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

International Currents Gallery Taqi Spateen is a contemporary Palestinian painter and muralist, who held a 3 month Residency at the John David Mooney Foundation through our Artists at Risk Program. Born in Husan, Bethlehem, his work is inspired by the sacred beauty of the Palestinian countryside, as well as the displacement caused by the settler expansion. From That Land will be on display and open to the public from August 27 through September 17. Parking Available across the street at Sterling Park. Garage. Image: Committed Nature, Acrylic on Canvas, 2025

Taqi Spateen: From That Land

Join us at the IMSS for an in-depth exploration of the science and cultural history behind Japanese Whiskey.

Japanese Whiskey & Koji Fermentation: Science, History, and Taste

Opening Reception for Laleh Motlagh's Rooted. Uprooted Exhibition details <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/laleh-motlagh-rooted-uprooted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>

Opening Reception for Chicago Exhibition Week

Artists'&nbsp;Talk&nbsp;at Gallery:&nbsp;Thursday, September 17, 7pmThe artists will give a&nbsp;talk about their work&nbsp;on Thursday, September 17 at 7pm. Please note: This will be an in-person event, held at Perspective Gallery.Perspective Gallery in Evanston is excited to host&nbsp;an exhibition featuring new work by gallery members&nbsp;<a href="https://perspectivegallery.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=04a588cae42ffc5c2d944d823&amp;id=9b849841b0&amp;e=d73170d386" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maria Finitzo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://perspectivegallery.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=04a588cae42ffc5c2d944d823&amp;id=976e5acd37&amp;e=d73170d386" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">William Bridges</a>.&nbsp;In her debut exhibition at Perspective, Finitzo&nbsp;presents the first public viewing of&nbsp;Ice &amp; Light,&nbsp;which revisits images made in 1993 on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High&nbsp;Arctic. Unresolved at the time of their making, the&nbsp;original color transparencies were set&nbsp;aside for three decades before being rediscovered. Their return contrasts&nbsp;the material endurance of analog photography with the fragility of the subject matter. The ice shelves of northern Ellesmere Island, among the oldest in the Northern Hemisphere, have since undergone significant loss due to climate change, rendering these images a record of a disappearing landscape.In&nbsp;MY&nbsp;Photographic Memory?,&nbsp;Bridgesexplores an alternate, possible link between memory and photography. "Some people are said to have 'photographic memories', the ability to recall comprehensive, detailed pictures of everything they have seen," he writes. "I believe that everyone has a photographic memory but that the type of mental imagery differs from one person to the next. What I offer here are not crystallized pictures of the past, but photographs of how my recollections appear in my head."The exhibition opens Thursday, September 3 and runs through Sunday, September 27, 2026.&nbsp;An&nbsp;opening reception&nbsp;will be held on Saturday, September 12, from 5-7pm.

Artists' Talk: Maria Finitzo and William Bridges. 

Paintings by Thomas McCueOak Park Public Library (Main Branch)2nd Floor Gallery834 Lake St. Oak Park, IL 60302 Generative Interference is a solo exhibition of paintngs by Thomas McCue The artist will exhibit recent work representative of ongoing explorations into expressive and abstract image making. The work is a product of a highly intuitive, spontaneous, and "generative" process.Influenced by biological entities, processes, and environments, both real and imagined, with form and composition emerge over&nbsp;the course of layering intuitive mark making and color. The artist is legally blind, having experienced significant vision loss&nbsp;over twenty years ago. Thomas has had to contendl loss of central vision, relying ofn his peripheral vision to do both every-day life tasks and make art. "Interference" in part refers to the artist's condition, called Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON). In addition to loss of central vision, LHON presents with dynamic visual artifacts, simple visual hallucinations and "noise". The artist has had to adapt and work using memory, close-looking, technology, and intuition the work reflects both a process of real-time adaptation and a running internal narrative of nature's complexity, chaos, and beauty. The work is also defined by the effort to see through the interference with the use of contrast, saturated color, line, and repetition. Generative Interference will be at the Oak Park Public Library mMain branch from August 18 to September 18. Image: "The Idyll" 48" x 60" , Oil on Canvas, 2026, Thomas McCue

Generative Interference

Woman Made Gallery (WMG) proudly announces the launch of its inaugural <a href="https://womanmade.org/makers-shakers-bash-2026-fundraiser/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" target="_blank">Makers &amp; Shakers Bash</a>, a new annual celebration honoring the artists and activists who are reshaping culture and driving equity across the nation. The event will take place Friday, September 18, 2026, from 6 to 9 PM at the stunning indoor/outdoor venue at Morningstar’s Headquarters, 22W Washington St., 7th Floor, Chicago, IL.As the United States reflects on 250 years of history, WMG poses a vital question: Who is writing the next chapter? The Makers &amp; Shakers Bash recognizes those already forging the future. In this inaugural year, WMG honors:<a href="https://scheherazadetillet.com/bio" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" target="_blank">Scheherazade Tillet</a> — 2026 Maker, an artist whose visionary work shifts culture and expands the possibilities of creative expression.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lwvchicago.org/jane-ruby" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" target="_blank">Jane Ruby</a> — 2026 Shaker, an activist whose leadership as President of the League of Women Voters Chicago moves communities toward justice, equity, and shared freedom.The Bash is presented alongside WMG’s exhibition, Feminism 250: Woman Made America, marking both the nation’s semi-quincentennial and 34 years of WMG’s commitment to uplifting women and non?binary artists.2026 Event Highlights<ul><li>Tête-à-Tête Conversation featuring the inaugural honorees</li><li>Silent Auction of original artworks and one-of-a-kind experiences</li><li>&nbsp;Live Blues Performance by Patch of Blues, Chicago Music Award 2024&nbsp;</li><li>DJ Set by DJ Justeez, spinning sounds curated to the Makers &amp; Shakers vibe</li><li>Immersive Art Experiences, including hands-on creativity stations</li><li>Mystery Bags filled with art-inspired treasures</li><li>Cocktails + Bites and sweet + savory offerings on one of the Loop’s best patios</li><li>Virtual tour of the Feminism 250: Woman Made America exhibit</li><li>Showcase of the Resilience Community Quilt by Dorothy Straughter&nbsp;</li></ul>WMG Member Tickets: $95 for one | $160 for twoGeneral Admission: $125 for one | $200 for twoFor more details on how to get involved, purchase tickets, or sponsor the event, visit <a href="https://womanmade.org/makers-shakers-bash-2026-fundraiser/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" target="_blank">https://womanmade.org/makers-shakers-bash-2026-fundraiser/</a>Woman Made Gallery | 1332 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60607312-738-0400 | general@womanmade.org | <a href="http://email.mg2.lglcrm.net/c/eJxdjt0OgyAMhZ8GLoktiHDBhdPsNQxK_UlEF8ey1x9u2cWWNOk5bXr6BUdejRr54rBAKCQgaCklCBBa1qpp0LS1bVGBZaqIE4p1Wocjio0Sz7KLflmXbeqWwMoLK1t3NsxRBiRUWeUZX92c0u3OZM3wmuu5R79FH0jsx5Q9P1xPPlF-8bPiyflh2B9b6kCh0Xx2BUHojZLWj5Ulq1VpMRCYigbo9Vi9ob5H_1BnxgfpBV2PR2w" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);" target="_blank">https://womanmade.org/</a>Gallery Hours: Wednesday through Sunday 12–5 PM CST

Inaugural Makers & Shakers Bash 

Open Studios is an event organized by Pigment Magazine, taking place from September 18 to November 6, 2026. It spans over 7 weeks and begins on September 18, 2026.This September BAC&nbsp;&nbsp;is excited to announce the opening of three new gallery shows&nbsp;&nbsp;in our 3rd and 4th Floor Galleries!

Open Studios

Brendan Fernandes: In the Round

Xenia Mansour reactivates was, still is, a 50-minute durational, site-adaptive performance in the Murphy Auditorium. Activations include open rehearsals, workshops for dancers, and artist talks.

Concerts of Dance: Xenia Mansour

Laleh Motlagh: Rooted. Uprooted. is an exhibition scheduled from September 12 to November 7, 2026. Artist talk: Saturday, September 19, 12:15 -1:30 pm The event is organized by SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art, located at 1527 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60622. In Rooted. Uprooted, Iranian-Azerbaijani American artist Laleh Motlagh presents new bodies of work exploring multicultural identity, resilience, and personal geography. Moving between the memories of her hometown of Tabriz, Iran, and her current life in Chicago, Motlagh navigates the complex realities of geopolitical displacement and belonging. Her recent work acts as a profound meditation on the enduring traumas of conflict, specifically reflecting on the devastation of the recent war, while remaining deeply present to her immediate surroundings. The studies of her houseplants that have been a key part of her practice are now interwoven in subtle ways so even as she is thinking about the war in Iran, her work still embodies the beauty and peace of plants and interior places. Motlagh’s work is so relevant to these times and reflects how many of us feel, rooted and uprooted, having to hold many realities at the same time. Expanding upon the themes of transformation and quietude established in her 2024 exhibition, Entanglement, Motlagh introduces new paintings and a series of new monoprints from the collection of her dried plant materials. These tactile works serve as visual archives of preservation, investigating the lingering lifeforces of botany and their capacity to find beauty within interior landscapes. By interweaving domestic peace with distant geopolitical unrest, Rooted. Uprooted. invites viewers to hold multiple and conflicting truths simultaneously, capturing the collective precarity of existence and the enduring pursuit of consolation. Laleh Motlagh لاله مطلق (b. Tabriz, Iran) is a Chicago-based artist and educator. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around the world. She has received multiple awards and recognitions. Motlagh received her MFA from the University of Illinois Chicago and teaches at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Laleh Motlagh was one of NewCity’s Breakout Artists of 2023.

Artist Talk: Laleh Motlagh

Letica Pardo: Carcasa (109 E. Ontario St.)Through a material reconfiguration of the Mies van der Rohe stair and walls from The Arts Club building, the installation foregrounds aspects of architectural production often minimized or rendered invisible within dominant historical narratives. Originally produced for The Arts Club’s former location, the stair was salvaged from demolition and reinstalled in the institution’s current building, becoming an object in the collection.Translating the stair into exposed rebar—a material typically embedded within built infrastructure and intentionally concealed—brings construction to the surface. The seemingly unfinished structure draws attention to manual labor carried out by immigrant workers who have sustained the U.S. building industry. Silicone casts taken from travertine slabs surrounding the staircase function as reversed impressions of the stone, revealing internal veining and voids as surface textures. Together, the rebar structure and silicone casts establish a dialogue between structure and body, visibility and concealment, and value and labor.Reducing architecture to bone and skin, Carcasa (109 E. Ontario St.) approaches modernism as a system whose authority and visibility were produced through selective recognition. In doing so, it positions architecture as a cultural record of collective making shaped by social relations.This project was curated by Executive Director and Chief Curator Janine Mileaf.This site-specific installation involved production assistance by Dishan Rahman, and metal fabrication by Alejandro Castellanos, Ernesto Garcia, Jair Martínez, José Martinez, Ricardo Martínez, Danilo Medina, Ernesto Medina, Gonzalo Medina, Nelson Ramírez, Francisco Rivadeneyra, Heriberto Valdez, Daniel Valencia, Randi Vigueras, D5 Design and Metal Fabrication.Special thanks goes to Gallery Manager Colby Starck and preparators Reggie Williamson, Xavier Hughes, and Adele Henning. Carcasa (109 E. Ontario St.) (detail), Leticia Pardo. Photo by Fran Peñaflor.

Letica Pardo: Carcasa

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence defined “unalienable rights” as “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” And five years after the end of the Revolutionary War, the founding generation ratified a new Constitution to, among other things, “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” What it meant to dedicate a country to liberty was immediately contested and continues to be contested to this day. For whom were these “Blessings of Liberty” to be secured? Under what circumstances could individuals expect the inalienable right of liberty to be recognized? What justifies limitations on liberty, and what does a dedication to liberty demand of us?Though Americans grappled with these issues in all times and places, nothing crystallized the tensions around liberty quite like war. President Abraham Lincoln, in his address at the newly dedicated Gettysburg National Cemetery in the midst of the Civil War, centered his reflection on this very question: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” At the site of so much death and destruction, he wondered whether a nation, “so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.”Conceived in Liberty: Cartoons, Caricatures, and Illustrations in the Wartime US, 1812-1918&nbsp;will draw on the Newberry’s collection to show how artists living through wartime “conceived” cartoons, caricatures, and illustrations that grappled with questions about liberty. These images appeared throughout broader print culture (newspapers, magazines, sheet music, broadsides, posters) as well as in more private contexts, such as diaries, letters, or sketchbooks. Whether patriotic or dissenting, available to the masses or only to a few, wartime imagery reveals in dramatic, visually compelling ways how the people of the US have used the occasion of war to question, revise, challenge, and champion this core value of the country since its founding 250 years ago.<a href="https://www.newberry.org/calendar/conceived-in-liberty" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DETAILS</a>

Conceived in Liberty: Cartoons, Caricatures, and Illustrations in the Wartime US, 1812-1918

On Saturday, September 19, Corbett vs. Dempsey presents a conversation between John Corbett and Hamza Walker on the topic of Jon Waine. As a special treat, original band members Franc Palaia (drums) and Ellen La Forge (bass) will perform selections from the Jon Waine repertoire.

John Corbett & Hamza Walker in Conversation

Please join us to celebrate this monumental exhibition on two separate days.&nbsp; PREVIEW on Friday, September 11 • 5 to 8 pm&nbsp;at our River North gallery at 716 N. Wells.&nbsp; OPENING RECEPTION with the artist on Saturday, September 19 • 4 to 6 pm at 700 N. LaSalle Street in Chicago.&nbsp; Since the public opening on June 2nd of the open air exhibition on Chicago's North Michigan Avenue (the Magnificent Mile)&nbsp;Chicago had not seen a public art display of this magnitude in 27 years. Carole Feuerman is best known for her figurative sculptures depicting swimmers and dancers. She is the only woman to sculpt in this style, creating lifelike works for both indoor and outdoor spaces. From landing on the front page of the Chicago Tribune, to thousands of Chicago residents and tourists from around the world, we have been inundated with inspiring messages that have given joy to millions of people who have strolled along the Magnificent Mile of Michigan Avenue. In addition to our public sculpture installation, our gallery will feature Carole's life-size, tabletop and miniature sculptures. Image: Miniature Quan&nbsp;

Carole A. Feuerman: ﻿MONUMENTS OF STILLNESS

STONE AGE: Lithography Show opening on September 19, from 5 - 8pm at WING Studio, 4883 N. Lincoln (60625).

STONE AGE: Lithography Show opening

Join us for a closing reception on Saturday, September 29 from 6-9pm. Maybe we will serve tea and paint our nails and smoke hookah. Open every Sunday, 12-4pm &amp; by appointment. 4222 W Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60639. www.sawhorsespace.net info@sawhorsespace.net

Jesse Bond's Own Who You Are

Willem de Kooning Drawing&nbsp;is the first exhibition to explore the full scope of Willem de Kooning’s drawing practice and how it was foundational to his boundary-breaking artistic career. Featuring more than 200 artworks including rarely-seen drawings—alongside paintings, sculptures, and prints—this exhibition offers an unprecedented opportunity to experience the totality of his graphic production over seven decades and sheds light on his experimentation with materials, tools, and techniques.

Willem de Kooning Drawing

Have you ever kneaded wet dough? It feels amazing. Smack smack thwap stretch flop. Throw it in the air and see what happens. It can be any shape you want.&nbsp;Fruit flies like dough too. Buzzzzz buzz buzz.My face is stiff and my arms are somewhat immobilized by a complex arrangement of bandages, but a sweet young thing named Annie sits&nbsp;patiently&nbsp;next to me, holding a plastic cup with a straw up to my parched lips. Pink sparkling rosé, my favorite. It’s about the little things. Miami Beach. Printed minidress. Chunky necklace on tan skin.... Cars slow down to get a better look at me....

Jesse Bond: Own Who You Are

Jackson Junge Gallery presents K-POP!, a mini exhibition featuring Chicago-based artist iri5 known for her unexpected mixed media artwork made from cassette tape. The exhibition will be on view from August 24th to September 20th, 2026. To celebrate the exhibition, a BTS fan event will be hosted in collaboration with The Purple Court on Saturday, August 29th, 2026, from 12-7pm. The exhibition will end with a closing reception from 5-8pm on Saturday, September 19, 2026. K-POP! is curated by Gallery Director Kaitlyn Miller and Assistant Gallery Director Kristen Arcus. The event will feature portraits of K-pop artists such as Jungkook, V, and Jimin from BTS, and Jenni from Black Pink, all created by iri5 using cassette tape on wood panel. Free admission to the exhibit and opening reception.

K-POP!

The Evanston Art Center (EAC) is excited to welcome the public to our upcoming exhibition,&nbsp;Glass Castles | Curated by Azul Alberto Nogueron. The exhibition will be on display from August 8 - September 20, 2026 with an opening reception on Sunday, August 9, 1-3pm that will be free and open to the public.Glass Castles&nbsp;is a whimsical, surrealist exhibition of works about spirituality and religious trauma curated through the queer perspective.&nbsp;Glass Castles&nbsp;is the second of three exhibitions curated by Azul Alberto Nogueron as part of their time as the EAC's COMPASS Resident.The COMPASS Curator Residency provides an emerging curator with an opportunity to curate three shows in the Evanston Art Center’s Lobby Gallery space. The EAC’s Lobby Gallery is a space dedicated to exhibiting emerging and underrepresented artists/curators and responds to current social events. This dynamic and inclusive space draws in new curators, artists, and audiences. Glass Castles | Curated by Azul Alberto Nogueron&nbsp;will be exhibited in the Lobby Gallery on the FirstFloor of the Art Center. The opening reception is free and open to the public. This exhibition is partially funded by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the EAC’s general membership.Evanston Art Center, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, is dedicated to fostering the appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences. The Art Center offers extensive and innovative instruction in broad areas of artistic endeavor through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach initiatives.

Glass Castles | Curated by Azul Alberto Nogueron

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is thrilled to announce&nbsp;Dancing the Revolution. This exhibition is the first of its kind to explore and expand the visual, political and spiritual histories of dancehall and reggaetón through contemporary art—two dynamic genres that have transcended their grassroots origins to shape global culture. From Kingston to San Juan through London, Toronto, New York City and Panama,&nbsp;Dancing the Revolutionpositions music and dance as a revolutionary practice for collective liberation rooted in the struggle against colonial oppression. Dancehall and reggaetón are not only musical genres but cultural practices and powerful expressions of resistance and joy—reminders of the Caribbean's centuries-old traditions of dance and music as means of liberation and protest rooted in Black Atlantic history and culture.&nbsp;Dancing the Revolution&nbsp;showcases pivotal moments and themes from these histories, starting with the sound system—a mobile disco that embodies both a community experience and a vital civic institution.&nbsp; Presenting work across varied mediums,&nbsp;Dancing the Revolution&nbsp;includes painting, sound sculptures, installations, photographs, and video, showcasing how artists have been and continue to be inspired by these histories and the visual forms that emerge from them. The exhibition features more than 35 artists, including Isaac Julien, Jean Michel Basquiat, Edra Soto, Alberta Whittle, Carolina Caycedo, supakid and Lee "Scratch" Perry. A special commissioned mixtape project invites visitors to learn about the evolution of these popular genres in Panama and hear iconic songs that have paved the way for the global phenomenon of reggaetón. Audiences also will be able to purchase the exhibition’s bilingual catalogue (Spanish/English), which features scholarship on topics such as sound system and sonic aesthetics in painting, dancing and protest during Puerto Rico's&nbsp;Verano del 19, or Summer of 2019, and Panama’s reggae en español, as well as extensive illustrations reproducing exhibition artworks. Dancing the Revolution&nbsp;considers music and dance as powerful tools for sexual and political liberation. The exhibition’s title is inspired by the shifting RPMs (revolutions per minute) that mark the tempo and history of Caribbean popular music, including historic events like Verano del 19 (which famously included protests attended by singers iLe, Residente, Ricky Martin, and Bad Bunny). At this critical moment of collective action, LGBTQ+ and feminist activists led&nbsp;perreo combativo, or “combative twerking,” on the steps of San Juan Cathedral prior to Governor Ricardo Roselló’s resignation, transforming reggaetón’s characteristic dance into a form of political protest. This reclamation of public space through dance—an act deeply rooted in dancehall history and culture—demonstrates how music and dance can serve as bold acts of collective resistance and emancipation. Dancing the Revolution&nbsp;is curated by Carla Acevedo-Yates, former Marilyn and Larry Fields Curator and Director of Curatorial Initiatives, with Iris Colburn, Curatorial Associate, Nolan Jimbo, Assistant Curator, Cecilia González Godino, former Marjorie Susman Curatorial Fellow, and nibia pastrana santiago, Curatorial Consultant.

Dancing the Revolution

Wayside Days is a free two-day community event at the Art Preserve, featuring music, dance, performance, hands-on artmaking, and community gathering. A highlight of the event is the Rock Procession on Saturday, Sept. 19, where 79 rocks will journey approximately three miles through Sheboygan. This procession is part of an installation called Rock Fade (≈ 45 Billion Years) by artists Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis, moving from the John Michael Kohler Arts Center to its permanent home at the Art Preserve.

Wayside Days

The 78th Greenwich Village Art Fair is a two-day outdoor event held at Rockford Art Museum featuring juried artists, live music by local musicians, children’s art activities, a local vendor marketplace, food trucks, cocktails, and more.Established in 1948, GVAF is the longest-running art fair of its kind in the Midwest. All artwork on display at Greenwich Village Art Fair is original and produced entirely by the hands of the exhibiting artist.Admission proceeds support Rockford Art Museum, located at 711 North Main Street in downtown Rockford, Illinois.<a href="https://us.list-manage.com/j5SLl2sLHHP?e=7aced3c85f&amp;c2id=022ea89fe4e8ce5503f91bd1a7cb9b2e" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;for more information.&nbsp;

Greenwich Village Art Fair

<a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hyde Park Art Center</a>, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, is proud to announce&nbsp;Jeff Carter: The Singer Pavilion Project, on view&nbsp;June 6 – September 20, 2026. Exploring the historic and architectural significance of the Singer Pavilion—the only building remaining of the former Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Bronzeville, the exhibition prompts critical reflection on the Modernist promise of social progress, and considers how architectural ideals are compromised by histories of institutional failure, abandonment, and inequality.Since 2020, Carter has developed an extensive body of work exploring the site, history, and significance of the Singer Pavilion, a structure he refers to as a “Modernist ruin.” The exhibition presents eleven artworks, including sculptures, digital images, sound works and installations. Several artworks in the exhibition are made using materials extracted from the abandoned site: a waiting room chair, vinyl records, and native plants that have reclaimed the neglected landscape. The excavated materials were transformed into sculptures and conjure both the life in and around the building during its active years as a psychiatric institute (1948-2009) and the building’s dereliction following the hospital’s closure in 2009. A series of ‘zines developed in collaboration with artists with connections to the hospital and the surrounding Bronzeville community will be included.Founded in 1881, Michael Reese Hospital was a major research and teaching hospital, and one of the oldest and largest hospitals in Chicago, providing care to all people regardless of religion, nationality, or race. Its architecture, whose designers included Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus School, is considered by preservationists to hold historic value. ABOUT THE ARTISTJeff Carter (1967, he/his) is a multimedia artist living and working in Chicago. He earned his BFA at the University of Colorado, Boulder and his MFA at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His practice includes sculpture, kinetics, sound, installation, and digital media. Jeff has exhibited his work in Chicago at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Renaissance Society, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Hyde Park Art Center. His work has been shown internationally at the Hayward Gallery, London, the Kunsthalle Hamburg, Germany, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan, the IKEA Museum, Sweden, and the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, University College Cork, Ireland. His solo shows include the Chicago Cultural Center and the DePaul Art Museum, Chicago, Spencer Brownstone Gallery, New York, and Galeria Valle Orti, Valencia, Spain. A previous project about the demolished Michael Reese Hospital campus,&nbsp;The Common Citizenship of Forms&nbsp;(2011), was reviewed in Art In America and profiled in the 7th edition of Bauhaus Magazine. He is a Professor in The Art School at DePaul University. ABOUT THE HYDE PARK ART CENTERHyde Park Art Center, at 5020 South Cornell Avenue on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, is a hub for contemporary arts in Chicago, serving as a gathering, production, and exhibition space for artists and the broader community to cultivate ideas, impact social change, and connect with new networks. Since its inception in 1939, Hyde Park Art Center has grown from a small collective of artists to establishing a strong legacy of risk-taking and experimentation, emerging as a unique Chicago arts institution with social impact. Today, the Art Center offers a diverse suite of programs for artists and art lovers of all backgrounds, ages, and stages in their careers including: contemporary art exhibitions in six galleries; an open-access community-based school with 2,000 annual enrollments; weekly arts education to 1,000 elementary school students in public schools; weekly and summer teen programs for 100 teen artists; professional-advancement programs for artists; a local and international artist residency; and public programs that connect residents with Chicago art and artists. The Art Center’s Oakman Clinton School + Studio is the nation’s first fully contribute-what-you-can visual art school for all ages. The Art Center functions as an amplifier for creative voices of today and tomorrow, providing the space to cultivate new work and connections. For more information, visit<a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.hydeparkart.org</a>.

Calendar

Chicago Gallery News