<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/unbohyfvi2ax2kn1d8vp.jpg"><figcaption>Dawit L. Petros, Untitled (Itineraries of Dispersal, Burnham Park, Chicago, I), 2024. Archival monochrome print, 20” x 26”. Courtesy of the artist.</figcaption></figure>Dawit L. Petros: Prospetto a MareMUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHYNestled in a green space between Soldier Field and Lake Michigan, the often-forgotten Balbo Monument was gifted to the city of Chicago by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini to commemorate controversial air marshal Italo Balbo’s 1933 transatlantic flight from Italy to Chicago during the city’s World’s Fair. Prospetto a Mare is the latest chapter of Eritrea-born artist Dawit L. Petros’s long-term investigation of the impact of Italian colonialism and its subsequent imprint on the visual cultures, populations and built environments of Africa, Europe and North America.&nbsp;Aug 30–Dec 20 • 600 S. Michigan (60605)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mocp.org/exhibition/prospetto-a-mare/">mocp.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/zxhqmbvdbkfs0yua0wq5.jpg"></figure>Riva Lehrer –The Monster StudioZOLLA/LIEBERMAN GALLERYLehrer’s work is celebrated for its exploration into the marginalized and stigmatized body. Through drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture, she challenges viewers to reconsider their assumptions about beauty and difference. For the show’s run, Lehrer will be performing a public portrait studio and has invited a selection of distinguished collaborators who will be asked to describe—and collaboratively draw—an image depicting their inner “monsterselves,” resulting in portraits created through deep conversation.Sept 6–Oct 12 • 325 W. Huron (60654)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.zollaliebermangallery.com">zollalieberman.com</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/rfhm1wrgslm7jwfd3toi.jpg"></figure>Indigenous ChicagoNEWBERRY LIBRARYHome to the Potawatomi, Odawa, Ojibwe, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Myaamia, Wea, Sauk, Meskwaki, and Ho-Chunk peoples, the place we now call Chicago has long been a historic crossroads for many Indigenous people and remains home to an extensive urban Native community. Yet most Chicagoans are unaware of the city’s history as a home to diverse Indigenous peoples and the vibrant Indigenous communities present today. Part of a multifaceted initiative developed in partnership between the Newberry, advisors from the Chicago Native community, and representatives from tribal nations with historic connections to Chicago, this exhibition reflects the dynamic and complex aspects of Native life in Chicago from the seventeenth century to the present. The exhibition draws largely on the Newberry’s collection while also showcasing new work by contemporary Native artists, including Jason Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi), Camille Billie (Oneida), and Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk).Sep 12–Jan 4, 202560 W. Walton (60610) • <a href="https://www.newberry.org/calendar/exhibitions">newberry.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/epyrwbtfv1jxl4zbjpiy.jpg"></figure>Edgar Miller: Anti-Modern, 1917–1967&nbsp;DEPAUL ART MUSEUMEdgar Miller (1899–1993) arrived in Chicago in 1917, and over the next 50 years worked as an architect, artist, craftsperson, curator, designer, and illustrator during a particularly rich period that saw the ascendancy of modernism across the visual culture of the city. Miller’s tremendous body of work spanned multiple mediums, materials, and disciplines and he was unconcerned with trends, labels, or what became the established tenets of modern art. He was committed to figurative storytelling and representing the natural world, creating work intended to be experienced across the built environment.Sept 12–Feb 23, 2025 • 935 W. Fullerton (60614)&nbsp;<a href="https://resources.depaul.edu/art-museum/Pages/default.aspx">depaul.edu</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092763/gyawoltdpw5ocl0q0frx.jpg"><figcaption>Haegue Yang, Splashing Volcano Ash Gaze – Mesmerizing Mesh, Hanji on alu-dibond, framed. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Studio Haegue Yang</figcaption></figure>Hague Yang: Flat WorksTHE ARTS CLUB OF CHICAGOThis defining exhibition marking the artist’s first North American retrospective to survey the artist’s two-dimensional explorations over the last three decades. Through a select number of key works, the ambitious exhibition identifies underlying connections and motivations across the artist’s oeuvre, offering a scholarly perspective on this aspect of Yang’s career for the first time.&nbsp;Sept 18–Dec 20201 E. Ontario • <a href="https://www.artsclubchicago.org">artsclubchicago.org</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092764/teihm5uojqszjsnheekx.jpg"><figcaption>David Smith, The Forest, 1950. Painted steel on wood base, 37×39×4”. Photo: Larry Bercow Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas © 2024 The Estate of David Smith / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;David Smith: The Nature of SculptureFREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS &amp; SCULPTURE PARK&nbsp;The art of David Smith is profuse and marvelously inventive. Working in multiple media, formats, and scales, he blurred boundaries between painting and sculpture and between traditional genres such as landscape and figuration. Smith’s bountiful oeuvre has secured him a firm place within art history and his adventurous approach to three-dimensional form has permanently expanded the vocabulary and range of sculptural practice.Sept 23–Mar 2, 2025 • 1000 E. Beltline Ave. NE., Grand Rapids MI (49525) • <a href="https://www.meijergardens.org">meijergardens.org</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092765/gkfoodcnxnsfzveslp1x.jpg"><figcaption>Joan Mitchell, Untitled, ca. 1961, Oil on canvas. Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago, Gift of Katharine Kuh, 1968.3 © Estate of Joan Mitchell.</figcaption></figure>The 50th: An Anniversary Exhibition&nbsp;THE SMART MUSEUM OF ARTThe 50th: An Anniversary Exhibition explores what makes and defines a university art museum. A pioneer in arts-based learning, the Smart and its mission have evolved since the Museum opened its doors in the fall of 1974.&nbsp;This exhibition traces the layered, sometimes hidden, histories that have made up the Smart Museum of Art. These histories range from fraught beginnings of building a teaching collection and important relationships with local artists, critics, and community leaders, to opportunities presented by unexpected gifts and partnerships. It reconsiders the impact of the Museum’s past exhibitions that have told different narratives, programs that have pushed boundaries, and acquisitions that have altered the course of the collection. Drawn from the collection, the exhibition presents over a hundred works from across the breadth and depth of the Museum’s holdings, including paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and archival materials.Sept 24–Mar 2, 2025The University of Chicago5550 S. Greenwood, Chicago, IL 60637&nbsp; • <a href="https://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu">smartmuseum.uchicago.edu</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092766/grgozscptq5p4doqnbwv.jpg"><figcaption>Elsa Muñoz, Controlled Burn, 2023.</figcaption></figure>Positions: New LandscapesHYDE PARK ART CENTERThis a group exhibition features works by six Chicago-based contemporary artists who explore the radical potential of landscape to address timely conversations about land stewardship, environmental justice, immigration, and racial violence in US history. Approaching landscape from a diverse range of perspectives, artists Lydia Cheshewalla, Kelly Kristin Jones, Norman Long, zakkiyyah najeebah dumas o’neal, Elsa Muñoz, and Leticia Pardo&nbsp; break boundaries of the traditional landscape genre to intervene in civic dialogues rooted in sites and their histories.&nbsp;Oct 26–Feb 23, 2025 • 5020 S. Cornell (60615)<a href="https://www.hydeparkart.org">hydeparkart.org</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092766/h4yhmqag1p6num9kwhjy.jpg"></figure>The Living End: Painting and Other Technologies, 1970–2020&nbsp;MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ARTThis international, intergenerational group exhibition examines the different methods artists have used to challenge or intervene in the practice of painting and the role of painters over the past 50 years. Countering the recycled discourse that “painting is dead,” the exhibition suggests that painting remains in a constant state of renewal and rebirth.Nov 9–Apr 13, 2025 • 220 E. Chicago Ave. (60611) • <a href="https://visit.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/the-living-end-painting-and-other-technologies-1970-2020/">mcachicago.org</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092767/ragcqrblmmnhbgbqn95a.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Staple + Stitch Art Book and Print Fair21C MUSEUM HOTEL CHICAGOA celebration and engagement with art, text, print, and paper hosted at 21c Museum Hotel Chicago. Fair exhibitors include arts publishers, small and independent presses, book artists, zine makers, and printmakers across the 2nd-floor spaces of the 21c Chicago. Tandem programming includes book signings, workshops, and demonstrations open to all ages. Look for local exhibitors like Process/Process, as well as others from around the country. The three-day fair is free and open to the public.November 15, 16 and 17 • 55 E. Ontario St. (60611)<a href="https://www.stapleandstitchfair.com">stapleandstitchfair.com</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Fall's Art Highlights

<html><head></head><body>Fall is a busy season of art, offering new gallery and museum exhibitions. the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to. we spoke to five (technically six this time!) art community figures about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in our fall 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/wgevpsvusznavk31sf9p.jpg"><figcaption>Photo by Z. Najeebah Dumas-O’Neal</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Emma McKee – Chicago Dir., <a href="https://marianeibrahim.com">Mariane Ibrahim</a>“While enjoying the summer, we were preparing for our busiest months of the year, September and October. We wrapped up an important group exhibition, Palimpsest, which brought together our gallery artists with renowned Chicago-based artists McArthur Binion, Bethany Collins, Michael Rakowitz, and Edra Soto—pillars of the local art scene. Their associated galleries—Rhona Hoffman, PATRON, and GRAY—have graciously contributed works to the show. At the opening, someone remarked that Palimpsest is a true love letter to the city, a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with.In late August we unveiled a solo exhibition by Chicago-based artist Leasho Johnson, on view through the end of October. Johnson’s show will be part of Chicago Exhibition Weekend (CXW), hosted by Gertie and EXPO Chicago, an event we are eagerly anticipating for another year. Last year’s CXW was a beautiful moment for the city, and I am confident this year’s program will be even more robust.”#&nbsp;Read Fall 2024's 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/8/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jessica-cochran-and-angee-lennard-process-process">Jessica Cochran and Angee Lennard – Process/Process&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/8/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jake-troyli">Jake Troyli – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/9/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-anne-loucks">Anne Loucks – Anne Loucks Gallery</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/9/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-lisa-key">Lisa Key – Director, Driehaus Museum</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Emma McKee

<html><head></head><body>Fall is a busy season of art, offering new gallery and museum exhibitions. the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to. we spoke to five (technically six this time!) art community figures about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in our fall 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/nd82gyngkisv9io904g9.jpg"><figcaption>Headshot courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery. Photo: Raphael Lugassy.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Jake Troyli – Artist“For me, 2024 has already been incredibly productive and demanding but also super exciting. I just finished (in collaboration with the amazing team at Gertie) my first public art commission, a 30-foot-tall mural for the new westside location of SkyArt, a west-and-south-side-Chicago-based organization that uses art to provide new avenues of generative thinking for young people in the city. I’ve wanted to do a large-scale mural project for a while, and this felt like the perfect first step into the possibilities of community-facing art. In the studio, I just finished paintings for a group show that opened in August in Düsseldorf, Germany, and I will have work in another group show opening in NYC later this year. I’ll also make my San Francisco debut as part of the expansive group show, Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture which opens at the San Francisco MOMA in October. And finally, I’m most excited about my upcoming solo show with Monique Meloche Gallery, opening November 9th (mark your calendars!) which I’m working on right now in my studio.”#&nbsp;Read Fall 2024's 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/8/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jessica-cochran-and-angee-lennard-process-process">Jessica Cochran and Angee Lennard – Process/Process&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/9/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-anne-loucks">Anne Loucks – Anne Loucks Gallery</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/9/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-lisa-key">Lisa Key – Director, Driehaus Museum</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/9/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-emma-mckee">Emma McKee – Chicago Dir., Mariane Ibrahim</a></body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Jake Troyli

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/noo5irn1xy3gzwhu6dty.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;*To subscribe to the fall 2024 print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here</a>.*&nbsp;By CGN StaffThe fall art season begins next week, and we are thrilled to announce that CGN's fall 2024 magazine is arriving throughout the city and region starting now. The 80-page issue covers dozens of art exhibitions, gallery openings, notable events and cultural highlights from September through December 2024 in Chicago, the suburbs and the Lake Michigan region. This fall marks CGN's 42nd year.&nbsp;Our cover interview features Chicago-based artist <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/8/caroline-kent-confidence-on-canvas">Caroline Kent</a>. Alison Reilly spoke with Kent this summer about how she became an artist, her process and her current projects taking share in Chicago and well beyond.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/a8ngy5kdc1u7gj0isrnh.jpg"><figcaption>Caroline Kent, A witness comes, beckoned from beyond, 2024, Acrylic on canvas. Photo: Evan Jenkins, Courtesy PATRON Gallery.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The issue came together during a busy summer while the city prepared to host the Democratic Convention. CGN Publisher <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/8/fall-2024-publisher-s-letter">Ginny Van Alyea's fall letter</a> looks at all that has happened in Chicago's cultural landscape since 1968, since that is a year that has been on everyone's mind as of late.<ul><li>We talked to 5 (technically 6!) art world figures who have many plans to share. The first part of that series is online now, featuring <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/8/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jessica-cochran-and-angee-lennard-process-process">Jessica Cochran and Angee Lennard</a>, with more coming in the next few days.</li><li>Carl Hammer Gallery is marking 45 years this fall, opening two shows next week on September 6. We spoke with Hammer about how he got his start.</li><li>Bianca Bova interviewed art collector and Chicago style maven Michelle Edwards. Edwards shared her collecting journey and her philosophy of living with art, and we have some gorgeous photos of her home in the magazine.</li><li>Jackie Lewis previewed photographer Mark Ballogg's coming artistic collaboration at Alma Art &amp; Interiors.</li><li>We preview what's happening this fall in some of the area's newest galleries, from Mayfield to Old Friends Gallery.</li><li>Tom McCormick reflects on what it's like to make a big move after 24 years in the West Loop.</li><li>Publisher Ginny Van Alyea interviewed a young up-and-coming artist, Georgie Miller, as she navigates group shows and endless residency applications.</li><li>Bianca Bova went up to Wisconsin to share what's so special about the creative outpost founded by Michelle Grabner and Brad Killam, the Poor Farm.</li><li>And we also offer some more fall road trip inspiration, from Michigan to Madison all the way out to Cambridge, MA.</li></ul>&nbsp;Content from our print edition will be posted online in the coming weeks, but if you'd like to get your hands on a copy of the fall CGN, visit one of CGN's partner galleries, museums or hotels, or please consider <a href="https://chicagogallerynews.myshopify.com">subscribing</a> for $25/year or $8 for the fall issue. An annual subscription also includes the 2025 Arts Guide and the spring 2025 magazine.&nbsp;Happy fall, and enjoy all the art coming your way throughout the season!&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/rvjoxdigymdshx2ef0up.jpg"><figcaption>CGN's fall issue is out now</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN's New Fall 2024 Issue is Out Now! 

<html><head></head><body>Fall is a busy season of art, offering new gallery and museum exhibitions. the Art world figures working hard behind the scenes give us so much to look forward to. we spoke to five (technically six this time!) art community figures about what they’re excited about now and looking forward to next.The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in our fall 2024 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com/">click here.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/sgwzn3id7sdhau3cra8k.jpg"><figcaption>Left: Jessica Cochran; right: Angee Lennard</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Jessica Cochran and Angee Lennard – <a href="https://process-process.com">Process/Process</a>“As a new print publishing venture, this is our very first fall art season! Process/Process will launch five editions on September 5 at Filter Space, with prints by Zarouhie Abdalian, Selva Arapicio, Barber, Michelle Grabner, and Matthew Metzger. Later this fall, we’ll release works by Selina Trepp and Alice Tippit, whose solo exhibition opens September 14 at PATRON.&nbsp;Chicago’s incredible tempo makes it the perfect city for our work with artists. We won’t miss November’s Staple and Stitch Art Book and Print Fair at the 21c Museum Hotel. And this September 6, Barber–one of our collaborating artists–opens a solo exhibition at Ignition Project Space.”#&nbsp;Read Fall 2024's 5 to Talk to with:<a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/8/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-jake-troyli">Jake Troyli – Artist</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/9/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-anne-loucks">Anne Loucks – Anne Loucks Gallery</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/9/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-lisa-key">Lisa Key – Director, Driehaus Museum</a><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2024/9/anticipating-a-season-of-art-five-to-talk-to-emma-mckee">Emma McKee – Chicago Dir., Mariane Ibrahim</a></body></html>

Anticipating a Season of Art: Five to Talk to – Jessica Cochran and Angee Lennard – Process/Process

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/cyw5owgo9ymmq8k9peff.jpg" father="" and="" daughter.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/wisconsin-photography-2024">Wisconsin Photography 2024</a>Opening: Tuesday, August 27, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmRacine Art Museum&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/iwnkdzzrhgk1snkl68r3.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/spirituality-heritage-and-health">Portraiture Suite</a>Exhibition begins August 28Northern Illinois University (NIU) Art Museum&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/rtlz1wddr3lqznueorqj.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/public-lecture-and-reception-stephen-burks-spirit-houses">Public Lecture and Reception | Stephen Burks: Spirit Houses</a>Wednesday, August 28, 5 – 7&nbsp;pmIllinois Institute of Technology&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/jkquvo0weiqcntyxcxxz.png" wilson.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/millie-wilson-the-museum-of-lesbian-dreams">Millie Wilson: The Museum of Lesbian Dreams</a>Exhibition begins August 29Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/ucpnzpqhjsggifrdxg5i.png" l.="" petros.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/prospetto-a-mare">Dawit L. Petros: Prospetto a Mare</a>Exhibition begins August 30Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092763/w04o9vxopsy19a5mmysz.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/leash-johnson-escaping-the-tyranny-of-meaning">Leasho Johnson: Escaping the Tyranny of Meaning</a>Opening: Thursday, August 29, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmMariane Ibrahim&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092764/wiwnykzdvdaowvhkhsc5.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/gwen-yen-chiu">Language as Form: Calligraphy &amp; Sculpture by Gwen Yen Chiu</a>Exhibition begins August 31Krasl Art Center&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092765/lqliqpu91fk9yym4fdfo.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/defying-the-laws-sarah-smelser">Defying the Laws | Sarah Smelser</a>Exhibition begins August 31Evanston Art Center&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092766/fc0umiunnibxe6i1rdjh.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/breaking-bread-therese-mulgrew-wendy-s-rolfe">Breaking Bread Thérèse Mulgrew – Wendy S. Rolfe</a>Exhibition begins August 30Povos West Town&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions August 27 - 31

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/k5tq2bosbycxkywoaw8l.png" x="" graft="" opening="" 9.4.png=""></figure><a href="Made" from="" corten="" steel="" and="" terrazzo,="" graft="" is="" a="" monument="" to="" working="" class="" puerto="" rican="" communi-="" ties="" soto’s="" first="" sculpture="" inspired="" by="" specific="" house="" façade.="" tables="" seating="" invite="" visitors="" enjoy="" moment="" of="" rest,="" connection,="" reflection.="" the="" creates="" threshold,="" with="" one="" side="" representing="" home’s="" exterior;="" other,="" more="" intimate="" atmosphere="" an="" interior.="" work’s="" ti-="" tle="" addresses="" complex="" sentiments="" around="" migrating="" chicago="" while="" remaining="" connected="" rico.="" for="" soto,="" feelings="" dislocation="" are="" compounded="" island’s="" ambiguous="" status="" as="" unincorporated="" territory="" united="" states.="" opens="" connections="" between="" com-="" munities="" across="" city="" reminds="" us="" centrality="" caribbean="" history="" new="" york="">Edra Soto: GRAFT! opening in Central Park in New York Sept 4</a>Made from corten steel and terrazzo, Graft is a monument to working class Puerto Rican communi- ties and Soto’s first sculpture inspired by a specific house façade. Tables and seating invite visitors to enjoy a moment of rest, connection, and reflection. The sculpture creates a threshold, with one side representing a home’s exterior; the other, the more intimate atmosphere of an interior. The work’s ti- tle addresses Soto’s complex sentiments around migrating to Chicago while remaining connected to Puerto Rico. For Soto, feelings of dislocation are compounded by the island’s ambiguous status as an unincorporated territory of the United States. Graft opens connections between Puerto Rican com- munities across the city and reminds us of the centrality of the Caribbean to the history of New York City and the United States.<a href="Made" from="" corten="" steel="" and="" terrazzo,="" graft="" is="" a="" monument="" to="" working="" class="" puerto="" rican="" communi-="" ties="" soto’s="" first="" sculpture="" inspired="" by="" specific="" house="" façade.="" tables="" seating="" invite="" visitors="" enjoy="" moment="" of="" rest,="" connection,="" reflection.="" the="" creates="" threshold,="" with="" one="" side="" representing="" home’s="" exterior;="" other,="" more="" intimate="" atmosphere="" an="" interior.="" work’s="" ti-="" tle="" addresses="" complex="" sentiments="" around="" migrating="" chicago="" while="" remaining="" connected="" rico.="" for="" soto,="" feelings="" dislocation="" are="" compounded="" island’s="" ambiguous="" status="" as="" unincorporated="" territory="" united="" states.="" opens="" connections="" between="" com-="" munities="" across="" city="" reminds="" us="" centrality="" caribbean="" history="" new="" york="">Details at Public Art Fund</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/sqcstceuaz1rimezg9hr.jpg"><figcaption>Rashid Johnson. Photo by Joshua Woods via NYT</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/26/arts/design/rashid-johnson-guggenheim.html#">Rashid Johnson Will Have Career Survey at Guggenheim in 2025</a>Next spring, [Rashid] Johnson will get to take on the entirety of Wright’s dramatic rotunda in a midcareer survey that opens April 18 and remains on view through Jan. 18, 2026. Titled “A Poem for Deep Thinkers,” it will include almost 90 works in photography, video, film, mixed-media paintings, sculpture and installation that scale the space and explore themes of identity, social alienation and rebirth in ways both political and deeply personal.Johnson's first solo show was in 2003 at moniquemeloche. The gallery shared on Facebook that works from that early history will be included in this monumental exhibition.&nbsp;Via NYT• Read 2012 CGN's interview with Johnson <a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/news/2012/4/artist-insights-rashid-johnson">here</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/lvmhywhj0wawv0tqgpgj.jpg"><figcaption>Various Project 270 posters</figcaption></figure>Nick Cave and Bob Faust Co-Design Project 270 Get Out the Vote PosterFaust shared recently that he and partner artist Nick Cave are proud to be part of this amazing group of artists creating a series of posters for Project 270, a national 'Get out the Vote' campaign created and sponsored by Mana Public Arts.Details are on <a href="https://manapublicarts.com/project-270/">manapublicarts.com.project-270</a>Anyone can download the free digital poster and share it on socials as well as buy any of the 7 limited edition, Giclée fine art prints. Sales of these posters will help fund Project 270 2024 programs.&nbsp;The Artists: Bony Ramirez, Hugo Crosthwaite, Machine Dazzle, Marilyn Minter, Nick Cave &amp; Bob Faust, Vincent Valdez, Zaria Forman&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/wxdinqouubhqcmbjrpit.jpg"></figure>Fine Line Creative Arts Center's Great Orb Hunt is backIn partnership with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/forestpreserve?__cft__[0]=AZUMbBUR905lfIZe0p4AEEAWT-s-1Dc2tqIb0gOXwacatMHnTCyBWNT0fzbW_oTWqb6lTRDtfGWhHNOn6c1FAOaniVfpFFHlAFKJNJfqN1rzYgMRjffJS4p_rixIZYNDYp4EIWUEgN1EqQyBj9TUXGVIlX93XiecbN6dTp0NyigWlin9vJyThYPE5OFZgtd2pazszaR5P4eRMoJszXwA3UhV&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Forest Preserve District of Kane County</a> Orb hunting season opens on September 5th and runs until September 30. Once again, handcrafted glass and ceramic orbs created by Fine Line Creative Arts Center artists will be hidden on trail edges for you to find.&nbsp;150 orbs will be hidden in small batches five days each week at different times and on different days of the week. No announcement will be made when orbs are hidden, but an announcement will be made via social media when an orb has been found and registered. Finders keepers, but please, only one per person.If you find an orb, please register your find by using the QR code, or by visiting <a href="https://buff.ly/45GlXt2?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0cZowUSA_Na6iZ5phSJ6skaimeNqsv4PsKkhx5ITcXcuLf2SOx0weA4_Y_aem_jF3f3RIqMIqQtmfyLujrNg">https://buff.ly/45GlXt2</a> so we know how many are still left to find.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

CGN Art World Recap: 8/27/24

<a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/26/arts/design/indianapolis-museum-le-monte-booker.html>Another New Leader for Indianapolis Museum Roiled by Racism Outcry</a>The Indianapolis Museum of Art is getting its third leader in four years as it continues to deal with the <a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/arts/design/indianapolis-museum-job-posting.html>fallout from a racially insensitive job posting</a> that led to its longtime leader’s departure in 2021.Newfields, whose campus includes the museum, announced on Monday that Le Monte G. Booker Sr., the chief financial officer of Chicago’s Field Museum, would serve as its next president and chief executive. Booker replaces Colette Pierce Burnette, the first Black woman in the role, who <a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/13/arts/design/newfields-indianapolis-colette-pierce-burnette.html>departed last November for unclear reasons</a> after just over a year on the job.Via NYT&nbsp;<a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/18/arts/design/young-artists-auctions-collectors.html>Young Artists Rode a $712 Million Boom. Then Came the Bust.</a>How did the best years of Amani Lewis’s career turn into the worst time of the artist’s life?First came the meteoric rise. A haunting painting Lewis made in 2020 sold at auction <a href=https://www.phillips.com/detail/amani-lewis/NY010921/303>just a year later</a> for $107,100, more than double its estimate. Two other works had recently tripled expectations, and a collector offered $150,000 in cash for new pieces fresh from the studio. There were shows in Paris and Miami — Lewis had seemingly conquered the market at age 26, upgrading to a new art studio and a Tesla.But when the original painting re-emerged at auction in <a href=https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/first-open-post-war-contemporary-art/amani-lewis-b-1994-32/221874>June and its price</a> plunged to $10,080 — losing 90 percent of its value — the party was over. By then, Lewis had stopped renting a $7,000-a-month luxury apartment in Miami and temporarily moved in with their brother.Via NYT&nbsp;<a href=https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/columns/ai-generated-images-paranoia-misinformation-art-historians-provenance-1234715037/>AI-Generated Images Are Spreading Paranoia and Misinformation. Can Art Historians&nbsp;Help?&nbsp;</a>If recent headlines are any indication, one of the most pressing issues right now is the threat posed by fake or manipulated images. The wide availability of generative AI, along with the increasingly user-friendly interface of image editing software like Photoshop, has enabled most people with a computer and internet access to produce images that are liable to deceive. The potential dangers range from art forgery to identity fraud to political disinformation. The message is clear: images can mislead, and the stakes are high. You should learn to detect the real from the fake.Via Art in America&nbsp;<a href=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/venus-williams-carnegie-museum-podcast-2524537>Venus Williams on the Latest Stop in Her Art Journey: Hosting a Photography Podcast</a>Tennis star Venus Williams has teamed up with the <a href=https://carnegieart.org/>Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh</a> to <a href=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/carnegie-museums-podcast-venus-williams-2480349>host the institution’s new podcast</a>, “<a href=https://carnegieart.org/art/hillman-photography-initiative/cycle-4-widening-the-lens/widening-the-lens-podcast-series/>Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology, and the Contemporary Landscape</a>.”The six-episode series is a companion piece to the institution’s exhibition of the same name, which opened in May and is on view through January 2025. The show features 19 artists, including <a href=https://www.artnet.com/artists/tomas-saraceno/>Tomás Saraceno</a>, <a href=https://www.artnet.com/artists/justine-kurland/>Justine Kurland</a>, and <a href=https://www.artnet.com/artists/cyprien-gaillard/>Cyprien Gaillard</a>. It represents the fourth <a href=https://carnegieart.org/art/hillman-photography-initiative/cycle-4-widening-the-lens/>cycle</a> of the museum’s <a href=https://carnegieart.org/art/hillman-photography-initiative/>Hillman Photography Initiative</a>, launched in 2013 to bring new ideas about photography to museum audiences.Via ArtnetThumbnail image: Venus Williams recording the podcast Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology, and the Contemporary Landscape in May 2024 Photo by Stefano Ceccarelli, courtesy of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

What We're Reading: 8/27/24

<html><head></head><body>*This interview is CGN's fall 2024 cover feature. To subscribe to the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here</a>.*&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/fqcasmvf5trm4cvwhwdo.jpg"><figcaption>Caroline Kent. Photo: Evan Jenkins. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;By ALISON REILLYWhen Caroline Kent and I spoke in late July, she was attending a writing workshop at Northwestern University. Working from what felt like a Victorian-era study at Scott Hall, she cherished the opportunity to sit with her ideas, without interruption. By the third day, she said she was hitting her stride and started writing as soon as she arrived in the morning. An athlete who found art as an undergraduate student at Illinois State University, Kent uses writing to gain clarity about her visual art practice. She trusts the process of making, values hard work and practice, and has an acute understanding of herself. Her compelling abstract paintings, works on paper, and installations showcase her own visual language. This fall, through a collaboration with Amtrak, Kent will present her work in a large-scale public installation at Chicago’s Union Station.&nbsp;CGN: Could you tell me about your own writing?&nbsp;Caroline Kent: My relationship to writing comes out of having kept a journal for a long time and using it as a creative space, even in how I once documented my days. I don’t have that practice anymore. But when I get time to write, I try to always write about my practice, always thinking of it having legs and arms that can go in different directions.&nbsp;CGN: How does your writing affect your visual art?CK: My practice has painting as its center but branches off into text-based works or ideas around language. And more recently, I’ve been using this writing workshop at Northwestern to work on a one-act play, to write expanded ideas around different projects like Victoria/Veronica. Writing helps deepen and bring breath to the work that then can move outside of painting and speak to other mediums, whether that’s installation or considering an entire room as opposed to an art object.Right now I’m working on a project for La Trienal with El Museo del Barrio (New York) that’s coming up this fall. I was invited to present some of my work, and they gave me a wall. Am I going to hang an art object on it? Am I going to paint something on it? The writing ends up helping me make formal decisions and choices about how I want the work to function in the presentation of the exhibition, whether it’s the abstract language painted on a large canvas or whether it needs to be reduced down to simple shapes on Belgian linen. Those kinds of distinctions are interesting for me to be really selective about when I am presenting the work– what kind of narrative do I want to build in the work and what do I want to say this time?&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: When you’re in your studio, how do all the different media that you’re working with come together?&nbsp;CK: In the studio, what I really appreciate is that I can work on the wall on something large and then I can move immediately and look over to the table. They’re all in the same room. And even when I’m making works on paper, I like to have them sit out in the room together, because they start to speak to one another. What happens on a larger canvas ends up happening on a work on paper. They all end up getting influenced.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/zl1dez682so8wuvm6t6m.jpg"><figcaption>Caroline Kent: Space | Shadow | Script, PATRON Gallery, Chicago, September 2022. Photo: Evan Jenkins. &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>CGN: What is a typical day in your studio?&nbsp;CK: My studio is in my home. In the morning, once I get in there–I learned this trick from someone I don’t remember where, but they told me, if you have a problem when you first go into your studio in the morning of knowing where to start, it’s always good to leave something for yourself to do the day before so that you can go in and start without having to think and make decisions, but continue something. I always try to leave some painting for myself to do.It’s my warmup. It gets me into it.I’ve got headphones on, and typically I’m listening to / watching a BBC crime drama. I’m not always looking at the screen, but I’m listening to the dialogue and it gives my mind something to grab onto while I’m working. I usually work until lunch, then I break and come back and check email and things like that, but I get back into the studio. I would say on average, it’s about a five- to six-hour day. Then it goes back to kids, husband, life. All the other stuff that’s so easy to get distracted by when you’re in your house. I try to stay pretty focused.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: What are some of your earliest memories making art?&nbsp;CK: This is a funny question because there are two things that stick out to me from my childhood. One of them is that I used to leave writings around the house–just scribbles on a notepad. Recently, my mother has been sending me these as she’s been combing through boxes and bins of things. We had a typewriter at one point, and I remember typing up these conversations about my sister’s boyfriend and asking what his intentions were. I read them now and I’m thinking, this is exactly somehow related to what I’m doing now.&nbsp;And then another thing while I was growing up–this is much more abstract. I didn’t have a name for it. There were moments like during a car ride across the flat land of driving from Sterling, Illinois to Rockford, staring out at cornfields and bean fields. I would have the strangest ideas about things I would do. And I can’t give you an example because they’re so weird for me now, but I remember later on in life, recognizing a lot of these abstract ideas I had really fit into the language of art. Those are some of my earliest memories.&nbsp;CGN: You grew up in Sterling?&nbsp;CK: I went to elementary and high school in Sterling,and my parents still live there.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: And Rockford, you visited?&nbsp;CK: My grandparents lived in Rockford, and so my father would drive us there all the time. There were six of us in a station wagon, four girls in my family. And we would all drive to and from Rockford.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/u0z9wshojjf4gfqlxggl.jpg"><figcaption>Caroline Kent, A witness comes, beckoned from beyond, 2024, Acrylic on canvas. Photo: Evan Jenkins, Courtesy PATRON Gallery.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: You said leaving notes for yourself relates to what you’re doing now. Could you talk more about that?&nbsp;CK: The notes were these small scenarios. They’re little snippets of theatrical descriptions of life. Some of the things that I’ve even been working on more recently–I have a series called Typewriter Works, where I pair different descriptions of characters with abstract paintings on paper. I make a painting, and it dries on the paper and then I feed it through the typewriter. In this way, I am synthesizing a character that I have seen in a film or in my imagination. I think that’s the connection I can see clearly. When I was younger, I was inventing a lens on how I was perceiving myself, my teachers, how my parents viewed me, writing about my sisters’ lives and making these funny, inflated, idealistic writings.&nbsp;CGN: When did you start identifying as an artist or make the decision to be an artist?&nbsp;CK: I feel like I was late in the game in some ways. Art didn’t awaken in me until I was in college. I was at university, and it was there that I walked into a gallery. My twin sister and I, we would go around and check everything out from the theater department to watch plays, to the art gallery, coffee shops. It was the nineties, the alternative scene. I remember the nineties aesthetics in art. Collage was big. I have such a clear idea of going back to my dorm room and starting to work in collage. That was the moment when I was like, this is the thing I want to do, but I didn’t know how to get there until a mentor friend of mine guided me to really consider making art my major. And I remember thinking, but I don’t know how to draw, I don’t know how to paint, and just telling myself, okay, I guess I’m just going to be the artist who learns when they’re 20.That kind of confidence, I would call it confidence looking back because it was such a big decision to tell yourself, when you feel there’s a deficiency, maybe I should have been doing this since I was three or four. But I think it came out of athletics and being able to push my body and know what pain was, getting to the other side of physical challenges. I think because of track and field, it helped me decide, well, I guess I’m going to do it in a non-traditional way.&nbsp;CGN: I love that. How long do you think it took you to get confident in your own skills? Was it something you picked up immediately?&nbsp;CK: I invited it immediately and it brought a satisfaction, but I don’t think that I felt confident in art making. I wasn’t thinking about it because I did feel such a freedom with it. I finished up my undergrad degree and I had taken a lot of intro classes, but after that I took seven years off before I went to grad school. In that interim time I ran into a charming professor from Illinois State, Harold Boyd, who I really adored. I ran into him on the street in Minneapolis. I said, I’m about to go to the Peace Corps, and what do I do with art? How do I continue making it if I’m doing this completely other thing? And he said, well, you need something to make art about. You need some depth, you need experience, you need life, and so don’t consider this not conducive to your art practice. That was so helpful. The confidence came probably after graduate school. That’s when I felt confident and understood what I was doing. And to be honest, I wasn’t pursuing confidence, but I was getting confident by really understanding my own practice and developing it and getting legs under it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/qsfbqtisv98k9gp8y9en.jpg"><figcaption>Caroline Kent: This Space for Correspondence, Casey Kaplan, New York, November 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: How was your experience being part of the Peace Corps in Romania?&nbsp;CK: It was a super interesting time because it was such a contrast to American life. I knew that I was feeling a certain way about American culture, and I wanted a kind of diversity that I only saw watching international films. Going [to Romania] gratified this desire to have a very different kind of experience other than an American one, though it also was very challenging. It was hard to be away from the familiar, but it helped me grow and experience a lot of really wonderful things, not only the foods and the culture and the people I met and the children I taught, but the landscape was incredible, as was visiting monasteries and learning another language and going to these Romanian Orthodox churches where most people stand the entire service. Going through the forest and traveling with friends for an hour, and then running into an old woman there who’s gathering up pussy willows, giant ones – I was like, ‘Where am I?’&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: How did you decide to pursue an MFA and go to graduate school?&nbsp;CK: I had been living in Minneapolis for a while and I had traveled, lived abroad. I’d come back home and had a temp job to reintroduce myself back into American life. I knew I needed something more. That was the moment when I was like, okay, what do I want to do? I’m at another kind of crossroads. I liked art, but I had been out of any connection with the contemporary art world. I ended up taking advanced painting and drawing at the University of Minnesota. I was really incredibly zealous. I was excited, and I overproduced. My professors saw something in that and were like, you really should consider the MFA program. So I put together my portfolio. Three people were accepted that year for painting and drawing, and I was one of them. That was the most encouraging and exciting news. I still remember to this day the phone call I received when they told me I was chosen out of 130 applicants. I really felt it marked a moment in my life that illuminated a path forward.&nbsp;&nbsp;CGN: How long have you been in Chicago, and how has living here affected your practice as an artist?&nbsp;CK: I’ve been in Chicago since 2017. I was living in Minneapolis, and it had a rich art community, but I was ready for more. I think any artist that works in a smaller city, at some point, you either make a commitment to be there for the long term or you start getting the itch to move. My husband was offered a position here at UIC in the art department. It expanded our practices in many ways. Part of that was more visibility, connecting to a larger network of artists. It took me a couple of years before I really got comfortable here in Chicago and maybe even longer. I moved to Garfield Park and the intensity was of high contrast. It took me a while, but there are so many great things that I love about Chicago. It was great to see such diversity having come from Minnesota. And the city has a kind of energy, seeing Lake Michigan, there’s nothing like it. The cultural history here, there’s still so much for me to discover in Chicago.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/cbfzayzmwu0nwp1ckr1k.jpg"><figcaption>Caroline Kent: A short play about watching shadows move across the room, The Queens Museum, Queens, NY. December 2023. Photo: Hai Zhang&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;CGN: You mentioned the upcoming triennial with Museo del Barrio. What else are you working on?CK: I’m working on a project for Amtrak right now, and it’s going to debut at Union Station in the fall. It is a vinyl mural project that I’m designing for interior windows in their downstairs space. I feel like it’s really going to transform Union Station. I’m also working on a commission with the U.S. Embassies Project, a program where artists are commissioned to make work for different U.S. embassies around the world. Then I’m making work for my own practice. Sometimes as an artist, my artwork leaves my studio so fast. I don’t live with it. If I have an exhibition coming up, and there’s some really lovely works that I want to live with for a while. Well, it goes to the exhibition. And if it does get placed with a collector or an institution, it never comes back. And so what did I have? Six months with that piece, that’s it. It’s nice to always be making work that will live with me, that will stay in the studio, that I can keep, that I can continue to think about and be inspired by. I’m often making work for my own personal archive.&nbsp;CGN: Do you keep an archive of your work?&nbsp;CK: It can be tricky. But I’m just getting better at learning to save things and hold on to them. Not only for myself, but thinking about what I will leave to my children. I have three children and I want them to keep the archives of their parents’ work.&nbsp;CGN: Are they interested in art at all?&nbsp;CK: My daughter, Nina is eight, my son, Kent is ten, and Ysabella my stepdaughter is the oldest, she’s 19. They were each very creative when they were young. We definitely are a home of makers. They’re always making something, gluing something, whether it’s my son making a contraption for Legos, or my daughter is making bookmarks, painting or gluing something together. She’s a sewer. My youngest, Nina, is really in a creative moment with sewing, crochet, drawing, making, all of it.&nbsp;CGN: That’s great to kind of watch them experiment with all those things.&nbsp;CK: It’s helpful being parents that are makers, because when your kids are like, ‘Oh, I want to do this thing.’ We just go into our studios and we’re like, ‘All right, let’s do it. What do you need? We’ll do it this way. We’ll build it.’ Those are really great teaching moments.&nbsp;CGN: What about teaching at Northwestern? How has that affected your art practice?CK: As an artist, it can be such an isolating, singular path. When you’re making in your studio and you’re trying to exhibit, it can feel like your peers aren’t always on the same path with you. Teaching is such a great balance for my soul, because it gives me opportunities regularly to give back and pour into other students and share with them and break bread with them. In a way, that feels counter to thinking about the art market. It’s a hard topic for a lot of artists to talk about, because it’s about money in exchange for art. What can be rewarding is when I have an exhibition–for example, I have a mural up at the Queens Museum right now–and I can talk about that experience and share what I learned and gained from working with an institution and be able to share that with graduate students. When I can give in a way that can plant seeds and inspire something alongside academia, that is really a rich and holistic piece of my life.&nbsp;*This interview is CGN's fall 2024 cover feature. To subscribe to the print edition <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here</a>.*&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/jzkab2jvty5uwxfpoa7y.jpg"><figcaption>Subscribe to the print edition&nbsp;<a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com"> here</a>.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Caroline Kent: Confidence On Canvas

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/u9hn9r86hnza1orhitfk.jpg" fountain.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ardor-ellie-vergura">Ardor: Ellie Vergura</a>Opening: Friday, August 23, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmJackson Junge Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/wdftfoelmqzqiscapn8l.png" beaucoup.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/merci-beaucoup">Merci Beaucoup | Isabelle Gougenheim solo show</a>Opening: Friday, August 23, 4 – 8&nbsp;pmChicago Truborn&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/zwibxatmm3ueodixyomc.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/the-spirit-of-nature">The Spirit of Nature</a>Opening: Saturday, August 24, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmBlue Moon Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/m1cazhyn4m2vtpj456bt.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/closing-reception-and-performances-and-now-stories-from-the-edge">Closing Reception and Performances | AND NOW: Stories from the Edge</a>Saturday, August 24, 6 – 10&nbsp;pmAgitator Artist Collective&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/oaucyicf7rho5f26v0zc.jpg" gallery="" news="" sobczyk="" 700x500="" copy.jpeg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/motherwell-melanesia-monsters">MOTHERWELL, MELANESIA &amp; MONSTERS</a>Exhibition begins August 26Wadsworth Family Gallery at Lewis University&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions August 23 - 26

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/qw6xqystkjvhcduqp9ng.jpg"><figcaption>A commission of Michael Jordan by Studio Rotblatt Amrany. The 15-foot sculpture, titled “The Spirit,” stands inside the United Center. (Courtesy of the United Center)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://news.wttw.com/2024/08/19/sculptors-legends-meet-husband-wife-team-who-make-monuments-sports-heroes-chicago-around">Meet the Husband-Wife Team Who Make Monuments to Sports Heroes in Chicago, Around the World</a>A local husband-and-wife team leads a collective of artists who create monuments to sports stars and heroes of all kinds — from Ty Cobb to Johnny Cash.The couple makes them on property that was once part of Fort Sheridan, the historic U.S. Army training camp 28 miles north of Chicago’s Loop. One former camp building is now occupied by <a href="https://rotblattamrany.com/">Studio Rotblatt Amrany</a>.The studio was founded by Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, sculptors who have worked together since the 1980s.Via WTTW&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/artist-mickalene-thomas-all-about-love/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h">Artist Mickalene Thomas and her dream of making a difference</a>When you walk into the world of Mickalene Thomas, prepare to be dazzled. The 53-year-old artist uses rhinestones, collage, silkscreen and video to create pieces that celebrate women – proud, confident and powerful.She may be best known for her reinterpretations of classics, like her Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, a take on the Pablo Picasso and Edouard Manet paintings of the same name. Our histories are always wrought with ideas of leaving truths out, leaving people out, said Thomas. And so, I started questioning that.Via CBS Sunday Morning&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/anish-kapoors-massive-sculptures-take-over-the-u-k-s-largest-cathedral-2523438">Anish Kapoor’s Massive Sculptures Take Over the U.K.’s Largest Cathedral</a>Anish Kapoor is marking his first Liverpool presentation in over 40 years with a sprawling new show commemorating the 100th anniversary of Liverpool Cathedral. The free exhibition, titled “<a href="https://liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/anishkapoor/">Monadic Singularity</a>,” spans a range of Kapoor’s sculptures from the past 25 years throughout Liverpool Cathedral, among the few sites large enough host to spectacles like Kapoor’s massive, immersive sculpture Sectional Body Preparing for Monadic Singularity (2015). The centenary show marks this artwork’s U.K. debut, too.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/08/16/reed-hastings-utah-powder-mountain-ski-resort-outdoor-museum">Netflix’s co-founder will redevelop Utah resort into a ‘skiable outdoor art museum’</a>A popular resort in Utah will be transformed into a luxury “skiable outdoor art museum” after being acquired by Reed Hastings, the billionaire co-founder of Netflix, who will install works by James Turrell, Jenny Holzer and others throughout the mountaintop.With 8,484 skiable acres, Powder Mountain in Eden, Utah, is the largest ski resort in North America by total acreage. Starting in 2026, the 12,100-acre property will be home to a new art programme. Notable installations include a trailside light installation, Ganzfeld Apani (2011), which James Turrell originally created for the Venice Biennale. The resort said it will also install a major work by Nancy Holt from the 1980s onsite. Pieces commissioned specifically for Powder Mountain will include a series of text engravings on rocks by Jenny Holzer and an installation by Utah native Paul McCarthy rooted in American Western mythology.Via The Art Newspaper</body></html>

What We're Reading: 8/19/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/afvjih4zmlfbliufv0zv.jpg"><figcaption>Photos by David Sampson for Public Art Fund</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Via PROpening August 14, Public Art Fund and JCDecaux will present Adrienne Elise Tarver: She who sits, six new images displayed on 300 bus shelters across New York City, Chicago, and Boston. Tarver’s newest body of work is an ongoing exploration of the centrality of the Black matriarchal figure, combined with new imagery where her subjects reject spectatorship, proclaim agency, and engage in self-affirming rest while seated in intimate environments. She who sits marks Adrienne Elise Tarver’s first solo public art exhibition.“Adrienne Elise Tarver is incredibly skilled at building rich and complex worlds in which her subjects get to live, and her viewers get to witness,” said Public Art Fund Assistant Curator Jenée-Daria Strand. “Each painting possesses a vivid color story that offers a backdrop to an equally rich narrative—a narrative of radical rest that underscores the right of refusal and the reclamation of selfhood.”&nbsp;Many of the works in the exhibition feature Vera Otis, a fictional subject whom Tarver has developed over the past 10 years. Originally inspired by an anonymous woman from a vintage photograph in a thrift store, each new portrayal of Vera Otis expands her story. Through Otis’s fabricated biographical narrative, Tarver investigates her own family history, complicates definitions of belonging, and contemplates how personal experiences are intertwined with historical accounts. In She who sits, Vera Otis is the muse through whom Tarver contextualizes rest and the posture of sitting as power. Though inspired by iconic Black actresses of the 1920s through 1960s such as Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, Hattie McDaniels, and Lena Horne, Otis does not seek to entertain. She is composed and self-contained, yet at ease and relaxed, not rushing or waiting for anyone. Otis exists as both a meditative focal point for, and in direct contrast to, her commuter audiences.&nbsp;“In the development of She who sits, as a continuation of my recent work focused on the fictional character, Vera Otis, I was thinking about archetypes, mythologies, and expectations placed on Black women,” said Adrienne Elise Tarver. “These works are an exploration of the power of sitting historically and in daily life, subverting the idea of it being a mundane or insignificant act.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/l6cvpmtoeyv9z0wth4h4.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;The exhibition’s title nods to Black actresses' mandate to perform gleefully on and off stage, the prevalence of Black women's labor in domestic spaces, and the significance of sitting in public space to enact social change. Dually, it refers to the exhibition’s presentation on bus shelters, where passengers sit as they await their next destination. In New York, Chicago, and Boston, Tarver’s subjects will mirror the posture of nearby commuters, offering physical respite and spaces of quiet confrontation.Tarver undertakes extensive research to create new series, deriving images from a wealth of source material. Family photographs, found imagery, and media archives––especially that of Ebony Magazine and Jet––reside in each of the paintings, some more recognizable and others less so. By combining imagery that spans time and place, Tarver connects the past to the present.For example, in the painting Dark Star, Tarver presents a reinterpreted image of model and actress Vera Francis––originally published on a 1951 Ebony Magazine cover––omitting all markers of her identity and leaving only Francis’s silhouette. Visible at the heart of her obscured figure is a dark blue celestial starburst that Tarver offers in a nod to Afrofuturism, and as a depiction of a Black woman’s prayer to the heavens for refuge and release. The concealed subject raises questions about the figure’s potential expressions of her mental and emotional state, especially when compared to the figure’s vibrant surroundings. Consistent throughout the exhibition is Tarver’s commitment to duality, blurring history and the present, invisibility and visibility, private and public.She who sits is Tarver’s first solo Public Art Fund presentation, having participated in the 2020 group exhibition <a href="https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/art-on-the-grid-july27/">Art on the Grid</a>, also presented with JCDecaux. The three exhibition cities each hold unique significance for the artist. Boston is where Tarver lived during her undergraduate years; Chicago is where she spent her teen years and returned to obtain her MFA; New York City is where she currently lives and works.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/rccumm5ag8kojungqwj3.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Adrienne Elise Tarver: She who sits is curated by Public Art Fund Assistant Curator Jenée-Daria Strand.&nbsp;@PublicArtFund #AdrienneEliseTarverWHEN &amp; WHERE: Starting on August 14, 2024, She who sits will be on view on JCDecaux bus shelters throughout New York City, Chicago, and Boston. The exhibition can also be explored anytime, anywhere, on the free <a href="https://www.publicartfund.org/videos_etc/bloomberg-connects/">Bloomberg Connects</a> app.&nbsp;ABOUT THE ARTISTAdrienne Elise Tarver is an interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, NY with a practice that spans painting, sculpture, installation, photography, textiles, and video. Her work addresses the complexity and invisibility of Black female identity including the history within domestic spaces, the fantasy of the tropical seductress, and the archetype of the all-knowing spiritual matriarch.She has exhibited nationally and abroad, including solo shows at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Connecticut; the Academy Art Museum in Maryland; Atlanta Contemporary in Atlanta, Georgia; Dinner Gallery (formerly Victori+Mo) in New York; Ochi Projects in Los Angeles; Wave Hill in the Bronx, NY; BRIC Project Room in Brooklyn; and A-M Gallery in Sydney, Australia and two-person exhibitions at Hollis Taggart in New York; Wedge Curatorial in Toronto, Canada. She recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, Boston University, and the Nancy Graves Foundation Grant. She has been commissioned for projects through the New York MTA, the Public Art Fund, Google, Art Aspen, and Pulse Art Fair and has been featured in online and print publications including the New York Times, Forbes, Brooklyn Magazine, ArtNews, ArtNet, Blouin ArtInfo, Whitewall Magazine, and Hyperallergic, among others. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BFA from Boston University.&nbsp;In 2024, Tarver was announced as the inaugural awardee of a new summer residency at Stoneleaf Retreat, in partnership with Artnoir. Her solo exhibition, Where the Waters Go, will be on view at Dinner Gallery in New York City from May 16, 2024 to June 29, 2024. Tarver is represented in Los Angeles, CA and Sun Valley, ID by<a href="https://www.ochigallery.com/artists/"> OCHI</a>.ABOUT PUBLIC ART FUNDAs the leader in its field, Public Art Fund brings dynamic contemporary art to a broad audience in New York City and beyond by mounting ambitious free exhibitions of international scope and impact that offer the public powerful experiences with art and the urban environment. Begun in 2017, Public Art Fund’s partnership with JCDecaux has grown to include twelve exhibitions across seven cities around the globe.ABOUT JCDECAUXThe JCDecaux Group is the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, reaching more than 850 million people daily in over 80 countries and almost 4,000 cities. JCDecaux is working towards more sustainable spaces and is recognized for its extra-financial performance in the FTSE4Good (3.6/5), CDP (A Leadership), MSCI (AA), and has achieved Gold Medal status from EcoVadis. In the U.S., JCDecaux programs include airports, billboards, malls, as well as street furniture programs in New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.Photos by David Sampson for Public Art Fund</body></html>

Adrienne Elise Tarver's Portraits of Women Come to Chicago Bus Shelters

<html><head></head><body>By GINNY VAN ALYEAI’ve been giving myself a bit of a history lesson–something I tend to do when I’m on deadline and have time-sensitive things to do. At press time Chicago is preparing, or bracing, to be on the world stage when the city once again welcomes the Democratic National Convention (this is the 26th political convention held here–the first was in 1860 when Abraham Lincoln was nominated). Tens of thousands of people will come to the city, while the world watches. History will be made, but many ask, will it be 1968 again?&nbsp;I was not around yet in that pivotal year in our country’s history, but I have started to consider that so much of what we recognize as the significant foundation of Chicago’s art scene today came about in the ensuing 56 years. The sparks of AfriCOBRA came to life in 1968. The Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened in 1967, mounted a 1969 exhibition, featuring the work of an ever-growing group of artists labeled the Imagists, “Don Baum Says ‘Chicago Needs Famous Artists’”. Hairy Who artists Jim Nutt and Gladys Nilsson had their first solo shows in 1970 at Phyllis Kind Gallery. Roger Brown followed in 1971. Other groups of artists founded the ARC Gallery in 1973, and Chicago Artists Coalition in 1974. In 1978 the main branch of the Chicago Public Library became the Chicago Cultural Center. That same year the city passed the Percent-for-Art-Ordinance, which stipulated that a portion of construction and renovation costs for municipal buildings and public spaces be allocated towards original art. It’s why Chicago has such a remarkable public art collection today–just one reason we’re a popular city for hosting conventions of all types. Art Expo debuted in 1980 and reinvented the way people encounter, consume and sell contemporary art, and throughout the rest of the ‘80s the city’s gallery scene took off, and held on. In 2024 it’s already been two decades since the opening of Millennium Park, a monument to the power of public art and one of the country’s top ten tourist destinations. Soon, the Obama Center designed by architect David Adjaye will open next year. So no matter who is watching Chicago, we know it’s change and creativity that keeps our city moving forward, true to its hardworking roots.&nbsp;This is CGN’s 42nd fall magazine. It’s filled with highlights from an arts calendar bursting with exhibitions and events, from downtown to downstate as well as into Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. Chicago may lie at the center of many things, sometimes more conspicuously than others–politics, Lollapalooza, NASCAR–but in the spirit of a changeable year it’s worth studying what has come before, all that we have done already, and what will come next. Even if we don’t know what to expect from anything else.&nbsp;Keep an eye out for CGN's fall issue, covering September-December and out later this month in time for the new fall art season. Our cover interview is with artist Caroline Kent. We also include interviews with collector Michelle Edwards, young artist Georgie Miller, dealer Tom McCormick, dealer Carl Hammer, a profile of Wisconsin's Poor Farm, Mark Ballogg at Alma Art and Interiors, the state of art in healthcare, fall calendars, new galleries, and much more!&nbsp;&nbsp;If you'd like to subscribe <a href="https://835ba3.myshopify.com">click here.</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092758/b96kxgc2fncukt7tiqzm.jpg"><figcaption>Fall cover featuring Caroline Kent</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;</body></html>

Fall 2024 Publisher's Letter

<a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/12/arts/design/chicago-art-trains-elections.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ck4.upNC.niMHeBEK3UCh&amp;smid=url-share>New Public Art Rides the Rails in Chicago, Timed to the Convention</a>Public art by world-renowned creators is a seminal part of Chicago’s urban landscape. Anish Kapoor’s beloved 2006 silver sculpture in downtown Millennial Park, known as “The Bean”(officially “Cloud Gate”), is as much a symbol of the city as Chicago’s sports stars and its skyscrapers.Now, timed to the Democratic National Convention (Aug. 19-22), Chicago is debuting a new array of public art throughout the city, much of it by local talent, and all on democratic (with a lowercase “D”) themes.Via The New York Times&nbsp;<a href=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/sothebys-minority-stake-abq-abu-dhabi-sovereign-wealth-fund-1234714040/>Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund to Acquire Minority Stake in Sotheby’s in $1 Billion Investment&nbsp;Deal</a>ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund, investment, and holding company, has entered into “a definitive agreement” to acquire a minority interest in Sotheby’s. The deal, valued at around $1 billion, will see ADQ purchasing newly issued shares of Sotheby’s. Patrick Drahi, the current majority owner of the auction house, will invest additional capital. The exact breakdown of the investment was not disclosed.According to a press release, the capital infusion from the investment reflects Sotheby’s interest in the burgeoning economic diversification of the Abu Dhabi region. It’s likely that some of the funds will be earmarked for strengthening Sotheby’s finances and supporting the company’s ambitious and real estate expansion plans.Via ARTnews&nbsp;<a href=https://news.artnet.com/art-world-archives/bar-at-the-folies-bergere-manet-2520568>Was Manet’s Final Masterpiece Meant to Be a Riddle? Here Are 3 Facts About His Iconic Bar Scene</a>Edouard Manet’s last masterpiece, The Bar at Folies-Bergère, is also his most enigmatic. Painted in 1882, the year before he died, Manet was already in mounting physical decline and the artist knew his end was near. Which is to say, he painted The Bar with intentionality as a final testament. The same year it was created, The Bar was displayed at the Paris Salon. Manet’s history with the Salon was notoriously complex—he had often been rejected and, when his works were accepted, they were usually critically skewered (take for instance Olympia, from 1863, which people tried to attack). But the legacy of The Bar at Folies-Bergère has been enduring, if sphinx-like in its ambiguity. The art historian Griselda Pollock rightly deemed it “one of the canonical images for modernist art history.” But what does Manet’s final masterpiece mean?Via Artnet&nbsp;Image: Edouard Manet, A bar at the Folies-Bergere. The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust.) ©The Courtauld.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

What We're Reading: 8/12/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/bxxambeyczkaaxm69zqk.jpg" changes="" artists="" and="" curator="" bob="" faust_photo="" by="" walter="" s="" mitchell="" iii,="" city="" of="" chicago.jpg=""><figcaption>Track(ed) Changes artists. Photo by Walter S Mitchell III, City of Chicago &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>Via PRCHICAGO—Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced several public art projects to be completed this summer and fall, including a neighborhood murals initiative as well as unique artwork by Chicago artists on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue, Green, and Orange lines. The artist-designed CTA train wraps will be on display starting in mid-August, as will many of the neighborhood murals being created by mainly Chicago-based artists in collaboration with community organizations — to be installed at public sites in Humboldt Park, the West Loop, and Woodlawn/Washington Park. Additional murals will debut this fall in the Bronzeville, Edgewater, Mayfair, South Chicago, and Uptown communities. These new neighborhood murals will interpret themes of democracy, civic duty, diversity, equity, and inclusion and will also celebrate Chicago’s Blues and House music legacies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Chicago is embracing public art as a defining characteristic of our city,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “My administration through DCASE is currently managing nearly 80 public art projects in airports, transit hubs, and other spaces — totaling $11 million in investments across 26 wards. We’re proud to share Chicago’s story and the power of the arts with residents in diverse communities across this great city, and with visitors from across the globe.”“The new artist-designed train wraps are unique ‘moving murals’ on display throughout Chicago,” shared DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth. “Mayor Brandon Johnson and I believe that public art tells the story of our city — its beauty, its resilience, the soul of Chicago. We’re thrilled to be showcasing local artists and cultural communities on the CTA and with neighborhood murals.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://meltwater-apps-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/5a04d8a0b64871151db4c421/blobid2_1723489955320.jpg"><figcaption>Pictured: Renderings of the artist-designed train wraps project, “Track(ed) Changes”</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The artist-designed train wraps project, titled “Track(ed) Changes: Democracy runs through our neighborhoods,” is produced and project managed by the DCASE Public Art team in collaboration with the CTA—and curated by Chicago-based graphic designer and artist Bob Faust. Participating artists include: Brandon Breaux, Bob Faust, Kristoffer McAfee, Noel Mercado, Carlos Rolón, Esperanza Rosas, Territory, and youth artists with Urban Gateways.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/kldw2hzz63gmyf8ht20c.jpg"><figcaption>Track(ed) Changes artist and curator Bob Faust. Photo by Walter S Mitchell III, City of Chicago &nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The aforementioned neighborhood murals initiative includes:<ul><li>Bronzeville neighborhood (Martin Luther King Community Center) in collaboration with Dorian Sylvain Studio, LLC / Mural Moves; celebrating the legacy of the Blues in Chicago; by Chicago-based artist Arthur Wright</li><li>Edgewater neighborhood (Edgewater Branch Library) in collaboration with the Chicago Public Art Group; interpreting themes of democracy, civic duty, diversity, equity, and/or inclusion; by Brooklyn-based artist Tomokazu Matsuyama</li><li>Humboldt Park neighborhood (Erie Division Street Health Center) in collaboration with Yollocalli Arts Reach; interpreting themes of democracy, civic duty, diversity, equity, and/or inclusion; by Chicago-based artist Ceci Beavens</li><li>Mayfair neighborhood (Mayfair Branch Library) in collaboration with Yollocalli Arts Reach; interpreting themes of democracy, civic duty, diversity, equity, and/or inclusion; by Chicago-based artist Sentrock</li><li>South Chicago neighborhood (Vodak-East Side Branch Library) in collaboration with Englewood Arts Collective; interpreting themes of democracy, civic duty, diversity, equity, and/or inclusion; by Chicago-based artist Oscar Joyo</li><li>Uptown neighborhood (Uptown Branch Library) in collaboration with the Chicago Public Art Group; interpreting themes of democracy, civic duty, diversity, equity, and/or inclusion; by Chicago-based artist Max Sansing</li><li>West Loop neighborhood (Office of Emergency Management &amp; Communications/OEMC Garage) in collaboration with Englewood Arts Collective; celebrating House music and its influence; by Chicago-based artists Kayla Mahaffey and Rahmaan Statik</li><li>Woodlawn/Washington Park neighborhood (Bessie Coleman Branch Library) in collaboration with Dorian Sylvain Studio, LLC / Mural Moves; interpreting themes of democracy, civic duty, diversity, equity, and/or inclusion; by Chicago-based artist Kari Blak</li></ul><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/rmxcuk0mf9h8r8xaodn8.jpg" blak="" mural_beyond="" the="" pages_at="" bessie="" coleman="" branch="" library.jpg=""><figcaption>Kari Blak mural, “Beyond the Pages” at Bessie Coleman Branch Library</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Other DCASE Public Art project highlights scheduled for completion in Summer/Fall 2024 include:<ul><li>CTA Damen Green Line station mosaic by Folayemi Wilson</li><li>Joint Public Safety Training Campus façade mural by Edra Soto and two local artists</li><li>63rd and Central Park Ave. viaduct mural by artist Anna Murphy</li><li>Chicago Race Riot 1919 commemoration project; first markers recently unveiled by Firebird Community Arts with local youth artists</li><li>O’Hare International Airport T5 Baggage Claim photographic light box installation by Jonathan Michael Castillo</li><li>Greater Roseland garden sculptures by Ben LaMar Gay &amp; Redemptive Plastics / Alt Chicago</li><li>Greater Roseland “Burst Into Books” murals by Kayla Mahaffey</li><li>Exterior murals and interior wall wraps in Englewood (Damon Lamar Reed), Lakeview (CZR PRZ), and Roseland (Max Sansing)</li></ul></body></html>

City of Chicago's Latest Public Art Takes a Trip on the El

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/vpk1wyzwz1zysyzukcl8.jpg"><figcaption>2023 Richard Hunt Award Winner Caminantes by Salvador Jiménez-Flores</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Via PRTHE 2025&nbsp;CHICAGO SCULPTURE EXHIBIT RICHARD HUNT AWARD APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN!What is the Richard Hunt Award? CSE is thrilled to renew the CSE Richard Hunt Award. In recognition of the internationally-heralded artist and Chicago native Richard Hunt, CSE continues to bring new perspectives and diversity to the public art world by offering financial support to emerging or mid-career Chicagoland sculptors for a new artwork sited at a prominent location in the city. The award is part of CSE’s mission to encourage a broader range of artists to design and fabricate large-scale public sculpture.&nbsp;&nbsp;The financial provision for the production of the work is $10,000, 80% provided for the planning and/or creation of the artist’s work and 20% dispersed upon installation. The selected artist must transport their sculpture to and from the site, but CSE will assist with on-site installation and costs of physically mounting the work. The sculpture will remain on display for two years and must be able to withstand Chicago’s climate for that period. The work will be returned to the artist as the sole owner after 24 months. CSE will make every effort to provide additional mentoring and assistance as requested.&nbsp;&nbsp;The award money may be used for production and installation of the sculpture, i.e. materials, studio rent, artist’s time. CSE will also provide professional documentation of the work upon installation, to be shared with the artist.&nbsp;Project TimelineSeptember 27, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.: Applications are due by 5 pm CST on Friday, September 27. Please submit an application through this form: <a href="https://chicagosculptureexhibit.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=183958c7dd80221c1c4ad9417&amp;id=09b2e305c6&amp;e=5c16fab5df">CSE Richard Hunt Award Application</a>Early to Mid-October 2024: Jury selection of winner, with notification shortly thereafter.&nbsp;November 15, 2024: Final drawings/plans due to CSE for review.&nbsp;May 30, 2025: Installation of the work must be completed by this date and will be planned in coordination with CSE staff and contractors.&nbsp;Application RequirementsChicagoland artists, aged 18+ must submit the following within the application link:● Artist statement and bio (200 words or less)● Sample images&nbsp;● Artist proposal for new work for installation (350 words)&nbsp;● Proposed project budget (may include studio rent, labor, materials, etc.)&nbsp;The JurySelect curators from Chicago’s art community will comprise the Jury for the 2024/2025 CSE Richard Hunt Award including Daniel Schulman, Executive Director of Jewish Museum Milwaukee and former Program Director of Visual Art at Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Dr. Anita Blanchard, Board Member, Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation, and Tricia van Eck, Founder and Artistic Director of 6018 North and former Associate Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; The Richard Hunt Legacy FoundationCSE is excited to partner with The Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation to continue the CSE Richard Hunt Award in future years. As an artist and prominent American sculptor, Richard Hunt considered artistic freedom to be the most important aspect of his career, “I am interested more than anything else in being a free person. To me, that means that I can make what I want to make, regardless of what anyone else thinks I should make.”&nbsp;The Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation advances public awareness, education, and appreciation of the life and art of American sculptor Richard Hunt. ​The Foundation was incorporated in the state of Illinois in 2023 to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit at the direction of its founder, Richard Hunt. The Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation’s vision is to ensure that future generations fully appreciate his life and art by encouraging, inspiring, facilitating, educating, and supporting the public’s understanding of his work and his place in American and art history. In addition, the foundation aims to support the next generation of sculptors and artists. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/wljndqbad5j7tyrkwuvw.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;About Richard HuntBorn on the South Side of Chicago, Richard Hunt (1935-2023) was one of the most important sculptors this nation has produced. His distinguished art career spanned seven decades. At the age of 35, Hunt became the first African American sculptor to have a retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1971. Hunt held over 160 solo exhibitions and is represented in more than 100 public museums across the globe. Hunt was a prolific public sculptor and made the largest contribution to public art in the United States, with more than 160 public sculpture commissions gracing prominent locations in 24 states and Washington, D.C. Hunt was a central figure in Civil Rights-era action and commemorated many African American icons in his public works, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Emmett Till, John Jones, and Mary McLeod Bethune. His body of work explores themes of the African diaspora, African and Western art, mythology, and Hunt’s own ancestry, especially in relation to growth, expansion, freedom, movement, and flight. Questions? Contact <a href="mailto:chicagosculptureexhibit@gmail.com?subject=CSE%20Application">chicagosculptureexhibit@gmail.com</a><a href="https://chicagosculptureexhibit.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=183958c7dd80221c1c4ad9417&amp;id=3599f6d153&amp;e=5c16fab5df">CLICK HERE TO APPLY ONLINE</a>&nbsp;</body></html>

CSE Announces Richard Hunt Sculpture Prize - Applications Open Now

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/chxv7b6zafnyhui9fxxn.jpg" blue="" rendering="" 1.jpg=""></figure>ROSEMONT, Ill. – THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion, the multifaceted contemporary art program located within Fashion Outlets of Chicago, with support from the Village of Rosemont, today announced the program’s newest site-specific installation, Midnight Blue, by celebrated Chicago-native artist Hebru Brantley featuring his iconic Flyboy character. The permanent work will make its debut at the center on Friday, September 20.“When we established THE COLLECTION, we set out to provide Fashion Outlets of Chicago shoppers with an unparalleled, yet approachable visual art experience,” said Katie Walsh, Senior Marketing Manager at Fashion Outlets of Chicago. “With the addition of this incredible work by an artist as iconic as Hebru Brantley, we are demonstrating our commitment to providing world-class, museum-quality work to the public in an unexpected, unique setting.”Enigmatic and abstract, Midnight Blue draws inspiration from the world of Jazz, particularly the atmosphere created in the classic tune, “Round Midnight.” The focus of the work is on capturing a feeling – a state of being lost in the moment, carried away by the interplay of colors and shapes. These colors themselves become a dreamscape, inviting the viewer to surrender to their own interpretation. Using shapes that hint at camouflage, the work introduces a layer of tension, reflecting the artist’s desire to create a work that resonates on an emotional level, similar to the power of music, all while existing in a dynamic relationship with its environment.“Ultimately, Midnight Blue is about setting a mood, a vibe, just as a great Jazz piece can transport the listener,” said Brantley. “This commission by Fashion Outlets of Chicago was an incredible opportunity to create a work that is simultaneously unexpected and immersive. I’m thrilled to join my colleagues and friends represented in THE COLLECTION and I can’t wait for visitors to engage with Midnight Blue for years to come.”Known for his distinctive, narrative-driven work that revolves around conceptualized characters, Brantley utilizes the characters to address complex ideas while exploring color palettes, motifs and the characters themselves to create an air of innocence around his layered and multifaceted works.&nbsp;For more information on THE COLLECTION and Fashion Outlets of Chicago please visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oTjORMppDqxAbsefRFk27x507Y8RCkhvCWKPYeD-2BKa3G-2BA6KxNcJ2EU-2BuP7Y0J-2F7rLhHuXz3erU-2F9IUUVs-2BVhKbxdGH7RQHVDKroiqTsa2z4JCOBg4F3e-2FrAy9fqi9BpVnIJ64gBS7ycggSCvmj18FAxvJLS80oyoVtjUvYKr9M-3D39qU_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK4Z4qBlUqor2qDvQhyzjzAElC-2F6u9R3CLO8CTOlg-2FO7vCOi8ETaEM9YyAKnU1e2Rp1jIqyDL-2BxrdjsLk8n0b7oXBDtSg69SM-2BCJt4RiNByRQ7ETnBfrxCKUW-2FggBJylTWxLuxAo5cDDZSOUQADaecL8gCcHKkAsdd-2FuPoZO-2BKUkYTVvEsi-2Bmw0dmAvc8bw0aR9pdx247p9i00lon-2FO0OZuegBb6u1k3k3-2FWnkQPqPF2WrEhbF1jD9uZDS-2FCMgVdSJySv-2BTjkZOjmwxdfCu8p2PBfo8nZxRs3QqwHo3C02XxDgZXnRDqeZvqlrCbq-2BlgflFl8bEC89WanKBb-2B8IVwkCIgSmk-2Futtj3XEQ9GH3JuKj1n20q10g3x-2Fei46XEjTPiCqPHJZiBqd0KFMExvszCvph7CVK7-2F8lgDaDxVt2P-2FvgWGZbI9Zt8tFhY5jYzh83uov-2B1K42C6dBZQG6JEMRKOprq6em813YBlzn750KA8BvHUfRjunRPaGrRJtzq-2BoQP7Ain9BUZWaGJfoBS3ZAOvY-2FNupa7MEl6-2BUGJ2wju0kB4Gl-2FMcABtaUBgii5QYspVe50rn2CTxTvK1yE8squAz1-2BFfykOWJ2GwzCt7YKJ8nG7RRadcAb958zHQIqfvu0lGpinRFFCFRWrPf8xteC0vuL-2BkXwOq5GDItN9LopnwbMyxQ8kMwImPUKSFQ2fUUsRddbaoxqASo0cQB4otIPuHj5wCjWy-2FEQqG2Qx-2Fs8GX9s4PX8bxJixrwkXm4LFpJcOYq2BEd41vLZqeD-2B6Aylhgw">www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com/thecollection</a>.About Hebru BrantleyHebru Brantley is an American artist known for his distinctive, narrative-driven work that revolves around his conceptualized characters. Drawing from art historical references such as Robert Colescott, Andy Warhol, Kerry James Marshall and Jean-Michel Basquiat, the work of Brantley reassesses contemporary culture and mythology through a unique lens. He utilizes his characters in a narrative output to address complex ideas around nostalgia, fear, safety, power, and hope. The color palettes, motifs and characters themselves juxtapose this intricacy, creating an air of innocence and accessibility around his layered and multifaceted ideas.&nbsp;Brantley’s work is often seen challenging the traditional view of the hero or protagonist. The contexts and expressions of his youthful cast of characters – which are sometimes in autobiographical form – summon the audience to reimagine childhood and the American cultural experience in Brantley’s coined context of ‘dark fiction’. His work is frequently depicted exploring this macrocosm, where dark represents an identity, continent, and mindset. In his Negro Mythos series, Brantley reimagines the super heroes of American pop culture as people of color – as a quest to readdress modern mythology through his lens. Flyboy, his most known character, was also born from this concept.&nbsp;Akin to Charles Schulz and his world of ‘Peanuts’, Brantley’s work portraying Flyboy forms a narrative around him and his universe, including characters Lil Mama and Phibby. Flyboy, often seen looking upward in heroic stances, summons the viewer to contemplate the notion of the transcendent or even the impossible despite the ordinary. Encouraging the viewer to align their gaze skyward, above the monotony of the mundane, Brantley’s character gives rise to the notion of possibilities. The viewer is challenged to hope, to audaciously believe they too can fly.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/hz4gveibf1hc1gw1eddl.jpg"></figure>Brantley’s work as a storyteller frequently extends beyond the colorful dimensions of the canvas. The character, Phibby, with a helmet enveloping his dark face, is Brantley’s further exploration into the identity of the ‘safe black man’. Referencing astronauts and space exploration as well as Kermit the Frog, the observer is able to view his childlike appearance with ease while surveying a deeper context. Phibby is seen experiencing a need to assimilate, as black folks are often accustomed to making others feel safe, even when there is no threat. His bright green helmet allows him to do this, masking himself from society by creating a more approachable external image. Phibby challenges the viewer to examine the necessity to sell oneself short in order to fit into the nature of the colonizer. Brantley addresses notions of how people of color were rarely seen as the hero or the savior, but instead would only gain favor by playing the part of satirical characters. Phibby is the personification of the safe zone for a black man, with his helmet serving as both a retreat as well as a shield.&nbsp;Brantley’s recent solo exhibitions include: traveling without moving (NANZUKA UNDERGROUND, Tokyo, 2023), Bound (GGA Gallery, Wynwood Walls, Miami, FL, 2022), Dark Fiction: Flowers &amp; Frogs (Richard Beavers Gallery, NYC, 2022), Saints &amp; Shepherds (Fort Wayne Museum of Art, IN, 2021), Mythos Opus 1., 2., 3., (Megumi Ogita Gallery and Nanzuka Underground, Tokyo, 2021), and Solus (Phillips Auction House, Hong Kong, 2021). In 2019, Brantley exhibited Nevermore Park in Chicago, an experiential fine art installation depicting large-scale narrative work of his characters, Flyboy and Lil Mama. The 6,000-square-foot installation hosted over 23,000 guests. Brantley currently works and resides in Los Angeles,&nbsp;where he is also expanding into film and TV directing through his media company, Angry Hero. In early 2022, he released a short film on Netflix.&nbsp;About THE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets FashionTHE COLLECTION: Where Art Meets Fashion is a multifaceted contemporary art program located within Macerich’s Fashion Outlets of Chicago, with support from the Village of Rosemont. Components of THE COLLECTION include 23 permanent commissions and a rotating exhibition series located throughout the common area of the shopping center. The public art program has invested in works by Daniel Arsham, Derrick Adams, Carlos Rolón Dzine, Jen Stark, Matthew Hoffman, and many more. THE COLLECTION’s rotating exhibitions feature work by a variety of artists displayed in glass cases located throughout Level Two of the shopping center. For more information, visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.YGtAXXM2e8X4wIriVfujJsly62AeUO0rs3h4Ai9ane7MV-2F-2Fv0OqciSl8n1ZhXsCiFhtOG7Bw4CkeC-2BijCretu6x2srvvAgSYa3MK-2Brv5yriylWJuqxLIUXfrq-2FFq3wIqE0ahZuMKcgtQSC6JcpfwPcW-2BJSfX3ocFRlwnjoHCS4A-3DDGSp_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK4Z4qBlUqor2qDvQhyzjzAElC-2F6u9R3CLO8CTOlg-2FO7vCOi8ETaEM9YyAKnU1e2Rp1jIqyDL-2BxrdjsLk8n0b7oXBDtSg69SM-2BCJt4RiNByRQ7ETnBfrxCKUW-2FggBJylTWxLuxAo5cDDZSOUQADaecL8gCcHKkAsdd-2FuPoZO-2BKUkYTVvEsi-2Bmw0dmAvc8bw0aR9pdx247p9i00lon-2FO0OZuegBb6u1k3k3-2FWnkQPqPF2WrEhbF1jD9uZDS-2FCMgVdSJySv-2BTjkZOjmwxdfCu8p2PBfo8nZxRs3QqwHo3C02XxDgZXnRDqeZvqlrCbq-2BlgflFl8bEC89WanKBb-2B8IVwkCIgSmk-2Futtj3XEQ9GH3JuKj1n20q10g3x-2Fei46XEjTPiCqPHJZiBqd0KFMExvszCvph7CVK7-2F8lgDaDxVt2P-2FvgWGZbI9Zt8tFhY5jYzh83uov-2B1K42C6dBZQG6JEMRKOprq6em813YBlzn750KA8BvHUfRjunRPaGrRJtzq-2BoQP7Ain9BUZWaGJfoBS3ZAOvY-2FNupa7MEl6-2BUGJ2wju0kB4Gl-2FMcABtaUBgii5QYspVdqgUSo2UejSbecOS62OhOeBhbRHbuCSjtoA9DEJGksv4vr-2FsPqrdndp-2BwvUUBfzWl3C2CxU0-2Fy0tyByPFFAfj5-2Ffa4uyFyu1Hf92QmGIlOPt7EKth72yEUyOneUca76pS5mHmBGJRtNY-2F-2B88WZ5VQ-2BWhS8xDPjRVfP3mkrJnrW4kDtn-2FxnMJRXuW9Umc4YmnE-2B99U-2FabR0XeY7fPfUztjZ">www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com/TheCollection</a>.About Fashion Outlets of ChicagoFashion Outlets of Chicago is an award-winning 530,000 square-foot, two-level indoor shopping center that is home to more than 130 designer outlets, an impressive contemporary art collection known as THE COLLECTION and high-end amenities. The one-of-a-kind upscale outlet property that redefines and elevates the outlet shopping experience, is located at 5220 Fashion Outlets Way in Rosemont –minutes from O’Hare International Airport and Chicagoland’s major highways. For more information, visit <a href="https://u56787.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.oTjORMppDqxAbsefRFk27x507Y8RCkhvCWKPYeD-2BKa03NDbKFoNLXfKRP9ZHayOsMB9eq7mX-2B-2F-2BQZaIOtWW5DzaJ-2FTPueE-2Ff4OadtwlnNTa4oUxYwAkNbNvUjZIDXvNJmKs-2FXribRIQBPT-2BuiBYBYA-3D-3Dc-X6_0g5QiKQ3ANfCkWXxwzczn1phIok0-2FnBF8GNWXrNhq2-2BCm4DmNjKHmH-2FuMeb6erfptj0X7kOO03SOEy0038a8bO2JT1vj7ekSN4iWm5fnVmC-2BUoj9m6S-2BHoqpkY4xl-2F1zJpl0qI-2Bilecut0mSSToCGWN89tcBEot9fhKkN60iLK4Z4qBlUqor2qDvQhyzjzAElC-2F6u9R3CLO8CTOlg-2FO7vCOi8ETaEM9YyAKnU1e2Rp1jIqyDL-2BxrdjsLk8n0b7oXBDtSg69SM-2BCJt4RiNByRQ7ETnBfrxCKUW-2FggBJylTWxLuxAo5cDDZSOUQADaecL8gCcHKkAsdd-2FuPoZO-2BKUkYTVvEsi-2Bmw0dmAvc8bw0aR9pdx247p9i00lon-2FO0OZuegBb6u1k3k3-2FWnkQPqPF2WrEhbF1jD9uZDS-2FCMgVdSJySv-2BTjkZOjmwxdfCu8p2PBfo8nZxRs3QqwHo3C02XxDgZXnRDqeZvqlrCbq-2BlgflFl8bEC89WanKBb-2B8IVwkCIgSmk-2Futtj3XEQ9GH3JuKj1n20q10g3x-2Fei46XEjTPiCqPHJZiBqd0KFMExvszCvph7CVK7-2F8lgDaDxVt2P-2FvgWGZbI9Zt8tFhY5jYzh83uov-2B1K42C6dBZQG6JEMRKOprq6em813YBlzn750KA8BvHUfRjunRPaGrRJtzq-2BoQP7Ain9BUZWaGJfoBS3ZAOvY-2FNupa7MEl6-2BUGJ2wju0kB4Gl-2FMcABtaUBgii5QYspVewHJIqN99xMsEtFK3sFICRFZRy3JqBjxoB1NyMcWKW-2B40qFqa68YvLhdcBx78SYuz44hGUedtRuhAjGYuSWtvvgjzyYnYOJd56xP88EfLouWLIiJ7iATBUGf5gCdV4UYGZ-2BD1-2BrkrAP4MVZwIsmft5UdNySZuDfU87JfpEnHOEc2G8ad2oQTMpKr2CF43PJkDsAz6htnltYYH-2Bj0dB8v-2Bi">www.fashionoutletsofchicago.com</a>.&nbsp; # # #</body></html>

Hebru Brantley Flyboy To be Installed at Fashion Outlets 

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/avtc3xqvtnzvwy7td5gl.png" simmons.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/howard-simmons-stories-my-camera-tells-once-upon-a-chicago">Howard Simmons: Stories my Camera Tells: Once Upon a Chicago</a>Opening: Wednesday, August 7, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/rmtxwwuw6loatcz0kqn8.jpg" moon="" rising.jpeg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/exploration">Jim Brady: Exploration</a>Opening: Thursday, August 8, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmDragonfly Gallery &amp; Creative Spaces&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/uuccmhd7zf5wweprsecl.png" bielefeld.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/lois-bielefeld">Lois Bielefeld: its own pristine devices</a>Opening: Saturday, August 10, 1 – 3&nbsp;pmOS Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/kqe8oenrezorioyatnp4.png" artus.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/marilyn-artus-her-flag">Marilyn Artus: Her Flag</a>Opening: Saturday, August 10, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions August 7 - 10

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/a9fvlyawpwinf4owwom4.jpg" copy.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://pagesix.com/2024/07/29/lifestyle/long-lost-andy-warhol-portrait-of-debbie-harry-up-for-sale/">Long-lost Andy Warhol portrait of Blondie singer Debbie Harry discovered in Delaware, going up for sale for potential millions</a>A long-lost Andy Warhol portrait of Blondie singer Debbie Harry from 1985 that has been hanging in rural Delaware, is going up for sale, we hear, for potential millions.The Harry portrait — and a signed disk of 10 Warhol images — was created on an early home computer when Warhol was an ambassador for a now-defunct tech outfit.Nearly 40 years ago, the famous artist signed on as a brand ambassador to early tech company Commodore and created a portrait of the “Heart of Glass” singer on an <a href="https://nypost.com/2014/04/26/computer-sleuths-stumble-upon-lost-art-of-andy-warhol/">Amiga 1000 home computer </a>as part of a promo at Lincoln Center.Via New York Post&nbsp;<a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/museums-including-shedd-aquarium-art-institute-field-museum-msi-offering-free-admission-days-august/15131191/">Chicago museums offering free admission days in August</a>The calendar has flipped to August and that means several Chicago museums are offering free admission this month for Illinois residents.That includes the Art Institute. Visitors can get in Thursday at no charge, from 5-8 p.m.And starting this week, the Shedd, Field Museum, and Adler Planetarium will all start rotating free dates into their calendars.Via ABC 7&nbsp;<a href="Art" galleries="" can="" be="" found="" on="" the="" streets="" of="" chicago="" this="" summer.="" all="" you="" have="" to="" do="" is="" look="" around,="" while="" waiting="" for="" bus.="" might="" say,="" people="" are="" moved="" by="" art.="" wait="" a="" cta="" bus="" and="" just="" meet="" hero.="">Chicago bus shelters showcase portraits of unsung neighborhood heroes</a>Art galleries can be found on the streets of <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/tag/us/il/cook-county/chicago">Chicago</a> this summer. All you have to do is look around, while waiting for the bus.You might say, people are moved by the art. Wait for a <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/tag/organization/cta">CTA</a> bus and you just might meet a hero.The Unsung Heroes of Uptown are featured on bus shelters around the city.Portraits, plus a QR code that connects the viewer to a detailed Chicago story.Conceptual artist Hana Bleue Chaussette met each person, heard their story, recorded, painted them and brought them to the streets.Via FOX 32&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

What We're Reading: 8/5/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/y7hparupfwyzxly6ix8y.jpg"><figcaption>Travis Landry, Head of Landry Pop Auctions (LPA) (Photo: Business Wire)</figcaption></figure>Via PRCHICAGO – <a href="https://www.wright20.com">Rago Wright</a> is set to revolutionize the collectibles market with the launch of Landry Pop Auctions (LPA), led by renowned expert and TV star Travis Landry. This new venture will be the sixth stand-alone auction house under the Rago Wright umbrella, signaling the firm’s continued growth and diversification. With Travis Landry at the helm, LPA will introduce an exciting range of offerings in comics, toys, video games, and trading cards, as the collectible market continues to accrue significant value and attract new buyers.Travis Landry, known for his roles on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow (2017 – present) and the Travel Channel’s Toy Hunter (2012-2014), brings his encyclopedic knowledge and passion for collectibles to LPA. His expertise in a range of culturally significant collectibles will expand Rago Wright’s offerings into new categories, providing services previously unmet within their network.“Joining forces with Travis to form Landry Pop Auctions will revolutionize the collectibles market,” said Richard Wright, CEO of Rago Wright. “Travis’s extensive knowledge and passion for collectibles, especially in comics, toys, video games, and trading cards, aligns perfectly with our vision for growth and diversification. His unmatched expertise will elevate our offerings and provide our clients with unparalleled auction experiences. We look forward to this new chapter and the incredible opportunities it will bring.”Travis began his auction career at just 12 years old and since then, has handled numerous high-profile items, including a 1999 Pokémon Base Set Shadowless Booster Box that brought $100,000 at market, a Marvel Comics Fantastic Four #1 (11/61) CGC 8.0 which sold for $150,000 and a Marvel Comics Werewolf by Night #1 (9/72) CGC 9.8 which sold for $51,250. The latter two above-mentioned comics were from the collection of Kevin Willis, CFO of Ashland Inc., which was sold at auction on New Year’s Day of 2022 and was part of the 20-lot auction selling for a total of $900,000. Notably, Landry also handled the collection of Andy Yanchus, the project manager for Aurora (1965-1975) and colorist for Marvel Comics (1975-1992). His extensive experience and enthusiasm for discovering rare finds will be pivotal in driving LPA’s successes.“Landry Pop Auctions will bring a fresh and dynamic approach to the auction industry,” said Travis Landry. “With my deep passion for and expertise in comics, toys, video games, and trading cards, and Rago Wright’s innovative stye and superior expertise, we will move the industry forward in new and exciting ways. I look forward to discovering and showcasing rare and extraordinary items, creating unparalleled auction experiences for collectors and enthusiasts alike.”Over the past five years, Rago Wright has demonstrated significant growth through strategic acquisitions and market expansion. From the merger of Rago and Wright in 2019 to the recent acquisition of Poster Auctions International, the firm has continually broadened its scope. The addition of LPA further diversifies its portfolio, catering to modern collectors and enthusiasts.Landry Pop Auctions will be launching its first auction in October. Interested in selling your collectibles? Connect with Travis at <a href="mailto:travis@landrypop.com">travis@landrypop.com</a>.About Rago Wright&nbsp; Rago Wright is a network of independently owned art and design brands in the auction industry. Rago and Wright joined forces in 2019, followed by the addition of LA Modern Auctions (LAMA) in the fall of 2021, and in 2022 Toomey &amp; Co. joined the firm. Together, the company brings $100+ million in annual sales, has a team of 100, and more than a century of combined business experience. With a national coast-to-coast presence, shared clientele, technology, innovation, and creativity, alongside expertise and shared passion, Rago Wright is uniquely positioned to serve a global audience while maintaining a strong independent voice in the world of art and design.About Landry Pop Auctions&nbsp; Landry Pop Auctions (LPA) is a vibrant new auction brand tailored for modern collectors passionate about comics, toys, pop culture, and more. Led by Travis Landry, LPA combines deep expertise with a passion for exceptional collectibles, hosting exciting sales in Lambertville, Chicago, and Los Angeles.</body></html>

Rago Wright Partners to Launch Landry Pop Auctions

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255045/lkuhcu6n7lqkhcvuiwbb.jpg"><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://desmoinesartcenter.org/art/exhibitions/hurricane-season/" target="_blank">1. Des Moines Art Center –&nbsp;Hurricane Season: Caribbean Art + Climate Change</a>Every year from June 1 through November 30, people across the Caribbean archipelago hold their breath. It’s hurricane season. Hurricanes and the devastation they bring have long been a part of life in the Caribbean, but with climate change, these storms are getting far more violent. They pick up steam faster than ever before, leaving little time to prepare. The aftermaths of storms are unbearable and shed light on the living legacy of colonialism and ongoing political corruption. Yet even as the effects of climate change wreak havoc on the region, life across the archipelago continues. People adapt. They weather the storm, even as they are weathered by it.“Hurricane Season” features 58 works in a range of media by six artists from across the Caribbean archipelago and its diaspora: Firelei Báez, Lionel Cruet, Teresita Fernández, Tamika Galanis, Deborah Jack, and Hew Locke.Thru Sept 22Des Moines, IA&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255046/nfwgrmwbqbahdeajfh5q.jpg">Cholos, White Fence, East Los Angeles, 1986. Graciela Iturbide (Mexican, b. 1942). Gelatin silver print; framed: 57.5 x 42.2 cm (22 5/8 x 16 5/8 in.); sheet: 35.2 x 27.7 cm (13 7/8 x 10 7/8 in.); image: 32 x 21.9 cm (12 5/8 x 8 5/8 in.). The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Gift of Leslie and Judith Schreyer and Gabri Schreyer-Hoffman in honor of Virginia Heckert, 2017.41 © Graciela Iturbide&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.clevelandart.org/exhibitions/picturing-border" target="_blank">2. The Cleveland Museum of Art –&nbsp;Picturing the Border</a>Picturing the Border&nbsp;presents photographs of the US-Mexico borderlands from the 1970s to the present taken by both border residents and outsiders. They range in subject matter from intimate domestic portraits, narratives of migration, and proof of political demonstrations to images of border crossings and clashes between migrants and the US Border Patrol. The earliest images in this exhibition form an origin story for the topicality of the US-Mexico border at present, and demonstrate that the issues of the border have been a critical point of inquiry for artists since the 1970s.Thru January 5, 2025Cleveland, OH&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255047/fpaqnzvwvcs8whdhnaxg.jpg">&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/visit/whats-inside/exhibits/museum/illinois-gallery/solidarity-now" target="_blank">3. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum –&nbsp;Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People's Campaign</a>Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People's Campaign&nbsp;explores one of the most important grassroots movements of the civil rights era: the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968. The exhibition investigates the factors that made this movement a success: the ideas, the emotions, the people, and the place—Resurrection City.&nbsp;Through a moving combination of photographs, objects, video, and oral histories, it explores the significance and impact of this campaign that drew thousands of people to develop a protest community on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to call the nation's attention to the crippling effects of poverty for millions of Americans.Thru August 18Springfield, IL&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255048/qgbom3lilpbkkf3kzyfm.jpg">&nbsp;4. Madison Museum of Contemporary Art –&nbsp;William Villalongo: Myths and MigrationsWilliam Villalongo: Myths and Migrations&nbsp;showcases 33 works created in the last two decades by the Brooklyn-based artist William Villalongo. Highly recognized for his paintings, collages, and signature velour paper cut-outs, Villalongo’s striking visual narratives invite the viewer to engage with the complexities and precarity of Black existence.Thru August 11Madison, WI&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733255048/eftfit01t5rbznozulex.jpg">&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thepaine.org/event/microsculpture-insect-portraits-levon-biss/" target="_blank">5. Paine Art Center and Gardens –&nbsp;Microsculpture: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss</a>Examine extremely fine pigmented scales, velvet-like surface textures, saw-sharp mandibles, swirling patterns and some of the most vibrant, iridescent colors seen in nature with large-scale photographic prints by British photographer Levon Biss.Thru October 13Oshkosh, WI

5 Museum Shows To Visit This Summer in the Midwest - Part II

<html><head></head><body>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/g32c46yf1sec4uptocc8.jpg" cano.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/mandy-cano-villalobos-delectable-goods-profit-not">Mandy Cano Villalobos: Delectable Goods Profit Not</a>Opening: Friday, August 2, 5 – 8&nbsp;pmARC Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/lwidgbcneapavncw0beh.jpg" work="" copy.jpg=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/curators-gone-rogue-susan-aurinko-susan-blackman">Women Work 2024</a>Opening: Friday, August 2, 5:30 – 8&nbsp;pmENGAGE Projects&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092761/cykobwtnunjoy4kyk8sd.png" mcmahon.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/margot-mcmahon-cultural-communities-chicago-writers-and-beyond">Margot McMahon: Cultural Communities: Chicago Writers and Beyond</a>Opening: Friday, August 2, 6 – 9&nbsp;pmEpiphany Center for the Arts&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/pxjjch7fm2uqppflbgy4.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/august-group-exhibit">Sheila Arora: Limitless</a>Opening: Friday, August 2, 4 – 7&nbsp;pmVivid Art Gallery&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092762/c0lfergg72jh8igyyirr.jpg"></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/ginny-krueger-sunburst-art-inspired-by-the-sun">Ginny Krueger: Sunburst: Art Inspired by the Sun</a>Opening: Friday, Aug 2, 6 – 8&nbsp;pmBlue Moon Gallery&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092763/vmsoeklcgxgybw8wxdvi.png" sanders.png=""></figure><a href="https://www.chicagogallerynews.com/events/invisibility-existing-on-the-periphery-a-virtual-exhibition">Invisibility: Existing on the Periphery | A Virtual Exhibition</a>Exhibition begins August 3Woman Made Gallery&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

New Exhibitions August 2 & 3

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/qcjkygvwiaryk9e9bx7l.jpg"><figcaption>Reproductions of an artwork from the Louvre Museum installed in the Seine during the Olympic Games opening ceremoney in Paris, France, 2024. Photo: Naomi Baker / POOL / AFP via Getty Images.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-mona-lisa-2517224">The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Was an Art-Filled Extravaganza</a>It was an unusually art-filled Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris as the Parade of Nations traveled by boat down the River Seine. The Mona Lisa escaped from the Louvre to catch the occasion, braving the rain along with an expected 300,000 Parisians and visitors from around the world.Carrying the Olympic torch throughout the festivities was a mysterious masked figure first seen in a rowboat in the Parisian catacombs. His face obscured, he wore a costume that recalled famous French characters the Phantom of the Opera and Arsène Lupin.Via Artnet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2024/07/28/how-ai-is-impacting-the-art-and-business-of-storytelling/">How AI Is Impacting The Art And Business Of Storytelling</a>How can AI transform the art and science of storytelling? To better understand, I connected with Vimeo CMO, Lynn Girotto, who serves a community of +300 million directors, marketers, and content creators on Vimeo.Girotto believes that “AI makes art and business easier by giving people the confidence to share their ideas in an efficient and engaging manner. Whether it’s a director producing a grassroots film, a small business creating its first product walkthrough, or a CEO giving a company-wide address, everyone should feel empowered to visually express themselves.More videos are produced every day, while attention spans only get shorter.Via Forbes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/travel/tuscany-pienza-benches.html?unlocked_article_code=1.-00.VzqH.UpKpSi6kFvFP&amp;smid=url-share">A New Path in Tuscany Offers Rest, Beauty and an Escape from the Crowds</a>In Tuscany, the Val d’Orcia, with its rolling fields and untouched landscape beneath the dormant volcano of Monte Amiata, seems created for photo ops. Within it, the town of Pienza is one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture, designed by the famed Bernardo Gambarelli, better known as Bernardo Rossellino, in white travertine marble and surrounded by palazzi which he also built.This summer, a new path leads visitors from the town’s main piazza to the countryside, a journey of a little less than two miles. Along its length they’ll find 28 benches made of travertine marble created by well-known artists. Each bench is both a place to rest and take in the sweeping views of the Italian countryside, and a work of art shaped by the maker’s hand: One suggests a throne, another carries an image of a face, another has the tactile surface of a beach stone.Via NYT&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/jack-shainman-gallery-sues-collector-jim-hedges-1234713058/">New York’s Jack Shainman Gallery Sues Art Collector, Claiming He Owes Nearly&nbsp;$300,000</a>New York’s Jack Shainman Gallery has sued collector James R. Hedges IV, alleging that he owes nearly $300,000 for the sales of 19 artworks that the gallery had consigned to him.The lawsuit, which was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York on Friday, claims that Hedges and his gallery, the Santa Monica–based Hedges Projects, were consigned these works via invoices dated between June 2022 and May 2024. Hedges and his gallery are accused of owing $298,772.72.Via Artnews</body></html>

What We're Reading: 7/29/24

<html><head></head><body><figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092759/dogv7lqcexf7zqrpaxkc.jpg" copy.jpg=""><figcaption>Dr. Douglas Arbittier with items from his large collection of medical antiques in Mendham, N.J., on May 16, 2024. When he found that many medical-themed woodblocks he bought were fake, he began an intense effort to catch the forger. (Bryan Anselm / The New York Times)</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/the-art-forger-had-fooled-thousands-then-he-met-doug/">The art forger had fooled thousands. Then he met Doug</a>Earl Washington loves wood.He loves maple wood from Wisconsin and boxwood from Turkey. He loves running his hands on its surface, feeling its heft and texture. But most of all he loves carving it. Thoughts about carving, he says, consume his waking moments.Mastery was never enough for him, though. To profitably sell woodblocks — which can be an oddity in the art market — Washington decided he also needed myth. So he created elaborate origin stories for his pieces. Some, he claimed, had been made or acquired by his great-grandfather. Others he promoted as rare creations from the 16th and 17th centuries.Thousands of people bought them unquestioningly, but a few became suspicious and raised concerns online and to authorities. The FBI fielded some complaints, but was not aware, it said later, of the “depth and the breadth” of Washington’s scheme, so he continued to sell his creations, having mastered the craft of carving and the art of fooling others.Until one day in 2013, when he met Douglas Arbittier.Via Seattle Times&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1731092760/ivjdswrefiucyjc7ez5w.jpg"><figcaption>A 150-million-year-old, near-complete Stegosaurus fossil sold for a record $44.6 million at auction on Wednesday.Matthew Sherman &nbsp;</figcaption></figure> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/citadels-ken-griffin-buys-stegosaurus-45-million-record-auction-sale-rcna162509">Citadel's Ken Griffin buys a stegosaurus for $45 million in a record auction sale</a>Billionaire investor Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel, purchased a late-Jurassic stegosaurus skeleton for $44.6 million at Sotheby’s Wednesday, marking the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.The 150 million-year-old stegosaurus named “Apex” measures&nbsp;11 feet tall and nearly 27 feet long from nose to tail and it is a nearly complete skeleton with 254 fossil bone elements. Apex was only expected to sell for about $6 million.Via NBC News&nbsp;<a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/trump-photo-art-criticism-2513681">‘The Photo’ and Its Aftermath</a>Analyzing the instant myth-making around Evan Vucci's famous photo of Trump.You don’t need an art critic or a professional commentator to tell you why The Photo is “iconic,” to use the overused term. Trump looks defiant in the face of death. There’s an American flag in the background. It’s well composed.None of this is expert-level analysis. It’s&nbsp;what you already <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/world-moving-pictures-photographs-capture-indelible-moments-trump-111942383">knew</a>the first time you looked at it.Via Artnet&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</body></html>

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