<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418602/aypu3heubjoue7njcomg.gif"></figure>&nbsp;By ALISON REILLYPhyllis Bramson is a veteran of the Chicago art scene, an accomplished arts educator, and a damn good painter. A self-described child of the 1940s and 50s, Bramson’s parents were avid collectors of Asian and erotic art, which greatly influenced her aesthetic vocabulary. This September, she has three exhibitions opening respectively at Zolla/Lieberman Gallery, Elmhurst Art Museum, and The Suburban, which speaks to the depth of her connections to the city and her continued influence on contemporary art. Recently, I had the opportunity to ask her about her studio practice, her definition of Chicago Imagism, and her painting techniques. Bramson also reflected on her relationship with the late Jim Yood, the beloved Chicago art critic and writer. Below is an edited transcript of our conversation. &nbsp;Chicago Gallery News: What is your studio like?&nbsp;&nbsp;Phyllis Bramson: My studio is located in Greektown in Chicago, where I live during the week. &nbsp;It is not far away from downtown. I love urban life, access to galleries, and the School of the Art Institute (where I now advise graduate students). Before that, I&nbsp;taught for 23 years at the University of Illinois, Chicago, in their studio arts program. When I was there I&nbsp;just walked through an alley, because the building I taught in butted up&nbsp;against the building I still live in! CGN: How would you describe the pace that you work at in your studio? What is a typical day&nbsp;like?&nbsp;&nbsp;PB: I am essentially in my studio six days a week.&nbsp;A typical day is not a typical day. I&nbsp;don’t often know what is going to happen in a given day. A certain email, for example, can change everything, and that has been happening lately. Right now I have a lot to do, so I feel like&nbsp;I am constantly trying to play catch up with my work, and most important, there is a&nbsp;personal demand that I constantly&nbsp;progress with my practice.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418603/d4dscyqkaog1nqv2lo6g.gif"><figcaption>We All Share the Same Breath (Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs), 50" x 60", Mixed Media and Collage on Canvas, 2019&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: You have organized an exhibition at the Elmhurst Art Museum called&nbsp;What Came After&nbsp;that opens this September. In addition to your own work, the exhibition will include Nicolas Africano, Susanne Doremus, Eleanor Spiess-Ferris, Richard Hull, Michiko Itatani, Paul Lamantia, Robert Lostutter, Jim Lutes, Tony Phillips, David Sharpe, Hollis Sigler, Ken Warneke, Margaret Wharton, and Mary Lou Zelazny. As an artist, why is this exhibition important to you, and what do you hope to achieve by bringing this large group of painters together?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PB: The idea for this exhibition started when I began to notice that the Hairy Who, as a group, was getting a lot of well-deserved notice.&nbsp;Attention then spread to the Imagists, because in some articles and exhibitions, I would be mentioned as an Imagist, along with artists such as Robert Lostutter, Richard Hull and Paul Lamantia. However, while there was this intermingling of terms, which I willingly accept, there was another group of artists from essentially 1978–1998, sometimes&nbsp;referenced as the&nbsp;“Chicago School”&nbsp;that was part of the Chicago art scene as well. One of their main champions was the art writer and critic James Yood. He loved the figure and all of its modifications, making him an advocate of this period.&nbsp;When I decided to organize this exhibition, I immediately called Yood asking if he would co-curate and write an essay for the program guide and catalog. It was very sad for me when he passed away [in April 2018], because I will always wonder what the show would have looked like if he had been a part of it.&nbsp;Thus, the exhibition, program guide and&nbsp;catalog are in memory of Yood.&nbsp;The purpose of the show is not to downplay the importance of the Hairy Who or the Imagists (some of the artists in this exhibition take on the mantle of Imagist), but rather to point out that there was a group of artists that made up an informal collective of like-minded painters. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418604/gw8h6wqrke1hh6vcoccd.gif"><figcaption>Hollis Sigler's painting, Comes the Day of Reckoning, is part of the exhibition Bramson curated for Elmurst Art Museum</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: How did your friend and colleague Jim Yood influence your art practice?&nbsp;&nbsp;PB: He was a friend, but more so he was an ally who&nbsp;completely supported my work.&nbsp;He wrote articles that helped me place language with what I was painting.I wasn’t the only one he supported. During the eighties and nineties, he was a big supporter of many others who worked&nbsp;figuratively,&nbsp;particularly in the Midwest. That admiration was manifested in exhibitions that he curated, reviews he wrote for national publications and in his public lectures. He genuinely loved the eccentric figure and a kind of iconographic irreverence.&nbsp;CGN: How would you define Chicago Imagism?&nbsp;&nbsp;PB: I think Chicago Imagism carried on the&nbsp;tradition of the marriage between fantasy, funk and surrealism—a desire to delve&nbsp;into a unique narrative style using intense color and stage like&nbsp;theatrical representations and quirkiness.The problem, it seems to me, is that there are the original Imagists, but now that label can often apply to anyone using the figure in an eccentric and&nbsp;constructed narrative manner. I have often joked with others, “Imagism, the term that ate&nbsp;Chicago art!” &nbsp;CGN: Can you tell me about your upcoming exhibitions at both Zolla/Lieberman Gallery and The Suburban?&nbsp;PB: The Zolla/Lieberman exhibition is the result of the show that I have organized at Elmhurst Art Museum. I hope the Elmhurst show has some sort of impact on public awareness of my art and its context from another time. It made sense to simultaneously have a show of newer work at Zolla/Lieberman, since they represent me; even though the paintings in that exhibition have gone through significant changes since the Elmhurst Art Museum exhibition.Then Michelle Grabner asked if I wanted to show at The Suburban in Milwaukee, with Matt Morris. It was a total surprise, because my work is quite different from art one might see there. While Matt’s and my work is visually very different, I can see why we were&nbsp;put together. We both deal with an eccentric view of romanticism and high kitsch. It’s amazing all three&nbsp;exhibitions are opening this September!&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418606/k7kjbdwujdip2smolzzc.gif"><figcaption>Decoys, 84” x 72”, o/c, 1989, Courtesy of Zolla/Lieberman and Phyllis Bramson</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: Many different kinds of characters appear in your paintings. Do you work with a cast of characters, or do you invent new personalities for each painting?PB: It often does feel like I have a cast of characters, but I&nbsp;don’t&nbsp;always look at it that&nbsp;way. Recently during a studio&nbsp;visit a curator mentioned that all of my figures’ faces looked alike, they all shared the same smile. What&nbsp;I should have mentioned to her is that I am very interested in older&nbsp;Chinese propaganda posters where everyone – the farmworkers, the&nbsp;peasants – shares the same smile. It is a false face, as their lives were so conflicted. In my paintings the smiles are presented in the same way. There is such difficulty in the world, and my figures represent that same smile as the painted figures in the posters, implying that all is well and good…when it isn’t!&nbsp;CGN: You have called yourself a tourist, but would you go further and define yourself as a voyeur?PB: The term voyeur is probably more appropriate&nbsp;because I am that&nbsp;way in life. I look and look and look at people. I try to figure out what&nbsp;they are thinking, and when they are with another person, what is that relationship about? I find myself constructing&nbsp;narratives about their lives, it is almost as if I am spying on people and placing an invented narrative onto them. Sometimes the strangeness of all those bodies honestly&nbsp;frightens&nbsp;me. &nbsp;CGN: You use various techniques like collage, painting, and assemblage in your work. Which one are you most interested in at the moment?&nbsp;PB: At the moment, I would like to reduce the&nbsp;amount of collage and concentrate more on paint, how it looks, and how it can be manipulated.&nbsp;I say that as I start a new body of work, but collaging might annoyingly push itself forward once again. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418607/evkhthbvzgmh4sdnpuqo.gif"><figcaption>'Won't You Love ME?', 36 x 36 in, mixed media and collage on canvas, 2019 &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: How do you define success as an artist?&nbsp;&nbsp;PB: That’s so complicated.&nbsp;First of all, I&nbsp;want my work to mean something to myself and those around me. I want to be good – beyond good. I think no matter what an artist states, most would want at least a taste of a high-end career. How many&nbsp;artists get such status? In the long run, you probably shouldn’t base your career on much more than the love of a studio practice and most importantly the grit of it all, because you will eventually&nbsp;either give up or become a very bitter artist. &nbsp;CGN: Do you have a favorite gallery or museum in Chicago?&nbsp;&nbsp;PB: I am not going to answer that. But&nbsp;I will tell you that one of my favorite artists in Chicago was the late Henry Darger. And I will&nbsp;mention galleries that no longer exist but had a strong influence on me when I was younger. They were Frumkin Gallery, Dart Gallery (which represented me) and the Phyllis Kind Gallery (who also represented me). To their credit, there are many, many galleries existing today in Chicago that show artists whose work makes me envious as hell! Seeing such an exhibition sends me sulking back to my studio…I better get&nbsp;better!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phyllisbramson.com/">phyllisbramson.com</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Phyllis Bramson: Reimagining Imagism's Chicago Legacy

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418602/dmedb7us81bsgtypeblk.gif"><figcaption>Leon Polk Smith, Constel: Blue Red straight line thru three Ovals, 1969, Paint on canvas, 121" x 132"</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEA&nbsp;Last weekend was populated with the first cluster of openings of the season, putting gallery-goers in the mood to see new art, meet artists and to take stock of what's fresh and exciting in area galleries. To see some of CGN's images from last week's openings visit our <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chigallerynews/">Instagram</a> feed.&nbsp;The momentum continues this weekend, primarily on the west side in West Town, but also in Pilsen East and River North, as well as beyond the immediate Chicago limits. As we head into the second half of September, there is a lot of important art being shown this month.These&nbsp;are just a few&nbsp;highlights from this coming weekend&nbsp;around the city. We will&nbsp;share more of the season's&nbsp;highlights and coverage as the fall goes on, and don't forget to view our <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar">full calendar of events</a>.&nbsp;Don't forget that next weekend is <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/expo-chicago">EXPO CHICAGO</a>!&nbsp;See you in the galleries!&nbsp;<h3>&nbsp;</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418603/qj8q9rc8nwbrf0aeegce.gif"></figure><h3>Gladys Nilsson: New Work</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gladys-nilsson-new-work">Rhona Hoffman Gallery</a>Opening Friday, September 13.&nbsp;1711 W Chicago Ave., ChicagoRhona Hoffman Gallery presents their first exhibition with Gladys Nilsson, one of the foremost Chicago artists of her generation and a member of the Hairy Who, the venerable group that came to prominence through a series of radical exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center on Chicago’s South Side in the late 1960s. Featuring paintings and works on paper made in the last five years, the exhibition highlights Nilsson’s continued experiments with form, color, and figuration.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418604/gjzhxxsjlkzrt5h3nbca.gif"></figure><h3>Leon Polk Smith: Endless Space</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/leon-polk-smith-endless-space">Richard Gray Gallery</a>Opening Friday, September 13.2044 W. Carroll, ChicagoLeon Polk Smith: Endless Space features paintings from the artist’s iconic Correspondence and Constellation series which he produced over a nearly twenty-year span between the late 1950s and the 1970s. Characterized by their interactive multipart compositions, the canvases created during this time period have come to be known as the artist’s most signature works. Endless Space expresses Smith’s nimble and daring shift from rectilinear canvases to shaped supports, and from single-panel works to complex, polyptych installations. Fusing together bright colors at a curved edge, Smith’s compositions push the confines of the canvas.As Smith’s large-scale paintings reveal an abundance of formal ingenuity, they also contain elements of personal narrative that demand further examination. Smith was born in 1906 to mixed, half-Cherokee parents near the territory of Chickasha one year before it was incorporated into the state of Oklahoma. The artist’s Native heritage and proximity to indigenous traditions provide a nuanced background for the role of space and color within his compositions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418605/k3k04igv8vlmak3skjdw.gif"><figcaption>Dianna Frid, "NYT, June 26, 2003, Fred Sandback," 2014, canvas, paper, embroidery floss, and graphite, 15" x 20"</figcaption></figure><h3>Dianna Frid: ​More Time than Life</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/dianna-frid-more-time-than-life">Alan Koppel Gallery</a>Opening Friday, September 13.&nbsp;806 N Dearborn, ChicagoMore Time than Life, an exhibition of new and selected works by Dianna Frid. Situated at the intersection of text and textiles, Frid’s work embraces non-hierarchical relationships between art and craft, and between concept and form. Either explicitly or in nuance, Frid engages themes of time, process, death, and the mutability of matter.For her current show, Frid presents work from three interrelated series: “Words from Obituaries,” “Text Textiles,” and “Evidence of the Material World.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418606/irvqvrki9lemc3dt4hq4.gif"></figure><h3>Julia Fish: bound by spectrum</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/julia-fish-bound-by-spectrum">DePaul Art Museum</a>On view beginning Thursday, September 12&nbsp;935 W Fullerton, ChicagoFor three decades, Julia Fish has used her house and its vernacular architecture&nbsp;— a Chicago storefront designed by Theodore Steuben in 1922 — as the basis for a system of mapping color, form, and light in paintings and works on paper. Julia Fish: bound by spectrum presents a survey of the last decade (2009–19) of Fish’s paintings and works on paper while providing new scholarship around her ongoing project that brings together the disciplines of painting, drawing, and architecture. Rendering architectural details at actual size and from observation, she creates a subjective response to objective information, informed by effects of light in space, time of day, the seasons, cardinal direction, and her own physical vantage point. Fish examines and recontextualizes evidence of the house, most recently thresholds between rooms, within paintings, which elude pure abstraction: they are, in fact, depictions of transitional spaces filtered through Fish’s increasingly complex visual logic.Also opening are <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/depaul-university-art-museum--2">Remember Where You Are; and Architectural Annotations</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418607/oemc7osi2yvrhzmrddyf.gif"></figure><h3>Darrell Roberts: New Work</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/darrell-roberts-new-work">McCormick Gallery</a>Opening Saturday, September 14.&nbsp;835 W. Washington, ChicagoThis is the gallery's 5th show in 12 years with Roberts, whose signature style features thickly applied paint in a range of bright colors. The artist's acrobatic dance with luscious oil paint seems to define the theme of the show: succulence.&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418607/nufhobxcmyjujgvznpqo.gif"></figure><h3>Orkideh Torabi: Heaven on Earth</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/orkideh-torabi">Western Exhibitions</a>Opening Friday, September 13&nbsp;1709 W. Chicago Ave., ChicagoTorabi’s paintings depict caricatures of men, a gender which in many cultures will enjoy and benefit from social freedoms that women are forbidden or discouraged from engaging in.Taking art historical cues from the Western Canon’s portrayal of the figure in landscape, Torabi’s men are seemingly oblivious to their coveted social freedom. Rendered with simple button-eyes, gnarled noses, and alien skin, her unabashedly humorous figures are stuck in an emasculated state of being. She banishes women from her paintings altogether, crafting scenes which offer an eerie parallel to daily life in Iran. Without women, the men are left to coddle their baby boys, care for each other at public baths, and engage in intimate conversations amongst themselves.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418609/vzc0z7y7rhoettlebslf.gif"><figcaption>David Driesbach. La Polina, 2006. Intaglio, ink on paper, (9.875 x 7.875 in.) Collection of the NIU Art Museum. 2017.90. Gift of the artist.</figcaption></figure><h3>Exploring Aspects of War In and Through the Visual Arts</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/exploring-aspects-of-war-in-and-through-the-visual-arts-807f52cf-3940-4c4c-ab64-5ee74bb0b3a2">Northern Illinois University (NIU) Art Museum</a>Opening Thursday, September 12.&nbsp;DeKalb, IL 60115The Visual Arts have served in all cultures and periods to document, motivate, memorialize, facilitate healing, critique and protest military action.Exploring Aspects of War in and Through the Visual Arts considers views on war and military conflict from the perspective of the homefront, the battlefield and back home again.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Fall 2019 Preview – Part II: Mid–September Openings

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418602/vcbhgr0yldiczwg2zgow.jpg"><figcaption>SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO GRAND BALLROOM AT MACLEAN CENTER</figcaption></figure>Via PRThe complete list of participating locations for Open House Chicago 2019 is now available. On October 19–20, tour soaring skyscrapers, repurposed mansions, opulent theaters, exclusive private clubs, industrial facilities, cutting-edge offices and breathtaking sacred spaces—all for free. Start planning your #OHC2019&nbsp;weekend with the Chicago Architecture Center's online itinerary planning tool. You may visit an OHC site listing page at&nbsp;<a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=NzYxXzExNTAwXzk4NTMzXzY5MTc&amp;l=057ac8cf-4ecf-e911-8991-e41f1345a486&amp;utm_source=wordfly&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=OHC_September2019_Siteannouncement_general&amp;utm_content=OHC%20sites_version_A&amp;sourceNumber=97449">openhousechicago.org</a>&nbsp;and click the “add to itinerary” button to get started, though this optional tool is not required to participate in the citywide festival.A few select OHC sites require advance registration and will not accept drop-in visitors. CAC has partnered with with TodayTix to manage ticketing for most of these sites, several of which allow direct booking but are expected to fill on a first-come, first-served basis.TodayTix will conduct lotteries for the most in-demand sites in order to randomly assign the opportunity to register for tickets.From now until 8am on September 20, you can enter the online OHC lottery system for a chance to book tickets for one or more of these sites. Most RSVP Only sites are subject to a $6 per person booking fee.&nbsp;<a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=NzYxXzExNTAwXzk4NTMzXzY5MTc&amp;l=b0b1a0a9-c9d0-e911-8991-e41f1345a486&amp;utm_source=wordfly&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=OHC_September2019_Siteannouncement_general&amp;utm_content=RSVP%20sites_version_A&amp;sourceNumber=97449">Explore the RSVP Only sites and reserve tickets or enter lotteries on openhousechicago.org</a>.Another way to access these sites is to volunteer to be a greeter at OHC 2019. Get the insider experience and exclusive benefits—including a Priority Access pass.&nbsp;<a href="http://email.wordfly.com/click?sid=NzYxXzExNTAwXzk4NTMzXzY5MTc&amp;l=077ac8cf-4ecf-e911-8991-e41f1345a486&amp;utm_source=wordfly&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=OHC_September2019_Siteannouncement_general&amp;utm_content=Volunteer%20at%20OHC_version_A&amp;sourceNumber=97449">Register today!</a>Read CGN's 2018 OHC coverage <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2018/10/open-house-chicago-s-architectural-gems-from-distilleries-to-churches">here</a>.<figure class="image"><img src="http://email.wordfly.com//open?sid=NzYxXzExNTAwXzk4NTMzXzY5MTc"></figure></body></html>

View Open House Chicago 2019's Participating Locations

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEA&nbsp;Summer's end may have officially come this past weekend, but at CGN we have had fall on our minds for months, as we have prepared our big fall magazine and promoted all the plans for the September art season. While many people were off enjoying summer vacations, in our office we, along with so many dealers, artists, art fair organizers and others who must unveil their biggest projects of the year this month, were hard at work.&nbsp;Now, the September openings are finally here. This first week of September heralds a new season in the art world. These new shows are just the beginning, and in particular many shows are featuring photography as a means of examining the world as it is, in new ways, or offering chances to look in the rearview mirror again. &nbsp;A&nbsp;host of openings, clustered on the evening of Friday, September 6, mark the traditional start of the season, which happens throughout the area, from River North, to over on the west side in West Town and beyond, and also up into Ravenswood. There are dozens of new exhibitions opening, and many represent the highlight of the gallery's programming for the entire year. More new shows also open on Saturday night on the west side as well as in suburban Evanston.On Friday, River North's fifth annual art and design collaboration, the River North Gallery Walk, takes place in galleries based near Superior and Franklin streets and the dozens of design showrooms from Chicago Ave. to the Merchandise Mart. Gallery artists are matched with designers and showrooms, and many individual galleries are opening their latest exhibitions. There are several special events to attend as well, including a kickoff event an after party. Complete details and a list of RNDD walk participants may be <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/7/early-notice-river-north-design-district-5th-annual-gallery-walk-will-swing-in-the-fall">found here</a>.&nbsp;Local dealer <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/celebrating-our-40th-year">Carl Hammer</a> is also celebrating the gallery's 40th anniversary with a group show opening the same night.&nbsp;Obviously there is a lot of great art to see, and these&nbsp;are just a few&nbsp;highlights from this opening September weekend&nbsp;around the city.&nbsp;We will&nbsp;share more of the season's&nbsp;highlights and coverage as the fall goes on, and don't forget to view our full <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events">calendar of events</a>.&nbsp;Stay tuned for&nbsp;Part II of our Fall Preview,&nbsp;featuring shows opening September 13&nbsp;and beyond, including many shows on the city's West Side.&nbsp;The following weekend is EXPO CHICAGO.Enjoy this start to fall, and see you in the galleries!&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>&nbsp;</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418602/bgcc1qg2vx5rjina0zta.jpg"><figcaption>Christopher Meerdo, Eigengrau, 2017</figcaption></figure><h3>The Way the Mystic Sees</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-way-the-mystic-sees">Weinberg/Newton</a>Opening Friday, September 6.&nbsp;688 N Milwaukee Ave, ChicagoWeinberg/Newton closed its River North space this past spring and they officially reopen on the west side on Friday night. This exhibition surveys contemporary perspectives and historical approaches to technology and surveillance. Works in the exhibition appear in a range of media – from language to video – to establish a spectrum of the technological. Certain artworks directly elucidate the subject of surveillance, while others begin to locate life beyond being and feeling watched. Artists include Nadav Assor, Mary Helena Clark, Max Guy,&nbsp;Asa Mendelsohn, Christopher Meerdo, Catherine Sullivan, Maryam Taghavi, and Marilyn Volkman. Presented in collaboration with Human Rights Watch of Illinois&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418603/nv7o2m7fqbt2iksmba4k.png"></figure><h3>Sandro Miller: I am Papau New Guinea</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/sandro-miller-i-am-papau-new-guinea">Catherine Edelman Gallery</a>Opening Friday, September 6.&nbsp;1637 W. Chicago Ave, ChicagoSandro Miller is one of the most sought-after commercial photographers working today. This success has allowed him to continue working on his personal projects, most notably Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters, a world-wide traveling exhibition, and his most recent body of work, I Am Papua New Guinea.Sandro made three trips to Papua New Guinea over a two-year period, photographing 400 indigenous people from more than a hundred different tribes. At several annual festivals, Sandro set up a studio, inviting hundreds of people to have their portraits taken. For most of the sitters, it was the first time they had ever seen a photograph or what they looked like. The result is a powerful body of work of a thriving culture far removed from its industrialized neighbors.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418604/sx5zntwb6neiupmyl6g7.jpg"><figcaption>Julian Wasser, Steve McQueen</figcaption></figure><h3>Julian Wasser: The Way We Were</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/julian-wasser-the-way-we-were">Hilton | Asmus Contemporary&nbsp;</a>Opening Friday, September 6.&nbsp;716 N. Wells, ChicagoAfter starting his career at the age of 14 as a copy boy in the Washington bureau of the Associated Press news service, Julian Wasser went on to create some of the most memorable images of the past century. While at the Associated Press he met Weegee and rode with famous news photographer as he shot photos of crime scenes in Washington. Eventually Wasser went on to became a contract photographer for Time magazine in Los Angeles doing assignments for Time, Life and Fortune. His photographs have appeared in and been used for the cover of multiple US and UK publications. His photos have also appeared in US Magazine, Vanity Fair, TV guide, Paris Match, Der Spiegel, Oggi, Hello, Playboy, Elle, Vogue, GQ along with exhibitions in galleries and museums. Wasser captured the most authentic and compelling photos of revered artists of the 1960's, 1970' and 1980's.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418604/ht6hyl93vng6wujw2rlh.jpg"></figure><h3>Boom! Jan Pieter Fokkens</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/boom-jan-pieter-fokkens">Gallery Victor Armendariz</a>Opening Friday, September 6.&nbsp;300 W. Superior, ChicagoJan Pieter Fokkens believes in the deep lineage between modern art and the digital image. In essence, there is something foreboding about the way the history of images feeds upon itself. It appears as if reality and images are always competing to see which of the two can be the most unimaginable. His work functions as a bridge between his fascination of reductionist approaches in abstract art and the influence it has on the creation of algorithms that make digital representations of reality. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418605/rgkw7xrgcjjfdhrcgska.jpg"><figcaption> Bonnie Lautenberg, 1963, Hud / Andy Warhol, Double Elvis, 2018, Archival Pigment Print, 48 x 64 in.</figcaption></figure><h3>Bonnie Lautenberg: Artistica. Artistica!</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/bonnie-lautenberg-artistica-artistica">Jean Albano Gallery</a>Opening Friday, September 6.&nbsp;215 W. Superior, ChicagoBonnie Lautenberg's latest project is a body of work that explores how one art form might have influenced another. Lautenberg is interested in the relationship between well known works of art and important films from the same year. As an example, is it possible that Pablo Picasso painted his Blue Hat With Red Ribbon in 1939 after he saw the movie The Wizard of Oz? Or could Victor Fleming, the director of the Wizard of Oz, have been influenced by the color palette of Picasso's painting when he began making his movie? You'll have to see for yourself.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418606/tp7by2i51udbmu0gozaw.jpg"><figcaption>Blue Noses Group, Era of Mercy I., 2005-2009, Photograph, 30 x 40 inches</figcaption></figure><h3>Caution! Freedom: Contemporary Art from Russia</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/caution-freedom-contemporary-art-from-russia">One After 909</a>Opening Friday, September 6.&nbsp;906 N Ashland, ChicagoIn 1990, when the Soviet Union was already dying but had not yet collapsed completely, Julia and Marat Gelman opened The Gelman (Guelman) Gallery. It was one of the first private art galleries in the Soviet Union. They were witnesses to the incredible and rapid changes that were occurring in the USSR, and during this time the Gelman’s worked with many political and social artists. They believed art was an expression of freedom, and these artists were accurately documenting the spirit of the times. In 2000 Putin came to power, and all the open doors began to shut.The political and social art the gallery exhibited by Russian contemporary artists like Oleg Kulik, Alexander Kosolapov, and Blue Noses was considered too controversial. This caused them to be targeted by extremist groups as well as the government, which ultimately forced them to close the gallery in 2012. Seven years later Julia Gelman in collaboration with One After 909, will exhibit Caution! Freedom: Contemporary Art from Russia, with complete freedom in Chicago.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418606/fjjst6j6vkfqsi2e7jlb.gif"></figure><h3>Mary Porterfield: in:dependence</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mary-porterfield-in-dependence">Hofheimer Gallery</a>Opening Friday, September 6.&nbsp;4823 N. Damen, ChicagoMary Porterfield’s drawings are influenced by her work in healthcare. With soft edges and careful rendering, she creates invented spaces and allegorical scenes that attempt to ask: If assistance is warranted, but not wanted, should it be abandoned? Why is a long life given to some, yet denied others? Is it more heroic to accept the uncontrollable or attempt change in the midst of futility or danger? Porterfield’s intention is to provide a balanced perspective between giving and receiving when assisting others.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418608/v4kh9rdyeedaxuiploz7.jpg"><figcaption>David Antonio Cruz, onedayi’llturnthecornerandi’llbereadyforit, portrait of the texas girls, 2019, Oil and latex on wood, 48 x 48 inches</figcaption></figure><h3>David Antonio Cruz: One Day I’ll Turn the Corner and I’ll be Ready For It</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/david-antonio-cruz-one-day-i-ll-turn-the-corner-and-i-ll-be-ready-for-it">Monique Meloche</a>Opening Saturday, September 7.&nbsp;451 N. Paulina, ChicagoDavid Antonio Cruz explores the intersectionality of queerness and race through painting, sculpture, and performance. Focusing on queer, trans, and genderfluid communities of color, Cruz examines the violence perpetrated against their members, conveying his subjects both as specific individuals and as monumental signifiers for large and urgent systemic concerns.Using a vast trove of images mined from the internet, including the personal social media accounts of his subjects, Cruz brings these individuals out of the shadows and into the light. He inserts these individuals’ likenesses into lush, sensuous compositions directly inspired by the aspirational aesthetic of luxury and fashion, creating a dissonance that critically elevates his black and brown subjects while also emphasizing the extreme injustice of their plights. This is Cruz’s first exhibition with the gallery and his first in Chicago.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418609/nlzlmmnaidohmdx7avu0.png"><figcaption>Kayla Mahaffey, That's All Folks</figcaption></figure><h3>Thinkspace presents LAX/ORD 2</h3><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/thinkspace-presents-lax-ord-2">Vertical Gallery</a>Opening Saturday, September 7.&nbsp;1016 N. Western, ChicagoAfter the phenomenal success of LAX / ORD in September 2016, Vertical and Thinkspace immediately discussed collaborating again. “LAX / ORD II” will have more artists than the first edition (100 this time), in what will be the largest collection of artists from the New Contemporary Movement under one roof to date in the Windy City.All the artists have been asked to work within the same space confines of 12×12 inches (30×30 cm) and left to their own devices from there. This collection helps to showcase just how vast and varied the Movement is, from portrait based works to the more fantastical, from landscapes to design based abstract works... ‘LAX / ORD II’ promises to bring your Instagram feed to life and expose you to your new favorite artist.The opening night will feature a special print release from Kayla Mahaffey (pictured above)&nbsp;</body></html>

Fall 2019 Preview – Part I: First September Openings

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418403/m8nenqfaftvcnmdtmh4p.gif"><figcaption>Hull’s 2018 exhibition at Western Exhibitions featured his newer constructions alongside two-dimensional paintings</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEARichard Hull is not from Chicago, but his art distinctly is.Encouraged by a professor while attending the Kansas City Art Institute in the 1970s, he moved to Chicago in 1978 to study for his MFA at the School of the Art Institute. First drawn to the Imagists, a Chicago-based group of artists that had been active more than a decade before his arrival, Hull found his own niche quickly and enjoyed a string of good professional and artistic fortune before he even graduated from SAIC.Many artists have come to the city on their way elsewhere, but Hull stayed. “I’ve been here over 40 years now,” he says on a sunny afternoon seated in his new West Town studio. Asked what has kept him here for four decades, instead of just one, he explains, “I wasn’t going to come here but my teacher convinced me I had to. One of the reasons I stayed was because so many good things happened quickly for me, while I was still in school. Within one year I was busy selling paintings and showing with Phyllis Kind [Gallery]. I was not planning for anything like that.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418404/iat67gmrtdqdw2jaxlcv.gif"><figcaption>Hull keeps boxes filled with hundreds of Crayola crayons close by as he works on crayon drawings in his new studio</figcaption></figure>Hull considers himself fortunate that life was easy enough to keep afloat. At the time, “Things were going well, and it was kind of easy where I was living. It was cheap.” But there were other determining factors: the high-profile art dealer Phyllis Kind, who had a presence in Chicago as well as New York, admired the young artist’s work. Her art world connections led to interactions with people in other disciplines in Chicago, such as theater. Exposure to a broader cultural world of musicians, actors and writers nurtured something in Hull, and he was inspired. “It just sort of helped me,” Hull recalls, “You know, the art world is small here. You could get really ground down by it. I had access to a lot of other people and ideas.Hull almost ventured to New York in the early ‘80s, at Kind’s behest, since he was exhibiting as much there as he was in Chicago, but it was a dream never realized. “She thought it’d be good if I moved there, and I really thought about it for a while, but it just kind of slipped away. That’s what happens.”Hull’s artistic life could have advanced anywhere. “It’s funny,” he says, “I’ve been here a long time, so people think I really love Chicago, and there are things I do like, but I’m not in love with Chicago.”The art world can be its own strange universe, says Hull. “I don’t have any real complaints about Chicago, except the weather, maybe, but any complaints about the art world I won’t get into – it can be idiotic. But just leave if you really don’t like it, right?”When I ask if many of Hull’s peers in the ‘80s left for New York, he admits that a lot of people did, but certainly not everyone. Now he suspects that many artists hang around Chicago a few years longer before moving to New York. “Chicago is a lot easier. New York is hard now. Really hard. It wasn’t so hard before.”When asked by his own students, decades later, what’s the right move after graduate school, Hull says he would tell them, “Get all your shit, put it in your car and move to New York. Just go.” But he admits now he has reservations when giving such advice. “I really don’t like people leaving. I want to be around good people here, but the opportunity can be much greater there.”He confesses, “I even still think about leaving. Just because.”–<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418405/xobr9v1byl5wvtbeuy7g.gif"><figcaption>An older work by Hull from the 1980s (left) next to a newer painting (right)</figcaption></figure>It didn’t take 40 years for Chicago to make an impression on Hull. While in Kansas City, Hull says he was heavily influenced by west coast, Bay Area funk artists, such as William Wiley, Roy De Forest, Robert Hudson and others teaching at [University of California] Davis, but when considering graduate school, he ultimately chose Chicago, largely because of the Hairy Who, a group of artists that had held a series of exhibitions while at SAIC in the 1960s, more than a decade before Hull arrived in 1978.“I didn’t know much about the Imagists,” Hull says, “What I’d seen, I liked, but it wasn’t as if I felt like I was going to be overwhelmingly influenced when I came to Chicago. I enjoyed the artwork, but I thought it was very different from mine. That was one of the draws – I respected the work a lot, but I didn’t feel the influence.”The colorful effects of the art produced by the Imagists did not fade; once Hull was in Chicago, he ended up exhibiting alongside members of the Hairy Who right away and reconsidering his own approach to painting.“I wasn’t trying to be like them,” says Hull, “But then after showing with them, and even owning some works, walking by a Karl Wirsum everyday will make you think differently about shapes and images. Jim Nutt, Gladys Nilsson, Miyoko Ito&nbsp; – it sort of infiltrates your thinking.”Hull’s earliest work follows a linear, architectural structure, but the Imagist reverence for form, shape and color is unmistakeable now. There is three dimensionality even in Hull’s 2-D works. With so much time between his years alongside his Hairy Who peers and now, Hull says he thinks his work, particularly the pieces focused on loops that resemble expanding water balloons, is the most like the Imagists it’s ever been.Even though Hull got on with the Imagists quickly, he says he had a lot to learn technically, as well as aesthetically. He recalls, “When I was first showing things, I sold a work of art to someone, and I thought I was being really careful with my paintings – like really neat, and I didn’t have any brush marks. Then somebody hung it next to a Roger Brown, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s a fucking mess,’ because Roger’s work is so pristine. I realized that I was still pretty different from those guys just by that.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418406/e6txoh4lwfv7pwqmf5im.gif"><figcaption>Richard Hull, Dedication, 2018, oil and wax on linen, 78” H x 96” W</figcaption></figure>About a decade ago Hull once again referenced the Imagists when he began a series of works that call to mind abstract portraits, such as the busts depicted by Jim Nutt and Barbara Rossi. His mysterious figures, featuring facial outlines that emerge from the abstract in pieces and sometimes in profile, were a refutation of his reputation as an abstract painter. “People think that I’m an abstract painter and I don’t think I’m abstract in any way, if you think about the way paintings are made,” explains Hull. To him, there are also elements that are undeniably real.“I wrote a statement once (I hardly do it),” he says, “I just said, everything in these paintings is real – the paint, the materials, the shapes. They’re all real things.”Hull’s figures, while not realistic, are recognizable and deliberate. “It has to make sense to me,” he explains, “for the placement of shapes or where things go in terms of the way a head would be, or the way things are in the world, rather than just on a flat surface. I was moving towards a totally unrepresentative moment, and I wanted to pull back from that.”Building on the head paintings and drawings from a decade ago, 3-D structures continue to evolve as Hull has begun to explore sculptures and shapes in space.“I started those because I was doing the head shapes, and I was making a sort of a frame for them inside the painting. I think of them like mirrors, and I was having trouble every time I got to the end of the painting, so I would just leave the edges empty because I wanted to deal with the middle parts, the forms, and it would take me forever to get the right color and whatever activity would be happening around it, and I thought, ‘This is a pain in the ass. Maybe I should get rid of that.’ So I just cut the edges off the paintings.”Now Hull collaborates with a former student to put a drawing on medium-density fibreboard (MDF) in any shape he wants, and the cut off edges are no longer a creative end point.–<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418407/z4q384ifjcquma7sokbj.gif"><figcaption>Two recent works on MDF</figcaption></figure>Color is a consistently dominant element in Hull’s work, one that he persistently examines and adjusts. “My only color theory is you decide on a color to start with, and then you find a color that makes that better. It’s about the relationship to the color within the piece. If I add a violet next to a red, does that make the red better or does it distract from or make the red look bad? It’s color, next color. Color, next color. And I’m always kind of surprised how colorful my things are, because I never thought of myself as a very good colorist.”The colors in Hull’s paintings must have a mutually&nbsp; beneficial relationship, and the shapes, appearing over and over, layer upon layer, used in his work must be part of a harmonious composition. “It’s a kind of rhythm, really. And rhythms get interrupted. It might be my interest in music – that’s just a maybe. I don’t think, ‘Oh, I’m making musical paintings.’ It’d be idiotic. No, you just get started on it, and it feels right.”Together these colorful figures, formed from repeating shapes, resemble elaborate, retro hairdos methodically constructed in a way that holds them together as well as presents a pleasing arrangement. Vibrant depictions of individual efforts to layer and shape transform the everyday into something remarkable.“I was thinking of them as hairdos more than anything really,” Hull notes, though he says it’s funny, because he’s definitely not all that fascinated with hair.–When I ask Hull what he is working on now, he points to a handful of works in progress, placed around the studio. He’s taken a break for a few weeks, as his new space has been built out, and now, in a suitably light, fresh workspace, he’s tinkering with some crayon drawings as well as finessing some underpainting, which he says he’d never done until a couple of years ago. “I put the colors under it on the canvas and then I paint color on top of it,” he explains. “It’s really gives another kind of vibrancy to the painting, and it’s related to the crayon drawing, where I put color down and it will scratch through.”Hull has used a variation of the technique going back to his older paintings, but it can be tedious. “I kind of hate doing it,” he admits, “because I’d rather be making the painting, not preparing the thing. But I haven’t been&nbsp; disciplined in doing that. Here [pointing to a work on the floor] if you get up close, you can see how the color comes through. So these are the things I’m working on now.”Though Hull says he has not been disciplined in the preparation of individual paintings, he is methodical in his experimentation overall. He says he’s considering creating more sculptures like the ones that were part of his 2018 exhibition, perhaps working on a much larger scale, though that could mean a piece that measures eight feet tall might weigh 150 lbs. Hull suspects it would just be too much, but it’s in the back of his mind.To get ready to install a solo booth with art dealer Scott Speh and his gallery, Western Exhibitions, at EXPO CHICAGO in September, Hull has been considering the various works he will exhibit, including many from the mid 1990s, juxtaposed with a few newer works, such as the crayon drawings. Despite having had a very busy year – his most recent show was at Western Exhibitions in April 2018, and he moved his home and his studio in 2019 – Hull emphasizes that, no matter what is going on, he is never one to turn down an opportunity.“That’s the advice I give my students. They say ‘How should I go about a career?’ And I say just be ready. Don’t ever tell anybody ‘No.’ They’re going to forget about you and move on.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418408/eiggb3ft6icuzqhjaxuk.gif"><figcaption>Hull’s west side studio is filled with materials and works in progress</figcaption></figure>Hull has been an adjunct professor of painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for 15 years, typically with five graduate students every semester and around 30 undergraduates. While his students undoubtedly learn invaluable lessons from Hull if they listen, “Actually, he says, some of the good ones don’t, and they may be the best,” he emphasizes that education is a two way street.Is his wisdom today drastically different from what he would have dispensed more than a decade ago? “I don’t know if I’ve evolved that much,” he says.If the advice is constant, the artist is not. “Well, maybe I’ve just become more confident and able to talk now. I didn’t talk hardly at all before I started teaching. Now, I talk too much. That’s what teaching will do to you. It makes you organize your thoughts. It’s been good for me.”Hull says SAIC is an amazing place to teach. He’s long admired how much the faculty cares about students and how they are always assessing how to be helpful and supportive. The school has come to embody an ideal role in the art world, where students and teachers try and examine what others are working on and consciously be constructive, in order to continue to all push art to the next level. “It always feels good for all of us [at SAIC] when somebody does well, and a lot of people do.”Thinking about the professor who encouraged him to move to Chicago 40 years ago, Hull explains, “His name was Ron Slowinski. He had gone to school with [artist and mentor to the Imagists] Ray Yoshida in the ‘50s, and he was friends with [art critic] Dennis Adrian too, who ended up buying a couple of paintings of mine and introducing me to all kinds of people. Because of that I owe Ron a great deal for making me come here.”In a similar position now, Hull still resists the comparison to his old teacher, “I don’t think I’m quite as powerful as that,” he says. Considering what it means that someone took the time to care and give encouragement to him, and he’s now able to pass along the same gift to students now, Hull admits, “It is fun to try to help somebody. It’s really gratifying.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Richard Hull: Chicago's Lasting Impression on an Artist

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418595/p2gumrlsxc7cfmtfmscs.gif"></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEATo my children it probably seems like I do this job all the time; when I come to my office it means I am not with them. To others I’m never actually at my desk, busy with school pick ups and errands. I admit I don’t get around to as many galleries and museums as often as I would like to. There are also plenty of days where I just want to be with my own kids without one eye on a deadline. Such is life as a working mom with two young children of my own, and a hundred other ‘gallery children,’ as CGN founder Natalie van Straaten used to say.I couldn’t do the work I do at CGN if not for the help of several key people (Alby, Elvia, Emily) and if it were not to fulfill the positive mission that has always been a part of the magazine and this art community. Work that means something to others is reaffirming and important and it’s worth not giving up on. As artist Phyllis Bramson says <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/9/phyllis-bramson-reimagining-imagism-s-chicago-legacy">in her interview</a> with Alison Reilly for this issue, “I want my work to mean something to myself and those around me.”I have been thinking of persistence as well as regeneration since I wrote about <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/4/30-years-later-the-1989-river-north-fire">the 1989 gallery fire</a> this past spring. External forces – not just fires, but recessions, real estate, art fairs, and the internet – have continually forced the art community, as well as most small businesses, to adapt in order to survive. Despite the many challenges there are still those who are committed to making and selling art and working hard. At the time of the fire there were 65 galleries in River North alone, with a few more in other parts of the city. Today, while the concentrations are much less pronounced and the business landscape keeps changing, CGN still lists well over 100 spaces. They each work to support their artists and their own positive missions too. Isn’t that remarkable?<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418596/gn60gygp89od1ehooct5.gif"><figcaption>Emilia and Ilya Kabakov pictured with the Miami rendition of the Ship of Tolerance on the Watson Island waterfront in 2012, in conjunction with the Miami Children’s Museum and Art Basel Miami Beach. Photo: Jenia Friedlyand. Copyright © The Ship of Tolerance</figcaption></figure>So many conversations featured in this issue carry a hopeful message I am pleased to be able to share:• Artist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/9/richard-hull-chicago-s-lasting-impression-on-an-artist">Richard Hull</a> came to Chicago 40 years ago at the encouragement of his professor. His career has thrived here, and today he enjoys helping and teaching his own students at SAIC.• Gallerist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/8/mariane-ibrahim-a-west-coast-gallery-moves-to-chicago-for-its-authenticity">Mariane Ibrahim</a>, who built an international reputation in Seattle, says she moved here because all roads lead to Chicago; it’s a city whose authenticity is a rarity in the U.S.• For collector <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/9/collector-robert-buford-embracing-the-connectivity-of-art">Bob Buford</a> art is a means of having conversations with people of every age and walk of life. He says it’s the most inclusive thing he’s ever been a part of• Artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/8/cultivating-winds-of-change-the-ship-of-tolerance-docks-at-navy-pier-for-expo-chicago">Ship of Tolerance</a> comes to Navy Pier during EXPO. The ships these artists have built over 14 years have united struggling communities and children around the world through messages of hope. &nbsp;Even when meeting a CGN deadline means last minute surprises and a week of all-nighters, I believe it’s worth it, because the stories of and testaments to resilience I learn from so many in the art world I am able to pass along to my children and those around me.&nbsp;I hope you enjoy this fall issue of CGN and all the messages within it.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Publisher's Letter, Fall 2019 – Keep it Positive: There's a Lot to Celebrate 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418602/n01vaoqlxftqi6re0tjy.gif"></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Solveig Øvstebø Steps Down as Executive Director and Chief Curator of Chicago’s Renaissance&nbsp;Society</h3>&nbsp;After seven years, Solveig Øvstebø will leave her position as executive director and chief curator of the University of Chicago’s Renaissance Society museum, one of the Windy City’s most closely watched contemporary art spaces. In a release issued on Monday evening, the Renaissance Society said that Øvstebø will depart in February, with plans to “return with her family to Norway.”By Alex Greenberger, ARTNEWS<a href="http://www.artnews.com/2019/08/26/solveig-ovstebo-steps-down-renaissance-society/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418603/bnqfquhipcaxhsnwpfg4.gif"></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Christie’s Asia Week Will Feature Collections From The Art Institute of Chicago</h3>&nbsp;This fall, Christie’s Asian Art Week will include six live auctions and three extended online auctions from Sept. 10-25, featuring over 1,000 lots spanning all epochs and categories of Asian art, from classical Chinese paintings, ceramics, jades, bronzes, to Tibetan gilt-bronzes and contemporary Indian paintings.By Fang Block, PENTA<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/christies-asia-week-will-feature-collections-from-the-art-institute-of-chicag-01566849028">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418604/yojcbtbd1v2zbiihnrfg.gif"></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Water towers as art: Iconic urban fixtures decorate a Chicago park</h3>&nbsp;Chicago's Navy Pier park is now home to an eye-catching sight: water towers, which are sculptures created by Iván Navarro back in 2014. The artist was inspired by the water towers found throughout New York City, and named his piece after the Woody Guthrie song, "This Land Is Your Land."Via CBS News<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ivan-navarro-this-land-is-your-land-iconic-urban-fixtures-decorate-a-chicago-park/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418605/gzsng0ln2iauopdht5vh.gif"></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Fall Arts Celebration highlights Contemporary Chicago Art</h3>&nbsp;Grand Valley State University will be kicking off this year’s Fall Arts Celebration with the “Art of Today: Contemporary Collections from Chicago” collection. The exhibit is a collection of contemporary art, which combines pieces from GVSU’s own collection with pieces on loan from the city of Chicago.By Jacob Creswell, Lanthorn<a href="https://lanthorn.com/66985/ae/nick-fall-arts-celebration-highlights-contemporary-chicago-art/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 27, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418602/ejofakbupve6srkmcebc.jpg"><figcaption>courtesy of Assemble&nbsp;and Logan Center Exhibitions</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Via PRStarting Thursday September 19, 2019 with a weekend of&nbsp;curatorial performances&nbsp;and dialogues&nbsp;at the Chicago Cultural Center that align with the eighth edition of EXPO Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Biennial offers more chances to engage with the diverse neighborhoods of Chicago than ever before. Through the course of the Biennial, sites across Chicago will come alive with lectures, panels, performances, workshops, and events both produced by and in coordination with the Biennial.The CAB announced last week&nbsp;that more than 100 programs will take place at upwards of 50 venues from September 19, 2019 through January 5, 2020.&nbsp;These range from events, lectures, panels, workshops, and performances organized by the Biennial to partner programs that respond to the Biennial’s themes at cultural organizations around the city, bringing the Biennial’s exploration of space, community, and architecture to Chicagoans of all ages, interests, and backgrounds, as well as visitors from around the world.&nbsp; The 2019 edition, titled ...and other such stories, will form an expansive and multi-faceted exploration of the field of architecture and the built environment globally -- as such, programming is central to ensuring that the conversation is inclusive, diverse, and ever-changing through the course of the Biennial“Chicago is at its best when a diverse range of communities, organizations, and individuals come together to learn from one another, collaborate, and explore our shared histories and hopes for the future.&nbsp; The comprehensive range of programming taking place during the Biennial is an exciting example of the exchange that makes our city so dynamic,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot.The opening weekend of the biennial kicks off Thursday&nbsp;September 19-21 with performances by&nbsp;CAMP, Alexandra Pirici&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jimmy Robert&nbsp;alongside conversations on architecture and advocacy with&nbsp;Forensic Architecture &amp; Invisible Institute, Maurice Cox,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Maria Gaspar,&nbsp;among others at the Chicago Cultural Center. Offsite curatorial projects will be animated through public workshops and community events.&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/51d9a79e08fd7f7dbb49c27a6/_compresseds/12ab27b5-a308-4eef-9fa3-608e1b0b73ba.jpg"><figcaption>courtesy of Alexandra Pirici</figcaption></figure> “Foregrounding the idea of&nbsp;Common Ground, the curatorial team has devised spaces and programs that ensure that this edition of the biennial supports inclusive and diverse explorations of the built environment today,” noted&nbsp;Yesomi Umolu, Graham Foundation Artistic Director, Chicago Architecture Biennial. “By deeply engaging the public and various communities in our contributor projects and curatorial ideas, we are excited to extend the exchange we have fostered during our research phase into the biennial experience at the Chicago Cultural Center and at our various offsite venues.”Within the Chicago Cultural Center, these will largely be hosted in the purpose-built gathering space designed by Biennial contributor ConstructLab. In addition, the Biennial will host regular programs at the Chicago Cultural Center in coordination with partners and collaborators to further explore the works on view and related concerns:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Tuesday series:&nbsp;Each Tuesday, the Biennial will host a lecture at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater (or, occasionally, at a partner venue), bringing together cultural leadership from around the world. Always free and open to the public, these programs are produced in coordination with key partners and supporters of the Biennial, including the Chicago-based Terra Foundation.</li><li>Film series:&nbsp;The Biennial will screen a series of films chosen by the curatorial team to expand on emergent issues and concerns across the field of architecture. Also free and open to the public and made possible by a partnership with the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF), these films will be on view in the Claudia Cassidy Theater, and will be announced in forthcoming Biennial communications.</li></ul>A full calendar of programming will be accessible on the Biennial’s website later this month.&nbsp;View the complete <a href="https://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=51d9a79e08fd7f7dbb49c27a6&amp;id=2b598ca5e9&amp;e=3dc58ca038">press release</a> and list&nbsp;of programming partners and additional highlights.</body></html>

Chicago Architecture Biennial Elaborates on Fall 2019 Programming 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418595/jjzrqdooarhgave2dy3t.gif"><figcaption>Mariane Ibrahim. Photo: Philip Newton.</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAThis past February word spread that another gallery would open in West Town later in the year. A continuation of the westward expansion, as it’s become known, in Chicago’s art community was not a surprise, but the news that a young, acclaimed gallery was moving to Chicago, after seven years based in Seattle, caught the attention of many in the city and well beyond.&nbsp;Known for her show-stopping booth installations at international art fairs, Mariane Ibrahim has brought her eponymous gallery, as well as her vision, to Chicago. The gallery opens its doors with a grand opening on September 20 during EXPO Art Week and the start of the third Chicago Architecture Biennial.When I walked by the gallery’s future home on North Paulina this summer, adjacent to Monique Meloche’s own still-new space, a battered front door gave no clues to the work being done behind the scenes, but a bright green plant and a posted black minimalist sign announced the gallery’s new location and hinted at the vibrancy of what is to come.CGN had the opportunity to ask Ibrahim a few questions in the midst of a busy move and renovation, while she prepares for an inaugural exhibition featuring new work by artist Ayana V. Jackson. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418596/zwdlmdqzjnartkfbhucu.gif"><figcaption>A work in progress as of July 2019.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: When did you first open your gallery? What led you to the art business?Mariane Ibrahim: The gallery was founded in 2012 in Pioneer Square, Seattle, where we launched a selection of renowned and emerging African descent artists.I was led to the art business because I noticed a lack of representation for emerging African artists, at that time, particularly in Seattle, but of course this was also true on a global scale. I launched the space with a vision to juxtapose a selection of diverse emerging artists.&nbsp;CGN: What drives the gallery’s program now? Many of your artists haven’t been widely exhibited yet.MI: Our program is driven by our commitment to our artists, and that is reinforced by our curatorial program, which is focused on furthering the development of rising artists such as Amoako Boafo and Clotilde Jiménez, whose work we displayed at EXPO CHICAGO in 2018 in a solo presentation, as well as Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi, whose paintings we exhibited at Frieze this past spring. Artist Lina Iris Viktor will have her first institutional solo show in London this September, at the Autograph space.Over the years, we have worked to establish relationships with major institutions in the United States and Europe, and we are eager to continue developing opportunities for our represented artists, in addition to our global selection of art fairs where we exhibit annually. CGN: You’ve just moved your gallery from Seattle to Chicago. What are some of the biggest draws for making the move here?MI: Our decision to move the gallery to Chicago stemmed from our interest in the city’s diverse artistic community and creatives. All roads lead to Chicago. Chicago is a city rooted in its rich historical and cultural landscape, one whose authenticity is a rarity in the United States. As we continue to reflect our vision, to serve as a catalyst for our artists’ commentary on social, economic and racial disparities, we embrace societal factors present in all metropolitan cities, particularly in Chicago.&nbsp;CGN: Can you describe some of your biggest challenges as a dealer to date, as well as any successes?MI: The art market is unpredictable. There are various factors that intervene. As a gallerist, you constantly have to watch, research and adapt to every change. Our biggest challenges and biggest successes are intertwined in our risk taking. Every challenge is a learning experience, and success is an opportunity to re-assess. We deal with passion and commitment, independent of results.&nbsp;CGN: You are one of just a few Black female gallerists showing at an international level. Undoubtedly there is a high interest right now in art by African and African American artists, and by extension a young dealer who grew up in Africa. Can you talk about what that kind of scrutiny and expectation that creates for you?MI: Sadly, being one of the few is not comforting, but there were those before me, and there will be more. Karen Jenkins-Johnson has been operating for 20 years in the art world, and young gallerist Rakeb Sile from Addis Fine Art has taken her gallery to a global stage, while still operating in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.Diversity in the art world does not only apply to artists but to curators, gallerists, collectors, art critics and scholars as well. There is a growing interest in Black artists, however the choice for anyone to work with a dealer should not be defined by race, gender or religion. It must be a great fit and a mutually beneficial relationship. I certainly hope the artists we represent do not choose me for my ethnicity but because of the work I perform on their behalf. We highly serve the expectations of our artists.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418598/gs7pezjxqbyenobsrioq.gif"><figcaption>Ayana V. Jackson, Double Goddess ... A Sighting in the Abyss, 2019. Courtesy of Mariane IBrahim Gallery &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>CGN: What do you have planned to inaugurate the gallery in Chicago in September? What you will you show at EXPO?MI: To inaugurate our new space, we are pleased to present Take Me to the Water, a solo exhibition of never before seen, large scale new works works by Ayana V. Jackson. The exhibition presents a holistic survey of Jackson’s work to date, a culmination of varied discursive elements present in her career.For our second participation at EXPO, we will present a group exhibition. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418598/kqtjvssnkchedwombdpb.gif"><figcaption>Ayana V. Jackson, Sea Lion, 2019. Courtesy of Mariane IBrahim Gallery</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: What’s your favorite pursuit outside the art world?MI: I’ve always dreamed of becoming a florist. &nbsp;<a href="https://marianeibrahim.com/">Mariane Ibrahim Gallery </a>opens its inaugural exhibition on Friday, September 20, 2019 at 437 N. Paulina in West Town.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Mariane Ibrahim: A West Coast Gallery Moves to Chicago For Its Authenticity

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418602/uv0xmrqh02xvppvj9qdo.gif"><figcaption>Founders, 2019, installed in Hadiya Pendleton Park, photo courtesy of Floating Museum</figcaption></figure>By CGN Staff via PRLast week the Floating Museum collective unveiled its latest public art initiative, Cultural Transit Assembly, which turns the CTA Green Line into a moving cultural destination and activates Chicago neighborhoods along from Austin to Englewood, throughout the summer, culminating at Art EXPO September 19-22, 2019. &nbsp;In 2017 the <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2017/8/following-the-floating-museum-where-and-when-to-expect-it">Floating Museum</a> perched on a barge that literally floated down the Chicago River in order to highlight specific areas of the city and, in the organizers' own words, “create temporary, site-responsive museum spaces to activate sites of cultural potential throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods”.&nbsp;The robust roster of Cultural Transit Assembly programming – all free and open to the public – includes a series of Chicago artist exhibitions in Austin Town Hall Park and Garfield Park and a gigantic inflatable sculpture paying tribute to the City’s founders, which will be stationed next to the Green Line in a new location every Wednesday.&nbsp;Connecting the sites, a two-car ‘L’ train is currently traveling the Green Line route featuring custom artwork commemorating Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, Chicago’s first non-indigenous settler, and his wife Kitihawa from the Potawatomi tribe. Later this summer, lunchtime music and poetry performances will pop up on the cars.“Thanks to our collaborators, the CTA and the Chicago Park District, Floating Museum is transforming the Green Line into a moving cultural destination,” said Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford co-director of Floating Museum, along with <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2017/8/into-the-neighborhoods-faheem-majeed-s-artistic-evolution">Faheem Majeed</a>, Andrew Schachman, and Avery R. Young. &nbsp;“Following up on our River Assembly project on the Chicago River in 2017, we’re now utilizing Chicago’s public transit system – and this line in particular that travels through southside and westside communities - to both celebrate the important cultural work being done in these neighborhoods as well as strengthen the ties between these spaces.&nbsp; And it is worth noting that some 50+ local artists have been commissioned (i.e. paid!) to lend their visual art and spoken word talents to Cultural Transit Assembly.” &nbsp;&nbsp;Cultural Transit Assembly elements:&nbsp;Currently underway:• Green Line ‘South Branch’ features a gigantic roving, 25 x 35 x 34’ inflatable sculpture titled Founders, featuring four busts facing the four cardinal directions. &nbsp;Featuring a mix of interpretations of items from the DuSable Museum of African American History and the Field Museum collections, the busts represent du Sable; his wife, Kitihawa; Harold Washington (the first African American Mayor of Chicago); and a bust of a young boy by artist William Artis. &nbsp;&nbsp;Founders is popping up weekly thru September 11 in community spaces adjacent to the Green Line from Austin to Englewood and can be viewed both by CTA riders and those at ground level. For this installation, Floating Museum worked with the Field Museum and its Potawatami textile collection, in addition to collaborating with contemporary Native American artists Chris Pappan (Kanza, Osage, Cheyenne River Sioux) and Monica Rickert-Bolter (Potawatomi).• Then, expanding the Cultural Transit Assembly message to an international audience, the final destination for Founders will be ArtEXPO at Navy Pier, installed at the Fair entrance, Sept 19-22, 2019.• Green Line Train Car ‘Soul EL’ is currently in regular service on the Green Line and incorporates two train car ‘art galleries’ dedicated to DuSable and his wife, Kitihawa.&nbsp; Visual artists include Pappan and Rickert-Bolter, plus Adam Sings In The Timber (Crow) Elise Paschen (Osage), Santiago X (Koasati/Chamoru), Debra Yepa-Pappan (Jemez Pueblo, Korean), Arthur Wright, Brandon Breaux, Robert Johnson, Nyia Sissac, Max Sansing, and Joyce Owens. &nbsp;&nbsp;As curated by Avery R. Young, local performing artists will also reflect on founding stories and have envisioned the founders with artwork covering the cars’ exterior and interior. ‘Soul EL’ is inspired by the American television series Soul Train that merged music, dance and fashion; stay tuned for pop-up music and poetry performances on the ‘Soul EL’ in the coming weeks.&nbsp;Coming soon...Chicago artists were asked to submit work in response to prose written by Avery R. Young that focused on the 1968 Democratic National Convention and riots throughout the city’s west side.&nbsp; Selections were made based on the quality of the submissions with a focus on including women and artists of color as well as artists who had a strong connection to the areas.&nbsp; Those works will appear in two locations: &nbsp;&nbsp;• Green Line ‘Central’ will feature a field of sculptures on pedestals for the green space in front of Austin Town Hall adjacent to the Central Green Line stop. The sculptures are 3D printed ceramic reproductions of works by Chicago artists Ayanah Moor, Derrick Woods-Morrow, Elizabeth Barren, Juan Angel-Chavez, Kushala Vora, Rhonda Wheatley, Ricky Willis, Rodrigo Lara Zendejas, Santiago X (Koasati/Chamoru), and Tony Lewis.• Green Line ‘Conservatory’ re-imagines civic sign infrastructure as artwork and creative language through new interpretations of common street signs, such as Stop and Yield. &nbsp;Signage will be installed adjacent to the Conservatory/Central Park Drive Green Line stop. Participating Chicago artists include Aram Han Sifuentes, Ishita Dharap, Caroline Kent, Carris Adams, Chris Pappen, Darryl DeAngelo Terrell, Candace Hunter, Dayo Laoye, Emilio Rojas, Esau Mchgee, Kellie Romany, Natasha Kohli, Paul S. Benjamin, Sherwin Ovid, Shirley Hudson, and Wendy Red Star (Apsáalooke (Crow)&nbsp;The Cultural Transit Assembly project is partially supported by ComEd, Indiana University’s New Frontiers in the Arts and Humanities Program, the Field Foundation, the Terra Foundation as part of Art Design Chicago and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.&nbsp;All Floating Museum programs including Cultural Transit Assembly are free and open to the public; for more information visit <a href="http://www.floatingmuseum.org/transit">floatingmuseum.org/transit.</a>&nbsp;Read about the 2017 Floating Museum <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2017/8/following-the-floating-museum-where-and-when-to-expect-it">here</a> Read CGN's 2017 profile with co-founder Faheem Majeed <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2017/8/into-the-neighborhoods-faheem-majeed-s-artistic-evolution">here</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Chicago’s Floating Museum launches latest public art initiative: Cultural Transit Assembly

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418595/czfmtrrxnsth5abnyao6.gif"><figcaption>Ship of Tolerance © Zug Tourismus, Fotografie Daniel Hegglin</figcaption></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEA“People can communicate with culture. They don’t need language,” says artist Emilia Kabakov. Together with her artist husband, Ilya, the Kabakovs, two of Russia’s most famous artists, are working to heal communities from the inside out through an ambitious, utopian art project called the Ship of Tolerance, which has been growing in reach and reputation since 2005.&nbsp;This September the ship’s port will be Navy Pier, where its launch will align with <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/">EXPO CHICAGO</a> and the <a href="https://chicagoarchitecturebiennial.org/">Chicago Architecture Biennial</a>.By building an ancient symbol of exploration and progress, the ship, in cities around the world, the Kabakovs have found a resonant means of constructive communication.&nbsp;“All this war and misunderstanding comes from fear,” proclaims Emilia. “When we communicate and we eliminate fear, those problems will hopefully get better. That’s really important for children.”When the Chicago Ship is finished, it will have been nearly two years in the works, an extension of the international program initiated by the Kabakovs, both of whom were born in the Soviet Union and eventually fled Communism — Emilia left in 1973, and Ilya in 1987. Married in 1992, today they consider the United States home.Previous interpretations of the Ship have taken place in Siwa, Egypt; Venice; San Moritz; Sharjah, UAE; Miami; Havana; New York; Moscow; Zug, Switzerland; Capalbio, Italy and Rome.&nbsp;The first version, in the oasis town of Siwa, was in a very old and isolated religious art community with a long history, “It’s like a story book – Alexander the Great went there,” recalls Emilia. “When we brought students from Manchester, England, with their teachers, to build the Ship of Tolerance in Siwa, on both sides they hadn’t met children from another country.” Today that ship, and the message it carries, is still there.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418597/eke4vc2fj8to7by0xm2z.gif"><figcaption>Emilia and Ilya Kabakov pictured with the Miami rendition of the Ship of Tolerance on the Watson Island waterfront in 2012, in conjunction with the Miami Children’s Museum and Art Basel Miami Beach. Photo: Jenia Friedlyand. Copyright © The Ship of Tolerance</figcaption></figure>When the Kabakov’s sixth ship was being built in Cuba in 2012, Emilia remembers her granddaughter Orliana asked the children questions like, What did they think tolerance was? How could they improve the situation in the war? What did they prefer?&nbsp;Originally the artists intended to construct two ships to be simultaneously unveiled in Miami and in Havana, to honor the cities’ close historical and cultural ties, but political factors prevailed. Instead one ship was based in Miami during Art Basel and another resided on the grounds of Old Havana’s historic fortress, Castillo de la Real Fuerza, during the Havana Biennial. One ship was eventually given to the Maritime Museum, where it reminds the two worlds to work together and talk about tolerance. Keeping the ship in a host city ensures the positive strides that were made do not recede.Emilia says though the concept is simple, “The drawings are done by children, after they talk about tolerance,” organizing things is another story. Everyone involved in bringing the ship to Chicago – the project is partly a family affair, as the Kabakov’s daughter Viola is the concert organizer, and her daughter Orliana is the youth ambassador in Chicago – is very thankful for the help given by the teams at EXPO CHICAGO and Navy Pier to make it happen and build enthusiasm for the project.Each ship must start with outreach to school children, ages 8 to 12, to discuss the meaning of tolerance and the merits of other cultures, races, and ideas. The children work with local teaching artists to expand on a variety of artistic as well as conceptual exercises. At the end of the workshop, they draw pictures that will become part of the installation. In Chicago MacArthur Middle School is one partner. “They saw it on the internet,” says Viola, “And when they heard we were coming they wanted to participate. We also have members of area churches, synagogues and mosques in Chicago participating.”Viola stresses they make every effort to bring local children, and those from other cities and countries, together in a short period to put on an opening dance or music performance. The limited time means the kids must communicate with each other any way they can. For Chicago there was so much interest that several concerts will take place, since as many people as want to be a part of the project may participate.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418597/gmuv2fujmxjdrncrmb9w.gif"><figcaption>Sails for the Havana Ship of Tolerance</figcaption></figure>“When we started at MacArthur,” explains Viola, “we went to show them a video presentation of the ships and samples of the sails. We started the conversation about tolerance and how it affects their daily lives and we did it class by class. For the last five months they have been having this conversation and then producing the sails, which they send back to us in New York, where my parents decide which colors go on the mast of the ship.”Even the ones that aren’t chosen are stitched together and displayed in various museums, in airports or on the street, so children have the opportunity to see their work everywhere.When the sails are ready, a team of master carpenters from Manchester arrives to start building the wooden ship – based on the Kabakovs' design – from the keel up, hopefully also working with local teenage volunteers, who learn carpentry skills as well as cooperation.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418599/pf674dckszpucvgz7u2a.gif"><figcaption>Ship builders in Rome, Italy</figcaption></figure>Chicago’s ship will measure 50’H x 24.6’W x 65.6’L and will launch during EXPO CHICAGO as part of IN/SITU Outside, a program for large-scale public sculpture. Additionally there will be a special exhibition booth of the Kabakovs’ artworks at EXPO CHICAGO, and the artists will participate in the /Dialogues program in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.While the project itself takes years to bring to life, the key components of the ship are made over a matter of days. The true message of the Ship of Tolerance comes more from the effort put into the act of creation rather than the work itself.“The artwork is just the presentation. If you write a note to someone at this moment, you concentrate very strongly on what your message is and what you are thinking about. So for children the conversation about tolerance is the real art,” says Emilia. Much like slipping a message into a bottle before it’s tossed into the sea, there’s no telling how far the message will drift. The Ship of Tolerance will carry the pure, earnest wishes of so many children into the minds of many more.By now the Kabakovs have done many projects around the world with thousands of children – from various cultures and of different religions. People tell the artists they are changed after a ship arrives in their city.In a world where the headwinds are always strong, Emilia emphasizes, “We are not fighting against something. We are fighting for something.”&nbsp;For a list of programs planned for Chicago visit <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/">expochicago.com</a> and <a href="https://shipoftolerance.org/">shipoftolerance.org</a>.&nbsp;Events begin September 17, 2019.&nbsp;</body></html>

Cultivating Winds of Change: The Ship of Tolerance Docks at Navy Pier for EXPO CHICAGO

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418595/kgok8puzmhnck18vva0s.gif"></figure>By CGN Staff&nbsp;An event coming up on the area's busy fall art calendar is the one of the country’s premier fine craft shows, the 35th annual <a href="http://americancraftexpo.org/">American Craft Exposition</a> (ACE) which will take place September 20-22, 2019 in suburban Glencoe.Presented by The Auxiliary of NorthShore University HealthSystem, and taking place at an always-amazing destination, the Chicago Botanic Garden, ACE brings together over 140 superior artisans exhibiting one-of-a-kind pieces, luxury collections and uniquely creative, museum quality artwork in 12 media – baskets, ceramics, fiber decorative, fiber wearable, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper and wood.The weekend promises to be a celebration of beautiful things and artistic ingenuity.&nbsp;This event is also a major fundraiser supporting research and care at NorthShore University HealthSystem, specifically the Psychiatric Urgent Care Program currently being run out of Evanston Hospital. Last year, the event raised over $550K.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418597/uaxbozo5zjozrww2dwvf.jpg"><figcaption>A past artist winner</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Artists support ACE’s fundraising goal by participating in the voluntary Craft for a Cause program and donating a percentage of a designated sale.Approximately 8,500&nbsp;visitors attend each year. Out of the 149 artists exhibiting at the 2018 show, approximately&nbsp;30 were new to the show, including&nbsp;three Emerging Artists.&nbsp;Show Dates 2019:September 20–22, 2019. Preview party on September 19Friday 10–6 Saturday 10–6 Sunday 10–5&nbsp;Location: Chicago Botanic Garden1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL&nbsp;Tickets are on sale now. More information&nbsp;may be found <a href="http://americancraftexpo.org/">here</a>. Additional images from 2019 artists are pictured below.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418598/q2serywimm1qonumquvd.gif"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418599/efyeswjdp5eefsqvgm9a.gif"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418600/yvpknziotlibtrr5aga4.gif"></figure> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

September's American Craft Exposition Benefits NorthShore University HealthSystem's Psychiatric Urgent Care Program

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417748/gb9jgdowx0jjdsmnkbnw.jpg"><figcaption>Stine Deja &amp; Marie Munk, Synthetic Seduction, 2018. Annika Kultys Gallery, London.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By CGN Staff via PREXPO CHICAGO, The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, announced the full participating artist and speaker roster for its core programs taking place during the eighth annual edition (September 19 – 22, 2019), in alignment with the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial. Complete details may be found <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/programs">here</a>.Core programs include:&nbsp;• &nbsp;/Dialogues, the onsite panel program, presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)• Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting, featuring exclusive panels open to VIP guests• IN/SITU, large-scale sculpture, video, film and site-specific works installed within the expansive, vaulted architecture of Navy Pier’s Festival Hall• IN/SITU Outside, temporary public art installations situated along the Lakefront and throughout Chicago neighborhoods• OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, which utilizes citywide digital billboards in Chicago’s City Digital Network (CDN) to display a curated selection of contemporary artwork on view from September 9 – 28."EXPO CHICAGO hosts one of the world's most critical and engaging platforms for contemporary art and culture within the context of an international art exposition," said EXPO CHICAGO Artistic Director and Editor-in-Chief of THE SEEN Stephanie Cristello. "With programs ranging from panels and discourse, to site-specific art works, to collaborations with major international curators, EXPO CHICAGO is committed to supporting the exhibiting international galleries and their artists,” she added. “These commitments align with our goals to elevate the role of Chicago within the global contemporary art context, as well as provide an access point for curators, collectors, artists and dealers. As the exposition grows, we continue to forge lasting partnerships and foster citywide alignments that solidify September in Chicago on the international art fair calendar.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417748/syzvocxuw0hgnhrqfv6x.jpg"><figcaption>EXPO CHICAGO</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The EXPO CHICAGO program also features an unprecedented commitment to host curatorial initiatives during the exposition, including the Curatorial Forum in partnership with Independent Curators International (ICI), and the Curatorial Exchange, which partners with foreign agencies and consulates to expand the exposition’s global reach.&nbsp;EXPO CHICAGO is the publisher of THE SEEN, Chicago’s only international journal of contemporary and modern art criticism, online and in print.&nbsp;/Dialogues&nbsp;Presented in partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), /Dialogues offers panel discussions, conversations and provocative artistic discourse with leading artists, curators, designers and arts professionals on the current issues that engage them.&nbsp;&nbsp;Symposium: On Utopia&nbsp;The 2019 /Dialogues Symposium: On Utopia, gathers scholars and artists through a series of panels, performances and book signings to discuss the various ways in which utopias have remained relevant in a twenty-first century context, fueling discussions within fields of politics, art, architecture and culture. The Symposium will take place on Friday, September 20, and feature prominent artists and scholars such as Emilia Kabakov, Sheikha Hoor Al Qassimi, Jill Snyder, Jan Tichy (SAIC MFA 2009) and Samson Young, among others.Highlights for the Saturday and Sunday /Dialogues program include a panel with Prospect.5 curators Grace Deveney, Naima J. Keith and Diana Nawi moderated by Sarah Thornton; a discussion with artist Charles Atlas in alignment with his new commission for Art on theMART; and a conversation on the cosmos with artists Eduardo Terrazas and Edra Soto (SAIC MFA 2000), moderated by Hans Ulrich Obrist in advance of his book launch for Creative Chicago: An Interview Marathon.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417749/emjfvyaewfrjxwmiuhyb.jpg"><figcaption>Todd Gray, Love &amp; Happiness (Chicago), 2019. Courtesy of the artist and David Lewis, New York.</figcaption></figure>Exchange by Northern TrustAn Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting.Located within the Northern Trust Anchor Lounge, Exchange by Northern Trust: An Interactive Conversation Around the Art of Collecting features exclusive panels open to invited VIP guests.Highlights of the 2019 program include a conversation between painter and President of the Royal Academy of Arts in London Christopher Le Brun and Director of The J. Paul Getty Trust James Cuno; a panel on private collections featuring collectors and philanthropists Pamela Joyner and Fred Giuffrida and Mac MacLellan from Northern Trust; a case study on diversity, inclusion and accessibility within an institution with moCa Cleveland Executive Director Jill Snyder; and a discussion on collaborative museum models with Miranda Lash of the Speed Art Museum.IN/SITU&nbsp;Installed within the expansive, vaulted architecture of Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, IN/SITU features large-scale sculpture, video, film and site-specific works. Jacob Fabricius, Artistic Director at Kunsthal Aarhus and recently appointed Artistic Director of the Busan Biennale, presents a curated selection of work, with pieces by Janine Antoni, Neïl Beloufa, Stine Deja &amp; Marie Munk, Morgan Fisher, Theaster Gates, Lena Henke, Dan Peterman, Scott Reeder, Kay Rosen and more.PUBLIC ART&nbsp;Engaging the city’s long legacy of pioneering public art, EXPO CHICAGO presents major initiatives presented in collaboration with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Chicago Park District, and Navy Pier to highlight work by internationally recognized artists beyond Navy Pier. Core off-site programs include IN/SITU Outside, siting works by major contemporary artists throughout Chicago neighborhoods for up to one year, and OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project, which features a curated selection of artworks throughout the citywide digital network.OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project&nbsp;September 9 – 29OVERRIDE | A Billboard Project is a citywide public art initiative, presented by EXPO CHICAGO and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), displayed throughout Chicago’s City Digital Network (CDN). Placing artwork within this public context and the broader presentation of billboard advertising, OVERRIDE takes its name from industry terminology referring to the continuation of an outdoor advertising program beyond a contracted period. Fully integrated into the language of advertising and local familiar signage, each of the works included within the OVERRIDE program present the opportunity for artists to intercept and push the boundaries of how visual culture is disseminated in our increasingly image-based environment.As a special feature of OVERRIDE, the single vertically oriented screen at 515 W Ida B. Wells Drive will present a self-contained exhibition of the works of Jessica Campbell, Zakkiyyah Najeebah, Summer Wheat, alongside pioneering feminist artist Betty Tompkins. Additional participating artists include Charles Atlas, Shezad Dawood, Stine Deja, Todd Gray, Ayana V. Jackson, Hayv Kahramian, Farrah Karapetian, Tony Lewis, Chris Pappan, Kay Rosen and Chris Ware.&nbsp;IN/SITU Outside&nbsp;IN/SITU Outside provides the opportunity for EXPO CHICAGO Exhibitors to present temporary public art installations situated along the Lakefront and throughout Chicago neighborhoods, presented in partnership with the Chicago Park District (CPD), the city of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and Navy Pier.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417750/ogqo8ghwc5t6zit1sqna.png"><figcaption>Ship of Tolerance © Zug Tourismus Fotografie Daniel.</figcaption></figure>2019 installations include The Ship of Tolerance (2019) by The Ilya and Emilia Kabakov Foundation, a large-scale installation with accompanying educational programs and performance that connects communities through art and music to address issues surrounding intolerance (located in Polk Bros. Park at Navy Pier); Collages for the Esplanade Apartments(2019) by Assaf Evron, a site-specific installation that treats the Mies van der Rohe building windows with rock formations that harken to Evron’s homeland and reference van der Rohe’s original collaged works on paper (located at 900 N Lake Shore Drive); and Founders Inflatable(2019) by the Floating Museum, a mobile monument whose form is a mix of interpretations of items from the collections of the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Field Museum of Natural History, as well as interpretations of various historical figures (located at Navy Pier).&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

EXPO CHICAGO Announces Core Programs

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418296/gjuo1zxuev2l5kwnn3rc.png"><figcaption>John Boesche, To Be In Love, Performance by Cheryl Lynn Bruce and Original Artwork by Kerry James Marshall. Photograph by Bob Grosse.</figcaption></figure>By CGN Staff via PROn September 21, Art on theMART, the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, will unveil new site-specific commissions by Charles Atlas and Petra Cortright. The program will also feature extended viewing of select soliloquies by Year of Chicago Theatre artist John Boesche, including a projected performance by Cheryl Lynn Bruce backgrounded by images of paintings by artist Kerry James Marshall. The approximately 25 minute program will be unveiled with a free public launch event at 6:30 p.m. on September 21 in alignment with EXPO ART WEEK (September 16 – 22). The launch event will feature food vendors and entertainment on Wacker Dr. between Wells St. and Franklin St., followed by a fireworks display that concludes the program.“We are proud to present a strong program highlighting new contemporary artwork by Charles Atlas and Petra Cortright on our monumental platform this fall,” said Art on theMART Executive Director Cynthia Noble. “The visually and conceptually rich work is perfectly suited for a presentation of this scale and will be essential viewing for Chicagoans and visitors from around the world.”<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418297/exjrlhmo9xtrpfo8e4kt.jpg"></figure>This expansive permanent piece of public art continues Chicago’s legacy of providing both residents and visitors with exceptional art that is both free and accessible to all. Projections are visible to the public from Wacker Drive and along the Chicago Riverwalk two hours a night for ten months of the year (March – December), beginning approximately 15 minutes after sundown. The projections are regularly on view five nights a week from Wednesday – Sunday, with expanded nightly viewing to seven nights a week from May 13 – September 30, 2019.About theMARTtheMART (formerly The Merchandise Mart), located in the center of the sought-after River North submarket, is interwoven into the fabric of Chicago as an innovator in business, technology, culture, art, media and more. As the largest privately owned commercial building in the United States, it is also one of the world’s leading commercial buildings, wholesale design centers and the preeminent international business location in Chicago. Encompassing 4.2 million gross square feet, theMART spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day and nearly 10 million people annually. Offering continuous innovation and creativity from leading manufacturers and design forward showrooms, theMART serves as the home to Chicago's most creative and technologically innovative companies including Motorola Mobility, 1871, Yelp, PayPal and MATTER, as well as Fortune 500 companies ConAgra, Allstate, Kellogg, Beam Suntory and Grainger.<figure class="image" data-storehaus-transformation="{&quot;crop&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:&quot;0.08550995024864311&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:&quot;104.86473880597012&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;895.9149564676619&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;384.4542910447762&quot;}}"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418298/ujugwbvnyossd3lmjabv.png"><figcaption>Rendering by Charles Atlas for Art on theMART Fall 2019 Commission. © Charles Atlas; Image courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York.</figcaption></figure>The program content rotates every season and is selected with the assistance and expertise of the Curatorial Advisory Board. The City of Chicago and theMART work in partnership to manage and curate the projected artwork over the course of a 30-year agreement. Privately funded by Vornado Realty Trust, owner of theMART, Art on theMART marks the first time a projection of its size and scope will be completely dedicated to digital art with no branding, sponsorship credits or messaging. The permanent projection system illuminates theMART with 34 state-of-the-art projectors totaling almost one million lumens. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.artonthemart.com/">www.artonthemart.com</a>.About the ArtistsCharles AtlasCharles Atlas has been a pioneering figure in film and video for over four decades. Atlas has extended the limits of his medium, forging new territory in a far-reaching range of genres, stylistic approaches and techniques. Throughout his production, the artist has consistently fostered collaborative relationships, working intimately with such artists and performers as Leigh Bowery, Michael Clark, Douglas Dunn, Marina Abramovic, Yvonne Rainer, Mika Tajima/New Humans, Antony and the Johnsons, and most notably Merce Cunningham, for whom he served as in-house videographer for a decade from the early 1970s through 1983; their close working relationship continued until Cunningham’s death in 2009. John BoescheFrom Broadway theater productions to performances by premiere dance companies, John Boesche is an acclaimed Chicago-based media designer with a diverse creative background. Locally, he has worked on productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Goodman Theatre, Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Steppenwolf Theatre and many more. He has also worked on dozens of productions nationwide, including “The Glass Menagerie” on Broadway at the Roundabout Theatre. Since 2012, Boesche has been Chair of Digital Media for Live Performance, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Petra CortrightPetra Cortright’s core practice is the creation and distribution of digital and physical images using consumer or corporate softwares. She became renowned for making self-portrait videos that use her computer’s webcam and default effects tools, which she would then upload to YouTube and caption with spam text. Cortright’s paintings on aluminum, linen, paper or acrylic are created in Photoshop using painting software and appropriated images, icons and marks. The digital files are endlessly modifiable, but at a “decisive moment” they are translated into two-dimensional objects. They become finite, yet their range of motifs and marks, and their disorienting perspectives and dimensions suggest dynamic change.<figure class="image" data-storehaus-transformation="{&quot;crop&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:&quot;81.2080223880597&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:&quot;4.371890547263665&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;738.6333955223881&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;589.3166977611942&quot;}}"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418299/bv2ebyvhgqduwlyutam2.png"><figcaption>Petra Cortright, rendering of &nbsp;Webcam still life with flowers blue, green, and red.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Art on theMART Announces 2019 Fall Program

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418292/hbbneaseckupycfjix1v.gif"></figure><h3>Barbara Crane, Protean Photographer of Intimate Chicagoan Scenes, Dead at&nbsp;91</h3>Barbara Crane, a veteran Chicagoan photographer whose indelible images explored the way humans interact with nature and each other, has died at 91. A representative at Stephen Daiter Gallery in Chicago, which represents Crane, confirmed her death.Via Artnews<a href="http://www.artnews.com/2019/08/08/barbara-crane-dead/?fbclid=IwAR2XKutc7dXJ-cmYPJEu8t2u-88U3GgMm1wFbnZjD1ulwaHNZNYQuzkAxc4">Read more...</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418293/xndamkjjl0gftg3vyjy8.jpg"><figcaption>John Baldessari's Tips for Artists Who Want to Sell has some ideas. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h3>How Does an Artist Get a Gallery, Anyway? Here Are 11 Practical Steps That Could Lead to Bona Fide Representation</h3>Every year sees many thousands of newly credentialed artists, bearing degrees in the fine arts, looking to make their stamp in the art world. While there are numerous paths to success, many artists, young and not so young, are seeking the same goal: a gallery to show and sell their work to collectors and museums, to help them mount successful exhibitions, and maybe even to subsidize the production of their work.Via Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/how-to-get-a-gallery-1621384?utm_content=from_&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=US+10%3A05+a.m.+newsletter+for+8%2F12%2F19&amp;utm_term=New+US+Newsletter+List&amp;fbclid=IwAR2zlMyKnTLA7qGsQTk9Ee68yL4I87-pNdmBaKAzRxQxHZZwpch9gu3TtWk">Read More...</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418294/xa0ohbkwlauec7wlbpyr.jpg"><figcaption>Yinka Shonibare with his installation "The British Library." Photo by Tabatha Fireman/Getty Images. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure><h3>‘You’ve Got to Be a Bit Utopian’: British Artist Yinka Shonibare CBE Explains What it Takes to Be an Artist</h3>The Nigerian-born, London-based <a href="https://art21.org/artist/yinka-shonibare-cbe-ra/">Yinka Shonibare CBE</a>&nbsp;began exploring politics in his art while in school at Goldsmiths, eventually turning his practice toward deconstructing stereotypes and questioning notions of authenticity. These explorations have taken him far—most recently to Chicago, where Shonibare is the first artist spotlighted for the&nbsp;<a href="http://driehausmuseum.org/exhibition/yinkashonibarecbe">Driehaus Museum</a>‘s new contemporary art series.&nbsp;What drives Shonibare? “You’ve got to be a bit utopian,” he explains, “because it’s not a very realistic occupation.”Via Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/yinka-shonibare-cbe-art-21-1620283?fbclid=IwAR2miShdoEDkkCtCulWQL-DwCwhK5L1S00B1XfEgCpPc-Fik1X83CYZn5Wk">Read More...</a></body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 13, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418295/zwjohc1sbhcijmybfwsv.jpg"><figcaption>Caroline Longo, student in Suzanne Deal Booth Seminar “The Material Science of Art,” prepares to use x-radiography to examine The Penitent St. Jerome at the Smart Museum of Art.</figcaption></figure>By CGN Staff via PR&nbsp;The University of Chicago’s Department of Art History has received a $1 million gift from activist for cultural heritage protection, philanthropist, and Napa Valley vintner Suzanne Deal Booth for the funding of art conservation courses and internships. The endowment builds upon the efforts of a five-year conservation teaching collaboration implemented by the Department in the spring of 2018.The generous donation from Deal Booth assures the perpetuity of the piloted initiative’s courses and opportunities for students, funding art conservation and conservation science course offerings on campus as well as an annual undergraduate internship in the field. The endowment marks UChicago as one of the few national institutions to offer regular art conservation and conservation science courses at the college level within a liberal arts institution.“What truly sets UChicago’s approach apart from specialized conservation programs elsewhere is how it is embedded in a liberal arts education and graduate studies in art history and the humanities,” said Professor Christine Mehring, Chair of the Department of Art History. “Over years of object-driven teaching, I have seen how the material and visual presence of art and architecture fosters not only heightened attention but empowers students from different backgrounds and disciplines: everyone looks at the same thing, together. There is so much untapped potential for students on our campus to investigate relations between the science and the meanings of artistic materials.”In partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago—and with support from Deal Booth, UChicago’s Pritzker School for Molecular Engineering (PME), Division of the Humanities, and College—the Department of Art History in 2018 created a five-year position to teach two classes each year in conservation and conservation science respectively: the Suzanne Deal Booth Conservation Seminars. Open to both undergraduates and graduate students, the Conservation Seminars draw on ongoing research and treatments of objects in the Art Institute, and in UChicago’s Smart Museum, Oriental Institute, Special Collections, and Public Art Collection. The piloted program also supports a mentored, annual eight-week summer undergraduate internship focused on the scientific investigation of art in the Department of Conservation and Science at the Art Institute.Established earlier this year, PME is a transformational academic unit and interdisciplinary research institute exploring the intersection of science and engineering. PME builds on the success of efforts by UChicago and Argonne National Laboratory, which partnered in 2011 to establish the Institute for Molecular Engineering. By converging multiple disciplines, PME is well-equipped to contribute to the collaborative nature of the Department’s teaching program. The partnership has already allowed seminar students to make use of the School’s cutting-edge materials science facilities. “The chemical and materials science expertise in the Pritzker School for Molecular Engineering is another piece of the repertoire that UChicago brings to art conservation and art scholarship, guided by colleagues with skills in the subject matter of the art itself and its history,” said Matthew Tirrell, Pritzker Director at the PME.Maria Kokkori, Associate Conservation Scientist for Scholarly Initiatives at the Art Institute of Chicago, taught the inaugural class of the Suzanne Deal Booth Conservation Seminars, titled “The Material Science of Art.” Kokkori holds an MSc degree from the University of Cambridge, a diploma in conservation of easel paintings, and received her PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London; she then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Courtauld Institute. During 2009-2011 she was a postdoctoral research fellow of the Malevich Society in New York. As part of her teaching appointment, Kokkori is also available to advise related BA and/or MA theses in molecular engineering, chemistry, art history, or other related fields.Deal Booth’s $1 million gift assures the longevity of the Conservation Seminars and internships beyond the piloted initiative’s five-year program. At the student level, funding will enable the Department of Art History to further engage undergraduates in the sciences and recruit doctoral students with experience in investigating material implications in art history. The courses—highly popular amongst a wide pool of majors in the visual arts, chemistry, and geophysical sciences—have raised awareness about the preservation of art and architecture, introduced undergraduates to new fields and career paths, and made students competitive for opportunities in the conservation field. Recent UChicago college graduate Ellen Purdy, a former student of Kokkori’s and the 2019 Suzanne Deal Booth intern at the Art Institute, was named one of thirty-four U.S. recipients of the prestigious 2019 Gates Cambridge Scholarship and will pursue a master of chemistry with a focus in conservation science at the University of Cambridge. Purdy noted that it was her participation in the Suzanne Deal Booth Conservation Seminars, where she analyzed a Kandinsky painting at the Art Institute, that solidified her interests in art conservation.With the convergence of three recent initiatives—the five-year conservation of Wolf Vostell’s public sculpture Concrete Traffic led by Mehring, a 2016 Rhoades Seminar (an annual course taught at UChicago by an Art Institute curator or conservator) on the materialities of modern art, and the Chicago Objects Study Initiative (COSI) funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation since 2014— interdisciplinary instruction on conservation and conservation science is coming to the forefront at UChicago.“In addition to providing extraordinary pedagogical opportunities for a liberal arts education, the fields of conservation and conservation science open up exciting areas of student and public engagement with campus collections and Chicago’s urban environment,” said Mehring. “We are deeply grateful that Suzanne’s generosity allows us to open up these experiences to students not only in art history but in chemistry, physics, molecular engineering, and so many other related disciplines.”“Cultural heritage conservation is more than a static conservation of the past,” Suzanne Deal Booth explained. “It is a dynamic means of informing the future. It gives me great joy and personal satisfaction that these classes are structured to embrace science, art, history, and philosophy with the intention of broadening the students’ knowledge and love for this exciting, interdisciplinary field.”</body></html>

University of Chicago Announces $1 Million Endowment for Art Conservation Courses

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418592/nu93sdly7rd3jciu0t0e.jpg"><figcaption>Notre Dame cathedral was engulfed by fire in April © Nivenn Lanos</figcaption></figure><h3>It’s official: the new Notre Dame will look like the old Notre Dame</h3>Law approved by French parliament this month states that the cathedral must be rebuilt as it looked before the devastating fireBy Francesco Bandarin via the Art Newspaper<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/analysis/it-s-official-the-new-notre-dame-will-look-like-the-old-notre-dame?utm_source=The+Art+Newspaper+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=96d881db17-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_08_04_09_25&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_c459f924d0-96d881db17-61117077&amp;fbclid=IwAR2Mw7YvLoAaxQ7kATU-HpZU529UFwGUWcJcleV_P2nS9v62itXXYhlYcIA">Read more...</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418592/zdi4rt3tvlef2xe7oypl.png"><figcaption>Mikalene Thomas</figcaption></figure><h3>The Baltimore Museum of Art Devotes a Year-Long Program to Female-Identifying Artists</h3>For the Baltimore Museum of Art, the future is female. The institution announced a year-long program of 20 exhibitions called “2020 Vision,” which will be dedicated to women and female-identifying artists.By Barry Samaha via Surface<a href="https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/baltimore-museum-women-artists/#">Read More...</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418593/h1ozul5c13omiu6tpgza.jpg"><figcaption>Georgia O'Keefe</figcaption></figure><h3>A New Study Has Simple Advice for Collectors Looking for Big Returns on Art: Invest In Women</h3>Male artists still make up the bulk of the art market, but women are doing better in terms of auction resales.By Sarah Cascone via Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/art-market-women-1615090">Read More...</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418594/tt6m21mno2h1uu3fecmc.jpg"></figure><h3>Three Munich Museums Restitute 9 Nazi-Looted Artworks to the Heirs of Jewish Collectors</h3>The artworks ended up in Munich's museums before new research revealed their true history.By Kate Brown via Artnet<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/restitution-munich-museums-1616695">Read More...</a></body></html>

News From Around the Art World: August 5, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418350/qca5ny5yiol4fnmhnnef.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/richard-gray-gallery-gray-warehouse">Richard Gray Gallery</a> announced today that gallery artist Jim Dine has been appointed Chevalier del’Ordre de la Légion d’honneur, the French Legion of Honor, on July 14, 2019.&nbsp;Born in Cincinnati, Dine came to prominence in New York in the late 1950s. Over the course of his&nbsp;distinguished&nbsp;career, Dine has produced iconic series of paintings and sculpture that are recognized worldwide and celebrated for their enduring motifs. Dine has been a resident of Paris for the last decade, and in 2016, made a significant gift of major paintings and sculpture to the Centre Pompidou. Dine's recent honor is&nbsp;indicative of the city's everlasting gratitude and embrace of his practice.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418351/cvvmiggkh7sglcaeezit.gif"><figcaption>2017 installation view of Jim Dine: Looking at the Present at Gray Warehouse. Photo Tom Rossiter.</figcaption></figure>Dine's most recent <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/looking-at-the-present-recent-works-by-jim-dine">exhibition with the gallery</a> was in 2017 to inaugurate Gray Warehouse's location on Chicago's west side.&nbsp;Founded by Napoleon in 1802, The Legion of Honour is the highest French award given to soldiers and civilians. You can read more about the history of the award <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legion_of_Honour">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Artist Jim Dine Receives France's Highest Civilian Award

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418248/z5zmlrxkjndctomt1vgl.png"><figcaption>Alma Wieser, director of Heaven Gallery, wants to create a sustainable arts center in Wicker Park by using a Community Land Trust model.ALMA WIESER/PROVIDED</figcaption></figure><h3>‘I Feel Like I’m Burying My Neighborhood’: Wicker Park’s Cultural Scene Is A Shell Of What It Once Was. Can A Group Of Artists Save What’s Left?</h3>Heaven Gallery's Alma Wieser wants to create a community land trust to preserve a permanent place for art and artists in Wicker Park. But she needs a lot of help.By Hannah Alani via Block Club Chicago&nbsp;<a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/07/26/i-feel-like-im-burying-my-neighborhood-wicker-parks-cultural-scene-is-a-shell-of-what-it-once-was-can-a-group-of-artists-save-whats-left/?fbclid=IwAR0cIbrlJcgvHDi6_ybOcpuLxRbrA7qHlO_iEf8g2_EDfNhtsG03HSdpNB4">Read more...</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418249/t4allx1rml2t3mo7uyun.jpg"><figcaption>Installation view of an event by James Gallery. Photo courtesy of James Gallery, Pittsburgh.</figcaption></figure><h3>Galleries That Moonlight: How Smaller Dealers Are Making Money in Nontraditional Ways, From Helping Corporations to Hosting Weddings</h3>To increase revenue in a crowded field, galleries are developing side hustles as event venues and corporate art advisors.By Daniel Grant via Artnet.com<a href="https://news.artnet.com/market/galleries-that-moonlight-1611124?utm_content=from_&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=US%209%3A55%20a.m.%20newsletter%20for%207%2F29%2F19&amp;utm_term=New%20US%20Newsletter%20List&amp;fbclid=IwAR3OU_ld95BoGGGI_eDOClVo3GCSeN1sdIYx66-nRX-bh16uI9YTEHVd29U">Read More...</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418250/mnzqejmjunog5jaxrzva.jpg"><figcaption>Jackson Park, with the Museum of Science and Industry in the upper right corner, in Chicago on March 2, 2018. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)</figcaption></figure><h3>Obama Presidential Center will have ‘adverse effect’ on Jackson Park’s historic design, new report says</h3>Building the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park will have an “adverse effect” on the park and on the adjacent Midway Plaisance, a new report by city officials for state and federal agencies has revealed.But while the massive project would alter portions of the property that justified listing it on the National Register of Historic Places, the newly released report is just one step in the federal review process.By Lolly Bowean via CHICAGO TRIBUNE<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-obama-presidential-center-historic-properties-effects-20190730-hauhsnrrrfad5fqkbmdzc7yspq-story.html">Read More...</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418251/xgnnbjbe5bw59ra1uj9f.jpg"><figcaption>Frida Kahlo by Ulta Beauty: The Signature Box. Photo courtesy of Ulta.</figcaption></figure><h3>A New Line of Frida Kahlo Makeup Seems to Have Forgotten About the Artist’s Signature Unibrow, and Her Fans Are Furious</h3>To mark the occasion of Frida Kahlo's 112th birthday, the <a href="https://fridakahlocorporation.com/">Frida Kahlo Corporation</a>, the official licensing agent for commercial products bearing her name and likeness, unveiled a new Kahlo-branded makeup line, produced by Ulta Beauty and priced between $10 and $30. (The same week, <a href="https://www.vans.com/vault-main/frida-kahlo.html">Vans launched new line of shoes</a> featuring her paintings.)There was one major problem: The photo of Kahlo being used on the packaging, many felt, downplayed her famous unibrow, leaving the public to wonder whether or not the unconventional beauty had been Photoshopped to conform to traditional standards of attractiveness.By Sarah Cascone via Artnet.com<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/frida-kahlo-ultra-beauty-makeup-controversy-1603084?utm_content=from_&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=US+9%3A55+a.m.+newsletter+for+7%2F18%2F19&amp;utm_term=New+US+Newsletter+List&amp;fbclid=IwAR19zoMbt5F0DbCLdH91yyHz3Z3C_f4PmY-k_UYNj8RyTnq2rdlCS6TVF_E">Read More...</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: July 30, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418271/gtszn6ecsqjrbmougbtd.gif"></figure><h3>Artists Selected for Kehinde Wiley's Inaugural Residency Program in Senegal</h3>Black Rock Senegal, the residency program launched by artist Kehinde Wiley earlier this year, announced today that sixteen multidisciplinary artists have been invited to to live and work in Dakar from August to April 2020.Via Artforum<a href="https://www.artforum.com/news/artists-selected-for-kehinde-wiley-s-inaugural-residency-program-in-senegal-80382">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418272/gg3xqbw7vjujrmhxowew.gif"></figure><h3>Mega Collector Dakis Joannou Turned Remote Greek Island into an Art Mecca&nbsp;</h3>On a Monday in late June, after the Art Basel fair in Basel, Switzerland, the billionaire collector Dakis Joannou docked his yacht in the small harbor of the Greek isle of Hydra. The yacht’s exterior is covered in a kaleidoscopic pattern that was designed by Jeff Koons, and it is called Guilty.By Nate Freeman, ARTSY Editorial<a href="https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-mega-collector-dakis-joannou-turned-remote-greek-island-art-mecca">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418273/i35jwbbic5dptkxlcqkk.jpg"></figure><h3>Inside Hushed Museum Hallways, a Rumble Over Pay Grows Louder</h3>The art handlers at the Guggenheim work under some unusual conditions, having to hang paintings slightly askew and tilted to account for the museum’s sloped floors and curved walls. But this spring, the handlers mounted something never before seen at the Guggenheim: a successful union drive.By Elizabeth A. Harris and Robin Pogrebin<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/arts/museum-pay-unions.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=arts&amp;region=rank&amp;module=package&amp;version=highlights&amp;contentPlacement=1&amp;pgtype=sectionfront">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: July 23, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418254/qcqzkkkidpkpcqn62do6.gif"></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEAHeadline-making auction results never fail to draw in established collectors tracking art’s hottest names, speculators monitoring investment opportunities, and of course many casual observers. Art prices are frequently at the heart of the attraction of the global art market as well as the source of the intimidation people new to the art world feel when they wonder why a piece of art costs what it costs.With more than 130 galleries operating in the Chicago area, there is no single best way to work on behalf of artists and collectors, but there are a few key ways to keep the lights on year after year: save, and build a good reputation.Here we share five examples of the financial expense side of running a physical gallery in Chicago in order to pull back the curtain on what the numbers can look like in our local art market. While the overall income figures remain mostly private, I am grateful to these five local art dealers, who each agreed to be candid about a significant portion of their own unique operational costs and to share why being in the art business is worth more than money. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418255/einf9jez1st82h62poxs.gif"><figcaption>A view into McCormick Gallery</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/mccormick-gallery">McCORMICK GALLERY</a>Features both modern and contemporary art, focusing primarily on painting, works on paper and sculptureLocation: West LoopPrincipal: Tom McCormickYears in business: 50, although McCormick Gallery opened in 2000Number of artists represented: 20 living; 12 estatesNumber of art fairs per year: We used to do up to 10 per year. Now it’s down to 3, and shrinking! In 2018 our 3 fairs totaled $115,000 in expenses.Major expenses: Commissions to artists on sold works: $996,110. Salaries: $101,659 (I don’t take a salary)Other necessary expenses: taxes, framing, shipping, publications, utilities, repairs, etc.Annual rent: $72,000. We own this building, which helps, but I have to pay the mortgage and taxesCGN: What single factor has mostly kept you afloat?TM: I am at heart very conservative with money. I started almost 50 years ago, very modestly as a picker and runner (antiques, textiles, paintings… whatever), and didn’t have a proper gallery until I was in my 50s. So I built up a very solid base of knowledge and experience and never got too big for my pants, which helps in the down times. I think a reputation for being honest and reputable is very important. We also believe in giving clients artwork they will love and want to live with at a fair price. That’s sort of old fashioned, I suppose.CGN: What makes the gallery business worth it for you?TM: I make a good living, so no complaints there. After all this time I’m pretty good at this and don’t know what else I’d do. While I am more and more disheartened by the whack-a-doodle art world, and what passes for “contemporary art”, I still love finding and selling a good painting. I like the artists we represent and enjoy seeing careers flourish. I love the occasional letter from a satisfied client who writes to say how much they enjoy their purchase. That pretty much makes it worthwhile. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418256/i010fci7dlnfifyep51z.gif"><figcaption>Western Exhibition’s booth at the 2019 Art Los Angeles Contemporary art fair, held in February 2019, with works by Elijah Burgher, Edie Fake, Robyn O’Neil and Deb Sokolow.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/western-exhibitions">WESTERN EXHIBITIONS</a>Contemporary gallery that shows artists who work across most media, also featuring artist books and multiplesLocation: West TownPrincipal: Scott SpehYears in business: 15Number of art fairs per year:3–5Number of artists represented: 21Expenses: Without sharing dollar amounts, here’s a list of expenses that are part of the business, in no particular order. I’m sure that I’m missing something: Insurance (Art as well as liability); Utilities; Photography; Advertising; Framing; Shipping and supplies (FedEx and art handlers); Rent; Professional organization dues; Accountant/bookkeeping fees; Quickbooks; Credit card processing platform; Software (MS Office / Photoshop, as well as an Inventory management system, plus Constant Contact); Artsy; Telephone; Office supplies; Refreshments for opening receptions; Website host; Artist book inventory; Hardware and paint; Physical improvements/maintenance; Artist dinners; Tickets to non-for-profit galas/benefits; Employee wages; and my wages (LOL).CGN: Single biggest expense:SS: Combined art fair costs, which include art fair application fees, booth fees, art fair shipping, lodging, travel, and entertainment.CGN: What single factor has mostly kept you afloat?SS: I don’t have mouths to feed, I’m on my wife’s health insurance, and our rent is relatively cheap. And I don’t own a car. My personal life expenses are pretty low.CGN: What makes the gallery business worth it for you?SS: It beats working! &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418258/zgosctoelzfxxa3pef3d.gif"><figcaption>Courtesy of VGA Gallery and Gallery 400, Opening night of Chicago New Media 1973-1992, 2018</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/vga-gallery">VIDEO GAME ART GALLERY (VGA)</a>Focused on increasing cultural appreciation of and education about video games and new mediaLocation: Wicker ParkExecutive Director: Jonathan Kinkley (Co-Founder with Chaz Evans)Years in business: 6Number of art fairs per year: 4-5CGN: Single biggest expense:JK: Artist fees and staff compensation was around $20K in 2018, higher than normal because we had a huge exhibition Chicago New Media 1973-1992 that was grant-supported, allowing us to pay artists, scholars and workers. Also, we are nonprofit.CGN: Average annual art fair fees (booths, travel, shipping):JK: About $3–5K in 2018, all for local fairs like BitBash, C2E2, Minefaire, GDEX. In 2019 since we are traveling Chicago New Media to the Ars Electronica fair to reach 100K people, with the help of the Terra Foundation, that presentation will cost around $10K. We estimate $3–5K for additional local fairs but also for a trip to present at Games For Change Festival in NYC and also the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.CGN: Annual or monthly rent:JK: In 2018, monthly costs averaged around $500. VGA has generous landlords (my wife Melissa and I!) who subsidize rent and post the space on AirBnB when it is not in use by VGA, freeing up funds for programming. We worked with a law firm to draft a transparent lease that was approved by the VGA board.CGN: Annual revenueJK: About $70,000 in 2018CGN: What single factor has mostly kept you afloat?JK: The Chicago video game and art community believes in us, and that takes the form of material support through grants, donations and volunteering, plus hundreds of people buy VGA prints. Sheer grit and determination are factors too!CGN: Why is it all worth it?JK: This is a tough question I confess I ask myself often. We bring pure delight and wonder, and people’s reactions are amazing and appreciative. The artists too, are so hungry and deserving of recognition. Without VGA, kids at Humboldt Park Library wouldn’t learn how to make games; artists working in games and new media wouldn’t be appreciated in artistic spheres. Books about gaming wouldn’t be published, and people seeking art and games wouldn’t have this dedicated place to go.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418259/ehl1zlbvisp1intjw56j.gif"><figcaption>Works by Meg Leary and Scott Horsley installed at Bert Green Fine Art, summer 2019</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/bert-green-fine-art--2">BERT GREEN FINE ART</a>Exhibiting emerging, mid-career and underrepresented artistsLocation: The Loop/Michigan Ave.Principal: Bert GreenYears in business: 20Number of art fairs per year: 1–2 art fairs a year at at cost of about $8,000 per fair.Number of artists represented: 14 represented, plus about 20 more exhibited but not represented.CGN: Did you have a ‘real job’ before becoming an art dealer? Was it more or less lucrative?BG: I had been curating freelance since 1982, directly out of college, but did not open my own gallery until 1999. In the meantime I was a freelance graphic designer but did now and then hold the occasional job, never as a career and never was my previous work especially lucrative.CGN: Single biggest gallery expense:BG: The rent ($15,000 per year)CGN: Annual revenue:BG: It varies, but gross sales are usually between $150–$200KCGN: What single factor has mostly kept you afloat?BG: Low overhead, especially cheap rent.CGN: Why is it all worth it?BG: Being self employed is liberating and allows for an amazing amount of independence and freedom. Plus, the world of art and artists is unconventional — the people who inhabit that world are the most interesting characters and do not fall into the predictable patterns of tiresome career-based drudgery and unhappiness that so many people experience. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418260/a5vlmyg1znaghw37iebp.gif"><figcaption>The gallery's inaugural exhibition in the new West Town space featured the work of Joel-Peter Witkin in May 2019</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/organizations/catherine-edelman-gallery">CATHERINE EDELMAN GALLERY</a>Devoted to the exhibition of prominent living photographers, alongside new and young talent.Location: Newly in West Town (after 31 years in River North)Principal: Catherine EdelmanYears in business: 32 in December 2019Number of art fairs per year: 4-6Number of artists represented: Approximately 30CGN: Major expenses?CE: My single biggest expense is rent. I pay over $100,000 a year in rent and have for a long time. I have always had long term leases, but everything was off the base rent [from 1987], which when I started was either $11 a square foot or $13. Now rents are $31–$34. We just moved to West Town, where rent will still cost me $31/sf but it is $2,000 less per month for almost twice as much space as what I had in River North.CGN: Average annual art fair fees (booths, travel, shipping):CE: They all average to $40,000–$45,000 per art fair, all included. I do 4–6 per year, depending on my energy level.CGN: How do the fairs stack up for you financially?CE: Up until a year and a half ago we probably netted anywhere from 2–4 times our expenses. The last year and a half I’ve been losing money at art fairs, which is a first for me. I don’t know what changed, but it’s been pretty consistent, well except for EXPO CHICAGO – we always do well there. Miami, we usually are pretty good – six figures net, but we lost money the last two years, which is just unheard of. I know some of it is one of my artists, who is a real mainstay financially, is not producing work that’s of quality that he used to, so where we might have done $1 million of sales of his work, it’s dropped to $200,000. Because the art fairs cost so much money, and the average piece of art that I bring is between $2,000–$10,000, that’s a lot of art that one has to move if it doesn’t come from him. I have to sell 20 $2,000 pieces to make up for one work that is $40,000. I specialize in discovering new people and bringing their careers up, so it’s a hard balance.CGN: There is a financial obligation tied to representing artists. How many artists do you represent now?&nbsp;CE: Probably around 30 – I think that’s been consistent. I work on projects now, so that can be a year, year and a half and then they go. I’m finding that’s much more rewarding for everybody. It’s not as much pressure on the artist to produce things that I like, but it has to be a really strong body of work if collectors are going to get behind it. [Collectors] like to see things year after year, but artists just aren’t working that way, or at least the photographers that I engage aren’t working that way any more. The lineage used to be really simple, but I’m assuming that’s because a lot of the kids coming out of art school now aren’t focusing on just one specific medium anymore. They’re kind of combining things – maybe they want to try audio with video and photography, and it takes some time to figure that out. I find that exciting, but it also is nerve wracking. You can’t really represent it the same way.CGN: What single factor has mostly kept you afloat?CE: My passion for what I do and the fact that I save well. When we were doing really, really well I saved, so that now when things are a little funky we’re still OK.CGN: Why is it all worth it?CE: Because it’s what I do. At a certain point, you make the decision about ‘Is this really what I’m doing for the rest of my life?’ Because unless you’re the one percenters, so that you buy your way into the art world and can buy your way into the blue chip artists, the 99.9% of us who are not that way and who are the ones who really do support the art world, it’s difficult. There are a lot of highs and lows, and you only do this if you really love what you’re doing, because you don’t do it to get rich, although it’s afforded me a very good life.But I’m clear it’s a finite number of years I’ll do this. I’ve said when I’m finished with the gallery, I’ll start a not-for-profit. With 30 something years behind me, it’s going to take a long time to start a new business.Now I’m starting CASE Art Fund – we seek to raise awareness of human rights issues by supporting fine art photographers and their work. We finally have our 501(c)(3), and we have a different way of thinking about costs. For instance it only costs $2,000 for an outside wall at an art fair, but at $1,800 a photo – and we’re making only 25% [of the sale] as well as covering the production costs of the work – we have to sell nine photos to cover the net of $2,000 [of that wall at the fair].&nbsp;Once again it’s not about making money, it’s exposing the art to the right audience. It’s a whole different engagement. It’s not for me, it’s not for them; it’s for the greater good.&nbsp;</body></html>

Money Talks: What Does It Really Cost to Make a Gallery Last?

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418252/yhsqx3yfgg52vbzugxnx.jpg"><figcaption>Vernissage 2018 at Festival Hall. Photo: Jeremy Lawson Photography.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By GINNY VAN ALYEAThe eighth edition of EXPO CHICAGO,&nbsp;the International Exposition of Contemporary &amp; Modern Art is drawing closer by the week. With the <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2019/6/expo-chicago-announces-participants-for-eighth-edition">exhibitor lineup set</a> and the many programatic details falling into place, plans are now being made for the always-popular opening Vernissage event, which opens the fair to thousands of art world VIPs on Thursday, September 19, 2019.The Women’s Board of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is the evening's host and charitable beneficiary. Proceeds from Vernissage raise significant funds in support of the MCA's education department's mission, whose programs offer compelling opportunities to explore, challenge, discuss, and reflect on the MCA’s holdings, as well as the larger world of contemporary art and culture.<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418253/bkoac3b6wsqfxd6j7gfw.jpg"></figure>As always those in attendance will be eager to see the best of the world's contemporary art all under a single, massive roof. Many prominent collectors, artists and art world figures&nbsp;are sure to be in attendance.Past Vernissage events have offered one-of-a-kind experiences like Nick Cave's&nbsp;2017 Up Right Chicago&nbsp;performance, which featured dozens of participants wearing his famous Soundsuits, as well as custom objects designed by architect Jeanne Gang.<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2339/original/img-6517.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Nick Cave performance, 2017</figcaption></figure>EXPO ART WEEK has become a cultural centerpiece of Chicago's art calendar. The most anticipated art event of the year, EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary &amp; Modern Art, boasts some of the world’s premier galleries, and continues to reinforce&nbsp;Chicago as a preeminent art fair and international cultural destination. This year promises to open the international fall arts season with panache, as we showcase Chicago’s unparalleled arts, cuisine, and culture.Vernissage takes place Thursday, September 19, 2019 in Festival Hall on Navy Pier Private Patron Party 5-7 pm General Reception 6-9 pm Tickets to the Patron Reception, featuring a premium bar and cuisine from some of Chicago's finest restaurants,&nbsp;start at $300. Tickets to the General Reception start at $125 ($100 for MCA members). Tickets will be released <a href="https://mcachicago.org/Calendar/2019/09/Vernissage-2019">for sale</a> in August.&nbsp;More info available at <a href="https://www.expochicago.com/">expochicago.com</a>This year's VERNISSAGE co-chairs are Lori Crosley and Mary Kay Touhy. The Women's Board President is Ellen B. Wallace2019's Patron Party Restaurants:20E Aster Hall Big Star Chicago Raw Eli's Cheesecake Hannah's Bretzel Margeaux Brasserie Marisol Nude Dude Food Pescadero Tanta<figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2338/original/img-6493.jpg" alt=""></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2337/original/img-6492.jpg" alt=""></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2335/original/img-6480.jpg" alt=""></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

Closing in on Fall's Big Art Party: Save the Date for EXPO Vernissage 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418131/ijjfo3xar4336rlhlb1d.gif"></figure><h3>Incredible 3D Chalk Art Coming To Rogers Park This Weekend</h3>A chalk festival is coming to Rogers Park this weekend, and the art created is much more elaborate more than your childhood hopscotch game. Chalk Howard Street features realistic 2D and 3D chalk art from professional chalk artists, as well as amateurs and even kids. It will be held on Howard, immediately east of Howard Street “L” station.The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 20. It is free and open to the public.By Jonathan Ballew, Block Club Chicago<a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/07/15/incredible-3d-chalk-art-coming-to-rogers-park-this-weekend/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418132/wosomtnh3vxrb69ciuju.gif"></figure><h3>How a Chicago photographer uses art to bridge racial divides</h3>Sometimes art can open people’s eyes to see their own community in a fresh way. Tonika Johnson’s project has done that by connecting opposite sides of a long-segregated city.By Richard Mertens, Christian Science Monitor<a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2019/0715/How-a-Chicago-photographer-uses-art-to-bridge-racial-divides">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418133/yf6elx70djl9cvgislly.jpg"></figure><h3>From the Archives: A Look at Chicago’s Budding Art Scene, in 1955, by Museum Pioneer Peter&nbsp;Selz</h3>An enthusiastic appreciation of younger talents developed in the Windy CityBehind the plastic surgery along Chicago’s lakefront lies the real city. It has been variously christened hog-butcher, slum-city and hustler’s haven. It also has a distinguished cultural heritage, and today, inviting comparison with the originality of its architectural and literary traditions, there are certain recent paintings and sculpture by five young people who are potential leaders of a younger “Chicago School.”By The Editors of ARTnews<a href="http://www.artnews.com/2019/07/12/chicago-art-scene-peter-selz-1955/">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418134/rceei6codwmz9xovocfe.gif"></figure><h3>Chicago’s ‘Queen of Tape’ Makes Art with Duct Tape</h3>When most people see a roll of duct tape, they probably see a drab, everyday object that’s occasionally useful for fixing stuff. Anna Dominguez is different: She sees a medium of art.About nine years ago, Dominguez began making works of art using tape. She has since dubbed herself the “Queen of Tape.”By Evan Garcia, WTTW News<a href="https://news.wttw.com/2019/07/10/chicago-queen-tape-makes-art-duct-tape">Read More</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

News From Around the Art World: July 16, 2019

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418136/j284cnawc5uw9wmd2qq6.jpg"></figure>By GINNY VAN ALYEA via PRThe River North Design District (RNDD) announced plans this week for this year’s annual River North Fall Gallery Walk on Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7, 2019.&nbsp;The walk is comprised of 33 locations with special events throughout River North featuring 35 artists and 23 designer vignettes.&nbsp; This year’s walk philanthropic partner is buildOn; a portion of proceeds will change the lives of children in a developing country.The walk will feature showrooms exhibiting designer vignettes from Chicago’s top designers as they showcase livable settings highlighting artwork created by local contemporary artists. Showrooms will have extended hours on September 6. The vignettes will be on view until October 7. &nbsp;“The River North Design District Fall Gallery Walk is our most popular event of the year! This year we are featuring brilliant and collected artists from all over the world paired with some of the most coveted Chicago designers. We’re really solidifying our presence not just as design centers, but as partners supporting the rich, vibrant art community of the River North neighborhood.” —Mike Cao, president, River North Design District“This collaboration between the River North Design District and the River North Gallery District underscores the deep connections between design and fine Art and the veritable riches of Chicago’s offerings within one of the city’s most vital neighborhoods. Contemporary design and designers innovate in the spirit of responsible and sustainable engagement with social and environmental challenges while fine artists and the galleries that promote them aspire to focus our attention on what is possible and what needs to be changed in the spirit of inspiration and aspiration.” —Ken Saunders of Ken Saunders GalleryThe gallery walk is free and open to the public; the VIP Kickoff party and after party are $35 each, or both for $60. Proceeds benefit the not-for-profit River North Design District, and proceeds will go towards yearly programming. A portion of proceeds will also benefit philanthropic partner buildOn.&nbsp;More info about the event, RNDD and tickets on sale may be found <a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com/fall-gallery-walk/">here</a>&nbsp;<h3>Highlights</h3>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418136/vsnpbooioesotnnnfi40.jpg"><figcaption>Artist Sarah Raskey is featured at the RNDD Kickoff Party at Chicago Luxury Beds</figcaption></figure>• Kickoff Party: Amy Kartheiser Design featuring Sarah Raskey on exhibit at Chicago Luxury Beds440 N. Wells St. #100nVibrant colors, bespoke beds, natural stones. These are just three of the things to expect when joining us for the exclusive River North Design District Gallery Walk. Amy Kartheiser Design and Sarah Raskey Fine Art collaborate to create a truly revolutionary party inside Chicago Luxury Beds. Works of art and curated vignettes work together to tell a story and create the mood for the rest of the night. A portion of the proceeds will change the lives of children in a developing country via buildOn.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418138/n9jfx4i5rwinfmvfqug2.jpg"><figcaption>The Sept 6 After Party at Transceramica will feature a collaboration by PROjECT.interiors &nbsp;(pictured), Amanda Morrison and Theodore Alexander</figcaption></figure>• Afterparty: PROjECT.interiors featuring Amanda Morrison on exhibit at Transceramica with a special installation from Theodore Alexander314 W. Superior St. #100MATTER: [noun] physical substance: earth, fire, crystal, water; distinct from mind and spirit. [verb]&nbsp;be of importance; have significance. PROjECT. interiors, Transceramica and Theodore Alexander present an after party that matters. Celebrate community, creativity and our collective power to inspire change all while getting our groove on.&nbsp;Vibe&nbsp;high with spinning beats, tribal rhythms and singing bowls;&nbsp;ground yourself in&nbsp;sculptural installations by Amanda Morrison and Sarah Raskey; get mystified, shake it down and make design matter. A portion of the proceeds will change the lives of children in a developing country via buildOn.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418139/nqno3rdglrqhfpmqjbfs.bmp"><figcaption>120 W Kinzie will transport you to 1960s London's Carnaby Street</figcaption></figure>• Mod TrioKadlec Architecture + Design featuring Glenn Wexler of Zolla Lieberman Gallery JamesThomas Interiors featuring Ramona Russu with Daniel Kinkade Fine Art Jessica Lagrange Interiors featuring Janet McGreal of Gruen Galleries on exhibit&nbsp;at Oscar Isberian Rugs120 W. &nbsp;Kinzie St.A romp through London’s Carnaby Street during its swinging ‘60s heyday.&nbsp; Music, fashion, art and cocktails collide to create a feast for the senses.• JamesThomas –Pull on your go-go boots, pull back the palms and discover who the woman in black is by artist Ramona Russu.• Jessica Lagrage –A mod Maison inspired by the visionary style of the West End girls showcasing a piece by artist Janet McGreal.&nbsp; Can ya dig it?• Kadlec Architecture + Design – One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small.&nbsp;Join us for a colorful, trippy scene featuring Chicago artist Glenn Wexler and Zolla Lieberman Gallery.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418140/gtd0k68aofjuwmy2s2wc.png"><figcaption>David Gamble, Andy Warhol's Longines Watch Wig &amp; Glasses</figcaption></figure>• Yamini Designs featuring Julian Wasser and David Gamble of Hilton | Asmus Contemporary Gallery on exhibit at Casa Spazio222 West Hubbard St.Wig Out! &nbsp;Swing through Casa Spazio and wig out in the wild and carefree glam of ‘60s Hollywood. Inspired by the photography of Julian Wasser and David Gamble at Hilton | Asmus Contemporary, Yamini Designs has envisioned a hip and swanky lounge where Wasser would have entertained the celebrities he photographed in the City of Angels—and collected works like Gamble’s bold and vibrant silkscreen prints.&nbsp;Look for a young Jack Nicholson, Anjelica Huston, Dennis Hopper and Andy Warhol among the Wasser prints as you vibe with the sounds of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Then grab a dirty martini&nbsp;and a retro appetizer, sink into an Italian sofa and take in Gamble’s limited edition “Wig” series featuring Warhol’s own iconic silver-white hairpiece and glasses.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418141/dedyfen7gv2pzjwhfx2g.jpg"><figcaption>Artist Linc Thelen at work</figcaption></figure>• Wike LaFrey featuring Linc Thelen on exhibit at Orizzonti329 W. Grand Ave.A fanciful evening inspired by the imagination of artist Linc Thelen, whose large-scale oil on canvas abstract creations will be on display. Romantic music and a signature cocktail “Italian Nights” will help create the mood. An original piece of artwork, created just for this event, will be raffled for charity. Prepare to be amused.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418142/vpwm8tyo2ekpfdjjzgxv.jpg"><figcaption>Moulin Rouge, Paris Cancan, par Julies Chéret, 1900</figcaption></figure>• JOLIE ID featuring Meg Cowell with Daniel Kinkade Fine Art on exhibit at Christopher Guy located in the Chicago Luxury Furniture Centre371 W. Ontario St.Pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular at the Moulin Rouge! Enter a miraculous world of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur and glory. Join us for an evening of forever flowing champagne and jaw-dropping entertainment designed to take you back to Montmartre in 1899.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418143/rkt6q8cmegnkrlyrhuxx.jpg"><figcaption>Bruno Surdo, Euphoria, oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inches</figcaption></figure>• Victoria Hardy Interiors featuring Bruno Surdo and Michael Van Zeyl of Victor Armendariz Gallery on exhibit at eggersmann usa300 W. Hubbard St., 4th floorGoddess Gala of Fine Arts –&nbsp;eggersmann will be celebrating the essence of all women through the eyes of Bruno Surdo &amp; Michael Van Zeyl with unique designs by Victoria Hardy. Take part in a real life work of art, sip rosé and enjoy light bites.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721418143/jymp0ykkstnwbjbj8rsy.jpg"></figure>• The Anti-Cruelty Society (ACS) featuring “Art from the Heart”, special “KIDDY KITCHEN POP UP”, Dresner Design157 W. Grand, Education &amp; Training CenterJoin The Anti-Cruelty Society as we celebrate the work of young artists at the annual Art from the Heart juried exhibition. Visual works will be on display as youth share their passion for animals, advocacy and the community. Stop by to be inspired by how these young artists are putting their compassion to action. Special “Kiddy Kitchen” by Scott Dresner of Dresner Design will be raffled off to benefit ACS.&nbsp; Learn more about the Art from the Heart exhibition and contest at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.anticruelty.org/">www.anticruelty.org</a>.&nbsp;<h3>RNDD Weekend Art Walk Hours</h3> Friday, Sept.&nbsp;6 – All Showrooms open 5–9pm Friday, Sept.&nbsp;6 – Kick–Off Party&nbsp;5–6:30pm Friday, Sept.&nbsp;6 – After Party 8–10pm Saturday, Sept. 7 – All Showrooms Open 11am–4pm (with a few exceptions) &nbsp;<h3>Special Event Tickets</h3> Kick-Off Party –&nbsp;$35 After Party – $35 Kick-Off &amp; After Party&nbsp;– $60 Event tickets will be available <a href="https://rivernorthdesigndistrict.com/fall-gallery-walk/">here</a>. All Showrooms are free &amp; open to the public&nbsp;<h3>2019 Participants:</h3>&nbsp;<ul><li>PROjECT.interiors featuring Amanda Morrison at Transceramica</li><li>Amy Kartheiser Design featuring Sarah Raskey at Chicago Luxury Beds</li><li>Hailey Lauren Designs featuring Jamie Tubbs with Daniel Kinkade Fine Art at TOTO</li><li>Nora Schneider Interior Design featuring Cleveland Dean at bulthaup</li><li>JOLIE ID featuring Meg Cowell with Daniel Kinkade Fine Art at Christopher Guy</li><li>Yamini Designs featuring David Gamble and Julian Wasser of Hilton | Asmus Contemporary Gallery at Casa Spazio</li><li>Victoria Hardy Interiors featuring Bruno Surdo and Michael Van Zeyl of Victor Armendariz Gallery at eggersmann usa</li><li>Robin Thomas Design featuring Randy O’Brien of Vale Craft Gallery at Lightology</li><li>Wike LaFrey featuring Linc Thelen at Orizzonti</li><li>Kadlec Architecture + Design featuring Glenn Wexler of Zolla Lieberman Gallery at Oscar Isberian Rugs</li><li>JamesThomas Interiors featuring Ramona Russu with Daniel Kinkade Fine Art at Oscar Isberian Rugs</li><li>Jessica Lagrange Interiors featuring Janet McGreal of Gruen Galleries at Oscar Isberian Rugs</li><li>Brianne Bishop Design featuring Philippe Vignal with Daniel Kinkade Fine Art at Ligne Roset</li><li>Vincere featuring Vladimir Bachorik of Echt Gallery at O’Brien Harris</li><li>Bruce Fox Interior Architecture + Design featuring James Iska of Shashi Caudill Fine Art at Theodore Alexander</li><li>Kelly Hurliman Design featuring John Bannon of Ken Saunders Gallery at Renaissance Tile &amp; Bath</li><li>Room &amp; Board featuring Steven Ciezki and Kazuki Takizawa of Echt Gallery at Materials Marketing</li><li>Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors featuring Cat Tesla of Chicago Art Source at Artists Frame Service</li><li>Sarah Dippold Design featuring Robin Denevan of Addington Gallery at Organic Looms</li><li>Steve + Filip Design featuring Christophe Gausparro at Studio41</li><li>Alan Design Studio featuring Jennifer Webster with Daniel Kinkade Fine Art at 210 Design House</li><li>Alida Coury Interiors featuring Colt Seager at Calia Stone Boutique</li><li>dSPACE Studio featuring TJ O’Keefe at Molteni&amp;C</li><li>Centaur Interiors featuring Tyler Shields at Samuel Lynne Galleries</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>Victor Armendariz Gallery is exhibiting Jan Pieter Fokkens</li><li>Gruen Galleries is exhibiting Meredith Pardue</li><li>Vale Craft Gallery is exhibiting Randy O’Brien</li><li>Zolla Lieberman Gallery is exhibiting Dennis Lee Mitchell, Phyllis Bramson and Lorraine Peltz</li><li>Echt Gallery is exhibiting Jay Strommen</li><li>Addington Gallery is exhibiting Rebecca Crowell and Robin Denevan</li><li>Ken Saunders Gallery is exhibiting Thomas Scoon</li><li>Hilton | Asmus Contemporary is exhibiting David Gamble and Julian Wasser</li><li>The Anti-Cruelty Society featuring “Art from the Heart”, special POP UP with Dresner Design </li></ul></body></html>