Weekend raised to an art form at galleries, shows around city
Artropolis, the giant art expo starting today and continuing through Monday at the Merchandise Mart, attracts thousands of collectors from around the world to Chicago -- a fact not lost on galleries, auction houses and other art-related businesses hoping to capitalize on this annual influx of art-buying power.
Let the piggyback ride begin. Well outside the Mart's massive walls, the city is brimming with exhibit openings, art sales, studio open houses, alternative art fairs and, of course, lots of parties, all hoping for a piece of the action on Chicago's biggest art weekend of the year. A few highlights:
Although several local galleries have booths in Art Chicago and/or NEXT at Artropolis, dozens also are opening shows at their own galleries. Openings today include shows at Caro d'Offay, Habatat, David Leonardis, Thomas Masters and Thomas Robertello. On Saturday, there will be at least 36 openings, at Jean Albano, Alfedena, Andrew Bae, Roy Boyd, Melanee Cooper, Stephen Daiter, Catherine Edelman, gescheidle, FLATFILE, Carl Hammer, Kasia Kay, Marx-Saunders, Monique Meloche, Thomas McCormick, Maya Polsky, Printworks, Byron Roche, Schneider, Carrie Secrist, Linda Warren, David Weinberg, Zolla/Lieberman and Zygman Voss, among others. For details, check out the galleries' Web sites.
In addition to its ongoing gallery show, "Jennifer Bartlett: Amagansett" (through June 7), the Richard Gray Gallery is presenting "David Hockney: Looking at Woldgate Woods," a show of 10 new large-scale oil paintings by the English-born, Los Angeles-based artist, today through July 18 at the Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario.
"Absent Nature," an installation by Israeli-born designer Arik Levy, now owner of Ldesign in Paris, opens today from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wright, the design auction house at 1440 W. Hubbard. Levy's work is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. For more information, call (312) 563-0020 or visit www.wright20.com.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, 1338 W. Lake, will hold a post-war and contemporary art auction at noon Sunday, followed by a sale of American and European art at noon Monday. Among the works on offer are paintings by Chicago artists Leon Golub, Phyllis Bramson, Roger Brown, Ed Paschke, Gladys Nilsson and Karl Wirsum. Previews continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday. For more information, call (312) 280-1212 or visit www.lesliehindman.com.
ARTEahora, Chicago gallerist Aldo Castillo's art fair featuring about 130 artists from throughout Latin America, continues through Monday at the River East Art Center, 435 E. Illinois. For more information, call (312) 222-0774 or visit www.chicagoarteahora.com.
The new art collection at McCormick Place West at 2301 S. Indiana, including 50 works commissioned from 30 Chicago area artists, will be unveiled to the public from 9 a.m. to noon today. A speaking program at 10 a.m. will include remarks by former Chicago gallerist Paul Klein, who consulted on the project.
