<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748039035/s4bvypfb3gucinmlowvu.jpg"> Carved limestone Maya frieze, late classic period, 500-700 CE, 47" x 20"By CGN Staff via PR The&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/" target="_blank">National Museum of Mexican Art</a>&nbsp;(NMMA), announced that&nbsp;in collaboration with the Government of Mexico, it is facilitating the repatriation of a Mayan frieze to its place of origin in Mexico.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At a press conference on Friday, May 16. Anthropologist Diego Prieto Hernández, Director General of the&nbsp;National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a branch of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, accepted the artifact. Dr. Antonio Saborit, Director of the&nbsp;National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, was also present. The limestone frieze, measuring 47”x 21”x 4” and dating from between 500 - 900 CE, is from the Classic Period of Maya civilization in Mexico and depicts a figure wearing an elaborate mask and headdress with hands extended as if speaking. Originally, there were two figures facing one another. The artifact, which was held in a private collection, was displayed at the Brooklyn Museum in the 1960s and 1970s and then at the Art Institute of Chicago in the late 1980s. Jeanne and Joseph Sullivan acquired the piece in 1988, and in 2024, their family sought the National Museum of Mexican Art’s assistance in returning the sculpture to Mexico. This past February the NMMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with INAH to continue collaborating on projects and exhibitions that promote Mexico’s cultural patrimony. The NMMA Visual Arts Department worked with INAH to coordinate an orderly transfer of the Maya frieze.&nbsp;INAH has full normative and guiding power in the protection and conservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.&nbsp;This Mexican institution, founded in 1939, researches, preserves and disseminates the nation's archaeological, anthropological, historical, and paleontological heritage in order to strengthen the identity and memory of the society that holds it.&nbsp; Prieto emphasized that “through this act we wish to attest the significance for the Mexican Government to recover our archaeological and historical heritage, and in general the cultural patrimony of Mexicans that is improperly residing in other countries.” “Our mission compels us to advocate for practices that promote equity and acknowledge the significance of cultural heritage for communities worldwide,” said Cesáreo Moreno, Visual Arts Director for the NMMA. “By acknowledging the importance of cultural heritage to its originating communities, we promote a richer and more nuanced understanding of humanity.”&nbsp;“We are honored to collaborate on this repatriation mission with our colleagues at the National Institute of Anthropology and History and the National Museum of Anthropology. We encourage institutions that collect cultural objects to engage in open, respectful, and proactive dialogue with the communities and countries from which they originate.” Moreno said.&nbsp; # The National Museum of Mexican Art is one of the country’s most prominent Latino cultural organizations and the only nationally accredited museum dedicated to Mexican art and culture. Its Permanent Collection consists of more than 20,000 artworks. The museum has presented over 250 exhibitions, provides arts education to 52,000 students annually, and serves over 150,000 annual visitors from 60 countries. Admission is always free. For more information visit <a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=FfBUr_MZk6PLh28C8c1iGjWQc97R0RMsKa1_eFuKPGI&amp;m=oCf9FuXvJHOQUdgdj1q3lYaeMMv03rD1bNDgLujGeCM&amp;s=IgIcU2FTm5YMogCHsOKH3EytMpGjrc32VosKz6U7SKE&amp;e=" target="_blank">www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org</a>.&nbsp;

National Museum of Mexican Art Facilitates Repatriation of Mayan Frieze to Mexico

Spring and summer is shaping up to be a busy&nbsp;season in Chicago’s art world, with new&nbsp;exhibitions across galleries and museums.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community&nbsp;are working tirelessly to support artists and bring&nbsp;fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">click here.&nbsp;</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1747427477/j8zhagwc0g2prcumklra.jpg"> <h4>Justin Witte –&nbsp;Cleve Carney Museum of Art</h4> “Right now, I’m deep in final preparations for Hokusai &amp; Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, our summer exhibition featuring works from the Edoardo Chiossone Museum in Genoa, Italy. After that, I’m super excited to shift focus back to some incredible Chicago artists. Opening October 16, 2025, Andi Crist will have a solo exhibition showcasing her phenomenal work in her largest show to date. Then, on January 27, 2026, our Assistant Curator Julia Walker presents Chairish, an exciting show featuring the unstoppable talents of Norman Teague and Alex Chitty. Both exhibitions promise to be absolutely phenomenal.” <a style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-cleve-carney-museum-of-art-ccma" target="_blank">Cleve Carney Museum of Art</a> ﻿

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Justin Witte

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038195/ayesuwchksgsczxx076p.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/laurie-lebreton-insisting-and-maintaining" target="_blank">Laurie LeBreton: INSISTING AND MAINTAINING</a>Opening: Friday, May 16, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMEpiphany Center for the Arts <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038196/dekacpw8v2qzmlwynyde.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/perspectives-from-japan-a-group-exhibition-of-japanese-mosaic-artists" target="_blank">Perspectives From Japan: A Group Exhibition of Japanese Mosaic Artists</a>Opening: Friday, May 16, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PMGallery of Contemporary Mosaics <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038197/mqxusr4qaxxr0krhtwmv.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/germinations" target="_blank">Ximena Garrido-Lecca: Germinations</a>Opening: Saturday, May 17, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMThe Renaissance Society <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038198/fcf90oy8fcwr0ibkbe9v.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/may-flowers" target="_blank">...May Flowers</a>Opening: Saturday, May 17, 4:00 PM – 8:00 PMChicago Truborn

New Exhibitions May 16 & 17

Spring and summer is shaping up to be a busy&nbsp;season in Chicago’s art world, with new&nbsp;exhibitions across galleries and museums.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community&nbsp;are working tirelessly to support artists and bring&nbsp;fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">click here.</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1747066661/dasd2wpf373f4wn1fkew.jpg"><h4> </h4><h4>Barbara Cooper – Artist</h4> “Being in the exhibition A Tale of Today: Materialities, curated by Dr. Giovanni Aloi, at the Driehaus Museum earlier this year has been a fabulous opportunity to connect my studio work with the large-scale permanent and site-specific public artwork that is the other side of my practice.&nbsp; Currently, I am working on a three-part grouping of CNC-routed bas reliefs, a very different process for me, to be installed next year at Chicago State University’s Health Simulation Lab. Both scales involve considering the architectural space and how it functions with those who use the space. Both exist outside of the white box of the gallery and come with the challenge of their own unique materials, opportunities, and complexities. Also on view this year is an earlier work in the MCA’s Descending the Staircase exhibition and the 20th anniversary show at Metropolitan Capital Bank.” <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.barbaracooperartist.com/" target="_blank">barbaracooperartist.com</a>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Barbara Cooper

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1747072660/magguetl13rtazpjngmi.jpg">Rory McEwen (1932-1982) Tulip, ‘Julia Farnese’ rose feather, 1976.&nbsp;© The Official Estate of Rory McEwen. By JACKIE LEWIS Artist Rory McEwen’s paintings of nature are exceptionally detailed. That much is obvious when you first encounter his work, but upon further study each work reveals itself as something well beyond scientific reproduction or illustration. McEwan’s unique combination of realism and modernism deftly evokes both emotion and beauty.&nbsp; McEwen became known in the 1960s and 70s for his distinctive style of botanical realism framed by, and placed within, large amounts of white space. The Scottish-born artist was only 50 when he died in 1982, and since that time McEwen’s children have been dedicated to promoting the legacy of the late artist’s work. The opportunity to view dozens of McEwen’s works in person comes to Chicago this summer as Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature arrives at Chicago’s Driehaus Museum and continues the reintroduction of Rory McEwen and his artwork to United States audiences. The Driehaus exhibition is the last stop on a multi-city tour across the country. McEwen is not a household name in the United States, but he is well-known overseas. The current exhibition has been successfully exposing both American art aficionados as well as botanists to his legacy, a prospect that has been exciting for friends and family of the artist to see unfold. Chicago resident Joseph Gromacki, Driehaus Museum Board member and friend of the McEwen family, shared with CGN that this exhibition has had a great reception at its previous stops, and McEwen’s work demonstrates Incredible luminosity. “They have a real trueness of color through the use of watercolor on vellum,” he says, “And [the images] are as real as they can possibly look.” The breadth of work shown in A New Perspective on Nature firmly orients McEwen in the history of botanical art while acknowledging the bridge he created between Old Masters and contemporary artists through a style that melds multiple time periods and influences. On view will be multiple examples of botanical art from the 16th-18th centuries, with Old Master works by 17th and 18th century floral artists, many from American philanthropist Bunny Mellon’s extensive estate. Works by contemporary botanical artists from the renowned collection of Dr. Shirley Sherwood are also included in the exhibition.&nbsp; Though work by other artists provides context, the centerpiece of the exhibition is 85 of McEwen’s paintings, on loan from numerous galleries and collections from around the world, featuring highly detailed botanical subjects, from lush individual flowers, to varigated leaves and crisp vegetables, each set strikingly against a vast, white background. The juxtaposition of detailed realism with the spare aesthetics of modernism defines McEwen as an artist whose work was ahead of its time, while paradoxically being an artist of his time. * <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1747072661/qewcunr1y9si5fevfo6x.jpg">Red Pepper 1971, Watercolour on vellum, 28.9 x 39.4 cm, ©The Estate of Rory McEwen McEwen’s interest in organic matter had roots in his childhood growing up on the magical Marchmont House in the Scottish Borders where he could indulge his artistic sensibilities in an idyllic setting. At home he was taught how to draw by his governess, before he received a more classical education at the famed Eton College in England, and then subsequently he also made contact with French floral painters during his travels. McEwen’s ideal circumstances and family standing meant in some ways he easily found himself on a path to immersing himself in botanical art. McEwen once said he chose his subject matter as “a way to get as close as possible to what I perceive as the truth of the time in which I live.” For McEwen, natural imagery allowed the artist to delve deeply into a lifelong inquiry into light and color in natural objects.&nbsp; McEwen was a bit of a celebrity in his youth when he made a name for himself because of another artistic medium: music. An interest that grew out of his inclination for history, McEwen crafted his own interpretations of ancient Scottish folk ballads, playing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and even touring the United States in 1956, playing in high profile venues like the Ed Sullivan Show. Despite his musical talent and following, he ultimately dedicated himself to the visual arts. After a musical tour, McEwen claims that “[his] hand had unknowingly educated itself,” and he returned to painting.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1747072662/wr35huuh6gudqminctjo.jpg">Rory McEwen (1932-1982), Old English Striped Tulip, 1974-76,&nbsp;watercolor on vellum.&nbsp;© The Estate of Rory McEwen. Lisa Key, Driehaus Museum Executive Director, believes that this exhibition invites us to approach our natural surroundings with curiosity and wonder. “McEwen’s naturalistic paintings,” she considers, “will echo the organic forms and ornamentation throughout our historic interiors” McEwen’s paintings capture an intensely detailed realism that is a masterwork in painting, especially given the difficulty of his chosen media, watercolor on vellum. This choice highlights how McEwen was inspired by Old Master artists who were fond of painting on vellum as well for realistic depiction, yet McEwen transforms it for his own purposes, which ultimately made him an artist who managed to bridge the gap between past and contemporary botanical art styles. While the material choices are similar, McEwen’s placement and use of the negative and abstraction of blank space was his own invention. As Gromacki explains choosing a beautiful object, such as a flower, and letting it become everything in the white space glorifies the subject in a way prior artists did not. It places the subject in conversation and allows a sense of beauty and emotion that a more scientific depiction may lack.&nbsp; Late in his career, before his untimely death due to cancer, McEwen’s work focused on deteriorating leaves. He felt that so much was happening within a dying leaf that it could capture life’s fading grandeur. McEwen proclaimed that he was not a botanist or a scientist but an artist depicting more than the visual in his works. Even once the artist himself was gone, McEwen’s art had a profound impact on the work of contemporary artists who came after, a testament to how some artists utilized a connection between modernism and classical botanical art to inform their own artistic expressions. McEwen’s style is established as a connective piece, bridging the past and the future.&nbsp; * The Driehaus Museum aims to share exhibitions that bring new perspectives to visitors. One way that the museum plans to cultivate these new viewpoints is through thought provoking collaborations with other local institutions. Throughout Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature, the Driehaus Museum will partner with Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum amongst others. The Driehaus will also participate in the Magnificent Mile Association’s Annual Tulip festival. Julie Treumann from the Driehaus shared, “The collaboration happened–no pun intended–quite organically. We realized that between McEwen’s depictions of tulips being one of the central images of the exhibition and the exhibition opening in the spring, around the time of the Mag Mile’s Tulip Festival, it was a natural fit. The Mag Mile was excited to make this work and we have had a fruitful collaboration. We are but a hop, skip, and a jump from the Mile, so we hope the colorful blossoms will accentuate our connection to the Mile and thus to our goal to open our doors wider to Chicagoans and visitors from around the world.” Collaborations such as these will increase the general public’s exposure to McEwen and to the museum. “The tulips will be planted right outside our buildings,” Treuman said. “We hope they will announce to our neighbors that they have something beautiful to look forward to, not just a new Driehaus Museum exhibition, but a sure sign that spring is on the way. And, of course, tulips don’t live forever. We don’t know if they will still be in full flower by the time the exhibition opens in later May, but the accompanying tulip sculpture will endure! More than that, the tulips are a welcoming sign of the season, an enticement to draw people into the Museum, and a sign of our belief in Michigan Avenue’s importance for the City of Chicago.” <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1747072662/xd9d3dinjphhxt4l64nv.jpg">Rory McEwen (1932-1982), Helen Josephine, 1975 © Estate of Rory McEwen The Driehaus Museum will also be partnering with Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music to celebrate McEwen’s art beyond the visual realm. This collaboration highlights the way McEwen’s musical impact reaches back into the past for inspiration while continuing to inspire artists of today, similar to his visual work. These many cross disciplinary experiences expand the breadth of the exhibition to demonstrate how McEwen’s legacy is not only a bridge between time, but places and spaces as well. Like the organic matter in his paintings, his life and this exhibition connect different areas of the city through his contributions.&nbsp; As Joe Gromacki shared, “Chicago is going to be the most exciting and diverse experience of this exhibition.&nbsp;It fills a niche that other venues are&nbsp;not filling.”&nbsp; # <h4>Rory McEwen:&nbsp;A New Perspective on Nature&nbsp;</h4>May 16–August 17, 202550 E. Erie, Chicago, IL 60611<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://driehausmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Driehausmuseum.org</a>

Connected Through Time and Space: Rory McEwan

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038546/bkgsy5bqeqz8ajpkn4vr.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2025-art-theory-and-practice-mfa-thesis-exhibition" target="_blank">2025 Art Theory and Practice MFA Thesis Exhibition</a>Opening: Thursday, May 8, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMBlock Museum of Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038546/f8gzvzd4idrcrjfpptmt.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/margot-mcmahon-the-ring-of-fire-friends-reefs-and-bouncing-back" target="_blank">Margot McMahon: The Ring of Fire: Friends, Reefs, and Bouncing Back</a>Opening: Friday, May 9, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMEpiphany Center for the Arts <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038548/uzp1jw8bx5eedxpq9ytf.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/tatiana-jackson-in-the-flow-of-bloom" target="_blank">Tatiana Jackson: In the Flow of Bloom</a>Opening: Friday, May 9, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMChicago Grand Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038548/nv0roaxktcadib0rv1xr.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/robin-denevan-evocative-encaustic-waterscapes" target="_blank">Robin Denevan. Evocative encaustic waterscapes</a>Opening: Saturday, May 10, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PMAddington Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038549/hnf41u7ip3sjbbcnwweb.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/familiar-texture-the-fibers-of-childhood-and-home" target="_blank">Familiar Texture: The Fibers of Childhood and Home</a>May 10John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038550/lnuhpuq7azqnljfpsmow.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mark-brautigam-things-seem-strong" target="_blank">Mark Brautigam: Things Seem Strong</a>Opening: Saturday, May 10, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PMOS Projects <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038551/lhem4tcovoyjuwqpxvcm.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/meijer-gardens-michigan-all-state-bonsai-show" target="_blank">Meijer Gardens Michigan All-State Bonsai Show</a>May 10Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park

New Exhibitions: May 9 & 10

Spring is shaping up to be a busy&nbsp;season in Chicago’s art world, with new&nbsp;exhibitions across galleries and museums.&nbsp;Behind the scenes, many people in the community&nbsp;are working tirelessly to support artists and bring&nbsp;fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke&nbsp;with five insiders about what excites them now&nbsp;and what they anticipate next. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">click here.&nbsp;</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038690/xdhbrk2kzztlmuwtfbix.jpg"> <h4>Allan Weinberger –&nbsp;VSG Contemporary</h4> “As <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/vsg-contemporary" target="_blank">VSG Contemporary</a> enters its third year, we’re evolving with a focus on more extensive solo exhibitions and international art fairs—and we couldn’t be more excited. This summer, we’re thrilled to present LALO’s first solo show, opening June 6, with curatorial support from Lefty Out There. Born in Cleveland, now living in LA, LALO’s work is technically brilliant yet very playfully earning him a devoted collector base drawn to both his talent and charisma.&nbsp; We’re also presenting exciting solo shows from Oscar Joyo, Sébastien Johnson, and Fawn Penn. With our rebrand as VSG Contemporary, we remain committed to the charm and humor that have made us a beloved part of the local art scene.”

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Allan Weinberger

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038738/qlxfidsyu10s3edvrxea.jpg">The Zhou B Art Center By CGN Staff via PR More art fair news was announced recently, and a new fair will take place this fall in Chicago. Pigment International announced that the inaugural <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pigmentintl.com/pigmentedblackfineartfaire" target="_blank">Pigmented: Black Fine Art Faire</a> will take place October 31 – November 2, 2025, at the Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th Street in Bridgeport on Chicago's South Side. The four-day exhibition is being hailed as a cultural cornerstone that will anchor October's Black Fine Art Month (BFAM). The fair will feature national and international art programming, dynamic panels, youth showcase, and creative commerce, all designed to elevate Black artistry and ownership. Pigmented is still seeking and accepting applications for a limited number of gallery exhibition spaces. Faie Fine Art of Bronzeville was confirmed as the first exhibitor. Gallery registration is open through July 1, 2025. Designed by architect, artist, and designer Sharon Samuels, the fair will blend architectural elegance with visual storytelling, including: <ul><li>Artist Alley, a curated showcase of 10 independent artists</li><li>The DREAM Student Exhibition, highlighting emerging talent</li><li>Pigmented Store, offering limited-edition merchandise</li><li>Commemorative programming for the 80th Anniversary of the American Negro Exposition</li><li>A visual history of Chicago’s Black-owned galleries</li></ul> Renowned media personality Dometi Pongo will serve as host for the event’s public programs and conversations. Pigmented is honored to collaborate with a growing network of visionary partners and cultural institutions, including: Art Money, Blessman Family Foundation, BUFI, Chicago State University, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Diasporal Rhythms, DuSable Museum, Faie Fine Art, Flourish Foundation, GangGang Culture, ILA Creative, South Side Community Art Center, Vicki and Bruce Heyman, and 100 Black Men of Chicago. "This fair is more than an exhibition—it's a declaration of legacy, community, and cultural sovereignty," said Patricia Andrews-Keenan, Pigment International. "We invite patrons, benefactors, sponsors, and supporters to join us in making history." About Pigment International: Pigment International is a Black woman-led creative collective and media platform dedicated to amplifying Black contemporary art and culture. Through storytelling, exhibitions, and strategic collaborations, Pigment celebrates the artists and institutions shaping our visual legacy. More details will be shared <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.pigmentintl.com/pigmentedblackfineartfaire" target="_blank">here</a>. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038739/eov34gt7lvvbttti1sct.png">

Pigmented: Black Fine Art Faire to take Place at Zhou B Center in October 2025

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038141/fvl4lhqio3vd1mijqkbe.jpg"></h4>Credit:&nbsp;Andrew Miller<h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/it-hits-market/condo-former-montgomery-ward-headquarters-sale" target="_blank">Gallery owners turn raw space in the former Montgomery Ward building into an artful condo</a></h4> Paul and Dedrea Gray bought a blank canvas in 2006, raw space near the top of the former Montgomery Ward headquarters on Superior Street, and turned it into a three-bedroom condo with an artful style. Glass walls lit from within enclose the dining room, where a king-sized dandelion light fixture hangs overhead. The kitchen's cooking station is clad in a dramatic ebony mahogany, paired with stainless steel cabinetry and a stone island in a theatrical vignette, a clean look with all small appliances and cooking doodads out of sight. And the primary suite's bathtub sits in a platform of ipe wood, like a little boat at dock. Via Crain's Chicago <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/03/arts/design/rondeau-chicago-art-museum-director-investigation.html" target="_blank">Chicago Museum Director Under Investigation After Airplane Incident</a></h4> James Rondeau, the president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago, has taken a voluntary leave from the museum after an incident on board a flight to Germany last month. During the incident, which occurred on April 18 and was first&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/art-institute-president-on-leave-germany-flight-incident/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;by CBS News, police were called to United Airlines flight 953 after it landed in Munich from Chicago, following reports that Rondeau had stripped off his clothes. CBS reported that the incident occurred after he drank alcohol and took prescription medication. Via New York Times <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artforum.com/news/neh-redirects-funding-canceled-grants-trump-garden-heroes-1234729983/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=exacttarget&amp;utm_campaign=Dispatch+-+Friday+May+2+2025&amp;utm_content=604204_5-2-2025&amp;utm_id=604204" target="_blank">NEH Redirects Funding from Canceled Grants to Trump’s “Garden of American Heroes”</a></h4> The&nbsp;<a style="color: currentcolor; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artforum.com/t/national-endowment-for-the-humanities/" target="_blank">National Endowment for the Humanities</a>&nbsp;on April 24 announced a&nbsp;<a style="color: currentcolor; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.neh.gov/news/neh-announces-grant-opportunity-create-statues-iconic-americans-national-garden-american?utm_medium=email" target="_blank">new grant program</a>&nbsp;supporting the design and creation of works for the National Garden of American Heroes sculpture park that President Donald Trump has ordered to be established in celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence. Announced by Trump in 2020, during his first presidency, the garden will feature life-size statues of “250 great individuals from America’s past who have contributed to our cultural, scientific, economic, and political heritage,” according to the NEH.&nbsp; Via Artforum

What We're Reading: 5/5/25

CGN adds to its calendar of art events daily, and there is no shortage of new exhibitions, openings, art fairs, talks and family art events to explore. We have put together a preview of what is coming up the rest of this month - from a tiny art fair to the summer start of Randolph Street Market to a big wave out in the suburbs... Events happen throughout the city as well as in the suburbs and within a day's drive. Whether you have an hour after work or you are looking for a weekend road trip, take a look and do a little planning in order to take a step into the world of art. Everyone is welcome! Highlights are organized by event type. Dates vary and are subject to change. –&nbsp;GinnyCGN Publisher <h3>• Auctions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037447/f0ljnqx9xqbn7oo8ua73.jpg"><h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/prints-and-multiples" target="_blank">Prints and Multiples</a></h4> Wednesday, May 7<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/freemans-hindman" target="_blank">Freeman's | Hindman</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037448/z272ddf4prr9c2vbeec4.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/20-21-art-the-chicago-edition25" target="_blank">20 | 21 Art: The Chicago Edition</a></h4> Wednesday, May 28<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/wright" target="_blank">Wright</a> <h3>• Exhibitions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037449/mshswnsbdmrw6nw3h7ek.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/herminio-rodrguez-osamenta" target="_blank">Herminio Rodríguez: Osamenta</a></h4>May 2 - Jun 1; Opening: Friday, May 2, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/oliva-gallery" target="_blank">Oliva Gallery</a> Osamenta, a powerful photographic exhibition by Herminio Rodríguez, explores the landscapes of decay and resilience across Puerto Rico. Rodríguez’s work captures a profound narrative of socioeconomic hardship, offering audiences a deep look into the often-overlooked aftermath of economic recession, governmental debt, and natural disasters on the island. In Osamenta, Rodríguez shares the results of a six-year journey through Puerto Rico’s seventy-eight municipalities and its islands, Vieques and Culebra. <h4> </h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037449/ck6wydiwqscyxhivy7nc.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/paul-pfeiffer-prologue-to-the-story-of-the-birth-of-freedom" target="_blank">Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom</a></h4> May 3 - Aug 31<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-mca" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)</a> Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom&nbsp;is a survey that covers twenty-five years of work from artist Paul Pfeiffer (b. 1966, Honolulu, HI; lives in New York), whose practice interrogates ideas of spectacle, celebrity, and mass culture. The exhibition brings together works from across Pfeiffer’s career, spanning from his early photo and video works to his latest experiments in sculpture and installation.&nbsp;Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom&nbsp;focuses on the artist’s use of media manipulation to reveal audiences’ participation in both adoration and objectification. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037450/selyavtmezk7ptp2dkcw.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/tactile-terrain" target="_blank">Tactile Terrain</a></h4> May 12 - Jun 29; Opening: Friday, May 16, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/jackson-junge-gallery" target="_blank">Jackson Junge Gallery</a> Jackson Junge Gallery&nbsp;is pleased to present their second group exhibition of the year,&nbsp;TACTILE TERRAIN, featuring the artwork of thirty-two artists. The exhibition celebrates techniques passed down by artists and craftspeople for generations, with handcrafted work made from fiber, textiles, weaving, woodwork, pottery, ceramics and more. TACTILE TERRAIN&nbsp;brings together artists whose work draws directly from the earth, composed of natural elements and inspired by organic textures and forms.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037451/mjxw5pr3awbq1j8fwsuy.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/rory-mcewen-a-new-perspective-on-nature" target="_blank">Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature</a></h4> May 16 - Aug 17<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-driehaus-museum" target="_blank">The Driehaus Museum</a> Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature, an exhibition exploring the trailblazing career and legacy of Scottish artist Rory McEwen, whose work is considered one of the major turning points in the development of contemporary botanical art. Presenting over one hundred works, including sculpture and manuscripts, the exhibition reveals how McEwen forged his own personal interpretation of 20th century modernism, portraying flowers, leaves, and vegetables as individual subjects worthy of their own portraits. Establishing McEwen’s role in shaping new generations of artists, the exhibition also features the work of contemporary botanical artists who&nbsp;continue to&nbsp;shape&nbsp;McEwen’s&nbsp;artistic&nbsp;legacy today.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037452/jyuq9zgfcaqrvk4weqwh.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/catalyst-immigration-and-self-taught-art-in-chicago" target="_blank">Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago</a></h4> May 23, 2025 - Jan 11, 2026<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/intuit-art-museum" target="_blank">Intuit Art Museum</a> Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago,&nbsp;the first exhibition to open in Intuit’s newly-renovated museum, is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.&nbsp; Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago&nbsp;is the first major exhibition to focus on the importance of immigration and migration in the genre of self-taught art. The exhibition underscores the creative contributions of migrants and immigrants,&nbsp;broadening the scope to include artists deserving of greater attention, while posing questions about access to the art world and how art comes to be defined and valued.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037452/ilqraspy76rb3girnskm.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/hokusai-and-ukiyo-e-the-floating-world-artworks-from-the-chiossone-collection" target="_blank">Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World, Artworks from the Chiossone Collection</a></h4> May 31 - Sep 21<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-cleve-carney-museum-of-art-ccma" target="_blank">The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA)</a> The exhibition will feature a collection of 53 works of art and 13 artifacts that has never been seen before in the U.S. More than a museum show, this arts center experience will immerse guests in Japanese Edo culture through several interactive exhibits, from a peaceful outdoor Japanese garden to an anime exhibit.&nbsp; Hokusai is widely recognized as one of Japan's greatest artists, as he was instrumental in developing the genre of ukiyo-e and modernized traditional print styles. Widely considered as one of the most recognizable images in the world, the exhibition will feature Hokusai's iconic masterpiece, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. In addition, visitors will have the rare opportunity to view nine original works by the legendary artist. There will also be 17 works by Hiroshige and works by 15 of their contemporaries.&nbsp; <h3>• Art Fairs, Special Events</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037453/hkcol961hsw4h2pvpcjj.png">Western Exhibitions at the Barely Fair: Elijah Burgher, Edie Fake, Dutes Miller, Miller &amp; Shellabarger, Ruby T <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/barley-fair-2025" target="_blank">Barely Fair 2025</a></h4> Thru May 11 BARELY FAIR 2025 is the 5th edition of this tiny fair. 24 exhibitors join in a return to the white cube origin.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037454/enk9dwb3u2w70s50gu3q.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/randolph-street-market-festival-may25" target="_blank">Randolph Street Market Festival</a></h4> May 24 &amp; 25 Randolph Street Market Fest presents Summer 2025 GARDEN PARTY Kick-Off on Memorial Day weekend in the West Loop. 200 Indoor/Outdoor Sellers! Find the best vintage, antique &amp; repurposed furniture, art, decor, ephemera, vintage fashion AND global goods. CONTINUOUS Live Music &amp; DJ’s! Fun Food &amp; Libations! <h5> </h5> # <h5><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">View the full CGN Calendar here</a></h5>

Highlights of art in Chicago for May 2025

CGN Art Preview: May 2025

Via PR Celebrating Polaroid’s outsized impact on art and visual culture—and its historic encouragement of artistic experimentation—Rago, Wright, and LAMA will offer works from the institutional collection of the legendary camera maker, including a New York exhibition, major single-owner auction event, and curated thematic offerings.&nbsp; <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wright20.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50e5c1be866e9aaa28cfec1db&amp;id=46910bb4be&amp;e=7eb8b4f0ec" target="_blank"><img width="564" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037350/tzyibt9o4pmmbtzswyd4.jpg"></a> Rago, Wright, and LAMA are proud to bring works from The Polaroid Collection to auction, recognizing the historic legacy of one of the most recognized names in the photographic discipline. This significant initiative will launch with a New York exhibition and the landmark May 29th auction&nbsp;Photographs from the Polaroid Collection, followed by further curated offerings to be announced. Highlights of the inaugural auction include works from David Hockney, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Sarah Moon, Richard Hamilton, Dawoud Bey, William Wegman, and Harold Edgerton, and are currently on view at Rago/Wright’s New York gallery through May 9th. &nbsp;<img width="564" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037351/v27bdebucghqrjigbdjp.jpg">David Hockney,&nbsp;Interior, Pembroke Studios London Beloved by popular audiences and embraced by a wide swath of artists, Polaroid technology revolutionized photography and was “the Apple of its day,” according to&nbsp;Smithsonian Magazine. Beginning in the 1940s, Polaroid inventor and founder Edwin Land invited notable artists to test the company's cameras and films by creating new works—directly supporting artistic experimentation and weaving artists into the evolution of photographic technology. Many of the works that resulted from this mutually beneficial arrangement became part of the Polaroid Collection. In 1949, Land invited Ansel Adams to help oversee the collection and Adams would remain involved for more than three decades.&nbsp; <img width="564" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037352/pcoz5dup2g0ulyzo6cb1.jpg">Ellen Carey,&nbsp;Pulls (CMY) Among the celebrated artists who collaborated with Polaroid and contributed to this collection were David Hockney, Robert Mapplethorpe, Chuck Close, Robert Rauschenberg, William Wegman, Marina Abramovic and Ulay, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, John Divola, Philippe Halsman, Ellen Carey, and many more. Highlights of Photographs from the Polaroid Collection include Hockney’s Polaroid Polacolor print&nbsp;Interior, Pembroke Studios, London&nbsp;(est. $40,000–60,000), Timothy Greenfield-Sanders 1990 Polaroid Polacolor portrait&nbsp;Jeff Koons&nbsp;(est. $15,000–20,000), Marina Abramovic and Ulay’s 1985&nbsp;Polaroid still: Modus viviendi&nbsp;(est. $20,000–30,000), and Sarah Moon’s 1997 pigment print (shot with Polaroid Type 669 Polacolor film)&nbsp;Stockings&nbsp;(est. $12,000–18,000), as well as works from Chuck Close, Lorna Simpson, Dawoud Bey, Robert Rauschenberg, and more. Many of these works are currently on view at Rago/Wright’s New York gallery, organized to coincide with the prestigious AIPAD Photography Show. <img width="564" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037353/jcxfm5opbdrvw97i9tnt.jpg">Dawoud Bey,&nbsp;Parris, Walida, and Mike: Phillips Academy students, Boston, MA&nbsp; Looking ahead, future offerings from The Polaroid Collection will delve into thematic groupings, including a focus on the work of Polaroid Collection steward Ansel Adams and a presentation of works from pioneering women photographers such as Barbara Kasten, Lorna Simpson, Sheila Metzner, and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons. Further curated selections will feature the experimental works of Doc Harold Edgerton, as well as an exploration of Los Angeles's influential role in the evolution of photography through the works of artists like John Divola and Robert Cumming.“The Polaroid Collection is truly remarkable for its breadth and scope,” says Meredith Hilferty, Rago/Wright Senior Specialist of Fine Art. “We are honored to present these works, which invite an exciting opportunity to reflect on the tandem evolutions of photographic technology, fine art, and visual culture.”&nbsp; Selections from the Polariod Collection&nbsp;will be exhibited at Rago/Wright’s New York gallery at 501 West 20th St from April 22nd to May 9th.&nbsp;Photographs from the Polaroid Collection&nbsp;is a live auction in Lambertville, New Jersey, beginning at 11 am eastern on Thursday, May 29th. The auction accommodates advanced bids, telephone bidding, and in person and live online bidding. For further information, please reach out to&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(32, 32, 32);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:press@wright20.com?subject=Press%20Inquiry%3A%20The%20Polaroid%20Collection" target="_blank">press@wright20.com</a> View Wright's Chicago auction house <a style="color: rgb(32, 32, 32);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/wright" target="_blank">details here</a> #

Rago, Wright, and LAMA to Offer The Polaroid Collection at Auction 

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038120/gi2vlipmbwyi99lzmdfr.jpg">Ed Ruscha, 2025 Art Auction Honoree. Photo: Greg Gorman. Via PR MCA Chicago and Sotheby’s to host Art Auction benefit honoring Ed Ruscha on June 6, 2025&nbsp; CHICAGO—The Museum of Contemporary Art and Sotheby’s are excited to announce&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=9dd8f43347&amp;e=95b957c616" target="_blank">the Art Auction 2025</a>, Chicago’s premier event celebrating art and artists, on June 6, 2025. This year, the auction boasts a selection of works from some of the most significant contemporary artists of our time, including Yoko Ono, Sarah Sze, Gary Simmons, Rashid Johnson, Nicole Eisenman, and Paul Pfeiffer. In addition to staging a live auction of more than 100 works of art, the 2025 Art Auction honors visionary artist Ed Ruscha for his lifetime of contributions to the art world. 2025 Honoree One of the most significant and inventive artists of our time,&nbsp;Ed Ruscha&nbsp;has built an extraordinary six-decade career that is as difficult to categorize as it is to contain. Featuring vernacular imagery that draws on popular media, language, and everyday matters of life, Ruscha’s body of work—which spans painting, drawing, photography, books, and film—reveals an artist whose influence exceeds any one genre or movement. Indeed, he is among that rare group of artists whose impact is felt at the level of art history and US visual culture more broadly. Bidding for the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=e781c3ba3d&amp;e=95b957c616" target="_blank">auction will officially open online</a>&nbsp;on May 19, 2025, with the in-person auction following at the MCA on June 6. All auction works will be on view in the second-floor&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=ce236e05b0&amp;e=95b957c616" target="_blank">Sylvia Neil and Daniel Fischel Galleries</a>&nbsp;on May 30 through June 6, 2025. The evening will begin at 6:30 pm with a cocktail reception, a viewing of available works, and a silent auction, followed by a seated dinner and a live auction led by Phyllis Kao, Vice President, Sotheby’s New York. Guests also have the option of bidding by phone. Proceeds from the auction support the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and its vision of championing revelatory art for all through exhibitions, educational programs, and live art events. The 2025 Art Auction will also honor Ed Ruscha and celebrate the MCA’s long history with the artist. The MCA holds numerous works by Ruscha in its permanent collection and has had the pleasure of witnessing Ruscha’s rise starting in 1988 with&nbsp;Ed Ruscha: Recent Paintings. This celebration of the artist coincides with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the major exhibition Ed Ruscha in 2000, which cemented his status as an important international figure in contemporary art. During his six-decade career, Ruscha has created work spanning painting, drawing, photography, books, and film, in a practice whose influence exceeds any one genre or movement. The MCA is deeply grateful that he is among the generous and storied artists who enliven our institution with their work for this auction. In 1968, the MCA’s first Art Auction was founded by a group of trustees to raise funds for the museum. The 2025 Art Auction is cochaired by board trustees Anita Blanchard, Ilan Shalit, and Joyce Yaung. Those wishing to attend can find&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcachicago.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c24ba7c5a91cefd699dc985e1&amp;id=2fbe5f8a65&amp;e=95b957c616" target="_blank">more information online</a>, including table reservation and tier details. The event features cocktails and a preview of the art, followed by a seated dinner and live auction. Register to bid online with Sotheby’s at&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-2025-art-auction-hosted-by-sothebys" target="_blank">sothebys.com/mcaauction</a>. For more information about this event, please contact Morgan Turner, Fundraising Events Assistant, at&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:MTurner@mcachicago.org" target="_blank">MTurner@mcachicago.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="tel:+13123973862" target="_blank">312-397-3862</a>. <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://visit.mcachicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mca_artauction2025_digitalcatalog_20250425.pdf" target="_blank">View the 2025 Art Auction Digital Catalogue.</a>

MCA Chicago and Sotheby’s Honor Ed Ruscha at June 6 Benefit Auction 

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037473/hxr1srtdo0ysslwm6quz.jpg"></h3><h3> </h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2025-wisconsin-triennial" target="_blank">2025 Wisconsin Triennial</a></h3> May 2 - Sep 14Opening: Friday, May 2, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMMadison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) The Wisconsin Triennial is a cornerstone of MMoCA’s exhibition calendar. Every three years the exhibition charts the latest art being made across the state, capturing the richness and variety of artistic expression in Wisconsin. The final selection of 24 artists from across the state represents a wide range of artistic approaches and subjects. From painting to performance and figurative to formal abstraction, the exhibition reflects the rich diversity of Wisconsin’s visual arts scene. <h1><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037474/sh8czoniqg8k6atpsh7k.jpg"></h1><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/65-years-spring-benefit" target="_blank">65 Years | Spring Benefit</a></h3>Friday, May 2The Art Center Highland Park<h3> </h3>Join TACHP for interactive evening of art, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a curated silent auction to benefit the galleries, art classes, scholarships, and community-building events produced all year by TAC. Celebrity host Peter Sagal of NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't tell me! will be there as well as DJ Tess. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037474/wqcq8ch3herrr0k75qku.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/art-in-wilder-park-2025" target="_blank">Art in Wilder Park 2025</a></h3>May 3 and May 4Elmhurst Art Museum This free festival features over 130 exhibitors including one-of-a-kind art, entertainment, food, and family activities.Art in Wilder Park features a preview of&nbsp;CROSSINGS,&nbsp;a solo exhibition of sculptures by acclaimed Chicago artist Bernard Williams exploring history of Black achievements in transportation and agriculture. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037475/i40qfbrnfjo6so2tms7b.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/closing-reception-for-damon-locks-exhibition" target="_blank">Closing Reception for Damon Locks' Exhibition</a></h3>Saturday, May 3, 1 – 2:00 PMGoldfinch Join the gallery for a conversation between Artists Damon Locks and Andres L.&nbsp;Hernandez. A&nbsp;Closing Reception&nbsp;for Damon Locks' Exhibition "We Are Our People / Listen To This" will follow until 4pmAndres L. Hernandez&nbsp;is a conceptual artist and educator who explores models for imagining and existing otherwise. Inspired by the cultural, knowledge, and spatial production of African-descent peoples, his practice encompasses collaborative, socially-engaged, and independent artmaking.⁠⁠ Damon Locks&nbsp;is a Chicago-based visual artist, educator, vocalist/musician.&nbsp;Since 2014 he has been working with the Prisons and Neighborhood Arts Project at Stateville Correctional Center teaching art. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037476/ldtxiqs2iosbrcbhbypq.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/artist-talk-raissa-bailey" target="_blank">Artist Talk: Raissa Bailey</a></h3>Saturday, May 3, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PMARC Gallery Raissa Bailey’s solo show, “Venus Rising, Axiom Schema,” delves into the concepts of consciousness and evolution. This innovative showcase blends installation and mixed media art, inviting viewers to explore connections between prehistoric and modern modes of creation. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037476/sflejkuzp8gkfmx6gtaq.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-ai-controversy" target="_blank">The AI Controversy</a></h3>Saturday, May 3, 7PMThe Grove Gallery Join Grove Gallery in Evanston for a lively discussion on&nbsp;Artificial Intelligence&nbsp;at 'The AI Controversy' event. Dive into the&nbsp;debates&nbsp;surrounding AI and its impact on society. Hear from Professor Luis Amaral and Artist James Deeb who will shed light on the&nbsp;controversies&nbsp;and ethical dilemmas that arise with the advancement of AI technology.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037477/jnp2jetimxuosmbb05mn.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/dorota-gawda-egl-kulbokait" target="_blank">Dorota Gawęda &amp; Eglė Kulbokaitė</a></h3>May 3 &amp; May 4The Renaissance Society In their performance&nbsp;-lalia, Dorota Gawęda and Eglė Kulbokaitė conjure a legendary figure from Slavic folklore, the demonic&nbsp;Południca. Posing a metaphor for contemporary anxieties related to ecological and social unease, this work is a dynamic hybrid combination of physical presence, text, and video.&nbsp; <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" target="_blank">View the full CGN Calendar here</a></h3>

Special Events and Talks, May 2–4

<h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037277/avjbyrsequtzqcaedufs.jpg"></h3> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/tony-tasset-blow-winds-and-crack-your-cheeks" target="_blank">Tony Tasset: Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!</a></h3><h3> </h3>May 2 – Jun 7Opening: Friday, May 2, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMCorbett vs. Dempsey<h3> </h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037277/diqapa5y7jwc1h5td3ob.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/herminio-rodrguez-osamenta" target="_blank">Herminio Rodríguez: Osamenta</a></h3>May 2 - Jun 1Opening: Friday, May 2, 2025 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMOliva Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037278/tg7moitofjbbqximegwa.jpg"><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/steve-seeley-right-back-at-it-again" target="_blank">Steve Seeley: Right Back At It Again</a></h3>May 2 - May 31Opening: Friday, May 2, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMVertical Gallery <h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037279/nknst5p69vhmxjubu3yr.jpg"></h3> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-first-homosexuals-the-birth-of-a-new-identity-1869-1939" target="_blank">The First Homosexuals: The Birth of a New Identity, 1869-1939</a></h3>May 2–Jul 26Wrightwood 659 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037280/tyfiy6aijtkn1rirc3jl.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gallery-victor-presents-our-time" target="_blank">Gallery VICTOR Presents: Our Time</a></h3>May 2 - Jun 14The Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037280/kaqd0mgdsohsdbqw0onw.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/awash-paintings-by-joanna-pinsky" target="_blank">AWASH: Paintings by Joanna Pinsky</a></h3>May 2 - May 31Opening: Friday, May 2, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMSpace 900 Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037281/eepn1r2p2guxdcypkiyy.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/when-i-see-when-i-hear-i-draw-musical-muses-and-others" target="_blank">When I See, When I Hear, I Draw… Musical Muses and Others</a></h3>May 2 - May 31Opening: Friday, May 2, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMAugust House Studio <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037282/lunfqtm4ml7hqkm2b9f6.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/paul-pfeiffer-prologue-to-the-story-of-the-birth-of-freedom" target="_blank">Paul Pfeiffer: Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom</a></h3>May 3 - Aug 31Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)<h3> </h3><h3> </h3><h3>View the full CGN calendar <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" target="_blank">here</a></h3>

New Exhibitions: May 2 & 3

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1746114780/pdobu5h4tdze6cke0ral.jpg">Ari Emanuel. Photo: Paul Smith/Endeavor. Courtesy Frieze By CGN Staff Today, four days after Frieze-owned <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/" target="_blank">EXPO CHICAGO</a> wrapped up its latest fair, news broke that Ari Emanuel–the 64 year-old brother of Chicago's former Mayor Rahm Emanuel–is setting up a new, unnamed company to purchase Frieze. Endeavor, the company that has owned Frieze, said Thursday said that it had agreed to sell Frieze to a new events and experiences company founded by Emanuel and backed by a group of investors. Ari Emanuel shared in a statement, “Frieze has always been a source of inspiration for me — both professionally and personally,” Emanuel, who currently holds the title of executive chairman at WME Group, said in a statement. “Having worked with the team for nearly a decade, I’ve seen firsthand the strength of their community and the ambition driving their mission to expand the reach and understanding of contemporary art.” EXPO CHICAGO just ended its four day run this past Sunday, and Frieze's flagship event, Frieze New York, returns to The Shed next week on May 7. A spokesperson said that changes to the company’s structure will not impact Frieze's leadership team and Simon Fox will remain chief executive. The deal also includes Frieze’s magazine and its seven international fairs, including EXPO Chicago, the Armory Show in New York, Frieze Los Angeles and Frieze Seoul. As noted in the New York Times, "Given the downturn in the art market,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/arts/design/art-basel-ubs-art-market-report.html" target="_blank">which has experienced a 12 percent year-on-year decline</a>&nbsp;in global sales,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/07/the-road-to-the-sale-of-frieze-is-a-winding-one" target="_blank">some industry experts had worried</a>&nbsp;that Frieze’s sale to an outside buyer could have disastrous implications for the business. Some gallerists are now breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that Emanuel has a long history with Frieze; his company first purchased a stake in Frieze nine years ago before gaining full ownership in 2023."

Ari Emanuel's New Company Buys Frieze, Owner of EXPO CHICAGO

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038794/iqewwagzi357c7blvzt0.png"> By CGN Staff In one week Art Encounter will host <a style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artencounter.org/kaleidoscope-2025" target="_blank">Kaleidoscope 2025</a>, its annual art auction and benefit to support its programming. Tickets sales close this Friday, May 2. On Tuesday, May 6 from 6–9pm visitors are invited to LeTour Brasserie (restaurateur Amy Morton with James Beard Chef Debbie Gold), in Downtown Evanston to enjoy an evening of specialty cocktails, a French-Moroccan buffet, a silent art auction, and a raffle celebrating all in the name of helping to provide essential funding for Art Encounter's community programming. The event also honors CGN's founding publisher, Natalie van Straaten, and current publisher Ginny Van Alyea. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038795/vxjsjnuruyhuquj9wk1x.png">LeTour Brasserie in Downtown Evanston is the venue for Kaleidoscope 2025 This unforgettable evening of art, inspiration, and impact celebrates Art Encounter's mission to educate, inspire, and connect people of diverse ages and backgrounds through interactive encounters with visual art. Most importantly, Kaleidoscope raises critical funds to support our outreach programs that bring art education and engagement to under-resourced Chicagoland public schools, assisted living and senior centers, and social service agencies including those that serve individuals with disabilities. Kaleidoscope brings together a vibrant community of friends, artists, art enthusiasts, collectors, gallerists, and philanthropists from Chicago, Evanston, and beyond. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038795/dov97wsx3su55bllv3ch.jpg">Left: Natalie van Straaten; Right: Ginny Van Alyea This year Art Encounter will recognize and honor three champions of the Chicago and Evanston art communities while raising vital funds for Art Encounter.&nbsp;Art Impacts Honorees&nbsp;Natalie van Straaten and Ginny B. Van Alyea have shaped Chicago’s art scene through&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News&nbsp;(CGN) for nearly 45 years. Natalie founded CGN in 1982, creating a vital platform for galleries, collectors, and artists. Ginny, CGN’s publisher since 2007, has expanded its impact, amplifying artists' voices and fostering critical conversations. Their dedication makes them ideal&nbsp;Art Impacts&nbsp;Award&nbsp;recipients.&nbsp;Community Partner of the Year&nbsp;Andy Vick, Executive Director of Downtown Evanston, has been a steadfast supporter of public art initiatives, working tirelessly to enhance Evanston’s cultural landscape. Through his leadership, Downtown Evanston has championed Art Encounter’s community-driven public art initiatives and strengthened Evanston’s creative identity. Andy’s passion and dedication make him an outstanding recipient of this year’s&nbsp;Community Partner of the Year Award. Whether or not you'll be at Kaleidoscope in person, you can help support Art Encounter by entering to win one of three prize packages celebrating outstanding local businesses from Art Encounter's hometown by purchasing raffle tickets to win the following prizes: •&nbsp;Cocktails &amp; Concert at&nbsp;Evanston Space•&nbsp;Dinner Date at&nbsp;LeTour Brasserie•&nbsp;Curated Wine Basket from&nbsp;The Wine Goddess <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038796/xnsnuuhw57llv3jsetmm.png">From left: work by Jordan Nickel, Sandro Miller, and&nbsp;Rubén Aguirre All bidding for Art Encounter's art auction will take place in person at the event, but if you see something you love, you can&nbsp;purchase it now at the buy-it-now price! Online purchasing closes Friday, May 2. Check out AE's website to see 25 works by talented, notable area artists. Kaleidoscope will provide essential funding for Art Encounter's work throughout the greater Chicago area, which includes&nbsp;educational outreach programs for schools, senior homes, and social service agencies; art discussion programs for the public in artist studios and exhibition spaces; and a local mural program that makes art accessible to everyone in our community. These programs include: <ul><li>School Programs&nbsp;providing artist-led workshops, hands-on learning, and field trips to Chicago’s outstanding museums to over 1,500 students annually in under-resourced public schools. These initiatives–including our signature 10-week&nbsp;ARTiculations&nbsp;residency, after-school programs, and more–foster creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression while complementing and supporting classroom curriculum for young learners who may not otherwise have access to arts education.</li><li>Senior &amp; Special Audience Programs&nbsp;providing creativity and connection to seniors, adults with disabilities, and other groups through interactive art discussions, hands-on projects, and more. Engaging with art has been shown to combat isolation, promote cognitive stimulation, and bring joy to participants.</li><li>Evanston Mural Arts Program (EMAP)&nbsp;transforming public spaces into vibrant community landmarks, engaging local artists and residents to create meaningful, visually-inspiring works of public art that celebrate Evanston’s diversity and creativity.</li></ul> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748038797/onw3ubvujs5xzroo0zd6.png"> Kaleidoscope helps to support and sustain Art Encounter's community mural initiative, educational programs in public schools, local art tours, and more. &nbsp;In the past year alone, Art Encounter has impacted thousands of individuals, including: • 880 CPS students through our&nbsp;ARTiculations&nbsp;residency program• 250 Evanston students from Title 1 schools through free programs for after-school groups• 110 senior citizens through our program&nbsp;Making for Memory• 55 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through our program&nbsp;Art for All• 430 art-lovers and lifelong-learners through our educational art tours and travel programs• The entire Evanston community through the Evanston Mural Arts Program * Art Encounter's mission is to educate, inspire, and connect people of diverse ages and backgrounds through interactive encounters with visual art. AE believes that there are many ways to see, and that art can be a powerful vehicle to better understand ourselves and the world around us. Founded in 1978, Art Encounter is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering creativity and connection through close, meaningful engagement with visual art. Art Encounter serves thousands of individuals annually, ensuring that art remains an accessible, engaging, and transformative experience for all through three pillars of programming: free, educational Outreach Programs making art accessible for underserved youth, adults, and seniors; unique Public Programs for art enthusiasts, from local art tours to international art travel; and Art Encounter's widely-respected Evanston Mural Arts Program, which has energized Evanston with transformative public art. <h4>For tickets and more information, please visit: <a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.artencounter.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a><a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.artencounter.org/kaleidoscope-2025" target="_blank">www.artencounter.org/kaleidoscope-2025</a></h4> * KALEIDOSCOPE 2025 ART AUCTION <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d938445b34ae0432cbf030c/t/68090a0ad3c25a4fcc24231e/1745422862141/Art+Auction+Descriptions.pdf" target="_blank">CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS</a> Dan AddingtonRubén AguirreTodd AndersonRené H. ArceoWilliam CongerClark EllithorpeDustin HarrisJames McNeill MespléSandro MillerBob MagrissoScott MossmanJordan NickelRaúl OrtizRaul Ortiz BonillaSarah PackerJoanna PinskyDon PollackNancy RosenKaren RossMax SansingAdam SiegelJay StrommenJoseph TaylorAnnie TrincotMolly Z.

Art Encounter Presents An Evening of Art, Inspiration, and Community Impact

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1745933984/xeswhsrw6imc81ibyy8p.jpg">Dirk Denison with a painting by Leasho Johnson By GINNY VAN ALYEA Dirk Denison has been a practicing architect for over 30 years. Originally from Detroit, Denison and his designs, both residential and commercial, are well known to many Chicagoans. Though his reputation is national, CGN readers are likely familiar with the gallery spaces he has constructed to showcase much of the city’s best art. A professor at the IIT College of Architecture and the Director of the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize, Denison also runs his own award-winning firm, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dirkdenisonarchitects.com/" target="_blank">Dirk Denison Architects</a>, based in Chicago’s West Loop. I recently spoke with Denison about his art and design background, his connection to Chicago and what it’s like to design spaces for art as well as introduce his own clients to the world of art collecting.&nbsp; CGN: Tell me where you grew up and how you were first introduced to art as well as architecture. Dirk Denison: Well, I grew up around Detroit in a home that was filled with art as well as artists, so it’s always been a part of my life. My experience was enriched by going to Cranbrook for school in suburban Detroit, which has not only the world famous art academy, but also has an elementary and high school. I was fortunate to go through all the way, from nursery school through graduation. And actually both my parents went there as well. They met in high school. I left, of course with this great appreciation for design from a very holistic standpoint. If you have visited Cranbrook, the Saarinens* worked as a team, a family, and they designed the buildings and the furnishings and the tapestries, even the setting landscape that surrounds it. So, I arrived in Chicago with all of that not really consciously a part of my working reference, but it is certainly intuitively embedded in who I became as an architect.&nbsp; *Note from Cranbrook: Saarinen House is Eliel Saarinen’s Art Deco masterwork and the jewel of Cranbrook’s architectural treasures. Designed in the late 1920s and located at the heart of Cranbrook Academy of Art, from 1930 through 1950 Saarinen House served as the home and studio of the Finnish-American designer Eliel Saarinen—Cranbrook’s first resident architect and the Art Academy’s first president and the head of the Architecture Department—and Loja Saarinen—the Academy’s first head of the Weaving Department and director of Studio Loja Saarinen.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1745933987/kithnrsbf97xjscxegnz.jpg">Meeting room of Dirk Denison Architects, with works by Tadashi Kawamata, Ellsworth Kelly and Aron Gent. CGN: It sounds like Detroit offered you so much inspiration. How did you come to Chicago?&nbsp; DD: Chicago has been, for me, not only practice, but also teaching. I’m a professor at IIT, the College of Architecture, and also very involved with the Art Institute through the Society for Contemporary Art and through art, architecture and design departments. Early on at the MCA, there was something called the New Group, which was sort of my introduction to the cultural and collecting community in Chicago. Many of those collectors I met are still our closest friends.&nbsp; I came to study architecture at IIT where I teach now. In the eighties there was a lot of fluctuation going on in the world of design, and IIT had a very, very strong program. So even though I had come from the University of Michigan–I studied there and then I went and did my Master’s at Harvard–I came back to Chicago because it has always been a city that had a real commitment to placemaking and to innovation and to thinking about what the next generation of architecture was going to be. It’s just a great place to work, and I’ve been fortunate to work all over the country. Chicago is a base that has allowed me that opportunity. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1745933989/todbhiepsg2p1wcxvjea.jpg">Bucktown residence. Chicago, IL. A renovation and addition whose material, form, and proportion follow those of the original postmodern structure, a sculptor’s studio designed by Harry Weese for his daughter and son-in-law; set back onto an unusual site, it maintains an existing, generous garden. CGN: Where did you keep art in your mind while you were studying architecture and first becoming an architect? DD: For me the whole richness of the creative world is part of thinking about place and space making–furniture, design, tapestries, all of the mediums, from painting to sculpture. I’ve always made spaces that are about creating opportunity for those other voices. It’s not just my voice. I’ve never espoused a Frank Lloyd Wright approach, where I design everything. I actually want there to be diversity and I want there to be other voices that I’m in conversation with, because that’s the way I live, and that’s the way I want my clients to make their space. I design for opportunity. With my clients, I can help them build a collection, but obviously many of them have collections before I work with them. They choose to work with me because they know I appreciate how art enriches your life. Sometimes we plan around very specific works of art. Sometimes we plan around very specific commissions working with particular artists. Other times it’s a sense that there will be a moment or a place that is going to be asking for a work of art. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1745933991/fr5pno0dhqh88ifylohk.jpg">A team member works by a painting by Judy Ledgerwood CGN: Do you personally have an art collection that is separate from what’s installed in your offices, or does your collection just exist where there is space?&nbsp; DD: Well, it’s interesting. Our offices have been in the West Loop for 20 years, in this heavy timber building. The size of the space, the ceiling heights and the size of the walls was the first time that I had wall space this scale. My first painting before we even moved into the office was this quatrefoil painting by Judy Ledgerwood that I saw in her studio when I had took a client there to pick something out for their new home. I said, ‘Would you hold that for me? In the next year I’m going to be moving into new offices where I’ll have a wall finally big enough for an eight-foot square painting.’ It’s been somewhat of an opportunity for us, since the idea of having art in the office is that it’s how we design space, and I want my amazing creative team to work in that same environment. Many architects have photographs of their former projects and awards up on the wall. I said to myself, that’s not necessarily inspirational for the team that’s working on whatever they’re focused on. Why not have them learn and be inspired by these other creative voices? So that’s why there is art in the office. We do switch the art out back and forth between home and work and [my partner] David’s studio as well. About a year ago we had a flood in our apartment, so we were forced to redo it. And as a result of that, we changed our whole philosophy at home, which is where we have just one work of art on each wall. And so as a result of that, we switched things out. We brought some of the bigger things from the office and took the smaller things out of the apartment. So it’s very fluid and we want to change things around. Nothing has a permanent place in how we live with it. The interesting thing is too, because of the artists, I’ve picked up on my parents’ philosophy that most of the artists in our collection are artists that we know, or as we get interested in them, we make a point of getting to know them. And that comes into not only our personal life and our friendships, but also into the office. So if you walked into my office now and talked to someone working there who’s fairly new out of school, they would know who Judy Ledgerwood is. They know there is a person behind the art that they work with. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1745933992/mgls8kc4pahuivetny7p.jpg">Office view. On wall: Ad Reinhard’s ’Ten Screenprints’ CGN: Have you had challenging situations trying to blend works of art or a collection into a space you’re designing?&nbsp; DD: Yes. I think the main thing about working on a collection–whether it’s clients who have never collected art before or long-time collectors–we’re working together. I spend this concerted amount of time in the beginning showing them different lines of thinking about medium or scale or geographic source for works of art. It may be a color story, or it may just be space specific, but it’s something I like them to get to the point of saying, okay, this is what will be fun for us to work on. Obviously I can do the primary selection of the art, but hopefully they’ll get the [collecting] bug because there are many more spaces that they’ll be able to place art in, so I hope they keep looking at art themselves and finding opportunities. Often I will create some specific spaces, like for a glass collection or a wall that’s about ceramics or something so that they can keep thinking as they travel and make their life intertwined with collecting art and living with art. But it’s also the story behind every work of art that is what makes us collectors.&nbsp; I didn’t answer your question about the difficult works. I have had a couple of moments when someone bought something on a trip for something. One of my clients laughs about this fountain they bought in Morocco. We were starting the project and they were like, ‘We have this fountain. We’d love to find a spot for it!’ It didn’t end up making it into the home. We laugh about it now because we still have that thing sitting in the garage in a box, but they finally realized that there is some sort of line of thinking that does tie everything together. It’s really about things that speak well to each other. I just created a home with a wonderful Spencer Finch that was this very bright fluorescent light with amazing geometry. It was very eye catching, but it worked with the larger aesthetic of what they were doing. CGN: It sounds like you try to spend a lot of time having those client conversations leading up to when you get started designing that maybe prevent some of those clashes. DD: It’s another part of the process. I think when it is a couple, it’s important that they are both part of the decision and invested in it. It’s answering both their desires and needs for what we design in what they’ll live in. I feel the same thing with the art, where I really encourage them to make the decisions together and not buy one piece that one of them loves and the other one isn’t fond of. I’ve always approached that with my design work, that if you’re not in love with this option, let’s find the next thing that you are. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1745933993/hvzh0bxmkql89jnvmmat.jpg">moniquemeloche gallery. Chicago, IL. The transformation of a hidden industrial building in Chicago’s West Town into a flexible space for encountering multiple forms of art. CGN: With regard to commercial spaces, you have designed many gallery spaces in Chicago. What are your main considerations when approaching that kind of design need versus another office or residence? DD: When you’re doing a space that’s specifically for art–a gallery or an exhibition space–you of course are not designing for particular works of art. Maybe a particular medium, but not specific works. In fact, you want it to be quite the opposite, quite flexible. My general attitude towards spaces for art is to create variety so that there is a sequence of experiences and spaces as well as the clarity of the wall, so that it doesn’t compete with what is going to be brought in, which you don’t know what it’s going to be in the future. So really simple detailing, ubiquitous materials, a flooring material, simple white walls, with maybe the exception of an entry moment or an office moment or something like that. And then lighting, of course, is the most important. You want to always over-light a space for art and have lighting from more than one source so that you can both throw light on the whole space as well as on highlights. And then you make it all flexible. You make it all controllable so that you have that moment where you want to pin light for a particular work, or you want to flood for something that’s a wall mural. And I think that a lot of times you’ll see space that’s been overly dramatized and that’s fine for a particular effect, but if it’s not flexible, if it’s not dimmable or expandable, it’s too restricting.I love to bring in natural light, but also moments where direct sunlight will work like a sundial to come in and make its way through a space is more flexible in a home or office than it is in a gallery. CGN: What’s design moment stands out for you? DD: Those are really difficult questions because my mind always goes to whatever we’re working on right now. My process tends to make things challenging. In other words, I’m looking for the constraints. I’m looking for the sort of requirements that will make the project better. And that’s fundamentally coming from how it’s going to be used, where it is, what we’re working with. I think what’s so important now is the clear attitude to working with what we have, using existing structures before tearing them down and building something new. More than half my work is restoration, preservation, adaptive reuse. The project that I did just two years ago at IIT, which is three towers that we made from staff into student housing, I actually won a competition at the school for a new 480 bed dorm. I convinced them we had these three legacy Mies van der Rohe designed buildings from the ‘50s on campus that we should do first before we build anything new. That ended up being very successful and has been an amazing opportunity for the students to live in these buildings. And economically, it was significantly less expensive to work with the existing structures than to build something new and of course, much more sustainable and much more environmental.&nbsp; CGN: Would you like to add anything else?&nbsp; DD: Even though I am often steering the boat or keeping it moving forward, I see design as having many voices, all of the expertises, all the vantage points. There isn’t just the the client, there are also the contractors, my amazing team of consultants and engineers, everybody at the office. The biggest challenge is listening to all that information, and then sorting out the priorities. #

Interview with Chicago architect and art collector Dirk Denison

Designs on Collecting: Architect Dirk Denison

<h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artforum.com/news/art-green-dies-19412025-1234729718/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=exacttarget&amp;utm_campaign=Dispatch+-+Friday+April+24+2025&amp;utm_content=602503_4-25-2025&amp;utm_id=602503" target="_blank">Art Green (1941–2025)</a></h3> <a style="color: currentcolor; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artforum.com/t/art-green/" target="_blank">Art Green</a>, an original member of a rabblerousing group of artists known as&nbsp;<a style="color: currentcolor; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artforum.com/t/the-hairy-who/" target="_blank">the Hairy Who</a>&nbsp;and a key figure in the Chicago Imagist movement, died on April 14. He was eighty-three. His death was announced by Garth Greenan Gallery in New York, which represented him. Green in the mid-1960s was a recent art-school graduate when he founded the Hairy Who in Chicago alongside fellow grads James Falconer, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Suellen Rocca, and Karl Wirsum.&nbsp; Via Artforum <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/04/22/chicago-department-cultural-affairs-special-events-dcase-disarray" target="_blank">Chicago's cultural affairs department hits crisis point</a></h3> Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (<a style="color: inherit;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca.html" target="_blank">DCASE</a>) is in disarray. At least 18 staff members—around 25% of the department—have left since Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed a former legislative director, Clineé Hedspeth, to replace ousted Cultural Commissioner Erin Harkey last year. (In February, Harkey was named the new chief executive of Americans for the Arts.) “The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth are committed to filling departmental vacancies and have successfully brought in new talent as positions are posted,” Bria Purdiman, the department's deputy commissioner for marketing and communications, tells&nbsp;The Art Newspaper. “Our department continues to operate at a high level and remains intensely devoted to the Chicago arts and culture community.” Via The Art Newspaper <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2025/04/23/dusable-park-development-chicago-takes-a-step-forward?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=042425%20Afternoon%20Edition&amp;utm_content=042425%20Afternoon%20Edition+CID_835720a863c0b9a8c3b8fd33a6b7b1db&amp;utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&amp;utm_term=Long%20awaited%20DuSable%20Park%20takes%20a%20big%20step%20forward&amp;tpcc=cst_cm" target="_blank">Long-awaited DuSable Park takes a big step forward</a></h3> At just 3.4 acres, the long-awaited $15 million Jean-Baptiste Point DuSable Park won’t be the city’s largest public green space, but it has the potential to be one of the best.As it should be. The park is planned for an absolutely prime spot east of DuSable Lake Shore Drive that is bounded by the Chicago River, the Ogden Slip and the lake.Chicagoans have waited 38 years for this park honoring DuSable, watching previous plans come and go. But the wait now appears to be ending. Via Chicago Sun-Times Image: An artist’s rendering shows the proposed DuSable Park pavilion. Chicago Park District <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.wttw.com/2025/04/24/expo-chicago-director-talks-art-and-economy-2025" target="_blank">Expo Chicago Director Talks Art and Economy in 2025</a></h3> This year marks the 12th version of Expo Chicago. Despite changes in name and ownership, giant art fairs have been an annual civic tradition since 1980.The biggest recent development came in 2023 when Expo Chicago was acquired by Frieze, an international group of art fairs that platforms modern and contemporary art.Even with all of the change, the quality of the fair has been carefully cultivated, and one thing remains constant: the presence of Tony Karman. Karman is the president and director of Expo Chicago and its most passionate booster. Via WTTW

CGN Art World Recap: 4.27.25

Via PR <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://brushwoodcenter.org/" target="_blank">Brushwood Center</a> announced an historic&nbsp;$2.5 million gift from the Hunter Family Foundation. The gift, the largest in Brushwood history, will go toward the construction of a new performance plaza, to be named in honor of Maxine M. Hunter, Brushwood Center’s first board chair.&nbsp;The Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza at Brushwood Center will have a profound impact on the accessibility, reach, and impact of our work supporting the health and well-being of participants from all backgrounds and experiences in healing art and nature programming. This incredible gift enables Brushwood to expand its wide range of programming for children, adults, families and Veterans, and comes at a time of growing concern about public resources dedicated to the environment and sustainability.&nbsp;&nbsp;The new plaza will be a dynamic, three-season open-air event space four times larger than the current structure, enhancing Brushwood’s ability to reach broader audiences, host more participants, and explore new, creative programs. The plaza will offer a seamless transition between indoor comfort and outdoor connection, allowing Brushwood visitors to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of nature while immersed in music, movement, and creative expression.&nbsp;&nbsp;We are grateful to the Hunter Family Foundation for this transformative gift that will enable Brushwood Center to expand access to nature for our neighbors and communities through the arts, healing, and education. In honoring the legacy of Maxine Hunter, the Foundation underscores the critical importance of local commitment to community organizations, particularly vital when so many federal resources are being cut back.&nbsp;Maxine Hunter was born and raised in Lake Forest and remained connected to her community and philanthropic endeavors throughout her life. As the first board chair of Brushwood Center, Maxine believed people visited Brushwood to experience serenity, study, and tranquility and most people left with a sense of awe of nature. She once said, "I work on things that are important to me: art, nature, conservation. We should be supportive of the community we live in, to make the world a better place."&nbsp;&nbsp;We are honored to continue Maxine's legacy at Brushwood with the Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza, and extend our deepest gratitude to the Hunter Family Foundation.

Brushwood Center Announces Largest Gift in Center's History To Support Creative Programs

Via PR CHICAGO –&nbsp;&nbsp;The Obama Foundation announced today it will soon be installing works by two notable American artists Spencer Finch (NY) and Lindsay Adams, an upcoming graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, at the Obama Presidential Center. Their installations are among 25 site-specific works from a range of luminary to emerging artists that will be featured at the Center as part of a broad commitment to elevating public art across its campus. “From their earliest days in the White House, President and Mrs. Obama celebrated the power of art to inspire change,” said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. “We are proud to continue their legacy by featuring unique artwork from Spencer Finch, Lindsay Adams, and other extraordinary artists at the Obama Presidential Center. We look forward to serving as a place to activate the imagination of visitors from Chicago and around the world, and inspire them to bring change home to their communities.” “Both Spencer and Lindsay bring a strong sense of place and purpose to their work that accomplishes President Obama’s goal for the arts on campus: to spark conversations about the world as it is and the world as it ought to be,” said Louise Bernard, the Obama Presidential Center Museum Director. “We look forward to working with Lindsay and Spencer in the coming weeks as they join us onsite to install their work, and sharing their pieces with visitors next year.” Spencer FinchSpencer Finch is best known for his moving installation at the 9/11 Memorial &amp; Museum: “Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning.” In that piece, Finch used 2,983 individual watercolor tile squares to honor the victims of the attacks and symbolize the idea of memory.&nbsp; Finch’s piece for the Obama Center will similarly incorporate memory, color and a sense of place. Drawing on inspiration from President Obama’s autobiography “Dreams from My Father,” Finch will showcase a tile wall mural installation entitled “To Disappear Enhances – (Memory Landscapes)” that evokes memories of places from the President’s formative years, including Honolulu, Jakarta, Chicago, and Nairobi. The colors for each location were selected personally by President Obama from a large palette to represent a specific personal memory from that place. Measuring 12’ x 66’8”, Finch’s mural of tiles made of fired and glazed clay will be on display to welcome visitors in the lower level lobby of the Center’s Forum building.&nbsp; “It is an honor to create a new piece for the Obama Presidential Center that speaks directly to the earliest life experiences of President Obama,” said Spencer Finch. “It is my hope that this artwork will slowly reveal its meaning and specificity as viewers spend time with it. The piece aims to transform into the historical landscape and internal portraits of the President's memories, connecting his world experience with the experiences of the visitors.” Lindsay AdamsVisitors to the Center’s café will also have the opportunity to experience “Weary Blues” – a meditation on resilience, beauty, and the power of abstract forms from Chicago-based artist Lindsay Adams, currently a graduate student at SAIC. Her 24 x 24 inch painting, originally created in 2024, will be translated into silkscreen panels on fabric. The work is titled after Langston Hughes’ iconic poem and carries forward a lineage of Black creative expression that holds space for both weariness and transcendence. “It is my privilege to translate ‘Weary Blues’ for the Obama Presidential Center,” said Lindsay Adams. “The piece will become part of a shared environment at the Center’s café – an atmosphere for gathering, reflection, and rest – extending the piece’s emotional tenor into a communal space rooted in legacy, resilience, and imagination. It’s an honor to contribute to the rich tradition of Black artistic expression on Chicago’s South Side and to help carry that creative legacy forward.” Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of more than 25 artists who will have original pieces on display to the public at the Obama Presidential Center.&nbsp;<ul><li>Last fall, crews installed&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(107, 184, 171);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://click.email.obama.org/?qs=f67242a3f22db69438039a894e8f11652586858a3abd593b03d533d7e70ecf79895616374b8752231159316e9311a2dbe2c7fa828c0ca844" target="_blank">Julie Mehretu’s 83-foot-high abstract painted glass window</a>&nbsp;in the Museum Building, which is visible now to visitors of Jackson Park.&nbsp;</li><li>The Foundation also previously unveiled plans for&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(107, 184, 171);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://click.email.obama.org/?qs=f67242a3f22db6948f82a2414ce106ee1694e993bc1d2770def91f7856cb942c18efb29ccffcb68383666380d1020aa3708f77e2cfb06826" target="_blank">“Book Bird,” a sculpture by celebrated Chicago artist Richard Hunt,</a>&nbsp;which will reside in the Reading Garden of the Center’s Chicago Public Library branch.&nbsp;</li><li>Additionally, acclaimed artist and architect Maya Lin – renowned for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. –&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(107, 184, 171);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://click.email.obama.org/?qs=f67242a3f22db69499142f72380f3595418452997a34e670b5a5f860a4420798b5b138332bf081a7e6a6b4cb06c9f308f5ce6a3f1da9a74c" target="_blank">will design a sculptural water feature for the Center’s water terrace,</a>&nbsp;dedicated to President Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham.</li></ul>Nearly all original artwork will be free to view by the public at the Obama Presidential Center when the campus opens in 2026. About Lindsay AdamsLindsay Adams (b. 1990, Washington, D.C.) is a writer and painter working across traditional mediums. Employing her educational foundation as a social scientist, with a background in foreign relations, sociology, and cultural anthropology, she systematically engages in her work with precise critical analysis and a perceptive understanding of the complex fabric of social dynamics. Lindsay received her B.A.s in both in International Studies: World Politics and Diplomacy and Spanish from The University of Richmond. Embracing her intersectional identity, Lindsay’s work serves as a reflection of self, exploring personal and collective histories and the role imagination plays in mining the complexities and nuances of life. Her current body of work is a conceptual investigation of the balance between the known and the possible, examining themes of place, liberation, expanse, and freedom. Each intuitive mark invites a dialogue between reality and dreaming, as she mines through layers of gesture and color to build worlds. Adams alternates between abstract and representational forms, employing formal techniques that highlight the physicality of paint and the delicacy of gesture. In this way, she weaves multiple paintings within one, crafting a rich tapestry, informed by interconnected experiences that invite reflection on the boundlessness of dreaming. Adams’ work highlights her interest in constructing imagined ecologies, spaces in which rhythmic gestures and dynamic hues engage in a continuous dialogue. Lindsay Adams is currently finalizing her MFA in Painting and Drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago She has been the recipient of the Helen Frankenthaler Award in 2024 and the New Artist Society Merit Award in 2023. Her work has been exhibited at the Baltimore Museum of Art, MD and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Washington, D.C., and is included in the collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art and Northwestern Law School. # <h3>An exhibition of Adams's work is currently on view in Chicago at <a style="color: rgb(57, 57, 57);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lindsay-adams-all-water-has-a-perfect-opening" target="_blank">PATRON Gallery </a></h3> <h3>Spencer Finch is represented by <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.rhoffmangallery.com/artists/spencer-finch" target="_blank">Rhona Hoffman Gallery</a></h3> Top image: Gutter (Brooklyn) beer bottle, leaf, soda can, vitamin water, roll of duct tape, orange powder, yogurt lid,&nbsp;2019Watercolor on papr21 x 29.5 inches24.25 x 32.25 inches, framed

Obama Foundation Announces Installations of works by Spencer Finch and Lindsay Adams

A 2025 interview with Chicago art dealer Rhona Hoffman 

Connecting Change Through the Decades: Rhona Hoffman

<h5><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037305/uq1zpjjbjsrxjpescxcc.jpg"></h5>From left: Rhona Hoffman Gallery's final exhibition in West Town; Huguette Caland:&nbsp;Bribes de corps&nbsp;at the Arts Club, and Barely Fair. <h5>By CGN Staff</h5> <h5>EXPO CHICAGO returns to Navy Pier on April 24, and while there will be a great deal of attention on all that happens on-site at the fair, there is a lot happening throughout the city. Openings coincide with EXPO Art Week, with many exhibitions continuing long after the fair has ended. Following are some highlights, from museum re-openings to major institutional exhibitions, and of course, parties!</h5><h5> </h5><h5>For full details about all EXPO Art Week programs click <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs/expo-art-week-2025" target="_blank">here</a> or view the full CGN calendar <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">here</a>.</h5> __________________________________________________________________ <h3>﻿April 23 –&nbsp;May 11 – <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.barelyfair.com/" target="_blank">Barely Fair</a></h3> 2025 marks the 5th iteration of the fair, with organizers returning to the white cube&nbsp;from which the fair originated. In 2019, BARELY FAIR first exhibited inside the Julius Caesar artist-run project space, and in 2025 the fair returns to JC as host to the fair. As a result of the smaller venue, BF is focusing on creating intimate experiences with miniature contemporary art. As a result, all visitation is ticketed, and&nbsp;tickets are limited (and must be purchased in advance via ARTSVP.) Visitation is spread across 3 ticket tiers: General Admission: $10, VIP NIGHTS: $60, Extended Exhibition: $5 General Admission: APR 23-27, 11AM - 4PM. Extended Exhibition: May 3-11, 12PM - 5PM <h3>﻿April 23 –&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://renaissancesociety.org/events/1384/renben-2025/" target="_blank">RenBen 2025 by Meriem Bennani</a></h3> RenBen is the Renaissance Society’s annual gala which raises a significant portion of the museum’s annual budget, enabling new artistic commissions, scholarly discourse, and lasting publications. The 2025 edition is shaped by the vision of Meriem Bennani. Known for her sharp humor, resourcefulness, and ability to blend the absurd with the deeply human, Bennani is the latest artist to lead the Renaissance Society’s tradition of artist-conceived galas, following the bold propositions of Piero Golia (2022), Adam Linder (2023), and Kevin Beasley (2024). This year, Bennani’s playful yet incisive approach will transform Vertiport Chicago—a working commercial helicopter facility—into an unexpected gathering space. Note: the event is sold out, but it usually aligns with EXPO Art Week, so take note for next year if you don't have a ticket! <h3> </h3><h3>April 25 –&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/event/expo-chicago-presents-art-after-hours" target="_blank">Art After Hours</a></h3> Art After Hours is an annual EXPO event in support of local galleries. AAH takes place across the city on the Friday evening of EXPO ART WEEK (April 25), and features extended hours at contemporary art galleries, as well as special programming, including opening receptions, artist talks, late nights and more.&nbsp;Full details are&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/event/expo-chicago-presents-art-after-hours" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp; <h3>April 25 – <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://flourishartaccelerator.com/" target="_blank">Flourish Fine Art Accelerator Party at the MCA</a></h3> Join a party with a purpose as Flourish Fine Art Accelerator honors the 2025 Flourish Fellows and celebrates the impact of their contributions to shaping the future of contemporary art. This vibrant celebration of creativity, inspiration, and community is Flourish's annual fundraiser, intentionally designed to connect EXPO Creatives, local leaders in the visual arts community, and collectors, fostering meaningful relationships that drive the arts forward and accelerate diverse creatives. Funds raised will support Flourish's bi-annual goal of $150,000, providing essential grants and programming for local artists and curators. April 25, 7-10pm, at the Museum of Contemporary Art <h3>April 25 – <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.svngrn.org/" target="_blank">Opening of new art center SVNGRN</a></h3> SVNGRN is a new art center in Chicago's Fulton Market District.&nbsp;Its inaugural exhibition,&nbsp;Conversations in Color, opens Friday, April 25 from 6-9 PM at 310 N Peoria St as part of EXPO CHICAGO's Art After Hours. The exhibition&nbsp;features a global group of artists using color as a tool for dialogue—telling stories, expressing identity, and engaging with culture, memory, and emotion. <h3>﻿April 26 –&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/grand-reimagining" target="_blank">Celebratory Opening of Intuit Art Museum</a></h3> The newly renamed Intuit Art Museum also has a newly expanded 18,000 square foot home, reimagined in space and spirit. IAM will offer a more expansive experience in self-taught, outsider and intuitive art. On Saturday, April 26 a big celebration will offer a festive chance to mingle with fellow art enthusiasts, enjoy delicious bites, spirited libations and a special performance by the Grammy-nominated Kahil El’Zabar Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, followed by a lively After Party with DJ and dancing. On April 25 there is a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/public-preview-catalyst-immigration-and-self-taught-art-in-chicago" target="_blank">public preview</a> of Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-taught Art in Chicago,&nbsp;the first exhibition to open in Intuit’s newly-renovated museum. This the first major exhibition to focus on the importance of immigration and migration in the genre of self-taught art.&nbsp; <h3>﻿April 27 –&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://randolphstreetmarket.com/schedule/" target="_blank">Modern Vintage Chicago </a></h3> Hosted by Randolph Street Market at the Ravenswood Event Center, this indoor market offers a chance to see and shop a stunning selection of vintage clothing, jewelry, furniture, handbags and accessories from 1890’s-2000’s as well as global goods, decorative arts, vinyl and more! Sunday, 10am–5pm _______________________________________________________________________ <h3>And also on view, or ending soon:</h3> <h3>At Rhona Hoffman Gallery: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/not-just-a-pretty-picture" target="_blank">Not Just A Pretty Picture</a></h3> After nearly 50 years in the gallery world, Not Just a Pretty Picture&nbsp;is&nbsp;Rhona Hoffman Gallery's&nbsp;final exhibition&nbsp;in&nbsp;their&nbsp;West Town space.&nbsp;This group show includes drawings, assemblage, sculpture, prints, and paintings by established artists Giovanni Anselmo, Susan&nbsp;Hefuna, Sol LeWitt, Gordon Matta-Clark, Sylvia Mangold,&nbsp;Martin Puryear,&nbsp;Edda Renouf, Richard Tuttle, and Gunter Umberg.&nbsp;This exhibition&nbsp;displays Gallerist Rhona&nbsp;Hoffman's depth as a curator in&nbsp;its&nbsp;appreciation for the artist's exploration of materiality, process, concept, and inquiry into the human condition.&nbsp; Thru April 26 <h3>At the South Side Community Art Center:</h3><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sscartcenter.org/event/beyond-frames-black-women-collectors-shaping-cultural-heritage-in-chicago/" target="_blank">Beyond Frames: Black Women Collectors Shaping Cultural Heritage in Chicago</a></h3> This exhibition highlights a trailblazing group of Black women collectors in Chicago, exploring their practices through care, memory work, and cultural heritage preservation. “Beyond Frames” celebrates an intergenerational group of women who continue this legacy today. Viewers can experience artworks from the personal collections of fourteen different Chicago collectors Thru April 26 <h3> </h3><h3>At the Art Institute: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10397/frida-kahlo-s-month-in-paris-a-friendship-with-mary-reynolds" target="_blank">Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds</a></h3> Unveiling Frida Kahlo’s work for the first time in the Art Institute galleries, this exhibition focuses on the celebrated Mexican artist’s first and only trip to Europe and her brief yet pivotal encounter with Mary Reynolds, an American avant-garde bookbinder who stood at the center of a rich Parisian artistic community. Thru July 13 <h3> </h3><h3>At the Arts Club: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/huguette-caland-bribes-de-corps" target="_blank">Huguette Caland Bribes de Corps</a></h3> Huguette Caland:&nbsp;Bribes de corps&nbsp;presents painted works by the Lebanese artist whose life and career traversed decades, continents, and media, defying both aesthetic and social conventions of her time and place. Bringing together a significant corpus of works that have rarely been seen together, the exhibition focuses on the body of work that Caland produced while living in Paris in the 1970s, the&nbsp;Bribes de corps&nbsp;[“Body Bits”] and constitutes the largest presentation of the series to date. Thru August 2 <h3>At the MCA: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/wafaa-bilal-indulge-me" target="_blank">Wafaa Bilal: Indulge Me</a></h3> Indulge Me&nbsp;is a major survey of renowned artist Wafaa Bilal (b. 1966, Najaf, Iraq; lives in New York, NY). Crucially, the exhibition takes a comprehensive look at Bilal’s myriad practice, highlighting the development of his work across decades and placing it in conversation with broader art histories. It will also explore cultural cannibalism—that is, how culture (specifically the culture of the other) is used, disassembled, and consumed. Working in performance, sculpture, and with online and interactive technologies, Bilal’s interdisciplinary practice investigates the dynamic between international and interpersonal politics while highlighting the tension between the United States, which he has deemed the “comfort zone,” and the “conflict zone” of Iraq.&nbsp; Thru October 25

A summary of exhibitions and events taking place in Chicago during EXPO Art Week 2025

EXPO Art Week 2025: Parties and Exhibitions Beyond the Fair

This year's&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/" target="_blank">EXPO CHICAGO</a>&nbsp;features more than 200 galleries and exhibiting organizations from around the world – from London to&nbsp;Johannesburg&nbsp;to Seoul, and of course Chicago. Many notable exhibiting galleries operate close to home all year round, and in recognition of the special programming that these Chicago and regional galleries are exhibiting this weekend, we are sharing a wrap–up of what they are showing at EXPO. Many spaces are presenting special exhibitions and exclusive editions that are available for the first time at EXPO CHICAGO 2025. The details below include information available as of press-time, so we will make updates as we are able in an effort not to leave anyone out. A list of regional exhibiting spaces not yet mentioned in CGN's previews is also included at the end. We will be sharing visual updates from the fair all weekend long via Instagram. Please double check booth details as you are able with an on-site map.&nbsp; See you at the fair! – CGN Staff <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037169/b7tdk16fwdeolvcefksw.jpg">Mary Abbott, Untitled, n.d., gouache on paper, 17 x 14 inches, signed at lower right; estate stamped verso <h3> </h3><h3>McCormick Gallery</h3> Booth # 235 20 years ago the gallery organized a touring museum exhibition called&nbsp;Suitcase Paintings: Small Scale Abstract Expressionism&nbsp;in partnership with the Georgia Museum of Art. The exhibition was comprised of 58 works by 51 artists and traveled for two years to six museums. None of the work was for sale with much of it on loan. Afterwards the gallery sold a few pieces but most were either retuned to the owner or tucked away, not for sale. The idea of a redux of the show, but in Chicago this time, has been bouncing around Tom McCormick's head for several years and with the gallery's recent move to a new gallery location, it seemed the right time to take the plunge with&nbsp;Small Pleasures – Suitcase Paintings Redux. Many of the works are being offered for sale for the first time. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037170/hwv7yiidcqzbjkvyd6xk.png">Victoria Fu <h3>DOCUMENT</h3> Booth #324 DOCUMENT will present recent works by&nbsp;Alexandra Barth&nbsp;(b. 1989, Malacky, Slovakia),&nbsp;Raul Ortiz Bonilla&nbsp;(b. 1955, Puerto Rico),&nbsp;Julien Creuzet&nbsp;(b. 1986, Paris, France),&nbsp;Anneke Eussen&nbsp;(b. 1978, Kerkrade, The Netherlands),&nbsp;Victoria Fu&nbsp;(b. 1978, Santa Monica, CA),&nbsp;Laura Letinsky&nbsp;(b. 1962, Winnipeg, Canada),&nbsp;Faheem Majeed&nbsp;(b. 1976, Chicago, IL),&nbsp;Sara Greenberger Rafferty&nbsp;(b. 1978, Evanston, IL),&nbsp;Paul Mpagi Sepuya&nbsp;(b. 1982, San Bernardino, CA),&nbsp;Kazuhito Tanaka&nbsp;(b. 1973, Saitama, Japan),&nbsp;Pedro Vaz&nbsp;(b. Maputo, Mozambique, 1977), and&nbsp;Claude Viallat&nbsp;(b. 1936, Nîmes, France). As part of the fair’s IN/SITU program, curated by Jessica S. Hong, the installation&nbsp;Beta&nbsp;(2019) by artist collective&nbsp;Tromarama&nbsp;(est. 2006, Bandung, Indonesia) will be on view at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037171/lowgsy1vhbl2ie9uzljz.jpg"> <h3>Secrist | Beach</h3> Booth #104 The SECRIST | BEACH booth at EXPO 2025 will feature two curated presentations, the first of which will be shown in conjunction with the gallery's current exhibition on view in West Town, Master Class: Inside the Last American Museum School with SAIC Painting Alumni. The second portion of booth will reflect on&nbsp;the gallery's inaugural year at their 10,000 square foot space and will reveal upcoming exhibitions at 1801 W Hubbard Street. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037171/kn18qryrmsufygow4bh2.png">Edra Soto <h3>ENGAGE Projects</h3> Booth #241 The gallery will be exhibiting work by several gallery artists during EXPO Art Week. ENGAGE will have a PROFILE booth featuring the work of Edra Soto, while Adam Daley Wilson's art is featured as part of EXPO OVERRIDE, a project that exhibits contemporary art on billboards around the city. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037172/bpgzu5f0newiavzxamau.jpg">Ashkon Haidari, The Green Lady, 2023 <h3>POVOS</h3> Booth #241 Povos will be featuring new works from represented artist Ashkon Haidari and introducing Angela Ferrari, who has a forthcoming solo presentation with the gallery in November 2025. <h3><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748037173/t2cwa6dfqsu5bwtywuhy.png"></h3>Kumi Obata,&nbsp;After Low Air Pressure Left, etching <h3>Chicago Printmakers Collaborative</h3> Booth #355 CPC is represented in EXPO's Edition + Books Section. This year, CPC will feature a "printstallation" by Raeleen Kao, a piece that will be debuted on Opening Day (she will create it during the two days prior), because nothing says printmaking more than a giant REVEAL. Made from hand cut etchings and woodcuts, drawings, wax and paper casts,&nbsp;CRAWL SPACE&nbsp;is described by the artist as "the unraveling of a body burgeoning from a swollen wound". Also featured:&nbsp;brand new etchings byTony Fitzpatrick, created in the past year at the CPC with Master Printer Duffy O'Connor, along with gorgeous, whimsical intaglio prints by Kumi Obata. The print racks will be full of affordable works by gallery artists, and if last year was any indication, the booth will be hopping. Booth 355 is located on the west end of the Festival Hall, right by the West Cafe, so grab a glass and a cheese cube and come say hello and feast your eyeballs on some of the most interesting and beautiful hand made prints in the known galaxy. # <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/what-galleries-are-bringing-to-expo-chicago-2025-part-1" target="_blank">Read Part I of What Chicago Galleries are Bringing to EXPO 2025</a></h3> <h3>Additional Chicago-based and regional galleries exhibiting at EXPO CHICAGO 2025</h3> <a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.lesenluminures.com/" target="_blank">Les Enluminures</a>, Chicago, New York, Paris&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.rhoffmangallery.com/" target="_blank">Rhona Hoffman Gallery</a>, Chicago <a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.65grand.com/" target="_blank">65GRAND</a>, Chicago<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://anthonygallery.com/" target="_blank">Anthony Gallery</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://goldfinch-gallery.com/" target="_blank">Goldfinch</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.omenaigallery.com/" target="_blank">Omenai Gallery</a>, Chicago&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flbfineart.com/" target="_blank">F.L. Braswell Fine Art</a>, Chicago, Lakeside&nbsp;(Editions + Books)<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bgfa.us/" target="_blank">Bert Green Fine Art</a>, Chicago&nbsp;(Editions + Books) Special Exhibitions <a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.6018north.org/" target="_blank">6018North</a>, Chicago<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artistsinpublicschools.org/" target="_blank">Artists in Public Schools</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artsoflife.org/" target="_blank">Arts of Life / Circle Contemporary</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blancchicago.com/" target="_blank">Blanc Gallery</a>&nbsp;+&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sscartcenter.org/" target="_blank">South Side Community Art Center</a>,&nbsp;Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.centerfornativefutures.org/" target="_blank">Center for Native Futures</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org/" target="_blank">Chicago Architecture Biennial</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagoartistscoalition.org/" target="_blank">Chicago Artists Coalition</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.msichicago.org/" target="_blank">Griffin Museum of Science and Industry</a>, Chicago<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/" target="_blank">Hyde Park Art Center</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.projectonward.org/" target="_blank">Project Onward</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.saic.edu/" target="_blank">School of the Art Institute of Chicago</a>, Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dova.uchicago.edu/" target="_blank">University of Chicago</a>, Chicago<a style="color: rgb(102, 119, 166);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://wrightwood659.org/" target="_blank">Wrightwood 659</a>, Chicago&nbsp;

What Galleries Are Bringing to EXPO CHICAGO 2025: Part II

CGN has conducted dozens of collector interviews over the years. The chance to see works of art in people’s homes is an opportunity to see art outside of a commercial or institutional space and to understand the personal nature of collecting.&nbsp; With this year's EXPO CHICAGO coming around again in late April, we wondered, what works continue to join an evolving collection? The following Chicago-based collectors were kind enough to update CGN, in their own words, about what they’ve recently acquired and the artists they are admiring now. – GV <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744947976/qw0aqi9oahnlj330evm8.jpg">Luke Agada <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744947977/kzsqarqj0121dfdprbyq.jpg">Andrea Carlson <h3>TRISSA BABROWSKI&nbsp;AND SUNDEEP MULANGI –&nbsp;</h3> • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lukeagada.com/" target="_blank">Luke Agada</a>• <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mikinaak.com/" target="_blank">Andrea Carlson</a> “Two of our recent highlights include a painting by Luke Agada and a work on paper by Andrea Carlson.&nbsp; Luke, a fairly recent graduate of the MFA program at SAIC, trained as a veterinarian in his native Nigeria. His dreamy, surrealist works often incorporate animal shapes that speak to his former career. We’ve been watching Luke’s work grow and evolve over the last several years and with this painting, he really seems to be hitting his stride. Andrea Carlson’s landscapes are unlike anything being painted right now. You truly do feel as if the land is a living, breathing entity filled with the past; the cacophony of colors and text only adds to this effect. Her exhibition at the MCA this winter was one of the highlights for us, and we count ourselves fortunate to have added this particular work to our collection.” Read CGN's 2024 interview with Trissa and Sundeep <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/a-living-collection-sundeep-mullangi-and-trissa-babrowski-support-their-city-through-art" target="_blank">here</a>. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744947978/ccst1nuajxhcobpxpspg.jpg">Leah Ke Yi Zheng <h3>ZACH SMITH –</h3> • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://leahkeyizheng.com/" target="_blank">Leah Ke Yi Zheng</a> no.64 &lt;-&gt; no.6 &lt;-&gt; no.50 &lt;-&gt; no.44 &lt;-&gt; no.14 &lt;-&gt; no.1, 2024 “This is a work I recently acquired. Leah is one of Chicago’s top emerging artists. Her silk paintings are simultaneously subtle and transcendent. I first came across her art at Apparatus Projects, a now-defunct non-profit exhibition space that was in the Midland Building near Pilsen. I am thrilled to live with her work and excited to see her practice unfold.” Read CGN's 2023 interview with Zach <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/building-a-next-gen-collection-zach-smith" target="_blank">here</a>. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744947979/x2nfygmyaa3niqbnkbju.jpg">Anna Elise Johnson, Zzyzx Road at Magic Hour V <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744947979/tmo6l2qs4mbwzmhtmvov.jpg">Maha Al-Zahrani <h3>MICHELLE EDWARDS –</h3> • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://themissionprojects.com/artist/annaelisejohnson" target="_blank">Anna Elise Johnson</a>&nbsp; “I always keep a sort of&nbsp;‘hit list’ and number one on it right now is a rock sculpture by Anna Elise Johnson at Sebastian Campos’s The Mission Projects. It’s been top on my list for too long and will be my next purchase. I have been following Sebastian and his wife Jennifer’s program since way back to their space on Chicago Ave.” • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.saatchiart.com/mahaalzahrani" target="_blank">Maha Al-Zahrani</a> “My most recent “hang” is a gift from Maha Al-Zahrani, a Saudi Arabian artist who studied at SAIC. She gifted it to me after we became friends the Society for Contemporary Art. It means so much to me for that reason. I call her the Saudi Elizabeth Peyton, and I look forward to purchasing one of her paintings next.&nbsp; I also recently attended the Museum of Contemporary Photography’s DARKROOM benefit in February. It was a great event, but sadly for me I was outbid on the artwork I wanted. I highly encourage aspiring collectors to attend fundraisers with auctions because it’s fun, you meet people and the process of bidding is infectious but not intimidating. That is how I got started collecting, and I have heard similar stories from some active, high profile collectors.” Read CGN's 2024 interview with Michelle <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/nurturing-a-garden-of-art-michelle-edwards-tends-to-her-collection" target="_blank">here</a>. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744947980/ftkhmt2gcgpsrz1kbkry.jpg"> <h3>JULIA AND LARRY ANTONATOS –&nbsp;</h3> • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/diyaebourhim/" target="_blank">Diyae Bourhim</a> “Our most recent acquisition is a print that we bought at an artist-run space in Morocco that reminds us of the architectural profiles we saw there. In addition to loving the boldness of the images, we also liked that proceeds from the sale benefitted the nonprofit cultural organization that runs the space, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/thinktanger/" target="_blank">ThinkTanger</a>, which is doing very cool work shaping Tangier’s development.” <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744947981/qedozf8aa4e5zegufkdt.jpg">Raymond A. Thomas <h3>D.E. SIMMONS –</h3> • <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/raymondt65/" target="_blank">Raymond A. Thomas</a> My Conscience Bares Witness To The Truth, mixed media on canvas, 2024 “I have been following Raymond for about two years and this just spoke to me, and the title nailed it. A St. Louis native, Thomas graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1984, where he studied painting, filmmaking and graphic design. Thomas also served as art director and creative manager at Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Company Inc. for over 23-years. Thomas has won numerous artistic awards, including “best painting” and “best of show” at the Black Creativity juried art exhibition held the Museum of Science and industry in Chicago in 2013.” Read CGN's 2013 profile of Diasporal Rhythms <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/diasporal-rhythms-10-years-of-collecting" target="_blank">here</a>.