The Midwest may not have steep mountain ranges to brag about, nor deep oceans to swim in, but our own subtle natural assets are certainly stunning. Our lakes, prairies, forests and beaches provide locals and visitors a sense of place and offer inspiration to everyone, including artists.

One local organization that helps encourage us to slow down, engage our senses, and experience our natural environment is northshore-based Openlands. As part of Openlands&rsquo; mission to establish a connection between people and nature, it integrates a multitude of art forms into open spaces, ranging from installations at the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve to murals that grace area schools and community gardens.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Terry Evans, Oak Street Beach, Chicago, April 27, 2004" data-rich-file-id="435" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/435/original/evans43-copy.jpg" />&nbsp;

This fall, the charity will highlight critical links between nature and art, going beyond the usual vehicles of outdoor sculpture and landscape paintings. The Openlands 2014 Annual Luncheon on October 30 will focus on the capacity of public art to invite people into the natural landscape, inspiring and educating along the way. Openlands will honor photographer Terry Evans with its 2014 Conservation Leadership Award. Evans has photographed the prairies and plains of North America as well as the urban prairie of Chicago. Combining both aerial and ground photography, she delves into the intricate and complex relationships between land and people. Her work explores the virgin prairie, working steel mills, Greenland ice sheets, a small town in the Kansas Flint Hills and the oil boom in North Dakota. Evans collaborated with Openlands on two major projects, Disarming the Prairie about the former Joliet Arsenal, now Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, and Revealing Chicago: An Aerial Portrait, about the Chicago eco-region, which became both a book and an exhibition at Millennium Park. Evans is represented in Chicago by Catherine Edelman Gallery.

For more information visit <a href="http://openlands.org">openlands.org</a> and <a href="http://edelmangallery.com">edelmangallery.com</a>

&nbsp;

Openlands: Engaging Art + Nature

Soho House has come to Chicago, opening in the West Loop on August 11&nbsp;in a former belting manufacturing warehouse from 1907.&nbsp;

A London social club and hotel import, known as a chic meeting place for members of the creative industry, every Soho House takes on a distinct look and feel that celebrates and draws inspiration from its local area. In addition to the many early 20th century features native to the building, there are over 250 works by nearly 200 artists on display. Francesca Gavin, curator for Soho House, worked closely with local talent to build the group&rsquo;s largest collection to date, which includes art by renowned Chicago talents Michelle Grabner, Jos&eacute; Lerma, Enoc Perez, David Schutter, Theaster Gates, Molly Hartung Zuckerman, Ryan Travis Christian, Sheree Hovsepian, Jan Tichy and countless others. Five large canvas pieces are also featured on the ground floor by two artists originally from Chicago &mdash; Rashid Johnson and Angel Otero &mdash; as well as pieces by Damien Hirst, Harland Miller and Noble and Webster, all from Britain.

<img alt="" data-caption="Art by artist Michelle Grabner is part of the Soho House collection" data-rich-file-id="434" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/434/original/michelle-grabner-copy.jpg" />&nbsp;

113-125 N. Green St., Chicago (60607)

<a href="http://sohohousechicago.com">sohohousechicago.com</a>

Abundant Art at Soho House

The Merchandise Mart, an Art Deco landmark towering 25 stories and occupying four million square feet, rests along the Chicago River as the epicenter of downtown Chicago life, culture, media, and business. Finished in 1930 The Merchandise Mart today serves as a monument to early 20th century merchandising and architecture.&nbsp;

The next time you visit the Mart, look up: the building&rsquo;s lavish riverside entrance features a 17-panel mural created by Jules Guerin (1866&ndash;1946), one of America&rsquo;s most important muralists of the 20th century. Titled Merchandise Around the World (1930), the mural is visible, way up towards the high ceiling, between square marble pillars that form a colonnade in the main atrium. The delicately colored panels with metal leaf background details each feature a market scene from a different country. Pictured scenes include Turkish rugs and textiles being sold in a bazaar next to a mosque; silk and pottery markets near Japan&rsquo;s Mount Fuji; sleighs carrying furs in Russia, and a caravan of camels carrying Egyptian cotton past a pyramid.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Pictured at work on the Merchandise Mart’s mural: Amber Smith, The Conservation Center’s Senior Painting Conservator. The mural grime was first eliminated with cotton swabs dipped in an aqueous solution, followed by organic solvents to remove the varnish. Amber elaborates: “Each cotton swab—measuring two-inches tall by half inch wide—took care of a 3” x 3” square surface." data-rich-file-id="436" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/436/original/amber-cleaning-copy.jpg" />

After 80 years, 38,000 daily visitors, and few previous cleaning attempts, Merchandise Around the World needed expert TLC. The Conservation Center dispatched four technicians who worked over night using just delicate cotton swabs for more than 630 hours. Says Amber Smith, The Center&rsquo;s Senior Painting Conservator, &ldquo;Once the panels were cleaned, the lobby immediately became brighter. We hope visitors to the Mart will again appreciate Guerin&rsquo;s masterpiece for Chicago.&rdquo;

Conserving a Mart Treasure

BY FRANCK MERCURIO

In the history of Western art (and Western thought) there is a sense that we humans are separate from nature. Traditional landscape paintings provide prime examples of this perspective; from the frescoes of Classical antiquity to the romanticized paintings of the 19th century, Western artists have framed landscapes as picture windows with viewers safely distanced from the depicted &ldquo;wildness.&rdquo;

But as the environmental movements of the late 20th century gained momentum, artists began to reflect a different philosophy in their work: a growing awareness that humans are in fact an integral part of nature. Their subtext: the more we destroy ecological systems, the faster our own potential demise as a species.

Currently, the devastating effects of climate change, dwindling biodiversity, and unprecedented levels of pollution, have lent a greater urgency to the voices of artists. Two Chicago group exhibitions in 2013 featured a range of international artists who explored the effects of environmental degradation in their art: Climate of Uncertainty at the DePaul Art Museum and Suicide Narcissus at the Renaissance Society. Other recent shows focused on the responses of local, individual artists to environmental issues including the journalistic photographs of Terry Evans in Fractured: The North Dakota Oil Fields at the Field Museum and the conceptual installations of Heidi Norton: Prismatic Nature at the Elmhurst Art Museum.

Through a partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), EXPO CHICAGO has been especially committed to exhibiting the works of contemporary artists concerned with human/nature relationships. In 2012 NRDC presented two installations at EXPO, drawing attention to the Chicago River and the challenges of fresh water ecology: Maya Lin&rsquo;s Chicago River and Gordon Matta-Clark&rsquo;s Garbage Wall. In 2013, NRDC and EXPO continued the partnership by bringing the works of Seattle artist and environmental advocate Vaughn Bell to Chicago.

This year at EXPO (held September 18-21), NRDC will present a large-scale installation by Chicago and Los Angeles-based artist Jenny Kendler. Titled Tell It To The Birds, the installation will be created within a typical 10 by 40 foot EXPO gallery booth and will feature photo-print wallpaper of lichens (with images sourced through lichenologists from the Field Museum) and shelves displaying some 25 of Kendler&rsquo;s signature porcelain bird sculptures. The centerpiece will be a dome-shaped structure that invites visitors to &ldquo;communicate with the birds&rdquo;&mdash;participants&rsquo; human voices will be &ldquo;translated&rdquo; into bird songs through a custom-made software application.

This whimsical piece has at its heart a serious message and a subtle call to action, encouraging visitors to consider their own personal ties to the natural environment. Explains Kendler, &ldquo;Cross species empathy is the first step in protecting nature.&rdquo;

Kendler is NRDC&rsquo;s first-ever artist-in-residence, a position that has allowed her to create larger and more public works, such as Tell It To The Birds. It has also enabled the artist to work with the organization&rsquo;s scientists to communicate facts about the environment to a wider audience through her art.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a great collaborative experience,&rdquo; says Kendler about her residency. &ldquo;The NRDC staff members are respectful of the artistic process.&rdquo;

Elizabeth Corr, the NRDC&rsquo;s manager of arts partnerships and events developed the residency program when NRDC was seeking to expand its audience and engage a new environmental audience beyond the organization&rsquo;s core constituency.

&ldquo;We were looking for ways to more effectively reach out to more diverse groups of people,&rdquo; says Corr. &ldquo;Artists bring a visual component to the discussion that is critical.&rdquo;

The Artist-in-Residence program has had unexpected results for NRDC. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s been a mutual back-and-forth between scientists and Jenny,&rdquo; explains Corr. &ldquo;Staff members now think about their work in different ways.&rdquo;

Case in point: a performative piece envisioned by Kendler to help distribute seeds of native milkweed plants, vital for the continued survival of monarch butterflies whose populations have plummeted in recent years. Titled Milkweed Dispersal Balloons, the piece includes performers giving away helium-filled balloons containing milkweed seeds to the general public.

Kendler describes Milkweed Dispersal Balloons as &ldquo;a beautiful gesture with a real, practical effect.&rdquo; The performance piece empowers the everyday person, who might not know about the monarch&rsquo;s plight, to be the agent of positive change through the distribution of milkweed plants. Funded by a grant from the Pulitzer Arts Foundation and the Rauschenberg Foundation, Milkweed Dispersal Balloons debuted in St. Louis at the end of July and in Chicago in early September.

Artists such as Kendler and organizations such as NRDC, are creating dialogues between contemporary artists, environmental scientists, and the art-viewing public.

Through the visual communication of art, they are encouraging all of us to contemplate and re-evaluate our relationships with and connections to nature.

&nbsp;

Top image: Artist Jenny Kendler distributing her Milkweed Dispersal Balloons. Photo: Carly Hilo for the Pulitzer Arts Foundation

Realizing Human Relationships with Nature through Art

By KEVIN NANCE

In 1986, two young brothers, ShanZuo and DaHuang Zhou, visited Chicago to attend an exhibition of paintings they had created together in their home country of China. The brothers&rsquo; unique partnership&mdash;they collaborated on large canvases on which their sensibilities melded into a cohesive, though not always seamless, whole&mdash;had already made them rising art stars in Beijing. In Chicago, it was an even greater curiosity, in part because Americans think of visual artists as the ultimate individualists working in isolation, chasing intensely personal visions that no one else, not even a sibling, could possibly share.&nbsp;

Two painters, one painting: How could that work?

Twenty-eight years later, the Zhou Brothers are still in Chicago, still raising eyebrows with their seemingly counterintuitive process of making art as a team. The difference now is that piece after piece, exhibit after exhibit, they&rsquo;ve proved the wisdom and fertility of their collaboration. They are fixtures of the international contemporary art scene, their paintings fetching prices starting in the six figures in the United States and Asia. (They also create sculpture, the largest examples of which currently sell for up to $8 million.)&nbsp;

The brothers also loom large in realms beyond the art world, making paintings as a form of performance art in front of business and political leaders at gatherings such as the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in 2000. In 2011, President Obama commissioned the Zhou Brothers to create a painting that he presented to China&rsquo;s president, Hu Jintao, in a private ceremony attended by the brothers at the White House.

But even as the Zhou Brothers&rsquo; career has expanded into most corners of the globe, they have anchored themselves in Chicago, specifically in the South Side&rsquo;s Bridgeport neighborhood. They live and work in a former Polish social club, which now contains a vast, airy, light-filled studio where they create their paintings, often working on up to 15 large pieces at once. (Sometimes the brothers paint with the stretched canvases lying flat on the floor, sometimes standing up, sometimes both at different stages.) And two blocks away, the Zhou B Art Center, a sprawling complex of galleries, artist studios and event spaces established by the brothers at 1029 W. 35th Street, is preparing to celebrate its tenth anniversary this fall.

&ldquo;Chicago feels like home,&rdquo; ShanZuo says in a recent interview in the garden of their Bridgeport complex. (DaHuang is the younger of the pair, although both brothers, who keep themselves fit and favor stylish, form-fitting outfits and hipster hats, appear significantly younger than their actual ages, which they declined to reveal.) &ldquo;At first we didn&rsquo;t intend to remain in Chicago, but once we got here, we felt like we need to stay,&rdquo; DaHuang says. &ldquo;Chinese artists are a little shy, a little humble, singing very deep. In America, it&rsquo;s more powerful, more direct.&rdquo; He smiles. &ldquo;Here you show your muscle.&rdquo;

*

In their earliest artistic efforts in China, the Zhou brothers trained and painted separately, but they came together as a team in 1973. &ldquo;At first it was just for fun,&rdquo; ShanZuo says. &ldquo;Collaboration among scholars and calligraphers is a tradition in China, so we thought we would try.&rdquo;

But the brothers quickly realized two things. One was that their collaboration wasn&rsquo;t always fun. As part of the process, each brother has the freedom to cancel out&mdash;to &ldquo;destroy,&rdquo; in their blunt terminology&mdash;what the other has done by altering, augmenting or erasing it entirely. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s totally free to do anything,&rdquo; ShanZuo says, &ldquo;I am free to do anything, including to cover over what he&nbsp;did.&rdquo;

From the start, then, their collaboration was rooted at least as much in conflict as in harmony. When they paint, the brothers&rsquo; separate identities neither merge nor disappear; rather, they engage in a dialogue, one responding to the other, and sometimes the conversation can become a bit heated.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Sometimes he gives you a surprise,&rdquo; DaHuang says of his brother. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re working very smoothly, developing something, feeling very comfortable with it, and then he comes in and goes&nbsp;pah-pah-pah-pah-pah! And everything is destroyed. It&rsquo;s hard to take sometimes. You respect his talent, but it doesn&rsquo;t mean you don&rsquo;t get angry.&rdquo;

But out of that destruction and those sometimes raw emotions also came something unexpected: a new form of art-making that produced results that neither brother could have accomplished on his own.&nbsp; &ldquo;At the beginning, we knew it was interesting, but we didn&rsquo;t know how&nbsp;special it was, how important it was,&rdquo; DaHuang says. &ldquo;But more and more as we worked together, we realized the value&nbsp;of the collaboration. People think we have&nbsp;the same idea and bring harmony to it before coming to the canvas. That&rsquo;s wrong. The value of&nbsp;the collaboration is that it opens up things that couldn&rsquo;t happen any&nbsp;other way. When you paint by yourself, no matter how great a painter you are&mdash;Picasso, whatever&mdash;you won&rsquo;t have the courage to destroy your own painting. You&nbsp;think you are always right. But two people together, they don&rsquo;t care. You paint something amazing, but he destroys it, because he sees it differently. And with this kind of fighting, something comes out in the painting&nbsp;that&rsquo;s never happened before. It&rsquo;s a mystery, and it creates a new magic.&rdquo;

The greatest mystery, perhaps, is that for all the struggle implicit in their creation, the paintings often arrive at a place of harmony, or at least a balance of elements, however precarious. Sometimes the balance has the feeling of competitors battling each other to a draw; other times, a natural order is achieved, like planets threatening to collide but slipping, at the last moment, into alignment.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite unique, what they do,&rdquo; says Kuiyi Shen, Director of the Chinese Studies Program and Professor of Asian Art History, Theory and Criticism at the University of California, San Diego. Shen is also author of the introductory essay in Zhou Brothers: 30 Years of Collaboration, published in 2004 in connection with an exhibition mounted by the Chicago Cultural Center and the Elmhurst Art Museum. &ldquo;They start from differences, from their own places, and then there&rsquo;s a competition&mdash;a confrontation, actually. But gradually, the two sides get together, and that results eventually in harmony.&rdquo;

Sergio Gomez, curator and director of exhibitions at the Zhou B Art Center, often finds himself awed by how the brothers repeatedly manage to find equilibrium. &ldquo;What makes it work for them is their culture of trust,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Sometimes when you see them together, you have a sense that they&rsquo;re connecting in a language besides the verbal. Many times they fight, but at the end, the whole comes together and it turns out to be incredibly beautiful.&rdquo;

As ShanZuo puts it, &ldquo;Sometimes after a while, you both see something, and it&rsquo;s good. You stop right there. The painting is done.&rdquo;

*

The Zhou Brothers&rsquo; work has evolved considerably over the decades. &ldquo;As artists, when you start to feel like you satisfy yourself, you always pursue a different thing,&rdquo; DaHuang says. &ldquo;You always look for the best way to make your art go further, go beyond.&rdquo;

&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re young, you think you can do everything,&rdquo; his brother adds. &ldquo;But it takes a long time to find your own style.&rdquo; DaHuang nods. &ldquo;The most important thing is what kind of artistic language you create for yourself.&rdquo;

Their first collaborations in the 1970s were often representational and narrative-based, inspired by Chinese folklore&mdash;one early painting, currently on display in their dining room, shows a mythical beast being slain&mdash;and primitive cave drawings. In the &rsquo;80s, the brothers pushed their engagement with 5,000 years of Chinese art history into the realms of modern art, producing work that, while grounded in tradition, increasingly responded to the international art world in a way that combined the ancient and the cutting-edge.

After settling in Chicago, the brothers spent the &rsquo;90s soaking up influences from their new environment, producing a body of work that was both heavier in texture and more abstract. In those paintings&mdash;several of which remain on view through Oct. 4 at the Zhou B Art Center as part of an exhibit called Zhou Brothers: American Period&mdash;minimalist figures (often secret self-portraits) are prominent, strolling through somber color fields illuminated by lightning flashes of vibrant red.

Since the turn of the millennium, the Zhou Brothers&rsquo; paintings have become almost entirely abstract, decorative and free-flowing, most traces of narrative and the figure having been eliminated. Texture is more important than ever, the canvases rougher, the paint thicker and more three-dimensional. The paintings are more gestural, more intuitive and more concerned with a fluid kind of movement, than before&mdash;a fluidity not of things but of emotions, reflecting their philosophy that &ldquo;feeling is liberty.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Our work is not about thinking, it&rsquo;s about feeling,&rdquo; ShanZuo says. &ldquo;When we paint, something is flowing there, you just have to feel it. It&rsquo;s like tai chi [a Chinese self-defense discipline now used primarily as exercise and stress reduction]. It doesn&rsquo;t look powerful, but the power is there.&rdquo;

Accordingly, the brothers engage in a minimum of chatter when they paint. &ldquo;Originally we talked and planned,&rdquo; DaHuang says. &ldquo;Later we realized we don&rsquo;t have to talk too much.&rdquo;

ShanZuo nods. &ldquo;The painting itself,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;is the conversation.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Image shown at top of page:&nbsp;The Zhou Brothers, DaHuang Zhou and ShanZuo Zhou, in their Bridgeport studio. Photo: Kevin Nance, 2014

&nbsp;

Kevin Nance is a Chicago-based freelance writer and photographer. Twitter @KevinNance1

&nbsp;

The Zhou Brothers: Four Decades of Collaboration

SOFA, Chicago&rsquo;s art fair fixture, (it has 21 years to EXPO&rsquo;s 3), brings a unique experience to Navy Pier each November. Its focus on sculpture, fiber, glass, jewelry, wood and more 3-dimensional art is eye-opening to even the most seasoned visitor. Design has also been making a logical and welcome mark on the fair in recent years, since the ties between art and function are so visible at SOFA.

Watch for museum-style presentations by renowned institutions and organizations, including Cranbook Academy of Art, Pittsburg Glass Center, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and Collectors of Wood Art.

SOFA Selects, which features favorites of designers, curators and critics, includes Suzanne Lovell, Kara Mann, Emily Zilber and Davira Taragin, and James Yood.

Dates, details and info at <a href="http://sofaexpo.com">sofaexpo.com</a>

&nbsp;

Image at top:&nbsp;SOFA CHICAGO 2013, Photo by Cheri Eisenberg

SOFA at 21

<img alt="" class="left" data-caption="Clockwise from top left: Chicago, Millennium Park @HuffingtonPost; Paris, @SpotUArt; Milwaukee, WI @teachingkristin; Ravinia Music Festival, Highland Park, IL @BlairKamin" data-rich-file-id="427" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/427/original/jp4.jpg" />Spanish artist Jaume Plensa is primarily known in Chicago as the artist who created Millennium Park&rsquo;s Crown Fountain in 2004. It has been ten years since Plensa&rsquo;s think-global-act-local installation became a Chicago icon, and a favorite summertime splashing pool for children, and this summer Plensa introduced four new large scale sculptures, titled 1004 Portraits, to the park, on view through 2015. He also installed a new piece, Silent Music, at Ravinia Festival in suburban Highland Park.

His exhibition, Private Dreams, is on view at the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/richard-gray-gallery">Richard Gray Gallery</a> through September 27.

You&rsquo;ll likely also catch his work on view at EXPO Chicago, September 18-21, at Gray&rsquo;s booth.

Because of the public, interactive nature of Plensa&rsquo;s work, his art is popular on Twitter and Instagram. Above are some of our favorite social media images from around the world.

The Ubiquitous Jaume Plensa

This summer, <a href="http://www.art.org/">Intuit: The Center of Intuitive and Outsider Art</a> features two exhibitions, Lost and Found: the Search for Harry and Edna and Past Perfect: The Art of Eileen Doman. Both are themed on era, nostalgia, personality, and family photos. Although different mediums and processes were used to make the featured work, the exhibitions compliment each other through their depiction of American life.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Paintings by Eileen Doman" data-rich-file-id="419" height="361" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/419/original/doman-collage-.jpg" width="882" />

Intuit&rsquo;s loud, industrial door opens into the large gallery space featuring <a href="http://www.art.org/2014/05/lost-and-found-the-search-for-harry-and-edna/">Lost and Found</a>. Towards the middle sits a reel and projector with two armchairs situated on a homey oriental rug. Large photos of Harry and Edna&rsquo;s lives line the wall. The photos date from the late 1940&rsquo;s to 1961, from house parties, to exotic vacations, to nieces and nephews. Just past the quaint gift shop towards the back, is a smaller gallery room with <a href="http://www.art.org/2014/07/past-perfect-the-art-of-eileen-doman/">Past Perfect: The Art of Eileen Doman</a>. On the left wall, Doman&rsquo;s paintings are arranged in a collage format. The rest of her paintings line the three other walls. In the corner is a small TV playing the CBS program, Face to Face with Connie Chung that features the profile of Doman. The second exhibition space also includes the permanent Henry Darger Room and non-circulating Robert A. Roth Study Center.

Lost and Found began in 2011, when Chicago photographer, Jeff Phillips, found hundreds of photos of a couple at a second hand store outside of St. Louis. Phillips was eager to know the history of the couple and created a Facebook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IsThisYourMother">Is This Your Mother?</a> Each day, Phillips posted a photo in hopes to eventually find Harry and Edna&rsquo;s family and information about them. Phillips expected his quest to take years. However, the page grew in popularity and &ldquo;the social media search party&rdquo; took off.

Read the full story of Harry and Edna <a href="http://harryandedna.com/">here</a>.

<img alt="" data-caption="Send Edna around the wold again on Instagram @harryandedna " data-rich-file-id="420" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/420/original/edna-cut-outcrop.jpg" />

Lost and Found is not focused on the quality or composition of the photos, but rather the collection as a whole, and its interaction with the Facebook community. Lost and Found asks questions of the boundaries of legacy: What does the documentation of our lives today mean when we are gone? What do we become after our last photo disappears? The other inherent part to the exhibition are the blown up Facebook captions under the photos. Phillips quickly found himself enthralled in the art of commentary. The captions people were posting revealed aspects about the era and Harry and Edna&rsquo;s lives, but they also revealed much about the Facebook commenters.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="417" height="482" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/417/original/edna-photo-.jpg" width="252" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" data-rich-file-id="418" height="486" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/418/original/harry-photo-.jpg" width="316" />

Both exhibitions capture the essence and personality of the subjects. Eileen Doman depicts character in all of her paintings by slightly augmenting her subjects to create a true portrait of personality. Doman&rsquo;s style is distinctive and quirky. Doman prominently works from family photos but she eventually expanded to painting notable figures and celebrities. Doman is completely self-taught, finding painting in the early 1990&#39;s after her daughter enrolled in school. Quickly Doman&rsquo;s paintings rose in popularity in the mid 1990&rsquo;s, hailed as an overnight sensation and began showing in prominent New York City galleries. Don&rsquo;t miss <a href="http://www.art.org/2014/07/gallery-talk-past-perfect">Eileen Doman&rsquo;s Gallery Talk</a> on September 13, 1pm led by Intuit curator Kevin Cole.

<img alt="" data-caption="Eileen Doman, &lt;i&gt;Steve Buscemi&lt;/i&gt;, 1997, acrylic on canvas, Collection of Kiberly Carlson" data-rich-file-id="409" height="343" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/409/original/steve.jpg" width="296" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" data-caption="Eileen Doman, &lt;i&gt;Ida and Dixie Dan&lt;/i&gt;, 1995, acrylic on canvas, Private Collection" data-rich-file-id="410" height="367" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/410/original/eileen.jpg" width="280" />

The Henry Darger Room Collection is another glimpse into the past and the artist&rsquo;s life. The installation features Darger&rsquo;s Remington typewriter and furniture, as well as other various artifacts. During my visit, Intuit was hosting a rehearsal for the play, The Strange Case of Henry Darger, written by BBC Producer, Judith Kampfner and performed by Looking Glass Theater. The rehearsal added to Intuit&rsquo;s atmosphere of creativity, with monologues audible from next door in the rehearsal space.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="411" height="721" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/411/original/darger-20outside.jpg" width="540" />

Finding Portraits of the Past at Intuit

BY MADDIE JONES

Tucked behind the modern zinc fa&ccedil;ade of the Poetry Foundation, through the treed garden, you can find artist Tony Fitzpatrick&#39;s Secret Birds exhibition in the first floor gallery. Twenty bird drawings hang along the space&#39;s east-west wall, each creating a narrative unique to itself. The intricate, colorful bird theme drawings quote sheet music and prose while incorporating foil wrappers, parts of cross word puzzles, clown eyes, and other hidden treasures. The avian theme is a familiar one for Fitzpatrick, but it is particularly fitting for his final exhibition in Chicago before he relocates to New Orleans this winter to study ornithology and natural history at the University of New Orleans.

<img alt="" data-caption="Tony Fitzpatrick, Lunch Drawing #35: Ice Bird" data-rich-file-id="359" height="414" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/359/original/photo-1.jpg" width="381" />

In conjunction with the show, on Thursday, July 31 at 7:30pm the public is invited to attend a performance of <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/programs/event/3493">Secret Birds</a>. The play, directed by Ann Filmer (16th Street Theater), will be performed by Fitzpatrick and Martha Lavey (Steppenwolf Theater Company), with music performed and composed by Frank Orrall (Poi-Dog Pondering). The play is inspired by the poetry and stories found in Fitzpatrick&rsquo;s drawings. Doors will open at 7pm.

Click <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/media/secret-birds.html">here</a> for Fitzpatrick&rsquo;s multimedia feature on the inspiration for Secret Birds. In the latest edition of Poetry are an essay, <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/media/day-lou-reed.html">The Day Lou Reed Set Me Free</a>, and corresponding drawings.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="357" height="430" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/357/original/image1.jpg" width="653" />

<a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/">The Poetry Foundation</a> is a perfect platform for the exhibition. Both the exhibition space and Fitzpatrick&#39;s drawings bring together nature, art and poetry. The gallery&#39;s tall ceilings and airy lines are a serene contrast to the artist&#39;s vibrant drawings.

The exhibition can be viewed from 11am-4pm, Monday through Friday through September 14. While visiting make sure to browse through the reading library, featuring a collection of predominantly editor copies of single author works that are still used for fact checking and reference. The collection includes: a children&rsquo;s section, anthologies, chapbooks, journals, broadsides, monographs, criticism and prose.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="360" height="516" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/360/original/screen-20shot-202014-07-23-20at-204-53-09-20pm.png" width="316" />

Tony Fitzpatrick at the Poetry Foundation

Birds, Poems, and a Play 

Realizing Realism: Gwendolyn Zabicki

Pictured above: &copy; Ed Paschke, Bocca Rouge, 2000, 20&quot; x 24&quot;, oil on linen

The May-August issue of&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News features the new <a href="http://www.edpaschke.org/">Ed Paschke Art Center</a> on our summer cover. We are thrilled to welcome this new cultural destination to Chicago and look forward to celebrating the life of one of Chicago&#39;s most recognized artists.&nbsp;

The mission of the Ed Paschke Art Center is to preserve and provide public access to the work of the legendary Chicago artist, Ed Paschke. It serves as an educational resource for youth, adults, artists and academics, and functions as an accessible platform for artists to showcase their work. The Center features 2,800 square feet of gallery space and 1,700 square feet of educational space, which also includes a recreation of Paschke&rsquo;s 2004 studio.&nbsp; It will provide free public access to the largest collection of Paschke&rsquo;s works, which were all selected from the holdings of the Ed Paschke Foundation.

<img alt="" data-caption=" © Ed Paschke, &lt;/i&gt;Red Boxer&lt;/i&gt;, 2004, 50” x 60”, oil on linen" data-rich-file-id="238" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/238/original/redboxer-.jpg" />

The son of Polish immigrants, Chicago-born Ed Paschke spent the majority of his life living on Chicago&rsquo;s Northwest side.&nbsp; Growing up, Paschke&rsquo;s artistic influences included his father, also an artist, and the animation of Disney and cartoons, which led him after high school to pursue both his bachelor&rsquo;s and master&rsquo;s degrees in fine arts at the School of the Art Institute.&nbsp; During his graduate studies, he became affiliated with a group of artists known as the Chicago Imagists.

Paschke&rsquo;s work developed an unmistakable confrontational style, which captured the grittiness of urban life and used various forms of media and technology.&nbsp; Subject matter is depicted using intricate patterns and vibrant colors.&nbsp; Paschke used color to reach peoples&rsquo; nervous system; to him painting was a process of discovery&mdash;about solving a problem.&nbsp;&nbsp; Of his art, Paschke once said, &ldquo;They either love it or hate it but rarely are they indifferent to it.&rdquo;

While Paschke has deep artistic Chicago roots, his works are in permanent collections of major American and European museums including the Museum of Modern Art, NY, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, Centre George Pompidou and the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Board Chair of the Ed Paschke Foundation, Vesna K. Stelcer, recalls that Ed was an amazing original artist and a man devoted to his family.&nbsp; &ldquo;Throughout this process of building the Ed Paschke Art Center, which is to honor Paschke&rsquo;s life and legacy, his spirit and character have been our shining light,&rdquo; says Stelcer.&nbsp; &ldquo;It has been an incredibly humbling experience to work on this Art Center that, all who knew Ed and his work fundamentally agree, &#39;it&#39;s about time.&rsquo;&rdquo;&nbsp; Stelcer believes that the Ed Paschke Art Center is a true reflection of Ed&rsquo;s generous nature&mdash;supporting artists, serving as an educator, being a visionary, and believing his art should be easily accessible to the public.&nbsp; Stelcer says, &ldquo;Paschke naturally inspires, challenges and provokes one to be a better person; we are deeply grateful to be able to bring the Ed Paschke Art Center to our community and our city.&rdquo;

To mark what would have been Paschke&rsquo;s 75th birthday and the opening of the Ed Paschke Art Center, the park across from the Center will host its inaugural &ldquo;Paschke in the Park&rdquo; celebration, which will feature Paschke-inspired community art projects, food and entertainment. The Rabb Family Foundation, which is the major funder of the Ed Paschke Art Center, is sponsoring the free event and according to one of its Trustees, Lionel Rabb, &ldquo;Ed Paschke was not only a great artist but also was a great person who contributed and supported the communities in which he lived and worked. The Rabb Family Foundation and I are proud to have assisted in making the Ed Paschke Art Center a reality, making Paschke&rsquo;s amazing art accessible to all and helping to support and encourage the arts.&rdquo;

<img alt="" data-caption=" © Ed Paschke, &lt;i&gt;Guitao&lt;/i&gt;, 1978, 46&quot; x 74&quot;, oil on linen" data-rich-file-id="237" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/237/original/guitao-.jpg" />

Join in the Center&rsquo;s opening event on Sunday, June 22 (the late artist&rsquo;s 75th birthday) for the inaugural, free Paschke in the Park celebration, featuring Paschke-inspired food, entertainment and activities. Tours of the new Center also will be available.&nbsp;

<img alt="" class="left" data-caption=" © Ed Paschke, &lt;i&gt;Red Sweeney&lt;/i&gt;, 1975, 75&quot; x 41&quot;, oil on canvas" data-rich-file-id="212" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/212/original/sweeney.jpg" />

<h4>&nbsp;</h4>

<h4>Ed Paschke Art Center</h4>

5415 W. Higgins Ave., Chicago, IL 60630

Tel 312-533-4911

Admission is free; open 7 days per week, 10am-7pm

Visit <a href="http://www.edpaschke.org">www.edpaschke.org</a> for more details.

ON THE COVER:  The New Ed Paschke Art Center

BY FRANCK MERCURIO

*This article was originally published in the May-August 2014 issue of Chicago Gallery News

<img alt="" class="left" data-caption="Jenny Kendler, Installation view of solo exhibition “The Hall of Disappearing” in the BOLT Project Space, Oct/Nov 2012" data-rich-file-id="215" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/215/original/1cac.jpg" />Forty years ago, a group of Chicago artists banded together to make a difference. They sought a better working environment for themselves and their colleagues. They demanded&mdash;and received&mdash;greater support from local government. They created programs and institutions that helped to advocate on their behalf.&nbsp;

Today, the Chicago Artists Coalition still thrives. As times have changed, the organization&rsquo;s focus has shifted from political activism to creating a more entrepreneurial environment for artists. But the Coalition&rsquo;s core mission remains: building community around artists and other creative types and connecting that community to professional opportunities.

A host of new programs and events have helped raise the profile of the Coalition in recent years. As the organization celebrates its fortieth year, preparations are underway for one of its more popular events: the Starving Artist benefit scheduled for Saturday, June 21.

<img alt="" class="right" data-caption="Collectors gather for a Chartwell Collectors Circle event" data-rich-file-id="216" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/216/original/2cac.jpg" />

By all accounts, last year&rsquo;s Starving Artist was a great success. Some 600 attendees enjoyed cuisine by celebrity chefs, sipped signature cocktails and rubbed shoulders with Chicago&rsquo;s art world luminaries. This year&rsquo;s event promises more of the same.

&ldquo;This is not your mother&rsquo;s fundraiser,&rdquo; says Sara Slawnik, the Coalition&rsquo;s interim director. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a typical sit-down gala.&rdquo;

Starving Artist 2014 will feature four Chicago artists paired with four chefs and four mixologists. Each artist will create an immersive installation that guests can move through and experience. The chefs and mixologists will then craft food and drink to complement each installation.

&ldquo;We want guests to really enjoy and experience these artists and these chefs and get a sense of the dynamism of Chicago&rsquo;s creative scene,&rdquo; says Slawnik.

Local artists Diana Gabriel, Luftwerk, Alexandra Noe and Edyta Stepien will work with Chefs Matthias Merges (Yusho), Chris Pandel (Bristol/Balena),&nbsp; Kyle Peterson (Fulton Market Kitchen) and Jared Van Camp (Element Collective) to&nbsp; create collaborative installations for all of the senses. Mixologists Jason Ackerman (Bristol), Alexander Bachman (Billy Sunday), Jason Brown (Kinmont), Revae Schneider (Femme Du Coupe) and Brian Sturgulewski (Fulton Market Kitchen) will also create custom-made craft cocktails with Hennessey VS to complement the art installations. (Note: List updated June 18, 2014)

&ldquo;The fortieth anniversary will be present throughout the whole evening in subtle or less subtle ways,&rdquo; says Slawnik. &ldquo;It will be clear that the people who are there are supporting and honoring the CAC&rsquo;s legacy of the past 40 years and helping to build its future.&rdquo;

That legacy includes an impressive roster of achievements. The Coalition was instrumental in establishing the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. It was also directly involved in the creation of Arts Alliance Illinois and Chicago Artists Month. The Coalition successfully lobbied for the city&rsquo;s Percent-for-Art Ordinance, which was passed in 1978 and became a model for other public art programs across the country.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m super interested in that &lsquo;inception moment&rsquo; when artists collectively decided that this was an absolute essential thing for Chicago,&rdquo; says Slawnik. &ldquo;It was 1974. It was such a ripe period for activism and advocacy at a very grassroots level.&rdquo;

But as time passed, so did some of the organization&rsquo;s momentum. By the new millennium, the Coalition was ready for new leadership and a renewed sense of purpose. In 2010, the Coalition&rsquo;s board hired Carolina Jayaram to shake things up and serve as its new director. (Jayaram left CAC in early 2014 to become the President &amp; CEO of United States Artists, which announced the&nbsp; move of its headquarters from LA to Chicago in spring 2014.)

&ldquo;When Carolina took over this organization in 2010 she had such a huge mountain to climb, just turning the organization around. To her credit, she did it, and then some,&rdquo; says Slawnik. &ldquo;Now that we&rsquo;ve established ourselves and stabilized the finances, it&rsquo;s time to tie that evolution back to our history.&rdquo;

Underlying that history is one constant: community building. The Coalition has developed several programs in recent years to strengthen its commitment to connecting artists to each other and to other arts professionals. The BOLT and HATCH residency programs are two successful examples.&nbsp;

BOLT is a one-year program that provides residents with studio space, a solo exhibition, and a series of one-on-one meetings with some of the city&rsquo;s leading art professionals. HATCH is a one-year residency that mentors both artists and curators in current curatorial practices. Both programs have proved instrumental in connecting emerging artists and curators with established professionals and with the marketplace.

Taking the idea of community building to a whole new level is the Chicago Artists Resource website. Known simply as &ldquo;CAR,&rdquo; the website was founded and developed by the city&rsquo;s Department of Cultural Affairs in 2003. Ownership and management of CAR was transferred to the Coalition in 2012.

&ldquo;Taking over Chicago Artists Resource was huge, and the Coalition is a natural home for CAR,&rdquo; says Lynn Basa, artist and former Coalition board member. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a huge connector of community - a huge source of information for artists.&rdquo;

Sporting the motto &ldquo;For Artists By Artists,&rdquo; the CAR website includes postings for employment, studio space, events, and calls for artists. The website provides different sections for several creative disciplines: visual arts, dance, theater, music, literature, and most recently, film.&nbsp;

Besides connecting artists to one another and to professional services, the Coalition also fosters relationships between artists and collectors through its Chartwell Collectors Circle, sponsored by Chartwell Insurance. The Circle brings collectors&mdash;both aspiring and established&mdash;in contact with artists through studio and collection tours, and other events. The Circle provides a level of education about the art market that collectors and artists are seeking.

&ldquo;I wanted to learn more about contemporary art, that&rsquo;s one of the reasons that I joined,&rdquo; commented Circle member Carlyle Madden at a recent event hosted by Mana Contemporary Chicago. &ldquo;Such a great group of people: collectors, artists, students&mdash;every age range&mdash;it&rsquo;s great.&rdquo;

Through programs like the Chartwell Collectors Circle, the Coalition continues to maintain its mission of connecting people and building community within Chicago&rsquo;s art world.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s about creating a space where artists feel that Chicago is that dynamic hub,&rdquo; says Slawnik.&nbsp; &ldquo;There are spaces for collaboration, and as more and more artists are crossing disciplines, the CAC celebrates that, helps support that, and creates the community that artists are really looking for.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.chicagoartistscoalition.org">www.chicagoartistscoalition.org</a>

<a href="http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org">www.chicagoartistsresource.org</a>

Chicago Artists Coalition Takes a Bite Out of 40

BY LAURA MILLER

<a href="http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html">Millennium Park</a>&rsquo;s July 2004 opening transformed the Loop and today, the 24.5-acre park remains a top attraction for city visitors as well as long-time Chicago residents. This summer marks the 10th anniversary of Millennium Park and celebrations will take form through a series of free events and exhibitions including musical performances, films, simulcasts and documentaries shown on an outdoor, 40-foot LED screen, family activities, workouts and more.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="312" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/312/original/webimg-0573.jpg" />

World-renowned Spanish artist <a href="http://jaumeplensa.com/">Jaume Plensa</a>, creator of Crown Fountain, has also contributed to the Park&rsquo;s 10th anniversary celebration with a new installation of four large-scale portraits located in the South Boeing Gallery (just east of Crown Fountain) and at the Michigan Avenue / Madison Street entrance. Jaume Plensa: 1004 Portraits is meant to complement and expand upon the story of the 1000 LED portraits of Chicago residents that highlight the Crown Fountain.

The new installation&#39;s enormous portraits of young girls convey serene expressions with closed eyes, and offer a soothing counterbalance to the chaos and noise of the city. The faces are elongated and the portraits have slightly skewed proportions. The white sculpture placed at Michigan and Madison, Look Into My Dreams, Awilda, is made of resin and stands an impressive 39 feet tall. The other three cast iron sculptures located in the South Boeing Gallery, Laura, Paula, and Ines, measure 20-23 feet tall.

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="313" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/313/original/webimg-0581.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="314" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/314/original/webimg-0583.jpg" />

The new works are on loan from the artist and are co-presented by Millennium Park Foundation with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the installation is sponsored by The Boeing Company, with support from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

Plensa&rsquo;s work is also currently on display at <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/galleries/richard-gray-gallery">Richard Gray Gallery</a>, where the artist is represented. Private Dreams is on view at the gallery through September 27, 2014 and features eight new sculptures from Plensa&rsquo;s iconic series of heads. The sculptures stand six feet tall and are comprised of a range of materials including bronze, glass, and for the first time, volcanic basalt.

June 18-December 2015 
Jaume Plensa: 1004 Portraits 
Millennium Park&#39;s South Boeing Gallery and at Michigan &amp; Madison park entrance

<img alt="" data-caption="Artist Jaume Plensa speaking about his new installation in Millennium Park" data-rich-file-id="315" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/315/original/webimg-0568.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Artist Jaume Plensa speaking about his new installation in Millennium Park" data-rich-file-id="316" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/316/original/webimg-0570.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="317" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/317/original/webimg-0571.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="318" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/318/original/webimg-0586.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="319" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/319/original/webimg-0588.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-rich-file-id="320" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/320/original/webplensa-1.jpg" />

Millennium Park Marks 10th Anniversary with Events & New Installations

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA

I&#39;ve been reading a lot of children&#39;s books to my own child lately, and since she&#39;s too young to follow the stories - she&#39;s mostly interested in chewing on the board book pages, I get to choose all the books we read. I&#39;m taking advantage of the chance to revisit&nbsp;my own tried and true favorites from childhood:&nbsp;Dr. Seuss&#39;s quirky tales and eccentric characters are certainly at the top of my list. Seuss&nbsp;helped to form my&nbsp;imagination and encourage curiosity, and it&#39;s been great fun to delve back into his familiar&nbsp;stories these past few months.&nbsp;So, I thought it was quite timely when I read recently that a pop-up-gallery of Seuss art work is opening at Water Tower Place just in time for Father&#39;s Day. &nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Theodor Robert Geisel with his father in Connecticut, 1914" data-rich-file-id="310" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/310/original/image024.jpg" />

To celebrate the opening an event-filled weekend of fun and festivities will take place on Saturday, June 14&nbsp;from 10am-9pm and Sunday, June 15 (Father&#39;s Day - don&#39;t forget!)&nbsp;from 11am-6 pm.&nbsp;The Grand Opening event&nbsp;will happen on Saturday, June 14 from 11am&ndash;3pm. &nbsp;The gallery is the first of its kind to dedicate an entire space to The Art of Dr. Seuss, and the sales will go beyond delighting children and their parents, since a&nbsp;portion of every sale made from June 14-29&nbsp;will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children&rsquo;s Hospital.

<img alt="" data-caption="Incidental Music for A New Year’s Eve Party" data-rich-file-id="308" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/308/original/incidentalmusic.jpg" />

The works on view are, appropriately, ones that were inspired by Dr. Seuss&#39;s own father (who shared Seuss&#39;s real name, Theodor Robert&nbsp;Geisel.) Seuss described in a writing from the early 1980s that he loved to draw when he was a young boy.&nbsp;Since his father ran a zoo in Springfield, MA he never lacked up-close-and-personal inspirations in the animals under his father&#39;s care. Seuss&#39;s father used his own know-how to improve the zoo and its facilities for the sake of the visitors who came to love it so much, and he thoughtfully&nbsp;saved shed animal horns and other unusual artifacts that he knew would foster his own son&#39;s creativity.&nbsp;

<img alt="" data-caption="Dr. Seuss Gallery at Water Tower Place, 2014" data-rich-file-id="309" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/309/original/image027.jpg" />

The prolific Dr. Seuss wrote more than 40 children&#39;s books, in addition to his many other editorial and creative endeavors. A great deal of personal and historical&nbsp;information about Suess will be available at the pop-up gallery. If you cannot make it to Water Tower Place, take this occasion of the&nbsp;opening as a chance to bring out your own favorite Suess tale and read it aloud to a little boy or girl&nbsp;or even just to your own inner child.&nbsp;

If you&#39;d like to attend any of the opening events, guests are encouraged to RSVP at 312.475.9620,&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sales@drseussgallery.com?subject=RSVP">sales@drseussgallery.com</a>&nbsp;or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.drseussgallery.com">www.drseussgallery.com</a>&nbsp;for more info.

Happy Father&#39;s Day!&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Art of Dr. Seuss&nbsp;

Water Tower Place: 835 Michigan Ave.,&nbsp;Chicago (60611)

Gallery hours: Sa&nbsp;June 14,&nbsp;10&ndash;9; Su, June 15 11&ndash;6

&nbsp;

The Father of Children's Stories Comes to Chicago

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA 
&nbsp;

Everyone has been itching for the beginning of summer to come along -&nbsp;who can blame us for&nbsp;having sunshine and above 50&deg; temperatures on our mind?&nbsp;Finally,&nbsp;the mercury is rising every day, and&nbsp;the art world is heating up too.&nbsp;

While this is always&nbsp;a busy weekend for people to escape work&nbsp;for a precious three days, there is actually quite a lot happening at home in our art world. If you&#39;re having a staycation&nbsp;and looking to make casual plans, we&#39;ve combed our calendar to bring you some highlights. From a&nbsp;$20 Cash N Carry&nbsp;sale to an opening of new works by mega artist Tony Tasset, to a puppet performance of the work of Edward Gorey,&nbsp;there is a lot to do and see.&nbsp;

Happy summer!

- CGN

&nbsp;

<h3>&bull; Gallery Openings</h3>

<h4>gallery receptions&nbsp;takE&nbsp;place Friday night. Our full list is <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar?tag=opening-receptions">here</a>. &nbsp;</h4>

&bull; The Chicago Printmakers Collaborative in Lincoln Square offers a few signature sales and events during the year, and now is the time for their very popular <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/annual-ginormous-20-cash-n-carry-sale">$20 Cash &#39;N Carry Sale</a>. Works by the dozens of artists who are members of the collaborative can be yours to take home right away. This is a great place to find inexpensive art for yourself or to give as a gift. The sale opens Saturday and Sunday 11-6 and runs through June 21.&nbsp;

&bull; Enrique Santana is a popular painter of ethereal Chicago landscapes (often lakescapes). He has a new show opening at <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/santana-new-paintings-lake-shore-drive">Maya Polsky Gallery</a> Friday evening from 5-7:30 in River North. (Image at top of page: Enrique Santana,&nbsp;By the Aquarium, 2014,&nbsp;Oil on canvas; 36&quot; x 60&quot;)

<img alt="" class="right" data-caption="CJ Pyle, &quot;Playmate,&quot; 12 ½ x 12&quot;, 2013, Pen, pencil, colored pencil on LP album verso" data-rich-file-id="300" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/300/original/cjp-63-playmate-small.jpg" />

&bull; Carl Hammer Gallery will be exhibiting new pen and pencil drawings by self-taught artist CJ Pyle. The show,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/cj-pyle-saints-and-sinners">Saints and Sinners</a>, features new works drawn&nbsp;on the backside of LP albumcovers.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&bull; In the West Loop <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/william-eckhardt-kohler-judith-mullen">Linda Warren Projects</a> opens a show Friday evening featuring side by side solo exhibitions&nbsp;of two gallery artists: William Eckhardt Kohler,&nbsp;Portals, Passages and Vessels,&nbsp;and A Good Wander&nbsp;by Judith Mullen.

&nbsp;

Two&nbsp;galleries at 835 W. Washington&nbsp;are opening Saturday night: <a href="http://www.kavigupta.com">Kavi Gupta Gallery</a> opens Tony Tasset&#39;s Spill Paintings (at Gupta&#39;s Elizabeth St. location&nbsp;McArthur Binion:&nbsp;DNA Study opens.)&nbsp;<a href="http://www.andrewrafacz.com">Andrew Rafacz Gallery</a> has two artists exhibiting in his space: Kelly Kleinschrodt: Murmelte Instrumente - a show of new objects and photographs&nbsp;exploring notions and depictions of motherhood, is in gallery 1. &nbsp;In gallery 2 is April Street: Runner. Street&#39;s show is comprised of the artist&rsquo;s black hole paintings and an installation of 150 cast bronze birthday candles running in and out of the gallery walls.

&nbsp;

&bull; Grimm seems to be popular now, thanks to the TV show with the same name. <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/a-grimm-fairy-tale">Galerie F</a> in Logan Square&nbsp;opens a show Friday evening from 6-10 in honor of the 200th anniversary of Grimm&#39;s Fairy Tales. Two artists,&nbsp;Shawn Knight and John Vogl mark the anniversary in their work.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&bull; The suburbs also offer art this weekend. At <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/identity-interpreted-and-assumed">Tall Grass Arts Association</a> in Park Forest, stop by Friday evening for Identity Interpreted and Assumed: National juried exhibition of self-portraits beyond mere physical appearance; curated by Tom Lanham. Opening reception Friday, May 23, 7-9pm. At the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/paula-palmer-michael-brown-digital-photography">College of Lake County Robert T. Wright Gallery</a> in Grayslake you&#39;ll find Paula Palmer &amp; Michael Brown: Digital Photography. Palmer constructs compositions of disparate images that reference the four elements.&nbsp;Brown creates &ldquo;lenticular&rdquo; images that change with the viewer&rsquo;s vantage point. Opening reception Friday, May 23, 7-9 pm.

&nbsp;

<h3>&bull; Other events</h3>

<h4>markets, screenings and puppet shows</h4>

&bull; <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/randolph-street-market-festival">Randolph Street Market May Days Sale</a>, Saturday and Sunday 10-6 in the West Loop. Get an early start on your summer shopping by scouring this sunny outdoor market where many amazing vintage and antique finds may be discovered.&nbsp;

&bull; MCA Sunday&nbsp;screening of <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/mca-screen-takashi-murakami-jellyfish-eyes">Jellyfish Eyes by Takashi Murakami</a>. This screening is sold out, but if you were fortunate enough to get a ticket, lucky you!&nbsp;Acclaimed artist Takashi Murakami visits the MCA to introduce his first live-action feature film&nbsp;Jellyfish Eyes&nbsp;(2013) as part of an eight-stop screening tour of major art institutions across the United States. &nbsp;

<img alt="" class="right" data-caption="A still from LUMA's Art of Edward Gorey performances" data-rich-file-id="303" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/303/original/vinegar.jpg" />

&bull;&nbsp;The Vinegar Works: Puppet Show Inspired by the Art of Edward Gorey, Saturday afternoon, <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar/the-vinegar-works-puppet-show-inspired-by-the-art-of-edward-gorey--3">LUMA</a>. Enjoy a fun-filled time of puppets and Gorey tales. Audience members, young and old, will delight in the magical world created by Chicago&#39;s own&nbsp;Blair Thomas &amp; Company, known for combining puppets and visual theater. Goreys stories filled with wild animals, imaginative creatures, and odd folks are an invitation to the imagination. LUMA will host a toy theater staging of The Vinegar Works.

An Arty Holiday Weekend

BY GINNY VAN ALYEA

If you&#39;re still looking for Mother&#39;s Day celebration ideas, we have rounded up a few of the most art-focused ones from our events calendar. Even if you&#39;ve waited until the last minute, your procrastination just might pay off - these celebrations are sure to be creative!&nbsp;

Happy Mother&#39;s Day!

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; In the Secret Garden -&nbsp;4th Annual Mother&#39;s Day Tea at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum</h4>

<img alt="" class="right" data-rich-file-id="293" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/293/original/tea-large3.jpg" />The Museum offers an elegant setting for a&nbsp;Mother&rsquo;s Day Tea! Celebrate this special day in the Museum&rsquo;s historic ballroom where you&rsquo;ll be transported to a magical garden and enjoy a special tea service&mdash;featuring a delicious an array of fine teas, petite scones, finger sandwiches, and butter cookies. Complimentary tours of the Museum will be available following the tea. <a href="http://www.driehausmuseum.org/programs/view/in_the_secret_garden_4th_annual_mothers_day_tea">Details and tickets here.</a>

<h4>&nbsp;</h4>

<h4>&bull; Home Truths: Photography and Motherhood is on view at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.</h4>

<img alt="" class="left" data-caption="Image Credit: Melissa Ann Pinney, Donna and Jaime Sommers (Mother and Daughter), from Changing Chicago, 1988." data-rich-file-id="292" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/292/original/mocpmothers.jpg" />

Special Mother&#39;s Day events coincide with the exhibition. Enjoy tea and cookies as you view the exhibition&nbsp;Home Truths:&nbsp;Photography and Motherhood.&nbsp;MoCP docents will be on hand to speak about the exhibition and a special selection of motherhood-related photographs from the MoCP permanent collection will be on view in the print study room. <a href="http://www.mocp.org">Details...</a>

Before your visit&nbsp;have brunch at&nbsp;Brasserie by LM&nbsp;at 800 S. Michigan. Mention MoCP and get 10% off your meal. To make a reservation call&nbsp;Brasserie by LM:&nbsp;312-431-1788.

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Brunch at the Art Institute of Chicago</h4>

<img alt="" class="right" data-rich-file-id="295" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/295/original/cal-museum-brunch-food-2014-480.jpg" />Dine in one of two stunning venues, and then afterward take your mother on a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.artic.edu/event/gallery-talk-highlights-art-institute-5?did=18">guided tour of collection highlights</a>. We recommend that you enjoy a stroll in Millennium Park when you leave the museum!&nbsp;

*In the cafe:&nbsp;experience the first-ever brunch, featuring classic favorites, in the renovated Museum Caf&eacute; and adjoining McKinlock Court. Mimosas and Bloody Marys will be available for the special toast to mom.&nbsp;10:30am-2:30pm. Prices vary. <a href="http://www.artic.edu/event/mothers-day-brunch-museum-caf">Details...</a>

*In Terzo Piano:&nbsp;enjoy the gourmet brunch buffet.&nbsp;$54 members, $60 nonmembers, $20 children under 12. 10:30am-2:30pm. <a href="http://www.artic.edu/event/mothers-day-brunch-terzo-piano-0">Details...</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART:&nbsp;A MOTHER&#39;S DAY CONCERT</h4>

Miguel de Le&oacute;n&nbsp;and his musical group perform&nbsp;in honor of Mother&#39;s Day on&nbsp;Saturday,&nbsp;May 10,&nbsp;2 pm.&nbsp;

FREE ADMISSION.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/events/mothers-day-concert-starring-miguel-de-león">Details here.&nbsp;</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>&bull; Find the Perfect gift at the MCA Store</h4>

<img alt="" class="left" data-caption="Chrome Brush Vase designed by Harry Allen" data-rich-file-id="297" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/297/original/190728web.jpg" />Everyone&#39;s favorite museum store has something for every type of mom.

Member appreciation days (ie: double discounts of 20%) run through Sunday, so you can even do some really last minute shopping.

Look for distinct flower vases, jewelry, scarves, art books, and more.&nbsp;<a href="http://www2.mcachicago.org/event/member-appreciation-days-4/">Details...</a>

An Artful Mother's Day

An art school student considers life after graduation 

Life After Art School: Disappointments and Future Plans

*Pictured above:&nbsp;Simon Starling. &quot;Film still,&nbsp;Project for a Masquerade (Hiroshima)&quot;, 2010-11. Rennie Collection, Vancouver. Mask maker: Yasuo Miichi, Osaka. (On view at the Musuem of Contemporary Art beginning June 2014.)

&nbsp;

BY FRANCK MERCURIO

The artist as alchemist: This is the theme of the Museum of Contemporary Art&rsquo;s upcoming exhibition, Simon Starling: Metamorphology.&nbsp;Opening on&nbsp;June 7, the show is the first major museum survey of Starling&rsquo;s work in the United States. &nbsp;A companion show at the Arts Club of Chicago, Simon Starling: Pictures for an Exhibition,&nbsp;will open almost simultaneously on&nbsp;June 6.

Like the alchemists of ancient legend, Starling is known for his ability to &ldquo;magically transform&rdquo; materials, functions, and even meanings in his pieces.

&ldquo;The strong material inflection of Simon&rsquo;s work, for me, is quite closely allied with the idea of alchemy,&rdquo; says Dieter Roelstraete, the curator of the MCA show. &ldquo;I would stress in his work a materialist grounding and a sympathy, in a way, with alchemy as a creative model.&rdquo;

<img alt="" class="left" data-caption="Simon Starling, Flaga 1972-2000 (A Fiat produced in Turin, Italy, in 1974 and customised using parts manufactured and fitted in Poland, following a journey of 1290 km from Turin to Cieszyn), 2002. Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin. Installation view, Galleria Franco Noero, Turin, 2002." data-rich-file-id="283" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/283/original/mcastarling2.jpg" />Perhaps this idea is best represented in&nbsp;Shedboatshed (Mobile Architecture No 2)&nbsp;(2005)&nbsp;a work that cemented Starling&rsquo;s international reputation by winning him the 2005 Turner Prize. For this piece, Starling took an existing wood shed, converted it into a boat, navigated the boat across the Rhine, and then reassembled the boat back into a shed, finally displaying the original structure inside a Basel museum. Grounded in Marcel Duchamp&rsquo;s concept of the &ldquo;readymade,&rdquo;&nbsp;Shedboatshed&nbsp;is part sculpture and part performance piece, with the object&rsquo;s cyclical journey lying at the heart of the work.

&ldquo;He&rsquo;s very interested in cycles of production and consumption,&rdquo; says Roelstraete of Starling, &ldquo;and in the way that modern materials can travel around the globe, and how the world economy is powered by all these cycles.&rdquo;

Duchamp transformed ordinary objects into works of art 100 years ago with&nbsp;Bicycle Wheel&nbsp;(1913) and&nbsp;Fountain&nbsp;(1917). But in Starling&rsquo;s pieces the metamorphosis is more ritualistic and often grander in scale. The MCA exhibition will contain several monumental installations including&nbsp;The Long Ton&nbsp;(2009), featuring blocks of Chinese and Italian marble,&nbsp;Flaga 1972-2000&nbsp;(2002) featuring a Fiat automobile, and&nbsp;Bird in Space, 2004 (2004), composed of a huge (and heavy) steel plate fabricated in Romania.&nbsp;

The latter work is a riff on Constantin Brancusi&rsquo;s series of iconic sculptures that he began in 1923. The original&nbsp;Bird in Space&nbsp;is tied to Chicago&rsquo;s history as an early venue for modern art and was first exhibited here at the Arts Club of Chicago in the 1920s.&nbsp;

&ldquo;That type of work&nbsp;[Starling&#39;s version of&nbsp;Bird in Space] is not well represented in the American museum landscape,&rdquo; says Roelstraete of Starling&rsquo;s pieces. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s work that has an investigative quality, that is quite research driven, and that interrogates history and art history in particular.&rdquo;

Starling&rsquo;s interest in art history is further reflected in a site-specific piece that he is creating for the Arts Club of Chicago.

&ldquo;We engaged Simon to think about the Arts Club, and he came up with the topic himself to dive into our history,&rdquo; says Executive Director, Janine Mileaf.

Starling&rsquo;s starting points for the new artwork are two installation photographs of the 1927 Arts Club exhibition, Sculptures and Drawings by Constantin Brancusi,&nbsp;taken by the commercial firm of Kaufmann &amp; Fabry. Starling identified all the objects in the photos, found their current locations, and re-photographed each sculpture using two vintage 8&rdquo; x 10&rdquo; Deardorff cameras (the same type used by Kaufmann &amp; Fabry in the 1920s). The resulting installation is less about the final photographs and more about the tracking of the sculptures and the recording of their journeys over the past 87 years.

&ldquo;The travel, and the journey, and the tracking-down is a part of the work, so [Starling] ends up with a lot of incredible stories,&rdquo; says Mileaf. &ldquo;Those stories become part of the exhibition as well.&rdquo;

The Arts Club exhibition will feature 30 photographs taken by Starling, as well as archival materials, the two Deardorff cameras, and multiple stories relating to the provenance of the Brancusi pieces that, according to the show&rsquo;s press release, &ldquo;intersect with the diamond trade, Nazi appropriation of cultural goods, prohibition, and other incidents that point toward interconnections between art, economics, society, and history.&rdquo;&nbsp;

A single catalog will cover both Starling exhibitions, which are meant as complimentary shows, not rivals. &ldquo;As a visitor there, you get a broader view here,&rdquo; says Roelstraete, &ldquo;and as a visitor here, you get a deeper view there.&rdquo;

Simon Starling: Metamorphology&nbsp;at the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-mca">Museum of Contemporary Art</a> runs from&nbsp;June 7 to November 2, 2014.

Simon Starling: Pictures for an Exhibition&nbsp;at the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/institutions/the-arts-club-of-chicago">Arts Club of Chicago</a> runs from&nbsp;June 6 to September 26, 2014. 
&nbsp;

Twice as Nice: Simon Starling at the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Arts Club of Chicago

Well, after the winter we all had, aren&rsquo;t we thrilled to be looking ahead to the summer? So much of the past few months seemed to just be about muddling through. Now, as we move into an energetic May, enjoy the warmth of sunny June and July, and end up in hot and sleepy August, we will see our city and neighborhoods bloom. This summer will be like one big stretch after such a long and binding hibernation.&nbsp;

This new&nbsp;issue of Chicago Gallery News offers a great deal of inspiration for expanding beyond our usual horizons and discovering art in places one might not expect. We are excited about new arrivals like the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/4/on-the-cover-the-new-ed-paschke-art-center">Ed Paschke Art Center</a> opening in June, and we can&#39;t wait for more chances to be outside viewing art and enjoying our city.&nbsp;Hitting the old trails is never truly &quot;old,&quot; since so many galleries and museums change their exhibitions regularly all year, but with new and blooming things on our mind, and just in time for the warmer weather, we have gathered a list of local art fairs and festivals taking place in Chicago, the suburbs, and even in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. When you are traveling this summer to see family or if you&rsquo;re in need of a spur-of-the-moment road trip with friends, check out the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/4/midwestern-summer-art-festivals-and-fairs">list of what you&rsquo;ll find</a> for a weekend in Madison or Michigan City, or an afternoon in Winnetka or Lake Forest.&nbsp;

There are even ways for those still learning to walk to enjoy art. Mary DeYoe investigates the many <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/4/family-friendly-art-in-the-city-this-summer">fun ways that families can enjoy area museums and parks</a>. Morning stroller walks at the Art Institute and summer evenings spent together on the MCA terrace are best this time of year and may just help you raise a future artist or patron.&nbsp;

Kevin Nance gives us a revealing peek inside <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/4/artists-at-work-studios-as-laboratories">eight artist studios</a>. Seeing each of these artists in their unique creative environment helps us understand what happens on the way to the gallery - we are invited in to see how the artistic process influences art as well as our appreciation of it. Nance also interviews a couple deeply involved in the process of building an art collection:<a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/4/collector-profile-janis-kanter-and-tom-mccormick"> Janis Kanter and Tom McCormick</a> share their perspectives on buying and enjoying art as a couple, and they speak about the power of &lsquo;have to have it&rsquo; when it comes to that special piece.

A variation on &lsquo;have to have it&rsquo; is &lsquo;have to do it.&rsquo; Laura Miller spoke with a veteran painter who knew from a very young age that she just had to be an artist. <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/4/artist-insights-vera-klement">Vera Klement</a>, now 84 years old, has built a remarkable career by taking on one project one at a time.&nbsp;

Summer will once again pass by too quickly, but we will enjoy its offerings while we can. Whether you&rsquo;re off on a gallery walk, attending the <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/4/a-mysterious-partnership-magritte-at-the-art-institute">Magritte show at the Art Institute</a>, joining a collector group, partying at <a href="http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/4/chicago-artists-coalition-takes-a-bite-out-of-40">CAC&#39;s Starving Artist</a> benefit&nbsp;or simply&nbsp;noticing the sculptures in Millennium Park, embrace the season and the art.

May-August Issue Letter from the Publisher: Summer is Fleeting

Artist Insights: Vera Klement

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN NANCE

If a man&rsquo;s home is his castle, an artist&rsquo;s studio is his or her laboratory&mdash;a place of experimentation, trial-and-error, research and development. Cooking metaphors come to mind: throwing things at the wall to see what (literally!) sticks; the shrouded mystery of sausage-making. Far from the pristine galleries where their finished pieces are displayed, some artists labor in smudged, messy spaces crammed with works-in-progress, materials and tools arrayed in minimally organized chaos; others are more compartmentalized and precise.&nbsp;

Here&rsquo;s a glimpse into eight such environments, occupied by leading Chicago artists Nick Cave, William Conger, Dzine (a k a Carlos Rolon), Tony Fitzpatrick, Wesley Kimler, Sarah Krepp, Riva Lehrer and Joyce Owens.&nbsp;

Fascinatingly, the level of neatness (or its opposite) of his or her workspace is typically reflected in the artist&rsquo;s creative process and, to a remarkable degree, the work itself. There&rsquo;s also often a correlation between the scale of the studio and that of the work created there. Kimler&rsquo;s vast paintings are produced in a cavernous West Side warehouse, for example, while Fitzpatrick&rsquo;s small drawing-collages are cooked up at his kitchen table in Ukrainian Village. Some of these artists, including Cave and Dzine&mdash;who both work in large industrial buildings on the South Side&mdash;employ substantial teams of assistants and fabricators, while others (including Conger, Krepp, Lehrer and Owens, all on the North Side or Evanston) largely go solo. &nbsp;

We hope our readers enjoy this first installment of &ldquo;Artists at Work,&rdquo; which we plan to augment and expand over time here online. Below are eight images of the artists in their studios.

<img alt="" data-caption="William Conger" data-rich-file-id="218" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/218/original/william-conger.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Tony Fitzpatrick" data-rich-file-id="219" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/219/original/tony-fitzpatrick.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Riva Lehrer" data-rich-file-id="220" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/220/original/riva-lehrer.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Dzine (Carlos Rolon)" data-rich-file-id="221" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/221/original/dzine.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Joyce Owens" data-rich-file-id="222" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/222/original/joyce-owens.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Sarah Krepp" data-rich-file-id="223" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/223/original/sarah-krepp.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Wesley Kimler" data-rich-file-id="224" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/224/original/wesley-kimler.jpg" />

<img alt="" data-caption="Nick Cave" data-rich-file-id="225" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/225/original/nick-cave.jpg" />

Artists at Work: Studios as Laboratories

By KEVIN NANCE

*This profile was published in the May-August 2014 issue of Chicago Gallery News

<img alt="" class="left" data-caption="Tom McCormick and Janis Kanter at home in Hyde Park. Painting: Mary Abbott, &quot;Imrie,&quot; 1953 o.c., 71 x 74&quot;" data-rich-file-id="213" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/213/original/tomjanisvert.jpg" />If the secret of a happy marriage is compromise, Thomas McCormick and Janis Kanter are one of the happiest couples on Chicago&rsquo;s art-collecting scene. Despite their significantly differing tastes&mdash;he leans toward mid-20th-century abstract painting, mostly by deceased artists; she favors contemporary work by living artists in various media, photography in particular&mdash;McCormick and Kanter have blended their interests and, along the way, created one of the city&rsquo;s most eclectic yet surprisingly harmonious private collections.

Over their 22-year marriage, this Chicago art-world power couple&mdash;he owns the Thomas McCormick Gallery in the West Loop, while she chairs the board of directors at the Hyde Park Art Center&mdash;have learned how to negotiate with each other on their joint acquisitions. Sometimes it&rsquo;s a matter of one bending a bit in the other&rsquo;s direction. Other times it&rsquo;s a matter of one spouse recognizing that the other&rsquo;s enthusiasm for a particular work of art is so primal, so unshakable that resistance is futile.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I would say the decision-making is heavily weighted to one side of the couple,&rdquo; McCormick says with a smile, pointing his chin in Kanter&rsquo;s direction during an interview at their sprawling historic home, a 1904 Holabird and Roche mansion in Hyde Park that they bought and refurbished five years ago. &ldquo;One of the first expensive pieces we bought together was at the Chicago art fair at Navy Pier a while back,&rdquo; McCormick recalls. &ldquo;I step out into the corridor and here comes Janis walking towards me. She&rsquo;s got that look, and I know I&rsquo;m in trouble.&rdquo;&nbsp;

His wife doesn&rsquo;t deny it. &ldquo;If I don&rsquo;t like it,&rdquo; she says with a twinkle in her eye, &ldquo;it doesn&rsquo;t get very far.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Or it goes in my man-cave upstairs,&rdquo; he offers. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all me, straight down the line. She walks by there on tiptoe.&rdquo;

&ldquo;On occasion I walk in and go, &lsquo;I could really do something in here,&rsquo;&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;And then I think, &lsquo;I need to be out of here.&rsquo;&rdquo;

In all seriousness, McCormick&rsquo;s willingness to accede to his wife&rsquo;s judgment has grown over the years, in part because his experience has taught him that her more experimental tastes and instincts (&ldquo;I definitely like things that are weirder,&rdquo; she says) are more on target than might be initially apparent. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a little bull-headed,&rdquo; he admits. &ldquo;But Janis helps me see things that I would turn a blind eye to otherwise. I would be much more inward-looking, much more of an old fart about all this stuff if I weren&rsquo;t married to her. More often than not, what happens is that we&rsquo;ll get something that I&rsquo;m not crazy about, and then six months or a year later, I really love it. It grows on me.&rdquo;

One of the earliest examples of this was the piece Kanter fell in love with at Navy Pier all those years ago: a photo-collage by the Scottish artist David Mach of a Chicago River scene, which now hangs in their entrance hall with a small collection of Asian ceramics beneath a chandelier of Murano glass. McCormick&rsquo;s initial hesitation about the Mach piece was that it was so large, and as his wife says, &ldquo;Wall space is at a premium in this house.&rdquo;&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s true despite the fact that the house is a rangy 8,000 square feet. &ldquo;Some people with eclectic collections display them salon-style, but Tom and Janis don&rsquo;t do that,&rdquo; says Kate Lorenz, executive director at the Hyde Park Art Center and a longtime friend of the couple. &ldquo;They hang things with space around them, so everything kind of breathes.&rdquo;

___

Husband and wife came by their respective collecting knowledge and practices via distinctly different routes. McCormick, who studied printmaking at the University of Kansas, is a largely self-taught collector who began acquiring (and sometimes reselling) antiques, especially furniture, oriental rugs, paintings, prints, textiles and ceramics, as an undergraduate. &ldquo;If it&rsquo;s not nailed down, I&rsquo;ve probably bought and sold it,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I never did cars, but you never know.&rdquo; By 1992, when McCormick moved from Kansas City to Chicago and married Kanter, he had narrowed his business model to dealing in paintings, but continued to collect most of the other genres he had loved as a teenager.&nbsp;

She, on the other hand, had grown up surrounded by art as one of three children in a collecting family. Her parents, Chicago tax attorney Burton Kanter and his wife Naomi, began with little money (&ldquo;They used to frame pieces of wallpaper,&rdquo; their daughter recalls fondly) but, as their fortunes improved, collected work by local artists and, eventually, blue-chip pieces by some of the biggest names in the international art world. Eventually the senior Kanters amassed a collection of about 1,200 artworks.

But Burton Kanter in particular never lost interest in contemporary and local artists, often developing relationships with them that proved mutually beneficial. &ldquo;He was a patron,&rdquo; his daughter says. &ldquo;Artists would come to my dad and say, &lsquo;Hey, Burt, I really want to do this body of work for the next year. Is there a chance that you could support me for this amount of money, and you&rsquo;ll get the first six pieces of your choice?&rdquo; &nbsp;

After their father&rsquo;s death in 2001 at the age of 71, Kanter and her two brothers inherited the family collection, which they have since culled down to about 500 pieces. About a third of the McCormick-Kanter collection, displayed in their homes in Hyde Park and Sawyer, Mich.,&nbsp;

is from the Kanter family legacy, and includes pieces by Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Hans Hofmann and Andy Warhol, including ten works from Warhol&rsquo;s &ldquo;Myths&rdquo; series.&nbsp;

Another third features works by artists represented by the McCormick Gallery, including mid-century abstract expressionists such as the 92-year-old New York painter Mary Abbott, as well as Chicago artists such as Dawoud Bey, Roger Brown, Tony Fitzpatrick, Richard Hunt, Judy Ledgerwood, Laura Letinsky, Wesley Kimler and others.

The final third includes works jointly acquired by McCormick and Kanter, with the latter&rsquo;s taste&mdash;her special emphasis on large-scale photography, including a series of commissioned portraits of their daughters, Tatum and Reese&mdash;a bit more apparent. Several of these works were acquired at art fairs or through the Hyde Park Art Center, often as a result of Kanter&rsquo;s passionate and sometimes rather sudden attachments to them. &ldquo;She tends to be pretty sure about things very quickly,&rdquo; Lorenz says. &ldquo;Just the other day, a show was going up in one of our galleries and she was breezing through. By the time she got to the end of the hall, she had essentially bought something. We hadn&rsquo;t even put the price list down, but something shook her, and she was ready to add it to her collection.&rdquo;

McCormick is a more deliberative buyer and more attentive to the price of an artwork than his wife. But he is not without his own all but uncontrollable enthusiasms, including a passion for elegant Mexican serapes (McCormick has 40 of them in his man-cave, displayed on a rack system with hand-cranked dowels that he designed himself) and various artworks featuring dragons.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a dragon guy,&rdquo; he says helplessly, then recounts what happened one year at the Armory Show in New York, when he spotted a ceramic sculpture featuring the mythical creatures by the mid-career Chinese artist Li Lihong. McCormick had lusted after the piece since seeing it on the cover of Art + Auction magazine two weeks earlier; now, beholding it in the gleaming porcelain flesh, he could barely contain himself.&nbsp;

Within minutes he was on the phone to his wife, who calmly told him: &ldquo;Tom, just get it.&rdquo;

___

It&rsquo;s difficult to quantify the McCormick-Kanter collection, which consists of a core group of about 150 paintings, prints and photographs divided between their two homes, plus hundreds of other objects, including collections of textiles, antique oriental rugs, Italian art glass, Asian (especially Japanese and Chinese) ceramics, salt-and-pepper shakers, Mexican and Arts &amp; Crafts pottery, art furniture and a wide variety of sculpture. The remarkable thing about the works on display in Hyde Park is that despite the fact that they are arrayed in fairly close proximity and often grouped together in juxtaposed fashion, they cohere far more than they clash.

&ldquo;Janis has an eye for design, and the house itself is such a platform,&rdquo; Lorenz says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an amazing house that they&rsquo;ve refreshed and put a new palette on, and it holds art wonderfully. When you walk in and see an Andy Warhol next to a young photographer next to a ceramic pot, it all makes sense, because it&rsquo;s all held together by the house.&rdquo;

It&rsquo;s held together, too, by a couple who have assembled their collection the way they&rsquo;ve nurtured their marriage: by knowing when to bend and blend, when to stand firm, and when to tell each other to just get it.

*Publisher&#39;s update to the print edition:&nbsp;Artworks from the Kanter family collection are owned by Art Enterprises, Ltd.

Kevin Nance is a Chicago-based freelance writer and photographer. <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinNance1">Twitter @KevinNance1</a>

Collector Profile: Janis Kanter and Tom McCormick

Summer in Chicago means many things - sailing, enjoy the beach and lakefront, music festivals, street fairs, fireworks and more. While we welcome many tourists and visitors all summer long, Chicagoans also make their own plans to get out of town. CGN offers many opportunities to enjoy art on your travels -whether you are staying close to home, exploring a new neighborhood, or taking a road trip to Wisconsin, Michigan or Indiana.

Happy travels!&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h3>CHICAGO</h3>

<h4>June 7-8&nbsp;</h4>

&bull; Hyde Park

67th Annual 57th Street Art Fair &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

57th Street in Hyde Park, Between Kenwood and Woodlawn

Saturday, 11-6; Sunday, 10-5.&nbsp;Admission is free. 250+ Exhibitors.

<a href="http://www.57thstreetartfair.org">www.57thstreetartfair.org</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>June 14-15</h4>

&bull; Old Town

65th Annual Old Town Art Fair&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Old Town Triangle: 1763 N. North Park Ave.

Saturday and Sunday 10-6. $7 admission.&nbsp;250 Exhibitors &nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.oldtownartfair.com">www.oldtownartfair.com</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>June 21-22</h4>

&bull; Downtown

Gold Coast Art Fair

Grant Park&rsquo;s Butler Field, corner of Monroe and Lake Shore Drive. Saturday and Sunday 10-6. 350 artists&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.amdurproductions.com">www.amdurproductions.com</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>July 11-13</h4>

&bull; Downtown

23rd Annual Chicago Tribune North Michigan Avenue Art Festival&nbsp;

Downtown, Pioneer Court

435 N. Michigan Ave. in front of the Tribune Tower.&nbsp;Friday and Saturday 10-6; Sunday 10-5. 200 Artists

<a href="http://www.artfestival.com">www.artfestival.com</a>

&nbsp;

<h3>SUBURBS</h3>

<h4>May 10-11, June 7-8, July 12-13, August 9-10&nbsp;</h4>

&bull; Grayslake&nbsp;

Zurko Grayslake Antique Markets

Lake County Fairgrounds. 1060 E. Peterson Rd. Grayslake

Antique markets, flea markets and specialty shows take place throughout Wisconsin and Illinois, all year long.

<a href="http://www.zurkopromotions.com">www.zurkopromotions.com&nbsp;</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>May 17</h4>

&bull; Oak Park

What&rsquo;s Blooming on Harrison Street Art Festival

Harrison Street, between Highland and Taylor

Saturday 10-8.&nbsp;90 Artists&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.oakparkartsdistrict.com">www.oakparkartsdistrict.com</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>May 17-18</h4>

&bull; Riverside

Riverside Arts Weekend

Central Business District: E. Quincy St., inside Goethe Park

Saturday 10-5; Sunday 10-4. 70 artists in all media

A cultural weekend in this national historic landmark community. Art, well-known musicians, a fashion show, art projects for all ages.&nbsp;

<a href="http://RiversideArtsWeekend.org">RiversideArtsWeekend.org</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>June 21-22</h4>

&bull; Winnetka

Art in the Village Fine Art Fair

Downtown Winnetka - Lincoln &amp; Elm. Sponsored by North Shore Art League.

Saturday 10-6; Sunday, 10-5. 80+ Exhibitors &nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.northshoreartleague.org">www.northshoreartleague.org</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>June 28-29</h4>

&bull; Evanston

35th Annual Evanston Fountain Square Art Festival

Sherman Ave. and Church St. &nbsp;

Saturday and Sunday 10-6.&nbsp;225 exhibitors

&nbsp;

<h4>July 3-6</h4>

&bull; Crystal Lake&nbsp;

35th Annual Lakeside Fest

401 Country Club Rd.

Thur 4&ndash;11, Fri and Sat 12&ndash;11, Su 12-10 (Fireworks at Dusk)&nbsp;

Live bands, food, carnival, family activities, beverage garden. All proceeds benefit Lakeside Legacy Foundation and support the arts, historic preservation and community events and programs.

<a href="http://www.lakesidelegacy.org">www.lakesidelegacy.org</a>

&nbsp;

<h4>August 31-September 1</h4>

&bull; Lake Forest

60th Annual Art Fair on the Square

Historic Market Square and Western Ave. next to train station&nbsp;

Sunday and Monday 10-5. 170 Exhibitors. Free admission, free parking.&nbsp;Sponsored by the Deer Path Art League.

<a href="http://www.deerpathartleague.org">www.deerpathartleague.org</a>

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<h3>MICHIGAN</h3>

<h4>July 12-13</h4>

&bull; St. Joseph, MI

Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff

along Lake Michigan

July 11 kick-off party 5-9. Saturday 10-6; Sunday 10-5.&nbsp;216 Artists

This juried fair overlooks Lake Michigan, giving you a visually enthralling vista filled with creative works of art. Run by the Krasl Art Center you will see artists in a setting they love in the heart of the art fair season.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.krasl.org">www.krasl.org</a>

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<h3>INDIANA</h3>

<h4>August 16-17</h4>

&bull; Michigan City, IN

33rd Annual Lubeznik Center for the Arts Lakefront Art Festival

Washington Park. 115 Lake Shore Dr.

Saturday 10-6; Sunday, 10-5. 110 Exhibitors

<a href="http://www.lubeznikcenter.org">www.lubeznikcenter.org</a>

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<h3>WISCONSIN</h3>

<h4>June 20-22</h4>

&bull; Milwaukee, WI

Lakefront Festival of the Arts

Milwaukee Art Museum grounds.&nbsp;700 N. Museum Dr.

Friday 10-10; Saturday 10-7; Sunday 10-5. 170 Exhibitors

For 50 years, the Lakefront Festival of Arts has been bringing art to life on Milwaukee&rsquo;s lakefront. Started in 1963, this three-day fundraising event has evolved from a gathering of a handful of artists to a vibrant, exciting, and wide-ranging festival with something for everyone.

<a href="http://www.lfoa.mam.org">www.lfoa.mam.org</a>

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<h4>July 12-13</h4>

&bull; Madison, WI&nbsp;

Art Fair Off the Square

Presented by Wisconsin Alliance of Artists and Craftspeople. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. + on the Monona Terrace. Convention Center Esplanade.

Saturday 9-6; Sunday 10-5. 140 Wisconsin Artists

The two day art showcase includes food and unexpected, spontaneous happenings. Ceramics, art glass, painting, fiber, sculpture, jewelry, graphics, paper-making, photography, wood, and more.

<a href="http://www.artcraftwis.org/afos.html">www.artcraftwis.org/afos.html</a>

Midwestern Summer Art Festivals and Fairs

BY MARY DEYOE

<img alt="" class="left" data-caption="Family Day at the MCA" data-rich-file-id="226" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/226/original/mca4.jpg" />Chicago summers are, quite arguably, why we endure Chicago winters. With the lake, street fairs, farmers markets, concerts and just plain warm weather, there is always a reason to be out enjoying the city and the sun. Summer is also a great time to take outings with your family to explore the phenomenal art the city has to offer. From stroller tours to hands-on art making Chicago&rsquo;s museums offer wonderful programs and events designed to entertain and inspire the entire family.

&ldquo;The word &lsquo;family,&rsquo; to us, doesn&rsquo;t just mean &lsquo;kid,&rsquo; said Liz Baill, Media Relations Coordinator at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). &ldquo;&lsquo;Family&rsquo; is kids, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters. So we like to think of family as simply &lsquo;person,&rsquo; and we design many of our events to be engaging for people at these various stages in their lives.&rdquo;&nbsp;

On May 10, the MCA is hosting the next of their Family Days, which occur throughout the year. The theme of the event is &ldquo;dream,&rdquo; and it will include art-making inspired by authentic works of art in the museum. Local artists will help guide guests through the museum and through the activities. &ldquo;It is creative, quality time.&rdquo;

The Art Institute of Chicago offers similar events for the entire family. In addition to a wide selection of workshops developed specifically for parents and children of certain ages, the museum&rsquo;s Bank of America Family Festival (June 7) and 19th Annual Kaleidoscope event (July 19) offer art-making and tours for families with kids of all ages &ndash; Kaleidoscope is even popular with teens, and includes events and activities run by some of the museum&rsquo;s cultural arts partners from outstanding organizations around the city.

But what about parents with infants? Even these parents and caregivers have some great options. The Museum of Contemporary Art, the <a href="http://www.artic.edu/join-and-give/members/member-programs">Art Institute</a>, and the Chicago History Museum all offer stroller tours. While the content is geared towards adults, the environment is welcoming to small children.&nbsp;

Chicago History Museum <a href="http://chicagohistory.org/planavisit/upcomingevents/tours">tours</a> are led by Josh Eisenberg, a public historian and stay-at-home dad. On the tours you&rsquo;ll explore Chicago&rsquo;s parks, with a focus on their history and significant architecture and sculpture. Tours are offered throughout the summer and include visits to West Town&rsquo;s Union Park, Millennium Park and Lincoln Park.&nbsp;

At the MCA, <a href="http://www2.mcachicago.org/events/category/programs/talks/stroller-tours/">stroller tours</a> are a &ldquo;safe place,&rdquo; said Baill. These tours offer adults the opportunity to meet and talk with other adults about contemporary art. Guides design the tours to be accomondating to parents who may need to pause to tend to their children. In other words there is no need to worry if your baby starts to fuss&mdash;you are in understanding company.&nbsp;

If families want to have a less structured event or tour, there are a lot of ways to go at your own pace. Self-guided tours, scavenger hunts and audio tours are a great way to let your family explore at the pace that&rsquo;s right for them. The Family Room at the Art Institute&rsquo;s Ryan Education Center offers &ldquo;mini-tour&rdquo; maps that will lead your family throughout the building. The Education Center is also the site of changing exhibitions geared for children and teens, offering a unique perspective on the museum&rsquo;s collections.

This summer the MCA will offer maps of the museum designed by a local artist. Available at the front desk, the maps are interactive guides. Some of the galleries are shown empty, and guests are encouraged to draw and populate the spaces with art, people, or whatever their imagination desires. Without outlines or instructions it&rsquo;s a sort of &ldquo;uncoloring&rdquo; book.

And what about kicking back and relaxing? There are ways to do that too. The MCA&rsquo;s Tuesdays on the Terrace, a weekly summer favorite for many adults, is also a great family activity. Every Tuesday evening, the museum hosts a jazz concert on the back patio. Families can set up picnics on the lawn, alongside Sol LeWitt&rsquo;s grass installation, and listen to music and socialize. The event is free, and food is available for purchase at Puck&rsquo;s Caf&eacute; just inside the museum. These events are attended by guests of all ages, making for a very welcoming and relaxed environment. Sit in the grass and enjoy the music, sculpture and the city in its best time of year.&nbsp;

Other exciting events include the MCA&rsquo;s Word Play event (July 26) recommended for those from nine&nbsp;to 90 years old, and the Chicago History Museum&rsquo;s monthly trolley tours. Geared towards families with children in kindergarten through sixth grade, the tours visit unique sites around the city, each exploring a different theme, such as sports or Chicago&rsquo;s waterways.&nbsp;

So, whether you are caring for an infant or bringing the entire extended family out for the day, there are numerous ways to enjoy Chicago&rsquo;s magnificent art. At the end of the day, what all of these events and programs create is a space to be engaged and inspired and to bring the family closer together.

For complete information about all of these events and more, please visit the Museum websites.