<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418797/eytkqn9kjwugonrudfmc.jpg"><figcaption>Suzanne Lovell’s design for the St Regis Institution in Manhattan. Billy Cunningham photography. Pictured on left: artwork by Kara Walker &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>By ANNA DOBROWOLSKIContemporary design professionals usually waste no time deflating that old adage that your art should match your drapes. Chicago-based, internationally known designer Suzanne Lovell is no exception. In fact, she is uniquely capable of helping clients not only find the art for their homes but to advise them on contemporary artists and elements of the market. Her own firm, which she founded in 1985, now has a division devoted to fine art, run by colleague Kristin Murphy Romanski. Lovell wrote the book, literally, on living with art and design: Artistic Interiors: Designing with Fine Art Collections, was published almost a decade ago, in 2011. Its main theme is how central art is in her own design work as well as in life at home. In a time when all of us are spending a great deal of time at home, and nowhere else, this has never been more apparent. So, what is Lovell doing to continue to bring art to her clients as well as to stay abreast of the contemporary art world? We had the chance to ask her recently.&nbsp;CGN: What comes first, the design or the art?Suzanne Lovell: Architecture comes first. Then, the moments of pause are the moments for art to create magic.&nbsp;We start with a conversation about what the client owns or would like to acquire, and we create the architectural language and experience of space to best enhance their experience with their artwork. That’s why we merge in the collecting of art very early in the process, because we are either taking their art, and including it in their environment in appropriate ways, or helping them think about the art that’s going to be in the magic of their home. Once they realize that we are doing that expression of them, they want it echoed in another part of their home.&nbsp;Design and furniture support those spaces and their function. Sofas are an afterthought.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418798/hbhot8etalljgzscjqar.jpg"><figcaption>A North Shore residence designed by Lovell. Tony Soluri Photography</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418799/wncs6a0dfx1vtgmkgm0b.jpg"><figcaption>Hanging in Lovell's studio: Marina Abramovic’s The Kitchen VII -Homage to St. Therese. Mark La Rosa Photography</figcaption></figure>CGN: Do you have an example where you designed a room that best showcases the art? What is the relationship between the art and the space?SL: There’s no question we adjust the architecture to accommodate the piece of art first. We always highlight the key opportunities for art as we start conversations about collecting with context and placement. In the case of the Manhattan installation in the St. Regis Institution, we preserved the Beaux-Arts architecture, because that was the right thing to do. We ended up expanding the width of the mill work panels of art to showcase a Kara Walker piece. As an architect/designer, you are referencing and respecting the history [of the building], but you are also putting into the history the contemporary story and message.&nbsp;CGN: What sets your art advisory business apart, especially up against the stereotype of decorating with art?SL: Definitely our approach toward research, our intellectual formation of why certain collections come together for certain clients, and our constant exploration/travel to view art all over the world. We feel responsible to the art community that supports our efforts to educate our clients as on every piece of art we suggest they might like to collect, and why. It is definitely NOT about decorating.Kristin’s helped us reach a certain level in the art world in terms of understanding art. That’s a very difficult world to be very welcomed into, particularly when you’re a decorator and architect. We strove really hard for that not to be the reference. While we feel responsible to our clients, the galleries realize we have placement and we have intelligence, and so they want to help us collect the pieces of the great artists that they represent.&nbsp;CGN: Can you share some tips for successfully mixing contemporary art in with a range of tastes and styles?SL: I’m absolutely a firm believer that you collect what you strongly believe in. I don’t like the statement “buy the art you love.” It is not like that. Rather, “What are the expressions of “you” in the artwork that you are collecting.” In other words, collect what you feel strongly about as it will always find a place in your definition of home.CGN: Globally, the concept of ‘home’ has drastically changed. How would you define the experience today?&nbsp;SL: We are very conscious of the fact that people all need and want a more relaxed, easy and happy environment, because they are there all the time. Space is important and each individual in the family needs to be considered as the function is now required to be for 24 hours a day. More natural materials that share the hand of craft is certainly coming into our work. We enjoy the maker and his or her story as it engages with the world of art in an honest extension of creativity.CGN: How does that translate into your work and the materials you use?&nbsp;SL: The home will always be for me, as Louis Kahn said, “The room is not only the beginning of architecture; it is an extension of self...a choosing conscious individual.”CGN: What art currently hangs in your studio?&nbsp;SL: We have art by Jimmy Robert and Greg Stone, and, from my personal collection there’s also Marina Abramovic’s The Kitchen VII -Homage to St. Therese.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418799/yujbn57uwoddxrg0nxgp.jpg"><figcaption>An example of how Lovell integrates artwork into an important&nbsp;collection is a pair of early 20th C. dioramas with Jeff Koon’s ceramic Puppy (1998) resting upon one of a pair of sideboards designed by Suzanne Lovell Inc. and hand-built by Frank Pollaro.</figcaption></figure>CGN: How has your business changed since the pandemic? What are you working on now? &nbsp;SL: We have of course gone to a remote existence as a team. That has been quite an adjustment as we all know that creation is a physical endeavor. It is something that you just can’t get over the machine. Being in the office is super important, and yet we are staggering our returns to the office to inspire the wonderful work we are engaged in currently.&nbsp; At the same time, we’ve challenged ourselves to create a three-dimensional space to help clients visualize the space.We are busy in Naples, in New York, in Glencoe and in South Carolina with clients that we refer to as patrons as our engagement with them is often for multiple homes.&nbsp; Managing their art works and the moving and installation thereof, not to mention the cataloging, is very integral to the service we provide.CGN: Can you tell me about some of your most recent fine art acquisition/art restoration projects?SL: We installed a phenomenal Cecily Brown triptych for a client in one home and a wonderful Renoir in another of their residences. Another one of our most enthusiastic moments was a trip Kristin and I made with a client whom has become a strong collector of Joseph Walsh’s work. We went to Cork, Ireland to visit Walsh, who is bringing together makers in Ireland and raising them up. His furniture is known to be “beautiful enough for a blind man to see.”&nbsp;I also think the most exciting placement we have ever made, is certainly the large Kara Walker that we installed in Manhattan.CGN: How do you and your team approach a project? What do you look for/what kind of conversations do you have when visualizing a space?SL: We talk about how they wish to use this particular piece of property. We discuss imagery that connects to those definitions. We make an effort to understand what their dream is of this location. I like to say it is about them, and my responsibility is to create the most perfect version of that dream, professionally. As a team with the patron, we spend a lot of time at the beginning of every project selecting the architectural materials that are the backbone of the residence’s definition. Wood and stone, walls and floor, the surrounds are the core issue of any design. This is the palette to which one adds.&nbsp;</body></html>

Suzanne Lovell: Bringing Art History Home 

We recently learned about an exhibition at Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth through our friends at <a href="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/2020/08/12/refurnishing-revisiting-farnsworth-house/">PAGODA RED</a>, since they had recently placed furniture at the house and photographed the installations for the exhibition. They generously shared the story of the exhibit and the house's history with CGN.&nbsp;By PAGODA REDDesigned by Mies van der Rohe in the late 1940s, the <a href="https://farnsworthhouse.org/">Farnsworth House</a> in Plano, Illinois distills Mies’ modernist ideals into a clear expression of uncluttered structure. Over the years, it’s become shorthand for Miesian “less is more” design — so much so that the more nuanced story behind the home has been eclipsed by its iconic stature.“Too often, we gravitate towards the simple and familiar narrative when the&nbsp;real&nbsp;story is much richer and more challenging,” says Scott Mehaffey, Executive Director of the Farnsworth House.A new exhibition, Edith Farnsworth Reconsidered, centers the story not in the architect but in the homeowner — a remarkable kidney research physician, violinist, poet and translator who commissioned the house as a weekend retreat and lived in it for nearly 20 years. Despite having her name attached to the house, Farnsworth’s legacy was undercut by a legal battle over escalating fees (lost to Mies) and, in Mehaffey’s words, “the fact she was a brilliant, driven and successful professional woman during a very misogynistic era in history.” This exhibit seeks to recast Edith’s story and — by extension, the house itself — in a new light.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/11_364A0935.Z_3.Final_-1024x683.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/11_364A0935.Z_3.Final_-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/11_364A0935.Z_3.Final_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/11_364A0935.Z_3.Final_-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="100vw" width="1024"><figcaption>Photo by William Zbaren</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Normally furnished with Mies’ famous Barcelona Stools and Brno Chaises, the house has been redecorated to reflect the furniture that Farnsworth chose. Reticent to fill her home with pieces that Mies designed for offices and public spaces, Farnsworth wrested control of the interiors.“Edith made it clear from the start that she preferred to select her own furnishings,” explains Mehaffey, “but Mies wouldn’t listen, which put her in a delicate position.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-001-web-1024x698.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-001-web-1024x698.jpg 1024w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-001-web-300x205.jpg 300w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-001-web-768x524.jpg 768w" sizes="100vw" width="1024"><figcaption>Photo by PAGODA RED</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;When Mies’ office called to arrange delivery for a shipment of metal furniture, Farnsworth refused, explaining that she hadn’t ordered it. Instead, Farnsworth enlisted the help of her friend Kitty Baldwin-Weese to select Scandinavian and Italian Modern style pieces, many of which came from the Baldwin-Kingrey store.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7_364A0755.Z_6.Final_-1024x683.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7_364A0755.Z_6.Final_-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7_364A0755.Z_6.Final_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/7_364A0755.Z_6.Final_-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="100vw" width="1024"><figcaption>Photo by William Zbaren</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Farnsworth also collected Chinese antiquities and installed a pair of Fu Dogs outside the house. To recreate the effect, Mehaffey chose a pair of intricately carved <a href="https://www.pagodared.com/ti/featured-collections-modernism/pair-of-courtyard-shizi">stone lions from PAGODA RED</a>. Once used to protect a 19th century Chinese courtyard, the pair now guards the terrace of the Farnsworth House. “We might conjecture that they reminded Edith of her beloved dogs, which always accompanied her on her trips out to Plano,” explains Mehaffey, “and they imbue a certain humor that makes the place less sterile and lonely.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-0066-web-1024x707.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-0066-web-1024x707.jpg 1024w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-0066-web-300x207.jpg 300w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-0066-web-768x530.jpg 768w" sizes="100vw" width="1024"><figcaption>Photo by PAGODA RED</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;It’s unknown where Farnsworth’s interest in Asian art stemmed from, but her collection survives at the Art Institute — which owns several of her Chinese bronze and stoneware vessels — and the University of Chicago, where her original Fu Dogs stand at the entrance to the&nbsp;Cochrane-Woods&nbsp;Art Center. She also collected contemporary photography and furnishings by Jens Risom, Florence Knoll, and Franco Albini among other designers.“The layering of antiquities and modern furnishings shows sophistication and is often missing in contemporary interiors,” says&nbsp;Mehaffey, “So through the lens (or perhaps guise) of interior decor, this project opens the door to a greater conversation and ongoing exploration of modernism at the Farnsworth House and helps us examine Mies in the broader context of his contemporaries.”Personal details bring Farnsworth’s story to life. An Olivetti typewriter sits atop a writing desk alluding to her work as a poet and translator, and a violin sits near the door, where she might have played it to catch summer breezes. In the bedroom, a plinth displays an <a href="https://www.pagodared.com/ti/featured-collections-modernism/buddhas-hand">architectural object from PAGODA RED</a> in a nod to Farnsworth’s collection of Chinese antiques.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-0025-web-1024x684.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-0025-web-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-0025-web-300x201.jpg 300w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200728_Farnsworth-0025-web-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="100vw" width="1024"><figcaption>Photo by PAGODA RED</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Surrounded by lawns with views to the treeline, the house invites the natural world inside, as both Mies and Farnsworth intended. In neutral colors and a range of textures, Farnsworth’s furnishings soften the austerity of the architecture without detracting from the views. It’s easy to imagine Farnsworth taking walks with her dogs and enjoying a nightcap on the terrace.“She purposely kept it a quiet place as her life in Chicago was so busy and demanding,” Mehaffey says. “I hope this exhibition brings renewed appreciation to the Farnsworth House and fosters greater awareness of Edith Farnsworth and her many accomplishments – but also reminds us that history is never fully written and that we can sometimes find ourselves in the lives and choices of people who came before us.”Making the exhibition accessible for those who can’t visit in person, the Farnsworth House has posted a <a href="https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=du6M6oLeeLe">virtual reality tour</a>&nbsp;as well as historic photos and online <a href="https://farnsworthhouse.org/exhibitionguides/">exhibition guides</a>. Still, seeing the site in person remains the best way to experience it, and the house is offering limited tours as well as “Grounds Only” tickets.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20200728_Farnsworth-0072-web-1024x885.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20200728_Farnsworth-0072-web-1024x885.jpg 1024w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20200728_Farnsworth-0072-web-300x259.jpg 300w, https://www.pagodared.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20200728_Farnsworth-0072-web-768x664.jpg 768w" sizes="100vw" width="1024"><figcaption>Photo by PAGODA RED</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The Farnsworth House is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30 to 3:30, offering limited guided tours of up to 12 people at 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm. Self-guided tours of the grounds are available for half the price, and picnicking and hiking are allowed throughout the site. As state regulations may change, it’s best to visit <a href="https://farnsworthhouse.org/">farnsworthhouse.org</a> for up-to-date information.Special thanks to Scott Mehaffey for generously sharing Edith Farnsworth’s story. To learn more, visit the <a href="https://farnsworthhouse.org/">online exhibition</a>.Read PAGODA RED's blog <a href="https://www.pagodared.com/blog/2020/08/12/refurnishing-revisiting-farnsworth-house/">here</a>.&nbsp;

Refurnishing & Revisiting the Farnsworth House

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418797/oydgj5qqusltfy9hexx8.jpg"><figcaption>EXPO CHICAGO 2019. Image courtesy of Justin Barbin.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEA via PRThe international art fair, <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">EXPO CHICAGO</a>, which usually launches and dominates the region's cultural calendar each September, made the decision to move to spring 2021 <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/5/expo-chicago-to-move-from-september-to-april-8-11-2021">earlier this summer</a> due to the global pandemic.&nbsp;Introducing its first predominantly virtual initiative and in an effort to still support the local art community this season while also engaging with collectors, curators and artists around the world, EXPO CHICAGO just announced that it is hosting new 2020 fall programs: EXHIBITION Weekend (September 25–27) and Alternate Assembly (October 15–18).&nbsp;“Given EXPO CHICAGO’s commitment to our community, there was no hesitation to make our first predominantly virtual initiative in support of Chicago—celebrating the breadth and scope of the city’s vibrant creative community while providing an access point for international audiences to connect with local artists, gallerists, and collectors. With support from Presenting Sponsor Northern Trust and others, we are proud to partner with Hook on the development of the online viewing room that will enable EXPO CHICAGO to continue to present the highest quality platform for contemporary art and culture,” said Tony Karman, President | Director of EXPO CHICAGO.EXHIBITION Weekend – taking place during the days the fair was to happen on Navy Pier (September 25–27, 2020) – underscores EXPO CHICAGO’s commitment to local galleries, artists, and institutions, showcasing Chicago-based exhibitions, curatorial projects, and artist programs through a series of virtual programs including studio visits, exhibition and gallery tours, and discussions accessible globally, as well as a custom online viewing and sales platform developed by Hook, an online venue for seasoned art collectors and leading galleries.&nbsp;“At a time when we are all craving more activity and interaction with one another, we are happy to be able to partner with EXPO CHICAGO to provide a way for people to experience EXHIBITION Weekend remotely,” said Hook Founder Jake Nyquist. “Hook will approximate the experience of an in-person art fair, allowing visitors to navigate the fair at their own pace and in whatever direction they choose.”Launching EXHIBITION Weekend on Thursday, September 24, EXPO CHICAGO will present a conversation with artists Nick Cave and Bob Faust, Quintin Williams of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs &amp; Human Rights, and Gabrielle Lyon of Illinois Humanities. With an introduction by philanthropist Agnes Gund, Founder of Art for Justice, this conversation will explore the concepts addressed in the limited-edition print designed by Nick Cave and Bob Faust, a Facility Art/Work collaboration printed by Landfall Press, in celebration of the 2019 edition of the exposition. The limited-edition print can be purchased at <a href="http://www.expochicago.com/">www.expochicago.com</a>, a custom viewing room in the EXHIBITION Weekend (September 25–27) platform, and via the Artsy Marketplace.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418798/chaf0ai1iojvcdaqjdzx.jpg"><figcaption>Facility, Nick Cave and Bob Faust. 2019 Limited-Edition Print.Limited Edition of 200. 9 color lithograph. 30 in x 21 in, 76.2 x 53.3 cm. Signed by the artist.</figcaption></figure>Virtual program highlights of EXHIBITION Weekend include:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Artist-led Tours offering intimate glimpses into the studios of Chicago’s leading artists, including Barbara Kasten;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The premiere performance of Angel Bat Dawid’s composition “Peace: A Suite for Skylanding, A Mended Petal Odyssey” commissioned by The Art Institute of Chicago in response to Yoko Ono’s first permanent public sculpture in the United States, located in Jackson Park on the south side of Chicago;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The opening reception for the Driehaus Museum's exhibition, A Tale of Today with Nate Young and Mika Horibuchi.&nbsp;EXPO is also known for its robust VIP programming each fall, offering exclusive access to spaces and events traditionally held in person. This fall the program, still available by invitation only, has been adapted to go online and include a range of programming, from highly-sought after collector home tours (one this fall features the home of Chicago collectors Jack and Sandy Guthman) to VIP Art Advisor-led tours of EXHIBITION Weekend. Area curators will also lead tours of exhibitions by Chicago’s foremost institutions, including a behind-the-scenes conversation with Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Manilow Senior Curator,&nbsp;Naomi Beckwith, on the exhibition Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago, co-curated with the Nigerian-born British fashion designer.&nbsp;&nbsp;Participating galleries in EXHIBITION Weekend include:&nbsp;Aaron Galleries, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/jean-albano-gallery">Jean Albano Gallery</a>, Aspect/Ratio, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Stephen Daiter Gallery, Devening Projects, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/document">DOCUMENT</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/catherine-edelman-gallery">Catherine Edelman Gallery</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/richard-gray-gallery-gray-warehouse">GRAY</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/kavi-gupta">Kavi Gupta</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/carl-hammer-gallery">Carl Hammer Gallery</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/rhona-hoffman-gallery--2">Rhona Hoffman Gallery</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/mariane-ibrahim-gallery">Mariane Ibrahim</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/alan-koppel-gallery">Alan Koppel Gallery</a>,&nbsp; M.Leblanc, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/mccormick-gallery">McCormick Gallery</a>, MICKEY, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/monique-meloche-gallery">Monique Meloche Gallery</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/richard-norton-gallery">Richard Norton Gallery</a>, PATRON, Jason Pickleman, ANDREW RAFACZ, David Salkin Creative, Ken Saunders Gallery, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/carrie-secrist-gallery">Carrie Secrist Gallery</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/volume-gallery">Volume Gallery</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/western-exhibitions">Western Exhibitions</a>, and <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/zolla-lieberman-gallery">Zolla/Lieberman Gallery</a>, among others. Participating alternative and project spaces include Arts of Life, Chicago Manual Style, The Franklin, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/goldfinch">Goldfinch</a>, Julius Caesar, RUSCHMAN, and <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/weinberg-newton-gallery">Weinberg/Newton Gallery</a>, among others.&nbsp;Chicago audiences will also have select opportunities to view exhibitions in-person (by appointment) aligning with EXHIBITION Weekend. Safety precautions will include limited capacities, social distancing, mask requirements, and non-invasive temperature checks. In-person exhibition highlights include:<ul><li>The Art Institute of Chicago | Richard Hunt: Scholar’s Rock or Stone of Hope or Love of Bronze; Malangatana: Mozambique Modern; El Greco: Ambition &amp; Defiance</li><li>Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago |&nbsp;Chicago Works: Deborah Stratman;&nbsp;Alien vs. Citizen; The Location of Lines; Just Connect</li><li>Driehaus Museum | A Tale of Today: Nate Young &amp; Mika Horibuchi&nbsp;</li><li>Wrightwood 659 |&nbsp;Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People&nbsp;</li><li>Renaissance Society | Nine Lives: Raven Chacon, Bethany Collins, Tamar Guimarães, Kapwani Kiwanga, Hương Ngô, Aliza Nisenbaum, Alison O'Daniel, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Elle Pérez, and Charlotte Prodger</li><li>Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society |&nbsp;Apsáalooke Women and Warriors</li><li>Hyde Park Art Center |&nbsp;Artists Run Chicago 2.0</li><li>DePaul Art Museum |&nbsp;Kathryn Andrews</li><li>Elmhurst Art Museum | A Space Program: Organized by David Salkin</li><li>GRAY | McArthur Binion / Jim Lutes</li><li>Mariane Ibrahim |&nbsp;Amaoko Boafo</li><li>Monique Meloche Gallery |&nbsp;Jake Troyli</li><li>Kavi Gupta |&nbsp;Deborah Kass, Orange Disaster (Linda Nochlin);&nbsp;WHEN FIRE IS APPLIED TO A STONE IT CRACKS;&nbsp;Better Nights</li><li>Rhona Hoffman Gallery | Spencer Finch</li><li>DOCUMENT | Erin Jane Nelson</li><li>Western Exhibitions | Elijah Burgher</li><li>Andrew Rafacz | Melissa Leandro</li><li>David Salkin Creative | Rami George: Untitled (the wars in Lebanon)</li><li>2020 West Town Art Walk</li></ul><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418798/n8bzogzjp3jgyjrui9qg.png"><figcaption>Amoako Boafo, Green Beret, 2020. Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim, a participating gallery in EXHIBITION Weekend</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;In case you have the travel bug, even if you're local, as a supplement to EXHIBITION Weekend, EXPO CHICAGO is working with official partner hotels The Peninsula Chicago and 21c Museum Hotel to offer 2-night stays for patrons wishing to visit or “staycation” in Chicago during EXHIBITION Weekend. A tailored itinerary of select experiences, gallery exhibitions, and museum openings will be provided.&nbsp;For a full list of additional EXHIBITION Weekend programming and events including dates, times and locations, visit <a href="http://www.expochicago.com/">www.expochicago.com</a>.&nbsp;In early 2021 will present Alternate Assembly 2020, a virtual symposium featuring live-streamed discussions between leading curators, artists, and scholars worldwide addressing environmental impact within the era of pandemic. (October Update: the original dates were posted as October 15–18, 2020)As a continuation of EXPO CHICAGO's year-round programming curated in response to contemporary issues, Alternate Assembly 2020 will engage the fair’s local and global audience through film screenings and live-streamed panel discussions featuring leading curators, artists, and scholars that will be open to the public. Building upon Chicago’s long legacy of supporting alternative models to exhibitions and engagement with contemporary art, the virtual symposium will address the ways in which contemporary art can contribute to rethinking our environment within the era of pandemic. Additional details to be announced at a later date.“Committed to providing a forum for critical dialogue within the contemporary art world, EXPO CHICAGO’s virtual symposium will unite creators, curators, and critics to examine some of the most vital issues of our time," states Stephanie Cristello, Artistic Director of EXPO CHICAGO. “Alternate Assembly invites artists whose works address issues such as environmental racism, colonial histories, and sustainability to engage in meaningful discourse with leaders of institutions and non-profits. Through film screenings and panel discussions, Alternate Assembly highlights the ways in which contemporary art engages and interrogates the physical and socioeconomic structures in which we as individuals co-exist—and in doing so, offers up pathways for meaningful change within the art world and beyond.”For the eighth consecutive year, Northern Trust returns as Presenting Sponsor of EXPO CHICAGO and related programs EXHIBITION Weekend and Alternate Assembly.&nbsp;</body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO Announces New Virtual and In-Person Fall 2020 Programming

By CGN StaffAs the fall art season in Chicago, and the world, continues to shift and be reshaped in order to accommodate life during a pandemic, we are hearing about more art fair updates and evolving programming, virtual as well in person. The latest update comes to us from the Chicago-based fair formerly known as SOFA Chicago. This past April it was <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/4/sofa-chicago-announces-new-fair-ownership-and-leadership">announced</a> that Intersect Art and Design acquired SOFA Chicago.&nbsp;The Chicago fair, planned originally to take place in early November on Navy Pier, will now take place in 2020 virtually from November 6–12, 2020 at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sofaexpo.com/">www.sofaexpo.com</a> with a dedicated VIP Preview Day by invitation only on November 5.&nbsp;The fair is the evolution of SOFA – Sculpture Objects Functional Art. It is the intersection of art, design, objects, and lifestyle including daily highlights on Glass, Ceramic and Crafts, Design, Contemporary Art, Outsider Art, Fiber, and Public Art / Sculpture. Intersect Chicago will feature institutions from around the globe with dedicated programming and a selection of galleries showcasing work of these disciplines.Intersect Chicago&nbsp;will feature a special focus for each day of the fair:Friday, November 6: Glass Arts Saturday, November 7: Ceramic Arts and Crafts Sunday, November 8: Design Monday, November 9: Contemporary Art Tuesday, November 10: Outsider Art Wednesday, November 11: Fiber Arts Thursday, November 12: Public Art / Sculpture<figure class="image"><img src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c75cd80aadd34632fd01def/1599239027941-7PZ2BMZ48RTFIWH6LFLZ/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kKRrHbCni22Q2C6ff7L0V41Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PI3z7txbPPArBBK0dtyy0zHVQ4QH1EpieTsoXKrli_GWQ/_PostcardstoChicago_DesignMuseumofChicago_CopyrightColor4.png?format=1000w" alt="Postcards to Chicago public art installation by Design Museum of Chicago at Navy Pier. Photo copyright Color 4."><figcaption>Postcards to Chicago public art installation by Design Museum of Chicago at Navy Pier. Photo copyright Color 4.</figcaption></figure>Intersect Art and Design’s CEO Tim von Gal explains, “Following on the success of our first virtual art fair in July, Intersect Aspen, we are looking forward to the launch of Intersect Chicago in November. This is a special occasion, as we are launching the future of SOFA. We’ll preserve the spirit and focus of SOFA, continuing to highlight glass, craft, and sculpture, but will expand to include a larger interdisciplinary program across the fields of art and design.”Becca Hoffman, Managing Director of Intersect Art and Design says, “With Intersect Chicago, we’re channeling the momentum and positivity of our inaugural July edition of Intersect Aspen into a new chapter of revamping and innovating theonline space, while encouraging connectivity and an out of the box approach. The November platform will be a form of engagement for the community, highlighting dynamic programs, partners, and activations focusing on SOFA’s original tenets but with an absolutely new vision and fresh approach.”Beginning in September, Intersect Chicago will present&nbsp;SOFA Salons, a series of themed conversations pertaining to art and design, presented online and free to the public. The first will be&nbsp;Art and Mindfulness / The Healing Power of Art and Art Spaces, on Wednesday, September 16, at 7pm Eastern / 6pm Central / 4pm Pacific. Panelists will include January Parkos Arnall, Interim Senior Curator at the MCA Chicago; Monica Garza, the Chartlotte Wagner Director of Education at the ICA Boston; Elizabeth Gerber, Museum Educator at LACMA; and Nora Lawrence, Senior Curator at Storm King Art Center.&nbsp; To register, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sofaexpo.com/salons">www.sofaexpo.com/salons</a>. Additional SOFA Salons will be announced for October and will continue throughout the run of the fair in November.&nbsp;Cultural Partners of Intersect Chicago will be featured on different days of the fair. These include: Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass (AACG); Corning Museum of Glass; Design Museum of Chicago; The Fabric Workshop and Museum; Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers; GnarWare Workshop; The International Sculpture Center (ISC); Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art; John Michael Kohler Arts Center; The Mint Museum; Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY; National Museum of Women in the Arts; Ox-Bow; Pilchuck Glass School; Pittsburgh Glass Center; The River North Design District; Roger Brown Study Collection; SAQA: Studio Art Quilt Associates; and Chicago Public Schools.&nbsp;Special Programming will include an exhibition organized by critic and curator Paul Laster (Time Out New York, Galerie, Art &amp; Object, Sculpture, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Cultured, and ArtAsiaPacific) and independent curator and art advisor&nbsp;Renée Riccardo (ARENA) presenting contemporary artists working with glass in innovative ways.&nbsp;Laura Steward, Curator of Public Art at the University of Chicago, will present a series of conversations on Thursday, November 12, between Chicago-based artists and curators who support them.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Intersect Chicago / SOFA, a Virtual Art Fair Coming November 6-12, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418797/dhn4hq4ab309v9icy2xh.jpg"><figcaption>Rashid Johnson in the studio 2020 © Rashid Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Hauser &amp; Wirth Photo: Axel Dupeux</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;A brush with... Rashid JohnsonAn in-depth podcast conversation on the artist's big influences, from Richard Tuttle to Sun Ra.Born in Illinois, Johnson makes paintings amid a much broader range of media, having studied photography at Columbia College in Chicago before later moving to the Art Institute of Chicago. Johnson first rose to prominence aged just 24 when he showed a series of photographs of African American homeless people using techniques that evoked the grandeur of 19th-century photographic portraiture.By Ben Luke, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/podcast/a-brush-with-rashid-johnson">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418797/dwci9i9hlvdowr7geczc.jpg"><figcaption>Portrait of Hairy Who by by Charles Krejcsi for the Chicago Daily News. Courtesy of Pentimenti Productions.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The 6 Artists of Chicago’s Electrifying ’60s Art Group the Hairy WhoIf New York Pop art was considered cool, Chicago’s was hot, embodied in the mid-1960s by six recent graduates from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago who exhibited together under the moniker “the Hairy Who.” While Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein treated mass consumerism and popular culture with irony and distance, the Hairy Who were interested in the emotional charge of such imagery. One was personal, the other aloof.By Edmée Lepercq, Artsy Editorial<a href="https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-6-artists-chicagos-electrifying-60s-art-group-hairy">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chicago officials install public art at 2 more train stopsChicago transportation officials have added public art pieces paying tribute to the city’s history at two Chicago Transit Authority train stops.Via Associated Press, Herald &amp; Review<a href="https://herald-review.com/news/state-and-regional/chicago-officials-install-public-art-at-2-more-train-stops/article_d5686b92-b8bf-5bc4-891e-7eb280508576.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418799/l7iksbjzw8nmquxnucgj.png"><figcaption>The staircase at the Museum Contemporary Art in Chicago in 2011. For its stage series, the museum has announced two upcoming virtual works, both involving audiences being mailed materials in advance. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;MCA Chicago plans virtual performances, included a show with audiences taking part at homeThe stage program at the Museum of Contemporary Art has announced two virtual programs for the fall, one of which involves an audience doing their own at-home performance.By Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/chris-jones/ct-ent-mca-stage-chicago-0903-20200902-2wo7ggn73zf7vpfjiw7t3lyyk4-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: September 8, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418797/vik7nje5nwlzqdbx0t1b.jpg"><figcaption>Navy Pier, Chicago Photo Courtesy of Choose Chicago. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEATony Karman has been the man of September since he went out on his own in 2012 to found the international art fair <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">EXPO CHICAGO</a> and moved the exposition it from its traditional place on the spring calendar to the start of the fall cultural season. His bold move aimed to take advantage of Chicago’s lakeside setting during one of its more temperate months and to align the fair with the major gallery and museum openings of the year, unifying the various events to usher in the beginning of the international fall art season and appeal to travelers seeking a global cultural hub.&nbsp;This past spring, six months away from opening the 9th edition of EXPO CHICAGO on Navy Pier, it became apparent to Karman that plans for this fall would not move forward. I spoke with Karman in August to find out what he and his fair team have been working on and observing in the art world during a time they otherwise would have been pulling all-nighters to prepare for tens of thousands of fair visitors.&nbsp;Update: EXPO CHICAGO announced <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/9/expo-chicago-announces-new-fall-2020-programming">new virtual and in-person programming</a> for fall 2020 on September 9.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418798/pfyxh7us4fswyvi7red5.jpg"><figcaption>Tony Karman</figcaption></figure>CGN: First, please share the latest updates on EXPO CHICAGO – the path to deciding to move this fall’s fair to spring 2021. &nbsp;Tony Karman: The path was abundantly clear back in April that we could not move forward for a fair this September, and we reviewed options with Navy Pier to choose the April 2021 dates. I am proud of our statement that we made in partnership with our exhibitors and that we were able to take the lead in announcing the date shift early on, as it was clear that moving ahead with our old dates was not possible. Making that decision was actually a very easy one, as it was most responsible thing to do for our exhibitors and for the safety of our patrons. We remain in constant contact with our Selection Committee, our dealers, our partners from around the world, and we are consistently monitoring global issues so we can adjust again if we have to. &nbsp;CGN: What has EXPO been focusing on recently?&nbsp;TK: Adjusting to, and preparing for, April 2021 has kept us very busy as we have shifted many procedures while consistently communicating with galleries and developing new initiatives for the local cultural community and our broader international partners.&nbsp; We developed our bi-weekly Online Dispatch, maintained THE SEEN online, created dine&amp;, a virtual culinary and talks program, and we are planning to launch a series of both virtual and in person events this September and October.&nbsp;CGN: What have you observed from other fairs around the world as they have had to pivot too?TK: There is no question that all fairs, like galleries, have moved quickly to supplement their online platforms with viewing rooms and digital initiatives. We were in discussions with a developer for an online viewing room and we stepped up our plans to launch an online initiative, as that is now a basic component for any fair to be able to offer.&nbsp; The challenges of this time provide a unique opportunity to rethink much of what we have developed in the past and has forced us to look to expanding the company outside of producing one art exposition a year. I would anticipate that many others are doing the same.&nbsp;CGN: How critical do you think the lurch to online marketplace and viewing rooms will be long term?&nbsp; &nbsp;TK: Extremely critical. Although, nothing can replace seeing and experiencing artwork in person along with the “magical” interaction and exploration that can only happen when people gather, there is no question that virtual experiences that are offered by fairs and galleries will only increase in importance. Online sales for galleries have continued to grow and I don’t see that trend slowing anytime soon. Our plan is to stay on top of the curve and continue to invest and innovate in this area for the future.&nbsp;CGN: What could the fall season in Chicago mean without an art fair – the negatives as well as the possibilities?&nbsp;TK: Sadly, we were poised to have even another breakout year in 2020 with several new galleries planning to participate and programming to be announced. However, we cannot dwell on what could have been but continue to move forward and focus our attention on servicing the local and global arts community whenever we can take place in 2021. ‘September in Chicago’ was our tagline, and I am grateful that over that last nine years, we contributed to the opening of the season. However, for decades the April/May calendar slot was Chicago’s, and if that is where we land, I think we will contribute as much or more to the spring openings. &nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418799/dhuutf41fjhnejwriszw.jpg"><figcaption>EXPO CHICAGO, Vernissage 2019</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: What are your expectations for the fair landscape in 2021, and for the art market post (or amidst) the pandemic? &nbsp;TK: My expectations for 2021 are a bit guarded as we have seen the constant uncertainty throw out all notions of a global art fair calendar out the window. Everyone is adjusting and resetting their priorities, and given that the playing field has leveled a bit, I feel strongly that we are in a great place to emerge even stronger than before. We are nimble as a company, we benefit greatly from the support of the local cultural and hospitality community, Chicago is home to world renowned institutions, artists and galleries, and our city’s geographic location is a distinct advantage for us to welcome the U.S. and the world when appropriate.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What about more recent cultural and societal conversations as they relate to the art community? &nbsp;TK: Artists and the arts have always been at the forefront of driving societal change, provoking us to both “see” and to reflect on the numerous issues that we face. There is no question that we live in a most profound era, and I feel that the artwork of this time will continue to be driver of change, and that the cultural community will be even more critical to helping us as a city and nation to rebuild. &nbsp;CGN: I know you’re an optimist. How do you think Chicago can be even more relevant in the new commercial and cultural landscape we are all encountering and for art fairs of the future? &nbsp;TK: That I am. As I said earlier, challenges also offer great opportunities. For the exposition we must be resilient while staying active in our programming and be nimble to adjust to the shifting calendars. In regard to the broader city, we should be very proud that there remains an intense focus on Chicago’s artists, galleries and institutions. The collective of this attention should serve us all well as we work together to rebuild the ecosystem and once again welcome the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO’s Tony Karman on Fall Without a Fair

<html><head></head><body>By CGN StaffWe can't quite believe that the first round of fall gallery openings are almost here. Since we are adding new shows and events to our calendar once again, we are also resuming our weekly highlights of area openings, spotlighting some public receptions taking place September 11 and 12. Note each space's public hours carefully. You can look at our earlier post on other September <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/september-11-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-september-exhibitions">openings here</a> as well.Please keep an eye on CGN's <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?district=&amp;filter=upcoming">calendar of events</a>, since it is updated daily and events are subject to change.&nbsp;Want to see the print version of our fall issue? <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/print-subscriptions">Subscribe here</a>. Thank you!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418797/abk0fs6vwhww65hebmws.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/johnson-westermann-sincerely">Johnson - Westermann: Sincerely.....</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 11&nbsp;am – 5&nbsp;pmSep 12 – Nov 28Carl Hammer GallerySincerely… combines the collages and mail art of both H.C. Westermann and Ray Johnson in order to understand how both artists found meaning, place, and connection in times of great change. As networking and communication were evolving in the second half of the 20th century, Westermann and Johnson used written correspondence around the same time in their careers to convey their artistry and ideas. Though mail is traditionally an intimate form of communication, the experiences of Westermann and Johnson were meant to be understood and consumed publicly. “Sincerely” ––a common sign-off at the end of a letter–– implies that the remarks of both artists have been written, read, and digested. This exhibition compiles their voices into a larger narrative of the past in one big, open letter addressed to us.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418798/ae6y8d2sf5erub5df9qo.png"><figcaption>Image: Jake Troyli, Ready When You Are (2020)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jake-troyli-don-t-forget-to-pack-a-lunch">Jake Troyli: Don't forget to pack a lunch!</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 11&nbsp;am – 6&nbsp;pmSep 12 – Oct 31Monique Meloche GalleryJake&nbsp;Troyli’s first solo show with the gallery since joining the roster, and his first in Chicago.&nbsp;Jake&nbsp;Troyli investigates the construction of otherness and the commodification of the black/brown body, confronting and exploring labor capitalism and sweat equity as a demonstration of value, challenging the erroneous notion that it is only through arduous performances of labor that value and importance are earned.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418799/r2vcj6xag4qvwybjid2b.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-work-by-anna-kunz">The Blue Magnitude: Works by Anna Kunz</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 11&nbsp;am – 2&nbsp;pmSep 12 – Oct 31McCormick GalleryArtist Anna Kunz creates art across a colorful, creative spectrum, seeking to immerse her viewers into her works on a sensory as well as intellectual level.&nbsp;Her art, from works on paper, paintings, sculptures, installations, and other projects, goes beyond&nbsp;physical limits and changes constantly, depending on existing light and other environmental factors.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418799/veusfcdyidj1pgmjler2.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/amy-perlmutter-wings-transformed">Amy Perlmutter: Wings Transformed</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 11, 3 – 7&nbsp;pmSep 11 – Oct 31Jean Albano GalleryLike many photographers before her, Amy Perlmutter enjoys viewing the world through her camera lens. She then presents what she sees and what it means to her through her photographic vision. &nbsp;Amy’s fascination with photography was inspired by her experience in classes at Highland Park High school in IL and it continues to this day.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418800/kagrenkf6doh1jv31bom.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/erin-jane-nelson">Erin Jane Nelson: Resting Spore</a>Opening by appt only: Friday, Sep 11, 11 – 6&nbsp;pmSep 11 – Oct 31DOCUMENTMottled and sinister, the ceramics in Erin Jane Nelson’s Resting Spore summon memories of the puffballs mushrooms I encountered as a child in Appalachia, where they were best known as “devil’s snuffboxes.” To my young imagination, these fungi appeared as huddled bands of gnomes scurrying across my backyard, the opposite of the stately fairy ring mushrooms that also grew there. While other kids made wishes by blowing the seeds of dandelions, the queerer among us danced upon spore-filled trinkets left behind by the devil. —Logan Lockner&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418801/kczypdsycmncmp7pz529.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/igor-marina">Igor &amp; Marina</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 11, 5 – 8 pmZolla/Lieberman GalleryIgor Kozlovsky and Marina Sharapova, the Russian-born duo, work as a husband-and-wife team to collaborate on each canvas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

September 11–12 Openings Preview

<html><head></head><body>By CGN StaffFall is upon us! It's a welcome season to embrace new art and fresh exhibitions. In many ways this season may instead feel more like spring, as shoots of green in area spaces big and small represent new life emerging after a long hibernation.&nbsp;Here for you is a list of fall exhibition highlights to plan for in the coming weeks and months. From showcases of Impressionism to an online photo festival, and a contemporary exploration of Pop and Modernism, the shows featured here are just a few of the many taking place in area museums and galleries. Several were due to open this past spring but were postponed. We are grateful they are happening now.&nbsp;As we head into the final months of 2020 (is it 2021 yet?) winter will likely feel uncharacteristic as well, since those of us who spent spring in hiding may not be eager to retreat indoors like we have in years past during the colder months. The upshot of embracing new routines as well as protocols could be that many of us who also find we are home-bound in the Midwest, and not traveling to art fairs and warmer climates around the country, may more deeply and fully visit the art spaces in our community. CGN is here to guide you!&nbsp;We are also resuming our weekly highlights of area openings this month, and we spotlight some of next week's public receptions <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/9/september-11-12-openings">here</a>. Please keep an eye on CGN's <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?district=&amp;filter=upcoming">calendar of events</a>, since it is updated daily and events are subject to change.&nbsp;Want to see the print version of our fall issue? <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/print-subscriptions">Subscribe here</a>. Thank you!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418797/pfihyqdmrcnrntpcoa9d.png"><figcaption>Courtesy ADDS DONNA, part of Artists Run Chicago 2.0.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/artists-run-chicago-2-0">Artists Run Chicago 2.0</a>Sept 1–Nov 1Hyde Park Art CenterThe long awaited launch of the<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001BroNsFGDfc92V-ZghfosQX6BazfZV0coqV9yC4zHfbXl1N7HX4UbOQI8qkvoxifXQBVlK7qyaE_9d0zo-Pvi_28ONqDVXpvlP2uyklrW3Psez399jLlLSMKqWBEYfHWRvxF4LjvOY_NUqsmJENuDN0O7qHdAAC1hA4DW6bUaBXWUM6-_goges7vreGWFFZOiTPP1__1oNy4BLO1n92d_xg==&amp;c=M_ZNk0PBUIu-2efg4gebEymq0qVJwNNFo5YJBRZSjSxOrQ5RKi7AiA==&amp;ch=u8Dwl4ysyaMa4QNIeWoOXNMLJn_kWWmwfnkwka0ptPTNEUgQ9t8blw=="> Artists Run Chicago 2.0</a> exhibition celebrates the work of 50 artist-run spaces and organizations that fuel Chicago’s independent art scene.For the first time since 2006, all six galleries in the Art Center will be dedicated to one exhibition. To mark the ten-year anniversary of the original Art Center exhibition, Artists Run Chicago (2009), this exhibition examines the motivations, trajectories, and philosophies that have made the past decade generative for new models of artist-run initiatives to exist throughout the city and suburbs.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418798/fxjiuye7yosibcukjiej.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/monet-and-chicago">Monet and Chicago</a>Sep 5, 2020 – Jan 18, 2021Art Institute of ChicagoClaude Monet (1840–1926), often referred to as the “Father of Impressionism,” has long held a unique relationship with Chicago.During his lifetime, Chicago was the American city that most aggressively acquired his work, with enthusiastic collectors like Bertha Honoré Palmer and Martin A. Ryerson leading the way. In 1903 the Art Institute became the first American museum to purchase one of Monet’s paintings, and today the museum’s 33 paintings and 13 drawings by the artist constitute the largest collection of works by the artist outside of Paris.This exhibition is the first to explore Chicago’s pioneering connection to the great Impressionist artist.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418798/z2bklc3gmihdfacvrqkh.jpg"><figcaption>Image credit: Robert Vonnoh (American, 1858-1933), Moonlit Landscape, Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 inches, c. 1920</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/second-impressions-revisiting-the-paintings-of-robert-vonnoh">Second Impressions: Revisiting the Paintings of Robert Vonnoh</a>Sep 8 – Oct 30Madron GalleryOne of the earliest practitioners of Impressionism in America, Robert Vonnoh was a brilliant colorist, portraitist, and influential teacher; he is also an artist often overlooked. In 2010, Madron Gallery — in partnership with the Butler Institute of American Art, along with the assistance of multiple private collections — organized the retrospective Robert Vonnoh: American Impressionist. The exhibition highlighted Vonnoh’s dual modes of painting, landscape and portraiture, as well as his evolution as an Impressionist painter.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418799/tczmsxssd6k1roc74whp.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/balkrishna-doshi-architecture-for-the-people-a995f052-67d0-4855-9694-6f2fc66b0379">Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People</a>Sept 9–Dec 12Wrightwood 659Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People is the first international retrospective outside of Asia devoted to the work of Indian architect, urbanist, and 2018 Pritzker Prize laureate Balkrishna Doshi. Born in Pune, India, in 1927, Doshi—who was profoundly inspired by Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn—was a pioneer of modernist architecture in India. Advance tickets available online only.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418800/dukgld4y2jvhjoyannqp.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/12th-annual-filter-photo-festival">12th Annual Filter Photo Festival&nbsp;</a>Sept 9–13Filter PhotoFilter Photo's multi-day celebration of photography will take place primarily online this year—with a robust line-up of virtual programming, alongside hybrid physical and online exhibitions. Photography curators, collectors, and critics from across the country will conduct nearly 250 virtual portfolio reviews with aspiring artists and photographers. The Festival will also host a variety of virtual photography workshops and will feature a series of daily online artist talks. Supplemental virtual programming includes Roaming Reviews and the Festival Zoom Lounge, which will both serve as opportunities for Festival-goers to casually share work and connect with peers. Finally, there will be a special reception for two juried exhibitions featuring nearly 60 artists at Filter Space gallery.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418801/fyrdf3ufuzic7cjepwnl.jpg"><figcaption>Image: McArthur Binion, DNA:Work, 2020</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mcarthur-binion-dna-work-and-the-under-conscious-drawings">McArthur Binion: DNA:Work and the Under:Conscious Drawings</a>Sep 10 – Oct 31Gray WarehouseThe gallery’s first exhibition with McArthur Binion. Debuting eight paintings and seven drawings from the artist’s DNA:Work and Under:Conscious series, the exhibition will be on view beginning Thursday, September 10, at Gray Warehouse in Chicago. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418802/gwr07oom6twn3wtxwjqq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/deborah-kass-painting-and-sculpture">Deborah Kass: Painting and Sculpture</a>Sep 10 – Oct 31Kavi Gupta GalleryThe canonized giants of Pop Art and Minimalism defined themselves by their opposition to each other: Pop Art could be anything; Minimalism was everything Pop Art wasn’t. However, as a young artist, Deborah Kass saw things differently. Pop and Minimalism were both equally radical. Her dual admiration, along with her commitment to examining the political climate of today, expresses itself abundantly in this show.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

September 2020 Highlights From a Season of Art and Culture

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418793/moszzxq9oxumtttjiqwl.jpg"><figcaption>Claude Monet, &nbsp;“On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt,”&nbsp;1868. The Art Institute of Chicago, Potter Palmer Collection.Courtesy The Art Institute of Chicago</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Chicago collectors’ love affair with Monet showcased in new Art Institute exhibitOf the Art Institute’s 33 Monet paintings, just two were purchased by the museum. The rest were donated by local collectors starting in the 1920s.By Kyle MacMillan, Chicago Sun-Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/9/1/21406130/monet-art-institute-new-exhibit-chicago-collectors-windy-city-impressionism">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418794/jvyh56rixaobzysuxfpk.jpg"><figcaption>Katherine Nagasawa/WBEZ/Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum/Newberry Library</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;As Chicago Debates Columbus Statues, Here’s A Look At The One We Melted DownRecent protests led to a Columbus statue’s temporary removal. A hundred years ago, Chicagoans did the same thing — with some creative repurposing.By Katherine Nagasawa, Mary Hall, WBEZ Radio<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/as-chicago-debates-columbus-statues-heres-a-look-at-the-one-we-melted-down/ae2549bc-e449-497a-a91f-42f5361fa7f1">Read More</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418795/jnclhwmghlfk0nxwqslk.jpg"><figcaption>Head of a Bearded Man at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum has undergone a scientific examination using infrared technologyCourtesy of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;A real Rembrandt? Study shows painting banished to storeroom is either by his studio or the master himselfA recent examination of the wood panel reveals that it is from the same Baltic oak tree as the panel of an authenticated work by the Dutch artistBy Martin Bailey, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/rembrandt-ashmolean">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: September 1, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418356/lejc9vv9xieri2aooifq.jpg"><figcaption>Pictured from left: Eric Fischl, The Chair, the Bed, Getting Ready; sculpture by Cuban collective The Merger; two photographs by Katy Grannan; Julian Schnabel, Winnie Fung &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAWhen an art world colleague mentioned one day that a favorite client of his had an extensive, private collection of art not often shared with the public, I was intrigued. I never tire of profiling collectors and how they assemble personal outlets for creative passion. It’s truly one of the highlights of being the publisher of CGN. The difference right now is that due to COVID-19, I would not be able to see this collection in person. Like so much else these days, this collection would have to be experienced virtually – emailed images digested from my laptop. While that sounded discouraging at first, it allowed for a more lingering, ultimately still first hand look at one man’s devotion to a top notch collection displayed over five locations, including two residences in Chicago, a suburban office on the North Shore, and two homes in California.&nbsp;The collection contains approximately 120 works of art, and currently nothing is hidden away in storage. It spans mediums, from figurative paintings to multimedia works, as well as from collage to sculpture, but the collector, who opted to remain anonymous for this interview, says that most of the art may be classified as post-1980 work by American and European contemporary artists. Adding to the range and eclecticism of the collection are antiquities, fossils, Chinese cloisonné, medieval reliquaries, textile garments, and original comic book art. And while I was unable to see the collection first-hand, it may be viewed by private appointment.The collector’s interest in art was piqued in college, and over time, he discovered he wanted to be surrounded by art. As he found his personal focus, he has approached art collecting as a life-long education in creativity and deliberate engagement.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418357/b1noe8zot6y3nctaz2qq.jpg"><figcaption>Wall artworks left to right: Jan De Maesschalck, Homesickness; Elliott Hundley, Still Life with Sculpture; a Ming Dynasty cloisonné basin with mythical beasts. &nbsp;Items on table include sketchbooks by Joanne Greenbaum and a Kate Gilmore's video, Anything…</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Initially what helped you learn about art? &nbsp;Collector: Like many humanities majors at liberal arts colleges, I took a few art history classes, one of which was a fine arts course titled Twentieth Century Painting, which the students jokingly named “Spots and Dots.” Although this was during the late 1970’s, the art I surveyed in the course seemed to end abruptly at 1960’s minimalism. I wondered what important art had been produced in the intervening decade, so I asked a friend, an art history major, what she knew. Her response was memorable: “Not much…Some guy crucified himself on a Volkswagen.”My interest in art generally, and more specifically contemporary art, began with that college course, despite where its coverage ended. After graduation I took a job in banking in Los Angeles.&nbsp; On the weekends I would go to museums and galleries, just looking and learning.CGN: When did you get started enjoying art and then collecting it?&nbsp;Collector: My interest in collecting art really began when I happened to see the photos of Henry Geldzahler’s New York apartment in the September 1982 issue of Architectural Digest.&nbsp; Several qualities about that apartment appealed to me. For one, the art was displayed informally. Until then I had thought art was only displayed in ornate frames and in fancy, decorated homes, but here was art almost haphazardly arranged, with pieces placed on floors and in bookshelves. Second, there was a lot of art in the small apartment. He had artwork everywhere – on walls, atop tables, and in every corner. Finally, he had two artworks by young, then-unknown artists that really knocked me out: Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Geldzahler had just acquired the paintings at the P.S. 1 Queens exhibition New York/New Wave. I thought, if art this novel and exciting is being created now, then I want to start a collection. Basquiat and Haring were already priced out of my reach, so I started looking at local LA artists.&nbsp; Shortly thereafter I acquired my first painting, a small work by artist Jeffrey Vallance. I got a cash advance against my credit card to buy it. The painting is still displayed in my Chicago condo.CGN: You own a wide range of art, from large-scale work by internationally known blue-chip names to smaller-sized pieces, many by Chicago-based artists, among others. How do you manage the installation of such a blend of work? &nbsp;Collector: I don’t think about how a work will be displayed when I purchase it, and this indifference has led to some interesting issues. I purchased a Paul McCarthy work, Bavarian Deer, a few years back. I knew it was big, because part of its impact is its scale – the artwork is a small 1960’s postcard image of a deer, blown up to monumental proportions. It wasn’t until the work arrived in Chicago though, that I realized it wouldn’t fit in my building’s elevator. My art installer, Dennis Callahan, arranged with the building to ‘ride the elevator,’ placing the work on top of the elevator cab and riding with it. Then we decided to hang the work in front of a window, which was the only space for it in the condo.&nbsp; Installed it looks amazing: a nostalgic image of innocence, enlarged to nearly billboard-size.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418358/cjgidyvhdkwmal3whani.jpg"><figcaption>Left: Jared Joslin, Panther and Zebra. Top right: Tony Fitzpatrick, Chicago Harlequin; Bottom right: Tony Fitzpatrick, Woman on the Beach</figcaption></figure>CGN: Do you look for conversations between the works?Collector: I sometimes arrange works thematically. For example, in my office I have two drawing collages by Tony Fitzpatrick, purchased from the artist. While I was visiting with Fitzpatrick, he mentioned a Chicago artist in his own collection, Jared Joslin. So I purchased one of Joslin’s works, Panther and the Zebra, and it is installed next to the two Fitzpatrick pieces. &nbsp;CGN: How would you describe the focus of your collection now?&nbsp; What’s it like to live among this mix of art that so many only see in a museum?Collector: The focus of my collection now is 1980’s American Contemporary.&nbsp; Initially I approached collecting the way most consultants advise: buy what you like. For me, though, this was unfocused, because I found that I liked a lot of art. So I needed to narrow my range, and when I looked at my collection I decided that the works that meant the most to me were those made by American artists prominent when I first became interested in art in the early 1980’s: Julian Schnabel, Eric Fischl, Susan Rothenberg, Robert Graham, Robert Therrien, Jim Dine, and others.&nbsp;Art of the 1980’s has a vibrancy, and that energy spilled over into music, fashion and performance. I think the influence is ongoing.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418359/gher1q1ju8aojidmgpiz.jpg"><figcaption>From left to right: Paul McCarthy, Bavarian Deer; Liz Deschenes, Blue Wool; On floor: Ursula von Rydingsvard, Lucretia; Math Bass, Scottie Dog &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>CGN: You’re still an active collector today. How do you learn about and discover art now?&nbsp;While my 1980’s focus continues, I have added a handful of works each year from current artists, purchased from galleries. Most recently, I’ve acquired two Jan-Ole Schiemann paintings from Nino Mier (LA) and Kasmin (NY), a Jenna Gribbon work from Fredricks &amp; Freiser (NY) and a Paul Sietsema work from Matthew Marks (LA).CGN: Where do you primarily buy art – through galleries, auctions or art fairs?Collector: For works from the 1980’s, I am primarily purchasing at auction.&nbsp; More current works I purchase through galleries, and occasionally at art fairs.&nbsp; I go to very few fairs, only Frieze New York, Frieze Los Angeles and EXPO CHICAGO.CGN: Your focus, once you decided on one, is very personal.&nbsp;Collector: I love living with these works, and spending time with them. 20 years ago, the comedian Steve Martin displayed his art collection in Las Vegas, and he wrote and narrated the audio tour guide. A point that he made was that an artwork succeeds when you can stare at it for hours and find meaning, but you know in the end you’ll never fully understand it. He said it better, and funnier, but that’s the gist, and I agree with him.One issue I am conscious of is that private ownership of art deprives the general public of viewing those works.&nbsp; But I don’t think it applies to the works in my collection. I tested my hunch a few years ago by offering to have my estate leave my collection to a well-known modern art museum, which shall go unnamed. The museum agreed to accept the collection, but only if they were free to sell any or all of the works.&nbsp;Thus, the market has spoken: my art works are very meaningful to me, but they are not necessarily rare, and their private ownership does not deprive patrons of the ability to view works that might be deemed enormously important.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418360/xsvdhaztu85cm7zlcrij.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dine, Alone at Night, each panel signed, titled and dated 1991 on the reverse, oil on 2 joined canvases, in artist’s frame, 86 1/8 by 147 3/4 in.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: What do you think about art for investment?Collector: When it comes to art, one needs to be agnostic as to intrinsic value and investment potential. I don’t think about art as an investment, except to the extent that I do insure the collection and try to keep track of its value for that purpose. Over the past 40 years of collecting art, I’ve certainly purchased works that have increased in value, and conversely some of the works I’ve purchased probably have very little resale value.&nbsp;I guess the way I look at the value of art can be summed up by a story about a recent acquisition. Many years back, I asked an artist – who happened to live next door to me in LA at the time – the price of one of his works, a favorite of mine. The price he named was more than I could afford then. Recently, I finally acquired that work from that same artist through a NY gallery for 30 times the price the artist stated so long ago. It doesn’t bother me that I had to pay so much more for it now, I’m just happy to have it in my collection. I ended up sending the artist an email congratulating him for holding the work so long, and in the process earning a ten percent annual compounded return for 38 years!<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418360/nhjjyl5oivnap0kafijn.jpg"><figcaption>Robert Longo, Untitled (Two Women)</figcaption></figure>CGN: What would you tell a visitor about your collection, as well as about collecting in general?Collector: Since my collection is so varied, I would speak about each work individually rather than the collection as a whole. In fact, rather than speaking I would hand the visitor an information page I’ve prepared for each of the works. It includes information that would typically be shown in an auction catalog, for instance: date created, media, and provenance. I have tried to include, in a condensed version, thoughts and ideas on the artists, and sometimes specifics about the actual artwork in the collection, on a page that the visitor can read while looking at the work itself. I re-read these notes myself from time to time.As far as collecting in general, I would suggest buying what you like; but, again, at least in my case, it helps to have a focus. You might build a collection around a certain time period, a genre, or different stages in a single artist’s life and work. I would also advise finding out as much as you can about the artists in your collection, including auction notes, criticism, films, and interviews. For example, to fully understand a Schnabel plate painting I think it’s crucial to watch Michael Blackwood’s important 1982 documentary A New Spirit in Painting. Likewise, my Eric Fischl painting The Chair, The Bed, Getting Ready had much greater resonance for me after reading his autobiography Bad Boy. I would also recommend three great books on how to view and understand modern art: Robert Hughes’ The Shock of the New, Leo Steinberg’s classic Other Criteria, and Calvin Tomkins’ amazing book The Bride and the Bachelors, which I keep coming back to, and have now read several times. Also, go to galleries and speak with the representatives.&nbsp;I never understood Nan Goldin’s photographs until her work was explained to me by Mike Davis at Matthew Marks. Once decoded, I fell in love with these photographs, and recently added Goldin’s 1991 photo Guy at Wigstock to my collection.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418361/c2c3dqdf7qwwaqdq8mg3.jpg"><figcaption>Nan Goldin, Guy at Wigstock</figcaption></figure>CGN: What kind of conversations have started about the art in your collection?Collector: Almost everyone that visits the collection tells me which work is their personal favorite. Some tell me which is their least favorite! Now, when I have visitors, I do ask them which is their favorite, but I also ask them: Why? What do you like about your favorite work in the collection? What are the qualities of the work that make it your favorite, or least favorite? I enjoy this discussion and have learned from it too. And I do ask people to take their time while visiting the collection. There is a terrific article written by art historian Jennifer Roberts titled The Power of Patience. In it, she argues, convincingly to my mind, that collectively we have lost the ability to focus in a slow, engaged way – what she calls ‘immersive attention.’ Its only at this slow-paced, immersive engagement with the work that I believe art truly reveals itself.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

A Collector's Personal Focus: Discovering the Value of Engagement

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418339/fbsw91z0ffsyqc9cxpuj.jpg"><figcaption>Yvette Mayorga, Portrait of the Artist’s Parents (After Portrait of the Artist’s Daughter Francois Boucher, c. 1760) 2020, acrylic piping on canvas, 48” x 60,” diptych &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By ALISON REILLYTreating paint like frosting on a cake, artist Yvette Mayorga pipes saccharine landscapes onto canvases. Littered with pink cars, empty Cheeto bags, smiley faces, and references to ICE and Homeland Security, her paintings tell a truth that may be hard to stomach: the American dream is making us sick. Mayorga has been working with these motifs for several years, but the ongoing pandemic confirms what she has hinted at all along—that the promise of a better life in the United States may come with a number of severe consequences. Mayorga’s paintings, featuring fluorescent colors and soft textures juxtaposed with military figurines and blurred faces, are jarring portraits of America in 2020.&nbsp;Over the past few months Mayorga has been preparing for a number of exhibitions including LatinXAmerican at Depaul Art Museum, which opens in January 2021 and ESTAMOS BIEN: LA TRIENAL 20/21 at Museo Del Barrio in New York. She was recently selected as a finalist for the 2020 Artadia Chicago Awards.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418340/vpbefdfwagadtbenlwuu.jpg"><figcaption>Yvette Mayorga in her studio. Photo by William Camargo</figcaption></figure>CGN: First, how have you been doing these past several months, and where are you working from?Yvette Mayorga: It’s been difficult to see my community and family members be put at a higher risk due to COVID-19. I had the privilege of shutting down my studio at MANA and being able to work from home for most of quarantine, but of course many essential workers didn’t have that choice and continue to be put at risk. Once the guidelines were lifted a bit in July, I returned to my studio while practicing social distancing and safety guidelines. It’s definitely been a lot of ups and downs and check ins with friends and family to make sure everyone is holding up and remembering we are strong as a community.CGN: How has your practice changed since March when the stay-at-home orders were put into effect?YM: Quarantine has affirmed what some of us have already known—that there is still work to be done in rewriting Art History due to COVID-19’s disproportionate effect on people of color and immigrant communities. I plan to continue to share the untold stories in my work with frosting through my feminist perspective.CGN: What is a typical day in your studio like?&nbsp;YM: A typical day in my studio includes an iced coffee, playing some Buscabulla, and beginning by catching up on some art admin emails/inventory/contracts for the first hour, then I do any research/source image printing related to the work I’m working on, and then I begin mixing my colors for piping. Some days my order of doing things changes, but usually it’s in that order, because it makes me get emails out of the way so I can focus on my favorite part, which is the creating.CGN: When did you know that you wanted to be an artist?YM: It’s something that my intuition has always told me to follow, although during high school I did consider different creative career paths, such as fashion design or interior design, but I was always pulled towards painting. I definitely think growing up with siblings who were great at drawing and were always being creative around our house made me think there was a possibility in art. It also helped that my high school art teacher gave me advice and tools to think about art as a career, because I didn’t know anyone who was an artist—and that’s really integral to seeing yourself in a field—if you don’t know anyone doing your dream job, it takes more of a risk to follow it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418341/ddjbbqos0kmwsybl915i.jpg"><figcaption>American Urn, (After Madame Victoire vases at Château de Versailles,) 2019, acrylic piping on canvas, 48”x 60” &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>CGN: I read that you initially used baking frosting in many of your paintings and sculptures but have since changed to acrylic to ensure the longevity of your work. How have other aspects of your practice changed over the past several years (conceptually or physically)?YM: I used to source frosting from bakeries who had buckets of leftover frosting that was going to be discarded. I really enjoyed seeing all the different colors and decorations mixed in the tubs that gave me small glimpses of maybe who those cakes were being made for that weekend. Most of my “Monuments” series are made with real frosting, and, of course, frosting decomposes after a certain amount of time, so I went back to paint but with a more sculptural approach, where I used traditional baking tools to do the painting. That was more exciting to me than traditional painting—I think it’s the sculpturally-inclined part of me that loves to see texture and relief on any substrate.&nbsp;Conceptually my work continues to naturally evolve as one research topic leads me to another and another and so on. The content is all pertaining to one grand idea, but the idea is so complex and has so many layers I still am barely touching it—that, to me, is exciting.&nbsp;CGN: How did you decide to incorporate confections, cake decorating, and pastillage into your work?YM: I first wanted to address the decadence attributed to the American dream and consumerism, while referencing my mother’s labor – in the ‘70s she worked decorating cakes at Marshall Field’s. I began using real frosting to reference both themes, and now I am also incorporating references to the Rococo style—everything is tied to ideas of labor, gender, architecture, and colonialism under the big umbrella of American idealism that is placed on immigrants.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418342/beomtzzfbxurmc7vckvc.jpg"><figcaption>Vase of the Century</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Tell me about your experience growing up in Moline, Illinois? How has that informed your work?&nbsp;YM: My experience growing up in Moline was mostly great. It’s a small city where everyone you go to kindergarten with you also go to high school with. I grew up surrounded by my family and a tight knit community. I also felt like I partially grew up in Zacatecas and Jalisco, Mexico where my family and I would travel to every summer until I was about 18 years old to visit my grandmothers. I think the experience of being in two countries as a child really gave me a transnational perspective that allowed me to understand my parents’ stories of growing up in Mexico and to shape my understanding of my identity. I am grateful for my parents to have given my siblings and me that experience, because it has made me who I am today.CGN: What impact has Chicago had on your formation as an artist? What is your relationship to the city?YM: Chicago was where we would visit my aunt as a child and also a place filled with memories of my parents’ time here in the seventies, as it was one of the first cities they immigrated to. There is a lot of my familial labor history embedded in the South Side of Chicago that reminds me of what it must’ve been like for my parents to begin their life here. As an artist, it’s where my community is.CGN: I was looking at your Instagram and saw an adorable little puppy. Can you tell me about your dog?YM: Roco (Rococo) is our new family member, she is a Victorian Bulldog. My partner and I decided it was time for a happy addition during quarantine, and she’s really brought us light during difficult times.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418342/amv2ny6qgmckyf0m9wtd.jpg"><figcaption>High Maintenance, 2019, Installation, 41’ x 25’ x 10’ Tube Factory, Indanapolis, IN</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418343/tajxbnk7aylh070xhriq.jpg"><figcaption>Monochromatic Dreams, installation</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418344/cnusmofqjcu25kz8cdwn.jpg"><figcaption>Detail of shoes in installation</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;This interview is featured in the fall 2020 issue of CGN. To receive a print copy, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/print-subscriptions">please subscribe</a> for $20/year!&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418345/rpgttrqhgn5epcd0lyb6.png"></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Yvette Mayorga: Artistic Confections Add New Layers to Art History

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418374/fs4fnkibujspfnda38tt.png"><figcaption>Our fall issue features artist Yvette Mayorga</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAIt has now been half a year since we have been able to access people, places and art in the ways we once did. After April and May when so much was shut down, July and August have offered glimpses of life for the forseeable future – more limited, still within reach, as long as you plan ahead and as long as you begin to accept life’s many risks, COVID-19-related or not.&nbsp;Yet it seems the goal posts still move daily. I want a crystal ball – one that would show me it’s all going to be OK, and when.&nbsp; Without one, and in order to be able to participate safely in life in Chicago, I have spent time evolving my own tolerance for risk; I realize it’s a luxury to be able to thoughtfully weigh risks, as many people in our community do not have much choice about where they live, where they work from or with whom they are in contact. We live among many levels of accessibility, undoubtedly with barriers.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418375/ywdo1sktajtwurshuzgm.jpg"><figcaption>CGN Publisher (BITMOJI) Ginny B. Van Alyea – Hoping for a crystal ball with a good outlook for 2021.</figcaption></figure>Most of us have been denied levels of access in the short term. But what about those who have faced it in the long term? As we follow critcal safety measures now, when we visit galleries and museums or attend events, how do these new limits inhibit those who already have to clear a high bar? The neccessity of timed entries, capacity limits, reservations, not to mention internet access, likely excludes communities we seek to reach more than before.How do we continue to pursue a love of art while supporting the art industry and keeping everyone safe? This fall, spaces are planning new shows or opening exhibitions postponed in the spring. We are not back to normal. We may never be. This season there are no international art fairs coming to Navy Pier (closed until spring.) Neighborhood markets and festivals are on hold. But the traditionally energetic September start to the art season <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/september-11-a-sneak-preview-of-upcoming-september-exhibitions">will still take place</a>. It will be over the course of a long weekend, with less spontaneity, and fewer people, but it will happen. Many nonprofits are readying plans for virtual galas. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/chicago-architecture-center-announces-the-new-open-house-chicago-for-october-2020">Open House Chicago</a> will span 10 days, outdoors and online, and include new neighborhoods. There are undoubtedly opportunities in exploring new terrain, even when it’s steep.&nbsp;*With some free time this summer to think about how to get art in front of more Chicagoans long term, I looked up the Chicago Public Library’s <a href="https://www.chipublib.org/faq/covid-19-reopening/?_ga=2.183422182.1766970376.1597412852-2083650044.1579274603#kids-museum-passports-2">Kids Museum Passports</a> – a terrific program that allows CPL cardholders and adult residents to visit area museums for free with children. While these passes allow families to visit for free, unless otherwise noted, a group must include at least one child under 18 for the Passport to be valid; only two adults are admitted per pass. They are not for adults-only visits. Plus the pass must be checked out in person, not virtually or downloaded.&nbsp;When I thought about musuem free days and times for area residents, limits and scheduling inconveniences exist there too. Though museum finances have been severely impacted this year, perhaps some could devise free pass programs, ala SpotHero: check for upcoming ‘spots’ or visiting times, then download a pass that begins a countdown of useability. The flexibility could encourage more convenient and frequent encounters with art.&nbsp;Additionally the library could update its Passport to be mobile and to accomodate adults. While some galleries use Tock to set up visiting times, maybe they will also host a no-reservations-needed hour, when people, distanced of course, may still stop in without an appointment (like the old days!)*This is all praying that Chicago pulls through one of the most distressing and violent periods in recent history, and that institutions and businesses will be able to keep their doors open and someday thrive again.For now, please use CGN as a resource to explore art from home – as well as safely in person – in our newly distanced world. This issue features interviews with many art world makers and leaders who offer insights on <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/yvette-mayorga-artistic-confections-add-new-layers-to-art-history">working as an artist</a> today, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/8/a-collector-s-personal-focus-discovering-the-value-of-engagement">collecting art</a>, writing about and photographing art, designing with art, and more.&nbsp;2020 has given us all many challenges, and more are still to come. We are a long way from the summit, but on the way up the view is ever-changing, and we have the opportunity to notice things we weren’t able to before – crystal ball or not.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our fall 2020 issue of CGN is out now. To receive a print copy, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/print-subscriptions">please subscribe</a> for $20/year!&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418375/ix67br18asqleqwn6mxf.png"></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Fall 2020 Publisher's Letter: What Lies Ahead? How Can We Ensure Access?

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418215/iin5kmjw9523bw9jfcd1.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By CGN StaffThe Driehaus Museum is the latest local institution to re-open after closing its doors this spring due to the pandemic. The staff says they are eager to welcome the public back to the ‘Haus (we didn't know they called it that!) The Museum will reopen to the general public on Saturday, August 29 with new measures and visiting requirements in place, as well as some new exhibitions planned for this fall.&nbsp;All galleries in the historic mansion will be open to view as well as the special exhibition, <a href="http://driehausmuseum.org/exhibitions">PAN: Prints of Avant Garde Europe, 1895-1900</a>. Museum guides will be on hand to answer any questions as you explore the galleries and current exhibitions.New weekly private, guide-led tour hours are also being offered on Fridays between 11–4 and include tours for up to 6 people with a discussion of the history and architecture of the building, the Museum’s collections, and highlights of the current exhibitions. Guided Tour tickets include general admission.&nbsp;The museum is now closed M–Th but open Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays to the public.&nbsp;Guests are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance of their visit since, due to reduced capacity limitations, purchasing tickets in advance will secure your preferred date and time.&nbsp;The first exhibition to open on August 29 be <a href="http://driehausmuseum.org/exhibitions">PAN: Prints of Avant-Garde Europe, 1895-1900</a>, which documents a new era of printmaking for the turn of the century, as well as the desire of the arts and literary journal’s founders to elevate graphic arts to the same level as the academic fine art of its day.Coming up September 26 is the much anticipated, second exhibition in the Driehaus Museum's new contemporary art initiative, A Tale of Today. <a href="http://driehausmuseum.org/exhibition/youngandhoribuchi">A Tale of Today: Nate Young and Mika Horibuchi</a> focuses on two Chicago-based artists whose works will engage expectations of the Nickerson Mansion by responding to the design and history of the 1883 building.<a href="https://46316.blackbaudhosting.com/46316/Driehaus-Museum-General-Admission-Timed-Entry-29Aug2020-21">RESERVE YOUR TICKETS HERE</a>If you are having trouble with your reservation, email <a href="mailto:info@driehausmuseum.org">info@driehausmuseum.org</a> or call 312-482-8933.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="http://driehausmuseum.org/images/uploads/visit/reopenguidlines2.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Driehaus Museum Re-Opening

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418793/vfkmvkhxp9gzsm3ekood.jpg"><figcaption>Andrew Ginzel and Kristin Jones’ Panopia at the 15th District police station, among a number of public artworks in police buildings throughout Chicago. (Courtesy of the artists)</figcaption></figure><h3>A Closer Look at the Public Art at Chicago Police Stations</h3>After removing its Columbus statues, Chicago will reassess its collection of hundreds of public art pieces to better “reflect our values as Chicagoans.” So I asked artists to reflect on the work they made for the city’s police stations.By Logan Jaffe, Pro Publica Illinois<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/a-closer-look-at-the-public-art-at-chicago-police-stations">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418794/tckkiszgw9tdrz6mok3j.jpg"><figcaption>Kerry James Marshall's cover for the September issue of Vogue. COURTESY VOGUE</figcaption></figure><h3>Jordan Casteel and Kerry James Marshall Paint Covers for Vogue’s September&nbsp;Issue&nbsp;</h3><a href="https://www.artnews.com/t/kerry-james/">Kerry James</a> Marshall and <a href="https://www.artnews.com/t/jordan-casteel/">Jordan Casteel</a> are the latest to people to join a storied list of artists—including Salvador Dalí, Giorgio de Chirico, and John Currin—that have been invited to create covers for the vaunted <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/september-issue-cover-2020-global-hope">September issue of&nbsp;Vogue</a>. According to the magazine, the celebrated portraitists were given total creative freedom in the choice of cover star, real or imaginary, as long as the subject was painted wearing one of four couture outfits selected by the Vogue team. Each artist was also asked to use “hope” as a creative starting point.By Tessa Solomon, ARTnews<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/kerry-james-marshall-jordan-casteel-vogue-covers-1234569219/">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418795/zqklrawfbd7jl7tac7yx.jpg"></figure><h3>Amy Sherald on Making Breonna Taylor's Portrait</h3>For more than 20 years, Amy Sherald has been putting the narratives of Black families and Black people to canvas. In 2016, she became the first woman and first African American to win the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, which led to her painting Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery in 2018. That oil-on-linen portrait was her first commissioned work—until Breonna Taylor.By Miles Pope, Vanity Fair<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/amy-sherald-on-making-breonna-taylors-cover-portrait?fbclid=IwAR0tLCbvqtUU69owyCcT4C7fCWucFhguKnxb-AZ7o8-rUyxJZshl6-MppFQ">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418796/ie4p4b2s8eomnt8oza05.jpg"></figure><h3>Meet the National Parks’ ‘Ranger of the Lost Art’</h3>Hundreds of thousands of sweaty, athleisure-clad national park visitors have entered the park gift shop after a hike and immediately gravitated toward one particular display: the vintage-looking magnets, postcards and posters with the park’s name in blocky lettering, its best-known vista or features rendered in simple contours and pastels.By Erin Berger, NYT<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/25/style/ranger-doug-leen-wpa-national-park-posters.html?action=click&amp;module=Editors%20Picks&amp;pgtype=Homepage">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 24, 2020

<html><head></head><body>By CGN StaffMark your calendar for the second weekend of September when several openings take place across the city.&nbsp;Spaces in West Town, River North and the Near North Side will be hosting in person openings with extended hours in keeping with the City of Chicago's Phase 4 safety measurements.&nbsp;Be sure to visit CGN's '<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=openings">Openings</a>' page in the coming days since we will be adding new exhibitions and events daily. Please note that some exhibitions are beginning without formal opening receptions, but for now we are highlighting those spaces welcoming the public back on a single day or evening.During opening receptions throughout the city, the following health and safety practices may be in place:<ul><li>Many gallery openings are running on extended hours during the day to encourage social distancing, so please visit when it is convenient for you.</li><li>Masks are required</li><li>Crowding will be limited/monitored. You may have to wait briefly to enter a gallery if another group is already there, depending on the individual gallery's own space and rules.</li><li>Reach out directly to galleries if you have any questions or would like to set up a private appointment.</li></ul>On behalf of the Chicago Galleries and CGN alike, we thank you for your continued support!&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418099/oxbjkbtjcpxgv1skcr6c.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/what-is-home">What is Home?</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 11, 12 – 7&nbsp;pmCatherine Edelman GalleryCatherine Edelman Gallery is excited to open the Fall season with What is Home? featuring work by Keliy Anderson-Staley, Omar Imam and Rubén Martín de Lucas.&nbsp;The show opens September 11 and runs through October 31, 2020.&nbsp;To avoid crowds, the opening reception will be from noon – 7:00 pm on Friday, September 11. Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturday-gallery-tours-with-director-juli-lowe-tickets-116756565029">here</a>&nbsp;to register for a private tour of the exhibition led by Director Juli Lowe on Saturday, September 12, 10:00-11:00am. Tours are free, but are limited to ten people. Masks are required.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418100/dksopfh5bmy4pqkmcp25.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/if-we-do-not-now-dare-everything">Anthem</a>Virtual Exhibition, available for in-person viewing via storefront windowWeinberg/Newton GalleryPlanned to coincide with the 2020 presidential election cycle,&nbsp;Anthem&nbsp;looks past partisan divisiveness and focuses on the issue of voting as a fundamental right. The works on view both online and in the gallery's storefront windows examine familiar emblems of American patriotism, along with experiences of collective identity, and acts of resistance. The various mythologies ascribed to political leaders – their likenesses as well as their legacies&nbsp;–&nbsp;are also scrutinized.&nbsp; Anthem&nbsp;features work by Bethany Collins, Jaclyn Conley, Eve L. Ewing, Mike Gibisser, Naima Green, Ellen Rothenberg and Sanaz Sohrabi and is organized in collaboration with the ACLU of Illinois.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418100/gdvwa6mlayhg2bnrmu0c.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/resurfacing">Resurfacing</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 11, 5 – 10&nbsp;pmOliva GalleryIn the gallery's first ever textiles exhibition, Alonso and Tubbs interweave their past lives into RESURFACING, an interactive installation saturated with color and texture.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418101/piwbqqyycpujmmcn4bq8.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/suzanne-rose-blindspot">Suzanne Rose: Blindspot</a>Opening: Friday, Sep 11, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmZolla / Lieberman Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418102/fmxzdct8eeuqsnfosjpa.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/fall-season-opening-and-river-north-art-walk">Joanne Mattera: Hue and Me</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 1 – 6&nbsp;pmAddington GalleryThis exhibition, entitled "Hue &amp; Me", will be Mattera's first solo with Addington Gallery. The exhibition opens on Saturday September 12th with an All-Day Open House Reception from 1pm through 6pm. The artist will be present to meet and discuss her work. A catalog will be available for purchase and to view at no charge online.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418103/hxwoasod8uftjhwkfxns.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/no-country-for-old-knuckleheads">No Country for Old Knuckleheads</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 2020 1 – 5&nbsp;pmHofheimer GalleryThis 2 person show features artists Fred Stonehouse and Michael Noland. Artists will be present.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418104/egwdcxuxjccg8bro5ki1.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/power-trip">Power Trip (Virtual Opening Reception)</a>Opening: Saturday, Sep 12, 2020 4 – 5&nbsp;pmARC Gallery&nbsp;Power Trip is a body of work about exploitation, relationships, and self-validation. The exhibition features six new textile pieces and paintings by Bryana Bibbs, a textile artist and painter. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2014, Fiber and Material Studies) and is currently a teaching artist at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Evanston Art Center.&nbsp;</body></html>

A Sneak Preview of Upcoming September Exhibitions 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418012/l00qrszwzysykkeffnv2.png"><figcaption>Manuel Martinez</figcaption></figure>Navy Pier to close temporarily after Labor DayLoss of tourism dollars has been "devastating to the organization’s budget," resulting in a projected $20 million deficit in 2020.By A.D. Quig, Crain's Chicago Business<a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/government/navy-pier-close-temporarily-after-labor-day">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418013/hqapdrp9op3ndnpughrk.jpg"><figcaption>Johannes Vermeer's The Music Lesson (1662–65) is one of 65 works from the Royal Collection to feature in an upcoming exhibition at the Queen's Gallery The Royal Collection</figcaption></figure>The Queen's hidden masterpieces to leave Buckingham Palace for the first timeMajor palace renovations mean that the Queen's Gallery will display 65 works from the Royal Collection including pieces by Rembrandt and VermeerBy Kabir Jhala, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/buckingham-palace-art-renovations-queens-gallery">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418015/qdcm7ah98cyto72bvfeh.jpg"></figure>Michael Rakowitz’s&nbsp;Art of ReturnThrough playful, outraged interventions, a&nbsp;sculptor&nbsp;seeks to reclaim a lost Iraq.By Raffi Khatchadourian, The New Yorker<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/24/michael-rakowitzs-art-of-return">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418016/fjfn9d9viqal0qpaqgm3.jpg"></figure>MCA Chicago Staff and Administration Eye Each Other Warily in Response to Job&nbsp;RestructuringsThe Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has initiated a new employment structure that will involve converting all part-time visitor experience positions to full-time ones.By Claire Voon, Art News<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/mca-chicago-part-time-employees-reduction-coronavirus-1202697195/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418017/dsvvnjhh4vzrpantwav2.jpg"><figcaption>Christopher Columbus statue at Arrigo Park was removed in late July. A city project will now assess art and monuments across the city. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file</figcaption></figure>City launches project to assess public art and monumentsMonuments and public art will be catalogued, and an advisory committee will determine which pieces demand action.By Clare Proctor, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/8/13/21365160/chicago-public-art-monuments-statues-removal-assessment">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 18, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417846/lniiqlhjihk3zebshrat.jpg"><figcaption>Artists Run Chicago 2.0 installation view including miniature exhibition curated by Julius Caesar. &nbsp;Photography courtesy of Tran Tran.</figcaption></figure>Via PR<a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">Hyde Park Art Center</a>, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s South Side, will re-open its doors for limited exhibition hours starting September 1, 2020, with the launch of the <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/exhibition-archive/artists-run-chicago-2-0/">Artists Run Chicago 2.0</a> exhibition, celebrating the work of 50 artist-run spaces and organizations that fuel Chicago’s independent art scene.&nbsp; Artists Run Chicago 2.0 highlights the incredible work artists around the city are doing in their apartments, storefronts, on the streets of Chicago, and even a barn, challenging the conventional expectations of exhibition, discourse, and community.&nbsp; Works from each of the spaces will be represented in this exhibition encompassing six galleries, the entire Hyde Park Art Center footprint.“Following the COVID-19-related closure of the Art Center in mid-March, we are delighted to welcome the community back with this massive exhibition, showcasing the incredible diversity and sheer force of independent art galleries operating in Chicago now,” said Kate Lorenz, Hyde Park Art Center Executive Director. “We will be proceeding with care and the utmost caution to ensure the safety of our staff, community, and visitors. While the experience of visiting the Art Center may be slightly altered for the near future, we are excited to celebrate the work of so many creative artist-run spaces and share it with the public. We are confident that visitors and students will encounter the same sense of creativity, curiosity, and community for which Hyde Park Art Center is known.”To mark the ten-year anniversary of the original Art Center exhibition, Artists Run Chicago (2009), Artists Run Chicago 2.0 examines the core motivations, trajectories, and philosophies that have made the past decade generative for new models of artist-run initiatives to exist throughout the city and suburbs. As they did in 2009, artists-run spaces have continued to transform storefronts, apartments, warehouses, garages, and nomadic existences into environments in which art can be experienced at its most experimental and intuitive stage.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417847/xryhnp05ttjdptcvlec8.png"><figcaption>Installation of Summer Skin w/ Zoe Avery Nelson and Judy Ledgerwood @ PRACTISE (2017), Courtesy of Practise</figcaption></figure>However, the artist-run model has also found a heightened criticality during this time as well. Despite taking on a multitude of forms and models, these spaces have come to represent a merge between artistic practice and social engagement, in which their small, independent, and hyperlocal status can be constantly modified and tailored to serve the communities they call home, whether through online forums to discuss art or engaging with community activists in support of social justice. In a time in which institutions are reevaluating their missions and relevance in a rapidly changing social landscape, artist-run initiatives have found themselves at the forefront of new conversations around art, challenging conventional expectations of exhibition, discourse, and community, while injecting new models, ideas, and faces into our understanding of what experiencing art can be.Art spaces represented in Artists Run Chicago 2.0 hail from a wide range of Chicago neighborhoods, from Beverly to Rogers Park, Englewood to Oak Park; here is the complete list: 062,&nbsp;4th Ward Project Space,&nbsp;65Grand,&nbsp;ACRE Projects,&nbsp;Adds Donna,&nbsp;AMFM,&nbsp;Annas,&nbsp;Apparatus Projects,&nbsp;Bad At Sports,&nbsp;Blanc Gallery, boundary,&nbsp;Chicago Art Department,&nbsp;Chuquimarca,&nbsp;Clutch,&nbsp;Co-Prosperity Sphere,&nbsp;Comfort Station,&nbsp;Compound Yellow,&nbsp;D Gallery,&nbsp;Devening Projects, Document,&nbsp;Experimental Sound Studio,&nbsp;F4F,&nbsp;The Franklin,&nbsp;Heaven Gallery,&nbsp;Iceberg Projects,&nbsp;Ignition Project Space,&nbsp;Julius Caesar,&nbsp;Lawrence and Clark, LVL3,&nbsp;Mujeres Mutantes,&nbsp;Night Light Studios &amp; Gallery, Ohklahomo, Nightingale,&nbsp;Practise,&nbsp;Prairie,&nbsp;Roman Susan,&nbsp;Roots &amp; Culture,&nbsp;Rootwork Gallery,&nbsp;The Silver Room,&nbsp;Slow,&nbsp;The Suburban,&nbsp;Sweet Water Foundation,&nbsp;table,&nbsp;Terrain Exhibitions,&nbsp;Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Trunk Show, TRQPITECA,&nbsp;VGA Gallery,&nbsp;Wedge Projects, and&nbsp;Western Pole. Artists Run Chicago 2.0&nbsp;is organized by Noah Hanna and Allison Peters Quinn with contributions from Max Guy and Andi Crist.Free online public programming accompanies this exhibition, including monthly performances, workshops, and artist and curator-led Art Center tours.&nbsp; Hyde Park Art Center has partnered with Public Media Institute&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sixty Inches from Center to produce a special Artists Run Chicago 2.0 edition of Lumpen magazine for its 136th volume, distributed for free at Hyde Park Art Center and Buddy, located in the first floor galleries of the Chicago Cultural Center.About Artists Run Chicago (2009):Chicago has long been known for cultivating a strong entrepreneurial/Do-It-Yourself spirit in business and the arts. Art organizations like Randolph Street Gallery, N.A.M.E., and the Uncomfortable Spaces in the 1980s and 1990s provided respected role models for independent art initiatives that followed. The 38 artist-run venues that participated in Hyde Park Art Center’s 2009 exhibition were responsible for transforming storefronts, sheds, apartments, lofts, industrial warehouses, garages and roving spaces into contemporary art galleries testing the notion of “exhibition” while complicating the definition of art. Coinciding with the Hyde Park Art Center’s 70th anniversary, Artists Run Chicago reconnected the Art Center to its beginnings as an artist-run space through collaborations with spaces that demonstrated a similar dedication to fostering new projects by new artists.Now a decade later, only six of the spaces in the original exhibition survive: 65 Grand, Co-Prosperity Sphere, Devening Projects, Julius Caesar, Roots &amp; Culture, and The Suburban (relocated to Milwaukee, WI). Several of the spaces included in Artist Run Chicago 2.0 are celebrating a 10-year anniversary and cite the attention around the early 2000s as impetus for their existence.Artists Run Chicago 2.0 runs from September 1-November 1, 2020.&nbsp; The exhibition will be available for viewing Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 12-6pm; Thursdays from 1-7pm; and Fridays from 10am-4pm. There is no admission charge but, to comply with social distance standards, advance reservations are encouraged for 90-minute visits and can be made by visiting <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">https://www.hydeparkart.org/</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fall Class SessionIn addition, the Art Center is currently piloting a limited number of artmaking classes for adults in a hybrid model of online instruction coupled with on-site studio access. These include Ceramics and Printmaking Independent Study courses incorporating virtual group class time and on-site independent studio time.&nbsp; Additionally, the Art Center is offering a limited Ceramics “Work from Home” option that will include guidance on how to safely use ceramics in a home studio followed by limited studio access to fire and glaze.&nbsp; For more information on current offerings, including the incredible range of ongoing virtual courses for all ages, and expanded in-person options for fall. For updated offerings and information about fall registration please visit <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/education/">https://www.hydeparkart.org/education/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For more information, please visit&nbsp; <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">https://www.hydeparkart.org/</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Hyde Park Art Center Re-opening To Showcase 50 Independent Artist-Run Spaces

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417999/c6wb95sr2dtnlwgaccfu.png"></figure>&nbsp;Via PRCHICAGO, IL — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events&nbsp;(DCASE)&nbsp;are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020&nbsp;CityArts&nbsp;Program grants. Each year, the&nbsp;CityArts Program&nbsp;encourages Chicago-based, arts and culture-focused&nbsp;organizations&nbsp;of all sizes&nbsp;to attain artistic&nbsp;excellence and financial stability&nbsp;by making general operating&nbsp;grants across all artistic disciplines.&nbsp;This year,&nbsp;the Program is awarding&nbsp;general operating grants&nbsp;between&nbsp;$2,000 to $30,000&nbsp;–&nbsp;and special project grants ranging from $2,500 to $56,200&nbsp;–&nbsp;to 191&nbsp;nonprofit organizations&nbsp;for a total of $2 million.&nbsp;The project grants are&nbsp;being awarded&nbsp;in alignment with the Year of Chicago Music, now continuing through 2021.“The COVID-19 outbreak is devastating the creative sector, and the need is tremendous,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “In these very challenging times, the City of Chicago is supporting its local arts organizations through the CityArts Program, other cultural grant programs and the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund. Still,&nbsp;we hope that other public and private sources of funding step up to&nbsp;ensure the sector’s immediate and long-term viability.”DCASE has more than doubled its&nbsp;grants in&nbsp;general operating expenses&nbsp;–&nbsp;unrestricted funds that may be used however the grantee wishes –&nbsp;over the last four years, in recognition that&nbsp;these&nbsp;are&nbsp;increasingly critical for nonprofit organizations to carry out their missions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Further,&nbsp;to make more impactful grants to arts organizations&nbsp;during&nbsp;this time of need, the number of general operating grants made through this program has increased by 25% over 2019 and the average general operating grant amount has increased by 20%.&nbsp;These increases&nbsp;were&nbsp;made possible in part by&nbsp;a&nbsp;$250,000&nbsp;award from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This grant contributes funds to the CityArts Program for distribution to local nonprofit arts and cultural organizations.The 2020 CityArts Program project grants are awarded in alignment with the City’s Year of Chicago Music&nbsp;to&nbsp;strengthen&nbsp;Chicago’s&nbsp;music landscape – one of the most influential music communities on&nbsp;the globe&nbsp;– to highlight its legacy, expand its audience and&nbsp;grow its capacity.&nbsp;Funded projects include audience development and marketing strategies for Chicago musicians and music organizations; initiatives that are documenting, celebrating and preserving Chicago’s unique musical&nbsp;legacy; and innovative programs that could serve as replicable models for the industry.&nbsp;Examples of the organizations supported through project grants include Arts &amp; Business Council of Chicago in partnership with Chicago Reader (Chicago Music Website),&nbsp;Arts Alliance Illinois in partnership with 2112 and CCE&nbsp;(Chicago License Local Initiative), Asian&nbsp;Improv&nbsp;aRts&nbsp;Midwest (Archiving Chicago's Asian American&nbsp;Jazz&nbsp;&amp; Creative Music Collaborations) and&nbsp;the&nbsp;Black Ensemble Theater (Black Ensemble Intercultural Music Festival).&nbsp;Mayor Lightfoot is committed to supporting&nbsp;Chicago’s rich&nbsp;arts and culture community&nbsp;and last fall&nbsp;announced a&nbsp;$1&nbsp;million&nbsp;increase in City funding for&nbsp;the DCASE Cultural Grants Program, bringing the total budget to $2.7&nbsp;million.&nbsp;This increased budget fulfills&nbsp;a commitment to prioritize equitable grantmaking and microfinancing to individual artists, organizations and arts corridors throughout&nbsp;Chicago, particularly&nbsp;in communities of need.&nbsp;Earlier this year, the City of Chicago and DCASE&nbsp;also&nbsp;announced&nbsp;158 project-based Individual Artists&nbsp;Program grants&nbsp;ranging from&nbsp;$850 to $5,000&nbsp;—&nbsp;to resident Chicago artists across all artistic disciplines including film &amp; media arts, literary arts, performing arts (theatre/dance), music and visual arts/design.&nbsp;Additionally, 13 high-qualified artists received the Esteemed Artist Award, a special new $10,000 grant for expenses associated with an artist’s practice, such as studio rental, supplies, travel and equipment.The City of Chicago&nbsp;has&nbsp;also partnered&nbsp;with&nbsp;the State of Illinois, Arts Alliance Illinois&nbsp;and the broader philanthropic community to provide financial relief to workers and organizations in the creative industries impacted by COVID-19.&nbsp;Since its launch&nbsp;in April&nbsp;2020, the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund has awarded&nbsp;well over $5 million&nbsp;to 1,460 artists and 233 organizations across&nbsp;the state.&nbsp;The&nbsp;fund is administered by Arts Alliance Illinois in partnership with 3Arts and Arts Work Fund, long-standing and trusted service organizations and&nbsp;grantmakers.In addition to this&nbsp;important&nbsp;relief&nbsp;fund,&nbsp;Arts Alliance Illinois’s&nbsp;COVID Relief Policy Agenda for the Arts&nbsp;is demanding stronger federal support for nonprofits and small businesses, especially in communities of color; continuation of expanded unemployment benefits; increased incentives for charitable giving; and federal assistance in offsetting state and local revenue shortfalls.&nbsp;For details, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=Fx6ZlfogyykExOP4a2vWQ7Y-2FGFTBAzql5MZiufKbHE8CFGrVcuZjILFnKXPR4jDqBxfF_BYLPtpUivDHORxxkVXshLCRT3wjV7CgXbLJWP9J5MP9LJ6jv7-2Bb0c97UF1yE1XeiKasl3Q0KHAlfCn9N7XONZksYe5OIXa5kf5eLUqZODuRSP9aq4SJ-2B49W0jH0wJ361M0DLw-2FLrEVI6E6-2FTD59WIsY4V59Qpnpsa7HT4Bi-2BLcrPVYytFq-2FWShLsqFP9j4TZwfPljDpXurpSKvjupFQJxvZJ15d0J74Q79KbkjRMaSifv55g0Wo5sWh19lqTui1P9t-2FlmgSW-2FIF5Yu5amsqZ6pTE5mDttYYp6CDHvoPfbPPhnqGjJOPF6fprosZgmJHRtWmjLTHCImmUToVWKg7FJsNzhez7cGmFJeIOZ6uPX7HZIhTQ-2Fz2xYeRtr-2BzOWG81Rezpcr-2F-2Fm6BDPLJ2caagjjF47GLZqAXDvlXvqeZwF-2B4-3D">bit.ly/ArtsReliefAgenda</a>.Since 1984, the Cultural Grants Program has served as a catalyst to foster a robust, healthy arts community where artists, non-profit arts and culture and creative industries thrive. For more information, please visit <a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=Fx6ZlfogyykExOP4a2vWQ-2FOfdVALjpYZsEGm6zCd-2Bgd4qbfTXA6h20a3N6YR0-2FVRZKhA_BYLPtpUivDHORxxkVXshLCRT3wjV7CgXbLJWP9J5MP9LJ6jv7-2Bb0c97UF1yE1XeiKasl3Q0KHAlfCn9N7XONZksYe5OIXa5kf5eLUqZODuRSP9aq4SJ-2B49W0jH0wJ361M0DLw-2FLrEVI6E6-2FTD59WIsY4V59Qpnpsa7HT4Bi-2BLcrPVYytFq-2FWShLsqFP9j4TZwfPljDpXurpSKvjupFQJxvZJ15d0J74Q79KbkjRMaShCOAk0BDoLTSXLc9rgUuP6MIaepIAm0f1MCObWd9OHubrAiwd1G4a26i6KMn3BxT7c9Ati4I8DwPfHhQJW3xtXMnGzz3dnW3go7UHQm1rE2lFPQ68zYugNU5sE6bPS-2BDuMBS4HsA8IvexVBJALnsF-2BBLWisVffd-2FCTmSMqcDj1jK1fbwVbWCUnHO-2BUi1-2BJy9Q-3D">chicagoculturalgrants.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</body></html>

City of Chicago Awards $2 Million In City Arts Program Grants to the Arts

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418000/b0xmljcronqbssopkefw.jpg"><figcaption>City of Chicago Boards of Change, detail. PHOTOGRAPHED BY STEVEN PIPER, PHOTOGRAPHER AT FCB</figcaption></figure>Chicago Using Street Art To Improve Census Response, Get Out The Vote“Bandos.” Boarded up businesses and homes. That’s what Chicago native, resident and artist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/6/artist-spotlight-barrett-keithley-s-images-of-hope-and-unity-replace-boarded-up-store-fronts">Barrett Keithley </a>calls them.Keithley was tired of seeing the South Side neighborhoods he grew up in and around filled with “bandos” so he decided to do something about it.He started painting. Keithley knew he was onto something right away.By Chadd Scott, Forbes<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2020/08/07/chicago-using-street-art-to-improve-census-response-get-out-the-vote/#2bd5036a532e">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418000/wqtd3skr4a9fcqaqwuil.jpg"></figure>‘Ducks on the Mag Mile’ Celebrates Special Olympics IllinoisThe pandemic is forcing Special Olympics Illinois to conduct their annual Duck Derby a little bit differently this year. But there is one tradition that remains the same.&nbsp;Rubber ducks are taking over downtown Chicago in an annual art display. “Ducks on the Mag Mile” is celebrating 15 years with the Special Olympics Illinois and it’s annual Duck Derby fundraiser, where adopted rubber ducks are poured into the Chicago River. This year’s fundraiser consisted of a virtual festival, where people were still encouraged to adopt a duck for $5.&nbsp;Chris Winston with Special Olympics Illinois says the public has responded well to the virtual switch.By Angel Idowu, WTTW News<a href="https://news.wttw.com/2020/08/06/ducks-mag-mile-celebrates-special-olympics-illinois">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418001/mjbowlpuhpj7bohm4kj3.jpg"><figcaption>Curator Nina Sanders, second from the right, worked with other cultural teachers to create “Apsáalooke Women and Warriors.”© Adam Sings in the Timber</figcaption></figure>Apsáalooke exhibition at Field Museum avoids stereotypes, shows ‘Native Americans are still here.’The exhibit places historical artifacts of the Apsáalooke tribe alongside art from its contemporary culture.By Jade Yan, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2020/8/11/21357671/apsaalooke-women-warriors-field-museum-natural-history-chicago-exhibit-indigenous-native-tribe">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418002/qryknaqqxwgsqxbdr17m.jpg"><figcaption>BLM Mural Uptown by 18 artists — taken by Carson Cloud</figcaption></figure>Colorful Black Lives Matter Mural Covers Chicago StreetThe large mural in the 4700 block of Clifton Avenue, between N. Broadway Ave. and Lawrence Ave., spells out the slogan in bright colorsBy Becca Wood, NBC 5 Chicago<a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/colorful-black-lives-matter-mural-covers-chicago-street/2317474/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 11, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417993/b8fpgxhubsntqlrpqrm3.jpg"><figcaption>Unity Temple in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. Photo by Andrew Pielage courtesy of the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation.</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAAs fall draws near – hard to believe in the middle of the time warp in which we now all live – the calendar, or the version of planned time we used to know – is taking shape. One event many have become accustomed to enjoying is the Chicago Architecture Center's annual fall <a href="https://openhousechicago.org">Open House Chicago</a>. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event. While it's a relief that the event is happening, changes to its format are inevitable.&nbsp;For the past nine years, OHC has inspired countless institutions to open their doors and welcome in the public to experience behind-the-scenes access to buildings across Chicago. Participants have included arts centers, religious buildings, distilleries, corporate offices, schools, artist studios, and more.&nbsp;Hosted by the&nbsp;Chicago Architecture Center (CAC)—formerly the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the Center is a gateway for visitors, as well as locals, to explore the city through docent-led tours, exciting programs and imaginative exhibits at its own center at 111 E. Wacker Dr. as well as in hundreds of spaces and neighborhoods in the city and suburbs.&nbsp;2019 counted over 350 spaces and engaged 109,000 individuals who made 370,000 total site visits to 352 sites in 39 Chicago neighborhoods, plus the near suburbs of Evanston and Oak Park. This all took place over the course of a single busy, and crowded weekend.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417994/mxqfcmgbn10qkircf38s.jpg"><figcaption>The Overton Business and Technology Incubator in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.</figcaption></figure>In 2020, the event will now span 10 days (October 16−25). In support of public health and with sensitivity to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CAC has reconfigured OHC for outdoor and online attendance. This reimagined OHC framework—designed for individuals, families and small groups that have isolated together—will highlight and promote visitation of specific areas, encouraging foot traffic and participants to patronize local businesses while learning more about the unique histories and stories of these featured areas.&nbsp;More than 20 Chicago neighborhoods and two suburbs will be highlighted during OHC 2020, with an intentional focus on, and engagement with, areas and corridors prioritized by the City of Chicago’s INVEST South/West initiative including Auburn Gresham, Austin, Back of the Yards, Bronzeville, Englewood, Humboldt Park,North Lawndale, Pullman, Roseland and South Shore. Fourteen additional focus areas confirmed to date are Chicago’s Loop, Near North Side and Near West Side plus Beverly, Chinatown, Evanston, Hyde Park, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Oak Park, Pilsen, Rogers Park, Wicker Park and Woodlawn.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417995/oi9z6xhjjppx48vxcqut.jpg"><figcaption>Nichols Tower, formerly the “Old Sears Tower,” in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.</figcaption></figure>Visitors to each OHC 2020 area will be supported in their self-guided exploration by free resources available online at openhousechicago.org, as well as through an application for mobile devices. Using these free resources, OHC 2020 attendees will be able to explore and select routes on a variety of themes, learn more about buildings and sites of interest in each neighborhood, browse and register for related OHC online programs and more. CAC walking tours continue throughout the festival, some highlighting OHC neighborhoods. Building upon the success of more than 50 remotely accessible CAC Live programs offered continuously by the CAC since April 4, 2020, OHC will include a variety of online events aligned with its 2020 neighborhoods and themes. Featuring guest presenters and representatives from numerous Chicago organizations, these online events may include classes, discussions and lectures, music and performance presentations, virtual tours and other offerings designed to bring the expressions, flavors and voices of OHC 2020 neighborhoods into the homes of people across and far beyond Chicago. To further embed OHC 2020 into the neighborhoods it spotlights, the CAC will again engage multiple community-based organizations for advice and mutual support in communications and engagement, route creation, site selection, the development of program content and more.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417997/fvefe5gd559hkazynnds.jpg"><figcaption>The Oak Park Art League in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Advance registration for most free and paid online events will be required, through the OHC mobile app, at <a href="architecture.org">architecture.org</a> or <a href="openhousechicago.org">openhousechicago.org</a>. Current CAC members will receive exclusive benefits and discounts throughout OHC 2020.2020's realities have meant changes at every level of culture and engagement, but as we are finding, there are opportunities in many places. For this 10th year of Open House Chicago, the changes are another example of what is not cancelled and instead what is indeed open to all.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417998/m9xlsstqeywssbvxiruu.jpg"><figcaption>Austin Town Hall in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Photo by Eric Allix Rogers.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Chicago Architecture Center Unveils Changes to Open House Chicago 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417974/zhivsidueijg711qrwtq.jpg"><figcaption>Stonehenge. Photo by Andre Pattenden, courtesy of English Heritage. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h3>Where Did Stonehenge Get Its Stones? Scientists Thank 90-Year-Old Retiree</h3>&nbsp;The origins of Stonehenge’s massive stone monoliths, long shrouded in mystery, have at last been demystified. The new research was made possible thanks to a former diamond cutter, Robert Phillips, who was involved in repairs carried out on the prehistoric structure in 1958. Phillips kept a the three-and-a-half foot cylindrical cores, which was set to be discarded, as a souvenir, hanging it in his office. Sixty years later, Phillips, on the eve of his 90th birthday, returned the core to English Heritage, which oversees Stonehenge.&nbsp;By Sarah Cascone, Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/stonehenge-get-stones-age-old-mystery-finally-solved-1898403?utm_content=from_&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=News%207%2F30%2F20&amp;utm_term=US%20Daily%20Newsletter%20[AFTERNOON]&amp;fbclid=IwAR1fLp320PPVFPLLiExZmulXpdsTgwMb_xviXkFPKNgFxxWWFAcyiCZUVGg">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417975/vh5v9bf1wh3myz0tivkr.jpg"><figcaption>Notre Dame's grand organ pipes with the famous rose window above Photo: Chris Waits &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h3>Saving Notre Dame's 'voice': mammoth restoration begins on cathedral's fire-damaged organ</h3>&nbsp;The latest stage in the restoration of Paris's Notre Dame cathedral begins today: the gradual removal of its great organ, which must be cleaned piece by piece, according to the public body in charge of the cathedral's reconstruction. Scaffolding was erected in July to enable the operation.During the <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/fire-damages-notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris">April 2019 fire</a>, the symphonic organ was not badly damaged either by flames or by the water used during the firemen's rescue operation. However, the instrument was covered with lead dust and some parts were affected by thermal variations, such as during last July's heatwave.By Anna Sansom, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/notre-dame-organ">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417976/vevk8jw2oblkdp2r10ad.jpg"><figcaption>Arkady Rotenberg has made a nearly $3 billion fortune overseeing infrastructure projects. Endeavors such as the 12-mile Crimean Bridge have earned him awards in Russia, as seen here where he received a Russian Hero of Labor gold star but also landed him on the U.S. sanctions list for undermining Ukrainian independence.PHOTO: MIKHAIL METZEL/TASS/ZUMA PRESS</figcaption></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>How Two Sanctioned Russian Billionaire Brothers Bought Art Anyway&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;Two months after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russian construction billionaires Arkady and Boris Rotenberg in March 2014, the brothers sent their art adviser on a shopping spree, according to a Senate investigation report released Wednesday. At a Sotheby’s auction that month in New York, the Rotenbergs, who are lifelong friends of Russian President Vladimir Putin, paid $6.8 million for 10 works of art, including a cubist still life by Georges Braque and a swirling tableau by Marc Chagall, the report said.By Kelly Crow, Wall Street Journal<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-two-sanctioned-russian-billionaire-brothers-bought-art-anyway-11596035186?mod=hp_lead_pos13&amp;fbclid=IwAR07-tnz2L-knd-WmiCchnDBE3-CGMHIPmFaWUSkLTNdn3dlDgH2oVHSToM">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417977/nttijoxmcfpta0fw2xvp.png"><figcaption>“Constellation” a sculpture by architect Santiago Calatrava at River Point Park on July 28, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h3>Farewell, Spire. Hello, spiral.</h3>&nbsp;Remember the Chicago Spire, the planned 2,000-foot condo tower that would twist into the sky like a giant corkscrew but wound up an embarrassing hole in the ground?Well, the architect of that failed project, Spanish-born, Zurich-based Santiago Calatrava, is back, with something considerably shorter — 29 feet short, to be exact.By Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/blair-kamin/ct-biz-calatrava-sculpture-in-chicago-kamin-20200729-alxyyxo6pngb7drpntzmavwml4-story.html?fbclid=IwAR0WEPAgbYph44C8l0EUTRN9n8aCxyV92H6aEkH0C7aIQ0AnFpW9C7xHVJs">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417978/uyhbh2n0zsnqq6atybw2.jpg"><figcaption>Visitors at the Berardo Collection Museum's reopening on July 15, 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo by Horacio Villalobos/Corbis via Getty Images.</figcaption></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Most People Plan to Visit Museums Just as Much as Ever and 5 Other Takeaways From Artnet Survey</h3>&nbsp;The pandemic is likely to change the way people do just about everything—the way they travel, the way they shop, the way they work.But for around 60 percent of respondents to a new Artnet News survey, it will have little impact on the way they interact with art.&nbsp;This is one of the surprising takeaways from the survey, which polled almost 2,000 Artnet News readers from 67 countries (though the majority of respondents hailed from the US). All told, the survey paints a picture of an art-engaged audience concerned with safety, but also committed to in-person experiences with art—though maybe not for the reasons you might expect.&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-engagement-survey-artnet-news-1897510">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 3, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417634/ztcr9ndhyabqf1a5ei6v.png"><figcaption>May's Heroes for Heroes design by David Lee Csicsko</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEADavid Lee Csicsko, an internationally recognized and celebrated designer and artist currently living and working in Chicago, has engaged in a wide variety of projects at nearly every scale during his 30 year career; from small privately commissioned prints to to his more recent explorations of the possibilities inherent in working with stained glass and mosaics at large scales. These monumental projects have included work for hospitals, universities, elementary schools, churches, and various private homes. He was even one of the artists who designed the Obama White House for Christmas in 2012.&nbsp;This weekend his artistic touch is about to be all over another special event, the first-ever virtual Scottish Highland Games to benefit the oldest nonprofit in Illinois, the <a href="https://www.chicagoscots.org">Chicago Scots</a>. And for the past few unusual months, he's been making his distinctively colorful, graphic portraits available to the public in the name of a good cause through the sale of specially editioned, and hotly anticipated, history-themed t-shirts, masks, and more.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417635/ryeurs0dv0r1owqu9naq.jpg"></figure>Csicsko has been working with the Chicago Scots since the spring to support staff and residents of the organization's Caledonia Senior Living in suburban North Riverside, a noble effort considering how severely senior care facilities have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic.&nbsp;In March in the early weeks of lockdown, while working on a design for the Chicago Scots to celebrate Tartan Day, which was coming up on April 6, Csicsko asked friend and Chicago Scots president Gus Noble, what/whom he thought Csicsko should feature in the design. Noble suggested featuring Scottish King Robert the Bruce (remember Bravehart?), since 2020 marked the 700th anniversary of Robert's signing of the Declaration of Arbroath (asserting Scottish independence from the English on April 6, 1320). When Csicsko asked how things were going at Caledonia Senior Living because of the virus, Noble responded that the campus was in an advanced state of lockdown, but that residents and staff were holding up very well due to the work of Caledonia's incredible staff. "They are heroes," Noble said. To recognize that heroism in the face of COVID-19’s challenges, Chicago Scots had begun to raise much needed funds to buy PPE, as well as to give each member of the team hero pay, meals, treats, and groceries to save trips to the store – anything to support these frontline workers and to encourage them for the lives they were protecting, especially when many of the elderly residents were cut off from visiting family members.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417636/qzzvyzhg3kigil6ndbv2.jpg"></figure>Csicsko has designed popular t-shirts and products for Chicago's Fine Art and Classical radio WFMT's fundraisers in the past, so Csicsko and Noble decided to team up to expand the ways in which funds could be raised for Caledonia's staff, they decided to call it “Heroes for Heroes”, incorporating the Tartan Day design for t-shirts, face masks, mugs and other items featuring Robert the Bruce to support Caledonia's heroes. The campaign expanded to do limited releases each month and to add new designs as well as celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the Chicago Scots this year. Now Chicago Scots features a different Scottish Hero each month. April’s hero was the Bruce, May’s was Mary Queen of Scots and, like his Red Red Rose that’s “newly sprung in June,” June's hero was the bard Robert Burns. July's hero was Neil Armstrong (in keeping with the society's mission that all they welcome everyone who is Scottish by birth, by heritage or simply by inclination, as Armstrong was American with Scottish heritage.) August is yet to be revealed.&nbsp;Noble says they have some terrific Scottish heroes waiting in the wings to make their appearance in the months ahead, and fans of Csicsko's work as well as the Chicago Scots have indeed been collecting the eagerly awaited new releases each month as well as guessing which ones will be next.&nbsp;Csicsko says he likes to work in a&nbsp;series, "I love when I can dig in and explore the subjects, from composer portraits,&nbsp;architect&nbsp;portraits, people in science and now important historical figures from Scotland. I love doing visual research, and adding accessible&nbsp;symbols to help tell more of the story."&nbsp;To begin he says he first does a quick pencil sketch and then draws on the computer. For him, "It's very satisfying&nbsp;to take a historic figure and make them become relevant&nbsp;to today's audience. With all the Scottish Heroes, it's fun to add a tartan when ever&nbsp;possible. I mean, why not?"<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417637/cjwog72rgtroay4anjpt.png"><figcaption>Csicsko in his studio</figcaption></figure>Csicsko's designs are helping to make tartan go beyond its standard association with Christmas time and tourists. Csicsko's aesthetic and striking use of color and pattern is distinctive, and each project he engages in is entirely unique. Through his work, Csicsko celebrates the diversity and richness of the human imagination, and expresses the joys of life through his dynamic use of color, bold graphics and playful patterns. Lending his talents to this latest project is just one more way, among many, he supports a greater need in a way that spreads joy and color through art.The&nbsp;COVID-19 challenges are significant but Csicsko has stayed busy, and he is thinking of others as well as new ventures. On Facebook&nbsp;he is currently making new free, shareable coloring pages. As of July he had over 150 original new pages.And he's also designing a line of smart looking masks.In addition to his fine art, David's projects include creating the mosaics at the Belmont 'L' station, designing the Obama White House for Christmas, illustrating the much loved children's book 'The Skin You Live In'. &nbsp;His designs for the fun, reusable shopping bags for Mariano's have become collected and spotted around&nbsp;the world. &nbsp;He has had exhibits&nbsp;LUMA Loyola's Museum of Art, and the&nbsp;Alliance Française de Chicago. His output ranges from the Chapel stained glass windows at the Robert and Anne Lurie Chicago Children's Hospital, to windows for colleges&nbsp;and churches. Mr Csicsko has as&nbsp;volunteer created graphics for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial&nbsp;Concerts and Groceryland a Charity Food Source for the needy.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417638/p2eixhgghfjaugj8isot.jpg"></figure>To purchase an item to support Caledonia House <a href="https://chicagoscots.itemorder.com/sale">click here</a> (deadline: July 31 for July's Hero)To learn about Chicago Scots click <a href="https://www.chicagoscots.org">here</a>To learn about David Lee Csicsko click <a href="https://csicsko.com">here</a> or follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/david.csicsko">Facebook</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417638/lvnh2yljmf9qkkdjgnsg.png"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417639/ptptk1ug3odzbvq9bv61.png"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Artist David Lee Csicsko Lends Graphic Talents to Benefit Healthcare Heroes

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417990/kowmqxbp9g28wp1ji8en.png"><figcaption>The 1982 painting "Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" by Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Art Institute of Chicago on Friday, July 24, 2020. Billionaire, Ken Griffin paid more than $100 million for the large-scale 1982 canvas "Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" and has loaned it after a pre-pandemic purchase. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure><h3>Now hanging at the Art Institute: Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin’s new, $100 million Basquiat canvas</h3>Now that eye-widening sale has turned into news Chicagoans can use. Exuberant, elemental and about 14 feet wide by 8 feet high, the painting is now hanging on a wall in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute, where it will be on view when the museum reopens Thursday after its more than four-month COVID-19 closure.By Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-griffin-basquiat-art-institute-loan-0725-20200725-g2l2lzlkhfdh7dpobezyvqw4p4-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417991/iw9jnggncbsc8dbvki22.png"><figcaption>Pablo Picasso, Still Life (1922). Pablo Picasso’s Estate. VEGAP. Madrid, 2020.</figcaption></figure><h3>Stunned Conservators Just Found a Ghostly Picasso Hidden Beneath One of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Most Treasured Paintings</h3>The discovery lends new insight into Picasso's practice.What’s better than one Picasso? How about a second Picasso lost for decades?That’s exactly what a team of research scientists&nbsp;at the Art Institute of Chicago discovered and wrote about in a report published this week in&nbsp;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-020-3136-y#Sec2">Applied Science</a>.By Caroline Goldstein, Artnet News&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/picasso-still-life-1896526">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417992/jerx09nbn9gwg7icrsfc.jpg"><figcaption>Legislation calls for the Smithsonian Institution to study a site for a National Museum of the American Latino on the National Mall in Washington</figcaption></figure><h3>US House votes to establish a National Museum of the American Latino</h3>The US House of Representatives voted today to establish a National Museum of the American Latino under the umbrella of the Smithsonian Institution to promote recognition of the Hispanic community’s role in American history and culture.By Nancy Kenney, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/us-house-votes-to-establish-a-national-museum-of-the-american-latino">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: July 28, 2020

<html><head></head><body>By CGN StaffThe MoCP is the world’s premier college art museum dedicated to photography.&nbsp;Founded in 1976 by Columbia College Chicago as the successor to the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography, the Museum began collecting in the early 1980s and has since grown its collection to include more than 15,000 objects by over 1,500 artists.&nbsp;The Museum of Contemporary Photography's popular Fine Print Program allows collectors to affordably buy art by some of the world's most renowned photographers while also supporting the museum's programming. &nbsp;Printed especially for the Museum by some of the most innovative photographers working today, the sale of editioned Fine Prints (many for just $400) directly supports artistic and educational programs at the MoCP.&nbsp; Prints by more than 60 artists are available online including works by artists of local, national and international renown such as Sarah Pickering, Olivo Barbieri, Tony Tasset, Ken Fandell, Brian Ulrich, Anna Shteynshleyger, Anna Fox, Aspen Mays, Kahn and Selesnick, Simon Roberts, Yeondoo Jung, and Tim Davis. Works by internationally-collected artists like Alec Soth, Vik Muniz, Candida Höfer, and Curtis Mann have quickly sold out in recent years.Each image is printed on archival-quality paper and is offered in an edition of 30, numbered and signed by the artist.This year, four artists join the program &nbsp;– all women artists:&nbsp;<a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=9233b6e150&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Patty Carroll</a> <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=3858ba12e8&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Beth Dow</a> <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=d7e6f68eee&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Priya Kambli</a> <a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=503fd7658e&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Millee Tibbs</a>At a time when many of us have not been able to visit a museum in months, the latest unveiling of MoCP's print program additions means you can (physically! not virtually!) bring museum-quality work in your own home.&nbsp;<a href="https://mocp.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9e4250b7536dc23e9352b28ee&amp;id=47cf8dad40&amp;e=d76e1da35a">Explore Fine Prints</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418790/az3av3ephtct3uukj3ya.jpg"><figcaption>Patty Carroll (American, b. 1946) Scrapbooking from the Domestic Demise series, 2016 Archival Pigment Print 12 x 12 inch image on 14 x 14 inch paper Signed Edition of 30 $400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418790/zw8ent9qvnjcizrsx5gf.jpg"><figcaption>Beth Dow (American, b. 1965) Natural Color from the Prediction Error series, 2018 Archival Pigment Print 15 x 12 inch image on 20 x 16 inch paper Signed Edition of 30 $400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418791/hqiyvkmkbnlh2eetmqfy.jpg"><figcaption>Priya Kambli (Indian, b. 1975) Eye (Muma and Maushi) from the Buttons for Eyes series, 2019 Archival Pigment Print 10 x 14 inch image on 11 x 15 inch paper Signed Edition of 30 $400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418792/r5cqdoqpyp7c8mudzjog.jpg"><figcaption>Millee Tibbs (American, b. 1976) Untitled from the Mount Analogue series, 2014 Archival Pigment Print 11 x 14 inch image on 11 x 14 inch paper Signed Edition of 30 $400</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

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