{"article":{"id":1442,"title":"Karl Wirsum Has Died at Age 81","excerpt":"","body":"

By GINNY VAN ALYEA

Corbett vs Dempsey, the gallery that has represented Karl Wirsum, an internationally known artist and co-founder of the Hairy Who, announced Thursday via Instagram that the artist has died at age 81.

They shared, \"We are mourning the loss of one of Chicago's true originals. [We] celebrate Karl Wirsum's joyful life and work and his profound generosity as a teacher and colleague. We are so proud to have known him and to represent his rich legacy.\"

Wirsum passed away early in the morning of May 6th after a long illness.

Edited from Artic.edu:

Wirsum, raised on the South Side of Chicago, was a member of Chicago’s Hairy Who, a group magically organized by a handful of artists in the 1960s and borne of a shared vision and electrified, figurative artistic style that is still highly recognizable today and forever associated with Chicago itself.

Even as a child Wirsum was drawn to rhythm and blues music and the Maxwell Street Market, an open-air flea market. Inspired by his visual and sonic experiences and memories, drawing poured out of Wirsum in much the same way as sound does from an improvising musician. And like improvised music, his direct drawings rarely show correction or revision. He often depicted musicians in his artwork and took inspiration from source material he scavenged at the flea market.

Wirsum enrolled at the School of the Art Institute in 1957 and was the first of the Hairy Who artists to graduate. It was through Wirsum’s friendship with Don Baum, the exhibition chairman of the Hyde Park Art Center, that he became part of the Hairy Who. Baum recommended that Wirsum be included in the small group exhibition that Jim Falconer and Jim Nutt proposed to him, and it was Wirsum who unintentionally coined the name Hairy Who. Over a period of four years the six artists of the Hairy Who—Jim Falconer, Art Green, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Suellen Rocca, and Karl Wirsum—exhibited their work together, and as a group they began mounting unconventional displays of bright, bold graphic work in the mid-1960s, transforming the art landscape of Chicago, injecting their new and unique voices into the city’s rising national and international profile.

Karl Wirsum, Courtesy of Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

The Art Institute of Chicago mounted the exhibition, Hairy Who? 1966–1969, in 2018, the first-ever major survey dedicated solely to the Hairy Who.

When interviewed in 2018 about AIC's exhibition, Wirsum's Hairy Who colleague Suellen Rocca said of her relationships with the group, \"Don Baum...had a series of thematic shows called Animal, Vegetable and Mineral. Each show had a wide variety of work with only a single piece by each artist. Jim Nutt and Jim Falconer went to Don with a proposal to have a show composed of Falconer, Nutt, Art Green, Gladys Nilsson, and me. Don thought it would be good to add Karl Wirsum. We all were in school together but we didn’t know Karl. Our work was very compatible, and showing as a group gave us each the opportunity to show more work.\"

Rocca credited the link with Wirsum and his work at the time as pivotal for her artistic future.

\"As a young artist getting to see my work alongside my peers’ work that I was excited and enthusiastic about was so important at that stage of my development. Then, of course, planning and installing the shows was a very creative experience. Together we made a comic book and poster for each of the shows.\"

For decades after the friends remained in touch with each other, and, as Rocca who passed away in 2020 said, they continued to support one another by going to each other’s exhibitions, truly because of their shared interest in the work, not just out of good will. They were really interested in each other as artists.

Karl Wirsum at the Art Institute of Chicago, via @zackwirsum

Wirsum shared with CGN in 2011 that it was a 1-month stay in the hospital, when he was a young boy, that first connected him to the wonder and escape drawing could offer. It was a love that would last his whole life. A few weeks ago I was scrolling through Instagram and came across some photos from Zack Wirsum, Karl's son, who is also an artist in Chicago. Zack and his dad had come back to visit the Art Institute of Chicago when it reopened and were able to get a tour of Bisa Butler: Portraits.

\"Thank you James Rondeau and the entire @artinstitutechi extended family for arranging for Karl and the Wirsums to see the stunning Bisa Butler: Portraits exhibit today with ease and grace. We are all extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to enjoy this extraordinarily meaningful family experience at our home away from home and collective happy place. Thank you @litemootz for astutely recognizing that Karl would connect with Bisa’s creations, the parallels in sensibilities and for being instrumental in getting him in front of the wonderful work. Thank you @connoisseurofcomfort for taking the time to walk us through the exhibit and for providing insightful context to the incredible visuals. Appropriately, given their shared interest in the figure, color, shape and pattern, one of Karl’s favorite works was the 2019 cotton, wool and chiffon, quilted and appliquéd assemblage, Kindred. The artist suggested accompanying track of Sly and the Family Stone’s Family Affair also seemed poetically fitting. Karl told me during his second intense exploration of the work that the striped background and palette reminded him of his printed fabric inspired mid 60s Awning series and mused that using the actual eye catching textiles to construct the composition could be “a better way to do it”.

Today was truly the kind of magic that can only happen at a museum and I am so happy this magic happened at our home museum.\"

Wirsum will be greatly missed but his legacy is sure to continue on.

Read CGN's 2011 interview with Wirsum HERE

Top thumbnail via Corbett vs Dempsey

","published_at":"2021-05-07 09:00:00","state":"published","slug":"karl-wirsum-has-died-at-age-82","type":"NewsPost","meta_description":"","text":null,"created_at":"2021-05-07 14:49:18.818672","updated_at":"2021-05-07 19:40:04.533955","category_id":1,"highlighted":false,"searchable":"'1':695B '1957':254B '1960s':140B,371B '1966':412B '1969':413B '2011':690B,1034B '2018':415B,431B '2019':915B '2020':636B '60s':968B '6th':105B '81':7A,49B 'abl':775B 'accompani':928B 'across':740B 'actual':976B 'add':511B 'affair':938B 'age':6A,48B 'ago':732B 'aic':433B 'air':184B 'alongsid':572B 'also':751B,939B 'alyea':15B 'anim':459B 'announc':38B 'anoth':643B 'appliquéd':922B 'appropri':895B 'arrang':795B 'art':251B,282B,338B,374B,401B,403B,498B,679B,766B 'artic.edu':112B 'artinstitutechi':791B 'artist':29B,44B,137B,150B,263B,331B,478B,561B,566B,674B,753B,926B 'artwork':231B 'assemblag':923B 'associ':160B 'astut':846B 'away':98B,634B,835B 'awn':969B 'back':762B 'background':957B 'baum':274B,292B,451B 'becam':286B 'began':358B 'better':987B 'bisa':781B,805B,853B 'blue':174B 'bold':364B 'book':610B 'born':142B 'boy':706B 'bright':363B 'butler':782B,806B 'call':458B 'came':739B 'catch':978B 'celebr':65B 'center':283B 'cgn':688B,1032B 'chairman':277B 'chicago':60B,120B,125B,162B,377B,406B,682B,755B,769B 'chiffon':919B 'child':167B 'citi':386B 'co':32B 'co-found':31B 'coin':318B 'colleagu':81B,440B 'collect':839B 'color':903B 'come':761B 'comic':609B 'compat':530B 'compos':494B 'composit':983B 'connect':709B,851B 'connoisseurofcomfort':875B 'construct':981B 'contemporari':400B 'context':890B 'continu':639B,1029B 'corbett':9B,16B,1042B 'correct':222B 'cotton':916B 'could':717B,984B 'cours':594B 'courtesi':395B 'creation':855B 'creativ':603B 'credit':546B 'dad':759B 'decad':619B 'dedic':422B 'dempsey':11B,18B,1044B 'depict':227B 'develop':591B 'didn':522B 'die':4A,46B 'direct':218B 'display':361B 'draw':196B,219B,716B 'drawn':170B 'earli':99B 'eas':811B 'edit':110B 'electrifi':148B 'enjoy':826B 'enrol':245B 'enthusiast':581B 'entir':790B 'escap':715B 'even':164B 'ever':419B 'excit':579B 'exhibit':276B,302B,349B,409B,435B,650B,808B,885B 'experi':193B,604B,831B 'explor':950B 'extend':792B 'extraordinarili':828B 'extrem':817B 'eye':977B 'fabric':965B 'falcon':305B,337B,483B,496B 'famili':793B,830B,934B,937B 'favorit':911B 'figur':149B,902B 'first':258B,418B,708B 'first-ev':417B 'fit':942B 'flea':185B,242B 'forev':159B 'founder':33B 'four':327B 'friend':622B 'friendship':271B 'front':868B 'futur':562B 'galleri':20B 'gave':536B 'generos':76B 'get':567B,777B,865B 'ginni':13B 'given':822B,896B 'gladi':340B,500B 'go':645B 'good':509B,664B 'grace':813B 'graduat':265B 'graphic':365B 'grate':818B 'great':1021B 'green':339B,499B 'group':130B,301B,356B,449B,535B 'hairi':36B,127B,261B,290B,321B,334B,410B,426B,438B 'hand':135B 'happen':1002B,1013B 'happi':840B,1010B 'high':155B 'home':834B,837B,1016B 'hospit':700B 'hyde':280B 'ill':109B 'import':585B 'improvis':211B,215B 'includ':297B 'incred':893B 'inject':378B 'insight':889B 'inspir':187B,234B,966B 'instagram':41B,737B 'instal':597B 'institut':252B,404B,680B,767B 'instrument':863B 'intens':949B 'interest':656B,669B,899B 'intern':27B,391B 'interview':429B,1035B 'jame':786B 'jim':304B,307B,336B,342B,479B,482B 'joy':69B 'karl':1A,24B,66B,347B,393B,512B,525B,675B,746B,797B,849B,909B,943B 'kind':996B 'kindr':924B 'know':524B 'known':28B,88B 'landscap':375B 'last':725B 'legaci':95B,1025B 'life':70B,728B 'like':214B 'link':548B 'litemootz':844B 'long':108B 'loss':56B 'love':722B 'made':607B 'madison':397B 'magic':131B,998B,1012B 'major':420B 'market':180B,186B,243B 'materi':237B 'maxwel':178B 'may':104B 'meaning':829B 'member':123B 'memori':195B 'mid':370B,967B 'mid-1960s':369B 'miner':462B 'miss':1022B 'month':696B 'morn':102B 'mount':359B,407B 'mourn':54B 'much':202B 'muse':972B 'museum':398B,1005B,1017B 'music':175B,216B 'musician':212B,228B 'name':320B 'nation':389B 'new':380B 'nilsson':341B,501B 'nutt':308B,343B,480B,497B 'offer':718B 'often':226B 'one':58B,642B,907B 'open':183B 'open-air':182B 'opportun':540B,824B 'organ':132B 'origin':63B 'palett':959B 'parallel':857B 'park':281B 'part':287B 'pass':97B,633B 'pattern':906B 'peer':574B 'period':325B 'photo':742B 'piec':475B 'pivot':558B 'place':841B 'plan':595B 'poetic':941B 'portrait':783B,807B 'poster':612B 'pour':197B 'print':964B 'profil':392B 'profound':75B 'propos':309B,489B 'proud':85B 'provid':888B 'quilt':920B 'rais':114B 'rare':220B 'read':1031B 'realli':668B 'recogn':847B 'recogniz':156B 'recommend':293B 'relationship':446B 'remain':623B 'remind':960B 'reopen':772B 'repres':23B,92B 'revis':224B 'rhythm':172B 'rich':94B 'rise':388B 'rocca':345B,442B,545B,631B 'rondeau':787B 'said':443B,637B 'scaveng':239B 'school':248B,518B 'scroll':735B 'second':948B 'see':569B,802B 'seem':940B 'sensibl':859B 'seri':454B,970B 'shape':904B 'share':51B,145B,655B,686B,898B 'show':221B,457B,464B,493B,532B,542B,599B,617B 'side':118B 'singl':474B 'six':330B 'sli':931B 'small':300B 'sole':423B 'son':748B 'sonic':192B 'sound':207B 'sourc':236B 'south':117B 'stage':588B 'stay':697B 'still':154B 'stone':935B 'street':179B 'stripe':956B 'stun':804B 'style':151B 'suellen':344B,441B 'suggest':927B 'support':641B 'sure':1027B 'survey':421B 'take':877B 'teacher':79B 'textil':979B 'thank':784B,842B,873B 'themat':456B 'thought':505B 'thumbnail':1040B 'thursday':39B 'time':556B,879B 'today':157B,809B,992B 'togeth':352B,519B,605B 'told':944B 'took':233B 'top':1039B 'touch':625B 'tour':779B 'track':929B 'transform':372B 'true':62B 'truli':651B,994B 'unconvent':360B 'unintent':317B 'uniqu':382B 'us':537B,882B 'use':974B 'van':14B 'varieti':468B 'veget':460B 'via':8B,40B,683B,1041B 'vision':146B 'visit':764B 'visual':190B,894B 'voic':383B 'vs':10B,17B,1043B 'walk':881B 'way':205B,988B 'week':731B 'went':484B 'whole':727B 'wide':467B 'wirsum':2A,25B,67B,96B,113B,168B,200B,244B,269B,295B,315B,348B,394B,436B,513B,550B,676B,685B,745B,800B,1018B,1037B 'wonder':713B,871B 'wool':917B 'work':72B,351B,366B,470B,527B,544B,553B,571B,575B,659B,872B,912B,953B 'would':507B,724B,850B 'year':328B 'young':565B,705B 'zack':744B,756B 'zackwirsum':684B","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1721767415/qzbg0bsihtmjvwnznpcd.png","editor_pick":false,"category_name":"Announcements"},"related":[{"id":14456,"title":"Illinois Holocaust Museum to Reopen November 11 Following Renovation","excerpt":"","body":"

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

","published_at":"2026-10-15 09:32:55.31","state":"published","slug":"illinois-holocaust-museum-to-reopen-november-11-following-renovation","type":null,"meta_description":"","text":null,"created_at":"2026-10-15 17:18:57.712","updated_at":"2026-10-15 17:18:57.712","category_id":1,"highlighted":false,"searchable":"'11':7A,25B '15':269B '1940s':304B '1950s':306B '2026':26B,333B '2027':314B '31':332B 'access':139B,345B 'activ':54B 'add':40B 'addit':111B 'admiss':64B 'antisemit':117B,291B 'arriv':187B 'attract':226B 'auditorium':75B,207B 'begin':158B 'blacklist':261B 'bring':193B 'center':17B,87B,179B,243B 'cgn':11B 'chicago':121B,321B 'coincid':50B 'communiti':223B 'continu':344B 'core':36B,190B 'creat':275B 'david':364B 'day':53B,66B 'decemb':331B 'deeper':162B 'differ':159B 'downtown':335B 'edelman':124B 'educ':16B,173B 'enhanc':189B 'enlarg':79B 'everi':153B 'examin':286B 'exhibit':38B,109B,142B,175B,192B,249B,273B,285B,351B 'exist':225B 'expand':31B,95B 'experi':127B,156B,236B 'experience360':326B 'exterior':361B 'famili':60B,84B 'focus':203B 'follow':8A,27B,258B 'foundat':85B 'free':63B 'freedom':292B 'galleri':44B,77B,138B,274B 'gather':213B 'genocid':248B 'give':208B 'goodman':74B 'group':130B 'hall':92B 'histori':195B 'hollywood':263B 'holocaust':2A,14B,37B,108B,191B 'holograph':237B 'ilholocaustmuseum.org':358B 'illinoi':1A,13B 'imag':359B 'immers':350B 'includ':69B,110B,227B 'inform':353B 'interact':233B 'intersect':288B 'jewish':281B 'karkomi':107B 'kelley':164B 'larri':73B 'leo':123B 'lillian':72B 'listen':214B 'loan':279B 'lobbi':80B 'locat':22B,319B 'march':313B 'materi':112B 'mean':220B 'militari':55B 'milwauke':283B 'moment':185B 'museum':3A,15B,167B,255B,282B,316B,348B,360B 'nation':296B 'nazi':134B 'neighborhood':325B 'new':42B,136B,177B,206B 'north':324B 'novemb':6A,24B,268B 'offer':143B,257B 'open':267B,329B,337B 'part':252B 'peopl':186B 'personnel':56B 'photo':362B 'place':211B 'polit':290B 'present':98B 'presid':171B 'program':101B 'project':68B 'provid':343B 'public':100B 'quiet':146B 'realiti':230B 'receiv':62B 'red':264B,300B 'redesign':71B 'reflect':43B,137B 'refresh':90B 'remain':251B,309B,328B 'renov':9A,29B,341B 'reopen':5A,19B,46B,260B 'reserv':356B 'resid':122B 'resili':91B 'river':323B 'root':115B 'run':161B 'said':163B 'satellit':318B 'scare':265B,301B 'secur':297B 'seide/definedspace.com':365B 'senior':169B 'set':180B 'shapiro':83B 'sharper':202B 'shifra':106B 'skoki':21B,340B 'space':33B,147B,336B 'special':272B 'speech':294B 'staff':12B 'stage':96B 'stand':242B 'stori':119B,235B 'survivor':200B,234B 'szani':165B 'take':240B 'talk':216B 'target':131B 'theater':231B,238B 'ticket':355B 'time':48B 'today':224B 'tone':182B 'updat':34B,102B 'us':209B 'veteran':52B,57B 'vice':170B 'view':311B 'virtual':229B 'visit':152B,357B 'visitor':32B,144B,154B 'voic':198B,246B 'welcom':86B,178B 'zev':105B","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1792084731/ziynfdisvbupniolikjr.jpg","editor_pick":true},{"id":14357,"title":"As One New Fair Opens another Familiar Name Announces Its Return in 2027","excerpt":null,"body":"

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.

","published_at":"2026-10-08 08:42:55.758","state":"published","slug":"as-one-new-fair-opens-another-familiar-name-announces-its-return-in-2027","type":null,"meta_description":"","text":null,"created_at":"2026-10-08 15:01:02.232","updated_at":"2026-10-08 15:01:02.232","category_id":1,"highlighted":false,"searchable":"'10':145B '1994':61B '2027':13A,40B,178B '28':38B '31':39B '7':140B 'add':302B 'addit':278B,400B 'alik':262B 'alongsid':96B,200B 'also':388B 'alway':209B 'alyea':17B 'ambiti':341B 'announc':9A,118B,234B,361B 'annual':337B,390B 'anoth':6A 'appreci':222B 'architectur':226B 'around':325B 'art':28B,45B,72B,124B,150B,164B,197B,202B,224B,238B,268B,274B,322B,384B,391B 'aspen':396B 'audienc':116B 'becam':63B 'broaden':280B 'broader':205B 'build':248B 'calendar':73B 'ceo':154B,161B,271B 'ceram':91B 'chicago':19B,44B,59B,123B,159B,169B,201B,207B,237B,267B,312B,379B 'chicagoartfair.com':414B 'citi':36B,69B,218B 'collabor':179B 'collect':30B 'collector':79B,259B,319B 'come':119B,411B 'complementari':184B 'contemporari':149B 'continu':142B 'craft':225B,344B 'craftsmanship':105B 'creat':253B 'cultiv':113B 'deep':221B 'describ':176B 'design':31B,99B,166B,199B,228B,346B,386B,393B 'destin':317B 'detail':401B 'devot':23B,115B 'dimens':306B 'dimension':196B 'discov':87B 'distinct':110B,182B,297B 'edit':54B 'encount':340B 'eric':263B 'excit':255B 'exhibitor':261B,403B 'expect':408B 'experi':257B 'extraordinari':212B 'fair':4A,22B,46B,108B,125B,133B,203B,239B,269B,282B,309B,394B 'fall':71B 'familiar':7A 'fiber':95B 'fixtur':66B 'focus':101B,192B 'found':57B 'fuller':365B 'function':27B 'gal':153B,231B 'galleri':320B,355B 'gather':82B 'gave':106B 'get':126B 'ginni':15B 'give':243B 'glass':90B 'group':275B 'histori':78B 'home':213B 'ident':111B,289B,298B 'import':304B 'inaugur':53B,122B 'intersect':163B,383B 'join':235B 'last':55B 'legaci':251B,294B,370B 'longtim':21B 'lover':323B 'mart':49B,130B,242B 'materi':103B 'metal':93B 'modern':147B 'month':412B 'much':75B 'name':8A 'navi':84B 'new':3A,132B,256B,305B,376B 'news':352B 'night':56B 'object':26B 'occas':174B 'octob':37B,139B,144B 'offer':206B 'one':2A,187B 'open':5A,51B,134B 'opportun':246B,338B 'organ':175B,389B 'owner':265B 'palm':398B 'part':42B 'particip':354B 'partnership':404B 'pictur':366B 'pier':85B 'popular':65B 'posit':314B 'present':146B,185B 'preserv':286B 'preview':137B 'produc':156B,381B 'program':357B 'provid':363B 'redwood':273B 'reinforc':311B 'remark':293B 'rememb':333B 'return':11A,33B,301B,348B 'roof':188B 'said':229B,276B,329B 'scope':284B 'sculptur':25B,97B 'set':377B 'shape':373B 'smith':264B,328B 'sofa':18B,62B,158B,190B,215B,287B,290B,334B,378B 'spring':399B 'still':358B 'take':372B 'three':195B 'three-dimension':194B 'ticket':406B 'tim':151B 'two':181B 'underway':127B 'updat':416B 'upon':249B 'us':244B 'van':16B 'visit':413B 'visitor':81B 'von':152B,230B 'week':171B 'welcom':351B 'wood':92B 'work':88B,342B 'world':327B 'would':279B","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791471648/qlsatdxqgau2braeekxu.jpg","editor_pick":true},{"id":14324,"title":"Pigment International Dedicates Black Fine Art Month 2026 to Richard Hunt","excerpt":"","body":"

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.

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.

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

","published_at":"2026-10-06 20:00:00","state":"published","slug":"pigment-international-dedicates-black-fine-art-month-2026-to-richard-hunt","type":null,"meta_description":"","text":null,"created_at":"2026-10-08 17:05:04.799","updated_at":"2026-10-08 17:05:04.799","category_id":1,"highlighted":false,"searchable":"'-8':495B '10':462B '11':557B '150':260B '1515':364B '160':266B '19':365B '1935':33B '1955':157B '1968':210B '1971':232B '2020':431B '2021':446B '2023':34B '2026':8A,27B,463B,556B '23':71B,555B '30':558B '3091':470B '35':235B '5':474B,560B '54th':367B '6':494B '60th':569B '7':461B,473B '8':475B,493B '915':567B 'abstract':133B 'addit':514B 'address':201B 'adler':90B 'african':228B,240B,338B 'age':234B 'also':200B,416B 'american':39B,229B,241B 'appoint':214B 'archiv':340B 'art':6A,25B,40B,67B,82B,96B,222B,254B,268B,339B,393B,438B,458B,529B,541B,566B 'artist':13B,164B,273B,318B,350B,486B,501B 'attend':151B 'b':197B 'base':372B 'becam':225B,237B 'bethun':192B 'black':4A,23B,65B,324B,436B,527B,539B 'block':171B 'booth':469B,483B 'born':104B 'brought':131B,358B 'café':315B 'cai':92B 'candac':507B 'career':256B 'center':79B,310B,563B 'cgn':17B 'champagn':479B 'chicago':29B,60B,76B,94B,98B,108B,295B,457B,464B,522B,571B 'chris':274B,290B,351B 'citi':47B 'commiss':181B 'complet':278B 'connect':44B 'continu':119B 'contribut':37B 'conven':68B,531B 'council':219B 'courtesi':288B 'creat':319B 'death':385B 'decad':176B 'dedic':3A,22B,415B,547B 'design':93B,321B 'detail':572B 'develop':113B 'devin':275B,291B,352B,375B,410B 'diaspor':102B,498B 'director':329B 'dupart':510B 'duster':356B 'e':366B,568B 'edo':506B 'emmett':152B 'encompass':257B 'encount':300B 'endur':142B 'event':448B,515B 'execut':328B 'exhibit':100B,262B 'fair':459B,521B 'fall':307B 'featur':425B,500B 'figur':184B 'fine':5A,24B,66B,437B,528B,540B 'first':227B,239B 'floor':468B 'form':134B 'foundat':89B 'founder':326B 'freedom':145B 'friday':553B 'funer':155B 'giant':390B 'great':207B 'greet':490B 'group':97B 'haslip':331B 'histori':305B 'historian':354B 'home':175B 'hometown':126B 'honor':183B,281B,316B 'host':58B 'howard':503B,504B 'hunt':11A,15B,32B,87B,112B,149B,173B,178B,215B,271B,301B,313B,336B,362B,378B,387B,422B,552B 'hunter':508B 'hyde':285B,348B 'ida':196B 'identifi':150B 'includ':84B,185B 'incorpor':334B 'inspir':406B 'instal':269B 'interest':143B 'intern':2A,20B,115B,413B,454B,535B 'jess':193B,502B 'johnson':213B 'jr':189B 'justic':148B 'king':188B 'later':177B 'legaci':88B,409B 'life':165B 'lifelong':43B 'like':403B 'littl':323B 'live':121B,168B 'logan':78B,309B,562B 'look':402B 'luther':187B 'lyndon':212B 'magazin':429B 'mari':190B 'mart':466B 'martin':186B 'materi':341B 'max':512B 'mcleod':191B 'meet':488B 'meet-and-greet':487B 'member':230B 'merchandis':465B 'metal':129B 'michell':355B 'middl':203B 'migrat':208B 'miller':346B 'modern':253B 'monica':330B 'month':7A,26B,52B,439B,452B,530B,542B 'mural':280B,360B 'museum':251B 'nation':218B 'natur':138B 'need':397B 'new':248B,297B 'octob':70B,445B,460B,472B,492B,554B 'offer':296B 'open':311B 'organ':56B,424B,545B 'owen':194B 'park':286B,349B 'part':49B,537B 'partner':83B 'passag':204B 'pearl':325B 'peopl':396B 'photo':287B 'photograph':343B,374B 'pigment':1A,19B,59B,412B,453B,534B 'pigmentintl.com':574B 'place':450B,518B 'pm':476B,496B,561B 'point':161B 'portrait':370B 'practic':117B 'present':532B 'presid':211B 'program':54B,440B 'project':293B 'public':95B,180B,267B 'rais':106B 'receiv':244B 'recent':277B,292B 'recogn':35B,116B 'refer':135B 'reflect':417B 'relationship':420B 'retrospect':246B 'rhythm':103B,499B 'richard':10A,14B,31B,86B,270B,386B,551B 'said':411B 'sandro':345B 'sans':513B 'sculptor':30B,242B,283B,383B 'sculptur':99B,130B,337B 'see':399B 'seventh':467B 'side':111B 'simmon':505B 'social':147B 'solo':261B 'south':110B 'space':333B 'spectrum':456B 'staff':18B 'street':368B,570B 'studio':380B,443B 'sura':509B 'take':449B,517B 'thursday':491B 'till':153B,166B 'toast':480B 'togeth':132B 'took':376B 'turn':160B 'two':170B,335B,447B 'univers':74B,91B 'way':298B 'wednesday':471B 'welcom':434B 'weld':128B 'well':198B 'work':123B,303B 'world':63B,139B,394B,525B 'would':182B 'year':549B 'york':249B","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791351200/u6rnvyx3skpwrg4h9tdx.png","editor_pick":true}]}