Curated Highlights for What’s Ahead in Chicago’s Art Scene As of August 5, we’re looking forward—not backward. Here are exhibitions, talks, and art happenings opening after this week. August can be a slower month in the art world, but it can also offer a chance to engage with art before the fall season is in full swing. And on that note, we are wrapping up production on the fall issue of CGN, covering September-December. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> and receive a copy in the mail! – CGN <h3>• Exhibitions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1754433289/ca77xelv2otvxjs30hgr.jpg"> <h4>Fortitude</h4> Dragonfly Gallery &amp; Creative Spaces August 8–31 | Opening: Friday, August 8, 6–9 PM An immersive solo exhibition exploring resilience through vivid color, layered textiles, and sculptural form. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/fortitude" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1754433290/z5h0wtcipnjrfbvhzwoh.jpg"> <h4>Mark Me, Too: Five Artists</h4> Hyde Park Art Center August 9 – December 14 | Opening: Saturday, August 9, 2–4 PM This group show spotlights five self-taught and underrepresented artists addressing autonomy, identity, and community through mixed media. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/exhibition/mark-me-too-five-artists" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1754433292/pqlfc22npiizmscil9jv.jpg"> <h4>Chicken Stingel: The Sequel</h4> Old Friends Gallery August 14 – September 21 | Opening: Thursday, August 14, 6–9 PM A conceptual and comical follow-up by Kenny Schachter featuring “collaborations” with chickens, cast in copper, silver, and gold, riffing on Rudolf Stingel’s practice. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/chicken-stingel-the-sequel" target="_blank">More info ›</a><h3> </h3> <h3>• Special Events &amp; Auctions</h3> <h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1754433294/vdqo81yqcguhw4qb4ip7.jpg"></h4><h4> </h4><h4>Ren Editions Pop-up</h4>The Renaissance SocietyFriday, August 8A pop-up event featuring a curated selection of rare and limited-edition artworks and publications by internationally acclaimed contemporary artists who have exhibited at the Ren.<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ren-editions-pop-up" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1754433296/j2yg5n0ymq6qwnhthhhn.jpg"> <h4>Art on THE MART: August Projections</h4> Merchandise Mart / Chicago Riverwalk Nightly through September Nightly large-scale video projections feature new digital works, including pieces by Arts of Life artists celebrating 25 years of inclusive creative studio practice. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artonthemart.com/" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1754433297/yaxuwaaqv9dtxanwncea.jpg"></h4> <h4>In the Company of Women</h4>21c Museum Hotel ChicagoThursday, Aug 21, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMOne night of conversation, creativity, and connection—complete with wine and art.<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-the-company-of-women" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1754433298/lfvvffqzmqmk2rj9sjna.jpg"> <h4>Essential Jewelry</h4>Freeman's | HindmanWednesday, Aug 27, 2025 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/essential-jewelry-aug-25" target="_blank">More info ›</a> <h4> </h4><h2> </h2>

CGN Art Preview: August 2025

<h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hyperallergic.com/1030874/can-steve-martin-help-bring-visitors-to-the-frick-collection/" target="_blank">Can Steve Martin Help Bring Visitors to the Frick Collection?</a></h3> As if a $220 million makeover weren’t enough, the Frick Collection in New York City has enlisted comedian Steve Martin to promote the newly reopened museum, which returned to its Fifth Avenue headquarters this spring. In a&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(18, 18, 18);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itpleBx3-tc" target="_blank">new video</a>&nbsp;posted to the Frick’s website and social media, the&nbsp;Only Murders in the Building&nbsp;co-creator and actor prances around the freshly renovated Gilded Age mansion, narrating a short history of the museum and its originator, the industrialist and&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(18, 18, 18);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/goldman-henry-clay-frick-1849-1919/" target="_blank">notorious labor suppressor</a>&nbsp;Henry Clay Frick. Via Hyperallergic&nbsp; <h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2025/06/18/fine-arts-building-book" target="_blank">A New Book Explores the Fascinating Stories and Businesses Inside Chicago's Eccentric Fine Arts Building</a></h3> “What is this place?” Chicago author Keir Graff asks the question more than once as he’s describing the Fine Arts Building, the subject of his new book.The question is an apt one. The ten-story building is part of the stone, glass, and steel cliffs that line Michigan Avenue and overlook Grant Park. From the outside, the building is “kind of blocky,” Graff describes. “It’s not a stunning building like the Rookery Building.” Via WTTW<h3> </h3><h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/arts/design/versailles-ai-app.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bk8.3zma.4tst9kToWiXQ&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">What’s on Cupid’s Mind at Versailles? A.I. Can Tell You.</a></h3> Early one midsummer afternoon in the Palace of Versailles’ gardens, a pigeon landed effortlessly on a masterpiece of French outdoor sculpture: a 17th-century statue of Apollo on a chariot, pulled by four horses. The statue, made of gilded lead, has stood in a vast fountain at Versailles in the three-plus centuries since Louis XIV was king of France — and it has now entered the digital age via a new feature on the historic site’s app: Powered by the tech giant OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, an audio tool lets visitors (on or off site) converse with 20 outdoor statues in three languages. On that summer afternoon, I put the chatbot to the test. Via NYT

What We're Reading: August 4, 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1753821888/wwox9mc75tnzeyjz02zd.jpg"> Local cartoonist Chris Ware's sheet of "Forever" stamps traces a busy postal carrier's journey through an urban landscape across four seasons. Credit: derek li wan po/Provided <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/07/22/us-postal-service-needed-stamps-to-celebrate-its-250th-anniversary-local-cartoonist-chris-ware-delivered/" target="_blank">USPS Needed Stamps For Its 250th Anniversary. Local Cartoonist Chris Ware Delivered</a>&nbsp;What’s older than the Declaration of Independence? Believe it or not: the United States Postal Service.The organization now known as the USPS was <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://facts.usps.com/benjamin-franklin-first-postmaster-general/" target="_blank">established in July 1775</a> — one year before the 13 original colonies declared themselves to be their own nation. This week, the agency <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2025/0428-usps-announces-stamps-celebrating-its-250th-anniversary.htm" target="_blank">celebrates its semiquincentennial</a> with a creative new stamp design featuring artwork by local cartoonist extraordinaire Chris Ware.&nbsp;Via Block Club Chicago <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/yvette-mayorga-times-square-arts-magic-grasshopper-2669062" target="_blank">Yvette Mayorga Is Unleashing a Candy-Coated Fantasy in Times Square</a>Times Square is about to get a sugar rush. <a style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnet.com/artists/yvette-mayorga/" target="_blank">Yvette Mayorga</a>, the artist best known for her pink-hued, frosted confections, is unveiling her largest public artwork at the New York plaza—one that’s equal parts dreamy fairy tale and pointed social critique.Via Artnet <a style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/arts/design/amy-sherald-smithsonian-censorship.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZE8.Svkq.6qh_WIj7TJOj&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship</a>Amy Sherald — the artist who rocketed to fame with her 2018 <a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/arts/design/amy-sherald-michelle-obama-official-portrait.html" target="_blank">portrait of Michelle Obama</a> — has withdrawn her upcoming solo show from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery because she said she had been told the museum was considering removing her painting depicting a transgender Statue of Liberty to avoid provoking President Trump.Via NYT

What We're Reading July 28th

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1753819487/ilknfbgfbwt3a0teqann.png"> By CGN Staff via PR Fall West Loop Contemporary Fine Art Expo to take place October 17–19, following debut of spring edition in May 2025. This October the inaugural Fall West Loop Contemporary Fine Art Expo will take place from October 17–19, 2025 at the Stephen M. Bailey Auditorium, located in Plumbers Hall at 1340 W. Washington Blvd. Close to Randolph Street’s many acclaimed restaurants, the expo brings a curated selection of fine art to one of the city’s buzziest, creative neighborhoods. Presented by LA-based Gourmet Expos, the three-day event offers an intimate, boutique-style art fair experience featuring more than 40 invitation-only artists from seven states across the Midwest and beyond. Visitors can explore a wide array of original artwork in styles ranging from abstract expressionism and post-impressionism to encaustic, pop realism, and sculpture, with all works available for purchase directly from the artists. A small-scale, artist-driven fair set inside a historic Beaux-Arts auditorium, the fair aims to create a dialogue between artists and collectors in an atmosphere that isn't intimidating and that is especially appealing to first time collectors looking for unique art by living artists. Each artist will be present to speak about their work, making this expo as much about connection as it is about discovery.<h4> </h4><h4>Hours &amp; Ticket Information:</h4> First Look Preview<ul><li>Friday, October 17, 7–10PM</li><li>Includes hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar – Tickets $40</li></ul>General Admission<ul><li>Saturday, October 18, 11AM–7PM</li><li>Sunday, October 19, 11AM–7PM (Post-game hours for Bears fans!) – Daily Tickets $20</li></ul>Multi-day tickets available For tickets, parking info and artist previews, visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.gourmetexpos.com/" target="_blank">www.GourmetExpos.com</a> or contact <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:info@gourmetexpos.com" target="_blank">info@gourmetexpos.com</a> / 310-358-9097. Image: Val Fischer

A Boutique, Artist-Focused Art Fair Comes to the West Loop in October

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1752786489/snrf6mzitgdmoqg9sfvz.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/luminosity-the-ocean-between-viii" target="_blank">LUMINOSITY: The Ocean Between VIII</a>Opening: Friday, July 18, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMOliva Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1752786491/oudphmwdredgxlxjwxoz.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/april-behnke-mind-games" target="_blank">April Behnke: Mind Games</a>Opening: Friday, July 18, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMKim Storage Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1752786493/sfzleasuzdapaubwaul7.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/fawn-penn-remedy-for-the-relief-of-human-suffering" target="_blank">Fawn Penn: Remedy for the Relief of Human Suffering</a>Opening: Friday, July 18, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMVSG Contemporary <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1752786498/aq81x7jmxihbtyblsfmx.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/juan-carlos-rodriguez-sound-the-alarm" target="_blank">Juan Carlos Rodriguez: Sound the Alarm</a>Opening: Friday, July 18, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMSouth Shore Arts <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1752786499/qhskbeuu4gjsmkxacemn.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/three-ways-of-seeing-tomo-mori-marie-kirk-burke-and-jill-hackney" target="_blank">Three Ways of Seeing: Tomo Mori, Marie Kirk Burke, and Jill Hackney</a>Opening: Saturday, July 19, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMJudy Ferrara Gallery

New Exhibitions: July 18 - 19

<h3><a style="color: rgb(32, 76, 156);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/list/art-in-america/features/what-is-art-good-for-christine-sun-kim-stephen-shore-1234746972/" target="_blank">What Is Art Good For? Seven Artists&nbsp;Respond.</a></h3>All artists have wrestled with the question of why they make art. The endeavor can sometimes feel impotent or indulgent, or perhaps motivated by compulsion alone. Yet here we are, continuing a tradition that has spanned the entirety of human history. My ears always perk up when an artist offers or even implies an answer to art’s purpose, with their words or with their work, so I posed the question to seven artists with evident opinions. Some responded with words to live by; others turned the prompt into a creative or conceptual challenge—as artists are wont to do. (Still others not included declined to answer, emailing simply, “I don’t know.”) The responses below range, as might be expected, from cynical to sincere, with some managing neat answers and others leaning into the open-endedness that the question—and that art—engenders.&nbsp;—As told to Emily Watlington Via Art in America <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/07/15/free-art-with-strings-attached-zero-art-fairs-first-edition-in-new-york-city-puts-a-new-spin-on-the-old-fair-format" target="_blank">‘Free art, with strings attached’: Zero Art Fair’s first edition in New York City puts a new spin on the old fair format</a></h3><a style="color: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 254, 250);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.zeroartfair.com/about/" target="_blank">Zero Art Fair</a>&nbsp;appears normal enough. Held last week in a white-walled gallery towering above Chelsea at the Flag Art Foundation’s ninth-floor headquarters, collectors perused paintings, sculptures and other works last week. But after finding something they liked, instead of handing over bank details, buyers presented a paper card and took their art home with no money changing hands. Under that system, 179 works were placed with a total retail value of $537,500, with 14 additional works on hold, fair organisers said on Monday (14 July). The Art Newspaper <h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/arts/design/art-homosexuality-museums-chicago-art-institute.html" target="_blank">How ‘Gay’ Became an Identity in Art</a></h3>When did homosexuality change from a description of what people&nbsp;do&nbsp;to a definition of who they&nbsp;are? How was an act transformed into an identity? In this precarious moment, as&nbsp;White House pronouncements, court decisions and&nbsp;public polling&nbsp;indicate backsliding support for gay rights in this country, such questions, long chewed over by scholars of sociology, philosophy and gender studies, are addressed in two impressive art exhibitions in Chicago. Via NYT Thumbnail image: Andreas Andersen, “Interior with Hendrik Andersen and John Briggs Potter in Florence,” 1894, from “The First Homosexuals: The Birth of a New Identity, 1869-1939” at Wrightwood 659 gallery in Chicago. Credit: Direzione Musei Statali della Città di Roma; via Wrightwood 659 <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/man-arrested-stone-of-destiny-scottish-museum-2667564" target="_blank">Man in Kilt Breaks Glass Protecting the Stone of Destiny at Museum</a></h3>&nbsp;35-year-old man wearing a kilt was arrested in the Scottish city of Perth after he allegedly broke the glass protecting an artifact that has been key to U.K. history for centuries. Via Artnet

What We're Reading: July 16, 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751908678/olxxkqbabi7dx6zjk665.jpg">Installation view of Tessercats By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://watershedstudio.works/" target="_blank">Watershed Studioworks</a> in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood is hosting "Tessercats," an exhibit by Erik Wenzel with nearly 40 feline-inspired portraits informed by theoretical mathematics, and hyperspace. Established in 2019, Watershed Studioworks operates as an artist-run gallery and studio workspace. Co-owned by visual artist Kelly Rickert and Sarah Bordson, the gallery showcases art that promotes community engagement and meaningful dialogue. Wenzel relocated his studio to Watershed Studioworks during the pandemic and started working on these paintings. The gallery is an intimate storefront space with large windows and natural light, and an ideal venue for exhibiting Wenzel’s small but mighty Tesser-cats.&nbsp; Last year, I had the opportunity to visit Wenzel’s studio and observe a selection of his kick-ass cat portraits in progress.&nbsp;A long-time cat enthusiast, Wenzel has produced many cat-themed works, evolving from simple sketches and doodles to these vibrant, striking portraits. Seeing them together as a group was fabulous.&nbsp;After a year and the completion of roughly twenty-five additional paintings, "Tessercats,” the exhibition, has come to fruition. On the gallery walls, the portraits are a veritable feast for the eyes, and I’m here for it.&nbsp; “Tessercats” represents Wenzel’s return to the art scene following a hiatus earning a Master of Art History. The exhibition title, derived from a combination of "cats" and "tesseract," refers to a four-dimensional cube. While researching the early modernist avant-garde, Wenzel became interested in hyperspace, spatial dimensions beyond the three we frequent. His focus is on the historical avant-garde's quasi-spiritual ideas about this spatial fourth dimension and how it ties into madness, mental illness, and self-care. Wenzel, an artist, curator, and writer, weaves these abstract spatial ideas into his new series of serious and silly cat paintings.&nbsp;Influences on his art practice include Marcel Duchamp, Gilett Burgess, the cubists, and architect and designer, Claude Bragdon. Wenzel states, “All this became an enticing way to think through history, conceive of abstract space as a mental place and explore.”&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751908679/itpnfeq28qwa1aak6z3j.jpg">Lindner, 2023, acrylic and graphite, on panel, 9”x 12” In 2022, Wenzel left academia, self-published a book titled “Mental Health Illness,” featuring new work and busied himself painting cat portraits. Wenzel creates these gorgeous gems using materials such as acrylic, gesso, ink, collaged paper, puffy paint, and graphite. Most works are 9 x 12-inch panels, with some at 12 x 12 inches and one at 16 x 20 inches. In addition, the show includes two large graphite drawings. Geometry influences the structure of these portraits: triangles and cones form the ears and nose, circles outline the eyes and cheeks, and squares are included here and there. These portraits show close-up, frontal cat faces, occasionally including shoulders. All cats are alike, yet unique. Wenzel regards the repetitive nature of his artistic process as both therapeutic and meditative. His repetitive imagery recalls Warhol’s screen prints, though each cat portrait is unique in color and materials. The subjects appear stoic and contemplative, resembling spiritual icons. Wenzel says there's no hidden message; his process is guided by intuition, with the goal of creating imaginative, four-dimensional representations of cats.&nbsp;Some days, inspiration comes easily; other days, he tells us, “The cats aren’t talking.”&nbsp; The paintings are fantastic and fanciful, but it’s the eyes that fascinate me. They are skillfully rendered, effectively embodying the sentiment that "the eyes are the window to the soul," a phrase often attributed to William Shakespeare. Some eyes are abstract, multicolored, or tie-dye-like patterns, while others are monochromatic. These portraits require close observation to appreciate their curious details.&nbsp;For example, “Lindner,” features pinwheel-patterned eyes: one contains two tiny tent-like pentagons at its center, the other a small gem-like hexagon. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751908680/xqaq89kl512vy0pvbdkt.jpg">&nbsp;Trellis Tra La La, 2025, acrylic on panel, 9”x 12” Many works feature spiral-patterned eyes, reflecting Wenzel’s focus on mathematics and geometry, and recalling the retro1960s Spirograph toy. These dreamlike swirling-patterned eyes also evoke the bold, psychedelic aesthetics of the 1960s and 1970s (think acid trips!) Examples include “Snow Pea,’” “Mascara Fresco,” “Mr. "Stripes,” and my favorite, “Trellis Tra La La.” The latter, created in 2025, is an acrylic painting rendered in black and white, depicting a cat with predominantly black, spiral-shaped eyes. The composition includes yellow and teal cubes and intersecting lines, dynamic gestural marks, and pinkish-red circles.&nbsp; Wenzel shows creativity in naming these cats as well, using mental health-inspired titles like “Serenity Self-Preservation,” “Depression with Vibes,” and “Delectable Behavior Therapy” (a play on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT). “Serenity Self-Preservation” hints at safeguarding one's mental and emotional well-being to maintain lasting tranquility. This acrylic on panel piece features a finely drawn graphite cat on an ivory background, embodying serenity. Though easy to overlook due to its subtlety, the painting stands out once seen. "Depression with Vibes" alludes to misery with changes in mood, behavior, or disposition. This acrylic and collage painting portrays a black and grey cat set against a muted grey background, highlighted by colorful lines, multi-colored eyes, and vivid paint blobs on its face. The artwork suggests depression but also a sense of radiance.&nbsp; Wenzel's titles use intent, psychological themes, and humor—both subtle and direct—to address complex emotions in his art. Titles like “Nicely Niced,” “Chin Scritcher,” “Snow Pea,” and “Late Night Goofus” are witty and engaging. Wenzel slays with “Eye Contact With A Four-Dimensional Cat Through An Infra-Thin Layer.” The titles and Tesser-cats, overall, reflect a blend of intelligence and folly, with titles that aptly match each cat's personality.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751908681/h4wigwt1e8vfjtanamph.jpg">Mascara Fresco, 2023, acrylic and gesso, on panel, 9”x 12” Wenzel's Tesser-cats explore universal themes related to human experience. The works incorporate playful elements alongside aspects of vulnerability, engaging viewers through neutral expressions that encourage both analysis and general observation. Viewers can choose to overthink or simply enjoy. Wenzel suggests a "cat approach": relax in the moment “especially when there's a nice sun patch to lounge in.” Catch the show before it ends; you might just be chosen by a Tesser-cat! Wenzel holds a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Chicago (UChicago).&nbsp; “Tessercats” runs through July 26th at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://watershedstudio.works/" target="_blank">Watershed Studioworks</a>, 3016 W. Belmont, Chicago.&nbsp; Open Saturdays 12 PM to 5 PM and by appointment Artist talk, Saturday, July 12th at 3:00 PM&nbsp;

Landscape Survey: Tessercats, New Work by Erik Wenzel at Watershed Studioworks

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751902812/ywgoyfk3vhpyjg1m3ddc.jpg"></h4>Gustave Caillebotte’s&nbsp;The Floor Scrapers&nbsp;(1875) Courtesy of Musée d’Orsay, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn/Franck Raux <h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/07/07/gustave-caillebotte-blockbuster-that-sparked-controversy-in-france-opens-chicago-one-key-difference" target="_blank">Gustave Caillebotte blockbuster that sparked controversy in France opens in Chicago—with one key difference</a></h4> When the new, career-defining survey of&nbsp;<a style="color: inherit;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/keywords/gustave-caillebotte" target="_blank">Gustave Caillebotte</a>&nbsp;opened in late June at its final stop, the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), the checklist was very similar to previous versions at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Its chronological layout will also be familiar to any return visitors. But the show is dramatically different in at least one respect: its title. The Midwestern institution has changed the exhibition title from&nbsp;<a style="color: inherit;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.getty.edu/exhibitions/caillebotte/" target="_blank">Gustave Caillebotte: Painting Men</a>&nbsp;(in French,&nbsp;<a style="color: inherit;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/agenda/expositions/caillebotte-peindre-les-hommes" target="_blank">Caillebotte: Peindre Les Hommes</a>) to the more gender-neutral—or neutered—<a style="color: inherit;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10068/gustave-caillebotte-painting-his-world" target="_blank">Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World</a>&nbsp;(until 5 October). Could it be that the Chicago museum is toning things down because so many French art critics flipped out over the male focus? Via the Art Newspaper <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/2025/07/art-exhibition-review-catalyst-intuit-art-museum-chicago/" target="_blank">Migration, Marginalization and Outsider Art Collide in Intuit Art Museum’s ‘Catalyst’</a></h4> <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/isarnu-guy-conners/" target="_blank">Isarnu Guy Conners</a>’&nbsp;North Avenue Beach&nbsp;is a small painting of the Chicago waterfront. It’s composed of tactile blobs of colors that resolve themselves into swimmers, bicyclists, clouds, rocks and the Chicago skyline off in the distance. The influence of artists like Van Gogh and the Impressionists is obvious, though Conners was born in Japan, and looking at the painting reminds us that the Impressionists were powerfully influenced by the colors and carefully casual compositions of Japanese prints. North Avenue Beach&nbsp;is on display as part of “Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago,” an exhibition at the newly reopened Intuit Art Museum. Artists like&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/henry-darger/" target="_blank">Henry Darger</a>, artists/collectors like&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/person/roger-brown/" target="_blank">Roger Brown</a>, and institutions like Intuit itself have made Chicago a center for the study of and cultivation of&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://observer.com/2025/02/interview-andrew-edlin-outsider-art-fair-art-market/" target="_blank">outsider or self-taught art</a>. Chicago, as a transportation hub, has also been a major destination for immigrants from Poland, Mexico, Asia, the American South and more. Via Observer <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751902813/mrvlbagjpkrkeux15wgb.jpg">Jasper Johns,&nbsp;Flag&nbsp;(1960-66). The Middleton Family Collection. Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/america-250th-anniversary-exhibitions-2662919" target="_blank">Countdown to America’s 250th: The Museum Shows Mapping the Country’s Past—and Future</a></h4> The countdown to the 250th anniversary of America’s independence has begun, and museums are already lining up celebrations to mark the milestone. Far from empty flag-waving exercises, these exhibitions richly explore the nation’s founding ideals and contested histories through the lenses of art and artifacts. What did independence mean then—and what does it mean now? Here are 10 shows that encourage reflection as much as a deep reckoning. Via Artnet <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/art-basel-2025-blue-chip-galleries-sales-trend-1234746767/" target="_blank">Galleries’ Reporting Seems to Show Sales Slipping at Art Basel, Even As Number of Artists Rises</a></h4> It’s no secret that the art market has been mired in a prolonged slump for nearly two years. Where dealers and market observers once described conditions in late 2023 and 2024 using euphemisms like “soft” or “a correction,” this spring’s assessments were more often met with shrugs—or, when expectations were exceeded, with outsized celebration. Such was the case with Frieze’s fairs in&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 75, 39); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.email.artnews.com%2F%3Fqs%3D3d0fb3860d124f56314637ce8db1d95543aad6df6ec68375699ab99ae1d5f3b73288518a46e02b505793bf800725447faaeb570a1e681627&amp;data=05%7C02%7Chjacobs%40artnews.com%7Ca432e50fe25141053b6908ddb9846776%7Ce950f25546e44144a778a6ff4f557492%7C0%7C0%7C638870700523456828%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=LpDe9Qr61YvsL9nlC13F3A6jniJZIby05oFZpjIuKHg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">LA in February</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 75, 39); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.email.artnews.com%2F%3Fqs%3D3d0fb3860d124f5670cb541357ef495ae312a809e07193b81f914fb90a46c07ddf18739f4e84c6fd285ffe2873f3ff43a0647395926e3794&amp;data=05%7C02%7Chjacobs%40artnews.com%7Ca432e50fe25141053b6908ddb9846776%7Ce950f25546e44144a778a6ff4f557492%7C0%7C0%7C638870700523656971%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=tEl2DOWhrTv0%2BsVO9LM%2FlgznRMQSDPGAzXYYUECHUF8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">New York in May.</a> Via ARTnews

What We're Reading: July 7, 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751908835/txnk8rzcn3pndzopkuat.png"> By CGN Staff Gertie announced the return of the third annual Chicago Exhibition Weekend (CXW), set for September 19–21, 2025.&nbsp; Gertie and EarlyWork shared that they are thrilled to collaborate again, this time expanding the event through new partnerships with Independent Curators International, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, and the Chicago Art Book Fair. These new connections, alongside the organization's longtime relationship with EXPO Chicago and a strong network of galleries and institutions across the city, are shaping a weekend of ideas, routes, and reflections that aim to capture what it feels like to be in Chicago (and to care about art) right now. This year, CXW is grounding the experience with a central hub at 400 N. Peoria, where you’ll find public programs, the Art Book Fair, and a new anchor exhibition commissioned by CXW:Over My Head: Encounters with Conceptual Art in a Flyover City, 1984–2015, curated by Iris Colburn (MCA Chicago) and Gareth Thomas Kaye (independent curator). Whereas past Exhibition Weekends invited visitors to choose their own adventure, CXW 2025 offers more structure for deeper engagement—a way to trace stories between spaces and artworks and to see how they build on the legacy of Chicago’s past while pointing toward its creative future. Gertie says these changes are reflective of the fact that Chicago’s art ecosystem is evolving. More artists are staying. More collectors are looking here. More conversations are happening, and they want you in the room for them. The full CXW site at&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagoexhibitionweekend.com/" target="_blank">chicagoexhibitionweekend.com</a>&nbsp;will be launching soon with event details and information.

Third annual Chicago Exhibition Weekend (CXW) returns September 19–21, 2025

CGN adds to its calendar of art events 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 as an art-filled summer ramps up. 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/v1751568781/obcnti6umzvsocsjprln.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/city-in-a-garden-queer-art-and-activism-in-chicago" target="_blank">City in a Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago</a></h3> Jul 5, 2025 - Jan 25, 2026 <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> City in a Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago&nbsp;is an intergenerational group exhibition that highlights Chicago’s essential, yet often underacknowledged, role in the story of queer art and activism. The exhibition examines this history from the mid-1980s, when activists radically mobilized in response to the US government’s disastrous handling of the AIDS crisis.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568782/arly02ov0bwapbomfi7l.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mau-mau-solo-show" target="_blank">Mau Mau Solo Show</a></h3> Jul 11, 2025 - Jul 26, 2025Opening: Friday, Jul 11, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/vertical-gallery" target="_blank">Vertical Gallery</a> Mau Mau is a renowned British urban graffiti artist who’s gained an international following with his humorous street, print and graffiti work. He incorporates political, environmental and cultural commentary to his work – often with his trademark character of a mischievous and fun loving Fox. With roots planted in surf and country vibes of the North Devon coast, Mau Mau brings an air of rural sophistication to the art he has been creating for twenty years. He has painted his way around the world, his artwork appearing on everything from shipwrecks to surfboards and billboards to city walls. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568786/hpix36yugtbmp7jc3jkt.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alex-katz-white-lotus" target="_blank">Alex Katz: White Lotus</a></h3> Jul 11, 2025 - Sep 20, 2025 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/gray" target="_blank">GRAY</a> Though titled after the hit television show,&nbsp;White Lotus&nbsp;by Alex Katz bears very little relation to HBO’s dark comedy. Rather, the paintings in this series are guided more by the tools of cinema, through Katz's use of monumental canvas, dramatic lighting, and repeating figures. Opening at GRAY’s Chicago gallery on July 11, 2025,&nbsp;White Lotus&nbsp;is a testament not only to Katz’s nonstop creative output, but also his status as one of the most groundbreaking American artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568788/njkpo4cv3mfuevoaxrrh.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/paul-segedin-and-karen-perl" target="_blank">Leopold Segedin | A Habit of Art: Paintings from 2015 to the Present</a></h3> Jul 8, 2025 - Aug 10, 2025Opening: Sunday, Jul 13, 2025 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/evanston-art-center" target="_blank">Evanston Art Center</a> Leopold Segedin is a Chicago-born painter (b. 1927) who has been exhibiting his work since 1944. His works have been shown at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Milwaukee Art Institute. At 97, Segedin currently lives and works in Evanston from his home studio. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568789/edimcjw1yr0epghnk0sn.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/kathleen-waterloo-new-encaustic-paintings" target="_blank">Kathleen Waterloo. New Encaustic paintings</a></h3> Jul 11, 2025 - Sep 1, 2025Opening: Friday, Jul 11, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/addington-gallery" target="_blank">Addington Gallery</a> Solo exhibition -&nbsp;Kathleen Waterloo. New Encaustic painting <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568793/cu5oobjncb4qai0wxram.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/luminosity-the-ocean-between-viii" target="_blank">LUMINOSITY: The Ocean Between VIII</a></h3> Jul 18, 2025 - Aug 16, 2025Opening: Friday, Jul 18, 2025 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/oliva-gallery" target="_blank">Oliva Gallery</a> Curated by Marianna Buchwald and Tamara Wasserman this group exhibition brings together a dynamic roster of international and Chicago-based artists whose work reflects the fluid intersections of culture, imagination, and personal mythology. The exhibition explores light, not only as a visual phenomenon, but as a metaphor for transformation, connection, and creative vision. Through diverse media including painting, sculpture, mixed media, and installation, the featured artists illuminate the conceptual distance between places, people, and identities, transforming it into a shared space of artistic inquiry. <h3>• Summer Road Trips: Rockford, Wisconsin, SW Michigan</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568795/zxxb7jq3ixm0jm3vy6rz.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/art-fair-on-the-square" target="_blank">Art Fair on the Square</a></h3> Jul 12 and 13, 2025<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/madison-museum-of-contemporary-art-mmoca" target="_blank">Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)</a> One of the Midwest’s most popular and highly regarded outdoor celebrations of the arts will return to the Capitol Square on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, 2025, as MMoCA presents the 67th annual Art Fair on the Square. With its mix of music, entertainment, and outdoor dining, as well as over 500 artists exhibiting paintings, prints, photographs, sculpture, jewelry, handmade clothing and accessories, and fine craft, the fair draws nearly 200,000 visitors to Madison’s Capitol Square. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568796/zchsabcrasgotxl4nr4r.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/day-trip-art-of-rockford-il" target="_blank">Day Trip: Art of Rockford, IL</a></h3> Thursday, Jul 17, 2025 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/art-encounter" target="_blank">Art Encounter</a> Mark your calendars for our bus trip to Rockford, IL, a city bursting with artistic energy and local charm! Join Art Encounter's Sarah Packer and Joanna Pinsky to visit a local muralist in his studio, take a guided tour of the Rockford Art Museum, explore the city's renowned public art, and meet a unique collective of artists. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568797/mzjoxnflpocii6ak6prx.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/forward2025" target="_blank">Forward</a></h3> Jul 16, 2025 - Aug 31, 2025Opening: Friday, Jul 18, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM in conjunction with <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gallery-night-mke-reception-for-forward" target="_blank">Gallery Night MKE</a> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/lily-pad-west" target="_blank">Lily Pad | West</a> Since 1851, Wisconsin has embraced the word "Forward" as its state motto, a simple yet powerful declaration of progress and positivity. At Lily Pad | West, we have embodied this spirit for the past eight years, consistently advancing our vision of showcasing world-class art through a dynamic mix of local, national, and international artists. As the gallery expands its horizons, we are proud to remain deeply rooted in supporting the vibrant community of contemporary Wisconsin artists. "Forward" is the gallery's fourth annual group exhibition featuring an impressive lineup of Wisconsin-based artists. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568799/rtepvsh2ektmyr7e56cu.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/april-behnke-mind-games" target="_blank">April Behnke: Mind Games</a></h3> Jul 18, 2025 - Aug 16, 2025Opening: Friday, Jul 18, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Gallery Night MKE)Artist Talk: Saturday, July 19 beginning at 1PM (Gallery Day MKE) <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/kim-storage-gallery" target="_blank">Kim Storage Gallery</a> Kim Storage Gallery is thrilled to present "Mind Games," a solo exhibition by Chicago-based artist April Behnke. This captivating show features a new body of work showcasing Behnke's exploration of perceptual play through paintings and drawings. The exhibition delves into the ways we use vision to perceive patterns and make sense of the world. Behnke skillfully interrupts these patterns, mixing up foreground and background to create a visual experience that is both familiar and disorienting. Visitors will be intrigued by the dynamic interplay of colors and shapes, which challenge and engage the viewer's perception. "Mind Games" not only references the show's main theme but also invites viewers to participate in a playful and interactive experience. Behnke's work draws inspiration from both board games and early video games, incorporating structured patterns and visual interruptions that evoke a sense of nostalgia and curiosity. This exhibition marks Behnke's first solo show at Kim Storage Gallery, and it promises to be a thought-provoking and visually stimulating event. Join us for the opening reception and artist talk, where Behnke will provide deeper insights into her creative process and the conceptual underpinnings of her work. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751568800/thwcireignn34n7qse9m.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/randolph-street-market-in-three-oaks-michigan" target="_blank">Randolph Street Market – in Three Oaks Michigan</a></h3> Jul 26 and Jul 27, 2025<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/randolph-street-market" target="_blank">Randolph Street Market</a> Chicago's internationally renowned Randolph Street Market&nbsp;is taking a road trip this summer to Three Oaks Michigan!&nbsp;&nbsp;We're bringing 50 of the best dealers&nbsp;our Windy City extravaganza has to offer,&nbsp;just ninety minutes from downtown but a world away!&nbsp;&nbsp;If you're missing us this summer, take a day trip or stay the weekend.&nbsp; Come shop the wares of some of the dealers you love, cruise the stores on Three Oaks' main drag and even stop for a swim at Warren Dunes State Park. <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">View the full CGN calendar here</a></h3>

CGN Art Preview: July 2025

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751340904/r6vxxjvj55qesjnudgeb.jpg"></h4>The new entrance is intended to take pressure off the Louvre’s main entrance, which was designed by the architect I.M. Pei in the 1980s. Credit: Andrea Mantovani for The New York Times<h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/arts/design/france-louvre-design-competition.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TE8.MhgS.FcJbMp27V3NW&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">France Opens Competition to Expand Overcrowded Louvre</a></h4> France on Friday started an architectural competition for the daunting task of expanding the Louvre in Paris, in a bid to ease overcrowding at the world’s biggest and most visited museum.The project, which will create a new entrance and give the Mona Lisa a new exhibition space, was first&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/arts/design/mona-lisa-louvre-macron.html?searchResultPosition=2" target="_blank">announced in January</a>&nbsp;by President Emmanuel Macron. He set the ambitious target of welcoming 12 million visitors per year — three million more than today — while also solving crowd-management headaches at the museum. The architectural competition will be decided by a 21-person international jury, which will choose five finalists in October. A winner will be announced in early 2026, according to the Louvre. Via NYT <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/ken-griffin-13th-amendment-copy-sothebys-1234746499/" target="_blank">Ken Griffin Buys Lincoln’s Handwritten Copy of 13th Amendment for $13.7 M.</a></h4> Billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin&nbsp;has been revealed as the winner of last week’s auction at Sotheby’s for President&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 75, 39);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/t/abraham-lincoln/" target="_blank">Abraham Lincoln</a>’s handwritten copy of the 13th Amendment, the auction house said in a statement Monday. The document—one of only four copies still in private hands—was offered during the first part of Sotheby’s “Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana” sale last Thursday, with an estimate of $8 million to $12 million. After a spirited round of bidding, Griffin secured the winning bid of $12 million by phone. With buyer’s premium, the total came to $13.7 million, well above the $2.4 million record set for a different copy of the amendment in 2016. Via Artnews <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2025/06/27/bear-frank-lloyd-wright-home" target="_blank">'The Bear' Spotlights Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio in Oak Park</a></h4> The Bear&nbsp;is famous for spotlighting beloved Chicago landmarks, and the new fourth season is no different. In episode five, protagonist Carmy drives to the western suburb of&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wttw.com/chicago-by-l/neighborhoods/oak-park" target="_blank">Oak Park</a>&nbsp;to visit the legendary architect&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2022/12/22/frank-lloyd-wright-jonathan-adams" target="_blank">Frank Lloyd Wright</a>’s home and studio. Carmy wanders through the connected buildings, admiring such details as the octagonal, double-height drafting room; the barrel-vaulted second floor playroom; patterned windows and skylights of Wright’s own design; and some signature high-backed chairs in the dining room. Interspersed throughout the shots are blueprints, historic photos of the home, and a photo of the Wright family there, which a docent shows to Carmy. (The&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://flwright.org/tour/home-and-studio" target="_blank">home and studio</a>&nbsp;are open for tours.) Unsurprisingly, the chef Carmy lingers in the kitchen at an antique stove. Via WTTW

What We're Reading: July 1, 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751075453/xq2ojktgldnasphc1vnz.jpg">Maxwell Volkman, Tweakin, 2023, 34x 44 in. Acrylic, oil, inkjet prints, I’ve varnish, cut paper, colored pencil, and staples on canvas By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE <a style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/_gure__/" target="_blank">GURE</a> – Alex Adkinson &amp; Maxwell Volkman: The River Sweats with Oil and Tar GURE, located in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, is presenting its third exhibition titled “The River Sweats with Oil and Tar,” featuring the works of artists Alex Adkinson and Maxwell Volkman. GURE is a converted garage with an industrial design and provides a unique backdrop for the two-person show. The exhibition explores themes of angst and critiques of American culture through mixed media artworks that reflect on post-industrial landscapes and societal issues. GURE, owned and operated by Sharmarke Ahmed, is located on a quiet residential street. Enter through the side yard gate to find an enchanting garden setting and a fire pit where people gather. The gallery is in the rear corner of the yard and features industrial components including brick walls, a metal garage door, and concrete floors, alongside modern white walls. It suits the Adkinson and Volkman show perfectly.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751075454/lvoky0byytgkvmj5m5wy.jpg">Installation view. Work by Alex Adkinson on left and by Maxwell Volkman on right. Adkinson's mixed media artworks use materials such as steel, copper, reclaimed wood, inkjet prints, and various other elements to create pieces with an organic and raw aesthetic. Volkman uses various materials like paint, duct tape, shooting targets, grommets, inkjet prints, cut paper, and fingerprints to create textured visual compositions. They both tackle contemporary issues: Adkinson focuses on post-industrial landscapes and ecological problems, while Volkman explores fear, trauma, drug culture, and violence. Their work shares an organic quality that complements each other in the GURE framework. Adkinson's relocation from Tallahassee to Chicago has significantly influenced his recent work, integrating elements of both natural and urban environments seamlessly. As an artist and digital imaging researcher focusing on biodiversity, his surroundings are understandably crucial to him. In Tallahassee, he experienced isolation and swampy conditions, which he found powerful. In contrast, he believes that the densely populated urban environment of Chicago exerts a stronger influence on him. This is evident in his artwork, exploring themes of alienation and beauty in a post-industrial landscape. The Midwest’s abandoned factories, rusted steel and objects, crumbling bricks, and industrial agriculture highlight significant changes in the landscape. These conditions, coupled with the constant lack of solitude in the city, deeply affect Adkinson. He notes that he and Volkman share concerns about their examinations of American culture, feeling frustration, angst, and melancholy in a problematic world. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751075455/wvhunjk5wo0ju4th85pk.jpg">Alex Adkinson, Wished-for Disappearances, 2025, 10 X 22 in., Steel, reclaimed wood, acrylic, inkjet print, aluminum&nbsp; Adkinson's inspirations are diverse. He aligns with T.S. Eliot's sentiments on modernity and the wasteland, which inspired the GURE exhibit title. Others include Gilberto Zorio, Robert Smithson, Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, Sasha Fishman, and Heana Yoo. Adkinson's work at GURE features three small assemblages, a collage on paper, and two larger sculptures. 'Fidelity Ablation,' an 8-foot-tall sculpture made of steel, acrylic, and photographic print on polyvinyl, stands prominently on the lawn outside the gallery. The gallery features four smaller pieces displayed on the walls, along with Adkinson's floor sculpture 'A Measure of Growth,' which is 51-inches tall. The eye-catching sculpture features tall urban fruiting grass, steel, copper, mounted objects, and clay bowls suspended by chains. It balances a calm presence suitable for a yoga studio with an unusual vibe that suggests a ritualistic gathering. It Illustrates the beauty and ambiguity present within the post-industrial environment. The small pieces are intricate and interesting as well. ‘Wished-for Disappearances,’ made from materials including reclaimed wood, acrylic, aluminum, a nature photo, and part of a rusted pitchfork fished out of the Chicago River, tells a compelling story. I appreciated the piece and its narrative. Adkinson employs a diverse and rich array of materials in his work, and the palette features muted, earthy tones. His work is elegant, poetic, and fragile, yet still conveys a sense of frenetic movement, akin to Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, which transitions from an acoustic intro to a rock anthem. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751075456/baikpu31kbfcccc8gzrn.jpg">Alex Adkinson, A Measure of Growth, 2024, 51 X 28 X 12 in. Steel, copper, wild clay, urban fruiting grass, root&nbsp;&nbsp;ball, bismuth, manoammonium, phosphate, copper sulphate&nbsp; Volkman relocated to Chicago in 2019 from Tacoma, WA and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute (SAIC). He consistently made collages before his arrival, and he still does. At GURE, he is showcasing two collaged acrylic and oil canvases, along with two smaller collaged acrylic and flashe works on paper. 'Tweakin,' a 34 x 44-inch painting, portrays an individual in a stapled shut yellow straitjacket, encapsulating Volkman's exploration of themes related to discomfort. The piece incudes an image of a Xanax tablet and the text "Ketamine Infusion.” On the opposite wall is 'Confetti,' a piece related to Ketamine featuring multiple images of Crysten Ritter as Jane from Breaking Bad, with red paint resembling blood. Volkman's art, though unsettling, grabs attention like drivers observing accidents. His paintings combine spectacle with nuance to explore broader themes and issues. Volkman suggests that horror helps people manage anxiety, fear, and trauma, and he uses his art to process events and engage with the world.&nbsp; Volkman cites Francis Bacon, David Wojnarowicz, Sterling Ruby, Dash Snow, Daniel Johnston, Thomas Hirschhorn, and Harmony Korine as influences. His work explores themes of mental illness, social class, drugs, dark humor, religion, and violence. Volkman notes that his night terrors affect his art as well. He sources images online, from mass media, videos, horror films, and photography that evoke unease, fear, loss of control, and helplessness. Volkman integrates these images into his layered paintings, producing visuals that are subtly unsettling yet socially pertinent. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751075457/ccwdfoivkvlwpuw7ucyj.jpg">&nbsp;Maxwell Volkman, 2 Geeked, 2025, 24 x 18.75 in. Acrylic, flashe, inkjet prints, cut paper, colored pencil, duct tape, shooting targets, and grommets on paper in custom poplar frame The works on paper pieces ‘2 Geeked,’ and ‘Snow White,’ are good examples of this. 'Snow White' shows an alluring dark-haired woman encircled by enticing blue OxyContin pills. In '2 Geeked,' an erotic woman holding a gun faces the viewer with red paint dripping like blood, and the word OMEN appears in block text above her. It exhibits qualities that are both repelling and provocative, making it notable in the show (and my favorite by Volkman.)&nbsp;The theme from The Exorcist, Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, would complement Volkman’s work perfectly. Volkman framed the two 24 X 18.75 inch works on paper to harmonize with Adkinson’s industrial style. He made wood frames and spray-painted them with Rust-Oleum Chrome Metallic Finish. The paintings are attached to the frames using grommets, screws, and staples, with fingerprints visible on the frames. The faux-metal frames enhance 'Snow White' and '2 Geeked,' Volkman’s newest pieces.&nbsp; Art often reflects society, and this exhibition does just that. It offers not only an aesthetic experience but also a commentary on contemporary issues. Both artists have upcoming local exhibitions. Adkinson will be in a two-person show at Sawhorse, and Volkman will participate in a two-person exhibition at LVL3. The exhibition continues at GURE through June 28th and is open by appointment only. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/_gure__/" target="_blank">DM for address</a> and to schedule viewing.

Landscape survey: Alex Adkinson & Maxwell Volkman at GURE 

Manny Singletary: A New Art Collector Embraces Chicago

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748455811/nfagrtskgpxzth4ww7kn.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. The Pont de l'Europe, 1876. Association des Amis du Petit Palais, Genève. Image courtesy of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Photo by John R. Glembin. By GINNY VAN ALYEA This June the Art Institute’s major summer exhibition, Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World, will present the Impressionist’s work in the context of the era and the social circles in which he lived. Caillebotte (1848–1894) is closely associated with his monumental painting of a French street scene on a gray and inclement day, Paris Street; Rainy Day, a work that is the crown jewel of the Art Institute’s permanent collection as well as this exhibtion. The show promises to expand how visitors see the artist’s own life and what inspired him, allowing us to appreciate intimate elements of Caillebotte’s world while also presenting questions about what the artist himself saw and wanted viewers to see in his paintings. Curious about the every-day, despite his own privileged background, his radical perceptions and depictions are quite relevant today.&nbsp; This exhibition, which opened in October 2024 at Paris’s Musée d’Orsay, includes more than 120 works—paintings, works on paper, photographs, and other ephemera from throughout Caillebotte’s career. In addition to recognizable works like Floor Scrapers and Paris Street; Rainy Day, the show presents lesser-known but pivotal works like the Musée d’Orsay’s recent acquisition, Boating Party, and the Louvre Abu-Dhabi’s The Bezique Game, as well as many works from private collections that are rarely seen by American audiences.&nbsp; Gloria Groom, Chair and Winton Green Curator, Painting and Sculpture of Europe, The Art Institute of Chicago took time this spring to give us a preview of what we can expect from Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748455812/wnq92w8vw1eyqst82sod.jpg">Gloria Groom, Chair and Winton Green Curator, Painting and Sculpture of Europe, The Art Institute of Chicago. Photo by <a style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.clarebritt.com/" target="_blank">Clare Britt</a> <h4> </h4><h4>CGN: How did this exhibition come together? What will visitors see, in addition to Paris Street: Rainy Day?</h4> Gloria Groom: Caillebotte is a figure painter, first and foremost. The Art Institute of course owns the granddaddy of all of his paintings, Paris Street: Rainy Day, and it is such a remarkable work because really it’s the first and last multi-figural painting at this scale. Everybody kind of knows the painting, but they don’t know the man. That’s what we wanted to flesh out. We were able to amass a lot of new archival material and get into family archives and really identify the people in his paintings. As a result we realized most of the people are men, so he had a real focus on a subject that most Impressionists wouldn’t be doing, because men weren’t commercially viable [as subjects]. We wanted to focus on that.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748455813/pmscstqop8gmqg7p905h.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1877. The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. Worcester Collection. <h4>CGN: Caillebotte was an Impressionist, but what set him apart from his contemporaries?&nbsp;</h4> He was born in 1848, right during the&nbsp;French Revolution of that year. He watched Paris go from having a king, to the monarchy collapsing, then to the Second Republic. What the republic brings with it is a lot more freedom, but at the same time anxiety, because he grows up and he’s painting and taking classes during the Franco–Prussian War. For men it was a complicated time, fighting and getting beat by Germans. His interests were not only in the men of his social class, which was upper middle class, but also the people that worked for him, the workers, the gardeners, the people who were scraping down the floors in the room that was going to be his studio in Paris.&nbsp; He’s also not like the Impressionists because he actually lives with his family and gets along fine with them. He accepted his wealth, but he didn’t want to be just known as a wealthy dilettante. He really throws himself into whatever he’s doing, be it gardening, racing boats or building boats. We wanted to show he was a man of his era. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748455814/othwlxdhbioth5zp7fmh.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. Balcony, about 1880. Private collection. Photo courtesy of the private collection/Bridgeman Images. <h4>CGN: What was so unusual about how he observed and depicted male subjects?</h4> GG: Men had clubs–like the sailing club, as an example–to belong to, but women did not. Caillebotte liked to be with other males in the Impressionist circle. He esteemed women artists like Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt, but he liked to be in groups and he liked supporting them through his financial wealth, through his talents as a painter. We are really expanding on what he did by spending time in these circles. It’s hard to paint men and make them look interesting, but he’s a real colorist and he’s interested in decorative patterns. So you get portraits that aren’t as austere as one might think. And he uses his male friends as his models. <h4>CGN: There are few direct gazes I see in these paintings of men. He’s really observing them, whatever they’re doing. They’re not sitting for a portrait or even necessarily paying attention to him.</h4> GG: Right. There are only a couple that you get the sense of portraiture. And those are really the ones that ended up in those collections, since most didn’t sell and ended up with family. The idea of detachment is very Baudelairean and something quite modern in the last part of the century. The male gaze is very different, because it’s looking at males. Even when he’s looking at women, there’s a kind of detachment. When you compare a Renoir painting of a woman to one by Caillebotte, any day of the week you’ll see there’s a big difference between the way they’re expressing the feminine in art. He’s really more interested in showing men. He was surrounded by men, he grew up with three brothers and lived in a household of men–he lived with his brother after he left his parents’ house, when they both died. So he is happiest and most comfortable it seems, through his paintings, with these male companionships.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748455815/chsxfsnch0svmodbhg8e.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. Floor Scrapers, 1875. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Gift of the Caillebotte heirs through Auguste Renoir, 1894. Photo courtesy of Musée d’Orsay, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Franck Raux. <h4>CGN: Did Caillebotte’s subject matter alone qualify him as radical, or was it something else?</h4> GG: I think he was radical not just in his male portraits, but in everything. The Floor Scrapers was considered radical. The thing that really made him stand out was his technique. It looked like it came from the tradition of painting where you do drawings, then you do sketches, then you find the final composition, because some of them were large scale, not as large as ours, but bigger than a regular Impressionist landscape. He painted in a way that suggested he spent a long time with it, as opposed to the impressions of the Impressionists, and that painting style made him popular. His subject matter was still rather radical because he would zoom in on things.&nbsp; One of the criticisms of our painting at the Art Institute was, why would you make a subject so banal on that scale? It doesn’t deserve that scale. He was considered a more traditional artist, and at the same time a very radical artist because of the foreshortening and because of the subjects he chose, but the way he painted was more legible and accessible than what we call the flickering brushstrokes of a Monet or a Pissarro. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748455817/oaygemgwse1dzylxbhah.jpg">Gustave Caillebotte. Man Drying His Leg, about 1884. Private collection. Photo by Lea Gryze, Berlin. © Private collection, Berlin, 2024. <h4> </h4><h4>CGN: It sounds like he didn’t fit that easily with the other Impressionists.&nbsp;</h4> GG: It’s when he’s painting landscapes in water that he becomes an Impressionist, but when he’s painting figures,&nbsp;it looks more traditional. We’ll have a lot of preparatory drawings in the exhibition, for our Paris Street: Rainy Day and The Floor Scrapers and others. People will be able to see that he, like Seurat and like so many artists who are considered modern, starts with observation and drawings and then eventually composes the final painting. But I think the big story is his insistence on painting figures, and men in particular. It’s the radicalness of his way of seeing men. <h4>CGN: What do you think Caillebotte was trying to say or capture in his subject matter?&nbsp;</h4> It’s narrative, but it’s not. He sets us up. Even Paris Street: Rainy Day, it looks like you can read the scene. And when you start trying to figure it out, you don’t know what they’re looking at. They’re not looking at each other, but they’re together. It’s cinematic but it’s not yet giving you the caption that you need. And the name he called it, Paris Street: Rainy Day–he’s not telling you what to think either. That’ll be fun. It will help us understand our painting, which we associate with Chicago. I think it’ll give us the context through the other modern works to better understand it. # <h4>Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World</h4>Jun 29–Oct 5, 2025The Art Institute of Chicago<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10068/gustave-caillebotte-painting-his-world" target="_blank">artic.edu</a>

A preview of the Gustave Caillebotte exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago summer 2025

An Artist’s Own World: Gustave Caillebotte at the Art institute

This summer will take many people to destinations both far and near, and chances are, if you are on vacation there may be water close by. In the spirit of summer days, we are sharing some Midwestern inspirations for lakeside–or even riverside–places to visit in search of art as well as a mental reset or social reconnection.If Chicago is the center, there are endless directions in which to travel this season throughout the region. These exhibitions, installations and events, are down the street or within a day’s drive, each worthy of an adventure. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750528377/evndjscqudqznpwybf6w.jpg"> SOUTHWEST MICHIGANOn the eastern edge of Lake Michigan there are many stops for art, from small galleries to antiques shops to art centers. Most of them are busiest this time of year and are certainly worth a day or weekend trip, with some planning if you want to stay overnight. When you cross into Michigan from Indiana you can take the Red Arrow Highway from New Buffalo and see a lot of art along the way, from F.L. Braswell Fine Art in Lakeside and continuing up to St. Joseph where the Krasl Art Center sits on a bluff above Lake Michigan. The highway near the water will carry you the artsy twin towns of Saugatuck and Douglas and then you’re not far from Frederik MeijerGardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. Krasl Art Center’s Art Fair on the Bluff takes place July 12 and 13, 2025. You can also view sculpture on the grounds and in the area 24 hours a day, and Krasl offers a helpful sculpture map and scavenger hunt. • KRASL.ORG <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750528378/oklmtbejab6tq2mbywap.jpg"> TINTORETTO’S GENESIS – CINCINNATI ART MUSEUMIn a park overlooking the Ohio River is the Cincinnati Art Museum. On view this summer is an exhibition about the Italian artist Jacopo Tintoretto (1518–1594). In the early 1550s Tintoretto made a series of large paintings depicting scenes from the Book of Genesis for the Scuola della Trinità, a charitable organization in Venice. Painted just as the artist was maturing, these canvases display a fusion of Michelangelo’s forceful conception of the figure, Titian’s renowned colorism, and Tintoretto’s own vigorous brushwork, dynamic compositions, and command of the workshop. APR 18-AUG 31, 2025 • CINCINNATIARTMUSEUM.ORG <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750528379/yfudbujw5bnzn7s6hnww.jpg"> MAKE THE RIVER PRESENT – CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM ST. LOUISAlthough St. Louis is physically bordered by the Mississippi and Missouri rivers—the two longest in the US which come together at the confluence a few miles north of downtown—their presence is often obscured by industrialization, urban planning, and erasure of Indigenous culture. Make the River Present invites visitors to strengthen our connections to these enduring waterways through works of art, resources, and activities. THRU AUG 10, 2025 • CAMSTL.ORG <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750528380/r5ca2rvyhde5bmfg01lv.jpg"> JAMES TELLEN WOODLAND SCULPTURE GARDEN – SHEBOYGAN, WINestled in the Town of Wilson in the woods, and cared for by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, you’ll find over 30 sculptures connected by a woodland path. A convalescent stay inspired James Tellen (1880–1957) to create large-scale concrete sculptures that impart moral messages and unite interests in art, nature and religion. The site is free and open to the public. The log home often hosts visiting artists. • JMKAC.ORG <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750528381/rrur3x4wrhv1c3rcazte.jpg"> DOOR COUNTY CONTEMPORARY – DOOR COUNTY, WIA new fair debuts in Wisconsin in time for the start of summer. Door County Contemporary will be a three-day celebration of art and ideas set against the backdrop of one of America’s classic destinations. DCC hopes to marry the best of fine art with the idiosyncratic swagger of the region. The events, the setting, the tastes, and the world class art will create something far greater than the sum of its eclectic parts: woodsy tradition and bleeding-edge cultural objects; old-fashioned and conceptual art. JUNE 5-8, 2025 IN FISH CREEK, WI DOORCOUNTYCONTEMPORARY.COM

Lake Effects: Midwest Sightseeing

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362011/fdm8t64tkcdhf9wsd7gh.jpg"> By GINNY VAN ALYEA The city of Detroit. Once synonymous with industry, and consequently, urban decline. What once looked, for years, to be a city perpetually in a hapless situation has been recently overcoming adversities and undergoing a remarkable reinvention I would say, to a great extent, thanks to doubling down on the vitality of arts and culture (something I couldn’t help but think city leadership in Chicago could take a moment to study).&nbsp; My children had a school break this past October. Some classmates went to places like New York, Costa Rica, even Europe! Instead, in the spirit of embracing what’s near, I opted to plan a three-night family visit to Detroit. The entire drive would be awash in colorful fall foliage, I was excited to experience a vibrant Midwestern city filled with creativity, innovation, and civic pride, getting just enough scenery along the way that it would feel like we spent some time in nature. During our trip, we got just a taste of Detroit’s revitalized downtown—its galleries, museums, restaurants, and charming independent shops—a cultural beating heart of dynamic artistic expressions developing the city. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362013/m69bfdup0rp8zurnwvqx.jpg"> We arrived in Detroit on a crisp autumn afternoon. Due to our own time constraints, we weren’t going to arrive until around 3:30 p.m. Our very first stop was The Shepherd, a new art center that opened only a few months earlier in 2024. Located in an 110-year-old Catholic church, once known as Good Shepherd and that closed in 2016, plans to breathe new life into the space as The Shepherd were announced in 2021 by Library Street Collective co-founders Anthony &amp; JJ Curis. The Shepherd is at the heart of the Curis’ vision for a revitalization of Little Village on Detroit’s east side, and the pre-existing space offered room for exhibitions, performances, a library and educational spaces. An artist-focused b&amp;b retreat in the church’s former rectory space, a park, and public sculpture offer something for everyone. Mothership Connection, a 26-foot tall outdoor sculpture by British-Trinidadian artist Zak Ové shares a name with Parliament Funkadelic’s iconic album of the same name from the 1970s. The towering work’s details show that varied materials and colors intentionally engage viewers in order to invite them aboard to consider the histories and contributions of enslaved Africans and others who helped build the country. Nearby, also on the grounds, is Charles McGee Legacy Park, in honor of the late Detroit artist who created art about the Black experience and the citizens of the city. There is even a skate park, designed by skateboarder Tony Hawk and the artist MacArthur Binion, whose own foundation, Modern Ancient Brown is onsite at the Shepherd. There is so much going on both inside and out of the main building there is a feeling that the creative energy on campus is bound to spill into the neighborhood. The day we visited, fall colors and sunny skies showed the parks in perfect light. Visitors lingered on benches, and it was easy to see how The Shepherd will be a gathering space for many people and eventsthroughout the year.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362015/omo0rneetggcbzkf1frq.jpg"> After leaving The Shepherd as the sun started to set, we drove right into downtown so we could visit two galleries before they closed for the weekend. We arrived at The Belt, an alley with a lot going on on a Saturday night. Packed with people enjoying drinks around communal tables, taking a shortcut between streets or heading to the Standby restaurant and cocktail bar, The Belt is billed as a “culturally redefined alley” and is named for its location in a former downtown garment district. Installed along the walls of the alley were large-scale photographs by Genevieve Gaignard, part of Public Matter, The Belt’s fully accessible, outdoor exhibition platform. Previous exhibiting artists include Shepard Fairey, Nina Chanel Abney, Beverly Fishman, Daniel Arsham, and others. Happening upon The Belt is like saying the magic word to enter Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley and having a secret entrance appear. In keeping with the theme of being transported, in this case between Broadway and Library Street and Gratiot and Grand River, an opening in a brick wall offers a special window into the gallery we had come to see, Library Street Collective, the space responsible for this inviting destination. On view during our visit was an exhibition of round, large-scale paintings by Detroit artist James Benjamin Franklin. The highlighter-bright paint hues leave impressions on your retinas, adding to the stunning visual staying power of the works. Next door to LSC is Louis Buhl &amp; Co., a project space with an exhibition in its front gallery and shelves and flatfiles in the back area. Gretchen at the gallery gave us a helpful tour of the space while talking about what it means to her to have grown up near Detroit and live in the city now as a young person, when just a generation ago very few people would have considered living and working downtown. The vibrancy and cultural currency of art in Detroit is a testament to what can draw and retain a young professional class in the city. Gretchen also gave us a great recommendation for where to find the best Detroit-style pizza. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362017/na616ypjbo9lwhnynoke.jpg"> On Sunday morning, it took us less than 10 minutes to drive from our hotel in Corktown to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier cultural institutions in the entire country. Situated on the outskirts of Midtown Detroit, the museum is an architectural masterpiece and houses an extensive collection of more than 65,000 works that span centuries and cultures. DIA made news more than a decade ago when its trove of priceless art was considered fair game for deaccessioning as a means of raising money to lift the beleaguered city out of bankruptcy and pay the pensions of city retirees. The near-miraculous, widely covered “Grand Bargain” with business leaders, private foundations and the state of Michigan —who collectively contributed $800 million to the underfunded plans in exchange for ensuring the museum’s collection, even works that were purchased with city funds, was spared from the auction block—means that you cannot view the works on view at the museum today without thinking what might have been: art lost from public view forever. My family spent almost the entire day at DIA.&nbsp; There was so much to see, just among the permanent collection’s highlights, including Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s magnificent The Wedding Dance from 1566, to the expansive paintings by contemporary African American artists. And, of course, the Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera, which recall Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in scale of course, but they also tell a story of humanity in painterly detail on a cavernous surface. The murals are a national treasure depicting the history of the city’s industrial might and the backbreaking work of its citizens during the 1930s.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362020/a67dcotpigmvjulkfp2x.jpg"> An immersive, special exhibition by Detroit artist Tiff Massey, Tiff Massey: 7 Mile + Livernois, notably features contemporary installations by Massey in dialogue with DIA holdings by Donald Judd and Louise Nevelson. Massey’s own contemporary, monumental works summon Detroit’s hardworking spirit just as Rivera’s murals did a century ago. The exhibition ends May 11, 2025. On Monday, we took the kids to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and enjoyed the interactive exhibits. Some notable highlights include the Rosa Parks Bus, presidential limousines, and yes, a Weiner Mobile. Spending time here continued my childrens’ first-hand engagement with various avenues for creativity on this trip, and the historic campus in Dearborn was especially beautiful in October. We enjoyed the change to let the kids run loose outside by the museum’s clock tower before departing. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362022/i45js8oake51rygn7uab.jpg"> Our final evening found us back downtown for dinner, and we ended up having Detroit-style pizza, as we had promised the kids. Everyone agreed that an art trip wasn’t so bad after all, and we enjoyed spending time in a city with so much energy and so much to do. It’s always nice to be someplace where people are glad you are there, and that felt especially true in Detroit. We will be back. OUR FAMILY DETROIT ITINERARYNote: Our travel days were based around a school schedule, which was less than ideal, but aren’t all school vacation times? We drove on Saturday, and the trip is 4 1/2 hours and heads into Eastern Standard time. We had to hustle to make it to some spaces that afternoon.as they did not reopen until Wednesday. For our DIA visit we had to go Sunday, since the museum was closed Monday and Tuesday. We unfortunately couldn’t fit in a much- anticipated stop at Cranbrook Art Museum and Cranbrook House and Gardens because we ended up spending four hours at DIA–whoops–but it was time well spent and a good reason to return. Another seasonal note: the Henry Ford Museum was open, but Greenfield Village was closed. SATURDAY• The Shepherd, and downtown galleries Library Street Collective and Louis Buhl &amp; Co.• Coffee at Madcap Coffee Co., ice cream at mister dips, Bon Bon Bon Chocoltes in Parker’s Alley• Dinner @ San Morello• Drinks @ Shinola Hotel SUNDAY• Detroit Institute of Arts• Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD)• Walk through The Belt alley• Dinner @ Standby MONDAY• Breakfast at Astoria Pastry Shop in Greektown• Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation• Dinner @ Buddy’s for Detroit-style pizza downtown TUESDAY• University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) in Ann Arbor• Twin Maple Orchard in Galien ﻿

Detroit: A City’s Fresh Energy Offers an Excellent Family Weekend Away

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1751567011/ifz8qrqvt7qtipfqlskf.png"> Via PR The Chicago Architecture Biennial is pleased to announce the participants of its sixth edition, SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, which will be held from September 19, 2025, through February 28, 2026. Celebrating ten years as North America’s leading international platform for contemporary architecture, SHIFT will present groundbreaking exhibitions, installations, and programming at iconic sites across Chicago’s metropolitan area by over 100 visionary architects, designers, and creative practitioners from around the world. Aligned with the Biennial’s mission, all programming will be free and open to the public. “Chicago is known the world over as a hub of architecture and design and the 2025 Architecture Biennial will further enrich that legacy,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “We are proud to welcome this exceptional lineup that will showcase a depth of talents, innovations, and perspectives from all over the world. I encourage visitors from near and far to come see firsthand and take part in our renowned architectural landscape.” Since its founding in 2015, the Chicago Architecture Biennial has presented more than 400 projects representing over 40 countries, and has attracted more than two million visitors. As a global center for architectural innovation and the Biennial’s founding city, Chicago has long played a key role in shaping the conversation on design, urban development, and the future of cities. From Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to Bertrand Goldberg, John Moutoussamy, Natalie Griﬃn de Blois, and contemporary spatial thinkers such as Jeanne Gang and Amanda Williams, Chicago’s architectural community has long exerted an enormous influence on the field. This enduring legacy positions the city and the Biennial as a nexus of critical discourse and transformative design, where global voices converge to shape architecture’s future. “Throughout history, architecture has reflected the shifts in culture, ideals, and politics here in Chicago and around the world. As we experience unprecedented changes in our country, we continue to see the invaluable impact of bringing people together for these critical conversations through the arts,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “This year’s Biennial will welcome architects, visionaries, and creatives from around the world to our city to showcase their work, share their ideas, and inspire a new generation.” The Chicago Department of Cultural Aﬀairs and Special Events (DCASE) will once again serve as the Biennial’s oﬃcial Presenting Partner, and will host SHIFT’s opening program on September 19, 2025, at the Chicago Cultural Center. “This Biennial reminds the world that Chicago is where bold ideas take shape,” said DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth. “As a longtime supporter of the Biennial, I’m proud to help champion a platform that challenges, connects, and inspires. The Biennial continues to push the boundaries of how architecture and art help share community and culture." "In our commitment to Chicagoans and our international audience, we are thrilled to invite participants to not only bring their innovative ideas to our city, but to apply and execute those ideas as creative solutions to the world’s problems,” says Nora Daley, Co-Chair of the Biennial’s Board of Directors. “Now is an essential moment to continue this conversation because there is a lot we can learn from each other about the ways we can improve communities through design.” "The Chicago Architecture Biennial provides opportunities for architects, designers, and artists – from emerging to established – to experiment and demonstrate the potential and power of design and the built environment for diverse audiences,” says Sarah Herda, Co- Chair of the Biennial’s Board of Directors. “Our sixth edition participants continue this legacy by developing thoughtful and imaginative ways to advance architecture and inspire others to think about the designed environment in new ways.” Curated by Florencia Rodriguez – editor, writer, founding Principal of -NESS and PLOT, and Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago – SHIFT signals the opportunity and need to change direction, to think with others, and to set new grounds for the interpretation and design of our built environments. This edition explores how architecture engages with the profound cultural, social, and environmental transformations shaping our world today and explores the possibility of envisioning alternate paths forward. “Architecture is fundamentally about engaging with change—understanding it, responding to it, and proposing ways to improve the conditions we inhabit,” explains Rodriguez. “In that sense, architecture and design are inherently optimistic disciplines—not because they naively accept the status quo, but because they trust in the power of imagination and knowledge to shape more equitable, meaningful futures. We always have choices, and the decisions we make define what becomes possible tomorrow. As Artistic Director of the Chicago Architecture Biennial on its 10th anniversary, I hope to foster a critical platform where bold, imaginative ideas can surface and be shared with the public.” SHIFT will convene voices from around the world to present projects in a citywide constellation of exhibitions, films, podcasts, dialogues, print and digital publications, and other public events. Together, these programs address urgent questions shaping the spaces we inhabit, such as housing, ecology, and material innovation, to&nbsp;demonstrate architecture’s role in shaping our collective future. The confirmed participant list for SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change is as follows.11 x 17 (Denver, United States and Toronto, Canada)322A (Buenos Aires, Argentina)adamo-faiden (Buenos Aires, Argentina)Stan Allen (New York, United States)alsar-atelier (Bogotá, Colombia)APPARATA (London, United Kingdom)b+ (bplus.xyz) (Berlin, Germany)BairBalliet (Chicago and Los Angeles, United States)Balparda Brunel Oficina de Arquitectura (Rosario, Argentina)Balsa Crosetto Piazzi and Giorgis Ortiz (Córdoba, Argentina and Boston,United States)Besler &amp; Sons (Hopewell, United States)BETA oﬃce for architecture and the city (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)The Bittertang Farm (Bainbridge Island and Chicago, United States)Breathe Architecture (Melbourne, Australia)Bureau SLA and ZakenMaker (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)BURR (Madrid, Spain)C+ arquitectas (Madrid, Spain and London, United Kingdom)La Cabina de la Curiosidad (Quito, Ecuador)Jason Campbell / ellProjects (Chicago, United States)Care. (Zürich, Switzerland)Centro Cooperativista Uruguayo (Montevideo, Uruguay)Skarn Chaiyawat, Rina Shindo, and Witee Wisuthumporn (Tokyo, Japanand Bangkok, Thailand)Abigail Chang (New York, United States)CLUAA (Chicago, United States)Mariano Clusellas (Buenos Aires, Argentina)DAVIDSON RAFAILIDIS (Ontario, Canada and Columbus, United States)Juan Du (Hong Kong, China and Toronto, Canada)E2A / Piet Eckert und Wim Eckert Architekten (Zürich, SwitFirat Erdim (Des Moines, United States)Estudio Flume (São Paulo, Brazil)Estudio Planta (Buenos Aires, Argentina)EXTENTS (Ann Arbor, United States)FAR frohn&amp;rojas (Santiago, Chile; Berlin, Germany; and Los Angeles,United States)FORMA (Los Angeles and New York, United States)French 2D (Boston, United States)Ignacio Galán, David Gissen, Alessandro Orsini, and Nick Roseboro(New York, United States)Jacqueline Kiyomi Gork (Los Angeles, United States)Grandeza Studio (Sydney, Australia and Madrid, Spain)gru.a (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)gt2P (Santiago, Chile)Hardel Le Bihan Architectes (Paris, France)Christopher Hawthorne (New Haven, United States)HHF Architects (Basel, Switzerland)Stewart Hicks (Chicago, United States)Ibañez Kim (Los Angeles, United States)Johnston Marklee (Los Angeles, United States)Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA (Dhaka, Bangladesh)Dominic Kießling (Dresden, Germany)Tamara Kostianovsky (New York, United States)Kwong Von Glinow (Chicago, United States)LA DALLMAN (Somerville, United States)Laboratorio de Arquitectura and José Cubilla (Asunción, Paraguay)Laboratory of Intersectional Ecologies (Umeå, Sweden and Caracas,Venezuela)Lacol Cooperative Architecture (Barcelona, Spain)Sean Lally (Chicago, United States)LAMA.SP (São Paulo, Brazil and Stockholm, Sweden)LIGA, Space for Architecture (Mexico City, Mexico)Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) (Detroit and Los Angeles, UnitedStates)Lütjens Padmanabhan Architekt*innen (Zürich, Switzerland)MAIO (Barcelona, Spain)MASS Design Group (Kigali, Rwanda; Boston, Poughkeepsie, and SantaFe, United States)Max Nuñez Arquitectos (Santiago, Chile)Michael Maltzan Architecture (Los Angeles, United States)MOS and Tony Cokes (New York and Providence, United States)Ivan L. Munuera and TAKK (Barcelona, Spain and New York, UnitedStates)Natura Futura (Babahoyo, Ecuador)Nicolas Dorval-Bory Architectes (Paris, France)Objects of Common Interest (Athens, Greece and New York, UnitedStates)On Architecture (Santiago, Chile)Oshinowo Studio (Lagos, Nigeria)Cristóbal Palma (Santiago, Chile)Paradigma Ariadné (Budapest, Hungary)Parsons &amp; Charlesworth (Chicago, United States)Plan Común (Santiago, Chile and Paris, France)PRODUCTORA (Mexico City, Mexico)project:if (Cambridge, United States)R&amp;R STUDIOS (Miami, United States)RADDAR (São Paulo, Brazil)Sam Chermayeﬀ Oﬃce (Berlin, Germany and New York, United States)Sayler/Morris (Hudson, United States)Berndnaut Smilde (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)SO–IL (New York, United States)Space Popular (Vienna, Austria and Asturias, Spain)STOSS Landscape Urbanism + MPdL Studio with Mark Lamster (AnnArbor, Boston, Los Angeles, and Princeton, United States)Studio Jacob (Vienna, Austria)Studio Sean Canty (Boston, United States)Studio Urbane Strategien (Stuttgart, Germany)Sungjang (Chicago, United States)TEN (Zürich, Switzerland)Alfredo Thiermann with Pedro Correa, Ella Neumaier, and Xavier Nueno(Lausanne, Switzerland)UNA / UNLESS (Venice, Italy)URBANUS (Meng Yan) (Shenzhen, China)Urko Sánchez Architects (Nairobi, Kenya, and Madrid, Spain)Aura Venckunaite (Chicago, United States)WAI Architecture Think Tank (Ames, United States)Worofila (Dakar, Senegal)Oscar Zamora (Cambridge, United States) Working in collaboration with Rodriguez, SHIFT’s curatorial team includes Associate Co-Curators Igo Kommers Wender and Chana Haouzi, Assistant Curator Gabriela de Paula Weinert, and an editorial team led by Isabella Moretti and Santiago Bogani. A distinct graphic identity has been commissioned from Estudio Margem, a São Paulo based design studio led by Alexandre Lindenberg and João Pedro Nogueira, to visually articulate and support the curatorial theme of SHIFT. Major support for the Chicago Architecture Biennial is provided by the Chicago Department of Cultural Aﬀairs and Special Events, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Good Chaos, Zell Family Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the Polk Bros. Foundation.&nbsp; Additional funding is provided by Cari and Michael J. Sacks, Crown Family Philanthropies, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Anne L. Kaplan, Donna C. King Estate, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Mansueto Foundation, Susan and Bob Wislow, Illinois Arts Council, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Neisser Family Foundation, Segal Family Foundation and Scan Design Foundation, among others. Major support for the Chicago Architecture Biennial is provided by the Chicago Department of Cultural Aﬀairs and Special Events, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org Press Accreditation + Press KitOpportunity, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Good Chaos, Zell Family Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the Polk Bros. Foundation.&nbsp; Additional funding is provided by Cari and Michael J. Sacks, Crown Family Philanthropies, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Anne L. Kaplan, Donna C. King Estate, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Mansueto Foundation, Susan and Bob Wislow, Illinois Arts Council, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Neisser Family Foundation, Segal Family Foundation and Scan Design Foundation, among others. ABOUT THE CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIALThe Chicago Architecture Biennial convenes the world to explore innovative ideas and collectively imagine the future of design. The Biennial’s large-scale exhibitions, talks, performances, films, and other events, create opportunities to engage timely global issues through the lens of architecture and design, emphasizing creativity and community participation. Free and open to the public, the Chicago Architecture Biennial stands as North America’s largest international survey of contemporary architecture and design.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial Announces Participant List for Sixth Edition, SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362896/rrmoesfrmjpurz3nu40u.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/undercurrents-nathan-brad-hall" target="_blank">Undercurrents: Nathan Brad Hall</a>Opening: Friday, June 20, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMGallery Victor&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362899/qe9yrilmgiwxppptdjfy.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/rosa-barba-nuthun-to-hyde-gertrude-abercrombie-and-the-hyde-park-scene-193575" target="_blank">Rosa Barba: Poised Compression</a>Opening: Friday, June 20, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMCorbett vs. Dempsey <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362904/ybhvossgbd16uoq5vocf.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/nuthn-to-hyde-gertrude-abercrombie-and-the-hyde-park-ethos-19351975" target="_blank">Nuth'n to Hyde: Gertrude Abercrombie and the Hyde Park Ethos, 1935–1975</a>Opening: Friday, June 20, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMCorbett vs. Dempsey <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362905/i2fzzghi8jbmtimdjuce.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/where-we-dwell" target="_blank">Where we dwell</a>Opening: Friday, June 20, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PMThe Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1750362906/dawgogyv833kkm2vya9r.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/woven-worlds" target="_blank">Woven Worlds</a>Opening: Friday, June 20, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMSouth Shore Arts

New Exhibitions Opening June 20th

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749767599/bceuxkadt88sfd0svuxg.jpg"> Via PR GRAY announces the appointment of Valerie Carberry, President and Chief Executive Officer. Carberry, who has served alongside Paul Gray as a Partner since 2015, will steward the gallery as Gray assumes the role of Chairman. These appointments reflect GRAY’s continued commitment to the advancement of its program, and the cultivation of new relationships with artists, collectors, and institutions. As President and CEO, Carberry will provide visionary leadership across all aspects of the organization, guiding operations, the direction of GRAY’s program, forging new artist relationships, and cultivating institutional partnerships that support the gallery’s continued position as a leading platform for art of the 20th and 21st centuries. “This is a moment of profound continuity for GRAY as much as it also marks a new chapter. I acknowledge the trust placed in me to uphold enduring standards of excellence at GRAY, to serve the growing roster of exceptional artists we represent, and to work alongside the very best team of colleagues I could possibly hope for” stated Carberry. Paul Gray, who joined the business in 1982 and has been its leading director since 1996 will continue to foster the gallery’s mission in his role as Chairman, providing strategic&nbsp;leadership and governance, and reinforcing the gallery’s long-term vision and commitment to its clients and artist relationships. “I look to our future with pride, optimism and humility, and I am confident that our mission of serving artists, collectors and institutions is in excellent hands with Valerie” explained Gray. “As I review the growth of our programming, the artists represented and our extraordinary team of directors and associates in Chicago and New York, I realize that much of this is already due to Valerie’s leadership over the decade since she joined. Founded in 1963 by Richard Gray (1928-2018), the gallery has played a pioneering role in bringing major postwar and contemporary artists to Chicago, presenting figures like Alexander Calder, Willem De Kooning, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Jean Dubuffet, Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein and many others. Today, GRAY’s close artist and artist estate relationships include Alex Katz, McArthur Binion, Torkwase Dyson, Theaster Gates, David Hockney, Rashid Johnson, Judy Ledgerwood, Jaume Plensa, Leon Polk Smith, Evelyn Statsinger, and many more. GRAY is a globally recognized team of art professionals devoted to fostering the development of artists’ careers and to building outstanding art collections. For more than six decades GRAY has supported the visions of artists by bringing exhibitions and projects to audiences around the world, working with collectors and institutions to foster practices and preserve legacies. Founded in Chicago in 1963 as Richard Gray Gallery and since 1997 also in New York City, the gallery, now under the leadership of Paul Gray and Valerie Carberry, continues to be recognized for the exceptional quality of its program and for the expert counsel it provides to private and museum clients worldwide. Image: Valerie Carberry. Credit: Weston Wells.

Valerie Carberry Appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of GRAY Chicago and New York

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749262337/brj4tyu0bchv7tow49a3.jpg">Grunts Rare Books By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gruntsrarebooks.us/pages/peter-carney-nightside-of-eden" target="_blank">GRUNTS RARE BOOKS</a> –&nbsp;Peter Carney, The Nightside of Eden Peter Carney can paint, and beautifully! Carney grew up in Utah; played in a punk band in high school; was given free paints by a friend after high school that led to his interest in painting; and has a background working back of house in restaurants. So how did he end up in Chicago, break into the tight-knit art scene here, and secure a solo show at Grunts Rare Books—an unassuming but well-regarded bookstore and curated project space? And has Carney’s extensive restaurant experience influenced his art practice? To get answers I headed to Grunts Rare Books for the Friday night opening of Carney’s first solo painting exhibition,&nbsp;The Nightside of Eden. Grunts Rare Books opened in October 2024, and is co-owned/operated/directed by Marc LeBlanc and Taylor Payton.&nbsp;Payton portrays it as, “Chicago’s premier bookstore for rare books, exhibition catalogs, and other exhibition ephemera that document the history of modern and contemporary art in printed material.”&nbsp;Adjacent to the bookstore is the project space for curated art exhibitions. The creative duo of LeBlanc and Payton share a passion for books, readings, poetry, performances, film screenings, and art exhibitions. Thus, Grunts Rare Books serves as a gathering space for intellectuals and creatives of all sorts to hang out and have conversations. It’s a dynamic yet low-key multifaceted space, much like the beatnik coffee shops one might have frequented in the '60s.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749262338/cojxriy9vfmfdq25xmx9.jpg"> While LeBlanc and Payton are Co-Directors of the bookstore, Payton curates the exhibition program in the adjacent gallery (a continuation of her former apartment gallery, SULK.) Payton, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), is one of the busiest people I know. She works not only at M. LeBlanc and Grunts Rare Books but bartends at Inner Town Pub—which bills itself as “Home to the Arts,” and is located around the corner from the historic Rainbo Club. And for the past two years Payton has curated onsite public programs for EXPO CHICAGO, the contemporary art fair held at Navy Pier. She does it all, and she does it well.&nbsp; Stepping through the doorway of the bookstore into the tiny gallery space, one immediately notices the tall windows and the far-off city skyline. At that time of the day, the windows cast just the right amount of ambient light, bathing the room and Carney’s seven oil-on-panel paintings in a perfect soft glow. Being somewhat familiar with Carney’s work, I was anticipating paintings of miniature figures (often with weapons) as he has painted before.&nbsp;I was delightfully surprised by this new body of work of luscious still lifes and moody seascapes. The paintings convey quietude and are formal compositions with muted palettes and a sophisticated use of light (think Dutch Master vibes.) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749262338/irsvs2b98fisbhoqo7i5.jpg">Peter Carney, Slim ball, 2024, oil on panel, 18 x 24 in. The first thing you’re struck by is the imagery of comestibles: a pile of freshly caught&nbsp;Golden Bream fish&nbsp;lying haphazardly on the beach, plump squabs (baby pigeons) hanging on meat hooks drying, a bright pink crab staring us down, and a green apple. Equally attention-grabbing are the melancholic seascapes (several with lone figures on isolated beaches.) All of Carney’s paintings are captivating and elegant—even a bit sensuous. The dangling lifeless squabs, dead fish with bulging eyes, and the crab--still alive with eyes wide open--but as Carney says, “suggesting itself as food,” remind the viewer of the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. The solitary figures in the seascapes are equally unsettling. In&nbsp;Benito Soy&nbsp;the isolated figure stands pensively in the foreground against the sea grass, ocean, and night sky. In&nbsp;Oregon timber&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wet dreams, the reclining and sprawling position of the figures seems to indicate something is amiss, despite the scenic setting. Carney’s seascapes are inspired partially by film stills, videos and playlists he made before he turned twenty, Milton Avery’s seascapes and landscapes, trips to the ocean in California and Maine, and finally, from recent cooking-related trips that took him to Miami and Spain.&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749262339/rpojogzuijgi6lvnncyw.jpg">Peter Carney, The Constant of blood, 2025, oil on panel, 18 x 24 in. Carney moved to Chicago in 2022 to be a part of a broader painting scene with friends.&nbsp;To help supplement his painting practice, he looked for a job.&nbsp;He saw an ad for restaurant work at Kasama, a relatively new Filipino restaurant in his neighborhood, and, fortuitously, he was hired on the spot. It is here that his restaurant background begins to really merge with his artistic world. He started his new job the day Kasama was awarded a Michelin Star–the only Filipino restaurant in the world, coincidentally, with a Michelin Star. It was Carney’s first fine dining restaurant experience, and he began to observe food differently there, leading over time to this exhibition. He worked his way up to Junior Sous Chef in charge of the breakfast team and prep for pop-ups. Seeing food up close and personal day in and day out, Carney was in awe of the splendor of it all (from the colorful ingredients to meat to seafood to finished meals plated and served artfully to guests.)&nbsp;Gourmet food is thoughtfully prepared, and the presentation is a thing of beauty showcasing a chef’s skill, much like the aesthetically pleasing and thoughtful paintings Carney created for this exhibition. Food has long been considered an art form, so it’s a fine line between the sensibility of cooking and sensibility of creating paintings. Carney appears, however, to enthusiastically and successfully blend these two worlds (though full disclaimer, I have yet to get to Kasama to taste his cooking.) On my bucket list!&nbsp; Also, through Kasama, Carney traveled to San-Sebastian, Spain, for Gastronomika, to serve breakfast sandwiches, and to Bilboa for a dinner pop-up with Miele Appliances. He walked along the beaches at night with his best friend and painted. Chefs Kitchen brought him to Miami for a pop-up during Art Basel, where he spent every night on the beach recording it and taking photos.&nbsp; It seems that Carney has, indeed, been influenced in many ways by his restaurant experiences.&nbsp;Squabs, crabs, and fish became his muses. Their flesh, and the colors and textures of produce and herbs, influenced his palette.&nbsp;And the industrial look and color of the Kasama kitchen inspired his muted minimal (mostly) horizontal backgrounds. The pop-ups, meanwhile, informed his seascape paintings.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749262340/oyefceedkmcljt7meunj.jpg">Peter Carney, Wet dreams, 2025, oil on panel, 18 x 24 in. When asked about artistic influences, Carney says “I fell in love with oil painting and Francis Bacon at first, then eventually really really loved Edouard Vuillard and Matisse.” Bacon’s influence is evident in Carney’s treatment of flesh, most notably in the pile of fish in&nbsp;Slim ball&nbsp;and the squabs in&nbsp;The Constant of blood. The squab flesh appears silky, meaty, and juicy, painted in pink, yellow, and grey, with dabs of gold, set against a stark horizontal horizon of grey and green.&nbsp;Carney is not concerned about tight realism or precise detail-- it’s more about visual quality, color and texture, and the act of loosely rendered painting. Carney’s works evoke emotion and are of a painterly quality, though his brush strokes are delicate and not heavy-handed.&nbsp;Carney, at 26, has a skillful hand and a good eye.&nbsp; In the bookstore hang three additional paintings that have a different feeling than the rest of the show.&nbsp;They are fanciful and charming, and the palette is subtler.&nbsp;Cupcake&nbsp;is an oil on panel painting of a yummy-looking koala bear cupcake with a ship silhouette in the background. It’s a stunner with a sugary sweet pinkish-violet palette, which is perfect. The other two smaller pieces, Dance dance revolution and Music farm animal toy, are framed paintings on paper of monkeys. Payton equates the beach to theater in these pieces saying, “two circus monkeys are caught on an absurdist shore by the relentless spin of the disco ball beneath them.”&nbsp; Carney’s path to Chicago was via one of his oldest friends, Rachael Bos, another transplanted artist from Utah. Once in the city Carney quickly became immersed in the local art scene, meeting Payton, and discovering SULK. He participated in exhibitions at SULK, Unda.m, Inner Town Pub, and most recently, his work was part of the&nbsp;Miniotics&nbsp;group show at Weatherproof.&nbsp;The Nightside of Eden&nbsp;is Carney’s first solo painting exhibit. Carney is one to watch, and Payton is another. The exhibition continues at Grunts Rare Books through July 5th.&nbsp;1500 S. Western Avenue, Suite 403. Open Saturdays 1-4 PM.<a style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gruntsrarebooks.us/" target="_blank">gruntsrarebooks.us</a> You can also find Grunts Rare Books hosting Grunts Plein Air every Sunday at Logan Square Park from 11am-3pm (during warmer months.) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749262341/u6eb0zif3jvykiej3jg2.jpg">Installation view of The Nightside of Eden # Publisher's Note: I met Susan Gescheidle when I first moved to Chicago and started working at&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News&nbsp;in 2002. At the time the CGN office was located around the corner from the River North gallery, called&nbsp;gescheidle,&nbsp;Susan had just opened after working at Lyons Wier Gallery for a time.&nbsp;Susan&nbsp;eventually relocated her gallery to Peoria Street in the burgeoning West Loop, then relocated to Lake Street before closing in the fall of 2008. In fall 2024 I ran into Susan again after many years. We chatted about CGN, as well as how Susan had recently found her way back to being immersed in Chicago's gallery scene, in particular visiting the city's smaller, newer spaces. After following her art outings on&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/susangescheidle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;for a couple months, I asked Susan if she'd ever consider sharing her personal and informal dispatches with CGN readers in order to help spotlight and support these spaces, and she graciously accepted.&nbsp; – Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Publisher You can read Susan's other surveys here: • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/landscap-survey-whats-on-in-chicagos-outer-spaces-sawhorse" target="_blank">SAWHORSE</a>•&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/landscape-survey-whats-on-in-chicagos-outer-spaces-minionotics-at-weatherproof" target="_blank">Weatherproof</a>

Susan Gesceidle visits Grunts Rare Books to see paintings by Peter Carney

Landscape survey: Peter Carney at Grunts Rare Books

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749094447/rbb1ygtubrzswovchpe7.jpg"> By CGN Staff <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dock6collective.com/Design-Art-16" target="_blank">Dock 6</a>, a collective of 6 independent designers, furniture-makers, and fabricators is a group known for delivering well crafted, thoughtfully made products to architects, interior designers, retailers, contractors, and the public. Located in Chicago’s Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, Dock 6 is also a hub for the Chicago creative community, fostering a forum for open dialogue between artists and designers. Opening this weekend for one day only on June 7 is the 16th edition of Design &amp; Art. Guest curator Kristina Daignault and the Dock 6 Collective family has selected a group of artists and designers to present throughout their warehouse facility. The Design &amp; Art Series puts furniture design and fine art side by side in the industrial setting at the Dock 6 shop, simultaneously highlighting the symbiotic relationship of the two mediums and embracing their intrinsic differences. Dock 6 Collective advocates for themselves but also as a group, delivering well crafted, thoughtfully made products to architects, interior designers, retailers, contractors, artists, and the public. New work will be on display from the Dock 6 Collective partners: Carson Maddox Studios, Lagomorph Design, Navillus Woodworks, zakrose, -ism furniture Participating artists include: Nate PhilpJulie WallackerMike AnthonyJeff ForsytheConor KeelingRachel CropperRaun MeynNathan BraunfeldSculpturelandiaSabina ClodgoClayton PhillipsEdra SotoNavillus GuitarsTeagan PrichardKate HeilenbachAlex JonesDrew ReynoldsNancy ValenzuelaPaul WearJon Leonetchogninou larryZita BrizziRichard HullNorman TeagueJustin RoeKelly Kristin JonesPinar AralAlexis de ChaunacMelissa PokornyVladimir KhartonskyKonrad TuradekAndy HallArts of LifePat DuffyJess BassPaola CabalLynn BasaJaclyn JacunskiAndi CristAlberto AguilarHolly HolmesKatie VotaRenee RobbinsChristina VillaRegin IgloriaBen MadeskaGwendolyn ZabickiJeroen Nelemans <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dock6collective.com/Design-Art-16" target="_blank">Design &amp; Art 16</a>Dock 6 Collective: 2100 N Major Ave, Chicago, IL 60639One day only: Saturday, June 7, 2–8PMFree to the public ﻿<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749094448/k1owiik8dlsuzmldmieo.jpg">

Dock 6 Collective's D&A 16: June 7, 2025

CGN adds to its calendar of art events 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 as an art-filled summer ramps up. 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 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983865/hbskpbhzoaohyqfod7th.png"> <h3>•&nbsp;Film Screening / Talks</h3> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-first-homosexuals-film-series" target="_blank">The First Homosexuals Film Series</a></h4> Beginning Wednesday, Jun 4, at 7:30 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/wrightwood-659" target="_blank">Wrightwood 659</a> and FACETS Chicago The First Homosexuals Film Series is an upcoming event starting next week, featuring a series of film screenings. The opening night is on Wednesday, June 4th,&nbsp;at FACETS 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL,&nbsp;with a special reception, a curated selection of shorts, and an introduction from the program's curator, Laura Horak. The event includes a program titled 'THROUGH THE KEYHOLE: SHORTS PROGRAM' with a reception at 7:30 pm and the shorts program at 8:00 pm. The series will showcase 14 short films, highlighting characters from the 20th century who contribute to queer history and discourse. The event requires advance registration, with general admission priced at $15 and student admission at $5 with ID. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983867/mzposn2mulfjyfbnjflg.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/artist-roundtable-discussion" target="_blank">Artist Roundtable Discussion</a></h4> Saturday, June 7, 3:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/secrist-beach" target="_blank">Secrist | Beach</a> Join us for an afternoon of conversation, reflection, and insight as artists from the acclaimed exhibition&nbsp;Master Class: Inside the Last American Museum School with SAIC Painting Alumni&nbsp;gather to discuss the enduring power of the museum, the legacy of modernism, and painting as a medium of freedom and innovation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Moderated by curator and professor Lisa Wainwright, ideas about the canonical giants who stimulated these artists—Turner, Monet, Gauguin, O’Keefe, Pollock—as well as more far-ranging influences of Navajo textiles, Roman sculpture, and video art from the Art Institute of Chicago, will underscore the museum as a living archive and a potent source of knowledge, complexity, and creative friction.&nbsp; <h3>• Auctions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983869/lkm7weauk4cr91hkvwbq.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/contemporary-fine-folk-and-outsider-art-auction" target="_blank">Contemporary, Fine, Folk, and Outsider Art Auction</a></h4> Thursday, June 5Potter &amp; Potter Auctions, Inc. The first 70 lots are related to a collection of&nbsp;Charles and Ray Eames&nbsp;design material. A few drawings by Eames, blueprints and presentation fabric samples by Alexander Girard for Herman Miller, a Noguchi table shipped to Charles Eames and two matching Sofa Compacts with Girard fabric. Within the collection that came with this group are also 11 prints by&nbsp;Harry Bertoia, a major work on panel and another on paper by&nbsp;Hans Hofmann. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983871/qmytdverfrprdjygbv52.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/design-june25" target="_blank">Design</a></h4> Thursday, June 5Wright / Chicago Offered three times a year and dedicated to the most influential and important designs of the 20th century,&nbsp;Design&nbsp;celebrates visionary creators from across the globe. From iconic standards to one-of-a-kind works, this highly vetted sale brings together the quality craftsmanship and ambitious vision that defined the past 100 years and continues to shape the way we live today. <h3>• Exhibitions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983873/cvcf7fuutghbxwaosqee.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/stinkfish-prickly-portraits-of-a-fragmented-world" target="_blank">Stinkfish: Prickly portraits of a fragmented world</a></h4> Jun 6–28Opening: Friday, Jun 6, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMVertical Gallery Born in Mexico, but raised in Colombia, Stinkfish has been honing his skills on the streets of his hometown of Bogota since an early age. He first experimented with stencils in 2003 and has since perfected his own, unique style. His murals always have a stenciled portrait at their center. These portraits are taken from photos that the artist shoots during his travels around the world. They are faces that catch his eye, but not people he approaches and talks to. Another source is found photographs; either discovered lying on the streets or bought at flea markets. He fashions large format stencils based on these photographs, which on the street are then amended by impromptu, colorful halos. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983874/mdqlvtd5almjk3n16e7u.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/group-exhibition-opening-thus-masked" target="_blank">Thus masked, the world has a language</a></h4> Jun 6-Aug 23Mariane Ibrahim Thus masked, the world has a language is a group exhibition exploring the masquerade and mask traditions across the African diasporas in Mexico, the Caribbean, and the United States.&nbsp;Across the exhibition, masks are activated forms—a vessel through which truths can be expressed, history can be questioned, and memory can be reactivated. The exhibition will feature works by gallery artists Raphaël&nbsp;Barontini&nbsp;and Lorraine O’Grady, alongside invited artists Nick Cave, Ebony G. Patterson, Darryl Richardson, and Tavares Strachan.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983876/hiulinprdpf5vk4rdpcy.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/space-travelers-the-dreamworlds-of-julia-thecla" target="_blank">Space Travelers: The Dreamworlds of Julia Thecla</a></h4> Opening: Wednesday, Jun 11, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PMMongerson Gallery - exhibition and opening takes place at Expansive Superior, 405 W Superior Once described as “the mystery girl of Chicago art,” Thecla was known for her dreamlike compositions featuring a world of fairies, dancers, animals, and sprites rendered in her signature jewel-toned blues.&nbsp;Space Travelers&nbsp;invites viewers into Thecla’s radiant inner cosmos — an imaginative, escapist world that feels both fantastical and uncannily intimate. This one-night exhibition and reception will take place&nbsp;on June 11,&nbsp;5:30-7:30 p.m., with remarks at 6:15pm, at Expansive Superior, 405 W. Superior St., on the 7th floor. <h1><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983877/zmchzwlgskvioygvbvuw.jpg"></h1><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/yvette-mayorga-puh-thru" target="_blank">Yvette Mayorga: Pu$h Thru</a></h4> Jun 14–Jul 26Opening: Saturday, Jun 14, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMmoniquemeloche Yvette Mayorga is a multidisciplinary artist based in Chicago renowned for her confection-inspired artworks that intertwine themes of immigration, identity, and feminized labor through a maximalist lens.&nbsp;Utilizing materials like acrylic piping applied with bakery tools—a nod to her mother's labor as a baker—Mayorga crafts opulent, Rococo-influenced pieces dominated by shades of pink to critically examine the American Dream and the Latinx experience, often&nbsp;borrowing compositions from personal and family photos&nbsp;and art history.Pu$h Thru&nbsp;is Mayorga’s first solo show in Chicago since 2018 and reflects on the last decade of the artist’s life in the city. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748983878/ewsw2y8rtv0uw0skqzph.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gustave-caillebotte-painting-his-world" target="_blank">Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World</a></h4> Jun 29–Oct 5The Art Institute of Chicago Impressionist artist Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894)—known and beloved by many Art Institute visitors for his monumental painting&nbsp;Paris Street; Rainy Day—takes center stage in this major exhibition exploring the very personal interests and relationships that shaped his world. Caillebotte was unique among his Impressionist peers. At a time when modernity was synonymous with fashionable young women and new forms of entertainment, he focused instead on a more intimate and individualized sphere: his family and friends, his fellow sportsmen, the bourgeois pedestrians strolling in his neighborhood, and the workers who came to his house or whom he observed in the street. <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">View the full CGN calendar here</a></h3>

CGN Art Preview: June 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749402495/wmtmrjrll4ovnthk1n2o.jpg">David Krueger working on art in the Chicago studio By JACKIE LEWIS Five years ago <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artsoflife.org/" target="_blank">Arts of Life</a> turned 20, but the pandemic disrupted some of their larger plans to mark the anniversary. This year, the city-wide celebration of a quarter century of making a difference in the lives of artists andbringing awareness to disability culture has already more than made up for plans cancelled in 2020. Since January 2000, Arts of Life has elevated the broader Chicago arts community by challenging the notion that disabled artists are “outsiders” when compared to their contemporaries. Through a collaborative decision making model that allows all artist voices a say, Arts of Life has created an equitable, creative collective that speaks with their artists and their needs, not for them. By offering professional art studio space, community programs, and home-based programs, Arts of Life strives to meet the needs of people of all abilities who are interested in making art and connecting with fellow artists. Today, the organization supports over 80 artists, offering each one their own studio space in one of their three professional studios where artists work from individualized project plans or receive 1:1 visual art facilitation, all while earning monthly stipends and bonuses from the sales of their own artworks. To celebrate this year’s anniversary of a quarter century, Arts of Life has published a book titled&nbsp;2wenty 5ive Arts of Life 2000–2025, highlighting 25 artists who have impacted the Arts of Life community alongside stories of inspiration. In the book’s foreword, Debra Kerr, the Director of the Intuit Art Museum (formerly Intuit, the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art) notes, “Arts of Life has built a thriving organization from the initial nine artists and one location to more than 80 artists in three locations.” Numbering more than 200 pages, the book is the culmination of years of hard work and inspiration, commemorated within a bright blue cover and featuring a portrait by an Arts of Life artist centered among colorful rays emanating joy and creative energy. The book will be distributed across the country through Urban Outfitters. Arts of Life’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, Denise Fisher, shares the organization’s excitement regarding this milestone while looking towards an exciting future, “We are overjoyed to mark Arts of Life’s silver anniversary with a year of celebrating both the past quarter century and what is to come. This milestone is a testament to the creativity and resilience of our community. Our collective work is captured in our beautiful book, which highlights our role in the national progressive art studio movement in supporting artists with disabilities. We look forward to gathering with new and longtime friends as we continue to work towards a more equitable and accessible future.” At the book launch and birthday party on February 22nd current and former artists, families, staff, volunteers and art supporters gathered to dance, cut cake, take photos under a balloon arch and share their love of art and community. Cindy Shanker, a volunteer since 2012 and a pillar in the Arts of Life community was honored for her many years of community service. Those who work with her say Shanker has a reputation for being dependable and encouraging people not to worry, confidently promising that today each artist will receive skillful attention, sensible assistance, and boundless energy and enthusiasm. The February celebration was truly a kickoff for a year of gratitude as well as national engagement. Later that month in New York City the organization continued the book launch at the Outsider Arts Fair where they set up a booth centered on selling the new book. Arts of Life also brought along artist Marcus Kennedy, who is featured in the book, as an artist ambassador, an exciting first for the group. The organization has participated in art fairs around the world, including Art Fair Tokyo and Art Collaboration Kyoto, NADA and Untitiled in Miami, and EXPO Chicago. Circle Contemporary, Arts of Life’s rotating exhibition gallery that features recent works from in-house artists as well as guest contemporary artists is also mounting a special exhibition, What they said, March 28–May 9. Circle Contemporary is an extension of efforts to strengthen Arts of Life’s creative community, and it aims to provide a space and outlet for artistic inspiration and exploration.&nbsp;What they said&nbsp;is guest curated by acclaimed artists Nick Cave and Bob Faust. “We are overjoyed to be working with Bob and Nick on&nbsp;What They Said,” shares Fisher. “For 25 years, Arts of Life has worked to support the careers of our artists with disabilities. Collaborating with internationally recognized artists like Faust and Cave plays an essential role in increasing our artists’ opportunities for professional development as well as increased visibility.” <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749402497/fe3wbqsgu7mknsvltftn.jpg">Image: Art work by Arts of Life artist David Kreuger Prolific artist and designer Faust says he was inspired by the formal qualities of Arts of Life artists’ recent work. “For What they said, Nick and I are making artwork selections based on the feelings that come up when we experience them. Whether it’s a clash of color, build-up of material or anintensity coming through repetitive mark-making, each has a way of getting under the skin.” Artists included in the exhibition are John Bateman, Shenequa Brooks, Saumitra Chandratreya, Joel Ebner, Dan Gamble, Ted Gram-Boarini, Ted Hamel, David Krueger, Lawrence M., Tim Stone, James Schenck, Lisa Solar, Oly Trindl, Maria Vanik, Frank Vega and Jean Wilson. Late this summer Arts of Life will have a dedicated exhibition at the Design Museum of Chicago, August 11–September 30, and a correlating Art on theMART projection later this year. Their annual Benefit Art Auction will take place on October 3. Arts of Life artist David Krueger says, “To me, art makes me really happy about myself, it gives me a lift. It makes me feel happy to experience the different colors and the different textures. It makes me feel more comfortable. I like to spread my feelings through my paintings.” With 25 successful years of art inclusion and exposure in the Chicago community, it’s clear that the work of Arts of Life and the joy they have to share through and for their artists is only getting started. DETAILS AT <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="ARTSOFLIFE.ORG" target="_blank">ARTSOFLIFE.ORG</a>

Celebrating Arts of Life: 25 Years In, There's More Joy To Come

Spring is shaping up to be a busy&nbsp;season in Chicago’s art world, with new&nbsp;exhibitions across galleries and museums.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community&nbsp;are working tirelessly to support artists and bring&nbsp;fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">click here.</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748971082/x6yj3qqdoja6ifeigjcl.jpg"> <h4>Laura-Caroline de Lara – DePaul Art Museum</h4> “Our team at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/depaul-university-art-museum-dpam" target="_blank">DePaul Art Museum</a> recently opened Christina Fernandez: Multiple Exposures, curated by UCR Arts’s Joanna Szupinska, in March. We have been loving introducing Chicago audiences to the LA-based artist’s photography, exploring migration, labor, gender, and Fernandez’s Mexican American identity. As part of our ongoing initiative to support Latinx artists, DPAM is honored to have recently acquired one of Fernandez’s works from the exhibition for our permanent collection, so audiences can continue to engage with her work in Chicago after the exhibition’s close. We also have an incredible array of public programs alongside the exhibition, including an exhibition tour with the artist during EXPO Chicago; a hands-on, multi-generational workshop with Chicago-based artist Victoria Martinez; and more. Simultaneously, DPAM will prep to launch our fall season, which includes a solo show for internationally renowned artist Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle and a survey of the history of the Young Lords Organization in Lincoln Park, which both open to all on September 11.”