By BETSY NATHAN

From German Bauhaus designers to Scandinavian and American mid-century makers, modernists have always been inspired by Asia. George Nakashima apprenticed in his ancestral Japan to learn &ldquo;the finest traditions&rdquo; of woodworking. Hans Wegner paradoxically helped to define Danish design with his Ming-inspired China Chairs for Fritz Hansen. And art historian Sarah Handler has drawn clear connections between Marcel Brauer&rsquo;s Wassily Chair&mdash;an icon of industrial modernism&mdash;and 17th century Qing and Ming Meditation Chairs.

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Although Japanese and Chinese designers were minimalists centuries before the mid-century modernists, unearthing the Eastern roots of Western modernism isn&rsquo;t just an exercise in accreditation. It&rsquo;s a way to bring craft and modernism back together again, breathing new life into old objects. Asian craft offers an alternative to the steel-and-glass rigidity of Western minimalism. Before Sam Maloof, Ming makers had perfected the art of mortise-and-tenon joinery. Strong joints were designed to hold chairs together without adhesives, so that they could be disassembled, packed and re-assembled at will&mdash;outlasting anything built with nails that would rust or glue that would crumble.

Chinese and Japanese craftsmen also saw their trade as a kind of humble, hard-won religion. George Nakashima knew this, believing&mdash;as the Shinto tradition does&mdash;that &ldquo;there is a spirit&hellip;in the grain of a tree.&rdquo; Despite the pressures of the prevailing industrialism that defined American postwar design, he maintained a handcrafted element and an appreciation for joinery in everything he did. In keeping his business purposefully small and simple, he was a modern echo of the Japanese toryo, or master temple carpenter.

Stories like these aren&rsquo;t just entertaining historic anecdotes. They can, and should be, carried into today&rsquo;s maker movement. Design houses like Knoll and Herman Miller are recognizing this. Knoll Textiles works with small fashion studios like Rodarte to adapt their hand-dyed ombr&eacute;s into upholstery fabrics, while Herman Miller handcrafts Eames Chairs in its Zeeland, Michigan factory. Craft is a way to reconnect modernism to its roots, and the further back we go, the more we have to learn.

There&rsquo;s a conversation to be had between ancient and modern objects. It&rsquo;s a dialogue made richer and more human when east and west talk with one another. Chinese and Japanese craft are cornerstones of modern and contemporary design, just as the Western world exports its cultural influence. In the words of George Nakashima, &ldquo;One borrows from another, which is the way I think a culture should be.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Betsy Nathan is the owner of <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/pagoda-red--2">Pagoda Red</a>, which has two locations: 400 N Morgan in Chicago&#39;s West Loop, and&nbsp;911 Green Bay Rd. in Winnetka

Pagoda Red owner Betsy Nathan on importance of Asian design on craft

Under The Influence: Modern Design’s Debt To Asian Craft

Self-taught artist Tony Fitzpatrick is a living, breathing embodiment of Chicago toughness, yet his latest exhibition, The Secret Birds,&nbsp;on view at DePaul Art Museum is filled with the peace and music of hundreds of birds flitting amongst poetry. Fitzpatrick has also published a new book, which accompanies the exhibition.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Collection of Fitzpatrick's bird decoys and models" data-rich-file-id="1163" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1163/original/img-6771.jpg" />

&nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Fitzpatrick's source materials" data-rich-file-id="1164" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1164/original/img-6772.jpg" />

Chicago artist Barbara Rossi, once a Catholic nun, and part of the famous Imagists group of artists, is exhibiting key works from the 1960s and 70s, drawings as well as paintings on Plexiglass,&nbsp;which were pivitol to her artistic evolution and help reveal&nbsp;the artist&#39;s significant role in&nbsp;our own local art history. Poor Traits is Rossi&#39;s first solo show in Chicago in a quarter century.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Barbara Rossi, Eye Deal, 1974, acrylic on Plexiglas panel and frame, Courtesy of Madison Museum of Contemporary Art" data-rich-file-id="1167" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1167/original/768e2218de4drossi-1-01.jpg" />&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Barbara Rossi, Untitled, 1968, colored pencil on paper, Courtesy of James Keith Brown and Eric Diefenbach" data-rich-file-id="1168" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1168/original/1935f6e1154erossi-3-01.jpg" />

Both artists are Chicago treasures, and their parallel shows on view at DePaul should not be missed.&nbsp;

On view through August 21, 2016 at DePaul Art Museum&nbsp;

Tony Fitzpatrick and Barbara Rossi on view at DePaul Art Museum Summer 2016

Tony Fitzpatrick and Barbara Rossi: Dual Artistic Forces on View at DePaul Art Museum 

Chicago is proud to claim international artist Dzine/Carlos Rolon as its own, and for the first time in 12 years, the artist&#39;s work is on view here at home at the Chicago Cultural Center for a solo exhibition.&nbsp;

Dzine&#39;s style is distinct - bright colors, sparkles, bold shapes, designs and vignettes - and&nbsp;there is always much to behold, contemplate and admire in the artist&#39;s work. And though it is often mesmerizingly&nbsp;beautiful, there is much more to it than just looks, proving that the artist defies stereotypes and categorization.&nbsp;Rolon&#39;s current show highlights his social explorations and the immersive environments he creates in order to put viewers in a certain state of mind. By getting viewers to stop and look, he can also make them think (sometimes even looking in the mirror.)&nbsp;

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At the Cultural Center,&nbsp;multiple works are&nbsp;placed throughout three rooms on the second floor. Viewers first encounter a Caribbean courtyard, then move past pieces composed of crushed glass, as well as gold leaf and painstakingly painted flowers.&nbsp;A large-scale installation is devoted to&nbsp;boxing sport and culture. A neon pink afrocomb towers in the final room, not far from&nbsp;Nomadic Habitat (Hustleman) Cart, a collaboration with Chicago street vendor Garland Gantt (pictured at top of page). Originally created for the Chicago Architecture Biennial in connection with the Arts Incubator / Arts + Public Life program at the University of Chicago.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1159" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1159/original/img-6790.jpg" />&nbsp;

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Everything is bigger, and certainly more sparkly in Dzine&#39;s world. He manages to make the everyday stop you in your tracks. This show is no exception.&nbsp;

Carlos Rol&oacute;n/Dzine: I Tell You This Sincerely&hellip; runs through July 31, 2016 at the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/chicago-cultural-center--2">Chicago Cultural Center</a>

&nbsp;

Dzine Carlos Rolon at Chicago Cultural Center 2016

Dzine at the Chicago Cultural Center

By ALISON REILLY

This Sunday May 15, the Arts Incubator at the University of Chicago will be hosting an event celebrating the collaboration between Fatima Traore, a Malian-American professional hair braider, and Sarah Beth Woods, a Chicago-based sculptor. The two met at a hair braider&rsquo;s summit in 2013 and quickly developed a friendship, which eventually lead to their current project BRAID/WORK.

Woods approached Traore at the summit and asked to braid her hair, and Traore happily agreed. Woods, a Caucasian woman, was hesitant about wearing cornrows because of the implied cultural appropriation, she noted on a <a href="https://soundcloud.com/vocalos-barber-shop-show/bss-262-braidwork">recent episode of the Barber Shop Show</a>, hosted by Richard Steele. However, she greatly admired Traore&rsquo;s techniques, and eventually, it provided both artists the opportunity to explore and celebrate the complexity of hair braiding traditions.

Traore immigrated to New York City to become an architect, but she said in the interview, &ldquo;Life brought my talent out.&rdquo; She moved to Harlem and began learning American style hair braiding techniques, which differed from what she had been taught in Mali. She recalled that, &ldquo;One client came to the salon, she wanted one big braid. It was so funny to my eyes, I went to the shop owner and said, &lsquo;One big braid, most of the time [in Mali] we do it on dead people, but she&rsquo;s alive and she&rsquo;s requesting it!&rsquo; She said, &lsquo;Well, this is America, just do it!&rsquo; It was very frightening. It was eye-opening for me.&rdquo; Traore remarked that in Mali hair braiding often designates social and economic status, while in the United States any style can be used at any time.

Woods, on the other hand, is a sculptor interested in the relationship between artifice and nature. She spent two years teaching at a school in Ashburn, where she was intrigued by the visual landscape of barbershops and beauty salons on every other corner. She now spends hours looking through dollar stores and beauty supply stores incorporating hair weaves, hair buns, and nail tips into her work.

<img alt="" data-caption="Sarah Beth Woods | Hair weave, chain, door knocker earrings | 13&quot; x 4&quot; x 9&quot; | 2014" data-rich-file-id="1152" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1152/original/sarahbethwoods.jpg" />

Traore and Woods are currently artists-in-residence for the Crossing Boundaries program sponsored by the University of Chicago. The opportunity to continue their collaboration has resulted in an exhibition that will be opening on July 8 at RootWork Gallery, a new gallery space in Pilsen.

Tracie D. Hall, Deputy Commissioner for DCASE who curated the exhibition, writes:

<blockquote class="pull-right">When I first heard about Sarah Beth Woods&#39; and Fatima Traore&#39;s collaboration across culturally distinct but somehow resonant personal narratives of being born into lines of &ldquo;hairdresser&rdquo; and craftswomen of German-American homesteader and Malian medicine-maker heritage, I championed their union long before I saw even one piece of work. By the time I viewed their portfolio I knew that they were still in the beginning stages of what they could potentially do together. The potential for their art practices (one studio-centered and the other based in a braiding salon) to influence each other and indeed to create a cross-dialogue between artists that work in hair and those that work in fiber--is extremely exciting and is in my opinion, a primary goal for this work.</blockquote>

Hall also hopes that through supporting the partnership between Traore and Woods, she can foster further collaboration between artists who come from fine arts backgrounds with those who have not have formal artistic education. These types of collaboration initiate meaningful engagement between diverse cultural communities in Chicago, who may have similar interests but often do not find opportunities to engage with each other.

For more information about the collaboration visit: <a href="http://braidwork.weebly.com/about.html">BRAID/WORK</a>.

Listen to the Barber Shop Show&rsquo;s interview with Traore and Woods <a href="http://soundcloud.com/vocalos-barber-shop-show/bss-262-braidwork">here</a>.

Top image:&nbsp;BRAID/WORK | Sarah Beth Woods and Fatima Traore | Photo documentation: Cecil McDonald Jr. |&nbsp;2016

Note: The opening reception for BRAID/WORK will take place on Friday,&nbsp;July 8 from 6:30-9pm. The date has changed from June 10.

On May 15, the Arts Incubator at the University of Chicago will be hosting an event celebrating the collaboration between Fatima Traore, a Malian-American professional hair braider, and Sarah Beth Woods, a Chicago-based sculptor. 

BRAID/WORK: Fatima Traore and Sarah Beth Woods

On Friday May 13, the Fashion Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago hosts their annual Fashion Show. The event usually takes place under a big tent in Millennium Park, but this year, the walk and an accompanying exhibition will be held at the Garfield Park Conservatory. While the Fashion Show features&nbsp;the work of graduating seniors, the new exhibition component showcases 230 designs from nearly 100 sophomore, junior and senior students with the conservatory.&nbsp;The Fashion Show is an invite-only event but the exhibition will be open to the public Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm. This is a great opportunity to see the work of these dedicated students, many of whom go on to successful careers within the fashion industry.&nbsp;

Below you&#39;ll find photos of the installation in the Fern Room:

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1145" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1145/original/saic-fashion2.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1146" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1146/original/saic-fashion5.jpg" />

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<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1148" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1148/original/saic-fashion8.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1150" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1150/original/saic-fashion4.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1144" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1144/original/saic-fashion1.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1151" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1151/original/saic-fashion6.jpg" />

&nbsp;

SAIC Fashion 2016 at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Free and open to the public May 13-15,&nbsp;9am-5pm.&nbsp;

The Fashion Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) hosts their annual fashion show at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

From Flora to Fashion: SAIC at the Garfield Park Conservatory

We love a good antiques show, and last month the&nbsp;Antiques, Garden &amp; Design Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden in suburban Glencoe offered a festive preview party, a wealth of design and art,&nbsp;and a welcome start to spring. &nbsp;The show has been taking place each spring for over a decade and a half now, at a time when there is no other&nbsp;antiques show taking place in the city. This show brings truth to the adage &quot;what&#39;s old is new&quot; as it makes the case for incorporating a dynamic mix of objects into a real life home environment, both indoors and out. Wandering the show floor and perusing the many beautiful&nbsp;booths, and chatting up expert dealers, makes the case that one doesn&#39;t have to fill a home with standard issue pieces&nbsp;from a big box store. Instead, examples about of how a&nbsp;unique piece of furniture with a history behind it,&nbsp;or a small decorative item can&nbsp;lend much needed life to&nbsp;a room at a time when so much out there seems the same.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1127" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1127/original/unspecified.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1126" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1126/original/unspecified-5.jpg" />

At the preview night on April 14, over 650 party goers&nbsp;raised more than $200,000. Celebrating its 16th&nbsp;year, the Show inspires stylish living and presents beautiful gardens and objects together in a new way, making antiques fresh and appropriately vibrant. Held on the early spring grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the most visited botanic gardens in the United States, the Antiques, Garden &amp; Design Show is the &ldquo;ribbon cutting&rdquo; to spring, inspiring attendees to brighten up their homes and gardens.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1125" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1125/original/unspecified-3.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1124" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1124/original/unspecified-2.jpg" />

More than 90 exhibitors of&nbsp;antiques, garden antiques,&nbsp;midcentury modern pieces, and art and design from around the United States and Europe created incredible tableaus in their booths for guests to shop. Martyn Lawrence Bullard was keynote speaker and honorary co-chair. Other featured speakers, Timothy Whealon, Mario Nievera and Jeff Ross, also attended the preview evening and delighted attendees during the weekend.&nbsp;

Proceeds from the Show benefited the Chicago Botanic Garden&rsquo;s conservation, education and research programs.

Also on view at the Garden was Laurie Tennent&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2016/4/the-artistic-intimacy-of-flowers">Botanicals: Intimate Portraits</a>, which continues&nbsp;through September 25.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1123" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1123/original/unspecified-1.jpg" />

Antiques are New at Antiques, Garden & Design Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Each summer the&nbsp;Associate Board of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago hosts an event and exhibition to benefit its renowned art therapy program. This year,&nbsp;the 14th Annual Art in Motion opening celebration will take place on Thursday, May 5 from 5:30-9pm at Northwestern University&#39;s Lurie Center, Ryan Family Atrium at 303 East Superior (60611) in Streeterville.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1036" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1036/original/7182.jpg" />

Art in Motion&nbsp;is an important fundraiser and unique art exhibition hosted by the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago&rsquo;s Associate Board that brings the thriving art community and philanthropy community of Chicago together to support the very important cause of art therapy. James Rondeau, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Art Institute of Chicago (at the time he did the jurying)&nbsp;designates the most outstanding works submitted by hundreds of artists from around the country. This festive evening&nbsp;embodies the generosity of both professional &amp; patient artists who donate artwork sales proceeds to the RIC Art Therapy program.

<img alt="" data-caption="Miriam Pare" data-rich-file-id="1037" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1037/original/7168.jpg" />

RIC&rsquo;s Art Therapy program is funded solely through philanthropic support, and is one of the key elements that make RIC the #1 rehabilitation hospital in the world. In addition to traditional physical, speech, and occupational therapy, art therapy is an integral part of a patient&rsquo;s care at RIC. Art Therapy not only allows patients to relearn motor skills and coordination, but also helps them express the emotions they feel as they adjust to a new, challenging way of life. Some patients even discover previously untapped artistic talent, which they often continue to enjoy for the rest of their lives after they leave RIC.

Here is one moving story about an artist and RIC patient.&nbsp;Antonio Davis&rsquo; passion has always been art. He loved drawing and painting ever since he was young and studied graphic design in high school.

In 1994, he sustained a gunshot wound to the chest that left&nbsp;him a&nbsp;quadriplegic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Now, Antonio&rsquo;s paintings have received worldwide recognition and the MFPA has reproduced many of his paintings. Through art he has found a purpose.&nbsp;During his rehabilitation at RIC he was first introduced to mouth painting. Antonio&#39;s work will be on view at Art in Motion.&nbsp;

Here are just a few more things that your support as an Art in Motion guest will make possible:

&bull; Resident Art Therapist on site 24 hours-a-week to initiate and lead programs; 
&bull;&nbsp;Over 700 hours of art therapy services provided, to both individuals and groups of patients; 
&bull;&nbsp;One year of twice-weekly movement therapy classes at RIC&rsquo;s Health and Fitness Center.

For more information and tickets visit:&nbsp;<a href="http://donate.ric.org/artinmotion">donate.ric.org/artinmotion</a>

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1038" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1038/original/unnamed.jpg" />

&nbsp;

An evening of art and music to benefit RIC Art Therapy

May 5 is Art in Motion to Benefit RIC Art Therapy

By FRANCK MERCURIO

Seeing Laurie Tennent&rsquo;s botanic photographs in person is a completely different experience than viewing them online. Nothing quite prepares you for the scale of the artist&rsquo;s physical works, some of which extend eight feet in length. Approaching these images of flowering plants up close, the viewer becomes immersed within the intriguing world of plant anatomy.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very interested in the architecture and design that is in nature,&rdquo; said Tennent. &ldquo;The intricacies of [plant] structures are amazing to me.&rdquo;

More than 20 of Tennent&rsquo;s large-scale works can be seen in Botanicals: Intimate Portraits at the Chicago Botanic Garden through September 25.

<img alt="" data-caption="Red Velvet Echeveria" data-rich-file-id="1106" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1106/original/red-velvet-echeveria.jpg" />

Digital technology enables the Michigan-based artist to enlarge her photos of small, flowering plants to a monumental size. She fuses the images onto aluminum substrates, which allows the works to be displayed indoors or outdoors without need of protective glazing.&nbsp;

&ldquo;With photography, works are usually 15 by 20 inches, behind glass, matted and framed,&rdquo; said Tennent. &ldquo;I was always striving to get out of that mold and have the surface become more like a painting.&rdquo;

And, indeed, Tennent&rsquo;s images reflect the stylistic conventions of 17th-century Dutch still life paintings. Dramatically lit and set against black backgrounds, these works by the &ldquo;Old Masters&rdquo; captured the vibrancy and decay of nature&rsquo;s bounty: the food and flowers found inside prosperous Dutch homes.

<img alt="" data-caption="Calliandra" data-rich-file-id="1105" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1105/original/calliandra.jpg" />

To achieve a similar visual effect, Tennent photographs individual plant specimens set against dark backgrounds inside her studio. She uses a shallow depth of field where only the first plane of the object is lit and in focus.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really accentuating the foreground,&rdquo; explained Tennent about her photographic technique.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The black background really makes the structure come out and brings [the viewer] into the image.&rdquo;

Her resulting images recall the works of the great botanic illustrators of the 18th and 19th centuries, some of whom were women. Artists such as Barbara Regina Dietzsch (German, 1706&ndash;1783) and Mary Delany (English, 1700&ndash;1788) rendered plant specimens in vibrant color&mdash;and accurate scientific detail&mdash;set against stark black backgrounds. It was one of the few artistic fields where women could flourish alongside their male counterparts; the subjects (flowering plants and other botanicals) were considered appropriately feminine.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="The artist at work (on left)" data-rich-file-id="1107" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1107/original/lt-and-selena.jpg" />

But as Tennent points out, there are dualities in flowering plants that can be read as both male and female.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I really love the masculine/feminine qualities that flowers and other botanic structures have,&rdquo; said Tennent. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s the strength of the [plant] architecture and the delicacy of the petals&mdash;I love that duality.&rdquo;

Tennent&rsquo;s exhibition at the Chicago Botanic Garden is part of a larger project, one that the artist hopes will create greater appreciation for a variety of plants, as well as raising awareness of endangered species.

&ldquo;My plan is to travel to different botanic gardens and create portfolios that are site specific,&rdquo; said Tennent. &ldquo;Every garden has certain species that they grow that are important or unique to their collection.&rdquo;

The conservation of plants is a major research focus at the Chicago Botanic Garden. In an effort to fight plant extinction, the Garden&rsquo;s scientific staff is studying and propagating many species that are endangered, such as the golden fuchsia (Deppea splendens). Native to Chiapas, Mexico, this flowering plant is thought to be extinct in the wild and is now only grown in greenhouses. It is one of the subjects of Tennent&rsquo;s photography and featured in the exhibition alongside other plants from the Garden&rsquo;s expansive collections.

&ldquo;Tennent&rsquo;s work is spectacular,&rdquo; said Exhibitions and Programs Production Manager Gabriel Hutchison of the Chicago Botanic Garden. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s incredible to see the flowers on such a grand scale.&rdquo;

You can experience the immersive qualities of Tennent&rsquo;s large-scale photographic images. Botanicals: Intimate Portraits is on display through September 25 in the Garden&rsquo;s Krehbiel Gallery located in the Regenstein Center. For hours and admission, visit <a href="http://chicagobotanic.org/visit">chicagobotanic.org/visit</a>

&nbsp;

Pictured at top: Laurie Tennent, Deppea Splendens

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Photographs by Laurie Tennent at Chicago Botanic Garden 

The Artistic Intimacy of Flowers

By ALISON REILLY

In 2014, Andrew Holmquist presented a video titled Painting, Time and Space at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)&rsquo;s MFA Show. In the video, he translates painting to a three-dimensional space and reveals the process of constructing a complex composition. Ribbons of color unfold across the screen and layer on top of each other. As the camera moves backwards in space, more stage props &ndash; a cart here, a ladder there &ndash; come into view. At the time, Holmquist was working for the facilities management department at SAIC, so he had access to a collection of objects that assisted him in creating the final product.

<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;Locker Room&lt;/i&gt;, 2015, oil, acrylic, spray enamel on canvas, 72” x 84”" data-rich-file-id="1110" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1110/original/aholmquist-locker-room-binderx-.jpg" />

In his recent exhibition at Carrie Secrist Gallery, Holmquist experimented with many of the same themes that Painting, Time and Space brings forward. The show, STAGE LEFT featured a series of new paintings &ndash; Holmquist is known primarily as a painter &ndash; but in the latest iteration of his work, he moved more confidently into film and sculpture. He noted, &ldquo;In the past I&rsquo;ve had shows that have a sculpture in them in addition to paintings, or I&rsquo;ve shown the comic books independent of the paintings, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to present these works as pieces of the same whole.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Accompanying the paintings in STAGE LEFT was a collection of small-scale ceramic sculptures that Holmquist made with the help of his parents who run a pottery business in northern Minnesota. &ldquo;The sculptures,&rdquo; Holmquist said, &ldquo;they initially started off as action figures from the paintings, or taking specific gestures or moves that appear frequently in the paintings, and plucking them out and plopping them into the three-dimensional space to see what that actually does and what it&rsquo;s like to actually be able to walk around to the backside of something rather than just imagine it.&rdquo;&nbsp;

For the exhibition, Holmquist situated the sculptures on pedestals of varying heights and arranged them on a large plinth. He said, &ldquo;It seemed like an elaborate stage, a Broadway stage setup or back to [Hollywood film director and musical choreographer] Busby Berkeley&ndash;these figures emerging from water. Their grand entrance!&rdquo; The monochromatic sculptures reiterate much of the aesthetic vocabulary found in his paintings. In one sculpture a ribbon (or is it a red carpet?) cascades over a ribbed cylindrical form. In another sculpture a pair of four pale pink legs are poised, ready to descend a staircase.

<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;Suit of Armor&lt;/i&gt;, 2015, oil and acrylic on canvas, 60” x 50” " data-rich-file-id="1109" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1109/original/aholmquist-suit-of-armor-binder.jpg" />

Like the sculptures, Holmquist&rsquo;s paintings move fluidly between the worlds of abstraction and figuration. He layers bodies and perspectives on top of each other to create a tense space full of sideways glances and hints at eroticism. In Suit of Armor, a yellow hand emerges from a chaotic tumble of black brushstrokes as if to ground the viewer in space. Holmquist insists that the use of hands in his paintings allows, &ldquo;the audience pivot backwards into the painting. The audience can recognize a part and spin themselves into this world that I&rsquo;m presenting.&rdquo;

He continues, &ldquo;These hands waving you on in, they&rsquo;re friendly waving, &lsquo;Hello! Come on!&rsquo; but then this yellow one &ndash; it&rsquo;s waving hello but also blocking you from entering. Because that&rsquo;s the experience of looking at painting - you can imagine these spaces in these paintings opening up but clearly you can&rsquo;t ever go in them. That&rsquo;s fun because if you could it&rsquo;d probably be disappointing anyways - this kind of half imagined world is better than the full story.&rdquo;

Growing up, Holmquist participated in small-town theater productions, but he never studied the discipline formally. Nonetheless, the idea of a staged production &ndash; a space that exists at a particular time and for a particular audience continues to inform his work. &ldquo;These places that I depict,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;they go back only a handful of feet rather than miles.&rdquo;&nbsp;

David Hockney, Holmquist said, is a major influence on his work, because &ldquo;he uses that same idea of the stage in his paintings.&rdquo; In particular, he appreciates Hockney&rsquo;s painting at the Art Institute of Chicago, American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman).&nbsp; &ldquo;The painting uses this isometric perspective that doesn&rsquo;t exist in reality. It&rsquo;s really tangible &ndash; it&rsquo;s three-dimensional but it&rsquo;s not realistic three-dimensions, it&rsquo;s a pictorial depiction of three dimensions. And the space of that painting specifically, that blue sky, which is infinite space in reality, it reads more like a tarp or a plastic scrim that&rsquo;s behind these characters and these stage sets than an actual infinite space.&rdquo; Holmquist follows in this notion: he experiments with multiple perspectives, creating spaces that look somewhat familiar but could not exist in reality.&nbsp;

As an artist, Holmquist benefits from what he calls &ldquo;low-tech magic,&rdquo; meaning that he can pull off &ldquo;pretty dazzling special effects&rdquo; within the four corners of a canvas. Recently, he extended his philosophy to film. He collaborated with filmmaker Alexander Stewart to create Magic Hands, a 16mm film that, like his paintings and sculptures, fluctuates between figuration and abstraction. Holmquist had previously created video works but chose film in this case because of the high stakes of the medium. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t do a reshoot because it&rsquo;s too expensive. You get one shot at it. And that&rsquo;s the same way with painting. You can certainly wipe something off but with this kind of painting it&rsquo;s these fresh, seemingly spontaneous gestures that need to hit their mark. I like that drama.&rdquo;

Holmquist was also attracted to the potential of color with 16mm film. A few years ago at the Gene Siskel Film Center, he saw a rare print of Hitchcock&rsquo;s Vertigo and was overwhelmed. &ldquo;It was the most colorific experience I&rsquo;ve ever had. [The film] was so vivid, the emerald greens and the purples were traumatic, they&rsquo;re so, so intense.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The final component of Holmquist&rsquo;s exhibition at Carrie Secrist Gallery was an impressive publication flooded with warm yellows, shades of teal, and rich pinks. Part comic book, part catalogue, the publication weaves together pieces of Holmquist&rsquo;s paintings, sculptures, and film to create an absurdist narrative about a group of superheroes who transform from casually sunbathing at the beach to performing the greatest rendition of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers&rsquo; &ldquo;Islands in the Stream.&rdquo; For Holmquist, the publication was one of many ways viewers could interpret the work in STAGE LEFT. &ldquo;It gives people permission to concoct their own strange narrative.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Looking forward, Holmquist is excited to be included in the group exhibition, Drama Queer, curated by art historian Jonathan D. Katz. The exhibition is part of the Queer Arts Festival opening June 2016 in Vancouver, BC.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://andrewholmquist.com">andrewholmquist.com</a>

&nbsp;

Top image: Andrew Holmquist, Stage Left, Installation view, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, January 29 &ndash; March 12, 2016, Photo: Robert Chase Heishman

&nbsp;

Andrew Holmquist: Theatrical Abstractions

By GINNY VAN ALYEA

To anyone with at least a basic knowledge of European art history, the works of Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck will be familiar; they may also strike one as traditional in style. Most of us do not know just how radical and definitive van Dyck&rsquo;s artistic visions were at the time. Today many blue chip portraits on the contemporary market have roots in 17th century Europe, thanks in large part to Van Dyck&rsquo;s depictions, which influenced his contemporaries as well as future generations.&nbsp;

An exhibition on view at the Art Institute of Chicago, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and the Portrait Print, offers an opportunity to learn about the work of this artist and his significant role in the history of fine art portraiture.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Anthony van Dyck. Lucas Vorsterman, 1630/33. Clarence Buckingham Collection." data-rich-file-id="1111" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1111/original/exh-vandyck-vorsterman-main-480.jpg" />

Known primarily as a painter, Van Dyck also worked in etching and printmaking. In the last decade of his life the artist personally produced 15 etchings that would become part of a more than 100-piece key portrait series known as the Iconography. These etchings, some of which boldly depict artists in the same manner as, and even alongside, top members of the court and society, are on view for the first time in nearly 90 years. Together with works by various artists from the 16th through the 20th century, they help explain Van Dyck&rsquo;s lasting influence on the evolution of the portrait print and its significance as a distinct genre. It was Van Dyck&rsquo;s novel manner of faithfully depicting faces and their unique features and expressions that led to portraits as we know them today.&nbsp;

Visitors to the show are presented with approximately 140 works spanning five centuries. Featured are artists who preceded Van Dyck, such as Albrecht D&uuml;rer, as well those who followed soon after&mdash;Rembrandt van Rijn&mdash;and then centuries later, from Francisco de Goya, Edgar Degas, and K&auml;the Kollwitz to Chuck Close.&nbsp;

Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and the Portrait Print runs thru August 7 at the Art Institute of Chicago. Exhibition curated by Victoria Sancho Lobis, Prince Trust Assoc. Curator, Dept. of Prints and Drawings, Art Institute of Chicago &nbsp;<a href="http://www.artic.edu/exhibition/van-dyck-rembrandt-and-portrait-print">artic.edu</a>

&nbsp;

Top image:&nbsp;Anthony van Dyck.&nbsp;Self-Portrait, 1630/33. Clarence Buckingham Collection.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Van Dyck exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago

Anthony Van Dyke: Radical Portrait Artist

By GINNY VAN ALYEA

&nbsp;

GV: Tell me a little about your Chicago Artists Coalition BOLT residency.

SB: The 2015-2016 BOLT residency has been a wonderful experience, and I was thrilled to be accepted. The residency is a year-long assignment for 10 artists who work in a variety of mediums. We have monthly meetings and meet different curators from various organizations, which is such a gift. We have a group show and then a final solo show. Recently, Michael Darling, Chief Curator at the MCA, came to visit our studios, which was amazing.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

GV: For your residency exhibition this summer you&rsquo;re showing portraiture, a classic subject, using somewhat outdated equipment. What role does technology play in your work?&nbsp;

SB: I am making portraits without a camera. I use a scanner like an old fashioned box camera. Each image takes at least two minutes and has a section that is hyper sharp and then other sections with a shallow depth of field. The images reference various aspects of the history of and truths in photography and also speak to our close and complicated relationship with technology.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

GV: Does your new series continue or depart from themes in previous work?

SB: Both. For over a decade I have been looking at various aspects of our landscape with and through various new technologies &ndash; first, digital cameras and printers, and then camera phones &ndash; the cameras most of us use. My last body of work, the Walk series, featured landscapes that almost became self portraits. The photographs are comprised of 100 steps in various walks I took over the course of two years. The images are performative and time-based. These issues are also in my current portrait series. The images are not instantaneous; they take about two minutes to complete. Movement occurs while the sitter is scanned. No image can be replicated because of this. The subjects work with me to create their images. They are almost self portraits, but not quite selfies.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Suzette Bross, Walk 2/7/14 Brooklyn Museum, New York (2:01:03-2:02:00pm)" data-rich-file-id="1108" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1108/original/07-suzettebross.jpg" />

&nbsp;

GV: How do you fit art into your already very busy life? You truly are one of the busiest people I know.&nbsp;

SB: On the fly and in between!&nbsp;

&nbsp;

GV: What will you explore next?&nbsp;

SB: I am really excited to start my next project. It is broadly about homelessness in Chicago, and I have been lucky enough to work with Heartland Alliance and Streetwise.

&nbsp;

Suzette Bross is a Chicago-based photographer. Her work is in the permanent collections of The Art Institute of Chicago; The National Gallery of Art; Cleveland Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; the Block Museum; and more.&nbsp;

For the Glass opens June 3, 6-9pm at the Chicago Artists Coalition, 217 N Carpenter (60607). <a href="http://suzettebross.com">suzettebross.com</a>

&nbsp;

Top images from left to right: Suzette Bross,&nbsp;Portrait No. 2, Suzette, Archival Pigment Print, 2015;&nbsp;Portrait No. 1, Teresa, Archival Pigment Print, 2015;&nbsp;Portrait No. 3, Molly, Archival Pigment Print, 2015

&nbsp;

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<span style="border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11px; line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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); background-size: 14px 14px; background-color: rgb(189, 8, 28); position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Save<span style="border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11px; line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,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); 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Interview with photographer Suzette Bross, Chicago 2016

Photographer Suzette Bross: On the Fly

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA

Carl Hammer has been in the art business for nearly 40 years, but his journey to being one of the most well-respected dealers in Chicago started when he was an Evanston High School English teacher during a tumultous time in the nation&rsquo;s history.&nbsp;

Today, Hammer runs a gallery program from a historic building on North Wells Street in the heart of River North. Exhibitions feature work that alternates between that of noted Outsider artists like Lee Godie and Henry Darger, and contemporary art by Michael Hernandez de Luna, an artist who cleverly works with stamps, and graphic novelist Chris Ware. Hammer sees himself as a bit of an outsider, since he never had any formal art training, and it&rsquo;s his inherent curiosity and self-awareness that continues to guide his explorations and discoveries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: Tell us a little about how you got into the art business, and how did you come to focus on Outsider art?&nbsp;

CH: As a high school English teacher in Evanston during the &lsquo;60s and &lsquo;70s, I, along with my wife, decided that we should begin collecting art. Due to the political and civil rights upheaval the country was experiencing, we decided to collect &ldquo;grass roots&rdquo; art, a term that one commonly used during that period, based on a concept of how one should live. Without fully understanding what grass roots art might be, I knew I wanted our collecting to fully integrate the ethnicity and politics of inclusiveness. Teaching at Evanston High School provided the incentive for me to do just that. During school vacations, we traveled around the country by car and looked for our interpretation of &ldquo;grass roots&rdquo; art and artists. As we did we began discovering the world of the self-taught artist. These were people who often lived in out of the way places, where they were compelled to invent and discover ways to express who they were and what they thought, without being trained nor realizing that they were creating art. The term &ldquo;Outsider&rdquo; hadn&rsquo;t been invented yet. Vernacular art, folk art, art brut, self-taught art was used in its place. In 1972 Roger Cardinale, a professor at the University of Kent, coined the phrase Outsider Art as a synonym of art brut, or art created outside the established scene, much as Dubuffet did in finding work which helped to establish his well known art aesthetic.&nbsp;

The Chicago Imagists were also major and instinctive collectors/foragers of this kind of art, and it figured greatly in the creation of their own style/genre of creating art.

The business of selling art followed suit with our interest in collecting it and doing something within the art world that was somewhat unique, yet kept within the parameters of our own idealism at that time.

&nbsp;

CGN: You&rsquo;re known for keeping up with emerging talent. What&rsquo;s your approach to finding new artists?&nbsp;

CH: I have let the same principles of discovering outsiders guide me in finding emerging talent. I travel a lot to see work by different up and coming artists. I visit all of the graduate thesis shows that I can. Not having been instructed in art making or criticism, I&rsquo;ve been somewhat freer to look beyond the prescribed components one should be looking for in creating art or in becoming an artist.

&nbsp;

CGN: What do you think about the ever-growing business of art fairs and its impact on galleries?&nbsp;

CH: Carl Hammer Gallery became known early on because we were, in our second year, invited to participate in Chicago&rsquo;s Art Expo. My first time at Expo I wall-papered my booth with work by the newly discovered Bill Traylor. We nearly sold everything. Traylor went on to become a super star with galleries and collectors throughout the world. It was a remarkable phenomenon back then. But the proliferation of art fairs today seems to have become competitive with the old notion that clients establish loyal relationships with galleries and purchase work because they identify with the aesthetic of a particular gallery. Now, collectors seem to align themselves with the art fairs as a way to build art collections. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: What are the most striking changes you have experienced in the local as well as national art scenes?

CH: My gallery&rsquo;s 37 years of existence have been a tremendous experience, due to connections with people and, especially, in the discovery process of finding new ideas expressing the essential components of our being human. I don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s in store for us as collectors/gallerists here in Chicago, our nation and world-wide. Certainly, today&rsquo;s average person is more engaged than ever in the pursuit of finding meaning in life through art, and our acquisition of it and appreciation for art in our daily lives. &nbsp;

Regarding the future of the River North art district, I do not like to think of a time when it eventually meets with its demise. On the other hand, River North itself was the reincarnation of a decades old art district once thriving at North Michigan Ave. and Ohio St. Perhaps, like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes, there will be a rebirth of a similar River North elsewhere.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://carlhammergallery.com">carlhammergallery.com</a>

&nbsp;

Pictured at top of page: Carl Hammer in his gallery, in front of Mary Lou Zelazny&rsquo;s The Eyed Tree #4, 2015 Acrylic, collage, oil on canvas, 48&rdquo; x 60&rdquo;

Carl Hammer: 37 Years an Outsider

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA

When I was in college my father advised me to try to do two things every day: drink milk, and read a major newspaper. At the time, the newspaper reading was the easier of the two tasks. Fifteen years later the news landscape has gotten a great deal more crowded, while at the same time it is much less&nbsp; connected to the printed page. Now I read headlines on my iPhone in the dark when I&rsquo;m up early with a baby. I try to put my hands on a hardcopy front section over breakfast, and by the time I&rsquo;m at my desk I&rsquo;ve scanned a more few stories in the car via email and social media. The advice my father gave me was wise, but in 2016, when I I have a lot more than two things to try to do each day, it seems like I could spend all day just trying to keep up with all the news out there. &nbsp;

While it&rsquo;s easier than ever to have your questions answered, to stay up to date, and to feel widely connected to the world, it is also universally exhausting. There are days when I long to read a book without worrying I&rsquo;m missing out on something important happening in the world. I wonder if I could take a digital vacation? The pressure of being overwhelmed permeates many areas of our lives, and I have recently started to wonder about how it&rsquo;s affecting the art world in particular.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Seeing art up close and in person is crucial to our understanding" data-rich-file-id="965" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/965/original/openings1.jpg" />

Art buying has been slow to move online compared to many other purchases, perhaps because art is visual and physical, and therefore best appreciated, and purchased, in person. However, the internet age moves along rapidly, and so many of us have become accustomed to buying things online that we previously wouldn&rsquo;t have, art included. We now choose speed and convenience in many cases. We try just to keep up with all there is to see and consume.

There have been rumbles in Chicago about a slow winter and a subsequently sluggish spring in the galleries. I recently read a New York Times article (on my phone, at 4am) titled <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/12/t-magazine/is-staying-in-the-new-going-out.html?_r=0">Is Staying In the New Going Out?</a> This wasn&rsquo;t about staycations, or taking a break after a busy week; it argued that there is so much to do online at home - streaming, socially, even romantically, that people figure, why go out?&nbsp;

Well, for galleries, museums and artists this is a problem. Art is made to be seen and experienced. You can visit websites and facebook pages. You can scroll Instagram feeds. But when we reach the point where we only view art through a third party, or you&rsquo;re only seeking out the hits you&rsquo;ve seen on social media, we forget what it&rsquo;s like to see works of art in person or at full scale. We have dismissed the power of the physical in favor of an illuminated screen and a high rate of likes and favorites. We may have even forgotten, in our ditigal age when nothing truly goes away online and things can go viral, that a work of art may be unique and that the viewing experience can be entirely individual. You can&rsquo;t go to a gallery opening from your couch.&nbsp;

After the sluggishness of the past few months and a bumpy start to spring, Chicago is starting to blossom. There are many reasons to go out. Whether you travel or stay close to home, hopefully this summer you have a chance or two to read a book or page through a newspaper or magazine. Take some time to visit a museum, learn from a dealer in their gallery or meet an artist in their studio. The experience will stay with you longer than a retweet.

&nbsp;

Pictured at the top: people going outside (on the MCA lawn)

Letter from the publisher of Chicago Gallery News, summer issue 2016

Publisher's Letter: Summer 2016

By KEVIN NANCE

There&rsquo;s a widely held perception that to build a significant art collection, you have to be rich. But Nancy and Bob Mollers, down-to-earth Chicago natives who describe themselves as of relatively modest means compared to the high-flying collectors who snap up blue-chip pieces at Sotheby&rsquo;s, have spent most of their life together demonstrating that you don&rsquo;t have to be wealthy to collect art. What&rsquo;s required instead is commitment, discernment and, most of all, lots of time.

For nearly half a century, Bob, now a retired teacher and ceramic artist, and Nancy, a retired risk-management executive, have spent much of their time and resources looking at, studying and acquiring art&mdash;almost all of it by emerging artists.&nbsp;

Today, the couple&rsquo;s 2,300-square-foot West Loop condo is a destination of choice for art students, museum curators and other collectors who want to see what&rsquo;s achievable on what Bob Mollers calls &ldquo;a shoestring budget.&rdquo;

The answer: plenty. The Mollers apartment fairly bulges with art, much of it bearing testament to their good taste and deep knowledge of the contemporary art world. The highlight of the 300-piece collection, displayed in and near a hallway shielded from direct sunlight, is a fine group of works on paper by Jim Nutt, John Currin, Nicole Eisenman, Sol LeWit and several others. Displayed elsewhere are works by Mel Bochner, Adam Pendleton, Kehinde Wiley, Damien Hirst, Wolfgang Tillmans, Erik Parker, Tony Tasset, Thomas Hirschhorn, Nan Goldin, Dan Peterman, Jeanne Dunning, Spencer Finch, William J. O&rsquo;Brien, Ruth Duckworth, Joyce Pensato, Stanley Whitney and Roger Brown, among many others. The late Chicago Imagist Ed Paschke has a special place in the Mollers&rsquo; collection in that an early work, Jointed Heel, was one of their first acquisitions in 1971; Nance, a Paschke portrait of Nancy Mollers, followed in 1975.

Chicago Gallery News recently toured the Mollers collection and sat down for a chat. Here&rsquo;s an edited transcript.

&nbsp;

CGN: How did you meet?

Bob: We met 50 years ago on the Kedzie bus, going to North Park University.

Nancy: I sat down next to him on the bus. I knew he was also going to North Park, so I decided to go for it, and started a conversation, which was very atypical for me. (Laughs.)&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Nancy Mollers seated in front of Ed Paschke’s portrait of her, Nance. Photo by Kevin Nance." data-rich-file-id="1104" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1104/original/nancy-mollers-6.jpg" />

CGN: And the rest was history. When did you start collecting together?

Bob: We&rsquo;ve been asked that a million times, and basically I always say we didn&rsquo;t &ldquo;start&rdquo; collecting. That is something that evolves slowly. It isn&rsquo;t like we decided one day, &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s starting collecting art.&rdquo; It was a natural, slow process for us. We didn&rsquo;t have much money&mdash;we still don&rsquo;t&mdash;so we always bought things on a tight budget.

Nancy: And neither of us had an art background or families interested in art. So it was a pursuit we developed together since we began dating.&nbsp;

Bob: We just liked going to galleries in the Chicago area, looking at art a lot, and now and then we&rsquo;d stretch and buy something. We focused on young artists, mostly because it was more affordable. After about a year of this, we decided, &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s collect only living artists.&rdquo; We&rsquo;ve stuck to that ever since.&nbsp;

Nancy: That&rsquo;s our only rule.

Bob: Nancy and I would be doing this even if nobody else was doing it. By which I mean, we&rsquo;re not into collecting because of social interaction with other collectors or whatnot. We do it because we just love it. It stimulates the intellect. It&rsquo;s visually interesting. And it keeps you young. There&rsquo;s always something new and intriguing going on in the contemporary art world.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Bob walking in the collection" data-rich-file-id="1101" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1101/original/20150324-100906.jpg" />

CGN: A lot of people start collecting figurative art and then transition to more abstract work. Has that been the case with you?

Nancy: I think it was a mix all along.&nbsp;

Bob: When we started in the early 70s, we collected a lot of the Imagists, who were mostly figurative. The Bay Area Funk movement, which we also collected, was largely figurative. But we also collected abstract art early on. Of course we don&rsquo;t still own some of that early work; we&rsquo;ve donated about 100 pieces to museums already. After about 15 years of our marriage, Nancy made a professional move to Houston, so we were in that community also, and we placed a lot of our Chicago artists into Texas museum collections. More recently we&rsquo;ve donated several works on paper to the Art Institute of Chicago. But good art is good art, whether it&rsquo;s figurative, abstract, conceptual, whatever. It&rsquo;s true that we don&rsquo;t get into video.

Nancy: We don&rsquo;t have a place for it.&nbsp;

Bob: And of course we don&rsquo;t collect things that are too big. We like to be comfortable with what we live with.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Students visiting the collection" data-rich-file-id="1103" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1103/original/dsc05029.jpg" />

CGN: Has where you&rsquo;ve lived influenced your collecting?&nbsp;

Bob: For her work in Houston, Nancy traveled to Europe fairly often, and I would go with her and we&rsquo;d look at art. But it&rsquo;s also true that Art Chicago was a great thing for us, in that it would bring in art from galleries around the world that we knew nothing about. It was like a crash course in contemporary art. I have never missed a single one of the art fairs, and Nancy saw most of them.

&nbsp;

CGN: How do you go about acquiring pieces? I know you rarely do auctions.

Bob: Most of the time we find works we really like through galleries. You walk in and see things you like or you ask about other works by that artist.

Nancy: We don&rsquo;t necessarily discover artists at art galleries.&nbsp;

Bob: Sometimes we do. And nowadays we use the computer a lot. Galleries send us their openings, or they&rsquo;ll send a list of things they&rsquo;re bringing to the art fairs. It&rsquo;s totally different from the way we started, when you had none of that. Now I can see a show online anywhere in the world. If I have a question, I can get a response quickly. Years ago, if you were inquiring about something in Italy, you never even knew if the letter got there. Two months later, you might get a reply, but the image might be a terrible photograph.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Bob and a guest listening to an Isa Genzken &quot;Radio&quot;" data-rich-file-id="1102" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1102/original/img-2942.jpg" />

CGN: Are there certain galleries you work with more often than others?

Bob: In the beginning, we worked with local galleries basically, although many of those galleries no longer exist. Some, like Zolla/Lieberman and Rhona Hoffman, are still around. Certainly we never stayed with just one gallery anywhere. As time has gone on, we&rsquo;ve gotten to enjoy the program at Rhona&rsquo;s, Corbett vs. Dempsey and Shane Campbell. There&rsquo;s a new gallery in town, Patron, that I think has great potential. But we&rsquo;re not captive to any particular gallery.

&nbsp;

CGN: Do you use an art advisor?

Nancy: No. We like doing our own thing.&nbsp;

Bob: And now basically the entire collection is in trust to various museums. The curators come and select the works they want every few years. Sometimes there are three or four museums that want the same piece, so you have to make that selection. But our intent is that after we both pass away, our trust funds will continue to do what we love doing, which is acquiring works by living artists. We&rsquo;ve got that set up. &nbsp;

Nancy: Any remaining assets that we have will be in an endowment fund that the Art Institute&rsquo;s Prints and Drawings Department can use to purchase additional works for years to come.

&nbsp;

CGN: You often open your collection to art classes. What&rsquo;s that like?

Bob: They&rsquo;re generally very attentive, extremely interested. It&rsquo;s very exciting for them, I think, to see a collection like this outside of a museum. Oftentimes they ask&mdash;

Nancy: &ldquo;What&rsquo;s your favorite work?&rdquo;&nbsp;

Bob: And we tell them there isn&rsquo;t a favorite. If there was a fire, there isn&rsquo;t one piece that we&rsquo;d run out with.

Nancy: It&rsquo;s like asking who&rsquo;s your favorite child.&nbsp;

Bob: Sometimes it&rsquo;s the latest piece you&rsquo;ve acquired, or the piece that you&rsquo;re trying to acquire. If I were to walk into a collection and wanted to get an idea of how it developed, I would ask to be shown the earliest piece and the latest piece. That would show me the evolution.

&nbsp;

CGN: In any case, it must be a treat for the students, coming here.

Bob: I hope so. We allow them to photograph the collection, which many collectors don&rsquo;t allow. One student contacted me recently and said she wants to write her thesis on our collection. I said, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll help you out as much as possible.&rdquo; I love having the opportunity to meet young people who enjoy what we enjoy. The fact that they&rsquo;re able to be in what I call an upper-middle-class home that has spent 40-plus years acquiring art by generally younger artists&mdash;they understand the significance and the beauty of that.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: It&rsquo;s interesting, Bob, given your background as a ceramic artist, that the collection doesn&rsquo;t include many pieces in that medium.

Bob: We used to have a lot more pieces, but their fragility became an issue. And there was somebody we knew who was building a massive ceramic collection, and so our pieces ended up in his collection.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CGN: There&rsquo;s a sort of diaspora of your collection.

Bob: That&rsquo;s right. We do place art in a few friends&rsquo; homes. There&rsquo;s one friend in the suburbs who has about 40 of our pieces. We also give art, just outright, to friends. It keeps on going.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Kevin Nance is a Chicago-based freelance writer. His work appears in the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, USA Today, Poets &amp; Writers Magazine and other publications. Follow him on Twitter @KevinNance1&nbsp;

Kevin Nance interview with Nancy and Bob Mollers, Chicago art collectors

Nancy and Bob Mollers: Down-to-Earth Collectors

By FRANCK MERCURIO

Like all commercial ventures, the buying and selling of art has its risks. Economic flux, changing tastes, and new ways of doing business&mdash;such as Internet marketing and sales&mdash;present challenges and opportunities for art dealers. Perhaps the greatest challenge in recent years has been the rise of the international art fair. With more gallery owners compelled to participate in an increasing number of fairs, the relevancy of the traditional art gallery model is being questioned. Some gallery owners have opted to trade-in their physical spaces for private &ldquo;by appointment only&rdquo; consultancies. (Russell Bowman, Kasia Kay, and Aron Packer provide some recent examples in Chicago.) Yet other gallerists have found innovative ways of keeping their gallery spaces active, despite the financial pressures of art fairs and the sometimes attendance-killing effects of online marketing and social media.&nbsp;

In interviewing a number of past and present gallery owners, one sentiment is universal: the art fairs are important for generating business, but they often strain finances. The entry fees can be prohibitive, especially for the big fairs, such as New York&rsquo;s Armory Show, Art Basel Miami, and EXPO Chicago. But to compete in a global art market, participation in fairs is essential, if for no other reason than to capture the attention of collectors.

&ldquo;All the fairs are expensive, but it&rsquo;s an expense that we build into our budgets because they are necessary,&rdquo; explained Monique Meloche, owner of Monique Meloche Gallery in Wicker Park.

Meloche founded her gallery in 2000, and since then she has participated in many art fairs, both in the United States and abroad. Her background as a curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art informs her curatorial approach to both gallery exhibitions and the gallery&rsquo;s presence at art fairs.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to do what we do at the gallery, and it&rsquo;s important to do what we do at the fairs,&rdquo; said Meloche.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I treat [the art fair booths] as exhibitions, and ask &lsquo;how is this going to be strategic for the artist?&rsquo;&rdquo;

During the run of the 2016 Armory Show, Meloche tried a new approach. Instead of participating in the fair itself, she rented a storefront for seven days on Rivington Street around the corner from the New Museum. The pop-up gallery featured the works of Sanford Biggers and Ebony G. Patterson. This experiment proved to be a less-expensive alternative to a booth at the Armory Show, yet it still brought in capacity crowds and made sales&mdash;and allowed the artwork to be presented in a more curatorial atmosphere, apart from the blatant commodification of the fair.

&ldquo;It worked for us because for the last four years we were in New York [during the Armory Show] with a booth,&rdquo; explained Meloche. &ldquo;This year, people looked for us in a different place. The Lower East Side, as a location, was really convenient for people to visit.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption="Monique Meloche’s installation at 2 Rivington Street during the Armory Show, March 2016" data-rich-file-id="1099" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1099/original/mmkey.jpg" />

Newer galleries in Chicago are also finding innovative ways to participate in major art fairs. In 2015, The Mission teamed up with Andrew Rafacz Gallery to share a booth at EXPO Chicago. The partnership not only reduced expenses, but it also provided a kind of synergy between the two programs.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been collaborating with Andrew Rafacz [at EXPO] for the past two years; and that&rsquo;s been really successful,&rdquo; said Sebastian Campos, owner and principal of The Mission. &ldquo;Our programs align well. We&rsquo;ve discussed venturing out to do some regional fairs together and seeing how that works.&rdquo;

Founded in 2010 and located in a storefront previously occupied by Shane Campbell in West Town, The Mission contains two exhibition spaces on its first floor and a third in the basement. On it&rsquo;s website, the gallery bills The Sub-Mission as &ldquo;an alternative installation project space dedicated to the development of artists living and working in Chicago.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Using the basement space as a non-commercial space was probably the smartest thing we&rsquo;ve done for the gallery,&rdquo; explains Campos. &ldquo;We bring in artists that we probably would not have known about otherwise.&rdquo;

A committee of local arts professionals selects the artists and projects that appear in The Sub-Mission. (Currently, Samantha Bittman, Eric May, Matt Morris, and Teresa Silva serve on the committee.) The program allows for unconventional and experimental work to be displayed in the gallery, often in dialogue with the more commercial work exhibited on the first floor.

&ldquo;The amount of diversity that we display there echoes what we do in the main space,&rdquo; said Campos. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s also a way of giving back to the art community; it provides another outlet for artists who are living and working in Chicago.&rdquo;

The Sub-Mission is just one example of how gallerists are thinking creatively about how to bring more people into their spaces. But even gallery owners who are now without physical spaces are exhibiting work in unexpected ways.

<img alt="" data-caption="The Armory Show, NYC 2013" data-rich-file-id="1100" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1100/original/armory2013.jpg" />

Both Aron Packer and Kasia Kay closed their respective galleries in 2015 for different personal and professional reasons; but both saw the need for &ldquo;changing up&rdquo; their businesses and exploring new ways of engaging with the art market through a combination of consulting, private sales, and special projects.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I did shows for 14 years straight with a two or three week break each August like everybody else,&rdquo; said Packer, the previous owner of Packer Schopf Gallery. &ldquo;So part of the reason&mdash;stopping after 14 years running my space&mdash;is, I think you need to change things to stay fresh.&rdquo;

Since closing his gallery, Packer has embarked on Aron Packer Projects, consulting for Lillstreet Art Center. He also organizes pop-up exhibitions featuring his artists at venues such as Evanston&rsquo;s Space 900 and Co-Prosperity Sphere in Bridgeport. These shows are a new way of keeping his artists in the public eye.&nbsp;

Similarly, Kay, the owner and founder of Kasia Kay Art Projects, still sees the relevance of displaying artwork in public spaces, despite closing her own gallery space, Kasia Kay Gallery, in 2015. She&rsquo;s experimenting with pop-up exhibitions in established retail spaces, including high-end boutiques like &eacute;lu in Lincoln Park.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very selective in where I show the work,&rdquo; said Kay. &ldquo;It has to be somewhere sleek and very modern, where I can envision similar clientele.&rdquo;

The advantage of partnerships with like-minded venues is that Kay can collaborate on cross-marketing and cross-promotion. It also allows her to introduce artists to new audiences.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always enjoyed promoting young, upcoming artists,&rdquo; said Kay. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking for new ways that I can promote again. I&rsquo;m going back to &lsquo;art project mode&rsquo; where I started.&rdquo;

The art market is always evolving. The frenzied art fair landscape, along with a fluctuating economy and a changing collector base continue to motivate both gallery owners and private dealers to create new ways of displaying artwork, promoting artists, and bringing art to the public.

&nbsp;

Franck Mercurio is a writer and curator based in Chicago. <a href="http://mercurio-exhibits.com">mercurio-exhibits.com</a>

&nbsp;

Pictured at the top:&nbsp;An overhead view of EXPO Chicago, 2015 at Navy Pier

An interview with gallery owners on how art fairs influence their business practices 

As Fairs Dominate, the Gallery Changes

By ALISON REILLY

In a 2012 interview with curator Dieter Roelstraete, Kerry James Marshall recalled that his kindergarten teacher rewarded well-behaved students with the opportunity to look through her scrapbook full of photos, cartoons, and cards. Marshall noted that decades later he had amassed his own archive of thousands of images, which continue to inspire his paintings, collage and photography.

The interview was published in a catalogue accompanying Marshall&rsquo;s exhibition Painting and Other Stuff, which toured four European institutions. Four years later, Marshall is sharing his impressive oeuvre, spanning 35 years, with American audiences. The retrospective, Kerry James Marshall: Mastry, now on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), will travel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Kerry James Marshall, The Lost Boys, 1993. Collection of Rick Hunting and Jolanda Hunting. Photo: Dominique Provost, © MCA Chicago." data-rich-file-id="1093" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1093/original/kjm-dp-marshall-1993-thelostboys.jpg" />

Mastry, which focuses primarily on painting, reaches back to Marshall&rsquo;s beginnings as a recent graduate from the Otis Institute of Art in Los Angeles. There he began exploring issues of identity and visibility as black male artist. Marshall grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and moved to Los Angeles in 1963, just before the Watts riots. An avid drawer as a child, Marshall was encouraged to attend the Otis Institute by a high school teacher, who introduced him to his future mentor and close friend, social-realist painter Charles White.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Kerry James Marshall,&nbsp;Bang, 1994. The Progressive Corporation. Photo courtesy of the Progressive Corporation." data-rich-file-id="1092" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1092/original/kjm-bang-1994.jpg" />

Marshall, a devoted technical master in his own right, confronts the Western art historical canon with large-scale portraits, landscapes and interiors that depict the complex vibrancy of black middle-class life. Using both narratives from African American history and his deep understanding of the history of art, Marshall questions aspirations of the middle-class and complicates aesthetic and social interpretations of blackness. The exhibition also includes a wall installation, commissioned by the MCA, featuring characters from Marshall&rsquo;s comic Rythm Mastr.

Kerry James Marshall: Mastry at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago thru September 25, 2016. <a href="http://mcachicago.com">mcachicago.com</a>

&nbsp;

Pictured at top:&nbsp;Kerry James Marshall,&nbsp;School of Beauty, School of Culture, 2012. Collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art; Museum purchase with funds provided by Elizabeth (Bibby) Smith, the Collectors Circle for Contemporary Art, Jane Comer, the Sankofa Society, and general acquisition funds. Photo: Sean Pathasema.

Kerry James Marshall exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago April 2016

Kerry James Marshall: Mastry at the MCA

On May 13, 2016 Zolla/Lieberman Gallery will present the work of artist Deborah Butterfield. The show is the gallery&rsquo;s 15th solo exhibition for the sculptor. It also marks four decades of Butterfield and the gallery working together. Of the enduring collaboration, William Lieberman, gallery director and son of founder Roberta Lieberman, says, &ldquo;I am honored to recognize Deborah&rsquo;s forty year association with Zolla/Lieberman. She has remained true to her art, investing her sculptures with unique skill and breathtaking presence.&rdquo;

In 1965, Roberta Lieberman and Bob Zolla first opened their gallery in a coach house in Chicago&rsquo;s South Shore neighborhood, with the goal of showing important abstract artists. Friend and art critic Harry Bouras (also known as &ldquo;Hairy Who?&rdquo;) introduced Roberta and Bob to art colleagues who had acccess to the work of New York abstract artists Franz Kline, Philip Guston and many others. In 1975 Roberta and Bob travelled to New York where they befriended renowned SoHo art dealer Leo Castelli. Back in Chicago, Roberta and Bob rented space at 368 W. Huron &ndash; a loft building in a desolate industrial district almost a mile west of Michigan Avenue. In March 1976 Zolla/Lieberman opened with an inaugural exhibition featuring work from Castelli&rsquo;s gallery, which included major New York School artists such as Frank Stella, Donald Judd and Robert Morris. To this day, William can recall the exact placement of what would now be a multi-million dollar Andy Warhol painting. However, nothing sold. When the James Rosenquist show that followed fared no better, Roberta and Bob had to face a hard fact: serious Chicago art collectors still went to New York to purchase works by these prominent artists. &nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4QoIjoPQLTU" width="420"></iframe>

With the realization that local collectors were not coming to the gallery to buy New York School artists, they decided, boldly, to pursue their own vision and seek out emerging talent. They travelled to Roberta&rsquo;s alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, where they visited the studio of Deborah Butterfield, an art instructor at the university and a promising sculptor. By the time they had finished lunch plans were set for a July 1976 exhibition of Butterfield&rsquo;s life-sized mud-and-stick horses. These works would have an immediate national impact. &nbsp;

Zolla/Lieberman and Butterfield built on this success with three annual exhibitions of Butterfield sculptures. The gallery began representing other young artists, such as Michelle Stuart, Deborah Remington and John Buck. Fostering the careers of emerging, midcareer, and established artists &ndash; an equal mix of women and men &ndash; became Zolla/Lieberman&rsquo;s guiding principle. &nbsp;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1169" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1169/original/img-6792.jpg" />&nbsp;<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1170" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1170/original/img-6793.jpg" />&nbsp;

Zolla/Lieberman was the first art gallery in Chicago to open so far off the beaten path. It did not take long until other art galleries understood the benefits of the available, empty space. River North was born, and the energy of a vital art community blossomed. Enjoying success from their hard work, Zolla/Lieberman made the decision in 1980 to move to a 10,000-square foot loft in the Adler-Sullivan building next door at 356 W. Huron. That year Zolla/Lieberman exhibited Butterfield and other artists at the very first &ldquo;Art Chicago,&rdquo; an event that drew dealers, collectors, curators and critics from around the world. Though Chicago&rsquo;s international art exhibition has since undergone several iterations, Zolla/Lieberman&rsquo;s booth has always had a Butterfield work on display.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Deborah Butterfield, &quot;Lemon Drop&quot;, 2014, found steel, 38” x 44” x 16.5”" data-rich-file-id="1091" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1091/original/lemondrop.jpg" />

On April 15, 1989 the gallery was dealt a devastating blow after a fire swept through the Adler-Sullivan building, ravaging not only Zolla/Lieberman but the building&rsquo;s many other galleries as well. Butterfield&rsquo;s unique copper and bronze sculpture, Louis, awaiting shipment to collectors John and Mary Pappajohn in Des Moines, melted. Despite the enormous setback, Zolla/Lieberman reopened six months later at 230 West Huron.&nbsp;

In 1991 the gallery moved to its current location at 325 West Huron. Four years later the gallery was grateful for the unique support of the building&rsquo;s owners, Jerry Meyer and Buzz Ruttenberg, who helped to keep the gallery&rsquo;s rent affordable during another challenging period.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Cascade, on view through August 2016 at the gallery" data-rich-file-id="1171" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1171/original/cascade.jpg" />

Zolla/Lieberman Gallery has made West Huron Street its own, spanning four decades and four different addresses (368, 356, 230, and 325). Six months after Roberta passed away in 2004, Chicago&rsquo;s City Council voted to name the corner of Huron and Franklin &ldquo;Honorary Roberta Lieberman Way.&rdquo; This intersection, and Zolla/Lieberman Gallery, continue to be landmarks in Chicago&rsquo;s contemporary art scene.

 
Zolla/Lieberman Gallery | 325 W Huron, Chicago, IL 60654 | 312.944.1990 | <a href="http://zollaliebermangallery.com">zollaliebermangallery.com</a>&nbsp; | Deborah Butterfield runs May 13-August 20, 2016

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

May-August issue of Chicago Gallery News cover feature on Deborah Butterfield and Zolla/Lieberman Gallery

On the Cover, May-August 2016: Deborah Butterfield at Zolla/Lieberman Gallery

When the news arrived Friday that Prince had died suddenly at age 57, everyone had at least one personal memory to share about listening to a favorite song back in the day or maybe even catching a surprise performance in recent years. From Sesame Street performances to over-the-top Super Bowl half time performances, Prince was creative everywhere. And much like David Bowie, whom we lost just a few months ago, he blurred the lines between music, performance and visual art.&nbsp;

If you&#39;re looking to raise a glass and a dance move to Prince in Chicago, on Friday, &nbsp;May 6 from 7-11pm,&nbsp;the MCA will honor Prince at its Prime Time happening

The theme will be&nbsp;&ldquo;Purple&rdquo; to celebrate the life, music, and legacy of&nbsp;Prince. The evening now includes a&nbsp;special tribute performance by Chicago-based funk and soul artist&nbsp;avery r. young&nbsp;who, together with his nine-piece band, will perform a spectrum of Prince works. Tickets to Prime Time are&nbsp;$20 at the door and $15 in advance. Tickets&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="http://mcachicago.org">mcachicago.org</a>.&nbsp;MCA Prime Time is a 21+ event.

&nbsp;

Below are links to some of our favorite art-related Prince tributes and write-ups (plus an old favorite from the Muppets...)

<a href="https://news.artnet.com/people/prince-home-to-become-museum-481883#.Vx-Ot8EKXtU.twitter">Prince&#39;s $6.6-Million Minnesota Home Will Become a Museum for Fans</a>

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1096" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1096/medium/paisley-park-prince.jpg" />

<a href="http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1384637/innocence-and-experience-the-image-of-prince">Innocence and Experience: The Image of Prince</a>

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1098" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1098/medium/purplerain1.jpg" />

<a href="http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1384780/how-prince-the-artist-formerly-known-as-unpronounceable">How Prince, The Artist Formerly Known as Unpronounceable Symbol, Changed Design</a>

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1095" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1095/medium/prince-logo.jpg" />

Muppets Tonight - Featuring&nbsp;The Artist Formerly Known As Prince

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cgYEsfBuHoo" width="420"></iframe>

&nbsp;

The Art World Misses Prince

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) announced yesterday that Jos&eacute;&nbsp;Esparza Chong Cuy has been appointed the Pamela Alper Associate Curator. Esparza most recently held the position of Associate Curator the Museo Jumex in Mexico City.

Chief Curator&nbsp;Michael Darling commented, &quot;With our longstanding interest in art from Latin America, we now have in Jos&eacute; an articulate advocate for presenting the best work being made in that region. Mexico City is one of the most exciting cities in the world for contemporary art, and Jos&eacute;&#39;s deep knowledge of that scene will immediately enrich our dialogues here at the MCA. Jos&eacute; is also active in architecture and design circles and that knowledge, alongside his expertise in contemporary art, will find a natural fit here at the MCA where we regularly venture out into parallel fields of activity. I think he will immediately become a great asset to our community.&quot;

Previously, Esparza was a Curatorial Associate at the Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York and a Research Fellow at the&nbsp;New Museum for Contemporary Art. In 2012, he received a MS in Critical, Curatorial, and Conceptual Practices in Architecture from Columbia University. He received his bachelor&#39;s degree in architecture from the Western Institute of Technology and High Education in Guadalajara, Mexico. He will start his new position at the MCA on April 18, 2016.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="José Esparza Chong Cuy, Photo: Camila Cossio." data-rich-file-id="1035" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1035/original/esparza-1.jpg" />

Top Image:&nbsp;MCA Building exterior at night. Photo: Peter McCullough, &copy;MCA Chicago.

José Esparza Chong Cuy Appointed Associate Curator at MCA Chicago

This week (April 7-9)&nbsp;UIC will host Latino Art Now! 5th Biennial Conference. The three-day event is organized by the Inter-University Program for Latino Research at UIC and the Smithsonian Latino Center.

<blockquote>
The Latino Art Now! Conference is the leading national forum for artists, art historians, art professionals, educators, scholars, critics and art dealers. The Fifth Biennial Latino Art Now! Re-imagining Global Intersections Conference in Chicago will examine the contemporary shifting contours of US Latino art and the (trans) national and global cultural forces that continuously shape it and how it in turn shapes these forces.&nbsp;
</blockquote>

The opening reception will take place Thursday April 7 from 6-8pm at the National Museum of Mexican Art and will feature a performance by&nbsp;Michael De Anda Mu&ntilde;iz,&nbsp;Amanda Cortes,&nbsp;Silvia In&eacute;s,&nbsp;Gibran, and Margarita Lizcano Hernandez.

Following the reception, ACRE will host an informal evening of conversations around Latinx art and artists. Attendees are welcome to give 2-3 minute slide presentations of their work or the work of others.

For more information about the conference visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://iuplr.uic.edu/iuplr/latino-art-now">iuplr.uic.edu/iuplr/latino-art-now</a>

UIC Hosts Latino Art Now! 5th Biennial Conference.

UIC Hosts Latino Art Now! 5th Biennial Conference

Ann Goldstein, who has previously held&nbsp;positions&nbsp;at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and&nbsp;The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), has been appointed as the new Deputy Director, and Chair and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. This is a newly created position, and Goldstein will be the first one to occupy it. She will be transitioning to her new position starting March 28 and will assume full responsibility on September 1, 2016.

Goldstein began her career as a research assistant at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) more than thirty years ago. She stated, &quot;I am extremely excited and thoroughly honored to assume this role&mdash;and truly a &#39;dream job&#39;&mdash;to work together with my colleague James [Rondeau], as well as the museum&rsquo;s esteemed staff and family, to the further the mission of this magnificent and beloved encyclopedic institution and foster the growth of its highly respected modern and contemporary art program...Chicago has remained close to my heart as a remarkable cultural and philanthropic community filled with dear friends and brilliant artists and colleagues who have constantly awed and inspired me.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Goldstein was a Senior Curator at MOCA, where she worked for more than 26 years, from 1983-2009. Recently, she was Director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, where she oversaw the reopening of the museum after nine years of renovations.

Along with her new position of Deputy Director, she will be replacing James Rondeau as the Chair and&nbsp;Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. Rondeau was recently appointed President and Director of the Art Institute of Chicago after Douglas Druick stepped down.

For more information visit:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.artic.edu/sites/default/files/press/2016/Goldstein_PressRelease_FINAL.pdf">Ann Goldstein to Join the Art Institute of Chicago as New Deputy Director, and Chair and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art</a>

<img alt="" data-caption="Ann Goldstein. © Albrecht Fuchs, Cologne" data-rich-file-id="1030" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1030/original/ag-pressrelease-small.jpg" />

Ann Goldstein has been appointed as the new Deputy Director, and Chair and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Ann Goldstein Joins Art Institute of Chicago as New Deputy Director and Curator 

By JULIA KERSHAW

For the first time, a trio of depictions of Vincent van Gogh&rsquo;s bedroom come together at the Art Institute of Chicago as part of exhibition examining the artist&rsquo;s exploration of home. A record number of visitors has already been coming to see the works and&nbsp;to&nbsp;experience the making of and meaning behind van Gogh&rsquo;s famous portrayals through illustrated letters, a digital bedroom reconstruction, and some of the artist&rsquo;s personal possessions and books. The exhibition shows&nbsp;36 works tracing the development of van Gogh&rsquo;s ever-changing notions of home, from his iconic Yellow House in Arles, France to an asylum in Saint-Remy to his final residence in Auvers-sur-Oise.

Van Gogh&rsquo;s Bedrooms will expose distinctive details between the paintings, but together the works reflect van Gogh&rsquo;s changing, emotional notion of home, from refuge to a creative outlet. Visitors will contemplate how they might depict their own home.

Van Gogh&rsquo;s Bedrooms, Feb 14-May 8, Art Institute of Chicago&nbsp;&nbsp; &bull;&nbsp;<a href="http://An Overnight with van Gogh"> artic.edu</a>

<img alt="" data-caption="Vincent van Gogh. &lt;i&gt;Eugène Boch&lt;/i&gt;. 1888. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, legacy of Mr. Eugène Boch, 1941." data-rich-file-id="895" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/895/original/van-gogh-eugene-boch-1888.jpg" />

Top image: Vincent van Gogh.&nbsp;The Bedroom. 1889. The Art Institute of Chicago, Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection.

&nbsp;

The new Van Gogh exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago

An Overnight with van Gogh

By&nbsp;ALISON REILLY

This weekend is the last opportunity to see&nbsp;Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute in the Permanent Collection&nbsp;at the Art Institute of Chicago. In honor of SAIC&#39;s 150th anniversary, the Print &amp; Drawings Department curated a selection of works by alumni of the art and design school. The prints and works on paper are organized loosely by&nbsp;themes such as the Monster Roster,&nbsp;Chicago Imagists and the&nbsp;Hairy-Who and includes many recognizable names such as Sanford Biggers, Claes Oldenburg, Nancy Spero,&nbsp;Judy Legerwood, and Ed Pashke (Jerry Saltz even makes an appearance). The exhibition also&nbsp;delves deep into&nbsp;the early twentieth century to much success.

German &eacute;migr&eacute;&nbsp;Gustave Baumann&#39;s woodblock prints are a delight. Of note is <a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/96248?search_no=20&amp;index=8">Apple Blossoms</a>, which is accompanied by seven carved&nbsp;woodblocks, illustrating the layers of color needed to achieve the impressive effect in the final print. Todros Geller&#39;s series of <a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork-search/results/yiddish+motifs?filters=object_type_s%3APrint+artist_name_s%3A%22Geller%2C+Todros%22">Yiddish Motifs</a>&nbsp;are also impressive. The artist was working about a decade after Baumann, and in this series&nbsp;he layers woodcuts on Japanese wood veneer paper. Geller&#39;s depictions of working class life&nbsp;centered around Maxwell Street in Chicago contrasts his choice of a&nbsp;decorative Japanese paper.

Homegrown&nbsp;makes a point to focus&nbsp;on Regionalism as it was expressed in Chicago in the thirties and forties. Many of these prints were commissioned by the Works Progress Adminsitration, which reiterates the importance of the organization in the development of modern art in the United States. Adrian Troy&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/40237?search_no=22&amp;index=1">The Produce Market </a>and Bernece Berkman&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/127212?search_no=23&amp;index=0">Gobbers, Git a Bag!!!</a> pulse&nbsp;with life and tune viewers into a vibrant city despite the setbacks of the Depression.&nbsp;

Margaret Burroughs&#39; linocut print&nbsp;<a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/204625">Family</a>&nbsp;depicts a striking portrait of a couple.&nbsp;Burroughs first began involved at SAIC in the 1930s and eventually earned a masters in arts education from the school. She had a profound influence on the arts in Chicago; she was a dedicated arts activist as&nbsp;one of the founding artists of the South Side Community Arts Center in 1938. Decades later, in 1961,&nbsp;she cofounded, along with her husband, the DuSable Museum of African American History.&nbsp;

*

<a href="http://www.artic.edu/exhibition/homegrown-school-art-institute-permanent-collection">Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute in the Permanent Collection</a> is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago until Sunday February 14, 2016.

For more information about SAIC&#39;s 150 Anniversary visit:<a href="http://www.saic.edu/150/"> saic.edu/150</a>

<img alt="" data-caption="Gustave Baumann. &lt;i&gt;Piñon Grand Canyon&lt;/i&gt;, 1921. The Art Institute of Chicago. The William Gold Hibbard Memorial." data-rich-file-id="997" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/997/original/baumann-pinon-grand-canyon-.jpg" />

This weekend is the last opportunity to see Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute in the Permanent Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Homegrown: A History in Print

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/art-services/expo-chicago">EXPO CHICAGO</a> announced two curators for their annual exposition taking place&nbsp;September 22-25, 2016&nbsp;at Navy Pier. Diana Nawai, associate curator at the&nbsp;P&eacute;rez Art Museum Miami, will curate IN/SITU and Daria de Beauvais, curator at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, was selected as the curator of EXPO VIDEO. IN/SITU typically features large-scale installations that fill the exposition&#39;s large hall. Alongside these works will be de Beauvais&#39; selections of videos presented in a variety of formats.

President and director Tony Karman noted,&nbsp;&ldquo;Our IN/SITU and EXPO VIDEO programming continues to receive broad critical acclaim, offering curated sections of large-scale sculptures, installations and groundbreaking video and new media work.&nbsp;It is a great privilege to be working closely with Diana Nawi and Daria de Beauvais to shape these important core programs&mdash;both represent dynamic cultural institutions and are two of the most important curatorial voices working today. Additionally, we continue to support our exhibiting dealers and the artists being presented by inviting national and international curators to attend the exposition as a part of our Curatorial Forum.&rdquo;

Last year, Louis Grachos held the position of curator for IN/SITU and Alfredo Cramerotti was the EXPO VIDEO curator.

For more information visit: <a href="http://expochicago.com/sites/default/files/2016%20Curatorial%20Announcement%20_0.pdf">2016 Curatorial Announcement</a>

<img alt="" data-caption="Diana Nawi" data-rich-file-id="1000" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1000/original/diana-20nawi.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Daria de Beauvais" data-rich-file-id="1001" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1001/original/daria-20de-20beauvais.jpg" />