![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789517637/noxz9olp47gfneafz8xg.jpg\")
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\r\n","body":"Each week CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Hannah Litvan, director of Ice House Gallery.
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Name: Hannah Litvan
\r\n\r\nAge: 24
\r\n\r\nCurrent Position: Gallery Owner and Director
\r\n\r\nHometown: I grew up in Wilmette, but my home is Evanston!
\r\n\r\nPrevious Occupation(s): My first job was at a Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria all through high school. I was a Writer and Features Editor for my college paper the Albion Pleiad. While living in Jackson Michigan I was a historic guide and gallery attendant for the Ella Sharp Museum. I also helped with the start up for their Prison Museum Cell Block 7.
\r\n\r\nAfter graduation I took a job as a historic tour guide for the Richard H. Driehaus Museum and did some volunteering for the Field Museum as a bone picker for their Ornithology department. I briefly worked last holiday season at an Evanston chocolate shop, Belgian Chocolatier Piron, which was fun. Starting in high school, I would clean houses for extra cash. Once I decided to embark on opening the gallery, I quit the museums and went to cleaning as my main job as the scheduling was easy so I could work on the gallery and didn’t have a daily job taking up my time.
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5 favorites from the past week
\r\n\r\nRestaurant: Kuni’s, a great family-owned Japanese place in Evanston
\r\n\r\nShop: This week my sister and I went to Not Just Thee Fish Bowl, which is a pet shop, they have the most wonderful little ferrets, bunnies and guniea pigs you can play with. It’s always fun.
\r\n\r\nRead: I just started “The Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss and I dig it so far. I’m a big fan of manga so this is the first all-words book I’ve read in a while!
\r\n\r\nNeighborhood: Evanston always! Beautiful houses and an awesome coastline, with a cool view of the big city. My fiancé, Chris, and I go on walks all the time just to look around.
\r\n\r\nMusic: Music is a tough one. I’m really into RADWIMPS and Superfly right now, but Blink-182 and Breaking Benjamin are always favorites.
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Tell us about your background and how your work with Ice House Gallery came to be?
\r\n\r\nI've had interest in making and appreciating art my whole life, but became serious about becoming an artist when I was around 12 years old. My biggest inspiration definitely came from cartoons and anime I watched, and still watch, constantly. I attended Albion College where I had a double major in English Creative Writing and Art with a Sculpture focus. Growing up and even in early adulthood, I never quite knew what job I wanted. After graduation I cast a huge net over any loosely artistic job I was qualified for. Hundreds of applications and tediously-written cover letters were sent into the digital abyss to never return. I managed to get a part-timer to support my independence, but it was not fulfilling.
\r\n\r\nThe decision to quit and pursue opening a gallery was difficult. Who was I to do something like that? No one will take me seriously right? Thoughts of "it’s too big a change" and "it won’t come to fruition" were frequent. So many excuses floated in my head. Ultimately my mom and I found a building that would be perfect, and signing onto the lease solidified moving forward. I held pitch meetings at Evanston Public Library to find local artists and hear their thoughts on my idea. I searched the Evanston art community with the opportunity to meet many strong artists, business owners and art supporters to pick their brains and build connections.
\r\n\r\nThe build-out for the space was a retrospectively enjoyable nightmare. What was projected to be a three month build-out turned into 13 months! Old warehouses seem to have their way and not want to be changed. My building manager and I wanted to highlight the integrity of the building while bringing it up to code. I found the build-out itself was simple, but city codes are another animal. Ice House was supposed to open in March 2017, but it did not happen. It was then supposed to open in June 2017, but again, could not happen. We took part in Evanston Made in June, a city-wide event to promote locally made art and products. We put on a sidewalk sale because we thought we were going to be open, and didn't want all our ads and excitement to go to waste! It was a good day for us!
\r\n\r\nMy friends and family helped tremendously when we eventually got to move into the space with setting up the studios, painting and hanging everything. We finally opened in October 2017, and it was a blast! Looking back, all the extra time caused by delays ended up allowing us to grow public interest in Ice House and learn more about who we were and who we want to be when it it was time to finally open our doors.
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Share a typical day in the life.
\r\n\r\nJust now I'm settling into a routine as we’ve been open for about a month. I work at the gallery most days, going through emails and posting on our social media. Often artists come in to chat and show me their work. I am always thinking of the next show, feature and performances so I look up and save local artists I think may be a good fit with Ice House. It’s fun to get into a planning groove. We try to focus on marketing plans to get our new name out there as well. When everything is good-to-go, I will read or draw at the desk waiting for potential art buyers to make their way in. Basic business stuff I suppose, but it being my business makes it fun! A couple nights a week I still go clean an office building in Evanston, but I always come home to my fiancé, cat and friends for wine and videogames.
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Is there a particularly favorite memory in the process of opening the space?
\r\n\r\nWhile in the build-out process I was also still deciding on my public image for the gallery. I found art people in Evanston to talk to and they were amazing. They listened to me, supported my idea and told me about their ideas and experiences. Most of these strong, caring people were women so that was very inspiring to me. It was so cool to ask a stranger for input and advice, and have them open up to me. The Evanston art community is very uplifting for those wishing to join and expand it.
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Share some successes as well as challenges this year.
\r\n\r\nOpening was definitely our biggest success, not only because we actually opened, but because of the support from our community. So many people came through all day and asked about us and our vision. It was amazing to speak with everyone and see all our hard work pay off.
\r\n\r\nA challenge we faced was more a series of small hills. Yes construction was arduous, but envisioning a business is a lot more complicated than one may realize. There were things I knew I wanted and didn’t want, but there were so many aspects I never even considered and making certain decisions was tough. I wrote a mission for us and made sure we stuck to it with every decision made.
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How do you see Chicago’s art scene in comparison to other cities? What do you think makes it particularly unique?
\r\n\r\nThe Chicago and outreaching art scene is unique because it has such a huge variety. You have local artists from all different backgrounds and walks of life producing and showing in many different forms like street art, formal galleries, fairs, and performances. Traditional as well as modern art thrive simultaneously here, creating a diverse art scene anyone can appreciate. I think art in its many forms (not just what you can hang on a wall) is important to the mood of the city and neighborhoods. We also have an international art influence mixing with the local which even further diversifies the artistic community in the Chicagoland area.
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How have you seen technology directly affect/alter the art world?
\r\n\r\nYou can be the most traditional artist ever, but in this modern world your art almost always has to have an online presence. Therefore you have to be tech savvy when showing your work to galleries or submit a portfolio. Most galleries or shows I’ve submitted to require a digital portfolio and when I meet with other artists we usually ask for a (well-designed) card with our artist website on it. So even artists who do not use digital mediums must have a digital profile. And typically more than just one to get your name out there.
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What do you want to tell a young person considering this business?
\r\n\r\nSpeaking as a young person, I say.. do it now! Dreaming of that “one day I will…” is time wasted. Opening a business of any kind is not a quick nor easy process, so why waste time at a job you don’t like wanting something more? Take action and never be apprehensive to ask your community for ideas, advice and help. It’s surprising who will invite you to their home, make you coffee, and talk dreams for hours! Ultimately, plans and timelines will mostly fly out the window, you’ll plan out way more than you initially realize, and you will have stumbles and hiccups. However it’s all part of the process. There will be days where you are not open yet, and it all seems a mess, you will want to quit. But birthing your brain-baby is so worth it. So stick to it!
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One piece of advice you would send back to yourself when you started out?
\r\n\r\nOh there is so much I would tell my year-ago-self. Patience and flexibility are the biggest lessons I have learned. I would tell myself to just breathe through the bad and the good is on its way.
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Favorite cultural pursuit outside of the art world?
\r\n\r\nI’m a mega-lover of Japanese culture, modern and historical. I’ve been learning Japanese for about seven years, have studied in Kyoto, and am an avid reader on history and current culture. I enjoy many sides of Japanese culture relating to art and history (and have for quite a long time). Chris and I are honeymooning there and I plan to be in and out of Japan throughout my life.
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Favorite work of public art in Chicago?
\r\n\r\nAs a child I liked the Picasso because it’s a huge, mysterious beast. I would imagine it walking around the city at night. Now I’m not sure if I have a favorite lone-standing piece. I’m a big fan of Chicago’s architecture and history. I love stained glass and sculpted masonry, so I enjoy Chicago’s Architecture Tour.
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Artists you admire most.
\r\n\r\nHayao Miyazaki’s work touches my heart and shaped my artist-self growing up. Many manga writers have inspired and influenced my style such as Akira Toriyama, Hiromu Arakawa, Misashi Kishimoto and Satoshi Kon to name a few. Recently I traveled to Prague and had the opportunity to see a ton of Alphonse Mucha’s work and visit his grave. His work has also inspired and shaped my style for a long time.
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What's coming up next at the gallery?
\r\n\r\nSo much! We are new, and are currently trying to develop a strong program for shows as well as performances. We post on our website and social media all the details.
\r\n\r\nOur first performance which was a music and art collaboration show Friday November 17th, which was so fun and unique. Our turn-out was better than I thought it would be, and the music sounded amazing in our space.
\r\n\r\nEach month, on the first Saturday of that month, we have an opening reception for our monthly featured artist (always a local of course!) December 2nd was Evanston artist Jim Park’s “Bloomz” series opener and he will show through the end of the month.
\r\n\r\nOur December performance is a stage reading written and performed by two Evanston actors: Max Lusk and Meghan Bortle. Friday December 15th, at 7pm and Saturday December 16th at 2pm and 7pm
\r\n\r\nWe try to be a part of Evanston’s involved sense of community so we are a part of “Small Business Saturday” 11/25 from 10am to 6pm and the “Warm Bevvy Walk” 12/7 from 5pm to 8pm
\r\n\r\nOur second floor is a bit of a different entity with Private Studios as well as a Cooperative artist workspace. These can be rented monthly or longer as a space for artists to create. We are building out a photo room too so artists can take photos of their work, models, headshots or whatever they need to take photos of. It’s such a neat space which has been popular so far. I hope it becomes a thriving little community, and I would love to have a studio show next year.
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Hannah Litvan is the owner and director of Ice House Gallery in Evanston. For more information about the gallery please visit: Ice House Gallery
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Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest. Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke with five insiders about what excites them now and what they anticipate next.
The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition click here.
“I’m thrilled to further expand my artistic and design practice by introducing other mediums into the mix. I’m looking forward to watching the seasons change and devoting a lot of time in the studio as well. Fall/winter is my favorite time to create new works.
I have an upcoming solo show with VSG Contemporary that I am excited about. The work will delve further into the topics of cultural mythology and how these tales and narratives have helped shape my worldview.
Also, it wouldn’t be right if I left out my excitement for this upcoming season of Chicago sports.”
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961823/s3lp0uull2s8mvd8funj.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Extension Cords, Glazed stoneware, chrome, Sizes vary 2021-present. Photo: Mikey Mosher
This interview is part of CGN's Fall 2026 issue. Purchase a copy or subscribe.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961824/mghrpnghxd9j9ko2dsjt.jpg\")
Andi Crist
BY ALISON REILLY
Andi Crist’s warm, engaging demeanor is evident in the first few minutes of our conversation. Generous with her time and forthcoming in her observations, she cares deeply about building relationships through her art making. Crist grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, devoured art classes, wrote songs and played music in high school, and moved to Chicago to study visual art at Columbia College. In 2024, she received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a woodworker, sculptor, ceramicist, and conceptual artist, and she teaches at Illinois Institute of Technology. We discussed her multidisciplinary practice, her experience working as an art handler, preparator, and fabricator, and how she thinks about labor, creativity, and value in the art world.
CGN: You grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. How did that environment shape your point of view as an artist?
Andi Crist: That’s such a funny question. Nobody’s ever really asked.
CGN: Oh, really?
AC: Yeah, maybe because I never was super connected with the arts community down in Birmingham. I moved to Chicago in 2007, so it’s been 20 years since I lived in the South. I was definitely one of those art kids—one art credit was required in high school, and I graduated with like seven. I was surrounded by artists who had a big impact on me, because they were working artists. All my art teachers were trained in Alabama and then continued to teach and work in Alabama, which gave me this desire to try to expand my community outside of what I was familiar with.
CGN: Do you identify as a Chicagoan?
AC: My family still lives in Alabama, and I go back every year. I love being in Alabama. Maybe now being in Chicago for almost 20 years, I identify as a southerner living in the city. I carry on the social qualities of a friendly southern person [laughs].
CGN: You have a varied art practice—woodwork, ceramics, mold making. What drew you to those types of fabrication methods and that type of art making?
AC: My dad is a carpenter and a hobbyist woodworker, but his career was psychology, and my mom was a professor and an incredible craftswoman. I absorbed my mom’s model of creativity, which is to try a bunch of different things and not necessarily finish them but to try to learn as much as I can by just going for it. My practice over the years has become an exploration of conceptual elements of what makes art art and not just craft. Do you have to be a master craftsperson or a professional artist in order to make something that resonates with people?
I make a lot of work that references the mode of making and requires a variety of different media. I just finished teaching a ceramics production class where students learned how to produce molds, think about positives and negatives, and get into a level of production rather than just handicraft as a way to multiply their output.
I got into fabrication because I’ve always liked working with other artists. I have a background in theater and gallery work. I’m a voracious learner, and I like being able to share those skills with my community. Then I end up making work about that. It’s a self-feeding cycle.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961825/zzejqwibga5f5wk6einh.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Artist’s Ladder, 2023. Photo: Jeff Perlman
CGN: Thinking about your background as an art handler and preparator—how did you get to the point where you were making work about that experience?
AC: In 2010, right before I graduated from Columbia, I was living in a storefront in West Logan Square with my partner at the time. We started a gallery called Autotelic in the space and had to build it out using the worst tools with very minimal resources. Then we started curating shows there and that meant helping other artists figure out how to install their work in our unusual space. Eventually, I gained the reputation for knowing how to do that type of work. I started getting invited to work in museums and galleries.
The Holocaust Museum was the first museum I worked at, and as difficult as that subject matter is, that experience was really important to me because I was learning more about the larger world of gallery work. As an artist working as a preparator, you’re straddling both sides of that space. You’re really seeing how the sausage is made. You’re hearing all the conversations about artists, curators, the process of exhibition making. There is a lot of information you can gather about the economics of the art world by just being the person that has the know-how to touch and handle artwork. Eventually that started feeding into my art practice because I wanted to make work that was contributing to a conversation around art as a type of job. It fueled a methodology of seeing everything in the world as the result of a long line of processes that required effort and thoughtfulness by many hands.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961826/uv5bysb5fbne30gr5czh.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Fair Warning, 2025.
CGN: The title of your recent exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum—Live, Laugh, Lo—sorry, not Live, Laugh, Love—Live, Laugh, Labor.
AC: [Laughs] That’s what everybody does.
CGN: I love the title—it’s perfect. You incorporate humor along with thoughtful critiques about labor and value in your work. What role does humor play? How does it help you connect with your audience?
AC: One of my biggest criticisms of art with a capital A is how easily it can be overly intellectualized. I think that’s why I end up making a lot of work that references things that already exist or have some kind of real purpose. It’s important to give people a foothold so there’s an obvious place to board that train of thought. As an artist—maybe this is me getting into a sweeping argument about what artists should be—but I personally believe in intellectual accessibility. Humor is a swift way to drop defenses and allow people to come in without feeling like they are not getting the joke or not understanding. I like to make work that can hold both of those things at the same time—it’s funny on the surface level, it’s kind of cheeky, but there’s also another way to look at it that is intellectually clever. There is a joy in the attempt to “get it”. Like the satisfaction of grasping how a crossword puzzle actually works.
It’s also so much a part of my personality. I take myself seriously as an artist, but my ego isn’t at the heart of it. It’s really something that I do because I love to make things, and I love to connect with other people. My parents raised me on puns, creating those language relationships between things and people and space. Understanding a joke is the same way that we understand art, and while neither of my parents would consider themselves artists, they taught me how to think about art.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961828/gnotyfijabr7e15kb6hm.jpg\")
Andi Crist, 69 Bananas
CGN: Your work, Artist’s Ladder, explores hierarchies, workplace cultures, and institutional values. What experiences shaped your reflections on these themes?
AC: The ladder piece distinctly represents the complicated relationship between front of house, back of house, and the hierarchy of labor. Who is the artist in those relationships? How much does another person’s knowledge and expertise contribute to the success of another artist?
There are enormous, industrialized art practices out there, warehouses full of people making things, and those people are also artists. When you make work that involves other people, it’s important to acknowledge their contributions. I’ve had complicated interactions with other artists who are like, ‘Hey, do you want to collaborate with me on this thing?’ but really they just want me to make their idea. I made Artist’s Ladder while I was in grad school at UIC, and it really represented my relationship with a lot of other artists, because I could be an actual support structure for them. Then it turned into this absurd physical thing. It’s extremely overbuilt with inlaid racing stripes made of exotic hardwood, and a butcher’s block-style plaid top. It’s not really like an FU as much as it is asking for acknowledgement of my skills and the essential support structures that exist.
CGN: I want to ask you about another piece, Five O’Clock Somewhere, a wool rug that resembles a children’s play mat. I work at a library, and it reminded me of rugs I see all the time. It’s a peaceful image of an office park with a large fountain surrounded by a parking lot. I’m curious why you chose a rug as the medium to depict that image.
AC: To me the heart of that joke was that it was a landscape. I wanted it to be physically traversable. And that was, I don’t want to say controversial, but it was something that I had to talk about a lot. The critique of that work was the fact that I didn’t want to hang it on the wall and turn it into a tapestry. I really wanted it to be a rug that people could walk on. When I showed that work at Chicago Artists Coalition for the New City Breakout Artists show. There was a lot of pushback about having it on the floor and allowing people to walk on it.
That, to me, was such an important conversation, because, in my mind, the fact that you could walk across it and traverse it was part of how I was thinking about the object. Rugs are utilitarian–they are floor coverings. When you make art that doesn’t do anything, you don’t get to participate in that part of the conversation.
I enjoy sparring around art like that. I am totally tickled by the pushback. The critique of display is exciting, and sorting through the politics of utilitarianism in art spaces is fun to me. And then—it was so crazy—we ended up showing it halfway on the wall and halfway on the ground.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961829/r1zylkwfw9rkw191skdl.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Five O’Clock Somewhere, on display at Live, Laugh, Labor: Thoughts on Usefulness and Other Myths at The Cleve Carney Museum of Art, 2025.
CGN: Oh, wow.
AC: I was like, this is the epitome of compromise! I had to build a structure so that it could hang that way safely.
CGN: I would say just put it on the ground if that’s what you want to do. It’s interesting that there are still very fixed ideas about the way that art should be displayed.
AC: That preparator part of it, that’s what I’m all about. I was having that conversation about what physically supports the work or what conceptually supports it in the way that it’s shown.
CGN: Have you always been a writer? How do your art and writing practices work together?
AC: I can’t say that I’m a writer, it’s probably the same way that it can feel weird to call yourself an artist. But I feel like I’ve always been relatively good at writing. The first time I ever did any kind of professional writing was contributing, a long time ago, to a website called eHow. The editors would send me a title, and then I would have to research how to do that thing. Then I would write out step-by-step instructions for how to do that.
I think that’s how I had to make myself think through my conceptual practice—I had to do the research, coagulate that into some kind of document, and then I would have stream-of-consciousness conversations with myself. “Why are we interested in this? Why would we make it this way? What would I want to talk about if someone were to ask me about this?” It’s almost like I was pre-interviewing myself.
I think the writing is just another way for me to process that idea before I put in all of the time and energy to actually accomplish it.
CGN: What are you working on right now? What projects do you have coming up?
AC: The biggest project that I have right now is my house. My family and I suffered a major house fire on New Year’s Day. We’ve been displaced since then and are navigating rebuilding our house. It was a total loss.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961830/kekfqzf9f87fq48juogh.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Single-Use Fireplace, 2025. Photo: Mikey Mosher.
CGN: I’m so sorry to hear that.
AC: Thank you. We’re all okay, but it’s been a really tumultuous year. I moved my studio into a storefront last summer, and so most of my, at least relatively recent, work is safe, and I still have all of my materials, but my home life is starting over. I just had my first full year at this space, and it’s got a little gallery built out in the front called Coming Soon. It’s beautiful with floor-to-ceiling windows on Division and Central Park. I’ve been inviting people into the space to try things out.
After teaching the ceramics class, I came into a bunch of nice slip casting molds, and I’m making some really playful, weird, ceramic stuff. I want to be open and not put too much pressure on myself. Having a big studio by myself is very expensive, so it’s easy to want to make it feel like it’s worth it. But if for now all I can do is make it a resource for other people, then that will be the thing I do. Be less selfish, but more selfish with my time. Saying I can’t do that, or I don’t want to do that. It’s not my nature to say no—I’m such a yes man. I’m learning how to be a yes man for myself.
CGN: That makes sense after going through something so traumatic.
AC: I have an amazing support system. Our friends started a GoFundMe. It was incredible. I’m so humbled and floored by how held I felt by Chicago. I can’t help but throw a little shout out to my Chicago people. I can see how people’s lives get totally ruined by this kind of tragedy. I feel so lucky. Chicago definitely showed its love back.
CGN: For your project Coming Soon, are you bringing in other artists?
AC: My philosophy is that I want to be involved as little as possible. I am thinking about it more as a hosted than curated space. I’m actively soliciting proposals or ideas for workshops, meetings, book clubs—I’m down for making it a resource, whatever that means. I don’t want to over-think it, I want it to be an intuitive and organic thing, which is why I call it Coming Soon—it can be a placeholder for anything. It’s exciting. Taking my hands off the reins is a good exercise for me.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1788961831/gno5dhliwfnzpuaim78s.jpg\")
Andi Crist, Extension Cords, Glazed stoneware, chrome, Sizes vary 2021-present. Photo: Mikey Mosher
Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest. Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke with five insiders about what excites them now and what they anticipate next.
The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition click here.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789516769/izokunnmrufdyjbjnypk.jpg\")
“Intuit Art Museum’s renovated, expanded spaces give audiences the chance to connect with art through daily art-making, third Thursday Art After Work, group Slow Looks designed to provide a mindful experience with a single work and upcoming conversations with sculptor Bill Brady (Oct. 3) and Dr. Mary Trent (Oct. 15), who curated our current exhibition on the role of scrapbook-making in Henry Darger’s art.
On view is the thought-provoking Monumental: The Sculpture of Dr. Charles Smith, which encourages guests to consider the lack of historical representation of African Americans and Black people in America. Dr. Smith’s memorials champion Black history and stories of everyday life he sees missing in mainstream narratives.
This fall we’re opening an exhibition of paintings by Karla Wong, an artist who immigrated from Oaxaca and who explores themes of life and death, gender identity and self-discovery.”