{"article":{"id":1725,"title":"MCA Chicago Announces Appointment of New Curatorial Leadership","excerpt":"","body":"

Via PR

Today, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) announces the appointment of two new leaders to their curatorial team, René Morales as the James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator, and Jamillah James as Manilow Senior Curator. Both Morales and James will assume their roles at the MCA in January 2022.

“We are building a curatorial team for the MCA’s next chapter, one that is committed to telling an inclusive art history, engaging with our community, and expanding the breadth and diversity of experience on the team. Both René and Jamillah are passionate about investing in Chicago’s community of artists, cultural stakeholders, and audiences, and their collaborative practice and open and authentic approach will be transformative for the MCA,” states MCA Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn.

Born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, and raised in Miami, René Morales is an award-winning curator and significant presence in Miami's art scene. He brings over 25 years of curatorial experience, previously serving as Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). At PAMM, his work has focused on exhibitions and projects that reflect Miami's diverse community and pivotal geographic location at the crossroads of the Americas. His current project, Gary Simmons: Public Enemy, the first comprehensive career survey of the multidisciplinary artist known for works that apply strong aesthetic and conceptual strategies to questions of race, class and gender identity, is originating at PAMM and will travel to the MCA in 2023.

In his role as Alsdorf Chief Curator, Morales will lead the MCA’s artistic division, reconsidering the MCA’s exhibition, performance, program, learning, and collection plans through a transcultural, inclusive and integrative lens. His emphasis on collaboration and the development of curatorial talent will strengthen the impact of the museum’s curatorial team which hails from across the globe, including the new voices of Marilyn and Larry Fields Curator, Carla Acevedo Yates; Curator, Performance and Public Practice, Tara Aisha Willis; Pamela Alper Associate Curator, Bana Kattan; Assistant Curator, Jadine Collingwood; and Assistant Curator, Performance and Public Practice, Gibran Villalobos.

\"As a longtime fan of the MCA and Chicago's radiant community of artists and art professionals, I am honored to join the museum at this pivotal time. I am looking forward to drawing from Chicago's complexity and dynamism to craft a unique program hand in hand with MCA's brilliant team,\" says Morales.

Before his role at PAMM, Morales worked at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design where he organized and co-organized numerous exhibitions, including Island Nations: New Art from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Morales studied at Swarthmore College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in biopsychology and art history, and Brown University, where he received a Master of Arts in art history, focusing on the work of Odilon Redon.  

In a long line of exhibitions spanning more than a decade, his projects include Meleko Mokgosi: Your Trip to Africa (2020); Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Surrounded Islands, 1980–83 (2018); Dara Friedman: Perfect Stranger (2017); Sarah Oppenheimer: S-281913 (2016); Susan Hiller: Lost and Found (2016); Marjetica Potrc: The School of the Forest (2015); Nicolas Lobo: The Leisure Pit (2015); Victoria Gitman: The Desiring Eye (2015); Bik Van der Pol: Speechless (2015); Global Positioning Systems: Selections from PAMM’s Collection (2014–15); Amelia Peláez: The Craft of Modernity; A Human Document: Selections from the Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry; and Monika Sosnowska: Market (2013–14).

Morales spearheaded the acquisition of over 300 works from the Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry for PAMM’s collection, with the support of the Knight Foundation, as well as major works by artists including Hélio Oiticica, Tania Bruguera, Virginia Jaramillo, and Robert Morris. In addition, he has extensive experience purchasing works for the PAMM collection via the museum’s Collectors Council, the Jorge M. Pérez Fund for Latin American Art, and the Fund for Black Art. 

He has taught museum history and theory and curatorial practice at Florida International University and held teaching assistant roles at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design. In addition to authoring numerous exhibition catalogues, his writing has been published in New American Paintings, ArtLies Quarterly, and Cabinet: A Quarterly Magazine of Art & Culture.

Morales is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Center for Curatorial Leadership Fellowship and served as a juror for the Whitney Museum's 2019 Bucksbaum Prize. He sits on the board of the City of Miami Art in Public Places and the Professional Advisory Committee of the Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places.

As Manilow Senior Curator, Jamillah James will lead the museum's visual arts department and be a driving force behind the MCA’s curatorial programming. She has built her reputation through deeply researched, beautifully presented exhibitions focused on supporting emerging and underrecognized artists, a concentration that will further the MCA’s own historic commitment to new art histories. 

“The MCA is an institution that I have long admired and where, as a student in Chicago, I had many formative experiences with contemporary art and artists. Visiting the MCA helped me realize the possibilities of curating and of museums. The city of Chicago is home to an incredible community of artists, and I am humbled by the opportunity to be an advocate for them as part of the MCA’s team. A leader in the field, the MCA is a true 21st century institution that is engaged with the most important discussions of the day, willing to reflect on its position and on what museums can do, and work towards what they should be—and I’m excited to be a part of its history,” says James. 

James was previously Senior Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA). She is also co-curator of Soft Water Hard Stone, the 2021 edition of the New MuseumTriennial, the highly influential international exhibition in New York devoted to emerging artists from around the world, providing an important platform for a new generation of artists who are shaping the current discourse of contemporary art and the future of culture. Her work on the ICA LA's Barbara T. Smith survey opening in 2023 was recently awarded the Foundation for Contemporary Arts annual Ellsworth Kelly Award. 

Prior to joining ICA LA in 2016, James was Assistant Curator at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, and organized exhibitions and programs at Art + Practice, an arts and social services nonprofit in Leimert Park, Los Angeles established by artist Mark Bradford, MCA 2011 Artist in Residence. She has held curatorial positions at the Studio Museum in Harlem and Queens Museum, New York, and produced exhibitions and programs at various alternative and artist-run spaces throughout the United States and Canada since 2004. James’ appointment marks a return to Chicago, as she was part of the first class of Art History graduates at Columbia College in 2005 and organized music performances and other programming as a former resident of the exhibition space now known as Archer Ballroom. 

James’ current exhibitions include presentations of Sara Cwynar and Rebecca Morris, opening in 2022. Recent exhibitions include Harold Mendez: Let us gather in a flourishing way (2020), Stanya Kahn: No Go Backs (2020), No Wrong Holes: Thirty Years of Nayland Blake (2019), andThis Has No Name, the first U.S. museum survey of B. Wurtz (2018). James also organized the Los Angeles presentations of the touring exhibitions Kenneth Tam: Silent Spikes (2021), Ree Morton: The Plant That Heals May Also Poison (2020), Patty Chang: The Wandering Lake, 2009–17 (2019), and Nina Chanel Abney: Royal Flush (2018). She has curated several thematic group exhibitions, including, A Shape That Stands Up (2016) and Sisters and Brothers (2014), as well as solo exhibitions of Lucas Blalock, Sarah Cain, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Alex Da Corte, Abigail DeVille, Rafa Esparza, Maryam Jafri, Ann Greene Kelly, and Simone Leigh. 

James has contributed texts to Artforum, The International Review of African American Art, and various institutional exhibition catalogues. She is a recipient of the inaugural Noah Davis Prize from the Underground Museum, Los Angeles and Chanel Culture Fund (2021), a curatorial research fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts (2021), and a curatorial fellowship from the VIA Art Foundation (2018). James regularly lectures on contemporary art, curating, and professional development for emerging artists and is a visiting critic in the graduate department at the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena.

 

Image Credits: (Left) René Morales, James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator. Photographer: Karli Evans. (Right) Jamillah James, Manilow Senior Curator. Photographer: Jasmine Clarke.

 

 

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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

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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.


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



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