<html><head></head><body>Following is a summary of &nbsp;current art news from our local art community and around the world, as shared by fellow arts writers and publications. Please click to reach the original source. We will continue to share relevant links each week as the news fills up our reading list. – CGN Staff&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/jftt7lrcqc5twjspij6q.jpg"><figcaption>Founder Jonathan Kinkley, left, and co-curator Tim Lapetino stand in the "Nom Nom: 40 Years of Pac-Man Design and History" exhibition at Chicago Gamespace on Feb. 28, 2021. The collection, at 2418 W. Bloomingdale Ave., is only open eight hours a week and on Saturdays and Sundays. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-chicago-gamespace-video-game-art-20210310-tewzcgfjjza7rdjcbvscq3r6sy-story.html?fbclid=IwAR22HmuWqqbH6Jy2qjeYeklAZHywO1V54rV-j-TulDmqVGMCRkhIkODX6tc">Is Pac-Man art? Is Pong part of history? If they are, Chicago Gamespace wants to be their museum</a>On weekend nights, off Western Avenue in Logan Square, on a street so thin it appears squeezed alongside the elevated 606 trail, a curious thing happens: The cubed glass installed in the ground-floor windows of the Bloomingdale Arts Building blinks to life, pixelate then chomp, gathering into a weekly tribute to Pac-Man. Jonathan Kinkley (who was at some point part of VGA Gallery, MoCP and the Art Institute), who worked with a designer in San Francisco to coordinate the animation, imagines the windows eventually becoming a playable video game, controlled by anyone who happens to walk past.Via Chicago Tribune&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/beeple-jpg-file-sells-for-69-million-setting-crypto-art-record/83cbe617-f2f1-474c-ab8f-457020bf67c7?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=wbez">Beeple JPG File Sells For $69 Million, Setting Crypto Art Record</a>A JPG file made by a digital artist known as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beeple_crap/">Beeple</a> sold Thursday for almost $70 million by Christie’s auction house. That price set a new record for the increasingly popular market for digital-only art — and makes Beeple’s piece the third most-expensive work sold by a living artist at auction, according to a statement by Christie’s.The artwork, a digital collage called “Everydays — The First Five Thousand Days,” is <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/05/974089381/whats-an-nft-and-why-are-people-paying-millions-to-buy-them">what’s known as an NFT</a>, or nonfungible token. NFTs signal ownership and authenticity of digital works of art by recording the sale through blockchain technology.Via WBEZ&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/monumental-error-in-the-making-11614982634?st=9cquw9td07vkh0j&amp;reflink=article_gmail_share">Monumental Error in the Making</a>In 1891, sculptor Daniel Chester French won the most coveted (and lucrative) assignment of his burgeoning career: a monumental statue to symbolize the nation’s democratic ideal and serve as the centerpiece of the forthcoming World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. With “The Republic” French produced a colossus that, at least for a year, ranked as one of the most conspicuous and admired sculptures in the nation.Though the original is long gone, a smaller but still-formidable replica stands today on a traffic island in Chicago’s Jackson Park, destined to re-emerge from obscurity when the new Obama Presidential Center is built nearby—that is, unless this version vanishes, too.&nbsp;Via the Wall Street Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/the-chicago-monuments-project-grapples-with-the-hard-history-of-some-city-statues/d3e0cf05-7b5d-4678-aa89-876c7ffc8822?fbclid=IwAR31UEaVHtU5i7aZT8ckjGG_czbYQ97gKKI4pkY5mmBYXrIgG8GlbsiE86w">The Chicago Monuments Project Grapples With The Hard History Of Some City Statues</a>Last summer, protestors who tried to topple a Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park clashed with police. Activists reject the label of Columbus as a “discoverer” of America and point to his violent treatment of Indigenous people. Meanwhile, for some Italian Americans, Columbus is a beacon. Mayor Lori Lightfoot had some Columbus statues moved, but now the city begins its own racial reckoning with public art it owns.Via WBEZ&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 3/11/21

<html><head></head><body>A brief summary of what's news and what's happening in our art community, from exhibition notes and auctions, to real estate ogling. – CGN Staff&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/l2g7omm914q8tspvjrff.jpg"><figcaption>The House That John Built,&nbsp;deconstructed doll house, 4 constructions, each approx. 32” x 34” x 3”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://chicagoprintmakers.com/print-making-gallery-chicago/">Chicago Printmakers Collaborative – Storefront Takeover</a>In Celebration of&nbsp;&nbsp;Women’s History Month, The CPC is proud to feature artist, Catherine Jacobi and her work, “The House That John Built” as part of their new ‘storefront takeover’ series. Catherine Jacobi has been a designer and sculptor for over 30 years. She is a longtime friend and resident of the CPC. Her work can be found in many private collections.Visit the storefront exhibition 24/7 - the installation inspires dialogue and discussion, and makes a great destination for experiencing culture in the safest way possible!&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/nlebulyt2vlktzaesixm.png"><figcaption><a href="https://auctions.toomeyco.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=126+++++++47+&amp;refno=+++36704">George Wesley Bellows</a>, (American, 1882-1925), In an Elevator, 1916 , lithograph , signed in pencil lower right (by daughter), edition of 54, 10" x 8"</figcaption></figure><a href="https://auctions.toomeyco.com/asp/searchresults.asp?st=D&amp;pg=1&amp;ps=50&amp;sale_no=126">Toomey Issues Last Call for Bids for March 14 Auction</a>...along with a helpful reminder about Daylight Savings Time this weekend. The Fine Art + Furniture &amp; Decorative Arts auction takes place this Sunday, March 14To place an absentee or telephone bid you're invited to log in or register on Toomey's website. There is also an option to place multiple bids at once as well as contact the auction house for last-minute condition information and additional photos of any lots in the sale. Bidders may also participate in the auction in real time via two third-party platforms, <a href="https://toomeyco.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1f8d495e0000b56f45f7d7be2&amp;id=3426c38d1b&amp;e=e94c9cc705">LiveAuctioneers</a> and <a href="https://toomeyco.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1f8d495e0000b56f45f7d7be2&amp;id=da1a9ec7fc&amp;e=e94c9cc705">Invaluable</a> but absentee bids must be made now and previews are by appointment only.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418871/rjqagemew7ibwcwjt1as.jpg"><figcaption>Via Compass</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2727-N-Seminary-Ave-60614/unit-2R/home/172628509?utm_source=myredfin&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=instant_listings_update&amp;riftinfo=ZXY9ZW1haWwmbD00NTg1OTA2MiZwPWxpc3RpbmdfdXBkYXRlc19pbnN0YW50XzE1JmE9Y2xpY2smcz1zYXZlZF9zZWFyY2gmdD1pbWFnZSZlbWFpbF9pZD00NTg1OTA2Ml8xNjE1NDk2MzMzXzImdXBkYXRlX3R5cGU9MSZzYXZlZF9zZWFyY2hfaWQ9NDkyNDA3NzImbGlzdGluZ19pZD0xMjk0ODgzODcmcHJvcGVydHlfaWQ9MTcyNjI4NTA5JnBvc2l0aW9uX251bWJlcj0w">Architects Designed A Home for Themselves. Now it's on the Market</a>Described as an architectural sensation and an indoor/outdoor tour de force imagined, designed and created by the architect/owners for themselves, this Lincoln Park home features lots of light and modern architectural details, as well as an abundance of art hung on all available wall space.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418873/zbyptokc8blo4bfh2svd.png"><figcaption>Reach Toward Dawn</figcaption></figure><a href="http://www.decaturarts.org/gallery/1705/Memory-and-Meaning/">Dan Addington Show at Madden Art Center in Decatur, IL</a>Memory and Meaning: The Art of Dan Addington is on view at the Madden Art Center in downstate Decatur through March 30. Addington runs his namesake gallery in Chicago, and he is also a practicing artist who has shown works throughout the United States. Addington’s mixed media paintings suggest a history and a physical weightiness associated with monuments and memorial sculptures. Through the use of a combination of anatomical imagery, memorial sculpture, and religious iconography, he attempts to explore the nature of mortality and address our desire to find spiritual meaning.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 3/12/21

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/iur5lj1wzqwcepsw7sh6.jpg"><figcaption>Richard H. Driehaus. Courtesy Richard Driehaus Museum</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEARichard H. Driehaus, Chicago investment titan, philanthropist, and party planner extraordinaire, has died. He was 78.&nbsp;Driehaus was a rescuer of historic and beautiful treasures. He even made a sort of time–travel possible for many when his namesake museum opened more than 12 years ago, with a mission to explore&nbsp;the art, architecture, and design of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a focus on the Gilded Age. The Museum, located within the meticulously restored 1883 Nickerson Mansion, was Gilded Age Chicago’s “Marble Palace.” Period pieces from the Driehaus Collection, rotating exhibitions&nbsp;and cultural programs further illuminate the era.&nbsp;When the museum first opened its doors – following a <a href="https://driehausmuseum.org/about/restoration">top to bottom rescue</a> from 2003–2008 to make up for decades of grime and neglect – the Driehaus quickly established itself as a unique addition to Chicago's cultural community. What at first was a restored jewel box that made the case for historic preservation in the heart of one of the world's centers for modern architecture, eventually matured into an immersive visual time machine.Visitors to the museum,&nbsp;hidden&nbsp;just off of the city's busiest tourist highway, the Magnificent Mile, are able to experience another era as soon as they climb the museum's limestone steps and enter its stained glass doors. As they climb three levels of carpeted stairs and wander&nbsp;room to room they behold countless prime examples of furniture and decoration from the 19th century. Today the Driehaus's line up of period-relevant exhibitions provides additional context as well as opportunities to visit again and again.Driehaus began collecting decorative arts in the 1970, and his personal collections ranged from American masters like Tiffany and the Herter Brothers; to Hector Guimard and Alfonse Mucha, at the pinnacle of French art nouveau; to Weiner Werkstatte’s Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser….and to classic American automobiles. Among his greatest pleasures was sharing his collections with the public. He is also a philanthropist who supported historic preservation, modern classical architecture, arts, culture, democracy and economic opportunity through the Richard H. Driehaus FoundationThis past fall, in advance of the opening of <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/9/a-tale-of-today-connecting-past-present">A Tale of Today: Nate Young and Mika Horibuchi</a>, a contemporary exhibition at the museum featuring site-specific works by Chicago artists Nate Young and Mika Horibuchi, Mr. Driehaus shared with us that he hoped to reach new audiences by giving them a chance to view the Gilded Age’s legacy through new perspectives and connect the abundant history of the Nickerson Mansion with our current times. He said the new series could “demonstrate the importance of architecture and sense of place from the incomparable vantage point of the Nickerson Mansion, while also showcasing new artists in this historical setting.”Outside of business, Driehaus focused his attention and energy on a variety of philanthropic and community service-oriented projects, individually and through the efforts of The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Trusts.The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Awards also celebrate the best of the best in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and the re-imagining of historic buildings for the future. They are a part of the National Preservation Awards, which are presented annually at the PastForward conference. The coveted Driehaus Awards are bestowed on distinguished individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and corporations whose skill and determination have given new meaning to communities by preserving their architectural and cultural heritage. The Driehaus Awards recognize efforts such as citizens saving and maintaining important landmarks, companies and craftsmen restoring the richness of the past, public officials supporting preservation projects and legislation in their communities, and educators and journalists helping Americans understand the value of preservation.Mr. Driehaus used his eye and passion to carefully and respectfully ensure that objects and buildings from the past may continue to be appreciated in the future. What he sought to collect and preserve will undoubtedly be enjoyed for generations to come.&nbsp;</body></html>

Richard Driehaus Has Died at Age 78

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/w6u7nxqhsbzsniasqkak.png"><figcaption>Victoria Fuller in her studio.</figcaption></figure>By CGN StaffIf you have taken a walk around Chicago in the past decade and noticed any whimsical public art, there's a good chance you have stumbled across a work by Victoria Fuller. &nbsp;A graduate of SAIC and a Chicago-based artist for several years, Fuller has spent her career working in sculpture and painting. Following a year in lockdown, this spring she is the featured artist in Ephemera, a show at The Art Center Highland Park that begins in May. We asked Victoria a few questions about how she got started as an artist, what challenges and opportunities she's experienced in recent months, and what might be next.&nbsp;CGN: What was the first piece of art (or artist) that really mattered to you? Do you remember how old you were?&nbsp;Victoria Fuller: I was 5 years old, on the Pennsylvania farm I grew up on, when a friend and I disturbed a swarm of bees. I remember our babysitter first put mud on our bee stings, and then she said that when a bee stings you, their stinger comes out and they die. In my 5-year-old mind, I worried about the dead bees. I imagined that their souls would become angels in heaven, so I drew a picture of a bee with a halo. When my father asked me about it, I responded it was a “Bee Angel.” He was enchanted with the idea, so he turned it into our Christmas card that year.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: At what point did you determine you wanted to be an artist? When did you choose to pursue sculpture?VF: My grade school art teacher sat me across from another student and told us each to draw a portrait of the other. I had never done that before. When I was finished I was astonished to see the image I drew looked just like my classmate. My parents encouraged my talent, and the first art award that I won was for a decorated Easter egg. By high school I decided I wanted to major in art at college. At the University of Denver, I took classes in painting, ceramics, sculpture and printmaking. A visiting installation artist assigned us to find man-made objects in hardware stores and make art with them. That was when I was introduced to the concept of found object art and the artist Marcel Duchamp.&nbsp;After two years at the University of Denver, I moved to Aspen and continued to paint, make ceramics, dabble in paper making, and take classes at Anderson Ranch Art Center. While completing my college degree through the University Without Walls program through Loretto Heights College, I did two semesters at The San Francisco Art Institute. There someone stole one of my paintings in the storage racks. The attendant shrugged his shoulders and said, “Perhaps a student who couldn’t afford materials took your painting and painted over it.” Discouraged, and not feeling it was safe to store paintings at school, I started experimenting with sculpture. Now, I do both painting and sculpture in a variety of materials and forms, as well as work with found and appropriated objects.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What prompted you to pursue an MFA?&nbsp;VF: After getting married and divorced, and living in New York City for a year to seriously pursue my career, I returned to Aspen for a short period. Then I decided that if I was to be taken seriously, I should get an MFA. At that point I was 39 years old, and I was accepted at SAIC. I wasn't accepted at some other schools, but ultimately I was glad because I felt out of place on those campuses. When I came to Chicago, it felt right. I loved the Art Institute, and some of my art heroes from the “Harry Who” movement were here. Later I had the distinct pleasure to have had Jim Nutt and Barbara Rossi as graduate advisors.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/hlvlpwzowes6ba7m9hle.png"><figcaption>Many Suns Exhibition, Sunflower Sun, Sperm and Egg Sun, Rubber Glove Sun, Sunflower Pollen</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Do you have any advice for current MFA students or to recent graduates?&nbsp;VF: When I entered graduate school, I had had a career in art for several years and was able to discern and trust my own judgments about what worked and what didn’t in making my art. After starting school, I lost that innate sense of knowing my decisions because the teachers and students would question and criticize my choices – which is what happens in critiques. You look at aspects of your work you may not have considered. However, it took me a year and a half to once again trust myself when making my work. I guess my wisdom would be to take critiques with a grain of salt. Listen to what they say, consider it, but if you know what is right for you, stand up for yourself and continue on your path. If you know you are making the right choices, then continue. For those who have recently graduated, I would say that networking with fellow artists and people in the art world is very important. Those connections will help you get into shows and advance. Go to art openings (someday) and network on social media.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What do you wish you knew when you were first starting out?VF: I didn’t know anything about the business of art, and it was not taught in art school at that time. I wish I had known more about that. I really didn’t know about the networking either.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: You received an individual artist grant from DCASE in 2019. Was there a specific project you worked on as a result of that?&nbsp;VF: Yes, I created an inflatable sculpture called Bring Back the Extinct Northern White Rhino. It’s a life size replica of a rhino, 13’ x 5.5’ x 4,’ made of vinyl, with a hide of printed faux wrinkles and texture. It inflates and deflates repetitively on a 3 minutes cycle, continuing until the gallery space closes.&nbsp;When deflated, we are reminded that it is extinct; when inflated, it references the magnificence of the species when it was alive and the attempt to bring it back through “artificial reproductive techniques,”&nbsp;via frozen sperm and eggs implanted in a closely related subspecies. The inflation and deflation are also like inhaling and exhaling lungs, symbolizing the breath of life. &nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Have you ever been walking and happened upon one of your own works on display?&nbsp;VF: I haven’t had that experience, exactly, but one of my artworks, Directing Traffic, made of highway signs, is along McCormick Blvd., just south of Skokie Sculpture Park, in Lincolnwood. I did encounter it when I went on a group bike ride. We stopped and took pictures next to it. I guess I felt proud to show it off to people.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418871/gsegfdvbrisxdpftozco.png"><figcaption>Peanut Plant, Going Nuts, and Going Nuts (closeup)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: What has been your most enjoyable project or commission?&nbsp;VF: I love all of my artworks, they are like my children, but making Shoe of Shoes, was my first large-scale public artwork, and I learned a lot from it. It was fun to see my concept of a giant shoe made from around 2,000 cast aluminum shoes become a reality. I first showed it at Navy Pier, and then it went to St. Louis, where it was in a show at City Museum, called The Really Big Shoe Show. Then it was purchased by Brown Shoe, also in St. Louis. They have since rebranded to Caleres Shoes. Shoe of Shoes sits outside of their headquarters.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: Almost one year into the pandemic, what do you miss? Have you experienced anything positive or surprising?VF: I miss going to art openings and talking openly without wearing masks. I miss getting together with friends at a restaurant and gathering at people’s homes for parties.&nbsp;I guess the silver lining is that I have a lot of time to myself, without much interruption, to work on art. I admit the time leading up to the elections in the fall was distracting, and I was glued to the TV to see what was going to happen, and then the horrible insurrection at the Capitol happened. I didn’t get much artwork done during that stressful time.&nbsp;But overall this year has been good for me. I have been in several online shows, and I was juried into the Rockford Midwest Biennial and the Evanston and Vicinity Show. I was honored to have been awarded the Dean Alan Olson Purchase Award by the Rockford Art Museum and I won Best of Show at the Evanston and Vicinity Show, tied with another artist Annie Zirin.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What are you working on now?VF: I am working on a series called On the Brink, revolving around the threatened circumstance of many of the animals on earth, that are either extinct, nearly extinct, or endangered. The human species should be included in that category, given the state of the planet and the situation of pollution, plastic waste and climate change. I am presently working on making Sea Turtle hatchlings and their eggs, as part of an installation that I plan to do with sand.&nbsp;I will also be the Featured Artist at the Highland Park Art Center's Ephemera: The Power of Impermanence exhibition which will run from May 7-June 12, including the Center's annual benefit on May 8. I will guest jury the show and will feature some of my favorite works focusing on systems of man and nature and the impact of that nexus. Pieces will include my Many Sun Series as well as Bring Back the Extinct Northern White Rhino mentioned previously.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Artist Q&A: Victoria Fuller 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/oljl20uyxosilg261jsh.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/swim">SWIM</a>Opening: Friday, March 12, 5 – 9&nbsp;pmOliva GalleryThe work of Margie and&nbsp;David&nbsp;Criner.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418870/udfofcvbohmeaxs9ugy2.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/david-richards-gargoyles-and-escutcheons">David Richards: Gargoyles and Escutcheons</a>March 12 – May 9Epiphany Center for the ArtsIn his solo exhibition Gargoyles and Escutcheons, Chicago artist David Richards offers an installation of uncanny wall sculptures that defy easy categorization and casual acquaintance. Mysterious yet familiar, these works exist in a slippery space between abstraction and representation. Both biological and synthetic, his playful reliefs bring to mind plant forms, faces or machines that have been disassembled or seem to be missing a piece.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418871/d7sdqzidy63q00q0ihnl.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/christina-quarles">Christina Quarles</a>March 13 – August 29Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA)The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presents a solo exhibition by the celebrated Los Angeles-based artist Christina Quarles. Quarles' colorful figurative paintings are filled with a sensual labyrinth of bending and twisting limbs and faces merging with ambiguous objects and abstract patterns.Quarles is leading a growing movement among contemporary artists who are returning to figuration in order to address issues of identity and representation in society today. Her singular approach to figuration, however, renders dancerly, translucent bodies in fabulist environments.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418872/ujkaacawaquljafmetim.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/oakoak-some-parts-of-parts">OAKOAK: some parts of parts</a>March 13 – April 11Vertical GalleryBorn and based in France, OakOak is a world-renowned street artist who specializes in creative, place-based interventions. Playing upon existing elements of the environment, OakOak wields his wit and humor to enliven public spaces and draw our attention to oft-overlooked details of our urban habitats. Accessible and endearing, his street work draws on comic books, video games, tv shows, and other beloved staples of pop culture.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418873/x5klj85cizcnlof6wl6z.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/jesse-howard-a-village-refuses-to-be-silent">Jesse Howard: A Village Refuses To Be Silent</a>Opening: Saturday, March 13, 2 – 5&nbsp;pmBert Green Fine ArtJesse Howard is a Chicago native who has observed the rhythms and nuances of African American cultural life in Chicago over many decades. His artworks are portraits and figurative typologies meant to document and celebrate the rich variety of individual and collective expressions, showing the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly. At the core of this work is a deeply felt, powerful pronouncement of the human spirit.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start March 12 – 13

Following is a summary of &nbsp;current art news from our local art community and around the world, as shared by fellow arts writers and publications. Please click to reach the original source. We will continue to share relevant links each week as the news fills up our reading list. – CGN Staff <a href="https://patch.com/illinois/evanston/4-harley-clarke-renovation-proposals-come-city-council?fbclid=IwAR2ntc0e02lRocxcT2ClbVBlb4oWd1lSZKgy11kIJM2r6JBigN4ild1_3ew">Audrey Niffenegger Plan for Artists Book House Gets a Green Light in Evanston&nbsp;</a>The Evanston City Council authorized lease negotiations with a tenant for the long-vacant landmark Harley Clarke Mansion and Coach house, a city-owned lakefront property that faced potential demolition in 2018.The 1927-built Harley Clarke Mansion and Coach House building has been owned by the city since it was <a href="https://patch.com/illinois/evanston/harley-clarke-demolition-donation-deal-comes-council">purchased</a> from a fraternity in 1960 and has been vacant since the Evanston Arts Center departed in 2015.&nbsp;The top-scoring plan was submitted by the Artists Book House group, founded by author Audrey Niffenegger. The proposal envisions using the Harley Clarke house as an instructional space, gallery, library, bookshop and cafe devoted to the art of books and showcasing local authors and artists. There will be a papermaking studio and heavy machinery for printing, with bookbinding in the home's former master bedroom area. A restored library will be open to the public on a limited basis.Niffenegger, an Evanston native and author of the bestselling "The Time Traveler's Wife," founded the Center for Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago in 1994. That center, which offered master's degree programs and residencies, closed in 2019. The Artists Book House proposal seeks to offer non-credit community education and internship opportunities.Via Patch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/ryan-ori/ct-biz-invest-south-west-three-proposals-chosen-ryan-ori-20210308-j44hewmcvvhbtcsbv4xsdq4eym-story.html">A blues museum, eco-food hub and apartments are part of $67 million in projects picked to kick off Chicago’s Invest South/West initiative</a>A proposal was just unveiled to renovate a 20,000-square-foot former bank building with commercial uses including a blues museum, bank branch, cafe and business incubator. On adjacent land, the firms propose a multistory apartment building with affordable units, a green roof, public plaza and outdoor art.Via Chicago Tribune&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archpaper.com/2021/03/an-visits-studio-gang-adaptive-reuse/?utm_source=AIA+Chicago+General+List&amp;utm_campaign=403ea0ed9f-ENEWS+may+4+2020_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_3db2e92e9c-403ea0ed9f-93201369&amp;mc_cid=403ea0ed9f&amp;mc_eid=f9d818a52c">AN visits Studio Gang, whose adaptive reuse projects are reinvigorating the past</a>In a recent interview with AN, Jeanne Gang, founding partner and principal of Chicago-based architecture and urban design office <a href="https://www.archpaper.com/tag/studio-gang/">Studio Gang</a>, described <a href="https://www.archpaper.com/tag/adaptive-reuse/">adaptive reuse</a> design as a delicate process of responding to the creations of the past. When approaching adaptive reuse projects, architects have to ask, “What’s already there? What do we give back in return?” While architects can’t control every result of the design process, they have a responsibility to cultivate the best possible outcome of interactions between created space and the natural environment.Via AN&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/international-womens-day-2021-1949310?utm_content=from_www.artnet.com&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=US%2010:23%20a.m.%20newsletter%20for%203/8/21&amp;utm_term=US%20Daily%20Newsletter%20%5BMORNING%5D">26 Art-World Women Celebrate the Women Who Inspire Them</a>It is not always easy being a woman in this world, and being a woman in the art world can be doubly challenging. Gallery rosters and museum collections around the world have been skewed against women for centuries, and many of today’s top institutions still have yet to appoint a female director. Even so, there is a vast community of women in the art world, dedicated to supporting and uplifting each other.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/louvre-ramps-up-brand-partnerships">Louvre launches flurry of brand partnerships and ‘e-boutique’ in bid to make up Covid deficit</a>After a year when the Musée du Louvre—the world’s most popular art museum—welcomed a fraction of its ten million visitors, it has launched a flurry of brand partnerships and e-commerce initiatives to appeal to customers beyond its masterpiece-laden walls.Via The Art Newspaper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/07/us/jennifer-mack-watkins-children-of-the-sun.html">Celebrating Black Children in America</a>“The Brownies’ Book: A Monthly Magazine for the Children of the Sun” was a short-lived but influential publication edited by W.E.B. Du Bois a century ago. Widely regarded as a pioneer in children’s literature, it celebrated African-Americans with positive images, stories and poetry at a time when caricature toys were the norm.Over the past century, the magazine, which ran from January 1920 to December 1921, has inspired scores of artists, including Jennifer Mack-Watkins, whose upcoming solo <a href="https://www.brattleboromuseum.org/2020/12/07/jennifer-mack-watkins-children-of-the-sun/">exhibition</a> at the Brattleboro Museum &amp; Art Center in Vermont draws from the publication’s illustrative imagery.Via The New York Times&nbsp;&nbsp;Thumbnail image credit: Appearing via Chicago Tribune: Heartland Alliance and Oak Park Regional Housing plan a $37.5 million redevelopment of the former Laramie Bank building and adjacent land in Austin. The proposal includes a blues museum, bank branch, cafe, business incubator and apartments. Rendering provided by City of Chicago. (Handout / HANDOUT)&nbsp;

What We're Reading: 3/9/21

<html><head></head><body>A summary of what's news and what's happening in our art community, from exhibition openings to space closings, and even real estate ogling. – CGN Staff&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418863/dv3b8pdmpegzhnjp7w2w.jpg"></figure>Via 57th St Art Fair<a href="https://www.57thstreetartfair.org">57th Street Art Fair Gets Green Light in 2021</a>The 2021 74th Annual 57th Street Art Fair will happen, rain or shine, despite the COVID pandemic. They recently shared that their current plan features a robust virtual fair with hopes of producing a safe in-person event on June 5–6, if the City of Chicago determines it is safe to issue the special event permits that would allow this.&nbsp;Planners are actively monitoring the situation for any changes to the city’s permit policy, and are currently working on plans for a physical fair with a modified footprint that considers booth spacing, traffic flow, visitor access, and any resulting impact on the neighbors and local businesses within our usual footprint of 57th Street between Kenwood and Woodlawn Avenues, and on Kimbark Avenue between 57th and 56th Streets.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;They envision the 2021 Virtual Fair component as a fully interactive online art fair where artists will be able to promote and sell their original artwork via the 57th St. Art Fair <a href="https://www.57thstreetartfair.org">website</a>.&nbsp;Shoppers will be able to browse artists by category, click on an artist to see more images and their bio and will be directed via a link to access the Artists's personal website or email for queries and purchasing.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/zlgaz44yjvneehnjb5g9.jpg"><figcaption>Aerial views of the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain in Grant Park in Chicago on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://naturemuseum.org/explore/exhibits/without-a-trace/?fbclid=IwAR2Es2__Cr_n1UHp1D4LtTuAHZr_zQ5eGW6QS6-JEaqxa1puB-Rmb-OJ4dw">Notebaert Nature Museum Opens Without a Trace Exhibit One Year After Lockdown</a>In response to the reopening of Chicago institutions affected by the COVID-19 crisis, Without a Trace features a selection of photographs by photojournalist Zbigniew Bzdak.These works were first published in March 2020 in the Chicago Tribune and presented to the public astonishing views of emptiness in the streets of Chicago, following the stay at home order of Governor J.B. Pritzker in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/sxzl42hclyhc4phymqjl.jpg"><figcaption>Listed by Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Chicago</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/428-W-Roslyn-Pl-60614/home/13365814">A Lincoln Park House For Sale Features Jimmy Carter in the Living Room</a>Back on the market this week is an architecturally/historically significant Victorian Benjamin Green-built brownstone rowhome on Roslyn St in East Lincoln Park. Featured around the home are many prints by Matisse and Miro, plus a Warhol image of Jimmy Carter in the living room. And lots of wallpaper.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/v5mtus6p9xuug0tgi3ea.jpg"><figcaption>Listed by @properties</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.redfin.com/IL/Lake-Forest/901-Rosemary-Rd-60045/home/108239583">A Lake Forest Home Offers History, and a Room for Dolls...</a>For $10,500,000 you can go home to some Great Gatsby-linked history in a totally restored home and have plenty of space for art, or whatever you collect (stuffies and pool swans anyone?)&nbsp;&nbsp;Top image/thumbnail: Aerial view of empty North Avenue Beach in Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago at 11:45 AM on Thursday, April 2, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 3/8/21

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418862/d9l4uqryd1dmn4xmuodt.png"><figcaption>CAC will honor Nick Cave and Bob Faust this Summer</figcaption></figure>Chicago Artist Coalition's Work In Progress Benefit is Set for June 2021CAC announced&nbsp;this week they have set a new date for WORK IN PROGRESS 2021: Wednesday, June 9. The event is central to sustaining&nbsp;CAC's mission,&nbsp;and this year (after 2020 was cancelled) it will honor&nbsp;the illustrious work of Nick Cave and Bob Faust and recognize&nbsp;the exceptional contributions by&nbsp;Jeff Shapack to CAC's development. <a href="https://chicagoartistscoalition.org">More details to come.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418863/lzo6jc8gbwysggvi7snf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.colum.edu/news-and-events/articles/2021/a-hidden-gem?fbclid=IwAR0QJvcpF1YnrpGI4Lhw-1BIdfjhziX1Y7nrfKpAJIUK0afXD5JGTRCFxGY#.YEEZAC1h2iv">MoCP is Turning 45</a>In the world of contemporary art museums,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mocp.org/">The Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP)</a>&nbsp;at Columbia College Chicago is a rarity. Nestled in the shadow of Chicago’s most iconic buildings sits a pride of the city— the only museum in the Midwest dedicated to the art of photography. Now celebrating its 45th&nbsp;year of operation, the MoCP has distinguished itself as a tri-level museum with an outsized reputation for living at the cutting edge of art and innovation.While the pandemic has created uncertainty for many industries, including museums, it has also opened windows of opportunities. For the past 45 years, the MoCP has been confined to its physical space on Columbia’s campus at 600 South Michigan Ave. Now, its exhibits and events can now be experienced virtually by visitors from around the globe.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/o3s2zlydzj9evu1cxpq2.jpg"><figcaption>Aron Gent of DOCUMENT</figcaption></figure><a href="http://newartdealers.org">NADA Announces New Board Members – 1 From Chicago</a>NADA is pleased to announce new board members Danny Baez of <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=6d0766f68c&amp;e=a3f64d3727">Regular Normal</a>, Joeonna Bellorado-Samuels of <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=ddcfb5fb49&amp;e=a3f64d3727">We Buy Gold</a> and <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=a0597595c8&amp;e=a3f64d3727">Jack Shainman Gallery</a>, and Aron Gent of <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=dbe4bd80f6&amp;e=a3f64d3727">Document</a>, and welcome 24 new Gallery Members, hailing from 12 cities in 7 countries, to its international community of art galleries, non-profits, and artist run spaces.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/kbzp1wnubypzexr0va9p.png"><figcaption>Ceramicist Natalie Steinmetz at work in her studio</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.artencounter.org/night-visions">Art Encounter Announces New Night Visions Series</a>Night Visions returns this spring with after-hours visits to exceptional artists’ studios, all in real-time via Zoom! Grab a glass of wine, get comfortable, and join Sarah Packer and Leslie Luning online as they host local artists in lively group conversations about their work and artistic journeys.&nbsp;Additionally, each artist will&nbsp;do live demonstrations&nbsp;of&nbsp;their chosen medium.This season includes virtual visits to the studios of seven Evanston artists: Karen Ross, Socorro Muciño, Candice Johnson, Bryana Bibbs, ﻿Pat Gordon, and Natalie Steinmetz.&nbsp;Prices start at $25.&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 3/5/21

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418862/sngfmpfscopcrnkxdgrn.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Following is a summary of &nbsp;current art news from our local art community, as shared by fellow arts writers and publications. Please click to reach the original source. We will continue to share relevant links each week as the news fills up our reading list. – Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Publisher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newcity.com/2021/03/03/today-in-the-culture-march-3-2021/?mc_cid=c5f18342cf&amp;mc_eid=780c419ac6">Chicago Artist Roland Ginzel has died (a couple months shy of his 100th birthday).&nbsp;</a>Ginzel graduated from The Art Institute of Chicago and married fellow artist Ellen Lanyon in 1948.Via Newcity&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://ec2-204-236-225-241.compute-1.amazonaws.com/curiouscity/womens-statues/">She Should Be Here</a>Statues of historic men can be found throughout Chicago’s parks and plazas. But one Curious Citizen thinks there aren’t enough tributes to women. WBEZ asked listeners to nominate influential women they think should be memorialized in marble.Via WBEZ&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/03/03/in-bronzeville-a-push-to-preserve-historic-lu-palmer-mansion-and-chicagos-black-media-legacy/?fbclid=IwAR1FWjIHHx08fUO_gBqYvuM9Y-17eCWTtExSrvcXyUtROyDMnPz7mEtN2As">In Bronzeville, A Push To Preserve Historic Lu Palmer Mansion — And Chicago’s Black Media Legacy</a>A Bronzeville-based archive of Black media is preparing to buy a long-vacant home on King Drive once owned by community organizers Lutrelle “Lu” Palmer and Jorja English Palmer.The Obsidian Collection, founded in 2017, digitally archives photographs, video and documents to make Black history publicly accessible.Via BlockClub Chicago&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/museum-of-contemporary-art-mcaccountable-equity/Content?oid=86890631&amp;fbclid=IwAR2CDXUZ7RhPrQbY5yQOiVC3fsMTQFzZDwgMwqM67FFp4M3WWpuz_PQecek#.YD_p2ci2CLg.facebook">‘The Long Dream’ and a labor nightmare&nbsp;</a>Kerry Cardoza writes about The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s latest exhibit and what's been taking place behind the scenes between artists, former museum employees and current leadership since summer 2020.&nbsp;Via Chicago Reader&nbsp;&nbsp;Top thumbnail image: Angela Ford, executive director of The Obsidian Collection, poses for a picture Tuesday morning in front of the Lu and Jorja Palmer Mansion, 3654 S. King Drive. Right: An archival photo of an Operation PUSH event in 1972. Reposted from Block Club Chicago's March 3, 2021 post.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: March 4

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418863/l20orihscwfxdha1kkof.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/reciprocity">Reciprocity</a>Begins March 4&nbsp;Woman Made GalleryThis exhibition includes 21 woman-identified and non-binary artist pairs anchored in photography and image-based practices and considers the reciprocal relationship between each pair. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418863/ipm8je20j104paqpaexx.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-focus-the-chicago-freedom-movement-and-the-fight-for-fair-housing">In Focus: The Chicago Freedom Movement and The Fight for Fair Housing</a>Begins March 4&nbsp;Elmhurst Art MuseumAs the U.S. faces a historic moment of social justice reawakening, the Elmhurst Art Museum announces a new exhibition that reflects on historical and contemporary responses to fair housing in the Chicagoland area&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/hb5oaswjq50hbppufotf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/inscapes-paintings-by-claire-elliott-vanessa-shinmoto-and-alexandra-stevenson">INSCAPES: Paintings by Claire Elliott, Vanessa Shinmoto, and Alexandra Stevenson</a>Begins March 5Eat Paint StudioEat Paint Studio is pleased to announce our first exhibition of 2021. “Inscapes” features work by three artists, Claire Elliott, Vanessa Shinmoto, and Alexandra Stevenson, whose paintings navigate landscapes from the inside out.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/iwsqk6pwnjvye7w7hcvd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lens-2021">Lens 2021</a>Begins March 5&nbsp;Perspective Group + Photography Gallery, Ltd.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/p6jwrgchj7sdeezcbunt.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/cadaver-one">Cadaver One</a>Begins March 6&nbsp;Vertical GalleryVertical Gallery is very proud to present ‘Cadaver One,’ the debut solo exhibition from Chicago-based painter and glassmaker Alex K. Krueger, a.k.a. CROP. ‘Cadaver One,’ which runs from March 6 - 27 at our 1016 N. Western Ave. location, assembles 41 new pieces extending CROP’s abstract, deeply intuitive technique to mediums including canvas, paper, three-dimensional glass sculpture and found foam board.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418866/yos399rx2hxxlzmfxi3m.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/plucked-gleaned">Plucked &amp; Gleaned</a>Begins March 6&nbsp;ARC GalleryPlucked and Gleaned is a group exhibition of fine art prints. The work on display touches on themes of identity, Midwest culture, place, and personal ecosystems. All of the works in the exhibition are by print artists living and making art in Northern Illinois and the Chicagoland area.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418867/cyfykhs6x0xk03mh8zrx.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/maia-cruz-palileo-the-answer-is-the-waves-of-the-sea">Maia Cruz Palileo: The Answer is the Waves of the Sea</a>Begins March 6Monique Meloche Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418868/prijwfda5l6sk6ozkdrd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/paint-posture-power">Paint, Posture, Power</a>Begins March 6Gallery Studio Oh!Paint, Posture, Power is a 4-person exhibition featuring abstract, circular paintings by David Pazdernik, figural ceramics depicting the feminine form by Nancy Pirri, and abstract photography capturing the ethereal quality of light and wind by Shirley Nannini and Candace Wark of Wind Flow Photography.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418869/ldiw9n4cheamxvej5bmz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/tattoo-tattoo">Tattoo Tattoo</a>Opening March 6, 1-4pmHofheimer Gallery&nbsp;The paintings and sculptures are the work of revered tattoo artists who practice across the United States and internationally.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Starting March 4 - 6

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418862/v71y3bjbpvwcfd0rhuy6.png"></figure>Spudnik Launches&nbsp;First Online Class&nbsp;Spudnik press announced last week they are launching their first online class --&nbsp;<a href="https://spudnikpress.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b3ff316031fa71b1c8cd675c&amp;id=6684430750&amp;e=421f57ee7c">Textile Art: Print, Embroidery, &amp;&nbsp;Dyes </a>with <a href="https://spudnikpress.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b3ff316031fa71b1c8cd675c&amp;id=74d83eeb08&amp;e=421f57ee7c">Willa Goettling</a> and <a href="https://spudnikpress.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b3ff316031fa71b1c8cd675c&amp;id=92eed2d9f8&amp;e=421f57ee7c">Shannon Bodrogi</a>.&nbsp;Students will explore multiple entry points into textile art in 5 sessions. The class will emphasize the use of eco-friendly materials such as natural&nbsp;inks, and&nbsp;use embroidery&nbsp;and relief printing to experiment with color and pattern.&nbsp;All demonstrations covered will be tailored for executing at home. Students can follow demonstrations in real time, or take notes and use the workshop experience to guide future projects.&nbsp;The class begins Thursday, April 1 and meets for 5 weeks on Thursdays, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m<a href="https://spudnikpress.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b3ff316031fa71b1c8cd675c&amp;id=c6ae4b9e68&amp;e=421f57ee7c">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418863/wkhbchyusvpisxlkmtwd.png"><figcaption>K Dao, Easter Sunday Fashion</figcaption></figure>360 CHICAGO launches Photography SeriesVisitors to 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck at 875 N Michigan Ave. (formerly known as the John Hancock Center) can view a photography exhibition more than 95 stories above the city. Apart, Together is a retrospective exhibit that&nbsp;features 21 compelling images hung in the Skywalk windows at 360 CHICAGO through April. Entry to enjoy this exhibit is included with the price of general admission. Chicago photographers included in the exhibition include: Colin Boyle, Danielle Braun, Khoa A. Dao, Chris Datskos, Christopher Mariano, Paul Martin, Harvey Pullings II, and Alex Qian.&nbsp;&nbsp;Images will be available for sale and profits (after printing costs) will benefit My Block, My Hood, My City.More tickets and information at <a href="http://www.360chicago.com/">www.360Chicago.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/zuqnclc5d3uzomqfkncr.png"><figcaption>An image from 1622 N LaSalle via Coldwell Banker</figcaption></figure>Art + Real Estate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/il/chicago/1622-n-lasalle-dr/pid_39987752/">Bertrand Goldberg's Last Residential Design is For Sale.&nbsp;</a>1622 N LaSalle was the last home designed by the renowned architect, famous for the reinforced concrete Marina City complex downtown. Located in Old Town/Lincoln Park, this home overlooks the Chicago History Museum and is also near the heart of the Gold Coast and lake. There is a lot of art on view in the current listing. The home is listed for $1,499,000.Via Coldwell Banker<a href="https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/il/chicago/1622-n-lasalle-dr/pid_39987752/">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/bwdkzcdko1d3iltysbhm.jpg"></figure>The MCA Reopens March 2<a href="https://mcachicago.org">The Museum of Contemporary Art</a> has been closed to the public since November, and it reopens March 2. Several exhibitions pick up where they left off in the fall, while a few open for the first time this month. In order to manage occupancy, the museum requests that visitors reserve a <a href="https://experience.mcachicago.org/events?tnewq=3da9ad4f-07d3-4dc8-b52e-c4a6fa7b3269&amp;tnewp=3bf9afd9-9b90-498f-b916-b99ea4902f7e&amp;tnewts=1594324386&amp;tnewc=mcachicago&amp;tnewe=mcageneral&amp;tnewrt=Safetynet&amp;tnewh=3b755c2bab664d391fb3980909360d8d">ticket online prior to visiting</a>. Limited tickets will also be available at the admissions desk on the first floor.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418866/qv9jxujddi2nzmsejlgj.jpg"><figcaption>Lauren G. Peterson</figcaption></figure>Role Change at Philips&nbsp;Lauren G. Peterson has taken on a new role at Philips. She is now Director, Museum &amp; Corporate Collections and is managing these collection relationships for the firm in the US. The auction house is now <a href="https://www.phillips.com/careers/410">looking to fill</a> the position of coordinator in Chicago. Formerly Peterson was Regional Representative, Associate Vice President at Philips. Prior to that she worked at Christie's for nine years.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: March 1

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418862/vupnsmceroooqcybheju.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/george-widener-selections-from-the-collection-of-victor-f-keen">George Widener Selections from the Collection of Victor F. Keen</a>Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider ArtBegins February 26Intuit is pleased to present this artist-focused exhibition featuring selections of his drawings and notebooks from Intuit’s collection and his large-scale multimedia works from the collection of Victor F. Keen, a prominent collector of Widener’s work. In Focus exhibits a breadth of George Widener’s oeuvre with works dating from 1999 to 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418863/fod6qjpracefewcv5n2k.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/saranoa-mark-36-15-43-n-29-59-14-e">SaraNoa Mark: 36° 15’ 43” N 29° 59’ 14” E</a>GoldfinchBegins February 27SaraNoa Mark’s practice investigates traces left by time, as they exist in landscapes and in collective memory. Using lasting materials like carved clay and discarded stones, the artist explores notions of permanence and erasure, questioning why certain pieces of history remain visible, while others fall away and are lost.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/isgm59jbswx5leqxfutb.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/alexander-hernandez-stayin-positive">Alexander Hernandez: Stayin' Positive</a>FLXST ContemporaryBegins February 27Stayin’ Positive started as a series of textile portraits investigating the identities of Latinx and other people of color living with HIV. The artist ALEXANDER HERNANDEZ used fabrics, patterns, motifs, colors, and imagery showcasing each person's cultural and social background to demonstrate how they navigate their POZ identities as a means of survival throughout their various communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/zmwruvn0bquzzetlv36u.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/katy-cowan-winds-glow-unceasing">Katy Cowan: winds glow unceasing</a>DOCUMENTBegins February 27Cowan dissects pattern and fractal repetition in order to play with viewer’s expectations. Her looping aesthetic is the antithesis of clinical. Her skillful use of figure/ground relationships revel in mutability like a hall of mirrors serves up confusion as entertainment. In Cowan’s work, tumult and composure are polar ends of the same rope. In one piece, the rope stretches horizontally in a straight line before puddling in a tangle of strands at either end. The respective puddles appear more dissimilar than alike. Still they reinforce the mirror analogy, staring at one another like siblings, buzzing with color-coded oscillations between object and idea. To be clear, the rope, strands, and puddles are all cast aluminum.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/lkryjwrn9tutdlx1ptnd.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/geoffrey-todd-smith-aaf54446-e5b0-46f1-b87e-d73535b539d7">Geoffrey Todd Smith: Sordid Orchestra</a>Western ExhibitionsBegins February 27For Geoffrey Todd Smith, abstraction is an unreliable narrator. Like carnival music playing in a horror movie, his abstract drawings and paintings don’t accurately convey the mood of the moment. Rather than holding up the proverbial mirror to society, Smith’s images are more like funhouse mirrors, further distorting and guiding the viewer away from reality. Every decision in the development of his compositions is fraught with the worry that he’s not saying enough, quickly giving way to the alternative, that he may have revealed too much–therein lies the tension. These Rorschach-like blobs bubble up to induce a sense of familiarity, only to be met with uncertainty.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418867/tl4xw7rvouiogrozvuec.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/michael-k-paxton">Interpolations: New, Large-Scale Work by Michael K. Paxton</a>Evanston Art CenterBegins February 27&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Starting February 26 - 27

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418862/xtishu7ahdeebwgb8iyg.jpg"><figcaption>Soil Lab Team Photo L to R Vester, Bruun, Martin, Ni Chathasaigh_Photos by Benita Marcussen (left) and Rob de Boer (right), 2019 . Image Courtesy of Chicago Architecture Biennial and Danish Arts Foundation</figcaption></figure>Chicago Architecture Biennial Announces Winners of its First Commission, the DAF Open CallThe Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) and the Danish Arts Foundation (DAF) have selected Soil Lab as the winning project of a DAF Open Call for a major new commission in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.By Christele Harrouk, ArchDaily<a href="https://www.archdaily.com/957414/chicago-architecture-biennial-announces-winners-of-the-daf-open-call">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/ysexpvgilogsrjcfyrtt.jpg"></figure>With Art Hubs and Performances, Theaster Gates Is Redefining Chicago’s South SideThe artist is injecting new life—and art—into abandoned and run down spaces, and investing in community in the South Side.&nbsp;By Evita Robinson, Conde Nast Traveler<a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/story/with-art-hubs-and-performances-theaster-gates-is-redefining-chicagos-south-side">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/j0gv5rl8jpguoz23aqhh.jpg"><figcaption>Federal prosecutors say these are among several historical and valuable artifacts that went missing from a Deerfield storage facility last spring. Three people have been criminally charged in connection with the alleged heist.U.S. District Court records</figcaption></figure>‘This guy is Saint Michael and is over 600 years old’: Sculptures, paintings, poster nabbed in art heistThe FBI set up a sting operation after records show at least $112,000 in cash changed hands in exchange for some of the items. The investigation has since led to criminal charges against three people.By Jon Seidel, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2021/2/22/22296221/sculptures-paintings-poster-nabbed-in-art-heist">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/efrd8iqknocbvjkpohvp.jpg"><figcaption>Ernest Hemingway’s earliest short story, “The Judgment of Manitou,” appeared in his Oak Park, Ill., high school literary magazine in 1916.Credit...via Grolier Club</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Are Magazines Dead? Not at This Exhibition“Magazines and the American Experience,” at the Grolier Club in Manhattan, explores the rich, colorful and sometimes deeply strange history of American periodicals.By Jennifer Schuessler, The New York Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/arts/design/magazines-grolier-club.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From the Art World: February 23, 2021

<html><head></head><body>By CGN STAFFLast week we featured works to buy for under $1,000. Admittedly that was a pretty low limit, which was part of the fun of seeking it out to share with you. Now we are following up with a list of select works that are available for under $5,000. As we said last week, of course there is always art available at a wide range of price points and price is just one part of understanding, appreciating and valuing art.&nbsp;Particularly in this price point, we see more established artists offering more affordable versions of their well-known work. There is a lot of beautiful work to view and consider.&nbsp;Galleries are still open by appointment for visits and pick-ups. If you make a purchase online check to see about shipping times and dates.&nbsp;Remember, when you purchase a work of art, you are supporting artists and the galleries that represent them!&nbsp;&nbsp;Some art buying tips and pricing reminders to keep in mind:• There are many factors that go into pricing art, such as the medium (photography and prints vs paintings), the quantity available (in an edition of 25, or a unique work) as well as the reputation of and career stage of the artist (a young, emerging artist vs a contemporary master)• Not all prices are marked when you visit a gallery exhibition or art fair. But that does not mean that you cannot ask for a price, and maybe even discuss a (be reasonable!) discount.&nbsp;• Payment plans are often available. Ask before you buy what the options are.• Explore on your own, and don't hesitate to contact a gallery or artist to get a conversation started.• Use CGN as your guide to learn when shows are happening where and then get out there and look for yourself!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418862/m5ibxbmix9rabncfbhqt.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418863/fkqpdsgeyrrz9h9vktj3.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<a href="http://kavigupta.com/artist/beverly-fishman/">Beverly Fishman – Kavi Gupta</a>The five-panel Beverly Fishman is $5,000. The two-panel Beverly Fishman is $4,000.Combining the handmade with the industrial, Fishman employs a variety of techniques to explore technological, scientific, and biological systems of perception and representation, instigating constructive conversations about the ways people see their bodies and minds, and construct their identities. Her most illustrious bodies of work engage with the visual language of the medical industrial complex. For example, her highly-polished Pill reliefs utilize iconic pharmaceutical forms as the basis for seemingly abstract compositions that radiate with color. Her brilliantly complex Dividose paintings appropriate the unsettling, multilayered, linear aesthetic of medical imaging technologies such as EEG and EKG machines, provoking levels of optical fascination capable of eliciting physiological responses from viewers.Fishman's materials list has included traditional supports such as wood, paper, blown glass and aluminum, as well as more unconventional elements like cast resin, mirrored Plexiglass, powder-coat-ed metal and phosphorescent pigments. She also frequently uses mediums like chrome and urethane automotive paint that speak in conversation with the legacy of the Detroit area, where she has lived and worked since 1992.&nbsp;Kavi Gupta will create a custom viewing room for you based on your interests and price range.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418864/f4cdullisp33dwuujfyt.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.madrongallery.com/edna-reindel">Edna Reindel – Madron Gallery</a>At the Seams, Ink, watercolor, and graphite on paper, 22.5 x 22.5 inEdna Reindel (1894-1990), Geometric Still Life, Watercolor on paper, 13 1/2 x 10 1/2&nbsp; inches$1,500Edna Reindel was a subtle Surrealist and American Regionalist painter, printmaker, illustrator, sculptor, muralist, and teacher active from the 1920s to the 1960s. She is best known for her work in large-scale murals, New England landscapes, and later for her commissioned work of women workers in WWII shipyard and aircraft industries as published in Life magazine in 1944.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418865/vxzwcn45gi1vb4vcjzqe.jpg"></figure><a href="http://loucksgallery.com/lori-glavin-cv">Lori Glavin – Anne Loucks Gallery</a>When We Were Young, oil on paper, 50 x 38"$4,000Glavin says her abstract paintings and monotypes are inspired by a fresh examination of the familiar. A neighborhood walk, the delicacy of a shadow on a wall, and the observation of pattern in her knitting projects are starting points for constructing an image. Influenced by the repetitions and rhythms of domestic life, she collects, combines, and sorts; alternating between large shapes and small bits to make an arrangement of nuanced color and shape that becomes a monument to minutiae.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418866/rtdkjyles0ctd4ahyeud.png"></figure><a href="https://www.edelmangallery.com/artists/artists/g-n/omar-imam.html#?id=5495">Omar Imam – Catherine Edelman Gallery</a>Untitled, 2015 [car technician not a doctor], From the Live, Love, Refugee series, 12 x 16", 18 x 24", 35 x 47" pigment print. Edition of 8 + 2 AP's, 6 + 2 AP's, 4 + 2AP's$1,800–$2,400 (Live, Love, Refugee&nbsp;images are available as 12 x 16", 18 x 24" pigments prints made in editions of 8 + 2 APs and 6 + 2 APs respectively. Pieces range in price from $1800 to $2400, depending on size and availability.)In 2012, Syrian activist turned photographer Omar Imam (b. 1979 Damascus) was kidnapped and tortured by a militia and only let go when a friend intervened. Soon after, Imam left Damascus with his parents and wife, settling in Beirut where he and his wife started a family. In 2016, he moved to Amsterdam, where he and his family currently reside.Live, Love, Refugee is Imam’s photographic response to the chaos erupting in his homeland. In refugee camps across Lebanon, Imam collaborated with Syrians to create photographs that talked about their reality, rather than presenting them as a simple statistic. As a refugee himself, Imam understands the loss and chaos of being displaced from ones home. But dreams cannot be eradicated -- dreams of escape, dreams of love, and dreams of terror. These dreams are what Imam set out to capture.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418867/ci5hglfd1wbmnm5ib5qb.png"></figure><a href="https://anorangemoon.com/product/wesley-willis-art-dan-ryan-expressway-past-51st-towards-47th/">Wesley Willis – An Orange Moon</a>The Dan Ryan Expressway Past 51st Towards 47th ( Trucking), ballpoint pen and marker on Crescent board, signed and titled right middle, 28″H&nbsp; x 41″L&nbsp;$4,500Wesley Lawrence Willis (1963&nbsp;–&nbsp;2003) was an American singer-songwriter and visual artist. Diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1989, Willis began a career as an underground singer-songwriter in the outsider music tradition. Willis gained a large cult following in the 1990s, particularly after the release of his 1995 Greatest Hits album on the Alternative Tentacles label, and received the nickname "The Daddy of Rock 'n' Roll". He was also a visual artist long before he developed an interest in music, and produced hundreds of intricate, unusual, colored ink-pen drawings, most of them of various Chicago streetscapes; he frequently sold these on the street for between $20 and $40. (via <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Willis">Wikipedia</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Art Picks: Works Under $5,000

By CGN STAFFAt home (more than usual) this past weekend, we spent some time on chicagogallerynews.com dreaming of warmer days and looking for affordable art to bring to any home, large or small. So here we are introducing the next part of CGN's affordable art series, featuring a small selection of art works priced below $1,000. Next week we will share a post about works priced under $5,000. Of course there is always art available at a wide range of price points.&nbsp;Anecdotally we've heard from several local dealers that during the past few months, despite major industry challenges, new and returning collectors have come to galleries eager to buy art because they have either moved to a larger home or they're looking for unique ways to spruce up an existing space – just what we love to hear!&nbsp;Galleries are still open by appointment for visits and pick-ups. If you make a purchase online check to see about shipping times and dates.&nbsp;Remember, when you purchase a work of art, you are supporting artists and the galleries that represent them!&nbsp;&nbsp;Some art buying tips and pricing reminders to keep in mind:• There are many factors that go into pricing art, such as the medium (photography and prints vs paintings), the quantity available (in an edition of 25 or a unique work) as well as the reputation of and career stage of the artist (a young, emerging artist vs a contemporary master)• Not all prices are marked when you visit a gallery exhibition or art fair. But that does not mean that you cannot ask for a price, and maybe even discuss a (be reasonable!) discount.&nbsp;• Payment plans are often available. Ask before you buy what the options are.• Explore on your own, and don't hesitate to contact a gallery or artist to get a conversation started.• Use CGN as your guide to learn when shows are happening where and then get out there and look for yourself!&nbsp;&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/12/art-picks-works-under-5-000" target="_blank">• Read Part I here</a><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/12/art-picks-works-under-1-000-part-ii" target="_blank">• Read Part II here</a><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2020/12/art-picks-works-under-1-000-part-iii" target="_blank">• Read Part III here</a>&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748035387/g9ce3gfjldcaaqaetw8j.png">Alex Senna – Vertical Gallery<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://verticalgallery.com/collections/art-for-sale/products/alex-senna-mirror" target="_blank">Mirror, 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 in.</a>$1,000Via Widewalls: "São Paulo based street artist Alex Senna beautifies cities worldwide with his warm and endearing black and white murals. This Brazilian artist, illustrator and advertising art director, whose life is all about drawing, art and graffiti, is a huge contemporary name on the Brazilian urban art scene."&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748035388/qscfpizsoi4kdyyjyywe.jpg">Holly Cahill – Goldfinch<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/goldfinch_projects/artwork/at-the-seams/embed?artist=holly-cahill&amp;force_collection=true" target="_blank">At the Seams, Ink, watercolor, and graphite on paper, 22.5 x 22.5 in</a>$600Cahill is one of several artists at Goldfinch who are part of the gallery's <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://goldfinch-gallery.com/goldfinch-flatfiles/" target="_blank">Flatfiles Program</a>, which aims to make original contemporary artworks available to a wider audience. It encompasses painting, drawing, collage, prints, photographs, mixed media pieces and any other flat work that can be housed in the drawers of their flatfile cabinet, the vast majority of which are priced at $1,500 or below — and many can be acquired for less than $500. Works in the Flatfiles can be viewed online or by advanced appointment at the Gallery.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748035389/l5w5bhcmujiv3o0tbmnq.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hofheimergallery.com/artists/karen-perl/" target="_blank">Karen Perl – Hofheimer Gallery</a>Afterlife, Oil on Wood,&nbsp;12” x 12”$775Perl's muted local landscape paintings give viewers a – perhaps now familiar – look at what Chicago's streets look like when they are empty. The focus is on broad spaces and architectural elements – walls, windows, traffic and street fixtures, often punctuated by slim dogs seated or waiting for their companion.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748035390/hnbxxi6l84jwnptqotmx.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bgfa.us/artists/yagi/index.html" target="_blank">Sandra Yagi – Bert Green Fine Art</a>Illuminated Movie Monster: Godzilla, 2018, Watercolor, acrylic, gouache and ink on Arches paper, 9.25 x 7” (Framed size 14 x 12”)$1,000Sandra Yagi's Illuminated Movie Monsters are inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts, which are hand-made, jewel-like book pages that celebrate and educate the reader with the important cultural issues of their time. She has chosen Hollywood movie monsters as her subjects for these stand-alone pages, with a wink and a nod to history and to popular culture.&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1748035390/uufjycyr4f2xumoifffb.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://springboardarts.com/artwork/jason-hackenwerth-maryanne-in-bloom/" target="_blank">Jason Hackenwerth – Springboard Arts</a>Maryanne In Bloom, 24 × 20 ″, Oil on canvas, 2020$380Springboard Arts opened in Wicker Park in late 2020. In addition to hosting in-person exhibitions, they launched an online gallery and store, which makes it easy to discover original, local art available in many price ranges.&nbsp;&nbsp;

New Year, New Art Under $1,000

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418858/kscuqwggsekfrbay2rel.png"></figure>By CGN Staff via PRChicago has long been known for its unparalleled collection of public art. That collection is receiving new, thoughtful attention now as The City of Chicago, in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Chicago Park District (Parks) and Chicago Public Schools (CPS), launches the Chicago Monuments Project website <a href="http://chicagomonuments.org/">chicagomonuments.org</a>, kicking off the public engagement phase of the Chicago Monuments Project that will conclude in April 2021.The new website identifies monumental sculptures, artworks and commemorative plaques on the public way and in Chicago parks selected by the Chicago Monuments Project Advisory Committee for further review. Chicagoans are encouraged to join the conversation by submitting feedback through the website, virtual events and one-on-one conversations."This project is a powerful opportunity for us to come together as a city to assess the many monuments and memorials across our neighborhoods and communities—to face our history and what and how we memorialize that history," said Mayor Lightfoot. "Given the past year and in particular the past summer that made clear history isn’t past, it is essential that residents are a part of this conversation. This project is about more than a single statue or mural, it’s about channeling our city's dynamic civic energy to permanently memorialize our shared values, history and heritage as Chicagoans in an open and democratic way."The Chicago Monuments Project is the City’s first effort to grapple with the often unacknowledged – or forgotten – history associated with the City’s various municipal art collections and provides a vehicle to address the hard truths of Chicago’s racial history, confront the ways in which that history has and has not been memorialized and develop a framework for marking public space that elevates new ways to memorialize Chicago’s true and complete history.Using feedback collected through the upcoming public art and engagement efforts, the City, along with various stakeholder groups, will create a plan to erect a series of new monuments that equitably acknowledge Chicago’s shared history.The Chicago Monuments Project also seeks project ideas from individual artists and/or community groups for the development of new monuments that rethink the place, purpose and permanence of monuments in our public spaces. Deadline for submissions is April 1, 2021.*Leading this review of monuments is the Chicago Monuments Project Advisory Committee, a group of community leaders, artists, architects, scholars, curators and city officials who have dedicated their time, experience and expertise.&nbsp; The committee, announced in August 2020, is co-chaired by Mark Kelly, Commissioner of DCASE, Bonnie McDonald, President &amp; CEO of Landmarks Illinois and Jennifer Scott, Director/Chief Curator of Jane Addams Hull-House Museum."The Chicago Monuments Project <a href="https://chicagomonuments.org/committee">Advisory Committee</a> – a group of community leaders, artists, architects, scholars, curators, and city officials, who are dedicating their time, experience, and expertise to lead this effort – has considered hundreds of the city’s sculptures and plaques in this critically important process,” said DCASE Commissioner and Advisory Committee Co-Chair Mark Kelly. “The City’s public art collection is a defining characteristic of Chicago and it should reflect and respect all Chicagoans. The public’s input will now help us evaluate the collection and to commission new works.”Several local artists and cultural leaders serving on the committee include: Faheem Majeed, Amanda Williams, Teresa Silva, Michelle Boone, Michael Rakowitz, and others.*&nbsp;Out of a collection of over 500 monumental sculptures, commemorative plaques and artworks on the public way and in Chicago parks, 41 listed online have been identified for public discussion.The project states that everyone is welcome and encouraged to share feedback on specific monuments, monuments in general or what monuments might look like in the future. The website is currently <a href="https://chicagomonuments.org/participate">accepting public feedback</a> and Chicagoans are also invited to pre-register to participate in discussions with Chicago Monuments Project Advisory Committee Members, where they can ask questions, share their thoughts and learn more about the Chicago Monuments Project. Space will be limited to 20 community members per drop-in session.The Chicago Monuments Project also seeks proposals from community partners to host and facilitate public conversations about the city’s monuments. Programs can address a specific artwork(s) identified by the Chicago Monuments Advisory Committee and/or present open platforms for a constructive dialogue about previously untold, erased or obscured narratives in the telling of Chicago’s history and the development of new monuments. Program proposals will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee, and a select number of proposals will be identified to receive a $1,500 stipend toward program production.Additional public program details will be updated in the upcoming weeks.The Chicago Park District is excited to help launch and facilitate the Chicago Monuments Project," said General Superintendent and CEO Michael Kelly. "We urge residents and groups to share their perspectives, in a thoughtful and respectful manner. Public participation is critical to our success, not only in examining Chicago's public art collection but also healing our city."CPS will lead a separate, but aligned, process to review their extensive collection of artworks. CPS is currently in the final stages of creating a Works of Art Steering Committee that will meet quarterly to review concerns about specific works of art raised by members of the CPS community. The committee will work with students, teachers, school leaders and advocacy groups to recommend and advise school communities on actions related to the collection."Chicago Public Schools is committed to ensuring works of art in our schools represent the diversity, history and heritage of the communities we serve," said CPS Chief Education Officer, LaTanya McDade. "CPS is proud to participate in this joint effort to better reflect and honor the diversity of our city through public art."*The first drop-in Zoom discussion takes place next week, February 23 from 10–11am, with Commissioner Mark Kelly &amp; Jon Pounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/141329437151">REGISTER</a> &nbsp;</body></html>

City of Chicago Launches The Chicago Monuments Project, Led By Several Local Artists

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418858/hrm6wsk5o56snbngmxv6.png"></figure>&nbsp;By CGN Staff via PRSculpture Milwaukee,​ an annual outdoor exhibition of public sculpture in the city's downtown, has announced that its 2021 exhibition will be co-curated by artists Theaster Gates and Michelle Grabner. Launching in June 2021 and running through November, the exhibition is now in its fifth year and has become one of the largest annual outdoor exhibitions to focus on​ ​contemporary sculpture and public art practices. Sculpture Milwaukee serves as a catalyst for community engagement, economic development, and creative placemaking. ​The exhibit creates a free, open-air art gallery, which captivates residents, tourists, downtown employees, students, and art lovers alike.&nbsp;<a href="www.sculpturemilwaukee.com">Sculpture Milwaukee</a> is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization funded through private grants, in-kind donations, and sponsorships. ​All of the artworks are available for purchase.Michelle Grabner, whose ​Untitled ​sculpture appeared in Sculpture Milwaukee’s inaugural​ ​exhibition in 2017 stated, "It is exhilarating to co-curate Sculpture Milwaukee with​ ​Theaster, knowing that the process will result in wholehearted and attentive conversations between two artists who are deeply invested in sculptural form, materiality, and the urgent political and aesthetic issues embedded in a large-scale public exhibition.”The organization will continue​ ​with virtual artist talks, and, if conditions improve around the ongoing pandemic,​ ​in-person programming may resume. ​Sculpture Milwaukee will continue to celebrate sculpture​ ​by knitting together an offering of artwork that imparts artistic perspectives, material​ ​imagination, and creative expressions within a city-landscape that foregrounds civic​ ​engagement and diverse cultural histories.Past participating artists have included Jim Dine, Tony Tasset, Julian Opie, William Kentridge, Paula Crown and many others. A complete list of artists and artworks that will be part of the <a href="https://www.sculpturemilwaukee.com/2021">2021 exhibition</a> will be released this coming Spring.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418858/r0pq8h4qhe5se7r0jw96.png"></figure>&nbsp;ABOUT THE CURATORS<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418859/p5hyp7hfkc0352klwvp1.jpg"></figure>Theaster Gates ​is a ​Chicago-based artist and curator whose practice encompasses sculpture, performance, and land development-based projects.​ His work contends with the notion of Black space as a formal exercise – one defined by collective desire, artistic agency, and the tactics of a pragmatist. Drawing on his training in urban planning and preservation, Gates is known for investing in the revitalization of urban spaces. In 2010, he advanced this aspect of his practice by establishing ​Rebuild Foundation, a nonprofit platform that provides free arts programming and cultural amenities to communities on Chicago’s South Side.Gates is ​a professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Visual Arts and at the Harris School of Public Policy, and is Distinguished Visiting Artist and Director of Artist Initiatives at the Lunder Institute for American Art at Colby College. ​His work has been widely exhibited in museums, galleries, and biennials nationally and internationally, including recent solo exhibitions at Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago and Gagosian Gallery, New York.Read CGN's 2018 interview with Gates <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2018/8/the-evolution-of-a-vision-what-s-next-for-the-stony-island-arts-bank">here</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418860/v0vi29osrpcauf5ruqo7.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Michelle Grabner​ is a ​Wisconsin-based artist, writer, and curator. She co-curated the 2014 Whitney Biennial ​and was the Artistic Director for the inaugural 2018 FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art. Her practice spans a variety of media including drawing, painting, and sculpture, and finds a creative center in operating across platforms and towards community. ​Her work has been the subject of several national museum surveys. She is presently represented by James Cohan, New York and Green Gallery, Milwaukee, among others.Grabner is the Crown Family Professor of Art and the Senior Chair of the Painting and Drawing Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she has taught since 1996. She has also held teaching appointments at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Cranbrook Academy of Art; Milton Avery Graduate School of Arts—Bard College; Yale University School of Art; and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Maine.&nbsp;</body></html>

Theaster Gates and Michelle Grabner to Curate 2021 Edition of Sculpture Milwaukee 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418858/qa6l5yrfre3d1zm3uwup.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;In Lieu of Mardi Gras Parades, Artists Are Turning New Orleans Homes Into Wildly Creative ‘House Floats’—See Images HereBuilding 3,000 house floats was a boon for the city's out-of-work artists.By Sarah Cascone, Artnet News<a href="https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/new-orleans-mardi-gras-house-floats-1943822">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418858/hoawnltkylw0fzu2jflw.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;A New, Safe Home for the Louvre’s Unseen TreasuresAn ultramodern conservation center in northern France is a haven for flood-threatened items from the museum’s central Paris basement.By Elaine Sciolino, The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/arts/design/louvre-lievin-conservation-center.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418859/wrqbytqamr1xojg1trnv.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Christie’s to Sell Its First Fully Digital Work of Art in Test of Emerging&nbsp;MarketThe work, known as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token), is by Beeple (né Mike Winkelmann), a net artist and graphic designer who has amassed a large following on social media producing commercial projects for pop stars and brands like Louis Vuitton and Nike. A Christie’s representative called him “a leader in the digital art community.”By Angelica Villa, ArtNews<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/christies-beeple-blockchain-art-sale-1234583847/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From the Art World: February 16, 2021

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418216/iy6mqgqi7k7pvijlktyx.png"></figure>Well, a foot and a half of snow has certainly changed everyone's daily routine this week, even if you're already used to spending most of your time indoors and commuting was so 2019.&nbsp;Two years ago actually, we rounded up some art that spoke to our frigid climate in Chicago, and here we are again. Finding artistic comfort in art somehow reflects the thing we're all dealing with: February.&nbsp;Here for you are some art picks from local spaces that speak to all that white stuff out there. &nbsp;Later this week we will feature Art to Warm You Up!&nbsp;And remember, once you've shoveled your way outside, many area galleries and museums are open by appointment, or are re-opening in the coming days. Please check with each space before visiting.– CGN Staff&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/john-kuhn-splendor-extended">John Kuhn at Ken Saunders</a>&nbsp;Here is some glass art that looks a lot like a frozen lake, or pool if you're in Texas.&nbsp;Kuhn’s sculptures are among the most complex and intricate objects ever created by hand. At their most ambitious the works, which are solid, can contain several thousand pieces of glass; cut, ground and polished to fit seamlessly together and laminated into mesmerizing structures.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418217/szmnnvkhdb5pliuzkoxe.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<a href="http://danaddington.com/addingtongallery/hirst/hirst.html">Jeffrey Hirst at Addington Gallery</a>Hirst, an artist working in encaustic, a medium that actually requires heat, says his current work investigates relations between man-made architectural structure and the natural landscape; questions arise at how these two forces coexist in an urban environment. While both phenomena occur in all environments, the artist is most interested in the dynamic in a high contrast urban context. The correlation between urban decay and natural beauty (both at the micro and macro level) influence the work."<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418218/ise3sxihfjjnxk00nemm.jpg"><figcaption>Jeffrey Hirst, Alterations, 26" x 28", encaustic, oil, and silkscreen on constructed panel</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://art-studio-oh.com/circles">Erwin Overes at Studio Oh!&nbsp;</a>Artist and owner of Gallery Studio Oh!, Erwin Overes, is selling his new Circle Series at a discounted rate in order to help support the artist community during this challenging time. Erwin will be donating a portion of the sales to Arts Alliance Illinois.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418219/bwai8fxazrm7hb6v0fno.jpg"><figcaption>Winter is Coming I - IV, Epoxy resin, acrylic, 12”x12”x3” each; $400 for all 4</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Emily Rapport at Eat Paint Studio&nbsp;Emily paints scenes from every day life around Chicago. Her “Winter morning" is especially timely.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418219/fc3vlbs979tgwvuygcz4.png"><figcaption>“Winter morning,” 9x12”, ink on Yupo, by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emilyrapport/">@emilyrapport</a></figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/9036/monet-and-chicago">Monet at the Art Institute of Chicago</a>The CTA buses are running. See if you can catch one down to the Art Institute, now that it has reopened (except today, Feb 16) and its Monet exhibition has been extended.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418221/vfiyawsrfdtv4nz2zjhe.jpg"><figcaption>Stacks of Wheat (Sunset, Snow Effect), 1890/91, Claude Monet French, 1840-1926</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Art for the Deep Freeze: 2021 Edition

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418396/hem96cqrl3tyhtzbtf4i.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Laurel, one-of-a-kind monotype card w/ envelope</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;From Deborah Maris Lader, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative<blockquote>Love is in the air!!! Ok, ok, we know it's as cold as a refrigerated vaccine and we're so bundled up and masked that we wouldn't even recognize our own offspring if we slid into them on a patch of ice, but we're TRYING to remain positive. Or actually NEGATIVE. Or at least positively negative....you know what we mean. The holiday of love is just about upon us, and rather than stock up on Hallmark and Walmart, why not opt for a handmade Valentine or a gorgeous print or some art wrapped chocolate? We've got you covered! You can <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001t_pCZvyCJBeRtTfi48Dr5tgXweDZtTV8Pb64T8lXyEZglSAw7Hn8RdpADAnO41Q9JQJH2wqG2KrS9mRKyU6T5gFUegpjddwr9047byXxKrlxryz9BUDcmGqgI2DGrvRLgREBdTM5uFahl7dcMguBLDllVDj9FyJUpnrN75ROFB4=&amp;c=Hwgtjw_CgbLi80gDsU36jTlcAr2fO4tN4SPU2VsAuRrO5bWSYHYkEw==&amp;ch=sMd1Pib0fe5YOMFlcsdfgBeWPTCCn2DKff9kbHRzWuWN-ecFoc2xwQ==">make an appointment</a> to swing by today, Friday or Saturday, or shoot us an <a href="mailto:info@chicagoprintmakers.com">email</a> or even give us a call at 773-293-2070. We REALLY wanna help you impress the people you love.</blockquote><a href="https://chicago-printmakers-collaborative.myshopify.com/collections/prints">Shop CPC's Online Store</a> &nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://chicagoprintmakers.com/print-making-classes-chicago/">Shop Classes</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://chicagoprintmakers.com/appointments/"> In-Person Shopping</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418397/zrrkla3bqdlh4uujugrc.png"></figure>&nbsp;Keep checking in as we add new items to our Valentine's Day themed Shop!<a href="https://evanstonmade.org/product-category/valentines-day/?mc_cid=5f6bc033fd&amp;mc_eid=ef9bf6a59f">Online Shop</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418398/qu5eka3qeeiqhhhterhl.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Here are some of our favorite pieces, in stock and ready for immediate shipment.<a href="https://www.wantoot.com/collections/ready-to-gift-jewelry">Ready to Gift Jewelry</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Shop Local for this Valentine's Day!

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418367/vka9dnopowhjjhlz8aid.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/be-a-part-of-particles">Be a part of pARTicles</a>Fermilab Art GalleryBegins February 10Community Project for the Fermilab Virtual Family Open House Feb. 10-14, 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418368/pbe4qurvyhlchnhq3nan.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/pintoras-mexicanas-10th-anniversary">Pintoras Mexicanas 10th Anniversary</a>Dragonfly GalleryBegins February 13Join us for our 10th Anniversary of Pintoras Mexicanas Group Exhibition.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418369/oavhc0kmypo596dldtjl.png"></figure><a href=" https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/against-impossibility">Against Impossibility</a>FLXST ContemporaryBegins February 13Against Impossibility brings together these five emerging contemporary artists who work across the mediums of sculpture, fibers and textiles, mixed-media, and painting and who, despite their precarious positions as MFA students in their final year of studies, continue to produce work influenced by the tumult happening around them.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Starting February 10-13

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418194/xuoytdbvf4tmwlexezoc.jpg"></figure>-- Via PR&nbsp;The New Art Dealers Alliance and Printed Matter are pleased to present a new limited-edition artwork produced by artist Karl Wirsum. The fundraising edition will debut as part of <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=919743ea02&amp;e=c90a0cc501">Printed Matter’s Virtual Art Book Fair</a>, to take place February 24–28, 2021.The 9-color screen print borrows an outlandish and provocative character from a recent series of drawings by the artist, depicting a grinning but friendly figure that is both animal and human, composed from bright block colors and abstract shapes.&nbsp;Karl Wirsum, “The Gift Horse’s Mouth,” 2021, 9-color screen print, 24 x 20 inches, Edition of 100Numbered and embossed with the artist’s signature. Tiered pricing starting at $500. Printed by <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=f05001e4c6&amp;e=c90a0cc501">POP!NK Editions</a><a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=6fe94993e4&amp;e=c90a0cc501">BUY NOW</a>&nbsp;About​ Karl​ WirsumKarl Wirsum is one of the original Chicago Imagists known as the Hairy Who, a group of six artists who decided to join forces and exhibit together in the mid-1960’s. Wirsum is a Chicago native, creating paintings, drawings, and sculptures, that are broadly influenced by his interest in comics, his time spent living in the southwest, urban environment, and decorative forms. His work was featured prominently in a major survey of the Hairy Who at the Art Institute of Chicago, in 2019. His works are in numerous public collections such as the Whitney Museum, Museum of Modern Art, High Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and RISD Art Museum. Karl Wirsum is represented by <a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=c6d0b99ecc&amp;e=c90a0cc501">Derek Eller Gallery</a> in New York.<a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=bd04b49c3a&amp;e=c90a0cc501">About​ Printed​ Matter’s​ Virtual​ Art​ Book​ Fair</a><a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=ad488ecea8&amp;e=c90a0cc501">Printed Matter’s Virtual Art Book Fair (PMVABF)</a> takes place from February 25–28, 2021, with an Opening on Wednesday, February 24.Since 2005, Printed Matter’s Art Book Fairs have hosted international exhibitors featuring a wide variety of works—from zines and artists’ books to rare and out of print publications, and contemporary art editions. This new Fair expands upon the rich tradition of our longrunning and beloved NY and LA Art Book Fairs, including over 400 exhibitors from 43 countries, with online programs, performances, games, and more.<a href="https://newartdealers.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3493a38a571991d5c278569e7&amp;id=7ab9fcbe41&amp;e=c90a0cc501">Printed Matter, Inc.</a> is an independent 501©(3) non-profit organization founded in 1976 by artists and art workers with the mission to foster the distribution, understanding and appreciation of artists’ books and related artists’ publications.&nbsp;About​ NADAFounded in 2002, New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) is a not-for-profit 501c(6) collective of professionals working with contemporary art. Its mission is to create an open flow of information, support, and collaboration within the arts field and to develop a stronger sense of community among its constituency. Through support and encouragement, NADA facilitates strong and meaningful relationships between its members working with new contemporary and emerging art. In 2020, NADA hosted the New York Gallery Open, FAIR, the Chicago Gallery Open, and NADA Miami.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

There's a new limited-edition artwork by Karl Wirsum starting at $500

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417871/lrb6cqitali63odkthrl.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By Ginny Van AlyeaCapping off nearly a year where all art spaces and institutions have been closed to the public at some point, a new arts venue has opened in Chicago. As in, a new space is opening for the first time, in person. To people. If you'd asked me almost a year ago about new spaces ever opening, I am not sure I would have predicted this.Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago, housed within the city's recently renovated, landmark Germania Club Building at the intersection of Clark and North Ave., spans three-stories and will be dedicated to immersive art presentations, a welcome effort after a year spent mostly online and definitely not immersed in much.&nbsp;The space's first presentation, Immersive Van Gogh, launches February 11 and is inspired by the Dutch painter, one of the world's most famous artists. During Van Gogh's short life he painted more than 2,000 artworks ranging from ordinary household items and self-portraits to surreal landscapes, with reproductions gracing millions of college dorm room walls decades later. Immersive Van Gogh offers original artworks in an innovative form and it opens in Chicago at a time when there is likely to be a significant, pent up demand from the general public for this kind of in-person experience. Since tickets went on sale, the Chicago show was tracked as the bestselling show in the world on TicketMaster. It's worth noting that not so long ago, in 2016, the Art Institute of Chicago used Van Gogh's painting of his own bedroom in Arles, France as inspiration for another kind of <a href="https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/1865/van-gogh-s-bedrooms">immersive exhibit</a> – Airbnb even recreated the bedroom and <a href="https://time.com/4215482/vincent-van-gogh-bedroom-airbnb/">rented it out</a>.&nbsp;Van Gogh was a post-Impressionist painter whose work — notable for its beauty, emotion and color — highly influenced expressionism in 20th-century art. He struggled with mental illness and remained poor and virtually unknown throughout his life. He was tragically admitted to a psychiatric hospital after offering his severed ear to a woman at a local brothel. For hope, he turned to painting and nature, until one day when he went out to paint in the morning with a loaded pistol in his hand and reportedly shot himself in the chest. In his 37 years alive, Van Gogh only sold one painting, The Red Vineyards, to his brother Theo.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417871/eiukd9eh6ihppcmjetnt.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;*Van Gogh's art is arguably a cultural gateway for many people who first admire his accessible, yet sometimes mysterious, images in high school and college art classes. To bring Van Gogh's familiar art to life in new ways, an Italian creative team who pioneered digital experiences in Paris has created a custom design to fit the Neo-Classical architecture of Immersive Van Gogh.Immersive Van Gogh, comes to Chicago following its debut in Toronto. It has been described as a digital art exhibition that invites audiences to “step inside” van Gogh's iconic works, evoking his highly emotional and chaotic inner consciousness through art, light, music, movement and imagination, merging the boundaries between entertainment and culture with the hope of exposing the public to art in an entirely new way. Utilizing the Germania Club building's Victorian Era architectural details, 35-foot-tall walls and multiple levels (including balconies), the venue will present vibrant immersive art exhibitions that surround the viewer on all sides long after the Van Gogh run is finished.&nbsp;With more than 50 projectors illuminating over 14,000 square-feet, visitors to Immersive Van Gogh will be encircled from head-to-toe in Van Gogh’s brushstrokes and colors, including animated details from works such as Self Portrait with Felt Hat (1888), The Bedroom in Arles (1889), Irises (1889) and The Starry Night (1889).“Immersive Van Gogh is a new way of encountering art, as it quite literally surrounds viewers on all sides with the brilliant work of one of the greatest painters of all time,” said Immersive Art Space Co-Producer Corey Ross. “Both connoisseurs and new admirers of Van Gogh’s work are guaranteed a breathtaking perspective on the influential artist’s oeuvre.”The exhibition was designed by creative director and Italian film producer Massimiliano Siccardi, with original music by Italian multimedia composer Luca Longobardi, who provided a score that combines experimental electronic music with pure, ethereal piano. Vittorio Guidotti is the Art Director. Siccardi and Longobardi are both pioneers of immersive digital art experiences in Paris, where they were part of the team that created the world-renowned Van Gogh, Starry Night exhibition, among others.&nbsp;Siccardi has a decades-long history of experimenting with “digitally immersive” art, beginning with exhibitions at the Cathédrale d’Images in Baux-de-Provence, France. A former quarry, the Cathédrale d’Images was used as a venue for art exhibitions as early as the 1970s, when artist and journalist Albert Plécy created illuminated “frescoes” by projecting from dozens of carousel projectors onto the white limestone walls of the disused quarry. The projections covered the contours of the walls and the ceilings of the quarry, and were also accompanied by a soundtrack and actors. Siccardi cites Plécy’s work as a starting point, from which he was inspired to create dozens of immersive exhibitions in the space and then later in other venues around the world. Vincent van Gogh in particular is a subject of fascination and obsession for Siccardi, and Immersive Van Gogh is an exploration of the master artist’s human experience up until the moment of death.“In my view, we create a work based on a great artist’s work. For this reason, I believe that our transposition allows a wider audience to get closer to art, and I sincerely hope to intrigue people to the point that they want to go and enjoy art in museums, to view the original paintings in their truest form and might. Therefore, we do not replace the author's work but we give a possible reading of it; we respectfully tell an emotionally engaging part of it, and we are always aware that we are freely reinterpreting it.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417872/gknqcbchmu53cejudikf.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;When I asked about how the exhibition came together, Maestro Immersive Arts co-founder and Lighthouse Immersive partner Maria Shclover explained, "This particular way of projecting is a sort of slicing of images – through visual strokes, animation and media – level by level to construct the picture and allow you to go into the mind of Van Gogh. It is inspired by Van Gogh but made possible by these contemporary artists. They put it together."&nbsp;Over the course of an hour Shclover says visitors will go on a journey. "It's accompanied by music, and there is a story line, but you can start at any point."&nbsp;To make the experience safe for today's viewing, the walk-through experience has been designed with health and safety as a priority. Capacity will be limited in accordance with the City of Chicago’s safety protocols.&nbsp;Additional safety precautions include touchless ticket-taking, temperature checks upon arrival, hand sanitizer stations, social distancing markers throughout the venue, and digitally projected social distancing circles on the gallery floors to ensure appropriate spacing. All guests must wear a face covering at all times during their visit to Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago.&nbsp;&nbsp;For more information about Immersive Van Gogh and to buy tickets, visit <a href="http://vangoghchicago.com">vangoghchicago.com</a>. Ticket prices start at $39.99 for adults ($24.99 for children 16 or younger) with untimed and flexible ticket options available.&nbsp;The exhibition runs from Feb. 11 through Sept. 6, 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

A New Art Space Creates a Contemporary Story Line for Van Gogh's Familiar Art 

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