<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744739732/c7naayju9y8bnflextd6.png"> By CGN Staff A new local arts advocacy group, Artists for Chicago, was recently created because of the pressing need to collectively share a voice on behalf of the city's artistic community. Part of the letter to the Mayor states, "It is with this understanding that we write to share our deep concern about the dysfunction in the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). Our sector depends on DCASE to be a partner in local government that is available and responsive to the community's needs and a strong advocate for the economic and civic power of the arts. Last month marked the first anniversary of Clinée Hedspeth's <a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(70, 120, 134);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wbez.org/culture-the-arts/2024/03/18/chicago-names-clinee-hedspeth-cultural-commissioner" target="_blank">appointment</a> as the City of Chicago’s Commissioner of DCASE. Over the last year, through revelations in the media, reports from DCASE staff, and statements from the community, it has become evident that the urgent needs of the arts and cultural sector are not currently being met." The letter goes on to outline the problems facing the artistic community and the tangible solutions and leadership it critically needs. The letter was sent the the Mayor's Office on April 14, but we are sharing the group's message and full letter below (also linked <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o6myNq2a6lnAJozY9IwngYuHmdhvxv4UUcj3gINnzk0/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank">here</a>). –––––––––––– Dear Chicago Artists &amp; Cultural Workers: As of noon today, Artists for Chicago submitted this&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o6myNq2a6lnAJozY9IwngYuHmdhvxv4UUcj3gINnzk0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Letter of Concern</a>&nbsp;to Mayor Brandon Johnson regarding the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). While we don’t know what the Mayor’s response will be, we have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback to these efforts. We were thrilled to be able to include 270 signatures (55 anonymous, 215 named) from people across the sector. We had feature articles written in the&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/06/cultural-commissioner-void-bullying-allegations/" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wbez.org/city-hall/2025/04/10/chicago-cultural-department-brandon-johnson-letter-of-concern" target="_blank">WBEZ Chicago</a>, an on-air interview with&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/artists-speak-out-against-dcase-commissioner/3719655/" target="_blank">NBC 5</a>, and additional coverage is in the works. By far, the most gratifying comments have been from current and former DCASE staffers who have been sounding the alarm for months. Our letter has made them feel seen, heard, and respected. Because of the incredible response to this work, Artists for Chicago will continue to build collective power for individual artists and cultural workers, inform the field about urgent issues, and keep our public servants accountable to the community. If you would like to do more, we encourage you will reach out to your&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZTQOmO75Dq9OluJEBzeTgvsTdz4gjUTFq3hKWcdqWSI/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Alderperson</a>&nbsp;or submit&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicityclerk.com/about-city-government-chicago-city-council#:~:text=Persons%20wishing%20to%20comment%20at,their%20name%20and%20telephone%20number." target="_blank">written comments</a>&nbsp;to the City Council. Please stay tuned for next steps. We hope you will follow us on Instagram&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/artistsforchicago/" target="_blank">@artistsforchicago</a>, and we can always be reached at&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:artists.for.chicago@gmail.com" target="_blank">artists.for.chicago@gmail.com</a> Thank you, Artists for Chicago ––––––––––––

A group of Chicago artists and arts industry leaders send a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson

Advocacy Group Artists for Chicago Sends Letter to Mayor Johnson and DCASE Commissioner

<h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/ari-emmanuel-private-equity-acquisition-frieze-art-fair-1234738559/" target="_blank">Asset Manager Group Led by Hollywood Super Agent Ari Emanuel Nears Deal that Could Include Frieze</a></h4> Ari Emanuel, Hollywood superagent and CEO of Endeavor Group Holdings, is edging closer to a major acquisition that could expand his influence from sports and entertainment into the art world. A consortium he leads, partnered with New York private equity firms Apollo Global Management and RedBird Capital Partners, has reportedly outbid the European firm CVC Capital Partners to buy a group of assets currently owned by Endeavor, valued at more than $1 billion,&nbsp;Bloomberg&nbsp;reported last week. The centerpiece of the deal involves the Madrid and Miami Open tennis tournaments, two of the most prestigious sports events in the world, but the portfolio up for auction may also include&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 75, 39);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/t/frieze/" target="_blank">Frieze</a>, the global contemporary art fair and publisher. Via ARTnews Top image: Frieze Sculpture Park, Regents Park, London. 17/09/2024Linda Nylind<h4> </h4><h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/04/14/macarthur-foundation-pledges-1-million-to-create-more-public-art-at-developments-near-transit/" target="_blank">MacArthur Foundation Pledges $1 Million To Create More Public Art At Developments Near Transit</a></h4> A local advocacy group will hand out more than $1 million over the next three years to support art projects that preserve and grow the “cultural identities” of Chicago’s neighborhoods. Elevated Chicago will grant $350,000 a year for three years to support public arts projects at developments near transit. The funding aims to “activate” neighborhood gathering spaces while bringing more artists into urban planning and development processes. Via Block Club Chicago <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/arts/design/climate-disaster-art-conservation.html" target="_blank">Saving Art from Climate Disasters</a></h4> The conservator Nicole Grabow has spent thousands of hours vacuuming fine art. In her Minneapolis office, Grabrow demonstrated how to use a canister vacuum bought on Amazon for $100 to remove dried mold from a painting. With one hand, she steadied the hose over her shoulder and, with the other, made small strokes with a tiny paintbrush. “We don’t want to suck up part of the artwork, right?” she said. “We want to have control of the suction so that we’re being really gentle, especially if we’re working with delicate, fragile, friable surfaces.” Grabow does this work as the director of the preventative conservation department at the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(50, 104, 145); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://preserveart.org/" target="_blank">Midwest Art Conservation Center</a>. The department provides resources and guidance on disaster preparedness to art and cultural heritage stewards, such as state agencies, institutions, museums, galleries and private individuals. Via NYT As one of the few trained conservators in the field of art and cultural heritage emergency response, Grabow teaches people around the world how to remove mold from artwork, along with other salvaging techniques.She said the demand for these skills had grown as climate change increased the frequency of intense weather events such as wildfires and flooding that put collections in danger.

What We're Reading – 4/15/25

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744737487/neysxzwoxscvn75uc1lx.jpg"> EXPO CHICAGO returns to Chicago this April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, featuring over 170 leading galleries from 36 countries and 93 cities. Now firmly part of the Frieze network of fairs, all eyes will be on EXPO’s retrenched role as the region’s premier cultural destination in the spring, as well as the sincere expectation that it remain a steadfast tide that lifts all boats (or galleries) even amidst the churning waters of the current global art market. Dozens of local institutions and stakeholders are committed to fostering meaningful dialogue through both contemporary and modern art and to showing off the city’s cultural street-cred.&nbsp; Highlights of this year’s fair include the debut of&nbsp;CONTRAST, a new section curated by Lauren Haynes, as well as a special collaboration with the Galleries Association of Korea (GaoK), alongside the core Galleries section, EXPOSURE and PROFILE. Following are just a few programming highlights to watch for this April. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744737488/cwquo8okmgell43kjvsf.jpg"> ––––––––––– VIP Preview: Th, April 24, 2025. By Invitation Only.&nbsp; General Admission– Friday, April 25, 2025 | 11:00am – 7:00pm– Saturday, April 26, 2025 | 11:00am – 7:00pm– Sunday, April 27, 2025 | 11:00am – 6:00pm <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/" target="_blank">EXPOCHICAGO.COM</a>&nbsp; More highlights: • A dual-artist exhibition of Kwaku Osei Owusu Achim and Tariq Oliver, two emerging artists with a shared reflection on language, meaning, and memory, presented by Omenai Gallery.&nbsp; • A selection of iconic early photographs by Rashid Johnson alongside works by Ebony G. Patterson, presented by moniquemeloche. • A re-imagination of the 1946 art brut&nbsp;installation at Galerie Rene Drouin, inspecting&nbsp;Jean Dubuffet’s relationship to Chicago and&nbsp;Chicago’s relationship to ‘outsider’ art, presented by The Gallery of Everything. ––––––––––– <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744737489/xwwziwe7qxpwiq6vimf9.jpg">Pictured: KIM Tschangyeul, PK95002, 1995,&nbsp;Acrylic and oil on canvas, 162.2x130.3cm.&nbsp;Courtesy PYO Gallery * In a significant new partnership, EXPO&nbsp;CHICAGO introduces a collaboration with the Galleries Association of Korea (GaoK), to present a selection of 20 leading Korean galleries within the fair’s core Galleries section. PYO Gallery will present The Stillness of Water: Tschang-Yeul Kim’s Final Reflections on the Flow of Life, prominently featuring the artist’s images of water droplets and the contemplations on the concept of water itself.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744737490/xdrjddxgvcaguzljbvj9.jpg">Pictured: Lauren Haynes, Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times * Curated by Lauren Haynes, Head Curator, Governors Island Arts and Vice President for Arts and Culture at the Trust for Governors Island, CONTRAST brings together eight contemporary galleries each presenting artists whose work explores contrasts in culture, identity, and experience.“CONTRAST will include a vibrant selection of galleries featuring work by artists, including Devan Shimoyama, Esther Mahlangu, Wangari Mathenge, Fahamu Pecou and Chico da Silva, whose work highlights diverse perspectives through visual storytelling” said Haynes. “This special section seeks to explore contrasts in culture, identity, and experience, with each artist contributing their unique voice to the dialogue. CONTRAST is designed to spark conversation around the artists and artworks on view.” <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744737491/ntafnp0c6jsngksjzqey.jpg"> * GRAY will mount a special presentation, So Be It! Asé! Photographic Echoes of FESTAC ‘77, featuring photographs by members of Chicago’s Black Arts Movement: Roy Lewis, Bob Crawford and K. Kofi Moyo. The presentation is curated by Chicago-based art historian Romi Crawford and unveils documentation of the U.S. delegation to FESTAC ‘77, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, held in Lagos, Nigeria. ––––––––––– <h4>CGN will share additional local EXPO spotlights on April 17, 2025</h4> <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.expochicago.com/" target="_blank">EXPOCHICAGO.COM</a>&nbsp;

A Familiar Fair’s New Approach: EXPO CHICAGO 2025

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744753922/nzcp8furgv3ze8oeex9q.jpg"></h4><h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/contemporary-curated" target="_blank">Contemporary Curated</a></h4> Apr 10 - May 23Opening Apr 10 5-7pm. Appt only Sat. Apr 12.McCormick Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744753922/qp1llvgfnjokmmfeqouy.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lindsay-adams-all-water-has-a-perfect-opening" target="_blank">Lindsay Adams: All water has a perfect memory</a></h4>Apr 10 - Jun 14Opening Apr 10 5-7pm.PATRON <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744753923/vtqvjsjqqskyvg0fsmuk.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/caroline-kent-the-sentimental-hand" target="_blank">Caroline Kent: The Sentimental Hand</a></h4>Apr 10 - Jun 14Opening Apr 10 5-7pm.PATRON <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744753924/uat4x7n69gmlz0smrrqs.jpg"><h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/kermit-berg-article-1-human-dignity-shall-be-inviolable" target="_blank">Kermit Berg | Article 1: Human Dignity Shall Be Inviolable</a></h4> Apr 11- May 17Opening: Friday, Apr 11, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMSoNa Chicago Contemporary Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744753924/d4utav97g9ehgoaezwhv.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/urbs-in-myco" target="_blank">Urbs in Myco</a></h4>Apr 11–May 10Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744753925/zhaa2i7k611y3e27jm7d.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/industrial-design-senior-show-university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign" target="_blank">Industrial Design Senior Show, University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign</a></h4>Apr 11, 2025 - Apr 30Opening: Friday, Apr 11, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMJohn David Mooney Foundation <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744753926/uabdcf0vwnga0luy2kul.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gallery-day-mke2025" target="_blank">Gallery Day MKE 2025</a></h4> Saturday, Apr 12, 2025 11:00 AM – 6:00 PMLily Pad | West <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744753926/b9advvrnpgcdmxmn0uns.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/closing-reception-gallery-night-mkeApr25" target="_blank">Gallery Day MKE 2025</a></h4> Friday, April 11th from 5 to 9PMSaturday, April 12th from 11AM to 4PMArtist Talk: April 12th beginning at 1PMKim Storage Gallery <h4>View the full CGN Calendar <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events?filter=upcoming&amp;page=1" target="_blank">here</a></h4>

New Exhibitions: April 10–12

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744316153/biedktpayoenvi0ob6sw.jpg"> By GINNY VAN ALYEA Sara Mongerson is the director of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mongersongallery.com/" target="_blank">Mongerson Gallery</a>, a family-founded gallery in business since 1971. Sara took over as director after husband and gallery director Tyler Mongerson unexpectedly passed away in May 2023. CGN checked in with Sara recently about the changes and challenges she has embraced these past two years. – GV&nbsp; CGN: How have things have been going at the gallery this year?&nbsp;SM: It’s been a year of transition. After Tyler’s passing in 2023, gallery Director Jack Spector-Bishop and I had to dig out and figure out our plan going forward. This included going private, investing in our online presence, and finding new ways to partner with local businesses. Art dealing is evolving, and you can’t rely on walk-in traffic. I have to think about safety and security for the staff and the art, so we moved into a secure co-working space and we show by appointment only. We added an art-specific CRM and inventory system and built out a new website, and we have enhanced our newsletters and are dabbling in social media. For Black History Month this year, we tried something new and partnered with several local businesses (Cosentino, Regiment Securities, Alexis Goettsch Photography) to host an exhibition of works by Detroit artist Harold Neal, whose estate we represent. This was successful and I expect to do more in the future. Over the years, our focus has expanded. The gallery was founded in 1971 as a sporting and wildlife art gallery. It quickly shifted, slightly but significantly, to period Western and Western Expansion, which is still what we are most known for today. Over time, we’ve added additional areas of interest. Now we deal in 19th and 20th century fine art including other genres such as American Surrealism, Regionalism, African American, Early Modernism, and select Contemporary. It might seem varied, but there are themes throughout that make sense. For example, Western art is about taming the wild and documenting the movement of people as they settled across the Western US. It’s romanticised, but there is also the issue of the displaced Native American. The Black Arts Movement is about documenting the Black experience including civil unrest in cities like Detroit after the Great Migration to the North. Both share ideas of everyday beauty but also human mistreatment and conflict. It’s about our nation’s history, good and bad.&nbsp; Quality Western work is in high demand, and we have buyers. It’s a challenge to find available inventory and clients who wish to sell. Our inventory of Black Art is attracting private collectors as well as museum interest. CGN: You recently mentioned the 100th anniversary of Surrealism. How has attention shifted for this group of artists, your gallery’s artists in particular?SM: It’s been exciting. Globally everyone with a connection to Surrealism seems to be having an exhibition to honor this anniversary–the Pompidou, the Tate, the Met.&nbsp;Interestingly, female artists like Getrude Abercrombie are getting more attention. Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World is a Mystery, which opened at the Carnegie Museum, travels to the Colby College Musuem of Art this summer and then to the Milwaukee Art Museum in March of 2026. We deal in Chicago-area female Surrealists, including Abercrombie, and also Julia Thelca, and Marcena Barton. We have definitely seen increased interest from collectors and museums who are paying attention. CGN: What is Mongerson exhibiting planning next?&nbsp;SM: We have a few Harold Neal pieces still on display at Cosentino Chicago. We are in the early stages of planning an event to highlight our Julia Thecla inventory, likely in May, and we are also participating in an educational event with the Frederic Remington Art Museum in April, as we are committed to remaining connected to our roots and educating the public on this important period of American art. There is a lot coming up. More info at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mongersongallery.com/" target="_blank">mongersongallery.com</a>

Checking–in: Sara Mongerson of Mongerson Gallery

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744316208/min9i3ef9r02c581l3rp.jpg">Jonathan Worcester By BIANCA BOVA CGN: Thanks for taking the time out to speak with me Jonathan. I realize I’m catching you in the middle of a busy year.&nbsp;Jonathan Worcester: Yes, absolutely. Recently I was in a group show at Old Friends called Ambulance Chase with Peter Fagundo and Michelle Grabner [n.b. curated by the interviewer, Bianca Bova], where I showed some paintings that were dealing in the genre that I’ve been working in for a few years now, but sort of thinking through them differently in terms of their contingency. Shortly I will be in a group show called Masterclass at Secrist | Beach that is a show of 25 years of painting alumni from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Then in April, I open a solo exhibition at 65Grand, Dead Reckoning. CGN: The show at 65Grand, that is a new body of work that was conceived of for the exhibition?JW: An entirely new body of work, yes. Everything is being made specifically for the walls of that space. I am measuring everything to the exact gallery specs. It will be a contiguous run of work with basically no space between the paintings, except where they meet the wall. It’s a horizon line of paintings. Everything is 48 inches high with different widths and different depths. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744316209/bvqdxytbk4e8mzy8rkzp.jpg">Jonathan Worcester, Untitled, 48 x 48 x 3.25”. Courtesy the artist. CGN: Right now there is a resurgence among young artists for a number of reasons, ascribed to everything from the economic conditions of the day to this kind of a reverb off of the last 20 years of post-modern conceptualism, of a return to painting. Your work is often remarked on for being very process-oriented, which we see less of. I’m interested in what context you see yourself in given that assessment.&nbsp;JW: Well, okay, thinking about process painting, I feel like there was such a resurgence of process painting that has been categorized through zombie formalism. I reject categorizing myself that way at all because I find maybe the least interesting thing about my work is the process. A lot of it is really just me sort of obsessively, episodically dealing in dots. And I feel like looking through the lens of process at the work allows for sort of this idea of labor being the most important thing that happens there, which is really not what I’m interested in. It becomes a simple solution for getting an understanding of a work without actually having to deal with the physicality of the thing itself. I don’t know, one of the things that I feel is fundamental in the aesthetics of “process” work, is painting that deals with the removal of the hand. That’s one of the things that is notably common among some of my peers in Chicago. I do feel like I’m a little bit on an island, though. CGN: Knowing that, I’m curious what has your&nbsp;attention right now? What are you looking at?&nbsp;JW: The work that I’m looking at and responding to is not really happening in Chicago right now. Except there was an exhibition in 1999 at Illinois State University that was called Post-Hypnotic. That was a seminal show that relates to the aesthetics that I’m interested in. It was curated by Barry Blinderman. CGN: Oh, that’s a name I don’t hear often enough.&nbsp;JW: The exhibition was a look at these aesthetics 25 years later, from a show at MoMA from 1965 titled The Responsive Eye that was dealing with the same thing. I picked up a copy of the catalog, and I’d actually be interested to talk to him as we’re 25 years later from his own exhibition, and see what he thinks about this sort of thing in the zeitgeist.&nbsp; CGN: I’d love to know how that goes if you reach out to him. To pull back a little bit immediately from the work and go back to how you relate yourself to Chicago, you grew up here, didn’t you?JW: I did. I was born in Milwaukee, but I moved here in first grade, and we moved to Hyde Park because my mom is a research professor at the University of Chicago. I left for New York for college and attended Sarah Lawrence, which is right outside the city, but I would do summers in Brooklyn. You know, served my Bushwick tour of duty. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744316210/fwqamhe5kldabfoalgpu.jpg">Jonathan Worcester, Untitled, 48 x 58 x 1.75”. Courtesy the artist. CGN: As one does.JW: As one does, or at least did in the mid-2000s. I love New York. I just needed to come back to Chicago for various life-oriented reasons. And I was having so much trouble actually making work in New York. Once I was out of school, and I didn’t have institutional resources, it was…I was painting on my roof. That was the only place I could get space. So moving back here has been great, because I’ve been able to have a studio all along. I was in the basement of a building in Logan Square, where I didn’t know if the tenants even knew I was there. But there was sort of an arrangement where I could use the basement and paint. I was down there in this windowless space for eight years. The rent was dirt cheap. I moved out because my desire for windows was strong, and the person above me was a religious zealot. They started having, I don’t know—Bible parties? All the time. And they were rowdy. It was so loud. Reciting things and slamming things on the floor. Now I’m in the 3200 Carroll Building with a number of good friends, people who I went to school with, and various artists at various points in their careers. I share a space with my friend Trey Rozell. CGN: When you moved back, you also enrolled in graduate school at SAIC?JW: I did, yeah. I was working at the MCA as a preparator and realized if I worked at the Art Institute, I could go to school for free on tuition remission. So I got a job at the museum as an art technician in the Collections and Loans Department, and then moved over to be the specialist of the European Decorative Arts Department. That’s where I still am. And went through grad school. CGN: You also made your first foray into teaching at SAIC.JW: I did, yeah. I was given a fellowship once I graduated to begin to teach a class there. And I taught painting practices. My time at SAIC was really affected by Michelle Grabner, and talking about pedagogy and sort of considering the way in which education, specifically higher education should work. I needed to try my hand at that. She put that bug in my ear. Having a chance to reflect on the way in which my education works and things that I wanted, and reacting to how students are now was really impactful for me in terms of thinking about how I create considerations in my own research. I’m grateful to have been forced to reckon with the way in which this thing should be done. CGN: I’m deeply interested in something that I happen to know about your studio practice, a very specific form of passive media consumption. And that is that you are a habitual listener—not watcher—of Dateline.JW: I sort of thought you might ask me about this. So, okay, full context. I work a nine to five job. I paint with an obsessiveness that requires me to basically be in the studio from 6 p.m. to almost 2 a.m. most days. I don’t have a lot of time for anything else. So I do audio books and I listen to podcasts to be able to feed the intellectual questions that I have. But yes, one of the lighter things I very often engage with is Dateline—I’ve more or less listened to its archive by now. The format itself is obviously made for television. It’s so funny they offer it in podcast form because they constantly refer to images and people. I think there’s always been a fixation culturally with true crime. And I definitely participate in that to a certain extent, but the reason I love Dateline is the format in which they do it is classic. They’re like the first true crime show and they still have these sort of network television personalities that are associated with it. Despite the uptick in interest in true crime, they have not strayed from their formula in the decades they have been on. It’s not a dumb podcast that’s more about the podcasters’ friendship, which I could not care less about, than the content. They explicate the thing thoroughly. They go through the entire investigation and there’s no frivolous conversation. It’s fact-based. It’s well-edited.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744316211/nq1zpuyopymkn2mukezj.jpg">Jonathan Worcester, Untitled, 48 x 68.75 x 3.5”. Courtesy the artist. CGN: This is what fascinates me—you’ve chosen a highly, highly, highly consistent and formulaic program to be the thing that you are passively consuming as you work. The relationship between that and the inherent obsessiveness of your paintings, both in practice and process, I would like to know more about that.JW: Yeah, that’s a great connection. Actually that wasn’t obvious to me. So thank you. The way that I actually am making work is so scripted. I know how I’m going to do it, and from there it just deals with repetition, with patterning. The way I create difference is in semi-object-oriented things about the work, like changing the context, changing how they are contingent to the space around them. I can get so obsessive about color relationships. Just looking at a painting next to a painting that’s dealing in the same patterning and how much they affect each other—that’s what’s really been blowing my mind recently. But I am extremely formulaic. I think I’ve worked out a practice where I don’t have to stand back with my brush and feel this romantic trauma. I find that so obnoxious. I am not struggling. I’m having a great time listening to Dateline and I’ve baked in maybe ten decisions for each individual painting. Then I’m just working. And that is fun for me. Dead Reckoning at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.65grand.com/" target="_blank">65Grand</a> opens Friday, April 18, 6-9pm. On Friday, April 25, 6-9pm Frieze is hosting a private reception and exhibition viewing for EXPO Chicago VIPS.&nbsp;RSVP to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="mailto:info@65grand.com?subject=Rsvp%20for%20April%2025%20Reception" target="_blank">info@65grand.com</a> More information about the artist at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.jonathanworcester.com/" target="_blank">jonathanworcester.com</a> #

Jonathan Worcester: Painting with Creative Precision

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744055481/jmhxde6assnnr92csubk.jpg"></h4>Until recently, the Barcelona chairs only came in leather, with polished chrome frames. The reluctance to introduce new variations stemmed from a desire to stay true to Mies’ tastes.&nbsp;Knoll <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/07/style/architect-ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-barcelona-chair/index.html" target="_blank">This famous architect’s iconic furniture line is getting its first update in decades</a></h4> There are only a handful of architects in contemporary history whose names are widely recognized. Among this cohort is also Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, whose vision of industrial modernism helped define the look of postwar urban America. His signature materials — high-tensile steel, black graphite paint, broad panes of glass — and his minimalist ethos of “less is more” set him apart from the more decorative, hand-hewn buildings of earlier generations.￼￼At the 2025 edition of the world’s most prestigious design fair, Salone del Mobile, in Milan, Italy, [van der Rohe's] iconic “Barcelona” furniture line — a sleek, blocky trio of a chair, daybed and footstool — is receiving its first major update in decades. Added options in the range feature new upholstery choices in twill, velvet and linen, and an ultra-matte black frame (perhaps a subtle nod to the architect’s hallmark painted steel). Previously, Barcelona items have only been available in various leathers, with polished chrome frames. Via CNN <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/04/02/the-art-institute-of-chicago-returned-a-sculpture-to-nepal-but-obscured-its-connection-to-a-wealthy-donor/" target="_blank">Art Institute Of Chicago Returned A Sculpture To Nepal But Obscured Its Connection To A Wealthy Donor</a></h4> The Art Institute of Chicago&nbsp;<a style="color: var(--newspack-theme-color-secondary-against-white);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artic.edu/press/press-releases/385/art-institute-of-chicago-returns-12th-century-buddha-sculpture-to-nepal" target="_blank">announced recently</a>&nbsp;that it had returned to Nepal a sculpture that had been in its collection for at least a quarter century. Conspicuously left out of the press release: that the sculpture had been a gift from a wealthy Chicago donor.That omission obscured a simmering controversy about whether Chicago philanthropists Marilynn Alsdorf and her husband, James, both of whom are dead,&nbsp;<a style="color: var(--newspack-theme-color-secondary-against-white);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/art-institute-chicago-nepal-artifacts-repatriation" target="_blank">improperly built their collection of hundreds of South Asian works</a>&nbsp;and why the Art Institute, which houses some of that collection in its Alsdorf Galleries, has been reluctant to return those works to countries with compelling claims for them. Via Block Club <h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/04/07/five-years-after-pandemic-art-fairs-still-in-recovery" target="_blank">Why five years after the pandemic, art fairs are still in recovery</a></h4> Writing in&nbsp;<a style="color: inherit;" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/opinion/pandemic-cycle-chaos.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;last month, Charles Kenny, the author and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, noted that we may still be in the “chaos phase” of a pandemic cycle. “Our global economy and politics are suffering their own form of long Covid,” he wrote.Five years on from the first lockdowns, the art market is far from back to full health, and art fairs, once the powerhouses of the industry, are struggling to regain their footing. Faced with rising exhibiting and travel costs as well as dampened spending among collectors, dealers are taking bigger risks by doing fairs. At the same time, the way VIPs engage with art world events has changed significantly since the pandemic. A survey published in November of 1,400 Art Basel VIPs revealed that art fair attendance almost halved between 2019 and 2024, from eight to an estimated five last year. Via the Art Newspaper<h4> </h4> <h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/05/nx-s1-5344980/opinion-art-fair-flyers-should-showcase-human-creativity" target="_blank">Opinion: Art fair flyers should showcase human creativity</a></h4> The spring flyer for Oakland's First Fridays street fair shows people strolling on an urban avenue past a building festooned with bright, pink flowers.But that advertisement for an event celebrating creativity wasn't created by an artist. It was generated by AI. Riva Lehrer, the artist and writer who also teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, told us: "We in the arts have to understand the machinery of our imaginations in order to become deeper artists. AI is like letting our minds be kidnapped and distorted. It is a vampire mirror, capturing your soul and putting it in a cage." ViA NPR's Scott Simon

What We're Reading: 4/7/25

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744057229/rgykohdptfvo8hfw2xbe.jpg">National Public Housing Museum exterior; photo courtesy National Public Housing Museum By CGN Staff via PR The <a style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nphm.org/" target="_blank">National Public Housing Museum</a> has opened in Chicago, and it's been 18 years in the making. The new cultural space marks the culmination of a journey to complete an expansive adaptive reuse project of the last remaining building of the Jane Addams Homes in Chicago's Little Italy neighborhood at 919 S. Ada Street. Founded by public housing residents, the Museum is a place to experience stories of hope and personal achievement amid struggle, resistance, and resilience. The Museum aims to preserve an important building as well as the many experiences and stories that happened within its walls –&nbsp;and the walls of other public housing structures. It also seeks to cultivate stories that are yet to come, both for individuals who may have spent time in public housing as well as those whose lives have been quite removed from public housing. “This museum was built by hundreds of dedicated people who have made it a reality,” said Sunny Fischer, Co-Founder and Board Chair for the National Public Housing Museum. “They shared their stories, and they patiently provided their labor and love and support over the last 18years. As a Site of Conscience, we join museums around the world committed to telling complicated and difficult stories, preserving history, and imagining a more just future.” “Growing up in public housing, I saw the strength, pride, and resilience of our communities, which are too often erased,” said Francine Washington, Chairperson of the Central Advisory Committee for the Chicago Housing Authority and board member of the National Public HousingMuseum. “This Museum is personal. It’s the first in the country to tell our stories–not just the bricks and buildings but the people who made public housing, home. We’ve always had a voice. Now we have a place that listens.” <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744057230/irqigck8dfd8joavhcft.jpg">Inside the Historic Apartments; photo credit Percy Ollie Jr. of Ollie Photography, Inc. “The National Public Housing Museum is dedicated to the belief that housing is a human right,” said Executive Director Dr. Lisa Yun Lee. “The dazzling stories, precious keepsakes, compelling cultural production of public housing, and activism of public housing residents have much to teach us. And because housing insecurity and injustice is such a critical issue facing so many people across our nation, the National Public Housing Museum will be an important civic anchor that brings people together to imagine innovative solutions and envision a moreequitable future.” In a recent interview with NPR's Alison Cuddy, Lee shared "We believe that in order to preserve history, you have to make it relevant to the most critical social justice issues of today and that there is no way that we can actually address any of the social issues that we want to unless we go back in time and ask, what have we not yet learned from history?" The museum celebrated its opening with a weekend-long celebration, including meet-and-greets with artists, hands-on art-making sessions, and even a dance party emceed by DJ Spinderella. Highlights of Museum exhibitions include: Restored ApartmentsThree historic apartments from different generations of public housing residents that engage and teach visitors about the cultural, social, and economic history of housing. Everyday ObjectsArtifacts, objects and stories from public housing across the country that encourage empathy and connection. By foregrounding storytelling, the National Public Housing Museum encourages innovative and creative public policy that responds to people’s lived experiences. Art and Exhibition SpacesEnthralling art that expands people’s imaginations and their horizons of learning. Highlights include a public art commission by internationally renowned artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous and the Alphawood Foundation Sculpture Garden with restored WPA-eraAnimal Court sculptures by Edgar Miller. Oral History Archive and Oral History CollectiveThe Museum is home to the nation’s largest archive of the stories of public housing residents. These stories are featured in podcasts, exhibits, research, and scholarship. The new building includes the Dr. Timuel Black Recording Studio. Empowerment HubGood Chaos Empowerment HubThe National Public Housing Museum has a space dedicated to programs that address the racial wealth gap, build solidarity economies and cooperatives, and create a cultural workforce that contributes to diversifying the museum profession. Corner Store Co-opAlvin H. Baum Family Foundation Museum StoreIn place of traditional museum retail, the National Public Housing Museum’s official shop is co-owned and operated by public housing residents. Demand the ImpossibleDoris Conant Advocacy SpaceHere, visitors participate in discussions of social justice issues to encourage action and meaningful civic dialogue. The Museum enables people to understand principles of urban planning and systemic racism to find new ways of addressing segregation. Through the Doris Conant Advocacy Space, visitors learn to challenge perceptions of what public housing was in order to re-imagine the future of housing for all. The REC RoomAn interactive exhibit curated by DJ Spinderella that showcases the music that has emerged from public housing projects, encompassing a range of popular sounds that have expanded our idea of American culture and American identity. The National Public Housing Museum is now open at 919 S. Ada Street in Chicago. General admission is free and open to all. Historic Apartment Tours can only be experienced through aguided tour led by a Museum educator, with a limited number of tickets available each day ($25 adults, $15 seniors, students, and children; free for Members). The Museum is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays until 8 p.m. More information about the museum's hours and programs may be found at <a style="color: rgb(16, 60, 192);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nphm.org/" target="_blank">www.nphm.org</a>

Chicago's New National Public Housing Museum: An 18 Year Dream Realized

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743702305/dbduykzawequmimr74zk.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cameron-gainer-take-time" target="_blank">Cameron Gainer: Take Time</a>Opening: Friday, April 4, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PMENGAGE Projects <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743702310/bxvt2kc647zdw3mg6rky.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/eric-lebofsky-liminality-blue" target="_blank">Eric Lebofsky: Liminality Blue</a>Opening: Friday, April 4, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMZolla / Lieberman Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743702314/gf6n5ltwv6nmjpsshlz7.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/busted-contemporary-sculpture-busts" target="_blank">Busted: Contemporary Sculpture Busts</a>Exhibition begins April 4Frederik Meijer Gardens &amp; Sculpture Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743702319/cunfvaxdyis9ylttfyrb.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/rescue-me-jenny-hiser-solo-show" target="_blank">Rescue Me: Jenny Hiser Solo Show</a>Exhibition begins April 4Chicago Truborn <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743702322/vapfbuqpjrhgshft3det.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/arc-collective-member-show" target="_blank">ARC Collective: Member Show</a>Opening: Friday, April 4, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMARC Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743702328/yoqfnzbtwf8cx9wvu9ib.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/behind-blue-eyes" target="_blank">Behind Blue Eyes</a>Opening: Friday, April 4, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMZolla / Lieberman Gallery

New Exhibitions Opening April 4 & 5 (Part 1)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743703785/tiqodhutrtmu3ddnchme.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/echo-mutation" target="_blank">Echo Mutation</a>Opening: Friday, April 4, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PMChicago Grand Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743703788/l6muxlhhjf15ewyphvmj.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/12-year-anniversary" target="_blank">12-Year Anniversary&nbsp;</a>Opening: Friday, April 4, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMVertical Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743703790/uwt7yyqm3ttjmpzvlzgu.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/favorite-things" target="_blank">Favorite Things</a>Opening: Friday, April 4, 4:00 PM – 9:00 PMChicago Printmakers Collaborative <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743703791/phug2jwrunc8mvksmla7.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/insideout" target="_blank">Inside/Out</a>Opening: Saturday, April 5, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMThe Grove Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743703793/sw918zzf570qsafabttb.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/25" target="_blank">25!</a>Exhibition begins April 5moniquemeloche <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743703794/zwm1oshfwxlessvy3gdu.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/steve-geer-and-anthony-iacuzzi-the-real-and-imagined" target="_blank">Steve Geer and Anthony Iacuzzi: The Real and Imagined</a>Opening: Saturday, April 5, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery

New Exhibitions Opening April 4 & 5 (Part 2)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743736229/w671zrwq9wv5woekc4la.jpg">Yoko Ono, Helmets (Pieces of Sky), 2021. Installation view, Yoko Ono: Between the Sky and My Head, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK, 2008. Photo © Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. Via PR CHICAGO—The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago is thrilled to announce&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://visit.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/yoko-ono-music-of-the-mind/" target="_blank">Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind</a>, opening October 2025. The MCA is the exclusive US venue for this comprehensive solo exhibition dedicated to artist, musician, and activist Yoko Ono (b. 1933, Tokyo, Japan; lives in New York, NY). Traveling from Tate Modern in London, where it enjoyed record attendance, and in close collaboration with Ono’s studio, this groundbreaking retrospective covers 70 years of Ono’s trailblazing career, with over 200 works including participatory instruction pieces and scores, installations, a curated music room, films, music and photography, and archival materials. The exhibition reveals Ono’s innovative approach to language, art and participation that continues to speak to the present moment. Participation is an important feature of Yoko Ono’s vision as an artist, which is why visitors will be able to partake in several interactive, instruction-based artworks throughout&nbsp;Music of the Mind. This exhibition underscores Ono’s legacy of radical performance and her significant and influential contributions to visual art, including Fluxus and Conceptualism; music; film, and activism. The MCA is proud to welcome this timely exhibition, spotlighting Ono’s revelatory art from the last seven decades. “We are thrilled to present&nbsp;Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind&nbsp;here at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago—a celebration of Ono’s expansive practice which continues to challenge the boundaries of artist and audience,” Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn said. “This exhibition underscores the avant-garde and interdisciplinary roots that made the MCA what it is today—our first performance in 1967 featured Fluxus artists. We’re overjoyed to bring Ono’s work to the MCA, a museum that so truly aligns with her practice and overlaps with her history.” Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind&nbsp;documents the artist’s career starting with the mid-1950s, exploring her pivotal role in avant-garde circles in New York, Tokyo, and London, including the development of her ‘instruction pieces’, and the active role she played in the formation of Fluxus, the loose art collective and movement founded in New York in the early 1960s. The exhibition highlights key works from across her decades-long career, including her performance&nbsp;Cut Piece&nbsp;(1964), considered a landmark in performance and feminist art; her collaborations with notable musicians such as John Cage, Ornette Coleman, and her late husband, John Lennon; selected activations of instruction-based art from her influential book&nbsp;Grapefruit&nbsp;(1964); her innovative films of the 1960s and 70s including&nbsp;FLY&nbsp;(1970–71) and her banned&nbsp;Film No.4&nbsp;(Bottoms)&nbsp;(1966–67) which she created as a ‘petition for peace’; recent works such as her ongoing&nbsp;Wish Tree&nbsp;installation, (1996-present); and public artworks that are emblematic of Ono’s commitment to peace activism.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743736230/nt7p9mi6e91to7xioqy2.jpg">Yoko Ono, Add Colour (Refugee Boat), 2016. Installation view, MAXXI Foundation, Rome, IT, 2016. Photo © Musacchio, Ianniello &amp; Pasqualini. The exhibition features several participatory artworks, such as&nbsp;Painting to Hammer a Nail&nbsp;(1961/1966),&nbsp;Bag Piece&nbsp;(1964), and&nbsp;White Chess Set&nbsp;(1966), among others. Later works like&nbsp;Add Color (Refugee Boat)&nbsp;(1960/2016) encourage guests to write their hopes and beliefs on a white boat and its surroundings, while the installation&nbsp;My Mommy Is Beautiful&nbsp;(2004) gives the public an opportunity to share thoughts about their relationship to their mothers and motherhood and attach photographs of their mother. Additionally, there will be public activations of Ono’s peace-driven artworks on billboards throughout the city of Chicago and on the MCA’s premises. “Yoko Ono is a wildly influential and significant figure in performance, conceptualism, music, and activism. She has inspired generations of audiences to think differently about the everyday and seeing art,” said Manilow Senior Curator Jamillah James. “It is an honor to host this wide-ranging exhibition, which is a critical opportunity that invites the public to deeply engage with Ono’s many important contributions to visual art in new and exciting ways." Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind&nbsp;is organized by Tate Modern, London in collaboration with Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf and Gropius Bau, Berlin and curated by Juliet Bingham, Curator, International Art, Tate Modern with Andrew de Brún, Assistant Curator, International Art, Tate Modern. The MCA presentation is organized (curated) by Jamillah James, Manilow Senior Curator with Korina Hernandez, Curatorial Assistant. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743736231/vesalfy3p9epuyvceebu.jpg">Yoko Ono, Apple, 1966. © Yoko Ono. Installation view, Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960–1971, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, 2015. Digital Image © 2015 MoMA, N.Y. Photo: Thomas Griesel.&nbsp; ABOUT THE ARTIST Yoko Ono is an artist, musician, and activist.&nbsp; Born in Tokyo, 1933, Ono grew up in Japan, with periods spent abroad in San Francisco and New York. She was the first woman admitted to the philosophy program at Gakushuin University in Tokyo, where she studied before moving to New York in 1953 to attend Sarah Lawrence College.&nbsp; In 1956, she settled in Manhattan with her then husband, composer Toshi Ichiyanagi. Immersed in a community of artists and composers, Ono began to develop her own art practice, often in the form of instructions that invited the viewer’s participation. In 1960, she rented a loft on Chambers Street in Lower Manhattan and began organizing performances and events in the space with La Monte Young, becoming a vital part of the New York art and music scene.&nbsp; In 1961, Ono’s first solo exhibition was held at George Maciunas’ AG Gallery in New York.&nbsp;Painting to Be Stepped On, a work of canvas placed on the floor with a card inviting the viewer to step on it, was one of several&nbsp;Instruction Paintings&nbsp;exhibited. Later that year, she gave a performance at Carnegie Recital Hall that included works involving movement, sound, and voice, such as,&nbsp;AOS – To David Tudor, and&nbsp;A Grapefruit in the World of Park.&nbsp; In March 1962, Ono returned to Tokyo, where she debuted new performances at the Sogetsu Art Center, including&nbsp;The Pulse, and exhibited her&nbsp;Instructions for Paintings, a progression from works shown at AG Gallery. These works, comprised only of written instructions, marked a key moment in the history of conceptual art. Later that year, she performed with John Cage and David Tudor on a concert tour throughout Japan. In 1964, Ono performed&nbsp;Cut Piece&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bag Piece&nbsp;in Kyoto and Tokyo, and self-published&nbsp;Grapefruit, her foundational book of instructions.&nbsp; In the fall of 1964, Ono returned to New York, continuing to perform and stage events, and pioneering new ways of disseminating her art through advertising and postcard events. She also began making her own films, including&nbsp;Film No. 4,&nbsp;Matchand&nbsp;Eyeblink.&nbsp; In September 1966, Ono was invited to London to perform and lecture in the&nbsp;Destruction in Art Symposium. Remaining in London, she had a solo exhibition at Indica Gallery and Lisson Gallery the following year, showing new conceptual object-based works such as&nbsp;White Chess Set,&nbsp;Apple, and&nbsp;Half-A-Room. During this period, she continued to make films, including a new version of&nbsp;Film No. 4 (Bottoms), and presented a series of performances on her concert tour&nbsp;Music of the Mind.&nbsp; At her Indica Gallery exhibition, Ono met John Lennon, beginning a personal and artistic relationship in art, music, and activism. By 1969 their conceptual events to promote peace had become world-wide news, including the&nbsp;WAR IS OVER!&nbsp;If you want it&nbsp;campaign, and&nbsp;Bed-In for Peace, held in an Amsterdam hotel room during their honeymoon in 1969 and later in Montreal. In the late 1960s and early 1970s Ono and Lennon’s activities centered primarily on music, film, and activism. Ono released four solo albums and four collaborative albums with Lennon over just five years, while also making multiple films, including&nbsp;FLY,&nbsp;Freedom,&nbsp;“RAPE”,&nbsp;Apotheosis, and&nbsp;Imagine.&nbsp; In 1971 Ono had her first retrospective exhibition,&nbsp;This Is Not Here, at the Everson Art Museum. Later that year, her unofficial conceptual exhibition,&nbsp;Museum of Modern [F]art&nbsp;at the Museum of Modern Art was advertised in the Village Voice and documented as a new film.&nbsp; In 1973, Ono and Lennon announced the birth of a new conceptual country, Nutopia, with “no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people.” In 1975 the birth of their son, Sean Ono Lennon, influenced the couple’s decision to take a break from public life.&nbsp; In August 1980, Ono and Lennon returned to the studio to record their first album together since 1972.&nbsp;Double Fantasy&nbsp;was released in November and went on to win the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Less than a month after its release, Lennon was shot and killed by an assassin outside their home in New York.&nbsp; Emerging from the tragedy of Lennon’s death, Ono immersed herself in making music, releasing several albums during the decade. “It was the music that made me survive,” Ono said. After a long absence from exhibiting her art in museums and galleries, her 1989 solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art,&nbsp;Yoko Ono: Objects, Film, signaled a renewed interest in her art. She continued to exhibit extensively around the world. In 2000&nbsp;Yes Yoko Ono, a retrospective exhibition originating at the Japan Society Gallery in New York toured to thirteen international venues over four years. In 2007, Ono unveiled the&nbsp;IMAGINE PEACE TOWER&nbsp;on Videy, an island off the coast of Reykjavik, Iceland, giving a permanent home to her and Lennon’s long-standing commitment to world peace. In 2009, she was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 53rd Venice Biennale. That same year, Ono released&nbsp;Between My Head and the Sky, her first studio album as Plastic Ono Band since 1973. In 2018, Ono released her thirteenth solo studio album,&nbsp;Warzone.&nbsp; Ono’s work has continued to be honored with numerous exhibitions at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York (2015) and Tate Modern in London (2024).&nbsp; In a career spanning more than 70 years, Ono’s work as an artist and activist remains singularly relevant and continues to challenge the boundaries of artist and audience.&nbsp; Details at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://visit.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/yoko-ono-music-of-the-mind/" target="_blank">mcachicago.org</a> Top image: Yoko Ono with Glass Hammer, 1967, from Half-A-Wind Show, Lisson Gallery, London, UK, 1967. Artwork © Yoko Ono. Photo © Clay Perry.

MCA Chicago will be exclusive US venue for Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind

An interview with artist Amanda Williams for CGN's spring 2025 issue 

Amanda Williams: Her Kind of Blue

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. Events happen throughout the city as well as in the suburbs and within a days 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/v1743539723/a6dweslspfzaipn4o67x.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/editions-and-works-on-paper" target="_blank">Editions and Works on Paper</a></h4> Thursday, Apr 3, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/wright" target="_blank">Wright</a>Offered several times a year,&nbsp;Editions &amp; Works on Paper&nbsp;celebrates the possibilities of the multiple, showcasing&nbsp;editioned works by some of the 20th century's most significant artists. This auction features&nbsp;artists' books, prints, portfolios, sculpture, and more, offered at a variety of price points accessible to every collector. <h3>• Exhibitions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743539724/rt3un6erzbuq1jl0rqnu.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/25" target="_blank">25! - moniquemeloche anniversary exhibition </a></h4> Apr 5–May 23; Opening: Friday, Apr 25, 6–8PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/moniquemeloche" target="_blank">moniquemeloche</a>A landmark exhibition celebrating the gallery’s 25th anniversary featuring&nbsp;Luke Agada, Candida Alvarez, Arocha-Schraenen, Sanford Biggers, Antonius-Tín Bui, Justin Cooper, David Antonio Cruz, Davis/Langlois, Brendan Fernandes, Dan Gunn, Chase Hall, Sheree Hovsepian, Rashid Johnson, Cindy Loehr, Jason Middlebrook, Lavar Munroe, Ben Murray, Maia Cruz Palileo, Ebony G. Patterson, Cheryl Pope, Karen Reimer, Carlos Rolón, Joel Ross, Carrie Schneider, David Shrobe, Arvie Smith, Shinique Smith, Jake Troyli,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nate Young.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743539725/rkfzty6byzraxoo1tvio.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/faheem-majeed" target="_blank">Faheem Majeed</a></h4> Apr 18–Jun 7; Opening: Friday, Apr 18, 4–7PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/document" target="_blank">DOCUMENT</a>Faheem Majeed (b. 1976) is an artist, curator, educator, and non-profit administrator whose work focuses on institutional critique and centers collaboration as a tool to engage communities in meaningful dialogue. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743539726/nk3bltl2hoqoemxvg1nc.jpg"><h5> </h5><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/apparitions" target="_blank">Apparitions</a></h4> Apr 25–Jun 27; Opening: Friday, Apr 25, 6–8PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/gray" target="_blank">GRAY</a>Apparitions,&nbsp;presenting the work of over twenty pioneering artists from across the last century whose interrogations of the human form and its fleeting presence have pushed boundaries of representation. Whether by dematerializing the body, imagining spirits, or making mirages, artists conjure a hallucinatory realm—a liminal space between what appears and what vanishes. <h3>• Art Fairs, Special Events</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743539727/tbbkdzpzztb6q3ua6sv4.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/renben-2025-by-meriem-bennani" target="_blank">RenBen 2025 by Meriem Bennani</a></h4> Wednesday, Apr 23, 2025 7–10PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-renaissance-society" target="_blank">The Renaissance Society</a>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. RenBen is aligned with EXPO ART WEEK. 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. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743539728/vqlsnqn0ekxilpaloaku.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/expo-chicago" target="_blank">EXPO CHICAGO 2025</a></h4> Apr 24–27 – Navy PierEXPO CHICAGO Contemporary Art Fair showcases leading contemporary and modern art galleries each April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, alongside a diverse and inventive program of talks, on-site installations, and public art initiatives. Inaugurated in 2012, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s robust history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community. In 2023, EXPO CHICAGO was acquired by Frieze, the world’s leading platform for modern and contemporary art. <h5><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743539729/fjixrts6fcgodji0unlf.png"></h5> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/grand-reimagining" target="_blank">Grand (Re)Imagining – Intuit Art Museum</a></h4> Saturday, Apr 26IAM welcomes you to its newly expanded 18,000 sf home, reimagined in space and spirit where you will discover a more expansive experience in self-taught, outsider and intuitive art.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. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743539729/d5kntllmhxjl453haihn.png"><h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/brendan-fernandes-presents-moving-through" target="_blank">Brendan Fernandes Presents Moving Through</a></h4> Sunday, Apr 13, 2025 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/raclin-murphy-museum-of-art" target="_blank">Raclin Murphy Museum of Art</a> # <h5><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">View the full CGN Calendar here</a></h5>

CGN Art Preview: April 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743551642/a9ov23brznffhpqrk51s.jpg">On the cover:&nbsp;Amanda Williams, In Her Rich Deposits of (Blue), 2024, New Orleans African American Museum for the Prospect.6 Triennial. Courtesy of&nbsp;Amanda Williams LLC and Tom Harris Photo.&nbsp;Read the interview in the <a style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/collections/all" target="_blank">spring/summer 2025 issue</a> of CGN. By GINNY VAN ALYEA It feels as if there has been a sort of compression of time and energy in the first quarter this year, like 2025 just began but we’ve been living it for a long time. Fortunately, this season’s listings and calendars are bursting with dozens of exhibitions and programming coming up. CGN had many opportunities recently to speak with art world figures working on innovative projects on both large and smaller scales.&nbsp; CGN's spring 2025 cover artist and Chicago native <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/amanda-williams-her-kind-of-blue" target="_blank">Amanda Williams</a> has earned a global reputation for melding her architecture career, life experience and dreams for the world in her artistic practice. Williams’s commitment to reinventing her practice draws inspiration from history and other artists to create stunning art that improves the lives and communities of others.&nbsp;Furthermore, I spent a wonderful morning in February with Rhona Hoffman, who at 90 years old is making a change to her esteemed gallery program this spring. It was a gift to speak with Hoffman about the paths she has paved over the decades, from finding a new start for herself in the 1960s, to being faithful to her beliefs and taking risks.&nbsp; Several art world figures profiled or participating in this issue are beginning again. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/landscape-survey-whats-on-in-chicagos-outer-spaces-minionotics-at-weatherproof" target="_blank">Susan Gescheidle</a> writes for us for the first time. She once ran her own gallery but now is in the corporate world. What I admire is her commitment to visiting as many galleries as she can each week and fostering connections with emerging artists and the galleries they are launching. Watching young spaces try new things recalls the risks Hoffman took 50 years ago and speaks to what’s possible in Chicago. Sara Mongerson found herself unexpectedly in the art business after her husband Tyler passed away suddenly two years ago. Now she’s embracing Tyler’s vision for the gallery and continuing the spirit of running it as a family endeavor.&nbsp; We also celebrate 25 years of impact at Arts of Life, the reopening of Intuit Art Museum, and many more events and exhibitions demonstrating how vibrant art is in our region. Other summer highlights include a Gustave Caillebotte survey at the Art Institute that will transport you to Paris, while over at the Driehaus Museum the late Scottish artist Rory McEwen’s richly toned botanical prints speak to the timeless dialogue between art and nature. Enjoy this time, these new spaces, the artistic reinventions and stunning programs while they are here. These months and years pass quickly.&nbsp; #<h6> </h6>This letter appears in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of CGN. Our print content will appear online in the coming weeks.&nbsp;<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe</a>&nbsp;and receive the print edition in early April. Subscriptions help support independent print media and Chicago's art community.

Publisher's Letter: Spring 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743475162/axlr6nyxftvnd7ldn41u.jpg">In foreground: Daniel Champion, Lying Down, 2025, XPS foam, casting resin, 8.5 x 13 x 24”. On wall: Jeffrey Charles, Ghouls, Oil on canvas, 36 x 48” By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE SAWHORSE – Morality Play Step right up! There’s a new gallery in town and a new fantastical show to come see. Come one, come all!&nbsp; Welcome to yet another new gallery and curatorial space in Chicago. SAWHORSE, located on West Fullerton Avenue in the lively Hermosa neighborhood, is a cozy and inviting store-front space with large windows drenching it in sunlight. Founded and directed by Molly Sheffield and Jack Spector-Bishop, both native Chicagoans who met years ago at Oberlin College, SAWHORSE opened in January 2025 “motivated by craft, community, curiosity, &amp; collaboration.” The name SAWHORSE, as Sheffield notes, “was from thinking about an object that is a platform for initiating creation. It is also one of the first things people learn to make when they are starting a woodworking craft, and craft is something we want to highlight in our space.”&nbsp;Morality Play, the gallery’s second exhibition, is a two-person exhibition of works by Daniel Champion and Jeffrey Charles, currently on view through April 20, 2025. The partnering of sculptures by Champion and paintings by Charles works well, in an oddly beautiful and primitive sort of way. So, what do you get when you pair art school-educated interdisciplinary artist Daniel Champion with experimental rock musician, and self-taught artist, Jeffrey Charles? <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743475163/n9tltgoo0xp6jr6rrf30.jpg">Left: Daniel Champion, Elephant, 2025, XPS foam, casting resin, 24 x 38 x 8 inches; Right: Daniel Champion, Untitled, 2025, XPS foam, casting resin, 51.5 x 6 x 10 inches FIRST ACT Champion, a 27-year-old SAIC grad, known mostly as a painter and set director, is exhibiting crudely formed figurative sculptures for the first time. The works are set atop pedestals hand-carved by the artist, a meticulous contrast to the rough-hewn sculptures themselves. Much like the pastel palette of his paintings, Champion chose a soft-hued coloration for these objects. They are a pleasing, pinkish purple–think mauve–formed of XPS foam board and casting resin, making them lightweight, with a sheen. Champion seems to have drawn from his film and set directing skills, as his sculptures give off drama vibes and could easily double as theater props. They’re chunky, chiseled, charming, sultry, and enigmatic.&nbsp; In the gallery’s front window are four miniature sculptures, measuring 10” high, in distinguishable poses, such as two people embracing, The Passionate Friends, and a person in a baseball cap sitting cross-legged, The Beach #2. They are tender and though small in scale, they hit hard. But it is the six more substantial sculptures in the main gallery space that really pack a punch. They are curious figures, nude humans and animals, with an absence of facial expressions in ordinary, offbeat, or intertwined sexy poses. I was captivated by the 51.5” tall stoic standing woman, Untitled. Her blank eyes reveal nothing, yet you feel something. Lying Down, a figure of a woman reclining on her side in a fetal position, is simple but striking. The four layers of foam add visual interest, and the focus on the soles of her rough feet was strangely appealing. Communion, a woman in a fully reclining position on top of a donkey is sensuous and beautiful. Each of Champion’s sculptures are captivating and every one is as good as the other. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743475164/dblnoitrhqprxqsnn4kd.jpg"> SECOND ACT Charles, a 64-year-old experimental musician and self-taught artist, learned and honed his drawing and painting craft over the past 23 years. Charles has worked under-the-radar, seemingly using art as a form of therapy, helping to exorcise his childhood traumas. While we are not privy to all his past traumas, Charles offers glimpses through the surreal and formidable scenes he creates. If you’re afraid of creepy clowns and lecherous gazes, then buckle up and prepare to be jolted. These very personal drawings and oil on canvas paintings are based on memories of his childhood reality. They tell a story of abuse, pain and neglect, colorfully featuring ghoulish adults with leering smiles, as if warning us they can’t be trusted. Many paintings feature recurring images of a man in a baseball uniform, bodies singed with cigarettes, the text “burn me,” musical instruments, and penises. Charles describes his semi autobiographical art as “ID vomit.” This is his first commercial gallery foray, and the largest exhibition of his work to date. The show includes four small drawings and seven paintings dating from 2002–2023.&nbsp; The four 8.5 x 11” ink on paper drawings are hung together on a small wall as you enter the space. One is a study for a large painting included in the show, Study for Fathers. It’s easy to pass by these quiet pieces, since the larger, boldly-colored paintings are immediately eye-catching. But if you pause for a moment, you get sucked into their miniature freakish worlds. Peanut-headed Salamander includes nude and semi-clad cartoonish characters, screaming people and others with their mouths sewn shut, bondage elements, torture instruments, and more. Charles renders disturbing scenes that are grotesque yet fascinating gems.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743475164/qcdcq3sgeuayngjj2h6b.jpg">Jeffrey Charles, Ascension, Oil on canvas, 60" x 48" The seven paintings in the show are well-crafted and chock full of terrifying and terrified misfits, humanlike cigarettes, creepy clowns, and dreamlike narratives. The paintings range in scale from 18 x 24” to the largest at 60 x 48.” Ascension, the focal point and the largest piece, hits you in the face as you walk into the gallery. Most of the people in this painting look lecherous with their crooked smiles or appear to be in pain or have mouths agape, as if in shock. A few are calmly smoking. Two men are masturbating, ejaculating in red. Everyone is eerily staring out at the viewer or ogling each other. I felt like viewing Charles’s paintings is akin to watching a circus freak show. Each one is unique, but with recurring elements, so pick your poison when trying to choose a favorite. Personally I am drawn to Auntie, which is simpler than the others. It still has a creepy clown, and a weird green face with an open mouth. The focus is an oversized female head in front of a bright blue curtain. You see her breasts, her disproportionately tiny arms with matches for fingers, and cigarette stubs for legs. Her smeared red&nbsp;lipstick, and crooked bangs and eyebrows have just the right amount of otherworldliness. In all of these paintings, Charles sprinkles cheekiness. It brings to mind the lyrics of a Jimmy Buffet song, “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”&nbsp; Pairing Champion and Charles in Morality Play, you get a multigenerational, kick-ass exhibition of expressionistic oddities, with a side of humor and theatrics.&nbsp; # Morality Play, on view thru April 20SAWHORSE • 4222 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL 60639<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sawhorsespace.net/" target="_blank">sawhorsespace.net</a>Instagram <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/saw___horse/" target="_blank">@saw___horse</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743475165/i1ywxvpxxtesqhzh8sqc.jpg">The exterior of SAWHORSE <h6> </h6><h6>This article appears in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of CGN. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe</a> and receive the print edition in early April. Subscriptions help support independent print media and Chicago's art community. </h6> Publisher's Note: I met Susan Gescheidle when I first moved to Chicago and started working at&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News&nbsp;in 2002. At the time the CGN office was located around the corner from the River North gallery, called&nbsp;gescheidle,&nbsp;Susan had just opened after working at Lyons Wier Gallery for a time.&nbsp;Susan&nbsp;eventually relocated her gallery to Peoria Street in the burgeoning West Loop, then relocated to Lake Street before closing in the fall of 2008. In fall 2024 I ran into Susan again after many years. We chatted about CGN, as well as how Susan had recently found her way back to being immersed in Chicago's gallery scene, in particular visiting the city's smaller, newer spaces. After following her art outings on&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/susangescheidle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;for a couple months, I asked Susan if she'd ever consider sharing her personal and informal dispatches with CGN readers in order to help spotlight and support these spaces, and she graciously accepted.&nbsp; – Ginny Van Alyea

Landscape survey: What's on in Chicago's Outer Spaces: SAWHORSE

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743197304/k54qpzxmlv15xefwxx9m.png"> Via PR Chicago Artists Coalition will have a new home in April.The best part is, we're not going far! We're&nbsp;moving&nbsp;to a beautiful second story West Town/West Loop loft space with views of the skyline that is better aligned with our current organizational needs.Our new location will be&nbsp;1431&nbsp;W&nbsp;Hubbard&nbsp;St, Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60642.We have several events in late April surrounding this year's Newcity Breakout Artists and EXPO CHICAGO, which will be hosted at our&nbsp;new&nbsp;location. Newcity Breakout Artists Exhibition Opening Wednesday, April 23 from 5-8pm<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tnxbinhbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nI8zFJ1FBkBglBnnbI6oEqXkO8cdBLfsiKwaiVU61COvONT8BtWRfsyWmdOOZtYgE_totrOMpNk-Xgh_qxed6HdIld4t4ysL7S9WmwHo09CYRfBDdzVoOWkbGCxlRs-y4zj5jKabB26JD8_JFjsTknlHHQ0dSARbYUIONqApsFJIXXpc_rE3sbgnZxwgzQ-v-x34gIY4d_BiLtQ-F1Dotl7Yney1N9pJUMTMuFvNaq6hgcXaF6hMmJizQVxmknqsSqmbe_JV_rek3ht4uTR6n85H9hSH5h-ybvERA3i5Uo0=&amp;c=LCaFiP4J41jk6mkLcaMLkki8e80vQwMdgkkruIm_n1nkZsOd8mNIpQ==&amp;ch=5P6MEmEdtvUq0Q-QJydKoXAEt8FhoJ_uRtwpN5DQQOMa3fdfwkLo5g==" target="_blank">RSVP HERE</a> Annual Breakfast + Open Studios Friday, April 25 from 9am-12pm<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tnxbinhbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nI8zFJ1FBkBglBnnbI6oEqXkO8cdBLfsiKwaiVU61COvONT8BtWRfsyWmdOOZtYgix4A_lDSgNNWU_gV5cceLR0xXQzsbCfLi0zl-dVVH9ARJzP7pltN_LvFx5XG5WdyqB_c4eKEglo6NtZZDcgivxITewvX2vh7G8YnCMlXSJ1LbAQsA35b2aoSUbNesgXX1SnCePzwrpzbkTA4R7zmWV9SlSJ1jF05zqY2EICJ-5eRc09hpVdvXqmEq14r5cQqroou8xcvRvA=&amp;c=LCaFiP4J41jk6mkLcaMLkki8e80vQwMdgkkruIm_n1nkZsOd8mNIpQ==&amp;ch=5P6MEmEdtvUq0Q-QJydKoXAEt8FhoJ_uRtwpN5DQQOMa3fdfwkLo5g==" target="_blank">RSVP HERE</a> Enjoy the photos below of our team getting the new space ready for public viewing!We are so excited to share this space with you and make memories for years to come as part of the next step in CAC's story. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743197305/jphxkwv1mf2wy1bxtwpd.jpg">

Chicago Artists Coalition Is Moving

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742936990/yndjomlq1m7linalp5wu.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/rochelle-zell-playing-with-light" target="_blank">Rochelle Zell: Playing With Light</a>Opening: Wednesday, March 26, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PMThe Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742936994/l0irpxbid25fwsev3wfz.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lennart-anderson-a-retrospective" target="_blank">Lennart Anderson: A Retrospective</a>Opening: Thursday, March 27, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PMJohn David Mooney Foundation <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742936998/tjmigu6hjjhxuybxjz1g.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/reception-for-altered-states-plastics-transformed" target="_blank">Reception for Altered States: Plastics Transformed</a>Thursday, March 27, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMPistachios Contemporary Art Jewelry and Objects <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742937003/ygkimi06j6hiz0tcwzhf.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/opening-reception-for-synthesize" target="_blank">Synthesize</a>Opening: Thursday, March 27, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PMMadron Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742937012/blt3pbhallewizede49x.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/what-they-said" target="_blank">What they said</a>Opening: Friday, March 28, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMCircle Contemporary (Arts of Life) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742937014/b9z5qcfacbkw8i2gsboh.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lindsay-olson-manufactured-river" target="_blank">Lindsay Olson: Manufactured River</a>Opening: Friday, Mar 28, 2025 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMEpiphany Center for the Arts

New Exhibitions Opening March 26 - 28

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742676602/spefanfsbpth4zemup2e.jpg">Installation view of Miniotics at Weatherproof By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE WEATHERPROOF – Miniotics Whatever you do between now and April 13th, visit Weatherproof to see Miniotics! It’s a wackadoodle group exhibition of roughly 140 artists. The gallery is jammed floor to ceiling (literally art is hung on the ceiling!) with Minion-inspired pieces of all sizes and mediums. It will be worth your time to check it out. I promise.&nbsp;A show like this strikes me as representative of Chicago’s young galleries / curatorial spaces right now–showing art by friends and peers without really giving a damn about making money, though of course they need it, and they still should be taken seriously. Young gallerists are trying fresh new things as the mood strikes, and it’s exciting to encounter.&nbsp; Weatherproof is a gallery and curatorial space founded in 2022 and run by Milo Christie and Sam Dybeck. Miniotics is presented by Pop Gun, an artist-run project space in New York City and curated by the New York City duo of Gunner Dongieux and Trinity Bavaria. Dongieux is an artist and Founder and Co-Director of Pop Gun. Bavaria, also an artist, lives and works in New York City and has exhibited at Pop Gun, as well as Cleaner Gallery + Projects here in Chicago.&nbsp; Dongieux and Bavaria invited artists from around the world to participate. As the curatorial statement says, it’s “a synaptic mapping of Pop Gun’s art-world.” It’s heavy on New York City and Chicago representation, understandably so. But I spied San Francisco, Los Angeles, Stockholm and beyond. The work runs the gamut from serious to cheesy, good to less good, and large to small. The artists took their Minion assignments semi-seriously and brought their A-games (or at least their B-games.) It’s a fun and dizzying experience of yellow and blue, bananas and Minion references.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742676603/hvgo8vylwzb9jpgl2uhb.jpg">Installation view of Miniotics at Weatherproof. Courtesy Weatherproof. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742676604/zgq0tmglpykkcdxofsfn.jpg">Installation view of Miniotics at Weatherproof. Courtesy Weatherproof. It’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite piece, because they’re all so different. The three largest pieces warrant a shoutout, however. You can’t miss Tyler Dobson’s giant Minion, a Rothko-esque painting in yellow and blue. Hanging on the ceiling is, American Minion, a vinyl banner with painted Minions and flags by Trinity Bavaria. And then there’s Eve, a bright yellow sculpture of a reclining nude female by New York City artist, and Co-Director of Pop Gun, Karla Zurita. “All materials were found or bought on West Lawrence Ave,” she reveals, “It’s my love letter to Chicago.” Other interesting pieces, in no particular order, are: CJ Shaw’s BANANA FISH, a small oil, graphite, and inkjet print on canvas. David Colosi’s, The Return, a luscious colored pencil drawing of a large group of water-Minions hard at work. Ari Norris’s tiny, understated yellow and blue outlet cover, Minion Outlet. Braden Skelton’s, The Crisis of Nihilism, a Minion cushion holding a plaster face of Nietzsche. The list of hits goes on and on. The gallery is a literal candy store of art. The range of talent is impressive, including the likes of Allegra Harvard, Reece Francis Perkins, and heavy-hitters like Richard Hull and Scott Reeder. There’s something for everyone in this show: video to sculpture to toys to mosaics, and even to…urine.&nbsp; The curators say the artists ‘speak to common experience in Minionese.’ With around 140 artists exhibiting together in such a small space, that’s one loud conversation. So, pop in, and find out how Miniotics speaks to you.&nbsp; Miniotics, on view thru April 13&nbsp;Weatherproof3336 W. Lawrence Ave, Ste. 303, 60625Open Saturdays 1–4pm during shows.<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://weatherproof.zone/" target="_blank">weatherproof.zone</a>Instagram <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/weather_proof/" target="_blank">@weather_proof&nbsp;</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742676604/ybogyyniaiq6cpwvdsnm.jpg">Karla Zurita, Eve (detail), loofah, latex, fruit, photographs, mannequin, Ecuador flag,&nbsp;pikachu, goggles, laserprints. Courtesy Weatherproof. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742676605/sxlkvbitheq5qqa5tkja.jpg">Installation view of Miniotics at Weatherproof. Courtesy Weatherproof. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742676606/rxs9i3zcevklpspnqjn7.jpg">David Colosi, The Return This article appears in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of CGN. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Click here to subscribe</a> and receive the print edition in early April. Subscriptions help support independent print media and Chicago's art community. <h6>Publisher's Note: I met Susan Gescheidle when I first moved to Chicago and started working at&nbsp;Chicago Gallery News&nbsp;in 2002. At the time the CGN office was located around the corner from the River North gallery, called&nbsp;gescheidle,&nbsp;Susan had just opened after working at Lyons Wier Gallery for a time.&nbsp;Susan&nbsp;eventually relocated her gallery to Peoria Street in the burgeoning West Loop, then relocated to Lake Street before closing in the fall of 2008.</h6><h6 class="ql-align-justify"> </h6><h6 class="ql-align-justify">In fall 2024 I ran into Susan again after many years. We chatted about CGN, as well as how Susan had recently found her way back to being immersed in Chicago's gallery scene, in particular visiting the city's smaller, newer spaces. After following her art outings on&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/susangescheidle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;for a couple months, I asked Susan if she'd ever consider sharing her personal and informal dispatches with CGN readers in order to help spotlight and support these spaces, and she graciously accepted.&nbsp;</h6><h6 class="ql-align-justify"> </h6><h6 class="ql-align-justify">– Ginny Van Alyea</h6>

Landscape survey: What's on in Chicago's Outer Spaces: Miniotics at Weatherproof

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742581193/llaiaji5pangexzuynba.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/2025-annual-student-exhibition" target="_blank">2025 Annual Student Exhibition</a>Opening: Thursday, March 20, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PMThe Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742581194/gpqa9d8k3x4sjz3ts22l.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/christina-fernandez-multiple-exposures" target="_blank">Christina Fernandez: Multiple Exposures</a>Opening: Thursday, March 20, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMDePaul University Art Museum (DPAM) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742581195/zlrunap16ryvo08fziez.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/truth-or-dare-a-reality-show" target="_blank">Truth or Dare: A Reality Show</a>Opening: Friday, March 21, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM21c Museum Hotel Chicago <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1742581196/aue3ycqryid8osi78cad.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/louise-pappageorge-feral-laces-and-off-the-wall-doilies" target="_blank">Louise Pappageorge: Feral Laces And Off the Wall Doilies</a>Opening: Friday, March 21, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMEpiphany Center for the Arts

New Exhibitions Opening March 20 & 21

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741872047/bxhnmz5qp2875ter8egr.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pieces-collage-and-assemblage-from-rams-collection" target="_blank">Pieces: Collage and Assemblage from RAM’s Collection</a>Begins March 12Racine Art Museum <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741872048/v9z1buamxr1zzsv7xvwr.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/group-exhibition" target="_blank">Group Exhibition</a>Opening: Friday, March 14, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMRhona Hoffman Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741872050/olmwog7rqydn75qftqoj.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-friends-9th-annual-cranbrook-x-saic-ceramics-exhibition" target="_blank">New Friends: 9th Annual Cranbrook x SAIC Ceramics Exhibition</a>Opening: Friday, Mar 14, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMOld Friends Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741872050/zojhnpvzsfhwvmi3ybb1.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pao-houa-her-the-imaginative-landscape" target="_blank">Pao Houa Her: The Imaginative Landscape</a>Begins March 15John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741872051/udn9iawsuwhzkorku8j6.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/farah-salem-uninhibited-people-of-the-earth" target="_blank">Farah Salem: Uninhibited People of the Earth</a>Begins March 15Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC)

New Exhibitions Opening March 12 - 15

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226099/fofzf351afvcbvrpxusg.jpg"></h4>“Martha and Mary Magdalene,” by Caravaggio, from the Detroit Institute of Arts.Credit: Detroit Institute of Arts/Bridgeman Images <h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/arts/design/caravaggio-palazzo-barberini.html" target="_blank">Caravaggio, Baroque’s Bad Boy, Gets a Blockbuster Show in Rome</a></h4> Some 430 years after the Lombard artist Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio, swept into Rome to enchant, and land, well-placed patrons with his bold yet intimate artistry, Caravaggio is again grabbing the spotlight, with a blockbuster exhibition at the National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini. Vis NYT <h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/notre-dame-raffles-stones-to-support-religious-heritage-in-france-1234735017/" target="_blank">Notre Dame Raffles Stones to Support Religious Heritage in France</a></h4><h4> </h4>If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of&nbsp;Notre Dame Cathedral&nbsp;in Paris, now is your chance!In an effort to raise funds to support France’s endangered religious landmarks and heritage sites, the medieval Catholic cathedral is raffling off around 50 stones from the iconic building. The stones, which were too badly damaged in the fire to reuse, weigh roughly 800 grams each and have been engraved with the silhouette of the iconic structure’s main façade. Via Artnews <h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/dali-inspired-surreal-soiree-trend-2616612" target="_blank">What Is the ‘Salvador Dali Aesthetic’ and Why Is It Trending?</a></h4><h4> </h4>Planning a dinner party to welcome the spring? If you hope to signal to your friends and any new acquaintances that you are up to date with the latest trends, then it’s time to put together a Dalí-inspired “surreal soirée.” According to the social media site Pinterest, this is&nbsp;the&nbsp;most coveted&nbsp;tablescaping look for 2025. Via Artnet <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/03/10/the-big-slowdown-why-museums-and-galleries-are-putting-on-fewer-shows" target="_blank">The big slowdown: why museums and galleries are putting on fewer shows</a></h4> Could the art world be entering its mindful era? After a challenging year in which international galleries, auction houses and museums have been forced to scale back their operations and make redundancies on an alarming scale, what is emerging is a slower, more considered approach to business: longer, more in-depth exhibitions and bespoke events concerned with authentic connection over flashy spectacle. Artists, too, are saying no to gruelling production schedules, while both dealers and collectors are becoming choosier about the art fairs they attend every year. Via the Art Newspaper

What We're Reading: 3/10/25

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741296499/v7vck6axkg3ln4cjtk1y.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/visionary-by-aaron-becker" target="_blank">Visionary by Aaron Becker</a>Opening: Friday, March 7, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PMOliva Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741296502/vhejxgbjssudiujkm4ua.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/arch-connelly-the-future-reflected-wallworks-19811991" target="_blank">Arch Connelly: The Future Reflected, Wallworks 1981–1991</a>Opening: Friday, March 7, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMCorbett vs. Dempsey <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741296503/un9tpanikt9g5vlwlfwm.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/nicole-havekost-proliferate" target="_blank">Nicole Havekost: Proliferate&nbsp;</a>Opening: Friday, March 7, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMARC Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741296504/kbejxxjqzrfhkowtwbxa.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/troy-lee-we-from-the-heavens" target="_blank">Troy Lee: We From the Heavens</a>Opening: Friday, March 7, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMVertical Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741296505/gahs1zdludnrjx4wqfl2.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/echoes-and-locations" target="_blank">Echoes and Locations</a>Opening: Friday, March 7, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMVivid Art Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741296506/z6f7ppv0czxobpspcyma.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/joan-geary-and-rebecca-stahr-echoes-of-earth-and-sky" target="_blank">Joan Geary and Rebecca Stahr: Echoes of Earth and Sky</a>Opening: Friday, March 7, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMAddington Gallery

New Exhibitions Opening March 7 - 9 (Part I)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741297006/vvmmsz7vdvrtay8wzrcq.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lens-2025" target="_blank">LENS 2025</a>Opening: Saturday, March 8, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741297013/nzl5mrdklcou35zvnipc.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jordan-scott-connections" target="_blank">Jordan Scott: Connections</a>Opening: Saturday, March 8, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PMKim Storage Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741297014/eztu95cduni60noetozj.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jack-austin-spiritual-journey" target="_blank">Jack Austin | Spiritual Journey</a>Opening: Sunday, March 9, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PMEvanston Art Center <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741297015/j69hpgjsbtszipjvcyaz.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/opening-reception-for-mwangi-hutter-you-begin-to-see-the-signs" target="_blank">Mwangi Hutter: You Begin to See the Signs</a>Opening: Saturday, March 8, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMMariane Ibrahim <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741297016/i59rx3mt5ooxitx0ca9g.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/works-in-progress" target="_blank">Works in Progress</a>Opening: Sunday, March 9, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PMSouth Shore Arts

New Exhibitions Opening March 7 - 9 (Part II)

Publisher's Note: I met Susan Gescheidle when I first moved to Chicago and started working at Chicago Gallery News in 2002. At the time the CGN office was located around the corner from the River North gallery, called gescheidle, Susan had just opened after working at Lyons Wier Gallery for a time.&nbsp;Susan eventually relocated her gallery to Peoria Street in the burgeoning West Loop, then relocated to Lake Street before closing in the fall of 2008. Last fall I ran into Susan again after many years. We chatted about CGN, as well as how Susan had recently found her way back to being immersed in Chicago's gallery scene, in particular visiting the city's smaller, newer spaces. After following her art outings on <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.instagram.com/susangescheidle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for a couple months, I asked Susan if she'd ever consider sharing her personal and informal dispatches with CGN readers in order to help spotlight and support these spaces, and she graciously accepted.&nbsp; – Ginny Van Alyea By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE Imperfectly Perfect: 4 paintings, a photograph, and a video&nbsp;Review of Smuggle: Milo Christie, Ludwig Siegele, and John Smith. Let’s talk about Letters to Nora, a small artist-run gallery on the fourth floor of the Midland Building. Smuggle, their current exhibition featuring work by Milo Christie, Ludwig Siegele, and John Smith, is set in the serene gallery space, and the contemplative atmosphere around the art combines to make the viewing experience even more pleasing. Christie, who is just 24, is an avid reader, poet, and co-director of Weatherproof. For Smuggle Christie teamed up with gallerists Julian Van der Moere and Megan Foy to frame his engaging artist statement that sets the scene for the exhibition. Foy chose references from Jean-Luc Nancy’s book The Fall of Sleep, focusing on memory and dreamland, while Van der Moere steals lines from books that have a relationship to the show in some way, or which Christie simply likes, embellishing with intentional misspellings and substitutions. Christie says he then “played demonic editor in the margins.”&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741038473/buexqhqruasbf1zhxdfk.jpg">Milo Christie,&nbsp;1781 Personen, 2024, acrylic, charcoal, chalk pastel, gouache, fermented latex paint, wax crayon, india ink,, graphite, conté and plastic trophy part on paper, canvas and linen, 26 x 28 in.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741038474/cdtkj2fpacfl26keyxe4.jpg">Milo Christie,&nbsp;2100 Personen, 2024, acrylic, charcoal, chalk pastel, empty tape on linen, 10 x 8 in. The exhibit primarily consists of four of Christie's paintings, which are joined by two pieces serving as responses to his work. Christie chose one response–a photograph created by his father, Ludwig Siegele, a journalist, and photographer. A video by British avant-garde filmmaker, John Smith, was the second response, selected by the gallerists. The photo and video are quiet, meditative pieces and work well in conjunction with Christie’s calm muted-palette paintings. Christie’s mixed media paintings on canvas and linen are beautifully rendered, and imperfect by design. 1781 Personen, the focal point of the show, has tufts of linen visible on the corners, in Untitled (field) Christie leaves a sliver of unpainted linen around the edges, and Untitled has several nails protruding from the side of the painting. The piece is installed strategically in the front room so you can’t miss seeing the raw side when exiting the main gallery. Christie’s intentional scruffiness brings perfection. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741038475/e6x1yb1q0bin9jw9aymy.jpg">Milo Christie,&nbsp;Untitled (field), 2024, acrylic, charcoal, fermented latex paint, aluminum tape on linen, 18 x 20 in. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741038476/ftgggwwkmysp0yyvekdn.jpg">John Smith,&nbsp;Leading Light, 1975, 11 mins. There are unexpected elements in Christie’s smart paintings that are pleasant surprises. The nursery rhyme and children’s book, I Spy With My Little Eye, comes to mind as I explore each piece. Christie paints tiny peepholes, embeds nails, and in 1781 Personen incorporates a plastic gold trophy on paper, unifying his fondness for sculpture and painting.&nbsp; It's worth noting that Christie is a curator as well, and that influence is evident in the way he and the gallerists present the works. 1781 Personen is intentionally placed off center on a large wall, while the smallest painting, 2100 Personen, is tucked into a back corner like a precious easter egg to be hunted. Then, the monitor for John Smith’s video is hung low to the floor. Each perfect, imperfect installation decision adds interest to Smuggle as a whole and to each work that is part of it, resulting in a curated collaboration best viewed leisurely to explore the numerous complexities the show offers. Smuggle, Milo Christie, Ludwig Siegele, and John Smith is on view at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.letterstonora.com/entry" target="_blank">Letters to Nora</a>, 1500 S. Western Ave, Ste. 407, through April 5, 2025

Susan Gescheidle writes for Chicago Gallery News about a recent visit to Letters to Nora