitment to their work and be below a certain annual salary. “This is another way we can support the arts,” said Michael. In the future, FLATS will include work space for artists, including a metal shop, woodworking facilities, and other amenities.FLATS STUDIO may not have been in Michael’s original company design, but it has certainly made a strong impression.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://flatsstudio.com">flatsstudio.com</a>

Art Builds Community in Uptown FLATS

By FRANCK MERCURIO

On a quiet section of Lill Street overlooking Jonquil Park, a one-time CTA transformer station stands anonymously among its more gentrified Lincoln Park neighbors. Unassuming from the outside, the 1910 structure boasts an impressive three-story-tall interior space illuminated by rows of cathedral-like windows. Within this building (that once housed giant rotary converters powering Lincoln Avenue&rsquo;s trolley car system), resides the studio of Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt.&nbsp;

Hunt purchased the old transformer building from the CTA in the early 1970s and relocated his studio there. The atelier contains a diverse array of &ldquo;stuff&rdquo; bearing witness to Hunt&rsquo;s vocation. Mountains of scrap metal stand next to large-scale works in-progress. Dozens of maquettes line tabletops alongside random pieces of African art. Rows of archival boxes and filing cabinets overflow with the memorabilia of Hunt&rsquo;s 60-year artistic practice.

Chicago is celebrating the artist&rsquo;s long and highly successful career&mdash;and his 80th birthday&mdash;with two new exhibitions: Richard Hunt: 60 Years of Sculpture at the Chicago Cultural Center (through March 29) and MCA DNA: Richard Hunt at the Museum of Contemporary Art (through May 17).

<img alt="" data-caption="Eagle Columns, 1989, Jonquil Park, Chicago. © Richard Hunt. Photo: Franck Mercurio." data-rich-file-id="493" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/493/original/img-20141120-095217-259.jpg" />

Best known for his monumental works of public art, Hunt has completed numerous commissions throughout the city and the nation. Chicagoans are perhaps most familiar with Hunt&rsquo;s Flight Forms (2001) at Midway Airport, We Will (2005) on Randolph Street near the Chicago Cultural Center, and Eagle Columns (1989) in Jonquil Park. But Hunt has also created public works in nearly a dozen other states, including significant commissions in Michigan, North Carolina, and Washington, DC.

Yet his prominence as a public sculptor often obscures Hunt&rsquo;s thriving studio practice. &ldquo;I make things from coffee table-sized to plaza-sized,&rdquo; said Hunt during a recent interview. Indeed, the compact exhibition at the MCA focuses attention on eight of the artist&rsquo;s more modestly-scaled works.

&ldquo;People know Richard from his public projects, but I think it is really important to address that he has been laboring in his studio making studio work as well,&rdquo; says Naomi Beckwith, MCA curator. &ldquo;There is this humbler-scaled, yet no less significant, practice in his studio that&rsquo;s ongoing.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption="Richard Hunt, Small Hybrid, 1964. Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Morton A. Sterling. © 1964 Richard Hunt. Photo: Nathan Keay, © Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago." data-rich-file-id="491" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/491/original/8e010smallhybrid02-copy.jpg" />

Hunt became famous at an early age through these &ldquo;humbler-scaled&rdquo; works. Arachne (1956) was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art when the artist was still in his twenties. Hunt created this and other early sculptures using found objects, such as discarded automobile parts and other detritus of industrial production.

&ldquo;It was about creating something from found material and the industrial waste that we&rsquo;ve been producing as a society,&rdquo; explained Beckwith. &ldquo;You have artists starting to make things out of waste [in the 1950s]. I can&rsquo;t help but think about it as a kind of commentary on excess production.&rdquo;

As a young artist, Hunt displayed a talent for imbuing obsolete, static objects with life and movement. &ldquo;Some of the earliest works that Richard created were figural. They&rsquo;re all humans or humanoids or little robots,&rdquo; says Beckwith. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s about reactivating&mdash;or literally reanimating&mdash;some of this stuff that seemed lifeless and pulled apart and wasted.&rdquo;

Hunt himself cites Julio Gonz&aacute;lez (1876&ndash;1942) as a major influence on his early work. &ldquo;Gonzalez talked about sculpture being the marriage of material and space&mdash;drawing in space&mdash;you know, that kind of thing,&rdquo; says Hunt. &ldquo;It got my attention.&rdquo;

Gonz&aacute;lez and other modernists pursued a more &ldquo;constructed&rdquo; way of producing sculpture, often assembling or welding separate components together to create three-dimensional compositions. It was a method that inspired Hunt. &ldquo;I started out modeling, but then I saw this constructed stuff and was very excited by it,&rdquo; explains Hunt. &ldquo;I wanted to move in that direction. So that&rsquo;s what got me started doing metal work, first soldering little things, then going on to weld.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption="Richard Hunt in his Lill Street studio. Photo: Thomas McCormick, 2012." data-rich-file-id="494" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/494/original/richard-hunt-photo3-by-thomas-mccormick.jpg" />

Although Hunt still uses this technique today, the idea of modeling isn&rsquo;t entirely absent from his mature work&mdash;often, he welds together modeled components to create his sculptural constructions. Hunt works out his initial ideas using wax slabs that he shapes and solders to create maquettes. Guided by these initial models, he then models larger pieces from steel or bronze and welds these together to fabricate the finished work.

The final product is consciously abstract, yet reflects an underlying figural quality. Hunts sculptural compositions suggest wings, waves, body parts, and other moving, flowing, curvilinear shapes. Says Beckwith, &ldquo;I&rsquo;d always been amazed by his practice that is abstract, but borrows from these kind of surreal, biomorphic forms.&rdquo;

In the Cultural Center exhibition, 60 of Hunt&rsquo;s signature sculptures are displayed from different periods of his career, including two new works never before exhibited in public. Along with the MCA show, the Cultural Center exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to view some of the best pieces created by Chicago&rsquo;s prodigious dean of sculpture.

&nbsp;

&bull; At the Chicago Cultural Center Thru March 29, 2015

Richard Hunt: Sixty Years of Sculpture

<a href="http://www.cityofchicago.org">www.cityofchicago.org</a>

&nbsp;

&bull; At the Museum of Contemporary Art Thru May 17, 2015

MCA DNA: Richard Hunt

<a href="http://www.mcachicago.org">www.mcachicago.org</a>

&nbsp;

MCA Talk: Naomi Beckwith on Richard Hunt, Tu, Feb 10, 12&ndash;1 pm

&nbsp;

Image pictured at top of page: Gathering scrap in a junk yard at Clybourn and Sheffield Avenues, Chicago, 1962. Photo courtesy Richard Hunt

Richard Hunt: Chicago’s Dean of Sculpture

BY PATRICIA ANDREWS-KEENANThe story of the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) is best told through the gallery walls of its 1892 Gustav Hallberg designed building. The walls of the main gallery show every nail hole from every exhibit ever hung there. The inaugural exhibition of the Center, held in December 1940, featured works by Charles White, Bernard Goss, William Carter, Eldzier Cortor, Frank Neal and Archibald Motley, Jr.. Those first nail holes tell a story of a community committed to self-improvement and the belief that the arts hold a transformative power to enhance lives. &nbsp;&nbsp;In 2015, SSCAC enters its 75th year and stands as one of the last surviving&nbsp;Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Arts Project&nbsp;(FAP) Centers and the oldest African American community art center in the country. Today the Center continues in its original mission to preserve, conserve and exhibit African American art and showcase African American artists. &nbsp;In its early years the Center was a hive of activity, as well as a who’s who of the Chicago Renaissance. In addition to a series of frequently changing exhibitions, renowned artists George Neal, William Sylvester Carter, Charles Sebree, Katherine Bell, Joseph Kersey and Sylvester Britton taught art classes. Inez Cunningham Stark, the editor of Poetry magazine, taught a poetry class; her students included future Poet Laureate of Illinois Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as Margaret Danner, and Robert Davis.Brooks, author Richard Wright, and Willard Motley attended a regular writers’ forum; on weekends musical legend Nat “King” Cole played jazz. Photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks kept a studio at the Center. Lessons offered for free at the Center included oil painting, drawing, composition, watercolor, sculpture, lithography, poster design, fashion illustration, interior decoration, silk screening, weaving, and hooked rug making. By March 1941, nearly 13,500 people had attended classes, exhibitions, and events at the Center.&nbsp;SSCAC even received recognition from the White House when first Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated the Center on May 7, 1941 in a ceremony that was broadcast nationwide on CBS radio. A gala celebration followed and featured national luminaries like singer Bessie Smith and actress Ethel Waters. The First Lady chronicled her visit to Chicago in the May 9, 1941 edition of her column “My Day.”&nbsp;Below is a portion of the entry:&nbsp;At 3:15 (May 7, 1941) we went to the South Side Community Art Center to dedicate their building. … Chicago has long been a center of Negro art.&nbsp;Many Negro artists have had a hard time getting their training and have starved as many artists do, even when they have achieved a certain amount of recognition. With the aid of federal money it (The Center) has been converted to its present purposes.&nbsp;Many people were influential for the Center over the years. When the Center opened Dr. Margaret Goss Burroughs was one of its youngest board members; she continued her active involvement in numerous capacities until her death in 2010. A prolific fundraiser for SSCAC, she is often remembered for her “miles of dimes” fundraising campaign that was instrumental in SSCAC’s purchase of the Bauhaus remodeled building.Today the SSCAC maintains its status as an active community resource under the leadership of Executive Director Maséqua Myers, a former student of Dr. Burroughs, and a committed board of directors, some with nearly 50 years of service. To mark the 75th anniversary SSCAC has developed a year of programming and events, including a revival of Off The Wall, Onto the Stage: Dancing the Art of Jonathan Green, which returns to the Harris Theater for Music and Dance on April 11. Green, a student at the Art Institute of Chicago, was a habitué of the Center and continues as a supporter.&nbsp; The Ballet is a collaboration of still art and dance and was first conceived by the Columbia City Ballet’s Executive and Artistic Director William Starrett after meeting Green in 2002. It debuted in Chicago in 2010 during the SSCAC’s 70th Anniversary celebration.&nbsp; As in 2010, there will be a special performance for Chicago Public School students. Mayor Rahm Emmanuel will serve as Honorary Chair of this 75th Anniversary event.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/490/original/pat-s-i-pod-photos-through-july-2010-094.jpg" alt=""></figure>The Center will also host its 50th Annual Art Auction, as well as a recreation of its storied Artist and Models Ball, a showcase of the ‘avant garde’ that sometimes featured works on human canvases and was dubbed provocative for the time. Exhibitions for 2015 will include Black Comic Book Heroes, exhibits that pay homage to the Center’s founders as well as up and coming artists, and an exhibition partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art. &nbsp;Myers refers to SSCAC’s 75th as “soaring towards our diamond anniversary.” She says, “I look forward to bridging SSCAC’s legacy of historical excellence in traditional art with the brilliance of the artists of today. Our goal is to attract art lovers from all over the world.” Her vision is borne out as art historians and researchers have traveled to view the Center’s archives from as far away as England, Paris, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire. &nbsp;&nbsp;To learn more and support the center’s GoFundMe Campaign visit <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/dcw4pk">www.gofundme.com/dcw4pk</a>Historical data sourced from the SSCAC archives, ChicagoHistory.org, Wikipedia, Mapping the Stacks, WTTW.com, GWU.edu&nbsp;Key image at top:&nbsp;Renowned artist Jonathan Green, fourth from left, poses with local students in front of his art work at the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) in 2010 when the Ballet based on his artwork,&nbsp;Off The Wall Onto the Stage: Dancing the Art of Jonathan Green, debuted at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance.&nbsp; It returns to Chicago on April 11, in celebration of SSCAC’s 75th Anniversary.&nbsp;&nbsp;

South Side Community Art Center Turns 75

BY TONY FITZPATRICK<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/508/original/miley14.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Miley Cyrus's concert during Art Basel in 2014. © Patrick McMullan, photo Paul Bruinooge/PatrickMcMullan.com</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;There is a grim irony surrounding the art extravaganza in Miami this past December. Ten or 12 international art fairs call this mecca of tit-jobs, rhinoplasty, and spray-on tans home for about seven days each year, and in those days they waltz along Collins Avenue surprising each other with great thoughts about the presence of Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Deitch, and Jay-Z. Whoo Ha!I followed all this on Twitter from Chicago, where it’s cold like it’s supposed to be. When one reporter breathlessly tweeted about being ‘tucked in’ at one fair’s nap station by Marina Abramovic, I thought, Oh Joy. Though I suppose it’s better to have her tuck you in than to wake up with her staring at you. That would give me the willies.The hookers, male and female, must do a brisk trade, while the celebrity crowd zips everywhere in ‘courtesy’ cars furnished by Audi, or BMW, or whomever paid for the franchise. There are a lot of 70 year-olds there with 30 year old wives. I, for one, love rolling up on those guys and telling them how elegant their daughters are, just to make them get so pissed.And in the booths? The big world turns: The Clueless Oaf pays the Stiff-jawed Fraud a fortune for a meaningless accoutrement.It’s prom night for the swells, who dress to the nines just to watch their money fuck other money.Meanwhile...back in civilization? The Midwest town of Ferguson, MO burned. A grand jury’s decision regarding a white policeman’s killing of 18 year-old Michael Brown tore the scab off of the illusory and non-existent ‘Post Racial’ America.&nbsp;In another part of the country, in New York City, five Staten Island policemen walked free after choking 34-year-old Eric Garner to death on the street for selling ‘loosies’, or loose cigarettes.&nbsp;The combined national outrage at these tragedies erupted onto American streets in a way I have not witnessed since the bloody protest era of the Vietnam War. Watching in Chicago I was oddly proud of those who stopped traffic and created snarls in order that the world pay some attention to the class war that has seemingly snuck up on them. That Michael Brown and Eric Garner were poor should surprise nobody. In America? Cops can ONLY get away with killing poor people.I was reminded that these were the kind of events that used to motivate artists into civil discourse, civil disobedience, and dissent. There was a time when artists spoke to the county’s conscience and were part of the discourse, rather than another variety of mere ‘entertainment.’This is where the marketplace mentality has led many of us. The conversation about what art is and does used to be the intellectual real estate that artists occupied.Now? Every Jerk worth eight figures has the public hanging on their every idiotic word, including artists, and believing that dollar bills equal brain-cells.&nbsp;All over Miami Beach. Dopes, Dim-Wits, and Dullards are staring at their iPhones, passing by a full gorgeous view of the Atlantic ocean, with its schools of porpoises and flying fish, and they’re watching for the latest tweet, text, or e-mail to arrive with earth-shattering news of where the Gagosian party is, pondering which dinner can they insinuate themselves into?Part of my own problem with this milieu is the worry that this is now how young artists think this is supposed to be done - art career via social-suction. It’s about who you know and all manner of horse-shit that has nothing to do with being an artist or making art. I want to shake them and tell them to wake the fuck up. The art fair circle-jerk is a celebration of the market, not the art. It is an environment where everyone knows the cost of everything and the definition of nothing.Admittedly my last art trip to Miami was two years ago; while there were some glimmers of hope in the margins of this rolling goat-fuck, the news this year that there was a ‘nap-station’ for those who were tired from shopping and exchanging great thoughts made me think about just how twee and vacuous this whole enterprise is.Wake up.&nbsp;Tony Fitzpatrick is an independent artist, writer and actor living in Chicago.&nbsp;He is the author of This Train and the upcoming Dime Stories, to be published in June 2015 by Curbside Splendor.<a href="https://tonyfitzpatrick.co/pages/about">https://tonyfitzpatrick.co/pages/about</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tony Fitzpatrick on the state of the art world

While America Burns...the 1% Gets a Tan

My daughter recently learned how to walk. Constantly watching out for her safety has helped me see the world with a new perspective: while I now anticipate a range of new dangers, I can also freshly see more wonder in the everyday. Toddlers are innately curious; their inexhaustable delight in exploration is charming to a busy adult. Shiny objects and novel experiences can entertain grown ups too, but most of us are a little harder to truly impress.&nbsp;Each winter when I write this letter for our January-April issue, it’s a tough assignment. How can we get people to see things in a new light? Is it possible to be excited about the cruelest stretch of the year in one of the coldest cities in the country? Many people just want to flee until spring arrives. But instead of trying to force my enthusiasm on others, maybe the middle of winter just isn’t a time to be all abuzz. Instead, it may be a reprieve from the frenzy. We have a chance to relax and slow down. The calendar is no longer a blur, and for most of us, if we’re going to venture outside, it had better be worth it. This is not to say that nothing happens when the temperature is below zero. As we come out of our post-holiday fog, the area’s cultural momentum builds each month, starting with winter season openings and continuing until we gratefully reach April. Just like a confident toddler who has mastered baby steps, soon we’ll be running again. Savoring these quieter times is a gift. Before we know it time will have passed us all by.Eight decades have passed for Richard Hunt. Long a sculpture star, as Hunt celebrates his 80th birthday, two institutions are reflecting on this prolific, resourceful artist’s career. Franck Mercurio visited Hunt’s studio to take a look back and to see what’s new.What’s new can be quite at home in an old space. Kevin Nance has a conversation with architect and contemporary art collector Carlos Martinez, whose collection began with a birthday present and snowballed from there. Martinez looks to art and architecture to inspire many aspects of his life.&nbsp;Art has the power to inspire us all, but it can also offer a safe haven for at-risk youths in the city. Even in the slower winter months, there are day-to-day dangers that exist for many kids. Several area art programs are designed to offer a creative escape. Frank Mercurio talks to three Chicago nonprofits making a difference.&nbsp;While we are most often focused on art at&nbsp;CGN, we of course are aware that there are other events happening the world. Arist Tony Fitzpatrick candidly shares his (strong) opinions about artists’ reponses to current events as well as the art fair market and celebrities.&nbsp;A new year can bring a singular freshness to discover, no matter what your age, and even when we feel as if we can’t bear to go outdoors. Out there is undoubtedly something to explore and delight us, just as if we’ve never seen it before. You might just be impressed.&nbsp;Happy new year!&nbsp;