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

<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2Fc4ce2SDpH5WBMhYM8Lg3siSTH1K4Ta9caIZIe-2BHV5HWB1k_a1zzESVdmgLIQ4rlql6kbXT9QXaGGWYBxHAPtO1QqWO5GLp4idxebnEhHBD62Papsj-2FEMdnG4nN1Qo796g0RxGgCD6tZhe9AwtUHIFq1tAylqDj842HkNV4wYVNY4xw2-2BQRyLH350l2-2BlQzfW6YDfr4aHgb4D01O4V1XnAuCrmfndJVAtAZxIKVpmElbKGy0Jt9sSvGTy7LzUOi-2BmAyqOnlvvft86rzmlvICAR9SGMNUmkyejUtP-2F2JG2lxdbR7VYNwKjV1n694Qo9hyqlI-2Fs6TLLH4JYq88ri-2FUncbbr3pDZ3Wln0l5HXDl91SUgWY2p2-2F4XdfDBwvNAlwne4OkSQSENF4vp-2FbMOV3-2Bb2jFL4Y-3D" target="_blank">Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park</a>&nbsp;announces that the exhibition&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2Fc4ce2SDpH5WBMhYM8Lg3uL1Wn2dPQRSOrTl3Av4-2BIoqEGm_a1zzESVdmgLIQ4rlql6kbXT9QXaGGWYBxHAPtO1QqWO5GLp4idxebnEhHBD62Papsj-2FEMdnG4nN1Qo796g0RxGgCD6tZhe9AwtUHIFq1tAylqDj842HkNV4wYVNY4xw2-2BQRyLH350l2-2BlQzfW6YDfr4aHgb4D01O4V1XnAuCrmfndJVAtAZxIKVpmElbKGy0Jt9sSvGTy7LzUOi-2BmAyqOiqkemdUW9QEEg7g327d7qnNX6DKy1Fqxqk7cPlUrk2kpyYQhIoOcAD0uhOHNolwBHm-2BQBmgtdzfyLqUn-2FBamHjenneVeyFHBehBV9XVllwCDk4GLfQ-2FghATruY3DOCjMhZ1nqF-2BndCV3dyBZGMkuO0-3D" target="_blank">BUSTED: Contemporary Sculpture Busts</a>&nbsp;will be on view April 4 through September 20. This eye-opening exhibition showcases the ancient sculpture tradition of the bust as radically transformed by 21st-century artists.Busts—partial renderings featuring the head and shoulders—are central within sculpture history, having ancient origins in Egyptian funerary masks and Greek herms (square stone pillar with a carved head). For millennia, the main function of sculpture busts has been to aggrandize nobility and divinity, and to preserve the likeness of distinguished figures. While the bust genre fell out of favor within 20th-century art, it has experienced a revival among contemporary artists who enlist it to grapple with themes of identity, mortality, power and history.“Throughout art history, the sculpture bust has proven to be a uniquely potent format for capturing and celebrating individuals,” said Suzanne Ramljak, the exhibition’s curator and Vice President of Collections &amp; Curatorial Affairs at Meijer Gardens. “As the exhibition title suggests, contemporary artists have cracked open this ancient tradition, activating a critical dialogue about who we are, how we are remembered, and the ways in which bodies carry meaning.”BUSTED&nbsp;offers engaging human representations by 15 exceptional artists from around the world, many of whom have never exhibited at Meijer Gardens: Elia Alba, Dean Allison, Radcliffe Bailey, Barry X. Ball, Sanford Biggers, Layo Bright, Michael Ferris Jr., Salvador Jimenez-Flores, Leonid Lerman, Sebastian Martorana, Paul McCarthy, Jonathan Monk, Elise Siegal, Rose B. Simpson and Jessica Stoller. Together their works bring guests face to face with a rich array of human types and identities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This ambitious and inclusive exhibition, part of Meijer Gardens’ 30th&nbsp;anniversary programming, will feature dozens of works by artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, using materials ranging from traditional marble and bronze to less conventional media like fabric, glass, and holography. Guests will encounter striking interpretations of the genre, from historical revisionism to intimate portraits of friends and family to poignant meditations on mortality.Regardless of material or approach, all the sculptures in&nbsp;BUSTED&nbsp;encourage viewers to consider the nuance and variation in individual countenance and to reflect on what truly makes people human. The exhibition’s dynamic selection also demonstrates the continued vitality of figural art as a means of addressing both timeless concerns and today’s most pressing issues.&nbsp; Exhibition Programming:&nbsp;Unveiling&nbsp;BUSTED: A Curator's Tour&nbsp;April 13, 2–3 pm&nbsp;&nbsp;Join exhibition curator Suzanne Ramljak for an insightful tour of&nbsp;BUSTED, as she delves into the exhibition’s diversity of materials and styles, while probing key themes in art history, identity, and human representation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exhibition Explorations: Contemporary Sculpture Busts&nbsp;May 25, 2–4 pm&nbsp;Join a Meijer Gardens educator for an engaging exploration of sculpted busts, followed by a lively hands-on interpretive activity ideal for all ages.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gallery Activity: Thought Bubble&nbsp;&nbsp;Every day during the exhibition&nbsp;Stop by our creativity station and find images of key sculpture busts. Imagine what the figures might be thinking, jot down your ideas, and place your thought bubble on the matching image.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For more programming and information about&nbsp;BUSTED: Contemporary Sculpture Busts, visit&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2Fc4ce2SDpH5WBMhYM8Lg3uL1Wn2dPQRSOrTl3Av4-2BIoEXg-_a1zzESVdmgLIQ4rlql6kbXT9QXaGGWYBxHAPtO1QqWO5GLp4idxebnEhHBD62Papsj-2FEMdnG4nN1Qo796g0RxGgCD6tZhe9AwtUHIFq1tAylqDj842HkNV4wYVNY4xw2-2BQRyLH350l2-2BlQzfW6YDfr4aHgb4D01O4V1XnAuCrmfndJVAtAZxIKVpmElbKGy0Jt9sSvGTy7LzUOi-2BmAyqOknWQ7hE-2FWnvbGX0BcVsEQbNV9kymWskdv2RZXoUsPEyt-2BMMRcwu8L-2F86gNILahc8WKLuVByTsC6cOXcidGyoIALsUU8Npd-2B6VA3KgYfu8xfUIHNtpjwC-2FUd1Skqm09eFcDXL-2FR6f2THUVhDCNVukBo-3D" target="_blank">MeijerGardens.org/BUSTED</a> BUSTED: Contemporary Sculpture Busts&nbsp;is made possible by:The Meijer FoundationFrederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture FoundationBotanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park&nbsp;About Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture ParkFrederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park, one of the world’s most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, was named the 2023 and 2024 Best Sculpture Park in the United States by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards and listed as the 90th-most-visited museum in the world by&nbsp;The Art Newspaper, the leading global art news publication. Education programs welcome 80,000 students and guests each year. Culinary Arts &amp; Events offerings include weddings, corporate meetings and award-winning catering. The 158-acre main campus features Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory; one of the country’s largest interactive children’s gardens; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens, including a replica 1930s-era farm garden; an 8-acre Japanese garden featuring contemporary sculpture; and a 1,900-seat outdoor amphitheater garden, showcasing an eclectic mix of world-renowned touring musicians each summer. The permanent collection highlights hundreds of sculptures from internationally acclaimed artists Magdalena Abakanowicz, El Anatsui, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero, Marshall Fredericks, Henry Moore, Michele Oka Donor, Beverly Pepper, Jaume Plensa, Auguste Rodin, Richard Serra, Yinka Shonibare CBE and Ai Weiwei, among others. Indoor galleries with changing sculpture exhibitions have presented shows by Jonathan Borofsky, Edgar Degas, Jim Dine, Richard Hunt, Cristina Iglesias, Rebecca Louise Law, George Segal, David Smith, and others.

Busted: Contemporary Sculpture Busts

You may have noticed a sign for the Jane Addams Research Center next to the deep red exterior of a two-storey building along Main Street in St. Joseph. This quiet organization was founded by scholars Michael R. Hill and his late life-partner Mary Jo Deegan. Its focus on the historic sociologist, settlement leader, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams and her influential network of male and female colleagues has taken many forms, including an expansive collection of artworks resulting from the expertise, training, and inspiration of the art school at the Hull-House social settlement in Chicago (Hull commemorates the name of the home’s original owner). The Hull-House Art School, established by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, with Enella Benedict as its first director, provided classes and studio space for youngsters and adults alike from 1893 onward to the 1960s. It was an important, but underappreciated, cultural phenomenon in Chicago. In this exhibition, artworks range from functional to fine art and include commemorative medallions, artist-illustrated books and calendars, novels, jewelry, metalwork, fabrics, ceramics, prints, maps, drawings, and paintings. These works — from the late eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century — represent the deep impact contributed by a community art center and highlight the affiliated artists who made them.&nbsp;While some are little known, several artists in the exhibition are prominent in Chicago collections (including the Art Institute of Chicago) and are found in museums, homes, and other repositories throughout the United States. Michael R. Hill has curated the exhibit and is preparing an exhibition catalog. Dr. Hill has served as a docent at the Krasl Art Center and is an astute interdisciplinary scholar who is ever learning and engaging with the arts of Chicago and Southwest Michigan. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://krasl.org/event/hull-house-exhibition/" target="_blank">Details</a>

Hull House Exhibition

Legacies on Display: The Forbidden and Venerated Arts of BurmaTaking Museums to the Streets:&nbsp;Using Fine Art for Protest, Courtesy of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics,&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.politicalgraphics.org/" target="_blank">www.politicalgraphics.org</a>

Legacies on Display: The Forbidden and Venerated Arts of Burma

82nd Annual Salon Show

Krasl Art Center is pleased to present&nbsp;Andrew Light: The Shadow Caster Variations, an exhibition that reflects on two decades of sculptural exploration by artist Andrew Light. On view October 4 through November 16, the exhibition features new and recent works that explore the correspondence between images and ideas, and how shadows shape perception.For much of his career, Light has created sculptures intended for outdoor placement, where seasonal shadows become part of the work itself. Through years of photographic documentation, Light has amassed an archive of these ephemeral forms. In this exhibition, he transforms those shadow—images born of absence into drawings, portraits, and sculptures that explore possibility, imagination, and the heroic tradition.Light explains, “Shadows inevitably exist outside of the realm of things, made purely of possibility, their presence constituted by absence. Without the burden of being a thing, they become a place for imagining, for questioning what might be.”The exhibition demonstrates Light’s shift from a practice rooted in direct engagement with physical materials toward one informed by images and their generative potential. His process of experimentation — marked by both failures and triumphs — elevates fleeting impulses into resolved works of art.Krasl Art Center Associate Curator Meli Bandera notes, “Andrew’s work bridges the tangible with the intangible, reminding us that absence and presence exist together in constant dialogue. His practice is both rigorous and poetic, and this exhibition highlights the depth of his inquiry into form, light, and possibility.”Andrew Light is an award-winning, multidisciplinary artist with an emphasis in direct metal sculpture. Trained both academically and through apprenticeships, he is celebrating his 20th year of professional practice. Light has participated in hundreds of exhibitions throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, with works included in public and private collections worldwide. ﻿For more information regarding the exhibitions, visit&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sfpwlrdab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HmpqRwV80WkbKPruFDnzFUGkiKQNyoGUavRga1jrxyWxCKtNFKHvN6ckjQeHGt0GtdyWjk3lSYmRr-qDdWN2CLBviN4xkszoDaKJAf1e4I6jqxA78v6412ePiTkmFurKZJuEJpPq3qx-W6mnKwLzgu7pudjcqkA0&amp;c=XW2_C_qvaV_2sJUlWXKsNO6E1LI64vwmFnu41A5IxWow6qJf7USNBw==&amp;ch=2eHJQMFdrRbue83Z0oaRX3WQqpmh_fYjqvx-vsRpyk5UeBAM9szUPg==" target="_blank">www.krasl.org</a>.

Andrew Light: The Shadow Caster Variations

The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art presents the first monographic exhibition in forty years of the work of Walter Osborne, one of Ireland’s most-heralded artists. The exhibition charts Osborne’s trajectory from his student days in Dublin and Antwerp through his sojourn in Brittany and his early practice in England before returning to his native city in 1892 to care for his niece and aging parents following the death of his beloved sister Violet. Through his depictions of Dublin’s streets, parks, public spaces, domestic interiors and gardens, countryside, and most importantly its people, a vision of a vibrant––if divided––Ireland emerges. Osborne’s experiences abroad and his commercial acumen helped establish Dublin’s unique brand of Modern painting rife with the possibility of change. Iconic works by the artist on loan from the National Gallery of Ireland, Hugh Lane Gallery, Hunt Museum in Limerick, Crawford Art Gallery in Cork, and private collectors in Ireland and the United States offer a rich tapestry of life and art in Ireland at the close of the nineteenth century.&nbsp;This exhibition is made possible by the Donald and Marilyn Keough Foundation with additional support from the J. Brien and Maggie Murphy Endowment for Exhibitions, James and Barbara O’Connell Family Fund for Exhibitions, Friends of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, Charter Membership, and in partnership with the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies. Image: Walter Frederick Osborne (Irish, 1859–1903),&nbsp;Mary Guinness and Her Daughter Margaret, 1898. Oil on canvas, 54 × 60 inches (137.2 × 152.4 cm) unframed. Heritage Gift, 2023, National Gallery of Ireland Collection, NGI.2023.16. Photo credit: Photo, National Gallery of Ireland

Homecoming: Walter Osborne’s Portraits of Dublin, 1880–1900

<a style="color: rgb(84, 88, 89);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.meijergardens.org/plensa/?occurrence=2025-10-24" target="_blank">Jaume Plensa: A New Humanism</a>&nbsp;explores Jaume Plensa’s career-long engagement with themes common to our shared humanity such as dreams, desire, justice and mortality. While Plensa’s oeuvre is marked by diversity in format and media, the human condition remains the primary subject of his art, which traverses the personal and collective, individual and universal. Featuring both monumental and intimate-scaled sculptures and select two-dimensional works that span three decades, this is the first retrospective of this internationally acclaimed artist in the United States. Image: Jaume Plensa.&nbsp;Hortense in Slumberland, 2021. Bronze, Edition of 11. 30 x 22 x 20 cm. Photo: Roberto Ruiz © Plensa Studio Barcelona

Calendar

Chicago Gallery News