<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418244/tdmezkev01mnygy24jdl.gif"><figcaption>Hebru Brantley's (new) mural is painted on 1401 North Milwaukee Avenue</figcaption></figure>By CGN STAFF via DCASE PRLast year some murals around the city were power washed (by the City, it turns out) into oblivion. As was the case for artist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2018/9/oops-i-had-to-do-it-again-hebru-brantley-repaints-mural-covered-by-city">Hebru Brantley</a>, he created a new mural in the original location, thanks to some private neighborhood funding. In order to prevent such incidents from happening again, the City began to consider a registry of public murals throughout Chicago.Yesterday the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced the launch of the City of Chicago Mural Registry, a publicly-accessible database of Chicago’s growing collection of murals found at <a href="http://icm-tracking.meltwater.com/link.php?DynEngagement=true&amp;H=I%2BqMhXDuIS2RujNbavWSOKShOr7Ezi73JeGvxlkJ09Qb0kDpZZQFeNpuUszPZOPpev69iwnbOgAmGaPx7GQTtNwQQRSqSssk9D4%2FSBccByrIq%2B0wicOUWdpZNZN4jf60dGPS%2FojzP%2Bk%3D&amp;G=0&amp;R=file%3A%2F%2F%2FC%3A%5CUsers%5C1845%5CDownloads%5Cchicago.gov%5Cmuralregistry&amp;I=20190415143616.00000183ddec%40mail6-46-ussnn1&amp;X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVjYjQ4ZTBmNGZkZjUzZDhjMWY4YWM1ZTs%3D&amp;S=_pffQ14zp7bTvs6QytOFBmm4e3u76oaSVtpXgfJIR64">chicago.gov/muralregistry</a>. In October 2018, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and 2nd&nbsp;Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins introduced an ordinance to the City Council to create a registry of murals, including graffiti art. Maintained by the Public Art Program of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Registry has been developed as a resource tool that will help communities identify, explore and preserve murals in our neighborhoods. As part of the registry’s release, DCASE will work with city agencies, aldermen, community groups, block clubs, chambers of commerce and residents to populate and promote the registry.“Chicago is home to talented artists, working across all mediums, creating public art and adding to the cultural fabric of our communities,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “This registry will strengthen Chicago’s legacy of public art and enable artists to share their work with the world.”“Public art in Chicago is very much a part of the spirit and quality of life in neighborhoods throughout the city,” said Mark Kelly, Commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “Not only will the new registry help protect these critical cultural assets, it will also create a portal for the public to access and explore where murals are located in every corner of the city.“The Mural Registry catalogues and acknowledges Chicago’s collection of murals and will include a growing list of completed murals created on both private and public property. Artists, organizations and property owners are encouraged to register completed murals by submitting an application. Accepted murals will be assigned a unique Mural Registration ID and will receive an official emblem from the City of Chicago.There are no fees associated with the Mural Registry. For the registration criteria and application, visit <a href="http://icm-tracking.meltwater.com/link.php?DynEngagement=true&amp;H=I%2BqMhXDuIS2RujNbavWSOKShOr7Ezi73JeGvxlkJ09Qb0kDpZZQFeNpuUszPZOPpev69iwnbOgAmGaPx7GQTtNwQQRSqSssk9D4%2FSBccByrIq%2B0wicOUWdpZNZN4jf60dGPS%2FojzP%2Bk%3D&amp;G=0&amp;R=file%3A%2F%2F%2FC%3A%5CUsers%5C400147.CITYOFCHICAGO%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CMicrosoft%5CWindows%5CTemporary%2520Internet%2520Files%5CContent.Outlook%5CKUMLQRIB%5Cchicago.gov%5Cmuralregistry&amp;I=20190415143616.00000183ddec%40mail6-46-ussnn1&amp;X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVjYjQ4ZTBmNGZkZjUzZDhjMWY4YWM1ZTs%3D&amp;S=Nfm4bHo9K4_dNVgPHBK3Eq-rY_PlFAnpXRK3r6G3jrM">chicago.gov/muralregistry</a>.DCASE will hold two public information sessions about the Mural Registry and the registration process on Monday, April 22, from 5–6 p.m. and Tuesday, April 30, from 12–1 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.) in the Millennium Park Room, 5th&nbsp;Floor South. Artists, arts organizations and business/property owners are encouraged to attend.In 2017, the City of Chicago celebrated the "Year of Public Art," which culminated with hundreds of new works of public art throughout the city and the creation of Chicago’s first Public Art Plan. The new plan is a blueprint that will help shape the future of public art in Chicago and shift how we interact, talk about and support works of art that can be viewed by all. Chicago was one of the first municipalities in 1978 to implement an ordinance mandating that 1.33% of the cost of public buildings be set aside for the creation of original artwork.The Chicago Public Art Collection managed by DCASE includes more than 500 works of art exhibited in over 150 municipal facilities around the city, such as police stations, libraries, and CTA stations. The Collection provides the citizens of Chicago with an improved public environment and enhances city buildings and spaces with quality works of art by professional artists. For complete details on the Chicago’s Public Art Program, visit <a href="http://icm-tracking.meltwater.com/link.php?DynEngagement=true&amp;H=I%2BqMhXDuIS2RujNbavWSOKShOr7Ezi73JeGvxlkJ09Qb0kDpZZQFeNpuUszPZOPpev69iwnbOgAmGaPx7GQTtNwQQRSqSssk9D4%2FSBccByrIq%2B0wicOUWdpZNZN4jf60dGPS%2FojzP%2Bk%3D&amp;G=0&amp;R=file%3A%2F%2F%2FC%3A%5CUsers%5C1845%5CDownloads%5Cchicago.gov%5Cdcase&amp;I=20190415143616.00000183ddec%40mail6-46-ussnn1&amp;X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVjYjQ4ZTBmNGZkZjUzZDhjMWY4YWM1ZTs%3D&amp;S=f8fe6H_CbZIC1ewHn6m0--c5aHETilZXDf-gS6kMjvE">chicago.gov/dcase</a>.</body></html>

Accidents Can Happen, So The City of Chicago Launches Mural Registry

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418246/vdyihucctpfvhd24ayn1.gif"></figure>&nbsp;Click to listen to the CGN Publisher's June 2019 <a href="https://wgnradio.com/2019/06/26/how-a-1989-fire-in-river-north-changed-the-art-community-for-years/">WGN Radio Interview</a> about the fire&nbsp;&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEACGN Founder Natalie van Straaten contributed to this article.Photos © <a href="http://www.firescenes.net/?tag=river-north-art-gallery-fire-in-chicago">Jim Skrabel</a> &nbsp;To talk about the River North gallery fire, which happened 30 years ago today, on April 15, 1989, is to travel back in time to a period in Chicago that sounds oddly familiar: the decade heralded the arrival of a visionary art fair amidst a recession, followed by a resounding financial and real estate boom, set against a backdrop of rapid political and social change.1989 in Chicago capped a robust expansion of the local as well as international art market: John Wilson’s Art Expo debuted at Navy Pier in 1980; dozens of galleries moved to or opened in River North throughout the decade. The country enjoyed significant economic growth in the mid ‘80s, only to be gutted by the 1987 stock market crash. For a group of Chicago galleries, April 1989 literally burned it all down.A <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-04-16-8904040385-story.html">Chicago Tribune</a> article about the blaze from April 1989 reads, “Artwork estimated to be worth millions of dollars was turned into ash Saturday as fire destroyed a historic brick loft building, site of the largest redevelopment project to date in Chicago’s trendy River North district.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418247/bj1amwbaoaapuimyhid7.gif"></figure>Much of what has changed in River North in the last three decades can be traced back to that five alarm inferno. At the time River North was truly the heart of the art gallery scene. The fire obliterated an entire square block – bounded by Huron, Sedgwick, Orleans and Superior Streets – that contained nine galleries in a former manufacturing building. It smoldered for weeks, while the shock persisted and anger grew. While most of the galleries in the fire were resilient and reopened, the neighborhood changed. It was a couple of years before the vibrant spirit returned. The district continued to house the largest number of galleries in Chicago until the early 2000s, but gradually the block that burned became a site for townhouses and design firms, and new neighborhoods drew many galleries elsewhere in the city. &nbsp;&nbsp;Today the district is still home to more than a dozen galleries, with Zolla/Lieberman Gallery remaining as the only one from the group of nine that burned in the fire. Most of the galleries and people directly affected by the fire are no longer around or in the gallery business: Ann Nathan/Objects Gallery, Klein Gallery, Peter Miller Gallery, Sazama/Brauer, East West Contemporary, Rowe Company Fine Arts, van Straaten Gallery, and the original Habatat Gallery.A year after the fire, a follow up article in the Tribune relayed, “The city Fire Department never reached a determination on the cause of the fire,” spokesman Tom Shephard said... The evidence was so badly damaged, we couldn’t come up with a cause.”The destruction of art was ultimately the biggest casualty: a year’s worth of work by Zolla/Lieberman artist Chema Cobo was lost, and the entire estate of a deceased artist at Rowe was incinerated. For dozens of artists work up in smoke meant devastating personal losses, from irreplaceable art to financial lifelines. A tragedy that affected so many throughout the community is worthy of rememberance 30 years later.</body></html>

30 Years Later: The 1989 River North Fire

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418229/jpznmf1wt3y7qqk6s5ab.gif"></figure>Theaster Gates presents art installations at Red Line’s 95th Street stationThe final <a href="https://chicago.curbed.com/2017/7/13/15964470/chicago-95th-street-cta-red-line-terminal-theaster-gates-art">two art installations</a> at the Red Line’s 95th Street station were unveiled Monday morning. The two pieces by artist <a href="https://www.theastergates.com/">Theaster Gates</a> are part of the <a href="https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/1/4/18168913/cta-95th-street-terminal-complete-south-side">massive terminal overhaul</a>which wrapped up in January.The final touches on the train and bus station are a pair of tapestries of decommissioned fire hoses and a radio station with a performance space. Gates is an internationally recognized artist who’s had commissions and exhibits across the world, but it’s clear he has a soft spot for Chicago.“These things don’t happen in a vacuum,” Gates said at the announcement. “It takes a lot of people who believe in art and culture.”By Sara Freund, Curbed Chicago<a href="https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/4/8/18300520/theaster-gates-95th-street-terminal-art-installation">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418230/vbuegaxuh7rvhfxhy8mf.gif"></figure>10 Must-See Artists at AIPAD’s Photography ShowThe 39th edition of The Photography Show, presented by AIPAD, features work from a roster of artists as diverse as the images they shoot.By Alina Cohen, Artsy<a href="https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-10-must-see-artists-aipads-photography-04-04-19">Read More</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418231/pfxqxtn7l7bh3b35y39z.gif"></figure>Disruptive Design Contest Announces FinalistsA group of <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/rahm-emanuel-interview-chicago-architecture-biennial">Chicago</a> organizations are on a mission to change the public’s perception of affordable housing and elevate design in the process. As part of this initiative, finalists were chosen in a <a href="https://www.disruptivedesign-chi.org/">Disruptive Design</a> competition, which challenged architects to envision “forward-thinking, viable solutions” for affordable housing in the city.By Rebecca Holland, Architectural Digest<a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/disruptive-design-contest-announces-finalists">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: April 9, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418158/olbqfio31rmodnhhqduw.gif"></figure><h2>The Art Institute of Chicago postponed an exhibition of Native American pottery</h2>The <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artic">Art Institute of Chicago</a> (AIC) has postponed its forthcoming exhibition of Native American pottery from the Southwestern United States over concerns that indigenous people were not sufficiently represented in the exhibition.&nbsp;Via Artsy News<a href="https://www.artsy.net/news">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418159/qgwhvj2ynny39vftrblp.gif"></figure><h2>UIC draws up plan to help train high school art&nbsp;teachers</h2>The University of Illinois at Chicago is giving students who want to become high school art teachers some help.The school <a href="https://today.uic.edu/uic-offers-bfa-in-art-education">says in a news release</a> that for the first time since 2010 it is giving students pursuing an undergraduate degree in studio art the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education — or BFAAE degree — along with a professional teaching license.By Associated Press, via Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/uic-help-train-high-school-art-teachers-bachelor-fine-arts-education/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418160/cfqha4hzgfddhia59gah.gif"></figure><h2>Relax and immerse yourself... the art of experiencing museums slowly</h2>Where a protest against McDonald’s spawned the Slow Food movement, so the blockbuster exhibition has inspired a Slow Art&nbsp;resistance. Anyone who&nbsp;has visited a “once-in-a-lifetime” exhibition will be familiar with the exhausting routine: queueing at the entrance, jostling with crowds around the masterpieces, fighting falling energy&nbsp;levels and mounting frustration. If photography is permitted, throw selfie sticks and&nbsp;Instagram posers into the mix too.By Hannah McGivern, The Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/feature/slow-down-relax-and-immerse-yourself">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: April 2, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418181/yh02zpszue129fjdmzt6.jpg"><figcaption>A show of new paintings by Karl Wirsum opens at Corbett vs Dempsey Friday, April 5</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEA&nbsp;The&nbsp;first week of April continues an active year in galleries that began at the start of 2019, nearly three months ago already.&nbsp;Beginning Thursday, April 4 and continuing through Friday night, several exhibitions and events take place that you don't want to miss, many featuring artists who are exploring significant issues of our time. Unlike during the fall in the Chicago, spring gallery shows aren't competing directly with the specter of art fairs and biennials. This time of year, as the body as well as the mind begins to wake up, seize the opportunity to emerge from hibernation and encounter shows featuring work by up-and-coming artists as well as art world stars. Now you may have the time to visit and contemplate the many images and messages that are being presented.&nbsp;April already heralds a lot of good and important things to come in these warmer months, and new art may be found throughout the city's neighborhoods and into the suburbs as well.Some highlights are listed below, and our full calendar may be viewed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events">here</a>.&nbsp;Much is planned in the coming days and weeks, including the summer issue of CGN in early May, so forgive us if our news slows down for a little while as we get the next edition of the magazine off to the printer later this month.Enjoy the arrival of spring and all there is to see in the galleries!&nbsp;<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h2>Theaster Gates: Every Square Needs a Circle</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418181/x8wsokwtjwd04pcwh4lx.gif"><figcaption>Theaster Gates (b. 1973), Progress Mill,&nbsp;2018, Neon, 38 1/2 x 38 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches, 97.8 x 97.8 x 12.1 cm</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;• April 4–June 29 at Richard Gray Gallery, <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/richard-gray-gallery-gray-warehouse">Gray Warehouse</a> – West Town (Opening April 4)Every Square Needs a Circle, a&nbsp;solo exhibition of new sculpture, film, installation, and neon work by Theaster Gates opens this Thursday night at Gray Warehouse with a reception for the artist from 6-8 PM.The exhibition marks a continuation of Gates’s long engagement with the work of American sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois, whose examination of genius and progress in Black America from Emancipation to the mid-20th century has been a source of inspiration for the artist. Placing his interest in poetics and the weighty history of objects, Gates debuts a multi-faceted installation that bridges the work of Du Bois with architectural excerpts from Chicago, expounding on the archives that hold and preserve records of Black intelligence.Relating moments from art history to stories of quotidian labor, Every Square Needs a Circle is a rumination on materials, time and repetition.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Karl Wirsum: New Paintings</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418182/dncmqysnojkqu49lxwo1.jpg"><figcaption>Karl Wirsum, Geezer Gazing Geyser, 40 x 18 inches (Geysey), 41 x 31 inches (Geezer)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;• April 5–June 22 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/corbett-vs-dempsey">Corbett vs Dempsey</a> – West Town (Opening April 5)Karl Wirsum, an original member of the Hairy Who is a legendary figure in Chicago art. This is the first exhibition of Wirsum’s new work in six years and Corbett vs Dempsey's first show of new works by the artist.&nbsp;<h2>Genevieve Gaignard: Black White and Red All Over</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418183/ncwxgvcm8fkcxf2dmwym.gif"></figure>&nbsp;• April 5–May 24 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/monique-meloche-gallery">Monique Meloche Gallery</a> – West Town (Opening April 5)Black White and Red All Over is Genevieve Gaignard’s first solo show with the gallery, and her first in Chicago. The exhibition will focus on the artist’s new body of mixed media works on panel and will include a new site-specific installation. Arising out of her well-known photographic and installation-based series, these new works convey a declaratively political angle through novel formal means.Gaignard explores issues of race, class, and femininity using an uncanny humor befitting these concepts’ duality as both weighty markers of identity and unfixed values traded fluidly in popular culture. As a biracial woman in America, Gaignard investigates the aesthetic and cultural divide between black and white, a chasm as palpable as it is “invisible.” As an artist interested in the varying incremental shades that exist between, and inadequately define, these markers, Gaignard’s practice hinges on composites: of identities, experiences, appearances, materials.<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>Herman Aguirre</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418184/j8n3h3kngbcgdwrnbnur.jpg"><figcaption>Herman Aguirre, Cenizas nada mas, 2018, oil and acrylic / acrylic skins on canvas, 72" x 48"</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;• April 5–May 4 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/zolla-lieberman-gallery">Zolla/Lieberman Gallery</a> – River North (Opening April 5)&nbsp; Painter Herman Aguirre uses representation and abstraction to bring texture to the depictive and affective aspects of an image. He uses various techniques and materials to investigate charged subjects in order to prompt the sense of fragility of human existence. Through the use of symbolism and metaphor, he depicts images that convey respect, love, and honor in commemoration for “those who are not with us but are around us”. Paintings are executed using references from an archival collection of images, including the images of victims of the Mexican drug war, as well as his own family photographs and souvenirs. The body of work reflects the psychological and physical trauma faced as an observer, creator, and family member. The objects, images, and events that build up the world that surrounds him become conduits for ideas. Constantly wrestling: his painting process becomes a confused, frustrated, and overwhelmed accumulation of impasto, which not only gives value to the image, but also allows for its proper burial. At last, reaching tranquility and peace.<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>Frances Cox &amp; Michael Noland: A World Apart</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418185/yqvbmanphvb4yy6qjty2.gif"><figcaption>Michael Noland, American Flood, Oil on linen</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;• April 5–25 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hofheimer-gallery">Hofheimer Gallery</a> – Ravenswood (Opening April 5)&nbsp;Hofheimer Gallery presents a show featuring the work of Frances Cox and Michael Noland, two artists who feature color and pattern strongly in their work.Frances Cox keeps redefining landscape and still life in an invented and abstract vocabulary.&nbsp;Michael Noland’s work is influenced by Chicago Imagism and traditional American scenes. He creates portraits of flora and fauna, rendered exotic with vibrant hues and colors richly layered. In Michael’s paintings are a dynamic push and pull of forms often unexpected and inventive.<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>A Month of Sundays</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418186/iq7nrrcqtcmzpitcxlee.jpg"><figcaption>Patty Kirk</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;• Opening April 5 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/the-dime">The Dime</a> – Wicker Park (Opening April 5)&nbsp;Patty Kirk has been painting since childhood, and now at the age of 61 she is having her first one woman show. Kirk's paintings speak to her strong Catholic faith and spirituality and an adherence to the primacy of family. They also invoke thoughts of that which is unseen, a pursuit of the invisible, an invocation to the spirits which are a foundational element of her faith.&nbsp;<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>This Stillness</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418187/avn6xn85lwlcbiy1xhr5.jpg"><figcaption>Image: Vanessa German, A Love Powm to Nia Wilson #2 (detail), 2018</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;• April 4–May 5 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/intuit-the-center-for-intuitive-and-outsider-art">Intuit</a> – West Town (Opening April 4)A new exhibition opens at Intuit on Thursday evening. Curated by Jamillah HinsonThis Stillness is an exploration into the complexities of Black girlhood and womanhood and the quiet reflections of self that arise from these circumstances. The exhibition goes beyond the contemporary use of a traditional Black American art form—assemblage—and delves into themes of autonomy, self-reflection, and the dehumanization of Black women and girls. At the same time, the exhibition serves as an archive of personal, familial and cultural identity. This Stillness explores mediums often found in the practice of Black American female artists who are re-piecing histories, narratives and memories that were not allowed to flourish in the past.<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>Abstractly Speaking</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418188/qeu1f7jcaqpsj8ipmpgv.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;• April 5–27 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/woman-made-gallery--2">Woman Made Gallery</a> – Pilsen (Opening April 5)Woman Made Gallery (WMG) presents Abstractly Speaking, highlighting art which is non representational and unconcerned with literal depiction, instead relying&nbsp;on the visual language of form, color, line, texture, mark-making and process, as a means to an end. Artists include: Peggy Breidenbach, Marian Carow, Carolyn Cronin Hughes, Susan Dickman, Camillia Elci, Carol Estes, Nancy Ferro, Lisa Flowers Ross, Heather Gallegos-Rex, Darcy Gerbarg, Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Margie Glass Sula, Monica Goldsmith, Celia Greiner, Mille Guldbeck, Maki Hajikano, Julie Henry, Kelly Hensen, Jamie Kost, Ginny Krueger, Court Lurie, Robin Malpass, Elyse Martin, Joan McLane, Katherine Nemanich, Louise Pappageorge, Sonia Pratt, Olivia Rozdolsky, Sabine Senft, Kathie Shaw and Kathleen Waterloo. Juried by gallerist Melanee Cooper.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>6-Year Anniversary Group Show</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418189/nflueb7pnsym6i2abp4i.jpg"><figcaption>Hebru Brantley</figcaption></figure>• April 6–27 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/6-year-anniversary-group-show">Vertical Gallery</a> – West Town/Ukrainian Village (Opening April 6)The gallery presents a special exhibition celebrating its 6-year anniversary. The show will feature over 40 artists - local, national &amp; international - from 14 different countries with artistic styles that have shaped the gallery’s programming over the years. Since opening its doors at 1016 N. Western Avenue in 2013, Vertical has presented ambitious exhibitions with work influenced by street art, urban environments, graffiti, pop culture, graphic design and illustration. With 10 to 12 group and solo shows per year, plus participation in major international art fairs, Vertical Gallery has featured over 300 different artists from around the world in its exhibitions.</body></html>

Color and Concepts Fill Galleries this April

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418190/gsexqjpi9tphulvnw1hu.gif"></figure><h2>Laurie Simmons’s Works at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago</h2>Over four decades, <a href="https://www.blouinartinfo.com/artists/laurie-simmons-169787">Laurie Simmons</a>’s accomplished series have wrestled with image culture, object fetishization, gender roles — and, more recently, non-binary identity. In the current survey of the artist’s work, “<a href="https://www.blouinartinfo.com/artists/laurie-simmons-169787">Laurie Simmons</a>: Big Camera/Little Camera” (on view until May 5), the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is presenting her photography alongside three films (one of which features vintage puppets, the actress Meryl Streep, and Alvin Ailey dancers) plus a sculptural installation.By Sarah Moroz, Blouin Art Info<a href="https://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/3599155/laurie-simmonss-works-at-museum-of-contemporary-art-chicago">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418191/orsq2le6olmbwiqaukx9.gif"></figure><h2>High school seniors awarded college scholarships for artwork</h2>Though their artistic talent was recently recognized in academic circles, the students have said their goals include a military career and entrepreneurship while not forsaking art.By Steve Sadin, Lincolnshire Review via Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lincolnshire/ct-lsr-students-arts-scholarships-tl-0328-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418193/xqpv94zomzkxvbcchhh0.gif"></figure><h2>Discovered After 70, Black Artists Find Success, Too, Has Its Price</h2>McArthur Binion had been creating art almost completely under the radar for four decades, handling his own occasional sales and raising two children in Chicago on a teaching salary.Now, Mr. Binion has been fully embraced by the mainstream art world — at the age of 72. His dealer is a prominent Chelsea gallery. Museums and international collectors are snapping up his large canvases, minimalist grids painted in oil stick over collages of personal documents.By Hilarie M. Sheets, The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/23/arts/design/black-artists-older-success.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: March 26, 2019

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418147/dcrpgljiymt233xrqt0k.jpg"><figcaption>Chicago Cultural Center. Courtesy Chicago Architecture Center</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAIs it a biennial? Or should we call it a Biennale?A slip of the tongue by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, which turned into a joke, revealed that as this thoroughly American city, recognized for its abundance of significant architecture, prepares to host the third Chicago Architecture Biennial (yes, that's part of the official usage, vs the Italian word for every other year) it hopes to engage with a global audience in talking about new concepts and practices in the field.&nbsp;Last week the Chicago Architecture Biennial announced the first group of contributors to the 2019 edition, which will open this fall. Titled ...and other such stories, the biennial will form an expansive and multi-faceted exploration of the field of architecture and the built environment.&nbsp;At the event at the Chicago Cultural Center on Thursday, a large crowd came in from the rain to gather in Preston Bradley Hall under the morning's stand–in for the sun, the intricate and illuminated Tiffany dome. The outgoing Mayor Emanuel kept things light, reminding the crowd that they were visiting Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Mark Kelly's 'house', and that Kelly most likely has the nicer office between the two. Emanuel went on to emphasize that spaces and built environments are important in the lives of many and in multiple contexts. The Chicago Architecture Biennial is a means of bringing culture to the citizens who live in all 77 neighborhoods of the city. This event, said Emanuel, puts Chicago on the global stage along with Paris, London, Berlin, LA and New York, among many others.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418148/mvd4dtubzbw98lwvylua.jpg"><figcaption>© Chicago Architecture Biennial / Marcin Cymmer, 2019</figcaption></figure>When Kelly spoke at the event, he shared that in thinking about this next CAB he wanted others to remember that Chicago has made notable efforts to make the city a space for conversation and public creativity in recent years. He cited how the Chicago River has been reclaimed as a public space, the River Walk has been completed, as well as the 606 Trail. More pedestrian bridges have been built. Groundwork has been laid in order to foster ideas and public contributions from area artists like Theaster Gates, Nick Cave, and Hebru Brantley. For Kelly a critical component of these examples is that they are public and they are free. They allow us all to explore and understand our common ground.More opportunities lie ahead for dialogue that can not only benefit Chicago but other urban communities. Dare we say that the mayor must have learned a critical lesson about the true value of public art last year when the public loudly and effectively cried out to prevent the sale of Kerry James Marshall's Knowledge and Wonder.&nbsp;Now Director Yesomi Umolu and co-curators Sepake Angiama and Paulo Tavares are tasked with overseeing the group of contributors who will produce meaningful new commissioned projects for the Biennial. Early highlights are:• Reflections on landscapes belonging and sovereignty that challenge existing, narrow definitions of land as property and commodity from Wolff Architects (Capetown, South Africa), Territorial Agency – John Palmesino and Ann-Sofi Ronnskog (London, UK) and Theaster Gates (Chicago).&nbsp;• Explorations of sites of memory – and the politics of remembering and/or forgetting in contested spaces – by contributors CAMP (Mumbai, India), Center for Spatial Research (New York, NY), MASS Design Group (Boston, MA/Poughkeepsie, NY/Kigali, Rwanda), Tanya Lukin Linklater and Tiffany Shaw-Collinge (Ontario, Canada and Alberta, Canada) and Wednelien van Oldenborgh (Rotterdam, Netherlands)The Chicago Architecture Biennial is the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Over the coming months the Biennial will announce the full list of contributors and key programming for this year's edition.&nbsp;Whatever you call it, the Chicago Architecture Biennial promises to construct a provocative and engaging means of welcoming visitors from around the world in just a few months.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Biennial will take place from September 19 through January 5, 2020, and the opening with align with the eighth annual EXPO CHICAGO, which will run September 19–22, 2019 at Navy Pier.For more information visit <a href="http://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org">chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org</a></body></html>

You Say Biennial, The Mayor Says Biennale

<html><head></head><body>By RILEY YAXLEYSometimes, I loathe working in the arts.I rarely admit this sentiment, because doing so makes me feel ungrateful for the incredible opportunities and experiences that I’ve had in the arts, especially whenever I hear people &nbsp;romanticize a career in the arts and the gift of distance from the mundanity of a corporate career. How could I dare to not adore working in the arts?Anne Carson writes in her book ​Eros: The Bittersweet t​hat “no one in love really believes that love will end... They are astonished when they fall in love, they are equally astonished when they fall out of love.”&nbsp;Last time this year I had just started working part-time at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago as a Visitor Services Associate. I worked every Tuesday and Thursday until 10:30pm. Maurizio Cattelan’s ​Felix ​– a 26 foot tall skeletal sculpture of a cat – was on view in the MCA’s Kovler Atrium, which I had to cross through in order to leave each day. One night on my way out I stopped for a moment in the atrium, alone except for the distant, musical commotion of Michigan Avenue traffic. The sculpture was lit only by the dim glow of auxiliary lighting and, while standing there admiring the absurd polyvinyl resin and fiberglass feline, I felt a tingling warmth in my chest, despite mid-January's bitter cold. I had fallen in love.Less than six months later, however, I recall feeling completely disillusioned. I was burnt out. I had just completed my undergraduate program at DePaul University, and I was &nbsp;working at the newly opened Wrightwood 659, doing an internship at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, pitching an ambitious new interview series for CGN, and also starting an internship at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Each morning I begrudgingly climbed out of bed, making sure to grab everything I would need for a twelve hour day of working. I had fallen out of love.Recently I was again reminded why I adore working in the arts when I attended the opening of ​object / item / material / me,​ an exhibition curated by Graham Feyl. I ​<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2018/7/art-is-graham-feyl">interviewed​ Graham</a> about this exhibition for Chicago Gallery News in July 2018 and was now ecstatic that the eight artists and their work had finally found a physical space in which to be shown. When I first sat down with Graham for the 2018 interview, we met at Fork, an American fare restaurant in Lincoln Square and we talked for nearly two hours, exhausting a number of topics that veered back and forth between the professional and the personal. At the time we both expressed our common frustrations and joys of doing the work that we do, but to write my first interview I was skeptical of whether or not I could communicate the personal perspectives. I resolved recently that it is exactly these experiences that are perhaps the most fruitful things I can write about.So here I am now, writing about what it's like to fall in and out of, and then back in love with art again.Through a partnership between The Overlook and Annas, a gallery space and curatorial residency at 629 W Cermak, object / item / material / me opened on January 26 and will close on February 24th.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418145/bi1woii6ekiwb6gktiz3.gif"><figcaption>Installation view of&nbsp;object/ item/ material/ me&nbsp;at Annas, L to R Julia Arredondo&nbsp;Give Me Space hats, 2018&nbsp;HOME PROTECTION AMULET (aka Stay Away), 2018, Jennifer Sova&nbsp;men with children, Selections from a Living Archive, 2016 and Janelle Miller&nbsp;Building Virtue: A Study&nbsp;(2017-)</figcaption></figure>A paralyzing snow storm barreled into Chicago on the opening night of ​object / item / material / me. I spent nearly an hour and a half in an uber, inching along the Kennedy Expressway from my apartment in Lincoln Square down to the exhibition in Chinatown. I was half expecting an empty gallery space, assuming that the majority of people would have given up because of the weather. So I was surprised when I arrived and saw that the large, warehouse–style space was so crowded I could barely push my way past the entryway. Nearly 100 people attended the opening, rivalling some of the more traditional gallery openings that I’ve been to in the past few years.In the hallway outside the gallery, there was a large bucket filled with ice and IPA beer, which I drank, but I can’t remember if I enjoyed it or not. I was accosted by several co-workers from the MCA almost immediately, and for the rest of the night I bounced around the space like a silver marble flung around inside a pinball machine. I was overjoyed to run into Jenn Sova, the founder of The Overlook, and to have the opportunity to view ​men with children,​ an ongoing series where Jenn collects photos from thrift stores, online, and from friends to explore relationships between men and children.&nbsp;I took photos with Janelle Miller and her ​Building Virtue: A Study (2017-cont.)​, an ongoing project where Janelle collects fans that used to be used during service by churchgoers in African American churches. The fans were mounted on a wall that had been painted a delicate lavender in a shape reminiscent of a church’s stained glass window.&nbsp;I admired Kimberly English’s ​Love is, e​xcited to see the work in person and not merely as the background on the exhibition flyer. ​Love is​ is made from a deconstructed t-shirt with only the outline of the skeletal hem remaining with price tags that reflect where the garment has been and how its value has decreased over time.&nbsp;I congratulated Graham on having brought the exhibition to fruition and having rallied such a supportive, engaged community around the work.Since the opening was scheduled to end at 9pm, the director of Annas had to loudly, and forcefully, announce that the gallery space would be closing but that the group would be moving to Skylark, a quaint, cash-only bar a block away. I didn’t follow everyone to the bar, because I was headed to a friend’s birthday party nearby, but a sizable crowd did leave together to trudge through the snow to continue the night and the conversation. An enthusiastic and loving community had rallied around a new exhibition.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418146/btaqz5u8sfrczewk8zyy.gif"><figcaption>Kimberly English,&nbsp;Love is, 2018&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>I was practically giddy on my uber ride home, grinning like a child that has been told they can stay up late and watch TV on a weeknight. I could not remember the last time an art event gave me that elation. I remember going to bed thinking, “How lucky am I?”I had fallen in love again.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Art Is... The Bittersweet

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418118/gqx7gucil5dr9gtajra8.jpg"><figcaption>The MoCP Silent Auction on Thursday, February 28</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago (MoCP) held DARKROOM, their annual benefit auction, on&nbsp;Thursday, February 28 at Venue SIX10, bringing in over $230,000 to support the museum. Funds raised at DARKROOM will provide critical support for the museum's exhibitions, collections, and community engagement initiatives in 2019. Highlights of the evening included a VIP hour conversation between MoCP chief curator and deputy director Karen Irvine and Silver Camera Awardee Lalla Essaydi about Essaydi’s photographic contributions. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418119/bcpinzs69efuuhn81zaa.jpg"><figcaption>(From left) Karen Irvine, MoCP chief curator and deputy director; Lalla Essaydi, MoCP Silver Camera Awardee; Bob Wislow, chair of the MoCP Advisory Board</figcaption></figure>Other high points of the evening included a ceremony honoring artist Lalla Essaydi with the Silver Camera Award, followed by a rousing Raise the Paddle, that raised over $20,000 to support MoCP education initiatives, including expanded teen programs and a bus subsidy program aimed at bringing more Chicago Public School students to the museum from underserved communities. Co-chaired by Ted Keim and Marisa Murillo, with honorary co-chairs Bill and Vicki Hood, DARKROOM 2019 hosted over 300 guests, who enjoyed an elegant evening celebration of photography while supporting the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the only museum of its kind in the region.The silent auction this year featured photography by Lalla Essaydi, Sandro Miller, Doug Fogleson, and Beate Gütschow, among many others.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418120/howpfialte1iaa9touix.gif"><figcaption>Sandro Miller, Green Marylin, 2014</figcaption></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418121/nry3vq2t9ys74hlhzv2w.gif"><figcaption>Lalla Essaydi, Les Femmes du Maroc #22B, 2005</figcaption></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418126/cwo1ol8thlsbptv9znsc.gif"><figcaption>Doug Fogelson, Forms and Records No. 5, 2014</figcaption></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418127/uc1l95ug0nemdfduoeyq.gif"><figcaption>Beate Gütschow, HC#5, 2018</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

DARKROOM 2019 Raises Over $230K for MoCP

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418168/iggwjm01cr6gcrim7zir.gif"></figure><h3>EXPO CHICAGO Expands Curatorial Exchange Program, Announces Details For 2019 Edition</h3>Expo Chicago, the city’s international exposition of contemporary and modern art, has partnered with Red Bull Arts Detroit to bring more international curators to the Detroit and Chicago area. The Red Bull Arts Detroit Global Curatorial Initiative, an expansion of Expo Chicago’s existing program, will offer mid-career and established curators the opportunity to participate in the eighth annual exposition, which will take place at the Navy Pier from September 19 to September 22, coinciding with the Chicago Architecture Biennial.Via ArtForum<a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/expo-chicago-expands-curatorial-exchange-program-announces-details-for-2019-edition-78831">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418170/ecricdx8jl2zjtkqcda1.gif"></figure><h3>Artist shares watercolor techniques at Elmhurst museum</h3>Joe Rizzo strives to evoke joy in his work. “I find that childlike, unrealistic, unbounded joy can be expressed through color alone,” Rizzo says in his Artist Statement. The suburban artist has found joy in the creation process through two techniques that he will share with his audience at a free demonstration of monoprinting and marbleizing paper at 7 p.m. on March 21 at the Elmhurst Art Museum. The event is sponsored by the Elmhurst Artists’ Guild.By Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elmhurst/news/ct-fhj-ent-joe-rizzo-0314-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418171/drghzaohgv8gorfr9ock.gif"></figure><h3>Space p11 adds to Chicago’s underground art and architecture scene</h3>“The pedway is an exquisite corpse,” said Space p11 director Jonathan Solomon of the assembly of underground spaces that make up Chicago’s Pedway, the subterranean home of the new design and architecture-focused gallery. “We are looking to encourage the many institutions above to take ownership and make the pedway a space for culture.” That notion of ownership, or perceived lack thereof, along with substandard signage, uneven maintenance and concentration of urban odors causes many Chicagoans to shame the pedway.By Elizabeth Blasius, The Architects Newspaper<a href="https://archpaper.com/2019/02/p11-chicago-pedway/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>The artistry behind protecting and repairing photographs</h3>Within the walls of the Art Institute of Chicago resides one of the nation's foremost collections of photography. Here, works by 20th century masters such as Alfred Stieglitz and Walker Evans share space with daguerreotypes from the earliest days of the medium. For a collection this size and quality to be fit for the viewing public, hours of painstaking work is required behind the scenes.By Jeffrey Brown, PBS News Hour<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-artistry-behind-protecting-and-repairing-photographs">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: March 5, 2019

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEA&nbsp;Friday, March 1&nbsp;begins a weekend of fresh openings in galleries around the city, as many spaces feature their first exhibitions since the year began. A host of artists have used our collective hope for renewal and warmth, as well as fresh air and light, as inspiration for their latest work.&nbsp;River North opens many new shows as part of its commitment to coordinating receptions on the first Friday of the odd months.&nbsp;Several spaces in West Town also open dynamic shows along Chicago Ave.&nbsp;Additionally, new art may be found on both ends of the city, the south as well as the north, and on both days of the weekend, Saturday, March&nbsp;2 and Sunday, March 3, making this an altogether Chicago and art-filled weekend.&nbsp;Some highlights are listed below, and our <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar">full calendar</a> may be viewed&nbsp;here.&nbsp;And of course the art doesn't stop after the openings are over. Much is planned in the coming days and weeks!&nbsp;Enjoy these bright signs of spring, and see you in the galleries!&nbsp;<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h2>Stan Shellabarger</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418056/iovnaiyschdthxalmbek.jpg"><figcaption>Stan Shellabarger, 'Untitled (Winter Solstice 2017) 2017. Artist book: cyanotypes on paper, archival tape, arches covers. 7 x 5 inches closed, 7 x 50 inches open. Unique edition of 2 &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>March 1–April 13 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/western-exhibitions">Western Exhibitions</a> – West TownStan Shellabarger's new artist books and collages are made from cyanotypes produced during full moons, summer and winter solstices, autumnal and vernal equinoxes and a solar eclipse. Beginning in 1994 Shellabarger has executed over a dozen performances on solstices and equinoxes. Marking the longest and shortest days of the year, or those days with equal amounts of light and dark respectively, the duration of his art-making activities are often influenced, or even determined by, these celestial events. In Shellabarger’s new body of work, comprised of a series of cyanotypes— a camera-less photographic process where chemically coated paper is exposed to light— full moons, the solstices, equinoxes and a solar eclipse are also the work’s light source, in addition to the inspiration for its imagery.Also on view at the gallery is a companion show, My informal printmaking residency with Stan Shellabarger, that features work by Leslie Baum,&nbsp;Elijah Burgher,&nbsp;kg, Kelly Kaczynski,&nbsp;Rachel Niffenegger,&nbsp;Paul Nudd,&nbsp;Steve Reinke, and&nbsp;Jeremy Tinder. &nbsp;Both shows open Friday, March 1, 5-8pm.&nbsp;<h2>Thaddeus Wolfe: Crossing the River to Fetch Water</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418057/zfiesgm0dt8imsrvawak.jpg"><figcaption>Thaddeus Wolfe, Assemblage / 2016, Blown glass, Unique, 20H x 8W x 6D</figcaption></figure>March 1–April 27 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/volume-gallery">Volume Gallery</a> - West TownThis exhibition gathers Thaddeus Wolfe’s new kiln-constructed objects and blown flat wall reliefs. Wolfe is known for his dedication to the laborious techniques of glassmaking and an inquisitive, bold vision that leads the medium into new terrains. Opening Friday, March 1, 5-8pm.&nbsp;<h2>Tetsuya Noda</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418058/ki87i6nodangeikbsy0i.png"><figcaption>Tetsuya Noda,&nbsp;Diary; May 7th, '18, woodcut and screenprint, 2018.</figcaption></figure>March 1–31 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/andrew-bae-gallery">Andrew Bae Gallery</a> - River North&nbsp;This Japanese artist has been working for 50 years, during which he has single-handedly created a 'diary', which comprises over 500 works of art, which today continue and compliment Japan's great tradition of printmaking. Noda finishes each of his prints with his own thumbprint in red 'she ni ku' next to his signature. The artist will be present at the opening Friday, March 1, 5-8pm.&nbsp;<h2>Come As You Are: New Work by Amy Laskin</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418059/rq3pcmebh7z33s4bnsxf.jpg"><figcaption>Amy Laskin, Floras Duppy</figcaption></figure>March 1–April 27 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/carl-hammer-gallery">Carl Hammer Gallery</a> – River NorthAmy Laskin's works speak to the dark beauty that can come with the first signs of spring. The sun and natural warmth we so crave have the power to make spectacular flowers bloom. In Laskin's work once the flowers are in bloom, they may be fully and formally constructed by humans, representing perhaps an ideal extension of ourselves in nature's own landscape. Opening Friday, March 1, 5-8pm.&nbsp;<h2>Soak. Stroke. Scratch.</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418060/qj1tfuq0nbpzyisgmh6b.jpg"><figcaption>Michelle Wasson, Sun King, 96″ x 72", Acrylic on raw canvas</figcaption></figure>March 1–April 30 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/melanee-cooper-gallery">Melanee Cooper Gallery</a> – River NorthA three-person exhibition at this River North Gallery, which reopened in the district this past fall after the owner spent 9 years in California, features a vibrant array of sun-inspired work that conjures a variety of images and of and the feeling of being around water as well as the sun. One of the three artists, Michelle Wasson, exhibits work that relies on an ongoing exploration of materials and methods in order to traverse the history of painting. Opening Friday, March 1, 5-8pm.&nbsp;<h2>Parallel Points</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418061/qzxzwnmqcnc44g1qz8qd.jpg"><figcaption>Oltre il Momento I, 30 x 30, oil and cold wax on panel</figcaption></figure>March 1–April 25 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/addington-gallery">Addington&nbsp;Gallery</a> – River NorthTwo shows featuring multiple artists open Friday at Addington Gallery, and one exhibits the cold-wax and oil paint works of Allison B. Cooke. The range of colors may reflect whatever your mood, and the weather, is this weekend. Opening Friday, March 1, 5-8pm.&nbsp;<h2>Remnants: Works on Paper&nbsp;</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418062/rc3y99si0rmjicscy9up.jpg"><figcaption>Sue Fox, Verdant, 20” x 16” x 2”, Acrylic and collage on board</figcaption></figure>Thru March 30 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/studio-oh">Studio Oh!</a> – RavenswoodFeaturing Sue Fox, Vida Sacic, and Don Widmer. Opening reception Friday, March 1.&nbsp;Mixed media artist Sue Fox works in collage exploring color through movement, texture and light.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Inside / Outside</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418063/rykseywroh4prcgdd1yh.gif"><figcaption>Catherine Maize, Untitled, Oil on Board</figcaption></figure>March 1–28 at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/hofheimer-gallery">Hofheimer Gallery</a> – Ravenswood&nbsp;Four artists share their examinations through painting of the dual worlds we all occupy, both inside and out of doors. This time of year outside scenes must be consolation as we wait a few more weeks before we can spend more time in the fresh air. Featuring Catherine Maize, Jacqueline Moses, Karen Perl and Gene Skala. Opening Friday night, March 1.&nbsp;<h2>Cornelia&nbsp;Spring Open Studios</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418064/ovh4ciexopc0hwhrz6tw.jpg"></figure>March 1, 6-10pm at <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/cornelia-arts-building-where-art-works">Cornelia Arts Building</a> – North SideThe studio building marks 30 years in 2019 as a working studio building. Cornelia Arts Building&nbsp;Open Studio nights happen four times a year.&nbsp;Join over 40 resident artists in their studios, hallway guest artist exhibitions, and food from a local food truck in the parking lot.&nbsp;&nbsp;Top of page image: Verdant, by Sue Fox, Studio Oh!&nbsp;</body></html>

The Art World's First Weekend of 'Spring'

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418069/uzdftmot034b6wj6k7me.png"></figure><h2>In Chicago, Science and Industry Also Means Art and Creativity</h2>The Juried Art Exhibition has become the centerpiece of <a href="https://www.msichicago.org/blackcreativity">Black Creativity</a>, launched during the 1980s to accompany the Exhibition. A festival of sorts, Black Creativity has evolved into an annual umbrella of events centered on African American creativity, ingenuity and innovation hosted by the Museum of Science and Industry.By Audrey F. Henderson, New City<a href="https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/in-chicago-science-and-industry-also-means-art-and-creativity">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418071/slok8cwn3rqob5vqmfmd.jpg"></figure><h2>The Whitney Biennial: 75 Artists Are In, and One Dissenter Steps Out</h2>The biennial, no stranger to controversy, is an indicator of currents in the field as well as a career booster for the artists included. Past editions have sparked debates over identity and representation, but this year, before the list of participants was even released, a Chicago-based artist, <a href="http://www.michaelrakowitz.com/">Michael Rakowitz</a>, pulled out of the exhibition in a protest against a museum vice chairman, Warren Kanders. Mr. Kanders is the chief executive of a company that manufactures equipment, including body armor and tear gas, for law enforcement agencies and militaries. The New York Times received a copy of Mr. Rakowitz’s letter to the curators, dated Dec. 18, withdrawing from the show.By Jillian Steinhauer, The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/25/arts/design/2019-whitney-biennial.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418072/zasa82fvsajaehvfzmj0.jpg"></figure><h2>Art on theMART Announces Program Aligning with City of Chicago's Year of Chicago Theatre</h2>theMART, with the City of Chicago, today announced the program alignment of Art on theMART, the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, with the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre, a city-wide celebration of Chicago's theater community spearheaded by the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and the League of Chicago Theatres.Via Broadway World<a href="https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/Art-on-theMART-Announces-Program-Aligning-with-City-of-Chicagos-Year-of-Chicago-Theatre-20190221">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418073/lywwl2sgx62mz3huxfww.jpg"></figure><h2>‘Intimate Sense of Community’: New Forum Aims to Decentralize Art-Book Publishing</h2>Artist Publisher, a new online forum launched by the Chicago-based printing collective Temporary Services, aims to encourage online discussion of art books and to democratize knowledge of a precarious industry. In different threads, users can chat about such insider subjects as storage and what kinds of printers to use, as well as post book reviews and titles for trade. An in-progress list also attempts to track and chronologically organize every art book fair and zine fest—with more than 40 logged for 2019 so far.By Claire Voon, ARTnews<a href="http://www.artnews.com/2019/02/13/artist-publisher-temporary-services-book-forum/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: February 26, 2019

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418019/mgv0odg3goaj5yrvouit.gif"></figure>&nbsp;Life After Art School is an interview series by a former CGN Intern. The first part was written in 2014.&nbsp;This five-year follow-up is broken up into three parts:&nbsp;• Megan Bonke's Five Year Follow up (article below)<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-making-transitions-and-transactions">• Life After Art School: Making Transitions and Transactions – Part I</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-making-transitions-and-transactions-part-ii">• Life After Art School: Making Transitions and Transactions – Part II</a>&nbsp;By MEGAN BONKEFive years ago when I was an intern at Chicago Gallery News, I set out to write an article about <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/5/life-after-art-school-disappointments-and-future-plans">what to do after art school</a>. I was just over one year out of undergrad myself and still very much confused on what direction to take for a career path. While living at home, balancing odd jobs and internships, I went out and asked a number of former art students what they did after leaving school, rather than choosing to write an article about all of my own floundering. Some of the people I talked to were recent graduates, some were artists with long careers, and some never graduated from any art school at all. I didn’t get any specific answers for myself then, but I did see that there are many different paths for artists. Perhaps there were no answers because they can’t teach (ie: guarantee) success in the arts. Or at least, that’s what I thought after researching and writing the article.Since that time I’ve have many more jobs, with each one effectively leading (though hardly in a linear way) to the next. I am grateful for the work I have today, and I feel more comfortably on a path than I’ve felt before. I do, however, still have more questions about life after art school, and those questions are about mainly about money. An elusive, even taboo, topic, one that is an underlying driver in the overall market, money and art is also something that many desperately want to know more about. I want to ask, as a professional artist now, where and how do you make or get money? And then how do you manage it?In my current profession as a Studio Manager for artist René Romero Schuler, I’ve been getting lessons on how to thrive as a professional artist – lessons that were never taught — hardly addressed, actually — in school. My biggest lessons about money so far are within my own practice. For instance, a client once commissioned a piece from me — a big, intensive, collaborative piece — and I messed up the money because I never directly and definitively talked about the numbers. Wires got crossed, and I didn’t ask for compensation until it was too late. I had thought there would eventually just be a fluid payment for an amount that was negotiated based on labor and materials that would be seen as fair at the completion of the project. I didn’t name a number in the beginning because, the truth was, I didn’t know that was when I had to do it and I didn’t know exactly how much time or how many hours the commission would take. It ended up being something bigger than I had ever done, and I was very insecure about the client ultimately being happy with the work, and with me.When the job was finished, and I put a number out there that I thought was fair for me, the rebuttal from the client was so far beneath what I thought was my fair asking price that I was floored. The client was firm – condescending, actually, and I was stuck. As a result the situation revealed a brutal truth to me: people will pay as little as possible to get what they want. Personally, I’m now grateful that the situation taught me some lessons, albeit some scary ones. A follow up is that I’ve also found that talking about money too soon can scare clients away. Ultimately I want opportunities to be paid what I deserve as well as make a client happy.I now really believe the romantic notion of a 'starving artist' should be nipped in the bud! Artists don’t just need to eat; they need a place to sleep, clothes, healthcare, materials and a place to work. The opportunity to create art is not compensation enough. Because selling, and getting paid for, art can be an ongoing struggle, we learn to hustle and make any additional money where we can – in odd or regular (ie: money making) jobs – so that we can hold on to and ultimately work towards the dream of making art for a living. All the while we must also find the extra time to create that work that we hope to sell (and live on!). To people who are not artists, our art making may be perceived as a side gig, or hobby, to our money–making jobs. Some think we are dying to give away (or donate) our art just so that we can have the opportunity for recognition, when really we are trying to figure out a way to transition, to thrive on that 'side gig'.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418020/an89ibbs1b0yrup9so5b.gif"><figcaption>Megan Bonke, Vuvuzela Boy, 42 x 30 in, oil on canvas, 2017, photo credit Tom Van Eynde&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;So with all the real challenges, how do we do it and become professional? Can we start talking about money as artists? What are art schools today teaching students about success after graduation?&nbsp;As was the case when I wrote the first piece for CGN, I talked to other artists to get their perspectives.&nbsp;My first interview this time (linked below as Part I) is with a French artist, David Twose, about taking his own scary leap from a comfortable (lucrative, non-art) job to becoming a full-time, professional artist. My second interview (linked below as Part II) is with a current art student, Wendolyn Sterkel, who has also taken a leap, switching from a traditional, public university to attending art school.&nbsp;For both of these interviews, I’ve tried my best not to shy away from questions about financial challenges. I also hope my own story helps others move closer to an understanding of life as a professional artist.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Related:Read <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2014/5/life-after-art-school-disappointments-and-future-plans">Life After Art School: Disappointments and Future Plans</a> (from 2014)Read <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-making-transitions-and-transactions">PART I</a> of Life After Art School, Transitions and Transactions (2019)Read <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-making-transitions-and-transactions-part-ii">PART II</a> of Life After Art School, Transitions and Transactions (2019)&nbsp;Top image: Megan Bonke, BP, 12 x 30in (diptych detail), oil on linen, 2017, Collection of Jacob Gerber, photo credit Tom Van Eynde</body></html>

Life After Art School: Five Years Later

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418065/iodpunzeg9s6ruxnymmu.gif"></figure>&nbsp;Life After Art School is an interview series by a former CGN Intern. The first part was written in 2014.&nbsp;This five-year follow-up is broken up into three parts:&nbsp;• <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-five-years-later">Life After Art School: Five Years Later</a>• Life After Art School: Making Transitions and Transactions – Part I (below)<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-making-transitions-and-transactions-part-ii">• Life After Art School: Making Transitions and Transactions – Part II</a>&nbsp;By MEGAN BONKEAs was the case when I wrote the first Life After Art School article for CGN in 2014, I talked to other artists to get their perspectives.&nbsp;I tried my best not to shy away from questions about financial challenges, and I hope my own story as well as the thoughts and answers from another artist helps others move closer to an understanding of life as a professional artist.&nbsp;My first follow-up interview was with French artist David Twose, who is currently doing an artist residency in his native France, but he is also planning for a spring 2019 show in suburban Lake Forest, Illinois.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418067/wtptjvtae6swlzpbx5fe.gif"><figcaption>David Twose</figcaption></figure>David Twose, 41, Painter&nbsp;Megan Bonke: When did you decide you wanted to be an artist?David Twose: It’s a tricky question. As a professional, it’s when I quit my previous job. As an artist, I've always wanted to be one – I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. When I worked in a professional corporation, I was taking drawing and painting lessons after work for almost eleven hours per week, in addition to my full time job.MB: What did you do for work before you were a full time artist?DT: I had been working for 16 years at a car company called Peugeot S.A (PSA Group) of which there are several brands: Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel, and Vauxhal. I was mainly doing marketing and communication there for the international&nbsp;markets.MB: What was the catalyst for making the switch from art as a hobby to art as a career?DT: Art was always deeper than a hobby, a lot more than that. The big shift occurred when I realized I was very comfortable for 16 years in the same company. I felt that it was so easy to continue working there until retirement. I imagined myself 20 years later, at the age of 60. I projected myself at this age and saw myself looking back and trying to see what I had achieved. That freaked me out. I was not at the right place. The right place for me was making art.MB: Where have you studied, what did you study, and how far does your education extend?DT: I went to business school. I was quite good at school, so I went to what’s called “preparation for business school” in Lyon, France and was able to succeed to the renowned Graduated School of Business in Nancy, France. I finished my Business studies in&nbsp;Montreal, Canada at McGill University, as well. I was in preparation school for two years and business for three years; that’s five years.MB: Where have you studied art, and did you take any art classes at university?DT: From ages 16 to 18, I took art classes in school. After that, I took a lot of night classes and during the weekend as well.MB: Did anything in your studies (business marketing or fine art) prepare you for running your own business as an artist?DT: My communications and marketing experience has helped me a lot. Part of my job at the time was to build communication strategies and help our companies, located in other countries, apply them locally. Having said that, when I do communications for my paintings, I try to apply the basic rules that I used to apply when I was advising others. I try to be consistent in the message that I deliver for the product, which is my painting. Sometimes it’s hard. And the funny thing is that looking back at when I used to oversee and evaluate the communications, I notice that I make the same mistakes. For the same thing I would criticize, I find it difficult to be my own judge.What helped me was to first build my website immediately after I quit my job. I also created business cards and advertisements, such as on Instagram and Facebook. From what I’ve seen, not many artists prioritize that. I also have a portfolio that I take with me on my exhibitions. Not all artists have this communication kit that I have. Artists have told me they don’t want to do it because either they feel that they are only artists and they are not yet in a position to market their art, or they don’t think they have the skill set. Many don’t even consider how to market their art, because it is totally out of their range of thoughts.Just last December I created a company to make the process of selling easier, for which I had to hire an accountant to help me set it up. When I created the company, I opened the range of activities to be available for other artists as well. With this company I can also give advice to other artists regarding their communication strategies.MB: Can you elaborate on these rules for marketing?DT: I should be able to do it; it’s nice to talk with you about it because it reminds me to focus more. The communication strategies I apply are about the process of how I create and why I want to create, and it’s all based on one important word I call abstractivation. When I paint landscapes, I try to see the abstract things that exist in reality—the shapes of a tree, a building, a shadow, etc. I want to expose and amplify these abstracted things that I see in reality. For instance sometimes when I paint, I turn the canvas 180 degrees to forget that it’s a landscape, and instead, I try to see it as an abstract painting. In terms of communication, I’m trying to focus on that word, abstractivation, as my credo—what I believe. I believe there are abstract things in reality, and these are very strong and can bring us to another dimension—something spiritual. My communication is based on this pillar of my work. It’s the way I work, and the way I see art.MB: How long have you been a full time artist?DT: I quit my job in June 2017 and have been pursuing art professionally ever since.MB: Can you describe the first year of working as an artist full time?DT: The first month was a bit weird, because I went on holiday to Canada just after I quit. While I still felt like I was on holiday, at the same time I knew that I left my secure zone. That was very frightening. I was scared. Before, when I was part of a company, it was like I was on a big boat, and when I quit, I was in deep water. Then I had moments where I would remember myself painting outside, and I would have otherwise been in the office; that was a real pleasure.I have never worked so hard since I stopped working. As a professional artist, you have to do everything. Of course you have to paint. You also have to do the communication. You have to make all the decisions. When you work for a company, you have to make some, but others take many responsibilities. My day is usually made of painting and entrepreneurial decisions: a budget to work within, timing management, and meeting with people. At the same, you have to not try to manage everything, and go with the flow. Because that’s when things happen, when you don’t schedule everything and you follow the good vibrations around you. The best things happened to me when I wasn’t searching for them. Helping others is one of these things. When I help others, I feel pure pleasure and good things happen for me also. I did not experience this when I was working in a private company.MB: How has your artwork changed since making art your career?DT: Because I have more time to paint,&nbsp;I can do more research and exploration in order to produce more intimate works. I want to be more in the concept and because I have more time, I can dig in. I also have the motivation to produce because of things like my upcoming show for example show in Lake Forest that is coming in May. I actually I have to produce for this show. Before I painted what I wanted and when I wanted. Now, I have the parameter of an upcoming show date dictating my production. I also have some commissions to complete. I have to manage myself in order to complete the work.MB: What kind of subsidies/benefits have you been getting from the [French] government since becoming an artist and how long do those last?DT: Depending on how you quit your company in France, you can acquire some pensions from the state. And that was my case. I had this chance to receive money from the government, which is not at the level of my previous salary. Nevertheless, it helped me to live in a proper way and give a lot to my business as an artist. I will have this help until mid 2020. I have this time to become autonomous financially.MB: What does applying for these subsidies/benefits involve?DT: It’s not like these benefits don’t come from somewhere - they are essentially the unemployment tax withheld from my paycheck over the last sixteen years. Usually receiving these benefits means you have to look for a job, but because I created a company they should not ask me to look for a job.MB: What kind of financial burdens have you been experiencing since becoming an artist full time?DT: Not much because my level of finances are okay. I’m still live in the same apartment. I try to spend less. The funny thing is that when I was working and I’d leave the office, I wanted to buy things. I wanted to go to the shops with high tech things. So I spent the money that I earned on the things that I bought. And now I don’t need any of these things anymore. And I think it’s because I like what I do. I don’t need anything other than what I’m doing. At the end of the day, I have less money and spend less money without much effort.MB: Have you noticed any major differences in the way you approach art versus your artist peers in the states?DT: Not really. I meet a lot of French artists because I am in an art residency here in France. There are&nbsp;many types of artists, even in the small place that I work. Many of them&nbsp;are French, but they&nbsp;all do different things. I do see a difference between French and American buyers. Most of the buyers that I’ve had so far that come to my residency have been American. Actually, I think it’s a difference between French people and American; American people are more straightforward. If they like it, they take it. French they go and see once and go back and go again and ask for more info. The big difference is this buying factor for Americans is that they liked what they saw. French people are trying to see what artistic approach you are in comparison to big famous artists. They want you to be part of one of the artistic currents—more conceptual. Americans are more pragmatic and straightforward. French are pickier.MB: How long are you in this residency for?DT: I arrived in September of 2018. Their standard residency is six months. I should leave in March. But because I helped them build their&nbsp;accounting management, they allowed me to&nbsp;stay one month more. There are 30 artists in the residency and 15 are like me; they have to leave after six months. But sometimes one of the permanent residents wants to go on holiday or they have an exhibition far away, and their studio is empty. It’s possible to be occupying an open studio when they are not there for a certain time.MB: Does it cost anything to be a part of this residency?DT: You have to pay, but not much. It is in the center of Paris on a main street that goes by the Louvre. There are several very famous, high-end shops, and there are a lot of people. We are open to public on afternoons, which brings a lot of people. I’ve got quite a lot a space and pay €150 a month – a really good price for the space and location. We do have communal obligations to keep up the space. We each help with cleaning, and I have to work the door once a week. Because it’s a collective, we live in an autonomous way with lots of privileges.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418068/qm9ja60hpyky5abkizpn.gif"><figcaption>David Twose, Lake Bluff Gazebo</figcaption></figure>MB: What are you currently working on?DT: My focus is the show [in Lake Forest] in May, but I also have three exhibitions right now: a solo show in a city&nbsp;called Bois-Colombes in a nice suburb of Paris. I am honored to be part of this show because the&nbsp;exhibition was juried by the city. The other is a group show that opened February&nbsp;6th. I will also have a show in Deauville in an art&nbsp;fair in April. Then I have solo show, From Paris to Chicago, at The Gallery of Lake Forest (202 E Wisconsin Ave,&nbsp;Lake Forest, IL 60045).&nbsp;The opening is May 9th, and I will be exhibiting paintings of Paris and Chicago as well as Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.&nbsp;MB: Have you achieved the goals that you've set for yourself when making this career shift?DT: I think so, yes. Now there is bigger stuff to achieve. I want to be financially autonomous with my art. My first goal was simply to sell work. I did this during my first show. My friend and fellow artist, René Romero Schuler, actually bought my first piece. I sold to my close circle of friends and family first, then friends of family and friends of friends, and in June last year, I sold a painting to an American guy I’d never met before. My work was still at a hotel from a previous show, and he bought one of my paintings when I wasn’t even around. I was big step for me because he wanted to buy it for the work and not only to support me. Perhaps my friends loved my work, but perhaps they would have not bought if it were not mine. Since then I have sold more paintings to people that did not know, and that is really exciting!MB: What are your plans for your future in the arts?DT: I would love to be in a gallery. I want to find a way to live off my paintings, so I’m trying to find the way that I can do this. One of the options is to be represented in a gallery,&nbsp;perhaps in the USA since I feel connected to the energy and people there. Perhaps there are other options that I have to work on. So that will be the next step, and I think I will do it shortly. First I have visit and engage with different kinds of galleries to see if they are right for me. It’s all about meeting people.<a href="www.davidtwose.com">www.davidtwose.com</a></body></html>

Life After Art School: Making Transitions and Transactions – Part I

<html><head></head><body>Life After Art School is an interview series by a former CGN Intern. The first part was written in 2014.&nbsp;This five-year follow-up is broken up into three parts:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-five-years-later">• Life After Art School: Five Years Later</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-making-transitions-and-transactions">• Life After Art School: Making Transitions and Transactions – Part I</a>• Life After Art School: Making Transitions and Transactions – Part II (included below)&nbsp;By MEGAN BONKEAs was the case when I wrote the first Life After Art School article for CGN in 2014, I talked to other artists to get their perspectives.&nbsp;My first follow-up interview was with French artist David Twose (read <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/2/life-after-art-school-making-transitions-and-transactions">here</a>).I tried my best not to shy away from questions about financial challenges, and I hope my own story as well as the thoughts and answers from another artist helps others move closer to an understanding of life as a professional artist.&nbsp;My second interview is with a current art student, Wendolyn Sterkel, who has also taken a leap, switching from a traditional, public university to attending art school. Sterkel, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, is the first in her family to go to college. She is currently a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418018/d9lah8kxzysk6c79jjr2.gif"><figcaption>Wendolyn Sterkel</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Wendolyn Sterkel, 22, current student at SAIC&nbsp;Megan Bonke: When did you decide you wanted to be an artist?Wendolyn Sterkel: About three years ago I was at community college. I was just about to transfer over the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and I had switched my major from journalism my first year to business my second year, and finally my advisor came up to me and said, “You need to pick a major before you get into the university.” At the time I had taken maybe two art classes — just very basic curriculum kind of stuff — and I said to him, “You know, I’m going to do art.” He responded, “Wendy you’ve only taken two art classes and those were the basic ones.” I said, “Yeah I think I’m just going to do art.” He said, “Are you sure? This is a really big commitment here.” And I said, “Just put down art. We’ll figure it out.”&nbsp;And from there I’ve stuck with it. Choosing my major was really spontaneous for me.MB: Were you interested in art when you were younger?WS: I was on and off, and my mom always told me that it seemed like a hobby. She encouraged me to get more into writing. My mom said, “Look you can be a journalist and actually make money and have a career.” I tried it, and I think after doing it for so long, I got tired of it. But I’ve always had an interest in art.MB: What are you currently studying?WS: I’m getting my Bachelor in Fine Art at SAIC, focusing primarily in sculpture, such as ceramics. I love to work with clay.MB: How many years have to been in college?WS: Five.MB: How many years do you have left?WS: Hopefully one, maybe one and a half, but at least one.MB: When did you switch to SAIC? How many years did you have under your belt?WS: I had four. So this is my first year, and currently my second semester, at SAIC. I spent two years at community college, followed by two years at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and I should have two total at SAIC.MB: What has been the greatest lesson learned from school/art school?WS: I don’t know if I’ve learned anything so far...MB: That’s a lesson too.WS: It really is about real world knowledge. You can go to school, ace all of your classes, but in the end if you don’t have the experience, it’s not going to get your anywhere. You may have a degree, but if you don’t have jobs, it’s not going to work.MB: Do you think anything critical is missing from your curriculum?WS: Oh yeah. I wish there was a class on how to be an artist out in the real world, for instance, how do I figure out how to write cover letters and artist descriptions. At least to my knowledge there is no class that teaches you solely how to sell your art or how to be a successful artist out in the real world. That’s the big one. They do teach you how to work, conceptually, but in the end that may not sell your art all the time.MB: But you are going to art school. What do you hope to learn while you’re there?WS: I just really hope I can learn how to actually make it out in the real world. I guess I want to learn how I could do what I want to do and make a living out of it. That would be amazing. I hope school will teach me that. I’ve had to hustle so far, and it seems like my jobs outside of school have taught me that better.MB: What kinds of subsidies/benefits/scholarships have you received for school?WS: I have received multiple grants that I’ve had to apply for through university, SAIC, and community college. I have FAFSA. I also have smaller scholarships through the school or third parties and a bunch of loans: a lot of the subsidized and unsubsidized loans.MB: So what percentage is covered by scholarships and grants and how much is covered by loans?WS: I’d say about 15-20% are scholarships and grants that I don’t have to pay back. Then I’d say FAFSA and the loans pay for 70%.MB: So what has been involved in applying for these subsidies/benefits/scholarships?WS: Every year I have to apply for the FASFA. That’s means gathering my mother’s taxes and my taxes and filling out this these very extensive forms to ultimately show, 'Hey we’re still not making any money. I still need to borrow money from you guys.' That’s been a hassle, because my mom doesn’t know how to do it. I’m the first generation (first person) to go to college in family. My mom had no idea how to deal with this. So going into my freshman year of college, I had to figure that all out. Now it’s become more routine. I still have to make sure I meet regular deadlines, which is very stressful when I have to get all her tax stuff and all my stuff kind of synchronized. It’s a lot.MB: Specifically what kind of financial burdens have you noticed since becoming an art student?WS: Supplies. I understand they can’t always supply us. When it comes down to it and you’re trying to make a project and use good material, so it will look decent, you’re going to have to spend the money. I think the most I’ve ever spent in one class was about $300-$400. And unfortunately those were supplies I never had to use again. I &nbsp;spent $200 on paint, which did not include the canvas or the stretchers or brushes or the paint thinner. Then you run out, and they expect you to have more and more and more money for more materials. I’ve spend $300-$400 on a class easily. It can be a big waste. It sucks because I’ve tried to sell it back to other students, and I end up kind of giving it away.MB: What about living in the city of Chicago?WS: In Nebraska, I was able to have a part time job, go to school, have a social life, and still be able to pay my bills on time. That was easy. As you continue with any school, you have to put in more hours, you get a lot more schoolwork, and you have less time to work a job outside of school. I’m currently in the dorms. I had to take out more loans to afford that so I wouldn’t have to be stressed my first year of Chicago and fail out. Looking at next year, my friends want to move in together. Luckily my roommate, who I’m actually going to move in with next year, her mother is a real estate agent. She is going to buy a condo and rent it out to us. Still rent is going to be $800 to $1000 a month. It’s going to be really hard, and I’m stressed out. I’ve been trying to figure out a job that will correlate with school and still leave me time for projects, which are going to become way more intense. I told my roommates if we could pay $600, I would be the happiest person ever. My roommates are able to work full time jobs, and I’m the only student. Luckily they are able to work with me, and I think that we’ll be able to come to a middle ground.MB: What do you do to currently manage your finances?WS: I do promo modeling during the summer. Essentially, I get booked for a gig, they train me for 15 minutes, and I have to be on my feet eight to ten hours at a time; but I get paid $30-40 an hour which is amazing. I love it. I did it in Nebraska, and that’s how I would make my money in the summer. Currently, I have two jobs. I work for Color Cocktail Factory and I work for community center in Homan Square, which is only once a week. I’m hoping I can either I can pick up more shifts during the summer, or worse comes to worst, I will apply for a bar job somewhere. I usually will work about two to three jobs during the summer to save up so I won't be as stressed when school starts.MB: How many hours do you work during the school year?WS: During the school year, 15–20, and that’s really pushing it. I like to keep it fewer than 15 if that is physically possible. Not having to pay bills or rent right now is really easy. Once I get into an apartment, I’m worried about how I’m going to manage those hours and pay bills and find time to work on projects.MB: Do think it’s more challenging for you than other students?WS: Some students are able to take their schoolwork with them to work. There was a time I was the assistant manager at a bar, and when it was slow I would allow the servers to work on their homework. They would write their papers and do their homework on their computers. I can’t take my stuff anywhere. I can’t come in with a bag of clay and start molding any of my projects on the bar counter or lug around my welding stuff. It really does depend on your medium.&nbsp;MB: Do you think your workload is fair?WS: Back in Nebraska, I was the only art student amongst all my friends. They were communications, marketing, and psych majors and during finals week they maybe studied three or four hours and call it good. I would be in my room all night working on a project. Because I had projects due or critiques, I would stay in the studio until three in the morning for four nights straight. You have to put the time in because you can physically see what you did. You need 30 maybe 40 hours for a really solid project. It seems unfair, but it’s the life I chose.MB: So what are you currently working on?WS: Artistically — like nothing at all. The only studio class I’m taking right now is designed objects. At the moment, I’m trying to get my art history out of the way. I was also missing a science credit because they didn’t accept my science credit from my community college. I am taking a 400 level sculpture class “Just for Justice”, but it’s a conceptual, activist class. At the end of the year we have to have ten pictures of a project that we would do. We’re not actually making anything. We have to plan a community project to address a controversial issue, which I am very interested in doing, but I am more of a physical person. I got into the class thinking it would be more physical, and I was a bit disappointed to see that it wasn’t. But I’ll learn something, and maybe I can bring it into my own work and create a piece from it.MB: So what are some of your biggest fears and concerns after you graduate?WS: Oh God. Here is the panic attack coming.I would love to teach for a while. I don’t want to get stuck. I know teachers right now are getting paid very little and they are mistreated horribly. They are the starting point of everything for kids…our future.I would love to be able to actually sell my art. I would to like to see if I could sell it and make a living off of it, but at the same time the art community seems is very exclusive and you really need to know the right people. That’s my biggest fear, that I won’t actually be able to do that. But I love teaching; I really do. I love working with children so much. In the end if that’s my fall back, I think I’ll be content.MB: What do you plan to do for your first year after school?WS: I’d like to teach a little bit and then go back to grad school. That opens up a lot, and I could teach college classes. Grad school is definitely on my list, but I think that I need a break from six years of school and only having a Bachelors Degree. I need a break before people are asking me if I am doctor or something.MB: Do you have any bigger future plans?WS: No, actually. I’ve never had a future plan on what I even wanted to do. I changed my major three times. I’m not even sure what I’m going to do with this. It makes me horribly stressed, but it also makes me very happy. I know I haven’t hated my life since doing it. In the end, money is money. It comes and it goes, but I’m doing something I like, and I’m paying for all of this out of my own pocket. I’m not putting any strain on my family, which is really a nice feeling. I’m just going to keep going and see what happens.</body></html>

Life After Art School: Making Transitions and Transactions – Part II

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418083/mtss8li1vofrgwlpx6yf.gif"></figure><h2>If the Art Institute of Chicago is too much, head to this beautiful, less-trafficked gem</h2>If you have less time to spare but still want to immerse yourself in a local cultural experience, head just a few blocks north to the Chicago Cultural Center, located in the same Millennium Park campus as the Art Institute but often overlooked by visitors. The opulent 1897 building, designed by the same firm as the Art Institute, is known as “The People’s Palace.”By Jay Gentile, The Washington Post<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/if-the-art-institute-of-chicago-is-too-much-head-to-this-beautiful-less-trafficked-gem/2019/02/14/6c95db34-2b14-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html?utm_term=.0f3b9bd8bde9">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418088/eb0u6zmhnccsynrjscop.jpg"></figure><h2>Mariane Ibrahim, Ascendant Dealer of African Art, Moves Gallery to Chicago</h2>After seven years in Seattle and a growing reputation garnered at art fairs around the globe, Mariane Ibrahim is closing her namesake gallery in the Pacific Northwest and planning a move to Chicago, where she hopes to be in operation by the end of 2019.By Andy Battaglia, ARTnews&nbsp;<a href="http://www.artnews.com/2019/02/15/mariane-ibrahim-gallery-moving-chicago/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418089/ljs1bp0ulvmiqnh3qfzq.png"></figure><h2>‘Bauhaus’ centennial exhibit shines art movement’s light on world,&nbsp;Chicago</h2>No institution had more impact on the development of 20th century art, design and architecture than the Bauhaus, a German art school with such famous teachers as Anni Albers, Herbert Bayer, Marcel Breuer, Walter Gropius and Wassily Kandinsky.This year marks the 100th anniversary of its establishment, a milestone that has sparked at least 600 exhibitions and other events worldwide, including an internationally touring show titled “The Whole World a Bauhaus.”By Kyle MacMillan, The Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/bauhaus-centennial-exhibit-elmhurst-art-museum-chicago/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418090/orbmgcrrwqdtcy7jstme.jpg"></figure><h2>Instagram-friendly wndr museum moves from pop-up to permanent</h2>The goal is “becoming a cultural fixture here in the West Loop,” Vaile said. “We think we’ve found an area in the art world that hasn’t been truly explored.”Wndr, 1130 W. Monroe St., has billed itself as an art and science experience, and its initial set of 19 immersive, walk-through exhibits followed the theme of The Finite to the Infinite, with art pieces treating atoms and outer space.By Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-wndr-museum-permanent-0220-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: February 19, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418038/cinixpz3eqckubjkdpic.gif"></figure>Last week the Chicago Artists Coalition announced that the popular Chicago Artists Resource—the city’s platform for posting arts-related jobs, calls for artists, and open studio and performance space—is 'moving.' In the next couple of weeks CAC’s website (<a href="http://chicagoartistscoalition.org/">chicagoartistscoalition.org</a>)&nbsp;and Chicago Artists Resource (<a href="http://chicagoartistsresource.org/">chicagoartistsresource.org</a>) will merge into one site.&nbsp;Started in 2004 by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago Artists Resource, AKA “CAR,” is a platform where artists and arts administrators across a variety of disciplines are able to find the resources to help grow and strengthen their careers. CAR was bequeathed by the city to CAC in 2012, where it has operated since as a separate program of Chicago Artists Coalition. Since its launch 15 years ago, CAR has become one of the most commonly used sites for artists and arts professionals in Chicago to post and find jobs and calls for artists, publicize events, and seek open studio spaces.“As CAC prepared for a brand refresh and new website that would be built on a more adaptable and up-to-date platform, it seemed appropriate to merge the two sites into one site that could both operate more smoothly and help us to better focus our efforts to serve Chicago artists,” said CAC's Executive Director, Caroline Older. “We are excited to be able to continue to offer the resources of CAR on an updated and more user-friendly website.”“Since launching CAR, I have been pleased to see it develop into a go-to resource for Chicago's artists.&nbsp; It makes sense that Chicago Artists Coalition is merging CAR into its own brand and website, and&nbsp;I am thrilled that it will&nbsp;remain an available and growing resource for artists of all disciplines” said Barbara Koenen, who founded and co-developed CAR while working at the Department of Cultural Affairs.While the website <a href="http://chicagoartistsresource.org/">chicagoartistsresource.org</a> will no longer exist on its own, the majority of the resources it offers will remain available on the CAC website, under a new section dedicated to jobs, calls, and space finder. Users will continue to be able to post jobs, calls, and spaces as they have in the past, and accounts that have been active within the last year will remain in place.&nbsp;Subscribers will&nbsp;continue to receive the bi-weekly newsletter, which features the latest opportunities for artists. Users, however, will no longer be able to post events on the website. They will be able to do so on the Chicago Arists Resource facebook group, and this group will remain in place indefinitely.To design and build the new site, CAC hired Legion Collective. “For us, the redesign provided an opportunity to merge two visually distinct communities into one unified experience,” said Jonathan Sluys, Partner and Executive Creative Director at Legion. “While they each seem quite distinct from afar, they both serve the same mission: to help artists live, work and thrive in the city. Now they also speak with one voice and on the same platform.&nbsp; Launch of the new, merged sites will take place between late February and early March, 2019. The current CAR site will offer a link redirecting users to the new site for one year.</body></html>

Chicago Artists Resource Moving to Chicago Artists Coalition Website

<html><head></head><body>By CGN STAFF via CAB PR<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418091/wsn00tvrxuixajkuig2w.jpg"></figure>The Chicago Architecture Biennial announced that the curatorial focus of its 2019 edition will be titled&nbsp;…and other such stories. The exhibition, the core of which opens at the Chicago Cultural Center on September 19, 2019 and which aligns once again with <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/expo-chicago">EXPO CHICAGO</a>, will form an expansive and multi-faceted exploration of the field of architecture and the built environment globally, and&nbsp;embraces a broad spectrum of perspectives on architecture —&nbsp;in order to imagine space and the built environment anew.&nbsp; Through a research-led approach, CAB's&nbsp;curatorial team has drawn on the spatial, historical, and socio-economic conditions of Chicago to consider questions of land, memory, rights, and civic participation.&nbsp;Four areas of inquiry emerged as a result of this research — which has also connected Chicago concerns to learning from diverse participants engaged in the cities of Johannesburg, Vancouver, and São Paulo. &nbsp; When it opens this fall, the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial will address the potency of space, architecture, and the natural world through these four frameworks:&nbsp; (1)&nbsp;NoLand Beyond&nbsp;will draw inspiration from indigenous approaches to nature, ecology, and landscape that transcend property ownership (2)&nbsp;Appearances and Erasures&nbsp;will explore both shared and contested memories in consideration of monuments, memorials, and social histories Together (3)&nbsp;Rights and Reclamations&nbsp;and (4)&nbsp;Common Ground&nbsp;will foreground aspects of rights, advocacy, and civic purpose in architectural practice, including affordable and equitable housing.Building from the diverse and international experience of the curatorial team, …and other such stories will engage participants from a wide range of disciplines — both within the traditional field of architecture and from adjacent disciplines — to explore the implications of architecture and the built environment as they relate to land, memory, rights, and civic participation. The team comprises Artistic Director Yesomi Umolu, a contemporary art curator, and co-curators Sepake Angiama, a curator whose work centers on education, and Paulo Tavares, a Brazil-based architect and academic.“The Biennial is a centerpiece of the Chicago cultural landscape, bringing the entire city together to celebrate, explore, and understand the legacy and impact of architecture. As a city with an architectural history that forms such a strong foundation of our identity, we are thrilled that this year’s team will shine a light on Chicago as a global convener for leading architectural thought,” noted Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.The Biennial is the largest architecture and design exhibition in North America. It is designed to deepen and expand the dialogue on architecture and the built environment with both industry leaders and everyday citizens, envisioning and sparking a future of architecture that is, first and foremost, shared, inclusive, diverse, sustainable, and equitable. Visit the Biennial's website to view the complete <a href="https://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=51d9a79e08fd7f7dbb49c27a6&amp;id=efcf8d70db&amp;e=3dc58ca038">news release</a> and <a href="https://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=51d9a79e08fd7f7dbb49c27a6&amp;id=9ced8669c6&amp;e=3dc58ca038">curatorial statement</a>.</body></html>

Chicago Architecture Biennial Announces 2019 Title and Focus

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418022/cgxsxslq20yvx5pkkwe5.webp"></figure><h2>Chicago Biennial announces theme for third edition</h2>After the city’s first two biennials, with titles like “The State of Art and Architecture,” and “Make New History,” this year Artistic Director Yesomi Umolu and her team have chosen a theme that makes an effort to showcase the less shiny history but all important stories of Chicago.By Sara Freund, Curbed Chicago<a href="https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/2/5/18212022/chicago-architecture-biennial-theme-2019">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418022/n4n5kfkzfsiluswbfbbf.png"></figure><h2>Chicago searches for the right design to expand O’Hare Airport and make passenger connections less stressful</h2>The five designs in competition—selected from a total of 12 submissions—share a number of similarities: sweeping roofs, vista-like open spaces that connect passengers more directly to the entire terminal and the airfield, straightforward navigation within the terminal, and—in three designs—green spaces that offer respite to harried travelers.“The O’Hare Global Terminal is a once-in-a-lifetime project that demands the best in aviation experience and an in-depth understanding, respect, and passion for Chicago’s global leadership in design and culture,” says Scott Duncan, Design Partner with Skidmore, Owings &amp; Merrill, which developed its design for O’Hare’s expansion in collaboration with ARUP and Ross Barney Architects.By John Caulfield, Building Design + Construction<a href="https://www.bdcnetwork.com/chicago-searches-right-design-expand-o%E2%80%99hare-airport-and-make-passenger-connections-less-stressful">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418024/wmeb0ickt2h6rum5s2mj.jpg"></figure><h2>After nixing painting sale, Emanuel finds another way to restore branch&nbsp;library</h2>Emanuel had originally planned to raise the entire $15 million needed for the regional library upgrade by selling off “Knowledge and Wonder,” a large painting by Marshall that hung on the second floor of the Legler branch.By Fran Spielman, Chicago Sun Times<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/mural-painting-knowledge-wonder-legler-library-kerry-james-marshall-west-garfield-park/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418025/srurwidqtzj51wduqqpt.jpg"></figure><h2>Ai Weiwei and Frank Gehry Talk Art, Legos and Being Cultural Renegades</h2>Two creative people in two different fields in one wide-ranging conversation. This time: the artist and the architect.By Jori Finkel, The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/t-magazine/ai-weiwei-frank-gehry-conversation.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: February 12, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418027/pelrm49tuteiaksyct1i.gif"></figure><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>Smaller Museums And Galleries Shining In Chicago's Flourishing Arts Scene</h2>When you think Chicago, you think big. Big buildings, big pizza, big museums. <a href="https://www.artic.edu/">The Art Institute of Chicago</a> hosts the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artworks outside of France.Institutions of that scale cast a shadow. Existing within that shadow can be found a vibrant museum and gallery scene, two examples of which are hosting noteworthy shows this month.By Chadd Scott, Forbes<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2019/02/02/smaller-museums-and-galleries-shining-in-chicagos-flourishing-arts-scene/#1ad649d18c28">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418030/payxyqtjlvtgyedoz3i7.jpg"></figure><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>Chicago Architecture Biennial promises to explore new stories about Chicago — and avoid 'Archi-babble'</h2>The third Chicago Architecture Biennial, the big exhibition of contemporary architecture and design that opens in September, promises something more provocative: A look at old Chicago stories that have been shoved out of the spotlight and new ones that will emerge through fresh comparisons with the cities of Sao Paulo, Johannesburg and Vancouver, British Columbia.By Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kamin/ct-biz-chicago-architecture-biennial-20190204-story.html">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image" data-storehaus-transformation="{&quot;crop&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:&quot;96.32161458333334&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;2500&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;1820.7194010416667&quot;}}"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418030/pltmgtgph46ai0woqf2r.jpg"></figure><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>Finding my Filipino identity in Maia Cruz Palileo's art</h2>Document senior editor Ann Binlot writes on her search for representation of her Filipino heritage only to find it through the art of contemporary artist Maia Cruz Palileo.By Ann Binlot, Document Journal<a href="http://www.documentjournal.com/2019/02/finding-my-filipino-identity-in-maia-cruz-palileos-art/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418031/ivmt2vbkjdgbdvdxhdsk.png"></figure><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>“Eye Deal: Abstract Bodies of the Chicago Imagists” at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art</h2>Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) is hosting an exhibition titled “Eye Deal: Abstract Bodies of the Chicago Imagists.” The exhibition is on view through June 9, 2019.“Eye Deal: Abstract Bodies of the Chicago Imagists” highlights the acclaimed holdings of art by Chicago Imagists that the museum boasts of. The Imagists were a group of figurative artists who emerged in Chicago in the mid-1960s.&nbsp;Via Blouin Artinfo<a href="https://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/3522021/eye-deal-abstract-bodies-of-the-chicago-imagists-at-the">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418032/xweoxpyzpfkowbxxryrk.jpg"></figure><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>MOCA Exhibit Celebrates Chicago's AFRICOBRA Black Artist Collective</h2>During the civil rights era of the 1960s and 70s, a group of black artists in Chicago created vibrant and provocative art as a powerful form of peaceful protest.&nbsp;AFRICOBRA, which stands for “The African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists," used the aesthetic of black art and imaging to fight the the media's perception&nbsp;of their own communities. Now, the collective's work is being displayed in Miami as part of North Miami's&nbsp;<a href="https://mocanomi.org/">Museum of Contemporary Art&nbsp;</a>Black History Month programming.By Alejandra Martinez<a href="http://www.wlrn.org/post/moca-exhibit-celebrates-chicagos-africobra-black-artist-collective">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: February 5, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418048/lps7fusrlqtpaprqf5v7.gif"><figcaption>Hearth Pendant, Gold, enamel, glass, Spain or Italy, c. 1600, $65,000. Courtesy Les Enluminures</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By CGN StaffThe warmest part of February must be Valentine's Day! Inspired by the cheerful holiday coming up next week, we browsed our CGN listings for romantic works of art, artistic expressions of love, and OK, some art that's just red.&nbsp;In case you actually need a reason to visit the galleries, we found a few Valentine's Day events, plus very clever and unique gallery and museum-store items you might want to consider for anyone special on your gift list.&nbsp;Happy Valentine's Day, and stay warm!&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418049/me6mttywog59w8nql5m8.gif"><figcaption>LH Selman</figcaption></figure>If glass is your thing, stop into <a href="https://www.theglassgallery.com">LH Selman</a> in the Fine Arts Building to admire these always-in-bloom floral preservations. They're as giftable as they are collectible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/7f1613da24f43c79480112f36/images/528f575c-64f3-401e-8a7e-e11c67931635.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Janis Kanter, Don't be sad, WE AREN'T SO GREAT,&nbsp;2018, pieced, stitched and collaged fabric, 57 x 44"</figcaption></figure><a href="http://www.thomasmccormick.com">McCormick Gallery</a> is hosting a very special opening on Valentine's Day, February 14, 5:30–8:30pm. Chicago based artist Janis Kanter hasn't had a show in nearly 20 years. Now, she is back&nbsp;and has completed two bodies of work — Barbie Series: Even the Brunettes Were Offended (already sold out) and MY WORLD – My WALL, a new series of nine works, which will debut at this showing. The exhibition continues for just 10 days until February 23&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418051/oubx54ksl2xdxqildq9w.gif"><figcaption>Sharon Gilmore, Between Pauses, wood, sinew, 48" x 47" x 8"&nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://cultivateurbanrainforest.weebly.com/#/">Cultivate Urban Rainforest</a> in Evanston is full of surprises. They not only have Valentine-worthy <a href="https://cultivateurbanrainforest.weebly.com/store/p24/Aglaonema_6%22_%27Red_Valentine%27.html#/">plants</a>, but they feature artwork, even modern terrariums, perfect for the creative one in your life.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418052/yl9kr9hk4d6tsxobdeux.gif"><figcaption>Kusama Love Forever Tea Towel Set, $55.00</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.mcachicagostore.org">The Museum of Contemporary Art</a> has long-boasted an award-winning gift shop, and it's a go-to source for uniquely arty gifts any time of year. For consideration this Valentine's Day: tea towels by Yayoi Kusama, running heart socks by Keith Haring, and of course, a mini Robert Indiana-inspired LOVE sculpture.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418053/binihx7r11ygpzgqdjz4.gif"><figcaption>Hot Or Not: 20th-Century Male Artists, Jessica Campbell, $10.00</figcaption></figure>A rather cheeky read by artists <a href="https://www.mcachicagostore.org/shop/hot-or-not-20thcentury-male-artists-54307">Jessica Campbell</a> is also available at the MCA (Campbell exhibition at the MCA, part of the Chicago Works series, is on view through July 7, 2019). As the MCA website says, "The history of twentieth-century art is filled with men, but one key component has always been missing: which of these men are boneable, and which are not. Jessica Campbell has created the definitive resource on the subject in this hilarious rundown of male artist hotness and notness.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418054/qbef1ccvw98el58s6bje.gif"><figcaption>Driehaus Museum Collection Pinwheel Tie. $48.50</figcaption></figure>A more conservative gift for the man in your life may be this visually vibrant tie from the <a href="https://shop.driehausmuseum.org">Driehaus Museum's</a> gift shop, inspired by the decorative interiors&nbsp;of the Nickerson Mansion. The&nbsp;Pinwheel Tie, one of four contemporary graphic designs &nbsp;created for the museum's custom tie collection, is patterned with&nbsp;the intricate design found in the center of the parquet flooring of the Drawing Room where the symbol evokes innocence, creativity, and the ability to transform obstacles into opportunities.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418055/ofeubhjmdmzrv0zbr3ui.png"><figcaption>Renaissance Enameled Ring set with emeralds and rubies held by Stags, Gold, Western Europe (France?), c. 1550-1600, $210,000.00&nbsp;</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.lesenluminures.com/artworks/categories/1-jewelry/">Les Enluminures</a> is a rare source for unusual historic jewelry, manuscripts and miniatures. If your love is unlike any other, perhaps they are worthy of a truly unique adornment! &nbsp;This truly remarkable Renaissance ring displays all the characteristics of opulent goldsmith work of the period. As the emblem of Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henry II, the stag is in keeping with the spirit of the Fontainebleau court. And if this breaks your budget, at least pop over for a new view of history!&nbsp;*Note: image at top of this post is also from Les Enluminures.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Art for Your Valentine

<html><head></head><body>The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago announced today that it has received a $1M gift from Joe and Rika Mansueto—the largest in the society's 104-year history—to underwrite the Ren's publications program for the next 10 years.&nbsp;Solveig&nbsp;Øvstebø, Executive Director of the Renaissance Society, announced the establishment of the Joe and Rika Mansueto Publications Program following the $1 million pledge from the Chicago-based founder of Morningstar and his wife. This transformative gift secures the independent&nbsp;contemporary art museum’s publishing activities for the next&nbsp;10 years and marks the largest single commitment in its 104-year history.Anna Searle Jones,&nbsp;Director of Communications, shared, "This major gift is not only transformative for the Ren, but significant in the philanthropic landscape for its commitment to the depth and substance of our work."Known around the world for its remarkable support of artists, the Renaissance Society has established itself as a unique platform for ground-breaking creative experimentation and deep inquiry. Publishing has been at the core of the institution’s activity since its founding in 1915, and it has produced significant exhibitions and accompanying publications with artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Mike Kelley, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Kerry James Marshall, and Jennifer Packer. Distributed internationally, the museum’s books often offer the&nbsp;first scholarly reflections on artists' projects and capture pivotal moments in their careers.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418047/twbe0juwch4ncp6rtuk2.jpg"><figcaption>Solveig&nbsp;Øvstebø, Executive Director of the Renaissance Society</figcaption></figure>"The Renaissance Society is driven by an unwavering faith in&nbsp;artists and their ideas. We support them to produce new art and, with it, new knowledge, new discourse, and new ways of thinking.” says Øvstebø.&nbsp;“Nowhere is this more evident than in our books, and the Joe and Rika Mansueto Publications Program provides long-term resources to continue to produce and share more broadly&nbsp;this important work."“The Ren’s publications not only document the exhibitions, but expand the critical conversations that begin with them, and enter them into the art historical record. We are deeply grateful to Joe and Rika for their generous gift, which ensures the continued significance of the museum's output," added Richard Wright, President of the Board of Directors.The Mansuetos’ donation follows the success of the Renaissance Society’s Next Century Fund, a $5 million campaign launched in conjunction with the museum’s 100th anniversary in 2015. With lead gifts from&nbsp;the Edlis Neeson Foundation, the Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation, and the Zell Family Foundation, this fund has enabled a significant increase in the production of new artworks by artists including Kevin Beasley, B. Ingrid Olson, and Shadi Habib Allah, and accompanying public programs.The Joe and Rika Mansueto Publications Program&nbsp;will make it possible for the Renaissance Society to publish a monograph,&nbsp;catalogue, or artist book to accompany each exhibition, typically four per year. These funds will also enable the museum to commission more contributors per book, and to work with a wider range of designers and printers to produce them.Recent Renaissance Society publications include:&nbsp;<ul><li>Let me consider it from here&nbsp;(2019), featuring new poems from Geoffrey G. O'Brien, Simone White, and Lynn Xu</li><li>Sadie Benning: Shared Eye (2018), with texts from Julie Ault, John Corbett, and Christine Mehring</li><li>Richard Rezac: Address&nbsp;(2018), with new essays from&nbsp;Matthew Goulish,&nbsp;Jennifer R. Gross, and James Rondeau</li><li>Robert Grosvenor&nbsp;(2018), with contributions from&nbsp;Yve-Alain Bois,&nbsp;Bruce Hainley,&nbsp;Susan Howe, and John Yau</li><li>Jennifer Packer: Tenderheaded&nbsp;(2018) featuring a&nbsp;conversation between the&nbsp;artist and Kerry James Marshall, essays by Jessica Bell Brown and April Freely, and&nbsp;a poem by Safiya Sinclair.</li></ul>Forthcoming titles include:<ul><li>Alejandro Cesarco: Song&nbsp;(2019), with new texts by&nbsp;Julie Ault and Wayne Koestenbaum</li><li>Liz Magor: BLOWOUT (2019), including new essays by Sheila Heti and Mitch Speed</li><li>Unthought Environments&nbsp;(2019), featuring contributions from Ina Blom, Keller Easterling, and John Durham Peters</li><li>LaToya Ruby Frazier (2019)</li></ul>&nbsp;ABOUT THE RENAISSANCE SOCIETYFor over&nbsp;100 years, the Renaissance Society has been at&nbsp;the forefront of presenting vital artistic practices from around the world. The&nbsp;original intentions of the Renaissance Society still ring true: to present art&nbsp;that engages with key questions of our times, to support ambitious&nbsp;experimentation, and to provide a rich interdisciplinary context for&nbsp;discovering and discussing visual art. Today “the Ren”—as it is affectionately known—is committed to supporting ambitious artistic experimentation, primarily through the commissioning of new works. In addition to the exhibition and publishing programs, the independent, non-collecting museum hosts lectures, concerts, performances, screenings, and readings.All of the Renaissance Society’s exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.&nbsp;&nbsp;Top image: Renaissance Society publications. Photo: Useful Art Services</body></html>

$1M Gift Underwrites The Renaissance Society's Publications Program

<html><head></head><body>So, we're in it now. Chicago seems to have set a new standard for freezing, according to every major news outlet out there. Any heat we feel is likely steaming from a clanky radiator rather than beachside rays of sunlight.&nbsp;The collective freakout about the low temps may seem a tad extreme, but bundled in layers of wool and tired of slipping and sliding on our way anywhere, it seems easier to just stay home for now. Someday, spring and summer will come, but until then, we all take the day off.Our previous post shared some art for the cold.&nbsp;Now we tap our inner voyeur and escape thorough images of better (warmer) times.&nbsp;– CGN Staff&nbsp;Henry George Brandt at <a href="http://www.richardnortongallery.com/artists/henry-george-brandt/artworks/7725-untitled-beach">Richard Norton</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418172/eae72cfcknrbqklvmvxc.gif"><figcaption>Henry George Brandt, Untitled (Beach Scene, Chicago), ca. 1930s, Oil on board, &nbsp;12 1/2 x 15 1/4 inches</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Julia Katz at <a href="http://danaddington.com/addingtongallery/katz/katz.html">Addington Gallery</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418173/xab6qonjsylt9xoyq8za.gif"><figcaption>Julia Katz, Rock Solid, oil on panel, 36 x 48"</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Dan Attoe at <a href="http://westernexhibitions.com/artist/dan-attoe/">Western Exhibitions</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418174/hofrrxdzhlji7kcutwt2.gif"><figcaption>Dan Attoe, Summers At Waterfall 2, 2014, oil on gesso on canvas, stretched over panel</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;David Hockney at <a href="http://www.richardgraygallery.com/artists/david-hockney?view=slider#2">Richard Gray Gallery</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418175/hji8pajgs80yvpzmre4b.gif"><figcaption>David Hockney, Portrait of Nick Wilder, 1966, Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 72 inches</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Botanical art at <a href="https://www.audubonart.com/shop/product/cam-043-berlese-pl-43-camellia-eximia-10276?category=87">Joel Oppenheimer</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418176/icrojf3b56njzwqpo47v.gif"><figcaption>Berlese Pl. 43, Camellia Eximia, Original Antique Print, 13 1/2" x 10 3/8" (approximate), 1839—1843, Hand-colored stipple engraving, Iconographie du Genre Camellia, Produced from 1839—1843 by Lorenzo Berlèse</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;Top image: David Yarrow, ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, at <a href="http://www.hilton-asmus.com/david-yarrow-all-you-need-is-love.html">Hilton Asmus Contemporary&nbsp;</a></body></html>

Art for the Warm Up (Some Day)

<html><head></head><body>The world is ending!&nbsp;No, it's just really cold in Chicago, and pretty much everywhere.&nbsp;So, since many of us will be working from home for the next day or two (aka binge watching TV and checking emails with closure notices) it's a good chance to view art virtually if you can't make it into the galleries and museums. Check out what's new from gallery artists and be inspired for your next physical visit – when the temperature is back up over 0° soon.Here for you are some art picks for the cold snap.&nbsp;Part II this week will be Art to Warm You Up!&nbsp;And remember, in case you're bold enough to consider venturing outside, many area galleries and museums are closed January 30 (and maybe Jan 31) so please check with each space in advance before visiting.– CGN Staff&nbsp;Terry Evans at <a href="http://www.edelmangallery.com/artists/artists/a-f/terry-evans.html#?id=3428">Catherine Edelman&nbsp;</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418105/ftupisv2g1mcrooehsil.jpg"><figcaption>Terry Evans, Ice Jetty, Lakefront Near Downtown Chicago, Cook County, January 29, 2004From the Revealing Chicago series19 x 19", 30 x 30", 40 x 40" pigment print</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Andrew Homquist at <a href="http://www.secristgallery.com/artists/andrew-holmquist/">Carrie Secrist</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418106/bmt5pifvroatqtaxpal7.jpg"><figcaption>Andrew Holmquist, Lock Step, 2016, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 20 x 16.5"</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Nancie King Mertz, <a href="http://nanciekingmertz.com/works">Art de Triumph</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418107/rjy2ljvno4nls0zboqpu.gif"><figcaption>Nancie King Mertz, Blanket of Snow</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Luciana Abait at <a href="http://jeanalbanogallery.com/artists-a-m/luciana-abait/">Jean Albano Gallery</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418108/gr6o2yxqkyouxkdxoz3k.gif"><figcaption>Luciana Abait, Bridge, 2018, mixed media on paper, 40 x 60 in.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Come Wind, Come Weather at <a href="https://www.eiu.edu/tarble/currentevents.php">Tarble Arts Center</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418109/tjeqzvl41qswjjz0pnrx.gif"><figcaption>Sue de Beer,&nbsp;The White Wolf&nbsp;(still), 2018&nbsp;Two-channel HD video © Sue de BeerImage Courtesy of the Artist &amp; Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York and Aspen, part of Come Wind, Come Weather at Tarble Art Center</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Top image: David Yarrow, ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, at <a href="http://www.hilton-asmus.com/david-yarrow-all-you-need-is-love.html">Hilton Asmus Contemporary&nbsp;</a></body></html>