<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/chxv7b6zafnyhui9fxxn.jpg" blue="" rendering="" 1.jpg=""></figure>ROSEMONT, Ill. – THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion, the multifaceted contemporary art program located within Fashion Outlets of Chicago, with support from the Village of Rosemont, today announced the program’s newest site-specific installation, Midnight Blue, by celebrated Chicago-native artist Hebru Brantley featuring his iconic Flyboy character. The permanent work will make its debut at the center on Friday, September 20.“When we established THE COLLECTION, we set out to provide Fashion Outlets of Chicago shoppers with an unparalleled, yet approachable visual art experience,” said Katie Walsh, Senior Marketing Manager at Fashion Outlets of Chicago. “With the addition of this incredible work by an artist as iconic as Hebru Brantley, we are demonstrating our commitment to providing world-class, museum-quality work to the public in an unexpected, unique setting.”Enigmatic and abstract, Midnight Blue draws inspiration from the world of Jazz, particularly the atmosphere created in the classic tune, “Round Midnight.” The focus of the work is on capturing a feeling – a state of being lost in the moment, carried away by the interplay of colors and shapes. These colors themselves become a dreamscape, inviting the viewer to surrender to their own interpretation. Using shapes that hint at camouflage, the work introduces a layer of tension, reflecting the artist’s desire to create a work that resonates on an emotional level, similar to the power of music, all while existing in a dynamic relationship with its environment.“Ultimately, Midnight Blue is about setting a mood, a vibe, just as a great Jazz piece can transport the listener,” said Brantley. “This commission by Fashion Outlets of Chicago was an incredible opportunity to create a work that is simultaneously unexpected and immersive. I’m thrilled to join my colleagues and friends represented in THE COLLECTION and I can’t wait for visitors to engage with Midnight Blue for years to come.”Known for his distinctive, narrative-driven work that revolves around conceptualized characters, Brantley utilizes the characters to address complex ideas while exploring color palettes, motifs and the characters themselves to create an air of innocence around his layered and multifaceted works.&nbsp;For more information on THE COLLECTION and Fashion Outlets of Chicago please visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oTjORMppDqxAbsefRFk27x507Y8RCkhvCWKPYeD-2BKa3G-2BA6KxNcJ2EU-2BuP7Y0J-2F7rLhHuXz3erU-2F9IUUVs-2BVhKbxdGH7RQHVDKroiqTsa2z4JCOBg4F3e-2FrAy9fqi9BpVnIJ64gBS7ycggSCvmj18FAxvJLS80oyoVtjUvYKr9M-3D39qU_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK4Z4qBlUqor2qDvQhyzjzAElC-2F6u9R3CLO8CTOlg-2FO7vCOi8ETaEM9YyAKnU1e2Rp1jIqyDL-2BxrdjsLk8n0b7oXBDtSg69SM-2BCJt4RiNByRQ7ETnBfrxCKUW-2FggBJylTWxLuxAo5cDDZSOUQADaecL8gCcHKkAsdd-2FuPoZO-2BKUkYTVvEsi-2Bmw0dmAvc8bw0aR9pdx247p9i00lon-2FO0OZuegBb6u1k3k3-2FWnkQPqPF2WrEhbF1jD9uZDS-2FCMgVdSJySv-2BTjkZOjmwxdfCu8p2PBfo8nZxRs3QqwHo3C02XxDgZXnRDqeZvqlrCbq-2BlgflFl8bEC89WanKBb-2B8IVwkCIgSmk-2Futtj3XEQ9GH3JuKj1n20q10g3x-2Fei46XEjTPiCqPHJZiBqd0KFMExvszCvph7CVK7-2F8lgDaDxVt2P-2FvgWGZbI9Zt8tFhY5jYzh83uov-2B1K42C6dBZQG6JEMRKOprq6em813YBlzn750KA8BvHUfRjunRPaGrRJtzq-2BoQP7Ain9BUZWaGJfoBS3ZAOvY-2FNupa7MEl6-2BUGJ2wju0kB4Gl-2FMcABtaUBgii5QYspVe50rn2CTxTvK1yE8squAz1-2BFfykOWJ2GwzCt7YKJ8nG7RRadcAb958zHQIqfvu0lGpinRFFCFRWrPf8xteC0vuL-2BkXwOq5GDItN9LopnwbMyxQ8kMwImPUKSFQ2fUUsRddbaoxqASo0cQB4otIPuHj5wCjWy-2FEQqG2Qx-2Fs8GX9s4PX8bxJixrwkXm4LFpJcOYq2BEd41vLZqeD-2B6Aylhgw">www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com/thecollection</a>.About Hebru BrantleyHebru Brantley is an American artist known for his distinctive, narrative-driven work that revolves around his conceptualized characters. Drawing from art historical references such as Robert Colescott, Andy Warhol, Kerry James Marshall and Jean-Michel Basquiat, the work of Brantley reassesses contemporary culture and mythology through a unique lens. He utilizes his characters in a narrative output to address complex ideas around nostalgia, fear, safety, power, and hope. The color palettes, motifs and characters themselves juxtapose this intricacy, creating an air of innocence and accessibility around his layered and multifaceted ideas.&nbsp;Brantley’s work is often seen challenging the traditional view of the hero or protagonist. The contexts and expressions of his youthful cast of characters – which are sometimes in autobiographical form – summon the audience to reimagine childhood and the American cultural experience in Brantley’s coined context of ‘dark fiction’. His work is frequently depicted exploring this macrocosm, where dark represents an identity, continent, and mindset. In his Negro Mythos series, Brantley reimagines the super heroes of American pop culture as people of color – as a quest to readdress modern mythology through his lens. Flyboy, his most known character, was also born from this concept.&nbsp;Akin to Charles Schulz and his world of ‘Peanuts’, Brantley’s work portraying Flyboy forms a narrative around him and his universe, including characters Lil Mama and Phibby. Flyboy, often seen looking upward in heroic stances, summons the viewer to contemplate the notion of the transcendent or even the impossible despite the ordinary. Encouraging the viewer to align their gaze skyward, above the monotony of the mundane, Brantley’s character gives rise to the notion of possibilities. The viewer is challenged to hope, to audaciously believe they too can fly.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/hz4gveibf1hc1gw1eddl.jpg"></figure>Brantley’s work as a storyteller frequently extends beyond the colorful dimensions of the canvas. The character, Phibby, with a helmet enveloping his dark face, is Brantley’s further exploration into the identity of the ‘safe black man’. Referencing astronauts and space exploration as well as Kermit the Frog, the observer is able to view his childlike appearance with ease while surveying a deeper context. Phibby is seen experiencing a need to assimilate, as black folks are often accustomed to making others feel safe, even when there is no threat. His bright green helmet allows him to do this, masking himself from society by creating a more approachable external image. Phibby challenges the viewer to examine the necessity to sell oneself short in order to fit into the nature of the colonizer. Brantley addresses notions of how people of color were rarely seen as the hero or the savior, but instead would only gain favor by playing the part of satirical characters. Phibby is the personification of the safe zone for a black man, with his helmet serving as both a retreat as well as a shield.&nbsp;Brantley’s recent solo exhibitions include: traveling without moving (NANZUKA UNDERGROUND, Tokyo, 2023), Bound (GGA Gallery, Wynwood Walls, Miami, FL, 2022), Dark Fiction: Flowers &amp; Frogs (Richard Beavers Gallery, NYC, 2022), Saints &amp; Shepherds (Fort Wayne Museum of Art, IN, 2021), Mythos Opus 1., 2., 3., (Megumi Ogita Gallery and Nanzuka Underground, Tokyo, 2021), and Solus (Phillips Auction House, Hong Kong, 2021). In 2019, Brantley exhibited Nevermore Park in Chicago, an experiential fine art installation depicting large-scale narrative work of his characters, Flyboy and Lil Mama. The 6,000-square-foot installation hosted over 23,000 guests. Brantley currently works and resides in Los Angeles,&nbsp;where he is also expanding into film and TV directing through his media company, Angry Hero. In early 2022, he released a short film on Netflix.&nbsp;About THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets FashionTHE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion is a multifaceted contemporary art program located within Macerich’s Fashion Outlets of Chicago, with support from the Village of Rosemont. Components of THE COLLECTION include 23 permanent commissions and a rotating exhibition series located throughout the common area of the shopping center. The public art program has invested in works by Daniel Arsham, Derrick Adams, Carlos Rolón Dzine, Jen Stark, Matthew Hoffman, and many more. THE COLLECTION’s rotating exhibitions feature work by a variety of artists displayed in glass cases located throughout Level Two of the shopping center. For more information, visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.YGtAXXM2e8X4wIriVfujJsly62AeUO0rs3h4Ai9ane7MV-2F-2Fv0OqciSl8n1ZhXsCiFhtOG7Bw4CkeC-2BijCretu6x2srvvAgSYa3MK-2Brv5yriylWJuqxLIUXfrq-2FFq3wIqE0ahZuMKcgtQSC6JcpfwPcW-2BJSfX3ocFRlwnjoHCS4A-3DDGSp_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK4Z4qBlUqor2qDvQhyzjzAElC-2F6u9R3CLO8CTOlg-2FO7vCOi8ETaEM9YyAKnU1e2Rp1jIqyDL-2BxrdjsLk8n0b7oXBDtSg69SM-2BCJt4RiNByRQ7ETnBfrxCKUW-2FggBJylTWxLuxAo5cDDZSOUQADaecL8gCcHKkAsdd-2FuPoZO-2BKUkYTVvEsi-2Bmw0dmAvc8bw0aR9pdx247p9i00lon-2FO0OZuegBb6u1k3k3-2FWnkQPqPF2WrEhbF1jD9uZDS-2FCMgVdSJySv-2BTjkZOjmwxdfCu8p2PBfo8nZxRs3QqwHo3C02XxDgZXnRDqeZvqlrCbq-2BlgflFl8bEC89WanKBb-2B8IVwkCIgSmk-2Futtj3XEQ9GH3JuKj1n20q10g3x-2Fei46XEjTPiCqPHJZiBqd0KFMExvszCvph7CVK7-2F8lgDaDxVt2P-2FvgWGZbI9Zt8tFhY5jYzh83uov-2B1K42C6dBZQG6JEMRKOprq6em813YBlzn750KA8BvHUfRjunRPaGrRJtzq-2BoQP7Ain9BUZWaGJfoBS3ZAOvY-2FNupa7MEl6-2BUGJ2wju0kB4Gl-2FMcABtaUBgii5QYspVdqgUSo2UejSbecOS62OhOeBhbRHbuCSjtoA9DEJGksv4vr-2FsPqrdndp-2BwvUUBfzWl3C2CxU0-2Fy0tyByPFFAfj5-2Ffa4uyFyu1Hf92QmGIlOPt7EKth72yEUyOneUca76pS5mHmBGJRtNY-2F-2B88WZ5VQ-2BWhS8xDPjRVfP3mkrJnrW4kDtn-2FxnMJRXuW9Umc4YmnE-2B99U-2FabR0XeY7fPfUztjZ">www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com/TheCollection</a>.About Fashion Outlets of ChicagoFashion Outlets of Chicago is an award-winning 530,000 square-foot, two-level indoor shopping center that is home to more than 130 designer outlets, an impressive contemporary art collection known as THE COLLECTION and high-end amenities. The one-of-a-kind upscale outlet property that redefines and elevates the outlet shopping experience, is located at 5220 Fashion Outlets Way in Rosemont –minutes from O’Hare International Airport and Chicagoland’s major highways. For more information, visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oTjORMppDqxAbsefRFk27x507Y8RCkhvCWKPYeD-2BKa03NDbKFoNLXfKRP9ZHayOsMB9eq7mX-2B-2F-2BQZaIOtWW5DzaJ-2FTPueE-2Ff4OadtwlnNTa4oUxYwAkNbNvUjZIDXvNJmKs-2FXribRIQBPT-2BuiBYBYA-3D-3Dc-X6_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK4Z4qBlUqor2qDvQhyzjzAElC-2F6u9R3CLO8CTOlg-2FO7vCOi8ETaEM9YyAKnU1e2Rp1jIqyDL-2BxrdjsLk8n0b7oXBDtSg69SM-2BCJt4RiNByRQ7ETnBfrxCKUW-2FggBJylTWxLuxAo5cDDZSOUQADaecL8gCcHKkAsdd-2FuPoZO-2BKUkYTVvEsi-2Bmw0dmAvc8bw0aR9pdx247p9i00lon-2FO0OZuegBb6u1k3k3-2FWnkQPqPF2WrEhbF1jD9uZDS-2FCMgVdSJySv-2BTjkZOjmwxdfCu8p2PBfo8nZxRs3QqwHo3C02XxDgZXnRDqeZvqlrCbq-2BlgflFl8bEC89WanKBb-2B8IVwkCIgSmk-2Futtj3XEQ9GH3JuKj1n20q10g3x-2Fei46XEjTPiCqPHJZiBqd0KFMExvszCvph7CVK7-2F8lgDaDxVt2P-2FvgWGZbI9Zt8tFhY5jYzh83uov-2B1K42C6dBZQG6JEMRKOprq6em813YBlzn750KA8BvHUfRjunRPaGrRJtzq-2BoQP7Ain9BUZWaGJfoBS3ZAOvY-2FNupa7MEl6-2BUGJ2wju0kB4Gl-2FMcABtaUBgii5QYspVewHJIqN99xMsEtFK3sFICRFZRy3JqBjxoB1NyMcWKW-2B40qFqa68YvLhdcBx78SYuz44hGUedtRuhAjGYuSWtvvgjzyYnYOJd56xP88EfLouWLIiJ7iATBUGf5gCdV4UYGZ-2BD1-2BrkrAP4MVZwIsmft5UdNySZuDfU87JfpEnHOEc2G8ad2oQTMpKr2CF43PJkDsAz6htnltYYH-2Bj0dB8v-2Bi">www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com</a>.&nbsp; # # #</body></html>

Hebru Brantley Flyboy To be Installed at Fashion Outlets 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/avtc3xqvtnzvwy7td5gl.png" simmons.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/howard-simmons-stories-my-camera-tells-once-upon-a-chicago">Howard Simmons: Stories my Camera Tells: Once Upon a Chicago</a>Opening: Wednesday, August 7, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/rmtxwwuw6loatcz0kqn8.jpg" moon="" rising.jpeg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/exploration">Jim Brady: Exploration</a>Opening: Thursday, August 8, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmDragonfly Gallery &amp; Creative Spaces&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/uuccmhd7zf5wweprsecl.png" bielefeld.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lois-bielefeld">Lois Bielefeld: its own pristine devices</a>Opening: Saturday, August 10, 1 – 3&nbsp;pmOS Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/kqe8oenrezorioyatnp4.png" artus.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/marilyn-artus-her-flag">Marilyn Artus: Her Flag</a>Opening: Saturday, August 10, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions August 7 - 10

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/a9fvlyawpwinf4owwom4.jpg" copy.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://pagesix.com/2024/07/29/lifestyle/long-lost-andy-warhol-portrait-of-debbie-harry-up-for-sale/">Long-lost Andy Warhol portrait of Blondie singer Debbie Harry discovered in Delaware, going up for sale for potential millions</a>A long-lost Andy Warhol portrait of Blondie singer Debbie Harry from 1985 that has been hanging in rural Delaware, is going up for sale, we hear, for potential millions.The Harry portrait — and a signed disk of 10 Warhol images — was created on an early home computer when Warhol was an ambassador for a now-defunct tech outfit.Nearly 40 years ago, the famous artist signed on as a brand ambassador to early tech company Commodore and created a portrait of the “Heart of Glass” singer on an <a href="https://nypost.com/2014/04/26/computer-sleuths-stumble-upon-lost-art-of-andy-warhol/">Amiga 1000 home computer </a>as part of a promo at Lincoln Center.Via New York Post&nbsp;<a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/museums-including-shedd-aquarium-art-institute-field-museum-msi-offering-free-admission-days-august/15131191/">Chicago museums offering free admission days in August</a>The calendar has flipped to August and that means several Chicago museums are offering free admission this month for Illinois residents.That includes the Art Institute. Visitors can get in Thursday at no charge, from 5-8 p.m.And starting this week, the Shedd, Field Museum, and Adler Planetarium will all start rotating free dates into their calendars.Via ABC 7&nbsp;<a href="Art" galleries="" can="" be="" found="" on="" the="" streets="" of="" chicago="" this="" summer.="" all="" you="" have="" to="" do="" is="" look="" around,="" while="" waiting="" for="" bus.="" might="" say,="" people="" are="" moved="" by="" art.="" wait="" a="" cta="" bus="" and="" just="" meet="" hero.="">Chicago bus shelters showcase portraits of unsung neighborhood heroes</a>Art galleries can be found on the streets of <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/tag/us/il/cook-county/chicago">Chicago</a> this summer. All you have to do is look around, while waiting for the bus.You might say, people are moved by the art. Wait for a <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/tag/organization/cta">CTA</a> bus and you just might meet a hero.The Unsung Heroes of Uptown are featured on bus shelters around the city.Portraits, plus a QR code that connects the viewer to a detailed Chicago story.Conceptual artist Hana Bleue Chaussette met each person, heard their story, recorded, painted them and brought them to the streets.Via FOX 32&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 8/5/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/y7hparupfwyzxly6ix8y.jpg"><figcaption>Travis Landry, Head of Landry Pop Auctions (LPA) (Photo: Business Wire)</figcaption></figure>Via PRCHICAGO – <a href="https://www.wright20.com">Rago Wright</a> is set to revolutionize the collectibles market with the launch of Landry Pop Auctions (LPA), led by renowned expert and TV star Travis Landry. This new venture will be the sixth stand-alone auction house under the Rago Wright umbrella, signaling the firm’s continued growth and diversification. With Travis Landry at the helm, LPA will introduce an exciting range of offerings in comics, toys, video games, and trading cards, as the collectible market continues to accrue significant value and attract new buyers.Travis Landry, known for his roles on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow (2017 – present) and the Travel Channel’s Toy Hunter (2012-2014), brings his encyclopedic knowledge and passion for collectibles to LPA. His expertise in a range of culturally significant collectibles will expand Rago Wright’s offerings into new categories, providing services previously unmet within their network.“Joining forces with Travis to form Landry Pop Auctions will revolutionize the collectibles market,” said Richard Wright, CEO of Rago Wright. “Travis’s extensive knowledge and passion for collectibles, especially in comics, toys, video games, and trading cards, aligns perfectly with our vision for growth and diversification. His unmatched expertise will elevate our offerings and provide our clients with unparalleled auction experiences. We look forward to this new chapter and the incredible opportunities it will bring.”Travis began his auction career at just 12 years old and since then, has handled numerous high-profile items, including a 1999 Pokémon Base Set Shadowless Booster Box that brought $100,000 at market, a Marvel Comics Fantastic Four #1 (11/61) CGC 8.0 which sold for $150,000 and a Marvel Comics Werewolf by Night #1 (9/72) CGC 9.8 which sold for $51,250. The latter two above-mentioned comics were from the collection of Kevin Willis, CFO of Ashland Inc., which was sold at auction on New Year’s Day of 2022 and was part of the 20-lot auction selling for a total of $900,000. Notably, Landry also handled the collection of Andy Yanchus, the project manager for Aurora (1965-1975) and colorist for Marvel Comics (1975-1992). His extensive experience and enthusiasm for discovering rare finds will be pivotal in driving LPA’s successes.“Landry Pop Auctions will bring a fresh and dynamic approach to the auction industry,” said Travis Landry. “With my deep passion for and expertise in comics, toys, video games, and trading cards, and Rago Wright’s innovative stye and superior expertise, we will move the industry forward in new and exciting ways. I look forward to discovering and showcasing rare and extraordinary items, creating unparalleled auction experiences for collectors and enthusiasts alike.”Over the past five years, Rago Wright has demonstrated significant growth through strategic acquisitions and market expansion. From the merger of Rago and Wright in 2019 to the recent acquisition of Poster Auctions International, the firm has continually broadened its scope. The addition of LPA further diversifies its portfolio, catering to modern collectors and enthusiasts.Landry Pop Auctions will be launching its first auction in October. Interested in selling your collectibles? Connect with Travis at <a href="mailto:travis@landrypop.com">travis@landrypop.com</a>.About Rago Wright&nbsp; Rago Wright is a network of independently owned art and design brands in the auction industry. Rago and Wright joined forces in 2019, followed by the addition of LA Modern Auctions (LAMA) in the fall of 2021, and in 2022 Toomey &amp; Co. joined the firm. Together, the company brings $100+ million in annual sales, has a team of 100, and more than a century of combined business experience. With a national coast-to-coast presence, shared clientele, technology, innovation, and creativity, alongside expertise and shared passion, Rago Wright is uniquely positioned to serve a global audience while maintaining a strong independent voice in the world of art and design.About Landry Pop Auctions&nbsp; Landry Pop Auctions (LPA) is a vibrant new auction brand tailored for modern collectors passionate about comics, toys, pop culture, and more. Led by Travis Landry, LPA combines deep expertise with a passion for exceptional collectibles, hosting exciting sales in Lambertville, Chicago, and Los Angeles.</body></html>

Rago Wright Partners to Launch Landry Pop Auctions

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255045/lkuhcu6n7lqkhcvuiwbb.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://desmoinesartcenter.org/art/exhibitions/hurricane-season/" target="_blank">1. Des Moines Art Center –&nbsp;Hurricane Season: Caribbean Art + Climate Change</a>Every year from June 1 through November 30, people across the Caribbean archipelago hold their breath. It’s hurricane season. Hurricanes and the devastation they bring have long been a part of life in the Caribbean, but with climate change, these storms are getting far more violent. They pick up steam faster than ever before, leaving little time to prepare. The aftermaths of storms are unbearable and shed light on the living legacy of colonialism and ongoing political corruption. Yet even as the effects of climate change wreak havoc on the region, life across the archipelago continues. People adapt. They weather the storm, even as they are weathered by it.“Hurricane Season” features 58 works in a range of media by six artists from across the Caribbean archipelago and its diaspora: Firelei Báez, Lionel Cruet, Teresita Fernández, Tamika Galanis, Deborah Jack, and Hew Locke.Thru Sept 22Des Moines, IA&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255046/nfwgrmwbqbahdeajfh5q.jpg">Cholos, White Fence, East Los Angeles, 1986. Graciela Iturbide (Mexican, b. 1942). Gelatin silver print; framed: 57.5 x 42.2 cm (22 5/8 x 16 5/8 in.); sheet: 35.2 x 27.7 cm (13 7/8 x 10 7/8 in.); image: 32 x 21.9 cm (12 5/8 x 8 5/8 in.). The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Gift of Leslie and Judith Schreyer and Gabri Schreyer-Hoffman in honor of Virginia Heckert, 2017.41 © Graciela Iturbide&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.clevelandart.org/exhibitions/picturing-border" target="_blank">2. The Cleveland Museum of Art –&nbsp;Picturing the Border</a>Picturing the Border&nbsp;presents photographs of the US-Mexico borderlands from the 1970s to the present taken by both border residents and outsiders. They range in subject matter from intimate domestic portraits, narratives of migration, and proof of political demonstrations to images of border crossings and clashes between migrants and the US Border Patrol. The earliest images in this exhibition form an origin story for the topicality of the US-Mexico border at present, and demonstrate that the issues of the border have been a critical point of inquiry for artists since the 1970s.Thru January 5, 2025Cleveland, OH&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255047/fpaqnzvwvcs8whdhnaxg.jpg">&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/visit/whats-inside/exhibits/museum/illinois-gallery/solidarity-now" target="_blank">3. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum –&nbsp;Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People's Campaign</a>Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People's Campaign&nbsp;explores one of the most important grassroots movements of the civil rights era: the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968. The exhibition investigates the factors that made this movement a success: the ideas, the emotions, the people, and the place—Resurrection City.&nbsp;Through a moving combination of photographs, objects, video, and oral histories, it explores the significance and impact of this campaign that drew thousands of people to develop a protest community on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to call the nation's attention to the crippling effects of poverty for millions of Americans.Thru August 18Springfield, IL&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255048/qgbom3lilpbkkf3kzyfm.jpg">&nbsp;4. Madison Museum of Contemporary Art –&nbsp;William Villalongo: Myths and MigrationsWilliam Villalongo: Myths and Migrations&nbsp;showcases 33 works created in the last two decades by the Brooklyn-based artist William Villalongo. Highly recognized for his paintings, collages, and signature velour paper cut-outs, Villalongo’s striking visual narratives invite the viewer to engage with the complexities and precarity of Black existence.Thru August 11Madison, WI&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255048/eftfit01t5rbznozulex.jpg">&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thepaine.org/event/microsculpture-insect-portraits-levon-biss/" target="_blank">5. Paine Art Center and Gardens –&nbsp;Microsculpture: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss</a>Examine extremely fine pigmented scales, velvet-like surface textures, saw-sharp mandibles, swirling patterns and some of the most vibrant, iridescent colors seen in nature with large-scale photographic prints by British photographer Levon Biss.Thru October 13Oshkosh, WI

5 Museum Shows To Visit This Summer in the Midwest - Part II

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/g32c46yf1sec4uptocc8.jpg" cano.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mandy-cano-villalobos-delectable-goods-profit-not">Mandy Cano Villalobos: Delectable Goods Profit Not</a>Opening: Friday, August 2, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmARC Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/lwidgbcneapavncw0beh.jpg" work="" copy.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/curators-gone-rogue-susan-aurinko-susan-blackman">Women Work 2024</a>Opening: Friday, August 2, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmENGAGE Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/cykobwtnunjoy4kyk8sd.png" mcmahon.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/margot-mcmahon-cultural-communities-chicago-writers-and-beyond">Margot McMahon: Cultural Communities: Chicago Writers and Beyond</a>Opening: Friday, August 2, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/pxjjch7fm2uqppflbgy4.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/august-group-exhibit">Sheila Arora: Limitless</a>Opening: Friday, August 2, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmVivid Art Gallery&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/c0lfergg72jh8igyyirr.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ginny-krueger-sunburst-art-inspired-by-the-sun">Ginny Krueger: Sunburst: Art Inspired by the Sun</a>Opening: Friday, Aug 2, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmBlue Moon Gallery&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092763/vmsoeklcgxgybw8wxdvi.png" sanders.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/invisibility-existing-on-the-periphery-a-virtual-exhibition">Invisibility: Existing on the Periphery | A Virtual Exhibition</a>Exhibition begins August 3Woman Made Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions August 2 & 3

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/qcjkygvwiaryk9e9bx7l.jpg"><figcaption>Reproductions of an artwork from the Louvre Museum installed in the Seine during the Olympic Games opening ceremoney in Paris, France, 2024. Photo: Naomi Baker / POOL / AFP via Getty Images.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-mona-lisa-2517224">The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Was an Art-Filled Extravaganza</a>It was an unusually art-filled Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris as the Parade of Nations traveled by boat down the River Seine. The Mona Lisa escaped from the Louvre to catch the occasion, braving the rain along with an expected 300,000 Parisians and visitors from around the world.Carrying the Olympic torch throughout the festivities was a mysterious masked figure first seen in a rowboat in the Parisian catacombs. His face obscured, he wore a costume that recalled famous French characters the Phantom of the Opera and Arsène Lupin.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2024/07/28/how-ai-is-impacting-the-art-and-business-of-storytelling/">How AI Is Impacting The Art And Business Of Storytelling</a>How can AI transform the art and science of storytelling? To better understand, I connected with Vimeo CMO, Lynn Girotto, who serves a community of +300 million directors, marketers, and content creators on Vimeo.Girotto believes that “AI makes art and business easier by giving people the confidence to share their ideas in an efficient and engaging manner. Whether it’s a director producing a grassroots film, a small business creating its first product walkthrough, or a CEO giving a company-wide address, everyone should feel empowered to visually express themselves.More videos are produced every day, while attention spans only get shorter.Via Forbes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/travel/tuscany-pienza-benches.html?unlocked_article_code=1.-00.VzqH.UpKpSi6kFvFP&amp;smid=url-share">A New Path in Tuscany Offers Rest, Beauty and an Escape from the Crowds</a>In Tuscany, the Val d’Orcia, with its rolling fields and untouched landscape beneath the dormant volcano of Monte Amiata, seems created for photo ops. Within it, the town of Pienza is one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture, designed by the famed Bernardo Gambarelli, better known as Bernardo Rossellino, in white travertine marble and surrounded by palazzi which he also built.This summer, a new path leads visitors from the town’s main piazza to the countryside, a journey of a little less than two miles. Along its length they’ll find 28 benches made of travertine marble created by well-known artists. Each bench is both a place to rest and take in the sweeping views of the Italian countryside, and a work of art shaped by the maker’s hand: One suggests a throne, another carries an image of a face, another has the tactile surface of a beach stone.Via NYT&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/jack-shainman-gallery-sues-collector-jim-hedges-1234713058/">New York’s Jack Shainman Gallery Sues Art Collector, Claiming He Owes Nearly&nbsp;$300,000</a>New York’s Jack Shainman Gallery has sued collector James R. Hedges IV, alleging that he owes nearly $300,000 for the sales of 19 artworks that the gallery had consigned to him.The lawsuit, which was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York on Friday, claims that Hedges and his gallery, the Santa Monica–based Hedges Projects, were consigned these works via invoices dated between June 2022 and May 2024. Hedges and his gallery are accused of owing $298,772.72.Via Artnews</body></html>

What We're Reading: 7/29/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/dogv7lqcexf7zqrpaxkc.jpg" copy.jpg=""><figcaption>Dr. Douglas Arbittier with items from his large collection of medical antiques in Mendham, N.J., on May 16, 2024. When he found that many medical-themed woodblocks he bought were fake, he began an intense effort to catch the forger. (Bryan Anselm / The New York Times)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/the-art-forger-had-fooled-thousands-then-he-met-doug/">The art forger had fooled thousands. Then he met Doug</a>Earl Washington loves wood.He loves maple wood from Wisconsin and boxwood from Turkey. He loves running his hands on its surface, feeling its heft and texture. But most of all he loves carving it. Thoughts about carving, he says, consume his waking moments.Mastery was never enough for him, though. To profitably sell woodblocks — which can be an oddity in the art market — Washington decided he also needed myth. So he created elaborate origin stories for his pieces. Some, he claimed, had been made or acquired by his great-grandfather. Others he promoted as rare creations from the 16th and 17th centuries.Thousands of people bought them unquestioningly, but a few became suspicious and raised concerns online and to authorities. The FBI fielded some complaints, but was not aware, it said later, of the “depth and the breadth” of Washington’s scheme, so he continued to sell his creations, having mastered the craft of carving and the art of fooling others.Until one day in 2013, when he met Douglas Arbittier.Via Seattle Times&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/ivjdswrefiucyjc7ez5w.jpg"><figcaption>A 150-million-year-old, near-complete Stegosaurus fossil sold for a record $44.6 million at auction on Wednesday.Matthew Sherman &nbsp;</figcaption></figure> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/citadels-ken-griffin-buys-stegosaurus-45-million-record-auction-sale-rcna162509">Citadel's Ken Griffin buys a stegosaurus for $45 million in a record auction sale</a>Billionaire investor Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel, purchased a late-Jurassic stegosaurus skeleton for $44.6 million at Sotheby’s Wednesday, marking the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.The 150 million-year-old stegosaurus named “Apex” measures&nbsp;11 feet tall and nearly 27 feet long from nose to tail and it is a nearly complete skeleton with 254 fossil bone elements. Apex was only expected to sell for about $6 million.Via NBC News&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/trump-photo-art-criticism-2513681">‘The Photo’ and Its Aftermath</a>Analyzing the instant myth-making around Evan Vucci's famous photo of Trump.You don’t need an art critic or a professional commentator to tell you why The Photo is “iconic,” to use the overused term. Trump looks defiant in the face of death. There’s an American flag in the background. It’s well composed.None of this is expert-level analysis. It’s&nbsp;what you already <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/world-moving-pictures-photographs-capture-indelible-moments-trump-111942383">knew</a>the first time you looked at it.Via Artnet&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 7/24/24

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/uuorjwe2pziwefmlaeta.png" lee="" csicsko.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/closing-reception-for-david-lee-csicsko-s-exhibit-mr-fancy-pants-a-celebration-of-lgbtq-icons">Closing Reception for David Lee Csicsko’s Exhibit MR. FANCY PANTS: A CELEBRATION OF LGBTQ+ ICONS</a>Friday, Jul 26, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/mn0h7zr1aufqawicag2z.jpg" &amp;="" me_2024="" .jpg=""></figure><a href="/organizations/the-gallery-a-c-architects">Robin Malpass: My Chicagos</a>Opening: Thursday, Jul 25, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmThe gallery a+c architects&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/vge2dumivo9tgiyb4lpy.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/field-day-at-navy-pier">Field Day at Navy Pier</a>Saturday, Jul 27, 10&nbsp;am – 3&nbsp;pmIntuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art Pop up at Navy Pier&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/psu7mvuplr90q7x86gjz.jpg" flynn.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/tim-flynn-colored-pencil-drawings-sculptures">Tim Flynn | Colored Pencil Drawings + Sculptures</a>Opening: Saturday, Jul 27, 6 – 9&nbsp;pm<a href="/organizations/blue-moon-gallery">Blue Moon Gallery</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092763/m5hnfabov4hcx7mdmwbh.jpg" art="" walk="" 7-27.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/weekend-art-walk-west-town-murals">Weekend Art Walk: West Town Murals</a>Saturday, Jul 27, 11&nbsp;am – 12:30&nbsp;pmJoin Lea Pinsky on a guided tour of murals along Chicago Avenue in West Town from Ashland Avenue to Damen Avenue<a href="/organizations/art-encounter-a452ddc8-ae2e-43d9-b388-5e0489a313fe">Art Encounter</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions and Events July 25–27 Part I

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/zhdrvebnxehsfihvr3v3.jpg" copy.jpg=""><figcaption>Painter Jake Troyli is one of several local artists launching new projects ahead of Democratic National Convention. Troyli, whose star is on the rise, will create a 30-foot tall mural in Garfield Park for SkyArt, an arts nonprofit that runs free programs for kids.Taylor Glascock for WBEZ</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2024/07/22/jake-troyli-artist-chicago-mural-dnc-democratic-national-convention-art">Artist Jake Troyli is putting a big stamp on Chicago ahead of the Democratic National Convention</a>It’s just past 3 p.m. on a scorching July afternoon, and Jake Troyli watches as a group of elementary school children file into a studio space in a South Chicago community center. Standing at a formidable 6 ’10”, Troyli towers no less than two feet over most in the room at the SkyArt Center, but the additional inches don’t seem to keep his jitters at bay.“I’m kind of nervous,” laughs Troyli. “I present to adults all the time, but it’s kind of intimidating to talk to kids.”Via WBEZ&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/22/travel/chicago-budget-travel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9E0.UnKW.SwLUeCrL1N2z&amp;smid=url-share">A Cheapskate in Chicago - NYT Frugal Traveler</a>One June morning, I went to see what the tourists were up to in Chicago, where I live. My mission was to join them while adhering to a strict travel budget. So I started with a free <a href="https://www.chicagogreeter.com/visit">Chicago Greeter</a> tour of the downtown Loop, ground zero for visitors and home to popular attractions like <a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html">Millennium Park</a> and the <a href="https://www.artic.edu/">Art Institute of Chicago</a>.Via NYT&nbsp;<a href="https://hoodline.com/2024/07/new-takeaway-sculpture-by-artist-tom-friedman-joins-chicago-s-cta-public-art-collection-at-uic-halsted-station/">New Takeaway Sculpture by Artist Tom Friedman Joins Chicago's CTA Public Art Collection at UIC-Halsted Station</a>The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has unveiled its latest addition to the diverse array of public art found within its transportation corridors: a new sculpture titled Takeaway now graces the UIC-Halsted Blue Line station, delivering a whimsical nod to contemporary urban life by the figure of Hermes, the Greek messenger god, adeptly balancing a stack of take-out food containers on his head, the station located at the nexus of the bustling University of Illinois Chicago campus and the vibrant neighborhood of Greektown, which has long served as a confluence for travelers and local commuters alike.Via Hoodline&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 7/22/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419415/sxi65dqlds9mdzd3y4mt.png"></figure>Art Encounter Announces New Membership Year and ProgrammingArt Encounter's membership calendar runs from July 1–June 30, which means a new year of membership has just begun! Read on to learn all about membership benefits, highlights from the last twelve months, and a preview of what's to come in the new year.&nbsp;Art Encounter members enjoy a whole host of benefits, including access to members-only programs like Expanding Visions or Art Travel; free programs like our annual Members Appreciation Party and online Lunchtime Art Chats; and discounts on programs like Night Visions, Summer Visions, and our monthly Artist Critique Group.Visit AE's <a href="https://uphksziab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Iy9dFytwZIoT61wIqwQgnC0nNZY8MtLHIcY8HA0OGjQwOlYcdWm7GzOKRekFMWCjkMoko_MVjgVUEv6tdoSFrY7Spa1wTZmCztNgM530aRPqosH82UZPucCpRGA-aFVUtPS4wrk3yCgCCYUkjGqOCuRfc-_ajsKUY6XrFCarEyg=&amp;c=PAjonFUWn84pIFFC1TV2sk4qdNxu9Awwdm_bioOeKJPdwfdecf6dAQ==&amp;ch=iU4QVYOhcaZLiJxTa0scpnb_ChJRw6WUA2D2S2WKaxOhSoa5Q8G8pw==">membership page</a> to get started!&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419416/cicq20mn5vug4w9quoq2.jpg"><figcaption>John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) George Frederick McCorquodale, 1902, Oil on canvas, 58 ¼ x 38 in.Gift of Joe Szymanski in honor of his life-long friend, Andy Musser 2023.020</figcaption></figure>Raclin Murphy Museum Announces New Collection AcquisitionsThe Raclin Murphy Museum of Art is pleased to announce important recent acquisitions to the Museum’s collection. These works add to the Museum’s ever-growing, nationally-distinguished collection-adding both important historical and contemporary voices to the collection. All gifts are cornerstone to the Museum’s sesquicentennial campaign, highlighting the origins of the collection in 1875.An important three-quarter portrait by the iconic American ex-patriot painter John Singer&nbsp;Sargent&nbsp;adds to the strength of the Museum’s collection of nineteenth-century paintings.&nbsp;Portrait of&nbsp;George Frederick McCorquodale&nbsp;(1902) provides a potent counterpoint to the academic practice exemplified by such artists as Jean-Léon Gérôme and Léon Bonnat, currently on view at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. Commissioned by the sitter’s daughter for her 21st birthday, it shows George Frederick McCorquodale, the director of a printing company in Scotland.&nbsp;*&nbsp;Another addition to the Museum’s esteemed photography collection is this important monumental photo by the celebrated photographer Andreas Gursky.&nbsp;This is the first Gursky photograph added to the Museum’s collection. Gursky is a German photographer who lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany. Typical of his style, Gursky often photographs a detailed and multifaceted landscape or interior from a high vantage point. His printing process meticulously maintains or enhances all the minute details and colors. The resulting large photographic print illustrates the complexity and interconnectedness of the world we live in and often overlook. The work also compliments the strength of French art in the Museum’s collection.More info on the recent acquisitions is <a href="https://raclinmurphymuseum.nd.edu">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/crappy-cake-art/">Chicago artist wants people to feast their eyes on her Crappy Cake Art</a>A Chicago artist is having people hunt for her latest works of fake cakes across the city.&nbsp;Crappy Cake Art has been spotted everywhere, from the CTA to the lakefront, and people are scouring the city for them as if they were edible."A lot of people think I came at it, like with the passion as a baker and then evolved. That is not how it happened," artist Anna Lasbury said.&nbsp;She said she's never made a real cake but can make a fake one. Lansbury has made over 150 cakes on canvas."They were piling up in my apartment because I was obsessed with it," she said.While they've recently grown in popularity, Lansbury says her first fake cake wasn't that good."I was like, this sucks. It's very crappy, but it has a lot of potential. So, I started making a couple more, and they got a little less crappy over time," she said.&nbsp;Via CBS News Chicago&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 7/18/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419415/erftys7c1pptlnserkru.jpg"><figcaption>Katsushika Hokusai: “The Great Wave off Kanagawa (Kanazawa oki nami ura),” from the series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” (Fugaku sanjürokkei); Polychrome woodblock print (Nishikie), circa 1830-1832. Photo courtesy Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa.</figcaption></figure>VIA PRCCMA's next major summer art exhibition coming in 2025 is “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection.” The exhibition will feature over 50 original works by renowned artists from the Japanese Edo Period, along with a historical exhibit, children's area, and other educational and interactive&nbsp;installations throughout the MAC. The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art in collaboration with The Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoa, and with the support of MondoMostre. The “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” exhibition showcases over 50 original artworks by masters of Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868). Works by acclaimed artists Hokusai and Hiroshige provide a window into life during a time when the City of Edo (present-day Tokyo) thrived as the center of Japan’s economy and culture.“Art at this time was very intimate and focused on themes of performing arts, courtly life, nature, and the vibrant urban culture of Edo,” said CCMA Curator Justin Witte. “Now 200 years later, the striking and graphic style of these images still feels fresh and innovative, inspiring contemporary artists and illustrators.”In addition to the artwork, the exhibition will include: a historical area and timeline with multi-media elements; an outdoor Japanese garden; a children’s Edo art &amp; anime area with coloring pages and activities; an interactive Edo Experience with Shogun and Kabuki garments and more.“As with past major exhibitions, including ‘Frida Kahlo: Timeless’ and ‘WARHOL,’ the creative teams and designers of McAninch Arts Center will create interactive exhibition experiences that help visitors connect with this enchanting era of Shoguns, Samurai and Geisha, that are rich educational experiences and special events that enhance understanding and appreciation of the Japanese Edo era,” said MAC Director and Executive Director Diana Martinez.The exhibition is organized by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art, with works from&nbsp;The Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art of Genoathat was originally collected by Edoardo Chiossone (1833-1898) and whose collection is known worldwide for the quality of art and its remarkable state of conservation. The featured Ukiyo-e collection on loan will be curated by Professor and art historian Rossella Menegazzo of The University of Milan as part of the larger exhibition at the MAC and CCMA, curated by Justin Witte. Tickets for “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” will be available soon. More information about this exhibition will be announced at a later date.<a href="https://engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=66955ccb65c62e053ab21fe9&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theccma.org%2Fhokusai%3Fss_source%3Dsscampaigns%26ss_campaign_id%3D6674776baa162b4445c05697%26ss_email_id%3D66955ccb65c62e053ab21fe9%26ss_campaign_name%3DHokusai%2B%2526%2BUkiyo-e%2Bat%2BCleve%2BCarney%2BMuseum%2Bof%2BArt%26ss_campaign_sent_date%3D2024-07-15T17%253A31%253A31Z&amp;w=610a97870a7b92681378bfb2&amp;c=b_6674776baa162b4445c05697&amp;l=en-US&amp;s=OJUvjGXR5CWdbLpyeLPKFg-67eo%3D">&nbsp;More Info&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419416/wcebw5f9zb32owicnj3o.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Cleve Carney Museum of Art Announces “Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” Coming Summer 2025 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/ezvvcfhsikf6qe2yppyz.jpg"><figcaption>The Crown Fountain in Millennium Park. Peyton Reich / Sun-Times &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2024/07/12/millennium-park-crown-fountain-chicago-20th-birthday-jaume-plensa?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=071224%20Afternoon%20Edition&amp;utm_content=071224%20Afternoon%20Edition+CID_444d029ea5e58f49a635ffba1ad8bc86&amp;utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&amp;utm_term=The%20faces%20in%20the%20fountain%20Millennium%20Parks%20Crown%20Fountain%20still%20watching%20over%20Chicago%20after%2020%20years&amp;tpcc=cst_cm">The faces in the fountain: Millennium Park's Crown Fountain still watching over Chicago after 20 years</a>Millennium Park turns 20 on Tuesday. But the 24.5-acre expanse became the king of Chicago city parks almost as soon as it opened in 2004 — four years late and with a price tag of $490 million, more than triple the original estimated cost. About $220 million of that came from private donations.At a black-tie cocktail party before the park opened, former Chicago Park District CEO Forrest Claypool, speaking with the late WTTW-Channel 11 host John Callaway, dismissed the tardiness and cost overruns.“The park is so beautiful that in 15 years nobody will remember any of that,” Claypool said.Via Chicago Sun–Times&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-history-majors-job-prospects-2511339">Do Art History Majors Really Face the Worst Job Prospects of Any Profession?</a>Art History majors face the worst employment prospects of any profession after graduating from college, <a href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market#--:explore:outcomes-by-major">a study</a> by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has found. The data, released by the Fed in February, became a talking point online this week, just as students close out the academic year and many start the job hunt.Diving into the report, specifically it found that Art History majors face an unemployment rate of 8 percent, the most of any university major. The vast majority that have jobs are holding down positions they are overqualified, according to the underemployment rate of 62.3 percent.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/new-york-artists-reate-works-jfk-new-terminal-1234712124/">18 New York Artists Tapped to Create Works for JFK’s New&nbsp;Terminal</a>John F. Kennedy Airport, one of the world’s busiest crossroads, will soon be its destination in its own right for world-class art. Eighteen artists hailing from seven countries have been tapped to create installations for the airport’s new Terminal 6, set to open in 2026, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced on Tuesday.&nbsp;The $4.2 billion terminal is now set to host works by artists based in New York, including Sky Hopinka, Charles Gaines, and Barbara Kruger. The group also includes a significant amount of artists who are based in New York City or New York State but were born abroad, such as Felipe Baeza and Uman, who were hail from Mexico and Somalia, respectively.Via ARTnews&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/07/16/christies-first-half-2024-results">Christie’s first half auction sales decline 22% year-on-year, to $2.1bn</a>The latest proof that the art market is down but not out arrived today (16 July), as Christie’s announced select results from the first half of 2024. The auction house’s total revenue from live and online auction sales during this period reached $2.1bn worldwide, around $600m less (-22%) than it made under the hammer during the opening six months of 2023. The drop is even steeper when compared to the same period in 2022, when competition for the collections of Anne Bass, Thomas and Doris Ammann and Hubert de Givenchy propelled Christie’s to a hearty $4.1bn in revenue from auction sales—nearly double its equivalent results this year.Yet several other metrics showed that Christie’s has held surprisingly steady in the face of recent turbulence. Its healthy 87% sell-through rate was on par with that in both 2023 and 2022. The index of hammer price to low estimate was 111% through this June, meaning that the winning bids for all lots sold (before fees) outperformed their minimum expectations by around 11%.Via The Art Newspaper&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 7/17/24

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/hrgzb0ntakk8npqkbdv2.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/darin-latimer-fix-your-hearts-or-die-war-on-every-corner">Darin Latimer: Fix your Hearts or Die (War on Every Corner)</a>Opening: Friday, July 19, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/xasfafkuoghxoypax7bd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/memorable-ordinary">Memorable Ordinary</a>Opening: Friday, July 19, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmKim Storage Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/ewsnjgila1r0tljpgt3m.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-conversation-with-dale-washington">In Conversation with Dale Washington</a>Opening: Friday, July 19, 6 - 9 pmBridgeport Art Center&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/hz8fkruil6vbfemvhrno.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mid-summer-dreams">Midsummer Dreams</a>Opening: Saturday, July 20, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmChicago Sculpture International (CSI)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions July 19 - 21

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/dpb9vylvevzg5cpovlhr.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By CGN STAFFArtist Tony Fitzpatrick shared yesterday that this Friday Night, July 12, 2024 will be the final gallery opening at the Dime, an artist-focused exhibition space located at 1513 N. Western AvenueFitzpatrick emailed friends his message, saying The Dime has "a marvelous couple of Shows...Photographs by Daphne Walsh and paintings by Liz Laughlin...After 10 years it's time to go. The short reason is: I've gone out of business. I'll not blame anyone or anything other than the sad fact that I am a for-shit Businessman. I resisted taking any percentage of Sales because I believe that Artist's have enough economic disadvantages without imposing another one. I wish to thank my Landlord and friend Perry Casalino for the remarkably generous rent deal which allowed us to operate for 10 years -- Those of you who came through and added joy, laughter, and Goodwill to this place . The amazing Artists who taught me so much over this last decade. It was a joy...Goodbye, Fare thee Well, and Amen...Tony&nbsp;Details on The Dime's Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_dime_tf_projects/">account</a></body></html>

Tony Fitzpatrick Announces Final Show for The Dime

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/xdr1sxyhqjsbxqdz1gt2.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-bloom">In Bloom</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmCircle Contemporary (Arts of Life)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/w4hhntijylodamwsxwns.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/fear-is-a-joke">Fear Is A Joke</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmT. Mari Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/cmp3mj3vz7klf0yk0mzs.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/be-of-love-care-in-an-age-of-discontent">Be of Love: Care in an Age of Discontent</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 7 – 11&nbsp;pmPublic Works&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/jdwpcxfgc6b9jipalncb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/hope-a-prelude">Hope: A Prelude</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmHilton Contemporary&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419412/iylg2mqqlutc5ifdgctu.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/arts-of-life">Human Resources | Group Show with Arts of Life</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Artists Coalition (CAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419412/khhpclmkwlzuhdaenvhs.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/aleksander-najda-and-vasyl-savchenko">The Ground of Things: Aleksander Najda and Vasyl Savchenko</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmUkrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419413/xa0gbnjf4fgtv1tbl6f5.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vera-klement-26ffa579-a8f2-47d6-bce6-5af0337adc2f">Vera Klement: After A Life</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmZolla / Lieberman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions July 12 & 13 (Part I)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/yncf8qyiaa6jyd7hjcdh.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-exhibition-and-opening-reception-4fd4828c-849a-44c6-8d9d-5dc8f33e3068">Wesley Kimler</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmGallery Victor&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/djdgcdhxreirnzeixrgg.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/opening-reception-for-2024-vicinity">Opening Reception for 2024 Vicinity</a>Opening: Saturday, July 13, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmPerspective Photo Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/tbcii1qyqnjotiim5k7d.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-exhibition-and-opening-reception-e2f4fb32-2124-48b0-9c91-15e69a175491">Karen Perl: When the Dreams Came</a>Opening: Friday, July 12, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmAddington Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/jgplixnos6apquvyldnf.jpg"></figure>The Night You Love Me – Diego De La RosaOn view July 12-August 30<a href="/organizations/w-gallery">Povos Downtown</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419412/snvfonjwu9vvksy0j9sl.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-bigger-table-50-years-of-the-chicago-poetry-center-8bf99681-09ba-465f-8058-82d0f33697fb">A Bigger Table: 50 Years of the Chicago Poetry Center</a>Opening: Saturday, July 13, 2 – 5&nbsp;pmPoetry Foundation&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419413/xtxhnv6t9zv3ui12i7xd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/doug-stapleton-false-augury-collages-and-objects">Doug Stapleton | False Augury: Collages and Objects</a>Opening: Saturday, July 13, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmBert Green Fine Art&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419414/cw58pcybwbhgjwprwtzx.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-edition">Where a knot begins and ends</a>Exhibition begins July 13Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419414/bxagpnluwgxyl8nvqxl7.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/connectivity">Connectivity</a>Opening: Saturday, July 13, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmWoman Made Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions July 12 & 13 (Part II)

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/omd9p2ktifwadzjdkbw7.jpg"><figcaption>Pictured:&nbsp;The Lovers Dance&nbsp;by Yvette Mayorga, photo courtesy of Millennium Park Foundation &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>By CGN Staff via PRMillennium Park's 20th anniversary celebrations continue this week with a very 2024 announcement about installations that bring art to the public via augmented reality. Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the Millennium Park Foundation announced new temporary public art installations coming to the Park, including physical works by one of the world’s most recognized sculptors, Franz West, as well as world by Chicago-based artists Claire Ashley, Faheem Majeed, Yvette Mayorga and Carlos Rolón.&nbsp;While the Park's famous Cloud Gate was recently reopened following a 20th anniversary facelift, just in time for a record number of summer selfies, the news of innovative augmented reality works in Millennium Park by Ashley, Majeed, Mayorga and Rolón is sure to send visitors and their smartphones into overdrive. The works will be on view throughout Millennium Park now through November 2025. West’s sculptures will be on view in the South Boeing Gallery starting the week of July 22nd through November 2025.Located on both the north and south ends of Millennium Park, the Boeing Galleries house temporary modern and contemporary art exhibitions where visitors can directly experience the work and expressions of current artists. In the 20 years since the Park’s opening, the Boeing Galleries have featured artworks by Chakaia Booker, Yvonne Domenge, Jun Kaneko, Edra Soto, and Christine Tarkowski, among others. The cost of exhibition curation and management is underwritten by Millennium Park Foundation using funds from private donors.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/uofeadhjni36rwsr1mu5.png"><figcaption>Claire Ashley, N O M A D I C&nbsp; F L U O R A T I C&nbsp; P H Y L O S I A N&nbsp; S P A W N, 2024&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“Since Millennium Park opened 20 years ago, the Park has been a unique showcase for Chicago’s flourishing public art scene, attracting visitors from across the globe to see works that celebrate the soul of Chicago and its people,” said DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth. “Art can inspire, challenge and bring joy, and these new temporary installations, including for the first time works viewed via augmented reality, will give everyone visiting Millennium Park this summer an unforgettable experience.”“For the first time our curated Boeing exhibition will span both space and time,” said Donna LaPietra, Chair and President of the Millennium Park Foundation Board of Directors. “In celebration of the Park’s 20th anniversary, we wanted to showcase both large-scale public art works alongside pioneering augmented reality works of Chicago-based artists, creating a dynamic fusion of traditional and innovative public art experiences throughout the Park. These exhibitions highlight Millennium Park’s commitment to making art accessible and interactive, offering visitors a unique and immersive cultural experience. We invite everyone to join us in this remarkable journey and witness a year of firsts for the 20th Anniversary season.”Viewers of the augmented reality works will need to use the free Hoverlay app, available in the Apple AppStore or Google PlayStore, as well as an augmented reality-capable device running iOS 14 or later or Android 8.0 or later.For information about Millennium Park exhibitions, art and architecture, the 20th Anniversary Celebration and more, visit <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.CSSunAOBvEOR4GhykBjJWWnTwxFlkUDDBF-2Fji248p2y6hFXsBorvoCC9fZuH5e36f75VCxaJvIMcUVrPB-2B9jDhS87cZAc-2BmLX0q2ReeRRkhm2GDgx5hGZvJkSZKsYWhEJESh_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN2htsLqOnV28cTjbNPU0LQaAR7i0-2FTDQ2uQQMHQ1gTYbZNYuZjCzevUeyDyw7HyxHLcur44-2F63-2FUYmoBTlz-2FTpOQvCtSvQjEZ8xXQtwLwM1-2FzBopy3iPpVtI3XDmAN10hCXhzqluVCeXV5jurUsJ-2BwhXZE1vY7-2FrKA8nWSyXx6G9w-3D-3D">millenniumpark.org</a>Read CGN's feature on Millennium Park's anniversary <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/6/20-years-of-drawing-the-world-to-chicago-millennium-park">here</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/t6h6shz3jmuvclwr6d2x.jpg"><figcaption>Franz West</figcaption></figure>The new installations are:Franz West: Millennium Park features three monumental installations by West: Stonehenge (2011), Kugeln (Balls) (2002), and Dorit (2002), set against the iconic backdrop of Millennium Park. On view starting the week of July 22ndStonehenge, with its playful, abstract forms, invites viewers to engage physically and imaginatively, while Kugeln (Balls) presents three individual brightly hued spherical sculptures that disrupt conventional expectations of balance and form. Dorit, characterized by its organic shapes and vibrant colors, further exemplifies West's unique approach to sculpture, blending humor and a sense of the surreal with profound artistic statements.Emerging in the early 1970s, Austrian artist West (1947-2012) developed a unique aesthetic that engaged equally high and low reference points and often privileged social interaction as an intrinsic component of his work. While he was known primarily as a sculptor, his body of work incorporated drawing, collage, video, and installation, using papier-mâché, furniture, cardboard, plaster, found imagery, and other diverse materials. West is celebrated for his ability to merge sculpture with everyday life, transforming public spaces into interactive art environments. His work challenges traditional perceptions of art, emphasizing the importance of viewer interaction and the integration of art into daily experience.&nbsp;More information about West at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tcMbQXbKg02VZhNs5YVTouQX5JnzCVDUNwytQ-2FJu2oo3Y1iD_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN3xnPXC8xeItC2je-2FTSkYAPK8dHF3WWDBeuP4WZ7EGne1P4OlWBn8wSuj6kbZIHZmGxn2ug6B6o-2FcyZPTRWuog8xXH9CsVWa7zU0hHfu7P8YcDpCZH5OZBfpl5vwP72NluV6PmVj4ztB64mBD8DALnnF8Yb7s-2F8qLFBS8B-2Bg-2BJLew-3D-3D">archivfranzwest.org</a>. &nbsp;Augmented Chicago: Inaugural Realities&nbsp;(on view now through November 2025)Augmented Chicago: Inaugural Realities showcases the innovative works of four internationally celebrated Chicago-based artists, Claire Ashley, Faheem Majeed, Yvette Mayorga and Carlos Rolón, pioneering the use of Augmented Reality (AR) for the first time in the vibrant setting of Millennium Park. This exhibition invites visitors to experience a groundbreaking fusion of technology and artistry, transforming the Park's landscape into a dynamic canvas of digital creativity. By highlighting AR as a new tool and medium in the world of public art, these artists explore new dimensions of interaction, engagement, and expression, offering a fresh perspective on the urban environment.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/mts9qzvj9f7u9pctzsvm.png"><figcaption>Carlos Rolón, Ni Aquí, Ni Allá (Neither Here, Nor There), 2024&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>• Carlos RolónNi Aquí, Ni Allá (Neither Here, Nor There), 2024&nbsp;Chicago-born Rolón is celebrated for his multidisciplinary artistic approach, exploring themes such as craft, ritual, beauty, identity, and their intersections with art history. With roots in Puerto Rican heritage, Rolón's background fuels his exploration of personal concepts, blending self-examination with rich cultural symbolism. This synthesis fosters community engagement and blurs the boundaries between public and private spheres, providing viewers a bridge to connect with the broader cultural narrative.Through Ni Aquí, Ni Allá (Neither Here, Nor There), viewers are invited to experience a transformative oasis inspired by the vibrant spirit of Puerto Rico. By blending both the digital art and physical elements within the park, Rolón creates a sanctuary amidst the urban landscape—a space where people can pause, rejuvenate, and connect with nature. Inspired by the vibrant landscape, atmosphere, and sounds of Puerto Rico, this installation features tiled benches, the gentle melodies of the coqui (small frog), a cascading waterfall, and botanical elements that collectively capture the essence of the island. Through the harmonious interplay of virtual and tangible elements, visitors are transported into a dynamic environment, inviting them to embark on a sensory journey of immersion and exploration.More information about Rolón at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tfxrid7Jl-2BAGW2emu1ms4tS0j6mNazw4VTG-2FVrsU-2BM-2B-2BvGHO_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN3COmKlIPu82SNhReSTRasQPCSkXF78F6CI0jXIiToLeqqFPFbEhck7QqZwwRaMnHmuN-2Bk6V83aJwG6uWLnJuqUxb9Rdamm69yz2p1GDX0qQLHe5NwkVFkgjNiHYnPLxzutcywcJjQeSZAWPCna-2B-2BOdPwDb9TFU-2BlgDUIwDFukiYA-3D-3D">carlosrolon.com</a>. &nbsp;• Yvette MayorgaThe Lovers Dance, 2024Mayorga is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist known for her Rococo-inspired reliefs that merge confectionary labor with found images to explore themes of belonging. Dominated by the color pink, Mayorga celebrates femme power while questioning the allure of consumer culture and the American Dream as a first-generation Latinx.The Lovers Dance is Mayorga’s first augmented reality public work. Drawing from the stories and shapes of her intricately piped paintings and public installations, Mayorga creates an immersive, interactive experience that reflects her signature feminine world-building. In The Lovers Dance, she explores themes of belonging and love by depicting two dancers emerging from the sky, set against a backdrop of piped frosted clouds reminiscent of a theatrical play.More information about Mayorga can be found at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3teMddG6RZu47bg0FHBslqB3zOcGtPvcUKpFNnIvXYwx8GFBc_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN1QkuiIOSSouImE-2FfnUfnPtDVjEqAvLT7P3-2FDBMMAg1-2FAsJrkdDG-2BdDWqID3bsuFvRIRfg-2BnBpSIR2JhRLGyw-2BqkTqX1cYz-2Bnv8Qn55eR9MXDhigi7wg1hopKCPv3SOsnEmipoa-2BEHzGf51FRM-2B0CLbM6u7bnaPUMj9bU2I6v4Drw-3D-3D">yvettemayorga.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;• Claire Ashley with audioscape by Joshua Patterson&nbsp;N O M A D I C&nbsp; F L U O R A T I C&nbsp; P H Y L O S I A N&nbsp; S P A W N, 2024&nbsp;Scottish born, Chicago-based artist Ashley mines the language of painterly abstraction, monumental sculpture, and slapstick humor to investigate inflatables as painting, sculpture, installation and performance costume. Currently a teacher at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, her works have been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries, museums, site-specific installations, and performances events.In N O M A D I C&nbsp; F L U O R A T I C&nbsp; P H Y L O S I A N&nbsp; S P A W N, viewers encounter four apparitions, experienced here over one calendar year, responding to the shifting seasonal color palette of Millennium Park’s Lurie Gardens.<ul><li>Spring: A single apparition grows. The mother form stretches and elongates, birthing its spawn, grumbling as it spits them out.</li><li>Summer: Multiple apparitions vibrate. The mother and spawn sway, float, shudder, vibrate, spin, roll, and feast, bubbling and boiling in a whirling dervish-like motion.</li><li>Fall: The apparitions slow down. The mother and spawn merge, clicking back together into a new lumpier formation.</li><li>Winter: A single apparition hibernates. It snores, snuggles, stretches, and yawns. Crystalline growths appear, beginning the regeneration process for spring.</li></ul>More information about Ashley at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tXtY-2FA45pKDUEqOa6dl823MBFh4tKQMUmCyLT7aRvsg-2FwBBx_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN1RR9hZodOZMUBACldOhaHvlQEUnap4mH2-2B-2FJmThjH1OzSMPRkwZgSkcYzmv62yD9H0Dd2-2BvFlJhJFzpHat6eSpG3-2Bw2Nf1GbYlCWi-2BrUODKpDdgPcRqO9-2FNB-2FcO7dzzgAjZjTvBv-2BwcO82m1W3GC5H0-2FmKWoOrf9aBu1nnUI4OVQ-3D-3D">clairehelenashley.com</a>.&nbsp;• Faheem MajeedFreedom’s Stand: Sentries Beacon, 2024Faheem Majeed is a professor of art at the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as an artist, curator, and community facilitator. He blends his uniqueexperience as a non-profit administrator and artist to create works that focus on institutional critique and exhibitions that leverage collaboration to engage his immediate, and the broader community, in meaningful dialogue.Freedom’s Stand: Sentries Beacon is an homage to the pioneering spirit of Black newspapers in the United States, drawing on the legacy of community-generated news and self-representation. Inspired by the historical impact of Freedom’s Journal, the first Black-owned newspaper founded in 1827, this augmented reality sculpture highlights the importance of Black voices in media. Combining elements from Chicago’s Wall of Respect, the Community Mural Movement, and traditional West African Dogon architecture, Freedom’s Stand creates a rich cultural tapestry.Freedom’s Stand: Sentries Beacon features three dynamic augmented reality newspaper stand sculptures that grow into towering structures and shrink back into smaller stands, symbolizing the evolving nature of Black media. The design, reminiscent of traditional newsstands integrated with Dogon granary aesthetics, creates a living archive. These sculptures showcase a curated collection of headlines, articles, and advertisements from 209 Black newspapers, ensuring the work remains dynamic and ever-changing. This project underscores the importance of celebrating diverse voices in media, ensuring they inform and inspire future generations.More information at <a href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.dh1HrHFyOntfOcUtuUd3tZDx5biPr4fme-2FswAGqgwnbF0hRdpJcbMrZcFE-2BG-2FOsP8J8h_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2B4ftGj9DI8Jn4AfRAGeAJVn7gGoI0v4yHfyxNzcTgWoLurliSnTAPDeTMjcpIoytOOx4olIMMV-2FUlia6rP-2BnJx0I4OPOXnhPjZIaJSLRJZFG5xhXwwILhaQGVeG4K6AGZz-2Fr1bBk1UIAZZGQ2GnX42TIOjpzDzYPLrJdjHJVUDTObIaEpHnaqMqR-2FJ-2BjjrTN30BvpetB-2Bej0VzsGFhA1sdf8NSajUL4ZGnWM-2BOP49IsIQTEaPaBe4zI-2FeZDhxGJKPpfYuhMQ3Tz4OpXOT8NoxDawXDYwSH3E0zWF0oJIAqA2LHAfm6yStNwP2SdwKI2Fa3kiHVaspSufIKMa95eRGtNoYnfn1bfJCpxYEm0ZXD4Q-3D-3D">faheemmajeed.com</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Augmented Reality + Art Come to Millennium Park 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/ak3y128hf1hyfe33ujtw.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs's latest wall in Laon, France, 2024</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;BY ANNA DOBROWOLSKII caught up with Collin van der Sluijs as he put the finishing touches on a four-story-tall rooster in a small town in France. "I'm baking from the heat, so it's a good time for a break," he tells me.While some artists shy away from graffiti, dismissing it as a mere teenage fling with urban art, Collin van der Sluijs raises it to new heights, literally. His style blends formal academic art training with illustrative boldness. Drawing inspiration from unexpected sources like Michelangelo and Da Vinci (yes, the cartoon characters), he has spearheaded a graffiti renaissance. On July 5th, he returns to Vertical Gallery in Chicago for his fifth solo show, Observer.&nbsp;CGN: Observer is a clever title for the exhibit - it tows the line between perception and attention to something or someone, and surveillance. What prompted this show? Did you build it with a question in mind?Collin van der Sluijs: I’m always asking questions. Who am I, what am I doing here?&nbsp; I am always looking around for answers, observing my surroundings.&nbsp;When I’m walking through a city or cycling through the landscape, I’m also looking at walls. I think, “That would be a nice one to paint.”&nbsp; I will stop and paint watercolors en plein air. I try to make an interpretation of whatever it is I’m looking at. When I’m in the studio – my studio is in my hometown in Maastricht. I can just go there by bike like a typical Dutch guy and in ten minutes I'm there – I’m working on paintings about things that I’ve experienced or things I’ve seen. We are all observers.&nbsp;CGN: Yet not all of us are equipped with that ability to pay attention, especially to something as familiar as a wall on our commute. Maybe this sounds basic, but what makes a wall interesting to you? &nbsp;CvdS:&nbsp;The wall doesn’t have to be downtown. The building itself can be along an interesting route. It’s almost always a portrait, not a landscape wall. I don’t know why. If it's a tall surface, I see it and think, “That’s a pretty good spot for a painting. It's a feeling of sport, too, in a way."&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419409/xw550yehmw4l3uzp6xnm.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs, a Maastricht, Netherlands wall in progress, summer 2024</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Sounds challenging. Can you tell me more about how graffiti ended up in your art practice?CvdS: “When I was about 10 or 11, I went grocery shopping with my mom and dad. I saw a group of guys in the city painting graffiti. I thought, “Wow, this is like drawing outside your little bedroom and into the wild. Before that I was always drawing the classics, like the Ninja Turtles and cartoons. When I came back home from that I started sketching – and to be honest it looked like shit. But I always stuck with it.My parents sent me to art school because they thought it would be better for me to learn something there. They were always supportive.While being in the art academy I tried to find a way to get that graffiti feeling into my art. I combined spray paint with oils and acrylics, which they didn’t like. It took some time to master that combination. I still haven't mastered it, but that’s fine because otherwise it would be boring.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: It used to be a sort of unspoken rule to not get caught tagging buildings, etc. but it seems like graffiti is picking up in the mainstream art world – I’m thinking of a certain famously anonymous graffiti artist, for example -- but you embrace it and make it a part of your gallery work, which is refreshing. Did you ever get caught?&nbsp;CvdS: No, never. I also never would cover people’s houses or whatever. If it’s an abandoned building that’s about to get torn down anyway, that’s ok.In art, there is – or maybe was -- a tendency to hide it. Some artists will say “I’m not 16 anymore.” There were times when I tried to hide it, but it didn’t work out. For me it is how everything started. It’s a thing from the past that will always haunt me in a positive way. Now I travel everywhere because of it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419410/baqrnvxv4qg1zmjo8p8c.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: This is your 5th show at Vertical. How is this show different from the others to you?How did you scale-down?&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419411/f2btgod8z6eh0tjonbyf.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CvdS: The way I work hasn’t changed over the years, but what I observe. I started with gallery work around 1990—growing from small shows to bigger shows. I see how things change. Like murals going mainstream. More artists working out of the box.[...]Growing as an artist doesn't necessarily mean 'growing up' from the things that fascinated us as children. Sometimes, it just means finding a bigger wall to scale.&nbsp;“If I were to give my younger self advice, I'd say to believe in yourself. It won't be easy; there will be unsafe and crazy situations, but when the project is completed, you'll often leave with a laugh. If you don't take a risk, you'll never know."&nbsp;#&nbsp;Collin van der Sluijs Observer July 5 - 27, 2024 Opening reception: Friday July 5th, 5:00-8:00pm <a href="https://verticalgallery.com/blogs/news/collin-van-der-sluijs-observer">Vertical Gallery</a> – 2006 W Chicago Ave #1R<a href="https://www.instagram.com/collinvandersluijs/">@collinvandersluijs</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419412/gnrayzf9x6hnasdltoun.jpg"><figcaption>Collin van der Sluijs</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Collin van der Sluijs Elevates Graffiti to New Heights

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419408/xaqvyy12vqqfhyprtyjn.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By CGN StaffThe River North Gallery District spaces are banding together again to host their traditional mid-summer gallery walk on Friday, July 12 from 5–8pm. Afterward, walk attendees are invited to enjoy cocktails and al fresco dining at River North's many restaurants.&nbsp;A July gallery walk has been around in the district for many years. This time of year galleries are eager to invite collectors and visitors to the city &nbsp;on self-guided tour of &nbsp;spaces located on Huron, Superior, and Wells Streets, while meeting artists, curators, and gallery staff.&nbsp;The Mid-Summer River North Gallery Walk is free and open to the public. Maps are available at Addington Gallery (704 N Wells St.)Some galleries are opening new exhibitions while others are hosting receptions for ongoing summer shows.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Participating galleries:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/joan-holleb-heading-home">Addington Gallery</a> - Exhibiting Karen Perl<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/spring-summer-group-show">Carl Hammer Gallery</a> – Exhibiting Boundaries and Beyond: Imagined Landscapes<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/gallery-victor-armendariz">Gallery Victor Armendariz</a> – Exhibiting Don Pollack, Wesley Kimler, and Matthew Cook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hilton-asmus-contemporary">Hilton | Asmus Contemporary</a> – Exhibiting Cristina Mittermeier<a href="http://www.zggallery.com">Zg Gallery</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/group-exhibition-featuring-meredith-kopelman-lynn-neuman-james-ostrander-ruth-poor">Zolla/Lieberman Gallery</a> – Exhibiting Vera Klement&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

River North's Mid-Summer Gallery Walk Happens Friday, July 12, 2024

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/tzkjybz2oyod7wuqh6g3.jpg"><figcaption>Leon Granacki</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://classicchicagomagazine.com/an-artist-goes-to-war/">An Artist Goes to War</a>“My father died in 1993.&nbsp; The day after new tenants moved into his old flat, I got an excited call:&nbsp; ‘We have found something of your dad’s and I think you’ll want to see it right away.’ I made a mad dash to Keeler Avenue and as I burst in, they immediately handed me Most Secret: Memoirs of a Doughboy’s Past, the visual diary he began when he landed on Guadalcanal November 11, 1943.&nbsp; The precious little book had gotten shoved to the back end of the tallest shelf in my old bedroom closet.&nbsp; As I gingerly thumbed through the pages, I entered the life of my father the soldier—a life he had kept most secret from all of us.” –Victoria Granacki, author of An Artist Goes to War:&nbsp; Leon Granacki in the South Pacific WWII.&nbsp;Via Classic ChicagoNote: CGN interviewed Ms Granacki and her late husband Lee Wesley back in 2019. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/5/stewards-of-art-and-history-the-expansive-collection-of-lee-wesley-and-vicki-granacki">Read the collector profile here.</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/thtrrbgtibsthddyoq3z.jpg"><figcaption>The Brauer Museum of Art at Indiana's Valparaiso University. Photo courtesy of the Brauer Museum of art.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/valparaiso-university-shutters-brauer-museum-deaccessioning-controversy-2505345">Indiana's Brauer Museum Shutters Amid Deaccessioning Controversy</a>Indiana’s Valparaiso University has shuttered the Brauer Museum of Art and dismissed its director, Jonathan Canning, amid ongoing controversy over the university’s plan to sell three artworks to fund renovations of its freshman dormitories. The school’s president, José Padilla, first notified the school of the possible sale in February 2023, citing a projected $9 million deficit for 2023–2024 and falling enrollment, from 4,500 to less than 2,800 over the past five years.VIa Artnet&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/arissmven4zs9i7mzc6p.jpg"><figcaption>Nicole Eisenman (American, born 1965); 'Beer Garden with A.K.' ; 2009; oil on canvas; overall: 65 x 82 in. (165.1 x 208.3 cm); Private Collection, Switzerland; CI.2013.036. CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2024/06/12/stylistic-chameleon-nicole-eisenman-survey-at-mca-chicago/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2FqTi8T-33Yckh_kI9y9FhxNuEsXH7dKfInEoRQwGeN2Luf80iudf60qw_aem_zAkwQIzERBneGFjbg_0GiA">‘Stylistic Chameleon’ Nicole Eisenman Survey At MCA Chicago</a>She can be lewd, crude, and rude. Uproariously funny, inappropriate, or deeply insightful, all at the same time, depending on where you stand.Taking cues from Michelangelo, Baroque painting, German Expressionism, Pop art, comics and soft porn–to name a few–Nicole Eisenman (b. 1965, Verdun, France; lives in Brooklyn, NY) proves difficult to categorize.Via Forbes&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 7/1/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/smp8yheaxkcbbkdwwtje.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By BIANCA BOVAWilliam J. O’Brien is a world-maker. Working across a range of media that spans ceramics, bronze, drawing, painting, fiber, and steel, his ability to collate the output of his vast practice into a single coherent narrative that engulfs the physical spaces it occupies and hints at the psychic spaces of its inhabitants holds a singular power unrivaled by his similarly prodigious contemporaries.A prolific artist, O’Brien has already enjoyed a decades-spanning career that has included solo exhibitions at institutions including the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; the Renaissance Society, Chicago; KMAC Museum, Louisville; MAD Museum, New York; Witte De With, Rotterdam; and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City. His first major museum survey came in 2014 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, curated by Naomi Beckwith. His work resides in the permanent collections of museums including The Art Institute of Chicago; Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles and KMAC Museum, Louisville, among many others. He also holds a post as professor and former Chair in the Fine Arts department at School of the Art Institute of Chicago.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/vxbfquolaxuifrqzfnwj.jpg"><figcaption>WILLIAM J. O’BRIEN, Freak Flags, 2024, Installation view, ACKERMAN CLARKE, Chicago, IL USA &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;With this laundry list of accomplishments behind him–and having overcome a catastrophic studio fire in 2012 that destroyed hundreds of pieces of his work–O’Brien not only continues to pursue his practice, but to expand it. In 2023, he partnered with the Chicago Park District to install the exhibition Earth, Water, Fire, Wind &amp; Space at the historic Lincoln Park Conservatory. ​​The multimedia exhibition spanned both the Palm Room and the Show Room of the Victorian greenhouse, and featured over one hundred ceramic and papier-mâché sculptures integrated throughout the plant life, infrastructure, and water features therein. Reflecting on the exhibition, O’Brien notes, “The show at the conservatory was me thinking about where art can exist more outside of a traditional gallery or museum context.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/tckthnzrubkgjg1zilzy.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;This embrace of nontraditionalism extends into the latest expansion of O’Brien’s practice with the founding of Shadow Work Press, and the subsequent publication of the artist’s debut novel, Nighttime Kingdom.&nbsp;“The decision was, ‘If I'm going to publish a book, I want it to be on my terms, so I'm just gonna do the press,’” says O’Brien, “It was about reclaiming a sense of expression and of autonomy.”The novel, which features a foreword by T. Cole Rachel and cover design by Ben Tousley, marks O’Brien’s first foray into fiction writing. Its narrative arc follows protagonist Ted Krieger’s heart-wrenching journey as he navigates the haunting secrets of the small-town America in which he was raised, the tumultuous city of New York in which he lives, and the discovery that healing can only begin with the confrontation of the ghosts of the past.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419403/ys1sxoqnrchl2ioz5faf.jpg"><figcaption>WILLIAM J. O’BRIEN, Freak Flags, 2024, Installation view, ACKERMAN CLARKE, Chicago, IL USA &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“The novel is a form of experimentation,” acknowledges O’Brien, “I have always had a relationship with language in some form or another within my practice. In my early career, and also recently this summer, I worked on zines, poetry, and self-published works that straddled the art, literary, and alternative comics audiences. For the recent novel Nighttime Kingdom, I approached writing the novel in the same way that I approach making my artwork. I view the embodiment of emotional and psychological states as a current core of what I do in my practice and approached writing the character development and plot for Nighttime Kingdom in the same way. Although the creative fields like to create tight lines between disciplines, I have never thought of my work as fitting neatly into one classification. The book is a story that incorporates drawings, and I view it in the same vein as how I sculpt clay and make drawings. It just so happens that it fell this time with this novel into a formal book."When asked about any biographical elements to the story, O’Brien clarifies, “There is a town called Burton, Ohio that has an Apple Butter Festival, and I did structure the novel's setting based on their town square–on my childhood memory of that town square. But the whole story is a total fictionalization. I was thinking about the emotional story arc. It’s about exposing the reality of the vulnerability of what it's like to be a queer person growing up in rural America, and what that feels like. I think the book is also about power, masculinity, violence, inherited expectations and tropes of masculinity. These can be heavy and personal topics. It’s not a light piece.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/q2cwvsch8apzkprshxrv.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Buoying up the heaviness of the narrative is the suite of drawings that appear throughout the novel’s pages. Neither explicitly illustrative nor tied directly to the storyline or to the characters of Nighttime Kingdom, these drawings (many of them hauntingly spare and gorgeously gestural) serve as a kind of ancillary punctuation, a means of emphasizing the atmosphere created in the book.&nbsp;“The drawings were a way of reclaiming a sense of imagination over a story that is very heavy,” says the artist, “I looked through twenty years of my sketchbooks and pulled the [drawings] that felt right, and placed them throughout the text. And that's what I liked so much about having them in, was that including them didn't feel like a device. It was not like these are drawings that are in service to this story in a particular way. It’s a form of straddling that I'm interested in. If someone reads the novel, and they have an emotional response, I'm like, ‘Oh, good. It's successful.’ They might not like it or they might not relate to the story, but if there is an emotional response that is elicited, in the same way they might have an emotional response looking at a sculptural work or a painting, then that to me that’s–well, it's the best I could ever expect.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419405/nxnt8qy6jnnomzlsjpls.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;On the heels of the successful releases of both hardcover and paperback editions of Nighttime Kingdom, Shadow Work Press is now set to release a series of three zines by O’Brien over the course of the summer of 2024.&nbsp;“I'm really excited about the zines,” O’Brien says,” I would say that on some level, I feel like I'm reclaiming more of my creative autonomy that was lost along the way of my going from an emerging artist to, I guess you’d say, an established artist. I feel like I’m in what is actually a nice chapter, where I've kind of started to do more projects that are more in line with things that I'm just interested in doing.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419406/ap6fdnak6rlxnzqgudob.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;This sensibility was palpable in O’Brien’s recent exhibition Freak Flags at Chicago’s Ackerman Clarke Gallery. The exhibition, which to the credit of gallery owner John Schmid was surprisingly reserved in both tone and volume, consisted of just four colored pencil and ink on paper drawings by the artist, each roughly 80 inches by 60 inches in size. Their monumentality and wall power unequivocally held the space, and created an environment that rewarded the kind of long, slow, deliberate looking that best benefits the depth and complexity of O’Brien’s drawings, but which many prior exhibitions elsewhere containing a higher volume of his work typically sacrifice in service to including a more definitively representational survey of the wide range of media he employs.“I would say that drawing is the foundational language of my practice,” O’Brien says,&nbsp; “It is the core that allows me to extend and experiment with other types of materials.&nbsp;Of his influences, he adds, “I grew up in rural northeastern Ohio, where there is a rich history of craft and folk art, and I feel a certain affinity to the Imagist artists of Chicago. I see no hierarchies between traditional academic artists and self-taught artists, and I personally have connected more with visionary artists because of their use of embodiment as the material center of making and creating art.”It is perhaps this nonhierarchical attitude, with its attendant egolessness and its openness to experimentation and acts of personal interpretation, that characterizes what might be (in less thoughtful hands) a disparate practice as not only a coherent one, but one which is so richly developed as to always leave those who traverse its output wishing they could remain within its confines, and press forward to reach the furthest recesses of its great depths.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419407/ovhlgsawmhwkarpr0sqn.jpg"><figcaption>WILLIAM J. O’BRIEN, Maze, 2018, Colored pencil and ink on paper, 60h x 75w in, 152.4h x 190.5w cm, Unframed; 65 1/4h x 80w x 2.75d in, 165.7h x 203.2w x 7d cm, Framed</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://williamjobrien.com">williamjobrien.com</a>Purchase O'Brien's new book at <a href="https://williamjobrien.bigcartel.com">williamjobrien.bigcartel.com</a>View O'Brien's exhibition at <a href="https://ackermanclarke.com/William-J-O-Brien-Freak-Flags">Ackerman Clarke</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

The Prolific William J. O’Brien is a World-Maker

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/zfa1x1foo3hzz4qbfsvx.jpg"><figcaption>The artist Joseph Seigenthaler in his studio&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAArtist William Joseph Seigenthaler passed away in&nbsp;March. Seigenthaler was an American sculptor and video artist who exhibited his figurative sculpture for over 30 years. His work is included in numerous private collections and in the permanent collections of the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin, the Flint&nbsp;Institute&nbsp;of Arts, Flint, Michigan and Museo de Escultura Figurativa Internacional Contemporánea, Spain. Seigenthaler also was an influential teacher, having instructed countless art students at the University of Montana – Missoula, Harold Washington College in Chicago, and the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Seigenthaler leaves behind his wife of 31 years, painter Anne Gilbert, three daughters,&nbsp;Sarah, Elise and&nbsp;Chloé, his&nbsp;father, William Robert (Bob), siblings, Kate, Delia, Robert, Mary, and Dan and&nbsp;many friends.&nbsp;Seigenthaler was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1959. He earned a BFA in painting from the Memphis College of Art in 1981. Shortly after graduating, he freelanced sculpting life-sized wax figures for wax museums, primarily the Music Valley Wax Museum in Nashville and the Country Music Wax Museum in Tamworth, Australia. He studied ceramic art at the Appalachian Center for Craft in the mid 1980s, and in 1990, he received an MFA from Northern Illinois University. Seigenthaler collaborated on large design projects at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum of Natural History and the John G. Shedd Aquarium as well as other institutions. Outside of his work Seigenthaler became an expert at house renovation, completely rebuilding a family storefront. He also continued to be influenced by his hometown of Nashville,&nbsp;playing&nbsp;guitar and honoring his own love of music.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/xglkwia3lx3ffwuavl7t.jpg"><figcaption>Joseph Siegenthaler, Fly Dog</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Betsy Nathan, owner of Pagoda Red and daughter of Ann Nathan, who showed Seigenthaler’s work in her gallery starting in the 1990s, shared with CGN, "I remember when Ann Nathan Gallery received Joe Seigenthaler’s work for his opening in 1996.&nbsp; It was like a community of distorted bodies emerging to startle anyone who couldn’t see his brilliant craft that was obsessive, ceramic, surrealist and realist all at once. As my mom used to say, “If art doesn’t speak to you, it isn’t for you.’&nbsp; Well, I suppose, a bald bust with strange and wide open bloodshot peering eyes spoke to her….and, then, went home with her.&nbsp; This mysterious work remains looking out at all who enter the front door.&nbsp;It startles some and piques the curiosity of all –undeniably pushing boundaries, like great art does."&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419402/gsjdpchajvgchl6arhca.jpg"><figcaption>An opening for an exhibition of Seigenthaler’s head sculptures.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Seigenthaler's clay sculptures could be shocking when first encountered, and they left an impression. Seigenthaler was best known for his figurative works, creating realistic emotive faces and contorted bodies in various states, never failing to evoke a viewer's response. Seigenthaler also worked with computer animation loops of his creatures.&nbsp;Seigenthaler's family and friends had so many wonderful things to say about&nbsp;Joe&nbsp;the artist as well as&nbsp;Joe&nbsp;the person and friend.&nbsp;Bryan Schuetze, who met and became friends with Seigenthaler in 1987 at art school, shared at a memorial service this spring, "Joe was an incredible talent and inspired so many artists like myself. I had never met anyone like Joe. He was incredibly kind, generous, open minded, sensitive and very loving. NO one worked harder, and smarter than Joe. He was an expert at everything he wanted to do. This long list includes sculpting wax figures of country music stars in his early years, hand building incredibly powerful and visually arresting ceramic figurative sculpture. He told me he got tired of breathing clay dust and then he self taught himself and became an expert artist at digital media including 3D visualization, animation and sound."&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419403/mdosotgflw2gvda2bs6l.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Elise Seigenthaler, Joseph's middle daughter, shared with friends and family, "Joe poured his entire being into everything he tackled, never settling for less than 100%. Whether it was diving into a project and staying up until its completion or devouring a Costco-sized-box of peanut M&amp;Ms in one sitting, Joe's commitment was stubborn and unwavering.He had a discerning eye and a relentless pursuit for perfection, evident in his sculptures. Through painstaking attention to detail, he transformed clay into lifelike representations, flawlessly capturing even the minutest imperfections. Wrinkles, warts, cellulite, veins, and pores gave his work authenticity, reflecting his commitment to honesty and realism."&nbsp;Elise said that she and her sisters feel lucky to have had parents who could show them a beautiful example of what a loving, unconditional marriage looked like. Her father taught them the importance of following our passions, the value of hard work, and the strength that comes from a loving family.Seigenthaler's passing was too soon. His art and spirit will surely continue for through his memorable works and his family and friends.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419404/gjxgjf4gazmtqxd71sap.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Seigenthaler, 1959–2024</figcaption></figure></body></html>

Artist Joe Seigenthaler: 1959–2024

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419401/f2jchssmu6wislbqjina.jpg"></figure>The open call for<a href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001dKq8ZYAIjOcm76hovqi6nHbqXqb85-H7qcuRL0epbC5RXejY1HzaNqPE3r9fEjXmGnBjLnMQQFLsAAvJrgyn1V9RJl7QbwJr8FKzH_LYaEZMR8uxJFKvQC-tt6B2z6P8ghXTvLfAt2or4xZ9wxmegpgnZlXL-oxnkOVatLCp06phJWkG0G_9mALvqyNpjnckPysno_iIi9QVqm4m2molyJdDwHKeaJvYLi7A3UACU-aAHcbt-CbDqg==&amp;c=p6LsgflNEAXqSqsqTOJlVr7JAfpr3JRl7yO4KEL-HQ05eZ0t2X6eeg==&amp;ch=oatqqfnTZx6YMX76h1Vi3NZSi8khKQoZBYTgwzmWjWU5s-Zir-VeTw=="> Artists Run Chicago Fund </a>2024 is live!Deadline: August 5This unique regranting initiative, designed and administered by Hyde Park Art Center, has provided over one million dollars in support of the artist-run community in Chicago, and we’re still going. Since 2020, the ARC Fund has awarded one hundred and eighteen $8,000 grants to artist-run platforms, infusing Chicago’s contemporary art network with flexible financial support to strengthen their diverse and experimental programs.This year, the&nbsp;Artists Run Chicago Fund&nbsp;(ARC Fund) seeks to award&nbsp;fifteen&nbsp;$8,000 unrestricted grants to artists-run platforms in Chicago. Grantees will be selected through a free, juried, open call.The 2024 Artists Run Chicago Fund is generously supported by the Good Chaos Foundation, the Local South Foundation and The Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation.<a href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001dKq8ZYAIjOcm76hovqi6nHbqXqb85-H7qcuRL0epbC5RXejY1HzaNrrmUGhhFg2gr-SiY502vIJkKZ5U0NZmThvdT1exMj9Ku9asuPjjHycJBUTl3q7KyrcPE2hsUrn84_O8KxlIWpOo96AR_GQPLv9tPy-EKYvjqbsZV2UrfAChuwZoWtJ8w-xYiezLyQlfgEJfC0lhn5wXRSMv8sg5vmcWrxQg3wYZFCV49ia-QqqCdEyWLTSevH3zAwm6w8ez&amp;c=p6LsgflNEAXqSqsqTOJlVr7JAfpr3JRl7yO4KEL-HQ05eZ0t2X6eeg==&amp;ch=oatqqfnTZx6YMX76h1Vi3NZSi8khKQoZBYTgwzmWjWU5s-Zir-VeTw==">APPLY NOW</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

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