![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1721417858/hekri6vtxbvhhipoou76.png\")
By CGN Staff via PR
Do you get the feeling you're about to be staying inside a lot more pretty soon? Are you warily eying the arrival of daylight savings in a couple of weeks? Yes. and Yes. We just received the following announcement that Art on theMART will be returning soon – every night – and we are really looking forward to a nightly cultural experience we can enjoy at home. Plus, the content promises to be beautiful, calming, even enlightening. The details are laid out below. Enjoy!
In partnership with Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Art on theMART will resume projections on Thursday, November 12 with an all new program. Just in time to celebrate the holidays, The Joffrey Ballet will debut a moving-image work of art featuring production images from its acclaimed production of the Christmas classic The Nutcracker set to music from Tchaikovsky’s beloved score; the Art Institute of Chicago will present images from two of its current exhibitions, Monet and Chicago, and Bisa Butler: Portraits; and Arts of Life, a nonprofit working with individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, will show a compilation of the artists’ bold images, animated together as a video projection.
The 30-minute program of projections will be shown nightly at 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. through December 30, and can be viewed for free from the jetty section of the Chicago Riverwalk on Wacker Drive between Wells Street and Franklin Street. In accordance with Chicago’s Phase Four pandemic guidelines, no more than 100 people can be on the Riverwalk jetty and all must comply with social distancing regulations. All spectators must wear masks. The November 12 projections will also be livestreamed on Facebook.
The Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker
This projection inspired by Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker allows visitors to experience scenes from the holiday classic as they listen to Tchaikovsky’s famous score. The Joffrey's rendition is set during the 1893 World’s Fair and follows Marie, a young girl who receives a magical nutcracker for Christmas and is transported to a magnificent world beyond her wildest dreams. Representing the innovation, ingenuity and hope of Chicago, the production features the work of Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon.
\"We must remember that now, more than ever, the world needs hope, optimism, and joy,\" said Greg Cameron, President and Chief Executive Officer. \"Though the holiday season will look a lot different this year, we must celebrate the galvanizing moments when we can. To share the story of the Joffrey’s Nutcracker on one of the largest public canvases in the world will be a visible and vivid reminder to all that love has the power to unite.”
Art Institute of Chicago: Monet and Chicago and Bisa Butler: Portraits
In conjunction with the Art Institute of Chicago exhibition Monet and Chicago, Art on theMART illuminates the city’s historic riverfront building with projections of six iconic paintings by famed Impressionist Claude Monet, including Monet’s Water Lilies and Stacks of Wheat, accompanied by the classical music composition “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy. Art on theMART’s Monet projection offers a new multisensory experience of the beloved works. Monet and Chicago is on display at the Art Institute through January 18, 2021.
Art on theMART will also project captivating portraits by contemporary American artist Bisa Butler in alignment with the Art Institute of Chicago’s exhibition Bisa Butler: Portraits. Butler's portrait quilts present an expansive view of history and engage with themes such as family, community, migration, the promise of youth, and artistic legacies. A selection of Butler’s artworks accompanied by custom sound provided by the artist, will extend her vision into Chicago’s architectural landscape. Bisa Butler: Portraits is on display at the Art Institute through April 19, 2021.
“The Art Institute is delighted to celebrate these two distinct narratives that both resonate—in very different ways—with the city’s history and its evolving present,” said Nora Gainer, Director of Civic Relations and Partnerships, Art Institute of Chicago. “We are grateful for the innovation of Art on theMART for helping us share these stories on their very public stage.”
Arts of Life: City Circle Heart
City Circle Heart features the work of five studio artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The projection is a compilation of colorful, abstract images that are knitted together in a dynamic moving image display that will attract people of all abilities to appreciate the movement, colors and unique soundscape. Participating artists are Marcelo Añón, Veronica Cuculich, Stefan Harhaj, Hector Jones and Maria Vanik with motion graphics by Lisa Armstrong and sound design by Chris Kalis.
“Art on theMART provides an ideal opportunity to highlight our commitment to supporting artistic expression, to providing professional development opportunities for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to introducing our artists’ work to new audiences,” said Denise Fisher, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Arts of Life. “This featured presentation is a perfect culminating project for our 20th Anniversary.”
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![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1792084737/qrikvx76nvvt5agq24rq.jpg\")
By CGN STAFF
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will reopen its Skokie location on November 11, 2026, following a renovation that expands visitor spaces, updates its core Holocaust exhibition and adds a new reflection gallery. The reopening is timed to coincide with Veterans Day. Active military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission that day.
The project includes a redesigned Lillian & Larry Goodman Auditorium and Gallery, an enlarged lobby in the Shapiro Family Foundation Welcome Center, and a refreshed Resilience Hall with an expanded stage for presentations and public programs.
Updates to the Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition include additional material on the roots of antisemitism, the story of Chicago resident Leo Edelman, and the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis. A new reflection gallery, accessible from the exhibition, offers visitors a quiet space during and after their visit.
“Every visitor’s experience now begins differently and runs deeper,” said Kelley Szany, the Museum’s senior vice president of education and exhibitions. “The new welcome center sets the tone from the moment people arrive, the enhanced core Holocaust exhibition brings the history and the voices of survivors into sharper focus, and our new auditorium gives us a place to gather, listen, and talk about what it means for our communities today.”
Existing attractions, including the virtual reality theater, the interactive Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater, the Take A Stand Center and the Voices of Genocide Exhibition, will remain part of the Museum’s offerings.
Following the reopening, Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare will open November 15 in the special exhibition gallery. Created by and on loan from Jewish Museum Milwaukee, the exhibition examines the intersections of politics, antisemitism, freedom of speech and national security during the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s. It will remain on view through March 2027.
The Museum’s satellite location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Experience360, will remain open through December 31, 2026. The downtown space opened during the Skokie renovation to provide continued access to the Museum’s immersive exhibitions.
For information and ticket reservations, visit ilholocaustmuseum.org.
Image: Museum exterior. Photo by David Seide/Definedspace.com
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By GINNY VAN ALYEA
SOFA Chicago, the longtime fair devoted to sculpture, objects, functional art and collectible design, will return to the city October 28–31, 2027, as part of Chicago Art Fair at THE MART, which opened its inaugural edition last night.
Founded in Chicago in 1994, SOFA became a popular fixture on the city’s fall arts calendar. For much of its history, collectors and visitors gathered at Navy Pier to discover works in glass, ceramics, wood, metal and fiber, alongside sculpture and design. Its focus on materials and craftsmanship gave the fair a distinct identity and cultivated a devoted audience.
The announcement comes as the inaugural Chicago Art Fair gets underway at THE MART. The new fair opened with a preview on October 7 and continues through October 10, presenting modern and contemporary art. Tim von Gal, CEO and producer of SOFA Chicago and CEO of Intersect Art and Design, was in Chicago this week for the occasion.
Organizers describe the 2027 collaboration as two distinct but complementary presentations under one roof, with SOFA’s focus on three-dimensional art and design alongside Chicago Art Fair’s broader offerings.
“Chicago has always been an extraordinary home for SOFA and a city with a deep appreciation for art, craft, architecture and design,” said von Gal in the announcement. “Joining the Chicago Art Fair at THE MART gives us the opportunity to build upon that legacy while creating an exciting new experience for collectors and exhibitors alike.”
Eric Smith, owner of Chicago Art Fair and CEO of Redwood Art Group, said the addition would broaden the fair’s scope while preserving SOFA’s identity.
“SOFA has a remarkable legacy and a distinct identity, and its return adds an important new dimension to the fair while reinforcing Chicago’s position as a destination for collectors, galleries and art lovers from around the world,” Smith said.
For those who remember SOFA as an annual opportunity to encounter ambitious work in craft and design, the return will be welcome news. The participating galleries and programming, still to be announced, will provide a fuller picture of how that legacy will take shape in its new setting.
SOFA Chicago is produced by Intersect Art and Design, which also organizes annual art and design fairs in Aspen and Palm Springs.
Additional details about exhibitors, partnerships and tickets are expected in the coming months.
Visit chicagoartfair.com for updates.
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The artist Richard Hunt
By CGN Staff
Pigment International has dedicated Black Fine Art Month 2026 to Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt (1935–2023), recognizing his contributions to American art and his lifelong connection to the city.
As part of the month’s programming, the organization will host Pigmented: Chicago to the World — A Black Fine Art Convening on October 23 at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts. Partners include the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation, Adler University, CAI Designs, Chicago Public Art Group, Chicago Sculpture Exhibit and Diasporal Rhythms.
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Hunt developed an internationally recognized practice while continuing to live and work in his hometown. His welded metal sculptures brought together abstract forms, references to the natural world and an enduring interest in freedom and social justice.
Hunt identified attending Emmett Till’s funeral in 1955 as a turning point in his artistic life. Till had lived just two blocks from Hunt’s home. Decades later, Hunt’s public commissions would honor figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens and Ida B. Wells, while also addressing the Middle Passage and the Great Migration.
In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Hunt to the National Council on the Arts, where he became its first African American member. In 1971, at age 35, he became the first African American sculptor to receive a retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His career encompassed more than 150 solo exhibitions and more than 160 public art installations.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791479104/lltcodkx39gd8sbhtus1.png\")
Richard Hunt with artist Chris Devins, who recently completed a mural honoring the sculptor in Hyde Park. Photo courtesy of Chris Devins.
Recent projects in Chicago offer new ways to encounter Hunt’s work and history. This fall, the Logan Center opened the Hunt, a café honoring the artist. Created and designed by Little Black Pearl founder and executive director Monica Haslip, the space incorporates two Hunt sculptures, African art, archival materials and photographs by Sandro Miller.
In Hyde Park, artist Chris Devins and historian Michelle Duster have brought a mural of Hunt to 1515–19 E. 54th Street. The portrait is based on photographs Devins took in Hunt’s studio before the sculptor’s death.
“Richard Hunt was a giant in the arts world and people need to see what he looked like and be inspired by his legacy,” Devins said.
Pigment International’s dedication also reflects its own relationship with Hunt. The organization featured him in its magazine in 2020, and he welcomed its Black Fine Art Month programming into his studio in October 2021.
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Two events take place this month:
Pigment International at SPECTRUM Chicago Art Fair
October 7–10, 2026.
Chicago Merchandise Mart, seventh floor, booth #3091.
Wednesday, October 7, 5–8 pm, with a champagne toast in the booth and an artist meet-and-greet.
Thursday, October 8, 6-8pm with Diasporal Rhythms
Featured artists: Jesse Howard, Howard Simmons, Edo, Candace Hunter, Sura DuPart and Max Sansing.
Additional events are taking place during the fair
Chicago to the World: A Black Fine Art Month Convening
Presented by Pigment International as part of Black Fine Art Month, which the organization has dedicated this year to Richard Hunt.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 11:30 am–5 pm.
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street, Chicago.
Details at pigmentintl.com