RECOMMENDED The landscapes suspended on the walls throughout the Mary Bell Gallery provide a tranquil sanctuary from intermittent rumbles of a Brown Line train passing overhead. With scenery unavailable to those traveling above, large canvasses help convey an inspired American countryside. Up close, each piece exhibits visible brushstrokes and variegated environments characteristic of the halcyon qualities of early Impressionists. But take a step back, and it becomes apparent the colors just don’t climax with the same joie de vivre as a Cézanne or Pissarro. Each piece exclusively created by Mary Bell’s gallery artists is certainly nice to look at, with some, even darn right attractive, such as Gary Bowling’s “Cloudy Prairie” and Henry Coe’s “Road to Fenwick Island.” Yet, the aesthetic value is not enough to make up for an exhibit which feels largely unemotional and detached; sentiments that can be easily felt from the seats of a nearby train. (Philip Marino) Through November 14 at Mary Bell Galleries, 311 West Superior
Art 50 2023: Chicago’s Artists' Artists Every single artist seems to know and care about every single other artist. This is a signature element of art in Chicago—a powerful sense of community that transcends the competitiveness and careerism that undermines other places.
