<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064149/suqeu41pwtt9xjgeyapa.jpg"> 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>• Exhibition Highlights</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064150/xhupturwwi7cagmbzxue.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mwangi-hutter-you-begin-to-see-the-signs" target="_blank">Mwangi Hutter: You Begin to See the Signs</a></h4><h6> </h6>Mar 4–Apr 16, 2025Mariane IbrahimMariane Ibrahim presents an exhibition featuring the artist duo Mwangi Hutter, entitled&nbsp;You Begin to See the Signs. This is the artists' third solo exhibition with the gallery and first in Chicago.The exhibition will be on view in tandem with the group exhibition&nbsp;Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica&nbsp;at the Art Institute Chicago, which includes&nbsp;Static Drift&nbsp;(2001),&nbsp;part of the museum's permanent collection. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064150/iawxmyyfl21tpj4bmmbe.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jill-wells-sewn-from-resistance" target="_blank">Jill Wells: Sewn From Resistance</a></h4> Mar 7–Mar 28, 2025Opening: Friday, Mar 7, 2025 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMARC GallerySEWN FROM RESISTANCE: Deconstructing Black Disability Narratives in America&nbsp;is a site-specific, multi-sensory installation by Jill Wells that critically examines the intersection of Black and Disability histories within the American context. This work challenges stereotypical portrayals of Black disability identities while celebrating the resilience and resistance embedded within these lived experiences. Through a fusion of installation, painting, sound, and tactile sculpture, Wells engages sensory elements that shape how individuals' access and engage with information.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064151/s9pgcdaz1c8vwmiaka5h.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/christina-fernandez-multiple-exposures" target="_blank">Christina Fernandez: Multiple Exposures</a></h4> Mar 20–Aug 3, 2025Opening: Thursday, Mar 20, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMDePaul University Art Museum (DPAM)Christina Fernandez: Multiple Exposures surveys the work of Fernandez, a Los Angeles-based artist who from the late 1980s to the present has conducted a rich exploration of migration, labor, gender, and her Mexican American identity through photography. “Multiple Exposures” will open March 20 and run until Aug. 3 at the museum, located on DePaul University’s Lincoln Park Campus.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064152/cyhjfd7x2ine7v08gmbr.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/expanding-the-50th-shared-stories" target="_blank">Expanding the 50th: Shared Stories</a></h4> Mar 25–Jul 13, 2025Opening: Friday, Mar 28, 2025 5:00 PM – 7:30 PMSmart Museum of ArtThis second iteration of the 50th exhibition continues to trace the layered, sometimes hidden, histories that have made up the Smart Museum of Art, including newly commissioned artwork. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064153/rtapk04kxwcnooflu1vw.jpg"> <h4><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></h4> Mar 15–Jul 13, 2025Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC)People throughout the Arabian Peninsula are taught to live in relationship with spirits that live beneath the earth called&nbsp;“ahl al ‘arth,”&nbsp;(people of the earth). Kuwaiti-Iraqi artist and art therapist&nbsp;Farah Salem&nbsp;grew up aware of regular interactions with these spirits. The knowledge that we don’t “exist alone, but rather in relationship with plants, rocks, animals, and unseen forces” drives her artistic practice. This exhibition presents new and existing sculpture, photography and installation work that continue the artist’s study and reinterpretation of healing and ceremonial migratory practices of people of the Arabian Peninsula that seek to repair one’s relationship with oneself, the earth, and other beings.&nbsp; <h4>• Auctions and Previews</h4> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064154/phmzzzaqovznl8x3bilq.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/essential-design" target="_blank">Essential Design</a></h4> Thursday, Mar 13, 2025 11:00 AM – 1:30 PMWrightTwice a year,&nbsp;Essential Design&nbsp;brings an exciting mix of our favorite designs to auction. From classic mid-century works&nbsp;to innovative&nbsp;contemporary pieces, the collection travels the globe to present&nbsp;works&nbsp;at a variety of price points to add something special to any interior. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064154/bssuy1tsssumyohldqan.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/important-jewelry" target="_blank">Important Jewelry</a></h4> Thursday, Mar 20, 2025 10:00 AM – 1:00 PMFreeman's | Hindman <h4 class="ql-align-justify">• Talks and Special Events</h4> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064155/nb37cornivohfmz6lnxz.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/conversation-with-cosmo-whyte-and-jeremiah-matthew-davis" target="_blank">Conversation with Cosmo Whyte and Jeremiah Matthew Davis</a></h4> Saturday, Mar 8, 2025 1–2:00 PMThe Arts Club of ChicagoCoinciding with the citywide celebration of Panafrica Weekend, artist Cosmo Whyte will be in conversation with longtime colleague and director emeritus of Oklahoma Contemporary Jeremiah Matthew Davis. The two will explore the three distinct bodies of work present in&nbsp;The Mother's Tongue, Pressed to the Grinding Stone.&nbsp;From his roots in painting to his experiments in sound art and performance, to his ongoing posthumous collaboration with his father's unrealized architectural designs, the conversation will trace the arc of his artistic practice from Bennington College to The Arts Club of Chicago. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064156/f5yn8ykvthcsasejdvmx.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lucy-railton" target="_blank">Lucy Railton</a></h4> Saturday, Mar 15, 2025 8–9:00 PMThe Renaissance SocietyBritish cellist and composer Lucy Railton presents a visceral live set drawing on music from her Modern Love release&nbsp;Corner Dancer, bridging experimental electronic and electroacoustic practices with the conventions of new music. Employing a deep consideration of sound and its properties, the work implements cello and antiquated string instruments, analog and digital synthesizers, drum machines and voice, and explores alternate tuning systems, psychoacoustic phenomena, and timbral control. <h1><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741064156/cyjp5a2rgto51iesgz71.png"></h1> <h4><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></h4> Thursday, Mar 27, 2025 4–7:00 PMPistachios Contemporary Art Jewelry and ObjectsWith work from Jennifer Merchant, Emiko Oye and Nikki Couppee, the exhibition features three artists that are transforming plastic into wearable works of art. Plastic is undoubtedly a part of our everyday lives, and is an often overlooked material for jewelry. But this transformation from ordinary to something spectacular calls into question: how do we place value on objects? What is cherished? Each artist has their own unique way of interpreting these questions and reinventing the material by tapping into intuition, with color remaining a key component to the work. # <h5><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">View the full CGN Calendar here</a></h5>

CGN Art Preview: March 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741016097/cao4ohhqnklv8enggec5.jpg"> By BIANCA BOVA Inside a classic Chicago walk-up apartment on Logan Boulevard, characterized by warm woodwork, high ceilings, and wavy glass windows offset by thoughtfully selected Italian modernist furnishings,&nbsp;is where Tom Guenther and Kerry Grace Herllihy reside and where an art collection is as telling of its owners’ taste as it is of the city’s.&nbsp; Guenther and Herlihy lived on the West and East Coasts respectively, before settling down together in Logan Square. Guenther is a Full time Preparator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, who has also worked in turns for the Art Institute of Chicago; under the auspices of Terry Dowd International; and for hire at art fairs around the country, in addition to holding posts at various galleries along the way. Herlihy on the other hand, works in tech in Enterprise Customer Solutions.&nbsp; “We have the feeling Chicago is where we're going to stay, and investing in Chicago artists is really important to us,” notes Herlihy, “I've been fortunate. My grandma really turned me onto art when I was young. She was a representative for small artists in Tampa, Florida. My dad was a pilot, so I was able to travel a lot with my family, so collecting for me was about finding art from different places that just felt right at first. But now, I feel like we have more of a focus, and it is a local focus in many ways.” <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741016098/mr2je0eflmvipjf30r7p.jpg"> “I worked as an art assistant when I was still living in Oakland, California,” says Guenther, “and I started collecting little knick-knacks from artists that have come and gone over the years, things by people I worked for or with. But when it came to collecting seriously, I kept thinking, ’Oakland? Am I really gonna be here for forever?’ So I stuck with collecting a lot of books and zines with artists’ signatures, and small, compact sort of works. Like Kerry said, now that we’re here, it feels like we can be a little more ambitious with it.” Guenther then adds with a laugh, “Plus once we moved in together, it was kind of tight that we both had someone to go in on art 50/50 with!”&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741016100/lorpghwzcfabdwwtwhgo.jpg"> The collection unfolds thoughtfully, (if not densely) throughout the couple’s space. In an especially stunning instance, a Naomi Nakazato acrylic work is suspended from wires in a bespoke frame in front of the windows that look out onto the apartment’s sleeping porch. (“The benefits of living with an art handler!” quips Herlihy). Adjacent, alongside the Saporiti Missoni-upholstered couch, Mexican folk art figurines, and fragments of kiln-blown Theaster Gates pottery, hangs a mirror etched with Monikers and doodles, a playful homage to the couples’ artistic loves.&nbsp; “​​There’s some Cy Twombly in there, all sorts of things. There are titles to Karl Wirsum paintings, and there are some Christina Ramberg drawings hidden too,” Guenther says, “It’s just a fun thing for us–a way to incorporate some of our favorites.” A deep enthusiasm for Chicago’s Imagists is a dominant thread in the collection. In the foyer of the apartment hangs its crown jewel, an Errol Ortiz painting, The Runaway House (1983) the couple acquired from Who Modern in Skokie, Illinois. Part of a larger series of 12 works by the artist, it hangs companionably with two blind-object wire hands that project from the corner wall.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741016101/uhctasztmfpiafmfbseq.jpg"> “The Imagists are really where it started for me,” says Guenther, ”About 12 years ago, I was living here in Chicago and working as a bike messenger. I was out in a rainstorm, and I was delivering a letter to a place between Superior and Ohio streets. There was a Zack Wirsum painting hanging in the front of Jean Albano Gallery. I saw it and decided to go in. Jean was there, and she was very welcoming. She started to tell me, ‘This guy's dad was really great. I got some of his paintings in the back that are from the '80s. They were sold in Japan, and I'm gonna show them in the US for the first time ever!’&nbsp;So she brought me to the back and started showing me these Karl Wirsum paintings that hadn't been shown in the States yet. And I just thought that was so cool–the work of course, but also that she did that. Biking around, you see a lot of public art, and I started to notice all the Roger Brown pieces. There's one famous mosaic on LaSalle, the two Angel men, you know, right by the courthouse. NBC Tower had one, and the building next to the Chicago Architecture Center. It all made a real impression on me.” At the entry of the apartment, the front door is flanked on one wall by a work on corrugated metal by graffiti artist Riggs (“It’s a strange one,” notes Guenther, “it has rope that has epoxy on the back–that’s what you hung it from. Of course the rope’s going to dissolve long before the epoxy does.”) and on another by a painting by Chicago artist Jonathan Worcester. The latter was acquired from a 2024 exhibition at Cleaner Gallery.&nbsp; “I really hadn't seen Jonathan's work until we went to the University Club,” Herlihy says, “When I saw that show, I was blown away.”&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741016102/ajukuoyiakzidzku1t6h.jpg">Jonathan Worcester “We’re also big fans of Cleaner, of Ari Norris and Ryan Burns, the owners,” says Guenther, “so when we saw Jonathan’s show there, the next day I texted him about a painting. It’s heavy as hell, but man we got a good one. He’s such a good guy too, I knew him from working at the Art Institute.” “That’s really our ideal situation,” continues Herlihy, “buying a work of art we really love in a way that supports Chicago artists and galleries, who are also just people who we really, genuinely like. We don’t think about market value too much or try to be speculators. I mean of course you want to see the artists you like succeed, but more importantly, you want to believe that something holds value just because we love it so much.”&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741016103/dmsulblzeg5qlxuzi55j.jpg"> Around the corner, the kitchen contains a cheeky mix of Juan Palacios paintings, H.C. Westermann photos, and work by Guenther (“I don’t really make much anymore,” he shrugs modestly, “mostly gifts for friends or family.”). Deeper into the apartment, one finds an increasingly eclectic mix–a 1980s ceramic wall piece acquired at auction that was once modified into a clock, Sean Gannon drawings, folk paintings on tin from the Mercado la Venia in Mexico City, a textile piece by Norman Laliberté passed down from Herlihy’s grandmother outfitted with custom cherrywood brackets built by Guenther. Alongside the neo-Imagist and folk aspects, an interest in outsider art is legible in the collection. One such piece that stands out is a framed work of mail art. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1741016104/s1f5ow8dze7gqyeu4ah8.jpg"> “It’s a work by Buzz Blur. He was the Moniker writer Colossus of Roads. We were selling his art at a gallery I worked at in 2015, in the West, called SubTerra that existed for like, six to eight years. He wrote this letter to me, and in it was an alias of his real name, and his brother's age–that’s circled. He handmade and would print these off these stamps, and they would actually go through the mail. It's crazy. He lived on a train line in Arkansas. He writes and also would speak in this kind of poetic, Victorian-esque way. He was so kind. The Massillon Museum in Ohio acquired most of the work from that show. I’m grateful for the letter as a memento,” says Guenther.&nbsp; It is this attitude and approach that leads one to believe that though Guenther and Herlihy’s collection is young (as are they themselves), one can see clearly in their enthusiasm, sincerity, and respect for Chicago’s art historical legacies the wider footprint it is sure to eventually fill out.&nbsp; #

An interview with Chicago art collectors Tom Guenther and Kerry Herlihy

Collector Profile: Tom Guenther and Kerry Herlihy

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1743783607/nesmtg1s7kva3h34uvw0.jpg"> Via CGN Staff The Art Institute of Chicago is open on Wednesdays again, starting next week, March 5. Now, the museum will offer access to its expansive collection and landmark exhibitions six days a week.&nbsp;It is still closed on Tuesdays. “The Art Institute is proud to be part of the thriving cultural community in downtown Chicago,” said James Rondeau President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute of Chicago. “Our updated schedule demonstrates the museum’s commitment to making our iconic collection more accessible to the city’s residents and visitors from around the world.” The new schedule coincides with the final days of 2025 Free Winter Weekdays, sponsored by Health Care Service Corporate (HCSC), allowing Illinois residents to visit the museum for free on Wednesdays, March 5, and March 12. Free Winter Weekdays offers Illinois residents free admission every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday—all day long until March 14. So if you find yourself in a mid-week slump, you now can stop into the Art Institute to lift your spirits and your mind. Visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artic.edu/" target="_blank">Artic.edu</a> for details

Six Days a Week: Art Institute of Chicago Announces Wednesday Hours

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519583/amkdkvj86fscoob14qva.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pedro-vaz" target="_blank">Pedro Vaz</a>Opening: Friday, February 28, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMDOCUMENT <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519584/qfqiwjthvi3qxhemkwr7.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/nicole-gordon-postmemory" target="_blank">Nicole Gordon: Postmemory</a>Opening: Friday, February 28, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PMThe Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519584/fvrg07r0aglpbiqvxpow.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/memory-is-a-verb-exploring-time-and-transience" target="_blank">Memory Is a Verb: Exploring Time and Transience</a>Opening: Friday, February 28, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PMThe Art Center Highland Park <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519585/hxcgwjecgfdovfwkuk8b.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/bob-hooper" target="_blank">Bob Hooper</a>February 2865GRAND <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519586/oospwiq95j4pyyp339rq.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sung-jang-shape-of-land" target="_blank">Sung Jang: Shape of Land</a>Opening: Friday, February 28, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMVolume Gallery

New Exhibitions Opening February 28th - March 4th (Part 1)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519011/mmafnwi6wuubkfwxw6op.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/group-exhibition-thats-what-she-said" target="_blank">Group Exhibition: That's What She Said</a>Opening: Friday, February 28, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PMJackson Junge Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519011/vkezqaknrni3tkxzm7h3.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/shadows" target="_blank">Shadows</a>Opening: Saturday, March 1, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMChicago Sculpture International (CSI) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519012/tw4hpgt32e0klajlfgjv.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/wakaliga-uganda-if-uganda-was-america" target="_blank">Wakaliga Uganda: If Uganda Was America</a>Opening: Saturday, March 1, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMThe Renaissance Society <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740519013/dt7iyavukxdgqhnpkmyi.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/an-eclectic-expression-iii" target="_blank">An Eclectic Expression - III</a>Opening: Sunday, March 2, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PMGallery Seven

New Exhibitions Opening February 28th - March 4th (Part 2)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740517528/w47n0wu8b0wlccosl5cy.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/radiance" target="_blank">Radiance</a>Opening: Sunday, March 1, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMThe Grove Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740517530/qfgfneg3jpb96nwenjkn.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/26th-international-open" target="_blank">26th International Open</a>Opening: Sunday, March 1, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMWoman Made Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740517531/cdb94bxqcmyknti10zv4.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/unbounded-territories-where-to-imagine" target="_blank">Unbounded Territories: Where to Imagine</a>Opening: Sunday, March 2, 1:00 – 4:00 PMEvanston Art Center <h1> </h1><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740517533/hqvpa9snrymwomg1whab.png"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/synthesize" target="_blank">Synthesize</a>Exhibition begins March 3Madron Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740517534/uitnx4ii1gm91evcg2q8.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mwangi-hutter-you-begin-to-see-the-signs" target="_blank">Mwangi Hutter: You Begin to See the Signs</a>Exhibition begins March 4Mariane Ibrahim

New Exhibitions Opening February 28th - March 4th (Part 3)

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740178268/dslr1ptjsn4tfhdyfddi.jpg"> By GINNY VAN ALYEA DARKROOM&nbsp;is the Museum of Contemporary Photograph's annual renowned benefit auction featuring premier artworks and one-of-a-kind arts experiences by emerging and established contemporary artists from around the world. It's also a really good party. Taking place on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at Columbia College in Chicago's South Loop, this year's event will once again by a festive night in support of MoCP's important programming. When an event takes place year after year, we want to know what will make this year's event different from the rest. I asked MoCP Director Natasha Egan and this year's DARKROOM co-chairs, Gary Metzner and Scott Johnson what we can expect and look forward to - from great art, an important photography award, and some old-school bidding. <h6>CGN: Tell us what we can expect from this year’s DARKROOM benefit.</h6>Expect to step into an immersive atmosphere where light and color blend, shift, and interact, creating a vibrant, ever-changing experience. Dynamic projections and fluid hues will set the stage for an unforgettable evening of art, community, and celebration—all in support of MoCP. A lively auction will feature stunning photographic works from artists across the globe, alongside fantastic food from The Gage, drinks from Orin Swift and Sovereign Brands, and sweet treats from Pretty Cool and Sugar Bliss—all generously sponsored by our partners. SmartBar’s DJ Alejandro Zerah will keep the night flowing with the perfect mix of beats and atmosphere. Whether you're bidding, mingling, or simply soaking it all in, DARKROOM 2025 promises to be a night you won’t want to miss. <h6>CGN: Why is the museum’s fundraiser more important than ever this year?</h6>The arts are facing some complicated headwinds—funding challenges, shifting priorities, and an ever-evolving cultural landscape. But one thing remains clear: spaces like MoCP are more vital than ever. DARKROOM directly supports the museum’s ability to showcase groundbreaking photography, offer free exhibitions and programs, and champion artists at every stage of their careers. Your support ensures that MoCP continues to be a thriving hub for creativity, conversation, and visual literacy in Chicago and beyond. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740178268/cmjri0gmxd2hnjzet79h.jpg"> <h6>CGN: I hear clipboards and indecipherable handwriting are back in style. Will I be able to put my phone away at this party?</h6>Absolutely! We’re embracing the old-school thrill of paper bid sheets—so get ready for some dramatic last-minute scribbling and friendly elbowing at the auction. But if you spot something you must have and don’t want to risk a bidding war, you can still snag it instantly with our “Buy It Now” option…on your phone. Otherwise, let’s keep the digital distractions to a minimum—after all, nothing beats the excitement of watching your friends panic as they try to outbid you with a pen! <h6>CGN: What if someone has to miss the big night, but they really want to bid on a work in the auction?</h6>No problem! You can still be part of the action. If you can’t attend in person but have your eye on something special, contact Jaclyn Silverman at jsilverman@colum.edu, and she’ll work with you to place an absentee bid. Or, if you’re the decisive type, you can use the Buy It Now option online—and 25% of the purchase price will be tax-deductible! Don’t miss your chance to take home a stunning work of photography while supporting MoCP. <h6>CGN: Please share a little about this year’s Silver Camera award recipient, Vera Lutter.</h6>Vera Lutter is a visionary artist who quite literally sees the world through a different lens—transforming entire rooms and shipping containers into massive pinhole cameras. Using the camera obscura technique (which, fittingly, translates to darkroom), she creates large-scale, inverted images that challenge our perception of time, space, and memory. She’s a trailblazer in the field of photography, and we are thrilled to honor her with this year’s Silver Camera Award. <h6>CGN: Anything else you’re dying to tell us about DARKROOM 2025?</h6>Yes! If you haven’t yet, get your tickets now—because you won’t want to miss this one. And come ready to celebrate, bid, and maybe even leave with a new piece of photographic history. For all the details on tickets, the auction, and how to participate, visit <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mocp.org/events/darkroom-2025/" target="_blank">mocp.org/events/darkroom-2025/</a> now! # <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740178269/kkjcvhwtfrmsimtlazpu.png">

MoCP's Darkroom Returns February 27

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1740177620/syvoivokisp1ow92s5be.jpg">Carl Hammer By CGN Staff After four and a half decades in business, Chicago mainstay Carl Hammer is closing his eponymous River North gallery in just a few weeks on April 1, 2025. CGN Publisher Ginny Van Alyea interviewed Hammer this past fall. You can <a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/carl-hammer-45-years-of-steady-change" target="_blank">read the interview here</a>. In a shared statement this week, the gallery announced, "The Carl Hammer Gallery will close on April 1, and the current exhibition provides a historic representation of what Hammer envisioned for his gallery forty-five years ago. He opened the Hammer &amp; Hammer Gallery at 620 North Michigan in Chicago in 1979 while maintaining a full-time English teaching position at Evanston Township High School.” His “singular vision for the gallery was to present the very best of American folk and outsider art to a public that had limited knowledge or appreciation of such material. Carl haunted flea markets and antique shops, in and beyond the upper Midwest, becoming known for his discriminating eye, finding extraordinary examples of folk art and material culture.” With the work that he found—”examples of tramp art, memory jugs, objects made by inmates, one-of-a-kind shop signs, sideshow banners, waterfowl decoys and unique handmade objects”—many examples of the folk art were by artists who were unidentified, and others didn’t refer to themselves as artists. Carl represented them all with the utmost respect. The gallery soon became a gathering place for the growing community of Chicagoans intrigued by and embracing art from beyond the mainframe.” Early shows included Bill Traylor, S.L. Jones, Minnie Evans, Frank Jones, and other self-taught artists, but he promoted Chicago’s homegrown talent, including Gregory Warmack (aka Mr. Imagination), Albert Zahn, Joseph Yoakum, Lee Godie, William Dawson, Aldo Piacenza and Lee Godie. In the 1990s Carl represented the Henry Darger estate and expanded beyond the genre of self-taught artists.” He also drew from emerging artists at Chicago art schools, including Hollis Sigler, Ken Warneke, Chris Ware, Fred Stonehouse, Mary Lou Zelazney, ‘CJ’ Pyle, Martin Mull, Vanessa German, David Sharpe and Elizabeth Shreve. The gallery also showed Chicago Imagist artists and work by Roger Brown, Karl Wirsum, Ed Paschke and other Chicago artists. Hammer “extends his heartfelt thanks to the uncountable people–artists, fellow gallerists, clients, critics, curators, educators, scholars and students for their unequivocal support and for sharing in the years and joys of Carl Hammer Gallery.”

Carl Hammer Gallery Announces Closing after 45 Years

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739993324/fuggnt32cejc5c1omds3.jpg">Image:&nbsp;Jennifer Armetta, CAB Executive Director. Courtesy Chicago Architecture Biennial. Photo: Noah Sheldon. By CGN Staff Jennifer Armetta, a Chicago-based gallery owner, has just been named the new Executive Director of the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB). Armetta is well-known in Chicago, since for three decades Armetta she has been actively working with artists, collectors and others in the art world. She founded her first gallery in Chicago in 1996, Jennifer Armetta Fine Art, before moving to Los Angeles in 2000, where she continued her work as an art advisor. In 2004, Armetta returning to Chicago. Around that time she served as one of the founding members of the MCA Chicago’s acquisition board, Emerge, which is dedicated to bringing emerging artists into the museum’s permanent collection. In 2020 Armetta took on the role of Owner and Director of Aspect/Ratio Projects in Chicago, a gallery founded in 2012, by Jefferson Godard. Initially founded as a gallery focused on video art, Armetta oversaw the evolution of its programming to include emerging and mid-career, interdisciplinary artists focused on painting, photography and sculpture. In fall of 2021 Aspect/Ratio Projects changed its name to ENGAGE Projects, highlighting Jennifer’s personal mission of engaging with artists, communities and patrons in order to make art and its community more accessible to everyone. Armetta maintains deep and long-standing ties to the civic, fine arts and business communities in Chicago. She holds a seat on a number of boards, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; the Chicago Artists Coalition; The Chicago History Museum Costume Council and Artists in Public Schools.&nbsp; As the Executive Director of CAB, Armetta will leverage her extensive and wide-ranging experience working in both the fine arts and corporate sectors as she spearheads fundraising and programming initiatives along with securing new corporate and public sponsorships. Each facet of her role will remain oriented towards both solidifying CAB’s international presence and expanding its impact on and contribution to the city of Chicago. CAB 6 will be open to the public and on view from September 12, 2025 through February 28, 2026. The hub of the Biennial will once again be the Chicago Cultural Center, located in downtown Chicago.&nbsp;To learn more about Jennifer's appointment,&nbsp;please visit CAB's&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(109, 198, 221);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=51d9a79e08fd7f7dbb49c27a6&amp;id=d4f70e5617&amp;e=3dc58ca038" target="_blank">website</a>.

Jennifer Armetta, Chicago-based gallery owner, named Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) Exec. Dir.

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739911086/qn8cdc2bpi2ojwmyixai.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/on-fire-part-ii-surveying-women-in-glass-in-the-late-twentieth-century" target="_blank">On Fire Part II: Surveying Women in Glass in the Late-Twentieth Century</a>Exhibition begins February 19Racine Art Museum <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739911087/lyidnac6ln8ecqa4ixyc.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/new-works-by-michael-hedges" target="_blank">New Works by Michael Hedges</a>Exhibition begins February 20McCormick Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739911090/yskinketzxe0qjyjezgo.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alberto-aguilar-a-factual-accont" target="_blank">Alberto Aguilar: a factual accont</a>Opening: Friday, February 21, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PMENGAGE Projects <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739911091/h6cwb6k1fikdn7lqqx6l.jpg"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pipilotti-rist-supersubjektiv" target="_blank">Pipilotti Rist: Supersubjektiv</a>Exhibition begins February 22Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739911093/kocjdjrdjp4jxfhqubrt.png"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/picturing-community-stories-in-photographs-with-the-evanston-history-center" target="_blank">Picturing Community: Stories in Photographs | with the Evanston History Center</a>Opening: Sunday, February 23, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PMEvanston Art Center

New Exhibitions Opening February 19 - 23

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739900835/yml1hegpcpxrwx3t2krr.jpg"></h4>Chicago artist Caroline Kent poses for a portrait at her studio in Humboldt Park on Jan. 29, 2025. Kent is the talent behind a large, site-specific mural in Chicago’s Union Station and forthcoming exhibitions at the Smart Museum and Patron Gallery.&nbsp;Manuel Martinez/WBEZ<h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.wbez.org/arts/2025/02/12/chicago-art-caroline-kent-abstract-union-station-mural?utm_source=Newsletter_Weekly-Non-Member&amp;utm_medium=WBEZEmail&amp;utm_campaign=News_Newsletter_Weekly-Rundown_News_20250215&amp;utm_content=2/15/2025&amp;DE=WBEZEmail" target="_blank">Meet artist Caroline Kent, whose bold mural is transforming Chicago’s Union Station</a></h4> Caroline Kent stands in the center of her Humboldt Park home studio, surrounded by works in progress. Along one wall, four massive abstract paintings are partially complete, while smaller linen canvases sit scattered across her worktables. Nearby, adding to the vibrant energy of the space, is a collection of cut-paper shapes: experiments for a new project.But at the moment, Kent, 49, isn’t discussing her to-do list. Instead, she trains her eye on her cat, precariously perched above the studio space atop a partition wall. Via WBEZ Read CGN's fall 2024 profile of Kent <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/articles/caroline-kent-confidence-on-canvas" target="_blank">here</a> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/02/14/art-institute-chicago-french-old-masters-gift-jeffrey-carol-horvitz" target="_blank">Art Institute of Chicago gifted more than 2,200 French Old Masters</a></h4> The&nbsp;<a style="color: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 254, 250);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/keywords/art-institute-of-chicago" target="_blank">Art Institute of Chicago</a>&nbsp;(AIC) has received a massive gift of French art from the collectors Jeffrey and Carol Horvitz. Comprised of almost 2,000 drawings, 200 paintings and 50 sculptures by legendary artists like Jacques-Louis David and François Boucher, the donation reflects the scope and depth of the Horvitz collection, renowned as the largest privately held trove of French Old Master works in the US. Via The Art Newspaper <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.wttw.com/2025/02/13/artist-s-work-pulses-new-life-after-open-heart-surgery-and-series-hallucinations" target="_blank">Artist’s Work Pulses With New Life After Open-Heart Surgery and a Series of Hallucinations</a></h4> A serious health scare became an unexpected catalyst for change for a Chicago-based artist. While recovering from open-heart surgery in 2021,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(20, 78, 150);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sharcoulson.com/" target="_blank">Shar Coulson</a>&nbsp;experienced trippy visions that ultimately shaped her artwork. The paintings she made are the focus of&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(20, 78, 150);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://imss.org/nightsight-shar-coulson/" target="_blank">“NIGHT SIGHT: Illuminating the Mind’s Eye Through Darkness,”</a>&nbsp;an exhibition at the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(20, 78, 150);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://imss.org/" target="_blank">International Museum of Surgical Science</a>&nbsp;— the Gold Coast museum of medicine that also boasts a healthy contemporary art program. Coulson spoke with WTTW News about her unusual encounter with the healing powers of art and science. Via WTTW

What We are Reading: 2/18/25

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739333917/oekxxx9awpzcem4teue1.jpg">Gallery view at Griffin MSI By GINNY VAN ALYEA An especially creative and inviting opportunity to visit, or return to, if you haven't been in awhile, the newly renamed Griffin MSI, formerly the Museum of Science and Industry, is to experience an expansive, multi-generational visual arts exhibit that has been displayed annually at Griffin MSI since 1970.&nbsp;Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition&nbsp;features paintings, drawings, fine art prints, sculpture, mixed-media, ceramics and photography by African Americans, including youth artists between the ages of 14 and 17. The exhibition opened earlier this month, and the crowds in attendance on a cold Sunday when I visited with my family, were significant and energetic. Though all the works in this year's exhibition are viewable online, the chance to see them in person and in proximity to other works will only be possible through the end of April. There are works by very young artists and pieces by professional, older artists. abstract works juxtaposed with figurative ones, and serenely lit sculptures encased in acrylic. Each work is also, if available, for sale. The museum's website makes it possible to contact individual artists directly, as well as see which works received <a style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/black-creativity-juried-art-exhibition/awards" target="_blank">awards</a> this year. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739333918/gjzovsiwde1zrr0rmo75.jpg">Alice Aida AyersLIBATIONSHand sewn quilt, fabric, beads, threads<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.aliceaida.com/" target="_blank">Artist info</a> The art exhibition is but one part of Griffin MSI's celebration of African American achievement in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics through its Black Creativity program. Black Creativity offers a wide range of targeted, culturally relevant STEAM education programming supported by the Museum’s&nbsp;education initiatives, reaching over 10,000 students, their teachers, and their families in underserved Chicago neighborhoods each year. MSI says it aims to achieve four main goals through the program: <ul><li>Provide exposure for African-American youth to careers, educational pathways, and other opportunities in science, technology, engineering, art and math.</li><li>Deepen students’ engagement with STEAM through hands-on learning.</li><li>Increase access to Griffin MSI and its resources to African-American students and their families.</li><li>Showcase African Americans and their contributions, past and current, to the fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.</li></ul> Between now and the end of April, make the trip to visit Griffin MSI to see Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition as well as all the museum has to offer both visitors to the city as well as locals. This exhibition&nbsp;is now open through April 27, 2025 and&nbsp;is included in Museum Entry. Note: On Feb. 15 and March 15 the museum offers an opportunity to enroll young innovators in a one-day&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(254, 80, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://msichicago.emlnk1.com/lt.php?x=3DZy~GDDV6Gd558v0_5MhORr3XAjjdHzjMY2X5TGJIXL55WtyUy.0OJy23Jzit9vjNYxbHPHJXOe" target="_blank">Curiosity Camp</a>&nbsp;about the trailblazing pilot Bessie Coleman. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739333918/ungnsxb1vmxclgnddybj.jpg">Kevin WestWhen Sunday ComesOil<a style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://kwestfineart.com/" target="_blank">Artist info</a> ﻿

"Black Creativity" Returns for Annual Viewing at Griffin MSI

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739247166/mhm1oeznsty9gtbhhx1n.png">Cynthia Burr By ABBEY KOT Since 2016, Vivid Art Gallery has given the community of Winnetka an opportunity to view and learn about an array of artists and mediums, giving prospective buyers the unique opportunity to further curate their spaces through their selections. This week we discuss the business model and practice with owner and curator, Cynthia Burr. &nbsp; Chicago Gallery News: Vivid Art Gallery offers visitors a unique viewing experience, with multiple artists always on display. How do you feel this model has impacted your visitors’ experiences over the years? Cynthia Burr: Many galleries are located in art districts or tourist areas where customers stroll leisurely and, if they happen to see a piece they like, they buy it.&nbsp;Here on the North Shore, the experience is more intentional.&nbsp;People come in because they are looking for a painting for over the mantle, for example.&nbsp;So if we have only one artist’s work on the walls, the probability that there will be a fit is not great.&nbsp;But with examples of 25 artists’ work hanging in the gallery, there is a better chance that they will find artwork that speaks to them.&nbsp;Having multiple artists’ work hanging in the gallery also exposes people to art that they might not want in their home but that they find interesting and want to learn more about.&nbsp;We represent artists working in oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, mixed media, thread, scratchboard, lithography, photography, and ceramics.&nbsp;This provides visitors with the opportunity to be educated about many different art forms if they are interested in learning. CGN: A business which offers multiple services also takes strict management of all departments to ensure that customers are receiving the best possible experience. Have there been any challenges or learning experiences that stand out to you when it comes to overseeing numerous aspects of the gallery? CB: Obviously, I had a lot to learn about the art business when I opened the gallery!&nbsp;I think that forming partnerships with key collaborators has been important to making sure that customers have a great experience, from framers to installers to shippers. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1739247167/k7y5smyirrcvzztbu6sv.jpg">A view of the gallery CGN: &nbsp;A large part of your mission is to promote community and conversation about art in Chicago’s North Shore Neighborhood. Why do you feel it is so important to foster creativity and a love for the arts? CB: It seems that so many people on the North Shore are uncomfortable walking into a gallery, much less buying art. They don’t feel knowledgeable about art, and that takes them out of their comfort zone.&nbsp;It’s so important to make art accessible, and we have worked hard to create a “safe” place for people to come in, look around, and ask questions.&nbsp;Sometimes they buy, sometimes they don’t, but they will have had an experience that makes them more comfortable going into the next gallery. Our goal is to make art approachable, so that more people will experience it and interact with it. &nbsp;&nbsp; CGN: Have you noticed any overarching themes in your career that you feel have shaped you and your current business practices?&nbsp; CB: Professionalism, personal relationships, and going the extra mile are keys to success in any business. &nbsp; CGN: Your professional background is not in the art world, but rather working with nonprofits and major corporations. Is there any advice you would give to those looking to make a career change into a field that aligns with their passions?&nbsp; CB: Do it!&nbsp;The skills and knowledge that accrue during someone’s career are almost always translatable to their passion. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://vividartgallery.net/" target="_blank">VIVID Gallery</a> is located at 895 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, IL

An interview with local art dealer Cynthia Burr of Vivid Gallery in Winnetka, IL

An Interview with Cynthia Burr

EXPO CHICAGO Shares First Details on Spring 2025 Fair

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226184/ig2jzfndzgwc0zivlu4y.jpg">From left: The Seldoms and Elmhurst Art Museum, Wafaa Bilal at the MCA, and MoCP's annual DARKROOM benefit. 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>• Family Events</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226185/txhffiiso5hl90gapmhw.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/family-day-filling-the-paige" target="_blank">Family Day: Filling the Paige</a></h4> Saturday, Feb 8, 2025 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/smart-museum-of-art" target="_blank">Smart Museum of Art</a> Discover how artists featured in&nbsp;The 50th&nbsp;create their work in unexpected ways. Families&nbsp;will experiment with pattern, printing, and repetition using unique art-making techniques such as printmaking, paint, and ink. Drop in; all families and kids of all ages are welcome.&nbsp; <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226185/jdcwqcnehulvtn7cqnav.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/family-day-comfy-cozy" target="_blank">Family Day: Comfy Cozy</a></h4> Saturday, Feb 8, 2025 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-mca" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)</a> Spend the afternoon crafting your own incense, tea, and heartfelt art. Family Days are always free for kids and their grownups! <h3>• Performance and Screenings</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226186/xtpyiikkn4de59uiiluc.jpg"><h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/insert-coin-documentary-screening-and-discussion" target="_blank">Insert Coin Documentary Screening and Discussion</a></h4> Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-cleve-carney-museum-of-art-ccma" target="_blank">The Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA)</a> In conjunction with the&nbsp;Insert Coin&nbsp;exhibition&nbsp;at Cleve Carney Museum of Art, enjoy a special screening of the documentary, “Insert Coin,” followed by a panel discussion with key members of Midway Games featured in the documentary. “Insert Coin” is the amazing behind-the-scenes story of the making of Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam and other massive videogame hits.&nbsp; <h4> </h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226187/e0odiwxmflfcpdqjdwvp.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-seldoms-an-evening-of-dance-inspired-by-the-earth" target="_blank">The Seldoms: An Evening of Dance Inspired by the Earth</a></h4> Friday, Feb 14, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/elmhurst-art-museum" target="_blank">Elmhurst Art Museum</a> <a style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theseldoms.org/" target="_blank">The Seldoms</a>, a contemporary Chicago-based dance troupe, perform excerpts from three celebrated works:&nbsp;Floe&nbsp;(2020),&nbsp;GRASS&nbsp;(2021), and&nbsp;Superbloom&nbsp;(2023). Inspired by themes of the museum’s current exhibition&nbsp;Sustenance &amp; Land, such as climate, nature, and transformation, these innovative works are followed by a lively discussion with the dancers. The program includes light bites, beverages, and exhibition viewing. <h3>• Exhibitions</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226187/uhswmjiv0sp09vmdjmus.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/arvie-smith-crossing-clear-creek" target="_blank">Arvie Smith: Crossing Clear Creek</a></h4> Feb 8, 2025 - Mar 22, 2025Opening: Saturday, Feb 8, 2025 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/moniquemeloche" target="_blank">moniquemeloche</a> Arvie Smith: Crossing Clear Creek is the artist’s second solo exhibition with the gallery. Smith is a 2024 recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship in Fine Arts, with an artistic career spanning over four decades.&nbsp;His ongoing passion for advancing social and racial justice is reflected through his narrative paintings depicting historical and contemporary policies, influencers, bigotry, and institutional white supremacy, transforming the history of oppressed and stereotyped segments of the American experience into lyrical two-dimensional master works. <h4> </h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226189/tyh1fayj6gze00cl4dgz.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-tale-of-today-materialities" target="_blank">A Tale of Today: Materialities</a></h4> Feb 7 - Apr 25, 2025<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-driehaus-museum" target="_blank">The Driehaus Museum</a> A Tale of Today: Materialities, an expansive contemporary exhibition that invites viewers to discover the history and architectural richness of the Museum through the eyes of artists who are rooted in the Midwest. In the autumn of 2023,&nbsp;the Driehaus Museum held an open call for submissions, asking artists to identify a material from the Museum, research its history, and produce site-specific responses that connect the fabric of the building to distant shores, traditions, and ideologies. The commissioned works connect the past and present in original and compelling ways, linking different cultures to specific materials and&nbsp;allowing visitors to see the Nickerson Mansion through different perspectives. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226189/da3h3mawcintqb22knmp.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/wafaa-bilal-indulge-me" target="_blank">Wafaa Bilal: Indulge Me</a></h4> Thru Oct 25, 2025<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-mca" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)</a> Indulge Me&nbsp;is a major survey of renowned artist Wafaa Bilal (b. 1966, Najaf, Iraq; lives in New York, NY). Crucially, the exhibition will take a comprehensive look at Bilal’s myriad practice, highlighting the development of his work across decades and placing it in conversation with broader art histories. It will also explore cultural cannibalism—that is, how culture (specifically the culture of the other) is used, disassembled, and consumed. <h3>• Art Fairs and Markets</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226190/r0towhwpemblh3fpm6sp.jpg"> <h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/west-loop-contemporary-fine-art-expo" target="_blank">West Loop Contemporary Fine Art Expo</a></h4> Feb 21–Feb 23 Featuring over 40 invitation-only artists from 8 states, this Midwest inaugural event takes place at Plumber's Hall,&nbsp;the historic&nbsp;Beaux-Arts building in Chicago's trendy and convenient West Loop. <h3>• Galas and Benefits</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226191/xnsrlblricq4y5yj6xd3.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/celebrate-25-years-of-arts-of-life" target="_blank">Celebrate 25 Years of Arts of Life</a></h4> Saturday, Feb 22<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/circle-contemporary-arts-of-life" target="_blank">Circle Contemporary (Arts of Life)</a> Come raise a glass, meet the artists, eat some cake, and be part of a celebration dedicated to art and community. Here's to the next 25 years! Join us as we mark a milestone—our 25th anniversary of championing creativity, vision, and the arts. Longtime supporter and Guest of Honor&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artsoflife.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=676dcf6750de4694fd657fca1&amp;id=bb20c9c8dd&amp;e=ed6a12e728" target="_blank">Cindy Shanker</a>&nbsp;will join us to commemorate this special occasion. <h1><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226192/u4k6efwrufchcicpgqbc.png"></h1> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mocp.org/events/darkroom-2025/?mc_cid=701f6072cd&amp;mc_eid=62775191de" target="_blank">DARKROOM 2025: Annual Benefit Auction Party</a></h4> Thursday, Feb 27Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) DARKROOM&nbsp;is MoCP’s renowned benefit auction party featuring premier artworks and one-of-a-kind arts experiences by emerging and established contemporary artists from around the world. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226193/xhx5cysvndrmokmtmefc.jpg"><h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jmkac-gala-2025-this-is-the-place" target="_blank">JMKAC Gala 2025: This is the Place</a></h4> Saturday, Feb 22<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/john-michael-kohler-arts-center-jmkac" target="_blank">John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC)</a> The JMKAC Gala is an outta-sight celebration of how far we’ve come since the 1960s and our 1967 grand opening. There’ll be dinner from The American Club, a fabulous auction featuring one-of-a-kind items and far-out treasures, an open bar, valet parking, and more. It’ll be a gas! <h3>• Last Call - Closing Soon</h3> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226194/ivzt0aflpac8368055iv.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/kayla-risko-interiors" target="_blank">Kayla Risko: Interiors</a></h4> Thru Feb 15<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/65grand" target="_blank">65GRAND</a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226195/k88vmsxrf3dqcd2dfivq.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/home-sweet-home-nostalgiaish-3" target="_blank">Home Sweet Home: Nostalgia...ish 3</a></h4> Thru Feb 15, 2025<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/chicago-truborn" target="_blank">Chicago Truborn</a> "Home Sweet Home: Nostalgia...ish 3" dives deeper into reimagined vintage, thrifted, and found objects. This time, it’s more expansive, more playful, and filled with even more unforgettable creations. <h5>View the CGN Calendar <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events" target="_blank">here</a>. Updated daily. </h5> #

Highlights from CGN's art calendar this month

CGN Art Preview: February 2025

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226159/bplc906gagfjpuhxniqp.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/paul-simmons-blank-slate" target="_blank">Paul Simmons: Blank Slate</a>Exhibition begins February 6Wadsworth Family Gallery at Lewis University <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226160/koqpzjrpz7spjaui50kj.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/reception-for-mel-watkin-birdland" target="_blank">Reception for Mel Watkin: Birdland</a>Opening: Friday, February 7, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMARC Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226161/iqxojfhnzmgxovm74dkr.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/black-lives-matter-exhibition-a-reckoning" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter Exhibition: A Reckoning&nbsp;</a>Opening: Friday, February 7, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PMDragonfly Gallery &amp; Creative Spaces <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226163/xsgqsd7c4wnfaa6ate5d.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alliance-group-show" target="_blank">'ALLIANCE' Group Show</a>Opening: Friday, February 7, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMVertical Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226164/fbz6hld4fjiuhy7yecss.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/a-tale-of-today-materialities" target="_blank">A Tale of Today: Materialities</a>February 7The Driehaus Museum <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226165/azfwupenrouflhetmaty.png"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/arvie-smith-crossing-clear-creek" target="_blank">Arvie Smith: Crossing Clear Creek</a>Opening: Saturday, February 8, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PMmoniquemeloche <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744226167/qbleuxhqnye7m6zeekqk.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/allison-svoboda-in-defense-of-beauty" target="_blank">Allison Svoboda: In Defense of Beauty</a>Opening: Saturday, February 8, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PMOS Projects

New Exhibitions Opening February 7th & 8th

<h4><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1744158996/ogaw0l4fzzz20lyesbcc.jpg"></h4>Credit:&nbsp;Alden Studios for RAMSA. Rendering of the South Portico renovation<h4> </h4><h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/nonprofits-philanthropy/museum-science-and-industry-renovate-south-portico?share-code=17381780515021665-194b39bef22&amp;utm_id=gfta-ur-250129" target="_blank">Griffin Museum of Science &amp; Industry lands $10M grant to renovate historic South Portico</a></h4> The Griffin Museum of Science &amp; Industry was awarded a $10 million grant to renovate its historic South Portico and reopen its original entrance with added amenities.The project, which is supported by the grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation — the largest donation in the foundation’s history — aims to increase accessibility to the museum, add modern amenities such as a cafe and create a new public space connecting the museum to the Columbian Basin and the rest of Jackson Park. Via Crain's Chicago <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/emmanuel-macron-louvre-renovation-mona-lisa-2602990" target="_blank">The Mona Lisa Will Get Her Own Room at the Louvre, Vows Emmanuel Macron</a></h4> Just a few days after French newspaper&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.leparisien.fr/culture-loisirs/avaries-degradations-saturation-le-rapport-confidentiel-qui-alerte-sur-letat-du-musee-du-louvre-22-01-2025-VHQGISLZM5D4ZBALW3KURS44VI.php" target="_blank">Le Parisien</a>&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(31, 31, 31);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/louvre-leaked-letter-crumbling-infrastructure-2600955" target="_blank">leaked a memo</a>&nbsp;in which Louvre director Laurence des Cars expressed extreme concern for and dissatisfaction with the museum’s dilapidated state and increasing inability to adequately support the millions of visitors it draws each year, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered some major news. Standing in front of the iconic&nbsp;Mona Lisa&nbsp;painting by Leonardo da Vinci—the crown jewel of the museum’s collection—Macron announced a major renovation estimated to be worth upwards of €700 million ($730 million) as well as a new, custom-built room to exclusively display the&nbsp;Mona Lisa. <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/year-of-the-snake-art-2601795" target="_blank">As We Enter the Year of the Snake, Let’s Revisit the Serpent’s Starring Role in Art</a></h4> On January 29, it’s time for the celebration of Lunar New Year across many parts of Asia, from Korea to China and Southeast Asia, and among those of the Sinic cultural heritage scattered across the world. As we enter the Year of the Snake, we take the opportunity to revisit the starring roles of this mystic animal in art. Snake is the sixth animal sign in the 12-year zodiac cycle and based on traditional Chinese calculations, this is the year of Wood Snake.&nbsp; Via Artnet

What We're Reading: 1/30/25

Via PR The Hyde Park Art Center announced this year's&nbsp;participants in HPAC's&nbsp;Jackman Goldwasser Residency.&nbsp;Radicle Studio Residents&nbsp;are rooted at the Art Center from January to December through high-quality, free studio space where artists make work, research new projects, have access to the Art Center’s broad international network of artists and resources, and connect with a dynamic public.&nbsp; 2025 Radicle Studio Residents are:&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 183, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001CAzCIAvcK0IIRU1-Opk6cbFFgPoemla3pQsBf7nnC78PO7GMNdshGk_9pSbAa7GcPGEcwZ2FXHepkkelQAPOd3T2OSjmBgsPFlShZE0JBHkwtDe8BE0o2eKrLHl18spM3UC9JXQgyYsqwudAccfANPVSq3eFbMx8E9X52rhOb6RtCJQisrdYmzZF54LNlCQt&amp;c=YgAm3N0L-9Js6qI6XxW85hO6S-L07qnMYDbTo_joYqqTzxlyjMq7gA==&amp;ch=7BR6WkcnR3U4_R5YVxNACwMXtvp8CFNofi4TXnaOeKWbG2-E4xK67A==" target="_blank">Sabba S. Elahi</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 183, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001CAzCIAvcK0IIRU1-Opk6cbFFgPoemla3pQsBf7nnC78PO7GMNdshGk_9pSbAa7GciREcwWL9HpacwTg4M7yx8hhAmf_-0km6Q-qmWgGzJwzKV4neefYiK3F_vszTkjBm6cxmgjquZ-TQJwW4joFlRdFFBQ0eKmkmHEX8WbITBgUV_GWCycuOR-HuQ6rDClgH&amp;c=YgAm3N0L-9Js6qI6XxW85hO6S-L07qnMYDbTo_joYqqTzxlyjMq7gA==&amp;ch=7BR6WkcnR3U4_R5YVxNACwMXtvp8CFNofi4TXnaOeKWbG2-E4xK67A==" target="_blank">Leticia Pardo</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 183, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001CAzCIAvcK0IIRU1-Opk6cbFFgPoemla3pQsBf7nnC78PO7GMNdshGk_9pSbAa7GcFiQVEbXXJMIjzj_iDHFmhxsPHGcm-S9M_ftKJ9xpP9OhfwRTXXE0BfW3wWbPZc-WLfc_wnWMXW5yf14DQGM2HBBpkeqPk8lbp7BXj5IMffEpBRGmygcaNoH5szmpTop0&amp;c=YgAm3N0L-9Js6qI6XxW85hO6S-L07qnMYDbTo_joYqqTzxlyjMq7gA==&amp;ch=7BR6WkcnR3U4_R5YVxNACwMXtvp8CFNofi4TXnaOeKWbG2-E4xK67A==" target="_blank">Norman Long</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 183, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001CAzCIAvcK0IIRU1-Opk6cbFFgPoemla3pQsBf7nnC78PO7GMNdshGk_9pSbAa7GcFCdjCyyIRDLEmUA1UBykMRFdJQtBQoN0Jbvqvo0mw06mBZhYcJxh6wtI09lN8mITXLDxcKbnwRdOPxBgjYR8v1OTB7LH1rQWFZgcf4NqHJ9tRnpk9BQ94dSochi2VoGQ&amp;c=YgAm3N0L-9Js6qI6XxW85hO6S-L07qnMYDbTo_joYqqTzxlyjMq7gA==&amp;ch=7BR6WkcnR3U4_R5YVxNACwMXtvp8CFNofi4TXnaOeKWbG2-E4xK67A==" target="_blank">Irene Hsiao</a> As part of the&nbsp;Visiting Residency Program, Chicago’s only international residency, HPAC is welcoming&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 183, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001CAzCIAvcK0IIRU1-Opk6cbFFgPoemla3pQsBf7nnC78PO7GMNdshGk_9pSbAa7GcA0ULu48HfruMkWnBq4gBFtpBnkRotih7a2iuXPvpZQSDFhNvZY6EvcWoKr5iWx_XvedAl7AUzfJqK2pEGYcB-k-qpLnaCWp7wu3CuZ0QT7jE_cl8-PJ3VL_7PybFNEsS&amp;c=YgAm3N0L-9Js6qI6XxW85hO6S-L07qnMYDbTo_joYqqTzxlyjMq7gA==&amp;ch=7BR6WkcnR3U4_R5YVxNACwMXtvp8CFNofi4TXnaOeKWbG2-E4xK67A==" target="_blank">Yonamine</a>&nbsp;(March 3 – 28),&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 183, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001CAzCIAvcK0IIRU1-Opk6cbFFgPoemla3pQsBf7nnC78PO7GMNdshGk_9pSbAa7Gc0FgjzzvX5RKCstdWjq0daqLL-lcmifcsMRv_a7k7AoQek8OhUSRQpldJJWU76P1NCCwy82fde1fZreWmNnrvlFpPa_DLniGbYAnsRNZaqNS8e1C0u7HP-nuY_78kaNTusC0M4QAGa74=&amp;c=YgAm3N0L-9Js6qI6XxW85hO6S-L07qnMYDbTo_joYqqTzxlyjMq7gA==&amp;ch=7BR6WkcnR3U4_R5YVxNACwMXtvp8CFNofi4TXnaOeKWbG2-E4xK67A==" target="_blank">Iris Ping-Chi Hung</a>&nbsp;(April 28 - May 9), and&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(0, 183, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001CAzCIAvcK0IIRU1-Opk6cbFFgPoemla3pQsBf7nnC78PO7GMNdshGk_9pSbAa7GcmpTW3dPcQ-1HOlJiXPPRCzeTXV4CRYVVRHoW7VPG54Jq2nuFzhlk7kJ47lceTsnFGIj06qd75pXd1lQ1z6aJU24zoOeZS4SHCFjuVvq_w4fy0QzCBvQ3ZQqUY4KJnI6q&amp;c=YgAm3N0L-9Js6qI6XxW85hO6S-L07qnMYDbTo_joYqqTzxlyjMq7gA==&amp;ch=7BR6WkcnR3U4_R5YVxNACwMXtvp8CFNofi4TXnaOeKWbG2-E4xK67A==" target="_blank">Keren Kroul</a>&nbsp;(July 21 –&nbsp;August 1). The Jackman Goldwasser Residency connects artists deeply with their own practice in the context of HPAC's vibrant, multifaceted community. Each year, the program invites international, national, and Chicago artists and curators to complement their mode of production with increased attention towards reflection, reconnection, and research to spark new ideas and considerations of local and global art practices.&nbsp; The Residency takes place in the Center's&nbsp;Guida&nbsp;Family Creative Wing and&nbsp;supports both local and visiting artists and curators. By linking practitioners from different communities, the program aims to galvanize an international network of artists, curators, academics, arts administrators, educators, practitioners, and researchers invited to consider themselves peers and colleagues participating in a conversation that transcends national, cultural, and political boundaries. <a style="color: rgb(45, 44, 46);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/residency-2/" target="_blank">Details</a> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://oq8cplyab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001CAzCIAvcK0IIRU1-Opk6cbFFgPoemla3pQsBf7nnC78PO7GMNdshGr7RbTi4Lzmx22LAfSnrocWsRxT9sM_Q0tei8g9UwozQUQmHZ7FHYEp-qFkKZdW8avpz1dlXH0rSTOx15EeeheRWbUu_7TOYje7dwOvtPCNd4-lwAekcdQ761wEM3cBn8g==&amp;c=YgAm3N0L-9Js6qI6XxW85hO6S-L07qnMYDbTo_joYqqTzxlyjMq7gA==&amp;ch=7BR6WkcnR3U4_R5YVxNACwMXtvp8CFNofi4TXnaOeKWbG2-E4xK67A==" target="_blank">MORE INFO</a>

Hyde Park Art Center Announces 2025 Residency Artists

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1738105334/kziffowcvybcc6eoibwm.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/transcendence" target="_blank">Transcendence</a></h4>Opening: Thursday, January 30, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMgallery 1871 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1738105334/fgbf4zj2j65ux3jvlsip.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/regina-agu-shorelines" target="_blank">Regina Agu: Shore|Lines</a></h4>Opening: Thursday, January 30, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PMMuseum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1738105335/syhsm6iudtvxilbuvqg5.png"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/woven-being-art-for-zhegagoynakchicagoland" target="_blank">Woven Being: Art for Zhegagoynak/Chicagoland</a></h4>Opening: Saturday, February 1, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PMBlock Museum of Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1738105336/fifvu6yxlsuprccimspv.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/unearthing-pinar-aral-and-mirentxu-ganzarain" target="_blank">Unearthing: Pinar Aral and Mirentxu Ganzarain&nbsp;</a></h4>Opening: Saturday, February 1, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMSoNa Chicago Contemporary Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1738105337/aufgu70queqfrgnbcrmj.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/documenting-the-future-an-ai-photography-show" target="_blank">Documenting the future: An AI Photography Show</a></h4>Opening: Saturday, February 1, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMPerspective Photo Gallery <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1738105337/rknign3gdxhgsz2ayubd.jpg"> <h4><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/six-decades-in-the-darkroom" target="_blank">Six Decades in the Darkroom</a></h4>Opening: Sunday, February 2, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PMGallery Seven

New Exhibitions Opening January 30 - February 2

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1738006882/g32mmvbhxey7rdjdvzyn.jpg"> By CGN Staff On a quiet, narrow street in Lincoln Park in Chicago, something very old is a uniquely new addition to the neighborhood. Wrightwood 659 announced recently that for the first time in nearly three centuries, a historically significant marble statue of the Greek goddess Athena has been acquired and is now on view to the public. Halsted A&amp;A Foundation acquired the Roman statue, which dates to the first half of the first century CE. It is installed in the very modern, concrete-clad Tadao Ando-designed atrium of Wrightwood 659 beginning Saturday, January 25. Halsted A&amp;A bought the statue in 2023. Prior to making the journey to Chicago the sculpture had been in the same British family for nearly 260 years. Since the new acquisition, a team of conservation specialists has studied the&nbsp;Halsted Athena&nbsp;to determine its condition and the safest way to display it.&nbsp;The statue is a actually made from multiple parts. The head is from one sculpture, carved during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus (31 BC-14 CE), while the body is from another, carved during the time of Emperor Claudius (41-54 CE). “Like many sculptures sold in Rome in 18th-century Italy, the figure is composed of ancient and modern fragments. The practice of piecing together sculptures was not invariably an attempt to deceive customers. Rather, many buyers preferred complete pieces, even if composed of unrelated parts," notes Halsted A&amp;A curator Karen Manchester. "Now, scholars, students and visitors will be able to study the statue of Athena closely and interpret it from many perspectives, including those of art history, restoration practices and gender studies,” Manchester added, offering a window into a rich yet complex classical past. Tickets are $15 and must be <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tickets.wrightwood659.org/events?utm_source=wordfly&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=1-23-25&amp;utm_content=version_A" target="_blank">purchased in advance</a>. Images: Statue of Athena, Roman, first half of the first century CE, marble, height 74.5 in., Halsted A&amp;A Foundation. Photo: Daniel Eggert (@DesigningDan). ﻿<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1738006883/dlad3yxg6bfmkppe57zk.jpg">

A 300 year old statue of Athena comes to Wrightwood 659 in Chicago

A Piece of History Comes to Lincoln Park

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737659403/txse6xhx5wck3lucxjgf.png">A question from the NYT's Impressionism quiz. <h5>Time is always in short supply, but our attention spans are shrinking too –&nbsp;meaning that in between all of our busywork we need some high-quality distractions to give us a brain break once in awhile. Games that are finite, like Wordle, keep the addition in check, which is what three recent games we found via the New York Times, The Met, and Artle from the National Gallery of Art. Have fun, and learn some art in your downtime –&nbsp;just don't forget to get back to work!</h5><h5> </h5><h5>– CGN</h5> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nga.gov/artle.html" target="_blank">Artle</a></h3><h6>Discover artwork and guess the artist in 4 tries. A new artist puzzle is available daily. From the National Gallery of Art. </h6> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/16/arts/design/impressionism-quiz.html?unlocked_article_code=1.rU4.6Zhm.pag9DN55sL-M&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank">Le Quiz</a></h3><h6>An Impressionism-themed game from the New York Times lets you identify the Monet smudge, match the image to the painting title, identify Manet vs Monet, and more. You can play again and again but the questions will not change.</h6> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://artlinks.metmuseum.org" target="_blank">Art Links</a></h3><h6>The Metropolitan Museum of Art has launched a new short-session game,&nbsp;Art Links, that invites players to identify common threads and intriguing connections between works of art. This mobile-first, browser-based, blockchain-powered game presents an innovative way to engage with the Museum, and offers the opportunity to collect special in-game NFT badges and win exciting in-person and digital rewards.&nbsp;The serialized game, which releases new challenges weekly, features over 140 works of art from across The Met collection.</h6>

Online Gaming, but it's also Art...

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737607093/jawsfxcgazoouccumq5a.jpg">Exterior view of South Side Community Art Center renovation and addition, at night, from S. Michigan Ave. Courtesy SSCAC &amp; Future Firm.&nbsp; VIA PR CHICAGO – The<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sscartcenter.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC),</a>&nbsp;the country’s oldest, independently run, and continuously operating Black arts institution, today announced its planned rehabilitation and expansion. An official Community Design Unveiling&nbsp;will be held on February 22 at 1:00 pm at Apostolic Faith Church, 3823 S Indiana Ave. SSCAC invites those interested in learning more about the project to attend.&nbsp; SSCAC’s mission is developing and showcasing Black artists at every stage of their careers. The addition and rehabilitation project is estimated to cost up to $15M.&nbsp; Designed by Future Firm (architect), wrkSHäp&nbsp; kiloWatt&nbsp;(historic preservation architect), and to be built by a joint venture of general contractors Brown &amp; Momen, Inc.&nbsp;and Berglund Construction, with the advice of&nbsp;URBAN ReSOLVE&nbsp;(development advisor), the project will add over 10,000 square feet of space to the Center, which will expand visitor capacity by 398%, and provide accessibility to people with disabilities.&nbsp; The development team is diverse and local.&nbsp; The project will expand the Center’s capacity for exhibitions, art practice, research, and community engagement. Upon completion SSCAC will be able to facilitate many more exhibitions and interactions with Black artists while increasing access for community members, researchers, arts administrators, historians, and educators.&nbsp; The Center is working closely with the development team, including consultants and contractors, to ensure that the project aligns with SSCAC’s values and it advances equity and community-based development opportunities. Project-enabling work continues over the next few months, with plans to begin construction of the addition and rehabilitation of the historic house later in 2025, and plans to complete the project in late 2026. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737607094/ggiej2iongdy1mzm0eav.jpg">Exterior aerial view of South Side Community Art Center addition, including universally accessible entry ramp. Courtesy SSCAC &amp; Future Firm.&nbsp; The rehabilitation and expansion are supported by the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Arts Council, the Driehaus Foundation, Terra Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Commonwealth Edison,&nbsp; the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation (Climate Initiative) as well as other generous private donors. The rehabilitation and expansion plan utilizes design approaches that honor the building’s historic character while introducing new spaces and upgraded building technology to meet the needs of the next generation of artists and visitors, and the Center’s significant on-site archives.&nbsp; The addition, planned for the rear of the original building, will provide a backdrop to SSCAC’s historic facade, creating a clear dialogue between the past and future. State-of-the-art systems, including a geothermal well field and solar-ready roof, will support the project’s LEED Silver goal, reflecting SSCAC’s commitment to sustainability and efficient operations for decades to come. New museum-grade galleries will provide spaces to preserve and exhibit SSCAC’s collection and loaned works. New flexible classrooms, improved archival storage areas, and updated office spaces will equip the center to support artists, educators, and staff. A rooftop gathering space will provide much-needed event space.&nbsp;&nbsp; A new stepped terrace, evoking the original and iconic front stoop of the Center, will further connect SSCAC to its neighborhood, welcoming Bronzeville residents and visitors alike. The project will both expand and modernize the Center, while honoring its rich legacy.&nbsp; The building’s facade will celebrate the pattern of nail holes found in the historic Margaret T. Burroughs Gallery,&nbsp;through the implementation of a custom perforated exterior panel system. Evocative of the nail holes created by previous generations of artists’ exhibiting in the gallery, the exterior panel system creates a symbolic link to the past, while allowing dappled natural light to enter the Center, creating an ethereal space and place to celebrate the work of Black artists for generations to come. SSCAC was named a Chicago Landmark in 1994, a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2017, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.&nbsp; The Center's transformation builds on its 85-year legacy as a hub for Black visual art and culture, creating a space that honors its storied history while embracing a sustainable and inclusive future. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737607095/fic6yvnkvhyilhts5k7f.jpg">Interior view of historic ballroom in South Side Community Art Center. Courtesy SSCAC &amp; Future Firm.&nbsp; Founded in 1940 by preeminent Black artists of the day, the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sscartcenter.org/" target="_blank">South Side Community Art Center</a>&nbsp;(SSCAC) is where both established and emerging creators find their voice. At that time, Dr. Margaret Taylor-Burroughs&nbsp;was one of the center's youngest members, and she would go on to leave an indelible legacy upon Chicago's art ecosystem.&nbsp; As it has for over eight decades, the center accomplishes its mission through dynamic educational programs, exhibitions, talks, and always a focus on community. It has stood as a beacon for the arts, serving as a vital resource locally, nationally, and internationally.&nbsp;&nbsp; “Sitting on the shoulders of those who came before us, we are thrilled to be able to preserve the legacy of the South Side Community Art Center, while creating space to celebrate and inspire the next generation of Black artists,” said Monique Brinkman-Hill, Executive Director of the SSCAC.&nbsp; “As we celebrate over 85 years in operation, we look forward to continuing our work with the development team and members of our community to ensure our historic home and expanded campus will continue to serve this community for the next 85 years.”&nbsp; With experience working on Chicago’s South and West sides, Future Firm has a strong commitment to the power of architecture to contribute to a more equitable and thriving community combined with a focus on arts and culture projects.&nbsp; Their recent projects include the Bronzeville Winery, Justice of the Pies, The Silver Room, Revolution Workshop, and the new Korean Art Gallery at the Art Institute of Chicago. "We are excited and honored to collaborate with South Side Community Arts Center, to use architecture and design to support the organization's mission of creating space for Black artists and their work,” said Ann Lui,&nbsp;principal of Future Firm. “We describe ourselves as architects for changemakers and are so excited to help provide flexible, functional, and memorable spaces for SSCAC that will serve the organization and its community at large. It's an exciting opportunity to look for ways a building can help to do that work: from the scale of a single wood panel&nbsp; to a spatial vision for growth and change in the coming decades."&nbsp; As the oldest Black art center in the United States still operating with its original mission in its original location, the SSCAC and Future Firm are working closely with&nbsp;wrkSHäp | kiloWatt&nbsp;to preserve its legacy while creating space to support the artists of the future. “As a little girl growing up in Chicago’s South Side and South Suburbs, I learned about Dr. Margaret Burroughs’ incredible legacy as an SSCAC founder from my parents and maternal grandmother who lived near SSCAC,” said k. kennedy Whiters, RA, principal of wrkSHäp | kiloWatt. “Decades later, as a preservation architect, I am excited to support the SSCAC community in ensuring that the future of its Bronzeville home is a sustainable one that honors its historic fabric and meets the needs of the present and the future.” “I am thrilled that the City of Chicago has joined the State and many foundations and individuals to make this project a reality,” said Third Ward Alderperson&nbsp;Pat Dowell. “I am also excited that the entire project team is committed to ensuring that this project benefits our community - both during construction and long into the South Side Community Art Center’s future.” "As a longtime advocate for minority contractors in Chicago, I’m proud this project creates meaningful opportunities for diversity while supporting the cultural growth of the South Side Community Arts Center," said Ernest Brown,&nbsp;President &amp; Founder of Brown &amp; Momen, Inc.&nbsp;"For me, this project represents more than just construction—it’s an opportunity to enrich the cultural fabric of the Bronzeville community,” said Hansel Whiteurst, Senior Vice President of the building division of Berglund Construction. “It’s a privilege to be part of a project that will provide a space for artistic expression and create lasting opportunities for local engagement and growth." “We are thrilled that after 85 years, we can build on the vision of Margaret Burroughs and so many other artists in our community to create a space that will inspire the next generation of artists, celebrate Black art, and create real impact not only in Bronzeville but across Chicago and beyond,” said Twyler Jenkins, Co-President of the South Side Community Art Center Board.&nbsp;

South Side Community Art Center Announces $15M Expansion and Rehabilitation

<h1><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737431724/kb0hezi66o20gs7yam7n.jpg"></h1><h6> </h6><h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ginny-krueger-the-transcendental-garden" target="_blank">Ginny Krueger: THE TRANSCENDENTAL GARDEN</a></h3> Opening: Friday, January 24, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Epiphany Center for the Arts <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737431725/v6jsqikbhmvpldzxdoii.png"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/it-takes-a-long-time-to-stay-here-paintings-by-jordan-ann-craig" target="_blank">It takes a long time to stay here: Paintings by Jordan Ann Craig</a></h3> Exhibition begins January 25 Block Museum of Art <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737431726/qgtqbwvtmkdmst2lyj3y.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/john-behnke-false-guides" target="_blank">John Behnke: FALSE GUIDES</a></h3> Opening: Saturday, January 25, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Epiphany Center for the Arts <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737431726/tm1a5jpkoey1jl6wtskr.jpg"> <h3><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/legacy-as-lexicon-a-stand-in-for-my-voice" target="_blank">legacy as lexicon: a stand-in for my voice</a></h3> Opening: Saturday, January 25, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Goldfinch

New Exhibitions Opening January 22 - 25 (Part 2)

<h1><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737431167/mpocb0y2kfcdbqtepbnw.jpg"></h1><h1> </h1><h1><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/this-is-not-an-exhibition" target="_blank">this is not an exhibition.</a></h1> Opening: Wednesday, January 22, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC) <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737431168/p7up6yli0axp5h8rvp9e.png"><h1><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cosmo-whyte-the-mothers-tongue-pressed-to-the-grinding-stone" target="_blank">Cosmo Whyte: The Mother’s Tongue, Pressed to the Grinding Stone</a></h1> Opening: Thursday, January 23, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM The Arts Club of Chicago <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737431168/phofiy9oghkc6qinkz00.jpg"><h1><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/albert-oehlen-and-kim-gordon" target="_blank">Albert Oehlen and Kim Gordon</a></h1> Opening: Friday, January 24, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Corbett vs. Dempsey <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1737431169/ivqpkrdhppzglyno7ai0.jpg"> <h1><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sustenance-land-five-artists-consider-our-relationship-with-the-earth" target="_blank">Sustenance &amp; Land: Five Artists Consider Our Relationship with the Earth</a></h1> Opening: Friday, January 24, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Elmhurst Art Museum