The Evolving Zen of Artist Adam Siegel

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Dan Tamarkin, owner of The Rangefinder Gallery at Tamarkin Camera.

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Age: 48

Current Position:&nbsp;Owner and Lead Curator, The Rangefinder Gallery at Tamarkin Camera

Hometown:&nbsp; New Haven, Connecticut

Previous&nbsp;Occupations:&nbsp;Writer, Teacher, Theatrical Lighting Designer &amp; Fabricator, Raconteur

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5 favorites from the past week:

Restaurant: Club Lago! 
Shop: Dovetail on Chicago Avenue &ndash; I love midcentury Modern and Deco, and owner Julie Ghatan curates a fabulous offering. 
Read: &ldquo;Slightly Out of Focus&rdquo; by Robert Capa, the renown war photographer and photojournalist 
Neighborhood: Avondale &ndash; I&rsquo;m just starting to explore my new neighborhood. 
Music: I&rsquo;ve been listening to a lot of Leon Russell lately, Lowell George, and Bonnie Raitt. One co-worker calls these &ldquo;The Grandpa Sessions&rdquo; whenever I&rsquo;m DJ du Jour, which I find hilarious.

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CGN: Tell us about your background and the beginning of Tamarkin Camera and Rangefinder Gallery?

DT: My father founded Tamarkin Camera in 1971 in the house I grew up in, and when he retired in 2010 I took over the family business and brought it here to Chicago is 2012. That same year we opened the Rangefinder Gallery, as a showcase for images from the iconic Leica camera. In the 1980s, Tamarkin Camera created the trend of the &ldquo;Leica Gallery,&rdquo; which is emulated by Leica Stores around the world today, so it seemed only natural that our new Chicago home would be here in River North.

I was trained as a theatrical lighting designer and writer (the latter here in Chicago at UIC &ldquo;Circle&rdquo; Campus). I tended bar, waited tables, built theater sets and designed lighting in&nbsp;Chicago theater for years, and eventually worked as a teaching artist and a technical writer before taking over the family business in 2010. A photographer since 1981, I have been interested in light and shadow my whole life, and theater and photography fit perfectly. I&rsquo;m a very fortunate person to be doing what I love and to love what I do &ndash; the convergence of my love of the historic Leica brand, of photography and the arts in general, of Chicago architecture, and of collecting things&nbsp;can all be experienced in our little showroom and gallery.

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CGN: Give us a day in the life!

DT:&nbsp;A day in the life of Danny T is not all that fun or exciting! Like many of us, it&rsquo;s a lot of time spent emailing, phone calls with clients and steering the ship. The fun and interesting part is meeting and talking to the people who visit the gallery and showroom, and sharing my knowledge of Leica and photography with collectors, shooters, and anyone else who wanders in. And, of course, the cameras! I spend a lot of time looking at images for the gallery, appraising cameras, and trying to find the collectibles squirreled away in closets and old camera bags. And if the day is a First Friday when we have our monthly reception in the gallery, I can show off these things we love &ndash; the images and the cameras that make them. That&rsquo;s one of my favorite parts of what I do.

&nbsp;

CGN: How do you sum up the gallery&#39;s program in one sentence?&nbsp;

DT:&nbsp;The Rangefinder Gallery is Chicago&rsquo;s gallery and hub for both emerging and established photographers to discover new work, display and share their own work, and to spark conversations and connections around photography and the arts.

&nbsp;

CGN: Most exciting sale you ever had?

DT:&nbsp;The most exciting sale I ever made was actually not a sale itself, but acquiring a group of images from pre- and post-Revolution Cuba made by Roberto Salas, a friend and fellow Leica photographer as well as&nbsp;a marvelous storyteller. Hearing his stories was a real thrill for me, and for gallery goers at the opening and the Artist Talk. Bringing an artist &ndash; and his work &ndash; from Cuba is no easy task in this political climate, but the outcome was both exciting and full of hope. Roberto&rsquo;s memories of adventures with Fidel Castro and &ldquo;Che&rdquo; Guevara are enlightening, dramatically poignant and also at times funny and deeply moving, and are rarely heard here in the Unites States. Showcasing and offering images &ndash; both the stories and the storytellers &ndash; that have both historic and artistic importance is a thrill beyond the ordinary for us.

&nbsp;

CGN: Share some successes as well as challenges this year.

DT:&nbsp;In the past year, we&rsquo;ve seen an increase in visitors to the showroom and gallery, which is a huge success regardless of any sales. We&rsquo;ve also seen increasingly exciting photography, very high-caliber work. Another success is in connections within the community &ndash; we&rsquo;re finding there&rsquo;s a genuine, strong and growing interest in photography within our community. More connections are being made more often here in the gallery and at our events. It feels really good to watch this happen.

One challenge I think all galleries share is bringing visitors in the door, whether or not they are actually shopping. We have galleries and encyclopedias in our pockets now and we are constantly plugged in, which for many people becomes a substitute for the experience of physically visiting a gallery or a library. Another challenge is like many other small business owners face: how to reach interested and potential customers, and how to retain them.

&nbsp;

CGN: What do you want to tell a young person considering this business?

DT:&nbsp;What I&rsquo;d tell anyone who is trying to do anything: in the words of Lenny Bruce, &ldquo;Remember: anybody who ever did it, never did it before.&rdquo; You just gotta jump. That and carpe diem, I suppose.

&nbsp;

CGN: Thumbs up or down on art fairs?

DT:&nbsp;Tough question. Thumbs Up for anything that gives&nbsp;exposure to more artists, and that gives more consumers&nbsp;access to&nbsp;art. It&rsquo;s kind of hard to find fault with the idea. However, as a gallery owner, it is likewise difficult for me to relish the idea of an art fair; I believe that in practice, art fairs mean that fewer of the artists and their consumers come to value the gallery and its experience. However, like in any field, we must at least acknowledge the trends and desires in our marketplace and we exclude them at our peril; like technology, it is not intrinsically good or bad &ndash; it is how we use it that matters.

&nbsp;

Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?&nbsp;

DT:&nbsp;People and travel. I really enjoy meeting and talking to people wherever I go. These have been some of my most rewarding and interesting experiences, and mesh quite well to photography, which is my main artistic outlet.

&nbsp;

CGN: What should we expect to see from Rangefinder Gallery at Tamarkin Camera in 2018?

DT:&nbsp;More great images and First Friday receptions! We&rsquo;re excited to have more color photographs this year than we usually exhibit, from artists both local and international. We are also excited about all of our events this spring and summer; we&rsquo;re engaging in a wider variety of speakers and photographers for our free Artist Talks and for&nbsp;Spring and Summer Photo Walks, which have become increasingly popular. We want to bring more people out of hibernation, and to get together to experience photography from all points of view along the artistic process.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Dan Tamarkin is the owner&nbsp;of Rangefinder Gallery and Tamarkin Camera&nbsp;in River North, Chicago. For more information about the gallery&nbsp;please visit: <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/the-rangefinder-gallery-at-tamarkin-camera">Rangefinder Gallery</a>

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CGN Interview Series: Dan Tamarkin, The Rangefinder Gallery at Tamarkin Camera

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Deborah Maris Lader, owner and director of Chicago Printmakers Collaborative.

Age: 56

Current Position:&nbsp;Director of Chicago Printmakers Collaborative

Hometown:&nbsp;Cleveland, Ohio

Previous&nbsp;Occupations:&nbsp;Professor of Printmaking at Indiana University/Fort Wayne, Printmaking teacher&nbsp;at Cornell University, High School Art Teacher, plus lots of the usual waitress gigs before that.

&nbsp;

5 favorites from the past week

Restaurant: Kitsune - Iliana Regan is a culinary genius.

Shop: I regularly spend time at Costco buying ginormous mountains of paper towels and nitrile gloves for the printshop. Not my favorite place but a necessary evil.

Read: Just finished &ldquo;Paris in the Present Tense&rdquo; by Mark Helprin &ndash; very good.

Neighborhood: Lincoln Square! I just love this neighborhood. My print workshop and home are here, plus it&rsquo;s where I raised my kids, where I shop, go to movies, work out, and everything else.

Music: I&rsquo;m in a folk band called Sons of the Never Wrong. Despite the genre that defines my own music, I love all kinds of stuff &ndash; classical, rock, alternative, gospel, blues, jazz, Americana and world. If I put my music on shuffle, I&rsquo;ll hear Andrew Bird, Talking Heads, Erwin Helfer, Beyonce, Anais Mitchell, the B-52&rsquo;s, The Decemberists, Luis Fonsi, and Ella Fitzgerald all within the hour.

&nbsp;

CGN: Tell us about your background and the process of starting Chicago Printmakers Collaborative?

DL: Making stuff has been my passion since&nbsp;day one. As an undergraduate sculpture major, welding giant pieces of metal, carving wood and grinding stone, I loved the materials but missed the act of drawing. I took a class in printmaking, which involves incising imagery onto etched metal plates, drawing onto lithography stones and carving wood relief blocks, I&nbsp;was immediately hooked. Printmakers tend to be socially comfortable creatures because of the need to share equipment and resources, and they tend to cluster around whoever has a press. Because teaching has also always been an important part of my career, nurturing others to pursue their artistic goals, it was only a matter of time before I opened my own print shop. Creating community around the medium of fine, handmade printmaking has been my focus for over 28 years.

I was a professor of printmaking at Indiana University/Fort Wayne before moving to Chicago in 1989 and initially sought a teaching position. At that same moment in time, the stars aligned and an old defunct print shop became available for sale. I jumped on it and sunk all my cash into birthing the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative. I didn&rsquo;t know anyone in Chicago besides my architect husband (a good sport if ever there was one)&nbsp;and wondered if this crazy thing I was pouring my heart and sweat into would actually happen and if anyone would ever walk through the door of a 2nd story walkup warehouse in Ukrainian Village where the only retail in the neighborhood was a Cut-Rate Liquor and a Wendy&rsquo;s (along with the occasional late afternoon chorus of gunshots).

It was my version of &ldquo;build it and they will come&rdquo;&hellip; and in fact they did. The printmakers who first walked through the CPC&rsquo;s doors have been the lifeblood of the studio ever since.

In the spring of 1999, the CPC moved from its original location to an expansive, rented studio space in Chicago&rsquo;s Lincoln Square neighborhood. In 2015, I bought a decrepit old building where the roof was caving in and the pipes had all burst and I renovated it to comply with my fantasy printshop dreams. And so it was that the shop moved to its new, custom built, permanent location just 4 blocks north of the old. If I ever leave here it&rsquo;ll be feet first.

CPC&rsquo;s member artists hail from all over the world, but most live in the Chicago area. The workshop is home to 7 Resident Artists, hundreds of students, and scores of professional printmakers who work on the presses 24/7 with keyed access. The CPC gallery features works on paper by over 60 international artists.

My role as a curator and dealer has expanded in the past 5 years, especially as our new bright storefront and gallery walls have attracted buyers who are more and more interested in our international reach and are thrilled with the general affordability of prints, many of which can be produced as limited-edition multiples. When folks happen in during our open hours, they may catch an artist pulling an etched image off the press or drawing on a stone, as the gallery shares space with the active workshop. Sometimes visitors actually applaud when an artist &ldquo;reveals&rdquo; a finished print before their very eyes &ndash; it&rsquo;s an education and performance all in one, and it demystifies the print medium in the best way (they also see how much hard work is involved).

&nbsp;

CGN: Give us a day in the life!

DL: Every day is so different! Some days I may be picking up supplies, reclaiming silk screens, fixing a broken glass litho slab and doing PR via social media. The next day I may be drawing on an etching plate, printing, hanging a gallery show, making labels and creating Instagram videos (we have 26.6K followers as of this week, plus I have 3 Instagram and FB accounts &ndash; one for my art, one for CPC, and one for my band). The day after that I may have a band rehearsal, a demo for a tour group at CPC, and an evening gig.

There are some days where we have community events and I delegate tasks for our 5 CPC interns while working alongside them to maintain the studio, answer emails, organize classes, and clean. All while greeting visitors and selling prints. Most every day I try to work out in the morning, then hit the studio or streets for the types of things mentioned above, and then I go home to assure my husband that I still exist. I sometimes like to cook, and&nbsp;always make time early in the day for a matcha green tea latte with almond milk. I&rsquo;m usually up until around 1:30 AM&nbsp;doing administrative, social media, email and other work from my home computer. Then I read a little before I collapse. It&rsquo;s important (to me) to be creative in some way everyday, whether it means drawing on a plate or sketchbook, curating an installation, or simply composing what I&rsquo;m going to wear.

&nbsp;

CGN: How would you sum up your experience running CPC?&nbsp;

DL: I&rsquo;ve learned that being creative comes in many forms, and that artistic output doesn&rsquo;t always hang nicely on a wall or sit on a pedestal. Creating community, or building a printmaking workshop, taxes similar artistic muscles and can satisfy the itch to make something from nothing. I used to beat myself up if my artistic output suffered while performing CPC administrative tasks, but now I just see it all as the same thing, and it has oddly resulted in my being more productive with the stuff that hangs on walls! Go figure.

I love printmaking and its array of stones and plates and tools and presses, but what makes the CPC special are all of the printmakers and interns and&nbsp;students and art collectors and visitors who walk through the CPC door every day. The artists draw,&nbsp;etch,&nbsp;carve,&nbsp;print and haul enormously heavy objects around the studio. The work is physically demanding and exacting, and requires a great amount of technical skill. The work that has come out of the CPC print shop during the past 28 years is astonishing. It&rsquo;s hugely satisfying to see these artists make their marks in printmaking studios, University print shops and in exhibitions all over the world. It&rsquo;s also rewarding to sell their work, which supports them financially. The CPC was set up to foster dialogue, collaboration and community among Chicago&rsquo;s printmakers, as well as to educate and share the beauty of the medium with the broader public. Working alongside these artists has been an honor and an inspiration. The city and community has been tremendously supportive, gallery visitors can see us at work, as the printed image comes off the press.

&nbsp;

CGN: Most exciting sale you ever had?

DL: Every sale is exciting. I love these artists and their work and it&rsquo;s important to me to have a variety of price points and imagery so that there is something in the gallery that ANY person can afford. A first-time buyer&rsquo;s thrill is as exciting as a seasoned collector&rsquo;s purchase. I do have this regular collector from Baltimore who comes once a year to snap up a nice haul of gorgeous things, so of course that&rsquo;s always big fun, especially since he has such exquisite taste!

&nbsp;

CGN: Share some successes as well as challenges this year.

DL: After last year brought us the new-guy-in-chief, I made a conscious effort to make 2017 the year of furthering the CPC&rsquo;s global reach, while championing the role of the arts in transcending the muck of divisive politics. CPC held a series of free, drop-in POP (Print Organize Protest) events where folks could screen print posters and tees, and write letters to our elected officials. In the gallery, CPC showed a gorgeous exhibition of Iranian Printmakers while simultaneously touring a collaborative exhibit of CPC and Iranian printmakers throughout Iran, Italy and Norway. We followed that with the summer ON PAPER International Printmaking Competition.

We then exhibited the gorgeous work of young Thai artists from Chiang Mai, followed by our current International Small Print Show. So &ndash; lots of work but some wonderful collaborations amongst artists from all over the globe. The work from Iran had to basically be &ldquo;smuggled&rdquo; into this country. It was both scary and thrilling to make all that happen, and when Chicago&rsquo;s Iranian community came to the CPC to celebrate Nowruz (Persian New Year) with us, it was fantastic, and we met so many cool new people!&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: One piece of advice you would send back to your 20-year-old self?

DL: As an artist/musician: Trust that your work will tell you where it wants to go. The process is&nbsp;most important, not the end result.

As a mom: &ldquo;No&quot; is a love word.

As a community print shop owner: Start small and don&rsquo;t get too far ahead of yourself. Roll with the setbacks, because they will always be part of it. No sense in stressing too much about the inevitable pitfalls. Reassess and move forward.

As a person: When people look at your 20-yr-old self and think your plan to open a print workshop is batshit crazy, just imagine that in 28 years they&rsquo;ll be asking you for advice.

&nbsp;

CGN: What do you look for in an artwork? When searching for a piece for yourself, what speaks to you?

DL: I want it to be both beautifully crafted and moving in some deep way. Obviously, I love the way prints look, so I gravitate towards the intimacy of an etching or wood engraving or lithograph or drawing, but I can just as easily be moved by the texture and layers of an encaustic painting or sculptural object.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?&nbsp;

DL: Music&nbsp;of course! Writing, singing, playing and arranging songs with Sons of the Never Wrong is pretty darned cool. I very much also enjoy dance, theatre, and film.

&nbsp;

CGN: What should we expect to see next from Chicago Printmakers Collaborative?

DL: We are in the early planning stages for our 2nd Steamroller event, which will take place sometime in mid-July. It&rsquo;s a basically a community-wide printmaking festival in which the feature attraction is a large 12-ton paving truck in our back driveway that rolls over and prints massive 8-foot artist-carved woodcuts onto fabric while amazed bystanders snap loads of photos with their smartphones. We usually have food trucks, relief printing demos and live music throughout the day, so it&rsquo;s quite the happening!

Other than that, CPC will offer its usual schedule of Printmaking classes, open houses, exhibitions, and membership activities, which can all be found on our website. CPC is also publishing a series of 4 and 5-color Tony Fitzpatrick etchings, printed by our master printer Catherine Winings.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Deborah Maris Lader is owner and director&nbsp;of Chicago Printmakers Collaborative. For more information&nbsp;please visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/chicago-printmakers-collaborative--3">Chicago Printmakers Collaborative</a>

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CGN Interview Series: Deborah Maris Lader, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Doug VanTress, co-owner of <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/the-golden-triangle">The Golden Triangle</a>

Age: 55

Current Position:&nbsp;Co-Owner

Hometown:&nbsp;Flint, Michigan

Previous Occupation:&nbsp;Management Consultant (2 years at Arthur Andersen)

&nbsp;

5 favorites from the past week

Restaurant:&nbsp;Hai Yen on Argyle

Shop:&nbsp;Golden Triangle&rsquo;s new pop-up on State St.

Read:&nbsp;Joseph Roth&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Emperor&rsquo;s Tomb&rdquo;

Neighborhood:&nbsp;Ukrainian Village (where I used to make pizza)

Music:&nbsp;new Bob Sinclar (very upbeat)

&nbsp;

CGN: Tell us about your background and how you started the Golden Triangle?&nbsp;

DVT: I didn&rsquo;t like my job as a consultant and was unusually receptive to finding something else.&nbsp; My partner, Chauwarin felt the same way and we decided to go into business together.&nbsp; Our first venture was a bust but it led to opening a small shop selling gift items and later that shop morphed into an Asian antique store. Though we didn&rsquo;t know it at the time, that small shop was an incubator that produced many practical ideas (and cash flow).

&nbsp;

CGN: How do you sum up your experience running an antiques business?

DVT: It&rsquo;s an extremely satisfying line of work because we are surrounded by the best of the past and the people who are attracted to that are incredible.&nbsp; It matters very much who you interact with in your work.&nbsp; My customers are intelligent, creative and open-minded.&nbsp; I learn so much from them.&nbsp; I also learn from the objects and furnishings I sell &ndash;they were made lovingly and slowly, mostly by one person for another person.&nbsp; That matters.&nbsp; So I can enjoy the people side of my business for a few hours and then do a material deep-dive, restoring something, studying, tinkering.&nbsp; Or I can do research online.&nbsp; This&nbsp;job is perfect for me.

&nbsp;

CGN: Share a typical day in the life.

DVT: Get up at 7:30.&nbsp; Go to work, caiffenate.&nbsp; Check my art-world emails, map out how to deal with a crisis.&nbsp; Every day has one, at least a small one.&nbsp; Then a customer walks in and whatever my plan was, it is upended. We chat about everything. &nbsp;Eventually, I get back to the workshop to observe my team.&nbsp; Actually, I escape there sometimes.&nbsp; My job is to supply judgement &ndash;how to solve a problem in the most efficient way possible.&nbsp; Sometimes the problem is one of physics &ndash;how to bend a piece of wood, for example.&nbsp; Sometimes it involves aesthetics &ndash;how to improve the finish on a piece or bring out its best characteristics.&nbsp; I love this part.&nbsp; Then a lunch at my desk, checking my political news sites (I am interested in the world beyond furnishings!)&nbsp; Afternoons are busiest for customers, both for designers and retail.&nbsp; At some point, I do some paperwork.&nbsp;&nbsp; Maybe make an Instagram post. Then something interrupts&hellip;&nbsp;&nbsp; Home by 7, sometimes dinner out. Perhaps a movie or grazing the cable selections with phone in hand.&nbsp; Every night finishes with reading &ndash;and not on the phone.&nbsp; Liking the old stuff these days &ndash;Balzac, Tolstoy and all that.&nbsp; Fascinated by the French Revolution right now as we drift into our own&hellip;

&nbsp;

CGN: Most exciting sale you ever had?

DVT: Probably our restaurant construction work in China.&nbsp; Not one sale but a project for over a year.&nbsp; Many cities, wonderfully fast &amp; and a little bit crazy.&nbsp; Business, personal, wining and dining, designing on the fly with a team of eager assistants of every type.&nbsp; Working with a Chinese customer is a whirlwind of activity and forward motion.&nbsp; Things that take a year here, take two months there.&nbsp; And everything comes out just as good or better.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: Share some successes as well as challenges this year.

DVT: We are opening a new gallery complex in Chiang Mai, Thailand.&nbsp; That is my chief challenge.&nbsp; That and figuring out how to sell antiques to the millennials!

&nbsp;

CGN: You are a frequent traveler, any recent adventures you care to share?&nbsp;&nbsp;

DVT: Every trip includes some &ldquo;adventures&rdquo; or experiences that are unforgettable.&nbsp; I tend to be a visual person and I am fascinated by the effects of the light on old buildings and monuments.&nbsp; I like to ponder the past and bathe in melancholy.&nbsp; And then have a great dinner.

&nbsp;

CGN: One piece of advice you would tell your younger self when starting out?

DVT: Don&rsquo;t over-think, pick the right partner, jump in and do it.&nbsp; Live below your means for a long time.&nbsp; You will miss out on nothing.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: What do you look for in a piece? When shopping for an antique item yourself, what speaks to you?

DVT: I like to see age registered on the piece &ndash;plausible evidence of age.&nbsp; Not a complete ruin but old-looking.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?&nbsp;

DVT: Probably good movies or reading old novels.

&nbsp;

CGN: What should we expect to see next from the Golden Triangle?

DVT: More contrast &ndash;ancient &amp; modern mixed.&nbsp; This is our moment; having access to everything and trying to sort out how it all goes together into a coherent whole.&nbsp; Is coherence even possible now? Let&rsquo;s find out.

&nbsp;

Doug VanTress is co-owner of the&nbsp;The Golden Triangle&nbsp;in Chicago. For more information about the shop&nbsp;please visit: <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/the-golden-triangle">The Golden Triangle</a>

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An interview with Golden Triangle owner Doug VanTress

An Interview with a Dealer: Doug VanTress

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Hannah Litvan,&nbsp; director of Ice House Gallery.

&nbsp;

Name: Hannah Litvan

Age: 24

Current Position:&nbsp;Gallery Owner and&nbsp;Director

Hometown: I grew up in Wilmette, but my home is Evanston!

Previous Occupation(s): My first job was at a Lou Malnati&rsquo;s Pizzeria all through high school. I was a Writer and Features Editor for my college paper the Albion Pleiad. While living in Jackson Michigan&nbsp;I was a historic guide and gallery attendant for the Ella Sharp Museum. I also helped with the start up for their Prison Museum Cell Block 7.

After graduation I took a job as&nbsp;a historic tour guide for the Richard H. Driehaus Museum&nbsp;and did some volunteering for the Field Museum as a bone picker for their Ornithology department. I briefly worked last holiday season at an Evanston chocolate shop, Belgian Chocolatier Piron, which was fun. Starting in high school, I&nbsp;would clean&nbsp;houses for extra cash. Once I decided to embark on opening the gallery, I quit the museums and went to cleaning as my main job as the scheduling was&nbsp;easy so I could work on the gallery and didn&rsquo;t have a daily job taking up my time.

&nbsp;

5 favorites from the past week&nbsp;

Restaurant: Kuni&rsquo;s, a great&nbsp;family-owned Japanese place in Evanston

Shop: This week my sister and I went to Not Just Thee Fish Bowl, which is a pet shop, they have the most wonderful little ferrets, bunnies and guniea pigs you can play with. It&rsquo;s always fun.

Read: I just started &ldquo;The Name of the Wind&rdquo; by Patrick Rothfuss and I dig it so far. I&rsquo;m a big fan of&nbsp;manga so this is the first all-words book I&rsquo;ve read in a while!

Neighborhood: Evanston always! Beautiful houses and an awesome coastline, with a cool view of the big city. My fianc&eacute;, Chris, and I go on walks all the time just to look around.

Music: Music is a tough one.&nbsp;I&rsquo;m really into RADWIMPS and Superfly right now, but Blink-182 and Breaking Benjamin are always favorites.

&nbsp;

Tell us about your background and how your work with Ice House Gallery came to be?

I&#39;ve had&nbsp;interest&nbsp;in making and appreciating art my whole life, but became&nbsp;serious about becoming&nbsp;an artist when I was around&nbsp;12 years old. My biggest inspiration&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;came from cartoons and anime&nbsp;I watched, and still watch, constantly. I attended Albion College where I had a double major in English Creative Writing and Art with a Sculpture focus. Growing up and even in early adulthood, I never quite&nbsp;knew what job I wanted.&nbsp;After graduation&nbsp;I cast a huge net over any loosely artistic job I was qualified for. Hundreds of applications and tediously-written cover letters were sent into the digital abyss to never return. I managed to get a part-timer to support my independence, but it was not fulfilling.

The decision&nbsp;to quit and pursue opening a gallery was difficult. Who was I to do something like that? No one will take me seriously right? Thoughts of &quot;it&rsquo;s too big a change&quot; and&nbsp;&quot;it won&rsquo;t come to fruition&quot; were frequent.&nbsp;So many excuses floated in my head. Ultimately my mom and I found a building that would be perfect, and signing onto the lease&nbsp;solidified moving forward. I held pitch meetings at Evanston Public Library to find local artists and hear their thoughts on my idea. I searched the Evanston art community with&nbsp;the opportunity to meet&nbsp;many strong artists, business owners and art supporters to pick their brains and build&nbsp;connections.

The build-out for the space was a retrospectively enjoyable nightmare. What was projected to be a three month build-out turned into 13 months! Old warehouses seem to have their way and not want to be changed. My building manager and I wanted to highlight the integrity of the building while bringing it up to code. I found&nbsp;the build-out itself was simple, but city codes are another animal. Ice House was supposed to open in March 2017, but it did not&nbsp;happen. It was then supposed to open in June 2017, but again,&nbsp;could not&nbsp;happen. We took part in Evanston Made in June, a city-wide event&nbsp;to promote locally made art and products. We put on a sidewalk sale because we thought we were going to be open, and didn&#39;t want all our ads and excitement to go to waste! It was a good day for us!

My friends and family helped tremendously when we eventually got to move into the space with setting up the studios, painting and hanging everything. We finally opened in October 2017, and it was a blast! Looking back, all the extra time&nbsp;caused by delays ended up allowing us to grow public&nbsp;interest in Ice House and learn more about who we were and who we want&nbsp;to be when it it was time to&nbsp;finally&nbsp;open our doors.

&nbsp;

Share a typical day in the life.

Just now I&#39;m settling into a routine as we&rsquo;ve&nbsp;been open for about a month. I work at the gallery most days, going through emails and posting on our social media. Often artists come in to chat and show me their work. I am always thinking of the next show, feature and performances so I look up and save local artists I think may be a good fit with Ice House. It&rsquo;s fun to get into a planning groove. We try to focus on marketing plans to get our&nbsp;new name out there as well. When everything is good-to-go, I will read or draw at the desk waiting for potential art buyers to make their way in. Basic business stuff I suppose, but it being&nbsp;my business makes&nbsp;it&nbsp;fun! A couple nights a week I still go clean an office building in Evanston, but I always come home to my fianc&eacute;, cat and friends for wine and videogames.

&nbsp;

Is there a particularly favorite memory in the process of opening the space?

While&nbsp;in the build-out process I was also still deciding on my public image for the gallery. I found art people in Evanston to talk to and they were amazing. They listened to me, supported my idea and told me about their ideas and experiences. Most of these strong, caring people were women so that was very inspiring to me. It was so cool to ask a stranger for input and advice, and have them open up to me. The Evanston art community is very uplifting for&nbsp;those wishing to join and expand it.

&nbsp;

Share some successes as well as challenges this year.

Opening was definitely our biggest success, not only because we actually opened, but because of the support from our&nbsp;community. So many people came through all day and asked about us and our vision. It was amazing to speak with&nbsp;everyone and see all&nbsp;our hard work pay off.

A challenge we faced was more&nbsp;a series of small hills. Yes construction was arduous, but envisioning a business is a lot more complicated than one may realize. There were things I knew I wanted and didn&rsquo;t want, but there were so many aspects&nbsp;I never even considered and making certain decisions was tough. I wrote a mission for us and made sure we stuck to it with every decision&nbsp;made.

&nbsp;

How do you see Chicago&rsquo;s art scene in comparison to other cities? What do you think makes it particularly unique?

The Chicago and outreaching art scene is unique because it has such a huge variety. You have local artists from all different backgrounds and walks of life producing and showing in many different forms&nbsp;like street art, formal galleries, fairs, and performances. Traditional as well as modern art thrive simultaneously here, creating a diverse art scene anyone can appreciate. I think art in its many forms (not just what you can hang on a wall) is important to the mood of the city and neighborhoods. We also have an international art influence mixing with the local which even further diversifies the artistic community in the Chicagoland area.

&nbsp;

How have you seen technology directly affect/alter the art world?

You can be the most traditional artist ever, but in this modern world your art almost always has to have an online presence.&nbsp;Therefore you have to be tech savvy when&nbsp;showing your work to galleries or submit a portfolio. Most galleries or shows I&rsquo;ve submitted to require a digital portfolio and when I meet with other artists we usually ask for a (well-designed) card with our artist&nbsp;website on it. So even artists who do not use digital mediums must have a digital profile.&nbsp;And typically more than just one to get your name out there.

&nbsp;

What do you want to tell a young person considering this business?

Speaking as a young person, I say.. do it now! Dreaming of that &ldquo;one day I will&hellip;&rdquo; is time wasted.&nbsp;Opening a business of any kind is not a quick nor&nbsp;easy process, so why waste time&nbsp;at a job you&nbsp;don&rsquo;t like&nbsp;wanting something more? Take action and never be apprehensive to ask your community for ideas, advice and help. It&rsquo;s surprising who will invite you to their home, make you coffee, and talk dreams for hours! Ultimately,&nbsp;plans and timelines will mostly fly out the window,&nbsp;you&rsquo;ll&nbsp;plan out way more than you initially realize, and you will have stumbles and hiccups. However&nbsp;it&rsquo;s all part of the process. There&nbsp;will be&nbsp;days where you are not&nbsp;open yet, and it all seems a mess,&nbsp;you will want to quit.&nbsp;But birthing your brain-baby is so worth it. So stick to it!

&nbsp;

One piece of advice you would send back to yourself when you started out?

Oh there is so much I would tell my year-ago-self. Patience and flexibility are&nbsp;the biggest lessons I have learned. I would tell myself to just breathe through the bad and&nbsp;the good is on its&nbsp;way.

&nbsp;

Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?

I&rsquo;m a mega-lover of Japanese culture, modern and historical. I&rsquo;ve been learning Japanese for about seven years, have studied in Kyoto, and&nbsp;am an avid reader on history and current culture. I enjoy many sides of Japanese culture relating to art and history (and have for quite a long time). Chris and I are honeymooning there and I plan to be in&nbsp;and out of Japan throughout my life.

&nbsp;

Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

As a child I liked the Picasso because it&rsquo;s a huge, mysterious beast. I would imagine it walking around the city at night. Now I&rsquo;m not sure if I have a favorite lone-standing piece. I&rsquo;m a big fan of Chicago&rsquo;s architecture and history. I love stained glass and sculpted masonry, so I enjoy Chicago&rsquo;s Architecture Tour.

&nbsp;

Artists you admire most.

Hayao Miyazaki&rsquo;s work touches my heart and shaped my artist-self growing up. Many manga writers have inspired&nbsp;and influenced my style such as Akira Toriyama, Hiromu Arakawa, Misashi Kishimoto and Satoshi Kon to name a few. Recently I traveled to Prague and had&nbsp;the opportunity to see a ton of Alphonse Mucha&rsquo;s work and visit his grave. His work has also inspired&nbsp;and shaped my style for a long time.

&nbsp;

What&#39;s coming up next at the gallery?

So much! We are new, and&nbsp;are currently trying to develop a strong program for shows as well as performances. We post on our website and social media all the details.

Our first performance which was a music and art collaboration show Friday November 17th, which was so fun and unique. Our turn-out was better than I thought it would be, and the music sounded amazing in our space.

Each month, on the first Saturday of that month, we have an opening reception for our monthly featured artist (always a local of course!) December 2nd was Evanston artist Jim Park&rsquo;s &ldquo;Bloomz&rdquo; series opener and he will show through the end of the month.

Our December performance is a stage reading written and performed by two Evanston actors: Max Lusk and Meghan Bortle. Friday December 15th, at 7pm and Saturday December 16th at 2pm and 7pm

We try to be a part of Evanston&rsquo;s involved sense of community so we are a part of &ldquo;Small Business Saturday&rdquo; 11/25 from 10am to 6pm and the &ldquo;Warm Bevvy Walk&rdquo; 12/7 from 5pm to 8pm

Our second floor is a bit of a different entity with Private Studios as well as a Cooperative artist workspace. These can be rented monthly or longer as a space for artists to create. We are building out a photo room too so artists can take photos of their work, models, headshots or whatever they need to take photos of. It&rsquo;s such a neat space which has been popular so far. I hope it becomes a thriving little community, and I would love to have a studio show next year.

&nbsp;

Hannah Litvan is the owner and director&nbsp;of Ice House Gallery&nbsp;in Evanston. For more information about the&nbsp;gallery please visit:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/ice-house-gallery">&nbsp;Ice House Gallery</a>

&nbsp;
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An Interview with a Dealer: Hannah Litvan

&shy;&shy;Each week CGN interviews a local art world professional to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Lelde Kalmite of Bridgeport Art Center.

&nbsp;

Age: Don&rsquo;t ask, don&rsquo;t tell

Current Position: Curator

Hometown: Wurzach, Germany

Previous Occupation: Non-profit arts administrator &amp; University instructor of, art history, studio art, and humanities.

&nbsp;

Favorites from this week:

Restaurant: Antique Taco on 35th street

Shop: National Museum of Mexican Art gift shop

Read: I read The New Yorker every week

Neighborhood: Still learning about Bridgeport, which has a fascinating history

Music: I love classical music (especially chamber music)

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News: Tell us about your background and how you came to connect with the Bridgeport Art Center?

Lelde Kalmite:&nbsp;After about a dozen years working as a non-profit arts administrator, in 2009 I took an early retirement and rented a studio at Bridgeport Art Center in order to get back to making art full time. I soon came to realize that BAC had the potential to become an important art venue on the South Side. I was given the opportunity to further develop the 4th floor gallery and begin a program of curated art exhibits. Since then, I have designed and installed over 50 exhibitions in three galleries at the BAC. This is the most dynamic and exciting place I have ever worked.&nbsp; I have a lovely studio and regular interaction with so many Chicago-area artists, curators, collectors and art lovers.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share a typical day in the life.

LK: I start early and work on my own art for several hours each morning (4-5 hours per day).&nbsp;Afternoons are usually dedicated to curatorial work. This includes visiting the artist studios, preparing PR materials, communicating with each artist selected for a given show and helping them prepare for the exhibit.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Which part of bringing together an exhibition proves most challenging?

LK:&nbsp; Creating an exhibit from a diverse collection of artworks is, as most curators know, akin to creating a new work of art.&nbsp; It is a pleasurable challenge, because it allows me to share my love of art.&nbsp; My educational background and work in non-profit administration have strongly influenced my work as a curator.&nbsp;

The exhibits do not necessarily reflect personal preferences but represent themes that can teach people about some important aspect of contemporary art or group of artists (geometric abstraction, the art of encaustic, male artists of color reflecting on social issues, paper arts, and so on). Many mundane administrative details (consignment agreements, announcement cards, receipt of artworks, etc.) go into preparing each show. However the actual installation of an exhibit is very satisfying and often exhilarating.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: How do you see Chicago&rsquo;s art scene in comparison to other cities? What do you think makes it particularly unique?

LK:&nbsp;Every major city has its own history and traditions in art.&nbsp; In Chicago, there has historically been a contrast between a tradition related to European modernism/abstraction, versus one that grows out of Midwestern Regionalism, na&iuml;ve art and popular culture. Today there seems to be no dominant tradition in which artists can situate themselves (either for or against).

In addition, there has been a steady reduction or even elimination of art in the school curriculum, so younger visitors who come to view art exhibits are often not very familiar with the long history of art &ndash; neither Western art, nor the art of other cultures.&nbsp; I believe that is what makes a place like BAC so important in the art community of Chicago.&nbsp; It educates visitors while engaging them with a very entertaining experience in a building full of art and artists.

&nbsp;

CGN: How have you seen technology directly affect/alter the way Bridgeport Art Center views it programs or connects with the surrounding community?

LK: The internet and social media have grown the audience for art exhibits at Bridgeport Art Center. Information about the programs is readily available on the website and disseminated to a growing e-mail list of visitors. There is a vital interaction among visitors interested in the different programs &ndash; dance studio, ceramic center (with its own beautiful gallery curated by Jay Strommen), fitness center, fashion shows, Maritime Museum, and more.&nbsp; People can come for a terrific evening of immersion in culture, free of charge for both entry and parking.&nbsp; The Internet has spread the word about Bridgeport Art Center throughout the world. Recently one night, at a River North gallery opening, a&nbsp;group of European visitors walked into the gallery and asked, &quot;How do we get to the Bridgeport Art Center?&quot;

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;One piece of advice you would send back to yourself when you started out?

LK: I would advise myself to rent a studio at a place like Bridgeport Art Center directly after graduating from the University so that I could be part of a larger artistic community and start to live the life of commitment and hard work that is required to excel in the field of art.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?

LK:&nbsp;I enjoy playing the piano, especially with other instrumentalists, and am looking for some other competent amateurs who might like to form a chamber group (just for fun).

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

LK:&nbsp;Virginio Ferrari&rsquo;s Super Strength at the University of Illinois Chicago Engineering Research Facility.

&nbsp;

CGN: What&#39;s coming up next at Bridgeport Art Center?&nbsp;

LK:&nbsp;A full schedule of exhibitions for 2018 is in place for the 4th floor gallery.&nbsp; This&nbsp;includes art by architects and designers. The&nbsp;6th annual art competition and&nbsp;a show called Loved Ones will explore depictions of people with whom artists have meaningful relationships, to name a few. There will be a show about patterns found in nature as well as several others.&nbsp;The 3rd floor rental gallery is also completely booked for the coming year, with shows by the Colored Pencil Society of America, student and art teacher shows organized by the Illinois Art Education Association, the non-profit group CAVA, among others.&nbsp; It is a tribute to the hard work of the staff at Bridgeport that we now have so many exhibits and other events to offer not only residents of the South Side, but visitors from the entire city and beyond.

&nbsp;

Lelde Kalmite is a Curator at Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago. For more information about the organization please visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/bridgeport-art-center">Bridgeport Art Center</a>.
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Interview with Lelde Kalmite of Bridgeport Art Center

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Jean Leigh, owner of The Leigh Gallery.

&nbsp;

Age: 57

Current Position: Owner of The Leigh Gallery

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Previous Occupation: Bartender all over Chicago, Corporate overseeing 250 employees, Artist

&nbsp;

5 favorites from the past week:

1.&nbsp;Restaurant: Frontera Grill

2.&nbsp;Shop: Unabridged Bookstore

3.&nbsp;Read: &ldquo;The Reporter Who Knew Too Much&rdquo; by Mark Shaw

4.&nbsp;Neighborhood: I love exploring all of the amazing and unique neighborhoods in Chicago- too many favorites.

5.&nbsp;Music: Devo, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, extremely varied -so many bands are important to me.

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News: Tell us about your background and how The Leigh Gallery came to fruition?

Jean Leigh:&nbsp;I decided to leave corporate and go back to creating my highly- detailed Pen &amp; Ink drawings. I worked the art fair circuit and did very well.&nbsp; I showed in numerous galleries.&nbsp;

Unfortunately, my eyes were getting very bad and I couldn&rsquo;t see the actual point of my 6x0/.13 Rapid-O-Graph technical pen (which was the only pen size I use).&nbsp; I knew I couldn&rsquo;t continue and I thought that if I can&rsquo;t create art, I might as well surround myself with it!&nbsp; I knew lots of artists from the galleries and fairs; I looked around my home at all the artwork I&rsquo;d collected over my lifetime, called them and asked that if I opened an art gallery in Chicago, would they like to join me and they all said &ldquo;yes&rdquo;!! Thirteen years later, we now have over 80 artists of my choosing, mostly local from Chicago and are thriving in the heart of Boystown!

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share a typical day in the life.

JL: This gallery is a two-person operation so&hellip;I arrive, take care of all the business/ management aspects and open at 11:00am.&nbsp; Locals and people from surrounding suburbs purchase their artwork from us.&nbsp; About 50% of our business is from tourism.&nbsp; We get people from all over the world here,&nbsp;they come to Boystown and to visit Chicago.&nbsp; We cater to customers from all walks of life- my whole design/ plan has been to sell high-quality original artwork at reasonable and affordable prices.&nbsp; This plan has worked very well.&nbsp;

My assistant, Joe, has been with me for 12 years and takes care of hanging all of the artwork- we showcase the work salon-style.&nbsp; New work arrives just about daily so it is an on-going puzzle on how to get everyone&rsquo;s work seen and shared with our public.&nbsp; He also takes care of most of the social media.&nbsp; Lots of cleaning!&nbsp; It is very entertaining every day!&nbsp; The conversations and humor that occur in this area make each day enjoyable and so much fun!

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Best sale you ever had?

JL:&nbsp; The best sales are when the customers are leaving with their purchase, and I can hear them say how fun their experience was! That is always a thrill and it happens often!&nbsp; Also when they send pictures of their new artwork in its &ldquo;forever home&rdquo;!&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: Share some successes as well as challenges this year.

JL:&nbsp;My customers are amazing- they have taught me so much and continue to do so.&nbsp; The art world is very alive and being taught from so many collectors and aficionados is pretty darned special

I&rsquo;ve had many customer and artist deaths this year.&nbsp; It is something I hadn&rsquo;t considered when I opened and it always (of course) throws me- hard.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: How do you see Chicago&rsquo;s art scene in comparison to other cities? What do you think makes it particularly unique?

JL: Chicago&rsquo;s art scene is very alive, vibrant, and in-the-now and know. It is assessable and not as intimidating as other cities.&nbsp; We see the value in education, experience and ownership of art. We work hard sharing our expertise letting everyone know its importance in life and the appreciation and fun in ownership.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;What do you want a young person to know who is considering this business?&nbsp;&nbsp;

JL: Keep/ treat it as a business. It is not a museum, bar, or big fun!&nbsp; It is a very important and responsible job.&nbsp; I have watched many galleries close because the owners thought it was an ongoing party.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: One piece of advice you would tell your younger self when starting out?

JL:&nbsp;Do not listen to the negative/ naysayers.&nbsp; Always be upbeat about your business.&nbsp; Do not tell of personal woes or issues with your business- If you portray success, you will, most likely, be successful.&nbsp; It still surprises me, to this day, when people ask if we actually sell.&nbsp; We couldn&rsquo;t be here if we didn&rsquo;t.&nbsp; Remain positive.&nbsp; Galleries are of such importance to our neighborhoods and culture.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?

JL:&nbsp;Reading and writing- I will write a novel in the next 5 years.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

JL:&nbsp;Hebru Brantley&rsquo;s wall mural in Uptown always makes me smile.&nbsp; Also the whole sculpture park along the bike path on McCormick Avenue is a GREAT visual experience!

&nbsp;

CGN: Artists you admire most.

JL: I truly admire all of the artists I&rsquo;ve hand-picked to be in my gallery.&nbsp; All of their talents and the risks they have taken are inspiring.&nbsp; Jan Vermeer and Albrecht Durer are my favorites of old school.

&nbsp;

CGN: What&rsquo;s coming up next at the gallery?

1.&nbsp; &nbsp;JL: The Holiday Sweets Stroll (with LakeView East Chamber of Commerce) will take place on Saturday, December 2nd from&nbsp;Noon to 3pm.

2.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Leigh Gallery Holiday Party!!&nbsp; December 8th from 5:00pm &ndash; 9:00pm.

&nbsp;

Jean Leigh is the owner of the&nbsp;The Leigh Gallery in Boystown, Chicago. For more information about the&nbsp;gallery please visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/the-leigh-gallery">theleighgallery.com</a>

CGN interview with Chicago art dealer Jean leigh

An Interview with a Dealer: Jean Leigh

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Debra Kerr of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art.

&nbsp;

Age: 59

Current Position: Executive Director

Hometown: Chicago for 32 years. Original hometown: Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Previous Occupations: Director of YouthMuse and Executive Vice President at Shedd Aquarium

&nbsp;

Favorites from this week:

Restaurant: Mart Anthony&rsquo;s on Hubbard is quintessential old-school Italian, and the food is amazing.

Shop: Can I say my favorite shopping is the store at Intuit? We have so many cool things right now, from painted Chinese parasols to funky jewelry to hand-made dolls to decorated boxes.

Read: The Devil and Webster by Jean Hanff Korelitz is a recent read. It&rsquo;s so timely as our society struggles with both student entitlement and instructor entitlement in the university environment.

Travel: Southwest Airlines is a favorite. It&rsquo;s so easy to make changes in my plans, since the tickets can be refunded to my account! I just hop on the orange line near my home in the south loop and I&rsquo;m at Midway in 20 minutes.

Music: I&rsquo;m digging the opportunities to hear Indonesian gamelan from the new Chicago Balinese Gamelan (performing Dec. 20 at Merit School of Music) and the Javanese ensemble that plays select Thursdays at Rickshaw Republic restaurant

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News: Tell us about your background and how you originally connected with Intuit?

Debra Kerr:&nbsp;My museum career started about 25 years ago at Shedd Aquarium, where I worked for 17 years. I&rsquo;m a total museum geek! My personal passion is about the role museums can and should be playing in social good and social justice. In 2010 I formed a project called YouthMuse, which engaged young people in creating online social change campaigns that aligned with the missions of the museums where the teens were participating. One of the museums that asked me to get involved was Intuit, and I fell in love. Outsider art is made oftentimes by artists who are disenfranchised in some way, and the stories of the artists allow us to have meaningful conversations about physical and mental disabilities, the impact of violence and abuse and incarceration, poverty, gender and cultural identity, homelessness, and loss&mdash;all topics of relevance in our society today. In 2014, the executive director position came open, and I jumped at the chance to help grow this small nonprofit into a museum with an important voice in the Chicago cultural scene.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share a typical day in the life.

DK: Ha! Every day is different, which is part of the fun. I might be plunging a clogged toilet in the morning and standing on a stage at the House of Blues in the evening. Most of my days are spent talking to donors and board members or strategizing with our small, yet amazing, staff on anything from memberships to education programs. Every day at Intuit involves meeting a museum guest and showing them something cool, like the recreation of Henry Darger&rsquo;s Room.

&nbsp;

CGN: Share some successes as well as challenges from this year.

DK:&nbsp;An amazing opportunity&mdash;one that we never expected&mdash;came to us earlier this year. Howard Tullman of 1871 is selling his loft space on the second floor of our building, and we are in the process of buying this space. It&rsquo;s very exciting, because it will double our size. That brings about the challenges of staffing additional space and refinancing our mortgage, but it also brings the opportunity to display our collection and give our guests a more in-depth experience of this amazing art genre. Currently, two or three special exhibitions are available at any given time, but now we&rsquo;ll be able to share some amazing pieces from our own collection in a permanent exhibition&mdash;and just in time for 2018&rsquo;s citywide initiative, Art Design Chicago, which will celebrate Chicago&rsquo;s national and international art influence.

&nbsp;

CGN: You were Executive Vice President at the John G. Shedd Aquarium for 11 years before joining Intuit. Are there any key lessons or values that you have learned from holding leadership roles in such public organizations?

DK: My leadership philosophy is to be both humble and self-confident. With self-confidence one doesn&rsquo;t need to boast about one&rsquo;s accomplishments, especially when what we do in the museum world is accomplished by a team. This perspective serves me well, coming from such a large institution to a small one. At Intuit, I wear many hats, such as CFO, HR director, development director, IT troubleshooter and store cashier, depending on the day. If I didn&rsquo;t already believe in a little humility, running a small museum certainly would instill that quality!

My Shedd background plus my many years teaching museum management in the museum studies program at Northwestern&rsquo;s School of Professional Studies has exposed me to many facets of museum operation. Thank goodness, because running a small nonprofit, with its inherent challenges of too few resources, means this is the hardest job I&rsquo;ve ever had. It&rsquo;s also the most fun, since Intuit has a great team of folks who every day turn on the creativity to get the most done with the fewest resources. My favorite new phrase&mdash;credit goes to Lisa Corrin of the Block Museum:&nbsp;&quot;Intuit punches far above its weight class.&quot;

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;How do you see Chicago&rsquo;s art scene in comparison to other cities? What do you think makes it particularly unique?

DK: Most Chicagoans don&rsquo;t realize that Chicago is renowned as a center for outsider art. For its contribution to Art Design Chicago in 2018, Intuit will tell the stories of the outsider artists who lived and worked in Chicago, and the collectors and enthusiasts who sought them out, in a major new exhibit, Chicago Calling: Art Against the Flow. Early on, other cities didn&rsquo;t consider this genre along with the mainstream, Euro-centric art world. That&rsquo;s rapidly changing now, but Chicago can take pride in being a city that embraced edgy and unusual before it was fashionable. This aspect of Chicago&rsquo;s reputation is more well known elsewhere than here.&nbsp;Four European venues are excited to host our exhibit, where it will travel in 2019 and 2020.

&nbsp;

CGN: How have you seen technology directly affect/alter the art world?

DK:&nbsp;One of the coolest uses of technology is to discover what earlier works are under the paint or using science to analyze the work, such as the recent announcement by the Louvre of a Jaconde Nue, or nude Mona Lisa. My favorite use of technology, though, is to provide museum access to audiences around the world. By putting our exhibits and collections online, Intuit, despite its size, is a leading museum of self-taught art that is now accessible to international audiences.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;What do you want to tell a young person considering this business?

DK:&nbsp;Since I teach museum management, I&rsquo;m always coaching young people who are thinking of working in museums or galleries. You don&rsquo;t go into this field to make money. You do it because you can&rsquo;t imagine doing anything else. This is not work you do to live; this is a life of living to work. It&rsquo;s a passion, a great love. More realistically, I suggest volunteering first to get your foot in the door and discover if that experience ignites the passion. Most of Intuit&rsquo;s employees, including me, volunteered here first before being hired.

&nbsp;

CGN: One piece of advice you would send back to yourself when you started out?

DK:&nbsp;Ignore my father&rsquo;s well-meant advice to seek a career that would guarantee a salary. It took me 10 years to figure out I wanted to work in a museum. Follow your passion.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?

DK:&nbsp;Travel. But even that doesn&rsquo;t happen outside of art, because I visit museums around the world when I travel, and I pursue my own creativity in the form of travel photography.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

DK:&nbsp; My favorite piece is completely mainstream: the statue of &quot;Ceres&quot; on top the Board of Trade Building, by John Storrs. I love that a female goddess sits atop a monument to a traditionally male-dominated field. Sometimes a maquette of the statue appears on exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, where I can get a close-up view of her.

&nbsp;

CGN: What&#39;s coming up next at the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art?

DK:&nbsp; Intuit is partnering with jorsTAP Chicago to present a family-friendly, transgender, tap-dancing version of Hansel and Gretel, Dec. 7-10. It&rsquo;s totally fun, and a great holiday-time outing. When I saw it, I had a giant smile pasted on my face throughout the performance. Children and teens are free on the Saturday and Sunday matinee performances on the 9th and 10th. Tap-dancing witches and cats with beautiful David Csicsko-designed props: You won&rsquo;t believe it until you see it!

&nbsp;

Debra Kerr is the Executive Director of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in Chicago. For more information about the gallery please visit:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/chicago-calling-art-against-the-flow--2"> Intuit.</a>

(Key Image, Photo Credit: Northwestern University)&nbsp;

An Interview with Debra Kerr, Executive Director of Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Peter Vale of Vale Craft Gallery.

&nbsp;

Age: 54

Current Position: Owner/Director of Vale Craft Gallery

Hometown: Chicago

Previous Occupation: Instructor in museum education programs

&nbsp;

Favorites from this week:

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Restaurant: Tallboy Taco

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Shop: Jeni&rsquo;s Ice Cream

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Read: American Craft Magazine

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Neighborhood: Old Town

5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Music: WFMT

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News: Tell us about your background and how Vale Craft Gallery came to fruition?

Peter Vale:&nbsp;Since childhood, I have always enjoyed making art and looking at art. As a high school senior, I took two courses in Art History and Ceramic Sculpture (both with James Mespl&eacute;) that would influence my pursuits later in life. After earning a Bachelor&rsquo;s degree in History I worked for several museums in the Boston area, including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. I was an instructor in a community outreach program, which combined looking at art in the museum with hands-on art making projects.

I decided to pursue a Master&rsquo;s degree in Art History and chose a program at Boston University that&nbsp;included a Museum Studies diploma. I already had a strong interest in contemporary crafts and earned course credit while working on an exhibition of American craft. The exhibition addressed issues of social concern for the B.U. art gallery, as well as another project researching the history and future plans of the Society of Arts and Crafts, the oldest contemporary craft gallery in the country.&nbsp;

After receiving my Master&rsquo;s, I returned to Chicago and began to think about starting a gallery&nbsp;focusing&nbsp;on contemporary fine craft. I also returned to making ceramics by taking classes at Lillstreet Art Center, something I have continued to do ever since. My mother was an artist (as well as a great salesperson) making jewelry at the time. She gave me support and encouragement to pursue my interests. My aunt and cousin were also both in the gallery business.&nbsp;When I decided to open my gallery, my aunt gave me a copy of her gallery&rsquo;s consignment form and said that the first thing I should buy was a fax machine. This was new technology at the time.

I rented a small space in River North at 207 W. Superior (now occupied by Jet&rsquo;s Pizza) in the fall of 1992 and contacted artists I had seen at art fairs and craft shows. With no business background or sales experience, I learned by doing. After three years at the original location, I was fortunate to move the gallery into its current home on the lower level of 230 W. Superior, where we have great visibility on a corner location. It&rsquo;s hard to believe that Vale Craft Gallery&nbsp;is celebrating its 25th anniversary this&nbsp;November.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share a typical day in the life.

PV: I live in Old Town and usually start my day with a walk to the gallery. The best days are busy with customers, who&nbsp;are always priority. We have a diverse clientele that includes&nbsp;established collectors as well as first time art buyers and&nbsp;shoppers looking for gifts or&nbsp;decorating their home. We also see&nbsp;tourists exploring the gallery district looking for a unique souvenir of their Chicago visit.

We frequently receive new artwork, and I enjoy changing our displays on a regular basis to add new energy to the gallery. Many of our artists are from the Chicago area or nearby states, so they deliver their art in person and we enjoy visiting with them and learning about their work. When we are not busy with visitors, we are emailing with artists and customers, or we are researching artists on the Internet, packing and shipping work, updating the sales journal and sending artists their checks. At home, I spend a lot of time gardening and playing with my cat, Frankie.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Best sale you ever had?

PV:&nbsp; The best sale was my first sale when I opened the gallery 25 years ago, because it gave me confidence in what I was doing.

&nbsp;

CGN: Share some successes as well as challenges from this year.

PV:&nbsp;We changed our July opening on short notice so that we could honor Steve Rebora, a beloved long-time gallery artist who passed away in June. Our July opening turned into a celebration of Steve Rebora&rsquo;s life and work, with many sales to the artist&rsquo;s family, friends, and collectors. An ongoing challenge had been to get River North galleries to coordinate their openings on a set schedule, but this year the galleries banded together to make it happen, starting with a fantastic mid-summer gallery night.

&nbsp;

CGN: How do you see Chicago&rsquo;s art scene in comparison to other cities? What do you think makes it unique?

PV: I think the Chicago art scene is more accessible and approachable than in other large cities. The diversity of Chicago&rsquo;s art scene, including the wide range of galleries in various neighborhoods, world class museums, architecture, a collection of public art, international fairs such as EXPO and SOFA&nbsp;and fantastic local artists, makes the city a unique destination for art lovers.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;How have you seen technology directly affect/alter the art world?

PV:&nbsp;Because people can now buy art on the Internet through galleries, auctions, and artists&rsquo; websites, there is increasing competition&nbsp;but also new opportunities&nbsp;in the online global marketplace. Although some people may choose to shop for art on websites, I feel that an image viewed on a computer does not offer the same experience as seeing (and touching) the actual object in person.

&nbsp;

CGN: What do you want to tell a young person considering this business?

PV:&nbsp;I would suggest starting with a pop-up gallery in a visible location near other galleries.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;One piece of advice you would send back to yourself when you started out?

PV:&nbsp;I would hire an assistant much earlier, rather than running the gallery by myself for the first five years.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

PV:&nbsp;Anish Kapoor&#39;s&nbsp;Cloud Gate,&nbsp;also known as &ldquo;The Bean&rdquo;

&nbsp;

CGN: Artists you admire most.

PV:&nbsp;Michael Sherrill and Janet Kelman. I admire artists who continue to experiment with their work throughout their career, learning new techniques and exploring new ideas.

&nbsp;

CGN: What&#39;s coming up next at the gallery?

PV:&nbsp;We will be changing our display for the holiday season to focus on pieces that are popular for gift giving. We also plan to redo the gallery website and add e-commerce in the coming months.

&nbsp;

Peter Vale is the Owner and Director of Vale Craft Gallery in Chicago. For more information about the gallery please visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/vale-craft-gallery">Vale Craft Gallery.</a>

An interview with art dealer Peter Vale of Vale Craft Gallery

An Interview with a Dealer: Peter Vale, Vale Craft Gallery

An interview with Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, exhibiting at Richard Gray Gallery and Gray Warehouse September-November 2017

An Interview with Artist Jaume Plensa

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Victor Armendariz of Gallery Victor Armendariz.

&nbsp;

Age: 47

Current Position: Owner/Director of Gallery Victor Armendariz

Hometown: Born, Chicago IL. Grew up on the central coast of California.

Previous Occupation: Assistant Director at Ann Nathan Gallery (1997-2017)

&nbsp;

Favorites from this week:

Restaurant: Daisy&rsquo;s Chicago, 2523 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647&mdash;a friend (and one of our young collectors) is a chef at Daisy&rsquo;s

Read: Currently listening to The Great Courses lecture on the Romantic Poets on Audible

Neighborhood: Lakeview

Music: Spotify playlist of Iron &amp; Wine, Folk, The Cure and Soft Moon, and Barbra Streisand on Fridays.

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News: Tell us about your background and how you started Gallery Victor Armendariz?

Victor Armendariz:&nbsp;I began working for the venerable Ann Nathan in 1997 after being introduced to her by her daughter <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2017/10/an-interview-with-a-dealer-betsy-nathan">Betsy Nathan (Pagoda Red)</a>.&nbsp; I was 27 and immediately fell in love with the gallery business.&nbsp; When Ann announced her retirement in mid 2016, I knew that opening my own gallery was the next step.&nbsp; My husband Christopher Clark and I opened Gallery Victor Armendariz in March of 2017.&nbsp; We have had five exhibitions in our new space.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;How do you sum up your program in one sentence?&nbsp;

VA: We present work in a variety of media and genres, with a strong emphasis on figurative paintings and sculpture and studio furniture. We strive to identify work that reflects a high degree of technical skill. We also believe that art should be exciting and accessible and we attempt to create exhibitions that reflect that belief.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share a typical day in the life.

VA:&nbsp; Unpredictability is typical. My days start early at home where I check emails, social media, and catch up on everything left over from the day before.&nbsp; But once I get into the office the day can go haywire&mdash;there is never a set script. When someone walks through the door, they become my priority.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: Share some successes as well as challenges from this year.

VA:&nbsp;I feel very grateful that we could get the gallery open in March of this year.&nbsp; Simply getting the business up and running was both our greatest success and biggest challenge.&nbsp; It would not have happened without a huge team effort on the part of my husband/business partner, my colleague Julie Danilek, the group of artists we represent who have placed so much trust in our new venture, an extremely supportive group of friends, family, collectors and members of the art community.&nbsp; We are extraordinarily proud to be part of the Chicago art community.

&nbsp;

CGN: What are some unique aspects about running this type of business, also more specifically, operating in Chicago?

VA: This is a business based on love and want, not need.&nbsp; It is our job to present works that provoke people&rsquo;s imaginations.&nbsp; Drawing the audience into the gallery is a challenge.&nbsp; People lead busy lives&mdash;we must work on capturing their attention.&nbsp; The next generation of collectors will require more and unique ways of getting their attention and we are excited about trying new ways to do that.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Your gallery focuses on figurative works, can you touch on what draws you to this area of the market?

VA: I studied English Literature in college and have always been drawn to narrative.&nbsp; I like to look at a piece of artwork that speaks to me in ways that I don&rsquo;t necessarily understand at first.&nbsp; I like to create a narrative in my head&mdash;a narrative that sometimes changes over time as my appreciation for the artwork grows.&nbsp; When I look at an artist&rsquo;s work, this is what I search for &ndash; a compelling narrative.

&nbsp;

CGN: What is your thought process on appealing to young collectors? This said, any words of wisdom to those potential new collectors?

VA:&nbsp;Our gallery has an area called The Studio&mdash;which includes drawings, sketches, prints, and formative works from artists we represent and some new artists.&nbsp; Everything in the Studio is accessibly priced and it provides a way for younger collectors and new collectors to grow their collections.&nbsp; Most importantly, new collectors need to trust their own instincts.&nbsp; Collect work that speaks to you, excites you, and that you want to live with.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?

VA:&nbsp;My husband and I enjoy board game meet-ups from time to time.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

VA:&nbsp;&ldquo;Cloud Gate&rdquo;&mdash; (The Bean by Anish Kapoor in Millennium Park), which is such an amazing ambassador for our city and the perfect representation of what public art should be.

&nbsp;

CGN: Artists you admire most.

VA:&nbsp;I have so much respect for living artists who are working hard to get their work out into the world.&nbsp; When an artist shows me their work, I try always to remember that they are showing me a piece of themselves and try to give them the full attention that it deserves.

&nbsp;

CGN: What&#39;s coming up next at the gallery?

VA:&nbsp;We will be participating in the SOFA Chicago 2017 Exhibition at Navy Pier and having a sculptural show called 3-D at the gallery&mdash;followed by a December show of The Studio in the gallery along with a mix of art and some fundraising to give back to the community at the holidays.

&nbsp;

Victor Armendariz is the Owner and Director of Gallery Victor Armendariz in Chicago. For more information about the gallery please visit: <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/gallery-victor-armendariz">Gallery Victor Armendariz.</a>

Photo credit:&nbsp;Carolyn Variano

An Interview with a Dealer: Victor Armendariz

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer or arts professional&nbsp;to discuss the ins and outs of running an art program today. 

This week we caught up with Alison Gass, Director of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago.

&nbsp;

Age: 41

Current Position: Dana Feitler Director, Smart Museum at the University of Chicago

Hometown: Boston

Previous Occupation: Curator of Contemporary Art

&nbsp;

Favorites from this week:

Restaurant: Mott St

Shop: Farfetch.com

Read: Alan Alda &ndash; I&rsquo;ve been reading UChicago Professor Darby English&rsquo;s newish book 1971: A Year in the Life of Color

Neighborhood: My husband and I are buying a major architectural renovation project in Printer&rsquo;s Row and we&rsquo;re very excited to move in there&hellip;hopefully a year from now!

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News: Tell us about your art background and how you started with the Smart Museum of Art.

Alison Gass:&nbsp;I have been a curator of Contemporary art since 2005, working with many artists at several institutions. I became really hooked on university museums, and over the last few years I have taken on more administrative/leadership roles, leaving pure curatorial practice somewhat behind.

I was thrilled at the prospect of becoming the director of a great university museum in the city of Chicago. The University of Chicago has demonstrated such unparalleled commitment to the arts, and the City is seen globally as a thriving artistic hub. This felt like an incredibly exciting opportunity to help take the Smart into the next phase of its life and ensure it is an impactful, relevant and welcoming museum within the constellation of great museums in this city.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;How do you sum up the museum&rsquo;s mission in one sentence?

AG: The Smart Museum is a place for everyone to examine the world through the lens of art objects and artistic practice from all geographic regions and across all temporal moments.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share a typical day in the life.

AG:&nbsp; My typical day is an exercise in work/life balance! My family -- husband Alec Hathaway and our two kids, Millie (8) and Gus (6) -- moved to Chicago this summer. We are still figuring out our new routines. Usually there is a crush of a morning routine getting everyone out of the house, so I feel like I&rsquo;ve had a whole day before even getting to my office around 8:30am.

At the museum, I am working with an incredibly energetic staff to examine everything from how visitors are welcomed into the lobby of the Smart to how we install our museum collection and what kinds of exhibitions we want to put on the calendar in the coming years. We are really thinking about how to create a balance in the exhibitions program so that we are reflecting the interests and identities of the diverse publics who visit the Smart, from both the University community and the broader communities in Chicago. We consider the balance of historic vs. contemporary projects, with projects that reflect the specific academic life of the students and faculty and the projects that reflect the most critical global issues present in our daily lives.

&nbsp;

CGN: What&#39;s the most&nbsp;exciting acquisition you have ever had?

AG:&nbsp;Part of my philosophy as a curator of contemporary art working in encyclopedic museums is that the best art of today often roots itself in art of the past, helping visitors to see through lines of artistic interest across time.

At Stanford University&rsquo;s Cantor Arts Center I acquired a terrific Trevor Paglen photograph series of a motion study he did of a drone landing&mdash;an homage to [Eadweard] Muybridge. The Cantor has one of the largest collections of Muybridge, and Paglen continues the examination of vision mediated by technology in his photographic practice. He also deals with issues of privacy, one of the most pressing issues facing our technologically advancing world today. For me this represents the sweetest of sweet spots in an acquisition: an artist whose work asks us to think critically about our current moment, but also helps us look backwards across the history of art.

&nbsp;

CGN: Any recent travel adventures?

AG: I had a great time trekking my kids through Germany to do the art pilgrimage from Documenta to the Munster Sculpture project this past summer, with a few stops for my architect husband to find remote buildings along the German countryside. We sweetened the deal for the kids with a stopover in London to see the Harry Potter Play&mdash;all in all, a good familial mix of cultural interests!

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;What do you want a young person to know who is considering becoming a curator or arts administrator? &nbsp;

AG: This is a passion career! I feel lucky everyday to be doing something that I think is important: sharing ideas through art. However&nbsp;jobs in curatorial practice or museum jobs in general can be few and far between,&nbsp;and I have been really lucky. I always advise people to do internships (paid!) and be willing to start in administrative roles. Stretch yourself continuously to do things &ldquo;outside of your job description&rdquo; for experience.

&nbsp;

CGN: One piece of advice you would tell your younger self when starting out?

AG:&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t worry so much about what&rsquo;s next&mdash;live in the moment!

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?

AG:&nbsp;Restaurant research!

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

AG:&nbsp;That&rsquo;s easy! Christine Mehring, Chair of the Art History department at the University of Chicago, has brought Wolf Vostell&rsquo;s Concrete Traffic to life for myself and countless others. This is a perfect example of the way art historians or curators can share their own knowledge in a way that makes your perspective shift on an object that at first glance may seem tough to understand. Everyone should come visit. It&rsquo;s parked at the edge of the Ellis Garage on the University of Chicago Campus.

CGN: Check out CGN&#39;s feature on <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2016/8/concrete-traffic-gets-moving-again">Concrete Traffic</a> from summer 2016.

&nbsp;

CGN: What are you working on next for the museum?

AG:&nbsp;I&rsquo;m working on a major reinstallation of the museum&rsquo;s permanent collection that will help us examine where we want to go with an eventual collections campaign. We are going to reinstall many of the museum&rsquo;s galleries with works from our collection, along with loans of significant art from collectors connected to the University of Chicago and Chicago in general that will allow us to tell new stories with beloved objects. We&rsquo;re thinking about how the addition of even a single work of art to a collection can offer new platforms for thinking and seeing differently.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;What&#39;s the last&nbsp;Chicago restaurant you visited?

AG:&nbsp; Promontory, in Hyde Park&mdash;it&rsquo;s my go-to when I have art world friends and colleagues from out of town come to visit the museum!

&nbsp;

Alison Gass is the Director of the&nbsp;Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago. For more information about the&nbsp;museum please visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/smart-museum-of-art">Smart Museum of Art</a>.

An interview with Smart Museum of Art Director Alison Gass

An Interview with Smart Museum Director Alison Gass

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer or administrator to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery or exhibition program. This week we caught up with curator Georgia Schwender of Fermilab Art Gallery. Though not a &#39;dealer&#39; this interview is still part of CGN&#39;s&nbsp;Interview with a Dealer series.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Age: 55

Current Position: Curator

Hometown: Shoreham, NY

Previous Occupation: Senior Photographic Specialist at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton NY

&nbsp;

Favorites from this week:

Restaurant: Farm to Table &ndash; both ours! Nothing tastes better than homegrown heirloom vegetables.

Shop: REI

Read: Alan Alda &ndash; &ldquo;If I understood what you were saying, would I have this look on my face?&rdquo;

Neighborhood: Fermilab Tallgrass Prairie

Music: Eddie Vedder &ndash; Tuolumne

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News: Tell us about your art background and how you started with Fermilab Art Gallery?&nbsp;

Georgia Schwender:&nbsp;In 1995, I was part of a three-person exhibit in the Fermilab Art Gallery, exhibiting &ldquo;Stem&rdquo; large format black and white photographs from the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland. I became part of the Art Gallery&rsquo;s committee and discovered a community of like-minded individuals. I was offered the position as curator in 2001.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;How do you sum up Fermilab Art Gallery&rsquo;s program in one sentence?

GS:&nbsp;The Art Gallery, including the annual Artist-in-Residence program, is an intersection of art and science.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share a typical &#39;day in the life.&#39;

GS:&nbsp; There are no typical days, which is one of the many reasons I enjoy my job. One day, I&rsquo;m installing an exhibit. The next day, I&rsquo;m collaborating with the Office of Communication for public outreach.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: Affiliation with Fermilab puts this gallery in a unique position, can you speak to how the partnership affects and influences programming?

GS:&nbsp;The Art Gallery is a fundamental aspect of Fermilab&rsquo;s cultural and scientific heritage. &ldquo;Art@CMS,&rdquo; &ldquo;Art of Darkness &ndash; Images from the Dark Energy Survey,&rdquo; Ellen Sandor&rsquo;s &ldquo;Neutrinos in a New Light,&rdquo; and Edward Tufte&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Cognitive Art of Feynman Diagrams&rdquo; are all exhibits and partnerships exploring experiments and discoveries in physics. Because the gallery is located in the main building of this particle physics accelerator laboratory, the collaboration between artists and scientists is unique. The artwork brings to life the discoveries within Fermilab and engages the surrounding communities.&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share some successes as well as challenges this year.

GS: Fermilab celebrated 50 years of discovery this year. 10,000 people attended the open house. The art gallery was a destination with presentations by the current Artist-in-Residence Jim Jenkins and Gallery Committee Member Anne Mary Teichert.

&nbsp;

CGN: What are some unique aspects about running a space dedicated to the visual arts while under the umbrella of a science and tech organization?

GS:&nbsp;Robert Wilson, the first director of Fermilab, was an artist and a physicist who created the space within the laboratory for art to thrive. We continue to uphold and further explore this connection between art and science. In 2014, I founded the annual Artist-in-Residence program, which enables an artist to have access to places and experiences not usually open to the public, in order to create a signature body of work that is displayed in the gallery.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;What do you want a young person to know who is considering this field?

GS:&nbsp;Follow your dreams. Do not be dismayed if you take some right or left turns along the way. You&rsquo;ll get there.

&nbsp;

CGN: What&#39;s coming up next at the Fermilab Art Gallery?

GS:&nbsp;&ldquo;Wind Flow Photography&rdquo; by Shirley Nannini and Candace Wark&rsquo;s &ldquo;Viewing Silence&rdquo; on display from October 12 - December 29. At the reception, held October 20, 2017 from 5-8 pm, artists will be demonstrating a Wind Tunnel.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?

GS:&nbsp;Understanding the ecosystems of the native Midwest prairie. This inspired my two grid pieces, that were on display at the Bridgeport Art Center during &ldquo;Curators Create&rdquo;, &ldquo;Prairie Quadrat Study I and II.&rdquo; It depicts a prairie quadrat study at Fermilab with the brown images represented as non-native plants and blue as native plants. These 25 pieces are displayed on 8x8 wooden panels and illustrate my passion for native prairies.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

GS:&nbsp; &ldquo;My Pi&rdquo; by John Adduci

&nbsp;

CGN: Artists you admire most.

GS:&nbsp;Anna Atkins, Julia Margaret Cameron, FSA Photographers, National Geographic Photographers, the list goes on and on...

&nbsp;

CGN: Last Chicago restaurant you visited.

GS:&nbsp; Antique Taco, after collecting my cyanotypes from &ldquo;Curators Create&rdquo; at the Bridgeport Art Center.

&nbsp;

CGN: What have you learned about being an artist and curator?

GS: I am both an artist and a curator. In July 2017, I was an Artist-in-Residence at Homestead National Monument in Nebraska, which gave me time to work on my cyanotypes in the Prairie Quadrat Study series. It also allowed me a time period to identify purely as an artist. Curating a gallery and creating art are uniquely different, but are symbiotic in my pursuit of the arts.

&nbsp;

Georgia Schwender is the curator of&nbsp;Fermilab Art Gallery in Batavia, Illinois. For more information about the&nbsp;gallery and Fermilab&rsquo;s mission please visit:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/fermilab-art-gallery">Fermilab Art Gallery.</a>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN's interview with Georgia Schwender of Fermilab Art Gallery

An Interview with Curator Georgia Schwender

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Betsy Nathan of <a href="https://www.pagodared.com/">Pagoda Red</a>.

&nbsp;

Gallery:&nbsp;Pagoda Red

Name: Betsy Nathan

Previous occupation: Media Monitoring in China

&nbsp;

Favorites from this week:

Restaurant: Ramen Takeya, Fulton Market

Shop: Robin Richman, Bucktown

Read: The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

Neighborhood: Lake Michigan via paddleboard

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News: Tell us about your art background. How did Pagoda Red begin?&nbsp;

Betsy Nathan:&nbsp;It&rsquo;s been 20 years and I am doing anything but what I thought I would be doing. You could say I couldn&rsquo;t help it. All roads led here. My mother, the gallerist Ann Nathan, was a voracious collector. Our house was full of naive and fine art. As a kid, I remember Roger Brown and Ed Paschke in our living room.

I studied Mandarin in Beijing for a couple of years in my twenties&mdash;this is where I first fell in love with Chinese furniture. From there I amassed a collection of furniture, paintings and objects from Asia and beyond. Pagoda Red was the natural extension. I love the soul and authenticity of what I do. It&rsquo;s been a fantastic journey bringing the spirit and cultures of the artists together.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Please describe your gallery&rsquo;s program in one sentence.

BN:&nbsp;We preserve and promote extraordinary and meaningful objects. Comfortable yet refined, inviting and unpretentious, personal and meaningful&mdash;ours are the everyday from the past and far away reflected amidst the contemporary. We are excited by the way rough and smooth, old and new come together to make places and moments rich and deep.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share a typical day in the life

BN:&nbsp;I enjoy the quiet morning. I usually wake up an hour before my husband and four boys. It gives me time to do some writing, yoga, or walk near the lake with our dog. After I get the boys settled at school I then head to the gallery.&nbsp; Sometimes, I stop by the warehouse to discuss restoration with our conservator. The gallery is nestled in a garden. Often times I organize my meetings with artists, writers, event planners and collectors outside amidst our collection of 18th c. garden stones. It&rsquo;s a great place to plan as we watch the microcosm in action&mdash;this summer it was a brood of baby skunks on the berm, robins eggs in one of the cherry trees, birds bathing in the meditation stones and city cats taking note of it all.

Before homework with my boys gets started in the evening, we like to cook vegetables from our garden at home&hellip; they are into lacrosse, chess, theatre and history. I sleep well every night.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: Best sale you ever had?

BN:&nbsp;Not sure if it was the best, but it was thrilling to see one of our monumental scholars&#39; stones placed as a focal point in the landscape of a major collector&rsquo;s property. This was a southern&nbsp;gentleman. I remember him asking me to keep my eye out for just the right stone for him. When I found the three-ton sculpture, I began to get a bit nervous about how to install&mdash;he&nbsp;didn&#39;t hesitate...&quot;I&#39;ll be there tomorrow to pick it up.&rdquo;&nbsp; And sure enough, his very own crane arrived to pick it up the following day.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share some successes as well as challenges this year.

BN: Our foray online has been a huge step forward. It has been a great opportunity to connect with distant audiences. Learning how to deliver with the same touch (as we have locally) to distant islands in the pacific is another thing.&nbsp; We are learning one day at a time.

&nbsp;

CGN: What are some unique aspects about running an art and antiques business in general as well as in Chicago?

BN:&nbsp;There is never a dull moment. We know our clients well.&nbsp; An antique is like a work of art.&nbsp; It only gets better with time.&nbsp; As my mother always says, &ldquo;With art you are speaking to the soul. No one needs a work of art. &nbsp;It must move them, anger them, excite them or thrill them. Otherwise, forget it.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;What do you want to tell a young person considering this business?

BN:&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t think about it too hard. This is not a rational business. Take it one day at a time and surround yourself with colleagues that you love to work with. In the end it feels better to laugh and cry with people you respect and appreciate.

&nbsp;

CGN: One piece of advice you would send back to yourself when you started out?

BN:&nbsp;Simplify.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?

BN:&nbsp;Exploring outside. Mostly hiking, paddling and pedaling with my boys.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

BN:&nbsp;The Dubuffet outside of the State of Illinois Center (James R. Thompson Center.)

&nbsp;

CGN: Artists you admire most.

BN:&nbsp;Today, I am thinking about the unnamed masters who created African dance masks in the early 20th century. They did what they loved. It poured out of their spirit. No training, and yet, beautiful forms. There was nothing to prove in the world that we know but, rather, creation that called out to another world. It&rsquo;s no wonder they were a primary inspiration behind the prolific expressionists and cubists recognized today.

&nbsp;

CGN: What&rsquo;s coming up next at the gallery?

BN:&nbsp;The debut of the African collection that my mother, Ann Nathan, collected for the past 25 years in the backroom of her gallery. The primitive forms juxtaposed with the fine lines of Chinese furniture and contemporary art pushes the mix I truly love.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Betsy Nathan is the owner of&nbsp;Pagoda Red&nbsp;located in Winnetka and Chicago. For more information about her&nbsp;gallery visit:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/pagoda-red-winnetka">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/pagoda-red-winnetka">Pagoda Red</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2017/10/an-interview-with-a-dealer-betsy-nathan">.</a>

&nbsp;

An Interview with a Dealer: Betsy Nathan

Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Ken Saunders of <a href="http://Andrew Bae is the owner of Andrew Bae Gallery located in River North in Chicago. For more information about his gallery visit: Andrew Bae Gallery.">Ken Saunders Gallery</a>.

Gallery:&nbsp;Ken Saunders Gallery

Name: Ken Saunders

Hometown: Washington DC

&nbsp;

Favorites from the week:

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Restaurant: Frontera Grill

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Read: David Sedaris, Theft by Finding

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Visit: Top of the Gross Point Lighthouse

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Listen: Chicano Batman

&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News:&nbsp;Tell us about your background and how you started Ken Saunders Gallery?&nbsp;

Ken Saunders:&nbsp;I started working for Marianne Deson in 1985 and took over the gallery in 1989. In 1994 I was invited to join Bonnie Marx to create Marx-Saunders Gallery, specializing in Studio Glass.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Please describe your gallery&rsquo;s program in one sentence.

KS:&nbsp;We exhibit the most talented and innovative artists working with glass in the world.

&nbsp;

CGN: How do you spend a typical morning?

KS:&nbsp;Almost every day starts with a walk on the beach with my wife and our dogs.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Best sale you ever had?

KS:&nbsp;The first one. Out of a show curated at Smart Bar/Metro I sold a very large painting to a young couple for $1,600.

&nbsp;

CGN:&nbsp;Share with us a highlight of the summer.

KS:&nbsp;I was very pleased by turnout for the Mid-Summer Art Walk. It was a pleasure to get the galleries to work together to mount a special event.

&nbsp;

CGN: Yours is a gallery focused on the Studio Glass Movement. What are some unique aspects about running the business in general?

KS:&nbsp;Handling glass sculpture is physically demanding. Much of the work is very heavy, large and of course extremely fragile. The artists that I represent are willfully decorative which makes the work quite accessible.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the gallery world?

KS:&nbsp;My best friend and I have a production company called We Got Next with an office in New York City. Our first film One Wall: Kings of Coney Island is available on I-Tunes and Amazon.

&nbsp;

CGN: Favorite work of public art in Chicago?

KS:&nbsp;William Carlson, Delicato Balancia on Clark Street at Armitage in Lincoln Park.

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CGN: Artists you admire most.

KS:&nbsp;Brancusi, Giacometti and T.S. Eliot

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CGN: What&#39;s coming up next at Ken Saunders Gallery?

KS:&nbsp;Opening the weekend of SOFA Chicago we&rsquo;ll have collaborative works from two of America&rsquo;s most gifted glass blowers- John Kiley and Dante Marioni. It is going to be a bit of a blockbuster.

&nbsp;

CGN: Last Chicago restaurant you visited.

KS:&nbsp;Mon Ami Gabi

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ken Saunders is the owner of Ken Saunders Gallery located in River North in Chicago. For more information about his&nbsp;gallery visit:<a href="http://www.kensaundersgallery.com/"> Ken Saunders&nbsp;Gallery</a>.

An Interview with a Dealer: Ken Saunders

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418587/h31gtneupgnhhci8mhjg.jpg"></figure>Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago.This week we caught up with Andrew Bae of <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/andrew-bae-gallery">Andrew Bae Gallery</a>.&nbsp;Gallery:&nbsp;Andrew Bae GalleryName: Andrew BaePrevious occupation: Research chemist&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News:&nbsp;How did you become an art dealer?&nbsp;Andrew Bae:&nbsp;I came to America when I was 23 years old from Korea with a Bachelor’s degree in science. I worked as an analytical research chemist at Kellogg's company for seven years. I yearned to travel the world to see beautiful things I have always admired. I left my job as a scientist and became an importer of many beautiful things from around the world. I engaged in furniture making for a while, fascinated by its aesthetic and function. &nbsp;Some years later I found myself as an art dealer. Today, I still believe that nature and art are the ultimate beauty of all existing things.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN:&nbsp;Please describe your gallery’s program in one sentence.AB:&nbsp;This gallery introduces a very small group of select artists from Korea and Japan to the mainstream art scenes in America for long-term bases.&nbsp;CGN:&nbsp;What's the first thing you do each morning when you get to the gallery?&nbsp;AB:&nbsp;Enjoy my walk to the gallery more than two decades and think about communication with all parties according to our priorities.&nbsp;CGN: Thumbs up or down on art fairs?AB:&nbsp;Thumbs down. Those are fun places for consumers of art but not good for the artists and collectors for its long-term effects.&nbsp;CGN:&nbsp;Who are artists you admire but don't represent?AB:&nbsp;Anselm Kiefer, Peter Doig, Shoichi Ida, Michal Rovner, Ai Wei Wei and Do Ho Suh, to name a few.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN:&nbsp;What is the best sale you ever had?AB:&nbsp;A sale to a young couple from Moscow, who had previously failed to find their art collections from Miami art fairs. They chose five of the eight artists in my gallery for their two homes in Moscow. They knew exactly which works would go where in their home.&nbsp;Also, to an elderly artist from California who wanted to buy a small painting for $900. She paid installments of $100 each month. After five payments, I sent her the painting with a letter 'paid in full'.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What advice would you share with new or young collectors?AB:&nbsp;Trust your own instincts. You don't need to ask around for other opinions. It’s like finding a good friend. You are the best person who knows what is best for yourself. It is an exhilarating experience to discover something you love and never knew before. It comes only with some courage.&nbsp;CGN: Which artist that you represent or work of art you have recently acquired are you most excited about? Why?AB:&nbsp;Jungjin Lee is the photographer I discovered 15 years ago. &nbsp;I never thought about having a photographer in my gallery until I saw the works in her Seoul studio. I was absolutely thrilled and convinced she was the perfect artist for ABG.&nbsp;She has since been selected as an artist of the year in 2017 by Paris Photo.&nbsp;She is one of our most recent partners to the gallery.&nbsp;CGN: What major successes have you had this year? What about challenges?AB:&nbsp;I have encountered several new collectors this year. A young man from San Francisco known to this gallery for several years acquired a major work for the first time. He took time to learn about the artist and I took time to answer all he wanted to know. I hand delivered the work for him and he is exuberant of his new collection.&nbsp;Instantaneous gratitude becoming fashionable in the art world. This is the most challenging trend for our current and future program.&nbsp;CGN: How do you view working as an art dealer in Chicago?AB:&nbsp;Chicago is one of the metropolitan cities that draws people from all over the world with interest in art and culture. In this regard, Chicago is a favorable city to be engaged in as an art dealer. Although, it is definitely a challenging time of change for all art galleries.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What is your favorite interest outside of the art world?AB:&nbsp;I have broad interest in environmental issues and social science. (I hope the city of Chicago engages more effectively in environmental protection policy-- especially the recycling program.)&nbsp;I also enjoy&nbsp;listening to classical music and new Jazz from Korea.&nbsp;CGN: What is your favorite work of public art in Chicago?AB:&nbsp;SoundCloud&nbsp;by Harry Bertoia and&nbsp;Agora&nbsp;by Magdalena Abakanowicz.&nbsp;Andrew Bae is the owner of&nbsp;Andrew Bae Gallery&nbsp;located in River North in Chicago. For more information about his&nbsp;gallery visit: <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/andrew-bae-gallery">Andrew Bae Gallery.</a>&nbsp;*Editor's Note: This interview&nbsp;has been updated from its original posting on September 29, 2017</body></html>

An Interview with a Dealer: Andrew Bae

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418586/r1xthx09upko1lrdbllv.jpg"></figure>Each week, CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago.This week we caught up with Tom McCormick of McCormick Gallery.Gallery:&nbsp;McCormick Gallery &nbsp; Name:&nbsp;Tom McCormick Age:&nbsp;68 Previous occupation(s):&nbsp;Drummer, Drifter, Antiques picker, Carpenter/Plumber/Electrician, Oriental rug guy Hometown:&nbsp;Kansas City, Missouri&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News: Please describe your gallery’s program in one sentence.Tom McCormick:&nbsp;Terrific artworks offered by nice people.&nbsp;CGN: How did you become an art dealer?&nbsp;TM: First and foremost I was a collector, with a budget of about $10. In 1971 with a new BFA I got a job with John Wilson (of Chicago Art Fair fame) as an itinerate print peddler. I traveled the eastern two-thirds of the country selling original prints in one-day shows on college campuses while living at the Holiday Inn. I lasted two years before going back to school for my MFA. Back in school I started selling off the prints and antiques I had collected while employed. After graduate school I roamed the country buying and selling antiques, folk art and textiles, often lugging 300 pound wardrobes out of barn lofts for a $50 profit. (That’s a much younger me above, in my trusty Ford pickup out on the antiques trail.) One day in 1978 I bought an old painting for $75 and sold it immediately with a phone call for $800. The next day I was an art dealer.&nbsp;CGN: What's the first thing you do each morning when you get to the gallery?&nbsp;TM: We start planning lunch.&nbsp;CGN: Thumbs up or down on art fairs?TM: I’ve done art (and antique) fairs since the late 1980s. They used to be fun and profitable. Now there are too many, they are too expensive, and not much fun to do.The big exception is EXPO CHICAGO… Tony Karman has really done a great job with our hometown art fair.&nbsp;CGN: Who are artists you admire but don't represent? &nbsp;TM: Francisco Goya, Odilon Redon, Richard Diebenkorn and Willem de Kooning.&nbsp;CGN: What is the best sale you ever had?TM: In September of 1971, on my very first outing as a print dealer at Ball State University I sold an Albrecht Dürer engraving to a student for $4,200. I was stunned. I didn’t actually believe anyone had that kind of money, much less spent it. I thought this art selling gig was going to be a breeze… needless to say I didn’t sell another expensive print for months!&nbsp;CGN: What advice would you share with new or young collectors?TM: Don’t pay any attention to your friends, or the “experts.” Listen to your stomach and look for something you can afford that really reaches out and grabs you by the throat. Find a dealer who is more interested in you being happy than in selling you something.&nbsp;CGN: Which artist that you represent or work of art you have recently acquired are you most excited about? Why? &nbsp;TM: I just bought a&nbsp;Classic Mexican Saltillo Sarape, c.1825, for my personal collection. I’ve been a textile junkie for nearly 50 years and a Saltillo collector since 1978. These works of art are incredibly rare and very expensive, and I have been waiting a very long time to find one I could afford. It is pinned to the wall of my office and I just can’t stop eating it up with my eyes. This, of course, has nothing to do with the gallery business, but I appreciate the open-ended nature of your question.&nbsp;CGN: What major successes have you had this year? What about challenges?TM: This has been an unexpectedly good year for the gallery. Our summer show of work from the estate of Perle Fine has sold extremely well. I have been slowly changing the focus of the gallery away from the vintage, estate works of mid-century painters over to more emphasis on our terrific group of contemporary artists. This is a bit of a challenge but one I’m excited about.&nbsp;CGN: How do you view working as an art dealer in Chicago? &nbsp;TM: Let’s face it, the traditional (old school) gallery scene in Chicago is a skeleton of what it was 20 years ago. Maintaining a retail presence in Chicago is expensive. We are blessed with certain advantages but still must rely on Internet traffic, out of town clients and the art fairs in order to remain profitable.&nbsp;CGN: What is your favorite interest outside of the art world?TM: We have a wonderful place in Sawyer, Michigan where we have been working on a native prairie project.&nbsp;CGN: What is your favorite work of public art in Chicago?TM: I don’t know who the artist is, but I love this crazy sculpture&nbsp;on South Lakeshore Drive at about 48th Street in Hyde Park. It is a very tall, skinny figure in some shiny silver material, who is staring up at the sky. Very whimsical but thoughtful.&nbsp;&nbsp;[Turns out it's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.luhringaugustine.com/news/tom-friedman-s-looking-up-to-be-installed-on-chicago-s-lakefront">Tom Friedman’s&nbsp;Looking Up</a>]&nbsp;CGN: What are your 5 favorite art spaces to visit?TM:1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Naoshima in the Seto Islands of Japan2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; MassMOCA, North Adams, Massachussetts3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Smart Museum at the University of Chicago4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Musée&nbsp;des Beaux-Arts, Montreal, Quebec, Canada&nbsp;&nbsp;Tom McCormick is the owner of McCormick Gallery,&nbsp;located at 835 W. Washington Blvd. in the&nbsp;West Loop. For more information about his gallery visit:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/mccormick-gallery">McCormick Gallery</a>.&nbsp;Image: Tom McCormick c. 1978 in New Mexico&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN interview with Chicago art dealer Tom McCormick

An Interview with a Dealer: Tom McCormick

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418573/cz0zovj3fk1nvh2vyhaz.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAA year ago this past summer, Michelle T. Boone left a high-profile position as head of the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and took on a newly created role at Navy Pier as Chief Program and Civic Engagement Officer, with the goal of getting everyday Chicagoans to come to the Pier for its cultural offerings, not its food court. Classified as a nonprofit as of 2011, Navy Pier, now referred to as Chicago’s Mission Driven Cultural District, is host to contemporary art installations and a range of public programming set against the backdrop of Lake Michigan. CGN spoke with Boone about the importance of public space and how the city is supporting artists in ways no other city can.&nbsp;CGN: What were your expectations when you began your work with Navy Pier?Michelle T. Boone: For me, the best part was that I didn’t have any expectations, because it was a totally new position. To walk into a place that is so iconic, with a long Chicago history, and be charged with redefining how people think about Navy Pier in the 21st century, was really exciting. In particular I was thrilled to have the opportunity to lay the foundation for what art and cultural programming at the Pier would be. Other people may have had expectations of me, but I walked in the door with the vessel totally empty, ready to fill it with ideas and inspired by the opportunity.CGN: In 2016 Navy Pier marked its 100th anniversary. Its more recent reputation among locals has been as a place to go only if you have to, or with out-of-towners.MB: Personally, I was absolutely one of those people. I did not see it as an option for cultural programming, or even for entertainment. The times that I did come to the Pier were for very deliberate purposes – for EXPO CHICAGO or SOFA, for Shakespeare Theater. These were one-offs. I even surprised myself in accepting this position because of that, but that was a major attraction to the job. If I could be a part of helping to change those perceptions because of the new ideas and the new programming here, then that was going to be the real test, starting with myself first.CGN: It sounds like your primary challenge is to offer programming that makes everyone – locals as well as tourists – want to come back again and again, and to enjoy high-quality programming put on by the Pier.MB: Navy Pier is misperceived as a tourist trap, but close to 70 percent of the people who come here are actually Chicagoans. We have to do a better job telling that story. What’s the reason for Chicagoans to come? How many times can you ride the Ferris wheel? The philosophy for me in developing artistic programming is leveraging collaborations and partnerships with Chicago artists and cultural organizations, because they bring the reputation and the quality work; hopefully they bring the audience, too. It’s a great vehicle to introduce those audiences to the new Navy Pier, and it’s an excellent way for us to enhance the visitor experience for the guests here. They may not have come to Navy Pier for a cultural program, but how great to be surprised by some really moving experience that you didn’t think was going to be here?CGN: The Pier itself, with its spectacular backdrop, has the potential to be the ultimate public space.MB: It’s an oasis in the city. It’s the happiest place in town. Everybody’s in a good mood because they’re here with their family, they’re here on vacation, or they love showing it off to visitors or guests. For hardcore urban dwellers that are surrounded by concrete, buildings and limited green space, to be reconnected to the water is a tremendous asset that is also part of reminding Chicagoans the value of the Pier. You can’t find a bad view out here.CGN: People living in the city don’t have much space of their own.MB: Right. These public spaces become that much more important. We don’t have the city squares of Europe. What we do have are public spaces that are populated all over the city. I think people are paying more attention to and investing more resources into reclaiming abandoned space as public space for programming, for gathering or for just plain respite.CGN: I think that what you’ve just said provides insight into the year of public art and the valuable opportunities public space offers working artists.MB: Not every artist will have their work in a museum, and not every singer can be on stage at the Lyric Opera. That’s another great thing about public space – the potential to create more circumstances, for emerging artists especially, to showcase their work and to find new ways to be employed and to showcase work locally. It can help sustain the ecosystem of artists living in the city of Chicago and keep it vibrant.CGN: These public opportunities allow artists a great deal of freedom to do what they want to do, while removing some of the financial pressure.MB: Because it’s free public programming at the Pier, we’ve got this huge platform for artists to think about us almost as a test kitchen for trying out new ideas and collaborations, risk free. I think, overall, you can try ambitious, creative ideas in Chicago, and if something fails it’s not going to kill your career in a way that it might in New York City. In Chicago if a bold idea doesn’t work, the community is supportive enough to allow you the space to come back with something new. You can learn from it, you improve it, you find new ways to do things, and you come back even stronger. For an artist, the more critical risks of, ‘Oh my God, are we going to sell tickets?’ are removed here.CGN: This fall the Pier is hosting a packed lineup of arts programming. Can you talk about the thought behind bringing high-caliber contemporary art to this space regularly?MB: I think one of the motivating forces in inviting, for example, Nick Cave and Jeanne Gang to be at the Pier in September, was to have the Pier itself be a site as well as a participant, and to enhance what happens during the week of EXPO CHICAGO. Nick will continue to curate at least three other performances, and he’s going to work with a local performance curator to invite community based art groups to perform here at Navy Pier. Up until the middle of November or so, community performance companies have an opportunity to interact with the Jeanne Gang designed objects as well. It will carry beyond just these two sort-of signature performances that happen in September, but that will serve as inspiration for what will also happen in the fall. There will be at least three more performances. As part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial programming, the Jeanne Gang-designed objects used in Nick Cave’s performances will remain on site as visual art sculpture installations when not used for the performances.We’re working to have another two or three public conversations with thought leaders around the Architecture Biennial. Lee Bey is also doing a photography exhibition, called Lakeshore Vibe: The Architecture of Streeterville, at the Pier that will debut as a part of the Biennial.CGN: How do you think a place like Navy Pier can make Chicago standout from other cities?MB: I think in general Chicago is becoming a city that is really a model for demonstrating the value of public space. The City of Chicago is showing many ways of animating and activating our public space in a way that invites residents to reconnect to one another, to art and to nature.The history and the legacy that we have with our park system, the vision of keeping the lakefront free and clear, the transformation that you see happening with the River Walk, the addition of the 606 – I think there’s a movement happening where people are really valuing what public space is and how it can improve the quality of life.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2235/original/roger.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;Photo of Michelle T. Boone, Heidi Zeiger Photography / Navy Pier.SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave</body></html>

CGN interviews Michelle T. Boone, Chief Program and Civic Engagement Officer, of Navy Pier. 

Navy Pier Hosts Art for All: The Ultimate Public Space Welcomes Artists

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418573/so7pjr59dggzahripbh8.gif"><figcaption>The Stenns’ home features a variety of works by blue chip artists, such as Fred Sandback, Larry Bell, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt, and Alexander Calder.</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAThree years ago Irving Stenn Jr. significantly changed the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of Minimalist art and works on paper by gifting 105 drawings to the museum. Growing up, Stenn would have never imagined that he would come to love art and pursue and acquire such a significant collection in his lifetime. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, with parents who were products of the Depression, he says he didn’t visit many museums as a child, outside of a few school trips. Today, at age 86, he is a Trustee Emeritus of the Art Institute.Stenn lives in a recently renovated, 13th floor Streeterville condo with his wife Judi. Seated in a brown leather Le Corbusier chair, with a view of the park that is just east of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Stenn reflects, “I was so fortunate to have attended the University of Michigan and live with a group of young men who were very interested in the arts.” It was because of these friends that he was inspired to take art survey courses while he was a student, and when he returned to Chicago as a young lawyer, he made time to attend the symphony, art exhibitions and to visit museums.Soon he married Marcia Sachs, with whom he had three children. Together they bought a Victorian rooming house in Lincoln Park that the city claimed was uninhabitable, due to prior flood damage. Referencing old photographs of what the building looked like originally, the couple undertook an extensive renovation with their friend, architect, Harry Weese.&nbsp;Stenn describes the process, “It was a crazy thing to do with three little kids running around at the time, but it was also really an exciting thing to see the house come together.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2247/original/img-2559.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>A narrow hallway is lined with dozens of framed drawings by artists such as Fred Sandback, Martin Puryear, Kazimir Malevich and Yves Klein. At the end of the hall is Roy Lichtenstein's Lighting bolt banner, 1966, Serigraphy on felt, 100 2/5 × 46 in, Edition of 20</figcaption></figure>When everything was complete, the couple was living in a home filled with white walls. The architect suggested to them that the house was a perfect place to display art.&nbsp;On a trip to San Francisco, they visited Gumps Department Store, a well-known store in the city, which had an art department. One vivid, geometric print caught the couples’ eye. Stenn recalls, “The artist’s name was not familiar to us at the time. My wife liked the color and design, so we sent it home.” The piece was titled River of Ponds and the artist was Frank Stella. It was the first work of art they purchased together, and it is still in Stenn’s collection. Over time that Stella print has proven to be seminal in the focus of his collection.Back in Chicago, the couple continued collecting prints by artists of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s with the help of dealer William van Straaten. They continued their quest by beginning relationships with Donald Young, Rhona Hoffman, Richard Gray and many other gallerists, relying on them for guidance.&nbsp;Stenn says, “Under the thoughtful tutelage of Donald and Rhona – and as our confidence, eye and pocketbook grew – we began to acquire paintings, and sculpture as well.” They sought out artists such as Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Josef Albers and Sol Lewitt.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418575/jap1q5njrzwmrytvfrr5.gif"><figcaption>Stenn's bar features a reinstalled wall design by Sol Lewitt&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Over time Stenn says that through their collecting they met many interesting people, gaining insight into what contemporary art was about. They became an active part of the art community, and eventually Stenn was asked to be a Trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art. He spent time studying exhibitions and engaging with other supporters of the museum. He explains, “In my law practice I was introduced to Gerry Elliott, a premier Chicago collector who put together collections of several periods of art during his lifetime, a number of which were gifted to the Museum of Contemporary Art and to the Art Institute in Chicago. The three of us would often meet at our house, where we discussed art and artists, and it was through Gerry that we gained in-depth familiarity with the artists whom we began to collect, such as Donald Judd, Barnett Newman, Brice Marden and Robert Ryman.”While Stenn’s engagement with art increased, he still viewed himself as just an art enthusiast. He and Marcia were occupied raising their children, and he was busier than ever working as a lawyer. He remembers clearly, “One day, I don’t know how many years went by, someone called and asked to visit to see our collection of contemporary art&nbsp; That was the first time I’d ever heard anyone say, ‘You have a collection’. I’d never thought of it that way.”Marcia passed away in 1999. About a year later, in early in 2000, Mark Pascale, The Janet and Craig Duchossois Curator of Prints &amp; Drawings at the Art Institute, called and introduced himself. He proposed a visit to an exhibit of contemporary drawings from the Collection of Werner Kramarsky, an internationally respected contemporary drawings collector, that was to be shown at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art on the Northwestern Campus.&nbsp;“I was fascinated with the material," Stenn says, "because the intimate nature of the drawings and works on paper gave me insight into the process of this art. I was hooked!”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418576/ykb2c3p8uiixdlesxzda.gif"></figure>Stenn and Pascale continued to talk regularly, and Stenn found himself with a new mentor in a new genre in the period he so loved. They traveled together in search of drawings by Ellsworth Kelly, Mel Bochner, Josef Albers, Agnes Martin, Fred Sandback, Jasper Johns, James Turrell, and so on. The collection that resulted was exhibited at the Art Institute in 2014, and the museum acknowledges that the bequest was one of the most significant bodies of works on paper given to the museum. It has meaningfully enlarged the Department of Prints and Drawings’ collection.During these years of collecting, Stenn became a Trustee of the Art Institute. In addition he stepped up his commitment to the University of Michigan Museum of Art by naming a gallery in the contemporary wing in 2007. He is also a member of the school’s National Leadership Council.Five years ago, Stenn’s wife Judi came into his life. As a designer, she worked with the architects to accommodate as much of the art as possible, placing works that once filled his large Lincoln Park home in a fresh new space in their downtown apartment. Here, art is everywhere, behind the bar, as well as on the sitting room floor. The installations show each piece’s individual attributes as well as the interesting ways they speak to one another.&nbsp;A small-scale, cubed Sol LeWitt sculpture has been placed atop a glass coffee near a vibrant Ellsworth Kelly painting, not far from a small bar, where a large LeWitt wall drawing has been installed for the second time, since it was formerly in his Lincoln Park home.&nbsp;A narrow hallway –– lined with dozens of framed drawings by artists such as Fred Sandback, Martin Puryear, Kazimir Malevich, and Yves Klein –– leads to a floor-to-ceiling, dark blue Roy Lichtenstein felt banner entitled Lightning Bolt.&nbsp;An Alexander Calder mobile floats near a steel-tiled Carl Andre floor installation. Says Stenn, “We love living with as much of the collection as possible.”For Stenn, “The collecting of art has not only been an education, it has broadened my life in so many ways. I’ve met and become friends with wonderful people in Chicago and around the globe. There have been many gallerists and curators who have been instrumental in building the collection over the years –– too many to mention –– and I am eternally grateful. Art has expanded my world. While there have been some bumps along the way, it’s been a good life. I’m a lucky guy!” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2232/original/stennsidebar.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Chicago Gallery News interviews local art collector Irving Stenn Jr. 

Collector Irving Stenn Jr.: A Lifetime of Relationships Through Art

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418273/icm2dzxn65wdad7cb5ax.jpg"></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEA&nbsp;On a summer morning, when the sky over Millennium Park is nearly black with storms, I notice several small, strange creatures perched among the high walls of Mark Kelly’s 3rd floor office in the Chicago Cultural Center. After Kelly introduces himself, he tells me that when he accepted the position of Commissioner of the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in 2016, he first looked to&nbsp; the Visual Arts team for help hanging past public art proposals and exhibition posters salon-style around his office, since it needed, of all things, some art on the walls. Realizing I was still checking out the winged, dragon-like figures suspended in flight in the conference room, he tells me that they are actually part of his personal collection and were created by the Linares family (Mexico) and Erin Cramer (Chicago). They serve as the inspiration for the Wabash Avenue Flying Creatures project, which will soon feature many more of them, created by local teens, around the Loop. Kelly, it seems to me, is a man who can dig up forgotten treasure and summon exotic beasts, especially if he happens to be in the right place at the right time. For a moment I wonder if I am talking to a City administrator or a wizard.Kelly’s frenetic creativity is driving his overhaul of all things cultural in the City of Chicago. He came to the job almost by accident, after decades embedded in a more or less deliberate and predictable academic life at Columbia College. He says he has never felt more untethered in his professional life, but that presiding over DCASE has given him surprising professional freedom, in a government position no less, to easily change the direction of a given project and to be nimble in the pursuit of creativity on behalf of the City and its citizens. One year into this unexpected job, he is embracing a host of initiatives , all in pursuit of giving art and culture to the public.CGN: You’ve been [Commissioner of DCASE] for one year. How have things changed for you from your time at Columbia working with students and academics?&nbsp;Mark Kelly: The world of academia and committees is a very laborious process. Here, of course, I have to live within a budget...It’s incredibly tight, and [with] some of the rules of engagement in the City you would say it’s hard to be nimble, but I feel like we, the DCASE staff, working with our partners, can think and do pretty freely. It’s actually a lot of fun.CGN: Much of your past work has focused on youth and education. How has that influenced the directions you’ve taken at the City so far?MK: I didn’t know it, but my time at Columbia was 32 years of preparation for this job. I became very knowledgeable and connected to the creative and cultural life of the city. And I’ve always been interested in, intrigued by and determined to create creative and cultural environments that inspire and demand one’s attention. If anything, this job now is just an extension of that idea, but with a canvas, if you will, that is huge.CGN: You were working from the inside out before, and now you have to work from the outside in and take all those things and expand them for a wider audience.MK: Well, the scale is different, but the thinking and the possibilities are quite similar. So, here I was, the architect for the Wabash Arts Corridor, and then I come into the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. They’ve declared it’s the Year of Public Art, and it’s fair to say that when I entered, they were still figuring out plans for all the elements of the year. I’m a practitioner, not just an administrator, so it was like a gift to bring a little more focus and energy to the concept, and then to quickly start to try to energize a city; it was a fascinating beginning for me.CGN: A lot has already taken place in the first half of 2017 for the Year of Public Art, but the second half sounds even more engaging.MK: Several major cultural, public art and art initiatives are all coming together. There’s EXPO at Navy Pier, the Nick Cave Jeanne Gang mash up, if you will, at the Pier as well, and then of course the second edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial opens at the same time. I’m very impressed with our curators and that we get to host an international event like this. Finally, we can’t share details yet, but by early fall we will announce a stunning new permanent public art piece in the Loop by a renowned Chicago artist.CGN: What else is coming up?MK: We launch our public art festival in October, as well as a public art symposium October 26-27, and our Flying Creatures will take over Wabash under the El. At the same time we’ll be celebrating the majority of Mayor Emanuel’s 50 x 50 neighborhood arts projects that will have been completed – we are literally putting new public art in every ward of the city by artists who are respected and esteemed. On top of all of that, we’re going to be releasing an ambitious and focused public arts plan. Hopefully we are setting our compass going forward so that public art is not celebrated for just a year. We hope we’ve grabbed everyone’s attention and laid the path to ensure that public art, which is always changing, becomes a defining characteristic of the city.CGN: What do you think is significant about public art continuing to evolve and change and be created for a city?MK: I want to reverse that question. The idea that the art should be anywhere but with the public, to me, is crazy. So much of our thinking about art takes us to the wall, or the screen, or the stage. It’s relegated to static places. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that art, that creative impulses may be one of the definitions of what distinguishes us as a species. It needs to be present in our lives, all the time and everywhere. So public art becoming a defining characteristic means it’s no longer relegated to somewhere over there, it’s centered. Does it save us? Does it necessarily make us a safer city? No. But it’s just fundamental. It brings things to light, and it brings surprises in our daily lives. The most powerful example of it is Millennium Park. None of us ever imagined the power of that space and the interactive public art at the highest level. I mean look at [Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate] “The Bean” – the public is not saying ‘Oh look at this great public art piece,’ they’re pulled into the vortex of the images; it’s a funhouse mirror as well as a selfie zone that always changes. I love the [Jaume Plensa] Crown Fountain in that it was intended to be a place of contemplation. The artist saw it as a place for serene moments of private reflection. And then the kids grabbed it, and it’s the coolest, most energizing, fun space. Even the Picasso – once they removed the barriers it became a slide for kids. So this is a long-winded answer, but art needs to be public. Art is now defined as part of what makes a city great. The artistry and the design around us, that built environment takes us somewhere.CGN: It seems that it’s not just putting art in the public space, it’s really turning it over to the public.MK: Well, that’s the other part of this. The definition of what we consider to be public art has so radically changed from the carefully placed monuments of the past. All of those still have their place, and should continue, but now the graffiti artist and the street artists grow a movement. They raise the question, ‘Why should walls have art on them?’ and ‘Who said the barren landscape couldn’t be remade?’ Now many people love the power of street art. Ten years ago, 15, 20 years ago it was the scourge of this city and all cities. The “urban wasteland” actually just inspired artists, and then they were schooled on the street, and they taught us something.CGN: What was the inspiration for the year of public art in Chicago?MK: The idea came from Mayor Emanuel, who announced it along with Yoko Ono’s Skylanding sculpture in 2015. 2017 is also the 50th anniversary of the Picasso, as well as the Wall of Respect mural, so he said ‘This is going to be the year of public art’, and then it was sort of out there. How fortuitous that’s when I just happened to arrive here. I’m a little insane and wrongheaded, and we committed to this idea and ran hard with it. It’s the power of a phrase or a unifying principle.CGN: How do you continue the unity that has come out of the Year of Public Art?MK: Next year is going to be the Year of Creative Youth, because we are rallying all of our organizations that can engage young people in creative ways in order to encourage more youth to go down an artistic path. Obviously this flows right from public art. What better way to engage young adults? They don’t want to be in non-violence programs, what is that? They want to be inspired and engaged, period. One of the most powerful ways to do that is through creative forms and practice.CGN: That must bring in a whole other circle of cultural institutions, beyond the visual arts.MK: In Millennium Park we’re going to have Chicago’s first ever Creative Youth Festival; I hope it becomes an annual event. It’s going to be all forms – fashion, design, performance, spoken word, music and dance. The tagline is going to be “Born Creative.” I’m going full circle to my work at Columbia, because the heart of my efforts there was to inspire young adults who have decided to pursue a creative field to be fearless. Now we also want to encourage all young adults to be creative somewhere in their life.CGN: Is there a plan for how these organizations will get more youth involved in their programs? How do you bring in people who have not done something like this yet?MK: We haven’t quite figured that out, but I’ve been amazed at the strength of organizations here supporting creative youth, whether it’s Louder Than a Bomb, Marwen, After School Matters, YOUMedia, SkyART – it’s amazing. We need to better appreciate them. Let’s put a spotlight on them – celebrate it and make it known. Then we can draw more youth into these programs. We will it figure out.CGN: Are you ever not connected to this job? Or is this twenty-four hours a day, everything that’s on your mind?MK: It’s twenty-four hours a day, everything that’s on my mind. Everything here in the city is a giant new canvas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Photo by Patrick Pyszka. Paintings by Phyllis Bramson.</body></html>

Chicago Gallery News interviews Mark Kelly, city commissioner, participant of the Wabash Flying Creatures project, and advocate for youth exposure to art. 

Commissioner Mark Kelly: Chicago's Out-of-the-Box Culture Wizard on Public Art

By GINNY VAN ALYEA

&nbsp;

Walking through the glass door into Carrie Secrist&rsquo;s eponymous gallery on a summer afternoon, the calm inside is a welcome respite from the frenzy that has encroached on the West Loop, an arts district that used to feel more removed from the traditional heart of the city, but which is now booming with new restaurants, hotels and condos on nearly every available corner. The gallery offers open space that is in short supply these days. At least 70 of Dannielle Tegeder&rsquo;s framed, abstract works are hung salon-style, filling the west wall with various colors and shapes that invite closer viewing &ndash; an unconventional arrangement and an appealing style indicative of Secrist&rsquo;s lively program, which she has honed over 25 years.

Seated at a large table in an office area filled with art books, Secrist looks at once like a laidback farmer, clad in a pair of overalls she loves to wear while gardening, as well as like the bright and chic art dealer she is, donning her signature short blond hair and a wide grin.

<img alt="" data-caption="Carrie Secrist, Photo: Clare Britt" data-rich-file-id="2241" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2241/original/071117-secrist-046bw.jpg" />

25 years in the gallery business have flown by. Secrist got her first job after college while wandering through the Whitney Museum in New York. After chatting up a curator, she was offered a position, on the spot, in the museum&rsquo;s education department. That encounter was a serendipitous start to her career, one that would be filled with connections, as well as risks, in the pursuit of art.

After a short time in New York, once she experienced the challenges of surviving in Manhattan on an intern&rsquo;s salary, Secrist&rsquo;s path led back to her hometown of Chicago, where she soon found herself directing a gallery when she was just 23. Secrist had been charting a professional art course since before she started college, when she and her parents discussed the importance of balancing her focus on art and business. In Chicago she was introduced to Natalie van Straaten &ndash; then publisher of Chicago Gallery News and Executive Director of the Chicago Art Dealers Association &ndash; who connected her with Steve Berkowitz and Kathy Cottong at the Center for Contemporary Art (CCA). They hired Secrist as an art handler, a role which remains to this day her favorite part of her job. She says, &ldquo;Actually hanging exhibitions and working with the artists is what I like best.&rdquo;&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Dannielle Tegeder installation, spring 2017" data-rich-file-id="2244" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2244/original/dannielle-tegeder-installation-turbulent-constellations-2017-image-rch-ekh-.jpg" />

From there, she says, she quickly ascended the ranks to become the assistant director at CCA, only to see the gallery close its doors in the early 1990s. Soon, her next opportunity knocked when collectors she had met through CCA wanted to open a new space, and they asked Secrist to be the director. She recalls, &ldquo;I was 23 and na&iuml;ve, so I said, &lsquo;Yes! I can do that!&rsquo;&rdquo; The space, known initially as Gallery A, launched in River North in November 1992. Within a year Secrist found that she and the gallery owners wanted to pursue different directions for the program, and her family ended up buying the gallery outright. She says, &ldquo;At that time that basically meant buying the office computer. Everything kind of went from there.&rdquo;

Secrist was fortunate to receive valuable advice from a group of dealers who helped her understand fundamentals about operating a gallery, from using transparencies to the importance of sending hand written letters. She says, &ldquo;I owe a great deal to people like Rhona Hoffman, Paul Gray of Richard Gray, Donald Young, and River North neighbors such as Phyllis Kind, Roberta Lieberman of Zolla/Lieberman, Catherine Edelman, and Ann and Roy Boyd.&rdquo; Secrist was the youngest of the dealers at that time, and she was grateful for the support for her program early on. Prominent collectors, including Susan and Lew Manilow, Donna and Howard Stone, and Linda and Paul Gottskind, also took interest in the burgeoning program. Secrist admits she still does many things the old school way, a trait she owes to the group that mentored her when she got started.

Continuing to learn from colleagues, Secrist had settled into a routine of running the gallery when she realized she was ready to change the name from Gallery A to Carrie Secrist Gallery. She explains, &ldquo;For a long time I wasn&rsquo;t ready to put my name on the door, and so many galleries, especially in Chicago, start with a name that is not their own. The transition from being a person with a name to having that name become a physical place remains, to this day, strange for me.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption="The gallery’s booth at Untitled Miami 2016, featuring work by Andrew Holmquist" data-rich-file-id="2242" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2242/original/carrie-secrist-untitled-art-fair-miami-2016.jpg" />

Many changes have taken place during Secrist&rsquo;s 25 years running a gallery, including a relocation to her current space in the West Loop at 835 W. Washington in 2003, but she cites two shifts that are universally acknowledged among those in the gallery world, &ldquo;There are two truly double-edged swords: the Internet and art fairs. Art fairs are now where I begin relationships with new collectors &ndash; probably 80 percent or potentially more, and it begins a relationship that we really count on.&rdquo; By keeping up with the art fairs, Secrist says she also has the chance to connect with colleagues from all around the world and stay abreast of what everyone is doing, despite the expense of participating in and shipping to the fairs.

The downside of the art fair frenzy can be laborious as well as expensive. Secrist shares, &ldquo;I might have an impressive, monumental sculpture that I know this collector will love and want, and they live maybe 20 minutes from the gallery. I urge them to come in, but they&rsquo;ll say, &lsquo;We&rsquo;ll see it in Miami!&rsquo;&rdquo;

Secrist credits early local support as critical to getting her start, but today she also values the unique and dynamic art community of dealers in Chicago such as Monique Meloche, Julie and Shane Campbell, John Corbett and Jim Dempsey of Corbett vs Dempsey, Scott Speh of Western Exhibitions, and 835 W. Washington neighbors Andrew Rafacz, Tom McCormick and Kavi Gupta among others. She says it&rsquo;s also exciting to see the new generation coming up&nbsp; &ndash; Regards, PATRON, Aspect/Ratio, and DOCUMENT &ndash; and she hopes to be supportive to them the way her colleagues were to her early on.

But keeping up with others does not mean following the crowd. Secrist says, &ldquo;One thing that has remained constant for me is that I tend to show art that is a slow look. Work tends to have a very strong artist hand in it, and it can look very different in person than a quick in and out of a fair booth.&rdquo; Secrist&rsquo;s art fair booths tend towards the immersive and conceptual, so visitors are compelled to participate in her installations and spend more than a few seconds looking at it. She explains, &ldquo;Especially over the last few years, every booth we&rsquo;ve designed, and each gallery exhibition, we&rsquo;ve tried to have the production value feel like a museum installation. We have also been doing more solo booths, where we give an artist a challenge, for instance, showing an entirely new medium, or creating a standout presentation that will linger. No matter how the actual sales go, it&rsquo;s a curatorial experience that will make people stop and remember.&rdquo;

<blockquote>
I tend to show art that is a slow look. &ndash;Carrie Secrist
</blockquote>

She acknowledges, &ldquo;One reason why we do this has to do with the other biggest change to our business since I started &ndash; the Internet. It&rsquo;s fantastic that people, every minute of every day, in every country, can look up online what our current exhibition is and see new work, but we don&rsquo;t want them to stop there. People feel they have seen the exhibition online, but they haven&rsquo;t. And pardon my French, so often what I show appears like shit online [laughs], and you can&rsquo;t begin to get the nuances digitally.&rdquo; Secrist confesses, and her staff concurs, that she is not technologically savvy, which may motivate her to try to impress visitors with what they can see in person rather than on a screen.

Secrist has seen the Chicago art scene boom and evolve over the years. She remembers, &ldquo;When I opened there was really one contemporary art fair and that was Art Chicago. People anticipated it all year long, it was such an event. Now there are 2-3 significant fairs around the world every quarter.&rdquo; The complexities of a strong market-focus, which has largely come out of the proliferation of art fairs, are apparent in a story she recalls about encountering a collector who once bought several works by an artist solely because they were told the value of the artist&rsquo;s work would greatly multiply after it was part of a museum show. Secrist says her aim is to be able to help people understand and love art for many reasons that go beyond art market factors.

<img alt="" data-caption="Joe Adamik and Diana Guerrero-Maciá, Drum set, 2016. from A TRANSFORMATION OF THINGS, November 11 2016-January 14, 2017 at Carrie Secrist Gallery" data-rich-file-id="2245" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2245/original/dgmacia-jadamik-atot-drums-2016-full-.jpg" />

Secrist embraces art that is equally weighted between a visual experience and a richer conceptual connection, and she likes to reference the open atmosphere of early 19th century salons. The participatory productions she hosts at the gallery are designed to motivate people to show up and see art together, bringing a changing collective perspective to each show. Secrist explains, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve done a lot of different performative things, like when artist Diana Guerrero-Maci&agrave;, with her musician husband, Joe Adamik, created a series of artist made drum sets. Throughout the whole exhibition of her other work, which were mostly tapestries, we had a call and response session with other famous drummers. When we opened the show and held the sessions last fall, the week after the [presidential] election, all sorts of people &ndash; from children to seniors &ndash; came together to listen to the drums. It really felt like a gathering and an exchange.&rdquo; Incorporating these performances and backdrops are a way to bring people into Secrist&rsquo;s space to participate in art, and it&rsquo;s a means to help artists expand their practice as well as their thinking.

Secrist is celebrating the gallery&rsquo;s 25th anniversary in several ways. For the gallery&rsquo;s EXPO CHICAGO booth (Sept 13-17) she explains, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re presenting a curated exhibition of select artists who will create work to commemorate this milestone. The comprehensive installation will include a wide range of media and each artist will be represented with art work that includes, or relates to, a metallic motif. We are also considering creating a reflective wall treatment in the booth to literally and figuratively include visitors within the experience. This offers a contemporary twist on a tradition, dating back to the Roman Empire, of exchanging symbolic elements for specific anniversaries. In this case, the element of silver will honor the interactions of the gallery, its artists and its audience in present time as well as over a quarter century of evolution.&rdquo; There will be an expanded presentation of the fair booth concept in the gallery in November for the actual anniversary.

Though art is with her every waking hour, Secrist has one other passion she gravitates to often. She shares, &ldquo;I am a crazy gardener. I paint with flowers. My husband and I acquired the property next door to us, and I&rsquo;m turning it into a fantastic secret garden, and eventually a small artist residence.&rdquo; Catching Secrist at an art fair in towering shoes and her unique couture choices is a chance to admire her sense of style, but she admits, &ldquo;If I&rsquo;m not in art clothes, I am basically in overalls. And sometimes I&rsquo;m in both, because I have like 20 pairs, including the dress ones. Getting in the mud makes me happy.&rdquo; 25 years after diving into gallery life, Secrist indeed has weathered the floods as well as the droughts, but she has found her calling as one who passionately tends to artists, as well as collectors, and helps them all thrive in her garden.

&nbsp;

Top image: CARRIE SECRIST GALLERY BOOTH AT EXPO CHICAGO 2016, featuring an installation by Shannon Finley

CGN interviews Chicago art dealer Carrie Secrets on 25 years in the business

Carrie Secrist Turns 25: Chicago Gallerist Makes the Old School New Again 

By FRANCK MERCURIOWhat happens when one of the country’s most renowned artists collaborates with one of the nation’s preeminent architects? The result is&nbsp;Here Hear, a series of performances combining the unique talents of artist Nick Cave and MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang, debuting this September at EXPO Chicago and during the Chicago Architecture Biennial.The joining of forces during such a key time in the city’s cultural calendar was the brainchild of Michelle T. Boone, the current Chief Program and Civic Engagement Officer for Navy Pier, home of EXPO, and former Commissioner of the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).“Michelle felt this was a good way to partner two artists and also tie together the Biennial and the fair,” says Cave.According to Gang, the opportunity to team up with Cave was destined to be, “We have these parallel worlds, and every once in awhile they intersect.” She adds, “We knew each other before, but we’ve never done a project together. Michelle made it happen.” Over the past couple of years, EXPO and the Biennial have brought renewed international attention to Chicago’s vibrant art and design scenes, and&nbsp;Here Hear&nbsp;will help celebrate the opening of both exhibitions this fall in a fantastic way.EXPO CHICAGO, now in its sixth year, and building on a steady rise in prominence on the international art fair circuit, will see 135 exhibitors representing galleries from 25 countries. The Chicago Architecture Biennial, in its second edition, features 141 participants from 20 countries. Architects’ work will be displayed at the Chicago Cultural Center through the end of the year, as well as in several satellite venues around the city.Here Hear,&nbsp;premiering the evening of September 13, during Vernissage, EXPO’s kick-off party on the Pier, will be performed at the start of the Biennial on September 16 and promises to be a showstopper.“The introduction to the festivities will be led by the South Shore Drill Team, with a group of 30 performers in Soundsuits,” said Cave. “This is really the piece that will be engaged with Jeanne’s work.”Cave is best known for his performance pieces featuring dancers dressed in his signature Soundsuits – wearable works of art that are colorful, textured, and sometimes unsettling in their forms. The pieces are often exhibited in static museum displays, yet they come to life in exciting and unexpected ways when presented in motion to an audience, while inhabited by performers.Complementing Cave’s works will be “dynamic custom-fabricated objects” designed by Gang and her team of architects that will define the spaces where Cave’s performances take place.“These sculptural/architectural forms can be moved around the pier, creating various spaces to perform in,” said Cave. “The idea is organic enough that you can create this sort of environment to play within. The dancers will have the ability to dictate whether it’s a square box, or a long rectangular space, or a line with performances happening on both sides of the objects.” The space-defining objects themselves will be kinetic, and Gang’s inspiration for their design centers on the wave action of Lake Michigan, which of course surrounds the Pier on three sides.“The performance site is on Navy Pier, so there’s this idea of water and the movement of water and how things bob up and down in the water. This inspired how the objects move and their balancing properties,” said Gang. “Dance is so much about balance, and human movement is so much about that as well. The objects should have a nice relation with the performance.”Gang is known for some very high-profile buildings, including Chicago’s Aqua Tower (completed in 2009), Vista Tower (currently under construction), and the Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History in New York (scheduled for completion in 2020). But she is also known for her socially conscious and environmentally friendly projects, such as the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (2014), the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo (2010), and perhaps most notably, proposals for the sustainable redevelopment and resilient design of riverfronts in Memphis, Milwaukee, and Chicago (the latter published in&nbsp;Reverse Effect: Renewing Chicago’s Waterways).“More and more, people are focused on their virtual world and not as aware of the space they’re in or the people&nbsp;around them,” explained Gang. “I feel that in architecture and public space we have to work to get people to engage each other. It’s the biggest challenge and the most important thing we can do right now for our environment, for our politics—for everything. We need to get people to talk to each other and have empathy and have a conversation.”This goal, to help generate greater social awareness, is something that Gang shares with Cave. In previous interviews, Cave has said that his intention as an artist is to make an imprint on his audience, rather than just an impression. In many of his works, the audience participates, rather than just observes. Cave’s&nbsp;HEARD, to be performed at both EXPO and the Chicago Architecture Biennial, explores the collective power of people working together.&nbsp;Up Right,&nbsp;also slated for multiple performances, focuses on the challenges of being young and black in America. To perform these larger than life pieces, Cave needs to recruit dozens of people from across the city. His troupe of participants will be made up of creative professionals, but also everyday people—perhaps as many as 150 in total—including adults who work in public service and kids from the Chicago Children’s Choir, reflecting the variety of experiences from so many citizens in our city.“I’ve been performing all over the world, but this is really my first performance piece in the city,” said Cave. “We’re very excited about working with young people and as well as professionals, creating opportunities for individuals interested in performance, dance, the arts. It’s nice to be able to create a platform of possibility, and so&nbsp;Here Hear&nbsp;is really all about that.”“I’m thrilled to be working with Nick and to see a glimpse of what inspires him and what he’s thinking,” added Gang. “It’s been really great so far. I’m looking forward to everything coming together.”&nbsp;<h3>September Performance Schedule:</h3>Wed, Sep 13, 9-10pm – Aon Ballroom, Navy PierNick Cave’s&nbsp;Up Right Chicago, 8pm. The performance will start with a procession from EXPO CHICAGO, beginning at 8:30. Free; limited, ticketed seating avail. to the public.Sat, Sep 16, 1pm and 3pm – Navy Pier, Polk Bros ParkHEARD,&nbsp;Includes live music by Kahil Elzabar and Chicago Children’s Choir. Soundsuits activation at Navy Pier Wave Wall at 2pm. Here Hear Film Festival at Polk Bros Park Performance Lawn, Lake Stage, 5pm (runs approx. 2 hours).Note: The Sep 16 performances are free and open to the public.&nbsp;No tickets necessary.

Nick Cave and Jeanne Gang collaborate in Chicago fall 2017

Nick Cave & Jeanne Gang: An Interactive Collaboration Between Artist & Architect

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417691/iedjuj1hxhm8a6egxivo.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;By ALISON REILLY“I had a roll of duct tape, and I would make my G.I. Joe into 20 other types of G.I. Joes,” Faheem Majeed says. “I was always making but I didn’t understand that as an art practice. In high school, I had an art teacher who said, ‘You’re really creative.’ I’m like, ‘Nah, that’s not real. That’s not work.’ I always assumed that work had to be something that you didn’t enjoy. I didn’t understand that you could love your work. Art was not something I took seriously, but it was something I did all the time.”Majeed, who grew up in Minneapolis, continued art classes throughout high school but ultimately had plans of becoming a veterinarian. It wasn’t until his art teacher took one of his paintings and sold it for $75 that he understood that something he loved could also support him.“The spark for me was my art teacher,” he says. “And then my mother supported my impulse and understood the value of art production and making. She was very happy, because she saw I had a passion.”Today Majeed’s practice extends well beyond a two-dimensional canvas. For each installation of his ongoing series, Planting and Maintaining a Perennial Garden, Majeed builds a room made of cedar planks that serves as a platform for other artists to meet, interact and perform. The walls, inspired by Margaret Burroughs Gallery at the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC), pay tribute to the woman and community who supported him when he first moved to Chicago in 2003.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2238/original/majeed-11.jpg" alt=""></figure>Majeed eventually became Executive Director of SSCAC and served the organization from 2005-2011. He speaks often of Margaret Burroughs, a co-founder of SSCAC (1940) and the founder of the DuSable Museum (1961), whom he befriended. “Margaret Burroughs was a teacher who was frustrated about the lack of diversity in the Chicago Public School art curriculum. She complained, and it fell on deaf ears, so she gathered a group of people who had objects, some were valuable and some not so much, but they all had a story. She assembled the objects in her home and invited the community, her kids and neighbors to come in,” Majeed explains. This collection in Burroughs’ home eventually became the DuSable Museum of African American History. “The community started calling it a museum, and she realized that there was a need.”Tuning into the concerns of the local community now defines Majeed’s art practice. His work often acknowledges the dynamics of the space in which it exists and the changes that happen when the installation moves from one community to another. Around 2013 he built a shack in an empty lot on his street in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. When one of his neighbors asked him, “Why are you making this ugly shack in my neighborhood?” Majeed started to explain, “Hold on, I live here,” but the man interrupted and said, “Well, that’s not what I asked you.”“This was a defining moment of understanding for me,” Majeed explains, “that when I build a shack in my neighborhood, it is connected to all the artists and the organizations in the city that support me. Those people are going to come to that shack but not necessarily to the neighborhood. When they visit, they might discover that area and see different types of potential, but that may or may not be of interest to the people who live in proximity to where I build.”As he talked with his neighbor, Majeed not only recognized the effect of building a sculpture in his neighborhood, but also the perception of his body in space. “When I walk down the street as a black man, in a neighborhood that is predominantly black, I disappear. I realized that my art body is different than my physical body. I’m personally invisible in one way, but my art body sticks out because of what I draw in.”The first shack that Majeed built became part of an ongoing series called Shacks and Shanties, in which he creates structures for both artists and organizations to utilize as a community and performance spaces. Because of the prevalence of empty lots across the city, Majeed wants to reimagine them as areas of potential.Not blind to the controversy of his practice, in response to his own work as an artist engaged with local communities, Majeed started another series called My Socially Engaged Protest. “Basically, I protest my own art in the communities that I work in,” he says. “If I understand the problems of what it means to build a shack in a vacant lot in my neighborhood and what comes with that, then I can then ask, ‘What are the tools I can create to protest that action at the same time?’”<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2237/original/majeed-19-v2.jpg" alt=""></figure>By protesting his own work, Majeed calls attention to the complex relationships artists can have with the communities they serve. While some in the neighborhood may welcome art installations, others might be hostile or simply uninterested. “The real work happens with the people on the fringes who don’t want to engage with what I’m doing, because they think they’ve seen this before,” Majeed says. “But that’s where the work should happen.”Majeed’s self-awareness recently took the form of a 10-foot high inflatable balloon. Inspired by the fat cats and rats one might find at a union picketing strike, Majeed’s balloon is a Mario Brothers-like caricature of a black artist holding a palette in one hand and choking an adolescent with the other. “It’s hard to look at,” he admits. “It’s a complete, cartoony hot mess.”But for Majeed, both the content and the form are significant. The balloon protests against “the role of artists as first wave gentrifying agents in under-resourced neighborhoods,” he explains. “And it’s mobile. I can have it up and running in five minutes, because it’s designed for people to put up and break down quickly for protests on the fly.”This fall, for the first time, he will bring Planting and Maintaining a Perennial Garden to a commercial space. Supported by the Chicago Community Trust, Majeed will install a new iteration of his cedar gallery in a booth at EXPO CHICAGO. He has invited four local organizations and previous grantees of the Chicago Community Trust, including SkyART, Project Onward, Hyde Park Jazz Festival and Gwendolyn Brooks Centennial Celebration, to activate the space.For Majeed, who identifies both as an artist and an arts administrator, it is essential to bring local artists from organizations like SkyART and Project Onward into dialogue with EXPO. “It’s really thinking about leveling value and saying, ‘Yes, you have this space, and there’s this type of monetary value but there’s also another type of value.’ When these groups respectfully meet each other then they can see how their relationship can be mutually beneficial.”Along with his own work, Majeed is one of the founders of the Floating Museum, which operates without a permanent physical space. This summer, the Museum took on the literal embodiment of its name and organized an expansive project to float an industrial barge from southeast Chicago to the new Riverwalk in downtown Chicago. The barge, which is now installed at Navy Pier, serves as a mobile gallery for an impressive roster of cultural institutions, community organizations and artists including Maria Gaspar, Pope.L, Edra Soto, Cauleen Smith and Amanda Williams.&nbsp;“It’s just a different way of thinking about a networked museum,” Majeed says. “We’re making the city into a museum, and its neighborhoods are the galleries. Its partners are museums and community organizations. The Floating Museum is the city of Chicago.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2231/original/faheemsidebar.jpg" alt=""></figure>Top image: Artist Faheem Majeed in his studio in Chicago. Photo: Devin MaysPublisher's note: The Fall 2017 print version of this interview misspelled Margaret&nbsp;Burroughs's name as BurrowsSaveSave</body></html>

CGN interviews local artist Faheem Majeed about his history with art and his upcoming projects. 

Into the Neighborhoods: Faheem Majeed's Artistic Evolution

Each week, CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with&nbsp;Jayson Lawfer&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/the-nevica-project">The Nevica Project</a>.

Name: The Nevica Project 
Dealer: Jayson Lawfer 
Age: 43 
Previous occupation: Director of a nonprofit 
Hometown: Freeport, IL

Chicago Gallery News: Please describe your gallery&rsquo;s program in one sentence. &nbsp;

Jayson Lawfer: Selling and promoting art and artists in both the primary and secondary markets&mdash;international in scope, personal in nature.

CGN: How did you become an art dealer?

JL: Long before I opened my gallery, I started collecting art and spending quality time with artists, collectors and dealers. Over time I saw an opportunity to create an interesting and fulfilling business. In 2008, while living abroad in Italy, I created the The Nevica Project and set it up as an online gallery working off of images and contracts. NEVICA is an Italian word that means &ldquo;it snows,&rdquo; and my idea was to build a small gallery business that would snowball into something bigger and bigger every year.

CGN: What&#39;s the first thing you do each morning when you get to the gallery?&nbsp;

JL: I mentally pinch myself, because I feel fortunate to do what I enjoy each day.

CGN: Thumbs up or down on art fairs?

JL: Thumbs up. Anytime you can corral millions of dollars worth of art and the population that can afford it, you create a win-win situation.

CGN: Artists you admire but don&#39;t represent?

JL: Jonas Wood, Theaster Gates, Kerry James Marshall and Richard Serra. But the great thing about collection management is that my gallery has work by all these artists within our secondary market situations.&nbsp;

CGN: Best sale you&rsquo;ve ever had?

JL: One of the most profitable was a Viola Frey 9-foot sculpture but one of the most exciting was a Magdalena and Michael Frimkess vase I sold to Jonas Wood.

CGN: What advice would you share with new or young collectors?

JL: I really believe one should buy what touches his or her soul. But I also feel like making investments with artwork is underrated, exciting and smart. I always inform young collectors that when they support artists and buy their artwork, they have a position in the success of that artist.

CGN: Which artist that you represent or work of art you have recently acquired are you most excited about? Why?

JL: I recently acquired a Ruth Duckworth wall mural.&nbsp; It was an interesting story because I was picking up a rare Duckworth we just sold (from a Wilmette private collection) and transporting it back through Evanston.&nbsp; I saw an estate sale, so I decided to stop for a second. I couldn&rsquo;t believe there was a Ruth Duckworth sculpture hanging on the wall in front of me.&nbsp; I made an offer and next thing I knew I was transporting two pieces of historic art back to Chicago. I have only been to a few estates sales in my life, and it just seemed like something told me to stop there.

CGN: What major successes have you had this year? What about challenges?

JL: In this day and age, if you can keep your doors open, then that is a success in itself.&nbsp; We have definitely reached a more global audience this year with sales happening in England, Holland, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Japan and Australia. That being said, The Nevica Project does about 95% of all our sales online and to people outside of Chicago. I do feel it is a bit of a challenge to keep paying rent for a brick and mortar space.&nbsp; But it is our gallery&rsquo;s dedication to the public that we keep a physical space and make art available. We want people to have opportunities to personally see the artwork by great artists such as Richard Serra, Cy Twombly, Richard Tuttle, Peter Voulkos, Neha Vedpathak, Jun Kaneko and Warren MacKenzie.

CGN: How do you view working as an art dealer in Chicago and Kansas City? &nbsp;

JL: In Kansas City when you have an exhibition and an opening, people come. In Chicago it is different, because there is so much going on that we end up competing with other spaces. We recently had an exhibition of Magdalena and Michael Frimkess&mdash;two artists that are getting great press right now. We sold work to major collectors and other artists such as KAWS and Jonas Wood (we even had interest from Reese Witherspoon), but we only had a handful of Chicago residents come and see the show.

CGN: What is your favorite interest outside of the art world?

JL: Food and vintage motorcycles.&nbsp;

CGN: What is your favorite work of public art in Chicago?

JL: I would say Richard Serra&rsquo;s Reading Cones. I do wish it were one of his larger pieces so viewers could lose themselves in the space and be intimidated by the scale. But I am still grateful our city has one.

I also love looking at Theaster Gates&rsquo; house in Dorchester. I know it is technically private, but it is there for the public to see. To me, it really does stand for his roots in social art practices by creating a space and bringing communities together in it. He once said, &ldquo;The word artist has been too small for too long&hellip; And I think I am just trying to fill the word up again so that it means more.&rdquo; I feel like that house is a gift to Chicago and has graciously invited myself, collectors, investors, supporters, neighbors and friends to have a memorable art experience.

CGN: What are your five&nbsp;favorite art spaces to visit in Chicago?

JL:

<ol>
	<li>Rhona Hoffman Gallery</li>
	<li>Shane Campbell Gallery</li>
	<li>Peanut Gallery</li>
	<li>Marilyn and Larry Fields Private Collection</li>
	<li>Museum of Contemporary Art</li>
</ol>

Jayson Lawfer is the owner of The Nevica Project located in Ravenswood&nbsp;in Chicago. For more information about his gallery visit: <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/the-nevica-project">The Nevica Project. &nbsp;</a>

CGN interviews local art dealer Jayson Lawfer. 