{"article":{"id":9705,"title":"Art, Ambition, and the Weight of Stars: Dining at Esmé in Chicago","excerpt":"","body":"

Esmé's light fixtures already resemble blank canvases. Photos by CGN.



By GINNY VAN ALYEA


On a warm Chicago evening earlier this fall, stepping into a Lincoln Park restaurant felt more like crossing the threshold of a gallery than a restaurant. Most of my days as publisher of CGN are spent in proximity to art, and I do eat at restaurants, but I can’t say I’ve had a meal or art experience quite like the one I had at Esmé.


That is the point. From its earliest days, Esmé has set out to merge food, art, and philanthropy in an ambitious experiment. Now, with an Apple TV+ docuseries running and Michelin inspectors circling once again, the restaurant finds itself back in the spotlight.


I had heard about Esmé since it was awarded a Michelin star in 2022, less than year after it opened in 2021. Esmé is the culinary artistic-collaboration of husband-and-wife duo Chef Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo, who opened the restaurant as both a fine-dining destination and a mission-driven project. Their vision was that a restaurant could be more than an elevated place to eat — it could also be a civic space, an art gallery, and a philanthropic engine all at once.


Esmé’s tasting menus change with each artist-in-residence collaboration, transforming both the dishes and the dining room into a temporary exhibition. Previous artist collaborations have been with Emmy Star Brown, Raspy Rivera, and Meghan Borah, and others. Proceeds from these seasons often benefit local nonprofits, creating a direct tie between indulgence and community impact.


The current collaboration features Chicago-born, L.A. artist Lefty Out There (Franco Campanella), known for his looping, interlocking “polymorph” motifs. His work, which began in graffiti and street art, now spans textiles, sculpture, and digital installations — a rhythmic visual language that feels both infinite and playful.



The surprise amuse: Meringue - Tomato, Peanut, and Osetra Caviar.



At Esmé, Lefty’s work is hung salon-style on the wall when you first enter the space. While I waited for my dinner date to arrive, I was greeted by Chris, who offered a sparkling wine with fall-appropriate cherry incorporated – a bright, pink palate preparation to enjoy while I had a chance to look around the space, first at Lefty's art, including a projection piece, then at the professional staff moving quietly and efficiently among the tables and back and forth to the open kitchen. In the dining room large, white fixtures – flat panels suspended from the ceiling that resemble canvases – act as blank spaces that reflect light back onto where the art really was, on the tables and plates. 


Once my friend arrived we were presented with what we thought was a mutually favorite hors d’oeuvre: deviled eggs. In fact this was just the first surprise of the night, as it was not an egg, but a tomato meringue with caviar, peanut and delicate, edible flowers. There were two, placed atop a thick, gilded picture frame. The presentation of this first bite made the art-links of Esme’s menu apparent, but once we were seated at our table the unique collaboration with Lefty Out There was unmistakable. The current tasting menu–which began in August and it set to continue until March 1, 2026–is inspired by Lefty’s hallmark polymorphic shapes. 



A custom designed tray built from wood and moss serves Tuna — peach jam, otoro, sake sabayon, and tuna bone marrow, Uni — nori, sunchoke purée, fried kelp, and kelp oil, and Foie — whipped foie with hoja santa, cherry, nasturtium, and a butterfly tuile — a reflection of the land above.



There is color, detail, intricacy in each dish, with many being served on custom made dishware and plates. A custom sculpture Hassun Tray built by Lefty from layered wood and moss draws on Lefty’s experience using LiDAR digital mapping and references contours that mirror map elevations and topography. As you eat each introductory bite you move through nature, from sea (tuna, also nori, kelp) onto land (whipped foie, cherry, nasturtium). The art presented in the tray’s design remains after each bite is gone. 


A two-bite course of smoked grapes, latticed over king crab-filling, is topped with fennel and presented atop a 3-D printed copper-hued dome that resembled a brain, though not in an unappetizing way. The serving piece looked like it would be heavy, made of metal, but it’s very light. The dish was the same, it looked heavy but was in fact delicate. 


Colors. Detail. Intricacy. Lefty’s art lends itself to repetition – certain shapes and curves are like disciplined doodles. You can’t quite always identify an exact pattern but you can pick out the shapes. The artist has broad experience in multiple mediums, from 3D printing and murals to fiber and painting. At Esmé you see Lefty’s presence everywhere. 



Lefty's designs in clay. A dish of squab, foie, plum, tamarind, celery root and nihari. Photo by Sara Wright.



For a dish of squab with plum, the vibrant tamarind sauce that accompanied it was baked in celery root inside of a clay vessel featuring Lefty’s squiggle designs. Our server used a special hammer to break open the clay and reveal the sauce. Next we had Wagyu beef, beet mole and charred lettuce, accompanied by an unusual, Italian-style wine from Mexico.


Other dishes we had didn’t directly draw from Lefty’s art but still incorporated the creativity of local artists. One of the restaurant’s signature dishes of caviar and ice cream, with white chocolate and some sort of savory pepper paste, was served in a custom designed, ostrich-sized ceramic egg, chilled to best present and preserve the coolness of the ice cream. 



Shareable ice cream and caviar mid-meal. Mother of pearl — peanut miso, celery hot sauce, sweet potato ice cream, white chocolate, osetra caviar.



Desert was part art heist, part treat, all surprise: cake was concealed beneath printed rice paper made to resemble a painting on canvas, framed in gold. To get to the sweet cake, I had to destroy the canvas. 


Each effect is immersive and unique: dishes appear not just plated, but staged, like performers in an abstract set. Signature forms ripple across everything, from custom placemats (more than two dozen in total, hand-sewn with 88,000 stitches), to laser-cut tray designs, and even the plating itself.



Dessert is behind the rice paper canvas: blackberry vanilla opera cake, oat crumble, anise hyssop ice cream


*


To expand on where Lefty Out There’s art fits in a dining space, Allan Weinberger, director of VSG Contemporary, which represents Lefty, describes how this project is not unlike other collaborations and is well suited for an art experience. 


“Franco Campanella, Lefty’s formal name, loves integrating his art into culturally adjacent moments,” says Weinberger. “He’s collaborated extensively with John Summit on music projection mapping, Miami nightclub E11even, Formula 1, the Chicago Half Marathon and various fashion brands. His visual language adapts well to different environments. For the diner, the experience is unique and engaging, you get to learn about and be inspired by an artist while enjoying a meal. It’s immersive, playful, and unlike a traditional art encounter.”


For Esmé’s latest residency Weinberger describes the partnership as a natural extension of the artist’s trajectory.


“Since opening, Esmé has developed a Michelin-starred dining experience that deeply integrates art into its courses,” he says. “The restaurant transforms several times a year with new artist collaborations. Lefty Out There elevated this concept further, introducing custom design elements across the space, from windows and placemats to dishes, while curating the gallery with a selection of new works alongside pieces returning from his 2023 London exhibition, many of which had never been shown in the United States.”


When I asked Weinberger how he would describe the partnership of having an artist exhibit in a dining setting, he explained, “As an art dealer, I’m not usually drawn to showing work outside spaces made for art. If people aren’t coming in conditioned to see art, the work rarely lands, and it definitely doesn’t sell. We looked at this opportunity carefully and felt that, with the right planning, it could really work. We just wanted to ensure it was presented as an art show.” 



Lefty Out There works are installed in the front of the restaurant salon-style



That was easy, he says, because of the creative leaders behind Esmé. “Jenner Tomaska is more than a chef, he’s a brilliant culinary artist and his collaboration with Lefty Out There felt like a genuine creative match. They both care deeply about their craft and it’s more than a business. At one point, while producing custom plates for a dish, they simultaneously decided the quality wasn’t good enough for service and the plates were pulled. This partnership wouldn’t work with just any restaurant; it had to be an exceptional one, like Esmé. Our goal was to make the presentation feel intentional and artistic, not just like restaurant décor.”


Exhibiting art outside of a formal gallery space always takes creativity, but hopefully it results in many rewards because it invites and allows a different kind of access and has the potential to engage a new audience. I asked Weinberger what the challenges have been as well as unexpected outcomes of this kind of collaboration. 


“The biggest challenge was managing the logistics—shipping, installation, and planning for a project that’s inherently speculative. If the art doesn’t sell, it can be a tough financial situation. Fortunately, with the support of Frame Chicago, who helped curate the partnership, the opening week went very well in terms of sales, setting a strong tone for the rest of the collaboration. The collector response to this show has exceeded expectations and we’re thrilled. For years, Alisha, Shafiq, and Firoz have witnessed the transformation of the contemporary art scene, evolving Frame Chicago from a casual framing shop into a cultural hub. They have a pulse on what’s happening in the art world, and both Lefty and I deeply admire the artistic excellence they represent.” 


*


Cheese coral – aerated Epoisses and Gruyere, taiyaki, and honeycomb


The Esmé dining room feels alive with visual rhythm. One late-meal course, dubbed “Cheese Coral”, arrives as a sculptural reef of airy cheese, honeycomb and red Taiyaki pastry shaped like a coy fish, simultaneously fragile and abundant. Another paired turbot with melon and corn, a geometric interplay of textures and tones that echoes Lefty’s looping patterns. These are not just bites; they’re compositions — edible artistic choices meant to be admired and then consumed.


As a diner the specific presence of art forces you to sense details — the cut of a vegetable, the texture of a sauce, the angle of a garnish. Esmé transforms eating into something closer to observing. I thought about how each dish would be if it weren’t part of a chef + artist partnership and wondered why there aren’t more like it, since the creative synergy felt so natural. I also wondered, since this partnership with Lefty is so complete - on the walls, on the plates, in the serving pieces – what would other collaborations be like? Would they all be as successful?


*


This fall, Esmé’s story has been on the plate as well as the screen. On October 10th Apple TV+ debuted Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, an eight-part docuseries that follows chefs worldwide as they pursue, retain, or risk losing their Michelin standing. Esmé is one of the featured restaurants.


The series aims to reveal the unseen side of fine dining: the relentless precision, the anxiety of inspection, the personal toll of an elusive rating system. For Tomaska and Bravo, the cameras arrive at a high-stakes moment. Michelin will announce its 2025 ratings next week on November 18th, when Esmé will learn whether it keeps (or loses) its single star — or potentially ascends to the coveted two-star echelon. With the recent news that a fellow Chicago restaurant, Alinea, has lost one of its three stars and now will boast two, the pressure is on for Esmé to move up and maintain the city’s overall star count. 


While diners at Esmé experience a serene, gallery-like dining room each week, viewers worldwide are tuning in to glimpse the sweat, tension, and vulnerability behind its closed doors.


*


Wagyu - Red beet mole, romaine sauce, golden beet puree, pickled mulberries, confit beets



What’s striking about Esmé is how seamlessly it toggles between the intimacy of fine dining and the spectacle needed to gain and keep global attention. On one hand, a dish like the turbot with melon feels like a deeply personal of the chef— the kind of course that asks for quiet. On the other, the entire concept of collaborating with an artist is inherently performative, begging for documentation and a wider audience.


The docuseries heightens this duality. How does a restaurant designed to be immersive for those in the room translate when broadcast to millions of viewers? Will the art-dining fusion appear as sincere as it feels in the moment, or risk seeming contrived under the harsh gaze of editing?


This is the tension at Esmé’s heart: the space between experience and performance, authenticity and ambition.


*

Esmé’s significance goes beyond its four walls. In spotlighting Chicago artists, and funneling resources into local causes, the restaurant positions itself as a civic player in the city’s cultural ecosystem. In Lefty Out There, Esmé found a collaborator whose Chicago roots mirror its own, creating a uniquely local resonance in a global fine-dining landscape.


As Weinberger suggests, by placing Lefty’s work on dining tables instead of gallery walls, Esmé underscores Chicago’s ability to redefine the boundaries of cultural experience.


Art was on the walls, certainly on the table, and in each dish. Maybe best of all, I had an inventive, magical setting for a long overdue catchup with a dear friend on a lovely fall evening in one of the world’s most creative cities. 


View past menus and artistic collaborations at esmechicago.com and @Esme_Chicago


Follow Lefty Out There @LeftyOutThere


#

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Stargazer (I remember you)

18\" x 16\" x 1 3/4\"

colored pencil on archival paper, framed with museum glass

photo credit: Nathan Keay




By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE


Duncan Robert Anderson has long been a steady presence in the Chicago art scene, carrying an identity that is impossible to miss. He stands well over six feet and is consistently dressed in black from head to toe, complete with boots and a signature wide-brimmed cowboy hat. His silhouette has remained unchanged since he arrived from East Tennessee in 1998, save for his long hair slowly turning grey. Since we first met back in 2002, I have never once seen him out of this attire. Yet whether encountering him at gallery openings or during visits to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, where he works as building operations manager, that imposing visual style is always balanced by an easy, genuine warmth and impeccable manners rooted in his Appalachian upbringing. It’s an unpretentious demeanor that has earned him a quiet, lasting respect across the community.


Anderson is best known as a dedicated artist and a vital behind-the-scenes force at the MCA. His current solo exhibition, Messengers and Oracles, at the West Town Chamber of Commerce, offers a welcome look into his personal and creative practice. Featuring nineteen drawings, the exhibition focuses heavily on memory and how we are shaped by places and people. The majority of the works were already sold, despite being exhibited outside of a traditional commercial gallery space. Opening night also celebrated the release of his beautiful monograph of the same name, which is now officially available for purchase at the MCA Store. The artwork leans into Anderson’s Appalachian roots, bringing his childhood background into a direct conversation with his decades of lived experience in Chicago.


Stormlight

24\" x 20\" x 1 3/4\"

colored pencil on archival paper, framed with museum glass

photo credit: Nathan Keay


Anderson’s geography isn't just a straight line from the South to the Midwest, though. His marriage has introduced a deep Japanese influence to his life, adding another layer to the work. You can see this cultural mix directly in some of the drawings, portraits of anonymous Japanese figures set against a backdrop of familiar Chicago architecture and cityscapes.

While Anderson’s drawings have always stemmed from his own life and memories, this newest body of work has a profound focus on loss and grief. The exhibition serves as a tribute to his mother, as Anderson recently reached the exact age she was at her passing. This enduring grief is compounded by the consecutive losses of his dog Smokey, his artistic brother-in-arms Tony Fitzpatrick, and his art hero Don Meckley between 2025 and 2026. In light of these profound losses, his signature technique of mark-making on black paper feels especially fitting, giving these deeply personal images a darker, more forlorn feel.


Anderson's process makes perfect sense when you understand a love for German Expressionism that dates back to his childhood. In the spirit of that movement, his technique of coloring on black paper makes the bright colors jump, letting his animals emerge directly out of the deep shadows. You can see this dramatic mood across his landscapes and cityscapes—whether capturing weathered old houses, the dark silhouette of the John Hancock Center, or the towering form of the Willis Tower.


Anderson notes he is a \"huge fan of Symbolism and Romanticism,\" blending those traditions with \"a bit of dream-like revelation and vision\" to create a magical world of his own. He imagines solitary animals as protectors keeping watch over the people and places he has lost. Although only a few pieces on display feature human figures, many drawings are filled with bears, elk, wolves, birds, and dogs. By dropping these creatures directly into man-made settings, he creates a strange visual tension—granting the animals a powerful presence that disrupts an otherwise quiet human environment.


The Hospital Escape

24\" x 20\" x 1 3/4\"

colored pencil on archival paper, framed with museum glass

photo credit: Nathan Keay


Many of these drawings focus on a single, isolated figure. The Hospital Escape (18” x 15”) features a massive elk standing under a glowing streetlamp. This powerful image hints at a wild animal breaking free from an institutional space and stepping out into the city, tapping into timeless themes of survival and freedom.


Storm Light (18” x 15”) shifts into a quieter, more tense atmosphere, focusing on the weathered Victorian house where Anderson lived in the attic while a student at East Tennessee State University. Warm sunlight hits the front steps and grass, bathing the home in a serene beauty that contrasts with the dark, stormy sky. Perched on the peak of the roof is a massive black heron with its wings spread wide—completely dominating the structure as both a menacing hunter and a fierce, protective shield: an oracle keeping watch.


The mood shifts with The Pact (18” x 15”), created in memory of Fitzpatrick. A well-worn tombstone stands in an overgrown cemetery with a wolf sleeping peacefully in front of it. Rather than feeling ominous or macabre, the image carries a serene beauty, and the sleeping animal brings a gentle ease to Fitzpatrick's passing. Through this peaceful presence at the grave, Anderson cuts through the heavy grief of the exhibition with a rare moment of comfort.


The Silent City (18” x 15”) blends his two worlds through an intentional ambiguity. Featuring a female face rendered in deep purple and adorned with traditional hair ornaments, an anonymous Japanese figure looks directly at the viewer with a calm expression against the dark silhouette of the Willis Tower. Anderson notes she “may or may not be a ghost or emissary,” juxtaposing her against the landmark to seamlessly connect his current life with his family’s heritage.


Sunday Morning

20\" x 18\" x 1 3/4\"

colored pencil on paper, framed with museum glass

photo credit: Nathan Keay



A direct tribute to his mother is Sunday Morning (18” x 15”). Dressed in her Sunday best—a coat, scarf, gloves, and pumps—she stands against a soft blue glow as a white owl swoops toward her. The lights of the John Hancock Center glow as the iconic building rises in the background against a crimson and orange sky. This stunning juxtaposition brings her memory directly into the urban landscape he has inhabited for decades.


An atmospheric touch to the show is a collaborative sound loop by Paul Deuth. Anderson designed the audio to match the mood of what is on the walls, with Deuth shaping the sounds to be \"dark, magical, and other-worldly.\" It is a beautiful blend of sight and sound that completely pulls the room together. Ultimately, the exhibition stands as a quiet reminder of profound artwork built on real human issues, ignoring the fleeting, superficial trends that too often dictate the whims of the contemporary art world. 


#


Messengers and Oracles runs through October 23, 2026.

West Town Chamber of Commerce | 1819 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL


Open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.


Meet the artist for a special book signing on Saturday, October 17, from noon to 4:00 PM.

@DuncanRobertAnderson


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Professor Tony Jones and artist Andy Scott in the Driehaus Museum's Murphy Auditorium on August 29, 2026.



By GINNY VAN ALYEA


“Now in Chicago, we have a tradition of significant public sculptures, not without controversy,” Professor Tony Jones CBE observed during an August 29 conversation with Scottish sculptor Andy Scott OBE at the Driehaus Museum.


Hosted by Chicago Scots, the evening brought together artists, preservation specialists and members of Chicago’s Scottish community for a dinner and discussion about the cultural and economic importance of public art. It also recognized the restoration underway at the Robert Burns monument in Garfield Park, a gift to Chicago from its Scottish community in 1906.


Gary Maclean, National Chef of Scotland, prepared an exceptional three-course tasting menu with whisky pairings. Following dinner in the museum’s newly-restored auditorium, Jones and Scott turned to the work behind public sculpture, from securing funding and solving engineering problems to seeing an artwork become part of a community’s identity.


Jones and Scott met during Scott's student years at the Glasgow School of Art, which Jones then led. A sculptor himself, Jones later served as president of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is a Chicago Scots board member.


A view of Scott's The Kelpies in Falkirk, Scotland



Scott is best known for The Kelpies, two 100-foot steel horse heads in Falkirk, Scotland, inspired by the Clydesdales that worked along the canals and on the land. Chicago audiences encountered their maquettes on the lakefront during the 2012–13 Chicago Sculpture International exhibition.


Chicago, of course, offered an example of what ambitious public art could accomplish. Scott recalled using the city’s large-scale artworks as inspiration and to give his client team confidence in the project that became The Kelpies. That confidence was tested, he says. Scott described an eight-and-a-half-year process, prolonged by political impasses and funding difficulties. Some coverage became hostile. As the sculptures began to rise, however, opinions shifted in their favor.



Scott during fabrication of the Kelpies



“You need to tough it out,” he shared.


At one point, financial pressures prompted suggestions to reduce the sculptures to roughly a third of their intended size, or build only one horse head. Scott and his wife, Hanneke, resisted.


“We drew a line in the sand and said absolutely not,” he recalled.


The finished sculptures became a tourism landmark and appeared in campaigns promoting Britain, including advertisements in China and at a London airport. In April 2025, Falkirk Council reported that The Helix, the park home to The Kelpies, had welcomed one million visitors in the preceding year, helping attract business to the area. Over a decade since their construction there are measurable benefits directly attributed to the Kelpies, including a tourism boost to Falkirk of 73% and 1,380 local annual jobs. Falkirk's population is just 40,000 residents.


For Scott, the response extended beyond visitor numbers. He pointed to “that passion and ownership and pride” among people who had embraced the sculptures.



Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the Kelpies when the Queen officially opened the Queen Elizabeth II Canal in 2017.



Jones described a similar sense of attachment in Chicago. Recalling the opening of Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain, he noted how quickly children adopted its shallow pool, learning to anticipate the water pouring from the faces on its towers.


“It was an amazing moment that we could never have predicted,” he said.


Jones went on to highlight the numbers that back up the impact of Millennium Park and its public art on the City of Chicago. From 2003-2026 the estimated impact is $2.5 billion. The Kelpies have not been in existence quite as long but their impact will last for decades to come.



Jones shared a photo of the parking lot that Millennium Park and its public art replaced.


*


Public art was the theme of the evening, and not just because an internationally known artist from Scotland was in Chicago to discuss the Kelpies. The Chicago Scots have their own long history of supporting art that is part of the community. Chicago Scots, founded in 1845 as the Illinois Saint Andrew Society, joined other Scottish organizations in supporting William Grant Stevenson’s Robert Burns monument more than a century ago. Today, the organization is raising funds to supplement the Chicago Park District’s restoration budget and support ongoing maintenance of the ode to Scotland's national poet here in has a long history in Garfield Park.


Conservator and sculptor Andrzej Dajnowski, who attended the dinner, is in the process of recreating four stolen bronze relief panels that once belonged on the sculpture, as Burns’s missing quill. Dajnowski will quite literally help put a pen back into the poet's hand soon.


Andrew Schneider, the Park District’s director of historic assets, described its long-term stewardship partnership with Chicago Scots as the first of its kind in the district’s history and one that connects the creation of new landmarks with the responsibility of caring for those Chicago already has so that the public may enjoy art and its impact for the ages.


#


Publisher's note: Ginny Van Alyea has served on the Chicago Scots Board of Governors since 2009 and also attended the Glasgow School of Art in 2001.


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Collectors and artists attend the Not Just Another Pretty Face unveiling at the Hyde Park Art Center.




By JACQUELINE LEWIS


This year, Hyde Park Art Center is hosting the latest installment of Not Just Another Pretty Face (NJAPF). This special experience and exhibition began in the mid-1990s and occurs only every three years.


Not Just Another Pretty Face uses a matchmaking program to connect local patrons with artists. During this experience, patrons and artists choose each other, and the artist creates artwork specifically for that patron. Works range from traditional to experimental, depending on the artist chosen and the desires of the patron. At the end of the experience, the pieces are unveiled in an exhibition later this year before being purchased and taken home by the patron.


This matchmaking process differs from traditional art purchasing. Instead of collectors looking for works that already exist, purchasing them, and moving on, they become part of the artistic process and the work’s origin. Once matched, patrons meet with artists to discuss what they like and what they hope for from the final work, and the artist melds those desires with their own style.


The process cultivates a sense of generosity between artist and patron as they mutually share themselves and allow each other into their individual worlds. It facilitates lasting relationships that do not often develop naturally in gallery spaces and plays an important role in establishing broader financial support for the artistic community.


Director of Development Eric Thompson has been with Hyde Park Art Center since 2023, making this his second iteration of NJAPF. As this year’s program nears completion, Thompson offered insight into how the experience comes together.




A commission being unveiled at Hyde Park Art Center



Jackie Lewis: What is the process for artists and patrons to sign up for this experience?


Eric Thompson: For the artists, our team begins reaching out to invite them to participate about 18 months before the unveiling. For this iteration, conversations began in late spring 2025. They provide information on their artistic process, image examples of their work, and their commission rate. Our team then publicizes this information on our website and presents the artists at various salons throughout the city.


Several supporters of the Art Center host NJAPF salons and invite their own guests. Potential patrons learn about the artists and the project at large and express interest with our team. From there, we work to get the commission started!


JL: Once artists and patrons are chosen, what does the matchmaking process look like? Is there any process beyond the salons?


Eric Thompson: Much of the process happens after the salons. Patrons and the Hyde Park Art Center staff discuss artists who have piqued their interest. The HPAC staff sets up studio visits with the artists, giving the patron and artist a chance to meet, learn about each other, and discuss a possible commission. Sometimes artists may meet with multiple patrons through the project, and patrons will visit multiple studios before making a decision. Once a patron and artist agree to work together, the artist begins the work.


JL: What is your role in the process? How does HPAC support both the artists and the patrons?


Eric Thompson: NJAPF is a win-win-win situation for all parties. The patron has the opportunity to meet amazing Chicago artists, receives a unique commissioned work, and has that piece included in a public exhibition at the Art Center. The artist receives payment for the work, has the opportunity to expand their network of collectors, and often pushes their own practice through this process. The Art Center also benefits, as half of the commission serves as a tax-deductible donation that supports our mission to sustain Chicago art and artists.


JL: What aspect of NJAPF do you think has the greatest impact on the Chicago art community?


Eric Thompson: The project itself embodies the mission of the Art Center: it is designed for artists in Chicago to flourish. I think the greatest impact from the program’s ten iterations is the access it has created between artists and patrons. Relationships have been built. It is all about connection—a personal connection to the art and the connection between the artist and the patron. As a staff member, it is a wonderful thing to observe.



*

Sarah Nishiura, Inching



D. Lammie-Hanson, Agility to Surrender, 14k gold on Acrylic (wood panel)



A Word From the Artists


For a deeper understanding of the experience, artists D. Lammie-Hanson and Sarah Nishiura shared their own perspectives. Both have completed commissions for NJAPF in the past and are currently creating work for this year’s iteration.


JL: How did you first learn about NJAPF, and how did you become involved?


Sarah Nishiura: I have been teaching and exhibiting with the Hyde Park Art Center for over 15 years now, and I think it was through this affiliation that I was first invited to participate in NJAPF. I was lucky enough to receive two commissions the first year that I participated, and I think this success led to repeat invitations through the years.


D. Lammie-Hanson: I learned about NJAPF through an email invitation from Hyde Park Art Center. After I responded that I was interested, they placed me in their rotation to be presented to their patrons.


JL: How has working with NJAPF affected your artistic career? Did it fit within your practice?


Sarah Nishiura: My favorite thing about NJAPF is the opportunity to step outside my usual practice to try something different. Many of the commissions I have done in the past have involved working with materials given to me by the patron. This presents technical challenges that I wouldn’t normally take on, but I learn so much from stepping outside my comfort zone every few years. I have had continued relationships with patrons, and I have appreciated seeing the commissioned pieces in their homes. There is nothing better than seeing your work be part of someone’s life.


D. Lammie-Hanson: The patron trusted me to interpret their direction through my own lens. They gave me the subject and overall intent, and I stayed grounded by making creative choices around composition and focus that matched their goals while keeping my personal approach. Because metalpoint/silverpoint isn’t a widely known medium, working with NJAPF and Hyde Park Art Center helped me present my process to a wider audience. It also strengthened my broader portfolio by giving my work a strong platform and context.


JL: What was your experience working with a patron? How did it differ from your usual process?


Sarah Nishiura: The two patrons came by my studio, and we immediately found we had a lot in common and a lot to talk about. We shared some of our favorite artists, our experiences with travel, our love of craft and nature, and from these conversations they came up with great ideas for jumping-off points for the commission. At the same time, they let me know they really wanted me to have the freedom to go in any direction I wanted with the final piece. This experience only differed from my usual process because it began with conversations with other people rather than the conversation that usually happens in my own head!


D. Lammie-Hanson: The patron visited my studio while I was an artist in residence at Little Black Pearl, and we discussed his vision. He chose my silverpoint-on-black/metalpoint technique, and we developed the direction together. This differed from my usual process because I don’t usually enjoy doing commissions, but I enjoyed working with Hyde Park Art Center through this program. After we aligned on the creative direction for the artwork, the patron gave me the freedom to carry out the piece according to my own vision.


JL: Since you have participated in NJAPF before, what made you decide to do it again?


Sarah Nishiura: I love HPAC, and I feel like this is a great program that allows me to support their mission while also giving me a wonderful opportunity to work with collectors I might never meet otherwise. It is a win-win!


D. Lammie-Hanson: I enjoyed the opportunity to work with Hyde Park Art Center again. I submitted my interests without knowing which new collectors would be interested, but I was willing to take the chance, and I’m glad I did.


*


Unveiling party attendees at Hyde Park Art Center



From the Collectors


To understand more about another side of the program, Ginny Van Alyea, CGN’s publisher and a past participant of NJAPF, shared her perspective as a patron who commissioned a work by artist Mel Watkin several years ago.


JL: Before NJAPF, did you consider yourself an art collector? Had you ever commissioned a work before?


GV: NJAPF appealed to my husband and me because we had bought art separately and together, but we hadn’t commissioned anything. My parents gave us the commission as a wedding gift, so it was especially meaningful.


JL: Before meeting with the artist, did you have a specific idea for the artwork you wanted?


GV: We looked through a lot of artwork before deciding whose work would be the best fit. There were so many choices, but we liked Mel Watkin’s particular focus. It felt like a good fit for creating something that spoke to both of us and our families when we got married.


JL: What was your experience working with the artist like? Did it feel collaborative?


GV: Working with Mel on a piece that was just for us was so cool. We sent images, ideas, and references back and forth. We met for coffee. We gave a little feedback but also listened to what she suggested. It was definitely a collaborative experience, but ultimately it was still the artist who made the art.


JL: Have you continued your relationship with your paired artist?


GV: Yes! A few years later, for a milestone birthday, I commissioned Mel again to make two more works: one about our daughter and one about our son. Now all three works hang together at home.


JL: Is there anything else you’d like to add about the experience?


GV: I know many collectors who have participated in the program more than once, and I can see us doing it again someday. It’s a wonderful chance to work with a local artist while also setting the parameters—like price and size—up front, which is another unique benefit of the program. It’s also terrific to support HPAC and local artists at the same time. While there are some big artist names in the program, NJAPF is also a wonderful way to discover emerging artists.


*


This year’s unveiling reception will take place on December 11, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at Hyde Park Art Center. Following the reception, the artwork will remain on display and will be accompanied by a catalogue documenting the entire process for patrons, artists, and visitors alike.


The success of NJAPF has extended beyond Chicago, with similar exhibitions adapted in Boise, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City. To date, the program has generated more than $2 million in sales. Half of the proceeds go directly to participating artists, while the other half supports Hyde Park Art Center’s programs and mission. With more than 400 works commissioned by over 300 new and established collectors, NJAPF has cultivated an ecosystem of patronage that enables artists to thrive.


By embracing and encouraging the idea of patronage in contemporary art, NJAPF has built a community of people who value not only finished works of art, but also the creative process behind them. If you missed your opportunity to participate this year, consider becoming a patron for the next iteration.


More details at hydeparkart.org/njapf-2026/

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