Art craters at Mana Terry Dowd/Photo: Mana Terry Dowd
The outcome has yet to be decided on the vote for unionization for art handlers at Mana Terry Dowd that took place on April 25. If the vote passes, art handlers would be unionized with Teamsters Local 705. As Art F City reported earlier this month, five ballots were initially contested on the grounds that they were made by management and therefore not eligible for voting. Two were withdrawn, leaving three that continue to be under deliberation, with hopes of a verdict released within three months.
These issues are only the most recent in the foul play called on Mana Terry Dowd. Six charges of unfair labor practices have been reported to the National Labor Relations Board during March and April of this year. As Art F City reported, the Teamsters claim that “management has been charged with threatening to fire or discriminate against workers who support the union, threatening to eliminate positions entirely, interrogating employees and purposefully including supervisors in the bargaining unit of eligible voters.” PDFs of the statements are archived here. (Matt Morris)
The Whole Package: Looking at the Art Matchmaking of “Not Just Another Pretty Face” at the Hyde Park Art Center Expect an especially exciting moment when the bell rings on the evening of September 14. White cloth that covers up all the artworks shall be pulled from the gallery walls inside the Hyde Park Art Center, unveiling some eighty commissioned works culminating from the latest two iterations—2021 and 2023—of the famed Chicago art matchmaker program.
Art For Life’s Sake: Sub-Saharan Art Reassessed The Art Institute's sub-Saharan holdings make it one of the preeminent collections in the United States. The museum presents traditional sub-Saharan art—with a through line to contemporary practices—focused on West and Central Africa. “One of the most striking aspects of this community’s visual culture is its use of colors."
