2016: Recent History, News & Gossip @ Opening Weekend

Over the course of the following week (September 11-18, 2016) I hope to synthesize an article that is revelatory of the zeitgeist in Chicago's art world. As my schedule allows I'll write and edit live on the blog, rather than preparing the piece prior to publication. Expect progress to be sporadic. Help me by leaving a relevant comment, contacting me through Twitter, or sending e-mail. Please do interpret the following text in relation to the "Leaving Chicago" ((http://chicagoartworld.blogspot.com/2015/04/2015-leaving-chicago.html)) series, the "New American Paintings: Midwest Edition" ((http://chicagoartworld.blogspot.com/2015/08/2015-new-american-paintings-midwest.html)) review, and last year's edition of "Recent History, News & Gossip" ((http://chicagoartworld.blogspot.com/2015/09/2015-recent-history-news-gossip-opening.html)). As always, I apologize for errors and omissions. And thank you for reading.

Deaths

--> Lisa Kuivinen, aged 20, an undergraduate student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), was lost on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago on August 16, 2016: ((https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160817/river-west/lisa-kuivinen-bicyclist-killed-crash-was-radiant-shining-star))

--> Virginia Aberle, aged 29, an artist and participant in ACRE Residency and Arts of Life, was lost on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin on August 3, 2016: ((http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a4fe4d8900a52ebb8c33512c6&id=af4318c3a6&e=110252b8ec))

--> Kevin M. Jennings, aged 36, a student, mentor, artist, and lab specialist at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), was lost in June of 2016: ((http://artandarthistory.uic.edu/profile/kevin-jennings-rip-1979-2016))

--> Jeriah Hildwine, aged 36, an artist and past instructor at Malcom X Community College, Wright Community Community College, LillStreet Art Center, and the Hyde Park Art Center, was lost on the San Francisco Peaks in north central Arizona in September of 2015: ((https://news.artnet.com/art-world/wild-allegations-emerge-deceased-artist-professor-jeriah-hildwine-389327))

--> Deborah Boardman, aged 57, an artist and Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was lost at her home in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago in November of 2015: ((http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/artist-deborah-boardman-wife-of-chicago-inspector-general-dies-at-57/))

Independent curator Jessica Cochran organized a sort of memorial exhibition for Boardman at Heaven Gallery, which ran January 29 - March 13, 2016: ((http://www.heavengallery.com/node/2303))

Boardman's own website appears to have vanished from the web, which ought to be of interest.

--> Marianne Deson, aged 89, founder of the eponymous gallery, noted for her charitable works and connection to Ed Paschke, was lost at her home in Chicago in September of 2015: ((http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/marianne-deson-gallery-owner-who-gave-paschke-big-break-dead-at-89/))

--> Lois Weisberg, aged 90, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of Chicago from 1989-2011, was lost on January 13, 2016: ((http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-lois-weisberg-dead-was-chicago-arts-chief-for-daley-20160114-story.html))

See "Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg," by Malcolm Gladwell, for an interesting take on Weisberg's influence: ((http://gladwell.com/six-degrees-of-lois-weisberg/))

--> Sidney Block, aged 91, co-founder of Printworks Gallery, was lost on November 25, 2015: ((http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/ct-sidney-block-obituary-met-20151204-story.html))

Museums

--> Peter Taub announced that he was stepping down as head of MCA Chicago's Performance Programs on June 3, 2016: ((http://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/peter-taub-stepping-down-as-head-of-mca-performance-programs/))

One can't help but be reminded of Chris Jones' criticism published on September 19, 2014: ((http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-david-bowie-theme-creep-mca-column.html))

--> Omar Kholeif was named Senior Curator at MCA Chicago, to begin on November 23, 2015: ((http://www.artnews.com/2015/09/16/omar-kholeif-named-senior-curator-at-mca-chicago/))

--> James Rondeau was named as the new President and Director of the Art Institute of Chicago in January of 2016: ((http://www.artic.edu/sites/default/files/press/2016/JRAppointment_Release_FINAL%20%281%29.pdf))

In the 32-year period from 1972-2004 the Art Institute of Chicago had only two directors: E. Laurence Chalmers and James N. Wood. Beginning with Wood, in the 12-year period from 2004-2016 the Art Institute of Chicago has had four different directors: Wood, James Cuno (2004-2011), Douglas Druick (2011-2015), and now Rondeau.

--> Hamza Walker, 22-year veteran of the Renaissance Society, will become Executive Director of LAXART on October 1, 2016: ((http://renaissancesociety.org/news/18/hamza-walker-appointed-executive-director-of-laxart/))

In February of 2015 Walker embarked upon a two-year leave of absence from his role as Associate Curator and Director of Education at the University of Chicago's Renaissance Society, concentrating on his duties as co-curator of the “Made in L.A. 2016” biennial at the Hammer Museum: ((http://www.renaissancesociety.org/news/10/hamza-walker-to-co-curate-made-in-la-2016/))

--> Julie Rodrigues Widholm left the MCA Chicago after 16 years to become director and chief curator at the DePaul Art Museum: ((http://museums.depaul.edu/2015/07/)) ((http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160917/issue01/309179994/can-a-new-director-make-depaul-art-museum-a-major-player))

Widholm succeeds the DePaul Art Museum's associate director Laura Fatemi, who functioned as interim director for a year-long period (2014-2015) following the departure of past director Louise Lincoln, who retired after 17 years: ((http://depauliaonline.com/2015/01/25/depaul-art-museum-rooted-in-soil-blossoms-change/)) ((http://www.depaulnewsline.com/features/gathered-and-grown-laura-fatemi-depaul-art-museum))

Widholm recently hired Mia Lopez as assistant curator, and Laura-Caroline Johnson as collection and exhibition manager: ((https://resources.depaul.edu/newsroom/news/press-releases/Pages/art-museum-hires-assistant-curator,-collection-and-exhibition-manager.aspx))

Press

--> Jason Foumberg, SAIC alumnus, left Newcity after having been variously employed as a contributing writer, art editor, and associate editor, over a ten-year period.

--> Mia DiMeo, SAIC alumna, left Carol Fox & Associates as a public relations account executive, after having been employed there for nearly four years.

--> Gapers Block A/C (arts and culture) closed, the on-line magazine reporting that it was "on indefinite hiatus" beginning January 1, 2016: ((http://gapersblock.com/ac/2015/12/31/bye-bye-gapers-block/))

Galleries

--> 65GRAND and ADDS DONNA galleries have both relocated to 3252 W. North Ave. in Chicago, IL. And their inaugural shows open from 6:00-9:00 PM on Friday, September 16, 2016: ((http://www.thevisualist.org/2016/09/ohne-titel/)) ((http://www.thevisualist.org/2016/09/housewarming/))

--> Rhona Hoffman celebrates forty years as an art dealer--from her 1976 partnership with Donald Young to her eponymous gallery today--in Chicago.

Find an interview with Hoffman conducted by MCA Chicago Senior Curator Omar Kholeif in the current issue of Newcity: ((http://art.newcity.com/2016/09/14/chicago-and-the-future-of-art/))

See the first in a series of three exhibitions celebrating Hoffman's 40-year history in Chicago when it opens from 5:00-7:30 PM on September 16, 2016: ((http://www.thevisualist.org/2016/09/40-years-part-1/))

--> Linda Warren Projects lost long-term employee Chris Smith. Subsequently, Natalia Ferreyra joined Linda Warren Projects as its new Director, having left her position with The Mission gallery. Robin Dluzen left Linda Warren Projects for the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, where she now holds the title Exhibitions and Operations Manager.

--> Andrew Rafacz Gallery (and Chicago) lost past Director Emma Robbins to Los Angeles, California: ((http://digdeep.org/who-we-are/))

--> Trunk Show--the Ford Taurus turned mobile exhibition platform operated by Raven Falquez Munsell and Jesse Malmed--announced that its final exhibition was scheduled for October 2, 2016: ((http://trunkshowtrunkshow.tumblr.com/post/150600780375/every-house-has-a-door-for-trunk-show))

People

--> Anne Elizabeth Moore announced in April of 2016 that--after nearly 23 years in Chicago--she was moving to "Write A House" in Detroit: ((http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=26e3ad547b7413ccc671f08c0&id=a66b9172b4))

(September 18, 2016, has come and gone. And I still have a significant amount of material to add. So, I'll update as possible over the coming week. Thanks.)

2015: Recent History, News & Gossip @ Opening Weekend

--> Aged 67, SAIC photography Professor Barbara DeGenevieve died on August 9, 2014: ((http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/ct-obit-degenevieve-20140825-story.html))

This month it's possible to see two shows which address Barbara DeGenevieve's legacy. The first exhibition opens at Iceberg Projects on September 12, 2015: ((http://www.thevisualist.org/2015/09/barbara-degenevieve-medusas-cave/)) The second exhibition opens at Defibrillator Gallery on September 26, 2015: ((http://www.thevisualist.org/2015/09/what-would-barbara-do/))

--> Born 1936, living Chicago photographer Barbara Kasten, Professor Emeritus at Columbia College Chicago, has an exhibition upcoming at the Graham Foundation. The show opens in three weeks, on October 1, 2015: ((http://www.grahamfoundation.org/public_exhibitions/5399-barbara-kasten-stages))

Organized by Curator Alex Klein, "Stages," which is the first comprehensive survey of Barbara Kasten's work, closed on August 16, 2015, at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia: ((http://icaphila.org/exhibitions/6474/barbara-kasten-stages))

--> Anthony Elms, who worked at UIC's Gallery 400 and the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, joined the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia as Associate Curator in 2011. On July 22, 2015, Anthony Elms was named Chief Curator of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia: ((http://artforum.com/news/id=53890))

Anthony Elms, Stuart Comer, and SAIC painting and drawing Professor Michelle Grabner were the three curators of the 2014 Whitney Biennial.

--> Recently, in an interview with the Journal Sentinel's Mary Louise Schumacher on May 8, 2015, Michelle Grabner confirmed her decision to leave Chicago and return to Milwaukee, Wisconsin: ((http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/michelle-grabner-marries-midwest-pragmatism-to-high-art-b99487928z1-303101401.html))

It's still possible to purchase the (former) site of Michelle Grabner's The Suburban gallery, along with the family residence on the same lot, at 125 N. Harvey Ave. in Oak Park, Illinois: ((http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/125-N-Harvey-Ave-Oak-Park-IL-60302/3807022_zpid/))

The price for Michelle Grabner's home has been reduced to $496,000. Contact Bad at Sports' commentator Richard Holland for additional details: ((http://www.beyondpropertiesrealty.com/team/richard-holland/))

--> Bad at Sports' blog has been updated only 4 times in the past month; three of those updates took the form of Stephanie Burke's "Top Pick" lists: ((http://badatsports.com/)) And Stephanie Burke's own "Art Talk Chicago" blog, which once contained the most comprehensive listing of visual art openings and events in the city, has been updated only 3 times since May 14, 2015: ((http://www.chicagonow.com/art-talk-chicago))

Do you recall a time when Bad at Sports' blog was updated--by a different author--every day? Do you recall a time when Chicago enjoyed at least six different on-line listing services, each of which was updated weekly? Kelly Reaves at Gapers Block? Karly Wildenhaus at On the Make?

--> Who HAS posted a list of gallery openings scheduled for September 11-13, 2015, the first weekend of the season in Chicago? Shockingly, it's Visual Art Source: ((http://www.visualartsource.com/index2.php/calendar/index/openings/_/_/IL/Chicago/2015-09-09/2015-09-12))

Listings are also provided by Chicago Gallery News: ((http://www.chicagogallerynews.com/calendar?tag=opening-receptions)) and The Visualist: ((http://www.thevisualist.org/)) and Chicago Artists Resource: ((http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/events)) and ArtSlant Chicago: ((http://www.artslant.com/chi/events/list?listtype=openings))

I miss Stephanie Burke's "Art Talk Chicago" list. And I miss seeing Stephanie Burke and Jeriah Hildwine, together, at gallery openings.

--> Paul Klein hasn't updated his "Art Letter" in a year, since the last edition of Expo on September 17, 2014: ((http://www.artletter.com/))

--> Wesley Kimler's "sharkforum.org" appears to have disappeared from the web.

--> The Chicago Artist Writers on-line platform (read: website) received a $6000 grant from Propeller Fund in 2013: ((http://www.propellerfund.org/projects/2013-awardees)) And Chicago Artist Writers has published only seven articles in 2015. Its founders and directors, Jason Lazarus and Sofia Leiby, have both left Chicago: ((http://www.chicagoartistwriters.com/))

--> October 9, 2014, Matt Morris reported in Newcity that Roy Boyd Gallery would close its doors after forty-two years of operation, following the passing of Ann Boyd: ((http://art.newcity.com/2014/10/09/news-venerable-roy-boyd-gallery-closes-after-forty-two-years/))

That announcement, published nearly a year ago, didn't stop Expo's official preview partner Artspace from recommending Roy Boyd Gallery ("this gallery has serious Chicago art cred") on September 8, 2015: ((https://twitter.com/expochicago/status/641801422409977856)) ((http://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/artful_traveler/artful_traveler_guide_to_chicago-51630?fair_id=2))

--> Matt Morris announced his own departure from Newcity on July 16, 2015, having served as its assistant art editor since May 27, 2014: ((http://art.newcity.com/2015/07/16/eye-exam-leaving-saturns-return/))

Matt Morris was replaced by Elliot Reichert, formerly the Curator of Special Projects at the Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University: ((http://newcitynetwork.com/2015/07/06/elliot-reichert-appointed-art-editor-of-newcity/))

The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University has hired Janet Dees to work as its curator: ((http://www.artforum.com/news/id=54670))

--> September 3, 2015, Newcity broke the news that on October 9, 2015, Anthony Hirschel will step down from his position as Director of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago: ((http://art.newcity.com/2015/09/03/breaking-news-smart-museum-director-to-step-down/))

Stephanie Smith left her position, as the Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, in 2014: ((http://badatsports.com/2014/exit-interview-stephanie-smith/)) More recently she's finished her work editing a text which treats socially engaged art in Chicago. It's entitled "Institutions and Imaginaries," and was published by the University of Chicago Press this past summer: ((http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/I/bo19455096.html))

--> Through November 22, 2015, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has on display "The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now," as curated by Naomi Beckwith and Dieter Roelstraete: ((http://www2.mcachicago.org/exhibition/the-freedom-principle-experiments-in-art-and-music-1965-to-now/)) See coverage of the exhibition as provided by Robert Loerzel: ((http://www.undergroundbee.com/2015/08/09/the-freedom-principle-at-the-mca/))

--> Johalla Projects' Assistant Director of Exhibitions Tyler Blackwell is now Assistant to James Rondeau: the Chair and Curator, Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago: ((https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerdblackwell)) James Rondeau is the co-curator of "Charles Ray: Sculpture, 1997–2014," which runs through October 4 at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Nina Litoff and Erik Wenzel discuss "Charles Ray: Sculpture, 1997–2014," in the August 4, 2014, edition of "I Don't Hate This," their podcast: ((https://soundcloud.com/i-dont-hate-this/ray-charles-ray)) James Yood treats the exhibition in text, in art ltd.: ((http://www.artltdmag.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1436491458&archive=&start_from=&ucat=43&))

--> August 11, 2015, Christie Chu reported in artnet that Sam Lipp and Luis Miguel Bendaña had reopened Queer Thoughts in New York City, after abandoning Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood: ((https://news.artnet.com/people/queer-thoughts-gallery-opens-in-nyc-323006))

--> Roxaboxen Exhibitions was operational in Pilsen from 2009-2013: ((http://southsideweekly.com/roxaboxen-an-obituary/)) Its founder and director, Liz McCarthy, has now enrolled in UIC's MFA program. She's also launched a new space: Slow Pony Project: ((http://www.thevisualist.org/2015/09/local-honey-their-their/))

--> In August of 2015, Filter Photo Festival announced that James Pepper Kelly was stepping down from his position as Managing Director. He's now enrolled in the Visual And Critical Studies graduate program at SAIC, while continuing his work with the nonprofit, digital print lab Latitude: ((http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=bfde257352999ade2e60afaec&id=5c15e53ed8))

--> SAIC's Britton Bertran, proprietor of 40000 gallery from 2005-2008, left his position at United States Artists to become Associate Director at Carrie Secrist Gallery in July of 2015: ((https://www.facebook.com/109671369142593/photos/a.113410878768642.17791.109671369142593/724992824277108/?type=1)) The first show which he's curated, "Appropinquation," features Leslie Baum, Shannon Finley, Jamisen Ogg, Min Song and Dannielle Tegeder, and opens on September 12: ((http://www.secristgallery.com/exhibitions/2015/appropinquation/))

--> UIC's Claudine Isé has left her position as Executive Director of Woman Made Gallery: ((http://womanmade.org/thank-you-claudine-ise/)) And she reappears as Lead Curator, alongside her Assistant Curator Alexandria Eregbu, at the Chicago Artists Coalition for "The Annual," which opens September 18, 2015: ((http://www.chicagoartistscoalition.org/programs/annual))

--> Having left Rhona Hoffman Gallery for Galerie Laurent Godin in Paris, Sibylle Friche returns to Chicago in 2015 as Director of Aron Gent's commercial gallery Document: ((http://documentspace.com/))

--> Ed Marszewski, the personality behind Versionfest, Co-Prosperity Sphere, MARZ Brewing, Public Media Institute, Lumpen, and Maria's, now has a a low-power radio station in Chicago: WLPN 105.5 FM: ((http://www.lumpenradio.com/))

--> Chicago collector and graphic designer Jason Pickleman has opened a not-for-sale gallery, "Lawrence & Clark," for the purpose of showcasing what he owns: ((http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150721/uptown/avid-art-collector-opens-uptown-gallery-where-pieces-arent-for-sale))

--> Rumor has it that both Bill Gross of 65GRAND, at 1369 W. Grand Ave., and Mickey Pomfrey of CourtneyBlades, at 1324 W. Grand Ave., have been forced to discontinue programming and relocate as a result of real estate development in the area they share: ((http://www.65grand.com/)) ((http://courtneyblades.com/))

--> Archiving material since September of 2009, The Visualist is an on-line calendar of select visual art events in Chicago, created and operated by Jenny Kendler, Chad Kouri, and Steve Ruiz: ((http://www.thevisualist.org/)) Steve Ruiz has left Chicago and moved to Cambridge, England: ((http://chicagoartworld.blogspot.com/2015/05/2015-steve-ruiz-on-leaving-chicago.html)) Steve Ruiz and Alex Bradley Cohen currently share a two-person show at Roots & Culture; it's up through October 10, 2015: ((http://rootsandculturecac.org/show/?id=109))

--> Three years ago, in September of 2012, a fire destroyed the studios of four Chicago artists: William J. O’Brien, Erik DeBat, Kate Ruggeri and McKeever Donovan. And Time Out critic Lauren Weinberg reported on that event and the benefit auction which followed: ((http://www.timeout.com/chicago/art/blood-and-fire-benefits-four-artists-who-lost-their-studios)) On June 1, 2013, Ebersmoore, the gallery which hosted Kate Ruggeri's post-fire show, closed: ((https://twitter.com/ebersmoore/status/331062743241211905))

Two months ago, in July of 2015, a fire destroyed the studios of four Chicago artists: Mike Kloss, Leo Kaplan, Ron Ewert and Caleb Willitz. And Tina Sfondeles reported on that event for the Sun-Times: ((http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/837774/garfield-park-artists-lose-extra-alarm-fire)) A successful "GoFundMe" campaign was initiated by Dana Bassett, three days after the fire: ((http://www.gofundme.com/d56xd6pspw))

Rumor has it that Leo Kaplan will open a new gallery, "Boyfriends," in partnership with New Capital's Ben Foch, in the very space at 3311 W. Carroll Ave. which was vacated by Edmund Chia's Peregrine Program. And New Capital, after a three-year hiatus, will again offer a regular exhibition program beginning November 1, 2015.

I'll continue to update this article throughout the weekend. Feel free to leave a comment below.