Our first edition of the new Chicago Gallery News 2017 Arts Guide is here!&nbsp;

Pick up a copy of our 160-page book in area galleries, museums, the Chicago Cultural Center, area hotels and more locations.

You may also <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/subscribe">subscribe</a> and receive our summer and fall magazines as well.&nbsp;

We offer new and expanded listings, vibrant images, detailed exhibition information, seasonal <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar?tag=opening-receptions">openings</a>, 2017 art news, and much more. &nbsp;

You may also browse our digital edition <a href="http://issuu.com/chigallerynews/docs/cgn2017annualforissuu?e=3171751/43814696">here</a>.

Tell us what you think, let us know if you&#39;d like to obtain copies, and we look foward to connecting with you and sharing the art world in new ways this year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Thank you especially to artist Carlos Rol&oacute;n/Dzine for his vibrant&nbsp;cover artwork:&nbsp;Flooded with Ecstasy,&nbsp;Resin and Acrylic on wood panel,&nbsp;Courtesy of the artist, Salon 94, New York, and David Castillo Gallery, Miami&nbsp;

New Annual CGN Arts Guide Is Here

2017 marks the second celebration of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. In partnership with City of Chicago, EXPO Chicago and others, the biennial will explore the theme MAKE NEW HISTORY by presenting diverse work from local, national and international architects. The Chicago cityscape will serve as the backdrop for the development of new architectural projects, proposals, and experiments that consider role of architectural traditions within progress and innovation.

More than half a million Chicago residents and tourists attended the 2015 Biennial. The focus this year will again be on engagement with the public by using the Chicago Cultural Center as the main hub. The Cultural Center, along with Hyde Park Art Center, The Beverly Art Center and others, will host a full schedule of exhibitions, events, and public programming.

Architects Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee will serve as artistic directors. Their firm, Johnston Marklee, has completed projects in North and South American, Europe and Asia and is currently working on a renovation of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, which is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2017.

The Biennial will take place from September 16-January 7, 2018, and the opening with align with the sixth annual EXPO Chicago, which will run September 13-17 at Navy Pier.

For more information visit <a href="http://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org">chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org</a>

Image: Pedro &amp; Juana, &copy; Chicago Architecture Biennial / Steve Hall, 2015

The second celebration of the Chicago Architectural Biennial is scheduled for fall 2017 and will explore the theme Make New History.

Second Chicago Architecture Biennial to Coincide with Sixth EXPO Chicago

One of Chicago&rsquo;s leading arts institutions has hit middle-age: The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017. Grounded in a mission devoted to the curation of contemporary art and to performance through experimentation and collaboration, today the MCA claims an expansive, diverse collection of contemporary works as well as a range of socially-conscious programs, artist initiatives and community outreach. Many influential international artists can trace their start back to exhibitions nurtured here &ndash; the MCA hosted Jeff Koons&rsquo;s first solo museum show.

The MCA first opened at 237 E Ontario (the former Playboy headquarters) as a Kunsthalle&mdash;non-collecting art hall&mdash;in 1967. Over the past half century the MCA became the first building wrapped by Christo in the United States (1969), established a permanent collection, commissioned a building to house that collection (the present space opened in 1996 at 220 E Chicago), presented a landmark survey of Chicago artists and artistic traditions &ndash; Art in Chicago, 1945&ndash;1995 &ndash; began a noted public plaza series, and much more.

A 50th birthday is an honor. Anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the year, including a major, three-part exhibition on view from the end of October through January 28, 2018, titled, I Am You, You Are Here, We Are Everywhere.

An October 21 opening for the exhibition is a public event, and all are encouraged to attend. Afterall, a party is always more fun with friends.

Up-to-date event and exhibition information can be found at <a href="http://mcachicago.org">mcachicago.org</a>

Image: MCA Chicago front steps. Photo: Nathan Keay, &copy; MCA Chicago.

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago celebrates its 50th year with special events and major exhibitions.

A Museum of the New Turns 50: The MCA’s Big Birthday

50 years ago on August 15, 1967, Pablo Picasso&rsquo;s 50-foot tall, abstract steel sculpture was donated to the city and unveiled in Daley Plaza. Chicago&rsquo;s long and rich tradition of making public art an accessible, often times literally monumental, part of our every day lives, has only continued to expand and evolve.

Today, thousands of tourists visit Anish Kapoor&rsquo;s Cloud Gate (known more casually as &ldquo;The Bean&rdquo;) and just as many local children splash in the spray of Jaume Plensa&rsquo;s interactive, face changing Crown Fountain each summer. It is art that gives Chicago much of its creative character and international appeal. In recognition of this legacy, The City of Chicago has announced a Public Art initiative and schedule for the entire year; the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events has coined 2017 as the Year of Public Art, with a slate of planned public exhibitions, and pledged a $1.5 million investment designated to support permanent public art installations throughout the city&rsquo;s 50 wards.

<img alt="" data-caption="View of Anish Kapoor’s &lt;i&gt;Cloud Gate&lt;/i&gt;, Millennium Park, Chicago. Photo: Laura Mettam" data-rich-file-id="1757" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1757/original/chicagopublicart-keyimage.jpg" />

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, expressing a personal interest in public art projects notes, &ldquo;There is no question that art is vital to a neighborhood&rsquo;s spirit and the quality of life for residents.&rdquo;

The program is designed to share art with residents in every single neighborhood, not just the downtown tourist centers. Events will showcase several neighborhoods and their unique creativity. Venues include DuSable Museum of African American History, South Side Community Art Center, Daley Plaza, National Museum of Mexican Art, and more. A significant cornerstone for the Year of Public Art will be the Public Art Festival premiering in the fall and offering free activities for people of all ages.&nbsp;

More information at <a href="http://cityofchicago.org">cityofchicago.org</a>

Top image:&nbsp;Picasso&rsquo;s untitled sculpture caused a stir when it was first revealed. Today public opinion is primarily supportive, though it is a piece that still continues to inspire discussion and opinions. Photo: &copy; Jeremy Atherton, 2006.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago designates 2017 as the Year of Public Art.

The City of Chicago Designates 2017 The Year of Public Art

In celebration of Henry Darger&rsquo;s 125th birthday, Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art presents five exhibitions in 2017. Darger, who was born in Chicago and lived in a one-room apartment in Lincoln Park for most of his life, was a prolific self-taught artist and author. By day Darger lived as a hospital janitor and dishwasher, but at home in his apartment-turned-studio he was secretly writing thousand-page novels and illustrating hundreds of drawings.

Intuit is home to The Henry Darger Room Collection, which offers a rare window into the life of this reclusive artist. This year, visitors will also have the opportunity to view a number of exhibitions, which explore Darger&rsquo;s own writing and work, along with work by other artists who immerse themselves in complex, otherworldly places.

Darger&rsquo;s 15,000 page unpublished novel, The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, now referred to as Realms of the Unreal, was discovered in 1972 by Darger&rsquo;s landlord, Nathan Lerner, who was cleaning out his former tenant&rsquo;s room. Along with the novel, more than 350 watercolors, pencil drawings and collages were found.

<img alt="" data-caption="Henry Darger (American, 1892-1973). &lt;i&gt;COLONEL JACK F EVANS&lt;/i&gt;, mid-twentieth century. Watercolor, pencil, ink and collage on board, 13 ¾ x 11 ½ in. Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York, museum purchase, 2002.22.5. © Artists Rights Society ( ARS), NY, Photo credit: Gavin Ashworth, ©American Folk Art Museum / Art Resource, NY" data-rich-file-id="1758" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1758/original/darger-1-20-1-.jpg" />

The suite of exhibitions, organized by Intuit in partnership with the American Folk Art Museum in New York, juxtaposes Darger&rsquo;s writing alongside his visual art, while contextualizing the artist in the historical tradition of the epic novel.

For information on Henry Darger and a full schedule of exhibitions visit <a href="http://art.org">art.org</a>

Top image:&nbsp;Henry Darger (American, 1892-1973). GIGANTIC ROVERINE WITH YOUNG ALL POISONOUS ALL ISLANDS OF UNIVERSAN SEAS AND OCEANS. ALSO IN CALVERINA ANGELINIA AND ABBIEANNIA, mid-twentieth century. Watercolor, pencil, and carbon tracing on pierced paper, 14 x 33 &frac34; in. Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York, anonymous gift, 2001.16.4. &copy; Artists Rights Society ( ARS), NY, Photo credit: James Prinz, &copy;American Folk Art Museum / Art Resource, NY

Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art celebrates the 125th birthday of Chicago artist Henry Darger through a series of exhibitions.

A Year of Exhibitions to Mark Outsider Henry Darger’s 125th Birthday

Breaking away from the&nbsp;narrative&nbsp;of representing&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;through&nbsp;pain and suffering,&nbsp;ART AIDS AMERICA&nbsp;celebrates&nbsp;strength and beauty in the face of&nbsp;a devastating disease. The exhibition&nbsp;is now on view through April 2 at&nbsp;Alphawood Gallery on North Halsted.

The expansive installation showcases&nbsp;170 works from over 100 American artists, ranging from the 1980s to the present day. The exhibition has traveled to a number of cities, including Tacoma, Washington and Bronx, New York. For the Chicago iteration, a number of artists with ties to the ciy including&nbsp;Gregg Bordowitz, Roger Brown, Doug Ischar, Patric McCoy, Michael Qualls, Oli Rodriguez, Daniel Sotomayor and Israel Wright, are featured.

Art AIDS America has a full schedule of programming available to the public in hopes of creating space for a citywide dialogue regarding the cultural impact of HIV/AIDS over the recent decades. In partnership with StoryCorps, the organization invites visitors to share and preserve their personal accounts of the AIDS crisis.

<img alt="" data-caption="LADZ (John Arsenault and Adrian Gilliland), &lt;i&gt;Eden #31&lt;/i&gt;, 2012. Chromogenic color print, 32&quot; × 52½&quot;, Courtesy of the artists." data-rich-file-id="1756" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1756/original/8-inch-350-dpi-ladz-eden-number-31-2012-arsenault-and-gilliland-2-20.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Roger Brown, &lt;i&gt;Peach Light&lt;/i&gt;, 1983, Copyright: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brown family. Courtesy of Kavi Gupta. Photo: James Connolly" data-rich-file-id="1755" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1755/original/roger-brown-peach-light-1983-copyright-the-school-of-the-art-institute-of-chicago-and-the-brown-family-courtesy-of-kavi-gupta-photo-james-connolly.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Tino Rodriguez, &lt;i&gt;Eternal Lovers&lt;/i&gt;, 2010. Oil on wood, 18&quot; × 24&quot;. Private collection. Photo courtesy of the artist." data-rich-file-id="1754" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1754/original/400-dpi-7-inch-rodriguez-img-8504.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Patric McCoy, &lt;i&gt;Only 18 Pawns&lt;/i&gt;, 1983" data-rich-file-id="1753" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1753/original/patric-mccoy-35mm-17a-rtp-33x50-medres.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="ACT UP NY/Gran Fury (active New York, New York, 1987–1995), &lt;i&gt;Let the Record Show…&lt;/i&gt;,1987/recreated 2015. Mixed media installation, dimensions variable. Courtesy of Gran Fury and the New Museum, New York. Photo courtesy of the artists." data-rich-file-id="1752" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1752/original/400-20dpi-20gran-20fury-gran-20fury-2026.jpg" />

Admission is free and open to the public. 
 
Events: 
<a href="http://www.artaidsamericachicago.org/events/">http://www.artaidsamericachicago.org/events/</a> 
 
Artists: 
<a href="http://www.artaidsamericachicago.org/exhibition/artists/">http://www.artaidsamericachicago.org/exhibition/artists/</a> 
 
Hours: 
<a href="http://www.artaidsamericachicago.org/visit/">http://www.artaidsamericachicago.org/visit/</a>

Top image: Thomas Haukaas,&nbsp;More Time Expected, 2002. Handmade ink and pencil on antique ledger paper, 16&frac12; &times; 27&frac12; inches. Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom in honor of Rock Hushka, 2008.10. Photo &copy; TAM, by Richard Nicol.

ART AIDS AMERICA  is now on view through April 2 at the Alphawood Gallery on North Halsted.

Exhibition at Alphawood Gallery Constructs New Narrative about AIDS

In early 2017&nbsp;CGN&nbsp;will launch a new chapter, with our first edition of&nbsp;The CGN Arts Guide. This comprehensive listings publication will cover the visual arts in Chicago, the suburbs, as well as in neighboring Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and beyond.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1724" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1724/original/cag-coverdraft.jpg" />

Look for the new 5&quot; x 8&quot;&nbsp;orange guide &ndash;&nbsp;with&nbsp;cover art featuring work&nbsp;by <a href="http://www.carlosrolondzine.com">Carlos Rol&oacute;n/Dzine</a>&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;in galleries, museums, hotels and more&nbsp;in the coming weeks.&nbsp;

The CGN Arts Guide will feature expanded gallery listings, lists of all art spaces in the city,&nbsp;more images,&nbsp;key event and opening dates for 2017,&nbsp;&nbsp;museums, auction houses, art fairs, private dealer listings, collector resources,&nbsp;and more.&nbsp;

Building on our 34+ year history, we are excited to change things&nbsp;while continuing to be a top resource for the arts in the Midwest.&nbsp;

This summer and fall we will roll out expanded issues of&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News, featuring more news and interviews than ever.

The guide will be released around February 1, 2017.

Happy new year!

&nbsp;

Cover image for CGN Arts Guide:&nbsp;Carlos Rol&oacute;n/Dzine,&nbsp;Flooded with Ecstasy,&nbsp;Resin and Acrylic on wood panel,&nbsp;Courtesy of the artist, Salon 94, New York, and David Castillo Gallery, Miami&nbsp;

Information on the new CGN Arts Guide in 2017

New CGN Arts Guide in 2017

Charlie Belloc&nbsp;Lowndes, an art dealer and&nbsp;longtime friend to many in the River North Gallery District, passed away unexpectedly on December 20 several days after suffering injuries from&nbsp;a hard fall. Charlie was also married for many years to another friend of the art world, Portia Belloc&nbsp;Lowndes.&nbsp;&nbsp;A service is planned for&nbsp;January 3rd at noon in River North at Immaculate Conception. Charlie's full obituary is <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&amp;pid=183243926">here</a>.&nbsp;Detailed information about Charlie's condition from Portia Belloc-Lowndes is available through&nbsp;Caringbridge.com&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1725/original/screen-20shot-202016-12-26-20at-203-37-05-20pm.png" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;Some thoughts from friend and fellow dealer Dan Addington are reprinted below:On Friday Dec. 9, Chicago art dealer and friend&nbsp;Charlie Belloc-Lowndes took a hard fall, striking his head. He passed away a few days ago, on Dec 20th.Charlie and I started working in galleries in River North across the street from each other the same year, 1995. He had moved from England, and was already a seasoned art dealer. He opened Belloc Lowndes Fine Art, located on Superior Street, and it was a fantastic space. Charlie had a great eye, and an encyclopedic knowledge of British modern and contemporary art. His exhibitions were impeccable, and his clients loved him. Charlie supported the Chicago art scene, and when he discovered I was opening my own space on Wells St., he was very encouraging, frequently offering advice and always making me laugh. In the last few years, having gone private, he came by the gallery more frequently, and I really enjoyed his visits as he recounted great gallery stories, each more entertaining than the last.Charlie was a real cheerleader for the River North Gallery District, and he holds an important place in the history of Chicago's art world. More importantly, he was a devoted and loving father of two girls who survive him, along with his loving and devoted ex-wife Portia. We wish them strength and comfort during this time. Charlie, thanks for all the positive and artful things you contributed to Chicago and our lives.&nbsp;SaveSaveSaveSave

Former art dealer Charlie Belloc Lowndes died Dec 20, 2016

Former River North Art Dealer Charlie Belloc-Lowndes Dies

The Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) exhibits and promotes works by national and international artists, focusing many of its efforts on providing exposure and support to up-and-coming talent. One way the museum is able to tap the energy of fresh and innovative artwork being made in the region is through the Midwest Photographers Project, or MPP for short. MPP is a rotating collection of portfolios on loan from artists for a three-year period. “Oftentimes we see artists making exciting new bodies of work that are still in progress or have recently been completed,” says MoCP’s Executive Director Natasha Egan. “We may not be ready or able to acquire the artwork for the museum’s collection or to display it in an exhibition. In those cases, we include artists in MPP, where their works are accessible to students and researchers looking to learn about what’s new in the field.” The collection is made accessible to the public by appointment in the museum’s Print Study Room and via the museum’s <a href="http://www.mocp.org/collection/mpp/">website</a>.&nbsp;Egan recommends checking out portfolios by Zora J. Murff and Clarissa Bonet. Both artists make photographs about particular aspects of life in their hometowns.Zora J. Murff (American, b. 1987; resides in Cedar Rapids, IA)<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1717/original/mocp1.jpg" alt=""></figure>With a background in psychology and social services, Zora J. Murff began a position at Iowa’s Linn County Juvenile Detention and Diversion Services in 2012. Working with minors on probation as a “Tracker,” he was responsible for keeping tabs of their whereabouts (either digitally or in person), and assisting in their rehabilitation. According to the artist, “Tracking and other similar community-based services are being increasingly used as an alternative to detention facilities. These services, which allow juveniles to stay in their homes, show a higher rate of success than strict incarceration.”[1] Reflecting on the relationships the artist forms with the juveniles he serves— which range from stable to contentious—Murff began his ongoing series Corrections in 2013. His images portray not only young people and the ephemera related to their probation, but also offer a glimpse into the systems that are used to contain the individuals. &nbsp;Obscuring his subjects’ faces, Murff’s images focus on themes broader than personal identity –including control, privacy, and personal development—and the ways these issues are embedded in the juvenile corrections system.Corrections will be on view in an upcoming solo exhibition at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The project has also been shown at Filter Space, Chicago, IL; ARCADE Museum, St. Louis, MO; and SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA, among other galleries and institutions.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1718/original/mocp2.jpg" alt=""></figure>The street scenes in Clarissa Bonet’s ongoing project City Space&nbsp;(2011-2016) are re-staged from events she witnesses as a pedestrian living in Chicago. Though the city is densely populated, Bonet seeks to express her sense of isolation within the continuous crowd of strangers. Her images represent fleeting encounters with anonymous individuals, which unfold against the stark contrast of light and shadow shaped by the city’s looming architecture. These are reinterpretations of chance encounters and observations, yet Bonet’s images offer a glimpse into the unique psychological experience of living within an interminable urban landscape.Bonet is represented in Chicago by Catherine Edelman Gallery, where her solo exhibition City Space + Stray Light recently closed. She has exhibited widely at venues including Workspace Gallery, Lincoln, NE; the Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, CA; and the Aperture Foundation, New York, NY&nbsp;MoCP is located at 600 S. Michigan, Chicago, IL 60605. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10-5, Thursday till 8, Sunday, 12-5. Admission is always free, $5 suggested donation.&nbsp;

Museum of Contemporary Photography's Midwest Photographer's Project 

MoCP’s Midwest Photographers Project Offers a Look at What’s New in Photography

Franck Mercurio interviews young art collectors Jessica and Tim Canning

Young Couple Eyes Chicago’s Future

It&#39;s hard to believe that 2017 is nearly here, but many area galleries are already planning for the new year and beyond. &nbsp;

On&nbsp;Friday, January 6, 2017 many galleries around Franklin and Superior streets in&nbsp;River North&nbsp;will hold <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar?tag=opening-receptions">opening receptions</a> to welcome new shows this winter.&nbsp;The evening marks the beginning of a new year of art.&nbsp;

Show details will be posted on&nbsp;CGN&nbsp;as we receive them, but most galleries will be open from 5-8pm. Our&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar?tag=opening-receptions">calendar</a>&nbsp;is being updated regularly.

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/district/river-north">The River North group</a> has recently announced that they will be holding collective openings every other month on the first Friday of the month. Individual galleries may hold openings on other nights as well, but the group schedule of dates for the year is below.&nbsp;

&bull; January 6 
&bull;&nbsp;March 3 
&bull;&nbsp;May 5 
&bull;&nbsp;July 7 
&bull;&nbsp;September 8 
&bull;&nbsp;November 3

Check out the CGN&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar?tag=opening-receptions">openings page</a>&nbsp;for opening and exhibition details each month.&nbsp;

Saturday morning gallery tours also resume on January 7, 2017. The schedule is <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/art-services/free-cgn-saturday-gallery-tours">available here</a>. Tours take place rain or shine (or snow) and a new group of 4 galleries participates each week.&nbsp;

January 6, 2017 is opening of Winter Gallery Season in River North

By Dennis CallahanThe internationally famous artist Anish Kapoor may&nbsp;not be a household name, yet, but here in Chicago his monumental sculpture Cloud Gate&nbsp;(aka ‘The Bean’) might be.Callahan art &amp; Associates has&nbsp;a few collectors who own a number of Kapoor’s works. Of course they are smaller than Cloud Gate&nbsp;but all are just as polished and technically sophisticated. When it comes to installing them in a home, they present complex and unique challenges. Kapoor’s own notorious demands for perfection create a high bar many installers cannot meet.One of our clients owns a wonderful small sculpture from Kapoor's Void&nbsp;series. It presents itself as an enigmatic, perfectly circular, nearly black, spatially boundless hole in a wall. The success of this illusion depends entirely on the mounting and installation of the work. Mountmaking and installation are two things almost no one would consider when viewing art, but&nbsp;I strongly believe the success of a mount for a sculpture and the installation of a work of art can be measured inversely by the amount of attention they call to themselves.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1708/original/callahan1.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1707/original/callahan2.jpg" alt=""></figure>Mountmaking can be broken down to design, engineering and fabrication. The design for Void required that it appear not to be hung behind the wall&nbsp;but to exist on the same surface plane as the wall. So we had to eliminate the thickness of the drywall at the point of contact (figures 1. &amp; 2.). When engineering a mount our primary concerns are archival safety, and reversability. We often start with Michaelangelo’s understanding of how the human body supports itself and holds an object. In this case we arrived at two simple steel rings on a precision adjustable track to hold the sphere (figures 3. &amp; 4.). We fabricate all our mounts in our metal shop. This ensures our high standards are met and small modifications can be resolved before we test each mount in our shop (figures 5. &amp; 6.).<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1709/original/callahan3.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1710/original/callahan4.jpg" alt=""></figure>The final installation required expert drywall and plastering skills. It also required the safe execution of these trades while working with the art. Our Certified Art Handlers are also highly skilled in many trades and were up to the challenge (figures 7 &amp; 8 (at top of page)). The finished installation came out beautifully. In fact, I am sure no one thinks about the mount or installation when looking into this abyss (Figure 9.). The structural integrity of the mount also exceeded expectations. The client called me later to share a story of a 10 year old boy who reached into the “Void” and lifted himself up by it to peer inside! The mount and the plaster did not fail!<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1711/original/callahan5.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1713/original/callahan6.jpg" alt=""></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1714/original/callahan7.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1712/original/callahan9.jpg" alt=""></figure>If you want to watch a video of the whole process,&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/S48HiXbKXkY">click here</a>.

Dennis Callahan shares the story of installing a mount for an Anish Kapoor sculpture in a home

The Unique Challenges of Installing Contemporary Sculpture: An Anish Kapoor Case Study 

By ALISON REILLY

Zina Saro-Wiwa&rsquo;s new exhibition, now on display at the Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, offers a mesmerizing view of the culture of the Nigerian-born, British-raised artist. Installed across several galleries in the recently&nbsp;renovated university museum, Did You Know We Taught Them How to Dance? features analog televisions, large-scale projections, and multi-channel installations alongside photographs and sculpture. The show, which premiered at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, is the first solo museum exhibition for Saro-Wiwa.

Amy Powell, curator of contemporary and modern art at the Krannert, notes that as an artist Saro-Wiwa has &ldquo;long been invested in countering prominent Western media models of how Africa is framed.&rdquo; For an exhibition in Houston titled Progress of Love, Saro-Wiwa felt that she never saw expressions of intimacy between Africans represented in the United States, so she traveled around the country to interview Africans about their experiences and to film couples kissing. The project, Eaten by the Heart, which was commissioned by The Menil Collection, allowed her subjects a platform to talk openly about the ways in love is performed, represented and viewed in society.

<img alt="" data-caption="Zina Saro-Wiwa, &lt;i&gt;Niger Delta: A Documentary&lt;/i&gt;, 2015, digital video (color, sound) 3:50 min. Courtesy of the artist." data-rich-file-id="1692" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1692/original/niger-delta-a-documentary-video-still-.jpg" />

Powell has been working with Saro-Wiwa since 2012 when the two met in Houston at the Progress of Love exhibition. At the time, the filmmaker and video artist was based in the UK but the two women stayed in touch as Saro-Wiwa began visiting Nigeria for extended periods of time to develop a number of new projects. For Saro-Wiwa, who had visited Nigeria during her youth but had not lived there permanently, it was an opportunity to reconnect with the local community in Port Harcourt and the surrounding area.

Saro-Wiwa has a notably complex relationship with the region. Her father, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was a prominent environmental activist who was falsely accused of murder and subsequently executed in 1995&nbsp;by the Nigerian government. In 2014, after returning to Port Harcourt, Saro-Wiwa opened a gallery called the Boys Quarters Project Space, located in her father&rsquo;s former office. She remodeled to create a clean gallery with polished concrete floors and white walls that now serves as a rotating exhibition space for local artists. She decided, however, to leave her father&rsquo;s office intact with every detail including his desk, papers, and pipes. Visitors are allowed to see the office but not enter it, and Saro-Wiwa now projects her own experimental videos into the room. &nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Zina Saro-Wiwa, &lt;i&gt;Did You Know We Taught Them How to Dance?&lt;/i&gt;, Krannert Art Museum, November 17, 2016-March 25, 2017, installation view. Courtesy Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign." data-rich-file-id="1693" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1693/original/f2016-zinasarowiwa-p1.jpg" />

In some ways, the Boys Quarters represents how Saro-Wiwa operates as an artist, at once bringing in her contemporary &ldquo;Afropolitan&rdquo; perspective while honoring and challenging her past.[1] For instance, in Karikpo Pipeline, a five-channel video installed on widescreen monitors hung side-by-side, Saro-Wiwa superimposes Karikpo dancers on abandoned oil infrastructures in Ogoniland, a region in the Niger Delta belonging to the Ogoni people. The dancers, who wear masks reassembling antelopes, fade in and out of the landscape like apparitions, at once highlighting the spirituality of their practice and the effects of oil production on the environment. Saro-Wiwa effectively edits drone footage of the area with the dancers to create a surreal and at times lush landscape.

In Western media reports, Ogoniland is often characterized as a corrupted region devastated by Shell oil spills. But in her work Saro-Wiwa seeks to move beyond these narratives by evoking the &ldquo;internal landscape&rdquo; of the people and the region. Prayer Warriors is a powerful study in the cathartic performance of evangelical Christian pastors from Ogoniland. Dressed in shades of purples and reds, these men and women prophesize directly into the artist&rsquo;s camera. Saro-Wiwa removes them from their pulpits, filming them against a black backdrop to emphasize their facial expressions, gestures, and conviction. As their voices and images echo across the large room, the ministers engage in what Saro-Wiwa describes as &ldquo;psychic survival,&rdquo; a way of processing their earthly existence.

<img alt="" data-caption="Zina Saro-Wiwa, &lt;i&gt;Table Manners&lt;/i&gt;, 2014-15. Eight single-channel videos, sound. Courtesy of the artist." data-rich-file-id="1694" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1694/original/kam-still-table-manners-barisuka-eats-roasted-ice-fish-and-mu.jpg" />

In the exhibition, Saro-Wiwa explores another type of performance: eating. In Table Manners, eight analog televisions are positioned in a circle on a bed of black periwinkle shells. A few small chairs are placed in front of the screens, inviting visitors to sit and watch. In one still shot, each video depicts an individual from the Niger Delta eating a meal by themselves from start to finish. The title of each video, for example Barisuka Eats Roasted Ice Fish and Mu, tells the viewer precisely what will happen. Saro-Wiwa&rsquo;s films succeed in their subtlety; the noise of the diner chomping on their food is not shunned but quietly embraced, thereby elevating an everyday activity to the realm of performance.

The presentation of Saro-Wiwa&rsquo;s work on the Urbana-Champaign campus also offers a unique opportunity to engage students and professors across disciplines in the role of performance in the Niger Delta. Powell, who joined the museum staff in 2014, said, &ldquo;once I met colleagues here and saw the museum, the spaces and how people on campus, not just in Art and Art History, but in all kinds of disciplines really see the museum as a real interlocutor, I was really excited about coming here.&rdquo; In conjunction with the&nbsp;exhibition, Powell has organized a panel of professors from diverse disciplines like gender studies, urban planning, law, and political science to convene to discuss their interpretations of Saro-Wiwa&rsquo;s work. &ldquo;There are so many ways into the work&nbsp;that do and don&#39;t line up with Zina&#39;s perspective,&rdquo; Powell noted, &ldquo;so I&#39;m curious in terms of those interdisciplinary perspectives what I can learn from my colleagues and what they learn from it.&rdquo;

Accompanying the exhibition is an impressive catalogue complete with essays by Powell&nbsp;and Taiye Selasi, along with a number of Saro-Wiwa&rsquo;s own recipes. Did You Know We Taught Them How To Dance? is on display at the Krannert Art Museum through March 25, 2017. For more information visit <a href="http://kam.illinois.edu">kam.illinois.edu</a>.

[1] See Taiye Selasi&rsquo;s essay &ldquo;Afropolitan in a State of Grace&rdquo; published in the exhibition catalogue Zina Saro-Wiwa: Did You Know We Taught Them How to Dance?, University of Washington Press, 2016.

Top image: Zina Saro-Wiwa,&nbsp;Did You Know We Taught Them How to Dance?, Krannert Art Museum, November 17, 2016-March 25, 2017, installation view.&nbsp;Courtesy Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

An exhibition of work by British-Nigerian artist Zina Saro-Wiwa is now on display at the Krannert Art Museum.

Zina Saro-Wiwa Displays Powerful Performance Work in Renovated Krannert Art Museum Galleries

A trip out to the Rockford Art Museum is always an adventure. &nbsp;The exhibition space, carved out of a former factory and now attached to a larger cultural center, is vast and well-suited to displaying larger scale works of contemporary&nbsp;art.&nbsp;

The current exhibition,&nbsp;Deconstructing the American Landscape, with&nbsp;work by Sarah Krepp and Joel Ross, features Krepp&#39;s large scale, vivid multimedia paintings&nbsp;adjacent to a space displaying&nbsp;surprising sculptures and thought-provoking installations by Ross.&nbsp;

The show&#39;s grounding&nbsp;inspiration, of course, is the&nbsp;American landscape.&nbsp;Both Krepp&nbsp;and Ross&#39;s artistic&nbsp;translations of&nbsp;interactions between society and the land&nbsp;invite viewers&nbsp;to reconsider the notion of landscape in art.

Krepp&#39;s signature colors of black, white, red and yellow are wielded in large works and on hyper-textured surfaces, sometimes containing hundreds of words and messages. Other works use everyday materials from the road, such as tires,&nbsp;taking&nbsp;seemingly used up things and&nbsp;rendering beautiful compositions.&nbsp;

Ross&#39;s text-based sculptures first invite viewers to read, and then to consider the message in a landscape context. The objects, installations and photographs offer a break from just passing by and instead provide a means for looking anew at the every day (empty lots, alleys, roads, shopping centers). A tower of old suitcases asks, what do we really need to bring along, or leave behind? What&#39;s shut up inside?&nbsp;

Sarah Krepp is Founding Director of&nbsp;DIALOGUE Chicago,&nbsp;and a&nbsp;professor emeritus and former chair of the painting program at the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Joel Ross is currently an associate professor at the&nbsp;University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; he is represented by&nbsp;Monique Meloche Gallery.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/deconstructing-the-american-landscape-sarah-krepp-joel-ross">Deconstructing the American Landscape: Sarah Krepp &amp; Joel Ross</a>&nbsp;runs through January 29, 2017 at the Rockford Art Museum.

&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption=" Sarah Krepp, Rip Currents III (#112), n.d., oil, tire, mixed media on panel" data-rich-file-id="1685" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1685/original/krepp3.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Sarah Krepp, Switchback (#516), n.d., oil, acrylic on linen" data-rich-file-id="1684" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1684/original/krepp2.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Sarah Krepp, Residue (#816), n.d., tire, screws on wall" data-rich-file-id="1683" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1683/original/krepp4.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption=" Sarah Krepp, Blow-Out: Full Force (#716), n.d., tire on panel, steel, acrylic" data-rich-file-id="1682" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1682/original/krepp1.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Joel Ross, Failure to Communicate, 2000, color photograph, parking meter, Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago" data-rich-file-id="1686" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1686/original/ross1.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Joel Ross, Room 28, 1997, mixed media, Collection of the James Hotel, Chicago. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago." data-rich-file-id="1687" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1687/original/ross2.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption=" Joel Ross, Unstoppable, 2016, shims, acrylic paint on wood, Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago" data-rich-file-id="1688" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1688/original/ross3.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Joel Ross, &lt;i&gt;False Promises&lt;/i&gt; (installed and abandoned, Champaign County, IL), 2000, archival pigment. Print ed. 1/3, Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago" data-rich-file-id="1690" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1690/original/joel-ross-false-promises.jpeg" />

Images at top of page: Left:&nbsp;Sarah Krepp,&nbsp;Switchback I (#416),&nbsp;n.d., oil, acrylic on linen; Right:&nbsp;Sarah Krepp,&nbsp;Switchback II (#516),&nbsp;n.d., oil, acrylic on linen

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Exhibitions by Sarah Krepp and Joel Ross are now on display at the Rockford Art Museum.

Deconstructing the American Landscape: Sarah Krepp & Joel Ross at Rockford Art Museum

By MADELINE HAPPOLD

The holiday season is here, and Chicago offers a range of art shows and sales with unique gifts for everyone on your list.&nbsp;Below is a preview&nbsp;of upcoming art sales featuring everything from sculptures and fine art to artisanal household goods and jewelry. &nbsp;

<h3>SAIC Holiday Art Sale</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Courtesy of SAIC Campus Life and Involvement " data-rich-file-id="1649" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1649/original/art-sale-spring-2013-07.jpg" />

Support local artists at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago&rsquo;s 28th Annual Holiday Art Sale. The sale features art created by over 120 graduate and undergraduates students. Work ranges from prints, jewelry, ceramics, paintings and more. A majority of the proceeds benefit the artists and designers.

The art sale is free and open to the public&nbsp;on Friday, November 18th from 11am-7pm and Saturday, November 19th from 10am-5pm. The art sale will also hold a First Look Preview Night on Thursday, November 17th from 5-8pm. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.saic.edu/lifeatsaic/campuslifeandinvolvement/studentartsales/">SAIC Holiday Sale</a>. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h3>Renegade Craft Fair</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Courtesy Renegade Craft Fair" data-rich-file-id="1672" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1672/original/renegadecraft-1.jpg" />

Find unique gifts at the Renegade Craft Fair, a traveling craft fair that celebrates DIY. Founded in Chicago in 2003, Renegade has grown to become the largest independent craft fair in the world. Renegade features not only artwork and crafts, but also artisanal food and drink along with live music. The holiday fair at Bridgeport Art Center will feature over 250 independent makers.

The Renegade Craft Fair is open December 3-4 from 11am-6pm. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.renegadecraft.com/fairs/chicago-2016-holiday">Renegade Craft Fair</a>. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h3>Bucktown Holiday ArtShow</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Courtesy Bucktown Promotions" data-rich-file-id="1673" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1673/original/bucktownfair.jpg" />

Attend the 18th Annual Bucktown Holiday ArtShow at Holstein Park Fieldhouse. The art show includes over 100 participating artists and offers various mixed media gifts for shoppers. The art show also hosts a silent auction with donations from featured artists. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to A Long Walk Home, a non-profit that uses art to educate youth on violence against young women.

The event is hosted by Bucktown Promotions. The 18th Annual Bucktown Holiday ArtShow will take place Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11 from 12-5pm. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.bucktownpromotions.com">bucktownpromotions.com</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h3>One of a Kind Show+Sale Chicago</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Courtesy of One of a Kind Art Show+Sale" data-rich-file-id="1656" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1656/original/unspecified.jpg" />

The 16th Annual One of a Kind Show&rsquo;s Holiday Edition will feature over 600 artists from across the country. Artists will be selling handmade gifts ranging from ceramics and sculptures to photography and pet products. The event also features artist demonstrations, craft workshops, live music, and food.

The four day show will be open at the Merchandise Mart from December 1-4. Tickets are valid for all four days, and proceeds go to Ann &amp; Robert H. Lurie Children&rsquo;s Hospital. For more information, visit <a href="http://oneofakindshowchicago.com/holiday">oneofakindshowchicago.com/holiday</a>.

&nbsp;

<h3>Randolph Street Market Festival: Holiday Sales</h3>

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1671" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1671/original/rsm-june-19.jpg" />

Randolph Street Market will feature three holiday sales with vendors selling products great for gift giving and receiving. Spanning three levels inside the Plumbers Union Hall, the holiday sales feature over 125 vendors offering custom-made gifts such as decorative arts, jewelry, houseware, and cooking goods. The event also features free parking and free gift wrapping.

The holiday sales will take place November 19-20, November 26-27, and&nbsp;December 10-11 from 10am-5pm each day. Get more information&nbsp;or purchase tickets online&nbsp;at <a href="http://randolphstreetmarket.com">randolphstreetmarket.com</a>.

&nbsp;

<h3>Chicago Printmakers Collaborative Small Print Exhibition and Holiday Art Sale</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Courtesy Chicago Printmakers Collaborative" data-rich-file-id="1670" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1670/original/chicagoprintmakerscollaborative.jpg" />

The <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/chicago-printmakers-collaborative--3">Chicago Printmakers Collaborative</a> will feature its 27th Annual Small Print Exhibition and Holiday Art Sale. The sale includes print art and works-on-paper from local and international artists. Featured artists include Hiroshi Ariyama, Michael Barnes, Nicola Villa, Artemio Rodriguez, Tony Fitzpatrick, and Megan Sterling. Visitors are encouraged to mingle with the artists as they print on-site. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The show&rsquo;s grand opening will take place December 3-4,&nbsp;11am-7pm on both days. The exhibition will run through February 4, 2017.

&nbsp;

<h3>Intuit&#39;s&nbsp;Holiday Pop-Up Markets</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Courtesy Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art" data-rich-file-id="1674" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1674/original/intuitholiday.jpg" />

Stop by <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/intuit-the-center-for-intuitive-and-outsider-art">Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and&nbsp;Outsider Art&#39;s</a>&nbsp;Holiday Pop-Up Market before its too late. The market will feature fiber works in partnership with artisans from the Creatively Empowered Women (CEW) Design Studio. CEW is an art therapy enterprise, providing a space for knitting, crocheting and art lessons for immigrant women. The pop-up sale is free and open to the public&nbsp;Saturday, December 3 from 11am-5pm and Sunday, December 4 from 12pm-4pm.&nbsp;

Intuit will also host the Outsider, Ethnographic and Folk Art Pop-Up Sale. The sale features three collectors selling high quality materials as well as sculptures, drawings, ethnographic textiles, and African masks and scultpures. The sale will take place Friday, December 9 from 5-9pm, and Saturday, December 10 from 10am-4pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Top Image: Courtesy of One of a Kind Art Show+Sale

Find the perfect holiday gift at one of Chicago's holiday art sales.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Upcoming Holiday Art Sales

Three Chicago galleries and the University of Chicago shared their congratulations on Friday on behalf of artists who will be participating in the 2017 Whitney Biennial.&nbsp;

63 artists are participating next year as&nbsp;part of the always highly anticipated survey of the state of contemporary art. The Biennial is the longest running contempoary art survey in the US, and this edition will be the first held in the museum&#39;s new (and larger)&nbsp;downtown building after a relocation from the Upper East Side.&nbsp;

The museum&#39;s website notes, &quot;The formation of self and the individual&rsquo;s place in a turbulent society are among the key themes reflected in the work of the artists selected for the 2017 Whitney Biennial. The exhibition includes sixty-three participants, ranging from emerging to well-established individuals and collectives working in painting, sculpture, drawing, installation, film and video, photography, activism, performance, music, and video game design.&quot;

The 2017 Whitney Biennial is co-curated by Christopher Y. Lew and Mia Locks. The film program is organized by Christopher Y. Lew, Mia Locks, and Aily Nash.

&nbsp;

<h3>Rhona Hoffman Gallery: Deana Lawson&nbsp;</h3>

Deana Lawson&#39;s work is now on view in the group exhibition&nbsp;Rhona Hoffman 40 Years Part 2: Gender. Race. Identity.&nbsp;through December 23.

<img alt="" data-caption="Deana Lawson, &lt;i&gt;Self-Portrait&lt;/i&gt;, 2013" data-rich-file-id="1665" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1665/original/wqpr-deanalawsonselfportrait2013-1.jpg" />

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<h3>Corbett vs. Dempsey: Cauleen Smith</h3>

Cauleen Smith&#39;s current exhibition at Corbett vs. Demsey&nbsp;closes December&nbsp;3.

<img alt="" data-caption="Cauleen Smith, &lt;i&gt;Conduct your Blooming&lt;/i&gt;, 2015, seven banners, sequin and satin fabric with felt, cotton, velvet and rayon letters, dimensions variable" data-rich-file-id="1664" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1664/original/20161118165318876-540-443-1-0.jpeg" />

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<h3>PATRON:&nbsp;Harold Mendez</h3>

Harold Mendez recently showed his work in a solo exhibition at PATRON. Read CGN&#39;s fall 2016 interview with PATRON founders <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2016/8/patron-committed-to-chicago">here</a>.

<img alt="" data-caption="Harold Mendez in his studio at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Rauschenberg Residency, Summer 2016. Photograph by Mark Poucher, courtesy of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Rauschenberg Residency" data-rich-file-id="1667" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1667/original/haroldmendez.jpg" />

&nbsp;

<h3>William Pope.L&nbsp;</h3>

William Pope.L, a provocative performance artist, is faculty in the Department of Visual Arts at the&nbsp;University of Chicago.

<img alt="" data-caption="POPE.L, &lt;i&gt;The Great White Way, 22 miles, 9 years, 1 street (Whitney version #2)&lt;/i&gt;, 1990, video, duration: 6:35 minutes. © Pope.L " data-rich-file-id="1669" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1669/original/89047ee8.jpg" />

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<a href="http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/2017Biennial">The Whitney Biennial 2017</a> runs from March 17-June 11, 2017 in New York City.

Top image: Deana Lawson,&nbsp;Kingdom Come, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2015, inkjet print mounted on Sintra,&nbsp;61 1/2 &times; 50 in,&nbsp;Edition 3/3 + 2AP

Chicago galleries, including Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Corbett vs. Demsey and PATRON, announce artist participation in 2017 Whitney Biennial.

Chicago Galleries Announce Artists Accepted into 2017 Whitney Biennial

By KARA JEFTS

Following the Presidential election results of the previous week, the country is experiencing a notable cultural divide. Many will look to history to try to understand this moment, and many will turn to their community for reassurance and support. Art making as a way of understanding one&rsquo;s self, and as a way to relate to others, will also prove important during this fracture of our nation&rsquo;s bedrock. The Cairn Project, conceived by artist Corinne D. Peterson, provides an exemplary model of art&rsquo;s power to create a unified sense of community, and it will be installed at Citlalin Gallery in Pilsen from November 19-December 31, with an opening reception on November 18 from 7-10 pm.

&ldquo;We live in a culture that discourages us from looking at pain&rdquo; notes Peterson, reflecting on the reasons she has spent over two years working on the Cairn Project, a series of workshops that have engaged over 550 participants in the greater Chicago area, including: immigrants; LGBTQ youth; cancer survivors; survivors of sexual abuse; families of gun violence victims; the homeless; Iraqi, Burundi, and Burmese refugees; veterans; nurses; the bereaved; the blind; among many other men, women, and children from diverse communities across the city.

Peterson believes that rocks, like people, are shaped through traumas: tumbled by the sea, split by tectonic shifts, born through the violent molten explosion of volcanoes, or slowly dissolved by the weathering of acid rain. She leads each community group participating in the Cairn Project to consider form and feeling, and upon entering the room each person is asked to select a rock from a small but thoughtful collection, which she has provided. As the workshop begins, the participants introduce themselves by describing why they selected their rock.

<img alt="" data-caption="&quot;When asked to think about trauma, I imagined an angel wrapping their wings around me and creating calm.&quot; - John, image courtesy of the National Veterans Art Museum" data-rich-file-id="1661" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1661/original/john-veteransmuseum.jpg" />

The introductions become a way for participants to bond and reflect on their personal experience, choosing to respond by directly addressing their own trauma or by speaking in metaphor to express their feelings. As the archivist for the project, I have been working with participants who volunteered to share their reflections on audio or video recordings in order to build an oral history surrounding the project. Carol, a woman from The Mather, a senior living community, reflected on her selection: &ldquo;I like this stone because it has within a very small space a geography of rough spots and smooth spots&hellip;it has both difficulty and the working through of difficulty right here in your hand.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption="Cairn Project workshop participants from an Iraqi refugee group doing a walking meditation around their finished rocks and tokens." data-rich-file-id="1660" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1660/original/iraqirefugeeworkshop.jpg" />

Following introductions, the workshop leader guides a meditation to calm emotions and re-center the group. Participants are then asked to work in silence while shaping two forms: a rock from stoneware clay that embodies their inner experience of pain and loss, and a small white porcelain token that represents their inner light and hope. The tactile experience of working with clay becomes a way to communicate emotion and experience. As one teen reflected:

<blockquote>
Obviously my rock is in the shape of a heart. I used three different hearts to make it. The first one was perfect. It represents how I was very loving when I was little, and I didn&rsquo;t know hurt. The second was ruined and had lots of damage. It represents me giving up. I was less na&iuml;ve and recognized hurt and pain, and at some point in my life that was all I felt. Then I used a mix of both of them, a bit damaged, but also loving. I mashed them all together and it&rsquo;s a big heart now, still learning so it&rsquo;s still a bit na&iuml;ve, it&rsquo;s been through pain so it&rsquo;s damaged, but it&rsquo;s still big and loving.
</blockquote>

After firing the clay, Peterson uses the stoneware and porcelain forms that embody individual experience to build an installation that celebrates the collective community, titled Cairn &amp; Cloud. A cairn is a man-made heap of stones constructed as a monument or landmark. The Cairn &amp; Cloud takes inspiration from examples of this type of stone memorial, which are found across the world and can be dated back to prehistoric times. For the installation, trauma stones are arranged in a circular mound on the floor, and the porcelain tokens of hope (painted with gold lacquer to recall Japanese kintsukuroi pottery to relate the objects to the metaphor that that which has been broken is more beautiful) are suspended above the mound.

The memorial cairn continues to grow with each workshop, and the installation is currently around six feet in diameter. In addition to the upcoming exhibition at Citlalin Gallery, Cairn &amp; Cloud has been installed at the Oak Park Art League, Lillstreet Gallery Annex, National Veterans Art Museum, Zhou B Art Center, Art on Armitage, and Wicker Park Lutheran Church. Following the exhibition in Pilsen, Peterson is looking to find a permanent location where Cairn &amp; Cloud could be installed as a public memorial for the Chicago community to visit and reflect upon.

<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;Cairn &amp; Cloud&lt;/i&gt; installation at the Oak Park Art League, photograph by Cindy Trim" data-rich-file-id="1659" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1659/original/cairncloud-oakparkinstall.jpg" />

As part of the Cairn Project, Peterson is also working on establishing a platform for the growing archive of works and reflections. Peterson maintained a record of each participant&rsquo;s piece by photographing the un-fired clay at workshops, and I have been working with her to photograph each individual rock and token, and to pair images with collected audio, video, and written reflections volunteered by participants. The archive will give prominence to each ceramic piece as a valuable object worthy of individual appreciation; just as each person and their life experience is worthy of attention and respect.

The website hosting the archive, scheduled to be launched on November 18 in conjunction with the exhibition opening, will act&nbsp;as an illustrated history of the lives of hundreds of Chicagoans. As the website expands it will include not only the record of each ceramic piece created, but it will also aspire to create a platform for understanding, inspiring online audiences beyond Chicago. The archive will exist as a forum for those who don&rsquo;t pen our history per-se, but instead, are the reason for its writing.&nbsp;

Top image: Detail of&nbsp;Cairn &amp; Cloud&nbsp;installation

The Cairn Project, conceived by artist Corinne D. Peterson, provides an exemplary model of art’s power to create a unified sense of community.

Th­e Cairn Project: Chicago Communities Share Stories of Trauma and of Hope

By SHELBY BEASLEY

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) presents a new exhibition of work by Los-Angeles based artist Diana Thater. The&nbsp;Sympathetic Imagination&nbsp;utilizes&nbsp;LED lights and projectors to display large-scale film and video installations. Thater&nbsp;explores ideas related to&nbsp;shared public spaces and critiques the human tendency to misuse&nbsp;them.

Incorporating visuals from &ldquo;a range of natural phenomena-such as the weightless, seamless, underwater world of dolphins; honeybees who communicate through dancing; and the surprising fortitude of animals in Chernobyl in the aftermath of the worst nuclear meltdown ever- her works explore the subjectivity of animals and the complex relationships humans have constructed with nature.&rdquo;[1] In doing so, Thater brings to the forefront of her viewers minds the reality of the harm humans are causing to the natural world. She exposes what has previously been overlooked in our day-to-day lives and forces the public to investigate further their impact on the planet.

Thater&rsquo;s installation at the MCA allows visitors to experience the subject matter in an enveloped hyper reality, existing within the work itself. &ldquo;Thater&rsquo;s dynamic, immersive installations challenge and invert accepted positions and realities through the deployment of color, movement, scale, and architecture.&rdquo;[2] The extensive imagery subtly alters physical, emotional, optical, and investigative senses.

Photographs below taken by Shelby Beasley. All are installation views of Diana Thater&#39;s&nbsp;The Sympathetic Imagination at the MCA Chicago. Exhibition on display October 29, 2016-January 8, 2017.

<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;knots + surfaces&lt;/i&gt;, 2001" data-rich-file-id="1645" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1645/original/untitled-8.jpg" />

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<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;Untitled Videowall (Butterflies)&lt;/i&gt;, 2008" data-rich-file-id="1640" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1640/original/untitled-2.jpg" />

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<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;Delphine&lt;/i&gt;, 1999" data-rich-file-id="1642" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1642/original/untitled-4.jpg" />

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<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;knots + surfaces&lt;/i&gt;, 2001" data-rich-file-id="1644" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1644/original/untitled-7.jpg" />

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<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;Oo Fifi, Five Days in Claude Monet's Garden, Part 1 and Part 2&lt;/i&gt;, 1992" data-rich-file-id="1646" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1646/original/untitled-9.jpg" />

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<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;knots + surfaces&lt;/i&gt;, 2001" data-rich-file-id="1648" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1648/original/untitled-10.jpg" />

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<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;Six-Color Video Wall&lt;/i&gt;, 2000" data-rich-file-id="1641" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1641/original/untitled-3.jpg" />

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<img alt="" data-caption="&lt;i&gt;A Cast of Falcons&lt;/i&gt;, 2000" data-rich-file-id="1643" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1643/original/untitled-5.jpg" />

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[1] <a href="http://www.lacma.org/diana-thater#about-the-exhibition">http://www.lacma.org/diana-thater#about-the-exhibition</a> 
[2]<a href="https://mcachicago.org/Exhibitions/2016/Diana-Thater">https://mcachicago.org/Exhibitions/2016/Diana-Thater</a>

Top image: Diana Thater, Life is a Time-Based Medium, 2015. Photo: Shelby Beasley

A photo essay featuring Diana Thater's The Sympathetic Imagination now on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA).

Diana Thater: The Sympathetic Imagination in Photos

By MADELINE HAPPOLD

Clusters of people descend down colorfully painted stairs at the 18th Street&nbsp;Pink Line stop in Pilsen. Walking west wrapped in scarves and light fall jackets, they are greeted by humming sounds of street music and warm October sun.

It&rsquo;s mid-afternoon and store doors are open, displaying shelves of fresh conchas, antique trinkets and vintage clothing. Weaving down the street, vendors sell small prints and handmade jewelry, chatting idly with customers. Bright yellow, pink and blue papel picado wave lightly overhead in the autumn air. Some stores and residential homes are marked with large, bullseye numbers. Pedestrians cannot help but take a peek inside and are met with an array of color, paintings, sculptures: art.

Continuing down 18th Street&nbsp;visitors are tempted to window shop for art.&nbsp;Prospectus Gallery&nbsp;with its large, glass windows brings art to the people, asserting its presence in the community. People continue to flow in and out of the space as an #18 Bus boards.

Across from the gallery stands Thalia Hall with a tall, black tour bus parked in front for a night show. Next to the venue, an ominous flyer is plastered to a streetlight: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll buy your property!&rdquo; with a number listed below.

On Saturday, October 22&mdash;23, Pilsen held its 14th annual Pilsen Open Studios, a community art walk organized by local artists and volunteers. Started in 2003, the event opens up studio spaces to allow the public to see how and where art is made in Pilsen. The art walk extends beyond artist studios to include community spaces and cafes displaying artwork and tours of the neighborhood&rsquo;s infamous murals.

The event was originally organized by a group of Pilsen artists who wanted to independently feature the neighborhood&rsquo;s artwork, outside of commercialized spaces.

&ldquo;Little by little [neighbors] warmed up to come into the studios to look at art and see what we were doing,&rdquo; said Mark Nelson, an artist and Pilsen resident who has been involved with Open Studios since 2003. &ldquo;They were surprised there were&nbsp;so many of us creating art and culture in the community.&rdquo;

The annual event features a variety of artists, some with their own studios while others showcase artwork in local community spaces and cafes. &nbsp;

&ldquo;I think Pilsen is a great place where you can see&nbsp;established artists, rising artists, outsider artists, all of these different labels that are there,&rdquo; said Victor Monta&ntilde;ez, an artist who has been affiliated with Pilsen since moving to the community in the 1980s. &ldquo;Once they&rsquo;re in Pilsen you see, well, they are artists.&rdquo;

The Pilsen area has been receiving increased attention recently, even outside of the realm of art. For the community, it&rsquo;s a give and take: with increased exposure comes increased interest. Art and artists in Pilsen are being recognized, but rent is rising. Where attention goes, money, and the opportunity to make money, follows.

&ldquo;It&#39;s always good and bad,&rdquo; said Monserrat Alsina, Colibri Gallery owner and local artist who helped originally organize Open Studios. &ldquo;The bad would be the artists having to move away because of the raises in prices of rent. The other thing is that people are coming in, and they&rsquo;re looking at art, and maybe they&#39;re buying more than before. It&#39;s not like we sell tons of stuff, but its exposure. It&#39;s exposure for us, it&#39;s exposure for the neighborhood, for the businesses, it&#39;s like the whole economy is&nbsp;better for.&rdquo;

With its proximity to the University of Illinois at Chicago&rsquo;s (UIC) campus and short &ldquo;L&rdquo; commute to the Loop, Pilsen has become a hotspot for students and young professionals. &nbsp;

&ldquo;There are a lot of young students moving into the area. The new residents aren&rsquo;t interested in fine art, they&rsquo;re more interested in the hip places.&rdquo; said Israel Hernandez, owner of Prospectus Gallery. Hernandez opened the gallery in 1991 as a &ldquo;social hub&rdquo; for the community.

<img alt="" data-caption="Prospectus Art Gallery in Pilsen" data-rich-file-id="1614" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1614/original/prospectus-key.jpg" />

Pilsen&rsquo;s homely appearance is getting an urban makeover, though. The area has had three record stores open in the past year. Housing developers like Property Marketing Group (PMG) are pushing to build new housing units in the area (a project to build 500 new housing units was recently stopped this past June). Bow Truss Coffee Roasters opened in 2014 with some backlash; the storefront was repeatedly vandalized with anti-gentrification messages such as &ldquo;white people out of Pilsen&rdquo; and &ldquo;wake up and smell the gentrification.&rdquo;

&ldquo;The neighborhood has changed, that&#39;s obvious,&rdquo; said Alsina. &ldquo;There&#39;s a lot of gentrification going on.&rdquo;

With talk of gentrification, longtime residents like Hernandez and Alsina worry for the future of the community.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s becoming like Wicker Park or Bucktown,&rdquo; said Hernandez. &ldquo;It will lose its charm, if you want to call it that.&rdquo;

Pilsen has a history of being a hub for immigrants. In 1940s, Pilsen was home to a large community of Polish immigrants, until younger Czechs began moving to western suburbs in the mid 50s. Mexicans and Latinos were moving west, too, pushed by the construction of the UIC campus in the 1960s. By the 1970 census the area recorded its first Latino majority, acting as a gateway for first generation immigrants and families.

&ldquo;The thing that I&#39;ve always liked about Pilsen is that it&#39;s a family neighborhood and the one thing that it seems to have over a lot neighborhoods is that families seem to stick together here,&rdquo; said Mark Nelson, an artist and Pilsen resident since the mid 80s. &ldquo;I mean, it&rsquo;s not&nbsp;Mayberry R.F.D.&nbsp;but who would want that, right?&rdquo;

Yet, Pilsen&rsquo;s family-centered community is shifting. Based on census and annual American Community Survey data, a study by UIC professor John Becantur and graduate student Youngjun Kim found that while Pilsen remains largely Hispanic, the number of Hispanic residents is decreasing as wealthier, single whites move in. The largest decline was in the number of Mexican families in the area, a 41 percent decrease from 2013 census, continuing the downward trend from the 2000 census.

As of 2000, more than 10,300 Hispanics have left the area, a 26 percent decline. The latest number from&nbsp;2013 report&nbsp;an estimated 28,835 Hispanic residents living in Pilsen. &nbsp;

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a beautiful place to be, but, unfortunately, that attraction tends to draw investors,&rdquo; said Nelson. &ldquo;If it drew more families in that would be one thing.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption="Stickers containing anti-gentrification messages are stuck to a vacant storefront window on 18th Street by the 18 Pink Line &quot;L&quot; Stop. " data-rich-file-id="1618" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1618/original/pilsen2.jpg" />

Both Alsina and Nelson admit they frequently receive mail from realtors offering to buy their property. According to Alsina, her current tax payment was double her previous bill, and she predicts the trend will continue.

&ldquo;They raise taxes, raise insurance, homeowner&#39;s insurance, to make it difficult for people like us who are middle class and trying to make it,&rdquo; said Alsina. &ldquo;It&#39;s tough. So many people opt to sell because they can&#39;t afford taxes when its double.&rdquo;

In August of this year&nbsp;Cultura in Pilsen, a non-profit arts organizations located at 1900 S. Carpenter, was forced to move when their landlord doubled their rent. The building manager gave them the ultimatum of moving out by August, or paying month-to-month rent of $2,500, double their current payment. The organization now temporarily resides in La Catrina Caf&eacute;.

Owner Salvador Corona claims the caf&eacute; expanded from a business to a &ldquo;community center,&rdquo; hosting community meetings and displaying artwork from featured artist each month. La Catrina hosted the Pilsen Open Studios&nbsp;kick-off event on Friday October 21.

&ldquo;I think we tend to flock where there&#39;s artists because you relate to them, and they become your friends,&rdquo; said Corona. &ldquo;Pilsen has been like that for a long time. There has really been like a little nest of artists, always, and everyone else just becomes stronger because there are more people.&rdquo;

In Pilsen, art and community coincide, from street murals to local galleries and open studios.

&ldquo;There is no art world,&rdquo; said Monta&ntilde;ez. &ldquo;There is one world, and we all live in the same world. It&#39;s an artist community, and I think that that&#39;s very important about the open studios, that at least for one weekend out of the year in this community everybody sets aside their differences and says &#39;OK, we are all part of this together.&#39;&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption=" Artwork by Victor M. Montañez on display in an artist tent located alongside 18th Street for Pilsen Open Studios." data-rich-file-id="1619" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1619/original/pilsen1.jpg" />

Yet culture and community are always fluctuating, as urban landscapes begin to change. People are moving in as others are moving out, and with new community members comes a variety of cultures. For Pilsen, culture now includes a much steeper price tag.

&ldquo;People tend to think that culture is something that gets handed down from generation to generation and that the community&#39;s culture does that too,&rdquo; said Monta&ntilde;ez. &ldquo;But culture is constantly in conflict, constantly in a struggle for becoming something else.&rdquo;

East on 18th Street, vendors sell fresh produce and bagged chicharones from pop-up shops and pick-up trucks. Groups congregate in Harrison Park, playing in the open field and greeting neighbors as they pass down the street. A family huddles around a steaming pot of tamales at a picnic table. Plastered to a vacant storefront window another flyer responds, &ldquo;Pilsen is not for sale.&rdquo; In the background a Pink Line train rumbles from the tracks above as more visitors walk onto the street.

&nbsp;

Top Image: Mural located outside of La Catrina Caf&eacute; on 18th Street.&nbsp;

<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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CGN talks with local artists, dealers, and business owners about the changing landscape of the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago.

Pilsen’s Changing Landscape has Mixed Effects on Longtime Artist Community

By ALISON REILLY

CGN is excited to announce a new online series called Eye For Collectors. Each month, we talk with dealers and artists to get the inside scoop on affordable artwork for those interested in starting a collection, seasoned collectors who want to discover new artists, or anyone who wants to learn more about purchasing a work of art. Our goal is to pull back the curtain on the process of buying contemporary art while highlighting some of the most exciting artists showing work in Chicago.

Overtaking the walls of the Hyde Park Art Center&rsquo;s main hallway this past summer was Tina Tahir&rsquo;s expansive installation Botany of Desire. Tahir painted several species of orchids on the walls and floor to create an immersive experience for viewers. The winding vines reference the deceitfulness and trickery of orchids that can imitate different smells in order to attract insects for pollination.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Tina Tahir, &lt;i&gt;Shifting Frames Shifting&lt;/i&gt;, 2015, beeswax, dimensions variable, $1,200. Courtesy Kasia Kay Art Projects" data-rich-file-id="1571" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1571/original/tahir-shifting-frames-02.jpg" />

Tahir&rsquo;s interest in vegetal forms can be found in a number of her projects, including Shifting Frames Shifting from 2015. Like Eva Hesse&rsquo;s Hang Up, Tahir focuses attention solely on the frame itself, removing any material from the center of the work. Inspired by Baroque frames, she creates intricate sculptures made of beeswax, a material that is certain to transform over time. While the frames are based on floral patterns, the result, much like Botany of Desire, is an overgrowth&mdash;a barnacle-like formation that at once exudes beauty and decay.

Tahir is represented by <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/art-services/kasia-kay-art-projects">Kasia Kay Art Projects </a>and sculptures from the Shifting Frames Shifting series can be purchased for $1,200. Kasia Kay also has a line of fine art wallpaper, and Tahir recently created a number of patterns under the name Tapisseries.

Last fall at the Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago based artist Amanda Gentry presented works from her Brother John series. Seventeen hollow ceramic pillows hung side by side on the gallery wall. In order to make the sculptures, Gentry instructed individuals to lay their heads on the wet clay to make a unique impression on the square clay block. The repetition of the simple, yet haunting forms speaks to the heart of Gentry&rsquo;s practice.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Amandra Gentry, &lt;i&gt;Ranch Study 4&lt;/i&gt;, 2016, unglazed raku clay with silicon carbide and copper oxide wash, gas fire reduction, 4” x 7” x 2.5”, $350. Courtesy Matthew Rachman Gallery" data-rich-file-id="1570" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1570/original/amandagentry-1.jpg" />

More recently, Gentry has been experimenting with additives and oxide washes in her ceramic works. In Ranch Study 4, she mixed silicon carbide into raku clay. The artist then added a copper oxide wash to the unglazed piece to emphasize the textured surface. The smooth lines of Ranch Study 4 are contrasted by the uneven marks, as if Gentry had etched directly into the surface of the clay.

Gentry is represented locally by <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/matthew-rachman-gallery">Matthew Rachman Gallery</a> and Ranch Study 4 is available for purchase for $350. The piece will be included in the upcoming holiday show Peace on Earth, which features a range of works by Chicago artists priced under $2,000.&nbsp;

At EXPO Chicago in September, Chicago painter Anna Kunz installed Warp, a large, billowing tapestry that hung from the ceiling of the immense exhibition hall. The latex on fabric composition represents Kunz&rsquo;s aesthetic and material interests well. Her canvases, layered with fabric, often emerge from the wall and expand into three-dimensional space. The installation was part of EXPO Projects, which featured a number of prominent artists including Magdalena Abakanowicz and Alfredo Jaar.

<img alt="" data-caption="Anna Kunz, &lt;i&gt;Untitled&lt;/i&gt;, gouache on Sakamoto paper, 2008, 12 3/4&quot; x 14 1/4&quot;, $1,500. Courtesy McCormick Gallery" data-rich-file-id="1572" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1572/original/annakunz.jpg" />

Along with her experiments in painting, Kunz also creates small-scale works on paper. Untitled from 2008 demonstrates her ongoing exercises&nbsp;using contrasting blocks of color. The gouache is applied thickly and bleeds onto the sturdy Sakamoto paper. Fluorescent pinks are contrasted by stokes of soft browns and rich purples. Kunz&rsquo;s abstract work is evocative on both the large and small scale.

Kunz is represented by <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/mccormick-gallery">McCormick Gallery</a>. This past summer, she was included in the recent exhibition How Much Land, which was curated by Jessica Cochran. Untitled is available for purchase for $1,500.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Top image: Tina Tahir,&nbsp;Botany of Desire, 2016, installation view. Courtesy Hyde Park Art Center

CGN is excited to announce a new monthly series, Eye for Collectors.

Eye for Collectors: A New Monthly Series

By MADELINE HAPPOLD&nbsp;

November marks the opening of many more exhibitions around Chicago. Below you&#39;ll find a preview of upcoming shows that range in scale and presentation, from a college campus to a storefront gallery. Visit the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar">CGN arts calendar</a> for more details, opening receptions and artist talks.

<h3>What waits is often disguised (for William Stratford)&nbsp;at Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Charles Matson Lume" data-rich-file-id="1564" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1564/original/unnamed.jpg" />

In his poem &quot;Asphodel, That Greeny Flower&quot;&nbsp;William Carlos Williams wrote, &quot;It is difficult/to get the news from poems/yet men die miserably every day/for lack/of what is found there.&quot;&nbsp;Artist Charles Matson Lume reaffirms Williams&#39; belief in the importance of art in society with&nbsp;his new installation titled&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/what-waits-is-often-disguised-for-william-stafford">What waits is often disguised (for William Stratford)</a>.&nbsp;Lume manipulates light and common materials like craft paper and plastic trinkets&nbsp;to create ephemeral works of art.

Attend an opening reception and artist talk with Lume&nbsp;on Monday, November 7&nbsp;from 12-1:30pm at <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/robert-f-decaprio-art-gallery-moraine-valley-community-college">Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery</a> at Moraine Valley Community College. The exhibition will be on display&nbsp;from November 7-December 17, 2016.

&nbsp;

<h3>The Last Seduction&nbsp;at Bert Green Fine Art</h3>

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1568" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1568/original/erosetpsyche-erosandpsyche1.jpg" />

Oli Rodriguez, a transgender artist based in Chicago,&nbsp;presents a new series of work at Bert Green Fine Art.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/oli-rodriguez-the-last-seduction">The Last Seduction</a> recontextualizes figures from predominantly white, hetero-normative, and European classical images. Rodriguez uses late nineteenth century paintings, including&nbsp;as&nbsp;&Eacute;variste Vital Luminais&#39;s <a href="http://mascipo.in2p3.fr/art-e-info/IMG/distant/jpg/01-Evariste-80be.jpg">L&#39;Enl&egrave;vement</a>&nbsp;and &Eacute;douard Manet&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Nymphe_surprise">La Nymphe surprise</a>, as the backgrounds for his digitally altered photographs featuring&nbsp;non-gender conforming models. With new subjects in the paintings, Rodriguez offers a modern interpretation of the art historical canon.

The Last Seduction will be on display at <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/bert-green-fine-art--2">Bert Green Fine Art</a> from November 12-December 17, 2016.

&nbsp;

<h3>Corrections&nbsp;at Filter Photo</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Zora J Murff" data-rich-file-id="1569" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1569/original/murffz6.jpg" />

Influenced by his work as a tracker for Linn County Juvenile Detention and Diverse Services in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, photographer Zora J Murff presents a new body of work titled&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/corrections-zora-j-murff">Corrections</a>&nbsp;at Filter Photo. In his&nbsp;position as&nbsp;tracker, Murff was responsible for making sure that convicted youth&nbsp;followed through on the terms of their probation, which often included community service, drug screening and electronic monitoring. In the&nbsp;series, Murff documents many of the individuals he worked with to create&nbsp;complex portraits that reflect the inconsistencies of the juvenille detention and incarceration system&nbsp;in the United States.&nbsp;

The exhibition will be on display at <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/filter-photo">Filter Photo</a> from November 4-26, 2016. The gallery will host an opening reception, along with artist talk and book signing, from 6-9pm on Friday, November 4.

&nbsp;

<h3>Irma May&nbsp;at Elephant Room Gallery</h3>

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="1567" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1567/original/unnamed-1.jpg" />

Hungarian born, Chicago based artist Zs&oacute;fia&nbsp;&Ouml;tv&ouml;s presents her new series of work based on the partially biographical character&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/zsofia-otvos-irma-may">Irma May</a>.&nbsp;&Ouml;tv&ouml;s developed a storyline about this early twentieth century&nbsp;character, who is a painter and collector herself.&nbsp;Alongside paintings, the exhibition also features large-scale&nbsp;drawings&nbsp;on paper.

The series will be on display at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/elephant-room-gallery">Elephant Room Gallery</a>&nbsp;in Bridgeport on Sunday, November 7 from 3-7pm and by appointment on November 7-8 from 5-8pm.

For more information about upcoming exhibitions, visit the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar">CGN arts calendar</a>.

November marks the opening of many more exhibitions around Chicago.

Exhibition Previews: November

By ALISON REILLY

Four Chicago galleries that currently occupy the 845 W Washington Boulevard Building in the West Loop will be relocating to the Ukrainian Village neighborhood in January 2017. In a press release sent on Tuesday, DOCUMENT, Paris London Hong Kong, Volume Gallery, and Western Exhibitions announced that they would be moving collectively into a new space at 1709 W Chicago Avenue.

Western Exhibitions gallery owner Scott Speh expressed his excitement for moving into the new neighborhood. In an email to CGN, he wrote, &ldquo;We are thrilled to expand into custom-designed brand new galleries with more exhibition, office, and storage space for each venue, in a culturally relevant neighborhood near several other galleries that is much less congested than the overheated West Loop. The convenience of the new location and the opportunity to develop exhibition spaces to fit our needs will make for a better visiting and viewing experience for collectors, curators, artists and the art-loving public.&rdquo;

Speh also noted that the group had been looking at properties for about a year. The leases were set to expire soon on their current spaces and their landlords offered to move them into a building on Chicago Avenue that had been recently acquired. The four galleries will be moving into the second floor of 1709 W Chicago, along with David Salkin Creative, which specializes in custom rugs, tile patterns, wallpaper and fabric.

<img alt="" data-caption="1709 W Chicago Avenue, the new location for four Chicago galleries" data-rich-file-id="1563" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1563/original/chicagoavenue.jpg" />

The new building is located west of Ashland Avenue at N Paulina Street. Nearby galleries on Chicago Avenue&nbsp;include Matthew Rachman Gallery and The Mission.

Western Exhibitions has been at its location in the West Loop since 2008. The gallery, which currently has concurrent shows by Deb Sokolow and Dan Attoe on display, features rotating exhibitions by artists working in all media. The gallery also produces artist books and multiples through WesternXeditions.

During a call on October 26, Aron Gent, owner of DOCUMENT, also shared his enthusiasm for the move. He said that the new hardwood floors, drywall, and furnaces would be step up in scale and quality for DOCUMENT, which represents artists working in film, photography and media-based work. The gallery, which opened in 2011, also functions as a printmaking studio.

<img alt="" data-caption="Laura Letinsky and John Paul Morabito, &lt;i&gt;vereVereAslipFlowers&amp;haneemoon(payforthelie)&lt;/i&gt;, 2016, Cotton and wool, 41&quot; x 71&quot;" data-rich-file-id="1509" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1509/original/laura-letinsky-and-john-paul-morabito-verevereaslipflowers-26haneemoon-payforthelie-2c-2016.jpg" />

For the first exhibition in the new space, Gent will present abstract tapestries by collaborators Laura Letinsky and John Paul Morabito. One of the works from this series was recently on display at <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2016/9/digital-collage-meditations-on-migration-gnawed-paper-highlights-from-expo-chicago-2016">DOCUMENT&rsquo;s booth at EXPO Chicago</a>. The exhibition is scheduled to open Saturday, January 7 alongside Annie Bielski at Paris London Hong Kong, Wunderkammer at Volume Gallery, and Underlying system not known at Western Exhibitions.

Read the full press release <a href="http://us14.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ba2e9a9ea20d09514f4eda22a&amp;id=21a96f5735&amp;e=11fc4bbaba">here</a>.

Top image: Deb Sokolow,&nbsp;Men, installation view,&nbsp;September 17-November 5, 2016 at Western Exhibitions. Photo by James Prinz.

Four Chicago galleries are moving from the West Loop to the Ukrainian Village.

DOCUMENT, Paris London Hong Kong, Volume Gallery and Western Exhibitions to Relocate to Ukrainian Village Neighborhood

Explore Chicago&rsquo;s hidden wonders with Open House Chicago, open this Saturday, October&nbsp;15 through Sunday, October&nbsp;16. The free public festival, organized by the Chicago Architecture Foundation, offers&nbsp;exclusive public access to over 200 buildings across Chicago.&nbsp;Sneak a peek inside some of Chicago&rsquo;s architectural masterpieces, impressive&nbsp;skyscrapers, and historic&nbsp;landmarks.

&nbsp;

<h3>The Clarke House Museum</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Photo by Michael Beasley" data-rich-file-id="1547" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1547/original/clarke-house-copyright-2005-michael-beasley-01-2-1.jpg" />

Built in 1836, the <a href="http://openhousechicago.org/sites/site/clarke-house-museum/">Clarke House Museum</a> is Chicago&rsquo;s oldest house. Located in the city&rsquo;s Prairie Avenue Historic District, the home was originally built for businessman Henry B. Clarke during the city&rsquo;s formative years, predating the Civil War. The house is modeled after Greek Revival style, and has a unique past, surviving fires, belonging to a church, and being moved - twice. The home became a Chicago landmark on Oct. 14, 1970 and was officially purchased by the City of Chicago in 1977.

Tours of the House Museum are available from 10am-4pm

&nbsp;

<h3>LondonHouse Hotel</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Photo by Eric Allix Rogers" data-rich-file-id="1548" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1548/original/londonhouse.jpg" />

Surrounding the Michigan Avenue bridge, the <a href="http://openhousechicago.org/sites/site/londonhouse-chicago-london-guarantee-accident-building/">LondonHouse Hotel</a> is considered one of Chicago&rsquo;s &ldquo;Big Four&rdquo; skyscrapers. Originally the London Guarantee Building built in 1923 by Alfred S. Alschuler, the high rise was bought in 2013 by Oxford Capital Group in the midst of the city&rsquo;s hotel boom and has since been restored. The building features Neo-Classical and Art Deco designs, along with a new 22-story glass tower addition.

Take a tour of the historic lobby, open to the public from 12-4pm

&nbsp;

<h3>Colvin House</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Photo by Eric Allix Rogers" data-rich-file-id="1550" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1550/original/colvin.jpg" />

Opening its doors to the public for the first time, don&rsquo;t miss the opportunity to explore the <a href="http://openhousechicago.org/sites/site/colvin-house/#controls">Colvin House</a>, located in the northern Edgewater neighborhood. Built in 1909 by architect George Maher, the home remained a private residence for over a century. The Prairie-Style, American Foursquare mansion is now being transformed into an event space. Plastered with a plain, yellow brick exterior, the mansion opens its doors to ornate interior features, modeling 1920s movie palace designs. The home was deemed a Chicago landmark in 1994.

View the 6,000 square ft. mansion&rsquo;s intricate interior design, open from 9am-5pm.

&nbsp;

<h3>St. John Cantius Roman Catholic Church</h3>

<img alt="" data-caption="Photo by Eric Allix Rogers" data-rich-file-id="1549" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1549/original/st-20johns.jpg" />

Voted the &ldquo;Most Beautiful Church in America&rdquo; by the Granda Liturgical Arts in 2016, attendees can view the stunning artwork and architecture of the <a href="http://openhousechicago.org/sites/site/st-john-cantius-roman-catholic-church/">St. John Cantius Roman Catholic Church</a>. Founded by Polish immigrants, the church was designed by Adolphus Druiding and built in 1898 over a five year period. St John&rsquo;s features Baroque-style interior with lofty, painted ceilings harking to the 18th-century Krakow. Less than a mile from Water Tower and Chicago Avenue, St. John&rsquo;s is the Polish cathedral closest to downtown. The church also features a 130 ft. tower, visible from the Kennedy Expressway. &nbsp;

St. John Cantius Roman Catholic Church will be open to the public from 12-4pm on Saturday, and 3-5pm on Sunday.

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For more information about Open House Chicago, visit <a href="http://openhousechicago.org/">openhousechicago.org</a>

Top image: Courtesy of Open House Chicago

Peek inside some of Chicago’s architectural masterpieces, soaring skyscrapers, and historical landmarks at Open House Chicago.

Open House Chicago Features Architectural Masterpieces, Impressive Skyscrapers and Historic Landmarks

<h3>Clarissa Bonet’s newest exhibitions City Spaces + Stray Light explore the connection between humans and the surrounding urban environment</h3>By MADELINE HAPPOLDIt’s a cool, late fall morning. The lakefront breeze turns the city air frigid and harsh. Clarissa Bonet steps into the Chicago Loop to begin one of her “wanderings.” No earphones, no text alerts, no companion, not even her camera. She has no plan, no map, and no agenda. Just a couple of free hours to absorb the beauty—and chaos—of the surrounding world.It’s rush hour, and the downtown area is buzzing with life. The Metra trains are unloading as hoards of passengers swarm the streets. It’s just another Chicago workday.The young photographer follows the crowd, which squirms like bugs towards a distant light. People seem to move like a unit rather than individuals. Bonet lets herself get swept up in the city’s commuting commotion, the ebb and flow of workers retracing their morning routine. Constantly, new faces pass, lives flashing before her eyes only to disappear just as quickly. She attempts to pinpoint a face, hold onto that individual image before it is replaced with someone else. She tries, focusing on faces, on the people, but each one fades.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1543/original/unnamed.jpg" alt=""></figure>This is just one of Bonet’s many “wanderings.” These explorations are her source of inspiration, this experience spawning the idea for her 2011 piece, In the Crowd. In the photograph, faceless commuters blend into the surrounding city, becoming lost in black and grey monotony.“I’m really paying attention to my viewpoint as an individual and how I experience the city on foot, and then how to make images recreating that experience, the pedestrian-inspired experience,” said Bonet.Bonet currently has two photography series, City Space&nbsp;and Stray Light, on display at the Catherine Edelman Gallery in the River North neighborhood. The two exhibitions are actually separate but work cohesively, offering unique insight to urban life, space and its interaction with the physical world.Bonet started the ongoing project City Space&nbsp;formally in 2011, but has been experimenting with urban images since moving to Chicago in 2009. Making the move to pursue a graduate degree at Columbia College, Bonet didn’t switch from shoreline to skyline with the snap of a lens.“I remember feeling all of these conflicting emotions at once,” said Bonet. “I felt like I had to relearn how to navigate the city. I had to relearn how to photograph in the city... I was so overwhelmed by the amount of visual chaos.”Turning her surroundings into art, the series focuses on the different kinds of spaces that comprise city life.“All the images from City Space&nbsp;come from experiences of life, either personal experience or things I see happening on the street,” said Bonet. “I think about them, I make notes, I take sketches with my iPhone, and then I go back and recreate this performance for the camera.”In her 2014 work Sweeping Traces, Bonet uses the mundane image of a man sweeping trash off a deserted sidewalk to display this lingering effect of human presence. The trash thus embodies the notion of human life beyond what the image displays. With her 2015 piece Removal, Bonet was inspired by a man who constantly washed the exterior of a glass building, only for it to be smudged again by passerbys, coming and going. The man continually erases these traces of life, only for them to reappear.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1544/original/sweeping-traces-2c-20142.jpg" alt=""></figure>“With the City Space project I was thinking about the psychological and both physical space,” said Bonet. “I was really interested in these traces that were left behind in the urban environment and how we can feel the presence… of people when they are not actually physically present.”Bonet keeps these themes prevalent in the Stray Light series as well.“There’s a thread that pulls along into the Stray Light work in a really tangible way,” said Bonet. “Light is the traces of people and the human environment.”Started in 2012, the project is comprised of nocturnal images from buildings in the major U.S. cities Chicago, L.A. and New York. The optical term stray light simply refers to unintended light.In astronomy, stray light can arise from sky glow, the presence of artificial light in the sky. Sky glow is a form of light pollution that limits the ability to see faint objects, such as stars in a night sky.Bonet likes to consider her images as compilations of stray light, too. Stitching together light from windows contrasted against the dark of night, Bonet creates an urban sky, or what she refers to as “man-made cosmos.”“The windows I’m capturing are this kind of stray light, it’s this light that isn’t really intended for anyone but the user of the space… but then it’s also acting as this beacon of presence,” said Bonet. “This is a constructed environment, this is one of our byproducts, which is this beautiful thing but it also in a way is destroying the thing that I’m referencing.”Walk through the gallery exhibition and Bonet’s photographs flow with cohesion. Concrete-greys mix with skyline slate blues and monotone hues, turning into pitch-black shadows. The urban cosmos add a pop of color, highlighting vibrant hues of illuminating greens, blues and fluorescent yellow. &nbsp;The artist likes to think of her images like a television series: each image has a theme that can stand on its own, but the whole series also contains an overarching narrative embedded in each episode.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/1546/original/city-space-and-stray-light.jpg" alt=""></figure>“I think the project as a whole has these overarching ideas that go behind it,” said Bonet. “These I feel like are a little chapter in a longer book.”While the show may be her first solo exhibition with the gallery, Bonet has been associated with the Catherine Edelman Gallery for almost four years. As a recent graduate from Columbia College in 2012, Bonet entered a show juried by gallery owner Catherine Edelman. Edelman then invited Bonet to be a part of The Chicago Project, an online gallery devoted to rising photographers in the Chicago area. The pair built a relationship from there, until Bonet became a represented artist in 2015.For Bonet, though, photography as an art form is less about the image and more about the experience.“I think there’s something that falls short between an image of something and an experience of something,” said Bonet. “By constructing the works I’m able to get closer to that feeling because in essence I’m trying to photograph something that is almost not existent, invisible.”Bonet’s City Space&nbsp;and&nbsp;Stray Light&nbsp;exhibitions are&nbsp;on view at the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/catherine-edelman-gallery">Catherine Edelman Gallery</a> through Saturday, October 29.For more information about Clarissa Bonet visit: <a href="http://www.clarissabonet.com">clarissabonet.com</a>&nbsp;Top image: Catherine Edelman Gallery, Clarissa Bonet stands with her exhibitions,&nbsp;City Space&nbsp;and&nbsp;Stray Light.&nbsp;

 Clarissa Bonet’s newest exhibitions City Spaces + Stray Light explore the connection between humans and the surrounding urban environment.