<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744922/bg6tksld7p6rk2cmp3xc.jpg">Collectors and artists attend the Not Just Another Pretty Face unveiling at the Hyde Park Art Center.﻿ By JACQUELINE LEWIS This year, Hyde Park Art Center is hosting the latest installment of <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/njapf-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Not Just Another Pretty Face</a> (NJAPF). This special experience and exhibition began in the mid-1990s and occurs only every three years. Not Just Another Pretty Face uses a matchmaking program to connect local patrons with artists. During this experience, patrons and artists choose each other, and the artist creates artwork specifically for that patron. Works range from traditional to experimental, depending on the artist chosen and the desires of the patron. At the end of the experience, the pieces are unveiled in an exhibition later this year before being purchased and taken home by the patron. This matchmaking process differs from traditional art purchasing. Instead of collectors looking for works that already exist, purchasing them, and moving on, they become part of the artistic process and the work’s origin. Once matched, patrons meet with artists to discuss what they like and what they hope for from the final work, and the artist melds those desires with their own style. The process cultivates a sense of generosity between artist and patron as they mutually share themselves and allow each other into their individual worlds. It facilitates lasting relationships that do not often develop naturally in gallery spaces and plays an important role in establishing broader financial support for the artistic community. Director of Development Eric Thompson has been with Hyde Park Art Center since 2023, making this his second iteration of NJAPF. As this year’s program nears completion, Thompson offered insight into how the experience comes together. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744923/iltm7ht7zujlikhhpjid.jpg">A commission being unveiled at Hyde Park Art Center Jackie Lewis: What is the process for artists and patrons to sign up for this experience? Eric Thompson: For the artists, our team begins reaching out to invite them to participate about 18 months before the unveiling. For this iteration, conversations began in late spring 2025. They provide information on their artistic process, image examples of their work, and their commission rate. Our team then publicizes this information on our website and presents the artists at various salons throughout the city. Several supporters of the Art Center host NJAPF salons and invite their own guests. Potential patrons learn about the artists and the project at large and express interest with our team. From there, we work to get the commission started! JL: Once artists and patrons are chosen, what does the matchmaking process look like? Is there any process beyond the salons? Eric Thompson: Much of the process happens after the salons. Patrons and the Hyde Park Art Center staff discuss artists who have piqued their interest. The HPAC staff sets up studio visits with the artists, giving the patron and artist a chance to meet, learn about each other, and discuss a possible commission. Sometimes artists may meet with multiple patrons through the project, and patrons will visit multiple studios before making a decision. Once a patron and artist agree to work together, the artist begins the work. JL: What is your role in the process? How does HPAC support both the artists and the patrons? Eric Thompson: NJAPF is a win-win-win situation for all parties. The patron has the opportunity to meet amazing Chicago artists, receives a unique commissioned work, and has that piece included in a public exhibition at the Art Center. The artist receives payment for the work, has the opportunity to expand their network of collectors, and often pushes their own practice through this process. The Art Center also benefits, as half of the commission serves as a tax-deductible donation that supports our mission to sustain Chicago art and artists. JL: What aspect of NJAPF do you think has the greatest impact on the Chicago art community? Eric Thompson: The project itself embodies the mission of the Art Center: it is designed for artists in Chicago to flourish. I think the greatest impact from the program’s ten iterations is the access it has created between artists and patrons. Relationships have been built. It is all about connection—a personal connection to the art and the connection between the artist and the patron. As a staff member, it is a wonderful thing to observe. *<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744924/hrzsontqcaqfvocwlay0.jpg">Sarah Nishiura, Inching <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744925/h0b8mudpvkr54bss2yvp.jpg">D. Lammie-Hanson, Agility to Surrender, 14k gold on Acrylic&nbsp;(wood panel) A Word From the Artists For a deeper understanding of the experience, artists D. Lammie-Hanson and Sarah Nishiura shared their own perspectives. Both have completed commissions for NJAPF in the past and are currently creating work for this year’s iteration. JL: How did you first learn about NJAPF, and how did you become involved? Sarah Nishiura: I have been teaching and exhibiting with the Hyde Park Art Center for over 15 years now, and I think it was through this affiliation that I was first invited to participate in NJAPF. I was lucky enough to receive two commissions the first year that I participated, and I think this success led to repeat invitations through the years. D. Lammie-Hanson: I learned about NJAPF through an email invitation from Hyde Park Art Center. After I responded that I was interested, they placed me in their rotation to be presented to their patrons. JL: How has working with NJAPF affected your artistic career? Did it fit within your practice? Sarah Nishiura: My favorite thing about NJAPF is the opportunity to step outside my usual practice to try something different. Many of the commissions I have done in the past have involved working with materials given to me by the patron. This presents technical challenges that I wouldn’t normally take on, but I learn so much from stepping outside my comfort zone every few years. I have had continued relationships with patrons, and I have appreciated seeing the commissioned pieces in their homes. There is nothing better than seeing your work be part of someone’s life. D. Lammie-Hanson: The patron trusted me to interpret their direction through my own lens. They gave me the subject and overall intent, and I stayed grounded by making creative choices around composition and focus that matched their goals while keeping my personal approach. Because metalpoint/silverpoint isn’t a widely known medium, working with NJAPF and Hyde Park Art Center helped me present my process to a wider audience. It also strengthened my broader portfolio by giving my work a strong platform and context. JL: What was your experience working with a patron? How did it differ from your usual process? Sarah Nishiura: The two patrons came by my studio, and we immediately found we had a lot in common and a lot to talk about. We shared some of our favorite artists, our experiences with travel, our love of craft and nature, and from these conversations they came up with great ideas for jumping-off points for the commission. At the same time, they let me know they really wanted me to have the freedom to go in any direction I wanted with the final piece. This experience only differed from my usual process because it began with conversations with other people rather than the conversation that usually happens in my own head! D. Lammie-Hanson: The patron visited my studio while I was an artist in residence at Little Black Pearl, and we discussed his vision. He chose my silverpoint-on-black/metalpoint technique, and we developed the direction together. This differed from my usual process because I don’t usually enjoy doing commissions, but I enjoyed working with Hyde Park Art Center through this program. After we aligned on the creative direction for the artwork, the patron gave me the freedom to carry out the piece according to my own vision. JL: Since you have participated in NJAPF before, what made you decide to do it again? Sarah Nishiura: I love HPAC, and I feel like this is a great program that allows me to support their mission while also giving me a wonderful opportunity to work with collectors I might never meet otherwise. It is a win-win! D. Lammie-Hanson: I enjoyed the opportunity to work with Hyde Park Art Center again. I submitted my interests without knowing which new collectors would be interested, but I was willing to take the chance, and I’m glad I did. * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744926/umy0i4utfyykeobpumou.jpg">Unveiling party attendees at Hyde Park Art Center From the Collectors To understand more about another side of the program, Ginny Van Alyea, CGN’s publisher and a past participant of NJAPF, shared her perspective as a patron who commissioned a work by artist Mel Watkin several years ago. JL: Before NJAPF, did you consider yourself an art collector? Had you ever commissioned a work before? GV: NJAPF appealed to my husband and me because we had bought art separately and together, but we hadn’t commissioned anything. My parents gave us the commission as a wedding gift, so it was especially meaningful. JL: Before meeting with the artist, did you have a specific idea for the artwork you wanted? GV: We looked through a lot of artwork before deciding whose work would be the best fit. There were so many choices, but we liked Mel Watkin’s particular focus. It felt like a good fit for creating something that spoke to both of us and our families when we got married. JL: What was your experience working with the artist like? Did it feel collaborative? GV: Working with Mel on a piece that was just for us was so cool. We sent images, ideas, and references back and forth. We met for coffee. We gave a little feedback but also listened to what she suggested. It was definitely a collaborative experience, but ultimately it was still the artist who made the art. JL: Have you continued your relationship with your paired artist? GV: Yes! A few years later, for a milestone birthday, I commissioned Mel again to make two more works: one about our daughter and one about our son. Now all three works hang together at home. JL: Is there anything else you’d like to add about the experience? GV: I know many collectors who have participated in the program more than once, and I can see us doing it again someday. It’s a wonderful chance to work with a local artist while also setting the parameters—like price and size—up front, which is another unique benefit of the program. It’s also terrific to support HPAC and local artists at the same time. While there are some big artist names in the program, NJAPF is also a wonderful way to discover emerging artists. * This year’s unveiling reception will take place on December 11, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at Hyde Park Art Center. Following the reception, the artwork will remain on display and will be accompanied by a catalogue documenting the entire process for patrons, artists, and visitors alike. The success of NJAPF has extended beyond Chicago, with similar exhibitions adapted in Boise, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City. To date, the program has generated more than $2 million in sales. Half of the proceeds go directly to participating artists, while the other half supports Hyde Park Art Center’s programs and mission. With more than 400 works commissioned by over 300 new and established collectors, NJAPF has cultivated an ecosystem of patronage that enables artists to thrive. By embracing and encouraging the idea of patronage in contemporary art, NJAPF has built a community of people who value not only finished works of art, but also the creative process behind them. If you missed your opportunity to participate this year, consider becoming a patron for the next iteration. More details at <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/njapf-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hydeparkart.org/njapf-2026/</a>

Art Matchmaking: Hyde Park Art Center’s Not Just Another Pretty Face Returns This Fall

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789745564/alcfyxluqhvrxxmtqedb.jpg">A view looking across Chicago Ave. in West Town to the 1709&nbsp;building. Photo by CGN. By ELISA SHOENBERGER When you think of West Town, you may think of an abundance of art galleries and restaurants. But that reputation as a center of the city’s contemporary art scene is a relatively recent one. With a decade in the rearview mirror, what now seems well-established is a change that did not happen overnight.&nbsp; Previously, and for many years following a gallery migration from the traditional nexus of River North, the West Loop was a Chicago art scene hot spot, particularly near Randolph Street and its restaurants. In 2016 galleries began leaving the West Loop to find new, more affordable spaces, which they found in West Town. Today there’s arguably a larger concentration of galleries in the area than there was in the West Loop, and the shape of a definitive arts district has formed in a part of the city that offers sustainable options for galleries to exist. Five gallerists share their thoughts with CGN about what it took to get here and what West Town is today. <h3>Needing a New Home</h3> West Loop initially offered gallerists great opportunities to grow their galleries and reputations, but in time, the neighborhood’s popularity made it harder for businesses to be sustainable. Monique Meloche, owner of moniquemeloche (451 N. Paulina), opened her gallery to the public in 2001 in the West Loop because “That’s where everyone needed to be.” Claire Warner, co-owner and co-director of Volume Gallery (1700 W. Hubbard), explains that the West Loop presented a lot of advantages; there was an abundance of vacant and raw spaces that worked for holding art shows. Additionally, landlords seemed to really like what the galleries were doing to bring clientele to the area. Attracting people to the new destination was also a great benefit for the burgeoning restaurants nearby.&nbsp; However, that adjacent success had another cost, Warner explained, “the restaurants really started bringing in a lot of traffic to the area, and we noticed during exhibitions that our clients weren’t able to park or come up to the gallery to see the show, which was really disappointing.”&nbsp; On top of that, landlords’ priorities began to change. Scott Speh, founder and director of Western Exhibitions (1709 W. Chicago), says that landlords initially let galleries share floors between different galleries, which included Volume Gallery and DOCUMENT.&nbsp; As the neighborhood gained popularity, the landlords decided they wanted to rent entire floors, not parts of floors. That meant that the galleries had to find a new location. Meloche noted that the neighborhood’s success, largely driven by galleries in the first place, eventually priced many of the same galleries out. Her gallery moved earlier than others, in 2008, to Wicker Park/Bucktown, before eventually moving to its current location at Paulina and Hubbard.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789745565/cannk40giqjqozkpez11.jpg">The entrance to moniquemeloche on N. Paulina St.&nbsp; <h3>The Right Feel</h3> As the West Loop became less sustainable, gallerists needed to find more suitable locations. Warner wanted to find an area that was unlikely to develop as quickly as Randolph Street. She looked for something that felt equally commercial and residential. She recalls, “We wanted mostly the scale to feel like it was walkable, where people would want to spend time, and so we went out and looked all over the city.” Ukrainian Village and West Town fit the bill for the neighborhood feel she was seeking. It was also a group effort to find a location that worked for all three galleries, DOCUMENT, Volume, and Western Exhibitions, which had previously been at 845 W. Washington. Speh explains, “We all liked each other. We didn’t feel our programs overlapped at the time, and we all worked well together. So we decided we were going to look for a new address that would house all of us.” In late 2016/early 2017, they found a building that was suitable at 1709 W. Chicago Ave. Owned by their former West Loop landlord, Warner says, “They were more than happy for us to bring the same energy into West Town that we had into [845 W. Washington]. It felt like we could all be a community together but maintain individual spaces.”&nbsp; Other gallerists also saw the benefits of the neighborhood. Sara Dulkin, owner and gallery director of Chicago Truborn (1741 W. Chicago), was already living in West Town when she first incorporated her LLC to create her gallery in 2011. She began curating shows at street festivals and held independent pop-up shows before moving into a physical storefront at 1418 W. Division in 2013.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789745566/xqqjizvglyeakufan74a.jpg">The street view of Chicago Truborn on Chicago Ave.&nbsp; Dulkin found her current gallery space on Chicago Ave. simply by walking the neighborhood and keeping an eye out. She eventually passed a vacant, dark storefront that intrigued her. When she learned it had a dirt floor and two fluorescent lights, she still saw that it fulfilled her needs. With a manageable size of around 1,000 square feet and large, street-level windows that could display murals while staying protected from the elements, as well as vandalism, it also reminded her of her family’s shoe business. “It was just the perfect size and felt like a good neighborhood,” Dulkin says. Dulkin notes that the area likely attracted art galleries and art enthusiasts in part because of its number of public murals. Today for many of Chicago Truborn’s exhibitions, Dulkin continues to work with local businesses and other entities to get permission to paint murals nearby, an ongoing effort that she says has resulted in crowds coming to the area just to see and photograph them.&nbsp; As galleries began to move in in greater numbers, that collective momentum encouraged other galleries to follow suit. Meloche recalls that a year after she moved to West Town, fellow gallerist and friend Mariane Ibrahim asked about moving her gallery into the space next door. Meloche remembers thinking “That makes perfect sense. We have such overlap in our programming and in our clientele.” Meloche says that a big advantage of having everyone in the West Loop in the 2000s was that it was easy for clients and other visitors to go to multiple galleries at once. That would prove just as true in West Town. In the spring of 2017, Richard Gray Gallery, which had long been based in the Gold Coast, opened a warehouse location in the Kinzie Corridor at 2044 W. Carroll, which provided more exhibition space, explains Valerie Carberry, President and Chief Executive Officer, at GRAY. In 2024, they moved all Chicago operations to West Town. A year later another Chicago mainstay with a national reputation, Rhona Hoffman, moved from her West Loop North Peoria space to 1711 W. Chicago. Hoffman’s ground floor presence on the street cemented the significance of what was developing for galleries, both new and established, in West Town. <h3>West Town Today</h3> When asked about West Town today, the gallerists I spoke with all agreed that it remains a vibrant place for galleries to do business. Speh notes that it’s easily walkable, dense but not too dense, and filled with a diversity of businesses. “It’s been a great location,” Speh says, “Unlike the West Loop, there’s not a new high-rise going up every three weeks. It still feels manageable.” Warner concurred that she felt West Town “could accommodate galleries without overwhelming the neighborhood or having to adapt amidst the kind of overnight development that took place in the West Loop.” She hoped the new neighborhood would have a slower pace of change.&nbsp; Since Volume Gallery’s relocation to West Town in 2017, Warner says she feels like the area has largely stayed the same in a good way. “I think we’re finding ways to kind of work with the larger community here and not overwhelm it, while also building up a sense of community in the galleries and working towards a critical mass here as well.” Warner credits a supportive alderman, Alderman Walter R. Burnett Jr., and an active [West Town] Chamber of Commerce. Since GRAY consolidated in West Town, Carberry notes there have been recent upgrades in the neighborhood, including the renovated Green Line Lake Street station, as well as investment and improvements for 2024’s Democratic National Convention, which took place nearby at the United Center. She says, “Overall, the neighborhood is much livelier and more pedestrian and bike-friendly.” The evolution that Volume was part of a decade ago continued when Warner and gallery partner Sam Vinz moved out of 1709 W. Chicago to an expansive space at the corner of N. Paulina and W. Hubbard. David Salkin made the same address change as well. Now Volume is close to Meloche and Ibrahim, as well as Secrist | Beach. Elise Seigenthaler, who worked for Rhona Hoffman before she closed in 2025, opened in January 2026 where Volume used to be, with Ox-Bow School of Art opening an office in the space as well.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789745566/dcjju4mfbloi36lvegj7.jpg">A view of Volume Gallery’s new space at W. Hubbard and N. Paulina Streets. For Dulkin, who has been in West Town the longest, the changes have been a pleasant surprise. She was drawn to the area in part because it was a commercial corridor, but she thought it would develop more of a retail stretch featuring vintage clothing shops. Alcala’s Western Wear, which opened in 1972, remains an anchor on the street. Dulkin says she would never have expected so many galleries to open in the area. Farther west on the south side of Chicago Ave. is Andrew Rafacz Gallery, while across to the north and to the east are PATRON, as well as the more recently opened Tala. ARC Gallery, which opened in 1973, relocated from Bucktown to Chicago Ave. east of Ashland in 2018. Carrie Secrist closed her West Loop space around the pandemic and reopened as Secrist | Beach at 1801 W. Hubbard, where Jaime DeGroot also has her art consultancy. Secrist’s former West Loop neighbor at 835 W. Washington, McCormick Gallery, is now at 2251 W. Grand, a little west of the Golden Triangle, which moved there from River North.&nbsp;There are many other galleries throughout the area, with more choosing to open in West Town every year. With the concentration of galleries continuing to grow, Meloche notes that they often try to hold simultaneous openings; this fall there are plans for many galleries to open the same weekend in September in conjunction with Chicago Exhibition Week. Dulkin notes that the West Town Chamber of Commerce has hosted Art Walks and First Fridays for many years, notably with a key event in the fall, where participating galleries all host openings or stay open later on the same night.&nbsp; Of course, there’s always room for improvement. Several gallerists have expressed a desire for more day-to-day food options, especially around Grand Avenue, though they may be wary of the consequences that can spill over from culinary success, like the ones that contributed to the move that drove galleries from the West Loop.&nbsp; Speh also would like to see more third-type spaces, where people could hang out after going to a gallery. West Town’s reputation has been spreading beyond the borders of Chicago. Meloche notes, “We definitely have seen a lot more out-of-town visitors make a concerted effort to come to our openings.” Warner also sees a lot of people from New York City, Los Angeles and around the world come and visit the galleries in West Town, always commenting how incredible the art scene and the community is in Chicago. But it’s something that Chicagoans may take for granted. “Sometimes I feel like we get more out-of-towners than Chicagoans coming through,” she says. For locals West Town doesn’t have to be a destination, but it is worth remembering how much art has become a part of the neighborhood and appreciating how close to home it really is. #

From West Loop to West Town: The Development of an Arts District

This is a very busy week in the art world during a very busy month in everyone's world.Here is Part II of our summary of some of what's happening this week. We will be updating CGN's calendar daily, so check back for updates!Happy September and happy Chicago Exhibition Week!– CGN <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/concerts-of-dance-xenia-mansour" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677963/wqjvqsnjzgd0v6fq0nmi.jpg" alt="Concerts of Dance: Xenia Mansour" height="600" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/concerts-of-dance-xenia-mansour" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Concerts of Dance: Xenia Mansour</a></h3> Sep 16 – Sep 19Open rehearsal: Friday, Sep 18, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PMOpen dress rehearsal and artist talkback: Friday, Sep 18, 3:15 PM – 4:30 PMPerformance: Saturday, Sep 19, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-driehaus-museum" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Driehaus Museum</a>The Driehaus Museum’s dance program continues with an open rehearsal and a dress rehearsal followed by an artist conversation moderated by Brendan Fernandes. On Saturday, Xenia Mansour and Faith Balderrama present&nbsp;was, still is, adapted for Murphy Auditorium, where audiences can move through the space and experience the performance from different viewpoints.Also on Saturday: an after-hours house dance party with Brendan Fernandes begins at 8:00 PM. See the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/brendan-fernandes-in-the-roundsept" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full In the Round listing</a>&nbsp;for ticket updates. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/inaugural-makers-shakers-bash" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677964/qyhsj3xongjgbxwppfm0.jpg" alt="Inaugural Makers &amp; Shakers Bash" height="300" width="600"></a> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/inaugural-makers-shakers-bash" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Inaugural Makers &amp; Shakers Bash</a></h3> Friday, Sep 18, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/woman-made-gallery" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Woman Made Gallery</a>Event location: Morningstar’s Headquarters, 22 W. Washington St., 7th Floor, ChicagoWoman Made Gallery launches an annual celebration of artists and activists with honorees Scheherazade Tillet and Jane Ruby. Hosted at Morningstar’s headquarters, the evening features a conversation with the honorees, an art auction, live blues, a DJ set, creative activities, cocktails, and bites. Tickets are available through Woman Made Gallery. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/una-vuelta-a-mis-races-a-return-to-my-roots-robert-lipton" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677965/vd9k9sksz96evqhpq308.jpg" alt="Una Vuelta a Mis Raíces (A Return to My Roots): Robert Lipton" height="468" width="600"></a><h3> </h3><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/una-vuelta-a-mis-races-a-return-to-my-roots-robert-lipton" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Una Vuelta a Mis Raíces (A Return to My Roots): Robert Lipton</a></h3> Sep 18 – Nov 6Opening: Friday, Sep 18, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/bridgeport-art-center" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Bridgeport Art Center</a>Robert Lipton presents textured mixed-media paintings in Bridgeport Art Center’s third-floor gallery. Layered pigments and organic processes build shifting surfaces of color and form, inviting close looking. The monochromatic works draw on the material experimentation of abstract expressionism and artists including Antoni Tàpies, Anselm Kiefer, and Bosco Sodi. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677965/rxpju7aycqerijplgpj9.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/own-who-you-are" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jesse Bond's Own Who You Are</a></h3> Saturday, Sep 19, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/sawhorse" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SAWHORSE</a>Join us for a closing reception on Saturday, September 19 from 6-9pm. Maybe we will serve tea and paint our nails and smoke hookah.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/eric-bladholm-voices-from-the-gray-zone" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677966/joc1jxuhh6atmsz9dqev.jpg" alt="Eric Bladholm: Voices From the Gray Zone" height="400" width="600"></a> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/eric-bladholm-voices-from-the-gray-zone" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Eric Bladholm: Voices From the Gray Zone</a></h3> Sep 19 – Jan 9, 2027Opening: Saturday, Sep 19, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/ukrainian-institute-of-modern-art-uima" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA)</a>Photographs and video made during nine humanitarian aid trips to Ukraine from 2022 to 2026 trace the experiences of civilians living through Russia’s war. Chicago artist Eric Bladholm’s documentary exhibition records daily life, resilience, and worsening conditions in communities affected by occupation and conflict. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/john-corbett-hamza-walker-in-conversation" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677967/vqeutal7isqh5vl4ym27.jpg" alt="John Corbett &amp; Hamza Walker in Conversation" height="426" width="600"></a> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/john-corbett-hamza-walker-in-conversation" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">John Corbett &amp; Hamza Walker in Conversation</a></h3> Saturday, Sep 19, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/corbett-vs-dempsey" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Corbett vs. Dempsey</a>John Corbett and Hamza Walker discuss Jon Waine at Corbett vs. Dempsey.The conversation is joined by original band members Franc Palaia on drums and Ellen La Forge on bass, performing selections from the group’s repertoire. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677967/kuredgjzr5bbhhudcoiw.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sarah-sipling-solo-exhibition" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Sipling | Solo Exhibition</a></h3> Sep 19 - Oct 25<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/evanston-art-center" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Evanston Art Center</a>Sarah Sipling is a mixed media artist and printmaker. Sipling received her MFA in Printmaking from Rhode Island School of Design and BFA in Printmaking from Purchase College, State University of New York. She lives and works in New York and Kansas City. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677968/edaqrglfk8mcmvkf5ddu.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/laleh-motlagh-artist-talk-26" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Artist Talk: Laleh Motlagh</a></h3> Saturday, Sep 19, 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/sona-chicago-contemporary-art" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art</a>In&nbsp;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. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677969/my5tv3euwbbrlnjh6aaz.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/stone-age-a-lithography-showcase" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stone Age: A Lithography Showcase</a></h3> Sep 19 - Nov 14Opening: Saturday, Sep 19, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/chicago-printmakers-collaborative" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicago Printmakers Collaborative</a>Stone Age&nbsp;at the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative will feature handmade fine art lithograph prints created by both renowned lithographers along with some of our most recent litho students at the studio. Each of these artists grain, draw, and print from a stone to create their work. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789677970/jd5lk9harzgfwpk8bydw.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/temporary-solutions-to-lifelong-problems" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Temporary Solutions to Lifelong Problems</a></h3>Sep 19 - Nov 14Opening: Saturday, Sep 19, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM # View full CGN calendar <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. <a href="mailto:ginny@chicagogallerynews.com?subject=Listing%20with%20CGN&amp;body=I'd%20like%20to%20know%20how%20to%20list%20my%20space%20and%20events%20with%20CGN.%20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ask us</a> about being part of CGN.

New Exhibitions and Events: September 18–19

This is a very busy week in the art world during a very busy month in everyone's world. We have tried to summarize some of what's happening this weekend and we will be updating CGN's calendar daily, so check back for updates!Happy September and happy Chicago Exhibition Week! – CGN <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678113/tavbapqs9gepjoy8e5qf.jpg"><h3><a href="https://www.chicagoexhibitionweek.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicago Exhibition Week</a></h3> September 14–20Chicago's galleries are the reason to get out and explore, and this year’s participants represent a broad cross-section of the city, from longtime galleries to newer and artist-run spaces. Among them are Anthony Gallery, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Devening Projects, Elise Seigenthaler Gallery, The Franklin, Good Weather, Kavi Gupta, M. LeBlanc, Mariane Ibrahim, McCormick Gallery, moniquemeloche, Regards, Rhona Hoffman Gallery (participating with the launch of a second RHG catalog rather than a gallery exhibition),&nbsp;Secrist | Beach, Volume Gallery and WesternExhibitions.<a href="https://www.chicagoexhibitionweek.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chicagoexhibitionweek.com</a> <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/popel-no-thing-skin-sets" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678113/skpopvfpe2kaclcdpyoj.jpg" alt="Pope.L: No Thing Skin Sets" height="450" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/popel-no-thing-skin-sets" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Pope.L: No Thing Skin Sets</a></h3> Sep 15 – Oct 31<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/corbett-vs-dempsey" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Corbett vs. Dempsey</a>Corbett vs. Dempsey presents its first exhibition of Pope.L’s work, bringing together installations, paintings, and works on paper. The selection includes the projector-based installation&nbsp;I Machine&nbsp;and groups of&nbsp;Skin Set&nbsp;works, reflecting the artist’s expansive practice and his probing approach to race, class, language, and perception. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/clotilde-jimnez-eramos-silencios" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678114/a1il8w11u4hdj7pnfyuv.jpg" alt="Clotilde Jiménez: Eramos Silencios" height="800" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/clotilde-jimnez-eramos-silencios" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Clotilde Jiménez: Eramos Silencios</a></h3> Sep 16 – Oct 31<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/mariane-ibrahim" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Mariane Ibrahim</a>For his second solo exhibition in Chicago, Clotilde Jiménez explores family history, memory, and identity through a personal narrative rooted in Puerto Rico. Paintings, collages, drawings, and sculptures use the orange as a recurring symbol of both familial abundance and the secrets and silences carried between generations. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/brendan-fernandes-in-the-roundsept" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678115/sxevn5c2qqz2dglanoay.jpg" alt="Brendan Fernandes: In the Round" height="400" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/brendan-fernandes-in-the-roundsept" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Brendan Fernandes: In the Round</a></h3> Sep 16 – 19Performance: Wednesday, Sep 16, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-driehaus-museum" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">The Driehaus Museum</a>The Driehaus Museum’s first artist-in-residence brings dance, sound, and sculptural installation into the historic Murphy Auditorium. Inspired by the experimental spirit of Judson Dance Theater, Fernandes’s&nbsp;Score for the Murphy Auditorium&nbsp;returns on September 16, inviting audiences to encounter movement in dialogue with the building’s architecture. Programs are free; reservations are encouraged. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/brendan-fernandes" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678115/erjgre9grwzk3rz3bjnn.jpg" alt="Brendan Fernandes" height="600" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/brendan-fernandes" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Brendan Fernandes</a></h3> Sep 17 – Oct 31Opening Reception: September 17th, 5:00–7:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/moniquemeloche" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">moniquemeloche</a>moniquemeloche presents an exhibition by Chicago-based artist Brendan Fernandes, whose multidisciplinary practice spans dance, installation, video, and sculpture. His work considers migration, labor, queer identity, and collective movement, bringing cultural performance into contemporary art through collaborative projects. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/flowers-and-leaves" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678116/bse9aqbddq5zgm5l7deu.jpg" alt="Flowers and Leaves" height="450" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/flowers-and-leaves" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Flowers and Leaves</a></h3> Sep 17 – Oct 24Opening: Thursday, Sep 17, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/volume-gallery" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Volume Gallery</a>Christy Matson’s fifth solo exhibition at Volume Gallery begins with a collection of nineteenth-century family textiles. Drawing on inherited lace and woven cloth, Matson translates floral and geometric motifs into layered collages and Jacquard-woven paintings, connecting the history of women’s labor with questions of memory, resistance, and pattern. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alexandra-barth-the-awnings" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678117/oipw4lckhq8vwutpwo5n.jpg" alt="Alexandra Barth: The Awnings" height="798" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alexandra-barth-the-awnings" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Alexandra Barth: The Awnings</a></h3> Sep 17 – Nov 7Opening: Thursday, Sep 17, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/document" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">DOCUMENT</a>Alexandra Barth’s first Chicago exhibition turns a familiar architectural feature into an unexpected subject. Working from photographs found online, the artist uses airbrushed paint to depict awnings in showrooms, secondhand listings, and states of disuse, revealing the overlooked patterns, mechanics, and histories of everyday surroundings. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/second-star" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678117/fjlkirin3pbye3kmbumr.jpg" alt="Second Star" height="600" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/second-star" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Second Star</a></h3> Sep 17 – 30Opening: Thursday, Sep 17, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/secrist-beach" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Secrist | Beach</a>Secrist | Beach introduces its satellite project space, Second Star, with an inaugural project featuring Stephen Eichhorn. The opening takes place during Chicago Exhibition Week at 1801 W. Hubbard Street. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/olivia-zubko" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678118/wc9skpe4791bnbfgjexd.jpg" alt="Olivia Zubko: Nymphaeum" height="800" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/olivia-zubko" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Olivia Zubko: Nymphaeum</a></h3> Sep 17 – Oct 31Opening: Thursday, Sep 17, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/western-exhibitions" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Western Exhibitions</a>In her first solo show at Western Exhibitions, Chicago artist Olivia Zubko transforms familiar objects from bathrooms, locker rooms, and other intimate spaces into ceramic sculptures. Cast fixtures and everyday materials evoke rituals of bodily care, while references to mythological bathers connect domestic experience with the history of the human figure. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/nolis-anderson-no-such-thing" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678118/myj9cvpooajsp5kjp4xm.jpg" alt="Nolis Anderson: No Such Thing" height="750" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/nolis-anderson-no-such-thing" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Nolis Anderson: No Such Thing</a></h3> Sep 17 – Oct 31Opening: Thursday, Sep 17, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/elise-seigenthaler-gallery" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Elise Seigenthaler Gallery</a>Eight medium-format photographs mark Nolis Anderson’s first exhibition at Elise Seigenthaler Gallery. Made over three years, the portraits explore ideas of perfection through conversations with their subjects and the unpredictable qualities of film. Scratches, dust, and light effects become part of the finished images, embracing the space between intention and accident. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/karla-wong-journeys-of-being" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678119/kqalsydoimvwo8zxvkbi.jpg" alt="Karla Wong: Journeys of Being" height="805" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/karla-wong-journeys-of-being" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Karla Wong: Journeys of Being</a></h3> Thru Jan 10, 2027Opening: Thursday, Sep 17, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/intuit-art-museum" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Intuit Art Museum</a>Celebrate Karla Wong’s richly symbolic paintings with the artist and the Intuit Art Museum community. Drawing on her Mexican and Chinese heritage, her experience as a trans woman, and her ties to Oaxaca and Chicago, Wong creates dreamlike scenes of identity and transformation. The free reception includes Mexican cocktails, bites, and a performance by singer Geo Meneses. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jaume-plensa-beyond-silence" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678120/kwdgp78v8qz0iket8n3s.jpg" alt="Jaume Plensa: Beyond Silence" height="400" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jaume-plensa-beyond-silence" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Jaume Plensa: Beyond Silence</a></h3> Sep 17 – Dec 19Opening: Thursday, Sep 17, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/gray" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">GRAY</a>Jaume Plensa’s tenth solo exhibition with GRAY brings together monumental carved-wood reliefs, cast-iron and granite sculptures, and smaller bronze works. Moving between architectural scale and intimate encounters, the exhibition explores the human figure through contrasting materials, with two twenty-eight-foot reliefs at its center. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/japanese-whiskey-koji-fermentation-science-history-and-taste" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789678120/djrx53ncdlzckiplayug.jpg" alt="Japanese Whiskey &amp; Koji Fermentation: Science, History, and Taste" height="303" width="600"></a><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/japanese-whiskey-koji-fermentation-science-history-and-taste" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">Japanese Whiskey &amp; Koji Fermentation: Science, History, and Taste</a></h3> Thursday, Sep 17, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/international-museum-of-surgical-science-imss" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(23, 75, 120);" target="_blank">International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS)</a>The International Museum of Surgical Science hosts an evening exploring Japanese whiskey through its scientific and cultural history, with koji fermentation providing the focus for a program connecting science, history, and taste. # View full CGN calendar <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. <a href="mailto:ginny@chicagogallerynews.com?subject=Listing%20with%20CGN&amp;body=I'd%20like%20to%20know%20how%20to%20list%20my%20space%20and%20events%20with%20CGN.%20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ask us</a> about being part of CGN.

New Exhibitions and Events: September 15–17

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789334145/qi6eujbbzrlhddzvate0.jpg">Gertie members and artists at NEPO curated by Tony Lewis at Lewis Bag. Image Credit: Zoey Marciniak, Courtesy of Gertie By GINNY VAN ALYEA We included Chicago Exhibition Week in CGN’s fall season preview, but with final plans now announced—and more than 50 galleries participating—it is worth taking a closer look at what you can expect September 14–20 so you can at least try to fit in as much art viewing and mingling as possible this week. Chicago's galleries are the reason to get out and explore, and this year’s participants represent a broad cross-section of the city, from longtime galleries to newer and artist-run spaces. Among them are Anthony Gallery, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Devening Projects, Elise Seigenthaler Gallery, The Franklin, Good Weather, Kavi Gupta, M. LeBlanc, Mariane Ibrahim, McCormick Gallery, moniquemeloche, Regards, Rhona Hoffman Gallery (participating with the launch of a second RHG catalog rather than a gallery exhibition), Secrist | Beach, Volume Gallery and WesternExhibitions. The week offers a useful occasion to catch up on new fall exhibitions, revisit familiar spaces and discover galleries outside your usual route. Hours and programming vary, so as always we recommend checking individual gallery schedules before heading out. Final additions to the week include seven Curated Routes assembled by Chicago artists, writers, chefs and cultural leaders. The routes combine art destinations with neighborhood restaurants, bookstores, shops and public spaces. Contributors include artist Yvette Mayorga, chef Jake Potashnick, writer Kaylen Ralph, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry President and CEO Dr. Chevy Humphrey, and SkyART Executive Director Devon VanHouten-Maldonado. “We are reaching more widely and more deeply this year, which is a reflection of how deeply invested we are in Chicago, its artists, and cultural institutions, and the many people who make this community what it is. That includes the collectors and longtime supporters who have helped sustain Chicago’s cultural ecosystem, as well as the next generation of artists, collectors, patrons, and curious people who will shape its future,” said Chanelle Lacy, Head of Programming, Partnerships, and Membership at Gertie. Visitors who complete the activities included on CXW's printed and digital maps may present them on Sunday, September 20 for complimentary admission to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Driehaus Museum or the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Mayorga's curated route this year includes the National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago Art Department, El Anticuario, Semillas, Café Jumping Bean, Rubi’s Tacos, Cerdito Muerto, and Skylark, highlighting cultural, artistic, and neighborhood destinations across Pilsen. Two newly announced conversations round out the public programming:&nbsp;Art After Subcultures, featuring critics Sean Tatol and Troy Sherman, on September 17 at the Gertie Hub; and&nbsp;A River Runs Through It: ICI’s Mississippi River Projecton September 20 at the Studio Gang Treehouse. Organized by Gertie, Chicago Exhibition Week takes place September 14–20. Find the participating galleries, exhibition details and related events at <a href="https://www.chicagoexhibitionweek.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chicagoexhibitionweek.com</a> #

A Closer Look at Chicago Exhibition Week

Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here.</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789517637/noxz9olp47gfneafz8xg.jpg"> <h4>Nikko Washington –&nbsp;</h4><h4>Artist</h4> “I’m thrilled to further expand my artistic and design practice by introducing other mediums into the mix. I’m looking forward to watching the seasons change and devoting a lot of time in the studio as well. Fall/winter is my favorite time to create new works.&nbsp; I have an upcoming solo show with <a href="https://vsgcontemporary.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VSG&nbsp;Contemporary</a> that I am excited about. The work will delve further into the topics of cultural mythology and how these tales and narratives have helped shape my worldview.&nbsp; Also, it wouldn’t be right if I left out my&nbsp;excitement for this upcoming season of Chicago sports.” <a href="https://www.nikkowashington.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nikko Washington</a>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Nikko Washington

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789100262/zyjzsjooddklp8aljtdd.jpg"> By GINNY VAN ALYEA Over the years, CGN has covered many chapters of artist and Chicagoan Tony Fitzpatrick’s life and work. Following his <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/artist-tony-fitzpatrick-has-died-at-age-66" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">death</a> in October 2025, his wife, Michelle, and children, Max and Gaby, have been working to preserve Fitzpatrick's legacy. One of their efforts offers an accessible way to bring an early Fitzpatrick image home—and support the work his family is carrying forward. The family is issuing a limited-edition poster featuring Houdini, an image Fitzpatrick originally created for the inaugural exhibition at World Tattoo Gallery in 1989. Priced at $100, the edition is limited to 500 prints, each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. All proceeds support projects dedicated to preserving and protecting his life’s work. The image comes from a formative period. Fitzpatrick left Chicago for New York in 1987 to pursue his career as an artist. When he returned, he wanted to build the kind of rebellious, vibrant artistic community he had encountered there. With help from friends, he opened World Tattoo Gallery in the South Loop in 1989. According to Tony's family, Houdini held particular significance for Fitzpatrick during those years: an escape artist who could accomplish the seemingly impossible. His appearance on the gallery’s first exhibition poster connects the image to Fitzpatrick’s ambitions for both his own work and a community of artists in Chicago. For longtime followers and those just discovering his art, the release offers a connection to that early chapter while helping his family care for what comes next. In 1988, Tony left Chicago to find a career as an artist in NY. In NY he experienced something he often described as “unimagined possibilities” of creativity, supported by a rebellious artcommunity. When he returned to Chicago in 1989, he was determined to create the “art community” he experienced in NY. In 1989 and with the help of several friends, he opened The World Tattoo Gallery in the crumbling area of the South Loop. The space was a 6000 square foot loft at the corner of 13th and Wabash dedicated to emerging visual artists and performance art. Among the many heroes Tony idealized in his work, Houdini was the most relevant to him during this period of his career. Houdini represented “escape” and a man who would achievethe impossible challenge. The legendary Friday night openings at World Tattoo would see an average of a 1000 people attending. The gallery was described by many as a phenomenon and a testimony to Tony’sboundless energy and dedication his city, Chicago. He created this poster to honor the grand opening of World Tattoo Gallery. “Houdini” is a limited edition of 500 prints and will come with a certificate of authenticity. The World Tattoo Poster measures 12.5 × 18 inches and is available for $100 at&nbsp;<a href="https://tonyfitzpatrick.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tonyfitzpatrick.co</a>.

A Poster from Tony Fitzpatrick’s Early Years Supports His Legacy

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485212/jxryqhayppogrtryuu0b.jpg"> By CGN Staff There is no shortage of art to see at home in Chicago but fall also offers chances to venture elsewhere for the day or for a weekend. In Milwaukee right now, and through October 6, is a new Milwaukee initiative that brings together museums, galleries and public art with a free passport to help visitors explore the city’s cultural offerings easily. Organized by Sculpture Milwaukee,&nbsp;Milwaukee Art Escape runs through October 6, 2026, with participants including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, Lynden Sculpture Garden, Haggerty Museum of Art and Milwaukee Institute of Art &amp; Design Galleries. Sample itineraries are available. The free Milwaukee Art Escape Passport offers a starting point for building a day trip or weekend itinerary, connecting art destinations with dining, hospitality and other local partners. Participating locations offer a range of visitor incentives, including special experiences and, at some stops, prize giveaways. The specially created Welcome Packet includes participating partner offers, transportation tips, and your Milwaukee Art Escape Passport. Organizers say that as you explore, you can take advantage of exclusive offers and visit participating partners, using the Passport as a guide and tool to access exclusive offers by visiting in person. Examples are a Lion’s Tooth bookstore 10% discount, and 15% off general admission or $10 off the annual membership at Villa Terrace Museum &amp; Gardens. There is even a free streetcar that connects several destinations. “There are so many great cultural institutions in Milwaukee, and collectively we are building a culture of collaboration,” said John Riepenhoff, Executive Director of Sculpture Milwaukee. “By working together, we are increasing the visibility of the arts and sharing our Milwaukee art experience with visitors from Chicago, Madison, and beyond.” Launched August 21 with a few days left of summer, the initiative has received support from Travel Wisconsin and Baird, as the campaign also encourages Milwaukee residents to explore their own city. For returning visitors, the roster offers a reason to pair a familiar museum stop with a sculpture garden, gallery or historic site they have yet to visit. Find participating destinations and register for the free passport at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milwaukeeartescape.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">milwaukeeartescape.com</a>.

Milwaukee Art Escape Connects Museums, Public Art and More This Fall

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961823/s3lp0uull2s8mvd8funj.jpg">Andi Crist, Extension Cords, Glazed stoneware, chrome, Sizes vary 2021-present. Photo: Mikey Mosher This interview is part of CGN's Fall 2026 issue.&nbsp;<a href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" target="_blank">Purchase a copy or subscribe</a>. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961824/mghrpnghxd9j9ko2dsjt.jpg">Andi Crist BY ALISON REILLY Andi Crist’s warm, engaging demeanor is evident in the first few minutes of our conversation. Generous with her time and forthcoming in her observations, she cares deeply about building relationships through her art making. Crist grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, devoured art classes, wrote songs and played music in high school, and moved to Chicago to study visual art at Columbia College. In 2024, she received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a woodworker, sculptor, ceramicist, and conceptual artist, and she teaches at Illinois Institute of Technology. We discussed her multidisciplinary practice, her experience working as an art handler, preparator, and fabricator, and how she thinks about labor, creativity, and value in the art world.&nbsp; CGN: You grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. How did that environment shape your point of view as an artist? Andi Crist: That’s such a funny question. Nobody’s ever really asked. CGN: Oh, really? AC: Yeah, maybe because I never was super connected with the arts community down in Birmingham. I moved to Chicago in 2007, so it’s been 20 years since I lived in the South. I was definitely one of those art kids—one art credit was required in high school, and I graduated with like seven. I was surrounded by artists who had a big impact on me, because they were working artists. All my art teachers were trained in Alabama and then continued to teach and work in Alabama, which gave me this desire to try to expand my community outside of what I was familiar with. CGN: Do you identify as a Chicagoan? AC: My family still lives in Alabama, and I go back every year. I love being in Alabama. Maybe now being in Chicago for almost 20 years, I identify as a southerner living in the city. I carry on the social qualities of a friendly southern person [laughs].&nbsp; CGN: You have a varied art practice—woodwork, ceramics, mold making. What drew you to those types of fabrication methods and that type of art making? AC: My dad is a carpenter and a hobbyist woodworker, but his career was psychology, and my mom was a professor and an incredible craftswoman. I absorbed my mom’s model of creativity, which is to try a bunch of different things and not necessarily finish them but to try to learn as much as I can by just going for it. My practice over the years has become an exploration of conceptual elements of what makes art art and not just craft. Do you have to be a master craftsperson or a professional artist in order to make something that resonates with people? I make a lot of work that references the mode of making and requires a variety of different media. I just finished teaching a ceramics production class where students learned how to produce molds, think about positives and negatives, and get into a level of production rather than just handicraft as a way to multiply their output. I got into fabrication because I’ve always liked working with other artists. I have a background in theater and gallery work. I’m a voracious learner, and I like being able to share those skills with my community. Then I end up making work about that. It’s a self-feeding cycle. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961825/zzejqwibga5f5wk6einh.jpg">Andi Crist,&nbsp;Artist’s Ladder, 2023.&nbsp;Photo: Jeff Perlman CGN: Thinking about your background as an art handler and preparator—how did you get to the point where you were making work about that experience? AC: In 2010, right before I graduated from Columbia, I was living in a storefront in West Logan Square with my partner at the time. We started a gallery called Autotelic in the space and had to build it out using the worst tools with very minimal resources. Then we started curating shows there and that meant helping other artists figure out how to install their work in our unusual space. Eventually, I gained the reputation for knowing how to do that type of work. I started getting invited to work in museums and galleries.&nbsp; The Holocaust Museum was the first museum I worked at, and as difficult as that subject matter is, that experience was really important to me because I was learning more about the larger world of gallery work. As an artist working as a preparator, you’re straddling both sides of that space. You’re really seeing how the sausage is made. You’re hearing all the conversations about artists, curators, the process of exhibition making. There is a lot of information you can gather about the economics of the art world by just being the person that has the know-how to touch and handle artwork. Eventually that started feeding into my art practice because I wanted to make work that was contributing to a conversation around art as a type of job. It fueled a methodology of seeing everything in the world as the result of a long line of processes that required effort and thoughtfulness by many hands. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961826/uv5bysb5fbne30gr5czh.jpg">Andi Crist, Fair Warning, 2025. CGN: The title of your recent exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum—Live, Laugh, Lo—sorry, not Live, Laugh, Love—Live, Laugh, Labor. AC: [Laughs] That’s what everybody does. CGN: I love the title—it’s perfect. You incorporate humor along with thoughtful critiques about labor and value in your work. What role does humor play? How does it help you connect with your audience? AC: One of my biggest criticisms of art with a capital A is how easily it can be overly intellectualized. I think that’s why I end up making a lot of work that references things that already exist or have some kind of real purpose. It’s important to give people a foothold so there’s an obvious place to board that train of thought. As an artist—maybe this is me getting into a sweeping argument about what artists should be—but I personally believe in intellectual accessibility. Humor is a swift way to drop defenses and allow people to come in without feeling like they are not getting the joke or not understanding. I like to make work that can hold both of those things at the same time—it’s funny on the surface level, it’s kind of cheeky, but there’s also another way to look at it that is intellectually clever. There is a joy in the attempt to “get it”. Like the satisfaction of grasping how a crossword puzzle actually works. It’s also so much a part of my personality. I take myself seriously as an artist, but my ego isn’t at the heart of it. It’s really something that I do because I love to make things, and I love to connect with other people. My parents raised me on puns, creating those language relationships between things and people and space. Understanding a joke is the same way that we understand art, and while neither of my parents would consider themselves artists, they taught me how to think about art. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961828/gnotyfijabr7e15kb6hm.jpg">Andi Crist,&nbsp;69 Bananas CGN: Your work, Artist’s Ladder, explores hierarchies, workplace cultures, and institutional values. What experiences shaped your reflections on these themes?&nbsp;AC: The ladder piece distinctly represents the complicated relationship between front of house, back of house, and the hierarchy of labor. Who is the artist in those relationships? How much does another person’s knowledge and expertise contribute to the success of another artist? There are enormous, industrialized art practices out there, warehouses full of people making things, and those people are also artists. When you make work that involves other people, it’s important to acknowledge their contributions. I’ve had complicated interactions with other artists who are like, ‘Hey, do you want to collaborate with me on this thing?’ but really they just want me to make their idea. I made Artist’s Ladder while I was in grad school at UIC, and it really represented my relationship with a lot of other artists, because I could be an actual support structure for them. Then it turned into this absurd physical thing. It’s extremely overbuilt with inlaid racing stripes made of exotic hardwood, and a butcher’s block-style plaid top. It’s not really like an FU as much as it is asking for acknowledgement of my skills and the essential support structures that exist.&nbsp;CGN: I want to ask you about another piece, Five O’Clock Somewhere, a wool rug that resembles a children’s play mat. I work at a library, and it reminded me of rugs I see all the time. It’s a peaceful image of an office park with a large fountain surrounded by a parking lot. I’m curious why you chose a rug as the medium to depict that image.&nbsp;AC: To me the heart of that joke was that it was a landscape. I wanted it to be physically traversable. And that was, I don’t want to say controversial, but it was something that I had to talk about a lot. The critique of that work was the fact that I didn’t want to hang it on the wall and turn it into a tapestry. I really wanted it to be a rug that people could walk on. When I showed that work at Chicago Artists Coalition for the New City Breakout Artists show. There was a lot of pushback about having it on the floor and allowing people to walk on it.&nbsp;That, to me, was such an important conversation, because, in my mind, the fact that you could walk across it and traverse it was part of how I was thinking about the object. Rugs are utilitarian–they are floor coverings. When you make art that doesn’t do anything, you don’t get to participate in that part of the conversation.&nbsp;I enjoy sparring around art like that. I am totally tickled by the pushback. The critique of display is exciting, and sorting through the politics of utilitarianism in art spaces is fun to me. And then—it was so crazy—we ended up showing it halfway on the wall and halfway on the ground.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961829/r1zylkwfw9rkw191skdl.jpg">Andi Crist, Five O’Clock Somewhere, on display at Live, Laugh, Labor: Thoughts on Usefulness and Other Myths at The Cleve Carney Museum of Art, 2025. CGN: Oh, wow. AC: I was like, this is the epitome of compromise! I had to build a structure so that it could hang that way safely.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: I would say just put it on the ground if that’s what you want to do. It’s interesting that there are still very fixed ideas about the way that art should be displayed.&nbsp;AC: That preparator part of it, that’s what I’m all about. I was having that conversation about what physically supports the work or what conceptually supports it in the way that it’s shown.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Have you always been a writer? How do your art and writing practices work together?&nbsp; AC: I can’t say that I’m a writer, it’s probably the same way that it can feel weird to call yourself an artist. But I feel like I’ve always been relatively good at writing. The first time I ever did any kind of professional writing was contributing,&nbsp;a long time ago, to a website called eHow. The editors would send me a title, and then I would have to research how to do that thing. Then I would write out step-by-step instructions for how to do that.&nbsp; I think that’s how I had to make myself think through my conceptual practice—I had to do the research, coagulate that into some kind of document, and then I would have stream-of-consciousness conversations with myself. “Why are we interested in this? Why would we make it this way? What would I want to talk about if someone were to ask me about this?” It’s almost like I was pre-interviewing myself.&nbsp; I think the writing is just another way for me to process that idea before I put in all of the time and energy to actually accomplish it.&nbsp; CGN: What are you working on right now? What projects do you have coming up? AC: The biggest project that I have right now is my house. My family and I suffered a major house fire on New Year’s Day. We’ve been displaced since then and are navigating rebuilding our house. It was a total loss.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961830/kekfqzf9f87fq48juogh.jpg">Andi Crist, Single-Use Fireplace, 2025. Photo: Mikey Mosher. &nbsp;CGN: I’m so sorry to hear that.&nbsp; AC: Thank you. We’re all okay, but it’s been a really tumultuous year. I moved my studio into a storefront last summer, and so most of my, at least relatively recent, work is safe, and I still have all of my materials, but my home life is starting over. I just had my first full year at this space, and it’s got a little gallery built out in the front called Coming Soon. It’s beautiful with floor-to-ceiling windows on Division and Central Park. I’ve been inviting people into the space to try things out.&nbsp;After teaching the ceramics class, I came into a bunch of nice slip casting molds, and I’m making some really playful, weird, ceramic stuff. I want to be open and not put too much pressure on myself. Having a big studio by myself is very expensive, so it’s easy to want to make it feel like it’s worth it. But if for now all I can do is make it a resource for other people, then that will be the thing I do. Be less selfish, but more selfish with my time. Saying I can’t do that, or I don’t want to do that. It’s not my nature to say no—I’m such a yes man. I’m learning how to be a yes man for myself.&nbsp; CGN: That makes sense after going through something so traumatic.&nbsp;AC: I have an amazing support system. Our friends started a GoFundMe. It was incredible. I’m so humbled and floored by how held I felt by Chicago. I can’t help but throw a little shout out to my Chicago people. I can see how people’s lives get totally ruined by this kind of tragedy. I feel so lucky. Chicago definitely showed its love back.&nbsp; CGN: For your project Coming Soon, are you bringing in other artists? AC: My philosophy is that I want to be involved as little as possible. I am thinking about it more as a hosted than curated space. I’m actively soliciting proposals or ideas for workshops, meetings, book clubs—I’m down for making it a resource, whatever that means. I don’t want to over-think it, I want it to be an intuitive and organic thing, which is why I call it Coming Soon—it can be a placeholder for anything. It’s exciting. Taking my hands off the reins is a good exercise for me. <a href="https://www.andicrist.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">andicrist.com</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961831/gno5dhliwfnzpuaim78s.jpg">Andi Crist, Extension Cords, Glazed stoneware, chrome, Sizes vary 2021-present. Photo: Mikey Mosher

Andi Crist: The Art of The Pun

<h3>Building a collection that reflects you</h3> <h3>CGN’s Spring/Summer 2026 issue featured&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/cgn-collecting-101" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" target="_blank">Collecting 101</a>, and now we are pleased to continue sharing some tips and advice about starting and building an art collection that is one you want to take care of and nurture because it is a reflection of your own passions and tastes.&nbsp;</h3><h3> </h3><h3>We’re also sharing a few words of wisdom from collectors we have profiled over the years.&nbsp;</h3><h3> </h3><h3>Our most recent profile of collectors Macol and José Cerda in our fall issue features a collection built over many years and which is a very personal reflection of taste that has evolved through generations.&nbsp;</h3><h3> </h3><h3>– CGN</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789134190/zx31f0fxjcpzheouaue1.jpg">CGN has interviewed dozens of art collectors over the years. Some images from collections are pictured above: Top left: William Lieberman; top right: Christopher Craft; Lower right: Michelle Edwards; Lower left: Melissa Weber and Jay Dandy. <h3 class="ql-indent-1">Collector Wisdom:&nbsp;</h3> “Don’t buy anything for six months. If you’re really into art, start by going to as many gallery and museum exhibitions as you can. See what curators are interested in...See what artists and dealers are excited about. You need to learn as much as possible and develop your own taste.”– Zach Smith, CGN 2023 “It is always a thrill when a piece by an artist in&nbsp;our collection is borrowed for a major exhibition... Attending the openings is enormously gratifying&nbsp;and is a great way to meet other curators, collectors, and arts patrons from around the country.”&nbsp;– Michael Robertson and Christopher Slapak,&nbsp;CGN 2025 <h4>1. Don’t Be Afraid to Let Your Collection Evolve</h4> Your first purchases don’t have to define your collection forever. As you visit more exhibitions and meet more artists, your tastes will naturally grow and change.&nbsp; Some collectors keep their early purchases as a reminder of where they started, while others may resell or pass certain works of art on to new owners in order to clarify a new focus or simply to make wall space. <h4>2. Buy with Intention</h4> Instead of asking, “Does this match what I already own?” ask, “Does this add something new?” Great collections are built through curiosity, not perfection. This isn’t to say impulse purchases are bad, since sometimes you just have to buy what you love and make it work. That’s the heart of a personal collection, but serious collectors tend to want to enrich a body of work by filling in gaps or deepening the range of art by a particular artist.&nbsp; <h4>3. There’s No Right Way to Collect</h4> Some collectors focus on one artist. Others collect across mediums or themes. The best collections reflect the people who build them. Buying art comes with a lot of information. It’s OK to filter the noise and just look, listen and decide for yourself.&nbsp; <h4>4. Build Relationships</h4> Collectors don’t just collect art—they become part of an arts community. Get to know galleries, attend openings, ask questions, and stay connected with artists whose work resonates with you. Touring galleries and exhibitions with fellow collectors is collegial, not competitive. A social life connected to art undoubtedly makes engagement with the art market more fun and more personal, as you get to know the artists working today while also making friends with other collectors as well as gallery owners and curators.&nbsp; Fall is an ideal time to attend benefits and art walks that put you in social settings around art while also supporting institutions that need resources and an engaged audience.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CGN’s calendar</a> offers a lineup of the season’s most fun events.&nbsp; <h4>5. Practice Self-Care for Your Collection</h4> Keep records of your purchases, frame works properly, avoid direct sunlight, and don’t hesitate to ask galleries for advice about installation and conservation. Once you have purchased a work of art, treat it well so it can live a long life. Light, water and temperature can each wreak a lot of havoc on delicate works of art.

A short guide to art collecting from CGN, fall 2026

CGN Collecting 102

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485242/tt6trxqncw6di8tejjxw.jpg">© 2026, Angela Campbell, Yampa Valley Cloudburst, 18 x 28, Oil on canvas By GINNY VAN ALYEA Following two West Loop art fairs in 2025, the organizer behind those events is heading north this fall with a newly named fair in Evanston. The inaugural North Shore Fine Art Expo will take place November 13–15, 2026, at The Orrington Hotel, near Northwestern University. The three-day event will begin with a Friday evening First Look preview, followed by public hours Saturday and Sunday. Unlike a gallery-centered fair, the North Shore Expo will feature artists presenting and selling their work directly. More than 40 participating artists from Chicago and around the country are expected to be on site throughout the weekend, giving visitors an opportunity to meet them and learn more about their work. Work represented at the fair will range from painting, drawing and mixed media to fiber art, encaustic, watercolor and sculpture. The new event follows the Spring and Fall West Loop Contemporary Fine Art Expos, which debuted at Plumbers Hall in 2025. Its move to Evanston gives the organizer, Gourmet Expos, a different setting and potential audience, while adding another independently produced fair to the Chicago area’s increasingly full fall art calendar. Supporting organizations currently listed by the fair include the Evanston Art Center, Chicago Alliance of Visual Artists, Chicago Women’s Caucus for Art and North Shore Art League. North Shore Fine Art Expo First Look Preview: Friday, November 13, 6:30–9:30pmSaturday, November 14, 11am–7pmSunday, November 15, 11am–6pm The Orrington Hotel1710 Orrington Avenue, Evanston Daily admission is $20; multiple-day tickets are also available. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.northshorefineartexpo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">northshorefineartexpo.com</a>&nbsp;for the complete artist roster and ticket information.

Inaugural North Shore Fine Art Expo Planned for Evanston in November

Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here.&nbsp;</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789516769/izokunnmrufdyjbjnypk.jpg"><h4>Debra Kerr –&nbsp;</h4><h4>CEO, Intuit Art Museum</h4> “Intuit Art Museum’s renovated, expanded spaces give audiences the chance to connect with art through daily art-making, third Thursday Art After Work, group Slow Looks designed to provide a mindful experience with a single work and upcoming conversations with sculptor Bill Brady (Oct. 3) and Dr. Mary Trent (Oct. 15), who curated our current exhibition on the role of scrapbook-making in Henry Darger’s art.&nbsp; On view is the thought-provoking Monumental: The Sculpture of Dr. Charles Smith, which encourages guests to consider the lack of historical representation of African Americans and Black people in America. Dr. Smith’s memorials champion Black history and stories of everyday life he sees missing in mainstream narratives.&nbsp; This fall we’re opening an exhibition of paintings by Karla Wong, an artist who immigrated from Oaxaca and who explores themes of life and death, gender identity and self-discovery.” <a href="https://art.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Intuit Art Museum</a>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Debra Kerr

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961898/skkuau3by2vcm5kzmgkx.jpg">Jobe Gemmell-Hughes, Towards Passage, 2026, oil on canvas, 10” x 15” This interview is part of CGN's Fall 2026 issue.&nbsp;<a href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" target="_blank">Purchase a copy or subscribe.</a> By Curtis Anthony Bozif Upon learning that Dan Devening and Elizabeth Lalley&nbsp;would be co-curating a three-person exhibition at Devening Projects this fall, and that the show would explore inwardness, privacy, and the domestic, I was eager to find out more and get both of their thoughts on curation and collaboration, as well as to hear from Lalley about what it’s been like to return to the art world after stepping away from it for a while. Curtis Anthony Bozif: Dan and Elizabeth, can you tell me what the impetus for this exhibition was and how it came together? Dan, can you talk specifically about your decision to collaborate with another curator?&nbsp; Dan Devening: For the opening exhibition of our fall 2026 season at Devening Projects, I had planned a solo show of recent paintings by Jobe Gemmell-Hughes, a young artist recently graduated with his BFA from SAIC. His paintings from this year seem acutely relevant to our times: dark, impressionistic, densely textured canvases that seem preoccupied with trying to capture a delicate balance between apprehension and euphoria. These paintings really resonate with me, more so because so much of what they express comes through his touch and sensitivity to his medium. I looked forward to debuting this work but had not yet considered an artist with whom to pair him.&nbsp; With two spaces in the gallery, I typically feature a pair of solo projects for each show. I had recently connected again with Elizabeth, as she and her husband Billy James Joyce moved into a studio space in the same building as the gallery. Elizabeth was talking about how she was looking forward to relaunching Slow Dance Projects now that she had returned to Chicago after living in Michigan for a year. I always loved Elizabeth’s curation at Slow Dance, particularly her focus on strong emerging artists. We’re also both deeply committed to the material integrity of the work. In her shows at Slow Dance it was the delicate atmospheres evident in the paintings of Noelle Africh as well as the visceral and primordial sculpture of Travis Morehead. I knew she would have a particularly interesting way to build a show with Jobe’s paintings as a starting point. With my invitation to contribute ideas to how this show might evolve, we agreed that co-curating Road to the Farthest Room would lead to something fantastic. We considered several propositions that resulted in adding the Detroit-based painter Julia Firestone Callis and the Chicago sculptor Ben Driggs to the mix. There were threads in the work of each artist that suggested interiority, domestic spaces and uneasiness. From a curatorial standpoint, we began with the idea that each of the two painters would be showcased in a solo show, one in each of the two galleries. We asked Ben to consider making small installations for both spaces that would reveal something even more mysterious in the paintings of the other artists. Through the witchy, wonderfully eccentric constructions and castings he makes, we knew Ben would add a layer of depth and mystery to a show already thick with emotional and psychological undercurrents.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961898/gitabcxvgoepbz3i1tj4.jpg">Left: Julia Callis, A Chair in the room upstairs Pt. 1, 2024,&nbsp;Acrylic, colored pencil, on board, 31.5 x 15.5”Right: Julia Callis, Pedestrian Equestrian, 2026, Acrylic on board,&nbsp;36.75 x 26.6” CAB: Elizabeth, your curatorial project, Slow Dance, is currently on hiatus. In different periods of my life, I too have stepped away from the art world, and my return to it, if I’m being honest, hasn’t always been easy. I wonder what this experience has been like for you. Did it clarify anything? How do you think your time away has influenced this exhibition?&nbsp; Elizabeth Lalley: The hiatus was really a hiatus from urban life, to which the art world was sort of inextricably linked. We moved to rural Michigan for a year, a bit impulsively, after fantasizing about it for a while. I think I was in a place, in terms of my relationship with the art world, where I was just moving through things a little robotically. I wasn’t seeking things out or exploring or being driven by my own curiosity the way I had been before. I was feeling too impressionable, feeling in a little bit of an echo chamber, and I was working at SAIC in Graduate Admissions, so I was also tired from juggling a creative practice and an intense arts administrator role.&nbsp; As soon as we moved, we found out we were having a baby, so that intensified the hiatus too. We were living with so much space around us—big skies, fields—and I spent a lot of time writing and just remembering my influences, the things I return to, the art I love. We came back to Chicago when our son was 3 months old and I felt immense renewed excitement and love for the city and the art scene here.&nbsp; I’ve respected Dan and his program for a long time, and the opportunity for this show had me spending a lot of time thinking about who I would want to work with, after this break from curation and after such a personal shift.&nbsp; Julia is someone whose work I looked at a lot over the past few years, and there’s a deeply personal resonance I feel with her practice, in terms of connection to Detroit, love for food and for home. And Ben, who is also a dear friend of mine and my husband’s, is one of the most creative, incredible makers I know and he doesn’t operate in a traditional gallery context. So there was also a vulnerability in inviting him to be part of this that felt very real and true to me, especially when feeling a vulnerability myself of coming back to something as a new mother, which can be such an isolating time. I feel more invested in developing true relationships and making things without affect or pretense than ever before. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961899/mrcyq3urjxkrl27y2sy6.jpg">Left: Ben Driggs, Cell Cage, 2026, steel, wood, cloth, 8 x 7 x 13”. Right: Ben Driggs, Bath Light, 2026, copper, 41 x 16 x 16” CAB: Could you tell me a little bit more about each of the artists and their practices? Dan has already alluded to how their work might suggest “interiority, domestic spaces and uneasiness.” What other ideas, states of mind, or feelings do you hope to explore or elicit in this exhibition? DD:&nbsp; As I said, Jobe’s paintings reflect a young painter’s desire to tease out the emotional and psychological states of searching and discovery through the process of making. It’s as if he’s mapping the inside of his own mind, looking closely at the circuits and neurons that interconnect to form what then reads as physical space. To me, his paintings suggest landscape, but rarely does a horizon appear. Instead, what he conjures are expansive chambers that feel both vast and claustrophobic—environments with so much surface activation that the air itself feels close, the space encroaching. That pressure could only come through the patient accumulation of his surfaces. Mark by mark, pigment layered and scraped onto an already heavily worked canvas.&nbsp; We love how Ben’s work suggests a different kind of intense focus—that of a hermetic tinkerer who takes what material is most readily available and breathes life into it with delicate craftsmanship and delightful whimsy. Everything is functional. Everything has specific domestic use. The work is clearly sculpture, but as Ben says, each object has a specific place in his home and functions with purpose. Although often highly peculiar, each sculpture has a reference and use that becomes more apparent as the work is experienced. EL: And to echo this, there’s something about the intense specificity of Ben’s pieces that I think makes them even more mysterious, as they’re sort of “unhomed” and brought into the gallery. It makes me think a little about how, when you isolate a single word and poke at it, it can expand and expand the more you look at and investigate it. Ben is so deeply focused in his making, yet so expansive—he seems to hold so much at once. He’s also deeply invested and interested in outsider artists and artists’ homes and art environments. He and his wife, Ash, are intensely curious about the way people live with objects and put objects into the world. Something he said recently to me was that Ash showed him a picture of a door Ruth Asawa carved from redwood for her home in San Francisco, and how Ben was more drawn to it than to any of her better-known artworks. This interest in the sort of “non-professional” parts of an artist’s life—the parts that don’t seem to fit a prescribed space or arch—are important to Ben. DD: For me, Julia’s paintings have a surreal lightness that’s less present in the work of the other two artists. Her paintings are graceful and open—there’s room to move, room to breathe. That sense comes through in how her characters seem to freely populate the work: they float and hover, not always in control of their own trajectory, but clearly active, buoyant, alive. That lightness carries through in her palette too, which ranges from colors grounded in nature to more richly saturated hues, bringing a wonderfully joyful energy to the work. Her paintings are important to this project because they offer a lyricism and cadence less present in the other two artists’ work. Together, these three artists reveal how each might dig deep into their own inner states to tune into the frequency the times demand. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961900/b5toe9klgcf2ut3bdntf.jpg">Jobe Gemmell–Hughes, Gulf, 2026, oil on canvas, 74 x 46” CAB: Collaboration of any kind involves giving up some control and putting your trust in the people you work with. I’m thinking of your collaboration as co-curators, but I’m also thinking about how you’re working with artists, much of whose work I understand is still in progress. What is it like for both of you, giving up some control and trusting each other and your artists? DD: From my experience running a gallery, collaboration has always offered more opportunities for positive gain than any real loss of control. Working with other curators and artists on projects and shows lets my ideas expand beyond my own limitations. There are always new angles from which to see a concept; I rely on my collaborators and co-curators to lead me in unexpected directions that make a show better, more rigorous, and more interesting. This is especially true when working with artists showing at the gallery. When I begin working on an exhibition, I know the artist will already have ideas about what they’d like to show and how. My role is to offer thoughts on how that vision can be realized within the spaces of the gallery—that’s where I think my contributions are most useful. I know the possibilities and limitations of the rooms, how full or empty a show should feel based on the work, and how visitors tend to move through and around the installations. I share that with the artists, and together we arrive at a strategy that most successfully and accurately reflects their intent. For this show, we’re in close contact with the artists as they fine-tune the work they’d like to feature in their installations. In most cases, we’ll have more work than we can show, which allows for flexibility and gives real collaboration room to happen. Each of the three artists, along with Elizabeth and I, will spend a good amount of time with the work in the galleries. For me, this is a chance to get to know the artists and their most recent work better—which is the greatest pleasure of collaborating: meeting the artists and growing closer to both them and their work. EL: I love collaboration. Sometimes I forget how much I love it until I’m working on something with others, and then I realize how much I miss it when I’m working in solitude. Being together with artists in a space, watching how the space and the work are responding to each other, all of that is, to me, the very best part of the process. There can be real surprises, and the different perspectives that everyone brings make the space and the work feel really alive. Working on this with Dan as a co-curator has been such a wonderful opportunity for me because I have such respect for his program. He has an exquisite and incisive eye, and his tastes feel varied while also running deep and feeling very honest.&nbsp; Road to the Farthest Room is a three-person exhibition featuring the work of Julia Callis, Ben Driggs and Jobe Gemmell–Hughes, co-curated by&nbsp;Elizabeth Lalley and Dan Devening <a href="http://deveningprojects.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Devening Projects</a>September 13–October 24, 2026Reception September 13, 3 – 5 pm3039 W. CarrollChicago, IL 60612 #

Road to the Farthest Room: Elizabeth Lalley + Dan Devening Collaborate

Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here.</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788406185/ufuadbvbeybjwsvzr4qz.jpg">Photo by Travis Roozée <h4>William Gross –&nbsp;</h4><h4>65GRAND</h4> “Ever since my school days, I’ve looked forward to fall—a season of reconnecting with friends, embarking on new adventures, and sharing an enthusiasm for art. In that spirit, I’m excited to announce our fall lineup at 65GRAND. The gallery presents solo exhibitions by William Staples, Holly Murkerson and Shane Huffman. Staples debuts paintings that both reflect and incorporate materials from the landscape surrounding his home along the Esopus Creek in the Catskills, exploring formal conventions of painting while challenging how we perceive pictorial space. Murkerson makes photographic work that seeks to visualize embodiment and the porousness between body and environment, grounded in the materiality (liquid, mineral, animal, light), apparatuses (eye, room, womb, chamber) and slow metabolism of analog photography. Huffman continues ‘swimming to the moon,’ investigating the unified phenomena of “lightmotionspace” through photographic experiments at the intersection of lab work and alchemical sorcery. We have also extended Jenal Dolson’s installation, Interrobang, which inaugurated our project space.&nbsp; We look forward to welcoming you for artist talks and special events at the gallery this season!” <a href="https://www.65grand.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">65GRAND</a>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – William Gross

A Family Home for Stories: Collectors Macol and José Cerda

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789517086/oux9ecxxdnzsnnryqeak.jpg"> This interview is part of CGN's Fall 2026 issue.&nbsp;<a href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" target="_blank">Purchase a copy or subscribe.</a> By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE Launched in 2005 by Duncan MacKenzie, Richard Holland, and Amanda Browder, the legendary art podcast <a href="https://badatsports.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bad at Sports</a> is turning 21. If you were around the scene back then, you remember this trio of brilliant, sharp, and irreverent creatives who added dynamic intellectual energy to the city’s art dialogue. I spoke with Duncan to revisit the podcast’s early days, trace its evolution, and understand its impact today. Susan Gescheidle: Let’s go back to 2005. How did the idea for Bad at Sports come together, and who named it? Duncan MacKenzie: Friendship and building lives around contemporary art is the real story of how Bad at Sports became a thing. The origin starts with Richard Holland, a marriage proposal, the Suburban, and a few drinks. Richard and I became friends at the 2003 Stray Show. While drinking, I accidentally blurted out that I was going to ask my girlfriend to marry me—and immediately tried to take it back. He demanded a quarter, explaining that it meant I had him on retainer and, as a lawyer and an artist, he was legally obligated to keep quiet. Realizing we worked in the same building, we resolved to meet after work to discuss exhibitions. While working on an exhibition at Michelle Grabner’s Suburban, we learned a handful of people were making “radio show-like” audio programs distributed as large MP3s. Of the 3,000 or so of these existing on Earth (per Adam Carolla’s early distribution numbers), none addressed contemporary art. It was a whimsical thing to do: make an audio program about things we are supposed to experience visually and bodily. It removed the most obvious thing in the content to address it through artistic intent, humor, philosophy, viewer reception, system status, and curatorial context. In doing it that way, the conversation becomes the thing, the artists become central, and the artwork bears fruit as a subject of contemplation, narrative, and experience. As we walked to Richard’s attic to record Episode 4, we ran into Amanda Browder and “press-ganged” her into joining us. It was a massive moment of serendipity that crystallized Bad at Sports. A few weeks later, Brian Andrews formed the “San Francisco Bureau,” setting our format for the first several years. The name is another story. In our first graduate seminar with legendary curator Mark Pascal, he asked SAIC’s first-year print grads why they were there. It was an obvious feint to disabuse us of our naivety, so nobody answered. I looked around theatrically and said, “I don’t know, Mark, maybe we are all just bad at sports?” It wasn’t the answer he was looking for, but five years later it was exactly the name Richard and I were looking for to set a tone—light, a little real, a lot confusing, and just repellent enough that folks would have to be interested to figure out what we were about. We wanted to embrace contemporary art pretension and skewer it (and ourselves) at the same time. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789517087/tmnigpcwodswwukqx2nr.jpg">The one where Bad at Sports interviewed David Hockney. SG: Whose brainchild was the audio format? Did you foresee a 21-year commitment? DM: The impulse was twofold. Richard and I were trying to find something to listen to that would enrich our studio time. We came from practices requiring repetitive tasks, and we also wanted to document a scene getting less attention than it deserved. We had no idea what we were doing. There were no models. We borrowed from radio, bar and studio talk, magazines, and graduate seminars…but really, it was an adventure. We still lack infrastructure because we have never been planning a future; we have just been trying to do “a now”. So many projects get hung up on the things that can make the “work” work for them and forget that the “work” is the thing that must work before it can work for you. We approached the thing we make like an artist approaches their studio: we started and kept letting the project lead us. SG: Was the goal simply to review gallery shows or to capture the art world’s wider, raw conversations? DM: When Amanda joined the show we figured it out. We thought we would pull an artist in to talk “smack” about what we had seen that weekend. But we had so much fun with Amanda that we started to see how we could engage the whole art world through the concerns of individual artists. It allowed us to constantly learn and grow while tracing the curves of the art world’s discourse. It completely reshaped our original notion. Brian and the SF crew expanded it to partnering with organizations like Art Practical. SG: Where did that very first episode take place? Was it with Chris Cook, curator from the Sioux City Art Center? DM: Yes. We did it a couple of days before it dropped, on what felt like the hottest day ever, in the hottest attic. Chris Cook was an outstanding guest, but it was hot, beer was involved, and I kept trying to bait him into arguments about modern art. We recorded for 90 minutes, and the episode was cut to something like 35. Richard claims he only cut my hectoring and pointed jokes about minimalism. Chris was a good sport—he is now the ED at the Bemis Center—but he is reluctant to get back on mic. The second episode needs to be reissued. It is an interview with Chris Sperandio about a pilot show he made for Fox. They were unhappy that it had not gone through their lawyers first. I think we should put it out as a limited-release vinyl record. SG: Was the project easier to manage when it was a small core group, or do you prefer this mesh, “well-oiled machine”? DM: That is funny to think about. It always feels like being in a band—but one where you never really know who will show up for practice… or the gig. We only meant to have an independent voice in the art world and be beholden to the artwork itself. That has sometimes been a blessing and sometimes a curse. I think everyone who has ever worked with us has been mad at everyone else who has ever worked with us; but like any good band, we are just as much family as friends. We are always there to pick up the phone for one another, and the ethic of the project is about showing up and contributing. Everyone connected is still welcome where we are. No one would call us a “well-oiled machine,” but we are a bunch of folks who are serious and care about what we do. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789517087/dkxser2d1nxeboipqdcy.jpg">Tony Lewis and Baddie on the Terrace of the MCA during a recording session in 2025. SG: In 2006, you added Christopher Hudgens for the website and Mark Staff-Brandl for a footprint in Europe. Did that expansion happen naturally? DM: Like natural growth, we didn’t know how to control or dictate it; we learned along the way. Christopher Hudgens has been an incredible bedrock for the website. Mark joined us for a while because he loved what we were doing and wanted to contribute. Because of what Brian was doing in SF, what Amanda did in NYC, and the work of a few others, we actively tried to court a network model where we could share a different kind of art world than you get in Artforum or Frieze. In lots of ways, it worked amazingly for many years, but the core was always Chicago and the Midwest. SG: Looking at the local ecosystem—the galleries, art schools, fairs, non-profit and public spaces, curators, and critics—what has gotten better, what has gotten worse, and what is completely different? DM: This could be a whole interview, but there is a catch-22 here. Everything that has gotten better has also changed or taken away something great. The best thing is that we have more access to art than we could have imagined in 2005. The downside is that there is so much of it, and it is often overwhelming and underfunded. In 2005, we had a broken but stable model of the art “business.” In 2026, we have a lot of legacy models that need to be reassessed, but we are all afraid the sky is falling, so we stick with what we know. We need to rethink the value arguments contemporary art makes to its audience. For me, it is always the same: this is a space of experimental culture. A safe space to ask questions, take unpopular stands, and “fuck around and find out.” It’s the space in which we expose ourselves to the unknown and the unknown exposes itself to us. It shouldn’t be—but can’t help but be—a place where we build ourselves as idea brands that “co-lab” with institutions to cross-expose our audiences. What artists do for humans is too important for that. SG: What does Chicago’s art scene do exceptionally well that outsiders—especially in New York, LA, and global art hubs—still don’t understand? DM: I always think that this is a byproduct of Chicago-based collectors wanting their NYC friends to recognize and admire their newly acquired works without having to justify their tastes. In general, I think we do a decent job of supporting our scene, but I would love to see us have the confidence that LA does and just say, “What NYC doesn’t know won’t hurt them.” We incubate and train the country’s best talent; we need to give them more to stay for than part-time teaching jobs and an incredible scene. Sales would help. SG: Has your episode length changed over the years to keep up with how people consume digital media today? DM: We always try to keep it to about an hour, but that is totally flexible. If the conversation is going somewhere, I never want it to stop, but you also want to be conscious of the audience. That said, it seems almost impossible to do what we did 21 years ago. The social media requirements, the need for constant engagement, video, editing—it would have been too much to wrangle at one time. SG: Did you ever anticipate that Bad at Sports would step in front of the camera? DM: We never mean to. There is something magical about a voice going out and finding someone. I don’t know that we need a face; the works we talk about are the face. We are “Muppets” that exist to get ideas out. Plus, I have learned that if you make a mean joke, criticize someone’s artwork, or get something wrong, those folks’ friends never forget. Artists themselves are fairly forgiving. SG: In 2007, you dedicated Episode 79 to the West Loop—including the Chris Verene show at my gallery, gescheidle. The show notes explicitly tease you for repeatedly butchering his name on air.&nbsp; DM: Yes, and I am sorry. I remember and feel shame for every single incorrect moment of the last 21 years. I am fortunate to live in a community that has been accepting of my—and our—quirks. It has been a delight. Hopefully, we made some friends and some enemies. Either way, we loved you and all of it. SG: You’ve evolved from irreverent commentators into trusted mainstays. How has that journey shifted your approach to honesty? DM: In the early days, we got a lot of hate mail. Our value then was honesty: we weren’t in anyone’s pocket, and we said what we meant. It didn’t mean we weren’t wrong sometimes, but we were giving a raw and real reaction. It was quite different from writing reviews. When reviewing, you sit with the work, balance internal and external concerns, measure the venue, consider the gallery’s reputation, consult other writers, and look at precedents. But when you are in the space, you react to a work like it is another creature. You react viscerally, bringing reason and experience to the object to vibe-check it. It is messy but honest, and a product of direct engagement. I think that is rare, and the audience and artists understood. That said, a number of partners and friends threatened us with bodily violence—but it is art, so that seemed bonkers. To date, only two of us have been punched over reviews. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789517088/qz8gw1eo43f7blvn24gr.jpg">BAS atop the MCA SG: If you were forced to pick just one single episode as the most important or culturally significant conversation you’ve ever hosted, what would it be? DM: Interesting question, and hard to answer. The interviews with Tony Fitzpatrick were important because we got a slightly different Tony than we got most of the time. Our interview with Kerry James Marshall was also important and incredibly revealing. Actually, everything in the first five years is amazing because no one was savvy enough to know what we were doing, so we got more honesty. I remember chatting with people from NYC where it felt like an hour-long pitch. A great interview is a conversation that is hard to leave, and that is what we chase now. SG: Where is the most unique, bizarre, or flat-out fun space you have ever recorded an episode? DM: We did a series with apexart in NYC where we would do interviews in destabilizing or transitory places. Amanda did one between two stalls in a decommissioned NYC school bathroom. I flew an artist to Chicago, met him for two hours of beer pong, and sent him back to the airport. His experience of Chicago was two taxis and one room. They were bizarre and fun. For VOLTA NY, we installed a bed and did 24 interviews over three days, John-and-Yoko style. Mat Gleason was super fun. SG: What is the most unexpected geographic location where someone is downloading the podcast? DM: I maintain a strict rule against checking metrics. We want the work to be the thing. That said, it has been fascinating to see the global reach of the show and just how many folks have spent time with us over the last 21 years. SG: What platforms do you personally turn to? DM: Obviously, Chicago Gallery News. But The Visualist is a longtime collaborator and an invaluable artist-run resource. I completely trust Mike and Meg to point us all toward an interesting future. I am hopeful about the impact Gertie will have, or Mottley as an art-first PR firm. One of the things I hope for with the next generation is that they see ways to help existing projects—and, where there is not a thing, that they go ahead and make the thing that should be there.&nbsp; SG: How did your relationship with Ed Marszewski and Lumpen Radio come about? DM: Ed is a fellow traveler. We grew up in this art scene together, alongside Andrew Rafacz, Western Exhibitions, threewalls, Roots &amp; Culture, a generation of artists, and a score of projects no longer with us. Ed and BAS have been vital parts of this artist-run community, and we remain deeply connected and supportive of one another. More directly, when Ed started WLPN, we had coffee and he explained that he was opening a radio station for us. Then Logan said if we did it live, there was no expectation to edit. We will do anything Ed asks because he is one of us, and he has never let us down. SG: Keeping an arts project alive for 21 years is a miracle. How is the podcast funded, and has an angel donor ever dropped a massive bag of cash? DM: We are super open to an angel donor. We have lofty ideas for Season Two. Season One was held together with duct tape, goodwill, and glue. You can find our merch at badatsports.threadless.com SG: Did King LeBron actually fund the podcast, or is this just elite clickbait? DM: We are attempting to preserve the anonymity of our donors. I am horrified to hear that this has leaked. SG: Have you ever had to issue a genuine apology to someone for an episode that went too far or was just plain mean? DM: I like to think we are never mean and that, when we punch, we punch up. That said, in retrospect, “up” is a matter of perspective, and maybe it wasn’t what we thought it was. We were a little hard on Sterling Ruby and Rashid Johnson. I remember apologizing to Rashid in a Miami bar one night. He got it. Sterling, on the other hand, went out of his way to upset one of us and be dramatically uncool about it. It was disappointing, given his compound in LA. SG: What’s the next milestone? DM: I can’t speak for everyone—maybe for our current team: Ryan Peter Miller, Brian Andrews, and permanent guest host Jesse Malmed—but I love it. This has been one of the greatest trips ever. SG: Richard Holland traded BAS for real estate, and Amanda Browder has an art practice and studio in Brooklyn. Do you three still stay in touch? DM: Richard is my real estate agent and neighbor. Amanda exploded out of Bad at Sports and has gone on to fortune and glory through building-sized installations and spectacularly colorful artworks. We all hang out every time we can track her down, and Richard and I get together whenever time allows. I am sure both will be present on October 3 at the MCA when we record the last six episodes of Season One. Episodes 999, 998, 997, 996, 995, 994… Not that I am counting. I fucking love Chicago. There is no better art city—or city city—in North America. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to be anywhere but here. #

Bad at Sports at 21: Before Everyone Had a Podcast, Chicago had This

Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here.&nbsp;</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788405779/eqa3we3n7ojlwakfnvjq.jpg"> <h4>Brookes Ebetsch –&nbsp;</h4><h4>Director, Chicago Artists Coalition</h4> “Fall is busy at Chicago Artists Coalition, since we will have Resident Exhibition openings on Friday, September 4 and October 30. We’re also hosting our annual <a href="https://chicagoartistscoalition.betterworld.org/events/neon-90s-night" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fundraiser</a> at Ignite Glass Studio on Thursday, October 1, where we want&nbsp;everyone to have the opportunity to support artists as much as they support art. The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures hosts a regional convening here in Chicago November 12–14, and there will be activities across the city, open to the&nbsp;public, and CAC will be hosting at least one. My favorite public event of the year, Grabadolandia, is the 3rd weekend in November at the National Museum of Mexican Art. In its 14th year, it’s full of family-friendly, hands-on printmaking, social activism and gorgeous art for purchase. You’ll also meet some amazing gente!”&nbsp; <a href="https://www.chicagoartistscoalition.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicago Artists Coalition</a>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Brookes Ebetsch

<h3>We saw several personnel and programatic changes announced this week and are excited to share them below. -CGN</h3> <h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485277/badfs6ttxphowvh1tejv.png"></h3><h3> </h3><h3>Sibylle Friche is named Director of Anthony Gallery</h3> Sibylle Friche has been named Director of Anthony Gallery as of September. Sibylle previously was a Director at DOCUMENT (2015–22) and then Partner until earlier this year. She also held roles at the MCA Chicago, the Guggenheim in New York and at Rhona Hoffman Gallery in Chicago (2011-2013). In an announcement, Isimeme “Easy” Otabor, founder of Anthony Gallery, says: “I’ve always admired Sibylle’s work ethic and the respect she’s earned from everyone she’s worked with. We are excited and honored to have her on the team.” Friche shared: “I am incredibly honored to start this new chapter alongside someone like Easy whose trajectory in design, fashion, and art is exemplary. I look forward to playing a part in advancing the gallery’s growth on a global stage.” Image Courtesy of Ian Vecchiotti <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485278/rvn4ehfs3iv10pjokqh9.jpg"> <h3>Joffrey Ballet President-CEO Greg Cameron Departing Next Year</h3> Greg Cameron is stepping down as President &amp; CEO of the Joffrey Ballet in 2027. He has held the role since 2013. The organizations' website says Cameron's 2013 appointment was the culmination of three decades of work in arts administration and philanthropy. “I always loved art, but I wasn’t a great artist,” he says. “I could paint by numbers, or I could connect the dots. I realized early on I was a good dot connector. I could connect people to each other and help them get involved with the things they believe in.” Cameron has held leadership roles at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Art and WTTW/WFMT. Cameron told the Sun Times that this plan to step down has been in the works for three years, and that he is not retiring nor moving on to lead another organization. Cameron intends to stay connected to Chicago's cultural community. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485279/s4rc3h6kwfiqdqzcqha0.png"> <h3>Jennifer Murray is Named Executive Director at FACETS</h3> Established in 1975, FACETS curates cinematic experiences that deepen human connections. Jennifer Murray has more than two decades of experience in Chicago's arts and culture community, having served as the museum manager at the now-closed 21c Hotel, as well as the Exec. Dir. of Filter Photo in Chicago for 8 years before that. She has also been a director at Columbia College's A+D Gallery, and she is the founder and Director of Staple + Stitch Art Book and Print Fair, which was launched in 2024. <h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485280/lss1j8t1rnryb5bvefd3.jpg"></h3> <h3>Process/Process Announces New Edition for Gertie's Inaugural Print Edition</h3> Join us for a launch to celebrate Gertie's inaugural print edition by Leonardo Kaplan. Process/Process are proud collaborators with the artist and&nbsp;Gertie. At Gertie's Hub, Kaplan will be in conversation with curator Jack Schneider &amp; artist Ben Foch, two longstanding interlocutors in his life and work. Their dialogue will explore the varying facets in the life of artists who have continued to work in Chicago across generations and exhibition models, tracing the symbiotic relationship between artist run projects, the commercial ecosystem, and institutional affiliation. Schneider's recent exhibition&nbsp;City In a Garden: Queer Art &amp; Activism in Chicago&nbsp;featured paintings by Kaplan. "Auspicious Arrival,"&nbsp;an edition of 50, is borne out of Gertie's longstanding relationship with Process/Process, and our shared commitment to artists who live and work in Chicago. The print will be for sale at the event and&nbsp;<a href="http://link.artlogicmailings.com/ss/c/u001.oWK2ISRNMOkgqqM9UNObrgCkOaFaxb_EyJj_JhCt3-PWs1BSMSvmTJEPhafdWu7Z/4tp/dziOl-f2SEiiiZ52uE7Vxw/h5/h001.qDCwu6Y1p7d-BxoPoSWF-QMdNWt-5abcW2_Pgyg_7Gw" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">online</a>.&nbsp; There will be a print launch event on September 10.Gertie, 400 N Peoria StThu, Sep 10, 6 - 8 PM<a href="http://link.artlogicmailings.com/ss/c/u001.oWK2ISRNMOkgqqM9UNObrtVE_4Ff5IDnRA5Bjop_4YeMulTJM2cJuF-6ngCpmYdgYpDwyBfm6vKrMkhMfOnDBctldC-8uVQc8jMVpLXQU4UgUJ6H4qeZEtsA0S9FEUYOZz6HG2Rjy5Vd9JC56vTZ1ugZ0vdqPis6zZbnvt3sOO8SGyZi1nlHjLegpSH2ZiT1BrlUIp_Mmt7uFkuDBIvfLQ/4tp/dziOl-f2SEiiiZ52uE7Vxw/h3/h001.0SUAUV5acs5jkG0DpwC6Fxa-4wdcjFKis5DvNAaDTGc" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">RSVP</a> <h3>Kavi Gupta Announces New Public Art and Advisory Service</h3> On LinkedIn Gupta shared an announcement about a new addition to the gallery's program that has an international reach. "[Here is a] sneak peek at our new public art and experiential Art Advisory services! Building on a 25 year legacy of producing and placing substantial large scale and experiential artworks from corporate headquarters to the centers of Asia’s capital cities." The gallery's <a href="https://kavigupta.com/public-works/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a> says they aim to realize ambitious public-facing projects that advance underrepresented artists on a global stage.

CGN Art World Recap: September 3, 2026

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485288/hudqgfdxyjajtoekeusb.jpg"></h3><h3> </h3><h3>By CGN Staff</h3> Intuit Art Museum announced it is accepting applications for its first year-long Intuiteens program, running October 2026 through August 2027. The deadline is this Sunday, September 6 so motivated teens may want to work over the holiday weekend. The paid program invites Chicago teens ages 15–19 to meet weekly, explore self-taught art and help shape museum programming. Participants will work with museum staff, develop leadership skills, create work for an exhibition and help plan Intuit’s first Teen Convening.No previous art experience is required. Applicants should bring curiosity, varied interests and a willingness to participate. Applications are due Sunday, September 6, 2026.&nbsp;<a href="https://qjxtjxbbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nAIZ-KMiam2OpI8hS2Bd0Nhy8lSL7FMNN1UATmQ0pRUkVywPaObBRjHJUNwbsImNEirbfC2_9U0TgPH8EBUrxWfc0shJUb6rYLfhLuUhQUphhWwE_-YOCiM6PRNN0cwX4Ujr3qm8tKUeMpe4EPRDIvqT6HgNulRG&amp;c=4Q-fZ_8tWuBqZs6su9ripqUSRmVfYp3tSPOuBnICkBerqjSK6p-8JA==&amp;ch=EZs2hgl8M_oS5zH5F8Z3oQ5jipfyJAjbgUUSHnasG3c4NGDZ2alqRw==" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Learn more and apply</a>. Image credit: 2026 Summer Intuiteens Cohort field-trip selfie during a West Town gallery walk.&nbsp;

Intuit Art Museum Seeks Teens for Paid, Year-Long Program

Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here.&nbsp;</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788405399/tkadnn5aubk7zzcd6w3o.jpg">Photo by Maria Ponce <h4>Ionit Behar –&nbsp;</h4><h4>MCA Curator</h4> “Although summer is my favorite season in Chicago, September feels like the city’s true new year. At the MCA, I’m especially excited about Slow Dance, opening September 12 and curated by my colleague Jadine Colingwood. The exhibition explores slowness as a form of resistance, inviting us to pause in a culture of constant performance. Later in the season, we’ll present Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, a major retrospective curated by Jack Schneider, that marks the artist’s return to the MCA more than two decades after his first exhibition here. I’m also looking forward to Maria Gaspar’s live performance We Lit the Fire and Trusted the Heat (After Angela Davis), which transforms materials from the former Cook County Jail into a powerful space for music, memory, and community. Beyond the museum, Chicago Exhibition Week is when the city’s museums, galleries, and spaces open their doors with exhibitions, performances, and conversations, reminding us why Chicago remains one of the most exciting and generous contemporary art communities anywhere.” <a href="https://mcachicago.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago</a>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Ionit Behar

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788234909/jaxlqvisaonmohweln4u.jpg">Rashid Johnson at his studio in Brooklyn, New York, 2024. Credit: Sabrina Santiago. This interview is CGN's Fall 2026 cover interview. <a href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" target="_blank">Purchase a copy or subscribe.</a> By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE Chicago native Rashid Johnson brings his 30-year survey, <a href="https://mcachicago.org/whats-on/exhibitions/rashid-johnson-a-poem-for-deep-thinkers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A Poem for Deep Thinkers</a>, home this November. Opening November 7, 2026, the exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago follows stops at New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Susan Gescheidle: You move fluidly between photography, painting, sculpture, and large-scale architecture. What is the underlying anchor connecting these mediums across this 30-year trajectory? Rashid Johnson: That’s a big question. The lack of medium specificity in my project is born of curiosity and an ambition for problem-solving, but simultaneously recognizing that art is a horrible vehicle for that. Art is intended to allow space for exploration. It’s dynamic and unspecific. Shifting, exploring, and different outlets provide me opportunity. That’s why my work doesn’t fit easily into a simple diagnosis. SG: The architecture of the MCA Chicago, the Guggenheim, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth shapes visitor movement differently. How will this spatial shift affect your early Columbia College work compared to your massive current installations? RJ: The MCA is a great facilitator for what happens in the later work. The Guggenheim is an interesting space because the lower parts of the rotunda are built for smaller works, which allowed my earlier Columbia College photography to shine. Contemporary spaces like Fort Worth and the MCA make you face different obstacles around smaller objects. They make you gather them, build structures and narratives, and sometimes use salons to occupy the space effectively. It presents different challenges, but also opportunities. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788234911/yvlialmz7lqbsuducbd8.jpg">Rashid Johnson, Sanguine, 2025. Installation view: Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers; April 18, 2025–January 18, 2026;&nbsp;Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Photograph by David Heald. © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York. Courtesy of the artist.&nbsp; SG: Materials like black soap, shea butter, books, and plants became central to your mid-career shift. Do these elements change in meaning over time, or do they serve as a growing vocabulary for new spaces? RJ: I think a bit of both. Materials have a vocabulary unto themselves and a way they become legible to each individual viewer. Your relationship with plants, or whether materials are familiar or foreign, is going to dictate how you read my project. For example, if you grew up with shea butter—applying it or seeing it sold on the streets—you may have a different sense of it than someone coming to it for the first time. The language belonging to the material continues to inform how an audience engages with it. I love that aspect; it’s quite rewarding. The other opportunity is looking at the materials through my biography. You recognize them as foreign to you, but familiar to me, allowing you to read the work as both an insider and outsider. I’m excited by the way people translate the materials through their own experiences, but simultaneously imagine my relationship to them. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788234912/z9vxzejf628vaiol97hp.jpg">Installation view: Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, ‘12x12: New Artist/New Work,’ 2002, Chicago, IL. Courtesy of the artist.&nbsp; SG: How has your core group of early Chicago benefactors and collectors sustained your work over the last 30 years? RJ: My early benefactors and collectors in Chicago played an enormous role in creating space for me to make work, and they continue to give me hope in how patronage can be an effective partnership. When I was leaving Chicago, I approached supporters Paul Gray, Evan Boris and Monique Meloche, Dan Berger, and others to ask for a loan to be paid off with future artwork in order to help me transition to New York. They facilitated that. The patronage and enthusiasm for local artists is enormous in Chicago; it’s an important part of the city’s character. The way those early patrons imagined their relationship with me is the criterion I use to judge the quality of people who acquire my work today. SG: What do you hope a new generation of collectors discovers in your art today? RJ: I hope a new generation feels energized, entertained, and curious about how my project translates personal experience into illustrated objects, material investigations, and a way of imagining the world. I hope they use my practice as a launchpad to explore their own enthusiasm for art and feel open to the curious opportunities it provides. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788234913/h9wolwcvfrp1bkivmlgk.jpg">Installation view: Rashid Johnson: ‘The Rise and Fall of the Proper Negro,’&nbsp;2003, Chicago, IL. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery.&nbsp; SG: You and your former partner, fellow artist Sheree Hovsepian, launched the residency at Casa Gracia on Menorca with no required deliverables or exhibition. What kind of creatives are you hoping to attract to this pressure-free environment? And is this yet another way of giving back to the artistic community? RJ: We’re hoping to attract good ones. We want people who share our enthusiasm for art, who contribute to discourse, and who are modern—the kinds of people who don’t avert their eyes and who understand the challenges of being a maker in a complicated world. We want thinkers and writers. I’ve been so widely supported and nourished by a community of practitioners, collectors, and curators that I see this as an opportunity to pay it forward. I want to continue to provide opportunities—mirroring the ones I had, while having the ambition to provide the kinds of opportunities I wish I’d had. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788234914/kyf26lsp3vekmpkt2hqh.jpg">Rashid Johnson during his childhood in Chicago, IL. Courtesy of the artist. SG: You are from Evanston and went to Evanston Township High School, just like my kids did. Raised by a mother who was an African history scholar in a home steeped in Du Bois and Baraka, how did that deep Afrocentric grounding and Evanston’s activist community shape your worldview? RJ: It shaped it dramatically. Growing up as a child of academics in a family that prioritized critical engagement keeps that history at the forefront of my work. It drives my references and the questions my projects ask. Evanston is a special town. Its diversity, complexity, and proximity to Chicago force you to ask deep questions. More recently, its push to be at the forefront of reparations aligns perfectly with the values I associate with the community—values like restorative justice and making wrongs right. Evanston shaped me in ways that were vital to my development, and I’m incredibly proud to be from there. SG: Second part of that question, and most important: Do you still agree “It’s a great day to be a Wildkit”? RJ: Every day is “a great day to be a Wildkit!” The high school was so important to my development and my understanding of the world, and so I’m still proud to be an Evanstonian. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788234916/hf874fw4v3body0kueyl.png">Rashid Johnson, Untitled Escape Collage, 2018 (detail). Ceramic tile, mirror tile, branded red oak flooring, vinyl, spray enamel, oil stick, black soap, wax, 97 × 121 × 2.25 in. (246.38 × 307.34 × 5.72 cm). Collection of Kathy and Mitchell Jacobson X.2025.88 © Rashid Johnson, 2025. Photo: Martin Parsekian SG: You were only 23 when Thelma Golden curated your work into Freestyle at the Studio Museum in Harlem. You’ve been open about the anxiety that followed the sudden spotlight. What words of wisdom do you have for young artists experiencing a sudden breakout? RJ: I was always dealing with some anxiety, but the spotlight gave me space to reflect. It’s something I’m proud of, happy to have experienced, and I’m even happier to have navigated things that, at a certain stage, I wasn’t even ready for.&nbsp; What I would say is keep your eye on the prize. Don’t believe the hype. Continue to fight, work, and focus on the qualities of your project. Think about it as a long-term opportunity, not a short one. SG: That Harlem breakout proved the power of institutional backing. Today, you aggressively champion younger artists to galleries and collectors. How did your own path shape your approach to mentoring the next generation? RJ: I came up at a time when a number of important people developing their positions in the cultural landscape provided opportunities for me. They educated me through their words, teaching, and action—people like Thelma Golden. Watching how she navigated the landscape of contemporary art, I paid attention. I tried to be present, and wanted to be a vehicle. If you continue to prioritize what matters most to you as a practitioner, you’ll be served by it long term. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788234917/dbbunbn6mtx3iyf1kryj.jpg">Rashid Johnson, ‘Broken Crowd “The President’s Audience,”’ 2026, at The Obama Presidential Center, Chicago, IL. Credit: The Obama Foundation.&nbsp; SG: Your commission for the new Obama Presidential Center here in Chicago is a massive milestone. Tying your work to the civic legacy of the first Black president must be an incredible honor. Did you get a personal phone call from President Obama? What did this request for art mean to you emotionally? RJ: I did not get a personal call from the president, but I know that he is aware of my work, and we’ve had several discussions in the past. I was also able to walk through my Guggenheim retrospective with the first lady, Michelle. They have shown themselves to be such incredible, thoughtful patrons in the way they relate to and platform artists. So, I was extremely proud to be included, especially as a native son. Of the presidents I’ve witnessed, he is the most sincere, thoughtful, engaged, and sophisticated leader I can think of in my years paying attention to political life. I’m just proud to be part of something that I think has a lot of integrity. SG: Your mosaic, Broken Crowd, lives inside the Center’s teaching kitchen rather than on a traditional museum wall. Since these commissions are site-specific, how did you choose this space, and what does a community hub add to the meaning of the artwork? RJ: I love the utility of the space, and I love the idea that it’s going to be employed by people who live nearby and visitors who have the ambition to explore and learn. My project is so committed to intellectual and actionable curiosity. The fact that my installation lives in a space that creates room for learning, exploration, and development—and even thinking of it colloquially, the idea of cooking, like how do you cook up something, how do you conjure something? For it to share space with those ideas is fundamentally in line with how my practice aspires to engage an audience. So, for me, that was the spot. SG: Personal question here: You and your son, Julius, share a birthday, which inspired your artwork, Soul Painting “Birthday Boys.” He’s 15 now—does a 30-year museum survey buy you any “cool dad” currency with him? RJ: Zero. He is the person least impressed with me that I’ve come across. I may be some people’s favorite artist, but I’m not even sure I’m his. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788234918/qpc383z36efexjzyzlbg.jpg">Rashid Johnson, God Painting “The Spirit”, 2025 (detail). Oil on linen. Private Collection. © Rashid Johnson, 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Hauser &amp; Wirth. Photography by: Stephanie Powell SG: Before we wrap up, if you could show your work anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? RJ: If I could show my work anywhere in the world, it would be—real answer—the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. And I’ll tell you why. It’s the museum that opened its arms to me first. It’s the one that not only brought me in as a practitioner, but brought me in as a student and as a young person—giving me space to think about what art could be, introducing me to things that I now love that I wasn’t sure what they were, and giving my curiosity space and opportunity to be challenged, to explore, and to see things with different eyes. On top of that, it continues to be such a special place. I’m a boy from Chicago, and it gives me an opportunity to welcome in people who followed my journey from start to finish. In the vein of Woody Allen’s film Deconstructing Harry, I get to see everybody. When I’m there and everybody gets to see me, that’s enough reward. SG: Looking ahead, where do you see your practice evolving next? RJ: As a practitioner who’s also a sober man, I try to take it one day at a time, so I don’t look too far ahead. If I knew where my practice was going, I’m probably going in the wrong direction. I’ll know more tomorrow, so you can ask me then. # <a href="https://mcachicago.org/whats-on/exhibitions/rashid-johnson-a-poem-for-deep-thinkers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers</a>Museum of Contemporary Art ChicagoSaturday, Nov 07, 2026–Sunday, Apr 25, 2027

CGN interview with artist Rashid Johnson MCA exhibition November 2026

A Poem for Deep Thinkers: Rashid Johnson Returns to Chicago

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485320/nkur3r2o6c9iau9nrbxa.png">CAC's annual event always has a fun theme. 2025's disco-themed event honored Tony Karman, founder of EXPO CHICAGO. By GINNY VAN ALYEA For more than 50 years, Chicago Artists Coalition has supported Chicago’s artists and curators through exhibitions, residencies, professional development, and other vital resources. I’m very touched to be this year's honoree as CAC honors CGN's nearly 45 years of championing art and artists in Chicago. I'm especially happy for the chance to celebrate CAC, the many creatives it has also championed, and the hardworking team behind it all. They also throw a great party! Tickets include bites and beverages, plus a performance and music by CAC alum Jacquelyn Guerrero (AKA Disc Jacqui). Early bird tickets are $50 for artists, arts workers and students and $100 for individuals. CAC has thrown many fun openings and parties, with each a chance to engage with artists, meet new friends and gather in the name of art and creativity – it will be a night you won't find anywhere else AND your ticket purchase is 100% for a good cause. It's a party with a purpose. September 1, is the last day for early bird tickets this year's ’90s &amp; Neon Fundraiser, taking place in just one month on Thursday, October 1 at Ignite Glass Studios in West Town. CGN will be there—in neon and in the '90s spirit! Come celebrate CAC, its artists, and the people who make its work possible, while helping support what comes next. Happy fall art season! # <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485322/pd1k0o7ydemjwvswauoz.jpg">Ignite Glass - the site of CAC's fundraiser this year <a href="https://chicagoartistscoalition.betterworld.org/events/neon-90s-night" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tickets and party details here</a> CAC Annual FundraiserThursday, October 1st, 2026 | 6 - 9pm CDTIgnite Glass Studio401 North Armour Street Chicago, Illinois 60642

CAC annual fundraiser honors CGN Publisher Ginny Van Alyea with a Neon 90s theme

Chicago Artists Coalition Annual Fundraiser Goes '90s – A Party with a Purpose

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788240358/f6y8xpvz5bwbl9qzyypw.jpg"> By GINNY VAN ALYEA This summer, an old camp song came back to me: “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other’s gold.”&nbsp; I consider that perspective one of the privileges of publishing Chicago Gallery News. Year after year, CGN connects our audience to new artists, exhibitions, and ideas while honoring the history, relationships, and city that have made us a resource since 1982. After nearly 25 years with CGN, I’m especially aware of how much there is to appreciate around us—both what is new and what has endured. We are proud of our new fall edition and hope you will pick up a copy in a gallery or <a href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe</a>. This issue’s cover artist, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/a-poem-for-deep-thinkers-rashid-johnson-returns-to-chicago" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rashid Johnson</a>, returns to his hometown for a 30-year career retrospective at the MCA that traces the importance of where he got his start alongside what his art explores today. Johnson counts many local supporters as key to his success, and he advises young artists to keep their eye on the prize and to think about creativity as a long-term opportunity, not a short one. We look back to 2005, when Bad at Sports got its start—the podcast before we all listened to podcasts—after co-founder Duncan Mackenzie saw a need to discuss contemporary art in Chicago with other artists. CGN regularly offers a look inside private art collections in Chicago. A collection built over time bears witness to artists’ careers, as well as how local galleries adapt to the market. Collectors like Macol and José Cerda refine their tastes and collect because of a shared passion and love of creative and intellectual engagement.&nbsp; We also examine how artists and architects, from Andi Crist to Scotland’s Charles Rennie Mackintosh, take creative risks without knowing what challenges the future may bring. Both benefited from meaningful support at important moments, even as circumstances beyond their control tested what they created. Their stories offer perspective on why supporting artists and their ideas in the present can have an impact far into the future. All these stories, and more, are in our printed edition and will be posted online in the coming days and weeks. For almost four and a half decades, CGN has connected artists, galleries, museums, and collectors while documenting the remarkable creativity that defines Chicago’s place in the art world. As you enjoy this fall art season, I encourage you to appreciate what has come before—and to consider how your engagement today helps shape what comes next. # Also make sure to follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chigallerynews/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CGN on Instagram</a> to see what we're seeing this fall! <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788240358/uxemsni8bmwyl8ccrikg.jpg">On the cover:&nbsp;RASHID JOHNSON. Pictured: ‘Broken Crowd “The President’s Audience,”’ 2026, at The Obama Presidential Center, Chicago, IL. Credit: The Obama Foundation.&nbsp;Feature interview by Susan Gescheidle. CGN's Fall 2026 edition is out now and celebrates all there is to see this fall in Chicago and beyond. Featured stories include: – Cover Interview: <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/a-poem-for-deep-thinkers-rashid-johnson-returns-to-chicago" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Artist Rashid Johnson</a>– The Collection of Macol and José Cerda– Andi Crist: The Art of the Pun&nbsp;– Hyde Park Art Center’s Not Just Another Pretty Face Returns– West Town: The Development of an Arts District– R. Justin Stewart at VSG Contemporary– The Restoration of a Masterpiece:&nbsp;Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Scottish Hill House– The Invisible Journey of Public Art– Bad at Sports Turns 21– Dan Devening and Elizabeth Lalley Collaborate– Artful Holidays in Chicago

CGN Publisher's Letter: Fall 2026

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485331/klzhtgtl7curcrgzekrn.jpg"></h3><h3> </h3><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/emmy-star-brown-and-danym-kwon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Peace of Wild Things: Emmy Star Brown and Danym Kwon</a></h3> Aug 28, 2026 - Oct 17, 2026Opening: Friday, Aug 28, 2026 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/joy-machine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joy Machine</a> Drawing its title from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/peace-wild-things-0/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" target="_blank">Wendell Berry’s often-quoted poem</a>,&nbsp;The Peace of Wild Things&nbsp;is a return to wonder through disparate yet complementary practices. For both Brown and Kwon, color and layering become a means of self-discovery and a way to tap into the emotions, dreams, and memories that might not surface otherwise. Their practices diverge in notable ways–Brown works abstractly, while Kwon turns to surreal representations of care and domestic life–but when presented together, they enter into a harmonic dialogue about the ways experiences linger long after a moment has passed. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485331/khhazbuzkvlxlqdmjd7s.jpg"><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/k-pop" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">K-POP! A Mini Exhibition Featuring iri5</a></h3> Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 12:00 PM – 5:00 PMOpening: Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/jackson-junge-gallery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jackson Junge Gallery</a> Jackson Junge Gallery presents K-POP!, a mini exhibition featuring Chicago-based artist iri5, celebrated for her unexpected mixed-media artworks created from cassette tape. In celebration of the exhibition, Jackson Junge Gallery is teaming up with Purple Court to bring fellow BTS fans together for a special BTS-inspired cupsleeve event on Saturday, August 29, from 12:00–5:00 PM. NO TICKET NECESSARY - this event is free and open to the public! Stop by to see the art, stay to argue about your bias! <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485332/ty5h0l3fsvabd2ltzfxr.jpg"><h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/terra-machina" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terra Machina: Lefty OUT There</a></h3> Aug 29, 2026 - Oct 10, 2026Opening: Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/vsg-contemporary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VSG Contemporary</a> Using exceptional materials sourced from around the world, Lefty OUT There combines modern machinery with handcrafted techniques to reveal their natural beauty. The result honors each material's origins while celebrating fine art and contemporary craftsmanship. Running through every piece is Lefty's signature polymorph pattern, inspired by vibration, frequency, and the interconnected systems found throughout nature. The pattern reflects the rhythms that exist at every scale, from microscopic cellular structures to the landscapes of our terrain. It serves as a reminder that the same forces shaping the natural world are constantly at work around and within us. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485332/leetfqebcyobfardxdxu.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/anthony-lewellen-various-work" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anthony Lewellen: Various Work</a>&nbsp;</h3> Aug 29, 2026 - Sep 26, 2026Opening: Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/chicago-truborn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chicago Truborn</a> ANTCK will take over the gallery with a new body of work created specifically for this exhibition.&nbsp;Two site specific murals will be painted and a new, limited edition, print drop will be released!&nbsp;It's also the gallery's 13th anniversary / Bat Mitzvah! <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485333/c4tvqqmikhpyshwu3pk6.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ioto-artist-talk-and-walkthrough" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IOTO Artist Talk and Walkthrough</a></h3> Saturday, Aug 29, 2026 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/sona-chicago-contemporary-art" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art</a> SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art is proud to host&nbsp;World Without Promises,&nbsp;the culminating exhibition of the&nbsp;Industry of the Ordinary (IOTO) 2026 Summer Residency. The one-day&nbsp;full activation of the exhibition with 16 artists took place on&nbsp;Aug. 22. The non-performative elements of the exhibition will be on view at the gallery through&nbsp;Sat., August 29. An&nbsp;Artist Walkthrough will take place on Sat., Aug. 29 from 5-7 pm&nbsp;where the artists will discuss their work and offer deeper insights into their processes and the evolution of their practice. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789485333/zemn63jee7bvdgu6hlbl.jpg"> <h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/closing-reception-for-deborah-maris-lader-we-become-birds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Closing Reception for Deborah Maris Lader: We Become Birds</a></h3> Sunday, Aug 30, 2026 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/bert-green-fine-art" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bert Green Fine Art</a> A skilled artist and printmaker who constantly explores experimentation with a vast array of other materials,&nbsp;Deborah Maris Lader’s newest work extends the printed image off the page via animations, sculptural techniques, and automata. Using mechanistic props, light and space, she devises a diverse menagerie of beings, creatures from the inner workings of Lader's creative brain.