SEPTEMBER
Ben Russell
Ben Russell is an experimental filmmaker and curator who won a Guggenheim grant in 2008. For his 12×12 solo show, Russell shows seven new films in 16mm.
Museum of Contemporary Art, September 4-27
Ben Stone
A new exhibition of sculptures by Ben Stone promises quirky character antics, including narratives about baseball and criminals.
Western Exhibitions, September 10-October 9
Philip Hanson
Painting since the late-sixties, Hanson carries the spirit of the Chicago Imagists in a show of new canvases.
Corbett vs. Dempsey, September 10-October 16
Kelly Kaczynski
Northwestern University professor creates large-scale theatrical installations that welcome viewer interaction.
Three Walls, September 10-October 23
Frank Trankina
Frank Trankina has been painting and exhibiting in Chicago for the past twenty-five years. His upcoming exhibition of still-lifes breathe the eerie calm of Giorgio de Chirico.
Packer Schopf Gallery, September 10-October 30
Jitish Kallat
Kallat presents a site-specific LED installation on the Art Institute’s grand staircase, commenting on a famous speech given on those stairs in 1893 and a history of terrorism.
Art Institute of Chicago, September 11-January 2, 2011
Ballplayers, Gods, and Rainmaker Kings: Masterpieces from Ancient Mexico
Mexico 2010 is a citywide celebration of Mexico’s cultural heritage, and this exhibition of ancient artworks from Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City presents objects from 900 BCE to 1521.
Art Institute of Chicago, September 16-January 2, 2011
Center of Multiple Middles
This show incorporates a bevy of scatter-site installations, interactive pieces, and performances by adventurous post-emerging local artists, with the live elements taking place on the 16th. Highlights include a drawing made on a full roll of paper by Jorge Lucero, a handmade furniture installation by Bryan Saner, a scavenger hunt by Alberto Aguilar, a refrigerator installation by Susana Garcia, and weapons created by a seventh grader using cardboard and duct tape. (Bert Stabler)
President’s Gallery, Harold Washington College, performance September 16, 4:30pm. Exhibition through September 24
Portraits of Teenagers
Middle Eastern teens are captured during their uneasy years in work by Natan Divir and Rania Matar.
Schneider Gallery, September 17-October 30
Leon Golub
A traveling exhibition curated by The Drawing Center focuses on the erotically harsh and colorful late works by Leon Golub.
The Block Museum, September 24-December 12
Edra Soto
Soto continues to mine her personal experiences, including attending church in her youth, in a presentation of new sculptures. She curates a small group show in the gallery’s second gallery.
Ebersmoore Gallery, September 24-October 30
Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan
The University of Chicago’s Center for the Art of East Asia, with the Smithsonian, used innovative 3D imaging technology to restore renowned ancient sculptures in a Chinese cave.
Smart Museum of Art, September 30-January 16, 2011
Carl Kohler
Visceral paintings of Modernist authors by Swedish artist Carl Kohler (1916-2006) are presented in the university’s library.
Regenstein Library, University of Chicago, September 17-December 31
Bernard Williams
Williams shows paintings inspired by African-American identity and created on thrift-store blankets.
Iceberg Projects, September 18-October 30
Mano/Mundo/Corazón: Artists Interpret La Loteria
Artistic inspirations drawn from a popular and historical game of fate.
The Center for Book & Paper Arts, September 9-December 10
Tom Torluemke
Tom Torluemke creates whimsical and colorful sculptures with mythological themes. He’s been working in Chicago for over two decades.
Co-Prosperity Sphere, September 24-October 14
OCTOBER
Chicago Artists Month
The month of October is Chicago Artists Month, a series of events, exhibitions, tours and networking opportunities presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs.
Various venues and dates, see chicagoartistsmonth.org
Luc Tuymans
Perhaps the most well-respected painter in Europe, the Belgian-born artist captures the bleakness of everyday politics, and gets a large retrospective in Chicago.
Museum of Contemporary Art, October 2-January 9, 2011
Rebecca Warren
The sculptor Rebecca Warren is unafraid to be hilarious and oblique. This is her first solo exhibition in an American institution.
The Renaissance Society, October 3-December 12
Maddie Leach
A three-day event invites viewers to share experiences about research related to apple trees of the Beaver Archipelago.
Jackson Harbor, October 7-10
Jeff Zimmermann
Muralist and painter Jeff Zimmermann creates works that interpret cultural identity, and he’s not afraid of making a good-looking painting, too.
Chicago Cultural Center, October 9-January 2, 2011
Urban China
An exhibition of the respected periodical Urban China’s output from the past six years, and an exploration of rapid urban growth.
Museum of Contemporary Art, October 16-April 3, 2011
Richard Hawkins
A solo exhibition by artist Richard Hawkins explores voyeurism in a deskilled collage style.
Art Institute of Chicago, October 22-January 16, 2011
Sarah Hicks
New surrealist objects of desire from contemporary ceramicist Sarah Hicks.
Thomas Robertello Gallery, October 22-December 4
Hamish Fulton
Known as “The Walking Artist,” London-born Hamish Fulton leads walking tours in the name of art.
Rhona Hoffman Gallery, October 29-December 18
Zach Taylor and Aaron Williams
The two LA-based artists collaborate for collages and sound art.
Linda Warren Gallery, October 29-December 4
NOVEMBER
Chagall’s “America Windows” Return
After a five-year absence from the museum, Chagall’s crowd-pleasing luminous stained-glass windows return for a permanent installation.
Art Institute of Chicago, opening November 1
William J. O’Brien
As a prelude to his Renaissance Society exhibition in spring of 2011, William J. O’Brien shows sculpture at Shane Campbell’s Oak Park exhibition space.
Shane Campbell Gallery, Oak Park, November 1-30
Steve Reinke
New video art from Steve Reinke and various collaborators use wry humor to critique pop culture.
Gallery 400, November 2-December 18
Tomboy
An exhibition that explores and celebrates the masculine side of queer female identity.
Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia College Chicago, November 16-January 7, 2011
Touch & Go: Ray Yoshida and his Spheres of Influence
A group exhibition curated by John Corbett and Jim Dempsey explores the lasting legacy of beloved Chicago Imagist Ray Yoshida.
Sullivan Galleries, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, November 12-February 12, 2011
CJ Matherne and Gabrielle Garland
A perfect pairing of two artists who use informal drawing processes to investigate idiosyncratic and personal themes.
Roots & Culture, November 19-December 18
—Jason Foumberg
