<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417848/si9eck50pxxps8fd5tdn.jpg"><figcaption>Mural at the Family Focus Building in Evanston, created by Juan Carlos Perez and students from Family Focus's after-school programs in 2019</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEA &nbsp;via PR<a href="https://www.artencounter.org/">Art Encounter</a> is a non-profit arts education organization devoted to help people engage with and learn about art, usually in person. As for most of us, these past few months have forced the group to adjust how they fulfill their mission of educating, empowering, and connecting people of diverse ages and backgrounds through interactive encounters with visual art. Ways they have continued to help people connect with art is through online tours and outreach programming.&nbsp;A recent program has focused on public murals outdoors. One creative, free artsy activity (with a prize!) in Evanston this summer, for all ages, is Art Encounter's <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001vXhN9e3vqkpmB64EliGvui8d748ll9oMdC-hnetomRaA9tMkxWabrLsNL9SEIzaevVBrC4jwd6fqmbjtX5t-XO1TUlzzb5MHEfvehpgkuQ0QqM50MOuXkh4UWhf_81AAQXVJfJSpi4Q2blIHsfTW9JSkewPNLOvDn9dznibm8IlFxJJx8vuMj2vgPFKK2NE-knBEJvy_Y7Ap5NugK_qjFSwWzD4fyB7i230KS-bGY5ygixU15CSY0NcJ4b58avaoskCbAUZK77XL_pN6EntVDw==&amp;c=nudl-Wi2ryKyC0mBY6j8skjz11q5LlYWWpve5I5ekck-i_0L6i80Jg==&amp;ch=_Kuv5CFYfp77fLtxwVIyRXagIB_t8_pkBxS362gU-IZN48_29xNk3w==">The Big Picture: A Mural Treasure Hunt!</a> Follow the group's custom Google map across 17 of Evanston Mural Arts Program murals while answering fun questions and following prompts by phone, then submit a completed form by August 30 for a chance to win gift cards and other prizes from Blick Art Materials. Learn about the murals as you visit them, and discover the many ways to see them on your journey. You can also tag @art.encounter and @evanstonmuralartsprogram on <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001vXhN9e3vqkpmB64EliGvui8d748ll9oMdC-hnetomRaA9tMkxWabrI5FHxkuQQkRJg6s5hZ2yAZ2asdi3dnoxJgcIAY2JqqEATkXINfBuzjdx3rjpHdTuaPcAZK1CY-KK8crfQsU1la8cSR7TE32EXDmYE79Q70n5B08duvWg3g=&amp;c=nudl-Wi2ryKyC0mBY6j8skjz11q5LlYWWpve5I5ekck-i_0L6i80Jg==&amp;ch=_Kuv5CFYfp77fLtxwVIyRXagIB_t8_pkBxS362gU-IZN48_29xNk3w==">instagram</a> and <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001vXhN9e3vqkpmB64EliGvui8d748ll9oMdC-hnetomRaA9tMkxWabrBUzHyEvaMoE7x-9ym_SsVCK2e96pdExlW3j62gbMDGUSsKjjVTfLBWdQ8xAEQaRSYai1TV5azbIw-Jl1mTyfs_q0gDoIiIeusgdyW6S-fX8VHrD6KFYeU0=&amp;c=nudl-Wi2ryKyC0mBY6j8skjz11q5LlYWWpve5I5ekck-i_0L6i80Jg==&amp;ch=_Kuv5CFYfp77fLtxwVIyRXagIB_t8_pkBxS362gU-IZN48_29xNk3w==">Facebook</a> when posting your mural photos, and hashtag #TheBigPictureEvanston.<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001vXhN9e3vqkpmB64EliGvui8d748ll9oMdC-hnetomRaA9tMkxWabrLsNL9SEIzaevVBrC4jwd6fqmbjtX5t-XO1TUlzzb5MHEfvehpgkuQ0QqM50MOuXkh4UWhf_81AAQXVJfJSpi4Q2blIHsfTW9JSkewPNLOvDn9dznibm8IlFxJJx8vuMj2vgPFKK2NE-knBEJvy_Y7Ap5NugK_qjFSwWzD4fyB7i230KS-bGY5ygixU15CSY0NcJ4b58avaoskCbAUZK77XL_pN6EntVDw==&amp;c=nudl-Wi2ryKyC0mBY6j8skjz11q5LlYWWpve5I5ekck-i_0L6i80Jg==&amp;ch=_Kuv5CFYfp77fLtxwVIyRXagIB_t8_pkBxS362gU-IZN48_29xNk3w==">CLICK HERE TO START HUNTING</a>The Evanston Mural Arts Program exists to make art available to all. Now entering its fourth year, the goal of the program is to uplift and beautify neighborhoods with mural art through creative partnerships with community organizations, youth groups, schools, and business districts. Art Encounter pairs professional artists with community members and youth groups to create large scale public works of art to last for years to come. <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001vXhN9e3vqkpmB64EliGvui8d748ll9oMdC-hnetomRaA9tMkxWabrOyUm34-VwXmXPDb6RZ-ALwm8n7bl602uSFNT_ub-5iWr6KDZdQcD6LXlAKPRgI_f9MilLtTz715_Dk3EUA0PwpHfpUYwMzh0PpCKLi-XQO0xNC_nlOJsHXO3aMgSW3OQcYR0m4eHwmP&amp;c=nudl-Wi2ryKyC0mBY6j8skjz11q5LlYWWpve5I5ekck-i_0L6i80Jg==&amp;ch=_Kuv5CFYfp77fLtxwVIyRXagIB_t8_pkBxS362gU-IZN48_29xNk3w==">Visit AE's website</a> for more information, including links to their Minute with a Muralist series, where they share interviews with the artists behind the murals.﻿<figure class="image"><img src="https://files.constantcontact.com/4fd15233201/1da90fc2-6bfa-4650-baa8-9b7a9bb1b103.png" alt=""><figcaption>Mural by Dustin Harris on the South Blvd. Metra/CTA Viaduct at South Blvd. and Chicago Ave., 2018</figcaption></figure>﻿<figure class="image"><img src="https://files.constantcontact.com/4fd15233201/8f61eea7-c3f6-4ae8-b81c-64d8eec57c9e.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Artist Anthony Lewellen poses in front of his 2018 mural on Church St.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

The Big Picture Mural Hunt Connects the Public with Evanston's Outdoor Art

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417774/kqgawlmuzm80qkfzu5h0.png"></figure>CGN Staff Via PR&nbsp;The International Museum of Surgical Science is one of 20 science centers and museums around the country selected to receive $5,000 in support of STEM engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and made possible by the Voya Foundation.This flexible program is designed to support science and technology centers and museums to continue to serve their missions and community by developing, enhancing, or adapting programs or resources, helping maintain STEM learning as children, families, and educators adapt to a new normal. Twenty institutions were selected to receive funding, from among 96 science centers and museums that submitted applications.The International Museum of Surgical Science will use the award to develop a STEM-engagement program that includes downloadable education materials and do-at-home activities, designed for grades 6–8. The packet and associated activities explore core concepts on topics including pathology, patent medicines, cardiology, ophthalmology, anesthesia and medical imaging. Each activity highlights artifacts from the museum, including a photograph and inquiries for observation. The project extends the museum’s mission of enriching people’s lives by enhancing their appreciation and understanding of the history, development and advances in surgery and related subjects in health and medicine. These resources will be made available digitally, and for local families in need, the museum will provide kits of materials. The packet and resources will be available by the end of June on the Museum’s website at&nbsp;<a href="https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=1047035384&amp;msgid=2239760&amp;act=GR1O&amp;c=428141&amp;destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imss.org%2F&amp;cf=66669&amp;v=776a947d47d6b73f91637fa56a9daed4d65747cedb5fd07501f8109ca0ee74f7">http://www.imss.org</a>.“We are thankful for this opportunity to create new materials for our younger audience. Since being closed, we have been working on ways to further engage our community through online education. This STEM packet has been developed with our educators and interns to cater to a need in our community that will benefit those learning at home. These funds help our organization greatly during this uncertain time,” said Michelle Rinard, Operations Manager, International Museum of Surgical Science.“We know the important role the International Museum of Surgical Science’s STEM program play in our communities because of the success of Voya STEM Futures, one of our signature programs,” said Angela Harrell, SVP, Chief Diversity and Corporate Responsibility Officer and President, Voya Foundation. “We’re proud that our rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic can keep our children learning during this unprecedented time.”“We are thankful that Voya recognized a need for continued exploration and learning opportunities—even when science centers and museums are closed—and stepped forward to help them keep doing what they do best,” said Cristin Dorgelo, President and CEO of ASTC. “Community-based organizations like the International Museum of Surgical Science are well-positioned to help meet the need for increased understanding of—and engagement with—science and technology among all people, which is needed now more than ever.”Members of the public can further support the International Museum of Surgical Science’s STEM project by making a contribution at&nbsp;<a href="https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=1047035384&amp;msgid=2239760&amp;act=GR1O&amp;c=428141&amp;destination=https%3A%2F%2Fimss.org%2Fdonate%2F&amp;cf=66669&amp;v=627a36a7d28cabb64076d14aeb7e01920908c3337b3b05b196faa0a9c1a6ac95">https://imss.org/donate/</a>.&nbsp;About the International Museum of Surgical ScienceThe International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS), a division of the International College of Surgeons, maintains over 10,000 square feet of public galleries committed to the history of surgery, and an exquisite permanent collection of art and artifacts from the history of medicine. The museum supports its mission through medically themed exhibitions and programs, in addition to a strong contemporary art exhibition program. IMSS is housed in a historic landmark mansion located at 1524 North Lake Shore Drive, one-half block south of North Avenue, in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. IMSS is open to visitors Monday through Friday 9:30AM – 5:00PM and Saturday and Sunday 10:00AM – 5:00PM. For more information visit&nbsp;<a href="https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=1047035384&amp;msgid=2239760&amp;act=GR1O&amp;c=428141&amp;destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imss.org%2F&amp;cf=66669&amp;v=776a947d47d6b73f91637fa56a9daed4d65747cedb5fd07501f8109ca0ee74f7">www.imss.org</a>.&nbsp;About Voya FoundationVoya Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in communities where Voya Financial operates and its employees and customers live. Voya Foundation provides grants and establishes signature partnerships in the areas of financial literacy and children’s education and fosters employee engagement to deepen our positive impact on the community. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=1047035384&amp;msgid=2239760&amp;act=GR1O&amp;c=428141&amp;destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.voyafoundation.com%2F&amp;cf=66669&amp;v=cc46548bb0d8614fa7d760c4b18307f554a3988aee2f18017738e2cd3fbef3f5">http://www.VoyaFoundation.com</a>.About ASTCFounded in 1973, ASTC is a network of nearly 700 science and technology centers and museums, and allied organizations, engaging more than 110 million people annually across North America and in almost 50 countries. With its members and partners, ASTC works towards a vision of increased understanding of—and engagement with—science and technology among all people.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.astc.org/">www.astc.org</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

International Museum of Surgical Science Wins Highly Competitive Grant to Support STEM Engagement During COVID-19 Pandemic

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEAIs the general mood improving just a bit, as the sun stays out and outside beckons? I am cautiously optimistic, for now, as we enter a new "sort of normal" and am looking forward to gallery visits this week and next to say hi to friends, from at least 6 feet away.&nbsp;I was just thinking today how altered the art marketplace is for now, as there are no art fairs on the horizon or major summer events. The trend for awhile has been for dealers to have a relatively quiet physical space while making the majority of sales at art fairs (which can cost a fortune to participate in but which became a market and networking necessity in order to gain visibility and a reputation among collectors, artists and other dealers.) For collectors, art fairs were like a social summit, not to mention one-stop shopping. Openings were also another social nexus - mix and mingle with artists and see what's new on the first night (if you haven't already attended a pre-opening reception.)&nbsp;So now what? It sounds almost quaint to have to make an appointment to visit a gallery with just a couple of other people. I'm really hopeful, especially being someone who dislikes large crowds anyway, that these new access requirements will be as surprisingly refreshing as the lack of traffic on city streets lately. Without a crowd, you will have a dealer's full attention. There's no hiding or pretending not to see something or someone. Art will also have your full attention. There's no question you're welcome – you're expected!&nbsp;I encourage you to make a date with a friend you haven't seen in awhile and agree to meet in a gallery, 6 feet apart. Then enjoy the excitement of lunch of dinner nearby, outside. A couple of galleries below are also featuring very affordable art. Support an artist. Buy new art.&nbsp;More updates are coming to us daily, so keep up with our <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events">calendar of events</a>. Thanks for supporting CGN and all of our partner spaces and of course the artists!&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417780/i6moevpgnfnc6zw5o5zl.jpg"><figcaption>Tripp Huggins: installation view of "MLK" 2020, double-sided drawing, mixed media on paper 14h x 11w in., 17 ½h x 14w x 3 ½d in. with stand. At Western Exhibitions.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/western-exhibitions">Western Exhibitions</a>Western Exhibitions, now open by appointment only Tu-Sa 11-5, presents a curated selection of paintings, drawings, ceramics, artist books and sculptures from artists who make work at Visionaries + Voices (V+V), a progressive art studio in Cincinnati. The show runs through the summer.&nbsp;Established in 2003, <a href="www.visionariesandvoices.com">Visionaries + Voices</a> is a non-profit organization that provides exhibition opportunities, studio space, supplies and support to more than 125 visual artists with disabilities. V+V artists actively contribute to the greater Cincinnati arts community through creative, educational, and strategic partnerships with local and regional artists, schools and business leaders.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417781/wckwb1maib8alcqa6gef.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/document">DOCUMENT</a>DOCUMENT re-opened to the public today, June 16th. Due to the COVID-19&nbsp;closure, Victoria Fu's second solo exhibition at the gallery has been extended. Fu’s practice examines and plays with artistic conventions and the dispersal of technical images in the contemporary era. Using appropriated stock footage and original imagery, Fu dissects strategies of visual communication by collaging scraps of digital media into formal elements. The gallery is open by appointment only&nbsp;Tu-Sa 11-5, taking all necessary&nbsp;precautions&nbsp;for the safety of our staff, colleagues and visitors.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417781/th18ept244k8hiy96igq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/chicago-truborn">Chicago Truborn</a>Officially back open, just in time to catch the final week of Anthony Lewellen's solo show "Retrospect". Chicago Truborn will also open a new show on June 27. They shared, "The last four months have been rough! For everyone. One thing that's gotten us through...Is art. The art in our homes, the virtual shows, the murals we enjoy that connect us to our city, the messages of unity...and messages of struggle. It's never been more apparent that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/artisessential/">#ARTISESSENTIAL</a> Many artists have been out of work and have lost future jobs due to funding cuts and various other pandemic fallout. But, they haven't stopped creating!! The theme of this next show is up to the artists. All work was made while in quarantine and will be priced at $450 and under.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417783/ae9qjgte6n4ns58bodlh.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/richard-norton-gallery">Richard Norton Gallery</a>The gallery is open again in the Merchandise Mart and touting a special <a href="http://richardnortongallery.com/exhibitions/82-masks-on-the-art">Online Showroom</a> featuring 150 works of art and objects priced at $1,500 &amp; under. Check it out before you visit and then go see if for yourself.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Part III: Spotlight on Galleries and Art Spaces Re-Opening

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417758/cqsc0lqv0hac5npb1yhk.jpg"><figcaption>Ford Foundation president Darren Walker. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.</figcaption></figure>Five Foundations Pledge $1.7 Billion for NonprofitsThe W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation are among the five major charities that have collaborated to establish a $1.7 billion fund to support nonprofits struggling with Covid-19-related financial losses, in an initiative spearheaded by the Ford Foundation.Via Art Forum<a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/five-foundations-pledge-1-7-billion-for-nonprofits-83237">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417759/xgp21drh1t70hieqduas.jpg"><figcaption>The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Photo by Céline, via Wikimedia Commons.</figcaption></figure>The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago agreed to cease contracting with the Chicago Police Department.MCA director Madeleine Grynsztejn addressed the concerns raised in TCA’s petition with her own <a href="https://www.change.org/p/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-mca-cut-ties-with-cpd-now/u/26802117">letter</a>, clarifying that the MCA did not contract the CPD directly, but rather maintained a business relationship with the police through the museum’s private security firm Securitas. Grynsztejn concluded the response by stating that the museum will ask to be alerted any time Securitas engages with the CPD. A post on the museum’s Instagram page confirmed that commitment, stating that the MCA “is not engaged in any current contracts, ongoing contracts, or special services with the Chicago Police Department (CPD), nor does it fund the CPD.”Via Artsy News<a href="https://www.artsy.net/news/artsy-editorial-museum-contemporary-art-chicago-agreed-cease-contracting-chicago-police-department">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417760/yvdbz1bygf9a18urac78.jpg"><figcaption>Leonardo Drew's 2012 Number 163M was included in the “The Gift of Art” exhibition (2018–19) at the Pérez Art Museum Miami.COURTESY PÉREZ ART MUSEUM MIAMI</figcaption></figure>Diversity-Inspired Museum Fellowships Are Noble—But Do They Lead to&nbsp;Success?Over the past few years there has been much discussion about the art world’s pipeline problem: that there are not enough paths to professional success and achievement for people of diverse backgrounds. This has galvanized efforts by numerous foundations to create curatorial fellowships at museums and institutions in order to diversify their curatorial ranks.By Naiomy Guerrero, ArtNews<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/art-museum-diversity-curatorial-fellowships-1202691076/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417761/qsw4rmvwvnpei8fj5zhe.png"><figcaption>The Field Foundation named its 2020 Leaders for a New Chicago winners. The $50,000 award is divided in half — $25,000 for personal use and $25,000 for the winner's affiliated organization. Hoda Katebi is the sole winner not pictured. (The Field Foundation)</figcaption></figure>11 Chicagoans each awarded $50,000 by Field Foundation for the plans they have to make a difference in the cityIn a time when protests for social inequities are everywhere, some Chicagoans are protesting through their daily passions.Bronzeville resident Dorothy Burge is protesting through the art of quilting. A member of the Women of Color Quilters Network, the recent retiree is transitioning her hobby of quilting with a message into a full-time endeavor thanks to <a href="http://fieldfoundation.org/">The Field Foundation</a>’s Leaders for a New Chicago award, announced Tuesday by the Field Foundation, in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.By Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-field-foundation-leaders-awardees-20200616-20200616-u2iqjr36xree7ne2lqopw27rvu-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417761/mzlbtdll6jxltkwnb03l.jpg"><figcaption>Painters work on a mural on 16th Street in Washington, DC June 5, 2020 before the renaming of the street Black Lives Matter Way in front of St. Johns Church. (Photo by Toni Sandys The Washington Post via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>How Have Artists Shaped Previous Protest Movements? 7 Historians on How the Past Can Help Us Understand the PresentTo help us better understand the current moment and the role art and artists have to play in it, we asked academics who have studied artistic responses to previous rebellions and Civil Rights movements to provide context for what we’re seeing now. Read on for their perspectives on how artists of the past contributed to and helped shape historic moments of change.Via Artnet News<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-and-protest-historian-response-1882494">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: June 16, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417784/ndk7l51qw2vry9q96uqj.jpg"><figcaption>Via Instagram: “Spike Marks and Mirrors”, a durational installation art piece by Jeffrey Augustine Songco at FLXST Contemporary. Songco’s installation changes over time, inspired by the patterns of self-portraits on the fabrics that he customized. The mirrors evoke a sense of presence for the viewers. They are asked to take selfies of themselves reflected in the mirrors. In a timely way, the piece also evokes sense of communal belonging in a moment rife with forces or pandemics that seek to disconnect us from one another.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By JACQUELINE LEWISIn the middle of the most challenging market circumstances, I talked to two galleries in Chicago that were both practically brand new at the time. The owners of both spaces – Ice House Gallery and FLXST Contemporary – were candid about what it takes to open and run a new art gallery, as well as how to meet obstacles head on. The directors of each gallery allowed us a peek into their experiences by answering questions about successes and difficulties, and they gave sage, and hopeful, advice to anyone considering opening their own art space.&nbsp;Publisher's note: This feature was printed in our 2020 summer issue. Unfortunately Ice House did end up closing permanently at the end of May 2020, just after the summer magazine came out. Owner Hannah shared with us that she just couldn't make her young gallery work amidst the financial headwinds of COVID-19 and the extended state-wide shutdown. We are including her insights here for you anyway, since she took the time to speak with us, and we wish her well on her next endeavor.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417786/u49kortgp6gfmxwtmso5.png"><figcaption>Patrons at FLXST</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/flxst-contemporary">FLXST Contemporary</a>FLXST Contemporary is a fine art and photography incubator located in Chicago’s Chinatown. Jan Christine Bernabe, Chief Creative &amp; Operations Director, launched the gallery in June 2019. The gallery holds evocative and uncompromising shows full of emerging and mid career artists. FLXST primarily focuses on diasporic, im/migrant artists, LGBTQ identified artists and artists of color based in Chicago.Why: When working in academia, Jan taught and wrote about persons of color and LGBTQ artists. After, she independently curated shows for the same demographic. This experience demonstrated a need to open a commercial gallery space specifically for these historically underrepresented artists who deserve a legitimate place in the art market. FLXST aims to expands this often ignored space within the Chicago community.Background Planning: Jan admits that there are many challenges when opening a gallery. She had to simultaneously and successfully manage the business’s fiscal, and curatorial sides. Galleries need municipal and state permits and licenses to run. To receive help with some of these bureaucratic matters, Jan consulted with a small business mentor at the LGBT Chamber of Commerce. She also made sure to create a solid exhibition program and enlist the help of a trusted gallery assistant.Besides business logistics, Jan has also built solid partnerships based on trust with new contemporary artists.Challenges: Staying fiscally afloat and covering expenses like operational costs are challenges that FLXST has had to overcome. Unfortunately, money does dictate how most art institutions must approach programming and that is no different for FLXST. That being said, Jan says that being patient with sales and being frugal without compromising quality is helping FLXST grow. They may not be able to enter large art fairs or hire an extensive staffing team yet, but they are creative with what they have.Successes: Though simply keeping the gallery open is a success in itself, a few moments stand out in Jan’s memory. Last fall, Harvard University acquired four Roberto Jamora prints from the FLXST’s collection, a powerful affirmation of Jan’s gallery goals. FLXST has also had the opportunity to work with many talented, emerging artists like Laura Kina, Jason Dunda, Yasmin Spiro, Jeffrey Augustine Songco, and Oli Rodriguez amongst others.Tipping Point: FLXST is working towards becoming established. It could be right around the corner, but Jan would rather focus on the “now” rather than the “what ifs” of the future.Advice: “Every potential gallery owner should understand what they’re getting into and to have the confidence and creativity in navigating any of the challenges that will come their way.” Jan advises anyone who is thinking about opening a gallery to truly consider all the expenses involved. You must be prepared to cover start up costs and other financial issues that will most likely arise. Unless you are independently wealthy, this could be very difficult. Consider consulting a business advisor and always diligently follow the art market as a whole!<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417787/tieyaq2mocfnyivtcllq.jpg"><figcaption>Art by FLXST artist Jeffrey Augustine Songco</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417788/ltt368wxkl4xkxhgqtnv.jpg"></figure>Ice House GalleryGallery Owner and Director Hannah Litvan opened Ice House Gallery in late 2017 to support, connect and celebrate all things art in Evanston. The gallery is multifaceted. They currently offer community classes and exhibitions while continuing to expand their programming.Why: Hannah noticed that the Evanston area art scene was in need of a gallery that catered to local artists. She hoped to create a space for artists of all levels to showcase their work and gain gallery experience.Background Planning: Before opening, Hannah networked and developed relationships with area artists and other art spaces in order to generate buzz around Ice House’s grand opening. First there was a lot of administrative work to sort through to even reach that point. Originally, Hannah searched for a smaller space, but after finding its larger, current location, she saw an opportunity for future expansion. Ice House could grow beyond its original vision or open additional avenues for income based on the space’s evolving needs.Challenges: Hannah believes that marketing and media are extremely important for any business, especially in today’s climate. “Marketing is always changing and you really have to self educate to stay on top of it.” Ice House’s team overcomes this ever evolving situation through a solid team of employees that seamlessly blend imaging and public presentation. Coming together as a community also lessens the stress of running a new business.Successes: “Staying open for any small business, let alone an art business, is a major accomplishment!” Through flexibility and by listening to the community’s needs, Ice House has survived and thrived. Hannah hopes to be able to update the gallery’s space to look sleeker, as well as add a professional stage for live performances. They are also planning to expand their programming with Art Maker’s Outpost, a new space for creative workshops that will utilize recycled materials from the community.Tipping Point: “It’s happening right now!” Renovations could shift the gallery towards a more “high-end” vibe, and Hannah wants Ice House to enter its next phase to become an established fixture in the Chicago area art scene. COVID-19 has put plans temporarily on hold.Advice: “It’s not easy, but that’s okay! Art is a fluid world and you have to find your niche. Devote yourself to your vision, but listen to your artists and patrons to ensure you’re opening a space that can fill gaps in your art community.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Running a New Gallery in a Challenging Climate

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417632/cdcytmefkjevlw6aflqg.jpg"></figure>By CGN Staff via PRWe heard this week about an artist rounding up a group of artists available for hire (with no cost to business owners) to paint area store fronts that are currently boarded up. &nbsp;Pigment artist&nbsp;Barrett Keithley is working to replace images of desolation and destruction with images of hope and unity. Keithley enlisted over 75 artists to paint murals on nearly 15 boarded up buildings over the last week. He and his partner Missy Perkins conceived&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wvDETeF7EsUYd_SNWd3j2ewsHQSmGwXnojIxidMUczvrlDre_Jbr9o1j97KwgOE3KtlYImkOO41dkbHxTUkqKRPEynMGXVVADMMCSiJu1twvuuW64FHHpQul2jbOTN0tkmcx5BvhckLDPiRpe6bKpHgsl5f8ezQKOUWxvYyvIYu0XogtLpDZoL8hNErdo16feSpGYvKeEzFNeewajKbbxoM-tUKNc9GjbzxAEECNF1p-KT2mgkRYPIvTFyTg0F6qFXtWD5_5fAxYr6MJvi1iOD0ldgSgBjTC&amp;c=q-s-_bXdFRPTz6LESDHlKPF4uk-ihQwoLomsdbVEfQ0G3L2UJOUBiQ==&amp;ch=hzoFuRW277PMrMJ2vlSFTL2tJvLyw7OXwQGiH_utJ6isuvz8q4S_8g==">“Paint the City”</a>&nbsp;project to help the city move forward as peaceful protests, ignited by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, turned to looting across Chicago. Their stated mission is to create inspiring works of art that support equality and show that&nbsp;Black Lives Matter.&nbsp;Keithley and his group of artists have painted 10 buildings so far, mostly on the south and west sides, and they anticipate doubling that this week.&nbsp;“Paint the City” is our way of helping our city heal,” said Keithley, a self-taught artists who grew up on Chicago’s South Side.&nbsp;“We want to help heal and restore our community and transforming boarded up buildings into an art gallery of sorts is one way to do that.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417633/hzpcsjimc9or0ucdsg4r.png"></figure>Once a business contacts the team, they meet with them to decide what they’d like on the building.&nbsp;&nbsp;It could be something of the owners choosing or they can give the artists license to create.&nbsp;&nbsp;Keithley says most people are just looking for something uplifting.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most importantly, these are local artists contributing to their local community.&nbsp;&nbsp;And residents are supporting their effort by dropping off food and refreshments to the artists while they work.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Keithley says the long-term goal of “Paint the City” is to create equal opportunities and resources for Black people within the art community and support local businesses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Turning outdoor spaces into galleries, he says, is one way the arts community can rebound post COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;The service is free to business owners who may contact Missy Perkins via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:Missygem13@gmail.com">Missygem13@gmail.com</a>.&nbsp;They have also started a GoFundMe campaign&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wvDETeF7EsUYd_SNWd3j2ewsHQSmGwXnojIxidMUczvrlDre_Jbr9o1j97KwgOE3KtlYImkOO41dkbHxTUkqKRPEynMGXVVADMMCSiJu1twvuuW64FHHpQul2jbOTN0tkmcx5BvhckLDPiRpe6bKpHgsl5f8ezQKOUWxvYyvIYu0XogtLpDZoL8hNErdo16feSpGYvKeEzFNeewajKbbxoM-tUKNc9GjbzxAEECNF1p-KT2mgkRYPIvTFyTg0F6qFXtWD5_5fAxYr6MJvi1iOD0ldgSgBjTC&amp;c=q-s-_bXdFRPTz6LESDHlKPF4uk-ihQwoLomsdbVEfQ0G3L2UJOUBiQ==&amp;ch=hzoFuRW277PMrMJ2vlSFTL2tJvLyw7OXwQGiH_utJ6isuvz8q4S_8g==">“Paint the City”</a>&nbsp;to cover the costs of supplies and provide artists’ stipend.&nbsp;&nbsp;The goal of the campaign is $10,000 and so far, they’ve raised just over $4,000.&nbsp;&nbsp;About the Artist:Barrett Keithley is a self-taught artist born on Chicago’s South Side. His passion for art began when he was a child reading and writing poetry. His early influences were poems and writings by Langston Hughes and James Baldwin. Like Hughes and Baldwin, Keithley conveys stories within his body of work. He paints stories about growing up in the area of the south side known as the “Wild Hundreds” that depict the lack of opportunities and resources within his neighborhood. He combines the negatives and positives of his upbringing to construct his own original style of painting. Keithley chooses to use characters that are abstracted, frontal, and flat. In addition, at times he will combine a realistic image to depict complex themes in a pattern technique.&nbsp;He uses colorful imagery to showcase themes such as poverty, death, prosperity, and tranquility.&nbsp;</body></html>

Artist Spotlight: Barrett Keithley's Images of Hope and Unity Replace boarded Up Store Fronts

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEAStuart Dyer is an old soul, who has had an eye for hunting treasure for as long as she can remember. More than 10 years ago she turned her personal passion into a full time profession when she founded Ladybug Vintage. She shared some of her own secrets of sourcing and collecting with CGN.<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418782/ykq8n0hhb3p14nsnxuoh.jpg"><figcaption>Stuart Dyer at home. Photo by Frank Ishman</figcaption></figure>Please tell me how you came to do what you do? What were some of your earliest creative inspirations and influences?I started Ladybug Vintage in 2009. It is a vintage jewelry and accessories business which focuses mostly on the international glamour and country club chic eras of the 1960s and 1970s. From as far back as I can remember, I have been an avid fan of vintage. My interest started when I would spend time with my grandmother on Sundays. She had a huge jewelry box filled with vintage costume and real jewelry pieces, and I would spend hours trying everything on. I never got tired of it! I also loved watching old movies with her from the 1940s through the 1960s, and I quickly became obsessed with the clothing and jewelry featured in the films. My interest in vintage expanded further when I would accompany my mother to flea markets and antique shows where she would look for British antiques and Chinese export pieces. I wanted to collect something too, so I would look for things I could afford with my allowance. No one really wanted Vintage clothing and costume jewelry then.After college, I moved to New York City, took night classes at Parsons School of Design and then worked as a clothing designer. During this time, I started acquiring vintage pieces to use as design inspiration. After working&nbsp; in fashion for 15 years and moving to Chicago, I decided to turn my passion for vintage into a business and started Ladybug Vintage.We have talked to a lot of art collectors over the years for CGN – often it’s a long time before they even realize they have a collection. Please talk about what it means to buy things that you love with an eye for selling them to someone else.I have always bought what I love, whether its vintage jewelry, vintage clothing, art or antiques – now I continue to do the same thing on a bigger scale. I find if I stay true to what I love, the pieces I acquire work together even if from different eras, creating a cohesive collection that appeals to my buyers.Are there any secrets to finding a vintage treasure among a lot of...junk? Do you have favorite sources or sites?I think the secret is experience. I have been acquiring vintage for so long I can usually rather quickly spot what I am looking for. When I arrive at a booth at a flea market, I’ll scan the space to get a sense of what is there, and then focus. Since I mostly look for jewelry and accessories, I start where smaller pieces are kept.My favorite sources always change. It is a game of chance. One time I could go to a thrift shop and find a treasure trove, and the next time I go back find nothing. The same can be said about the other places where I like to search, such as auctions (both live and on-line), flea markets and antique malls. I look for vintage wherever I happen to be, even when travelling.I know you have an art history background and I read that you are also a life-long lover of antiques.I am! I have many collections. In addition to vintage jewelry and accessories, I collect mid-century modern furniture, vintage Limoges dishes, antique botanical prints, colorful 1960s and 1970s graphic art, Murano glass and paperweights.Are there certain designers or categories you recommend new collectors, or anyone with a level of interest in vintage clothing and jewelry, should look to collect?&nbsp;I recommend that people collect what speaks to them and what they find beautiful or interesting, because the value of things comes and goes. I suggest you do research to develop an eye for what you like and become familiar with signature pieces, designer’s marks, etc. That being said, high-end designer pieces from Hermes, Chanel, Dior and Gucci, tend to hold their value.What are some challenges to being a professional ‘collector’?The biggest challenge is to not become a hoarder – ha! Besides that, I find that it can be a challenge to buy things that are only in good condition, are of high quality, and to truly stick to pieces that I love. I have learned the hard way not to buy something just because it is a bargain.&nbsp;</body></html>

Stuart Dyer’s Game of Chance

<html><head></head><body>By CGN StaffOn Tuesday we started to spotlight area spaces that are reopening to the public. As we mentioned then, each one is moving ahead in the way that is right for them and for their clients. It's safe to say that for the month of June, visiting a gallery will involve either entering with a small group or making a private appointment. Don't let phone calls and requests for access intimidate you! Seriously! Everyone will be pleased to see you. Make a date with a friend you haven't seen in awhile and agree to meet in a gallery, 6 feet apart.&nbsp;More updates to come daily, so keep up with our calendar of events. Thanks for supporting CGN and all of our partner spaces and of course the artists!&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417615/w7argbivfkvbv8ol5u8j.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/carrie-secrist-gallery">Carrie Secrist Gallery</a>After nearly two decades at 835 W Washington Blvd in the West Loop, as of June 1 Carrie Secrist Gallery has moved out permanently.For the time being, CSG will be transferring its physical operations to a private luxury condo building across the street at 900 W. Washington Blvd. In partnership with this new development since December of 2018, this collaboration (CSG x 900) has offered an exclusive experience for private viewings and events. Collectively in 24,000+ square feet of gallery quality exhibition space made available to CSG in the 10 story development, they have curated solo, two person and group installations of new and historic works by many of the gallery's artists past and present. They will be taking meetings by appointment only in this space from now through Labor Day.&nbsp;Recent exhibitions may be found in their new virtual “gallery space” with some shows accessible via the gallery's Online Viewing Room archive via their website.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417616/t7q4eireugcj9lcy8cym.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/gallery-victor-armendariz">Gallery Victor Armendariz</a>This River North gallery is now open. They extend a special shout-out to their extraordinary artists who continued to create new and exciting art which the gallery looks forward to sharing with you in the coming months. Stay tuned. June 2020 Hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday Noon to 4pm or anytime by pre-arranged appointment.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417617/h5ro1fauvubl9droxcwa.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/monique-meloche-gallery">Monique Meloche</a>The gallery&nbsp;emailed friends and clients this week emphasizing they are "committed to providing a safe space for contemplation and&nbsp;critical dialogue&nbsp;during times of uncertainty.&nbsp;We&nbsp;continue to&nbsp;support the perspectives of artists whose work probes the inequities of our&nbsp;system&nbsp;and who so beautifully shine light on the experiences of those often pushed to the margin." Anyone interested in visiting should contact the gallery to make an appointment (1-4 guests at a time). <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015P8uXEGL1GXC7akgu8KXXbGuNzUqcRwlaZBhvYWxo7EvgHzMJ0XKQlkcv8o2ewRvQBBIWzTEjsxTpdsbWvCUvMo-tZwz_swVwAMJ_Su79K1hQuPjKcPME4FqQnUR83pGAv6vrY-_IXIPPARGIlglBLSBbdIeoQ5v659bdDszoefErwLU5iHJaQ==&amp;c=QdhlZpZHn7bZrpy1_PxQxnLviDFoH_W1K6m9I4XQSdF_odLHJTcYdg==&amp;ch=9mzKY-97o-d3tn8hBDGm_5llHMVXSPuaiYQOlo-JDgNjaOFpg2CZ2g==">Nate Young's</a>&nbsp;current exhibition,&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0015P8uXEGL1GXC7akgu8KXXbGuNzUqcRwlaZBhvYWxo7EvgHzMJ0XKQvwb5HziwbCNZPbjNkp0z_zwBwfEEbHYSYzWB92JN5BRW-4ivbrZJwl4lysgGC8SZxR4Y9f4xs0Dbzr7Qeh_N1m9iOrljPJpOyT8v7KxcTsiwZ2b06mtxDSBKDEmheHbZlH00dSjVlWEM5l3j-PWREw=&amp;c=QdhlZpZHn7bZrpy1_PxQxnLviDFoH_W1K6m9I4XQSdF_odLHJTcYdg==&amp;ch=9mzKY-97o-d3tn8hBDGm_5llHMVXSPuaiYQOlo-JDgNjaOFpg2CZ2g==">The Transcendence of Time</a>, open through June 27.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417618/irhpkg41yafsbsjufhre.jpg"><figcaption>Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. All prints featured here are $25 each (w/o shipping), oil based ink on chipboard, 19 x 12.5" at Chicago Printmakers Collaborative. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/chicago-printmakers-collaborative--3">Chicago Printmakers Collaborative</a>CPC is not really open just yet, though they are very busy online and behind the scenes. They shared, "We believe we still have work to do in order to keep our community safe and healthy. The shop has been quiet, and misses the buzz of its artists, students and visitors - the people who give it light and life. The CPC has put into place a staggered and limited opening of its facilities to residents (June 1) and members (July 1), with social distancing measures and strict guidelines in place regarding masks, sanitation, and capacity." They have also launched online/remote classes, and their popular series, Flatfile Fridays, launched durning quarantine, will continue bi-weekly in perpetuity. They now sell gift cards and also offer curbside pick-up and shipping.&nbsp;Last week In lieu of their regularly scheduled Flatfile Friday, they shared the work of CPC gallery artists Amos Paul Kennedy, Stephen Wiggins, Aaron Coleman, and Steve Prince because they are wonderful printmakers and most excellent humans. The CPC will donate its commission on all sales to either the <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nF_RiigojA9_zd_JhS0uXrIYYmJBoEOp8A8pxR9RMeN_XjvV_sfl4OyNInjrQdmljGu__A9TzUhLGKu2O-XDjlLFrNW-fili9Nn_LKbJvuU9v2dJtmt0o5EJkkqiiTkjJUTVNz17FXeKHNvmKTr2cpHNt0eEpClY3kdBuE-ZFaE=&amp;c=ZCPFxF-4x5-3ou097VA5hQyhcfri0C-K88aZzbOdDtAwRjAde_e-lw==&amp;ch=ZLMGXj3gQJUi38-VA95J3EK7GBhriKr0_y1GjAUk5M9CKQJ498ekig==">Chicago Community Bond Fund</a>, or <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nF_RiigojA9_zd_JhS0uXrIYYmJBoEOp8A8pxR9RMeN_XjvV_sfl4OyNInjrQdmlD47ZHc_dcOcGAJn-94LtzcibROIC1aTVLl40GdkdgBykhnUENypH3gtUXs6gKWcef42N0JKPMEocydIvzWStdSseQC_gGWNQatUoG7zU2K1tgwE4a4I-sQ==&amp;c=ZCPFxF-4x5-3ou097VA5hQyhcfri0C-K88aZzbOdDtAwRjAde_e-lw==&amp;ch=ZLMGXj3gQJUi38-VA95J3EK7GBhriKr0_y1GjAUk5M9CKQJ498ekig==">Campaign Zero</a>. Buyers can stipulate their preference. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Part II: Spotlight on Galleries and Art Spaces Re-Opening

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418782/jo2ppddshaxammr5qh3f.png"></figure>Via PRCHICAGO — The Richard H. Driehaus Museum today announced the four artists who will receive its 2020 A Tale of Today: Emerging Artists Fellowship. Launched in 2019, the annual Fellowship provides four emerging Chicago-based ALAANA (African, Latino, Asian, Arab, and Native American) artists with an unrestricted stipend of $2,500. It also provides the artists with support from the Driehaus Museum’s professional networks to advance and promote their careers, plus access to the Museum’s resources and its home, the Nickerson Mansion. To help with the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis, the stipend this year will be given at the outset of the program, allowing the Fellows to immediately use the funds for anything from studio supplies to housing and other basic needs.The Fellowship is a six-month program which includes meetings with art professionals, career counseling sessions, public programming experiences, and exhibition opportunities, including a pop- up exhibition at EXPO Chicago in April 2021. Inspired in part by the Nickerson Family, who in the late 19th century often invited art students to sketch and study their collection, the Fellowship encourages artists to use the Museum and the mansion as a creative center for developing their work and careers.The 2020 A Tale of Today: Emerging Artists Fellows are: Maryam Taghavi, Alexandria Eregbu, Devin T. Mays, and Unyimeabasi Udoh. Brief bios on each of the Fellows follow below.“We are committed to supporting our local artists and the creative community in Chicago,” said founder and president of the Board of Trustees, Richard H. Driehaus. “Our Fellows this year reflect the diversity of Chicago’s cultural scene and the variety of contemporary art being created in the city. We want the Driehaus Museum and its home, the Nickerson Mansion, to serve as an inspiration for Chicago’s creative energy.”This year’s four Fellows were selected by a committee comprised of Lisa Lee, Associate Professor of Public Culture and Museum Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago; artist Nick Cave; gallerist Monique Meloche; and Hendrik Folkerts, Dittmer Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. An open call application process invited artists to submit their portfolios and describe how their practice would develop through the Fellowship, how the Driehaus Museum’s space and history related to their work, and how they would contribute to their Fellowship cohort.“Following the success of last year’s program, I am thrilled to welcome the second cohort of A Tale of Today: Emerging Artists Fellows to the Driehaus Museum,” said the A Tale of Today Curatorial Fellow, Kekeli Sumah, who also leads the Fellowship program. “As our world has transformed over the past few months, so too have the topics we will explore in the program, including resiliency, adaptability, and perseverance in the face of adversity. At times like these, strengthening one’s community is especially important, and I look forward to working with the Fellows to do just that.”This summer, the Driehaus Museum will also launch a virtual conversation series featuring the A Tale of Today: Emerging Artists Fellows. The conversations will explore the Fellows’ current projects, practices, and techniques in light of the themes being explored in the A Tale of Today Fellowship.The A Tale of Today Emerging Artists Fellowship is made possible in part through a grant award from the Terra Foundation for American Art.&nbsp;About the 2020 A Tale of Today: Emerging Artists Fellows:MARYAM TAGHAVIMaryam Taghavi is a Tehran-born Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist working in photography, installation, video, publication, drawing, and performance. She employs a post-studio, site-specific practice that weighs in on and intervenes in existing modes of production. Interested in the interchangeability between the observer and participant, Taghavi locates agency in the role of the language to mark the experience of displacement and expose complex layers of difference across social and cultural levels. Taghavi’s work has been exhibited at LAXART, the Queens Museum, and the Chicago Cultural Center, among others.ALEXANDRA EREGBUAlexandra Eregbu is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice draws from history, lived experiences, and her own imagination to deepen her connectivity to the natural world. Her work is driven by memories, whether lived or dreamt, and surrealist activity across the diaspora — spanning from West Africa and the Caribbean, to her native city in Chicago. Frequently working with natural dyes such as indigo, dried roots, and other plant-based pigments, Eregbu is also motivated by the stories of the material world and views her work as a quest to unlock the unifying mysteries that exist within them. Her work has been presented at Public Space One in Iowa City, the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France, Casa Rosada in Salvador, Brazil, and the Contemporary Art Center in New Orleans, among others.DEVIN T. MAYSDevin T. Mays’ practice is driven by an investigation of the so-called “in-between” space created by the social polarities of his understanding. He is interested in developing a visual language that defines and re-defines the “in-between” being. Through performances, spatial interventions, and installation work, Mays’ practice questions and complicates how we view our identities and understand ourselves subjectively. His work has been exhibited at the DePaul Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, as well as the Chicago Artists Coalition.UNYIMEABASI UDOHUnyimeabasi Udoh is an artist and graphic designer who seeks to make peace with the void. They are concerned with surface and absence, text as image, blackness as color and construct, and how systems of communication and knowledge—particularly the Western canons of art and literature, and the position of black people and African artifacts within them—are created and maintained. Udoh has exhibited work at the Chicago Artists Coalition, SITE Galleries in Chicago, and the Porto Design Biennale in Portugal.&nbsp;About A Tale of Today The A Tale of Today initiative launched in March 2019 with the opening of the Driehaus Museum’s inaugural contemporary art exhibition featuring the work of Yinka Shonibare CBE. Since then, A Tale of Today has expanded into the Fellowship program, which launched in June 2019, with an aim to engage Chicago-based emerging artists, promoting their careers and expanding their networks. The second class of Fellows coincides with the second A Tale of Today contemporary art exhibition, featuring site-specific work by the Chicago-based artists Mika Horibuchi and Nate Young. The initiative takes its name from The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, the 1873 book by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner that gave the era its name.&nbsp;About The Terra Foundation for American Art The Terra Foundation for American Art is dedicated to fostering exploration, understanding, and enjoyment of the visual arts of the United States for national and international audiences. Recognizing the importance of experiencing original works of art, the foundation provides opportunities for interaction and study, beginning with the presentation and growth of its own art collection in Chicago. To further cross-cultural dialogue on American art, the foundation supports and collaborates on innovative exhibitions, research, and educational programs. Implicit in such activities is the belief that art has the potential both to distinguish cultures and to unite them.&nbsp;About <a href="driehausmuseum.org">The Richard H. Driehaus Museum</a> The Richard H. Driehaus Museum explores the Gilded Age through the art, architecture, and design of the late 19th century to the present. Once known as Chicago’s “Marble Palace” and located just steps from the Magnificent Mile, the collection of period decorative arts is presented in an immersive experience within the mansion. Temporary exhibitions organized by the Driehaus Museum and its partners place the Gilded Age in context, as do vibrant educational and cultural programs designed to illuminate the history, culture, and urban fabric of Chicago.Richard H. Driehaus, the museum’s founder and namesake, is a Chicago businessman and preservationist with a long history of supporting the arts and culture.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

The Driehaus Museum Announces 2020 Recipients of its A Tale of Today: Emerging Artists Fellowship

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417589/omwdrblarurzrf9dcmj3.png"></figure>Via PR&nbsp;GRAND RAPIDS, MI – ArtPrize’s board of directors today announced the cancellation of the organization’s 2020 exhibition, joining many other festivals that have cancelled as a result of COVID 19 related uncertainties. The event had been scheduled to take place from Sept. 16 to Oct. 4, 2020 in downtown Grand Rapids. &nbsp; “Everyone had hoped to find modifications that would enable us to host the exhibition safely,” said ArtPrize board member Marc Schwartz. “We initially shifted plans to focus on outdoor spaces and large indoor venues. &nbsp;However, after analyzing the situation further and considering the unknowns, we realized that hosting such an event was not the best course forward. Although very disappoint-ing, we believe it is the best decision to ensure the well-being of our constituents.” The global COVID 19 pandemic created many obstacles that prevented ArtPrize from hosting an impactful and safe event at the level the community, artists, sponsors, venues, staff and fans of ArtPrize have come to expect. Challenges included concerns regarding artist and tourist travel, un-certainty regarding venues and possible restrictions, unpredictability regarding permitted gatherings in the State, and other safety, health and planning uncertainties. Despite the best efforts of the ArtPrize team and generous, unwavering support from businesses, community organizers, the City of Grand Rapids and many others, these challenges were not able to be overcome and have forced the board to cancel ArtPrize 2020. “I want to thank everyone who has played a role in attempting to host ArtPrize this year despite challenges unlike anything we have ever experienced before,” said ArtPrize Founder Rick DeVos. “The ArtPrize community is talented and innovative, and we appreciate each and every one of you. While we won’t come together to experience art as we have in prior years, I hope that all of us can find our own unique way to connect with Grand Rapids in the months ahead. Our community is known as one that comes together in challenging times and we all need each other now more than ever.” The ArtPrize organization will pause its overall operations as a result of the 2020 cancellation and take time to evaluate the possibility of future events. Artist and venue registration fees will be refunded. Sponsors that had previously committed to participate in ArtPrize 2020 will be contact-ed in the coming days to arrange for the cancellation of partnership agreements.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

ArtPrize Announces Cancellation of 2020 Exhibition Due to COVID-19

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418177/o1ajlaueiiwpjew1vwqx.jpg"><figcaption>Artwork covering boarded-up storefronts along 18th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood, Thursday, June 4, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Chicago artists use boarded-up storefronts to make a creative statement and make a differenceNot against a monochromatic sea of plywood, touching nearly every neighborhood in the city. On the other hand, a never-ending landscape of plywood is not unlike a city-stretched canvas. “We just wanted to get some color up there, something positive for Chicagoans,” Stanley said, “something that helps in a small way so that Chicago is not so depressed for the next few weeks.”By Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-storefront-artists-riots-20200604-as46v34xwrh3rhdh7xt2o5zmii-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418178/ubpbgsev5gabcbzsmdyw.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Giant fingers portray Chicago’s skyline, people in Megan Sterling’s ‘Cityscape’ muralPainted beneath the L tracks in Rogers Park, the 16 massive fingers are arranged to mimic an urban landscape of high-rises represented by the people of the city.By Madison Savedra, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/murals-mosaics/2020/6/5/21271943/megan-sterlgiant-fingers-portray-chicagos-skyline-people-in-megan-stirlings-cityscape-mural">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418179/cofylpte1xbrlf4mxoxq.png"></figure>&nbsp;Crochet art is brightening up this Chicago neighborhoodBike rails and trees have been looking a lot more colorful thanks to a resident in Chicago's South Loop. Valerie Sherman has taken her crocheting skills to the streets in what she calls "yarn bombing."By Yukare Nakayama, Localish<a href="https://abc7chicago.com/localish/crochet-art-is-brightening-up-this-chicago-neighborhood/6229507/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418180/ilwmhwkrp0yw00fz8ijg.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Art Basel Has Canceled the 2020 Edition of Its Flagship Swiss Fair, Citing ‘Tumultuous and Challenging Times’Amid a climate of continued global uncertainty around matters of health, the economy, and the basic ability to travel, Art Basel has canceled the upcoming edition of its flagship art fair in Basel. The premier international art fair had initially been postponed from its usual June slot to mid-September. The next edition of Art Basel in Switzerland is now scheduled to take place June 17 to June 20, 2021.By Kate Brown, artnews<a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/art-basel-2020-canceled-1880757?utm_content=from_www.artnet.com&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=US%209%3A50%20a.m.%20newsletter%20for%206%2F8%2F20&amp;utm_term=US%20Daily%20Newsletter%20%5BMORNING%5D">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: June 8, 2020

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEAA couple months ago, we began highlighting all the virtual offerings that area galleries and museums were introducing in order to bring art to all of us while we stayed at home. Last week, June 3 marked the first official day that area art spaces and businesses could re-open under the Governor and Mayor's Phase 3 re-opening plan for the city and state.&nbsp;As expected, many spaces are happy to be able to welcome the public back to engage with art in person. While so much of our world has gone virtual these past couple of months, we may be craving connection and presence just as much as we wish to remain safe and healthy. Each gallery and space has their own plan for resuming in-person business right now and for taking care of their clients, visitors and artists.&nbsp;Each space part of a larger, vital and creative (essential!) community. Now, instead of focusing just on the latest digital offerings, CGN will be spotlighting the galleries and organizations that are opening their doors again, and we will make the effort to update hours and information online as best we can. Following are offerings from galleries, studios, sculpture parks and architecture sites throughout the area.&nbsp;People are getting creative about how to be safe as well as welcoming. We are excited to see our friends again and encourage you to visit and support these spaces as you are able. Updates are coming to us daily, so visit <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/">chicagogallerynews.com</a> to see what is happening.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/jumlk7dswq67nir1mk1f.jpg"><figcaption>Catherine Edelman Gallery in West Town</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/catherine-edelman-gallery">Catherine Edelman Gallery</a>CEG opened to the public for regular hours again on June 3, with social distancing guidelines in place. The gallery is also planning its first exhibition opening since the shutdown for July 10. Titled Photography &amp; _____, the statement about the show explains that most art making is a solitary process, void of outside voices, as a blank piece of paper or canvas is transformed into a work of art. But there has always been a rich history of artists who collaborate to create work. In the spirit of these collectives, CEG presents an exhibition that brings together photographers and other creatives to create one-of-a-kind pieces. CEG invited each participant to reach out to a fellow artist to create a collaborative piece. There were no limitations placed on the work, except that photography must be incorporated into each piece.&nbsp;The concept for Photography &amp; _____ started late last year, before anyone had heard of Covid-19. It now seems prophetic that after being closed for ten weeks, the gallery's first exhibition post stay-at-home is about collaboration. With everyone isolated at home, most of the participating artists relied on Zoom, Skype, and phone calls to create works of art. 40+ artists will show their work.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>&nbsp;</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/tqtdyyvi49fuqcn9wjpq.jpg"><figcaption>Lee Grantham at Jean Albano</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/jean-albano-gallery">Jean Albano Gallery</a>The River North gallery reopened last week with limited hours: 10 am – 2 pm. They are also open anytime by appointment. This Friday afternoon, they are holding a meet-the-artist event with Lee Grantham, June 12, 2-6 pm. In a sign of what may be the future of openings for the foreseeable future, they will welcome socially distant groups (ten guests in the gallery at a time, with masks or face covering) and request that you contact them (312-440-0770) to reserve a time.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/h1ed2kdtsrjlkgkgg2k9.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/zolla-lieberman-gallery">Zolla/Lieberman Gallery</a>Zolla/Lieberman has mounted an exhibition that may be seen in person in the gallery, or through the gallery windows on Huron Street, 24/7. The show, FACE to FACE, features self-portraits by more than 75 artists and will be on view until October 2020.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418777/b4nre1f7nkbsrtef6h80.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-golden-triangle">The Golden Triangle</a>GT has reopened with new business hours, 10–5 Monday through Saturday, and shared they are excited to be able to receive customers again and have new pieces and interesting vignettes to show off. Staff is available to help you design interior spaces that blend the best of ancient and modern elements.They are continuously disinfecting the store, wearing masks and limiting the number of people that can be in the store at any one time. In a sign of times, a sanitizing station has been placed at the store entrance and disposable masks are available for customer use.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418778/fbhdxwonanztbrtdkhdb.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/frank-lloyd-wright-trust">Frank Lloyd Wright Tours</a>The public reopening of Wright's Home and Studio and Robie House takes place Thursday, June 11.Tickets for outdoor and interior tours may be purchased in advance online or on site in <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001VuTMP-xvwp53NMgkvw6MOhaoMYVVbVjLdHVi_N59O0dOpgXdlVgqyM7D8xHlsOKAWG0HkTX348St0uG5rhqxA1BA4lN2w_kEKQHeup46P5LObYStRMBPFAVV3AtCUTokgqCs4vN9S1udDuWPqwI6_hs4jw5u2hJzNw7v-JksoG17Ai186Ra5hhzPzqPGg58sKG2twynm-4RfdVRryZYJt5sfFjRZWCwH4SXQAueGjUa9v9BcXDQgQXlL8MUfPhw-ypMKQu-j7dY=&amp;c=-8fU9iMMonFKgdn30V3CgQZPt27BB2gnut-GeKf_TN1wb-fx21yQAg==&amp;ch=R1BHLx6c3i_ZISAypV9vj3Y2W_qtoyjm6Pgr6kYFbfxSonQc-dgk9A==">Oak Park</a> and <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001VuTMP-xvwp53NMgkvw6MOhaoMYVVbVjLdHVi_N59O0dOpgXdlVgqyM7D8xHlsOKAjxg3Z4EHS0vlfziVdTF2oMsHuZXQ7LVe69nnKfgH4m7Bqr2wKhc_fw8xukIGli2OWiR6UUNKGUoDEsMZ-n9jQ_krhtkKp-CMPoIRpz8AOImwoYl-7DYf1AogW06BkHxumI8bJP7eS1TfVCf1MjQlYWNVx5etBwn6moA617v3tuOXfY12Q8CA1Ti5SRDm7Pmg&amp;c=-8fU9iMMonFKgdn30V3CgQZPt27BB2gnut-GeKf_TN1wb-fx21yQAg==&amp;ch=R1BHLx6c3i_ZISAypV9vj3Y2W_qtoyjm6Pgr6kYFbfxSonQc-dgk9A==">Hyde Park</a>. Outdoor neighborhood audio walking tours will be available for purchase on site only. Additionally, <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001VuTMP-xvwp53NMgkvw6MOhaoMYVVbVjLdHVi_N59O0dOpgXdlVgqyM7D8xHlsOKAG2dCs5aL2u0hMYhXjbXJQMkQTLn8cy4JRSh-9mSsa5_Lt5lj5fpcL40heDjEwP8990QYBJhzyG6fjJ70qK-NoQx7auYjlrqJhnZJPDnqbffdqubW5Ed53MxR0yBSvRP5cQSAVgmQu0qU8XprFjc35qFxB20R48y7IkUxDcN6poJVnCmHSP87YAF0ZH6HIAPjf9BK8FO-gTI=&amp;c=-8fU9iMMonFKgdn30V3CgQZPt27BB2gnut-GeKf_TN1wb-fx21yQAg==&amp;ch=R1BHLx6c3i_ZISAypV9vj3Y2W_qtoyjm6Pgr6kYFbfxSonQc-dgk9A==">Pedal Oak Park</a> biking tours through Oak Park's historic neighborhoods have resumed.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418778/kzk2dqc6ujfpckg6qiee.png"><figcaption>A Calder-Inspired Paper Sculpture Project</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/nathan-manilow-sculpture-park">Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park</a>theNate began reopening to the GSU community on June 1. They shared advice on how to visit while respecting fellow visitors. And for your time at home, they came up with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govst.edu/uploadedFiles/About/Nathan_Manilow_Sculpture_Park/Sculpture%20Projects%20for%20Young%20Artists%205.15.20%20(002).pdf">Young Artist Sculpture Projects downloadable PDF</a>&nbsp;– a cool resource for making your own sculptures (noting that we are all young at heart when it comes to making art.) You're invited to post pictures of your results and tag theNate on Instagram. New public hours are 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday. The only building you may enter is a restroom at the “A North” entrance designated for use by visitors to <a href="https://www.govst.edu/sculpture/">theNate</a>.<h3>&nbsp;</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418780/h54t1mdhdaynk5ys92iw.jpg"><figcaption>Video Conference Backgrounds to Bring a Bit of Peace &amp; Calm. Shown here, Summer Vessels.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/pagoda-red--2">PAGODA RED</a>Founder Betsy Nathan shared in an email to clients, "In art, we see the resilience of the human spirit. During these challenging times, we’re doing our best to respond to the needs of our clients, team and community. Like everyone, we are making decisions one day at a time while adhering to CDC recommendations." PAGODA RED has re-opened its Bucktown gallery and warehouse, noting that their 15,000 sf &nbsp;lofty space is conducive to the city guidelines for social distancing. They also continue their robust <a href="pagodared.com">online</a> presence to serve locals as well as clients around the country and have been scheduling time for staff to show objects in the gallery via FaceTime or Zoom. In April they began offering virtual backgrounds to use on Zoom, etc.<h3>&nbsp;</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418780/x7esbwg2gwpcv0yi8fms.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/spudnik-press-cooperative">Spudnik Press</a>Spudnik&nbsp;has been working on the best practices for welcoming the community back to the studio. They are sharing all that they have worked hard to put in place to ensure they are able to maintain a healthy environment for everyone who visits and are asking everyone to <a href="https://spudnikpress.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b3ff316031fa71b1c8cd675c&amp;id=599deea14e&amp;e=421f57ee7c">Please Review All New Rules &amp; Procedures Before Your Next Visit</a> In addition to Covid-19 related modifications,&nbsp;they have&nbsp;<a href="https://spudnikpress.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b3ff316031fa71b1c8cd675c&amp;id=f9fb7f7f7f&amp;e=421f57ee7c">re-envisioned our&nbsp;Open&nbsp;Studio program</a> to allow for a better experience and to better support your artistic&nbsp;endeavors, be they professional or for pleasure. To facilitate BOTH social distancing AND new expanded Open Studio hours, everyone must now make reservations,&nbsp;selecting in advance what part of the&nbsp;studio&nbsp;they&nbsp;will use. To make this happened they just unveiled a <a href="https://spudnikpress.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b3ff316031fa71b1c8cd675c&amp;id=752bb97d97&amp;e=421f57ee7c">brand new automated reservation system</a> They are also continuing many of their popular virtual offerings via Zoom for the time being.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Fresh Eyes as Galleries and Art Spaces Re-Open

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/wk4mrgcmo2iza1qftwdp.png"><figcaption>Jeffrey Gibson, FOREVER ALWAYS, 2018. Glass beads, artificial sinew, metal studs, tin jingles, acrylic felt, over wood panel, 50" x 43" x 4". Courtesy the artist and <a href="http://kavigupta.com/artist/jeffrey-gibson/">Kavi Gupta Gallery</a>.</figcaption></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3>By GINNY VAN ALYEACGN has always been, and will continue to be, here for our community. Our mission is to make the arts accessible to all and to be an available and evolving resource. We are committed to make a conscious effort to spotlight voices that are marginalized and to give artists the platform to say what they need. Right now we understand the need to make sure black voices are heard and that the art of black artists is seen. CGN stands against racism, all forms of discrimination and abuse. We have said before that art can save lives, but we understand now, more than ever, that art serves as an essential tool to show the world how cultural narratives matter. We see our local art community, once again, joining together to ensure this truth and hope that more people will be willing to see it. We will always support our partners making these critical efforts.&nbsp;An artist’s view of the world will be seen and experienced through a constructed object, a performance or a concept. This can serve as a powerful resource educating audiences today and in the future . A work of art can connect with the past be it to memorialize tragedy, preserve beauty, or provide a vehicle for&nbsp;participation in a community. It can build a bridge. We know that art can be positively transformative, and we need it now more than ever to raise people up, bring them together and have impactful personal experiences and conversations.&nbsp;#It seems like ages ago already (<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/4/creative-digital-outreach-from-local-art-spaces-during-covid-19-part-iv">April 9</a> to be exact) that I asked in a late night semi-panic what would be left when we get out from under lockdown? I wanted to find the ever-elusive crystal ball that could tell me what was next, of course I was hoping for a more or less happy ending, a bright light at the end of the tunnel.Almost three months on, there are a few more turns to navigate before we emerge from the events 2020 has unveiled thus far. As we can now tell the landscape we originally knew in early March is now dramatically different. One constant is that I miss my art colleagues. CGN is a tiny office of two, just Emily and me. Our wider network consists of dealers, artists, curators, freelance writers, nonprofit administrators, and many more. I've been home all this time with my two young, yet highly energetic "interns" (read the CGN masthead), and we've all stayed sane. We have had a lot of fun. Now every day is 'take your kids to work day,' and my 6 year old let me know she has to work on a vaccine to fight the virus. There will be a day soon where I will miss being with these two new 'colleagues' all the time.&nbsp;#Phase 3 in Chicago means that businesses may reopen. Many galleries are cautiously and safely doing just that – they are making sure their spaces are safe to enter (masks, sanitizer, all that) so you may once again engage with art in person to support artists and the culture that is so vital to furthering our appreciation of and understanding of the present times. Galleries are also being mindful and considerate of the events of the past several days, with many abstaining from celebrations to ensure the focus is on protesting and coming together throughout the city.&nbsp;#As we have learned so well these past months, art is still available for viewing online 24/7. Virtual shows are not going anywhere as of right now. Choosing to view them and purchase art on your own time and from the safety of home continues to be an excellent option. Spend some time on CGN viewing the full range of in-person as well as virtual programming taking place now and throughout the summer. We will be updating individual hours as we can, but most spaces are beginning to open in some capacity now.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/r9dbdwwfp21w1ru8ovr2.jpg"><figcaption>The <a href="https://www.elmhurstartmuseum.org/from-home/">Elmhurst Art Museum</a> is collaborate with Chicago-based artist Matthew Hoffman, known for his You Are Beautiful project, to spread positivity in the community. A new display in the museum’s south windows will add to his permanent outdoor installation on the building. Visit while on a social distanced walk through Wilder Park.</figcaption></figure>We miss being with you and want everyone to stay safe and to feel supported during this time. It is important to know that galleries will always be a space for connecting and reflection.&nbsp;The power of art knows no limits.&nbsp;We will see you again very soon.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Letter from the Publisher  |  Here We Are: Changed but Reopening

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/fsyt46boz6eqaejcteu8.jpg"><figcaption>Performance still of Agentic Mode at EXPLODE! Queer dance: Midwest. Image credit: Al Evangelista.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By RILEY YAXLEYThe first time I meet Marcela Torres, I make a complete fool of myself. For our interview, we meet at The Clayton, a cigar lounge in the West Loop. I have never been to a cigar lounge and feel overwhelmed following Marcela around the cramped, glass humidor. We stop to let a group of three businessmen squeeze in front of us and, after admitting that I know nothing about the various cigar options, she chooses one for me. We sit at a small, round table in the corner of the lounge and Marcela demonstrates how to properly light a cigar using the matches the host gave us.“You want to hold it at a little bit of angle,” she says, and takes a drag from hers. I forget to regularly smoke my cigar during the interview, allowing the smoldering embers to die out, and attempt to relight it several times with my dwindling supply of matches. After the fourth or fifth time, Marcela graciously fetches a torch lighter from the host and offers it to me. “Here. This might be easier.”A colleague invited me to attend Marcela’s second professional cage fight at Joe’s Live in suburban Rosemont in early March. I wasn’t able to make it to her fight, but nonetheless I was introduced to Marcela’s work and was intrigued by her use of martial arts as a way to explore the “mental space of fear” that makes violence possible.During the past year, I have spent a significant amount of time writing and thinking about whether or not art can affect change, specifically as a way to achieve justice for marginalized communities.Marcela has been performing Agentic Mode, a 45-minute movement performance incorporating Muay Thai martial arts, literature, and oral history, for the past two years. Most recently, she performed for EXPLODE! Queer dance: Midwest at Northwestern University, and she was scheduled to perform at the Rose Wagner Theater in Salt Lake City and at The Momentary in Arkansas this spring, until the COVID-19 pandemic upended public events for the foreseeable future.When I ask Marcela about her process of recreating violence in a gallery setting and how she avoids removing violence from its very real contexts, she pauses before cautiously answering, “I do want people to have intense experiences, but I also want it to be a ‘slow consensual experience.’”Agentic Mode is structured into five segments based on Jeff Cooper’s “Color Codes” of awareness (the code was originally four colors used to describe one’s mindset during a lethal confrontation: white, yellow, orange, and red.)&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/gznjeif8wfe5lknio5dx.jpg"><figcaption>Installation image of Agentic Mode. Image credit: Jonathan Bagby.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The “Color Codes” allow her to achieve this gradual, immersive experience, beginning with the white section of the performance, which represents being unaware or inattentive. Here the gallery is brightly lit and Marcela performs a dance that demonstrates elements of Muay Thai form, showing how the martial art can be used for self-defense and as a way to inflict violence. She also reads a series of monologues in between repetitions of the dance, reciting for her audience:“The combatant was not an isolated individual: his actions were taken on behalf of the nation, a hierarchical military establishment, and an intimate, interdependent platoon—this was what distinguished martial combat from murder...”During this monologue, Marcela alludes to the title Agentic Mode, exploring how individuals can commit gruesome, horrific acts on behalf of a nation exploiting nationalistic beliefs to trigger them to act in primal self-defense.Next comes the yellow section – alert, but still relaxed, no immediate threat. The lighting changes. Marcela creates hand symbols and movements referencing guns and fight techniques before the room goes dark for the orange section, where an immediate potential threat is acknowledged.“I wanted [the audience] to feel a little trapped,” Marcela says about the dramatic lighting change. At this point, viewers are likely feeling unnerved, perhaps a little claustrophobic at just how close they are to the unfolding performance. Marcela begins punching the boxing bags she built herself. They are embedded with microphones and attached to loop and reverb pedals that record and distort each strike to form a cacophonous soundscape that reverberates through the gallery.The intensity builds as the performance enters the red section, which represents a definitive lethal threat. Marcela, her voice a riotous shout, recites from memory the lyrics of American hip hop duo Mobb Deep’s “Survival of the Fittest.”“There’s a war goin’ on outside no man is safe from. You could run but you can’t hide forever...”The use of the song shifts the audience’s attention to how urban communities may often be forced into survival mode to act in different ways. Cooper’s “Color Code” becomes a means of understanding how living in a constant state of fear – whether orange or red –causes people to act with a different code of ethics than other communities living under white or yellow.Bathed in crimson light, Marcela straddles the vaguely human-shaped body bag, walloping it over and over again. She hits it for as long as she can while the uproarious, looped sounds continue to ricochet throughout the gallery, reaching a deafening crescendo. The room goes black and the sound continues for several moments before disappearing completely. The last section of the performance has begun.Marcela takes off her tan, desert camo pants and wraps them around the body bag. She cradles it for a minute before crawling towards the crowd, dragging the bag behind her. She rubs her sweaty body against audience members. Some back away, their panicked, repulsed expressions detectable in the dark. Others gently touch her shoulders or back. Eventually, she finds a lap to sit in, asking to use their cell phone as a light so that she can read a final text.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/rlzwscsubfeakahzzeme.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;When I ask Marcela about this portion of the performance, she says “meekness or asking for help can be really disgusting to people.” Our instinctive reactions as audience members are revealed. Do we offer assistance or comfort? Do we revile her? Do we look for a way to escape? We have lost control of the situation.The relentless pace and length of Agentic Mode feels like an exercise in endurance, intended to exhaust both Marcela as well as her audience. However, Marcela adds that the shape of her work has also been determined by career pressures. She jokes she wasn’t getting as much gallery attention earlier in her career, explaining how she realized she needed to make a performance “at least 30–40 minutes to be on the bill by itself.” She adds that there must be objects incorporated as well in order to call it an exhibition.Marcela is insistent, “I strive for performance to be a really technical machine. I don’t want to be thought of as only a performance artist. I also want to be considered an athlete, a theorist, an educator.” To me, the faint, discolored bruises on her face from the fight a few nights prior remind me that she is challenging herself in a different way than other artists do.She shyly admits to feeling like an imposter in the fight community that she has borrowed inspiration from and expresses an earnest desire to understand what it means to be a member of that community.“I lost the fight”, she says sheepishly, adding quickly that it made her realize, “Maybe I’m finally doing the thing I said I was. Having somebody that strong trying to hurt me, I couldn’t fall back on my plans or training. Instead, I used my instincts.” Despite her loss, Marcela explains how terrifying it was to have a person taller and stronger than she more or less attempting to kill her.“Oh my God, my performance is beating me up,” she says about the experience, laughing. ”But, I asked this person, ‘Please, beat me up.’”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/bgntkcyu0njh39vdklz6.jpg"><figcaption>Octagon ring at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, Illinois.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;In order to make a work about violence, she wanted it to be real – something that the audience could feel. During her fight, Marcela experienced the instinctual fear she has aimed to recreate with Agentic Mode.Curious about how the experience will influence Marcela’s work, I ask her a question in this vein and take a last puff of my cigar. After two hours, I am getting better at relighting it, besides accidentally starting a small blaze in our ashtray by dropping a still lit match into the heap of used matches.Marcela begins to talk and pauses, taking a moment to consider what she’s going to say. “I think a fight can be art, but I don’t want people to think of [my fight] as art because it takes away from the art that’s already there. This is a martial art people study their whole life for.”Our conversation comes back to my original question: How do you create artwork about violence that helps audiences understand violence as a lived reality?“Performance, the idea of making something experiential, is the only thing you can really do.” Marcela speculates, “You’re explaining it in a way that hopefully doesn’t shove it down their throats like ‘We die every day.’ Maybe that’s the only way you can understand, because you’re still making the choice.”I think again of her describing Agentic Mode as a “slow consensual experience.” Violence is rarely consensual. Like Marcela putting herself in a fighting cage, where she could get seriously harmed, to understand what it feels like to be a part of the fight community, her audience chooses to witness her performance—trusting Marcela to make them experience the mental space of fear that makes violence possible.“It’s a sport. It’s over. She just wanted to win,” Marcela says soberly, sitting back in the leather armchair.Her observation, while strikingly succinct, is perhaps the best answer to my questions. We can watch Agentic Mode unfold, allow it to unsettle us and help us understand our instinctual, bodily responses to situations of fear, but it is simply a performance. It ends. Marcela has posed the questions about violence that she wanted to. We have to choose to find the answers.&nbsp;</body></html>

Marcela Torres Wants Us To Experience Violence

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/mmhsuuqnn76msftsl5ft.jpg"><figcaption>Holiday Home (Milwaukee), 2019 featuring the updated color scheme for 2020.&nbsp;Photo by Kevin Miyazaki/Sculpture Milwaukee</figcaption></figure>By CGN Via PRAt a time when so much has gone virtual or been put on hold, it is encouraging that public art has, for the most part, still been publicly &nbsp;accessible while so many doors have been closed. We were encouraged to hear last week that Sculpture Milwaukee is moving ahead with plans to mount its popular city-wide sculpture exhibition. They declared on social media, "We're not cancelled!"&nbsp;<a href="sculpturemilwaukee.com">Sculpture Milwaukee</a> announced on May 28 that its annual world-class collection of monumental sculptures will return to the streets this summer, where they can be safely enjoyed by all. Installation is slated to begin the week of June 8, and will be phased through mid-July, and, for the first time ever, many works will remain on view through the winter.&nbsp;&nbsp;In an historic year of innumerable cancelations and uncertainties due to COVID-19, the non-profit was spurred-on by the urgent understanding that access to free, safe, and culturally enriching activities are more important now than ever.&nbsp;“The sculptures will be a visible and vibrant reminder of our city’s unwavering resilience, an invitation to reimagine our surroundings, take-in new perspectives, and get inspired,” says Beth Weirick of Milwaukee Downtown. She continues, “We want everyone to feel safe coming downtown; Sculpture Milwaukee’s plans fit right in with the larger effort to create a safe, inviting locale for our community.”&nbsp;In light of ongoing public health concerns, Sculpture Milwaukee has announced a few unique features of the 2020 season. The organization has deferred in-person events, instead resources will be made available on <a href="http://sculpturemilwaukee.com/">SculptureMilwaukee.com</a> for self-guided exploration. They’ll host a mix of live-streamed and pre-recorded conversations with artists, virtual art lectures and more. Visitors will be encouraged to share their photos and thoughts about the sculptures via social media. Ground markings will be provided to help visitors maintain the recommended six-feet physical distance from others.“Our exhibition stretches out along Wisconsin Ave from O’Donnell Park to the Wisconsin Center, and this year, in partnership with The Black Box Fund, we’ve expanded into the Historic Third Ward. Altogether, our exhibition is over a mile and a half long, open 24-7 and will remain open months longer than in past years. We believe there will be ample space for people to experience vibrant and diverse, world-class artworks while maintaining a safe physical distance,” remarked Sculpture Milwaukee’s Executive Director, Brian Schupper. “We love Milwaukee, and, we want our exhibition to inspire people to get out and experience our beautiful city once again.” &nbsp;</body></html>

Sculpture Milwaukee Returns This Summer, Making Art Accessible 24/7

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/w6pnggz0ivuwdbs1y1gv.jpg"></figure><h3>Artist Christo, known for works that were massive and fleeting, dies at 84</h3>One specialty was wrapping huge structures, including Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary art, the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris and Berlin’s Reichstag.By Associated Press, Via Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/31/21276321/christo-dead-artist-obituary-wrap-reichstag-chicago-mca-pont-neuf-bridge-gates-central-park">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/mcowpcdp1qccrvth6sai.jpg"></figure><h3>‘This Is a Revolution’: 18 Artists From Coast to Coast Share What They Saw and Felt at the George Floyd Protests</h3>Protesters filled the streets in cities across the United States this weekend. Among them were artists of all stripes, many of whom view activism as an important part of their practice. Below, 18 artists shared what they experienced while protesting this weekend.Via Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/artists-protests-george-floyd-testimonials-1876254">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/dt93g8rc1fhnwkhfucl9.jpg"></figure><h3>Art world presses pause for #BlackOutTuesday</h3>Instagram is a sea of black squares today as artists, curators, museums and galleries follow the music industry’s lead in observing a “blackout day” in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police and the ensuing protests that have swept across the US demanding justice.Via the Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/art-world-presses-pause-for-blackouttuesday">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418777/lwoipisvq4khri7gxow1.jpg"></figure><h3>Alison Gass named new director at San José Institute of Contemporary Art</h3>Gass had a short but productive tenure as director of the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. She secured several major gifts and launched a curatorial fellowship to encourage diversity.By Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle<a href="https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/alison-gass-named-new-director-at-san-jose-institute-of-contemporary-art">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418777/gjfqqjknvqqrpnb0ee2n.jpg"></figure><h3>CPS Launches Online Gallery To Showcase Student Artwork In Wake Of Pandemic</h3>Chicago Public School students can now show off&nbsp;artwork they made in class through the city's new virtual art exhibition that launched Saturday.Featuring more than 800 student art pieces representing over 75 CPS elementary and high schools from across the city, the&nbsp;district’s All-City Visual Arts Exhibition is going online for the first time due to the pandemic.&nbsp;Via WBBM News Radio Staff<a href="https://wbbm780.radio.com/articles/cps-launches-online-gallery-to-showcase-student-artwork">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418778/zyui7bvzmm8qetfljjgp.jpg"></figure><h3>A Virtual Tour of the National Veterans Art Museum</h3>Artwork made by soldiers and combat veterans is as diverse as the military itself. Chicago is home to an armory of art created by members of our armed forces. With Memorial Day in mind, we visited the National Veterans Art Museum for a virtual tour.&nbsp;By Marc Vitali, WTTW<a href="https://news.wttw.com/2020/05/25/virtual-tour-national-veterans-art-museum">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: June 1, 2020

This is the most recent update from the Arts Alliance Illinois, which we received May 29, 2020. &nbsp;We will share more updates as we have them and as the art and business community begins to safely reopen spaces to the public.&nbsp;– CGN&nbsp;<blockquote>Today many parts of the state are moving to Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan for phased reopening. Governor Pritzker released guidelines for businesses to operate during Phase 3, including limits and safety measures for manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops, and personal services (e.g. salons). <a href="http://go.pardot.com/e/789543/dceo-pages-restoreILP3-aspx/smb3/52877748?h=_6rjJFF1Am05MAr4sHhTyVKT4lt5WrCRHYpn1iovFIs">Click here to read these industry-specific guidelines</a>. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced this week that cautious reopening for the city will begin June 3,&nbsp;releasing a city-specific set of guidelines for businesses that are included in this phase.&nbsp;These guidelines refer to museums and outdoor performances in a "later Phase 3," the details of which are being developed in collaboration with representatives from the field. The expanded guidelines will be released when approved by public health officials.&nbsp;<a href="http://go.pardot.com/e/789543/reopening-business-portal-html/smb5/52877748?h=_6rjJFF1Am05MAr4sHhTyVKT4lt5WrCRHYpn1iovFIs">Click here to read the current Phase 3 guidelines for Chicago</a>.&nbsp; The Alliance is supportive of reopening our state's creative industries when it is deemed safe to do so by public health officials, as the health of artists, creative workers, and audiences is our highest priority. We have advocated successfully for our sector’s many diverse stakeholders to be included in reopening conversations with both the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois, and will keep you updated on developments in these discussions.&nbsp;As always, if you have any ideas, questions, needs, or resources to share, please email us at <a href="mailto:info@artsalliance.org">info@artsalliance.org</a>. State funding for the arts preserved In case you missed it, over the weekend the Illinois General Assembly passed a budget bill with several big wins for the creative sector. This collective support from the state helps to ensure arts and culture will be a critical part of our state’s recovery from the current crisis. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="http://go.pardot.com/l/789543/2020-05-27/s9df/789543/42166/2020_0526_IL_arts_funding_preserved_v3.png" alt=""></figure> We're grateful to all the legislators who made the arts a priority, as well as the 36 members of the Arts &amp; Culture Capital Coalition. Finally, thank YOU for being part of our fight for the arts and culture in Illinois. We know the creative sector is hurting right now and we are doing everything we can to ensure it is a critical part of healing and restoration across Illinois. <a href="http://go.pardot.com/e/789543/ILArtsFY21/smb7/52877748?h=_6rjJFF1Am05MAr4sHhTyVKT4lt5WrCRHYpn1iovFIs">Click here to read more.</a></blockquote>&nbsp;&nbsp;

State Funding for the Arts: Art Alliance Illinois Updates

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418774/ovxvedn7rjxudava1sfv.png"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418775/l7v6wcb4ikfxafubvztl.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/addington-gallery">Addington Gallery</a>704 N. WellsLocated in the heart of the River North Gallery District for over two decades, Addington Gallery focuses on dynamic contemporary painting, both abstract and representational, with many of the gallery’s artists staking their claim somewhere in between categories. Process and materials play a large role with most of the artists represented, who work in a wide range of contemporary styles, subjects, and media. The gallery offers a full range of services, including installation, painting restoration and conservation, framing consultation, and corporate curating.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418776/rf1yfbyigxwno9ol3sp7.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/carl-hammer-gallery">Carl Hammer Gallery</a>740 N. WellsCarl Hammer Gallery represents both modern and contemporary art from the 20th and 21st centuries. The gallery’s reputation, recognized worldwide, was established by its leadership for discovering and representing historically significant artists within the “Outsider” and self–taught genres. Today, artists from both the “Monster Roster” and the Chicago “Imagist” traditions are an integral part of the gallery’s programming.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418777/urk3jnhfdcrrkbt60gor.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hilton-asmus-contemporary">Hilton | Asmus Contemporary</a>716 N. WellsHilton | Asmus Contemporary specializes in modern and contemporary paintings, works on paper, mixed media and sculpture with a special focus on photography.&nbsp; Featuring internationally known artists from United States, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean Region.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418778/nsyxx4i0vil84a5njhr6.gif"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/poetry-foundation">Poetry Foundation</a>61 W. SuperiorThe Poetry Foundation, an independent literary organization and publisher of Poetry magazine, presents engaging, multifaceted exhibitions that bring together visual arts and the written word. The Poetry Foundation Gallery exhibits work that is poetry, including posters, broadsides, text– or book–based works, correspondence, and personal effects, as well as works of visual poetry or art by emerging and established poets.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Virtual Gallery Tour: River North (Part II)

Via PRChicago Artists Coalition (CAC) today announced that Teresa Silva, currently CAC’s director of exhibitions and residencies, has been selected as its new executive and artistic director.&nbsp;She will assume the new role on August 1, 2020. The Chicago Artists Coalition is a non-profit organization that has provided artists and curators with the resources to live, work and thrive in the city since 1974.<figure class="image"><img src="http://i1.cmail19.com/ei/i/AC/126/D20/005148/csfinal/TeresaHeadshot2020-990000000003cf3c.jpg" alt="Teresa Silva has been promoted to the new position of Executive and Artistic Director starting August 1, 2020"><figcaption>Teresa Silva</figcaption></figure>The new position and Silva’s appointment bring to fruition an organizational restructure that Caroline Older, CAC’s executive director since 2014,&nbsp;and CAC’s&nbsp;board&nbsp;of directors have been working on since February 2020. The plan called for a 6-month transition to enable Older to take the next step in her career while ensuring the long-term success of CAC.“In early 2020, as we entered CAC’s 45th year of supporting Chicago artists and curators, it became clear that to accommodate changing priorities among arts&nbsp;funders we needed to innovate to&nbsp;ensure CAC’s sustainability,” said Older.&nbsp;“The new management structure provides for a viable financial future while allowing Teresa Silva to lead CAC’s efforts to support Chicago’s artist community.”During her tenure, Older’s accomplishments include relocating CAC to enhance services and accessibility for artists, launching CAC’s first capital campaign, refreshing CAC’s brand with a new website, increasing grants to artists by 2000% and developing a board of directors of esteemed Chicago leaders while improving board and staff diversity. Older leaves CAC on sound financial footing with over four years of balanced budgets and substantial emergency funds secured since March 16.<figure class="image"><img src="http://i2.cmail19.com/ei/i/AC/126/D20/005148/csfinal/Caroline-D.-Older-990a280a28028a3c.jpg" alt="Caroline Older, CAC’s executive director for the past 5 years, will be leaving to explore new opportunities."><figcaption>Caroline Older</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“Caroline raised the visibility and impact of CAC, led its move to a new location and substantially increased CAC’s financial support for artists. Her dedication to the success of CAC has been remarkable,” said Carmelita Tiu, Board Chair. “Teresa Silva has unparalleled experience and passion for CAC’s mission and programming, and will undoubtedly continue to build on the foundation that Caroline created.”Silva was Older’s first hire at CAC, and the two were recognized together in Newcity’s Art 50: Chicago’s Visual Vanguard 2019.&nbsp; Silva will be responsible for procuring financial support for CAC through grants and donations, leading programming, residencies and exhibitions, and overseeing day-to-day operations of the organization.&nbsp;She brings to her position a vast network of artists, curators and arts patrons. Karina Quintana and Aileen Cortez, who have worked at CAC since 2019, will support Silva.“COVID-19 has heightened the need to support artists so that they can continue to work and thrive in Chicago,” said Silva. “I am grateful for this opportunity and that, thanks to Caroline, CAC is poised for a dynamic future that will continue to contribute to Chicago’s reputation as a world-class arts center.”&nbsp;As director of exhibitions and residencies since 2014, Silva has helped launch the careers of countless artists and curators. CAC alumni have gone on to exhibit in New York at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Storm King Art Center and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art and galleries across the country.&nbsp;CAC alums also hold positions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, EXPO CHICAGO, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.About Chicago Artists Coalition Chicago Artists Coalition is a non-profit organization that supports contemporary Chicago artists and curators by offering residency programs, exhibitions, professional development and resources that enable them to live, work and thrive in the city.&nbsp;CAC&nbsp;is deeply committed to advancing the cause of art and its importance in Chicago’s culture and economy by cultivating a wide-reaching civic, philanthropic and public support network. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://news.chicagoartistscoalition.org/t/i-l-xdiihc-dlvzir-y/">www.chicagoartistscoalition.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chicago Artists Coalition Announces Leadership Transition

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418149/nqsigp3c9ymgo21cpqec.jpg"></figure><h3>A Suburban Community College Scored A Big Art Show. Then, The Pandemic Hit.</h3>&nbsp;More than two dozen works from famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo were scheduled to be on display next month at the College of DuPage in west suburban Glen Ellyn.The school spent $2.5 million turning the art gallery inside the McAninch Art Center into a museum — and $250,000 of tickets had already been sold, said director Diana Martinez.“You don’t ever achieve any real exciting success if you don’t try something crazy new,” she said. “And this was pretty crazy.”By Carrie Shepard, WBEZ<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/a-suburban-community-college-scored-a-big-art-show-then-the-pandemic-hit/709e271e-294b-4ff4-9f26-91b53f776dc7">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418150/kamzt65hp3mj58oqjddx.jpg"></figure><h3>New artist incubator opening in Humboldt Park</h3>&nbsp;The Honeycomb Network, 2659 W. Division St., offers artists from diverse backgrounds a place to learn and grow.Denise Ruiz, Honeycomb’s founder, said it will serve as a hub for artists from around the city to collaborate with others while also focusing mental wellness.“We want to normalize mental health care and break the cycle that pushes the negative stigma of speaking with a therapist,” Ruiz said. “We want to connect those two things by fulfilling our creative and wellness dreams.”By Manny Ramos, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2020/5/25/21259339/artist-incubator-honeycomb-network-humboldt-park-gentrification-mental-health">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418151/lkkstdflisoy5f2reufz.jpg"></figure><h3>'They took a risk with me': Why the new curator of the University of Chicago's art museum is a 'bold' choice</h3>&nbsp;“I’m not the usual suspect,” says Myriam Salah, the new executive director and chief curator of the Renaissance Society, the highly regarded contemporary art museum at the University of Chicago.“I’m not the American curator who did a postgrad in curatorial studies. It’s bold that they chose someone coming from different horizons – and the risks that they took with me, I’m going to be taking with the programme.”Salah, who was born in Tunisia in 1985, will be starting in Chicago in September – taking on her new position as art organisations worldwide start to chart their roles in a Covid-19 environment.By Melissa Gronlund, The National<a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/art/they-took-a-risk-with-me-why-the-new-curator-of-the-university-of-chicago-s-art-museum-is-a-bold-choice-1.1023971">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418152/ftncvuaqvlr2ib3hrppj.jpg"></figure><h3>SkyART delivers 1,000 art supply kits, virtual art therapy to Chicago kids</h3>&nbsp;SkyART Founder and Executive Director, Sarah Ward, realized they needed to expand their efforts into a fundraising campaign. So far, they've already exceeded their own expectations. "1,000 is our goal, and we've actually gotten funding to go way beyond 1,000 so what we're going to do is do repeat deliveries," Ward said. SkyArt is committed to helping kids through art during this pandemic and beyond.By Zach Ben-Amots, Localish<a href="https://abc11.com/free-art-chicago-therapy-virtual-class-online/6201564/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: May 26, 2020

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418153/l7qlu7rzv3gsmgchncyw.jpg"><figcaption>BOB FAUST, Michael Workman / Landing Projects. 2858 W. Belle Plaine Ave. Chicago, IL 60618 Vinyl lettering on glass, 23” h x 21” w. Not for sale. Artist’s Note: From a foundation that is at best precarious, we enter 2020 with an uncertainty that requires our own power and focus to remain upright. The number “2020” is both a date focused on this political moment in time, as well as a measurement as a call for clarity of vision. By siting “Hope &amp; Peace” in Landing Projects’ windows and playing on the transparency between inside and out or what is “mine” vs. “ours,” it is a super direct reminder of what we need both domestically as well as communally.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By CGN Staff via PRThe past several weeks have made many artists and art world players think very differently about how to make and share art with a public that is largely unable to gather in one place. The organizers of a new initiative, based out of Chicago but with a global reach, were inspired by the generosity of artists and the power of art to transform and connect us.&nbsp;ART-IN-PLACE (AIP) is an initiative of <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=a88b693967&amp;e=a71d7765a5">CNL Projects</a> (founded in 2016 by Cortney Lederer) and <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=5c111d8104&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Terrain Exhibitions</a> (a nonprofit founded in Oak Park Illinois by the late artist Sabina Ott and author John Paulett.) At the onset of the pandemic, these art connectors noticed so many artists began to create and offer to send small artworks in the mail to anyone that asked. Artists were using Instagram as a platform to share this generous offering. They shared collaged postcards (<a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=489ef5137b&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Kelly Kristen Jones</a> and <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=7f4ea96c6d&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Melissa Oresky</a>), "corona rings” (<a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=8435e0cb9c&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Laura Davis</a>), seeds to grow (<a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=d4b2de050b&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Anna Brown</a>), plant clippings, and other creative works. CNL says they received about five different artworks in the mail within a couple weeks. Art became a way to connect, inspire and bring hope during a moment when we were all so suddenly disconnected from one another. We&nbsp;felt moved and inspired. We wanted to create a platform to share this generosity and consider what we all need right now—connection to others outside the virtual. There is no better tool for this than art. Visit <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=323cfea47f&amp;e=a71d7765a5">https://www.cnlprojects.org/artinplace</a> to view participating artists. The organizers note that due to&nbsp;the fact that over 275 artists are participating (including artist living in Berlin, Canada, Japan, India, Israel and Peru) they are still in process of uploading artists' image details and websites. Click on each artist's image to learn more about each artist and locate an address of where to tour art in your community. A live map is being developed for release next week.&nbsp; Collectors have the option to purchase a beautiful set of curated postcards showcasing a collection of every ART-IN-PLACE participating artist (forthcoming). Artists collectables, editions and original works of art are available for purchase. Please contact <a href="mailto:cortney@cortneylederer.com?subject=NEWSLETTER">cortney@cortneylederer.com</a> if you are interested in a work of art.&nbsp;&nbsp;From each artwork sale,&nbsp;artists receive 80% and&nbsp;donate 20% to the <a href="https://cortneylederer.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=209edfd3257df90385f531e52&amp;id=1ff9d0b750&amp;e=a71d7765a5">Arts for Illinois Relief Fund,</a>&nbsp;which provides financial relief to workers and organizations in the creative industries impacted by COVID-19.&nbsp; All proceeds from postcards sales will also support this fund.ART-IN-PLACE will be on view from May 20–June 20, 2020&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418154/tb8cjxwf5xylalk8yle7.png"><figcaption>AIMÉE BEAUBIEN 2443 N. Francisco Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 &nbsp;Size variablePrinted banner material, paradord $3,500 Artist’s Note: What happens when a plant closes its eyes, when it loses its leaves? What will the last leaf look like?For After the Last Leaf, I took stock of my immediate landscape and photographed specific leaves plucked from plants growing inside of my home and in the garden that surrounds. Qualities of the garden run parallel to the nature of photography: they are spaces defined by interactions of the scientific, the accidental and the temporal. Wild, fast growing vines slink through the yard and climb around our house. In my home studio, plants mingle with huge tangles of cut and woven photographs that dangle down from the ceiling in various states of progress and decay. I photograph the ever-changing conditions as plants dry and projects grow.Vines trail, ramble, lean, flop, twine, weave, root, grasp, cling and climb. I translate my responses to the vitality of vines by pushing color while imagining how energy is harnessed from the sun in photosynthesis. I reorganize the scale of my photographs to amplify the ambition of vine movements while translating their enviable ability to embrace everything near in acts of remarkable adaptability. Vines are tenacious. Vines will win.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418155/s6215hoqdcirvqlpgc0t.png"><figcaption>CECIL MCDONALD, JR. 10026 S. Wood Chicago, IL 60643 40” x 30”Mylar and pigment ink$3,000 Artist’s Note: Car garage wrapped in Mylar, waited for the colors of night, street lamps, car headlights, brake lights and the green of the surrounding nature to reflect in a spectacular fashion for the photograph. The goal was to explore the transformative power of photography.</figcaption></figure></body></html>

ART-IN-PLACE: A Project to Connect, Inspire and Bring Hope While We Are Disconnected

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418223/borw3cejnunsc96qxfbr.gif"><figcaption>Carl and Marilynn Thoma with Robert Wilson’s 2013 digital animation LADY GAGA: Mademoiselle Caroline Riviere and Andrés Solano’s 1776 oil on canvas painting Portrait of Ana Josepha de Castañeda y de la Requere, 2019. Courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, photo by Tira Howard.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By ANNA DOBROWOLSKITucked away in a warehouse in the heart of the West Loop, the Orange Door hosts a mélange of Japanese woven bamboo baskets, 17th century Spanish colonial art, a sonar-activated windmill and a mirrored infinity chamber. It can take some effort to gain access to an eclectic art collection in the best of times: like an art speakeasy, the Orange Door, an exhibition space operated by the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, is typically open to educational groups, curators, and art aficionados by appointment only. Luckily, in the middle of a pandemic, the barriers separating us from the collection just got lifted.In early March I was able to connect with Marilynn and Carl Thoma to discuss how they first got into art collecting. Since graduating Stanford business school in the 70s, the duo has amassed over 1,400 works of art, making them a fashionable power couple for whom art is not just business but a lifestyle. Carl Thoma heads Thoma Bravo LLC, a private equity firm he cofounded in the 1980s; and Marilynn Thoma actively serves on the boards of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Humanities Festival, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Together in 2014 they established the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, which is dedicated to visual arts and philanthropic pursuits. Today they fund research into art scholarship, novel educational programs, and conservation.Orange Door first opened in Chicago out of necessity, as the Thomas needed a home base from which to make art loans nationally and internationally. Currently, some of the art they have collected is on loan at the MCA, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, with another 17 across the Midwest. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, they also run a separate facility called Art House, which houses one of the largest digital collections open to the public year-round.Each year the Thomas utilize Orange Door’s space to curate an exhibition featuring new Digital Art acquisitions and select artworks from across their collections. In September 2019 they hosted “Infinity Clock: Artworks on Time” and “The Algorists: Historic Computer Art.” The latter highlighted software-assisted work (namely, computer drawings on paper) created by artists such as Peter Beyls, Jean-Pierre Hébert, Manfred Mohr, Vera Molnar, Frieder Nake, Roman Verostko, Harold Cohen, and Mark Wilson. It is quite a treat to interact with these digital installations in person: however, when galleries are shut down to the public and exhibitions are either postponed or cancelled, we turn to our screens to access and engage their work.How do we experience and collect art today? In this interview, the Thomas discuss their journey into the world of art collecting in the digital age.&nbsp;Anna Dobrowolski: What set off the spark in 1975? What was the first piece that started the Thoma collection before it became a foundation in 2014?Carl Thoma: Marilynn and I were both just out of graduate school when we began to collect art. Our interest was heavily centered around California Impressionism and the Taos Society of Artists, leading us to purchase paintings by artists including Redmond Granville, Joseph Henry Sharp, and E. Martin Hennings. Today we continue to collect artwork from across the American Southwest—both historic and contemporary.AD: When you aren’t splitting time between Santa Fe and Chicago, do you have any favorite places or galleries you love to visit?CT: It is hard to narrow down the list, but three art destinations we love to visit are Currents New Media festival in Santa Fe, Art Basel Miami, and the Prado Museum in Madrid.AD: What do you look for when considering a work of art to add to your collection?CT: At first it was a subjective decision—we buy what we like to look at. As we became more knowledgeable, we went deeper into a given period or movement and discovered ever more movements and artists. Because we make loans to museums, we also consider what a piece contributes to the history of art in general and how it might relate to other artworks.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418224/xxxman2zfshtu7mhqisb.gif"><figcaption>Marina Zurkow, Mesocosm (Wink, TX), 2012,real-time generative software animation on monitor.© Marina Zurkow, courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, rendering still by bitforms.</figcaption></figure>AD: How has your taste changed or solidified over the years?CT: We have always been decisive, and we have learned a great deal from a handful of seasoned advisors. Over the years, we have been increasingly drawn to works that embody color, strong compositional design, mastery of the medium, and historical importance. Through the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, we have also become increasingly dedicated to expanding scholarship and collection conservation.AD: Can you tell us more about those initiatives and collections? How do they challenge or shape our perspectives?CT: We support initiatives and collect works of art that encourage reflection, demonstrate innovation, and encourage deeper questions. For example, in 2019 the Foundation’s inaugural Bold Initiatives grant was given to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago to support their OPEN HOUSE initiative. They are taking bold steps to enable greater visitor engagement. This includes making the museum accessible to all facets of the community—not just those who live nearby, who have visited a museum before, or who feel comfortable in such a space. We are helping to fund an onsite educator whose job centers around visitors: understanding their needs, asking questions, helping them to grow and learn in a conducive environment. This commitment to making art more accessible is mirrored in our public exhibition space Art House in Santa Fe, which presents highlights from our collection of Digital Art to a community with deep and rich cultural and artistic histories. We aim to bridge the gap between something familiar, like landscape painting, and something new. And we encourage visitors to ask questions about the art and dive deeper into how these connections across time and place affect them.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418225/xrxnrd7elcnsoebnkx6m.gif"><figcaption>Installation view: Earth Algorithms:Landscapes of the Digital Age featuring art works by Lee Nam Lee, SyōruHonda, and Elias Sime. Installed at ArtHouse, Santa Fe, 2019. Courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma ArtFoundation, photo by Eric Swanson.</figcaption></figure>AD: Many of the digital works in your collection incorporate some kind of interactive element. I’m intrigued by some featured pieces such as Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Please Empty Your Pockets, Jennifer Steinkamp’s Bouquet 1, Guillermo Galindo’s American Dream Flag / Bandera del sueño americano, or Lynn Harshman Leeson’s Deep Contact. In these examples the viewer is engaging with the subject through a screen, which seems to be one of our primary options when looking at art lately. What makes these installations significant today?CT: These pieces are all very different, but what unites them is that each artist pursues an innovative technological idea to completion. In some of the examples you cite, the artists are at the forefront of digital art. Never before have such complex programmed works been viewable within art galleries. This represents a major shift in the experience of art, including interactivity.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418227/rn0ul8zq55sn7zdnlcwe.gif"><figcaption>James Turrell, Ursa Minor, MediumElliptical Glass, 2019, LED light, etched glass, shallow space. © James Turrell, courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, photo by Pace Gallery</figcaption></figure>AD: How does your digital and electronic art collection speak to the idea of art making in a time where everything seems so readily accessible? Can you talk a bit about the shift into collecting Digital and Electronic Art?CT: My business is rooted in investing in new technologies, so collecting digital and electronic art came naturally. Our Digital Art collection mirrors my interest in systematic approaches, scientific thinking, innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology that shifts the trajectory of human experience. Over the years, I’ve found myself considering the role that new technologies play in the evolution of artistic creation and how the artworks we collect inspire an expansion in our understanding of media in contemporary culture.AD: Which piece is your most recent addition? How does it connect to the others?CT: Our most recent acquisition is James Turrell’s Ursa Minor, Medium Elliptical Glass from 2019. He is a key figure in the Light and Space movement. It never seemed practical to own one of his seminal works from the 1960s, which are complicated to re-create. The piece that we acquired uses LEDs with a computer program to simulate the effects of the artist’s enchanting Skyspaces. &nbsp;Art Collecting: A Family AffairAD: From your perspective, how has the practice of art collecting changed?CT: Over the past five decades, collectors have seen an increase in the number of opportunities to purchase. Almost daily, we receive digital images of pieces that are on the market. This increase in opportunity to purchase is especially true with digital artwork, which, like prints, may come in multiple editions.AD: According to a 2017 interview in Albuquerque Journal, your daughter, Margo, is an art professional. What have you learned from her in terms of art and business?CT: Margo has taught us a great deal about modern and contemporary art and Japanese bamboo sculpture. She works closely with some of the foremost scholars and advisors in the field of Japanese bamboo, whose research has informed the scope and shape of our collection. As a gallery director, she has also provided a view into the inner workings of the art market.AD: Do you notice a shift between people wanting to own art and people wanting to experience it? How do you think millennials and younger generations will go about art collecting?CT: Yes—and this is due in part to the fact that it is not necessary to own a work of art to connect with it and explore it from the comfort of your home. While nothing compares to experiencing an artwork in person, it is easier than ever to research and access art through online sources. More artworks are available to be seen as pieces in museum storage become uploaded and shared.Today, artistic masterpieces have the power to impact broad audiences: scholars advancing study of the field, casual observers perusing our collections online, emerging collectors looking for inspiration. Collecting art and sharing it with the world ensures its preservation for future generations to enjoy. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418227/lk1gfyerzkya5tne4uz1.gif"><figcaption>Installation view: The Algorists: Historic Computer Art installed at Orange Door, Chicago, 2019. Courtesy of the Carl &amp; Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, photo</figcaption></figure> &nbsp;</body></html>

Behind The Orange Door: The Thoma Art Foundation Builds a Collection to Share With the World

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417879/al4yzksibpsvkvtuqrhu.png"><figcaption>Artist Mark Yee with patrons the Williams family</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAEvery three years, the Hyde Park Art Center relaunches its famed artist–patron matchmaking endeavor. It's a multifaceted, immersive art experience and benefit for the center, and its return is always greatly anticipated. In the best of times, the program gives much needed exposure and support to area artists, while also introducing new collectors to the world of commissions and artist relationships. It also raises funds for the art center and its programming. NJAPF facilitates lasting relationships between artists and patrons, a new base of support for artists, and investment in the vitality of Chicago’s cultural community.Now, with the majority of working artists now unemployed or without their usual financial lifelines, HPAC launched a special COVID-19 edition of the program (the most recent edition of the program concluded at the end of 2019.) &nbsp;The Art Center was inspired by one of its Board members who purchased art as a way to support artists through this difficult time.&nbsp;Taking place every three years, Not Just Another Pretty Face is a collaborative commissioning project created by Hyde Park Art Center. The Art Center arranges commissions between patrons and artists who create engaging personal works of art (from the traditional to the very untraditional).The project has been a successful way for the Art Center to cultivate a very important part of the “ecosystem” that artists need in order to thrive – collectors – by embracing, and encouraging, the idea of patronage in contemporary art. The goal of the program, according to HPAC staff, is guided by the belief that artists need not only consumers (i.e., collectors) of their work, but also need a community of people who know and support them and value what they do.To date, the Art Center has raised over $900,000—half of which goes directly into the hands of artists, with the other half going to support Art Center programs. Through&nbsp;Not Just Another Pretty Face, 375+ original works of art have been commissioned by 275 new and established collectors interested in investing in Chicago’s artists.For this edition, here's what you need to know:<ul><li>No art collecting experience is necessary, and there's something for every budget and style. Peruse the roster of artists available <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001TBk5YFyprmE0a__vTXvUvNKwau55DKeuJfYbTCxdLVmR7reqo6pQLhAdn-89cE6M5VkG7g31LgAWU53YAu91qCeFO8qo1eWFtCTeptu5-5AC2yK9Gy8vJCTmJqyUEFXII9mVIyb2r5vE2ScX-jyYceUaoc6Plh_W&amp;c=IMSoXDtN6YQF6maGwUYgs20dwPJ_-RTRApk7C8WhOuKjbIc0LFxzMA==&amp;ch=W7jSJB2Yvzt0RKsGy2D2sX-_HlEyuy2ROlrDZseflSkM3a4TytR5ug==">here.</a></li><li>Art Center staff will arrange virtual studio visits with artists and facilitate commissions and sales over the next few weeks.</li><li>The commission and/or sale fee will be split 50% to the artist and 50% as a tax-deductible donation to the Art Center’s relief fund, which will go directly to pay artists through our programs.</li></ul>If you are interested in learning more, <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001TBk5YFyprmE0a__vTXvUvNKwau55DKeuJfYbTCxdLVmR7reqo6pQLhAdn-89cE6MqXiDZxXmRohALCXwq--_6zdKI_b8iZUUjlxB2xG2TGYrTyVrAO2Qfp7YUJi8Iwp_ZSf9CiWMobD0GVPtKMnS6aKglu3HxqFRb343XCVcu1zBlg6cLdXBaA-jg0oGLt5rK2QwgHwxAlQpobOWlDD8PSGnE-ED5Ofl0IvXy55Oj6R2F3-LSxaLaVGl0xzRgnHF&amp;c=IMSoXDtN6YQF6maGwUYgs20dwPJ_-RTRApk7C8WhOuKjbIc0LFxzMA==&amp;ch=W7jSJB2Yvzt0RKsGy2D2sX-_HlEyuy2ROlrDZseflSkM3a4TytR5ug==">please fill out this form</a> and someone from HPAC will be in touch.Since its inception in the mid-1990s, Not Just Another Pretty Face has maintained its pursuit of three primary goals:<ul><li>To support Chicago’s artists;</li><li>To make collecting and patronage accessible to a wider group of people; and</li><li>To explore the idea of portraiture in contemporary art.</li></ul>My husband and I participated in the program several years ago and commissioned a wedding present that was a gift from my parents. We loved the selection process as well as the unveiling event and exhibition, and we have kept in touch with "our artist" Mel Watkin. Many people who have participated in NJAPF do so again, and again. This is proving to be a time that will be challenging for artists for a very long time. It is also a time when hopefully we recognize the importance of art in our lives and how it can help us during dark and uncertain days. The NJAPF COVID-10 edition offers opportunities for all.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hydeparkart.org/njapf-2019">SEE THE ARTISTS AVAILABLE FOR 2020 COVID-19 EDITION OF NJAPF</a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hydeparkartcenter/sets/72157673842514364">SEE IMAGES FROM THE 2019 NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE UNVEILING</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://files.constantcontact.com/e0e61f61601/4eb1a619-da30-479a-85f5-3b47cb848640.png" alt=""><figcaption>Chad Kouri, Support Structure, hand cut vinyl on black paper, 11x14, 2019. Commissioned by Onyx Montes for the 2019 iteration of Not Just Another Pretty Face.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Hyde Park Art Center Launches Special COVID-19 Edition of Art Matchmaking Program

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417775/edqx4gmumpvdbz9o4hz5.jpg"><figcaption>Wadsworth Jarrell with son Jerry, Jae Jarrell, and Napoleon Jones-Henderson at an AFRICOBRA meeting,&nbsp;1968, Chicago, IL. Courtesy of Gerald Williams</figcaption></figure>Via PR&nbsp;The three living co-founders of AFRICOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists)—are receiving honorary doctorates from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417776/uyjmup519ojp4yuimsb6.jpg"><figcaption>AFRICOBRA: Nation Time,&nbsp;official collateral exhibition of the&nbsp;2019&nbsp;edition of La&nbsp;Biennale&nbsp;di&nbsp;Venezia,&nbsp;installed at Ca’ Faccanon, Venice, Italy&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Kavi Gupta congratulates Gerald Williams, Wadsworth Jarrell, and Jae Jarrell—the three living co-founders of AFRICOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists)—for their receipt of honorary doctorates from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, "for their extraordinary contributions to culture."<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417777/qp4d78jehr5crxtfvzct.jpg"><figcaption>Jae Jarrell working on&nbsp;Ornaments of Reflection for the Toronto&nbsp;Biennial, 2019, Cleveland, OH.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>This honor comes on the one-year anniversary of the opening of&nbsp;AFRICOBRA: Nation Time, an award-winning, official collateral exhibition at the 58th Venice Biennale. Organized and sponsored by Kavi Gupta, bardoLA, and MOCA North Miami, and curated by Jeffreen M. Hayes, Ph.D.,&nbsp;AFRICOBRA: Nation Time&nbsp;was noted as a highlight of the Biennale by numerous press outlets and further enshrined AFRICOBRA as a crucial voice in the international artistic landscape. Installed in the gothic palazzo Ca’ Faccanon, the exhibition featured both classic and recent works by the artists of AFRICOBRA, including some pieces which had not been displayed publicly since their original showings with the group in the 1970s. Accompanied by extensive historical material to contextualize the state of 1960s America, and Chicago specifically, the exhibition now stands as a definitive exploration of the group’s legendary history.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417778/esfhujsy9st4rknmlclc.jpg"><figcaption>Wadsworth Jarrell in his studio,&nbsp;2019, Cleveland, OH.</figcaption></figure>Founded in 1968 on the South Side of Chicago, AFRICOBRA was on the vanguard of the global Black Arts. Rather than focusing on violent revolution, they focused on nurturing a revolutionary cultural spirit distilling the intertextual aspect of their visual environment into an aesthetic position that was unmistakably current, and unmistakably connected to the African diaspora. Soon, the group was joined by five more members: Napoleon Jones Henderson, Nelson Stevens, Sherman Beck, Omar Lama, and Carolyn Mims Lawrence.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417779/hqhzlhaakjyubjhkj8ji.jpg"><figcaption>Gerald Williams in front of his work at the opening for The Time is Now! Art Worlds of Chicago's South Side atthe Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, 2018, Chicago, IL.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Congratulations, AFRICOBRA, for everything you have accomplished. We celebrate the far-reaching impact your philosophical and aesthetic positions continue to have on our culture—the story of AFRICOBRA has only just begun.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

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