For at least 20 years, we have heard the museum world was exclusionary and lived off of exhibitions devoted to work of dead white males.
This is a year to change that tune–at least, in Chicago.
The majority of the largest and most exploratory shows at Chicago-area museums from now through next summer will present work old and new by women, Asian and Hispanic artists. These exhibitions will be held not only at outposts operating on modest budgets but also at the premier art institutions of the city.
Does that insure the art scene will be livelier than usual? Not necessarily. It’s fine that museums be committed in principle to showing such artists, but they also have to be committed in action, which means the way the shows are done will count for everything.
Right now, the calendar is rich in possibilities:
BEST BETS
The longer I attend exhibitions, the more I remember ones that present enough pieces so even a newcomer can grasp something of the artist’s breadth and achievement. At the same time, that’s the kind of show only the strongest artists survive, for little at a museum is as tedious as a shallow talent examined in depth.
All the best bets this year promise extensive treatment. Never mind the artist’s reputations. We shall see if the works, and the works alone, sustain interest.
– “Julia Margaret Cameron’s Women.” The first exhibition devoted entirely to the amateur Victorian photographer’s treatments of female subjects. Art Institute of Chicago, Sept. 19-Jan. 10.
– “Robert Capa: Photographs.” Nearly 200 vintage and modern prints by one of the century’s most prominent war photographers. Terra Museum of American Art, Oct. 10-Jan. 3.
– “Mary Cassatt: Modern Woman.” A post-feminist re-evaluation of 100 paintings, drawings and prints by the American Impressionist who specialized in portraits of women and children. Art Institute, Oct. 13-Jan. 10.
– “Gustave Moreau.” The large exhibition — more than 175 pieces — marking the centennial of the death of the most influential French Symbolist painter and teacher. Art Institute, Feb. 13-April 25.
– “Yasuhiro Ishimoto: A Tale of Two Cities.” A homecoming for the Japanese photographer who in the late 1940s and early 1950s studied in Chicago at the Institute of Design. Art Institute, May 8-Sept. 12.
DISTANT FUTURE
“Charles Ray.” The first comprehensive survey of more than 20 years of work in performance, sculpture and film by the controversial Chicago-born, California-based artist. Museum of Contemporary Art, June 19-Sept. 12, 1999.
EVENTS
Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Ave.
312-443-3600
“Ancient West Mexico: Art of the Unknown Past.” More than 225 terra cotta tomb sculptures from an area that recently has proven rich in archeological finds. Through Nov. 22.
“In Place of Prairie: Photographs by Terry Evans.” Fifty color and black-and-white images exploring the impact of human settlement on the American prairie. Through Jan. 17.
“(Un)conscious Articulations: 50 Drawings by Arturo Herrera.” Recent works by the Venezuela-born, Chicago-based artist who last year received an award from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation. Oct. 31-Jan. 31.
“Revival and Reform: A Growing 19th-Century Textile Collection.” Works from the permanent collection that reintroduced earlier designs juxtaposed with more pathbreaking pieces. Nov. 25-Feb. 28.
“Gifts of a Lifetime: Old Master Drawings from the Collection of Dorothy Braude Edinburg.” Nearly 50 European and American drawings from the mid-15th to the early 19th centuries. Dec. 11-March 6.
“Masterpieces from Central Africa: Selections from the Belgian Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren.” About 125 of the finest objects from one of the world’s great repositories of tribal art created in Angola and the Republic of Congo. Dec. 19-March 14.
“River of Color: The India of Raghubir Singh.” Seventy-five color prints by India’s most famous photographer. Jan. 23-May 2.
“Land of the Winged Horsemen: Art in Poland, 1571-1764.” The first comprehensive display in the United States of two centuries of Polish art, from paintings and furniture to metalwork and weaponry. June 5-Sept. 6.
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Ave.,
312-280-2660
“Dara Friedman, `Total.”‘ A short personal film, run backwards, by a young Miami artist. Through Oct. 18.
“Jana Sterbak.” Recent work and a selection of earlier pieces by a Czech expatriate who explores the relationship between multiple — physical, social, psychological — selves. Oct. 10-Jan. 3.
“Mariko Mori.” A former fashion model examines notions of femininity in relation to Japanese popular culture. Oct. 10-March 14.
“Damien Hirst, `Pharmaceutic Wall Painting, Five Blacks.’ ” A former bad boy of British art creates two “dot” paintings directly on the museum’s walls. Oct. 10-May 31.
“Jim Hodges.” Delicate everyday objects combined in installation pieces that trigger longing, nostalgia and a sense of loss. Jan. 16-April 11.
“Transmute: A Collection Exhibition Guest-Curated by Joshua Decter.” A New York critic fashions a show from works in the MCA collection plus two touch-screen computer kiosks. Jan. 16-April 18.
“Katharina Fritsch.” A sculptural installation piece created especially for the museum by the enigmatic German artist. April 10-May 30.
“Sarah Sze.” The artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States presents a new site-specific work made from meticulously arranged found objects. April 24-July 11.
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St.,
312-744-6630
“Visionary States: Surrealist Prints from the Gilbert Kaplan Collection.” Forty years of graphics by such artists as Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali. Sept. 19-Nov. 15.
“Ursula von Rudingsvard: Sculpture.” A 20-year survey of large-scale wooden sculpture and site-specific installations. Dec. 5-Jan. 31.
“El Alma del Pueblo: Spanish Folk Art and its Transformation in the Americas.” The first major exhibition on the impact of Spanish folk culture on Latin America and the United States. Jan. 23-April 3.
“Mischa Kubali: Project Rooms.” Several media-based installations by a noted mid-career artist from Dusseldorf, Germany. Feb. 6-April 3.
“Czech Photography of the 1990s.” A comprehensive survey of about 120 pieces by 30 contemporary photographers. Feb. 20-April 18.
“The Art of Jack Delano.” A retrospective of photographs, posters, illustrations, films and television programs by one of America’s great social activists. April 24-June 20.
“Vera Klement: Paintings 1965-1998.” The largest survey devoted to the career of one of Chicago’s best known — and most accomplished — artists. May 8-July 18.
“Body/Disembody.” Works by seven photographic and installation artists whose theme is the human body. Aug. 7-Oct. 3, 1999.
Illinois Art Gallery
100 W. Randolph St.,
Suite 2-100
312-814-5322
“Spiritual Passports/Transformative Journeys.” Works by 22 Illinois artists who explore areas of spirituality, mythology and culture. Through Oct. 23.
“Misch Kohn: Beyond the Tradition.” A retrospective of prints for an artist celebrated in Chicago during the 1950s and 1960s. Nov. 9-Jan. 8.
Terra Museum of American Art
666 N. Michigan Ave.
312-664-3939
“All Things Bright and Beautiful: California Impressionist Paintings from the Irvine Museum.” Results of the westward migration of everybody’s favorite 19th Century painting style. Through Sept. 27.
“American Masters: Sculpture from Brookgreen Gardens.” Forty pieces, each by a pre-eminent artist, survey 175 years of sculpture in the United States. Jan. 16-April 18.
Renaissance Society
at the University of Chicago
5811 S. Ellis Ave.,
773-702-8670
“Raymond Pettibon.” The first American museum exhibition of more than 600 idiosyncratic drawings by the California artist. Sept. 13-Nov. 8.
“Tracey Moffatt.” The Australian photographer/filmmaker in her Midwestern debut. Nov. 22-Dec. 27.
“Judy Ledgerwood.” A mid-career review for the Chicago painter who addresses issues common to modernism as well as feminism. Jan. 10-Feb. 21.
“Willie Doherty.” Photographs and videos in the first solo museum exhibition in America for the Irish artist. March 7-April 18.
Arts Club of Chicago
201 E. Ontario St.
312-787-3997
“Paul Thek: Paintings, Works on Paper and Notebooks, 1970-1988.” Small paintings and pieces with text by the playful American expatriate on the 10th anniversary of his death. Dec. 2-Jan. 16.
“Saint Clair Cemin.” Sculpture created in marble and bronze by the Brazilian artist during his 20 years in the United States. Feb. 2-April 3.
“Richard Tuttle: `An Album.”‘ A small retrospective for the miniaturist whose collages put a human face on minimalism. April 20-June 19.
David and Alfred Smart Museum
5550 S. Greenwood Ave.,
312-702-0200
“Blunt Object.” Eccentric approaches to sculpture by 25 contemporary European and American artists. Sept. 11-Oct. 25.
“Weimar Bodies: Fantasies About the Sexualized Body in Weimar Art, Science and Medicine.” Cross references in prints, drawings and scientific texts from Germany in the 1920s. Nov. 4-Jan. 10.
“Space/Sight/Self.” Students curate a show of contemporary photo-based portraiture. Nov. 19-Jan. 10.
“Transience: Chinese Art at the End of the 20th Century.” Twenty-two artists explore the changing society of contemporary China. Feb. 18-April 18.
Mary and Leigh Block Gallery
at Northwestern University
1967 South Campus Dr.,
Evanston
847-491-4000
“Rapture, at the Interface of Love and Disease.” A collaborative environment by photographer David Teplica and ethnomusicologist Bryan Shuler. Oct. 2-Dec. 2.
Museum of Contemporary
Photography
600 S. Michigan Ave.
312-663-5554
“There and Gone: Photographs by John Gossage.” Surveillance images treating posture and body language at the border of the United States and Mexico. Through Oct. 31.
“Art, Document, Market, Science: Photography’s Multiple Roles.” A survey of more than 170 photographers working in the United States since World War II. Nov. 14-Jan. 9.
“Southern Stories.” Photography and literature combine in the work of contemporary American artists. Jan. 23-March 20.
“East of Eden.” Conceptual images, projections and installations on the themes of light and technology. April 3-March 29.
Columbia College
600 S. Michigan Ave.
312-663-5554
“Mascaras/Mas Caras.” Latino artists working in Illinois address the relationship between faces and masks. Sept. 28-Nov. 20.
“Painting in Chicago Now.” Painter Corey Postiglione assembles the most up-to-date variations on an enduring theme. Dec. 7-Jan. 29.
College of DuPage
425 22nd St., Glen Ellyn
630-942-2321
“Tabula Non Rasa.” Abstract paintings and works on paper dealing with flamboyant line and shallow space. Sept. 14-Oct. 17.
“Elegant Variations.” Delicate and ephemeral abstract paintings and drawings. Oct. 22-Nov. 21.
“Jerry Peart.” Maquettes of large-scale sculptures by the Chicago artist. Nov. 24-Dec. 28.
“Dante’s Divine Comedy: The Inferno.” Nineteenth and 20th Century prints and drawings inspired by Dante Alighieri’s epic 14th Century poem. Jan. 4-Feb. 14.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
280 S. Columbus Drive
312-899-5100
“1990s Art from Cuba: A National Residency and Exhibition Program.” Work by five artists who explore themes about living in Cuba. Through Oct. 14.
“In Flex, In Flux.” A juried exhibition of recent sculpture by Chicago-area alumni. (at 847 W. Jackson Blvd.) Oct. 2-Nov. 7.
“Images of Invasion/Imagenes de Invasion.” Works by three Puerto Rican artists who respond to a century of United States rule in their homeland. Oct. 23-Dec. 9.
“Not on Any Map.” A group exhibition on the themes of discovery, displacement and cultural dislocation. Feb. 19-April 7.
Evanston Art Center
2603 Sheridan Rd., Evanston
847-475-5300
“Wish It, Want It, Flaunt It: The Work of Seiko Atsuta, Patrick Miceli and Sam Nichols.” Three Chicago artists respond to the theme of desire. Sept. 13-Oct. 28.
“John Mahtesian: The Roving Eye.” Photographs of daily life in America, Europe and Asia. Sept. 13-Oct. 28.
“T.L. Solien: Fictitious Self-Portraits.” A veteran Midwestern artist re-addresses issues common to painted and drawn portraits. Jan. 10-March 3.
“Reginald Rowe: Mythic Abstractions.” The first solo exhibition in the Chicago area for a painter of shaped symbolic canvases. March 14-May 12.
“John Ruppert: Sculpture on the Grounds.” The Maryland sculptor creates a temporary installation of prison-grade chain-link fencing. April 1-Oct. 31, 1999.
Field Museum
Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive
312-322-8859
“Swedish Folk Art: All Tradition is Change.” Textiles, woodwork, costumes and interactive environments from the past and present. Oct. 17-Jan. 4.
“The Art of the Motorcycle.” A century of design examines a cultural icon. Nov. 7-March 21.
“La Guadalupana: Images of Faith and Devotion.” Fifty works by contemporary Hispanic artists in New Mexico. Dec. 12-Feb. 14.
“Margaret Mee: Return to the Amazon.” The botanical art of a pioneering conservationist. Jan. 22-April 30.
“The Art of Being Kuna: Layers of Meaning among the Kuna of Panama.” More than 300 objects from the San Blas islands off the Atlantic Coast of Panama. late spring-late summer, 1999.
Chicago Historical Society
Clark Street at North Avenue
312-642-4600
“Faces of Time: 75 Years of Time Cover Portraits.” Seventy-five works of art commissioned by Time magazine from such artists as Ben Shahn, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Feb. 7-May 16.
DuSable Museum of African-American History
740 E. 56th Pl.
773-947-0600
“Songs of My People.” The Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition of 200 news photographs comes to rest in its new permanent home. Oct. 15-Feb. 13.
Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
1852 W. 19th St.
773-738-9740
“Day of the Dead: Celebrating Life.” The annual exhibition includes more than 45 paintings, sculpture, photographs, installations and works of folk art. Sept. 25-Dec. 6.
“Toltec Tula: Image & Myth.” A portfolio of 20 prints by master muralist Alfredo Zalce, published by the museum. Oct. 2-Dec. 6.
“Maria Tomasula.” Spiritualized still-life paintings by the Chicago-area artist. Oct. 9-Jan. 10.
Spertus Museum
618 S. Michigan Ave.
312-922-6406
“Justice Illuminated: The Art of Arthur Szyk.” The first survey exhibition in a half century of the Polish-American artist’s illuminated miniatures and caricatures. Through Feb. 28.
“The Havdahla Spice Container: 3rd Biennial 1998 Philip and Sylvia Spertus Judaica Prize Exhibition.” Finalists in the international competition for innovative designs of Jewish ceremonial objects. Oct. 25-June 20.
“Photographs by Yves Mozelsio.” A series on Orthodox Jews living and working in the Chicago area. Feb. 7-June 28.
Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art
2320 W. Chicago Ave.
773-227-5522
“The Five.” New paintings by Chicago artists Ralph Arnold, Morris Barazani, Ghita Hardimon, Leopold Segedin and Joan Taxay-Weinger. Through Oct. 18.
“Traces.” Works by three artists with an intuitive approach to mark making. Nov. 1-Dec. 6.
“Nexus.” A juried exhibition of Ukrainian artists who recently arrived in Chicago. Jan. 17-Feb. 21.
“But Yet the Body is His Book.” Works by sculptor Herbert George and his students. March 7-April 11.
Newberry Library
60 W. Walton St.
312-943-9090
“Exploration ’98: The Chicago Calligraphy Collective’s Annual Juried Show.” Handwriting as an art form. Nov. 28-Jan. 9.
“Abecedariums: Alphabet Books from the Guild of Bookworkers.” A traveling exhibition supplemented by works from the Newberry collections. March 13-April 17.
