The weekend of EXPO CHICAGO, April 8–12, invites you to engage with art in a once-a-year setting in Chicago, even if you never even make it to the fair. It’s the time of year, throughout the city, when new exhibitions open, special presentations are on view, there are talks, tours, satellite fairs, coffees, parties, even a cake social. The CGN team has a few dates we won’t miss.&nbsp;We hope to see you there!&nbsp; View CGN's full calendar <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>, updated daily! – CGN Staff <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429335/vma1nrvsb4cgtnadzlmb.png"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/renben-2026" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RenBen 2026</a></h3> This year’s RenBen for the Renaissance Society is a&nbsp;silent dinner party.&nbsp;Curated by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, dinner is at the Chicago Athletic Association. Guests will see what happens when there is no small-talk, or&nbsp;any talk at all... April 8, 7–10pm <h3> </h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429336/tqnlmsm6z0iilglxxfbn.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vernissage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EXPO Vernissage</a></h3> EXPO CHICAGO’s Vernissage benefit offers a first look at the fair and supports the MCA. It starts at 10am and is by invitation. Tickets may also be purchased for additional times and days.&nbsp; April 9 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429338/aa5gsyq03vs7n3bzve8z.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/life-is-an-art-iam-the-party" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IAM The Party</a></h3> Art: IAM the party&nbsp;is the most exciting way to celebrate Intuit’s 35th anniversary and the 1st birthday of the expanded Museum. Honoring Nick Cave, Bob Faust and Jerry Stefl. Intuit Art Museum April 10 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429339/exujhcgqbmkdcttgwgf1.jpg">Deborah Koo <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/material-offering-by-deb-koo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VSG Cake Social</a></h3> VSG Contemporary opens an exhibition of Deborah Koo’s tantalizing cake paintings and&nbsp;Mason Pott’s lush works featuring assemblages of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Luckily gallery owner Allan Weinberger is serving cake from 12–5pm.&nbsp;CGN will be there, so stop by to say hi and enjoy some cake! April 11, 12–5pm <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429340/d9ctafshlple9fiolba0.jpg">Lou Beach <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pieces-too-short-to-save-a-survey-of-contemporary-collage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">An Exhibition Honoring Tony Fitzpatrick</a></h3> SoNA Chicago Art Gallery is hosting Pieces Too Short to Save: A Survey of Contemporary Collage that honors the late Tony Fitzpatrick. The group show features works created by the artist’s friends. The opening on April 11 will also feature poetry readings by Fitzpatrick's family and friends. Reception April 11<h3> </h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429340/cgxhvanzebdiium54dmf.jpg">Western Exhibition's 2026 Barely Fair booth <h3><a href="https://www.barelyfair.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barely Fair</a></h3> BARELY FAIR's 2026 edition of Chicago's international 1:12 scale art fair returns, operated by JULIUS CAESAR artist collective and includes 30 artist-run spaces, commercial galleries, and curatorial projects from around the world. April 3-19 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429341/ixlpffx7nj1tcijxeeab.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.neighbors.art/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neighbors</a></h3> A new art fair, called Neighbors, will take place in a 1,200 square foot Gold Coast apartment in a historic building designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw. The satellite fair is the vision of a Chicago collector who wants to show art in a domestic setting. Several galleries from Chicago art participating, as well as others from around the country. April 8–12

CGN Around Town, Spring 2026

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429300/s11bxmfmmslqmzc2hldd.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/geometries-in-light" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Geometries In Light</a>Exhibition begins April 2Pistachios Contemporary Art Jewelry and Objects <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429301/v6eonukevcb3vhbmji82.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/teaching" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Teaching</a>Opening: Saturday, April 4, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429301/wnzvk50lskowyjdujar0.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-presidents-18th-annual-art-exhibition2026" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The President’s 18th Annual Art Exhibition</a>Exhibition begins April 2Wadsworth Family Gallery at Lewis University <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429302/y3tl9wy0fiqur9cifqaa.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-view-from-above" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">David Keel: The View From Here</a>Opening: Friday, April 3, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMVivid Art Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429303/krnq1uyaub3oxmvjqlj4.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/on-rock-soft-matters-curating-slowness-and-reconnection-through-the-visual-arts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">On Rock-Soft Matters: Curating Slowness and Reconnection through the Visual Arts</a>Opening: Saturday, April 4, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMSeldon Institute

New Exhibitions Open April 1 - 4 (Part I)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429313/m7yspb30cgxbymm4uisk.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/monoprint-one-of-a-kind" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Monoprint: One of a Kind</a>Opening: Thursday, April 2, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMChicago Printmakers Collaborative <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429314/wi7j5usdq8gtzodmmxm2.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/girl-talk-by-lindsey-kircher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Girl Talk by Lindsey Kircher</a>Opening: Friday, April 3, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMOliva Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429315/ogd3op7eldodxymmauun.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alison-ruttan-the-paradox-of-inaction" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alison Ruttan: The Paradox of Inaction</a>Exhibition begins April 4Hyde Park Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429315/jyyxaxaxpalf0s08hizk.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cydney-m-lewis-weeds-grow-in-all-directions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cydney M. Lewis: Weeds Grow in All Directions</a>Exhibition begins April 4Hyde Park Art Center

New Exhibitions Open April 1 - 4 (Part II)

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429200/vgtycvduyymgy6qetuwp.jpg"></h3>This Banksy mural of a man&nbsp;scrubbing his back in a bathtub appeared in 2022 on a wall of a destroyed&nbsp;building in the Ukrainian village of Horenka. The mural piqued the interest of a Reuters journalist, setting off an effort&nbsp;to identify and understand the elusive artist. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich<h3> </h3><h3><a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/global-art-banksy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In Search of Banksy</a></h3> The British street artist’s identity has been debated, and closely guarded, for decades. A quest to solve the riddle took Reuters from a bombed-out Ukrainian village to London and downtown Manhattan — and uncovered much more than a name. Via Reuters <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429201/p1znubb0xe0qy2zvhlv0.jpg">Installation shot of the Sopranos exhibition at the Museum of Moving Image. Photo: Thanassi Karageorgiou/Museum of Moving Image. <h3><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/the-sopranos-momi-exhibition-2754605" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Behind the Scenes of ‘The Sopranos’: A New Exhibition Revisits TV’s Favorite Mob Drama</a></h3> A new show at the&nbsp;Museum of Moving Image&nbsp;(MoMI), “<a href="https://movingimage.org/event/stories-and-sets-for-the-sopranos/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos</a>,” captures the urgent energy channeled by Chase and his team of collaborators as they turned daring pilot into a show that would pave the way for a golden age of television. Via Artnet <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429201/pcuscwpcbcj0wzrezkon.jpg">For the Serpentine Pavilion installation, he balanced a light-filtering fiberglass shell on hulking, rough-hewed stones. Credit...Iwan Baan <h3><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/arts/design/smiljan-radic-pritzker-prize-architecture.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Chilean Master of Modest Design Wins Architecture’s Top Prize</a></h3> Wind. Light. Stone. Timber. Time. These are some of the essential elements that infuse the work of Smiljan Radic of Santiago, Chile, the winner of this year’s Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. The announcement of the laureate had been delayed by revelations about the connection between Tom Pritzker, the director of the foundation that awards the prize, and Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier. Via NYT

What We're Reading: March 17, 2026

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429156/eositkmv2zfp7quvyr9z.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/duality" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Duality</a>Mar 2 - Apr 19Jackson Junge Gallery ﻿ <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429157/d7mah2ws9dkg9z5cuc9s.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lens-2026" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LENS 2026</a>Opening: Saturday, March 7, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429158/oabzitx6f8gsdnfgpm6n.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/impromptu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Impromptu</a>Opening: Friday, March 6, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMVivid Art Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429160/iszhtlwpqhcbki8t5d69.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/beyond-the-needle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beyond the Needle</a>March 6The Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429160/dpdfomcr3nnflwpqwxib.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/george-klauba" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">George Klauba</a>Opening: Friday, March 6, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PMThe Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429161/e1hjemmcef3b8ya9oavn.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mmm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MMM....&nbsp;</a>Opening: Friday, March 6, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMOliva Gallery

New Exhibitions Open March 6 - 7 (Part I)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429170/rixwzjyp0mchpgcilrri.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-division-street-riots" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Division Street Riots</a>Opening: Friday, March 6, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM65GRAND <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429171/tplwgplayw3hsxicig7r.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/la-woman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">L.A. Woman</a>Opening: Saturday, March 7, noon – 4:00 PMUkrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429172/lfxzuov40bkzkpifso34.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/matisses-jazz-rhythms-in-color" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color</a>March 7The Art Institute of Chicago <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429172/fp1nib6zxci9m0hfqh4s.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/women-painting-women" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Women Painting Women</a>Opening: Saturday, March 7, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PMThe Grove Gallery

New Exhibitions Open March 6 - 7 (Part II)

Spring is coming, finally! Even if the weather is cold, it's nice to know we are moving through the calendar towards a new season and new beginnings. Notably in March, we're seeing a lot of tattoos and photography...It makes us miss artist Tony Fitzpatrick. Also coming soon this spring, CGN's Spring/Summer magazine, covering April-August. <a href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe now</a> to get a copy by mail and support CGN's work! CGN adds to its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">calendar of art events</a>&nbsp;daily, and there is no shortage of new exhibitions, openings, art fairs, talks and family art events to explore. We have put together a preview of what is coming up the rest of this month. Even though it's winter and we are looking to stay in and cozy, there is plenty to see. Events happen throughout the city as well as in the suburbs and within a day's drive. Highlights are organized by event type. Dates vary and are subject to change. –&nbsp;GinnyCGN Publisher <h2>• Exhibitions</h2> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429138/mtf1r5sevtdzwiyc5mmd.png"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mmm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MMM....</a></h3> Mar 6, 2026 - Mar 28, 2026Opening: Friday, Mar 6, 2026 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/oliva-gallery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Oliva Gallery</a> Oliva Gallery marks its ten-year anniversary with&nbsp;MMM…., a group exhibition presented in conjunction with International Women’s Day. The exhibition opens March 6, 2026, and features work by Melanie P. Brown, Mia Capodilupo, and Michelle Stone. The title references both the shared first initials of the participating artists and the visual and sensory richness of their work. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429138/g6xfz9bpkj7jmp9lygnu.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/george-klauba" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">George Klauba</a></h3> Mar 6, 2026 - Apr 4, 2026Opening: Friday, Mar 6, 2026 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-art-center-highland-park" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Art Center Highland Park</a> The Art Center Highland Park is proud to announce its forthcoming exhibition KLAUBA, a survey of the works of painter and tattoo artist George Klauba. This show will be on view at The Art Center from March 6 to April 4, 2026.Curated by gallerist Teresa Hofheimer, this large exhibition of paintings and sculpture spans over two decades, referencing George Klauba’s life works as a Navy officer, a tattoo artist, and eventually a celebrated painter and fine artist. Running concurrently at TACHP is <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/beyond-the-needle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beyond the Needle</a>, an exhibition featuring ten tattoo artists from across the United States. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429139/e2241zdcih8skyfle4rf.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-division-street-riots" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Division Street Riots</a></h3> Mar 6, 2026 - Apr 12, 2026Opening: Friday, Mar 6, 2026 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/65grand" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">65GRAND</a> This exhibition by Chicago-based artist Carlos Rolón features new graphite and charcoal drawings, works on aluminum, a DIY bicycle sculpture with audio, and a hand-embroidered textile inspired by the 1966 Division Street uprising in Humboldt Park and West Town. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429140/unmzwmawgfply3a2pfr9.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lens-2026" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LENS 2026</a></h3> Mar 7, 2026 - Mar 29, 2026Opening: Saturday, Mar 7, 2026 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/perspective-photo-gallery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Perspective Photo Gallery</a> Photographic artists from around the U.S. will be on display for LENS2026, the gallery’s 16th annual juried international exhibition of fine art photography. The show opens Thursday, March 5th, with an Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony on March 7th from 5 to 7 p.m.Juror Ann M. Jastrab, the Executive Director at the Center for Photographic Art (CPA) in Carmel, California, selected 28 artists from the 299 photographers who submitted over 1430 images.&nbsp;This year there were entries from 38 states and several international countries.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429141/qacgtkc4eotm6y76muhi.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vertical-gallerys-13-year-anniversary-show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vertical Gallery's 13-Year Anniversary Show</a></h3> Mar 13, 2026 - Apr 19, 2026Opening: Friday, Mar 13, 2026 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/jackson-junge-gallery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jackson Junge Gallery</a> Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Show marks the gallery’s return to Chicago, where its story began. All work will be displayed inside Jackson Junge Gallery, located in Wicker Park.&nbsp;This is Vertical's first show of 2026, and the first show back in Chicago since owner Patrick Hull changed the business model to online and special exhibitions. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429142/sp4xwl6wduvtpnshoreu.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/roger-brown-weathervane" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Roger Brown: Weathervane</a></h3> Mar 19, 2026 - Jun 13, 2026Opening: Thursday, Mar 19, 2026 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/gray" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GRAY</a> Roger Brown: Weathervane is the first monographic exhibition at the gallery dedicated to Brown since announcing exclusive representation of the artist’s estate.&nbsp;Weathervane&nbsp;explores the artist’s vision of an emotionally charged contemporary life set at the tense border between the built environment and the natural world. Featuring eleven paintings from the 1980s and 1990s, the exhibition reflects Brown’s clarity of vision as an artist both unafraid to face sociopolitical headwinds and unable to ignore ecological destruction. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429143/p9cpv4vaekrkuygxuelz.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/composing-color-paintings-by-alma-thomas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas</a></h3> Mar 24, 2026 - Jul 5, 2026<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/smart-museum-of-art" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Smart Museum of Art</a> Alma Thomas (1891–1978) is a singular figure of twentieth-century American art. She developed her form of abstraction – characterized by the dazzling interplay of pattern and hue – late in life, after retiring from a long career as a schoolteacher. Her vibrant and rhythmic art transcended established genres, incorporating elements of gestural abstraction and color field painting and creating a style distinctly her own. Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas&nbsp;draws on the extensive holdings of the artist’s paintings at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and offers an intimate view of Thomas’s evolving practice during her most prolific period, from 1959 to 1978.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429144/lm3tkozavq48kglg3y4z.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cheryl-pope" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cheryl Pope</a></h3> Mar 28, 2026 - May 9, 2026<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/moniquemeloche" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">moniquemeloche</a> Cheryl Pope&nbsp;is an interdisciplinary visual artist&nbsp;who&nbsp;questions and responds to issues of identity as it relates to the individual and the community, specifically&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;race, gender, class, history, power, and place. Her practice&nbsp;emerges&nbsp;from the act and politics of&nbsp;listening and&nbsp;recently introduces&nbsp;a novel&nbsp;material to explore the artist’s memories. Referencing the familiar repertoire of the French Post-Impressionist, Intimist, and Imagist paintings, Pope recreates deeply personal recollections that cinematically compose the silent complexities of beautiful and tragic oscillations between love and loss in our everyday lives. Images of couples are drawn from memory, referencing the artist’s own relationships and moments of disconnect, anxiety, and desire, while beach scenes depicting a mother and child accentuate a tender stillness of caregiving. In these scenes, the figures exist in a nest of choreography–a rotating stage of mystery, tragedy, and poetry of day-to-day living with feelings of presence and absence woven throughout.&nbsp; <h2>• Talks</h2> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ornament-identity-from-tiffany-studios-to-tattoo-studios" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ornament &amp; Identity: From Tiffany Studios to Tattoo Studios</a></h3> Thursday, Mar 5, 2026 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-driehaus-museum" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Driehaus Museum</a> Join a conversation with tattoo artist Beth Mintzer&nbsp;and Elizabeth McGoey, Ann S. and Samuel M. Mencoff Curator, Arts of the Americas at the Art Institute of Chicago. Together, they’ll explore the legacy of Tiffany lamps from decorative art icons to contemporary tattoo inspiration. Beth Mintzer will also be guesting at Dwelling Tattoo on 3/3 &amp; 3/4 and has created special tattoo designs inspired by lamps from The Driehaus's current exhibition,&nbsp;Tiffany Lamps: Beyond the Shade.&nbsp;Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bethmintzer.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.bethmintzer.com</a>&nbsp;for more info Not ready for the real thing? The museum is also selling temporary Tiffany tattoos designed by the artist; visit the Museum Store in person to shop. <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lecture-in-photography-bob-thall" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lecture in Photography: Bob Thall</a></h3> Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 6:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-photography-mocp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP)</a> <h2>• Tours</h2> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/weekend-art-walk-west-town-galleries-mar-21" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Weekend Art Walk: West Town Galleries</a></h3> Saturday, Mar 21, 2026 11:00 AM – 12:45 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/art-encounter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Art Encounter</a> Get to know Chicago's galleries and the contemporary art world at large with our interactive Weekend Art Walks! On March 21, we'll view and discuss sculptures, photographs, embroidery, and more in four West Town locations: Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Western Exhibitions, Document Gallery, and the newly-opened Elise Seigenthaler Gallery. <h2> </h2><h2>• Auctions</h2> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/picture-this-fine-vintage-vernacular-photography" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Picture This: Fine, Vintage &amp; Vernacular Photography</a></h3> Thursday, Mar 12, 2026<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/potter-potter-auctions-inc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Potter &amp; Potter Auctions, Inc.</a> Potter and Potter will be offering a range of fine and vintage photography in this auction, curated by Eric Robbins. Highlights include archives of space photography, Lewis Hine photographs, iconic pop culture imagery, studio and vernacular photographs of the 19th and 20th century in a range of subjects, panoramas, a comprehensive collection of "headless" trick photography, and photo albums. <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-fathers-and-saviors-of-our-country-a-presidential-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Fathers and Saviors of Our Country: A Presidential Sale</a></h3> Thursday, Mar 26, 2026<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/freemans" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Freeman's</a>

CGN Art Preview: March 2026

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

CGN Art World Recap: February 24, 2026

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

What We're Reading: 2.24.26

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

New Exhibitions Opening February 18 - 22

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

CGN Art World Recap: February 15, 2026

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

What We're Reading: 2.14.26

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

New Exhibitions February 13 & 14

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

CGN Art Preview: February 2026

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

New Exhibitions Begin February 4 - 7 (Part II)

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

New Exhibitions Begin February 4 - 7 (Part I)

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

What We're Reading: 2.3.26

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

New Exhibitions Begin January 30 - February 1

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

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

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429010/hv0kzbl6b4atqdakujst.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mocp-at-50-collecting-through-the-decades" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780429011/ccmg5srbj7ee3eakcypo.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-person-chosen-named-or-honored" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780429012/uglxjvu610kftusgto8w.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-92nd-exhibition-of-visual-artist-members" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780429013/hvwitecxdqsugsxogovr.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/world-in-my-eyes" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780429013/tolabaeo2d2o4wvtyfuk.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/shelf-show" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780429015/itae71itwrssvinrhecv.png"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/yoonshin-park-prompt-and-prompted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yoonshin Park: Prompt and Prompted</a>Exhibition begins January 24Hyde Park Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429015/uebo3qgwdnsmfdo2jtml.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/living-with-modernism-kelli-connell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Living with Modernism: Kelli Connell</a>Exhibition begins January 24Elmhurst Art Museum <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780429016/fcbyn4hmiwailfgrjmur.jpg"> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lisa-ridgers-linc-thelen-fresh-tracks" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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 href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780428989/jrkitciirxpky41iqxgr.jpg"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/housewarming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Housewarming</a></h4> On view as of January 9, 2026 <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/elise-seigenthaler-gallery" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780428989/puqx3xmbpshseadan3ne.jpg"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/leah-ke-yi-zheng-change" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Leah Ke Yi Zheng: Change</a></h4> Thru Apr 12, 2026 <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-renaissance-society" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780428990/psgutnwpsunmyaxp0mrx.png"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mocp-at-50-collecting-through-the-decades" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MoCP at 50: Collecting Through the Decades</a></h4> Jan 22, 2026 - May 16, 2026 <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-photography-mocp" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780428991/e64kjvud19pzqnrhcirq.jpg"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-92nd-exhibition-of-visual-artist-members" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The 92nd Exhibition of Visual Artist Members</a></h4> Jan 23, 2026 - Mar 7, 2026 <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-arts-club-of-chicago" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780428991/ym2rcyxeysk7sl0ycx1v.jpg"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/living-with-modernism-kelli-connell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Living with Modernism: Kelli Connell</a></h4> Jan 24, 2026 - Apr 27, 2026 <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/elmhurst-art-museum" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780428992/mcndiesxfbhwyq3nj4um.png"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mlk-day-2026-chaos-or-community" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MLK Day 2026: Chaos or Community?</a></h4> Monday, Jan 19, 2026 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hyde-park-art-center" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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 href="http://hydeparkart.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank">HydeParkArt.org</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1780428992/cwqxaw0qzrqelnfhvy33.jpg"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/winter-newberryfest" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Winter NewberryFest</a></h4> Saturday, Jan 24, 2026 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/newberry-library" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780428993/qsywaagvftoeqiblmroa.jpg"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/chicago-museum-member-swap-weekend" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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/v1780428994/abaljjq7z4fkihhmcjno.jpg"> <h4><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/publishers-letter-the-cgn-arts-guide-turns-ten" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2026: The CGN Arts Guide Turns Ten</a></h4> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/publishers-letter-the-cgn-arts-guide-turns-ten" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" 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

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