West Town, Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, Kinzie Corridor, Humboldt Park

West Town

Wisconsin

IL • MI • IN

West Loop, Fulton Market, East Garfield Park

West Loop and West Side

Evanston, The North Shore, Northern, Western and Southern Suburbs

Suburbs

Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Uptown, Edgewater, Andersonville, Rogers Park

North Side

Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, The Gold Coast, The Loop, and South Loop

Michigan Avenue

Pilsen, Bridgeport, Chinatown, plus Hyde Park, Jackson Park/Dorchester, and Bronzeville

South Side

Superior and Franklin streets, West Chicago Ave, and down to Merchandise Mart and the River

River North

Important Jewelry <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hindmanauctions.com/auctions/6300-important-jewelry?tab=lots#lot_15" target="_blank">REGISTER TO BID</a> Mar 20, 2025&nbsp;10:00AM CT Live / Chicago

Important Jewelry

Essential Design&nbsp;on March 20th presents renowned 20th century designs recognized for their outsized impact around the world, including models from&nbsp;Charles &amp; Ray Eames,&nbsp;George Nelson &amp; Associates,&nbsp;Pierre Jeanneret,&nbsp;Gio Ponti, and others. Highlights include a Swivel desk chair&nbsp;designed for Johannes Hansen by&nbsp;Hans Wegner&nbsp;and an Equilibrium floor lamp for Disderot&nbsp;by&nbsp;Pierre Guariche, as well as lighting from&nbsp;François Dallegret,&nbsp;Angelo Lelii,&nbsp;Isamu Noguchi,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Apparatus Studio, ceramics from&nbsp;Clyde Burt&nbsp;and&nbsp;Guido Gambone, and decorative works from&nbsp;Kay Bojesen,&nbsp;Los Castillo,&nbsp;Lino Sabattini, and more. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wright20.com/auctions/2025/03/essential-design" target="_blank">Details</a> Image: Pierre JeanneretDesk and chair from ChandigarhFrance/India, c. 1958-1960teak, cane, upholsterydesk: 28 h × 24 w × 36 d in (71 × 61 × 91 cm)chair: 33½ h × 18 w × 21 d in (85 × 46 × 53 cm)estimate: $7,000–9,000

Essential Design

RELATED EXHIBITIONSRobert Earl Paige: Give the Drummer Some! Join the&nbsp;Hyde Park Art Center&nbsp;and the Smart Museum of Art in celebrating the first major publication to focus on artist, designer, and educator Robert Earl Paige. Held in the Smart Museum's atrium where Paige's installation,&nbsp;Give the Drummer Some!, is currently on view, the evening will include an introduction by&nbsp;Allison Peters Quinn, newly appointed Executive Director and Chief Curator at the Elmhurst Art Museum; a conversation between Paige and fellow Chicago artist&nbsp;Anne Wilson; light refreshments and an opportunity to purchase the new publication,&nbsp;The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige. Free,&nbsp;register online. About the Publication"Robert Earl Paige is one of the most iconic artists and designers from Chicago’s South Side. A multidisciplinary artist and arts educator, he works across textile design, painting, collage, and sculpture. During the 1970s, he brought West African–inspired patterns to U.S. shoppers through the Dakkabar fabrics collection available at Sears, Roebuck, leading to the inclusion of Black culture in home design. In addition to exploring Paige’s personal and artistic practice, The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige contextualizes his work in relation to social and artistic movements, from the minimalism and abstraction of the 1960s and 1970s to AfriCOBRA and the Black Arts Movement in Chicago and across the United States. Curator Allison Peters Quinn collaborates with Paige to offer inspiration and tools for younger artists to develop lifelong creative practices. An interview between Paige and fiber artist Anne Wilson traces his career path, starting as a young designer at Skidmore, Owings &amp; Merrill; his travel to West Africa, South Africa, and Milan; his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago; and&nbsp;features insights into Paige’s influences; his friendships with important cultural figures such as James Baldwin; his interest in blurring boundaries between design, art, and craft; and his teaching philosophies.&nbsp; Published in conjunction with Paige’s exhibition at Hyde Park Art Center in 2024, this fully illustrated book includes reproductions of the artist’s handpainted scarves, collages, and rugs made during the past sixty years, along with new ceramic tiles, collages, and textiles."

Book Launch and Conversation: The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige

Please register&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(82, 142, 170);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://perspectivegallery.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=04a588cae42ffc5c2d944d823&amp;id=5077714095&amp;e=d73170d386" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;For The artists' discussion Perspective Gallery is pleased to announce that LENS 2025, our 15th Annual International Juried Exhibition, received over&nbsp;&nbsp;1140 images entered by 237 photographers from 34 states and 7 countries including the U.S . Our juror, Hamidah Glasgow, selected 25 works for the exhibition Including submissions from the following artists.... Emma Backer; John Barnard;&nbsp;Elijah Barnes;&nbsp;John Blom;&nbsp;Cate Brown;Amee&nbsp;Ellis;&nbsp;Morgan Ford Willingham;&nbsp;Marit Gootee;&nbsp;Stephan Jahanshahi;&nbsp;Hillary&nbsp;Johnson;&nbsp;Wm Jones;&nbsp;Dave Jordano;&nbsp;Lori Kella;&nbsp;Epiphany Knedler;&nbsp;Chantal Lesley;&nbsp;Jennifer Lothrigel;&nbsp;Wendy Love;&nbsp;Stephen Marc;&nbsp;Andy&nbsp;&nbsp;Mattern;Catherine Panebianco;&nbsp;Linda&nbsp;Plaisted;&nbsp;Allison&nbsp;Plass;Kathryn Rodrigues;&nbsp;Forrest Simmons;&nbsp;Jack Straton Image: Sisterhood&nbsp;by Elijah Barnes

Virtual Artists' Discussion for LENS 2025

<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hindmanauctions.com/auctions/6324-spring-fashion-and-accessories?page=1&amp;per=48&amp;tab=overview" target="_blank">Details</a> Spring Fashion &amp; Accessories showcases an exceptional collection that blends timeless haute couture with historical pieces of dress, featuring some of the finest names in fashion: Balenciaga, Issey Miyake, Madeleine Vionnet, Norman Norell, Paul Poiret, Yves Saint Laurent and many others. Spring Fashion also offers a selection of rare pieces of fashion history including millinery designed by acclaimed photojournalist Bill Cunningham under the William J. label to Peggy Guggenheim's iconic Mario Fortuny gown to haute couture owned and worn by Countess Mona von Bismarck. Spring Fashion offers property from various collections including: Mary Stone Phipps, Steven Stolman, A Denver Collector, Collection of a Proper Southern Lady and deaccessions from Mount Mary University’s Fashion Archive and West Valley Art Museum.

Spring Fashion & Accessories

Book presentation On World Poetry Day, the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago and University of Chicago Press will host a book presentation of&nbsp;Slashing Sounds&nbsp;by Jolanda Insana, translated by Catherine Theis. With this bilingual edition of Slashing Sounds, Catherine Theis presents the first book-length collection of Insana’s poetry in English, a powerful offering that addresses a lack of female Italian voices in Anglophone poetry publishing.Jolanda Insana’s&nbsp;Slashing Sounds&nbsp;uses invectives, fragments, epigrams, and epigraphs to construct poems that pulse with the texture of an idiosyncratic Sicilian dialect. The poems in this collection are ferocious, irreverent, strange, snarky, and otherworldly. Insana’s commitment to contentiousness, her brutal and skeptical eye, and her preoccupation with language make Insana’s poetry particularly arresting. For Insana, there is no subject more worthy of our interest than language’s misfires and contradictory impulses—language being the ultimate arrow, forging a direction in the world and forcing a turn toward whatever reality appears in front of you.The conversation will be moderated by Massimiliano Luca Delfino, Assistant Professor of Instruction in Italian, of the Department of French and Italian at Northwestern University.A book signing with the author will follow.Free with <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://iicchicago.esteri.it/en/gli_eventi/calendario/book-presentation-catherine-theis-in-conversation-with-massimiliano-luca-delfino/" target="_blank">registration</a>. Doors open at 5:30pm CT

Catherine Theis in conversation with Massimiliano Luca Delfino

Join us for an exciting night at&nbsp;Bridgeport Art Center Chicago! Experience the vibrant art scene of the city in person and get inspired by the creativity around you. At Third Friday Open Studios, you'll have the chance to explore various art studios, interact with local artists, and witness their works in progress.&nbsp; <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bridgeportart.acemlnb.com/lt.php?x=3DZy~GDMV6Gh65F5zADMgRVw2nNSut~wj~hhjqTHI3Gi7p37zEy.zuFx142iidE~ju5AXHXDKk" target="_blank">RSVP - FREE EVENT</a>+21 I.D. required for consumption of alcohol

March 2025 | Third Friday Open Studios

ARTISTS: Alexandra Barth, Rachael Bos, Robert Burnier, Nick Cave, Tim Doud, Crystal Gregory, Dan Gunn, Harmony Hammond, Cameron Harvey, Mie Kongo, Jo Sandman, Alyson Shotz, Malicke Sidibé, Samantha Thomas and Letha Wilson. The fold&nbsp;forms,&nbsp;informs, and&nbsp;deforms. … With the fold the material transforms itself to contain its subject, allowing access to its content. The fold articulates the art as an object while punctuating its dynamic subject-content. Most importantly, the fold moves us emotionally by the implied and real physicality of its active displacements.* (Chicago)&nbsp;SECRIST | BEACH is&nbsp;pleased to announce our first survey exhibition of 2025,&nbsp;FOLDS.&nbsp;FOLDS&nbsp;brings together a group of artists that formally and conceptually incorporate “folds” into their artworks, highlighting the deceptively simple yet germane moment an inanimate object or thing is - or becomes - expressive. The exhibition includes an intergenerational roster of artists and was curated with the assistance of gallery artist Diana Guerrero-Maciá.&nbsp;FOLDS&nbsp;is presented in conjunction with Guerrero-Maciá's solo exhibition&nbsp;PAINTINGS&nbsp;FOR&nbsp;BIRDS&nbsp;at 1801 W. Hubbard St. from January 17 through March 15, 2025. The concept for&nbsp;FOLDS&nbsp;evolved from Guerrero-Maciá’s early&nbsp;art&nbsp;class experience with the ubiquitous exercise of drawing still lifes that include drapes and folds of fabric in the composition. The difficulty of rendering these elements eventually led to her decision to eliminate drawing altogether and instead use the fabric itself as a medium for drawing and&nbsp;painting. Building on this,&nbsp;FOLDS&nbsp;takes on this deceivingly natural everyday physical moment and inserts a wide range of dual metaphorical implications: hiding/revealing, deformation/reformation, compression/release, flexible/rigid, etcetera. The variety of approaches on view - from sartorial to semiotic - articulate complexities in ways that implore attention while amplifying the mundane into a gesture that evolves into something dynamic.&nbsp; When they appear in or as works of art, the form of the fold both produces and expects degrees of fidelity, resolution, and sentience. Compositionally, folds delineate and generate movement and energy, with a keen sense of suggested&nbsp;accuracy.&nbsp;This sense of volume then renders qualities of resolution, sharpening the image or object as it relates to the body, gravity and weight. The physicality of and by the fold seems to arrest a moment of intimacy somewhere between the depiction of the thing and how the thing is depicted, as if the folds are emotional repositories of narratives of becoming and creating. Where the fold&nbsp;expects&nbsp;a degree of fidelity, resolution, and sentience is the foundational necessity of specific qualities of a fold to represent and define. For the artists in&nbsp;FOLDS, where the form is investigated, interrogated, and appreciated, the symbolic and effective potential for the fold becomes expansive. *Perrone, Jeff. ”Working Through,&nbsp;Fold&nbsp;by&nbsp;Fold”, Artforum, January 1979, pages 44-50.&nbsp; Image: Cameron Harvey, Figure 1: Cor (Rhus Integrifolia), 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 120in x 54 in

FOLDS

moniquemeloche is pleased to present&nbsp;Arvie Smith: Crossing Clear Creek, the artist’s second solo exhibition with the gallery. Smith is a 2024 recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship in Fine Arts, with an artistic career spanning over four decades.&nbsp;His ongoing passion for advancing social and racial justice is reflected through his narrative paintings depicting historical and contemporary policies, influencers, bigotry, and institutional white supremacy, transforming the history of oppressed and stereotyped segments of the American experience into lyrical two-dimensional master works. While the works’ emotional rage, burden and determination are expressed through movement, color and sound, Smith has historically shelved his own underlying agony, revelations and the impact of living in Black skin – an element at the core of his work that has been rarely disclosed until now. At 86 years old, Smith has made the courageous shift from public to personal, bringing his own history into dialogue with the current conditions.&nbsp; Crossing Clear Creek&nbsp;presents an autobiographical body of work that portrays a significant time in the artist’s life, revealing memories of events and emotions he experienced during his youth during his migration from Jim Crow-era rural Texas to South Central Los Angeles, a city laden with violent crime and gang activity that would become the center of the Civil Rights Movement. Here, Smith shapes an intimate journey of identity, resolve and deliverance, a story he has never shared or acknowledged in its entirety. This new personal narrative led Smith to receiving the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, a mark of distinction that emphasizes the importance of the recipient's unique vision and artistic voice, serving as the impetus for his solo exhibition. The exhibition’s title&nbsp;Crossing Clear Creek&nbsp;is explicit and metaphoric. Clear Creek, a body of water that runs through Roganville, Texas–Smith’s hometown–must be crossed in order to travel from the “Black side of town to the white.” Grounding the exhibition, Smith’s massive two-part painting of the same name presents hopeful crossers on horseback pulling a chariot, eyes forward toward the winding path of a perceived better future as symbolized by a large white castle in the distance. Metaphorically, Smith addresses the state of the country and how the shifts in systems and policies affect people's lives.&nbsp;His subjects are women and people of color, representing the marginalized groups who become pawns, creating tension and uncertainty as the ruling leaders play the cynical&nbsp;game of give and take.&nbsp;For the artist,&nbsp;Crossing Clear Creek&nbsp;symbolizes the transition of himself and his siblings from their early years in the South to a land where the promise of better times remained elusive.&nbsp; Art has been an ever-present facet of the artist’s life. From copying&nbsp;Michelangelo’s Renaissance masterpieces in his grandfather’s single room elementary school in Roganville, to becoming the self-proclaimed “school artist” at his high school in Los Angeles, to being dissuaded from applying to art school by a racist receptionist, Smith reflects that his early development in art ran parallel with his formation as a Black citizen—"as a child, I understood that the Black man's life is disposable; as an adult, I understood that I could use art as a means of comprehending and explaining what it is like to be a person of color in America…The recognition conferred on me by the Guggenheim Fellowship in Fine Arts is the most meaningful artistic honor of my lifetime. This acknowledgement and support led me to create this body of work. I embarked on this exhibition with a heightened sense of significance and purpose.” Smith’s work will be included in the forthcoming group exhibition&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(136, 103, 182);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://t8j4tqkab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0013XSP3RuvB1qX707zebJN3L3D3fPY-zdluPu7Sx_bllW-EW1IHbfEvNmxt44KxUwM2Bq7HGN8v_DHdpifghZ4XzuI0-uoaHuL_XvUkfZllWBQVFAmC3U2RCuqcW0OCsgXJS9HidEvsvKCICHg2OXIFaLl6HkviHj4dBB5mJonCQr-zU47ecsAaAWsxJ7x5vtKN_LTjqOTDZ75pDgyMijNp32EX0D9Hlt0BYhwpCEFyic=&amp;c=WhbCpLfZzrrdYq_mJzWcaLtwxtschLnzEkF-nfqG3FoKHLdecwBD6g==&amp;ch=98lkIt_OIIGKi5LMgrVX2nOkQ777TK4z78lHprdvHDm88C-S9Asa8Q==" target="_blank">When Langston Hughes Came to Town</a>&nbsp;at the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, NV which opens May 2025, and this summer he will participate in the Baltimore Museum of Art x Sherman Family Foundation Residency in Camden, Maine, which was founded in 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp; <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://t8j4tqkab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0013XSP3RuvB1qX707zebJN3L3D3fPY-zdluPu7Sx_bllW-EW1IHbfEvNmxt44KxUwMed7MvaJ6P7bWYbCBnjeyqSZOkJGMReKf51wZ37c0N1-eJP8AAVY5HmygcY-ziKvX5e6tDNm161xO2oGgOW8FIyLWudxHek_EOSZ5QeS9V_yRm0USvE5V71_BRacJQNDfHuk5vMBoLuc=&amp;c=WhbCpLfZzrrdYq_mJzWcaLtwxtschLnzEkF-nfqG3FoKHLdecwBD6g==&amp;ch=98lkIt_OIIGKi5LMgrVX2nOkQ777TK4z78lHprdvHDm88C-S9Asa8Q==" target="_blank">Learn more</a>

Arvie Smith: Crossing Clear Creek

Vincent Peters, also known as Æthelstan, is a contemporary artist based in Miami. His latest exhibition, "The Halo is the New Crown," challenges the intersections of power, heritage, and societal decay. The exhibition repurposes symbols of inherited wealth and status to expose their fading relevance in modern times. Æthelstan employs a blend of historical references and subversive imagery to question the commodification of legacy. His work resonates in a market where anti-establishment narratives are increasingly valuable. By merging motifs previously explored by Jean-Michel Basquiat with his own unique stylings, he crafts visually compelling, yet politically charged, pieces that provide a discourse about race, religion, and politics, forcing audiences to reconsider the cost of inherited privilege. The exhibition aligns with the broader discourse on the death of classical art paradigms, arguing that fine art’s commercialization has stripped it of deeper meaning. Æthelstan navigates this tension by creating works that are both collectible and critical of the systems that make them valuable. The artist will be in attendance answering questions, and his original short film will be screened in a loop all evening to accompany the work. This is a multi-sensory experience, free to attend and open to the public. The event will take place at Chicago Truborn, 1741 W Chicago Ave, from March 8, 2025, 4-8 PM, through March 22.

The Halo is The New Crown

UnearthingPinar Aral and Mirentxu Ganzarain&nbsp; SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art1527 N. Ashland Ave.Chicago, IL 60622 February 1 – March 22, 2025 Opening Reception: Saturday, February 1 from 5-8 pmArtist Talk: Saturday, March 8 from 2-3 pm. SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art is proud to feature&nbsp;Pinar Aral and Mirentxu Ganzarain, two extraordinary Chicago-based sculptors currently working in clay. The&nbsp;exhibition is called&nbsp;Unearthing&nbsp;in part because both women view their ceramics practice as a process of unearthing feelings, meaning, and how the clay itself will transform in their hands. Aral describes working with the clay as a process of grounding; it is like a meditation for her. Ganzarain feels the same about the work. She adds, “As you are working with the clay, as you are connecting with the material, it is speaking back to you.”&nbsp; Aral's new work in the exhibition features pieces with the beautiful markings achieved through the ancient method of pit firing. She also is showing a few pieces from her signature Mobius Strip series, and numerous small white porcelain objects reminiscent of forms in nature. Ganzarain is showcasing a diverse collection of work including terracotta sculptures inspired by germination and sprouting seeds, porcelain objects with faux fur and feathers, large mixed-media drawings, and small works on paper.&nbsp;While both Aral and Ganzarain have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives, they appreciate their hybrid identities. Aral is Turkish-American and Ganzarain is Chilean-American and of Spanish descent. The artists have a global view, and it surfaces in their work. Despite never having met before the planning of this exhibit, there was an instant connection between them as they learned about each other’s paths to where they are as artists today. An easy conversation can be seen between their works.&nbsp;&nbsp;The elegance of their work gives this show a serene atmosphere where one wants to take time to relax and contemplate the form and finish of each piece. Both artists have a strong theme in their artwork related to women’s strength and intention. Ganzarain’s drawings are often of women. She explains, “I have been taken aback by the representation of women in religious art. They appear so often to be empty shells. In my work, I re-draw them to be women who are present." Aral also has depicted women in her work. She made the head of Medusa out of clay and tells the story of how Medusa was raped by Poseidon, but not believed. Said Aral, “Like the #MeToo movement of today, this was one of the issues I was trying to unearth and talk about.”&nbsp;Ganzarain earned her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Aral’s degree is from the Institute of Industrial Design in Florence, Italy.&nbsp;&nbsp;Join us for the opening reception Saturday, February 1, 2025 from 5–8 PM. An artist talk is scheduled for Saturday, March 8, from 2-3 pm.&nbsp; ﻿Unearthing&nbsp;runs February 1 – March 22, 2025 at SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art, 1527 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago.&nbsp;Contact Laura Botwinick at (773) 513-4436 or&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(150, 96, 125);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:lkbotwinick@gmail.com" target="_blank">lkbotwinick@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;for more information.

Unearthing: Pinar Aral and Mirentxu Ganzarain 

<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://t8j4tqkab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0016PkL30HQY-kRBcDtKeSTW-rszT7SBVgeuSDOr-2jMV3MEKFa-PiWhtf2FedyNbY9TeawJ6fX6uWX7QekQ0H84RZQMHCGpddRBL7Tn3l7CKsOHbgTY82WK37NOWUsjfBaeIShcUNUFUa3R95Bfm0KKShIKRtvYzuGbCbfmTApVLfPhHiqFXIBVB7u1w3gOkNbn_mfdqWII2ZrZ64wTUr4g1pImn9Ndni1jD1SfnrLlUkTa1mvBSCPOCG7YmaG8ZaF&amp;c=vcnNfPZgOYEyrpLKZthJMJEJainx35scGy4P1CIOYLPEcYXrrDh4jQ==&amp;ch=TaoAewlPDc9gyfOzdJ0um55k0TSEgl2st98_zrOVlKMDlhCtLlyUZA==" target="_blank">I, Too, Am America</a>, 2025 site-specific installation in collaboration with the New Art School ModalityJoin us for a closing toast and remarks with artist Shonna Pryor and NASM founder Romi Crawford.

Closing Toast for Small Wall Project by Shonna Pryor

Racine Arts Council is excited to announce an upcoming event that promises to celebrate the rich talent and creativity of our local arts community. Please join us for the&nbsp;CREATIVITY IN BLOOM: ArtSeed Showcase&nbsp;on&nbsp;Saturday, March 22, 2025, from&nbsp;3:00 – 6:00 PM&nbsp;at the&nbsp;UW-Parkside Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for the Arts &amp; Humanities. This event will feature performances by past ArtSeed grantees, presentations from the 2024 ArtSeed recipients, and an opportunity to network with fellow art enthusiasts and local creatives. Here’s a preview of what you can expect: ﻿Performances by past ArtSeed recipients:<ul><li>Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin</li><li>Over Our Head Players</li><li>Racine Concert Band</li><li>Sweatshop Movement</li></ul> Presentations from the 2024 ArtSeed recipients:<ul><li>BeLEAF Survivors “PHOTOVOICE”</li><li>Racine Zoo “Vanishing Kingdom Mural”</li><li>Racine Video Productions “Life Animated 2”</li><li>The Poetry Movement “Poems on Buses”</li><li>The QuaranTeam “Mansfield Mysteries”</li></ul> <ul><li>Gallery Exhibit: “Lakefront Collage: A Survey of Racine and Kenosha Art Spaces” at the Emile Mathis Gallery</li><li>Silent Auction: Featuring fine art and unique items</li><li>Hors d’oeuvres and cash bar&nbsp;for mingling and collaboration</li><li>Presentation of Emily Hill Award and Heart of Arts Awards&nbsp;to local Art Champions</li></ul> Additionally, we’re offering&nbsp;FREE workshops&nbsp;from 1:30 – 3:00 PM for those who are interested in connecting with practicing artists and experts in various creative fields. Workshop leaders include:• Lisa Marie Barber (visual arts)• Ayesu Lartey (music and theatre performance/composition)• Peter O’Keefe (writing and production) Ticket Information:•&nbsp;$50&nbsp;before March 1, 2025•&nbsp;$60&nbsp;after March 1, 2025 You can purchase your tickets here:&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/ZLCHBPKYE7576" target="_blank">Event Ticket Purchase Link</a> All proceeds from this event will benefit the RAC’s mission to support and advocate for the arts in Racine County and help fund the ArtSeed Grant Program, which has awarded over $120,000 to grow the arts locally.

CREATIVITY IN BLOOM: ArtSeed Showcase

Diana Guerrero-Maciá:&nbsp;PAINTINGS FOR BIRDS, marks Chicago-based artist Diana Guerrero-Maciá’s third solo show with SECRIST | BEACH. On view will be a suite of ten new paintings, a series of large works on paper and an installation that includes a sound work created in collaboration with Joseph Adamik.&nbsp;PAINTINGS&nbsp;FOR&nbsp;BIRDS&nbsp;is presented in conjunction with&nbsp;FOLDS, a survey invitational featuring 15 artists at 1801 W. Hubbard St. Both exhibitions open on January 17 and will be on view through March 15, 2025. Guerrero-Maciá’s post-disciplinary approach to image-making embraces the rejection of traditional ideas around the division of artistic disciplines. Instead, techniques from a variety of methodologies are combined to create a flexible approach for new ideas. With a formal approach to abstract concepts from an art historical direction, these works live at the intersection of pictorial space and textile consciousness. In other words, they are artworks that are yes/and, rather than either/or. They are works of art that don’t check a box; they are not&nbsp;&nbsp;quilted nor painted, they are something else in-between, they are new ideas, as Guerrero-Macia calls them: unpainted pictures.&nbsp; This new series of patchwork colorfields evolve from traditional designs that date from the early 19th century quilting techniques: the Nine Patch, Flying Geese and Solmon’s Puzzle. Using this as a template imbued with an art-historically relevant post-painterly abstraction rigor, Guerrero-Maciá’s “paintings” present luscious palettes on seductive tactile surfaces. With a keener eye, viewers will note that the dedicated embrace of abstraction explores the lived experience. This includes ideas around market consumption, sustainability, and the migration of people that are expressed through color and form. Here, the combination of historical standards with contemporary quandaries strongly suggests that the dynamic between yesterday and today is a fluid reminder that tomorrow is daunting yet exciting.&nbsp; In addition to the paintings, on view will be a new series of works on paper and an installation created in collaboration with Joseph Adamik. The works on paper incorporate collage elements of nature, architecture and birds alongside monochromatic abstract shapes implying our symbiotic relationship to the world around us. The installation, titled&nbsp;Pourparler,&nbsp;features randomly generated songs and calls from 15 birds that migrate between the Caribbean &amp; Central America and the Midwest. Emanating from the gallery’s salon space, which mimics a park after dark, the sound’s digitally generated “conversation” starts with one bird at random while others are slowly added to create rhythmic and tonal audio clusters as the bird song intersects. This manipulated yet melodic confabulation between birds coexisting with the artwork on view confirms a dedication to the elusive expansiveness of perception - both the aural and visual.&nbsp; Diana Guerrero-Maciá’s (lives and works in Chicago) practice includes a hybrid investigation of painting, textiles, print &amp; sculptural objects with an interest in sustainable craft practices. Her largely abstract works engage with myth, iconography, symbols, and color. She is most known for her unpainted pictures, poetic abstract paintings constructed from textiles. Guerrero-Maciá is a 2023 Lenore Tawney Fellow, 2021 John Simon Guggenheim Fellow, a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Fellow, and a MacDowell Fellow. Her exhibitions include the Kohler Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Art Pace San Antonio, Elmhurst Art Museum, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago and the Crocker Museum of Art. She is an alumnus of Skowhegan School of Painting &amp; Drawing, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Penland School of Craft, and Villanova University. She has also created multiple public art commissions for the Public Art Fund, NYC, and the City of Chicago. She is a Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Image: SOUTH-SOUTH, 2023, Dye, canvas, deconstructed clothing, &amp; deadstock wool, and button, 57.75 x 49.75 inches

Diana Guerrero-Maciá: PAINTINGS FOR BIRDS

The Evanston Art Center (EAC) is excited to welcome the public to our upcoming exhibition,&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.evanstonartcenter.org/exhibitions/picturing-community-stories-photographs-partnership-evanston-history-center" target="_blank">Picturing Community: Stories in Photographs | with the Evanston History Center</a>. The exhibition will be on display from&nbsp;February 22 - March 23, 2025, and will be free and open to the public. The EAC has partnered with the&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://evanstonhistorycenter.org/" target="_blank">Evanston History Center</a>&nbsp;to present Picturing Community: Stories in Photographs, exploring the communal and historic significance of photographs. Photographs from the Evanston History Center archives tell a story of Evanston’s growth as a community. The Evanston Art Center issued a call for artists to submit contemporary images of our city inspired by these photographs. Exhibiting artists include Todd Anderson, Richard Cahan, Marilyn Crocker, Mike Ennis, Ian Finley, Janice Kazmier, and Jordan Scott.&nbsp; The exhibition, located in the Second Floor Galleries at the Evanston Art Center, showcases the historic and contemporary photographs together to illustrate the commonalities we share, as well as the changes. In addition to the exhibition, a small exhibit of vintage cameras will run concurrently at the Evanston History Center and will be available for viewing during their public hours, Thursday – Sunday, 1:00 – 4:00pm. Admission is $10.

Picturing Community: Stories in Photographs | with the Evanston History Center

<a href=https://isac.uchicago.edu/chicagonile>Details</a>In 1924, an Egyptologist, an artist, and a photographer—the staff of the University of Chicago’s new Epigraphic Survey—began the task of recording the scenes and inscriptions carved on the walls of the enormous, 3,000-year-old temple of Pharaoh Ramesses III at Medinet Habu near Luxor. It was the culmination of a long-standing dream of James Henry Breasted, the first American Egyptologist and founder of ISAC (then the Oriental Institute), to both copy and publish all the historical texts in the Nile Valley. The Epigraphic Survey was established to undertake this unimaginably ambitious program of field research.A century later, the Epigraphic Survey continues to fulfill Breasted’s mission. Housed at Chicago House in Luxor, the expedition has documented some of the most important—and endangered—records to survive from ancient Egypt, using a well-established and tested method to create highly accurate facsimiles of the carvings and texts and to publish them as a permanent archive.The special exhibition Chicago on the Nile features photographs, artifacts, original artworks, and publications that illuminate a century of endeavor to preserve the records of Egypt’s ancient past, along with engaging accounts of life and work at Chicago House in Luxor over the past 100 years.&nbsp;

Chicago on the Nile: 100 Years of the Epigraphic Survey in Egypt

Image: Random Thoughts, 11 x 14", acrylic, 2024

Hodges Williams

<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hindmanauctions.com/auctions/1991-jewelry-through-the-ages-ancient-to-neoclassical?tab=lots" target="_blank">Details</a> Day I: Ancient to Neoclassical&nbsp;presents a distinguished selection of ancient wearable jewelry and engraved gems, featuring pieces from an Important New Jersey Collection and a New York Private Collection. Particularly noteworthy is a collection of Near Eastern and Islamic necklaces from the Patti Cadby Birch Collection, offering a rare glimpse into the artistry and craftsmanship of early civilizations.

Jewelry Through the Ages: Ancient to Neoclassical

<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hindmanauctions.com/auctions/6302-9a0a7646-db1e-40b9-8cfd-5c1aaf6c2330?tab=lots" target="_blank">Details</a> Freeman’s | Hindman is pleased to present Jewelry Through the Ages: Georgian to Modern, offering a curated selection of jewelry leading through the 18th century into our present day. From a varied collection of antique jewelry and watches to contemporary designer pieces and artisan works, this historical jewelry timeline has something to offer for every kind of collector.&nbsp; Day II: Georgian to Modern presents jewelry in a timeline with distinct periods represented: Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, Retro and Modern. The sale highlights jewelry from private collections including Property from the Collection of Carl and Rosa Askonas, a Private Collection of a Designer, Atlanta, Georgia, and Property from the Stuyvesant Fish Family. Noteworthy pieces include Georgian rings, a Victorian Snake bracelet, Retro brooches, and Ed Wiener rings.&nbsp; ﻿

Jewelry Through the Ages: Georgian to Modern

With work from Jennifer Merchant, Emiko Oye and Nikki Couppee, the exhibition features three artists that are transforming plastic into wearable works of art. Plastic is undoubtedly a part of our everyday lives, and is an often overlooked material for jewelry. But this transformation from ordinary to something spectacular calls into question: how do we place value on objects? What is cherished? Each artist has their own unique way of interpreting these questions and reinventing the material by tapping into intuition, with color remaining a key component to the work.

Reception for Altered States: Plastics Transformed

An exhibition exploring the combination and intersections of visual art and music. The act of creating is expansive and inclusive by nature.&nbsp;&nbsp;The word “artist” covers all forms of expression: painters, sculptors, actors, musicians, writers, dancers, comedians, and onwards.&nbsp;The individual artist rarely has one identity or skill set. This spring Madron explores the artistic combination of object maker and musician.&nbsp;Zach Balousek, Margie Criner, John T. Upchurch, and Lucie Van der Elst are four contemporary Chicago artists whose individual practices differ in material, technique, and methods of storytelling.

Opening reception for Synthesize

Opening Reception: Friday, March 7, 2025, 5-8pm Proliferate, by artist Nicole Havekost, is of a series of ten works on paper. Made with traditional drawing materials, the artist pokes holes through the paper, creating a white, swollen perforation on the front. Using ovoid forms, the artist references voids and tears, and interiors and exteriors through accumulated gestures. The work speaks to unseen labor, the passage of time, and transformation. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://a1e0.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=679cd7a56961a229fdc8f0e6&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.arcgallery.org%2Fexhibitions-archive%2Fnicole-havekost%3Fss_source%3Dsscampaigns%26ss_campaign_id%3D678eba73620b233bc0d5510a%26ss_email_id%3D679cd7a56961a229fdc8f0e6%26ss_campaign_name%3DATHENA%2BFUND%2BSOLO%2BSHOW%2BAWARDEES%2521%26ss_campaign_sent_date%3D2025-01-31T14%253A03%253A11Z&amp;w=64a606bd02fcf20816e96509&amp;c=b_678eba73620b233bc0d5510a&amp;l=en-US&amp;s=5Zs0ly87O4nb9zO0kaoF5gbb2UI%3D" target="_blank">&nbsp;More Here&nbsp;</a>

Nicole Havekost: Proliferate 

SEWN FROM RESISTANCE: Deconstructing Black Disability Narratives in America&nbsp;is a site-specific, multi-sensory installation by Jill Wells that critically examines the intersection of Black and Disability histories within the American context. This work challenges stereotypical portrayals of Black disability identities while celebrating the resilience and resistance embedded within these lived experiences. Through a fusion of installation, painting, sound, and tactile sculpture, Wells engages sensory elements that shape how individuals' access and engage with information.&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://a1e0.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=679cd7a56961a229fdc8f0e6&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.arcgallery.org%2Fexhibitions-archive%2Fjill-wells%3Fss_source%3Dsscampaigns%26ss_campaign_id%3D678eba73620b233bc0d5510a%26ss_email_id%3D679cd7a56961a229fdc8f0e6%26ss_campaign_name%3DATHENA%2BFUND%2BSOLO%2BSHOW%2BAWARDEES%2521%26ss_campaign_sent_date%3D2025-01-31T14%253A03%253A11Z&amp;w=64a606bd02fcf20816e96509&amp;c=b_678eba73620b233bc0d5510a&amp;l=en-US&amp;s=hE6SR_jwXOlb0gLc9ARvQbvOMRE%3D" target="_blank">&nbsp;More Here&nbsp;</a>

Jill Wells: Sewn From Resistance

Math of Four Minute Warnings is an exhibition that interrogates the role Western media plays in constructing cultural narratives, while centering a caring and concerning lens on the destruction of Syria and its people through large-scale paintings. For Kasir, the works start from a personal place. “Iraq is my father’s country, and Syria is my mother’s as well as the second home of my youth. It is where my aunts, uncles and cousins were living. It is where there are buildings where I slept in and streets where I played tag and other games as a child. I’ve witnessed years of destruction of my countries from US invasion, with very little regard from Western mainstream media to civilian casualties.”&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://a1e0.engage.squarespace-mail.com/r?m=679cd7a56961a229fdc8f0e6&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.arcgallery.org%2Fexhibitions-archive%2Fdavid-najib-kasir%3Fss_source%3Dsscampaigns%26ss_campaign_id%3D678eba73620b233bc0d5510a%26ss_email_id%3D679cd7a56961a229fdc8f0e6%26ss_campaign_name%3DATHENA%2BFUND%2BSOLO%2BSHOW%2BAWARDEES%2521%26ss_campaign_sent_date%3D2025-01-31T14%253A03%253A11Z&amp;w=64a606bd02fcf20816e96509&amp;c=b_678eba73620b233bc0d5510a&amp;l=en-US&amp;s=8I7XZtQsg05WONKsnQZnvJntw7Y%3D" target="_blank">&nbsp;More Here&nbsp;</a>

Calendar

Chicago Gallery News