![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721419286/qre84glbt0ta7fe9cnl6.jpg\")
In a personal message sent today to the CPC Community, Deborah Maris Lader, Director/Founder, shared the following message about the history of CPC and what is next for its future. CGN wishes Deb and the CPC family the best in the months and years ahead! – GV
The State of the Printshop
While the studio is in its prime, I have decided to begin the process of stepping away from directing the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative in order for the workshop to chart its future course with younger leadership. During this transition, beginning in January 2024, some of our programming will be paused, including classes and gallery exhibitions. Read on:
34 years ago, a new printmaking studio was started in a 2nd story walkup in Wicker Park, a raw space where cold Chicago winds gusted through old windows, and the nearest place to get a snack was cut rate liquor on Division St. The bricks rained salty residue on the tables and floor, but there was always someone’s baby or toddler around to wipe up the mess by crawling around in their overalls. A hoarder who collected broken xerox machines lived in the back and there was an occasional fire when he cooked on an old hotplate as he napped with his 5 cats. We never did get around to taping the drywall over there. A defunct printshop that had occupied the space had laid vacant for many years, and left behind one combo etching press, a stomp shear from 1898, some stones, and a metal bin full of solvent-soaked sawdust (in the old days they used to clean etching plates this way, but one live cigarette ember would have sent the whole building to the moon). Not exactly the stage set where dreams are made, but somehow, in my ignorant youth, I decided this was what I was meant to do. I was new to the city and learned its streets by combing through alleys looking for materials to build out the studio. I’m still convinced that the latticed board I hauled out of a hospital demolition site was used for postmortems. It served as our graining sink topper. I inherited a wooden drying rack from printmaker visionary June Wayne – completely useless but because it meant something, it stayed.
The very best part was that printmakers showed up. As long as there was a press and ink and a flimsy fan to choke out the fumes, some really groovy artists made stuff from plates, blocks, stones and screens. It was a printy commune full of all sorts of amazing, creative characters with whom I was honored to work alongside. Some are still working in the shop, and we have watched one another progress and grow as artists. Others have spread their print wings across the globe and established themselves in universities, residencies, and in their own printmaking workshops. Two locations, two moves, and all these years later, our community has only grown and thrived and blossomed, and I have come to know and love my fellow print nerds like family.
Our programming is currently robust. Classes are full, with growing waitlists. Our Bloom Residency recipients have been a joy to work with. Our Steamroller Fests have outgrown our back driveway. Our part time staff is spectacular, as well as our volunteers and interns. CPC is known around the world, and international visitors to Chicago seek us out to spread some ink or buy prints created by our artists.
The CPC printshop is in a very healthy place. CPC was my first “baby”, and like my other actual offspring, there comes a time in which it’s appropriate to let go, and let those babies find their wings and thrive in the world on their own terms. I’m actually not planning on going anywhere and would very much like to be a working member of the studio. I’m very excited to focus more on my printmaking practice, my family, some new projects I’m cooking up, and some residencies and travel. I should mention that I’m in fine health (for an old bird - some of you were worried), but I do believe exiting while still on top of my game is the goal.
My heart and soul will always be with this beautiful vibrant printmaking community that started from nothing, and I plan to stick around and watch it continue to thrive.
So, what’s next for CPC?
I have no idea what the future holds for CPC, but I’m excited about its potential. As I take a step back, I am open and looking for someone to assume operations and write the CPC’s next chapter. If you’re that person, hit me up. Or, if you know some smart, multitasking talent who has both a passion for print and a knack for business who might be the needle in the haystack with the energy to take on the task, forward this letter to them along with my contact. I’m open to all reasonable proposals. I own the building and will continue to be its benevolent landlord. I own the contents of CPC and would be open to some sort of long term “rent to own” arrangement or to just sell it outright, as long as it stays put and I can have access to its equipment. I’m open to a new name and focus for the workshop. Whatever. Or perhaps we just leave it as is – a shared studio full of a bunch of fellow print enthusiasts, just sharing resources and decision-making and presses and a whiskey on the printmaker party deck. A printy commune, kind of like where it all started in 1989, minus the solvent soaked sawdust. Let me know your thoughts.
In the interim, I have a plan to simplify CPC programming starting Jan 1, 2024. It will be easier for someone to take over if things are a bit more quiet. I will break it down into sections so that it’s clear, and so that you can skip to the parts that interest/affect you:
WORKING PRINTMAKER MEMBERSHIP and RESIDENT ARTISTS:
For members and resident artists, much will remain the same, and you will love what we will call this “transitional period”. More access to presses and work time. More focus on your needs as working members of the studio. More say in what goes on around the studio. If everyone wants to do events, you can do them, and all the various tasks involved will be delegated by whomever takes the lead. If you don’t want to do events, we won’t do them. This is your studio, and you will have more responsibility to keep it organized, clean, and wonderful (there will be less staff, so cleaning and maintenance will be a group effort). I will personally be doing my own work alongside you, with less distractions like open public hours, classes, and other programming.
If someone else is running the studio in a year, I trust that it will be someone who values the working membership program, as it certainly has always been the beating heart of the workshop. I envision more check ins and member gatherings. Even better news is that Maddie May will stay on as membership coordinator in 2024.
CLASSES:
We will pause classes in January and February and will not be offering our usual winter session of courses. Beginning in March, we will offer only the etching class for a 10-12 week session. In the summer, we will only offer Screenprinting. The reasoning behind this is that until someone new is running the studio, we need to simplify the giant task and cost of running classes. I hope that this will be a temporary pause on our full class offerings and that they will resume with new leadership (after all they are HUGELY popular). I will very much miss our beloved students during that time, and we have always emphasized EDUCATION as a primary goal in our mission, but my hope is that this pause is temporary. Private classes and work sessions will be completely suspended until a later date. We will not be offering SPRING SHORTS.
GALLERY & GALLERY ARTISTS:
Beginning Jan 1, 2024, the CPC will no longer have regular open hours to the public. The gallery will only be open by appointment. I may develop gallery events based on the needs of guest curators, and our members may host other special exhibitions. CPC will retain a very focused roster of gallery artists, and their work will be available and shown on a rotating basis.
We have begun the giant task of returning unsold work to many of the artists in our flatfile drawers. I am also returning all unsold artwork to our member artists, so that they can manage their own sales and exposure.
THE ANNUAL SMALL PRINT SHOW:
The 34th Annual Small Print Show that opens this December will be our last planned exhibition and will run through the end of February. After January 1, the show may be viewed by appointment. We will display a combination of existing inventory, a few pieces by each of our regular working member artists and inky friends, and some new work I’m bringing in from Thailand, Japan and Mexico. I will not be sending out an artist call. The public will be welcomed into our warm, art and gift filled space as usual, and the show will be more focused with fewer artists and it will be spectacular.
FESTS, RESIDENCIES, EVENTS, and other programming:
Aside from an offsite CPC exhibition scheduled at IL Wesleyan University in January 2024, and the possibility of returning to EXPO in April, we will not be doing other special events until further notice. The Bloom Residency will take a hiatus in 2024 and I’m REALLY hoping someone will resume it in some form in the future.
ONLINE GALLERY/SHOPIFY PRESENCE:
The CPC online gallery store will stay and become even more populated as we move existing flat file inventory in the coming year. We have many fans of this platform who love purchasing the work of our artists, and it will continue to serve our print enthusiasts nationwide.
In closing, I am grateful for this community, and I celebrate you all for playing your part in its success. I’m very excited about the future of CPC. I hope programming can continue, but it will not be under my supervision, and I look forward to seeing who might step forward and make it happen in some form!
My new goal (in a few years) is to be that old decrepit human in my private studio in the back of the CPC workspace, happily going back and forth with my litho-stone-toting rollie cart after a successful ink rollup, passing by younger printmakers who have no idea who I am or what the hell I’m doing there. I do not plan on napping with lots of cats, but a little dog would be nice.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions or comments. We have so many wonderful events and programs going on this fall, and the current gallery show is MAGNIFICENT.
With love and inky solidarity,
Deborah Maris Lader
October, 2023
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![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1792084737/qrikvx76nvvt5agq24rq.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791479104/lltcodkx39gd8sbhtus1.png\")
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