<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 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418858/yrd7ul28un2bckj9g8qe.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Is Seeing That Renoir Essential? In the Pandemic, Cities DifferArizona has allowed its museums to remain open despite a deadly outbreak, while in cities and states with far fewer cases, the doors have been closed.By Julia Jacobs, The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/arts/design/museums-coronavirus-closures.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418858/wd31carjjr5rg1g1qrgv.png"></figure>&nbsp;Chicago artist Brandon Breaux’s ‘28 Days’ is for Black History Month, portraits of those making history nowAccording to Breaux, November was when he began his latest artwork, digital paintings of people who have supported him in his work and those people whose work he admires.By Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-brandon-breaux-28-days-of-greatness-tt-0208-20210208-chrmlceoqfhq7admdwqfqokkzm-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418859/rml0t4ra9urxlzfxxe5w.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Local artist aims to ‘Protect Little Village’ with public art that celebrates mask wearingSilvia Morales’ latest work is a hyperlocal spin on the city’s “Protect Chicago” campaign that aims to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus — she calls it “Protect La Villita.”By Manny Ramos, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/2/7/22268899/local-artist-aims-to-protect-little-village-with-public-art-that-celebrates-mask-wearing">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From the Art World: February 8, 2021

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417686/nv3bmtqvv3hmbz6wkjnw.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/collective-communities-virtual">Collective Communities: Actions on Environmental Crises</a>Weinberg/Newton GalleryBegins February 3Through artwork and programming, Collective Communitiespresents the work of artist collaboratives, collectives, and cooperatives that are concerned primarily with ecologies in crisis. Presented virtually at <a href="http://www.weinbergnewtongallery.com">weinbergnewtongallery.com</a>, as well through installations viewable from the gallery’s storefront windows at 688 N. Milwaukee Ave, Collective Communities will feature new work by Deep Time Chicago artist collective, Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative and Karrabing Film Collective.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417687/dhv1civscd7i1wajdzmm.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/bob-tanner-further-conversations">Bob Tanner | Further Conversations</a>Perspective Group + Photography Gallery, Ltd.Begins February 5"Further Conversations" is a direct extension, at least in form, of Bob Tanner's series titled, "What Was Left Behind." The objects in this series are, again, those used in everyday life that can be thought of as both intimate and comforting.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417688/kktxdctnpiikcwdcx906.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sandra-ullmann-and-bob-tanner">Sandra Ullmann | Representation/Abstraction: Bangladesh in Light and Shadow</a>Perspective Group + Photography Gallery, Ltd.Begins February 5The black &amp; white photos in Sandra Ullmann’s series were made in Bangladesh while traveling with a small group of photographers. Ullmann's images speak to her fascination with strong light and shadows and forms emerging and disappearing. Staring into the darkness of streets and market stalls, she would wait for a face to emerge and be held by the light.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417689/fyxlfyd5re5wgeil3i0v.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/aviva-kramer-1000-mirrors">Aviva Kramer: 1000 Mirrors</a>ARC GalleryBegins February 6Gravity and veils of paint the reveal of laws of the universe. Painting the invisible (or maybe it is humming of the breath we breath)…..emerging, receding…..lost in nature’s landscape, creation, destruction…..This is where I begin.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417689/cdmptoxi5615ltivyvhy.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/haig-aivazian-all-of-the-lights">Haig Aivazian: All of the Lights</a>The Renaissance SocietyBegins February 6All of the Lights&nbsp;tracks the public administration of light and darkness, creating an associative genealogy that moves from gas lanterns to LED bulbs, from sidewalks to stadiums, and from cities like Chicago to&nbsp;the artist’s&nbsp;native Beirut.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417690/iadw7gdtou7vcwi1aktf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/tim-lowly-without-moving-tondos">Tim Lowly: Without Moving, Tondos</a>Hofheimer GalleryBegins February 5Since she was born in 1985, Tim Lowly's daughter Temma has figured increasingly prominently in his art. Over time he's&nbsp;come to think of the work related to her as being an ongoing, multifaceted, yet singular project.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Starting February 3 - 6

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418851/ndcgxq4bqwwfp409mmqj.jpg"></figure>‘The ultimate dealer of Old Master paintings’: New York dealer Richard Feigen has died, aged 90The Met director Max Hollein pays tribute to the late gallery owner and collector, who also promoted artists from Max Beckmann to Peter SaulBy Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/richard-feigen-obituary">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418852/m3fuwoymeo2a6ucpqie0.jpg"></figure>Outsider Art Fair, Smaller This Year, but a Model for the FutureA scaled-back lineup includes Daniel Johnston’s colorfully nightmarish drawings, plus chunky clay cameras and quilts as abstract as anything in the MoMA.By Will Heinrich, The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/28/arts/design/outsider-art-fair.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418853/dcp6ltc4rdyr14fqkyfg.jpg"></figure>From alley to gallery: Red Line viaduct in Edgewater is awash with muralsThe five-block stretch has been transformed from your typical, dreary Chicago alley to an artistic showcase, the scene of more than 100 murals by over 30 artists.By Rylee Tan, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/murals-mosaics/2021/1/29/22248150/chicago-murals-edgewater-raven-villarreal-travisty-teel-diem-c3po">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From the Art World: February 1, 2021

<html><head></head><body>(February 1, 2021) <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">Hyde Park Art Center</a>, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, announces the Artists Run Chicago Fund, a new regranting initiative providing more than half a million dollars ($560,000) to support Chicago’s artist community. Taking place in two phases, the first will immediately grant awards of $8,000 to each of the 50 independent&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;artist-run spaces that participated in the Art Center’s popular 2020 exhibition, <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/exhibition-archive/artists-run-chicago-2-0/">Artists Run Chicago 2.0 (ARC 2.0)</a>.&nbsp; Later this month, Chicago artist-run spaces that did not participate in ARC 2.0 are invited to apply for 20 additional grants of $8,000. The Artists Run Chicago Fund initiative is being funded by an anonymous donor and is being fully administered by Hyde Park Art Center.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417773/jarrjdjzzw19ewnfdccb.png"></figure>Recipients of the first phase of the Artists Run Chicago Fund include 062, 4th Ward Project Space, 65Grand, ACRE Projects, Adds Donna, AMFM, Annas, Apparatus Projects, Bad At Sports, Blanc Gallery, boundary, Chicago Art Department, Chuquimarca, Cleaner Gallery + Projects, Clutch, Co-Prosperity Sphere/Public Media Institute, Comfort Station, Compound Yellow, D Gallery, Devening Projects, Document, Experimental Sound Studio, F4F, The Franklin, Heaven Gallery, Iceberg Projects, Ignition Project Space, Julius Caesar, Lawrence and Clark, LVL3, Mujeres Mutantes, Ohklahomo, The Nightingale Cinema, Practise, Prairie, Roman Susan, Roots &amp; Culture, Rootwork Gallery, The Silver Room, Slow, The Suburban, Sweet Water Foundation, table, Terrain Exhibitions, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Trunk Show, TRQPITECA, VGA Gallery, Wedge Projects, and Western Pole.“The Artists Run Chicago Fund presents a proud moment for Chicago,” said Allison Peters Quinn, Hyde Park Art Center Director of Exhibitions &amp; Residency.&nbsp; “In the city, artists freely share their resources, time, space, and ideas to create unforgettable experiences that unite people through art in their neighborhoods. This fund proves to artists that this city and its people value artists and the relentless work they do to make Chicago a place where art, experimentation, and community converge.”Added Mark Jeffrey, founder of Ohklahomo and Artist Run Chicago 2.0 participant, “This extraordinary donation for artist-run spaces here in Chicago is unbelievable. Artists and community need resources right now to continue and to begin again. And as we enter this new year, this fund gives light and hope and allows for artist run spaces to reimagine and to create new communities and a new sense of belonging, inclusion and being together. &nbsp;For this I am so grateful and so humbled.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417774/a45oxalujaoxzv2h2xwp.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;The second phase of the Artists Run Chicago Fund program will award 20 unrestricted $8,000 grants to artist-run spaces, collectives, and platforms from the Chicagoland area that were not included in the ARC 2.0 exhibitionand founded before 2020. The second phase of the grant will support experimental artist-led spaces and platforms with a particular focus on those that are run by artists who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), women, queer and/or with disabilities. Phase two will also expand the network of support that makes artist-driven projects thrive in Chicago. Applications for Artists Run Chicago Fund grants will be available starting March 1, with a submission deadline of March 31, 2021; for more information, please visit <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/get-involved/artist-opportunities/artists-run-chicago-fund">https://www.hydeparkart.org/get-involved/artist-opportunities/artists-run-chicago-fund</a>&nbsp;About the Hyde Park Art CenterHyde Park Art Center, at 5020 South Cornell Avenue on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, is a hub for contemporary arts in Chicago, serving as a gathering and production space for artists and the broader community to cultivate ideas, impact social change, and connect with new networks. Since its inception in 1939, Hyde Park Art Center has grown from a small collective of quirky artists to establishing a strong legacy of innovative development and emerging as a unique Chicago arts institution with social impact. The Art Center functions as an amplifier for today and tomorrow’s creative voices, providing the space to cultivate and create new work and connections.&nbsp;For more information about Hyde Park Art Center and the Artists Run Chicago Fund, please visit&nbsp; <a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org/">https://www.hydeparkart.org/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Hyde Park Art Center Announces ‘Artists Run Chicago Fund’ to Award $560K to 70 Chicago Artist-Run Spaces

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418851/ui3grim80cou44q7cm6e.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;CGN Staff via PRWhen the pandemic hit nearly a year ago, arts organizations of all sizes and types, from galleries and museums to theaters and dance studios, were impacted. Nearly all had to work very quickly to shift to full-time online programming while the public was required to stay at home. What began as a temporary, survival-response has since become more sophisticated and far reaching. The programming and business impacts of such a shift also may be here for the long term.&nbsp;We recently learned that the Chicago-based Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation—an organization that offers unrestricted grants to 175 small arts organizations in Chicago with budgets under $1 million—recently surveyed 61 of its arts grantees to garner insights on 2020 virtual programming. An overwhelming number of arts leaders cited that the main benefit to producing events virtually was the ability to engage new, broader audiences well outside their usual geographic reach, thanks to the accessibility of the virtual format at a time when people across Chicago and the nation are seeking at-home entertainment options.Other significant findings include:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 100% of the arts organizations surveyed presented virtual programming in 2020, ranging from socially distanced concerts and artist talks to livestreamed performances·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 70% of arts organizations said their virtual programming received far more engagement than anticipated·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 46% of arts organizations saw a boost in their social media and website traffic as a result of virtual programming&nbsp;Leaders from theatre, music, dance and visual arts organizations provided a wealth of insight regarding the specific programs that proved to be successful in a virtual format and shared how these successes have informed their plans for 2021.2nd Story, an organization that elevates storytellers to deliver literary-theatrical experiences, has also found the virtual shift to be a constructive alternative to their usual in-person performances, and over the course of the pandemic 2nd Story reached audiences in 110 Illinois zip codes, 36 states, and seven countries, with each virtual show exceeding revenue goals and setting revenue records that surpass their previous in-person programming. 2nd Story’s upcoming virtual events are listed online at <a href="http://www.2ndstory.com/upcoming">www.2ndstory.com/upcoming</a>.“One of the things that has made these virtual events successful is that we are not trying to mask the medium, we are embracing Zoom for its reach and functionality,” said Lauren Sivak, Managing Director of 2nd Story. “We cannot ignore the fact that virtual programming provides a certain level of accessibility that our in-person programming will never offer, especially now that we are in colder months. We will still see a demand for virtual programming even when things open back up.”Water People Theater (WPT), an organization dedicated to expanding the boundaries of Latin-theater, engaged a global audience of more than 7,000 people who virtually attended WPT productions in 2020. The virtual model has enhanced WPT’s artistic collaborations as well, as the organization featured 156 global theatre professionals on its virtual stage this past year. WPT’s International Festival of Latino Theater begins March 19, 2021. More information can be found<a href="http://www.waterpeople.org/">www.waterpeople.org</a>.&nbsp;“We have done several productions where all artists involved are in a different country and time zone!” said Rebeca Alemán, Founder and Executive Director of WPT. “We have featured artists from Los Angeles to Argentina, performing on the same ‘stage’ at the same time. It is humbling to see the Latino theater community’s commitment to take on challenges to continue transforming people through art and, by doing so, keeping live theater active.”&nbsp;In the summer of 2020, while several dance companies were rebroadcasting past works, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, a multicultural dance collective, was quickly creating new productions including Wilfredo Rivera’s Identity City, focused on themes of isolation and metamorphosis, and Rivera’s Mood Swing, a series of duets between musicians and dancers that responded to the pandemic and social justice movement. Due to popular demand, Cerqua’s 2021 season will include both virtual and in-person performances, including an evolved version of Mood Swing. Cerqua will announce its upcoming season in the next month via their website at <a href="http://www.cerquarivera.org/">www.cerquarivera.org</a>.The Neo-Futurists—a non-illusory theater company whose work is a combination of sport, poetry and living newspaper—moved their flagship late-night show to a digital platform the week after the pandemic started and have been presentingThe Infinite Wrench Goes Viral every week since. Welcoming digital subscribers on a Patreon platform, the company was making 100% of the show’s weekly pre-pandemic revenue as of the end of 2020, with hundreds of subscribers across the country and beyond. This support has enabled the company to broaden its overall offerings, from entirely original music albums to feature-length films to videogames. They will continue the show’s virtual format in 2021, and upcoming performances can be found at <a href="http://www.neofuturists.org/2020-2021-digital-season">www.neofuturists.org/2020-2021-digital-season</a>.Fifth House Ensemble, known to reach beyond the perceived limits of classical music, reimagined its annual “Fresh Inc. Festival” in 2020. The event was their farthest-reaching festival to-date, welcoming a global audience of over 5,300 participants, nearly five times the usual number. In 2021, Fifth House will continue their Deep Listening sessions every weekday at 10 a.m. via Facebook Live. Deep Listening is a creativity and mindfulness technique that teaches one how to listen in every dimension, and Fifth House’s daily virtual sessions have created a space for participants to deeply reflect on current events, reconnect to the playfulness of childhood, and remember loved ones who have passed. More information can be found at <a href="http://www.fifth-house.com/deep-listening">www.fifth-house.com/deep-listening</a>.“I have been really impressed by how meaningful Deep Listening has been,” said Melissa Ngan, Founder and CEO of Fifth House Ensemble. “The opportunity to build individual mindfulness and well-being via people’s computer screens, has really exceeded all of our expectations. It’s nice to see how something that we thought of as primarily an educational process is now infused throughout our educational, social, and performance work.”Silk Road Rising’s artistic output has included digital media, particularly video plays, for over ten years. This experience proved invaluable when the organization moved entirely to virtual programming over the last nine months and launched their newest project, Black Teen Lives Matter, in response to the pandemic and this era of racial awakening. The first of four acts debuted in November 2020 and the series will resume February 27, 2021. More information about the series can be found at <a href="http://www.silkroadrising.org./">www.silkroadrising.org.</a>Video Game Art (VGA) Gallery—an organization that seeks to increase cultural appreciation, education of video games and new media—released a new monthly digital publication in 2020, VGA Zine, comprised of interviews with staff, artists and community members, as well as discussions around media from the video games in VGA’s collection. After VGA Zine readership skyrocketed upon the creation of the publication, seeing 7,877 page views with the first five issues, the organization will launch VGA Fireside, an artist-speaker series beginning on January 27, 2021, with hopes that it can be a hybrid program, both in-person and virtual. VGA Zine can be accessed at <a href="http://www.videogameartgallery.com/vga-zine-home">www.videogameartgallery.com/vga-zine-home</a>.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418852/odkrzgmfsfornxmj7foo.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Given the focus on digital entertainment, several organizations also made concerted efforts to develop strategies surrounding their social media pages and websites, resulting in an extreme increase in traffic.&nbsp;Experimental Sound Studio, an international hub for sonic experimentation, will be using data from their extensive 2020 engagement analysis to inform marketing decisions in 2021. In a year over year comparison between 2019 and 2020, ESS's YouTube channel saw a 668% increase in engagement, their website a 270% increase in traffic, and their Instagram a 135% increase in followers. Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art compared 2020 website stats versus the year prior, and saw a 110% increase in searches, a 247% increase in social media referrals and a 380% increase in referrals from other sites. The week of their Candlelight Carols in December 2020, St. Charles Singers’ Facebook page saw a 1,035% increase in reach and 401% increase in engagement as compared to the week prior.In addition to revamping social channels, webpages, and online publications, multiple organizations explored the podcast world in 2020. Artemisia Theatre launched a female-driven podcast in 2020 entitled We Women that challenges audiences to see women in a new light. Thanks to the podcast’s rising listenership since its launch in May, Artemisia’s 2021 season will offer eight audio performances of classic and all-new feminist plays, streamed through We Women, featuring discussions with creative teams, intriguing social justice interviews with community leaders, and more. Information about We Women can be found at <a href="https://artemisiatheatre.org/podcast">artemisiatheatre.org/podcast</a>.The full list of the 61 organizations surveyed can be found at <a href="https://gddf.org/2020-virtual-success/">gddf.org/2020-virtual-success</a>.&nbsp;Emergency Funding During COVID-19 PandemicAcknowledging the cataclysmic financial situation which hundreds of beloved regional small arts faced in response to COVID-19 related shutdowns, the Board of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation met in March 2020 and unanimously voted to immediately put in place a series of funding mechanisms, including expediting a total of $2 million in general operating funds to its roster of 175 arts grantees in the Chicago region and 40 in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.&nbsp;In addition to expediting individual grants to existing Foundation grantees, the Foundation contributed $200,000 to the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund providing unrestricted grants from $6,000 to $30,000 for groups to be administered by the Arts Work Fund; created an initial $100,000 Lowcountry Arts Emergency Fund to be administered by the Foundation; and seeded a $200,000 relief fund for small collecting organizations in both regions, providing public access to regionally-focused collections.&nbsp; And looking ahead to grantees’ future financial needs, the Foundation will continue its ongoing Cash Reserve Challenge offering arts organizations in both regions the opportunity to receive up to $25,000 in matching funds to assist with maintaining a cash reserve.&nbsp;About Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley FoundationThe Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation supports land conservation, artistic vitality, and regional collections for the people of the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. GDDF awards $1.7 million annually to 175 creatively accomplished small arts organizations in the Chicago metro area. For more information visit <a href="http://www.gddf.org/">www.gddf.org</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;The Foundation supports its grantees with multi-year general operating grants ranging from $2,500 to $13,500 annually, plus an array of additional organizational development opportunities including one-on-one feedback from staff and consultants, reimbursements for trainings tailored to grantee needs, and a cash reserve program.&nbsp;</body></html>

What are The Benefits of Virtual Programming? New Survey Asked 61 Small Chicago Arts Groups

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418851/pfux2mgqkfwcflqgdraf.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/casting-call-women-in-bronze-from-art-nouveau-to-art-deco">Casting Call: Women in Bronze from Art Nouveau to Art Deco</a>On View NowMadron Gallery - Lincoln ParkOn view from January 25 through March 26, 2021, these bronze statues were created by American artists who brought the influences of European, particularly French sculpture and design to America. Throughout history, bronze as an art form has fallen in and out of fashion. Political and industrial developments of the 19th and 20th centuries eventually lead to the popularity of bronze statuettes as domestic ornaments in parlors all across America.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418853/vmhonv7j1lxqlpigyxoo.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/stephen-dinsmore-selected-paintings">Stephen Dinsmore: Selected Paintings</a>Begins January 28Anne Loucks Gallery - GlencoeThe show&nbsp;includes 35 selected oil paintings by the artist spanning the last decade.&nbsp; Dinsmore's subjects include landscape, still life and figurative work, all depicted with his expressive language of color and loose, gestural style.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418854/j1bbtw2nkt1pfvdai5wb.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/tom-billings-and-sam-rosby">Tom Billings and Sam Rosby</a>Begins January 29&nbsp;Firecat Projects - Bucktown&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418855/ks7aqrvrzjytv3cxrhfu.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/repository-and-repertoire">Repository and Repertoire</a>Opening: Friday, January 29, 3 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Artists Coalition (CAC) - West SideChicago Artists Coalition is pleased to present Repository and Repertoire, a duo exhibition featuring new works by HATCH Residents Jazmine Harris and José Santiago Pérez. The exhibition will have an opening day on Friday, January 29, 2021, by appointment only, from 3-8pm. Please reserve your time <a href="https://calendly.com/chicagoartistscoalition">here.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418856/ko2oweje1lc4u0yxerrk.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/una-noche-maravillosa-a-monarch-butterfly-makes-an-entrance-at-a-nightclub">una noche maravillosa–a monarch butterfly makes an entrance at a nightclub...</a>Opening: Friday, January 29, 3 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Artists Coalition (CAC) - West SideChicago Artists Coalition is pleased to present una noche maravillosa–a monarch butterfly makes an entrance at a nightclub... a solo exhibition of new works by the BOLT artist-in-residence, Alejandro Jiménez-Flores.&nbsp;The exhibition will have an opening day on Friday, January 29, by appointment only, from 3-8pm. Please reserve your time <a href="https://calendly.com/chicagoartistscoalition">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418856/zvx1sbahw511fm6mwolo.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/kac-members-show-0c384ef7-b43b-4b8e-9470-9805987ec7f2">KAC Members’ Show</a>Begins January 30&nbsp;Krasl Art Center - St. Joseph, MichiganFollowing KAC’s most recent exhibition: Artists as Influencers: Pathways in Glass, theKAC Members’ Showcontinues to consider pathways between artists, media, and meaning with the theme: Inspired by…. An integral part of the artistic process, inspiration is the spark that shapes new creative endeavors.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start January 28 - 30

<html><head></head><body>MCA Chicago makes first layoffs of the pandemicIn its first staffing cuts of the pandemic, the Museum of Contemporary Art this week laid off 11% of its staff, including 17 of 162 full-time personnel, officials with the organization said.Also cut were 24 out of 49 regular part-time workers, including guides for school groups. 80% of them worked 4 hours per week or fewer, the museum said.By Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-mca-lays-off-11-percent-staff-0123-20210122-t4cqdqjpdvcozlh6wax4bkxcne-story.html#rt=chartbeat-flt">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418851/fvmdruauqqfxoqxdhipl.jpg"><figcaption>U2 got a private tour of the new Takashi Murakami exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art from curator Naomi Beckwith. (MCA)</figcaption></figure>Top two MCA curators departing for Guggenheim, museum startupMichael Darling, chief curator and the force behind the three most popular shows in the museum’s history, is joining as a co-founder the startup Museum Exchange, which aims to match art collectors with museums that covet their donations.Naomi Beckwith, a Chicago native and the museum’s senior curator, has taken a new post beginning in June as chief curator and deputy director at New York City’s Guggenheim Museum.By Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-mca-chief-curator-michael-darling-leaves-museum-exchange-0120-20210119-y42s5vtodnhtxdwzxyuoxn6bqe-story.html?fbclid=IwAR0Fw2-49wAUQ4yEzBknlJyuzWdm1Vs2y2zwBvuAetoFDrIj6Y1qLBR-q9k#rt=chartbeat-flt">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418852/qmga8mb38jqmciyhczjc.jpg"></figure>Do Museums Need a Shopping Network for Art Donations?A new venture suggests it will help art institutions find works of art that collectors have decided they want to give away as gifts.By Graham Bowley, The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/arts/design/art-museum-exchange.html?action=click&amp;module=Features&amp;pgtype=Homepage">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418853/azhgu6pqfdywry2yg7j8.jpg"></figure>An outdoor ‘museum in the prairie,’ GSU’s sculpture park sees ‘an incredible amount of people’ visit amid pandemicPeople have flocked to forest preserves for the fresh air and exercise. Drive-in movie theaters have made an epic comeback. And places like the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, on the grounds of Governors State University in University Park, have become more popular than ever, according to Jeff Stevenson, director and curator of the “museum in the prairie” known as The Nate.Bill Jones, Daily Southtown<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-nathan-manilow-sculpture-park-st-0125-20210123-rlllym477zahjbj57muvvdkh2e-story.html?fbclid=IwAR0MO7J5r-0WpthZ9ZOYbLKpwCyh7r58yWlW0Hx9XHY9Ps34KdM8hCgPYbQ">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From the Art World: January 26, 2021

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418851/f3pllltxpbecgmt4egsq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/4th-midwest-open">4th Midwest Open</a>Opening: Friday, January 22, 6 – 7:30&nbsp;pmWoman Made Gallery - PilsenWoman Made Gallery is pleased to present its&nbsp;“4th Midwest Open,” juried by Brenda Oelbaum who included the work in a variety of media by 44 women-identified artists from the 12 Midwest states.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418852/iaojxmxabxk84x1cmfra.tiff"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/young-il-ahn-adb6148e-b4c8-48c9-ab83-129c66115633">Young-Il Ahn</a>Begins January 22Kavi Gupta Gallery - West LoopIn light of the increased attention Ahn has received in recent years for his iconic Water series, this exhibition aims to expand the scholarship and recognition of two important, highly personal facets of his practice. The exhibition will explore Ahn's Self-Reflection series, primarily executed between 2000 and 2004.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418853/i7x3gelxh09qwehyiyou.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ink">#ink</a>Opening: January 23 &amp; 24, noon – 5&nbsp;pmVertical Project Space - West Side&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418854/h0o5kurioxa7vagxw9mr.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/from-the-center">From The Center</a>On View thru March 27th&nbsp; -- Honorable mention, as we missed this in last week's highlightsSouth Side Community Art Center - BronzevilleFaheem Majeed’s first solo exhibition at South Side Community Art Center, “From The Center”, is a retrospective of works created by Majeed over the past twenty years. As a former Executive Director and Curator (2005-2011) of the South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC), Majeed’s works are especially attuned to the history and legacy of the 80 year old arts institution.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start January 22-23

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418851/uidguasxbu0iesyv85pv.jpg"><figcaption>Artworks from The Quarantine Times installed at the MCA as part of The Long Dream exhibition. Installation view, The Long Dream,MCA Chicago November 7, 2020–January 17, 2021. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago</figcaption></figure>Jan 22 updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/art-institute-of-chicago">The Art Institute of Chicago</a> will reopen to the public on Feb. 11; <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago-mca">The MCA</a> will open March 11; <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/museum-of-contemporary-photography-mocp--2">Museum of Contemporary Photography</a> is now open; <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/international-museum-of-surgical-science">The Museum of Surgical Science</a> is now open; <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/field-museum-of-natural-history">Field Museum</a> opens to the public Jan 23; <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/shedd-aquarium">The Shedd Aquarium</a> opens to the public Jan 30;&nbsp;&nbsp;By Ginny Van AlyeaOn Monday, January 18, Chicago officially moved back (in a good way) to Tier 2 of the <a href="https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-mitigation-plan">Illinois Resurgence Mitigation Plan</a> in response to the state metrics the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has used during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;What that means for art and culture fans is that under Tier 2 mitigations, Chicago's museums and arts centers – cultural institutions – are officially allowed to reopen to guests (typically at a reduced, 25% capacity.) Indoor gatherings of 10 or fewer people are also once again permitted.&nbsp;Though area museums are officially allowed to open to the public, many may opt to follow their own protocols for the immediate future while also being mindful of current staffing and budget limitations. Chicago is also technically under a stay-at-home advisory through Friday, January 22 (ie: don't leave home unless you need to _______: visit a museum, see art in person, remember why you live in Chicago!)CGN will share updates on chicagogallerynews.com as we have them and update individual hours in museum listings as they chance and become available.&nbsp;Here's to feeling hopeful about visiting area museums again soon!&nbsp;Top image: Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois in Champaign. The Museum says it will open soon.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

You Can Visit Illinois Museums Again! COVID-19 Tier 2 Updates

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418851/jdy9synsevdm63vnqrza.jpg"></figure>Artist Nick Cave’s Controversial Upstate New York Artwork Has Found a New Home at the Brooklyn MuseumThe public&nbsp;artwork has been attacked by the mayor of a small town where it was installed.By Taylor Dafoe, Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/nick-cave-truth-be-told-brooklyn-museum-1937313?utm_content=from_&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=EUR%20US%20Jan%2018%20AM&amp;utm_term=Daily%20Newsletter%20%5BALL%5D%20%5BMORNING%5D">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418853/ax6on5qzt2k1jtokjovd.jpg"></figure>Stolen Salvator Mundi Painting Of Leonardo School Discovered In NaplesItalian police are investigating a possible commissioned art theft after they recovered a priceless painting of the Leonardo da Vinci school, which had been stolen from the Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore in Naples. The "Salvator Mundi" painting, dating back to the <a href="https://www.museosandomenicomaggiore.it/salvator-mundi-scuola-leonardesca-museo-san-domenico-maggiore/">beginning of the 16th century</a>, was found hidden in a room of an apartment in via Strada Provinciale delle Brecce in Naples.&nbsp;By Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccahughes/2021/01/19/stolen-salvator-mundi-painting-of-leonardo-school-discovered-in-naples/?sh=726b37115d26">Read More</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418853/wp4yek0cwzplozwbo2dk.jpg"><figcaption>A visitor inside the "Rain Room" installation at the Modern Museum of Art in New York, July 15, 2013. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times)</figcaption></figure>Can immersive art remain afloat when money is the object?Even as the pandemic takes its toll on tourism, immersive museums and experiential art centers are expanding to new cities and wooing investors willing to gamble on the future of the emerging industry.By Zachary Small, The New York Times for Chicago Tribune&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/featured/sns-nyt-future-of-immersive-art-20210118-uxhg6vobwrctdf6oh3q2w6e6ne-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418854/jgixiq51jmcelm120qhv.jpg"></figure>15 Virtual Chicago Museum Experiences for KidsWe're missing our favorite local museums, galleries and other culture institutions in the Chicago area. While these local attractions are temporarily closed due to COVID-19, you can still connect with your favorite Chicago museums. Read on to find virtual tours and hands-on activities to try at home.Via Chicago Parent Staff<a href="https://www.chicagoparent.com/learn/museums/virtual-chicago-museum-experiences/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From the Art World: January 19, 2021

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418846/cwelmpdrnrspwyoxz7qr.jpg"><figcaption>Image of Yarn drawings, 2020. 7x10” each. Colored pencil and yarn on Japanese handmade paper. Photo by Pooja Pittie.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Eleven Deaf and disabled Chicago-based artists are featured on a new online hub that launched today and includes video conversations, profiles, and resources to raise awareness in the field&nbsp;Via PRCHICAGO, IL – 3Arts, the Chicago-based nonprofit grant-making organization, announced today the launch of the Disability Culture Leadership Initiative (DCLI), featuring a new online platform created to elevate Deaf and disabled artists and encourage the arts and culture sector to prioritize Disability Culture in programming and organizational efforts. DCLI features candid video conversations among eleven Chicago-based Deaf and disabled alumni of the 3Arts Residency Fellowships at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), as well as a report that chronicles the trajectory of the Fellowship and the city’s approach to creating and supporting the Disability Art and Culture movement. The DCLI videos and accompanying publication are now available at <a href="http://www.3arts.org/disability-culture">www.3arts.org/disability-culture</a>.The launch of DCLI stems from work that began six years ago, when 3Arts partnered with UIC’s Bodies of Work—an artist and organizational network that showcases and celebrates the disability experience—to establish the 3Arts Residency Fellowship. The Fellowship was designed to build audiences for disability art and strengthen the professional pipeline for artists in the Chicago metropolitan area. 3Arts has worked closely with UIC’s Bodies of Work to develop the Fellowship and to create this new Disability Culture Leadership Initiative. &nbsp;“With this new initiative, we are reaching beyond considerations of accessibility and ADA compliance, as important as those issues are,” said 3Arts Executive Director Esther Grisham Grimm. “We want to recognize the revolutionary and expansive nature of the Disability Culture movement and the important role that Chicago artists play in its development.”The goals of the DCLI are to document the experiences of alumni in the program, advocate for the artistic and economic mobility of Deaf and disabled artists, and highlight the potential for disability aesthetics to expand and enrich every artistic discipline. Representing leading artists in Chicago’s disability community, the eleven participants in the DCLI include: dancemakers Ginger Lane and Kris Lenzo; theater practitioners Michael Herzovi, Arlene Malinowski, and Robert Schleifer; sound artist Andy Slater; multidisciplinary artists Matt Bodett and Reveca Torres; and visual artists Riva Lehrer, Mariam Paré, and Pooja Pittie. Four video interviews, conducted by filmmaker and disability advocate Justin Cooper, assembled the artists in small groups around shared artistic disciplines.The new initiative is also informed by an online convening with the eleven artists that took place in November 2020, facilitated by Deaf theater artist and disability advocate Richard Costes. The accompanying report outlines key take-aways from the group’s conversation such as the importance of continued connection and movement-building within this cohort and future fellowship participants, as well as the desire for an archive and/or physical space to serve as a center for Chicago Deaf and Disability Culture.“We are activists every time we go out and try to make a theater or class space accessible,” said dance artist Ginger Lane at the convening. “We’re making a statement just by being there and by insisting that we have a seat at the table. We've seen the growth of this movement over the past 25 years, which has been terrific and helps us celebrate our resilience and our strength as artists and really what it means to be human.”Bodies of Work is directed by Carrie Sandahl, associate professor in UIC’s Disability &amp; Human Development department and head of the Program on Disability Art, Culture, and Humanities.The DCLI is a program of 3Arts and supported with seed funding from The Joyce Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.&nbsp;&nbsp;About 3Arts3Arts is a nonprofit organization that advocates for Chicago’s women artists, artists of color, and artists with disabilities who work in the performing, teaching, and visual arts. By providing cash awards, project funding, residency fellowships, professional development, and promotion, 3Arts helps artists take risks, experiment, and build momentum in their careers.Since 2007, 3Arts has supported 1,100 artists—representing 70% women artists, 70% artists of color, and 10% artists with disabilities—and distributed $4.3 million through direct grants. By providing cash awards, project funding, residency fellowships, professional development, and promotion, 3Arts helps artists take risks, experiment, and build momentum in their careers.For more information about 3Arts, please visit <a href="http://www.3arts.org/">www.3arts.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

3Arts launches Disability Culture Leadership Initiative

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418846/udgkjaoloxcozjyipxuk.jpg"></figure>By Ginny Van AlyeaWe haven't been out much yet this year, but we were glad to hear this week that CNL Projects has curated the globally renowned artist Olafur Eliasson’s stunning&nbsp;installation,&nbsp;Atmospheric wave wall,&nbsp;on the Jackson Blvd. exterior wall of Willis Tower. We have a new work of public art to visit and enjoy for years to come.&nbsp;CNL's founder, curator Cortney Lederer, said that after three years, this incredible project is finally being shared with the public it was intended for. Lederer shared, "Atmospheric wave wall&nbsp;uniquely contributes to the city’s collection of public art and provides a safe and accessible opportunity for folks to experience the work in person. For me, given the isolating and ongoing, challenging year we have been living, connecting to art outside the current virtual landscape we have had to rely on is incredibly meaningful and deeply valuable."True to Eliasson’s style – and fitting for the times we live in – the sculpture creates a dynamic experience that is activated by the motion of people walking, driving or biking past; by the motion of the earth in relation to the sun as light moves across it; and by changes in the season and weather.&nbsp;This&nbsp;beautifully massive piece, which took approximately eight weeks to complete, measures roughly 30’ x 60’ and covers the exterior Jackson Blvd. wall with a pattern of 1,963 metal tiles. The pattern is&nbsp;based on Penrose tiling, an approach discovered by mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose in the 1970s that produces a system of non-periodic tiling that is based on five-fold symmetry.Each tile is curved, like a fragment of the inner surface of a sphere, and the main blue, deep green and white tones were inspired by the surfaces of nearby Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.&nbsp;The concave shapes and colors of the tiles produce a dynamic effect when visitors walk around it. Seen from certain angles, the pattern reveals a vortex that seems to twist and accelerate in response to viewers’ movements.&nbsp;The powder-coated steel catches the light of the sun, and the concave surfaces collect shadows that shift as the day progresses. At night, the piece is lit from behind so flashes of light escape through the interstices between the tiles.&nbsp;As viewers move, the pattern of light appears to move with them, revealing the underlying geometry of the work and creating a captivating effect that activates the street around the building at night, attracting visitors at all hours.EQ Office, the landlord for Willis Tower, selected Eliasson given his international reputation and his emphasis on the environment, climate and humans’ relationship with nature. Eliasson was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for renewable energy and climate action by the United Nations Development Program in 2019, and the artist's work and philosophy align with EQ’s efforts to preserve the environment and local culture -- top priorities for the redevelopment of Willis Tower.“Our vision is to create workplace destinations, like Willis Tower, that truly energize and inspire people and enhance the vibrancy of our downtown work homes,” said David Moore, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Director at EQ Office. “Art brings beauty and spurs imagination, and it is part of our unique offering that we curate for our customers and visitors. Eliasson’s approachable installation is intertwined with the infrastructure and architecture of the building, further establishing Willis Tower as a hub forcommunity, inspiration and creativity.”“It was a great pleasure for me to create a work of art specifically for Willis Tower and for Chicago,” said Eliasson. “Inspired by the unpredictable weather that I witnessed stirring up the surface of Lake Michigan, Atmospheric wave wall appears to change according to your position and to the time of day and year. What we see depends on our point of view: understanding this is an important step toward realizing that we can change reality. It is my hope that this subtle intervention can make a positive contribution to the building and to the local community by reflecting the complex activity all around us, the invisible interactions and minute fluctuations that make up our shared public space.”EQ’s art initiative at Willis Tower, Art of the Neighborhood, brings the redevelopment vision to life by fostering ongoing arts and culture programming that invites tenants and visitors to socialize and further creates a sense of community in the Chicago Loop. Atmospheric wave wall is the latest addition to the program following the July 2019 installation of In the Heart of this Infinite Particle of Galactic Dust by Jacob Hashimoto. EQ worked with curator CNL Projects to commission this piece.“Chicago is home to some of the world’s most iconic and beloved public art, so it is a thrill to welcome this new installation by renowned artist Olafur Eliasson to the downtown landscape,” said Mark Kelly, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “Inspired by our own Lake Michigan, Atmospheric wave wall will entice and engage residents and visitors alike—sparking much needed delight in our shared public spaces.”Eliasson is a Berlin-based, Danish-Icelandic artist driven by his interests in perception, movement, embodied experience and feelings of self. His works span sculpture, painting, photography, film and installation and he has held numerous major exhibitions around the world while also engaging the public through architectural projects, interventions in civic space, arts education, policymaking and issues of sustainability and climate change.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418847/ctn2zr7vlnuwn8ra5uit.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Olafur Eliasson Debuts New Lake Michigan-Inspired Cultural Landmark at Willis Tower

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418846/kqsh8uolsudbgfyqqjgh.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/michael-joo-sensory-meridian-elizabeth-st-location">Michael Joo: Sensory Meridian (Elizabeth St. Location)</a>Begins January 14Kavi Gupta Gallery - West LoopA multi-media exhibition of works by Michael Joo. Three new sculptures of disincarnate body parts, alchemized from scans of historical works in the Smithsonian Archives, explore issues of representation, transmission, and transformation.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418847/v0awe47m9ai8wqdaynyq.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/hockney-in-normandy-virtual">Hockney in Normandy</a>Begins January 14Gray Gallery – Online Gray presents an online exhibition of new prints by David Hockney, created at his studio in Normandy. Rendering views of the studio's interior as well as scenes from the surrounding countryside, Hockney's recent iPad paintings and suite of landscape prints highlight&nbsp;Hockney’s singular sense of line and form and his longstanding commitment to exploring perspective as mediated by technology. &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418847/f7rexjwsi4xcvkv70awk.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/virginio-ferrari-cosmos">Virginio Ferrari: Cosmos</a>Begins January 15Bridgeport Art Center - Bridgeport&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418848/xfxc2jspm12p4hnbuhjt.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/bold-move-therese-mulgrew-and-robert-porazinski">Bold Move: Thérèse Mulgrew and Robert Porazinski</a>Begins January 15Gallery Studio Oh! - RavenswoodA two-person exhibition featuring portraiture and still life paintings by Thérèse Mulgrew and abstract, geometric oil paintings and sculptures by Robert Porazinski.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418849/o8rgldvhwle9blsl54tn.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/blackmanwhitebaby">BlackManWhiteBaby: MockingBird.</a>Begins January 15Bert Green Fine Art - Michigan AvenueUsing the self portrait to focus attention on the black body as a locus for the recognition of the lack of justice in American life and history. The presence of the white baby doll and the use of gender fluidity introduces a flexible, performative power to the work, allowing the artist to wield a powerful critique of cultural touchstones, which he then proceeds to demolish.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418850/tyjfiziv1mvvld9amo5m.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/vista-2021-contemporary-landscape">Vista 2021: Contemporary Landscape</a>Begins January 15Addington Gallery - River North&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418850/jaqfaivcql5g4rzloeez.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/evanston-vicinity-biennial-d4026947-e342-4418-a8c4-b2c8aacf0fd4">Evanston + Vicinity Biennial</a>Begins January 16Evanston Art Center - Evanston&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions Start January 14–16

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418846/zzotyylvbiqomzy2s0ff.jpg"></figure>Curators Scour Capitol for Damage to the Building or Its ArtBarbara A. Wolanin did not leave her TV much on Wednesday afternoon, watching terrified, she said, as hundreds of Trump rioters rushed into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building where eight large, framed historical paintings hang.She once was curator for the Architect of the Capitol, the office that preserves and maintains the building’s art and architecture. She knew much better than most the horrific possibilities that were presenting themselves.Via New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/arts/design/us-capitol-art-damage.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418847/ajdm9xzhpi3hisgz7go7.jpg"></figure>The Smithsonian Is Rushing to Collect Flags, Protest Signs, and Other Ephemera From the Pro-Trump Insurrection in the US CapitolThe storming of the US capitol by a pro-Trump mob on January 6 brought insurrectionists in close contact with Congress’s historic art collection, which includes monumental John Trumbull paintings and 100 statues of notable Americans.But while the artworks appear to have escaped direct harm from the violent invaders—who smashed windows, destroyed AP camera equipment, vandalized Nancy Pelosi’s office, and killed one capitol police officer—many of the items they left behind may could end up in a museum.Via Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/smithsonian-collecting-ephemera-capitol-invasion-1936050?utm_content=from_&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=US%20News%20AM%201%2F12%2F21&amp;utm_term=US%20Daily%20Newsletter%20%5BMORNING%5D">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418847/gel0tnfgwdue5q7vxb0f.jpg"></figure>City of Chicago Announces $2.5 Million in Arts FundingAs Chicago’s art scene continues to weather unprecedented hardship during the pandemic, the city plans to fund major public art projects in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.A $750,000 Artist Response Program was announced Monday by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, as part of a $2.5 million effort to fund Chicago artists and arts organizations.Via Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/1/11/22225896/chicago-arts-funding-city-grants-pandemic-coronavirus-covid-racial-equity">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418848/qvbxuqdopqby0ohydaka.jpg"></figure>EXPO CHICAGO Becomes First Art Fair to Postpone In-Person Edition of&nbsp;2021As the coronavirus’s second wave continues to restrict in-person gatherings throughout much of the United States, one art fair has decided that it will postpone its upcoming edition until later in 2021. Expo Chicago, which had postponed its 2020 edition originally scheduled for September until April, has made the decision to push the fair, now four months away, until later in the year, becoming the first international art fair to postpone a scheduled event in 2021.Via ARTnews<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/expo-chicago-fair-postpones-2021-dates-1234581094/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418849/zhrjhh0wxffd74f4dg02.jpg"></figure>Champs Élysées—one of Paris’s most polluted roads—to be transformed into ‘extraordinary garden’The Champs-Élysées, a 1.9km-long avenue in central Paris, will undergo a major €250m makeover following the 2024 Summer Olympics.The renovation was announced by the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, who said the plans will transform the congested road into an "extraordinary garden".Via The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/champs-d-elysees-in-paris-to-be-transformed-into-extraordinary-garden-eur250m">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From the Art World: January 12, 2021

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418846/rkrnp3ugked1y6m47nhw.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;By Ginny Van AlyeaLast spring, when the pandemic was just becoming real to most of us, <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">EXPO CHICAGO's</a> Tony Karman made the decision to postpone the upcoming September fair until April 2021. At the time, it seemed extremely cautious and prudent. And far away. Today EXPO has shared that it is opting to reschedule the upcoming in-person April dates at Navy Pier a second time and that it has secured a new series of flexible dates from July 2021 on–including its historic dates September 23 – 26–in order to ensure the safety of participating exhibitors and patrons of the ninth edition. It still plans to organize a virtual exposition during its previously scheduled in-person dates of April 8 – 11, 2021“We are grateful for our strong partnership with Navy Pier, our local institutions, and our deeply committed exhibitors in collaborating with us on finding the right time to mount the fair," said Tony Karman, President | Director. “With the advice and council of our Selection Committee, civic leaders, and dealers worldwide, we have decided to produce a digital experience this coming April, while simultaneously preparing for an in-person fair as soon as it is safe to do so," he added. “Fortunately, thanks to Navy Pier we have several options to consider, including our historic September dates, and rather than announce a set date at this time, we will carefully monitor the progress with vaccines and protocols in order to make the announcement with ample time for our participating galleries, patrons, and institutional partners to prepare."EXPO CHICAGO’s commitment to rigorous programming, institutional alignments, VIP events, and critically acclaimed curatorial initiatives remain core to the exposition. The previously announced program curators Marcella Beccaria – Chief Curator and Curator of Collections at Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea (Turin) – for IN/SITU and Humberto Moro – Deputy Director and Senior Curator at Museo Tamayo (Mexico City) – for the EXPOSURE section will be returning as planned for the ninth edition.&nbsp;“Navy Pier is proud to have been home to EXPO CHICAGO for nearly a decade, presenting exhibitors and welcoming guests from around the world with the annual opportunity to explore and enjoy this large-scale exposition of contemporary art and culture along Chicago’s lakefront,” said Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner. “It has become a tradition that our guests have come to treasure and a partnership that our organization cherishes. We look forward to EXPO’s ninth edition as soon as we all can gather and enjoy the event safely and comfortably once again.”“We remain hopeful to be able to launch our ninth edition in 2021 as we deeply value our partnership with the local cultural community – galleries, artists, institutions, hotels, restaurants and collectors”, Karman said. “Over the next few months we will present some new initiatives that will amplify the great work being done in Chicago and by our many international partners, while simultaneously planning to play our role in supporting Chicago’s tourism re-emergence to once again welcome the world to our great city”, he added.So while we have to wait a little bit longer until we can attend EXPO CHICAGO in person, we can enjoy more virtual programs in the mean time and we look forward to a strong and safe return to the fair and Navy Pier this year. &nbsp;Details on EXPO's April programming will be shared at a later date.&nbsp;More info will be on <a href="https://www.expochicago.com">expochicago.com</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO to Go Virtual For Spring 2021 Dates

&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://files.constantcontact.com/d4cc8a0a001/36d08b43-b5ce-40ca-9c27-4f549644c952.jpg" alt="calendar"></figure>&nbsp;You pretty much needed this YESTERDAY but you can certainly order one TODAY.&nbsp;Featuring the work of 12 CPC gallery artists, with a nifty cover photographed by Monica Kass Rogers, these are available both in person and <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001JiJBMh6WdST7rE3ic8hhED-VYr56Sh9sRdw8L63n1Bb4L5ARSdsmJbvCG5trqmp1lha6zmj_HxbNJklXa2XRoX4OaoDEL9gCU_Fsob9pzBgFfkxURKB8ezlj-seOWsuh0v4A18JA8g0pWZRX6tQWwIWWb3K0gVYRwbqTxYPmGIMuJXCfDbmiMgMyEk6lllTL4hBLJbsYXtpRUsgU0eEwfXhebpJV30Y8KEAdx2dgbF0YXxaEkD_CyioYRh7tyE3f&amp;c=kOaz8x4g3u6lU_20YBFi4IvjV-EIoRBKRYJdq1osqVfN2kpGUHAwHA==&amp;ch=urPBj25zN_sa62q85v2qLrCk0p5CxD5rAOFRsdHhHiUg2dtW9Ir62g==">online</a> for only $25. We weren't able to make our traditional hand made calendar this year due to the pandemic, but this one is pretty dang sweet. Artists who contributed work include Damon Kowarsky, Jaco Putker, Kim Laurel, Mirka Hokkanen, Karen Butler, Deborah Maris Lader, Coco Berkman, Sarah Smelser, Victoria Marie Barquin, Kouki Tsuritani, and Carrie Lingscheit.&nbsp;Here are the 12 (one per month) images:<figure class="image"><img src="https://files.constantcontact.com/d4cc8a0a001/16dc2c21-71c8-4319-903f-c389356d6ad7.jpg" alt="calendar 2020"></figure>

Art for Every Month of 2021: Chicago Printmakers Collaborative Calendars

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418829/jsbb2op4u5spqqummdym.jpg"><figcaption>Kerry James Marshall, Past Times, 1997, acrylic and collage on unstretched canvas. The work is pictured when it was installed at McCormick Place prior to being sold at auction in 2018. <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/callahan-art-associates">Callahan Art &amp; Associates</a> was the contracted art handler when the work was at McCormick.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;People are still buying art, in spite of 2020’s challenges, and often in new ways. With this in mind I reached out to a few art world colleagues to ask what advice they would give to collectors when it comes to maintaining a collection and ensuring that it too weathers present and future storms. Each offered their expert tips and case studies for proper care of an art collection as well as what they consider to be overlooked aspects of maintaining it.&nbsp;In recent years as the art world has seemed to move in ever more commercial and transactional directions, with appearances at major art fairs becoming a social and Insta to-do, the highest-profile sales figures generated more buzz than the art. But like so much when it comes to the 1%, it’s just that. The rest of the buying, selling and making of art goes on beneath the headlines. For those that are still buying art because of love as well as the drive to support these artists and dealers in our community, there's nothing trendy about art collecting. And there is a great deal of care that must be tended to over time to protect these precious works.View CGN’s <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/services">art service listings here</a> for more collection resources. &nbsp; – GV&nbsp;&nbsp;Prepare more than you think you have to.&nbsp;REBECCA WOAN – <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/chartwell-insurance-services">Chartwell Insurance</a>New collectors are sometimes overwhelmed and should not neglect the essentials in risk management:• Insure with an insurer who understands art and offers broad coverages such as loss in value and protection for changes in market value. The greatest risk to art is not when it is displayed at home but rather in transit and in storage. Be sure art is properly packed and stored.• Don’t assume the art is covered when consigning work for sale. Your own insurance should be secondary to any insurance provided. Have UCC filings (Uniform Commercial Code) on any art that is consigned, no matter how reputable the seller appears. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the worst may happen, even when it seems unimaginable.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418830/gce4tg60selcpvvx2kag.png"><figcaption>Suzanne Lovell framed the works in this oceanfront home in ways to protect them from potentially harsh natural elements.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;What's around the art is as important as the art&nbsp;SUZANNE LOVELL – Suzanne Lovell Inc.; <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/lovell-art-advisory-a564b076-c38f-4c81-a687-de0961cccf3a">Lovell Art Advisory</a>• Select proper framing specifications for your art – museum quality glazing, for example, will allow the viewer to enjoy the artwork with minimal glare, and provide the best protection for the longevity of the piece. Always select archival framing to museum quality standards.• We commissioned Blow Up #7 by Ori Gersht for a collector’s oceanfront home. The C-print is mounted to dibond, and the glazing is Optium museum acrylic in a custom black maple frame. The home environment is monitored to maintain proper and consistent humidity and temperature, and protective UV film is applied throughout the residence. The (3) works by Ray Johnson are intended gifts to the Art Institute of Chicago, and are also framed to museum standards.&nbsp;Proper documentation and safekeeping of original records of authenticity are a must, especially in cases of editioned photography or unsigned/open edition works. Also, close the drapery when possible.&nbsp;• Maintain private access to your collection inventory and original records, with a digital copy available to share.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stay Up–To–Date&nbsp;JOSEPH STANFIELD – <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/leslie-hindman-auctioneers--3">Hindman</a>Don’t overlook considering the value of works in your collection. Tastes are always changing and artists are constantly being re-evaluated. The value of certain works may increase a considerable amount and it may be time to discuss potentially selling works while the market is hot or update your insurance appraisal to reflect the most current values.&nbsp;Clean Your Art&nbsp;DENNIS CALLAHAN – <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/callahan-art-associates">Callahan Art &amp; Associates</a>• Proper and regular dusting is simple and essential. Accumulated dust in conjunction with humidity develops into an aggregate which requires more force and specialized treatments to remove.• Watch the humidity. Ideally you want 50%. Too little can cause objects to shrink, crack, and dry out. Too much causes art to swell, grow mold, and corrode.&nbsp;• As electronic media become more common collectors need to realize that they require ongoing, scheduled maintenance to run properly. Dan Flavin’s sculptures require replacement of bulbs &amp; ballasts; Naim June Paik’s sculptures require new tubes and coils. Computers, monitors, and hard drives (copied and replaced) should be inspected every 7 years.• When we were the contracted Art Handlers for the collection at McCormick Place, they had a fantastic Kerry James Marshall work (Past Times) displayed in a very public space. Every month we checked on it, dusting and looking for any damage. Every year we appraised it for insurance purposes while the value quietly rose. Millions of people walked by it every year. Eventually it was loaned out for a major exhibition of the artist’s work. Before leaving, a Condition Report was executed, and it was found to be in excellent condition, despite its public placement. It sold shortly thereafter for over $21,000,000, due in part because of its condition. Had it suffered any damage, as many works in public spaces do, its value would have been diminished.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Take Care: Expert Tips for Maintaining a Collection

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417555/hqisazietniy8o4lryol.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/elizabeth-atterbury-letters-and-souvenirs">Elizabeth Atterbury: Letters and Souvenirs</a>Begins January 8DOCUMENT - West TownAtterbury’s studio practice is fluid, fluctuating between picture making and object making. Fascinated with the autonomy of the artifact – objects disassociated from their original function and context – Atterbury’s practice considers the distinction or lack thereof between artifact, prop, model and sculpture. &nbsp;Drawn to materials such as paper and sand, Atterbury constructs ephemeral tableaux specifically for the purpose of transfiguring and recording them.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417556/kkqlvjicuu3krry820wn.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/in-view-2021">IN VIEW 2021</a>Begins January 8The Art Center Highland Park - Highland ParkThis year is anything but normal but TAC is proud to focus on our annual member/faculty exhibition, allowing us to highlight the creative energy that is at the heart of our community. With 50 artists represented, the wide range of mediums, techniques, subject matter and styles reflect the professionalism, talent and skill so prevalent at TACHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417557/zhf8dn6yvmfcrttvg5uu.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/western-exhibitions-drawing-biennial">Western Exhibitions Drawing Biennial</a>Begins January 8Western Exhibitions - West TownThe approaches on view will capture the current state of contemporary drawing practices while placing a focus on the gallery artists’ core concerns of personal narratives and cosmologies, identity and gender, sexuality, pattern and exuberance, all with a keen attention to materiality.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417557/bsgr89uqqrgbhfkuw764.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ben-murray-if-i-needed-you">Ben Murray: If I needed you</a>Begins January 9Monique Meloche Gallery - West TownDrawing its name from the celebrated Townes Van Zandt song, If I needed you recalls Murray’s complicated relationship with the notion of home, surveying both the solace and suffering that can be experienced when strongly tethered to family histories and responsibilities. Layered marks embedded on both sides of raw unstretched muslin utilize a range of opacities, transparencies, and refractive hues, as if to composite a myriad of enigmatic moments through deposits of paint.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417559/cjilxdbwo1mao0bretn7.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/solitude">Solitude</a>Begins January 9ARC Gallery - West TownAs we move forward into the fall and winter months, and COVID continues to impede our movements and interactions, how do we, as individuals, or as members of a larger, even worldwide community, process these survival confinements? Artists use their mediums to express the inner joy, conflict, frustration, sadness or peace we find ourselves confronting. This show represents the creative endeavors of this process under the current circumstances —&nbsp; keeping artists alone but pulling together into a community.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417560/uvjbtlvslscfsjx9wxd5.png"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/susan-beiner-hive-expanded">Susan Beiner: HIVE Expanded</a>Begins January 9Evanston Art Center - Evanston&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News

Chicago Gallery News