<h3> </h3><h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2026/02/24/loyola-university-demolition-rogers-park-flatiron-building" 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/v1772144001/obm26bozhrmjhratggac.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 rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-kx3yz48zellejw6e" 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 rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/pritzker-prize-tom-pritzker-epstein-files-response-1234774267/" 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/v1771953223/ueoaaqxojtwarcsagbem.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 rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/refik-anadol-moma-ai-art-60-minutes-debate-1234774176/" 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 rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/multimedia/epstein-emails-art-market-2742320" 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 rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/2026/02/art-market-collector-guide-artist-signature-add-value/" 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 style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/kim-schmidt/" target="_blank">Kim Schmidt</a>&nbsp;worked with numerous artists—<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/john-cage/" target="_blank">John Cage</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/francesco-clemente/" target="_blank">Francesco Clemente</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/richard-diebenkorn/" target="_blank">Richard Diebenkorn</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/al-held/" target="_blank">Al Held</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/pat-steir/" target="_blank">Pat Steir</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/wayne-thiebaud/" 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/v1771539045/hvw5hqxpwnrf9sbnaefa.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cut-it-out-papercutting-traditions-and-beyond" 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/v1771539046/zbusdg4qxgosgt4x5jum.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jack-poker-beneath-an-economy-of-sky" 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/v1771539047/j4oc53qxm26lit0uftp5.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/choreographic-place" target="_blank">Choreographic Place</a>Exhibition begins February 21Evanston Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1771539048/ua3enfteqfyip4w1hkgz.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2026-young-artists-of-kalamazoo-county" 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/v1771539048/waeaq0mnlp5qw97zzfth.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/essence" target="_blank">Essence</a>Opening: Saturday, February 21, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMShadowBoxX Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1771539049/ccyaxzxiualfs8kokakt.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/her-story" target="_blank">Her Story</a>Exhibition begins February 21Evanston Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1771539050/jzr76b4dnipxmaf3nrve.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/colin-matthes-the-intelligentsia-is-at-the-gates" 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/v1771539051/mgxgus8ocffrpkkvjm7z.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/forget-me-not" 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

New Exhibitions Begin January 22 - 24

CGN adds to its <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">calendar of art events</a> 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/v1768237167/ncx7gcseriuego9rrxsc.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/housewarming" target="_blank">Housewarming</a></h4> On view as of January 9, 2026 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/elise-seigenthaler-gallery" target="_blank">Elise Seigenthaler Gallery</a> “Housewarming” marks the inaugural exhibition at Elise Seigenthaler Gallery, with works by Amira Diaw, Rebekka Federle, Ava Peterson, and Olivia Porter. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1768237168/hna8yzwi3tw56fdlsuge.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/leah-ke-yi-zheng-change" target="_blank">Leah Ke Yi Zheng: Change</a></h4> Thru Apr 12, 2026 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-renaissance-society" target="_blank">The Renaissance Society</a> Leah Ke Yi Zheng’s upcoming exhibition presents a complete series of 64 paintings based on the hexagrams of the&nbsp; I Ching (Book of Changes), a foundational text in Chinese philosophy that offers insights into the changing nature of existence. Each painting reflects on a hexagram not through literal representation, but through an evolving visual language shaped by abstraction, intuition, and the interplay of light and material. As she works with silk and hand-built hardwood stretchers, in continual difference, the exhibition becomes a meditation on change itself: how it is read, made visible, and experienced through painting.Zheng’s practice brings together traditional Chinese materialities and conceptual art methodologies to explore transformation, multiplicity, and the logic of variation. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1768237169/e8a2fkwzudlh3qlgesu5.png"> <h4><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></h4> Jan 22, 2026 - May 16, 2026 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-photography-mocp" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP)</a> Since opening in 1976 and initiating collecting in 1979, MoCP has acquired over 18,000 objects by more than 2,000 artists, representing a broad scope of aesthetics, technologies, and processes. The variety of artworks collected has allowed the museum to engage in conversations across political, social, and cultural landscapes. To celebrate this milestone,&nbsp;MoCP at Fifty&nbsp;examines the evolving practice of building a dynamic collection, presenting a range of objects, from the rarely exhibited to newly acquired works. Together, these selections question and reflect on the role cultural institutions play in shaping the photographic canon. Each of the museum’s five galleries represents a decade of collecting, beginning with the most recent acquisitions (2016-2026) in the first gallery, then moving backwards through time. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1768237169/dn2l2jza3n3fh5zgdddr.jpg"> <h4><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></h4> Jan 23, 2026 - Mar 7, 2026 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-arts-club-of-chicago" target="_blank">The Arts Club of Chicago</a> The Arts Club’s Exhibition of Visual Artist Members is a beloved tradition that brings great pride and prestige to the institution and its membership. Following an inaugural exhibition of paintings by John Singer Sargent in 1916, the second exhibition ever mounted at The Arts Club was of work by our members. Although its structure has changed over the past century, the goal of the exhibition remains the same: to celebrate and showcase the creative efforts of our artist members across a range of media, styles, genres, and forms. To continue The Arts Club’s tradition of showcasing a current and dynamic representation of our members’ practices, participants are asked to submit works completed within the past two years. Some of the artists members are participating in this exhibition for the first time; others have participated for several decades. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1768237170/heokzukxrrafprukkhql.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/living-with-modernism-kelli-connell" target="_blank">Living with Modernism: Kelli Connell</a></h4> Jan 24, 2026 - Apr 27, 2026 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/elmhurst-art-museum" target="_blank">Elmhurst Art Museum</a> Presenting two series by the Chicago-based artist, Connell’s nationally traveling exhibition&nbsp;Pictures for Charis&nbsp;responds to the iconic photographs of Highland Park-born artist&nbsp;Edward Weston&nbsp;through a queer, feminist lens. Her second major body of work—Double Life—explores the evolution of intimate relationships shaped by the changing nature of identity over time, and features new commissions responding to the architecture of the&nbsp;Mies van der Rohe-designed McCormick House. The exhibition marks the largest presentation of Connell’s work in Chicago, placing queerness, power structures, and shifting ecologies in the twenty-first century in conversation with two giants of modernism. <h3>• Special Events</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1768237171/wdnoliiizbhux5jhbzzo.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mlk-day-2026-chaos-or-community" target="_blank">MLK Day 2026: Chaos or Community?</a></h4> Monday, Jan 19, 2026 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hyde-park-art-center" target="_blank">Hyde Park Art Center</a> HPAC proudly presents&nbsp;a free public Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration&nbsp;MLK DAY 2026: CHAOS OR COMMUNITY&nbsp;on&nbsp;Monday, January 19, from 11 AM – 4 PM&nbsp;at 5020 South Cornell Avenue. Eclectic programming for all ages blends live music, thought-provoking film, artmaking, and meditation, to highlight art as a vessel for collective memory, liberation, and joy, while reflecting on Dr. King’s profound impact on social justice and cultural movements. Registration is recommended at&nbsp;<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://hydeparkart.org/" target="_blank">HydeParkArt.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1768237172/hahgupw0ivh58qezd1rk.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/winter-newberryfest" target="_blank">Winter NewberryFest</a></h4> Saturday, Jan 24, 2026 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/newberry-library" target="_blank">Newberry Library</a> The Newberry will hold an event on Saturday, January 24, designed to help both new and returning visitors learn more about the independent research library in Chicago’s Gold Coast.&nbsp;“Winter NewberryFest”&nbsp;is an open house-style event that will lean into the library’s extensive collection of maps, dating from the 1500s through present.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1768237173/fyoucgr9exi09zqnvnsi.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/chicago-museum-member-swap-weekend" target="_blank">Chicago Museum Member Swap Weekend</a></h4> Jan 29, 2026 - Feb 1, 2026 Chicago’s first Museum Member Swap Weekend takes place during the last weekend of January. Members of the following museums can visit 11 other museums around the city with a single member card free of charge.&nbsp; Participating institutions include: <ul><li>American Writers Museum</li><li>Driehaus Museum</li><li>Glessner House</li><li>Illinois Holocaust Museum presents Experience360</li><li>International Museum of Surgical Science</li><li>Intuit Art Museum</li><li>Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago</li><li>National Museum of Mexican Art</li><li>National Public Housing Museum</li><li>National Hellenic Museum</li><li>Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art</li></ul> <h3>• CGN News </h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1768237174/q9309bixjo9wlox0cboc.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/publishers-letter-the-cgn-arts-guide-turns-ten" target="_blank">2026: The CGN Arts Guide Turns Ten</a></h4> <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/publishers-letter-the-cgn-arts-guide-turns-ten" target="_blank">Ten years of</a> CGN Arts Guides. Artists from left: Carlos Rolon, Scott Reeder, Judy Ledgerwood, Bethany Collins, Tony Tasset, Andrew Holmquist, Amanda Williams, Christina Ramberg, Jonathan Higgins, Diego Marcon

CGN Art Preview: January 2026

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054508/iir7rimdmu99frrqhbif.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/housewarming" target="_blank">Housewarming</a>Opening: Friday, January 9, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMElise Seigenthaler Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054509/uzt61t2imrs1k52mhr9n.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/spaces-for-people-systems-for-spaces" target="_blank">Spaces for People, Systems for Spaces</a>Opening: Friday, January 9, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMWestern Exhibitions <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054509/m02tzpvjdaecp0vwj9cy.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/from-its-own-ashes" target="_blank">From Its Own Ashes</a>Opening: Friday, January 9, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMChicago Artists Coalition (CAC) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054510/slbxtn8qdnwcdp02cwl1.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jimmy-desana-and-paul-mpagi-sepuya" target="_blank">Jimmy DeSana and Paul Mpagi Sepuya</a>Opening: Friday, Jan 9, 2026 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMDOCUMENT <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054511/vmiwfj9mhnue6zl0n2rq.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/goldilocks-moment" target="_blank">Goldilocks Moment</a>Opening: Friday, January 9, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMSoNa Chicago Contemporary Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054512/ffmdilqkgdazlobnhdxh.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/leah-ke-yi-zheng-change" target="_blank">Leah Ke Yi Zheng: Change</a>Opening: Saturday, January 10, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PMThe Renaissance Society <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054512/fnwisfyat0ki0aspv6ar.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/triptych-kate-berry-brown-vanessa-filley-and-darren-oberto" target="_blank">Triptych: Kate Berry-Brown, Vanessa Filley and Darren Oberto</a>Opening: Saturday, January 10, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMThe Grove Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054513/tyxg1qffdbgqflxftcrs.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/william-harper-fugue" target="_blank">William Harper: Fugue</a>Opening: Saturday, January 10, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery

New Exhibitions Opening January 9 & 10

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054494/n4lxmhpipcyqjg4ylngw.jpg"></h3>A bell inside the Dom Tower in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Thousands of Dutch church bells were destroyed by the Nazis, melted down for weapons and ammunition. A few of the oldest were protected as monuments, marked with an “M.”<h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/arts/nazis-church-bells-ww2.html" target="_blank">The Nazi Plunder of Church Bells Changed the Sound of Europe</a></h3> In a diary entry in the summer of 1943, Anne Frank wrote that she had lost all sense of time. The bells in Amsterdam’s tallest church tower, the Westertoren, right next to her own attic hiding place in a canal house, had stopped ringing. During World War II, Hitler’s Germany requisitioned some 175,000 church bells from across Europe, so that they could extract their metal components, mostly copper and tin. Via NYT<h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/05/how-much-should-art-cost-the-pitfalls-and-paradoxes-of-pricing-works" target="_blank">How much should art cost? The pitfalls and paradoxes of pricing works</a></h3> In the cyclical booms and busts of the art market, downturns tend to reverse prevailing trends. In 2015, for example, the reign of the Zombie Formalism trend died of a 7% contraction in global sales. In Miami that year, Jeffrey Deitch and Larry Gagosian mounted the figurative group show&nbsp;Unrealism&nbsp;in its wake, officially anointing figuration as the art market’s next big thing. The art economy recovered, and figuration ascended until the next inflection point in 2022, when, with rising interest rates, prevailing trends again began to reverse. Confident collectors became cautious, expanding galleries downsized, and during this year’s autumn fairs, headlines boasted of Millennials’ rising interest in Old Masters, the ultimate referendum to the ultra-contemporary bubble that just burst. Via The Art Newspaper <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/art-world-insiders-2026-market-predictions-new-years-1234768290/" target="_blank">Art World Insiders Make Their New Year’s Predictions for 2026</a></h3> 2025 was a disorienting and destabilizing year, both in the art market and farther afield. But amid all the doom and gloom of gallery closures, tariff announcements, and Trump proclamations, there were hints of brighter days ahead. For every gallery that shut its doors, another opened, and this fall saw the art market seemingly spring to life after a dismaying first six months.2026, then, offers much to look forward to. Art Basel and Frieze will launch new fairs in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, respectively, and two of the most anticipated biennials—the Whitney Biennial and the Venice Biennale—will return. If nothing else, the new year will likely reveal whether the art world’s pivot to the Gulf, and auction houses’ deepening emphasis on luxury categories, were good choices. Via ARTnews <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hyperallergic.com/in-2026-democracy-needs-museums/" target="_blank">In 2026, Democracy Needs Museums</a></h3> Believe it or not, the future of our nation may rest on how museums in the United States perform in 2026.&nbsp; We must deliver content about the 250th anniversary of our nation and its democracy that is thoughtful and comprehensive. We must make access to museums within reach of all Americans. And finally, museums must issue a challenge to the communities we serve: It’s time to know your nation’s history, if for no other reason than that it is our only path to building a more perfect union. It’s tempting to be dispirited as a museum professional these days. Headlines about a highly partisan political environment, a cynical public, and a tidal wave of industrial and cultural change driven by AI might lead one to think that museums have been relegated to the sidelines of our nation’s future.&nbsp;&nbsp; Via Hyperallergic

What We're Reading 1.5.26

<h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/12/18/independent-and-nimble-art-fairs-are-redrawing-the-art-market-map" target="_blank">In 2025, new ‘independent and nimble’ art fairs began redrawing the market map</a></h3> Although gallery closures and tepid auction results loom largest, art fair casualties have been another signal of the market’s challenges in 2025. The Art Dealers Association of America postponed the 37th edition of its Manhattan fair, the Art Show, this summer, days before Taipei Dangdai’s 2026 iteration was called off. The forthcoming editions of Photofairs Hong Kong, the India Art Fair’s Mumbai expo and the Baltimore Fine Art Print &amp; Photo Fair were all cancelled, too.Amid these retrenchments, however, 2025 brought alternative fairs from Paris to the Berkshires.&nbsp; Via The Art Newspaper <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/arts/design/louvre-heist-thief-museum-security.html" target="_blank">After the Louvre Heist, Museums Look for Lessons to Help Stop Thieves</a></h3> The brazen&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-paris-robbery.html" target="_blank">daylight heist</a>&nbsp;at the Louvre has left many American museums reassessing their security measures, focusing on perimeter control, the adequacy of their security cameras and the timely availability of armed responders, security consultants and museum officials say. Like all crimes, the Paris theft had its idiosyncratic factors, but all three of these elements&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/world/europe/inside-louvre-jewel-heist.html" target="_blank">played a crucial part</a>&nbsp;at the Louvre, where thieves drove a stolen truck up to the museum on a quiet Sunday morning, extended an electric ladder to a second-floor window and broke in. They used disc grinders to extract jewelry valued at about 88 million euros, or $102 million, from cases in the gilded Apollo Gallery. None of the stolen material has been recovered. “The biggest takeaway is, ‘Are your security people watching your perimeter aware of who is working at the museum?’” Via NYTimes <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-bites-mona-lisa-louvre-heist-2708512" target="_blank">The Theft That Made the Mona Lisa Famous</a></h3> The robbery that took place at the Louvre on October 19, 2025—when thieves disguised as construction workers&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/louvre-robbery-2701689" target="_blank">stole</a>&nbsp;$102 million in French crown jewels—has already gone down as one of the most infamous art heists in recent history. However, it hardly holds a candle to the scandal that rocked Paris in 1911, when criminals took off with the museum’s most treasured possession: Leonardo da Vinci’s&nbsp;Mona Lisa. Like the recent heist, the 1911 robbery was similarly cartoonish in its&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thecollector.com/how-did-vincenzo-peruggia-steal-the-mona-lisa/" target="_blank">execution</a>. The main culprit, an Italian handyman and museum employee named Vicenzo Peruggia, hid inside a supply closet until closing time.&nbsp; Via Artnet Top photo: Courtesy of CGN <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artforum.com/news/white-house-reiterates-funding-threat-against-smithsonian-1234741259/" target="_blank">White House Intensifies Funding Threats Against Smithsonian</a></h3> The Trump administration, which&nbsp;<a style="color: currentcolor;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artforum.com/news/smithsonian-exhibitions-white-house-scrutiny-1234733703/" target="_blank">this past August announced that it would review</a>&nbsp;current and forthcoming Smithsonian exhibitions “to assess tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals,” has reiterated its threat to pull funding if the Smithsonian does not comply. Although the Smithsonian provided the White House with documentation in September, Domestic Policy Council director Vince Haley and White House budget director Russell Vought on December 18&nbsp;<a style="color: currentcolor;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smithsonian-Letter-20251218.pdf" target="_blank">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III complaining that what was sent “fell far short of what was requested,” according to a&nbsp;<a style="color: currentcolor;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2025/12/20/trump-smithsonian-funding-withhold-content-review/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>&nbsp;report.&nbsp; Via Art Forum

What We're Reading: 12.29.25

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054442/qd2ae5qbxofb8lklfkln.jpg"> By CGN Staff There will be a lot to see at home and on the road this year. Highlights for 2026 include a wealth of under-the-radar shows, anniversary celebrations, international art fairs, and shining&nbsp;moments for artists throughout the Midwest. The Obama Presidential Center will finally open, a famed local museum turns 50, and this fall visitors to the Art Institute will see an Impressionist in a new light. There are also many shows yet to be announced in the galleries, and events are&nbsp;frequently added to <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming" target="_blank">chicagogallerynews.com</a> To stay up to date with galleries and museums in 2026&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">subscribe to CGN or purchase a copy</a>&nbsp;of the print edition of our annual Arts Guide, out now. Happy 2026! <h3> </h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054443/lieaog47lzmctqv7ytti.jpg"> <h3>• MoCP at 50:&nbsp;Collecting Through the Decades</h3> Since opening in 1976 and initiating collecting in 1979, the Museum of Contemporary Photography has acquired over 18,000 objects by more than 2,000 artists and engaged in conversations across political, social, and cultural landscapes. To celebrate MoCP at 50 examines the evolving practice of building a dynamic collection. Together, these selections question and reflect on the role of cultural institutions in shaping the photographic canon. Museum of Contemporary PhotographyJan 22–May 16, 2026 • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mocp.org/" target="_blank">mocp.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054444/d7vtmg107avd2sipolnc.jpg"> <h3>• Edra Soto: The Place of Dwelling</h3> Edra Soto alters and recontextualizes common functional objects—wrought-iron screens, plastic lawn furniture, and electric fans, ubiquitous in her native Puerto Rico—to create objects and environments that celebrate the voices of working-class communities. Soto’s installation, the place of dwelling, is commissioned for Kemper Museum’s tenth annual Atrium Project and invests the space with personal memories of her Catholic upbringing, a gesture that both questions methods of colonial indoctrination and celebrates sacred sites filled with signs and symbols offering guidance and direction. Kemper Museum of Art, Kansas City, MOJanuary 30, 2026—January 2, 2027<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kemperart.org/exhibition/edra-soto-the-place-of-dwelling" target="_blank">kemperart.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054444/ephv4do5ugok4xdrkdy3.jpg">Left: Alex Chitty; right: Norman Teague. <h3>• Chair-ish: Alex Chitty and Norman Teague</h3> Chair-ish is an exhibition of Chicago-based artists Alex Chitty and Norman Teague. Working together for the first time, in this exhibition Chitty and Teague explore material, memory, and spatial dialogue through distinct yet complementary practices. While Chitty’s sculptural investigations often disrupt perception and gesture toward the poetic in the everyday, Teague’s work draws on vernacular design, cultural heritage, and the social histories embedded in form. Cleve Carney Museum of ArtJan 22–Apr 11, 2026 • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theccma.org/" target="_blank">theccma.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054445/t38xa0wenedjw1en9pft.jpg">Andrea Carlson, Red Exit, 2019, acrylic, ink, oil, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, marker and graphite on paper, 10’ x 14’. Collection of Whitney Museum of Art <h3>• Andrea Carlson: Endless Sunshine</h3> Through a practice that combines intergenerational history, archival research, and the histories and theories of art and film, Andrea Carlson (b. 1979) creates incisive works of resistance and sovereignty that disempower colonial storytelling and practices of erasure. A descendant of the Grand Portage Ojibwe and Scandinavian settlers, Carlson centers an institutional critique and perspective that has been systematically excluded from or historically romanticized in narratives, practices, and presentations of American art. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAMSTL)Mar 6 – Aug 9, 2026 • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://camstl.org/exhibitions/andrea-carlson-endless-sunshine/" target="_blank">camstl.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054446/eayintyfxrll89w8xvlj.jpg">Orin Pinhassi, Truth Teller (detail), 2024. Steel, burlap, sand,&nbsp;polymer and rock. 93 x 30 x 24 in (236.2 x 76.2 x 60.9 cm). Photo by Elisabeth Bernstein. Courtesy of&nbsp;the artist and Lehmann Maupin Gallery. <h3>• Oren Pinhassi</h3> Artist Oren Pinhassi sculpts anthropomorphic forms at great scale that appeal to the senses and intellect at once. He brings to The Arts Club a series of figural/architectural works that occupy the gallery in an encompassing configuration, aiming to trigger the physical engagements of desire and fragility. Pinhassi’s towering or sprawling creatures draw upon such ordinary materials as sand, stone, or vinyl. In a process he has named “erotic construction,” Pinhassi uses sensual appeal, rough texture, suggestive pose, and intimate detail to press against the confines of a restrictive society. Mar 31–Aug 8, 2026 • The Arts Club of&nbsp;Chicago • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artsclubchicago.org/" target="_blank">artsclubchicago.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054446/s54swrscjx2irj45naij.jpg"> <h3>• RenBen: Maurizio Cattelan</h3> Maurizio Cattelan will conceive and orchestrate The Renaissance Society’s RenBen 2026 during Chicago’s EXPO Art Week. RenBen is the institution’s annual artist-centered gala and most important fundraising event. Each edition invites a single artist to design every aspect of the evening, from the space and performances to the food and choreography. The Renaissance SocietyApril 8, 2026 • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://renaissancesociety.org/" target="_blank">renaissancesociety.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054447/etbqbthf4teh1ovw1qve.jpg"> <h3>• EXPO&nbsp;CHICAGO</h3> Under the vaulted architecture of Navy Pier’s&nbsp;Festival Hall, and under the new leadership of Director Kate Sierzputowski and Curator Essence Harden, EXPO CHICAGO will bring together&nbsp;global galleries and unrivaled programming,&nbsp;alongside unforgettable events citywide. Festival Hall, Navy Pier&nbsp;April 9–12, 2026 • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/" target="_blank">expochicago.com</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054448/lovhmaombd4pqc1pzrf7.jpg"> <h3>• The Opening of the Obama Center</h3> The much anticipated opening of President Barack Obama's Obama Presidential Center in the heart of the South Side of Chicago will be a defining event in Chicago this spring. Bits and pieces about the opening, as well as the artists who have been commissioned to create various works and installations for the Center, have been arriving regularly leading up to the actual opening. The Center is touted to be a lively community hub, economic anchor, and beacon of democracy on the South Side, bolstering a great deal of the cultural nexus in the city for years to come. Spring 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.obama.org/presidential-center/" target="_blank">obama.org/presidential-center</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054449/otq4ntbtklbtk3mplloq.jpg">Mary Cassatt, Sleepy Nicolle,&nbsp;c. 1900 <h3>• Mary Cassatt:&nbsp;After Impressionism</h3> Marking the centennial of her death, Mary Cassatt: After Impressionism examines her paintings, pastels, and prints when she took her art making in new directions. In the prime years of her career—the late 1880s through the early 1900s—Cassatt explored the theme of mothers and caretakers with children, creating complex color prints, and undertaking a mural commission for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Art Institute of ChicagoSept 6, 2026–Jan 3, 2027&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10487/mary-cassatt-after-impressionism" target="_blank">artic.edu</a> # <h3>View CGN's full calendar of art events, updated daily, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">here</a>.</h3>

CGN's 2026 Culture List

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054362/fgsads5kfi552trpkfgn.jpg"></h4><h4> </h4><h4>2025 was a year. Whether you look back on it wondering where the time went, or how you made it through, there were notable events, milestones and passings in Chicago's art community and beyond. CGN covered much of what happened locally and also explored art further afield. It was a year of transition. We even lost some dear friends, whose impact will last for years to come.&nbsp;</h4><h4> </h4><h4>CGN interviewed artists, collectors and gallery figures, and we shared hundreds of exhibitions, openings and events all year long. All of this makes up 12 months to remember, while we prepare to meet a new year of art and culture. Following are some of our top interviews and articles from a full year.</h4><h4> </h4><h4>Thank you to our readers, partners and supporters who help us continue to grow and share CGN each year. In 2026 we celebrate 44 years of promoting the visual arts.</h4><h4> </h4><h4>To purchase a copy or subscribe to the 2026 edition of the CGN Arts Guide,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(9, 78, 192);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>.&nbsp;</h4><h4> </h4><h4>Happy new year, and see you in the galleries!&nbsp;</h4><h4> </h4><h4>– Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Publisher</h4> <h3> </h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054362/pagmso2tbv52jc4ervss.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/carl-hammer-gallery-announces-closing-after-45-years" target="_blank">Carl Hammer Gallery Announces Closing after 45 Years</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054363/sroh8cvlshk5qnvq1lqz.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/connecting-change-through-the-decades-rhona-hoffman" target="_blank">Connecting Change Through the Decades: Rhona Hoffman</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054364/xvftch955fxmlcmm7chd.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/amanda-williams-her-kind-of-blue" target="_blank">Amanda Williams: Her Kind of Blue</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054364/lxhqvyqipwhguivjfxdo.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/landscape-survey-whats-on-in-chicagos-outer-spaces-minionotics-at-weatherproof" target="_blank">Landscape survey: What's on in Chicago's Outer Spaces: Miniotics at Weatherproof</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054365/pn9i4szbqywvbud0ykqm.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/ari-emanuels-new-company-buys-frieze-owner-of-expo-chicago" target="_blank">Ari Emanuel's New Company Buys Frieze, Owner of EXPO CHICAGO</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054366/dobmg5q0nyirtjblnpxp.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/designs-on-collecting-architect-dirk-denison" target="_blank">Designs on Collecting: Architect Dirk Denison</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054366/qoxyucwebodyblfyih1x.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/jonathan-worcester-painting-with-creative-precision" target="_blank">Jonathan Worcester: Painting with Creative Precision</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054367/fouepub0lwa9fpl5gccg.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/expo-founder-tony-karman-to-step-down-as-director" target="_blank">EXPO Founder Tony Karman to Step Down As Director</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054368/oqe3vdwv8dovpqvl90az.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/intuit-art-museum-reopens-to-welcome-the-public-inside" target="_blank">Intuit Art Museum Reopens to Welcome the Public Inside</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054368/rthqb90cprfj5176fzay.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/jacqueline-surdell-an-artists-voice-helps-scale-her-art" target="_blank">Jacqueline Surdell: An Artist’s Voice Helps Scale Her Art</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054369/v4kamztsuv40gdngnxxd.jpg"> <h3>Dedicated to Collecting: Melissa Weber and Jay Dandy</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054369/albbriechrtzsrmekwhj.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="Art, Ambition, and the Weight of Stars: Dining at Esmé in Chicago" target="_blank">Art, Ambition, and the Weight of Stars: Dining at Esmé in Chicago</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054370/vjiiznmoonlxb0qvoxd1.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/french-encounters-a-family-trip-through-art-and-history" target="_blank">French Encounters: A Family Trip Through Art and History</a></h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054370/ekp1frmacp3ipitjqvsr.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/commissioner-of-cultural-affairs-clinee-hedspeth-resigns" target="_blank">Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Clinee Hedspeth Resigns</a></h3> <h3> </h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054371/bgroisajknj5rsmydsce.gif"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/artist-tony-fitzpatrick-has-died-at-age-66" target="_blank">Artist Tony Fitzpatrick Has Died at 66</a></h3> <h3>Read all of CGN's news <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles" target="_blank">here</a></h3> #

2025: CGN's Year in Review

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054326/rsvapdbctmc4g3liih50.jpg"> By CGN Staff This season, we’re highlighting some of our favorite places to find artful, meaningful gifts — all while supporting Chicago’s independent galleries and cultural institutions. Part 1 here focuses on museum stores and markets offering unique objects, books, prints, memberships and curiosities. Part 2 (coming soon!) will spotlight galleries across the region. These sources offer gifts and works of art for even the toughest gift recipients on your list and buying art or shopping at local institutions also supports artists and other members of the cultural community. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054327/mpksygz40wspr9bwwepe.jpg"> <h2>Intuit Art Museum</h2>Intuit reopened this spring, welcoming visitors back into refreshed galleries dedicated to the world of self-taught art. Their store is filled with original artwork, handmade jewelry, books, zines, and exclusive merchandise. You can also give a gift membership to the museum, which offers year-round access and supports exhibitions and programs.&nbsp;Visit in person Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am–6 pm. Also check for holiday hours <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://art.org/store" target="_blank">Shop here</a> <h2> </h2> <h2><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054328/z9zfgocdgjmpjgiskihi.jpg"></h2>Little Christmas, mezzotint by Kouki Tsuritani <h2>Chicago Printmakers Collaborative</h2>CPC’s beloved Holiday Sale and Small Print Show is a must for print lovers. Browse original, hand-pulled prints in a wide range of styles and prices. It’s an accessible way to collect or give handmade artwork directly from Chicago printmakers. This is the 36th year of this incredible small print show and CPC is excited to show new prints created by CPC members, gallery artists, and faculty. Small prints make the perfect gift for the holidays or for yourself. Artist-made cards, books, jewelry and other stocking-stuffer goodies will also be available. Sip delicious spiced cider and graze the famous CPC holiday snack table while you peruse the gorgeous array of affordable, small handmade prints from around the globe. A great event the whole family can enjoy. Preview the Show: Friday, December 5th, 12-5pmOpening Reception &amp; Holiday Party: Saturday &amp; Sunday, December 6th &amp; 7th, 11am-7pm <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagoprintmakers.com/" target="_blank">Details here</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054328/kw2t815fkuabawwdwt5r.jpg"> <h2>Randolph Street Holiday Market</h2> Fun any time of year Randolph Street's Holiday Market is a treasure-hunt in overdrive. Part shopping mecca, all party, here you can shop the&nbsp;most&nbsp;coveted&nbsp;goods&nbsp;from the past, present and future, explore&nbsp;125 mini-boutiques&nbsp;featuring&nbsp;posh&nbsp;vintage, modern, handcrafted treasures for gifting, wearing, entertaining and decorating.&nbsp;Bring the whole family and ring in the season with&nbsp;creative cocktails,&nbsp;fancy foods, informal modeling, DJ, Little Elves Workshop, and the&nbsp;most unusual and stylishly curated mix&nbsp;of&nbsp;shopping for men, women and children.&nbsp; FREE onsite parking, gift wrapping and personal shopping assistance too. December 13 and 14. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://randolphstreetmarket.com/" target="_blank">Details here</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054329/p4zkfbwhpaorxddhw9zw.jpg"> <h2>Museum of Contemporary Art Store</h2>The MCA Store delivers design-driven gifts that reflect the museum’s contemporary spirit. From home objects and accessories to books and inventive art-related items, it’s a reliable destination for fresh, smart holiday gifting. You can find artful menorahs, beautiful coffee-table books, MCA-themed gloves and hats, artistic jewelry and much more. It's hard to get out of here without buying something for yourself, let alone the art lovers in your life. Online you can even shop by color. If the new Jellycat store line is too long for you at Nordstrom, guess what, no line at the MCA! Plus museum members always get 10% off. <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicagostore.org/" target="_blank">Shop here</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054330/tdwedrlhnt4sn4gwepfs.jpg"> <h2>The Driehaus Museum</h2>The Driehaus Museum’s charming shop features unusual, beautifully made gifts inspired by the museum’s Gilded Age setting. Expect elegant objects and refined keepsakes with historical character. There is Vintage Jewelry, beaded velvet purses, Chicago-themed books, Gilded-age inspired hand-blown vases, and Christmas collectibles and unique ornaments. You can also visit Santa or stop into the museum halls decked like no other! AND there is a special Drie-Cember Market on Saturday, December 6. Details <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://driehausmuseum.org/programs/detail/drie-cember-market?mc_cid=586f90d296&amp;mc_eid=d1db3f815c" target="_blank">here</a>. Shop the museum store <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://shop.driehausmuseum.org/" target="_blank">here</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054330/cjextga3i6hywe6jsdnr.jpg"><a style="color: rgb(41, 150, 204);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://zpzl839y.r.us-west-2.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fsqclick.com%2Foutreach%2Ft%2FqH8FzDMfH51d%2Fhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fsurgicalmuseumchicago.square.site%25252Fproduct%25252Falter-egos-plague-doctor-druid-plush%25252FV5UQ26KWWKQXBEHHTI4LTMOW%25253Futm_source%25253Dsqmktg_email%3Fs=jlOo7LGPRAS3dI1DBRwoknCIKBNdyGrm0HA6-nL3eto/2/0101019ac2869ce6-d1250005-b496-4ec2-9280-20ee4180317c-000000/YJAUnzi8nGkvdoTCc9yfU0JE_co=455" target="_blank">Alter Egos Plague Doctor Druid Plush</a> – $20.00 <h2>International Museum of Surgical Science</h2>For the curious and the quirky: the IMSS shop offers medical-history-inflected gifts, anatomical oddities and unexpected treasures perfect for the science-minded or anyone who enjoys an offbeat holiday pick. You will find Edward Gorey Christmas decor as well as plague-focused stuffed animals. There are pins, mugs, puzzles and finds that are exclusive to the museum as well as other items by local artists. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://surgicalmuseumchicago.square.site/" target="_blank">Shop here</a> # Stay tuned for Part 2, featuring galleries offering special holiday exhibitions and offerings, from Chicago to Wisconsin and Michigan.

2025 CGN Holiday Gift Guide, Part 1: Museum Stores & Markets

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054313/bgextzaugfcfbggkloo8.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jane-feely-in-japan-with-a-beginners-mind" target="_blank">Jane Feely: In Japan: With a Beginner's Mind</a>Opening: Saturday, December 6, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054314/ye0xb8e069ajckfitbqd.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/peter-lupkin-breaking" target="_blank">Peter Lupkin: Breaking</a>Opening: Friday, December 5, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMGallery Victor&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054315/qgk15vovblfuydmki1w3.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/michael-cuadrado-gonzalez" target="_blank">Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez: Entangled Forces</a>Exhibit begins December 565GRAND <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054315/fntmyainqt5pefexsfbs.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/36th-annual-small-print-exhibition-holiday-sale" target="_blank">36th Annual Small Print Exhibition &amp; Holiday Sale</a>Opening: Saturday, December 6, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PMChicago Printmakers Collaborative <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054316/he6trmpphhx6rpebasfs.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/small-works-holiday-show" target="_blank">Small Works Holiday Show</a>Opening: Saturday, December 6, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PMThe Grove Gallery

New Exhibitions Beginning December 6

<h3>Curated Highlights for What’s Ahead in Chicago’s Art Scene</h3><h3> </h3><h3>December is here and a very busy end to 2025 is upon us. Amidst an already full calendar of holiday to-dos I hope you find time to enjoy some art as well! </h3><h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> here to receive a print copy in the mail of the new 2026 arts guide this month, and be sure to share all the events and news with friends.</h3><h3> </h3><h3>– CGN</h3> <h3>• Exhibitions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054301/jrb4dm7fc1vny6nds6jz.jpg"> <h2>Luftwerk: The Sun Standing Still</h2><h3> </h3>Dec 12, 2025 - Feb 28, 2026Opening: Friday, Dec 12, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/secrist-beach" target="_blank">Secrist | Beach</a> this&nbsp;exhibition features a suite of new sculptures, wall reliefs, and a site-specific installation by Luftwerk that investigate the dynamic interplay between sunlight and the Earth’s revolution. This exhibition is presented concurrently with&nbsp;Luminous Matter, an invitational survey co-organized with Luftwerk and featuring 8 artists. Both exhibitions open Friday, December 5 from 5–8 PM and remain on view through February 14, 2026. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/luftwerk-the-sun-standing-still" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054302/lb4htzjrssk40hmajtxi.jpg"> <h2>Michael Cuadrado Gonzalez: Entangled Forces</h2> Dec 5, 2025 - Jan 10, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/65grand" target="_blank">65GRAND</a> <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.65grand.com/current" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054303/ox0sluma4xmezcoz3i3l.jpg"> <h2>CSI Project Space: Little, but Bold!</h2> Dec 13, 2025 - Jan 30, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/chicago-sculpture-international-csi" target="_blank">Chicago Sculpture International (CSI)</a> Little, But Bold is in celebration of all things unmonumental. Often flying under the radar, small things have the special ability to bridge private and public spaces. Within the sculpture field, there has been a projected narrative that bigger is better. This exhibition states that small things can hold the same importance as the largest monument. Special Ornament Exchange:In the giving spirit of the holidays, please bring in a custom-made ornament or small object to trade with fellow sculptors. <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagosculpture.org/exhibition-files/little-but-bold-2025" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054303/lvsf7gmhfh2iiafbstaf.jpg"> <h2>Mutuality</h2> Dec 13, 2025 - Mar 22, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hyde-park-art-center" target="_blank">Hyde Park Art Center</a> Mutuality is a group exhibition of new works culminating the Art Center’s biennial&nbsp;Center Program, a professional development program for the elevation of emerging and mid-career artists, now in its 11th edition. Curated by writer, curator, and art administrator&nbsp;Teresa Silva, this exhibition will occupy the entire first floor galleries from&nbsp;December 12, 2025 – March 8, 2026, featuring works by twenty artists from Center Program’s 2025 cohort. <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mutuality" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <h3>• Auctions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054304/vvsdoxgonar1ca2jy7ny.png"> <h2>Design</h2> Tuesday, Dec 9, 2025<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/wright" target="_blank">Wright</a> <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wright20.com/auctions/2025/12/design/info?utm_campaign=%5B1195%5D_Auction_Now_Online&amp;utm_content=info_button&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=mailchimp" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054305/yo9awzqrehbueuw9dkfz.jpg"> <h2>Early 20th Century Design</h2> Wednesday, Dec 10, 2025<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/toomey-co-auctioneers" target="_blank">Toomey &amp; Co. Auctioneers</a> <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/early-20th-century-design-dec-25" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <h3>• Classes / Talks / Tours</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054305/msjno8xdyegxfr0uvflx.jpg"> <h2>Timeless Bodies Figure Drawing Class</h2> Sunday, Dec 7, 2025 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/oliva-gallery" target="_blank">Oliva Gallery</a> <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/timeless-bodies-figure-drawing" target="_blank">More info ›</a> Stay tuned for CGN's two-part feature on holiday shopping in galleries, museums and art studios! To view the full CGN calendar <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">click here</a>

CGN Art Preview: December 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054277/ho1fswg7vnldeaaw7bpd.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/knots-ann-latinovich-ans-eli-pla" target="_blank">KNOTS: Ann Latinovich and Eli Pla</a>Opening: Thursday, November 20, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMT. Mari Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054278/o5yyyshu0a3lnnncuz65.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/show-guest-curated-by-margaret-crowley-tim-callahan" target="_blank">Hail Mary</a>Nov 21, 2025 - Jan 9, 2026Opening: Friday, November 21, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMCircle Contemporary (Arts of Life) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054279/x68cwheaanpxgbl7xi0r.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/bright-lights-small-treasures" target="_blank">Bright Lights, Small Treasures</a>Opening: Friday, November 21, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMLily Pad | West <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054281/h1fzbqawzlcvrsxncenb.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/general-strike" target="_blank">General Strike</a>Opening: Friday, November 21, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMJoy Machine <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054281/jx0ojgpyygzoidqwq6up.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2025-community-members-show" target="_blank">2025 Community ⇄ Members’ Show</a>Opening: Friday, November 21, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMKrasl Art Center

New Exhibitions Beginning November 20 - 22 (Part I)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054288/pqyy28j2nzr4xwbqmdig.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/faceted-fiber" target="_blank">Faceted Fiber</a>Opening: Friday, November 21, 2025 7:00 PM – 10:00 PMBridgeport Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054289/poqaecyrsge1suneiunm.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/holiday-ornament-art-workshop" target="_blank">Holiday Ornament Art Workshop&nbsp;</a>Saturday, November 22, 2025 11:00 AM – 1:00 PMThe National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts &amp; Culture (NMPRAC) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054290/xmgitedkmdqdeiyjp2wi.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ellen-lustig" target="_blank">Ellen Lustig</a>Opening: Saturday, November 22, 2025 12:00 PM – 4:00 PMUkrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) ﻿ <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1772054291/oyw3c0jtf2bsmxid1bkf.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gallery-seven-holiday-gift-show" target="_blank">Gallery Seven Holiday Gift Show</a>Begins November 22Gallery Seven

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