![\"\"](\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2184/original/199207-151211-007.jpg\")
In recognition of Chicago’s “Year of Public Art,” Chicago Gallery News is featuring a series of articles chronicling milestones of public art in Chicago. The fourth in the series examines the history of controversial public art installations.
\r\n","body":"In recognition of Chicago’s “Year of Public Art,” Chicago Gallery News is featuring a series of articles chronicling milestones of public art in Chicago. The fourth in the series examines the history of controversial public art installations.
\r\n\r\nBy FRANCK MERCURIO
\r\n\r\nControversy is never far from public art, especially in Chicago. Throughout the years, the city has seen its share of debates and scandals over art installations, ranging from cost overruns and incompetence to charges of public indecency and immorality to misplaced or destroyed artwork.
\r\n\r\nEven works that are much beloved today often began with rocky public relationships. When the city's famous “Chicago Picasso” (officially untitled) was unveiled in Daley Plaza fifty years ago this summer, it was not universally embraced. Indeed, most people puzzled over it.
\r\n\r\n
“Was it a joke? Was it for real? Why that? Everyone had an opinion,” wrote Chicago Tribune reporter Sheila Wolfe the day after the unveiling ceremony in August 1967.
\r\n\r\nWriting in the same edition, the Tribune’s art editor, Edward Barry, reported on the crowd’s decidedly mixed reactions. “With applause, startled exclamations, and incredulous smiles,” wrote Barry, “Chicago received its long awaited gift yesterday from the most celebrated of living artists.”
\r\n\r\nGwendolyn Brooks seemed to brace Chicagoans for the impending public controversy. In her poem, composed on the occasion of the Picasso’s unveiling, she wrote:
\r\n\r\nDoes man love art? Man visits art, but squirms.
\r\nArt hurts. Art urges voyages—
\r\nAnd it is easier to stay at home,
\r\nThe nice beer ready.
Art—especially public art—does indeed urge voyages. Each new work tends to push the boundaries of our collective sensibilities, challenging our shared notions of what art is supposed to be. The rules for evaluating public art go beyond formal and conceptual concerns and take into account other criteria that can make or break an installation. Does the work provide a civic amenity? Does it fit within its urban and architectural contexts? Is it accessible to the general public, both physically and intellectually?
\r\n\r\nAll of these issues were debated with the unveiling of the Chicago Picasso in 1967. But what was then new and provocative gradually became familiar and accepted. Today, the gargantuan modernist sculpture serves as a symbol of Chicago; it’s considered a unique civic asset, one that paved the way for subsequent “plaza sculptures” by other renowned artists, including Calder, Miro, Chagall, Nevelson, and DuBuffet.
\r\n\r\nYet despite its current popularity, the Chicago Picasso still presents a conceptual conundrum to many people. What exactly is it supposed to be? A baboon? A dog? A horse? A praying mantis? A woman? For decades, the question has been debated by experts and amateurs alike.
\r\n\r\n“The identity of the sculpture’s inspiration [is] an ongoing controversy that to this day has not been definitively resolved,” writes Patricia Balton Stratton in her recently published book The Chicago Picasso: A Point of Departure. “Part of the reason for the uncertainty,” continues Stratton, “was that Picasso himself refused to speak about the sculpture’s provenance or even to name it, an act of negative creativity that opened up the sculpture’s field of meaning and made it truly public.”
\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2177/original/2016-04-29-19-37-48.jpg\")
Despite the intense desire to solve the mystery of the sculpture’s identity, the subject matter (if there is any) probably didn’t mean much to Picasso himself. Instead, the artist seemed more intent on refining a set of formal concepts that he had pursued and explored throughout his 70-plus-year career.
\r\n\r\nThese explorations can be traced back to Picasso’s guitar constructions of 1912–1914 when he first experimented with planar and linear elements to define space and suggest volume. More radically, the artist used linear elements to compose his Project for a Monument to Guillaume Apollinaire (1928), a collaboration with the sculptor Julio González. These early works are the ancestors of the Chicago Picasso, which includes many of the same elements, but rendered on a monumental scale.
\r\n\r\nPicasso also played with the idea of seeing and experiencing the sculpture in different ways depending on the viewer’s vantage point.
\r\n\r\nLooking directly at the work, the viewer is confronted with a gigantic totemic figure, its “face” reminiscent of an African mask. Picasso collected art from Africa and Oceania throughout his career, and these works often served as inspiration for his own art, most famously in his painting Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907).
\r\n\r\nHowever, looking at the Chicago Picasso from either side, the viewer’s perception changes; a profile of a woman becomes apparent, suggesting the many portraits Picasso made of his wife, Jacqueline, created during the same time period he was working on the Chicago commission.
\r\n\r\nThese shifting perceptions reflect a kind of Cubist sensibility, providing multiple perspectives within one piece. But the Chicago Picasso also represents a lifetime of sculptural explorations, culminating in a single work and making a simple “one answer” reading of the piece impossible.
\r\n\r\nBut even as debates about the meaning of the Chicago Picasso continue, it’s worth noting that it was not the first or last public art controversy in Chicago. One of the earliest to seize the public’s attention centered around a bronze sculpture installed on the front steps of the Art Institute in 1916: a rather handsome male nude titled The Sower.
\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2183/original/sower-183.jpg\")
The artist, Albin Polasek (1879–1965), had arrived in Chicago from Rome to head the School of the Art Institute’s sculpture department. While studying at the American Academy in Rome, Polasek had modeled The Sower, a classically inspired figure in the tradition of monumental male nudes in Western art. (Think Michelangelo’s David, but with an agrarian calling.) The Art Institute placed The Sower on public view outside the museum’s main entrance, in part to advertise a large exhibition of American sculpture, but also to celebrate the opening of a new gallery space—Gunsaulus Hall—spanning the Illinois Central Railway tracks.
\r\n\r\nThe “naked farmer” immediately caught the gaze of many Chicagoans, who were not accustomed to seeing full-frontal male nudity on Michigan Avenue. It also caught the attention of the city’s first “censor of public morals” Major M.L.C. Funkhouser. He tried—in vain—to have The Sower taken off view in the name of public decency. Letters to Chicago’s newspapers were both for and against sculpture. Yet throughout the scandal, the Art Institute stood its ground, and Polasek kept his sense of humor.
\r\n\r\n“He was highly entertained by it all,” recounted Polasek’s wife, Ruth Sherwood, in her biography of the artist. “More over, the discussion brought him fame overnight. People who would never have thought to visit the Art Institute flocked downtown to see the ‘Sower.’”
\r\n\r\nChicago newspapers also had fun with the controversy. When the time came to bring The Sower inside the museum (to accompany an exhibition of Polasek’s work), the Chicago Tribune wrote that “Nippy December breezes whistling about the Art Institute made it necessary for ‘The Sower’ to put on his pants or get out of the weather—so he has gone in.”
\r\n\r\nThe Sower is now on permanent display at the Chicago Botanic Garden where he watches over the Esplanade four seasons a year—in all his natural glory.
\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2180/original/esplanade-20sower-201.jpg\")
Polasek’s masterwork remained controversial for only a few months. But not all public art controversies erupt immediately after a work is unveiled. In some cases, the scandal happens long after a work has been de-installed or decommissioned.
\r\n\r\nCase in point: The controversy surrounding Chicago Rising from the Lake (1954) by artist Milton Horn (1906–1995) happened years after the sculpture was created. Today, this monumental bronze relief adorns the Columbus Drive Bridge along the Chicago River Walk. But the sculpture took a very circuitous route to its present home.
\r\n\r\nHorn originally created the massive 12-foot-by-14-foot relief for Parking Facility Number 1, the first city-owned and operated public parking garage in Chicago. Opened in 1955, the modernist structure at Wacker Drive and State Street accommodated a growing number of car commuters within a state-of-the-art facility. The sculpture, Chicago Rising from the Lake, took pride of place on the building’s gleaming white brick façade, where it faced north toward the Chicago River. There, it presided over a daily parade of automobiles, driving in and out of the facility, until the garage was demolished in 1983, making way for the Renaissance Hotel and the Leo Burnett Building.
\r\n\r\nBut after its de-installation, the sculpture disappeared.
\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2181/original/parkingfacility1-milton-horn-photo.jpg\")
Several attempts were made to find it. Horn tracked it down in 1987 near the city’s Transportation Department office at 31st Street and Sacramento where it was found lying at the bottom of a tarp-covered swimming pool. Sometime later, the sculpture was moved to a metal scrapyard along the banks of the Chicago River. It was rediscovered there in 1994, receiving much press attention in the process.
\r\n\r\nChicago Rising soon became a symbol of the city’s failures to keep track of and maintain the hundreds of works of public art that had been financed over the years by taxpayers. Horn’s sculpture sparked a movement in the 1990s to reform and improve the Chicago Public Art Program, which today oversees more than 500 works of art in 150 locations throughout the city—including the Chicago Picasso.
\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/chigal/rich/rich_files/rich_files/2182/original/4040731323-ffd088ab78-b.jpg\")
Happily, Chicago Rising was restored and reinstalled in 1998. The sculpture, rescued from obscurity, is now enjoyed by citizens and tourists alike as they promenade along the River Walk.
\r\n\r\nWhat new controversies will arise now and in the future? Perhaps one is the scarcity of commissions given to women artists and artists of color to create major works in highly visible locations. Projects such as the Wabash Arts Corridor are beginning to address and correct this historic bias. But prestigious civic projects seldom are awarded to artists that fall outside the "old white man" category. Hopefully, new commissions—going to a broader range of artists working today—will be as exciting, challenging and significant as the great ones that came before.
\r\n\r\nTop image: Thousands of people jammed Daley Plaza on Tuesday, August 15, 1967 to witness the dedication and unveiling of the “Chicago Picasso.” Photo: Richard J. Daley Center, Untitled sculpture (“The Picasso”), Chicago Illinois, 1963-1965. C. F. Murphy Associates, architect. Fazlur R. Khan Collection, Ryerson and Burnham Archives, The Art Institute of Chicago. Digital File #199207_151211-009.
\r\n\r\nRead more from Franck Mercurio's Public Art series:
\r\n\r\nThe Origins of Public Art in Chicago: From the Bronze Lions to Skylanding
\r\n\r\nPublic Art and the Masses: Examining Sculpture in Grant Park
\r\n\r\nNo Little Plans: The Battle for Public Art in Chicago
\r\n","published_at":"2017-07-06 00:00:00","state":"published","slug":"does-man-love-art-a-history-of-public-art-controversy-in-chicago","type":"NewsPost","meta_description":"CGN explores examines controversial public art installations in Chicago.","text":null,"created_at":"2017-07-06 18:59:34","updated_at":"2018-10-22 21:19:21.567287","category_id":4,"highlighted":null,"searchable":"'-009':1754B '-1965':1731B '1':1324B '12':1313B '14':1317B '15':1707B '150':1566B '151211':1753B '1879':898B '1906':1272B '1907':744B '1912':605B '1914':606B '1916':885B '1928':639B '1954':1267B '1955':1339B '1963':1730B '1965':899B '1967':169B,361B,1708B '1983':1414B '1987':1447B '1990s':1546B '199207':1752B '1994':1497B '1995':1273B '1998':1583B '31st':1456B '500':1561B '70':588B 'academi':922B 'accept':373B 'access':338B 'accommod':1349B 'accompani':1147B 'account':310B 'accustom':1010B 'act':521B 'address':1647B 'ade':1383B 'adorn':1286B 'advertis':971B 'africa':718B 'african':712B 'ago':127B 'agrarian':951B 'albin':896B 'alik':457B,1596B 'along':1291B,1485B,1600B 'also':672B,808B,979B,1022B,1129B 'amateur':456B 'amen':326B 'american':921B,976B 'ancestor':653B 'answer':825B 'apollinair':638B 'appar':765B 'applaus':191B 'architect':1736B 'architectur':334B 'archiv':1744B 'aris':1608B 'around':871B 'arriv':901B 'art':4A,9A,21B,35B,49B,60B,78B,178B,241B,244B,247B,249B,264B,267B,290B,300B,716B,734B,856B,882B,912B,943B,954B,1071B,1119B,1165B,1230B,1362B,1528B,1554B,1564B,1642B,1746B,1762B,1768B,1778B,1794B 'articl':30B 'artist':212B,404B,569B,625B,895B,1101B,1269B,1624B,1626B,1661B,1679B 'artwork':97B 'asset':391B 'associ':1735B 'attempt':1436B 'attent':869B,1025B,1501B 'august':168B,1706B 'automobil':1400B 'avenu':1020B 'avignon':743B 'await':203B 'award':1659B 'baboon':436B 'back':598B 'balton':480B 'bank':1487B 'barri':181B,198B 'battl':1791B 'becam':370B,1508B 'becom':764B 'beer':262B 'began':106B 'begin':1645B 'belov':103B 'beyond':302B 'bias':1652B 'biographi':1098B 'book':486B 'botan':1199B 'bottom':1467B 'boundari':279B 'brace':217B 'break':317B 'breez':1161B 'brick':1381B 'bridg':1290B 'bring':1140B 'broader':1676B 'bronz':873B,1284B,1773B 'brook':214B 'brought':1106B 'build':1377B,1425B 'burnett':1424B 'burnham':1743B 'c':1732B 'calder':406B 'call':952B 'came':1138B,1694B 'car':1354B 'career':592B,723B 'case':1241B,1256B 'categori':1669B 'caught':1001B,1023B 'celebr':209B,981B 'censor':1031B 'center':870B,1723B 'central':994B 'ceremoni':166B 'chagal':408B 'challeng':284B,1686B 'chang':758B 'charg':87B 'chicago':12A,16B,22B,37B,63B,116B,156B,199B,358B,384B,418B,488B,656B,749B,787B,806B,840B,859B,903B,1057B,1127B,1155B,1198B,1262B,1293B,1336B,1366B,1390B,1490B,1505B,1552B,1573B,1576B,1717B,1728B,1749B,1770B,1796B 'chicagoan':218B,1006B 'chronicl':31B 'circuit':1302B 'citi':68B,113B,1028B,1328B,1450B,1513B,1570B 'citizen':1593B 'city-own':1327B 'civic':325B,390B,1655B 'classic':931B 'collabor':641B 'collect':282B,715B,1740B 'color':1628B 'columbus':1288B 'commiss':788B,1620B,1672B 'commut':1355B 'compos':227B,630B 'concept':579B 'conceptu':305B,423B 'concern':306B 'confront':701B 'consid':387B 'construct':603B 'context':335B 'continu':501B,842B 'controversi':10A,47B,54B,223B,468B,857B,1134B,1220B,1231B,1260B,1606B 'conundrum':424B 'correct':1649B 'corridor':1643B 'cost':82B 'cover':1472B 'creat':776B,1280B,1310B,1630B 'creativ':524B 'criteria':312B 'crowd':185B 'cubist':796B 'culmin':815B 'current':415B 'd':742B 'daili':1397B 'daley':123B,1702B,1722B 'david':947B 'day':162B,472B 'de':1252B,1430B 'de-instal':1251B,1429B 'debat':74B,352B,452B,834B 'decad':447B 'decemb':1160B 'decenc':1054B 'decid':187B 'decommiss':1255B 'dedic':1712B 'defin':617B 'definit':476B 'demoisell':741B 'demolish':1412B 'depart':916B,1453B 'departur':493B 'depend':686B 'desir':542B 'despit':413B,539B 'destroy':96B 'didn':560B 'differ':684B 'digit':1750B 'direct':694B 'disappear':1434B 'discuss':1105B 'display':1195B 'dog':438B 'downtown':1122B 'drive':1289B,1345B,1401B 'dubuffet':411B 'earli':649B 'earliest':863B 'easier':255B 'edit':174B 'editor':179B 'edward':180B 'either':752B 'element':615B,628B,664B 'embrac':134B 'enjoy':1591B 'entertain':1086B 'entranc':967B 'erupt':1232B 'especi':61B,265B 'esplanad':1206B 'evalu':298B 'even':98B,516B,832B 'everyon':151B 'exact':429B 'examin':43B,1782B 'excit':1685B 'exclam':193B 'exhibit':974B,1149B 'experi':610B 'experienc':680B 'expert':454B 'explor':585B,594B,814B 'f':1733B 'fa':1382B 'face':708B,1386B 'facil':1322B,1363B,1407B 'failur':1515B 'fall':1663B 'fame':1108B 'familiar':371B 'famous':115B,736B 'far':57B 'farmer':999B 'fazlur':1737B 'featur':26B 'field':531B 'fifti':125B 'figur':706B,933B 'file':1751B 'financ':1532B 'find':1440B 'first':609B,852B,1030B,1326B 'fit':329B 'flock':1121B 'foot':1315B,1318B 'foot-bi':1314B 'formal':303B,578B 'found':1463B 'four':1207B 'fourth':39B 'franck':52B,1758B 'front':878B 'frontal':1015B 'full':1014B 'full-front':1013B 'fun':1131B 'funkhous':1037B 'futur':1613B 'galleri':23B,987B 'garag':1334B,1410B 'garden':1200B 'gargantuan':376B 'gaze':1003B 'general':341B 'get':1179B 'gift':204B 'gigant':704B 'given':1621B 'gleam':1379B 'glori':1215B 'go':301B,1673B 'gone':1187B 'gonz':646B 'gradual':369B 'grant':1785B 'great':1691B 'ground':1075B 'grow':1351B 'guillaum':637B 'guitar':602B 'gunsaulus':989B 'gwendolyn':213B 'hall':990B 'handsom':888B 'happen':1244B,1274B 'happili':1575B 'head':907B 'high':1085B,1634B 'histor':1651B 'histori':6A,45B 'home':259B,1307B 'hope':1670B 'horn':1271B,1308B,1442B,1538B 'hors':440B 'hotel':1420B 'howev':745B 'humor':1082B 'hundr':1523B 'hurt':248B 'idea':676B 'ident':459B,551B 'illinoi':993B,1729B 'imag':1697B 'immedi':1000B,1233B 'immor':92B 'impend':221B 'imposs':830B 'improv':1550B 'includ':405B,659B,1571B 'incompet':85B 'incredul':195B 'inde':135B,269B 'indec':90B 'insid':1143B 'inspir':464B,730B,932B 'instal':50B,79B,319B,875B,1253B,1431B 'instead':567B 'institut':883B,913B,955B,1072B,1120B,1166B,1747B 'intellectu':346B 'intens':541B 'intent':572B 'issu':350B 'j':1721B 'jacquelin':775B 'jam':1701B 'joke':144B 'julio':645B 'keep':1517B 'kept':1078B 'khan':1739B 'kind':794B 'lake':1266B,1370B 'larg':973B 'last':854B 'later':1476B 'leo':1423B 'les':740B 'letter':1055B 'lez':647B 'lie':1464B 'lifetim':811B 'linear':614B,627B 'lion':1774B 'littl':1788B 'live':211B 'locat':1567B,1636B 'long':202B,1245B 'look':693B,746B 'love':3A,240B 'm.l.c':1036B 'made':535B,771B,1167B,1438B 'main':966B 'maintain':1521B 'major':1035B,1631B 'make':315B,821B,1415B 'male':889B,939B,1016B 'man':2A,239B,242B,1668B 'mani':426B,660B,768B,1005B 'manti':443B 'mask':713B 'mass':1781B 'massiv':1312B 'masterwork':1218B 'matter':554B 'mean':533B,562B,837B 'mercurio':53B,1759B 'metal':1483B 'michelangelo':945B 'michigan':1019B 'mileston':32B 'milton':1270B 'miro':407B 'misplac':94B 'mix':188B 'model':927B 'modernist':377B,1341B 'month':1225B 'monument':635B,669B,938B,1283B 'moral':1034B 'move':1480B 'movement':1543B 'much':102B,563B,1499B 'multipl':799B 'murphi':1734B 'museum':964B,1145B 'mysteri':546B 'nake':998B 'name':518B,1051B 'natur':1214B 'near':1448B 'necessari':1169B 'negat':523B 'nevelson':409B 'never':56B,1113B 'new':273B,366B,986B,1605B,1671B 'news':24B 'newspap':1059B,1128B 'nice':261B 'nippi':1159B 'north':1387B 'note':846B 'notion':287B 'nude':890B,940B 'nuditi':1017B 'number':1323B,1352B 'obscur':1588B 'occas':230B 'oceania':720B 'offic':1454B 'offici':118B 'often':105B,727B 'old':1666B 'one':392B,802B,824B,860B,1615B,1692B 'ongo':467B 'open':526B,983B,1337B 'oper':1331B 'opinion':154B 'origin':1309B,1765B 'outsid':962B,1664B 'overnight':1109B 'overrun':83B 'overse':1558B 'own':1329B 'paint':739B 'pant':1177B 'parad':1398B 'park':1321B,1333B,1786B 'part':494B,969B 'patricia':479B 'pave':394B 'peopl':137B,427B,1110B,1700B 'percept':757B,791B 'perhap':1614B 'period':781B 'perman':1194B 'perspect':800B 'photo':1719B 'physic':344B 'picasso':117B,233B,359B,419B,489B,505B,565B,600B,657B,671B,714B,750B,770B,807B,841B,1574B,1718B,1727B 'piec':803B,829B 'place':956B,1374B 'plan':1789B 'planar':612B 'play':673B 'plaza':124B,399B,1703B 'plus':590B 'plus-year':589B 'poem':226B 'point':491B,692B,1258B 'polasek':897B,925B,1077B,1091B,1151B,1216B 'pool':1474B 'popular':416B 'portrait':769B 'pray':442B 'present':421B,1306B 'presid':1394B 'press':1500B 'prestigi':1654B 'pride':1372B 'probabl':559B 'process':1504B 'profil':760B 'program':1555B 'project':632B,1637B,1656B 'promenad':1599B 'proven':514B 'provid':323B,798B 'provoc':368B 'public':8A,20B,34B,48B,59B,89B,109B,222B,266B,299B,342B,538B,855B,867B,960B,1033B,1053B,1229B,1332B,1527B,1553B,1761B,1767B,1777B,1793B 'publish':485B 'pursu':583B 'push':277B 'put':1174B 'puzzl':138B 'question':449B 'r':1738B 'radic':623B 'railway':995B 'rang':80B,1677B 'rather':887B 'reaction':189B 'read':826B,1755B 'readi':263B 'real':148B 'reason':497B 'receiv':200B,1498B 'recent':484B 'recognit':14B 'recount':1090B 'rediscov':1494B 'refin':574B 'reflect':792B 'reform':1548B 'refus':507B 'reinstal':1581B 'relationship':110B 'relief':1285B,1319B 'remain':1219B 'reminisc':709B 'renaiss':1419B 'render':666B 'renown':403B 'report':158B,182B 'repres':809B 'rescu':1586B 'resolv':477B 'restor':1579B 'richard':1720B 'rise':1263B,1367B,1506B,1577B 'river':1294B,1391B,1491B,1602B 'rocki':108B 'rome':905B,924B 'rout':1303B 'rule':296B 'ruth':1094B 'ryerson':1741B 'sacramento':1459B 'scale':670B 'scandal':76B,1069B,1243B 'scarciti':1618B 'school':909B 'scrapyard':1484B 'sculptor':644B 'sculptur':378B,400B,462B,512B,529B,549B,682B,813B,874B,915B,977B,1065B,1278B,1298B,1365B,1433B,1478B,1540B,1585B,1725B,1783B 'season':1208B 'see':678B,1012B,1124B 'seem':215B,570B 'seen':70B 'seiz':865B 'seldom':1657B 'sens':1080B 'sensibl':283B,797B 'seri':28B,42B,1763B 'serv':379B,728B 'set':576B 'sever':1435B 'share':72B,286B 'sheila':159B 'sherwood':1095B 'shift':790B 'side':753B 'signific':1688B 'simpl':823B 'singl':818B 'skyland':1776B 'smile':196B 'solv':544B 'sometim':1475B 'soon':1507B 'sower':893B,929B,958B,1045B,1126B,1142B,1172B,1190B 'space':618B,988B 'span':991B 'spark':1541B 'speak':509B 'squirm':246B 'startl':192B 'state':1347B,1359B 'state-of-the-art':1358B 'stay':257B 'step':879B 'still':420B 'stood':1073B 'stratton':481B,502B 'street':1348B,1457B 'structur':1342B 'studi':918B 'subject':553B 'subsequ':398B 'suggest':620B,766B 'summer':129B 'suppos':292B,432B 'surround':1261B 'swim':1473B 'symbol':382B,1510B 'take':308B 'taken':1046B 'tarp':1471B 'tarp-cov':1470B 'taxpay':1537B 'tend':275B 'think':944B 'thought':1115B 'thousand':1698B 'throughout':64B,586B,721B,1067B,1568B 'time':780B,1137B 'titl':891B 'today':104B,374B,1281B,1557B,1681B 'took':1299B,1371B 'top':1696B 'totem':705B 'tourist':1595B 'toward':1388B 'trace':597B 'track':996B,1443B,1518B 'tradit':936B 'transport':1452B 'tri':1039B 'tribun':157B,176B,1156B 'truli':537B 'tuesday':1705B 'uncertainti':500B 'uniqu':389B 'univers':133B 'untitl':119B,1724B 'unveil':121B,165B,235B,355B,1238B,1714B 'urban':332B 'urg':250B,270B 'use':626B 'vain':1041B 'vantag':691B 'view':961B,1048B 'viewer':689B,699B,755B 'visibl':1635B 'visit':243B,1117B 'volum':621B 'voyag':251B,271B 'wabash':1641B 'wacker':1344B 'walk':1295B,1603B 'watch':1203B 'way':396B,685B,1416B 'weather':1183B 'western':942B 'whistl':1162B 'white':1380B,1667B 'wife':774B,1093B 'wit':1710B 'within':330B,801B,1356B 'wolf':160B 'woman':445B,763B 'women':1623B 'work':99B,274B,322B,650B,697B,726B,784B,819B,1153B,1236B,1248B,1525B,1562B,1632B,1680B 'worth':845B 'would':1112B 'write':170B,478B 'wrote':155B,197B,237B,1157B 'year':18B,66B,126B,591B,1210B,1275B,1535B 'yesterday':205B 'yet':412B,1066B","thumbnail":null,"editor_pick":false,"category_name":"Features"},"related":[{"id":14390,"title":"Duncan Robert Anderson: Messengers and Oracles","excerpt":"","body":"![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791908054/pegcztkiciiefinhhjcm.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791908055/rayhnjclo0ruoorpzkxk.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791908056/qdwc0lceoxzowrdenxfv.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791908057/gyuv6oytspfzwatqxxgv.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791349527/a7ui3ah39gnbkyppsaun.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791349528/rvcpupuficqwkyfty9to.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791349529/lxnkb4dn3emvbqf3gx9k.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791349529/nswajfhnhzutlhgwqope.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791349530/qsgbquwhl41cwjzefzxn.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744922/bg6tksld7p6rk2cmp3xc.jpg\")
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.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744923/iltm7ht7zujlikhhpjid.jpg\")
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.
*
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744924/hrzsontqcaqfvocwlay0.jpg\")
Sarah Nishiura, Inching
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744925/h0b8mudpvkr54bss2yvp.jpg\")
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.
*
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744926/umy0i4utfyykeobpumou.jpg\")
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/
","published_at":"2026-09-18 08:02:07.343","state":"published","slug":"art-matchmaking-hyde-park-art-centers-not-just-another-pretty-face-returns-this-fall","type":null,"meta_description":"","text":null,"created_at":"2026-09-18 15:22:07.165","updated_at":"2026-09-18 15:22:07.165","category_id":4,"highlighted":false,"searchable":"'/metalpoint':1274B '/njapf-2026/':2007B '00':1838B,1840B '11':1834B '14k':751B '15':830B '18':339B '1990s':64B '2':1901B '2023':274B '2025':352B '2026':1835B '300':1935B '400':1930B '6':1837B '8':1839B 'access':698B 'accompani':1859B 'accord':1329B 'acryl':754B 'adapt':1884B 'add':1733B 'affect':918B 'affili':840B 'agil':748B 'ago':1483B 'agre':527B 'align':1310B 'alik':1872B 'allow':227B,1365B 'alreadi':161B 'also':623B,1097B,1372B,1655B,1772B,1792B,1816B,1979B 'alyea':1457B 'amaz':574B 'anoth':10A,23B,50B,73B,1450B,1784B 'anyth':1522B,1727B 'appeal':1503B 'appreci':1004B 'approach':1070B 'around':1058B 'art':1A,5A,31B,40B,152B,271B,305B,392B,464B,593B,621B,644B,662B,674B,720B,826B,891B,1085B,1303B,1406B,1441B,1492B,1513B,1677B,1845B,1921B,1962B,1977B 'artist':18B,85B,91B,97B,113B,173B,185B,202B,218B,259B,314B,327B,358B,381B,407B,430B,468B,483B,488B,503B,526B,532B,550B,576B,596B,646B,680B,703B,726B,761B,769B,920B,1159B,1255B,1478B,1543B,1615B,1673B,1687B,1770B,1799B,1809B,1823B,1869B,1913B,1949B 'artwork':99B,1317B,1552B,1562B,1851B 'aspect':649B 'attend':19B 'attende':1437B 'audienc':1095B 'back':1642B 'becom':169B,812B,1995B 'began':59B,348B,1225B 'begin':330B,533B 'behind':1983B 'benefit':624B,1786B 'best':1570B 'better':1015B 'beyond':446B,1879B 'big':1808B 'birthday':1697B 'black':1260B,1273B 'bois':1886B 'bought':1512B 'broader':254B,1100B 'built':709B,1965B 'came':1133B,1175B 'career':921B 'carri':1325B 'catalogu':1862B 'center':6A,32B,41B,272B,306B,393B,465B,594B,622B,675B,827B,892B,1086B,1304B,1407B,1442B,1846B,1922B 'cgn':1458B 'challeng':972B 'chanc':490B,1428B,1764B 'chicago':575B,643B,661B,682B,1880B 'choic':1057B,1576B 'choos':92B 'chose':1268B 'chosen':114B,434B 'citi':387B,1892B 'coffe':1648B 'collabor':1620B,1665B 'collector':16B,156B,610B,1381B,1417B,1445B,1493B,1741B,1939B 'come':296B 'comfort':989B 'commiss':299B,367B,426B,501B,580B,629B,784B,857B,951B,1007B,1187B,1295B,1474B,1497B,1521B,1528B,1699B,1932B 'common':1146B 'communiti':260B,663B,1967B 'complet':288B,783B 'composit':1059B 'connect':81B,714B,717B,723B 'consid':1489B,1994B 'contemporari':1961B 'context':1110B 'continu':997B,1681B 'convers':347B,1173B,1227B,1234B 'cool':1635B 'craft':1167B 'creat':98B,701B,793B,1592B 'creativ':1056B,1313B,1981B 'cultiv':212B,1942B 'current':792B 'd':744B,770B,876B,1026B,1242B,1393B,1730B 'date':1894B 'daughter':1710B 'decemb':1833B 'decid':1345B,1564B 'decis':521B 'deduct':635B 'deeper':764B 'definit':1663B 'depend':110B 'design':678B 'desir':117B,205B 'detail':2003B 'develop':242B,263B,1278B 'differ':149B,947B,1123B,1218B,1283B 'direct':1037B,1208B,1280B,1314B,1910B 'director':261B 'discov':1821B 'discuss':187B,467B,498B,1264B 'display':1855B 'document':1863B 'donat':636B 'done':954B 'ecosystem':1944B 'els':1728B 'email':886B 'embodi':669B 'embrac':1953B 'emerg':1822B 'enabl':1948B 'encourag':1955B 'end':123B 'enjoy':1293B,1298B,1398B 'enough':853B 'entir':1865B 'eric':264B,323B,449B,554B,664B 'especi':1536B 'establish':253B,1938B 'ever':1496B 'everi':68B,991B 'exampl':361B 'exhibit':58B,133B,590B,821B,1883B 'exist':162B 'expand':606B 'experi':56B,88B,126B,295B,322B,768B,1115B,1161B,1216B,1611B,1666B,1736B 'experiment':109B 'express':414B 'extend':1878B 'face':12A,25B,52B,75B 'facilit':235B 'fall':15A 'famili':1602B 'favorit':931B,1158B 'feedback':1653B 'feel':1357B,1619B 'felt':1586B 'final':198B,1213B 'financi':255B 'finish':1974B 'first':804B,844B,859B 'fit':924B,1571B,1590B 'flourish':684B 'focus':1061B,1584B 'follow':1847B 'forth':1644B 'found':1140B 'freedom':1203B,1323B 'front':1781B 'galleri':245B 'gave':1043B,1320B,1525B,1650B 'generat':1898B 'generos':216B 'get':424B 'gift':1532B 'ginni':1455B 'give':484B,1103B,1373B 'given':963B 'glad':1432B 'go':1205B,1909B 'goal':1065B 'gold':752B 'good':1589B 'got':1605B 'great':1178B,1362B 'greatest':657B,688B 'ground':1053B 'guest':401B 'gv':1501B,1555B,1621B,1688B,1737B 'hadn':1519B 'half':626B,1905B,1917B 'hang':1720B 'hanson':747B,773B,879B,1029B,1245B,1396B 'happen':455B,1237B 'head':1241B 'help':1087B 'home':142B,1011B,1723B 'hope':194B 'host':43B,394B 'hpac':475B,546B,1354B,1796B 'husband':1506B 'hyde':3A,29B,38B,269B,303B,462B,824B,889B,1083B,1301B,1404B,1439B,1843B,1919B 'hydeparkart.org':2006B 'hydeparkart.org/njapf-2026/':2005B 'idea':1179B,1549B,1639B,1957B 'imag':360B,1638B 'immedi':1139B 'impact':658B,689B 'import':250B 'inch':743B 'includ':586B 'indianapoli':1887B 'individu':232B 'inform':355B,374B 'insight':291B 'instal':46B 'instead':154B 'intent':1049B 'interest':415B,473B,899B,1412B,1420B 'interpret':1035B 'invit':334B,398B,845B,872B,887B 'involv':813B,959B 'isn':1073B 'iter':279B,346B,695B,799B,2001B 'jacki':307B 'jacquelin':34B 'jl':428B,536B,647B,800B,912B,1111B,1334B,1484B,1538B,1607B,1678B,1724B 'jump':1182B 'jumping-off':1181B 'keep':1067B 'know':1195B,1414B,1739B 'known':1077B 'lake':1891B 'lammi':746B,772B,878B,1028B,1244B,1395B 'lammie-hanson':745B,771B,877B,1027B,1243B,1394B 'larg':412B 'last':236B 'late':350B 'later':134B,1693B 'latest':45B 'learn':404B,493B,805B,881B,982B 'led':869B 'len':1041B 'let':1193B 'lewi':35B,308B 'life':1025B 'like':190B,441B,1358B,1579B,1587B,1616B,1731B,1776B 'listen':1656B 'littl':1259B,1652B 'local':82B,1769B,1798B 'look':157B,440B,1557B 'lot':1144B,1149B,1560B 'love':1165B,1353B 'lucki':852B 'm':1431B 'made':1343B,1675B 'make':275B,519B,1055B,1703B 'mani':948B,1575B,1740B 'marri':1606B 'match':181B,1063B 'matchmak':2A,78B,147B,438B 'materi':962B 'may':504B 'meaning':1537B 'medium':1078B 'meet':183B,492B,505B,573B,1385B,1540B 'mel':1479B,1580B,1624B,1700B 'meld':203B 'member':733B 'met':1646B 'metalpoint/silverpoint':1072B 'mid':63B 'mid-1990s':62B 'might':1383B 'mileston':1696B 'million':1902B 'miss':1987B 'mission':640B,671B,1370B,1926B 'month':340B 'move':166B 'much':451B,984B 'multipl':507B,516B 'mutual':223B 'name':1810B 'natur':243B,1169B 'near':287B 'network':608B 'never':1384B 'new':1416B,1936B 'next':2000B 'nishiura':742B,776B,815B,929B,1129B,1351B 'njapf':53B,281B,395B,556B,651B,786B,807B,849B,883B,917B,934B,1081B,1340B,1466B,1486B,1502B,1814B,1876B,1940B,1963B 'normal':977B 'noth':1014B 'observ':740B 'occur':66B 'offer':290B 'often':241B,612B 'one':1707B,1712B 'opportun':571B,604B,937B,1377B,1400B,1989B 'origin':179B 'otherwis':1386B 'outsid':940B,987B 'overal':1048B 'p.m':1841B 'pair':1686B 'panel':756B 'paramet':1775B 'parent':1524B 'park':4A,30B,39B,270B,304B,463B,825B,890B,1084B,1302B,1405B,1440B,1844B,1920B 'part':170B,1021B 'parti':566B,1436B 'particip':337B,847B,863B,1338B,1464B,1744B,1912B,1991B 'particular':1583B 'past':789B,957B,1463B 'patron':83B,89B,103B,120B,145B,182B,220B,316B,403B,432B,459B,486B,508B,513B,524B,553B,568B,705B,729B,911B,968B,1000B,1031B,1119B,1132B,1247B,1319B,1472B,1868B,1997B 'patronag':1946B,1959B 'payment':598B 'pearl':1261B 'peopl':1230B,1969B 'person':716B,1069B 'perspect':780B,1469B 'philadelphia':1888B 'piec':128B,585B,1008B,1214B,1328B,1627B 'piqu':471B 'place':901B,1831B 'platform':1108B 'play':248B 'point':1184B 'portfolio':1101B 'possibl':500B 'potenti':402B 'practic':616B,927B,943B 'present':379B,908B,970B,1089B 'pretti':11A,24B,51B,74B 'price':1777B 'proceed':1908B 'process':148B,174B,211B,312B,359B,439B,445B,454B,543B,619B,1091B,1127B,1222B,1287B,1866B,1982B 'program':79B,286B,692B,1307B,1363B,1454B,1747B,1789B,1813B,1896B,1924B 'project':410B,511B,667B 'provid':354B 'public':372B,589B 'publish':1460B 'purchas':139B,153B,163B 'push':613B 'rang':105B 'rate':368B 'rather':1231B 'reach':331B 'realli':1197B 'receiv':577B,597B,855B 'recept':1828B,1849B 'refer':1641B 'relationship':237B,706B,998B,1683B 'remain':1853B 'repeat':871B 'resid':1257B 'respond':895B 'return':13A 'role':251B,540B 'rotat':905B 'sale':1904B 'salon':384B,396B,448B,458B 'salt':1890B 'sarah':741B,775B,814B,928B,1128B,1350B 'second':278B 'see':1005B,1017B,1754B 'sens':214B 'sent':1637B 'separ':1514B 'serv':630B 'set':477B,1773B 'sever':388B,1481B 'share':224B,777B,1154B,1467B 'side':1451B 'sign':318B 'silverpoint':1271B 'silverpoint-on-black':1270B 'similar':1882B 'sinc':273B,1335B 'situat':563B 'size':1779B 'someday':1759B 'someon':1023B 'someth':946B,1593B 'sometim':502B 'son':1715B 'space':246B 'special':55B 'specif':100B,1548B 'spoke':1595B 'spring':351B 'staff':466B,476B,732B 'start':427B 'stay':1052B 'step':939B,986B 'still':1671B 'strengthen':1098B 'strong':1107B 'studio':479B,517B,1136B,1250B 'style':209B 'subject':1046B 'submit':1410B 'success':868B,1874B 'suggest':1660B 'support':256B,389B,547B,638B,1368B,1795B,1918B 'surrend':750B 'sustain':642B 'take':978B,1426B,1830B 'taken':141B 'talk':1151B 'tax':634B 'tax-deduct':633B 'teach':819B 'team':329B,370B,418B 'technic':971B 'techniqu':1275B 'ten':694B 'terrif':1793B 'thing':738B,932B 'think':654B,686B,835B,866B 'thompson':265B,289B,324B,450B,555B,665B 'three':69B,1718B 'thrive':1951B 'throughout':385B 'time':1191B,1803B 'togeth':297B,530B,1281B,1516B,1721B 'tradit':107B,151B 'travel':1163B 'tri':945B 'trust':1032B 'two':856B,1131B,1704B 'ultim':1668B 'understand':765B,1447B 'uniqu':579B,1785B 'unveil':26B,130B,301B,343B,1435B,1827B 'us':1526B,1599B,1632B,1755B 'use':76B 'usual':942B,1126B,1221B,1236B,1286B,1292B 'valu':1971B 'van':1456B 'various':383B 'vision':1266B,1333B 'visit':480B,515B,1248B 'visitor':1871B 'want':1198B,1210B,1554B 'watkin':1480B,1581B 'way':1819B 'websit':377B 'wed':1531B 'whose':1565B 'wide':1076B 'wider':1094B 'will':1424B 'win':560B,561B,562B,1391B,1392B 'win-win':1390B 'win-win-win':559B 'within':925B 'without':1413B 'wonder':737B,1376B,1763B,1818B 'wood':755B 'word':758B 'work':104B,159B,177B,199B,364B,422B,529B,535B,581B,601B,794B,915B,960B,1019B,1079B,1105B,1116B,1299B,1379B,1402B,1476B,1499B,1566B,1612B,1622B,1706B,1719B,1766B,1931B,1975B 'world':233B 'would':1418B,1567B 'wouldn':975B 'year':37B,70B,136B,284B,797B,831B,860B,875B,993B,1482B,1692B,1825B,1993B 'yes':1689B 'zone':990B","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1789744885/j4sxav3a4dlaktw2rls8.jpg","editor_pick":true}]}