The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events' headquarters are located in the Chicago Cultural Center

Photo courtesy the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

Chicago's cultural commissioner resigns following accusations of bullying and mismanagement

During a meeting of the city of Chicago’s Cultural Advisory Council on Tuesday (7 October), it was announced that the commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Clinée Hedspeth, had resigned, effective immediately.

When Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Hedspeth in March 2024, the announcement noted “a wealth of experience” in arts administration, public policy and community engagement, but arts leaders were sceptical.

Via The Art Newspaper

On a tour in Chicago, state reps hear from museum leaders in an uncertain cultural funding landscape

A walk through the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center’s first floor is a walk through African American history. It begins with slavery, and a visualization of slave ships arriving in the Americas, informed by primary-source insurance documents; the haunting progression shows vessels at first dotting the Atlantic, then overwhelming it. It ends with footage from Barack Obama’s election night address.

Via Chicago Tribune

In an Uncertain Market, Chicago’s Art Scene Offers a Beacon of Hope for Artists and Gallerists Alike

Luke Agada could have moved anywhere after finishing his MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2023, showing his work in national and international exhibitions, and receiving several awards and fellowships along the way. 

But the Nigerian painter and his wife decided to make Chicago their home—instead of New York or Los Angeles, the two biggest art hubs in the US.

Via ARTnews