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By GINNY VAN ALYEA
Artist William Joseph Seigenthaler passed away in March. Seigenthaler was an American sculptor and video artist who exhibited his figurative sculpture for over 30 years. His work is included in numerous private collections and in the permanent collections of the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin, the Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan and Museo de Escultura Figurativa Internacional Contemporánea, Spain. Seigenthaler also was an influential teacher, having instructed countless art students at the University of Montana – Missoula, Harold Washington College in Chicago, and the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Seigenthaler leaves behind his wife of 31 years, painter Anne Gilbert, three daughters, Sarah, Elise and Chloé, his father, William Robert (Bob), siblings, Kate, Delia, Robert, Mary, and Dan and many friends.
Seigenthaler was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1959. He earned a BFA in painting from the Memphis College of Art in 1981. Shortly after graduating, he freelanced sculpting life-sized wax figures for wax museums, primarily the Music Valley Wax Museum in Nashville and the Country Music Wax Museum in Tamworth, Australia. He studied ceramic art at the Appalachian Center for Craft in the mid 1980s, and in 1990, he received an MFA from Northern Illinois University. Seigenthaler collaborated on large design projects at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum of Natural History and the John G. Shedd Aquarium as well as other institutions. Outside of his work Seigenthaler became an expert at house renovation, completely rebuilding a family storefront. He also continued to be influenced by his hometown of Nashville, playing guitar and honoring his own love of music.
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Betsy Nathan, owner of Pagoda Red and daughter of Ann Nathan, who showed Seigenthaler’s work in her gallery starting in the 1990s, shared with CGN, \"I remember when Ann Nathan Gallery received Joe Seigenthaler’s work for his opening in 1996. It was like a community of distorted bodies emerging to startle anyone who couldn’t see his brilliant craft that was obsessive, ceramic, surrealist and realist all at once. As my mom used to say, “If art doesn’t speak to you, it isn’t for you.’ Well, I suppose, a bald bust with strange and wide open bloodshot peering eyes spoke to her….and, then, went home with her. This mysterious work remains looking out at all who enter the front door. It startles some and piques the curiosity of all –undeniably pushing boundaries, like great art does.\"
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Seigenthaler's clay sculptures could be shocking when first encountered, and they left an impression. Seigenthaler was best known for his figurative works, creating realistic emotive faces and contorted bodies in various states, never failing to evoke a viewer's response. Seigenthaler also worked with computer animation loops of his creatures.
Seigenthaler's family and friends had so many wonderful things to say about Joe the artist as well as Joe the person and friend.
Bryan Schuetze, who met and became friends with Seigenthaler in 1987 at art school, shared at a memorial service this spring, \"Joe was an incredible talent and inspired so many artists like myself. I had never met anyone like Joe. He was incredibly kind, generous, open minded, sensitive and very loving. NO one worked harder, and smarter than Joe. He was an expert at everything he wanted to do. This long list includes sculpting wax figures of country music stars in his early years, hand building incredibly powerful and visually arresting ceramic figurative sculpture. He told me he got tired of breathing clay dust and then he self taught himself and became an expert artist at digital media including 3D visualization, animation and sound.\"
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Elise Seigenthaler, Joseph's middle daughter, shared with friends and family, \"Joe poured his entire being into everything he tackled, never settling for less than 100%. Whether it was diving into a project and staying up until its completion or devouring a Costco-sized-box of peanut M&Ms in one sitting, Joe's commitment was stubborn and unwavering.
He had a discerning eye and a relentless pursuit for perfection, evident in his sculptures. Through painstaking attention to detail, he transformed clay into lifelike representations, flawlessly capturing even the minutest imperfections. Wrinkles, warts, cellulite, veins, and pores gave his work authenticity, reflecting his commitment to honesty and realism.\"
Elise said that she and her sisters feel lucky to have had parents who could show them a beautiful example of what a loving, unconditional marriage looked like. Her father taught them the importance of following our passions, the value of hard work, and the strength that comes from a loving family.
Seigenthaler's passing was too soon. His art and spirit will surely continue for through his memorable works and his family and friends.
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By CGN STAFF
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will reopen its Skokie location on November 11, 2026, following a renovation that expands visitor spaces, updates its core Holocaust exhibition and adds a new reflection gallery. The reopening is timed to coincide with Veterans Day. Active military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission that day.
The project includes a redesigned Lillian & 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.
Updates to the Zev & 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.
“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.”
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.
Following the reopening, Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare 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.
The Museum’s satellite location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Experience360, 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.
For information and ticket reservations, visit ilholocaustmuseum.org.
Image: Museum exterior. Photo by David Seide/Definedspace.com
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By GINNY VAN ALYEA
SOFA Chicago, the longtime fair devoted to sculpture, objects, functional art and collectible design, will return to the city October 28–31, 2027, as part of Chicago Art Fair at THE MART, which opened its inaugural edition last night.
Founded in Chicago in 1994, SOFA became a popular fixture on the city’s fall arts calendar. 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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
“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.
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.
SOFA Chicago is produced by Intersect Art and Design, which also organizes annual art and design fairs in Aspen and Palm Springs.
Additional details about exhibitors, partnerships and tickets are expected in the coming months.
Visit chicagoartfair.com for updates.
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The artist Richard Hunt
By CGN Staff
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.
As part of the month’s programming, the organization will host Pigmented: Chicago to the World — A Black Fine Art Convening 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.
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.
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.
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.
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Richard Hunt with artist Chris Devins, who recently completed a mural honoring the sculptor in Hyde Park. Photo courtesy of Chris Devins.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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Two events take place this month:
Pigment International at SPECTRUM Chicago Art Fair
October 7–10, 2026.
Chicago Merchandise Mart, seventh floor, booth #3091.
Wednesday, October 7, 5–8 pm, with a champagne toast in the booth and an artist meet-and-greet.
Thursday, October 8, 6-8pm with Diasporal Rhythms
Featured artists: Jesse Howard, Howard Simmons, Edo, Candace Hunter, Sura DuPart and Max Sansing.
Additional events are taking place during the fair
Chicago to the World: A Black Fine Art Month Convening
Presented by Pigment International as part of Black Fine Art Month, which the organization has dedicated this year to Richard Hunt.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 11:30 am–5 pm.
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street, Chicago.
Details at pigmentintl.com