BY THOMAS MCCORMICK

What a spectacular day!&nbsp;

With weather that was literally picture perfect, Janis and I attended the annual Carts &amp; Cocktails event last&nbsp;Saturday at the&nbsp;Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park&nbsp;outside Chicago. The park is located on the campus of Governors State University, about 45 minutes south of downtown Chicago. This place is a true gem,&nbsp;and for those who have never been there &mdash; and that&#39;s most of us &mdash;&nbsp;MAKE THE TRIP! Over 30 large scale works of art&nbsp;are sited in the most gorgeous natural prairie setting, with rolling hills, lakes and wild life. You will be charmed and amazed.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="839" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/839/original/aeca04fb-39bc-4793-897a-300d6d3e425e.jpg" />

A highlight of the day was the rededication of two sculptures by Richard Hunt, (pictured above)&nbsp;getting a big hug here from me along&nbsp;with Janis and Chicago collector Jim Parker on the left.&nbsp;Large Planar Hybrid, 1973-74, is a&nbsp;cor-ten steel piece behind us that is now sited in conversation with another work,&nbsp;Outgrown Pyramid II, 1973, nearby. The two sculptures have recently been refurbished and moved to a new location in&nbsp;front of the school. This has been a big summer for Richard, one of the premier living American sculptors,&nbsp;who just turned 80 and is being showered with parties and accolades. He well deserves all this attention.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="838" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/838/original/f9d8a635-b198-4418-aab0-8c0bd5dcb62f.jpg" />

The first work encountered on our Champagne-infused golf cart tour of the park was John Henry&#39;s monumental (and I&#39;m talking big-assed) sculpture&nbsp;Illinois Landscape Number 5, 1976. The piece has recently been repainted a brilliant yellow and in the afternoon sunlight, it seemed to crawl across the landscape like some&nbsp;primordial&nbsp;creature stretching itself out against the lovely prairie backdrop. I don&#39;t know how long it is (a football field?) but this sucker is a really awesome!

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="837" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/837/original/8a5d5037-d5e8-4f8a-b224-f5bba076002f.jpg" />

Another unbelievable work is Tony Tasset&#39;s&nbsp;Paul,&nbsp;2006. This is the first piece you see driving into the university, and your view of it is way out across a field where a 25 foot tall Paul Bunyan, looking exhausted, challenges your sense of perception. You know he&#39;s a long way off but he can&#39;t possibly be that large! Up close you see Tasset has given him the weary face of Michelangelo&#39;s Moses (notice one our our golf carts whizzing past for a sense of scale). We love Tony&#39;s sense of irony, humor and the way he&nbsp;messes&nbsp;with our heads!

Anyway, that&#39;s how we spent our weekend, hope your&#39;s was fun as well.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.govst.edu/Nathan_manilow_Sculpture_Park/">Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park</a>

<a href="http://www.thomasmccormick.com">McCormick Gallery</a>

Gallery owner Tom McCormick shares highlights from his booze-filled visit to the glorious south side Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park to see large-scale works of art by Richard Hunt, Tony Tasset and others

Carts & Cocktails 2015: A Spectacular Day at Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park

BY FRANCK MERCURIO

The fourth annual EXPO Chicago kicked-off Thursday at Navy Pier&rsquo;s Festival Hall. Billed as Chicago&rsquo;s International Exposition of Contemporary &amp; Modern Art, the fair includes an astonishing variety of works presented by some 140 galleries. The majority of these are well-established enterprises, often representing big-name artists and catering to serious collectors with deep wallets, though this year in particular we easily&nbsp;found many appealing works priced affordably&nbsp;as well.&nbsp;EXPO also promotes a selection of 30 younger galleries representing less-established artists. The &ldquo;EXPOSURE&rdquo; galleries feature a range of compelling works that suggest the future direction of contemporary art. The following are three &ldquo;must-sees.&quot;

<a href="http://www.aspectratioprojects.com/desire-holman#">Aspect/Ratio, Chicago</a> 
Booth 613

<img alt="" data-caption="Desirée Holman" data-rich-file-id="831" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/831/original/4c8121c9dcbbc96b-ardesireeholmansophont.jpg" />

Despite the ubiquitousness of video art in museum exhibitions, not many galleries present video. Aspect/Ratio is bucking the trend. Established by Jefferson Godard in 2012, the West Loop gallery features works by well-known and up-and-coming video artists. For EXPO, Aspect/Ratio presents Desir&eacute;e Holman&rsquo;s&nbsp;Sophont&nbsp;(2013), a visually rich work featuring costumed performers set against California landscapes. In the video, the Oakland-based artist explores modern-day society&rsquo;s willingness to accept &ldquo;fringe fantasies&rdquo; as fact&mdash;in this case, &ldquo;sophonts&rdquo; or fictional beings defined by their greater capacity for reasoning than humans. Complimenting the main work are drawings by Holman of the characters represented in the video. 
 
<a href="http://11rgallery.com/ARTISTS_new/Marsha%20Cottrell.html/">11R Eleven Rivington, New York</a><b\> 
Booth 614</b\>

<img alt="" data-caption="Marsha Cottrell" data-rich-file-id="832" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/832/original/unnamed-20copy-2.jpg" />

At first glance, the striking black and white works of Marsha Cottrell appear to be prints&mdash;but each is actually a unique piece. Represented by Eleven Rivington in New York, the Brooklyn-based artist designs her works on a computer using a series of layered images. She then runs a single sheet of paper through an electrostatic laser printer&mdash;over and over again&mdash;layering one image on top of another to create the final piece. It&rsquo;s a time consuming process that incorporates both digital and manual technologies, but the results are both ephemeral and haunting. In&nbsp;Interior 9&nbsp;(2015) the artist&rsquo;s layered gradations of printer toner capture an imagined &ldquo;view&rdquo; from a dark interior out to a light-filled exterior. 
 
<a href="http://www.louisbjames.com/?cat=22">Louis B. James, New York</a> 
Booth 732

<img alt="" data-caption="Matthew Kirk" data-rich-file-id="833" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/833/original/lbj-20expo-20copy.jpg" />

Who says painting is dead? New York-based Louis B. James gallery presents a vibrant selection of works by artists Nora Griffin and Matthew Kirk. But it is Kirk&rsquo;s large-scale &ldquo;drawing&rdquo;&nbsp;Absolute Calm&nbsp;(2011) that commands the most attention. Painting-like in its execution, the work features a complex composition of lines and symbols set against a dramatic black background. The variety of markings made by Kirk&mdash;using chalk, gouache, India ink, and pencil&mdash; allude to the Brooklyn-based artist&rsquo;s upbringing on a Navajo reservation in Arizona as well as to his adult life in New York City. Do the stepped lines that stretch across the paper represent an urban skyline or southwestern mesas? The formal ambiguity allows the viewer to decide.

&nbsp;

More info on EXPO may be found at <a href="http://expochicago.com">expo.com</a>, and additional images from CGN from EXPO weekend may be viewed on <a href="https://instagram.com/chigallerynews/">Instagram</a>.

EXPO 2015: a few must-sees

BY MIA DIMEO

<a href="http://www.expochicago.com/art-after-hours">Art After Hours</a><a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/art-after-hours--3">,</a> happening Friday evening, September 18,&nbsp;lets Chicago galleries show their best stuff to those riding EXPO CHICAGO&rsquo;s art week wave. Exhibition and performance spaces around the city will have special events and extended hours from 6-9 pm, with free shuttles running between Navy Pier and multiple gallery districts. Listed below&nbsp;are a few highlights, from Michigan Avenue to Rogers Park,&nbsp;to&nbsp;try to catch while out and about in search of great art.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="828" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/828/original/art-after-hours-expo-chicago.jpg" />

<h4>&nbsp;</h4>

<h4>&bull; Far Out Females: Mid-Century Chicago Surrealism &nbsp;</h4>

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/far-out-females-mid-century-chicago-surrealism">Mongerson Gallery</a>

<img alt="" data-caption="Gertrude Abercrombie, &quot;Countess Nerona on Chaise&quot; (1953, Oil on Masonite, 7 3/4 x 10 inches)" data-rich-file-id="829" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/829/original/abercrombie-countessnaroneonchaise-crop.jpg" />

Not far from the action on Navy Pier, the first in a series of exhibitions on Chicago-area 20th century artists, Far Out Females celebrates the work of Gertrude Abercrombie, Macena Barton and Julia Thecla, who created dreamy images in Chicago between the 1930s and the 1960s. Expect stark interiors, cats and other creatures and uncanny portraits.

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Shana Moulton: My life as an INFJ</h4>

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/julius-caesar">Julius Caesar</a>

For more contemporary surrealism, go to Garfield Park&rsquo;s Julius Caesar. &nbsp;Shana Moulton, best known for her long-running performance and video series featuring her alter ego, &ldquo;Cynthia,&rdquo; will exhibit new work, confronting a range of anxieties with droll, psychedelic imagery.

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Theory of Forms</h4>

<a href="http://http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/theory-of-forms">Patron</a>

The inaugural show for this highly anticipated new space grapples with the Platonic philosophy of the same name through the voices of eleven artists working in sculpture, painting and installation.

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Nathaniel Mary Quinn: Back and Forth</h4>

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/nathaniel-mary-quinn-imagining-space">Rhona Hoffman Gallery</a>

<img alt="" data-caption="Nathaniel Mary Quinn, June Bug" data-rich-file-id="744" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/744/original/junebug.jpg" />

Nathaniel Mary Quinn uses a clever illusion of collage, playing with style and proportion in his faces and figures in an effect that recalls the work of Hannah H&ouml;ch and Frances Bacon. In addition to a range of historic imagery and source materials, Quinn&rsquo;s upbringing at a Chicago public housing facility informs these intimate works. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; The Annual</h4>

<a href="http://www.chicagoartistscoalition.org/programs/annual">Chicago Artists Coalition</a>

Revamping and renaming its affordable art satellite exhibition, CAC&rsquo;s aptly named annual aims to connect emerging collectors with local artists. Claudine&nbsp;Is&eacute;&nbsp;and Alexandria Eregbu will curate works by Alfredo Salazar-Caro, Susy Bielak, Alejandro Figueredo Diaz-Perera, Chelsea Culp, Danny Giles, Esau McGhee and many more in CAC&rsquo;s West Loop gallery space.

<img alt="" data-caption="Susannah Bielak Ventifact: Breath Drawing 1, 2013 Blown pigment on watercolor paper 30&quot; x 20&quot;" data-rich-file-id="826" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/826/original/ventifactdrawing.jpg" /> &nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Macon Reed Incantation, 2015 Digital photographic print 41 in x 61 in" data-rich-file-id="823" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/823/original/02-incantation-1-.jpg" />

<h4>&nbsp;</h4>

<h4>&bull; La Palette: The Chicago Palette</h4>

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/ed-paschke-art-center">Ed Paschke Art Center</a>

Connecting the head to the hand, neurobiologist Dr. Stephen Sheldon photographed the palettes of prominent Chicago painters for five years, gaining insight on the creative process. Photos of the palettes of Roger Brown, Michelle Grabner and Ed Paschke and other artists sit alongside their finished pieces, near the recreation of Ed Paschke&rsquo;s studio, on permanent display at EPAC.

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Joseph E. Yoakum: 1886 - 1972 Spiritual Unfoldments</h4>

<a href="http://www.carlhammergallery.com/exhibitions/joseph-e-yoakum">Carl Hammer Gallery</a>

Driven to recall scenes from his past (both real and imagined) by a voice in his dreams, self-taught landscape artist Joseph Yoakum&rsquo;s prolific catalogue was created only a decade before his death, beginning at age 76. These expressionistic vistas, or &ldquo;spiritual unfoldments,&rdquo; as he called them, continue to reverberate a curious and powerful energy. Tired of the art world? Enter here.

<img alt="" data-caption="Joseph Yoakum" data-rich-file-id="824" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/824/original/yokum.jpg" />

&nbsp;

More info on Art After Hours, including shuttle schedules and a list of participating art venues may be found <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/art-after-hours--3">here</a>.

Info on EXPO Chicago and EXPO ART WEEK may be found <a href="http://www.expochicago.com">here</a>.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Image at top of page:&nbsp;Kiam Marcelo Junio, detail of&nbsp;Dona Nobis Pacem III (Kleshas), 2015,&nbsp;Archival inkjet print,&nbsp;24 in. x 36 in.

TGIF: Art After Hours During EXPO 

BY MARIA CAMILA VARGAS

While we celebrate Chicago artists all year long at Chicago Gallery News, Chicago Artists Month (CAM) officially&nbsp;takes place October 1&ndash;November 15, 2015. A program of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), CAM is a platform for independently-produced events that showcase the work of Chicago artists and creatives.

For its 20th anniversary this year CAM&rsquo;s theme is City as Studio. Hundreds of events are taking place in every neighborhood in the city, but below is a list of area galleries that are part of CAM events; this list also highlights area galleries that are showcasing work by Chicago-based artists. Be sure to check these shows out and see what our artists are up to.

Also, Chicago Gallery News is sponsoring its annual Chicago Artists Month gallery tour on Saturday, October 17 from 11am-12:30pm in River North. Check out our&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/art-services/free-cgn-saturday-gallery-tours">tour page</a> for details, but we will visit: Addington Gallery, Jennifer Norback Fine Art, Jean Albano Gallery and Berlanga Fine Art &bull; Photographs.&nbsp;

The full list of Chicago Artists Month events may be found on the CAM <a href="http://www.chicagoartistsmonth.org">website</a>.&nbsp;

Chicago Artist Month Openings featuring&nbsp;Chicago Based Artists

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; River North</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Addington Gallery, September 11&ndash;November 3, Sarah Rehmer: New Paintings

&middot;&nbsp;Jean Albano, September 11&ndash;October 24, William Harrison: Drawings

&middot;&nbsp;Berlanga Fine Art &bull; Photographs, October 16&ndash;November 14, Rosemary Warner: Black &amp; White in Color

&middot;&nbsp;Jennifer Norback,&nbsp;&nbsp;October 2&ndash;31,&nbsp;In The Studio (Group Show)

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; West Loop + West Side</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Rhona Hoffman, September 11&ndash;October 24, Nathaniel Mary Quinn

&middot;&nbsp;Linda Warren Projects, September 11&ndash;November 7, Nina Rizzo: You Are Here; and&nbsp;Doug Fogelson: Broken Cabinet

&middot;&nbsp;McCormick Gallery, September 19&ndash;October 31, Robert Natkin

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Pilsen + Pilsen East, Bridgeport + Hyde Park</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Prospectus Gallery, September 11&ndash;October 17, Carlos Barbenera: Recent Prints

&middot;&nbsp;4art Inc Gallery, September 18&ndash;November 20, 2nd Annual Salon Style, Group Exhibition

&middot; Chicago Art District, October 1&ndash;November 15, Arts in the Park: The People&rsquo;s Studio,&nbsp;Group Exhibition

&middot; Crude Creatures Contemporary Art Gallery, October 9&nbsp;&ndash; November 2, The Death of Gallery

&middot;&nbsp;Uri-Eichen Gallery, October 9&ndash;November 6, Pilsen Stories

&middot;&nbsp;Cultura in Pilsen, October 10&ndash;November 1, Pink Line Dreams

&middot;&nbsp;Zhou B Art Center, October 16&ndash;November 11, Voluptuous Anarchy

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; North Side + Bucktown + Wicker Park</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Jackson Junge, September 11&ndash;November 1, Jason Hawk: Excerpts on a Fading Bloom;&nbsp;and Brian Morgan: Power, Politics and Pavement

&middot;&nbsp;ARC Gallery, September 30&ndash;October 24, Urban Threads

&middot;&nbsp;Morpho Gallery, October 16&ndash;November 1, Best of 2015 Emerging Artist

&middot;&nbsp;DreamBox Gallery, October 16&ndash;November 15, Proximity &ndash; Nearness in Space and Time

&middot;&nbsp;Galerie F, October 23&ndash;November 2, Jason Brammer: Fantasy Landscapes

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Michigan Ave , Loop + South Loop</h4>

&middot;&nbsp;Bert Green Fine Art, September 12&ndash;October 31, Morgan Sims: New Paintings

&middot;&nbsp;Mongerson Gallery, September 18&ndash;November 25,&nbsp;Far Out Females: Mid-Century Chicago Surrealism

&middot;&nbsp;The Fine Art Building / Gallerique, October 9&ndash;November 20, StudioScapes

&middot;&nbsp;MoCP, October 15-December 23, Grace of Intention: Photography, Architecture and the Monument

20th Anniversary of Chicago Artists Month

<img alt="" data-caption="From left to right, works by: Michiko Itatani, Indira Freitas Johnson, Vera Klement" data-rich-file-id="795" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/795/original/13.jpg" />

10 years have flown by. Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) opened at 820 N. Michigan Ave. in 2005 with a mission to explore the spiritual in art of all faiths and cultures and to present the work of artists advocating for social justice. LUMA celebrates its tenth anniversary this fall with LUMA at 10: Greatest Hits, on view through October 11, a reprisal of its most successful and innovative exhibitions.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="773" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/773/original/luma-.png" />

More than 50 artists will have works on display, including Edward Gorey, Georges Rouault, and Andy Warhol. Warhol&rsquo;s popular The Silver Clouds, comprised of floating helium-filled, pillow-like forms, will fill LUMA&rsquo;s largest gallery. Greatest Hits will also showcase 10 years of gifts to the museum, many of which are works by Chicago artists.

&ldquo;In 10 years, we have built strong roots in the community,&rdquo; said Pam Ambrose, LUMA founding director. &ldquo;We mount exhibitions visitors will not see at any other Chicago museum or gallery.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Warhol&#39;s Silver Clouds will certainly once again be a big draw. Made from Mylar, helium and fans, the work was first exhibited in a small room at Leo Castelli&#39;s eponymous gallery in NYC in 1966. Viewers then, and now, embraced the chance to interact with art. It&#39;s noted that &quot;many people have interpreted The Silver Clouds as a walk through Heaven. Warhol was a devout Catholic, so there is deep spiritual meaning&quot;&nbsp;imbued in the work for sure.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rZs-iW0PMrk" width="560"></iframe>.&nbsp;

&bull; October 9: Divine Decade: A Benefit Celebrating LUMA&rsquo;s 10th Anniversary

Exhibition and event details at <a href="http://www.luc.edu/luma">www.luc.edu/luma</a>

&nbsp;

Following is a selection of images from the anniversary exhibition.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Pictured in foreground: Pemaron, 2014, by Andra Samelson, compact discs" data-rich-file-id="792" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/792/original/8.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Lewis Desoto, &quot;Paranirvana, Self-Portrait,&quot; Mixed media with painted cloth and helium, Edition 1/3" data-rich-file-id="793" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/793/original/9.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Rene Romero Schüler, &quot;Crimson, 2012&quot;, acrylic on canvas; sculpture also shown: &quot;Shadow&quot;, 2012" data-rich-file-id="786" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/786/original/4.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Dan Gunn" data-rich-file-id="789" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/789/original/5.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Georges Rouault, &quot;Les Ruines Elles - Memes Ont Peri,&quot; 1926" data-rich-file-id="791" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/791/original/7.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Theodore Gilbert Haupt, &quot;Mexico&quot;, 1952, oil on canvas" data-rich-file-id="794" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/794/original/12.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="The LUMA collection of Neolithic Idols consists of more than 100 Kiliya-type, Thessalonian, and Vinča (modern-day Turkey, northern Greece, and Macedonia, respectively) sculptural objects and fragments. " data-rich-file-id="796" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/796/original/neolithics.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Janet McKenzie, &quot;Madonna and Child - Boundless Love,&quot; 1999, Oil on canvas" data-rich-file-id="788" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/788/original/2.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Creches from LUMA's collection" data-rich-file-id="790" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/790/original/6.jpg" />

LUMA at 10

The fall art seas

on got started this past Friday, September 11,&nbsp;around the city - many new exhibitions opened in area galleries and art spaces.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar?tag=opening-receptions">More openings</a>&nbsp;are coming up this weekend when EXPO begins, and especially as part of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/art-after-hours--3">Art After Hours</a>, when dozens of galleries are open late around the city and free shuttles are operating between several districts. &nbsp;

We hit River North last weekend but are looking forward to getting out into the West Loop, Bridgeport and other neighbhorhoods this coming week.

Keep up with&nbsp;CGN&nbsp;on our website as well as on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ChiGalleryNews">Twitter</a>&nbsp;this week to plan your next art adventure. Please share your own openings images with us via Twitter and&nbsp;<a href="https://instagram.com/chigallerynews/">Instagram</a>.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="809" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/809/original/14.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Field Study at David Weinberg" data-rich-file-id="815" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/815/original/19.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Amy Casey at Zg" data-rich-file-id="811" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/811/original/15.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Amy Casey at Zg" data-rich-file-id="799" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/799/original/2.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Kate Breakey at Catherine Edelman" data-rich-file-id="798" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/798/original/3.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Kate Breakey at Catherine Edelman" data-rich-file-id="800" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/800/original/6.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Floriane de Lassée: How Much Can You Carry?" data-rich-file-id="807" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/807/original/11.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Young June Lew at Andrew Bae" data-rich-file-id="810" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/810/original/12.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Young June Lew at Andrew Bae" data-rich-file-id="812" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/812/original/16.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Andrew Bae (right) talking to a client" data-rich-file-id="804" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/804/original/8.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Zg Gallery" data-rich-file-id="803" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/803/original/5.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Kanako Togawa at Ken Saunders" data-rich-file-id="808" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/808/original/13.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Kanako Togawa at Ken Saunders" data-rich-file-id="805" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/805/original/10.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Thomas Scoon at Ken Saunders" data-rich-file-id="813" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/813/original/17.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Crowds at Berlanga Photography" data-rich-file-id="814" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/814/original/18.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Berlanga Photography" data-rich-file-id="802" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/802/original/4.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Steve Shapiro at Berlanga" data-rich-file-id="797" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/797/original/1.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Zolla/Lieberman Gallery" data-rich-file-id="801" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/801/original/7.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="806" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/806/original/9.jpg" />

&nbsp;

Opening Shots: September 2015

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418546/bntuzrijyowqsswgxr4p.gif"></figure>By KEVIN NANCESince the mid-1970s, Rhona Hoffman has been a force in the Chicago art world and beyond—a fact enshrined last December by Vanity Fair magazine, which named her one of America’s 14 most important female art dealers.&nbsp;Known for showing a mix of formal and/or politically engaged work by artists at various points in their careers, Hoffman’s eponymous gallery has established a track record and reputation far larger than its relatively modest digs in the West Loop. If you’re an artist in Chicago, or one from elsewhere looking for a prime showcase in the Midwest, the Rhona Hoffman Gallery is high on your list. And if you’re a collector with an eye for the latest and greatest in contemporary art, you head to 118 N. Peoria Street.&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News recently caught up with Hoffman—who was working with her staff to prepare the gallery’s booth design for this fall’s EXPO CHICAGO—for an interview in her light-and-art-filled office. Here’s an edited transcript of our chat.&nbsp;CGN: Has your work as an art dealer been affected at all by you being a woman?RH: No, although with the exception perhaps of a Marian Goodman or a Barbara Gladstone or maybe a few others, generally the superpowers in the art world are men, both in America and Europe.&nbsp;&nbsp;You’re talking about people like Larry Gagosian?Gagosian, yes. But Hauser &amp; Wirth are even bigger. David Zwirner. They are eclipsing a number of bigger, male-owned galleries. The men tend to go for the big paintings, the big prices. But there are still very powerful women dealers all over the world. Paula Cooper is still there. Marianne Boesky’s becoming a big deal. In Europe, there’s Monika Sprüth. In São Paulo, there’s Luisa Strina. In fact, there are more women who are dealers than there are men who are dealers. But the price points are generally lower. I hate broad generalizations, but in great measure, women dealers tend to show art that sells for considerably less than the men. And what’s happening now—which is really horrifying—is that certain big galleries are waiting for the depth of the artist to be developed. As a less-monied gallery develops the artist—has shows, takes them to art fairs, takes care of them, brings them to the world, makes them popular—along comes Mr. Big Fish and says, “Come with me, little girl or little boy. I can make you even more popular.” It’s always been the case, but it’s happening more now.&nbsp;Have you been on the receiving end of that?Not yet. (Thinks about it.) Yes, I have, actually.&nbsp;&nbsp;You had an artist who was poached?I wouldn’t say poached. The Pace Gallery took on Robert Ryman, and I never really had another show since then. They seemed to be able to control that. And David Zwirner now represents Fred Sandback. I have an excellent relationship with the estate, so they’re not going to completely take it away from me. But I have less control over it than Zwirner does.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the case of Ryman, that was someone you had invested in, so to speak.Yes, yes. We’d been showing him since the late ’70s.&nbsp;This did not make you happy?Well, why would I like being run over? (Laughs.) I’m not a masochist.&nbsp;Getting back to the topic of women in your history as a gallerist: The Young Hoffman Gallery, which you started with Donald Young in the mid-’70s, was one of the first to show a lot of women artists, including Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, etc. Was there, and is there now, a preference on your part to show women artists?&nbsp;If so, it’s not conscious. We always picked work that we thought was challenging and interesting. I have to amuse myself, you know. I’m not here just to make other people happy. I have to take care of my ego as well. I have to come to work and feel good, and I like to back a good horse. You know, back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the people doing the most exciting things were women. I’m a very political, socio-political animal, and I care about the world. The gallery is still split between artists who do formal work and people who are actively engaged in societal concerns. And the women were political. Barbara Kruger was political, for sure. Cindy Sherman, not so much. But they were doing interesting things. And then in the early ’90s, along came the African-American artists, who were doing work that intrigued me. I think it’s like no one having heard of [Jorge Luis] Borges or [Gabriel Garcia] Márquez. They just seemed to break upon the scene here, but they’d already had huge careers in South America. The same thing happens in the visual arts. You start seeing work that’s interesting to you, for a variety of reasons—including, always, the formal aspects. And that’s where you want the dialogue to be.&nbsp;&nbsp;But it wasn’t that you were making a special point of recruiting women artists, or African-American artists, for the sake of addressing some imbalance.Not at all.&nbsp;&nbsp;And that’s still true?Absolutely. In terms of African-American artists, we started Mickalene Thomas’s career. Now we have Deana Lawson, who has a show opening at the Art Institute on Sept. 5. We have Derrick Adams. Of the new artists we have taken on in the last couple of years, one is an African-American artist, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, who actually was raised in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago. You never heard of him. But you will.&nbsp;He sounds like a good story.Yes. He grew up poor. When he was 14 or 15, his mom died. Her name was Mary Quinn, so he took her first name as his middle name. He was very fortunate in that he had two teachers who took him under their wing and pushed him along at school, got him scholarships, things like that. He made it. Very smart, very verbal.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/744/original/junebug.jpg" alt=""></figure>To what extent would you say your choices as a gallerist reflect your personal taste in art?One hundred percent.&nbsp;You wouldn’t take on an artist whose work you personally didn’t care for but thought might sell?Never.&nbsp;How would you describe the niche you’ve carved out as a dealer?Well, we’re a Midwest gallery. We largely sell in the greater Midwest, except for art fairs, where the world comes and you sell to anybody from anyplace. I don’t have a show of a New York artist and immediately sell it back to New York art collectors. Nathaniel’s show, for example, comes fresh from the studio, we open it without anything sold—although there are people in New York dying to buy some of the pieces—and Chicago goes first, and the Midwest. Then the rest of the world can go. That gives me an edge. I give the artist a bigger exposure than if he or she had shows only in New York.&nbsp;&nbsp;It seems like you used to do a lot of art fairs; now, not so much.I’ve cut back, yes. Now I’m just doing three, the Art Dealers Association show in New York, Art Basel Miami and EXPO CHICAGO. We went to Hong Kong for three years, we’ve done other fairs. But they’re very costly. And a lot of the work I sell at an art fair, I could sell anyplace. And you know, I don’t have a Picasso to pull out of the back room to cover the cost of a fair.&nbsp;&nbsp;How have the fairs changed the way you do business?What the fairs did was change the composition of your clientele. Now the collectors go to all the fairs and they know all the dealers. So they’re not going to come to you as a dealer and say, “Oh, I want to buy a this or a that, could you get me one?” They’re just going to go to a fair and buy one from whoever’s selling it. So everyone has the same clients now, mostly. Everyone can buy from everybody now.&nbsp;And that’s less satisfactory to you than the old way?Yeah, because there’s less conversation. [Chicago collectors] Jack and Sandy Guthman and I were together a while back, and we were reminiscing about what Saturdays used to be like in the good old days, the ’80s and ’90s. On Saturdays, collectors would come and sit around my office and we’d talk about art. Now everyone’s too busy. And the other thing that really is the bane of my existence is that everybody—well, not everybody, but so many people have art advisors. Of course, there are some really good ones. But you don’t have to go to school to hang out your shingle as an art advisor. Your information, your history, your ability to discern art is unknown. And they take people around and say, “Look at this, this is interesting.” I understand it to some degree, because people are busy, they’re working too hard. So you have someone now who makes money from you when you buy something through them, plus sometimes they get a stipend from the gallery. It’s interesting.&nbsp;People say the art world runs on reputation, and that goes for both artists and dealers.&nbsp;That’s a stupid generalization. The art world runs on a lot of stuff.&nbsp;But you do have a reputation.I know, I’m reading about it now. (Laughs.) I’m well-known for doing just what I said. And I’m known for doing it as long as I’ve done it. Starting in ’76, that’s a long way from there to here.&nbsp;I wonder where that places you on the list of longest-serving gallerists in Chicago? Near the top, I’m thinking.Well, there’s the Richard Gray Gallery. They were there since before me. Stanley Johnson. (Thinks.) Hmm. Wow. That makes me maybe the oldest living dealer really active in Chicago.&nbsp;&nbsp;There’s Ann Nathan—Oh, Ann, of course. She’s been around longer than I have. Maybe Carl Hammer?&nbsp;Well, what I’m getting around to, a little fearfully, is the fact that you’re at a point in your career when many people are considering retirement. Do you have thoughts along those lines?I don’t know. I just signed a new lease, but only for three years. I’ll think about it then. (Smiles.) The thing is, my job comes along with a really nice life. Not necessarily a lot of money, but a really nice life. I do for a living what I would do in my spare time. I have interesting conversations in this job. I don’t have to be the best friend of every collector who buys things from me, but I’m connected to a world that I’m really interested in, which is theoretical and intellectual. And we drink a lot and have a lot of fun. (Laughs.) So what am I going to do, stay home?&nbsp;Kevin Nance is a Chicago-based freelance writer and photographer&nbsp; Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinnance1">@KevinNance1</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN interviews Rhona Hoffman on 40 years in business 

Rhona Hoffman: 40 Years of Having Fun

Fall is the season for art in Chicago. In addition to dozens of gallery openings each month, several international art fairs are coming to town, showcasing the best of what&#39;s happening in several areas of the contemporary art world. Below are details about three such fairs taking place from September-November.

<h4>&bull; EXPO CHICAGO</h4>

September 18-20 - Navy Pier

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="781" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/781/original/expo-chicago-2.jpg" />

<a href="http://www.expochicago.com">EXPO CHICAGO</a> returns for its fourth year this September, boasting an exhibitor list of 140 international galleries and kicking off a major arts season around the city.

EXPO, together with Chicago Gallery News, presents one of fall&rsquo;s most energetic gallery nights during the fair: Art After Hours takes place on Friday, Sept. 18, 6-9pm. This city-wide open gallery night invites EXPO visitors and the community to experience the city&rsquo;s vibrant art scene, including galleries, alternative exhibition venues and performance spaces. Art After Hours is the cornerstone event of EXPO ART WEEK, highlighting the arts and cultural offerings in Chicago during the week of September 14&ndash;20.

Free shuttles will run all evening for AAH, as well as all weekend, from Navy Pier and stop in River North, West Loop, and in the Loop at SAIC. Details are at <a href="http://www.expochicago.com">www.expochicago.com</a>

Visit chicagogallerynews.com during EXPO for special on-site reports about special exhibitions, installations, news and more.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; HARLEM FINE ARTS SHOW</h4>

October 29-November 1, the Merchandise Mart

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="775" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/775/original/kfgjh.jpg" />

<a href="http://www.hfas.org">The Harlem Fine Art Show</a> returns to Chicago for its second year, with many plans to build on 2014&rsquo;s growth. The show, part of a four-city tour that includes New York, Atlanta and Martha&rsquo;s Vineyard, is devoted to creating a platform for fine art of the African Diaspora.&nbsp;

A range of Chicago community-oriented events and programs have been arranged, including a Youth Empowerment Day and a Salute to Minority Owned Businesses Awards Reception. Details at <a href="http://www.hfas.org">www.hfas.org</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; SOFA CHICAGO</h4>

November 6-8 - Navy Pier

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="782" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/782/original/sofa-chicago.jpg" />

<a href="http://www.sofaexpo.com">SOFA CHICAGO</a>, the world-renowned art fair dedicated to Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art and Design returns to Navy Pier November 6-8, for its 22nd year. On view will be museum-quality works of art from 70+ galleries.&nbsp;

New this year, SOFA unveils a revamped floorplan created by Chicago architects Cheryl Noel and Ravi Ricker of Wrap Architecture. The re-envisioned design will create a more open and cohesive show layout, allowing visitors to explore the fair in a more engaging way. Changes include a new, centrally located main entrance, as well as moving the popular Lecture Series to the show floor. Other changes include a second caf&eacute;, additional lounges, and a redesigned Partner Pavilion.

CGN also partners with SOFA to coordinate free shuttles between the fair, River North galleries and the MCA all weekend. See <a href="http://www.sofaexpo.com">www.sofaexpo.com</a> or www.chicagogallerynews.com for details.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Top image: Sheila Hicks, from browngrotta arts, at SOFA Chicago

Fall’s Art Fair Trio

By KEVIN NANCE

Art collector Helen Zell is one of those people who thinks best on her feet. Given the option of a sit-down chat or being interviewed while touring the modernist Streeterville condo she shares with her husband, businessman Sam Zell, she immediately chooses the latter. It&rsquo;s quite a trek, encompassing 18,000 square feet of space that contains some 800 objects, including major works by Ren&eacute; Magritte, Joan Mir&oacute;, Frida Kahlo, Max Ernst, Alexander Calder, Salvador Dal&iacute;, Remedios Varo, Giorgio de Chirico, Louise Bourgeois and a host of younger and emerging artists, along with ethnographic material and the occasional foray into Pop art.

Associated for two decades with the Museum of Contemporary Art, where she has held several positions including board chair, Zell is sleek and chic&mdash;her draping silver hair set off against an elegant all-black outfit&mdash;but entirely down-to-earth, her husky alto regularly erupting into laughter. Here&rsquo;s an edited transcript of our visit. &nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Zell in the company of sculptures by Louise Bourgeois" data-rich-file-id="739" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/739/original/helen-zell-second-shoot-6.jpg" />

CGN: How did you get started with collecting?

HZ: The collection was originally conceived as a Surrealist collection. It was 18 years ago&mdash;Sam and I weren&rsquo;t even married yet&mdash;and we talked about collecting art. Over dinner one night, he looked at me and said, &ldquo;Do you like art?&rdquo; I said, &ldquo;Yeah, I like art. Like it a lot.&rdquo; Then, &ldquo;Well, what do you like?&rdquo; I said, &ldquo;Well, I like a lot of things. I&rsquo;ve been a museum-goer my whole life.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;Well, I like Surrealism!&rdquo; I said, &ldquo;You do?&rdquo;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

You didn&rsquo;t know that at the time?

I didn&rsquo;t have a clue. I didn&rsquo;t know he was interested in art, let alone Surrealism.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Am I correct in thinking that you, rather than your husband, take the lead in the collecting process?

That&rsquo;s right. When we first decided to do this, Sam looked at me and said, &ldquo;OK. You do all the work and I&rsquo;ll write the checks. It&rsquo;s really going to be fun.&rdquo; And that was it.

&nbsp;

So, you&rsquo;ve always been in the driver&rsquo;s seat.

Yeah. But he loves it. And takes great pride in walking around and learning about the collection. It&rsquo;s a really big part of what he likes to show people.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

And did you have a background in art when you started the collection?

Not really. I was always a museum-goer, but I never took an art history course. I was always a literature person, and I played the piano.&nbsp;

I was afraid to go to galleries. Terrified! Because they were so snooty. I lived in New York when I was young, and was horrified by walking into these places that were so quiet. Nobody talked to you - kind of looked down their noses at you. I was really uncomfortable and didn&rsquo;t feel like I belonged there.

&nbsp;

So the two Magrittes on the wall there are foundations of the collection?

Right. Also Dal&iacute;, Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy. Our criteria generally was the quality of the work&mdash;how it affected us. Did it intrigue us? Did it make our hearts beat a little faster?

&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s a good yardstick.

And pretty consistently, that&rsquo;s been true, whether it&rsquo;s Surrealism or work that has nothing to do with Surrealism. You have Magritte and you have these Mayan ceramic figures that are 2,000 years old, and you think, &ldquo;What do they have to do with one another?&rdquo; Well, maybe nothing.

&nbsp;

Maybe the connection is those African masks that inspired Picasso.

To me, it&rsquo;s about the way the artists express themselves. (Pointing to a piece.) That&rsquo;s by Gertrude Abercrombie, an American Surrealist from Chicago whom I had never heard of until Julie Rodrigues Widholm at the MCA did a collection show and revealed to me for the first time that there were a couple of Abercrombies in our permanent collection. She juxtaposed some of those pieces against more contemporary work and showed how they influenced one another. I loved the work and found out that we had a dealer in Chicago with access to it, so I went to Corbett vs. Dempsey and they found me an Abercrombie! That&rsquo;s the part I really love&mdash;the story, the hunt. Making connections, finding out I really love something that fits in with the other work that we already have, then going to find it. That&rsquo;s always fun.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Well, &ldquo;eclectic&rdquo; is the word of the day.

It&rsquo;s actually not. If you look at a lot of collections today that are put together for hedge-fund guys and people who are into buying for the sake of having trophies on their wall, buying and selling. . . that&rsquo;s very different from what we&rsquo;ve done. We&rsquo;ve done what the collectors did once upon a time. They collected what they loved, and they took little side trips, had little adventures. I like to think I&rsquo;m an old-fashioned collector.

&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s not about buying and selling.&nbsp;

We never sell. We buy it and expect to eventually give it away.

&nbsp;

*

<img alt="" data-caption="A collection of objects in a sandbox—including maquettes, driftwood, seashells and other objects—from the studio of Lee Bontecou, recently acquired by Helen Zell in a special purchase via New York dealer Ann Freedman." data-rich-file-id="738" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/738/original/helen-zell-4.jpg" />

Next, we encounter a group of neo-primitive sculptures by Louise Bourgeois.

One of my favorite artists is Louise Bourgeois, who died a few years ago. There were originally about 50 of these sculptures, called &ldquo;Les Personnages,&rdquo; first exhibited together at MOMA in the &rsquo;50s. The group has been reassembled a few times, including once at the Guggenheim in New York. When you think of her work juxtaposed with Tanguy&rsquo;s, I think she has a Surrealist DNA. I just find them very compatible.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

They seem to have a relation to your ethnographic art.

Yes. Absolutely. They&rsquo;re like totems. That&rsquo;s the kind of thing that makes it all make sense for me.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

One of the sculptures has a mirror for a face.

My grandkids love that. It&rsquo;s like you become part of the piece.

&nbsp;

There might also be a reference to women carrying baskets on their heads.

Or it might be some strange figure with a whirlibird on his head. (Laughs.) Later in her life, she did some incredibly huge monumental spiders. One of them was in the Turbine Room at the Tate. Then she did some that were much smaller, like this one (points to a spider sculpture on a table). There are about five of these, and in this case she combined it with one of the little cloth figures she was making at the end of her life. I love this piece. You can say it&rsquo;s strange or tortured, but I like to think of it as a more powerful version of her&mdash;sort of stalking her prey.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

*

&nbsp;

In the hallway, Zell pauses in front of two paintings hung side by side, both featuring couples&mdash;the first very happy together, the second not so much.

These are two of the pictures that started the collection. We&rsquo;re at an art fair early on, and Sam zeroes in on this piece (of the happy couple). He says, &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s this artist?&rdquo; It was Dubuffet&mdash;early Dubuffet, from the &rsquo;40s, didn&rsquo;t look like his later work at all. And Sam said, &ldquo;I really like that piece.&rdquo;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

One of the faces looks like an Ed Paschke face.

Definitely, although Paschke wasn&rsquo;t working yet. Anyway, the couple looks very happy together. I think it&rsquo;s a classic example of, you know, you see something that resonates, because it means something for you.

&nbsp;

You were newlyweds.

We weren&rsquo;t even married yet. We were very happy and very romantic. It&rsquo;s also very colorful, and we both love color.

&nbsp;

(Pointing to the other painting): This is later in the relationship&mdash;darker, more serious

(Laughs): We still weren&rsquo;t married yet. Although I have to say, we&rsquo;re not dark, not very serious. Sam&rsquo;s one of the most upbeat people you&rsquo;ll ever meet. I&rsquo;ve learned a lot about optimism from him. Anyhow, the next year, there was another painting with another couple. This is Heinrich Campendonk, a German Expressionist.

&nbsp;

The piece has a Rousseau-like feel.

I see that. I think it also has some interesting references to sex.&nbsp;

As Sam will tell you, that&rsquo;s a big thing for him. Lots of naked ladies. Tits and ass! (Laughs.)

&nbsp;

*

&nbsp;

We turn the corner, where there&rsquo;s a large Roy Lichtenstein painting.

That was in the Lichtenstein retrospect at the Art Institute a few years ago, wasn&rsquo;t it? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s right. It was one of the few pieces in the show that wasn&rsquo;t owned by someone who wouldn&rsquo;t sell it.&nbsp; It was offered for sale by [New York art dealer] Larry Gagosian. (Cont. on next page...)

So when Sam and I fell in love with it, we were keenly aware that we could probably buy it.

&nbsp;

You bought it after having seen it at the Art Institute?

Right. I immediately contacted Larry&mdash;I knew him very slightly&mdash;and we started the dance, the negotiation, which lasted about three months.

&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s a long dance.

He&rsquo;s tough, but so am I. (Laughs.)

&nbsp;

I&rsquo;m sure you drive a very hard bargain.

It&rsquo;s just that I&rsquo;m tenacious. Sam would never&mdash;he would say, &ldquo;How much does the painting cost?&rdquo; The guy would tell him, and he&rsquo;d say OK and write a check. I cannot do that, because I&rsquo;m too familiar with the way the art world works.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There&rsquo;s big markup.

They mark up their paintings with the idea that they&rsquo;re going to deal with you, negotiate. That&rsquo;s all part of the process.

&nbsp;

And you did get Gagosian to come down on the price?

Yeah. He finally broke down and sold it to me two days&mdash;or maybe a day and a half&mdash;before a big auction where the values of Lichtenstein went up 40 to 50 percent.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

So it wasn&rsquo;t a good move to sell when he did.

No. He should have waited. And I would have had to be satisfied with a worse price for me because of what happened at that auction. That&rsquo;s where the art market really influences what you&rsquo;re doing as a collector. I hate that part of it, but you must be aware of it.

&nbsp;

*

&nbsp;

We move to another large space down the hall, formerly a separate apartment which now houses the Zells&rsquo; photography collection and works by younger and emerging artists, many with a Surrealist bent.

A lot of the work in here is collected in tandem with institutions, especially the MCA and the Art Institute. If they&rsquo;re doing a show and want to collect the work&mdash;like this piece by Marlo Pascual&mdash;and I like the work, I buy it and promise it to the institution. It&rsquo;s a way of supporting the local museums and keeping work moving in and out of the space. It gives me the opportunity to be flexible without having to store things. I like to keep moving on.

&nbsp;

Do you think of this as a separate collection, or as part of a single collection?

It&rsquo;s one collection with two pretty clearly defined parts, but a lot of the young artists in here are influenced by Surrealism, so it&rsquo;s the perfect time to start mixing them together.

&nbsp;

This is an interesting piece (referring to a large panel covered with peacock feathers).

That&rsquo;s a Carol Bove, another artist I discovered through my association with the MCA. They did a show called The Language of Less, and she was one of the artists included. So I bought this from the show, and it will eventually go back to the MCA.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

We come to a collection of small pieces, including maquettes, driftwood, seashells and other objects, in what appears to be a sandbox.

This looks like Lee Bontecou.

It is! And it&rsquo;s actually one of my favorite stories. She did a show four or five years ago for Ann Freedman in New York, and I loved it, and was very interested in these three things called &ldquo;Sandpits,&rdquo; which were included in the exhibition to show how Lee works in her studio. They were not really considered works of art; they were just to show how she puts things together, experiments with shapes and forms. Well, I fell in love with this. I didn&rsquo;t want to buy one of the pieces of art&mdash;I have a lot of her art&mdash;but I really wanted to have this. I&rsquo;ve always been fascinated with her, I&rsquo;ve met her, spent some time with her. So I asked if I could buy this, and Ann said, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think she wants to sell this.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s work product, essentially.

Exactly. It&rsquo;s a sandbox you play in to decide what you&rsquo;re going to make next. I said, &ldquo;Oh, Ann, just tell her I&rsquo;ll give it to the MCA! Beg her!&rdquo; (Laughs.) Months went by, and then Ann called me one day and said, &ldquo;She finally agreed to do it.&rdquo; So finally it arrives in a box&mdash;all the sand, in bags, and all the little objects, beautifully wrapped in tissue paper. I had Ann photograph the whole assemblage when it was in New York, so I made a grid and proceeded to put it all together. And it worked. Then Ann called me again and said that Lee had said, &ldquo;You know, she doesn&rsquo;t have to do it like I did it. She can do it the way she wants to do it.&rdquo; And I said, &ldquo;I thought I&rsquo;d start off the way Lee did it.&rdquo; (Laughs uproariously.)

&nbsp;

Kevin Nance is a Chicago-based freelance writer and photographer&nbsp; Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinnance1">@KevinNance1</a>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Art collector Helen Zell is interviewed in CGN

Helen Zell’s Old Fashioned Approach to Collecting Contemporary Art

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA

Women in the Arts. This is a deep topic, and it&rsquo;s long been a much-debated flash point in the art world throughout art history and into modern times. While CGN is regularly devoted to generally promoting many facets of the visual arts in Chicago and in the region, for this fall&rsquo;s edition we chose to focus editorially on a few women leading our cultural community now.&nbsp;

The Chicago area has a rich history of women both working in and supporting the arts; after all it was Mrs. Potter Palmer&rsquo;s generous contributions to the Art Institute of Chicago that became the foundation of the collection that is world renowned today. Women were even taking architecture classes at the early School of the Art Institute back in 1889. Throughout our artistic history, women have made pivotal contributions.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="SAIC Architecture Students, 1889" data-rich-file-id="733" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/733/original/saic1889.jpg" />

We are home to organizations, such as Woman Made Gallery and ARC Gallery, devoted to supporting and providing women with creative opportunities and resources. Women like Suzanne Ghez, who solidified the international reputation of the Renaissance Society, and Ruth Horwich, who was an unwavering patron of multiple institutions, such as the Hyde Park Art Center and the Smart Museum, made indelible marks on our community that will last for decades. They are just two of scores of women who have been instrumental supporters of the arts.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="From left: MCA Dir. Madeleine Grynsztejn, photo by Nathan Keay; Chicago Architectural Biennial co-director Sarah Herda; Renaissance Society Dir. Solveig Øvstebø" data-rich-file-id="766" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/766/original/women-in-arts-2.jpg" />

Today many creative women in our midst are working as artists, gallery owners, museum directors, curators, critics, designers and architects. There are more than 45 women who own, lead or direct area galleries, art centers and museums listed in CGN. Interviews in this issue span generations, offering promises for the future while honoring the past. Gallery owner Rhona Hoffman, just one of the 45 mentioned above, has launched the careers of dozens of artists, male and female, in her four decades in business. Helen Zell has built one of the most significant art collections in the country from her enthusiasm for female artists like Gertrude Abercrombie, Lee Bontecou and Louise Bourgeois. Artist Cheryl Pope engages the public to work out conflict and address violence. Julie Rodrigues Widholm, Solveig &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; and Madeleine Grynsztejn are all young, female directors leading area art museums. Zo&euml; Ryan is a young curator turning the world&rsquo;s eyes on design while opening the Art Institute&rsquo;s first galleries dedicated to the subject. Naomi Beckwith is curating personal, thoughtful exhibitions at the MCA. Sarah Herda is one half of the team launching the first Chicago Architecture Biennial - a three month global event featuring projects and ideas by world super stars as well as local luminaries like Jeanne Gang.&nbsp;

We cannot forget that Chicago Gallery News was founded in 1982 by Natalie van Straaten and is currently owned by Publisher Ginny Van Alyea and run with help from Managing Editor Laura Mettam.

CGN wants to honor all women who pursue creative endeavors, be it starting a gallery, practicing as an artist, becoming a curator, or starting an art collection, and we hope to encourage everyone, men and women, to continue paving Chicago&rsquo;s cultural path.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="784" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/784/original/cgn-sept-dec-2015-cover-w.jpg" />

Top row: Dealer Rhona Hoffman; Collector Helen Zell.&nbsp; 
Middle row:&nbsp;Artist Cheryl Pope, photo by&nbsp;LaMont Hamilton; DePaul Art Museum&nbsp;Dir. Julie Rodriques Widholm; Far right:&nbsp;Studio Gang/Jeanne Gang&rsquo;s Aqua Tower (detail) in Chicago. 
Bottom row: Gladys Nilsson, Big School Picture; Little Paper Mural, 1992,&nbsp; Samuel T. Avery Endowment. Collection of Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Art curator Naomi Beckwith, photo by Paul Mpagi Sepuya; Art Institute of Chicago curator Zo&euml; Ryan.

Fall Cover Story: Women in the Arts

By MARY DEYOE

Chicago has a long history of innovation in architecture. A city of many firsts and many greats &ndash; the skyscraper, Mies van der Rohe&mdash; it has continued to push boundaries and lead the way in experimentation. It is fitting then for the city to present <a href="http://www.chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org">The Chicago Architecture Biennial</a>, which will be the largest survey of international architecture ever in North America.&nbsp;

Running from October 3, 2015 through January 3, 2016, and featuring work by more than 60 international participants with full-scale installations, exhibitions and programs, the Biennial provides a dynamic forum to explore the significant role that architecture plays in contemporary society, as well as for leaders in the field to put forth their visions and expectations for the future.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="The winning design for the Lakefront Kiosk Competition, Chicago Horizon, by Rhode-Island based Ultramoderne." data-rich-file-id="783" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/783/original/chicago-architecture-biennial-.png" />

The Biennial itself is spread throughout the city. The Cultural Center will act as the main hub, and other locations include Millennium Park, Water Tower Galleries, Stony Island Arts Bank, and The Graham Foundation, which along with The City of Chicago and BP, is a presenting partner. Sarah Herda, The Director of the Graham Foundation and a professor in the School of Architecture at UIC, is a Co-Artistic Director.

The theme for the Biennial&rsquo;s inaugural year is &ldquo;The State of the Art of Architecture,&rdquo; which was taken from a 1977 conference that brought together America&rsquo;s leading designers. The conference was organized by architect Stanley Tigerman, who is a member of the Biennial&rsquo;s international Advisory Committee along with architecture powerhouses Frank Gehry, Jeanne Gang and David Adjaye.

&ldquo;The state of the art of architecture is something that&rsquo;s indeterminate,&rdquo; said Co-Artistic Director, Joseph Grima, an architect, writer and editor based in Genoa, Italy. &ldquo;We left the title as open-ended as we could, in the hopes that future editions will be less referential to the past and more open-minded to the present.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="778" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/778/original/jeannegang-reverseeffect-creditstevehall.jpg" />&nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Top: Studio Gang’s Reverse Effect, photo credit Steve Hall; Bottom: Jeanne Gang, photo credit Kevin Miyazaki and Redux" data-rich-file-id="779" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/779/original/jeannegang-creditkevinmiyazakiandredux.jpg" />

Of course the title also opens the door to questions about the often blurred line between the disciplines of architecture and art, and that conversation will be on view at both the MCA and the Art Institute with exhibitions running concurrently with the Biennial.

Open through January 31, the MCA&rsquo;s Chicago Works: Ania Jaworska is the first in this series to present the work of an architect. Jaworska, who is a lecturer at both the School of the Art Institute and UIC, explores, often with humor and irony, the relationship between the built environment and society. The exhibition will feature two projects in process. The architectural elements &ndash; arches, gates, and signs &ndash; act, at once, as pieces of art as well as suggestions for what could be complete built structures. The viewer is left to accept the pieces as they are, as well as fill in the missing gaps.

Also on view during the Biennial is the first comprehensive museum survey of the work of British architect David Adjaye. The Art Institute&rsquo;s Making Place: The Architecture of David Adjaye runs September 19 through January 3, 2016, and focuses on Adjaye&rsquo;s unique approach to design. Adjaye, who was born in Tanzania and lived in Africa in his early childhood, is less concerned with establishing a signature style than focusing on the needs of each individual project. Adjaye designs emphasize a strong response to the history, local needs and concerns of an environment. His public projects can be found across the globe including in the UK, Ghana, Qatar, Russia and the US. With community always at the core of his work&mdash;Adjaye is interested in creating links between people and exploring the evolution of a place&mdash;it is fitting that Adjaye is a member of the Biennial&rsquo;s inaugural Advisory Committee as well as serving on the jury of the Lakefront Kiosk Competition.

One of the Biennial&rsquo;s most visible components, the Lakefront Kiosk Competition invited artists and architects from around the world to submit proposals for a new structure that would sit along Lake Michigan&rsquo;s shore. The jury reviewed over 400 submissions from more than 40 countries, and selected a design by Rhode Island-based Ultramoderne. Its design, Chicago Horizon, will be placed along the lakeshore in Spring 2016. Until then, it will be on display in Millennium Park with three other kiosks that will also ultimately be placed along Lake Michigan. These three designs are the collaborations between Chicago architecture schools and international architects.

In addition, the Biennial has partnered with more than 90 organizations in the city and region to offer public programming that will run for the entire three-month period.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The public nature of the event was one of our highest priorities,&rdquo; said Herda. &ldquo;Architecture is not only for architects. Everyone experiences architecture&mdash;whether good or bad&mdash;everyday.&nbsp; The public rarely has access to an architect&rsquo;s work until after a building is finished. The Biennial will offer a rare opportunity for the public to engage the ideas that shape the designed environment - the spaces they themselves live and work in.&rdquo;

The local partnerships, which include Theaster Gates&rsquo; Rebuild Foundation, also bring attention to the city itself. While the Biennial addresses global issues, it is keen to recognize the importance of its home. When architects, designers, artists, writers and a host of others arrive in Chicago between October and January, they will encounter not only the state of architecture, but the art of Chicago itself on display. 
 
All exhibitions and programs of the CAB are free and open to the public.

October 3-January 3, 2016

<a href="http://www.chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org">www.chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org</a>

The Inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial opens in Chicago in 2015

The Inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial 

There are myriad overlaps between art and design, and this fall local ties will be on display when the River North Design District (RNDD) participates for the first time in the annual opening of the fall gallery season on Friday, September 11. Many area design showrooms, scattered throughout River North, will be open until 10pm. Participating showrooms will also each exhibit work by a contemporary artist, even after the walk is over, until November 11.&nbsp;

&ldquo;This is the inaugural year for RNDD Gallery Walk. River North has one of the densest visual art gallery populations in Chicago, and our participation in this gallery night exemplifies how the design showrooms are partners in promoting visual art,&rdquo; says Lisa Bell, Marketing Manager from The Tile Gallery, who is chairing the event.

<img alt="" data-caption="Art by Chicago artist Lynn Basa" data-rich-file-id="774" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/774/original/lynn-basa-blue-02.jpg" />

The exposition is comprised of both emerging and established artists, including Lynn Basa, Sheila Ganch, Eric Gushee, Brenda Dawn Jones, Sally Ko, Rim Lee, Candace McGarry, Keiko Nemeth, Rubem Robierb, Phillip Schalekamp, Pamela Staker, Linc Thelen, Adam Thomas and Jennifer Webster.

Details posted on <a href="http://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com">www.rivernorthdesigndistrict.com</a>

River North Design District Participating in September 11 Gallery Walk

There was a lot of buzz when the long-awaited Bloomingdale Trail (AKA The 606) opened in June on the city&rsquo;s northwest side. Tremendous vision, planning and resources went into the design and implementation of the trail, but a common refrain from those involved is that the trail is meant to evolve the way Chicago neighborhoods do.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The integration of art, artists, and &lsquo;arts thinking&rsquo; into the re-design of the Bloomingdale Line forms the core of The 606 Arts program and establishes a new model for public art and infrastructure reuse,&rdquo; says lead artist Frances Whitehead. &ldquo;The Arts program converts an artifact of Chicago&rsquo;s industrial heritage into a laboratory for new creative practices...Reflecting the grassroots vision that The 606 become a &lsquo;Living Work of Art&rsquo;.&rdquo;&nbsp;

To become a part of future art projects visit <a href="http://www.the606.org">www.the606.org</a>

Image at top of page: On the 606 Trail: <a href="http://tselone.blogspot.com">Nino &ldquo;TSEL&rdquo; Rodriguez&rsquo;s</a> graffiti mural spelling out the street artist&rsquo;s name, &ldquo;TSEL&rdquo; with an Aztec serpent above. The piece is a combination of mixed street art colors and tribal elements. Most of TSEL&rsquo;s work combines his passions and cultural background.

606: A Living Work of Art

BY LAURA M. METTAMI met Cheryl years ago when I volunteered to assist in The School of the Art Institute’s (SAIC) Continuing Studies program and was placed in a fashion class she was teaching. Since then, I’ve kept up with Cheryl’s ambitious projects and exhibitions. Her energy is contagious, her passion is palpable, and she has a unique way of connecting to youth and the community. The artist’s recent work has questioned issues of power, inequality, race, gender, and segregation. Cheryl Pope has been busy. And she likes it that way.&nbsp;Pope lives and works in Chicago, and is represented by Monique Meloche Gallery (Chicago), and Galleria Bianconi (Milan, Italy). She earned her Masters from SAIC in Design: Fashion, Body, and Garment in 2010 and currently teaches in SAIC’s Fashion and Contemporary Practice Departments.Top image: Cheryl Pope, Strength to Love (for Chicago), 2013, rhinestones and adhesive on glass in velvet, wood and glass case. Photo credit: James Prinz Photography. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cherylpope.net">www.cherylpope.net</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/757/original/c-pope-2.jpg" alt=""></figure>LM: When did you become interested in&nbsp;art?&nbsp;CP: I lived across the street from a forest preserve and was always finding and making things, but it wasn’t until my senior year in high school, in my first art class with Mr. Englehart, that art became my path. He was the first to respect my intention to make.&nbsp;He believed in me and respected me, and this was transforming when I needed it most. I will always be grateful to him.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/769/original/cheryl-pope-one-of-many-one-2-lr.jpg" alt=""></figure>You’ve had quite a busy year, with multiple exhibitions in Chicago (Just Yell: From Within at The Poetry Foundation; Just Yell: Leveling the Playing Field - DCASE Artist in Residence at the Chicago Cultural Center), as well as several others in Miami, Boulder, Germany, Italy, and Dubai.&nbsp;Any highlights from your spring and summer shows that stood out to you?In each exhibition and event, I have been repeatedly reminded of the value of quality over quantity. I think so often we evaluate based on numbers or scale. For me I can put all my time and all my heart into a project and reach only one person, but I can really impact them - and this is all that&nbsp;matters to me. This gives me all the courage, energy and purpose to continue.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/770/original/cheryl-pope-poetry-foundation2.jpg" alt=""></figure>Do you enjoy having a full plate?&nbsp;Yes! Life only happens once. I live each day with this attitude. I have so much respect for my dreams and I want to do all I can to make both mine and others’ come true.&nbsp;What’s next this fall and into 2016?I’m curating a one-night fashion event on September 18, 5-10pm, for the Art Loop Alliance (closing Wabash between Monroe and Madison); exhibiting in ARTBO in Bogota, Colombia; performing and installing a public work in Osnabrück, Germany; and participating in the Elmhurst Art Museum’s Biennial in December.&nbsp;Your recent Just Yell exhibitions have shined a light on the issue of gun violence and its impact on society - city youth in particular. Under the guise of cheerleading, you’ve made discussions about this urban issue accessible while humanizing those involved. I applaud your continued involvement with this topic. Can you&nbsp;elaborate on your connection with the subject and what led you to pursue this series?Engaging with youth in communities throughout Chicago, it became more and more evident to me the many ways in which youth are affected by gun violence and I felt called to respond to it. I decided to use Cheerleading, formerly called Yelling, as a framework to contain their voices and reactions to these issues.&nbsp;Cheerleading suggests sides, it suggests winners and&nbsp;losers, but more importantly it suggests a team, a community and a shared goal and belief.&nbsp;The idea of yelling is complicated: you can yell for help, for fear, for hope, but you are yelling to be heard. And these voices need to be&nbsp;seen and heard.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/767/original/cheryl-pope-23-yell-yell.jpg" alt=""></figure>How has your perception of gun violence, and perhaps physical violence, changed from when you first started working in this series?I have become more aware and educated on the many systems, layers, and politics involved that complicate, enable, and resist positive change. I think it’s easy to point a finger, or to say, “get rid of guns” to try to solve a problem, but these issues are deeply rooted in systems of power and privilege.&nbsp;Instead we need to accept and confront the fact that segregation, unequal education and racism are the most harmful acts of violence, and it is here that the change needs to happen. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/768/original/cheryl-pope-too-young-to-die-2-lr.jpg" alt=""></figure>You have worked with youth and young artists and poets on a number of different projects over the years. What do you consider a highlight of working with younger collaborators?This spring I was invited to be on a panel at Young Chicago Authors. After the discussion a young woman came up to ask me a question. We looked at each other and both got wide eyed the same moment. It was Del Marie Nelson, my mentee from 10 years ago at the James Jordan Boys &amp; Girls Club. We lost track of one another and have once again connected. Since that moment she has been at the Cultural Center every day and involved in all the summer Just Yell / Poetry as Self Defense projects.This was such a significant moment, as it revealed the true sense of community, of time passing and being there for different phases of a life in the community. As the saying goes, “it takes a village to raise a child,” and we are all responsible for our part. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to spend time with so many young, extremely talented artists.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/771/original/cheryl-pope-remember-to-remember.jpg" alt=""></figure>You studied fashion at SAIC, among many other pursuits, and worked as a studio manager for Nick Cave. Are you in the midst of any fashion projects?&nbsp;I’m currently working on a collection of kimonos as well as a fragrance line; both relate conceptually to my studio practice. I am also designing and constructing the garments I wear in my performances, which are largely in conversation with fashion as a language and the history of fashion.&nbsp;What do you enjoy doing in your down time, outside of art-related activities?&nbsp;I spend my time in the gym training in boxing and Muay Thai. I love to be physical, sparring, learning new drills, and improving form. There's always more to learn;&nbsp;always new challenges.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/772/original/cheryl-pope-this-or-that.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;Forgetting time and budget limitations, what is a dream project of yours?My dream is to have an art school. It will have a foundation that starts with a focus on the physical body in terms of health and self-care, and will include holistic spiritual therapy while maintaining a rigorous academic and studio practice that generates top contemporary work. We will have a team that travels to scout and recruit youth so that its accessibility is not dependent on privilege, but rather, on heart, intention, and talent.&nbsp;One-liner Chicago favorites…Art space: Promontory Point Park, Monique Meloche Gallery, The Poetry Foundation, Intuit, Randolph Street Flea MarketRestaurant/bar: Avec, Chicken Shop at Soho House, Owen + Alchemy, Grace (which I haven’t been to yet but one day will)Recommendations for tourists: Architecture Foundation River Tour, University of Chicago Campus, Open Mic at Young Chicago Authors on Tuesday nights.&nbsp;Can you&nbsp;name a few artists who have inspired you?Nick Cave (visual art); Andrei Tarkovsky (film); Steve Reich (music); Pina Bausch (dance); Jack Kerouac (poet).&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cherylpope.net">www.cherylpope.net</a>

Cheryl Pope's artwork has questioned issues of power, inequality, race, gender, and segregation. She lives and works in Chicago and is represented by Monique Meloche Gallery (Chicago), and Galleria Bianconi (Milan, Italy). She earned her Masters from SAIC in Design: Fashion, Body, and Garment in 2010 and currently teaches in SAIC’s Fashion and Contemporary Practice Departments.

Cheryl Pope is Making Change Happen

Zo&euml; Ryan is the John H. Bryan Curator of Architecture and Design and Chair of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2014 she curated the second Istanbul Design Biennial. She also teaches art history at SAIC and University of Illinois Chicago. She has written several books, including Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention, published in 2011.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Zoë Ryan at the Art Institute of Chicago" data-rich-file-id="752" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/752/original/zoe-cc-88-ryan-photo-by-kyle-lamere-march2014.jpg" />

CGN: You came to the Art Institute of Chicago in 2006 and regularly travel extensively for your job. Please decribe your fall schedule.

&nbsp;

ZR: What I love most about my job is that no two months are the same. The fall is always particularly busy, with new exhibition openings, and this fall is exciting as we open our major mid-career survey of work by architect David Adjaye. We installed the exhibition here at the museum for most of August, and then I was off to Istanbul for a quick trip, since I am on the advisory board of the Istanbul Design Biennial, which I curated in 2014; I try to attend board meetings, as the biennial is an institution that I am particularly fond of. I have also been invited to give a lecture in Warsaw in September, which I am looking forward to, as I have never been. Travel is always a pleasure, but I like to keep a balance between my time in Chicago and my time away.

&nbsp;

What are highlights of the Adjaye exhibition opening in September, for design&nbsp;aficionados as well as the layperson?

&nbsp;

This is a really important moment in David&rsquo;s career. He now has more than 50 built projects and many more in development or under construction all over the world. Next year, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on the Washington Mall, designed by David opens to the public. This is a project of immense national and international significance and has become the lynchpin of our exhibition at the Art Institute. The exhibition provides a moment to reflect on David&rsquo;s career and understand the past 15-years worth of work within the context of his projects in development, such as larger scale public buildings and urban master plans across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.&nbsp;

In addition to models, drawings, sketches, and photographs, the exhibition includes a specially commissioned series of short films featuring David&rsquo;s buildings and commentary from an international coterie of art world luminaries such as Thelma Golden, Lorna Simpson, Chris Ofili, and Taiye Selasi. These help bring David&rsquo;s projects alive. In addition, visitors will be able to experience many of his projects at a one-to-one scale through full-scale mock-ups of fa&ccedil;ades of his buildings, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture in DC and Sugar Hill in Harlem. We are also installing a wooden pavilion in the galleries that visitors can walk through, giving them a first-hand experience of one of David&rsquo;s projects and enabling them to experience for themselves David&rsquo;s interest in material, spatial and compositional explorations.

<img alt="" data-caption="Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, Washington DC, 2012. ©Jeff Sauers, courtesy of Adjaye Associates." data-rich-file-id="753" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/753/original/adjaye.jpg" />

Adjaye is known for designing architectural projects that in part address social issues.&nbsp; This is also a theme of the upcoming inaugural Chicago Architectural Biennial.&nbsp; What do you think design can offer society?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The fields of architecture and design are inextricably linked to every aspect of our daily lives. From our buildings, streets, education, food, and health care to our communications, political, and economic systems, the types of work that architects and designers are tackling has grown exponentially. Architects and designers play an important role in identifying points of urgency and posing questions, as well as formulating and materializing solutions. They have an incredible capacity to take urgent challenges and create outcomes that raise the quality of life and help make the world a more sustainable place, all while delighting and amazing us.

&nbsp;

How do you see Chicago as a base for all that you do?&nbsp; What does Chicago have to offer the rest of the design world?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Wandering the streets of Chicago is a lesson in modern and contemporary architecture. This is an inspiring city to live and work in, and the city is a frame for my work. Chicagoans are very proud of the rich cultural and artistic traditions that have been born and cultivated here and the many talented individuals who have made their mark here, from architects such as Louis Sullivan to Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe, to contemporary practitioners such as Jeanne Gang and John Ronan. It&rsquo;s incredible to live in a city where everyone has a point of view about the built environment.

&nbsp;

In design, there continues to be a rich tradition of graphic, furniture, and product designers based here following in the footsteps of modern designers, such as Charles Harrison and John Massey, Marcia Lausen at SudioLab, James Goggin, Helen Maria Nugent and Ronald Kirkpatrick of Haelo Design, Scott Wilson of MNML, and emerging practitioners such as Parsons &amp; Charlesworth and Plural. It&rsquo;s a rich, creative environment in which to live and work.

&nbsp;

Many people think of design, and objects first come to mind. How can we see design as conceptual rather than physical?

&nbsp;

The wonderful thing about working in the fields of architecture and design is that we all can have an opinion about these fields of practice, based on our own experiences of living and working in buildings and cities and using design daily, whether it is our smart phones, tea kettles, or the street signs that help us get to where we are going.&nbsp;

Designers are master communicators - able to frame and explore intellectual, cultural, and social questions through their work. A burgeoning area of study is speculative design, in which the processes of design ask questions about everyday life as a means to find solutions to challenges as varied as the impact of new technologies on our health and wellbeing or our increasingly aging populations.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

You&rsquo;ve been building AIC&rsquo;s first contemporary design collection - what are one or two of your favorite acquisitions to date?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

We are currently preparing for a new installation of work from our 20th and 21st century architecture and design collections. This will be the first time that the museum has dedicated galleries for these periods, and in preparation, we have been acquiring new work. Recently we acquired a pre-fabricated kitchen and bathroom unit by French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand. They are fantastic, 1970s units, inspired by Pop Art in their vibrant colors and shapes. They help us expand on the history of pre-fabrication that has played such an important role in the history of America and elsewhere in the 20th century. Visitors to our new galleries will get to experience a design element meant for architectural interiors at a one-to-one scale and fully appreciate what they might have been like when they were originally installed in the ski chalet for which they were designed in France.

Zoë Ryan is the John H. Bryan Curator of Architecture and Design and Chair of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2014 she curated the second Istanbul Design Biennial. She also teaches art history at SAIC and University of Illinois Chicago.

Q&A with Design Curator Zoë Ryan

BY MIA DIMEO

Guarded by two bronze lions in a massive neo-classical building on Michigan Avenue, the one million square foot Art Institute of Chicago is the second largest museum in the country. More than 1.4 million people visit the museum annually to see its iconic works, including Picasso&rsquo;s The Old Guitarist or Grant Wood&rsquo;s American Gothic. But most visitors don&rsquo;t realize that the museum, and its collection, was spawned from a humble academic operation begun by a group of artists in 1866. Working in rented studios from plaster casts from antiquity, 35 artists called themselves the Chicago Academy of Design and created the first incarnation of what is known today as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).

Financed by membership fees and donations, the artists hoped to create a school and gallery akin to London&rsquo;s Royal Academy. After some initial success, the school&rsquo;s new five-story building was lost in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, plummeting the young school into debt. During the next decade, the school struggled through several iterations, acquisitions and titles before a board of trustees was formed to support and expand the institution as a cultural asset to the city, naming it the Art Institute of Chicago in 1882. A well-known banker and philanthropist, Charles L. Hutchinson, was elected to be the first director the same year, leading up to the World&rsquo;s Columbian Exposition. The city helped with the cost of a new building, and, lions and all, the fa&ccedil;ade we know today was completed in 1893, in time to host the Exposition&rsquo;s scholarly congress.

<img alt="" data-caption="Architecture classes at SAIC, 1889" data-rich-file-id="759" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/759/original/1889-architecture.jpg" />

In the early 20th century the museum continued collecting, acquiring European many Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterworks, while the school focused on applied and fine arts courses. Notable alumni of the era included Georgia O&rsquo;Keefe, Archibald Motley, lvan Albright, Claes Oldenburg and Regionalists Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood. The addition of liberal arts courses in 1936 enabled SAIC to begin awarding Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, and by 1940, SAIC had given its first Master in Fine Arts degree. Abstract painting, first taught post-war, in 1944, revealed a schism between the great value the museum placed on creating a civic house of treasures, and the present moment of experimentation in art making at the school. This was echoed at various points in the institution&rsquo;s history, and even today both arms operate largely separately, with their own executives and boards.

The later half of the 20th century brought new styles and ideas about art education. A wave of freethinking comic book-influenced artists, later known as the Chicago Imagists, met at SAIC in the1960s. Ed Paschke,&nbsp;Jim Nutt, Roger Brown, Christina Ramberg, Gladys Nilsson, Karl Wirsum and others made work celebrated still today as distinctively Chicago. At this time the school also adopted an interdisciplinary learning approach, still a core of SAIC&rsquo;s teaching philosophy. The development of a Film Center (now the Gene Siskel Film Center) and the first-ever Department of Art and Technology Studies followed in the early 1970s. &nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Gladys Nilsson. Big School Picture; Little Paper Mural, 1992. Samuel T. Avery Endowment. From the upcoming Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute in the Permanent Collection exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago." data-rich-file-id="764" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/764/original/nilsson-big-school-picture-copy.jpg" />

Fast forward. The Art Institute has a flashy new wing, designed in 2009 by Renzo Piano, to house the museum&rsquo;s contemporary and modern collection. SAIC&rsquo;s campus occupies important historic spacees around the Loop, beyond Michigan Avenue, including the Alice R. Sharp Building, designed by Holabird and Roche and several floors of the Sullivan Center (formerly known as the Carson Pirie Scott building), making it the biggest combined museum and school campus in the country. SAIC students focus on Art Therapy, Fashion Design, Historic Preservation, Performance, Sound, Visual and Critical Studies and New Arts Journalism, beyond traditional fields like drawing and painting, sculpture and art history. Forward thinking artists, writers and designers make up SAIC&rsquo;s recent alumni list: Rirkrit Tiravanija, Tania Bruguera, Paul Chan, &ldquo;Dread&rdquo; Scott Tyler, Amanda Ross-Ho, Cynthia Rowley, David Sedaris, and David Hartt.

2015 has been a memorable year for the school. In May, SAIC awarded an honorary doctorate to Douglas Druick, Rhona Hoffman, Albert Oehlen, Janet Byrne Neiman and Kanye West, causing a frenzy of media attention. September marks SAIC&rsquo;s 150th anniversary and begins a yearlong celebration of events and programming, starting&nbsp; with a talk by cartoonist, author and alumnus Chris Ware, as part of the schools&rsquo; Visiting Artists Program. Coinciding with EXPO Chicago, September 17-20, SAIC will present a week of alumni events, including a block party and two EXPO /Dialogues lectures at the fair, Hans Ulrich Obrist: In Conversation with the Hairy Who and Celebrating 150: SAIC Alumni Panel, a reflection on the development of&nbsp;artistic practices and experiences in Chicago&rsquo;s art scene.

Civilization and Its Discontents: SAIC Alumni Exhibition, Selections from 1985&ndash;2015, curated by artist and faculty members Scott and Tyson Reeder and on view at the Sullivan Galleries, will features alumni from the last 30 years who have (in some way) changed the conversation within their discipline, highlighting the distinctive SAIC spark shared between them. In the same space, Outside Design Exhibition&nbsp;explores the turn in art and design towards biotechnology and ecological systems. The ends with a talk by artist Jeff Koons, who was influenced by the Imagists while living in Chicago, assisting Ed Paschke, and briefly attending SAIC.&nbsp;

Late this&nbsp;fall the Art Institute will open Homegrown: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the Permanent Collection on October 17, emphasizing the tie between the school and the museum. Curated by Mark Pascale, Homegrown includes 20 self-portraits by Ivan Albright, pieces by the so-called Monster Roster artists and a selection of more contemporary alumni works, creating a visual timeline of talent nurtured by the school and its faculty, 150 years old and counting.&nbsp;

Find a full schedule of Anniversary events through 2016 at <a href="http://saic.edu">saic.edu</a>

Top image:&nbsp;A student from the Sculpture program

150 and Counting: SAIC Celebrates a Landmark

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418545/p7wr8wu7rx6wtebob8ol.jpg"></figure>By FRANCK MERCURIOIn 1913 the International Exhibition of Modern Art made its way to Chicago from New York. Popularly known as the Armory Show, the exhibition introduced Chicagoans to the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Brancusi, and Kandinsky—and in the process, scandalized the public and many in the city’s conservative art circles.Shortly thereafter, several arts organizations were formed, either in support of “the moderns” or in opposition to them. The Arts Club of Chicago, founded in 1916, had a decidedly modernist bent. The Renaissance Society, organized a year earlier in 1915 by a group of University of Chicago academics, was squarely in the other camp. The Society’s members aimed to “stimulate the love of the beautiful and to enrich the life of the community through the cultivation of the arts”—an idealized, 19th-century view of the function and societal role of art. During the first ten years, the organization reflected its scholarly origins by presenting a fairly sober roster of topics, such as “The Beginnings of Italian Sculpture” and “Chinese Paintings of the Tang, Sung, and Yuan Periods.”But the Modernist movement could not be avoided forever.&nbsp;Attitudes shifted in 1927 with the election of Agnes C. Gale, the Society’s first female president. She, along with succeeding president Eva Watson Schütze, brought modernism to the forefront of the Ren’s agenda. Writing in the Society’s 1929 bulletin, Schütze made her mission clear: “Part of the program of the Renaissance Society is to study the art of the present time, the new renaissance.”Since then, there’s been no turning back. Over the years, the Ren has made its reputation by exhibiting intellectually challenging works by vanguard artists. This included a commitment to international, national, and local artists working in a variety of genres, from conceptual art to improvisational music to spoken word. The Society’s curators often worked alongside these artists to commission new pieces, something that helped distinguish the Ren from other arts institutions.This fall, the Ren pays homage to its tradition of supporting cutting-edge art as it celebrates the Society’s 100th year with a program of special exhibitions and events titled Centennial. Included are shows featuring the work of Irena Haiduk, Wadada Leo Smith, and Paul McCarthy.&nbsp;“All of these exhibitions have a very special role in our Centennial program,” says Solveig Øvstebø, the executive director and chief curator of the Renaissance Society. “The last show, Paul McCarthy, I think is an incredible, exciting presentation of his works.”McCarthy is an LA-based multidisciplinary artist known mainly for his large-scale sculptures and installations. The Ren exhibition, titled Paul McCarthy: Drawings (opening November 8) will present two-dimensional works by the artist created for his White Snow project and subsequent installation, WS, exhibited at the Park Avenue Armory in 2013. The drawings reflect McCarthy’s intentions for his larger works and give insight into his creative process. The show is curated by Øvstebø along with guest curator Suzanne Ghez, the Ren’s former director.Kicking off the Centennial celebration will be Irena “Ika” Haiduk’s Seductive Exacting Realism (opening September 10), a collaboration with the Istanbul Biennial. “Ika will present a completely new piece,” says Øvstebø. “Her work is very directly linked to socio-political discussions of our times.” According to the Ren’s website, the Chicago-based artist’s work will explore contemporary global politics through a “discursive data stream carrying a song in the form of a debate between two melodic voices.”Indeed, the Ren has a long tradition of sponsoring and showcasing experimental music in addition to visual art. Ankrasmation: The Language Scores, 1967–2015 (opening October 11) features the work of musician, composer, educator, and artist Wadada Leo Smith. Curated by Hamza Walker (currently on sabbatical from the Ren) and John Corbett (of Corbett vs. Dempsey Gallery), the show complements the MCA’s The Freedom Principle: Experimentations in Art and Music, 1965 to Now.In addition to its slate of exhibitions and programs, the Ren is using the Centennial as an opportunity to increase the Society’s visibility, especially here in the city.“The thing with the Renaissance Society is that it has such a strong voice on the international landscape,” explains Øvstebø. “But I think more people should know this institution in Chicago.”To that end, the Ren is unveiling a new graphic identity, new website, and even new signage that will help visitors better locate its home on the University of Chicago campus.“People tell me that the Ren is a hidden gem,” says Director of Communications, Anna Searle Jones. “And I’m glad people think of us as a gem, but I don’t want us to be hidden. One of the aims of the Centennial is to make more people aware of what we do, that we’re free, and that we’re open to the public.”CENTENNIAL EXHIBITIONS:&nbsp; • Irena Haiduk: Seductive Exacting Realism -&nbsp;September 10-October 8, 2015 •&nbsp;Ian Wilson: Discussions -&nbsp;October 1 and 4, 2015 •&nbsp;Wadada Leo Smith: Ankhrasmation: The Language Scores, 1967–2015 -&nbsp;October 11 to 29, 2015 •&nbsp;John Knight, Museotypes at the Art Institute of Chicago -&nbsp;October 23 to November 29, 2015 •&nbsp;Paul McCarthy -&nbsp;November 8, 2015 to January 24, 2016 &nbsp;The public is invited to celebrate the Ren’s anniversary on Saturday, September 19, at the “100th Birthday Bash”.&nbsp;Visit <a href="http://www.renaissancesociety.org">www.renaissancesociety.org</a> for more details.&nbsp;Top image: Paul McCarthy, Dwarf House, 2009, Pencil and collage on paper, 80” x 97”.&nbsp;Part of Paul McCarthy, on view November 8, 2015 to January 24, 2016</body></html>

The Ren: 100 Years of Cultivating the Arts

The annual art season storm is here. This issue was a lot of fun to put together, as we combed many calendars to plan ahead for openings, new exhibitions, art fairs, galas and celebrations.&nbsp;

Chicago has a youthful spirit, but as a few institutions celebrate major milestones, we can see how deep the city&rsquo;s cultural foundation really go: this fall the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago marks its Centennial, and the School of the Art Institute turns 150 years old - it&rsquo;s really something to see photos of architecture students at work at the school back in 1889. &nbsp;

While we are always mindful of history, looking towards the future is a theme in the art world this season, as the first Chicago Architecture Biennial launches October 3, running through January 3, 2016. Many of the world&rsquo;s top architectural minds will gather in our city to examine &lsquo;the state of the art of architecture.&rsquo; Amidst a building boom here at home, the discussions and exhibitions that will take place for the Biennial will consider architecture&rsquo;s role in not only beautifying our spaces but benefiting our citizens. Bringing this message to life, at the same time as the Biennial, is the first major retrospective of architect David Adjaye&rsquo;s work at the Art Institute, curated by Zo&euml; Ryan.&nbsp;

Franck Mercurio talked to several young art world leaders who are bringing our arts scene into the future; he spoke with the new director of the DePaul Art Museum, Julie Rodrigues Widholm, as well as the Renaissance Society&rsquo;s Solveig &Oslash;vsteb&oslash;, plus a few ambitious members of the Art Institute&rsquo;s Auxiliary Board.&nbsp;

History is always being made here, and this fall Chicago will welcome a large cast of international artists and galleries, as we host three art fairs within six weeks. EXPO returns to Navy Pier for its fourth iteration, September 17-20, and it welcomes its largest tally to date, when 140 galleries exhibit the best of what is happening now in contemporary art. The Harlem Fine Art Show, part of a group of four art shows around the country, comes to Chicago&rsquo;s Merchandise Mart for the second year, October 29-November 1, featuring work from the African Diaspora. The following weekend SOFA is back at Navy Pier for its 22nd year, as over 70 dealers feature sculpture, objects, functional art and design at the always-anticipated fair.&nbsp;

Chicago&rsquo;s unique brand of trail-blazing spirit is evident in these pages this issue. Kevin Nance interviewed veteran dealer Rhona Hoffman about her experience leading one of the most respected galleries in the country. Hoffman has paved the way for so many artists as well as other dealers. Nance also toured the collection of Helen Zell, who embraces collecting and the life-long pursuit of art with zest.&nbsp;

Cheryl Pope is an example of an artist who never stops looking within herself for ways to improve her art as well as the lives of others, particularly youths subjected to violence.&nbsp;

We have so many passionate figures contributing to our cultural community, and they are each building upon strong foundations to continue Chicago&rsquo;s reputation as the city that works, especially when it comes to art.

Fall 2015 Publisher’s Letter: Youth and History in the Art World

By&nbsp;FRANCK MERCURIO

Chicago&rsquo;s young cultural leaders are making their mark on the city&rsquo;s art scene. Meet some of the under-45 set&mdash;curators, museum directors, and philanthropists&mdash;who are taking Chicago&rsquo;s arts institutions to exciting new places.&nbsp;

The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now, open through November 22, marks a milestone in the career of Naomi Beckwith (age 38), the Marilyn and Larry Fields Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art. A kind of culmination of Beckwith&rsquo;s curatorial experiences at the MCA, the show presents the visual arts alongside music, performance, and other interdisciplinary expressions. It also reflects Beckwith&rsquo;s commitment to often neglected historical subjects, in this case, the black cultural nationalism of the 1960s and its continued influence on artists today.

<img alt="" data-caption="MCA Curator Naomi Beckwith" data-rich-file-id="740" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/740/original/beckwith.jpg" />

&ldquo;Contemporary artists have reached back to language, forms, terms, and concerns related to democratic possibilities that surfaced prominently in the 1960s,&rdquo; writes Beckwith in her exhibition catalog essay. &ldquo;In various ways, they seem eager to explore the legacy of the integrationist civil rights and the separatist Black Power movement by asking how art mattered in that moment of urgent political struggles.&rdquo;

This type of thoughtful linking of past and present&mdash;and questioning of conventional histories&mdash;places Beckwith within the vanguard of her peers. Since joining the MCA in 2011, she has expressed her distinctive point of view in large-scale installations, such as The Freedom Principle, William J. O&rsquo;Brien, and Yinka Shonibare: MBD, as well as in small-scale shows, such as MCA DNA: Richard Hunt. Each exhibition reflects Beckwith&rsquo;s passion for topics and artists that are often under-represented in museums.&nbsp;

Beckwith&rsquo;s is an interest shared by other young Chicago curators, including Julie Rodrigues Widholm (age 40) who recently left the MCA to become director of the DePaul Art Museum.

<img alt="" data-caption="DePaul Art Museum director Julie Rodrigues Widholm " data-rich-file-id="742" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/742/original/julie-rodgriques-widhom.jpg" />&nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Matt Siber’s Trapezoid, 2015, wood, plexiglass, flourescent lights, courtesy of the artist" data-rich-file-id="741" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/741/original/siber-trapezoid.jpg" />

&ldquo;Part of my personal mission as a curator is to make sure there is a plurality of voices and experiences represented in museums,&rdquo; Widholm says. &ldquo;So, I absolutely look forward to bringing [to DePaul] voices from all over the world&mdash;including Chicago&mdash;but also from Africa, Latin America, and Asia.&rdquo;

At the MCA Widholm organized several major exhibitions around socially inclusive themes, including Tropic&aacute;lia: A Revolution in Brazilian Culture (2005), Escultura Social: A New Generation of Art from Mexico City (2007), Rashid Johnson: Message to Our Folks (2012), and Unbound: Contemporary Art after Frida Kahlo (2014). She also displayed a commitment to Chicago artists by organizing 30 12 x 12 shows featuring emerging local talent.

Widholm now leads a university museum housed in a new state-of-the-art facility with a growing reputation for innovative exhibitions. &ldquo;Over the last few years, the DePaul program has become more interesting, exciting and connected to contemporary artists in Chicago,&rdquo; says Widholm. &ldquo;I feel it&rsquo;s on a wonderful trajectory.&rdquo;

Widholm&rsquo;s first exhibition as DPAM director will be Matt Siber: Idol Structures (opening September 10) featuring recent sculptural works by the Chicago-based artist. Concurrently, she will wrap up her final MCA exhibition, Kathryn Andrews: Run for President (opening November 21).

<img alt="" data-caption="Renaissance Society Director, Solveig Øvstebø. Photo: Kevin Nance" data-rich-file-id="743" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/743/original/solveig.jpg" />

Widholm joins the museum leaders&rsquo; club with another young director, Solveig &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; of the Renaissance Society. &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; (age 42) succeeded long-time director, Suzanne Ghez, in 2013. She also serves as the institution&rsquo;s chief curator and has organized important solo shows by Varda Caivano, Mathias Poledna, and Nora Schultz in just the past two years.

Keenly aware of the Ren&rsquo;s tradition of presenting new works by avant-garde artists, &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; understands the importance of keeping a finger on the pulse of the art world.

&ldquo;The institutional landscape of the contemporary art field has exploded,&rdquo; says &Oslash;vsteb&oslash;. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s completely different from where it was in the 80s or even the 90s. It&rsquo;s important to figure out where we can be the most relevant.&rdquo;

&Oslash;vsteb&oslash; directs an exhibition program centered on commissioning new work from artists. &ldquo;It is incredibly important for me to decide how this institution can best support artists,&rdquo; she says &ldquo;and to be in close dialogue.&rdquo;

With this in mind, &Oslash;vsteb&oslash; is looking forward to unveiling a brand new work by Chicago-based artist, Irena Haiduk. Titled Seductive Exacting Realism, the exhibition kicks-off the Ren&rsquo;s Centennial celebration on September 10. (See CGN&nbsp;for the story.)

*

It takes money to commission new works, organize exhibitions, and support curators; this is where Chicago&rsquo;s philanthropic leaders step in. The city&rsquo;s cultural institutions are generously endowed by the community, which includes members of local families who have a long tradition of serving on the boards of Chicago&rsquo;s museums.

The Art Institute of Chicago&rsquo;s Auxiliary Board is one such group. The Board, now 43 years old, is the oldest and most recognized charitable board of its kind in the nation, yet many of its members are younger. Under the leadership of Dustin O&rsquo;Regan, Board president, the organization has brought in new members&mdash;some in their 20s and 30s&mdash;and is cultivating a group of young philanthropic leaders.

&ldquo;The Auxiliary Board is one of my favorite organizations I&rsquo;m involved with,&rdquo; says board member Michael J. Patterson (age 24). &ldquo;I think it includes great people who are intelligent and passionate about the mission of the museum.&rdquo;

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s such a great board, because it really, truly works to benefit the museum,&rdquo; adds Daisy M. Wood (age 27). &ldquo;You can see first hand the effects that our fundraising efforts have had.

The Auxiliary Board supports a range of community outreach projects in an effort to expose &ldquo;new, young, diverse audiences&rdquo; to the museum, including the annual Holiday Treasure Hunt and Tea Party, which Patterson chairs. Since 2004, the Board has raised more than $1.5 million through events such as Uncorked: A Case for Wine.

JR Glenn (age 32) serves on the Board&rsquo;s Development Committee and is the chair of Uncorked. For him, joining the Board is not only a way to give back to the community, but also an educational experience, one that opens up the world of art and art history.

&ldquo;The more I learn, the more I appreciate it,&rdquo; says Glenn. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always loved the museum, but I want to learn more; and help others learn more.&rdquo;

This sentiment seems to be a major motivating factor shared by Chicago&rsquo;s young cultural leaders&mdash;a desire to work for the benefit of the community, to bring new ideas to light, and to engage the public with the power of art.

&nbsp;

Pictured at top of page: The 2014 Uncorked: A Case for Wine, sponsored by the Auxiliary Board of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photo credit: Robert Kusel Photography

Chicago’s young cultural leaders in Chicago institutions and museum boards are making their mark on the city’s art scene.

The Art World’s Next Generation of Leaders

KM Fine Arts is opening a fun summer show this Friday, July 31. Artist&nbsp;Carole A. Feuerman (b.1945) is a veteran of over four decades of creative work in many sculptural mediums, including resin, marble, and bronze, creates a range of monumental, life-sized, and smaller-scale sculptures that embrace her signature hyperrealist technique. Her best-known works are executed in painted resin and are finished with a meticulous detail. Viewers marvel at the realism, the beauty of her subjects and the calm they exude.&nbsp;Feuerman sculpts in a classical tradition, but her materials and subjects are distinctly contemporary - she makes you think everyone should don a Swarovski-encrusted swim cap.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="678" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/678/original/feuerman2.jpg" />

Feuerman has an international reputation, having been honored with&nbsp;six major museum retrospectives to date. Her work has been showcased in numerous exhibitions including the Venice Biennale, the State Hermitage, the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation, the Kunstmuseum Ahlen, the Archeological Museum di Fiesole, and the Circulo de Bellas Artes. Her artwork is in public, private and corporate collections across the world.&nbsp;

KM Fine Arts is located on Oak Street in the Gold Coast - look for one of Feuerman&#39;s cool bathing ladies in the gallery window this Friday evening and stop in for a refreshing opening.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

KM Fine Arts

<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/carole-feuerman-new-works">Carole Feuerman: New Works</a> - July 31 - September 16

Carole Feuerman: New Works at KM Fine Arts

<a href="http://www.360chicago.com/">360 CHICAGO</a>, formerly the John Hancock Observatory, recently renovated the Hancock&#39;s 94th floor observation deck. You can expect the same stunning 360 degree views overlooking&nbsp;Chicago, but visitors can also look forward to&nbsp;new and improved seating areas (125 people can enjoy sunset views on stadium-style seating), a modernized caf&eacute; and bar (for cocktails, artisanal snacks, or perhaps some gelato), and a new interactive concourse-level display that highlights the history and culture of nine Chicago neighborhoods.&nbsp;

&ldquo;360 CHICAGO and our parent company, Montparnasse 56, specialize in the operation of world-class cultural and tourist attractions. We strive to completely redefine the guest experience, from our observation deck to all the unique and compelling spaces and experiences throughout,&rdquo; said Nichole Williamson, general manager, 360 CHICAGO. &ldquo;The spectacular results of our most recent enhancements are part of a long-term investment we&rsquo;ve made in our space and in our city, and we couldn&rsquo;t be more pleased.&rdquo;

Bronzeville, Bucktown, Hyde Park, Lakeview, Logan Square, Old Town, Pilsen, Wicker Park and Wrigleyville are in the spotlight in the new concourse exhibition, depicted in part through the juried photography of nine local artists. Out of more than 1,200 entries, nine artists were selected as part of 360 CHICAGO&#39;s Neighborhood Focus Photo Contest, held in partnership with Chitecture and Choose Chicago, which launched in March of 2015.&nbsp;Browse the selected&nbsp;photos&nbsp;below.&nbsp;

Learn more about&nbsp;360 CHICAGO, its thrilling&nbsp;<a href="http://www.360chicago.com/tilt/">TILT</a>&nbsp;viewing experience, private event opportunities,&nbsp;and plan a trip soon to explore, at a glance, Chicago and its iconic neighborhoods&nbsp;from the ground up;&nbsp;way&nbsp;up.

&nbsp;<img alt="" data-caption="Bronzeville Photo WInner: Khabrim Diallo (31) of Buena Park/Uptown" data-rich-file-id="666" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/666/original/bronzeville.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Bucktown Photo Winner: Sal Ursino (25) of Park Ridge" data-rich-file-id="667" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/667/original/bucktown.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Hyde Park Photo Winner: Nick Ulivieri (30) of University Village" data-rich-file-id="668" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/668/original/hyde-park.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Lakeview Photo Winner: Cody Giguere (21) of Lakeview" data-rich-file-id="669" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/669/original/lakeview.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Logan Square Photo Winner: Danny Cantu (32) of Humboldt Park" data-rich-file-id="670" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/670/original/logan-square.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Old Town Photo Winner: Alina Tsvor (24) of Bucktown" data-rich-file-id="671" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/671/original/old-20town.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Pilsen Photo Winner: Chris Diers (44) of Pilsen" data-rich-file-id="672" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/672/original/pilsen.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Wicker Park Photo Winner: Edson Soares (26) of Andersonville/Edgewater" data-rich-file-id="673" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/673/original/wicker-park.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Wrigleyville Photo Winner: Ulysses Salcido (26) of Hermosa" data-rich-file-id="674" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/674/original/wrigleyville.jpg" />

BY LAURA MILLER METTAM

360 CHICAGO recently renovated the Hancock's 94th floor observation deck with new and improved seating areas, a modernized café and bar, and a new concourse-level display that highlights the history and culture of nine Chicago neighborhoods. Bronzeville, Bucktown, Hyde Park, Lakeview, Logan Square, Old Town, Pilsen, Wicker Park and Wrigleyville are highlighted through the juried photography of nine local artists. 

Here's Looking at You, Chicago 

BY FRANCK MERCURIO

&bull; Susan Giles: Points in Space&nbsp;at The Mission (through June 27) 
&bull; Susan Giles: Scenic Overlook&nbsp;at the Hyde Park Art Center (through July 26)

We tend to think of monumental architecture as solid, stable, and static&mdash;massive structures built to withstand weather and war and embody power and permanence. But in&nbsp;Scenic Overlook&nbsp;at the Hyde Park Art Center, artist Susan Giles takes that notion and turns it on its head&mdash;or more correctly, on its side.

<img alt="" data-caption="Susan Giles, Minarets 2015, concrete and paper, Courtesy The Mission" data-rich-file-id="652" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/652/original/themission001020.jpg" />

Entering HPAC&rsquo;s two-story gallery space, visitors are confronted by four large-scale sculptures. At first glance, they appear to be giant wooden telescopes mounted to steel tripods, all four pointed towards the same, distant star. In actuality&nbsp;they represent observation towers&mdash;Tokyo Skytree, Canton Tower (Guangzhou), CN Tower (Toronto), and Ostankino Tower (Moscow)&mdash;super tall structures that serve as architectural icons in their respective cities.

In a subversive move, Giles tilts each tower on its tripod; these vertical structures become horizontal; stable forms becomes mobile. Do these sculptures still represent buildings? Or have they been transformed into Saturn V rockets, or ballistic missiles?

The artist&rsquo;s intention seems to change depending on the viewer&rsquo;s vantage point. From the gallery&rsquo;s main level, the sculptures appear to be on a planned trajectory, aimed toward a specific point on the gallery&rsquo;s second-level balcony. Standing at this point (perhaps the &ldquo;scenic overlook&rdquo; referenced in the installation&rsquo;s title), visitors get a bird&rsquo;s-eye view of all four towers. But it&rsquo;s a somewhat menacing perspective akin to looking down the barrels of four guns, perhaps a reflection of our post-911 world where tall buildings take on new and somewhat threatening meanings.

<img alt="" data-caption="Susan Giles, Horizontal CN Tower, 2013, wood and wood veneer, 20 ft 9 in x 25 in x 25 in, Courtesy The Mission" data-rich-file-id="651" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/651/original/themission000656.jpg" />

In a smaller space, just off the balcony, three of Giles&rsquo; table sculptures are displayed. Here, the artist continues to manipulate architectural forms and explore ideas of permanence and instability, construction and destruction, by juxtaposing concrete with paper. Giles&rsquo; concrete forms are powerful in their minimalist simplicity and contrast with the detail and delicacy of the paper forms, each of which represents a different iconic structure, including the Arc de Triomphe and Tower Bridge.

More of the Giles&rsquo; small-scale sculptures are displayed at The Mission Projects in West Town. The&nbsp;well-curated companion show is&nbsp;titled&nbsp;Points in Space. Of these,&nbsp;Minarets&nbsp;(2015)&nbsp;showcases the artist&rsquo;s skill at balancing abstract concrete elements with more recognizable architectural forms. Giles places the decontextualized minarets onto two diagonally positioned bases, giving the piece a sense of movement and suggesting new interpretations of traditional Islamic structures.

All of Giles&rsquo; sculptures are meticulously constructed. The artist fabricates each with equal finesse, whether the material is wood veneer, cast concrete, or folder paper. But it&rsquo;s Giles manipulation of those materials and forms that give her works a conceptual richness, enabling viewers to extract different meanings from each piece.

Image pictured at top of page: Installation view from Hyde Park Art Center&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.themissionprojects.com">The Mission</a>,&nbsp;1431 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

<a href="http://www.hydeparkart.org">Hyde Park Art Center</a>,&nbsp;5020 S Cornell Ave, Chicago, IL 60615&nbsp;

Susan Giles art installations in Chicago at Hyde Park Art Center and The Mission Projects

Susan Giles: Exhibiting at The Mission and Hyde Park Art Center this Summer

Well-known member of Chicago&#39;s art community, Rodolfo &quot;Rudy&quot; Avi&ntilde;a, owner of <a href="http://creativoframing.com/">Creativo Framing</a> in River North, was tragically killed on May 30, 2015. A <a href="http://homicides.suntimes.com/2015/05/31/prosecutors-jealous-knifeman-slit-rudy-avinas-throat-in-pilsen-bar/">senseless crime</a> was committed in the&nbsp;Pilsen neighborhood that Rudy called home, and where he spent much time giving back to the community.&nbsp;

Rudy established relationships with many local artists, galleries, and museums through his professional framing business and his various artistic and collegial&nbsp;collaborations throughout the city.&nbsp;

Chicago Gallery News has worked with Rudy for much of his 20 years in the framing business, and we will remember him as a cheerful, kind neighbor. Our hearts go out to his friends and family. He will be missed by many.&nbsp;

A memorial service for Avina is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, at 7pm&nbsp;at Citlalin Gallery,&nbsp;2005 S. Blue Island Avenue, Chicago, IL.&nbsp;

Top image courtesy of the National Museum of Mexican Art&nbsp;and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Remembering-Rudy/778926992214832?sk=timeline">Remembering Rudy Facebook Page</a>. Raquel Agui&ntilde;aga-Martinez of the&nbsp;NMMA writes &quot;On behalf of the Visual Arts / Permanent Collection departments at the Museo (NMMA) please accept our most sincere condolences. Even though Rudy was not a staff member, he was a valued part of our team for over 20 years. He was one of the few people in Pilsen who understood all the love and work it takes to put up an exhibition. He knew of the challenges and sometimes personal sacrifices that this kind of job requires. Rudy was one of the few non-staff members that we fully trusted when it came to caring for the Permanent Collection.&quot;

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<a href="http://www.gofundme.com/w3ugwy4">Rudy&#39;s Light Outshines the Darkness</a> - gofundme.com donations will help cover family and funeral expenses.&nbsp;

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<a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150602/pilsen/remembering-rudy-avina-he-found-way-connect-with-you">Remembering Rudy Avina: &#39;He Found a Way to Connect with You&#39;</a>&nbsp;- DNAinfo

<a href="http://extranews.net/pillar-of-pilsen-community-killed-over-the-weekend.html">Pillar of Pilsen Community Killed Over the Weekend</a>&nbsp;- Extranews.net

In Remembrance of Rudy Aviña

Summer may just be getting started, but many eyes are already on the fall in the art world. On Wednesday evening at the Public Hotel in Chicago&#39;s Gold Coast, EXPO&#39;s President and Director, Tony Karman, announced this year&#39;s list of international galleries who will be coming to Chicago in September.

<img alt="" data-caption="&quot;Seep&quot; by Erik Peterson, installed at the entrance to EXPO 2014" data-rich-file-id="462" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/462/original/photo-1.jpg" />

This year&#39;s list is the biggest to date; when the show began in 2012 100 galleries participated. Just over&nbsp;140 galleries made the cut this round, selected by a committee comprised of heavy hitting peers like&nbsp;Marianne Boesky, John Corbett, Chris D&rsquo;Amelio of&nbsp;David Zwirner, Rhona Hoffman, and David Nolan. Galleries hail from&nbsp;15 countries and 40 cities from around the world. Countries represented at the 2015 exposition include: Austria, Belgium, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.

In addition to the show taking place at Navy Pier, EXPO is part of Art Week, a varied collaboration with many of the area&#39;s art spaces and institutions playing&nbsp;host to art-focused tours, lectures, exhibitions and happenings&nbsp;throughout the city the week of September 14.&nbsp;

<a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/expo-chicago-2015-exhibitors-302235">Artnews.com</a> posted&nbsp;a recent write-up about this year&#39;s fair news, including remarks from dealers about 2014&#39;s strong sales as well as current booth cost figures.&nbsp;

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From Chicago, the list has several new additions from last year:&nbsp;

Aspect/Ratio

casati gallery

Corbett vs. Dempsey

Stephen Daiter Gallery

Douglas Dawson

Catherine Edelman Gallery

Richard Gray Gallery

Kavi Gupta

Carl Hammer Gallery

Rhona Hoffman Gallery

Alan Koppel Gallery

McCormick Gallery

moniquemeloche

THE MISSION

Richard Norton Gallery

ANDREW RAFACZ

Regards

Carrie Secrist Gallery

Volume Gallery

Western Exhibitions

Zolla/Lieberman Gallery

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Exhibiting from Chicago as part of EXPO Editions + Books:&nbsp;

Document

Imperfect Articles

No Coast

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On Wednesdat night among the crowd of collectors, dealers, fans and supporters, Karman was his usual enthusiastic self, mentioning more than once that a lot will be happening for the fair in the next three months. Stay tuned.&nbsp;

The International Exposition of Contemporary &amp; Modern Art takes place&nbsp;September 17&ndash;20, 2015 at Navy Pier&rsquo;s Festival Hall &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.expositionchicago.com">expositionchicago.com</a>