{"article":{"id":2119,"title":"3Arts Announces 3rd Year of $150,000 Next Level/Spare Room Awards to 3 Women Artists ","excerpt":"","body":"<html><head></head><body><p>CHICAGO, IL (November 9, 2022)–<strong> 3Arts, </strong>the Chicago-based nonprofit grantmaking organization, announced the recipients of the third annual <i><strong>3Arts Next Level/Spare Room Award</strong></i>—a $50,000 unrestricted cash award given to three women visual artists who are past 3Arts awardees—during its 15th annual 3Arts Awards Celebration hosted virtually on November 7, live on YouTube. With support from an anonymous donor at the Chicago Community Foundation, this year’s <i><strong>3Arts Next Level/Spare Room Award </strong></i>honors visual artists <strong>A.J. McClenon, Pooja Pittie, </strong>and<strong> Reveca Torres </strong>in recognition of their outstanding work in the arts and commitment to increased visibility for their communities.</p><p>“The <i><strong>Next Level</strong></i> program is an uncommon concept in the grantmaking field in which a second award at a higher level is distributed to a past recipient,” said 3Arts Executive Director <strong>Esther Grisham Grimm, “</strong>It is one of the many ways that we as an organization show our ongoing support to our 3Arts community of artists throughout their entire careers and reflects our commitment to investing in the creative heart of our city.”</p><p>During the November 7 event, 3Arts awarded ten <i><strong>3Arts Awards</strong></i> recipients who received $30,000 in unrestricted cash grants. Another ten artists were selected by past 3Arts awardees to receive $4,000 unrestricted grants through<i><strong>Make a Wave,</strong></i> an artist-to-artist grant program.</p><p>3Arts premiered new commissions by past 3Arts awardees during the Awards celebration, including in a new performance with the all-women percussion group Woori Sori (“Our Voice”) by <strong>Aram Han Sifuentes;</strong> a new music video for her original song “Walls + Ceilings” from her debut album BT/SHE/HER by<strong> Bethany Thomas</strong>; a new dance film by <strong>Robby Lee Williams</strong> with fellow dancer Connor Cornelius and visual artist Genevieve Ramos; and a new video from <strong>Santiago X</strong>’s Land Acknowledgement series. The entire evening’s celebration is available to view on 3Arts’ YouTube channel <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJkTk5sYa7w\">HERE</a>.</p><p>The celebratory evening was co-chaired by <strong>Candace Hunter </strong>(past 3Arts awardee), <strong>Lynn M. Lockwood</strong> (civic leader), and <strong>Mel Smith</strong> (3Arts Treasurer).</p><p><strong>The 2022 recipients of the 3Arts </strong><i><strong>Next Level/Spare Room Award</strong></i><strong> ($50,000 per artist):</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>A.J. McClenon</strong></p><figure class=\"image image-style-side\"><img src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419134/vohncvxlk0vsmbvmm02i.jpg\" alt=\"image004.jpg\"></figure><p>A.J. McClenon is an interdisciplinary artist, born and raised in Washington, D.C. and who now calls Chicago a second home. Among McClenon’s ongoing work, <i>VEGA</i> is an interdisciplinary project that includes performances, writing, video and mixed-media drawings/collages, and objects that explores histories of Black escapism and the future of renegotiations of human hierarchies among other species during escape routes into the skies and into the waters. McClenon received a Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a Bachelor of Arts and minor in creative writing from University of Maryland and studied at The New School. McClenon has presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, LA Film Forum, Echo Park Film Center, Danspace Project, Woman Made Gallery, Roman Susan Gallery, Links Hall, National Museum of African American History &amp; Culture, and Hyde Park Art Center.</p><p>“To me, this recognition is a vindication of faith: faith in the work, in the community, and in the process of creation. The 3Arts community works hard to push forward sustainable practices in the arts with unyielding intention, compassion, and the truest kind of empathy. This award will open up a new world of collaboration, a reachable focus, and the freedom to work in a way that I haven't been able to ever before,” says McClenon.</p><p><strong>Pooja Pittie</strong></p><figure class=\"image image-style-side\"><img src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419134/rbyx8l771mj2rer9obq8.jpg\" alt=\"image006.jpg\"></figure><p>Pooja Pittie is a visual artist who lives and works in Chicago. Born and raised in India, Pittie began her career in accounting and finance. In 2016, she decided to pursue her lifelong passion for art and shifted her focus to painting full-time. Pittie has an incurable and progressive form of muscular dystrophy. Her painting process explores the constantly changing relationship between a slow-moving body and an active mind.&nbsp;Pittie is an alumna of the HATCH residency at Chicago Artists Coalition and the Center Program at Hyde Park Art Center. As a Board member of both organizations, she is an advocate for equity and accessibility in the Arts. Her paintings have been exhibited at EXPO Chicago, Art Miami, and the Union League Club of Chicago. Pittie is represented by the McCormick Gallery in Chicago.</p><p>“For the past few years, the 3Arts community has been a safe and inclusive space for me to learn and grow as a disabled artist. I am grateful for the opportunity to support each other as we navigate the complexities of working as disabled artists. The award will give me the freedom to dive deeper into the themes of my practice, and at the same time, allow me to take a deep breath and create space for new ideas,” says Pittie.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Reveca Torres</strong></p><figure class=\"image image-style-side\"><img src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419135/owlrxftrdormc2hk6r5h.jpg\" alt=\"image008.jpg\"></figure><p>Reveca Torres uses painting, illustration, photography, film, movement, and other media as forms of expression and tools for advocacy and social justice. After completing degrees in Fashion Design and Theatre Arts, Torres worked as a costume designer and simultaneously with organizations doing disability work in health, advocacy, recreation, and peer support. She is founder of BACKBONES, a nonprofit and community for people living with spinal injuries (SCI) and is co-director of ReelAbilities Film Festival Chicago. Torres received fellowships with the Hulu+ Kartemquin Accelerator Program as well as Docs in Progress. She was also selected for the Craig Neilsen Visionary Award for her art and advocacy work. <i>Tres Fridas Project</i>, Reveca’s collaboration with artists Mariam Paré and Tara Ahern, recently exhibited alongside <i>Frida Kahlo: Timeless</i> at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art.</p><p>“The Next Level award comes to me at a time where I am feeling more confident in the stories I am telling and the ways I am telling these stories through my lens as a woman of color with a disability. Receiving my second award from 3Arts makes me feel seen by my community, and puts me in a wonderful place by providing visibility and funds for me to make space for others with disabilities in the art world and society at large,” says Torres.</p><p>The 2022 <i>Next Level/Spare Room Award</i> judges are <strong>Linda Earle</strong>, <strong>Allyson Esposito</strong>, and <strong>Sacha Yanow.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>As previously announced, the 2022 recipients of </strong><i><strong>3Arts Awards</strong></i><strong> ($30,000 per artist):</strong></p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><figure class=\"image\"><img src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419136/au7qkrlw4ppxsqi1jpk2.jpg\" alt=\"image009.jpg\"></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Dance artists <strong>Winifred Haun </strong>and <strong>Sarita Smith Childs; </strong>musicians <strong>Akenya </strong>and <strong>Nashon Holloway; </strong>teaching artists <strong>Peregrine Bermas </strong>and <strong>Simone Reynolds; </strong>theater artists <strong>Miranda Gonzalez </strong>and <strong>Omar Abbas Salem; </strong>and visual artists <strong>Rozalinda Borcilă </strong>and <strong>zakkiyyah najeebah dumas-o’neal.</strong></p><p><strong>As previously announced, the 2022 recipients of the </strong><i><strong>Make A Wave</strong></i><strong> Awards ($4,000 per artist):</strong></p><p><strong>Zahra Glenda Baker </strong>(vocalist, storyteller, and teaching artist); <strong>Maggie Brown </strong>(vocalist and teaching artist); <strong>Stephanie “Stef Skills” Garland </strong>(street art muralist and educator); <strong>Leah Ra’Chel Gipson </strong>(interdisciplinary artist and scholar); <strong>Terry Guest </strong>(playwright, actor, and director); <strong>Malik Johnson aka 99TheProducer </strong>(cellist, composer, and producer); <strong>Ivan Lozano </strong>(visual artist and podcaster); <strong>Elisabeth YJ Seonwoo aka Kerberus </strong>(dancer); <strong>Andrea Yarbrough </strong>(maker, curator, and educator); and <strong>Wai Yim</strong> (actor, director, choreographer, and playwright).</p><p>&nbsp;</p></body></html>","published_at":"2022-11-10 12:00:00","state":"published","slug":"3arts-announces-3rd-year-of-150-000-next-level-spare-room-awards-to-3-women-artists","type":"NewsPost","meta_description":"","text":null,"created_at":"2022-11-10 20:27:52.059872","updated_at":"2022-11-10 20:27:52.06662","category_id":1,"highlighted":true,"searchable":"'000':7A,43B,206B,223B,364B,1056B,1112B '150':6A '15th':60B '2016':617B '2022':20B,354B,1032B,1050B,1103B '3':13A '30':205B,1055B '3arts':1A,21B,36B,56B,62B,87B,147B,171B,197B,200B,218B,237B,243B,326B,341B,351B,358B,535B,735B,992B,1053B '3rd':3A '4':222B,1111B '50':42B,363B '7':69B,195B '9':19B '99theproducer':1155B 'a.j':95B,367B,369B 'abba':1085B 'abl':583B 'acceler':896B 'access':699B 'account':613B 'acknowledg':314B 'activ':662B 'actor':1149B,1181B 'advoc':695B 'advocaci':830B,858B,918B 'african':503B 'ahern':932B 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The reopening is timed to coincide with Veterans Day. Active military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission that day.</p><p><br></p><p>The project includes a redesigned Lillian &amp; Larry Goodman Auditorium and Gallery, an enlarged lobby in the Shapiro Family Foundation Welcome Center, and a refreshed Resilience Hall with an expanded stage for presentations and public programs.</p><p><br></p><p>Updates to the Zev &amp; Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition include additional material on the roots of antisemitism, the story of Chicago resident Leo Edelman, and the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis. A new reflection gallery, accessible from the exhibition, offers visitors a quiet space during and after their visit.</p><p><br></p><p>“Every visitor’s experience now begins differently and runs deeper,” said Kelley Szany, the Museum’s senior vice president of education and exhibitions. “The new welcome center sets the tone from the moment people arrive, the enhanced core Holocaust exhibition brings the history and the voices of survivors into sharper focus, and our new auditorium gives us a place to gather, listen, and talk about what it means for our communities today.”</p><p><br></p><p>Existing attractions, including the virtual reality theater, the interactive Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater, the Take A Stand Center and the Voices of Genocide Exhibition, will remain part of the Museum’s offerings.</p><p><br></p><p>Following the reopening,&nbsp;<em>Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare</em>&nbsp;will open November 15 in the special exhibition gallery. Created by and on loan from Jewish Museum Milwaukee, the exhibition examines the intersections of politics, antisemitism, freedom of speech and national security during the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s. It will remain on view through March 2027.</p><p><br></p><p>The Museum’s satellite location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, <span style=\"color: rgb(13, 13, 13);\">Experience360, </span>will remain open through December 31, 2026. The downtown space opened during the Skokie renovation to provide continued access to the Museum’s immersive exhibitions.</p><p><br></p><p>For information and ticket reservations, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">ilholocaustmuseum.org</a>.</p><p><br></p><p><span style=\"color: rgb(136, 136, 136);\">Image: Museum exterior. 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For much of its history, collectors and visitors gathered at Navy Pier to discover works in glass, ceramics, wood, metal and fiber, alongside sculpture and design. Its focus on materials and craftsmanship gave the fair a distinct identity and cultivated a devoted audience.</p><p><br></p><p>The announcement comes as the inaugural Chicago Art Fair gets underway at THE MART. The new fair opened with a preview on October 7 and continues through October 10, presenting modern and contemporary art. Tim von Gal, CEO and producer of SOFA Chicago and CEO of Intersect Art and Design, was in Chicago this week for the occasion.</p><p>Organizers describe the 2027 collaboration as two distinct but complementary presentations under one roof, with SOFA’s focus on three-dimensional art and design alongside Chicago Art Fair’s broader offerings.</p><p><br></p><p>“Chicago has always been an extraordinary home for SOFA and a city with a deep appreciation for art, craft, architecture and design,” said von Gal in the announcement. “Joining the Chicago Art Fair at THE MART gives us the opportunity to build upon that legacy while creating an exciting new experience for collectors and exhibitors alike.”</p><p>Eric Smith, owner of Chicago Art Fair and CEO of Redwood Art Group, said the addition would broaden the fair’s scope while preserving SOFA’s identity.</p><p><br></p><p>“SOFA has a remarkable legacy and a distinct identity, and its return adds an important new dimension to the fair while reinforcing Chicago’s position as a destination for collectors, galleries and art lovers from around the world,” Smith said.</p><p><br></p><p>For those who remember SOFA as an annual opportunity to encounter ambitious work in craft and design, the return will be welcome news. The participating galleries and programming, still to be announced, will provide a fuller picture of how that legacy will take shape in its new setting.</p><p><br></p><p>SOFA Chicago is produced by Intersect Art and Design, which also organizes annual art and design fairs in Aspen and Palm Springs.</p><p><br></p><p>Additional details about exhibitors, partnerships and tickets are expected in the coming months. </p><p><br></p><p>Visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https://chicagoartfair.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">chicagoartfair.com</a> for updates.</p>","published_at":"2026-10-08 08:42:55.758","state":"published","slug":"as-one-new-fair-opens-another-familiar-name-announces-its-return-in-2027","type":null,"meta_description":"","text":null,"created_at":"2026-10-08 15:01:02.232","updated_at":"2026-10-08 15:01:02.232","category_id":1,"highlighted":false,"searchable":"'10':145B '1994':61B '2027':13A,40B,178B '28':38B '31':39B '7':140B 'add':302B 'addit':278B,400B 'alik':262B 'alongsid':96B,200B 'also':388B 'alway':209B 'alyea':17B 'ambiti':341B 'announc':9A,118B,234B,361B 'annual':337B,390B 'anoth':6A 'appreci':222B 'architectur':226B 'around':325B 'art':28B,45B,72B,124B,150B,164B,197B,202B,224B,238B,268B,274B,322B,384B,391B 'aspen':396B 'audienc':116B 'becam':63B 'broaden':280B 'broader':205B 'build':248B 'calendar':73B 'ceo':154B,161B,271B 'ceram':91B 'chicago':19B,44B,59B,123B,159B,169B,201B,207B,237B,267B,312B,379B 'chicagoartfair.com':414B 'citi':36B,69B,218B 'collabor':179B 'collect':30B 'collector':79B,259B,319B 'come':119B,411B 'complementari':184B 'contemporari':149B 'continu':142B 'craft':225B,344B 'craftsmanship':105B 'creat':253B 'cultiv':113B 'deep':221B 'describ':176B 'design':31B,99B,166B,199B,228B,346B,386B,393B 'destin':317B 'detail':401B 'devot':23B,115B 'dimens':306B 'dimension':196B 'discov':87B 'distinct':110B,182B,297B 'edit':54B 'encount':340B 'eric':263B 'excit':255B 'exhibitor':261B,403B 'expect':408B 'experi':257B 'extraordinari':212B 'fair':4A,22B,46B,108B,125B,133B,203B,239B,269B,282B,309B,394B 'fall':71B 'familiar':7A 'fiber':95B 'fixtur':66B 'focus':101B,192B 'found':57B 'fuller':365B 'function':27B 'gal':153B,231B 'galleri':320B,355B 'gather':82B 'gave':106B 'get':126B 'ginni':15B 'give':243B 'glass':90B 'group':275B 'histori':78B 'home':213B 'ident':111B,289B,298B 'import':304B 'inaugur':53B,122B 'intersect':163B,383B 'join':235B 'last':55B 'legaci':251B,294B,370B 'longtim':21B 'lover':323B 'mart':49B,130B,242B 'materi':103B 'metal':93B 'modern':147B 'month':412B 'much':75B 'name':8A 'navi':84B 'new':3A,132B,256B,305B,376B 'news':352B 'night':56B 'object':26B 'occas':174B 'octob':37B,139B,144B 'offer':206B 'one':2A,187B 'open':5A,51B,134B 'opportun':246B,338B 'organ':175B,389B 'owner':265B 'palm':398B 'part':42B 'particip':354B 'partnership':404B 'pictur':366B 'pier':85B 'popular':65B 'posit':314B 'present':146B,185B 'preserv':286B 'preview':137B 'produc':156B,381B 'program':357B 'provid':363B 'redwood':273B 'reinforc':311B 'remark':293B 'rememb':333B 'return':11A,33B,301B,348B 'roof':188B 'said':229B,276B,329B 'scope':284B 'sculptur':25B,97B 'set':377B 'shape':373B 'smith':264B,328B 'sofa':18B,62B,158B,190B,215B,287B,290B,334B,378B 'spring':399B 'still':358B 'take':372B 'three':195B 'three-dimension':194B 'ticket':406B 'tim':151B 'two':181B 'underway':127B 'updat':416B 'upon':249B 'us':244B 'van':16B 'visit':413B 'visitor':81B 'von':152B,230B 'week':171B 'welcom':351B 'wood':92B 'work':88B,342B 'world':327B 'would':279B","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791471648/qlsatdxqgau2braeekxu.jpg","editor_pick":true},{"id":14324,"title":"Pigment International Dedicates Black Fine Art Month 2026 to Richard Hunt","excerpt":"","body":"<p><img src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791479103/r9oi9u47474rx2synx0p.png\"></p><p><span style=\"color: rgb(136, 136, 136);\">The artist Richard Hunt</span></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>By CGN Staff</p><p><br></p><p>Pigment International has dedicated Black Fine Art Month 2026 to Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt (1935–2023), recognizing his contributions to American art and his lifelong connection to the city.</p><p><br></p><p>As part of the month’s programming, the organization will host&nbsp;<em>Pigmented: Chicago to the World — A Black Fine Art Convening</em>&nbsp;on October 23 at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts. Partners include the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation, Adler University, CAI Designs, Chicago Public Art Group, Chicago Sculpture Exhibit and Diasporal Rhythms.</p><p><br></p><p>Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Hunt developed an internationally recognized practice while continuing to live and work in his hometown. His welded metal sculptures brought together abstract forms, references to the natural world and an enduring interest in freedom and social justice.</p><p><br></p><p>Hunt identified attending Emmett Till’s funeral in 1955 as a turning point in his artistic life. Till had lived just two blocks from Hunt’s home. Decades later, Hunt’s public commissions would honor figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens and Ida B. Wells, while also addressing the Middle Passage and the Great Migration.</p><p>In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Hunt to the National Council on the Arts, where he became its first African American member. In 1971, at age 35, he became the first African American sculptor to receive a retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His career encompassed more than 150 solo exhibitions and more than 160 public art installations.</p><p><br></p><p><img src=\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791479104/lltcodkx39gd8sbhtus1.png\"></p><p><em style=\"color: rgb(136, 136, 136);\">Richard Hunt with artist Chris Devins, who recently completed a mural honoring the sculptor in Hyde Park. Photo courtesy of Chris Devins.</em></p><p><br></p><p>Recent projects in Chicago offer new ways to encounter Hunt’s work and history. This fall, the Logan Center opened the Hunt, a café honoring the artist. Created and designed by Little Black Pearl founder and executive director Monica Haslip, the space incorporates two Hunt sculptures, African art, archival materials and photographs by Sandro Miller.</p><p>In Hyde Park, artist Chris Devins and historian Michelle Duster have brought a mural of Hunt to 1515–19 E. 54th Street. The portrait is based on photographs Devins took in Hunt’s studio before the sculptor’s death.</p><p><br></p><p>“Richard Hunt was a giant in the arts world and people need to see what he looked like and be inspired by his legacy,” Devins said.</p><p><br></p><p>Pigment International’s dedication also reflects its own relationship with Hunt. The organization featured him in its magazine in 2020, and he welcomed its Black Fine Art Month programming into his studio in October 2021.</p><p><br></p><p>#</p><p><br></p><p>Two events take place this month:</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Pigment International at SPECTRUM Chicago Art Fair</strong></p><p><br></p><p>October 7–10, 2026.</p><p>Chicago Merchandise Mart, seventh floor, booth #3091.</p><p>Wednesday, October 7, 5–8 pm, with a champagne toast in the booth and an artist meet-and-greet.</p><p>Thursday, October 8, 6-8pm with Diasporal Rhythms</p><p>Featured artists:&nbsp;Jesse Howard, Howard Simmons, Edo, Candace Hunter, Sura DuPart and Max Sansing.</p><p>Additional events are taking place during the fair</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Chicago to the World: A Black Fine Art Month Convening</strong></p><p>Presented by Pigment International as part of Black Fine Art Month, which the organization has dedicated this year to Richard Hunt.</p><p>Friday, October 23, 2026, 11:30 am–5 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