Art's kind of town, Chicago is

Art Business News, April, 2005 by Paul Nutcher

Chicago is known for many things: the Hancock Building, the Cubs, Oprah, to name a few. And when it comes to art, the Windy City arguably has the best collection of art in the Midwest. To get a sense of what the City of Chicago has to offer, it is helpful to know the four main art districts:

* Michigan Avenue/River East/ South Loop

* River North

* West Loop/Pilsen

* North/Bucktown/Wicker Park

Michigan Avenue/River East/South Loop

The Richard Gray Gallery is one of about 25 galleries located in the heart of the Michigan Avenue/River East/South Loop gallery district.

There at the Richard Gray Gallery, art buyers looking for Picasso- or Warhol-caliber art can connect with Paul Gray, gallery director. Founded in 1963, the gallery specializes in American and European paintings, drawings and sculpture by modern artists, including those working today. The current exhibition, "Jim Dine: Pinocchio As I Knew Him," runs through May 20.

"We have an eclectic mix of the 20th (and 21st) century's top artists" says Gray.

Despite the gallery's prestigious Michigan Avenue address, Gray typically makes house calls. With galleries in Chicago and New York, his clientele are as far-flung as Tokyo, London or Des Moines, IA.

Also found in the Michigan Avenue/ River East/South Loop district is the Art Institute of Chicago. Temporary and ongoing exhibitions at the Art Institute include:

* "Photo-Respiration: Tokihiro Sato Photographs" through May 8;

* "focus: Inigo Manglano-Ovalle," through May 14;

* "In Sight: Contemporary Dutch Photography from the Collection of the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam;' through May 8;

* "1945: Creativity in Crisis, Architecture and Design During and After World War II," May 7-29; and

* "Zero Gravity: The Art Institute, Renzo Piano, and Building for a New Century" beginning May 31 (ongoing).

A few blocks from Michigan Avenue, The Contemporary Arts Museum will host the "Universal Experience: Art, Life, and the Tourist's Eye," Feb. 12 through June 5, and ongoing small exhibitions for emerging Chicago artists such as Will Staples, whose show of new paintings ends May 29, with an artists' tour set for May 10 at 6:30 p.m.

The Chicago Cultural Center will host a lifetime retrospective of the work of Ruth Duckworth, modernist sculptor, April 30 through July 10. Duckworth is one of the nation's best ceramists, with works in museums and private collections worldwide.

And the Chicago Contemporary & Classic, the new art fair showcasing modern and contemporary art from many of the world's most respected galleries, will be held for the first time, April 29-May 2 at the Navy Pier.

River North

The second-most dense art zone in the city is the River North district, with nearly 50 galleries within a few blocks of Superior and Franklin streets.

At Printworks, gallery co-owners Bob Hiebert and Sidney Block are eager to discuss the art of artist and author, Audrey Niffenegger.

The art of the bestselling author of the "Time Travelers Wife," bookmaker and paper artist first caught Hiehert's eye 20 years ago at an Art Institute event. Niffenegger's adult fairy tale book, "Three Incestuous Sisters," sold for $10,000, and some were acquired by Harvard University and Chicago's Newberry Library.

"There isn't a day that goes by that we don't show her work and her books," says Hiebert.

The city's patchwork of galleries are bound by the Chicago Art Dealers Association (CADA). A different CADA member leads free gallery tours from 10:30 a.m. every Saturday from the Starbucks in the River North Gallery District.

A Saturday tour recently stopped at the Marx-Saunders Gallery, where premier glass artist Janusz Walentynowicz will be exhibiting new sculptures in May. "Walentynowicz is the creator of some of the most provocative and unnerving works made of glass," says Ken Saunders.

Other stops on the Starbucks tour included: Catherine Edelman Gallery, known for its contemporary photography, and the Ann Nathan Gallery, which exhibits the works of established and emerging painters and sculptors in all media.

West Loop/Pilsen

The West Loop/Pilsen art district has developed recently, says Natalie Van Straaten, executive director of the Chicago Art Dealers Association. "There is this whole new vital gallery area that should not be missed:'

The Douglas Dawson Gallery, which specializes in enthographic arts, and is one of the most well-known galleries in the area, recently relocated in the West Loop. "He (Douglas Dawson) is a new and exciting factor," says Straatan.

The East Pilsen area, a few blocks from the West Loop, is the Chicago Arts District (CAD), a 12-block area near South Halsted and 18th streets. The CAD, funded by the Podmajersky family, will host an open house May 13-15, when more than 80 artists in 50 galleries and private studios, will unveil new and cutting-edge work.

The CAD's Dubhe Carreno Gallery will exhibit functional ceramics starting May 1. The established Venezuelan-born Carreno, also a ceramicist, hopes to groom new business with collector workshops for those apprehensive about buying from galleries.