<h3><a href="https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/fine-art/warhol-is-out-gulfstreams-are-in-the-superrich-are-souring-on-art-58f231e6?st=J5sYw8&amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Warhol Is Out, Gulfstreams Are In: The Superrich Are Souring on Art</a></h3><h3> </h3>Something unusual is happening in the art market. Sales are stagnant while other businesses that cater to the superrich, like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/wheels-up-wants-high-end-travelers-to-see-flying-private-as-not-so-far-out-of-reach-5ee39031?page=1&amp;mod=article_inline" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" target="_blank">private jet</a>&nbsp;companies, are booming.The wealthy might simply be putting their cash into other assets because paintings turned out to be a disappointing investment. Weak sales could also be a sign that the art world has become too reliant on baby boomer collectors who are past their peak buying years. Via WSJ <h3>$102 Million Verdict Over Robert Indiana Artwork May End Years-Long Legal Battle</h3> Over $102 million in damages has been awarded to&nbsp;Robert Indiana‘s former business partner in a verdict that may end a protracted legal battle over the rights to some of the late Pop artist’s best-known works. The partner,&nbsp;Morgan Art Foundation, won its lawsuit against art publisher&nbsp;Michael McKenzie&nbsp;on April 23, when a jury in Manhattan federal court found him guilty of making and selling unauthorized Indiana artworks for millions of dollars. McKenzie and&nbsp;Jamie Thomas, the caretaker to whom Indiana gave power of attorney over his estate, have both also been accused by Morgan of&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/robert-indiana-lawsuit-claims-squalor-1627561" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);" target="_blank">taking advantage</a>&nbsp;of the elderly artist in his final years. The latest verdict follows a knotty legal saga centering around accusations of exploitation, fraud, and copyright infringement that commenced just one day before&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pop-art-hero-robert-indiana-dies-at-89-1289993" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);" target="_blank">Indiana’s death</a>&nbsp;on May 19, 2018. Via Artnet <h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777352375/fkaj4kflvlwkdfsottjg.jpg"></h3>$30,000 in cuts – Chicago Architecture Center. NEA funding was cut for the popular Open House program <h3><a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/forum/ccb-forum-chicago-arts-funding-cuts-20260427/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Newsletter-editorial-promo-20260427" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">How Chicago arts and culture orgs plan to stay strong despite federal cuts</a></h3> Months before last September’s Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Kate Dumbleton learned that a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts had been canceled.Dumbleton, the festival’s artistic and executive director, scrambled to raise the funds needed to cover artist fees. But the ordeal left her skeptical as to whether government funding could be a reliable source in the future. “The bigger question is whether the NEA is going to be there for arts organizations,” she says. Via Crain's Chicago

What We're Reading: April 28, 2026

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777302033/wagjkphjxks0oib6rahj.jpg"></h3><h3> </h3><h3>Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas –</h3><h3>SMART MUSEUM OF ART</h3> Alma Thomas (1891–1978) is a singular figure of twentieth-century American art. She developed her form of abstraction – characterized by the dazzling interplay of pattern and hue – late in life, after retiring from a long career as a schoolteacher. Her vibrant and rhythmic art transcended established genres, incorporating elements of gestural abstraction and color field painting and creating a style distinctly her own. Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas draws on the extensive holdings of the artist’s paintings at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and offers an intimate view of Thomas’s evolving practice during her most prolific period, from 1959 to 1978. At a deeply politicized moment in American life, Thomas’s abiding sources of inspiration became the cosmos, nature, and music. As she stated, “Through color I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man.”&nbsp; Thru July 5, 2026&nbsp;5550 S. Greenwood (60637)&nbsp;<a href="https://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">smartmuseum.uchicago.edu</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777302035/shepxlmfzvhpwskll6ai.jpg">The Murphy Auditorium at the Driehaus Museum <h3>Brendan Fernandes: In The Round –&nbsp;</h3><h3>The Driehaus Museum</h3> Brendan Fernandes: In the Round&nbsp; is the Driehaus Museum’s next iteration of its A Tale of Today series that places contemporary art in dialogue with the art, architecture, and design of the Gilded-Age Museum. Fernandes, the Museum’s first artist-in-residence, will transform the 1926 Murphy Auditorium into a dynamic site for sculptural installation, movement, sound, and dance. Conceived as an evolving, episodic residency, In the Round will unfold throughout 2026 with performances and public programs and is organized by guest curator Stephanie Cristello. “In the Round,” says Cristello, “invites us to experience contemporary art and dance as a shared architectural and social space—one shaped by bodies moving together through history. Reactivating the radical spirit of the Judson Dance Theater within the Murphy Auditorium, Brendan Fernandes asks us to see history itself as something lived, collective, and continually re-made.” 50 E. Erie&nbsp;Apr 9–Nov 14, 2026<a href="https://driehausmuseum.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">driehausmuseum.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777302036/gbr78qanuzr9oxbrpnsc.jpg">Sarah and Joseph Belknap, 4 Months of the Sun, 2014 <h3>Palomar (Part 1) –</h3><h3>The Renaissance Society</h3> The sun was formed 4.6 billion years ago. It takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds for its light to travel to Earth. The calendar as we know it, based on cycles of the solar year, was first implemented four and a half centuries ago in 1582...Time used to be local, based on the sun’s position. That changed on “The Day of Two Noons,” in 1883, when U.S. railroads adopted standardized time zones....Palomar Observatory, on a California mountain, once had the largest optical telescope in the world...Italo Calvino wrote a book about a person, a seeker of the cosmic in the everyday, who shares his name with that place...Palomar is a group exhibition in two parts. Curated by Karsten Lund. May 2–Jun 7 • 5811 S. Ellis Ave. (60637)<a href="https://renaissancesociety.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">renaissancesociety.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777302037/zo81qh9bfcugqnlhxcua.jpg">Denzil Forrester (b. 1956, Grenada; lives in Cornwall, United Kingdom), Duppy Deh, 2018. Oil on linen; 79 1/8 × 120 1/8 in. (201 × 305 cm). Collection of Margot and George Greig. © Denzil Forrester. Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York. Photo: Stephen White &amp; Co. <h3>Dancing The Revolution–&nbsp;</h3><h3>Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)</h3> Dancing the Revolution explores and expands the visual, political and spiritual histories of dancehall and reggaetón through contemporary art—two dynamic genres that have transcended their grassroots origins to shape global culture. From Kingston to San Juan through London, Toronto, New York City and Panama, Dancing the Revolution positions music and dance as a revolutionary practice for collective liberation rooted in the struggle against colonial oppression. Dancehall and reggaetón are reminders of the Caribbean’s centuries-old traditions of dance and music as means of liberation and protest rooted in Black Atlantic history and culture. Dancing the Revolution showcases pivotal moments and themes from these histories, starting with the sound system—a mobile disco that embodies both a community experience and a vital civic institution.&nbsp; The exhibition features more than 35 artists, including Isaac Julien, Jean Michel Basquiat, Edra Soto, Alberta Whittle, Carolina Caycedo, supakid and Lee “Scratch” Perry. A special commissioned mixtape project invites visitors to learn about the evolution of these popular genres in Panama and hear iconic songs that paved the way for the global phenomenon of reggaetón.. Apr 14–Sept 20220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago<a href="https://mcachicago.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mcachicago.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777302038/ypubukd5cjeml1tt1fd2.jpg"> <h3>CHIHULY–&nbsp;</h3><h3>Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park</h3> One of only two Chihuly exhibitions in the world in 2026, this exhibition spans both the outdoor gardens and indoor Sculpture Galleries, creating a dynamic dialogue between glass, landscape, and architecture. Outdoors, guests will encounter monumental glass sculptures, vibrant Reeds, and striking site-responsive installations that appear to grow from the landscape, amplifying color, light, and form. Indoors, the separately ticketed exhibition Chihuly: Radiant Forms traces more than 40 years of Chihuly’s creative journey.&nbsp; May 2–Nov 1Grand Rapids, MI<a href="https://www.meijergardens.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">meijergardens.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777302040/zcyb7euxxrtedn4o6s95.jpg"> <h3>Randolph Street Market Festival–&nbsp;</h3> Touted as a “mecca of cool,” the iconic Randolph Street Market&nbsp;Festival returns to the bustling West Loop, where the world-famous&nbsp;event first began at 1341 W. Randolph, over Memorial Day weekend . The premier destination for one–of–a–kind finds, the Randolph Street Market Festival offers an ultra-curated, high-quality selection of antiques, vintage and modern goods ranging from fashion to art, jewelry, décor, retro home furnishings, global goods and more. Treasure hunters&nbsp;and entertainment-seekers alike will be delighted by the continuous lineup of live musical acts, unique food vendors, fun cocktails and more to enjoy throughout the weekend. Another summer market takes place in July.&nbsp; May 23 and 24; July 25 and 26<a href="https://randolphstreetmarket.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">randolphstreetmarket.com</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777302041/b7doixxat1mzlvfue1zw.jpg"> <h3>Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford:&nbsp;Near Eternity–</h3><h3>Elmhurst Art Museum</h3> In his first exhibition at EAM, artist Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford presents a series of outdoor sculptures in Wilder Park as well as an immersive installation within the iconic McCormick House. Bridging handcrafted techniques and digital fabrication, featured works serve as a low-carbon alternative to traditional monumental sculpture as a way of reflecting on labor, materiality, the internet age, and architectural legacies. Near Immortality features new sculptures created from 3D scans of important design items in EAM’s collection. May 30–Aug 23<a href="https://elmhurstartmuseum.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">elmhurstartmuseum.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777302041/nvsxhkcbhnmrucfv0nlw.jpg"> <h3>Door County Contemporary –</h3> The Door County Contemporary Art Fair will be held at the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, Wisconsin for the second year. The three-day program introduces art to art enthusiasts in Wisconsin, and it was born from the desire to address a lack of contemporary art in an otherwise culturally enriched and dynamic destination. DCC will host galleries from Wisconsin and beyond while welcoming thousands of art lovers from around the United States. It will also feature a wealth of site-specific art works and projects, plenty of Wisconsin-centric food and drink, and curated events and art-related projects. June 4–7Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI<a href="https://www.doorcountycontemporary.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">doorcountycontemporary.com</a> # <h3>See CGN's full calendar <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></h3>

This Season’s Highlights: Spring/Summer 2026

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777350921/ymnhnalqicefy4vftbsr.jpg"> By GINNY VAN ALYEA An art experience centered on scent may seem unexpected—but that sense of discovery is part of what makes the Alliance Française de Chicago’s 2026 Symposium on the Arts of France especially compelling. Titled Scent: The Invisible Art, this year’s three-part series considers fragrance as a creative medium—one that operates beyond the visual to shape memory, emotion, and perception. While the opening lecture took place in April, two upcoming programs continue the exploration, offering Chicago audiences an opportunity to engage with art through a more immersive, multisensory lens. The May 13 program, A Journey into the Artistry and Passion of Fragrance, features Linda G. Levy, President of The Fragrance Foundation, who frames scent as a form of artistic expression shaped by the vision of the perfumer. Drawing on the work of influential figures such as master perfumer Carlos Benaïm and fragrance curator Frédéric Malle, Levy explores the idea of “perfumery as art”—from Benaïm’s inspiration in Van Gogh’s Starry Night to Malle’s approach of composing fragrances as one might a work of art, giving perfumers complete creative freedom. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1777350922/dtykbavpcpyetc77c3f5.jpg"> Her talk also traces connections between disciplines, comparing the perfumer’s palette of ingredients to the materials of painters and sculptors, while highlighting collaborations that translate scent into other forms, including graphic design, portraiture, and poetry. The program further touches on synesthesia—the blending of sensory experiences—inviting audiences to consider how fragrance might be perceived as color or emotion. The series concludes on June 10 with Senteurs et Émotions, led by renowned French perfumer Camille Goutal. Both lectures take place from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Alliance Française de Chicago and are presented in English. For more than two decades, the Symposium on the Arts of France has been a cornerstone of the Alliance’s cultural programming, bringing internationally recognized voices to Chicago while highlighting the enduring influence of French art and thought. This year’s focus on scent expands that tradition, offering a fresh perspective on how art can be experienced—and understood. A limited number of complimentary tickets are available for students, reflecting the Alliance’s commitment to accessibility and education. The series is offered in person and available online. More information and tickets are available at <a href="https://www.af-chicago.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">af-chicago.org</a>.

A Three-Part Series on the Art of Scent Comes to Alliance Française de Chicago

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1776195255/vqifdosb1xmnldgyehio.jpg"></h3>Maurizio Cattelan and Myriam Ben Salah.&nbsp;Matthew Reeves/BFA.com <h3><a href="https://observer.com/2026/04/artist-maurizio-cattelan-renben-2026-renaissance-society-chicago/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maurizio Cattelan Turned This Years RenBen Gala into a Silent Party</a></h3><h3> </h3>What a blessing to have silence not just available but imposed at an art event—to finally be able to focus on the experience of the art without the distraction of social interaction. For a writer like myself, who hopes for exactly that condition every time I visit a show, this year’s Renaissance Society gala in Chicago was simply perfect. “A lot of events mistake noise for energy, and I wanted to undo that confusion,” artist&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/maurizio-cattelan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Maurizio Cattelan</a>, who designed the event, tells me, adding that silence changes how people receive things. “It is not that communication stops altogether; it just becomes less efficient and more exposed. People write, they wait, they look longer.” To him, it felt like a good premise for an art event, though he acknowledged that many artists have engaged with silence far better than he ever could, from&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/john-cage/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">John Cage</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/joseph-grigely/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Joseph Grigely</a>. “I was not trying to make a statement so much as interrupt an automatic behavior. A gala usually runs on social reflex, and silence makes that reflex visible.”<h3> </h3>Via Observer <h3><a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/expo-chicago-sales-vip-day-report-1234780810/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dealers Are Doing Brisk Business at a Smaller and ‘More Intentional’ Expo Chicago</a>&nbsp;</h3> Tears of joy are not the first thing you expect to hear about at art fairs, but that was the order of the day for Tennessee artist Annie Brito Hodgin at Thursday’s VIP preview at the thirteenth edition of Expo Chicago (April 9–12), where she is showing her paintings with&nbsp;Red Arrow Gallery. Via ARTnews <h3> </h3><h3><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/arts/design/lacma-peter-zumthor-los-angeles.html?unlocked_article_code=1.a1A.wcg8.MJ0AUVAlSjf9&amp;smid=url-share" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daring and Dazzling, a New LACMA Floats Above Los Angeles</a></h3> Forecasts were dire about what’s officially called the David Geffen Galleries, after the donor who gave $150 million. “The blob that ate Wilshire Boulevard,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/5897-the-blob-that-ate-wilshire-boulevard" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;Architectural Record in 2014. “Suicide by architecture,”&nbsp;<a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/lacma-suicide-by-architecture/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" target="_blank">lamented</a>&nbsp;The L.A. Review of Books five years later.The building opens to museum members in the coming weeks and to the general public on May 4. I expect it will be wildly popular. Via NYT <h3><a href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/04/11/black-collectors-guild-expo-chicago-diversity-in-art" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">At Expo Chicago, a crew of collectors bond over Black art</a></h3> For one group of collectors,&nbsp;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/arts-and-culture/2026/04/03/expo-chicago-art-fair-obama-center-contemporary-galleries-navy-pier-tickets" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(4, 130, 130);" target="_blank">Expo Chicago</a>&nbsp;is not just an art fair but a family reunion. On Thursday afternoon, they trickled into Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, offering enthusiastic hugs and handshakes. The cohort included everyone from health care professionals to military veterans, who traveled from Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Kansas City, Mo., and other major cities. Before touring the galleries, they gathered in the center of the venue for a champagne toast to “building together.” Via WBEZ

What We're Reading: April 14, 2026

The weekend of EXPO CHICAGO, April 8–12, invites you to engage with art in a once-a-year setting in Chicago, even if you never even make it to the fair. It’s the time of year, throughout the city, when new exhibitions open, special presentations are on view, there are talks, tours, satellite fairs, coffees, parties, even a cake social. The CGN team has a few dates we won’t miss.&nbsp;We hope to see you there!&nbsp; View CGN's full calendar <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>, updated daily! – CGN Staff <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775437177/gr2pbfgw5yqnwdpcbgmb.png"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/renben-2026" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RenBen 2026</a></h3> This year’s RenBen for the Renaissance Society is a&nbsp;silent dinner party.&nbsp;Curated by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, dinner is at the Chicago Athletic Association. Guests will see what happens when there is no small-talk, or&nbsp;any talk at all... April 8, 7–10pm <h3> </h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775437178/yssxzivsvcc1m4upcshj.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vernissage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EXPO Vernissage</a> </h3> EXPO CHICAGO’s Vernissage benefit offers a first look at the fair and supports the MCA. It starts at 10am and is by invitation. Tickets may also be purchased for additional times and days.&nbsp; April 9 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775437179/mdbta4qt886d42hltlt2.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/life-is-an-art-iam-the-party" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IAM The Party</a></h3> Art: IAM the party&nbsp;is the most exciting way to celebrate Intuit’s 35th anniversary and the 1st birthday of the expanded Museum. Honoring Nick Cave, Bob Faust and Jerry Stefl. Intuit Art Museum April 10 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775437181/fbawcwcyu8wipbumrhg0.jpg">Deborah Koo <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/material-offering-by-deb-koo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VSG Cake Social</a></h3> VSG Contemporary opens an exhibition of Deborah Koo’s tantalizing cake paintings and&nbsp;Mason Pott’s lush works featuring assemblages of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Luckily gallery owner Allan Weinberger is serving cake from 12–5pm.&nbsp;CGN will be there, so stop by to say hi and enjoy some cake! April 11, 12–5pm <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775437181/x3uuc80b6glpifvgosf2.jpg">Lou Beach <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pieces-too-short-to-save-a-survey-of-contemporary-collage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">An Exhibition Honoring Tony Fitzpatrick</a></h3> SoNA Chicago Art Gallery is hosting Pieces Too Short to Save: A Survey of Contemporary Collage that honors the late Tony Fitzpatrick. The group show features works created by the artist’s friends. The opening on April 11 will also feature poetry readings by Fitzpatrick's family and friends. Reception April 11<h3> </h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775437182/xm4faghdcftl79psslx8.jpg">Western Exhibition's 2026 Barely Fair booth <h3><a href="https://www.barelyfair.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barely Fair</a></h3> BARELY FAIR's 2026 edition of Chicago's international 1:12 scale art fair returns, operated by JULIUS CAESAR artist collective and includes 30 artist-run spaces, commercial galleries, and curatorial projects from around the world. April 3-19 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775437182/ii0sfkygzr4kxmqjvwnv.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.neighbors.art/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neighbors</a></h3> A new art fair, called Neighbors, will take place in a 1,200 square foot Gold Coast apartment in a historic building designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw. The satellite fair is the vision of a Chicago collector who wants to show art in a domestic setting. Several galleries from Chicago art participating, as well as others from around the country. April 8–12

CGN Around Town, Spring 2026

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774995014/ulhdhy7wyykjcc93whoz.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/geometries-in-light" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Geometries In Light</a>Exhibition begins April 2Pistachios Contemporary Art Jewelry and Objects <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774995015/xiufqbgcmyucpeb4blo6.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/teaching" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Teaching</a>Opening: Saturday, April 4, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774995016/wr7mgmq5hox7jwphziks.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-presidents-18th-annual-art-exhibition2026" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The President’s 18th Annual Art Exhibition</a>Exhibition begins April 2Wadsworth Family Gallery at Lewis University <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774995017/tzz7mvbc7vff6czwbvcu.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-view-from-above" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">David Keel: The View From Here</a>Opening: Friday, April 3, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMVivid Art Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774995017/mk4xwbrliauqoklguj4p.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/on-rock-soft-matters-curating-slowness-and-reconnection-through-the-visual-arts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">On Rock-Soft Matters: Curating Slowness and Reconnection through the Visual Arts</a>Opening: Saturday, April 4, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMSeldon Institute

New Exhibitions Open April 1 - 4 (Part I)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775004811/x6mpilykax6uzd1q6u0a.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/monoprint-one-of-a-kind" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Monoprint: One of a Kind</a>Opening: Thursday, April 2, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMChicago Printmakers Collaborative <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775004812/cgkvvxa98bik0opzjasc.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/girl-talk-by-lindsey-kircher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Girl Talk by Lindsey Kircher</a>Opening: Friday, April 3, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMOliva Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775004813/bmzz4lp55144acmxg748.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alison-ruttan-the-paradox-of-inaction" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alison Ruttan: The Paradox of Inaction</a>Exhibition begins April 4Hyde Park Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1775004814/mbueszvqgze9637rnyhh.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cydney-m-lewis-weeds-grow-in-all-directions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cydney M. Lewis: Weeds Grow in All Directions</a>Exhibition begins April 4Hyde Park Art Center

New Exhibitions Open April 1 - 4 (Part II)

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1773759421/a1ucjcbgi3dxffgsgoog.jpg"></h3>This Banksy mural of a man&nbsp;scrubbing his back in a bathtub appeared in 2022 on a wall of a destroyed&nbsp;building in the Ukrainian village of Horenka. The mural piqued the interest of a Reuters journalist, setting off an effort&nbsp;to identify and understand the elusive artist. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich<h3> </h3><h3><a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/global-art-banksy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In Search of Banksy</a></h3> The British street artist’s identity has been debated, and closely guarded, for decades. A quest to solve the riddle took Reuters from a bombed-out Ukrainian village to London and downtown Manhattan — and uncovered much more than a name. Via Reuters <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1773759421/k0dzkzxuhrbanuj4jirp.jpg">Installation shot of the Sopranos exhibition at the Museum of Moving Image. Photo: Thanassi Karageorgiou/Museum of Moving Image. <h3><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/the-sopranos-momi-exhibition-2754605" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Behind the Scenes of ‘The Sopranos’: A New Exhibition Revisits TV’s Favorite Mob Drama</a></h3> A new show at the&nbsp;Museum of Moving Image&nbsp;(MoMI), “<a href="https://movingimage.org/event/stories-and-sets-for-the-sopranos/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos</a>,” captures the urgent energy channeled by Chase and his team of collaborators as they turned daring pilot into a show that would pave the way for a golden age of television. Via Artnet <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1773759422/ggujneoxq3fiuzfzmrnh.jpg">For the Serpentine Pavilion installation, he balanced a light-filtering fiberglass shell on hulking, rough-hewed stones. Credit...Iwan Baan <h3><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/arts/design/smiljan-radic-pritzker-prize-architecture.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Chilean Master of Modest Design Wins Architecture’s Top Prize</a></h3> Wind. Light. Stone. Timber. Time. These are some of the essential elements that infuse the work of Smiljan Radic of Santiago, Chile, the winner of this year’s Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. The announcement of the laureate had been delayed by revelations about the connection between Tom Pritzker, the director of the foundation that awards the prize, and Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier. Via NYT

What We're Reading: March 17, 2026

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772750365/y5irfl9vixflwvwbk8jm.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/duality" target="_blank">Duality</a>Mar 2 - Apr 19Jackson Junge Gallery ﻿ <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772750366/p5v0zglmojbdxmicxgoo.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lens-2026" target="_blank">LENS 2026</a>Opening: Saturday, March 7, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772750366/tm2s97sfnrdqar6mgv70.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/impromptu" target="_blank">Impromptu</a>Opening: Friday, March 6, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMVivid Art Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772750367/gghhddajqnttx5tdtuwl.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/beyond-the-needle" target="_blank">Beyond the Needle</a>March 6The Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772750368/lw0jlcntip0isooji6s1.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/george-klauba" target="_blank">George Klauba</a>Opening: Friday, March 6, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PMThe Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772750369/ksxdx75r0yckvdaex4r4.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mmm" target="_blank">MMM....&nbsp;</a>Opening: Friday, March 6, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMOliva Gallery

New Exhibitions Open March 6 - 7 (Part I)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772673885/poq6o4zhl90khwxk5kxm.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-division-street-riots" target="_blank">The Division Street Riots</a>Opening: Friday, March 6, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM65GRAND <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772673885/k0c8qthfp3ubelpogk9x.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/la-woman" target="_blank">L.A. Woman</a>Opening: Saturday, March 7, noon – 4:00 PMUkrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772673887/ggih8qllilrowwlwenqu.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/matisses-jazz-rhythms-in-color" target="_blank">Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color</a>March 7The Art Institute of Chicago <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772673888/yus7xu8jatuiurnsruoz.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/women-painting-women" target="_blank">Women Painting Women</a>Opening: Saturday, March 7, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PMThe Grove Gallery

New Exhibitions Open March 6 - 7 (Part II)

Spring is coming, finally! Even if the weather is cold, it's nice to know we are moving through the calendar towards a new season and new beginnings. Notably in March, we're seeing a lot of tattoos and photography...It makes us miss artist Tony Fitzpatrick. Also coming soon this spring, CGN's Spring/Summer magazine, covering April-August. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Subscribe now</a> to get a copy by mail and support CGN's work! CGN adds to its&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">calendar of art events</a>&nbsp;daily, and there is no shortage of new exhibitions, openings, art fairs, talks and family art events to explore. We have put together a preview of what is coming up the rest of this month. Even though it's winter and we are looking to stay in and cozy, there is plenty to see. Events happen throughout the city as well as in the suburbs and within a day's drive. Highlights are organized by event type. Dates vary and are subject to change. –&nbsp;GinnyCGN Publisher <h2>• Exhibitions</h2> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772648301/kwxabn0mzjoulpavoywc.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mmm" target="_blank">MMM....</a></h3> Mar 6, 2026 - Mar 28, 2026Opening: Friday, Mar 6, 2026 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/oliva-gallery" target="_blank">Oliva Gallery</a> Oliva Gallery marks its ten-year anniversary with&nbsp;MMM…., a group exhibition presented in conjunction with International Women’s Day. The exhibition opens March 6, 2026, and features work by Melanie P. Brown, Mia Capodilupo, and Michelle Stone. The title references both the shared first initials of the participating artists and the visual and sensory richness of their work. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772648301/cgqo3dyrkrtsa17js27g.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/george-klauba" target="_blank">George Klauba</a></h3> Mar 6, 2026 - Apr 4, 2026Opening: Friday, Mar 6, 2026 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-art-center-highland-park" target="_blank">The Art Center Highland Park</a> The Art Center Highland Park is proud to announce its forthcoming exhibition KLAUBA, a survey of the works of painter and tattoo artist George Klauba. This show will be on view at The Art Center from March 6 to April 4, 2026.Curated by gallerist Teresa Hofheimer, this large exhibition of paintings and sculpture spans over two decades, referencing George Klauba’s life works as a Navy officer, a tattoo artist, and eventually a celebrated painter and fine artist. Running concurrently at TACHP is <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/beyond-the-needle" target="_blank">Beyond the Needle</a>, an exhibition featuring ten tattoo artists from across the United States. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772648302/fcfsqfhvyjyrsowhng9p.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-division-street-riots" target="_blank">The Division Street Riots</a></h3> Mar 6, 2026 - Apr 12, 2026Opening: Friday, Mar 6, 2026 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/65grand" target="_blank">65GRAND</a> This exhibition by Chicago-based artist Carlos Rolón features new graphite and charcoal drawings, works on aluminum, a DIY bicycle sculpture with audio, and a hand-embroidered textile inspired by the 1966 Division Street uprising in Humboldt Park and West Town. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772648303/ux0sqzhe1e8ajup7pfqc.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lens-2026" target="_blank">LENS 2026</a></h3> Mar 7, 2026 - Mar 29, 2026Opening: Saturday, Mar 7, 2026 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/perspective-photo-gallery" target="_blank">Perspective Photo Gallery</a> Photographic artists from around the U.S. will be on display for LENS2026, the gallery’s 16th annual juried international exhibition of fine art photography. The show opens Thursday, March 5th, with an Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony on March 7th from 5 to 7 p.m.Juror Ann M. Jastrab, the Executive Director at the Center for Photographic Art (CPA) in Carmel, California, selected 28 artists from the 299 photographers who submitted over 1430 images.&nbsp;This year there were entries from 38 states and several international countries.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772648304/bumcbqjqyaak5bxmmpsd.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vertical-gallerys-13-year-anniversary-show" target="_blank">Vertical Gallery's 13-Year Anniversary Show</a></h3> Mar 13, 2026 - Apr 19, 2026Opening: Friday, Mar 13, 2026 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/jackson-junge-gallery" target="_blank">Jackson Junge Gallery</a> Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Show marks the gallery’s return to Chicago, where its story began. All work will be displayed inside Jackson Junge Gallery, located in Wicker Park.&nbsp;This is Vertical's first show of 2026, and the first show back in Chicago since owner Patrick Hull changed the business model to online and special exhibitions. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772648305/rx4r5mct3mjugyqmoecj.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/roger-brown-weathervane" target="_blank">Roger Brown: Weathervane</a></h3> Mar 19, 2026 - Jun 13, 2026Opening: Thursday, Mar 19, 2026 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/gray" target="_blank">GRAY</a> Roger Brown: Weathervane is the first monographic exhibition at the gallery dedicated to Brown since announcing exclusive representation of the artist’s estate.&nbsp;Weathervane&nbsp;explores the artist’s vision of an emotionally charged contemporary life set at the tense border between the built environment and the natural world. Featuring eleven paintings from the 1980s and 1990s, the exhibition reflects Brown’s clarity of vision as an artist both unafraid to face sociopolitical headwinds and unable to ignore ecological destruction. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772648306/jsarnhxjxuy5yqzlscr7.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/composing-color-paintings-by-alma-thomas" target="_blank">Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas</a></h3> Mar 24, 2026 - Jul 5, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/smart-museum-of-art" target="_blank">Smart Museum of Art</a> Alma Thomas (1891–1978) is a singular figure of twentieth-century American art. She developed her form of abstraction – characterized by the dazzling interplay of pattern and hue – late in life, after retiring from a long career as a schoolteacher. Her vibrant and rhythmic art transcended established genres, incorporating elements of gestural abstraction and color field painting and creating a style distinctly her own. Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas&nbsp;draws on the extensive holdings of the artist’s paintings at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and offers an intimate view of Thomas’s evolving practice during her most prolific period, from 1959 to 1978.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772648306/uzqd1ximea3iljvgkxla.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cheryl-pope" target="_blank">Cheryl Pope</a></h3> Mar 28, 2026 - May 9, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/moniquemeloche" target="_blank">moniquemeloche</a> Cheryl Pope&nbsp;is an interdisciplinary visual artist&nbsp;who&nbsp;questions and responds to issues of identity as it relates to the individual and the community, specifically&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;race, gender, class, history, power, and place. Her practice&nbsp;emerges&nbsp;from the act and politics of&nbsp;listening and&nbsp;recently introduces&nbsp;a novel&nbsp;material to explore the artist’s memories. Referencing the familiar repertoire of the French Post-Impressionist, Intimist, and Imagist paintings, Pope recreates deeply personal recollections that cinematically compose the silent complexities of beautiful and tragic oscillations between love and loss in our everyday lives. Images of couples are drawn from memory, referencing the artist’s own relationships and moments of disconnect, anxiety, and desire, while beach scenes depicting a mother and child accentuate a tender stillness of caregiving. In these scenes, the figures exist in a nest of choreography–a rotating stage of mystery, tragedy, and poetry of day-to-day living with feelings of presence and absence woven throughout.&nbsp; <h2>• Talks</h2> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ornament-identity-from-tiffany-studios-to-tattoo-studios" target="_blank">Ornament &amp; Identity: From Tiffany Studios to Tattoo Studios</a></h3> Thursday, Mar 5, 2026 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-driehaus-museum" target="_blank">The Driehaus Museum</a> Join a conversation with tattoo artist Beth Mintzer&nbsp;and Elizabeth McGoey, Ann S. and Samuel M. Mencoff Curator, Arts of the Americas at the Art Institute of Chicago. Together, they’ll explore the legacy of Tiffany lamps from decorative art icons to contemporary tattoo inspiration. Beth Mintzer will also be guesting at Dwelling Tattoo on 3/3 &amp; 3/4 and has created special tattoo designs inspired by lamps from The Driehaus's current exhibition,&nbsp;Tiffany Lamps: Beyond the Shade.&nbsp;Visit&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bethmintzer.com/" target="_blank">www.bethmintzer.com</a>&nbsp;for more info Not ready for the real thing? The museum is also selling temporary Tiffany tattoos designed by the artist; visit the Museum Store in person to shop. <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lecture-in-photography-bob-thall" target="_blank">Lecture in Photography: Bob Thall</a></h3> Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 6:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-photography-mocp" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP)</a> <h2>• Tours</h2> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/weekend-art-walk-west-town-galleries-mar-21" target="_blank">Weekend Art Walk: West Town Galleries</a></h3> Saturday, Mar 21, 2026 11:00 AM – 12:45 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/art-encounter" target="_blank">Art Encounter</a> Get to know Chicago's galleries and the contemporary art world at large with our interactive Weekend Art Walks! On March 21, we'll view and discuss sculptures, photographs, embroidery, and more in four West Town locations: Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Western Exhibitions, Document Gallery, and the newly-opened Elise Seigenthaler Gallery. <h2> </h2><h2>• Auctions</h2> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/picture-this-fine-vintage-vernacular-photography" target="_blank">Picture This: Fine, Vintage &amp; Vernacular Photography</a></h3> Thursday, Mar 12, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/potter-potter-auctions-inc" target="_blank">Potter &amp; Potter Auctions, Inc.</a> Potter and Potter will be offering a range of fine and vintage photography in this auction, curated by Eric Robbins. Highlights include archives of space photography, Lewis Hine photographs, iconic pop culture imagery, studio and vernacular photographs of the 19th and 20th century in a range of subjects, panoramas, a comprehensive collection of "headless" trick photography, and photo albums. <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-fathers-and-saviors-of-our-country-a-presidential-sale" target="_blank">The Fathers and Saviors of Our Country: A Presidential Sale</a></h3> Thursday, Mar 26, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/freemans" target="_blank">Freeman's</a>

CGN Art Preview: March 2026

<h3> </h3><h3> </h3><h3><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2026/02/24/loyola-university-demolition-rogers-park-flatiron-building" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Loyola University starts demolition on Rogers Park flatiron building</a></h3>Loyola University Chicago began demolishing a 100-year-old flatiron building in Rogers Park last week, despite a yearslong push by community members to save the triangle-shaped building.Constructed in 1926 by architect R. Bernard Kurzon, the 30-unit apartment building at 1224 W. Loyola Ave. was once home to businesses Archie’s Cafe,&nbsp;Roman Susan Gallery&nbsp;and Edge Art. It’s next to the Loyola Red Line stop.The university purchased the site in 2024 for $3 million, according to the student newspaper&nbsp;Loyola Phoenix. It was issued a demolition permit on Jan. 5, according to city records.Via Chicago Sun–Times <h3 class="ql-align-justify"> </h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446746/rfu5hgrtvujx8mlsglkl.png">Big Chief Demond Melancon,&nbsp;Bras-Coupé (apron),&nbsp;2016. Glass beads, rhinestones, and braided trim on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim. <h3 class="ql-align-justify">Mariane Ibrahim Announced Representation of Big Chief Demond Melancon</h3> Born in New Orleans in 1978, where he continues to live and work, Melancon’s practice is deeply rooted in the traditions of Black Masking Culture of New Orleans, which he entered in 1992. Over the past four decades, he has cultivated a singular artistic language and an enduring local recognition that led him to receive in 2012 the title of Big Chief—the highest ceremonial role within a Mardi Gras Indian tribe. More than an honorific, the role carries the responsibility of guiding and inspiring the community, embodying the tribe’s values, aesthetic codes, and highest standards of craftsmanship and discipline.Melancon’s work takes the form of intricate suits conceived over the span of several years, and bi-﻿dimensional works, all executed entirely by hand through dense hand-sewn beadwork. Created to be activated in the ritual space of Mardi Gras, his suits unfold as complex narrative compositions, where history, memory, and imagination converge. Across his practice, a pantheon of figures emerges, invoking stories of Black excellence and rebellion, from Haile Selassie and icons of popular culture to visual references connected to Ashanti and Yoruba heraldry and ceremonial traditions. Self-taught, he has often cited influence of Kerry James Marshall, particularly in his commitment to expanding the historical and representational language of Black life.&nbsp; <h3><a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-kx3yz48zellejw6e" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pigment International's Glory! Glory! art exhibition honors Black History Month</a></h3> The Glory! Glory! art exhibition, presented by Pigment International, celebrates Black History Month through powerful and inspiring works. Founder Patricia Andrews-Keenan and featured artist Reggie McFly joined Fox 32 in studio to share what visitors can expect.&nbsp;Via Fox 32 <h3><a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/pritzker-prize-tom-pritzker-epstein-files-response-1234774267/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicago-Based Pritzker Prize Defends Jury Independence After Epstein Ties Surface</a></h3> The Pritzker Architecture Prize issued a statement defending the integrity of its selection process after newly released Jeffrey&nbsp;Epstein files&nbsp;detailed past contact between Tom Pritzker, the director of the foundation behind the award, and the disgraced financier.The statement, released to&nbsp;the&nbsp;New York Times,&nbsp;said the Hyatt Foundation’s role as the prize’s benefactor allows it “to remain assured in the strength of its process and focus entirely on the celebration of architectural excellence.” It also emphasized the jury’s independence: “The jury, composed of internationally respected professionals from a range of disciplines, has always and will continue to conduct its work confidentially and free from external influence.”Via ARTnews

CGN Art World Recap: February 24, 2026

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446722/xoyv0gipx0ujc6p02s8h.jpg"></h3>Refik Anadol's&nbsp;Unsupervised&nbsp;at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.Photo Robert Gerhardt/The Museum of Modern Art, New York<h3> </h3><h3><a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/refik-anadol-moma-ai-art-60-minutes-debate-1234774176/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Refik Anadol’s ‘Lava Lamp’ Reignites the AI Art Debate on ’60 Minutes’</a></h3> According to one 2017 study, museum visitors on average spend about 27 seconds looking at a work of art, which is barely enough time to squint, nod thoughtfully, and move on. But if you ask AI artist&nbsp;Refik Anadol&nbsp;about how long people spent with&nbsp;Unsupervised, the controversial artwork he showed at the&nbsp;Museum of Modern Art&nbsp;in 2022, he’d say he got people’s attention for much longer—about 38 minutes per person, to be precise. To make the work, Anadol fed AI metadata related to more than 138,000 works owned by MoMA and let the system reinterpret the museum’s art history as a continuous flow of morphing abstractions. Think van Gogh dissolving into Monet dissolving into de Kooning dissolving into… What’s that saying about too many cooks spoiling the broth, again? Via ARTnews <h3><a href="https://news.artnet.com/multimedia/epstein-emails-art-market-2742320" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Epstein’s Emails Tell Us About the Art Market</a></h3> There are many ways to read the vast trove of documents tied to the convicted sex offender and financier&nbsp;Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019. The Epstein files offer a window into the rarefied, power-brokering circles he inhabited. But the latest tranche—released by the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;in late January and comprising some three million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images—also provides a behind-the-scenes view of high-level financial maneuvering, including Epstein’s connections to the art and cultural worlds. Via Arnet <h3><a href="https://observer.com/2026/02/art-market-collector-guide-artist-signature-add-value/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why a Signature Can Make or Break an Artwork’s Price</a></h3> In the years she served as New York director of Crown Point Press,&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/kim-schmidt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Kim Schmidt</a>&nbsp;worked with numerous artists—<a href="https://observer.com/person/john-cage/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">John Cage</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/francesco-clemente/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Francesco Clemente</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/richard-diebenkorn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Richard Diebenkorn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/al-held/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Al Held</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/pat-steir/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Pat Steir</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://observer.com/person/wayne-thiebaud/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Wayne Thiebaud</a>, among others—on their print editions, and each produced images according to their own processes, which could vary widely. However, Schmidt had one iron rule for every artist and every edition they created: “We wouldn’t let works go out that weren’t signed and numbered.” Via Observer

What We're Reading: 2.24.26

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446797/cf3enb3drlkcyjdg3nvx.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cut-it-out-papercutting-traditions-and-beyond" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cut It Out: Papercutting Traditions and Beyond</a>Exhibition begins February 18Racine Art Museum <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446799/d7z5cua7na9mm4bjdehu.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jack-poker-beneath-an-economy-of-sky" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jack Poker: Beneath an Economy of Sky</a>Opening: Friday, February 20, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMSoNa Chicago Contemporary Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446800/wcp5064cgehmhcdsj25t.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/choreographic-place" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Choreographic Place</a>Exhibition begins February 21Evanston Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446801/fqsunrwtyskxvrupi0vi.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2026-young-artists-of-kalamazoo-county" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2026 Young Artists of Kalamazoo County</a>Exhibition begins February 21Kalamazoo Institute of Arts <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446802/lozi5abipxnfaerhqach.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/essence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Essence</a>Opening: Saturday, February 21, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMShadowBoxX Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446803/qf15cl0djebs4az2gvtq.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/her-story" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Her Story</a>Exhibition begins February 21Evanston Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446804/x4xzplifllyughxpwucv.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/colin-matthes-the-intelligentsia-is-at-the-gates" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Colin Matthes: The Intelligentsia is at the Gates</a>Opening: Saturday, February 21, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PMOS Projects <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1774446805/d0asesoof7g1e8motetg.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/forget-me-not" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forget Me Not</a>Exhibition begins February 22Epiphany Center for the Arts

New Exhibitions Opening February 18 - 22

<h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/museums-zoos/2026/02/12/dusable-black-history-museum-chicago-state-grant-renovations-trump-dei-lawsuit?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=02122026%20Morning%20Edition&amp;utm_content=02122026%20Morning%20Edition+CID_bfcb7785af2e440b2345d1b2c16548d3&amp;utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&amp;utm_term=Museum%20gets%2016M&amp;tpcc=cst_cm" target="_blank">DuSable Black History Museum gets $1.6 million from state of Illinois for building improvements</a></h3> The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center will receive a $1.6 million state grant for renovations. The first installment was presented earlier this month in a check by Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. The funds will go to updating bathrooms, the museum’s Harold Washington wing, and the theater, said CEO Perri Irmer at a&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(211, 36, 44);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&amp;v=1215131217407778" target="_blank">press&nbsp;</a>event. The improvements made to the wing and theater will allow the museum to increase revenue via facility rentals, she said. The state funds and renovation plans come as Black History Month is underway, and the museum extends its February hours of operation to seven days a week. The DuSable has struggled with funding and staff turnover in recent years.&nbsp;In<a style="color: rgb(211, 36, 44);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/museums-zoos/2025/12/02/dusable-black-history-museum-chicago-director-kim-dulaney-whistleblower-lawsuit-perri-irmer" target="_blank">&nbsp;a whistleblower lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed early December in the Circuit Court of Cook County, a former employee raised numerous questions about the museum’s financial and organizational stability. Via Chicago Sun Times<h3> </h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054835/psrkrrrgoidjlueoqs21.jpg">Cave designed the ancient creatures in “Mammoth” with the Chicago metal fabrication studio Manifold. The works are animated by four people walking in unison. In January, the artist took them for a stroll on the Chicago lakefront.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/02/12/nick-cave-artist-mammoths-soundsuits-sculpture-smithsonian" target="_blank">Chicago’s Nick Cave is digging up America’s bones at a fraught moment for the Smithsonian</a></h3> On a cerulean blue Tuesday in early January, artist Nick Cave directs an uncanny scene unfolding along the Chicago lakefront. Three enormous mammoths lumber south toward the city’s silhouetted skyline. It’s around 11 a.m., but the scene feels out of time, hovering between past and present. Built from open metal frames wrapped in long, wispy hair, each creature is animated by four people walking in unison. But their bodies are not the kind of Woolly mammoth reconstructions typically found in museum dioramas. Moving across the horizon, the mammoths appear partially decomposed, as if recently unearthed from an ancient, Arctic permafrost. “Stop!” Cave calls out, his voice carried by the blustering winter wind. “Let’s do that again.” Via WBEZ <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/norman-rockwell-cubs-painting-recalls-decades-futility/" target="_blank">Norman Rockwell's Cubs painting, "The Dugout," now at Art Institute, recalls decades of futility</a></h3> The Norman Rockwell painting "The Dugout,"&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(16, 16, 16);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/norman-rockwell-chicago-cubs-the-dugout-painting-art-institute/" target="_blank">now hanging at the Art Institute of Chicago</a>, is a longstanding symbol of the Chicago Cubs' reputation as lovable losers — which for some fans had its own appeal. The Cubs finally broke that hex in 2016. If you can believe it, the 10th anniversary of that magical night when the Cubs won the World Series is coming up later this year. But it's nothing compared to the 108 years that passed before that without a World Series victory, and 71 without even a World Series appearance. When Rockwell painted "The Dugout" for the Sept. 4, 1948, cover of the Saturday Evening Post, it had been a mere three years since the Cubs had last appeared in the World Series. The painting depicts the Cubs after they lost a doubleheader to the Boston Braves — now the Atlanta Braves — with dejected players standing in the dugout as the fans mock and jeer at them. Via CBS News <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/residential-real-estate/john-hancock-condo-owned-chicago-art-collectors-sale" target="_blank">Longtime John Hancock home of art collectors Gael Neeson and Stefan Edlis for sale</a></h3> A North Michigan Avenue condo where a pair of eminent art collectors lived for decades among numerous canvases and sculptures is on the market. Via Crain's (paywall)

CGN Art World Recap: February 15, 2026

<h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/13/expo-chicago-the-citys-largest-art-fair-downsizing-under-new-leadership/" target="_blank">Expo Chicago, The City’s Largest Art Fair, Downsizing Under New Leadership</a></h3> Expo Chicago, the city’s largest annual art fair, is gearing up to return this spring. But this year, it’ll be a little different.Under new director Kate Sierzputowski, who previously served as Expo’s artistic director, the fair is downsizing its main installation at Navy Pier in an effort to be “more focused and curated,” she said. Via Block Club Chicago <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/louvre-faces-e10m-loss-after-decades-long-ticket-fraud-busted-1234773447/" target="_blank">Louvre Faces €10M Loss After Decades-Long Ticket Fraud Busted</a></h3> A sweeping fraud scheme targeting ticket sales at the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 75, 39);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/t/louvre/" target="_blank">Louvre</a>&nbsp;was uncovered earlier this week, leaving the scandal-plagued museum facing losses estimated at more than €10 million. The Palace of Versailles was also implicated in the scheme, which involved the sale of counterfeit tickets and the overbooking of guided tours, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday. French authorities shared that nine people have been arrested, including two museum employees, several tour guides, and one individual suspected of organizing the scheme. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that more than €957,000 in cash—plus €67,000 in foreign currency—was seized, in addition to €486,000 in separate bank accounts. According to&nbsp;Le Parisien,&nbsp;three vehicles and multiple safe deposit boxes were also confiscated. Via ARTnews <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/02/06/artemisia-gentileschi-michelangelo-rembrandt-new-york-old-masters-auctions" target="_blank">Artemisia Gentileschi, Michelangelo and Rembrandt bring new energy and records to New York’s Old Masters sales</a></h3> The Old Masters auctions in New York saw notable results this week, with new records set for artists including Artemisia Gentileschi, Michelangelo and Rembrandt, while also bringing historically significant works—some fresh to market or newly restituted—into public view. Christie’s Old Masters auction on Wednesday fetched a $54.3m with fees, the highest total for a New York sale in the category in more than a decade. One of Artemisia Gentileschi’s&nbsp;<a style="color: inherit;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/02/02/an-artemisia-gentileschi-self-portrait-and-judy-chicagos-scottish-queen-our-pick-of-the-february-auctions" target="_blank">earliest self-portraits</a>&nbsp;sold for a record $5.7m during its auction debut. Depicted as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Gentileschi painted herself holding a martyr’s palm leaf and wearing a crown and royal robes with a peek of a spiked wheel behind her.&nbsp; Via The Art Newspaper <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ultra-contemporary-old-masters-2744796" target="_blank">Why Ultra-Contemporary Artists Are So Obsessed With Old Masters</a></h3> Artists have always recycled their era’s “Old Masters”: Romans quoted the Greeks, Rodin studied Michelangelo, and Picasso returned to Rembrandt, to name just a few. While the prevalence of these relationships has ebbed and flowed over time, it is peaking again this winter. A striking number of gallery, foundation, and museum shows in New York are foregrounding emerging and established contemporary artists’ interplay with European art history, from Donatello to Goya, with press materials that underscore this lineage almost as strongly as the work itself. Via Artnet

What We're Reading: 2.14.26

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054801/iwiaf8zmdwt6wspfwkgv.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/it-will-destroy-you" target="_blank">It Will Destroy You</a>Opening: Friday, February 13, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMUkrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054802/kec7iju1zkwpddfiz8jn.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-heresy-of-legacy" target="_blank">The Heresy of Legacy</a>Opening: Friday, February 13, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMVolume Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054803/xypit7e4lqfzljcz8tmv.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/i-dream-i-cross-the-river-in-one-stride" target="_blank">I Dream I Cross the River in One Stride</a>Opening: Friday, February 13, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMMariane Ibrahim <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054804/mybpg0eqm2ic3sw78f0o.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/authorized-entry-sechor-akiva-listman" target="_blank">Authorized Entry: Sechor &amp; Akiva Listman</a>Opening: Saturday, February 14, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PMVSG Contemporary

New Exhibitions February 13 & 14

CGN adds to its&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">calendar of art events</a>&nbsp;daily, and there is no shortage of new exhibitions, openings, art fairs, talks and family art events to explore. We have put together a preview of what is coming up the rest of this month. Even though it's winter and we are looking to stay in and cozy, there is plenty to see and enjoy throughout the city. Events happen throughout the city as well as in the suburbs and within a day's drive. Whether you have an hour after work or you are looking for a weekend road trip, take a look and do a little planning in order to take a step into the world of art. Everyone is welcome! Highlights are organized by event type. Dates vary and are subject to change. –&nbsp;GinnyCGN Publisher <h3>• Exhibitions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054771/z8kbr6ctuw5mw4sdwt3o.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ancestral-futures" target="_blank">Ancestral Futures</a></h3><h4> </h4>Feb 5-27, 2026Opening: Friday, Feb 6, 2026 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/arc-gallery" target="_blank">ARC Gallery</a> What does it mean to be a good future ancestor? How might today’s personal, cultural, social, and or environmental actions become legacies for those who come after us? This juried exhibition, curated by artist and ceramicist Donté K. Hayes, shows works that meditate on wisdom, intentionality, and the responsibility of shaping a world that extends beyond ourselves. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054772/ow9sixxp5qxqeyuoeqjl.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/hold" target="_blank">Hold</a></h3> Feb 5-Mar 1, 2026Opening: Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/perspective-photo-gallery" target="_blank">Perspective Photo Gallery</a> Perspective Gallery presents&nbsp;"HOLD,"&nbsp;Perspective Gallery’s 2026 Invitational Exhibition featuring works by selected BFA students from the School of the Art Institute.&nbsp;Curated by Aimee Beaubien, Professor &amp; Chair in the Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago,&nbsp;"HOLD" features work by six emerging artists currently pursuing their BFA, and working within the Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Abigail Brooke Ackles, Ethan Kunoff, Isabel Lim, Collin Lust, Sarah Price, Dev Kili Stolkiner. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054773/g7driv9icgn2ig2bbksu.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/wont-you-celebrate-with-me" target="_blank">Won’t You Celebrate With Me?</a></h3> Feb 6-27, 2026Opening: Friday, Feb 6, 2026 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/chicago-artists-coalition-cac" target="_blank">Chicago Artists Coalition (CAC)</a> Won't You Celebrate With Me?&nbsp;is an exhibition where artists Reevah Agarwaal, Cay Mims, and Nekita Thomas journey through memory, weaving truth and wonder to investigate what lies beyond the surface.Part personal archive, part apparition, this exhibition explores themes of memory, lineage, and impermanence. Agarwaal, Mims, and Thomas take their past narratives and shape them into new realities, seeking deeper understanding of what may remain unsaid. Together, they question the ways in which we construct and control our own memories. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054774/hrrnvkecsuhhiincbmoc.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/resilience-in-color" target="_blank">Resilience in Color</a></h3> Feb 7-Feb 28, 2026Opening: Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-grove-gallery" target="_blank">The Grove Gallery</a> Exhibition of art of and by ВІРОС (Black Indigenous People of Color) Artists <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054775/ifjrsqfwk7hkpsrj6ary.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-heresy-of-legacy" target="_blank">The Heresy of Legacy</a></h3> Feb 13, 2026 - Mar 28, 2026Opening: Friday, Feb 13, 2026 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/volume-gallery" target="_blank">Volume Gallery</a> The Heresy of Legacy, the first exhibition at Volume Gallery’s new, expanded, space, explores the cyclical nature of movements and currents in art, architecture, and design—how innovation emerges in friction with established legacies, and how heresy becomes the foundation for new canons. This group exhibition considers what happens when today’s artists engage the paradox of history: honoring the influence of the past while consciously dismantling it. Rooted in the history of the avant-garde, the exhibition acknowledges how reactionary moves have continually propelled art, architecture, and design forward. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054775/yo5q2rouk6jr4aga8ziq.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/i-dream-i-cross-the-river-in-one-stride" target="_blank">I Dream I Cross the River in One Stride</a></h3> Feb 13, 2026 - Mar 28, 2026 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/mariane-ibrahim" target="_blank">Mariane Ibrahim</a> This group exhibition gathers the work of Clémence Gbonon (b. 1994), Brittney Leeanne Williams (b. 1990) and Autumn Wallace (b. 1996).&nbsp;I Dream I Cross the River in One Stride&nbsp;takes Lorraine O’Grady’s foundational essay&nbsp;Olympia’s Maid: Reclaiming Black Female Subjectivity&nbsp;as a point of departure. If, as O’Grady argues, the Black female body has long functioned as the unseen reverse side of Western femininity—present as stereotype, absent as subject—these artists reclaim their right to explore an image that is self-authored, multiple and unafraid of its own&nbsp;excess. <h3>• Performances and Special Events</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054776/yergh53jpytovwszcgc6.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/glenn-kotche-solo-concert" target="_blank">Glenn Kotche Solo Concert</a></h3> Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 3PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/corbett-vs-dempsey" target="_blank">Corbett vs. Dempsey</a> Corbett vs. Dempsey presents a rare solo concert by Glenn Kotche. Glenn Kotche (b. 1970) is one of the great multi-directional percussionists of our time. Most widely known for his work in the engine room of the band Wilco, Kotche's excursions in experimental and improvised music have been chronicled on many solo records. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054777/s3wgsrp7jxqxgfdyradf.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/concert-a-birthday-celebration-for-yoko-ono" target="_blank">Concert | A Birthday Celebration for Yoko Ono</a></h3> Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026 7:30PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-mca" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)</a> On her 93rd birthday and coinciding with the close of&nbsp;Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, an array of performers come together for an intimate tribute to Ono's life and legacy. Iconic instruction-based artworks, including&nbsp;Sky Piece to Jesus Christ&nbsp;(1965), will be enacted, culminating in a musical set. Northwestern University's Contemporary Music Ensemble, led by renowned conductor Alan Pierson, will perform. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054777/esur1cygrpdga8bttazd.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/darkroom-annual-benefit-auction-party" target="_blank">DARKROOM Annual Benefit Auction Party</a></h3> Thursday, Feb 26, 2026 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-photography-mocp" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP)</a> Celebrate MoCP's 50th anniversary at the annual benefit auction party DARKROOM on February 26, 2026. DARKROOM brings together hundreds of photography enthusiasts, artists, and arts patrons for an evening to support the museum. This year, MoCP honors photographer Joel Sternfeld with the Silver Camera Award while showcasing nearly fifty artists in the auction and offering one-of-a-kind live arts experiences on-site at DARKROOM. # <h2><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" target="_blank">View the full CGN calendar here</a></h2>

CGN Art Preview: February 2026

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054748/pczimobd0k2acspmuxlb.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/wont-you-celebrate-with-me" target="_blank">Won’t You Celebrate With Me?</a>Opening: Friday, February 6, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMChicago Artists Coalition (CAC) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054748/putcswtxicfgo71u5alm.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/malcolm-taylor-the-state-of-play" target="_blank">Malcolm Taylor: The State of Play</a>Exhibition begins February 7Krasl Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054749/t2tcz4t4jr9yglnetvfp.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/future-now-virtual-sneakers-to-cutting-edge-kicks" target="_blank">Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks</a>Exhibition begins February 7Kalamazoo Institute of Arts <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054750/nq5sj3rwtphh7lndxaj5.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/material-memory" target="_blank">Material Memory</a>Exhibition begins February 7Krasl Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054751/uqzyjxyb4oggueboj92i.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/emily-endo-estuary" target="_blank">Emily Endo: Estuary</a>Exhibition begins February 7John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054751/dixjrastykqu3pjjzokp.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/resilience-in-color" target="_blank">Resilience in Color</a>Opening: Saturday, February 7, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PMThe Grove Gallery

New Exhibitions Begin February 4 - 7 (Part II)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054736/jobivut1qfems4v3hxk9.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/hamdia-traors-des-marabouts-de-djenn-and-muslim-portraiture-in-mali" target="_blank">Hamdia Traoré’s “Des marabouts de Djenné” and Muslim Portraiture in Mali</a>February 4Block Museum of Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054738/s2ukmtnymllw1ctmudca.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/beneath-the-surface-featuring-arlene-byster-and-patricia-markos-dolan" target="_blank">Beneath the Surface: Featuring Arlene Byster and Patricia Markos Dolan</a>February 5gallery 1871 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054738/eley1dn26fh2gs6hihmz.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/women-artists-in-the-field" target="_blank">Women Artists in the Field</a>Opening: Thursday, February 19, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PMWadsworth Family Gallery at Lewis University <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054739/lhbcq6enjn9zogwq5nqm.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/hold" target="_blank">Hold</a>February 5Perspective Photo Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054740/z3ss5fywifu1jmqa5waz.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ancestral-futures" target="_blank">Ancestral Futures</a>Opening: Friday, February 6, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMARC Gallery

New Exhibitions Begin February 4 - 7 (Part I)

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054713/ztvb4au4jc03l10b0lnl.jpg"></h3>This month, James Rondeau is marking the 10th anniversary of his appointment as president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2026, he’ll help steer forward a projected $50 million art conservation center project, one step in a larger goal of making over the institution and expanding it to keep its competitive edge.Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times<h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2026/01/29/art-institute-chicago-president-james-rondeau" target="_blank">James Rondeau is ready to expand the Art Institute’s footprint — and put that airplane incident behind him</a></h3> Running an art museum may be one of the toughest jobs in the arts at the moment. There are cuts in federal support and philanthropic pullbacks to contend with. Sociopolitical jabs from the left and right. Even existential questions about the relevance and purpose of such institutions in the 21st century. Via WBEZ <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/list/art-news/news/jeffrey-epstein-art-connections-1234771821/" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein’s Art World Connections: A Guide</a></h3> Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died by apparent suicide in 2019 while in jail facing additional charges related to alleged sex trafficking in New York and Florida, cultivated an expansive network of powerful and influential contacts in a wide array of fields—art very much among them. In addition to his dealings in the worlds of finance, science, and technology, the reputed billionaire engaged with art institutions, collectors, and cultural enterprises now reckoning with their affiliations with a figure whose history is being closely examined.&nbsp; Via ARTnews <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/chicago-volume-gallery-move-west-town-1234771359/" target="_blank">Chicago’s Volume Gallery Triples in Size with a Move to West Town</a></h3> The last couple of years have seen many art galleries close in art hubs around the world amid a struggling market. But one in Chicago is tripling in size with a move to a new neighborhood.&nbsp;Volume Gallery&nbsp;will open on February 13 in a 3,500-square-foot space designed by co-founders Claire Warner and Sam Vinz at 1700 West Hubbard Street, across from mainstays Mariane Ibrahim and Monique Meloche. It’s the gallery’s third space since it opened in 2010.&nbsp; Via ARTnews <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/arts/smithsonian-museum-america-250th-anniversary.html" target="_blank">Art for All: A Smithsonian Museum Spreads Its Bounty for America’s 250th</a></h3><h3> </h3>With its recognizable Brutalist-doughnut architecture, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.si.edu/museums/hirshhorn-museum-and-sculpture-garden" target="_blank">Smithsonian Institution’s</a>&nbsp;redoubt for modern and contemporary art on the National Mall in Washington. As part of the Smithsonian, it is meant to be a museum for all of America. And to underscore that national mission — and to emphasize that modern and contemporary art need not be exclusive to liberal metropolitan coastal elites — the Hirshhorn has decided to loan scores of artworks from its large collection to smaller museums in all 50 states, red and blue. Via NYT

What We're Reading: 2.3.26

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054654/mqbgxgf8jdtb5j8u74nn.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/world-in-my-eyes" target="_blank">World in My Eyes</a>Opening: Friday, January 30, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMJoy Machine <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054654/aioowpvxhzjrxc3cfvb0.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/antonius-tn-bui" target="_blank">Antonius-Tín Bui: here, there is a different kind of sun</a>Opening: Saturday, January 31, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMmoniquemeloche <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054655/tyncu2vtd9lye5etky64.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jesse-howard-a-woke-diaspora" target="_blank">Jesse Howard: A Woke Diaspora</a>Opening: Saturday, January 31, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMBert Green Fine Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054656/xj69aih5w0afkhaoacys.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/februarys-youth-art-month-exhibitions" target="_blank">February's Youth Art Month Exhibitions</a>January 31The Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054656/j8xe5ci69mzlcr6teapy.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/eli-williamson-fellowship" target="_blank">Eli Williamson: Fellowship</a>Opening: Sunday, February 1, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PMEvanston Art Center

New Exhibitions Begin January 30 - February 1

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054623/aprrqa5a2ga0in1bspfr.jpg">Darkroom 2025 Benefit committee member Eszter Borvendeg. By GINNY VAN ALYEA The Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago (MoCP) is gearing up for a milestone celebration—50 years of championing photography in Chicago—with its annual benefit auction party, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mocp.org/events/darkroom2026/?mc_cid=f534de3cf6&amp;mc_eid=58cea278c7" target="_blank">DARKROOM</a>, happening February 26, 2026.A signature MoCP fundraiser and one of the season’s most anticipated photography events, DARKROOM brings together hundreds of artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts for one unforgettable night honoring the city’s vibrant photo community—past, present, and future. Even the event's name is a nod to how long this photography institution has been around and how foundational it is to appreciating the medium. I am curious how many people actually know what a darkroom is and the kind of magic space it can be. How many have been in one to develop photos and know the smell of the the chemicals that reveal images on blank pieces of paper. A medium many are familiar with on an hourly basis today, thanks to smartphones, has a long and rich history that has continually impacted and influenced our lives. All this and more will be celebrated and appreciated on February 26. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054624/rex0knpxztpfgx7ifyri.jpg">Joel Sternfeld,&nbsp;McLean, Virginia, 1978 Silver Camera Award Honoree: Joel Sternfeld This year, MoCP will honor award-winning photographer Joel Sternfeld with the Silver Camera Award, recognizing his influential career and achievements spanning more than five decades. With a career spanning over fifty years, Joel Sternfeld is regarded as a major influence in contemporary landscape photography, in part as an early proponent of working in color. In the tradition of the New Topographics photographers, Sternfeld documents the American landscape, noting the ironic, often destructive impact of human activity on the land. His photographs balance wry social observation with a poetic sensitivity to light and color. Ahead of the party, Sternfeld will also present a Lecture in Photography at noon on Thursday, February 26, 2026, part of MoCP’s public speaker series co-sponsored by Columbia College Chicago’s School of Visual Arts. 50 Artworks + One-of-a-Kind Experiences In celebration of the museum’s 50th anniversary, the DARKROOM auction will feature fifty artworks and unique arts experiences by both rising and internationally celebrated artists who have shaped MoCP’s legacy and the wider field of photography. Featured contributors include: Regina Agu, Uta Barth, Dawoud Bey, Vera Lutter, Abelardo Morell, Aaron Siskind, and Penelope Umbrico (among others). <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054624/kx4icisnikaifnxxensu.jpg">Ward Miller and David Salkin Portraits, Music, and More Darkroom is also set to deliver plenty beyond the bidding. Guests can take part in an exclusive on-site portrait opportunity inside an original installation by Marzena Abrahamik (2025 Guggenheim Fellow and a MoCP permanent collection artist).The night’s soundtrack will be curated by Alejandro Zerah, Smartbar Talent Buyer and a featured name in Newcity Magazine’s Music 45 (2025). This is also, of course, a party and a chance to celebrate MoCP in person, surrounded b photography while enjoying food sponsored by Gage Hospitality Group and craft cocktails by Sovereign Brands Half Acre beer. It's good to know these things in advance so you know what to enjoy first! Supporting museum programming and education initiatives, the Darkroom auction will be available to view in person at the Hokin Gallery February 13–20, 2026, and will be open for in-person and online bidding through the event on February 26, 2026. Tickets are available online and will also be available for purchase at the door. Images by Lisa Gottschalk and Z Marciniak. _________________________________ <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054625/lurfrqovve0kdxbr2ut7.jpg"> DARKROOM Auction Preview ExhibitionFebruary 13-20, 2026Monday-Friday 9am-5pmHokin Gallery623 S Wabash Ave, Fl 1Chicago, IL*Free and open to the public. Lecture in Photography: Joel SternfeldFebruary 26, 202612:00 pmFerguson Lecture Hall600 S Michigan AveChicago, IL<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=29bca1f8f7&amp;e=58cea278c7" target="_blank">*Free and open to the public, registration required</a>. DARKROOM Annual Benefit Auction PartyFebruary 26, 2026Columbia College Chicago Student Center754 S Wabash AveChicago, IL •&nbsp;VIP reception with Joel Sternfeld5:30-6:30 pm •&nbsp;Benefit auction party6:30-9:30 pm <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=fec3511d5f&amp;e=58cea278c7" target="_blank">*Ticket purchase required</a> DETAILS at <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mocp.org/events/darkroom2026/?mc_cid=f534de3cf6&amp;mc_eid=58cea278c7" target="_blank">MoCP.org</a>

Reflecting on 50 Years: MoCP Celebrates with Darkroom Benefit February 26

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1769195057/rwnrafdtojf5ald7jwak.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mocp-at-50-collecting-through-the-decades" target="_blank">MoCP at 50: Collecting Through the Decades</a>Exhibition begins January 22Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1769195057/vxmrkztkiefvkwk50ude.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-person-chosen-named-or-honored" target="_blank">a person chosen, named, or honored...</a>Jan 24, 2026 - Mar 7, 2026Opening: Saturday, Jan 24, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PMPATRON <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1769195058/xm9l51smglo5myukk9ch.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-92nd-exhibition-of-visual-artist-members" target="_blank">The 92nd Exhibition of Visual Artist Members</a>Exhibition begins January 24. Reception rescheduled for January 27, 6-8pm.The Arts Club of Chicago <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1769195059/og1bhdbqseqmfxmltzcx.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/world-in-my-eyes" target="_blank">World in My Eyes</a>Update: Opening: Friday, January 30, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMJoy Machine <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1769195060/litghywhpiohek2axrgn.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/shelf-show" target="_blank">Shelf Show</a>Opening: Friday, January 23, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM and Saturday, January 24 12-4pm.SAWHORSE <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1769195061/dnuazkm7jgtes8kbchg9.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/yoonshin-park-prompt-and-prompted" target="_blank">Yoonshin Park: Prompt and Prompted</a>Exhibition begins January 24Hyde Park Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1769195063/umnhgqrvfr29u5qhyvsp.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/living-with-modernism-kelli-connell" target="_blank">Living with Modernism: Kelli Connell</a>Exhibition begins January 24Elmhurst Art Museum <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1769195064/pve7bwm6flfveonidkt9.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lisa-ridgers-linc-thelen-fresh-tracks" target="_blank">Lisa Ridgers &amp; Linc Thelen: Fresh Tracks</a>Jan 24, 2026 - Mar 2, 2026Opening: Saturday, Jan 24, 2026 4:00 PM – 6:00 PMAnne Loucks Gallery

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