Karl Wirsum, a prominent member of the Chicago artistic group The Hairy Who, was successful in life but less so in death. Courtesy Zack Wirsum

What Really Happens to an Artist’s Market After They Die

Alasdair Nichol, deputy chairman of Freeman’s | Hindman auction house, calls it a “ghoulish” area, but it is one that he knows exists: “There often is a death watch for older artists and those believed to be in poor health.” Auctioneers, art dealers and gallery owners and most especially art collectors pay close attention to obituaries, based on what he called a popular fallacy that the prices for artists’ works will rise significantly on their passing. “A person I know has been buying up Richters”—referring to the 93-year-old German painter Gerhard Richter—“I assume with the intention of selling these things when he dies,” Nichol told Observer, adding that he remembers “a mini-boom” for memorabilia related to the singer David Bowie “prior to his death” in 2016.

Via Observer

Will Agora take a walk? Grant Park's iron sculptures might have to relocate in 2026

The sculpture Agora — a striking work composed of 106 9-foot tall iron human figures — has been a fixture on the southern edge of Grant Park for nearly 20 years.

But the artwork might have to take a hike next August.

That’s when the Chicago Park District’s 20-year installation and maintenance agreement expires. The agreement allows Agora to occupy its Hutchinson Field location.

The expiration doesn’t make the artwork’s relocation a certainty, but one of the proposals in the park district’s new Grant Park Framework Plan includes refashioning Hutchinson Field into a “neighborhood-oriented amenity” — and it doesn’t mention Agora sticking around.

Via Chicago Sun-Times

School of the Art Institute president buys $2.2 million Lincoln Park house

Jiseon Lee Isbara, president of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, bought a house in Lincoln Park for a little over $2.2 million.

Isbara, who took the reins at the institution in July 2024, and husband Melik Isbara bought the five-bedroom house on Halsted Street July 1, according to the Cook County clerk.

An exhibited artist who previously was a top official at a California arts school, Lee Isbara would not comment on the purchase, a media representative at SAIC told Crain's.

Via Crain's Chicago

How Is A.I. Reshaping the Market?

It’s clear the market for A.I. artworks is expanding, as are the applications for the tech as a tool within the trade. But behind all the hype are serious questions about market readiness and ethics. Artnet’s European news reporter Jo Lawson-Tancred discusses how A.I. is changing how the art world does business.

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