![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721420193/fuasfljwttttgwn4agf5.jpg\")
By CGN Staff via PR
Last week the College of DuPage (COD) Board of Trustees approved the Cleve Carney Art Gallery to become a museum, and be renamed the Cleve Carney Museum of Art. The transition aligns with the museum’s upcoming 1,000-square-foot expansion plan, which includes installation of a museum-grade LED lighting system, security system and climate control system to maintain the standards set out by the American Alliance of Museums. The estimated completion date is March 2020.
This news follows Cleve Carney Museum of Art’s previously announced plan to host the most comprehensive presentation of Frida Kahlo’s work displayed in the Chicago area since 1978 in an exhibition titled Frida Kahlo 2020. Scheduled to open in June 2020, the exhibition will be the first in the newly renovated Cleve Carney Museum of Art and will expand throughout the McAninch Arts Center lobby and the Lakeside Pavilion area. Frida Kahlo 2020 is curated by Cleve Carney Museum of Art Director and Curator Justin Witte with programming directed by McAninch Arts Center Director Diana Martinez.
“The McAninch Arts Center seeks to provide the highest quality performing and visual art to Glen Ellyn and the greater Chicago area,” said McAninch Arts Center Director Diana Martinez. “This expansion is an incredible opportunity to enhance our visual art offerings and bring work by Frida Kahlo, a cultural icon, to our community in summer 2020.”
The expansion will add 1,000 square feet to the north side of the gallery, allowing an estimated 78 more people to move through the space per hour. The construction includes a distinctive exterior redesign featuring sculptural folded metal panels and a fully programmable HD LCD video wall along with the investment in a museum-grade security system, temperature control system and lighting system, which enable future presentations of large-scale exhibitions.
“While the benefits of the proposed expansion will certainly be foundational to the upcoming Frida Kahlo exhibition, they will also extend far beyond 2020 and open up the possibility of hosting more museum-level traveling exhibitions in the years to come,” added Justin Witte, Cleve Carney Museum of Art director and curator.
The expansion will also allow the Cleve Carney Museum of Art to have a space dedicated to both display and present educational programming for its permanent art collection, which is made up of over 800 works valued at an estimated $2.87 million. Celebrated artists represented in the collection include Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Miró, Warhol and more.
A current exhibition, José Guadalupe Posada: Legendary Printmaker of Mexico, will be on view through September 13, 2019. The exhibition features one of Mexico’s most celebrated artists and printmakers, José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), whose work has been cited as inspirational for Frida Kahlo. The exhibition serves as a precursor to the upcoming Frida Kahlo 2020
Additional info:
Frida Kahlo 2020 is the largest Frida Kahlo exhibition in the Chicago area in more than 40 years hosted by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage (COD) in June 2020. The exhibition is curated by Cleve Carney Museum of Art Director and Curator Justin Witte with programming directed by McAninch Arts Center Director Diana Martinez. The multifaceted exhibition will be the first in the newly renovated Cleve Carney Museum of Art and will expand throughout the McAninch Arts Center lobby and the Lakeside Pavilion area. The exhibition features 26 original artworks spanning Kahlo’s life on loan from the Dolores Olmedo Museum Collection, a multimedia timeline with over 100 photographic images from the artist’s life, a video presentation, reproductions of Kahlo’s clothing, a family-friendly children’s area, poetry garden and gift shop. The exhibition will run June through August 2020. Yearlong programming of national and international music, theater, dance, films and lectures will support and surround the exhibition. Pre-opening programming will kick off with Frida Fest on September 8. Frida Kahlo 2020 untimed tickets ($35) will be available for purchase in person at Frida Fest September 8 and online at frida2020.org September 10. Timed tickets will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit frida2020.org.
The Cleve Carney Art Gallery, located on the campus of College of DuPage, adjacent to the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., offers year-round visual art exhibitions showcasing works by regional, national and international artists. Its goal: to encourage the growth and understanding of modern and contemporary art through exhibitions and educational programming that cultivate a variety of perspectives, and its vision is to be one of the best centers of modern and contemporary art in the Chicago area. Funding is provided by the Cleve Carney Endowment Fund, which supports vital programming including artist engagement opportunities for community members and students, gallery exhibitions, artist commissions, new acquisitions and other teaching and learning tools that foster cultural enrichment in our community.
The late Cleve Carney provided a significant legacy gift to establish the Cleve Carney Art Gallery. The gallery opened in February 2014 with its inaugural exhibition “Selections from Cleve Carney’s Art Collection.” The gallery recently announced it will be expanding to a 2,500 square-foot museum, titled the Cleve Carney Museum of Art scheduled to open spring 2020. The museum will maintain the standards set by the American Alliance of Museums. More information can be found at CleveCarneyGallery.org or by calling 630.942.3206.
The McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. Visit AtTheMAC.org or facebook.com/AtTheMAC for more information.
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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.
![](\"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