![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1733254619/nffqdokhuzw4klrbhwph.jpg\")
- Via PR
The Elmhurst Art Museum announces the appointment of Allison Peters Quinn to Executive Director and Chief Curator. An established curator, educator, and art writer based in Chicago, Peters Quinn will spearhead the Elmhurst Art Museum’s mission to spark cultural enrichment and serve as “a creative space where art is for everyone.” With her significant background presenting thought-provoking, diverse exhibitions and programming, Peters Quinn will expand the museum’s role as a cultural leader in the Chicagoland area for contemporary art, arts education, and mid-century modern architecture. Peters Quinn succeeds former Executive Director John McKinnon and Interim Executive Director Ann Quinn Kelly and begins her role effective December 2, 2024.
Peters Quinn says, “Elmhurst Art Museum brings together contemporary art, education, community, and authentic modern architecture to establish a welcoming, intentional space for culture and creativity. Sharing the museum’s belief that ‘art is for everyone’, I see exciting opportunities for the institution to expand its impact through this commitment to radical accessibility. My work over the past twenty years has been dedicated to bringing diverse audiences into civic dialog through looking at, experiencing, and making art – all of which will complement the inclusive programming at the museum. I look forward to building on the deep relationships with artists and institutional partnerships I have established in Chicago and around the world and working with the outstanding Board of Directors and staff to take the museum to the next level as an accredited and visionary leader in the field.”
As Executive Director and Chief Curator, Peters Quinn will oversee the programming and operations of the 15,000-square-foot museum campus, including its art galleries, studio classrooms, gathering spaces, and the on-campus McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by the iconic 20th century architect Mies van der Rohe. Peters Quinn builds on the recent momentum of the museum, which welcomed nearly 15,000 visitors to exhibitions and approximately 20,000 to outdoor community projects in 2023, including visitors to its annual Art in Wilder Park juried art fair.
Peters Quinn comes to the Elmhurst Art Museum from the Hyde Park Art Center where she served as Director of Exhibitions and Residency Programs. Throughout her twenty-year tenure at the Art Center, Peters Quinn mounted career-altering exhibitions of emerging and mid-career artists who are now well-recognized, such as Theaster Gates, Edra Soto, Cándida Alvarez, Faheem Majeed, Fo Wison, Jim Duigan, and Lan Tuazon.
Peters Quinn’s exhibitions feature social and environmental justice as a central focus, highlighting artists who engage the public in conversations and actions towards community change. Identifying and presenting Chicago artists through the lens of the social, political, ecological, and educational concerns of our time, Peters Quinn provides a critical platform for artists to take risks and realize large scale projects, launching artists into the next chapters of their careers.
“On behalf of the Elmhurst Art Museum’s Board of Directors, I am thrilled that Allison Peters Quinn will be the museum’s next Executive Director and Chief Curator,” stated Board Chair of the Elmhurst Art Museum Joseph R. Jeffery. “Allison has earned a reputation as a creative and thoughtful leader, curator, and educator. Those talents align perfectly with the museum’s mission to serve as ‘a creative space where art is for everyone’. Allison’s decades of experience working within the Chicago artist community will allow her to draw on her deep connections to Chicago’s emerging and mid-career artists, arts patrons, galleries, and museums to ensure the museum continues to offer the engaging and impactful exhibitions for which it is known. We are beyond excited about all that Allison brings to the Elmhurst Art Museum and look forward to its next chapter under her leadership.”
Throughout her career, Peters Quinn has regularly advocated for the need for resources for artists in the form of studio space, financial support, and mentorship. Peters Quinn led Hyde Park Art Center in developing a commissioning program that pays Chicago artists to realize ambitious new artworks and installations and designed a Residency program that advanced the Art Center’s strengths in caring for artists. She also established the Artists Run Chicago Fund, which has distributed over one million dollars to nearly 100 artist-run platforms since 2020. By building networks, encouraging new ideas, and providing opportunities for growth, Peters Quinn nurtures artistic practices in all career stages.
At the Elmhurst Art Museum, Peters Quinn will continue to champion the work of artists from diverse backgrounds of knowledge and experience, reflecting the priorities and strengths of the museum’s exhibition program. Its recent exhibitions Rafael Blanco: Reflecting on a Decade of Public Art (2024), Norman Teague: A Love Supreme (2024), andSentrock: The Boy Who Wanted to Fly (2023) offered first solo museum exhibitions to rising Chicagoland artists with a focus on supporting bold new commissions and site-specific works.
Deepening the museum’s investment in its community, Peters Quinn looks forward to building on the Elmhurst Art Museum’s long history of collaborating with its artists, students, staff, neighbors, and local organizations to create welcoming and educational programming for all ages. Peters Quinn’s wealth of experience in accessible art education will ensure the continued growth and quality of the museum’s youth and adult classes, camps, community workshops, and school tours.
Awarded the Ramapo College Curatorial Prize, Quinn has served as juror for national art organizations including the Artadia Award, Efroymson Award, Nohl Award, Oklahoma Visual Arts Fellowship, and the Ragdale Foundation, among others. Her ongoing work with alternative art spaces has led to her invitation to the Founding Board for Narrow Bridge Art Club in Woodlawn.
Texts by Peters Quinn on the historical relevance of contemporary artists’ practices have appeared in art anthologies, journals, and catalogs including Stockyard Institute: 25 Years of Art and Radical Pedagogy (DePaul Art Museum, 2023), Service Media: Is it Public Art or Art in Public Space (Green Lantern Press, 2013), and The Artists Run Chicago Digest (Three Walls, 2009) in addition to artists’ monographic publications through Hyde Park Art Center on dozens of artists like Susan Giles, Dutes & Shellabarger, and Jefferson Pinder.
Peters Quinn seeks out opportunities to mentor and teach emerging art administrators, curators, and artists to encourage dynamic conversations in art and culture. She has taught curatorial practice courses for the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and the University of Chicago Graham School and a Business in the Visual Arts course at Columbia College Chicago. She earned her MA at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, and BA at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
ABOUT THE ELMHURST ART MUSEUM
The Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by car or public transportation (Metra). On the museum’s campus is the McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of the great architects of the 20th Century. The McCormick House is one of only three residences designed and built by van der Rohe in the United States – and one of only two open to the public.
The Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Regular admission prices are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors 65+, $10 for students (ages 18+) with school ID, $5 for children 5-17, and free for children under 5. For more information, please call 630.834.0202 or visitelmhurstartmuseum.org.
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By CGN STAFF
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will reopen its Skokie location on November 11, 2026, following a renovation that expands visitor spaces, updates its core Holocaust exhibition and adds a new reflection gallery. The reopening is timed to coincide with Veterans Day. Active military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission that day.
The project includes a redesigned Lillian & Larry Goodman Auditorium and Gallery, an enlarged lobby in the Shapiro Family Foundation Welcome Center, and a refreshed Resilience Hall with an expanded stage for presentations and public programs.
Updates to the Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition include additional material on the roots of antisemitism, the story of Chicago resident Leo Edelman, and the experiences of other groups targeted by the Nazis. A new reflection gallery, accessible from the exhibition, offers visitors a quiet space during and after their visit.
“Every visitor’s experience now begins differently and runs deeper,” said Kelley Szany, the Museum’s senior vice president of education and exhibitions. “The new welcome center sets the tone from the moment people arrive, the enhanced core Holocaust exhibition brings the history and the voices of survivors into sharper focus, and our new auditorium gives us a place to gather, listen, and talk about what it means for our communities today.”
Existing attractions, including the virtual reality theater, the interactive Survivor Stories Experience holographic theater, the Take A Stand Center and the Voices of Genocide Exhibition, will remain part of the Museum’s offerings.
Following the reopening, Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare will open November 15 in the special exhibition gallery. Created by and on loan from Jewish Museum Milwaukee, the exhibition examines the intersections of politics, antisemitism, freedom of speech and national security during the Red Scare of the 1940s and 1950s. It will remain on view through March 2027.
The Museum’s satellite location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Experience360, will remain open through December 31, 2026. The downtown space opened during the Skokie renovation to provide continued access to the Museum’s immersive exhibitions.
For information and ticket reservations, visit ilholocaustmuseum.org.
Image: Museum exterior. Photo by David Seide/Definedspace.com
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By GINNY VAN ALYEA
SOFA Chicago, the longtime fair devoted to sculpture, objects, functional art and collectible design, will return to the city October 28–31, 2027, as part of Chicago Art Fair at THE MART, which opened its inaugural edition last night.
Founded in Chicago in 1994, SOFA became a popular fixture on the city’s fall arts calendar. For much of its history, collectors and visitors gathered at Navy Pier to discover works in glass, ceramics, wood, metal and fiber, alongside sculpture and design. Its focus on materials and craftsmanship gave the fair a distinct identity and cultivated a devoted audience.
The announcement comes as the inaugural Chicago Art Fair gets underway at THE MART. The new fair opened with a preview on October 7 and continues through October 10, presenting modern and contemporary art. Tim von Gal, CEO and producer of SOFA Chicago and CEO of Intersect Art and Design, was in Chicago this week for the occasion.
Organizers describe the 2027 collaboration as two distinct but complementary presentations under one roof, with SOFA’s focus on three-dimensional art and design alongside Chicago Art Fair’s broader offerings.
“Chicago has always been an extraordinary home for SOFA and a city with a deep appreciation for art, craft, architecture and design,” said von Gal in the announcement. “Joining the Chicago Art Fair at THE MART gives us the opportunity to build upon that legacy while creating an exciting new experience for collectors and exhibitors alike.”
Eric Smith, owner of Chicago Art Fair and CEO of Redwood Art Group, said the addition would broaden the fair’s scope while preserving SOFA’s identity.
“SOFA has a remarkable legacy and a distinct identity, and its return adds an important new dimension to the fair while reinforcing Chicago’s position as a destination for collectors, galleries and art lovers from around the world,” Smith said.
For those who remember SOFA as an annual opportunity to encounter ambitious work in craft and design, the return will be welcome news. The participating galleries and programming, still to be announced, will provide a fuller picture of how that legacy will take shape in its new setting.
SOFA Chicago is produced by Intersect Art and Design, which also organizes annual art and design fairs in Aspen and Palm Springs.
Additional details about exhibitors, partnerships and tickets are expected in the coming months.
Visit chicagoartfair.com for updates.
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The artist Richard Hunt
By CGN Staff
Pigment International has dedicated Black Fine Art Month 2026 to Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt (1935–2023), recognizing his contributions to American art and his lifelong connection to the city.
As part of the month’s programming, the organization will host Pigmented: Chicago to the World — A Black Fine Art Convening on October 23 at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts. Partners include the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation, Adler University, CAI Designs, Chicago Public Art Group, Chicago Sculpture Exhibit and Diasporal Rhythms.
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Hunt developed an internationally recognized practice while continuing to live and work in his hometown. His welded metal sculptures brought together abstract forms, references to the natural world and an enduring interest in freedom and social justice.
Hunt identified attending Emmett Till’s funeral in 1955 as a turning point in his artistic life. Till had lived just two blocks from Hunt’s home. Decades later, Hunt’s public commissions would honor figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Mary McLeod Bethune, Jesse Owens and Ida B. Wells, while also addressing the Middle Passage and the Great Migration.
In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Hunt to the National Council on the Arts, where he became its first African American member. In 1971, at age 35, he became the first African American sculptor to receive a retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His career encompassed more than 150 solo exhibitions and more than 160 public art installations.
![](\"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1791479104/lltcodkx39gd8sbhtus1.png\")
Richard Hunt with artist Chris Devins, who recently completed a mural honoring the sculptor in Hyde Park. Photo courtesy of Chris Devins.
Recent projects in Chicago offer new ways to encounter Hunt’s work and history. This fall, the Logan Center opened the Hunt, a café honoring the artist. Created and designed by Little Black Pearl founder and executive director Monica Haslip, the space incorporates two Hunt sculptures, African art, archival materials and photographs by Sandro Miller.
In Hyde Park, artist Chris Devins and historian Michelle Duster have brought a mural of Hunt to 1515–19 E. 54th Street. The portrait is based on photographs Devins took in Hunt’s studio before the sculptor’s death.
“Richard Hunt was a giant in the arts world and people need to see what he looked like and be inspired by his legacy,” Devins said.
Pigment International’s dedication also reflects its own relationship with Hunt. The organization featured him in its magazine in 2020, and he welcomed its Black Fine Art Month programming into his studio in October 2021.
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Two events take place this month:
Pigment International at SPECTRUM Chicago Art Fair
October 7–10, 2026.
Chicago Merchandise Mart, seventh floor, booth #3091.
Wednesday, October 7, 5–8 pm, with a champagne toast in the booth and an artist meet-and-greet.
Thursday, October 8, 6-8pm with Diasporal Rhythms
Featured artists: Jesse Howard, Howard Simmons, Edo, Candace Hunter, Sura DuPart and Max Sansing.
Additional events are taking place during the fair
Chicago to the World: A Black Fine Art Month Convening
Presented by Pigment International as part of Black Fine Art Month, which the organization has dedicated this year to Richard Hunt.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 11:30 am–5 pm.
Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street, Chicago.
Details at pigmentintl.com