Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Apr 25, 2025 visibility 19 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

obama presidential center chicago artist commissions

US artists Spencer Finch and Lindsay Adams have been commissioned to create new installations for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which is set to open in early 2026. Finch will produce a 70-foot-long tiled mural for the Forum building's lobby, inspired by Barack Obama's memoir *Dreams from My Father*, while Adams will adapt a 2024 painting into fabric panels for the center's public café. The commissions are led by museum director Louise Bernard and curator Virginia Shore, who are building a collection of approximately 20 public artworks for the campus, including pieces by Julie Mehretu, Richard Hunt, and Maya Lin.

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article news schedule Apr 6, 2026 visibility 30 link 11 artists

Closure of DePaul Art Museum leaves collection in limbo

DePaul University has announced the permanent closure of the DePaul Art Museum (DPAM) effective June 30, citing a projected $27.4m budget deficit for 2026. Despite an open letter signed by over 3,000 students and faculty, the administration is moving forward with the shutdown of the $7.8m facility that has served as a cultural anchor since 2011. Director Laura-Caroline de Lara had successfully raised funds to keep the museum operational through the current season, but the university's leadership remains committed to the closure as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Dec 5, 2025 visibility 21 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

Steely gaze: a look back at Richard Hunt’s early work at the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami

The Institute of Contemporary Art Miami has opened "Richard Hunt: Pressure," the largest survey to date of American sculptor Richard Hunt (1935-2023), focusing on his work from 1955 to 1989. The exhibition traces Hunt's evolution from self-taught welder at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to a master of welded steel, featuring early pieces like *Telescopic Construction* (1955) and *Hero's Head* (1956), the latter created after attending Emmett Till's open-casket funeral. Co-curated by Gean Moreno and Alex Gartenfeld, the show highlights Hunt's negotiation between formal innovation and social awareness, with works that balance beauty and brutality.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

candle obituary schedule Dec 14, 2025 visibility 21 link 6 artists

tony fitzpatrick chicago artist obituary

Tony Fitzpatrick, a prominent figure in Chicago's art scene, died at age 66 on October 11 from a heart attack while awaiting a double lung transplant at Rush University Medical Center. He was an artist, printmaker, poet, writer, actor, gallerist, and city booster, known for collages combining vintage illustrations, tattoo art, words, and natural motifs. His work is held by major institutions including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art. He also ran several Chicago galleries—The Edge, World Tattoo, and The Dime—and published a book, The Sun at the End of the Road: Dispatches From an American Life.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article local schedule Mar 3, 2026 visibility 15 link 5 artists

RAM’s PEEPS® Art Exhibition Returns April 1–18 in Racine

The Racine Art Museum (RAM) has announced the 17th edition of its annual PEEPS Art Exhibition, running from April 1–18, 2026. This year’s community-driven showcase moves into a larger gallery space and features a special commission by Chicago artist Andrea Jablonski titled "Enjoy the PEEPS Show," which reimagines iconic sculptures by artists like Picasso and Bourgeois using the marshmallow candy's form. The event includes a diverse range of media, from 3-D printing to glass fusing, submitted by artists of all ages.

newspaper Racine County Eye open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Nov 14, 2025 visibility 15 link 7 artists

border patrol anish kapoor bean photo

British artist Anish Kapoor's iconic sculpture *Cloud Gate* (2006), known as "the Bean," in Chicago's Millennium Park became the site of a controversial photo op on Monday, when dozens of U.S. Border Patrol agents, led by chief Gregory Bovino, gathered in front of the 110-ton piece just after dawn. The agents, armed and in fatigues, reportedly shouted "Little Village"—a predominantly Mexican American neighborhood where Border Patrol had deployed tear gas in a raid over the weekend—instead of "cheese" for the photo. Local officials, including Chicago governor J.B. Pritzker and alderman Mike Rodriguez, condemned the action, and Kapoor himself expressed horror, likening the agents to "SS Nazi troops" and calling the incident a "fascist battle cry of intimidation." Chicago artist Michael Rakowitz also denounced the shoot as a "horrible invasion and occupation."

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 7, 2026 visibility 11 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Intuit Solo Show A Dream Come True For Self-Taught Morgan Park Artist Marvin Young

Self-taught artist Marvin Young, 64, who has an intellectual and developmental disability, will have his first solo exhibition, “Impressions of a City,” at the Intuit Art Museum in Chicago from April 9 to August 23, 2026. Curated by Christina Stavros, the show features Young’s vivid drawings of Chicago cityscapes, architecture, and portraits, created from memory using graphite, colored pencils, crayons, and markers. Young, who works at Envision Unlimited and Arts of Life—nonprofits supporting people with disabilities—has long dreamed of selling his art, and this exhibition marks a major milestone in that goal.

newspaper Block Club Chicago open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Nov 25, 2025 visibility 15 link 5 artists

December 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists

This article compiles a list of open calls, residencies, and grants for artists and photographers with deadlines in late 2025 and early 2026. Opportunities include the Rotterdam Photo 2026 open call themed 'Echoes of Silence—War in the Artist’s Soul,' offering exhibition space in multiple European cities; the Innovate Grant awarding $1,800 each to one visual artist and one photographer; the Ah Haa School for the Arts' HAHA 2026 immersive installation opportunity; Decagon Gallery's Sanctuary open call with cash prizes; the Biafarin Awards providing $4,000 CAD in grants plus global exposure; PeepSpace's exhibition proposal call; and All About Photo's Nature Photography Contest.

newspaper thisiscolossal.com open_in_new Read original

candle obituary schedule Apr 23, 2026 visibility 18 link 7 artists

Remembering Napoleon Jones-Henderson, an AfriCOBRA Founding Member Who Imbued Art and Life with Exuberant Energy

Napoleon Jones-Henderson, a founding member of the influential African American artist collective AfriCOBRA, has died. Born in Chicago in 1943, he studied at the Sorbonne and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he was mentored by Bauhaus textile artist Else Regensteiner. In 1969, he co-founded AfriCOBRA, becoming known as "the weaver" of the group for his vibrant textile works that incorporated metallic threads and found objects. He later moved to Boston, taught at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and maintained a prolific studio practice in Roxbury for over 50 years, creating works focused on empowerment, Pan-Africanism, and racial justice.

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article local schedule Apr 12, 2026 visibility 17 link 2 artists

Chicago Artist Brian Sykes draws huge crowd for emotional exhibit debut

Chicago-based artist Brian Sykes returned to the Beverly Arts Center for the opening of his multimedia exhibition, “I Heard the City Breathe.” The event drew a significant crowd and featured a unique blend of visual art, film, and live vocal performances, including a set by Sykes himself. The project explores the emotional and cultural realities of Chicago’s Black experience, utilizing an intergenerational approach to discuss identity and memory.

newspaper Southwest Regional Publishing open_in_new Read original

candle obituary schedule Oct 16, 2025 visibility 18 link 5 artists

Tony Fitzpatrick, indefatigable artistic polymath from Chicago, has died, aged 66

Tony Fitzpatrick, a prolific Chicago artist known for his collages, etchings, and works on paper, died of a heart attack on 11 October at age 66. He was also a poet, author, actor, and raconteur, with his work held in major museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Fitzpatrick ran the influential gallery World Tattoo and was a vocal defender of labor unions and underdogs. He had been awaiting a double lung transplant after being diagnosed with interstitial lung disease, but continued creating until his death, including a new book and a live show at Steppenwolf Theater.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Jul 11, 2025 visibility 14 link 3 artists

New Exhibition on Richard Hunt, Chicago Sculptor Who Made Monuments for the Nation, Provides an Intimate Look

The Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) has opened "Freedom in Form: Richard Hunt," an exhibition showcasing the work of the late Chicago sculptor who created over 160 public monuments across the U.S. The show, which runs through Nov. 15, 2025, features sculptures, maquettes, tools, and selections from Hunt's personal library, offering an intimate view of his career. It premiered in 2024 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, where it was organized after First Lady of Illinois M.K. Pritzker recommended Hunt. The exhibition includes early works like "Hero's Head" (1956), inspired by Emmett Till, and later pieces such as "Hero Ascending," planned for installation at the Emmett Till/Mamie Till-Mobley historic landmark home.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 2, 2025 visibility 11 link 3 artists

Illustrative Artist: Anthony Bartley’s Journey From Science into the Gallery

Anthony Bartley, a 27-year-old artist from Chicago's South Side, is presenting twenty acrylic paintings from 2023 to the present in his solo exhibition “Words I’ve Never Said: A Community Healing and Art Exhibition” in Hyde Park. The show explores themes of love, grief, and mental health, doubling as a creative space for community engagement. Bartley’s journey began with childhood interests in anime, Pokémon cards, and video games like Kingdom Hearts and Halo Reach, later influenced by his mother Jeanette, a dean at Triton College, who exposed him to science. He initially majored in molecular biology at Washington University in St. Louis before turning to art as a form of journaling, developing a style he calls “illustrative painting” that blends pop art and street art elements.

newspaper Newcity Art open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Aug 26, 2025 visibility 7 link 4 artists

Frustrated by Chicago's Jewish institutions, anti-Zionist artists are forming their own Jewish cultural center

Anti-Zionist Jewish artists in Chicago, led by Gabriel Chalfin-Piney-González, founded the Jewish Museum of Chicago in 2023 as a decentralized cultural center without a permanent physical space. The initiative emerged from frustration with the lack of a Jewish museum in the city and a desire to create a welcoming community for anti-Zionist Jews, especially galvanized by the war in Gaza. The museum has since hosted over a dozen exhibitions and events, including a Liberation Seder and an artists collective, and is planning a brick-and-mortar space.

newspaper Jewish Telegraphic Agency open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 2, 2026 visibility 25 link 1 gallery

Symbiotic Communion Flourishes in Laura Berger’s Expansive Paintings

Chicago artist Laura Berger presents a new suite of monumental paintings exploring themes of communion and interdependence. Her signature minimal, nude figures are depicted merging with natural elements like waves, flowers, and clouds, rendered in varying states of translucence to symbolize a deep connection with the earth and each other.

newspaper Colossal open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 6, 2026 visibility 17

Chicago creator honors community with collaborative art exhibition

Chicago artist Brian Sykes is debuting a multidisciplinary exhibition titled “I Heard the City Breathe” at the Beverly Arts Center, running from April 6 through May 1. The project, which includes a short film and gallery-style visual art, serves as a collaborative reflection on the Black experience in Chicago. By blending music, storytelling, and intergenerational community input, Sykes explores themes of identity, memory, and the cultural realities of the city’s South Side.

newspaper Southwest Regional Publishing open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 11 link 1 artist

Chicago artist shows recycled book art at Springfield Museum

Chicago artist [Artist Name] is showcasing recycled book art at the Springfield Museum, as reported by WWLP. The exhibition features works created from repurposed books, transforming discarded materials into visual art pieces.

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article local schedule Feb 20, 2026 visibility 8 link 1 artist

‘Bridge at 909’ art exhibit reception connects artists and community members

The Bridge at 909 art exhibit recently held a reception in the lobby of Evanston’s City Hall, featuring a dialogue between the works of established local artist Chris Froeter and emerging Chicago artist Gabi Bozeman. Curated by Juelle Daley, the exhibition juxtaposes Froeter’s large-scale, monochromatic portraits of activists from his “Voices” series with Bozeman’s vibrant, surrealist canvases focused on young Black women. The pilot program aims to transform public municipal spaces into accessible galleries that engage passersby in their daily routines.

newspaper The Daily Northwestern open_in_new Read original